I was going to post this as a new story, but I changed my mind. It's better this way. So, for everyone who asked for it, here you go. Another chapter. Hope you like it.
Win Me Back
Part Two
Tala sat awake in bed, pale moonlight streaming through the small frost covered window and adding a soft glow to the room. A thin, white sheet covered his naked body from the waist down as he sat, with his head on his hand, staring off into space. Beside him, a stocky boy slept, every few seconds letting out a harsh snore, oblivious to Tala's alert and somewhat frustrated attitude.
Glancing down, Tala scowled as the boy mumbled something under his breath and rolled over, pulling the thin sheets more tightly around his body. Sighing to himself, Tala looked away from the boy and went back to staring into the darkness, his mind elsewhere.
The boy beside him was just like all the others, a one-night stand that meant nothing to him, and left him feeling bored and unsatisfied in the end. He hadn't even bothered to find out the boys name. Honestly, he didn't care who the kid was. He was just another nameless face that Tala was using to try and fill the gaping hole he felt inside himself. The only real thing about the boy that had attracted Tala's attention was his gray hair. His hair reminded Tala of someone; although the strands felt like steel wool in his fingers rather than the silver silk he longed for.
Sighing to himself again, Tala climbed slowly out the bed, not wanting to wake his companion. He didn't care about saying goodbye, and didn't feel like making any empty promises to see the boy again. Tala wasn't interested in seeing him ever again. The entire encounter left him feeling unsatisfied, although the boy had seemed pleased by it. Tala hadn't felt satisfied in a long time; the only person that really did that for him was gone.
Pulling on his clothes, Tala glanced one more time at the bed, glad to see that the figure was still fast asleep, unaware that he had left the bed. Leaving the room noiselessly, he slipped out into the dark night, stuffing his cold hands into the pockets as he wandered the mostly empty streets of Moscow. He wasn't worried about running into trouble, he had walked these streets enough to know where he should avoid if he didn't want to be bothered.
He considered heading down to the river to sit and think, but decided against it. He wanted to go home and sleep, but first he needed a shower. Ignoring the shadowy figures that wandered the streets, he headed back towards the abbey. Nobody paying any attention to him as he walked, after all, he was one of them, a lost soul walking towards Nowhere.
Reaching the back entrance of the abbey, Tala slipped inside, heading towards his room. No body stopped him, and nobody questioned what hew as doing out so late. Ever since the lost they had suffered at the world championships, Boris had stopped caring about the team and about the abbey. He would disappear into his office for days at a time, ignoring everyone; it was only out of habit that the Demolition Boys remained there and continued training.
Tala stepped into his dark room, stripping off his clothes and leaving them in a trail on the floor behind him as he headed towards his small bathroom. Turning on the shower, he leaned against the sink, his eyes closed and lost in his own thoughts. When he was happy with the temperature of the shower water, he stepped inside.
Leaning his head back, he let the warm water run over his face and sweep his fiery red hair back. His mind began to wander, his head filling with images from the not too distant past. The image of a face flashed in Tala's memory, causing him to smile softly.
"Kai…" he mumbled, as his mind focused on the times they had spent together. The time they spent together had been short, but incredibly meaningful to Tala. Unconsciously, his hand drifted to his waist and grasped his growing arousal.
Truthfully, he missed Kai immensely. The silver haired blader was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he had honestly loved the teen. But now he was gone, and Tala didn't know when, if ever, he would be coming back. In losing the final match of the championships, Tala had lost Kai too. It was nobodies fault but his own.
His mind drifted back to happier memories of Kai. The first time he had seen Kai upon his return to the abbey, the times they had spent alone, training or talking together, the night Kai had surrendered himself to him and admitted his love…
Biting his lip to suppress a moan, Tala closed his eyes in ecstasy. God he missed Kai. Ever since the other balder had been forced to leave, Tala had been searching for someone to make him feel the way Kai had made him feel, the search had been fruitless. No one could ever replace Kai. The smell of his hair the warmth of his body, the shivers his fingers sent running through his body, the boys smiling face and the sound of his voice and rare, but nonetheless beautiful smiles….
With a gasp, Tala came, his essence spilling over his fingers. He leaned his head against the wall of the shower gasping for breath. "Oh Kai…" he whispered. "If only I had won."
