Hey everyone! Happy New Year!
Sorry it's been so long since I updated this story last! Been really busy and working on other stories.
Not sure when I'll be able to update this one again either, but will try and get it done asap!
Thanks to those who reviewed! I really appreciate it!
Without further ado, here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 12
The Wrath of Kon
A little after 8am, Yui stepped out her front door to take out the trash.
As she carried the bag down to the end of the pathway, where everyone dropped it off, she saw a familiar, old face.
"Good morning, Mr. Chen!" she greeted politely.
"...Morning, Mrs Kon..." he grumbled at her.
She frowned. Mr. Chen lived near by, and was usually rather upbeat and cheerful.
He came over to her.
"...Ray isn't staying with you, is he?" he barked.
She blinked.
"...No...he lives about ten minutes down the track with his partner...why?" she asked.
"I got word from the girl who ran the bar last night...your son had quite the evening with his little friend..."
Yui's frown got deeper.
Her Ray wasn't a drinker...?
Kai woke up, curled up on the sofa.
He blinked his eyes, waking himself up and groaned as he stretched his sore muscles after sleeping in an awkward position all night.
His neck and back were killing.
He sat himself up and rolled his neck to try and loosen the muscles, letting out a sigh as memories of last night came back.
It had gotten pretty heated...again...
He rubbed his hands over his belly and looked down, catching a glimpse of the ring on his finger.
...Things had to get better...
Getting married while things were like this? Not to mention bringing a child in to it..
...Did he even want to get married?
After all...why would you marry someone who wasn't on your side?
A frown cracked across his brow.
….or preferred to be around someone else...
His head snapped to the doorway as sudden banging met his ears.
Who could that be at this time in the morning?
He shuffled himself over the edge of the couch to help get himself up easier and winced as a stab of pain twinged in his lower back.
He reached both his hands back and pushed them in the sore spot, waddling his way to the door and opening it, peering around it.
Ray's mom stood looking livid...Until she got a look at her son-in-law...
Her face softened in an instant.
"Morning, Kai! I'm sorry...did I wake you up?" she asked apologetically as she took in his dishevelled appearance.
"Oh, no...I'd just woken up...come in..." he offered as he let her in.
She accepted and stepped in, kicking off her shoes and watching him waddle towards the living room holding his back.
She smiled affectionately.
"...Backaches finally kicking in?"
"Apparently..."
She stepped in to the living room and frowned as Kai was quickly taking off a blanket and pillows from the couch.
"...Did you sleep on the couch?" she asked with a darker voice than before.
Kai tensed...did he tattle on Ray to his mom?
...As tempting as it was, he decided against it.
"...Yeh...I just couldn't sleep last night...came down here..."
Yui's eyes narrowed.
"...that wouldn't be because my idiot son decided to drink himself stupid last night, would it?"
Kai's face answered her question in an instant.
Her frown deepened.
"...I take it he's still asleep?"
Kai nodded.
She shook her head and stormed to the kitchen to fill a bowl with water...coming back and holding it out to Kai, smirking.
"Would you like to do the honors?"
Kai smirked back...
Snoring echoed the room.
He shook his head as he looked down at him, splayed out like a starfish across the bed, dried drool down the side of his mouth.
The horrible smell of stale booze in the room.
He extended his arms, holding the bowl directly over his head.
And tipped it...
The cold water smashed in to his face and startled him awake, disorientated and shocked.
He spluttered and flailed before gasping.
"KAI! What the fuck!?" he shrieked angrily as he got up on to his knees, feeling his head spin.
Kai painted on a fake, sweet smile.
"Good morning, honey!"
The few glorious seconds of feeling fine wore off...
Nausea and a pounding in his head struck.
"Why did you do that? ...Asshole..." he whined as he flopped himself down on the dry part of the bed.
"Because it's time to wake up..." Kai said ever so softly, "You have a visitor..."
Ray opened his eyes again and frowned.
"...Tell them to get lost...it's too early..."
Kai tutted.
"...That's no way to talk to your mother, is it...?"
His smug smirk grew as he caught the annoyance in his eyes turn in to a flash of fear.
Kai leaned over, hovering above him.
"...And she knows..."
Ray's pupils turned to pinholes as he felt a thunder of fear.
...He was in trouble...
He jumped out of bed, throwing off the clothes he'd fallen asleep in from last night and rushing to find fresh ones.
"Did you tell on me?!" he yelled at him as he threw open the closet door and rummaged for clean clothes.
Kai folded his arms and watched him, amused.
