Are We Safe?
He's never been more terrified. Kai takes Tyson's hand in his and helps him climb onto the toilet seat. Kai joins him, looks around and cracks the window open. They can squeeze through if they try. "You" Kai mouths at him. "First."
Tyson hears him, understands the words, but he literally cannot move. He is frozen with fear.
"Kai" he calls his name in a little wisp of a voice.
"Baby" Kai touches his face. "You can do this. Trust me. You can."
Tyson nods, pulls in a big breath. Tries to shut out the screams coming from the bar and climbs onto the window. He manages to wriggle through, making a half storey drop to the hard ground below. "Ow, what the hell."
Kai drops down behind him. "Are you hurt?"
"No"
"Come with me" He takes his hand and they run across the vip parking lot to Kai's car
Tyson takes deep breaths once they're in the car. In, out, in, out. "Do you think anybody's hurt?"
"I don't know."
"Oh my god." He bends at the stomach, holding his head in his hands. "Oh my god."
"What's going on?" He reaches over to rub his back.
"Nothing. I'm fine." He sits up. It takes him a minute to calm down. The crazy adrenaline rush and fear leaving him slowly. Once they're gone, he's left numb.
The car is going pretty fast. Tyson peeks at the odometer and prays to god they don't crash.
"You better start talking," says Tyson once they're inside another one of Kai's hotels. Arms crossed, standing in the foyer. "I know you don't want me to be a part of it, but as long as you are dating me, I am a part of it. Whether you like it or not."
Kai screws the cap back on the bottle of water he was drinking from. Drops it on the bed.
"And you promised me. You promised no more secrets so why are you keeping this from me?"
"Okay, let's talk." He throws up his hands. "What do you want to know?"
"What the hell is going on? The phone call. What was that about? Who called you?"
Kai sighs, chest deflating. It makes Tyson soften immediately. He goes to him, gently padding across the floor and touching his shoulder. "It's ok." He cradles his cheek. "It's ok. I love you. No matter what."
Kai meets his gaze, smiles wryly. "That's an insane thing to say."
"Yeah, well, I am. For you."
His smile straightens into a real one. Leans in and kisses him. Tyson winds his arms around his neck.
"What happened?" he asks, pulling away a little.
Kai holds his waist. "The call was about another attack," he says, looking down between them. "I lost more of my men."
Tyson lowers his hands from around his neck. "I am so sorry."
"Tala managed to schedule a meeting with those guys."
"The…the guys from the other university. The four…?"
"Yeah"
"How'd it go?"
Kai pauses. "It went bad. They made their intentions pretty clear. They did not want to compromise. They wanted half of our profits. And if we didn't agree to it, they'd continue with their attacks. Take what they can and burn us to the ground."
Tyson waits, then when he doesn't elaborate, asks, "And what did you do?"
"I'd gone there with a backup plan. Had to dig a little but we knew where their families lived. Threatened the life of one of their sisters if they continued."
"They stopped, right?"
Kai shakes his head. "They didn't"
Tyson's heart screeches to a halt in his chest. Scared of what's next. "You didnt-"
Kai's silent, guilty. Then he shakes his head again. "No. Didn't hurt the families. Made an example out of one of their men instead."
Tyson breathes out. "What does that mean?"
"It means we're good for now," says Kai.
"What about that guy tonight?"
"He's not one of them. We'll find out what he wants soon."
Tyson raises a hand to caress Kai's face. "You know I love you, don't you?"
Kai closes his mouth. Gazing at him quietly. "Hm"
"You don't have to keep things from me. I'm not going to judge you. I'm not going to run away." Even as he says those words he sees doubt in Kai's eyes.
"Where's your limit?" he asks softly.
"I trust you. In your judgement." He runs his thumb back and forth his cheek. "Where you decide to draw the line. I know you feel the things you do, Kai. I see you struggle with it. I trust you to take care of yourself."
