Disclaimer: I don't own it.
A/N: I realize that I should be working on Shapeshifters rather then this, but if I don't get this out of my head, Shifters will never get finished. I'll try to get the next chapter for both stories soon. I hope you all enjoy this. Until the next time, Sarcasmcat
Anything inside the ~~~~~ is either a flashback or a dream.
Rei pushed open the door to the penthouse, no longer amazed by the luxuriousness of his surroundings. After having been to the house ten times, the novelty wore off. He could hear Kai and Tala in the living room talking to each other and someone else. He slipped his jacket off and hung it on a coat peg. He entered the living room, stopping abruptly at the sight in front of him.
Kai and Tala were on one of the leather couches, casually curled together speaking with someone in Russian. The overhead lighting illuminated pale lavender hair, throwing the neko-jin into another flashback.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Stubborn to the end. And this will be the end Rei. Of this tournament, of your lousy team and of you!"
~~~~~~~~~~
Kai looked up to see Rei standing in the door to the living room, golden eyes staring into space and glazed with fear. He quickly glanced over at Tala who had also noticed the neko-jin's state. "Rei." The slate-haired blader watched as Rei came back to the real world, body painfully tensed. The neko-jin sat down in one of the armchairs, as close to Kai and Tala as he could get with out crawling into their laps.
"Kai, Tala," there was an almost imperceptible pause, "Bryan." The pale Russian simply nodded and the conversation started back up, although it was slightly strained. Dinner was quite and the food was excellent. Tala sat across from the neko-jin with Bryan next to him. Kai sat across from Bryan, effectively keeping Rei and Bryan separated. Bryan left shortly after dinner, leaving Rei with the other two Russians.
A warm hand settled on Rei's shoulder and started working at the tense muscle. He leaned back into the caress, purring. "Are you okay?" He nodded, looking out over the city, lights glowing in the distance. Tala joined them at the window and they stood in the silence, each occupied with their own thoughts. "Rei I tried to call you and-" Tala was cut off by the neko-jin. "Don't worry about it Tala. Somehow my phone got unplugged from the jack. I didn't realize it until ten minutes before I left." He glanced at the clock that hung on the wall. "I better get home. I do have to go to work tomorrow. Same time next week?" Kai nodded. "And Bryan will be there."
The neko-jin pulled his jacket on and smiled slightly. "I wasn't going to doubt it. I'll see you next week."
*****
Rei threw his keys onto the couch, too tired to actually worry about hanging them up. His coat followed the keys. He made his way to his bedroom, in need of a shower. His thoughts drifted to the past several hours. ~Dinner wasn't as bad as it could have been.~ He stripped his shirt off, tossing it into the hamper. ~I mean, he didn't try to kill me. Although last time it had been orders.~
Kai had visited Rei in the hospital shortly after the neko-jin's battle with Bryan. They had sat in a comfortable silence until Kai had broken it. The slate-haired teen had not looked at his bed-ridden friend, instead keeping his eyes focused on the white wall. "He didn't mean it" had been the first words out of the Russian's mouth. He had gone on, in edited detail, about his time in the Abbey. Kai, Tala and Bryan had been close friends when Kai had lived in the Abbey. Rei was not surprised to find out how the Abbey was run, something about Boris had be nagging at the back of his mind since the first time he had crossed paths with the man. Kai had left at the end of visiting hours, leaving the neko-jin deep in thought.
Rei turned on the water, making it almost too hot to stand. He quickly unbraided his hair and stepped into the shower, letting out a sigh of relief as the hot water pummeled his body, relieving the tension. He spent twenty minutes in the shower, just basking in the warm steam. He slipped into a pair of black sweatpants and started the long process of drying his hair. The moonlight was shining in through the bedroom window, covering the room in silver light. Slowly long fingers moved through ebony silk as his mind drifted. The moonlight reminded him of something but he couldn't exactly place it. He bradied his hair and slipped under the covers of his bed, drifting off to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Warm hands traveled down his sides, eliciting a moan of pleasure from the neko-jin. Breath ghosted over his stomach, the hard muscle clenching in response. One hand drifted lower, moving over unmarked territory, fully intending to claim it once and for all. Ghostly touches moved over his body, never lingering in one place for long. Tan hands clutched the bed sheets, trying to resist the urge to touch the body that was giving him so much pleasure. Moonlight came in through the window, washing the two lovers in its silver radiance. That one, teasing hand drifted even lower, brushing across the silken skin, driving his lover towards the edge. The darker, lithe body writhed in ecstasy, head thrown back with wild abandon. Lips brushed over his stomach, so near.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Rei sat up in his bed, breathing hard, lithe body taut with pent up sexual passion. He let his head drop back against his pillows, one hand running through sweat soaked hair. "Shit. I can't believe this is happening again." Shortly after he and Kai had separated he had started having dreams about someone. Over the past years those dreams had faded into obscurity, leaving him feeling empty. And all of a sudden, over the last six months they had come back with a vengeance, waking him in the middle of the night with their power and desire. Golden eyes slid shut and Rei let himself fall back into sleep.
