Lil early since I'm moving and won't have anything in the house tomorrow or internet. I dunno when I'll be able to post again but hopefully it won't be too long of a wait.
Thank you to those who are still coming back and following along. Hope you're all well and till next time!
The drive over to the club was usually a pretty chirpy one. Tala would have his music blasting through the speakers whilst shamelessly singing along, getting himself pumped up for a long night of being submerged in the same loud atmosphere but this drive was different.
It was silent.
The only noise being the whir of the engine and the low blow from the heater in front of him.
He was pissed. And his hard expression showed it. His eyes too were icy as the roads ahead as they glared at every red light that dared to make this journey longer than what it needed to be.
He could probably count on one hand the amount of times he'd been mad at Kai. One of which was when he and Ray had molested his bed sheets so that showed the extent of the rage he'd ever held for him.
Minor shit. That's all it had ever been. Slight annoyances at most. Which was surprising considering what an asshole Kai could be but 99% of the time he'd gotten along great with the guy over the years.
How he felt now though was borderline disgusted and he'd wished he could say he'd never felt such a way for another but it was the same feeling he felt when Bryan had done what he did all those weeks ago.
That's how intensely repulsed he was right now.
He pulled up into the carpark and there were a handful of cars belonging to other members of staff already but no Corvette as of yet.
Figures. Least it gave him some time to get things all set up and running before the prick finally arrived... He presumed he'd be coming anyways.
He'd fucking better.
Tala hadn't seen him since that day he'd dragged them all out to the mall and the monster truck event. A few texts just regarding the reopening of the club but apart from that there'd been nothing.
All made sense now as to why he'd kept so quiet since he had all this going on behind their backs.
The guy was just something else. As per usual protecting Johnny when he should've cut that chord long ago.
With a hard close of his car door he strode over to the club entrance and pushed himself inside, the new decor pleasing to his eyes though no smile appeared.
He had to put one on though as others began to greet him and with a shake off of his jacket he stepped behind the bar and for the time being got to work.
Was all he could do until his good ol' partner got there...
As the doors kept opening and closing, more fellow employees showing up and the first set of starving patrons for their nightly visual fix began filling up, it wasn't until almost half an hour of the clubs opening did the back door quietly creek open.
Why on Earth he decided to come in at all he had no clue, could only assume because he couldn't stand the stillness and quiet of the house now without Thomas or Ray there.
Though the sounds of the DJ going felt louder than any other night, things looking to be going in full swing and it wasn't like he was really needed downstairs anyways, he quickly took himself up the back ones to hide away and file some paper work or something... God knew he needed the distraction right now if his noisy head allowed him.
Like some kind of hawk the moment the door on his right had opened, even whilst he was handing a drink over to a customer, Tala had spotted the little rat. Took him long enough...
He gave it a few minutes. His heated gaze unable to refrain from glancing up to the one sided windows above as he served another patron.
"Hey, cover me for a second." He sent to Mario beside him as he dried off his hands on a rag and slipped from behind the bar, feet taking him straight over to the side door, and up the stairs to the office.
Before the door even had a chance to swing close behind him, Tala was yanking it wide open as Kai barely made it halfway into his office.
Not only was he startled by the sound of the door slamming into the wall behind it, but the look being sent his way from the other was a new one and one he wasn't familiar with in all the six years he'd known him.
It wasn't like he didn't know what it was for though. But that didn't help him any as no words formed as he just stared back.
"You can give me that face all you fucking want Kai, you've three seconds to start talking." He bit, not caring in the slightest for the sorry expression on the others face already.
"I want to know what the fuck is going on, and I wanna know now."
"I don't know..." Kai responded in an almost whispered breath, shoulders hardly going up like he suddenly had no will to live.
"I didn't... I didn't mean to though." He told him honestly with the same sad and pathetic expression sitting on his face.
"Really? Cos I've seen what you did and it looked pretty damn intentional to me!" Tala yelled, the pitiful demeanor opposite only riling him more.
"Whatever you two are into that's your business, but when the kid turns up at my door with his bags packed, well done, now you got me involved." His eyes remained locked on him; face contorted some in a slight snarl as he shouted at him.
