Wooo, on time today! Well, a day early. Tomorrow is my anniversary so posting a day ahead, and yes I'm not joking. Been counting down to when I could get this one for ya'll so here we are!

This one is a bit shorter than the last few chapters, think it's actually the shortest one we have for this season.

This takes place right at the end of Episode 8 when they're all on the bus to the island. There's a very important screenshot of the two of them that we took the inspiration from, where Ray is leaning a bit close to Kai and his hand appears to be on his leg. So, we went with that.

As always, thank you for the reviews. Hope ya'll are staying sane in this madness that is going on. Take care of yourselves, and each other by following the guidelines being laid out by your governments to keep yourselves and those around you safe.

We'll see you all on the 15th! Enjoy.


Season 2, Episode 8-9.

The wheels on the bus went round and round relentlessly. The engine revving along the road being somehow more annoying than the chatter among the kids and female. How far away was this stadium exactly?

He was glad he fought his urge to take himself to the back of the bus like he usually did. Ray had pat the seat next to him once he'd sat down, probably to make sure Kenny didn't sit with him and bore him to death. Either way, he'd take what he could get. It was just a shame he couldn't think of a single thing to talk about, and instead just gave up and did his usual 'my eyes are closed, therefore I'm not here' routine.

Suddenly, it seemed silence fell. The kids going quiet and just the sound of the engine buzzing in his ears. Ah. There it was. Too good to be true. Snoring.

Trust him to take a nap just before a... Big... Tournament...

The engine suddenly sounded like a lullaby as his whole body felt heavy and his head began to melt. Watching the other heads bob up and down in front of them, Ray's own eyes were starting to droop on him too. Something in the pit of his gut starting to bubble some as if he was fixing to burst with laughter, but he wasn't even sure what was so funny, as a peculiar scent began to fill the inside of the bus that seemed to come from nowhere and he couldn't pin point where it had come from at all.

As the smell filled the air, the other's passing out in front of him his eyes closed before snapping open again, his head rocking back and forth on his shoulders as the funny sensation continued to bubble up in his belly without rhyme or reason. Just glad he'd been able to contain the fit he could feel trying to break free, though lost the battle with trying to stay upright in his chair as his head began to tingle.

His body leaned slightly towards Kai's, feeling as though he was about to topple out of his seat he grabbed onto the top of his thigh to keep from falling on the floor. Hardly recognizing where exactly his hand had landed, his chest heaving as he kept biting down the laughter as his cheeks warmed.

Since when had it become such a task in just staying in his own chair? At least Kai didn't seem to mind, that was good. Maybe. He couldn't tell since his eyes had been closed.

Kai's bleary eyes slowly cracked open as the weight and tingle went through his thigh. Oooh. It was Ray. That was weird.

"Whatcha doin?" His voice droned out.

"Trying not to fall." Ray giggled, his lead-filled head lulling back without much control where it smacked into Kai's collarbone and shoulder as his neck craned back to look at him as a sloppy smile came across his lips and both his fangs went on display.

"Whattaya doin?" He slurred with pink tinged cheeks and half lidded eyes.

"Catchin' ya..." He droned back, feeling Ray's head plant on him and the hand push harder against his thigh. He could feel the warmth from his hand through his pants. Ooooh. Must be really warm. Skin looked soft too...

His heavy hand travelled down and ran a fingertip over his wrist. Ray sucked in a breath through his teeth, electric sparks running through his wrist as his skin pricked and his fingers twitched slightly from being touched.

That felt nice. But why was Kai touching him? Who cared, he was comfortable against his bony shoulder and chest.

"That tickles." He giggled quietly.

"Sorrrryy..." He mumbled as he put his whole hand on it and stroked. "Better?"

"Mhmm." Ray hummed back quietly, unable to move any and another soft giggle left his throat as he nuzzled into Kai's neck. "So warm." He purred.

Kai's mouth stretched in to a wobbly grin as his neck tingled. "That tickles too but in a nice way..."

"Didn't know you were ticklish." Ray grinned back as he forced his head back onto Kai's shoulder and met his eyes again, though a yawn tore through before he could say anything more.

Somewhere in the back of his mind alarm bells were going off, something wasn't right but he couldn't put a finger on what it was exactly. He wasn't tired a few minutes before, wasn't overcome with a bout of butterflies in his belly earlier. But the alarms bells for practically laying on top of Kai on a bus with their teammates barely a foot away from them weren't even going off, that was the only thing he wasn't really questioning at the moment because it felt too good not to be laying on Kai since he was tired now and the butterflies in his belly kept fluttering faster and faster.

