I love/adore/worship you guys. You're all so awesome! Just saying thank you doesn't seem adequate…

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Chapter Twenty-six

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When the sunshine streaming in through the windows woke him the next morning, Kai was alone in the room. He guessed Tyson must have left after he had fallen asleep. Glancing at the clock—it was a little past eight—he got out of bed and went to the bathroom to shower. When he was done, he squeezed some of the water out of his hair so he wouldn't leave gigantic wet patches wherever he walked, pulled on a white bathrobe, and opened the door with wet hands.

"Hey, Kai, which would look better on me—a regular collar or a mandarin?" Tyson asked, rummaging through a bag on the bed before turning around in a flourish, holding out two dress shirts. His eyebrows rose slightly and a small grin appeared on his lips.

"If you don't mind me saying, you look hot," he commented, eyeing him admiringly. Kai felt color rising in his cheeks and he looked away, annoyed.

"What are you doing here?" He went to his closet and pulled the doors open after tightening the belt on his robe. Tyson chuckled.

"I came to say good morning. And to get your opinion on what I should wear tonight."

"Oh. That thing is tonight, isn't it?"

"Yep, and it calls for formal attire. So, which one is better?" Tyson held up the shirts again expectantly. Kai walked over and raised an eyebrow at the mandarin collar. Tyson frowned.

"You think I should stick with a regular collar?"

"Definitely. Well, it at all possible." Kai took the other shirt and looked at it thoughtfully before handing it back to Tyson. "I always thought those looked better on girls."

"Well then, it should look fine on you." Tyson grinned at Kai's put-off look. He leaned over and kissed him soundly on the lips. "I'm just kidding. Did you sleep well?"

"Actually, yes. I didn't even notice you had left until I woke up this morning." Kai gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Tyson."

"You're welcome. Now, take a deep breath," Tyson said, linking his arms behind Kai's head and smoothly pressing his lips against his. He heard Kai breathe in deeply, then felt him pull his lips away. Tyson pouted slightly.

"Before you do anything, I just want to say I'm sorry. About last night," Kai said uneasily. "I… you were right. It was wrong and I'm sorry I asked."

"Well, don't worry about it," Tyson said gently. Kai sighed unhappily.

"How can you just brush it off like that? You should be mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you. Do you actually want me to be? You must be joking."

"I feel guilty." He paused. "I don't know… I just all of a sudden became really jealous that you… still had your virginity and I didn't, I guess."

Tyson suddenly looked sad and Kai noticed that he wouldn't meet his gaze. He tilted Tyson's chin upward and looked regretfully at him. "I'm sorry. I just can't say anything right anymore."

Tyson shook his head, seemingly clearing his mind. "No… let's just forget the whole thing, okay? I can understand how you probably were feeling and I don't hold it against you."

"Okay…"

Tyson put on a bright smile. "C'mon, cheer up!"

"I'm cheered." Kai lifted his eyes and gave Tyson a soft look. "What the hell would I do without you? I don't even want to think about it."

"Your flattery is always so weird," Tyson said, amused. He leaned in and their lips brushed again softly. Kai couldn't help smiling and Tyson grinned and kissed his nose teasingly. After five more minutes of good-humored play, Tyson grew restless and pushed Kai back onto the bed, shoving his bag onto the floor.

"Tyson!"

"Shut up, I'll only be a minute," he said, pressing his lips down against Kai's and effectively silencing him. The room grew quiet for a long time until Kai moaned and drew back.

"I have to breathe, you idiot!"

"We're going to have to work on that lung capacity of yours. Have your precious air." Tyson shifted and kissed the skin on his throat. When he looked closely, he saw the almost-faded mark of a bruise that Cleft had left and gently ran his fingers over it. He felt Kai tense and then relax underneath him.

"Sorry. Does that hurt?" Tyson asked.

"No, I can't even feel it anymore."

Tyson was quiet for a moment before letting out a tiny sigh. "You make me so happy. I can't even describe it."

