(Again, long intro. I have no excuse, nor plan to create one. Long chapter, too!)
Wack! I forgot to do the Disclaimer: Umm… not mine. Nor ever will be. The odds are more likely that I will inherit the whales of the Earth when I'm 165 years old. So there.
A/N: This was going to be the last chapter. I tried really, really hard to make it so. But when the story hit 21 pages, I had to stop. My fingers were hurting and Kai refused to reveal insights about his inner workings. But! I'm still working on the story and the third (last!) part is halfway done!
But seriously? Thank you everyone for your encouragement! 'Twas most appreciated! And now I shall continue
Note: For those of you who are interested or unaware, university classes have a much larger workload than high school. Some interesting facts:
In University, the basic rule of thumb is three hours of work for every hour of class time. Five classes, then, gives a total of 45 hours a week – not including the class time itself. Additionally, most science classes have these little things called 3-HOUR LABS, which also require about 3 hours of preparatory time. A full course load requires 45 hours of class work, plus 15 hours of class time, plus 15 hours of lab work, plus another 15 hours of lab prep. Each week. Minimum.
Kai is thus running, every single week, at 90 hours of total school time (not including the additional hours of studying for midterms, etc) just to keep on top of things. This is rather interesting, because a full-time job is 40 hours a week. Further comparison: each Grade 12 class (again, basic rule of thumb) is an hour of extra work for each class. Each University class is four hours (+lab time) of extra work for each class. Fun! Oh, and don't even get me started on the grading curve, all right?
Now that we've established that Kai is an idiot for taking five 300-level Science classes with labs, let's move on, shall we? ((grins)) (Tyson, by the way, without labs, would be running at 60 hours a week – busy and hectic, but still mostly manageable.)
Warnings:
TyKa goodness! ... or badness, depending on your pov.
The effects of extreme sleep deprivation! (Information references will be found at the bottom of the story.)
Misunderstandings and subsequent "you-idiot!"angst!
Review Answers: Again, thank you very much. There are so many nice people out there!
CheekyRhbadcat: Ah, thank you for the review! In fact, you get the "first review award!" Rock on! And thank you for your words! ((grins)) I hope you continue to like.
Lunare Valhart: Ok, just so's you know? Your review made me grin like an idiot for an entire day – and it came just when I needed it! So, thank you for that! Also, thank you for the input on the MD fic! ((laughs)) Man, I haven't worked on it in ages – guess I'd better get started again, huh? And wow – I've never heard anyone say that I almost made them go fangirl-mush-happiness, so thank you! You're so nice! As for the fic itself: Yes. Kai is a sleep-deprived idiot. Let's all throw things at him! ((chucks various things)) Sleep deprivation is eeeevil – I guess I had messed up my sleep schedule enough to actually send the word out. ((shrugs)) Whatever, I guess. I really would like to hear any constructive criticism you have to say! Thankies for enjoying, and hope you continue to do so!
Yami Firekali: Hey! Thought I'd tell you (b/c apparently I am incapable of review time) that I shrieked in ecstasy when I found two new chapters on "Majesty"! I totally wasn't expecting Daichi at all! As for the TyKa, well, you still leave me stunned at your insight. Actually, whenever I find myself wondering how someone would react, I tend to think of your fics, so thank you very, very much. Your writing is amazing and I am deeply in your debt that you bothered to review this story! You're wonderful and so all praises go to you! Hope you like this chapter – can you guess which part I wrote, blushing crazily, at one in the morning?
Fireiegrl: Wheee! I'm glad you liked the story! Don't they just totally act like a married couple? That was exactly the attitude I was going for – I'm glad to see someone comment on it! Glad you liked the chapter – there will be TyKa, although Kai has to be a sleep-deprived idiot first. ((continues to throw things at Kai)) Hope you enjoy!
TechnoRanma: ((glomps the daylights out of you)) YOU LOVED IT! That's so excellent – it totally made my day, and I'm grinning even as I type this! I love your reviews! Thank you! ((reads more review)) Ouch – midterm week in university, huh? That is nasty. I entirely sympathize, though I'm kinda happy that I'm sure you'll be able to relate to the sleep deprivation of people on campus. ((blinks)) That sounded way wrong. Hmm. Ah well. And ooh! You liked the flashbacks? I'm so glad! Let it be known that I threw in an extra flashback in this chappie – just for you! Here's your update, you wonderful writer, you. Will you join me in tossing things at Kai's idiotic, cute head? ((grins)) Hope you enjoy!
Keri Arishima: Thank you for the review – I'm glad you love this story! I updated it as soon as I could, and I'm on page 12 of Chapter three already, so I'm really working hard on this story. ((gapes at the size)) Can you believe I was trying to make this a one-shot? Gaaah. Anyway, hope you enjoy!
Kaay-chan: Eee! ((glomps back)) Thank you for the review! And I vow to finish the story – the last chapter is in the process of being written, so that's a good start, right? Hope you like the story (what's your story about?).
Kiina: Ah, thank you for the review! I'm so glad you like this story! I'm glad you can relate to Kai – actually, I was basing a lot of things that happen to him on me, too! ((sighs)) The coffee, the sleep deprivation, all that good stuff. Which, of course, is bad. I'm just glad you haven't gotten sucked into the world of caffeine. Do you realize how much it costs these days? ((realizes she sounds like a whiny old granny)) Whoops. Ah, well. Hope you enjoy the story!
Vampyre Neko: Ooh! I'm on your alert list, and I got a review? You rock! I'm glad you liked the story, and I rushed to get it out asap. Of course, my beta-reader and I are both swamped at the moment, so I apologize for the wait. Hope you enjoy!
Mikin Ishida: You know, for some reason I am totally in love with your username. ((shakes herself out of it)) Anyway, thank you for the review! I'm so glad you found it cute – and here are 21 more pages of fiction for you to (hopefully) enjoy. Thank you again!
marble eyes: Thank you for the review! ((melts)) I'm so happy you found it sweet. ((giggles)) Yes, I wonder if Tyson likes Kai. Ohhh, the suspense. (/sarcasm) Man, I am SO going to make them together, despite Kai being an idiot. Here's your update – hope you enjoy!
Ellen: Ah, yes. Friends that interact like Tyson and Kai do are so much fun. Muahaha. Thank you for the review, btw! Let us all feel sorry for Kai – though he is in biology b/c he wants to be, that area is sooo evil for the memory work and the labs. ((sticks tongue out in nonetheless-fond reminiscence)) Here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy!
Dedication: To LWK, who made me laugh so many times during the writing process with her comments on Chapter One. I will now share my favourite:
"Your world is shaking, Kai? Yes! That's because Tyson will rock your world!"
And, when I couldn't decide on whether to keep Kai's face triangles and scarf, said, "You could compromise and just keep the triangles. ...You know, that gives Tyson easier access to Kai's neck and...((finds her face slowly start to heat up as she drools in appreciation))."
To Lady Gal! May you find the world-shaking, easy-neck-access part of this story – wherever you decide it is. (I swear there are too many moments.)
Additional Notes: Hint for the confused reader: If you don't get why people are reacting the way they are, please remember that Kai's viewpoint is seriously screwed up. Try to look at what the situation looks like from a normal point of view (aka: Tyson, to name just one.)
Please enjoy!
WtNtLtD
Chapter Two
It had been two weeks. He thought. Did he? It didn't feel that way. Kai felt like he didn't have a brain anymore. He was a base creature of mere sensation without thought, without imagination, without rationalization.
