The Long Night II
Kai holds Tyson's hair back from his forehead as he takes another sniff and jerks back.
"Whoa whoa, okay," says Bryan. "Let's not hurt ourselves now."
Tyson's rubbing at his nose, a small whimper escaping his lips.
"It's over, baby," Kai tells him, wiping a tear out of his eye. "You're okay."
He pushes his hands away from his face and cups his jaw, holding his head in place. "Look at me."
Tyson opens his eyes, lashes fluttering as he blinks repeatedly against the light, tears catching in them.
He's red. His nose is a soft pink.
Irises twinkling.
"Hi" greets Kai.
Tyson's face screws up and he sneezes.
Tala gives a chuckle.
"Alright" Bryan slaps Tyson's shoulders. "Let's go. Attaboy, you're one of us now."
Kai shoots a disapproving look Bryan's way while Tala mutters, "Yeah, right."
"How do you feel?" he asks, refocusing on Tyson.
"Oh I feel great," he says, finally finding his voice. He gently tugs Kai's hands away from his face and rubs at his eyes, smooths his hair. Arranging the locks neatly against his forehead. He sniffles. "I feel like God." And gives a laugh.
Kai smiles and hauls him up to his feet.
"Has anyone seen Ian? He went to the bathroom during dinner and hasn't returned since."
"I'll go check on him," says Julia before walking out of the room.
The light's a little too bright. And his heart is hammering a bit too hard. But he feels amazing overall. Like he can win ten 100m sprints back to back.
The thought of sprints has him turning around to look at Tala, who is sprawled on an armchair with his shirt half open and his tie hanging loose.
"What?" he barks when he catches him looking.
"The grounds are endlessly long," he says with a shrug. "Want to race?"
"No, twink."
"Why? Are you scared?"
His expression gets serious. All humour draining out of his face. "Alright, Bambi. Let's race." He rises to his feet, pulling his tall lanky form up and walks out of there with an intent look at Tyson.
Kai looks up from his phone when Tyson turns to face him and says, "I have my money on you."
"Thank you, baby." Tyson kisses his lips and grabs his hand, pulling him after him.
"You know this isn't going to end well," Sergei says to Kai. "They're both high as fuck."
"Tyson's mellow."
"You don't know what he's like on coke. Weed had him kissing up every stranger he came across on a beach."
Kai doesn't answer, sucking his lips into his mouth.
Tyson's rolling up his sleeves. He has a lovely little smile on his face. He knows he's going to win.
Tala's not going to like that.
Kai puts two fingers in his mouth and blows the whistle to start the race. It goes as expected.
Tyson's shirt whipping in the wind. Their long legs flashing across the grassy yard. Tyson's laughter floating through the air as he crosses the makeshift finish line first.
He doesn't even stop to fully acknowledge the win before he's spinning around and pointing at Kai. "You" he says. "You. I want to race against you."
Tala wipes his sweaty hair off his forehead and pants, expression blank and clearly not mad enough as Tyson jogs over to drag Kai to the starting point.
"Come here," he says in between laboured breaths, searching for the twig they'd used to mark the spot. "Argh, where is it?"
He finds it eventually and faces Kai, breathing fruity smelling air into his face.
He's so beautiful and the coke is making him seem ethereal. He briefly presses his lips against Kai's. "Mmm. You better race me seriously."
"Like I'd ever let you win," he replies as Tyson lets go of him and puts some distance between them.
The race ends in what seems like the blink of an eye. And Tyson's kissing Kai's face red when Tala calls his name.
"Another round, Granger."
Tyson's winded. Kai can feel his heartbeat against his own chest as he rests his chin on his shoulder and considers Tala.
"Again?" he pants in his ear.
"Give him a minute," says Kai, securing his arms around Tyson.
"No" Tala shakes his head, hands on his hips. He means business. "Now"
"Okay" Tyson pulls away.
Kai grinds his teeth, frustrated.
"Good luck kiss?" Tyson pouts. Kai gives him one. He's soft as hell.
He lets him go reluctantly.
Kai is worried for a moment but it's a breeze for Tyson. Nothing makes a difference.
He literally is one of the best ever in the sport. He wonders why Tyson doesn't want to pursue it as a career.
When it's over he teases Yuriy but Kai whisks him away before he gets himself punched. Takes him up to his room and it's quiet for a moment before the rest of the gang barges in and makes that their hiding spot for the rest of the night.
Tyson finds a box under Kai's old bed. "It's a chest," he says, eyes sparkling with wonder. "Like a real chest."
"Bambi, there's a whole vault," says Bryan. A smoking pipe in his hand. "Full of ancient treasures and shit."
"We should rob that," says Tala.
"Where's your pride?"
"That shit can't be bought. Like you can't ever buy stuff like that."
"You can actually," counters Sergei. "You just need to know the right people."
"Well, I don't know any such people right now."
