A/N: Ho ho ho, children, I come bearing gifts. Everyone settle down. I know I'm late. My sissy came home and that derailed me for a while. But I'm back with a long chapter and that's what matters. Right? Right. A few warnings first.

WARNING: We have a full, ripe lemon in the chapter today folks. I hope it's not too sour. I've put a '(1)' right before it starts so those who do not want to read can stop reading there. Nothing important happens during the scene. This is not the Game of Thrones. We're kind to our audiences here. I hope you enjoy. I'll shut up now.

CHAPTER 24

Taste me drink my soul
Show me all the things that I shouldn't know
When there's a blue moon on the rise

Pretty Reckless

Tuesday night he was so bored with studying, Tyson put the book down and stared at the desk. Books were stacked on either side, leaving the centre empty for work. "Urgh" He stood up and opened the first drawer full of stationary to grab a post-it note, but didn't find any. Had he run out of them? That can't be possible. He bought them religiously each time he went to the store. He searched the other drawers for the post-it notes, pulling the bottommost one out to check as well, where he found the packets of drugs they'd stashed in the desk. Fuck.

Tyson was on his knees, trying to fight the temptation. He'd stayed clean for over two months, which was something of a record. He reminded himself of the broken look he'd seen on Kai's face on the night they met at the boba tea shop when he realized Tyson was high. No. Don't do it.

But it would feel so good, whispered another part of him.

His heart skipped a tiny beat at the ghost of sensation the very thought of taking some sent through him. He was almost salivating. A little bit won't hurt.

Just a little bit.

Tyson watched his hand slither into the drawer and slide a packet of molly out. Mike had bit it open sometime ago. Tyson dipped his index finger through the hole in the packet and touched the white powder with the tip, coating it. He took the finger out and brought it toward his mouth, before wrapping his lips around it. The molly hit his tongue, cool and instantly dissolving. He felt his tongue go numb as he sucked his finger clean. Tyson swallowed the thickened saliva in his mouth, barely able to detect his tongue moving around. He sat back on the floor, leaning against the side of the bed, staring at his slightly slick finger.

It didn't take too long. Colour burst in his vision, his heartbeat soared. He blinked and the world looked surreal. He took some more, licking his finger clean each time he dipped it in. May be he couldn't feel his lips any more, so what? Who gave a fuck? He felt awesome. Euphoric. And turned on. Jesus. Were there any parties nearby?

Tyson caught himself quickly. He couldn't do that. He couldn't just go out and find a lay. He had a fucking boyfriend. A beautiful piece of ass. Who was far far away from him at the moment. Oh god. Tyson fished his phone out from under the bed and pulled up his private chatroom with Kai. He definitely wouldn't answer but Tyson needed him.

Like really really needed him.

Seven thirty pm read the the clock at the top of the screen. May be he was at a meeting but this was an emergency.

Hey, he typed and pressed send.

Where are you?

I need you

He didn't expect an answer any time in the near future and so he let the phone drop to his lap. He rested his head against the mattress, feeling loved up. He'd feel even better if Kai texted him back. Come on, Kai, he said in his head and Kai must have heard him because his phone pinged with a new message.

What's wrong? Kai had sent in less than three fucking seconds. This was a miracle.

I'm horny, Tyson replied, then brought the mic close to his mouth and recorded a voice message. "I wanna fuck, Kai," he sighed into the phone. "Where are you?"

o - o - o - o - o

Kai saw that Tyson had sent a voice note, he pressed play and put the speaker against his ear. He listened for a second, then dropped the phone on the table like it had burned him. Shit. He felt like he'd been scorched with lightning. His body responding to Tyson's voice like he was a musical instrument and Tyson had plucked a chord. Kai stared at the phone, his skin buzzing. What the fuck, Tyson? What had gotten into you all of a sudden? His mouth had gone dry. He took a minute to compose himself, then picked up the phone again and called the restless brat. He was about to head to a meeting.

They didn't say hello to each other. Tyson answered and simply said, "I didn't think you'd call," after a beat of tense silence.

Kai's breathing escalated at the scratchy note in his voice. "I have a meeting to attend in five minutes." He stood up and gathered the two files on the table in his arm.

"I'm horny" whined Tyson.

"What about the bet, sweetie?" he asked mockingly.

Tyson gasped. "Oh my god, I didn't know anybody could make that word sound so eeeevil."

"Help yourself, Tyson," Kai told him, trying not to picture him touching himself.

Tyson huffed. "What's the use of having you around if I still have to do that to make myself happy?"

His secretary knocked on the door and opened it a crack, motioning with a hand to inform him the team was ready. Kai nodded at her. "Talk later" He cut the call before Tyson could say anything that could wipe out everything in his head.

o - o - o - o - o

Tyson stared at the phone, weighing his options. He could either sit inside his room like a loser or he could go out and find a better high. Tyson ended up going for a ride.

o - o - o - o - o

"Go out with me." Tyson leaned against the window, the lush green gardens of the university spread out before him. He'd just got out of his morning classes.

"What?" Kai asked on the other end of the line.

"I mean on a date," Tyson clarified, slightly nervous, the arm that was not holding the phone crossed over his chest, hand on the opposite bicep. "Go out on a date with me this Friday."

Kai took a second to answer. "I will if you agree to spend the weekend at my house."

Tyson bit his lip. Kai was asking him to stay over at his place for two whole days. And nights. Which meant he was determined to break Tyson's will to stay celibate. He planted his feet firmly on the ground, excited about the prospect of leading Kai around with a leash. "Okay!" He agreed.

"It's a deal" said Kai, like they were making a business transaction. Tyson's eyelids shuttered with annoyance.

"You're supposed to say 'it's a date'."

"Whatever" muttered Kai.

"Urgh" Tyson shifted against the window frame. Kai was getting under his skin again. The extreme amount of disinterest he showed toward Tyson sometimes reminded him of the earlier days, when Kai used to make noncommittal sounds in response to Tyson's long speeches. It irked him back then endlessly and it irked him even more now. Because it wasn't that he wasn't interested, he just pretended to be. "Why aren't you hanging up then?" Tyson asked him after a prolonged moment of silence.

"I thought you had something else to say," Kai replied.

"No" Tyson scowled at the trees.

"Okay then I'm hanging up," said Kai.