"Nope...apparently the owner of the bar you threw up all over lives close by...he wanted your blood and she told him she'd do it herself..." he gladly informed him.
Ray felt the bile churn in his stomach.
That's right...he'd decorated the place in puke...
He was in BIG trouble...
"Shit..." he hissed under his breath as he continued to search, "Damnit, where are my boxer shorts?!" he asked impatiently.
Kai cocked a brow.
"...Ooops...guess I didn't wash your clothes...baaaad housewife..." he scolded himself playfully.
Ray turned and glared at him.
"There's none clean!?"
Kai shrugged.
"...What can I say...the great Kai Hiwatari didn't feel like washing your dirty undies..." he replied sarcastically, throwing back a comment Ray had made last night back at him.
Ray glared harder...his fuzzy head prevented him from coming up with a response...so took the easy option.
"...You're such an ass..."
"...Says the guy who projectiled all over the only bar in town..." Kai smirked before heading to the door.
Ray huffed and went back to the closet...he couldn't deal with him right now...he had bigger problems.
Kai sauntered down the stairs and got a waft of eggs cooking...
...Oh God...she'd let herself loose.
Kai liked Ray's mom a lot...especially right now when she was pissed at Ray. He was looking forward to seeing her tear him a new one...
But she had a tendency to fuss.
She was like the uber-mom.
He carefully went to the kitchen.
"Kai, honey!" she yelled out before she'd even turned around to see him...she just knew..., "Take a seat! Breakfast will be ready any minute! Gotta eat up and make my grandson grow big and strong!" she cooed.
He fought an eye roll...and thanked God this wasn't a regular thing. If she had her way, he'd be double the size he already was...
He obediently sat, and moments later she placed a mountain of food in front of him.
…He sighed inwardly. She acted like he starved himself...
Feeling her watching him, he started eating...doing his best.
Luckily, she was an excellent cook. He dared to say even better than Ray.
Both of them lifted their heads when they heard slow footsteps come down the stairs.
She frowned and went back to the stove, cracking more eggs in to the pan.
Ray's sheepish looking face peered in.
"Heeeeey momma! What a nice surprise...feeding up your grandbaby, huh?" he said as innocently as he could.
She barely turned her head.
"Sit."
...He sat. Ignoring the small smile curling at the side of Kai's mouth.
He felt gross...his head felt like a pig had shat in it...and then in his stomach.
Despite wanting to puke, he knew eating something would make him feel better...especially his mom's glorious, life-saving food...
He sniffed as he a hint of burning hit his nostrils, making his stomach turn.
A minute or so later, his mom wandered over to him.
Face deadpan, she stopped by him and lazily slammed the plate in front of him.
He looked down and tried not to pull a face.
...This was not her best work...
He looked up at her and her eyebrow arched, daring him to complain.
"...Thanks mom..."
"You're welcome...son..."
She remained where she was.
Taking the hint, he picked up his fork and stabbed it in to his dry...burnt...eggs.
The taste made him want to throw up even more...but he had to fight it...it wasn't worth risking his life over.
After managing to get it down without bringing it back up, he slumped his head in to his hands.
God his head hurt...
Kai rolled his eyes and stood up to take his plate to the sink.
Yui grabbed hold of his shoulders and pushed him down again.
"Oh, no you don't! Ray will do that!" she insisted.
Ray looked up from his hands only for a split second and groaned.
"Yeh...just a minute..." he begged before pathetically flopping his head on the table
Yui's ever deepening frown reached a new level.
She grabbed hold of the frying pan and wooden spatula, quietly walking around the table behind him.
Kai didn't bother trying to hold in his smug grin as she held the pan above his head and raised the hand holding the spatula.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG.
Ray practically jumped out his skin before shoving his hands over his ears and groaning.
"Moooommmm! Stooopppp!" he whined, causing the loud clanging to stop.
He lazily turned his head to her.
"Just give me the lecture already! Why do you have to torture your little boy like this?!" he complained, hoping to warm her maternal side.
It didn't work.
"Because you embarrassed not only yourself, but your father and I... and Kai!" she yelled angrily as she put her hands on her hips, still holding the pan and spatula and loomed over him, "What's the matter with you!? Leaving your expecting fiancée at home while you go out and get drunk as a skunk to a point where you...vomit all over the place like a boorish frat boy!?"
Ray sank in to his seat and opened his mouth in an attempt to defend himself, but she wasn't having it...
