Devil on the Doorstep
I am getting the most amazing reviews for this story. One reviewer even told me it almost made her cry. Thanks guys. I didn't think anyone liked this story, as it's not as immediate as POTA, but you have convinced me otherwise. I love you all!
Devil on the Doorstep; Chapter VI: My December
Bryan looked so peaceful when he was asleep, Kai thought, stroking a stray bang off the elder boy's face. Bryan mumbled slightly, something about 'blue bubbles' and 'guns'.
"Kai?" Tyson poked his head around the partition. "We need to have a talk." Kai nodded silently. "Come on then!"
"I'm not leaving Bryan." He replied stubbornly. "We'll have to talk in here."
"You can leave that… thing for a few minutes." Ray growled. "He's older than you, isn't he supposed to be brave?" Ray soon regretted that, as Kai flew across the room and pinned his head to the wall by his ponytail.
"Bryan is brave. He's been through horrors you can't even imagine, and if I ever hear you say anything like that again, then I will kill you, pussy cat!" To enforce the threat, Kai drew a gun from his pocket. "Capische?" Ray gulped nervously.
"Kai…?" Bryan murmured, awaking from his sleep. "Where… Where… KAI?" Tears streamed out of his eyes.
"Bry, I'm here." Kai dashed across the room and cradled the elder boy. Ray glared at the gun on the ground angrily.
"I thought you'd left me… everyone leaves me…" Bryan closed his eyes and leant against the younger boy. Kai didn't say anything and started to rock the elder boy, noting with a smile when he fell asleep.
"Now, what do you want to talk about?" He growled, the smile slipping off his face as he turned to his team mates.
"You can't just let him leech onto you like this, Kai!" Tyson said buoyantly. "You haven't slept properly in days, why can't you let him sleep on the sofa? It's your bed after all!" Max opened his mouth to reprimand Tyson, but Kai beat him to it.
"Did you see how he acted just then, Tyson?" He growled in a voice dripping with menace and venom. "I was the other side of the room and he was terrified. He is so scared that someone is going to hurt him. He knows that people are at their most vulnerable when they are asleep, and he knows that Boris wants to hurt him. Think about that." Tyson shrank away from his captain in horror.
"Well, remember, the White Tigers and the Majestics are coming over. You'll have to share, and Bryan won't want to." Ray mocked.
"Bryan won't care." Kai growled, balling his fists. "And if he does, then I'll leave the team. That's what you want, isn't it, Ray? You want me to go because I am friends with Bryan."
"No… I…" Ray pushed his bangs from his forehead awkwardly.
"Bry?" Max noted with some amusement how Kai's voice changed when he talked to the Russian. It became warmer and more tender, something that usually would not be present on the Indonesian. "Can you wake up? Can you hear me?" Bryan's eyes fluttered open. Slowly, he nodded. "Bry, the White Tigers and the Majestics are going to be staying here for a few days. You ok with sharing?"
"You'd be here, right?" Bryan gripped Kai's hand firmly.
"Yeah. I'd sleep on the floor, or in the chair. Don't worry, I won't leave you again."
"Ok… Can I go back to sleep now?" Kai nodded with a smile on his face and Bryan curled up again, yawning cutely.
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And I just wish that I didn't feel like there was something I missed…
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Bryan woke up, hours later. Kai was keeled over in the chair next to him, and Bryan poked his cheek softly. Kai woke with a start and chuckled softly as he saw Bryan's concentrate expression.
"I was wondering when you were going to wake up. Do you want to come into the main living area? Only, the others are there, and I think they're a bit jealous that they never see me anymore." Kai rubbed his eyes and yawned loudly.
"Ok… Yeah, I'll come." Bryan said quietly. "Can I bring that book? My English is improving; at least, I think it is. Am I really that bad?" Kai chuckled.
"No, it isn't bad. Not perfect, but not bad." Bryan relaxed. "Sure you can take it. You can use me as a dictionary, I'll probably be a lot handier than one of those massive thick blocks I have on the bottom shelf." Bryan nodded and slipped out of the bed, sliding the book out of the shelf.
