Welcome back everyone, thank you so much for the reviews last chapter. Sadly we're still in rocky waters and will be for some time. No warning apply for this chapter though, for that we're in the clear from here on out. Updating a day early because tomorrow I'll be busy and will have part two up for ya'll next Friday as well. As always, enjoy!
A few days passed by from Kai's return from the hospital. The house was shaken that things had gotten that horribly bad that he would go as far as to try and take his life.
The black cloud over the house was unshifting. Rubbing off on everyone and making the concern relentless. When Kai was forced out his room, he sat with a blank look. It wasn't altogether different from how he usually was, to the side and quiet. But it felt like a different thing altogether.
Tyson couldn't take it anymore. He'd joked about Kai being his hero before. But it wasn't entirely a joke. He wanted his hero to stand up again. Revive and conquer. Not... This.
This was getting too hard to stand. But unless someone made a move, he feared Kai's stubborn ass would keep him in misery.
He stomped over, grin in place and hands on hips to the porch. "All right! I say we make the most of this sunshine and bounce down to the river! Maybe even take some lunch?" He pitched to them all.
Max brightened up like he always did, that didn't sound like too bad of a plan to him and it'd been a while since they got out of the house.
"Sure!" He bounced where he sat.
Ray gave Tyson a curious look from where he sat, the whole idea wasn't altogether that odd of a thing for Tyson to suggest but it seemed extremely random to just bring it up at the moment. Though, he really didn't see a reason to object if it got them all off their butts and out of the house.
"Sure, sounds good." He answered with a slight shrug, "What should we bring?" He asked as he stood up.
Tyson lit up. "Grampa made us all sandwiches! Wrap those bad boys up and let's GO!"
"I'll grab 'em then, water or soda?" Ray offered as he inched his way to the front door.
"Pop!" Max yelled out after him.
"I CALL DIBS ON THE FANTA!" Tyson yelled, finally glancing to Kai. He hadn't moved a muscle since he'd come to talk.
"What say you, captain Kai? That leaves Sprite, Coke or that weird grapefruit stuff Grandpa buys! Let me guess, you want grapefruit? You big old Sourpuss you!"
Kai tensed up and finally opened his eyes. "None. I'm not going." He grumbled in a small voice.
"Why not?" Max questioned just as Tyson's mouth was opening up again.
Ray froze at the door with his hand on the handle, turning his attention back at the others. "You should come with us, there's really nothing to do here by yourself." He voiced.
He tensed even harder. "I just don't want to." He said a bit more firmly.
The other's eyes shifted around over the top of Kai's head at one another, not really sure what to do or say to get him to come with. He needed to get out from under the dark cloud with them, even if they were just going to come back home to it later, but the breather for a little bit would be worth it. They hoped.
"I want you too." Ray said from behind him.
"And me!" Max jumped in quickly, "It'll be fun."
Kai spun to look over his shoulder, "I said no!" He fired angrily.
As the other two coiled back, Ray held his hands up defensively. As good as it would be for Kai to get out of the house with them all, it wasn't worth setting him off.
"Okay, we'll stay here then. You two can go off."
Tyson pouted and stomped a little. "What!? Just because he's being a wet blanket, you're not coming either!?"
Ray narrowed his eyes at him, that was the second time he'd made an insulting joke at Kai on top of making a scene now when one wasn't really needed.
He didn't think he had to remind him of what happened the last time he took his eyes off Kai, but he wasn't about to make that same mistake again.
"If you're going to go then go, we'll all go another time. You said you wanted the Fanta right?" He asked and slipped into the house before Tyson even had a chance to respond.
Tyson folded his arms and pouted harder at getting a scolding from momma, eying Kai. Urgh. Of course he'd make it difficult. Why couldn't he just help them help him!? Maybe if he riled him up, he'd do it out of spite?
"Trust you to be a damn party pooper... Could have at least spared Ray."
Kai's face soured and ignored him, hoping he'd hurry the hell up and get out his line of vision.
"Tyson, stop it there's no sense in getting all upset over this. We'll have plenty of other times to go together." Max reprimanded, "You and I can go and maybe hit the arcade. Ya?"
Tyson rolled his eyes. "Sure. Anything to get out this damn house..."
"Okay." Max near enough sighed out, shoulders falling forward slightly.
Luckily, Ray was back out with the sandwiches Grandpa had made and the drinks they had asked for, wrapped neatly in a bag and passed it over to them before they had left.
"Gramps said to be back before seven for dinner." He informed as Max took the bag from him.
"Will do, see you guys later." He waved, using his free hand to push on Tyson's back to get him moving.
Kai's eyes burned in to the back of Tyson's head as he left. Who the hell did the shrimp think he was talking to him like that.
"Thank god. Some peace and quiet..." He jabbed as the other two disappeared through the gateway.
"Mhmm." Ray hummed as he stood by him, shifting slightly. "Want something to drink?" He asked.
Kai's eyes calmed as he looked up at Ray. He guessed really; he should be thanking shrimp. Now he had the afternoon with Ray to himself.
"Sure! Wanna go in? Getting a little too hot."
"Sure." Ray shrugged back, just pivoting on his heels to go back. "But I want the last Fanta."
Kai followed behind him. "That's fine. I'm not much of a soda person anyway. Do you know how much crap is in those things? I'll stick with iced coffee."
"Nope, and don't really care. They taste good, a lot better than coffee anyway." Ray said as he threw him a cheeky grin over his shoulder as they stepped into the kitchen.
Kai shook his head at him, feeling the hint of a smile in his gut as well. "He of little taste..."
Ray stuck his tongue out, grabbing the last Fanta from the fridge. "So, what do you wanna do?"
Kai tilted his head. Anything. "I uh. We could read? Or watch something?" He pitched. Ray was right earlier. Wasn't much to do round the house.
"Rotting our brains out with the TV sounds good, honestly." Ray shrugged again as he took a sip of his drink, "And we got those sandwiches too."
"Sounds perfect to me too..." He smiled a little as they went in.
Tyson ran as fast as he could, Ray in his sights. As he reached the smooth wooden flooring, he dropped to his knees and slid the rest of the distance on his knees.
"MAMAAAAAAA! OOOOOOOOH! DIDN'T MEANN TO MAKE YOU CRYYY!" He sang dramatically, considering the pain and burn in his knees worth it for such an outstanding performance.
