So, updating early as I'll be going off the grid here soon for the release of Kingdom Hearts 3. I'll update one more time the day I get my copy in the mail (sometime around the 28th to the 1st.) After that it'll just depend on how long it takes me to beat the game and come out of whatever hell it's gonna put me through.

As always, thank you to everyone who has reviewed, faved, and all that good stuff.

Ch 4- Migraines and Heartache

The feeling of soft fingers running down his bare back and a breath of cool air ghosted over his neck woke him from his deep slumber, face down in a pillow as he was sprawled out in the center of a bed. The fingers continuing their travels down his spine, tracing the faded scars that littered his pale skin; some short and deep, others long and shallow.

Slowly Kai lifted his head, it already pounding from the hangover starting to make itself known and he groaned, his entire body felt heavy as he tried to blink away the sleep. The room was dark, the black-out curtains doing their job in not letting even a sliver of light through the windows.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up."

Kai's body tensed, what had he done?

Finally his brain registered that he was naked, laying on his stomach on a bed that was not his own but not unfamiliar. The fingers still dancing on his skin that became covered in goosebumps and he swallowed the lump in his throat, his memory foggy like his head.

"What time is it?" He asked, finally having found his voice, his throat dry.

There was a slight shift in the bed beside him, "It's ten thirty." The voice said, the body shifting back towards him and the palm of the other males hand settled on the small of his back. "You look like you needed the sleep, after last night." He chuckled close to Kai's ear, too close for his comfort and he jerked away from him.

"You should have taken me home hours ago, dammit." He growled out, clenching his teeth as he pushed himself off the bed and away from the other male, scanning the dark room for his clothes and his head throbbed harder from the movement.

"I would have, but we had a few drinks." The male laughed, sitting up in his bed, the sheet falling around his waist as he watched Kai search through the darkness of his room, the sound of glass bottles being kicked into each other echoing through the room.

"Fuck…" Kai hissed, feeling his way to the other side of the room and flipped the light switch on, blinding the two of them momentarily before they got used to the light.

He spotted his clothes by the bed, his jeans underneath it and his shirt beside him by the door. The other male produced his boxers out from under the bed, holding them up on the tip of his index finger, a coy smirk on his fair lips as his teal eyes gleamed with delight.

"Hand them over." Kai said dryly, holding his hand out as he stepped up to the end of the bed.

"Hmmm I don't think so."

"I'm not playing right now, so hand them over." Kai said in a darker tone, narrowing his crimson eyes at him.

"Did I wear you out last night?" The other male asked, his smirk still on his lips.

Kai ground his teeth, only causing his headache to sear with pain. "Fine, keep them." He spat, going around and gathering his jeans from under the bed before going back to where his shirt lay by the bedroom door.

"Oh come on now, lighten up a little Kai." The male said, throwing Kai's boxers at him. "You haven't changed at all."

Kai glared at him, catching his boxers with the rest of his clothes bundled up in his arms. "I'm taking a shower and then you're taking me home." He said, turning on his heel and walking out of the bedroom, slamming it behind him.

Once he made it into the shower, the water coming out boiling hot against his skin, he leaned his forehead against the tiled wall as he let the water fall over him. It didn't soothe him, his nerves starting to get riled up as he thought about the hell he'd be in once he got home. It wasn't often that he acted out, but when he did his foster parents were a little over the top and he could understand why; they could lose their license if something happened to him.

He tried to calm himself down, the worst thing they could do is call his social worker and have him placed with a different family. He didn't think it'd get to that part though, this wasn't the first time he had stepped out of line. He could practically hearing them yelling at him now, but it did nothing to change what he had foolishly done. Why, he wasn't even sure.

He thought he had it under control, the want to go back to what he had before but apparently he was wrong. Him standing under his ex's shower head was a clear testament to that, he was just a glutton for punishment.

