Disclaimer: none of the characters are mine... well, except Aiano ^_^ *hugs
an Aiano plushie*
Yasuo: ....... people might wanna burn that...
Nanashi: but, he's so cute! *sits down and plays with Aiano and Takao plushies*
Kai: *storms in, snatching the Aiano plushie, and starts stomping on it, until it's flattened into the floor* heh... *walks out*
Nanashi: *eyes widen... and anime sweatdrops at the stuffing laying around*
Yasuo: *snickers* er, ahem... just the Warnings: shounen-ai, so heads up...
Nanashi: ............... KAI!!! *sighs, then brightens* oh hey! REVIEWS! *gasps* Assassin of the Shadows! You really like it!?!?!? thank you!!! Little Leila!!! *glomps Little Leila* YAY! thank you so much for reviewing!!! katemi, hee-chan2, Nancys-little-Obsession, Kiakyodragonlover, Kali-sama & Caitlin, Glay-sama, Hob-sama, backward-sama, Timberwolf-sama!!! *pounces and glomps on all Reviewers* Gah! getting such positive reviews means so much to me!!! Thank you all so much! Ai daisuke!!!
Yasuo: ... okay, now you're scaring them...
Nanashi: *blinks* you think so...?
Yasuo: yup...
Nanashi: uhhhh... heh... gomen nasai ^_^()
~~~***~~~
"... Awwww, isn't that the cutest thing you've ever seen?" someone whispered.
A small snicker, "I guess so..."
"Never thought I'd live to see Kai like this..."
"Heh, Tyson's like his security blanket or something."
"Think Ty can breathe?"
More snickering, "let's hope so... Aiano wouldn't be happy if his fiancee was strangled to death by Tyson's lover."
"Lover? Heh, Kai wishes..."
"... I dunno... I think Kai stands a pretty good chance."
"... Not me..."
Kai frowned, "I'm awake, ya know..." he muttered, darkly.
"Eeps!" two voices yelped in unison. Very slowly, Kai looked over his shoulder, greyish violet eyes glazed over with sleepy irritation. There stood Rei and Max, and both were staring at Kai in something resembling in terror.
Kai's frown deepened, "what do you want?"
"Uhhhh, breakfast'll be ready in a few minutes," Max said, hesitantly.
Kai shrugged, turning back to Tyson and pulled him closer, snuggling against him. "I'm not hungry," he muttered. He ignored Max's 'aww,' and Rei's laughing.
"C' mon, Kai... it's better if me and Max try to get you up, rather than Aiano, right?" Rei reasoned. Kai stiffened at the sound of Aiano's name. He looked over his shoulder at Rei, scowling.
"... Aiano?"
Rei and Max anime sweatdropped. "Don't tell me you don't remember him, already?" Rei asked, in disbelief.
"Aiano remembers you... and you hit him on the head how many times...?" said Max, tilting his head, as he tried to remember how many times Kai hit Aiano.
"Six times, so far... I'll assume Kai hit Aiano when Tyson was having his bath..." Rei informed the younger boy. Max blinked, then nodded.
"Oh yeah."
Kai blinked, but didn't say anything. Rei was pretty close. He was pretty sure he hit this Aiano twice during the 'Tyson's bath' escapade. So it was about seven hits now.
"You really don't remember?" Rei asked, almost amazed.
Max laughed, "guess he needs a simple reminder..."
Kai raised an eyebrow, as Rei turned to Max, taking the blonde boy's hands, his gold feline-like eyes shining. "Ty-chan... words simply can't express how much I love your laughter! Surely you will make this temple a much brighter place with your beautiful smile..."
Rei then gathered Max into a tight embrace, sighing dramatically. "Sweet, Ty-chan... you and I will make a wonderfully married couple, will we not?"
Max blinked in cute confusion, in a very realistic Tyson-fashion. "Um, sure...?" he said, slowly.
Kai's hand started to twitch. Suddenly he was on his feet, glaring viciously at Rei, as he raised his fist, and...
BONK!
"ACK!" Rei yelped, as he hit the floor. Max anime sweatdropped, staring down at Rei. Then glanced back at Kai, perplexed.
Kai was standing there, for a second looking very lost. Then it hit him (so to speak). He looked at his fist, while scratching his head, as everything came flooding back. "Ohh...! Him! Aiano!"
"... Oh, look! He remembers now...!" Rei blurted slurrishly, from the floor. Max snickered, as he helped Rei back to his feet.
Kai scowled, "and here I thought it was just a really lousy dream..."
