NOTE: go check this link and please leave a comment. Kurosaisei drew a comic about chapter five of this fic. She was so nice she deserves the comments.

Just take away the spaces, because does not allow addresses to be put inside fics.

http/ www . livejournal . com / users / Kurosaisei / 31497 . html # cutid1

MasterFranny: people were starting to hate Brooklyn. Thus, since Hitoshi is not supposed to get Kai, I'll better try to ease things up before complicating them even more. Thus, a nice scene suggested by Seylin, but a little changed around to fit with the current mood. See yah at the end:)

I also found this chapter hard to write because I needed the doctor to speak as a doctor… but I am not a doctor and I am not English, so I had to do some research. But to say the truth, I also found this chapter really funny to write for the same thing.

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Rating: T

Summary: Takes place after G-Rev. Kai still has some 'grudges' against Brooklyn, but the older teen is determined to erase them… Yaoi BrooklynKai and GarlandTala. May be hints of ReiMystel.

Warning: this contains Yaoi so if you don't like stop reading right now. Any flame regarding yaoi use of pairings will be handed to Hiei and Kai to be disposed of.

Disclaimer: I don't own. Otherwise there wouldn't be a second season like the one we had and there would be a side season filled with yaoi...

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"(Talking into other languages)"

Dreams sequences, flashbacks, memories–

……………………………………………

Alluring Darkness

Chapter 07: Warmth

Crimson eyes blinked tiredly as they focused again, taking in a white ceiling above him and a strong scent of anaesthetic lingering in the air.

He groaned lightly, not completely sure about what happened, so he merely blinked, waiting for memories to resurface again. The ceiling slid in and out of focus for some more, then it cleared and he focused his mind on the rest of his body.

His hands… the pain was dulled, sending a wave of relief through his body, it was nothing more than a twitch every now and then.

What had happened?

He remembered he was on the tree when his hands hurt again; he remembered going into the dojo because it was nearer the bathroom –he really needed some painkillers at the point, but he was still concerned if using them too much would have him addicted– but the moment he entered…

Crimson eyes widened in shock as he stood sitting up in a flash, his lungs tightening to the point he couldn't breath.

Brooklyn…

He hugged himself tightly, not caring if he pressed his nails in the shirt on his shoulders, not caring if he was hurting himself more.

Hands gripping his wrist in a claw–like grasp… slamming them above his head, leaving him completely open –helpless.

Lips dawning on him, in a bruising kiss, tongue ravishing his mouth…

"Stop!"

Unfamiliar voice. But it vanished under the shock and the memories.

Violence.

Darkness…

"Kai!"

Again, slipping down, until the bottom of the vortex… dark covering him…

The same darkness, the same pain…

A pair of arms circled him and he recognized the feeling and the scent; something was trying to call him back… he was not sinking…

He relaxed inch by inch and his lungs started taking in air again.

Tala had finished writing down the form a minute before and was now looking at Kai's face in worry. How could he have not realized the pain his friend was in was beyond him, not only because they shared the same house, but also because, being together all their childhood, they were supposed to know each other.

Hitoshi was also contemplating what kind of person Kai was. Problematic –how could he not tell anyone about his conditions? People were worried for him, he needed to open up more and trust his friends.

That's when Kai groaned, and opened his eyes.

Tala and Hitoshi's shoulders drooped in relief, both waiting for him to come to his senses so Mrs. Kobayashi could start asking him about his hands.

Both were surprised when Kai shot sitting up on the bed, eyes wide and frantic, and gave a strangled cry, gripping his shoulders so tightly the knuckles turned white.

"Stop!" Mrs. Kobayashi cried, worried. He would just end up hurting himself more, and he was probably hyperventilating by the looks of it. The doctor bit her lip, she couldn't touch him, he would not recognize her and would end up panicking even more…

"Kai!"

Tala acted as fast as he could, leaning on the younger blader to take him in his arms, much like he'd done when they were little, forcing his hands to let go of his shoulders, whispering comforting words in Russian; it took a moment, but then, Kai relaxed and his breathing turned regular again.

"(T… Tala?)" was a shuddering gasp from Kai, as crimson eyes laced with icy ones, filled with uncertainty.

"(You fainted in the garden, and we took you to hospital,)" Tala replied, he too speaking in Russian. Kai still had not realized there were two other people in the room, but if he was feeling better by speaking in his former language, hell, he would not complain.

"(… We?)"

