Tying the Knot

Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Slight language, yaoi ((meaning GUY/GUY)), and some OOCness to Kai's character but it's for the good of the fic!
Summary: Knots are made to hold things in place. So, why does this knot go so terribly wrong? Or does it? Ray/Kai [Get together fic] ONE-SHOT

Kai was exhausted. His eyes burned when he blinked and burned when they were open. He shook his head harshly, his silver bangs rushing from side to side in his face. With an irritated growl, he quickly called back his blade from the dish. With no effort, the flying blade landed in his open palm. Kai shoved the blade violently in his pocket, giving another growl.

He turned away from the dish and immediately regretted it. His world spun around him and before he knew it, he was down on one knee, cradling his head in his hands. He let out a gasp for breath and breathed heavily. He pushed himself from the ground, his baggy blue pants falling down on his hips without the aid of it's customary black belt. Kai shifted his tight black muscle shirt into it's original position before walking away, showing no indications of his previous event.

With his quick walk out of the training room, he entered the hotel hallway. He gave the extravagant hallways no mind and continued forward, determined to get to his room he shared with his loveable teammate Ray. He immediately stumbled in his steps and groped the wall to hold himself upright. His eyes burned harder as his mind repeated the thought of a 'loveable' Ray.

Kai clenched his teeth together, refusing to let his thoughts travel farther than they already had. He pushed his body away from the wall. By the time he reached the elevator on the other side of the hotel lobby, his pace from a brisk walk had slowed to that of a slow crawl. Unnoticed to the attendant at the desk of the lobby, or of any person who was up at the ungodly hour of three a.m., never noticed the blue haired boy stumble in his trek.

Kai, once he had figured out that his feet had taken him in the right direction, had to strain his eyes to focus upon the arrows for the elevator. He knew he wanted to go up, but his sleep confused mind refused to listen to him. So in his hazy mind, he pushed the closest button that he could, not caring if it sent him left, right, down or up, it didn't matter.

The elevator dinged within a few seconds and Kai walked in. He pushed the number '15' and waited, silently proud of himself for getting the number correct without having to count. He leaned his back against the glass wall and stared down at the golden floor of the elevator. He suppressed a yawn, with much effort, and crossed his arms over his chest.

With the distant thought that his red arm-guards were getting very uncomfortable and so was his long white scarf, he silently drifted into a light doze. His body was instantly alert when the elevator dinged once again to signify that it had reached it's destination. His crimson eyes narrowed at the elevator doors dangerously. If machines could die, the elevator would have met death ten times over.

Kai stepped out into the hallway. He distinctly remembered his room on the left hand side of the hallway but when he walked right pass it, he reevaluated his thoughts and turned about. He walked up to door 1503. He reached into his pocket, the one not containing his blade, and pulled out a small white keycard. He slowly slid it into the door's slot and pulled it out. The door clicked and a green light above the handle blinked rapidly.

Kai shoved the door open and closed it just as quickly, all without making the slightest sound. He trudged toward the king size bed he would share with is… companion. He toed off his shoes and kicked them under the bed. Flipping one arm over, he reached over with his second and undid the buckle that held the armguard in place. The offending red material with a metal spike felt towards the ground but stuck to Kai's middle finger.

Rolling his crimson eyes, he tugged off the red band from his finger and let the armguard fall to the floor with a small thud. He repeated this with his other arm guard, this time remembering to take the band off his finger first. He stifled another yawn tempting to come out and pulled the covers out from under his pillow. He looked down at the white sheets, beckoning him to sleep, but faltered when he saw a leg and arm from the one and only Ray Kon.

Kai's eye twitched. He constantly tried to avoid touching people, especially Ray, considering the effect the Chinese boy had on him. His internal battle with himself stopped as quickly as it came for Ray had moved them into the warm depths of the blanket. Kai thanked whatever god or deity he knew and crawled into bed. He pulled the cream colored blankets up to his chin. With a final sigh of relief, he drifted off into a dreamless slumber.
Ray Kon opened his eyes to be greeted with the dull appearance of the tan ceiling. He moan with loathing and threw a hand over his eyes, efficiently blocking out the dreary sight. A smile tugged at his lips when he felt a body stir next to him. With unbridled glee, he propped himself up with his elbow and laid on his side. A glimmer of happiness and a whimsical smile played across the boy's lips.

Right across from him was Kai. The 'touch-me-and-die' teenager that would rather break his own arm than smile, who currently, was now cuddled into a small ball. His body was facing Ray's and his head was tucked under the pillow. Both arms were clutched to his chest in attempts to further give his body warmth and his legs were curled to his stomach. The sheets were now covering only Kai's front half.

