CHAPTER 36
The price of your greed
Is your son and your daughter
What you gon' do
When there's blood in the water
Grandson
Alykel Airport. The only airport that served the city of Norilsk. Painted purple and brick red, the airport was a large erection of metal, stone and human brilliance. Kai crowned the top of the airstair, looking out at the scenery before him. The sky was lavender. The sun setting. Snow descended from the heavens in the form of shimmering crystals.
Kai accepted his suitcase from the airhostess with a nod. He made his way down the steps quickly. He didn't have much time to waste. He had to cross about forty kilometers to reach his destination - thirty to arrive at the main city in Norilsk and then another ten from there to the frozen tundra where King was hiding his little witness.
Norilsk was a quaint place. Almost an island, the city had no roads connecting it to the rest of Russia. Boats carried goods to and from the mainland. The 150,000 or so inhabitants didn't do much traveling to other places. The area was also extremely polluted due severe Nickel mining. Kai had canted his head in interest at the sound of all the metals buried in the ground - Norilsk was built on some of the largest Nickel deposits in the world. Kai saw business opportunities. He'd have to save those proposals he was already composing in his head for another time though. He had a score to settle with King first.
o-o-o-o-o
FLASHBACK
"Hold still"
"Argh, that thing looks scary!"
"Tyson, if you don't stay still I will hurt you."
Tyson shot Emily an outraged look in the mirror. "I asked you to help me not murder me."
"If you want my help, you have to do as I say," Emily fired back through gritted teeth.
They had a mini stare-down before Tyson decided to give in and plopped back in his seat in front of the mirror with his arms crossed.
"Good boy," commented Emily, combing his hair back and bringing the eyelash curler to his eyes.
Tyson promised her bodily harm with his glare.
"Do you want to look good or not?" Emily demanded.
"I want to look hot."
"Done deal. I will make you look drop dead gorgeous. Now calmeth!" She took hold of the sides of his head and tilted it back.
"Fuck"
"Shh"
Tyson's eyes grew wide as the curler inched closer. He was terrified of the object and the fear showed in his irises as Emily tried to get at his lashes with it. She was so close to his eyeballs. Tyson held his breath and went as still as a statue as she'd advised him to, but only for a second. "Gah!" he smacked her hand away at the last moment. "I can't. Can't we do without this shit? Please, it's gonna give me nightmares."
Emily sighed in exasperation. "What is wrong with you? You have such pretty eyelashes, Tyson. They would look so much more devastating if you let me curl them."
Tyson was going on a dinner date with Kai to a high end restaurant. And Tyson wanted to make Kai stop and stare in his tracks. A difficult goal to achieve but not an impossible one. He'd requested for Emily's expertise with makeup and she was doing a pretty good job so far until the curler entered the situation.
"It's fine."
Emily stepped back with a huff. "Really?"
They both appraised his face in the mirror. He'd never touched a brush to his cheeks unless it was to apply a shaving cream. Now he was all dolled up. His hair which he'd dyed a dark brown was smooth and glossy and lay straight against his forehead. His eyes appeared bigger and their chocolate colour more pronounced. He was wearing eyeliner! And eyeshadow! And his cheeks were dusted burgundy red. Tyson thought he looked unlike himself and pointed out as much. Emily thought he looked ensnaring and wished he'd let her curl his lashes.
"No, thanks." Then Tyson's phone buzzed with a text from Kai. He was here.
"Shit" He was nervous. Tyson met his own gaze in the mirror and suddenly felt like he was staring at a clown. "I can't do this. I gotta wipe this off." He fumbled with the cleanser Emily had used earlier to rub the cat-eye she'd drawn on him.
Emily grabbed his hand. "Tyson, if you so much as touch your face I will kill you. I didn't spend three hours of my precious time prettying you up just so you could wipe it all off! I put off two assignments and an essay for this, you jerk." She pulled him to his feet and away from the dressing table.
Tyson had on a black turtleneck with white stripes and a pair of blue high-waisted jeans and a Chanel belt. "Emily, he's going to laugh." He tried to pry her fingers off his arm. "I look like a fucking clown."
"No, you don't, you dolt!" She picked up a purse off her bed and gave it to him. "Why can't you see that?" she muttered at him for his stupidity as she dabbed at the corner of his eyebrow.
"Oh my god," Tyson panicked quietly as she added some final touches.
