Of Boys and Blades
Part Two
Chapter 20
xXx
Tyson
xXx
I skipped the party. Not like I was really been part of the win. Instead I went into the hotel's conference center and pulled up the BBA's website. There would definitely be clips from today's battles. I watched the other battles before pulling up our win against the Blitzkrieg Boys. I hadn't expected them to win without me, especially not against them. There was definitely something off about the battle between Rick and Claude, but I wasn't sure what.
Finally I watched our match. I couldn't help but smile as I watched Kai lose his cool. So that's how they'd won! Mr. Perfect isn't so perfect, is he? He loses it just like the rest of us. I let out a sound that started as a little giggle but quickly turned into full fledged laughter. Oh, I wished I'd seen that in person! I loved seeing those little cracks in that perfectly stoic exterior. So Kai cared after all, at least a little. Though that was one hell of a shot at Hiro. Only a master could've managed that on purpose.
"Didn't think I'd find you here," I heard my brothers voice behind me.
I closed the webpage. "What? I'm not allowed to do my research?"
He stood against the door frame. "No. I just didn't expect it of you. I thought you would be at the party."
"Why? Not like I was there."
Hiro sighed. "I always feel like I'm saying the wrong thing to you." He paused, "Hilary and Kenny have been looking all over for you. Why don't you come and just have a little fun? I won't even be pissed if you end up drunk, all right? Be a stupid teenager for tonight."
"Thanks for giving me permission."
"I never know when you're being sarcastic."
"Guess Kai rubbed off on me." I stood. "Okay, I'll come."
"Good."
I followed him out.
The hosting hotel always threw a party for the bladers, their entourage, and hotel guests that were there for the tournament. It was usually pretty fun, but then that led into room parties where alcohol was typically present. I really didn't want to go. There was a good chance of me running into Rei or Max. Kai usually wouldn't be caught dead at these things. I stepped in with Hiro and before I knew it was pulled over to where Daichi and Kenny were talking to some fans. Hilary flashed me a smile.
I gave her one back, not really sure how to act around her anymore, not after what I'd admitted yesterday. She was a good friend. I took her for granted. I wondered if the others ever felt that way, like I'd taken them for granted and hadn't appreciated them being here.
Kenny introduced me to the girl and two boys they were talking to and they oohed and ahhed over me, before going right on to ask me why I wasn't there today. I lied and said something like I couldn't hog all the glory. Daichi relished being the center of attention. Looking around the ballroom, I saw Max hanging out with Michael and Emily from the All Starz. Rei was there with his team, too. I felt a pang of jealousy when over in a far corner I saw something I didn't expect. Kai was there with Tala. He looked utterly bored as Tala chatted with a couple of girls.
Just what was Kai's relationship to them? He'd said he'd grown up in Balkov Abbey, but I had no idea what he meant by that, because I knew he'd lived with his grandfather for quite some time. I had never really seen him interact with the rest of Boris's team when he was a member but I guess he had known them when he was there. How long had Kai been in contact with Tala? And what were they, anyway? Friends? Or something else?
I made my appearance. That should make Hiro happy. I was ready to go now. I excused myself and headed out. Kenny followed me. "I'm fine, chief."
"No, you're not. It's not really the same, is it? I miss them, too."
"Is that Tyson?" I heard a girls voice. "Tyson! Kenny! Hi!" A pretty dark haired girl ran toward us, with another, shorter girl in tow. "English?" She asked with an Italian accent.
I nodded.
She squealed. "I'm so excited to meet you. I'm a huge fan. I have a poster of the Bladebreakers in my bedroom."
I smiled. "Thanks for your support. It's nice to meet you."
She held up a digital camera. "Can we take a picture together?"
"Sure."
We took a bunch of pics. Serious poses, funny poses. I always liked my fans. I was having fun.
"I'm Emma," she introduced herself. "You guys should come up to our room. We're going to be having a little party. This is is Sofia." Sofia waved shyly.
"Umm... I don't know."
"Let's go!" Kenny agreed.
"Shouldn't we tell the others?"
"Come on, Tyson," Kenny said in Japanese. "I don't get attention like this every day."
I couldn't help but smile. The girls led us to the elevator, Emma talking the entire time. She was a blader, but nowhere near as good as us, she assured. We ended up in their room. I could see about six suitcases and duffel bags, so there must have been a group of them sharing.
Sofia put on some music. It was that awful pop singer, Ling Ling or something.
"I love Ming Ming!" Kenny exclaimed
"Me, too!" Sofia sat beside him on the couch, giggling.
I wasn't really sure what to do with myself. Three of us weren't fitting on that couch. I took a nervous seat on one of the beds.
"You want a drink, Tyson?" Emma asked.
"Sure. Yes." That would make everything about this better.
She made drinks for all four of us and we drank to our victory. I chugged it. I felt so awkward in this situation.
