Japanese Translations Fer Ye:
Kirei - Pretty, beautiful
Kami-sam - God
Merii kurisumasu, minna-san! - Merry Christmas, everybody!
[Insert name] no baka! - [Name], you idiot!
Sensei - Teacher
Gomen - Sorry
Aniki - Big brother
Disclaimer: The characters, items, etc. of Beyblade are not mine. These things were used without permission, but…I'm just borrowing them for a little while for my own twisted and demented purposes. So don't you dare sue me, just sue my evil twin. oO' I made this fic for entertainment only, and not for making money.
Silent Night
By Shinzui
"Just about done..."
The Chief sat at a chair, typing away furiously at his laptop. He was constantly upgrading his team mates beyblades as a small addition to his real Christmas gifts. Although he wasn't really in the mood for Christmas right now... nor was anyone else in their team, seeing that one of their comrades was hurt - mentally and emotionally. But... the world went on, regardless on whether everything was fine or not.
He sighed heavily and cracked his knuckles, feeling satisfied with the work he did. He enhanced each blade's specialty, and added a few minor changes to each attack ring. He yawned and glanced at the clock. "11:48... I think I'm gonna hit the sack..."
"Finally, Kenny! I can get my beauty sleep. A growing bitbeast needs that, you know," Dizzi stated, but Kenny just shrugged. "Aww... come on, Chief! No remarks? Comments? Insults even?!"
"Sorry Dizzi... don't feel like it..." Kenny replied as he stretched his stiff body. He suddenly heard someone knock at his door and said that it was open. Who could be up at this time of the night?
"Hey Chief..." It was Max. "Sorry to barge in on you like this... but I couldn't get any sleep..."
"All because of Tyson's snoring?"
The Tortoise smiled, but then it suddenly disappeared. "Not today, Dizzi. It's all about the fact that Rei told Tyson and made him promise not to tell. I mean, doesn't Rei trust us too?" He asked, sitting on Kenny's bed.
"I don't think it's like that, Max. Maybe he only told Tyson because he was there when Rei decided to spill it all out. It could've been you, me or Kai. I think it was being there at the right moment."
"I guess you're right, Chief," Max replied.
"Besides... we really don't need to know. As long as Rei told someone... everything will go back to normal soon," Kenny stated. "I hope."
"Yeah..." The blond stood up and made his way to the door. "Thanks Chief. Sorry for bothering you or anything."
"Don't worry, Max. I wasn't really doing anything - just about to go to sleep."
"Oh. Well, thanks anyway. Night!"
"Goodnight, Max."
The minute the Tortoise left the room, the Chief walked up to his window. He stared at the starry night sky, smiling in content. His smile grew wider when he saw snow falling down in a soft blanket of white. "Maybe Rei wouldn't be in so much pain tomorrow..."
And little did he knew that he was wrong... very wrong.
The White Tiger gazed at the first snowfall of the year in awe. No, it's not like he hadn't seen snow - but he was just happy to see it. In his eyes, winter was the best season... even though it brought bad memories. "Kirei..." He whispered, smiling warmly. Although he hadn't fully recover yet, his eyes held a small sparkle of life - a soul.
I have to thank Tyson over and over again... even though he took that incident quite differently from the way I expected... Ah well... Tyson will be Tyson... it's only me who changed... Then he... Nevermind, thinking too much is bad. Sleep... that's what I need...
He walked over to his bed and lied down. Then his gaze wandered over to his friend's sleeping form. Tomorrow, once they go ice skating and was left alone - he would tell Kai of his feelings. He just hoped that he wasn't making a huge mistake. That's the last thing he needed. Losing a close friend over something he can't control. Love.
He discarded all of his thoughts before he fell asleep. He would have to worry about all of those tomorrow, but right now... sleep.
The next morning...