Tala nodded, slowly releasing Kai from his hold to make him look around. Crimson eyes went back and forth from the doctor in a white coat to Hitoshi, who was looking fairly stunned by what he'd seen.

The Granger older sibling couldn't but be surprised since he'd never seen Kai this… trusting with someone. Sure, few minutes before he'd been rambling with himself that Kai needed to show his trust, but seeing now that he was doing that, only with Tala…

He felt jealous.

Tala did not look like he was taking advantage of the slate haired teen or something like this, so Hitoshi berated himself –this was getting ridiculous, he would surely end up being jealous of any person calling Kai's name by the looks of it.

Tala was Kai's friend, and if the latter trusted him, there was nothing wrong with this.

"Kai, it's a pleasure to see you are awake," Mrs. Kobayashi spoke with a calm but sweet voice, smiling a little. "My name is Shan Kobayashi, and your friends here took you to me after you fainted… are you up to answer some of my questions?"

Kai stood silent; Tala and Hitoshi now knew of his hands, but… he did not trust the doctor. For how much she looked nice, doctors had always being harsh and vicious with him in the past. How could he be sure she was not going to be just as bad?

"(Kai, we are no more in Russia,)" Tala looked at him seriously. "(No one of us wants you to keep on acting as if nothing's wrong –for God's sake Kai, you fainted back there! Stop being an ass and answer yes!)"

Kai stared down at his hands, knowing he'd been injected with some kind of strong painkiller. It would be not much until the effect disappeared, and he did not want to go back to his clouded by pain state.

"Yes, Mrs Kobayashi," he finally answered, looking straight at her with determined eyes.

She nodded, feeling satisfied by the reply, and she motioned to Kai to sit properly on the edge of the bed, which he did.

"Now, your friends here told me you seem to have some problem with your hands, is that true?" she was almost sure this was the real cause of his pain, but had to ask him.

Kai nodded warily, not taking his eyes away from her. He wished for the other two to leave him alone, but on the same time, he didn't want to be left alone with the doctor.

Stupid contrasting conflicts.

"Since when your hands started to hurt? And… can you describe me what kind of pain you feel?" she looked at him and waited.

Refusing to look at Tala and Hitoshi, Kai bit his lower lip, "since the end of the tournament, the BeyBlade tournament, some weeks ago… it started by simply twitching, and then they started trembling," he paused, not used to say this much all in one time.

"Then the pain increased, is that right? And it's worse in the mornings," Mrs Kobayashi nodded when Kai confirmed what she'd said. She bit her lip, she knew she would get dangerously daring by asking the teen that, but she needed to know. "Did something happen, something that may have had some… impact on your life, emotionally speaking? I mean, have you been through something that may have caused a shock, or a severe state of exhaustion?"

Kai bit his lips, he knew he had, but…

"I knew," she replied, seeing the tenseness in the teen's stance. "Kai, you may have been stressed for physical and mental strain, which caused a reaction in your body –you can't control your nerves, and this causes your hands to hurt at every little movement".

Kai frowned, "isn't this called arthritis?" he shuddered, "I'm not old enough to have it".

"Contrariwise to what people think, arthritis is not something that affects only older people. In fact, though it affects more female than male and it is usually common in older people, arthritis can affect young children and teens and adults all the same," Mrs. Kobayashi looked at Kai seriously, "under sixteen of age it's commonly called Juvenile Arthritis, but there are others as well, like Septic Arthritis, which is usually followed by high fever," she cleared her throat, pausing to have Kai take in this before continuing.

That slate haired teen she was facing looked way older than the form compiled from his friend said he was, and she knew she had to tell him personally and not to the oldest teen in the room –the bluenette that looked like he was of age.

Silence met her words, not even Tala or Hitoshi were able to say something, the tension was almost solid.

"Arthritis causes pain in the affected part, and in the worst case, osteoarthritis, it is origin of loss of mobility and stiffness, together with a burning sensation or a sharp pain flaring through the whole body at the mere touch –and it is degenerative and not curable. Though this kind of arthritis is found only in old people, there may be cases in which it can affect younger ones, such as great shock, unbearable strain, or some kind of trauma. But by the looks of it, I don't think you are suffering from it".

Kai frowned once again, "But every single thing you said confirmed that I…"

"I am a doctor, Kai," she interrupted him with a calm but serious tone. "I can see you've suffered from a great stress, maybe even a trauma, but I don't think you have arthritis. I think the pain, the stiffness and the trembling are a side effect of a psychological trauma, which affected your Nervous System. This will fade away if given time, but to be sure I'll run some tests and X–rays, if you are ok with that".

