Wyatt trailed behind me as I walked toward the main exist, trying to act as normal as I possibly could and not at all like I was doing something I wasn't supposed to be. Thankfully I had more or less mastered that element.

"Stop looking suspicious." I glared at him. He was currently trying to control a giggle fit, covering his mouth with his hands like a child. Between the sheer amount of students we had signing in and out on a regular basis and the constant switching of adults who were in charge of making sure we did so, I was quite confident we wouldn't be recognized as students who normally needed permission in order to be off of school grounds. Besides, that was the reason we had dragged Ivo along with us, hoping to blend in with a day student who regularly went to and from school grounds and then back with his host family during the evening.

Still, although I hid my nerves remarkably well, it didn't change the fact that I was concerned about being caught. Getting in trouble in school resulted in incredibly boring punishments and I was never the type of person who handled boredom well.

Approaching the desk, we simply scanned our school ID's, looking as normal as we possibly could and attempting to make eye contact with the teaching who currently watched over the students who were leaving. She hardly even looked at us, a good sign.

"Come on." I said, taking Wyatt's hand and leaving the same way we did when we would sign out normally.

As soon as we got far enough away, Wyatt went into a hyperactive fit of hysterics.

"I can't believe that actually worked!" He laughed.

Actually, I was also rather surprised at how little difficulty we had. Clearly the teachers here are not paid enough to give a shit about us and what we do.

"What do you plan on doing now?" Ivo asked, his accent causing me to need to concentrate a bit harder in order to understand what he was saying. "Your friend was looking for you the week you were gone. Kept trying to sneak on campus to find you. Is that where you're heading off to?"

I frowned, my look of perplexity carved sharply onto my face.

"Tyson?" I wouldn't put it past him to come looking for me or to try sneaking on campus after I had refused to answer his emails, but I had contacted him as soon as my father gave me a cell phone.

"Nah, the big guy. Struck me as a bit of a muscle head and wasn't what I would typically call the friendly type. Not anyone I've ever seen with your team."

"I have no idea who you're talking about." I said. "Probably just a fan trying to stalk me." I raised an eyebrow at Wyatt. "It wouldn't be the first time."

"You wish." He smirked.

"Just keep an eye out. If you really don't know him then he might not be safe."

He did have a point, I had been coaxed into battles in the past and if people were desperate enough it could be dangerous. I didn't want Wyatt dragged into any of that with me. I wasn't even completely sure I wanted him too close to my team. The more I thought about it the more I preferred the idea of keeping those parts of my life separate. Was that an option, though? Could I really make both work?

That was the delay I was currently finding myself in.

Waving each other off, Ivo separated from the two of us toward the train station in order to set off to his host family, leaving me alone with Wyatt and all of the questions that had now taken over his mind.

"You should let Tyson know what's going on." He suggested after accepting that I wasn't going to bring it up myself. "If there's someone looking for you who you don't know you need to let your team know."

"It isn't anything I can't handle." I had my hands shoved into the pockets of my coat and was focused on the pebble that I was currently kicking down the sidewalk. "People are all talk, if this guy wants to find me so badly then let him. He'll be no match for me."

"It's been awhile since I've heard you smack talk." He giggled slightly. "Itching for a little bit of competition before your next tournament?"

"I'm not sure if I want to compete anymore." I admitted, hiding the shame behind my bangs.

Wyatt froze dramatically.

"You're joking, right?"

"Why would I be joking?"

I had been thinking it over for awhile now. I liked being in school, I liked feeling like a normal teenager for once in my life. Minus the gay part maybe, but it was normal to me. I didn't know anything else.

"Kai, you're part of a world championship winning team. You're an incredible blader, you can't just give that up."

"Shouldn't that be my decision to make?"

Pausing briefly, Wyatt sighed, pressing his fingers into his temples.

"Yes." He admitted. "Of course it should, but why? Why would you want to stop beyblading? It's your passion."

It was my passion… I thought to myself. I couldn't put Wyatt in danger because of my title, though. The rest of my team could still take care of themselves without me, they could still win without me. They were good, that was why we were champions.

"Don't you think it's about time I started figuring out what I want to do with my life? I complete for three months out of the year and then what?"

"You train, practice. The same thing you do every year. There's always room for improvement."

"You don't get it."

"So explain it."

I sighed. I knew Wyatt cared about me, he wanted to understand but it wasn't that easy. How could I explain without making myself sound like a narcissist?

"How am I supposed to do that as a champion, exactly? I can't exactly find competition at your average training facility. I'm used to people wanting to fight me, but I'm not wasting my time battling amateurs. I'm not getting anything out of that."

"So you want to quit because you're bored?"

"It's complicated. Can we not talk about this right now?"

He sounded mad, which was strange as he wasn't the one giving anything up. He didn't understand what others were willing to do for the type of power that we had, the danger we had faced during the championship in Russia wasn't a one time incident and allowing Wyatt into that part of my life made him a target. They could use him to get to me and I couldn't allow that. I wouldn't put him in danger.

He took my hand gently, almost as if he were afraid I'd break. We had been walking for awhile now and had made it to the beachfront path. Sitting me down on a bench and placing himself next to me, he pressed his lips to mine.