He felt the backpack digging in, the helpful padding on the straps merely making more fabric bite at him. He felt the stress-caused sweat slide down his skin, whether it lay under his clothes or exposed to the clammy air. He felt his left? right? eye twitch rhythmically, sporadically, distracting him from the bright glaring whiteness of...
Of what? The sun? The empty computer screen? The snow? Kai didn't know anymore.
He felt that constant ball of stress within him wind tighter and tighter in his too-small chest. The deeply rooted cords were everywhere within him, making his body twitch spasmodically. When he didn't twitch, he shook, but he typed more than he shook, but...
Kai felt the eyes of the other students on him. He realized – without actually caring – that he'd been standing in the middle of the crowded hallway for a long time.
What had he been doing?
Working? Studying? Practicing?
Maybe he'd been beyblading. Training for an upcoming championship. Against Tyson? That sounded right. Yeah, maybe...
Except when he reached into his pocket for Dranzer, his beyblade wasn't there.
Sudden panic seared white-hot through him and he started shaking. He felt the stress explode through his body. It reared up into his throat, blocking his airway and he was choking, choking, choking, couldn't get enough air, he was going to die...
The lint-spotted, faded carpet suddenly jumped up and swallowed him whole, engulfing Kai in blackness.
"—ank you, doctor. I'll tell him."
"Mr. Kinomiya, I really think we need to keep him overnight for observation. His symptoms are extremely worrisome. Do you know how long he's been pushing himself like this?"
Warm and secure for the first time in an eternity, Kai didn't move, merely accustoming himself to the voices that were swimming in the dark. He imagined them to be protozoa, complete with their floppy flagellates that wriggled foolishly. He thought about smiling at the image, but by the time he'd dredged up the energy, the urge was gone. So he just lay there, unable to move and unwilling to do so.
"How long? It's got to be at least a month and a half now."
"What do you mean, Mr. Kinomiya?"
"Well, y'see, Kai decided to take five science classes this semester, and since they've picked up he's been driving himself hard."
"I see."
"Is he..." The voice spoke up tentatively, then paused as if afraid. "Is he going to be okay?"
"Only if he gets some rest. I won't lie to you, Mr. Kinomiya. Mr. Hiwatari's reached the point where it's not possible for him to continue without sleep. His very life is in immediate danger, and then there's the long-term damage to his body that has come from this. We're talking short-term memory impairment, psychosis, delayed reaction time, lowered immune system, hallucinations, lowered hormone secretions, increased risk of diabetes, to name just a few." The voice trailed off.
Stricken silence assailed the warm darkness that Kai basked in. Then a hushed whisper spoke up, the speaker sounding near tears. "Poor Kai. He's been trying so hard..."
The deeper voice spoke up, sounding more concerned than before. "Mr. Kinomiya, are you alright? Would you like a moment alone with patient?"
The whispering voice hitched, then rose in pitch. "It's not fair! All Kai's wanted ever since high school was to work in microbiology! I remember – I remember he told me one night that he wanted to examine diseases so that he could help protect the lives of everyone, and maybe that way he could make up for the damage Voltaire did! He was so serious, so intense about it – I just know it's what he needs to do. He wants to do it, just like I want to teach everyone and help them learn! I don't want people to take advantage of anyone, and if the kids can learn then they might not need that second chance that Kai needed! And now you're telling me that he might die? Oh, no. No. No! He can't die! That can't happen, I won't let it! I need—" The passionate, tear-filled voice suddenly cut off with a click, as if the teeth had literally bit off what the mouth had been going to say.
There was another silence, somehow filled with the sound of someone trying very hard to stop crying.
It continued for quite a while.
Finally, the second voice began, appeasing. "Please do not concern yourself, Mr. Kinomiya. As long as Mr. Hiwatari gets plenty of rest and tries to take it easy, he'll recover fine. After all, his medical record shows he has a strong recovery rate. You live with him, don't you? ... Mr. Kinomiya?"
"Y-yeah," the other replied, the voice roughened and distracted by something.
"Excellent. Now, I hope it's not too much to ask, but if you could just give these to him? They're a form of relaxant and will hopefully alleviate some of the stress."
"Kai? Pills? I don't think so. He's, like, anti-pill man." A watery laugh sounded.
"Nonetheless..."
Stress? Why would he be stressed? Tuning out the voices, Kai floated peaceably within his black pool in slow thought. Dranzer was safe at home, he'd just remembered. Along with...
Kai gasped, thrown brutally back into cold reality. His data! The paperwork! He still had to write it up! What on earth was he doing, lying in bed? What sort of lazy idiot was he? He'd always thought his self-control was stronger than this, but obviously he'd been mistaken.
Frenetically, he began moving, trying desperately to get out of the tangling sheets of the bed and over to the computer area. He had work to do. He had to—
"Kai, calm down."
The soothing, familiar voice whispered into his ear, the hot breath that accompanied it making the hairs on his neck rise. The panic from earlier seemed to just dissipate and he groggily opened his eyes, yawning. He let his eyes take in – with increasing bewilderment – the features of this strange room.
The bed had rails on the side, for one thing, and the covers were thick and wooly. Despite the sweaty heat of the bed, his face was the hottest, his right cheek pulsing dry warmth. He traced the comforting heat back to its source, surprised when he discovered it lay with Tyson's hand. And Tyson's face was mere inches away, shimmering happily in relief.
Kai blinked slowly and yawned again, reluctantly feeling the gritty fatigue catch up to him. Was Tyson hot, too? Was that why his face was all red? Kai opened his mouth to tell him that sharing body heat only made people hotter, so Tyson should take his hand away to be more comfortable. He started to speak, but was interrupted by Tyson, who suddenly stood up, crossed his arms, and glared.
Kai felt like pouting. That was his bad-boy pose.
"So, Kai, how are you feeling?"
Kai felt very, very cold, especially under Tyson's glare. He tried huddling under the blankets, but they weren't warm anymore. And besides, Tyson's chilly voice seemed to be everywhere, spreading through his body the second it leaked into his ears.
"Do you know where you are?" Tyson continued.
Kai was surprised when things remained unfrozen, despite Tyson's voice. He frowned. Tyson was making him cold. He didn't like the cold! Tyson should stop this. He glared upwards, silently willing Tyson to be warm again.
Tyson twitched. "You, Mr. Hiwatari, are in the campus' hospital area. The emergency ward, to be exact. Apparently, you decided to collapse in the middle of the hallway." Tyson bent down, grabbing the bed rails until his knuckles were shot with white. "Do you know that the professor interrupted the Shakespeare class because he'd just gotten a pager message that my roommate seemed to be on the verge of a bloody coma?"
Kai stared upwards, bemused. Tyson was all red again, and his voice was cracked and hot. It was a nicer change than that cold frostiness from earlier. Very nice. Maybe he could go back to sleep…
"Don't you dare close your eyes on me! Do you know what I went through, Kai? When they showed you to me, and you were lying so still on the bed?" Tyson's voice turned anguished. Something wet fell onto Kai's face, and he roused himself again. This was obviously important to Tyson, so he should probably pay attention. Absently, Kai wondered if Tyson knew his eyes were leaking.
"Kai, you just –" Tyson suddenly broke off, turning to the side as he closed his eyes and bit his lip. More fluid leaked from his eyes and Kai summoned his energy to sit up. As if in slow motion and from far away, he watched his hand shakily travel to Tyson's face. His fingers gently rested on the heat from Tyson's face, brushing against the clear tracks the cold fluid was taking down the cheeks.
Almost immediately, those burning brown eyes shot open again and Tyson jerked around. Kai lost his grip right away, but his hand was caught before it could fall back down to the bed. He could feel it being gripped strongly, warmly, between Tyson's hands as Tyson's eyes seemed to stare at him, confusedly.
