Thank you for your generous support! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this. And for those of you who were wondering, no, Caleb didn't come to the gala. As I was reading your reviews, I noticed that Tyson's virginity seemed to be a quite a large topic of discussion! XD Well, hopefully all that'll be revealed in the next chapter. For now, enjoy.

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Chapter Twenty-seven

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Max noticed Kai's preoccupied look and the uncharacteristic glumness in Tyson's eyes while he was trying to talk with them. The blonde pursed his lips, a small frown wrinkling his forehead. He knew Kai brooded a lot, but Tyson's look was baffling. He was supposed to be the optimistic one and Max had heard from Rei that Tyson and Kai were happier than he'd ever seen them before when they were together.

Well, here they are, together and not exactly happy. "Hey, guys… so there's this cute chick I met in New York named Mimi. You think I should go for her?"

"Huh?" Tyson looked at him. "Oh. I always thought you'd end up with Emily."

"She's nice, but her and Michael kind of have a thing going on." Max paused. "You know, I never thought that you guys would end up together. Talk about night and day."

Tyson glanced at Kai, who blinked, looking as if he were noticing the conversation for the first time. Max giggled boyishly.

"I guess when you look back, there was a pretty strong something between you two even when we were young. I swear, Tyson, you were always trying to prove yourself to Kai, someway or another. Either that, or you were looking for excuses to bother him."

"Definitely trying to bother him," Tyson put in.

"You certainly succeeded in getting under my skin," Kai remarked. Max looked thoughtful.

"I was pretty surprised when I heard about what was going on. Tyson and Kai, of all people."

"I was surprised when I realized it myself," Kai said quietly, remembering how he had thought he would never get over Rei. "I was reluctant to get involved in a relationship at that time, but I guess you could say that Tyson's the only person I could ever put blind faith into."

Max smiled. "That's so sweet. You guys have such a bond."

"It's because Tyson's never hurt me. Ever."

Tyson's eyes grew soft as he looked at him. "You really mean that?"

Kai shot him a skeptical look. "Yeah…" Why is he acting like I've never told him how much he means to me before?

"Well, I certainly hope I can have what you two have one day," Max said with a large smile. "Business school doesn't really leave that much time for romance, though. My mom wants me to take over her company in a few years."

"Max the businessman! That's something I totally wasn't expecting," Tyson laughed. Max proceeded to tell them about what his future held, but after a few moments was interrupted by Mr. Dickinson, who had climbed up on a portable stage and was tapping the microphone.

"If you could all take your seats for a few moments," he said, looking around expectantly. "We have a short ceremony to conduct."

"A ceremony?" Tyson asked as he led Kai and Max to some empty chairs. Kai seated himself between the two and then leaned over to talk privately with Tyson.

"Tyson, are you all right? You've been acting strange," Kai whispered.

"Me? You're the one who's been acting strange," Tyson said, giving him a confused look. Kai raised an eyebrow.

"How so? And why were you so surprised when I told you you've never hurt me before?"

"I dunno."

"Stop acting so clueless!"

"I'm not!"

Kai gave him a long look. "So, you really didn't know how much I trust you," he stated flatly.

"Yes. I mean, no. Yes and no!" Tyson said, stumbling over his words. He felt his heart sink when he saw the look of pure hurt on Kai's face before he turned his head away and crossed his arms, obviously angry with him. He bit his lip and tugged on Kai's sleeve after a short pause.

"Don't be mad," he said, trying to catch his eye. Kai took a deep breath and looked at Tyson again.

"Honestly, you're enough to make someone cry."

"You're gonna cry?" Tyson whispered, alarmed.

"No! This is me we're talking about," Kai hissed.

"Um… my point exactly?"

"Tyson. You make me feel like a failure if you don't know by now how much I care about you." He paused lightly. "Why are you acting like this?"

Tyson blew out his breath loudly with a frown. "Because I'm still jealous over you and Rei," he admitted boldly. He hoped Kai would call him an idiot and drop it, but instead, a dark fire began smoldering in his eyes.

"You don't trust me," Kai accused harshly, insulted and upset. He bit his tongue to keep from saying something he might regret after that and refused to look at Tyson.

