Takao wakes up the first time on Saturday at about 10am to the sweet, soothing sound of his grandfather practising his karaoke routine in the yard. "Sweet and soothing" here means, of course, "painful and earsplitting and the neighbors are currently forming a protest on their front yard and all the birds have left the country because of how awful and offensive this singing is". So it's with a deeply pained groan that Takao gets up, yells "SHUT UP, GRAMPS", closes his window with a force that nearly makes the entire dojo shake, falls back into his bed, rolls over and falls asleep again.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

The second time Takao wakes up on Saturday, it's 3pm and he is dying.

There is no exaggeration here; Takao is legitimately dying. In the five hours since he's closed his window, his room has turned into a furnace, and he is now both suffocating and sweating away all the fluids in his body (and the human body is made up of like, 50% water or something, right? So that is a LOT of fluid, and maybe it's more or less than that but shut up okay Takao failed ninth grade and that included biology) and as he mentioned he's dying?

He rolls out of bed pitifully and promptly remembers why he doesn't usually roll out of bed when he hits the floor with a painful thud. He is going to have bruises on top of dying from heat exhaustion. Takao learned last year that that was a real thing. He is legitimately going to die from how hot he is and he will never have attained a high school level because summer is too hot and his grandpa can't sing and his life sucks.

Takao wallows in sorrow and his own sweat (ugh) for what feels like ages, partly because everything hurts and he is dying no seriously he is, and partly because the floor is actually cool compared to everything else in what feels like the universe right now, and so Takao is totally okay with staying right there and never moving ever again. Ever. He loves this floor. He will marry this floor. He will make floor babies with it and they will live happily ever after in a country where it isn't a million degrees in summer like, uh, Russia or something. He-

He...

He is hungry.

Takao's groan is muffled due to his face still being pressed to his new-found love (the gloriously cool floor) but he is convinced his feelings about his sudden bout of hunger needing him to move and do things that don't include lying there and never getting up ever again can still be felt from outer space. His feelings are horror and pain and disappointment and maybe just a tad over-dramatic. Maybe.

It is with that knowledge that Takao finally turns around again and, with all the strength a dying teenager faced with heat exhaustion can possess, sits up. He stares blearily at his room to try and evaluate the distance between his current position and the door. He is horrified to realize it's like, a whole five feet and he is going to die. Again. Or- for real.

… Whichever actually applies. He'll figure it out when he is no longer brain dead. (Maybe.)

But first, he will get up, eat, shower and feel alive again!

Takao stares at the door and flops back down.

In like, five minutes.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

It is only through sheer determination that Takao manages to get up in the next half hour, stuff a bread roll in his mouth and take a shower, all without actually throwing himself out the window, which seemed like a great idea when the concept of "getting up and doing things" first came up. All this done, however, he feels alive again, and ready to take on the day and accomplish … stuff. Stuff which includes, but is not limited to, all his chores, like watering the plants and practicing kendo and cutting the grass and going to buy milk because he totally chugged down the last gallon...

So of course Takao goes back to his room and opens his centuries old computer instead. What? He needs to check his e-mail. This is a very real responsibility; first off because the Chief is at Computer Camp, meaning he has access to the internet, second off because Max is in America and they have computers there (right?) and third off because the computer is the only way he still has contact to his dad and brother when they're off on their digs.

Even if his brother is a total ass and only ever acts like a jerk in his e-mail or the ever-so-rare video message. And his dad is kind of a spazz and forgets to send his other son anything more than an e-mail once every six months.

But Takao's not bitter about it or anything. Nope. Completely bitter free over here.

… Okay, so he's slightly bitter that his dad never really spends any time with him or contacts him in any way, and he totally misses when his brother wasn't a giant ass and actually cared about him beyond trying to humiliate him (like everyone else in the universe), but it's not a big deal or anything. Sure, they're not the most perfect family, but Takao doesn't mind living with his grandpa. Sure, the man is crazy and can't sing and he's embarrassing and he is, well, crazy, but he cares about Takao and he's cool with whatever he does. He doesn't lecture him about grades and how he could do better. He only ever gets on his case about being lazy, and even Takao can admit that one.

