THANK YOU ALL SOOOOO MUCH! Made my entire week! I have been itching to get this out for ya'll and will start posting in the middle of the week just to keep this goin. So, expect Monday, Wednesday, and Friday updates!

Smoke and Guns is another song, I keep saying I'm not trying to do this but apparently I am... Anyways it belongs to Natewantstobattle/ Nathan Sharp. He's amazing, check it out, cus it really is pretty good and connects here for this chapter.

Real quick, Brooklyn isn't coming back. I had the idea for him to but due to the rating I pulled the idea out since it was a bit harsh. Kai doesn't know what Ray did for him either, and he won't know for some time.

As I've mentioned before a lot of this is from my own experiences growing up, between the two I've used more of my issues for Ray than Kai and that also includes falling in love with my best friend. Nothing ever came of it, but I did tell her how I felt and that was that as I'm very happily married but it was good to finally be honest about it not only with her but myself and my husband didn't care since he figured it out himself.

I think that's about it, I'm working on Ch 28 as we speak looking at a good 30 somethin chapters for this, trying to condense what I can so it's not dragging out forever but there's a lot to get out here between the two of them respectively.

ENJOY! Really excited to see ya'll's reviews to this one.

Ch 21- Smoke and Guns. Sunday, October 21st.

The silence was suffocating and unbearable but as Tala kept his eyes focused on the dark road ahead of him he didn't speak a word, Kai had gone to looking out the window the entire way home. For once there was no upbeat music between the two and Kai would have rather liked that than the uncomfortable silence, but thankful for it all the same that Tala hadn't bothered to pester him with the questions Kai knew he had.

The feeling of Ray's lips on his had yet to fade, even almost an hour after everything had gone to complete shit. He knew he shouldn't have done what Ray had asked but did it anyway and was paying the price for it now.

In between the heartache and the anger he felt there was more guilt in there than anything, no doubt the walls were going to come back up stronger than before. Dreading Monday and when they'd have to face each other again, the thought of running away had crossed his mind; old habits die hard, even calling up Brooklyn had come up before he shoved that thought down quickly.

Tala cut the engine the second they had pulled up into the drive, sitting there for a minute and turned to Kai but his brother was already out of the car with the door slamming behind him and heading towards their house. Tala let out a sigh, shaking his head.

All he knew was that Kai wanted to come get him, Tala had asked why and wasn't given a reason, just that Kai needed him now and didn't hesitate to go and get him at roughly four thirty in the morning.

The two slipped into the quiet house, Kai going straight for his room where he shut and locked the door behind him before he threw himself down onto his bed and buried his face into his pillow. Sleep taking hold of him quickly and he knew it wasn't going to be a peaceful one.

On the other side of town Ray had booked it to the only place he could think of to go, where he could right the wrongs he had just done. Like Kai the taste and feeling of him lingered on his lips, fueling the burning fire in the pit of his stomach.

He was a fool, a stupid drunken fool, throwing a weight on top of Kai that wasn't his to bear but had done it anyways. If there was ever a time that he truly wanted to die it was now, just to get out of the new hell he had put himself in.

Despite the feelings he held for him it was wrong, it was dangerous and not worth the risk still.

Coming up to the small one-story house he took himself over to Mariah's window and gave it a few hard taps on the cold glass, the light in the room flicking on quickly and there was a slight scuffle inside the room and harsh whispers that Ray couldn't quite hear over the buzz in his head.

Mariah threw her window open, giving him a questioning look as the fear in her eyes seemed to die away as she took him in.

"What're you doing here? You nearly gave me a heart attack." She asked in a low quiet and harsh whisper.

"Can I come in?" Ray asked, his hands stuffed in the pockets of the jacket Kai had gotten him for his birthday. Underneath were the clothes Max had given him and at least he had the sense to put on his shoes before he had left.

"Yeah, hurry up before you freeze." Mariah said as she moved away, letting him climb in before shutting the window down and turned to him.

Instantly, the moment the window was down, Ray went to her and cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed her hard and demanding only to get pushed away. Mariah's nose scrunched up as she gave him a displeasing look.

"You're drunk." She stated, able to taste it on his mouth.

"I am." He stated almost proudly.

"Is that why you're here?" She asked, eyeing him skeptically.

