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A warm breeze flew through white hair of a tall young man walking in the park. It was getting dark, but he didn't seem to care. He enjoyed it even more this way. City lights and constant noise annoyed him, so he loved to stroll around the closest place that gave him peace and quiet.
He heard a familiar sound somewhere above him. The past flashed before his eyes. Is it what he thinks it is?
He tried getting it off his mind,but his theories turned out to be correct. Behind the bushes and trees, on the other park track,stood Kite.
Kite didn't notice him at first. He surely hoped he wouldn't. He tried to avoid the confrontation,but it seems the stars have aligned for them to meet at this exact place and time. The moon shone through the branches,enough to make the white hair shine like silver. A sudden flash of light amidst the curtain of leaves caught Kite’s attention.
He couldn't believe it himself. Their eyes met,but Kite looked away.The tall man exhaled as he continued walking. He passed the opportunity to talk to him.
“I am as cowardly as I was then. Turn around now!” He whispered.
“Kite!”
A broken shout escaped his throat. The blonde man turned around and gave him a cold glare.
“Do you want to catch up?”
“What do we have to talk about,Quinton?”
“A lot.”
…
He took a few steps towards him, Kite took a step back, ready to fly away.
“I promise it will be worth your time.”
“I don't have time.”
Quinton lowered his head and licked his lips,he couldn't believe the situation he was in, but he dragged himself into it years ago.
“Please Kite,just listen to me.”
“I don't want to listen to any of your spineless stories, your or your brothers. Don't drag me into your family drama again.”
“It's not about them I swear.”
Kite pouted and turned around. He didn't really believe him.
“I still have a job to do.”
…
Still he decided to give him one more chance.
“You know where to find me.”
“I do”
Quinton whispered into his beard and watched as Kite flew away. The wind played with his hair a little more as he looked at the night sky a little longer.
His walk throughout the park continued. He even stopped to feed the ducks in the pond. It was pitch dark. No sane person would walk through here at this time,but he did.
It took him a couple of taxi drivers to get to the center of Heartland,to the building in which they trained. The Heartland tower. Quinton believed he would never return to this place, still, he just walked in. Guards just gave him weird looks and whispered under their breaths,or they were already sleeping on duty. In short, Quinton made it to their training room with ease.
No one was in it when he arrived,so he turned on the lights himself and waited. Enough time passed for him to put on a duel disk and to shuffle his deck before Kite arrived.
“You really came huh?”
“I am a honest man.”
“Sure.”
Quinton already set up his duel disk,but Kite just furrowed his brows at the sight of it.
“I don't want to talk over a duel. If you have got to say something to me or for God's sake TALK with me, do it in my face!”
Kite spat out and Quinton,almost as if he was ordered to by his father,put the duel disk away. Kite leaned on the wall on the other side of the room, next to the door and looked at the other man.
“So how have things been?”
“Bad.”
“Right.”
“I suppose it's the same on your side.”
“It definitely isn’t sunshine and rainbows.”
“He's gone Chris, let it go.”
Chris jerked at the sound of his name. His real name in Kite’s mouth and…him.
“I wanted to say… I acted immature that day.”
Kite’s gaze stared into Chris. He was tired,but Kite seemed as fresh as ever, even though he just finished his work. He couldn't help but to admire him.
“I was blinded by my feelings at the moment.”
“And you blamed me for acting immature.”
“I di-”
Kite cut Chris off and took a few steps towards him.
“I. was. 13 Chris! I DIDN'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO REACT!”
“I was at fault, okay! I also didn't know how to act. The only thing I knew was that your father came back from that mission and mine didn't!”
“Did you want me to comfort you? It was not my fault and it was irresponsible to take out your problems on me. Is this what you wanted to talk about? Dig up our past?”
“I want to hear what you felt.”
“I felt that I had to be my father. And as time passed I realized you felt the same.”
“I had to get back on my own feet by myself, my brothers were taken away from me. I was filled with so much rage and frustration. I couldn't look you in the eye back then.”
“Won't you let me speak?”
Kite took another step towards Chris,took a deep breath and continued.
“You know, I despised that old man even back then and I despise him even more now. Over the years he seemed to just use me for his goals while Hart suffered. I felt so angry that he took you away,but we never really talked about it. He just said something along the lines - “We are done working with them” and that's it. Don't flatter yourself, all my rage is still here,but because of Hart. I don't think I'll forgive what you did to him either, but I suppose it was because of your father.”
