Thanks for all your great reviews. I hope you guys know how much I really appreciate them! Gah…it's thundering outside. hides Okay, I hope you enjoy this chapter.I was thinking about splitting this into two different chapters, but I just couldn't find a good stopping point.

--------

Chapter Three

date rained over

--------

Kai unlocked the door to his room and stepped inside. He jadedly dropped his books on his desk, and sprawled out on his bed with a sigh. He had just come from his last class, and was ready to-

"Hey, Kai. Tyson returned that book he borrowed earlier today," Wyatt said, sitting at his desk, typing on his laptop.

Kai sat up. "Tyson?"

"Yeah."

Kai fell back on the bed with a groan. He had completely forgotten about going out with Tyson tonight! He tugged at his cuff and checked his watch. It was fifteen minutes before eight.

"Something wrong?" Wyatt asked good-naturedly.

Kai dragged himself out of bed. "No. Everything's perfect," he grumbled. Wyatt shrugged with a slight grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

Kai went to his closet, trying to decide what to wear. That idiot Tyson hadn't informed him on just where they were going yet. All Kai knew was that it was a restaurant. Formal? Casual? In between? Why hadn't he specified? With a deep sigh, Kai pushed hangers this way and that, looking for something not too casual, but not too formal either. He finally decided on a pair of black slacks, and a white dress shirt, not too dressy, but not exactly casual either. After dressing, he glanced at the clock on the wall. Four minutes after eight.

Tyson was late.

Kai stalked to the bathroom and fixed himself up a bit, so he didn't look so… dead. After that, he flopped down on his bed again.

"Going somewhere?" Wyatt asked.

"Tyson's taking me out to dinner," Kai said before he could think. Wyatt broke into a wide grin.

"But it's not a date or anything," Kai quickly corrected. "It's an apology thing." Kai frowned when he saw Wyatt was still smiling.

There was a knock at the door.

"That must be him," Wyatt commented. Kai glared at him and opened the door. Tyson stood there with that stupid grin on his face that Kai loathed.

"Hey, Kai! You look great," Tyson said cheerfully. Kai was momentarily speechless. He did not appreciate Tyson complimenting his looks. Everything nice said to him reminded him of Rei.

"Thanks," Kai mumbled, dropping his eyes to the floor. Tyson's smile faltered slightly. Wyatt saw this, and stood up with a little too much gusto.

"So! You guys better get going, you don't want to be late, now, do you?" he said with a huge smile on his face. Kai looked up at him, bewildered. Tyson laughed as Wyatt all but pushed them out the door.

"Have a good time, you two," Wyatt said, looking straight at Kai. "That means fun, Kai. Have some fun, for once."

Kai glared at Wyatt. He grinned and shut the door. Tyson sighed deeply, a contented sigh.

"Come on, Kai. Let's go," he said. They both walked down the hall towards the elevator that would take them to the stacked parking lots. Once there, Tyson spent five minutes trying to find his car. Apparently, he'd forgotten which floor he'd parked on.

"Give me a break," Kai muttered under his breath.

"It's over here, Kai!" Tyson called. He unlocked the doors, and Kai climbed in the passenger seat. Tyson started the ignition and checked his rearview mirror before backing out. Kai fastened his seatbelt. Having never been in a car with Tyson as the driver, he didn't know what to expect.

Surprisingly, Tyson wasn't that horrible of a driver.

As he smoothly exited the college and got on the road, Tyson glanced in Kai's direction. Kai was gazing out the window absently, a look of wistfulness in his eyes.

"How was your day?" Tyson asked, breaking the silence and Kai's trance. He looked over at him.

"It was fine," he answered politely. "Yours?"

"Good." Tyson tapped his fingers against the wheel. Kai watched them for a moment, then turned back to the window. Tyson hummed to himself quietly.

I always knew Kai was a hard person to talk to… I just never knew it was this hard! Tyson thought.

"Tyson, where exactly are we going?" Kai asked. Tyson smiled.

"That spiffy French place… what's it called?"

"Le Gavroche?" Kai said. Tyson's eyes lit up.

"Yeah, that's the one."

Kai was staring at him. "Le Gavroche?" he asked again.

"Uh huh."

"Tyson!"

Tyson looked at Kai. "What?" he asked.