Ray shrugged his shoulders, honestly he didn't really know why he was. He knew he just had to get away and going home hadn't even crossed his mind when he ran.

"Are you here to sleep with me?" Mariah asked him, putting her hands on her hips.

"If you want." Ray shrugged again, to hell with the consequences now.

It wasn't like things were going to get any better for him anyways and she had condoms, what for he wasn't sure since before he had always made it clear that they weren't ever going to.

Mariah looked to be in thought for a moment, any other time she would happily do it but not with him like this.

"I think you should go." She decided on.

Ray shook his head, "I can't."

"Why not?" She almost barked at him.

"I just can't, we don't have to do anything if you don't want to but I can't go back." He explained quietly still shaking his head.

Mariah huffed out at him before her face softened, "Alright, you can sleep on the floor then." She said and started towards her closet where she pulled it halfway open, keeping her body blocking most of it.

"What're you doing?" Came a harsh whisper from inside it.

"Leave when he goes to sleep, unless you want your nose broken again." She warned in her own quiet and harsh whisper as she grabbed down the blankets and an extra pillow.

Shutting the closest door she turned around to Ray still standing there, having removed his jacket and left it on her chair that sat in front of her desk. He turned back to her, looking like a lost and beaten down dog.

"What happened?" She asked in a more caring tone as she laid the blankets down on the floor for him.

"I don't want to talk about it." Ray answered as he toed off his shoes, stepping towards the bed she was making for him.

He got down beside her and she paused what she was doing when he cupped the back of her neck, pulling her into him again for another kiss that she let him have.

"Ray…" She breathed between their lips, her stomach twisting in knots.

"I love you." He told her, pulling away from her.

There was something in his eyes that she didn't recognize, maybe it was the alcohol that made them look that way and she didn't question it. Finishing fixing his 'bed' for the night before taking herself to her own bed, laying down on it and pulling the covers over herself.

Ray laid down, pulling the sheets she had gotten for him around himself as he turned on his side where his back faced her. The light being flicked off, throwing the room in complete darkness, the two lay awake in the stillness of the room.

Throwing her sheets off she got out of bed, going to him on the floor and put a hand on his shoulder that caused him to turn over on his back. Their eyes shining in the darkness until they slipped closed as she leaned down to kiss him, crawling under the sheet with him where she straddled his waist.

"You don't have to." He told her, breaking their kissing for a moment.

"I want to." She told him, kissing him again as she rocked her hips down into him.

The better part of him wanted to push her away while the hurt part of him pulled her into him more, his hands resting over her hips and running them up under her nightshirt.

Like before and all the other times crimson replaced yellow, slate replaced pink and muscles replaced curves. Grinding into her some more and harder as he rested into the floor, his head settling down on the pillow as he let her take over.

Monday, October 22nd.

"Get up!" Natasha yelled as she slammed a book into the bottom of Kai's feet, jerking him awake.

Kai sat up wanting to fall back down on the bed as his head seared with a terrible pain, holding the side of his head as he pressed his fingers into his temple and groaned.

"That's exactly what you get, you drunk dumbass!" Natasha scorned, watching him with that fire in her eyes.

Kai couldn't get a word in even if he wanted to, the yelling not helping his headache which was no doubt a hangover. How he had one he wasn't sure, he only had two beers the night before.

"What the hell were you thinking coming home at four in the morning? Making your brother get up that late to come pick you up like that?!" Natasha continued in her shouting.

"Because he had to get up so early to get you he was late this morning, as is you are right now!"

Kai's eyes widened at that, he hadn't even heard his alarm going off and quickly snatched up his phone off the bedside table. His heart dropping into the pit of his stomach at the time, he was an hour late for school already.

"Shit." He jumped off his bed, ignoring Natasha's heated stare at the back of his head.

"Do you want to tell the class what the hell happened?!" She asked him as he was in his closest pulling out clothes.

"I don't want to talk about it Ma." He bit back, knowing that was a grave mistake on his part.

Natasha rose a brow at him, looking even more heated at his snippy attitude he had with her. Maybe it was her fault, wondering where she had gone wrong with him. Four years of this she always didn't want to blame him for it, knowing that his past was most of the cause for what he did and why he was the way he turned out to be. Enough was enough though and she knew that.