The look in Kai's eyes suddenly change, something Tyson said surprising him. His lips part but nothing comes out for a minute. He draws Tyson closer by his waist. Strong emotions in his gaze. Perhaps the most vulnerable and open he's ever seen him. "You have no fucking idea how much that means to me," he says at last in a guttural voice.
Tyson gives him a small warm smile.
Kai gently strokes his hair, returning that smile. Tracing an eye brow. "You're one of the best decisions I ever made," he speaks softly.
Tyson feels his heart swell with joy.
Kai kisses his brow. Lips lingering there.
Tyson closes his eyes, soaking it in. His hand catches on one of Kai's shirt buttons but he only pats the fabric down. Pulling Kai closer when he slightly moves away.
They spent the rest of the night talking. In the armchairs by the tall windows. Sleep deserting them for some reason.
When the sun breaks over the horizon, Tyson points at it. "It's already sunrise? I can't believe we've been up all night. Has it really been that long?"
Kai glances at him, then at the sunrise. "Having too much fun, Tyson? Forgetting everything around you, I see." He leans to pick up a grape from the table and eat it.
"Oh shut the fuck up. Gassing yourself up for what? I've stayed up talking with my friends before."
"You're not in love with your friends."
Tyson's cheeks go up in flames. Why did he ever think it was a good idea to tell this gigantic overly proud asshole that he had feelings for him? Why does he never think things through? "I have no idea what you're talking about," he tries to defend himself. "I lied."
Kai snorts. Shoulders lifting for a moment.
"Next time we're having a moment I'll make sure to not say anything that might gas you up. If that head gets any bigger it might explode."
"Stop bitching and look at the pretty sunrise, Tyson."
"It looks great."
"See the birds?"
"Yeah"
"They look like you."
"You're just saying anything to flirt at this point. Your game is going down. You are tired. Give it up and go to bed."
"The birds, Tyson."
"Whatever you're trying. It's not working."
"What am I trying?" His eyes are dangerous.
"I don't know. Trying to get me to walk into one of your traps. It's not gonna happen."
"Afraid we might have another moment and you'll say something to embarrass yourself?"
"You think way too highly of yourself."
"I'm right, aren't I?" asks Kai, looking at him with a teasing smile.
Tyson throws a cushion at his face. Kai reaches over to grab at his wrist and waist and pull him into his lap.
"No! You smug son of a bitch, let me go!" He's already halfway straddling Kai yet he continues to fight. Pushing him away with a hand on his chest. "Fuck you."
Kai holds him locked with both his arms around his waist. "Not gonna give me a kiss? "
"Why would I kiss you? Are you crazy?"
"No?"
"I hate you"
"Enough to not want to kiss me?"
Tyson sniffs.
"Can't put your grudge aside to put those beautiful lips on mine for a moment?"
"I'm not beautiful."
"You're right. You're more than."
"Stop trying to flirt. You suck at it."
"No rewards for the effort? Not even a peck?" Kai reaches out to reverently touch his chin. Lifting it slightly. "You can't hold all that prettiness and not give me a taste."
Tyson twists away, whining in complaint. "Stop"
"I will if you kiss me."
"No"
"Not even a little touch?"
Tyson playfully hits him. Wanting to give in.
Kai licks his own lips. "Baby"
"Oh" That does it. Tyson falls forward and presses his lips to Kai's, giving it to him the way he wanted it. Heat pools in his gut. The tip of his dick getting wet.
"Mmm, you taste like chocolate."
Tyson moans under the praise. Melting into Kai's touch. "Oh"
"What?"
He whines, surging forward for another kiss.
"Want more, baby?"
He hums in agreement.
"Want my cock in you?"
"Mm"
"Want me to make you feel good?"
"Yes"
Kai carries him in his arms to the bed. Laying him on the foot of it, and stripping him naked.
He readily accepts Kai's tongue in his mouth, with a hungry gasp. When Kai takes off his shirt, Tyson runs his hands appreciatively down his broad shoulders.