Although I allowed the public display of affection, I pulled away fairly quickly.

"We shouldn't do this here..."

I could sense the tension as his shoulders dropped, a harsh blush filling out his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I just thought-"

"Haru is full of shit." I interrupted, taking in the shame on his face. "I'm not embarrassed by you."

"It's okay, Kai." He faked a shy smile, gazing downward. "I understand that you don't like being in the spotlight. Having a romantic relationship when you're straight is going to get you attention, and in your case being in a relationship with another guy is a lot to handle. People are going to talk; ask you questions. I know that's not something you're comfortable with."

"Don't tell me what I'm comfortable with."

I was becoming agitated now, unsure how to explain without giving away the reality. He would deny he was in danger or say he didn't care, that he could protect himself just fine but it wasn't his job to protect himself. It was my job to keep him away from the danger in the first place. Actually, I was so distracted by my discomfort that I didn't immediately notice what he has actually said.

"Wait..." I paused. "What did you say?"

"That it's understandable that you aren't comfortable."

"You said relationship."

I was blushing now, I could tell. It was cold out but heat was radiating off of my face.

"I mean..." He also appeared a bit embarrassed, even though it was me who had asked about the term in the past, unsure of what to call us. "It's true, right? After all, you did tell your dad that I'm your boyfriend. You wouldn't have done that if the thought hadn't entered your head."

Remembering the time I had spent with my father caused a knot to form in my stomach. He had texted me a few times since I had been back at school and I had yet to answer, unable to ignore that the last time we had seen one another I had been hospitalized for what he had believed to be a suicide attempt. Not only that but I had neglected to tell Wyatt about any of it. If no one had found me it was unlikely that I would have woken up; I wasn't in denial of that.

I would have never seen him again…

Wyatt seemed to sense my uncertainty and discomfort, changing the subject just as the awkward silence had begun overstaying it's welcome.

"Come on." He waved me off the bench, walking backward ahead of me in order to make sure I was going to follow him.

"You aren't gonna make me sign my name to something again, are you?" I smirked. "Whenever you want me to follow you we end up somewhere you can show off your bro energy."

"Well mostly I'm just in disbelief that Kai Hiwitari just used the term 'bro energy'."

"You've said yourself that you're rubbing off on me."

"I also actually rubbed you off so there's that too."

I blushed again, still holding a small amount of shame regarding what had happened between us in his bed that night. I liked it, I had consented to it, but I still wasn't keen on actually thinking about it.

Choosing not to say anything else, I decided to just follow him and hope for the best in regards to whatever his current plan was.

He had my trust.

"You're absolutely positive that you aren't bringing me anywhere that involves signing my name to anything, right?" I asked once more, following Wyatt up the stairs of a tall and mostly uninhabited building. The sun was beginning to set and seeing as I had already served one detention this week I was hoping to get back to school before we ended up in trouble. Sneaking out was easy enough with the computer but if our friends noticed we had been off grounds the entire day it was likely for them to assume we had permission, meaning that no one was going to sign us in during dinner. I had learned earlier in the year that not signing in during mandatory attendance was one of the worst crimes a boarding school brat could ever commit.

"I promise." Wyatt laughed. He had taken me by the hand and was pulling me alongside him, a habit that I was very much used to at this point in time. "Just one more floor, we're almost there."

That one more floor had brought us up to the roof as we exited the main doorway and out into the unoccupied space that was laid out before us.

"Are you going to tell me what you're doing?" I said.

His grip on my hand had softened and he pulled me along now in a way that felt more romantic than adventurous, walking me to the very edge of the rooftop and pointing toward the beachfront that we had sat merely moments ago.

As the sun continued setting, a plethora of vibrant colors lit up the ocean line, creating a mixed affect that took up a large portion of the sky.

That little shit had noticed that I liked nature… apparently making note of the fact that I sometimes watched the sunset during the cold months when it began getting dark earlier.

"Not bad." I smirked.

He sat down at the edge of the buildings roof top, resting his arms on the fence that was designed to prevent anyone from falling off and dangling his feet over the side. Looking up at me with the puppy dog eyes that drove me crazy, he patted the spot next to him, signaling for me to sit.

I obeyed without hesitation, allowing him to take my hand and interlace his fingers with mine.

"I want to tell my parents that you're my boyfriend." He admitted quietly, a hint of pink filling in his cheeks. "If that's okay with you."

Although in most cases his words would likely catch me off guard, for some reason they didn't. Instead I answered with little to no reluctance.

"I would be a hypocrite if I told you no."

He looked at me shyly and smirked, taking his hand that didn't currently hold my own and brushing my bangs back so that he could see my face clearly.

"I'm not exactly what I would call out to my parents, but it's complicated because I also wouldn't say that I'm in. I think they've had their suspicions for awhile, but really it's only my sister Cecile who I've ever actually said the words 'I'm gay' to. I'm tired of pretending I'm something I'm not. I don't want to sweep it under the rug anymore."

