Title: Resurfacing
Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine
Rating: R
Summary: see chapter one
Warnings: see chapter one
Disclaimer: I do not own any Beyblade or any of its characters. Any and all unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be touched. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the sole intention to entertain.
A/N: A certain review really tickled my interest so here's the response.
To Inu Hanyou; what's up with my pen-name? Nothing I consider unusual. Ask any of my friends and they'll tell you that Ladya is a name I just came up with one day and it sorta stuck with me since then. The 'C' is the first letter in my real name. Maxine…to be honest, I have no idea why I chose that one, but in the long-run I fell in love with it.
Alright, this chapter was by far the most difficult thing I've ever written period and it took me a grand total of five days to get it right. Hope you like it!! Also, incase you are wondering what's up with the formatting recently; due to Fanfiction.net's new QuickEdit feature I had to change certain things, but nothing of great importance.
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"Where are they? Do you think something happened on the way back? What if the chopper ran out of fuel; they've been flying for a long time. What if there was an emergency and they had to stop off at a closer hospital? When--"
"Chill out, Kenny! They'll be here soon. They've probably landed already."
"But what if Kai's hurt badly and needs to be taken straight to the E.R? What if he d-doesn't want to see us?"
Taking the panicking boy by the shoulders, Max gave him a strong shake.
"Kenny! Enough! It's okay, alright? If Kai needs to go to the E.R. then he will. If he isn't ready to see us yet, then he won't. But at least we know he's alive; that's what matters."
Chief took a few deep breaths but nodded, sinking back in his seat when the blond released him. Opening Dizzy, he began to type vigorously; something he did when he was nervous which usually earned him a few remarks from his bit beast though she remained silent, the time not suitable for her trade-mark sarcasm.
The waiting room fell silent once more, their thoughts overriding their voices as they tried to decide their course of actions in the upcoming moments. It was hard; probably the hardest thing they've done in their entire lives. Just how did one confront the situation? What should one say? What shouldn't one say? The silence was near deafening.
It was almost eleven o'clock. Night (and rain) had fallen a long time ago though sleep was the last thing on everyone's minds. It had been over twelve hours; twelve hours since they received the news that they had been waiting for more than a month; twelve hours since, for the first time in what had seemed like eternity, they had felt some form of relief that had been eating away at them: they had Kai. Kai was coming back to them.
Judy had gathered everyone early that morning around 7 o'clock in her hotel room; the Bladebreakers, the White Tigers, the All Starz, the remaining adults. They didn't know the nature of the news and had sat in tense anticipation, hoping for the best yet fearing the worse. That morning had not been the most forgiving. Not after receiving the news of the deceased Ian and missing Tala.
When Judy had given them the news a heavy silence had fallen in the room. No one said anything, mentally processing the credibility of the news. Then, someone, no one could remember who, sniffed. That was all that was needed. Cheers, tears and hugs; everything came over them at once. For over an hour they had remained in the room, assuring each other that they had not heard wrong.
If he was asked what had happened between morning and now, Ray wouldn't have been able to answer. Everything had been thrown in a tizzy; the day had been passed through with so many emotions that it was hard to say what one had been feeling at a particular time.
It had been a mutual agreement that, even though the other teams were eager to see the phoenix again, only the Bladebreakers would be present upon his arrival; too many people would probably make Kai uneasy. The remaining teams were at the hotel, awaiting further news of the found blader's being. Judy and Mr. Granger were with them. Even Anne-Marie, who they had thought would want to be there, was absent. She still feared the reaction she could get from the bluenette and wanted to meet him alone. It was understandable and even for the best; to be introduced to a grandmother he had never known after such an ordeal with another family member could be too much for Kai to handle in one day.
"But…what if Kenny's right?" Tyson asked, breaking the silence between the four. "Do you think Kai is ready? I mean, maybe he'll feel uncomfortable around us…"
"And what about Ian? Does Kai know about him already? And Tala?" Max added.
When silence followed Ray blinked out of his thoughts to find three pairs of eyes on him, waiting for him to answer their questions. Despite having been deemed the team's temporary captain in Kai's absence, he still couldn't fully grasp the responsibility.
