Over Night

Author's Note: This is the first fic I ever made after discovering I've edited it up but aside from that it's remained unchanged, so if it's not what any reader's of mine expected or it seems poorer than my other fics, I apologize. But it's what started me writing fics so I felt it deserved to go on.

Rei couldn't sleep. It wasn't due to the thunderstorm outside.

drip

What on earth…

drip

Ohhh…No, it wasn't from the small leak at the window.

SNOOOOOOOOOOOORE

Yes, it was from a certain irritatingly disruptive, disturbing, and also slightly disgusting noise coming from the opposite side of the room. The cause of said noise was a boy with dark blue hair, who was messily sprawled out on the mattress, blankets in disarray. A.k.a. Tyson.

Rei sighed as he heard another snore. It was loud anywhere in the room, especially with his sensitive hearing, and even after stuffing his blankets in his ears and a pillow over his head he couldn't get back to sleep.

The other members of the team were fine. Max had long since gotten used to it, and slept soundly. Daichi could get to be as loud as Tyson. He supposed that was why the younger boy was unaffected and also, still asleep. Tyson could sleep through anything but a chilli pepper in his mouth or the Team Captain. Speaking of which…

Kai couldn't sleep through Tyson's snoring either, obviously. He had requested—demanded, rather—a different room. Specifically, one he wouldn't be sharing with Tyson, Grandpa (Tyson's grandpa actually, but everyone just called him Grandpa), or Daichi.

Rei sighed again as he realized there was no way he'd ever get back to sleep. The clock read one in the morning. He stood and silently moved to the kitchen for a glass of water. A hallway light allowed the route to be barely seen in the absolute pitch black stormy night. He stopped as he saw another figure already in the kitchen. His excellent eyes allowed him to see Kai. "Hey Kai…" He said softly.

Kai stiffened slightly before relaxing again, realizing who it was behind him. Turning, he looked at the person who had spotted him. The only one he ever could relax around was Rei whom he greeted quietly. "Rei. Storm keep you awake?"

Rei felt a small bit of sadness at the sarcasm in Kai's voice. The day their Captain started showing anything remotely close to things like caring, friendliness, and consideration was a day that would never come. "Actually, Tyson's snoring kept me awake. I swear it's gotten worse…" He grumbled, without any malice towards Tyson.

Kai gave out the barest of a chuckle at his poor teammate's misfortune. "Here." He passed a cup of water over.

"Thanks." Rei drank the water quickly. Kai offering him something to help him gave him a small bit of hope as well as happiness, which together formed a warm, fuzzy feeling in him. If only Kai knew...Rei sighed. "Well, I guess I'd better try and get some sleep…" There was a large flash of lightning and a resonating, rumbling of thunder. The small night light in the hallway went out. It became pitch black for the two.

Kai sighed mentally. This would be a challenge, trying to make it all the way back to his room. Tyson's house had more turns than he liked, and with no light at all from the windows it would be pretty hard to tell doors apart. Or see enough to count them. A soft, warm hand on his startled him, and he cursed himself for jumping slightly. "Come on…" Rei's voice said from the darkness, "I'll lead you back to your room."

Rei didn't need to state the obvious: that he could still see. It was considerably darker, and considerably more challenging, but he could. And definitely better than Kai currently could. He gently tugged and started walking, his Captain only a step behind.

Said Captain was silent, mentally beating himself up. He had always had some sort of attraction to the Chinese blader, and it steadily became worse. He had caught himself—barely—just this afternoon when he almost brushed a hand through that long black hair. And those golden eyes…Did Rei even know how attractive he was? Maybe he did, but then again, considering his surprise at being the one with the most fans out of everyone on the Bladebreakers, maybe not. But he definitely didn't know about Kai's…obsession? No, that was too strong…Interest. Yes, let's just call it that. His 'interest'.

Rei opened the door to Kai's room. Kai was silent, he wondered why? Perhaps he was just angry that he had to have Rei show him the way back. If he was in Kai's position, he thought, then he'd be a little embarrassed too. "We're here Kai." Kai let go of his hand and stepped around him, but stopped in the doorway. Tyson's snoring could barely be heard now. "What's up?" Rei asked curiously.

Kai opened his mouth to speak, and words that Rei never in his life expected to hear came out: "Do you want to sleep in my room?"