(Procrastination for the win.)

But anyway. The point is, Takao is fine with living with his grandpa, especially considering he is seemingly the only one in this family who cares about him in any consistent fashion.

Okay, so maybe he's more than slightly bitter, but he's a teenager! He is allowed to be bitter about life, the universe, and everything. It's like the rules of teenagedom. "Thou shall be moody and sulky and yell about how you wanted vanilla, not chocolate, and I hate you dad".

… Or, you know, something like that. Takao has never actively yelled at his family members, so he wouldn't know. (Beyond yelling at his grandpa that he is ruining his life when he sings or wakes him up at four am, but that is totally true in those cases.)

Still, the point: Takao is going to check his e-mail. Once the computer finishes turning on, which should take another hour or so because that thing is ancient. He decides to use the opportunity to open his window. (Hurray for no longer suffocating!) There is a nice breeze outside now, and the birds who had previously fled the scene in horror are back, chirping softly. A cicada sings in the background,.

… Man, but that's annoying.

"Shut up, you stupid cicada," Takao yells out, scaring his poor neighbor. Again. "Nobody cares about you!"

The cicada, predictably, just continues its obnoxious noise. Takao is once more convinced everything in the entire universe hates him and wants him to suffer. He huffs and lets himself fall to his computer chair, spinning around twice before coming to a stop right in front of his fully-loaded computer. Oh yeah. He is good. Takao clicks triumphantly on the Internet icon and waits.

And waits.

And waaaaaiiits.

… And... waits...

He clicks again.

And waits.

And waits.

Aaaand-

He is going to throw this stupid computer out the window until it is dead and it never comes back and if he accidentally hits Kai or Tao on the way somehow it would just be perfect thank you very much.

Just as Takao is actively looking back and forth between the computer and the window while being sorely tempted to seriously throw it out and force his grandpa to buy a new one. One that does not date from, like, 1950 when there were still dinosaurs around, which is why the computer is so bulky because T-Rexes had like, huge heads and little arms and couldn't grab anything unless they were huge. Takao knows this because he watched Jurassic Park. Anyway. Just as he gets up and starts to pick up the monitor, fully ready to break it and use the "dropped my computer" excuse, there is a soft ping as Takao's homepage (his e-mail homepage) finally loads (twice, yeah okay shut up) and the voice of his dreams sounds out:

"You have four new messages."

Takao whoops in victory, dropping himself back to his seat and quickly checking his messages. There is one from Max with the header "Wish you were here (like you said you would be, Taka)" followed by a frowny face and an attachment (presumably pictures), one from the Chief with the header "Re: Computer Camp/Summer School" (seriously?), a spam mail telling him he can "get a bigger P3N15 now!" (… seriously?) and finally a message from his brother with the bizarre header "DAD- VIDEO- WATCH THIS PLZ".

It's mostly bizarre because Hitoshi never says please to anything. Besides, his dad is usually the one who e-mails him his videos, and there's no attachment to this one. If this is just Hitoshi's sneaky way of sending him chain mail again, Takao is totally telling their dad. Somehow. Through e-mail the man will only check in five weeks. It will be a very belated revenge but it will still totally be a badass one. Even if it involves tattling. Still. He clicks the message from his brother first anyway, slightly curious now.

But seriously if it's a chain mail he is killing Hitoshi, even if he has to enlist Kai to do it. Because Kai can probably kill people with his mind. He's freaky like that. How he'd enlist Kai's help is kind of a mystery, though. . .

The mail (finally, and maybe throwing the computer out the window isn't a totally stupid idea) loads. There's no chain mail, which is good, but there's no explanation either. Inside, there's only a link to Youtube. Siiince when does his dad have a youtube account? This is looking fishier and fishier. Ugh, Takao can just smell the bad video. It's probably something gross, too, just because his brother is the worst brother ever and likes making fun of him for liking food. So he likes to eat! He's a growing boy! It's totally normal and seriously doesn't mean he deserves being sent a video of people chain vomiting!