"You'll find them, Yuriy," says Kai.
"Thanks for the unwavering support, Captain," he says drily.
"It's locked," says Tyson. Kai dials in the combination he remembers and the lock clicks.
Tyson opens the chest with a gasp and there's stuff in there that was saved for Kai.
"God damn."
Bryan whistles. "I remember this. It's been so long."
Tyson looks at the shiny things in there with wide eyes. And Kai reaches into the chest and pulls a thin, shimmery chain from the tangled mess of jewelry and gold.
A pendant.
It shines like a diamond.
Tyson realizes that it is with a shock.
When he looks up at Kai he sees a weird look in his eyes. Like he's trying to read him. Gauge how he would react to something.
Tyson immediately braces himself in reflex. "What?" he asks in a guarded tone.
Kai holds up the chain on his hands. Indicatively.
Does he want him to wear it?
"No"
He sees him close his eyes impatiently. "Have you ever thought about saying yes to me? At least once?"
"No" Tyson smiles brightly. He sees Kai's eye twitch. "It's always going to be no."
He gets up to his feet and moves toward the mirror to check his reflection.
His pupils are taking up his entire eyeball.
It's like his eyes are almost black.
Tyson leans across the dresser, touching the skin under his eye in awe.
"I look crazy. Kai, this is crazy."
He doesn't feel him come up behind him, but all of a sudden something shiny and thin is being draped around him and Tyson jumps.
"Be still," Kai says in his ear.
"Oh what the fuck, you're making me put it on?" He lets his hands drop and frowns down at the chain as Kai fastens it around his neck. "I said I didn't want it."
"Well, it won't hurt you to wear it for a couple of minutes." He steps back, appraises him in the mirror.
Tyson looks at Kai, then at his own reflection.
Fuck, he looks like a…
Hell no.
As if the baby face and soft features weren't enough.
He almost punches himself in the eye trying to take it off.
"Calm down, Jesus." Kai tries to grab his arms to keep him still.
"Jesus?" Tala pipes up from somewhere behind them. "When did he turn Christian?"
"No, Kai. No!" He doesn't know when it became a full on fight but they're fully wrestling. Tyson trying to undo the chain and Kai attempting to stop him.
He's remotely aware of Kai's arms surrounding him but he wins in the end. Pulls the chain off and hands it back to him with a huff.
"No" he says, touching his throat indignantly.
"Over a chain, Granger?" Kai growls.
"It's not just a chain. You won't understand."
Kai gazes at him, slight curiosity in his eyes but mostly just disappointment and annoyance.
"Don't try that again."
Kai sets the chain down on the dresser beside Tyson with a thunk, his knuckles hitting the wood harsher than necessary.
"Don't … " he trails off, shakes his head meeting Kai's eyes.
"We'll talk about this later," says Kai in a quiet voice, leaning against the dresser.
It sounds like a threat.
"Yeah, sure," Tyson sing-songs, folding his arms.
Tala fixes a joint between his lips and inhales, his sneering eyes on Tyson. At this point, he's sure he's plotting his demise. Or thinking about the demise of his relationship with Kai.
He knows he's waiting it out. That he thinks it won't last and they'll break up sometime in the next semester.
And his conviction is scary because he's convinced Tyson too.
Tyson pouts, turns and tugs at Kai's arm.
"Can we have that talk now? Can we go outside?"
Kai looks at him lazily. "Where the vultures are?"
"Vultu- why are you calling them vultures?"
"Because that's what they are."
"Okay" Tyson lets go of his jacket. "I'm sort of…" He stares hard at the ground.
"What?"
"Panicky"
Kai cocks an eye brow. Tyson grabs his arm and drags him to a corner of the room, far away from everyone else. As far as possible.
Then he says, "He thinks we won't last!"
"Who?" The edge of Kai's mouth turns up in half-disgust before he realizes who he's talking about. Then his lids drop, bored.
"Tala…" Tyson whines. He punches at the air and kicks at the ground multiple times. Frustrated.
"Nothing lasts," says Kai, suddenly being philosophical when that was the last thing Tyson wanted from him.
"I know that! But- I want to be-"
Kai stares at him as he stumbles over his words with a light frown then grabs his face, turns his head with his palms on both cheeks to make him look at him. "Tyson, do you think Yuriy can tell the future?"
"No"
"He's just a man. Relax."
"Say something nicer."
He stares at him with an expression so unmoved, Tyson huffs. "Fine. I get it. It's stupid."
Kai shoots him a sideways look after a minute. "What was with you and the chain?"
Tyson freezes. Flushes. "Oh. Um. You want to know?"
He frowns lightly. Slightly offended. "Why wouldn't I wanna know?" he asks slowly.
"Uh… it made me look like a girl," Tyson says quietly, not meeting his eyes.
He feels Kai staring at him.
