He could taste blood.
Kai swallowed thickly before sitting up. He swore he could taste blood. The russian shook his head a little, wondering how long he had been asleep. Kai ran his tongue across his teeth...
Only his teeth were hardly there anymore. What in the world! Kai wondered before spitting out something in his mouth. Covered in blood and spit were four of his teeth. Kai continued to spit out more of his teeth, getting worried by the second. What the hell? Why is this happening? Kai panicked further.
"I don't know. You'd think he'd get uncomfortable sleeping there."
Kai looked round but he couldn't see anyone. Where was that voice coming from?
"Hey, sleeping on the sofa is easy. Heck! I've done it loads of times. You just gotta get the right postion."
Kai suddenly felt dizzy. The blood in his mouth refused to stop and if he got a closer look at his teeth, they looked like they had broken off. Chipped even. As if he had been hit by a car or truck. That's just insane. Kai's logic snapped.
"Ohhh? And what of postions have you been getting into? Hmmm?"
Kai tried to stand up but he ended up falling and smacking his head off the coffee table. Things were going bad...very very bad. Kai knew that at the rate things were going, he'd be dead before the two people knew about it. Funny enough they sound like Jemma and Bryan. Kai mused.
"I'm not discussing that with you. Just because I'm getting some and you ain't."
"Hmph! I do get some. You just have a steady girlfriend while I have a choice."
There was silence before a shadow fell over Kai. He tried to speak but nothing was coming out. "Kai-kun? Hey Kai-kun." Kai struggled to see who it was before something cold and wet was thrown on him. Kai...
...shot up and gased for air. "Geeze! You sleep like the dead." a female voice muttered. Kai groaned loudly when he found himself soaking wet and turned to glare at the culprit. Jemma smirked at him, standing with a empty glass in one hand.
"What's the big idea?!" Kai yelled. When the only reply he got was Jemma sticking her tongue out, the russian saw red and jumped over the back of the Sofa. Jemma squeaked and ran to hide behind Bryan who rolled his eyes at the child-ish games. "Why did you chuck cold water over me?" Kai inquried as Jemma peeked round Bryan's figure. Kai stopped and checked his teeth. They were all there which meant he had only been dreaming. A dream? It felt all too real. Kai mused.
"What were you dreaming about Kai?" The said russian turned to look at Bryan. "You were really moving around just a minute ago." The other russian pointed out. Jemma was about to open her mouth but the glare Kai sent her told her to keep her mouth shut. She pouted sourly.
"I dreamt I...I lost all my teeth." Kai muttered. "That's just stupid." he cursed to himself. Kai moved swiftly to his bedroom and closed the door a fraction. If anything, the russian was not going to stand around in a soaking wet outfit. Bryan tapped his chin while Jemma moved quickly to the bedroom door. "What are you guys doing here anyway? What time is it?" Kai called. Kai was half out of his wet trousers (His t-shirt had been discarded moments ago) when the door squeaked open. Kai spun round to see Jemma leaning against the door frame.
"8 o'clock in the morning." she muttered off-handedly. Kai continued to stare at Jemma who scoffed. "Oh come off it Kai-kun. It's not like I haven't seen you half dressed before. As for the reason why I'm here, I left a message on your answering machine. Bryan is here because he has some work for you." Jemma's child-like grin returned. Kai sighed and continued to get unchanged. He listened as Jemma moved swiftly from the door and walked over to the answering machine.
"You have two new messages." Beep!
"Konnichiwa Kai-kun! I guessed that you're asleep right about now so I'll leave this message for you. I'm going into town tomorrow and I figured that you need to get out more. Nathan-kun can't come so you're taking his place. I'll let myself in! Oh and Bryan will be popping round as he has something to tell you. Ja Ne!"
Beep.
Kai shivered as that message played again. When he reamerged from the bedroom he found both Bryan and Jemma staring at the machine. When the message ended, Jemma shivered violently. "That was freaky." she grumbled, rubbing her arms. Bryan turned to look at Kai.
"Someone playing a prank on you or something?" he inquried. Kai shrugged a little. Bryan shook his head as if to compose himself. "Anyway I came here to tell you about a little job. My niece just got married. She wants some photos done of just her and the groom so I said I'd talk to you." Bryan began. Kai nodded his head. When the smaller russian said nothing, Bryan leafed through his pockets for his check-book. "How much do you want?"
--
"Bryan seemed intent on getting you to do the photos."
"Hmm."
Jemma frowned. She hated it when Kai didn't speak. It was no fun having a one-sided conversation. "Okay! I'm sorry for pouring cold water over you! Do you forgive me?" Jemma inquried. Kai did not take his eyes off the road as he drove them into the heart of town. Instead he nodded his head. Jemma cheered. "Yay! My Kai-kun loves me again!" she giggled. Kai groaned. It was going to be one of those days.
"Why didn't Nathan offer to go with you?" Kai suddenly asked as he pulled into the car-park. Jemma turned away.