A sliver of sunlight found it's way to each room, casting a warm and soothing glow around the whole area. Outside, the streets of Tokyo was covered in a pure white blanket of snow - but life still went on, as always. The world continued to rotate around it's axis, as it continued to revolve around the sun. It still went on with it's natural course, no matter what happens.
The White Tiger stirred in his sleep, and his expression was that of apprehension and anxiety. He tossed and turned around his bed, shivering violently. He bolted upright and took in deep breathes. He ran shaky fingers through his hair, and then he gulped.
"Been dreaming again, huh?"
Amber met crimson, and never did one of them dared to break the gaze.
"I..." Rei swallowed again, before he plastered a fake smile on his face. "It was nothing. Just a stupid nightmare."
"I bet it is... Liar," Kai snorted. "I can recognize torment when I see it. And do you really think you're gonna fool me with that smile? I can tell that it's not your smile." His eyes softened as the overpowering need to help Rei took control of him once again. He didn't know why, but he just felt like doing it. Was it possible that he actually fell in love with the White Tiger? Probably... because there are no other logical reasons as to why he almost blurted out his feelings.
"You wouldn't understand," Rei said, turning his head away. He didn't want to talk about this again.
"I'd try to understand," The Red Phoenix replied as he stood up and sat beside his friend. This made the raven-haired teenager tense up, but he reluctantly lifted his gaze to look straight at Kai, allowing him to see the fear and uncertainty within those golden depths.
"I will tell you all about it, Kai... but not now, not right now..." Rei whispered, hoping that his leader would understand.
"I see. Then I'd wait 'til you're ready," Kai replied, nodding.
"Thanks Kai..." The White Tiger sighed in relief. "Friends again?"
"Who said we weren't friends?" The Red Phoenix slinged an arm across Rei's shoulders in a friendly manner, fighting a smirk back to oblivion when he saw a red flush stain his friend's cheeks.
"No-nobody... I just thought that you hated me last night for not telling you anything..." Rei answered as he lowered his gaze.
"Rei, as I've said before - I'm not mad, just frustrated because you were in pain and you wouldn't let me help you..." Kai said.
"Really?"
"Really really. Oh geez, I sound like an idiot..." Kai saw a smile form on Rei's lips. "I've missed seeing a smile on your face... a true smile..." He commented and it made the raven-haired teenager blush even more. He grinned before he spoke," What say we grab something before Tyson eats them all up?"
"I say you sound like a broken record... you already asked me that question before. But anyways, we'll go down after we do all of our necessary preparations," Rei stated as he stood up. He grabbed a new set of clothes and went straight to the bathroom.
The Red Phoenix fell back down of Rei's bed, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't believe what he just did a while back! He... he... "Bah, it's not like I've declared my love for him or anything. But then again, I'm going to tell him later... What to do, what to do, what to do..."
He got lost in his thoughts a minute later and started to think about how he'll tell Rei. Well, he thought that he could go for a direct approach, but then that wouldn't be too romantic. Then another idea struck his head: What if he waited for him and Rei to be alone? "Hmm... that could work. Yes, it's perfect!"
"What the heck are you talking about?"
Kai froze and he sat upright. He turned to look at Rei, and grinned sheepishly. "Ehehe... how long have you been there?"
"Hmm? Just came out," Rei replied. "Your turn."
"Right." The Red Phoenix stood up, grabbed his stuff and went straight inside the adjoining bathroom. He locked the door and took off his clothing, sighing in relief. "Meh... that was close." He procedeed to take a shower, and got lost in his thoughts once again.
Wait... what will happen if I did tell Rei then he doesn't love me back? What if he only wanted to be friends or something like that?!
"Kami-sama, why did love had to be so difficult to understand?" He asked the air, and sighed when he didn't get an answer. Of course, he never expected an answer. He grumbled in frustration before he got out of the shower and put on his clothes. He grabbed his towel and started to dry his hair. When he was done, he left the bathroom and sat beside Rei again.
"So... we should head down now, eh?" Rei asked. Before Kai could reply, he jumped off and went streaking towards the door. "Last one down there is a rotten egg!"
