Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that may appear in this fiction, thought the ideas are my own. Also, the title is the name of a song by Bullet for My Valentine, in case you're interested.
Summary: Rei is dumped and goes to stay with Tala and Bryan for some much needed TLC. However, is there more between the three of them than meets the eye? What will Kai do when he finds out? Bryan/Tala/Rei, Kai/Rei, Kai/Brooklyn.
A/N: Right, this is the revised edition of Chapter 1 and therefore will not be touched by me unless I have a spelling mistake - please tell me if I do! :P I hope you enjoy it!
Waking the Demon
Chapter 1
Rei POV
I storm up to the front door and set my hand on the knob, intending to find Kai and give him a piece of my mind – not to mention one hell of an ass-kicking.
Hold up there for a minute tiger and think about this: Kai is extremely possessive, right?
Right.
So he's obviously not going to let you waltz in, say you're leaving and let you go without a fight, is he? Of course he's not so come up with a better plan! There's also the fact that you wouldn't beat him in a fight – you'd just make him mad and that's something you never want to see again.
(I should let you know that I often have these sorts of conversations with myself but there's usually a lot more berating and swearing at myself than there is in this one.)
So, deciding to take my own advice, I rethink my plan to three simple steps: one - get through the front door; two - get past Kai; and three - get to the bedroom: all without Kai realising and without bursting into tears…might be a stretch…
I breathe out slowly, going into the Zen mode I learnt from training in the mountains, and turn the door handle as quietly as I can, push it open just enough for me to slither through the gap, and shut it behind me noiselessly. Step 1: complete.
I creep along the wall to my left, rolling my feet to minimise the sound, until I come to the open door of the study/library, where Kai likes to spend most of his time. I quickly check to make sure he's distracted, and he's reading as usual – perfect. I race, very quietly, past the door and then stop to make sure he hasn't heard me…no sound of movement. Step 2: complete.
I tip-toe up the stairs (making sure to jump the eleventh one because it creaks) and pad quickly down one of the many never-ending hallways in the Hiwatari mansion. I stop outside an oaken door, the last one in the hall. I push it open enough to slip through silently. Step 3: complete.
Mission Complete – no detection from Kai and no tears…yet. Closing the door, I rest my head against it, and fight for composure.
Come on, get a grip God dammit! Wait until you've left – then you can fall to pieces without the humiliation of him hearing it… and you'll have Bryan and Tala to bring you plenty of chocolate ice cream. Hmm, ice cream…
Another deep breath and a shake of my head and I have my control back. I quickly change into sweat pants, a muscle shirt and a light jacket. Since I've been living with Kai in Russia for the past two years I've definitely grown used to the cold, though I'd still freeze if outside for any lengthy period of time - I'm not that acclimatized yet.
I had meant to search through the entire room (and house), gather up all my things and leave, only telling him I'd gone via a note; but one look at the mussed bed sheets that we'd clambered out of this morning, laughing and falling over each other, had my eyes shining and chin quivering. There's no way I can do this without Tala and Bryan's support.
I exit our – no his – room and once again pad down the hallway before coming to the carpeted stairs that lead up three storeys.
I take them two at a time until I reach the door that will take me up to the roof-top garden, and as I emerge from an almost vertical twisting staircase, this one metal, I look around at the surrounding greenery. This place has never failed to calm me, no matter how upset or annoyed I've been, but I don't feel the usual balm on my soul which I take as proof that leaving is the right thing to do.
Although, Kai created nothing short of an Eden – and all for me. He spent a countless amount of money making me my own place to retreat to whenever I want. There are plants and trees everywhere, it's almost a jungle up here; a creek flows bubbling from a huge fountain, twists through the garden in four spiral spokes and is then sucked down for the water to be reused; and a wooden-planked path runs twisting through the foliage to four stone statues come benches at, roughly, the cardinal points, which face out and protect the space atop the mansion. Obviously, you can't see them from the staircase, however, because of the vegetation.
I know which fork of the path leads me to which statue, having travelled each one many times; Kai's, Bryan's, Tala's or my own. Tala and Bryan have their own statues because they're very close friends and because Tala gave Kai puppy-eyes until he agreed to give them one each.
The path to the west (forward left) ends in a phoenix, wings raised and claws forward in an attack that none can escape: though above the claws there is sanctuary – a niche protected from the howling winds. The north (forward right) path leads to a Falcon, standing tall with wings folded, guarding the seat it perches on and anyone who should sit there. The east (backward right) one goes to a wolf crouched in the snow piled around its base: head turned to the left to act as a pillow for someone reclining in the lee of its body. The final statue, at the end of the south (back left) path, is shaped in the likeness of a tiger lounging on its right side but with an alcove to sit in between its front paws.