'What if Kai doesn't recover? What if he doesn't want to return to the team? Could I be capable of leading them?'
Shaking his head at the negative thoughts, he focused on a suitable answer.
"Maybe he'll want to see us, maybe not. Whatever Kai decides we will respect, alright?" They nodded. "Whether he knows about Ian or not, it's best if we don't bring it up. Same goes for Tala…"
Resting his elbows on his knees, Max slumped slightly.
"They've searched the entire building; all the rooms, all the halls, the garage, the basement, even the roof tops! Why can't they find him? Where could he be?"
He had no answer for that but luckily no one expected one. Just when they had finally found Kai they lost two others. Ian's sudden death had taken everyone off guard. He had shown no signs and the doctors had stated him as the healthiest of the four Russians. What had transpired last night had shaken everyone badly, especially the teams. Another blader, another teen, was dead, gone from the face of the earth with no warning, dying alone with only frantic staff medics around him, his team mates unaware that they were losing a friend until it was too late. Spencer had been in surgery and Bryan had been several floors down in rehab, exercising his healing leg to build back strength. How they had taken Ian's death was not yet known.
And Tala…
The door handle jiggled, bringing everyone's attention to the front of the room. Slowly, the door opened and in stepped Mr. Dickenson. Taking a shuddering but deep breath, Ray stood from his seat, the others mimicking him and rising as well to stand before their manager.
"Are you okay, sir?" Kenny asked.
"There's no need to worry about me." Studying their faces, Mr. Dickenson smiled wearily, nodding his head slightly at their unspoken questions. "He's in the hall."
Max sniffled softly and Tyson placed an arm around his friend's shoulders.
"H-How is he?" the Dragoon blader stuttered.
"He is tired and injured, but capable to walk on his own two feet. He's received some medical treatment underway but the true healing must happen here," Mr. Dickenson tapped his head. "And if there is a group who can do that it is his team mates."
"We'll try, Mr. Dickenson, but…what should we do?" Kenny asked.
"Take one step at a time, starting with letting him know that nothing has changed between you boys. Are you willing to give it a try?"
They nodded, eyes on the door which was slightly parted.
"Then I'll send him in and leave you alone." He smiled. "Show him that the bond between the Bladebreakers is unbreakable."
Wordlessly, Mr. Dickenson stepped back into the hall and they could hear an exchange of whispers, the second voice being Bruce's. A hand clutched Ray's and he looked down to see it belonged to Tyson. Meeting the Dragoon blader's eyes, he squeezed the hand slightly, feeling a bit nervous. Kenny stood next to Max, slightly trembling as he clutched Dizzy to his chest. Standing in a line, the four bladers watched the door which opened once more.
Mr. Dickenson remained just outside the threshold, looking at them once before turning his eyes on someone out of their view. A few moments passed with nothing happening before the sound of shoes on tile brought a second person in the doorway.
Weigh had been lost, more so than Tyson, and dark bruises marred the once unblemished skin. Wild bangs hung before the unpainted face. Crimson eyes, slightly haunted and missing their coldness, swept over the four silently, not betraying anything the boy could have been feeling.
Ray…Tyson…Max…Kenny… Here they were, all standing before him, looking nothing like the last time he had seen them in person, laughing and goofing off at the ceremony. The past weeks had been hard on them. Far harder than he had imagined. They watched him, taking in what had become of their once unshakeable captain. Somewhere deep in him he had expected them to look upon him with indecision, keeping distance from the teen who was stained for life.
They didn't. They just stared…
The first person to move was Max, large eyes shimmering as he took a step forward, one hand raised, unsure. Dark circles rounded the blue eyes and he looked as if he had long forgotten how to smile. He moved one more foot closer but stopped when Kai visible cringed at the closeness. Tension was high as none of them could think up the appropriate course of action.
Taking a deep breath, Ray moved to stand next to the blond however merely held out his hand, golden eyes as soft as possible as to not intimidate the bluenette.