"That place is really expensive. How'd you get reservations?"

Tyson shrugged. "I paid."

Kai snorted. "I'm surprised they even let you in."

"Very funny," Tyson said playfully. "What, are you miffed because they never let you in?"

Kai folded his arms across his chest. "They respect me. Of course they let me in."

Tyson grinned. "So you like the food there?"

"Food's food."

"How can you say that?" Tyson asked, rolling his eyes as if the very thought of not giving the utmost respect to French cuisine was unheard of.

Kai's eyes were drawn back to the window as they left the main road and entered the small, pedestrian congested street. There was a string of expensive restaurants and stores around Le Gavroche, and they all were covered in lights and signs, set off against the night sky.

"Parking, parking," Tyson muttered as his eyes scanned the area around.

"There," Kai pointed. Tyson slid into the space and turned off the car. They both got out.

"Okay, let's go," Tyson said. Kai followed him to the entrance of the restaurant. The bell above the door tinkled elegantly as they walked in.

"I've got reservations for two," Tyson said to the lady at the front desk. Her eyes lit up.

"Master Kai!" she squealed, standing up. She was a pretty girl with soft, silky brown hair and rich chocolate colored eyes. She was also attending college, but her father owned this restaurant chain, so she was already set for life.

"Annaliese," Kai said with a faint trace of a smile. "It's nice to see you again."

"How are you? I haven't seen you here in quite a while," she said. Kai shrugged.

"Fine, thanks. I've been busy. College, you know."

"Yeah." She smiled at Tyson. "And who's this?"

"Tyson Kinomiya," he said, extending a hand. "We go to school together."

"Nice to meet you," she said, shaking his hand. She laughed and looked down at the desk. "If Daddy saw this, he's probably fire me. I'm supposed to be refined as I serve the guests."

Tyson grinned and handed her his reservation slip. She took at and seated them, quickly saying goodbye to Kai, and telling him to drop by more often.

"You know her?" Tyson asked as they opened their menus. Kai nodded.

"I met her father first, then her. He's a powerful man, and he helped me through some of the legal stuff when my grandfather was put in jail," Kai informed him. "Annaliese and I are just friends."

"Oh, that's nice," Tyson said. Soft French music floated through the room along with the sound of people talking and laughing quietly. They both ordered what they wanted and then settled down to wait.

Tyson was about to open his mouth to say something when he heard something from another table.

"Mommy! Look! It's Tyson and Kai from the Blade Breakers!"

Kai glanced behind him and saw a family of three sitting at a nearby table. There was a young boy wearing a BBA Stadium shirt, obviously a big fan of beyblading.

"Honey, shh. Don't bother them," the mother said. Tyson grinned.

"It's okay, ma'am," he said.

"Mommy, can I please go meet them? Please Mommy?!"

"Come on, Tyson, let's go make that kid happy," Kai muttered as he pushed his chair back and stood. Tyson laughed and they strolled over to the table. The little boy's eyes got wide as they approached and stopped by the table.

"Mommy, look!" he shrieked.

"Keep your voice down, sweetie," she said. She looked up at Tyson and Kai. "I'm so sorry. My son is a really big fan. He beyblades with his friends all the time."

"You're no bother at all," Tyson said. He looked the kid straight in the eye. "What's your name, big fella?"

"Chris," he said, his eyes shining.

"You like to Beyblade, Chris?"

"Yeah! I love it! I want to be a world champion one day, just like you."

Kai couldn't help but smile. The kid was so delusional it was almost cute.

"You know what, Chris? If you keep practicing and believing in yourself, your dream could come true," Tyson was saying. The mother smiled down fondly at her son. The father was rummaging with something beside his chair. He straightened up and held up a camera.

"Would you mind taking a few pictures with my son? We're here on vacation, and I think he'll want to remember this," he said.

"Of course not," Tyson said, smiling. "C'mon, Kai."

And so they took pictures. Chris had one with Tyson, one with Kai, and one with both. Then the mother had one taken with Kai, obviously charmed by his good looks.

"Okay, we've taken up enough of your time," the father said apologetically. Chris was hanging on to Tyson's leg.

"Come on, honey," the mother said, holding her arms out. Chris smiled broadly and went to his mom.

"Now what do you say?" she asked.

"Thank you!" Chris said delightedly.