Max grinned, "nope, it's real, Kai... Ty has a fiancee... his name is Aiano, he's good-looking, and he seems to really like Ty..." he explained, closing his eyes with a wide smile.
Kai shot Max a look in the corner of his eye. "You think he's good- looking?"
Max blinked, while Rei anime sweatdropped. Kai then grabbed Max by his shoulders, a little roughly. "Max! As your team captain, I have a job for you! And as your captain, I expect you to do it, too!" he hissed, eyes narrowing dangerously.
Max blinked a few more times, while Rei stood back, his hands out as he debated whether or not to play with fate and try to pull Max from Kai's grip.
Max then gulped nervously, "uhn... what kinda job?"
"Make Aiano fall for you!"
Max and Rei's eyes widened simultaneously. "WHAAT!?"
"Rei-kun, Max-kun... breakfast is served," Aiano said, as he entered the room. His green eyes met Kai's, and tension instantly hung heavily in the air.
Rei and Max anime sweatdropped, "um, okay..." they mumbled.
Aiano frowned.
Kai glared.
Aiano frowned somemore.
Kai glared somemore.
Then Aiano smiled, in a friendly manner. "Ohayo, Kai-san... did you sleep well?"
Kai continued to glare. "Good morning, Aiano... yes, I did."
"That's no surprise, I'm sure... having slept with an angel," Aiano said, a little bitterly, but still managing a small smile.
Kai smirked, "Aiano, is that jealousy I hear?"
Aiano tighted his right hand into a fist, cracking his knuckles in the process. "To be perfectly honest, Kai-san... yes, I am jealous..."
"Uhhh... Aiano! Let's go get some breakfast!" Max blurted, grabbing Aiano's arm. Rei nodded, and grabbed Aiano's other arm.
"Tyson sleeps like the dead, so why not leave Kai with the task of getting him up, huh?" the Chinese teenager suggested.
Aiano blinked, as he was then dragged out of the room, in a pretty hasty manner.
Kai couldn't help but feel a surge of triumph. He yawned, and laid back down beside Tyson, holding him close again.
"Wake up, Tyson," he mumbled.
Tyson merely snored softly, but made no move whatsoever to actually wake up. Kai chuckled softly to himself. "I tried," he murmured, nuzzling his nose into Tyson's ponytail.
~~~
Tyson yawned, opening his eyes, slowly. Making sure to take a few seconds to remember where he was.
Kaze Temple.
He smiled, as he stretched his legs, then his arms. There was familiar weight draped over Tyson's waist. Blinking, the pony-tailed boy looked over his shoulder.
Kai.
Shifting his weight, Tyson rolled onto his back, to get a better look at his captain. "Kai?"
Kai propped himself up on his elbow, resting his head in his hand. "Ohayo..." he greeted, quietly.
Tyson grinned, sleepily. "Morning...." then he laughed a bit, "you slept in!"
Kai blinked, then shook his head, "no... I was awake since this morning."
Tyson blinked, "this morn... wait, what time is it now?"
"Almost noon."
Tyson's eyes widened, "what!? Kai, why didn't you wake me up!?"
The team captain raised an eyebrow, "that's the thanks I get for letting you sleep in, to enjoy your little break?"
Tyson sighed, "No, Kai... sorry, but I was supposed to get a tour of the temple with Aiano at 10, or something..." He covered his face with his hands, moaning. "Oh man! Aiano's gonna be so mad!"
Kai pulled Tyson's hands away, gently. "Hey, relax... he said if sleep is what you really want, he would gladly wait," he muttered, unfortunately using Aiano's exact words.
Tyson blinked, "really?"
"Yeah."
"Kai?"
"Hm?"
".... You're holding my hand."
Kai blinked, realizing he was still holding Tyson's hand, in an oddly firm yet gentle way. Taking a nervous breath, Kai let his gaze meet Tyson's.
"Actually, Tyson... I've been thinking..."
"About what?" Tyson asked, blinking.
"... About... how I... how I am..."
"How you are?"
"... I know I'm not the most... open person in the world... but there are people I care about..." he eyed Tyson, meaningfully. "Some more than others..."
Tyson tilted his head, cutely, "I don't think I understand, Kai."
"... Put simply, Tyson... I - I... really, really... c - care about... you..."
Tyson blinked.
Kai couldn't help but swallow nervously. "A lot," he added, quietly.
Tyson closed his eyes, smiling brightly. "Heh, I care about you too, Kai..."
