I love you guys! Your reviews are so amazingly cool. Thanks a million. Also, yes I did get this chapter title from that song from Dance Fever (which I was very upset with when I found out that All That didn't make the cut. They were so cute!). Enjoy.

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Chapter Four

you give me fever

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A pained moan escaped his lips as he shifted on the bed. He couldn't seem to get enough air to fill his lungs, and everything ached all over. His head felt as if someone was hitting it repeatedly with a hammer.

"Kai."

The word split his head into two. He squeezed his already closed eyes tighter.

"Kai!"

"Stop yelling!" he groaned. He felt the bed sink slightly as someone sat down next to him. He felt a cool hand on his forehead.

"Kai… you're burning up!" Wyatt said. Kai groaned again and brought his hands over his eyes.

"Go away," he begged. "Leave me alone."

"Open your eyes, Kai. You have a fever."

Kai cracked one eye open, and quickly shut it again as the lights blazed in his face. He couldn't see a damn thing, the lights were so bright. Wyatt shaded his eyes, and Kai opened them again. Wyatt's worried face came into focus.

"I knew you'd get sick. After coming in so late, soaking wet, mind you, it's no wonder."

Kai sighed. "This is all Tyson's fault, you know."

But Wyatt wasn't listening. He had disappeared from Kai's view, no doubt somewhere on the other side of the room. He reappeared again with an electric thermometer.

"Open your mouth and put this under your tongue," he instructed. Kai obeyed reluctantly. A few moments later, it buzzed, and Wyatt took it out, examining it.

"103 degrees! Kai, you're really sick!"

Kai pulled the comforter over his head and shivered. "I'll be fine," he muttered.

"Fucking hell, Kai! 103 degrees!" Wyatt was visibly upset as he shoved the thermometer in Kai's face. Kai pushed it away and buried deeper in the bed, curling up in the fetal position. Wyatt took that as sign of near death.

"I'm calling a doctor!" he proclaimed as he reached for the phone. Kai growled and tried to sit up.

"Wyatt, get a hold of yourself," Kai groaned. "Everybody gets sick once in a while. I'll be fine."

"But-"

"No buts."

Wyatt sighed, and Kai sank back down and buried himself under the covers.

"I'm not going to class today," he mumbled. Wyatt stared at him for a moment.

"I have exams today," he said. "I have an idea. I'll be right back."

Kai mumbled something incoherent. Wyatt went outside and down the hall, slipping through the crowd of people standing in clumps around the halls. He reached the dorm room he was looking for and knocked lightly. A moment later, Tyson opened it.

"Hey Wyatt," he said, rubbing his eyes. "What's up?"

"I need to ask you for a favor."

Tyson shrugged. "Let's hear it."

"Well, you see, Kai's not really feeling well this morning. He actually has a high fever."

Tyson's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, man! It's from the rain last night. Totally my fault."

"It's okay, it's just that I have exams today and I don't want to leave him here alone. Could you stay with him for a while? Maybe until your classes start?"

"It's the least I could do," Tyson said with a nod. "How bad is the fever?"

"103 degrees," Wyatt answered. Tyson's eyebrows knitted together.

"That's pretty high," he mused.

"I know," Wyatt concurred.

"Okay. I'll be over there in a few minutes. Just let me get dressed," Tyson said. Wyatt smiled.

"Thanks, Tyson."

Kai lay in bed, idly staring at the ceiling. He wished Wyatt would come back. Although he'd never admit it, he hated being alone. He found himself in constant need of companionship, mostly because he didn't want to think. When someone was around, it was easy to concentrate on them and what they were saying. But when he was alone, his thoughts always wandered back to Rei.

He sighed and cursed Tyson again. He knew it wasn't Tyson's fault that they got caught in the rain, but he felt like cursing someone, and for some reason, Tyson came to mind. Kai hated getting sick, generally because he was so useless when he was unwell. His stupid little colds had always developed into something far worse, like, for instance, this 103 degree fever he was currently experiencing.

His thoughts wandered back to the recesses of this mind, back to that distant memory of taking care of Max that night he had fallen ill so suddenly. Involuntarily, he remembered exactly what he had been doing right before he had heard Max's cry for help.

He was sitting in front of the fire. He remembered watching the flames dance in the sky. And he remembered who was with him while he did so.

Rei.

And the day after was the day Rei had kissed him for the first time, and declared his love for him.

Kai felt a sob rising in his throat, and sat up in bed. He was dizzy, and the tears that threatened to fall blurred his eyes.

What would have happened… what would have happened if I hadn't rejected him right there? In the tent, it was just the two of us. I could have said yes… I could have been with him then.

He dropped his head into his right hand, his left hand on the bed, supporting himself.

If I had… then maybe we would still be together today…

Kai felt a tear fall from his eye, and then another. A second later, he broke down in sobs.

"Rei… how could you do this to me?" he asked brokenly, burying his face in both hands. "I loved you! I gave you my heart, and you shattered it into a million little pieces… I don't know if I'll be able to put the pieces back together again, Rei. I just don't know how."

Eventually, his sobs subsided as they always did, and he was left with a huge empty feeling inside, like always.

He heard a slight knock at the door and a small squeak as someone opened it. Kai ran his wrist over his eyes and sighed. Wyatt stepped in.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked softly. Kai nodded wordlessly, sniffing slightly. Wyatt gave him a long, hard look. Kai broke eye contact first.

