A/N: REWRITTEN! It had to be done. Everything has been rewritten. So it's actually a whole new chapter. Enjoy your meal.
Betrayals
Kenny rushes to the library, laptop clutched in his hands, the deadline of a project hanging over his head. He has to turn it in next hour and he still has a few sections incomplete, citations left to add. The library is mostly empty around him, not many students utilizing it at this hour as he sets his laptop down on a free desk in a corner close to the aisle he hopes to find the book he needs. Rei had told him he'd find the tome in aisle 53 so that's where he goes.
He is scanning the shelves, a finger running over the spines to help him keep track of the titles when he hears the distinct sound of Tyson's laughter from the adjacent aisle. It's quiet, but the boyish, cracking texture of his voice is unmistakable, so is the brazenness of his laugh. Kenny wonders what Tyson is doing here. He hasn't talked to Tyson in a few weeks, not properly. They exchanged a few words while passing each other in the halls but it's been a minute since they had a real chat. He hastily moves a few books aside, planning to 'psst' at him through the gap he creates, hoping to say hi. He finds Tyson, his eyes falling upon Tyson's crinkled ones. He's with someone, looking at them and smiling. The 'hi' on Kenny's tongue dies as Tyson's face is hidden from his view by a dark head of hair, leaning in a way that could only be to kiss him. It's a guy. He's kissing a guy, Kenny realizes with a start. He hadn't known Tyson had a thing for boys. He never mentioned it to him.
His curious gaze quickly takes note of the guy's broad shoulders and imposing frame covering Tyson's, wondering if it's someone he knows. He almost seems familiar. Then the man shifts his stance and Kenny sees the dark tattoos snaking across his arm, running down from beneath the rolled up shirt sleeve to the hand gripping Tyson's hip. An ice cold chill takes hold of his spine as he recognizes those markings. There's only one person on campus whose skin bears those patterns.
Kenny shifts the books back in place with jerky movements, shuffling away from the shelves in a shocked daze. Why would Tyson do that? Why? He cannot wrap his mind around it. The question spins around his head as he spots the book that he had come for and soundlessly slides it out. Tyson had expressed his distaste for Kai and the blitzkriegs countless times before. Kenny himself has had many unpleasant encounters with that crowd. In the halls, in the cafeteria. One of them even calls him a 'runt'. Why Tyson would choose to hook up with Kai of all people is beyond Kenny. He struggles to understand, worrying for his only friend and also Hilary. Hadn't Tyson mentioned something to him about Kai breaking Hilary's heart? Why would he do this? Kenny hurries to the desk to gather his laptop, the cold feeling of shock and betrayal still stinging his veins. He hears a soft moan coming from behind the shelves and his cheeks heat with mortification and hurt and anger, an unwelcome feeling of abandonment coiling around his heart as he listens to his only friend on campus giving himself away to his aggressor.
Julia wakes up late, the sun high overhead reaching the midday mark in the sky, but barely any of that light reaches into her bedroom, past the thick burgundy drapes shrouding her windows. She looks for her alarm clock to check the time but finds it lying on the floor where she had knocked it down earlier. Since it's a Saturday she has no classes and since she hasn't signed up for any extracurriculars this semester she doesn't have to worry about that either.
She sits up, puts her hair up in a bun and pads over to the windows to let the bright afternoon sun in. The floor to ceiling glass panes instantly flood the room with light, giving her a boost of energy and making her smile. She starts the day like she does usually, on her yoga mat. Queen calls her right as she's finishing up her routine.
"Hey, babe," her throaty voice greets through the speaker when Julia answers her phone.
"Hi" says Julia, picking the device up from the floor and heading to the kitchen for some water.
"So, I'm not sure how to break this to you, but, take a deep breath for me first," says Queen.
Julia tilts her head in confusion even though she can't see her right now. "What do you mean?" she asks.
"Just do it."
She has a hunch what this might be about just from the way her friend sounds. "Ok" she agrees.
"Are you doing it?" asks Queen.
Julia takes a deep breath and lets it go. "Done. What is it?" She pushes a glass under the cold water dispenser on the fridge and watches it fill.
"Tala crashed at mine."
Queen had asked her to take a deep breath for a good reason. Julia's shoulders sag immediately. Her day darkening just like that. "Let me guess," she says, pulling the glass towards her. "He fucked your roommate."
"They did it on the couch," she whispers, disgusted and apologetic.
Julia swallows the news painfully. She sets the water down without taking a single sip. Queen's roommate. Her best friend's roommate. How low could he go? He would have fucked Queen too if she was any less loyal. Son of a bitch.
"I'm so sorry," says Queen, still whispering so as not to startle Julia who's still taking deep calming breaths with a hand on her waist.
Julia finds herself shaking her head, trying to tell her that she has nothing to apologize for but she's unable to speak. If she opens her mouth she might cry and she refuses to cry over him today. She's done it enough times.
"Do you want me to come over?" Queen asks with concern. "We can drink tequila, shit-talk men and have a little day party?"
