Cover Me 'Cause I'm Changing Lanes

He is mesmerized by the streetlights. The lanes. The posh cars and the posher buildings.

He is reeling over the foggy feeling air and the marked difference in the smell of the atmosphere.

He's floored by the vast and elegant lobby. The culture-rich furnishing and designs.

He's lagging on the elevator which is big enough to be a medium-sized room, with its ethereal mint-green gold-threaded translucent walls and 24k electroplated handles, when Kai pulls on his hand and leads him through a decorated hallway.

There's tapestry on the walls.

They stop in front of a room at the end of a hallway, in a corner of the hotel.

His hand suddenly feels empty when Kai moves to slide the room key through the card reader on the side, and Tyson realizes with a start it was because he had been holding it. His hand.

He glances at Kai and flexes his now free fist as the reader beeps and the concierge pushes the doors open.

The room that waits before them is not what he had been expecting. He had been expecting a modern suite with a stellar view of Downtown Dubai and all that. Judging by the rest of the hotel's very arabesque interiors he was probably wrong to have done that, but he's gotten used to being surrounded by contemporary architecture when being with Kai.

So he's in slight shock when he sees a large space furnished with a lush, grey intricately designed carpet, grand cushioned chairs and beautiful tapestry-covered walls. There's an antique chandelier hanging above their heads, that looks like it was made out of bronze and gold. Teardrops of glass hang from its winding hands. There's seating to his right, comprised of a long majestic sofa with a matching divan and several other kinds of seating of various sizes around it, all facing a low, classic coffee table. A mirror is placed on the wall above the sofa. It's frame shaped like the rays of the sun, except the rays are twisting and bronze. There are a lot of end tables positioned tastefully around the room, with flowers and other decorative items upon it.

Tyson enters with a sigh, his gaze on the portrait of a Sheikh on one of the walls across the room. He's handsome, graceful and old. He briefly wonders about the white headdress with black headband he's wearing when he hears the concierge take leave and the doors close.

He turns around to look at Kai with his back ramrod straight and his shoulders hiking up. His hands folded neatly before his hips.

Kai's near the entrance, stuffing something in his pocket that Tyson fails to catch. "You should clean up," he says to him, putting his shoes away, he places them beside the door. Tyson already has his off. It's a habit for him when he enters any house or room. He digs his feet into the soft threads of the carpet. It feels like walking on a cloud. He feels like his feet are getting a massage just from treading the carpet. "I'll order food."

"Mhm" He brings his feet together.

He turns to go explore when Kai picks up the landline on one of the end tables. There are hallways to his left and to his right. Carpeted.

"What do you want?" Kai asks him before he takes the left one.

He answers without looking over his shoulder. "I don't know. The local cuisine."

There's a beat of silence before Kai talks again. "Are you mad about the Burger King?" he asks in a mellow tone.

He thinks he's upset. He's not. He's jetlagged. And starved. "No" he says with a smile curling the corner of his mouth up.


The corridor to the bathroom is kinda dark. One wall is carved wood, water flowing around the little humans and animals and the work they are doing. Does it represent something? he wonders. The wall is illuminated in red light coming from the edge of the ceiling. Is that their history?

Farming and cattle-rearing.

He spots camels. He knows about the camels.

The bathroom's flooring is made of obsidian stone. The walls granite. He loves the way the entire suite smells. It's a suite. The Royal suite (He overheard Kai earlier when he was ordering the food.) There are so many rooms and balconies, and everything is so rich with detail and elegance. Royals have probably stayed here before.

He climbs into the burnished tub in the middle and soaks in the hot water for what seems like ages. He never wants to leave. He puts his head underwater and holds his breath. He spills black orchid gel into his palm from the assortment of soaps along the shelf and lathers himself up.

When he's starting to wrinkle up like a raisin he climbs out of the water and wraps a towel around his hip.

His hair is matted to his forehead when he looks in the mirror. He shakes it out.