It wasn't going to be long before we were a major news story. I was already delaying my own training, something I should have started on after the new year, and once we hit the last week of May it would be time for us to begin training as a team. That was when the paparazzi would start being up my ass about what was already a small town topic, even if currently only in our home towns. I had to decide what I would do about it. I could deny the evidence, ignore all questions and respond to reporters with my preferred choice of several grunts, or I could own up to the obvious. I was gay and Wyatt was my boyfriend.

Why did any of that matter, though? It was my life and our business, the entire world didn't need to know the nature of our relationship and in most situations I wouldn't be sharing it. I know if he was a girl I wouldn't be giving the media questions any of my time. The problem was that when you're gay it gets a little more complicated… I didn't want him thinking that Haru's words had any truth to them. Maybe in a way I did feel some shame in myself, but none of that had anything to do with him. I wasn't embarrassed by him.

"I'm not going to have to meet your parents now, am I?" I asked, genuinely a bit concerned about that part. I wasn't good at meeting new people and had never experienced being introduced as someones significant other before.

"Not unless you plan on flying to The States with me." He giggled. "I highly doubt my parents are going to fly here for anything, they still aren't happy with me right now and I'm about to make it so much worse. I can already hear my mothers rant about how I'm ruining the family name and asking why I would ever do something like this to hurt her."

I felt bad for him… as much as I wasn't ready to have my father back in my life, he had taken my coming out extremely well. It had actually annoyed me that he didn't disown me for it as it would have been a nice excuse to never have to speak to him again.

"My dad wants to meet you eventually." I admitted, blushing slightly and keeping my gaze at my dangling feet.

"Do you think it's a good idea? I know you still feel weird around your dad."

"Up until a few months ago I didn't even have a dad, it's not exactly something that I'm going to warm up to immediately. Everyone expects me to forgive him and I don't."

Wyatt unlaced our fingers, taking his hand off mine and wrapping his arm around my waist.

"Then don't forgive him." He said bluntly. "The rest of the world doesn't get to tell you what to do."

I turned to face him as he leaned into me, pressing our lips together gently. The palm my hand cupped his cheek and he pulled me into him with the arm that was still wrapped around me, meaning I angled over him a bit now. Normally he would be trying to get into my mouth by this point, instead opting out and kissing me instead with what felt like a bit of caution. Although our lips did open slightly, allowing entrance if we wanted, we instead focused on the sensation inside of us. At least I did, I didn't know if Wyatt was feeling the same thing I was. Currently it was the fluttering of my stomach that was making its way up into my chest along with a slight tingling sensation in my crotch. His cheek felt warm in my hand and the breeze blowing over us caused his hair to brush against my face.

I liked him… I mean I really liked him. He made me feel things I had never felt before and he was willing to stay by my side and help me figure those feelings out, something I didn't think I would have ever done for anyone else.

Parting our lips, I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him into my chest and resting my cheek on the top of his head. I was holding him tightly, almost squeezing him.

"We should go back." He said quietly, his head nuzzled into my neck. "It's starting to get late."

As much as I didn't want to let him go, I knew he was right. The last thing we needed was to be in trouble again. Besides, now we would be able to leave freely after school was over and on weekends, at least until we were caught, which was bound to happen eventually. Not that I cared about the consequences, I honestly didn't. I didn't care about anything other than Wyatt right now…

Making our way back down the stairs of the building I was jolted out of my romantic thoughts by my phone going off in my pocket. I had another text message from my father, who I was pretty sure had learned the past few days I wasn't going to answer unless absolutely necessary.

A detective came to speak with me today regarding your mother. Your case worker and psychiatrist have also spoken with me and I think it would be best that you and I sat down and talked. You are not in any trouble, I love you. - Dad

Wyatt noticed me freeze up on the last flight of stairs, the color now completely drained from my already pale face.

"Are you okay?" He asked with genuine concern.

"Yeah." I lied, putting my phone back in my pocket and wiping my clammy hands on my pants. I was shaking and I needed to stop before I made myself look even more suspicious.

"Do you need to sit down?"

"I need to get back to my dorm." I knew I was being snippy but it was currently hard for me to control. "Don't ask me any more questions, okay?"

He didn't respond, only stared at me in a silent confusion before giving a concerned nod and continuing to walk. He was the only person who knew to listen to me when I said I didn't want to talk. He knew not to push me.

Making it the short distance back to school, I told Wyatt to sign in for me at dinner and then went upstairs quickly, finding it difficult to keep my balance on the elevator with my legs shaking. I needed a minute. I needed to sleep this off or to get drunk or get high or something. I just needed to not be where I was right now, which was lost in my head and struggling to get back out.

That didn't happen, though…

Because as soon as I opened the door to my dorm room I was met with the cold breeze that was supposed to be reserved for outside and the sight of shattered glass coating the floor.

Someone had broken into my room through the window… but that wasn't possible. I was up too high and there wasn't anything you could climb in order to make it up here. Besides, the window wasn't open, just shattered, currently sporting a hole roughly the size of a grapefruit, maybe a little smaller.

Turning, I inspected the area for any other damage, locking eyes with a horizontal slice that had been cut into the wall in an effort to turn back around and leave the window the same way it had come.

Someone had broken into my dorm room with a Beyblade?