Disclaimer: Still not mine. Except the plot. That is very much mine.

A/N: Hi guys!

I'm spoiling you, aren't I? So many updates these past weeks. What can I say, I was on a roll. That roll took me well into Chapter 25, but now I'm kinda stuck... Plus you know how long I can spend on proof reading... Still, hope to have the next chapter up for you soon.

Now, this chapter I'd like to dedicate to Random Fan as a going-away present of sorts. I don't know if this reaches you in time, but notheless good luck and have fun on your venture and thank you so so much for sticking with me throughout this! Menas the world!

Also, thanks to all of you who are reading this. Last chapter was big - 20 chapters, cracked the 10k view and 100 review mark. I'm so happy it's almost ridiculous.

And of course personal thanks (well you know, kind of) to kaidatinuchan, FlamingIce94, Guest, Stuti Mohanty and shadowcatlover14.

Btw guys I hope I haven't forgotten anyone. If I have I'm terribly sorry and here is a big thank you just for you: THANK YOU.

This was a longass introduction. Now on with the show!

Chapter 21

The Unspoken Truth

Midnight had long come and gone when Tala shoved Spencer and Bryan into a cab and Ray helped tuck Kenny and Hilary into the futons they'd laid out in the guest room. Tyson wished them a good night, then walked down the corridor, through the living room and into the corridor that lead to his own bedroom. He did a quick detour to the bathroom and when he stepped out into the hallway Kai's door was still open and a streak of light fell into the hallway. Tyson knocked on the doorframe.

"Good night, Kai," he said in a low voice.

There was a rustling and the sound of footsteps. Moments later Kai stood in the doorway. He was already dressed in the sweatpants and plain T-shirt that he usually wore to bed.

"You didn't have to get up again," Tyson said.

"Oh that's alright, I wasn't asleep yet."

"Everything okay?"

Kai nodded.

"Yeah, I had fun tonight. Did you send the others off?"

"Sure did. Team Blitzkrieg is on their way home and the others went out like a light as soon as their heads touched the pillows. Guess it's time for us to turn in now. Err, have a good night Kai."

Tyson had barely taken one step towards his own room, when a tug on the back of his shirt held him back. Tyson turned around.

Kai let go of his shirt.

"I, um…"

He blushed and looked down on his fingers that began to play with the hem of his shirt.

Tyson smiled softly. Kai looked utterly adorable. Tyson could guess the reason behind all this though, and that was nowhere near adorable.

"Afraid of another bad memory?"

Kai nodded.

"I err… I tried to go to sleep, but-… could you-… I mean…" his voice trailed off.

Tyson was bewildered how a person could have such contradicting feelings at once: his heart gave an excited leap, while at the same time his stomach clenched with anger and compassion. Thankfully, his boozy daze had worn off by now and he was able to swallow all of it down. Kai had enough going on, he didn't need to see the colorful range of Tyson's emotions, too.

"Should we have another sleepover?" he asked.

"If that is-… I know this isn't normal behavior for an eighteen-year-old, and-..."

"And these aren't normal circumstances, so don't sweat it," Tyson interrupted Kai's mumbling.

He gave Kai a re-assuring smile and a few minutes later, Tyson found himself climbing into Kai's bed the second night in a row. If circumstances were normal, he'd certainly be the happiest guy in the world. Being as it was, he was still happy, but did his best to keep his emotions in check – he was getting good at that, who'd have thought! Well, as they said, practice makes perfect.

Like they had the night before, they lay next to each other both a bit stiff and awkward as the minutes ticked by.

Then Kai spoke, "Tala… Tala told me some stuff earlier. I…"

Tyson waited for him to continue.

When he didn't, he asked, "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Kai hesitated for a moment.

"I… yeah, I think I-… but it's late, we can-…"

"Oh, I think that ship has sailed," Tyson said.

"I guess you could see it that way."

Kai fell silent. Tyson knew he'd better not rush him. Talking about this couldn't be easy. So he waited. And waited. And waited. Just when Tyson thought Kai might have dozed off, Kai began to speak.

"I think I have a rather complicated past."

He spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words.

"I couldn't make sense of everything Tala told me. I probably lack context. Still, I understand enough to see that not every memory will be one I will gladly welcome back."

He cleared his throat.

"Tala told me that I spent some time of my early childhood in a place called Balkov Abbey. As I understand, it was officially an orphanage that trained young boys to become Beybladers, but behind the walls dark schemes were happening. Their training methods were extreme and punishment rather harsh. I think he tried not to go into too much detail there, but what I gathered sounded quite illegal and… well, terrible."