"Mhm" Julia rubs a hand over her nose listening to her friend's voice.
"Ok. Coming over in five."
Julia puts the phone down on the island and pulls herself together. She hates being a mess, especially over him. He's always sleeping around anyway so it shouldn't hit her so hard every time, but wishing and being are two different things. At least she's not crying this time. So that can be considered a win.
Tala has always been a bit of a blizzard. Hurtling around everywhere, causing chaos and ruin. He stormed into her life one Friday afternoon and spun her world into one of an endless rush of joy where nothing could touch her before…before…
Well
Well before it all came crashing down, leaving their friendship broken and her an unfixable wreck.
See, no one was supposed to know. He had told only her when his dad came to visit. Tala's dad, Mr Ivanov used to be a wealthy banker once, but he had a gambling problem, a drinking problem, and a drug problem. He also had an explosive temper and used to beat his wife, (their current Dean wasn't a Dean back then, but a university professor) but then he was accused of embezzlement and fraud when Tala had just turned 10 and the man had fled the country, leaving his wife and son behind. Dr Valkova changed her last name soon after as she became the matriarch of the house, going back to her maiden name, and Tala Ivanov turned to Tala Valkov. Tala was deeply troubled by his father abandoning him, he never came to terms with it, constantly trying to reach out to him and fully believing that his dad would return to see him one day. Ivanov had never been very good to Tala's mother but he was a decent father to Tala and so Tala loved him. And just as he'd believed Ivanov came back to Japan to see Tala right before he started college.
His dad told him to keep his visit a secret and that if no one found out he was there they could live together. They did live together, in a rented apartment in the shoddier parts of Tokyo and Julia was the only one who knew about it because she and Tala were thick as thieves back then and he hid nothing from her. Tala managed to keep it a secret from everyone else, even Kai because Kai would have called the police on him the moment he heard Ivanov was back to prey on his wife and son for some money. Ivanov struggled to hold down any job in China and had returned to Japan so he could live off the Valkov family's money, funneled through his son with just a few words of affection and hugs. Tala knew his father was using him but he didn't care, he was simply happy to be of use to him after spending half of his life believing otherwise.
Then one night, Ivanov came back to the apartment earlier than he said he would, super drunk and found Julia and Tala hanging out on the couch. He had lost his temper on sight because he'd been led to believe by his son that no one knew about his residence except Tala but found that out to be a lie. Terror ensued, Ivanov advanced on Tala, hitting him for lying to him, kicking his stomach till he spewed blood. Tala wouldn't fight back. Julia didn't know what to do. Terrified she did what she should have done ages ago, what Kai would have done in a heartbeat if Tala had confided in him. She called the cops.
Julia attempted to protect Tala, bodily throwing herself before him, which led to Ivanov slapping her across the face. Tala started fighting back then. To keep his father from hurting Julia. The cops arrived soon after, arresting Ivanov at the scene, Tala's eyes shining with betrayal as Julia told him with trembling lips at the back of the ambulance that she had been the one to call the police.
He had never been the same to her after that. She had lost his trust for good. From then on, when something happened in his life, she would be the last to find out from him. The other boys had learned about everything after Ivanov was arrested. And Kai had furiously chewed Tala out for it but Tala listened through one ear and let it out the other. Kai tore into her too for keeping the secret from him and already being in a defeated state, Julia didn't oppose Kai, hanging her head in regret instead.
Regret and guilt was all she felt for months. Regret that she didn't go to Kai because he would have handled it much better than her. He could get through to Tala. Julia, with all the love in her heart, didn't have the strength to snuff out the light in Tala's eyes. But she ended up snuffing it anyway, pushing him away from her when that was exactly what she wanted to avoid. And guilt because she was the reason his father was captured. Tala was particularly bad the months that followed his father's arrest, seeking escape in everything that could offer it. But then they all started college and he seemed to come around. The one screaming match they had at a party a couple of weeks after the arrest was all the interaction they had before meeting up on campus grounds. Thrumming with all the good vibes that comes with the promise of a new start, he smiled at her on orientation day. They were miraculously friends again, carefully skirting their conversations around the topic of his father's imprisonment. First year wasn't smooth sailing, they had their fallouts, but quickly made up too. Then right before the second year finals Tala started to hang out with a bunch of guys who didn't give a fuck about education and failed every course and called everything a scam or a conspiracy and did hard drugs in broad daylight. Julia tried not to say anything at first, letting Kai handle it, but when he remained friends with them, and started spewing their conspiracy bullshit Julia couldn't stay silent anymore, she told him she had a problem with his friends and that they weren't good for him and he'd fought back with 'well, you aren't good for me either'. He started picking up a lot of their bad habits and this opened up a rift between him and Julia.
Kai's disapproval surprisingly didn't create any gulfs in his relationship with Tala, but it wasn't the same for her. Kai could get away with criticizing him but Julia couldn't. She had already used up all her fucking up points when she called the cops that day. It is ridiculous. Sometimes she feels like he does things just to hurt her.