He could tell Kai was feeling some kind of way but the whole 'I don't know why I do things' bullshit was overplayed now. He was done hearing it.
"What the hell is going on between you and Johnny? If he's been arrested that's great. So what the fuck are you doing going back and forth there?"
Kai's hands roughly went through his hair, Tala's own anger at him starting to reawaken his own and making his hands twitch again that he needed to get it out in some way.
"Because he's my fucking brother! And he did it for me! I know, I know he's a shit person, I know I'm better off without him- that we all would be- but I can't just abandon him in there!" He finally bellowed back as the pathetic look washed away with a frustrated snarl of his own.
"He needed to sign those god forsaken divorce papers for Nicole. And because I fucking wanted to. Is that okay with you?! I didn't think with him finally behind bars would it be a problem just to see him."
"Well clearly it is a fucking problem if it's making you, whatever the hell this is!" He threw back, gesturing at him. "I'm just glad Ray was smart enough to walk away cos who knows what else you'd do to him!
"You can go on ahead and see the waste of space all you want now; you've wasted enough time on the little prick so what's a few more years? Least the only life you're fucking around now is your own cos if Ray had any sense he'd stay the hell away from you until you made a damn choice!"
Every word felt like a hot knife stabbing him in the chest, but also at the same time something he'd already gone and knew himself. Long before any of this. Way before in fact.
Wasn't he the one that had even told Tala that Ray would get hurt being with him? Surely not by his own hand, never of course, until today... But either way, he'd gone and hurt him and there wasn't a way to take it back.
"I know I fucked up today, Tal... And I'm sorry."
"Oh, that just makes it all better then does it? You fucked up, and you're sorry. Riiight." He sarcastically droned on before shaking his head at him and stepping closer.
"You're about to lose two of the best things to ever happen to you d'you know that? Sure, I know you never wanted kids. But that little shit would not stop asking about you the entire day I had him. Couldn't wait to show you the picture he drew of all of us and the monster trucks or tell you about what happened in his TV show. All the while you're, what? Too busy 'fucking up?'"
Before Kai could even process it two hands had connected with his chest and shoved him back, blue eyes piercing into him as another boom of Tala's voice rang through his ears.
"Wake the fuck up, Kai! Sorry isn't gonna cut it anymore!"
The shove to the chest only riled him up more, his fingers itching again and did his damnest to hold back from lashing out. He couldn't afford to make another stupid mistake tonight. He just couldn't.
"I KNOW THAT! But Jesus fuck Tal, I'm not asking that it be excused for what I did, but at least see why it did! I've been up to my neck in shit since the night of the fight and then some, to losing Ming and then to find out the fucker had been there when she was still alive and didn't do a goddam thing to help her!"
"Awww let me go and get my tiny violin!" He whined out condescendingly with a put on pout.
"We've all been through it Kai in case you fucking forgot! Are you really gonna stand there and act like you've done all this alone? What excuse do you really have to lash out how you fucking do? Huh?"
"No, I never said that!" Kai shouted back, stumbling over his words as he didn't have a comeback for the rest of it.
"Ehhh you sorta did." He argued, "In your little world you seem to think your bullshit is inexcusable all because what? You've got a lot on your plate? Newsflash we've all got shit going on Kai, we just don't deal with it like petulant children like the Hiwatari kids seem to do, and who also don't like to accept responsibility for their actions...
"Damn. You and Johnny really ain't all that different..."
Kai just stared back, doing his best to ignore how badly he wanted to lift his hand and strike his friend in the face right now. Yet, he knew how this went. Get baited into it and actually do it then he'd be the bad guy, again, but he could hardly ignore the way Tala's last words kept circling around in his head.
"Get. Out." He hissed through clenched teeth; fists balled up at his sides to the point his knuckles hurt.
"Or what..." Tala didn't so much as blink at the order. His own tone now lowering to something dark as he remained right where he was.
That was a damn good question, and Kai didn't have a fucking answer for it which left him shaking in his rage harder as they seemed to just stare each other down.
"Or what, Kai?" Tala pressed again, taking another challenging step forward and standing close enough to tower slightly over him.