Kai parts Tyson's smooth legs, and pushes in with a roll of his hips. Tyson pulls him down, making out with him, wet, and open and hungry.
It's slow but dirty and obscene. Tyson pretty much covered in cum by the end of it. Kai doesn't stop after coming once, continues ravishing him. Leaving bites, and hickeys, and hand prints. Marked and debauched, Tyson comes shaking uncontrollably the second time. Weeping and trembling on the mattress. Rendered almost useless except for saying Kai's name. Thoroughly touched and wrecked he still reaches for Kai. Wanting more. Unable to get enough of him. Begging still. Kai turns him over to his back and kisses him open mouthed. A hand wrapped around his throat.
"How are we ever going to get out of here?" asks Kai
"Don't" Tyson whispers. "Stay."
"We can't"
But Tyson wanted to hear none of that. He just wanted Kai to fuck him again.
They don't leave the hotel till two in the afternoon.
Tyson drinks a large cup of juice on the drive back to campus.
"You can't flirt for shit, by the way," he says.
"You're littered in bruises from neck down, " argues Kai casually, turning around a corner. "Mine"
Something about the way he says 'mine' makes butterflies erupt in Tyson's stomach. "That's irrelevant. It's not your flirting that got me into your bed."
"What did?"
Tyson pauses. He can't answer that. He sucks on the straw.
Kai glances at him. Notes his silence. "Ha"
"Just because I fell for it doesn't mean you're good."
"Well, it doesn't need to work on anyone else." Kai pulls into the Blitzkrieg house's driveway and turns off the ignition, turning around to look at Tyson.
Tyson had finished his juice. He puts it down in the cup holder and meets Kai's eyes.
Silence stretches between them.
He doesn't know who reaches over first but Tyson's mouth is against Kai's and he doesn't want to pull away any time soon.
In fact, he wants Kai to leave some more bruises on him.
Then Kai pulls away, breathing a 'fuck' while looking at Tyson. He sits back, staring out the windshield and exhaling almost painfully.
Tyson feels his cheeks burn, recalling that they'd literally just dragged themselves out of bed. He relaxes back into his own seat as Kai turns on the engine and moves the car into the garage. He doesn't understand why till they're out and gravitate toward each other in front of the hood.
Then he's thankful for the privacy as Kai presses him back against the car and makes out with him. For a few long, blissful minutes during which he gets an erection and becomes breathless.
"We have to go," Kai says, intertwining their fingers together, not wanting to separate.
"Yeah"
Kai peppers little kisses on his lips. "Alright, let's go. " Kai turns around and holds Tyson's fingers over his shoulder. Tyson lets him pull him into the house like that.
There's a meeting in the hall. All the Blitzkriegs present, including Julia. They shut up when they see Tyson, but Kai tells them it's okay.
That he is joining them today.
Tala's expression sours with distaste at this.
He eyes Tyson as though he's a worm as he sits down beside Kai.
Tyson ignores him.
Julia greets him warmly.
"So, have we identified the shooter yet?" asks Ian. "Who sent him?"
"I'm guessing it wasn't Hiruta and his minions," says Tala. "They seemed like they were ready to shit their pants when we crossed them in the street a couple days ago. That beating really did a number on them. Who knew Kai could be so adept with a baseball bat?" He's reminiscing fondly when a thought appears in his mind and his gaze falls on Tyson. "Do you know what your lover did?"
Tyson returns his gaze casually.
"He smashed that fucker's head into a pulp. It was terrible. There was blood and brains everywhere. Dripping from the walls."
The image he paints is graphic. Horrifying. But he knows the violence Kai is capable of. As long as it's not being directed at innocents, Tyson chooses not to rebuke him for it. He trusts in Kai's judgement. In a way, he is more capable of being clear-eyed than Tyson when he's angry. More than most people, really.
He'd held back against Tyson. It wouldn't be wrong to assume he exercised that same caution and restraint with all his enemies.