Kai's eyes twinkled as he smiled softly and Tyson leaned down and kissed him again. Kai wrapped his arms around Tyson's neck and after a moment, they were completely immersed in each other. Neither of them noticed the door opening and only realized someone else was in the room when the thud of a suitcase hitting the floor resonated against the walls. Kai pushed his hands against Tyson's chest and looked. Wyatt was standing there with his eyes slightly widened.

"I'm interrupting something, aren't I?" he said slowly.

"When did you get back?" Kai asked.

"Early this morning, actually. I was planning to stay longer, but a full day with my parents reminded me why I moved out in the first place." Wyatt paused. "Um… I could leave if you want me to."

"Why would you do that?" Tyson asked with a puzzled look on his face. Wyatt grinned sheepishly.

"I'm not that virginal. You're like… straddling my roommate. And he's wearing nothing but a bathrobe and he looks… kind of… damp."

Kai sat up. "I just took a shower!" he said indignantly. "We didn't do anything."

"Jeez, Kai, calm down," Tyson said with a light laugh. "We do look kind of suggestive, I guess."

Wyatt smiled. "Do you ever."

Kai shoved Tyson back gently and slipped off the bed, stalking to his closet with his dignity. Tyson watched him with an affectionate grin, sitting cross-legged on the bed.

"So, Wyatt, how are you doing?" Tyson asked. Wyatt picked up his suitcase and went to his bed to unpack.

"Much better, actually. I feel really refreshed. Hey, Kai? You look a lot better," Wyatt said brightly. "And how is everything between you two?"

"Everything is great," Tyson said contentedly. "Tonight we're going to a gala hosted by the BBA."

"And tomorrow is Tyson's birthday," Kai put in.

"Hey, you're finally turning twenty!" Wyatt exclaimed. "Congratulations."

Tyson made a face at Kai. "Thanks, Wyatt. It's no big deal."

"Well, of course it is. You'll be two decades old," Wyatt pointed out. Tyson waved it off and Kai went to the bathroom to change. Wyatt paused before sitting down on the bed lightly beside Tyson.

"How's he doing? Really, how is he?" Wyatt asked quietly. Tyson shifted.

"He's getting better… I think. Nights with him are hellish, though. He gets scared out of his mind." Tyson recalled the previous night with a heavy sigh. "He's hurting really bad, but he picks and chooses when to show it."

"Has he talked to you at all about what happened?"

"Well… we haven't really sat down and talked about it, if that's what you mean. He does tell me how much he hates Cleft, though."

Wyatt sat quietly with his lips pursed. "I see."

"But he's getting better, slowly, but surely. And I'm not going anywhere. I plan to be there for him every step of the way." Tyson nodded firmly. "I'll be damned if he has to go through this alone."

Wyatt smiled sincerely at Tyson. "I'm really glad that you guys are together." He stood up and went back to unpacking his suitcase just before the bathroom door opened and Kai stepped out. Tyson slid off the bed and pranced over to him, poking him on the nose. Kai slapped his hand away.

"What?"

"Feed me. I'm hungry."

"Idiot," Kai said, but went to the kitchen with Tyson in tow. Wyatt grinned at the fact that Kai probably didn't even realize that he was practically wrapped around Tyson's little finger. He picked up a pile of dirty clothes and dropped them into his laundry basket, then picked up the basket and went to the kitchen.

"Hey, Kai, I'm going out to do…" When he stuck his head in the kitchen, he was greeted with the sight of his roommate and Tyson quietly making out in a languorous fashion. "…My laundry." Wyatt shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Have fun and make sure you behave!"

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"Tyson, we're going to be late," Kai scolded with an irritated sigh. The bathroom door opened and Kai looked up from his seat at the table. Tyson came out fidgeting with his tie.

"I can't fix it right!"

"You utter moron."

Tyson stomped over. "Help me," he demanded. Kai stood up and pulled it out of his hands.

"Honestly, you and Wyatt both need to learn this. How can you even call yourself a man if you don't know how to fix your own tie?"

"I don't wear ties," Tyson objected.

"You'll have to one day." Kai gave it a light tug before smoothing down Tyson's collar. "There."

"Thank you!" Tyson said merrily, prancing back to the bathroom to brush his hair. Kai followed and watched with a bored expression. Tyson caught his eye in the mirror.

"Look alive, Kai."