He washed, almost numbly, trying to get the lingering stench of the night off of him. His ass hurt a little, but that was nothing compared to the headache he had now from his hangover. When he got out of the shower he rummaged through the medicine cabinet looking for an aspirin, taking three and praying they would kick in quickly. When he wandered back to the bedroom his ex was still laying on his bed, his phone in his hands texting; at least he was dressed though.

"C'mon, we have to go." Kai said, grabbing his boots and socks as he sat on the edge of the bed to put them on.

"Yeah, I heard you the last time." His ex said, putting his phone down and got up to get his own shoes on. "Why did you call me?" He said as he came back to the bed and sat down with his back to Kai.

Kai paused, why had he called him? He had tried to think of a reason when he was in the shower but nothing had come to mind. Was he that weak, that unable to control his own feelings and emotions that he had to run back to him? After everything he put him through?

"I don't know." Kai answered quietly, tying his boot up.

"You having troubles at that new school?" His ex asked, turning around and looking at the back of Kai's still soaked hair; he always liked it when it was down and fell around his shoulders like it was now.

"Not really… I've only been there for two days." Kai answered back dully.

"Those fake parents of yours giving you a hard time?"

"No! And they're not 'fake parents', they're the only kind of real I've ever had!" Kai answered angrily, his head snapping around as his eyes burned in anger at him.

"Calm down, I was just asking… There must be a reason you called me, I'm not stupid Kai."

"Why does it matter now? I got what I wanted and you got what you wanted."

"Don't make it sound like that, makes me feel like you just used me." His ex said in a fake hurt tone of voice, his teal eyes softening as his fair lips turned up into a smirk.

"Well I did." Kai spat back, his eyes narrowing.

His ex's smirk didn't fall away as he turned around fully and climbed the space of the bed between them, cupping the sides of Kai's face in his hands before he leant in and kissed him. Kai fought back for a second before he gave in, kissing him back. He didn't feel anything, it had always been that way but he didn't care. He had never actually felt anything for him, so he really didn't understand why he would put himself in this position again to be used and abused by him.

"That's enough, I need to get home." Kai said as he pulled away, pushing himself off the bed and making sure he had everything.

His ex chuckled, shaking his mess of red-orange hair before he pushed himself off the bed and started for the bedroom door, grabbing his keys off the night stand before he let Kai go before him.

The ride back to his home was tense, telling his ex to stop a few blocks away from his house and he listened, pulling to a stop on the side of the road and waited for Kai to step out but he hesitated.

"Don't… Don't think this meant anything." Kai said, eyeing him carefully beside him.

His ex smirked, "Of course not."

Kai didn't say anything back as he slipped out of the car, shutting the door behind him and didn't bother to watch him drive away.

He stuffed his hands into his jean pockets as he walked towards his house, seeing it in the distance until he was standing at the front door. Both his foster parents and Tala's cars were in the driveway, and he took in a deep breath before he unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"Where were you?!" Came the onslaught before he even took a step inside, Natasha standing in the middle of the living room with her hands on her hips as she stared at him heatedly, her icy-blue eyes darkened in her anger.

"I went out…" Kai answered, shutting the door behind him.

"Out? You went out? Kai, it's twelve in the afternoon! You've missed school, your phone was off and you didn't even tell one of us where you were!" Natasha went off, using her fingers to count off each of her points as her face turned just as red as her hair.

"I'm sorry… It won't happen again." He said, trying to keep them from boiling over more than they already were.

"Where were you?" Micah asked and turned around to face him, standing up from his spot on the couch that faced the wall across from the door, Tala was sitting on the loveseat next to it against the left wall of the living room as he pretended to be picking at his nails.

"Just with a friend, I lost track of time and my phone died. I ended up staying at their place." Kai said, it wasn't a lie but it wasn't the full truth either.

"Which friend?" Natasha near enough squealed out at him.

Kai wasn't quick enough to think of a name, he could have used any of the boys he had met at school but he wasn't dumb enough to use them as a scapegoat. Natasha read his face as if the answer was written all over it and she frowned hard, shaking her head as she put a hand to her forehead.