When Tala sees Tyson not rising to the bait he switches tactics. Julia watches their exchange with an expression of tired disappointment.
Bryan pretends it's not happening. Sergei waits on Kai. Ian is visibly enjoying it. Always happy to see Tala or Kai verbally wear someone down. Kai breathed laboriously, eyes trained on Tala.
"Stop" he said. "He is not your enemy."
Tala's gaze slides to him then rolls exaggeratedly. "A man can't test his brother's lover?"
"That's enough testing," Kai says, teeth flashing with annoyance.
Tyson squeezes Kai's thigh. "It's ok" he says quietly to him. "I can handle him."
"You don't need to be handling him." Kai turns to him, frowning. Now irked that Tyson doesn't want him to defend him.
"If we can all just focus," interrupts Julia. Six pairs of eyes fall on her. "That would be great." She smiles awkwardly. "We have a man who was paid by an anonymous agent to shoot up Kai's hotel locked in our basement. What are we going to do with him?"
"He's in the basement?" asks Tyson with shock.
"I caught him," provides Tala, smiling sharply. "While you were fucking Kai through the night."
Julia sighs.
Ian giggles.
Kai bristles again. Tyson smooths his hand along his thigh, soothingly. He shakes his head minutely when Kai looks at him.
"Silent conversations. I love this."
"He didn't say who the man was?" prompts Sergei, trying to steer the discussion back on track. "Not even an alias?"
"No. And I did a wonderful job breaking him down." Tala answers all while his gaze is trained on Tyson. "He knows nothing about the man who paid him. He was just desperate for some money."
"Physical descriptions?" asks Kai.
"Average height, a little taller than our guy downstairs. Hooded."
"What kind of hood? What else was he wearing?"
"Regular hoodie. Jeans. Boots."
"No tats?"
"None that could be seen."
Kai's shoulders suddenly slump and he runs a hand over his face.
"What? Do you have an idea of who might have sent him?"
"He shot at the hotel's interiors. The furnishing. The bars. He wasn't sent to kill me. It's a message. A warning of something bigger that's coming. And I know who sent it."
They waited for him to elaborate.
"Who?" prompted Ian.
"I blew up fifty of his men and left a mark on his reputation. The reputation of his family. He wants revenge. He's coming for what he's owed....Like he said he would."
Understanding dawns on all of them except Tyson who has to make his own conclusions from the looks on their faces and the tension in the lines of Kai's body. "Who are we talking about?" he asks at last when he can't find a sufficient answer by himself.
"The man who leads the biggest criminal organization in the country," says Kai. "The head of the Yakuza empire."
"What is your problem?" Kai asks, leaning his hands on the kitchen island.
"You should not be letting him into our inner circle." Tala peels an orange.
"Why is that?"
"You know he's not a part of this. He will never be."
"You didn't object this much when it was Julia."
"Tyson is not Julia. He isn't capable," he says like he's deliberately choosing to use a mild word around Kai. "He will only slow you down." He throws the half of the orange to Kai.
"Let me get this straight," Kai puts down the fruit he had caught and steps closer to Tala. "You went and talked to Tyson and convinced him to give me a chance. You talked him into having a conversation with me. You brought him back when he wanted to leave and I let him go."
A beat passes.
Tala's expression changes to something softer.
"You were fucking miserable. You didn't let go of him, you lost him. It was a loss that was hurting you."
"And now you're mad we're together?"
"I'm not mad you're together. I'm mad you're bringing him into everything. You had no problem keeping the people you fucked away from your inner circle before. Keep him in your bed and away from… away from what we do."
Kai appraised him with a cool, calculating look. "It's not that easy. You know Tyson commits and you knew that when you went to talk to him." Tala's mouth hardens. "You're jealous and threatened. As you knew you would be. Get it under control."
He steps away and picks up the orange. Separates a piece.