Trying to stay awake, just to revel in the closeness and warmth, he focused best he could on the pale hand and fingers gently caressing his own hand, the soft breaths on his face, and the firm chest he found himself pressed up against. His fingers gripped the fabric of Kai's pants, fighting with keeping his eyes open as they tried to close on him again and getting his brain to work on something to say but couldn't while he stared into Kai's own slowly falling and opening eyes back.

"Didn't know you felt so nice..." Kai slurred a little as his other hand came around, making him turn a little to brush through his floppy bangs.

"You've slept on me before." Ray pouted a little, "You're too bony now though, need to eat more."

"Am not!" He protested weakly, "I- you seen the size of my pants?"

Ray's eyes went down, another giggle coming out. "And look how tiny your waist is." He touched the soft fabric if Kai's shirt, gently pressing his fingertips into his stomach as his breath hitched in his throat. It was so soft, so firm, and with it being skin tight it wasn't like it left much to the imagination on what was hidden underneath.

"S'not..." Kai pouted, simultaneously sliding down his seat a little to give Ray more space to roam.

"Are too." Ray argued pointlessly with a drawl to his words, his fingertips getting a mind of their own as they traveled all over Kai's stomach. "I like you no matter what though."

The pout turned in to his bottom lip sticking out more, bleary wide eyes staring. "You do?"

Ray nestled into him more, pressing as close as he could get as his eyes closed again and his hand came to stop over Kai's chest, just under where his own chin was.

"I love you." He whispered out in a breathy sigh, like he was a balloon that had just deflated over the top of him.

Kai shifted under the awkward position to get his arms around him. Needing a few moments for that to sink in. He felt funny... And it wasn't clear if it was a good or bad thing. His hand came down again to tilt Ray's head up, fighting to keep his own eyes open as Ray's barely cracked back open from being moved around.

"I love you too."

Ray's bleary eyes sparkled; his heart slamming harder in his chest it blocked out any other sound in his ears as he focused on the eyes bearing down into his.

"Should do something about that." He tried to get leverage to push himself up against him, though everything still felt heavy and he barely moved an inch as his arms trembled with the strain.

Kai rolled his tired eyes. "Exactly. So don't go out with her again. I know you better than she does..." He ended up whining.

Ray blinked a little, "Her who?"

Kai gripped him harder, "Mariah..." He growled.

Ray blinked again; he hadn't thought about her since he arrived in Japan. He hadn't had time to think about her or the others he left back in the village. Did he even actually ever go out with her either? Not that he could remember.

"Sooooo, then do something about it." He challenged in a slight slur as he tried to lean up against him again to get closer to no avail.

Kai blinked, black smoke coming out his currently out of order brain. His king had given him an order.

"Okay..." He put a hand on each side of Ray's face and leaned in to put them together, brushing his lips gently on his.

Ray pressed in best he could, a happy sort of noise coming from his throat as his eyes slipped closed and his numb fingers pawed at Kai's chest. Kai let out his own content groan as everything got warm. His closed eyes tried to keep him awake as he pulled him closer, planting a few more tender kisses against him.

"And you said I felt nice." Ray sighed out between their lips, unable to do anything but lay against Kai's chest like a limp noodle.

He felt high, well higher than what he previously was feeling when he had those butterflies in his gut. Now they felt on fire, fighting to escape his belly as his heart skipped a few beats.

"You do..." Kai groaned back in between a few more compulsive kisses. Now he'd started he couldn't stop.

A quiet purr slipped out as it felt like he was drowning, every kiss taking more and more air out of his lungs. The world spun even with him sitting as still as possible and his limbs numb and heavy, the only thing his brain was registering were the soft lips touching his every so often and trying reciprocate with his own.

It was too much and not enough, he didn't want it to stop but wasn't sure how much longer he'd actually be able to stay awake either. There were thousands of things he wanted to say, to tell him, instead he continued to drown in the sensations rushing over him and melted into it all with a breathier moan.

This was the best thing to ever happen to him, the dense fog in his brain unable to even comprehend how it started out or why it did but all he did know was that he didn't really give a damn.

"Let's go to... Paris... And I'll... Make you happy..." Kai muttered out sleepily in between kisses, his head a dark fog.

