I Think I Like You

Tyson's touch ghosts over Kai's jaw. His gaze soft. Tender. On someone he never thought he'd look at like that.

"Want to make a few snobs mad and get out of here?" asks Kai.

Tyson's eyebrows jump in surprise. He snaps back to his senses and looks around the bridge, snatching his fingers away. No one's out on this side of the mansion. No one saw. Thankfully.

"I can't bail on Hil-" he starts, then he sees the look on Kai's face.

He wants him to go with him.

He's already betrayed her and chosen Kai over her. What's one more betrayal? He unlocks his phone silently.

His throat constricts when he sees her name.

09:10 to Bestie: I feel sick. I'm going home. You can stay and enjoy. But don't take a cab alone!

Tyson grimaces reading the words on the screen. God, he can't even lie through a text. He sounds so fake.

He hits send anyway. And raises the phone to show Kai, tilting his head.

There. See? I'm choosing you.

A hint of a smile lights up his features. Kai grabs the hand he has in the air and turns him around, tugging him along as he walks back to the other side of the bridge.

There's a set of steps leading down to the grassy path that winds around the house.

Tyson's wrist tingles in Kai's hold.

His grip is not exactly gentle. It's firm. But he's not hurting him.

Kai's fingers unwrap and slide down his hand to hold it properly. The tingles spread across his skin.

The place is dark, no lamps around. Trees lurk in the shadows.

Kai's talking to someone on the phone. He understands two words: Sergei and car.

When they reach the house, his porsche is waiting on the pavement.

Sergei gets out of the car. The headlights are on.

Kai lets go of his hand. "Get in" he whispers in his ear, giving him a light push toward the passenger side.

"Bambi!" greets Sergei. "I've missed you!"

Tyson holds up his middle finger, walking to the vehicle.

Sergei grins, stepping aside for Kai who's snickering lowly.

"Have fun," Sergei sticks a palm in the air as they back out of the driveway, glowing in the glare of the headlights for a moment.

Tyson starts talking again when they're on the road. Away from the ball.

"Where are we going?" he asks, fidgeting with his fingers in his lap.

"Downtown" replies Kai.

He's mesmerized by the interior of the porsche. The neon blue on the dashboard, the hum of the engine, the overall ambience inside. "I really like your car," he tells him honestly, resting his head back on the seat as the city lights glide over him.

"I'll let you ride it if you want to," he says.

Tyson's lips part on a silent breath. "I'll take you up on that offer," he teases gently.

Kai juts out his jaw, a small smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. "Anytime"

He'd draped his long coat over him earlier. It sits snug on his shoulders. Keeping him warm. But the air conditioner is hitting his face.

"Thank you for agreeing to fix the showers."

Kai nods. "You were looking miserable out there." He gives a small shake of his head. "Couldn't help myself."

Tyson's teeth gnash. Asshole. He smacks him on the arm. The one he has on the wheel. Lightly.

Kai grabs his hand. His fingers wrapping around his. To pull them down to the gear shift. He uses his hand to shift the leather-covered lever.

Tyson's toes curl up in his boots. Heat spreading in his lower body. Down his thighs. His legs. In his groin.

It's raining when they reach the hotel.

Kai gets drenched before he reaches the lobby. Tyson's protected by the coat and his jacket, so he stays mostly dry.

"Thanks for lending me your coat, it was a life saver," he's saying when he enters the room.

The lights are off but the curtains are open.

Rain cascades over the floor of the balcony. The sounds of distant thunder echoing in the room. It's not that big. It's cozy in a luxurious you-are-lucky-to-be-spending-the-night-here type of way.

He eyes the shadowed bed stuffed with pillows. The couches near the wall. The low table before them.

Kai shuts the door behind him, switching on the lights.

Tyson turns to look at him. He's already peeling off his jacket, running a hand through his wet hair. Shaking the water out.

He tugs off the coat on his own shoulders, distractedly, eyes trailing down Kai's wet white shirt clinging to his body. His slacks. The slight bulge in the front.

He throws the soaked jacket on a chair and glances at Tyson. "Do you want to change?" he asks, undoing his cuffs. "I have clothes here."