"Please tell me you didn't…" She groaned out.

"I'm sorry…" Kai tried again, feeling his heart sink into his chest.

"What were you thinking?!" Micah's normal calm voice boomed out at him and he flinched back from the sound of it, thankful that a hand wasn't going to follow it.

"You know he's dangerous, why would you go back to him? You're better than that Kai! He's no good for you, for anybody, you know this! We strictly told you that once we moved you were to cut all ties with him!" Natasha shouted out, her voice higher pitched.

Kai could only nod, he knew why they wanted him to but what was he supposed to do about it now? It was in the past, no matter how hard any of them wanted to they couldn't change what he had foolishly done.

"I'm sorry… It won't happen again…" He repeated, feeling it was the only thing he could say now.

"It better not!" Natasha yelled, taking in a few deep breaths to calm herself from blowing up further. "And he better not know where we live!" She added as an afterthought.

When Kai didn't respond she clenched her teeth and screamed through her teeth, shaking her fists in anger.

"What were you thinking?! The hell has gotten into you?!"

Kai could only shrug, keeping his head low.

"Just go… Go to your room." She ordered, jutting her arm out towards the hallway.

Kai silently obeyed, making quick work of leaving them in the living room as he went to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him before he threw himself down onto his bed still sat in the middle of his room. He pulled his cellphone out of his back pocket, turning it back on to show that it had half a battery left and he had several missed calls from his foster family, as well as different text messages from them and a few unknown numbers and two from Ray.

Kai felt his heart start to race again, going through the messages from the unknown numbers. They were from the other boys, all asking where he was and if he was alright. He would have appreciated their concerns if it wasn't for the headache still in the side of his head, or that he didn't know what to tell them. He didn't want them to be close like this and he wanted to strangle Ray's neck for having given out his number to the others without his permission, but he thought better of it and deleted them all instead, sitting the phone down on the box that had become his makeshift nightstand.

His door creaked open, Tala stepping in and shutting it behind him before he took a seat on the floor next to Kai's bed. For the longest time they just looked at each other in silence until Tala released a breath of air in a sigh, shaking his head at him.

"Please tell me you didn't do what I think you did."

"I did." Kai said plainly, unmoving.

"Why?"

"I don't know…" Kai said, as it was the only answer he could give.

"This move was supposed to be a new start for you, for all of us, why would you jeopardize it by bringing him back?" Tala asked, his voice soft and filled with concern.

"It didn't mean anything."

"You think that matters? Kai you know better than I do what kind of person he is, you really think that he isn't going to try and get you back now that you've reopened that door?" Tala asked, his voice raising slightly.

"I don't know what you want me to tell you…" Kai breathed out, he was getting tired of them bringing what he did up, it wasn't like he didn't know what he put at stake.

"I want you tell me why, why you would do this to yourself when you've been given the option to start fresh."

"Because my entire life has been flipped upside down!" Kai shouted, pushing himself off his bed to face Tala more properly. "I've never had anything solid in my life and for once I did, with him! And then that was thrown out the goddamn window when we had to move, and then I'm thrown in with all these different people that I don't know or care to know! I just wanted, needed, to feel like I still had something solid and something I could control!" Kai yelled out, Tala blinking at him a few times.

"But you know he isn't good." Tala breathed out.

"Of course I fucking know that! I have a good damn reminder of what he did to me that I carry around all the fucking time!" Kai screamed, pulling the collar of his shirt down to reveal a large burn mark just below his left collar bone. "It didn't mean anything, it never will mean anything!" He continued, letting go of his shirt and ran a hand through his hair. "I know what I did was stupid, dangerous even, but I promise it won't happen again." He said in a calmer tone.

Tala sat in silence for a moment, thinking over his responses before he reached out and pulled Kai into him in a tight embrace. "You scared the shit out of me, don't ever do that again." He said, holding him closer as his arms began to tremble.