Ray's smile brightened. His fingers twitched in longing to run them in the silver and blue hair. Ray held back a chuckle and gave a small sigh. He always did enjoy watching Kai sleep, since it only happened very seldom. The peace that fell on the other blader's face was something not many people have ever seen, if ever. Kai was always tense and alert no matter what. Even if caught off guard, Kai's impassive mask never slipped.

Sighing to himself, Ray turned back over, ready to get out of bed. He pushed himself up and just before he could get to his full height, a hard pull at the base of his neck pulled him right back down to the bed. He yelped in pain and surprise as he twisted and landed with has stomach on the edge of the bed and knees on the ground. He rubbed the back of his neck and head, feeling that it was his hair that had been pulled.

What he failed to realize was when he first attempted to get up, but was pulled ungracefully back to the bed, was that Kai gave a startled gasp and grunt.

The crimson eyed blader was very angry to find that Ray was the one who disturbed his sleep but brushed it away. His thoughts drifted to why his throat hurt, or more importantly, his neck. He puzzled over this, all without giving the Chinese boy the slightest acknowledgement. He did discover he had forgotten to take off his scarf but he paid it no mind. When Ray spoke up, however, his eyes narrowed. He sent a swift glare at the boy.

Ray didn't even flinch as a piercing glare met his own golden eyes.

"Um Kai, did you, by any chance, pull my hair just a second ago?" Ray danced around the question, knowing it was stupid to ask his captain. Kai certainly wasn't the type to play jokes.

"Of course not." Kai grunted and moved to sit up but was rewarded with a sharp tug to his neck. He gasped and fell back to the bed, his pillow breaking his fall. Ray, to his dismay, he also gave another howl of pain.

"What the hell is going on!" Kai all but hollered from his spot on the bed.

Ray winced. "I don't know but it sure as heck hurts!" He rubbed the back of his head again.

"Hn." Kai rolled to his side to face Ray. His arm settled against the bed, further from his body and came into contact with a rather large lump. His face tightened in a frown. He reached under the blanket.

Ray watched with mild curiosity what his captain was doing. His eye widened when Kai's hand came back out but with something else in tow. It was a large knot that contained Ray's hair in it's white wrap and Kai's white scarf. And not some small knot or a few twists, it was hideously tangled together.

Kai glared. "Well that solves the mystery."

Ray nodded silently. "How in the world did it do that?" He spoke before realizing it.

"Hn." Kai didn't reply and rolled to his stomach. He pushed himself up on his knees and tugged Ray's hair. Ray gasped and glared at his leader. Kai gave another tug. With a sigh, Ray climbed back into bed, sitting cross-legged in front of the blue haired teen. Kai nodded his head to his teammate. Slowly and silently he began to pick at the tangle of scarf and hair.

Fifteen minutes later, Kai gave a growl of annoyance.

"Here, let me try." Ray reached out and grabbed the knot from Kai, fingers brushing against one another. Ray pulled back slowly, wanting to keep the feeling of skin on skin while Kai tried to hide the blush that was creeping up to his cheeks.

When another fifteen minutes went by, Ray gave a frustrated sigh and threw the knot down.

"This sucks!"

Kai sighed and reached up to his neck, trying to loosen the knot that kept it to his throat. His hands slammed back down to the bed in defeat. The knot, yet another, had become to tight to loosen. His fists clenched and his teeth ground together.

"Here, let me try." Ray leaned forward and stretched out his arms. Kai immediately pulled away.

"Come on Kai! This will only take a second!" Without waiting for a response, Ray reached up to Kai's neck and was fiddling with the overly tight knot. His fingers brushed against soft skin and Ray had to reprimand himself many time to not throw his arms around the other and have his way.

Kai, on the other hand, was getting redder by the second. Ray's fingers were not only brushing against him but the boy leaned so close that there chests were only six inches apart and Ray's hot breath was finding it's way to Kai's skin.

With a sudden tug on Kai's neck, Kai lost balance and felt to the side, tumbling off the bed, but definitely not alone. His scarf once again gagged him and he immediately knew that Ray's hair was pulled. It also helped that Ray had landed right on top of Kai, and their mouths met in a chaste kiss.

Neither realized the other pressing back, deepening the passion.

Ray was fully aware of his actions when he felt his tongue come in contact with Kai's lips. His immediate reaction was to pull away but the small moan Kai gave pushed Ray further. He nipped at Kai's lower lip, pulling it into his mouth. He suckled before letting his tongue slide into the other's mouth, bravely tracing Kai's tongue with his own.

Kai seemed to come back to his senses when Ray's tongue delved into his mouth. His shock was evident when he opened his mouth all the wider, giving Ray more access. With much hesitation, he began to let his own tongue push against Ray's.