Tyson wanted something, it seemed. Kai let his head slump back against the pillow and waited, sure that Tyson would tell him. Tyson told him everything, after all, whether Kai wanted to hear it or not.
"Kai…" Tyson licked his lips.
Kai worked his throat, successfully producing a questioning-type noise.
Another pause, and then Tyson seemed to shake off whatever the problem was, giving him a shaky grin instead. "You know you look like death warmed over, right?"
Kai shut his eyes, uncaring now that Tyson seemed to be okay. If there weren't any immediate crises, then he could go back to sleep.
He didn't know how long it was before he jolted awake again. His assignments! Forcing his body to move, Kai slowly got out of bed, shying away from the cold metal of the sidebars. Once out of the bed, he wobbled for a moment, fighting off the sudden vertigo that assailed him. Three deep breaths later, he moved over to the table, where his clothes were. Stupid hospital gowns. He could practically feel the five-inch gap at the back.
Glancing over to make sure the door was closed, Kai quickly set about stripping down and putting on his regular outfit: Black jeans, red silk turtleneck, his trustworthy leather vest, and the phoenix chain he'd received for Christmas. He sighed, feeling better already.
Kai was just bending over to tie up his bootlaces when the door opened. He stiffened automatically, his mind already working on offensive strategies. Steps sounded, and then a resigned sigh wafted through the room.
"Kai…"
Ah, it was Tyson. Kai should have recognized him by the aroma – Tyson had to be the only one who wore that particular brand of cologne.
Still, the fact that it was Tyson and not a doctor made this easier – or harder, as it were. It would be harder to obtain official permission from the doctors, but he could probably convince them he was fine. With Tyson, Kai would be able to forego the permission slip, but Tyson knew Kai well enough to tell when he was faking it.
Decisions, decisions.
Tyson, however, interrupted his thoughts. "Shouldn't you be, you know, resting?"
Kai concentrated on finishing tying his boots before he rose and smirked at Tyson. He had decided on the perfect approach: cynical ambiguity. "What do you think?" Then he moved forward as his opponent opened his mouth to indignantly reply. He kept his strides smooth and his smirk firmly in place as he crossed the floor. It was all about appearances. Convince himself, and he could convince Tyson. He had to.
Without hesitation, he shouldered his way into Tyson's personal space. Backing his rival up against the wall, he slammed his hands on either side of Tyson's face. His smirk widened. "Not that you do. Think, that is."
Tyson's face turned red, apparently horribly wounded by Kai's rather predictable insult. His mouth worked for a minute without letting anything come out, before gulping. "K-Kai? What… what are you doing?"
Kai watched as Tyson licked his lips, filing away the inexplicable nervousness for further investigation when he could actually think. "What am I doing?" he repeated condescendingly. Kai moved in closer than usual until his face was mere inches away. He noted again that Tyson had half-closed his eyes – which made no sense until Kai figured out that it was so Tyson could focus better. He was pretty close, after all. "I'm telling you, Tyson, to back off." He drew back, letting his eyes turn hard.
Tyson's face was a study in shock and hurt. Kai firmly squished the guilt that was bubbling violently within, instead crossing his arms firmly. With a cold expression, he watched as Tyson struggled to get a grip on his own emotions. Sniffling a couple times and swallowing, Tyson brought a hand up to wipe his eyes. "You…" Tyson started, before sniffing again.
Kai frowned, watching Tyson calculatingly. Had he gone too far? He'd merely meant to get Tyson off his back, not actually wound him. In the recesses of his mind, he'd willingly admit that Tyson was the only one he trusted, and the most important person in his life. He'd never had many he'd considered his friends for reasons he liked to ignore, and if Tyson left…
"Kai." Tyson's voice slapped through his thoughts. Without changing his expression to show he'd been caught off-guard, Kai quickly returned to reality. Tyson was shaking his head in a way that promised rotten spinach-fish casserole later that night. Kai resisted the urge to swallow nervously. He had gone too far.
"You're really something, aren't you? A real Picasso masterpiece. King Leontes would gain pointers from talking to you (1)." Tyson shook his head ruefully. "You're nasty and cold and inconsiderate, even more so since you haven't been sleeping."
Kai moved to leave, ignoring the stabbing pain that was cheerfully choking him again. Halfway to the door, though, he found he couldn't move. Turning his head slowly, he found his arm being held in Tyson's firm grip. Confused, he looked at Tyson.
Tyson looked knowingly at him. "I get what you're doing, Mr. Hiwatari. You can't fool me. You want to leave, don't you? And you figured that by being your normal jerk-self, you can convince me that you're fine and so can run home and do all your homework like a good little boy, right?"
Kai, left with precious few options, glared. For emphasis, he half-heartedly tugged at his arm to try to get it free.
Tyson moved closer, his voice growing oddly husky. "I can see right through you, Hiwatari."
Kai snorted. "Then you can probably see that I'm about to break your arm in three seconds unless you let go."
Tyson paused and blinked. "Uh... I do now!" He immediately let go of Kai, backing up and grinning disarmingly. "Sorry!"
"Hn." Now free, Kai moved towards the door. A minute and a half later, he became aware of Tyson's continued presence behind him. Pausing in the hallway, he set himself and turned around. "What are you doing?"
Tyson blinked innocently. "What are you doing?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"What do you mean?"
"What do you mean what do I mean?"
"Why are you shouting?"
"Why are you shouting?"
"What's your favourite colour?"
"What?" Kai took a step back in puzzlement. (2)
Tyson grinned at him. "I was just seeing how long we could answer each question with another question. How'd we do?"
A doctor passed them. "Well, you've successfully managed to disturb the patients along this entire hallway. Could you please leave?" He shot them a look that plainly showed his irritation.
Kai coughed. "Ah… our apologies."
Tyson grabbed his arm, shooting an apologetic look at the tired doctor. "Come on, Kai."
"Tyson, I was going."
"Yeah, but you were going the wrong way. The car's this way."
Kai almost stopped, and was dragged a couple of feet when Tyson kept moving quickly. "What? You brought the car? Tyson, we live seventeen minutes away!"
Tyson assumed an aristocratic air. "Well, for your information, sir, I didn't know what kind of condition you were in. For all I knew, you'd broken your legs when you collapsed."
'That's an extreme assumption."
"I'm sure it's happened to somebody before. And besides, if that had happened, I certainly wasn't going to carry you that entire way. I mean, I've hauled you around before, but certainly not with recently set bones and heavy casts."
Kai rolled his eyes. "Now who's being paranoid?"
Tyson stuck out his tongue. "Bite me."
"Very mature. That reminds me; did you get to go grocery shopping yet?"
"Yup! Coffee's all stocked up!"
Kai smirked. "Excellent."
Tyson gave him an incredulous look. "Don't tell me you're going to break out into maniacal laughter now."
"No, that comes later - when you're asleep."
"You are going to get some sleep though, right?"
"There's only a week and a half until the long weekend. If I can last until then, I'll be better."
"A week and a half? The doctor said you needed sleep, like, now!"
Kai scowled. "Then the doctor should try explaining to the profs and the TA's that you can't hand in the material on time simply because you need to sleep. It's not happening, Tyson." (3)
The two of them clattered down the metallic steps to the sidewalk. They stopped a minute at the bottom so that Tyson could glance around for where he left the car. In that time, Kai became aware of that familiar dry warmth on his arm.
"...Tyson?"