"It's not all good and honourable intentions with him. He wants your attention, Kai. Craves for it. Craves for what he never got from his father, or his brother, or his dead mother. The boy was unloved as a child. Still isn't enough. He surrounds himself with as many friends as possible and not all of them love him the way he thinks they do. He feels it. Knows that whatever you're giving him is real and wants more of it. All of it. Hell, he doesn't even talk to his friends anymore now that he has you to give him everything. It's way better than anything they could have ever given him. And as someone who was also abandoned by his father at a very young age I understand him. Perfectly."
Kai studies the kitchen table, then looks at Tala, lifting his eyebrows at him.
"And? You're saying he's ambitious? What's the end goal? Have me marry him? How alarming," he says dryly.
"A marriage proposal is not what's alarming. I'm warning you he will get jealous. Like me." He waves towards himself, then he pauses when he sees the reaction in Kai. "Oh. He already is." Tala lets out a breath of amusement. "He wants to be the centre of your attention and when he's not he will get jealous. And it won't be regular jealousy. I'm talking extreme mood swings. I see he already has them. You give it away easily, Kai," he remarks observantly. "Running away in the morning after spending a whole night fucking. He's messing with your head enough as it is. Don't bring him into what we do. It won't end well for anybody."
Kai hears him. Knows that he's right. And also knows, that despite his jealousy, Tala can still be reasonable. Can still put his feelings aside and do what is right. What is needed. Tyson on the other hand….. Would be a risky addition to their team, if he were to add him to their team.
For one, he held Kai's affection. In a moment of danger, Tyson will be Kai's first priority. He couldn't be brought along on a mission. Kai would be distracted, worried for Tyson. And then there's the fact that Tyson gets jealous. He has been acting hot and cold with Kai. Distant and caustic in one moment, sweet and loving the next. And it messes with Kai's head more than he would like to admit.
"Keep him as far as possible from our work," says Tala. "Invite him to your fights, fuck him as much as you like. But don't let him persuade you into bringing him along on a mission. Or we're dead."
"Are you done?" Kai braces his elbows on the back of the couch, on which Tyson sits, studying.
"I think so," he says. Voice soft. Turning a printout over in his hands. And Kai feels his thoughts scatter.
He isn't rational or composed around Tyson either. His thoughts scramble the way they do now. Tyson's not the only one who cannot think when they're near one another.
"I couldn't focus," Tyson admits. "I kept thinking about it."
"About what? What's distracting you?" Kai frowns, walking around the couch to sit next to him.
Tyson smiles nervously at him. "The Yakuza" he whispers. "I had no idea you were dealing with danger like that. I'm… . It's terrifying."
There is more white in his face than blood and Kai realizes that Tyson's scared to the bone.
He isn't capable.
He pushes Tala's words out of his head and reaches across to put a hand on Tyson's. "We've faced them before. And we won. Don't worry." He tucks a lock of his hair behind his ear.
"We- we have?" He looks surprised.
"Yeah. I said he's coming for revenge."
"Oh, I kind of blocked that part out when I heard-" He falls back against the couch in a heap. "Whew. I was scared to death."
"And you still managed to cram this shit?" Kai raises the side of an open textbook to read the front. "That's impressive."
He isn't capable.
Well, not entirely.
Tala's wrong.
Tyson lies among the cushions, looking dazed.
Then he gets up and flourishes the printout in his hand. "Can you quiz me?"
"Sure" Kai takes the paper from him. "Is this all?"
"There's thirty more."
"Oh"
They're cuddling in the afterglow. Tyson drawing lazy circles on Kai's chest.
"You know when I first met you I thought you were such a big jerk. And then you asked me out and I was shocked. I thought you were pranking me." He pushes up to an elbow so he can lie on his side and gaze at Kai's face. "I thought 'why me?' 'Why would he ever ask me?' Out of everyone on campus. Me. It didn't make sense. I wasn't even your type."
Kai has an arm pillowed under his head. "You are, " he says.
Tyson raises his eyebrows. "I'm what? Your type? Since when?"
"Have you never looked in the mirror?"
