Title: Boys Days In or Out?

Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine

Rating: PG-13

Summary: see chapter one

Warnings: see chapter one

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any other character. Any and all unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be touched. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the sole intention to entertain.

A/N: Kawai chapter! I know I love it.

The bath had indeed improved his mood. Stepping out of the large tub, he wrapped a towel around his waist and stood before the mirror, studying his reflection. The cold was telling as he could make out dark circles under his eyes, plus his skin looked somewhat paler than usual.

"Pathetic," he spat, angrily grabbing another towel and began to rub his hair dry. "Purely pathetic."

"You're not going into your whole 'human-traits-are-weak' thing again, are you?" Ata asked, entering the bathroom without knocking.

"When are you going to learn that closed doors are closed for a specific reason?" Kai countered, still intent on his hair.

"What? Got something to hide from me?" was the mockingly innocent reply.

He didn't have the strength to begin their usual sparring match. Instead he was eyeing the object Ata was tapping in his palm.

"What's that?"

"A thermometer, Einstein. I need to check your temperature."

"I don't want to."

"Oh, that settles it," Ata snorted, checking the mercury. "Now stop your yapping and hold this under your tongue for ten minutes."

"No." When was the last time he had behaved like this? Oh yeah, when he was seven. Natasia had actually given him a good spanking for that.

Ata looked about ready to bend him over his knees as well, hands once more on his hips. Honestly, the redhead had adopted so many traits from Natasia that Kai had a difficult time trying to figure out which redhead was prompt to do what. A very scary thing, if he did say so himself.

"Okay, this can go two ways," Ata said, resorting to the old 'take-it-or-leave-it' technique. "Either you be a man, swallow your pride and put this in your mouth, or I'll be forced to check your temperature the other way."

Oi.

"Since you put it so nicely," he grumbled, snatching the device from the redhead's hand and placing it in his mouth as he exited.

"And put on some clothes; you're sick as it is," Ata said, referring to his undressed state. "Honestly, I shudder to think how you take care of yourself when I'm not around."

"Considering that you are usually the source of all my ailments I do just fine," he replied, sorting through his closet and removed a loose pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

"Considering that I am usually the cure to all your ailments I beg to differ," Ata threw back with a smirk, coming to stand beside him. As he spoke he took the chosen clothing articles from the bluenette's hands, picking out a thick sweater and long pajama pants. "And, considering your usual grateful nature, it's a wonder I even bother."

Stopping to take a deep breath, Kai rubbed his eyes, mumbling around the thermometer.

"Ata…I'm sorry."

"Forgiveness is for the weak," he pointed out with a smirk, laughing when a pair of socks was thrown at him in response. "I left the soup cooking. Be right back, and keep that firmly under your tongue," he added, lifting the thermometer which Kai had been idly dangling from his lips.

"Yes, mother."

Ata merely snickered but left; a bad sign since it meant the redhead was going to get back at him later for that one. Maybe he shouldn't drink that soup…

Pulling on the thick material, and admitting to himself that they felt much better than a simple tee and shorts, he continued drying his hair as he made his way towards his bed. Sitting on the edge, he was finally satisfied and flung the towel in the direction of his cupboard. It made it halfway before landing on the floor. Oh well.

Despite what his future team mates would think, Kai wasn't a very tidy person when it came right down to it. Important matters like documents and business he kept in order but personally, especially when he wasn't feeling up to it, he could transform his entire room into a clothing graveyard.

Shaking the image of a spooky, mist-covered terrain with ghost shirts floating about while socks scuttled amidst shoe-like tombstones, which were guarded by a grim reaper that looked eerily like Natasia, Kai wondered the potency of those painkillers as he stretched out on the soft mattress.

"What are the side-effect of the aspirins on the second shelf in the kitchen cupboard?" he asked as the door opened, admitting Ata who carried a large tray.

"Nausea, upset stomach, dizziness, drowsiness, insomnia, hallucination, sore throat, diarrhea, cancer, loss of hearing, insufficient testosterone production, shrinkage of male reproductive organs; hell if I know," the redhead said, placing the full tray on the nightstand.

"Speaking from experience?" Kai smirked.

"Laugh all you want, but if you wake up tomorrow morning and your balls are missing do not expect me to donate mine."

