Chapter 4 – Coffee with Grandpa and a Slow Dance.

Gou – Almost 4 months.

The holidays were over. Decorations were down and the world had lost the festive feelings. It was the beginning of January and everyone was more focussed on surviving the cold and losing the weight they'd packed on over Christmas.

Kai had kept his promise to Rei about coming to see the guys at practice when he could.

It was January 5th and he was currently in Tyson's kitchen while the others were freezing outside. It was time to feed Gou, so he had an excuse to stay in the warm. Tyson's grandpa was fixing him some coffee.

The old man burst out laughing as he watched the baby guzzle furiously at the bottle.

"Hahaha! That's it! Chow down, little dog!" he said as he sat opposite Kai and placed a cup in front of him.

"That was a great Christmas shin-dig you threw, Kai. Sweet digs you got too."

"Heh, thanks. Glad you had fun."

"But uh...while I got you alone, there's actually something I want to talk to you about."

Kai was intrigued. What could he want to talk to him about?

"You see...when we got back from your place, Tyson told me what about an incident with him and Naomi's room."

Kai tensed. He'd overreacted. Was grandpa about to rip in to him for it?

"Yeh...I overreacted." he admitted.

"You didn't overreact, son. You're grieving. And my knucklehead grandson was in your late lady's space."

"It shouldn't have been an issue for him to be in there."

"Let me ask you this. Do you ever go in there?"

Kai's eyes went from Gou to grandpa. He looked in to the old man's and wondered whether he should lie or not. He was such a genuine man, Kai felt the truth pour out of him before he really thought about what to say.

"Sometimes I hate even walking by the door. Other times I find myself going in there and just...well I don't know what I do there. Just be, I guess."

Grandpa took a sip of coffee, "That takes me back..."

"What do you mean?"

"When Tyson's grandma died, I did exactly the same thing."

Kai looked at him sadly.

"Being somewhere that's surrounded with their things makes you feel like they're going to walk in any minute, doesn't it?"

Kai nodded slowly.

"I'm telling you this, my man, because I don't want you to do what I did."

"What did you do?"

"I hung on too long."

Kai stayed quiet.

"Everyone grieves differently. And some people take longer than others. But what really set me back was thinking that if I cleared away her things, if I threw things out...then it was like I was throwing her out too. And I didn't want her to be gone completely."

Kai nodded. He knew exactly what he meant.

"When I finally did start putting her things away and clearing some things out...sure, it hurt. It was painful. But when it was done I felt like I had finally accepted she wasn't there any more, you dig?"

Kai dug. He just didn't want to.

"Maybe it's still a little too soon for you...but from someone who knows what you're going through...think about it. Ask yourself honestly if maybe it isn't time for some closure. Keeping that whole room filled with just her things and escaping there must be tempting. But it won't help you move on. Hell, she'll never be gone anyway. All you have to do is look at the little dog who just spat up on your shoulder."

Kai was so focussed on grandpa, he hadn't noticed his son had, in fact, spat up on him.

"Aw, man!" he whined. Grandpa howled laughing as he wet a cloth and passed it to him.

The younger gratefully took it, put his son back in his carry chair and cleaned himself off.

"Man, he really does look like you. When he's a little older I think it will be like seeing double. But you can still see momma in there."

Kai agreed. He really did take after him. But certain things were definitely from her.

"Mr. Granger...?"

"Yo."

"...how long did it take...to stop hurting?"

Grandpa sighed, "...it still does sometimes. I still find myself missing her. We were married over forty years."

Kai felt bad. He and Naomi had only been together about three. They weren't even a real married couple.

Grandpa read his mind.

"You can't compare your situation to anyone else. It doesn't matter how long you were together, or if she was your soulmate or not. She was your wife. You were close. You had a home together and had a child together. You won't just wake up one day and not care any more. But I do promise it will get easier. In time. And one day, hopefully not too far in the future, you will meet someone and be ready to move on."

Just as he said that, Rei came in.

"Hey, what are you two talking so seriously about?"

"Oh, baby talk. Just got spat up on." Kai said quickly.

Rei laughed at him.

"You guys done?" Kai asked.

"Yeh, we'd better head back, huh? You've got that call coming in at three."

Kai looked at his watch. It was already 2:30. "Yeh, we'd better get going."

"I'll just go get my stuff." he said as he left.

Kai got Gou ready to go.

"Thank you, Mr. Granger..."