"I'd like to believe that, Tyson..."
"Hey, I do..." Tyson persisted. "You're a great friend to have! It was hard work just getting you to open up to us, and when you did, I knew it was worth it... and it is."
Kai blinked. Then felt disappointment settle in his chest. No, he wasn't trying to lead to friendship. But due to Tyson's naive nature, that was exactly where the conversation lead to.
"Tyson, no... you're not listening...!"
Tyson blinked, "huh?"
Kai swallowed, leaning down towards the younger boy. "I mean that I... I really care about you..."
"..... Kai?"
Kai's heart was pounding with anticipation, feeling his mouth graze against Tyson's...
The moment Kai has been dreaming about for so long was finally about to happen...!
Tyson was still trying to stare at Kai in confusion; not an easy task since Kai was moving in so closely. Things should have been very obvious under these circumstances, but not to the pony-tailed boy.
Lips brushed against each other, very lightly; it almost couldn't be felt, but for Kai in sent a thrill racing through him...
WHAM!
"Ty-chan! I'll assume you're awake now!" Aiano declared, as he entered the room by slamming the door open, with a bright smile of greeting.
Tyson blinked, then sat up pushing Kai aside a bit, as he smiled in return. "Heh, 'morning, Aiano-kun..." he greeted.
Kai groaned out in frustration and plopped his head into the pillow, capturing the fabric in his teeth, as he bit on it, hard.
Aiano blinked, rubbing the back of his head, with a blank expression. "Oh my... was I interrupting anything?" he asked, slowly.
Kai glared viciously at him; how tempted he was was to pound on the caretaker of Kaze Temple! But with Tyson right there, Kai couldn't do it.
Aiano knelt on the floor beside Tyson, taking his hands. "Ty-chan... I trust Kai-san was a gentleman, and hasn't taken my fiancee's purity...?" he said, with a playful smile.
Kai felt a rush of anger, as well as embarrassment.
Tyson merely laughed, "uh, not quite..."
"... Oh, that's a relief..." Aiano said, chuckling. "I was afraid Kai-san would take the honor of having your..." the caretaker's words were cut-off, by a resounding...
BONK!
Tyson blinked, then glanced at Kai, confused. Kai cleared his throat, still a little red in the face. "Breakfast..." he mumbled, and walked out, stiffly.
Aiano sat up, blinking. "Was it something I said?"
~~~
After a very filling breakfast, Aiano was leading Tyson around the temple, speaking softly as he explained the temple's history to his fiancee.
".... The Kinomiya's were very strict on who could join their clan... of course only Kinomiya's acted as commanders, but to join the clan, one had to be kind, loyal, and very honorable... much like the Kinomiya's... Due to the Kinomiya's nature, the Kaze's held great loyalty for the Storm Dragon clan, and there was never betrayal, lies, or deceit..."
Aiano blinked in confusion as Tyson ran to the koibito pond, and knelt down, staring into the water. Then the World Champion smiled brightly.
"Ty-chan?" Aiano questioned.
"... I never noticed this before..." Tyson said, staring at the koibito fish who swam lazily about. "We have one just like it at home."
"A koibito pond?" Aiano asked, as he walked to Tyson.
"Yup... grampa really likes them..."
"I'm very relieved to hear that, Ty-chan..."
Tyson blinked, looking up at the green-eyed boy. "What do you mean?" he asked, confused.
Aiano smiled, as he knelt down beside Tyson. "This pond has been here for years... it's a little hard to believe, but this pond has been here since before the temple was built..."
"Really?"
"Yes..." Aiano smiled at Tyson. "Our ancestors made a promise here, Ty- chan," he said, softly.
"Yeah?"
"Yes..." Aiano stood up, taking Tyson's hands and pulling him gently to his feet. "The promise was for the Kinomiya's and Kaze's to always remain loyal and devoted to each other... and to this day, the promise is still being kept, is it not?"
Tyson blinked, staring at Aiano, "um, yeah... I guess so..."
"I just want you to know, Ty-chan... that you never have to question my loyalty and devotion to you..." Aiano said sincerely, green eyes shining. The blonde-haired caretaker was struggling to resist the desire to kiss his fiancee. But under such circumstances, it was proving to be very difficult.
Cool summer breezes gently blowing about Tyson's thick silky hair. His eyes shining beautifully under the bright skies; a pleasant warmth bathing around them due to the sun. The rustling of trees. The perfect setting.
Aiano leaned down, slowly.
BONK!