“I took no pleasure in it, except, seeing you again.”
The room went silent. Uncomfortably silent. Both started looking around the room. This is where they spent the first days of their friendship. Before becoming something more; lab partners,best friends,family.
“Let's go somewhere else. This room is creeping me out.”
Chris just nodded in agreement and followed Kite. Two elevator rides later they were in Kite’s room. After taking off their coats,both men went to the window to watch Heartland City from above.
“I suppose then… Hart didn't get better?”
“He showed some signs of recovery. Once he talked to me,but it made no sense. Still I told my father everything and after that Hart seemed to get worse.”
Kite crossed his arms and walked to his bed. He sat on it and stretched his arms and legs. Now looking much more relaxed and tired than in the training room. Chris walked up to him,leaning on the bedframe,but still looking out the window. This sight was usual for Kite,but for Chris it was extraordinary.
“I understand. And what about you?”
“I do my obligatory medical checkups. I'm fine. Even if I was sick I would be doing this.”
“I'm glad we talked it out.”
“I have a feeling you're not finished.”
Chris took his eyes off the city landscape to look at Kite, who was at the moment stretching his left arm. He raised his bow and looked away.
“Who would've thought you could read me so well after all these years?”
“I don't. I just see that you're tense.”
Kite continued stretching and looked at the sky. Stars weren't visible from all the light pollution that the city emitted,still Kite found some beauty in it.
“Moon is so beautiful tonight”
“It is.”
“You know, I always thought the moon was much more beautiful than the sun. The sun gives us life,but the moon gives us guidance when we are lost.”
Chris sighed and sat next to Kite on the bed. More silence filled the room. Chris looked at Kite’s expression. He was drowned in thought, or tired,or maybe frustrated,or even confused. It bugged him that he can't read Kite’s body language as well as before.
“We don't have to bear the sins of our fathers.”
“You're right. We don't.”
“Don't think about him for just 5 minutes okay? Just think about this moment.”
“I'll try.”
Chris listened to Kite’s voice that seemed to be quieter now. Maybe because he was screaming at him just a couple moments ago, maybe it was because both were getting sleepy. The clock struck 1am.
Closing his eyes, he got lost in thought. Just he and Kite, no Byron,no Thomas or Micheal, no Hart or Dr.Faker. Just him and Kite.
He thought about starwatching, about dueling, about eating street food their fathers disapproved of,about the dreams of their own research.
Kite didn't have much in mind.
A hand brushed over the other's.
Chris leaned into him just slightly. Surely he wouldn't notice. Kite leaned into him not so slightly. Their lips brushed.
Both men then pulled away. None of them had the pride to admit what just happened. Kite put his hand over his lips and looked away. After opening his eyes, Chris remained staring at the spot their hands were a moment ago,before Kites hand rushed to cover his mouth.
“I am not-”
“Then just let me have it this once and then you can forget about me.”
“No I-”
Chris didn't let Kite finish either of his sentences. His hands wrapped around Kite’s neck and shoulders as he pulled him closer until their lips met. The kiss lasted just a couple of seconds and then Chris pulled away and got up from the bed.
“I think this is all I wanted to say today.”
“Christopher!”
Christopher already started walking to the exit,but the shout froze him in place.
“I wanted to say, I am not ready.”
“That's fine.”
“Chris, I do reciprocate these feelings.”
“Hm?”
“The wound is still too fresh for the both of us. Please take care of yourself and your brothers. They are more important than me. Don't do the same thing you did to me to them. They need you right now, maybe even more than back then. You can rebuild your life. I believe in it.”
“Kite…”
Chris looked at him from across the room. He changed. They both did,but the tables turned. Kite was now teaching him. Perhaps it was too late to be having these kinds of conversations, perhaps Chris was already emotionally drained, perhaps it was just what Chris truly felt.
“...Thank you.”
Tears started flowing down his cheeks and he covered his face and tried wiping them away,but they wouldn't stop no matter how much he wanted them to.
Soon two arms wrapped around him. Making him stop crying for a moment.
“C'mon you can spend the night here, on the couch,just don't make it weird for both of us.”
Chris could've thanked him a hundred times more if he had the strength. The tall man kept crying as the shorter man sat him on a sofa in the corner of the room. Soon the crying stopped and Chris had fallen asleep.
At the same time Kite changed from his mildly uncomfortable work clothes to his sleepwear and laid down to rest.