He gets annoyed. Eyes narrowing. "I have and I don't like look one of those supermodel types you were always seen with. Kristina and I have nothing in common."
"Nothing? You're athletic. So is she. She's got brown hair. So do you. And you've got big eyes and a heart-shaped face. You're everything I like in a package."
Tyson colours, hearing himself be described like that. "'Heart-shaped'. You're very thorough."
"I am"
"I'm-?" Tyson sits up, marvelling at the new revelation. "I never knew that I was your type. I always wondered why you liked me and never understood why."
"It's also your personality," says Kai and something about the way he says it makes it sound derisive.
"My sparkling personality."
"Sparkling" Kai teases, grinning. Then he gets serious. "No. I like you because you're loyal, kind, smart and a whole lot of other things that has me pulled to you like a moth to a flame."
Tyson's pink in the cheeks. Face on fire but he smiles when Kai meets his eyes.
"Why do you like me?" He gets the question thrown at him in return.
Tyson's lashes flutter. "I... You're…" His head is almost always filled with thoughts of Kai but right now he can't think of anything. "I just do."
"You just do?" A lazy eyebrow cocks at him.
"You're….." Tyson feels all his words desert him. And he's feeling all hot and knotted down there. "Nice"
"Nice?" It makes Kai sit halfway up. "I've never heard someone describe me as nice."
Tyson looks at him sideways, despite his embarrassment. "Do you ask people to describe you often?"
"No, they tell me on their own. They tell me I'm rude. That I'm heartless and uncaring."
"You're not."
"And a big fucking asshole."
"You're not," Tyson says louder. "You can be, " he adds on. "But you're…"
"Also nice?" Kai provides, cheekily.
Tyson colours. His cheeks hurt from holding in a smile.
Kai draws him to the bed by his waist. Gazing at him fondly before sliding closer and capturing his mouth. His hand remains on his waist.
"When did you know?"
"What?"
"That you liked me."
Kai thinks back. Tyson watches him think.
"A week or two before the ball, when we were in an elevator together, kind of squeezed close, and you looked up at me."
Tyson looks up at him now, the same way.
Kai meets his eyes. "I've never wanted anyone more."
Tyson wasn't expecting those words. It hits him like a punch and he gasps when Kai kisses him, hot, intent, wanting to take him right then, spurred on by some memory.
His energy is different from Tyson's. He'd fallen out of step at some point, without his notice. Kai touches him. Slows down when he sees Tyson's not yet there with him and lavishes generous attention on his body, hands running everywhere till Tyson's prime and ready for him.
He takes him then, on his knees, his wrists pulled behind him and gripped tight in Kai's fingers. He pushes back onto him.
It's driven by lust alone at first, more physical than anything, and Tyson's not emotionally on the same page. Isn't connected with him and doesn't connect till Kai edges him to the point of breaking mentally.
There's something in it.
Kai wanting to dominate him fully. Wanting to completely own him.
Wanting him to not know or care about anything beyond him. Wanting him crazy and obsessed over him. And he does. He gets Tyson like that.
A pretty little thing sobbing on the mattress with Kai's name like a prayer on his lips.
He doesn't come till Tyson has. Till he's let Tyson come all over his sheets. It's intense. It's long-lasting. May be the best edging experience Kai had ever given someone.
He holds him afterwards, brushing his hair away from his face and comforting him gently, wiping his tears off his cheeks. Tyson curls into Kai's side, hides his face in the crook of his neck and sleeps.
And Kai recalls Tala's words.
He'll get jealous. He wants to be the center of your attention.
Kai wants to be the centre of Tyson's universe too. He doesn't want Tyson to be bothered with anything other than him. He would be upset if he didn't get jealous, wasn't put off by other people getting close to him.
Kai turns to his side, toward Tyson. Brushes a soft kiss across his forehead. Cherishes his soft, fruity scent.
If given the chance, Kai would keep Tyson in his bed 24/7. In the lock of his arms. Close. Tight. His.
And only his.