Kai nodded slowly, taking in all she'd said; he was relieved that there was a possibility he hadn't contracted arthritis, and he was willingly to run the tests she needed to do, so he could be completely sure.

He felt Tala's hand grip his shoulder in comfort, and he relaxed slightly, glancing at him gratefully for the support the red haired teen was giving him in such situation. He really needed him and was glad he hadn't left, after all.

"I'll need some blood sample for the blood tests, such as full blood count, and electrolytes, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, or ESR," she stood up and pressed a red button that was above the bed, and after a moment a nurse –different from the previous one– entered the room. "Please, take some blood samples from him," and proceeded to tell her exactly how much she needed, while Kai turned to Hitoshi and Tala.

Crimson eyes were uncertain and slightly scared, though it was hard to see it if one did not know what to find. But Tala knew, and he let himself relax as much as to hug Kai again, knowing against prejudgement that he needed the comfort.

……………………………………………

Brooklyn just stood there.

He'd stood there while Rei yelled at him; he'd stood there while the rest of the group were informed by Moses that Hitoshi had left for a while –to do what, Moses hadn't specified.

But now, as the glared returned towards him, he felt as if he needed to say something… to explain, but to explain what? He himself did not know what was there to explain.

"Brooklyn?"

There he was, Garland.

His so called best friend.

Another guilty feeling the moment Brooklyn realized that in fact, he had treated Garland as nothing more than an object as well.

And still…

"I know what you feel, Brooklyn," was all that was said by the teal haired blader as he looked solely at him, not at the other bladers that were standing there stunned –they had expected Garland to stand up and be angry at him… not to speak such in a calm manner.

Brooklyn lifted his eyes and stared at him, confused.

It was just too much, all of that caused by Kai, directly or indirectly… but this was not at all uncomfortable. Yes, they were looking in hatred and mistrust at him, but the confusion he was feeling inside, the storm in his mind, the guilt, the insecurity, were all better than his usual apathy.

As if he was starting to feel…

"Kai has proved to be something you had no control upon," Garland continued, this time more to the others than to him. "You always thought you could control anything, because you knew everything. But meeting with Kai proved you wrong… because you couldn't control him –he had something you longed for, passion".

Garland always proved himself worthy Brooklyn's attention and respect. He was really intelligent…

"Brooklyn didn't want to humiliate Kai," Garland turned to the group, looking fierce. "But Kai has something that Brooklyn can't understand, and I think someway he wants it…" he turned to Tyson especially, since the bluenette had fought against the orange haired teen and had seen a glimpse of his past. "He was always shunned out because of what he was, this way he couldn't feel what normal emotions were like, and now, that he has met someone whose emotions run deep, he can't but be attracted by them".

Brooklyn felt like agreeing and shaking his head in frustration. Yes, that was it, but in the same way, it wasn't.

It was not enough to describe the strong obsession, the feeling of deep need, the warmth and the feeling of being completed…

"You are not accustomed to this… you tried to control something you want?" Tyson asked tentatively.

Brooklyn stood there, his pupils dilated, looking at his hands.

'That's not it, that's not it,' he repeated over and over in his mind. 'Something's amiss… but what?'

"I'm sorry" he said.

Void of any emotions in his voice, green eyes were constricted and filled with confusion. Guilt. Shock. Again, he was wrong.

On the inside, he was nothing but a blur of contrasting emotions, feelings, thoughts, but on the outside, he just stood there, looking blankly at the floor.

"I am sorry" he repeated, this time in a whisper.

And he really meant it.

He didn't want Kai to feel threatened, or humiliated by any mean. He wanted to feel, and…

"I am sorry" he repeated again, his voice trembling slightly.

Silence met this. He dared to look up, and saw something flicker in Rei's eyes. It was not anger, not anymore –the golden pools were void of anger now, maybe it was out of his system– but there was something else… could it be, understanding?

Why would Rei look at him this way?

What could have sparkled such thing as understanding… not knowledge, but mere understanding in his eyes?

"Then, I expect you to tell this to Kai," the raven haired blader said quietly, with a hint of… sadness?

Again, Brooklyn was amiss.

Sadness?

Tyson looked at the calm Rei with a frown, he obviously couldn't understand. One moment he was ready to lapidate Brooklyn, the moment after he was standing there, almost smiling.