Kai hadn't meant to flinch at Max's proximity but, despite having braced himself for this reunion, physical contact of the intimate kind, even something as innocent as a welcome-back-hug, triggered unwanted thoughts in his mind to which his body responded to with wariness of a fearful kind. His small retreat made Max back off himself and Kai would have spun and left the room had Ray not stepped forward, raising his hand.
"It's good to have you back, Kai," the neko-jin said with a soft smile. "Things weren't the same without you."
Looking away, the bluenette argued softly, "Things will never be the same again…"
"Maybe. But who says that's a bad thing?" Ray countered.
He mulled over the words for a moment before meeting his team mate's eyes again before looking down at the still offered hand, his own fingers twitching nervously.
"Voltaire's gone, Kai. He can't hurt you anymore. You're free now. So things have changed, but you can adapt. And we'll be here to help you when you need us."
"Yeah, we're a team, Kai," Tyson said, coming forward. "We stick together, no matter what."
"You're still our friend; nothing can change that. Ever," Max added, offering an encouraging smile. Kenny, too overcome, merely nodded, sniffing softly.
"Kai?" Ray brought the phoenix's attention back on him. "Please…"
That day that now seemed so long ago, when it had been just him and Ray in their hotel room, when the tiger had truly shown him how deep the team's affection for him ran gave his arms the strength and, albeit shakily, he raised it, hesitating for another second before taking hold of Ray's, his fingers curling around the neko-jin's. Someone was touching him…and it didn't hurt. He didn't even pull away when the others placed their hands over his as well.
"Welcome back, captain," Ray smiled, the weight on his chest lifting as he handed the title back to its respected owner. Tyson and Kenny mimicked the smile and while it lasted a few seconds, the energetic spheres in Max's eyes flickered back to life as he recovered himself, a wide grin spreading over his face.
It was a small step; he knew it will take some time before he would be able to deal with them like the old days, but seeing the rekindled optimism on his team's faces assured him that Ray was right. Things had changed between him and his team, but with them there to help him, it didn't have to be a bad one.
Behind them the door opened slightly and Mr. Dickenson peeked around the corner, the slightly worried expression easing off as he spied the five together. If he could he would leave them alone, but they were still facing what he feared would be the hardest thing the phoenix would have to overcome.
"Kai?" he called softly, his stomach twisting when the boy turned at his voice, looking to have already regained his smile in the short space of time with his friends. To know that that smile wasn't going to last… "There's something I need to tell you in private."
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Bare feet walked through the mud which oozed where the path should have been, brown splatters staining the bottom of the soaked pants. The canopy of leaves above offered little shelter against the raindrops but the lone figure didn't care, downcast eyes fixed on the road beneath his feet as they walked on their own accord, more aware of their destination than he was. The skin beneath his bandaged torso stung as freezing winds whipped at him, his crossed arms unable to protect him.
Traffic noises have long faded as he had crossed the border between city and forest, stopping only briefly at the bridge to stare at the rippling surface of the water below, his reflection brokenly looking back at him.
Ten years had passed yet nothing had changed…
Without needing a reason he raised his eyes when he reached the broadened end of the path where the trees had been cut down long ago, the dirt replaced by concrete and cobble stone that surrounded the dark complex in the center of the clearing.
Staring lifelessly, he looked back down the path but no one was there. He continued towards the high gates. No one was there to stop him. No one was there at all.
Somewhere within him, he had hoped otherwise…
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Silence seemed to have become his closest ally as it once again encompassed him where he sat, elbows on knees while his head rested in his palms, eyes closed as he swallowed the news bit by bit, fighting the urge to throw up. Before him on the low glass table the pair of goggles, last seen adorning a purple haired head, now looked alien.
"I truly hate to do this, Kai, but I know it would have been worse if you found out on your own."
"How can it get any worse?" he countered softly, looking through his slightly parted fingers at Ian's goggles before raising his head to meet Mr. Dickenson's eyes. "It never ends…"
"This is the last thing you need right now, Kai," the older man said. "We found you; we'll find Tala. We truly doubt he was kidnapped," Kai winced at this, "and he couldn't have gotten too far in his condition. He's not in the hospital so the grounds are being searched by police and hounds; they'll pick up his trail."