"Hey! Found it! Car's this way, Kai. Let's go." They started walking again, with Tyson seemingly oblivious to the fact his arm was wound around Kai's own arm with the strength of a boa constrictor.
"Tyson?"
"Hmm... yeah?" Tyson shot him a glance, then returned to checking for the Parking Services car. After all, they were known to hover around cars like vultures, waiting for the paid minutes to tick away before slapping a heavy fine immediately onto the windshield.
"Why are you still holding onto my arm?"
"I'm making sure you don't collapse." Tyson shot him a peeved look. "Again."
Kai tugged his arm free. "I told you that I'm fine."
"If you say you so. Which, by the way, you didn't. And don't think you're off the hook that easy! You have some serious making up with me to do after this little stunt!"
Tyson was glaring at him, and it didn't look like anything short of a groveling apology was going to appease him. Kai sighed. It was going to be a long night.
Depending on how you looked at it, it was either Monday night or Tuesday morning. It was really relative. In cases like this, Kai mused, you had to ignore the glaring lights of the digital watch and look at the moon.
Of course, that would mean ignoring modern technology and depending on the past. That in itself was really pretty ironic. After all, there he was, a biology major who depended on modern inventions to study floaty microorganisms. Then again, floaty small things had been around practically since the Earth was formed. Or something like that.
Kai felt like snickering, but then wasted his energy shivering in the crisp winter air. Under his feet, the small amount of snow crunched, tracking his slow progress home. None of that mattered, though, because there were three days before the November long weekend. Then, maybe, he could sleep…
If only he could get his assignments done before then!
He found himself stumbling against the door to his home before he could stop himself. Instead of wasting time trying to figure out how he'd gotten there, he made a feeble attempt at remembering where he'd put his keys.
The door opened then, pitching him forward for the umpteenth time. Instead of the comfy Tyson pillow he normally landed against, though, he found himself out of breath on the muddy floor of their little entryway.
Temporarily winded, Kai gasped for air, his brain shooting wide-awake as it struggled with the sudden shock. Gasping turned into a sudden coughing spell as his developing cold decided to show itself. Unable to stop, Kai coughed and coughed, curling up into a ball on the floor, wracked with spasms. And yet, through it all, he felt disjointed from his body. The skin that scraped against the floor hurt, but it wasn't his hurt. The shivers that raced around his limbs tingled and made little needles jab into his skin weren't actually in his body.
Why was there so much pain then? He clenched the eyes shut, hoping that would make things stop.
"Kai?"
Ahhh, there was the warmth, pulling him in. Still shivering and shuddering with coughs, Kai desperately reached out for the warmth, not caring where it came from as long as it could make the pain stop. It seemed to oblige, and soon Kai found himself sitting, nearly surrounded with heat: below him, across him, above him, rubbing up and down soothingly.
Gradually, he found he could breathe again, the coughs lessening in frequency until they disappeared entirely. Kind of like the solution when it dissolved the concentrate on the bottom. Or was that the bacteria?
Kai burrowed deeper into the warmth, letting his mind drift where it would. He didn't care. He was sleepy, he was tired, he was all forms of worn out and he didn't care anymore. He didn't! He didn't care that the warmth had developed a worried voice, didn't care that he was whimpering like a child, didn't care about the fluid that was leaking from his own eyes now; he just wanted this stressful life to stop! Why couldn't it? It wasn't fair!
But it should have been fair, right? After all, living with Tyson was fair, so that should have made his life fair by mere association.
Where was Tyson, anyway? Didn't he always greet him these days, ready with a life-saving cup of coffee and a smile? Kai wandered along that train of thought for a minute, then mentally dismissed the matter. He'd find Tyson later. Right now, he'd enjoy this warm moment, then get up and do his work, and then he'd find Tyson. Yeah… that sounded good.
Feeling ready to get up at a moment's notice, Kai settled further into sleep. Maybe he should review that plan again. What was it? He'd wait a couple of minutes, and then he'd… he'd get up, right, and then he'd work. And Tyson was in there too, somewhere, wasn't he?
Still enjoying the warmth that ran up and down his back, Kai nestled further into his pillow. Had he ever noticed how nice it smelled before? It was really distinctive, but really hard to actually define. He knew he'd run across it before, though. But where?
Hmm…
It didn't matter, really. It was warm, and it was soft, and it smelled really good and there was more dry warmth right on his face and something soft was brushing his cheek with the lightest of sensations…
Wait, no. That was touch, and touch was bad unless it was someone he trusted, and that was only Tyson, but Tyson wasn't here and so…
Thoroughly annoyed at having his rest interrupted, he groggily opened sleep-fogged eyes.
Russet eyes encompassed his entire vision for precious minutes. They seemed to be frozen and wide open in shock, though Kai couldn't imagine why. Gradually, though, the eyes moved away and resolved into an equally red face.
What?
Waitaminute…
"'son?" Kai croaked, surprised. Tyson had been here the whole time! Well, check one thing off his list. He guessed he didn't need to look for Tyson after all. Yay for productivity.
But if Tyson had been here, then that had been Tyson before. Right? Maybe? He would check, Kai decided. Clearing his throat, he asked, "Was that you?"
Tyson's face, oddly enough, got even redder. "Um… was what me?"
Kai frowned. He was supposed to be interrogating, not the other way around! "Before," Kai grumped, exasperated. "With the … thingy. Cheek."
Tyson froze in shock, his eyes opening even further as his voice cracked in surprise. "You were awake for that? I mean," Tyson also cleared his throat and tried again. "You were awake for that?"
"Mmm." Kai swiped at his eyes, scratching away the itch.
"Oh. Well, I can explain! You see… ah. Um. Well. The thing is…" Tyson started hyperventilating, and Kai suddenly found his secure perch start jostling. After several seconds of rampant confusion, he realized he was being moved because he was firmly nestled in Tyson's lap.
He shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. This was … odd. They were friends and all, but this seemed a little bit too intimate, as if they were something more. Aware that he was turning red and extremely annoyed that he was doing so, Kai squirmed out of Tyson's lap and on to the couch instead. Better.
Wait, though. Tyson still hadn't answered his question. He let his eyes drift over to Tyson again, expectant. "Well?"
Tyson had frozen, his eyes downcast. At Kai's question, he shakily looked up, then licked his lips. "What? Oh, before? I was just… uh… looking at your tattoos. On … on your face. With my fingers. Not my lips. Yes. Because, because I still can't believe that you had those tattooed! On your face. Um."
"Duh." Was that all? Kai exhaled and looked away, dismissing the matter entirely as he stared at the computer. He should get up now and go over there. As soon as he got up.
But Tyson hadn't stopped talking, and his voice picked up and went faster the more he talked. "I certainly wasn't, you know, looking at you or anything. Or watching you sleep. And I don't think you're sexy. Or anything like that. Can you stop falling asleep on me? Because, really, your face gets really defenceless when you do that and I'm having a tough time trying to convince myself that I'm straight when you look like that, or when you're still all wet from your shower, or when you tell me that I'm the only one you trust or really when you move and talk or anything! So yeah! My point! Wasn't kissing you! Ok?"
Kai felt that explosion of sound had been long enough to warrant a raising of his eyebrow. What was Tyson babbling on about this time? He'd already explained what he'd been doing before. Stupid Tyson. Kai huffed again and tried to stand.
Tyson jumped up and moved to help him up, averting his eyes. "Ok? We're ok?"