She dragged a stick of gloss across his lower lip. "Blot. You did tell him he's gotta come up to my room, right?"
"Yeah" Tyson pressed his lips together. "I think my eyes are watering. We should probably get rid of the eyeliner."
Emily checked his eyes and then scowled at him. "Tyson" she hissed. "You look good."
There came a knock at the door.
"Fuck, it's him!" Tyson tried to hide. Emily clamped down on his arm like a vice and yanked him towards the door.
"I gotta answer it!" Emily whisper-yelled at him.
"Then answer it!" Tyson attempted to wrestle free.
"But I'm holding onto you! Stop fighting me!"
"Let me go!"
"If I do, you will ruin your makeup!"
"Shhh," Tyson warned her not to raise her voice too much or Kai will hear.
"So what?" They were whisper fighting when they heard the handle turn. Tyson and Emily froze when Kai stuck his head in through the door. His gaze found Tyson immediately.
Tyson almost fainted.
Kai pushed the door open fully and leaned against the jamb without taking his eyes off of him. "What the fuck is going on here?" There was a smirk teasing at the corner of his mouth.
Tyson pulled his hand free of Emily's and tossed the purse over his shoulder without a care. It landed on the bed, thankfully. Emily gaped at his audacity. "Nothing. Just...messing around. Giving each other a makeover." He shrugged, feigning nonchalance despite the butterflies in his stomach. Kai was wearing his long black coat with the collar turned up. His hair was messy. Out of the gel for once. And he had that playful air about him that Tyson loved.
Emily rolled her eyes.
"You forgot about our date?" Kai asked, not falling for his bullshit. A glint in his eye.
"No, I-" Tyson searched desperately for an explanation that made sense. "I thought you'd be late. I can go change now."
Emily glared daggers at him.
Kai's gaze slid up and down Tyson's body. "We don't have the time, Tyson." He straightened up. "Let's go."
"What, like this?" Tyson acted surprised. He even looked at Emily for emphasis, who smothered the curse that rose up her throat. Saving it for later.
"Yes. Like that." Kai nodded in agreement. "Since you don't have the time to change. Come on." He jiggled the keys in his hand.
Tyson followed him out the door and stopped in the hallway. Kai turned to look at him. "What?"
"Don't you think people would laugh?"
If anybody was laughing, it was Kai's eyes. "I don't know. I'm not people," he said, suppressing a smile. Tyson's mouth tingled from wanting to kiss him. He shifted his weight onto one heel and nervously rearranged his bangs.
"Granger, is that you?!" Somebody gasped. "Oh my gawd, you look stunning." Trevor threw an arm around Tyson's shoulders in the hallway of their co-ed dorm. Kai stiffened. Trevor sent him a cursory glance and whispered to Tyson loud enough for Kai to hear: "You know if he's not interested in taking you out, I am."
Tyson laughed, and tried to shrug out from under his arm, but Trevor was suddenly knocked off of him. Kai took Tyson's wrist with the same hand he'd used to shove his classmate. "Stay away from him," he threatened with a pointed glare in Trevor's direction.
"Just kidding, man. All cool." His friend had his hands up, backing off, wanting no more trouble.
"Let's go" Kai led Tyson out of the dorm with his fingers tight as steel around him. All of his good mood had disappeared in the blink of an eye. "Stop it. You're hurting me." Tyson tugged lightly as they descended the steps to the back exit.
He was ignored. Kai shouldered through the exit, dragging Tyson with him. "Can you not- Stop!" he yelled, driving his foot into the pavement. Refusing to move further. Kai released his hand and whirled around to face him, close enough for his breath to wash over Tyson.
"This is your fault," he said angrily.
"What?"
"They think it's okay to hit on you when I'm standing right there because you've slept with half this goddamn place!" Kai shouted with his arms spread wide on either side.
Tyson's mouth fell open. Offended. "That's what you think?"
"That's the fucking truth."
Tyson wished he had taken the purse with him so he could have hurled that thing at Kai's stupid head. He almost cried at the look in his eyes. "I haven't slept with any of those boys, Kai! Not a single one!" he yelled.
Kai set his jaw. "You expect me to believe that?"
"It is true!" He flailed.
Kai liked to pretend he didn't care about Tyson's playboy past, but the fact of the matter was he did care. And he wasn't okay with the knowledge that fifty other people had also kissed the same mouth he kissed.
