Heya. Another one-shot for you. Thanks to Chai for beta-ing for me. ^-^
Disclaimer: Red doesn't own beyblade, natch.
All lyrics written by yours truly.
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Kai looked around the hectic back-stage scene with a calm air that spoke of long acclimatization. Inside, however, he was twisting and turning, not because of the huge headliner show they were about to do, but because of a smaller, more personal thing.
Just before they had gotten on the bus from the hotel they had been staying in, Rei had told him something very...confusing.
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"Kai?" Rei called, jogging up behind him. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"
Kai turned from where he had been just about to step onto the bus and looked at the other teen. "Rei, we have to go now," he said, frowning. "Can it wait?"
Rei bit his lip and looked down. "Umm...I don't think so. It'll only take a minute and then we can go."
"Fine."
Kai ushered Kenny in front of him and stepped back onto the sidewalk.
He watched as the normally forward teen played with his hands and wouldn't meet his eyes.
"What's wrong?" he asked, hoping to speed the process on.
"Well..." Rei looked up at him and when their eyes met Rei blushed at furious red.
He looked over Kai's shoulder when he heard yelling and saw Tyson in the window gesturing at them to hurry up.
"I like you, Kai," he blurted out before brushing past him and in the door.
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It's needless to say; Kai had no idea what to say to that. They had both sat in the back of the bus, alone, and every time Kai glanced in Rei's direction the other teen was blushing red.
Kai was snapped out of his thinking by Kenny, who was frantically trying to organize and supervise everything, even though many other people had been hired to do just that.
He wanted Kai to talk to Tyson because apparently the younger member wanted to add a guitar solo in the middle of "Heavy" and that was impossible, of course.
Kai sighed and tilted back to upright. Tyson had such a big ego; he wanted a guitar solo in everything. To think he had agreed to front these guys.
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Rei shivered, partly from cold, partly from anticipation, as the band stood in the wing, preparing to go on. Kai was standing in front of him, calm as usual. He blushed again, thinking of his confession earlier. He had been telling the truth; he did like Kai. A lot.
He watched as his stoic leader drained a glass of water offered to him and then went back to leaning against the wall. Rei wondered how he could block out so much. He was finding it hard merely to think right now, with the excitement and screaming just outside.
He tugged at the tight shirt he was wearing apprehensively and smoothed it out again. It was black and sleeveless with an artful tear running across the back. He had found it in a store when they had been out on tour last year and never found the courage, or the right time, to wear it.
He had asked Naomi his 'assistant' how he looked in it when he first put it on and she had gushed compliments more than she usually did, so he guessed it looked good. He didn't dare try and ask Kai if he looked good, knowing he would probably get a grunt in response and would spend the rest of the day trying to figure out whether that was a 'yes' or a 'no'.
Not a good thing for during the largest show they had ever played.
The screaming grew louder as the opening band finished off their set and the lead singer stepped up to the mike.
"Now... the guys I'm sure you all came to see..., The Bladebreakers!"
The screaming reached a new high as Kai stood up and straightened himself. Rei saw him take a deep breath, let it out slowly and then take the first step out from behind the screen.
Rei followed him gracefully, thanking band etiquette that he didn't have to go first, and took his place beside Kai in the front.
He kept his anxiety hidden as he watched Kai for the signal. When he nodded, Rei started the opening into the first song in their lineup for the show.
Even if Kai didn't return his feelings, tonight would be a night to remember.
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As Kai let the practiced words slide from his tongue he glanced over at Rei. It was an unconscious action, something he always did to make sure he was ready to pick up on this important entrance, but he regretted it.
Rei looked fabulous.
He was completely in that zone he knew was so easy to slip into when playing music and he was working perfectly. Kai would only allow himself to go into that sort of trance when he was singing something particularly close to his heart. Like the song coming up.
Rei glanced up at him before leaning into the mike they had attached to his turntable for exactly this purpose.
Kai had always heard from fans that this was their favorite song, blending his harsher and gritty voice with the soft and seducing tones of Rei's. Right now, it fit his mood perfectly, and with the first word Kai fed off Rei's exquisite energy and fought back.
"Why do you hurt?
I'm broken, fallen, black.
I'll help you up
Don't stoop from your cloud.
I want to help
Don't touch me!
You hurt me
With your white light
Perfect, high, clean you.
You, I need you.
You can't push me away
I'll come back every time."
