The Long Night I
The tall ornate window is a few paces away from him - on his left side – as he stands in front of the mirror.
He can see it out of the corner of his eye.
The gold finishing. The dark glass. It's large enough to fit two humans at once. The curtains hide its top half but Tyson feels like there's someone watching him from the other side.
A someone. Or some thing.
Perched on the sill and peering in lustfully through the thick glass, wanting to be let inside.
Tyson closes his eyes. Gulps. His reflection in the mirror does the same.
He wants to leave. As soon as morning comes he's out of this cursed place. But sunrise seems too far away.
Eleven hours left and the wait isn't getting any shorter.
It's like the night would never end.
He can't find Kai.
And the house is entrapping.
He wishes he'd never come. Never stepped foot in this place.
Now he's stuck within its hostile walls, with multiple forces wanting him dead.
He's not sure if he'll survive.
30 hours earlier
"Thought you said you were packing light?"
"I got a lot of laundry," Tyson pauses to look up from where he's kneeling on the floor and smiles sheepishly at Kai. "I hope you don't mind."
Kai shrugs. "Wash away."
Tyson laughs, packing his clean clothes separately from the dirty ones.
"Are we ready to go?" Bryan asks, knocking on the door of Kai's bedroom.
"Yep. I'm done. Just gonna get this lock and…Yeah. I'm done." He stands up, bags in hand. "Let's go."
Kai tries to take one from him.
Tyson dodges. "I got it."
He gets a small smile from Kai for some reason and it makes him beam. "Oh. Boy, are we in a good mood!"
"Bambi, you've never been to Kai's crib?"
"Nope"
"Ah well" Bryan looks over his shoulder to exchange a glance with Kai. "It's nothing special."
"Just another penthouse," says Kai, heading out of the house before them. "It gets quiet in there."
"Oh you don't share that one? I thought y'all were joined at the hip forever."
"No, we don't share. The guys drop by every now and then."
"So this is goodbye?" Tyson gasps, turning to look at Bryan, who puts a hand on his chest dramatically.
"Temporarily only, my dear starry-eyed one."
He throws his arms around Tyson all of a sudden and Tyson's cheek hurt from smiling. He'd have hugged him back if it weren't for the bags in each hand. He sets his chin on his solid block of a shoulder.
Kai makes an annoyed sound, lightly patting Bryan away from Tyson before taking a bag from him to load into the car.
"I can't steal Bambi from you, Kai." Bryan steps away, holding his arms out in a gesture of 'alright, I'm not touching him.' "Not even if I wanted to." He throws a glance at the car parked in front of Kai's, on the trunk of which Tala is sitting. "Now him you need to worry about."
Tala gives him a murderous look for that comment. Bryan gives him a shit eating grin.
"Fuck off" says Tala, getting off the car and walking towards the front of it.
Tyson gives Bryan an offended look then a disgusted one and approaches Kai who loads the last of the bags into his car. He shuts the trunk once they're all in and tips Tyson's chin up to give him a kiss.
"Don't listen to Bryan," says Tyson.
"I don't mind, baby," says Kai, kissing the side of his cheek, his breath whispering over his ear. He gets random butterflies in his stomach. "Get in the car."
"Okay" He heads toward the passenger seat and waves at the guys. "Bye"
Sergei has just joined them and he quickly hugs Tyson goodbye and then looks surprised with himself after. "Okay, don't die."
Tyson gives an awkward laugh. "I won't." Ian gives him an understanding pat on the shoulder and a nod.
Tala gets in his car and slams the door.
Tyson glares down the smooth polished side of the supercar and cusses him out in his head.
Kai opens the door for him from the inside. "What are you waiting for, oh starry eyed one?"
Tyson bursts out laughing. "Shut up" He climbs in and the cars peel away from the Blitzkrieg house one by one.
Kai wakes up abruptly, sitting up with a start, sweat running down his chest.
It startles Tyson out of sleep and he moves into a sitting position, putting a hand on Kai's shoulder then caressing him gently.
"Bad dream?"
"Mm" Kai pinches the bridge of his nose. Still breathing heavily.
Tyson shifts closer and rests his cheek on his shoulder, running his hand up and down his spine soothingly.
"It's over. It's all gone now."
Kai's lips twist down in the corners, and he shakes his head. Oh no.
"Baby, it's okay." He gently strokes the back of his head. "It's okay."