"No, I'm okay." He is. He's dry from neck down. Just slightly cold. He gives Kai his coat and jacket. Unbuttoning his own shirt at the wrists.

Kai gets a warm towel from the bathroom for Tyson.

He smiles, murmuring a soft thank you.

He pats his face first, then moves onto his hair and ears. The towel feels like heaven.

Kai peels his shirt off.

Tyson catches the sight of smooth skin, a taut waist and abs before he forces his gaze away.

He sits on the bed, his cheeks heating as he listens to the muted sounds of Kai changing his clothes behind him.

"You can look if you want," says Kai. The deep low drawl making Tyson flush.

He fiddles with the towel in his hands. Shaking his head. "No" he says, gaze on the wall.

"No" Kai mimics him, raising his pitch.

Tyson hates him.

The rain must have stopped. He can't hear it slapping against the glass and the railing of the balcony anymore.

He notices movement in his periphery. Kai draping the clothes he'd just changed out of over the other wet things.

"Are you hungry?" he asks.

"No"

"Do you want a drink?"

"No"

"You're happy with the towel?"

"Yes" he says before he realizes he's fucking with him. He throws the wadded up towel at him. Kai catches it before it can hit his face. Straightening it out and adding it on the wet pile. He's replaced his old clothes with a pair just like them. He must not have anything other than formal wear here. "Do you own this room?" asks Tyson.

"Along with the rest of the hotel, yes," he says. So simply. He's not even bragging. His tone is matter-of-fact. Tyson's head reels. He remembers the H he saw at the top of the building on his way in. "The H stands for-" he's processing.

"Stands for Hiwatari," Kai interjects, holding out his hand.

Tyson's mouth makes a small O as he takes it.

He leads him out to the balcony.

Where the city sparkles around them. Towers and skyscrapers everywhere he looks. The streets are busy and crowded below. There's a post-rain freshness in the air. It's still drizzling. Lightly.

Tyson extracts his hand from Kai's to extend it outward. To catch a few twinkling drops.

It's so pretty.

Everything is so pretty.

The room. The view. The buildings around them.

Warmth hugs his back when Kai comes up behind him.

His breath grazes his neck when he lowers his mouth to drop a kiss on his jaw. Under his ear. His fingers brush over Tyson's knuckles on the railing.

His heartbeat rises.

"You smell so good," Kai tells him. His lips trailing down his neck. His hand closing over his hip.

Tyson feels him when the whole of his front presses against his back.

He breathes shakily.

Kai's teeth bite down gently on his earlobe.

Tyson grows hard.

He moves his hand away from his hip turning to face him. "I can't" he says.

Kai walks him back into the railing. Their lips brushing.

He puts a hand on his chest. It's solid. Immovable.

Their breaths mingle.

"You're hard, Tyson," says Kai. "I can feel you."

The fabric of his shirt grazes against his palm.

Tyson shakes his head. "You don't understand."

"Then explain it to me."

He doesn't know. He doesn't know how. "I-" Their hips press together. Tyson gasps.

Kai lifts a brow. "That's a no?"

He starts trembling. He blinks and his lashes touch Kai's. A broken moan escapes his mouth.

"I'm not ready," he whispers, his throat dry.

Kai's lips almost close over his. Tyson's stomach clenches. His ears scorching hot.

Kai steps away at the last moment.

Not kissing him.

Not touching him.

Tyson stares at him wide eyed. His breath still.

"Let's talk then," says Kai. Pulling a box of cigarettes out of his pocket. He doesn't seem mad. Or disappointed. More like he's simply changing the subject. "Since we have nothing better to do. Start at the beginning." He walks to the railing, lighting up. "Where are you from?"

In the morning, Tyson lies on his side next to Kai gazing at his sleeping form.

He sleeps with one arm thrown over his eyes.

All milky skin and taut muscles.

The look on his face is calm, serene. He seems younger somehow.

The conversation he had with him last night comes back to him. Kai had mostly asked about him. His family, his background. Why the name of his village wasn't familiar to him (because it's small as fuck. it's in the middle of nowhere.) He'd shared some things about himself as well. He'd told him he grew up with the other Blitzkriegs, and that they were a tightly knit group because they've been alienated by the Japanese since they were children. He didn't seem too comfortable with talking about himself and often tried to shift the focus back on Tyson again.