*****
The ringing of a phone woke him. He rolled over and grabbed the phone eyes drawn to the clock at his bedside. 4:30. ~I'm going to kill who ever is on the phone.~ He moved to his back, one hand resting comfortably on his stomach. "Hello?" There was silence on the other end of the phone for several seconds before a familiar, overly cheery voice broke the silence. "Hi Rei." The neko-jin sighed silently, wishing that he could just hang up and go back to sleep. That however was not an option. He was far too polite. "Tyson, I have a question. What time is it at your place?" There was silence as the navy haired blader located a clock. "Ten. Why?"
"Tyson, it's four thirty in the morning here. I was asleep." There was a shuffling sound and Rei could imagine Tyson shuffling his feet and looking embarrassed. "Sorry, I forgot. Do you want me to call back later?" Rei pulled his braid out from underneath himself and started to idly play with the end. "No, I'd be getting up in another two hours. Don't worry about it. So, what's going on in your world?" He listened, only half-paying attention his friend's tale. More then once he found himself drifting off. "What did you say?" There was a sigh from the other end of the line. "I asked what's new in your life?"
Rei stared up at the ceiling, thinking. He had last talked to Tyson three months ago and Max shortly after his last conversation with Tyson. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen, or talked to Kenny. So he decided to start at the beginning. Tyson listened in silence, only making one loud, rude comment when Rei told him about dinner last night. "Bryan was there?!" Rei held the phone away from his ear, certain that his eardrum had been ruptured. He waited for the ranting to die down; knowing that it would be impossible for him to get a word in until his friend had calmed down.
"Tyson, calm down. Its not like he tried to kill me." There was the sound of something falling to the floor and a muffled "shit" following. "I know Rei, it's just that. I don't trust him. I mean, you have scars!" One of the neko-jin's tan hands reached up, brushing over scars that he had almost forgotten about. He looked over at his arm, the scars nearly invisible. "Tyson, that was years ago. The scars are almost invisible. But if it makes you feel better, I promise I'll be careful." He glanced over at his clock, nearly yelling. "Tyson, I've got to go. Talk to you later." He hung up the phone, knowing that his friend would understand and dashed into the bathroom.
*****
Rei pocketed his keys and pulled the door of the restaurant open, smiling as two children dashed through the open door, their parents calling out to them to be more polite. He shook off the adults' apologies, knowing that kids would be kids. The hostess seated him at his normal chair, taking the time to lay out four menus. He nodded his thanks to the waiter as a glass of wine made an appearance in front of him. He leaned back in his chair, eyes sweeping over the restaurant.
Despite the fact that it was a rather nice restaurant there were a number of families, many of them with toddlers. He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of someone pulling a chair out. Moonlight met gold and Rei nodded to the Russian, hand surprisingly steady as he picked up his wineglass. "Rei." The silence between them was slightly strained, but held a slight under current of companionship. Luckily they only had to wait five minutes or so before the other two bladers appeared.
For some reason Rei couldn't seem to focus on anything but the lavender haired Russian. Something about those pale hands seemed to click in his mind leaving him feeling warm and slightly confused. More then once he caught himself watching Bryan.
He managed to make it home with out embarrassing himself, much to his relief. ~This cannot be happening. I cannot be having those kinds of thoughts about Bryan. I can't.~ He felt tears welling up and he dropped his head on to his fold arms, trying to drive them back. The sleeves of his shirt quickly grew wet but he paid no mind. He drifted off to sleep, emotionally drained.
The buzzing of his alarm clock woke him and he reached one hand out, shutting the annoying sound off. He grabbed the phone and without opening his eyes, managed to dial the number for his office. It was several minutes before anyone picked up the phone. "Hey Danya. Its me." He listened to her question, a slight grin on his face. "No I didn't party all night. I'm feeling a little sick, so you're in charge for the day. All though tomorrow I won't have an office. I'll see you later." He hung up and slipped out of his clothes from last night, the shower calling to him.
~I can't believe that I called off from work because of that. I feel like an idiot now.~ The hot water rained down on him, turning his tan skin a lobster red. He was luxuriating in the steam when the phone rang. He was going to ignore it when his answering machine kicked in. "Rei, its Max. I just talked to Tyson. Pick up." Rei got out of the shower, nearly slipping on the slightly damp tiles. He wrapped a towel around his waist, and sat on the edge of the bed, phone in his right hand.
"Hello Max." Rei knew what was coming. Max was a lot calmer then Tyson in moments of crisis, but at times he could be worse then the navy haired blader. He started working through his hair, knowing that he was in for a long wait.
