OMG, you guys are soooo sweet! Thank you so much for all the reviews. I love you people! *throws out plushies of any desired character* ^^ You choose! Enjoy.

     ~*~

Chapter Five

     ~*~

Kai woke up feeling terribly ill. He shivered uncontrollably and pulled the covers up to his chin. The bed squeaked slightly, and caught Tyson's attention. He looked up from the book he was reading on Wyatt's bed. Seeing Kai had awoken, he set the book down and slid off the bed.

"Hey, Kai," he said, tugging gently at the covers. Kai groaned, covering his face with his hands.

"God…"

Tyson bent down slightly and felt Kai's forehead. It was burning up, and Kai's hair was damp with sweat, yet he was shivering as if he was freezing. Tyson frowned.

"Kai-"

"Oh, God!" Kai sat straight up, his hands clamped tightly over his mouth.

"Are you going to throw up?" Tyson asked, ready to accommodate him. Kai shook his head, and slumped back down on the bed, hands clutching his stomach. He moaned, in obvious pain. Tyson knelt by his bed and pulled the covers down slightly. Kai clenched his teeth.

"Kai-" Tyson began again, only to be interrupted by an especially painful sound from Kai. He struggled to sit up again and suddenly clamped his hands over his mouth again.

"Are you-"

Kai nodded vigorously, then shook his head no. Tyson rolled his eyes and pulled Kai out of bed. Kai leaned against Tyson, who put an arm around his shoulders and led him to the bathroom. Tyson led him to the sink, and Kai made a loud retching sound and dropped to his knees. Tyson almost panicked, and pushed him in front of the toilet before he could vomit all over the floor.

Kai pushed Tyson away and proceeded to spill his guts in the toilet. Tyson winced at the sight. He hated throwing up, and also hated seeing people throw up, so to get his mind off that, he examined Kai's clothes absently. He thought he looked adorable in his pajama pants. They were light blue, and a matching robe hung from his bedpost. He was wearing a normal white shirt with it, but Tyson thought it was absolutely ravishing.

Tyson shook his head, surprised at his own thoughts. Hmm… I seem to have a really bad case of puppy love, he thought.

Kai moaned and heaved again. Tyson couldn't help thinking about how wonderful Kai looked, even if he was sick. He smiled, and Kai chose that moment to look up at him.

"What the hell are you smiling about, Tyson?" Kai demanded weakly. Tyson knelt by his side, and Kai was quiet for a moment.

"You okay now?" Tyson asked. Kai nodded, and Tyson clucked his tongue.

"All my chicken soup, gone to waste," he said with mirth in his voice. He helped Kai stand and Kai went to the sink, turning on the water and running his hands underneath, waiting for it to become warm. Tyson left the bathroom and went to Kai's bed. He pulled off the sheets and comforter and picked up the pillow, which he noticed was slightly damp. He tossed everything to the floor and began changing the sheets.

When he went back to the bathroom, he found Kai gripping the white porcelain of the sink with his pale hands, his head lowered. His lips were parted and he was panting slightly.

"Kai?" Tyson put a hand on his shoulder. Kai shuddered and closed his eyes.

"Hey, are you alright?" Tyson asked gently. He hesitated for a moment, and then put his arm around his shoulders. Kai seemed to lean back into the embrace for a fleeting second.

Kai felt an odd tingle at Tyson's touch, but was much more preoccupied to dwell on it for long. He felt light-headed and woozy, and the world was swaying before his eyes. He moaned and took a step back. Tyson's grip tightened around him, for which Kai was incredibly grateful for, for the next moment, his knees gave out on him, and his mind went black.

"Whoa," Tyson said to himself as he caught Kai's slack form and brought it gently to the ground. He cradled his head in his lap, and put a hand on his forehead, pushing the bangs back.

"Oh, Kai," he sighed. "I could stay here forever with you," he said wistfully, gazing down at Kai's peaceful face. While unconscious, there were no stress lines around his mouth, no pain or longing his eyes, no hardened look that portrayed the strain of everyday life. His face was relaxed and open, showing his true sweetness.