Ray winced, somehow feeling like his own knees were a little scuffed after that. "Ow... Bet that didn't feel good. And what're you talking about, I'm not crying." He chuckled.
Tyson sighed before laughing. "Guess Freddy Mercury didn't make it to White Tiger Hills? But you must know Queen right!? The movie comes out today! It's everywhere! They say it's amazing! All of us should go!" He said as he eyed Kai pointedly, trying not to smirk.
He had you now, Hiwatari. A dark room to just sit and watch something. There was no excuse not to...
Kai gave him a slightly spiteful look. This shit again? "Well he doesn't know who they even are, and I could care less, so..."
"What's the movie about?" Ray asked as he shifted a little closer to Tyson, it'd been a while since he was out of the house again.
After the last time of getting everyone out of the house was a disaster he didn't care if it was a movie about tap dancing peanuts, he just wanted out of the house.
Tyson cleared his throat. "Only about the mind blowing life of the most iconic performer that ever graced the planet! Songs that span generations, anthems of victory! He had teeth like a horse but the voice of a legend! But he was troubled! The fame! The reckless sex! Died of AIDS in the end... Spoiler alert..."
Ray just blinked at him, "Sounds like a party. Well, aside from the dying part. What time are we going?"
Tyson lit up. "If we go in like an hour we can make the first one!"
"Okay, you're coming right?" Ray's head snapped back around to where Kai was for confirmation, mentally crossing his fingers that he'd say yes.
Kai stayed quiet, curling in to himself with clear sulky vibes coming off him. "Nah..."
Ray pouted a little, "Why?"
After the past two nights of sleeplessness, he had hoped Kai would at least put in some kind of effort to get out from under the dark cloud that was still hanging overhead.
Kai rolled his eyes. "Why do I keep needing to explain myself to you guys!?" He snapped. "I'm not interested in the movie, nor am I interested in going on opening night when it's probably going to be packed and hard to get tickets anyway."
"I mean, I wasn't asking you to explain yourself, just wanted to know why you didn't want to go." Ray explained calmly, turning back to Tyson who was throwing a slight scowl in Kai's direction now.
"Is it normally that hard to get tickets?"
Tyson glared a little harder. "I mean it might be busy. But if we miss the first one, can get tickets to the second one! No biggy! Could just go grab some food or something while we waited." He'd be damned if he let that asshole wriggle out of hanging out yet again.
"Then that solves the issue then, right?" Ray questioned as he swiveled back around to Kai, "If it's too busy we just wait it out."
Kai let out a small growl of annoyance, standing himself up. "Then by all means, go do that!" He snarled as he took himself out and upstairs.
Ray turned back to Tyson, "That went well."
Tyson picked himself up off the floor. "Such an idiot... Why does he need to make something so simple so frickin difficult!?"
"Cus it's Kai." Ray offered with a shrug, "But shouldn't let him get in the way of you and Max going if you wanted to see the movie."
Tyson's face fell at the omission of one more name. "And you, right!?"
Ray felt a little bad, but how could he leave Kai in the house alone after what had been happening the past two nights. Kai wasn't sleeping well, had been plagued with nightmares to the point Ray had gone to sleeping beside him to try and help. Adding that onto the other issues, how could he leave him even if just for a few hours?
"I mean, you kind of already spoiled the ending to me." He tried to play off as his excuse.
Tyson blinked. Ray was ditching them cause Kai was being difficult? Those two spent most of their time together. Even slept upstairs together. Which was understandable. Sort of. Kai needed comfort and Ray was apparently the only one he'd get it from. Which lead to the question: WHAT GAVE!? Why were he and Max not good enough? They were there for him too. They'd been there when Wyatt fell too... But it seemed that didn't matter. If those two wanted to be that way, then fine...
"Fine. Enjoy your evening at home. Again." He said in a flat voice, taking himself to go get Max.
Ray could only sink in on himself, that felt horrible but what else was he supposed to do?
"Enjoy the movie..." He muttered quietly as Tyson left him alone in the living room.
Up in his room, Kai waited until he heard the door click. Why was Tyson doing this? Why was he suddenly hellbent on making him do stuff with them he never even did before? And why did he then feel the need to take Ray from him when he declined?
He felt a burning in his throat. Was that his big idea? Knowing he'd say no? Just a way to 'innocently' put a gap between them all? But why would he do that? Was he starting to see it was all his fault too? One mistake too many?
The burning spread through to his chest, black cloud getting wider overhead. The little twerp had another thing coming if he thought he was going to take Ray from him...
With a fire in his belly, he dragged himself downstairs to practice. Do something to vent out the pissed and spiteful feeling in his gut. But he stopped as he got to the living room, feeling it all vanish.
Ray hadn't gone with them... He'd decided to stay with him. The bitter spite turned to a flutter of joy. As if they'd manage to come between them.
"Hey." He said with a bubblier tone than he'd expected to come out.
Looking back up from his comic book, Ray gave a half smile at him. That was one of his fastest disappearing acts to date.
"What's up?"
"Nothing. I uh..." He squirmed. "I'm sorry I was snippy with you. Just felt a bit ganged up on again..."
"Sorry you felt that way, but it's not our intentions or anything. Just, it's not a bad idea to get out of the house every now and then while we have the chance."
Kai shifted some more and hung a little. "I just don't feel ready to..." Was hardly appropriate to go out and enjoy life after what he did.
"Then why not just say that?" Ray questioned, "Keeping quiet and just making other excuses doesn't really help us understand why you don't want to do anything with us anymore."
Kai gave him a look. As if he was ever very verbal about feelings.
"Don't look at me like that, we're not mind readers. So if this is why you don't want to go out then just say so, it's really not that hard." Ray sighed, closing up his comic book for the time being and stood up from his warm spot by the window.
"Anyways, I'm gonna go make lunch, you want anything in particular?"
Kai shrank, not liking the lecture. He'd better try and get in his good books before he changed his mind about staying.
"No. Anything that's there is fine. What do you want? I can make it this time!"
Ray gave him a look over, "I thought the only thing you knew how to make was chilli?" He asked in a lighter tone, "Guess we can just see what's in there, make something together?"
Kai lit up, feeling the forgiveness vibes. "Sure! Could teach me a thing or two!" He added as he jogged to the kitchen.
This was perfect. This was nice! This was such a relief from everything...
