Thanks again for sticking with me. This fic is the longest ongoing thing I've ever written. o.O And I don't think I would have ever made it this far without your support!

SHAMELESS PLUG: I have a new fic out! o Okay, that's enough. I'm shutting up now. Enjoy.

Chapter Twenty-four

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Light streamed in from the windows, falling across Tyson's sleeping features. He scrunched up his face and squinted, turning to the side with a grumble. His mind was still thickly fogged with sleep, but one name floated to the surface and made him promptly sit up.

"Kai?" He looked around the room. It was empty. Kai's bed was already neatly made, but his books were still on his desk, so Tyson guessed he wasn't at class. Memories of the past night came to mind, and Tyson shut his eyes briefly. His tanned fingers grasped a handful of the sheets and squeezed it in frustration. "Of all people, why did this have to fall on Kai? I love him, dammit. There's no way I'm going to let anything ruin his life."

He swung his legs out of the bed just as the door opened and Kai stepped in. Tyson felt a surge of relief at seeing him again, and chastised himself for being so paranoid. Kai was an adult capable of taking care of himself, no matter what condition he was in.

"Where'd you go?" Tyson asked lightly. "I was getting a little worried, there."

"I went to see the doctor," Kai answered, setting a white paper bag with a pink pharmacy receipt stapled to the front on his desk. "I've needed one for weeks now. You were sleeping like a rock, so I didn't wake you up."

"Oh. Is everything okay?"

Kai sighed. "I have to take medication."

Tyson paused before smiling. "That's all? I'm glad you're okay."

Without replying, Kai turned and leaned back against his desk, looking at Tyson still sitting on Wyatt's bed. Tyson gazed back with a funny look on his face.

"What's on your mind?"

Kai turned his eyes to study the ceiling, shaking his head slightly. "Are you getting up now?"

"Yeah," Tyson said, stretching as he stood. He shook a hand through his hair and met Kai's dark eyes again. "Any reason in particular?"

"Let's go out for breakfast."

"Sure," he agreed with a grin. They both stopped by Tyson's room for him to shower quickly and change clothes. While Kai stood near Tyson's desk with his hands in his pockets, listening to the sound of the water running, he ran his eyes over a photograph on the desk. It was just a shot of the team on a normal training day, years ago. Kai could remember those days perfectly. The sun would be shining down and Tyson and Max would always goof off until Kai yelled at them to stay focused. Rei had been much easier to manage.

Kai wandered over to Tyson's bed and sat down near the window, looking outside absently. I wonder what Rei thinks of me, now…

He let out a sigh and looked down. Tyson had fallen asleep quickly last night, and he had stayed up for an hour or so, just sitting and thinking. After his eyelids had grown heavy, he had decided to try sleeping again, but was awakened around three in the morning by a dream that left him in a cold sweat, and he wasn't sure whether to deem it a nightmare or not. It was Cleft tied up in a chair, and this time he had been the one with the upper hand. A gun had been in his hands, and before he could shoot Cleft, he had woken up. The dream had left him honestly afraid of what he might do if given a chance like that.

He rubbed his forehead lightly and closed his eyes. Just before he woke up, he had seen a twisted grin on his face that chilled him to the bone. Every time he thought about Cleft, he saw red and felt a horrible surge of agony in his heart at what he had lost. Lately, the image of Cleft on his knees begging for his life while Kai held that gun to his head had been plaguing his mind. He couldn't believe that anyone would ever be able to take someone's life while they were pleading with them not to, but now he was having his doubts and his sudden change of heart disturbed him greatly. He took a deep breath and a feeling of disgust rose in his chest.

"I begged, but that didn't phase him at all," he whispered calmly. "He did it, anyway."

Faced with that decision, would I sink low enough to make the same choices he did?

Kai stood abruptly, shaking his thoughts away and stalking back to Tyson's desk. It didn't make any difference now. He just kept telling himself that. His eyes fell upon the photograph again and he sighed sadly. He missed those days like nothing else. If he filtered out the whole fact that his grandfather had jerked his strings like a puppet, the time he had spent with his team were great memories. He sniffed disdainfully. If he had known what his future held, he would have cherished those times more than he did.

"Earth to Kai," Tyson said, waving a hand in front of his face. Kai blinked. Tyson was standing in front of him, dressed and ready to go.

"I must have spaced out."

"That you did." Tyson looped an arm through Kai's and dragged him out the door. They took the elevator down to the parking lot and when Tyson began heading for his car, Kai took the reins and steered him the other way.

"I said I would take you out," Kai reminded him. "That means I'm driving."

Tyson allowed himself to be led by him and hopped into the passenger seat. Kai got in and started the engine, pulling out smoothly and leaving the campus.

"Where are we going?" Tyson asked.