The Red Phoenix laughed and jumped up to follow the White Tiger. "I don't think so!" He suddenly grabbed hold of Rei's shoulder as soon as both of them were out in the hallway. "Don't forget that I'm stronger than you. I can easily pull you back inside..."
"Well then, Mr. I'm-stronger-than-you... you forgot one tiny little info about me," Rei said making Kai raise an eyebrow playfully.
"Oh really? Come on, refresh my memory."
"You may be a phoenix, but I am a tiger. What I lack in strength, I make up in speed," Rei smirked, showing a single fang. "So byebye!" He slipped out of his friend's grasp and dashed for the elevator.
The Red Phoenix was caught off guard, and he stumbled a bit when Rei got out of his hands. He had to agree though; the White Tiger's speed was a blink-miss standard, going to full speed from a stand-still. Then his cheery laughter as he made his flawless escape... Those eyes...
He snapped out of his musing when he saw the elevator door closed, making him curse softly under his breath. He sighed and headed down the stairs. And by the time he reached the ground floor, he saw Rei leaning against a nearby wall.
"Took you long enough," The White Tiger stated, pushing himself off the wall. He walked over to the Red Phoenix and grinned, receiving a smirk back.
Kai bowed slightly, gesturing for Rei to move along. "Ladies first..."
Rei was about to walk when realization hit him. "Hey... what's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," replied Kai innocently.
"Oh really now? Then you go first."
"No, you go first."
"Nope, you first."
"No, you."
"No, you."
"You."
"You."
"You!"
"You!"
"For the love of God, make up your mind!" A familiar voice cried out, making both Kai and Rei snap out of their little 'argument'. They turned around to face the one who spoke, seeing a grinning Tyson.
"Oh, goodmorning, Tyson!" Rei greeted.
"Ah, bonjour, mes amis! Comment ça va aujourd'hui?" The Blue Dragon asked in a fancy French accent, making both Kai and Rei blink in disbelief.
"The Red Phoenix nudged the White Tiger, "Should we ask him?"
"If you don't, I will," Rei replied.
Kai nodded, before he moved over to Tyson. "What's up with all the French?"
"J'ai envie de parler en français," Tyson replied happily.
"Uh... what did he say?" Rei asked.
"He felt like speaking in French," Kai answered.
"We shouldn't have asked," Rei whispered.
"I agree... Methinks we better go," The slate blue-haired boy grabbed Rei's hand and lead him straight to the cafeteria. They got themselves some waffles and walked towards their usual table.
"Goodmorning, guys!" Max chirped as both Kai and Rei sat down. "Have you come across a boy who looks exactly like Tyson but speaks French?"
The White Tiger laughed, "Seriously Max... there's only one Tyson. Anyways, why the heck is he speaking in French?"
"No idea," The Tortoise shrugged. "He told me the reason in French."
"Merii kurisumasu, minna-san!" The Blue Dragon stated as he sat down beside Max, then he got nods and some few Merii kurisumasu's in reply. "So, are we still going skating?"
"Of course. And I'm glad to know that you've finally decided to get out of French mode," The Chief replied, earning a noogie from Tyson.
"Hehehe, it was fun while it lasted! Anyways, I was thinking that maybe we could play Truth or Dare after we go ice skating. I've got lost of mischievous punishment - I mean, dares up my sleeve," Tyson said, grinning. Yep, he had a lot of plans...
"Sure, why not?"
"Alright."
"Count me in."
"Kai?" The Blue Dragon looked at the Red Phoenix.
"Do I have a choice?"
"I'll take that as a yes!" Tyson said before he turned to look at everybody. He gave them the V-sign and smiled. "Alrighty, we're gonna have lots of fun today!"
"Yeah, and we can go to the park as soon as everybody's ready," The Chief stated, getting nods from all his comrades.
Then their breakfast began. The rest of breakfast contained of the BladeBreakers chatting softly with each other and Rei eating in silence.
