Hello everybody! Here I am once again with a sweet (hopefully ;) little OneShot about our favourite pairing: TyKa, of course! I hope you'll all like it. If you do I'd be happy to hear about it in a cute li'l review…?

My special thanks goes out to NekoAnime for going through the trouble of beta-reading this – in record time I may add! Thanx again, you don't know how much I appreciate it! hugs

Ray: Now quit the drabbling already! The people want to read!

Sure, sure, sorry 'bout that… Well then – enjoy!

…: Emotions rising… :…

Being careful not to smudge them, Tyson followed the footprints imprinted in the white sand beneath his feet. He knew that sooner or later, they would lead him to him. They just had to! He had to find him. He had to find out what was up with him.

It all started this morning while they were having breakfast together. He had been acting all strange. Tyson had slept in as always, but he didn't even say anything. He didn't shout or get angry at him as he normally would have. He didn't yell at him about how unreliable he was and that he didn't take training seriously enough. Normally he would have ranted about how he hated babysitting them all and that they weren't even worth his precious time. It hadn't been like usual, to put it short.

Today had been completely different. He hadn't even made the effort to send him one of those infamous glares that used to send shivers down Tyson's spine. What the hell was going on here?

After breakfast he had made an announcement that training was cancelled for today and had disappeared without another word. Tyson had exchanged questioning glances with Rei, Max and Kenny, but they had only shrugged their shoulders; at a complete loss, just like him. Tyson didn't understand the world anymore. Mr. Daily Workout himself cancelled training? Just like that? Was he ill or something?

The thought had made him freeze. Perhaps Kai really was ill! If he remembered correctly, he had turned in quite late last night and it had been raining like no tomorrow. Even now the streets were still wet from last night's rainstorm. Maybe he had caught a cold! Perhaps he even had a fever and he just hadn't told anybody due to his stupid pride! Perhaps he was even in such a bad shape that he needed help!

Tyson's pace automatically increased until he came round one of the roughly shaped rocks which hid the small bay from view. His heartbeat immediately slowed down a bit. There was the familiar silhouette of the slate haired Russian, sitting on one of the cliffs, one leg up to his chin, the other dangling over the edge. And to Tyson's relief he seemed to be fine, one arm resting lightly on his knee, the other beside him to support himself. He looked distant, cold – just like he usually did.

However, something seemed wrong with this picture. Carefully, as not to make himself known to his team captain, Tyson took one step closer to the cliff. And then he saw it. And the sight almost made him gasp.

There he was: Kai Hiwatari, the great, infamous and impersonated perfection Kai Hiwatari, his gaze directed to the wide open sea below him, and in his eyes glistened tears. Tyson couldn't believe what he saw. The Ice Prince, Mr. Grouchy Pants, Mr. Sourpuss – he was crying!

In this very moment Tyson wanted nothing more than run over to him and hug him tight, rocking him in his arms until his tears subsided. Never before had Kai seemed so fragile, so… lost. Each fiber of his being seemed to emit waves of utter loneliness. What was going on here? What happened?

He couldn't believe it! All this time, all these years they'd known each other, Tyson had wished that Kai would finally show emotion, that he would break through this brick wall he seemed to hide himself behind, that he would finally share his feelings with them all. And now, for the first time, he was able to glimpse these feelings, and he wished the wall would still be there. He wanted the old Kai back, the Kai who feared nothing, who was invincible to everything. The Kai who made him feel so utterly safe as no one else could. The Kai he knew and loved.

Loved?

Yes, loved. He loved Kai. What was the point in denying it anymore? Somehow he had always loved him. But he had never dared to speak it out loud, neither to Kai nor to anyone else. The others would only laugh at him, ask him if he had gone insane. And for Kai? He would probably shout at him to get lost and never come back to him. He surely would tell him that Tyson Granger wasn't good enough, that the great Hiwatari would never waste his time on a little wannabe like him. And in his eyes there would be hatred and disgust. The thought alone made Tyson cringe in pain.

But now… now things were completely different. The way Kai sat there, lost and lonely, his face wet with tears, he didn't seem that cold and arrogant anymore. There was nothing distant to be seen – en contraire. He almost looked like he was waiting for someone to find him here, to put their arms around him and watch out for him. Perhaps this was the true Kai Hiwatari. Maybe his cold façade was exactly that: just a façade. A mask to hide who he really was: a boy just like Tyson, scared, lonely, sad.

Ever so slowly Tyson set one foot in front of the other 'til he was only one step away from Kai. The fine sand crunching underneath his feet made Kai turn around in alarm.

For one brief second Tyson could read his face like an open book. Astonishment over his sudden appearance, terror because he saw him like this and fear of what he would do, now chased in short intervals over his features. Only to give room to one single expression: despair. And a silent plea not to leave, to end his loneliness.

