This is the sequel to "Just a Dream?" the story which a few people enjoyed reading. This one is not as graphic as it is taken from Kai's point of view. BUT it still has the same characters in it. There is a twist in it though. Please remember that this too is a one shot, there are no chapters in this story. So enjoy.
"Kai, don't leave me please. You are all I have left. After she died I just couldn't seem to focus. Kai, help me please," a soft voice was calling from the dark. Stepping forward, Kai walked into a hazy mist.
In front of him, a bright light was shining on a single spot. An altar was laid out in beautiful black marble. The light was illuminating a single figure. Fluoro pink hair streamed off the altar. A deep purr resonated around the area.
Hiding in the dark, a figure was watching him. Blazing gold eyes shone from the dark. Moving closer, he recognised the figure. It was his dear friend Rei.
"Rei, are you all right? I came looking for you as soon as I could," he was sure he could hear him. The eyes disappeared. A single figure rose and moved into the light. Tears had tracked down his face.
"Could you have not come any faster? I watched her die, Kai! I watched her die! It was like watching the life being sucked out of her. As time passed, her breathing became shallow," Rei's eyes were filling with tears again.
"All I could do was talk to her; keep her mind off the pain. Do you know how hard it was for me not to cry? I fought the tears and put on a brave face."
Rei was edging forward, his hands were shaking. A dark blue cat with white socks rubbed against the neko-jin's ankles. It had a sad look in its eyes. Looking his friend in the eyes, Kai reached out and placed a hand on the guy's shoulder.
"Rei, I wish I could have gotten here sooner but I got held up. I did try to,"
"What? Kai you always say that but you never mean it! Think about some one else other than yourself for once. We needed you! I still need you," Rei said after cutting Kai off.
"Rei listen to me. I now that you think I am self centred and cold but I," he couldn't finish what he was saying. Rei looked up at the Russian. His golden eyes searching the dark crimson ones of his friend.
"Kai, what's the matter? What are you trying to say? I mean, I stutter but that was completely not you," Rei was probing. Kai liked to keep to himself about most things, but he needed to talk to him.
"It might sound strange, but I think I," Kai was starting to say when something or someone decided that it was time to wake up. It was warm and soft. The warmth was emanating from it. His fingers could wind themselves amongst the hair.
"Kai let go of my hair. KAI!" they were yelling. They were loud. He just mumbled and rolled over into a soft down pillow. So warm yet so cold. The sound of padding feet faded of into the distance.
The feet came running back. Kai tried to bury himself deeper in the pillows, but it didn't work. Cold water was thrown onto the Russian and it was freezing. Bed sheets were saturated and now as icy cold as the water was. It was a living nightmare.
"Kai, I told you to get up. That doesn't mean 'bury the head into another pillow and ignore me'. It is almost 8 o'clock and you are mumbling in your sleep. You were going to tell Rei something," the pink menace started.
"Don't tell Rei that I was dreaming ok. As far as he knows, I am cold hearted. But why should I care of what he thinks anyway," Kai said turning his back on her. He was starting to shiver. It soaked through his pants, through his bed sheets and it was winter.
Turning slowly, he put on his stare and got up and walked to the closet to get out some dry clothes. Muttering incoherently to himself, Kai realised just how much he hated the pink menace. Her fluoro pink hair was so bright; it would put the sun to shame if it saw her.
After finally pulling on his scarf and winding it around his neck, he was ready to face her. The urge to hang her by his heavy scarf was unbearable, but he had to control himself. Coffee would do the trick.
He hated the stuff but it always worked. Rummaging through the cupboard for a mug and the evil coffee in a jar, he bumped his head on the shelf. Rubbing his sore head, Kai got up holding what he was searching for.
Closing the cupboard, he started the kettle. The pink menace was trying to open his chocolate milk, he glared at her back. She was making funny noises, and then she gave up. He always tightened it so it could not be opened. He was smirking at her.
Mariah turned around, "What are you looking at Kai?" She was rather pissed off at Kai. The look on her face said it all. Her pick eyes were in a frown and her body was tense. It was very pleasing to see her pissed off.
Maybe I should see how Rei is. Walking down the hall Kai turned off at Rei's room. He had the warmest room in the house, as he didn't like the cold. What is it with him and running to the bathroom now? Kai thought as he stood in front of Rei's door.
"Don't you even dare think of getting him to train. If you think that you can pull him out of bed so you can torture him for another moment on my watch then you are gonna get it buster. I don't care if Biovolt did bad things to you when you were younger. This is now and if you hurt a single hair on that perfect head then I will fucken kill you. Understand?" her eyes were dangerous.
Shrugging his shoulders, Kai opened the door and walked in. The neko-jin was lying on his stomach. His sheets had curved into his body shape. Lining his sheets. Shaking his head, Kai looked around and shut the door.
"Rei, wake up. Wake up Rei," Kai said quietly, "Rei for fuck's sake get up!" He was losing his patience with the guy. He was always asleep when he needed him the most. Glaring at the figure as it rolled over, it's eyes suddenly opened.
"Huh, what the hell? Oh it's only you Kai, what time is it?" Rei had realised who it was talking to him. "Why is it so late Kai? How come you only just woke me up?" He was asking too many questions and it was annoying.
"The pink menace said I had to let you sleep so that is why you are still in bed. She said she would kill me if I woke you up. So naturally I woke you up," he did not care what the pink menace thought. She was daft any way.