"I'll go... Anywhere with you." Was the raspy, breathless response, wishing he could hold him back but couldn't get his arms to move any. "And we'll have 20 babies."

"Mmm... So many fuzzballs..." He let out dreamily.

Ray's brows knitted together, "Fuzzballs?"

Kai used the last of his energy to kiss him wherever he could. Little Neko babies, and all he could envision in his dreamy state was actual kittens.

"Hmmmmmmmmmm kitten army..."

Ray giggled amongst the kissing, happily taking it and purring harder as his lips twitched in a smile before his head dipped down and broke the connection. His forehead flopping under Kai's chin and against his chest. He couldn't move even if he wanted to now, his mouth tingling where he could still slightly smell and taste Kai on his wet lips.

"With a daddy like you, they'd rule the world." He sighed, his shoulders rising high with a deep breath as he sucked in the stolen air from his lungs before deflating like a balloon against him again.

Kai's head flopped down, face as stubborn as he was to try and plant a few more against his head before the fight was lost.

He could hear the meowing now...


The first thing that registered in his dopey and sleepy haze were the voices, unfamiliar ones that were barking harsh, quiet, orders and the shuffling of feet. Then came a whimper, his own brows twitching as his brain tried to pinpoint who was hurt at the moment and his eyes trying to fight their way open to check on them though couldn't.

That didn't feel right, none of this really did, but he wasn't even sure what wasn't right; again. All he could feel was numb, a swooshing sound like his head was stuck under water at a beach with the blurred out voices in the background, and warmth. Oh he was so warm and it felt amazing, and there in that warmth he felt safe, content, and happy.

Then another whimper flitted through his ears; it was Kenny.

Forcing his eyes to finally crack open, his vision blurry and splotched with white flickering lights for a minute, his head rolled slightly on his shoulders as the world came back into focus and he pushed himself off the warm surface he had found himself against.

Amongst the white flickering lights, there were white fuzzy silhouettes picking up multicolored fuzzy blotches of something. The whispering getting more commanding as the swooshing in his ears got louder with the movement of his head. The feeling like something was wrong intensifying as he couldn't get one of his heightened senses to properly work on him.

"K… Kai…" His voice was dry, hoarse even, as it came out in its own whisper.

He could still smell Kai, the others, and other scents he didn't recognize and the more times he blinked to try and get the lights and fuzzies to go away from his vision, the more and more the picture was starting to come into view for him and like a freight train it rammed into him.

They were all on a bus to head towards a tournament, they should have been there by now but they were stopped at the docks. Three men in white lab coats were there, two manhandling Kenny's limp and lifeless body to get him out of the seat while a third stood at the front by the doors telling the other two to hurry up.

Where were they taking Kenny? Who were these people? And why did he feel like he got hit by a bus and couldn't remember anything?!

Putting his hand down against Kai's chest, he tried to push himself up to stand to stop the unfamiliar men. His legs threatening to give out on him as they shook and wobbled, tripping over his own two feet without even having taken a step as his knees knocked into Kai's and he found himself more trapped between the back of the seats in front of him and Kai's legs that were sprawled out and in his way.

"L… Leave him a-alone!"

"Got a live one!" The man at the front of the bus by the doors hollered.

One of the men that had a hold of Kenny's limp and jelly-like body let him go, leaving the other to fumble with it in his arms, as he lunged at Ray who barely had time to blink or move quick enough to stop the hand coming out to grab at him.

"Get away!" He yelled as the man's hand clamped over his arm and squeezed, Ray's free hand coming out across his face with his claws out as he swiped almost blindly at the man with a feral sounding hiss.

The man's grip on Ray's arm released as he stumbled back in the aisle between the row of seats, his face stinging and his jaw feeling bruised as Kai's fist had come up from under him out of nowhere and landed perfectly on his bottom jaw where his teeth clacked together with a hot jolt of pain shooting down the back of his neck.

The boy wasn't even fully awake compared to the other one, but somewhere in the deep sleep he had heard Ray yelling and acted out on reflux it seemed.

"I need back up!"

The man by the door scrambled onto the bus more, uncapping a syringe with his teeth as he pushed around the other that was holding his bruising and bleeding face.

Ray's head had fallen back against the window of the bus, his eyes rapidly opening and closing on him again as he tried harder to focus because the alarm bells were screaming this time. They were in danger, he had to do something, but what could he really do now that he was pinned with no way out?