Not answering, he leaned slightly forward, wincing as the whip marks on his back stretched under the strain, and picked up the goggles, running trembling fingers over the glass surfaces. In the past this would have earned him some grumbling from the Wyborg blader who hated it when his team mates would smudge the glass on purpose. Ian never wore the visors on his face, but for some reason he hated it when the glasses were dirty. Of course Bryan indulged himself in this small fact, patting their smallest member on his head or ruffling his hair, anything that would require him getting his finger prints over the shiny surfaces.
A sad smile curled at the corner of his mouth at the memory. Gripping the goggles tightly, he rested his forehead on his fist, whispering a soft prayer. Ian always did so before every match, another one of his weird habits though Kai wished he could see Ian do it himself one last time. His death was going to leave a forever aching emptiness amongst the remaining members.
"Take care of yourself, my friend," Kai whispered softly, clenching his eyes though Mr. Dickenson could see the threatening moisture between the lashes. When a tear escaped he felt a hand gently touch his forearm as Mr. Dickenson kneeled before him, offering him some tissue which he accepted gratefully while the manager rose and walked over to the window, watching the boiling, black clouds that released endless torrents of rain, their droplets splattering against the window.
'Ironic, at the beginning of this nightmare it had been Tala in this room and Kai missing when I had looked at the dark sky. Now the tables have turned when this should have been the end,' he though, smiling disbelievingly. Speaking softly, he said, "Looks like it will rain all night, but the search teams aren't deterred. Clouds will darken the sky, but no matter how dark it becomes, the moon and stars will always be there when the clouds clear. There's always light…"
It took him a while to notice that the soft sniffs had stopped and he turned to regard the bluenette. Kai was still sitting, goggles in hand, but on his face was a strange expression of realization, crimson eyes staring at a spot visible only to him.
"Stars…" he repeated softly.
The fingers tightened to the point Mr. Dickenson was afraid would crush the visors but his attention was drawn back to the teen's face though Kai didn't meet his stare, eyes still focused on the unseen sight. His voice, however, was directed to the older man.
"Stars…" He took a deep breath.
"What about them, Kai?"
Looking down at the goggles, he gently cleaned the smudged glasses with the tissue before answering, "I know where Tala is."
------begin flashback------
"Have you ever been there?" A slender finger pointed up, gesturing to the inky black sky above them.
"I was in planes..." he frowned softly, "but we never stayed up there for long. Mama told me that people have been on the moon, though."
"And the stars? Has anyone ever gone to them?"
He thought for a moment before shaking his head. Beside him he felt the red-head sit up, blue eyes fixed on the sparkling dots in the darkness.
"How do we reach them…?" Tala asked himself aloud.
"Mama…" Kai began softly, sitting up himself, well balanced despite the slant of the roof, "Mama once told me that when she and dad died that they would always be with me amongst the stars. She said from there they will look over me…"
"Really? Which star are they?"
"She never said, but I think they are there," he pointed to a pair of stars somewhat isolated from the rest, shifting a bit so the red-head could sight alongside his arm. "Those two stars are apart because they must be special. Mama and dad were very special."
"Do you think my papa is up there too?"
"Probably," he said, wrapping both arms around the fragile body when Tala started to pull away. The red-head didn't protest, leaning back in the hug. "Mama told me that anyone who loves you will live with the stars when they die."
"Well…I think my papa is that one," He pointed to a large, beaming star almost directly above them.
"The nothern star?" Kai asked, smiling softly.
"Uh-huh. And, it's so big that I could live there too with papa when I die. And then we'll look after you, Kai, just like your mama and papa, okay?"
The words were sincere though their meaning sank heavily in his stomach. Gently taking hold of the slender shoulders, he turned the red-head until Tala sat facing him, the fair face etched in concern.
"Don't you want me to look after you with the stars, Kai? It's okay. If you don't want--"
"Why are you talking like that? Like you're going to die before me…"
Tala looked down, fiddling with the end of the white scarf.
"I don't know…I just…feel like I will…"
Silence fell between them for a few moments before he spoke again.