"I had a good mind to drag your sorry butt down there to mop your own mess up...but that poor girl who worked their last night had done it already!" she yelled before her amber eyes glittered and she let out an almost evil smirk, "Ohhhhh but don't think you're off the hook, sonny boy! I have a looooong list of things you're going to be doing around here! This place is a disgrace!"
Kai's smug grin vanished..
A disgrace?! It wasn't that bad! He'd been doing what he could...
Yui's mom sense kicked in and read his mind. She briefly transformed back in to a delight and looked at him fondly.
"That wasn't a dig at you, honey...you shouldn't be doing some of it anyway...don't want you straining yourself..."
...She turned back in to a demon as she went back to Ray.
"You on the other hand have no excuse, mister!"
Ray sighed.
"...I'll get to it mom...I will...but I can't right now, I have to get ready for training..." he said in a pitiful voice.
….Training while feeling like this was going to suuuuck.
"You're not going anywhere today!" his mom practically screamed at him before looking back to Kai sweetly.
"...You can go get ready for training, sweety...leave it to him."
A vengeful lightbulb popped over Ray's head...those smug looks Kai had given him since he was rudely woken up could finally get thrown back in his stupid face...
"Ohhh...Kai can't go training either..." he said in a fake sad voice.
Kai's eye twitched...
He wouldn't dare.
Yui frowned.
"...Why can't he?"
Ray let out a sigh.
"His blood pressure is through the roof...Tao says too much stress...he's been told not to go to training for three weeks and rest."
Yui gasped, looking between the two.
"When did this happen!? Why didn't you tell me!?" she demanded at them.
Ray folded his arms smugly.
"Yesterday..."
Yui's jaw dropped and a dark silence fell.
….the penny dropped and Ray realised...he'd made a fatal error.
Her chest swelled and her spatula-wielding hand slowly raised.
He braced himself...
"...The mother of your child got told he was under too much stress and you still went out DRINKING YOURSELF IN TO A STUPOUR?!" she screamed as she brought her hand down, giving him a whack with the spatula.
He cowered.
"You ought to be ashamed, Ray Kon! I didn't raise you to be a good-for-nothing, selfish, deadbeat..."
As she continued to yell at him, Kai took his chance and tried to quietly back out of the room...
He could hide at Aoba's...
She threw her arm out and pointed the spatula at Kai.
"Don't you move!"
...Shit...
"What are you doing putting yourself in this position in the first place?! You know your body better than anyone else! You're gonna put your own stubbornness before the baby?! GO SIT DOWN!"
Kai cowered...this was the first time Momma Ray had ever taken that tone with him.
"The pair of you need to get your acts together!" she yelled, "That baby is comin', so the pair of you better get to it and grow up! YOU! Get to work! Clean this place up! Do something useful and take care of your family! And YOU! Go rest! Keep that belly warm and get your feet up! No grandbaby of mine is coming out wired because it's momma wouldn't listen!"
Both Ray and Kai blinked.
"...Yes, ma'am..." they said in unison before Yui tossed a dish cloth at Ray and grabbed Kai's arm and dragged him out.
An hour later, Ray was on his hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor, the smell of the detergents and soap aggravating his horrendous nausea.
Yui had changed the bedsheets and shoved Kai in, fluffing his pillows and basically tucking him in...
There was a knock at the door. Yui took it upon herself to answer.
Ben's annoyed face fell as he was greeted by someone he wasn't expecting.
"Oh...hi, Mrs. Kon..."
Her eyes narrowed and she remained silent.
Ben felt uncomfortable...
"Uh...the guys and I were wondering where Ray was...never showed up to training, you see..."
A hand suddenly grabbed his collar and he let out a slight yelp as he was yanked in to the house, the door closing behind him.
His small yelp became a full-blown one as the hand moved to his ear and twisted hard.
"BENJAMIN SUNG! What the hell were you doing leading my Ray astray like that?!"
"Owwwowwwowowowow! I'm sorry!" he cried pitifully, knowing Ray's mom well enough to know resistance was futile...not to mention his ear was on fire.
"You're a bad influence and always have been! I thought you'd grown up a little since you went on your travels, but apparently not! Still avoiding responsibility like the plague!" she yelled angrily before finally releasing his bright red ear and folding her arms sternly.
"Ray isn't training today! He's doing chores until I say he can stop to make up for the mess he made at the bar!"
She paused for just a second and looked him up and down.
"Since you were his sidekick in this, I think it's only fair you join him!"
"What?!...This isn't even my house!" Ben argued.
She glared at him angrily.
….He went to the kitchen.
"Hey..." Ray greeted flatly as he looked up from the floor...having heard the whole thing.