They're out there... I don't want to go, but that would draw some unwanted attention. Oh well, as long as I stick with my friends, they won't be able to touch me...
The White Tiger was caught up in his little world that it took him quite a while to notice that Kai was talking to him. "Wha?"
"I asked if you were alright..." The Red Phoenix answered.
"Yeah, of course I am. I was just thinking about stuff..."
"Well, okay, but you might want to know that everybody left and that Tyson threatened all of us with wild and whacky dares if we don't hurry," Kai explained making Rei pale briefly.
"He said what?! We better go then, Kai! You don't want to know what kind of dares Tyson has in store for us!" Rei stood up and ran towards the elevator with Kai following him behind.
"Whoa, Rei, take it easy. What's bad about a few dares?"
"Obviously, Kai, you haven't seen, heard, and done any of Tyson's dares. It's humiliating... and weird," Rei replied as he pushed the corresponding button for the seventh floor.
"Hmm... I'll be the judge of that," The slate blue-haired boy said. "Why don't you give me an example?"
"Of Tyson's dares? Well..." The White Tiger blushed slightly and looked down at the floor. "Let me think... Well, he could dare you to wear a purple elephant costume and prance around like a pony in it."
"Really now?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Take it from me, the one who got dared to do that, it's not a pretty sight..." Rei mumbled, embarassed at what he just revealed.
"I see..." Kai paused. "It doesn't sound that bad."
"That's exactly what I said before I got dared, Kai..." Rei walked out of the elevator as soon as it opened, and then went inside the room he shared with Kai. Then his mind lost it again...
He saw Aku on one side, and Kagai on the other. There was no way out, and he knew it. He fell on his knees and clutched his head tightly as he felt their hands roam around his skin again. Their words cut through him like a knife.
"Just tell us you're ours and it won't hurt one bit."
But he didn't reply. He just stared at them and... and then... The pain began again. His body stopped functioning as all he felt was pain. Then he suddenly felt another pair of arms on him, yet this one was different... They were warm and he felt safe...
"Rei? Rei! Snap out of it, Rei!"
Slowly, he returned to the present, seeing Kai's worried face in front of him. "Ka-kai?" His lips quivered and he threw himself into Kai's open arms. "I can't... I don't want it to happen again... Please don't let them... don't... I..."
The Red Phoenix stroked his comrade's hair soothingly and whispered calming words. His mind began to wonder what could've happened to Rei that would cause him to act like this. And then... realization hit him like a speeding train.
But of course! Why hadn't I thought of this before?!
"I don't... I don't want to go... Not with them out there... I don't want to..." Rei choked, his body shaking with sobs.
"Shh... calm down, Rei... calm down..." Kai murmured softly, and sighed in relief when his friend complied. "They won't get you... I won't let them..." He tightened his grip, and whispered firmly yet gently at the same time. "I'll protect you..." He felt Rei's body tense up at his words, and then smiled as his comrade calmed down. He was happy that he finally knew the whole truth, but at the same time - he was furious at whoever did this to Rei; he swore to himself that he would make them pay!
I'll get the ones who caused you pain, Rei. I swear I'll kill them for you!
"Kai?" The raven-haired teenager looked up slowly. "S-shouldn't we go now? Th-the dares..." He attempted a weak smile, but it immediately vanished. He flinched and pulled away from the embrace.
"Here," The slate blue-haired boy handed Rei his coat and the black skates they bought a few months ago. And then he offered a hand.
"Thanks," The White Tiger took the Red Phoenix's hand and pushed himself off the ground. He slipped on his coat and was lead to the door. "You do know that I can perfectly walk on my own, right?" He asked, completely forgetting about the past.
"Hmm... I know," Kai replied, grinning innocently.
"You're beginning to scare me," Rei said as they both headed towards the elevator.
"Why?"