He couldn't help but laugh at that, dropping his head back onto his pillow to stare up at the ceiling above him. Was there a chance that he'd get so bored that he'd start searching for patterns?

"Oh, add growth stunt to the list. Like Ian," Ata said, snapping his finger as if he had just remembered that crucial piece of evidence.

Nah…

The mattress dipped as Ata leaned over, removing the thermometer and holding it up to the light.

"39. Not counting the heat given off by the chip that is still rather high."

"What are you going to do about it?" Kai asked in mock-challenge, eyes closed as he lay there. He hadn't done this, just lying down, for a long time. He had forgotten how relaxing it could be.

"I'm going to confuse the hell out of your system by overdosing you in the hopes that eventually the medicines will cancel out each others side-effects, leaving you with only your original pains."

"Gee, you should become a doctor."

Pulling the bluenette into a sitting position, Ata pinched him but handed him the first of what turned out to be many different tablets, syrups and inhalers. Each tasted worse than the last and by the time he had reached the final tablespoon of cough medicine he was beginning to feel queasy. Damn, these side-effects kicked in long before the remedies did!

"Here." Ata placed a smaller tray on his lap. A deep bowl contained a clear liquid with pieces of…things floating in it.

"Chicken soup?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Debating whether or not Ata may have done something to it which the health federation would have no doubt banned, he finally took a sip. When nothing happened he continued to drink it, not really tasting anything but grateful as it settled in his stomach.

"So where were you earlier?" he asked the redhead who was reading one of the labels.

"Hanging around the mall," was the vague reply before clarification was granted. "Met up with an interesting pair of girls."

"Since when do girls interest you?"

"Since one of them happened to be Tiffany McSnobbe."

Kai almost choked on his mouthful. Ata patted him on the back, eyes still intent on the syrup bottle though a wolfish grin was on his face.

"Please tell me you are joking," Kai gasped, clearing his throat.

"Even I'm not that heartless. Good lords, Kai, how did you ever find the will to go on after being introduced to your fiancée?"

"Cruel fate," he answered, playing with a stray noodle as it floated about in the bowl.

"But that maid of hers…"

"Claudette?"

"Exactly. There's something about her. She is more than she lets on."

"I know what you mean," he agreed.

During their second meeting, he had been unable to even greet the maid during their first meeting as Tiffany had been all over him like a rash, he had felt a strange vibe when around the soft-spoken maid. Something about her, mainly her eyes, belied the mild manners and polite bearings. It was something he kept an eye one whenever he could which, considering what an eyesore Tiffany could be, was not all too often.

Finishing the bowl, still not sure whether or not anything had been added at the courtesy of Ata's revenge, he placed it back on the tray and turned to the redhead who was still reading. He knew what the other teen was doing, or rather what Ata's chip was doing; it was the same reason why Ata could be placed in a room filled with virus-infested people and come out completely unaffected.

His chip, the anti-virus component to the greatest virus of all, was continuously updating and adjusting to exterior threats. In order to ensure that it had enough to work on Ata would often read up on medication, the ingredients and cures registered within the chip's memory where it was later converted into fully functioning anti-agents which made him immune to all known diseases to mankind.

Lucky bastard; and he meant that in a good way.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence. Kai returned to staring at the ceiling, patiently waiting for his friend to finish. In the meantime he had to think of a suitable argument to convince the redhead to allow him to complete is paperwork which still awaited him in his office next door, lying on his desk in the dark room…like an office graveyard.

Before the image of a Xeroxing grim reaper could manifest itself in his mind (damn medication) a soft sigh signaled that Ata was done. Indeed, the older teen placed a bottle he had been examining down, rubbing his eyes to return moisture to them.

Sometimes the chip's needs overrode the body's; a very risky thing which could be deadly at times. Saskia had almost drowned a couple of years ago while swimming in the pool when her chip suddenly decided then to be a good time to test its water resistance, a test which forced Saskia to unwillingly take a deep breath while under water.

"Has the bedpost offended you?" Ata asked, noticing his glare which seemed to be directed to the end of his bed.

"Just had a trip down memory lane," he answered. "And not a very good trip either."

