Disclaimer: same ol', same ol'

A/N: Hi you guys! :) Just a quick shoutout to Stuti Mohanty, Little A Granger, Julia Fernandez Hiwatari, BakaClara and never123 for being awesome supportive and then I'm gonna jump right in!

Chapter 22

Chemistry

"Ugh, where is that blasted backpack?"

Tyson slammed his fist against the doorframe in frustration. This just wasn't his day.

He'd realized this morning that it was Saturday. Which meant school started again in less than 48 hours, and he had done absolutely no homework so far. He then had a large breakfast, to get over the shock. When it got close to noon and he couldn't put it off any longer, he dragged himself to his room to start his homework, only to find… nothing. His bag wasn't there. Ever since then he'd been turning the house upside down, stomping his feet, yelling out his frustrations – short, the very definition of throwing a tantrum.

Tyson rubbed his sore hand. Where had Christmas break gone?

The past days had practically flown by. They had spent them grouped around the kotatsu, playing games with Ray, watching movies or sharing memories while the wind had howled and blown snowflakes around the house. The Blitzkrieg Boys had joined them for a last dumpling night, and then first Bryan and Spencer, and a few days later Ray had gotten on a plane and returned home.

Tyson sighed. He missed them, even bat-shit-crazy Bryan. With all of them gone, there were also fewer people he could use as a buffer between Kai and himself. Yes, a buffer. Tyson had taken his talk with Ray to heart and done his best to keep out of dangerous situations. Anything that could cause him to give into his emotions. So Tyson had slept in his own bed, offered his guests the seat on the couch next to Kai, and so on.

He'd tried so hard, but still there had been the one or other moment. Like that time their feet had brushed under the kotatsu's cover. The prickling feeling had instantly spread from Tyson's foot through his entire body. Like putting a finger into a power-outlet, only much less power and not life‑threatening. (So maybe not like putting a finger into a power-outlet.) It had taken all Tyson's self‑restraint to move his foot. Then there had been that moment when Kai had put a hand on Tyson's shoulder and asked him if he was alright, after Tyson had walked into a doorframe. He'd been daydreaming. About Kai, no surprise there. Their eyes had met and they'd sort of frozen in place, until Ray had saved Tyson by pulling him to the kitchen to get some ice. It had also been Ray who'd quickly taken the middle seat when they'd gone to the movies together one night.

Ray. What was he going to do without Ray around? Tyson sighed. Maybe with Ray's psychic powers he'd even have found his backpack by now.

He shook his still throbbing hand and was just about to continue his search, when Kai poked his head around the corner.

"Any luck?"

"Nope. I just remember thinking I'd probably regret putting it there. And right I was," Tyson said and frowned.

Kai leaned against the doorframe and tapped a finger against his forehead, thinking.

"I remember you coming home with it. But I cannot remember seeing it after we came into the house."

"Good to know it's not a school. Coming home, coming into-… Aaah! I know!"

Tyson dashed from the room into the entrance area and dug around in the darkest corner, until:

"Ha, there it is!"

He returned to the kitchen, his backpack triumphantly held out in front of him.

"You're brilliant, Kai!"

"Thanks," Kai murmured.

He turned slightly pinkish. He done so a lot, lately. Tyson looked away whenever that was possible, because the sight of a blushing Kai was too much for him to handle. He then often resorted to an 'even if' argumentation – even if he liked Kai, and even if Kai had some feelings for him too, the situation was too darn complicated. He was really getting desperate.

To distract himself, Tyson began to empty his bag onto the kitchen table. He carelessly dropped it onto the floor and picked up his homework sheet.

"Oh god, I forgot I had to do this… and that… seriously, that too? Don't they know we were on break?"

He sank onto the closest chair and let his head fall onto the tabletop.

"Do you need help?"

Tyson slightly turned his head so he could look up at Kai.

"Yeees," he said in his most pitiful voice. "Pretty please."