Holding his hand up, he let the running water wash away the white substance on his fingers, Kai's laugh echoed in his head.
"Kai…It's all my fault you aren't here." He sighed. "I have to get him back…I just have to." he opened his eyes slowly. "I'll do anything."
**********
"'Peace, bread and land' is probably one the best known slogans used by the Bolsheviks during the October Revolution of 1917. Now, can anyone tell me…"
Sitting with his chin resting in his hands, Kai blinked lazily at his teacher's words and suppressed a yawn. He wasn't interested in hearing about the October Revolution anymore, but he kept his eyes focused on the teacher, trying to at least pretend he was paying attention to her words. Around him, several students raised their hands, ready to try and answer her questions. As he fought to keep his eyes open , he once again thought about how much he hated school, and how useless it was for him to be here.
After the world championships, he had returned home and started going to school again at a private academy his grandfather had chosen for him. For years before this, he had been schooled at home by private tutors who had taught him far beyond high school level material, but upon his return home, Voltaire had insisted he attend school. The only reason for this Kai could see was that Voltaire simply wanted an excuse to get him out of the house.
His eyes fluttered closed, his iron will finally beginning to succumb to boredom, when the shrill buzzer that signaled the end of class rang throughout the classroom. Snapping out of his daze, Kai sat up and stretched as the students around him rose and began to put away their textbooks and notebooks.
"Remember! Your term papers are due in two days! Don't forget!" the teacher cried as the noise level in the room rose and people began filing out.
A light jab in the side attracted Kai's attention. He looked up, frowning at the smiling face of the figure standing next to him.
"Come on, Kai. We'll be late if we don't get moving!"
"Yeah, yeah." He mumbled, gathering his things together quickly and standing up. He glared at the smiling face of the boy next to him. "Why are you so eager anyway, Liam?"
Liam smiled, pushing a strand of short brown hair away from his face. Kai was the only friend he had made at school after transferring there 3 months ago. Kai had transferred a few weeks later, and despite Liam's shy nature, he had made a great attempt to befriend the cold teen.
They walked out of the classroom and headed out in the busy, crowded hallways. Kai was looking as bored and moody as ever, but Liam continued to where his happy grin.
"You grew up in Russia, right Kai?" he asked, cheerfully trying to start a conversation.
"Uh huh."
"So why didn't you try to answer those questions? You probably know all about it."
Kai glared at him. Liam was always trying to get him to work hard and pay attention in class, but luckily enough, he wasn't very annoying about it. "Yeah, I do. But guess what? I've heard about that stuff so much that it's boring. I don't care."
Liam shrugged and continued trying to weave his way through the crowded halls. He was trying to avoid bumping into anyone who looked like they might cause trouble. His small size and shy attitude made him a bully magnet, and in fact that was how he had first met Kai.
The first day Kai had shown up at school had been a particularly bad one for Liam in terms of bullying, and he had actually first encountered Kai when he was about to get beaten to a pulp by some thugs. Something about what the bullies had been saying to Liam had struck a nerve in Kai, and the silver haired teen had proceeded to make them step off through hard words and even harder punches. Since then, Liam had followed Kai around like an adoring puppy dog, and eventually forged a delicate friendship with him.
A warning bell rang, and the hallways began to clear out as everyone rushed to their classes. Kai and Liam however, didn't change their pace. They still had a few minutes.
"By the way, Kai. Have you started your term paper, yet?" Liam asked, as Kai grabbed his arm to keep him from getting slammed by a classroom door as it slammed open in front of them. "Thanks."
Kai shrugged in response to his thanks and let go of his arm. "No, I haven't started."
"It's due in two days."
"I know."
"But Kai…"
"Would you shut up?" Kai snapped, cutting him off before he could continue. "Damn, you're worse than my guidance counselor. It'll be done on time, alright?"
Nodding sheepishly, Liam followed Kai through the doors leading outside as the two headed towards the gym. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in Kai; he just wanted the boy to work hard. "Maybe we can work on it together?"
Kai nodded. "Sure, why not." He growled, but his growl quickly turned into a groan as he spotted a group of girls heading towards them.
Liam followed his eyes and watched as one of the girls separated herself from her friends and walked towards them. His face broke into a grin as Kai rolled his scarlet eyes at him.