"You know, since, I don't have any sharp features… Things like that make me look more… or less… like a guy." He musters courage to chance a glance at him. "I know you can't relate with that face of yours."
Kai observes him, thoughts swimming behind his eyes. "Is that a bad thing?" he asks after a second. Voice gentle. "Being able to look however you want?"
"I can't though," protests Tyson. "I can't grow a beard."
"But you will be able to. In a few years."
That makes Tyson pause. "I mean… yeah. Yeah." He brightens up.
"So isn't that a good thing? Take the beard off and wear a chain and…"
"But I'll look weird."
Kai shakes his head. "You didn't when you wore the chain earlier. Not at all."
Tyson has the sudden urge to kiss him. But then there's a loud crowing.
"Where's the marchioness?" wonders Tala, putting out the joint. "I texted her and she did not reply." He stands up. "I'm gonna go check up on her and Ian. Anyone wanna come with?"
"Sure" Sergei and Bryan say in tandem and then glance at each other.
"Well…"
"Let's both go."
"Yeah"
Kai watches them with a light frown before pulling out his phone and bringing up Julia's number in his contacts.
Tyson observes silently as he calls her.
"She's not picking up?"
Kai shakes his head.
"I wonder what's taking them so long."
Kai glances at Tyson, then hangs up.
"We should probably go and look for them, " says Tyson.
"Yeah"
"I'll keep the vultures away from you," says Tyson, touching his hand. "I promise"
Kai glances up at him and gives him a small smile. "Thank you" he says, eyes glinting with amusement and something else. Something soft.
"Okay" Tyson nods.
They step out carefully, making sure the corridor is empty.
"Where do you think they all are? Has the game begun already?"
"May be. They must be in the South parlour."
"The South what?"
Kai gives him a wry smile.
"Wow, how ancient is this place?"
"Pretty ancient. I want it knocked down."
Tyson giggles. "You're evil. Your great great grandparents would be so mad at you."
"They must hate me."
Tyson squeezes Kai's hand, silently telling him he's with him.
"Come with me. This way." Kai leads them down the hallway, their footsteps quiet on the marble. The mansion is eerily quiet around them and the atmosphere is cold. Chilly.
Tyson feels goosebumps erupt along his arms and walks closer to Kai.
They swiftly make their way across a couple of closed halls, aiming to go to the bathroom nearest to the main dining hall where they all had dinner since it was likely Ian went there and that was the last sure location they had of him.
They're halfway to the staircase when something dark flashes in the corner of Tyson's eye and he jumps, turning around to look at what it was.
He clutches at his chest and Kai's hand breathing out in relief. "Oh my god. Kai is that?"
"My great grandmother." Kai smooths his hands down soothingly over Tyson's shoulders. "Stop being so jumpy. You scared the hell out of me."
His great grandma sits near a window, staring out into the darkness, almost completely still except for the slight rise and fall of her chest and a slow blink every now and then. She is huddled in shawls, a thick sweater draped around her, her feet clad in socks and warm slippers. Her hand rests on a cane. She doesn't acknowledge their presence and continues to look out the window as they stand there.
Kai tugs Tyson away saying, "I'll introduce you to her later."
His heart is still hammering in his chest as they walk down the hallway. He was so sure he hadn't seen a human in his peripherals when he had passed by that woman.
He feels Kai's fingers still around his and he swallows thickly.
"You were scared?"
"What?" Kai looks at him briefly.
"You said I scared the hell out of you earlier."
He's silent for a moment and then he just says "Oh". Like he's regretting it.
"Hehe" Tyson leans into laugh in his face. Gotcha.
Kai rolls his eyes.
"You were so scared for me."
"Oh shut up."
Just then he hears the sound of a door opening and shutting, conversation and laughter spilling out in that brief window, then the sound of heels clacking against the floor, heading towards the staircase near them.
"Shit" Tyson curses.
Kai pushes him out of sight and towards the nearest convenient place to hide. A gap in the wall with a mirror and a sink for a quick rinse.
Tyson almost giggles out loud, a knee jerk reaction to Kai's leg accidentally brushing against his crotch. It's muffled by Kai's hand however. Big and warm and firm against his mouth.
He wants to moan out loud, but Kai presses closer and Tyson's eyelids flutter shut.
The clicking of heels ascend up the staircase and then pass by them.
Tyson, overly aware of Kai, and all the places they were touching, waits no longer than ten seconds after the person's passed and a heavy door closes somewhere in the distance.
He pries Kai's hand away from his mouth and asks, "Who was that? Did you see them?"
"No, but I have a hunch it was my aunt. Her room's close to mine."
"Oh"
Kai looks at him, only one side of his face illuminated by the light from the hall and Tyson forgets what they are supposed to be doing for a moment.
"Um, so.." He wracks his brain for coherent thoughts. None find him.
"I think it's safe to move now," says Kai.
"Right. Yeah." Tyson nods.
He watches him step out and then follows him when he signals at him.
