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Chapter 11 – All in the past?
Tyson entered the dojo through the training room entrance. He bowed politely to the shrine of the family's spirit Dragoon before making his way to the family's entertaining room.
Hiro sat at the small table talking amicably to someone. The brown haired man was tall and did not look comfortable sitting there. Hiro looked up and noticed Tyson in the doorway scrutinising them. He smiled cheerfully at the blunette and waved his younger brother over.
His guest turned around. Revealing someone Tyson thought he would never see again. He felt the blood drain away from his face.
"Long time, no see Ty." The man said, deep voice ringing with amusement. A small smirk graced the rugged features; vivid green eyes sparkled with laughter.
"J-J-Jack." Tyson stammered, frozen to the spot. "W-what are you doing here?"
"I confess; I came to see you." Jack said quietly. "I was wondering if you would talk with me."
Those eyes watched him, pierced him. Tyson felt those emotions he had fiercely squashed come roaring to the surface. He took care not to let them show. He smiled stiffly back at the man.
"Sure." Tyson said through gritted teeth. Dragoon roared to the front of his mind, her anger reverberating through him.
"I'll leave you two alone. You might want to use the outside training field if you would like privacy. Gramp's students should be here soon." Hiro said interrupting the strained silence. Tyson grunted in reply, refusing to look at his older brother or his guest Jack. He heard Hiro leave the room quietly.
"Tyson..." Jack began. The blunette cut him off.
"Follow me." He said curtly. He wandered back through the training room. Hurried steps behind him told him that the older man was rushing to keep up with him.
'WHAT are you DOING Tyson?' Dragoon growled at him. 'He's dangerous!'
'I know. I won't let him try anything Dragoon. I just want to hear his reasons.'Tyson thought back at his partner. He blocked the memories Dragoon sent to him. He stormed down the corridor with Jack in hot pursuit before turning abruptly and opening a door halfway down the hall.
Tyson motioned impatiently for Jack to precede him before slamming the door shut behind him. He stomped past the brunette down the path, heading for the corner holding the wind chimes Hiro had hung up for him those many years ago.
He stopped underneath the tree and turned to face Jack, arms folded across his body in a defensive gesture.
"What do YOU want?" he growled. "You're lucky Hiro was there or I would have kicked you to the curb."
"Babe. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you." Jack said smoothly, eyes begging for forgiveness. "I was an arsehole. Not being with you for these last few months has been hell. I missed you sooo much!"
Tyson scowled back." That was YOUR fault!" he snapped.
"I know and I regret everything." Jack said earnestly. He stepped forward and reached out and took Tyson's hand. "Can you find it in your heart to forgive me? I loveyou."
Tyson gaped at the brunette. His bottled up anger roared to the surface. Dragoon's rage only fuelled his own. He opened his mouth to give Jack a severe tongue lashing when the older man dropped to one knee.
"I love you Ty. You're the best thing that ever happened to me. I was a fool to let you go. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me?" he asked, green eyes sparkling.
Tyson snapped his mouth shut completely shell-shocked. This was definitely not what he had expected. He glanced away and looked down. 2 months ago if Jack had said that he would have been thrilled and said yes immediately. 1 month ago he would have refused and would have let Jack try and change his mind with gifts and dates. Now everything had changed. And he had Ray.
Tyson didn't see his new lover falter to a stop behind Jack or the anguish that filled Ray's face. Or see the raven haired blader turn and flee. He gathered his thoughts before looking up at Jack and gave him a hard glare.
"No." He said roughly. "You cannot expect to walk back into my life, after all that you have done and expect me to drop everything. You don't have that right! I have moved on and am lucky enough to have found the loving, caring man I am with. There is no way I am going to throw that all away for you!"
Tyson yanked his hand away and stepped back. "Goodbye Jack. Have a nice life." he said calmly before stepping around the brunette and walking off.
Jack leapt to his feet and reached out and caught Tyson's elbow, roughly turning him around. "How can you say that? After all that we've been through. How can you say that? You're going to throw all of this way for some guy you've only just met?" Jack asked harshly, face contorted in a mask of rage.
Tyson glared back at Jack with disbelief. "I've known him a lot longer than I've known you Jack Bane! And he has never treated me the way you have either!"
"So. What. You've been cheating on me with him the whole time I was with you?" Jack snarled.
Tyson snorted and shook his head. "I'm not you Jack! We hadn't seen each other in 3 years and when we met again it just clicked!"
"That was a low blow Tyson! How many times do I have to apologise?" Jack shouted.
"What. Even if it's true?" Tyson said mockingly. "Just back off."
Jack tightened his grip and tried to pull Tyson towards him. The blunette dug his heels in. They glared angrily at each other. "You are being pig-headed and stubborn. I made a mistake Tyson. One that I will regret for the rest of my life. I will not let you ruin what we had. You are mine!" Jack snarled, green eyes flashing dangerously.
"I am not owned by you or anyone else. And as for ruining what we had? As I already told you. You did that. Let me go!" Tyson growled back.
Neither man noticed Hiro rapidly advancing on them with a grim look on his face until Tyson's arm was torn out of Jack's grip. The brunettes arm was flung back at him.
