(Complete) One of These Things Doesn't Belong

[hayate]

... You got a car parked nearby?

Hayate grinned and winked. "Meet you outside," he replied. With that, he hopped out of the pool and got changed. Score. This girl was his, and was he going to have a fun time in a few minutes. He grinned to himself as he dressed. He blinked as he forgot to shower, then shrugged. He could shower at home, get all the chlorine off. And it served as a bit of an extra bonus when he took Andrea there. Clothes come off for good reason, at least.

With that, he got out of the changing room to the front and met up with Andrea. He led her to the car - a rather nice car, though nothing too expensive. A Lexus. With that, he drove her to his place over at Palm Glades.

It was a regular white house with two stories, nothing really out of the ordinary. Hayate's riches could've allowed him to buy something way fancier, but he needed to keep a low profile. Besides, he didn't need a huge place to live in. He rather liked where he lived now.

He already had a lie figured out for the car and house. "I'm here taking care of this place for my relatives here. They let me live here and use their car, and send me money for regular expenses," he explained. He opened the door and allowed her in first.

Despite Hayate's carefree nature, he was surprisingly neat. Everything was organized, and the house had a cozy atmosphere. Carpets, pictures of Hayate with his family and other people (everyone in their normal clothes, thankfully), ordinary furniture, the works. One of his rooms was filled with instruments of all sorts and strewn on a desk was sheet music, with lyrics, notes, the works. And he also made sure to keep anything relating to his rock star persona away from sight.

"Welcome to my home," he said, smiling warmly and opening his arms in a welcoming gesture.

[Stefani Peterson]

From her stop behind the snack bar, she watched as the two of them shamelessly flirted in the pool, not even caring that they were in the shallow water and both kids and parents were on looking. Soon enough though, he left the pool to change back into his regular clothes, and she watched her sister dry off with her towel and then throw on her white lacy cover-up again, the same one she was wearing. And, before she knew it, they were meeting up again and were off towards the parking lot. Stefani just hoped that the guy was enough of a gentleman to give her a ride home afterwards; she’d be taking the car home when her shift was over, and she wasn’t going to look for his house in order too pick her up from one of her flings; No way, no how.

For the moment, Stef just opened up her copy of Psychology Today magazine and began flipping through it as she waited for more customers to arrive.

* * * * * * * * * *

"I'm here taking care of this place for my relatives here. They let me live here and use their car, and send me money for regular expenses” Tanner told her as they pulled into a pretty decent house in Palm Glades. Luckily, this was the same neighbourhood that she lived in, so when it was time to go home, they wouldn’t really have to look too far. Walking in with Tanner, she looked around a bit, and the place was cheery enough, but for the most part, she didn’t let her focus waver away from Tanner for too long. Despite the drive to get here, she didn’t want the mood created between them in the pool to dissipate.

He then said, "Welcome to my home”

[/b], and she smiled towards him with that same smile she’d first sent his way, from the very beginning. There was quite a bit of music stuff scattered around, she couldn’t help but notice that... But nonetheless, she kept her focus on him and him alone. ”Thanks”[/color] she began, making her way closer to him. Once she stood right in front of him, her hands gently on his waist, she spoke in a softer tone, saying, ”I’m sure, as a good host, that you’ll do whatever you need to make me feel... comfortable...”[/color] And with that, she kissed him, ever so softly, and knew that the passion would be fuelled by Tanner in a matter of seconds; after all, what kind of man alive would be able to hold back after hearing something like that?
[/blockquote]

HAYATE TURN IT UP! IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME TO Bleh XP! I'M SO SICK OF HAYATE’S PLACE, IT'S MAKING MY BRAIN FINISHED! I'M JUST TALKIN' 441 WORDS. I'M TELLING YOU 'BOUT THAT Andrea. WE'RE SELLIN' KE$HA, SLEEPIN' IN WE R WHO WE R, DRESSIN' IT EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, HITTIN' ON HOT AND DANGEROUS !? @ CAUTION 2.0. HARD!

[hayate]

Thanks. I’m sure, as a good host, that you’ll do whatever you need to make me feel... comfortable...

When she kissed him, he smiled and kissed her back as gently. He gave her a charming wink. "Oh believe me, I do." Wow, he'd roped in quite a girl this time. One he didn't have to work too much for but was just about ready to pounce HIM in turn. Well things couldn't be much better, now, could they?

