Light in Darkness
With the arrival of the night, darkness fell and with it came the worse of memories from back at the abbey. It was always this same ritual for Kai that was why he had got used to put a small night lamp near his bed so as the room wouldn't be plunged in darkness and memories would be kept at bay.
Though he could only do this when either he had his own room or he was sharing it with Rei. When the others were about, he had to go on without a light because the other three would grumble like there was no tomorrow and ask too many questions. Rei didn't mind having the lights on though he preferred otherwise but when they were in utter darkness, Kai always shook with memories from the past. He was well aware of Kai's demons and Kai had long realized that Rei knew though he never said anything.
That was the reason that when they would be sharing a room with all the others or when there was a storm; he would huddle close to Kai as means to comfort him. The most satisfying thing for Rei was that Kai didn't push him away but instead would curl up to Rei allowing the latter to hold him. By time when they shared a room they would opt for sharing a bed and huddling close instead of lightning the bulb, like that Rei would have a better night's sleep and at the same time Kai would still have his shield against nightmares.
It was the same cycle over and over again. As night came, darkness fell, nightmares tried to oppress and hands which held him close held them at bay.
Though as every other cycle even this was interrupted when they travelled to the next hotel for some other beyblading charity competition and all of them had their own rooms. Kai had resumed using his small night lamp while Rei resumed sleeping alone in his room.
The competition was held at the end of the first week but they couldn't go back home to Tyson's dojo for the weather report seemed bad enough that all the trips were cancelled thus they were stuck in this cold hotel for the gods knew how long.
Tyson and Max were being their annoying selves … again … and they wanted to indulge all the team in a DVD night. They argued that since they couldn't go out, they had to entertain themselves in some way. "Oh come on Kai, don't be a wet blanket; its only this time that we are asking something of you and it is because we want you to join us and …" From there on Kai didn't listen to the rambling anymore since it was the usual preach about friendship and instead searched for Rei's opinion. The other just shrugged with an amused smile decorating his lips.
So the night had been passed with the bladebreakers sitting in the sitting room, eating snacks which Kai threatened to make them train double if they ate too much and watched some stupid film which, unfortunately for the rest of the team, Tyson had choose.
The next evening, they decided that they would rather play board games instead of seeing some stupid film and so after a day at the hotel's gym, they could relax and have some fun. That evening thunder could be heard coming nearer to their location. Kenny nervously checked the weather report with Dizzy's help while Rei was idly wondering if he should pass the night in Kai's room. It would be a great excuse to sleep near the only one person that was so special to him.
When the lights went suddenly out, it was to find Rei, Tyson, Max and Kenny together in the sitting room playing some board games while Kai was in the bedroom having gone up there earlier. It made the youngest members get startled while Rei just pricked his ears for any other noises. After a few seconds they heard a crash coming from the bedroom area which made them yell in unison with fright. When they realized that it must have been Kai, they were going to check on their captain had Rei not stopped them.
"It's better if you go and fetch some candles … or thinking it over it would be better if you went in the lobby were I am sure some other people would have gathered and stay there with them and let me see if Kai needs anything " Rei said thinking fast. He knew that it wouldn't sit well with Kai if the youngsters' new one of his deepest secrets.
"Sure you just want to use the dark as your ally and be all cuddly towards Kai don't you?" Tyson all but burst out between giggles earning a smack on the head from his companion while Kenny opted for just shaking his head.
"Hey why did you do that? You all know that they just get all cuddly during the night" At that Max just sighed while Rei, being lucky that there was only one candle, was busy blushing like a tomato.
At that point Max started to drag Tyson out. "It is better if you check on Kai. He is usually more open when you are around. Call us if you need anything" Kenny reasoned.
When they closed the door behind them, Rei hurried back into Kai's bedroom candle in hand. He knocked first so as not to startle Kai though it was in vain for as soon as he opened the door he heard the unmistakable sound of whimpering.
There in the furthest corner was Kai sitting on the floor huddled all by himself, shaking like a leaf and trying to curl up even more to make himself invisible.
