June
By Timberwolf220
-Walk…in the rain-
-In the rain…in the rain-
-I'll walk in the rain…in the rain-
-Is it right…or is it wrong?-
-Or is it here I belong?-
—"Rain" by Steve Conte, "Cowboy Bebop"
A/N: A nice song, though I prefer the demo version…this story has about…three chapters to conclude itself? Now the final plot element should be revealed.
Still hopelessly Saiyuki-hooked with Get Backers as well! I'm doomed…
-XX-
It was so goddamn noisy!
Kai opened his curtains to see a grey sky stretched out as far as the eye can see. Metallic clouds covered every inch of a normally blue sky. It looked like a thousand tiny needles were falling from the endless sky, swallowing up the air around.
"Like cats and dogs," Kai grumbled as he pulled the curtains close and looked away. He found himself staring at his room in contemplation. His whole past ever since the accident felt like a blur, a stain of his memory. He couldn't quite wipe it clean, so he ignores it. Everyone ignores their past, no matter how close it is to you. It is a normal human reaction unfortunately to most.
Except some people disregard the bonds of the past and look forward. People like Tyson, Kai grumbled as he sat down on his bed; that make him look like a coward. But then, in Tyson's presence, who didn't look like a coward? Who could stand and say, "I'm proud of the way I live," in the overwhelming strength of Tyson's brutal honesty.
As the rain falls, the truth falls just as hardly, pounding the ground with its pinpricks. Thunderous in its joint harmony; joyous in its beaten glory. The rain is brutal, is kind, is gentle and is inexplicably harsh in its power.
Kai remembered vaguely that his parents would take him out in the rain. Voltaire was not able to tear every fragment of Kai's past from his delusional mind. But what fragments lingered, they lie in a language Kai has forgotten how to read.
the rain was shrieking in his eyes and he huddled deeper in his raincoat. his mother looked amused by his expression of fear . she was shielded by a large blue umbrella and she was smiling. she liked smiling and she nudged him forward, "Now Kai, don't you want to play in the rain?"
he shook his head vigorously and looked at her meekly.
"It isn't that scary Kai," his mother dropped the umbrella and he saw engulfed by silver and blue droplets of water. he cried out in horror, but saw that his mother was smiling. she lifted her hands as if in prayer to the sky. she was laughing and it mingled with the harsh bellow of thunder, "Come on Kai!"
so, so very slowly Kai took his hands from his pockets and watched in amazement how the rain seemed to lick his hand like a dog would. he began to smile and his mother laughed, her eyes twinkling, "Isn't it beautiful? Ne, Kai?"
Kai's eyes snapped open and he gasped involuntarily. He clutched his shirt and tightened his hold on Dranzer which was in his pocket. He blinked and on a whim, got up and opened the curtains once more. His eyes dulled slightly at the rain continuing to growl and break on the ground.
"Isn't it beautiful? Ne, Kai?"
Kai didn't remember replying or perhaps Voltaire had that memory stolen from him. Whether it was simply a reminder of happier or whether he needed to remember, that memory were one of the last ones he ever had of his parents. The other one…was of their death. It was raining that day as well.
"Don't you want to play in the rain?"
No, Kai found himself answering to the unbidden voice of his mother, never again will I play in the rain. If I did, I would remember how the tires skidded, how they squealed and shuddered, how the glass shattered, how the rain poured in like needles into my skin.
I would remember and remind myself of my grief in September, but not now, he thought, not yet.
There was a knock on the door and Kai jumped. Regaining his senses, he stared at the door in disbelief and frowned.
"Who would come out in this weather?" He muttered in disbelief as he pulled on his robe and wore his slippers. He opened the door slightly and then opened it fully to see a partially soaked Tyson holding out two green umbrellas and smiling as if it was shining brightly outside and he had just won a world championship for the fifteenth time.
