AN: Ok! So now I uploaded this despite the lack of reviews for the previous chapter but don´t expect this to happen again. Last chapter scorred zero reviews and no matter what its beyond humanly possible it could be that bad since so many of you obviously still reads the story. And if it was by all means tell me so I know what to improve for next time. And if the chapter is unaccessable PM me about it so that I can reupload it again. With that said let this chap begin.
Trying can´t hurt
Eliot took a deep breath as he got out of bed. Last night had been long to say the least, and although Brad´s talk, the long waiting for Jann Lee to reach his phone and comforting Brad after Jann Lee hadn´t answered had tired him out more than a slight bit he hadn´t been able to sleep. Piercing brown eyes and long auburn hair had haunted him, the thoughts of a presence he no longer wanted to be without. And Eliot was confronting these thoughts today, the fear that he could not put words on.
But if he did not confront it this very morning he´d never know what it was.
_._
Brad took a deep breath as he got out of bed. Last night had been long to say the least, and even though his rants to Eliot, the long waiting for Jann Lee to pick up the phone and Eliot comforting him when Jann Lee hadn´t answerd had tired him out more than a slight bit he hadn´t been able to sleep. Piercing brown eyes and silky black hair had haunted him, hair that he´d loved feeling underneath his fingers, eyes that had once looked upon him with love and tenderness.
"I´ve majorly screwed up!" Brad muttered.
That he´d majorly screwed up was clear, but from witch point he´d majorly screwed up Brad had no idea. Nor did he know what made him the most distraught, the fact that he´d made Jann Lee uppset or the fact that he hadn´t been able to feel anything for him for so long. He guessed he must feel something towards the other man since he felt so disappointed in him not picking up last night but was it really...
"Looks like I have to go bother Eliot again", he muttered.
_._
"You´ve lost some skill while partying with Tina!" Leon teased as he managed in placing a loose strike on Zacks chest.
"Oh, shut up!" Zack muttered, though the smile on his lips revealed his true state, "you don´t know how it is to live with someone who doesn´t allow you to play Tekken".
The boxer aimed another strike at Leon´s belly witch the other easily blocked.
"But she´s hilarious when drunk!" Zack added when striking again.
"Good to see you guys kissing and making up", a familiar voice called out.
"Speaking of the devil", Leon whispered with a grin as he caught Zacks arm, placing it behind his back.
"So I hear, I´m partying to much, huh?" the blond looked at them with a hand placed on her hip, a meaningful grin on her face.
"Nah! Not really", Zack shrugged his shoulders as Leon let go of him, grinning back, "like I said, you´re hilarious when drunk!"
"You´ve been lazy with the sparring sessions, I can see", Leon looked at Tina only to send a teasesful smile Zack´s way, who only stuck his tongue out in response.
"I tried to make him go", Tina shrugged her shoulders, "but he was just more interested playing Tekken it appeared".
"I kicked her ass so hard", Zack chuckled knowingly.
"Yeah, yeah!" Tina waved of, "anyway, any of you two lovebirds feel like a drink?"
The two men exchanged a glance.
"Sure", Leon gave a broad grin as the trio left the beach.
_._
"Hey!", Bayman chuckled softly as he lightly ruffled the dark blond hair of the head lying on top of his chest, "silly! If I was mad at you I wouldn´t have you lying like this!"
"You sure?" Ryu´s voice sounded somber.
Although Bayman had made it perfectly clear to Ryu about ten times over last night that he wasn´t mad about his outrage on Brad, the super ninja just couldn´t help how awful he felt last night due to the assumptions he´d made.
"If it makes you feel any better I did flirt with Brad that night before we played truth and dare", Bayman said, still ruffling Ryu´s long hair, "but I never intended to kiss him".
Ryu looked into his lovers blue eyes that seemed to be dead serious. So it was true that he...
"But only because I was so tired of your damned poker-face", Bayman gave a meaningful smirk, "I wanted you to show that you...you know..", he raised an eyebrow, "you didn´t even respond when I dropped the towel".
Ryu starred wide eyed at his lover, his jaw almost literally dropping.
"You did that on purpose?".