Queen comes over. They pop open bottles of tequila and blast Marina at full volume in the penthouse, laughing all the nonsense off.
"I feel like he's getting uglier each day," Queen says, attempting to cheer her up.
"Yeah?" Julia asks, snorting.
"Yeah! Starting to look like a real gremlin."
"Shut uuup" She laughs out loud, clutching her stomach.
Everything's alright for a while.
Being the Hiwatari heir has a lot of privileges. The best one is that he's above the law. Kai could literally get away with murder. He rakes in millions of cash from his illegal fights and investments annually and his bank account balances look like phone numbers but no federal authority bats an eye. No exposés or exclusives come out about him in the media no matter how debauched his nights get because the Hiwatari family has a chokehold on the press. Everything gets swept under the rug leaving his public reputation squeaky clean. You can google him and all that would show up are pre-approved articles that list out his endless achievements and accolades in great detail along with a press photo of him from his ninth grade graduation party because he hasn't done a photo op since his mom took a dive off an eight-story building the following year.
It's a privilege with a timer on it however. They will switch up on him in the future when they realize he isn't coming back for good, which is why he needs to make the most of his current freedom, and invisibility in the media.
Kai is ambitious and dexterous. Whatever time he doesn't devote to his fights he spends working hard towards the vision he has for his final year at Toho. The sprawling, completely legal business that will be under his name by the time of his graduation. The logo with the embellished K is sitting ready in his computer, copyrights registered.
He is shameless with exploiting the Hiwatari privileges, using it lavishly and brashly whenever and wherever he faces a roadblock, because why shouldn't he? It's being given to him so readily with no leashes attached. Spoiling him with power and influence as an adult as they had done with material gifts when he was a kid in hopes that he would mistake it for love and affection. Kai sees it for what it is, a bargain, and he doesn't plan to uphold his end of it.
He's having his coffee when Tala approaches him at the kitchen table.
"Are you coming to the union meeting tonight?" he asks.
Without looking up from his iPad, Kai puts his fingers to his temple in a gun pose and pulls the trigger.
"I take that as a no?" He looks frazzled, like he's been through the wringer. Must have been a great night.
"I do enough of your work for you," says Kai, regarding him. "I don't have to attend tonight. Only your presence is mandatory. You should have thought about these things before you ran for the chair position." He sips from the mug.
"I did it as a joke," says Tala, leaning. "No one thought I'd actually win. Even you didn't."
"Hm" He turns back to the iPad and scrolls through the news. "You can't shirk your duties tonight because I won't be there to pick up your slack. I have other plans."
The 'other plans' of his mostly revolve around Tyson Granger. Kai has always excelled at self-control and discipline, and prided himself on it quite a bit too, till he met Granger one fateful Wednesday evening and found out that his composure could easily be disintegrated when teased with just the right combination of annoyance and sexual attraction.
Granger's doll face was irritating. His blasé attitude irked Kai to no ends. His scratchy voice got on his nerves. He acted like he was scared of Kai but one look in his eyes and you could tell he didn't give a shit. Kai disliked him on sight and completely hated him when he impulsively pushed him against his car with a hand on his stomach and discovered that he quite liked the way Tyson felt under his shirt.
It took him nearly two months to admit the latter part to himself. Mainly because it was someone who openly challenged him and loathed his existence. Also because he was a guy. He'd never been attracted to men like that before. How a shirtless Yuriy made Kai feel when he was thirteen was nothing compared to the way Tyson made him feel. He wanted that boy on his knees. He wanted to see tears filling up those pretty eyes as he fucked his mouth.
Granger was stubborn and headstrong and thought of himself as some kind of a hero for his friends. He antagonized Kai, singling him out of everyone else in the university, making Kai's desires fluctuate between crushing his ego, earning his friendship or getting him into his bed. It all came to a head the night of the masquerade ball when he bought him a suit and complimented him and then punched him in the face for throwing a book at him, then took care of him when he fainted and patched up his cut and then asked Enrique to drive a Landcruiser straight at him the next day. He had to admit to himself after that that he was taking things too far. Losing all cool and acting completely out of character because he was, as he discovered a few days later, painfully attracted to someone he disliked.
Tyson, being a naturally resilient person, simply grew stronger the more trouble Kai threw his way. Becoming more defiant, countering Kai's moves, figuring out his tells and ways to push his buttons without entirely setting him against him. Giving Kai the illusion that they're almost friends.
Kai isn't fumbling blindly in the dark anymore however. He knows what he wants now. He desires control. Desires dominance over Granger. Wants him to give him power over him the same way the rest of the world hands him the reigns and bends to his will. Let him have him. Let him have him the way he wants him. Pliant and submissive, a helpless yearning mess in his lap.
"No?" prompts Tala, bringing him back to the kitchen. His lips are curved into a deep frown and slightly jutting out as he stares at Kai. Apparently in a rather humble mood because of his raging hangover. "Really?"
"Yes, really," says Kai, flashing him a useless smile.
"Fuck me" he grumbles in frustration, pushing away from the table and shuffling out of the space. Kai receives a text from Takeshi then and he swipes on the notification to read it.