Kai ogled at the site and blinked at Tyson several times, opening and closing his mouth in disbelief. Tyson continued to grin (and also, Kai noticed, ignored his gaping disbelief).
"Ummm…Tyson, what are you doing here?" Kai finally asked once he had gotten his bearings.
"To take you out to play in the rain!" Tyson chimed as if he was performing his Good Kai Samaritan deed for the month. For those lost, a Good Kai Samaritan deed was helping Kai or torturing Kai. Max made it up once when Kenny wondered if Kai was emotionally retarded. Max received double training and Kenny couldn't find Dizzi for a week. She was in Kai's closet.
"Don't you want to play in the rain?"
Kai snapped and he resisted the urge to throw back a sarcastic reply.
"I don't like the rain," He said in a monotone and looked the other way. He didn't want to face up to Tyson's disappointment. But he couldn't go out, not there, not when...
"Are you scared?"
Kai jolted out of his reverie and stared at Tyson with disbelieving eyes. Tyson had his head bent down so his bangs could shadow his eyes and his fists were clenched tightly. He closed his eyes and looked away, "I'm not scared of anything. You know that Tyson."
"That I do," And it was Tyson who looked up and met his gaze with an even logical stare. A few years back, Kai would have dismissed Tyson ever being the least bit smart, but then opportunity rose to the challenge and Kai had to retract that statement. Because...because, he had been the foolish one.
"Won't you come out Kai?" And it was Tyson smiling as if nothing was wrong with the world; as if Kai's very words had flown over his head. Like little pigeons, Kai felt like adding, "Don't you trust me?"
Kai froze and stared at Tyson. Tyson's eyes seemed unreadable and for once, Kai wanted to pull out a dictionary and see what goes on behind the blader's head. Kai felt his whole body still and there was no sound but the pounding of the rain in his ears, the deafening torrent that stole breath away. Kai smirked and took the umbrella from Tyson's hand. He didn't see Tyson's grin, but he knew it was there nevertheless.
This had to be one of the heaviest downpours he had ever seen. Even the trees have bent over the oppressive force of the rain. On a whim, Kai held out his hand and immediately drew it back and glanced wearily at Tyson. Tyson didn't seem to notice as he jumped in the puddles and laughed. The laughter seemed to mingle with the symphony of the rain and it didn't sound quite as bad as Kai had thought.
"Kai! Come in the rain!"
Kai shuddered visibly and decided to answer, "You got me out, but you have to do more than that to get me in this," And nothing could disguise his loathing for the rain, "weather."
"Oh really?" And before Kai could comprehend what was going on, Tyson had hopped over towards him and kissed him fully on the lips.
Wet. Tyson's lips were moist and his damp cheeks tingled when they touched Kai's face. Tyson was flushed (from playing in those puddles of mud, Kai noted unhappily) and his eyes seemed to glisten with an unknown shine. It was like all those deadly needles falling from the sky were reflected in his eyes, like glittering shards from a mirror.
At times like this, Kai always noticed how Tyson glowed. As if God poured too much life into one person. Or put too little restraint.
When they pulled away, they were both a little out of breath. Tyson's chest heaved, but he was smiling. It was a smile Kai hadn't seen in a long time. It was the wide grin that always threatens to tear your face, but on Tyson, it was right. It fits, Kai thought, like a glove.
Tyson blushed slightly as he tugged Kai's sleeve, "Aren't you going to go out in the rain Kai?"
"I'll catch a cold," Kai stated and watched as Tyson pouted.
something is wrong here…
"Don't make me force you," Tyson said childishly, putting his hands on his hips like a disgruntled housewife. Kai nearly choked as an image of Tyson in an apron took over his mental vision. Tyson stared curiously as Kai tried to focus. Then it struck him.
tyson was acting like…tyson…
Tyson smiled (one of those small soft smiles that make Kai all weak inside, but also make him wonder where that smile came from) and dropped his umbrella. Kai watched enraptured by how Tyson's body was enveloped by the rain. How the silver droplets trickled down his neck and grazed his Adam's apple. How his hair clung to his neck and made him look thinner and gaunt-looking.