Tyson felt stung. He knew in his heart that he did trust Kai, but when Rei came into the picture, he couldn't help himself from acting completely irrational. Dammit, Tyson! You're hurting the one person you love and you're ruining the most important thing in your life. He sighed heavily.

"You might be happy to know that I don't see Rei anywhere," Kai commented coldly in his general direction. Tyson pressed his lips together.

"C'mon, Kai…"

"That means there's no one for me to run off with. Fancy that.The ceremony's about to start, so I suggest you shut up."

Tyson took his advice and sat back. Kai was more pissed off than he thought. And how can I blame him? I'm being a total ass, but now he's too upset to even give me a chance to apologize.

"First of all, I'd like to like to thank each and every one of you for coming tonight," Mr. Dickinson started off regally. "It's such a joy to see all the former teams back together in one place again. I'll make this short. I'd like to honor a certain young man today, a young man who has shown such spirit and passion during the days he competed in tournaments. He was a wonderful sport no matter what happened, and competed solely for the love of the game. He paved the way for young children all around the world and showed them that they, too, could live their dreams."

Kai gritted his teeth. It's Tyson. It's so obviously Tyson. This could not have come at a worse time.

Tyson caught Kai giving him a glance. "I'm sorry," he mouthed silently, hoping Kai wouldn't bite his head off. He wasn't even sure if Kai saw, since he turned his head away again. Tyson sighed and sank lower in his chair, only vaguely hearing the speech that was being delivered.

"—and tonight, on behalf of the BBA, I'd like to present this token of appreciation to the world champion for three consecutive years, Tyson Kinomiya!" The guests applauded for him. Tyson heard his name being called and looked up, confused. Kai nudged him.

"Go," he said.

"Kai, I'm—"

"Go!"Kai gave him a light shove. Sprinkles of laughter graced the room as Tyson made his way to the front where Mr. Dickinson was waiting. He climbed up on the stage and shook the old man's hand, accepting the engraved plaque.

"Say a few words, Tyson," Mr. Dickinson said graciously, stepping away from the mic before he could refuse. Tyson laughed timidly.

"Err… well, I had no clue about any of this, so I didn't prepare a speech, or anything," he stammered. "Uh… I'd like to thank Mr. Dickinson and the BBA for this award. I'll cherish it forever. It's such a great reminder of all the wonderful memories I've been able to make while I was beyblading and competing." He paused, an idea forming in his head.

"One person I'd like to specially thank is Kai Hiwatari, former captain of the Blade Breakers." He caught Kai's magenta orbs and held them, a bit surprised that Kai didn't give him a frosted glare. "I've never met anyone like him and I have to say I'm eternally grateful to Mr. D for making him the captain of the team in the first place. At first, I wasn't sure whether I liked him and all—I mean, he did practically ruin my thirteenth birthday!—but it didn't take me long to discover how much he intrigued me. Everything you saw me do in the beystadium, he taught me. He was an ideal leader and a brilliant teacher." Tyson shifted and looked down. "Life hasn't treated him well a lot of the time, but I've never met anyone more determined than Kai. I'm proud to say that he's extremely important to me and I would be completely lost without him. He's affected me in more ways than I can say."

Kai lowered his eyes, his feathery bangs sweeping down to cover the blush rising in his cheeks. Damn him. He knows I'm mad at him and then he goes and does this!

"I'd also like to say in front of everyone that I trust Kai more than anyone else," Tyson declared, seeing Kai averting his eyes. "He has a habit of arriving at the last possible minute, but he always comes through and stays true to his word. Always."

Max poked Kai. "You should go up and there and say a few words, too!" he whispered loudly. Kai could have strangled him as he heard a few people murmur in agreement. Tyson smiled.

"We'd all be honored, Kai," he said kindly. Kai looked at him for a moment before standing and walking to the stage. He went and stood beside Tyson, who touched his hand behind the podium.