He's reminding him about the pre-lauch party tonight in honour of their mini project launching on Monday. Kai tells him he'll be there. He's planning to show up, stay for a few minutes and then dip.
Takeshi sends him a thumbs up.
Ian and Bryan walk into the kitchen arguing over something. Sergei scuttles in right after them and starts making breakfast. That's the end of his peaceful morning. The kitchen bursts into noise and activity.
"She didn't have a clit," Bryan says, sitting across from Kai and next to Ian. Kai looks up and exchanges glances with Sergei who has turned his head to look over his shoulder with a dead expression.
Bryan puts up his hands and shrugs sensing their disbelief. "I'm telling you I went down on that chick and she had nothing there."
"How's that even possible?" asks Ian. "How can you have not have anything down there?"
"She was plain. I'm telling you! I'm telling you! You guys don't believe me I don't care."
"I once made out with a girl who had a forked tongue," shares Ian, eyes dancing with mirth. "Just like a snake's." He sticks his tongue out and wags it in Bryan's direction. Bryan and Sergei make collective noises of disgust.
Kai breaks into a small smile watching them, then gets up from the table to rinse his mug out and offer Sergei help with breakfast. He waves him away. Kai had cooked for them yesterday. Today's Sergei's turn.
They've all sat down to eat when Tala returns to the kitchen, hair wet from a fresh shower and wearing a new set of clothes, looking better than he did when he first trudged into the house that morning.
"One of you's coming with me to the union meeting tonight," he declares, buttoning up his shirt. "And Bryan, it's going to be you." It sounds like a threat.
"Why does it have to be me?" Bryan barks around a mouthful of meat. "Why can't Kai go?"
"Because he has 'other plans'," he says, making lazy air quotes around the last two words. "I'm not going by myself."
Kai swallows down the bite of the egg sandwich in his mouth, feeling a need to explain himself. "I have a launch party to go to."
Tala falls into the chair beside him. "I thought that was on Monday?" He lifts a quizzical brow at him, grabbing a toast.
"Pre-launch party," clarifies Kai.
Tala chews on that piece of information with narrowed eyes for a moment then turns to Bryan decisively. "You will go."
Bryan groans and complains. Tala goads and pesters him. Ian follows their argument closely, eyes jumping back and forth between them like it's a tennis match. Sergei eats his food in silence. Kai concocts a plan for a quick exit from the party he has to attend later.
Everything in the luxurious bar glints from the floor to the ceiling, including the champagne flutes and the leather couches. The party is really just a gathering of their four-person team to celebrate the success so far. Kai drinks and chats with the trio, his mind mulling over the things he learned over the course of the project in the background, weighing the strengths and weaknesses of the three around him, silently coming to the disappointing conclusion that they are not competent enough for anything bigger. Their connections could still be useful to him in the future however.
The conversation moves from topic to topic and they reach less serious and more personal ones. Kai is skillfully dodging the girlfriend question when there's a hand suddenly gripping his shoulder and a voice whispers frantically in his ear, "Act like I'm your date. Act like I'm your date quick."
"What-" He bites down on his tongue to keep himself from blurting out something idiotic as Tyson seemingly materializes out of thin air and drops into the armchair right across from him.
"Uh…" Takeshi intones, confuddled, gawping at the unexpected guest along with the other guys.
Tyson looks winded. He's wearing a suit but it's disheveled and he's sweating, a wild energy about him. He looks like he ran in here and had been running hard for a long time. "Sorry I'm late," he says, glancing at Kai's partners and grinning. He extends each of them a hand and introduces himself, "Tyson Granger, nice to meet you, hi, hello, woah you have a firm grip there."
Kai should feel shocked but he's long used to Granger's antics. After that one time he discovered him hiding behind a plant in the care home housing his mother he expects Granger to tail him every time he steps foot outside of their university's premises. He's still slightly thrown by his sudden appearance, the blood in his veins simmering as he observes his interactions with his partners. He wonders what his intentions are crashing his evening. What he hopes to achieve from this new stunt.
"Nice to meet you." Takeshi smiles. It's strained with confusion as he tries to catch Kai's eyes to get an idea of who Tyson is and why he's interrupting their conversation. Tyson doesn't notice. He's looking around the bar in a paranoid manner, twisting his neck this way and that, like he's expecting someone to leap out of the shadows and snatch him at any moment.
Kai's eyes narrow. Hmm.
Interesting
Tyson's gaze meets his and he stops, shooting him a fake but sweet smile. Kai can basically see the horns sprouting from the sides of his head. "Tell them who I am," he says, nudging at Kai's leg under the table. He doesn't think the others catch that movement. It's only meant for Kai. Playing him just as much as he's messing with his partners.
"My date" Kai lets the words drop through his teeth, voice darkened.
The problem is no one has brought any dates tonight. It was just supposed to be them four so the other guys immediately assume that Tyson and Kai are together. They try to mask the matching expressions of shock that take over their faces but do a piss poor job of it. Their gazes dart betweeen him and Tyson who figures out what they're thinking and looks at Kai, mashing his lips together to hold in his laugh.