Tyson practically held his breath as Kai continued to describe what he'd learned about life in the Abbey. What Kai told him sounded like it came straight from a horror novel. If someone else had told him this, he'd never have believed it to be true. Kai talked about how he'd got to leave the Abbey around eight after an accident and had gone to live with his grandfather. Tala hadn't been able to give him much detail on his time with Voltaire, being that Tala and the rest of the Blitzkrieg Boys had to stay in the Abbey. Knowing what he did now, Tyson understood the sense of unity between them, and why they had kept the world at arm's length for so long. It was how they had survived. Although no longer needed, it was a habit hard get out of.

"Tala said that my old self couldn't remember my time in the Abbey. His guess was it was some kind of protective mechanism of the brain. Apparently, this can happen with traumatized children. He thinks it's possible that those suppressed memories could resurface now, though. In a way I want them to. I feel that only then I fully know who I am. But it still worries me. Hearing it is one thing… remembering is a whole other story."

Kai fell silent.

Tyson took some time to process everything he'd just learned. It pained him. It pained him to know what Kai and Tala, but also Bryan, Spencer and all the other boys, had gone through. They didn't deserve this. No one did. Tyson knew nothing could make their dark past disappear – except, of course, a car accident, coma and amnesia, but that didn't seem like a the way to go. But he knew he do whatever he could to make the darkness fade.

"I wonder what happened to my parents," Kai suddenly said. "I only ever hear about my grandfather."

"Tala doesn't know?"

A rustling sound told Tyson that Kai was likely shaking his head.

"I hope I'll know once my memory returns. But maybe I don't have parents anymore. Then I'm alone."

Tyson's heart broke at this. He swiftly rolled onto his side and placed his hand on Kai's shoulder.

"You are not alone Kai." And before he could stop it, he added, "I will always be there for you."

Kai turned to look at him. The little light that fell through the window was just enough to make out his features. They locked eyes.

"I… I'd like that," Kai mumbled.

Tyson's heartbeat accelerated like a race car. He knew he shouldn't, but it was impossible not to go there: did Kai like it like that? Was his love maybe not as unrequited as he thought?

Tyson was suddenly very aware of the fact that they lay only a hand width apart, and that his fingers still rested on Kai's shoulder. The tips of his fingers prickled and he felt like an electric current continued to run through his body. Holy hell, what now? Tyson resisted the urge to gnaw on his lower lip, knowing Kai's eyes were still on him. He'd have no trouble staying like this forever and a day, but he had a feeling he should have moved many moments ago. But how, without making it super weird and obvious?

Following an instinct, Tyson faked a little yawn and drew his hand from Kai's shoulder to cover his mouth. It was late, after all, so the yawn could have been real. Maybe it was true and practice really made perfect. Tyson at least was convinced by his fake-yawn.

"Maybe we should try to get some sleep now," he said.

Kai nodded.

"Yeah… thank you, Tyson. You … this really means a lot to me."

And then Kai closed his eyes, and only moments later his breathing became slow and steady - he had fallen asleep. Tyson, on the other hand, was suddenly wide awake.

'You… this really means a lot to me.'

Had he wanted to say 'you mean a lot to me'? And what about earlier, when Kai had said he'd like it, if Tyson would always be there? Also, Kai hadn't moved away from him, when he'd frozen with his hand on Kai's shoulder.

All in all, Tyson was very confused now. But he was also … happy. Kai had turned to him and confided in him, and he hadn't pushed him away when he got close. It was almost the contrary, wasn't it?

As if on cue, Kai curled into his side. Tyson looked at the ball of human next to him. His heart was pounding in his chest and a whole bunch of butterflies had suddenly begun to swarm in his stomach. Then it hit him: hadn't Kai done the same last night? Did he always sleep like that? Was this an instinct? Or was it because he was there? Was he cuddling?

Oh, for fudge's sake. He was so hopeless.

Well, whichever it was, Kai was fast asleep and he, Tyson, had used up all of his self-control for tonight. Thinking he could still blame this on human instinct or that fact that he moved a lot in his sleep, Tyson inched closer, wrapped an arm around Kai and rested his cheek on top of Kai's head.

And with the person his heart loved most in his arms, his warmth and scent surrounding him, Tyson too, drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

Tyson woke when a beam of sunlight fell across his face. He usually slept with his curtains drawn, so this wouldn't happen. He must have forgotten. Tyson opened his eyes. And suddenly he remembered: he hadn't forgotten to close the curtains! He wasn't even in his room. He was in Kai's room, and apparently Kai kept his open. Early riser and such.