So it's with a deeply set distrust that Takao clicks on the link. Though, for once, he's glad his computer is so stupidly slow- it means he has time to check out some things before the video loads. There will be no pranking him this time! Sucks to be you, Hitoshi! Takao chuckles evilly as he looks down at the comments. Nooo...thing?

Takao looks at the video and realizes that it's obviously set to private. Or friends only. Whatever. The header reads "MESSAGE FOR TAKAO". There are no related videos on the side, or even featured videos. This is... weird. And kind of impossible, isn't it? And, like, totally dramatic. And yet Takao can't help but gulp as he waits for it to load.

Of course the thing seems to load at a snail's pace, and Takao has to resist the urge to get up and scream injustice at the world as he waits with baited breath the entire time- well. Sort of. He can't actually hold his breath that long. He is a normal boy who totally needs to … you know... breathe... sometimes. Unlike Kai, who is probably a robot. Aaand why is he thinking about Kai right now? He seriously needs to get his priorities checked. Summer school only starts back on Monday. He needs to concentrate on the present before he depresses himself further.

Then, after what seems like forever but was more likely about ten minutes, the video finishes loading and Takao presses play. His dad's face blocks the view for a few seconds before he sits back and lets Takao look at the beautiful background behind him. IE: an hotel room. Ha ha, Dad. Clever. That's one way to make sure Takao never knows where his dad is ever uuugh. His dad clears his throat for a second.

"Is it on, Hitoshi?" he asks the camera, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Takao does that, too. The notion totally doesn't make warm fuzzies show up in his tummy. At all.

"Yeah, Dad. Stop stalling, this isn't the first time you've made a video." That voice is definitely his brother, who is apparently appointed cameraman this time. Takao's dad shuffles in place and laughs a bit, humorlessly.

"Right, you're right... Alright. Takao, by the time you see this video, you won't be able to contact us," his dad begins, and just as Takao begins to panic that this is just like a horror movie oh my gosh someone is going to kill his family members, Hitoshi's voice sounds out:

"Don't be so dramatic, you'll give the kid a heart attack. You know he watches too many horror movies," he drawls. Takao starts to objects loudly before remembering that this is a recording and, wherever he is, his asshole brother can't hear him. The jerk. Their dad laughs a little then, for real this time.

"And exactly who's fault is that. . . ?" Takao's dad comments before shaking his head and moving on, not giving Hitoshi the chance to talk. Which is good- Hitoshi never shuts up if you don't stop him while he's ahead. Something that Takao would never do. Clearly. "Alright, listen carefully, son, please.

Your brother and I have been asked to do a job slightly different from the usual. It's not something I would accept, normally, no matter the pay, but I think this is... important enough to warrant forgoing my usual reticence on these things. –Meaning, I'm doing this because it's a big deal. I need you to keep this in mind, Takao, because what I'm about to say is probably going to upset you.

This job is going to take me and Hitoshi some place dangerous for a very long time. Because of this, we won't be able to contact you for a while. I know we said we were going to be there for your birthday; at the time I'm recording this message that would be in... a month? But I'm afraid that's not going to happen. I'm really sorry about this, son, but I'm sure grandpa and your friends will be happy to celebrate it with you. What we're going to do here is extremely important. Please believe me when I say if it wasn't, I wouldn't consider it. I don't want to sound dramatic, but the stakes are higher than you can possibly imagine."

"Dad," Hitoshi cuts him off with a warning tone. Their dad nods in understanding and clears his throat.

"Right. Uhm, the point is, we're really sorry, Takao, but you won't here from us for a very long time, maybe even a year. So, I- we hope you have a nice birthday, and we wish you luck in high school. Make lots of friends, and try to get better grades, alright? And- trust me when I say all this time apart will be worth it in the grand scheme of things.

Have a great summer, son. You'll receive your birthday gift in the mail."

The video turns black. Takao's face is blank as he looks at the time. There's still about 10 seconds left.

His brother's face shows up on the screen. "Hey, kid- do me a favor? Stay away from Russians."