Tyson was mad at him. "Okay"

He heard an intake of breath like Kai was about to say something, and he waited, but he simply sighed and said another irritating "Okay" before cutting the call.

Tyson growled, squeezing the phone in his hand. What was wrong with him? Which idiotic planet was he from? His teeth gnashed.

"Hey" Someone clapped him on the shoulder. Tyson turned around. Max. The very sight of his bubbly friend lifted his spirits.

"Maxine" Tyson greeted him. "What's up?"

Max grimaced. "I told you to stop calling me that."

"Sorry but I love that name."

Max wound an arm across Tyson's shoulders and leaned against him. A fairly somber look on his face. Tyson studied him. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah I was just thinking about Rei," said Max, his lower lip jutting out slightly. "Don't you miss him?"

"Only like all the time," Tyson shrugged in an exaggeratedly nonchalant manner. He hadn't contacted Rei in a while. Tyson made a mental note to call him tonight.

"He sounded so sad the last time we talked."

"When was that?"

"Two weeks ago I think," he sighed. "I wish he was with us." Rei was the one who had wanted to go back to his homeland after the fire. He'd chosen his family and former teammates over them. He'd run to his old friends for comfort. Not him or Max or Kenny. And that itself had spoken volumes about where his heart truly lay. But they still missed him, because they loved him unconditionally.

Tyson decided to change the topic. "I need to make Emily go out with Tanaka from the volleyball team."

Max took a moment to process the words then burst out laughing. "What? Why?"

"He said he'd do something for me if I got her to go out with him," Tyson replied, being as vague as possible. Max was another one of the cautious lot. He'd give him an earful about going after the Russian if he knew.

"O…kay," he got the message and didn't pry. "Well, she's attending that fashion show thing tonight."

"Oh the fundraiser!" Tyson had forgotten about it. Since the end of the semester was nearing, it was finals season again. All the competitions were to be completed in the upcoming week. Baseball finals were being held at their college and the association had taken it upon themselves to raise the money for the event by hosting an 'Anybody-Can-Walk' fashion show. Participants were given an opportunity to come up with the fanciest, most outrageous outfits and walk the runway all for five dollars. Emily, the head of the baseball association of their university, had told Tyson they hadn't expected the event to be such a hit, but people had practically lined up with five dollar bills outside the registration booth all the way to the cafeteria fifty meters away.

"Yeah, why don't you go with her?"

"You mean go and pester her?" Tyson turned his head to give him a sly look.

"Relentlessly" Max grinned.

"I like the way you think," Tyson feigned to bite Max.

Max dodged. "Don't you have a boyfriend?"

Tyson smirked at him, in a eerily Kai fashion. Then felt the smirk slip as he thought of him. "He's not my boyfriend," Tyson dismissed.

"What is he then?" Max frowned.

Tyson grit his teeth. "Um…I don't want to…label him," he said slowly, eyes on the shrubbery. Kai had asked him to be his. Not his boyfriend or partner or lover, just his. His what? He'd never specified. And Tyson wasn't going to ask. "I don't know what we're doing, but we're together…"

"I'm happy for you," Max squeezed his shoulder. "Are you?"

"What?"

"Are you happy with him?" Max asked, oddly serious.

Tyson considered his friend, wondering why he was even asking this question. Of course Tyson was happy with him. Sure he made him angry and agitated and got under his skin all the time but that was part of the appeal. He liked being challenged. He didn't want someone who bent to his every wish and whim. There was no fun in that. Tyson huffed a laugh. "He makes me feel a lot of things, Maxie. It's like I can't think properly around him. I'm always an emotional mess. It's like my… brain just runs out the window when I see him," Tyson paused, taking a breath. "But yeah, I'm happy. I'm happy with him."

Max smiled.

o - o - o - o - o

Pink paradise. Tyson was in pink paradise and Emily was the queen. She looked like a queen as she preened in front of the framed mirror in her elegant, overly girly room. "Why not?" Tyson asked her again, propping his chin upon a hand, elbow sinking into the fluffy bed. "He's a nice guy. He's smart. He's…fit."

Emily tugged a brush though her curls. "See that's the thing. He's way too nice."

"No," Tyson disagreed. "He's adequately nice, not creepy nice."

"Please," said Emily, "you have no right to say that. You hate the volleyballers just as much as I do. I remember the both of us hating them together at last year's semifinals. You were so full of hatred for them back then, Tyson. What happened?"

"He said he'd be my Eco project partner if I got you to go out with him," Tyson lied through his teeth, acting sheepish.

"I can't believe you," Emily smoothed a knot in her hair with extra force, scaring Tyson. "Selling out your best friend like that. I expected better from you, Tyson."

Tyson was suddenly struck speechless with actual remorse. He picked at the pink comforter in silence before glancing up and meeting her kohl-lined eyes in the mirror. She was simply pulling his chain. He scowled at her in response, chest deflating in relief. Emily giggled. She looked like a princess with stars in her eyes and shit.

"Help a brother out, Em," Tyson was not beyond begging her to do it. "I'll buy you dinner for the rest of the sem."

Emily perked up at the suggestion, hairbrush poised midair. "Now that's a tempting offer." She spun around to face him. "Will you really?"

Tyson thought about it. He could afford to buy dinner for two for the rest of the semester. She wasn't hulk. She didn't eat disproportionately to her size. "Yes" he agreed.

Emily ran a hand down the front of her gown, gaze twinkling at Tyson. "Well," she began and Tyson sat up expectantly. "Tanaka is not an ogre, right?"

"Nope" Tyson shook his head fervently. "He's got great table manners."

"Free food doesn't hurt, right?"

"Nope"

Emily chewed on her lip, ruining the freshly applied gloss. "If you back out of the agreement, I will literally chop off your dick, Tyson," she threatened.

"I won't" Tyson promised. "I swear on my life." He made a cross over his heart with his fingers, holding the other hand up, palm open. Emily glared for a full minute before rolling her eyes and pulling Tyson onto his feet.

"So is that a yes?" He asked, looking down at her.

Emily smiled. "Yes, I can't say no to free food," she shrugged. "You know, you look good in a tux. Has Kai ever seen you in one?"

"Yeah"

"Not two years ago, you rat. Now."

"No"

Emily stared at him appreciatively. "Why don't we take a pic?" She put down the brush with a final stroke through her locks and picked up her purse and phone. "Smile," she ordered, twisting him into position with a hand on his bicep, nails digging in.