"What are you gonna do if I don't? Gonna hurt me like you did Ray?"
The words he'd been spewing since it happened waited to come back out, wanting to scream it at the top of his lungs to the point he went deaf from his own voice yet realized it'd be no use.
It didn't matter how many times he said it, how many times he apologized for it, the fact remained he'd gone and did all that to the only person he'd ever loved in his miserable life and here now his best friend was almost mocking him for it. Challenging him to do the same.
He'd regret it, like he already was, but when his hand snatched out like a snake striking its prey he didn't give a shit, and the second his fingers curled around the other's neck he had spun Tala to where his back and head collided with the windows behind.
He'd egged him on long enough. This was still his damn office, was still his damn club, and still his goddamn life.
"This what you wanted?!" His voice shook out of him as he kept the other pinned up against the windows.
"Can make you look ten times worse than he does if it's what you really want. So keep fuckin pushing me."
As the grip locked around his throat Tala's hands came to clutch automatically onto Kai's wrist, eyes remaining locked opposite on the snarl being sent his own way.
Whilst his expression too remained hard as he glared back he'd be lying if the other wasn't unnerving him here, even with this being exactly what he wanted.
He continued to goad him though, he'd pushed him this far they'd may as well go all the way now. Wasn't like he hadn't thrown hands with a best friend before...
"Then do it!" He hissed, before a long leg connected with Kai's stomach causing his grip to release instantly as he recoiled back with a grunt.
Grabbing at his shirt collar Tala forced Kai to stand upright, pivoting with him and changing their positions to send Kai into the glass, pressing him violently up against it like he was sure he'd never been before.
"If you wanna be rough Kai, then show me how you like to play!"
Shaking off the winded feeling he had from both the knee and then his back and head colliding to the windows, Kai's fired up eyes locked back up at the other before him as his teeth clenched harder he could have chipped a tooth.
His shoulders shook with that same rage he'd harbored all day, it finally bursting out to the point he couldn't contain it anymore. And at this point he wasn't so sure he even wanted to.
With a lung off the wall, arms coming around Tala's middle, he threw the two on the ground where Tala landed on his back and was quickly met with a fist to his jaw as Kai sat over him.
Covering his head with his arms Tala defended two more lashings out before managing to flip them both and getting in his own right hook across Kai's cheek before he raised his arms to protect his face.
He'd never have thought he'd ever be scrapping with his new partner so soon but maybe that's just what life in business did to you? No wonder the guy drank so much.
The nearly blinding hot pain surged along Kai's jaw, but it was nothing he couldn't ignore. Although his movements might have seemed misplaced and despite Tala blocking his face with the shield of his arms, Kai's fist still connected with his right and as Tala flinched from the blow over him, his other fist sought out the opportunity to strike him in the ribs on the side as hard as he could to knock the other off of him.
Tala may have height over him but he'd taken men down bigger than himself before when he was just a scrawny little nothing himself. Killed a man with his two bare hands. Not that he wanted or would do the same to Tala, it was a dangerous line to walk now and he had to do his damn hardest not to teeter too close to it.
Gasping for the air that had just been knocked out of him Tala clung with one arm around his ribs in his winded state whilst Kai used the moment to his advantage and reversed their positions again, shoving the redhead flat on his back again and laying into him.
Tala gritted his teeth and took it, protecting his head as best as he could against every blow, allowing the other to get out whatever pent up rage he still had in him.
It wouldn't be long now. Unless he really had lost another best friend and Kai wasn't the man he thought he was either anymore.
If that was the case, then he was fucked.
Without the other fighting back anymore, Kai's own fists began to slow as they steadily bruised and the pain in them became too hard to ignore. Like the snap of a finger he stopped with his arm raised, poised to strike again and taking note of the bit of blood smeared on Tala's shirt sleeves that had been blocking most of his hits.
Whatever demon that had possessed him left, his arm slowly falling back to his side as he took in a few heavy and ragged breaths now that time all but stopped and froze them in that position; yet his mind was screaming at him louder than it had ever done before.
What kind of boss was he? Friend? Man? To do all these things to the people he cared for? If anything he wasn't, he was just a monster and like Tala had said he was no different than Johnny. No different than his grandfather and that stung more than anything he could really comprehend.