Tyson smiled down at him, gently running a hand down the side of his face. He slipped one arm under his knees, and the other around his shoulders and picked him up, bridal style, and headed off in the direction of Kai's bed.

~*~

White. Pristine white. All around him, sheer and vast, was white.

"Where…?"

In every direction, nothing but white. Kai looked around, only to see the same thing everywhere he looked.

"Where am I?" he murmured. He looked down. The floor was white, the same as everything else, and he vaguely wondered how he was standing up on this… white. He wasn't falling through. He raised one arm and held it up. He looked normal enough.

He dropped his arm with a sigh, and looked up again. What he saw made his heart stop.

Or, should he say, whom he saw.

"It's… him," Kai choked out, so only he could hear. He could already feel the tears prickling at the corner of his eyes.

Him.

Rei.

He was standing with his back to him. His long hair was over one shoulder, and it looked like he was impatiently toying with it, waiting for something.

Or, perhaps, someone. 

Kai wanted to run to him. He wanted to grab him and kiss him and tell him that he still loved him, and that it was okay that he had broken his promise; they could always start over again. Love doesn't die, remember?

Kai stopped, and thought about what he had just stated. Love doesn't die…

Love doesn't fucking exist!

Kai wanted to break down and cry. Where was he? Why was Rei here? This was torture, just standing here and watching the one he loved, but knowing he couldn't have him. He closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, he saw that Rei had turned. He was sideways this time, and he had a beautiful smile on his face, one so open, one so full of joy. He was looking at something. Kai swept his eyes in that direction, and felt a tug at his heart.

It was that kid. The one Rei was with. The one Kai tried so hard to hate, but just couldn't. His large blue eyes were filled with happiness and his joyous laughter rang out like a million tinkling bells.

Rei's arms were outstretched, just waiting for Caleb to come and rest in them. And he did. Rei held close the smaller, slighter, frailer boy protectively in his embrace, hugging him gently. Caleb's face reflected bliss as he rested his beautiful blonde head against Rei's chest. He sighed contentedly, as if, to him, nothing could compare to what he was feeling.

And Kai watched it all. It played out in slow motion before his eyes. No matter how many times he tried to tear his eyes away, he couldn't. Rei so obviously loved Caleb, and Caleb loved Rei. It was perfect. They were perfect.

It held no room for Kai's feelings. It was ironic, really. He had craved perfection for so long, and now, he was witnessing it. It was different from what he thought, but he realized that Rei was completely out of his reach now. Rei had reached perfection with someone else.

And Kai hadn't.

The tears came freely now. He couldn't stop them, and they ran down his face, staining his cheeks. He didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. The love of his life was gone. Nothing would ever matter again. His life would forever have a gaping, empty hole that he could never fill.

Rei and Caleb kissed. Kai finally found the strength to turn around. He didn't want to see anymore. He brought his hands up to his face and cried. He sobbed brokenly, knowing that it wouldn't help, but not caring. He knew it would be hard to care about anything from now on. He was doomed to walk through life as a heartless zombie, because he had given his heart away, and now it was broken beyond repair.

"Don't cry, lovely," a gentle, yet mirthful voice said behind him.

Kai recognized the voice, and slowly turned. Tyson was standing there. Rei and Caleb were gone.

"Tyson…"

"Why are you crying?" Tyson asked. Kai gazed into the vast whiteness.

"I… miss him."

"Who, Kai?"

"Rei. I-I love him."

"Rei?"

Kai nodded, feeling the sobs rising in his throat again. He swallowed hard and wiped his eyes.

Tyson gave him a gentle look, and reached out with one arm, fingering Kai's hand. Kai eyes looked down, and then up again, meeting Tyson's chocolate colored ones. Something fluttered in his chest.

What was Tyson doing here? And where exactly was here, anyway? Kai was ready for this stupid place to go away. He was exhausted.

He studied Tyson's eyes. There was something in them… something mirroring his own.