"Tyson wasn't a model student," Kai began. Tyson grinned nervously as he went on. "He tried my patience in every way imaginable, talked incessantly, and over dramatized almost everything. But… in spite of all that, I believe that he deserves this award. I taught him about the sport, but he taught me about life. He showed me how to enjoy living and how to love others. He taught me that when you fail, it's not the end of the world." Kai looked at Tyson briefly, who was listening attentively.

"He gave my own life a deeper meaning. He's loyal, he's caring, and you'd have to search hard to find a better friend than he is. Underneath all the layers of his irritating behavior, there's a fine young man full of life and character, and I'm honored that he's kept me as a friend for this long. Even when you don't deserve it, he'll do the right thing." Kai stepped back as the audience applauded his flattering, but weird, speech. He brushed past Tyson and left the stage.

"Thank you all!" Tyson said hastily before leaving the stage as well. People around the room began to stand, going back to their conversations, and Tyson looked around and spotted Kai, who had been stopped by the green-haired Oliver. The French boy seemed to be congratulating him and Tyson made a beeline for the two and grabbed Kai's arm.

"Excuse us for a moment," he said sweetly before dragging Kai away to a deserted hallway. Kai yanked his arm away in indignation.

"Tyson, you—"

Tyson threw his arms around Kai's neck without any warning at all, nearly causing Kai to stumble backwards. He squeezed him tightly, nestling his face affectionately into Kai's hair. All was silent between them and after a long pause, Tyson felt Kai gently embrace his waist.

"I'm sorry, Kai. I hurt you, I know… and even after you said I'd never hurt you before. I feel rotten."

Kai didn't answer and Tyson wondered if he was still mad at him. He lifted his head a little and looked at him anxiously. "Kai?" he asked, his voice quivering slightly. Kai's expression changed to surprise and he pulled Tyson back, looking into his eyes.

"You're not crying, are you?" he asked, concerned. Tyson blinked.

"I dunno… I feel bad enough to. Do you hate me?"

Kai sighed, running his fingers through Tyson's bangs. "Of course not."

"I'm really sorry, Kai. Honest!" He buried his face into Kai's shoulder and went on, his voice muffled. "When I get jealous of Rei, it's not because I don't trust you. It's because I'm so possessive of you… I don't want to share you with anyone."

"You don't have to, Tyson. You've already got all of me," Kai pointed out. "Listen, Rei's just a friend, and as a friend, I'm worried about him. That's all. I'd do the same thing for Wyatt or Max."

"I know you would. They're all really lucky to have a friend like you," Tyson said, raising his head modestly. "I've been acting crazy."

"You're always crazy."

Tyson ignored that. "You're not a failure, Kai. I know how much you care. Forgive me?"

"Yeah…" Kai gazed at him tenderly, and Tyson leaned in and kissed him, then gave him a short hug. They could hear the low hum of people conversing and suddenly Tyson didn't really care to go back. He sought out Kai's lips again and heard him let out an appreciative moan as he wrapped his arms around his neck. Kai clasped his fingers behind Tyson's back.

"People will want to congratulate you," Kai murmured. "They'll be wondering where you are, Tyson."

"Let them wonder," he answered, remembering that Kai had said the same thing to him less than an hour ago. He couldn't have cared less if he had won the Nobel Peace Prize; Kai was the only thing on his mind at the moment, and he desperately wanted more. Kai must have sensed his urgency because he tried to pry him off.

"Don't get carried away," Kai warned. Tyson mumbled something and grasped Kai's wrists.

"Stop pushing me."

"Let go!"

"Jeez, Kai, would you just calm down?" Tyson pushed him back against a wall, giving him a long kiss. Kai went still for a moment as he returned the gesture but before long, he turned his head, forcing Tyson to break it off.

"Ty—" his words died in his mouth as he felt Tyson press his body against his lovingly, his fingers stroking Kai's jawbone. Tyson let out a short giggle.

"So, this is what it takes for you to shut up?" he asked impishly. Kai closed his eyes and then squeezed them shut when Tyson moved languorously, a shiver running through his body. Tyson smiled, his hand moving up to brush Kai's bangs away.

"Tyson… cut it out, dammit," Kai breathed, irritated. "We can't do… anything… here."

