I know a lot of people would no doubt love to know exactly what happened to Ray, but I'm not too sure on the maximum lemon that FF allows, so I thought I'd better play it safe. If anybody does know, please tell me!
Slowly, he opened his eyes. He lay still, trying to remember what had happened. He couldn't...he remembered heat...and a voice...but nothing else...where was he? He sat up, his head throbbing unmercifully. He shivered, and suddenly became aware that he was naked and lying on the cold floor. He looked around his clothes, locating them a little way away in a bundle, as if they had been torn off. As he slowly got to his feet and got dressed, reality started penetrating his numbed brain again, and he realised that he was in what he supposed was Hitwarti's room. Hitwarti...there was a connection there, but he was just too tired and he couldn't stop shivering. Wrapping his arms tightly around himself, he walked unsteadily out of the room.
Staggering blindly down the long corridor, he found himself in front of a door that seemed familiar. He racked his tired brain. This was Tyson's bedroom, he was sure of it. Slowly, he raised a shaking hand and knocked feebly on the door. Nothing happened. Ray pushed weakly at the door, then came round properly for a second and turned the doorknob, half falling into the room. Raising his head slightly, he saw Tyson naked on his bed with a girl. He was sure he knew the girl, but it was so hard to tell, everything was blurred and out of focus... Giving up, he gratefully succumbed to oblivion.
"Ray?" With a cry of alarm, Tyson sprang off the bed and ran over to his unconscious friend. The girl followed him, her face creased with concern. Between them, they managed to lift Ray up onto the bed. The girl leaned over and rested a hand gently on Ray's forehead.
"He's got a fever," she said worriedly.
"I'll get Max." Tyson said quickly, shoving a dressing gown on and running off. Oh damn it Ray, what happened to you?
Max yawned, gently freeing his hand from Oliver's feeble grasp. He put his head back down on the bed, intending to go to sleep.
"Max, you've got to come!" Max jerked upright and swivelled in the direction of the panic-stricken voice. Tyson was standing in the doorway, eyes wild. "Come on!" he said again.
"Tyson, what the heck-" Max pulled himself upright.
"Ray just came into my bedroom and passed out on the floor, that's what! Hurry up!" Shock flooded through Max's veins, waking him up thoroughly. He followed Tyson at a run along the corridor.
Darkness...music...someone was playing music? No, no, someone was singing...he didn't want to wake up, why was he waking up? It was something to do with the singing...why wouldn't it stop...
"Ssh, ssh, it's okay, Master Kon. Calm down, everything's fine, I promise you." A cool cloth wiped over his forehead. He didn't realise he had been moaning untilhe suddenly stopped. "That's the way to do it, Master Kon." The voice continued, murmuring soothingly. "Now then, do you think that you could open your eyes for me, just a little bit?" An effort, then a slit of colour as he prised his eyelids open a fraction. But he couldn't hold them open, and the colour disappeared. The singing increased in volume. He could feel it pulsing in his veins, filling his muscles with the strength they had lost. He tried again to open his eyes. It was much easier now, and his head was beginning to clear a little. Two slightly blurred shapes hovered above him, worried looks on their faces.
"How do you feel, Ray?" Tyson asked anxiously.
"I've definitely...been better..." His voice was hoarse. As his vision cleared, he got a better view of the young girl sitting on the bed next to him. All of her. "You know," He grinned slightly. "Passing out has its compensations." The girl blushed furiously and scowled at him, folding her arms over her bare breasts.
"I think that you can stop Singing now, Master Mizuhara. He's obviously feeling much better." she called over her shoulder, getting up off the bed and pulling on her threadbare skirt and blouse quickly. The singing stopped.
"Aw, why did you have to get dressed?" Tyson and Ray moaned in unison. Ray laughed softly, then closed his eyes again, the energy that the Singing had given him wearing off rapidly.
"Ray?" Max's voice. "Ray, what happened to make you pass out?"
"I don't know..."
"Anything. Anything you remember at all."
"It was hot. Very hot. It made me dizzy."
"Okay. Anything else? Any sounds?" Ray thought hard. Sounds?
"Yes, there was this voice..."
"What did it say?"
"It said...come to me..."
"It did?"
"Yeah, it did."
"Anything else?
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." Suddenly, out of the blue, Ray felt Max pressing his lips hard against his own, forcing his mouth open.
Floating...floating in a void...then someone kissing him passionately...