His arms flailed aimlessly in an attempt to keep the strangers away from him as he continued to hiss and growl, yet that didn't deter the man as he fought around the swinging hands and grabbed hold tightly before quickly shoving the needle into Ray's skin and injecting him with whatever was inside the syringe.

Having to let Ray's arm go as Kai's fists came back out in attack mode at the sound of Ray hissing and then whimpering from being injected, the man snatched out another syringe and uncapped it like the last. The man that had been injured earlier coming up behind Kai's seat and pinning his shoulders back, Ray's body slumping down to the floor between the seats as his eyes finally shut again. The second needle was injected into Kai's arm, the flailing and grunting dying down to quiet breaths once more before his shoulders were released.

"Alright, now hurry up before they wake up again."

"Yes sir…"


Amongst the cloudy fog and cold sensations pricking his bare skin, Kai's body curled in tighter into itself subconsciously to keep his heat. This wasn't at all how he felt earlier, nor did he have this nagging stinging feeling in his arm as if he was being stung by a bee repeatedly but couldn't do anything about it as he started to slightly shiver.

Why was it so cold all of a sudden, and why not only did his arm hurt but his fingers hurt too? Did he punch a wall again? Ray would be upset if he did that, so hopefully that wasn't it. Speaking of Ray, where was he? Where were the others?

Reaching out in the darkness he tried to find someone, his heavy hand slapping the cold concrete for a minute as his eyes cracked slightly open only to be met with more darkness though that didn't stop his hand from searching and his fingers stretching out through the darkness in search of another body.

Finally his fingertips brushed something soft, and silky. "Ray?" He breathed out in a quiet whisper.

"Hn?" Came the mumbled, sleepy, reply as Ray shifted to get the fingers brushing against his hair a bit more into the mess at the back of his head.

Following the voice like a siren sound, his heavy body shifted with every ounce of effort closer towards it.

"You okay?"

"I got bit..." Ray whined, his head feeling heavier than ever before as his ears perked at the shuffling behind him.

Oh good, his personal heater was coming back to save the day. It felt like he had been thrown into a freezer and left to die, though wasn't even sure why or what was going on again. As long as Kai was there, and he could smell and hear the others breathing again, so all were accounted for, which was a relief.

Kai continued to slowly inch his way to him like a slug. "By what?"

"Dunno. Somethin' bit my arm, but I think I killed it." He mumbled and rolled halfway onto his side, getting his eyes open some.

Why was it like someone had glued his lids shut today, the hell did Grandpa feed them before they left?

"You okay?"

"Oh, it bit me too... Glad you killed it. The asshole..." He slurred before letting out a whine as his shuffling was taking too long and getting nowhere, "No, not okay... C'mere I'm cooolllld..."

Ray scooched best he could until his back was pressed into something, it felt like Kai. It was hard and bony, then again he could have rolled completely on his back onto the floor.

No. Wasn't the floor, was too warm to be the floor. How was he warm and cold at the same time? Kai was weird.

"I don't think I can do much in keeping you warm. You're supposed to be the space heater."

Kai let out a breath into what he assumed was the back of his neck. "Mmmmm there ya are..." He droned, lifting his lead filled arm to drape over him. "Riiiiight where ya should be."

Ray giggled like a school girl, his shoulder trying to shrink up into his chin as Kai's breath tickled his neck. "Nooo, don't do that, that tickles too much."

"But I'll die if I don't..." His foggy brain informed him matter of factly.

"No. No you can't. You can't leave me, ever." Finding some kind of strength he rolled over, his forehead knocking against Kai's as he did but that didn't matter as he put his arms around him and his eyes watered.

"Don't l-leave me ag-again." He sobbed.

Kai threw up a lazy hand and shoved it where he thought his mouth might be. "Shhhhhhhh. S'ok. Still breathing."

"But you're cold." Ray said with a gasp as Kai's clammy and cold hand came over and covered his nose. Was like sticking an ice cube up his nostril.

"And now I can't breathe..."

Kai panicked, his eyes trying to open. "Hang on... I know CPR! Saw it on TV." He told him as he flung himself over him and flopped his face onto him.

The moment he made contact, it registered somewhere in his nonfunctioning brain that he was breathing. And that this felt familiar, and good. He relaxed and felt himself melt into him, resuming where they left off the last time and planting his lips slowly and gently on his.

"I love you and I hate it..." He whined.