"Where do you want to go?"

He shrugged as Kai glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "I thought you were taking me out, remember?" There was a playful grin on his face.

Kai's eyes softened, which didn't go unnoticed by Tyson. He adjusted his baseball cap and felt his chest grow lighter. He was determined to give Kai his happiness back, no matter what it took. Kai fell silent as they traveled down a main road and then turned right to a cozy string of shops that were already bustling with people.

"Ooh, can we eat there?" Tyson grabbed Kai's arm and pointed to a well-known bakery that specialized in breakfast pastries. Kai parked near it and had to unlatch himself from Tyson to get out of the car.

"I was planning to take you here, anyway," Kai said, closing his door. Tyson had a large grin on his face and turned to Kai eagerly.

"This place has the best breakfast stuff!" He took Kai's hand and tugged him inside. Kai squeezed his fingers around Tyson's, watching him contentedly. He honestly hadn't cared where they would eat, but he knew Tyson would love this place. Tyson may have changed a great deal since he was a kid, but one thing that Kai was sure would never fade was his fanatical love of food.

They picked a table for two beside the large windows and Tyson immediately picked up a menu and began planning his hefty order. Kai rested a hand against his cheek, his eyes gazing out of the window. People passed by quickly, all in a hurry to be somewhere. The sun was shining down beautifully, casting gentle rays across the expanse of the city. Tyson slapped his menu down.

"Ready to order?" Kai asked. Tyson grinned and a waitress came over with a notepad and a stubby pencil. Kai asked for coffee and a croissant and listened quietly while Tyson recited his oversized order. The waitress stalked off after Tyson finally let her go, and he looked over at Kai with his large auburn eyes.

"Thanks for taking me here," he said with a smile.

"Thanks for coming," Kai replied.

Tyson leaned back in his chair. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Of course." Kai rested his arms on the table. "Some."

Tyson eyed him knowingly and Kai looked away, tapping his fingers against his chin. It really was a lovely day outside. He had only spent one night in his room since he came back, but already was feeling trapped inside. He wanted to be out, somewhere; he didn't know where, and he didn't know if he wanted to be alone or not, either. Loneliness would drive his thoughts to be most unpleasant, but if he were with Tyson, he would feel somewhat calmer. As far as family went, he had nothing, and his friends were scarce. Tyson was the only person he could turn to.

"Tyson, what was your mom like?" Kai asked suddenly, his voice soft. Tyson blinked at him, sobering slightly. Instead of asking why, he folded his hands together thoughtfully.

"Well, I don't remember very much about her, but Grandpa has lots of pictures. She was really nice, and really pretty. Her eyes looked like mine." Tyson paused. "Gramps said she used to read me stories before I went to bed every night. Oh, and she gave me my first baseball cap when I was really little. He said I used to chew on it and she'd always scold me for that." He looked at Kai. "What about your mom?"

Kai had been listening in contentment. He tilted his head slightly, his expression never changing when Tyson asked about his own mother. He shook his head.

"I don't remember her at all."

Tyson's brow looked troubled. "I miss her sometimes."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm glad I can talk to you about it. I miss her, but I'm glad for the memories I have, even though there aren't very many."

"It must be nice…" Kai's words trailed off.

"Come again?"

"Remembering her. It must be nice. There was never anything there for me to miss."

Tyson looked down. "Oh, Kai…"

"Don't feel bad. Like I said, there was nothing there for me to miss. I'm fine," Kai said truthfully. Tyson nodded, but his eyes still seemed downcast. Kai watched him for a moment.

"I seemed to have put a damper on your good mood," he commented. Tyson looked up and smiled, brushing his bangs away from his face. He shook his head.

"No. If we're both fine, what's there for me to get all worked up about?"

Kai was thinking over Tyson's statement when their food arrived. He fell quiet over his coffee, observing the dark liquid absently. Tyson frowned, ignoring his order. He reached out and touched Kai's arm.

"Stop brooding. Your happiness means the world to me."

Kai paused. "Do you really mean that?"

"You're just full of questions today, aren't you?" Tyson asked with a twinkle in his eye. "And yes, I do mean that. It kind of goes along with being your boyfriend."

Kai looked down and then pushed his plate in front of Tyson. "Eat that for me." He gestured to his croissant.

"What? You didn't eat anything at all!" Tyson accused, pushing it back. Kai took a sip of his coffee.

"I'm not hungry."

"Don't care. Eat it."

With a soft sigh, Kai poked at it and took a small bite. Appeased, Tyson turned to his own order. There was a comfortable silence between the two in which Tyson amused Kai by throwing him loving glances every so often. After some time had passed, Tyson had suggested they feed each other, and then laughed at Kai's mortified expression.

"It'll be fun!"

"Fun my ass. How old are you again?"