"You need to stop saying that! You're not a little girl!"

Tala had appeared next to Kai in the doorway. He stared at Tyson and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What's with this pity-party?" he then asked Kai.

"Tyson hasn't done any homework yet," Kai explained. "There seems to be a lot of it."

"Ah. Well, he should have started earlier then, shouldn't he."

"Not helping," Tyson growled.

"Not trying to," Tala shot back. "Come on, Kai, we'll go play wii."

Tala strolled away.

Tyson sighed heavily.

"It's okay. You can go play. I'll be fine."

It was for the better anyways. Him and Kai, alone in his room… potentially dangerous. Ugh who was he kidding? Every interaction with Kai was potentially dangerous, because Kai was Kai.

"I'll help you later."

"Okay. If I haven't killed myself by then," Tyson said melodramatically.

"Hang in there," Kai said and gave him an encouraging smile. "Not much longer until graduation."

Tyson finally lifted his head off the tabletop.

"Speaking of which – will you come to my graduation?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"Pinkie promise?" Tyson asked and held out his hand with his pinkie sticking out.

Kai laughed.

"Pinkie promise!"

He walked over to him and entwined his pinkie with Tyson's. The light touch was enough to sent shivers down Tyson's spine. He looked up at Kai, who'd gone pinkish again.

Neither of them moved.

"Hey yo, Kai, you coming?" Tala called from the living room.

Kai let go at once.

"Err, yeah," he called over his shoulder. "Yeah, I'm coming."

He gave Tyson a cricket smile and hurried from the room.

He'd just been thinking about dangerous situation and yet here he went and made Kai pinkie promise. How stupid could he be?! Tyson dropped his head back onto the tabletop. The wood felt cool against his flaming hot cheeks. He placed a hand over his heart – it was hammering in his chest.

Oh Dragoon give me strength, he thought.

He glanced down on his hand, on the pinkie Kai had just entwined with his own. His lips formed a silly grin. In a way he'd held hands with Kai.

"Oi, Tyson! Are you sleeping? The homework ain't gonna do itself, ma man!"

Tyson jolted upright.

"I'm not sleeping!"

"Well get crackin' then!" Gramps said.

Tyson snorted. He quickly gathered his stuff into a large, messy pile and carried everything into his room, where he shut the door and took a seat at his desk.

Right, he said to himself. Homework. Distraction. This is good for you.

And then he got to work.

Tyson was surprised how much work he could get done, when he actually put his mind to it. Surprised, and seriously impressed! Some of the assignments had looked a lot more work than they had turned out to be, others he simply did a shitty job on – honestly, what was he ever going to need advanced chemistry for? If anything he needed introduction to chemistry again. Anyways. He had now crossed everything off his list, except for math and history. Math he sucked at. He'd either have to get help or do what he always did and copy the results from Kenny before class started. History he sucked at as well, but if he was honest, he had saved that for last because he knew Kai liked the subject and really just wanted to ask for his help. And yes, he was fully aware of the risks… but he couldn't just stop interacting with Kai, right? That would hurt Kai, and he'd never ever do anything to hurt Kai.

Nice, the way his brain found a justification for everything. Very creative.

Tyson sorted away all the homework that was done, stretched and got up to find Kai. The house was very quiet as he stepped out into the hallway.

"Kai? Tala?" he called.

He peeked into the living room. Empty. He continued on to the kitchen. There he didn't find Kai, nor Tala, but at least Gramps.

"Where's everyone?" he asked.

"Tala went to train. Kai decided to do the same," Gramps said. In a most judgmental voice he added, "You have Kendo attire, too – why don't you practice with Kai? Some exercise would do you good, after the holidays."

"Subtle, Gramps," Tyson murmured.

Gramps gave him a pat on the back and got up.

"Imma go buy groceries. You be good, Tyson."