Kai wonders who this menace is running from. May be he should find the person and drag him to their clutches himself.
"Wow, I had no idea," Takeshi speaks first, adjusting his glasses. At least he's truthful. Yamamoto and Yuugi make similar gestures and noises of agreement. Kai would worry about this fake news spreading around campus tomorrow but no one is going to believe it even if they scream it at the tops of their lungs and post it on every social media platform imaginable. His family might even scrub it off of TCS, filling Ming's pockets. This lie isn't lasting a second outside of the bar so he might as well have some fun with it.
"How lo- how long have you guys been dating?" Yuugi asks to get rid of the silence.
"A few months," Kai says at the same time Tyson answers, "a year."
There's a moment of awkwardness. Tyson's eyes jump to his and he forces out a laugh. "It's been a year," he says, attempting to steer the boat back in the direction he wants to go. "Kai just," he shrugs and waves a hand casually. "Lost track of time. He's been having so much fun."
Kai's hackles rise. At the patronizing tone, at the attempt to make him seem incompetent in front of the people he's working with. His teeth grit.
"Do you remember how we met?" asks Kai, planning to level things out.
Tyson's looking over his shoulder for the invisible boogeyman hunting him when he hears Kai. He turns around with raised eyebrows. "I do" he says.
"You were at my party," starts Kai, smiling sharply at him.
"I was at your party," Tyson agrees with thinly veiled wariness.
"You tried to slip me your number and I said no."
He laughs out loud, but it's an outraged, disingenuous bark of a laugh. "And then you chased me around campus the next morning to give it to me anyway because you thought I was devastatingly handsome and couldn't forget me." His boot slides up Kai's ankle and drags back down, trying to distract him, tongue tracing over a canine on his upper jaw as he stares at him. It almost works.
"I remember it quite differently," says Kai, pushing his leg out closer to Tyson so he has better reach. The move stumps him as he doesn't expect it.
"Do you?" His glare is cut off by a waiter bringing him a drink. He accepts the flute of fizzy alcohol and takes a sip.
"You were the one who chased me around campus before I finally succumbed to your advances, darling. You couldn't leave me alone for a month."
Tyson nearly chokes on his champagne. He sets the glass down carefully before raising his gaze to Kai's. "Funny I don't remember that."
"You don't? I'm hurt." Tyson tries to retract his foot but Kai crooks his around the back of his ankle, holding him in place.
Takeshi, Yuugi and Yamamoto are lost at this point. They exchange uncomfortable glances with one another and Yamamoto loudly clears his throat to get their attention. He's unsuccessful at prying their eyes away from each other.
"So I, uh, actually promised my girl that I'd make it to her birthday party tonight," he says.
"It's Hana's birthday? I haven't seen her in a minute," Kai hears Takeshi say.
"Yeah, I completely forgot. I'm sorry, guys, but I should probably go now." He stands up in his periphery. "I don't want to keep her waiting too long."
"I'll come with you," Takeshi responds eagerly, getting up too. "I haven't seen Hana in a while. Would be nice to give her a surprise."
Yuugi interjects, directly addressing Kai. "But I think we're done here, aren't we, Kai?"
He nods. Tyson's glowering at him, leg straining against his to break free.
"See you at the launch event!" Takeshi claps Kai on the shoulder. Twice. Because he barely acknowledges the first one.
"Bye" says Yuugi.
"Bye!" says Yamamoto.
Tyson waves at them.
"Happy?" Kai asks once they've all trickled out of the place.
"Overjoyed" says Tyson before tipping the glass to his mouth.
"Who are you running from?" Kai asks, following the line of his throat with his gaze as he drinks.
"None of your business," he says, putting down an empty glass.
"You've made it my business by barging into mine."
"I didn't have a choice."
"You still don't have one."
Tyson licks his lips, pushes his chair back. He spots something over Kai's shoulder then. His face slightly pales. "I'm going to go to the bathroom."
When he quickly jumps to his feet and walks off towards the restrooms, Kai follows, without waiting for an invitation.
Tyson turns around when the door closes behind Kai in the empty bathroom.
"Running from retail store security, really?"
"I broke something," Tyson confesses, leaning his head against the wall. Eyes hooded as they find Kai. "I was helping a friend out but accidentally pushed a glass figurine off a shelf. You know one of those trinkets?" He curls his fingers into Kai's lapels when he stops in front of him, shoes brushing.
"Expensive I bet," says Kai, breaths mingling.
"Extremely" Tyson's lips touch his but they don't kiss.
"Are you going to jail?" asks Kai, smoothing his hands along his sides.
"Will you bail me out?" Tyson teases, teeth dragging along Kai's jaw. His heart pounds in his chest, all the blood rushing south. He wants this boy more than he's wanted anybody ever.
"That depends" answers Kai, tugging Tyson off with his hands on his hips, pushing him back against the wall. "Will you sacrifice your pride? My favours don't come cheap."