Then he sniffed. There was one thing that was still a problem. He didn't take a shower and reeked of chlorine. That couldn't be too sanitary, and not to mention it was a definite mood killer. Fortunately, Hayate already foresaw this turn of events and knew how to turn them to his advantage - and make it even hotter for the both of them.

"I better go take a shower. I hate the smell of chlorine, especially when I have to... entertain guests," he said, with a mischievous grin on the last part. "So, if you'd like, you could wait for me in my bedroom - second floor, first door to the left. Or you could join me - your choice." With that, he walked into the bathroom and turned on the water.

If she decided to go into Hayate's bedroom, it was a rather plain bedroom. There were a number of books as well as compositions on his bedside table, a closet full of normal clothes (Hayate never did like expensive clothes - he never saw the point of them), and maybe a few pictures of his family as well. But still no sign of anything that would give him away.

Hayate may be famous, but he knew how to keep things secret if he wanted to.

[Andrea Peterson]

Tanner kissed her back, though she was surprised that he didn’t deepen it and start things off right there. She might’ve underestimated his powers of restraint, perhaps. "Oh believe me, I will.” Andy chuckled a bit, and moved to kiss him again, but instead she watched him sniff the air. Not really the self-conscious type, she was wondering if maybe he thought she smelled or something, but it was more of a passing thought. He then said, "I better go take a shower. I hate the smell of chlorine, especially when I have to... entertain guests. So, if you'd like, you could wait for me in my bedroom - second floor, first door to the left. Or you could join me - your choice.”

[/b]

Her eyebrows rose at the last part, and she was left standing there as he went into the bathroom. She considered stripping and going to wait for him in the bedroom – but then again, she’d been in the pool also. ”Well, if you don’t like chlorine...”[/color] she said quietly to herself as she removed her cover-up there in the hallway, moving to follow Tanner into the bathroom in her bathing suit.

* * * * * * * * * *

”I’m home!”[/color] Andy called as she walked into her front door, taking off her heels and walking up the stairs towards the bedroom she shared with her sister. Stefani was already there, sitting at her desk, copying something from her desktop computer screen onto a notepad. She lifted her head as her sister came in, flopping on her bed. ”You were with that guy this whole time? It’s been hours since you left the pool.”[/color] Andy just smiled, looking at her sister, clearly having been ‘satisfied’ with the events of her day. ”What can I say? We were at his place, and... that guy is a gracious host.”[/color] She laughed then, and her sister rolled her eyes, never appreciating the innuendos that Andy continuously piled on.

”So, if you’ll do me a favour, please spare me the details of your ‘conquest’. What I want to know is: are you going to see him again?”[/color] Andy laid back on her bed, carefree as ever, glancing at her pedicure as she lifted one leg over her head and said, ”Meh, I dunno... probably. He’s a good lay, and he’s still interesting. Feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before, it’s driving me nuts.”[/color] Stef knew that there was nothing she could reasonably do to stop her sister at this point – most likely she’d be getting the typical call within the next week or so, and the usual pattern would continue.

* * * * * * * * * *

It was only about 3 days later where Andy happened to get another call from Tanner, and they arranged for some restaurant food delivered to his place for dinner – something she’d suggested, of course. Deciding to take the 10 minute walk to his place instead of insisting of him picking her up, she took her time getting ready, wearing a cute white dress with a black waist belt that showed just enough and kept just enough hidden that it would hopefully drive Tanner crazy.

Checking her make-up in the reflection of the glass of his front door, she then smiled, ringing the doorbell as she waited for Tanner to open it and greet her.
[/blockquote]

HAYATE TURN IT UP! IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME TO Decided I’d throw in the skip, was gonna tell you to do it earlier, forgot XP! I'M SO SICK OF HAYATE’S PLACE, IT'S MAKING MY BRAIN FINISHED! I'M JUST TALKIN' 566 WORDS. I'M TELLING YOU 'BOUT THAT Andrea. WE'RE SELLIN' KE$HA, SLEEPIN' IN WE R WHO WE R, DRESSIN' IT EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, HITTIN' ON HOT AND DANGEROUS !? @ CAUTION 2.0. HARD!

[hayate]

Well, talk about burning - Andy was a helluva girl, both in bed and off. The time they shared in the bathroom was hot, to say the least. Several times, Andy practically took charge and let him have it. Heck, they even went to the bedroom right afterward and kept it up. It was one of the best nights Hayate had with a girl. She was definitely great.

A few days later, Hayate and Andrea made arrangements for a date over at Hayate's house - which both of them knew meant that as soon as they finished eating, they were going to go at it like animals again.

