Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.
A/N: Another little one shot that has been sitting around on my harddrive that I finally decided to post. This contains a lemon and I have the full thing posted on Adult Fanfiction under my penname.
Enjoy.
-----
The moonlight from the window shown down on the figure on the bed and the person at the door stopped, struck by the beauty of the figure. The silver light spilled over the sleeping neko-jin, highlighting his raven hair. The person at the door moved further into the room, closing the door with a small click.
He froze as Rei shifted on the bed, waiting for the raven haired teen to settle back down. Rei finally shifted onto his side, a sleepy sounding purr filling the room. The slim figure stepped into the silver light, mahogany eyes aflame with love and want. Kai dropped to his knees next to the bed, one hand tentatively reaching out.
Callused fingers brushed over soft skin and Rei unconsciously leaned into the touch, his purring growing louder. Kai allowed his mask to slip, a slight smile twisting his lips. Slowly his hand trailed along the neko-jin's jaw and up to his ears. The Russian's smile widened as his fingers brushed over the slightly pointed tips. The Chinese blader's ears had captivated him from the first day he had met Rei. His fingers trailed into the raven mass, gently combing it.
Kai sat back on his heels, content to watch the teen sleep. Over the years of knowing each other he had become enamored with the neko-jin and could and had spent hours watching him sleep, his soft purring the only sound in the room. Hand stroking over Rei's cheek he leaned forward with every intention to kiss the younger teen only to be met by gold eyes hazed with sleep. "Kai?"
Fighting down panic the Russian pressed a soft kiss to Rei's forehead. "Go back to sleep Rei. You aren't getting enough and they need you to be on top of things for the tournament next week." His voice was low and even and he could only smile when the neko-jin sleepily nodded and burrowed back under the blankets. It wasn't until the younger teen's breathing had evened out completely that he got to his feet and quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.
-----
Shaking his head Rei slowly crawled out from under the blankets and stumbled to his feet. With a jaw cracking yawn he arched his back, stretching and trying to work the kinks out of his body before picking his clothing out of the dresser. Once he had managed to pick everything up he shuffled to the on-suite bathroom, enjoying having it to himself as a benefit of being the oldest person on the team.
After taking a quick, nearly scalding shower he wrapped a towel around his hips and scrubbed his hair vigorously with the other in an attempt to dry it. Once it was satisfactorily dry he raked his fingers through the dark strands, causing them to stick up in disarray. Tossing both towels aside he proceeded to get dressed. Black pants, and a short sleeved dark crimson shirt with black frog closures up the front. Slipping the last frog through its loop he picked up the last item in the pile. It was a black band beautifully embroidered with a phoenix rising from a fire.
Brushing his fingers over the thread bird Rei managed a slight smile. "I wish you were here Kai. I don't know if I can get Tyson and Max to focus on this tournament." With a sigh he shook his head and slid the band up his left arm to encircle his bicep, covering a swath of skin that was noticeably pale.
He took a moment to actually hang his towels on the rack before flicking the light off. Back in his room he slipped his shoes on and pulled a long black leather duster out of the closet before picking a large duffle bag up. Glancing around the room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything he nodded to himself before closing the door.
In the kitchen everyone was already at the table by Tyson was only barely awake enough to eat let alone try to keep up the conversation Kenny and Max were having. When Rei entered the kitchen Kenny looked at the neko-jin, knowing exactly what was going on. "Do you really think it's a good thing to leave right now? Max and Tyson need all the help they can get before the next tournament."
Smile freezing Rei dropped his bag and draped the coat over the back of his chair before sitting down. "Kenny, we had this talk last week. This trip is non negotiable. I'm going." He picked a bagel from the breakfast tray in the middle of the table and split it. "I had a dream about him last night Chief. It was so vivid I could feel him touch me." Ignoring Tyson and Max who were hanging on his words he instead focused on his youngest teammate. "He was the love of my life and I never got the chance to tell him before he left me. I won't let you deny me this one thing."
Sighing Kenny nodded. "Fine, but no extending the trip like you did last time. We can't afford any more time off."
Rei smiled brightly and bounced to his feet. "Great. I've got to get going or I'm going to miss my flight." He wrapped the bagel in a napkin and slipped his jacket one before picking his bag up and bounding out of the room.
-----
"Got started without me Tal? I'm offended."