He picks out a baby blue button down and jeans from his suitcase, sitting on the single king-sized canopied bed in the middle of the bedroom. The bedroom which was made to inspire intimacy. The bed is half hidden in drapes. It's the first thing you notice when you walk in. The room is adorned with thick, ornate, sweeping curtains. There's an end table, a chair, an ottoman, a dresser. But the bed...The entire room is centered around it like...

It's so intimate.

Being in the room feels like intruding on someone's privacy. The couple meant to sleep in it.

Unfortunately, this is the only room where you can sleep. He's furious over it. He can't imagine sharing the space with Kai and not feeling...feeling...

He's already argued with him over it.

"There's only one bed, Kai," he'd said, looking down at Kai, who was sitting on the sofa.

"It's big enough for five people."

"Yeah, but I don't want to sleep in there with you." Not there.

"What do you think is going to happen?" He'd glanced up without raising his chin. He hates his eyes.

"Nothing. Obviously."

"Then I don't see what the problem is."

Tyson had grit his teeth. He gets on his nerves. He gets on his nerves like no one else. "I didn't know you were okay with sharing a bed with another man in a non-sexual way." In a room like that. That room is not meant for friends.

Kai had stared up at him wordlessly, without moving a muscle on his face, silently asking him what his point was.

He'd let the issue go then. He is right, the bed is ginormous. He can sleep spread-eagle on it next to Kai and never brush an arm or a leg against him.

It's also extremely comfy.

He'll just have to pretend he cannot see the way the room is designed. Or smells. Or feels.

He likes the rose gold and brown colour palette.

He lies on the bed for a moment of bliss, staring at the twining patterns on the canopy above. His stomach grumbles. He hears the clatter of china somewhere in the suite.

They are eating out in the balcony.

The big one with the rounded edge. Flowers and vines along the balustrade. The night air is crisp and the balcony is lit with small yellow lamps placed on the walls, the tables, the railing.

He can see the tops of the skyscrapers from here.

There's a table in the center. A staff is arranging food on it. Kai's helping him.

It smells delicious as he crosses the doorway. His mouth waters.

"What is all this?" he asks with a grin, eyeing the grilled meat and bread and rice.

"You asked for the local cuisine," replies Kai, setting the last plate on the table.

He gestures towards a chair. He takes a seat as the staff pours a glass of sweet-smelling juice for him.

Kai lowers into a chair across from him.

"Are these kebabs?" Tyson asks, pointing at a dish of cooked meat on sticks. He takes a whiff and it smells so good. "Mmm"

"You know kebabs?" Kai asks, eyebrows arching.

"Yeah" he says with a grin. Mouth coating with saliva. "I've seen it on youTube." He looks at the staff, a young man with the neatest beard he'd ever seen, with dark hair and dark eyes, wearing a white uniform. He smiles at Tyson politely as he finishes setting their table.

"How do I-" He's leaning to ask Kai when he hears him say, "Shukran" to the staff.

That must be thank you in Arabic. Tyson turns to him and says the same. Kai's gaze flits to him, a twinkle in his eye.

The staff leaves with another graceful nod and a smile, pushing the trolley before him.

Tyson picks up the cutlery with a deep inhale, ready to dig in. They eat hummus, and falafel sandwiches, and mandi, and kebabs, and tabbouleh. Tyson drinks mango juice and gets it all over his top lip.

Kai eyes his juicy mustache and makes a comment on it. He wipes it off with the back of a hand. Kai hands him a tissue.

Thirty minutes later, he is full to the brim and lying more than sitting on the chair. When Kai asks him if he'd like dessert he says no, surprising them both. He sighs contentedly. "Finally" He's been famished since he landed. And it was killing his mood. He wasn't able to experience things the way he wanted to experience them. He wants to go out on that street again.

Kai is wiping his mouth with a napkin. He sees Tyson staring at an intricately designed lamp on the wall and zoning out.