Kai closed his eyes, putting his arms around Tala's back to return the hug. "I won't… I'm sorry."

Tala squeezed him tighter, patting his back before letting him go as he left his right hand on Kai's left shoulder. "You're smarter than this, don't make the same mistake twice. Okay?" He asked, giving Kai's shoulder a slight shake.

Kai nodded, a small smile on the corner of his lips.

"Wish I could save you from moms wrath, but we both know that's not going to happen so good luck." Tala said as he stood up, ruffling Kai's hair a little before he took his leave.

Kai watched him go quietly, he knew his foster mother wasn't done laying into him and it was now just a waiting game for when she made her appearance again to finish him off.

As he waited he decided to get working on his room, getting the railings to his bed and setting it up in the far left corner of his room, setting his box spring and mattress on them. He remade the bed, making sure it looked good before he continued around his room pushing his dresser in the corner across from his bed, setting his TV and game system on the top of it.

By the time he had gotten through his third box of random junk and had sat everything out his door opened again, Natasha stepping into the room and sitting on the black leather couch he had set up on the wall beside the door.

"It's starting to look good." She mused, looking around it and Kai smiled at her. "Sit down." She said, pointing at his bed across the room from her.

Kai obeyed after setting down a stack of books on his desk at the end of his bed, sitting down on the edge of his bed and met her eyes with his. The two stared at one another in a tense silence, he could see her disappointment in her eyes and the fear she had from not knowing where he had been or if he was safe. He knew she loved him like her own son, and his heart and soul hurt for putting her through what he did.

"Were you safe?" She asked with a heavy exhale and Kai nodded. "Did you drink?" Kai nodded and she sighed deeply again, closing her eyes as she willed herself not to lose her control.

"Did he hurt you?" She asked, opening her eyes and Kai shook his head. She studied his face to see if he was lying, when she saw no hint of a lie she felt like she could breathe a bit easier.

"I don't want to know why, but you best believe I don't want to ever find you out with that boy again, do you understand me?" She asked in a cold voice and Kai nodded. "You're phone and computer are mine for a week, you are to only go to school and come home, no exceptions." She said in a stern tone, her eyes boring into his and he nodded again.

"For the week you'll be taking Tala's chores, as extra punishment. Sound good?"

"Yes ma'am." He answered, knowing full well he had gotten off easy.

Natasha stood up, walking the space of the room towards him and held her hand out. He pulled his phone out from his pocket and handed it to her, she placing it in her own pocket for the time being. Without a word she went over to his desk and picked up his laptop, cradling it under her arm as she turned back around to face him.

"I love you, Kai. I don't want to lose you, so please use your head next time before you go and do something as reckless as this."

"Love you too Ma." He said back and she smiled a little at him before taking her leave, closing his door behind her.

Kai picked up his music player, sticking the earbuds into his ears as he turned the volume at full blast as he finished putting his room together, it being the only thing he could do now that he didn't have his phone or computer. He was thankful that the aspirin finally had kicked in and his head wasn't hurting as bad, letting him feel a bit more normal as he cleaned up the empty boxes and trash bags, carrying them outside and putting them in the trash and recycling bins.

Since his room was done now he went about the house doing his and Tala's chores, per his punishment, and by the time he was done with everything and the last bit of laundry had been folded and put away it was nearing four in the afternoon.

With nothing left to do he laid out on the couch, turning the TV on as Tala came and joined him, stretching out on the loveseat as they quietly watched whatever wasn't boring. Another hour went by as they zoned out to the TV when the doorbell rang, Kai and Tala looked at each other but neither bothered to get up. It rang again, and before it did a third time Natasha answered it as she gave her lazy sons the stink eye.

"Hello, how can I help you?" She asked, her icy-blue eyes meeting golden ones.

"Sorry to bother you, but is Kai home?" Ray asked and Natasha looked over shoulder, seeing Kai's eyes wide from shock as he sunk down into the couch more to try and hide behind it. Tala's eyes were dancing back and forth between him and the door with a sly smile on his lips.