Kai rests his face in his hands.
Breathing into his palms.
Tyson presses a kiss on his temple. "I love you" he says into his ear. "I love you because you're a good man. You're a good person. Kai, look at me."
"No" he says.
Tyson frowns, pulling away a little. "No what?" He has his fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of Kai's neck.
He waits but gets no answer.
Tyson feels his heart aching. He tries to pull him to his chest but he doesn't budge. Tyson feels tears spring to his eyes. "I'm sorry," he says and it gets Kai's attention.
He finally looks at him. His face is pink in places he was pressing at.
"I'm sorry for what I said before. For not taking the time to understand you. For making you feel shitty. I know I've said it before but i really am." He rakes his gaze all over Kai's face. "I'm sorry I can't help you when you're like this."
Kai frowns at him.
"I'd take half if I could. Hell, I'd take all of it if it means you could be happy."
He shakes his head. "It's not your burden to carry. You didn't do anything."
Tyson bites his lip. Brow wrinkling. "How does he do it?" he asks.
"Who?"
"Tala. I've seen him comfort you. How does he do it?"
"He doesn't, my love. It's my battle to fight. My own. No one else's."
"Tell me what's going on in your head. Tell me what you're going through."
Kai looks at him long, then finally reaches out for him. Opening his arms. Tyson climbs into his lap and Kai pulls him close to his chest. Bodies touching from rib to groin.
"You wanna know what's inside my head?" Kai asks, combing Tyson's hair back with his fingers.
"Yes"
The lamp is on. Set to a low brightness. Tyson looks into Kai's red-flecked eyes and minutes tick by.
"I see flesh. And blood. I see scattered body parts. Ruined and rotten. Hanging off furniture. Bullet holes in books. I see the people I love dead. The people I killed alive. I see myself as Viktor and my people being shredded under my fingers." Tyson's eyes fill up and Kai stops. "I'll ruin you, my love."
"No. It's okay. I want to know. I want to see all the horrors you see. I want them to be a part of me as much as they are of you."
Kai pulls him into a kiss. Presses their foreheads together.
"Tell me so I know too. So you're not alone."
Kai bites into his bottom lip, kissing him hard. Tyson gasps when he draws blood. He kisses it off right after.
Tyson breathes out softly. "Tell me"
He nods, pulling away slightly to look at him.
Tyson's warm chocolate brown eyes tamp down the fire of agony in Kai's chest. Reducing it to a small simmering flame.
If comfort was a person it would be Tyson. His body pressed up against Kai's. Ready for him to take but Tyson wants to hear the mess in his head instead.
It's not easy to tell him.
Voltaire being back in his life has Kai feeling reckless and out of control.
Old fears resurfacing and new ones being added on top of those.
He cradles Tyson's soft cheek in his palm and tells him about his nightmares.
Sharing them in vivid details. He's not sure exactly how much he can take. Where his breaking points are. How he processes trauma. But so far, Tyson's mind gives the impression of being elastic.
Not easily breakable.
The details can't harm him and even if it does, Tyson's not asking to be protected.
He wants him to share his troubles with him.
And share he does. To those pretty brown eyes.
They sparkle in the lamp light.
Kai shares without inhibition and he feels his fears shrinking, growing ridiculous. And rendered insignificant.
When he's done Tyson talks to him. Softly. Gently. Says all the things that he's supposed to say. But he's cute and sincere about it so works on Kai.
Tyson tangles their fingers together. Sings a song for him. His soft voice eventually ends up carrying him off to a dreamless slumber. Their locked hands resting above Kai's heart.
In the morning he pulls him close.
"Hi"
"Hi"
"Why" Tyson asks with a laugh. "Why are you hard?"
"I don't know if you noticed but you're naked."
He giggles. "I know."
Kai's hand slides down his side and squeezes his bare waist. "Fucking hell."
Tyson pries his fingers off. "No."
"Why not?"
"Well, we're going home today and I don't want to be limping in front of my grandfather."
"Why would you be limping? I won't hurt you."
"You'll hurt me anyway. You can't not hurt me," he says honestly.
"What does that mean?"
"It means… . What it means."
Kai's brow furrows.
Tyson kisses him on the lips and gets up from the bed. Kai grabs his wrist, stopping him.
"Ow" he says, turning around.
"What do you mean?"