Tyson briefly presses his lips together playfully and lets them go. "What do you want?" he asks, reaching out to unbutton Kai's shirt with one hand.
"You without a crown on your head."
"I don't have a crown," he denies.
"You do" Kai thumbs the dip in his jaw. "That's a lie. You do."
Tyson stares into Kai's eyes. "You have a crown too," he says.
"I'll keep mine," says Kai, stepping forward, eliminating what little distance they had between them.
"That's unfair," he says as Kai takes his face into his hands, tipping it up. Fingers smoothing over the soft skin.
"But a fair price to pay," says Kai.
Tyson's teeth graze together as he considers it, eyes looking up to Kai's. Kai hovers a thumb over his mouth, looking for access. Barely brushing his lips.
He parts them, letting him in.
Kai's finger dips into meet a plush tongue, the skin of his thumb gliding over the velvety insides of his cheeks. When he pulls it out Tyson sucks. Soft lips dragging over his thumb the way they would over his dick. His lashes flutter, breath fanning down Kai's hand as he traces his upper lip with the same spit-slicked finger.
"You want me to worship at your altar," says Tyson, the heat of his breath hitting Kai's palm. His chest is moving under his suit jacket and dress shirt, panting with exertion, with how hard his heart is pounding, blood rushing through his veins for Kai. "Like everybody else."
"They're not having a bad time," says Kai.
Tyson scoffs, looking away. It's weak. Kai touches his cheekbone, feeling its smooth slopes.
"Disbeliever" he goads.
"Narcissist"
"I can convince you." Kai dares, leans forward to lay a kiss on his cheek. Trailing his lips down to his jaw and sucking in the skin there lightly before dragging his teeth over it, following the edges of his face.
Tyson closes his eyes, a shiver starting in his frame. "You want to?" he asks in a soft whisper, a stark contrast to how he was talking to him a second ago. He's been holding on with barely any strength left in him. Opposing him just for the sake of it. His hands come to rest on Kai's chest.
"Let me" Kai persuades, kissing the column of his throat, giving him the last push he needs. "Let me"
Tyson's fingers fly up and dig into his shoulders, his whole body shaking, thighs pressed together, his voice a whisper of broken wills as he agrees. "Fine"
Kai presses more kisses to the side of his face, noticing that that's a weakness that makes him tremble. Something about him doing it pulling a whimper out of him. Over his cheek, the slope of his nose, right next to his mouth, he leaves them. Tyson's hands bunch up Kai's jacket on his shoulders. He brings their chests together, aligning their hips, their thighs.
He's hard in his pants. His erection deliciously pressing into Kai's. Kai rolls his hips, creating friction. Tyson pulls in a gasp, eyes shuttering. Kai bites into his chin as he sets a rhythm that has Tyson's irises rolling to the back of his head, his exhales punching out of him in tune.
"Come with me?" asks Kai, alleviating the pressure of his teeth on his chin and letting them graze him instead.
Tyson has his head tipped back against the gold-plated wall. He opens his eyes to slits, irises glinting with want between his lids when he does so. "Yes" he says.
"Yes?"
He nods jerkily.
"I want to hear you say it."
He's shaking and Kai's barely started with him. "I'll come with you."
"Wherever I want?" purrs Kai, hand drifting down to cup his ass.
His watches his mouth move over the words. "Wherever you want."
He immortalizes it.
O-o-o
He presses him against dark grey sheets, crawling on top of him and capturing his lips in a kiss. Tyson slides his fingers into his hair, moaning underneath him.
Their jackets lie on the floor, strewn next to Kai's tie and both of their shoes. Thrown haphazardly on their way in, swept up in each other.
Kai undoes the buttons on Tyson's dress shirt, running his palm over the smooth skin that's revealed. He lays kisses on him, from his chest to his belly button, taking his time to make sure that he leaves more than just goosebumps in his wake. Needing him to wear them under his clothes for days. Wear him on his skin.
He takes a nipple into his mouth, rolling it between his teeth making Tyson throw his head back and his spine arch off the bed. He lets his thumb and forefinger find the other one, playing with it. Tyson's hips cant up, searching for friction. He's sensitive in a way that has Kai believing that he thinks of him at night and tries to replicate his touch.
Tyson used to strut in here and shed his clothes without a thought. Now he trembles when Kai so much as runs a hand over him through his clothes. He used to lie still while having his hand between his legs, rubbing over his ass, now he can't handle a little attention from him on his nipple. A kiss on his cheek has him unraveling.
Kai sucks the chocolate chip of a bud into his mouth and stays away from his hips, watching him lose it as he lazily smooths his palm over his torso, up and down. Tyson's Adam's apple bobs as he swallows, parted lips moving over air, eyes opening a crack to get a glimpse of the ceiling before closing back down. He could come just from this, Kai realizes.
How badly has he wanted him?
Kai lets up, sitting up on his knees and pulling Tyson's slacks off his legs. He pants, and almost looks grateful to have them taken off. His cock straining against the front of his underwear, a matching one lies in Kai's. He's not meeting his eyes. His gaze flitting around his own thighs, Kai's hands, the watch on his wrist, the tent in his dark slacks, his throat.