Tala opened his eyes and smiled as he raised the bottle. "I only had one drink Rei. I knew you would get pissed if I went any further." Silence descended between them and he took a moment to look at Rei. It had been a year since they'd last seen each other and while he approved of the neko-jin's choice in dark clothing he still wasn't sure about the hair. Shortly after Kai had left Rei had cut his hair so short it spiked naturally and while it looked good, it always reminded him of what his friend had lost. It wasn't fair that he still had Bryan while the neko-jin had lost Kai. Sitting up further he held out his other arm. "Come sit with me Tiger and tell me how things have been."
Shaking his head at the redhead's antics Rei sank down next to the older teen, smiling when a slim, strong arm slipped around his shoulders. He accepted the bottle and took a long drink, relishing the way it burned. "As well as can be expected. I figure since I made it through another year I am doing okay." Setting the bottle aside he turned so he was pressed against Tala's side, legs thrown over his friend's. "Kenny didn't want me to come. I think he's more worried about the tournament then what this week means to me."
"Kenny is a great kid but he doesn't understand about you and Kai. Doesn't know about the connection the two of you had." Kissing Rei on the forehead Tala picked the bottle of vodka back up and drank before pressing it into the younger man's hands. "Drink. Don't break tradition."
They continued to pass the bottle back and forth, ignoring the looks of the people walking through the cemetery. Some of the people they saw every year and they simply exchanged nods of greeting. The others, who weren't used to their unusual presence gave them dirty looks as they walked past, muttering under their breath. When only a quarter of the bottle remained Tala slipped out from under Rei and got to his feet before pulling the neko-jin up.
Kissing Rei on the forehead the Russian upended the bottle, watching as the crystal liquid splashed over the dark stone. The liquid collected in the indents of letters and dripped down the curved wings at the bottom of the stone like diamonds. It slowly ran down the stone to soak in the grass. "Enjoy in peace my friend."
Rei moved away from Tala and knelt down. His fingers trailed over the engraved letters, gently tracing the KAI HIWATARI and the dates afterwards. "I'm sorry I never told you how I felt. I wish you the best where ever you may be."
Rocking back to sit on his heels Rei closed his eyes briefly against the tears welling in them before opening them again to look at the tombstone they had been resting on. It was made of black marble laced with red streaks and polished to a mirror like sheen. Dranzer had been carved at the bottom, her wings flaring up along the edges to frame her master's name.
When a hand settled on his shoulder Rei blindly reached up to grab Tala's hand, needing an anchor. "Come Tiger. The day grows old and we have a warm bed and room service waiting for us." Leaning forward the neko-jin pressed a kiss to Kai's name before allowing Tala to help him up.
"I love you Kai."
-----
"Tala, have you ever dreamed about Kai?"
The Russian adjusted the pillow under his head as he leered at the neko-jin. "All the time. He was a favourite fantasy of mine while I was still at the Abbey."
Rolling his eyes Rei pulled the pillow out from under his friend's head and hit him in the face with it. "Idiot. You know what I mean. Since he was killed, have you ever dreamt about him?"
Tala took the pillow and jammed it back under his head. "I know Tiger, but I couldn't resist. Yes, I've had several dreams about Kai since he was killed. My favourite are when it's just the two of us somewhere quiet where we can talk without being interrupted. Why do you ask?"
Rei rolled on to his back, hands folded over his stomach. "Because I had a dream about him last night or what I think was a dream. I can't be sure because it was so real. I could feel him touch me, could almost feel his heat. I wanted it to be real so bad that I almost went down to the kitchen to get one of the knives, just to be with him."
It was something they didn't talk about, the long thin scar that ran up the length of his left arm. After Kai's death something had broken and ending his life had seemed like the easiest thing in the world to do. Luckily, he hadn't been able to cut deep enough to hit any major arteries and had been left with only the scar as a reminder, but there were days he still thought about it, wished he had been able to do it.
"I'm glad you didn't." Pushing his pillow away Tala moved so he was straddling the neko-jin's thighs, hands planted firmly on either side of the younger man's head. "What did it feel like?" He leaned down and brushed a soft kiss across Rei's cheek, smiling when he felt him relax. "Tell me about it."
Releasing a breath Rei closed his eyes, hands sliding under the Russian's shirt to touch skin. "Amazing." He shifted, his fingers spreading wider. "He touched my cheek, jaw, the tips of my ears and then he-" His voice dropped off as he felt Tala's fingers trace the same route as Kai's had the night before, just as soft and ghostly. He felt his cock stir, and couldn't help but arch up, fingers biting into the Russian's back. "Please Tala, love me."
