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Kai Hiwatari loves Max Tate.
He would never admit that out loud, but he knew deep down in his heart that he does. Max and him have only been dating for a year, and have known each other for three years, but it feels like it’s been forever. Max quickly went form the youngest member of their team to Kai’s everything. He wanted to protect Max. Just lock him up somewhere so he wouldn’t experience the world for how evil it was. Max was something that Kai tried to be but failed. Max was something that Kai could protect from being corrupted. Max was his.
Max was his sunshine. The source of Kai’s smile. The reasons behind Kai’s laugh. Max could tear his walls down and build them back up again. Max read Kai like an open book no matter how hard he tried to stay neutral. Max knew what to say and when. Max was smart when it cam to beyblading but also when it cam to people. He always knew how to calm Hilary down or to silence Daichi. Max understood the wya the world worked and still found a reason to smile when the day ended. Max was Kai’s everything.
Max was supposed to be happy, never sad. Today had started out pretty well. Kai, like always, walked with Max towards Tyson’s dojo for practice. Max was excitedly talking about this new Avengers movie coming out. Although Kai hadn’t said anything the whole walk, Max knew he was listening. He was observant like that. He knew Kai. And that honestly terrified the Russian, but he welcomed it.
Like it was mentioned earlier, the day had started out pretty well. Kenny gave Draciel a tune up, and asked him to play against Tyson to test it. Max was excited but that feeling easily wavered off. When Tyson had lost, something shifted. And he had said something to Max that no one should ever say to the blonde.
Kai will forever be grateful that Ray and Hilary grabbed Tyson to yell at him in the dojo, and that Kenny and Daichi were too shocked to respond.
Kai distinctly remembered Max telling him that he wanted to go home. So he grabbed him by the wrist, and they were back to Max’s house in record time. Before Kai could turn to leave him alone, Max was dragging him inside, up the stairs, and into his room (it’d be a bad idea if Max wasn’t sad). Kai sat down against Max’s bed, and didn’t have to say anything before his boyfriend was in his arms.
And now Max was crying. And Kai didn’t know what to. Because he’s never dealt with a crying Max. He knew how to deal with a happy Max, an angry Max, a determined Max, a loving Max, and a sleepy Max. But never a crying Max. It was too overwhelming, but Max needed him. And Kai was ready to be needed for something more than beyblading.
He spent most of Max’s crying hour just holding him. He ran his fingers through the short cropped hair and rubbing his lower back. Kai was grateful that Max’s dad was busy in the shop so they could have alone time. Eventually, Max’s sobs turned into hiccups and sniffles. And Kai’s heart rate went down (he’s never experienced such anxiety about his lack of emotional knowledge before).
Max shifted around until he was sitting in Kai’s lap, and the older male was cradling him.
“I’m s-sorry that I c-cried so much...I don’t know w-w-what came over me,” his voice was so quiet. So unlike Max that it scared Kai even more.
“You’re alright. I’m not angry.” Kai wants to see Max smile again. But he didn’t know how to do that. So he just held Max.
“I just w-wish Ty-Tyson hadn’t said all that stuff. I wish my mom saw me as her son and not just a beyblader. I wish that I could be—.”
“Stop talking, Max.” Kai interrupts because he can’t take it anymore. “You are enough. And Tyson is just an idiot. You’ve seen him talking to Hilary, he has no room for human compassion. And it’s not your fault that your mom doesn’t see you as something more. But I do, okay? You are more than just a beyblader.”
Max nods his head as his breathing starts to slow down. And Kai wants to kiss him, but that’d be inappropriate. So he settles for pressing a kiss onto Max’s forehead. The boy in his arms shudders at the feeling.
“Thank you for c-comforting me, Kai.”
“I’m your boyfriend,” Kai says because he can’t say ‘I care about you’. He thinks it though. He thinks about the things he hasn’t said and he knows that Max hears them. Max hears everything. That’s why Kai loved him. It’s why Max is his favorite.
“That blond kid, your favorite one, is going to ruin you, Kai.” Tala said to him one day.
“Max isn’t my favorite, Tala. He’s like everyone else.”
Tala scoffs, “No, he’s not. You look at him differently. He looks at you differently. He may not be your favorite but you care about him. And he’ll ruin you.”
“I’m prepared for when and if that happens.”
“He’s like a puppy. And you’re his cat with claws always out. You’ll have to be careful to not hurt him with those claws.”
That conversation took place over a year ago and now Max is in his arm. Kai hated admitting that Tala was right. So he was glad that Tala hasn’t tried to contact him in a while, because he would never let him live this down. Max clasps Kai’s hand, and he’s thrusted back into present-day.
“I’m being really insensitive, aren’t I?” When Kai gives him a confused look, Max continues. “I’m over here crying over my mom, and you probably haven’t even met yours. I’m sorry.”
Kai doesn’t know what to say so he brings Max even closer. He doesn’t know his mom nor does he care to. His grandad never spoke about her so Kai decided that there was no point in learning about her. But Max had a mom. And even though Kai did not like her in anyway, she was important to Max, and that meant she was important to Kai.
“I’m sorry that I’m not good at this, Kai. I know you don’t like dealing with my emotions, and I probably overwhelmed you. But thank you.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Kai presses a kiss to his nose and Max giggles. Which causes Kai to smile like an idiot. He wasn’t good at comforting Max but at least he knew hot to make him smile again. And that’s all that mattered. “Didn’t you want to see that new Avengers movie?”
“Well, yeah, but you haven’t seen the other ones, so I can’t watch it with you.”
“You can catch me up.” Kai doesn’t want to mention how Iron Man was his first international movie. Or how his first action figure was Thor. That was a story for later. And even though Max would love to hear about it, Kai wasn’t ready. “It’ll be a date.”
A blinding smile breaks across Max’s face. And Kai has to look away because it reminds him of the sun.
“Really?!” Max sits up and starts to chuckle. “You’ll watch it with me?!”
Kai nods, and he can hear Tala screaming ‘whipped’ in his head. But Max is smiling and Kai melts. He melts and melts until nothing is left except for happiness. His heart of ice that’s just from looking at Max, and Kai is scared. He doesn’t want to hurt him but he can’t wait to spend the rest of his life looking at Max.
“Kai, quit staring at me. We gotta go to the early showing!” Max is already crawling out of his arms and moving towards the door. The incident from early this morning was forgotten, and all Max could think about was the Avengers. And all Kai could think about was making Max happy. Kai checked his wallet to make sure he had enough money for tickets and snacks.
Then, they’re walking to the movie theater. Kai stood between Max and the open road, protecting him from cars. Just like Kai would protect him from the world. Max holds his hand while explains the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe. And Kai is glad that he fell for Max. He wouldn’t ask for anything else in the world.
And Max smiles. He smiles brighter than the sun. And Kai takes the light and reflects it back like the moon. A puppy and his cat. A sun and his moon. Max and his Kai.