With a quiet yawn and a subtle stretch in the small space between Kai and the wall, Ray's tired eyes blinked awake in the dead of night. His mouth dry and back a little sore, he carefully slipped out from under the covers to head to the kitchen to get something to drink and stretch out his legs.
Quietly tiptoeing out of the room and into the stillness and darkness of the night, another tired yawn slipped out of him as he wandered down the stairs to the kitchen.
With the shifting and the space beside him going cold quickly, Kai's brow furrowed a little. He rolled on to his back, rolling back to his side restlessly as his brows knit together harder. It wasn't long before he was bolt upright, sat up before his eyes had even snapped open, taking in a suffocated breath.
His eyes darted in the dark, confused, terrified and so fucking guilty.
"Ray!" He breathily called out, hand flying to the side to wake him. Only to find no one there.
Kai panicked. He didn't know or particularly care where Ray was, all he knew was he wasn't there. Whatever was plaguing him inside was overwhelming and overflowing. And there was nothing and no one to help. His nails went to his wrists, desperate to get some of it out.
Finishing another glass of water, Ray stood in the silence of the kitchen for a bit longer trying to roll his neck to get the stiffness in it to leave him. Not really in that much of a hurry to get to bed, seeing as how it was a tight fit with the two of them.
Once he got his neck to crack and was able to properly stretch out his back he wandered back up the stairs about five minutes after he'd gone and left it. Least the one good thing was, he was always very warm now sleeping beside Kai like they were.
When he got back upstairs he wasn't really expecting anything out of the ordinary, he hadn't been gone that long, hadn't even woke Kai up when he had crawled over him to get off the bed, but when he opened the door again his stomach dropped, and his heart stopped.
"Kai, Kai stop, stop!" He unstuck his slightly frozen feet from the floor, lunging at the bed and grabbing Kai's hand that was scratching at the scabbed over scars on the other that he had managed to reopen.
Kai's hands shook in his grip letting out an even more strained cry that help had finally come. A little lost on what to say, Ray could only do what he thought was the best option and that was getting the blood cleaned as it steadily streaked down Kai's pale skin.
"C'mon, l-let's get you cleaned up." He tugged his shaking hand gently as he stepped backwards off the bed, questions flooding his head.
Why did Kai do this to himself? They had a good day; he'd gone to sleep just fine and was fine just minutes ago. So what happened?!
Kai followed a little unsteadily, head spinning and trying to steady his frantic breathing. Ray's voice was already taking the edge off. Getting him to the bathroom was the easy part but having to flick the lights on and look at the reopened wounds in a better light was the hard part.
"W-what happened?" He asked as his voice cracked slightly once he had Kai on the toilet lid.
Tearing his eyes away from the blood and the scar, he rummaged in the cabinet for the first aid kit that was stuffed underneath.
Kai sniveled, the light turning on taking away some more of the panic.
"I don't know!" He answered honestly through his throat, "I woke up and it was too much... I can't take it..." His voice heaved violently as he sobbed again.
Taking the hand towel that was hanging up, Ray ran it under the faucet before coming and kneeling down before Kai to wipe the blood away from his wrist.
"Did you have a bad dream? You were fine before I left, you hadn't even kicked once tonight."
As much as he didn't want to put any focus on the scars, he had to in order to clean away the blood and the longer he was forced to stare at all the uneven marks across Kai's wrist, the more he wanted to cry and scream and yell at the same time.
"I don't know!" He cried at him again, arm limp in Ray's hold, "I don't remember."
"Okay, it's okay now." Ray soothed as he got the blood wiped away, only a few of them needed a band aid at best, nothing too bad and he was thankful for that.
Kai flopped in to him, arms going round his middle tightly. "Where did you go!?" He blurted out.
"I just went to get a drink." Ray answered slightly stunned at Kai grabbing him suddenly, not even having a lot of time to register that he had in order to hold him back.
Was that why this happened? Because he left for five minutes?
Kai nodded into him, feeling ridiculous. But him not being there had put the fear of god into him.
"Sorry..."
"For what?" Ray asked, coming out of his stupor and finally getting his fingers through the back of Kai's hair.
"What do you think? This!" He muffled through Ray's chest.
"It's okay, it's gonna be okay." He tried to soothe again; not sure what else he could do but hold him closer.
Kai stayed where he was, reveling in the comfort and lapping up as much as he could. Finally, he declared himself able to return to bed. Pulling Ray back with him and latching on.
A few days after that horrible night, the sun rose on another morning. Which followed another sleepless night for Kai.
Instead of getting tormented in his sleep, his mind decided to keep him wide awake all night going over and over the same things again and again.
Gramps had him sat at the table with the others. Some fish and rice in front of him that was going untouched, while opposite him, Tyson did his usual and inhaled his, bowl held up to his mouth and chopsticks shoveling in.
"So." Tyson paused to inhale some air along with his rice, only for a brief moment before he continued and finished off his bowl, slamming it down on the table now that he was done.
"Weather guy on the TV said it's supposed to be really hot out today, soooooo. Who wants to go to the beach?!" He pitched excitedly, eyes looking around the table at everyone.
Max bounced, piece of cucumber in his mouth. "YES! What a great idea! Can go swimming! Have a barbecue! Get ice cream! Break a watermelon! RENT A SWAN PEDDLE BOAT!"
Tyson grinned harder. "All excellent ideas, my man! And ours for the taking! Kai, Ray, what say you!?" He asked, slamming his hands down on the table and standing up.
Kai glowered. "You guys go ahead. We're busy." He said dryly.
Ray's head came up from his bowl of rice, giving Kai a curious look. They were? Since when?
Tyson's mouth fell a little, though he wasn't completely surprised by Kai's dismissal for another outing with them all.
"So reschedule? I'm tellin ya, the heats gonna be killer today. Best place to be is the beach."
Kai rolled his eyes. "Great logic, Shrimp! Hottest day of the year and you want to spend it in direct sunlight. Haven't enough of your brain cells been fried?"
"Kai." Ray snapped quickly at him just before Gramps got the chance to, since he was still chewing his fish.
"Nobody said we had to be right in the sun, there's shade and we can take an umbrella or two." Tyson cut over Ray next, "And we got plenty of sunblock, so no need to worry about getting burnt too badly. And there's an ice cream shop right around the corner!"
Kai glared harder. "Then like I said, go on right ahead..." He said in a more aggressive tone.
"Well fine, we will." Tyson shot him his own glare with his nose going slightly up in the air, eyeing Ray directly across from him.
