Right. It's slightly past quarter to 2 in the am. But I figured I might as well post this. I've got new storyline and its been writing itself out in my mind but I promised I'll finish this one before I embark on a new project. The horrible news is my old com (i got a new laptop in compensation, YAY!) erased the rest of this story, as well as everything else, so from here on will be my attempt at regurgitating the story.

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If someone held him at gunpoint and asked him the moment he fell in love with a certain Chinese blader who went by the name of Rei Kon, Kai would have been screwed.

The moment he clapped eyes on the tanned, dark-haired boy, Kai was caught under the teen's spell. Kai, naturally, had been displeased. He had worked so hard till that point and he wasn't about to throw it all away for some second-rate blader. He pushed Rei, and the rest of the Bladebreakers away but Rei always bounded back with the same pleasant smile.

At the beginning Kai often wondered why he even agreed to the captaincy of the newly formed team. Tyson was noisy, lazy and a glutton. Max was always hyper and often made Kai wonder if he was coked out of his mind. Kenny was a nerd and a slave to the laptop he seemed surgically attached to. Rei… was Rei, calm, collected and understanding, way more normal than the other three. Maybe because of that and Kai's intrigue that he had more tolerance and respect for Rei than the rest of the geek squad.

But it was really during the European tournament with the Majestics did he really form a bond with Rei. By then his observation had turned into an annoying crush and Rei was extremely aware of it yet he did nothing but subtly tease his captain.

Of course, it never occurred to Kai to try and resist the charms of one Rei Kon. By the time the World Championships had rolled round, they were dating. A few stolen kisses here, a full-blown snogging session after curfew, a quick grope during a group movie-slash-sleepover-slash-bonding session and then Kai did the unthinkable. He upped and left his current team to join the Demolition Boys.

Rei flat out refused to see him during that period and Kai didn't bother to look him up especially after taking Lee, Rei's best friend, head-on. They had met purely by accident (Rei called it fate) a day before Kai issued the challenge against the Bladebreakers.

It bothered Kai that his mind was overjoyed to see Rei and even more when Rei smiled. '"I forgive you,"' Rei had told him before he disappeared back in the crowd.

His heart had been in his throat and mouth when Bryan took Rei on. Having been in the Abbey years ago and reacquainted with his not-quite-friends, Tala and Bryan, Kai had been worried for Rei. His exquisiteness, charm and aura of innocence attracted Bryan like bees to honey and Rei won but ended up worse for wear.

Bryan did show up the following night to apologize but Kai had sent him away, making a decision on an unconscious Rei's behalf. He was baffled when he had told Rei and Rei had immediately gotten angry and scolded him for being prejudiced.

They had their first big argument there and it looked like their relationship, if it could have be called one, was over when Kai had his epiphany. He honestly loved Rei and he'd be damned if he would let anyone, much less Bryan, be the end of his and Rei's relationship. He had gone back to the hospital to find a weepy Rei who pretty much felt the same. They came out a couple of weeks later, much to the dismay and horror of the pink fiend, Mariah, and his grandfather. Not that either opinion mattered to them.

Kai stared at the ceiling broodingly. The only light was the red glow at the end of his cigarette. Rei hated the smell of it and abhorred smoking. Kai had obligingly agreed to smoke only outside the house or spare room on the first floor.

The house was dark and quiet, it was devoid of the homey, feel good feeling it usually exuded. Kai never realized that it was Rei's liveliness that brightened up the big home. Somehow knowing that bit of information didn't make him feel any better, in fact it made him feel worse.

Tyson had called up the house a couple of times after Kai had curtly told him that Rei was no longer with him after the second call. At first he had been outraged, yelling at Kai and insisting that Kai must have hurt Rei somehow and threatened to come down. But around the fourth or fifth call, he had sounded sheepish and even mumbled an apology.

It irked Kai that Tyson, or Max, had called Rei up and gotten Rei's side of the story. Yet Kai wasn't about to stoop down and ask them what Rei had said. Kai Hiwatari didn't owe them anything and he didn't want to start now.

Thankfully he didn't have to spend the day moping around. He had plenty of work to focus on during the day and sometimes nights but it was the weekends that dragged on and gave him plenty of time to mull and replay that scene he wanted erased from his mind.

He had bumped into Tala during the week and it took quite a fair bit of will power not to punch the redhead's smirking face. Instead of returning to the office, Kai had spent the next two days smoking pack after pack of cigarettes as he stayed away from reality.

Kai snorted, how pathetic he had become. He had spent fourteen years without ever knowing Rei, a year travelling with Rei and another year and a half together with Rei and now a month without Rei later, he was falling apart. How the mighty have fallen, the walls and empty rooms seemed to mock him.

Casually stubbing out the cigarette, Kai threw it out of the window and into the shrubbery. Maybe for once the gardener would have a proper job to do.

His chauffeur looked surprised to see him but hurried to open the back passenger door. Kai waved him away irritably as he slid into the driver's seat. He would go and find Rei at his workplace. He had enough of waiting and of whatever mind games Rei had thought up. He would find Rei, talk to him and bring him back.