Kai reaches under his jaw and tips it up with a finger so he'd look at him. The heat in them has the one in Kai's gut liquifying, his cock hardening to an uncomfortable level. He sinks a hand into the mattress beside his head and leans down, meeting him in a molten kiss that stokes the embers in the pit of his stomach rather than satiate them.
Kai changes the nature of the kiss, growing rougher, looking for a bit of release. Tyson's tongue runs over the roof of his mouth, his hands holding either sides of Kai's head. It's a vain attempt. He pulls back shaking. In no better state than Granger.
I'll keep mine.
He'll have to set his down too.
Kai tugs off his shirt, not bothering to undo all the buttons and taking it off as quickly as he can. One or two buttons pop off in the process. Tyson reaches for his belt, unbuckling it with surprising finesse despite the quiver in his limbs. Kai says a 'thank you' to him when he's got it off.
He doesn't reply, the blush on his cheeks prominent.
Kai crawls between his legs, parting his knees and trailing his mouth over his thighs. Tyson's fingers touch his own lips, chasing ghosts of Kai's kisses, watching him as he leaves them on his plush golden muscles instead. He jerks and spasms whenever Kai gets close to his pelvis. His fingers moving from grazing to covering his own mouth to keep himself making sounds.
"I want to hear you," says Kai, looking up from between his thighs.
He shakes his head.
"Why not?" he asks, gliding his hand over his skin, from knee to hip. Scattering goosebumps. Worsening the shaking. The front of his underwear is growing translucent.
"I might do something embarrassing," he says, voice raw, palm muffling his words.
Kai gives a shake of his head. "It's ok. I want all of you."
It has the desired effect. Tyson lowers his fingers. Kai leans down and presses a kiss on his cock through his boxers as a reward. There's a noise between a gasp and a gulp, voice choking and breath hitching. When Kai glances up he sees Tyson's eyebrows pinched together, teeth digging into his bottom lip.
"Don't come," he instructs, peeling his underwear down, easing down one side then the other, rolling it off his legs. Tyson's not given time to prepare before he takes him into his mouth and he gets the reaction he was hoping for. His hand fists in Kai's hair, hips sloppily but powerfully lifting off the bed, torso twisting, face pushing into the mattress with a cry.
His grip is painful on his scalp but Kai supposes it'd be worth having half his hair torn out if he could continue to hear him making sounds like this. He licks him from base to tip, listening to Tyson muffle himself in the bed as much as he can but still be loud and clear.
Kai bobs his head up and down, trying to get him as far deep as he can go, slurping him up as if he's a piece of candy. Tyson sounds beautiful as he calls Kai everything but a child of god. Kai works hard to hear more creative expletives leave his throat, memorizing each one.
When Tyson finally pulls his face out of the bed he's flushed pink, chest heaving delightfully. He watches Kai crawl up to him and immediately reaches for him expecting a kiss but Kai bypasses him and leans toward the drawers instead. Kai can't help but snicker as he fishes what he wants out of there.
"What's so funny?" retorts Tyson. "Your balls are blue."
His smile dies as he's reminded of the miserable situation of his cock. He quickly swipes the lube and condoms out and kisses Tyson, pushing down his own pants and arranging himself comfortably against his body like he's been wanting to, the feel of his bare skin on his stirring up the fire in his gut to a blaze. Tyson ruts against his thigh, his kisses growing sloppy. He's not going to be able to hold on for long but Kai doesn't want him to come from anything other than his cock tonight.
He's made him come in so many other ways before. He doesn't want to deprive his cock of it tonight too. He moves his thigh away from Tyson, swallows a whine and presses a lubed up finger against his hole. The protests turn into a hum and Kai rubs him into relaxing around him, stretching him out with two fingers as he kisses his lips beet red.
Tyson attempts to stroke Kai but he stops him fully aware that if he gets the slightest amount of release around him now he'll lose all restraint. He presses his fingers against his prostate, making deliberate circles that has Tyson arching like a bow, his lips growing slack and coming dangerously near an orgasm.
He knows because Tyson tells him. Causing him to retract.
Kai rolls on a condom, hissing at the intensity with which his body reacts to any physical contact near his dick. He gives himself a few strokes breathing himself through it. He looks up to find Tyson staring with uninhibited lust. Teeth imprinting on his bottom lip.
Kai reaches over and tugs it out. "First one to come loses?"
"Oh fuck you"
Kai laughs, leaning for a kiss. Tyson laughs too, looping his arms around his neck. "We both know it's going to be you," he whispers against his mouth.
"You've been humping my leg, sweetheart," he says.
"Want to bet?"
"Digging your own grave can't be half as fun as you make it seem."
It's a testament to how far gone he is that all that comment does is make him laugh, but it's wiped off quickly as Kai lays kisses on his palms and wrists. He pulls him down and makes out with him, moaning softly into his mouth. They grow louder and more insistent in a few minutes as Kai rubs himself against his entrance. Teasing along the rim but not pushing in.