Kenny and Sofia seemed to be getting on. Kenny was talking about blading and Sofia was laughing a lot. They even started singing a Ming Ming song together.
Emma sat next to me. I noticed her hand on my thigh, stroking it in a really provocative way. "It really was so exciting running into you. And now you're in my room." She giggled.
"Yeah."
She leaned in close and kissed me, her hand going right to my crotch. I kissed her back for a moment. Maybe I should let this play out. It's not like Kai and I were ever dating in the first place. Kai... He managed to flit his way into my thoughts for the millionth time that day. What was he doing with Tala?
I jumped up when I felt her unzipping my pants. Nope. Nope. This didn't feel right. "Um.. yeah, Emma, it was nice meeting you, but I—I can't do this. I'm involved with someone. Sort of."
"Tyson," Kenny hissed.
I backed up to the door. "You guys have fun." I ducked out of there and practically ran to the elevator.
xXx
Tala
xXx
I was still kind of pissed at Kai. He must pay. I didn't care that we lost, we were going to that party and he was coming with me. In fact, we were all going. After the match in New York, we'd gotten our first taste of parties, and I had liked them. Boris had never allowed us to attend any.
Bryan and I actually cared about how we looked and got ready. There was a large mirror on one wall in the living area and that's where we made our final adjustments to our appearances. I had to make sure my hair was perfect.
Spencer sat on the couch, growing annoyed as he waited for us. Kai had gotten into Spencer's liquor supply and was on his third shot. Spencer had picked up four 'I heart New York' shot glasses back in America.
"Don't get too drunk," I warned.
"I fucking hate these things."
"You must pay for your mistakes, Kai. That is the way we work. And today your punishment will be socializing." Maybe I'd had a couple shots myself.
Kai glared at me. He hadn't bothered to change, or to really even address the small cut I'd made on his cheek when I punched him.
After Bryan and I were satisfied with how we looked, we headed downstairs. We made our rounds in the ballroom, congratulating the winners (except BBA Revolution, thought it best to keep Kai away from them). Max smiled as we passed the PPB All Starz. Spencer and Rick ended up talking about blades. I saw Max approach Kai.
"What happened?" he asked him with a smirk.
Kai glared at him, taking a sip of the cup he'd brought with him from the room. I suspected it was full of vodka. "What do you think?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I'd be pissed, too," he laughed.
After we exhausted the ballroom, me practically dragging Kai around, we scored an invite to a room party. Bryan had disappeared at some point in the ballroom. Spencer stayed in the hall to answer a phone call from his Russian girlfriend (gag me) so Kai and I went in alone.
I spent the night flirting with the girls there. People moved in an out of the room but at any given point there were between 15-20 people. One particularly forward one kept sitting next to Kai, fetching him drinks and snacks. Every time she tried to initiate something, he would remove her hand. When she touched his thigh, he took her hand and put it back on her own lap. When she started playing with his hair, he removed it and pushed it gently away. He did this without saying a word or even looking at her. It was kind of hilarious to watch. I was thoroughly enjoying myself.
I started making out with one of the girls. "Can I go now?" Kai asked.
It made me laugh. I was wondering just how long he would go along with this. "Your punishment isn't over yet. You must dance!"
"I don't dance."
"You do now." I jumped up from the couch, pulling him with me. "My friends," I yelled to everyone in the room. "It's time to dance!" Someone turned up the music and a few of them joined me in the center of the room. I started to dance to the music, Kai standing awkwardly beside me. I put my arm around him laughing. "You know, you got out at ten. Why do you have such a stick up your ass?"
"I'm not here for this, Tala."
"But you're here to get drunk?"
"You make me want to drink."
I made him stay out with me until two in the morning. I'd lost track of how much he'd drunk but I was sure he'd be useless tomorrow, not that I was faring much better.
We stumbled into the room. A couple of the lights were still on, illuminating the sight on the pullout couch for us.
Kai stopped in surprise. Bryan was lying naked in the arms of another man on that couch, the sheet leaving little to the imagination.
"Come on, Bryan!" I yelled at him. "Not out here."
"Would you rather we did it in your room?" he asked slyly, yawning.
Not knowing how to react or respond Kai just went into the bedroom.
I followed after a moment, closing the door behind me and locking it, lest Bryan's boyfriend want a cuddle. That had happened once. "Hopefully they'll be done soon," I commented, annoyed. I watched Kai carefully. "You alright?" I asked with a laugh.
"I'm fine." he quickly changed into something to sleep in and I did the same.
"You sure you're all right?" He'd said little.
"Just wasn't expecting to walk into that. Bryan likes guys?" He took a seat on the bed.
I shrugged. "I think he'll fuck anything that moves, honestly. Why, does it bother you?"
"No. It just surprised me."
I started messing with some of the loose items on the desk. "Well, you know what went on at the Abbey," I said softly. "You remember that, don't you?"