They make it uneventfully the rest of the way to the bathroom but once they reach there, Tyson pauses.
"There's two?"
The one right in front of him and another about twenty feet away.
"You check this one. I'll check the other one," says Kai, eager not to waste time.
When Tyson steps in the bathroom he's momentarily floored by the opulence around him but then he shakes himself out of it and looks around for Ian. It's pretty obvious there's no one inside – the silence is a dead give away – but he makes sure to be thorough.
When he comes back out, the hallway is empty. He walks toward the other restroom, and is halfway there when Kai suddenly appears from the dining hall on the right and tells him in an urgent voice, "Go back to my room. Now."
"What? Why?"
"Just do as I say." He touches his shoulders. "You know how to make your way there, don't you?"
"Yes, but-"
"Go. Lock the doors and don't open it till I call you, okay?"
"Kai, what's going on? Did you find them?"
"Tyson-"
"Did you find them?"
Kai pauses. Licks his lips. "No" There's silence for a moment in which Tyson wonders what happened or what's going to happen and why he won't tell him. "Now go." He gives him a gentle push and Tyson turns around and runs back up the hall, his footfalls carefully quiet.
He hurries up the staircase, winds around the corridor and makes it to the bedroom without anyone seeing him, except for may be the great grandmother who is still sitting in the same chair. In the same position.
Tyson closes the door behind him and slides all the locks in place.
Then he walks toward the bed and sits at the foot of it. His heavy breathing the only thing he can hear.
He is still for all of three minutes before he gets back onto his feet and unlocks the door.
What the hell is he doing hiding in a room when Kai is most likely in trouble? He steps out only to be confronted by Kai's aunt.
Her eyes widen at the sight of him.
"Go back in there," she whispers, her lips the only parts of her moving. "You're safer in your room."
"Um...Lydia," he says her name, starting to panic because it's getting weird. "Can I call you Lydia? What's going on?"
Lydia gulps, twists the handkerchief in her hands and glances over her shoulder. "You should stay inside that room, Tyson. It belongs to the heir, it's one of the safest places in this house. Lock the room and stay in there till morning."
"Why? I don't get this. Why are you acting weird?"
"He put something in the food," she says, her eyes pleading him for something. Perhaps to not ask questions. "They think they have to kill you."
She blinks hard after saying those words. Her features twisting for a moment.
Tyson's ears have closed. He feels like the world around him is made of cotton. His voice sounds strange as he speaks. "They?"
"The guests. The family. We've all been drugged. I… I threw up mine before- before it could take effect on me. But, everyone else in the parlour-"
Her words are cut off as multiple doors are slammed open downstairs. And then a loud collective roar echoes up the walls as people cheer and scream, running out of the parlour and spreading around the house.
Looking for him.
They're looking for him.
He sees a few climbing up the staircase, wearing animal heads, guns and axes in hand.
"Hide!" Lydia whisper-screams, shoving him inside the bedroom. Tyson shuts the door and fastens the locks, his hands fumbling and shaking as he does so.
"What the fuck, what the fuck is going on," he says to himself. "This shit is crazy."
He pulls out his phone and dials Kai.
The call does not go through. He glances at the bars in the corner showing cellular connectivity and sees there's no service.
"No service? Since when?"
He had sunken to the floor in shock earlier so he stands up and paces around, willing his heart to slow and his mind to start working.
Drugged.
They've all been drugged.
Which means he probably is too.
Then why isn't he feeling anything?
Just as he has that thought he feels himself going off balance. His head spinning.
He crashes on the bed and clutches at his head, closing his eyes.
He opens them a few seconds later and sees things going in and out of existence.
"Oh no"
It subsides after a while. In the beginning he was seeing them everywhere, now he can only see them in the corners of his vision.
Dark spots. With wings. And shiny teeth and claws.
They peer at him.
He feels like they're constantly looming over his shoulder or peeking at him from around corners.
And they are actually scaring him.
Tyson rubs at his eyes and takes deep breaths.
He needs to find Kai.
Somehow.
He can't stay cooped up in here till morning or whenever the effects of the drug wear off. What if something happened to Kai?
They all need to get the fuck out of here.
Fucking Voltaire Hiwatari. That man isn't right in the head but it's a brilliant plan nonetheless. Drugging people. Making them hallucinate and do stuff they wouldn't otherwise do.
And they most probably won't recall anything in the morning either if it's right kind.
A really effective way of getting away with murder.
It will look like an accident.
Wild family get together gone wrong.
Tyson looks out the window. Tries to gauge if he can shimmy his way down the trellis.
He thinks he can make it but he's not the steadiest right now. He's still swaying a bit.
He closes his eyes hard momentarily, trying to get his bearings.
This is the weirdest fucking night. He wishes he had never come here.
Things like this happened? He wants to scream and laugh at the same time.
Time to save himself and his boyfriend from this murderous family though.