"ACK!" Aiano hit the ground. Tyson blinked in confusion, looking down at Aiano, once again at his feet. Then once he looked back up, there was Kai.
The captain's shoulders were heaving as he struggled to catch his breath, in attempts of lowering his temper. His fist still raised, an anime vein once again pulsing on the side of his head.
"Kai?"
Kai anime sweatdropped, looking back at Tyson, "Tyson, I..." He hastily tried to hide his fist behind his back, feigning innocence.
"... Why do you keep hitting him?" Tyson questioned with hands on his hips.
Kai froze, suddenly completely unable to speak or move. "Because, I..."
Tyson quirked an eyebrow, expectantly.
"Because, I... well, I... I just... I... because, uh... I... well, it's kinda... uh..." was all Kai managed to stammer.
Then to Kai's immense relief, Tyson rolled his eyes in a playful manner. "It's not very courteous to be hitting our host, you know...?"
"Uh, yeah... I know..." Kai muttered, while still glaring at Aiano on the ground. Who was suddenly on his feet, taking Tyson's hands.
"Don't worry, Ty-chan... as I told Kai, a mere strike to the head is nothing, if it means to hold your hands and gaze upon your heavenly smile!"
Kai growled, "you didn't say that!"
"... Well, that was the gist..." Aiano replied, shrugging.
Kai fell over, anime style. Then was on his feet again, anime vein pulsing violently. "STOP TOUCHING HIM!" he snarled, raising his fist again.
BONK!
Aiano was once again on the ground. Tyson anime sweatdropped, still not understanding.
~~~
And several feet away, around the corner of the temple, watching the events, were Rei, Max, and Kenny.
"Man, I don't think Kai can make his jealousy any clearer..." Rei commented.
"That's for sure..." agreed Max.
Kenny sighed, shaking his head. "Kai's going about this all wrong..."
Rei and Max blinked, then looked down at Kenny who was below the both of them. "What do you mean, Chief?" they asked, in unison.
Kenny straightened his glasses. "If Kai wants to win over Tyson, especially with competition like Aiano, he can't keep resorting to such means..."
Max looked up at Rei. Rei looked down at Max. They both shrugged and looked back down at Kenny, still confused. "Meaning?" they prompted.
"Meaning Kai can't keep turning his aggression to Aiano..."
"Wait... you want Kai to turn his aggression to Ty...!?" Max gasped. "Chief, that would do WAY more harm than good!"
Kenny anime sweatdropped, "no, Max... I'm not talking violent aggression... I mean emotional aggression... if Kai wants to win Tyson from Aiano, Kai's going to have to open up more, and try being a little more like Aiano."
Rei pursed his lips, then shook his head. "I dunno, Chief... two Aiano's... that's a scary thought."
Kenny growled, in annoyance. "No! I mean Kai's going to have to be more open with his feelings, the way Aiano is! Aiano openly hits on Tyson, without worrying what we think, right? Well, Kai's going to have to do that, too!"
Rei and Max started shaking their heads, causing the little genius to blink. "What?" he demanded.
"I don't think that would work, Chief..." Max said, slowly.
"I like Tyson, really I do... but he's..." Rei paused, as he tried to figure out how to say things tactfully. "Tyson's just... not... the brightest crayon in the box... if you know what I mean," he finished.
"... Uh........" was all Max and Kenny managed to say. Then they both dropped their heads forward, warily. "True," they agreed, with a sigh.
"Well, as much as I like Aiano, we need to help Kai..." Max declared, punching the air. Then he was shushed, grabbed roughly and pulled quickly around the corner. "ACK!"
"What's the big idea!?" Max demanded, once he pushed Rei's hand off his mouth.
"They looked over here..." Kenny whispered.
Max blinked, "oh." He shrugged, and grinned, "but I still say we help Kai..."
Kenny sighed, "I really don't think Kai would approve of us trying to help him in this... uh, dilemma."
Rei nodded, "I agree..."
Max blinked. "Well, hey if you guys are too chicken to participate... I can handle things on my own..." the blonde boy said, with a sly grin. Then he got up and started for the temple, muttering ideas to himself.
Rei and Kenny looked at each other, worriedly. "Uh-oh," they mumbled.
~~~***~~~
Yasuo: whoa... long one...
Nanashi: yeah... *blinks* I think... so I didn't know when to quit, so sue me...
Yasuo: *anime sweatdrops, and holds up a sign that says "Disclaimer: none of the characters are hers", hastily*
Nanashi: *blinks* oh yeah... never say the 's' word... heh ^^()
Yasuo: *sighs*
Yasuo: ....... people might wanna burn that...
