Hey guys! I know it really has been a while since I last updated any of my stories. But my life keeps be extremely busy. Some parts of the chapter turned out sappy in my opinion, but it still has its (hopefully) good parts. Anyway -

Thanks for the reviews people. 6 reviews! That is the most I got for one chapter since I write on this page. Yey!

Greg (House?) : I'm considering your ideas. I know Kai has punished himself far too much. In this chapter it is better. Your other two ideas. I anyway wanted to add something inthat direction. Maybe with a few modification so that it fits in the story... (Hint: Reread chapter two "Opening", the part were Sheila dances.) But thanks for your review. This is the kind I need to keep going. :)

Disclaimer: As usal: Nothing is mine - except for the plot and my OCs.

So, I think it is really, really time for the next chapter.

Chapter Four: Flavour?

Spotting a small café he motioned for her to follow him. And she did.

They chose a table near the windows. Seeing that the weather was not very nice only a few stray people were in the café as it was an ice café. Only seconds after they had taken a seat the rain started to purr down as if there was no tomorrow. Lightning crashed and the thunder boomed outside.

Kai was now the person being watched. Sheila's eyes never left his face and not even the smallest movement of the boy escaped her. She had found her way to read people. Sheila knew that Kai was an enigma to the world. She saw his cold exterior but she was not a person to get fouled easily.

I see that there is more to you than you let on. I've heard you team calls you sourpuss and ice cube. Are you really like the world sees you?

Unconsciously she had tilted her head to the side - a little a movement she always made when she was concentrating on something - or in this case someone. Kai Hiwatari was not a person to not notice when being watched and so he turned his crimson eyes away from the window and gazed at the girl opposite of him, with only a simple brown wooden table in between.

Sheila was not backing away and firmly hold his gaze without blinking. Slightly her lips turned upwards indicating a little smile before Sheila turned her attention away from the boy and reached for the menu sitting next to a vase with yellow flowers and a small white candle.

While she turned her eyes away and took a hold of the menu Kai watched her move. Every move was calm and collected. Mentally smacked Kai himself. What had he been expecting? That she was clumsy? She was a professional dancer. She knew how to control her body.

She flipped the menu – sheets of a light blue covered in plastic open and her eyes travelled lazily over the lines. It took her not long to chose before she pushed the menu gently over towards Kai. The Russian broke from his thoughts and took his turn in choosing what to order. He lowered his eyes to the letters in front of him before looking up briefly. "My treat." And then Sheila smiled openly, remembering that he had offered her this several days ago.

After hesitating a little Kai picked chocolate ice cream. He had often watched his team going for ice cream but had always refused to come along. So never in his life he had tasted ice cream himself and had always wondered what people found in flavoured frozen water.

But here he was. In an ice café with a girl and choosing ice cream. Three things he never thought were possible. Pushing these thoughts into the back of his mind to deal with them later Kai wondered what flavour Sheila had chosen. And how should he order for her? Since she was mute she …

As if reading his thoughts and noticing that a waitress was walking towards their table Sheila pulled the menu down so that it was lying flatly between the two teens and pointed at a short line of letters. Vanilla. Her choice of ice cream.

After Kai had ordered and the waitress left the two just sat there for a while watching the storm outside. The flashing of lightning over the waves of the ocean and the loud rumbling of thunder which reminded Kai of Tyson when he was once again hungry and his stomach gave away those nerving sounds.

Kai shook his head in half amusement and felt Sheila's curious eyes at himself. Turning to her he said. "Nothing. Just something that reminded me of Granger." A soft inaudible chuckle escaped Sheila and she once again smiled at him. In companionable silence both turned to watch the raging storm outside.

After their respective portions of ice cream arrived Kai hesitantly reached for the spoon next to the bowl since it was the first time in his nineteen years of life that he was about to taste what he simply called "just flavoured ice" – and he had grown up in Russia with a lot of ice around him.

Kai watched Sheila eat her first few spoons of vanilla before he looked once again at his own share. Meanwhile Sheila took in the sight of the teen in front of her and placed her own spoon down.

With her right hand she reached into the right pocket of her black simple blazer to produce a white sheet of paper and a pen. A few seconds later Kai's eyes read the one word written in neat clear handwriting at the left corner of the paper. "Try."

Surprise barely masked Kai looked up and found Sheila casually returning to her ice cream. Does she know? That I have never tasted it before? But how should she know?

Grabbing his spoon with a firm grip he scooped some of the cool cream onto the silver spoon and placed it into his mouth. Lowering the spoon he felt the ice cream slowly starting to melt in the warmth of his mouth. The taste of rich chocolate started to engulf his tongue and mouth.

For a brief moment Kai allowed himself to close his eyes, relishing in the foreign new taste. He had eaten chocolate before but very rarely. Thinking of it as a thing that was useless and made people lazy. And fat. But now that he tasted the ice cream he found that he liked the taste of it.

When Kai reopened his eyes he found Sheila calmly and slowly eating her ice cream spoon by spoon. She gave him a few moments of private – without looking at him – to get accustom with this new thing.

Kai appreciated it because he had let his mask slip for a moment. After making sure that his face was emotionless again he returned to eating. In silence the two teenagers sat there. It was a companionable silence and there was no need to speak.

Finally Kai placed his spoon down with a soft metallic sound. Sheila had also just finished her ice cream. For the first time since Kai had started eating Sheila looked directly at him. During their silence she had glanced up once or twice. But know their eyes met and Sheila smiled at him.

She did not expect a reaction from the teenage boy. She just felt that she wanted to smile at him. It felt odd but she could not help it. Sheila was not the type of girl to smile and wink at any boy crossing her path – in reality she was extremely shy.

But here she was smiling at a boy she just had met a few days ago at the beginning of the tournament. Slightly embarrassed she turned her head away and focused on the world outside the café. It had stopped raining. The dark clouds slowly made way for white puffy ones and the rays of the sun.

Meanwhile Kai watched the girl in front of him trying to figure her out. But that was harder than with the most people Kai had encountered in his life.

The sun reflected from the windows of the large building. The rain clouds had vanished leaving a bright blue sky free of any clouds. The air was clear and fresh after the rain. It smelled like spring.

Two figures walked out of the woods towards the high building of the BBA. A boy and a girl. Suddenly the boy stopped looking at the building. He had lost track of time and had underestimated the distance from the café to the BBA.

Sheila turned her head surprised when she noticed that Kai had stopped walking. She tilted her head to the right side gazing at him when he turned to look at her briefly before averting his eyes again. Then comprehension flashed in her light eyes. Stepping in front of the boy, she scribbled something on her piece of paper she always carried with her for interaction.

Kai rose his eyebrows when she showed him her writing. On the paper were writing some lines.

Try.

The rain has stopped.

I understand. I go first, okay?

Surprised Kai looked at the girl. Sheila smiled and wrote one more line showed it to Kai before shoving the paper back into her pocket.

She turned around and broke into a small sprint towards the entrance of the building, her waving behind her. Kai looked after her running form and slowly very slowly a small smile formed on his lips.

Shaking his head he started to follow the girl at a slower pace.

Kai, I'm sure you will win your next battle.

So, what do you think?

LadyOfTheBluePhoenix