He stared at Tyson now, unable to decide whether he should believe him or not. "Why?" he asked after a beat of uncomfortable silence. "Why didn't you?"
Tyson crossed his arms over himself. "I never trusted anyone enough," he said in a small whisper. Kai was silhouetted against the light of the lamps and the cars moving on the street behind him. Tyson stood near the exit, hurt.
The fight leaked out of Kai like air going out of a pricked balloon. He looked guilty. He blinked and glanced away, rummaging around in one jacket pocket with a hand. He stepped close to Tyson once he found whatever he'd been looking for and tugged gently at Tyson's wrist till he gave his hand to him.
He placed something small wrapped in plastic in his palm. A Ring Pop. Tyson broke into a tiny smile at the sight of his favourite candy. "You said they'd run out at your local Walmart," Kai offered as explanation. "I have a whole box in the car."
His grin grew. He tore open the packet and took out the ring-shaped candy and put it in his mouth, the plastic portion sticking out. Tyson wrapped his arms around Kai and sighed as the tension left his body. Kai hugged him back. "Sorry" he murmured into his shoulder.
Tyson pulled the lollipop out to speak. "It's okay. You didn't know. I should've told you."
They stood soaking up each other's presence for a good two minutes till Kai sniffed Tyson's neck and said he smelled like perfume.
"Yeah" He stepped back. "You like it?"
"Fruity" Kai swooped in to peck him lightly on his mouth. "Come on, we're late."
o-o-o-o-o
Tyson fiddled with the neck of his sweater. A tag was scratching against his nape, giving him a hard time relaxing next to Kai in the car. He kept adjusting his collar and Kai glanced at him curiously. "What's wrong?"
"The sweater's itchy."
"Where did you find it?" Kai turned a corner.
"It's a new sweater! Emily bought it for herself but it was too big on her so she made me try it on."
"Perfect fit" Kai said under his breath, gaze on the road.
Tyson didn't think Kai meant to say that out loud. It was almost a compliment. He hid a grin. "The tag's digging into my neck. It's driving me crazy."
"We can get rid of it once when we get there."
Tyson shot him a sideways look. "The sweater?"
"The tag"
"Ah" He folded the high neck outwards in search of temporary relief. The one dangly earring he'd pinched on caught in the material and he struggled to pry it free. He cursed quietly. How did some people wear earrings daily? They were so irritating.
He finally managed to untangle it from the sweater and sank back into the seat. God. He looked out the window and spotted the hotel looming up front. "Oh wow" He let out a low whistle around the remains of the candy in his mouth. "That's gorgeous."
Kai parked right outside the front entrance of the ritzy Soho. Tyson stepped to the curb in a daze, craning his neck to see all the floors. "Oh this is low of you, Hiwatari," he said to Kai as he approached him after handing his keys to the valet.
"What are you talking about?" Kai asked confused.
Tyson turned his head to look at him. "You're bribing me with luxury."
Kai snorted. "What for?"
"My heart"
Kai placed a hand on his lower back and guided him inside with a laugh. "I have no interest in that tacky thing."
Tyson swatted his arm away from his waist. "Asshole"
A manager led them towards their private table. They bickered all the way till Tyson got off the elevator at the tenth floor and cast his gaze forward. He froze halfway there on the smooth, glittering, dark stone flooring. "No" he breathed as he took in his surroundings. The entire floor was encircled by a lit wall fountain and open to the sky. The New York skyline was visible atop the five foot wall. Their table was set up in the fashion of a booth with leather seating forming the shape of a semicircle. "No way we're eating out here."
"Yes way"
Kai slid in first, his fingers holding onto Tyson's, drawing him after himself. They ordered the chef's special, Tyson gawking at the names of all the different dishes and Kai having a hard time guessing which cuisine his junk food loving boyfriend would enjoy till he decided to trust the chef and the five star reviews of the place. When the manager scurried away, Tyson turned to Kai and brushed a hand through his disheveled hair. "What happened?" he asked.
"Work took longer than I expected. Had to take a quick shower before coming to pick you up."
"You didn't even bother to drag a comb through it?" Tyson was surprised. "That's all the effort you're willing to put in toward your appearance? Don't you want to impress me?"