So he'd eased up on the questions, asking him about the hotel ownership instead. He'd inherited it from his grandmother upon her passing. Kai had pointed out several other properties in the area that they could see from the balcony itself that belonged to himself or his family members. They owned quite a lot of the city's real estate.

Tyson couldn't even begin to wrap his around that level of fortune.

"Why are you creeping?" asks Kai all of a sudden, eyes still closed, voice sleep-coarse.

Tyson bursts into giggles. Startled. "I'm not," he denies.

"Hn"

He continues to creep with a smile on his face. Staring unabashedly. And quite fondly. One hand fisting the fluffy pillow under his head.

"I was thinking" he explains. "You have a nice face."

He sees Kai tongue his cheek. His throat working. "I was thinking you have a nice face too, would you like to put it on mine?"

Tyson keels, laughing out loud.

"Don't you have class today?" asks Kai, interrupting his laughter.

What?

His eyes go wide. Tyson bolts up in bed. Scrambling to check the time on his phone.

08:45. His jaw drops. Oh my fucking god. He completely forgot. He's going to be late.

He jumps out of bed, in his shirt and boxers, having finally let down his guard and stripped out of his pants in front of Kai last night. He rushes around the room, picking up his jacket, pants, phone, keys, wallet.

Kai opens his eyes to stare at his legs lazily.

"What about you?" he asks, bumping his toe into a chair. "Fuck!"

"I have one hour in the afternoon. I can afford to sleep in."

Tyson tugs his pants over his legs, covering up when he sees him ogling.

He turns away with a shrug of his eyebrows when he's clothed again.

"Shall I call a cab?" he drawls.

"What? Don't be an asshole," snaps Tyson, throwing his tie at him. Expecting him to drive him back.

Kai meets his eyes. "You do realize if I drive you to campus, people will stare?"

He pauses. Oh. Right. He stands, clutching the jacket against his chest. They're not two people whose social circles mix.

Kai's still lying on the bed. The sheets tangled around his hips. He tugs them off and stands. Approaching him in his plain boxers.

Tyson stares at him. Having a hard time keeping his eyes above his neck.

Kai takes his face in his hands gently. Then leans down to kiss him.

Butterflies erupt in his tummy.

He kisses him without hurry. Tongue easing leisurely but hungrily into his mouth. He coaxes a tiny hum out of his throat.

Tyson pulls on his bottom lip when he tries to break away. Not wanting to let go. "Mmm" God.

Kai moves away. "Don't start what you cant finish, Tyson," he warns, his voice thick.

He sighs, glancing down at his boxers. They're slightly tented.

"Sorry," he apologizes. Kind of turned on himself. "We'll keep this between us?" he asks, looking up at him.

Kai's thumbs smooth over his cheeks. His gaze dark. He nods.

Tyson smiles.

He pecks him on the lips once. Then lets him go.

Tyson races to class. The professor is midway through the lecture when he reaches the hall. He enters quietly as Shapiro shoots him a disapproving look, mouth still moving.

"As some of you are already aware, we have a quiz this afternoon," he announces.

A collective groan rises from the students.

Tyson quickly makes his way to the empty seat beside Hilary and plops down.

"Hey" he says to her, dropping his bag on the floor and dragging his lecture pad out.

She glances at him. "I thought you slept in."

"No"

"You okay?"

Tyson pauses, confused for a moment before he recalls his text. "Oh yeah. Yeah, I'm good now. Sorry for bailing on you like that. Are you mad?"

She shrugs. Turning to the front. He smiles at her apologetically, then he notices her eyes. "Your eyes are red," he whispers to her.

Hilary blinks. Her lips growing thin. "Allergies"

Tyson stares for a moment, then sits back and curls his upper lip at Shapiro. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" he curses under his breath as the professor doles out work after work.

"I have a fat joint," Eddie dances on the grass. "Who wants a smoke?"

Tyson eats his ice cream, the setting sun slanting over the side of his face.

"Gimme" Michael reaches.

He hands the rolled up joint to him.

"Fuuuck" he groans. "Shit's so good."

