Chasing Ghosts (under construction)

chapter eighteen

Once he made it back to his room, Kit was lacing up his own boots. His hair was damp, the indication of a shower, and his hands were slightly shaky as he finished the laces. Ty silently changed into his gear, donning the slightly too large jacket he had gotten from Julien, and the boots. There was a tension between him and Kit that Ty could not explain. He felt as though Kit was keeping something from him, and although Ty couldn't fault Kit for having secrets, he only wished Kit felt like he could tell him anything. That's what a relationship was, right? Sharing secrets. He didn't want there to be anything unsaid between the two of them, but Kit didn't seem to be in a particularly sharing mood today, so Ty stayed silent.
They made it down to the kitchen just as Dru was finishing off her pancakes. She grinned at Kit, who gave her a half-hearted smile in return.
"Are there any pancaked left?" Ty asked. Dru shook her head.
"Nope. Helen made spares for you two and Julien and Emma, but Mark has just eaten them all. Sorry." She said. Ty looked at Kit, who seemed distant.
"Would you like me to make us some pancakes?" Ty asked Kit. Kit looked at him, his eyes were slightly glassy like he was about to cry.
"No, no that's fine. I'll just get a banana." Kit replied. Ty nodded. Kit reached over the kitchen work surface to grab a banana from the fully restocked fruit bowl. He weighed it in his hands like it was a dagger or a gun. Ty placed a worried hand on Kit's shoulder.
"Are you sure you're alright? We don't have to do this today if you aren't up for it." Ty said in a low voice. Kit gave him a somewhat forced smile and pecked him on the cheek.
"I'm fine, sweets, don't worry. I'm ready and raring to get beat up by my hot boyfriend." Kit winked, and Ty blushed a deep red. Dru was staring at both them, a shit-eating grin on her face. Ty pulled a face at her and led Kit down into the training room. It was empty and obviously had yet to be used today, as all the daggers, bow-and-arrows and seraph blades were still immaculately hung on the walls. Ty jogged over to the glass cabinet and pulled his stele out. Kit stood a way away. Ty pulled out two seraph bladed and resealed the cabinet. He held one out to Kit.
"You need to learn how to hold it first." Kit took the sword, his arm dropping from the weight of it. Ty reached out and gripped Kit's elbow, raising it so it was chest height.
"Spread your feet so that they're in line with your shoulders. It counteracts the balance so that you don't topple over." Ty watched as Kit did what he instructed, critiquing him on little bits every now and again.
"Seraph blades are slashing blades and piercing blades, which means you can stab someone through with the tip, but also cause damage using the sides, say, if you wanted to lacerate someone arm, or cut them but not kill them, you use the sides," Ty explained. Kit looked as though he was paying attention, but Ty couldn't be entirely sure.
Half an hour had passed and Ty was satisfied with the progress Kit was making, but he had yet to practice actually attacking.
"Get into the stance position," Ty commanded. Kit smirked at him.
"I like it when you're bossy." He said, getting into position. Ty ignored the comment, as he had converted to full on training mode.
"Now attack me. Come at me with everything you've got." Ty said simply. Kit looked a bit taken aback.
"Don't you have, like, practice blades for training. I don't want to accidentally behead you or anything. Ty gave him the ghost of a smile.
"You won't." Ty nodded, and Kit lunged at him. It was all too easy for Ty to grab Kit by the front of his jacket, halting his attack. Before Kit could try anything, Ty kicked the back of Kit's knees, sending him onto the floor. Ty reached around and pulled Kit into a choke hold. Kit writhed under his grip but showed no technique. Ty disarmed him quickly and released him from the hold. Ty pressed his boot to Kit's back and shoved him onto the floor. Kit rolled over onto his back and looked like he was about to kick himself off of the ground, but Ty pressed his boot to Kit's chest, keeping him down. Ty lifted his blade above his head and brought it down fast. Suddenly, heat surrounded Ty, and his blade began burning in his hand, but he couldn't let go of it. Ty looked down and saw Kit's panicked look. His chest and stomach were rippling gold and white heat. Ty knew it as Kit's magic, he just didn't know why it had decided to manifest now. Kit let out a pained yelp and the magic erupted upwards, taking Ty's blade out of his hands and sending it flying into the air. The magic dimmed.
"Ty I'm sorry are you—"
"Look out!" Ty cried, grabbing Kit and rolling them both to the side. The seraph blade pierces the training mat right where Kit had been laying a second ago. Panting heavily, Ty collapsed onto the mat next to Kit.
"What was that?" Ty asked, a little bewildered.
"I think my magic saw you as a threat, and as the sword was coming down it just, came out, to protect me, I suppose." Ty nodded.
"Okay, so it presents itself in near death situations. That would be helpful except it doesn't seem to be able to separate a real situation from a fake one."
"I'm sorry if I hurt you." Kit said quietly.
"You didn't hurt me, Kit," Ty replied softly. "It wasn't your fault, you just need to learn to control it, but that's okay because I know what we can do now," Ty said. Kit looked at him, slightly surprised.
"We?"
"Yes, why wouldn't it be? We're in this together. I want to help you, Kit." Ty said. Kit shook his head.
"But I'm dangerous. I could hurt you, I almost did just now." Kit complained.
"That's just a risk I'm willing to take," Ty said.
"But it's not a risk I want to take, Ty, I can't be the reason you get hurt. You almost died trying to save me in Faerie. I won't survive if I get you hurt again, it will kill me, Ty." Tears started running from Kit's eyes. Ty wrapped his arms around Kit protectively, rocking him gently.
"You won't hurt me, I promise. We'll learn how to control your powers, and it'll be fine. You won't hurt me, you could never." Ty kissed the top of Kit's head, squeezing his eyes shut. They sat like that in silence for a while, until Kit sniffed and Ty felt him give a short nod.
"Okay. Alright, we do it together." Kit said.
"Having these powers will be great in a fight, you'll be unstoppable. You definitely won't be fighting with a blade in a battle, your technique was abysmal." Kit managed to choke out a small laugh.
"I think we've done enough today. Later on, we'll tell Julien about our plans to go to Devon, so that Jem and Tessa can help. I think he'll be more than compliant." Ty said.
"Why do you say that?" Kit asked.
"Just a feeling." Ty smiled.