Surprise! A Kai x Aichi Story

1. Kai Finally pays Aichi a Surprise Visit

Aichi opened his eyes and squinted out at the world. He groaned softly at the bright light streaming through the window of his dorm room, and quickly shut them again. What a headache he had!! He drowsily ran through a mental assessment. He was pretty sure it was Saturday, because he remembered taking his biology final yesterday morning. "Okay, no hurry then," he thought fuzzily as he settled back down, snuggling into the covers. The air in his room was freezing, but his back was like a furnace, and the arm wrapped securely around his chest was a warm, solid band of contentment.

"WAIT! WHAT??!!" Aichi thought in panic. "Who... what... WHAT?!"

His eyes shot open in alarm, but he stayed still as he tried desperately to remember how he had gotten into a situation where a body was firmly pressed against him in his bed.

The window was open a crack, letting in a stream of chilly November air which explained the cold room. Underneath it was his laundry bag, which looked to be sopping wet, sitting in water that was more of a pool than a puddle.

His eyes roved over his dresser. His card deck looked intact and dry, thankfully, but there was a second deck next to it. "Okay", he thought frantically, "A card player. I must know who this is, then. I don't know if that's better or worse!" His Blaster Blade figurine stood guard over the rest of his paladins, as always, next to his framed Team Q4 picture. His keys and wallet next to that, where they should be. Two cardboard take out coffee cups, where there normally were none.

Then on to a slightly familiar duffle bag on the floor, and draped on the back of his desk chair, a VERY familiar tan and brown jacket... TOSHIKI KAI??!! WHAT!? "Am I dreaming? No, I'm definitely awake. Fuzzy, headachy, but awake. Why can't I remember?" Aichi's thoughts frantically darted around trying to grasp the elusive answers.

"Aichi," drawled a familiar voice from behind him. "I know you're awake, I can hear you thinking... and blushing."

"Kai-Kun! Ah..." Aichi's voice squeaked up an octave and trailed off. "What...?" He shot up to a sitting position, then dove back down under the blankets when he realized he was naked.

Kai heaved a sigh behind him as his arm was knocked away. "So... I'm guessing you don't remember anything?"

"N-n-no?" Aichi squeaked.

"Well, turn around while I explain it. It's weird talking to the back of your head."

Aichi slowly rolled over while scooting all the way back to his edge of the bed, leaving just his head peeking out. He knew his face was burning redder than it ever had before. Kai looked like... Kai. Hair squashed a bit on one side from sleeping, propped up on one naked arm (?!?) green eyes boring into Aichi's blue ones with as much intensity as ever, but maybe with a good deal more humor... or even warmth?

"Aichi. Don't panic. Everything's okay." Kai said, one corner of his mouth quirked up ever so slightly. "You remember that the European Circuit was going on an abbreviated world tour sponsored by the Promotion League? And last time we talked we joked that maybe I could finally visit? Well, Philadelphia got cancelled, so I hopped a bus and wanted to surprise you...

"...Surprise!"

Aichi tried to parse what Kai was saying, but couldn't really get past staring at Kai's naked arm in his befuddled state. Had he ever in all of their years as friends and rivals seen this much of Kai's skin? He didn't think so. It was... magnetic.

Aichi cleared his throat. Focus. "Ah, okay. But why can't I remember? And how did we end up like this?" He winced as his voice cracked again.

"Well, the RA guy in the dorm room next to yours ... Ralph?...recognized me and let me in." Kai shrugged self-consciously. He loved playing Vanguard more than anyone, really let himself go wild while playing, but never had gotten comfortable with the fame it brought him. "Anyway, I dropped my bag off, and he told me he thought you were at a post finals party with some of your friends. He gave me the address."

Aichi said, "Ah, yeah, I remember going to the party. I mean they aren't really good friends, not like you guys were to me. But I've been feeling lately like I should try harder..."

Kai looked at him with a softening expression Aichi had never seen before, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, you haven't really sounded happy lately, like you used to. That's one reason I came to check on you.

"Anyway. I got to the party and your 'friends' were having a real laugh. Seems they spiked the punch and didn't bother telling you. Apparently, you never drink alcohol?"

"Oh! No... I... don't. Is that what's wrong with me?"

"Yeah," Kai said. "You were standing on a coffee table brandishing a curtain rod, yelling, 'Warrior wrapped in scorching heat, bring order to this battlefield with your explosive flames! I ride, Incandescent Lion, Blond Ezel!' and everybody was dying. I got there just in time to catch you before you fell off." He smirked. "My timing hasn't always been great in regards to you, but I finally got it right."

"Ooooohhhhh noooooo," Aichi said, pulling the blankets up to completely cover his head. "At least it was the last day of lectures so I won't have to see those guys again" he said, voice muffled.

Kai chuckled. "Yeah, something to see! Anyway I grabbed your deck and keys and got you out of there. I tried to bring you back but you insisted you had to stop at the laundromat to pick up your clothes on the way home. Apparently you meant to just duck into the party while they dried, but you met the punch bowl and called your vanguard, and time got away from you."

Aichi peeked back out of the covers at Kai. He had never been more embarrassed in his life, and that was saying something! He thought to himself that he had never seen Kai so relaxed, or heard him talk so much about anything other than Vanguard at one time. Was this just the new Kai? Or did it have something to do with being back with Aichi...? He bit his lip. Kai's eyes darkened as he watched him.

"Anyway, we picked up your clothes, and walked back. You insisted on carrying your laundry bag, even though I offered. Apparently everything you own is in there. You were giggling and started walking on the rim of the fountain at the student plaza, and fell in." Kai shook his head in mock disgust and huffed out a laughing breath, saying to himself "Of course you fell in." His eyes rose and blazed into Aichi's. "So I fished you out, and bought us some hot coffee, and brought you back here."

Kai rolled out of his side of the bed. Aichi's eyes squeezed shut in alarm. He heard Kai pad over to the window and slide it shut. "You wanted the window open because you were dizzy. You didn't have any dry clothes left in your dorm except these towels, so I wrapped you up and put you to bed."

Aichi cautiously opened one eye to see Kai standing directly in front of him, one of Kourin's green eyes peering accusingly at him from the Ultra-Rare beach towel around Kai's lean hips. He shut it quickly again in horror.

"You have a Card Capital promotional towel on under there." Kai said. There was a rustling sound. "Or... did." Aichi's eyes shot back open in mortification. Kai had knelt next to the bed and his green gaze bored into Aichi's.

"Ah... anything else happen? Anything else I should know?"

"Heh," Kai laugh-sighed. "Nothing happened."

Aichi breathed out a ...disappointed?... sigh. Then Kai lowered his head until— shockingly!!— his lips almost met Aichi's.

He said, "But you do talk in your sleep, Aichi. I know how you feel about me. Do you really think of me as your Overlord?" and closed the distance.