He can freak out later.
He unlatches the window and pushes it open. Cool night air breezes in and it feels nice on his heated skin.
"Trellis. Right." He looks down and makes sure there's no one walking around on the lawn below then throws one leg over.
"Oh fuck this, man," he curses once he's hanging onto the window sill with his hands. His feet are just an inch or two short of reaching the trellis. "Fucking freaky ass fa-"
He's going to have let go and drop onto that tiny ledge, isn't he?
"Fuck" He lets go.
Something flashes in his eyes as he drops and he scrambles at the bricks for some sort of leverage. It's not graceful but at least he's not on the ground with a broken neck.
And he suspects he's chipped a nail.
"Fuck Voltaire. Nasty ass man."
He makes his way down the trellis without falling and breathes out once he's on solid ground.
It's a nice lawn, he notes as he looks around. Very large and the weather is great.
Stars twinkling in the sky and everything. This would have been enjoyable if people weren't trying to kill him.
He peeks in through one of the windows on the ground floor. He can't see anyone.
He sneaks towards a side door and it's open, thankfully, so he slides in quietly.
The first thing he notices upon entering is the room on the left, with a sign on it that reads "control room".
Control room? May be there might be someone sensible inside.
He knocks, then turns the handle. The door opens easily. He peeks in and sees a guy.
A young guy dressed in a uniform eating a burger. He freezes when he sees him.
"Hi" Tyson breathes in relief. He quickly enters the room and shuts the door behind him. It's a small space, with screens and computers around showing the feed from the surveillance cameras around the house.
"Hey?"
"I need your help. It's like… everyone's gone crazy out there."
"Yeah, it's a great party."
"No, it's um, it's not. People are out of their minds. They're running around with weapons and shit… They're trying to kill me."
The guy stares at him then checks the feeds. "Everything looks normal to me. You high, friend?"
"N-" He is.
"You on shrooms or something?" He smirks at him.
"Yeah, I might be. I've been drugged. We're all drugged and people are going crazy. Can you call the police or something?"
"I'm not allowed to do that."
"What do you mean?"
"I have instructions, man, and 'Don't call the police' is one of them. I don't know what you want me to do."
Tyson sighs, frustrated. "They are trying to kill me."
The guy nods. Understandingly. "Sorry about that."
"What?" Tyson stares at him, outraged. This man isn't real. "Can you at least help me find my boyfriend?"
"Your… what? Wait, who's gay?" He sits up interested in his chair, burger forgotten.
Oh great. Did he accidentally out Kai to a security guard or whatever this man was?
"Just find Kai for me," Tyson grinds.
"The prodigal son," he chimes as he turns to the screens. "Is it another act of rebelliousness?"
"He is not rebelling." Tyson's eyes shutter in annoyance. "He left this family for good."
"Yet he's back now, isn't he?"
"Can you just shut up and find him?"
"Erm… I can't. "
"Why not?"
"He's not on the property anymore I fear."
"He's…gone?"
"Yep"
"Without me?"
"Sorry, bud. It was good while it lasted? Do you want my number?"
"Shut the fuck up." He turns around to leave. "You were absolutely useless."
They really are out for his blood. He thought may be Lydia was hallucinating but one of the board members happened to come across Tyson in a hallway a while ago and he literally fired a gun straight at him.
He had missed. And hit a portrait hanging behind him instead but it's confirmed now.
If he had any doubts earlier they've all been cleared now.
They are definitely out to get him.
But why him?
It doesn't make any sense. How did Voltaire even convince them?
This can't be real. May be he fell asleep a while ago and is having a nightmare.
Please, he just wants to get out of here.
He is currently hiding behind a big chair. He wishes he had a gun for a second.
Then in the next second he wonders, "To do what with it? Shoot people?"
Hell no.
They're drugged. Probably hallucinating. May be the coke is fucking with the drug in Tyson's system and that's why he's not completely deranged and the demon-looking things have gone away.
He checks his phone again to see if he can get a signal downstairs but there's not even one bar. This is bizarre.
Kai was able to make calls just half an hour ago.
Tyson puts his head in his hands and wipes his face.
Focus
If the security guy is right then Kai is not on the grounds anymore. Left urgently for some reason. Couldn't reach out to him in time probably because of the lack of service.
Which means, Tyson should try and get out of here as soon as he can.
He just needs to make a run for that door he had slipped through earlier.
He takes a readying breath and peeks around the furniture. The lounge is empty and so is the hallway outside. Or at least what he can see.
There aren't any sounds coming from nearby.
He tiptoes toward the doors and puts his back against the wall, listening for sounds.
Why is it so quiet?
He hears odd shrieks and shouts every now and then, but mostly there's just eery silence.
He doesn't have a direct path to the exit however. He'd roamed the halls a bit earlier which resulted in him moving further inside the house and away from the nearest exit.