Hayate himself didn't dress himself to specially, especially since he was in his house. He wore jeans and a t-shirt which still showed lean but powerful arms. He was in the music room, playing his guitar and writing a new song when he heard the doorbell. He blinked and checked his watch. Huh, right on time. He was actually distracted by his music that he forgot to check, but thankfully, he already tidied up the place before hand.

Getting up, he went over and opened the door, and smiled charmingly. "Well, hello again, Andrea," he said, allowing her in. "The food should be here any minute." He saw what she wore and smirked. Clearly, she was ready to to go already, and to be honest, so was he.

Coming from behind her, he hugged her form behind, and slowly licked her shoulder up to her neck, ending at her ear, and whispered, "Wanna do a quickie before the food comes, or you wanna save the best for last?"

[Andrea Peterson]

Quickly enough, Tanner answered the door, simply wearing jeans and a t-shirt yet still somehow managing to look incredibly hot. It might’ve been his long hair that just added to the look, perhaps, but he has an incredibly hot body; that much she knew from experience. "Well, hello again, Andrea.” She smiled at him, walking past him to get into the house, giving him a seductive smile as she said, ”Hello again to you too, Tanner.”

[/color] As she walked into the house, he said to her, "The food should be here any minute."[/b] She nodded, glad to hear it, and pretended to be interesting in looking around the main room as he closed the door behind her.

Just then, like clockwork, she felt his arms snake around her, and soon his chest was pressed up against her back. She felt his tongue move along her skin, and she leaned her body into his, sighing slightly when he hit a particularly sensitive spot. He then whispered to her, "Wanna do a quickie before the food comes, or you wanna save the best for last?"[/b] Since Andy didn’t plan on actually letting the ‘main event’ take place, she was perfectly content letting things happen now. After all, that was one of the main reasons she wore a dress – it made things more convenient. Turning her head to look towards him, she also slipped a hand into one of his back pockets and said, ”Why build up the anticipation anymore? I’m sure you’ve been dying to have me again our entire time apart.”[/color] Leaning into him a bit more, teasing him just a bit more, she also turned her head more to kiss him heatedly. She knew it just took the slightest push, and he would no longer be able to hold back.

* * * * * * * * * *

”Mmm, everything was delicious.”[/color] Andy told Tanner, wiping her mouth with a napkin and then setting it down on her empty plate. ”I’m glad I asked you to pick the restaurant.”[/color] One good thing was that because of their previous activity, she didn’t have to worry about burning off that meal with exercise later on. Smiling at Tanner, she knew that despite how much the both of them enjoyed their time earlier, he would definitely be expecting more. They always did.

Glancing at a clock on a nearby wall, she said, ”Oh, it’s later than I realized. Mind if I just call my sister really quick to let her know where I am?”[/color] she asked him.
[/blockquote]

HAYATE TURN IT UP! IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME TO *poke* ! I'M SO SICK OF HAYATE’S PLACE, IT'S MAKING MY BRAIN FINISHED! I'M JUST TALKIN' 428 WORDS. I'M TELLING YOU 'BOUT THAT Andrea. WE'RE SELLIN' KE$HA, SLEEPIN' IN WE R WHO WE R, DRESSIN' IT EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, HITTIN' ON HOT AND DANGEROUS !? @ CAUTION 2.0. HARD!

[hayate]

Why build up the anticipation anymore? I’m sure you’ve been dying to have me again our entire time apart.

Hayate grinned. If there was one thing he was proud of, it was the fact that he was a complete girl charmer. Well, it wasn't like Andrea was hard, anyway. Still, at least she was sexy as hell. With that, they kissed, and they went straight to it right then and there.

----------

A bit later, after their little 'activities', they had just finished eating. Yes, both of htem got dressed, or it would be hard to handle the delivery person. Hayate sat back in his chair with a contented sigh. Hayate may have kept a low-profile, but he had to eat at high-class restaurants from time to time, mainly because some agents insisted it on meeting with others. As such, he knew what foods were good, though he still didn't mind eating at joints once in a while.

I’m glad I asked you to pick the restaurant. I’m glad I asked you to pick the restaurant.

Hayate grinned. "Glad you like it," he responded. Hayate was a good enough cook, but he often went out to different places to eat, just to try around. The restaurant he ordered from had particularly good food, so he thought he might as well bring it over for the little date.

Oh, it’s later than I realized. Mind if I just call my sister really quick to let her know where I am?