"Well, where should I start? You grin, you smile, you laugh, you joke around - you do things that are very un-Kai like. If you continue this, someone might actually faint!" Rei replied, making Kai look away.
Rei no baka! Baka, baka, baka, baka, baka!!
"Oh, so you mean you don't like th new Kai..." It was a statement, not a question.
"No! I mean, it's not what you think... I just think that it's very peculiar for an emotionless person like you to have emotions all of a sudden. No offence..."
"None taken," The Red Phoenix replied.
So you find it unbelievable for a person like me to feel something? Is that it, Rei?
"You could yell at me if you want... I mean, the things I said were uncalled for and rude. You have every right to be mad and I could stay away from you if you want. Ten feet away? Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it..." Rei stated.
Who could possibly get mad at you, Rei? Maybe me if you guys didn't break through the ice... if you didn't change me...
"Nah, it's okay. Don't worry about it."
The doors opened and they stepped outside. A few ways away, they spotted their friends by the door and quickly walked up to them.
"Sorry we're late. We ran into some minor problem," Rei explained. "Did you guys wait long?"
"Nope, but that doesn't mean that I won't give out my dares. You're gonna love it!" The Blue Dragon grinned and then he was dragged outside before he could say anything else.
"Alrighty, Tyson. Why don't we start walking towards the park?" The Tortoise asked as he dragged his friend along the sidewalk. He was wearing his trademark grin and chuckled while Tyson tried to get away.
Rei, Kenny and Kai looked at each other and shrugged. "Guess we should follow them..."
The group walked towards the park in silence, all except for Tyson, who was 'ordering' Max to let him go.
"Aww geez, Tyson! Quit your whining and get your skates on! We're here!" Max let go of his friend's hand and sat down on an empty bench. He heard the navy blue-haired boy grumble a few words before he sat down beside the Chief, who was right beside the blond. He looked around for Rei and Kai, and spotted them on another bench.
"Eh... I don't think I want to go skating. I mean, what about Dizzi? Somebody could steal her!" Kenny pointed out.
"My hero!" Dizzi teased.
Tyson was looking at the place where Rei and Kai was, and nodded before he turned to Kenny. "Are you sure, Chief?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine."
"Okay, if you say so..." The Blue Dragon stood up and smirked as he saw the Tortoise nearing the frozen lake. He was about to push his friend then he backed off, telling himself that he can make the blond suffer later with his dares. "Up for a little race, Maxie?"
"Sure am!"
"Alrighty! Three laps around the lake and..." Tyson trailed off as he stepped on the ice, holding on the railing. "Lemme think... the loser gets to be the winner's slave for the rest of the day!"
"You're on!" Max smiled as he and Tyson got ready to start the race.
"Three... two... one... Let's... RACE!!" And they're off, evading the crowd with ease.
Meanwhile, the White Tiger was watching his two comrades race around the lake, and then he fidgeted in his seat. Then he saw a little girl fall down and start crying, making him flinch. "I don't think I want to go skating..."
"Oh, and why is that?" The Red Phoenix asked as he stood up to make sure that his skates were tight enough.
"I don't know... I just don't want to..." Rei looked up and saw that his friend didn't believe what he said. "Okay, okay... I don't know how to skate..."
"Hmm... don't worry. It's easy. Come on, I'll show you," Kai gestured Rei to stand up and follow him. He raised an eyebrow when he saw that Rei's feet was wobbling, and chuckled softly when he caught his friend in his arms. "But first you need to learn how to tie your skates." He made Rei sit down again, and he knelt in front of his friend. He untied it first and began to tighten it up. "You see, you need to tie it tight - not tight enough to cut your circulation - just tight enough. Otherwise, you'll be wobbling all the time."
"Alright, sensei. What do I do next?" Rei asked as he stood up.
"We skate," Kai replied simply, leading Rei into the ice. "Now, hold onto the railing while I show you the basics."
"Okay," The raven-haired teenager nodded.