"Ow" Tyson tried to remove his arm from her painful clutch.

"Smile, dick" she said again and he showed his teeth to the camera, cheek pressed up against hers.

o - o - o - o - o

"This way, sir." A primly dressed young woman led him down a gilded hallway at The Elite Gentlemen's Club, red roses lining the bottom of the walls. Kai followed her with unease creeping up the pit of his stomach. The hallway was muted, chilled by an air conditioner and smelling like exotic perfume. The receptionist who was strutting in front of him wore a sleek black dress with a pencil skirt, her hair up in a tight, professional bun.

The day after the one he'd made the appointment, he'd received a call from the club, asking for details about him. Everything from his name to his financial status to his blood type. They'd even called up the bank to verify his credit card information. They were thorough. It gave him bad vibes. Illegal vibes. There was no way this set up couldn't be illegal.

The woman stopped at a double door, polished granite. Kai took a breath as she grabbed the vertical handle and pushed one of the heavy doors open. Music spilled into the silent hallway. The receptionist turned around and gestured for him to go in. She smiled when he glanced at her, full red lips curving into a crescent moon.

Kai stepped through with an impression that he was walking into another dimension. The inside of the club was dark and purple, with an occasional silver flare from the blinking lights behind the bar counters. He didn't recognize the music. The bass was so deep, he felt the reverberations in his skull each time it dropped. His eyes took some time to adjust, but once it did, Kai was blown away. A purple haze hung over the entire club, hosts walking around with trays of fancy drinks around customers - mostly men and in suits - sat in plush chairs, enjoying the show before them. He couldn't see the entire place at once, it seemed there were convenient dark nooks and corners everywhere. Arches and beaded curtains divided the floor of the club into sections. Poles and colored lights were scattered throughout. The bars were only visited by hosts, the clients too busy watching the stage at the very center of the section to his immediate right. He brushed the beaded curtain aside as a host approached him.

They were all dressed scantily, showing off their petite bodies and curves. The woman attending to him was young too, multiple harnesses fastened around her thighs. Her white top glittering as she guided him through the room. She made him sit at the stage, the very front, so the dancers were right up in his face. He was told to wait while his host for the night prepared themself for him.

A drink was offered. His immediate reaction was to refuse, but he accepted it to not attract attention. The glass was topped off with something fizzy and probably alcoholic they said were the "club special" with an added notice that he could request anything he liked. Really? thought Kai. Anything?

His eyes were on the stage, like every other client around him, but his mind sped with questions. Was this just another strip club? Was "his" host just a private dancer? The girls on stage were all pretty in a conventional way. Long hair, big lips, ass and tits. Their skin flawless. Legs miles long. Kai's dick stayed limp.

Uninterested

That was a good thing. See how loyal I am, Tyson? He thought, stupidly wishing Tyson was the one on stage, dancing for him. His body moving gracefully, tawny spotless skin on display. Only for him.

He sat there, drink untouched by his side for all of ten minutes before the host who had tended to him inside the club, informed him that his room was ready. What room? A private dance room? He'd gotten the number of the club from their website. There hadn't been any such rooms listed in their 'services offered' column.

He followed the same host down another dimly lit but lush hallway. This one narrower and warmer, the walls covered with tapestry Kai suspected would have appeared cheap in broad daylight. He tried not to think too hard as they crossed several closed doors and stopped at a dark wood one. Whoever is behind this door, Kai assured himself, she would reveal all the secrets of this place to him.

The door swung open and Kai felt his breath get stolen away. It wasn't a she. And it wasn't a dancer. Surrounded by rose petals and scented candles, waiting on red, silken bedding, Kai encountered an angel in devil's clothing that night and his life changed course irreversibly.

o - o - o - o - o

Three days. Three more days till he discovered what was hidden in those encrypted files. Tyson had begun losing sleep over it. He'd dreamt of Kieran that morning. His bright smile. Snippets of conversation they'd had at parties and during matches. Their first meeting stood out starkly against all other parts of the dream.

"Kieran right? From the Silent Assassins?" Tyson had asked him.

"Yeah" He'd replied with a laugh. "Man, it feels good to know Tyson Granger knows my name."

Kieran had been such a nice and polite guy. Always helpful and supportive. But Tyson knew there had been a dark side to him. He remembered the few times he'd knocked on his door and got no response even though he knew he was inside. He remembered the tears that would collect in his eyes completely out of the blue. And the conversation they'd had behind the stadium, his face cloaked in shadows. What was the reason behind such sorrow and misery?

"I killed my father," he'd told Tyson, his face riddled with grief. But had that been the only reason why? How and why did King find him in Brazil? Why did King choose to go to such a small and remote tribe and teach Kieran how to blade? Kieran had been the tribe Chief's son. May be that played a role in King's choice. But the tribe? They were known for enslaving bitbeasts, Kiaan had said. May be he was after the bitbeasts? They were all strong and powerful beasts with the tribe Chief's legendary beast being so powerful and mighty they claimed it could even bring back the dead. King had taught them beyblade, and they'd conducted a tournament where the winner got to request a battle with the Chief of the tribe. Whose idea had that been? King's? Did he want the Chief's bitbeast? Was he hoping Kieran could somehow defeat his father and become its new master? Kieran had killed his father - or his bitbeast had - because Kieran had lost to the Chief. Kiaan had said it was a bizarre incident. Bitbeasts don't usually throw tantrums when beaten by beasts much stronger than themselves. But Obliqua had acted out. Why? Because the Chief's beast wasn't more powerful? Which meant the Chief hadn't been the master of the legendary bitbeast during the game? Which meant King didn't find the bitbeast. And if he hadn't found it, he must have kept looking. He'd entered the Silent Assassins in the World Championships. He'd influenced the votes to make sure they would make it in to the final cut. Had King been looking for the Chief's bitbeast at the Quadrennial Championships?

Tyson sat up in bed, the textbook he'd had on his chest, toppling to the mattress. But the Championships had gone to shit. There was a high probability he hadn't found the bitbeast's master at the tournament. Which meant he was still looking for it! Tyson felt his mouth gape open. Why hadn't he made that connection before? God! He was so stupid. He had to tell Kai. Tyson reached for the phone then recalled that Kai had said he would be unavailable for the rest of the evening because of a crucial meeting. Damn. Tyson couldn't sit still. Shit, he had to tell someone.

