Chapter 1 – Hold On
(Kai&Ray) REWRITTEN
Authors Note: For those that want this story updated I am updating it, its being rewritten and reposted write now. Hope you like this version a little better. It's being rewritten with the help of my sis, Bloody Bitch. I am using the song Hold On by Good Charlotte for this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade.
-----This
world-----
-----This world is cold-----
"Ray?" Crimson eyes glanced at the teen sitting next to him in the park under their favorite sakura tree. He had another bruise on his tanned skin, a small cut over his left eye and a busted lip. Kai had noticed frequent bruises and other odd injuries appearing seemingly at random long before he had worked up the courage to ask the younger male to go out with him, just suspecting they were injuries he got while fighting gangs.
How naïve he had been. Ray had given up getting in to fights with gangs when he befriended Tyson and Max. This led Kai to believe that the wounds were either self-inflicted or they came from the only place Ray would be vulnerable… home. Considering how much Ray disliked the time in which he had to go home, Kai dismissed the first idea and began plotting ways to remove Ray from such an environment.
-----But
you don't-----
-----You don't have to go-----
"Ray, if you need a place to escape to, permanently, you know my door is always open, don't you?" Ray sniffled, wiping his eyes free of the tears that were building up, readying themselves to fall, "A-arigato, Kai-kun."
Watery golden eyes peered up at his Beyblading boyfriend, "I have to be getting home… I'll call you tonight, when he falls asleep, ok?" Kai nodded, knowing how dangerous it would be if his lover were to attempt calling or leaving when his father was awake.
-----You're feeling sad-----
-----You're feeling lonely-----
-----And no one seems to care-----
Ray silently stepped into the old, smelly apartment. He glanced around; hearing the rattling of beer bottles in the kitchen allowing him quick reassurance to his father's location in the cramped apartment
"Where's my super, brat? You're late and I'm hungry." The man growled.
"Sorry Father" He apologized as he glanced down at his watch, five-thirty; he was half an hour early. He cautiously moved into the kitchen. Before he learned of Kai's feelings for him he didn't care what happened to him. But now knowing that the one he had secretly loved held mutual feelings for him he found he had something or someone rather, to live for. In turn, this caused him to be more cautious around his father.
-----You're mothers gone-----
-----And your father
hits you-----
-----This pain you cannot bear-----
"You've been going out more lately, being the good parent that I am I decided to investigate. And do you know what I found?" The man growled almost dangerously. Ray gulped and shook his head, the hidden fire of burning anger in his father's eyes showing that he was in big trouble.
The man removed two crumpled photos from his vest pocket, tossing them on the table as he lit a cigarette he'd pulled as well, "Explain these pictures." Ray examined them, breaking into a cold sweat as he noticed what they were of. One was him sitting under that same sakura tree he had sat under with Kai not half an hour before, in the picture he was sitting on the brunette's lap as happy as could be, wrapped up in his love's strong arms. The other was one Tyson and Max had taken without their knowledge and given to them later. They were seated on Max's couch in the hobby shop, Ray straddling Kai's lap, eyes closed, lips locked and groping blindly.
-----But we all bleed the same way as you
do-----
-----And we all have the same things to go
through-----
"You went into my room." He whispered.
"I will not have a faggot for a son!" The man roared as he swung at the youth sitting before him.
Ray gasped as pain shot through his head. Who knew that a heavily inebriated man could be so quick? The man was to his feet before the teen could collect his thoughts quick enough to remove himself from the on coming danger.
Ray was thrown to the floor, kicked and stomped repeatedly by his father's boot-clad foot. His father stopped assaulting him with his feet and hurled one of the kitchen chairs at him. The rotted wood shattered around him, leaving him full of splinters along with painful abrasions.
"I'm going out for a bit, I'll be back and by that time you had better change your ways." With that the man left with a slam of the door.
-----Hold on if you
feel like letting go-----
-----Hold on it gets better than you
know-----
Ring… Ring'
Kai plucked the phone from its
cradle, answering with his usual monotone, "Hiwatari
residence…"
"Kai…?" The voice on the other end sounded exhausted and near ready to give up.
"Ray?"
"Yes…" A shuddering breath, "Pl-please don't ask questions. Is that offer of yours still standing?"
