Chapter 5

"Your mommy and daddy are separating?" A seven-year-old Tyson asked his blonde friend.

Max solemnly nodded his head. "Yeah," he said weakly. Deep down he always knew it was going to happen but he had always hoped that things would get better.

"I'm sorry, I know it's not my fault, but still…" Tyson tried to comfort his friend.

Max nodded his head in understanding as he looked up at the gray sky. Tyson and him were taking a walk around the park. It had taken them forever to convince their parents to let them go alone, but the two kids had managed to compromise with the adults. They were allowed to walk around the park for twenty minutes and then Tyson's brother would come to pick them up, much to Hiro's annoyance since he had other plans.

"Does Rei know?"

Max nodded his head. "He's the one that told me. My parents still haven't told me."

"What are you going to do when they finally do?" the bluenette asked curiously.

"I don't know. I love my mommy and daddy and I want them together but," Max paused. Should he really tell Tyson about his parents arguing? He had told Tyson about some of their fights, but had never gone into detail out of fear that Tyson might tell someone else. Deciding it would be best for now that Tyson didn't know the reasons for his parents getting a divorce he continued, "but if my parents can't be happy with each other then I won't complain."

Tyson stared at his friend incredulously. "Wow Maxie! You sound like a grown up!"

Max smiled at the comment. "Rei said I would do that sometimes because this a hard time for me and it will force me to grow up faster."

Pouting Tyson crossed his arms over his chest. "That's unfair! I want to be older too! I want to drive a car and get money and not have to tell people when I'm going outside! Please Maxie! Help me get older!"

"Um… Rei said my growing was mental."

"Mental?" Tyson repeated in a serious tone.

"Yes."

"Maxie?"

"Yes?"

"What does mental mean?"

"I don't know," Max answered truthfully.

"Mental means in your head, basically," a voice called from high up in one of the many trees.

"Kai!" Tyson cheered at the voice and began jumping up and down on his feet.

Answering his name Kai jumped down from his perch, revealing himself to the two children. Tyson giggled in joy and ran up and hugged the vampire around the leg while Max stared in wonder. Rei had told him many times that Kai watched over Tyson from afar but he had never seen it until now. A strange feeling gathered in the pit of the blonde's stomach. He wanted Rei. Seeing Kai and Tyson together made him want to have Rei next to him.

Whispering softly to himself Max tried to ignore the aching feeling in his chest. "Rei."

"Someone say my name?"

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Max screamed in fear and spun around to see Rei crouched behind him smiling deviously. Pouting Max bopped the vampire on the head. "Don't do that. That's mean!"

"Sorry." Rei's devious smile turned sheepish as he stood up.

"Kai why are you glaring at Rei?" Tyson asked his vampire friend innocently, still clinging to Kai's leg.

"No reason." Kai answered in a bored tone, but his eyes were flaming with intense rage.

Rei took a step back from the other vampire. "Uh… sorry Kai…? Are you still mad about what happened two years when I first saw Max and Tyson?"

The two children watched the exchange between their protectors, both of them growing nervous. There had been many times this type of thing had occurred but it still put them on edge. Clearing his throat Tyson tried to draw the vampires' attention away from each other and to him. "Um… Maxie and I want to play on the swings, but we can't swing by ourselves. Can you please push us?"

Kai gave Rei one more glare before picking Tyson up and carrying him off in the direction of the swing set. Rei copied Kai's example and carried Max to the swings. Once there the two vampires let the children loose to choose their own swing. Like always Tyson and Max took two swings next to each other.

Rei chuckled causing Kai to give him a questioning look. Understanding the silent question Rei explained. "They clearly wanted us to stop fighting, but they don't seem to understand that in order to stop us from killing each other they should try to stay away from each other so that we won't be near each other."

"Hn."

"So do you forgive me yet?" Rei asked as he made his way to Max's swing.

"Maybe." Was Kai's answer, which caused Rei to smile. He knew Kai already forgave him; it was just a matter of time before Kai started acting like it.

As the two vampires stood behind the two children's swings giving them gentle pushes the air was filled with silence, except for the laughter coming from Tyson and Max.

"You know Tyson," Rei began, "I haven't seen Kai so relaxed for centuries."

"Centuries?" Tyson asked.

"Hundreds and hundreds of years," Rei explained. "How'd you do it Tyson? How did you make someone like Kai become such a softy?"

"Shut up," Kai hissed out between his teeth.

"Oo," Tyson and Max said in unison. "You said the 'S' word!"

Kai growled but contained his anger. He was to dignified to attack children.

Rei snickered. "Bad Kai! You should know better than to say the 'S' word."

"Rei, when the kids are a sleep I will pay you back for that remark."

Rei gulped. Maybe Kai hadn't forgiven him after all.