The girl stopped near them, looking down at the ground shyly and hem of her uniforms skirt nervously. "Uh, Kai? I was wandering if I could have a word with you?" she asked softly, not meeting his eyes.
"Hn." he replied, and apparently that was enough of a response for her, because she continued.
"Uh, privately?" she pressed, casting a glance at Liam.
Kai shook his head in irritation. "He stays. Anything you have to say can be said in front of him."
Liam grinned broadly as the girl shifted nervously. He knew what was coming, and he wasn't going to miss it for the world.
"Ah. Ok. Uh, well." She began to play with his hair. "I was just wandering if…you'd like to, I dunno. See a movie or something with me sometime?"
Kai sighed. "No." he said, more coldly than he had intended. Liam glared at him before jabbing him in the ribs. Kai looked at him and got his point. "Sorry."
The girl looked disappointed, but tried to hide it. "Oh, ok. That's ok. I was just wondering. But I suppose you have someone else…?"
"Yes." Kai added quickly. "I do."
"Oh. Ok. I'll see you around then." She said, and quickly headed back to her friends, who surrounded her like a swarm of hornets.
Liam watched her go. He supposed that he was the only one in the school who knew Kai's preference when it came to romance. Although Kai had been open about it with him, Liam wasn't sure if Kai wanted anyone else to know, and he wasn't about to risk having his legs broken because he let it slip.
They continued towards the gym, Liam glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. He also happened to know that Kai hadn't been lying when he said he was with someone else. His enigmatic friend rarely mentioned him; he knew that Kai already had a boyfriend, a boy named Tala who lived in another country.
He also knew that Kai was frighteningly devoted to Tala. They took gym together enough that Liam had noticed the scar on Kai's back that he said marked him as Tala's property.
Shaking his head, Liam wondered what the full story behind Tala and Kai's relationship was. Kai was hesitant to tell him much about it, but Liam somehow sensed that there was something deeper than just a normal high school fling between them…
I know it's kind of a slow start, but the next chapter will go into the events that directly followed Tala's loss, and how both he and Kai took it. So, please review and I'll get to work on that, ok? ^.^
Win Me Back
Part Two
Tala sat awake in bed, pale moonlight streaming through the small frost covered window and adding a soft glow to the room. A thin, white sheet covered his naked body from the waist down as he sat, with his head on his hand, staring off into space. Beside him, a stocky boy slept, every few seconds letting out a harsh snore, oblivious to Tala's alert and somewhat frustrated attitude.
Glancing down, Tala scowled as the boy mumbled something under his breath and rolled over, pulling the thin sheets more tightly around his body. Sighing to himself, Tala looked away from the boy and went back to staring into the darkness, his mind elsewhere.
The boy beside him was just like all the others, a one-night stand that meant nothing to him, and left him feeling bored and unsatisfied in the end. He hadn't even bothered to find out the boys name. Honestly, he didn't care who the kid was. He was just another nameless face that Tala was using to try and fill the gaping hole he felt inside himself. The only real thing about the boy that had attracted Tala's attention was his gray hair. His hair reminded Tala of someone; although the strands felt like steel wool in his fingers rather than the silver silk he longed for.
Sighing to himself again, Tala climbed slowly out the bed, not wanting to wake his companion. He didn't care about saying goodbye, and didn't feel like making any empty promises to see the boy again. Tala wasn't interested in seeing him ever again. The entire encounter left him feeling unsatisfied, although the boy had seemed pleased by it. Tala hadn't felt satisfied in a long time; the only person that really did that for him was gone.
Pulling on his clothes, Tala glanced one more time at the bed, glad to see that the figure was still fast asleep, unaware that he had left the bed. Leaving the room noiselessly, he slipped out into the dark night, stuffing his cold hands into the pockets as he wandered the mostly empty streets of Moscow. He wasn't worried about running into trouble, he had walked these streets enough to know where he should avoid if he didn't want to be bothered.
He considered heading down to the river to sit and think, but decided against it. He wanted to go home and sleep, but first he needed a shower. Ignoring the shadowy figures that wandered the streets, he headed back towards the abbey. Nobody paying any attention to him as he walked, after all, he was one of them, a lost soul walking towards Nowhere.