"...Thanks a lot, Ray..." Ben mumbled as he grabbed another brush and joined him on the floor.
Ray scowled.
"...Was your idea to go in the first place..." he grumbled back.
"...Wasn't me who forced half a bottle of Baiju down your neck..."
"STOP BICKERING AND GET TO WORK!" Yui's voice yelled from the other room, causing them both to jump.
"...Woman's got ears like a hawk..." Ben said in awe.
"SHE DOES! NOW GET TO IT! I WANNA BE ABLE TO EAT OFF THAT FLOOR!"
They scrubbed like their lives depended on it.
Not long after they finished, Yui walked in, inspecting their work and mentally debating whether or not it passed her expectations.
They both held their breaths...
She gave a nod.
"Good...now, go to the living room and pull out the furniture. Needs vaccuming under there..."
Ray sighed. His head was still pounding. The last thing he needed was that noisy ass vacuum cleaner in his ears...
Yui filled the metal kettle and lit the stove.
"You boys want tea? I'm going to take some up for Kai..."
"No thanks..." they both answered tiredly.
She nodded.
"Fine. Get to work." she instructed bluntly before leaving the kitchen to tend to the laundry.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Ben snorted a laugh.
"Princess strikes again, I see...laying in bed, not lifting a finger, milking it..." he taunted.
"Heh...yeh..." Ray laughed half-heartedly before a stab of guilt hit his insides.
That's right...he'd spent the whole night bitching about Kai...
Sure...he and Kai weren't great right now...and his insanity was driving Ray insane...but he knew he probably shouldn't have said some of the things he did...
...Like tell Ben about their sex life...or lack of...
He cringed. He'd really messed up. If Kai ever found out he'd gossiped to Ben of all people about their private life, it would ruin everything.
"Guess we'd better do as she said and get the living room done..." he added quickly, changing the topic.
Ben huffed and followed him, clearly peeved about having to clean Ray's house with him.
After a few more hours of vaccuming, dusting and scrubbing, Yui finally gave them permission to finish.
Ben made a B-line for the door in a heartbeat, not wanting to hang around Ray's scary mom.
"See you at training tomorrow, Rei...that is, if Princess lets you, of course." he smirked before making a whipping gesture at him.
Rei glared at him. Ben was getting a little too close to the line with his words.
"I'll be there..."
Ben grinned at him again before pulling the door open. As he turned to walk out, he was met by yet another familiar face.
"Oh...Ben. What are you doing here?" came a curt voice.
He lifted a brow.
"Seeing Rei. What brings you here, Aoba?"
The other scowled at him.
"Checking on Kai." he answered bluntly. Why else would he be here? Idiot...
Ben looked him up and down before pushing by him, making sure to knock in to him just a little on his way out, as soon as he was behind him, he turned and gave Ray a wary look.
Ray caught it, and tensed as Aoba let himself in to his house.
"Hey..." Aoba breathed out as he took off his shoes, "You all right? You don't look so great."
Ray tensed harder. No way was he going to tell him of all people what happened.
Would Kai tell him? Oh...probably. But he didn't want to be the one to say it.
"I'm fine. He's upstairs." he told him bluntly.
Aoba nodded and took himself upstairs to find him.
He entered their room and fought a laugh as he saw Ray's mom fussing over him and Kai looking incredibly done.
Frustrated amber eyes met him.
"Ah! Perfect! Just the man! Aoba, will you please tell him he should be in bed resting?!" she asked him, clearly irritated.
Aoba smirked, catching a glimpse of Kai's pleading eyes.
"In all fairness, Mrs. Kon, he doesn't need to be bed ridden. He just needs to take it easy."
Kai mouthed a 'thank you'. Yui huffed.
Aoba snorted.
"If anyone looks like they need to lay down, its Ray." he chuckled, "Poor guy looks like death."
He knew he'd said the wrong thing when he felt the tension rise in the room.
"He deserves it!" Yui hissed out, a fang showing from the side of her angry mouth.
Aoba glanced between her and Kai, who looked pissed too.
"...Am I missing something?" he asked.
Yui calmed herself. As much as she wanted to go on a rant about her irresponsible son, she also didn't want to spread it around either.
"...He's just been an idiot."
Kai gave him a look that assured him he'd fill him in later.
Aoba took the hint to leave it alone for now and did what he came to do. Check Kai's blood pressure. Yui watching like a hawk as he wrapped the velcro around his arm and pumped.
Still high...but that was to be expected, wouldn't go down over night.