"He's trying to put himself in a sake coma. I didn't want to bother him since he gets a tad violent when he's drunk to much of that stuff." Jemma paused and wrinkled her nose. "Hate the stuff personally but Nathan-kun seems to love." she added. Kai frowned. There had to be a good reason why Nathan didn't want to join Jemma. The two were always together, almost joined at the hip.
"Any reason why?"
Jemma looked at her hands. "You didn't hear it from me okay. Nathan-kun doesn't like it broad-casted around." She glanced at Kai as the russian put all his thought into parking the car. "A couple of years ago, on this same day, Nathan lost his father and grandfather to a bunch of Yakuzas. Nathan was only 4 at the time, sort of hit him hard and he still blames himself for their deaths." Kai cut the engine on the car and stared squarely at Jemma.
"So drinking himself into a sake coma is suppose to help?" He asked. Jemma shook her head and stared at her hands. The car was silent for a short time before Jemma looked back at her friend. Another face-splitting smile was seen as the english girl quickly unbuckled herself. "You didn't answer the question!" Kai called as Jemma almost hopped, skipped and jumped out of the car.
"No time! Day-light's wasting!" Jemma replied and slammed the car door shut.
--
Kai trailed behind Jemma, his hands jammed inside the pocket of his jeans. His friend seemed more interested in the market taking place then any of the shops which had confused Kai to no end. What could Jemma possible find at the market? Deep in his own thoughts Kai bumped into Jemma when she came to a stop. "Whoa! Hey Kai, keep ya head out the clouds." Jemma giggled. Kai snorted.
"Whoes this then Jemma? A new boyfriend?" The stall owner quizzed. Kai turned away, a crismon blush on his cheeks. Jemma laughed again, shaking her head.
"Good heavens no. This is Kai Hw...just Kai. He's a friend of mine." Jemma replied, catching herself in time. She knew that Kai didn't like strangers knowing his last name. Not since the end of the tyrant rule of his grandfather. There were still some people who hated the Hiwatari blood-line. The stall owner eyed Kai before letting it slide and nodded his head. The two dived into a lenghty conversation while Kai looked over the stall. It made sense that Jemma knew the owner as the stall itself sold nothing by comics and magazines. Jemma had hordes of comics which had taken up space underneath her bed.
One magazine caught the russian's attention.
Kai picked it up, eyeing the frightening picture of a male with a shadowy figure behind him. Kai had seen that magazine before. Once at the coffee shop where a group of school girls were trying their best to scare each other. The stall owner raised an eyebrow as Kai opened the magazine. "You don't look the type to be interested in that old crap." The owner chuckled. Kai said nothing as he flicked through. Jemma rolled her eyes.
"That stuff's just a bunch of crap." Jemma grumbled. She watched in surprise as Kai bought the magazine and turned to walk to a nearby bench. "H-H-Hey! Kai!" she yelled. The english girl stomped her foot before turning to the stall owner. "I'm sorry! I'll seen you soon." The stall owner could only wave as Jemma ran after her friend.
--
Kai perched himself on the edge of the bench, flicking through the magazine. Page after page had the same type of photo. A shadowy figure that was not ment to be there. As he flicked further through the magazine, Kai wondered if the red haired male was also a spirit. But who is he? Why did he show himself to me? Kai wondered. Jemma panted a little before placing her hands on her knees. "You're getting a little out of shape for someone who manages a club." Kai muttered. Jemma flipped him off.
"Get bent!" Jemma paused to compose herself. "What's the big idea anyway? Why the sudden interest it that?" Jemma inquried. She sat down next to Kai, reading over his shoulder. Jemma had never bothered with anything spirtual and never brought it up around Nathan. In her opinion she didn't want to bring Nathan's Sake Coma day any earlier then need be. It still puzzled Jemma slightly as to why Kai would be interested.
"You remember that male in the photo?" Jemma scoffed as she sat back on the bench. "I think he may be a spirit." Kai informed. Jemma lazily swung her legs, biting her lip so that she wouldn't laugh out loud.
"You serious?"
Kai nodded his head causing Jemma to sit up. For Kai to be serious on something was a rare thing indeed. "He wasn't there when I took the picture but appeared when Hiro had finished with the rolls of film." Kai glanced at Jemma. "You finished here?" he asked. Jemma pouted a little before sighing.
"Even if I said no, you'd leave me here. You've got that look in your eyes." Jemma muttered. The air was silent before Jemma shrugged. "There's nothing here I wanna buy anyway. So where we heading?" Jemma jumped up and dusted her behind down. Kai rolled the magazine up and followed her lead.
"To the place where they publish this." Kai waved the magazine under Jemma's nose. "You been to the place before?"
"Sort of. Been past it a few times so I know the way." Jemma began to fish around in her bag. "Before we leave, let me just phone Nath. I do wanna know if he is still alive." Kai nodded his head and waited. He would find his answers.
Thank you to Blue957 & loner7803 for their reviews.