"Hey Kai, hey Bryan," Max greeted them from one of the sofas. Bryan waved slightly and moved closer to Kai. The blonde's cheerfulness was slightly unnerving. Kai sprawled out on the other sofa, taking up all the room. Bryan sat cross-legged on the floor by Kai's head, opening the book. "Whatcha reading?" the American asked.
"Artemis Fowl." Bryan whispered, drawing his shoulders back slightly.
"I thought you couldn't read English?" Tyson asked. Bryan flinched slightly.
"He's learning." Kai placed a hand on Bryan's shoulder, forcing it forward so he was sitting straight. To avoid further questions, Bryan opened the book and began to read it, mouthing the words to himself.
"Kai…" He mumbled softly, embarrassed.
"Yeah? You ok?" Kai sounded quite sleepy, but Bryan knew otherwise.
"What's that word…p…e…v…o…l…e? Pevole?" Ray snickered quietly.
"Huh? Provoke, Bry. You missed out the r and that's an 'e', not an 'o'. The other one is a 'k'; do you see the lines there?" Bryan nodded and began to read the book again. However, it wasn't long before it started again.
"Kai…"
"For God's sake!" Ray growled, glaring at the older boy. "Use a dictionary or read something that your tiny brain can comprehend!" Bryan flinched away, burying his head in Kai's abdomen.
"Back off Ray!" To his surprise, it wasn't Kai that snapped, but Max. "If Bryan wants to read something, that's his business! And if Kai doesn't mind Bryan asking him questions, then there's nothing you can do!" Ray stared incredulously at the younger blader. Bryan turned around and looked straight at Max, for once not avoiding eye contact.
"Thank you." He said clearly. Max grinned widely at him and Bryan smiled tentatively back. Suddenly, Bryan became aware of Kai shifting behind him. "Where are you going?" he asked frantically as Kai sat up.
"I'm going to get a drink. You ok staying here?" Bryan nodded slowly and Kai ruffled his hair, smiling as Bryan snapped his teeth at him. As soon as Kai had left the room, Bryan felt the cold, condescending glare of Ray hit him.
"You really think I can't see through you?" The neko-jin growled. Bryan scrambled backwards.
"I don't know what you're talking about…" He mumbled.
"Sucking up to Kai… next minute, you'll be trying to get him on your team again. I know Boris sent you, don't deny it!" Bryan's chest felt tight at the mention of his sensei.
"No… that's not true!" He staggered to his feet.
"The great emotionless Bryan? Some acting. You don't like Kai at all, do you? You're just under orders to make sure he trusts you!" Ray shoved Bryan.
"That's not true! Kai's one of my best friends!" Ray shoved Bryan again. "Don't you touch me! Don't you ever touch me!" Bryan launched himself at the neko-jin, only to be held back by Max.
"Bryan, calm down." The blonde rubbed his arm sympathetically and Bryan felt his blood pressure returning to normal. Tyson glared at the older Russian in disgust.
"Get out of my house! How dare you try to attack one of my friends? Get out of my house!"
Bryan quailed at the look Tyson gave him and he ran for the door, heading out into the pouring rain.
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And I give it all away, just to have somewhere to go to, give it all away, just to find someone to come home to…
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Seth stepped over the abbey remains again, searching for the bodies of his son's friends.
"Tala? Spencer? Ian? Kasi?" The wind swept the words from his mouth and carried them through the broken building.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Seth spotted something red. Vibrant red. He ran towards that red, shouting at the top of his voice "TALA! TALA!" Nobody moved. He clambered down to the red patch, moving the rocks that covered it.
He drew back in when he'd removed most of the rocks.
It was Tala.
And he wasn't breathing.
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This is my December, this is my snow covered home, this is my December, this is me alone…
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Well, what do you think of that, my wonderful reviewers? I have been dreaming about that bit since the story started, the bit with Bryan and the book. I hope you like it…