Kai slowly glided on the ice to get some space, before he turned to face Rei. "First, bend your knees and just push off the ice. Pretty easy, eh? Then just glide around. If you want to go fast, push off even harder and keep on doing that 'til you reach your desired speed," He stated as he kept on skating back and forth. "Now, you try."
"There's no way I'm doing this!"
The Red Phoenix rolled his eyes and sighed. "Alright. We'll do it another way." He held out both of his hands which Rei reluctantly accepted. "Now, do what I told you to do."
The White Tiger gulped and cautiously pushed off, shuffling his feet over the slippery substance. "...And now I'm scared."
Kai skated backwards while Rei continued on with his slow pace, a smile forming on his lips. "Don't be scared, Rei. I won't let you go, I promi-" His words were cut off when Tyson crouched and passed in between the two of them. "Hey, watch it, Tyson!"
"Ah, gomen!" The Blue Dragon called back, and gained a bit on Max.
"Kids..." Kai mumbled, and then he returned his gaze back at Rei, only to find him skating around him. "B-but... I thought... eh?"
"So I lied," Rei answered his friend's unasked question, then he slowly skated away from Kai.
"Why you little..." Kai turned to Rei, a smirk on his face. He looked at Rei, and skated in his direction, gaining speed with each glide. "I'm going to get you...!"
Rei gasped in fear as he turned around quickly, skating for his dear life as he dodged through the other skaters. Weaving his way through the crowd, the wind whipped on his face as he looked back every-so-often to see Kai hot on his trail. "Meep!" He finally made it to a clear spot on the lake, but he didn't hear Kai slashing his blades on the ice.
He turned around to find a tangled heap on the ice, containing Kai and Tyson. Rei laughed at the scene, watching eagerly as Kai tried to pry Tyson off him, since he was at the bottom. "Ne Tyson... I completed your dare; I got skating lessons from our leader..." Rei grinned as he neared Max, who was standing beside the mini-dog pile.
"And I completed your dare; I bumped into Kai, plus - I fell over him," Tyson said as he got up, brushing the ice of his pants.
"Why of all the...! Come 'ere!" Kai wrapped his arms around Rei's knees and pulled them closer, making the Chinese Beyblader fall down. He crawled on top of Rei, his face inches away from his friend's. "Now you can't get away..."
And this caused another memory to emerge from Rei's mind. "Aku... Kagai..." He scrambled away from Kai and stood up. He shook his head slowly before he moved away from his comrades.
Bewildered by the incident, Max asked, "Who's Aku and Kagai?"
"Rei told me... but I promised not to tell..." The Blue Dragon stated.
"That's okay," Max replied.
"I think I have a pretty good idea... but we need to follow Rei. He might run into them." The Red Phoenix skated towards the bench Kenny was sitting on. "Where's Rei?"
"Um... he grabbed his stuff and left," Kenny replied.
Kai nodded his thanks and quickly removed his skates, slipping on his boots. He stood and dashed towards the direction of the hotel, hoping that Rei was safe.
But the thing is, Rei was far from being safe.
A hand clamped on his shoulder, and Rei lifted gaze, wondering who had the nerve to touch him. And when he saw who stood before him, his body froze with fear. He started to look for a way out, but there was none so he settled for backing away, only to collide with someone else.
"Well, well, well..." The one who he collided with stated, making him gasp.
"It's so nice to bump into you again... Rei..." The one named, Kagai, remarked. "You know... we've missed you... again. But, I bet you already know that." He licked his lips and ran his hand across Rei's chest.
"Easy there, Kagai. We don't need to do this now..." The other one, Aku, stated. "We were looking forward to seeing you again."
"W-what d-d-do y-you want?" The White Tiger asked, shivering like there was no tomorrow.
"We've come to give you an offer you can't refuse..." Kagai replied.
"...An offer that will decide your friend's fate, the slate blue-haired one..." Aku continued. "Come with us, and we'll leave him alone."
Kai...
