A.n.: I am really sorry everyone. It seems like I can never manage to be any faster, no matter how hard I try. And then I wanted make this chapter extra long to make up for the wait, but the outcome just felt wrong like I was merging things together that didn't belong that way. Therefore, here is a chapter that I could have posted months ago like this and a next one will be posted separately. Hopefully in the next two weeks or so, but no promises.

This one has more the character of an interlude, sorry. Hope whoever might still be left reading enjoys!

Chapter Six

Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?

Tyson made his way back from the corridor that was reserved for the family to the main shelter. At first all seemed to be quiet and he felt already foolish for checking up on everything again. However then he heard quiet voices in the distance. What was strange, was that they didn't come from one of the sleeping rooms or even any of the bathrooms on that corridor, but from where the entry was.

He hurried through the kitchen to make a shortcut to the door. Without being able to see the scenery yet, he could already hear what was going on. And he didn't like it.

"You said Tyson was there."

"Yes he is, but I won't get him." Toby said resolutely. "We've got rules here. Check-in time is before 6pm. You can come in and wait. I'll call help. You obviously need more than a sleeping berth."

Tyson was just making his way round the corner. He had recognized Kai by the first word he had spoken. From the bit he knew of him, he was sure that if he didn't intervene now the other teen would be gone before he got another chance.

"Woh, wait Toby. He's a friend. A personal friend", he repeated while stumbling down the hallway towards the open door.

Tyson had reached the other two. To see that Kai was still standing there made him glad, even though the sight that greeted him was far from a positive one. However he decided to not think about why Kai might stand there shivering without jacket and more importantly why he had blood smeared on his face, until he had the other safe inside.

He positioned himself between his friend and the social-worker.

"Come in." He directed at Kai over his shoulder. Kai didn't wait for another invitation, but stepped inside the warmth. Now next to him Tyson kicked the door shut.

"So he's not here for the shelter?" Toby asked sceptically, eying Kai's disheveled form.

"He asked for me, didn't he?" Tyson didn't wait any longer. He put his hand on Kai's shoulder and guided the other down the corridor. "We're going to my room. Good night Toby."

Tyson waited for Toby to call them back, but when they had made it around the corner, he finally dared to give a sigh. He didn't stop however until they reached his room. They kept standing in the middle of the room quietly. Tyson still with his hand on Kai's shoulder, as if he wanted to guide him farther.

"God you're cold!", he broke the silence while suddenly withdrawing his hand and clamping it to his body. "What happened? You're hurt?" Tyson reached out again. This time not aiming for the shoulder, but for the blood smeared cheek.

Kai felt the fingers touch his face. He shook he head and they were taken away. "It's nothing." He honestly hadn't thought about the cut on his face. It didn't hurt, just felt frozen, like the rest of his body. The warmth of the house was only slowly reaching him.

"It's blood.", Tyson pointed out.

Kai just shrugged in response. He didn't know what to say, perhaps his brain needed to warm up too. Everything was still so cold, shouldn't it be warm by now?

Tyson observed the distressed expression of the other teen guiltily. Kai really looked miserable and he kept him standing around here for no reason. He walked over to his closet and got a towel and some clothes out of it.

"Do you remember where the showers are?" At Kai's nod, Tyson pushed the clothes in his arms. "Take these. I'll get you something hot to drink meanwhile."

Kai didn't move, so Tyson put his hand on the other's shoulder again and guided him back out of the room and down the hallway. Only when Kai started to lead the way on his own Tyson stopped. Still he stood in place and watched until the bedraggled teen disappeared into the shower room.

Tyson made his way to the shelter's kitchen nearly on tiptoes. He didn't want to come across Toby again tonight, however he hadn't any groceries in the family's kitchen at all.

Luckily he found the kitchen empty. Relieved he got a cartoon of milk out of the fridge and started to pour it into a pot on the stove.

"Hey. What are you doing?" The voice didn't sound as accusing as the words might have suggested. Still Tyson didn't turn around after hearing Toby speak and unmistakably stepping into the room. He closed his eyes for a moment. How he hated it to feel this cornered in his own home.

"Just getting something to drink.", he finally replied.

Toby had already crossed the room and was leaning with his back onto the counter just a few steps away.

"I heard your friend in the bathroom and thought you might have a moment to talk."

"I thought we'd talk tomorrow." Tyson tried to sound disinterested, but probably a bit of his nervousness crept in his voice.

"Yes, you are right. That was the agreement. I just thought, that perhaps you and your friend needed help?"

"No, we are alright. Thank you." Tyson watched the milk closely. Why couldn't it warm up faster?

"There is still some food left from dinner. Perhaps you want to take him something to eat too." When the teen didn't answer, Toby finally decided to leave it be. "I'll be in the shelter's office the whole night. You can come any time if you need anything. I guess I'll see you two for breakfast tomorrow then?"

Tyson felt, that he could detect some of the same nervousness that he felt in Toby's voice. It made him feel a bit better.

"Yeah, we'll be there. Good night."

"Night."