"We should have left ten minutes ago."

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Tyson stuck his hat on and protested loudly when Kai reached over and plucked it off. "Give that back!"

"This is a formal occasion. You don't wear baseball caps."

He scowled. "But I look weird without it."

"You look more mature without it," Kai corrected. "Besides, you can't wear it with a tuxedo."

"I could if you'd give it back." Tyson made a grab for it, but Kai turned around and walked to his writing table, dropping it on top of his desk calendar.

"Let's go already. You're not wearing the hat."

With a resigned sigh, Tyson went to the door and held it open. "Fine. I'll just be incomplete all evening."

Kai gave him an amused smile as they walked down the hallway together. "How long is this going to take, anyway?"

"I don't know." Tyson checked his watch. "Max's flight should have landed by now. He might already be there. Man, it's been way too long since we last saw him."

"Yeah, it has." Kai paused. "I guess I can't put off talking to Rei any longer, can I?"

Tyson smiled sympathetically. "I guess not."

Kai offered to drive, so Tyson settled down in the passenger seat and read the directions from his invitation out loud. The traffic was light and fifteen minutes later, they pulled up into an expensive hotel and were stopped by a man at the gate who was checking for invitations. They were waved through to a parking space.

"You'd think a place like this would have valet parking," Tyson commented as they made their way to the entrance. A gust of cool air greeted them pleasantly when they walked inside and almost immediately, a familiar voice called out their names.

"Max!" Tyson laughed as the blonde practically jumped on him, giving him a smothering hug. Kai smiled subtly as he watched.

"Happy early birthday, Tyson! Man, it's great to see you again," Max said gleefully, pulling back. "Dude, where's your hat?"

"Kai wouldn't let me wear it. Sprouted some nonsense about how it didn't match my tux," Tyson said, his eyes sparkling jokingly. Max grinned at Kai.

"Hey, Kai."

"Max. Your flight went well?"

"Yeah, it was fine." Max rolled his eyes, coming over and without warning, giving Kai a warm squeeze around the neck. Kai returned the gesture and found himself looking into Max's bright blue eyes. "I don't know what I was expecting, but you look good and I'm glad. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Thanks," Kai said appreciatively. Max winked at him.

"Hey, look! Those tables are loaded with food," Tyson exclaimed. Kai looked around and saw plenty of familiar faces buzzing about. Scanning his eyes over the crowd again, he confirmed to himself that Tala wasn't among them. Considering what had happened to his team, Kai had guessed correctly that the redhead didn't want anything to do with an event like this—it would only bring back old memories. He turned to Max.

"Have you seen Rei?"

"Actually, yeah. He was here earlier… I don't know where he went off to, but he's somewhere around." Max squinted.

"He's not avoiding me, is he?" Kai asked with a soft sigh. Max shrugged.

"If I see him, I'll tell him you're looking for him," he offered.

"Yeah. Thanks," Kai muttered. Tyson tugged at his sleeve.

"You want to get some food?"

"No. I think I'll just look around."

Tyson was quiet for a moment. "Are you going to look for Rei?"

"Yes, I am. You're the one that wanted us to talk so badly, remember?" Kai looked into Tyson's eyes and saw uncertainty reflected in them. "What's wrong?"

"I already told you… I don't want anything to mess up what we have." Tyson sighed huffily. "What if Rei still has feelings for you?"

Kai blinked. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind. "He won't," he said with conviction.

"Maybe I should come with you."

"Okay, now you're being ridiculous. Trust me, Tyson."

"I trust you, it's Rei I'm not so sure about," Tyson said with a frown. He knew his fears were almost completely irrational and felt a little guilty pestering Kai about Rei. It obviously showed a lack of faith on his part in Kai. He smiled and tried to appear at ease. Jeez, Tyson, you're going stark raving mad.

"I can take care of myself. I'll see you a little bit, okay?" Kai brushed his arm lightly as he walked past, weaving his way through the crowd. Tyson watched him go, then turned to follow Max.