"Oh Kai, come here" Rei said while placing the candle on the bedside table. At the sound of Rei's voice, Kai turned around outstretching his arms towards the sound of the soothing voice. His eyes were still glazed over; tears running down his cheeks and his body continued to shiver as Rei wrapped his arms around his captain, pulled him up and guided him to the bed to sit down while proceeding to pull him in his lap. Somehow Kai recognized that it was just Rei and that no harm would come out of him.
The tremors and sobbing soon stopped as for Kai it seemed that there was light in his darkness once more as Rei hugged him close to himself. He began to feel better and eventually he lifted his head from where it was buried deep in Rei's chest and rested it on the latter's shoulder. As much as Kai was fatigued, he couldn't go to sleep as there was something nagging at the back of his mind, something that most probably had to do with Rei as usual after episodes like these. Rei lied back on the bed dragging Kai with him and humming some Chinese lullaby that his mother used to sing to him when he was little. It soothed Kai a lot and he was able to relax enough to be able to sleep.
Morning found Kai still half on top of Rei and with Rei's arm wounded tightly around Kai's middle. The youngsters had long since came in during the night armed with candles which the hotel staff gave them to sleep in their own beds. It seemed that a tree felt on a cable which supplied the hotel with light and thus the power cut, meaning that the hotel will be plunged in darkness till the storm quits. The storm was still ranging outside and even if the clock was informing those around that it was 8:00 in the morning, it was still very dark. So when Kai opened his eyes, he felt way too drowsy to get up … and Rei was so comfortable! So he moved a bit to rest his head in the crease between Rei's neck and shoulder and was about to return to the land of dreams when Rei shifted and opened his eyes. Kai was starting to feel embarrassed since he was awake but had opted for cuddling with Rei. On the other hand Rei realized that Kai was awake since his breathing wasn't as slow and deep as before … and he knew that Kai would feel uncomfortable.
When Kai tried to get up so that he would escape from these feelings and from Rei, Rei pulled him closer to himself and tightened his hold on Kai. "Where were you going? It's so comfortable …" Then after a moment hesitance he added "You know Kai, you should propbably stop trying to escape. I am trying to help you but in the end you always leave ... as if you've been stung!"
At that Kai realized that he jad never thanked Rei properly for helping him. He had helped him when he knew nothing about Kai's past and he kept doing it still.
Rei anticipating what Kai was thinking said "I don't want you to thank me ... I just want you to realise that you're not alone in this word ... there are people who wish to help you ... and to care about you ... maybe love you"
This caught Kai off-guard and surprised he got up and sat beside Rei to be able to look better at his face while trying to digest that which had been said and trying to see if the other was humoring him … but he wasn't. Golden eyes were staring back at him with such sincerity that left Kai speechless.
"I …" Blushing, Kai looked at the side of Rei's face and while stuttering. He knew that even if Rei was trying to be discrete, he was referring to himself; that in other words Rei wanted to care about him and … and love him. "… I … Thank you."
After a few moments of staring at the blanket Kai seemed to come to a decisions and he lay back in his original spot on Rei's chest. To say that Rei was surprised would be an understatement but he quickly shifted Kai closer to him and wrapped his arms around the slim frame of his captain ecstatic that he had been accepted! At this Kai smiled into Rei's shirt and snuggled closer and so the afternoon was passed. Luckily for them the rest of the team didn't bother them!
From then on, Kai started to understand and accept Rei's affections and he himself started to open up. The night they got back to Tyson's dojo eleven days later, Kai woke up suddenly with a nightmare only to find Rei trying to comfort him and it was like a dam has broken. Kai started to tell Rei what the nightmares were about. He had reached the point of snapping. Luckily Rei was there to help him as Kai poured out his soul. He was baring himself, making himself vulnerable but he knew that he was safe with Rei … that the latter would never hurt him.
After that night, Kai requested Rei to stay with him during the night. Things got much better, Kai was never alone. He had someone who could understand him, someone who could teach him about human emotions and someone who would always protect him but above all others someone for him to love and be loved by.