"No problem," Tyson said, winking at the kid. They both went back to their table, where a waiter was just coming to deliver their food.

"Bon appetit!" he said before leaving. Tyson sighed happily as they sat.

"It gives me such a good feeling to see kids like that," he said with a dopey grin. Kai raised his eyebrows and picked up his fork. Tyson laughed. For a few moments, they ate in silence.

Kai's mind began to wander. He thought about how, as a child, he had never wanted to become a world champion beyblader. His grandfather was the one who wanted him to, so he could launch his sick plan for the destruction of mankind. He realized that – what was the kid's name? Oh, yes, Chris – Chris's love for beyblading was something pure and sweet. Something that should be cherished.

Kai looked up absently. When he laid his eyes on Tyson, he suddenly gasped and dropped his fork.

He saw Rei. Sitting across from him. Smiling. Laughing.

"Kai?"

Kai blinked. Tyson waved his hand in front of his face.

"Hey, Kai? Are you okay?"

Kai shook his head. "I'm fine."

"Then why are you shaking your head no?"

Kai sighed heavily, and rubbed his eyes. Tyson had stopped eating.

"Kai. If you're not feeling well, I can take you home," Tyson offered. Kai considered taking up his proposal, but decided against it. Tyson had paid a lot to take him here, and it felt wrong just to leave because of a broken heart.

"No… it's okay. Thanks for taking me out tonight, Tyson."

Tyson looked surprised. "You're welcome. I just wanted to show you how sorry I am for running you over the other day."

A tiny smile graced Kai's lips, and he looked back down at his plate. Tyson cocked his head slightly, watching the boy sitting across from him. Kai was actually a very sweet person deep down inside. He'd just been hurt too many times, and so many things had hardened his heart. It was no wonder he'd turned into a cynical bastard. Tyson held him at no fault.

Maybe I can change him, Tyson thought. Maybe I can bring out the kind, loving person that's trying to get out. It looks like I'm making progress.

"You ready to order dessert?" Tyson asked. Kai shrugged and nodded. Tyson beckoned a waiter over and he took their orders. Kai wasn't amused when Tyson ordered three servings.

"So, Kai," Tyson said casually as the waiter took their plates away. "You got any plans for what you're going to do after college?"

"Nothing definite, no."

Tyson fiddled around with his spoon. "Yeah, same here. I want to do something involving beyblades though. I simply can't get away from them."

"That's good. You're a good blader."

"Only because I had a great captain."

Kai took a deep breath. Rei had said the same thing about him once. He couldn't help but get slightly upset.

It's over, Kai! He told himself viciously. Get over him. Rei doesn't want anything to do with you anymore. He's got someone else now.

"Yo…you're spacing out on me again," Tyson said. Kai looked up.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Tyson nodded. "Sure, it's okay."

Damn, Kai's acting weird, Tyson thought. At that moment, the waiter came back, balancing four small plates. He placed one in front of Kai, and three in front of Tyson.

"Thanks, man!" Tyson said with a grin. Kai nodded at the man. He bowed and walked away.

"Dessert is the best part," Tyson stated before grabbing his spoon and digging in. Kai shaved off a tiny piece and brought it to his mouth. His ears suddenly picked up a conversation that a woman and her young daughter were having at the table behind him.

"Chloe, sweetheart? You see that boy sitting at that table over there? That's Voltaire Hiwatari's grandson!" the lady proclaimed in a stage whisper.

"Isn't Voltaire a bad man?" the daughter, Chloe, asked with big eyes.

"A very bad man. And his grandson is no better."

Kai's spoon wavered slightly, but not by much. He was used to the way people thought about Voltaire. It angered him to know that they placed him in the same category though. He fixed his eyes on Tyson, about to forget about the whole thing and try to enjoy the evening, when the woman spoke again, still whispering to her daughter.

"Do you know what he does?"

Kai raised his eyebrows. He had heard practically every rumor circulating about him. What garbage was this woman about to sprout?

"What, Mommy?"

She paused before answering. "He kidnaps little children, just like you, and he rapes them, then kills them!"

Kai's spoon stopped in midair, his hand shaking with suppressed rage. Thank God Tyson was too busy eating to notice.

Where the fuck did she hear that? Or did she make it up herself?