He called Rei.

o - o - o - o - o

"You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago," Tyson blew a tuft of hair off his forehead.

"Sorry," Kai said as he pocketed his keys, "the meeting ran late."

"I thought you forgot," Tyson's eyes darted up and down his profile, his hand still wrapped around the wrought iron fence that ran along the park. He was nervous, Kai could tell. Was it his sudden transformation into his old self?

Kai had ditched the dress shirts and slacks in favour of dark blue baggy pants and a loose grey tee, its sleeves reaching his elbows. He'd dyed his hair black, all black. When Kai had looked up at himself in the mirror earlier, he'd been taken aback at the sight of the reflection staring back at him. He'd looked…younger. Almost as young as sixteen, at first glance, but a prolonged study of his features would reveal that his jaw had doubled in size and his eyes had grown narrower, more mature.

When Kai remained silent, Tyson cleared his throat, gaze running all over him. It was definitely the new clothes and hair. New or old? Kai wondered.

His lips moved over silent words. He wanted to say things but couldn't manage to get anything out. Kai thought of kissing him, tasting those lips that appeared chapped and soft at once. He knew what they felt like. They were soft. Not too soft to make him think if he used chapstick but soft enough to drive every other thought out of his head when he looked at them.

His hands itched to hold his waist. Touch him. Touch him everywhere. "Shall we…?" Tyson pointed his index toward the park. Kai nodded.

They walked a minute wordlessly, enjoying the light breeze and the way the grass crushed under their boots. There weren't many people there. Just a few silhouettes near the trees and the river the park overlooked.

"I was thinking," Tyson began in a sober tone, "last night, about Kieran." Kai sensed one of his eyebrows raise involuntarily. He wondered where this was heading. "About some things he said and," Tyson kicked a stone, "things he didn't say."

Kai watched him out of the corner of his eye. Tyson was phrasing his sentences carefully. Huh. He wasn't one to be cautious with his words. He felt the urge to kiss Tyson die down as he continued speaking.

"Kieran told me he killed his dad, but he wasn't the one who did it. It was his bitbeast. His bitbeast was angry it lost the match against Kieran's father's." Kai frowned. Tyson had told him this story before but why was he bringing it up again now? "But Kiaan had said that that was strange. Bitbeasts don't get into a rage unless they lose to someone unworthy. Or less powerful."

Kai stopped walking. Tyson did too when he noticed. "What's the point of telling me this now?" He asked him. Tyson gulped.

"I know why King was in Brazil," he said and the mood of Kai's entire day shifted just like that.

"Why?" Kai heard himself ask.

Tyson brought his hands together. Another nervous gesture. "He was there for Kieran's father's bitbeast."

Kai narrowed his eyes at him. "What are you talking about? Why would he go after some bitbeast?"

"Because it wasn't just any bitbeast," said Tyson. "Kiaan said the tribe Chief had the strongest one and Kieran's father's was known to have been so powerful it could bring the dead back to life."

"So he wanted a powerful bitbeast? There are plenty out there that-"

"No. What if he was looking for the Chief's specific bitbeast because it could bring back the dead?"

"And what would be the point of doing that? Who does he want to-" Kai cut himself off when he recalled something Voltaire had told him. King had loved Helena. His grandmother was dead.

Kai swallowed thickly. He spoke before he could censor his words. "King was in love with my grandmother back in college." Tyson's eyes grew wide. He could hear his breathing picking up.

"That's it," whispered Tyson. "He wants to bring her back."

Kai's brain finally caught up with the conversation and he felt himself recoiling quickly. "Wants to?" he shot at Tyson, tone bordering on hostile.

Tyson scratched the side of his nose. "That's what I was saying. Kieran's bitbeast raged when it lost because the bitbeast it was defeated by wasn't more powerful than itself. The tribe chief had somehow found out about King's plans and given the bitbeast away. And to this day, he's still searching for it," Tyson said excitedly. Kai could feel the dislike developing within his chest. He didn't want to be anywhere near him. He didn't want to listen to his voice anymore. He wanted to walk away from him. Watch the excited little glimmer in his eyes dim and die out as he crushed his heart under the heel of his boot.

Tyson must have seen something on his face because he stopped talking, gaze observant. Tentative. The venomous hate stopped growing. Stilled as he looked into his brown eyes. Tyson opened his mouth and Kai held his breath. Unable to stand his scratchy voice one second longer. He waited but he said nothing. And Kai was so grateful that he'd shut up. He didn't want to hear it anymore.

Kai took a relaxing breath and put some distance between him and Tyson. He watched the peaceful water. Savoured the quiet and the soothing wind. He tried to regain control over his emotions. And the loud shouts echoing in his head. No! No! No! Someone screeched. It can't be! It can't be!

He's lying! It wasn't a someone, but a something. A creature. It was angry. Violently angry at Tyson for having said those things. His grandmother was dead. Nobody could bring her back.

His family was dead. Nobody could bring them back!

He heard footsteps, and felt a hand on his back. He closed his eyes. Tyson rubbed his back lightly. Comfortingly. "I'm sorry" he whispered. "I got carried away. That was insensitive of me." He rested his cheek on Kai's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I won't talk about it again unless you want me to."

The creature shut up. And Kai felt the anger and hatred drain away, leaving a sick feeling behind. The same sick feeling he got every time he feared he hurt Tyson. What was that promise he'd made? I'd keep you happy and satisfied. What was he doing now?

Kai inhaled deeply and squared his shoulders. Tyson lifted his head. Kai turned around. His hand dropped off his back. Kai looked at Tyson.

His heart ached.

He wished he'd speak so he could listen to his boyish voice.

"Can we talk about something else?" he asked at a loss.

"Sure" said Tyson, his voice flowing into Kai's ear as sweet as the tinkle of tiny bells. He smiled.

"What do people do on dates?" He had a vague idea. A classical idea but he'd only ever been on dinner dates and those were all with Gabriela. A girl he never liked.

Tyson's grin widened. "Well, they ask each other questions to get to know each other better."

"You know me," Kai deadpanned.

Tyson had ideas. "Well, why don't we see how well we know each other then?" he suggested, moving toward a nearby tree. Kai trailed after him and sat down under the tree when he did.