He peers around the wall and is relieved to find the hallway empty. He makes a quick dash to the end of it, where it curls around and stops to take a quick peek around that one too before running again.
He's halfway there when he hears a pair of footsteps heading his way, their conversation floating to his ears. He hides in the nearest room he can find, terrified out of his mind by what happened the last time he crossed paths with someone in the house.
He closes the door quietly and takes a few steps back gingerly.
"Not the most observant, I see," a deep and resounding voice drawls and Tyson nearly jumps out of his skin. He whirls around and when he sees who it is his heart climbs up to his throat.
The man stares at him with cold, calculating eyes for a second before he sighs.
"Weak as a bird. How did my grandson even find you?"
He's sitting in an armchair next to a table and smoking. He taps his cigar, holding it above an ashtray and the room is so quiet he can hear the ashes fall.
And he's sure as hell Voltaire must be able to hear his heart beat.
"You're a wisp of a boy," the man says, appraising him. "Take a seat." He points at a chair. "I don't want you to faint and hit your head."
But doesn't he want him dead? Tyson blinks hard, forces himself to breathe no matter how hard and impossible it feels.
His chest feels like it's being crushed. Like there's someone's foot on it, pressing down.
When he tries to move, he realizes his knees are trembling.
Voltaire regards him patiently. Fully expecting him to lose his balance.
He puffs on the cigar and exhales. The room fills with smoke.
Tyson's dizzy.
He lowers into the chair nearest to him and grips the armrest with a hand.
"Why you?" He throws the question at him and Tyson shakes his head. Feebly.
"You don't know? He brought you here. To me. He wanted to make a statement but you're also important to him. Otherwise he wouldn't have brought you here. So why you?"
Tyson processes his words slowly. Then he opens his mouth. Gulps. The cushion of the armrest is disintegrating in his unyielding hold.
He shakes his head. "I don't know."
Voltaire assesses him closely. Disappointment is heavy on his features. "May be I was wrong. May be you aren't important to him." He flicks the ashes off the cigar and gives a long sigh. "Which makes you innocent."
Tyson sits stricken on the chair. May be the man will let him go. Let him leave the house alive…
"How did you meet?"
This he can answer. "I was protecting my friend. Well, defending her."
Sudden interest glimmers in his eye. "Defending your friend from Kai? What was the issue?"
Tyson takes a breath. Lets go of the arm rest and puts his hands on his lap. "He had insulted her so I… punched him."
Soichiro's eyebrows perk up. In a manner that reminds him of Kai. "You were brave enough to raise hands against my rogue grandson? His reputation at his school is not the greatest. He's not known to be friendly." He narrows his eyes and furrows his brows. "What happened to you? How did he turn a brave boy into this helpless bird that you are right now?"
"I-"
"Did he hit you?"
"What? N-" He stops himself recalling the night of the masquerade ball. But that was before. That had nothing to do with.. "He didn't do anything to me."
"Then what happened to you?" he asks again, insistently. Like something had happened to him. Like he had changed.
Had he changed?
Tyson opens his mouth, struggles to answer.
"Do you know of his proclivities?" Voltaire moves on. Changes the subject. "The illegal fighting? My boy likes blood."
Tyson nods. "I know he fights."
"He likes to fight. Likes getting blood on his hands. I created that monster myself."
"He's not a monster," Tyson says, fear leaving him for a moment. Anger replacing it. His voice comes out strong and steady as he continues. "He doesn't like getting blood on his hands. He's done things but he's not proud of them. He regrets them everyday. He has nightmares over them. He can barely-" Tyson stops himself, seeing the glint in Voltaire's eye. He'd made him talk on purpose. He'd made him defend him on purpose and accidentally reveal a weakness of Kai's.
He bites his lip. Guilty and angry at himself for falling into the trap.
"You took his childhood away from him. You hurt him. All of them when they were just children. How cruel, how heartless does one have to be hurt their own grandson?" Tyson pauses, regaining his composure. "He's not a monster. You are."
"You love him," Voltaire states simply. "And you're the type to let emotions control your actions. Love makes you weak." He turns to fix him with a stare. He exhales and cigarette smoke obscures him briefly. "That's what happened to you. Brave man reduced to a shivering bird because my wayward grandson sits inside his heart instead of strength."
Tyson doesn't agree with that. He doesn't think love or rather Kai makes him weak. Changed him a little may be but he's not weaker than he was. If anything, Kai's made him a bit braver.
"Hm, I was wrong. You're nothing special. Just another one of his many conquests… except this time, it's a boy." His eyes run down his frame assessively for the three hundredth time. "Perhaps that's the only reason he brought you here. To rub it in my face. Some more petulance. And here I was thinking this could be an opportunity for learning." He puts out the cigar and scratches the back of his hand. Deep in thought.
Tyson's stopped breathing again.