Nanashi: but, he's so cute! *sits down and plays with Aiano and Takao plushies*
Kai: *storms in, snatching the Aiano plushie, and starts stomping on it, until it's flattened into the floor* heh... *walks out*
Nanashi: *eyes widen... and anime sweatdrops at the stuffing laying around*
Yasuo: *snickers* er, ahem... just the Warnings: shounen-ai, so heads up...
Nanashi: ............... KAI!!! *sighs, then brightens* oh hey! REVIEWS! *gasps* Assassin of the Shadows! You really like it!?!?!? thank you!!! Little Leila!!! *glomps Little Leila* YAY! thank you so much for reviewing!!! katemi, hee-chan2, Nancys-little-Obsession, Kiakyodragonlover, Kali-sama & Caitlin, Glay-sama, Hob-sama, backward-sama, Timberwolf-sama!!! *pounces and glomps on all Reviewers* Gah! getting such positive reviews means so much to me!!! Thank you all so much! Ai daisuke!!!
Yasuo: ... okay, now you're scaring them...
Nanashi: *blinks* you think so...?
Yasuo: yup...
Nanashi: uhhhh... heh... gomen nasai ^_^()
~~~***~~~
"... Awwww, isn't that the cutest thing you've ever seen?" someone whispered.
A small snicker, "I guess so..."
"Never thought I'd live to see Kai like this..."
"Heh, Tyson's like his security blanket or something."
"Think Ty can breathe?"
More snickering, "let's hope so... Aiano wouldn't be happy if his fiancee was strangled to death by Tyson's lover."
"Lover? Heh, Kai wishes..."
"... I dunno... I think Kai stands a pretty good chance."
"... Not me..."
Kai frowned, "I'm awake, ya know..." he muttered, darkly.
"Eeps!" two voices yelped in unison. Very slowly, Kai looked over his shoulder, greyish violet eyes glazed over with sleepy irritation. There stood Rei and Max, and both were staring at Kai in something resembling in terror.
Kai's frown deepened, "what do you want?"
"Uhhhh, breakfast'll be ready in a few minutes," Max said, hesitantly.
Kai shrugged, turning back to Tyson and pulled him closer, snuggling against him. "I'm not hungry," he muttered. He ignored Max's 'aww,' and Rei's laughing.
"C' mon, Kai... it's better if me and Max try to get you up, rather than Aiano, right?" Rei reasoned. Kai stiffened at the sound of Aiano's name. He looked over his shoulder at Rei, scowling.
"... Aiano?"
Rei and Max anime sweatdropped. "Don't tell me you don't remember him, already?" Rei asked, in disbelief.
"Aiano remembers you... and you hit him on the head how many times...?" said Max, tilting his head, as he tried to remember how many times Kai hit Aiano.
"Six times, so far... I'll assume Kai hit Aiano when Tyson was having his bath..." Rei informed the younger boy. Max blinked, then nodded.
"Oh yeah."
Kai blinked, but didn't say anything. Rei was pretty close. He was pretty sure he hit this Aiano twice during the 'Tyson's bath' escapade. So it was about seven hits now.
"You really don't remember?" Rei asked, almost amazed.
Max laughed, "guess he needs a simple reminder..."
Kai raised an eyebrow, as Rei turned to Max, taking the blonde boy's hands, his gold feline-like eyes shining. "Ty-chan... words simply can't express how much I love your laughter! Surely you will make this temple a much brighter place with your beautiful smile..."
Rei then gathered Max into a tight embrace, sighing dramatically. "Sweet, Ty-chan... you and I will make a wonderfully married couple, will we not?"
Max blinked in cute confusion, in a very realistic Tyson-fashion. "Um, sure...?" he said, slowly.
Kai's hand started to twitch. Suddenly he was on his feet, glaring viciously at Rei, as he raised his fist, and...
BONK!
"ACK!" Rei yelped, as he hit the floor. Max anime sweatdropped, staring down at Rei. Then glanced back at Kai, perplexed.
Kai was standing there, for a second looking very lost. Then it hit him (so to speak). He looked at his fist, while scratching his head, as everything came flooding back. "Ohh...! Him! Aiano!"
"... Oh, look! He remembers now...!" Rei blurted slurrishly, from the floor. Max snickered, as he helped Rei back to his feet.
Kai scowled, "and here I thought it was just a really lousy dream..."