"Of course, I'll be over in ten minutes."
"Please get here as soon as you can." Kai heard what sounded like plastic hitting the floor along with a thud close by. Ray was hurt. He hung up the phone, and ran down the stairs faster then he had ever thought possible, snatching the keys to his camaro as he practically flew out the door.
-----Your days-----
-----You say they're way too long-----
Ray heaved a painful sigh, coughing as he did so. He wiped the blood he felt drizzling down his chin on his shirt sleeve.
"I need to get out of here." He whispered as he decided it would probably be safer to wait outside for Kai, just in case his father got back sooner then expected. Lifting himself with a great deal of effort he steadied himself against the beer stained wall. Moving as quickly as possible, a whopping 2 mph, he caught up to the door a couple minutes later. He swung the door open and dragged himself out of the messy dump.
-----And your nights-----
-----You can't sleep at
all-----
-----Hold on-----
What was normally about a ten minute drive to Ray's place had taken Kai about six minutes as he dashed down the familiar streets of his boyfriend's neighborhood. He came to a screeching halt outside his boyfriend's apartment building praying that he was just being paranoid and Ray was ok. He dashed from the car to the building. Entering he ran up the flight of stairs, one down and three to go. Why did he have to live on the fourth floor? Why did the place have to have a fourth floor?
-----And you're not sure what you're waiting for-----
-----But you don't want
to no more-----
-----And you're not sure what you're looking
for-----
-----But you don't want to no more-----
He clamored his way up the metal steps almost mowing his prey down as he stopped, catching the boy as he collapsed on the stairwell. "Ray? Ray!" He shook him lightly. Worry and panic flooded through him, he lifted Ray into his arms and descended the stairs quickly, "C'mon Ray, don't do this to me, open your eyes dammit!" He pleaded as he looked down at the unconscious teen in his arms.
-----But we all bleed the same
way as you do-----
-----And we all have the same things to go
through-----
He pushed the exit door open brutally as he shot out of the building to his car. He threw open the door and placed Ray in the passenger seat, ran around jumping in the driver's seat, plugging the key into the ignition and shot off in the direction of the closest hospital.
-----Hold on if you feel like letting
go-----
-----Hold on it gets better than you know-----
-----Don't
stop looking, you're one step closer-----
-----Don't stop
searching, it's not over-----
-----Hold on-----
------music
interlude ------
Ray twitched and his eyes fluttered open slowly. He was in so much pain and he was… moving? He turned his head ever so slightly, wincing at the pain it caused. "K-Kai?" His suspicions were confirmed when he noticed the panic stricken bluenette practically slam on the breaks from the surprise the Chinese blonde had given him. Ray was thrown forward, causing him even more pain. He started hacking as blood spewed from his mouth.
"Oh God, I'm so sorry." Kai glanced over, noticing the large amount of blood seeping from his boyfriend's lips, "Dear Lord, what did he do to you?"
-----What are you looking for? -----
"K-Kai he found... gasp He found the pictures pant the ones of us cough Tyson gave me." He choked out.
-----What are you waiting for? -----
Kai's eyes grew wide with horror. He watched the very life drain from his one love as he flew through the red light. He swerved around the curve and urged the teen to stay with him; he saw the hospital coming up.
-----Do you know what you're doing to me? -----
-----Go
ahead...What are you waiting for? -----
"C'mon, we're
almost there Ray. Hold on baby, please hold on."
"Hold
on for me!"
-----Hold on if you feel like letting
go-----
-----Hold on it gets better than you know-----
"Hold
on for us!"
"Try to Hold on…"
-----Don't
stop looking, you're one step closer-----
-----Don't stop
searching, it's not over-----
"…For our future
together"
"Don't leave me!"
-----Hold on if
you feel like letting go-----
-----Hold on it gets better than you
know-----
They where at the hospital, he ran around the car, gathered his love into his arms. Tears fell from his eyes as Ray struggled to breath around the blood bubbling up his throat.
"I… Love you… Kai"
-----Hold on-----
"I love you too; please... just… hold on… Please…" He pleaded as paramedics came to his aid, prying the dying raven haired boy from his arms.
Ray's eyes closed for what Kai truly believed to be the last time.