Kai raised his other eyebrow. Tyson was being awfully insistent about this whole thing. He sighed. "We're fine. 'sides. You've 'splained that whole cheek thing. With fingers and not kiss. Yes. Fine. Life good. W00t-ness"
He winced as he heard himself talk. His body was shutting down. It was painful to listen to. Kai decided to shut up and not speak until he'd managed to recuperate his sleep time. Megatokyo had invaded his speech now. Was there no end to his descent?
And why wouldn't Tyson stop holding him up? Irritated beyond belief, Kai hit Tyson's supporting arm. "'son, 'm fine. Go 'way."
Tyson bit his lip and stepped back, his eyes filled with sympathy and pity. "Kai…"
Kai snarled. He didn't do pity, or anything like that. He was fine on his own! Glaring, he headed towards the kitchen to get his coffee. He was perfectly fine. He …
Kai walked into the wall, crashed into a table, knocked a lamp onto the floor, and then fell down himself. He stared in surprise at his betraying legs, before frowning.
"My legs don't work anymore."
Slowly, he became aware of a soft sound behind him. Turning slightly and craning his neck, he looked upwards at Tyson, who was laughing into his hands. Catching sight of Kai looking at him, Tyson gave up trying to muffle the sounds and burst out laughing in full, promptly falling to the ground. Kai blinked, before snickering quietly, too. It was one in the morning. Everything was funny at one in the morning.
Their laughter grew and started to get a little hysterical until their neighbour pounded on the wall. Kai and Tyson glanced at each other and stopped laughing, wiping the tears out of their eyes and calming down into comfortable silence. Tyson crawled over the couple of feet, offering his hand in apology.
"Sorry, Kai. I shouldn't have laughed at you. Friends?"
Kai shot him a humoured look, automatically taking the hand. "Sure. I shouldn't ha' hit you."
"Well, I shouldn't have tried to mother you."
"I shouldn't have sn'rled at'choo."
"I should have made your coffee. Sorry."
Kai sighed, trying to enunciate carefully. "And I shouldn't have made your life occasionally evil. Now, having apologized for everything except our birth, can you help me up? My legs don't want to work and I need to get over to the computer area."
Tyson groaned. "My arm muscles hate you. How many times have I had to carry you around this year?"
Kai smirked. "Enough times to actually get you back in shape. You should love me instead."
Tyson stopped a second, before shooting Kai a shaky smile and standing up. "Uh… whatever. Come on, Kai. I'll get the water boiling." He gave a strong pull and Kai rode with it, finally standing up. Looking straight into Tyson's eyes, Kai fought the urge to just fall asleep where he stood.
It was something about Tyson, he decided, that made him feel at ease. Had it always been that way? He tried to remember…
((Flashback))
Kai sat on his bed, staring blankly at the wall. Beside him, his first lab report lay neatly folded beside him. Peeking out from the white paper was a portion of a mark, boldly printed in red marker.
A knock on the door reminded him that he was not alone. Still, he slowly turned incurious red eyes to look at the closed door, little caring that there was someone to count on.
"Kai? You in?"
Tyson knocked several times on the door, politely. Kai could have told him that the door wasn't going to break – it looked firm enough. Then again, maybe it was like him: It looked solid, but if you hit it the right way it shattered into a million pieces.
"Kai?"
Kai went back to staring at the wall. It was a blank wall. Maybe someday he'd put up some posters. Of what, he didn't know. Tyson certainly didn't have any trouble putting up posters in his room: pictures of scantily clad girls on beaches, various tournament posters, a couple of encouragement signs, and the typical "Have a day" poster.
"Kai, I'm coming in, ok?" The doorknob turned slowly, like in a horror movie. Kai frowned. He didn't really care for horror movies. The gory ones seemed to mock the fragility of human life, and the psychological ones reminded him too much of those heart-wrenching moments in the Abbey.
Tyson popped his head in. "You decent? Sorry, I should have checked. Anyway… happy birthday!" Tyson wriggled through the narrow doorway. "How's it—" Abruptly, he caught sight of the returned lab report. "Oh! Hey, you got it back? How'd you do?"
"Go away."
Tyson flopped down on the other side of the bed. "That bad, huh? Well, I wouldn't worry—"
"Tyson," Kai interrupted, his voice cold. "Get off my bed."
Tyson rose again. "Ah, sorry. Um. Anyway, I wouldn't really worry about it."
Kai slumped slightly. "It was worth 10 of my mark, you idiot."
"Oh." Tyson looked lost for a second, then looked hesitatingly at Kai. "You know, we are first year students. Have you tried going to one of the writing services? I tried last week and they're really pretty nice. The guy I had was incredibly smart, but not condescending about it. It's really pretty good."
Kai looked down. "I shouldn't need any help."
"Because you're Kai? You may be near perfect, but you still need to get used to doing things differently. My English professor says that even if you're the smartest, most adaptive person in the world, that means nothing if you don't have a basis of knowledge."
Kai looked at Tyson for a long, assessing moment. "It certainly doesn't sound like anything you'd say."
"Ah! You mean, anything I'd say before now. I love that saying! I'm going to use it all the time now!"
"Of course you will." Kai looked away.
"Tell you what," Tyson picked up the lab report. "I'll put this on your area of the desk, and then I'll get you some nice green tea. It's after 10 on a Thursday night, Kai, and you've obviously had a rough day. You going to get some sleep?"
Kai pursed his lips. "I guess I'm mostly done my work…"
"Perfect! Get changed while I make the tea? Oh! I've got the perfect present for you!"
Wordless, Kai got changed quickly and got into bed, just as Tyson returned with the tea. Tyson had changed into his own pjs, too, and yawned a little as he grabbed a chair to sit down.
"Ok. Ready? So, with my limited writing skills, I wrote you a story! Ta-dah! And I'm going to read it to you (which is admittedly part of my homework assignment), and you can listen to it. Sound like a plan?"
Despite the fact he was still wound up, Kai propped himself up against the pillow expectantly. He sipped his tea, bundled warmly into the bed in his first birthday at university, listening to Tyson stumble through his first story. What Tyson had read wasn't anything spectacular, but engaging despite all of its faults. Sometime after he'd finished the tea, Tyson's expressive voice seemed to soften and Kai had drifted off, wrapped in a memory of heroics and friendships.
To this day, Kai could only remember Tyson's voice and the triumphant declaration of "and they lived happily ever after! The end!"
Now at his computer, and listening to background noises of Tyson getting ready for bed, Kai paused a moment. Unknown to him, a soft smile crossed his face as he recalled the memories.
Tuesday night? Wednesday morning? Kai risked a glance at his watch as he passed under a streetlamp. It was Tuesday night still, by a surprisingly large margin. He moved onwards, wrapping his coat around him more tightly. The streets were always nearly deserted at this time of the night, to the point where Kai could feel comfortable concentrating on his inner thoughts and not on what was going on around him.
He turned another corner, suppressing the urge to cough. Coughing was a sign of weakness, and besides, it took too much energy. He was tired…
Taking a deep breath of the frosty air, Kai shook himself out of his pitying funk. The long weekend was closer, though it didn't matter so much anymore. His classes today had dumped a ton and a half of extra assignments on him. He wouldn't be getting any sleep this long weekend either, it seemed.
Kai knew Tyson was going to be peeved. He didn't especially care, but he wasn't looking forward to the confrontation. Fights required energy, and he didn't have that much to spare. His coffee – much to the delight of the capitalist coffee shops – had upped itself to six shots of espresso in sugared latte, and even that was barely enough to keep him awake throughout the day.
And today in one of his classes, the professor had shown a movie voiced by some soft-voiced narrator in a darkened room. Kai's left arm was entirely red from all the pinching he'd done to stay awake – and even then, his notes on the film were sketchy.