"This isn't over Kai, when you get home we are sitting down and talking about this. I hope for your sake, you can get through the day with that hangover. Let it really sink in what you're doing to yourself, when I know you are better than this!" She told him before leaving to let him get dressed in privacy.

Kai sighed as she shut the door behind her, letting her words sink in and pierce his heart straight to his soul.

He tossed off the clothes Tyson had given him the night before, quickly dressing in his own and grabbed his backpack off the floor where it sat by his desk. Heading out into the living room where Natasha was waiting for him with her purse tucked under her arm, her car keys spinning angrily around her index finger.

"Let's go." She said in a deep tone, quickly heading towards the front door with Kai right behind her.

The car ride was stiff and uncomfortable, thankful that it wasn't long. Once parked Natasha cut the engine off, turning to Kai sitting beside her and her face softened slightly.

"I hope you know why I am so upset with you right now."

"I do…" Kai nodded, meeting her eyes.

"I am very close to losing my patience with you Kai, but that is because I love you. So please, start making better choices here honey. I don't want to lose you, as I'm sure you don't want to go through everything else again. We have tried, to give you the life you so deserve. Quit trying to ruin it for yourself." She said in a motherly and pleading tone.

"I'm sorry Ma… There's just a lot going on… I'll tell you when I get home, I promise." He told her, getting a nod in return.

"I'll hold you to that, now don't go punching anybody today please." She half joked, getting him to smirk slightly at her.

"I won't, I promise." He said and leaned over, kissing her on the cheek quickly.

"I love you Kai." She told him, holding his arm as he went to pull away.

"Love you too Ma." He gave her a genuine smile before he pulled away and left, shutting the car door behind him.

Natasha sat and watched him head towards the school, starting the car back up once he was safely inside and drove away. Letting him deal with the consequences of being late and what ever else fate had in store for him.

As the bell rang for lunch, having been stuck in the office for the rest of second period, Kai finally emerged and was torn on where to go. Facing the others after disappearing the night before would no doubt have him flooded with questions, not only had he left without a word Ray had bailed out too.

He could lie, they had a fight and both ran off, but then he'd have to think of a lie good enough. The library wasn't an option, not at this point in time. Instead he took himself outside towards the back of the school where Ray had taken him before, shivering slightly in the cold as he sat on the grass with his back against the wall of the gym.

With a heavy sigh Ray leaned his elbow on the desk, running his fingers through his bangs where he kept his face pressed into his hand. His head was throbbing something awful, having thrown up the second he got home at god knows what time the night before.

Only good thing that came out of everything was that he had stopped himself again, pushing Mariah away at just the right moment and once again did what he always did best; run away.

He hadn't seen her since he got to school, avoiding the others best he could and ignoring their texts that had flooded his phone. He half expected them to come barging in the library at any moment yet they never showed up, and much to his regret but not surprise, Kai didn't either.

Why would he though? Ray hadn't even given him a second look back once they pulled away for the fourth time, having gotten lost in each other to the point Ray couldn't even remember his own name for a minute.

Like the selfish damned fool he was he wanted more, wanted it again, the feeling he had the entire time never left him even hours, a day, later. Every time he closed his eyes he was taken back to that spot and that moment, living it all over again and waking back up with the terrifying reality of it.

He regretted it, starting it up and ending it the way he had. Why he did he wasn't sure, it was what they both wanted, the consequences of it had plagued him and he had cast them aside without a care.

If he saw him he'd apologize, for everything, let him decide what he wanted to do about it but like the coward he was he knew he wasn't going to face him like that. He'd push it down and put that wall back between them, he had to now.

Through is turmoil the bell rang and he logged himself off the computer for the next student, gathering his things quickly and quietly as the Librarian stepped out of his office and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You doing okay Ray?" The man asked in a gentle strong voice.

Ray always liked him, he was a kind hearted man who truly loved his job and his students. He was funny with a great sense of humor and Ray leaned on him when he couldn't stand on his own two feet at times, never giving in great detail but the man was someone Ray felt he could trust with his life.

"I'm fine Mr. Mullins." He said, shifting his bag over his shoulder.

"You seem a bit down, what's going on?" Mullins asked, the older brother of the History teacher.

"Just a lot going on, you know how it gets." Ray said with a shrug of his shoulders, the man's hand still firmly and gently placed on it.

