(hiding in secret spot) See? Chapter four! Can I come out of hiding now?

Kai – Sure. (holds rotten apples behind back)

I don't trust you. Hiro! Do disclaimer, please!

Hiro – (sigh) Disclaimer: She doesn't own Beyblade.

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A Ride Through the Storm

Chapter Four – Confessions Under a Stone Roof

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The storm raged on, thunder clapping and lightning flashing.

Hiro wasn't paying any attention to it as he continued to rub Kai's cold hands in his own, creating friction, and thus heat. Kai was out cold after taking a bad fall, mud, grass, and blood staining his skin and clothes.

They were currently in a cave not too far from the paddock fence. Hiro had felt best not to jump the fence, risking his own life as well as his horse's, and had dismounted the gelding after Kai had stopped rolling.

Truth was, when the lightning had hit and both horses bolted, he was surprised and relieved to have realized his gelding was following the head stallion through the storm, keeping a good distance between the two. So, when Night Owl had jumped, Hiro had sat low in his saddle, brought up the reins and made his trotter come to a stop just before reaching the gate. He was just in time to see Kai tumble off the black Arabian-Walker's back and hit the ground hard.

He had rushed over to the teen, Kai being his main concern as the stallion whinnied and attempted to get up. The phoenix was conscious until the older male had gotten to his side, then he lost the battle with consciousness. Hiro had tried to rouse the boy, but it had no effect. He had to get Kai out of the rain. Neither of them had a jacket, and the drops of water were freezing to the touch.

He looked back over to Night Owl as the stallion finally managed to his feet, albeit wobbly. The gelding behind the gate neighed, gaining a wicker in response. Hiro knew he had to find shelter, but bringing the wounded stallion along with them would cause their trip to be slow and probably not even worth it. He needed to get Kai out of the rain then.

Carefully picking him up, he rushed towards the woods on the outskirts of the fence, almost immediately spotting a small cave next to the equally small rock side.

The sticks and any other source of firewood were too wet to even hope to light. So, he had kept busy rubbing the teen's pale skin to keep him warm until he woke.

A soft moan brought the older male out of his thoughts. He looked over at Kai's face as the natural wide eyes scrunched in pain and then fluttered open.

"Kai?" Hiro asked, placing a soft hand on the teen's forehead in a comforting gesture.

The phoenix blinked a couple of times before managing to focus on the blue haired man in front of him. "Hiro?" he rasped.

Hiro sighed in relief, glad that the hit on the head was – at most – just a concussion. He turned serious but worried eyes to the crimson-violet orbs. "What hurts?"

Kai knew that denying pain would get them no where but Argument Lane. "My head aches, my wrist, and my knee is killing me." He shifted and grunted in discomfort. "But I basically feel like I've been hit by a truck."

He vaguely saw Hiro nod before a ripping sound was heard. Kai raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going to bandage your knee and wrist as well I can. I don't know what's wrong with them, but the less movement, the better off you are."

There was no point in contradicting that logic. So, the phoenix tried to settle back, but as Hiro moved his left leg a bit, jarring his knee slightly in the process, he winced and was horrified to hear a whimper escape his lips. The blue haired male stopped what he was doing to apologize and go about his business in a more gentle fashion, forcing his scared, trembling body to calm down.

It had shaken the former Jin of the Gale up to see his Kai get hurt.

Wait, had he just thought "his" Kai?

'Yep,' he chastised in his mind. 'But who gives a damn right now. It could have been worse! With the way he landed, he could have just as easily broken his neck.'

His dark red gaze glanced at the slate haired teen before going back to watching skilled hands wrap the make-shift bandage around the mildly bent knee. 'Thank god, he's okay.'

After Hiro bandaged Kai up as much as he could, he helped the teen prop up against the stone wall then sitting next to him.

They sat in silence, watching the storm rage outside.

Kai shivered. He was freezing. Cold, wet, hungry because he skipped out on breakfast that morning, tired, and in pain, he was miserable. He pouted a little unconsciously, wrapping his arms tenderly around himself in an attempt to keep body heat. Why did all the bad things have to happen to him just when he was actually enjoying himself?

Something draped gently across his shoulders, causing him to tense against the newly-found heat source. He turned his gaze upward to stare into the darkest red eyes he had ever come across.

Hiro smiled softly at the phoenix and softly pulled him to his side. "We can keep the little heat we have if we share, but we have to stay like this," he whispered.

Kai nodded a little against the side of older male's chest, feeling the tight muscles expand and relax against his cheek as the lungs beneath the exterior breathed in and out. He could faintly make out the heartbeat on the other side of the taunt body next to him, the rhythmic pattern wanting to lull him to sleep.

"Hiro?" Kai mumbled, on the verge of falling asleep.

"Hm?"

"Why did you tease me earlier?"

Hiro blinked at the bluntly stated question. Scratching his chin in embarrassment, he tried to think of an excuse for teasing the teen without giving away that he absolutely adored the feisty phoenix. There was nothing that would enter his mind without sounding like he bull-shitted the thing. So, he decided to take the plunge and shifted the teen in his arms to where they were face to face.

Kai blinked at the sudden change, and that was the deal-breaker for the older male. The phoenix was just too cute!

He crushed his lips against the pouty ones before him.

Kai froze, his mind slowly realizing that Hiro was kissing him.

Hiro. Kissing. Him.

All logical thought escaped the confounded barriers of his mind as he shut his eyes and pressed back against those lips that devoured his.

Gods, don't let this moment end,' Kai pleaded as he brought his non-injured hand to dive into the blue locks of the man kissing him, yanking the bind out and smoothing the small crease in the hair.

It lasted a few more moments before Hiro pulled away ever so slowly, agonizingly slowly.

Dark eyes met the brightest exotic ones in the entire world.

A smirk pulled at the phoenix's lips. "I take it that you teased me because you like me?"

Hiro smirked as well before giving the teen another kiss. "You damn well know it." Another kiss. "And I take it that you like me, too?"

Kai kissed him and then nuzzled his head underneath the older male's head and sighed. "You damn well know it."

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Yep, short and sweet, but this fic's almost done! One more chapter to go! ^^ Which is why you don't get highlights. I don't like spoiling the ending for people. So, no highlights. ^^

Don't forget to review!

Ja Ne

Miz