"Who says?" Tyson's fingers went to Kai's throat and yanked his tie loose, undoing the first two buttons on his shirt before Kai could protest. Kai grabbed his hand, mortified.

"Tyson! St—" He was once again cut off as Tyson's lips connected with his own, and the hallway fell silent. Kai's arms gently snaked around Tyson's waist while Tyson hugged his neck warmly, perfectly content to stand there and indulge in his soft lips for all of eternity. The only thing that ruined the moment was the sound of footsteps coming their way. Kai pushed Tyson backwards and brought a hand to his mouth just as Max appeared.

"What are you guys doing out here? Tyson, everyone wants to see you," Max announced. He paused as he took in the slight flush in Kai's cheeks and raised his eyebrows at his halfway undone shirt. A smile blossomed on his face as realization dawned on him. "Oh… I see."

"See what?" Kai snapped irately, fixing his collar.

"Tyson, you dog!" Max laughed, turning to his friend. "Can't you two spend one evening apart?"

"Well," Tyson said with a wink, nudging Max in the elbows. "If you were dating Kai, you'd know how hard it is to keep your hands off." The two burst into adolescent giggles, much to Kai's chagrin, who rolled his eyes in annoyance. He straightened his shirt and walked past the pair.

"Hey, where're you going?" Tyson asked, tagging along.

"You both are going back to the party," Max put in firmly, steering them toward the crowd. Kai went resignedly and former members of some old teams almost immediately stopped Tyson to congratulate him. Kai strayed from the excited jabber and went to the refreshment table again, absently pouring himself a glass of punch. He checked his watch; it was nearing eleven, and he noticed that they had begun serving stronger drinks. Kai himself rarely drank at all. He only did when he was extremely upset and even Rei's dumping him hadn't been enough to drive him to the nearest bar. He was also well aware of the fact that he didn't hold his alcohol with much grace.

Tyson came over with a dopey grin on his face. "I'd forgotten how nice it was to be recognized as the world champ," he said. "These people won't leave me alone!"

"You deserve it," Kai said with a thin smile, amusement lacing his voice. He handed Tyson a drink and sipped his own quietly as someone tapped Tyson's shoulder and engaged him in a conversation. Kai wasn't in the slightest jealous of the attention he was getting; in fact, he was thankful nobody was pestering him and trying to poke their noses into his business.

"Hey, excuse me," a male voice said with a hint of interest. Kai looked over and found a man nursing an amber drink, young, but still about ten years older than him. He gave him a slightly engrossed gaze.

"Yes?"

"You're Kai, aren't you?" The man smiled, seemingly friendly enough. He shifted and Kai caught a strong whiff of alcohol on his breath.

"Uh-huh."

"You wanna chat?" Before Kai could supply an answer, the man went on. "You came here with Tyson, didn't you?"

"Not that it's any of your business, yeah, I did," Kai retorted. The man seemed unfazed as he settled his gaze on Tyson, who was busy laughing and waving his arms around animatedly a few feet away. Kai followed his stare and narrowed his eyes coldly. The man grinned.

"Now, there's a winner," he said. "He's got such a boyish look that's so fresh and genuine. Maybe he should consider a career in modeling."

"I'll let him know." Kai frowned, not appreciating the looks he was giving Tyson. The man turned and seemed to remember him for the first time.

"Now, you, on the other hand," he said with a calculating smile. "No sirree, no boyishness here. You've got more of an intense look. Very hot."

Kai stared at him. "Are you with a magazine?"

"Nah." He took a drink from his glass and grinned at him messily. Distaste turned down the corners of Kai's mouth slightly. Drunken fool.

"If you'll excuse me," Kai said, forcing himself to be polite. "I'll just be going, now."

"Wait."

Kai rolled his eyes. "What?" he growled, not bothering to hide his irritation. The man grinned again and raised his eyebrows.

"You're good-looking," he said softly. Not sure how to answer, Kai shifted his weight and glared. He went on, his words a little slurred. "How would you like a little… oh, I don't know… company tonight?"

Kai opened his mouth and then shut it again, too dumbstruck to bring up a coherent thought. He glanced at Tyson, who still had his back turned, and then looked at the man with a venomous light in his eyes. "Just what do you take me for?"

