Show me the meaning
By EpitomeOfMisery
Chapter IV: Welcome home
"Kai! Kai?!" Max called, running up yet another long street. He sighed, Kai was nowhere insight. "He can't have disappeared that quickly." Max muttered to himself.
Max turned on his heel and headed back down the street, kicking a stone aside in frustration. He watched it as it bounced along the ground and hit the wall of the old burnt down corner shop. He was about to walk back home when something drew him in the direction of that shop.
He remembered back to when the shop first burnt down. The sirens could be heard all the way from his house.
Standing in front of the crumbling red door, he tapped it with his fingers. The hinges creaked and the door swayed slightly.
Max looked around him, checking there was no one about. He knew he shouldn't be going into a burnt, falling down shop, it was unsafe and not supposed to be touched. Yet somehow something made him go in the door.
He treaded cautiously round a few shards of broken glass, his trainers kicking up dust from the floor.
It was unearthly silent. Everything was still.
Max jumped as the door opened behind him. He spun around, only to come face to face with, "…Kai!"
Kai's eyes narrowed. "Max." He snapped. "What are you doing here?"
"I was… uh, just… Wait." He paused. "What are you doing here?"
"I…" Kai began. He looked away.
Max stared at him with wide eyes. Turning his blonde head he took in the sight of the mattress and blankets and a few odd belongings. And finally the small substitute for a Christmas tree. "Kai?" Max said questioningly, hoping that his suspicions were not true.
Kai refused to look at him, glaring at the floor. 'Don't let him find out. I'm fine here, I don't need anyone. I don't. I don't. I'm fine alone.' He thought furiously
Max stepped closer to him. "Kai, talk to me. Are you living here?"
Black gloved hands closed into fists as his head rose to stare straight into sea blue eyes. "That is none of your business. My life is none of your concern."
Max's innocent face had a horrified expression, concern shone in the blue orbs. "But Kai… You can't carry on like this. You're practically living on the streets."
"I'm fine." Kai growled. "Just stay out of my business."
"No, Kai, I'm sorry but I won't." Max said with determination. "I can't live knowing one of my friends is living all alone in some weird substitute for a house."
Kai blinked. The word 'friend' it was so foreign to him. After all that had happened… did Max still really think of him as a friend? Maybe a team mate, but not a friend, never a friend.
"Kai, why are you doing this? How long has it been like this?"
"A while." Kai said vaguely.
"But why, Kai?" Max's eyes once again surveyed the small space.
The muscles tensed under pale skin, knuckles turning white. "Because I have no other choice. I've got nowhere else to go." Crimson eyes burned in anger. "Not everyone has loving parents that adore them like you, Max." He spat out.
Max did not take offence by Kai's words, merely stepped up to the other boy. "I know I'm very lucky, Kai. But I can help you. Come back to my house, you can stay with me. You can't be alone, especially not on Christmas."
"I told you. I don't care about Christmas." Kai argued.
Blue eyes turned to look at the little tree on the floor. "It doesn't look like that to me."
Kai also looked at his decorations and his expression softened. The cold, hard glare melted away to a hollow look of emptiness.
"Please, Kai." Max begged. "Come back with me. You don't have to carry on like this."
He turned to face Max, staring straight into his eyes. He looked genuinely concerned for him. The look gave him a sense of comfort. Maybe he wasn't as alone as he thought. "Okay." It was a quiet whisper, but it was all that was needed to make a large grin spread across the American's face.
Kai grabbed his duffel bag and stuffed the most important things into it.
"We can come back if there's anything else you need." Max told him.
Kai shook his head, sliding the bag strap onto his shoulder.
"Come on, it's cold, let's get back to my house." Max said, tugging Kai's sleeve slightly and pulling him on.
The walked back through the snow in silence. The first noise being when Max opened the door to the shop. "My parents won't mind a bit having you here. You can stay as long as you like."
Kai didn't say a word as Max led him up the stairs. As they opened the door, Judy turned to look at them.
"Max, there you are, honey." She left her chair to come over. "Oh, hello, Kai."
Max glanced at Kai before looking at his mother. "Mum, can I talk to you and dad about something?"
Judy followed Max's gaze toward Kai, who was staring at the floor. "Of course, Maxy. You know you can ask me anything."
Max led Judy over to where his father was sitting and talked to them both about the young Russian's situation.
"God lord, that's awful. The poor boy." Judy exclaimed, looking over at Kai who stood in the same position by the door. "Well done, Max. It's good you found him. He shouldn't have been living like that."
"Do you think we should take him to social services?" Mr Tate said.
"I don't think Kai would like that, dad. It's not his kind of thing." Max informed. "I fi know, Kai. He'd probably just run away."
"So what do you think we should do?"
"Can he stay here? With us?" Max asked hopefully.
Judy looked from her son to the other boy. "Well we can't just leave him living on the streets. And we could certainly feed another mouth."
"So that's a yes?" Max said.
"Certainly. The boys always such a loner. He could use a nice loving family." Judy sighed.
"Well he can stay with us." Max persisted. "Kai can do everything for himself, mum. You won't have to really look after him."
"I'm not worried about that, Max. I won't mind him being here at all. Kai's a lovely boy. He could be almost like a brother to you, Max."
"So he can stay?"
Judy nodded with a smile.
"Yay!" Max exclaimed. He bounded back over to Kai, who looked up at him. "It's all sorted, Kai. You can stay here as long as you like. Forever if you want."
Kai nodded somewhat numbly.
"Make yourself at home, Kai. It's your home too now." Max pulled him along. "Come on, you can share my room."
Judy came up to them and placed a hand on Kai's shoulder. "You're very welcome here, Kai. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. We're here to look after you."
"Maybe, just for a little while." Kai mumbled.
"No Kai, you can stay forever." Max assured. "We can be like brothers."
Kai looked over Max and his mother and Mr Tate, who now stood next to Judy. They were all smiling and acting so kind. He gave a small smile back.