"Tyson. Gramps needs you back in the dojo for something. I'll come and help you two in a minute." Hiro said coolly. Tyson opened his mouth to argue but his older brother's eyes glared back warningly. Tyson shut his mouth with a snap and turned and trudged back to the dojo.
Hiro tuned and glared at the brunette. "I think you've overstayed your welcome. Don't bother coming back here. Oh, and don't bother going near Tyson. Or Else!" he said voice ice cold.
"Or else what?" Jack said challenging the older blunette.
"Or else you deal with me and my overzealous Grandfather. No one messes with our Tyson." Hiro replied coolly.
"You don't scare me Hiro." Jack sneered up at the older man.
"Don't underestimate me Bane." Hiro said with an evil smirk. "Now I suggest you leave before I call the police. Or immigration. Don't come back you hear?"
Jack stalked past the blunette and back the way he came. Hiro followed closely behind. The concern he had for Tyson and the compassion he held for Ray he kept under a mask. He had to get rid of this little creep before he could talk to Tyson about the raven haired blader and young Bane.
The brunette stomped his way through the dojo until he reached the main entrance. "I'll see you again Hiro." Jack said with a smirk.
The older man shrugged off his unease at the statement. "Not if I can help it." Hiro said with a dangerous growl. "Piss off."
He watched the brunette walk away, eyes following him down the street before slamming the door shut. It was time to break the bad news to his little brother.
*ts*
Ray curled in on himself. Pain lanced through him, while tears ran down his face. He shivered uncontrollably. The despair of Tyson's betrayal overwhelmed him. He felt Drigger's presence hovering at the edges of his mind. Love poured from his bit beast trying to help soothe and comfort him.
He grieved deeply. It felt like part of him had died when he had seen that person proposing to his mate. He had felt confusion, lust and some other emotion he hadn't been able to identify rolling off Tyson in waves.
He knew Tyson had been keeping something from him and now he understood what it was. He curled up tighter and let his grief roll through him. He wished he was dead.
With those thoughts echoing in his head an alarmed Drigger reached out for someone he knew could help fix this horrible problem.
*ts*
Dragoon's presence had left him. He frowned. The dragon had been trying to him locate Lee. Hiro had told him that Ray had seen Jack propose to him and then promptly fled the scene. Fresh concern rushed over him. He had run back to the hotel as fast as he could to look for the Chinese blader. Kai had promptly informed him that the neko-jin was not here because he had gone to see Tyson and hadn't returned. He thanked the Russian blader before tearing off to the floor which held the rooms for the White tigers.
None of the team had been there. He had been searching the hotel for the team and him. He rested in the hotel lift, his hands resting on his knees as he forced air into his sore lungs. The doors binged as they opened.
He looked up into the startled faces of the very people he was looking for.
"Help." He gasped out before the world went black.
*ts*
Dragoon hovered anxiously in his mind. 'Wake up Tyson. Ray is in danger. Youmustwake up!' she urged him frantically.
He struggled back to consciousness gasping for breath.
"He's waking up." Mariah's voice sounded anxiously above him. He opened his eyes to see 4 faces hovering over him with concerned looks.
Lee and Kian hauled him up into a sitting position. His head spun as he fought to stay conscious. He gasped for air.
"Shit Tyson. What the hell's going on? You passed out man. What's the hurry?" Kian asked peering at him.
"Ray. Need. To. Find." He gasped out.
"Why?" they all chorused.
"Danger. He. In. Trouble." Tyson replied.
"What?" Lee exclaimed. "Why?"
"Later. Need to find. Now!" Tyson said still gasping. He used the wall behind him to help manoeuvrer to his feet. He made a couple of steps before almost collapsing. Kian and Lee caught him extremely concerned.
Dragoon flooded a picture into his mind. 'He's here. Go quickly!' she said urgently.
He pulled out of his friends grasp and tried to run to the hotel's exit. His legs collapsed under him and he hit the floor hard. He groaned softly as he fought his way back to his feet.
Two pairs of arms grabbed him, one on each side, and held him on his feet.
"Where?" Lee said voice hard.
"The cave." Tyson gasped out. His body jerked as they hauled him along. He forced his legs to move and to stop himself from pulling them down as well. Miah and Mariah followed closely behind.
*ts*
"This way!" Mariah said darting ahead. Kian pulled Tyson along at a run while Lee pushed the exhausted boy. Miah followed closely.
The track wound through the trees endlessly. They had all picked up on their bitbeast's concern and sense of urgency. Finally they rounded the last bend and staggered into the cliff face. Mariah motioned for the others to slow down as they picked their way up the last of the cliff's trail. They entered the cave.
Blinking they let their eyes adjust to the little light there was. Tyson spied Ray's prone form first. Drigger circled around the neko-jin aimlessly. The concerned tiger crouched above his blader peering down.
Tyson pulled out of Kian's grip and staggered the last few steps to Ray's side before collapsing next to him.
A moan of despair filled the cave. The blunette collapsed over the Chinese blader distraught.
*****ts*****
End of Chapter. Wow. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you think? Please? Reviews are a good tool to help me with the next chapter. Lots of love. :) Tempest Storm!