Reaching the back entrance of the abbey, Tala slipped inside, heading towards his room. No body stopped him, and nobody questioned what hew as doing out so late. Ever since the lost they had suffered at the world championships, Boris had stopped caring about the team and about the abbey. He would disappear into his office for days at a time, ignoring everyone; it was only out of habit that the Demolition Boys remained there and continued training.
Tala stepped into his dark room, stripping off his clothes and leaving them in a trail on the floor behind him as he headed towards his small bathroom. Turning on the shower, he leaned against the sink, his eyes closed and lost in his own thoughts. When he was happy with the temperature of the shower water, he stepped inside.
Leaning his head back, he let the warm water run over his face and sweep his fiery red hair back. His mind began to wander, his head filling with images from the not too distant past. The image of a face flashed in Tala's memory, causing him to smile softly.
"Kai…" he mumbled, as his mind focused on the times they had spent together. The time they spent together had been short, but incredibly meaningful to Tala. Unconsciously, his hand drifted to his waist and grasped his growing arousal.
Truthfully, he missed Kai immensely. The silver haired blader was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he had honestly loved the teen. But now he was gone, and Tala didn't know when, if ever, he would be coming back. In losing the final match of the championships, Tala had lost Kai too. It was nobodies fault but his own.
His mind drifted back to happier memories of Kai. The first time he had seen Kai upon his return to the abbey, the times they had spent alone, training or talking together, the night Kai had surrendered himself to him and admitted his love…
Biting his lip to suppress a moan, Tala closed his eyes in ecstasy. God he missed Kai. Ever since the other balder had been forced to leave, Tala had been searching for someone to make him feel the way Kai had made him feel, the search had been fruitless. No one could ever replace Kai. The smell of his hair the warmth of his body, the shivers his fingers sent running through his body, the boys smiling face and the sound of his voice and rare, but nonetheless beautiful smiles….
With a gasp, Tala came, his essence spilling over his fingers. He leaned his head against the wall of the shower gasping for breath. "Oh Kai…" he whispered. "If only I had won."
Holding his hand up, he let the running water wash away the white substance on his fingers, Kai's laugh echoed in his head.
"Kai…It's all my fault you aren't here." He sighed. "I have to get him back…I just have to." he opened his eyes slowly. "I'll do anything."
**********
"'Peace, bread and land' is probably one the best known slogans used by the Bolsheviks during the October Revolution of 1917. Now, can anyone tell me…"
Sitting with his chin resting in his hands, Kai blinked lazily at his teacher's words and suppressed a yawn. He wasn't interested in hearing about the October Revolution anymore, but he kept his eyes focused on the teacher, trying to at least pretend he was paying attention to her words. Around him, several students raised their hands, ready to try and answer her questions. As he fought to keep his eyes open , he once again thought about how much he hated school, and how useless it was for him to be here.
After the world championships, he had returned home and started going to school again at a private academy his grandfather had chosen for him. For years before this, he had been schooled at home by private tutors who had taught him far beyond high school level material, but upon his return home, Voltaire had insisted he attend school. The only reason for this Kai could see was that Voltaire simply wanted an excuse to get him out of the house.
His eyes fluttered closed, his iron will finally beginning to succumb to boredom, when the shrill buzzer that signaled the end of class rang throughout the classroom. Snapping out of his daze, Kai sat up and stretched as the students around him rose and began to put away their textbooks and notebooks.
"Remember! Your term papers are due in two days! Don't forget!" the teacher cried as the noise level in the room rose and people began filing out.
A light jab in the side attracted Kai's attention. He looked up, frowning at the smiling face of the figure standing next to him.
"Come on, Kai. We'll be late if we don't get moving!"
"Yeah, yeah." He mumbled, gathering his things together quickly and standing up. He glared at the smiling face of the boy next to him. "Why are you so eager anyway, Liam?"
Liam smiled, pushing a strand of short brown hair away from his face. Kai was the only friend he had made at school after transferring there 3 months ago. Kai had transferred a few weeks later, and despite Liam's shy nature, he had made a great attempt to befriend the cold teen.
They walked out of the classroom and headed out in the busy, crowded hallways. Kai was looking as bored and moody as ever, but Liam continued to where his happy grin.