Tyson waited for his grandfather to be out of sight, then made a face at him. It was satisfactory enough, even with Gramps not seeing it. It was also safer with Gramps not seeing it - Gramps was and old geezer, yeah, but he'd still kick Tyson's butt if he ever caught Tyson pulling a face at him.

Tyson thought for a moment, then decided he might as well do as Gramps suggested. He trotted back into his room and pulled his Kendo clothing from the back-bottom corner of his closet.

"Still fits," he muttered as he turned and twisted in front of the mirror minutes later. "Take that, Gramps."

He flexed, then wiggled his eyebrows at his reflection in the mirror.

"Boom. Look at those guns. Gained weight in all the right places."

His gazed dropped a bit lower to his stomach region. Well, whatever. The suit still fit! He spun on his heels and hurried from his room, through the empty house and down the outer corridor towards the dojo.

"Kaaii! Kai, let's train together!" he yelled as he approached the dojo.

Why he was yelling through the closed doors he didn't know. Maybe part of him was screaming for him to turn and run the opposite direction, away from Kai and the constant threat of Tyson's teenage hormones getting the better of him. Maybe he wanted to take that opportunity away from that screaming part. Maybe it was because he missed spending time alone with Kai.

Maybe.

Well, suck it, inner voice, he thought as he reached for the door.

"Hey Kai, I'll show you some cool mo-…"

With his hand still on the sliding door he stopped dead in his track. The words caught in his throat as he found himself nose to nose with none other than Kai. Oh. He'd not seen this one coming. He noticed briefly that Kai had a hand on the door as well. He must have opened it the very moment Tyson had, too. Possibly to see what all the noise was about.

And I thought this stuff only happens in chick-flicks, Tyson thought.

He was still unable to utter as much as a syllable. Along with the ability to move his vocal cords, he'd lost the ability to move the rest of his body. His breath had hitched, and he could have sworn even his heart had stopped for a moment. Tyson guessed his breathing set in again eventually. He knew for sure his heartbeat did – it did so at absolute record speed.

Kai was so close! Tyson was sure he was close enough to feel Kai's breath on his skin, and it sent a tingling feeling through his entire body. As if every one of Kai's breaths sent an electric shock through Tyson's body. Only much less powerful and much less deadly. Oh, not that again…

It seemed Kai's mere presence was enough to put his brain out of order. Bits and pieces of random things were rushing through Tyson's fuzzy head, like the change of color of Kai's eyes, the fact that he hadn't checked if it was still snowing, or that he'd forgotten to tie his hair back properly.

Every fiber of his body seemed to be pulled towards Kai. He wanted nothing more than to fall into the other's arms, or to slightly get on his tiptoes and brush his lips against Kai's. Why didn't Kai move? He was unable to break eye-contact with Kai. The crimson eyes were drawing him in.

There it was again, that chemistry between them.

Maybe I should have paid attention in chemistry after all, Tyson thought. Then he thought, But isn't the stuff with the electricity physics? Why do people talk about chemistry between each other?

Finally he thought, I'm glad Ray isn't around to use his psychic powers to listen in on my dumb thoughts.

Ray… where was his buffer in this hour of need? Even with his brain this mushy, Tyson knew this situation was more than potentially dangerous. But what could he do? Kai's eyes had captured him. How could he possibly escape on his own?

So beautiful, he thought. And so close. How …

Just when Tyson figured he was done for a loud clattering sound disrupted the silence. The two of them practically jumped a step back. Tyson frantically looked around for the source of the noise that had just saved his butt.

"S-sorry," Kai mumbled.

He bent down and picked up the wooden sword he'd just dropped.

Kai cleared his throat.

"It slipped."

Tyson nodded hastily.

"Happens all the time."

He hastily stepped past Kai into the dojo and went to get a sword for himself.

Phew, he thought as he picked up his favorite one, that was pretty darn close!