"Anyway, I have exams today, like I told you before. But I'm not leaving you here alone-"

"Wyatt, really. You're overreacting," Kai said, pinching the bridge of his nose. He wasn't too happy to see the room spinning slightly. He felt like his bed was moving.

"-and I asked Tyson to stay with you for a while."

Kai groaned, and fell back against his pillow, half because he didn't want to deal with Tyson so early in the morning, and half because he just couldn't sit up anymore.

"I know you don't think you're sick and you don't think you need help, but I think you do. You have a high fever, and I don't want you staying here by yourself," Wyatt said. Kai covered his face with his hands.

"I'm not sick and I don't need help," Kai said, his words muffled by his hands. The door opened again, and Kai peeked out through his fingers so see Tyson come in.

"Hey, Kai," he greeted cheerfully. Wyatt was suddenly in a hurry.

"Thanks a ton, Tyson. I really owe you one! See you guys later," he called out over his shoulder as he left. The door shut softly behind him.

"So… Kai," Tyson started a bit nervously. Kai pulled up the covers again and grunted. Tyson smiled faintly.

"You have a high fever. That means you need lots of nourishments. Have you eaten or drank anything at all since you woke up?"

Kai shifted on the bed. "No," he answered. Tyson made a tsking sound, and Kai fought the urge to strangle him. He heard Tyson go to the kitchen area and rummage around a bit.

"You know what, Kai? I'm going to make you some chicken soup," he said. "It's supposed to be good for sick people," he added as an afterthought.

I can't believe Wyatt left me in his hands, Kai groaned mentally.

Kai must have dozed off, for he next thing he realized was Tyson at his bed, gently rousing him from his slumber. Kai moaned as a streak of pain split through his head, and opened his eyes slowly.

"Kai, you have to eat. You'll never get better otherwise," Tyson was saying.

"Can you get me a glass of water?" Kai asked, wincing at the bright light. Tyson picked up a glass from the table beside the bed and held it out to Kai. Kai tilted it upwards and drank a quarter of the liquid. He handed it back to Tyson and dropped back down on the bed.

"Nuh-uh." Tyson caught him and pulled him back into a sitting position, propping up his pillows against the headboard. He gently eased Kai onto the pillows, making sure he was comfortable. Kai glared weakly at him.

"You have to eat," Tyson repeated, picking up a bowl and spoon from the table and sitting down beside Kai. Kai absently watched the steam rise from the bowl.

"I'm not hungry."

Tyson grinned. "Don't you want to taste my chicken soup?"

"Not really."

"You still have to eat. I'll feed you."

Kai looked absolutely mortified. "I can feed myself."

"No you can't. You're too sick. You'll spill it," Tyson said matter-of-factly. Kai growled. He knew Tyson was right. He was having trouble seeing straight; how could he possibly feed himself?

Kai turned his head away slightly. Tyson spooned a bit of the soup into the spoon and held it up in Kai's face.

"Open," he instructed. Kai turned his head further.

"It's too hot to eat," he said, gazing at the thin trail of steam above it. Tyson blew on it gently.

"Now open."

Kai reluctantly did as he was told. Tyson put he spoon in his mouth and slipped it out. Kai made a face.

"You didn't make this," he said.

"I did too," Tyson argued.

"This is instant soup, you idiot. I know what's in my own kitchen."

Tyson shrugged. "I boiled the water, added the noodles and the flavoring. Thus, I made the soup."

Kai snorted. Tyson smiled and held the spoon to Kai's lips. Kai obediently ate. After half the bowl was gone, Kai stopped.

"That's enough," he said. Tyson put the bowl down.

"I guess I should be thankful you ate that much," Tyson joked. Kai closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

"Here, drink this," Tyson said. Kai groaned.

"Go away," he muttered. Tyson grinned.

"You need liquid. Drink it."

Kai opened his eyes with a weary sigh and took the glass from Tyson. He glanced inside, and looked up at Tyson with a raised eyebrow.

"Juice?"

"You need fluid!"

"But juice?"

"It's good for you. Now, drink," Tyson said, tilting the glass slightly. Kai took a sip and sighed, closing his eyes. His finger absently traced patterns on the sheets, and Tyson got the impression that Kai was spacing out. He smiled and took the glass from Kai's hand. Kai pulled the sheets up and snuggled down in the bed, facing away from Tyson.

Tyson suppressed the urge to laugh out loud. He'd never thought he'd ever witness Kai, of all people, snuggling down in bed. He went to the kitchen and quietly placed the bowl and two glasses in the sink. He'd wash them later. He didn't want to disturb Kai by noisily clanking the dishes together.

Besides, Kai looked so cute while he slept.

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To Be Continued

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Yes, I know, this chapter was totally boring, and nothing really happened except Tyson's feelings for Kai were established as kind of official, I guess. I was actually going to keep going, but then decided that this was a good place to stop. Oh, and for those of you who are wondering, this IS going to have more of a plot than just Kai pining over Rei! You'll see. I know these first few chapters have been kind of boring and anticlimactic. I'm thinking the next two chapters or so are going to be the same way, but then I'll get into some more actual plot stuff. Please bear with me! Anywho, review please, and thank you!