"You didn't finish your mango juice."

"I'm full"

They've cleaned up most of the plates. There are only a few falafels and a quarter glass of the mango juice left.

Kai ate a lot today. So did Tyson but Tyson always eats a lot. Kai usually regulates his stomach's intake the way he regulates everything else. Guess he must have been hungry too.

Tyson pulls in a deep breath. Clearing his head. "We should take a walk." He twists his head the other way to glance at the towers. "I want to take a look at the shops. And the buildings." And the people, and the roads, and the culture.

"Hm" Kai gets up to rinse. There's a small sink in the corner of the balcony. It's pretty.

Tyson tries to drink the rest of the juice, not wanting to waste food, but puts it down when he feels nauseous. Yeah, no. Nope. He'd like to keep everything inside, thank you.

They're in the cursed bedroom, dressing. Or Kai is dressing after a quick shower, and Tyson's on the mattress, looking through his suitcase for the itinerary Kai had given him before the trip - he can't find it - when he hears a sound in the distance. It's like a song. A man's singing from somewhere nearby. "What is that?" he asks, turning to look at Kai who is tying his belt around his hips. Being in the space with him feels almost too much.

Almost

"It's their call for prayer," he answers with a glance. His woodsy scent is all around the bedroom. He pulls on his shirt. A dark grey one.

"Everyone goes to pray when they hear it?"

Kai nods. "The Muslims" He's in front of a mirror. "They go to the mosques."

He's seen a mosque along the way. White. With domes. "Can we go?" he asks. The man's still calling.

"We are going to one," says Kai, fastening the straps of his watch around his wrist. "The Sheikh Zayed mosque in Abu Dhabi. On Sunday."

Sunday? "You said we're leaving on Sunday."

"Sunday night" Kai looks at him.

Tyson glances down at the floor. The rose gold carpet. "I didn't know we could go to their mosques," he says quietly. His feet does not quite reach the ground. The bed is tall. "Do you believe in god?" He looks up at Kai with the question.

He's standing in front of the mirror, spraying cologne. He pauses to meet Tyson's eyes through the glass and smiles thinly at him. "No"

Tyson huffs a tiny laugh. He didn't think he did. "I do" he says, swinging his feet. It catches and drags at one of the drapes falling along the corner. "I don't strongly believe in any religion, but I think there is someone up there who is responsible for things."

Kai puts the cologne down to watch Tyson through the mirror.

"Like a caretaker" he says, and hears a small snort coming from Kai's direction. "Are you laughing at me?"

He stares at him silently. "Do you believe in fate?"

Tyson thinks about it. He's never believed in it. "No"

"Then I'm not laughing at you," he says softly.


They're crossing the living room, on their way out of the suite. "Is this where you stayed when you came with Tala?" He doesn't think so. The possibility of those two sharing that bed is very low.

"No" Kai says as he opens the door and lets Tyson pass through first. Of course. "We stayed at the Burj Al-Arab."

"Same room?"

"Different rooms"

Of course

Tyson enters the elevator and leans against the handle that runs along the back of it, taking his phone out.

He turns on his data and waits for the stream of messages to flood in.

06:30 Mikhail: Are you alive and well?

07:45 Ed, Edd and Eddie: Are you dead?

07:50 Ems: You're in UAE? The fcok? WITH KAI? *shocked emoji* Send pics, hon. *winky face*

07:55 Ed, Edd and Eddie: Send pics. Don't send the Russki's face.

08:04 MaxTHEMan: Honeymoon trip? Aww *moony eyes*

Right. He forgot to tell him they broke up.

08:10 ReiKON: You in Dubai? Cool. Send photos.

He sends a broadcasts to the lot of them telling them he's fine. He landed safely. Now he's on his way to see the city. He will send photos.