Would he ditch this time too, or would he finally tell Kai to get bent and come with them?
Ray saw the look, and if he was going to be honest he really did want to go to the beach for once and not train.
"Get ready after breakfast then?" He asked across the table.
Kai did a double take. What fresh hell was this!? He turned his enraged glare back at Tyson. He said they were busy... He couldn't just leave well alone, could he? And as for Ray...
He turned his head to him, chair scraping as he shoved himself up. "Thanks." He spat sarcastically and angrily at him, throwing his chair back under so roughly it almost toppled, leaving his breakfast totally untouched.
Ray just watched him go, that same guilty feeling sinking into the pit of his stomach. He'd figure a way to get Kai to come, that way they both could finally get out of the house. It was about time they did, neither of them could keep going like they were.
"Seriously, what is his deal?" Tyson spat once Kai was gone, looking between Max and Ray.
"He just didn't sleep good." Ray waved off, though it wasn't really a lie since Kai hadn't but that wasn't excuse enough to keep being an ass towards the others just because they wanted to spend time with them.
Max deflated. "That's what you always say..." He said sadly as he stabbed at his fish, playing with it now his appetite was gone.
Somehow he felt he, Tyson more-so, had become the enemy for whatever reason. He didn't like it...
"And it's the truth." Ray shrugged at him, "I got the bruises on my leg to prove it, if that helps."
"Then why not just come back down with us?" Tyson questioned, "Surprised you two can even fit on that one bed together to start with."
Ray dragged a hand up through his bangs, pulling them off his face with a sigh. "Guys, it's barely been a month, give him a break and some more time. Please?" He near enough begged.
Max looked up with his blue puppy eyes. "We're not asking for anything miraculous. But how is he ever going to start healing and move towards getting through this if he won't even take a first step?"
"I'll see what I can do in getting him to come with us, okay?" Ray bargained. It was really the only thing he could do at this point, he couldn't dump everything else onto them that they didn't know about. He couldn't, wouldn't, break Kai's trust like that.
Max nodded sadly. "Worth a shot. Sure won't listen to us."
"And he might not listen to me either." Ray shook his head, "Least I can do is try though."
Tyson and Max just eyed him. Less talking, more action...
Ray cocked a brow at the stares, "You're not even done eating, and neither am I." He pointed at Max's bowl; Tyson's was already empty so couldn't use that but he wasn't in any rush to his possible early death.
He was still making up a game plan in his head on how to go about it, without physically dragging Kai there or putting him up on his shoulder.
Tyson rolled his eyes, leaning over and taking Kai's for round two, like the hero against waste food he was. With another sigh, Ray ducked his head back down to finish his breakfast in the silence. A small nervous sweat coming over his skin, trying to eat as slowly as possible now.
Just how the hell was he supposed to do this, and why did it always land onto him?!
Meanwhile, Gramps sat finishing his bowl. Having listened carefully to what was going on as the cogs in his own head began to turn. Though since nobody asked for his help, not wanting to jump between the four of them just yet, he continued to sit back and finish his own breakfast for the time being.
Gearing himself up ready to try and get Kai out of the house, Ray left the other two as they scampered off to Tyson's room to change while he went up to his and Kai's room.
He still didn't know what the hell he was going to say or do to get him to come, but he kind of made a promise to the other two that he would at least try.
Getting up to the door was the easy part, getting into the room was the easy part, actually finding the right words to say was the hard part that he still didn't know what to do the moment they looked at one another.
Swallowing the lump that had randomly lodged itself in his throat, clearly seeing Kai was pissed at him, he moved to his bag for something he could swim in and not die of a heat stroke.
"Kids are getting ready, you sure you don't want to come?" He asked as he got down on the floor, digging around in his bag with his back to Kai up on the bed.
Kai's eyes narrowed. Judas was back... "Would rather drown in the pond." He spat from the bed.
"We are going to a beach, not a pond but still a body of water." Ray rolled his eyes despite Kai not being able to see, pulling out the shorts he slept in since he didn't have a bathing suit and grabbed his tank top he slept in.
"But really, why don't you want to come now?" He continued to question as he got up, keeping his back to Kai as he went to unclasping his shirt to change.
Kai crossed his arms and legs. "Too hot. Too sandy. The water is dirty. It's gonna be crowded. They suck." He listed off.
"Wouldn't very well be a beach without the sand, right?" Ray snipped back almost mockingly, "And the water, if it's the same beach we go and train at, has always looked clean. And you don't know if it's going to be crowded, you haven't been there yet. And no, they don't." He huffed, shimming his shirt off his shoulders and plucking up his tank to put it on.
Kai's scowl fell at the sudden exposure of flesh. The tanned and muscular back talking louder than Ray's voice as he found himself transfixed.
"And nobody said you had to get in the water, just come with us. That's all we're asking you to do." Ray continued since Kai went silent on him, maybe this would be easier than he thought since he hadn't made a comeback.
Pulling his tank on over his head he slipped out of his pants and pulled his shorts up over his boxers, getting the rest of his shirt off and leaving everything on top of his bag for when he got back.
"You really don't even have to do anything; we just want you there. Okay?" He spun back around to face him now he was fully dressed, undoing his hair next in order to put it up in a ponytail since he didn't want the salt water to ruin his wrap.
Kai stared back, face going red and sensing a similar problem to the hospital in Russia.
"...Mhmm." He let out mindlessly. What was he talking about? And had he ever seen him with his hair like that before? No. He would remember something as hot as that.
Ray arched a brow, hands falling to his sides once he got all his hair up. Was... Was that his okay to coming? That's all it took?!
His golden eyes sparkled a little, a smile coming over his face. "Are you serious, you'll come?!" He about bounced excitedly.
"Hn!?" Kai shot through his nose as he came back in the room. Something terrible just happened.
"Well come on, get ready!" Ray urged excitedly as he finally bounced over to him, pulling him up off the bed. "Don't take too long, okay! We'll meet you downstairs!" He spewed out quickly while still bouncing.
Kai was left blinking. What just happened!? He guessed... He was going. Not like he needed to change, so just stood up and followed trying to reflect on what the hell just happened.
He contemplated in the car to no avail either. And soon enough he was sat, his anger having caught back up to him, under the brightest umbrella known to man as the sun beamed and made the water glitter.
The waves and slight sea breeze causing peaceful sounds.