A/N: I realize that I should be working on Shapeshifters rather then this, but if I don't get this out of my head, Shifters will never get finished. I'll try to get the next chapter for both stories soon. I hope you all enjoy this. Until the next time, Sarcasmcat
Anything inside the ~~~~~ is either a flashback or a dream.
Rei pushed open the door to the penthouse, no longer amazed by the luxuriousness of his surroundings. After having been to the house ten times, the novelty wore off. He could hear Kai and Tala in the living room talking to each other and someone else. He slipped his jacket off and hung it on a coat peg. He entered the living room, stopping abruptly at the sight in front of him.
Kai and Tala were on one of the leather couches, casually curled together speaking with someone in Russian. The overhead lighting illuminated pale lavender hair, throwing the neko-jin into another flashback.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Stubborn to the end. And this will be the end Rei. Of this tournament, of your lousy team and of you!"
~~~~~~~~~~
Kai looked up to see Rei standing in the door to the living room, golden eyes staring into space and glazed with fear. He quickly glanced over at Tala who had also noticed the neko-jin's state. "Rei." The slate-haired blader watched as Rei came back to the real world, body painfully tensed. The neko-jin sat down in one of the armchairs, as close to Kai and Tala as he could get with out crawling into their laps.
"Kai, Tala," there was an almost imperceptible pause, "Bryan." The pale Russian simply nodded and the conversation started back up, although it was slightly strained. Dinner was quite and the food was excellent. Tala sat across from the neko-jin with Bryan next to him. Kai sat across from Bryan, effectively keeping Rei and Bryan separated. Bryan left shortly after dinner, leaving Rei with the other two Russians.
A warm hand settled on Rei's shoulder and started working at the tense muscle. He leaned back into the caress, purring. "Are you okay?" He nodded, looking out over the city, lights glowing in the distance. Tala joined them at the window and they stood in the silence, each occupied with their own thoughts. "Rei I tried to call you and-" Tala was cut off by the neko-jin. "Don't worry about it Tala. Somehow my phone got unplugged from the jack. I didn't realize it until ten minutes before I left." He glanced at the clock that hung on the wall. "I better get home. I do have to go to work tomorrow. Same time next week?" Kai nodded. "And Bryan will be there."
The neko-jin pulled his jacket on and smiled slightly. "I wasn't going to doubt it. I'll see you next week."
*****
Rei threw his keys onto the couch, too tired to actually worry about hanging them up. His coat followed the keys. He made his way to his bedroom, in need of a shower. His thoughts drifted to the past several hours. ~Dinner wasn't as bad as it could have been.~ He stripped his shirt off, tossing it into the hamper. ~I mean, he didn't try to kill me. Although last time it had been orders.~
Kai had visited Rei in the hospital shortly after the neko-jin's battle with Bryan. They had sat in a comfortable silence until Kai had broken it. The slate-haired teen had not looked at his bed-ridden friend, instead keeping his eyes focused on the white wall. "He didn't mean it" had been the first words out of the Russian's mouth. He had gone on, in edited detail, about his time in the Abbey. Kai, Tala and Bryan had been close friends when Kai had lived in the Abbey. Rei was not surprised to find out how the Abbey was run, something about Boris had be nagging at the back of his mind since the first time he had crossed paths with the man. Kai had left at the end of visiting hours, leaving the neko-jin deep in thought.
Rei turned on the water, making it almost too hot to stand. He quickly unbraided his hair and stepped into the shower, letting out a sigh of relief as the hot water pummeled his body, relieving the tension. He spent twenty minutes in the shower, just basking in the warm steam. He slipped into a pair of black sweatpants and started the long process of drying his hair. The moonlight was shining in through the bedroom window, covering the room in silver light. Slowly long fingers moved through ebony silk as his mind drifted. The moonlight reminded him of something but he couldn't exactly place it. He bradied his hair and slipped under the covers of his bed, drifting off to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Warm hands traveled down his sides, eliciting a moan of pleasure from the neko-jin. Breath ghosted over his stomach, the hard muscle clenching in response. One hand drifted lower, moving over unmarked territory, fully intending to claim it once and for all. Ghostly touches moved over his body, never lingering in one place for long. Tan hands clutched the bed sheets, trying to resist the urge to touch the body that was giving him so much pleasure. Moonlight came in through the window, washing the two lovers in its silver radiance. That one, teasing hand drifted even lower, brushing across the silken skin, driving his lover towards the edge. The darker, lithe body writhed in ecstasy, head thrown back with wild abandon. Lips brushed over his stomach, so near.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Rei sat up in his bed, breathing hard, lithe body taut with pent up sexual passion. He let his head drop back against his pillows, one hand running through sweat soaked hair. "Shit. I can't believe this is happening again." Shortly after he and Kai had separated he had started having dreams about someone. Over the past years those dreams had faded into obscurity, leaving him feeling empty. And all of a sudden, over the last six months they had come back with a vengeance, waking him in the middle of the night with their power and desire. Golden eyes slid shut and Rei let himself fall back into sleep.