He sighs. Thinking about how best to phrase it. "I... It doesn't matter how careful we are because...we don't fit easily."
Kai stares at him, then drops his gaze. "Fuck"
"I mean it's okay. It's how I like it. But may be not today morning because Grampa'll get worried. Think something happened to me or something." He chuckles sheepishly.
"I didn't know that," Kai admits guiltily. "I'm sorry."
Tyson shakes his head. "Don't apologize." He touches Kai's cheek, smiling fondly. "Just... Let's not do it as often."
"Of course" Kai kisses the back of Tyson's hand. Tyson leans forward and pecks him on the mouth.
"Come take a shower with me." He tugs at his arm, grinning with his bottom lip caught between his teeth. Kai lets him pull him up.
He has absolutely no desire to call his mother.
He knows how that conversation will go. He can already picture it and he has no patience for that right now.
But call he must and he puts up with Mera's fake crying and concern with a suicide pill in his mouth.
He does a good job of not pressing down on it with his tongue and killing himself. Once his mother is done, he takes the pill out, surprised by his own monster restraint and asks her to get the family together for Christmas.
Restraint will be needed where he's going. It's going to be a test of patience and control. Voltaire played mind games and used one's own emotions against them. The key to winning against him was to not let him manipulate your emotions.
The pill sits intact in his hand after the call and Kai studies it for a minute before throwing it in the bin.
Tyson leaves early to go see his grandfather. Kai kisses him long and good before sending him off.
He then goes to meet the guys who tell him they're dreading the evening already. They share a couple of beers and smokes and part ways.
Tyson's excited for Kai to meet his family. He's waiting outside with his grandfather at the gates when Kai arrives at the location he'd sent.
"Where's your dad and brother?" Kai asks almost as soon as he gets there because he gets the feeling that the house is empty even from afar. It's a quaint house in a beautiful village but it has the quiet, neat appearance of a place that's maintained by an old person.
"Oh, they couldn't make it," says Tyson and the disappointment is there in his voice even if he tries to hide it. Motherfuckers. Kai hates those two so much.
Tyson deserves so much more. Better people than the ones who are in his life right now.
Ryuu, however, is a good man. Kai bows to him deeply, gives him the gift he'd brought. He'd brought one for Tyson too. It puts a big smile on both of their faces.
A lot of Tyson is from Ryuu. You can tell this is the man who brought him up. The kindness and friendliness is immediately apparent upon meeting him.
Ryuu ushers Kai into his house and treats him like his own grandson. Almost makes no distinction from Tyson during dinner. Sharing stories and keeping the atmosphere jovial throughout. His food is delicious and Kai mentions it.
After dinner, when Ryuu is in the kitchen, Tyson comes up to Kai excitedly and tells him. "He likes you."
"I like him too. Your grandfather is a great man."
"Thank you" Tyson kisses him. Kai sees Ryuu come out of the kitchen right then and spot them, but he says nothing and goes right back inside, smiling softly to himself.
He doesn't tell Tyson about it. Let them have that conversation on their own.
"I'm afraid" Kai says when it's time to go. "I'm going to have whisk your grandson away for the rest of the night. I promise to bring him back early tomorrow morning. I'll keep him safe. Make sure he doesn't get up to any trouble." Tyson elbows him in the ribs. Cutting his air supply for a moment.
"I'll be good, Grampa."
"I know, son. Have fun." He puts a hand on top of Tyson's head. "You'll always make me proud."
Ryuu knows. He knows which family Kai is from and which viper's nest he's taking his grandson to.
Tyson smiles. Ryuu bids them good bye and they bid him good night.
Kai vows it in his heart to keep Tyson safe.
His shirt whips in the wind as he steps on board the helicopter.
"Wow"
Kai helps him strap in and as he's pulling the belt around him he can't help but notice how good he looks tonight. He's tempted to kiss him stupid but holds back because the pilot's watching.
It's good practise for the rest of the night. He can't jump Tyson in front of his family and he hasn't gotten a good look of him yet.
It is truly a test of restraint as Tyson climbs out of the helicopter. The grounds are lit with bright lamps and Kai gets an eyeful of Tyson's ass in his pants and his mouth goes dry.
The silk back shirt shimmers when it catches the light and hangs off his frame beautifully. The floppy collars open to show off his long neck and collarbones.
Kai wants to hold his waist but the people here are nosy. One touch out of place and they will know immediately. Wait, is that his fucking uncle?