He ripped it off his arm and stood himself up, not missing the scolding eyes Yui was giving Kai.
Poor guy needed rescuing...
"Well...I suggest you get some sleep. We'll leave you to it." he said sternly in Yui's direction, gaining him a protesting look.
"But I have to stay here and help out!" she argued.
"He doesn't need 24 hour care, Mrs. Kon. Let's give him some peace. I'll come by again tomorrow, Kai!" he waved before taking his soon to be mother-in-law by the arm and pulling her out, but not before looking back at Kai and gesturing for him to text him.
As the two of them got to the bottom of the stairs, they both glanced in to living room to see Ray curled up on the couch looking about ready to die.
Yui let out a deep exhale before looking back at Aoba.
"If you don't mind, I need a talk with my boy before I leave..."
Aoba nodded and head for the door.
Ray had done something...he was curious to find out what.
Yui waited for him to leave before she stepped in to the living room and sat herself next to Ray at his feet, patting his thigh.
"Mooomm...I've suffered enough..." he whined.
She smirked.
"That's what you get for drinking so much."
"I knowww..." he groaned, "Never again..."
"That's more like it..." she said softly before running her fingertips through his hair, "Now...what's going on?"
He cracked his bloodshot eyes open and looked at her. "What do you mean?"
She raised a brow at him.
"Kai's blood pressure is through the roof, you're out getting drunk...what's going on with you two?"
Ray would have sat up so he could talk to her more properly but his head was killing him, his back hurt from the work load she put him through so he laid there and ran a hand through his bangs. "Nothing... His blood pressure is up because he doesn't want to listen to me, and I went out, once, to try and actually have a good time." He said, his voice slightly cracking as he moved on the defensive.
Yui frowned and moved her hand back his thigh. "What do you mean? And regardless, you know drinking isn't going to make anything better. I thought I raised you better than that..."
"I wasn't drinking my problems away, if that's what you're saying." He groaned out, running the hand that was in his hair down his face. "What I mean is he's got this over active imagination about the baby, wouldn't listen to me and went and woke up Tao and got put on bed rest. I'm not the cause of it, he's doing it to himself."
Her frown deepened. "I hardly think it's fair to blame this all on him, Ray...you can't blame him for being a little scared. Aren't you?"
He didn't want to have to tell her everything that Kai had freaked out over, or said about their child to her. Instead he forced himself to sit up, pushing himself back into the corner of the couch. "Of course I am, I'm terrified of what this is going to keep doing to him, us. I don't even know if he's going to take the baby away when it's born or what to think... But still. He needs to listen to me, after all this time being with me you'd think he'd have realized that I wouldn't give him false hope." He said, sound defeated and tired. What he wouldn't give to go back and change what had happened, to have avoided all of this from the start. "Instead, he runs off to Tao and Aoba." He said, as if it was an afterthought, a growl in the back of his throat.
Her frown turned to a look of sympathy. She hated seeing her little boy look so down. "Why on earth would he take the baby away? Things can't be that bad...and don't sound so jealous, of course he'd go to them, they're the experts after all."
Ray cringed at that, what a way to make him feel useless. It was his mate, his baby and he couldn't do anything for either of them- Kai wouldn't let him. That thought only made him angrier, even if he didn't want to be. "That's not the point! I'm right here! If I say the sky is blue he'd go to Aoba and check. That's how this feels mom! Like anything I say doesn't matter any more." He bit out angrily, making sure not to yell too loud with Kai upstairs.
She jumped a little at his outburst. "It does, sweety. I'm sure it does...but if you got a mysterious lump on your body, who would you want advice from? Kai or a doctor?"
"That's not the same thing, we know what this is. It's a damn baby, with two feet and two hands. Not some deformed monster that's going to climb walls." He let out frustrated, pulling at his hair a little. He had hoped talking to her would help, maybe get somebody on his side for once but it was starting to look like he was the only one left alone in his corner. Maybe he deserved it, after all it was his fault, but all he wanted was just someone else there beside him. Patting him on the back and telling him that he'd been doing good, that he had been trying, and that Kai was just as stubborn as ever.
She let out a confused laugh. "...Ray, honey, what on earth are you talking about? Who said it wasn't a baby?"
He ran a hand down his face again, he had said too much. "No one. Never mind I said anything." He sighed and forced himself to get up, he needed a drink and headed to the kitchen for some water. A few pain meds would have been a bonus, but he'd have to go upstairs to get them and he didn't want to do that.