"I'm just offering you a chance to service me," he said with a careless wave of his hand. His eyes looked dull and intoxicated, and Kai felt a surge of rage against him.

"You bastard," he hissed, making sure to keep his voice down. "You have no idea what a mistake you just made!" He just asked me to have sex with him… the despicable lecher!

"No reason to get all sensitive about it."

"You just called me a damned whore!"

"Will you or won't you?" he asked impatiently, the scent of his drink wafting from him. Kai found him too much to bear for even a moment longer. Deep down, the whole episode brought up painful memories, but at that moment he was too caught up in his fury to be upset. Without giving it a second thought, his fist connected with the man's jaw. There was a small commotion from the people around him as the man sprawled out on the ground a foot away from the refreshment table. Tyson whirled around and gaped before grasping Kai's arm.

"What did you do?"

"You didn't hear what he said!" Kai snatched his arm away angrily. Max knelt beside the man, who was moaning in pain.

"Mister, are you all right?"

"Ugh… my head…"

"He's drunk,"Kai declared sordidly. Tyson frowned fiercely, not quite understanding.

"Jeez, Kai… I turn around for five minutes, and—"

"Tyson, shut up."

"He's gonna be fine, if that's what you guys are wondering," Max said uncertainly, looking up at the small group of people who had gathered around. "A bruise is the worst case scenario."

Kai let out an angry sigh and turned his gaze away. He spotted Rei on the other side of the room standing with Mariah. He'd obviously seen the whole thing. His amber eyes locked onto Kai's for a moment, giving him an indecipherable look before turning back to the pink-haired girl. Kai felt Tyson tugging on the cuff of his shirt.

"Kai… what on earth possessed you to hit that guy?" he asked insistently.

"You act like I'm the one at fault," Kai accused with frustration.

"Well, you did knock him flat," Tyson pointed out. Kai shook his head and stalked off in a huff, pushing the large glass doors open and disappearing. Tyson bit his lip and mumbled an apology to anyone who happened to be listening before running out into the night after him. He skidded to a stop and glanced around, letting out a small sigh when he saw Kai seated on the ledge of a large decorative fountain some yards away. There was a pretty statue of an angel with a flow of water coming from its trumpet in the fountain. He paused and approached slowly.

"Hey. I'm sure you had a good reason for what you did," he said, stopping in front of him and slipping his hands into his pockets. Kai gave him a glare.

"It's not as if I go around hitting people all the time. Of course I did."

"You're right. I'm sorry." Tyson paused. "Isn't that like, the second time I've apologized to you today?"

"I think so. Yeah." Kai didn't sound angry. Tyson sat down next to him, lacing his fingers together and leaning his elbows on his knees. For awhile, the sound of the water gently flowing in the fountain behind them was the only noise between them. Kai finally looked at Tyson.

"That guy… he asked me to have sex with him."

"What?!" Tyson's head shot up. "Are you serious?"

Kai nodded mildly, gazing out into the inky blackness of the night. Tyson looked dumbfounded.

"Is that… that's why you hit him, right? Damn, I wouldn't have stopped there. What a… a… argh!" Tyson shook his head. "I can't even think of a word to describe him! Where does he get off disrespecting you like that? He has no idea what you've been through! I ought to give him a piece of my mind."

"But that's just it—he doesn't have a clue about me. Maybe I shouldn't have hit him…"

"Damn straight you shouldn't have hit him. You should've thrown the punch bowl in his face and then hit him. The nerve of some people!"

"Calm down, Tyson," Kai said patiently. "It's okay, I was just surprised."

"But…" Tyson looked at him, troubled. "He shouldn't have said that. It's just plain wrong."

"I know." Kai closed his eyes briefly. "Just promise you won't go in there and start something, okay?"

Tyson grumbled under his breath. "Yeah… okay, fine. I promise."

Silence lapsed once more, this time a comfortable one. Tyson found it hard to stay mad when Kai wasn't, so he pushed the whole incident to the back of his mind and reached out, taking Kai's hand and squeezing his fingers around it. Kai studied their locked hands in the pale moonlight for a moment before looking up, his expression unreadable.