The video ends.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Takao decidedly doesn't spend the rest of the weekend moping and sulking. He also doesn't throw a tantrum right after the video ends, or call his father all sorts of names or make fun of him to his grandpa and anyone else who will listen, including his mirror.

… Yeah, those are all pretty much a giant lie.

"Oooh, sooon, I'm sorry I'm a horrible deadbeat dad, who's never around for anything, but I'm an archeoooologiiiist, and I have to do important stuff like dig! In sand! For bones! Something that a dog could do! Har har har! But Takaoooo, the fate of the WORLD depends on it! I would never abandon you for no good reason, except for all those other times I totally did!"

All of Takao's pillows have been beaten to death, and he's fairly certain if they could feel, they would be suffering greatly right now. As it is, one of them has been ripped open and Takao has decided to use it to hit his monitor, causing an avalanche of feathers in his room. This is far from the first time he does this particular rant, but as he is still really, really mad every time something reminds him of his father, Takao has decided he is going to do it until he feels better.

Considering it's now Sunday, that might take a while.

"What does he mean, it's better in the grand scheme of things? Who does he think he is, Indiana Jones?" Takao rants, spitting out a mouthful of feathers from when he decided biting his pillow and trying to stretch it to inane proportions was a great idea (it wasn't). "You. Are. An. Archeologist! The most important discovery you can make is stuff that is a billion years old, and that won't change humanity as we know it!"

Thunder roars in the distance as dark, ominous clouds seem to wish to punctuate Takao's distaste of his genetic dispenser (AKA: his dearest daddy) and he slams the window closed with a yell.

At first, his grandpa had tried to calm him down and make him feel better. It had worked for all of three minutes, before Takao had declared that he was going to throw an epic tantrum until he felt better. He'd advised his grandpa not to feel bad because none of it was directed at him. And now … here we are.

"And what was with Hitoshi's stupid advice? Stay away from Russians? What is he on about? Communism ended like a bazillion years ago, genius! There is no 'in Soviet Japan, Russians kill you'!" Takao huffs out, letting himself fall on his bed. "Is it so much to ask that for once in my life, something goes my way?"

Takao deflates after this and he sighs, moving his poor, mangled pillow to his face and mumbling in it: "I miss mom... She liked me..."

He throws the pillow away from his face and spits out some feathers. Again. Okaaay, melodramatic confession muffled by his pillow: bad idea.

The thing is, Takao's not even that angry. He's disappointed, sure, but- but his dad always does this. He hadn't really expected the guy to show up for his birthday. He's fine enough with visits now and then. Sure, it's not really orthodox, but it works for them. It's just... That video was just rubbing it in his face. Piling that on top of a, so far, completely miserable summer, and Takao's has had it. It's the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak.

. . . However that works. How much straw would you need to put on a camel's back for it to break? How heavy could straw even be anyway?

There's another round of thunder, and the incoming storm outside reinvigorates him, suddenly. Takao leaps up from his bed and rushes downstairs to the entrance, hastily putting on and tying his running shoes.

"Hey, little dude- what're you doing?" Takao's grandpa asks, looking at him with a completely bewildered expression on his face.

"Going for a run!" Takao exclaims, and before his grandpa can do much more than squawk out a "what", rushes out and yells back at him: "I'll be back later, Gramps! Don't wait up for me!"

He ignores whatever else his grandpa yells after him; something about telling him to slow down and think about it, and the storm- because that is the entire point.

Seiryuu be his witness, Takao loves storms.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

The thing with storms is, Takao isn't all that fond of the rain. Or the thunder. Or the lightning. What he really likes? Is the wind.

There's something about running while the wind nearly knocks him every which way that makes him forget about everything else. His dad, his brother, school troubles- everything just seems far away, like he's unattainable.

Possibly because Takao only ever does this in extremely heavy storms, and when you're running because you're sure a tornado is going to pick you up and take you somewhere that is definitely not Oz, you don't think about little problems like failing math.

So yeah, maybe Takao has a thing with suicidal urges.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Of course Takao's life sucks, and it doesn't take long before the downpours starts. He's barely at the bridge when it does. And since even he's not enough of a suicidal idiot to stay out in the open during an honest to Seiryuu lightning storm, he speeds up and moves towards the riverbank once he's passed the bridge, and quickly turns to head under the bridge.