Tyson's eyes were bright as he watched Kai throughout their breakfast. The fear he had witnessed the night before seemed to be gone, and that was something for which Tyson was extremely thankful. Seeing Kai like that had worried him. He wanted nothing more than for him to return to his old self, for him to regain that happiness he'd had just after they'd gotten together for the first time.

Kai was just about to ask Tyson if he wanted to go to the park after they ate when a man caught his eye, a man who seemed to be squinting at Tyson. He looked as if he were trying to figure out who he was. Kai watched him curiously and then raised his eyebrows slightly when the man approached their table.

"Hey… you remember me?" he asked, looking at Tyson. He wasn't too old looking, seemingly around his late thirties. Kai turned to Tyson and his brows knitted together in confusion when he saw, for a split second, a look of panic in his auburn eyes. It was only a flash, but Kai was sure he had seen it.

"Um… no. Who are you?" Tyson asked, looking up at the guy. The man squinted again.

"You sure? I could have sworn…"

"I think you're mistaking me for someone I'm not." Tyson's voice held a dismissive tone. The man stayed for a moment longer, then shook his head. He apologized lightly and left. Kai tilted his head.

"Who was that?"

"I have no idea," Tyson said with a shrug. Kai didn't want to accuse Tyson of lying, but something gave him an odd feeling about the whole thing. He looked down and picked up his coffee cup.

"Okay." He brought the mug to his lips.

"Okay, what?" Tyson asked.

"Okay, nothing. I trust you." Kai gazed into Tyson's eyes. Tyson paused before pursing his lips in thought.

"You really trust me?"

"Of course I do, and I hope you do the same of me."

Tyson smiled. "Yeah. I do."

"Do you want to go to the park after this? I feel like just being out. Wyatt's not around and I don't want to… be alone, I guess."

"Sure. We can snuggle up on one of those benches and make out so the whole world can see how happy we are," Tyson said, grinning. Kai rolled his eyes affectionately. He quickly finished up his order and Kai left their money on the table while they went off.

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They eventually ended up on one of those benches after Tyson whined long enough. They sat down and he immediately put his arms around Kai's shoulders, and was delighted when he didn't protest. After sitting in silence for a few moments, Tyson turned and looked at him.

"Hey… I don't want to sound pushy or anything, but… I kind of think you should talk to Rei."

Kai quietly watched some children kicking a ball around in the empty grassy area free of benches and statues. "Really," he said dully.

"Well, yeah. It's been over a month now, and from what you've told me, you guys left off on a sour note."

"I left on a sour note. He wanted to be friends." Kai could clearly remember the day when Rei had broken the news to him. It wasn't painful to think about now, but it still ranked as one of his worst days ever.

"It's really none of my business, but you guys used to be such good friends, you know?" Tyson shrugged slightly. "Six years or something… it seems like such a waste."

Kai closed his eyes, a patient sigh escaping his lips. "I remember after he broke up with me, I didn't think I could ever live again. I was completely shattered."

"I remember, too. I saw you cry for the first time, then."

"You remember that?"

Tyson grinned lightly. "Of course. You were sick and I was taking care of you. You had a nightmare or something, and you just snapped. Like, literally. Then you told me what happened between you and Rei. I remember it all perfectly."

"Yeah…"

Tyson rubbed Kai's fingers absently. "When you cry… I don't know how to describe it, but I get a really strange feeling. When I look at you with tears in your eyes, I can't get over how beautiful you are, but I feel so torn because beauty and sadness don't mix."

Kai was looking at Tyson, his cheeks tinged crimson. Tyson shook his head as he laughed softly. "Weird, I know."

"Last night… did I scare you?" Kai asked. Tyson blinked.

"What makes you say that?"

"You cried. That was the first time I'd ever seen you cry."

Tyson looked down. "You as a person didn't scare me. I was more upset than anything because I just wanted you to be happy, but with everything that happened… I was just so sad that I couldn't give you back what you lost."

Kai reached up and grasped the front of Tyson's jacket before burying his face into his shoulder. Tyson looked concerned and shifted his position, placing a hand on Kai's back. He heard Kai let out a long groan and watched as he turned his head so that he was looking forward.

"No more tears," he said jadedly. "I just want to forget it all ever happened. I want to forget what I lost, and I don't want to care anymore."

Tyson settled down comfortably and stroked his hair. "It's not that simple. Forgetting something like that isn't easy."

"I never took the easy way with anything."

"It's going to take a lot of time, Kai." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "And until then, there're a lot of tears, a lot of pain, and a helluva lot of cold-sweat nightmares."

"I hate nightmares. I hate night in general. They're so long and I can't sleep anymore."

"They'll get better, I promise. I'll even stay up with you if you want."