"I've already impressed you." Kai shook his hair out in the hopes to fix the damage Tyson had caused by playing with it.
"Says who?"
"You last night. You said it on the phone."
"I said I loved you."
"Same thing."
"No, it's not."
Kai leaned back and stared at Tyson. "What's the difference?"
"You could love someone and not be impressed by them. Like parents love their kids even if their kid gets shit grades."
Kai disagreed. "That's a different case." He crossed his arms. "You wouldn't date me if you didn't see admirable qualities in me."
Tyson scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"You're with me because some part of you - the not so egoistic part of you - is impressed by whatever you see when you look at me."
"Mhm" Tyson picked up a glass of water that had been placed on the table and took a sip. "Right"
"Is that not true?" Kai asked smugly.
"Yeah," Tyson put down the glass, "but you see, if you don't work on this," he pointed between himself and Kai, "my attraction towards you or whatever, it will fade."
Kai licked his lips, thoughtful.
"You can't be passive in a relationship. You can't just assume that I am as impressed by you today as I was yesterday or the day I said 'yes' to you." Tyson had a hand curled toward his own chest and Kai gently took it in hand to look at the rings he was wearing.
A thin gold band on his index finger and a matching silver one on his ring finger. Kai's focus naturally shifted to the latter so he could tease him about it. "Thought you were type the leave this one empty," he commented, gazing up at Tyson.
"Well, you thought wrong." Tyson grinned with his chin in his other hand.
Kai moved onto the dangly little star on his left ear next. His light touch caused Tyson's breathing to slightly pick up. When Kai's gaze strayed from his ear to his eyes again, Tyson smiled at him. He returned it, looking like he was on the verge of saying something that would melt Tyson right into the ground. "You're all decked out like a Christmas tree," Kai murmured instead.
Tyson pushed him away. "Really? That's what you think?"
Kai sat back, doing a poor job of suppressing a smile. Tyson debated with himself about telling him the truth and finally came out and said it. "Okay, so Emily and I weren't giving each other makeovers. I-" Tyson stumbled, picking at his sweater as he fretted. "It's…all for you," he said in a rush.
Tyson bit his lip as Kai stared steadily at him. "I didn't believe that for a second anyway," he said at last.
He watched Kai's throat bob up and down before he leaned in to say, "You want to know what I really think?"
Tyson nodded.
"About the outfit?"
Tyson nodded again, eager.
"Promise you won't be mad?" Kai asked next and Tyson deflated.
"Nooooooooo" Tyson wailed as Kai finally started laughing. "Nooo, I told her you would laugh. You're such a prick! Oh god! No! This is so embarrassing! I told her so many fucking times! She didn't listen!" He screamed to release some of that embarrassment.
Kai had the time of his life laughing his head off before he found the good sense to grab Tyson's hand and tell him to stop. "Curb your animalistic tendencies. We're in public." Then continued laughing after Tyson shut up.
Tyson buried his face in his hands. "Fuck!"
Kai sniffed, done losing his mind. He observed his lover for a minute before pulling his hands away from his face. "Come sit next to me."
"Why?" mumbled Tyson.
"So I don't have to see you the entire time," Kai explained, still teasing. Tyson's jaw dropped. "Come here." Kai patted the leather next to him.
Tyson moved reluctantly and kept his face angled away from Kai and toward the palm tree next to their table. Kai had his left hand imprisoned in the left of his own. He gazed at Tyson with a smile playing on his lips before touching them to his ear. He tilted his head to avoid him. Kai kissed the shell and annoyed him till he looked at him again. "What?"
"Food's here"
"Oh!"
o-o-o-o-o
"So should I drop you back at the dorm or," Kai asked Tyson as he fed him a piece of cake, "Are you coming to mine?"
"You trying to wine, dine and sixty-nine me?" Tyson responded with a laugh and was met with a raised eyebrow. He sank back into Kai's chest and watched him play with the ring on his finger. "Hmm, to the dorm. I have two assignments left. I sacrificed a lot of my precious time to look good for you." He shook his head in dismay. "What a waste of three hours. Em really tried though. She's the best." Kai scratched another morsel off the cake and held it up for Tyson who accepted it without thought.
"Who said it was a waste?" asked Kai and Tyson leveled him a nasty glare.
"You"
"I said you were decked out like a Christmas tree, which you are."