He is smart like that.

Takao's soaked when he comes to a stop, bent over in half as he tries to get his breathing under control. He's freezing, and maybe going for a run just before the storm wasn't a great idea, but he has forgotten all about his problems. Like, say, his dad, or his brother, or summer school, or Tao, or Kai.

Kai, who is half-sitting, half-lying on the wall of the bridge right next to Takao, soaked (but the storm just started?) and seemingly unconscious and holy tapdancing Seiryuu on a cracker he is bleeding.

Takao stops breathing for a second before he rushes to kneel next to the guy (right in mud, of course, because, let's reiterate: the universe hates him) and tries to assess the damage at the same time as he puts a hand on his shoulder and proceeds to shake him awake.

"Dude, Kai- wake up," Takao chokes out, and he's not sure why he's so worried considering he's not really friends with the guy, but still. Kai cracks open an eye, blearily, and Takao is reassured to find out he really was only seemingly unconscious.

". . . Kinomiya?" Kai asks, and he sounds as if he thinks this is one reaaaally weird nightmare. Which, well, Takao wishes. When he continues speaking, he sounds a bit more like himself. "It's Sunday. Quit stalking me."

Takao stares at Kai with the most deadpan expression he can muster. The guy looks like he was just ran over by a semi and he still has terrible (and mean) humor. Juuuust his luck.

Well, okay, maybe not a semi- Kai looks bad, sure, but not nearly as bad as Takao had first assumed. He has a few scuffle marks here and there, he's obviously going to have one heck of a blind eye tomorrow and his wrist is bent at an angle that is pretty weird but not totally unnatural, but except for that the most dramatic thing is really the fact that his bangs and forehead are matted with blood.

Okay, so it's still pretty bad.

"You okay? What the heck happened to you?" Takao asks, quickly, when it looks like Kai is about to nod off- TV shows have told him that head injuries combined with sleeping equal … something... bad. Usually.

Look, shut up, he doesn't like medical shows. They're boring.

"I fell," Kai deadpans, and Takao really, really hates him right now. "Just leave me alone already. It's fine."

"Fine?" Takao splutters out, flailing. "You look like you decided to put your head in a meat grinder!"

Okay, he might be exaggerating a little, but still. There is a lot of blood. Like... a lot.

"You should see the other guys," Kai mumbles and rolls his eyes as he says it, as if totally aware of how much of an unfunny cliché that is. "It's fine. Even minor head wounds bleed a lot."

Takao stares blankly at Kai. How does a kid their age know that? More importantly, how did Kai get a head wound in the first place? He doesn't voice any of these questions, instead grabbing hold of Kai.

"At least let me look at it!" He protests, and the other boy doesn't even bother moving away or stopping him, only groans in annoyance. That is really what makes Takao panic, even as Kai moves his bangs up and uses his scarf to wipe the excess blood.

… Ewww. Takao sincerely hopes he's got more than one scarf. Because otherwise: goodbye, swishy scarf.

The gash, it turns out, really isn't that big- it would probably require stitches (or, uh, maybe not- like Takao actually knows anything about medicine), but all in all it's barely an inch or two in length.

"How'd it happen?" Takao hears himself ask in awe as he stares at it and resists the the urge to poke the bloody thing. It is gross and you don't do that, Takao tells himself. Even if the scab will be glorious.

"Golf club to the head," Kai answers, perfectly straight faced.

Takao stares at Kai.

Kai stares back.

"... O...kaaay," Takao lets out. "We should probably get you to the nearest hospital ASAP before the brain damage really sets in."

Kai responds by kicking him and Takao yelps in pure, unadulterated pain. That was totally unwarranted!

"Why are you so violent!" Takao hisses out, scrambling backwards and holding his poor, damage knee.