She sighed and got up after him and followed him to the sink, wrapping her arms around him as he filled a glass up with water. "Don't get snippy, I can't help you if I don't know what's going on..."
"I'm sorry." He sighed once he had downed his glass, setting the cup on the corner of the freshly polished counter top. "I know you're trying to help and I appreciate it, but this is something we have to get through... I can't keep pulling everyone else into this." He said quietly, making a mental note to have the same type of talk with Ben when he saw him again. He didn't want to say any more, feeling as though he had already said too much as it was. He felt bad for the things he had said in public, that had no doubt been heard by everyone else at the bar and he felt his stomach drop. It was a small village and not much went on around these days, so people talked. It would only be a matter of time before what he had said would no doubt work its way through the grape vine.
She grabbed his shoulders and turned him to face her, gently grabbing his face and making him look at her. "You're not pulling me in to it. You are my son, of course I'm here for you."
"I know... I still think this is something we need to fix though... That I... Need to fix..." He sighed out heavily.
She nodded. He was always a boy who wanted to do things his way. "...Fine, but do it quickly, before things get out of hand, or worse something happens to the baby because of it." she said firmly.
He felt his heart sink, he had never really thought that something might happen to the baby through all of this and that was the last thing he wanted to happen. "I will." He said with a bit more confidence.
She patted his cheek. "That's my boy...I know you will." she said with an air of pride but also a little guilt. Since the whole thing with Kai being kidnapped and all that business being put to rest, she'd focused all her energy on Kai. She hadn't really stopped to make sure her own baby was all right. That he was feeling supported.
"You're going to be such a good daddy." she told him genuinely.
He smiled at her half-heartedly and then threw his arms around her neck, pulling her in close for a hug as he felt tears spring to his eyes. He needed to hear that.
"I'm going to try..." He choked out.
He caught her off guard. It was rare Ray got upset. She pulled him in to her and rubbed his back gently. "It'll all work out. You'll see. You both seem as stubborn as each other. Meet him half way, hm? And you don't have to do it all alone. Your father and I are always here if you need us."
He squeezed a little tighter, just to keep himself from bawling like a baby, before he let her go and stepped back from her. "I'm sure we'll be able to work something out. Thanks mom."
She gave him a small smile and patted his cheek again. "Any time...now, I suggest you have another glass of water and go take a nap."
He nodded, that sounded heavenly. "I'll see you tomorrow then." He said, looking a bit better than before.
He saw his mom off at the door, giving her a kiss on the cheek before she left before glancing up the stairs.
He really did need to make it up to him...and start trying to fix this mess. It couldn't go on like this. But he didn't have it in him right this second. His head was still doing horrible things to him.
Knowing Kai, he'd need a little more time to simmer down too...
He took himself back to the couch and slumped down, pulling a blanket over him and and let out a comforted groan. Finally, some sleep...he'd deal with this shit show after a little shut eye.
Meanwhile, Kai awoke from his own sleep, glad to be alone and not hounded by Ray's mom.
He lay and let his mind wander. The further it wandered, the further his stomach sank.
This was a disaster...
He replayed everything they'd slung at each other the night before. How could Ray blame this on him? Say this was all because of him? Brush off everything he was trying to confide in him and tell him he was insane?
There was a time he got annoyed with him for not opening up to him. Now he did and he still wasn't happy...
He couldn't win with this guy.
He felt his stomach burn with anger.
If he wanted to go off with Ben and not bother with him. Fine. It's not like he did anything for him anyway, he had Aoba for that...thank God.
And if he really thought he was going to lay down and let Ben take over, he was very sadly mistaken. He didn't believe for a second that Ray didn't see through his crap...which hurt even more. Maybe Ray wanted him off the team, too. Wanted him to stay at home and take care of Sweet Pea, leaving him free to jet around and blading to his heart's content.
He could fuck himself...those reigns were being handed back to him one way or the other.
Rei woke up a few hours later feeling muuuch better. The hammering in his head had gone and he felt like a human again.
He stretched and stared up at the ceiling, as if he was willing his eyes to see through it to see what Kai was doing. Was he still in bed?
...How pissed was he?
His stomach growled. All he'd eaten today was punishment eggs.
A smirk came to him as an idea hit him.
He'd make dinner tonight. A peace offering. It had been a while since they sat down together and ate...and he guiltily realized how long it had been since he cooked.
With a slight bounce in his step he headed for the kitchen, hoping they had enough food to make something decent for them. He went about quietly, making sure to clean up any spills or mess he made since the kitchen was still sparkling from a job well done earlier. He ended up losing himself, stirring noodles and flipping chicken breasts on a skillet, he had missed this. Somehow it made them feel a bit more like a family, the kind of family that he'd hope they'd have made all along.