"No problem. And think about what I said, won't you?"

"I will."

Rei appeared a moment later with his bag.

"Are you ready?"

Kai flashed grandpa a look and smiled slightly.

"...Yeh, I think I am."

Grandpa patted his shoulder

"...attaboy."

They arrived home just in time for Kai to get his call. It was from the Paris office.

Rei was stunned to walk through the living room to hear his friend speaking fluent and rapid French. He always managed surprised him. And it made him realise how even though they were close, he had barely scratched the surface on the mystery that was Kai Hiwatari.

He also discovered that listening to the blue haired guy speaking the language of love was incredibly sexy.

When the call ended. Kai sat for a few minutes in his own world. He thought about what grandpa had said. He looked out the doorway into the hall at the stairs.

Had he been dwelling?

Was he hanging on?

Was it not normal to be like this when someone dies?

Had he waited too long or was it still too soon to clear her room? It hadn't been four months yet...

Kai admitted to himself that it was true what grandpa had said. When Kai missed her, or suddenly felt overwhelmed by her absence, he went to her room and just sat. It really did feel like she was still there. But when he came out, the realisation that she wasn't there made him feel that much emptier. Going in there was a quick fix. But the comedown back to reality was worse.

Maybe it was time.

And there was only one way to find out.

He picked himself up off the couch and went to find Rei. He was, as he tended to be, in the kitchen.

"Hey Rei...do we have any boxes?"

"Uh, yeh, out in the garage. Why?"

"Oh...no reason."

Rei looked at him suspiciously, but let it go.

Kai excused himself and went out to the garage. Ideally he wanted to do it when Rei wasn't around. But he was afraid if he didn't start right now, he'd change his mind.

He found the empty boxes and brought as many as he could hold in with him and headed upstairs.

He opened the door to her room, turned on the light, and placed the boxes on the bed. He put his hands on his hips and turned around, looking around.

"I'm pretty sure if you could, you'd tell me to suck it up and just do it." Kai said to the Naomi.

He looked over to the shelf of old vinyls.

"Pretty sure you'd tell me to put some music on, too. Too quiet in here." It had been one way in which they had differed. Where Kai enjoyed peace and quiet, she always needed music or something in the background.

He walked over to the shelf and scanned them.

"But which one...?"

He flipped through them with his fingers and stopped when he saw the back of a Polaroid stuck to one of the record jackets. He gently peeled it off and looked at it. His breath got caught in his throat.

It was one of the few pictures that existed of them on their wedding day. Kai's suit was a little dishevelled, his tie loosened. Her dress perfect, but her hair a little messier than it had been at the start of the day. The two were clearly mid-laugh. A man with a big, cheesy grin in the middle of them with his arms around them.

Kai snorted, he remembered this.

(flashback)

This was possibly the saddest wedding reception in the history of weddings. The hotel was beautiful, the party was not.

Their wedding consisted of the two of them, their families, who they despised, and some of their business associates. Why they came, neither of them knew. They didn't know any of them personally. Probably to talk business. That's all these people cared about anyway.

After a few awkward speeches, the small wedding party began to mingle. The bride and groom wanted this to hurry up and end already.

They grit their teeth and bared it for a few hours before they'd both had enough. Naomi leaned over to Kai and whispered to him.

"I say we bail."

"Oh, trust me, I'd love to, but we can't..."

"Why? We've done what they asked. What are they going to do? Drag us back?"

"Wouldn't put it passed them."

"Fine...go tell them I'm sick."

"You don't look sick. Pissed off, yes. But not sick."

"Fine, tell them the bride is exhausted from all the joy and wants to go home."

"Pff, you tell them."

"You'll look like a devoted husband if you do it."

Kai looked at her, she begged him with her eyes.

"Urgh, fine, worth a shot."

Kai got up and went to find Voltaire. He was schmoozing with some fat businessmen he'd never met.

"Ah! Kai! The happy groom." his dickhead grandfather addressed him.

To anyone else he would have sounded like a proud grandparent. But Kai knew he was only happy he'd solidified a powerful business ally.

"Yeh...can I speak to you a second?"

Voltaire excused himself from the fat man and stepped to one side.

"Something the matter?" he asked cooly and quietly.

"Naomi is feeling quite exhausted. I think it would be better to take her home soon..."

To his surprise, Voltaire let out a horrible chuckle.

"Say no more, grandson, say no more...the newly-weds are eager to get back and commence their wedding night."