Kai stumbled up the few steps in the apartment building then stared at the elevator button for a minute or two. He decided he hated the elevator button. It was evil. It shone when it was pushed and that hurt his eyes. Evil.
He pushed it anyway, then brought his hand up to wipe away his bangs.
Kai reached his door without incident. He decided to stare at the door for a while, too. It seemed to be really interesting. There was wood … and … a doorknob… and the numbers of their place…
Absently, Kai saw his hand reaching out to trace gently over the wood. Wood was interesting to touch, really. It was all grainy and—
Ow.
Pulling his hand back, Kai stared at his index finger, which now sported a long, dark splinter, painted green. It didn't really hurt, but Kai stuck his finger in his mouth anyway. With his right hand unavailable, Kai gave up looking for his keys and used his left hand to knock softly.
Within a few minutes, the door opened to a tired looking Tyson. Quizzically, Tyson opened the door all the way, then seemed to go very, very still as he stared at Kai. Interestingly, his face was turning red again, too.
Kai figured it was because he'd knocked instead of falling against the door. He shrugged and waved, still sucking absently on his finger.
Tyson stared some more before finally tearing his eyes away and stepping back from the doorway. Kai shuffled through, managing to get all the way in and over to the couch before collapsing. He could feel, through his dim tunnel vision, Tyson right behind him, and then beside him as he joined Kai on the much-used couch.
"Ah… Kai?" Tyson's voice was all squeaky. Kai ignored him, trying to remember how you actually got a splinter out the right way.
"You're sucking on your finger, Kai. Can I ask why?" Now Tyson's voice was squeaky and hopeful, like that time he'd asked some model if she was available for dinner. Kai cast a suspicious look around the small room. He didn't want any models here. They were annoying and Not Tyson – he couldn't let them see him in his moment of weakness!
His finger left his mouth with a small 'pop.' With a melancholy expression, Kai looked at the splinter. He couldn't remember how to best take out a splinter, so he guessed he'd have to use tweezers. Or a needle.
Kai ignored Tyson, who was still talking, and stared at the ceiling. They were guys. They didn't have tweezers and needles just lying about on the bathroom sink. Come to think of it, did they even have those things? Concentrating on trying to locate splinter-removing objects, he let himself slide sideways. Didn't they have a pair in the emergency medical supplies? Maybe.
Abruptly landing on his nice-smelling warmth, Kai let his head roll back and a whine escape his lips. Now he was all warm and wouldn't want to get up. Crap. Ah, well. Maybe if he left the splinter alone, his body would attack it and he could examine the immune reaction in the morning. A frown crossed his face, as he realized that would mean dealing with pus. That wasn't so fun, especially when he couldn't examine it under a microscope immediately.
Kai's musing was roughly interrupted when two warm hands grabbed his arms and pushed him back with wrenching force. A tense voice spoke into his ear, "Kai? This is Tyson, the guy on whom you apparently like to cuddle? I have something I need to tell you, so please open your eyes and pay attention."
Kai jerked awake instantly, flaring into a rage. "I beg your pardon?" The voice dripped out like poison, with every intent to offend. How dare Tyson impute that Kai would forget that he was there, much less let him order Kai around? Who did he think he was? And… cuddle? Kai bared his teeth and threw a venomous look at Tyson's surprised mug. Was Tyson too much of an idiot to realize that it wasn't cuddling? That it was falling asleep and he did it only because Tyson's body was soft like a pillow and he always lulled him to sleep? Obviously so.
Satisfied with his mental, sleep-fogged logic, Kai settled in for a long session of Ignore The Tyson. Fuelled by anger, he stood up and marched over to the computer chair, ready to work. Almost instantly, Tyson was at his side, actually on his knees so that he could stare pleadingly up at Kai.
"I'm sorry. That was the totally wrong thing to say!"
Kai sniffed, still offended. It wasn't that it had been wrong (because it had), it was more that there had been three wrong things that Tyson had said.
"Please? C'mon, Kai. This really means a lot to me. Can you give me a break? It's practically midnight and we've both been burning the candle at both ends. So my wording's a little screwed up. Come back, please?"
Kai made the mistake of glancing down and was hit with the full force of Tyson's puppy dog look. That wasn't fair in the slightest. Kai had watched Tyson perfect it in the mirror, and then had smirked as Tyson had won over four different girls in rapid succession with that look. Of course, Tyson had also used it whenever he was at a loss at how to apologize further for something he'd really screwed up on.
Finding himself back on the couch, Kai was suddenly hit with the intensity of Tyson's expression. He tried again to shake himself into full awareness, somehow sensing that this was incredibly important, but it was the couch. For the past three months, it had been where he slept. Kai had taken enough psychology classes to recognize that his brain was already shutting down, habituated to the area to slip into sleep.
And Tyson was warm, so that was like a blanket. The couch cushions were soft, so that was his pillow. He was settled in for the night – No!
He had to stay awake. He had to. For Tyson, if not for the last two sentences of his homework. Tyson, certainly, had done enough for him to deserve this. Ok, Kai told himself. Stay awake. Stay awake. Stay awake.
He could do this. He could. He'd just ignore the heat that Tyson was radiating and the soft lighting of the moon outside – when had the lights been turned off? Kai knew he looked confused, but things had suddenly changed and he wasn't oriented anymore. He liked being oriented, being on top of the situation and controlling it. Except that he wasn't – hadn't been for some time, admittedly. And now Tyson was leaning forward with a pleading look in his burning hot eyes, and was shaking.
Kai looked at Tyson's hands in deeper confusion. Tyson was so warm – why was he shaking? Shaking meant cold. Cold was bad. Hesitantly, he reached out and took one of Tyson's hands in his own, concentrating on rubbing it back to warmth and entirely missing the look of surprised hope in Tyson's eyes.
"Kai? I have something to tell you."
"Mm." The hand felt warm, but maybe he should keep rubbing to make sure Tyson really was warm. It was the least he could do.
"It's really important."
"Mmmm."
"You remember how, a couple weeks back, there was that guy who said I was gay?"
Kai made an affirmative grunt and picked up the other hand. Tyson just wouldn't stop shaking.
"And you remember how I said I wasn't?"
"Hn." Kai was listening, but these silly warm hands that wouldn't heat up were drawing most of his attention.
"Well, the thing is…" Tyson's voice trailed off, and the lack of sound made Kai drag his eyes up questioningly. Tyson stared back at him nervously, his eyes shimmering and tensing anxiously. "The thing is… I don't think I'm totally straight anymore."
Was that all? Kai blinked sleepily up at him, then went back to rubbing Tyson's hands. Why did Tyson think this mattered to him? Tyson was Tyson and therefore his best friend, no matter what or who he loved. For crying out loud, Kai had stayed with him even when Tyson had brought home the new Britney Spears' album and had played it non-stop for three weeks. Compared to that, this recent confession was nothing. Whatever, really.Personally, Kaihadn't ever thought about who or what he liked, but he presumed heliked girls. But Tyson wasn't sure, probably 'cause he spent too much introspection time in the Arts. Kaipouted. This whole thing was pointless.Did that mean he could sleep yet?
"Um… but the thing is, Kai, that I don't really know. So, uh…" Tyson's voice trailed off again. "Gosh, this is way harder than I thought it would be." Kai could feel Tyson take a deep breath for support. "Hey, Kai?"
"Mm."
"You're not… going out with anyone, right?"
"Mm."
"So, uh… can I try something with you?"
"Mm." Kai moved back to the first hand, rubbing it smoothly. They were shaking even worse, but still seemed to be as warm as ever.