...It sucked and he wanted to go home.
Out in the glittering water, the other three were out there in the unbearable sun and doing their best to make their trip out worthwhile.
Tyson had found an old beach ball and blew up it, tossing it between the three of them as the waves knocked into their sides.
As the ball came down towards Max, his face paled slightly and the ball landed beside him in the water.
"Guys... Something just touched my foot." He shivered in the warm water, his face only getting paler as he tried to stay as perfectly still as he could.
Tyson stopped laughing. The legends were true...
"Is... Is there something in here?" Ray asked as he looked down at the water that came up around his chest.
"Maybe we should get a little closer to shore, just in case?" Max squeaked, still unmoving best he could.
Kai sat on the watermelon patterned towel looking murderous. Oh yeh, they clearly wanted him there. Probably just wanted to rub in his face how much fun they were! They weren't fun. They were idiots!
"Last one back is a sea creature food!" Tyson shouted as he tried to haul ass through the water.
"W-wait don't leave me here!" Max called after him, too frozen by fear to move.
Ray swam over to him, picking up the ball and hitting it towards the back of Tyson's head where it bounced off the top of it.
"I'm sure there's nothing in here." He tried to comfort, pushing Max along anyways since he didn't look like he took his words seriously.
Kai tensed up and shifted more as he watched like a hawk.
...HE WAS FUN! He and Ray always had good time together. The best in fact. Best memories of his life were with Ray. As if they even came close...
With the ball bouncing off the top of his head, Tyson spun back around as it plopped back in the water ahead of him. Ray and Max still slowly making their way towards him in the shallower side where they could touch the sandy bottom.
"C'mon you slow pokes!" He called as he threw some water at them that didn't even reach.
"We're coming!" Ray huffed back at him, the going and stopping with Max keeping them from getting anywhere.
"Alright here, I'll swim you back." He said, grabbing Max's arm and pulling him around behind him before hoisting him up onto his back.
"I'm not kidding, something touched my foot!" Max squeaked as he shivered slightly on Ray's back as he swam them closer to shore, getting closer now that he wasn't stopping them.
Kai burst in to flames. And not from the sun. Oh yeh, Maxie! As if YOU need him! Beyblade world champ and can't swim a few meters!?
Getting to where he could touch, Ray stopped and let Max go, watching as the blonde bobbed a bit in the water before hauling ass the rest of the way to where the water came up around their legs.
"You guys thirsty?" Ray asked as he casually walked through the shallow water for the cooler they had brought with them, which happened to be sitting next to their brooding fourth member.
"Yeah!" Tyson hollered before he jumped onto Max, tackling him down into the water before he managed to get out completely.
Max came back up, spluttering. "You ass hat!" He scolded, shoving him by the face and charging while he could.
"And you're a scaredy cat!" Tyson taunted, bolting as fast as he could away from him as much as the water around his legs would allow.
"If you're thirsty then come get your own then!" Ray shouted after them as he made it back onto dryer sand, wringing out his hair as he went up to where Kai sat under the shade of the colorful umbrella.
As soon as Ray came near, he turned ever so slightly and shut his eyes. If he didn't see them, they weren't there.
"Hey." Ray greeted as he plopped himself down on the towel beside Kai, popping the cooler open and blindly grabbing something from inside.
"Doing okay?" He asked, just to make light conversation while he was there with him. Would be rude not to interact with him after dragging him out of the house.
"Oh yes. I am having a blast." He hissed in a voice that dripped with bitter sarcasm.
"Really?" Ray matched his sarcasm, sipping at his drink. "Wouldn't have guessed since you're just sitting here by yourself."
Kai snapped his head at him. "Why you're right. How silly of me not to get in the water and get some sun on these." He said as he pointed at his wrist.
"Thought salt water was supposed to be good for cleaning wounds?" Ray questioned with a brow raised.
Had nobody to blame but himself for those anyways, why was he getting bit at for?
Kai snarled. Really? This was a joke now? "Very fucking funny."
"Wasn't trying to be, I was actually asking you that." Ray said in as calm of a voice as he could.
The actual hell was his problem?!
"Just stop talking." Kai snapped at him.
Ray rolled his eyes, shifting away from him as he went back to finishing his can of soda. Eyes back out at the water and the other two playing in the water, whatever Max was afraid of before seemingly gone from his mind as he chased Tyson down before tackling him.
The look on Tyson's face as he came up for air was priceless, making Ray snicker around the rim of his can. Kai followed his gaze, not enjoying it. Why was that funny? Would only be funny if Max held his head under there til the bubbles stopped.
He let out a long, exaggerated huff to voice is disdain.
Wrangling himself out of Max's hold, throwing him into the water, Tyson was up like a shot and running back towards the other two for his drink. Leaving Max to fend for himself once more in swimming back to the shallower side and the shore line.
"Hey, toss me a sprite!" Tyson waved up at Ray as he came jogging over.
Ray obeyed, popping the lid and digging around till he found the can Tyson had asked for just before he made it to the towels edge.
"Heads up." He tossed the can at him once Tyson was close enough.
"Thanks man, we still got that watermelon to break open. Gettin kind of hungry."
"Should probably wait for Max." Ray chuckled as he looked back out to the water and Max still slowly remaking his way through the water.
"Would happily practice on your head while we waited..." Kai muttered under his breath.
Ray about choked on his drink, head snapping back to Kai. So it wasn't just him he was being an ass to, it was Tyson too though that was never really new, but why?! He hadn't done a damn thing.
Tyson hadn't seemed to have heard him, chugging his drink as fast as he could.
Max finally made his way back, still dripping wet and shaking like a dog before he got to the towels. "Beverage me!"
"What do you want?" Ray asked, head back in the cooler.
Tyson gave his best buddy a crooked grin, "Bout time you showed up, we're gonna break the watermelon!"
Max lit up, jumping. "WOOOOO! I love this! We have a blindfold right!?"
"Ummmm... I don't think I packed it." Tyson's crooked grin got more crooked, looking around as if he'd find one just laying about till his eyes landed on the familiar red headband.
He snapped his fingers, "Can just use Ray's headband, right?"
"I'm sorry, what?" Ray questioned as he grabbed another sprite and held it out for Max to take, what were they needing his headband for?
Kai growled. "The hell do you think you are just assuming you can use someone else's stuff!?"
Ray was particular about his hair. If he knew him like he did he would know that.