Kai screwed his eyes closed tight and tried not to gag.

For the first time in his life, Voltaire put an arm around his shoulders. His touch sent a horrible shiver down his spine.

"Remember, Kai. Laying with a woman is like a giving a proper handshake. You must be firm, put some assertion in to it. But don't be too hard."

Kai's stomach turned, he screamed internally and wanted to die.

"I'll uh, keep that in mind." because I'm now scarred for life with that speech...

Voltaire continued to chuckle as he watched his grandson return to his new bride, take her by the hand and lead her out

As soon as they got to the lobby, Kai loosened his tie. He could finally breathe. It was over. They were about to leave when Naomi stopped him.

"Wait!"

"What's wrong?"

"This was...just the shittiest wedding."

Kai laughed. "I know."

"All the pictures have people in them we don't even know."

"And? We're never going to look at them."

"We should have at least one good picture from our shitty wedding day." She protested. Kai smiled. He'd learned quickly his new wife was crazy about taking pictures.

She reached for her bag and pulled out her beloved Polaroid camera she took everywhere with her and set it up. He was surprised she'd bothered to bring it today.

She ran up to the guy behind the front desk. "Excuse me! Could you take our picture?"

The man behind the desk turned out to be a middle-aged, incredibly hyper, flamboyant Italian man. He looked overjoyed that he had been chosen to take a picture of the 'happy' couple.

She grabbed Kai and dragged him to where she wanted the picture taken.

"Oh! You such a beautiful couple! I can't staaaand it!" the man said dramatically as he pressed his hand to his chest.

Kai and Naomi snickered. Who was this guy?

Suddenly he burst in to photographer mode. Like this was some kind of weird photoshoot.

"Ok darlings! I want to see some passssioon! Sir! Put your arm around her! Come on...you know you want to! That's it! And signora, press yourself in to him. He's your big, strong husband!"

The two of them tried incredibly hard not to laugh. This guy was awesome.

"Perfect! 3...2...1..." there was a flash. "Okaaaay! I take more?" he asked hopefully as he took the picture and shook it.

"Sure! Go for gold." Naomi called.

"Ok! Ok!" he said excitedly "Next...uhhhh..." he thought about it, getting an idea, he snapped his fingers. "Sir! Pick up your beautiful woman! You are her prince charming, she is your princess!" he was a bit too in to this.

Kai looked at Naomi and shrugged before picking her up bridal style. Naomi burst out laughing before putting one arm around Kai's neck and holding the other one out to pose, pointing her feet.

"Wonderfuuuuullll!" he cried.

They humoured him for a few more shots.

"Umm...what's your name sir?" Naomi asked.

"I'm Gino!"

"Ok, Gino. Can we have a picture with you?"

"You want a picture with Gino?!"

"Absolutely."

Gino exclaimed something ecstatically in Italian before calling another staff member to come take a picture of the three of them.

He got in the middle of the two and threw his arms round the couple and grinned like a madman. The two continued to try and contain their laughter, but this was so ridiculously hilarious.

The flash went and Gino clapped.

The other member of staff gathered the set of pictures and handed them to the bride.

"Thank you Gino, you were actually the best part of our day." she said to him sweetly as she kissed him on the cheek. Gino laughed.

"My pleasure! Now go! Live! Love!"

The two left, and got in the car feeling in better spirits.

They arrived at their home that they'd moved in to not two weeks before. Kai still carried his wife over the threshold, only seemed right. The two then flopped on the couch.

"Thank god that's over." Naomi sighed.

"Seriously" Kai also sighed, ripping off his tie.

"Worst wedding ever."

"Agreed."

"Seriously not how I pictured my wedding when I was a little girl."

Kai turned to her. She looked pretty sad.

"A little late now...but anything I can do to make it a little less disappointing? Get you some cake? Gather some women to throw your bouquet to? Turn in to your dream woman and go down on you?"

Naomi laughed loudly at his sudden crudeness. She turned to meet his eyes and bit her lip.

"Actually there is something I always wanted to do as a girl at my wedding."

"What?"

"Come with me." She said suddenly as she took his hand and led him upstairs to her room.

Kai was a little scared what she was going to ask of him.

But to his relief she searched along her vinyl collection and picked one. She rolled it out the sleeve and put it on the player, taking the needle and setting it down. There was a soft crackle.

A familiar melody started playing.