"When is it ever?" Ata pointed out and removing a few remaining things from the bed he lay himself down next to the bluenette, joining him in his exploration of his ceiling. "No wonder you barely sleep; you've got an entire event going on up there."

"What are you talking about?" The side-effect, which one he wasn't really sure, was starting to kick in. Was this sleepiness, hallucination or loss of consciousness? So much for the wonders of science.

"There's Abraham Lincoln."

"Huh?" He opened his eyes at the strange observation.

"Follow me on this one," Ata said, pointing with a slender finger. "You see that entire highway of creases in the ceiling pattern? Look good and you'll see his hat and beard."

Dear gods, he did see it.

"Is this what you do when you can't sleep at night?" he asked, looking over to the redhead.

"It's fun. Okay, that there is an amoeba."

Trying to hide his amusement, he merely scoffed.

"An amoeba?"

"Dude, and that's an ape. You've got the entire evolution theory on your ceiling!"

"Uh-huh," he nodded, rolling onto his side to face the other.

"Fine," Ata sighed, waving him off. "Be like that, but don't expect me share the Nobel Prize for my discoveries on your ceiling."

"Let me get this straight," Kai said, rising to his elbows, "You won't donate your balls nor would you split any reward money with me?"

"Well of course it sounds bad when you say it like that."

Rolling his eyes, he laid back down.

"Why do I bother having you around?"

"Because you have no choice?"

"Most likely."

"And because you care oh so much for me."

Smiling at the teasing tone, he said, "Nah, only because I have no choice."

"Oh yeah, you like Tiffany so much more, don't you?"

He had been expecting the pillow and retaliated, grabbing one himself to launch his assault. For many minutes they exchanged hits, bouncing about trying to outrun, or out-crawl, the other while at the same time trying to pound him.

"Isn't it a pathetic display of silliness, Kai; two teenage boys beating each other up with head comforters?"

"Screw beating," was the breathless reply. "I'm trying to smother you, if you'd sit still."

Laughing, he rolled out of the way, avoiding a solid blow. However, all that laughing made him weak and Kai was soon able to pin him, grabbing the pillow from him and tossing it onto the floor to join the others safely out of arms reach. The two remained as they were, trying to catch their breath.

"I thought you were going to smother me," Ata gasped, chest still heaving.

"I just realized that I'd have to get rid of your body then and I'm too tired. And because I care oh so much for you."

Ata laughed at the admittance though the sound was muffled by a light kiss on his lips. Automatically returning it, he felt the bluenette's body relax onto his. They remained like this for a couple of minutes, kissing softly. Kai was the first to pull away though not before lightly nuzzling the smooth face.

"I mean it, Ata. I really do," Kai said, staring him deep in the eyes.

Leaning up for a final kiss, he rested his cheek against the bluenette's and whispered, "I'm always here, Kai. Right with you."

Running the words through his mind, Kai raised himself off the slighter built teen but didn't move too far. Pulling the redhead close, he rested his head on the flaming hair, waiting for Ata to adjust comfortably. He soon heard the final exhalation which indicated that sleep was slowly claiming his friend. Yawning himself, he snuggled down.

"Lights out."

Nothing. Stupid voice-operated program. He could hear Ata snickering.

"I'm going to install clap-on lights," he muttered. "You turn them off."

"Lights out. And you wouldn't have this problem if you had normal switches like everyone else."

"I'm spoiled," he retaliated. Looking up, he studied the ceiling once more, still able to make out the patterns in the light provided by his stereo system in the corner.

"There's dinosaur up there," he said softly.

"A triceratops?" Ata asked, sleepy voice laced with amusement.

"Yeah."

"We're gonna have to find a bird to complete the evolution theory."

"Tomorrow."

Ata was silent and Kai thought him to have finally fallen asleep. Now fully feeling the effects, (and no, he still couldn't tell which), he closed his eyes, beginning to drift off too.

"If someone else wins my Nobel Prize because you were too lazy to find that stupid bird I'll kill you."

Lucky for the redhead they had thrown all the pillows off the bed.

Tbc………….

I honestly got a warm and fuzzy feeling writing this, especially since I was listening to a very beautiful rendition of 'Somewhere Out There'.

And no, this is not a Kai/Tala yaoi fic, for the record.

Read Review, please.