"He is, Kai door's for you." Natasha sang out, leaving it open and Kai groaned before he sat up.

"Hey Kai." Ray said, still standing outside the door as he waved a little.

Kai put his hand up in a half wave, pushing himself up as he ignored Tala's suggestive eyebrow wiggle at him, shutting the door behind him as he stepped out onto the porch with Ray.

"The guys got your work from your classes and gave them to me to give to you." Ray said quickly, digging into his backpack for a stack of papers, handing them over to Kai.

"Thanks…" Kai mumbled, taking the papers and tucking them under his arm.

"Missed my running buddy today, where were you?" Ray asked as he pushed on Kai's arm in a friendly manner, his smile almost as bright as the sun.

"Wasn't feeling that good, so I stayed home." Kai lied and Ray eyed him.

"Must have been bad, since you're in the clothes you wore yesterday." Ray said with a smirk and Kai felt his face flush, cursing himself for not having changed earlier.

"Yeah…"

"Well, what're you doing this weekend? The guys were wanting to meet up at Tyson's place for a sleepover tomorrow night." Ray said, looking hopeful.

"I can't, we have this… Family thing we're doing…" He said uneasily, not really one for lying since he hated it.

The hope and excitement in Ray's eyes died a little, and he shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, well that's all I wanted so I'll see you later. And don't forget, you owe me." He said in a joking manner, spinning on his heel to head to his own home.

"Owe you?" Kai asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, did you forget?" Ray asked, coming to stop on the first step of the stairs. "You're supposed to help me with chemistry, god knows I need all the help I can get before I fail that class."

"Oh… I can see about Sunday?"

"Okay, just call me and let me know." Ray said as he waved good-bye to him again, continuing on his way to his home and Kai watched him go before he slipped back into his own home.

"Who was that?" Tala asked with a sloppy grin on his face.

"Nobody." Kai bit back.

"Ohhh c'mon tell me!" Tala whined out, seeing the blush on his brother's face.

"Knock it off, he's just a friend from school." Kai snapped back at him, going to his room.

"WAIT! Did you just say FRIEND?! YOU MADE A FRIEND!?" Tala asked out loudly, practically gushing on the couch.

Kai's back tensed, he hadn't meant to say that. "N-no! That's not what I meant, we just go to school together!" Kai barked back as he spun around to glare at his brother, his blush intensifying.

"Ohhhh, you like him, don't you?" Tala asked, wiggling his brows again.

"Tch, I hardly know him."

Tala shrugged his shoulders at him, "So? I hardly knew Bryan before we started dating, that's how it works Skittles."

"He has a girlfriend!" Kai snapped back and the joyful look Tala had was swept away like the snap of a finger.

"Oh…"

"Yeah, 'oh'. Just drop, it will you?" Kai asked rolling his eyes as he turned back towards the hallway, stomping down it to his room where he slammed the door behind him.

Tala sat there on the loveseat in silence, the TV playing to his left forgotten now as he slumped down against it again. He felt bad for his little brother, he had never really seen him blush like that, even from embarrassment and he felt bad for having teased him, but he wasn't about to go and apologize for it either. Kai was a big boy now, he could handle a few harmless taunts and jabs from him; he'd been dealing with it for four years now after all.

Natasha poked her head out from around the kitchen doorway, "So, who was that?" She asked, her icy-blue eyes looking just as mischievous as her sons.

"Just a kid in Skittles school, think he likes him but he's got a girlfriend." Tala answered dully.

"Oh… Well I don't think I want him dating for a while anyways, not after what he was put through the last time." She said and Tala nodded with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Can't protect him all the time Ma."

"I know that, but still… You're both my lil boys, and I just want to make sure you're both safe." She said as she looked to her son fondly.

"Thanks Ma." Tala said, smiling at her as she smiled back before ducking back into the kitchen to make dinner.