She turned to him, the bottom of her gown swishing as she did and held out her hand. She looked beautiful.

"Dance with me?"

"When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we see"

Kai smiled softly. He wasn't exactly a dancer. But he could oblige this once. He took her hand and pulled her in close, wrapping her arms round his neck and placing his around her waist. They swayed together silently.

"No I won't be afraid
No I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

So darlin', darlin'
Stand by me, oh, stand by me
Oh, stand, stand by me, stand by me"

(End flashback)

Kai snapped out of the memory and was brought back to where he was.

The picture of the them and Gino was stuck to that very record. He wondered if the others they took were around.

He rolled the record out of the sleeve and put it on the player as she had done that night. The warm crackle was followed by the intro to Stand By Me.

Kai took a deep breath before turning back to the room and taking it in. Sadness filling him as he knew he'd never see it exactly like this again.

"Ok...you can do this." he said to himself. "It's time."

Downstairs, Rei was reading a magazine at the kitchen table.

His eyes glanced upwards as he heard music coming from upstairs.

He got up and went to investigate.

The music got louder as he reached the top of the stairs.

He felt worried as it dawned on him it was coming from her room.

To his surprise, as he got to the doorway he saw Kai with his sleeves rolled up, putting books in to boxes. His face a little damp.

"Kai?"

His friend looked up.

"What's going on?"

"I uh...I thought maybe this should be Gou's room. We never did make him a nursery...he can't stay in with me forever and this room is right next to mine, so..."

Rei's face turned soft and worried, this seemed so sudden,"...You sure your ready for this?"

"I think so..." his voice wasn't convincing. He rubbed his arm, seeming to second guess himself for a second, "No...yeh, I think it's time." he reaffirmed, this time more sure.

Rei nodded, he was glad his friend was starting to take some steps. He stepped in to the room.

"I love this song." he said gently as the music played.

"Yeh...we slow danced to this on our wedding day, right here in this room where you're standing, actually." he told him in a light voice, trying to cover up the pain. But Rei heard it.

"You? Slow dance?" Rei said jokingly in an attempt to keep the mood up.

"What? It was my wedding! Plus, it's not hard, is it?"

"I have no idea, never done it."

"Really?"

"Nope."

"Well then, I'll show you."

"What!?" Rei exclaimed.

"You want the girl part or the guy part?" Kai asked.

Rei wondered if his friend had suffered a blow to the head. But then he thought that maybe his friend just wanted to do something stupid and out of character to not feel so sombre. This was clearly hurting.

"Fine. I want the guy part."

"Shocking..." Kai sighed as he reset the record. The music began playing again and Kai took Rei's hands, pulling him in as he had done to her that night. He guided Rei's hands to his waist and put his own around his neck. They were near enough the same height. Their faces close together. Kai let out a chuckle, knowing this was stupid.

Rei fought a blush. Their bodies had never been this close before. How long he'd wanted to feel the warmth of his body pressed against him. His nose caught the smell his friend's masculine, slightly spicy scent. It was intoxicating to him.

Kai gently swayed his hips, Rei following.

Violet stared in to amber, they swayed a few more times before Kai smirked.

"And this...is literally...it."

"This is slow dancing?" Rei laughed.

"Yep."

They kept swaying...their eyes locked on each others.

Kai felt tingly.

So did Rei.

There was a tension.

There was a pull.

There was...a cry from downstairs.

"What the fuck am I doing?!" Kai yelled at himself as he the cry made him realise what he was doing and immediately pulled away.

"I'll get him."

Rei stopped him. His face tinged red.

"No, I'll get him. You stay here and do what you gotta do, Kai. This is important. I'll be downstairs if you need me." and he left the room.

The record stopped.

Kai was alone again. He let out a sharp exhale, kicking himself and wondering if he'd lost his mind.

If Naomi had seen that, he thought, she would have given him such an intense version of 'that look'. He could just picture it on her smug face. She always knew he had a thing for Rei, as much as she'd tried to get him to, he'd never admitted it. But she knew damn well. He could almost hear her voice mocking him.

"Pussy."

He looked up at towards sky.

"Oh...shut up." he bit at her, before going back to the book shelf and clearing it.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Again, inspiration from my playlist.

Gino is based on someone I actually met once. He was amazing.

Grandpa's speech based on what my grandma said after my grandpa died.

Thought it was about time to get the KxR ball rollin'.

Thanks for reading! Comments appreciated!