Disclaimer: Refer to the "Encyclopedia Disclaimeria" for disclaimer #30…and that should be about it…r/r
Rei sat on the window seat, enthralled by the thunderstorm outside. Hypnotized by the thunder and lightning and by the crash of waves on the shore. Kai walked past him, but stopped when he saw Rei, absent-mindedly patting a kitten in his lap.
"What are you watching Rei?" Kai asked, startling Rei.
"The storm…the waves…it's so hypnotizing…"
Kai looked at him in surprise. From time to time Kai had noticed this passion in Rei. More so in recent days, because they were on holiday, and Max and Tyson disappeared day after day, and Kenny spent days in his room. That left Kai and Rei with the place to themselves. Without the others around, Kai had gotten to see another side of Rei.
"So many colours…so many emotions," Rei said to himself, forgetting that Kai was in the room.
"What do you mean?" Kai asked, sitting next to him.
"Huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"Look out the window, what do you see?"
"Water?"
"Do you know what I see?" Kai shook his head, and Rei continued, "I see an argument, raging band forth, swirling and whirling, crashing aggressively on the beach, but meekly retreating as if the is argument forgotten. The thunder crashes and the lightning lights up the sky, like a sound and light show for the gods. And the sea? And the colours of the sea? That's us, the Blade Breakers. The shallow water where you can see the ocean floor is Max, with his happy face and his heart on his sleeve, seeing things in people far before everyone else sees them. A few shades darker is Tyson, happy like Max, but with his heart under his shirt. Not much further out is Kenny, his family life a mystery, but always ready to help a fellow Beyblader. Then it starts to get murky, that's me. Most of my life a mystery except the basic story that you all know, but if you really think about it, you don't know anything about me. Then, where it's so dark you can't see a thing under the surface, that's you Kai. You are mystery, you have a door between us and the real you and you won't open the door, you won't let the waters clear. There are so many mysteries about you Kai, but we can't solve any of them, and no matter how hard I try, you won't let me in. Our whole team is out there, in the sea." Rei continued to stare out the window. Kai looked at him in amazement.
"How do you do it?" Kai asked in amazement.
"Do what?"
"Live with so much passion and hide it for so long?"
Rei blushed. "I don't hide it, you just never noticed it before."
Kai thought about what Rei said. "You said that the waters won't clear."
"Yeah…I did."
"Do you want to try to clear the waters?" Kai wasn't normally so trusting, but there had always been something about Rei that made Kai trust him.
"I think you should…"
"One question at a time."
"Ok…tell me if I've over stepped the line." Kai nodded. "How did you get those blue marks on your face?"
"My rebellion. I got them done a few days after I went to live with my grandfather. I had to cover them for ages. When my grandfather found out…" he trailed off
"Yes?" Rei pressed him.
"He beat me…I was black and blue for weeks." Rei gasped. Kai looked at him quickly. Oh shit…I shouldn't have told him. Rei took a few minutes to word his next question, he couldn't believe that anyone would be able to beat their own grandson.
"What happened to your parents?" Rei asked carefully, scrutinizing Kai's face for any sign of having over stepped the line.
"I…I don't know…I have very few memories of them, and even those are hazy."
Rei gave Kai a once over, looking for any scars from being beaten, there were none that he could see. "Kai, did your grandfather eve do anything else to you?"
"It was nothing really…I shouldn't have said anything."
"Keep telling me…I won't tell anyone I promise."
Kai took a deep breath. "I'd been living with him for a few months, and I'd slipped out to play with some kids. He saw me and hauled me and made me write 'Friends make weak bladers' a thousand times. I haven't had a real friend since…or any friend. There are days I wish I could smile like Max…but I can't I…" Kai trailed off again and hung his head. It was nice to get some of this off his chest, things that had been plaguing him since he was little…how much should he really be telling Rei? Oh, screw it all…he wasn't going to tell anyone…besides, I really care for him…maybe he can teach me to feel like he does…to see things that aren't there, like he saw in the sea. Kai looked at Rei, who was looking at the sea again. Rei turned back to Kai, his question carefully chosen.
"How have you lived for so long?"
"What?" Kai asked, shaking his head.
"I always believed that someone without emotions couldn't live…they'd be alive physically, but not emotionally, not living feeling, sure, they'd breathe and all, but the glow of life would be missing from their eye." He looked out to the ocean, trying to find the courage to say what he wanted to next. "Your eyes could hold my attention for hours, there is so much in your eyes if you look carefully…" Rei looked away, blushing a deep red.
Kai's eyes widened. "There is?" he asked in surprise.
Rei nodded and leant closer to Kai.
"Like what?" Kai asked slowly, cocking his head to one side.
"Pain…anger…hurt…sadness…depression…" Kai looked out the window. "Kai?" Kai looked at Rei again. "Why aren't you happy?"
"I don't know…"
"Have you eve felt love?"
"I don't think so…how do you know?"
"You'd know if you felt it…you feel it here." Rei pointed to his heart. "It makes you feel like everything is right when that person is around." Kai looked at him, trying to understand. Rei picked up the kitten in his lap and put it on the ground (strange ne?) and shuffled closer to Kai. Rei looked at his hand for a second and put it gently on Kai's chest, over his heart, Kai watched him in shock. When he found his tongue, he asked Rei.
"Have you ever been in love?"
"Yeah…" I fall each time I look at you
"Is that where your passion came from?"
"I don't know…I think I had the passion before…I don't think I ever *got* it like you get a present…I just slowly started noticing things around me…" They were so close now, their whispered words brushed each other's faces. Rei found the courage to bridge the two-inch gap between them to kiss Kai. It took Kai a second to realize what was going on, but he quickly reacted, putting his hands lightly on Rei's hips.
Rei broke off and Kai leant against him, shaking slightly.
"You OK Kai?" Rei whispered hoarsely.
"Yeah…" he looked out to the sea, "I can see it…I can see what you see…"
~Owari~
There might be a sequel to this…if you want…I better go and find my muse to make sure she approves of this…or maybe I should just hide and suffer her wrath from behind my bedroom door.