"Right?" Eddie starts coughing, teetering on his feet.

Rick observes Tyson quietly.

"You're weird today," he comments after a minute.

"Why?" he asks.

His friend's lying on the grass. An arm under his head. "You have this sort of...uh..." he gestures around his head. "Glowy aura."

Tyson snorts, nearly choking on the ice cream stick. "I have what now?"

"You're shining"

"Yeah?" he prompts with a grin. "You know what you have?"

"What?"

"Weed. Inside your head."

Rick chortles. They're not smoking on campus grounds. They're chilling at a park.

"He's glowy because he finally took a shower," Eddie explains on his behalf. "Isn't that right, T-bone?"

He nods.

Michael stares at the clouds. "That one looks like a boat. I should take Emily on it."

"Is Max coming?" asks Rick. "He said he would. With Rei."

"I'm running out of joints," Eddie searches his pockets. "Fuck this shit is aaargh!" He sniffs, inhaling sharply, pulling phlegm out of his throat.

"Bruh" Michael holds up a hand as a shield. "Stop. Don't spray that thing anywhere near me."

"Oh" He dry heaves. Tyson makes a disgusted face. Eddie runs to the nearby river with a hand on his stomach.

"Fucking hell" Michael says, relieved. "He almost scared me to death."

"Dude's so gross," rumbles Rick.

Tyson scrapes the side of his ice cream tub, laughing through his nose.

"Hey guys" greets Max's voice. He looks like he came here straight out of classes, a satchel across his body. Rei's beside him. Looking relaxed and sated after a long blissful shower.

"'Suup" they greet in return.

Tyson wiggles his sticky fingers at the two.

"You're smoking?" asks Rei, sitting down next to Michael's head.

"Want?" he offers.

"Nope" He shakes his head. "Don't smoke"

"There are two goldfishes in our room," Max tells Tyson, standing over him.

"What?" He pauses with the spoon in his mouth.

"Goldfishes?" asks Rick. Eddie's loud heaves can be heard from here. He's vomiting into the water.

"Yes" Max nods. "A first year named Wyatt dropped them by."

Tyson's eyes go wide. He shoots to his feet. Grabs Max by his arm and pulls him a few feet away. Rick frowns after them.

"What the hell? You can't tell anyone," he hisses as soon as they're out of earshot.

"They don't know?" asks Max in return, puzzled.

"Nobody knows!"

"Okay, what's going on? I don't understand. You said the date was boring and that you were never seeing him again. Why is he sending you goldfishes?"

"I-" Tyson rubs at his temple. "I don't" he sighs. He can't lie. He doesn't want to lie. "I'm seeing him, okay?"

Max gapes. "You're dating Kai?"

"Yeah" He nods.

The surprise is so huge on his face, Tyson almost regrets his decision to tell him. He looks like he's going to run around and shout about it.

"Oh my god" he cries in a whisper. "You do like him."

"Yeah"

"Hilary cannot know."

"No, she can't."

Max is silent for a while. Then he smiles. His face lighting up like a christmas tree. "I'm happy for you," he says. "You look happy."

Tyson smiles softly. Feeling mushy inside. He doesn't care. He doesn't care at all that he's seeing another guy. Max is truly the greatest. He thinks the others might be supportive too. But he can't risk telling more people yet. Eddie cannot keep a secret to save his life.

"I won't tell anyone without asking you first," he promises.

"Thank you" whispers Tyson.

"Those goldfishes are really cute," he tells him.

"They are?" he asks with a grin.

"Yeah" He excitedly shows him a picture. Two orange, shiny little fishes swimming in a cute transparent bowl.

A/N: BABIES, UPDATES WILL SLOW DOWN FROM NOW ON. I AM BUSY. GETTING SUUPER BUSY. CANNOT KEEP UP WITH A FIXED SCHEDULE. BUT EXPECT WEEKLY. NOT GONNA LEAVE YALL HANGING TOO LONG.

I haven't been able to reply to individual reviews but know that I read every single one and cherish. ABSOLUTELY CHERISH. Every single one. I love you. Thank you for reading. And reviewing. You guys seriously motivate me to keep going so I hope you enjoyed. Please stay safe. And healthy.

See you soon. Mmwah!