Mullins nodded like he understood, "If you need anything you let me know, alright?" He asked, giving Ray a friendly shake before letting his hand drop back to his side.

"Thank you, I should get going." Ray said, stepping back from him.

"Ray." Mullins called as he reached the door.

Ray turned to face him, his heart sinking in his chest as he watched Mullins motion him to come over again.

Ray obliged quietly, stepping back up to him and Mullins plopped a long white envelope down into his hands. Curiously Ray opened it, revealing two one hundred dollar bills inside it and his mouth went dry.

"I can't take this." He said quickly, trying to hand it back but Mullins had put his hands behind his back.

"Yes, you can. You need it before you get your truck taken from you." Mullins informed.

Ray shook his head despite the tears in his eyes, he had told him last period he was behind on his payment but hadn't told him that because he wanted his money. He was just venting like he always did to him.

"Please sir, I can't…" He choked, closing the envelope and held it out.

"Take it Ray, okay?" Mullins said in a gentle voice, putting his hands back on both of Ray's shoulders. "I know what it's like, so please, just take it and take care of yourself for once."

Ray nodded, his heart clenching on him and he threw his arms around the tall burly man.

"Thank you so much, you don't know how much I needed this." Ray about cried into his chest.

Mullins rubbed his back gently, careful of the scars he knew were there, letting Ray take as long as he wanted until the teen pulled away and wiped the tears out of his eyes.

"Better hurry up before you miss the bell." Mullins said, nodding towards the door.

Ray nodded, putting the envelope into his backpack quickly and hurried towards the door. Throwing it open and giving Mullins a quick look back, giving him a bright smile before leaving and running across the courtyard.

"You almost didn't make it Ray." His English teacher said with a cheeky grin as he entered the classroom, breathing in heavily to refill his lungs from running the length of the school to get to class before the bell rung. Barely missing it by a second.

Kai's entire body tensed as he watched him sit down without a second look in front of him, the anger and guilt with the rest of everything else swirling in his gut the longer he stared at the back of his head.

Ray was very aware of the stares he was receiving, not only from the love of his life but his girlfriend sitting next to him. Doing his best to keep his eyes forward and not shifting uncomfortably in his seat, letting his present from Mullins being the only good thing he could hold onto right now.

Drowning out his teachers lecture Ray took the notes he was tasked, Kai doing the same all the while trying burn a hole into the back of his head until the bell rang. A bit to his surprise Mariah hadn't waited for Ray, leaving him behind in the crowd as Ray gathered his things up and disappeared in the halls.

Kai took his time, dreading next period with Tyson and decided against going. Hell, he was already in deep shit with Natasha, might as well go out with a bang.

He took himself back outside towards the back of the gym, sitting down on the cold damp grass and pulled his jacket around him tighter. Resting his head up against the wall behind him, closing his eyes for a minute as he cleared his head for the time being.

The bell went off, startling him out of his sleep and he got up from the grass and headed back inside. Chilled down to the bone but had become numb to it after a while of being out there, his Russian blood was good for that if anything, and wandered back inside using the back door of the gym to get inside and out before the others had a chance to get in.

Ray would have to get his lock on his own, he didn't care, but even still he did it for him before he took himself to the bathroom stall to change. He was done before the others even stepped foot in the locker room, passing them quickly and quietly with his head down as they filed in. Ray not sparing him a look like he had been all day.

"What's going on between the two of you now?" Tyson asked as they headed towards the side where their lockers sat.

"Nothing Tyson." Ray answered quickly, stepping up to his locker and smiled a little at the lock already undone for him.

"Did you two have a fight?" Max asked, pulling his shirt over his head.

"Yeah…" Ray breathed as he too started to undress, lucky to not be having a repeat of last week.

Being taken back there without his will he tried to shake it off but it hit him, and it hit him hard. If Kai hadn't done what he had for him he'd be shit out of luck, he knew that, was grateful for it even. It fueled the love he had for him and then took Kai's love and stepped on it, he had done him wrong on so many levels at this point and he wasn't sure how to fix it.

The four of them dressed in silence after that, the collective sounds of their lockers shutting at the same time as they were done and filed back out into the gym.

Mariah stayed away from him, sending him glares in her little circle of friends with Hilary standing beside her. Whispering to each other as they stared at him hard, only for him to ignore them completely and stayed with Tyson and Max as Lee had gone off to some of the other boys in his grade.