"Yeah," Kai admitted.
"I think few of us came out of there with our virginity in tact. I know you did. They weren't allowed to touch Voltaire's precious pet."
"Boris found other ways to hurt me."
Fuck, how much did he remember? I sighed, cleaning off the desk. There were a bunch of rocks in a bowl. "What are these? When did you get so sloppy?"
Kai was quiet.
"Sorry, didn't mean to kill the mood." I hopped up on my side of the bed. "So tell me, Kai, are you still a virgin?"
Kai got under the covers. "Does that matter?"
I shrugged. "I'll go, then. Well, I've slept with two girls since I left the Abbey. One was a fan, the other was a girl I met at the group home. That got messy. What about you?"
"Why do you care?"
"We're friends, Kai."
"We're not friends."
"Yeah, we are. We went through hell together. I've known you better than anyone else ever will. So tell me." I poked him.
He watched me for a moment. "Technically I'm a virgin," he admitted.
I smiled. "Technically? Oh, so you're not quite the prude you've led me to believe you are." I poked him again."Why technically? What did you do?"
He yawned. "There was no penetration. That's what defines intercourse, right?"
I was intrigued with how vague he was being. "Who? Anyone I know."
He laid down on his pillow, closing his eyes. "Yeah, I'm not that drunk, Tala."
I poked him one last time. "What about that cute girl on BBA Revolution? You ever do anything with her?"
He peaked back at me. "Hilary? You think she's cute?"
I shrugged. "Yeah, in a cute little Asian school girl way. She looks feisty. So have you?"
"No."
"Does she blade?"
"No."
"Well that's a shame."
"I'm going to sleep now, so shut up."
"Yeah, I got the message." I turned out the light.
xXx
Tyson
xXx
I'd gone back to the room and pretended to be asleep when everyone got back. Kenny was the last one to sneak back in. He didn't come in until almost three. I couldn't wait to find out what had happened after I left. The next morning I waited until Hiro was up and out of the room to get out of bed. I didn't want to answer any questions about last night from him. Hilary, Daichi, and Kenny were all dead to the world.
I took a long shower which was eventually cut short by Daichi banging on the door screaming that he needed to pee. After everyone was clean and dressed we headed down for breakfast. I sat with Kenny while Hilary and Daichi went up to the baked goods table.
"So how was last night?"
"Why'd you run away?" Kenny asked me.
I shrugged.
"Are you really involved with someone?"
"I asked you first."
Kenny gave me a small smile. "I got to touch her boobs." He let out a giggle.
I laughed with him. "Glad you had fun."
He nodded. "Emma asked me a ton of questions after you left. Eventually she left, too, and it was just Sofia and me. We had a good time."
Hilary sat down at the table. "That boy has no manners. He keeps touching all the bread." She looked from me to Kenny. "Where did you two run off to last night. I saw you guys leave the ballroom."
Kenny shrugged, turning red as a tomato. "Nothing much."
Hilary looked suspicious. She pinched his cheek. "Nothing, huh?"
"Kenny got wasted with an Italian chick and felt her up."
"Kenny!"
"Tyson!"
xXx
Kai
xXx
I could feel the light spilling in from the window on my face. My hangover was coursing through my body and I flinched at the sun's touch. I was at that point in sleep when you're almost aware of the things around you but you're not quite awake. I was dreaming of Tyson. Of the times he would spend the night. I could feel his body next to mine. I wanted to feel his warmth against me. I felt my arm around him, pulling him close and hiding my face from the wretched sunlight in his back.
"Kai?" a voice cut through my dreams. "Kai, are you... cuddling with me?"
I jumped out of the bed like I'd been burned. "I—I—" I stammered. "I thought you were someone else!"
Tala sat up, looking at me with a coy expression. "Sure. Look, Kai, I'm flattered. Really. But I just don't swing that way. I didn't know you did. That's interesting."
"I am not interested in you!" I could feel the redness in my face.
"And why not? What's wrong with me?" He looked insulted.
"I'm not going to dignify that with a response!" I stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door.
xXx
AN: Ah, Kai and Tala. I have so much fun with them. Originally I thought this story was going to end around 20 chapters. Yeah. I was wrong. It's going to be probably twice as long.
So I imagine that during the International tournaments everyone speaks English to each other. English is the default language of technology and tourism. In my headcannon Tyson, Kenny, and Hilary are all proficient enough in English. Max is bilingual having spent his childhood split between New York and Japan. Rei speaks English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, and the indigenous language of his village. At Balkov Abbey, the boys were made to learn English, Russian, Japanese, Mandarin, and Arabic, due to Biovolt's business connections. Kai's native tongue is Japanese. He speaks English well, and he speaks Russian well enough. He understood a little bit before going to the Abbey. It's coming back to him the more time he spends with the Blitzkrieg Boys. His Mandarin and Arabic are extremely rusty.