"Okay, I get the point. You don't have to rub it in."
Kai twisted the silver band on his ring finger. "And I laughed."
Tyson rolled his eyes so hard it hurt. "Fucking asshole"
"Which one was a negative response?"
"Both! All! All of it!" Tyson sat up and poked his chest with his index. "You're a dick," he told Kai. "And you're getting no dick tonight either."
"Ha ha," said Kai.
Tyson righteously grabbed the fork from him and began demolishing the rest of the blueberry cake they were having for dessert.
"You never even let me finish."
"Because I knew you were going to say some stupid shit. You said 'don't be mad.'"
"And you keep falling for these like a complete dumbass," fought Kai.
Tyson whipped his head around to look at him. "What?" he asked with the fork in his mouth.
Kai glared and dragged his tongue over the front of his lower teeth. They stared at each other stubbornly before Kai gave up and painfully whispered the words, "You look good" to Tyson.
The latter dragged the fork out of his mouth slowly, absorbing the reality of the situation. "Did you just admit that out loud?"
"I did" nodded Kai, arms folded defensively across himself.
"Wow"
The pain was written plainly on his face. "Poor man" Tyson scooped some cake and gave it to Kai. "Here, soothe it out with some sugar."
"Mm" Kai turned his head away. "Fuck no"
Tyson put the dessert in his own mouth and twirled the fork in his fingers. He was grinning like a fool. He slapped Kai's thigh twice before going back to cleaning up the plate.
"You still have your tag on." Kai peeled back the neck of Tyson's sweater.
"Oh!" he exclaimed around a mouthful. "That thing was digging into my back all this time? I totally forgot about it. Can you get rid of it for me?"
"Yeah"
o-o-o-o-o
They made a stop at a costume shop on the way to the dorm to quickly purchase a mask for Tyson to wear to an upcoming masquerade party. "This one looks so cool." Tyson tried on a charcoal grey mask with beads and black feathers attached to it. "Call me mysterious," he said, posing for Kai.
He gave a slight shake of his head. "Too fancy"
"It is supposed to be fancy. I want to look outrageous but also dashing." Tyson put that mask back and sifted through others on a table full of them. "Gotta get the ladies swooning."
"Excuse me?"
"Uh sorry. That just came out." Tyson grimaced. "I hangout with a lot of straights."
"Your douchebag friends." Kai handed him a white frilled type.
"They're not douchebags. I like them." He turned the mask around and huffed. "Ugh, this is a bridal mask. You're hopeless." He stowed that away.
"What does your outfit look like?" Kai asked, moving down the aisle.
"It's a suit. All black with a little shimmer along the lapels," he described, trailing after him, surveying various full face disguises and baroque hats in the cozy little shop. "And the cuffs. Oooh, you should see the cuffs. They're beautiful."
"Something like this would do well then," remarked Kai, picking up an elegant, glittery black mask that would cover almost the whole face except a portion of his forehead and his mouth.
"Wow, it's got eagle eyes." Tyson snatched it from him and put it on. "What do you think?"
Kai appraised him silently. "With that red lipstick, all I want to do is kiss you."
Tyson laughed, and adjusted the mask around his eyes. "Kiss me then," he said, after making sure there was no one with them in the shop except the manager who was up front, shielded from their view.
Kai hooked a finger under his chin and pressed his mouth to his own. He drew away not three seconds later. "Who are you going with?"
"Emily"
Kai frowned. "Why didn't you ask me?"
"Be…cause I didn't think you would want to come to a frat party. It's just a stupid event. Full of kids drinking and making out. I didn't think you would have the time or the energy to stand one of those."
"The party's this Friday, isn't it?"
"Yeah" Tyson agreed. Friday evenings were free for Kai. "I honestly didn't think you would want to accompany me to a frat party."
Kai took a deep breath. "Drinking and making out, right?" he asked, inspecting a long-feathered quill.
"Of course I'm not going to be drinking and making out. I mean drinking, yes, but not-" Tyson took off the mask. "I'm sorry I didn't invite you."
"It's fine."
Tyson stared at him, holding the mask in his hands. "You're not mad at me, are you?"
Kai laid the quill down. "No" His gaze drifted to what Tyson was clutching. "Let's get that one."
"Okay. I have something for you too." Tyson produced a tiger headband from the back of his jeans. He grinned when Kai's expression turned sour. "Try it on!"