"Do we have to beat it out of you?" Tyson asked and Max cringed at the choice of words he used.

Ray blinked, not really having heard anything they were saying to him as his eyes had drifted over at Kai talking with Oliver. An unfamiliar bubble of jealousy rising in his stomach, watching the two talking to each other across the gym.

"What?" He snapped his head back to the two of them, getting a pout from Tyson.

"What the hell happened Saturday? We woke up and you two were just gone, there was a broken glass on my back porch. What happened?" Tyson pressed, not backing down.

"We had a fight Tyson, that's all."

"About what? That you had to break one of my glasses?"

"I'm sorry… I chucked it at his head." Ray lied, trying to think of something to say and fast.

Max's bright blue eyes widened at that, looking almost horrified. Everything had been fine before they went to bed, what on earth could have happened?

"Why would you do that?" Max near enough shrieked out at him.

Ray shrugged his shoulders, "He got in my face." That wasn't so much as a lie, but for a very much different reason.

"Ray… It's not like you…"

Ray agreed, the past few weeks, days, wasn't like him at all. What had happened to him all of a sudden? Things were easier when all he had to worry about were his grades, keeping himself alive long enough to see another day, be stupid with his friends and win races for the school.

He could blame Kai, he had tried, but it was his own actions that had brought on this down spiral and him alone. Last night was just the icing on the cake, complete with a cherry on the top.

"I'm sorry about the glass though." Ray directed at Tyson.

"It's fine… But… Are you two going to be okay?" Tyson asked, looking over his shoulder at Kai and Oliver still in conversation.

"I don't know right now." Ray answered, his heart sinking into his stomach as he followed Tyson's gaze towards Kai.

Kai shifted his gaze, locking onto Ray's but there was nothing in his eyes as he looked at him and Ray felt it even across the gym.

"What's going on?" Oliver asked, noticing the staring contest between the two of them.

"Had a fight…" Kai answered, pulling his gaze away.

"Why would you have a fight? I thought you were trying to help him?" Oliver asked, looking horrified like Max had been at the news.

Kai shrugged his shoulders a little, "It happens."

"I didn't expect it to, especially between you two. I know you haven't been here long but I can see it, the bond you two share." Oliver told him, shifting his eyes back towards the rest of the group.

Ray wasn't looking at them anymore, his attention on the other two and Oliver's brows creased.

"Tell me the truth Kai." He turned back to him, giving him a stern look.

Kai blinked at him, wondering how Oliver had seen right through him. It took him a minute to decide, he could walk away and not look back and not care if he did. Then again, it would feel good to talk about it.

(We kissed.) He admitted, going to their own language so listening ears couldn't hear.

Oliver smiled at that, brightly too, before it fell a little. (But Mariah?) His large eyes shifted towards said girl at the very end of the gym.

Kai nodded, shifting where he stood a little before deciding to fold his arms over his chest in his normal pose.

(He ran off on me, haven't talked to him since.) Kai said, leaning his back against the stacked bleachers behind him with his head down, his bangs covering his eyes.

(I don't think she knows… I don't know if Ray will tell her or what's going to happen right now… I can't face him and he won't come talk to me about it.)

(Why don't you be the bigger man here and talk to him? If you love him, then fight for him.) Oliver said.

Kai's head lifted up, choking on his own spit. (Who said I loved him?) He stuttered out, trying to pull his voice level down as it had risen a little.

(You wouldn't have kissed him if you didn't love him, no?) Oliver said as if he was telling him the weather, (Besides, I've seen how you look at him. How you've been protective of him since you two became friends, and if I didn't know any better I'd say he feels the same for you.

(You've only been here less than a month, but the look in his eyes that I see when he's with you is not the same he holds when around Mariah. Even if they have been together a year, it's not the same. What I can tell was he only started dating her because of the pressure from the others, but his heart has never been in it like it should.) Oliver explained to him quietly.

Kai gave it some thought, glancing back over towards Ray and the others. Like all the times before his heart clenched and his stomach dropped. Ray had told him he loved him, it was the best thing he had ever been told in his life and never got the chance to tell him the same as much as he wanted to.

(He made his choice, he ran off.) Kai said in a low breath, trying to hide the hurt within it as he ducked his head back down. Gripping at his arms as he pulled them in closer to his chest.