Oh it is.
He's come to greet them.
Uncle Rafa. He bows. So does Tyson.
Rafa exchanges small talk with Kai and then asks, "Ah, who's this?"
"This is Tyson Granger. He's a friend."
"Granger. Is that a name I know?" Rafa puts a finger on his chin. Tyson goes to deny but he asks, "Would you be related to renowned archaeologist Bruce Granger?"
"Oh" Tyson smiles. "That's my father. You know him?"
"We went to uni together. TU." He makes a hand sign that's supposed to be like a TU signature or something.
"Wow"
"Yeah, my grandfather believed Japan had the best education system as long as you didn't have to lead a company," says Kai. "The first borns were all shipped off to the west while the rest stayed home."
Rafa doesn't know how to respond to that. He pauses awkwardly. And Tyson glances at Kai.
"I thought I'd feel like a complete stranger here. It's good to know there's at least someone who knew my father."
This breaks the tension and Rafa laughs.
"Head on in, you two. I don't want to keep you here all night. The rest of the family is inside."
"It was nice to meet you."
"Really nice to meet you too."
Tyson takes a breath and lets it go as they walk away from Rafa and cross the giant decorated front lawn towards the endless towering mansion.
"Kai, I knew you were rich but this is something else entirely. This belongs to one person? All this?"
"Mhm"
"My god. That's crazy. This is like a whole world."
Kai holds Tyson's hand. At least for the duration of the walk across the lawn. Keeping their hands hidden between them.
The trees are decked in fairy lights. It makes Tyson awfully happy.
"Wait till you see what's inside."
There are a couple of relatives outside. Kids running around. Tyson and Kai talk to them and it's all very warm and nice. Tyson even feels comfortable enough to lean into Kai as they head inside.
"It's such a beautiful house. It's a really, really beautiful house."
"It's not mine."
"It could have been yours. Why didn't you want it?"
Kai doesn't have the chance to answer as Mera greets them in the foyer.
"Kai!" she sounds winded but she looks as beautiful and composed as ever. "My son"
Oh heavens.
Her perfume clouds his entire being as she hugs him. Has his mother always worn this much amount of perfume? It's a wonder he didn't develop any breathing problems. He feels suffocated even as she pulls away.
Her jewels and dress wink at him and Kai gets that feeling in his chest. That warm, treacherous feeling. Like he's home.
Fuck.
He feels his throat grow tight. He sniffs. And Mera is wiping a tear from her eye without messing up her make up.
"This wasn't easy," she says to Kai. "I don't know why you asked for this but I had to tell a lot of lies," she whispers. "I said everything was good between you and father again."
"Mom-" Hell. Dinner was going to be a shit show.
"You better behave. This wasn't easy at all. The things I do for you."
"Don't act like you haven't been waiting for this opportunity for three years."
"Who's this?" Mera sniffs, looking down her nose at Tyson like she's just noticed him standing there.
Kai glances at him and his little love looks spooked. "My boyfriend," he says.
"What?" Mera squawks, looking at him like she'd heard him wrong.
"You heard me."
She doesn't emote any further. Puts a hand on her chest, nostrils flared, looks at Tyson and spins away without saying another word to them.
Kai smirks. He can't help it. He wasn't originally planning on telling his mother but once he was back in her presence he couldn't help but get under her skin.
Give her nightmares for days on end. He's never going to be the perfect puppet she wants him to be.
"Are you okay?" asks Kai.
"You said you weren't going to tell anyone."
"Well, she's a bitch but she won't tell people. She cares too much about her reputation to do that."
Tyson's fingers come up to the base of his neck, a worried gesture, but Kai notices how empty it is. He needs to have that neck adorned with jewels.
"I don't think she likes me."
"She doesn't like me either."
Kai spots Julia in the crowd. He tilts his head. Trying to get a better look. He thinks it was her. "The gang must be here."
"Gang?"
"Mhm. Our people. Come on."
Their people wasn't there yet but they did manage to caught in between the worst group of people they could have ever gotten caught in.
Company advisors and board members.
"It's been years," says one of the Hiwatari Corp's senior most advisors. A short, middle aged woman with a silver Bob and piercing eyes. "We didn't think you'd show your face here again."
"Let me guess. You believe my grandfather was right."
"I don't believe in right or wrongs. I believe he acted with your best interests at heart."