08:30 Ems: How's Kai? *smirking face*

Tyson rolls his eyes as the elevator rolls down. It stops at a floor to let someone enter. Oooh, it's a local man in their formal attire. The full-body tailored white garment and scarf. He is tall and has a commanding presence. Tyson takes a breath as the man who seems to be in his thirties walks in with a smile.

He smiles back.

The Arab settles at the opposite corner of the lift and says "'Salaamu Alaykum" to Kai. Tyson lags.

"Salaam" Kai returns and Tyson wonders if he should say the same. It sounded like a greeting, but he's not sure if its appropriate for him to say it. What if the man thought Kai was one of them? Because he could easily pass for one. He has the deep set almond-shaped eyes that look black if you're not standing too close to him. And the recent tan he got from all the sun in Roppongo helps too. He could be easily mistaken for one.

Tyson sticks to just smiling pleasantly.

The man asks something, in Arabic. His voice is deep. The vowels sound poetic and beautiful when he speaks.

Tyson wasn't ready to hear the same elegant-sounding words roll off Kai's tongue in response.

He sneaks a glance at him. Oh.

Something weird niggles in his stomach as they continue the light conversation.

His phone pings with more texts. He slides it out and answers Emily.

08:35 to Ems: He's multilingual

08:35 Ems: That's $EXy

Tyson swallows a groan.

o - o - o

Tyson's texting away on his phone when the Arab gets off on a lower floor, leaving them both alone again.

His hair is still wet. It hangs over his forehead. He looks cute and hot at the same time.

"When they greet you, you say 'Salaam'" he says to Tyson.

Kai gets his attention just like that.

He sees him mouth the word to himself once before saying with a nod, "'Salaam'. Got it." With ease. As if he's already used to saying the word.

It's strange. He's noticed it before too about Tyson. The way he learns things. Where learning is a conscious process for Kai, it seems to be mostly subconscious for Tyson. He catches on quickly to anything. When his attention veers back to his phone again, Kai says, "Assalaamualaikum" once, quickly, fluidly, in a way someone who doesn't know the greeting wouldn't be able to figure out the syllables.

Just to test him.

And Tyson repeats it back to him, "Assalamualaikum", matching every syllable.

Pleasantly surprising Kai.

He does learn subconsciously. It explains why even though he doesn't spend a lot of time studying he maintains an average of B in all of his classes.

It also explains how Tyson is able to excel at almost everything he tries. Like he was born with a lot of basic talents. He'd told him he learned the guitar in three days. By watching someone else play. And he thought it was normal to learn the guitar that quickly.

His friends think he's a man of many talents and it is true to some extent. His real talent, however, is his ability to learn and adapt fast. (He doesn't seem to give his own abilities a lot of thought. He believes he can do anything if he tries hard enough, and Kai respects that mentality, because he likes to push his own limits too, to a rational extent.)

The elevator doors ding open and Tyson walks out ahead of him.

The baby blue shirt fits him exceptionally well.

It's bringing out the tan of his skin. The breadth of his shoulders. The column of his throat. He messes with his hair.

He combs his fingers through the locks at the back of his head, like he's still trying to get the water out of them when they hit the streets.

A breeze blows past them and brings Tyson's scent his way.

He smells like black orchids.

Kai slides his hands into his pockets and watches Tyson angle his phone at buildings to take pictures.


"There are so many filipinos here," he comments, licking at a strawberry ice cream cone. "And Indians."

"Tyson, not so loudly."

"Sorry" They've just walked out of a mall. Empty-handed except for the ice cream which he bought with his own money even though Kai insisted otherwise. Kai's unlocking his car. "I don't think they know Japanese, though. Can I drive?"

"No"

"Why not?" he whines.

"Because you don't have a fucking license," he answers, opening the passenger-side door. For him. Asshole. He is not getting in.

"Do you have a fucking license?" he tosses back.

"Obviously" Kai curls his lip.

Tyson eats his ice cream. "I want to drive."

"The police will come for you."