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Kai managed to keep an eye out for Rei as he meandered through the crowd and was stopped by a few guests who wanted to greet him. They all pretty much said the same things, asking him how he was doing or commenting on how nice it was to see him again. Kai kept their conversations polite, but short—he had no interest in making small talk, especially since he had never really cared for any of the teams that they'd competed against all those years ago. Rei was nowhere in sight. Kai stopped to pour himself some punch and was lifting the glass to his lips when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and found himself looking into the amber eyes of Rei.

"Rei," Kai said, too startled to be nervous. "I was looking for you."

"Were you? I just stepped out for some air."

Kai paused. "I think we should talk somewhere private," he said softly. Rei blinked and then gestured Kai to follow. They went down the hallway and found an empty room that was furnished nicely with an expensive couch and matching chairs. Pictures adorned the walls. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

"How're you doing?" Rei asked, breaking the silence.

"You'd be amazed at how many times I get asked that in a day."

Rei looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm okay." Kai leaned against the armrest of a chair while Rei sat down on the couch, staring at his hands. Kai nursed his drink, clinking the ice cubes together. He thought about how he should phrase his next string of words.

"So, Rei… I heard there was a rumor going around that I hated you," Kai said quietly.

"I think I may have started that one," Rei confessed. Kai gazed up at him, a somewhat sad look in his eyes.

"Well. When I first heard about it from Tyson, I guess you could say I was… mildly upset."

"Mildly upset?"

"Maybe that's an understatement. I was mad. Really mad. How could you think something like that of me?"

The Chinese boy pressed his lips together and stayed silent for a moment. "Well… don't you?"

Kai threw him a look of disgust. "Right now, I'm thinking about it. Rei, of course I don't hate you. I don't know if we're friends at the moment or what, but I could never hate you."

"But after what I did! I remember seeing your face right after I broke up with you. This look of total… hurt was there for a split second, and then I could see you completely clam up. I just cut your legs right out from underneath you."

"Are you trying to convince me to hate you?"

"I deserve it," Rei sighed heavily.

"I think you're giving yourself too much credit," Kai said. Rei looked up, surprised, and Kai nodded. "I was hurt, yeah. What'd you expect? I thought we were in love so it came as a huge shock, but if you didn't like me like that, what else could you do? I would've been even more pissed off if you lied just to keep me from being hurt."

"I'll never forget how you looked at me that day. You looked so betrayed."

"I was stunned! There was absolutely nothing leading up to it; I blinked and we weren't together anymore. Forget how I looked. We're not in love and we never were."

Rei plopped his chin down in his palm. "Tyson thought that I didn't want to help you when you were at Biovolt. Did he tell you about that?" Kai shook his head and Rei went on. "We fought like anything. He was hysterical the entire time and accused me of not caring what happened to you." Rei looked up. "I do care about you, Kai."

Kai's eyes widened in alarm and his breath caught in his throat. Oh. Ye. Gods. Hell no.

"Just because I'm not in love with you doesn't mean that I totally don't care about what happens to you. I was just as upset as Tyson when I heard what happened… at the jail." Rei looked down and Kai began to breathe easier again. He's not going to drop a proclamation of love on me. Tyson was wrong and all is well in the world.

"I care about you, too, Rei," Kai said, moving away from his place across the room and coming to sit next to him on the couch. He looked blankly ahead of him, his drink forgotten in his hands. "I didn't think we could be friends after all this, but… we've both moved on, right? There aren't any hard feelings left. How's Caleb doing?" Kai turned to Rei just in time to see a flash of pain appear in his eyes. It was gone as soon as it came.

"He's okay."

Kai paused, giving him a long look. "Rei… are you all right?"

Rei brushed his dark hair away from his face and nodded, but not before hesitating.

"You're lying to me," Kai said softly. "Is this about Caleb?"

"Ah, Kai… you know me too well," Rei stated. He sighed again and looked with troubled eyes at the floor just as a light knock was heard on the doorframe of the open door. They both looked up to see Tyson.

"Hey, guys… I'm interrupting, aren't I?"

"No. No, you're not," Rei said quickly, putting on a false smile. Kai looked at him with his brows knitted together.

"Rei," he said insistently. Tyson walked in, completely missing the heavy atmosphere in the room. Rei turned to Kai and their eyes locked. Kai looked at him expectantly.