Kai closed his eyes briefly, his head still resting on Tyson's shoulder. "Hey, Tyson?"

"Hm?"

"When I saw you cry, I felt the same way. I don't think it's weird at all."

Tyson smiled, looking up at the vast blue sky. "Well, thanks. I'm glad to know."

Silence fell after that. Tyson was content just sitting there with an arm lazily draped around Kai, his fingers wound through his glossy hair. Kai was holding his other hand in his lap, his gentle grip tightening and relaxing every so often.

"You never think things could end up this way," Tyson commented, a soft breeze ruffling his hair. Kai murmured his agreement quietly.

"I never thought that it was possible to feel so happy, yet so…" He let out a despairing breath. "I don't know, so… damaged."

Tyson shook his head and brought his face close to Kai's. Lifting Kai's chin with his finger, he pressed his lips against his in an almost rough fashion, then was thoroughly surprised when Kai took the reigns and practically shoved him down against the bench, all the while kissing him as if he were the last real thing left in the world. Tyson's back was on the seat of the bench, and he felt Kai's hands gripping his shoulders hard. Kai didn't let up until Tyson's lungs were screaming for air. Only then he pulled back, panting though parted lips. Tyson opened his eyes and found the sky directly above him.

"Wow," he said breathlessly. "Kai, you…"

"I've been wanting to do that for so long," Kai said, still catching his breath. "I was scared before, but I trust you with my life, Tyson." He let out a shaky laugh. "I trust you with my sanity. You'd never do anything that would hurt me… you're not like anyone I've ever met."

Kai's words rang like music in his ears. "You really… think that highly of me?" Tyson asked, fighting to keep his tears back. He laughed, shaking his head. "You'd actually trust me with something as unstable as your sanity?" he joked lightheartedly, his eyes glistening. Kai nodded and embraced him suddenly, not caring who was watching their passionate display of affection. He hugged his arms around Tyson's neck tightly, squeezing his eyes shut.

"You have tears in your eyes," Kai said, his hand rubbing the back of Tyson's head. Tyson sniffed, holding Kai's slender frame securely in his arms.

"You make me so incredibly happy," Tyson choked out. He laughed again as his tears spilled down his cheeks, soaking into Kai's shoulder. "God, look what kind of schmaltzy effect you have on me. I'm bawling like the world's biggest sap. Thanks a lot, Mr. Sentimental."

Kai pulled back slightly so he could look at Tyson's face. He left his arms around his neck as he tilted his head, a smile blossoming on his lips at Tyson's words. Tyson's eyes lit up.

"You're smiling!"

Kai laughed, still sounding unsteady, but gaining his old self-reliance little by little. "Yeah. You sound really stunned."

"I am. Do you realize that you haven't smiled since you got back?" Tyson asked, lifting a hand and touching his lips gently. Kai's eyes softened.

"I haven't?" he asked intently. Tyson shook his head.

"This whole time, I've been thinking about how much I miss your smile," Tyson said, an empathetic look on his face. "I hate seeing you in pain… you have no idea what your smile means to me."

"You have no idea what you mean to me," Kai said softly, his breath sending shivers down Tyson's spine. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment before their lips touched again. Kai's hand traveled up Tyson's face, his fingers eliciting a soft groan from the other boy. Tyson pulled Kai closer, feeling as if he could never get enough of the sweet sensation of his soft lips against his own. Kai felt as if he could stay there forever, just whispering sweet nothings and holding Tyson in his arms.

Tyson opened his eyes slightly, rubbing his nose against Kai's. Kai smiled and kissed Tyson's tanned nose, his own pale skin standing out in a stark but somehow wonderfully blended contrast. Tyson's hat had been knocked sideways when Kai had pushed him down on the bench, and Kai reached out and tugged it off his head, letting it fall behind his back onto the bench. It slipped over and landed in the grass.

"It's getting in the way," Kai breathed in a low voice. Tyson smiled, his teeth nipping at Kai's lower lip, seeking entrance in a not-so-subtle manner.

"There's something else getting in my way," Tyson said. Kai's eyes glinted.

"Maybe you haven't asked right yet."

"Well, then, I'd better get started now, because I'm hell-bent on seeing how you taste by tonight."

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To Be Continued

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Yay! It seems like it's been forever since I gave Tyson and Kai a good make-out scene. xD Man, I had loads of fun writing that. It wasn't really supposed to end that way, though! I had plans for them to take a short trip to the beach when night fell because we all know beaches are romantic at night. Oh yeah. Ty-kun has a secret! Anyway… Rei and Kai are going to talk soon (finally), and Max should also be showing up in the near future. If not the next chapter, then definitely the one after that. Thank you again for your continued interest! I'll never be able to say that enough. Anyway, please leave me a review and tell me what you think. See you soon!