(Maybe it's too much to take in right now, after last Monday and all? Give him some time, he might come around. And really, with people like Johnny in this school I don't blame him for not coming out.)

(It doesn't matter.) Kai said, his voice getting lower on him.

(I think it does, look at me. Rejected and abandoned by people I've known my entire life. I may not have what I wanted because he doesn't feel the same for me, but you could have what I can't. He loves you and you love him, just give him some time.) Oliver said and put a hand on Kai's shoulder.

(Come to my party this Saturday, you'll feel better.)

Kai shook his head as a smirk came to his lips, of course it was back to that damn party.

(I'll think about it.)

Oliver seemed to beam at that, patting Kai's shoulder before he dropped his hand back to his side.

(Here, give me your number so we can stay in touch. I'm always here if you need me, just as you've been there for me.) Oliver said, handing his phone out to him.

Kai took it, quickly adding his number in before handing it back and put his arms back around himself.

The two stood there quietly for the rest of the period, Oliver watching everyone do something to keep themselves occupied until the bell rang. He stepped forward in order to go change though paused when Kai hadn't moved from against the bleachers.

(You can't avoid them forever Kai.) He told him in that same gentle tone, stepping away from him and following the others into the locker room.

Kai knew he couldn't but at least he could try.

He gave it a few more minutes, watching the last of the stragglers going in before peeling his back away from the bleachers and walked in behind them. When he rounded the corner where his locker sat Ray was fighting with is lock to get it open, the others watching carefully and quietly over their shoulders as they changed into their normal clothes.

Like the last Monday he had with him Kai stepped up, his stomach twisting in knots as he moved Ray away without touching him as he stepped up to his locker. Quickly setting in the combination until the lock popped open, moving away from him just as quickly as he had stepped up and went to his own.

Ray didn't say anything, barely looking at him as he pulled his locker open and pulled out his clothes and took them to the bathroom stall to change for the first time.

Kai followed suit, ignoring the others like he had been all day and took the farthest stall away from the one Ray had took. Not coming out until the locker room was empty, everyone gone now, and stuffed his clothes in his locker before leaving.

Outside Natasha sat in her car waiting for him, making a bee-line for it he got in and put a hand to his forehead as he felt like he could properly breathe for the first time that day. Natasha watching him quietly and with concern in her eyes, reaching over and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Mom…" He breathed out heavily, on the verge of tears that were coming out of nowhere.

"What's the matter love?" She cooed, rubbing his back gently as he trembled under her touch.

"I screwed up…" He choked, hiding his face behind his hands.

"Let's get you home, then we'll talk." Natasha said, hoping to calm him down and put the car in reverse before he set himself off.

Back home in his room he sat on the edge of his bed, Natasha beside him rubbing his back waiting for him to open up to her. Never did she like seeing her boys like this, knowing she had comforted the both of them like this on many occasions before.

"Tell me what's the matter Kai." She started in that sweet motherly tone, bringing the tears he had kept at bay on the way home to spring instantly to his eyes.

"I… I kissed him…" He choked out, Natasha's eyes going slightly wide as she didn't have to take many guesses on who he was talking about.

"And what happened?"

"He ran off…" Kai breathed heavily, the anger almost overpowering the hurt this time.

"Maybe it's just not the right time?"

Kai looked up at her, seeing it in her eyes that she knew. How she did he wasn't sure, he knew Tala had only told Bryan and no one else. He had sworn he wouldn't.

"Micah and I are looking into a way to help him right now, we didn't want to tell the two of you because we didn't want him thinking you had told us. But leaving that blood soaked cloth in my trash can when he was over here last week wasn't a good way to inform us, I thought something terrible happened to you or Tala…" She explained, seeing the question in his eyes that he couldn't force out of himself.

"Tala eventually told me what's going on, down to every last detail. He said that Ray promised to tell someone soon and when he does we'll be there to help him."

Kai's tear filled eyes widened, how he had ended up in such a loving and caring home he would never know. They certainty didn't deserve what he put them through the past two years, he didn't deserve them.

"I don't want you to tell him, especially after this now, let him do what he always does and come to you when he's ready."

"I don't even know if he will at this point, he asked me to and I knew I shouldn't have but I did anyways." Kai said, shaking his head. Feeling more of a fool than anything else.