Rei. Was. Shocked. To say the least, that is. Kai offering to share his room? With him? OH THANK WHATEVER DEITY IS UP THERE! "Yes!...Um, I mean, yes please." He corrected himself, trying to control his eagerness at getting a better night's sleep.

Kai raised an eyebrow at his friend's enthusiasm—wait, friend? Was Rei a friend? He had never thought of anyone as a friend before. Not even his old teammates. Rather, certainly not his teammates. But Rei…Rei was different. He didn't pry…too much, that is, and had respect for people's privacy. That was greatly appreciated, even though Kai didn't show it. And he was always smiling, a smile that would comfort, reassure, bring up the mood of others. But he wasn't overly happy like Max. Now that Kai thought about it, yes, Rei was who he considered as his one best friend. Who was currently very eager to get out of sharing a room with Tyson. "Go grab your pillow." He ordered.

Rei ran silently back to get his pillow. The blanket too. But the futon he couldn't really get so easily. Oh well, he'd be fine sleeping on the blanket, just as long as he was away from-

SNOOOOOOOOORE

-that. He ran back to Kai's room and stepped inside, closing it softly behind him. The power was still off, but Kai had obviously been prepared for such a thing before since he had a lit candle on the small night table (which was, aside from the large futon, the only real furniture in the room). The firelight cast a dim glow around the room, showing Kai lying on his back on his futon, half under the blankets so Rei could only see his white shirt.

Kai always wore the same thing to bed: loose blue pants and a loose white T-shirt. But he had the face paint off, and now Rei stared at the Captain's face. It really looked peaceful without the face paint. Although, the blue stripes added a certain air of mystery and a sense of strength that he liked.

One eye opened to reveal those stunning, piercing, grey-violet eyes. The firelight played heavenly in them, making Kai's eyes glow red of unworldly loveliness. Rei's breath caught in his throat. "Well?" Kai's voice snapped him out of whatever trance he had been going in. "Are you going to lie down or go to sleep standing up?"

Rei shook himself to snap him out of his thoughts and started walking over. He started to set his blanket on the ground and spread it out. "You can't be serious." Kai scoffed as he watched this. "You'll get sore all over if you sleep on the bare floor like that." Rei flushed slightly (or at least it seemed he did, it could just be the firelight playing tricks). "Come over here and blow out the candle while you're at it." Kai said gruffly.

Rei slipped under the covers on one side of the futon while Kai shifted to the other. Kai was remarkably warm. Tyson's snores were shut out by distance, two doors, and the storm. Rei sighed in comfort and drifted to sleep.

The next time Rei opened his eyes, the storm had stopped and the birds were chirping outside in the morning sunlight. He glanced at what he was using as his pillow in surprise. Some time during the night he had practically curled up around and over Kai.

Wait...Kai let me sleep in his room...in his bed...drape all over him... Rei was confused now, and he didn't like to be confused first thing in the morning. Why didn't he wake me up or do something about it? He wondered vaguely, thinking that perhaps he actually was and just didn't realize it, because there was no way Kai would allow someone to do this...

Kai waking up broke his reverie, however. The boy was a very light sleeper, and as Rei had shifted to look at his 'pillow' the movement caused him to wake up. Blinking as if ridding himself of the last traces of sleep, Kai's suddenly alert eyes met Rei's confused golden ones.

"Um, good morning Kai..." Rei greeted uncertainly, shifting so he was sitting up and not draped over the other blader.

Kai just grunted and sat up, moving out of bed to where he had a fresh set of clothes to put on.

Disappointed since he assumed that meant Kai was mad at him or something, Rei sighed and got up. Getting dressed was a good idea. His clothes were still with his futon where the other members of the team were sleeping. He slid open the door to the hallway.

"...Don't forget to move your stuff and put the futon away."

Rei looked back at Kai in surprise. So he could stay? And they would...still share a futon...? He blushed lightly in happiness, and had Kai been facing him instead of the wall as he pulled his shirt over his head the joy in Rei's eyes would have been easy to see. "Thanks, Kai!"

Rei made his way down the hall with a smile on his face. Okay, so maybe the day would never come where Kai started showing that he cared for something other than Dranzer. That didn't say anything about it not starting one night, however.

With a lightened heart and growing hope, Rei entered his old bedroom and grabbed his clothes bag, wondering if perhaps the future held something promising after all: Kai.