Tyson helped Kai fix the tiger ears on his head and doubled over at the final image. "You look kawaii!"
Kai sighed. "Why do I let you do these things?"
Tyson fought his hands away when Kai tried to take them off and looped his arms around his neck, giggling. "They look good on you, I swear!" he said with a kiss.
o-o-o-o-o
Tyson was fast asleep in the car by the time they finally reached the dorm. Kai tried waking him by calling his name which he obviously did not respond to, then by playing with his accessories, which again did not work, prompting Kai to lean over and gently tap his chin. "Tyson, wake up."
Tyson grunted and pushed him away, irritated. A furrow rising between his eyebrows. Kai gave up and considered all of his options before getting out of the car, walking around to the other side and opening the door to scoop Tyson into his arms. "Fucking hell, you're heavy," he muttered under his breath as he lifted him. Kai sought for help from a passing student to shut the door and lock his car before carrying his boyfriend upstairs.
He had eaten more than he did on a normal night and was panting like a dog when Michael answered the door. "Oh! He's- come in." He moved out of the way quickly so Kai could drop his friend safely on the mattress and not on the floor. Kai hovered above him on his elbows after laying Tyson down, completely spent and shocked he had actually made it all the way to his bed. "Jesus fuck, where does all your weight even come from?" He rested a few minutes to catch his breath then straightened up to tug Tyson's chunky boots off. He dropped each one of the floor with a loud thud and looked to Michael for assistance. "How do I get it off of him?" he asked casually gesturing toward the sleeping Tyson.
"Get what off of him? Mike stopped working on his assignment to ask him confusedly.
"The makeup" Kai explained, exhaustion pulling at him from every angle.
"I don't know. Um with a…cleanse- cleanser? I'm not sure. You're going to have to ask Emily."
"Great. You have her number?"
"I can call her for you." Michael dialed Emily and waited for her pick up. She answered within a couple rings and Michael handed the phone over to Kai.
"Thanks" Kai said to Mike before talking to Emily. She was on video call.
"Hi"
"Hey" Emily smiled, pleasantly surprised. "To what do I owe this great honour?"
Kai didn't bother being nice. He was tired as hell. "Tyson fell asleep in the car."
"Fantastic. Take care of him!"
"I am" Her righteous arrogance made Kai want to punch the smugness right out of her. "How do I get rid of the makeup on his face?" he asked through clenched teeth.
"With a cleanser, you big genius." Kai gripped the phone tight. "I think he has one in the bathroom. Next to the shower. Go get it!"
"Give me a minute," Kai ground out before heading to the en suite to find the cleanser and return to Tyson's side. "He's probably out of cotton pads though. He's an idiot. Mike, do you have any tissues?" Emily was heard asking. God, this bitch was so bossy. How was Tyson friends with her? But then again, Tyson himself could get quite pushy sometimes.
"Yeah, right here." Mike bent down to grab some from under his bed and gave them to Kai. "Uh, people come over all the time and," Mike began explaining when Kai cast him a look. "They have a tendency to pull out all the tissues from the box and just…yeah. I keep them under the bed to keep them safe."
"Squeeze some onto a tissue and just wipe gently," Emily instructed. "It'll come off. Don't be rough. You'll ruin his skin. Gently, okay?"
"Okay" Kai grumbled. Hell if he was going to thank her.
"Bye then, I guess. Bye, Mike!" Kai handed the phone back to him and Michael waved to her and wished her a goodnight before hanging up.
When he looked back up from his phone, Kai was dabbing softly under Tyson's right eye. Mike couldn't resist taking a photo and posting it to the group chat with Tyson, Max, Emily, and Kenny. "Loot at this cutesy shit. I can't take it." He captioned the image before hitting send.
Tyson was mumbling obscenities at Kai for disturbing his sleep. He could be rude when he was sleeping because it was a very serious activity for him, and Kai kept trying to talk him into letting him remove his makeup.
"It's wet," Tyson complained, eyes shut closed.
"I'll be quick."
"No"
"You can't sleep with makeup on," Kai was murmuring to him. "Let me clean your eyes at least." He reached over to rub at his lid but Mike jumped when he heard Tyson lash out with an arm, nearly throwing Kai off the bed.