Ray's eyes snapped open, the glue that was holding them together breaking. His body wanting to do what Kai's had done and melt, but his words caught him off guard.

"That's a weird thing to say..."

Kai got himself in the position he liked the most. On his chest. "But we can't do nothin' about it and it suuuucks..."

"Why not?" Ray whined; he missed those soft lips pressing into his.

"I dunno!" He whined defensively, "You gonna have to leave again. People keep trying to steal our stuff. I want to go back to sleeping in hotels with you. That was better..."

"Should have ran away... Stupid Dickenson..." Ray muttered angrily with a low growl, "Stupid Saint Shields... But why do you hate loving me? I love you, but I don't hate it."

Kai let out a pitiful sound. He was too sleepy to have to think. "Because it hurts..." He whined, "And its uncomfortable and embarrassing."

"So's your bony body, but you don't see me complaining." Ray said dryly through a yawn, his hand flopping on Kai's back in an attempt to stroke his hair.

Kai growled, letting his heavy head slump back onto his chest. "I did not lose that much weight..." He mumbled.

"Lost enough." Ray scoffed back, "Do you really though?"

Kai's head peeled off to look up, his nose smooshing into Ray's chin. "Do I what?"

"Love me?" Ray whined. As tired as he was, he wanted an answer before he clocked back out.

Kai slid like a slug, using his feet to slide himself up while his arms remained limp. "Yesssssss. Geez, you never listen to me." He groaned, "And you make me punch walls and do weird stuff. Like laugh. You're a god damn sorcerer..."

Rays bottom lip stuck out, "Like you ever listen to me." He pouted, his fingers scratching to try and grip Kai's shirt. "And you give me headaches, and make me want to hate you because you were such an asshole. But you're really not."

Kai's body continued to wiggle on top of him weakly. "Only because of you..."

Ray's lips twitched, "I want to stay because of you, I'm going to stay. I don't care what I have to do, but I don't want to leave you again." He choked.

"So let's just fuckin' run! What are they gonna do? Really? We'll figure it out somehow." Kai protested, wriggling harder.

"I can't move."

"I meant after a nap. Duh." He patronized.

"What about the kids and the bad guys? We can't just run off; we'd be bad parents." Ray protested back in the same tired whine.

"Urggghhhhhh I don't care!" Kai snapped irritably before backtracking instantly, "Nah, I do... But if it means I can keep you..." He let out as his eyes watered.

"I wanna keep you too." Ray's voice cracked back, finding strength to finally move his hands to Kai's cheeks and moved it to where he could look him in the face. Through his bleary vision he found himself welling up again, it was a terrible chore just to stay awake this long but he was fighting it best he could.

"I'll get you a new ring, and babies, and I won't leave you again. Okay? Just promise me you don't let me go either."

Kai's face barely hovered over Ray's. Gravity took over and the drops from his eyes dripped onto Ray's face. "I promise if you do. I just want to forget everything and be happy. I want all those things. I want to feel good again instead of sad all the time and I need you to do that..."

"I promise." It came out in a breath, using everything he had to lift his head up to press their lips together again. A soft content sigh escaping him.

A small noise left Kai's throat as his heavy head pushed back against it. This was exactly what he was talking about. He made him feel like nothing could touch him.

While the two continued to pass out, their mouths slipping apart as Ray's head fell back to the ground and the drugs took back over, the guards that had them placed there sat in front of their monitors with tears in the corners of their eyes. That was the sweetest thing any grown man had ever seen. Such a shame they had to kidnap them and shove them all on an abandoned island in the middle of nowhere all to steal their bit-beasts.

The burlier suited man lifted his tattooed hand to his lips and took a sip of steaming hot black coffee as he sniffed. "I wasn't much older than them when I met Cassy..." He mused to his injured colleague.

The other nodded, "Been what, 10 years now?" He asked, checking the claw marks on his face with the back of a dirty spoon. "You going to have 20 kids too?" He chuckled.

He let out a wobbly smile. "Eleven this November... And hell no. One is enough." He said firmly before he snorted and cracked up, "They have no idea do they? Ah, to be young..."

The other laughed back, "Well the ones a Hiwatari, they'd be able to afford forty if they want." He snorted.

The big one shook his head, his face paling. "It is not worth it..."

"They'll learn." He snorted back, "Should move them, that way they don't wake up like that in front of their buddies. But I'm not touchin' that one with the long hair."

The other chuckled, "I'll take that one. You take Fists of Fury." He compromised.