AN: Warning! It's a bit on the lemony side towards the end. It's not a real lemon. Let's call it lemon zest!
Of Boys and Blades
Part Two
Chapter 9
xXx
Kai
xXx
In the absence of tournaments and evil scientists trying to steal our bitbeasts routine set in. Summer came to a close and school started again. I was enjoying my first year of high school less than middle school. For some reason the girls had decided to start paying attention to me more than ever. I often found confession notes and phone numbers in my bookbag. It was all very annoying.
Tyson, Max, Kenny and Hilary were all in the same class. When they hung out after school I usually made myself scarce, but most days I would find myself spending the afternoon in Tyson's bedroom. We attempted to do homework but usually ended up fooling around on his bed. It didn't take me long to see why Tyson was such a lousy student. His notes were a mess, he had no idea how to actually study, and he was extremely easily distracted. He never would've have lasted at the Abbey.
No one seemed to catch on to just how much time we were spending together.
I got out of school first and usually let myself in to Tyson's room. I had settled on his floor using the bed to lean against for support. Tyson arrived shortly after, throwing his bag on the floor and greeting me with a kiss. "I can't stand being away from you for so long," he murmured against my lips.
I didn't know how to take that.
We worked on our homework. I was supposed to be focusing on an essay I had to write, but as I watched Tyson struggle through simple algebra I couldn't take it anymore.
"You're doing it wrong."
"And what are you? A mathematician?" Tyson grumbled.
I plucked the pencil from his hand. "You're making it harder than it has to be," I told him, going on to explain the problem.
"I didn't know you were so good at math." Tyson poked me in the shoulder.
"I'm good at everything."
Tyson snorted. "Well, don't be humble about it or anything. What kind of grades do you get anyway?" he asked, curious.
"Straight A's." As if my grandfather would've settled for anything less.
Tyson look took on a seductive gleam. "Then maybe you can help me with my history, too. I'm totally failing."
"It's only the second week of school."
"And I completely bombed the first quiz." Tyson gave me his patented puppy-dog pout. "Please?"
"Fine," I relented.
I ended up spending more time on Tyson's homework every day than my own, trying to teach him how to actually study. But his marks did seem to improve.
Weekends were when we trained with the rest of the Bladebreakers. We had all agreed we needed to keep our skills up to par lest another threat arise. We met in one of our usual haunts; the canal, the beach, or just at the dojo. After training sessions we usually ended up back at Tyson's or Max's for dinner and we would all crash there. Max was living primarily with his father, but every vacation he would visit his mother in New York. Rei was working for the BBA with Mr. Dickenson and had a small studio not far from where I lived.
Mine and Tyson's competitive natures tended to dictate practice. Max and Rei often struggled to keep us on track. I looked forward to the weekends, though I would never admit it. I could lose myself in blading, push away all the dark thoughts. Black Dranzer. Wyatt. The Abbey. The only other time I came close to that was when I was alone with Tyson.
One Saturday afternoon before the season turned cold found us at the beach killing cans and pulverizing rocks. We'd been at it all day. Tyson and I had had a particularly tense battle that had ended in a draw. I was in the midst of sparring with Rei, with Max and Tyson playing cheerleaders on the side. It had been sprinkling on and off all day but nobody seemed to mind except Kenny, who had himself and his laptop parked on a bench he'd attached an umbrella onto.
"This storm's supposed to get worse," Kenny announced. "We should probably wrap this up soon."
As thundered roared above, Rei and I both withdrew their blades. "Guess we'll continue this another time," Rei said with a smile.
The rain started to fall harder and they began to disperse. Tyson lingered behind, waiting for me. "Want to come back with me?" he asked once the others were out of earshot.
"My place is closer."
"What?" Tyson asked, feigning astonishment. "Am I actually invited to the impenetrable fortress of the ice prince?"
"Not if you keep talking." I walked ahead.
Tyson fell into step beside me. "No, I'm really honored, Kai. Seriously. It's only been like five months. So do I actually get to see the inside or do I have to wait for our one year anniversary?"
I narrowed my eyes at the younger boy. "We're not dating."
"Sure we're not," Tyson agreed. "We just do our homework together, and eat dinner together, and make out all the time. That is so totally not dating."
"Just go home!" I snapped at him.
Tyson rolled his eyes and continued to match my brisk pace in silence.
By the time we reached the apartment we were both soaked through. "This place is pretty swanky," Tyson remarked, taking in the gated community.
"Hn."
Wordlessly I led him to top floor apartment. I usually opted for the stairs to get in an extra workout but today chose the elevator due to our wet clothing. My pants were chafing me in very uncomfortable places.
"Oh, man, Kai, this place is nice!"
"Take off your shoes." I headed to the bedroom to change.
"You got anything to eat?" Tyson called.
"Help yourself."