Toby left the room, but only when Tyson couldn't hear the other's steps anymore he could feel the relieve again. The milk was finally steaming. He decided to heat up some food too.

xxxxxx

Kai sat on a bench on the opposite wall from the shower stalls. He knew he should get undressed. He kept sitting. What the hell was wrong with him? He surely wasn't acting like himself. Perhaps he just needed to get warm. He looked over to the shower, wishing he could just keeping sitting there and it would still spray him with warm water. Wasn't going to happen. Good, he wasn't that out of it yet. He finally started to peel the clothes of his body.

He turned the water on lukewarm. It still felt hot where it hit his body. His skin started to prickle. It kinda hurt, but it felt good nonetheless. His muscles started to spasm. He was shaking.

Kai turned the water warmer. He felt the numbness retreat, while his skin burned.

xxxxxx

Tyson balanced a tray packed with a dish and two cups back towards his room. The door was open and he saw Kai sitting on his bed. Washed and dressed in clean clothes he didn't look so worrying anymore.

"Wow, you're fast. Or I am just slow in the kitchen."

No reply came, but Kai lifted his head and watched the approaching boy from the corner of his eye. Tyson sat the tray down on the table.

"Is that coffee?"

"No, it's hot chocolate actually," Tyson smiled, "Did you know, that milk could burn? I had to try it twice. The first pot is all black on the bottom now. Hope we can clean it, it stinks. Here take this one." The young blader carefully walked over to his bed, trying not to spill any of the hot liquid and handed the cup over.

"Thanks." Kai looked at the drink for a while, enjoying the smell and the warmness emitting from it.

"No problem. I've got food here too."

Tyson was nervously waiting through the next few minutes, watching Kai eat and drink. The other teen looked definitely better, now cleaned and tidy, but still kinda out of it. With the blood gone Tyson had a good look at the scratch on the others cheek. It didn't seem too deep, but the red gash stood out against the pale skin There had been more blood on the clothes and Tyson wondered, where that might have come from.

When Kai was done eating, they continued to sit in silence. Tyson found it a very uncomfortable one after the first few seconds, but as soon as a minute had passed it become unbearable.

"You could tell me what happened now, you know?"

"Who was that guy out there?"

Tyson was momentarily confused. "Toby? He's a social worker. The school send him here. To help with the shelter, but honestly it just feels weird to have him here."

Weird. Did it really feel weird. Shouldn't there be a better word to describe it? Weird, strange, wrong, perhaps they all fitted.

Kai understood what Tyson meant. He probably hadn't arrived more than an hour ago and had only been here once before, but it was obvious that the atmosphere had changed.

"So that is what your meeting at school resulted in?"

"Yeah, that and that I have to go back, starting tomorrow."

Kai observed Tyson staring ahead completely lost in thought. It didn't like that look on the other boy. It just didn't seem natural. His glance drifted off through the room before it settled on the clock hanging on the wall. It was already way past midnight. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why he felt so tired, and perhaps that in conclusion was the reason why he missed what the time meant for the other boy.

"I'm sorry for keeping you up." Kai skidded forward until he sat on the corner of the bed, not sure what he had planned next. Get up and leave? But why had he come here in the first place then? Could he ask to stay? Not possible.

Tyson looked at the clock as well. "I'm not really tired yet, used to the late hours by now. What do you say, we lie down? You still got to tell me what happened to you."

He did wait for an answer and instead got up, pulled an mattress out from under the bed and threw some pillows and cushions on it, he got from the closet.

"You can take the bed if you want."

Kai blinked. "You want me to stay in your room?"

"Yes, it is like the sleepovers I used to have with my other friends. I like to have somebody else in the room. Drinking hot chocolate, talking until you fall asleep. Nice." Tyson actually smiled. He felt a bit like he had the afternoon before, when he had momentarily forgotten about his problems over their beybattle.

"You shouldn't trust people like that. We've only met yesterday." Kai said, trying to not fall into the enthusiasm Tyson's voice projected.

"Oh come on, you are wearing my clothes and are sitting on my bed! I certainly hope you are my friend and not 'people', but it's too late for that kind of thoughts anyway. Would you just lie down please? I'll switch the light off." Tyson had been busy while talking setting his alarm clock and getting rid of his shirt and trousers, switching his bedside lamp on and the big one off, before climbing between the sheets.

Kai felt safe to say that he had never met anyone who was able to fuse talking and movement into such a perplexing combination. He wasn't sure how he felt about it, but at the moment he welcomed the opportunity to just accept this chance for a safe sleeping place.

Without undressing first, he moved under the covers. They felt warm over him. Had he still been that cold? It just felt good. Sort and warm and safe.

Tyson meanwhile struggled with his blanked being much to short to cover him and he hated getting cold feet. In the end he decided that turning it 90 degrees could help and was able to cover himself entirely at last.

"So now you can finally tell me what happened to you out there."

However there was no reply. Tyson looked over towards the bed and found Kai snuggled deep into the blanket and fast asleep.

"Great, at least we had the hot chocolate," he mumbled, but fell asleep soon afterwards.

Tbc...