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Kai grabbed a bottle of water off the back of the stage and gulped most of it down. It was sweltering on the stage, the heat of thousands of bodies below them making the air steam.
Hearing his cue coming up, he dropped the bottle and stepped up to the mike, grabbing hold of the stand. He barked out the first few words and then fell into a raising whisper as Max's bass thumped out the beat behind him.
They were almost done, but the crowd below had hardly stopped screaming since the opening band started.
As his body went through the usual actions, he felt one extra pair of eyes on him and he managed a glance over in Rei's direction. The Chinese singer and instrumentalist seemed to be completely engrossed in his music, but then, just when Kai was about to turn back to the audience he saw Rei look at him out of the corner of his eyes.
Although Kai knew it was natural for Rei's eyes to fall on him, watching for cues and slight changes to make in the music, but with what happened earlier, he suspected it was something else.
He was suddenly aware of the shirt sticking to his chest from sweat and water and the tight pants he had been coned into wearing.
He suddenly realized the next song was another duet between the two. He hadn't really had much time to think over Rei's confession, but he was very sure that, given a chance, he would definitely go out with his band mate.
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"The sun comes up
Over the valley
Your body glows
With a light internal
Eternal
I stay still
Watching you watch
You are haloed in gold
A beauty covers you
Eternal"
Rei moves closer to me, his eyes on mine. We shouldn't have put such a personal song on...
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Rei saw the sudden flash of understanding in those claret eyes, but kept moving, his lips forming the next words automatically.
"You are so beautiful..."
His lips pressed against Kai's, a soft pleading kiss. Rei heard the music falter and stop and the crowd in front of them start yelling with renewed vigor. He suddenly realized what he was doing, in front of millions of people and pulled away from the comfort he desired.
However, he had underestimated how much Kai was enjoying that kiss.
Kai caught his face in one hand and pulled him into a more passionate and rougher kiss that fed all of Rei's desire. His lips parted in a gasp of pleasure and Kai took the opportunity and slipped his tongue in, tasting the adolescent's flesh hungrily.
If Rei had known the reaction would be this favorable he would have done this a lot sooner.
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When they parted the sound of the roaring crowd rushed back onto them and they shared a personal glance before looking back out onto the sea of bodies.
On whim, Kai grabbed the stalk of the microphone and pulled it to him.
"If any of you had a problem with that, you can screw off," he said, the words just falling out of his mouth in the way that had gathered a serious fan base.
"If you enjoyed that as much as I did, or don't care, yell for me!" he yelled out.
Rei smiled as a roar went up. He wasn't sure what would come first, the band or Kai's feelings, but it seemed like they would be able to do both.
Kai looked back at Rei and a small smile twisted his lips upwards.
"We're going to finish the song now, I think."
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Kai pushed his way between bodyguards towards the bus, his fingers firmly encircling Rei's as he pulled him along.
"How long have you two been a couple?"
"Was that planned?"
"Did you practice beforehand?"
"Are you going to stay together?"
"What does the rest of the band feel?"
"Will this change your music?"
Thousands of questions all pushed their way over the big body-guard's frame and Kai fought back increasing anger.
When Kai reached the bus' door he pulled Rei in front of him and pushed him into the bus.
Rei stumbled on the stairs and Kai came behind him and lifted him to his feet. A steady hand guided him up the rest of the stairs and Rei immediately headed for the back of the bus where the beds were.
He collapsed onto his bunk and buried his face in his pillow. So much had happened in the past few hours, it was overwhelming him.
He felt a heavy hand on his head, smoothing the black hair that had been ruffled out of shape.
"Get some sleep."
Kai's voice was gruff and slightly horse from the loud singing, but Rei could hear the softer undertone.
Kai was seen by the ever-hungry media as a cold bad-ass, only looking out for himself, but the truth was (as anyone who knew him could see), Kai really cared for the band, and Rei couldn't count the amount of times he had done something or other out of his way to help.
"We're going straight to the airport and it is a few hours drive. I'll tell the others to leave you alone..."
Rei smiled into his pillow and hugged it to his chest. He was so infinitely happy...
He suddenly realized just how generous Kai was being, letting him stay out of the way. The others would definitely want to know what was going on and by keeping him out of sight Kai was putting himself up for all the inevitable questions.
Rei let out a heartfelt sigh and felt himself get all mushy. Kai was a sweetie after all. Hopefully he wouldn't let all of that passion disappear, though.
Rei was going to have fun.
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