I walk down the most-frequented path to Drigger's representation and drape myself across the freezing cold back of my sprawling tiger; my head resting against his. I sigh, pillow my head on my hand, curl the other to my chest and look out over the freshly-snow-shrouded city below, recalling what Tala and Bryan told me that afternoon that's shocked me so much I still haven't fully snapped out of it…I'm worried what will happen when I do…
.:Flashback – that afternoon:.
I decide to go over to Bryan and Tala's because Kai needs to go into town for work: he's always going somewhere for work and it annoys me no end because it means that I can't spend as much time with him as I want to. Every time he leaves I ask "Do you have to go?" and he always replies "Yeah, love, I do. I'll call you before I get back." He pecks me on the cheek and walks out the door. It irritates me no end.
Anyway, I arrive at the dynamic duo's place around one and, smiling, walk to the front door to knock loudly. It opens quickly and Tala grins at me before scooping me into a hug.
"Rei! It's so good to see you. It's been ages!"
Let's just say that Tala's hugs are less than gentle, so before I can reply to that sentiment he needs to let go of me.
"Ah, Tala…I can't…breathe," I manage to gasp. He quickly lets go of me and holds me at arms length, grinning so widely it looks like his face will split in half. "It's so good to see you," he repeats.
I can't help but grin back at him. "Tala you saw me two days ago."
"I know, Kitten, but I just can't stand to be away from you for even that long!" He hugs me again, this time even more crushing.
"He likes to dramatise everything, doesn't he?" A sardonic voice remarks.
I look up to find Bryan leaning against the doorframe gazing at us. I mouth "help me" at him.
"Come on Tala, let him go; you're choking the poor boy…and besides," insert evil Bryan grin, "I want my own chance to feel him up." He winks at me.
Tala lets go of me in a flash and spins around, looking at Bryan with the cutest puppy-eyes he can manage. Bryan can never resist that look. His expression softens and he quickly swoops in to press his lips lightly to Tala's before pulling back and grinning at us both. "Come on; let's get out of the cold."
I smile at him and nod. "And I could really go for some of your famous hot chocolate Bryan." I give him kitty-eyes right up the same alley as Tala's.
Bryan rolls his eyes but he knows he can't resist. "I'll see what I can do. Do you want one too, Tal?" Tala nods enthusiastically and races into the house. We follow with grins on our faces: there's nothing the wolf enjoys more than chocolate.
After everyone has their drinks, we sit chatting and reminiscing for ages before they mention anything. Tala's just made a joke and we're both still rolling around clutching our sides with laughter when Bryan suddenly leans forward and says seriously "Rei, we have to tell you something" with a pained expression on his face. Tala stops laughing immediately and sits up, all trace of humour gone.
"What? Is something wrong?" I wipe off tears of laughter and dart my eyes between them, trying to find a hint of what they're getting at.
Bryan looks at me grimly and Tala's eyes fill with pity. It hurts to look at him, so I decide to keep my gaze firmly on Bryan.
He continues, "It's about Kai…"
My eyes widen. "He's not sick is he?" I see Tala wince and the pity double.
Bryan sighs. "No, he's not sick…" my relief, however, is short-lived: "he's been seeing someone else behind your back."
I stare at him blankly before looking at Tala: his face is completely serious. I turn my gaze back to Bryan. "Excuse me?"
Bryan sighs again and sits back, looking at me but not knowing what to say. Then Tala stands up and comes over to sit next to me, taking my shoulders and making me look at him. "Kai has been having an affair…with Brooklyn."
I feel like I've been bitch-slapped…or punched in the gut. My world has stopped. Time has stopped. Everything just stops as I try to process the news they've dumped on me. With this one piece of information a crow-bar has been shoved between me and Kai and forcefully ripped us apart: and it seems that Kai is the one wielding the crow-bar.
Despite this, I desperately try to find a loophole. "Brooklyn conned him into it right? He blackmailed Kai into it – he must have! Kai would never do something like that to me!" Tears form in my eyes and I valiantly try to shove them back down. "Right, Tala?" I look at him pleadingly, begging for him to tell me it's just a joke.
He doesn't. He just looks at me hopelessly and pulls me into a (more gentle) hug, rubbing my back soothingly. "I wish I could tell you it wasn't true, Kitten, but we have rock solid proof."
"What?" I sob into his shoulder, feeling like shit warmed up.
Tala releases me, though keeps an arm around my shoulders, and looks over at Bryan, who, I am surprised to find, is coming down the stairs; I hadn't noticed him leave.
"Here," he says softly, passing me a yellow envelop, like the ones you see in crime shows. I open it and pull out a stack of what appear to be photos. I flick through them and with each Polaroid my sadness seeps away and is replaced with white-hot anger until I can feel it pulsing through every vein in my body; I wouldn't be surprised if I was glowing with it.