Tyson's limbs tighten around him, moans turning into needy whines, sweat running down his arms. Kai licks across his lips, his tongue, the roof of his mouth, covering it with his own as he lets the head of his cock press against his hole. Tyson's cries get more desperate, his hips bucking and moving under him in search of release.
When Kai continues to not give him what he wants he breaks his kiss to look at Kai. And he's a vision. All the blood in his lips, his cheeks, the vibrance in his eyes. His gaze is confused.
"Say the words," says Kai.
"I-" Tyson gulps. Kai flicks against his rim making him whimper, all stubbornness dissolving. "Fuck me" he murmurs, eyes pleading.
"Say please," whispers Kai, letting their lips brush, pushing against him but not enough.
"Please" His voice breaks, nails scratching Kai's biceps and eyes nearly closing.
Kai's resolve breaks there too. At the desperation in his tone. The helpless way he says it. The head of his cock pushes past the first ring of muscle. All the prep in the world not enough for the way his walls clamp around him, the intensity of the feeling that washes through them.
Tyson bites into his fist, eyes scrunched shut, trying to relax. Kai folds over him, cradling his head and burying his face in the pillow right next to him. The quilt smells like his shampoo.
It burns through him. If it weren't for the wave of desire that comes with it he'd think it was an orgasm. Tyson clenches and unclenches like a test of will. Kai talks him through it. Rubbing a thumb over his cheek and whispering into his ear. Reminding himself to breathe as much as he does Tyson.
When he's calmer, Kai sinks in the rest of the way because he doesn't have the strength needed to do it one inch at a time. A tear collects in the corner of Tyson's left eye as his mouth falls opens around an inaudible gasp and Kai asks him if he's hurting.
He vehemently shakes his head, trembling all around him. Kai moves gently, each small motion causing a wave of pleasure to sear through him, his cock sliding deliciously against his walls. Tyson hisses in a breath and clamps his lips together, face reddening as he lets out a whimper. Kai's gaze flicks up to his, watching his reactions as he thrusts, slow careful movements at first and then settling into a still slow but smoother rhythm.
Tyson's moans grow with each stroke, from tiny close-mouthed sounds of pleasure to longer, needier, pleas of desperation, his eyes staring into Kai's. The look in them matching the noises leaving his throat. Kai's thrusts go from slow to whatever Tyson is asking him for. Harder and harder as he wants till his eyebrows are knotted on his forehead and the veins in his neck are prominent and throbbing and Kai feels all the pleasure flowing through him focusing into one tight mound of pressure at his core. Tyson's lips part then, his hands gripping Kai's that are flat on the bed for support, the sealed cries that he's been holding behind his lips finally tumbling out in the form of his name.
Soft and helpless at first before they increase in volume, and intensity, fully crying out, face twisting into the pillows, fingers clutching at the quilt and Kai's hand, as Kai thrusts into him harder and harder, feeling his own release approaching. Tyson's spine arches off the bed, hips jerking into his as he comes, body spasming uncontrollably.
The pressure in Kai's gut bursts and flows, sweeping through him from head to toe, the image of Tyson's pretty face lost in ecstasy painted behind his eyelids as he experiences the biggest rush of endorphins of his life. Feeling like his whole body winks out to a tiny spot of light in space before he comes back smack dab into the earth, an ocean's worth of dopamine cannon-balling through his system.
When Kai opens his eyes again, he feels lighter than air, and Tyson's looking at him, his brown gaze clear and amused.
"Hi" he says, smiling.
"Hi" says Kai, returning it.
"Having fun, are we?" he asks, giggling.
Kai kisses him, deep and slow, like they have all the time in the world. Tyson breaks it after a few seconds, pushing him off of him.
"No kissing after sex," says Tyson, scooting to the edge of the bed.
"Is that a new rule?" asks Kai, adjusting a pillow under his head. "Why, Tyson? You're afraid you'd what?" he stops rubbing at his eye to meet Tyson's who's looking over his shoulder, pant already halfway up his leg. "Catch feelings?" he provokes.
Tyson barks a dry laugh. It's horrendous. He does it two more times. "Gross," he says. "I just think it's weird to kiss after sex because there's no point to it but whatever, man. It's whatever now. We can kiss as much as you want." He shoves his legs all the way in to his slacks.
Kai chuckles, continuing to tiredly rub at his eye. He pulls the blanket over his body, and stretches out his limbs along the length of the bed, enjoying the complete laxness in his muscles, everything is jelly.
He's fully relaxed and comfortable when he opens his eyes to see Tyson who's now dressed but got a small smile and a twinkle in his gaze as he looks at him. He walks over to his side and sits next to him before leaning forward to meet his lips in a kiss that makes everything in him still. Time stopping for a moment, then he pulls away with that same small smile, a little smug post-kiss.
Kai watches him as he crosses the room and steps out, his heart fluttering in his chest even after the door's closed behind him.
A/N: *runs away*