Was it pain? Had Tyson loved and lost somebody too? Nonsense. Tyson was a great guy. He was funny, cheerful, and enjoyable to be around. Who would be cold enough to reject him?

Kai suddenly gasped slightly as Tyson's hand snaked up his arm and onto his shoulder. Then behind his neck, cradling his soft skin. His other arm went around his waist, holding him immobile.

"Ty-"

Kai was interrupted as Tyson kissed him. Kai was shocked. He felt Tyson's lips against his own, and his grip tightened around his waist, bringing him closer to Tyson's body. Too stunned to kiss back, Kai held himself completely still.

But there was something inside, something telling him that this felt so right. But Kai was afraid. He was afraid to love. Hell, love didn't even exist!

Tyson pulled back slowly. He opened his eyes and looked deep into Kai's crimson depths.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly.

Kai shook his head. "I… don't know. I love Rei…"

"You love Rei?"

"I love Rei," Kai said, more firmly this time.

"It sounds like you're trying to convince yourself," Tyson said accusingly. Kai bit his lip.

"I do love him. He's with… someone else now. He doesn't love me back. Nobody has ever loved me…"

Kai was appalled at his own words. When had he become so pitifully weak? When had he started caring about petty emotions? Love wasn't even real. It was wishful thinking.

"I don't think you love Rei anymore," Tyson whispered, leaning down close to Kai's face. Kai felt a tingle run through his body.

"I do love him… I do!"

"I'm not so sure, Kai."

"I do! Get away from me!" Kai pushed Tyson backwards with both arms. "Don't touch me!"

"Stop fooling yourself."

"Stay away from me!" Kai screamed, an agonized cry coming from the depths of a tormented soul. He wanted to leave right now; he needed to get away from this horrid white place. "Stay away!"

Tyson shook his head.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Kai sat straight up in bed, successfully knocking a glass of water in Tyson's hand to the floor. The water spilled and spread, a dark spot on the carpet.

"Whoa, Kai!"

"Get away from me!" Kai threw the covers over his head and buried himself underneath, his tortured sobs filling the room.

Tyson was momentarily stunned at Kai's sudden outburst, not knowing exactly what had set it off. He reached down and picked up the fallen glass, setting it on the table.

There's something definitely wrong with Kai, and it's not just his fever, Tyson thought. Something happened, and it's tearing him up inside. He listened for a minute to Kai crying. He'd never heard him cry before, at least not like this. His cries came from the very heart of his soul.

Tyson slowly edged toward Kai's bed, and quietly sat down on one end. He reached out and gently placed a hand on Kai's shaking form. Kai flinched visibly, and Tyson pulled the covers back.

"Kai, listen," Tyson began, very gently. "I don't know what's wrong, or what's happened in your life, but I'd really like to help you get through it."

Kai shook his head.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you, or do anything you don't want me to. Just, please, tell me what's wrong."

Kai sniffed and finally stopped crying. He pulled his knees up to him and hugged them, resting his head on his arms. Tyson settled down on the bed.

"It all started when the plane crashed before the World Tournament," Kai began, softly. "All those years ago… I'd never thought it'd come back and haunt me now."

Tyson nodded silently, his face passive. Kai dropped his head into his arms.

"There's not much to tell," he said, his voice slightly muffled. "You had been captured, and we were in the woods. To make a long story short… Rei… he told me that… he loved me."

Tyson's heart sank, but he hid it well.

"I wasn't ready for him then, and it all happened to suddenly. I… turned him down," he said in a low voice.

Tyson's heart flared up again.

"But I hate myself for it!" Kai cried. "He promised that he would wait for me as long as I needed, and then, a few days ago, I went to see him again." Kai started crying all over again. "He's with someone else!"

Tyson's mind was reeling, and now he felt like crying.

Kai loves Rei, he thought.

"He doesn't love me the way I love him anymore. He's moved on," Kai said, crying softly. He wiped his eyes.

Tyson moved closer to him, and tentatively put an arm around him. To his utter surprise, Kai actually looked grateful.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"I'm so sorry, Kai. I didn't know," Tyson said softly. Kai shook his head.