"Yeah, no problem," he said, smiling widely. He got up, and began taking plates into the kitchen to wash later. Indeed, despite that little time before they ate, Hayate was still looking forward to more. It was mainly Andrea's fault for awakening every hormone in Hayate's body, but still.

[Andrea Peterson]

Because this was such a practiced routine, Andy knew exactly what she’d be saying on this particular call. She watched Tanner take the plates into the kitchen, and she pulled her pink cell phone out of her bra and hit speed dial #1: Her sister. It didn’t take long; her sister was more or less on stand-by at home, since she knew Andy was having this date. ”Hey Andy.”

[/color] she began, and her sister smiled, glad that she answered her phone; then again, her sister always answered her phone, no matter what.

”Hey Andy. I know it’s getting late, wanted to let you know that I’m still out on my date.”[/color] Stef nodded, holding up a piece of paper her sister had written on before. ”Yeah, I’ve got the address you gave me. How much time do you need?”[/color] Andy thought about it, then answered, ”Meh... I don’t know what time I’ll be home, actually.”[/color] And Stef knew, from much experience, that the exact phrase was code for ‘5 minutes’. ”Oh, by the way, do you have money to fill up the car in the morning?”[/color] she asked. That was also another code; ‘Bring the car’. ”Alright, got it, see you soon.”[/color] Andy smiled, saying, ”Love you too. Bye.”[/color] With that, she closed her phone and put it back in her bra.

Standing up, she followed Tanner into the kitchen. Sneaking up behind him, she put her hands in the front pockets of his jeans (for a very specific reason), and then whispered into his ear, ”I’ll be waiting in your room.”[/color] With that, she removed her hands and just walked, casually, towards his bedroom.
[/blockquote]

HAYATE TURN IT UP! IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME TO *poke* ! I'M SO SICK OF HAYATE’S PLACE, IT'S MAKING MY BRAIN FINISHED! I'M JUST TALKIN' 275 WORDS. I'M TELLING YOU 'BOUT THAT Andrea. WE'RE SELLIN' KE$HA, SLEEPIN' IN WE R WHO WE R, DRESSIN' IT EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, HITTIN' ON HOT AND DANGEROUS !? @ CAUTION 2.0. HARD!

[hayate]

Hayate had no idea what was coming. He had no idea he was merely Andrea's plaything. As far as he knew, he had charmed her completely. He had no idea that it had utterly backfired on him. He just finished taking the dishes in, hearing snatches of the conversation, yet having no clue what had really transpired.

Soon, she sneaked up behind him, with her hands in his front pockets (And very close to certain areas), she whispered,

I’ll be waiting in your room.

He chuckled, amused that she wanted to go back to it so soon. Either this girl was a sex addict, he was just that good in bed, or both. He got the rest of the dishes in, poured water on them so it woulnd't be hard to wash them later, then stretched. Time to get back to it.

With that, he went up the stairs and went straight into his bedroom, expecting Andrea.

[Stefani Peterson]

When Tanner arrived in his bedroom again, he would see that the lights were out, and Andy was sitting on the corner of his bed, legs crossed, waiting patiently for him. All she said was, ”Hey you...”

[/color] with a flirty tone before she stood up, moving closer to him. She closed the door for him, and then pulled him closer and move so her back was to a wall near the door and he was right up against her. And she pulled him closer for a passionate kiss, deciding to start things off a bit slower instead of going right into it. Soon, she placed her handsin the usual places. One was rested on the back of his neck, the other slipped under his shirt to rest over his abs – near his stomach – as if she was merely feeling him up. And her lips were still on his as she kissed him.

And that’s when she let it loose.

It didn’t actually physically appear; it wasn’t the kind of thing to seep out of her hand, or appear on his skin. Instead it was injected fully into the skin, at the vital parts, through her hands and lips. With his blood rushing in such a way, his cardio-vascular system was doing most of the work for her at this very moment. She continued to kiss him, and knew what symptoms would arrive first; wooziness, then nausea, and then needle-like stomach pains. And he would be more or less paralyzed, start shaking, and collapse in 3... 2...