Kai doesn't deign to answer, instead moving to sit against the wall properly as he lets his bloody once-grey-but-now-marroon bangs fall back on his forehead, which is once again gushing blood. He rips part of his scarf off and ties it around his head as Takao watches in fascination. Mostly because he could've used the whole scarf, but okay, sure, whatever, crazy person's choice.

"Why are you here?" Kai asks once his task is done and he looks totally ridiculous with that mock bandage.

"Uuuh, I could ask you the same question. . .?" Takao starts, but at the look Kai gives in he pouts and relents: "If I tell you, you have to go to the hospital!"

Okay, so he doesn't really relent, but gushing head wound. Kai throws him another look, this one clearly dictating what he thinks of Takao and everything he stands for.

"Do you honestly think I care enough about the answer to let you bargain with me?"

… Fair enough. Well, fine, if Kai wants to die a horrible bloody death under a bridge, far be it for Takao to stop him. He huffs in annoyance and ends up sitting against the wall next to the stubborn suicidal moron (not himself, for once, ha ha) because his previous position had him getting even more soaked, and he'd really like to avoid pneumonia in the middle of the summer. Kai grunts in protest and scoots as far away from Takao as possible while not getting up. Which is, like, a whole three inches away. Wooo.

"I went running and then it rained. Why are you here?" Takao finally answers, crossing his arms petulantly. Kai looks at him strangely.

"It was raining earlier," he points out. Takao stares at him blankly, not really getting it. Kai stares back and simply wills him to get it. . . . Takao still doesn't. After a while, Kai sighs and rolls his eyes before explaining: "It only stopped raining for about ten minutes. It's been pouring on and off all day, Kinomiya."

Oh. Well.

That explains a lot.

Takao shrugs balefully and wills Kai to drop the subject. So he failed to notice rain even though he totally heard the thunder for... hours on end. It can happen to anyone!

Or, well, probably not, but that just means Takao is special. Not special as in special in the head, but special as in above every other human being. Yup. That is totally Takao. He is a different kind of being altogether.

Or something.

"Anywaaaay," Takao drawls out, eager to switch the subject away from dangerous topics- such as Takao's mental state or Kai's... anything that would mean he might kick Takao again. (The dude kicks hard, okay? And Takao has really sensitive... knees.) "While we're both here, soaked and miserable and kinda totally pathetic- don't hit me it's true- we should talk about … our project!"

Kai looks at the "ceiling" (which is really just the bottom of the bridge but whatever) like he might be heavily considering suicide. Or murder. More likely murder. Takao presses on quickly, undeterred (and kinda fearing for his life).

"You kinda ran off the other after I ran into … a million... doors- are you smirking is that your creepy, robotic way of laughing at me you jerk-" Takao wonders suddenly where his survival instincts have gone but feels like he doesn't actually care, mostly because Kai's smirk just widened when he said that, "Anyway, you ran off before we could talk about things! That we need to talk about!"

"Eloquent," Kai drawls.

"Shut up. I was going to mention all of this the other day, but then you went home for some reason. . ." Kai's face looks suddenly closed off, so Takao plows on to get back to the important part. "Look, next week, we can pick a subject- or, uh, well, I guess you can pick it, I don't really care- and then you can come over to my place. I have a computer we can type it all up on. Plus we can look things up because I've got this wonderful invention called the internet. It's new and exciting and doesn't require checking out books at the library."

Kai is looking at him now, just... looking, as if he's not sure what to make of Takao. Takao realizes with a jolt that he just asked the potential serial killer over to his place. More importantly, he realizes he doesn't really care. The guy gets into fights, has lackeys (with bad haircuts), verbally and physically abuses him, and he invites him to his house. Okay, sure, whatever. It's totally only for the sake of his education, and not at all because he likes the guy or anything. That would be crazy. He's a punk with an attitude who, again, physically and verbally abuses Takao.

. . . But it's not like he dislikes him, either, and ooooh great Takao is in fact, crazypants. Well. Fine. Whatever. He can totally make it work. Takao will embrace his crazypantshood.

Besides, Kai isn't nearly as hazardous to Takao's health as Takao is on his own. (Case in point: everything Takao does ever.)