"I... I..." Rei didn't know what to do; his mind told him not to give in, but what about Kai? "I..." His voice cracked as tears formed in his eyes. He didn't want to, but he knew that he had to... as long as Kai was safe.
"We can do this in two ways - the easy way or the hard way..." Kagai grinned as he began to advance on Rei. He licked his lips and was about to force his 'prey' into a deep kiss when...
"Fire arrows!" Vivid red flames emitted from a dark blue blade and soon a phoenix was summoned, screeching as it stood in front of the White Tiger protectively.
"Where did this come from?!" Aku asked as both he and his brother backed away. Aku narrowed his eyes as a figure approached from behind the raven-haired teeanger, growling angrily. It was that slate blue-haired boy!
"How dare you interrupt our sweet reunion?!" Kagai asked, causing the Red Phoenix to laugh.
"That's just pathetic. Your pitiful attempts to make me flinch are nothing but garbage! You have to do more than 'babbling' threats to scare me," Kai said.
"Why you little shrimp! I'll-" Kagai was cut off when his older brother placed a hand on his shoulder. "Aniki..."
"Forget it, Kagai. We're leaving," Aku glared at Kai before he turned around and left, Kagai following him closely.
Kai was about to run after him when he heard his comrade speak. And he noted that something was different in Rei's voice... Something was wrong... very wrong.
"Let them go, Kai..." The White Tiger whispered, his rebellious bangs covering his eyes. Yet, he knew that his comrade could still see his tears.
"Rei, it's okay. They're gone now..." Kai pulled the raven-haired teenager to a hug. "I'll make sure that they won't bother you again... I promise..."
"..." Rei remained silent, not doing anything to stop his tears.
They won't be gone for long... they still want me. If I don't come with them, they'll kill you. I don't want that... I don't want you to die because of me...
"Kai! Rei!"
The Red Phoenix looked behind and saw the rest of the BladeBreakers, running towards them. "Don't worry. He's okay... I came in right before those fools did anything to him."
"That's good then..." The Chief said.
"We better head back then... Rei doesn't look too good," Max suggested.
The sun was now setting at the west, making the sky look as if it was one fire. Dark red and orange all swirled into an artist's canvas, and slowly - midnight blue was soon added when the sun sunk down even further.
Inside the room Tyson shared with Max, whistles and cries of frustrations were heard. What could it be?
"And it's your turn, Kai..." The Blue Dragon stated, grinning evilly. His dark blue eyes were gleaming with mischief, and that's not a good sign.
Kai rolled his eyes, "Alright. Bring it on, Tyson." He stared straight into Tyson's eyes, completely oblivious to what the other's plans were. Their gaze was intense, and it was soon broken.
"Truth or Dare?" Tyson asked.
"Dare."
Tyson's grin grew wider and he began to think. And he snickered when a cool idea hit his head. "Alright. Since it's your first time playing this game... I'll give you two dares and you get to pick. Aren't I nice?"
"Very," Kai replied sarcastically.
"Hmm... it's either you wear a pink tutu and dance around the cafeteria like a love-struck ballerina OR you wear a pink frilly shirt tomorrow - for the whole day!!"
The slate blue-haired boy doubled over; Rei wasn't kidding - the Blue Dragon's dares were weird. "I'll go with the shirt... it's a lot easier."
"Oh, but Kai... we don't have a shirt like that with us," Tyson replied. "You have to buy it tomorrow and wear it!"
"Very... interesting," Rei remarked, surpressing his laughter. And then he fell silent when he realized that it was his turn again. "Meep!"
"Meep is right, Rei. Truth or Dare?" Kai asked, a bit pale from thinking about the dare he had to do tomorrow.
"Ehehe... Truth," Rei answered. This earned him a few Oooh's and Aaaah's from his friends.
"Okay. If you're in love with someone, who is it?" The Red Phoenix asked, making his comrades gasp. He smirked, knowing too well why. They hadn't expected a question like this from him.