"It's okay. I just… I can't keep from imagining what would have happened if I hadn't said no to him all those years ago. We might have been together."

This time Tyson shook his head. "If you weren't ready, you should never force yourself to do anything. Things happen in their own time. And sometimes, the trials you go through can be blessings in disguise."

Kai sighed. He had stopped crying again, and was determined not to anymore. At least not in front of Tyson. This was embarrassing enough.

Oddly enough, Kai didn't feel too ashamed. He actually felt a little better having told someone what had happened.

He sighed again and rubbed his eyes. Crying took up a lot of energy, and he was already in a physically weakened state. His exhaustion was quickly catching up with him, and Tyson seemed to notice.

"Hey, you look a little tired. I think you should rest a bit." Tyson scooted over and gave Kai room on the bed to lie down.

"Thanks," Kai said again, pulling the covers up to his chin. "You know, Tyson… you've been taking care of me all day. You should rest too."

Tyson grinned. "Oh, I'll be fine. I'm not the sick one, you know." Kai smiled faintly. Tyson settled down on the bed beside Kai. He gazed at the ceiling, his hands under his head. Kai breathing evened out, and Tyson glanced at the sleeping boy, a twinge of heartache tugging in his chest.

Every time Kai had stated that he loved Rei, it had felt like a sword was being thrust right through Tyson's heart. Kai's tears had come straight from the heart; so obviously, he was still very attached to Rei. Tyson sighed.

Kai, can't you see that I love you?

* * * * *

Wyatt unlocked the door and stepped inside. The first thing he saw was Tyson and Kai, both sleeping. Kai was curled toward the window, away from Tyson, under the covers. Tyson had dozed off on top of the covers, snoring lightly. Wyatt felt a smile twitching at the corners of his lips. He shut the door with a little more force than usual. The sudden sound caused Tyson's eyes to open, and Kai to stir slightly.

"Hey, Wyatt," Tyson greeted, rubbing his eyes. Wyatt laughed and put his books on his desk.

"You fell asleep? Was Kai that much of a handful?"

Tyson grinned and looked over at Kai, who pulled the covers over his head. "Nah, he was great." He leaned over and pulled the covers back down. He placed a hand on Kai's forehead.

"Your fever broke!" Tyson exclaimed. Kai gave up trying to sleep and stretched.

"How were your exams, Wyatt?" Tyson asked.

"Perfect scores," Wyatt said proudly. "Hey, Tyson…you stayed all day?"

"Yeah."

"You missed all your classes," Kai stated. Tyson shrugged.

"It's okay. I think a sick friend is more important, anyway. What time is it?"

Wyatt glanced at his watch. "Almost 9:30."

Tyson stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "I have to go to work."

"This late at night?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow. Tyson shrugged again.

"Yeah," he said evasively.

"When do you sleep?" Wyatt asked.

"During class," Tyson said slyly. He headed for the door.

"Thanks a lot, Tyson! I really appreciate it," Wyatt called.

"Yeah, thanks," Kai mumbled. Tyson gave them a grin, and left. Wyatt sighed contentedly and pulled off his jacket.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Kai," he said as he went to the bathroom.

"Mm."

Kai's thoughts wandered to that strange dream he had had earlier. He shuddered at the memory of it. Seeing Rei and Caleb together… and then that little episode with Tyson…

Kai's fingers touched his lips as he recalled Tyson kissing him. It hadn't really happened, but it had felt so real. And even though he had been utterly horrified that Tyson had doubted his love for Rei… even though he had pushed him away, and screamed at him never to touch him again…

Kai shook his head. It was a dream, he reminded himself. A concoction of my own deranged mind. Get over it, Kai, you pathetic has-been.

One thought reigned over all others as he closed his eyes:

If I love Rei so much…why can't I stop thinking about Tyson? 

* * *

 TBC

* * *

Goodness, it took me long enough to get this chapter done! I hope this makes up for the long wait I put you guys through. So, did you like it? Did you hate it? Tell me what you think, and leave me a review. ^_^ Thanks for reading!