"It's not like I just snatched it, I asked." Tyson shot back at him, turning to Ray who still looked lost on what they were even talking about.
"We need a blindfold so we can crack the watermelon, but I didn't pack one. Would it be okay that we use your headband?"
Ray just kind of blinked back, why would they need to be blindfolded to open a watermelon?
"Sure, I guess if there's nothing else to use. It's wet though." He shrugged as he slipped it off his head, his soaked bangs immediately falling over his wet skin.
"Just don't break it." He ordered as he untied the back ends, figuring they'd need to resize it to fit over their faces.
"Will treat it like my newborn child." Tyson held his left hand up with his right going over his heart.
Max bounced more. "Who wants to go first!?
"Why don't you go first Maxie?" Ray held his headband out to him to take once it was untied, he looked excited enough to want to do it first anyways and he was a little interested to see what this whole thing was about.
Max squealed, taking it and putting it over his eyes. Tyson eyed him suspiciously, wondering how secure the blindfold was. He went in front of him and flipped him off to see if he reacted or not. When there was no crack of a smile, he handed him the bat.
"Ready?"
"Yeh!"
Tyson grabbed his shoulders, spinning him. "Round and round and round he goes, where he stops, who the hell knows!?"
Ray snorted, watching the show with growing interest as Max wobbled a little once Tyson let go of his shoulders and he had him facing the direction of the watermelon he'd placed in the sand.
"You can do it Maxie!" He cheered as Max wobbled and almost tripped two steps out.
Kai just scowled. So fucking childish...
Max giggled infectiously as he carefully tried to feel the pull from the fruit. He swung the bat down, hitting only sand.
"Left, Maxie!" Tyson called.
Max swung again.
"No! Your other left!"
Max turned a little and swung again. Sand.
"STTTTTRIKE THREE! YOU'RE OUT!" Tyson yelled. "Ray! You want in?!"
"I'll give it a go!" He was pumped now, why that looked like so much fun he didn't know but he was tempted to crack that watermelon.
Max gave him back his headband, testing like Tyson had to make sure he couldn't see before they both held his shoulders.
"Round and round and round he goes!"
Kai bit in to his cheek hard. Why were they touching him so much!? Stop touching him!
"G-guys!" Ray giggled as he got dizzy instantly, glad he hadn't eaten anything as the already uneven sand and world began to tilt sideways and felt like he was still moving even after they let him go.
"Left!"
"Right!"
"Backwards!"
"Forwards!"
Max and Tyson called alternatively to throw him off.
"You're going to make me fall on my face, stop it or you're both grounded." Ray laughed as he stumbled a little, walking forward a little.
If he remembered right, he'd set the watermelon about four to five paces away from the umbrella, taking four and a half he stopped and swung, getting sand.
"Strike one!" Tyson yelled with a laugh.
"Ray! To the right! Honest!" Max called.
"I don't think I believe you..." Ray muttered as he took that extra half step forward. "Kai, which way?" He asked. If anyone he could trust, it was him.
Kai scoffed. "As if he has the balls to lie."
Ray took in a breath to try and calm himself down, that wasn't answering him, but he figured he'd go for it and swing right like Max had said. Getting a strong vibration up his arms as the bat collided with something, hopefully he hadn't just hit someone upside the head.
Quickly moving his headband back up to its normal place, he clocked the watermelon he managed to hit and crack open a little.
Well, Kai was right...
Max leapt in the air. "WAY TO GO RAY!"
Tyson gave him a round of applause as well. "Ray! Watermelon slayer!"
"That was... Fun..." He grinned back to them, swinging the bat a little as if he was some hot shot. "Hopefully not much sand got in there though, should have put it on a towel."
"Ahhh nothing a rinse under the hose won't fix!" Tyson beamed as he went to pick up the cracked fruit, taking it off to wash off.
Max flopped himself on the towel, big eyes on Kai. "You like watermelon?" He asked.
"No."
Max drooped a little. "Oh... Um. Want to go get some ice cream? I'll come with!"
"No." He replied in a more irritable tone.
Ray plopped himself back down on the other side of Max, finishing off his drink while he could and listened to the exchanged going on between them.
"I'll go with you, after we have some watermelon."
Max sank. He wanted to spend some time with Papa...
"Yeh. Maybe..."
Ray frowned but wasn't sure what else there was to do for him. They were all trying, Kai just kept pushing them back and he didn't understand why.
"Alright, got it cleaned up!" Tyson hollered as he came jogging back with the watermelon.
Max perked up. "Perfect! Gimme gimme! I'm starving!"
Tyson quickly passed out a slice for him, giving Ray a piece as well and held out another cracked up piece to Kai.
Kai looked at it like it was covered in shit. "No thanks."
"More for me then." Tyson shrugged, getting himself comfortable under the shade of the umbrella on the cramped towel with the others.
What a grouch...
"What're we doing after this?" He asked before diving right into the juicy goodness.
"SWAN BOAT!?" Max yelled excited.
Kai covered his ears. "He's less than a meter away! Tone it the fuck down!" He yelled at him.
"YEAH!" Tyson shouted back in excitement with pieces of watermelon flying from his mouth.
Kai growled. Enough. He got to his feet, stepping off the towel and kicking a boot full of sand on to the watermelon and towels before storming off.
"HEY!" The others yelled after him, looking from the sand covered watermelon and back up at his retreating back.
"Kai!" Ray yelled even louder since he kept walking.
"What!?" He yelled over his shoulder, still marching.
"What do you mean what?! That was completely uncalled for!" Ray snapped at him.
"Oh was it!?" He yelled again.
"Yeah!" Tyson added in, pointing dramatically at the ruined fruit. "The hell man?!"
Kai ignored them and kept walking. He didn't exactly have a reason. Just... Was angry.
"Hey! Come back!" Tyson bounced from the towel, running up to catch him as he dropped the rest of his watermelon behind. "You can't just do that and not apologize!"
Kai narrowed his eyes. "Can and am."
"Well that's a pretty shitty way to treat your friends!" Tyson shouted as he got closer to him, "What has been your deal lately? All we've done is try to include you, but you keep excluding us!"
Kai growled with grit teeth, leaning in closer as well. "Friends? Is that what you wanna call it?"
"Of course! That's all we have been to you, even with your bad attitude!" Tyson spat as he stood his ground.
Max and Ray sat back and watched, like a lot of the other people out on the beach with them.