Bayman nodded, giving a knowing chuckle.
"But apparently that didn´t take away your poker-face", the Russian said calmly.
Ryu starred quietly at the man lying next to him. Had Bayman tried getting Ryu´s attention for such long time?
"You´ve made a very serious misstake", the super ninja said all of a sudden.
Bayman frowned looking back at him, a questioning look in his eyes.
"And this requires a punishment", Ryu ended the sentence.
Before Bayman had a chance registring what was happening the super ninja was lying on top of him, an impish smile on his face.
"Ryu what are you... ha ha ha", Bayman stopped himself in the middle of the sentence as Ryu´s fingers found their ways around his armpits, belly and ribs.
Ryu only smiled as he continued his torture. No matter how small this indeed required a punishment, and tickling the most ticklish person he´d ever met was just to fun to resist.
_._
Eliots heart beat fastly as he knocked on the door. He had a nauseating feeling in his throat that he could not identify and he both wanted and didn´t want to be let into the hotel.
The boy stomped his feet restlessly on the ground. If he didn´t get into the room soon he might not be able to stop himself from running in pure panic. But somehow he felt something stopped him from that to. He had to find out what these feelings were now, even if he wished they´d never evolved inside of him.
This fuzzy feeling in his stomach was making him so dizzy he was about to loose his footing, forcing him to support himself against the door.
Another eternal minutes and the door was finally opened, the person he´d both longed for and dreaded looking seriously at him. A long moment of silence and Hayate finally opened his mouth.
"Hi Eliot", he said slowly, "nice seeing you again".
"Hayate, I...", against his will Eliot felt the color rising to his cheeks.
Eliot felt himself loosing balance again and the other man caught him by the shoulders. The boy shivering at the sensation of those warm hands against his bare upper body.
"Hayate", he whispered, "there is something that I..."
Eliot was just about to say what he´d had in mind for days when an annoyed voice interrupted him.
"Hayate! I´m leaving now!"
Jann Lee was standing behind the mugen tenshin leader, shirt unbottoned, black hair ruffled as if...
The young boy´s heart stopped immediately, chills creeping up his spine as he realized what might have stopped Jann Lee from answering Brad´s phone calls last night. Snapping up from the feverish feeling he´d had only seconds ago he broke free from Hayate´s awkward grip, running back to his hotel room.
_._
"So you brought us all here to match us up?" Zack threw Tina a significant glance.
Tina, Leon and Zack had spent a good deal of time at the bar outside Tina´s hotel, discussing their stay at Tina´s island.
"What?" Tina grinned calmly, "you kind of had the same plan when luring us girls to Zack island".
"You had a fun time didn´t you?" Zack said equally calmly.
"Yup", Tina through him an amused glance, "though not as rewarding as yours".
The trio sat in silence for another minute before Leon drew a deep sigh.
"You sure must know our time here wasn´t easy", the Italian said seriously, "it took ages for me and Zack to finally get together".
"But rewarding nonetheless", Tina looked back at him almost equally serious.
Another moment of silence before both Zack and Leon gave an acknowledging nod. They both knew exactly what she meant.
"The boat is coming saturday morning", Tina said softly, "only three days from now. If you want you´re free to take it back to the airport".
Zack and Leon looked at each other for a long time before Zack spoke.
"I think I´m ready to start living now", he said, "and I want to get started on this thing called life as soon as I can", he smiled towards Leon, "our life".
Leon gave a tender smile as he wrapped his arms around his lover.
"I´d love that!" he whispered.
Tina gave a sigh, still with a smile on her lips.
"Then I guess I´ve succeeded with my task", she said, "but I´m sure gonna miss you guys".
_._
Jann Lee sighed as he sat down on his bed. Last night hadn´t made him feel any better. In fact it had possibly made him feel even worse. What had been the point of getting drunk with the person that annoyed him most in the whole tournament except for maybe that fuckingBayman, only to fall asleep snorring on his floor, waking up with his stinking breath in his face. Fortunately sleeping together had in this case meant nothing more then actually sleeping together, sleeping as in snorring and dreaming, not as in anything else. Not that Jann Lee felt he had any obligations towards Brad anymore, but one nightstands had never really been Jann´s thing. And for them to be with someone like Hayate...