"Mhm" Kai nods.
"You're too rebellious."
"You're very diplomatic I see. This isn't how you make friends with the enemy."
"We don't want you back, honey. That door of opportunity has been closed."
Kai takes in her wry red-lipped smile and tips his glass to her. "Never wanted to be a part of it."
She snorts and turns away. "Enjoy the evening."
"Are all the board members here?" whispers Tyson.
"Most of them." Kai sighs. "Fucking hell, another one's coming this way. We have to go."
Someone's playing the piano in one corner. They head that way. It's one of his aunts. The youngest one.
She has the twins by her side. They're swaying with the skirts of their dresses flared between their hands. The women stand around and coo at them.
"Hey, who are you?" a kid shouts at Kai.
"That's your cousin, dummy," says Wyatt, smacking the back of his little sister's head. "Come say hello."
"He looks scary. Like one of the strangers mom warned about."
Tyson begins laughing.
Masha's attention turns to him. And Kai can see that she likes him almost instantly. Masha's about ten years old and she shuffles along as Wyatt drags her over.
"Hey, cuz."
Kai gives Wyatt a sideways hug. And a slap on his back.
"Hi, Tyson."
"Hii" Tyson hugs him too. And stoops down to greet the kid. "What's your name"
"Masha"
"Well, Masha, I'm Tyson. And this is your cousin Kai."
The kid smiles at Tyson and spares Kai one glance with a lackluster "hmm" of acknowledgement.
"That's what happens when you don't visit your family," says Wyatt, tut-tutting.
"Do I look like I care?"
He chuckles. "Oh I know you'd be happier not knowing any kids at all."
"Kai?" a woman's voice says his name and he looks over. His aunt. The one that was playing the piano, stops and rises from her seat to greet him. Twins in tow.
The other women turn around in unison to gawk at him, whispering amongst themselves.
"Hi, do you remember me?"
"Of course, Aunt Lydia."
She beams when he says her name. Hand on chest. "Well, I'm sure these two are strangers to you," she says picking up one of the twins.
"How old are they?" asks Tyson. Lydia's eyes fall on him and she smiles at him.
"Hi, I don't think I've met you before."
"No, you haven't. I'm Tyson… I'm new. A new friend, I mean."
"Oh!" Lydia laughs. "Nice to meet you, Tyson. I'm Lydia."
The twin on the floor tugs at Kai's pants and he rolls his eyes before picking her up. Tyson moons over him.
Fawning over the little girl and him. May be he should play with kids more around Tyson if it gets this type of reaction from him.
The little girl hits him though. The fucking brat, so he has to put her down not long after.
Lydia's eyes narrow for a moment at Tyson's reaction to Kai handling a baby but she lets it go. But the women don't.
"That boy's weird," one says to the other. "Did you see how-"
Tala joins them at that moment, draping an overly friendly arm around Tyson. "You're being called, darling. You too, Kai." He smiles apologetically at Lydia. "You're gonna have to excuse us, aunt Lydia."
"It's fine."
"Bye now, munchkins." Tala lets go of Tyson to stoop down and drop a kiss on each of the twins' heads. "See you later."
Kai steers Tyson away with a hand on his arm. Tala follows after them soon.
"Can you be a little more obvious, Granger?" he says, messing with his tie. "This way."
"Was whatever you did back there supposed to help me?"
Good Lord. They're arguing for the nine hundredth time.
"Good point. You're right. It didn't help you at all. But it helped him."
Tyson bristles. Kai pulls him away from Tala before they get into a fist fight.
He ducks through an archway into a corridor and then turn a corner before reaching the room Tala had mentioned.
When Kai opens the door the rest of the boys and Julia are there. The sight of them is like water in a desert.
"Oh you rescued them out of the lion's den," says Julia.
"Why did it take so long?" asks Bryan.
"I got distracted. By a lady." Tala winks.
"Is that why your tie is crooked?" Julia wonders.
"If I'm going to be enduring hell I might as well be getting some pussy while at it, eh?"
Tyson gags, turns to Kai who is perched on a chair. He pulls him by his waist and kisses him the way he's wanted to for hours. "Mmm, you taste like cherry, baby," he says, pulling away.
"It's not me," says Tyson. "It's the drink."
"Still good" He kisses him again. Julia watches them with a loped smile for a minute and looks away.
"L, O, V, E, " she mouths to Bryan, before raising a bottle of alcohol to her lips.