"When I die…I want to die as close to the stars as possible. You know, that way I'll be by my papa as soon as possible, and I can start looking out for you." He looked around the endless stretch of roof. "This is my favorite spot in the world. When I die, I wish it is here…"
-------end flashback-------
Around the ivory globed moon sparkled hundreds of stars, each as bright as the next, too far above for their fires to be doused by the rain that fell hard upon earth. Heavy rain drops stirred the forest, rustling the leaves of the many trees. The concrete brickworks of the buildings were less affected though the sheet of rain obscured his sight, the downpour beating upon him hard enough to irritate his bandaged pains.
It had been raining for hours though he had been thoroughly soaked within a few minutes. His hair was plastered to his head, red tendrils framing his pale face as he continuously blinked to keep the water out of his eyes, droplets hanging stubbornly on his lashes. His bare chest felt like it was constricting him as the icy water brought on massive shivers. The pants clung to his skin, doing more harm than good as its cold wetness penetrated his skin, coursing through his body, lowering his body temperature with each passing minute.
Staring blindly at the distant city before him, he rested his head on folded arms, his knees pulled up to keep his balance on the slanted roof, rain water making the tiles slippery though should he slip the small ledge at the end would prevent him from falling seven stories to unrelenting concrete. However, the ledge was only a foot and a half tall; easy to climb onto with little effort, just as it was easy to, once on the ledge, lean forward ever so slightly and let gravity do its work…
Though water ran down his pale face, he could taste the salty bitterness of tears but he didn't bother wipe them. For once he wanted this, to cry. To release years of unworldly bad fate. He cried without sound, but it only made the tears come more as it proved him to be something he had been foolish enough to deny; alone.
'…He will return…as long as I breathe…'
-------begin flashback-------
The door slammed shut behind the doctor, making him flinch from where he laid curled on his bed, back turned to the door. His mind was blank, eyes staring carelessly at the wall opposite him as he ran a finger gingerly over his recently bandaged shoulder where the bone had been set with more force than necessary, leaving a none fading burning between the joints that no amount of rubbing could numb.
His clothes were still in disarray and his skin just starting to bruise, his torn turtle-neck leaving the darkening marks on his neck and shoulders bare for all to see. The slight smudge of crimson on his white pants had already turned brown but he didn't have the strength to change out of his clothes, his body trembling too hard to even rise from the hard mattress.
Outside his door footsteps echoed loudly through the hall, coming to stand before the entrance to his room. Someone spoke and the voice made his breathing hitched. Boris. Wasn't the man through with him yet? Hadn't an entire night been enough for that bastard? The lock clicked and the door was opened, the hall lights spilling into the dark chamber though didn't reach him.
"You've been such a good boy, Tala, so a small reward is in order," Boris' voice said from the door way, sarcasm and a shrewd humor hanging on each word. "What do you say to that?"
Not turning to meet his trainer, Tala swallowed hard to keep the bile down.
"…Thank you, s-sir."
The director said nothing else, the door closed once more though he wasn't alone. Uneven breathing from across the room informed him that his 'reward' was still there.
"Just get it over with," he spat to the person, expecting what he had come to accept after many such 'rewards' from Boris; a high-ranking politician or business man eager to pay hundreds of dollars in exchange for hush-hush sex, sparing the client's reputation in the media world. The extra money flow was used to update the team's beyblades, hence Boris' reference that this was all done as a 'reward' for Tala.
The person said nothing but after a few moments crossed the room until he stood next to the bed though Tala kept his back to him. When the mattress dipped behind him he couldn't stop himself from releasing a hitched sob, turning his head into his pillow. His action spurred the other and a hand ran itself down his cheek, gently turning his head up to face the other but he kept his eyes shut, not wanting to see his soon-to-be assailant's face.
"I'm back."
Years had passed and age had deepened the voice but it was one he easily recognized. His eyes flew open to be greeted by scarlet from above. A teen, tall and built with the stature of adolescence looked down at him through slate-colored bangs. Marked cheeks had lost the roundness of childhood he had last seen years ago but the fingers trailing his own cheeks were as soft and gentle as the first time they had touched.
"K-Kai…?"