Kai shut his mouth and clenched his teeth. That was by far the worst rumor he had ever heard about himself, even worse than the one that said he had seduced one of his college professors and now she was pregnant with his child. Kai couldn't even believe that someone would have the nerve to spread such an obviously untrue piece of shit like that.

He let his breath about between his teeth and took another deep breath. Tyson looked up.

"You going to finish that?" he asked. Kai slid his plate across the table.

"Why do you even ask?" he muttered.

"You be careful around him, Chloe," the woman was saying. Kai shut his eyes momentarily. He didn't see Tyson look past him, straight at the lady's face.

"You wouldn't want him to take you away and do terrible things to you, now would you, sweetheart?" she said, not noticing Tyson. She was glaring at Kai with such hatred. Tyson slowed down eating.

"Okay, Mommy."

"That's a good girl. That Hiwatari grandson is very bad."

Tyson's mouth dropped open. "Kai! Did you hear her?"

Kai looked up quickly, crestfallen that Tyson was now involved. "Tyson-"

"Who does she think she is?" He was almost yelling. "She called you a child moles-"

"Tyson!"

"I am not going to sit here and listen to that!" he proclaimed as he stood and made his way over to her table. Kai caught his wrist and yanked him backwards.

"No, you're not."

"You can't just-"

Kai stood up and stuck his face directly in Tyson's. "I'm leaving," he ground out evenly as he let go of Tyson's wrist, and turned around. Tyson watched, speechless as Kai stalked out of the restaurant.

"Christ," Tyson said as he shot a dirty look at the woman and snagged the nearest waiter. He paid with haste and threw a generous tip over his shoulder at the table before running out the door after Kai. The bell jingled overhead.

The boardwalk was mostly deserted of people at this hour. Tyson skidded outside and looked down the street. With a sigh of relief, he saw Kai some thirty feet away.

"Kai!" he called out, running after him. Kai didn't look up when he called his name, but stopped and waited for Tyson to catch up with him.

"What the heck is your problem?" Tyson yelled breathlessly when he reached the sullen boy. Kai glared at him.

"What other people say about me is none of your business," Kai said coldly.

"To hell with that! That lady was crazy! She called you a fucking child molester, Kai!"

"And why do you care?" Kai shot back. Tyson was taken back for a moment.

"What kind of question is that?!"

"One that you can't answer!"

"I can too!"

"Let's here it, then. Why do you care?"

"Because! …You're my friend!"

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life!" Kai turned around with his arms crossed. Tyson growled in irritation.

"What? Is it so hard to believe that someone might actually want to befriend you?"

Kai turned back around and grabbed Tyson by the collar. "Do. Not. Test. Me."

"Is it, Kai?" Tyson glared back defiantly. Kai threw him backwards in disgust.

"Look, Tyson, this was your idea. I only came because you insisted."

"And I only insisted because you were so upset with me!"

"When was I upset with you?" Kai demanded.

"So you didn't show it! I could tell. I ran you over. I made you bleed."

"So? I don't care!"

"Yes, you do!"

"Tyson… shut up, you're not even making any sense."

"You shut up!"

Kai looked at him oddly. "You sound like a three-year-old."

Tyson huffed at him. "I don't understand you."

"Well, no one asked you to figure me out."

"Seriously, Kai. These rumors… why don't you care about them?"

"Why should I care?"

"I would think you would care if someone was spreading untrue things about you."

"Well, I don't."

Tyson glared at him. "Do you care about absolutely anything?"

Kai didn't answer, and Tyson felt a little guilty for saying that. He sighed heavily and looked at the ground.

"Look, Kai," Tyson said in a softer voice, all anger gone. "I'm sorry. Even though I strongly disagree, you're right. How you handle the affairs of your life is none of my business."

Kai slipped his hands into his pockets. "Thank you," he said dully. "Apology accepted."

"Do you want to take a walk?" Tyson asked suddenly. "It's a beautiful night."

Kai was about to say no and demand that Tyson take him home, but was curious as to why he had asked.

"Okay," he agreed, somewhat reluctant sounding.

"Let's go to the park," Tyson said. Kai walked beside him, gazing off into the distance. Tyson looked up at the immense sky, and admired the stars. They twinkled gaily, and the moon bathed the ground in silver light.