"Okay, first question," Tyson put his hands over his knees as he sat cross legged. "We'll start off easy. What's my favorite colour?"

"Blue" said Kai. Tyson's expression turned sly. "And black," he added, making him smile again.

"Mmm, yours is red," Tyson drew his lower lip into his mouth. "And blue."

Blue. They had some things in common.

"Okay, next question, what's my favorite ice cream flavour?"

"Strawberry" These were two easy. Then again, what was the fucking point of this game?

"And you don't like ice creams," Tyson aligned his feet on the grass. The moonlight catching his hair made it look dark brown. He was dying it. The brown shade suited him more than black. Matched his eyes.

"This is boring. You already know me," Kai said at last. "Ask me something interesting or something you want to know."

"Fine" Tyson gave in. "Fine" he said again after a moment of thought. "I'll ask you what I want to know," his eyes had a certain fire to them as he uttered the next few words: "Do you think I'm handsome?"

His tone was light, casual, a bit challenging even, but Kai read a hint of curiosity behind his easy attitude. He really wanted to know if Kai found him appealing. "What kind of a question is that?" He threw Tyson curve ball, to see how well he handled it.

Tyson shrugged. "A normal one. I just want to know if you think I'm…you know…attractive. If you like what you see."

Kai shook his head. He wasn't going to answer this. Too dumb. Too vain. And there was no proper way to tell him what he thought without sounding like an asshole. He opted to evade.

"Oh come on," Tyson urged. "Just say yes or no. It's not that hard. I'm not going to get upset or anything if you say-"

"No"

Kai heard his breath hitch, a surprised gasp. He was all for acting brave but he hadn't expected Kai to be blunt with him. Tyson tried to mask it quickly, but he saw the hurt that flashed across his face, even if it had lasted for a millisecond.

"Oh" he said. Let out a single dry laugh. Loosely hugged his knees. Intertwined his fingers in the gap between them. "Wow. Um. Okay. That's…" he was going to say fine, Kai knew, saw his lips start to curve around the syllables but his eyebrows furrowed and he seemed confused as he surveyed his converses. 'Fine' never made it out of his mouth. He sat for a moment too long in a baffled silence before he shrugged it off and met Kai's gaze again. "Okay then, why do you like me?" The question came out bitter, almost angry, but Kai knew he hadn't meant it to sound that way. He was just a little too hurt. Kai wasn't going to soothe that ache any time soon. Not because he wanted him to hurt but because they were at a park. A public place. People were lurking in shadows. He didn't like being vulnerable out in the open.

Again, it wasn't a query he could answer at the moment. Wrong place. Wrong time. "I don't know," he said, summing up all his reasons expertly.

Tyson clenched his teeth. His lips pursed. He was trying not to let it show but he was mad. Hurt. Upset. "Do you like me?" he whispered.

The wind picked up. The air grew chillier. The answer was no. "No"

"What are you doing here then?" Tyson asked, his anger lashing out finally. "Why did you come out on a date with me if you didn't even want to?" He didn't bother hiding it anymore. Kai was hurting him too deeply. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Why couldn't he read him now? Why couldn't he read the glaringly obvious meaning behind his words?

"Because you agreed to spend the weekend at my house if I did," said Kai and Tyson shot to his feet. He'd had enough. He strode away. In the direction of his car. Without looking back once.

Kai went after him, following him to his Aston Martin. Tyson waited for him once he reached there with arms crossed, drumming his fingers on his elbow. He didn't look at him as Kai clicked the car unlocked and he got in, slamming the door shut.

Kai sighed. Prepared himself for the worst and climbed into the vehicle. He asked Tyson if he should drop him off at the dorms and he shook his head no. He was adamant to see this "deal" through. And so he drove them all the way to his house at the edge of the City, stepped out, waited for Tyson to do the same before taking the stairs to the front door. Fountains gurgling merrily beside the steps.

"You're taking me back Sunday morning." Tyson entered the house with a flourish, moving confidently to the next room. "What are you doing?" Kai asked.

"You never gave me a tour of this place," he replied airily as he slid the door to the patio open. "I want to see." He went out.

Kai stared at him with wonder. Sassy Tyson did things to him. One of the reasons why he constantly strove to piss him off. He liked him like this. Feisty and daring.

He trailed him through the entire house, occasionally clearing his doubts and queries. Tyson was mad. And it showed in the stern purse of his mouth. He tapped a wall here. Flicked the back of his fingers on a door frame there. He was never still. He kept moving around. They toured every corner till they finally climbed back downstairs and ended up in the tiny corridor just outside the master bedroom.

The dark brown and cream interior looked even better when Tyson stood next to it. He slowed down when they neared his bedroom, and Kai grabbed his wrist before he could get away. His skin buzzed.

Tyson exhaled sharply. Kai pulled him back from the doorway. Tyson refused to look at him. And so Kai said, "look at me."

He kept his eyes on the floor. On the wall behind him. Everywhere but him. Kai crowded him against the wall. Tyson didn't fight. Not against the act but his gaze defiantly avoided Kai.

He sensed the air between them flicker. He felt like it would zap him if he crossed the remaining space. His fingers on his wrist tingled. The soft fragrance of the shampoo Tyson used tickled his nostrils. "Look at me," he said again. And yielded no result.

He took in the curl of his eyelashes. The sweep of his nose bridge. The plump smoothness of his apple-slice cheeks. The rough red pout of his mouth. "You're mad at me. I know. If it'll make it better, I'll answer your questions again." The sharp set of Tyson's jaw only grew more severe.

Kai let go of his wrist. "I don't think you're handsome," he began, "you're not someone people would usually call handsome. Your eyes are nothing remarkable and they're your best feature." Tyson's nostrils flared. His jaw worked. He blinked multiple times. Kai swallowed thickly. He couldn't say it. He couldn't say it. Rude and cruel he could be. Uncaring and dismissive, he could be. But kind and sweet, he could not. Vulnerable he could not. It was against his nature. It was weak. Unmanly. He could not say it. He'd fail his entire bloodline.

He said it.

"You're not handsome." A breath. "But you're the most beautiful person I've ever seen."

Tyson's gaze flew up to his. Kai's heart knocked against his ribs. His tongue lay limp. Felt foreign in his mouth. Those words…they couldn't have been his. Couldn't have come from him. But Tyson's eyes were slightly wet. From the harsh lighting or tears, Kai could only guess. His eyes. His eyes. They pierced through him. Shredded him apart.