Max grinned, "nope, it's real, Kai... Ty has a fiancee... his name is Aiano, he's good-looking, and he seems to really like Ty..." he explained, closing his eyes with a wide smile.
Kai shot Max a look in the corner of his eye. "You think he's good- looking?"
Max blinked, while Rei anime sweatdropped. Kai then grabbed Max by his shoulders, a little roughly. "Max! As your team captain, I have a job for you! And as your captain, I expect you to do it, too!" he hissed, eyes narrowing dangerously.
Max blinked a few more times, while Rei stood back, his hands out as he debated whether or not to play with fate and try to pull Max from Kai's grip.
Max then gulped nervously, "uhn... what kinda job?"
"Make Aiano fall for you!"
Max and Rei's eyes widened simultaneously. "WHAAT!?"
"Rei-kun, Max-kun... breakfast is served," Aiano said, as he entered the room. His green eyes met Kai's, and tension instantly hung heavily in the air.
Rei and Max anime sweatdropped, "um, okay..." they mumbled.
Aiano frowned.
Kai glared.
Aiano frowned somemore.
Kai glared somemore.
Then Aiano smiled, in a friendly manner. "Ohayo, Kai-san... did you sleep well?"
Kai continued to glare. "Good morning, Aiano... yes, I did."
"That's no surprise, I'm sure... having slept with an angel," Aiano said, a little bitterly, but still managing a small smile.
Kai smirked, "Aiano, is that jealousy I hear?"
Aiano tighted his right hand into a fist, cracking his knuckles in the process. "To be perfectly honest, Kai-san... yes, I am jealous..."
"Uhhh... Aiano! Let's go get some breakfast!" Max blurted, grabbing Aiano's arm. Rei nodded, and grabbed Aiano's other arm.
"Tyson sleeps like the dead, so why not leave Kai with the task of getting him up, huh?" the Chinese teenager suggested.
Aiano blinked, as he was then dragged out of the room, in a pretty hasty manner.
Kai couldn't help but feel a surge of triumph. He yawned, and laid back down beside Tyson, holding him close again.
"Wake up, Tyson," he mumbled.
Tyson merely snored softly, but made no move whatsoever to actually wake up. Kai chuckled softly to himself. "I tried," he murmured, nuzzling his nose into Tyson's ponytail.
~~~
Tyson yawned, opening his eyes, slowly. Making sure to take a few seconds to remember where he was.
Kaze Temple.
He smiled, as he stretched his legs, then his arms. There was familiar weight draped over Tyson's waist. Blinking, the pony-tailed boy looked over his shoulder.
Kai.
Shifting his weight, Tyson rolled onto his back, to get a better look at his captain. "Kai?"
Kai propped himself up on his elbow, resting his head in his hand. "Ohayo..." he greeted, quietly.
Tyson grinned, sleepily. "Morning...." then he laughed a bit, "you slept in!"
Kai blinked, then shook his head, "no... I was awake since this morning."
Tyson blinked, "this morn... wait, what time is it now?"
"Almost noon."
Tyson's eyes widened, "what!? Kai, why didn't you wake me up!?"
The team captain raised an eyebrow, "that's the thanks I get for letting you sleep in, to enjoy your little break?"
Tyson sighed, "No, Kai... sorry, but I was supposed to get a tour of the temple with Aiano at 10, or something..." He covered his face with his hands, moaning. "Oh man! Aiano's gonna be so mad!"
Kai pulled Tyson's hands away, gently. "Hey, relax... he said if sleep is what you really want, he would gladly wait," he muttered, unfortunately using Aiano's exact words.
Tyson blinked, "really?"
"Yeah."
"Kai?"
"Hm?"
".... You're holding my hand."
Kai blinked, realizing he was still holding Tyson's hand, in an oddly firm yet gentle way. Taking a nervous breath, Kai let his gaze meet Tyson's.
"Actually, Tyson... I've been thinking..."
"About what?" Tyson asked, blinking.
"... About... how I... how I am..."
"How you are?"
"... I know I'm not the most... open person in the world... but there are people I care about..." he eyed Tyson, meaningfully. "Some more than others..."
Tyson tilted his head, cutely, "I don't think I understand, Kai."
"... Put simply, Tyson... I - I... really, really... c - care about... you..."
Tyson blinked.
Kai couldn't help but swallow nervously. "A lot," he added, quietly.
Tyson closed his eyes, smiling brightly. "Heh, I care about you too, Kai..."
"I'd like to believe that, Tyson..."
