This is a short, little fluffy chapter. I hope you all thoroughly enjoy it!
Kai settled himself on the steps behind the dojo between Miguel's legs. He leaned back against the gargoyle's chest as they watched their teams practice together. Currently Claude and Max were blading against each other in a close match. The Battalion had been in Japan for a week and Kai couldn't have been much happier. Their teams were thrilled as well because they were finally getting a break from the excessive training their respective captains had been putting them through. Kai and Miguel had shortened training and made it much less intense. They were more interested in spending time together than anything else. Kai sighed in contentment as Miguel began to rub his shoulders and upper back. The tension that had developed during his discussion with Mr. Dickenson was beginning to disappear under his lover's treatment. "What did Mr. Dickenson want?"
Kai tilted his head back to look up into those mini-oceans Miguel claimed as eyes. "He wanted to make sure I understood the possible repercussions if the public and press find out we're together. He was just looking out for me, but it caused more stress than anything. The public isn't going to find out because the press isn't going to find out. I don't want to have to deal with the world knowing anything about my private life."
Miguel lowered his head and pressed their lips together in a gentle kiss. Kai had gotten better about showing affection in front of their teams. The first few days that the gargoyle was around the phoenix would shy away whenever the former tried to get close or show his affection. Now, while he was still reluctant to show his true affection for the blond, he didn't push away his lover's advances. "We'll be careful Kai, but if they do find out we'll just lock ourselves into one of your mansions for a few months. They'll give up eventually" Miguel whispered. Kai smiled up at him before returning his attention to Max and Claude's battle. "Have you spoken to Tala recently?"
"I spoke to him yesterday while you were out with your team. Why do you ask?"
"Claude hasn't heard from him recently and it's taking a toll. He's worried that Tala is distancing himself because he doesn't really love Claude. I told him that Tala was probably just busy, but I wanted reassurance from someone who had actually spoken to Tala."
Kai ran his fingers up and down Miguel's thigh as he thought about his most recent conversation with the ice wolf. "Tala's scared. He's afraid that he's hurting Claude more than anything else. He knows that Claude can live without his medication if Tala isn't around and that he hates taking his meds. Tala hates that Claude is taking the meds he despises just to be with him. It doesn't help that everyone who came out of the abbey has inferiority complexes. Tala doesn't believe that he deserves Claude and that Claude deserves so much better. He probably is distancing himself, but it's because he cares so much. He doesn't want Claude hurting or force him to be on his meds. I think that has something to do with all the meds he was on in the abbey. He knows what it's like to take meds you don't want to for someone else's sake."
Miguel stopped massaging Kai's shoulders and moved one hand into his hair as the other slid down the phoenix's chest. "I'll have to tell Claude that, but can you tell Tala that he needs to talk to Claude about those issues. Claude's heart is breaking." Kai nodded before leaning into Miguel's caress. They watched as Claude's blade flew from the dish and landed at his feet. "I think that's enough for today. My team has the rest of the day off. Claude, I want to talk to you for a minute." He squeezed Kai's shoulder before standing and walking off a little ways with the dual minded eagle.
"You have the rest of the day off as well. You're all doing much better in practice anyway." Kai stated as his eyes traveled over his teammates.
Max bounced over and sat next to his captain smiling. "Miguel's good for you Kai. You're so happy it's making you be nice to the rest of us." Kai smiled at the young blond who had become something of a little brother to the phoenix. "Kai, can I ask you a favor?" Kai nodded his assent. "Can I borrow your cell phone to call Spencer? I'm almost over my limit for the month on my cell and I know you don't use all of your minutes. It would only be for an hour or two." Max's best puppy dog eyes were in full effect in hopes of getting his request.
"Put away the puppy dog eyes Max. You don't need them. You can use my cell phone to call Spencer. I have roll over minutes so there's plenty of minutes left on my plan for the month. It's sitting on the dresser in my room." Max hugged his captain before dashing off to get the precious communication device. Kai shook his head and looked over to where his lover was standing. Miguel and Claude were talking softly to one another in what Kai was guessing was Spanish. His attempts to read his lover's lips proved futile as few of the words registered in his brain. Claude eventually nodded and left as he pulled out his cell phone. Miguel walked back to Kai as the phoenix stood to greet him.
Miguel's strong arms circled Kai's thin waist and pulled him close. "Te amo."
Kai leaned back and looked up at Miguel. "What does that mean?"
Miguel chuckled before placing a gentle kiss on Kai's lips. "You're cute when you're confused. It means 'I love you.'"
Kai blushed slightly at the translation. Miguel told him all the time that he loved his phoenix, but he always said it in English and rather casually. "я люблю Вас также."
"Come again?" Miguel replied.
"I love you too, in Russian." The Spanish gargoyle smiled and pulled his Russian phoenix in for a deep kiss and tight embrace that Kai eagerly responded to.
There you go! Cute fluff. For some reason I was inspired to start having characters say "I love you" in their native tongues. Unfortunately the only language I speak fluently is English and I haven't learned/forgotten how to in Italian and Spanish respectively so I used an online translator. I hope that it is correct. If not, let me know and I'll fix it. Thank you for reading and a review would be very much appreciated!