Not today, though, Tyson thought as his gaze fell upon the bundle in his arms.

Kai was still fast asleep. Tyson figured since he was awake now he might as well get up and start cleaning. Gramps had graciously left him the place last night and gone to stay with his buddy Mr. Dickenson, but he'd probably want his house back at some point, and in a somewhat decent state.

Tyson lingered for just a few moments to take in the feeling of Kai in his arms (which was wonderful), then he carefully Tyson inched away from Kai and got up. His blanket he'd have to get later – Kai had a corner of it in a tight grip. After one last look at Kai, Tyson tip-toed to the door and slid out into the hallway and across into his room. He grabbed a change of clothes , then did a quick stop in the bathroom, before he strolled into the living room to get a better idea of the amount of cleaning that awaited him.

"What are you doing up so early?"

Tyson jumped and spun around. In the armchair, holding a cup of tea, sat Ray.

"Gee, Ray! Way to give me a heart-attack!"

He threw himself onto the couch.

"Why aren't you in bed anymore?"

"Kenny snores," Ray said.

"You sure it wasn't Hilary?"

Ray grinned.

"Positive. She was too busy mumbling in her sleep."

"Oh god. Sorry your night wasn't all that good then."

"Oh, no worries. How about you? Did you sleep well?" Ray asked.

There was a glint in his cat-like eyes that strongly reminded Tyson of a tiger closing in on its prey. He swallowed nervously – if Ray was the tiger, he was the prey!

"Err, yeah, very well, thanks."

"Then why are you up so early? Did you fall out of bed… or get kicked out, maybe?"

Tyson stomach plummeted. Ray knew. How the hell had he found out? Psychic after all?

"How the hell-…"

Ray's pointy teeth flashed as he grinned broadly.

"Saw you sneaking across the hall when I went to get a cup of tea."

"Damn."

"Your secret's safe with me. At a price, of course."

Tyson groaned.

"One evening and Tala's already rubbing off on you!"
Ray chuckled.

"Come on, spill. What happened last night?"

"That's your price? Tala would be so disappointed." Tyson sighed, then said, "Fine, I'll tell you. Kai couldn't sleep because he was afraid another dark memory might pop up and asked me to stay with him, and so I did."

"And what is it you are not telling me?"

"You really are psychic, aren't you?" Tyson moaned.

"I just know you well, my friend," Ray smiled innocently.

"Okay fine," Tyson surrendered. "There was… a moment."

"Go on."

"I don't know, Kai was afraid he'd be all alone and I just couldn't keep my mouth shut – you know me."

Ray made a sound of approval and gestured for Tyson to carry on.

Tyson huffed, but continued, "And so I told him I'd always be there for him and patted his shoulder and he turned around and then we just kinda lay there and … looked each other in the eyes, I guess?"

"Awkward?"

"No, more like… Ugh I don't know, it just felt like there was a connection there. Chemistry. Something."

Tyson buried his face in his hands. Then he peeked through his fingers.
"Am I imagining things?"

Ray twirled the cup in his hands, thoughtfully.

He then said, "I don't think you are."

"Eh?!"

"I watched him, after Bryan's funny little joke yesterday."

"Oh that," Tyson muttered and blushed at the memory. "What did Kai do?"

"Nothing – for quite some time. He just sat there, deep in thought. And every now and then he'd look for you, and his eyes followed your every move."

"Oh," Tyson said.

He didn't know what else to say. His head was spinning once more with 'what ifs'.

Ray nodded.

"I could be mistaken though," Ray added. "This is Kai after all."

"Hm-hm," Tyson said absentmindedly.

Ray sat down his cup and leaned forward. He suddenly looked very serious.

"Mistake or not, Tyson, you got to be careful! Don't do anything rash. You know I'd love for this to work out for you guys, but the situation is what it is: a rather complicated mess. It's better to leave it be for now."

"I knooow," Tyson groaned. "I am trying!"

"Tryin'?" a third voice then said.

Ryu Granger strode into the living room and took a good look around.

"Tryin' what? If it is moppin' the floor ya ain't tryin' hard enough, homeboy!"

Tyson rolled his eyes. This conversation was clearly over...

A/N: Yeah Gramps return to the set was long overdue. I love writing that old nutter. :))

Hope you enjoyed this guys! Stay safe and have a good week. ~Bird