*****
The ringing of a phone woke him. He rolled over and grabbed the phone eyes drawn to the clock at his bedside. 4:30. ~I'm going to kill who ever is on the phone.~ He moved to his back, one hand resting comfortably on his stomach. "Hello?" There was silence on the other end of the phone for several seconds before a familiar, overly cheery voice broke the silence. "Hi Rei." The neko-jin sighed silently, wishing that he could just hang up and go back to sleep. That however was not an option. He was far too polite. "Tyson, I have a question. What time is it at your place?" There was silence as the navy haired blader located a clock. "Ten. Why?"
"Tyson, it's four thirty in the morning here. I was asleep." There was a shuffling sound and Rei could imagine Tyson shuffling his feet and looking embarrassed. "Sorry, I forgot. Do you want me to call back later?" Rei pulled his braid out from underneath himself and started to idly play with the end. "No, I'd be getting up in another two hours. Don't worry about it. So, what's going on in your world?" He listened, only half-paying attention his friend's tale. More then once he found himself drifting off. "What did you say?" There was a sigh from the other end of the line. "I asked what's new in your life?"
Rei stared up at the ceiling, thinking. He had last talked to Tyson three months ago and Max shortly after his last conversation with Tyson. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen, or talked to Kenny. So he decided to start at the beginning. Tyson listened in silence, only making one loud, rude comment when Rei told him about dinner last night. "Bryan was there?!" Rei held the phone away from his ear, certain that his eardrum had been ruptured. He waited for the ranting to die down; knowing that it would be impossible for him to get a word in until his friend had calmed down.
"Tyson, calm down. Its not like he tried to kill me." There was the sound of something falling to the floor and a muffled "shit" following. "I know Rei, it's just that. I don't trust him. I mean, you have scars!" One of the neko-jin's tan hands reached up, brushing over scars that he had almost forgotten about. He looked over at his arm, the scars nearly invisible. "Tyson, that was years ago. The scars are almost invisible. But if it makes you feel better, I promise I'll be careful." He glanced over at his clock, nearly yelling. "Tyson, I've got to go. Talk to you later." He hung up the phone, knowing that his friend would understand and dashed into the bathroom.
*****
Rei pocketed his keys and pulled the door of the restaurant open, smiling as two children dashed through the open door, their parents calling out to them to be more polite. He shook off the adults' apologies, knowing that kids would be kids. The hostess seated him at his normal chair, taking the time to lay out four menus. He nodded his thanks to the waiter as a glass of wine made an appearance in front of him. He leaned back in his chair, eyes sweeping over the restaurant.
Despite the fact that it was a rather nice restaurant there were a number of families, many of them with toddlers. He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of someone pulling a chair out. Moonlight met gold and Rei nodded to the Russian, hand surprisingly steady as he picked up his wineglass. "Rei." The silence between them was slightly strained, but held a slight under current of companionship. Luckily they only had to wait five minutes or so before the other two bladers appeared.
For some reason Rei couldn't seem to focus on anything but the lavender haired Russian. Something about those pale hands seemed to click in his mind leaving him feeling warm and slightly confused. More then once he caught himself watching Bryan.
He managed to make it home with out embarrassing himself, much to his relief. ~This cannot be happening. I cannot be having those kinds of thoughts about Bryan. I can't.~ He felt tears welling up and he dropped his head on to his fold arms, trying to drive them back. The sleeves of his shirt quickly grew wet but he paid no mind. He drifted off to sleep, emotionally drained.
The buzzing of his alarm clock woke him and he reached one hand out, shutting the annoying sound off. He grabbed the phone and without opening his eyes, managed to dial the number for his office. It was several minutes before anyone picked up the phone. "Hey Danya. Its me." He listened to her question, a slight grin on his face. "No I didn't party all night. I'm feeling a little sick, so you're in charge for the day. All though tomorrow I won't have an office. I'll see you later." He hung up and slipped out of his clothes from last night, the shower calling to him.
~I can't believe that I called off from work because of that. I feel like an idiot now.~ The hot water rained down on him, turning his tan skin a lobster red. He was luxuriating in the steam when the phone rang. He was going to ignore it when his answering machine kicked in. "Rei, its Max. I just talked to Tyson. Pick up." Rei got out of the shower, nearly slipping on the slightly damp tiles. He wrapped a towel around his waist, and sat on the edge of the bed, phone in his right hand.
"Hello Max." Rei knew what was coming. Max was a lot calmer then Tyson in moments of crisis, but at times he could be worse then the navy haired blader. He started working through his hair, knowing that he was in for a long wait.