"I don't think Kai will be that forgiving with you, but still, you owe him an apology" Rei continued, then stared at the others in the room, finding out that most of them, though they did not reach the same conclusion as him, were still calmer than before and were willingly to forget what happened.

They just needed to wait for Kai to calm down as well, and be back.

……………………………………………

"That's fine, now the results will probably be ready in some days. Whilst with the X–rays I can already tell it's nothing wrong with your bones, after your blood tests I will be able to tell you more," Mrs. Kobayashi smiled warmly, "but I am sure it's nothing to worry about… in case if the pain it's too strong, I have the prescription for some painkillers, and here's my number, in case you need it".

Mrs. Kobayashi handed Kai a piece of paper and he tried to take a hold on it, but the numbing feeling of the painkiller prevented his hands from really taking a proper hold on it, so Mrs. Kobayashi gave it to Tala instead.

She proceeded then to take from her personal cupboard two rows of painkillers, two different ones, one in a tube and one in pills.

"You don't have to take many of them, it's either one or the other, depending on how strong the pain is," she explained. "This one in the tube is a lotion, when the pain is not unbearable, you can apply it on your skin, and it will numb it".

She showed Kai a small tube.

"It's called EMLA cream, Eutectic mixture of Local Anaesthetic. It'll make your hands go numb, but it will prevent the pain… anyway, when the pain is too strong, you can take this," she showed him the pills. "This will make you a little drowsy after a while, but it's a good one and it lasts long".

Kai looked at both the sets of painkillers and nodded, before taking one of the pills straight away with a gulp of water. The injection's effect was already disappearing and he knew the pain would be strong this time.

Tala nodded to the doctor and the three of them exited the hospital, and went to the car. Whilst Tala was making sure no one was in the way for them to leave the parking, Kai looked seriously at Hitoshi, that was securing his seatbelt.

"Thanks," he said with a soft voice.

As Hitoshi was about to reply, crimson eyes stopped him as the slate haired teen added, "don't tell anyone what happened".

Hitoshi found himself staring into the burning eyes and nodded, knowing it was not his place to tell. He knew there was something more to the problem than Kai had said, but still.

"I won't," he said.

Tala jumped in the back seat, holding the two painkillers for Kai, and turned to the slate haired teen with a light smirk, "I am glad to know now, because I've felt responsible for your pain".

Kai turned to him.

No words were spoken, because there was no need of them. Tala felt his heart warm up a little, knowing Kai was not blaming him.

Kai returned his stare towards the street and Tala secured his own seatbelt, his mind wandering away from Kai, that now he knew was, albeit partially, fine, to other matters.

He knew it was Brooklyn's fault that Kai was so hurt. Kai was obviously scared by Brooklyn. But the red haired teen wasn't going to blame it all on him.

Brooklyn, like all of them, had been one of Boris' puppets. Treated as a weapon.

Maybe even worst, by the way he reacted, as if he did not know how to work emotions out. Not worst than any of them, but still, worst of how the others of the BEGA team had been treated.

A last glance at Kai told him that the painkiller was already having its counter effect on him, since his shoulders were drooping and his head was lightly dangling.

Shaking his head he knew he had to speak to Rei, and then ask Hitoshi if he could give them a lift to home… Kai didn't seem in condition to walk all the way to their apartment, and he knew how much the slate haired teen despised the use of his limo.

Reaching Tyson's dojo Tala wondered if it was better to leave Kai in the car and go retrieve Rei and their things, but Kai was already out of the car, and was walking towards the entrance of the house. Shaking his head amusedly, Tala decided to go for the dojo as Hitoshi walked through the garden in search of Grandpa Granger.

As the door of the dojo opened, Tala found himself under the eyes of all the bladers, that stared at him with expectation, knowing he'd been with Kai all the time –hell, all of them knew how close the two were.

"So? Where is Kai?" Rei asked, stepping towards Tala. "Brooklyn wanted to say he's sorry for what happened… is it all ok?"

Tala bit his lower lip, deciding he would tell Rei when they were alone, so instead he pointed to the corridor that lead to the kitchen and the other rooms and coughed lightly, "he's not it his better mood, but I suggest Brooklyn to go and apologize now, we're going back home straight after".

The Neko–Jin knew something was wrong the moment the azure eyes met his, but said nothing, knowing Tala would tell when he felt it was the right moment.