Tyson shook his head and Kai knew, because Tyson had suddenly moved way in and was right in front of his face. Desperately tired eyes tried to contract in a last-ditch effort to focus, but gave up and slid shut instead. Tyson's breath washed over his face and ruffled his bangs. "Tell me if you want to stop," Tyson murmured softly, though Kai could easily hear him in the suddenly too-too quiet apartment. Not even sounds from the road filtered in through the window.
Then suddenly there was something warm and firm against his lips. It pushed tentatively forwards and Kai, having used all his energy paying attention to Tyson before, willingly fell back. The soft cushions of the couch pillowed his fall, and the warmth above seem to sprawl over him with a surprised sound. Then, just as Kai was getting used to having something heavy and warm as a personal blanket, the feeling returned against his lips.
Kai, behind closed eyelids, felt like blinking in slow realization. Oh. This … this was a kiss. What was a kiss doing … Oh. Oh! Tyson was kissing him? Why would Tyson be kissing him? Kai cast his mind back to the conversation – something about uncertainty? He mused over this a moment, even as he basked in Tyson's heat. He reached his conclusion shortly. Obviously, Tyson was uncertain as to whether he liked guys and so was kissing Kai to find out. He trusted Kai with this, probably (Kai guessed) because Kai was his closest friend. It was a little on the bizarre side, admittedly, to kiss your friend to see if you liked their gender, but then again, Tyson had never been one to follow the rules.
And then Tyson did something with his hand and Kai had no choice but to gasp as sheer pleasure ricocheted through his chest. The kiss turned deeper and wetter and better and Kai had no room for thoughts anymore, save for the one spark in his brain that would say nothing but "wow." It was still too hesitant, though. Kai was used to Tyson giving all he had in everything he did – why should now be any different? Kai growled a little and started to use his tongue, finding it relaxing when Tyson manipulated their mouths to retaliate to his full advantage.
His body took on a life of its own, wrapping the arms around Tyson's shoulders and twisting the legs into Tyson's, trying desperately to get the warmth closer, and warmer, and somehow better, like the kiss had gotten. Kai pulled back a little, reluctantly tearing himself away from Tyson's mouth and quickly licking Tyson's cheek instead. His skin tasted good, too. Did he want more? Kai tried to think about it.
Muddling through a pleasure-fogged mind, Kai dimly heard Tyson groaning. As slow as a blooming flower, Tyson moved and ran his fingers through Kai's hair, touching his head in a curiously gentle fashion that threw Kai for a loop. One hand moved down, stroking Kai's lips almost fervently in place of his own mouth, while the other shifted the turtleneck aside. And suddenly, Kai found out where Tyson's mouth had gone because it was attacking his neck and had somehow managed to hit that one spot that always drove him insane and how did Tyson know that? He arched and gasped and dimly he registered staring blindly at the ceiling.
"Kai, Kai, Kai…" Tyson chanted between nibbling on Kai's neck. Lips and tongue and teeth, they were all used to quickly reduce Kai into a moaning, swearing, quivering pile of jelly. Then, and only then, did Tyson move back up to Kai's open mouth to try out another style of kissing, which did nothing to improve Kai's mental state of functioning. Tyson was squirming on top of him and it felt good. So incredibly good. Heavens help him, but he wanted more… Tyson…
"Tyson…?" His voice had gone hoarse and rough, the way it was after a good night's sleep. Kai moved one hand to Tyson's chest to push him back and away, inherently knowing through his hormone-drugged stupor and the need that surged through him that this had gone way beyond any sort of friendship trial. "…Wait…"
Tyson stopped immediately, though his hot breath still panted over Kai's face. Kai felt his eyes flutter shut under the feather-like assault, but then opened them when he felt his blanket move away. He made a small questioning sound and gave Tyson a sleepy, quizzical look.
Tyson threw him a shaky smile and ran a trembling hand through his messed-up hair. "Well, I think that decides that."
Kai raised an eyebrow, too comfortable in his position on the couch to bother moving. "Mm?"
"Now I'm definitely gay." Tyson blew out a nervous breath and seemed to look expectantly hopeful as he waited for Kai's reaction.
Kai suppressed the urge to glare. "And I'm straight. So what's your point?" Still in a haze, he suddenly felt annoyed at the pointlessness of it all. Tyson had already said that he wasn't straight – why had he needed to … do what he just did? Besides, it didn't matter to Kai about the whole sexual orientation thing. He didn't care. Didn't Tyson know him better by now? And what had that whole thing before been about?
He clenched his eyes shut in irritation. It was late and he was tired – as always. Couldn't Tyson have waited for the weekend to deal with this?
"…oh."
Tyson's small, defeated-sounding voice was the only thing that tore him from his stewing rage. Why was Tyson so sad? He'd found his little sexual niche in life, hadn't he? What else did he want? Kai looked up at Tyson and waited for an explanation.
Tyson, though, was grinning at the floor in a way that seemed to rip Kai's heart apart. That was the grin that Tyson had worn when his grandpa had died. It wasn't happy at all, but rather told the world that he'd really rather be alone now, if that was ok with everyone…
"Tyson?" Kai was concerned enough to actually move away from the couch and sit up.
Tyson flashed him a tear-filled look and stood up abruptly, effectively halting Kai's unsure attempt at reassurance. "Nothing! It's… nothing. I just… I guess I was wrong about some things, I guess." Tyson turned around, giving Kai a confusing view of his back. "I'm going to go to bed now. Sorry for bothering you, Kai. I hope you have a very productive night." The last few words clipped out briskly, reminding Kai of soldiers marching.
"Wait, Tyson? Did I…?"
"Good night, Kai!" Tyson suddenly shouted, effectively cutting off anything that came from Kai's mouth. Then Tyson ran off, clicking his bedroom door shut firmly.
Several minutes later, Kai found that staring at Tyson's closed door wasn't solving anything. Knowing that it was going to be another long night, he then moved over to the computer.
With little effort, he ignored the tingles of pleasure that still sparked from his neck, concentrating instead on his lab report.
Still, he was unable to stop thinking about Tyson's shaking hands.
The sun was barely setting on Wednesday as Kai grumped home. It had been a really lousy day.
It had all started this morning, he decided. He'd slept through his alarm and Tyson hadn't woken him up, so he'd been late for class. In his next class, he'd fallen asleep three times, to the extreme annoyance of the professor. Then he'd been rushed in the lab, had managed to light his lab coat on fire twice, burnt himself four times, and only then had noticed the infection on his finger due to the splinter he hadn't removed yet. He'd barely finished the experiment before the labs had shut early – something about a chemical spill and dangerous fumes. As if that weren't bad enough, the computer lab where he had been going to type his reports was temporarily closed for cleaning.
At that point, Kai had no choice but to go home. He turned the last corner before he reached the apartment building, twitching and glaring furiously the whole time. He didn't want to come home. He couldn't pinpoint why, exactly, but he was pretty sure that Tyson was going to be in a bad mood.
And Tyson made bad coffee when he was in a bad mood.
"Hey, you! Yeah, you! Don't you dare walk away from me!"
Caught up in his thought, Kai didn't see the fist aimed at him. It was only when pain flared along his arm and he felt himself hit the ground did he take note. He scathingly looked upwards at his assailant, who was dressed in a expensive business suit despite his obvious youth. Kai decided he didn't like him, and started remembering various ways to break bones.
The other guy, who couldn't have been more than two years older than Kai, glared back. "You disgust me, you freak." Without further warning, he opened his thermos and upended the hot coffee down towards Kai.
