Thank you to my Stormy for reviewing! Your reward is finding out what I wouldn't tell you. xD

I love this chapter.

10. Keeping a Secret

Kai's mobile phone went beep insistently, and with a muttered curse, he swept it up and pressed the answer button with more force than was strictly necessary.

"What?" he grumbled. Salima watched curiously from the sofa where they had previously been – well, what she called "cuddling" and Kai called "a stupid way of sharing body heat" as a wide smile spread across Kai's face. This was rare enough in itself, only after-sex high or something very funny (or painful, preferably both) happening to Tyson, Tala, or Brooklyn generally produced the megawatt Hiwatari grin. What Kai said in response to the unknown caller made the breath catch in Salima's throat.

"Miss you? Yeah, you stupid sap, whatever you wanna think. Yeah, still the same. Already? You say I'm unsociable? Fine, talk whenever. Enjoy yourself." Shaking his head, he pressed the end call button, gently this time, and tossed the phone on table before throwing himself floppily down next to Salima. "What?" he asked as she stared at him.

"Who was that?" He laughed dryly and slung one arm around her shoulders, pulling her until she was back in her previous position with her head against his chest.

"Someone who likes checking up on me every year or so." The sharp pinch Salima gave him asked him for more details, now, please? Kai grumbled more curses under his breath and wondered how to cut this down.

"Max and I once spent a week together," he said after some thought.

"Max?" Salima's astonishment was palpable. Kai had told her very early on in their relationship that he had experimented with his sexuality – was still not one hundred percent sure, as a matter of fact, but he had never specified names. This particular name, well-known to have been doe-eyed over Mariam since he was fourteen and now happily engaged to her, was not one she would have expected to come up in her wildest dreams.

"Mm," he answered noncommittally.

"When? Why?"

"When we were seventeen, and why … we wanted to." Kai shrugged it off. "So now he rings about once a year and checks whether I'm up for anything or not."

"But you're with me!" Salima's voice was high with outrage as she twisted her head until they had eye contact. Kai looked down at her with a wry little smile.

"Yeah, I know. Max doesn't see the harm in asking – Mariam does the same thing with a few of her exs, so there's no problem with their side of things." Salima was silent, digesting this new side of the cheeky, happy blond boy she had thought that she knew.

"You were never tempted, were you?" she asked anxiously.

"Nah. Too much trouble," he replied laconically. She scoffed and smiled, and cuddled back into him, squashing her doubts. Typical Kai.

Ok, ok, Max having strange sexual habits appeals far too much. Never mind me.

So, that's the end of the KaiSal feast! A massive thank you to Ray, Lamb, Turkey, TakaYoshida and SuicidalBeyblader for their reviews, and to everyone who has read this (I've been getting approximately 20 hits a chapter).

A new series will be out soon, different pairing.

Love you all!

x Ilb x