"Hey, I do..." Tyson persisted. "You're a great friend to have! It was hard work just getting you to open up to us, and when you did, I knew it was worth it... and it is."
Kai blinked. Then felt disappointment settle in his chest. No, he wasn't trying to lead to friendship. But due to Tyson's naive nature, that was exactly where the conversation lead to.
"Tyson, no... you're not listening...!"
Tyson blinked, "huh?"
Kai swallowed, leaning down towards the younger boy. "I mean that I... I really care about you..."
"..... Kai?"
Kai's heart was pounding with anticipation, feeling his mouth graze against Tyson's...
The moment Kai has been dreaming about for so long was finally about to happen...!
Tyson was still trying to stare at Kai in confusion; not an easy task since Kai was moving in so closely. Things should have been very obvious under these circumstances, but not to the pony-tailed boy.
Lips brushed against each other, very lightly; it almost couldn't be felt, but for Kai in sent a thrill racing through him...
WHAM!
"Ty-chan! I'll assume you're awake now!" Aiano declared, as he entered the room by slamming the door open, with a bright smile of greeting.
Tyson blinked, then sat up pushing Kai aside a bit, as he smiled in return. "Heh, 'morning, Aiano-kun..." he greeted.
Kai groaned out in frustration and plopped his head into the pillow, capturing the fabric in his teeth, as he bit on it, hard.
Aiano blinked, rubbing the back of his head, with a blank expression. "Oh my... was I interrupting anything?" he asked, slowly.
Kai glared viciously at him; how tempted he was was to pound on the caretaker of Kaze Temple! But with Tyson right there, Kai couldn't do it.
Aiano knelt on the floor beside Tyson, taking his hands. "Ty-chan... I trust Kai-san was a gentleman, and hasn't taken my fiancee's purity...?" he said, with a playful smile.
Kai felt a rush of anger, as well as embarrassment.
Tyson merely laughed, "uh, not quite..."
"... Oh, that's a relief..." Aiano said, chuckling. "I was afraid Kai-san would take the honor of having your..." the caretaker's words were cut-off, by a resounding...
BONK!
Tyson blinked, then glanced at Kai, confused. Kai cleared his throat, still a little red in the face. "Breakfast..." he mumbled, and walked out, stiffly.
Aiano sat up, blinking. "Was it something I said?"
~~~
After a very filling breakfast, Aiano was leading Tyson around the temple, speaking softly as he explained the temple's history to his fiancee.
".... The Kinomiya's were very strict on who could join their clan... of course only Kinomiya's acted as commanders, but to join the clan, one had to be kind, loyal, and very honorable... much like the Kinomiya's... Due to the Kinomiya's nature, the Kaze's held great loyalty for the Storm Dragon clan, and there was never betrayal, lies, or deceit..."
Aiano blinked in confusion as Tyson ran to the koibito pond, and knelt down, staring into the water. Then the World Champion smiled brightly.
"Ty-chan?" Aiano questioned.
"... I never noticed this before..." Tyson said, staring at the koibito fish who swam lazily about. "We have one just like it at home."
"A koibito pond?" Aiano asked, as he walked to Tyson.
"Yup... grampa really likes them..."
"I'm very relieved to hear that, Ty-chan..."
Tyson blinked, looking up at the green-eyed boy. "What do you mean?" he asked, confused.
Aiano smiled, as he knelt down beside Tyson. "This pond has been here for years... it's a little hard to believe, but this pond has been here since before the temple was built..."
"Really?"
"Yes..." Aiano smiled at Tyson. "Our ancestors made a promise here, Ty- chan," he said, softly.
"Yeah?"
"Yes..." Aiano stood up, taking Tyson's hands and pulling him gently to his feet. "The promise was for the Kinomiya's and Kaze's to always remain loyal and devoted to each other... and to this day, the promise is still being kept, is it not?"
Tyson blinked, staring at Aiano, "um, yeah... I guess so..."
"I just want you to know, Ty-chan... that you never have to question my loyalty and devotion to you..." Aiano said sincerely, green eyes shining. The blonde-haired caretaker was struggling to resist the desire to kiss his fiancee. But under such circumstances, it was proving to be very difficult.
Cool summer breezes gently blowing about Tyson's thick silky hair. His eyes shining beautifully under the bright skies; a pleasant warmth bathing around them due to the sun. The rustling of trees. The perfect setting.
Aiano leaned down, slowly.
BONK!
"ACK!" Aiano hit the ground. Tyson blinked in confusion, looking down at Aiano, once again at his feet. Then once he looked back up, there was Kai.