"I'm really glad you two are together," Rei said, catching him off-guard. "Tyson, you made an excellent choice, and Kai… I'm glad that you're happy." He leaned over and gently brushed Kai's cheek with a chaste kiss before standing up. He gave Tyson a brief smile and walked out.

"Hey, Kai…" Tyson said with a faint frown on his lips. Kai was staring at the door Rei had walked through, and Tyson came over and waved a hand in front of his face. "Hellooo. He's gone."

"There's something wrong with Rei," Kai said quietly. Tyson sat down next to him and touched his cheek where Rei had kissed. Kai turned his gaze toward him.

"He kissed you," Tyson said.

"Jealous?"

"Heck yeah. What happened here?"

"Nothing happened. Well, something's going on with Rei." Kai sighed and noticed Tyson's frown. "What?"

"Does he still like you?"

"Rei? No, he doesn't still like me; I've told you a thousand times. He honestly thought I hated him, though."

"So, you guys are friends, now," Tyson deduced. Kai didn't answer for a moment.

"He was lying to me about something… and I think he was going to tell me." Kai shook his head and brushed Tyson's bangs away from his face before resting his arm on his shoulder. "Dear God, Tyson, you have the worst timing."

"I was lonely without you!" Tyson protested. He took Kai's hands and laced his fingers through them, seeing the preoccupied look in Kai's eyes. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Kai exhaled deeply and leaned back on the couch, a brooding look on his face. Tyson snuggled up next to him.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?" Tyson asked, playing with Kai's collar.

"Yes, I am. That's not like him at all." Kai sounded sad.

"Aw, cheer up. Rei can take care of himself."

"So can I, but that doesn't stop you from worrying."

Tyson smiled. "People might be wondering where we are."

"Let them wonder. Tyson…" Kai paused, considering a thought nagging at the back of his mind. "Do you really dislike Rei?"

"What gave you that idea?"

"The general way you speak of him… and he told me that you two fought a lot when I was gone."

"Well, we did fight. It just seemed like he didn't want to help you, so I figured what with all that had happened between you guys, he had just stopped caring about your well-being. That pissed me off."

"Even though it was totally wrong. He did care."

Tyson sighed. "I already told you that I start feeling a teensy bit inferior when you talk about Rei… and now you're defending him."

"That's your problem. You should know how much I like you by now," Kai said unsympathetically. Tyson was about to frown, but smiled instead.

"That was like… a compliment masked by coldness," he stated. Kai gave him an odd look.

"Jealousy makes people crazy, you know," he said flatly. Tyson waved his hand, unconcerned.

"I'm already crazy over you. Cheesy, I know, but I had to say it." He winked and Kai smiled fondly at him before leaning over and gently planting a kiss on his lips. He was going to get up and leave then, but once Tyson got his hands on him, he refused to let go. Holding Kai's chin firmly, Tyson deepened the kiss, poking the tip of his tongue out to touch Kai's lower lip. Kai pulled back at that moment.

"Don't do that. You wouldn't want to get carried away, would you?"

"I wouldn't mind if we did," Tyson said suggestively.

"Do you even remember where we are?" Kai scolded lightly. Tyson rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine. Have it your way." He let go with a resigned sigh. "Did Rei leave altogether?"

"I don't know," Kai said absently as he stood. He shook his head. "I'm going to find out what's wrong with him, sooner or later."

"He'll come out and tell you eventually… if he wants you to know," Tyson said reasonably. Kai frowned, adopting a stubborn look.

"He'll tell me," he said firmly.

"Well, don't pressure him to tell you. Give it some time." Tyson stood up and they both left the small room, walking slowly down the hallway back to the celebration. Kai stared thoughtfully at the floor, his mind faraway. He was hardly aware of Max bouncing over to talk animatedly with the two of them and he completely missed the slight look of sadness in Tyson's eyes.

Tyson sighed softly. He's thinking about Rei.

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To Be Continued

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With all this Kai-angst, maybe I should throw in some Tyson-angst. It's so weird, though! Tyson's such a non-angsty person. Anyway, did you like it? Hate it? Tell me what you think, please and thank you!