"Leave me alone!" he shouted while still half-conscious and fell right back asleep. Kai picked up another tissue since the last one was smacked to the ground by Tyson and applied some cleanser onto it before leaning across Tyson's torso and waiting till he was fully out of it, gaze on his sleeping form. Michael snapped a few more pictures in silence and send them all to the group chat with overly excited captions ("WITNESSING WITH MY OWN TWO DISBELIEVING EYES: COLD-HEARTED KAI HIWATARI IN LOOOOOVE!) Kai touched Tyson's nose lightly after a while to see if he'd fight again, but Tyson was already deep asleep. He took the opportunity to wipe his face clean, giving him a soft lingering kiss after removing his lipstick.
"Doesn't he have assignments to complete?" Kai asked Michael when he was done.
Mike slapped a hand to his forehead. "Shit. Em mentioned something about that. Should we wake him up?"
"No" Kai pulled his cellphone from his pocket. "Just give me the details. I'll get someone to do it for him."
Mike debated with himself before handing over the questions. Kai took pictures and sent them to an employee. "I need the professor's email too."
"Okay"
He sent the assignment questions and the email address with instructions to his employee before shutting his phone off, pulling off Tyson's extra clothes and undressing himself before climbing into bed next to Tyson.
END OF FLASHBACK
o-o-o-o-o
No roads or railways meant riding in the back of an pre-arranged four-wheel E-series van which was used for expeditions in Antarctica. The cold was starting to bite at him. Kai rubbed his hands together once or twice unconsciously. He was wearing no more than three layers. A dress shirt, a jacket and a long coat. His nose had begun to turn a faint pink. Yet he wasn't shivering the way most humans would have after a second spent in that temperature with only a few relatively flimsy pieces of clothing. This land was a permafrost. It was frozen throughout the year. Winters were terrible and summers saw only slightly more bearable temperatures. The sun had sunk below the horizon a while ago. A storm raged outside the van.
There was a chill in Kai's gut that he could not abate. White shapes moved beyond the window. Piles of snow mounted on itself in various shapes and sizes. There were no trees. The white barren landscape simply stretched on forever. Kai checked the time again. Thirty more minutes and he would get to the abandoned warehouse. He returned his phone to his pocket and drew out his beyblade. Dranzer gleamed in the center. He smoothed a thumb over the surface and tried to smother the unsettling feeling growing inside of him. His mind wandered to Tyson for a brief moment and he wondered what he would be doing right now.
He was less than ten kilometers away when the van pulled to a stop all of a sudden. "What's going on?" Kai asked the driver, then looked out through the windshield. He spotted a snowmobile idling in front, blocking their path. The rider's face was invisible under the helmet. Kai opened the door of the van and stepped out to confront the man. His boots sunk into the snow as he approached him. The man unmounted his vehicle and walked towards Kai, meeting him halfway.
Kai was about to ask him why he was blocking their way when he took off his helmet. Silver hair tumbled out and a pair of striking blue eyes greeted him.
"What's up, cousin?"
A/N: Can you feel it coming? The end? Well either way it's coming and yall should be scared. I'm like exhausted as hell right now. But like I gotta thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed. I hope you have your tissues and blankets ready for the upcoming chapters because *Adele voice* This is the end...
After years. Literal years. We are approaching the end. I'm fucking emotional. It seems like I CANT SAY ANYTHIGN ELSE. *STARTS CRYING* ANYWAYS, OH MY GOOOOD. I'M EMO NOW. How to stop crying?
Okay. Okay. We got this.
I'm good now.
Where were we? Ah yes! Thank you. For everything. Just. Yeah. Thanking you all for being ever so lovely and kind. For still being a fan of Beyblade even though it's been years since the show stopped airing. I have such emotinal attachment to that show because I grew up watching it and *sighs* God, not this emo shit again. *cries*
Fuck. I met Becso through chapter 31 in the last volume where I cursed a lot and apologized. Fuck. Macibacsi, ma'am you are the greatest human of all time. I don't care who disagrees. You are. Idc idc. You deserve all the best things in life.
And to my readers, you guys are incredibly sweet. I love you all. Thank you for everything.
All right. That's it. I think. See you soon. I'm acting like I'm dying or some shit but I AINT GOING ANYWHERE, HOES! HA! GOTCHA!
Bye! Love you! Take care! Stay safe! Stay hydrated! Leave a review! Tata!