"Brooklyn, come on" Tyson pointed towards the corridor and Tala saw the orange head slowly have his way towards the dojo room, not looking at any of them, as if lost in his thoughts, as if… afraid?

No, not afraid.

But uncertain.

Tala sighed.

He looked like he was unsure about going to see Kai, but he also knew, Kai would not really mind, not in his current state.

Brooklyn nodded to him and disappeared through the door, whilst he and Rei followed at a certain distance, stopping in the deserted corridor so no one would hear them speak.

"Now, tell me, what's wrong?" Rei demanded.

……………………………………………

Brooklyn faced the door with a hint of something far worse than insecurity. He was frozen on his tracks; he couldn't make himself walk through the door to look at Kai in his eyes, not after what he'd done to him.

How could he be so stupid and blind not to see the way he was acting around others? What could explain, what could make him less miserable in the eyes of someone he'd treated this poorly?

Object.

Kai was not an object.

He was someone Brooklyn… cared?

Interested about was not anymore what he was feeling.

He was interested in some of the bladers in the dojo as well, but just because of their reactions and skills; he was interested in Kai in a different way, somehow deeper, and the guilty was so strong it turned into something more as he reached the doorknob.

Fear.

Like during their fight, when he'd realized he was losing against a nobody.

Fear of the reaction.

But Kai was no nobody anymore.

He was someone. Not something. Someone. Someone Brooklyn had taken interest upon, then lust, then… care.

Yes, he cared for Kai.

Sort of.

Not even this term could explain. Not entirely.

He feared what Kai's reaction could be.

But he still had to look up by himself, and stilling with his resolve, he finally opened the door and entered.

The sitting room was empty, apart a figure that was sitting on an armchair, kissed by the sun coming from a window. Brooklyn was left to gaze in wonder and hidden awe at the beauty Kai possessed.

He was somehow relaxed; he wasn't trebling, not like he did when Brooklyn had kissed him. The orange haired teen prayed that Tala had been able to calm him down, so he could apologize.

He felt unsure as he reached for him, and awkwardly he kneeled down, so to look at Kai straight in the eyes –that is, if the slate haired teen was ever going to look his way.

"Kai…?" he whispered tentatively.

No answer, but Kai's eyes turned slowly to him, lightly unfocused; Brooklyn did not notice it, as he was too caught in what he was trying to say to care.

"Kai, I wanted to say I am sorry for… having kissed you like this," this was going quite good, compared to the worst of his scenarios that had been playing in his mind ever since he had realized the reality of his actions. "I don't know what happened… right now, I really can't understand what made me act that way, and for this, I am so sor–"

No words left his lips after that, he was left speechless.

Kai had been trying to sit up –through his dazed mind he'd realized Brooklyn was too near for his own good– but the part of his mind that wasn't blurred was not afraid of him. Through unfocused sight and similar clouded mind, the fear he should have normally felt for the orange haired teen wasn't there, quieted as well as the pain.

But inside him, he was feeling quite… serene.

Relaxed and even… at ease.

He knew he should be trembling in fear but he was not. He was almost… contented. Some part of him, a part that he was not going to admit it existed, was telling him it was not the effect of the painkillers.

But still, no Black Dranzer haunting his mind.

No Zeus.

No darkness and no black void.

Only a figure in front of him, saying something he couldn't quite understand, but causing his entire being to relax.

So he simply let go, slipping into unconsciousness, both by the combined strain and by the effect of the pill.

His weight fell forwards, and would have fallen on the floor if not for Brooklyn.

Not that the orange haired teen did anything.

But as Kai slumped forwards, he fell softly on Brooklyn's chest.

Deeply asleep.

Brooklyn simply stood there, so shocked he couldn't even move, heart beating so fast he feared it would explode in his chest, red gracing his cheeks as he felt something fill his heart.

It was not the usual emptiness or the darkness, or the nothingness.

It was… warm. And it made Brooklyn's heart ache in a way that, even if painful, he did not mind.

So he just stood there, and minutes passed, and he just admired in awe the sleeping serene face of the teen against his chest, closing his eyes in the end, enjoying the warmth.

On the door, golden eyes stared, a flicker of sadness passing through them, and then, it was gone.

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MasterFranny: too long. Chapter too fucking long. Hope you are happy.

THANKS To Kurosaisei which gave me information about anaesthetics and painkillers. For more info about arthritis, check on wikipedia. Kai has not arthritis.

Now, leave out a review, will yah? So I will keep updating fast…