Kai's ears pricked up as he heard movement downstairs.
...It lived...
He huffed, throwing the covers off and hoisting himself out of bed. He couldn't avoid him forever...and he wanted to make sure he wasn't trashing the place like he always did, leaving him more work to do. He slowly waddled down the stairs, frowning as smells hit his nose. He fucking knew it...he was making a mess again! He stormed in to the kitchen, guns ready to aim and fire when he stopped. Ray was cooking...but the kitchen was immaculate.
Having been focused, he hadn't heard Kai come down and about spilled the pot of water all over the floor from the scare, righting himself and not spilling a drop as he carried the pot over to the sink to drain. "Hey.." He said over his shoulder.
Kai's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Hey...?" He replied coolly.
"You... Um... You sleep good?" He asked as he shook out the excess water from the noodles, taking them over and adding them to the skillet with the chicken and sauce he had made. His stomach growling again at the smells.
His eyes narrowed further. What was this act?
"Yep." He gave him, reluctantly before going to the counter to find something to help with or clean.
As he reached the counter, he smells hit him hard, making his mouth water. It smelled so good, even the baby got excited and started moving. ...He'd missed Ray's cooking.
"Go sit down, I got this." Ray said and turned him around, giving him a gentle nudge towards the table. "What do you want to drink?"
He frowned as he rubbed his belly. "I can get it..." he snapped, taking himself to the fridge to get himself some ice tea.
Ray shrugged his shoulders at him, he wasn't going to bother striking up another fight with him. They had to make this right, somehow. He knew it wasn't going to be easy but the least they could do was try, both of them. The kitchen got quiet as he let the noodles soak in the sauce, the chicken about done and he went to the cupboard to get plates for them. When he had dished the food onto the plates he took them over and sat down at the table with him, an uncomfortable tension and silence coming over them.
Kai sat with his arms folded, enjoying making him squirm a little. He took a sip of tea and waited for Ray to start eating or say something.
Ray looked up at him and back down at their untouched plates. What now? He had been half expecting, hoping, for a 'thank you' or 'it smells good', but of course he was met with silence. Reluctantly he got up to get himself something to drink, taking his time since Kai wanted to be an ass right now. When he came back Kai still hadn't budged and he frowned at him before he took up his own chopsticks and dug in; he wasn't going to play these stupid games with him tonight.
Kai glared back. He was getting the silent treatment? Fine. Whatever.
He snatched up his chopsticks, unable to hold back any more. He was starving...and as much as he hated to admit it, this looked and smelled incredible. Just what his body was craving. He made sure not to groan as he put it in his mouth and had a foodgasm...oh my God, he was good...shame he was such a dick...
Ray had glanced up under his bangs and smirked a little at the face Kai was making, there were only a few times he made a face like that and it was always because of him. "Think I might had added too much salt." He said casually, hoping to catch him off guard to end this stupid silence between them.
Kai straightened. Lifting a bitchy brow. He just invited him to hurt his pride and he was going to accept willingly. "Yep. Not your best..." he said cooly as he forced himself to push his food around his plate a little instead of shovelling it down his throat like he wanted to.
"Hm, I'll make a note then." He said, unphased since he at least got an answer. "What do you think we should have for tomorrow? Need to go to the market and get some stuff though, we're running low."
Kai lifted his cold but flaming eyes and narrowed them for the millionth time since he'd come in the kitchen. "Whatever it is you want me to make you, honey..." he bit sarcastically.
Really? He wanted to play happy home after the shit he pulled yesterday...the shit he'd pulled for weeks now.
"Will you knock it off?" Ray spat, tossing his chopsticks down on his plate as he met Kai's glare with his own. "I didn't say anything about you having to do anything."
Kai slammed his own down as his pushed his chair back with a screech against the floor, standing up. "You didn't, but you sure as fuck expect it!"
Ray fought back the growl in his throat, "No, I don't." He said angrily, "It only made sense that you'd pick up the housework when I'm gone, I'm sorry I haven't been around to help as much as I should. I'm going to work on it though so you can stay off your feet more."
Kai clenched his fists. "Made sense!? I'm not your fucking housemaid, Ray! And sorry isn't good enough! Especially when I know this little act of yours isn't going to last more than a day!"