But apparently Eliot had thought so since he´d ran of in that strange manner. Or strange? Jann Lee couldn´t really say he found it strange actually. Eliot was first of all Brad´s friend and any indication that Jann Lee might have been unfaithful to him would probably have him running like crazy to his best friend. So would Jann Lee, had he actually had any friends. The kung fu fighter stretched out on top the bed, unaware of wether or not he had the capacity of feeling angry or guilty anymore.
_._
Eliot laid down on the bed, tears pooring down his cheeks though he could not tell why. What made him so sad, so angry, so disappointed? So what if Jann Lee and Hayate had spent the night together? Eliot had only known Hayate for a little more than a month and only spent the last weeks in his company, and the fact that Hayate probably was what he considered the most annyoing person in the tournament didn´t make this more sensible.
He´d just thought, Eliot´d just thought... he´d thought what really? That a guy who didn´t respect anyone but himself would wait around for him? There were no words for how girly this made Eliot feel and especially not for what an idiot he felt like. So the boy rose to his feet kicking hard at the first pillow he could find. Damn! He´d really wished he´d brought that sack here. Beating the pillow with all his force, the boy let out all the anger he felt both towards himself and someone else.
_._
"What am I drawing now", Bayman said softly as he drew his finger over Ryu´s muscular back.
The two were sitting at their regular spot at the beach, Bayman lightly hugging Ryu with his thighs as they played the game he´d learnt from his mother before the airial bombing had taken her away from him.
"I don´t know", the ninja said thoughtfully, "could it be a bird?"
"Damn", Bayman shook his head, "you get me all the time!"
"I´m the one singular super ninja", Bayman could hear the smile in Ryu´s voice, "I´m supposed to be attentive".
Bayman only answerd by gently placing a kiss on the ninjas shoulder.
"Now try me", he said as he rose to his feet, sitting with his back towards Ryu.
"Ok", the ninja murmured as his long fingers touched Bayman´s back.
Bayman closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of his lovers gentle touch. It didn´t matter if he managed in guessing right or not. It was the sensation of those fingers that made everything worth wide.
"Seems like some kind of lake to me", Bayman started, "some kind of..."
He stopped himself as he opened his eyes, noticing the figure on the other side of the beach. The man with the long auburn hair was moving restlessly from side to side, his hands placed over his fore head.
"Hayate is here!" he turned towards Ryu, giving a serious glance.
The super ninja looked back at him, a frown on his face.
"You mean that he...?"
"You can´t exactly have avoided noticing him", Bayman gave a meaningful look.
"No", Ryu sighed, "yes! You got me! But it´s just...", the ninja sighed again.
"Ryu...", Bayman looked the ninja deep into the eyes, "he´s your best friend! You can´t avoid him forever".
"But he hates me!" Ryu exclaimed.
"We both know that´s not it", Bayman shook his head in respons," you´ve been friends for twenty years. You can´t just discard one another as if you´ve never been in each others lives".
Ryu gave a deep sigh as he seemed to think the matter over.
"Trust me I know", Bayman continued seriously, "friends, family... they just don´t happen to people like us all that often and no matter what complete jerks they may be, we wouldn´t be the same without them".
And with this Bayman remembered one jerk he sure might never have been the same without.
"Okey then", Ryu sighed, "you win!"
"I´ll join you later", Bayman gave a comforting smile as his lover rose to his feet, kissing him on the cheek.
_._
Hayate didn´t know what to make of himself. Not even at the most solitary beach on Tina´s island helped him escaping this issue. Eliot had ran of and Hayate felt hurt because of it. Could Eliot really have thought that he and Jann Lee..?
The Mugen tenshin-leader remembered the slim body in his arms, his hands resting against those warm, bare shoulders. His pulse had raised back then and probably raised even harder now. How could this..?
"Hayate"
The ninja had been so busy re-experiencing his memories that he hadn´t noticed the person sneaking upon him.
"Ryu", Hayate control the tension building up inside of him as he turned around to face his former best friend.
"Long time, no see", Ryu´s cold green eyes matched Hayate´s.