Made him breathless and idiotic. Yet Kai plowed on. Saying words that felt strange and alien in his mouth. "I don't like you. You're too difficult to like. The feelings you stir in me are intense. Explosive. Like hate. Like…," he couldn't say. "Not like like. Like is easy. Comfortable. You make me feel-" He paused, too strong. He was feeling everything too strong. He didn't know how to put them into words. Kai took Tyson's hand in his. Placed it upon his chest. Right above his overwhelmed heart. Beating so hard he was sure it would fly all the way out of his chest. "Like this"

Tyson's breathing was shallow. Audible. Kai's nose brushed his cheek. Tenderly. He wondered if he could feel it too. This sense of falling. As though the rug was being pulled from beneath their feet and they were falling. Into an abyss. It scared him. Did it scare Tyson?

His mouth hovered above his open one. His eyes stared into Tyson's. He thought he could look into them forever. They were rich and deep, the lashes fanning out like a deer's. Beautiful. Heartbreakingly beautiful.

The back of Tyson's head hit the cool wall. Kai's boot stepped in between the two of his. He didn't pull him. Didn't push him. Barely touched him. He could taste his breath. Strawberry this time. Sickly sweet. He despised sugar. Yet he was inhaling it. Breathing it all in. His exhalations. His syrupy half-sighs. Kai couldn't close his eyes even as he covered Tyson's mouth with his own. His breath was hot. Heavy. Smelled like strawberries.

Kai dipped his tongue into Tyson's mouth, felt the ground tilt when he licked his tongue. Eyes shutting closed from the sheer sensation of it. Got lost in it. Tried to find a way out. Didn't want to lose his self this early. This soon.

He tried breaking away. Tyson came with him. Because he'd wrapped his arms secure around him. They were close. Very close. But he wanted to get closer. Wanted to be inside of him.

He lost himself in the kisses.

(1)

When they finally broke away for air, Kai discovered they'd made it to the bed somehow while making out. Tyson was under him, face flushed pink. His breathing was ragged. His jeans tented at the crotch.

Too many clothes. Too many. Kai sat up and tore his loose t shirt off. It came away easily. He dropped it on the floor. Rolled up Tyson's white shirt up a little, revealing his toned tan stomach. The skin smooth and buttery.

Tyson sighed, eyes hooded with lust as Kai bent to touch the tip of his tongue to his belly button. His skin was heated. Hairless where there should have been a trickling leading into his pants. Kai liked that he was hairless. He sucked a spot on his shivering stomach and heard him moan. The first actual sound he'd made in the last fifteen minutes.

Was he still mad? Kai wondered. He lifted his shirt up further, to his chest, to see if he'd resist. Refuse his touch. He would have if he'd been mad. Instead Tyson met his eyes, the contact like a shock that zipped through him, propped himself up on his elbows and stripped the tee off. Flinging it somewhere to his right.

Kai felt the corners of his mouth quirk up as he crawled over him and captured his lips again. The kisses were electric. Gratifying. He's such a good kisser, thought Kai. Tyson knew how to keep him coming back for more. And Kai couldn't get enough. Not last Friday. Not this one.

Kai ground his hips into Tyson's as he groaned into his mouth. Nails dug into his back, sending sparks skittering down his spine. Tyson was lighting him up, from the inside. Like a firefly. The fire of his desire for Tyson blazed fiercely within him. Unquenchable.

He removed his baggy pants, then Tyson's. He let him, raising his arms above his head and locking one wrist with his other hand. More satiny skin. His ribcage expanded, hollowing out his stomach as Tyson inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself. His cheeks were blushed red. Lips the colour of wine.

Sinful, the word appeared in Kai's mind unbidden.

His thighs. Luscious and golden. Kai ran a hand up each, kneading his fingers deep into the taut flesh. Tyson let out a shaky sigh, wrists still on the pillow above his head. Holding himself still for Kai. Such a good boy. Kai pressed open mouthed kisses on the tender skin of his pelvic bone.

He bit into it slightly, making him squirm. He held his hips down sternly. Tyson was staring down at him. Eyes dark. Kai curled his fingers into the waistband of his boxers. Waited a moment for a protest. None came. Only another sigh. Kai slid it off of him. Slowly. Taking his time. Letting Tyson get used to the sensation. Letting himself ogle the parts of him he never got to see.

Tyson's thighs began to quiver a little. Kai asked him if he was cold. He shook his head no. Tyson was beautiful everywhere. His skin was flawless. Like a spread of honey. Kai looked at him. All of him. With Tyson's high pitched breathing, almost sighs, playing like music in his ear. He let him do this the last time too. Two years back. Let him stare. Touch and caress his body with his eyes.

Kai met Tyson's gaze. There was something heavy in them. He kissed him. Leisurely. Without urgency. Tyson's heartbeat thrumming against his palm. He wound an arm around his naked waist, enjoying the feeling of skin on skin. Put his body on him and drowned in the sensation.

"Touch me," he whispered against his lips. "Touch me, Kai." How could he say no?

Tyson mewled in his ear as Kai sucked a patch of skin on his neck into his mouth. Freed it before picking it with his teeth and rolling it lightly. Tyson's hands ran down his back, nails leaving streaks of pink on either side of his spine. His legs opened under him, feet sliding up higher on the mattress.

Kai kissed down his torso, fingers trailing down his arms, his nipples, the recess between his ribcage and stomach that he loved so much. He paused on his pelvis, hands on his hips. Kai looked up at him. Tyson nodded, licking his lips. He wanted this. Wanted it just as much as Kai.

He pushed his legs up farther, spreading him wider. Caressed the insides of his thighs, making him tremble. Sweat collecting in the corners of his body. Kai kissed him around where Tyson wanted him, driving him needier. He'd shaved down here too. Or waxed. He was creamy and pretty. Tyson whined when he avoided the head of his cock again to lick the dent where his legs and groin met. "Kai" he pleaded breathlessly. "Please" he said. Please. Tyson never said that word to him unless he was being sassy, or he was shouting at him.

He said it now. In a helpless way. In a desperate way. Kai yearned to hear it again. He made simple words like 'please' sound melodic. He hovered his mouth above his leaking cock, exhaling into it. His own hard and forgotten in his underwear. Tyson whimpered. "What?" Kai asked.