It took a minute for Kai to realize Tyson actually did look thinner. Tyson raised his hand slightly and stared at it in contemplation. Kai tried to recall when Tyson changed. When did he become so…
…what happened to him? Is he lost?
Tyson smiled slightly and turned to look at Kai. Kai couldn't tear his eyes away from the site. Tyson was soaked to the bone and he was smiling and Kai couldn't believe anything was quite as beautiful as Tyson in that moment.
"Come Kai. Come with me."
And Kai's umbrella dropped to the ground and the less was lost over the downpour that engulfed the two melded bodies.
XX-
It was like he woke up from a very good sleep, Kai decided. He trudged up his stairs, sneezing slightly and muttering to himself, "I knew I'd get a cold."
But it was worth it, Kai thought, and a smirk was playing on his lips. It was refreshing and it was fulfilling. It felt like freedom, and Kai felt his wings had just brushed against the tip of the sky.
Hands briefly touch before flying all over…
Kai paused on his way to his condo as he fiddled in his drenched jeans for the keys. Hearing them jingle, Kai continued his ascent to his floor. But as he reached his door to his flat, he paused, his auburn eyes narrowing dangerously.
"What are you doing here…Rei?"
Rei looked at him impassively. His eyes were cold, not like the horrendous rain that smothered him and Tyson, "We need to talk."
-XX-
A/N: Ahem.
…
Sorry for the extremely long delay, but I had to shift laptops and I didn't have Microsoft Word. I went through traumatic withdrawal symptoms. And I can't look at Goku without wanting to cry. His life is so very sad.
I feel the Saiyuki-crazed urge. Hopefully, the next update won't take too long.
-Let the rain come-
-And wash away those sins-
-That you were born with-
—Author's Observations
luvyagal: Yes, I did wonder whether I should have gone into depth about Rei's reaction, but I decided to leave it alone.
Yukiko-Angel: No, it's not the ending. All the months of the year and then…
JadesRose: I'm writing, don't worry. But yes, there is a deeper plot that I've integrated into this little experiment of mine. A simple plot it is. Oh, by the way, the ending is not yet set.
xXxAngel xVxXx: I thought so too. I wanted some happy moments in this story…
Yami FireKali: I'm sure you'll pull through. I'm still keeping tabs on Endure! Catch you online!
Omnimalevonlent: I hope I spelled your name correctly…(sweatdrops) As for Kai being mushy, I always believed Kai had a feminist side he never showed. Don't you think so?
Mikin Ishida: I hope I can still keep Kai in character. He's a hard character to maintain. To make him gruff and cold and yet warm enough on the inside is tough!
Tsubasa no Kisei: Kai is slowly coming in terms with his relationship with Tyson. Isn't it great? Now, if he only did that in the show…
Shinobi KazeKage: That was very insightful and I think that was the main idea I've tried to keep with this fic. The idea that time is precious, but the change that comes along with the passing of time is even more valuable.
Serena429: So that's why you didn't review. I was wondering about that, since you always reviewed on time.
Dark-She-Deivl: Speechless? Truly? I'm touched.
XZanayu: Thank you. I hope you would like this one as well.
Yazzy: Is that right? I'll keep that in mind. Never though of that one before.
Dead Cat: If you're trying, I won't complain. Just update soon so I can find out what happens to Kai and Tyson and Tala in "Phantom"!
Plushie Heartless: Arashi and Jaici are good friends of mine here on If you think my stories are angsty, then read theirs. Trust me, their stories make you want to weep.
Hiyami: To be truthful, I haven't decided yet. I'm not sure what the ending will be. Nothing is quite fixed. After all, the future has yet to be written.
Lady Kirei: I think I will. This story was a big success, much to my shock. I might write more stories like these.