Kai looked away from him, no comeback at hand. "Well I never asked for it!" He fired back as he went to go around him.
Tyson quickly blocked him with his arms out on either side of him, not backing down. Enough was enough. "And we didn't ask to be treated like this!"
"Then leave me alone! You keep trying to force me and never get the message through your thick skull!"
"Fine then! Go off and be miserable by yourself! Why you want that, hell if I know!" Tyson threw his hands up, letting him go if he wanted. "Even after we were there for you after Russia, after Wyatt."
Kai stood for a moment and welled up. There it was. The reminder of his mistakes. "Your mistakes are yours and mine are mine..." His voice wobbled as his feet marched him forward. He had a room to get to.
Tyson blinked after him, what the hell did that mean?! He growled under his breath, letting him go this time as he marched back to the other two.
"Well, unless it starts raining this day can't get any better." He bit out sarcastically.
Max sank down completely. This was supposed to be fun and it was ruined...
Either out of some sick irony or because the day was just meant to get worse, the moment they were all back to the house it began to rain as hard as it could with strong winds near enough breaking and bending the trees. With the power flicking on and off, the three that were still salty from the ocean were as quick as they could be in the showers while Gramps fought to keep dinner cooking. Kai on the other hand had promptly got out of the car and went up to his room in silence, the thunder roaring outside as the wind continued to howl and beat against the house with the pelting rain.
When dinner was called he refused to go down there, laying up on his bed while the lights flickered off for a few minutes till they came back on.
Downstairs the others agreed it wasn't worth trying to stay up any later than necessary once dinner was done, wanting the bad day to just wash away with the storm and hope for a better outcome come morning. Though for the first time in weeks Ray hesitated in going upstairs, after how Kai had acted at the beach he really didn't want to go to bed with him but he still needed to go up and get his blanket and pillow he'd taken up there if he was going to sleep downstairs with the others like before.
He really didn't want to see him right now, had nothing to really say to him either without blowing up on him for his behavior but knew that could just spurn another argument or something worse; he really didn't know and he really didn't want to find out either. But, he needed his pillow and blanket so carried himself up the stairs reluctantly to get them. All he had to really do was keep his mouth shut, let the disappointment show on his face and leave. It was a simple enough plan, in and out, but when he got into the room the lights flicked off again.
With a flash of lightning, red eyes and a pale scowl cut through the dark to illuminate the moody phantom in brief flashes.
"Hey." He grumbled from the bed.
"Just came to get my stuff." Ray answered back as the lights kicked back on, blinding him almost. "Maybe you should come down too." He suggested as he stepped towards the bed for his pillow and blanket.
Kai visibly jolted. "What do you mean!?"
Ray cocked a brow, had he stuttered? "I'm getting my stuff, going downstairs tonight." He answered as he started to pull his blanket off the bed.
Kai slammed his hand on it. "But why!?"
Ray huffed and dropped the end of the blanket down, hands going to his hips as the lights flickered and he waited for them to turn back on again.
"Figured I'd give you your space since you clearly want it." He bit out, his resistance to keep his mouth shut about earlier thinning.
Kai's head tilted, confused. "Why would you think that?"
"Why... Why wouldn't I think that? After you stormed off at the beach over nothing, after just sitting there not doing anything with us. And you clearly had a problem with me sitting beside you earlier, didn't think you'd want me to lay beside you after that." He finally snapped.
Kai frowned. "Stormed off over nothing!? They were driving me nuts! I warned them and they didn't listen! And it's not like I could or was even asked to join in any of that in the first place! But that's beside the point! I said I didn't want to go, you all pushed! Like you keep doing recently and I've had enough of getting shit for not acting how YOU all want me to!"
"We're not asking you to act a certain way, we just want you with us!" Ray argued, "And to get out of the damn house once in a while, but you make it like trying to pull teeth and I don't know why."
Kai got on his knees on the bed. "When have I EVER been that kind of guy!? I've never been big on group stuff and suddenly I'm being like I'm an asshole for it!"
"Only when you act like it! Yes, we know what you're like but it's not like we're asking that much from you! Just get out of the house with us, it's not that hard!"
Kai scoffed. "Maybe for you it isn't! But it's not for me! I don't swim and fuck going in salt water with these cuts. So what exactly did you want from me while you were all fuckin around in the water!? Wanted me to stand at the edge and cheer you on!?"
"So what's your excuse for the arcade, or the movies? No salt water there, and hell at the movies nobody would be talking." Ray diverted only because he didn't have a real answer to Kai's question.
"But fine, whatever, I didn't even want to get into this with you since it's been a long day. I just came for my blanket and pillow." He sighed, taking up the end of the blanket he'd earlier dropped.
Kai sat back on his heels. "Fine. Perfect. Just perfect. Blame me like usual." He huffed.
"I'm not pointing blame, but seriously. The hell was the point of kicking sand all over the watermelon when you left? And don't try and tell me it was an accident either because it wasn't."
"It wasn't! They were driving me insane! I asked them to pipe down and they didn't!" He argued back.
"Mhmm, so kicking sand over our food is the best way to go about it. Got it." Ray rolled his eyes sarcastically, tugging up his blanket in his arms finally. "Can you pass me my pillow please?" He huffed.
Kai frowned again. "What else do you do when you're mad and there's sand?"
"Not kick it on perfectly good food, that we were eating!" Ray yelled back at him, "Just because they were loud. They're loud all the time! You acted like it was something new!"
Kai growled. "Oh! I act like I always do and I'm a prick, they're their same shitty selves but they get a pass cause what!? They're younger? They're not babies Ray! But fine! If I'm so fucking abhorrent that you can't be in the same room as me then fine! Get out!" He yelled as he lightly threw the pillow at him.
Ray just rolled his eyes at him again as the pillow flopped to the bed after tapping him against his chest. "You're not abhorrent, that's not it. I'm just not understanding why you've been acting this way with us. I sit down beside you and you snap at me, so what the hell did I do?"
Kai shifted uncomfortably, staying quiet for a moment as he took his eyes to the floor. "You begged me to go and then as soon as we got there you ditched me..." He muttered.
"I'm sorry if that's how you saw it that way. Wasn't my intention to ditch you, but you didn't come to go swimming and I wanted to." Ray spoke more softly, his hold on his blanket getting lax. "If you wanted to do something together when we were there then you should have said something, you know I would have come with you."