Tyson huffed, head falling back on the bed. He saw him fist the sheets. "Please" he said again. Staring back down at him. He lifted his hips off the bed just a tiny bit, enough to cause his cock to graze Kai's chin. He felt a wetness where it had touched. Precum.

He was dripping at the head. Kai caught a bead with the tip of his tongue. Tyson gasped. Head thrown back, jaw tight and neck long. Poor boy. Kai felt impatient. He took him into his mouth. Tyson cried out.

What followed was moans and pants, Tyson squirming and messing up the sheets. Kai held his hips down so he didn't thrust up and choke him. Tyson was a wreck. His beautiful wreck. His chest heaved. Stomach caved. Ribcage wide and jutting. Kai kept his eyes on the descent from his chest to his abdomen. Entranced by the sight of that tan stretch of skin.

Kai let go with a pop when Tyson pushed his head away. "Too much", he said. "I'm going to come."

"That all you got?" Kai teased, dick painfully hard and heavy in his boxers.

"Fuck you" Tyson managed to shoot back. Ever the warrior. "Wait, where are you going?"

Kai moved to the side of the bed and pulled the bottom drawer of the table beside open. A small assortment of lube and condoms lay in there. There were two flavors of lube. He couldn't remember when he'd bought them, but Strawberry and Peach glinted up at him. Well what the hell. He chose strawberry because that's what Tyson's mouth tasted of.

"Oh" said Tyson when he saw the lube in Kai's hand. And just for a moment there was a hint of hesitation on his face, so Kai held it out to him. Do what you want, he meant by the gesture.

Tyson looked up at him in surprise at the offer. The lube lay in the middle of his open palm. Tyson curled Kai's fingers back over the lube, pushing it toward him. "No," he whispered. Kai knew what he meant. "Come here" Tyson called. Kai knelt over to kiss him. Tyson's arms cradled his head for a moment. Then two. They forgot about the lube right then. Lost in the searing kisses they exchanged.

Kai eased one finger in. He was tight. God, he was tight. There was no way he was going to fit. But then he'd thought that before too and he'd fit back then. He would fit now. He wouldn't mind even if he didn't, Tyson's moans alone were gratifying enough.

He was so loud. Kai liked that. Made him feel like he was doing it right. He lacked experience with boys. He'd only ever been with Tyson. Just once. Kai wondered why he hadn't doubted his own abilities and faltered back then, but then he'd been rough. Unkind. Inconsiderate of Tyson. Acting entirely on an impulse. He was more attentive now. And Tyson was responding better.

He added a second. A third. Tyson's foot slid down the sheet, slippery with sweat. Kai hiked it back up. Didn't want to lose the tension he was building. He was finally loosening up a bit. There was more give when he pushed his fingers in now.

Kai's cock was hot and uncomfortable in the tight boxers. He wanted to shed them. When there was a satisfactory enough give, Kai finally withdrew his fingers. He'd been unable to find his prostate. Higher then. He couldn't reach with his fingers alone.

He took off his boxers, relishing the moment of freedom. He flicked it over his shoulder and found Tyson staring at him with unveiled desire, teeth digging into his lower lip, eyes hooded and intense. A breath shuddered out of him. His body was ready and inviting. Kai plucked the condom from on top of the mattress, index feeling along the jagged ridges along the cover.

Kai moved closer, on his knees. Tyson closed his eyes, bracing himself for the breach. But Kai was distracted. His eyes were elsewhere. Glued to the place where Tyson was wet and dripping. Pink and puckered. Strawberry.

Beckoning

He ducked down, grabbed his thighs, pushed them up so he was completely exposed and licked a stripe across his ass, all the way to his perineum. Tyson jerked. Shocked. Completely taken by surprise. "What?" He gasped. "What are you-"

Kai didn't let him finish his sentence, pressing his thumbs into his thighs and kissing him where he was open. Vulnerable. And wet. He tasted like the sticky lube Kai had used to stretch him. Tyson made a sound, somewhere between a shaky sigh and a sob. His legs trembled in his hands.

Kai sucked him once and Tyson cried out, overwhelmed and uninhibited. He stuck his tongue in, drew him closer. Tyson shivered, all the way down to his toes which were up in the air. It was strange to be inside him like this but he'd wanted to feel with his mouth what he'd felt with his fingers and what he would feel with his dick. This was intimate. Broke down barriers.

He smelled good. He felt good. He tasted good. Fuck, what was he? Kai kept his tongue buried in Tyson, who writhed helplessly on the bed. He tore at the sheets. Twisted his head this way and that. Chewed his lip bloody. Once or twice, his hand brushed across Kai's hair, to pull his head away but he couldn't manage to, arm thumping back down into the mattress when Kai sucked him hard.

In the end, he yelled. Yelled at Kai to stop because he couldn't take it anymore. "Stop, stop," he warned, swatting at Kai's shoulders. "I'll come!" he said with alarm and Kai broke away. Tongue heavy and coated with lube. Tyson exhaled. He was flushed down to his chest. Eyes wet with tears. His fingers were reaching for Kai. He took them in his own, brought them to his lips. Lowered himself back on to Tyson and kissed him gently.

Trying to calm him. His heart was pounding against Kai's body. His cheeks were moist with tears. Kai wiped them. Softly. Cradling his face with his palms and whispering sweet reassurances to him. He kissed him chastely on his mouth once before rising to his knees again.

He tore open the condom packet with his teeth, gaze on Tyson, who was pink and expectant. Kai rolled it onto himself, stroked his dick twice and hissed when a wave of pleasure swept through him. His cock had been begging for some sort of action for all this time that he'd been tending to Tyson.

Kai tapped Tyson's leg once, a friendly gesture, but what they were about to do was nothing friendly. Tyson spread his knees wide and Kai covered his body with his own, aligning himself with him. Tyson wrapped his arms around his shoulders. Licked his lips. Met his eyes. He was ready.

Kai pushed in slowly. Applying a blunt pressure. A steady pressure. Tyson's arms tightened around him. He kissed him when the head of his cock finally broke through the ring of muscle and entered him. The pressure was insane. He was hot. And tight. Very tight. Shit. He was probably hurting him.

"You okay?" Kai asked Tyson, who had his eyes squeezed shut, lips pressed together. The veins in his neck showed. Tyson didn't answer. Kai didn't push any further. Waiting for Tyson to adjust.