Or at least, where Kai had been. Using reflexes nonetheless slowed by fatigue, Kai scrambled out of the way and rose to his feet. As it was, his arm was screaming from the coffee's touch.
"Nice moves, fairy." The blond sneered.
Kai stared in sheer confusion. What was this guy on? He'd never seen him before in his life. Still fuming, he waited for an answer before he jumped into action.
Fortunately, the jerk was obliging if nothing else. "Oh, yeah. I've seen you before, in case you're wondering. I've been watching you for a long time, you fag. You come down in the elevator, asleep and practically wrapped around that blue-haired boy. You've never noticed me? No wonder, you're usually all focussed on your fag boyfriend." He spat the last word out as if it disgusted him. "You should be more considerate of others. Some of us don't want to see that in the morning."
Kai stared stonily at him, his mind busily upgrading to dismemberment.
Still not done, the man continued to rant. "I'm just glad I managed to get your other half last month. Told him how I felt, yeah. Of course, then he punched me out." He brought a hand up to rub at the faint purpling that remained around his eye. "I thought your kind was all weak. Sure threw me." He spat on the ground.
He paused, then looked speculatively at Kai, running his eyes measuringly along Kai's form. He grinned nastily, as if realizing something."I guess that makes you the submissive one, don't it? You probably beg for it, huh? Don't you? Freak. You disgust me!" Screaming that last bit, he ran at Kai, his fist raised to attack.
Kai was feeling a little disgusted himself. Through a hazy, foggy mind, the insistent tickling in his throat that warned him of a cough, and the sand in his eyes that made them want to shut, Kai moved on programmed instinct. He brought his arm to bear, grabbing the incoming fist and using it to propel the prejudiced annoyance into a garbage can. While he lay on the ground, stinking and stunned, Kai moved to stand over him, debating what to do.
On the ground, the annoyance sneered and pointed a finger. "Don't think you're so tough, freak. This ain't over."
Kai sighed before bending over and grabbing the offensive finger, applying pressure until it broke with a satisfying crack. Then, using his other hand to haul him up by his collar, Kai looked measuringly at the suddenly blubbering man and grinned his promise of vengeance.
Kai proceeded to vent his bad day.
Two minutes later, Kai turned to leave, satisfied with his work. Behind him, the crumpled heap of a man struggled to raise his head. "You," he gasped out. "You're mean! What are you?"
Kai smirked over his shoulder, sparing a moment's regret for his old flaring white scarf, before hardening his eyes even further. "Certainly not what you thought I was," he threw out. "And now, I'm your enemy. Have fun with that thought." He sneered, taking in the man's shocked face, before continuing home.
Ten minutes later, Kai opened the door to his home, shuffling in and toeing off his shoes. Out of sight, he heard Tyson pause in his typing, and then the chair creaking as he got up.
An obviously falsely cheerful Tyson poked his head around the corner, doing a double take when he took in Kai's coffee-drenched form. "Kai? You're home early. Uh… how was your day?"
Kai watched, rather interested, as Tyson's form wavered in and out of focus. He shrugged, heard himself mumble something about the city being full of weird creeps, before moving forward. Bypassing a confused Tyson, he grabbed the charged laptop and headed for his room.
It was obvious even to him in his current condition that Tyson didn't want to be around him. That was fine with Kai. He'd had enough of the human race to last him a year.
He paused a moment after he'd finished unloading his backpack. There was something bothering him still. What was it…? Oh, right.
Reluctantly, Kai opened his door. "Hey, Tyson? If you see a skinny businessman with a cracked nose, a split lip, a broken left arm and several crushed fingers on his right hand, you should pro'lly avoid him, 'k?"
Tyson stiffened from where he'd been sorting in the corner, his mind obviously recalling his own encounter last month. Temporarily shaken out of his self-pity, Tyson shot up – again – and gave Kai a wild look. "What? What happened? Kai?"
Kai gazed evenly at him, remembering to move his shoulders to shrug casually. Not in the mood to talk anymore, he turned and disappeared into his room.
Several hours later, Tyson had moved out of the main area and Kai had taken his accustomed place at the main computer. Typing diligently, Kai's world had narrowed to the words that stumbled onto the screen. Clicking his fingers over keys and feeling extremely grateful for the computer's automatic spelling corrector, Kai almost didn't hear Tyson come out of the bedroom.
"Hey, Kai? Um, I know we've been friends for ages and all, but lately something's come up between us that I need to figure out. You know, on my own."
Kai grunted, his brow furrowing as he tried to make his fingers type the word "polysaccharides." (4)
"Just to let you know, I'm not, like, running away, ok? But I'm going to go hang with someone else for a while, ergo the backpack."
Kai blinked – his eyes had gotten too dry from staring at the screen. Tyson was doing stuff again. Whatever.
"If I don't come back," Tyson's voice hitched. "Well, it was nice knowing you. I… I wish you all the best, Kai."
Kai concentrated on the screen. There was something about that paragraph… maybe it needed more? He looked at his notes. That was right – he still needed to report his conclusions. Yuck.
Caught up in his own tired world in which the flickering screen was of sole importance, Kai ignored the click of the front door closing. It sounded like the keys typing, anyway.
TBC
Author's Explanatory Text Notes:
(1) This would be a rather nasty insult.
Tyson is referring to the Shakespeare play "A Winter's Tale." In it, Leontes is the king who turns paranoid and believes his friend (another king) and wife are out to get him. The next three acts have Leontes plotting the murder of his friend, refusing to acknowledge his wife's child of his own, sending the baby to be abandoned in, like, Siberia, putting his wife on trial for high treason, accusing her faithfulness, causing her death…
The list really goes on. He's fun to read.
(2) ((grins uber wide)) I shamelessly pulled this off the hit show"Corner Gas." Anyone here seen the episode with "The Tax Man"? ((giggles like a hyena))
(3) TA: Teaching Assistant. They run the labs and can be nice. Or evil. Either way…
(4) "Polysaccharides: Apopular science term I remember mispelling and overusing during my brief sojurn into the world of chemicals. A more accurate definition, though, (found in a random online dictionary) is : "Any of a series of compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in which the atoms of the latter two elements are in the ratio of 2:1, especially those containing the group C6H10O5." Ok? Ok.
A/N: Soo… how many almost-kiss scenes could you spot? Next chapter will be up shortly! Oh, just so's you know? I did not like writing that scene near the end. With the guy. Still, it struck me as fitting in with the plot and it helped explain why Tyson had been accused of being gay last month. ((kicks the prejudiced homophobe vindictively)).
Btw? Watched the last episode of BB: G-Rev today. It ends with Significant Looks between Tyson and Kai, who have snuck off to be together. ((giggles)) My mind is a horribly fun place to be, especially when the others notice that both Kai and Tyson are suspiciously absent at the same time. Hehehe. ((winks))
As always, please review. I like feedback! (Then again, who doesn't?) Answers / Returning comments shall follow in the next chapter!
Sleep Deprivation links: (Just so you know, I googled "Extreme Sleep Deprivation") Take out the spaces!
http: www. interluderetreat. com / meditate / sleep . htm
http: 66 . 102 . 7 . 104 / search ? qcache: nz1RD8p0xm4J : human – factors . arc . nasa . gov / zteam / PDF pubs / Nimitz1997 . pdf+22Extended+sleep+deprivation 22&hl en&lr langeng!lang ja
(This one probably won't show up right in Stupid formatting. If you really want to know, you can always send me an e-mail. I'm sure I could find it again - it was really helpful.)
http : www . cfah . org / factsoflife / vol3no3 . cfm