Wordlessly, Kai pulled him closer, cradling the red-head against his chest as he rested his head on the flaming hair. Blinking through the tears, he cupped a cheek, now wet with tears, and lifted the head until blue eyes that had haunted him for years.
"I'll never let you go again, Tala. I'll never leave you."
Lowering his head back onto a shoulder, he closed his eyes, freely allowing the tears to run down as he drifted off into peaceful sleep with a soft smile on his face for the first time in ten years.
-------end flashback-------
A trembling, pale hand was lifted to cover his mouth as he swallowed back the rising lump of bitterness in his throat when earlier visions resurfaced in his mind.
…silent machines surrounding the bed…
Raising a hand to brush a few straying strands behind his ear, he shuddered, sobbing softly
…a still body, unmoving and pale…
He hugged himself tighter, lowering his chin to his chest as he cried.
…a blader, once a dearest friend, now nothing more than an empty corpse…
"No more," he said to the wind and rain though didn't elaborate until after a few moments. "I can't take any more. I can't take anymore pain…I can't take anymore lives…"
The edges of the purple blade hurt his hand as he gripped it as he raised it to his face, studying the now empty bit, its former residence having disappeared from existence when its blader had passed on.
'…Because of me…All because of me…'
He could feel the other blade trembling in his other hand, desperate to get his attention, the silver and blue wolf bit beast pounding against its confinements, silently begging him to rethink his actions. But he didn't need to think it through. For once in his life, something made sense.
'…He will return…as long as I breathe…'
Slowly sliding down to the ledge, he looked over the small barrier. Far below the grounds were wet and abandoned though he could still hear them in his head, the voices of children laughing as they battled each others, beyblades spinning loudly in the air. He could still see their shadows, running across the cobble-stone paths as they raced each other inside when the dinner bell rand loudly from the tower, not even the brooding presence of the guards able to dampen their smiles.
It was all a memory now, submerged in swirling rivers of turmoil in his mind and heart, tugging him apart as their strong currents were split and blocked by painful obstacles of beatings and fear. Soon the laugher turned to startled shouts, then pleading cries, then complete silence…
"Weak… You will never be strong, Tala, because this is what you are destined to be; a whore…a weak failure; not worthy for anything but a bed warmer."
Placing one foot on the wet concrete, he slowly hoisted himself up, remaining in a precarious crouch on the foot wide ledge as the words taunted him…
"He's lying, isn't he? Tell me he's lying, Tala!...Did you do this, Tala? Did you sell me out?"
As the words tore at him…
"Kai's tough, Tala…He won't let someone like Voltaire get to him. He'll make it out alright."
As they firmed his resolution…
'Kai will be alright. The moment I am gone, he'll be better than ever…'
Raising tired eyes, he straightened, the wind tugging at his weak body though he resisted for now.
'Looks like I am finally going to keep a promise I made…'
Through the sparse openings in the clouds the stars shone loyally.
'At least I will be able to look over you, Kai…'
The clouds thickened, blocking the dazzling jewels in the inky black sky.
'Ian will help me…He must be lonely up there by himself…'
The wind easily held up his tired arms as he spread them out from his side, tilting his head upwards, allowing the rain water to spray over his delicate features, washing away the tears.
'Thank you, Kai…for giving me a glimpse at true life, as brief as it may have been…'
His bare heels lifted slowly off the cold cement as he allowed his weight to be shifted forward.
'…Thank you, my friend…for seeing me as a person…'
Staring at the skies one last time, he allowed his eyes to fall shut as he allowed his body to fall forward.
'Thank you, Kai…for everything…I'll miss you so much…'
A calm he hadn't felt before washed over him, as if the rain water was rinsing away all pain, shame and filth from his body and mind though his heart remained faithful to those who had offered him more than he had ever deserved.
'…Goodbye…'
-------begin flashback-------
"When I die…I want to die as close to the stars as possible. You know, that way I'll be by my papa as soon as possible, and I can start looking out for you." He looked around the endless stretch of roof. "This is my favorite spot in the world. When I die, I wish it is here…"
Arms pulled him against a warm body, large tears wetting his face when he looked up into the other's face as the bluenette shook his head stubbornly.