Tyson never hesitated to fulfill his wishes. In a second he drew the slightly older Russian in his arms, firmly holding him against his chest without even mentioning Kai's shaking hands which dug deep into the warm flesh of his shoulders. He let Kai's hot tears wet his shirt and didn't ask any questions as his whole frame was ragged by his muffled sobbing.

He didn't know how long they sat there, and for once he didn't care. He wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. Kai's shivering frame in his arms was all that mattered. He wanted to hold him tight, be there for him with everything he had. He never loosened his grip, not even one second, he never stopped rubbing the back of the usually stoic Russian soothingly while his gaze remained on the calming waves of the sea. He felt like he was dreaming.

How often had he dreamt about being so close to Kai. Okay, in his dreams this closeness had been of a completely different kind. In his dreams Kai had never cried his soul out. But in a twisted kind of way this was so much better than his dreams. It was real. And for the first time in all these years they now knew each other, Tyson had a feeling that he owned Kai's unrestrained trust. He could have stayed here forever…

The sun was already hanging low at the horizon as Kai's silent tears finally subsided. Tyson could feel him draw back from his arms ever so slowly 'til he set beside him wordlessly, his eyes once again out on the calm surface of the sea.

Nobody said a word. Tyson would have liked to say something. Thousands of questions were literally burning holes in his tongue, put he remained silent. Kai would tell him what had happened if he wanted to. And if not – well, then there would be no point asking anyway. He most likely wouldn't get any answers at all.

And so they sat silently, their eyes watching the sun set while the upcoming night winds tousled their hair. It was not until the sun had finally disappeared behind the waves that Kai broke the silence.

"Why did you come?"

Just a whisper, nothing more, as if he were afraid of the answer.

"I was worried about you."

A questioning look was all that could be counted as an answer.

"You acted so strange this morning", Tyson carefully explained. "You never cancel training just like this. And then you just disappeared. Not even for lunch did you come back." He stole a secret glance at Kai from the corner of his eyes. The quiet Russian gave no sign of even hearing his words. He just kept staring at the growing darkness blurring line of the horizon. "I began worrying about you and went looking for you. I thought that perhaps you went to the beach, and there I found footprints in the sand. So I followed them and that's how I came here."

Again silence was his sole answer. But this time there wasn't the usual iciness to it. Kai's quiet had nothing cold to it, nothing distant. It just seemed as if he were thinking of what to say to that.

Tyson thought it best to just keep waiting. Sooner or later, Kai would tell him what was up. And if not – well, it wasn't as if he weren't used to Kai's brooding. But he really hoped this time would be different. He really wished that this time he would get his answers…

His wish got granted. He could hear Kai suck in his breath deeply beside him, as if he had to draw up the courage to say whatever he was about to say, from deep within his very soul. Tyson waited excitedly for whatever Kai would tell him. Perhaps today he would finally be able to solve at least a small fragment of the mystery that was Kai Hiwatari…

"I'm sorry."

Wha! Had he heard that right? Had Kai just apologized? The great Hiwatari Kai himself? Apologizing? No way! And to him of all people!

"I… It wasn't necessary. For you to worry about me, you know…" His voice barely audible through the roaring spray. "It's just… I… today's just not a very good day…"

Not a very good day? What was that supposed to mean?

"What do you mean?"

"Today… it's… the day they died… and therefore…"

He didn't say anything else. He didn't need to. Tyson already knew what he wanted to say. He had always wondered what had happened to Kai's parents. If they were dead or if they had simply dumped him at his grandfather's because they hadn't wanted him anymore. There, he had the answer. They were dead. They had died today, on the 3rd of April. It didn't matter how many years ago. It never mattered. He knew that because for him, it too didn't matter. His mother had died a whole of twelve years ago and it still hurt like it had that day. But he – Tyson – still had his father, Gramps, Hiro. He wasn't all alone.

Kai had no one – except for a grandfather who had been sent to jail for abusing innocent children. And Kai had been one of those children. No wonder he looked so lonely. He was lonely.

Tyson watched Kai as he set there, shoulders slumped, his gaze sad and empty, looking in the distance. And suddenly he understood why Kai was like he was. Why he was so cold, distant, unreachable for anyone. Why he let nobody get close to him. He was afraid. Afraid that people would leave him again, afraid to have to go through that pain once more.

Without giving him a chance to dodge the touch he drew Kai into his arms once more and held him close. As close as he could. He could feel every muscle of the Russian tense at the touch, but he didn't let go. In contrary, he just tightened his embrace. He bowed his head until his lips almost touched Kai's ear and whispered, his voice soft and determined:

"I'll never leave you, Kai Hiwatari."

At these words shaking hands gripped his upper arms and he could feel his shirt getting wet with tears for the second time that day. But it didn't matter. He had just made a vow. And nothing in the whole wide world would make him break it, ever.

He looked out on the sea and a smile made its way to his face as he could see the first star of the night rise at the horizon. Venus. The star of love…

…: The End :…

Uhh… Review? …pwetty please?