Bryan barks a laugh before doing a line.
"Oh I need me some of that." Tala drops to the floor beside the table of cocaine and rolls a note.
Tyson breaks off from the kiss to look at what they're doing behind him.
"It's coke," says Kai into his ear. "You want any?" Tyson's eyes look glazed as it is. He wonders how much more alluring they would be drugged out.
"No" He twists back frowning. "No." He reads Kai's expression. "Do you?"
"I need to stay sober. But I kind of want to see you do it."
He scrunches his nose. It's cute. "Why?"
"I'll take care of you."
"You jerk, are you talking him into doing drugs?" asks Julia. Tala throws his head back and sits on his haunches, rubbing his nose. Eyes watering.
"This shit kicks like a mule."
"I got him." Kai looks at him. "I'll ease him in and out of it. Gently." Tyson's chocolate eyes are wide on his. "No real danger."
Tyson looks intrigued then. He licks his lips. "What's it like?"
"We've gotten high before, right, Ty?" asks Julia. "But that was just weed. This is… this is like next level."
"Next next level. Holy fuck," Tala suddenly stands up and almost flips the table over. "It's a whole new dimension."
"Watch it!" Bryan screams.
"Oh it's so good, Bambi." Tala looks at Tyson. Irises blown. "Try it."
"But if Kai's got you, then yeah," Julia is saying. "It's fine. It's fine as long as you're not alone. Go for it."
Tyson shrinks into Kai's arms. Kai gives him little kisses. "My love" He doesn't know when he started calling him that but it sits so right on his tongue. His lips linger on Tyson's cheekbone. Hand tucked along his waist.
He watches him consider it. Think it through. "Is it the right time? We still have dinner to get through."
"After dinner then."
"Okay"
Kai kisses his earlobe. Pulls him out of the room.
The table is set by the time they rejoin the guests in the main hall. Mera ushers them to the dining room and Kai eyes the seat on the right at the very head of the table. That's where he used to sit.
Right next to his grandfather.
He chooses one toward the middle of the table this time and drags the chair next to it out for Tyson. "Sit, baby."
He smiles at him and takes a seat. Kai occupies the one beside him. On his right, so he can shield him at least partly from his fucking grandfather.
All the seats are filled before Soichiro enters the room in a grand display of power. Everyone stands up at the table and Kai gets to his feet at last.
Out of respect for his great age.
"Welcome. Welcome, my dear beloved family. It has been… too long since we last gathered like one."
Kai blinks nonchalantly. Staring at the empty air before him.
"I hope tonight's dinner and games help us put aside all of our differences."
Games?
"And we are able to reconcile as the family we once were."
Kai feels a dry ass smile forming on his lips.
"Take a seat, my children. Take a seat. Let's feast."
Kai eats in small controlled bites. Tyson eats decently well. Tala scarfs down multiple plates of food. Unusually hungry, effects of cocaine on his appetite. Bryan drinks a lot. Julia eats salad only. Sergei watches other people eat. Ian's fighting a panic attack.
Kai messages Ian under the table.
"Get it together."
"I don't know" comes the reply. "I feel scared. I can't control it."
"Excuse yourself to go to the bathroom and take your anxiety meds."
"Ok"
He does that. Goes to the bathroom. Soichiro watches him like a hawk. Kai's fingers tighten around the fork.
Silver spoon against glass. The sound is shrill. Kai's stomach is still half empty as he idly twiddles his fork around the plate. He drops it unceremoniously when he hears the sound and takes a breath.
It's coming.
It's time.
"I hope we all had a good meal."
"It was great, dad," says Rafa.
"Yeah" Kai's father agrees. That man hasn't looked at him once, let alone spoken to him.
He's been busy kissing ass it seems.
"Christmas Eve. It's the time to make amends with the people you've wronged and cherish all your enduring relationships. I am thankful and filled with joy to see every single member of my family here today within these walls. Last Christmas. It was… " He blinks his old tired eyes. "Cold. Lonely."
Oh he's putting on a show.
"And the one before that. And so was the one before that one. So much pain. So much conflict and distance that hurt all of us. Over a silly misunderstanding."
Kai bows his head, closing his eyes for a moment. Tyson looks at him concerned but he's just laughing. Voltaire continues, rewriting history, the tension between him and Kai reduced to a miscommunication. He even says Kai missed him. They missed each other. And he called a week ago, unable to stay apart for another year and spoke to each other. Freely. Clearing up their doubts and confusions.