"Always Tiger."
-----
Hours later, warm and sated Rei settled closer to Tala, one hand resting on the falcon tattoo in the middle of the Russian's chest. "How is Bryan?"
"Good. The psychiatrist said he might be able to leave the hospital come Christmas. He's made a lot of progress since the murder." Tala thrust his hand into Rei's hair, the dark strands soft against his palm.
Rei pressed his face against Tala's shoulder. "He knows about us right?"
The Russian kissed Rei on the head, fingers massaging the neko-jin's scalp. "About the two times we've had sex? Yes. And he understands completely. He knows how much you miss Kai and what he meant to you." Fingers sliding down Rei's neck he couldn't help but smile as he heard the neko-jin being to purr. "Actually he told me to tell you he hopes you'll come spend Christmas with us."
When he didn't get an answer he pulled back slightly, unsurprised to see that the younger man was soundly asleep. Dark circles seemed to perpetually mar the soft skin under Rei's eyes and they were always darker around the time of Kai's death. Kissing the neko-jin again he settled deeper into the bed and closed his eyes.
-----
"You know, if I was still alive I would break your neck for touching him." Kai grinned at Tala, not surprised to find the redhead was grinning at him in return.
The redhead sat next to his friend on the brick wall over looking Moscow. "And I would let you, because I know the connection between you two. However, that was not an option." Leaning over he caught Kai's hand and laced their fingers together. "He was so broken after you died. There was awhile there I thought I was going to lose him too. The doctor almost wanted to lock him up with Bryan. I will admit I hated you."
Kai laughed and leaned into the other man. "I don't doubt you did Wolf. Although it's good to know both of them are doing better. I hate to see you alone and Rei hurting so much."
Sighing Tala closed his eyes. "Bryan will be out soon, but I don't know about Rei. Why didn't you ever tell him how you felt? We could all see it."
"I have a thousand reasons and none of them are good. I was scared he would reject me, I didn't have the courage to tell him, I thought he deserved someone better than me. All of Voltaire's training in self confidence didn't prepare me for dealing with the emotion that came with loving Rei. Don't doubt that I regret not telling him. It'll probably haunt me until my soul finally gets pulled down to hell."
Tala grinned at his friend and elbowed him in the side. "I figure by the time Bryan and I get down there you'll have the place under your thumb and Satan cowering in a cave. Rei will be deeply impressed and we'll all live a happy, twisted afterlife."
Rolling his eyes he slipped away from his friend and turned to face him. "Amazing, you haven't gotten any better at making me feel better even when I'm dead. Now it's nearly morning and I want you to wake up and make sure my kitten doesn't hurt himself."
-----
Groaning Tala slowly sat up, one hand combing through his hair. "You know, I've had weird dreams before, but the conversations I have with Kai seem to always have something to do with people we know."
Rei smiled and took a sip of his tea before turning his gaze back out the windows. It was raining, the water sheeting down the windows. The clouds hung low over the city and it was so similar to the day Kai had been killed that Rei didn't want to do anything more then crawl back in the bed and never leave again.
It wasn't hard to tell that Rei was feeling melancholy and it pulled at Tala's heart to see such a vibrant person hurting so much. Sliding out of the bed he pulled the sheet with him, not to protect his modesty, but because the room was chilly. He settled on the arm of the chair and wasn't surprised when the neko-jin leaned into him, head resting against his stomach. "Anything in particular you want to do today Tiger, before you have to return to your team?"
"Actually if you don't mind I'd like some time to myself to think. It's kind of hard to get any serious time alone in the house with Max and Tyson running wild."
Hand resting lightly on Rei's neck the Russian bowed his head to bury his face in the soft dark strands. "No problem at all Tiger. I need to go to the bookstore anyway. Bryan is in need of some new reading material before he resorts to the bodice-rippers the nurses read. Let me take a shower and I'll be out of your hair."
He nodded and shivered slightly as he felt the Russian's warmth slip away from him. The sound of the rain outside and the softer patter of the water in the shower was enough to lull him into a light, doze. He was peripherally aware of the sounds of Tala getting ready to leave and the sound of the door closing, but nothing else really mattered. Time continued to flow around him and he remained drifting until…
"I'm not sure which I like better. I loved the innocent look your long hair gave you, but I have to admit, the shortness adds to your feral, beautiful look."