He's seen the police. They are big and scary. And they drive paparazzi bikes. Four-wheels too, but the bikes deserve a special mention.

Despite the threat of the police, he still really wants to drive. So he comes up with an idea. "Why don't we go to a deserted area. Like an actual desert, in this desert, where there are no cops. And no people. And you let me drive?" He thinks it's a solid idea, he laps at the ice cream with his eyes shining at Kai.

He sees his gaze get caught on his tongue. "Sure" he agrees. Then ushers Tyson into the passenger-side seat.


He's behind the wheel. And he's flexing his fingers. His ice cream was finished a while ago, when they were still on the highway and its remains have been stashed nastily in a cup holder in his brand new Range Rover.

They are in a desert. With no people around. Nothing but sand and a single narrow road stretching from horizon to horizon.

They could be attacked. And robbed. But the risk thrills Kai more than it turns him off.

"You ready?" he asks just to piss Tyson off.

"Don't fucking patronize me."

Kai folds his arms and snorts. He's standing beside the car. Looking at Tyson through one of the windows.

Tyson revs the engine. The sound is music to his ears. Rumbling and powerful.

He stands back as he revs it some more. The car gearing up like an animal ready to pounce.

His phone pings. Kai's about to look away and draw it out, thinking his car is in good hands, when the Range Rover takes off with a squeal of tyres on the asphalt. His hair flies.

He watches with surprised eyes as the car speeds down the desert road. The car travels a good fifty meters before suddenly making a sharp turn. Sand kicks up in an arc behind the vehicle. The Rover spins three times more before stopping. Facing Kai. The headlights glare at him. Eagle-like. Through the fog of dust. The car starts moving again. Heading towards him.

When Tyson rolls up next to Kai, the sand he kicked up is still hovering in the air.

The first thing he says to Tyson when he climbs halfway out the driver side window is: "You went back."

His grin is infectious. It's doing things to Kai. For the first time in what seems like ages, he feels something come to life inside of him.

"Yeah" answers Tyson. His hands braced on the edge of the window. His eyes are the brightest he'd ever seen them. "Did you think you could show me a place like that and I wouldn't go back?"

"How many times?" he asks, his voice guttural.

Tyson thinks. "Five? Six?" He bites his lip. "I'm not sure."

He's amazing. He learned how to make a Rover do stunts in six days. He's amazing.

Kai feels the corner of his mouth curl in a smile. Tyson returns it.

"Climb in?"

He has an idea. And he thinks Tyson has the same idea. They probably shouldn't. They should head back. It's illegal.

"Sure" says Kai, walking around to the other side of the car and pulling the door open.


"Do it" Cops be damned.

They go off road. Onto the sand. Into the deep dark desert.

Kai's hand is braced on the edge of the window frame as Tyson reverses recklessly, the car dipping back down a dune. They're almost at forty-five degrees to the ground before righting again.

The sky is speckled with stars. The sand stretches around them endlessly. All Kai can hear is the screech of the tyres and the roar of the engine and Tyson's delighted laughter.

He's on cloud nine as the odometer crosses safety limits. He's called Kai out for driving recklessly, when he's just as dangerous behind a wheel.

They peel down the roof of the car. And switch seats.

Tyson puts his hands in the air as Kai takes them down the desert.

Sand drifts. The tyres etch patterns into the ground. Elaborate. Beautiful.

"Is this like a new car?"

"It is brand new!"

"Fuck!" Tyson slaps his forehead, laughing.

Kai's gaze is far out the windshield. On the dark waves rising and falling in the distance. "We should do this with all the cars back home." He shifts gears. Accelerating.

Tyson falls back against the seat. He gazes at Kai. They're still wearing seatbelts. "You have a lot of cars back home?" he asks.

"My family does."

"What about this one? Does this belong to your family too?"

"No, it's mine." He thinks he sees a muscle shift in his jaw. He's not sure. There isn't enough light. They're making do with the headlights and the streetlights in the distance.