Before the kiss could go on more, the need for oxygen was evident. The two broke apart, their breaths coming in gasps. Kai's eyes refused to look at Ray's, being shielded by his silver bangs. Ray, ever the observant fellow, saw the bright red blush on the other's pale cheeks.

Ray opened his mouth to comment but at that exact moment was when Tyson barged into the room, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"RAY! KAI! IT'S TIME FOR YOU SLEEPY-HEADS TO WAKE!!!" Tyson never thought he would see the day that he was awake before Mr. Sourpants! He gallivanted into the room and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Ray? Kai?" His expression of confusion was picture perfect, in fact, it was a Kodak moment.

Ray, jumping to his senses, quickly jumped away from Kai, falling backwards in his attempts. That was his big mistake. The knot pulled Ray's hair; Ray screamed. The knot pulled Kai's scarf all the tighter; he gagged.

"What the he-?" Tyson still didn't understand.

"Do DO that Tyson!" Ray yelled from his position on the floor.

"Err… umm…"

"Dang it! Now it hurts even worse." Ray rubbed his sore head, giving a small whimper.

"Hey, Ray?" Tyson's eyes diverted to the ground next to Ray.

"What is it Tyson?" Ray didn't notice the other's pointing and Ray growled. "WHAT IS IT?" Ray glared at the boy.

Tyson, dumbly, kept pointing.

"Huh?" Ray, confused, looked down and saw Kai… turning blue. Suddenly everything clicked in his mind.

"Oh my god KAI!" Ray's hand immediately went to the pale blader's neck, desperately trying to loosen the white material. His fingers were shaking, as was his body, in attempts to help his crush. Without luck, he quickly turned to Tyson.

"TYSON! Go get me a knife or a pair of scissors or something sharp! Anything!" Ray screamed, snapping Tyson back to attention. Tyson was off like a bat out of Hell.

"Come on, help me out here Kai!" Ray kept trying to loosen the knot but nothing would work. He faintly felt fingers pushing his hands away. He batted them back and continued to fiddle with the tight fabric. He heard a grunt of disapproval and then he felt arms push him away.

Ray fell back onto his rear, staring as Kai reached up to his neck and pushed his fingers under the white fabric. Kai's knuckles went white. When he succeeded, he quickly began to rip the cloth, pulling it apart. His hands became bloody with his effort and made his hands slip. He gave a desperate look towards Ray. Ray jumped to help. With their combined effort, they were able to rip apart the scarf.

Kai gasped for air in return, greedily taking in the fresh oxygen. He closed his eyes in pain and let his head roll to the side. Big mistake. His neck burned with pain. He gave a low moan, one unheard to those of human ears. But Ray was by far not considered a full human. He had cat's blood running through his veins and his sensitive ears picked up the sound easily.

Ray hastily pulled Kai to his chest, cradling the blue haired boy. He whispered apologizes over and over again, but they fell on def ears. Kai was only thinking of breathing right now and nothing more. He didn't even notice when Tyson came back to the room with Max and Kenny in tow.

"Ray! I found a razor!" Tyson hollered with triumph but stopped when he noticed Kai was back to his original pale color, if not a little paler. He bit his lip. He saw the blood dripping from Kai's hands. He quickly ushered Kenny and Max out, telling them to go fetch the first aid kit. Tyson followed, casting a worried glance back at the two teens.

"Kai, I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me! I shouldn't have been startled so easy! This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't of leapt away! I'm so sorry, really sorry." Ray fought back frightened tears but failed. Crystalline tears fell down his tanned cheeks and splashed down on Kai's tattooed cheeks.

"Not your fault Ray…" Kai whispered to the near hysteric teen.

Ray's ears perked up a the soft, yet raspy, voice of the other blader.

"Thank god you're okay! I couldn't live with myself if I had done something worse. Kai, I'm sorry, you have to belie-" Ray was silenced by a single finger pressing against his lips. Ray bit his lip.

"Not your fault." Kai repeated. He struggled to sit up but Ray shook his head firmly. Before Kai knew what was happening, Ray had the muscular teen in his arms. Kai gave a yelp of surprise, unconsciously clinging to Ray's body. Kai was placed back in the bed and propped up by several pillows and the oak headboard.

"Let me take a look at your neck."

"I'll be fine." Kai shoved Ray's searching hands away and received a glare from the golden eyed blader.

"Kai, I will not leave this room until you let me take a look at your injuries!" Ray's voice was demanding.

"Hn. Whatever." Kai shifted his head upward and his eyes closed. He jumped when warm hands came upon his neck. He had to bite his cheek to stop a moan when the other's hands began to roam completely around his neck.

"Lean forward. I need to see the back of your neck." Ray whispered.

