A/N: Told you I'd update ASAP after that one. Hope you like this.
"Am I interrupting something?" The red-haired blader asked, sounding totally innocent.
"Ye-" Rei found himself cut off.
"No, of course not." No elaboration, no excuse, and no regard for Rei. It never occurred to him that the Chinese boy would have felt differently, and Rei had fallen silent so quickly that he didn't have time to even really notice that the boy had been speaking.
Rei got up for a moment and grabbed another chair wordlessly, setting it near to the bed, he folded back into his own chair, without speaking. Tala took the newly moved chair, shaking his head. "I could have moved it, you didn't have to get up."
"It was nothing." Rei responded tightly, glancing over at the red head before looking back at Kai.
"Rei, are you upset about something?" Kai asked, sounding almost concerned.
"No, nothing Kai. I was just a bit surprised to see Tala." He said, flashing a smile.
"Hn." Was Kai's simple response. He's lying. But I don't know why. And I don't want to call him on it, not with Tala here. Tala can't make heads or tails of Rei, not the way I can. Comes from sharing a room with him, and from analyzing his every move. I don't even know if he's- wait. I have Tala and Rei in the same soon. If he is he's bound to notice Tala's … what have I done now?
"So, What were we talking about?" Tala asked.
'WE weren't talking about anything. Kai and I were discussing the purpose of my visit. And I don't want you to be a part of it. Rei's thoughts were dark, but he avoided looking at the red head. "Not much, I hadn't been here very long yet."
"I see, so Kai, how are you feeling?" Tala focused his attention on Kai, half ignoring Rei.
"Like hell. What do you expect?"
"Why'd you do it?"
"Voltaire and I had a … disagreement."
"About?" Rei interjected.
"Personal life choices." Kai responded.
"He found out?" Tala said.
"Of course he did. You're bloody obvious, you know." And you knew better than to say that in front of Voltaire, I could have held it off at least another two or three months if you knew how to shut up.
Personal life choices. He found out? You're bloody obvious you know? The words repeated in Rei's mind several times before a coherent conclusion followed. Their together. I...I knew Kai was gay. I knew I was right, though it was never confirmed. But....I didn't expect this. I should have. Tala's a better match for him, any day. "So you two...?" Rei's words trailed off as both Russian's turned their gazes upon him.
"Are we really that obvious?" Tala questioned.
"You are." Kai responded calmly, barely managing to keep his voice emotionless. I didn't expect Rei to pick that up so quick. I wanted time to tell Tala that it wasn't working.
"Only if you know what to look for." Rei added, after Kai had finished speaking.
"And you do?" Tala challenged.
"I've been watching mates get selected for years. Yeah, I'd say I do know what to look for." Rei rose to the challenge, turning his burning golden gaze to the red haired Russian male.
"Watching mates get selected," Tala repeated slowly, "you make us sound like animals."
"Tala, watch it. You don't know what you're talking about." Kai warned carefully.
"My village. We take a mate – I've been watching people pair off. Normal, and my those of my village. The only difference is permanency. We date, but once we settle down, we settle down with one person for the rest of our lives.
"Like a married couple, why couldn't you say that?" Tala seemed to be ignoring Kai's warning.
"You wouldn't understand. You aren't open minded enough." Rei said coldly.
"Are you insulting me?"
"Depends."
"ENOUGH you two!" Kai snapped. "Behave, will you?"
Both Rei and Tala looked immediately to Kai.
"Yes, Kai." Rei said quickly, seeming to shrink down into himself a little. Now I no I pissed him off. He never yells at me like that. Usually, it's reserved for Tyson.
Tala snorted, "Subservient much?"
"Drop it." Kai ordered, crimson eyes flashing at Tala. "I was enjoying our conversation before you two did that." Whoops. Said that one out loud, didn't I? Well, it wasn't that incriminating. I should still sound annoyed enough that it doesn't make a difference.
"I should leave you two," Rei said quietly then. "I'm sure you have a bit to talk about. I'll come back...tomorrow sometime," He stood up and walked out before Kai could really respond.
"That was smooth, Tala." Kai said coolly.
"He was being -"
"No, you were."
"Bryan?" Rei said, sounding questioning as he approached the door to his hotel room, where the lavender haired blader leaned against the wall.
"I wanted to talk to you." Cold. Emotionless. It was worse than Kai's, because where Kai was simply hiding emotions, it seemed that Bryan had none.
"Alright." Rei said, unlocking the door and motioning for Bryan to follow him in.
"I haven't seen you, since we fought." Bryan said, cutting straight to the point. "While I am not sorry I gave my all to beat you – I do apologize for damaging you so intensely in the process."
"It's nothing. I understand." Rei said, good naturedly.
"You are, angry about something." Bryan said calmly.
"I am. But it's not about you."
"It's Tala and Kai, no?"
"You're good." Rei responded quietly.
"Practice. In learning to suppress my own emotions, I learned to analyze those emotions in other people. You don't need to worry. Friends they may always be. But they will not last as lovers long."
"What do you mean?"
"Kai and Tala...are too alike in the things that will tear a relationship part, and too different in the things that will keep it together. Their temperaments, for example. I'm amazed they haven't gotten into a fight nasty enough to actually hurt each other."
"Oh. I hadn't thought of that."
"You are Chinese – do you understand the concept of Yin and Yang?"
"Yes, I believe I do, at any rate."
"They are too alike to create harmony. You need a little Yin and a little Yang to create true balance."
"One cannot exist without the other." Rei added to his words slowly, to see if he had actually gotten the other boy's point.
"Exactly." Bryan sounded a little triumphant.
"Tala, that was really rude of you."
"You said I wasn't interrupting anything, Kai."
"You weren't, but then you went after him."
"He was being weird."
"That's Rei for you." Kai said coolly. "I'd appreciate it if you tried to get along with him. He's a friend of mine."
"He doesn't think of you as a friend. He wants you as a possession."
"Rei's not like that. And you're wrong. Rei's straight. Trust me."
"Hm. We'll see."
A/N: Thanks to Kinomiya's "Intruding Russians" for ideas of how to portray Tala – because I would have never had a clue, and he would have been very...undefined. And thank you all for your reviews so far, you have no idea what it means to me.
Don't kill me. I swear, it will get better. Next chapter is Rei's return to the hospital.