"Indeed", Hayate looked steadidly back at the one singular super ninja.
The two stood quiet for a while, both refusing to loose this starring contest. Hayate had to win this one, had to! Because if he didn´t he would... Hayate stopped himself all of a sudden. He would what really? What would happen if he lost to Ryu?
"How have you been?" Hayate asked in a slight friendlier tone.
"Just fine", Ryu frowned, his face still tensed, "I had trouble at first finding a room but it all worked out fine in the end".
"It did?", Hayate asked, trying to sound casual. He felt slight guilty of course when remembering what had caused Ryu all this trouble. But he had had his reasons hadn´t he?
"But at least I didn´t need to sleep alone".
The sparkling of his green eyes as well as the slight smile on the super ninjas lips witnessed of the fact that he´d done more then just slept with the person in question. Although he still was furious with Ryu for what occurred weeks ago he was extimily curious to know who´s bed he´d shared... or wait! What had really happened those weeks ago?
"How come?", Hayate worked his hardest to conceal his newly found curiousity.
The super ninja was quiet, nor his face nor his body revealing the answer to Hayate´s question.
"Come on!" the ninja muttered, "it can´t be that hard to tell".
"But I thought you didn´t want anything to do with me", Ryu said calmly.
Hayate thought of it for a while. He had felt so lonely lately, not only due to the thing he´d recently discovered but also thanks to something far more simple. He remembered at one point being so angry with Ryu that he´d kicked him out of their common appartment but the fact that he couldn´t remember why made this feel ever so stupid.
"Did I say that?" Hayate frowned.
"Not directly, but you said you didn´t ever want my help again", Ryu was equally calm as before.
"Yes", Hayate sighed, "I remember saying that, but I can´t recall why".
"You were saying I was trying to look good on your expense".
"Oh!" Hayate frowned.
He still only vaguely remembered the argument, but the fact that said argument was ridiculous seemed even more evident now.
"Witch is really not true to begin with", Ryu continued, "and I thought that if you felt this way, there was really no point in us being friends any longer".
"Oh!" Hayate said again, yet stunned by the power of the words uttered.
"We´ve been friends for years Hayate", Ryu said continued looking out at the sea, despite the softness there was something hurt in his voice something..., "the fact that you even thought me capable of thinking such thoughts is beyond reason. Really, I thought you knew me better than that".
Unsure of what to say, Hayate stood quiet looking out at the sea.
"You are my best friend in the whole world", the super ninja said, "no matter how things may appear I only want what is best for you".
Best friend in the world, wants what is best for you. For some reason this very line almost brought tears to Hayate´s eyes. No matter how silly it sounded this was the most positive thing Hayate´d heard for days.
"Thank goodness!" he exclaimed letting out the most sincere line he´d uttered for years, "I thought you´d never say that again".
Forgetting everything about "keeping up appearances" Hayate let go of his manners, heartfeltly embracing his childhood friend.
_._
"Are you sure that´s what you saw?" Brad asked again.
Eliot only nodded intense as an answer. Brad had never seen his friend this tensed before, so upset he could hardly speek. An hour ago the boy had come to his hotel-room knocking frenetically though there was only ten minutes ago that the boy´d been able to speak. Brad looked at him again, trying to diggest what he´d just heard.
Jann Lee, shirt opened, Hayate´s appartment?
"Wow", Brad´s mouth was wide opened as he still didn´t know how to feel about this, "just wow!"
The two men stood quiet, looking at one another.
"I´m sorry", Eliot´s voice was weak as he finally spoke.
"There´s nothing to be sorry for", Brad let out a deep sigh.
He had understood that Jann Lee was mad at him, and by the fact that Jann Lee hadn´t answered a single one of his calls last night he should have realized he wasn´t going to give Brad another chance but to go as far as to actually...Brad felt shocked, stunned, but whatever else he was to feel he wasn´t sure.
"Do you want to take a walk", Eliot mumbled finally.
"Yes, very much thanks!" Brad nodded.
_._
"So you didn´t sleep with him?" Ryu looked seriously into his best friends eyes.