Tyson had intended to practice blocking and attacking, so Kai could get a feeling what it was he was practicing by himself. After the little (major) door incident, Tyson changed his mind. He'd show him a simple kata instead, a sort of choreography of different strikes and blocks. The beauty of it was they'd be doing them side by side without any physical contact whatsoever.

Not that he'd had physical contact with Kai when they'd stood in the doorway. If Kai hadn't dropped his sort, Tyson had the feeling there might have been some though.

Oh god, I'm an animal, he thought.

He shook his head to rid himself of the thought. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kai watching him, so he put on a smile and turned around.

"Ready for you first kata?"

They practiced for an hour or so. Tyson did his best to avoid looking at Kai, because it quickly turned into him drooling. Why did he have to look so good in this clothing?! He wore it like he'd never worn anything else, like he was a prince from an earlier time.

No, no, no, Tyson told himself off. Distraction, now!

He looked around. Floorboards. Swords. Kai looking handsome. Sliding doors. Kai.

This sure was working well for him!

Tyson gave a low growl. He'd never thought he'd once think like this, but his homework was more appealing by the minute. All alone at his desk. For hours.

Wow, new low point, Tyson thought.

"I, err," he cleared his throat. "I'll head back. Lots to do."

"Do you need help?"

"I, um, I think I'll try by myself first – feeling a bit ambitious."

Kai nodded.

Was it Tyson's raging hormones, or did he look disappointed for a moment?

Out, his inner voice yelled, get out. Now!

He swiftly turned away and walked over to the far wall of the dojo to put his sword back where it belonged.

"You did well today Kai, I really must sa-…Aah!"

Turning back, Tyson found himself practically nose to nose with Kai for the second time today. Again, Tyson had not seen this coming. He had not heard Kai following him. Either he had moved soundless like a ninja, or Tyson had been too lost in thought to hear him. Both possible. And neither mattered right now, because again, Kai didn't move.

Tyson's heart leaped. He'd done that on purpose, hadn't he? Oh god, he needed a way out, and quickly.

"Gosh, you surprised me," Tyson said and laughed nervously.

Kai didn't laugh, or even smile. He looked quite serious. In a way that reminded Tyson of the old Kai a lot. It made him taller, somehow. Or maybe Tyson had just forgotten how tall Kai was.

His heart now hammered in his chest, and Tyson felt his breathing go shallow.

What was going on?

"I… I have been wondering…"

Kai's voice was low and a little hoarse. The sound of it gave Tyson goosebumps. Thankfully the long sleeves hid them well. Kai took a step closer. Tyson instinctively stepped back and promptly bumped against the wall. So much for that.

Kai didn't take his eyes off him for a second as he asked, "Is there something you left out?"

"Le-le-left out?" Tyson stammered.

"When you told me about you… and me."

Suddenly Tyson was thankful for the support of the wall behind his back. Without it, his legs might have given way.

"I-…" his voice broke. He cleared his throat and mumbled, "I don't think so."

"We're… friends, then?"

As he asked, Kai slowly placed a hand against the wall next to Tyson's head. Tyson wondered how much more of this he could take before he'd be the one in the intensive care unit.

Was this really happening? He wasn't having a crazy dream, was he? And if it was: did he still have to hold back? Weren't things ridiculously complicated either way?

He swallowed hard. He'd said he'd be Kai's friend. He'd try to keep it up as long as he could.

"Just friends," he whispered.

"Then and now?"

Not trusting his voice anymore, Tyson nodded.

"You're a pretty bad liar," Kai murmured.

And then he leaned in and gently lowered his lips on Tyson's.

A/N: Boom! There it is. =) Whatcha think guys? I was totally stoked about this chapter - and also kinda nervous because I had originally planned for this to be at the very end of the story... but then the story was like no, let's toss aside all your planning and do it this way. So much for my outline. Anyways. Anyone wanna take a guess at what's gonna happen now? ;) Hope to have the next chapter up for you soon. Stay safe everyone. ~Bird