"You won't die! Not here, not ever! This is our spot. No matter what, whenever you're here, I will be too. I don't want you with the stars, Tala, I want you here, with me. I don't want you watching over me, I want you watching with me. Beside me. Nothing will ever take you away from me! Not Boris, not the Abbey, not even death; I won't let it!!"
-------end flashback-------
Rain poured down, splattering noisily. Cold wind blew hard, making the metal fence and gates creak loudly. Lightning crackled, flashing amongst the dark clouds threateningly…
Strong arms enveloped him, holding him tenderly.
No roaring of passing wind in his ears. No feeling of gravity tugging his unresisting body down in a plunge. No hard and cold ground breaking every bone in his body. Blinking through the tears and rain, he opened dull eyes…to stare into scarlet.
"Tala?!" Kai asked breathlessly, tightening his grip on the drenched body, holding the red-head close as he felt the coolness on the pale skin. "Tala, say something!"
"Kai…no…" he whispered, raising both hands to push against the other's chest, trying to pull free from the embrace.
"I'm not going to hurt you," the bluenette assured, pulling the smaller body fully into his lap to break any contact between Tala's body and the cold tiles of the roof. "I will never hurt you."
"But I will."
"Tala…"
They sat in silence where Kai held him, the bluenette leaning with his back against the ledge, his slate-colored hair plastered to his face, making him brush away wet bangs as he looked at the red-head cradled in his arms, pale and shaking. He held Tala so close that he could hear the whispered words through the rain.
"I betrayed you…I killed Ian…I don't want to go on like this, Kai."
"Killing yourself is not the answer," he scolded softly, "If I hadn't caught you from falling…If you had died…No pain I've ever felt would have been as bad…"
"The pain would go away--"
"Listen to me!" He grabbed the red-head's chin, resting his forehead against Tala's, staring him straight in the eyes. "It's not that easy, Tala, for none of us. If you had jumped I would have followed right after you. I can't go on without you. Ever since the first day we met I knew that I could never imagine life without you."
He pulled back though Kai refused to release his hold on his upper arms. Staring through the rain, he raised a hand to touch the other's face.
"You were hurt, because of me."
Reflecting the action, Kai cupped his face.
"I'm alive, because of you." Gently brushing a healing bruise on Tala's cheek, he continued, "I will take care of you, Tala, the way you were meant to be; the way I told myself I would when I saw you that cold night over a decade ago. I've been cheated and beaten all my life; you did not contribute anything to that. No matter how bad I was hurt, I refused to give in because I wanted to protect you. If it hadn't been for you, I would have surrendered long ago. You are what kept me alive, Tala."
Sitting before the other boy, he was sent back to the past, to the many times they had sat on this very spot, under these very stars. Sometimes they would be busy bandaging each other's wounds, or one holding the other while they cried, but those were the times he cherished the most. Those were what made everything worth the pain; being with Kai.
"I may have kept you alive, but you gave me life…" he admitted, "and I can't imagine life without you in it."
Through the rain, Kai smiled.
"Then I won't leave. I know I have said this before, and I meant it each time; Tala, I promise you, I won't leave you again."
Studying the bluenette before him, he was silent for a few moments before a soft smile came through the tears as he nodded, wrapping his arms around his friend, resting his head against a shoulder.
"I know you won't, Kai," he whispered in an ear, feeling Kai pull him closer, warming his chilled body. Once again the soothing calm swept over him and he smiled softly into the other teen's chest. "Thank you."
Keeping a firm but painless hold on his friend, Kai rose to his feet, using the ledge for balance as he lead them towards the attic window and out of the rain. Before descending the ladder to where Mr. Dickenson and the policemen who had accompanied them waited, he gave the roof one final glance, childhood recollections bringing a sad smile to his face before he averted his eyes upwards to the sky.
Through the mass clouds the northern star was shining bright…
Tbc…..
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I thought I would NEVER reach the end!!! My fingers have gone numb along with my mind!! It's a bit confusing, but I'll leave you guys to piece it together.
Final chapter coming up!!
Read & Review, please.