"It isn't wise to spill innocent blood. You're only cursing yourself. I'll have the gates opened for you. The security won't snipe you down for trying to escape. Leave the room, son. Make for the exit as quickly as you can. They're still out there and they're hallucinating. They think you're their enemy."
"Why?" Tyson manages to croak out of sheer amount of curiosity.
"Because I told them you were, and that I'd pay them in gold and take them back under my wing if they brought you to me alive."
Tyson stares at him in shock.
"They're out of their minds. Good luck. I can't keep the gates unlocked for long. One of them might get out and then we'll have real trouble on our hands."
"Why are you letting me go?"
"I thought you meant something to my grandson. I was wrong."
Tyson doesn't say anything in return, he simply leaves the room, eager to get out of the house while he still can.
His footsteps are muted on the floor as he walks with his senses on high alert.
He nearly screams when a hand emerges from behind him and wraps around his mouth. He's pulled into a room quicker than he can fight and he's panicked before he's turned around and his back hits a wall.
Icy blue eyes.
He can't ever remember a time when he was happier to see Tala.
He sighs in relief when he takes his hand off his mouth.
"They're in the hall," says Tala, trying to catch his breath.
Tyson nods, breathing hard. "Where's Kai?" he asks after a minute.
"He's with Ian and the others. Off the grounds. Something came up."
Tyson waits for him to elaborate and when he doesn't he presses, "What happened?"
He seems reluctant to share the information, but after a few seconds of deliberation where he repeatedly looks over Tyson's shoulder then back at him, he gives in. "Ian accidentally stabbed someone in the bathroom during dinner. He panicked. Julia found him and.."
Tyson feels his breath go out of him. "Are they… ?"
"Yeah. Kai's helping to get rid of the body. He asked me to come back for you."
"Oh. Thank you. The gates are open, we just have to stay out of the guests' way."
"Come with me." He doesn't step out into the hall again, instead he moves toward the large windows, opening them quickly.
He puts a leg over then changes his mind and says, "You first."
Tyson drops down to the grass and waits for Tala to do the same before they both jog across the lawn.
"We'll take the cart."
Tyson hesitates for a second when he sees the golf cart but climbs in anyway.
He's feeling hopeful as the cart speeds across the lawn towards the nearest gate. He glances back at the house and frowns when he sees a dark lone figure right outside. He sees their arms moving and Tyson opens his mouth to warn Tala. "Hey, there's someone-" his words get cut off by a gasp when something hits the ground almost near his feet.
"Was that a fucking arrow?"
"What the fuck? Get down." Tala pushes at his back, urging him to duck.
Thankfully they're already at the gate. Tyson scrambles out when the cart stops and yanks the gate open. He and Tala slip through.
Tyson only relaxes when they're in a cab out of there.
Tala tucks his phone away with a sigh.
"I wasn't able to call anyone when I was in the house," says Tyson.
He sees him nod in the dark. Lights passing over him intermittently. "He can cut off all signals to the house. There's only one tower nearby and it can be turned off whenever he wants."
The cab pulls up to a hotel and Tyson looks at it in apprehension for a moment. "This isn't one of the Hiwatari hotels, is it? Because… " he trails off half-joking, half-scared.
"No" he says, glancing over his shoulder to look at him, a laugh in his voice.
Tyson's surprised to see a slight smile on his face before he turns back around.
Oh. Okay.
Tyson tries to call Kai when they're in the elevator.
He's dialing when Tala glances over. "Wait, who are you calling?" he asks, then steps forward to check the phone himself.
He grabs the device out of his hand when he sees Kai's number. "Don't call him." He hangs up and pushes it back into his chest.
"Why?"
"Because he can't talk right now. He'll come to the hotel. Wait for him."
Tyson deflates but he understands. His thoughts wander to weird places and he shakes himself out of it.
"How long do you think he'll be?" he asks when they step out of the elevator into the penthouse.
Tala's back is to him as he turns the key in a panel on the wall next to the elevator. Securing the floor.
"An hour or so," he answers then walks further into the apartment, dropping the key into his own pocket.
Tyson eyes it. He puts his own phone away and shakes out his arms. He feels weird. His heartbeat is too fast.
He shakes his head and blinks at the empty air in front of him.
The silence in the apartment is broken by Tala looking over his shoulder and asking, his voice gentle, "Are you okay?"
It's weird and Tyson's head jerks up in surprise. He looks at him with wide eyes. Tala's expression is guarded.
"I think so."
"Are you still high?"
"I don't know." He puts a hand on his own heart. It's beating erratically.
Tala observes him for a moment in silence then says, "You should eat something."
"He drugged us." Tyson picks up a pastry from the coffee table and takes a bite and hums in appreciation. It's good.
Tala's lounging on another piece of the large sectional, legs sprawled. Tyson's standing near the table. Too full of energy and too jittery to sit down and relax.
"It was kind of really bad for me for like a half hour or so."