The car jerks violently and Tyson holds on with his feet against the dashboard. "Do they have Lamborghinis?"

"They certainly do," Kai says, nodding.

"We should take one next time." The car dips backward and the bottom drops out of his stomach. "Too bad we don't have deserts in Japan."

"We can come back here."

Tyson looks over at Kai. He is tilting the rear-view mirror away.

They spin.

"Do you have a death wish?" Tyson asks after a particularly dangerous maneuver.

"Not any more than you do."

"I don't have any!"

He grins. Kai glances at him. Holds his gaze for a second. Tyson pulls on the seatbelt.

They're flying.

Tyson's screaming his head off. For no reason.

He is cry-laugh-screaming.

They switch seats again.

The gear shift feels smooth and lovely in his hand. It's almost turning him on.

It is turning him on.

He floors the throttle. Kai presses the radio button. Turns the volume all the way up. It's the weekend in UAE. There's a DJ. High-energy music blares.

Oh god

They couldn't hear properly anyway. This is making it worse. He feels like he's almost high. He remembers how ecstasy felt. He would be lying, if he said this didn't feel even better.

"What if we blow a tyre?"

"Don't worry about it," Kai holds up his cell phone. Hair whipping.

"Are you gonna call the cops?" he shouts at him. "They're gonna bust us."

"Relax" Kai reaches over to pat his shoulder.

"I'm relaxed" Tyson holds the steering with both hands. Then twists. The car veers. Jumps.

Kai almost loses his phone.

He secures it in the glove compartment.

Tyson rests his cheek on the wheel. His hands folded along its top. His eyes are on Kai. "Are you close to them?"

"My family?"

"Hmm"

He sees Kai's throat work in the little light slanting through the windshield. He has his seat reclined, feet up on the dashboard. "Not at all."

"I'm not either. Not as much as I'd like to be."

He watches the way the light makes Kai's lashes seem longer.

"I don't talk to my brother at all." It's not a secret he tells people. Not even his friends. Hilary knows. No one else in college does.

Kai's chin turns towards him. Curious. But not prying. Understanding. Not pitying. Or sympathetic.

"He was always rude to me. I don't know why. I kept trying with him all throughout high school. Even when he left. I did everything to make him like me." It hurts. It feels good to tell Kai. His eyes are unassuming. His eyes are the safest. "He never liked me. He never forgave me. I stopped trying when college started and realized he wasn't worth all the effort."

There's a slight frown between Kai's eyebrows. "What does he need to forgive you for?" he asks softly.

Tyson opens his mouth and the first time, no sound comes. The second time, he can croak it up, "He thinks I killed our mother. His mother." There's vomit in the mouth. Tyson leans out the window to hurl.

Tears sting at the backs of his eyes as he retches the ice cream out. The sand colours disgustingly. He feels disgusting.

Kai's hand rubs his back. Comfortingly.

He sits back inside after a while. Eyes dry. Throat dry. Feeling loads better.

He drinks the water Kai gives him.

He starts the engine. He listens to the rev of the car. "I think he's right."

Kai's gaze cuts to him.

Tyson floors the accelerator.

Stars tremble and race past them. Across yards. Across miles. The Range Rover leaves prints everywhere.

Dust swirls in the air.

They're making storms.

He's making storms.

Kai touches his shoulder. Tyson slows down. Easing on the gas.

"We're running out of fuel."

He nods.

"Right"

He shuts off the engine.

"Tyson?"

"Hm?" He spots a car driving past them along the road.

"You know he's not right, don't you?" asks Kai.

He inhales, his chest inflating. He nods slowly. "I know" He knows.

His hand is still on his shoulder. It's reassuring.

"Ok?"

"Ok"

He takes his fingers away. Tyson starts the car again. He drives them around some more, and talks some more, and laughs some more, before taking them back, needing almost no directions from Kai. Or the GPS. They avoid the police by luck.