"Tyson…"

"Hm?"

Kai paused. "I think I love you."

"You think?" Tyson asked, anxious and delighted at the same time.

"Don't get me wrong. I just don't want to rush into saying it. It's a really big step. I was going to tell you tomorrow on your birthday… but looking at you now, I realized that I didn't want you to go another minute without knowing."

"So, you only think that you love me?"

"Cut it out."

Tyson beamed and hugged Kai's arm happily. "I'm just kidding. I think I've already told you that I love you a couple times."

"Did you mean it?" Kai inquired delicately. Tyson watched the moonlight create shadows on his face, his magenta eyes completely questioning and bare. He swallowed at the utter trust Kai held in him.

"Of course I meant it," he said in a gentle voice. "Every single time."

"This is the real thing, isn't it?" Kai said softly, lifting a hand and trailing his fingers down the side of Tyson's face. "Is this really how it feels to love… and to be loved?"

"I've never been in love before, so I guess I can't honestly say I know what I'm doing, but I can't deny the fact that you've become my entire universe, Kai," Tyson admitted with a smile. "Maybe when life without you seems like a nightmare… maybe that's when you realize that you've fallen in love."

"If that's the case, then I fell in love with you a long time ago." Kai gave him a sideways look while Tyson raised his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… you've always been around. The thought that you would ever leave never crossed my mind, not even once. Maybe the world wouldn't have seemed like a nightmare back then if you were gone, but somewhere along the way, you managed to get under my skin. I couldn't imagine what it would be like without you. What I would have been like if I'd never met you." Kai paused. "Even when I was with Rei… I don't know. I knew that you'd… be there. Does that make sense?"

"Like music to my ears."

Kai smiled lightly. "I never thought that things would end up this way, but really, it all makes perfect sense. At least, to me it does. Me, ending up with you… it just fits."

"I guess this is it, then. Even though I still think that I knew that I loved you a long time ago, Kai Hiwatari, you've officially become my first love." Tyson's eyes twinkled in the pale light and Kai let out a sigh of sheer bliss.

Even after all this time, I'm still amazed at how he can want me. Kai's eyes slid shut as Tyson pressed his lips against his, his hand resting lightly on Kai's arm. When they broke apart, Kai linked his arms around Tyson's neck and kissed him on the cheek before burying his face into his shoulder.

"I love you, Tyson," Kai said in a slightly muffled voice, testing out the new words. Tyson pulled him into a crushing hold, giving him an affectionate squeeze.

"And I love you, Kai. I really do."

Kai liked the content feeling that came over him after he said that. He absently traced circles with a finger on Tyson's back, neither making any move out of the embrace. "It's late. Do you want to leave?"

"We could. I'm pretty comfortable right here, though." Tyson could feel Kai's hair tickling his neck.

"I am, too, but anyone could just walk out and see us."

"So? Let them know we're together," Tyson said flippantly. Kai stifled a grin.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Let's just say I'm really proud to be with you. I like showing you off!"

"What the hell?" Kai lifted his head and gave him a disbelieving look. "You like showing me off?"

"Not in a bad way, or anything…"

"I don't think there is a good way to show off your lover," he pointed out with a frown. "I'm not something to be displayed, you idiot."

"I know! It's just—ack!" Tyson let out a yelp as Kai gave him a light shove, successfully landing him in the fountain with a splash. Kai hopped up as not to get himself wet, giving him a serves-you-right look. Tyson fell directly underneath the flow of water and was drenched in seconds.

"Kai! I'm soaking wet!" Tyson sputtered, sitting up and pushing his bangs back.

"I'm sorry," he said unconvincingly. Tyson pulled himself out and spit water from his mouth.

"Jeez! Drastic much?" he muttered whilst squeezing water from his hair. Kai sat back down next to him, amusement painted on his face.

"Okay, maybe that was a little severe," Kai admitted, reaching out and flicking some moisture from Tyson's cheek.