"So, what do you say?" Takao adds once the silence becomes uncomfortable and he really can't stand to be left alone with his own thoughts and self-revelation. The self-revelation that he is also a crazy person. Crap.

Kai shakes his head slightly, and just as Takao is about to take it as a "no what the heck are you on why would I ever associate myself with the likes of you I am King Kai hear me roar" (...okay maybe not that last part), he speaks:

"Fine. The sooner this is done, the better."

… Oh. Well. He agreed. Yay! Or, wait, is this a yay? On the one hand, yay they are going to do this stupid project. On the other hand, he just invited Kai over to his house after school. Possibly multiply. For the week that is his birthday.

. . .

Not yay.

"Great," Takao exclaims totally without nervous laughter at all really (except for that part where that is, indeed, nervous "what have I done" laughter and Seiryuu help him he really is a crazy person it is in his genes). "Well, we've both got the same opinion on that one."

He says this with far more confidence than he really feels, and Kai just rolls his eyes in answer. It seems the amount of words Kai is able to speak in one day has been surpassed. Which is great, really- Takao honestly doesn't feel like having anymore conversation. He is totally, one hundred percent fine with keeping quiet and never speaking until the storm clears out. Yep.

…

…

"So, like, is it me or is Tao-sensei totally drunk and criminally insane?"

Kai groans.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Takao ends up talking at Kai (not to- to implies Kai was listening after the first five minutes, and considering Kai stopped kicking him after that point and just turned pointedly away, he's fairly certain that wasn't the case) for the next two hours until the storm finally lets up. When it does, Kai notifies him by kicking- again, and someone has really got to teach this boy a real, proper way to communicate with people, seriously. They part ways after crossing the bridge together, though Kai seriously looks like he is restraining himself from bloodily murdering Takao right there in the middle of the street. Takao tries to talk Kai into getting himself checked, but Kai simply removes the makeshift scarf-bandage from his head to show Takao that it has, at the very least, stopped bleeding, so it's fine. (That or he was contemplating using that stripe of material to choke Takao, whichever. Hey, it's not like the guy said anything, he just kind of stared at him. Viciously.)

So in the end, Takao walks back home on his own, probably with the beginning of a cold seeing as he sneezes fourteen times until he gets there, and for once he's almost looking forward to school tomorrow. You know. As much as anyone ever looks forward to school.

It's only after a speech from his grandpa, a meal, a shower and a good hour of having to clean up the feathery mess in his room that Takao realizes he hasn't thought about his dad since he saw Kai.

…

Uh.

Well.

There's that.

LOL HEY GUYS LOOK WHO'S ALIVE. (dodges flying objects)

Okay, so: I got kinda disinterested of both Beyblade and this fic, mixed with being really busy and this kind of awesome mini-breakdown/depression I had going on and THERE WE GO I NEVER UPDATED. This is what happens when the entire story is written in my head and I keep going BUT WHY DO I HAVE TO WRITE IT DOWN WHY IS THERE NOT A MACHINE THAT DOES IT FOR ME. Anyway. This fic is, surprisingly enough, not abandoned! Mostly because I kept saying one day I would go back and continue it. And look! I did! SOMEONE BE PROUD OF ME.

(crickets)

Okay yeah fair enough. ANYWAY: this chapter. Uh. There is foreshadowing, a look into Takao's home life because why not, and I'm not even sure if this is as funny as usual but you know what I don't care it took me long enough to find a way to write this chapter without wanting to kill myself YOU ARE GETTING THIS AND YOU WILL BE HAPPY.

(crickets)

. . . :(

Next chapter (which will be out before 2012! and, if I have any say about it, before NEXT WEEK EVEN) is ~the American Tournament Arc~! Aka: Max! You are all excited, right?

(crickets)

... Is anyone even reading this fic anymore...

Hope you enjoyed it regardless (and sorry for the insane delay!),

-Zia

PS: The golf club thing really happened. It's not nearly as horrifyingly damaging as it looks! (Which was a good thing for my brother and I, because accidentally killing someone at the tender age of nine might have been mildly damaging for my psyche. Also, you know, my brother would be dead.)