The two had had a serious talk and to be honest Ryu was truly relieved. Like Bayman said, your friends were your friends no matter what and were not to discard as dirty towels just because one had an argument at one point.
"No!" Hayate exclaimed, "of course not! We slept on the floor next to each other but slept with him. Hell no!"
Ryu gave a slow nod. He believed him. But Eliot? It surprised the super ninja to no ends Hayate would go for such a shy, laid back little person.
"I don´t know what to do", Hayate said, "now Eliot seems to believe that me and Jann Lee..."
Ryu sat quiet for a while pondering about the issue.
"Maybe you should ask him out", he said.
"What?" Hayate´s voice sounded all but manly and robust as he answerd the statement with yet another question.
"That will let him know you´re interested", Ryu calmly.
Hearing Bayman´s confession this morning made him quit sure a lot of complications could have been avoided had he himself followed this advice.
"Let him know I´m interested!" Hayate almost shrieked, "I can´t do that because then he´ll..."
Hayate and that horrible pride! Ryu wanted to say he should get rid of it at once, but the fragility of their newly re-established bound prevented him.
"You´ve been seeing each other long enough", Ryu gave a slight smile instead, "If you´ll never try you´ll never know".
Silence another moment and then Hayate sighed.
"Maybe you´re right", he said, "I guess I´ll just have to..."
"Well, well..."
Ryu smiled as he heard the familiar voice. Bayman walked down the beach, a knowing half smile on his lips.
"You two guys finally getting along are you", bending down to kiss Ryu on the cheek he sent an amused glance Hayate´s direction.
"Errrhm... Bayman?" Hayate´s eyes widened in shock as he faced the Russian.
"Hm... Hayate", Bayman said calmly, placing a hand on Ryu´s shoulder, "surprised to see me again so soon are we?"
Ryu couldn´t hide his amusement as he saw his friends dumbstruck face. He hadn´t said who´s bed he´d shared but he hadn´t figured it´d come as that big a surprise to Hayate as it did.
"Well then", Bayman said calmly before bending down, placing a short but passionate kiss on Ryu´s lips, "I´ll leave you two to it. You´ll find me in our room", he whispered in Ryu´s ear.
"See you soon love", Ryu gave a satisfied smile as Bayman gave a light hand wave leaving the beach.
Mouth wide opened, Hayate starred at Ryu.
"But Ryu how did you two..."
Ryu shrugged his shoulders, giving a calm half smile.
"I guess you can call it true love", he said.
"But seriously, how did you..."
Enjoying his friends baffle, Ryu sat back, deciding to tell his story.
"Well... I could tell you I suppose", he raised an eyebrow, "but since I´m a gentleman I will not tell you everything".
AN: So with this said. If you want another chapter you will have to tell me, and yes I mean it. No reviews = Zero chaps for this story. I´m honestly not particularly motivated writing this and wants to finish this as quickly as humanly possible, but your opinions can help me make the best of this.
Continously I´d like to tell you all, and this is not only about me. If you find something you like, a different pairing, a different type of plot or something in general that is nor supported nor done very often, tell the author so. Most people publishing rare things are not half as patient as I´ve been, and you must know that it takes a lot of guts to break the "normal pairing"-rules around here, especially if your young or new to this site. Many people stop writing or sometimes even remove their stories in the lack of response or sometimes unnessescary flaming they get just for writing the "wrong pairing" so the fact that you tell them you enjoy what they do means a lot.
So what I really want to say is, if you don´t support the things you like they might go away entirely not only in the fanfiction but all possibility of them may become entirely obliterated in the canon-world as well. So I advise you all to come out of the closet no matter what kind of closet you´re in "the odd-pairing- closet, "the unaccepted view on a character"-closet or any kind of closet dealing with rarity, and speak for or defend the things you like. Speak for them not only in your reviews but also on the official forums for said forums and prove that the support for them, if not strong actually exists. Especially you female and gay DOA-fans, show the world that you exist or TN may not even make a half-assed try in pleasing you. But when doing so do it wisely and respect other peoples opinion and theories although speaking for your own.
This is probably the longest AN I´ve ever written but I think this is a very important matter and I hope it got through to you.