I peeled the wet clothes off my skin and dressed in a loose top and sweatpants. I felt much more dry and comfortable. Grabbing some clothes to offer to Tyson I headed back towards the kitchen and stopped.
"What are you doing?" Every single drawer and cabinet had been pulled open, with Tyson still dripping in the middle of the floor.
"Kai, you do realize your pantry is stocked with nothing but instant ramen and cereal?"
"Yeah, and?" Was he forgetting I usually had dinner at his house anyway?
Tyson pointed at me. "You don't know how to cook, Mr. I'm-Good-At-Everything!" he concluded with a grin.
I crossed my arms. "Your point?"
"I'm hungry. So let's go to that store I saw down the street. I'll even make you dinner."
I was more annoyed by the fact that I'd already changed than by going back out into that weather. Oh, fuck it. "Fine." I was kind of getting sick of ramen anyway.
The walk to the store proved to be just as treacherous as the walk to the apartment. The rain was, if possible, coming down harder. Thunder and lightning continued above us. I rubbed my cheek and my hand came back blue. Dammit. And this stuff was supposed to be waterproof.
Tyson quickly gathered groceries. He'd also grabbed a ton of snacks and candy. After I paid we made our way back to the apartment.
Once inside I did a repeat of earlier and went straight to my bedroom to change. I grimaced. I was going to have to do laundry. I hated doing laundry. I wiped what was left of the blue eyeliner off my cheeks with my wet shirt.
This time when I emerged from the bedroom I found Tyson stripped down to his boxers preparing food in the kitchen. His boxers were soaked as well, leaving very little to the imagination. Why did he have to look so damn hot? I felt the heat rising in my cheeks. "Do you want some clothes?" I asked.
"Nah, I'm good." I wasn't sure if I was disappointed or delighted. I took a seat at the small breakfast bar and watched Tyson cook. It was oddly domestic.
Tyson served me dinner still wearing next to nothing. "It's sukiyaki. Hope you like it."
It was actually surprisingly good. "Thank you," I said softly.
Tyson beamed. "Do you like it?"
"It's good."
"I'll teach you how to make a few things. You can't live off of ramen."
"I have so far." Though I wouldn't mind if Tyson cooked for me every night.
Tyson laughed.
"I'm going to take a shower," I told him when I was finished, rising from my chair and bringing my dish to the sink.
"Do you want me to come with you?" I heard a soft voice from the bar.
I stopped, looking back at him. Tyson was staring down at his plate blushing furiously.
"Okay," I heard myself say.
Tyson followed me into the bathroom. Turning on the shower, I pulled off his shirt. Tyson was turning a deeper shade of red by the second. Were we really doing this? To my surprise, I found I was nervous. Really nervous. I wrapped my arms around Tyson's torso, pulling him close and kissing him gently. The rest of our clothes fell away and we got in under the hot water.
I'd probably seen him naked briefly before. All those times we'd all shared a room in different hotels. There wasn't much in the way of privacy. But I was definitely looking at him differently now. Our kisses got deeper with need, rougher, wetter. I could feel his erection digging into my leg.
We spent a long time in the shower. It was the best damn shower I ever had.
Afterwards I gave Tyson a pair of boxers to wear. They were slightly too big and hung low on his hips. They hugged his body in ways that was completely unfair. I could feel my cheeks burning every time I looked at him.
After dishes were cleaned and put away we settled on my bed. I turned on the TV.
"Do you have a phone so I can call Grandpa and let him know where I am?"
Wordlessly I handed him his cell phone.
"Oh cool, I didn't know you had one of these! Do you have any games on it?"
I answered with a look.
"I guess not."
Cuddling happened by accident. Little by little Tyson moved closer and closer. When I felt his warmth against me I put my arm around him and pulled him closer. Tyson rested his head against my shoulder.
I felt myself relaxing in his presence. We ended up falling asleep to some stupid paranormal show.
xXx
I was alone in the dark. Alone clutching my blanket. It seemed I'd wandered for an eternity. Where was everyone? Why was I the only one here?
And then I saw her in the distance, a glowing beacon in the darkness.
Eyes wide open, laying in a pool of blood.
"Mommy?"
Then it was Wyatt. He was smiling at me. The insane smile of a corpse. And then the darkness lifted, and I found myself alone in a landfill of the dead.
And I couldn't breath.
xXx
I awoke from a nightmare to find myself desperately clutching on to Tyson, breathing heavily.
"Kai?" he said softly, stroking my hair.
I didn't answer, content to let him touch me. I really could fall in love with him, I thought as I looked into his caring dark eyes. The thought didn't bring me any comfort. I could feel this cold knot in my stomach where Tyson was concerned. I knew I would hurt him. I needed to end this. "Tyson, I can't—"
His lips were against mine. "Shh. It's okay." He kissed me. And I kissed him back. I pulled him on top of me, my momentary thoughts of breaking up with him forgotten. His lips trailed down my neck, then my chest, tentatively going lower and lower. I didn't stop him, interested to see where this would go. He always stopped me. I felt the heat of his mouth against my crotch. Taking a deep breath, I tried to control myself. Tyson was making that really difficult. Pulling my boxers down, he took me into his mouth and control was gone.