"Do you ever look at the stars, Kai? They're so pretty this time of night," Tyson said absently.

Kai swept his eyes upward and examined the sky for a moment. "It looks nice."

Silence lapsed. Kai wasn't about to start a conversation. Tyson was the one who asked for this stupid walk, let him do the talking.

"I wanted to ask you… after the World Championships, we kinda lost touch," Tyson said uncertainly.

Kai paused for a minute. Tyson didn't say anything more.

"That's not a question," Kai pointed out bluntly. Tyson looked up.

"So it isn't," he said with a laugh.

Kai sighed. "Tyson, what do you want to know?"

"How do you know I want to know something?" Tyson asked, sounding a little defensive.

"It's only so obvious. You want to know what's going on with my life."

"N-no! Not like, prying, or anything. I just thought… never mind."

"You thought what?"

Tyson hesitated. "Well, you seem different, somehow. I know you were never the kind of person who really got involved with people and stuff, but after all that happened before the Russian Tournament, I just thought you were opening up a bit. Being a little closer to the rest of us. More open. But it seems like the exact opposite's happened."

"That's still not a question."

"Okay. Why?" Tyson looked up expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"Why what?"

"Why are you still so distant?"

Kai was momentarily speechless. Why am I so distant? Because… the further you are away from people, the less you get hurt. That's why. I don't want to get hurt. I can't take it!

They had reached the park. It was deserted at this time of night. The statues scattered about looked uneasily ominous as dark shadows danced across them. A cold breeze blew through the park, ruffling Kai's hair.

Suddenly a crack of lightening split through the sky, followed by a low roar of thunder. Without any further warning, the heavens opened and rain poured from the sky. Within seconds, both boys were drenched.

"Oh, shit!" Tyson yelled. "What perfect timing!"

Kai, having worn a white shirt, was slightly self-conscious by the fact that his shirt was now see-through, but Tyson didn't seem to notice.

"It doesn't matter, we're already as wet as we're going to get. There's no use running back now," Kai stated. Tyson, of all things, grinned.

"You're right."

"But that doesn't mean that we have to stand here until we get pneumonia," Kai said quickly. He had already thought the night to be slightly chilly, and to him, the rain was freezing.

"Yeah, let's get to the car."

--------

Once they were safely inside, Kai was surprised his lips hadn't turned blue. He shivered as Tyson turned on the car and set the heat on.

"I'm really, really sorry," Tyson said. "This night has been a disaster."

Kai sneezed. "It wasn't that bad, if you leave out a few parts."

Tyson sighed. "You're just trying to make me feel better."

"You're right, I am." Kai sneezed again. Tyson glanced over at him.

"You're not getting sick, are you?"

Kai ran his hands through his wet hair and sneezed once again. Tyson groaned.

"Man, you must hate me now!"

"It's okay," Kai said as he blew his nose.

"Yeah, right," Tyson muttered as he pulled out and started to drive back to the dorm.

--------

"Wyatt's probably sleeping by now," Tyson commented as they stopped in front of Kai's room. Kai unlocked the door, and much to his dismay, saw Wyatt sprawled out on his stomach on his bed, typing on his laptop. He looked up at they walked in.

"What happened to you guys?" Wyatt asked, staring at them. "You're soaked."

"We got caught in the rain," Tyson said glumly. Kai ran to the bathroom.

"Is he okay?" Wyatt asked after a moment.

"I think he may be coming down with something. He sneezed through the entire drive home and it seems he's gotten the chills."

"Oh. Well, other than the fact that you got caught in the rain, how was the rest of your date?"

Tyson sighed. "It wasn't too great. It started out okay, but after that, it went downhill."

The bathroom door opened and Kai stepped out. He had changed into some dry clothes and was toweling off his hair.

"Tyson, I suggest you get back and dry off before you get sick as well," Kai said.

"Okay. So… I'm sorry about this whole mess, Kai."

Kai nodded understandingly. "It's okay," he said, his voice surprisingly soft. Tyson gave him a half-hearted smile before leaving. Kai dropped down on his bed.

"You might want to take some medicine before you go to bed," Wyatt suggested.

Kai sneezed.

--------

To Be Continued

--------

I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and tell me what you think. I love hearing from you guys! You're the reason I spend so much time on these ficcies. D