"A little? I can't even go back inside, now!" Tyson wrung his hands out and shook his head. "Oh, well, it's not like we were planning to go back anyway. I might as well make the best of his moment…"

"Oh? And how's that?" Kai inquired calmly. Tyson reached into the fountain and splashed a good amount of water on Kai before he could react. Kai jumped up, but Tyson grabbed his wrist.

"Have you ever made out under water?" he asked slyly.

"No, and I don't plan to!"

"Plans change!" Tyson pulled him forward and Kai made an astonished noise when they both landed in the water, Kai practically on top. Kai was about to yell at him when he saw the water flowing from the trumpet land on Tyson's face, and laughed instead.

"You're completely drenched," he pointed out blithely.

"You are, too!" Tyson exclaimed after escaping the spray, all too aware of Kai's wet body pressed against his. Kai blinked, droplets falling from his eyelashes like tears. He lowered his head slightly and kissed him, bringing back memories of their first kiss in the rain. When he looked at Tyson again, it seemed as if he were thinking the same thing.

"We've come a long way, huh?" he said softly, lifting his hand and tracing Kai's damp facial features with a finger. Kai gazed at him, then nodded. He pushed himself up and helped Tyson to his feet.

"I can't believe you just pushed me in there," he commented mildly. "If it were anyone else… well, just be glad it was you."

Tyson laughed and threw his arms around Kai's neck, who hugged him around the waist. "I'm gonna remember this forever. I pushed you into a fountain and lived to tell the tale. And you're not even mad!"

"I'm not," Kai admitted, sticking his nose into Tyson's hair in a fond gesture. "We're just both really… really wet."

"You're sexy when you're soaked." Tyson grinned as Kai rolled his eyes. "It's true! Have you ever looked at yourself when your hair is all wet and you have water dripping from your face and—"

"No," Kai said, cutting him off. "I haven't."

"You should try it sometime because I really like what I see."

"You're stupid." Kai nibbled on his earlobe and Tyson melted. The inside of the hotel was brimming with light and the buzz of conversation drifted outside, giving them both a detached feel. Standing there under the stars, drenched, and holding a very wet Tyson in his arms, Kai realized he'd never been more content in his life. Biovolt, Cleft, Boris, and Voltaire were slowly becoming distant memories. He owed his life—his sanity—to the one person who he could honestly say had stuck beside him for years, even when hadn't realized it.

So this is what it feels like to be in love.

Tyson tightened his grip around Kai's neck and gave him an adoring smile before gently resting his head on his shoulder. Kai closed his eyes and simultaneously, a clock struck twelve. He smiled and nudged Tyson's head with his chin, listening to the regal-sounding chimes.

"Happy birthday," he said softly.

"Thanks, Kai." He lifted his head and gazed at him with half-lidded eyes. "I've never been happier on my birthday before than right now."

"I'm glad," Kai said, his breath tickling Tyson's cheek. Their lips brushed softly, twice, then Tyson kissed him more firmly, his hand gently thrust into Kai's damp hair, holding the back of his head.

The bell on the door jangled softly as someone came outside, but went unnoticed by the pair. Rei stopped short upon seeing his old friend and his old lover engaged in a romantic gesture, and wondered mildly why they were wet. He followed the damp spots on the ground leading to the fountain with his eyes and let out a small sigh of realization, a faint smile playing around his lips. The smile faded as he watched them, his eyes unreadable, and after a moment he wordlessly turned and left.

Kai broke off the kiss suddenly, turning his head around to squint in the darkness. He had heard footsteps, but when he looked, there was no one there. Tyson whined a little, bringing Kai's attention back to him.

"What's wrong?" Tyson asked impatiently. Kai paused and shook his head.

"Nothing," he said, closing his eyes and continuing where they had left off. The feel of Tyson's lips and the warmth of his body overpowered his senses until nothing else existed, and he didn't mind at all. If having Tyson meant losing the rest of the world, then to hell with it. He was keeping him.

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To Be Continued

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Okay, enough with the fluff. Next chapter, we're getting back to the angst. Because I like angst. :D Oh yeah, and for some reason, this chapter is the longest one I've written for this fic. Thank you for reading this far! Please review and tell me what you thought, mkays? Thanks.