The captain's shoulders were heaving as he struggled to catch his breath, in attempts of lowering his temper. His fist still raised, an anime vein once again pulsing on the side of his head.
"Kai?"
Kai anime sweatdropped, looking back at Tyson, "Tyson, I..." He hastily tried to hide his fist behind his back, feigning innocence.
"... Why do you keep hitting him?" Tyson questioned with hands on his hips.
Kai froze, suddenly completely unable to speak or move. "Because, I..."
Tyson quirked an eyebrow, expectantly.
"Because, I... well, I... I just... I... because, uh... I... well, it's kinda... uh..." was all Kai managed to stammer.
Then to Kai's immense relief, Tyson rolled his eyes in a playful manner. "It's not very courteous to be hitting our host, you know...?"
"Uh, yeah... I know..." Kai muttered, while still glaring at Aiano on the ground. Who was suddenly on his feet, taking Tyson's hands.
"Don't worry, Ty-chan... as I told Kai, a mere strike to the head is nothing, if it means to hold your hands and gaze upon your heavenly smile!"
Kai growled, "you didn't say that!"
"... Well, that was the gist..." Aiano replied, shrugging.
Kai fell over, anime style. Then was on his feet again, anime vein pulsing violently. "STOP TOUCHING HIM!" he snarled, raising his fist again.
BONK!
Aiano was once again on the ground. Tyson anime sweatdropped, still not understanding.
~~~
And several feet away, around the corner of the temple, watching the events, were Rei, Max, and Kenny.
"Man, I don't think Kai can make his jealousy any clearer..." Rei commented.
"That's for sure..." agreed Max.
Kenny sighed, shaking his head. "Kai's going about this all wrong..."
Rei and Max blinked, then looked down at Kenny who was below the both of them. "What do you mean, Chief?" they asked, in unison.
Kenny straightened his glasses. "If Kai wants to win over Tyson, especially with competition like Aiano, he can't keep resorting to such means..."
Max looked up at Rei. Rei looked down at Max. They both shrugged and looked back down at Kenny, still confused. "Meaning?" they prompted.
"Meaning Kai can't keep turning his aggression to Aiano..."
"Wait... you want Kai to turn his aggression to Ty...!?" Max gasped. "Chief, that would do WAY more harm than good!"
Kenny anime sweatdropped, "no, Max... I'm not talking violent aggression... I mean emotional aggression... if Kai wants to win Tyson from Aiano, Kai's going to have to open up more, and try being a little more like Aiano."
Rei pursed his lips, then shook his head. "I dunno, Chief... two Aiano's... that's a scary thought."
Kenny growled, in annoyance. "No! I mean Kai's going to have to be more open with his feelings, the way Aiano is! Aiano openly hits on Tyson, without worrying what we think, right? Well, Kai's going to have to do that, too!"
Rei and Max started shaking their heads, causing the little genius to blink. "What?" he demanded.
"I don't think that would work, Chief..." Max said, slowly.
"I like Tyson, really I do... but he's..." Rei paused, as he tried to figure out how to say things tactfully. "Tyson's just... not... the brightest crayon in the box... if you know what I mean," he finished.
"... Uh........" was all Max and Kenny managed to say. Then they both dropped their heads forward, warily. "True," they agreed, with a sigh.
"Well, as much as I like Aiano, we need to help Kai..." Max declared, punching the air. Then he was shushed, grabbed roughly and pulled quickly around the corner. "ACK!"
"What's the big idea!?" Max demanded, once he pushed Rei's hand off his mouth.
"They looked over here..." Kenny whispered.
Max blinked, "oh." He shrugged, and grinned, "but I still say we help Kai..."
Kenny sighed, "I really don't think Kai would approve of us trying to help him in this... uh, dilemma."
Rei nodded, "I agree..."
Max blinked. "Well, hey if you guys are too chicken to participate... I can handle things on my own..." the blonde boy said, with a sly grin. Then he got up and started for the temple, muttering ideas to himself.
Rei and Kenny looked at each other, worriedly. "Uh-oh," they mumbled.
~~~***~~~
Yasuo: whoa... long one...
Nanashi: yeah... *blinks* I think... so I didn't know when to quit, so sue me...
Yasuo: *anime sweatdrops, and holds up a sign that says "Disclaimer: none of the characters are hers", hastily*
Nanashi: *blinks* oh yeah... never say the 's' word... heh ^^()
Yasuo: *sighs*