* * * * * * * * * *

The next thing he would probably remember would be what looked like Andy walking back into his room from his position, of lying on the bed. Andy had moved him there afterwards, as part of the usual routine. ”Hey Tanner, long time no see I guess.”[/color] Stef said with a shrug, just a downtrodden casualty to her tone. She was a bit sick of this routine, in all honesty. The doorway was open, and Stef hollered, ”Hey Andy, don’t forget to clean your plate and throw the garbage from your side of the take-out in the bag I brought, alright?”[/color] Her sister hollered back, saying, ”Jeez, what am I, an amateur? I’ll be up in a minute.”[/color]

Stef nodded, then sat down on the side of the bed near Tanner. She spoke to him softly, knowing he would barely be able to understand, let alone reply, she said to him, ”I know it’s really hurting right now, but it’ll be all over shortly, okay?”[/color]
[/blockquote]

HAYATE TURN IT UP! IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME TO *poke* ! I'M SO SICK OF HAYATE’S PLACE, IT'S MAKING MY BRAIN FINISHED! I'M JUST TALKIN' 430 WORDS. I'M TELLING YOU 'BOUT THAT Andrea. WE'RE SELLIN' KE$HA, SLEEPIN' IN WE R WHO WE R, DRESSIN' IT EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, HITTIN' ON HOT AND DANGEROUS !? @ CAUTION 2.0. HARD!

[hayate]

Hayate was pleasantly surprised to see her, in the dark, legs crossed and looking perfectly inviting. He was surprised when she closed the door behind him and practically pounced him, and he kissed her back passionately. He started feeling woozy - must be all that blood pumping. He couldn't wait for...

Wait....

He began to feel sicker and sicker. Starting from his stomach, he shoved away from her and attempted to keep his dinner in, holding a hand over his mouth. His face was contorted in pain as the poison set in. Then he found his body unresponsive anymore, and he could only move his head, and looked up in Andrea in disbelief... then he blacked out.

----------

He woke up again, but he still felt like he couldn't move. He tried moving his body, but none of his limbs would respond. Andrea came walking in... no, not Andrea. It seemed like her twin... Was she in on this too...? If he could, he would've curled up his hands into fists. He had been used.

Hey Tanner, long time no see I guess.

Yep, definitely the twin. What was her name? Stefani? So, she and her sister were all part of this, weren't they? this was their game - seduce boys and then poison them. And he fell for it hook, line, and sinker. He let his guard down too easily, exactly the opposite of what he had been taught. He blamed himself, but he was still simmering at the girls.

I know it’s really hurting right now, but it’ll be all over shortly, okay?

Hayate had trained hard, and he still had a strong will. He had very little control over his body, and even less control over the air, otherwise he would've unleashed havoc on them. Instead, the only thing he could do was give the one physical trait that had passed down in his family: The death glare. A glare so hard, so powerful, it often sent powerful, strong men whimpering for mercy at just one glare, let alone an ordinary teenage girl.

If he got his hands ont hem...

[Andrea Peterson]

Helping her sister in this way, Stef had to deal with a lot. If the person she poisoned wasn’t incapacitated enough to be mute, than she got called every curse word in the book. She even dated a few religious types (just to be hypocritical of their beliefs), and got told multiple times that the both of them would burn in the eternal fires of damnation. Though not a lot compared to the look Tanner was giving her now. It even shocked Stef enough to stand up and take a few steps away from the bed, but she was unable to look away from him. ”H-hey, no reason to give me that look...”

[/color] she told him, as if he was able to respond.

”Come on, it’s not like I’m the one that poisoned you... i-if anything, I’m the one that’s helping here.”[/color] she told him. She wished she didn’t deserve this, the guilt she felt from helping out her sister with her ‘toys’. But the truth was, even if she wasn’t the one injecting poison into him, she was still an accomplice, and she deserved every dirty look she received. Just then, Andy walked into the room, looking over at Hayate, his glare not affecting her at all, since she didn’t feel the least bit of guilt. ”Hey Tanner. Man, food poisoning’s a bitch, huh?”[/color] she said to him, chuckling again. She then looked at her sister and said, ”He’s still awake, what are you waiting for?”[/color] Stef rolled her eyes, then sat back down on the side of the bed, bringing her hand over his eyes and forehead. ”Don’t worry, you won’t remember a thing...”[/color] With that, she then used his power – which instantly wiped his memory of the poisoning, his time with Andy, and of the twins in general. He’d be left unconscious when Stef took her hand away.

”Come on, we better go.”[/color] Stef then said to her sister. They then headed out of the house, disposing of the garbage in a dumpster behind a preferred convenience store, where they also made the 911 call using a recorded male voice they prepared a long time ago. If all went well, he’d be heading to a hospital in the next couple of minutes, and now they could put all of this behind them.