Feeling his breath catch in his throat Rei set his tea aside, trying to ignore his shaking hands. He peered around the edge of the chair and felt his world come to a screeching halt. Kai was leaning in the doorway to the bedroom, arms folded across his chest, a soft smile curling his lips. The Russian was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a white T-shirt with an unbuttoned dark red dress shirt over the top. There were no bullet wounds, no blood. "You can't be alive. I saw the bullet hole, the blood, held your hand as you died. I can still see it on my hands. You aren't real."
"I wish I could say this has all been a horrible dream, Rei, but I can't. Everything happened and all I can say, though I know it isn't enough, is that I'm sorry I never got a chance to tell you how much I love you."
Eyes narrowed Rei slid out of the chair and slowly made his way towards the older man, moving with all the grace of his bitbeast. He paused several inches from Kai, head cocked to the side. "Of course, like usual you try to make things better after it doesn't matter." Without warning he hit the Russian, hard enough to rock him back a step. Redness swept across Kai's cheek and he was forced back another step as Rei poked him hard in the chest. "Don't think I'm going to accept your apology."
Rather then saying anything Kai opted for acting, something he had always been better at. Surging forward his hands slid into Rei's hair and he pulled the neko-jin to him, kissing the younger teen with barely controlled passion. Rei tensed for a moment, shocked into stillness before he responded with a whimper, pressing himself against Kai.
Driven by Rei's fevered response Kai started moving towards the bed, hand sliding down the neko-jin's back, fingers gliding over the curve of his ass. Feeling the lithe body press closer he felt his own desire skyrocket and he ground his hips against Rei, grateful to feel an answering press against his thigh.
There was a slight jolt as they hit the bed and breaking the kiss Kai pushed his lover back, ignoring the bitten off Chinese curse. His gaze wandered over the picture presented to him, the image only serving to make him want Rei even more. The neko-jin's crimson cotton sleep pants clung to his strong thighs and the curve of his erection. Hands settling on Rei's shoulders his thumbs stroked over the sharp curve of collarbone before slipping lower. His thumbs brushed over nipples, causing the neko-jin to arch into his touch, a low groan slipping between swollen lips. "So beautiful."
Grazing over ribs and lower his fingers hooked under the waistband of crimson pants and he tugged gently. Rei's hips lifted and he skimmed them off, acutely aware of warm skin against his hands. He tossed the pants aside and shed his shirts, fingers tweaking nipple just to see the desire flare in Rei's eyes as he touched himself.
-----
Slowly Kai pulled free of his lover, catching the neko-jin as he began to sway. Laying him down he slipped from the bed and into the bathroom.
Rei wanted to follow Kai but he couldn't seem to find the energy. He hummed in lazy approval as a warm washcloth brushed over his stomach and lower before being replaced with a warm body. The kiss was deep and slow, fanning the desire in his body though he didn't think he could move. Something cold slipped onto his finger as the sheets were drawn up.
"I love you Rei, and I'm sorry we didn't have more time."
The desire was replaced by depression and he fought against the never ending lassitude in his body. He didn't want to lose Kai again.
Warm fingers brushed against his cheek. "Sleep Rei. I promise we'll be together again."
-----
Tala stepped into the room and quietly closed the door, not wanting to disturb Rei. He set his bag by the door and kicked off his shoes before making his way further into the room. It was oddly silent and a coil of fear encircled his heart. He trusted the neko-jin, but he had been so upset this morning.
Moving to the bed he was glad to see the slow rise and fall of Rei's chest. He was sprawled on his back across the middle of the bed, deeply asleep, the sheets and blanket pushed down to the bottom. Eight dark bruises on the neko-jin's hips, four on either side were highly visible and Tala frowned, wondering where they had come from. He tried to avoid marking Rei and it was obvious the bruises were from someone gripping the fragile skin hard.
He leaned down and gently touched one of the marks only to have strong fingers close around his wrist. "It seems you had a good time without me."
Rei released his friend and slowly sat up, rubbing at his eyes. "There's something you need to see." He pulled the ring of his finger and handed it to Tala, knowing the Russian would see it exactly for what it was.
He took the ring, feeling his heart stop in his chest. It was a large red cabochon carved with a phoenix set in a silver band. Looking up at his friend he saw the sadness in citrine eyes and knew. "Kai was buried with this ring." At the neko-jin's nodded he leaned forward and pulled the smaller man into his arms. "You'll be together again."