"We all do crazy and sometimes stupid things Kai, it doesn't always mean things are broken beyond repair." Natasha comforted, rubbing his back again.

Kai nodded, "How do I fix this?!" His voice strained out.

"He lives right next door honey, go and talk to him."

Kai shook his head almost violently, "No… No I can't…"

That thought alone made his throat clench up, how could he look Ray in the eye after the night before? It was his fault, he should have walked away regardless of Ray's pleas. He tugged on the collar of his shirt, feeling like it was fixing to choke him. Natasha noticed and kept her hand on his back. If he didn't calm down he was going to have another attack.

Natasha sighed, "Then I don't know honey, it's not the end of the world though darling. Things will fall back into place." She rubbed his back some more, letting a silence come over them.

"You'll figure this out, you always do and you know we're here for the both of you." Natasha placed a kiss on the top of his head before pulling away from him, looking over him as he seemed to be settling down some.

Taking in large gulps of air to refill his lungs, breathing heavily as the hold on his shirt loosened. Making sure he would be okay Natasha got up and left him, giving him some space and time to think about it.

Kai had lost track of time for how long he just sat there, falling deeper and deeper in his own pity and broken heart. He had never felt something like this before, what Brooklyn had done to him hurt but not like this. He couldn't even call what he felt for Brooklyn love, not the same kind he held for Ray. He had never cared for someone so deeply before, wanting to protect them with every fiber of his being like he had been.

His door opened and it brought him out of his thoughts, looking up and meeting Tala's soft blue eyes as he stood in the door way with the door closed behind him.

"Oh Skittles…" He breathed out, stepping up to him where he put his arms around his brothers neck and pulled him in close.

"It's going to be okay." That was all the confirmation Kai needed to know that Natasha had told him, he wasn't angry though.

Kai held onto him tightly, burying his face in Tala's chest as tears ran down his cheeks.

"How?" He sobbed out, his fingers digging into the back of Tala's shirt.

"You'll see, it will be." Tala said as he finally pulled away, getting down in front of him as he held his hands in his.

"Let's go to that party this weekend, you Bryan and me."

Kai cocked a brow, "How do you know about that?" He asked, wiping the tears from his face with the back of his arm.

"Apparently it's an annual thing this kid does, invites the college kids too. Thought it might be fun." Tala said with a slight shrug.

"I'm not really in the mood… Not after what happened last night…"

"So don't drink, just come and have fun." Tala said, trying to sound excited. "And hey, if you do drink the more fun you'll have."

Kai rolled his eyes, "I don't think mom and dad will be very happy if we came home drunk off our asses. Not to mention if Bryan does come with us, I highly doubt he'll tolerate underage drinking."

"He would if he was on duty." Tala said with a slight smirk, "We know how to live a little, you should too." He nudged him in the arm a little.

Kai rolled his eyes again, "If you think it'll help…"

"You never know, it could."

Kai scoffed, he highly doubted that. He had a whole week to get through and all he could see it doing to him was dragging him down further.

"Alright…" He conceded, getting his brother to give him that wolfish grin of his.

"Great!" He bounced up from where he stood, hands on his hips. "Now, no more sulking. The great Kai Hiwatari doesn't sulk."

Kai scoffed and rolled his eyes, "Since when have I become the 'Great' Kai Hiwatari?"

"You always have been, you just make stupid mistakes at times." Tala said, ruffling his two-toned hair a little, getting his arm smacked away in the process.

"Count on you not to be subtle."

"You love me for it." Tala said, that wolfish grin still plastered to his face.

"I don't think you ever gave me a choice in the matter."

"Hmmmm, nope." Tala smirked down at him, "Love me for that too."

"I do." Kai chuckled, despite the teasing his mood was already lifting.

He really could count on Tala to lift his spirits up from wherever he pulled them down to, and he loved him for it every time.

Tala ruffled his hair some more before taking his leave, letting Kai have some actual privacy again.

Kai pulled out his phone, going to Oliver's message he had received after school.

{I'll be there.}

Do ya'll hate me?! I hate me... But I couldn't help myself. Will see ya'll Monday! Hope you have a good weekend, I will try to have a good one. Stupid weather is actin up though, so we'll see what happens.
Until next time everybody!