"Tyson," he tried again. "Does it hurt? Are you in pain?" Tyson finally responded, opening his eyes and raising his head. His nails were digging into Kai's shoulder blades.

"It's tight," he sighed, dropping his head back into the pillows. "Too tight."

Kai worried. "Do you want me to pull out?" he asked.

"No, no," Tyson said immediately. "It's fine. Just," he grunted, squirming a little, "give me a minute."

Kai tried to distract himself by kissing his neck and jaw. Peppering kisses wherever he could reach. Couldn't get at his mouth because he was biting his lips and taking deep breaths. Kai waited it out, mouthing along his jaw.

He nodded after a minute or so. "I'm good. Keep going." He panted slightly. Kai moved an inch at a time. Letting him adjust to the stretch. When he finally bottomed out, he paused and waited again. Giving him time.

Tyson pulled Kai's head down to kiss him. Open mouthed. Tongues sliding against each other. Kai moaned and so did Tyson. They kissed loudly and passionately, lips smacking. Kai felt like he was submerged. In pleasure. In heaven. He wanted to move. He'd been holding off for too long.

Tyson urged him to start. Combed fingers through his hair. Smiled at him. Kai grabbed him closer, sliding his arms under him and lifting him off the bed so his back rested on Kai's forearms. His one hand circled his nape. The other was on his waist. Tyson's elbows were trapped between Kai's, palms on his chest.

Kai planted a soft kiss on his mouth and began moving. In and out of him. Slowly. Steadily. It took more than a few thrusts for the rocky momentum to smooth out. Once he could do it without trouble, Kai picked up the pace. Tyson's nails lightly scratched his collarbones. He tried to stay quiet. But Kai tightened the embrace, lowered his head into the pillows and fucked him the way he wanted.

Hard and fast.

Tyson cried out when he found that bundle of nerves that gave him hot white pleasure. Kai kissed him. He moaned loudly into his mouth. Kai thrusting in and out of him at a pace that chased all thoughts out of their heads. Tyson's feet were pressed up against his lower back. A nice addition.

Kai bit into his neck. That spot that drove him crazy. Tyson's moans were endless now. There was a slight pause in between when he drew his breath but otherwise they were a one long string of cries. Kai pulled his mouth to his and shut him up for some time, rolling onto his back so Tyson was on top. Still hugged close to his chest.

He stopped for a bit. Rubbed his hands along Tyson's sides. To calm themselves. Kai tucked a lock, soft as fox fur, behind his ear. Stared into his eyes and made out with him for a small break. Pulled away from him and wrapped his arms tighter, so he was plastered to his torso, face in the crook of Kai's neck. And began fucking him again, his cock moving in and out of him relentlessly. Tyson's broken sobs were in his ear.

So tough. So fucking stubborn. Pigheadedness was his personal brand. He thrived off of pissing all over Kai's good mood. He loved talking big. Boasting about his abilities. Day in and day out. So annoying. He strutted around with an air of confidence most people worked hard to achieve. Cheeky as hell, he teased Kai. Played with him and pulled his strings like he was a puppet. "You give up," he'd said, leaving Kai feeling like a complete coward because his challenge was a double edged sword. If he gave in, he'd have lost and if he did not, he'd have been a pussy. Too scared to lose.

And for all of the shit he gave him on a daily basis, Kai fucked him till he couldn't breathe. Till he was gasping and wheezing for air. He held his wrists down on the bed, above his head, pulled up the leg that was closest to him and laid down on his side next to him, and took him like that. The wrists didn't stay down on the mattress for long, Kai had to let go. He gathered him up in one arm, turned his chin to him with the other so he looked into his eyes when he fucked him senseless.

His lips were red and bleeding from all the biting he had done earlier. Kai tried soothing it out with his tongue, lapping at his swollen lower lip when they stopped to collect themselves again. Kai wanted to make this last. He slowed down, or fully pulled out of him every now and then. So they could share a tender moment here and there. Between the fast thrusts.

When he realized he couldn't keep it up for much longer, Kai flipped them back around to their initial position. Tyson on his back with his legs around Kai's waist. He fucked him with abandon then, giving in to the urge and diving in deeper and deeper each time, not sparing his prostate once. Tyson was so loud, he was almost screaming. The pressure in his gut tightened into a tense coil, about to burst. Kai kissed him, going faster as the feeling intensified. At the very peak, he reached a hand down and stroked Tyson into oblivion. He came first, Tyson, crying his name in a high pitched octave, the prettiest sound. Kai watched his face as he came. And thought: Not handsome. Handsome can never look this divine.

He came soon after, thrusting himself into completion, blinding white light exploding behind his eyelids, Tyson's muscles still clenching around him. His heart singing.

When he opened his eyes, he found Tyson had tears in the corners of his eyes. Moisture on his cheeks. Pretty boy. Kai wiped his tears away. Brushed the hair out of his eyes and kissed him for a good minute. Still deep inside of him. His heart felt fragile in his chest. It was holding in too much emotion. And all because of this boy. This pretty boy who made him do crazy things. Who made him weak. Vulnerable. Stripped him raw and punched feelings into his frigid heart.

Was this love?

He pulled out of him, Tyson making a small sound at the sudden feeling of emptiness. Kai climbed out of bed and tossed the condom into the bin. He went into the bathroom, legs slightly jelly because he'd worked himself too hard, and came back with a damp towel for Tyson after cleaning up his own body. Except Tyson was already sound asleep, limbs splayed and mouth open. Jesus Christ, he'd knocked him out. No wonder his knees felt wobbly. He drew the towel over him gently so as not to disturb him. He was not sleeping with his own cum on him. Tyson muttered something illegible in his sleep. Something that sounded close to "thank you".

"You're welcome," Kai murmured in reply, mouth quirking up into a smirk. Once he was visibly tidy, Kai put the towel away and crawled in beside him on the bed, drawing the blanket up over the both of them and turning the lights off.

Either they'd both just won or they'd both lost. Depended on how he looked at it. But Tyson had had his arms up and above him the whole time. The way Kai liked. Did he think he was the one who lost?

A/N: It's called self-service, dear ones. Purely for my pleasure. *blows on nails* Thank you for reading. Thank you for reviewing. I hope I did a decent job. I'll see you all soon. Take care of yourselves. This was fun.