Sorry seemed to be the best thing to say but he knew it would be wasted, wouldn't be impactful, not now.
But he knew, probably had known for a long time now, that he just couldn't keep doing this. Any of it. He was too tired to keep fighting any battles, too tired trying to keep his plates spinning regardless if they'd all gone and shattered on the floor around him a long time ago.
With an ungraceful roll he threw himself onto the floor beside Tala, pulling at the hair stuck to his face from the bit of sweat he'd gone and shed through it all, his chest still heaving in and out on him as he shut his eyes tight and willed the screaming in his head to go away.
The hell was he supposed to do now?
With the weight now off of him Tala dared to open his screwed shut eyes and peek from his shield to the other male now laid out beside him on the carpet.
Deeming it safe he let his own shaking arms flop down, his muscles having being tensed up for what felt like the longest time to the point they ached.
He gave him a minute, the only sound being the very faint music from downstairs barely making it to the soundproofed room, and their ragged breaths.
"Feel better?"
Kai's head slowly moved side to side along the floor. He didn't even know what to feel right now.
"Why'd you let me do that to you?"
Tala's head rolled to look at him, "Cos it was what you needed." He answered honestly. "You went and did that thing again of bottling everything up to the point you were ready to explode... I didn't know what else to do to help."
"That's what happened at home... Just be thankful I stopped it this time..." Kai sighed, dragging the hand that had been in his hair down his face.
Tala huffed a laugh and eased himself to sit upright, a small groan escaping him as he'd felt like he'd just walked out in front of a train.
"Yeah... Real thankful."
"I can't do this Tal." Kai voiced, staying put where he was.
Turning his head to look down at him red brows furrowed, slight panic coursing through him on what Kai's next words were going to be.
"Can't do what?"
Kai gestured at the air around them, "Everything. This, the club. Taking care of Thomas. Taking care of Ray, Nicole. Dealing with Johnny. I just... I can't do it anymore. Something has to give."
"Johnny would be my first off the list..." He suggested in a mutter even if he did understand why Kai clung on to him as he did.
Kai felt his eyes water, the come down of the adrenaline leaving him drained and overwhelmed with the other emotions he didn't like dealing with either.
"I know..." He choked out, throwing his arm over his eyes to block out the light hanging above him.
"And I am. I am." He said, feeling like repeating it would cement it this time.
Tala sent him a sympathetic look. He wanted to believe him. He really did. But if he was honest, he could tell by how torn Kai sounded that he had no intentions of cutting Johnny out just yet. He wasn't even sure if he ever would.
"Why don't you just head off home?" He suggested after a moment, "I'll handle tonight. Go home and just get yourself an early night or something."
Although the suggestion was a good one, a really good one, he couldn't stand how empty and cold the place felt right now that it was just him. Hence why he was there at the club at all.
"Is he okay?" He choked out instead, looking like he'd become a part of the floor since he hadn't budged since throwing his arm over his eyes.
Tala took in a breath as he eased himself up to his feet, giving himself a moment for the slight dizziness to subside before stepping over to the glass and resting against it.
Why did he always end up in the middle of these two? He didn't sign up for this...
"Honestly I didn't really get chance to speak to him." He told him. "I was half way getting ready for work when he turned up and then I pretty much left not long after to get here. Thought I was gonna be late with Thomas screwing around being a lil menace."
Despite his chest feeling heavy, thoughts running rampant, the corner of Kai's lips twitched some at that. Of course..
"Give ya another 300 for your troubles."
He was waved off. "Don't worry about it, he's a good kid. Just, wonders what's up with his Uncle Kai at times..."
"Makes two of us." Kai responded as he heaved himself up from the floor finally to sit.
"I'm trying... I thought I was doing good. I'm not looking for excuses, Tal, but I don't know what the hell I'm doing half the time. If it weren't for you, for Ray... Shit, both of us woulda been on our asses a long time ago."
"So here's a piece of advice then my friend, look after those that look after you." He stated matter of factly.
"What the hell has Johnny ever done for you besides give you constant grief and a damn headache? He's finally where he belongs Kai and you're still pandering to him, letting him fuck things up for you and I don't get why?!"