They were good now. Kai understands that he did it for the good of his own self.
Kai lets him speak. Lie through his teeth. Finish up his fairytale with a nice bow on top. And once silence falls for a minute Kai says, "You raped children."
There's a loud collective gasp across the table and Voltaire visibly sputters. "What was that?" He leans forward, trying to see his face better.
Kai raises his head and looks at him. "You raped children. You allowed it to happen. You watched it happen."
He sees his grandfather curl his fingers around the edge of the table. He can see him debating, whether or not to keep pretending to be nice. "Not these vile accusations again. You killed people, boy!" he shouts. "All of you at the table would be wise to know that you are sitting with a killer!"
"Make that two," says Kai, casually. "That study," He points towards it with his chin. "Has seen more bodies than paper."
"Lies!"
"I have proof."
The table cloth is about to tear in his hands. He looks ready to explode for a moment before he relaxes, completely. It is bizarre to watch as he lets go of the cloth and sits back, brow smoothing and a smile forming. "Nice parry. Nice parry." He bursts into laughter. Guffawing loudly. "You've still got it, son. I didn't expect any different."
Kai stands up, leaves the room. Tyson follows. The other boys do the same.
"Thank you for coming. I am glad we were able to have a meal together at least this Christmas… " Voltaire is saying to the guests as Kai turns the corner and heads to the room they had all gathered at earlier.
He slams the door open and goes straight to a liquor bottle. Tyson watches him as he uncorks it and gulps almost half down in one go.
"Slow… slow down. Please?" Tyson fusses.
Kai pulls the bottle away from his mouth after he's nearly drained all of it and takes a seat on one of the couches.
"Was it that bad?" asks Tala, stumbling in to a chair. "I didn't think it was that bad. Was it?"
"You were high, Yuriy," says Julia with a fond smile. "And drunk."
"Oh shit." He looks at Kai. "I am so sorry."
"At least we're still alive," says Bryan. "There was no absolutely nasty surprises. We- we survived."
"Let's not get brave, yeah?" says Sergei. "The night hasn't ended yet. Games are coming."
"I don't think anyone's going to stick around for that," winces Julia.
"Not anyone with a moral compass. But, my god, I don't know if y'all noticed, they all miss the money. Fucking greedy donkeys are what they are."
Tala giggles. "Donkeys."
"You said you had to be sober," says Tyson, gently trying to pry the bottle away from Kai.
"Dinner's over," says Kai, refusing to let go.
"But not the games," says Tala. "They're all participating. Watch them donkeys participate," he says to Julia like she's challenging him otherwise.
"Okay" She rolls her eyes.
Kai feels suffocated. He unbuttons his shirt at the top and loosens the tie. Tyson has a death grip on the alcohol bottle. Not wanting him to drink more.
"If you don't want me to drink," he says, "then give me a reason not to. Take the coke. Like you said you would. I'll stay sober for you."
Tyson gulps, big eyed. He looks toward the table but there's nothing on it. The powder's been cleaned. He lifts his eyes to Tala who is sitting in front of the table and he moves.
Shifts to pull the little bag out of his pocket and pours some on the table. Makes neat lines with his credit card and glances toward Tyson expectantly, daringly.
Kai tugs at the bottle and Tyson lets go. He sets it aside, giving Tyson's hip a gentle squeeze before he gets up and makes his way across.
The room watches with quiet fascination as he kneels next to the table and accepts the rolled bill Tala hands him. He hesitates for a couple of seconds before he realizes that he has nothing to worry about.
No real danger.
He leans toward a line and snorts it in.
It hits hard and his eyes water like crazy. He can't open his eyes or see anything for a minute. But someone's holding his hand and telling him it's okay. It's expected. It's doing exactly what it's supposed to. That he did a good job.
"One more line," says Tala. "Come on, dove. You can do it."
Tyson turns to look at Kai who is holding his hand reassuringly. He nods. "Go for it."
So he does. He goes for it. And his head explodes.
A/N: I think there will be two parts of this chapter. Yep. Two. I'm sorry it's been a while but i was a bit busy and sick! Caught the flu. Kicked my ass so bad.
Hope you liked this part. Part 2 will be coming soon. I think. Stay safe and healthy. Bye bye.