"You grew up in Russia, right Kai?" he asked, cheerfully trying to start a conversation.
"Uh huh."
"So why didn't you try to answer those questions? You probably know all about it."
Kai glared at him. Liam was always trying to get him to work hard and pay attention in class, but luckily enough, he wasn't very annoying about it. "Yeah, I do. But guess what? I've heard about that stuff so much that it's boring. I don't care."
Liam shrugged and continued trying to weave his way through the crowded halls. He was trying to avoid bumping into anyone who looked like they might cause trouble. His small size and shy attitude made him a bully magnet, and in fact that was how he had first met Kai.
The first day Kai had shown up at school had been a particularly bad one for Liam in terms of bullying, and he had actually first encountered Kai when he was about to get beaten to a pulp by some thugs. Something about what the bullies had been saying to Liam had struck a nerve in Kai, and the silver haired teen had proceeded to make them step off through hard words and even harder punches. Since then, Liam had followed Kai around like an adoring puppy dog, and eventually forged a delicate friendship with him.
A warning bell rang, and the hallways began to clear out as everyone rushed to their classes. Kai and Liam however, didn't change their pace. They still had a few minutes.
"By the way, Kai. Have you started your term paper, yet?" Liam asked, as Kai grabbed his arm to keep him from getting slammed by a classroom door as it slammed open in front of them. "Thanks."
Kai shrugged in response to his thanks and let go of his arm. "No, I haven't started."
"It's due in two days."
"I know."
"But Kai…"
"Would you shut up?" Kai snapped, cutting him off before he could continue. "Damn, you're worse than my guidance counselor. It'll be done on time, alright?"
Nodding sheepishly, Liam followed Kai through the doors leading outside as the two headed towards the gym. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in Kai; he just wanted the boy to work hard. "Maybe we can work on it together?"
Kai nodded. "Sure, why not." He growled, but his growl quickly turned into a groan as he spotted a group of girls heading towards them.
Liam followed his eyes and watched as one of the girls separated herself from her friends and walked towards them. His face broke into a grin as Kai rolled his scarlet eyes at him.
The girl stopped near them, looking down at the ground shyly and hem of her uniforms skirt nervously. "Uh, Kai? I was wandering if I could have a word with you?" she asked softly, not meeting his eyes.
"Hn." he replied, and apparently that was enough of a response for her, because she continued.
"Uh, privately?" she pressed, casting a glance at Liam.
Kai shook his head in irritation. "He stays. Anything you have to say can be said in front of him."
Liam grinned broadly as the girl shifted nervously. He knew what was coming, and he wasn't going to miss it for the world.
"Ah. Ok. Uh, well." She began to play with his hair. "I was just wandering if…you'd like to, I dunno. See a movie or something with me sometime?"
Kai sighed. "No." he said, more coldly than he had intended. Liam glared at him before jabbing him in the ribs. Kai looked at him and got his point. "Sorry."
The girl looked disappointed, but tried to hide it. "Oh, ok. That's ok. I was just wondering. But I suppose you have someone else…?"
"Yes." Kai added quickly. "I do."
"Oh. Ok. I'll see you around then." She said, and quickly headed back to her friends, who surrounded her like a swarm of hornets.
Liam watched her go. He supposed that he was the only one in the school who knew Kai's preference when it came to romance. Although Kai had been open about it with him, Liam wasn't sure if Kai wanted anyone else to know, and he wasn't about to risk having his legs broken because he let it slip.
They continued towards the gym, Liam glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. He also happened to know that Kai hadn't been lying when he said he was with someone else. His enigmatic friend rarely mentioned him; he knew that Kai already had a boyfriend, a boy named Tala who lived in another country.
He also knew that Kai was frighteningly devoted to Tala. They took gym together enough that Liam had noticed the scar on Kai's back that he said marked him as Tala's property.
Shaking his head, Liam wondered what the full story behind Tala and Kai's relationship was. Kai was hesitant to tell him much about it, but Liam somehow sensed that there was something deeper than just a normal high school fling between them…
I know it's kind of a slow start, but the next chapter will go into the events that directly followed Tala's loss, and how both he and Kai took it. So, please review and I'll get to work on that, ok? ^.^