Tala's voice was rising in his frustration, his back coming off the glass as he felt the needed to pace round some.
"I get that he's your brother. Really, I do. Family needs to stick together and all that bullshit but even with him behind bars he's tearing your new found family apart, man, and it makes zero sense to me on why you're allowing it."
Kai watched him for a moment, having gone to open his mouth when he thought Tala was done only for the other to keep going until it seemed he'd run out of steam for a minute.
"He did it for me when I was in there." He answered in almost a whisper but loud enough Tala could hear him.
"He's the only reason I'm not still in there. I was put in for life, without parole. If he hadn't gone and begged my grandfather... I wouldn't be here, Tal."
The admission had the others pacing come to a halt almost instantly and his head snap towards him, eyes staring right at him for a moment as he processed what the actual fuck he'd just revealed.
"Wait... What?" Tala's face was completely contorted as he questioned him, clearly not even believing what he'd just heard and this reflected in his somewhat jokey tone.
"What do you mean you got life? The fuck did you do, kill someone?"
All Kai could do was look him in the face and nod back silently. Watching on as all emotion slowly drained from the others face and send him the same look Ray had when he'd told him.
Like Ray had done, Tala's expression remained somewhat plain, indifferent as undoubtedly hundreds of thoughts ran through his mind, but it was in the eyes that Kai could really tell what the other was feeling.
Fear.
Tala broke off the locked gaze he had with him as scenes he never would have imagined would involve the other played out in his head. He just couldn't believe that Kai would had done such a thing with a knife, or a gun, or his bare hands...
He dared to look back at the shorter male again who too had let his eyes trail off, unable to keep watching the clear silent judging in front of him though at the sound of Tala clearing his throat he glanced back.
"Well... Was not expecting that that's for sure..." He commented, trying to not sound as floored as he was.
"Does... Does Ray know?"
Once more Kai gave a slow nod, refraining from pushing his bangs from his face even though his hands twitched to do something.
Silence fell upon them, so many thoughts running through Tala's mind now that it was just like TV static. He was shocked, speechless, and a part of him felt like he didn't even know the very male sitting before him now.
It had never been a secret that Kai had a temper. That much was common knowledge to everyone that had ever worked for him. But to have flipped his shit to the point he'd done, fuck knows what to another... That was just next level.
He wanted to ask what happened but, his better judgement didn't dare.
"I... Don't really know what to say, Kai..." He admitted with an awkward shrug of his shoulders.
"I guess.. You should just do whatever you think is right... Though, I don't think Ray should be involved with it... Any of it... Whatever goes on between you and Johnny should just stay between you two. And maybe until it's all figured or whatever... Stay away from Ray..."
Somewhere in the back of Kai's mind the words that had just poured from Tala's mouth were the same ones he'd been holding onto himself, knew deep down since the start of it all. He should have stayed away, a long time ago, had tried to stay away but it was the other's stubbornness that put them where they were.
He wouldn't have changed it, asked for anything different. God only knew where he and Thomas would have been without Ray at this point given how his first week as a new dad went.
This though, with what he'd gone and done and because once more Johnny had set him off, he already knew it had to be done if they were going to manage to salvage anything of their relationship.
Catching sight of the ring on his finger, his eyes began to water and he fought with his bottom lip from wobbling on him best he could before he had another complete break down as the events of the day came rushing back into him.
He had no real words for his defense, there was no defending what he did, and all he could offer Tala was another nod of his head in understanding before he picked himself up off the floor.
He was sorry, and he hoped Tala could see that, but he figured at this point if he kept saying it the words would lose their meaning so kept his mouth shut once more. Never in his life did he feel as small as he did right now, nor did he really know what to do with himself either. It felt like he really had been shot in the chest.
Gaining some kind of strength, he swallowed past the lump in his throat and shifted his weight where he stood. He could see Tala was scared of him so kept his distance, he had every right to be scared of him... He was scared of himself.
"If they need anything, just... Just let me know. As for the club... If you have it tonight then I'll just go home."
Tala nodded to him, giving his assurance that he'd do exactly what he'd just asked of him as regardless of whatever went on in Kai's past he was still his friend and now business partner.