I laid there afterwards catching my breath, almost in a daze. Tyson looked up at me with a sheepish smile. Wiping the cum off his mouth he asked, "Feel better?"
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I wouldn't hurt him. Maybe he would be the one to hurt me.
xXx
Tyson
xXx
I whistled as I walked home from Kai's, being careful to keep my balance on rocks and curbs and following the lines of the sidewalk. It was an old game. I was fucking giddy, giggling to myself like the girls in my class. I couldn't believe I did that. Kai didn't seem to mind. Though it was kind of weird to see how vulnerable he looked after he came. I liked it. Having control over him. I would do that every day if he let me.
It felt like something had changed between us. I hoped that was a good thing, that my patience was finally paying off and he would admit this was more than a fling. Because, hell, I was completely one-hundred percent absolutely in love with him.
And I really wanted him to be in love with me, too.
Jumping off the curb into the street, I half-ran across the street towards the dojo.
The house smelled amazing! Bacon and eggs and maple syrup. My stomach grumbled, demanding to be fed at once. Grandpa was sitting in the dining room eating breakfast by himself. Granted, it was seven, and seven was really fucking early for me, but it was pretty late for my grandfather. He was up at the crack of dawn come rain or shine, meditating or training or destroying his bonsai trees. "Kind of late for breakfast for you, isn't it?" I commented.
"I actually let myself sleep in this morning," he said with a smile. "Grab a plate, Ty."
"With pleasure." I stacked my plate with five pancakes and as much eggs as I could fit, topping the whole thing with the rest of the bacon. I sat across from him and started eating. So good so good so good!
"How was Kai's?"
"Fine," I said through a bite of pancake
"Did you guys use protection?"
I nearly choked. "Excuse me?"
"Did you guys use protection?" Gramps repeated.
For a moment I sat absolutely frozen, my mouth hanging open like an idiot. Oh God did I have cum on my face or something? No, Kai wouldn't have let me leave his place like that. Wait, did he really just say that? Finally I let out a nervous laugh. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Cut the crap, homie. We both know you're with Kai. That's cool. I've always known you liked him."
"I— umm... We're not having sex!" I stuttered over my words.
"Look, when I was your age I had my fair share of the honey's. It's normal. I just want to make sure you're being careful. We've always been honest with each other, Ty. I trust you. Don't start lying to me now."
I took a big gulp of Grandpa's milk since I'd forgotten to grab myself a drink, trying to make sense of this. "Look, Grandpa. For one, me and Kai are not having sex. Not. Got that? Not. Two, I'm ninety-nine percent sure Kai's a virgin."
"Kai looks like the kind of guy whose been around, kiddo," he said with a wink. "Ok, so what are you guys doing. Let's talk baseball. First base, second?"
I couldn't believe we was having this conversation. I banged my head against the table. "Um...between second and third, I guess," I finally admitted.
"Okay, so let's lay down some ground rules. You can spend the night over there, and he over here, just not on school nights. You have to let me know where you are. And I want to know when you do have sex. When you do, you can never be too careful. Use a condom. And just so you know, you can get diseases from oral sex, too."
"Oh my God. Can we stop this now?"
"Just looking out for you, T-Dog."
xXx
AN: Okay, so here we are in Part Two. Another fluffy chapter for you guys. Hope I'm not getting too fluffy on you, I just wanted to get these scenes in there. This will be the last fluffy one for a while. Angst is coming! I think I'm having way too much fun writing these two together. I kind of feel like I'm all over the place in this chapter but I want to establish what's going on and where they are at this point in their relationship before I move on. Hope it's not too crazy.
I want to say thank you for all the well-wishes regarding my kitty. It's been really hard. I had a very deep attachment to him. We're moving in about two weeks and have decided we'll adopt a new cat once we get settled. I'm looking forward to it.
And I want to thank Little A Granger, PrincessAnime08, KinomiyaHiwatari, adbhut, Rapid Puzzleshipper Saiko, FelixBlue-chan, and Nezumi 84 for all the awesome reviews. Every time I see these they make my day and make me want to continue with this story.
AN 2022: Ah, this is so long ago. I still miss Deathy. The new cat we got was an adorable six-month old tabby kitten we named Binx and now Binx is 7. Our oldest cat, Alexi, passed away last year at 17. We currently have two younger cats as well, Kali and Phantom, who are 3 and 2. I'm a cat person.
Kai has a Nokia 3310. I think everyone I knew had some version of a Nokia back then. I used to play Snake on one of my friends phones. I wasn't cool enough to have my own cell phone.