"I never said you were! But you live here too, if I'm not around to do it then it falls on you, that's how it would be I had to stay home and you were out!" He yelled back, wanting to pull out his hair. "Do you really not have that much faith in me, or think that I want to keep living like this with you?! I'm trying to make this better Kai."
"YOU CHOOSE NOT TO BE HERE!" He yelled at him furiously, feeling his eyes prickle in frustration.
"NO I DON'T!" Ray yelled back, "We have a tournament coming up Kai, I can't be here since I need to train for it!" Ray shouted back, pushing himself up from the table.
Kai's eyes grew vicious. "Oh yeh!? I've never known a team prepare for a tournament by getting shitfaced! MUST BE A FUCKING WHITE TIGER THING!"
"I went out, ONCE! Sorry that I needed some time to myself for once, after having to deal with you and your fucking bullshit all the time!"
Kai grit his teeth. "My bullshit?! MY bullshit!? Tell me Ray, what am I doing that's so horrible apart from trying to get through this without you, huh?!"
Ray let the growl escape.
"What do you mean 'without you'?! I was here the night before for you, and you know what you did? YOU FUCKING LEFT! My word wasn't good enough for you, I've not been good enough for you this entire time since Aoba's come into the goddamn picture!"
Kai rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated growl. "Oh yeh, you were sooooo there for me! You called me an idiot, you laughed at me, you teased me and then you rolled over and went back to sleep...then went training and didn't bother to check in...then came back and made fun of me some more before taking yourself out for a good time. That's real support right there, Ray! And don't you dare drag him in to this! He's been more of a father to this kid than you have! All you've done is come in me!"
Ray didn't know whether to yell back or laugh, he had only done those things because Kai was being an idiot. He couldn't understand where he was coming from, even though he had tried, but what else was he supposed to do the other night? Kai didn't listen to him, regardless if he had laughed in his face about it. "You were being an idiot Kai, that's why I laughed at you. And guess what, you only made yourself look more of an idiot when Tao proved me right and you wrong." He said as he folded his own arms over his chest, his back going rigid on him. "I'm sorry, I don't recall Aoba being the one to save you from being kidnapped, or saving our child from those freaks. You do realize that I would have killed them, for you?"
Kai's pissed faced turned to sad. Ray accused him of not listening, and yet Ray was not listening to him either. This was ridiculous... "...Why was I an idiot, Ray? Why am I stupid for being cautious? Why can't you get it in your thick skull that it may be natural for you guys, but what's going on in here is in no way natural for me?" he said in a softer tone as he ran his hand over his belly. "It just goes to show you're not on my side and you don't want to be!"
"I never said I didn't want to be... I never really thought about it that way since it is natural for us, even still, why would you think I would lie to you?" He said, matching Kai's tone since he was getting tired of the back and forth. "I keep telling you that I am trying, and I am Kai."
Kai scoffed.
"And what the fuck would you know, huh?! You're a doctor, are you Ray? You've birthed a child before, have you?! Why the hell should I listen to you when all you do is shut me down or toss me aside for someone more appealing to you!" he strained out as he found himself getting upset.
"And who would that be?!" Ray growled out, his hands tightening over his arms as he fought his eyes from slitting, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.
Kai breathed and willed himself not to cry yet again in front of him. "I'm not going to dirty my mouth by saying his name, but you know damn well who!"
"Are you insane?!" Ray yelled, his pupils slitting. "He's a friend Kai! What do you take me for? Some cheap ass whore or something?! How can you even think that?" He shouted before another side of himself appeared, the cocky sarcastic part. "Oh, never mind. You're right, he's everything in a man I could fucking ask for. Really, so my type. I'd let him do me against every damn wall in this fucking house!" He spat sarcastically, his body shaking.
"Is that what you wanted to hear? Huh?! You want me to say that he's better than you? That he's everything you used to be?! After every other god damn time I've told you otherwise, you still can't get it into your head that he means nothing. To me, to this team, that when the tournament is over he is gone!"
Kai stood shocked as a few quiet tears escaped. Everything he just said, 'sarcastic' or not, stabbed him like daggers. He couldn't do this any more. He put his head down and made his way to the door.
Ray watched him go, his shoulder still shaking uncontrollably as he held back his own tears. Why he had said those things he wasn't even sure, but now it only made things worse. Sorry wasn't going to cut it now, everything that came to his mind to get Kai to stay never made it past his lips as he watched him step out of their house, the door shutting behind him when the first set of tears came rolling down his face.
End of Chapter 12.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.
Things are looking shitty for our boys. But you know how it goes, things get worse before they get better!
Any comments would be appreciated! Hopefully catch you next time!