They're photos of Kai and Brooklyn together. Kai and Brooklyn on a date at the movies; Kai and Brooklyn at a restaurant; Kai and Brooklyn entering the Hiwatari mansion; Kai and Brooklyn laughing outside Kai's bedroom door…I stop at that one, throw the others on the coffee table, and stare at it. Kai's laughing as he tries to turn the door handle, looking at Brooklyn who's collapsed against the wall beside him in silent hysterics, a hand over his mouth. I don't question how they managed to take the photo: I just stare at it.
Tala reaches over and pries my fingers off the photo I hadn't realised I was gripping with a death wish. I can't see clearly and when I blink I feel something wet against my cheek. Am I crying? I guess they must be tears of anger because I'm so full of rage there isn't room for any other emotion, much less grief.
I slowly stand up, staring down at the photos. "Burn them," I command in a quiet voice. "I never want to see them again." And I stalk out of their apartment.
.:End Flashback:.
I'm pulled back from reminiscing by the sound of footsteps creaking the planks of the path. I don't move. They stop at the end of the path and I hear a sigh. I still don't move.
"I thought I might find you up here," a voice says softly. I quiver slightly, but then stay motionless.
"Why didn't you come see me like you usually do when you come home?" he questions, still in that quiet voice, but with an undercurrent of annoyance now.
I don't reply. But when I hear him walk closer, my eyes begin to water, so I clench them tight.
"Rei, is everything al–"
"I know." I cut him off, not able to stand the façade anymore.
I feel more than hear him freeze where he stands, about four metres away from Drigger's back.
"What do you know?" he asks cautiously, taking a step towards me.
"Don't play dumb, Kai." I still won't look at him.
He moves closer to me. "…How'd you find out?"
That does it. I roll off Drigger's back lithely and stand, staring at him incredulously. "That's all you can say? 'How'd I find out?' How the fuck do you think I found out?!" My fists clench as I glare at him in hatred and hurt. I start to shake with rage when he pauses for a few seconds before speaking quietly. "Brooklyn told you, didn't he?"
I stop shaking in surprise. "What?"
"He wasn't happy about me cheating on you, but he loves me enough to trust me. He's the only other one who new, so it must've been him."
I shake my head and smile grimly, a horrid twist of the mouth. "No, Kai: Tala and Bryan told me."
"What? Tala and Bryan? But they didn't know…" Some sort of realisation must've struck him because his hands clench into fists and he practically snarls. "Bryan! That bastard! I'll fucking kill him!"
I growl loudly at him, the sound coming from the depths my chest. "What the fuck Kai?! You're the one who should be murdered, not him! I'm just glad he and Tala took pity on me and blurted it out – put an end to the charade…" my eyes start to water, "…how could you Kai? For the past two years you've been saying that you loved me: that must have been a lie or you wouldn't be going off with someone else!"
He takes another step forward and reaches out to comfort me, but I pull back quickly.
"Don't touch me," I speak harshly; changing my attitude yet again.
"Rei, please, just listen to ––" He begins but I cut him off.
"No Kai. I'm not going to listen to you after you've broken my heart." My voice cracks and I run past him before he can stop me. I hear him call out for me to wait. Huh, as if. I'm never ever going to listen to anything he has to say ever again.
I run as fast as I can down the five flights of carpeted stairs, out the front door and into the snowy street. He hasn't caught up even though I heard him on the stairs chasing me. I hear him call out again as I reach the footpath and feel the first snowflakes on my face. I ignore him and run as fast as I can.
I run and run until my muscles are burning and I just can't any more. I look left and right and dash through the traffic, slipping down an alley as far away from the inner-city mansion as I can reach.
I stop halfway down the alley and lean my back against the wall, panting and clutching my stomach muscles, which are burning. I scrunch up my face in pain and anger and swirl, smashing my right fist into the brick wall repeatedly until my knuckles are torn and bleeding: the bone could show for all I care. Then I start on my left fist. Once both hands are painfully bruised and bloodied I turn back around and sink down to the ground, holding them to my chest. I try, unsuccessfully, to quieten my sobs and stem my flow of tears as it's starting to hurt my throat.
Then realisation hits me with a blast of icy wind: I am in Russia, in the streets, a blizzard is coming and I'm wearing nothing more than sweatpants, a muscle shirt and a light jacket. Not to mention that my hands hurt like hell.
I shiver and huddle into a tighter ball.
'Shit' I think as another gust of wind blows down the alley, making me shiver more violently and my hands to sting sharply. I stare at them, wishing that it had been Kai's face I'd punched instead of a brick wall. 'Damn you Kai…damn you to Hell…and Brooklyn too…'
Little did I know that there was someone who was willing to do just that.
A/N: So, does it flow better now with the flashback in the middle and not the end? Any and all reviews are welcome :) Thanks for reading!!