Kai obliged. He pushed himself away from the headboard, caught by surprise once again as Ray's arm came to rest across his chest and clutch his other shoulder to brace him. He heard Ray suck in a breath and instantly Kai knew there was a bruise. Judging by Ray's reaction, he'd say a rather large one at that.

"You definitely have a nasty bruise here Kai." Ray used his arm to push Kai back towards the headboard. He was about to leave the room to get a first aid kit when he spotted one at the end of the bed. He blinked several times. He hadn't remembered anyone coming in. But then again, he was preoccupied.

Making a mental note to himself to thank the others later, at least whoever it was that got the kit, Ray grabbed the white box and took out what he needed.
Two days had gone my since Ray and Kai's knot incident. Ray had to cut away the scarf from his hair. The once beloved scarf of Kai's was now pieces and in the trash. And since then neither Ray nor Kai had spoken. Tension was driving the others up the wall. Kenny would not show himself during practice, saying that he needed to put in more data to run simulations for the upcoming tournament. Max was less cheerful because of the foul mood Kai was in. Tyson, above all the rest, had it the worse. Kai snapped at him for small trivial matters and with Tyson's large mouth, Tyson would dig himself deeper every time.

Ray himself was on needles around the captain. He found himself avoiding that crimson gaze and hanging his head shamefully every time their eyes met. He would purposely go to sleep early so he would not have to face Kai at night and wake up as late as his body would allow him so as not to run into Kai during the morning activities.

All in all, life was hell for two days.

Night fell on the second night and Ray broke the silence. He was sitting on his side of the bed, fidgeting with the thick comforter on top. His golden eyes darted to the door every minute or two. His courage was decreasing drastically when the low sounding 'click' was heard.

Ray quickly reached under his pillow and pulled out a black box, with thick white ribbon. He placed it in front of his legs. He reached back under and grabbed some bandages too and waited patiently for the person to enter.

Without hesitation, the door opened and closed. Kai walked into the room, rubbing his eyes. He blinked blearily at the raven haired boy, perched on the bed. Kai darted his eyes away from Ray's golden set and toed off his shoes. He make quick work of his arm guards. He went to grab the first aid kit to nab new bandages for his neck and found that Ray had some in his hands.

Kai didn't know what to do. So he did the first thing he thought of. He began to remove that bandages around his neck, slowly because of the strain it put on his neck. He tensed when he felt Ray in front of him, hands pushing his away and taking the used bandages from his hands. Kai stiffened when Ray came closer.

"There." Ray wadded up the used wrap and tossed it into the trash. Ray gently pushed Kai on the bed, forcing the teen to sit on the edge. Ray grabbed the unused wrap and began to replace the bandages. Ray worked slowly but efficiently. If he rushed, it would only bring more pain to his captain, and he didn't want that.

"All done." Ray breathed. He pulled away from Kai, seeing a faint tint of red on the teen's cheeks. Before Ray lost his courage again, he grabbed the black box from the bed and thrust it into Kai's hands. Crimson eyes looked at him with wonder and confusion. Ray said nothing.

Kai slipped the ribbon off the box and set it down on the bed. He hesitantly pried the box open. His eyes widened. In the box, surrounded by white tissue paper, was a white scarf. A white silk scarf with the Chinese symbol for phoenix on the end.

"Ray?"

"This is for the one I ruined." Ray said shyly.

"You didn't have to. It had to be done." Kai spoke.

"No, it's okay. I wanted too."

Kai never was good with words. So instead, he followed his heart, for the first time in his short life. He stood up, glancing into golden eyes and gave a small smile of appreciation. He closed the distance between them. His lips met Ray's.

Ray was taken with surprise but heck if he would miss out on such a joyous moment. He wrapped his arms around Kai's waist and returned the kiss with a fiery passion. He felt Kai respond with a moan of pleasure. Ray smirked into the kiss and pulled away.

Kai, breathlessly, hung his head down.

Ray immediately pushed Kai's chin up with two fingers. He gave the crimson eyed blader a loving smile before claiming the other's lips once again.

In another room, Tyson and Max gave a high-five and a 'V' for victory, sniggering together about hair and scarves. Max gave Tyson a hard slap to the back in congratulations to the blue haired boy for thinking of such a devious plan. Tyson could only smile and laugher all the harder.

THE END

Author's Note: Well, there you have it! I've finally came out with my first fic since January! I'm really happy about this one. I must tell everyone though that this was an inspiration ficlet! I saw a picture, I don't know who it was drawn by, and there was Kai's scarf and Ray's hair tied into a bow. At first I thought I could make a comedy but then I was like.... nahhh!! Hehe.

Anyways, thanks to all the future readers out there and reviewers! Much thanks to the person who drew that wonderful picture too!

PS: This quick edit is kinda neat! O.o

Much love,

WhyDee