"I thought I said don't wake him up Kai! He needs his sleep. You trained him until he was half dead yesterday!" her voice was starting to squeak. He hated the squeaky voice, it was just so…squeaky.
"Mariah I asked Kai to wake me up so that I could train, not so I could get less sleep in the morning!" Rei had started to rise out of bed, but sat down quickly. Something was not right. Turning around he left the room.
"I'll be in the kitchen when you want to go okay Rei," he started to walk back to the kitchen. Chocolate milk was in order. Something sweet was needed to keep him going. The coffee hadn't kicked in yet.
Walking into the kitchen, he heard Rei scratching around in his room. Shaking his head, he opened his bottle of chocolate milk. The sound of Rei walking to the door was not masked by anything. Suddenly he ran off. Turning round he noticed that Rei had just run off.
Tightening the cap on the milk bottle, Kai walked to the bathroom to brush his teeth. "Rei, what are you doing?" Kai wanted to use the bathroom. His breath was awful and he knew it.
"Be out in a moment Kai," was the response he got. After about ten minutes the slight frame of the neko-jin opened the door and Kai had a frown on his face. Rei went slightly red and walked out to put his shoes on.
After brushing his teeth, Kai walked to the end of the corridor and stood at the door to wait for Rei. He had been awfully quiet and it was getting to him. The way he just stood there twitching was really annoying him now.
"Kai I have something to tell you," Rei said in the quietest whisper. Kai had just been able to hear it. The lift was noisy beyond belief. The look on the neko-jin's face meant that he really had something to get off his chest.
"I like you Kai, I really do and I…" he just trailed off into mumbles after that.
"Rei, I don't know what to say. This must be nerves from the world's. It sometimes does that," he really didn't know what to say. He had feelings for the guy but didn't want him to know. As the lift stopped, Kai started towards the gym. They had to begin training.
Kai heard some one coming. It was the pink menace. Without thinking, Kai picked up a dumbbell and threw it. It hit the floor in front of her feet. She bent over and picked it up, carrying it to where they were standing. The glare that came from her face was hilarious.
"Did you throw this at me Kai Hiwatari? If you did then I would suggest that you get psychiatric help. This is a gym, not a hit man's heaven," her voice was like poison. Rage was building up inside the Russian.
Mariah turned around and walked out the gym door and onto the street. The door slammed shut and the guys winced at the sound. Picking up another dumbbell, Rei started his training.
Suddenly a gunshot echoed through out the building. She fell over and blood started to seep through her light pink shirt. People rushed over to her, Kai and Rei just stood there looking on. No emotion was shown on their faces.
People were calling out for help, but they just watched as if it were a film playing around them. Unaffected, Kai picked up another dumbbell and handed it to Rei. Rei's eyes looked away from the street and looked to the Russian.
"You need to train, I am sorry for you loss Rei," his voice was not sympathetic as it was impossible for him to reach that level of emotion. The urge to start laughing at the incident was unbearable. It was almost comical.
"It was no great loss, she was always mean to you and me. Deep down I hated her," Rei was definitely showing no remorse for the incident and took the dumbbell off Kai and started to workout. There was obviously pain under that face. Sighing, Kai started counting the reps, which Rei was doing.
Mariah died before the ambulance arrived; it is only the first of many more to come.
Later that week…"Kai the paper is here!" Rei shouted from the kitchen. It had been one week since the pink menace had died. Kai's dream was repeating itself every night. He had to tell Rei. But how?
"Another shooting I guess," Kai said as he opened his chocolate milk, "Rei, I have to tell you something." He had gone rather quiet. Looking into the milk bottle, he sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought.
"Rei, I like you. I have for a little while. When you told me last week that you liked me in the lift. I didn't know what to say," he stumbled as he tried to speak. He wanted to laugh. He told the neko-jin that what he was feeling was from the world's.
"Fuck. Spit it out already Kai, we have training to do," Rei was getting impatient. He knew what he was going to hear. His face told Kai everything. Looking up at Rei, Kai put down his sugar-loaded chocolate milk.
Slowly, Kai got up and moved towards Rei. Clasping the back of his head, Kai kissed Rei. Rei embraced Kai. This was the best day ever. Maybe this is the start of something special for me, Kai thought to himself.
On the table, the newspaper was left unread. Another shooting had occurred. This time, it was another person they knew. Tala Ivanov had been shot. He was a close friend of Kai's from when they were young.
Walking hand in hand towards the lift, Rei smiled at Kai. Kai looked at the neko-jin and smiled. It was a warm smile that never came out. His whole face brightened. Maybe it was intuition, but I know I love him, Kai's inner voice said. This day might just turn out to be good after all.
"Kai, what are we going to do about Mariah's funeral?" Rei asked him as they entered the lift. Thinking to himself, Kai thought back to his repetitious dream. The black marble, the dazzling light that only shone on her. The pink cat that lay curled on her chest and the black one rubbing Rei's legs. Was this meant to help?
"We will buy a black marble altar and lay her body on it. Late at night, we will shine a light on it; it is to be the only light on in the house. Also, lets get some cats, it is too quiet around the house," that was all he needed to say.
Rei smiled at the idea and leant his head on Kai's shoulder. The scarf was warm and soft. Kai looked at the neko-jin and smiled again. Nothing else could go wrong.
Or could it?