"You were in there alone for three hours after we left. It's a miracle you're still alive."
Tyson pauses halfway into pushing a sweet into his mouth. "Three hours?"
Tala nods.
"Wow" He munches while deep in thought. "I could barely feel the time passing." He shifts his weight onto one leg. "Didn't you feel it too?"
Tala shrugs. "May be. I was drunk and high as a kite. Didn't make much difference." He falls quiet then mutters, "Still high" before trailing into silence again.
"Kai? He seemed…"
"He didn't eat I think. I don't recall him eating anything at dinner but Sergei and Julia were affected. Ian definitely was. Hit him quicker than the rest I think. Probably why he… did what he did." He stares at the floor and sighs heavily.
Taps his foot on the tile.
Tyson eats a few bites of fruit as silence falls between them once more. It's not uncomfortable. The adrenaline rush they'd shared and the calm that had come after making things easy between them.
"Why'd he let you go?" Tala refocuses on him after a while.
Tyson freezes, recalling the conversation he had with Soichiro.
He shrugs nonchalantly. "He changed his mind. I guess he didn't want to spill innocent blood after all. He kept going on about it."
Tala's expression is dubious. He doesn't seem convinced, his gaze lingering on Tyson's face, but he doesn't push. And instead says, "Give me one of the red ones."
Tyson glances at the pastries and points at what he thinks Tala wants in question. He nods in confirmation and Tyson picks one up, walking over and handing it to him.
The pastry leaves honey on his own fingers and he licks it off as he walks back to the table for a drink.
Tala hums.
"It's good, isn't it?" says Tyson. He takes a seat on one of the couches as he gulps down some water.
"It is." Tala's phone pings then and he checks it. "Kai should be here soon."
Tyson perks up. "He's close?"
"Mhm"
He waits patiently, then impatiently and then Kai's there and he engulfs him in a tight hug.
"I missed you," he says into his ear. Kai pulls him back with his hands on his waist and his eyes run all over him.
"What did Voltaire do?"
"Tried to kill him," Tala pipes in helpfully. "It's a wonder he's alive. The entire place was crawling with crazies."
Something passes in Kai's gaze then he blinks and it's gone. He cups Tyson's face in his hands gingerly and gives him a soft kiss on his brow.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry you had to go through that and that I wasn't there."
"Kai, it's not your fault."
"I shouldn't have left you there."
"I'm capable of saving myself. It's okay."
"No, it's not okay. That should have never happened to you."
"Well, it's not your fault. It's on Voltaire. He's the bad guy. How's Ian?"
Kai's gaze lingers over him, not ready to move on with the conversation, then he glances over to Ian, who's heading towards one of the bathrooms. "He's alright. So is Julia."
He turns back to Tyson and draws him close again. Kissing his cheek. He hears him thank someone over his shoulder. Tala.
Tyson closes his eyes and sinks further into Kai's embrace.
"You met him?" Kai asks, eyebrows raising in surprise.
Tyson nods. "Yeah"
"What did he say?" His voice is careful.
"A lot of things. He called me weak. Said I was like a helpless bird and that I let emotions rule my actions and… basically he called me too pathetic for all the hassle and let me go."
Kai's face shutters and he runs his hand through his hair. "Of course he just had to hurt you. Better to attack you psychologically than cause you physical harm. Prolonged pain and suffering." He clenches his jaw, holding in his anger. "I'm sorry," he says, gazing at Tyson. "You're none of that. I hope you didn't take anything he said to heart. He was just throwing whatever he could find at you and hoping it stuck. He isn't shit and his opinions shouldn't matter to you."
Tyson feels a giggle bubbling up his chest. He smiles and shrugs. The words don't hold any weight for him at the moment. He's just happy to be alive. Still breathing. Still having Kai next to him. "They don't matter to me."
"They shouldn't."
Tyson scoots forward on the bed and cradles Kai's jaw. "Are you okay?" he asks him, knowing he did something that is difficult to him tonight. "I know you hate when these things happen."
"I'm alright," Kai answers quickly. Dismissing the topic. "Did he say anything else?"
He shakes his head.
Kai gazes at him quietly then reaches over to gently run the backs of his fingers down Tyson's cheek. Thumbing at the skin after. "I'm glad you're safe."
He nods. "Me too. I was so worried about you when I couldn't call you."
He gives him a lopsided smile. "You don't have to worry about me. I'll always be safe."
Tyson laughs. "Good to know that ego only gets bigger every day." He slides under the sheets and shuffles over to Kai who drapes an arm around him, holding him close to his chest.
A/N: Hi guys, I'm sorry it took so long. I was originally planning to update this one right after the last but... Shit happened. Anyways, I hope you liked it. Thanks for all the kind words and encouragement. Thank you for waiting and reading! Hope I will be update sooner next time. Bye, loves.
Take care
I'll try and come back with a better chapter. Mwah.