* * * * * * * * * *

”Hayate Tanner Chan? Are you kidding me?”[/color]

About an hour later, the two were crowded around Stef’s desktop computer. For the heck of it, they’d decided to google Tanner, so maybe Andy would finally know why Tanner looked so familiar. Least now they knew why. Andy gasped, looking at the celebrity profile on the screen. ”Oh dead lord, you poisoned a rockstar...”[/color] Stef said, fanning herself and trying to keep from panicking or passing out. Andy, on the other hand, smiled. ”I screwed a rockstar!”[/color] she said, sounding quite proud, and she then moved towards her bed and screamed excitedly into a pillow. Stef, incredulous, turned in her chair to face her sister.

”No, no, that is not what’s important right now. That guy is an icon, if the press gets wind of this we could be in trouble. What if there was paparazzi around the house or something?”[/color] Andy Lifted the pillow, rolling her eyes and said, ”Oh relax, even celebrities keep it hush-hush when they get forced to stay on this island. There’s nothing on the internet about him being here, or about what his power is; we’re fine. His family is probably keeping all that under wraps to protect him; there’s a lot of weirdos looking to wipe us out in this world, after all.”[/color] Stef looked at the picture of him on the computer screen, hardly believing that they didn’t realize who he was sooner. ”Well, it’s all in the past now...”[/color]
[/blockquote]

HAYATE TURN IT UP! IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME TO *poke* ! I'M SO SICK OF HAYATE’S PLACE, IT'S MAKING MY BRAIN FINISHED! I'M JUST TALKIN' 641 WORDS. I'M TELLING YOU 'BOUT THAT Andrea. WE'RE SELLIN' KE$HA, SLEEPIN' IN WE R WHO WE R, DRESSIN' IT EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, HITTIN' ON HOT AND DANGEROUS !? @ CAUTION 2.0. HARD!

[hayate]

H-hey, no reason to give me that look... Come on, it’s not like I’m the one that poisoned you... i-if anything, I’m the one that’s helping here.

Hayate's glare did not abate at her wimpy excuses. He knew that this sister was also an accomplice. That made her every bit as guilty as that sister of hers. He mustered all his willpower to try to move or at least manipulate the air around him so they couldn't touch him. But to no avail. Then the seductress herself showed up.

Hey Tanner. Man, food poisoning’s a bitch, huh?

He attempted to speak, but the poison would not allow him. All he could manage was a low his at the back of his throat. His glare intensified, but apparently, she didn't feel anything. Evil btich! he swore vehemently in his mind - which was saying something. It took a lot for Hayate to lose his cool. He wished she could hear his thoughts. You had better be goddamn lucky I can't move or use my wind right now, or so help me I would shred you apart and leave you a bloody mess -

Don’t worry, you won’t remember a thing...

Wha... That was the last thought he had before falling into a dark oblivion.

----------

Kenji strode through the hospital toward his cousin's room. It had been a huge mess. His cousin was in the hospital from food poisoning, and he nearly had been discovered - he had to get his father to pay the hospital a handsome donation in order to keep them quiet. But... something felt amiss.... what was it?

He walked in to his cousin's room, who had his eyes closed and was taking deep breaths. "Tanner," he said, addressing him by his middle name so no other patients or doctors knew who he was. "You alright?" Hayate smiled weakly and he opened his eyes to look at Kenji. "Yeah, I'm fine... guess there was a bug in there. Sad, huh? I gotta be careful what I eat next time."

Hesitantly, Kenji nodded. He could tell his cousin his suspicions, but what proof did he have, save his intuition and instinct? No, it'd probably make things worse. Besides, there was a very good chance he was wrong. But it was still a nagging feeling...

"The doctor said he has to keep you overnight. You can go home tomorrow," Kenji said calmly. Hayate nodded. "Good... at least I can go compose a song I was working on... It's a tribute to you, you know." Kenji blinked in surprise. "Whatever for?" he asked, a slight note of surprise creeping into his voice.

Hayate chuckled. "For being awesome. You may bury it under a thick cover of ice, but you have a good heart - dad knows it, uncle knows it, your sister, my sis, everyone knows it. You don't do anything for yourself, at least compeltely, and you help others as much as you can. You deserve the tribute." Kenji was left rather shocked (though it didn't really show), and after a while, bowed deeply and said, "I'm honored. Now, I only came to check up on you. You're doing well enough, so I'll leave you to get some rest."

After bidding goodnight to Hayate, he left the hospital thinking. If it really was food poisoning, then there wouldn't be any issues. Just bad luck. If someone deliberatedly poisoned him...

Kenji lfted his hand in front of him, and a dark aura, like black flames, began coming off of it. If he was wrong, then things were going to get ugly once he found who the poisoner was.