"Sure thing, and if you need anything you let me know, okay?" He requested, looking right at him to show his sincerity before pushing whatever nerves he now held aside and stepping towards him.
"I don't want you to go back down the dark rabbit hole, Kai, I really don't..."
Before Kai could even register the action, Tala's arms were around him, giving him the embrace that he clearly looked like he needed right about now. Tala could feel that the shorter male was as rigid as a board, but he wanted to let Kai know that even with the chaos that always did seem to surround him, he wasn't alone. And never will be.
Kai's body relaxed some into the unfamiliar embrace. As often as it was he and Ray hugged, he couldn't say anyone else their age aside from Ming had ever really hugged him like this. Was nice but also awkward given how he'd always viewed Tala before.
He cleared his throat again, patting the other round the back almost stiffly and eased himself out of the hug and stepped back.
Now he felt all kinds of weird. Was best he just do as mother hen ordered and go home. Might as well try and get used to the silence of the place, wasn't like he hadn't been used to it before.
"Thanks. I will. Um... See you maybe tomorrow night then." He sent, feet already taking him towards the door of his office to leave though stopped again and turned back to Tala.
"I know I shouldn't see Ray during this... What I did was wrong and horrible, but I do want to still keep in touch with them both. I do love them, Tal."
The redhead nodded showing his understanding though this was where he was going to intervene.
"Of course you do... But I think you should leave the ball in Ray's court with this one." He softly advised, "I'll talk to him in regards of Thomas, but as for you two, let him be the one to approach you when he's ready."
"Yeah... Alright. Thanks." Kai sent a half-hearted wave back before slipping out of the office and down the stairs. Felt like a child being sent to his room for doing something bad, but maybe it's what he really needed.
Letting Tala's words of 'wisdom' settle in his head as he climbed into his car, he figured he did need to make a choice. Either Johnny or his new family...
He was sure, had always been sure that given all the things Johnny had ever done that he would have been able to cut that chord but somehow always found himself pulled back in and not even he understood it himself.
He paid his debts to Johnny a long time ago. They may be brothers through marriage but that was it. So why did he keep letting him come back and fucking up his life?
Though, today, he couldn't really blame Johnny this time around. Was his own damn fault for the hole he'd gone and put himself in here and he was pretty sure no amount of new cars sitting in the drive would make Ray forgive him.
Entering the house he was hit with the silence and given how it used to be he should have welcomed it but it still didn't sit well within him any now. He couldn't stand it.
Taking off his jacket by the front door as well as his shoes he headed up for the stairs and quickly got changed, not even sparing the bed a second look as he walked around it like he was on auto pilot to get ready for bed. There was no sense in staying up later with nothing to do, and really he didn't want to do anything. Felt too numb to do anything more than just grab a spare blanket from the closet and carry it down stairs along with his phone charger and pillow.
Setting up his temporary bed for the night on the couch, he'd barely eased his head down on his pillow propped against the arm rest when his phone pinged with a message.
He wasn't expecting anything horrible, but he had just left Tala to run the club on his own for the first time and had been expecting something from him but what greeted him on the phone screen made his heart clench and his eyes well up some.
He'd been graced, so generously so, with a picture of Thomas passed out on his own make-shift bed on Tala's couch wrapped up in his blanket and Iron Man pajamas, blue hair all over the place even in sleep and out-cold to the world.
Ray didn't need to send this to him, and although he knew it wasn't coming from a bad place it didn't help him hating himself more for what had happened.
The words at the bottom of the picture forced the tears out of his eyes as he couldn't tear them away from his phone.
[I love you, sleep good. Will talk soon.]
Eventually, after his eyes had strained long enough looking at his screen he closed it down and sat it back on the table by the couch behind his head. Tala had said to leave the ball in Ray's court and he was going to. Had to if he wanted to salvage any of their relationship at this point.
What Ray had sent was his own small olive branch and Kai was grateful for it, though it just made him want to hold the other and apologize over and over for his behavior and have them both home.
For now though, like he'd told Tala, he'd let Ray come to him when he was ready. No matter how hard it was going to be or how long it took.