No, not just someone, Hitwatari!
"Hitwatari..."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. He was standing...in front of the fireplace...he was...he..." Ray felt himself beginning to drift away on a black wave.
"It's okay, Ray. You've done brilliantly. Rest now." Without argument, Ray dropped almost instantly into a deep sleep.
Max stood up.
"Well, that's that worked out, then." he said quietly.
"What are you on about?" Tyson demanded.
"It would take far too long to explain properly, but basically, Hitwatari put an incredibly strong spell on him to make him do what he wanted him to, then drugged him."
"Why?" Max sighed.
"Tyson, sometimes, you are so thick... Because Hitwatari likes to be on top." And if you don't know what that means, Max thought, you're even thicker than you act sometimes. Apparently, Tyson did understand, because he didn't ask any more questions.
"So, the reason that he's so tired would be that the drug hasn't fully worn off yet?" the girl asked. Max nodded.
"And the reason that he's got a slight fever is probably because Hitwatari just left him when and where he was done with him, which was probably on the floor. Um...this is somewhat embarrassing, but I've forgotten your name." Max gave the girl a brief smile.
"Oh, I'm Hilary, Master Mizuhara." she answered.
"Oh, yes." Max smiled again. "At least I finally know the name of the girl Tyson's been going on about." Hilary blushed and shot a quick glance at Tyson, who grinned roguishly.
"And when am I going to get a formal introduction to Oliver?" he inquired.
"What do you mean?" Max made his face carefully blank.
"What, you get to know my girlfriend, but I don't get to know your boyfriend?"
"Oliver is not my boyfriend." Max said quietly. Tyson snorted loudly.
"Right. That's why the two of you were trying to eat each other's faces last night." he challenged. Max scowled. "You haven't still got that commitment phobia, have you?"
Tyson turned to Hilary, who looked very uncomfortable at being dragged into the argument. "See, back when Max first met Oliver, he was still Hitwatari's little plaything. So, one day, Max and Oliver are trying out their first kiss and-"
"Tyson, shut up." Tyson ignored him. He'd been tense all day, and teasing Max was the perfect antidote.
"-and Hitwatari walks in, sees them kissing and grabs Max and drags him outside, where he-"
"Shut your fucking mouth!" Tyson stopped abruptly, swinging round to face Max. He'd never heard Max swear before. "I don't know what's been up with you today, Tyson, but I am not going to be walked over!"
Max stood up, shaking with a mixture of anger and exhaustion as he stared at Tyson, whose mouth was hanging open comically. "I'm going to my room." he said quietly. As he turned, the world seemed to tilt underneath him and he dropped to one knee.
"Max!" He heard Tyson's panicked cry, and forced himself upright again.
"All right, you two." Hilary voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "Calm down. Tyson, you shouldn't have said what you did. Max is exhausted, he's been Singing for nearly two hours solid, and you've been an insensitive pig."
"Sorry, Max." Tyson mumbled. "I've been stupid, haven't I?" Max nodded, a brief smile pulling at his lips.
"Don't worry about it Tyson, I haven't exactly been in the best of moods today anyway." He began to walk, laying a hand on the door frame for support. He yawned widely. "'Night. See you in the morning."
Tyson stayed where he was, his eyes unfocused. Hilary slipped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest.
"I really hurt Max just then." His voice was a mere whisper. "He told me that because I was his best friend, he thought that I would keep my mouth shut. God, I am so stupid!" His voice rose until he was yelling.
"Shush, Tyson, calm down." Hilary rubbed his back soothingly. "It's okay. Max doesn't blame you."
"Well...he should!" Seeing that Tyson was beyond reasoning with, Hilary led him over to the sofa at the other side of the room and made him lie down.
"Go to sleep." she said softly, stroking his cheek gently. "It's really late. Everything will be better in the morning." She smiled. "And you should get your bed back tomorrow, as well." Tyson smiled slightly. Hilary bent down and kissed him tenderly on the lips. Then she straightened up, wincing at the familiar pain in her back, and walked slowly out of the room.
Ooh, Max and Kai have a Past! I love this fic, it's got my favourite pairing and loads of others that I like! Dammit, Imust remember they don't know what Kai's first name is yet...Hitwatari's first name, that is. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!
Oh yes, a question. Max/Oliver, who's on top? I think Oliver, but my stupid fingers keep trying to type Max...any help?