"Not like I had a chance..." Kai pouted. "And its fine anyway." He lied, "Just why do I then get chewed out for being a jerk? I couldn't go swimming, so I sat in the shade."
Ray shifted where he stood till he plopped himself down on the end of the bed, holding his blanket over his lap. "Because your reaction was a little over the top, you could have just gotten up and left without kicking sand everywhere. And it wasn't really about you swimming with us or not, it was just that you were there with us that we wanted."
Kai shook his head, tired. "Whatever. Better not keep them waiting..." He said with a bite as he folded his arms.
"Why don't you come with me?" Ray pressed again, "Better than being up here alone with the storm outside."
Kai shook his head. As if he wanted to even see their faces, let alone risk a bad night in front of them.
"Okay... I guess." Ray sighed as he picked up his blanket and his pillow, "See you in the morning then..."
Kai shifted more. "Mmhmm..." Really!? That was all done with and he was still going to abandon him!?
Ray stalled a bit more. Was he really going to leave him like he had planned to? What if something happened to him during the night, if he started reopening the cuts on his wrist again and he wasn't there to stop him?
He hadn't given it much thought until now because he had been angry with him, but with the time for it to settle over his head he wasn't so sure now. But he'd just put in all the effort to come up and get his things, have another back and forth with him, would it look like everything he just argued with him over seem like it didn't matter if he did stay?
"Alright, well sleep good." He decided to say and get to his feet, there wasn't a point in stalling anymore since it seemed Kai wanted him gone anyways.
Kai nodded, keeping his eyes down. "Yeh. Goodnight."
As Ray left and closed the door behind him, he settled on to his bad lights flickering again. This was fine... It's not like he needed him to be there. Was just nice that he was. Like cake. Not a necessity but nice to have. Right?
He lay back, lights flickering overhead. Wasn't long before the thoughts of Ray and cake got washed away by something very different.
The moment he got down with the other two, who were surprisingly fast asleep even with the storm still raging outside, Ray dropped his blanket and pillow on the ground and went to grab the futon he hadn't slept in in weeks.
Getting it dragged over to where he normally kept it, across from Max's, he paused when he remembered he hadn't brushed his teeth. But then that meant he had to go all the way back upstairs, and consequently walk past the bedroom. It was fine though, he had closed the door when he left, Kai wouldn't even know he'd even come up if he was quiet enough.
Taking himself back up the stairs, again, and slightly cursing them for all they were worth, he started to tiptoe to get past the bedroom only to stop when he heard quiet sniffling just on the other side of the door.
Was Kai crying? Why would he be crying? Had it been something he said, because he left?
A horrible guilty feeling sunk into his stomach as he pressed his ear up against the wood of the door, straining his hearing to listen as a louder sob came from the other side and that guilty feeling swept through him completely.
Without hesitation he opened the door, closing it again behind him, the crying getting louder now that he was stood in the room where Kai was curled up on his side on the bed and sobbing.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He questioned as he approached the bed, sitting down by Kai's feet and touching his leg gently in a comforting gesture.
Kai rolled over, trembling. "I can't sleep. It's too noisy!" He sobbed.
"Is that all that's wrong?" Ray asked, feeling like that couldn't just be it. They'd been hit with summer typhoons before and Kai was fine sleeping through them. Normally it was Max that had an issue with them.
"What do you mean is that all!? I can't switch it off!" He cried as his fingertips roughly clawed at his head.
"Stop it, you'll hurt yourself doing that." Ray scolded lightly as he moved up and pulled Kai's hands away from his head, "I just meant is there something else bothering you, we've had storms like this before and you've been fine."
"I wasn't talking about the storm! My head is too noisy! Everything is fucked and it's just getting worse!" He heaved.
"What's getting worse?" Ray asked as he inched himself closer to him, keeping his hold on Kai's hands.
"I'm right here to talk if you want to, get some of that noise out of your head. Okay?" He soothed best he could, not even sure if that would work at the moment but he was trying. As long as it kept Kai from hurting himself one way or another.
"Everything! Everything has gone bad!" He threw out quietly but hysterically as he clambered up and clung to Ray, "The only good thing I have is you and you're mad!" He near enough hyperventilated.
Ray held him back, more on impulse than anything at the moment as he was caught off guard by it so suddenly.
He was mad, had been mad, because all the effort the others were putting into helping Kai through this kept getting shoved down like it didn't mean anything.
Maybe that was the problem though, they were trying too hard and it was just pushing him away more?
"Just because I was mad and upset doesn't mean I hate you or anything though, should know me better than that." He said as he gently rubbed Kai's back, "And not everything is bad, I know it's hard right now but it's going to be okay. I promise."
Kai just clung tighter, not really caring for words or wanting to say any more himself. All he cared about were the feeling of being held, the soothing and familiar scents and the sound of his voice.
Ray held him a bit longer, until the sobs quietened, and Kai's breathing evened out compared to his shuddering breaths he'd been doing.
Though, he was a little lost on words now himself. Nor did he feel like leaving him when he was like this even if his earlier plan was to go to sleep downstairs, he couldn't leave Kai when he needed him.
"Should we try and get some sleep?" He asked, still rubbing his back.
Kai nodded in to him, exhausted from the countless restless nights before this one. "Will you stay?" He asked.
"Of course." Ray answered as he slowly let him go and pulled back from him, "Left my stuff downstairs so we'll have to share the covers this time though."
Kai nodded, sniffling. He clumsily came off his lifeline, gently pushing Ray to get off so he could pull the covers back.
"That's okay. I know how we can do it... Get in."
Ray just obeyed, crawling back onto the bed and getting himself in his normal spot by the wall. Kai bounced in after him, lifting a leg to sit over Ray's waist as he picked the blanket up round his shoulders like a cape. Ray's face flushed, laying perfectly still as Kai climbed over and on top of him with the blanket coming down around the both of them.
Even though they hadn't been under the sheets that long he already felt like he was boiling alive, the only good thing was at least he was going to be very warm all night as Kai's body laid out on top of his with Kai's head coming down to lay on his chest.
Like another automatic reaction, Ray's arms went right around him and held him close with his fingers going through the back of his hair to get him to sleep faster. A quiet purr coming from within his chest just to block out any more noise inside Kai's head.
A sigh of relief came out his nose as everything wrapped him in comfort at once. Where would he be without Ray?
He sunk in, eyelids falling hard and fast before he even bid him a goodnight.