"I..." The White Tiger was flustered, his heart beating wildly. "Can I just switch to Dare?" He asked sheepishly.
"Nope."
And with that reply, Rei gulped. "Fine. I love..."
"Go on," Tyson urged, curious to find out who his comrade loved.
"I love..." Rei swallowed and finally blurted out, "I love Kai!!" He cracked an eye open, and saw a look of shock on Kai's face, making him feel that it would've been a lot better if he didn't say anything at all. Then the shocked look changed into an angry one, causing Rei to fear the worst. And he felt his whole world crumble before him, when the Red Phoenix stood up and left the room.
"Kai!" Tyson called out, before he looked at Rei. "Rei... I..."
"Don't," Rei said, a fresh new wave of tears forming in his eyes. "It doesn't matter..."
"Then why are you..."
"Enough already!!" The White Tiger snapped as he stood up and ran, not knowing where to go. He didn't even go far, not even near the elevator as he crumpled to the floor in tears. His heart was crushed, his soul was torn apart, knowing that the one he loved didn't love him back.
He had been right all along. Everything that happened between them was a lie.
He stood up and wiped his tears away, letting out a shaky sigh. He walked over to the elevator and as soon as he reached the last floor, he went out of the hotel. He didn't even care that he didn't have his jacket. But why bother? His life was ruined anyway.
He turned around a corner and gasped when a hand wrapped itself around his waist, pulling him closer to the darkness. Another hand with a cloth clamped over his mouth, and soon - he felt dizzy. He tried to fight it back, but it was too late. He slipped out of reality, falling limp in the hands of his captor.
"Goodie, I got him, aniki."
"Perfect..."
Back at the hotel...
Kai held his head in his hands, his fingers tightly woven into his hair. "What's wrong with me?" He asked the empty room. "Why couldn't I tell him?"
He was referring to Rei, of course. The raven-haired teenager had just told him that he loved him, but he didn't do anything about it. He just stared at Rei like he was some creature from another being, and then he walked away.
Kai mentally kicked himself for the way he had just left Rei there, not even able to say one word. He had been waiting so long to express his feelings, and all he could do when Rei had said that he loved him, was stare at him. He should've said something, anything. Anything would've been better than saying nothing at all.
He was angry at himself, angry at himself for backing away. But he knew that it was no use. He screwed up his one chance with Rei; it would be too painful for the White Tiger to see him now.
"Hiwatari! Open the damn door right now!!" The Blue Dragon boomed, banging his fist on the door. He didn't care if he was disturbing other people with his 'knocking', because he was determined to give his friend a piece of his mind.
"Calm down, Ty-" The Red Phoenix wasn't able to finish his sentence when his angry comrade pinned him to the floor. "Argh! Get off me!"
"No, not until I get this through your thick head!" Tyson's eyes were burning with rage. "Your stupid actions caused Rei so much pain! Did you know that he was sitting on the floor, trembling while he cried?! He was crying - again! Just a while ago he was laughing, damn it! Laughing! Do you know how much we've missed seeing the cheerful Rei?!"
"..."
"Ever since he was raped by those fucking Twins of Terror, he changed - drastically. And you helped him, Hiwatari. You helped him revert back to the Rei Kon we all know and loved! And when you just frickin' stared at him when he told you what he felt, you destroyed any hopes he had for starting anew!" Tyson took a deep breathe and turned around. "You might want to congratulate yourself - you've accomplished the impossible," He sneered and walked away, back to his room.
Kai could only watch in amazement as the other 'blader left. He didn't know that Tyson could show off his rage like... like... He shook his head, and stood up, pulling on his jacket. He knew that he had to do - find Rei and tell him that he loved him too.
It was snowing again, but nothing drastic, only a few inches or so, and it hadn't been very cold. Kai had absolutely no idea where to start, but his senses guided him to random places. He asked around if anyone had seen a young teenager with long raven hair. All he got were a few no's and shrugs, which was just a pain.
It was quarter after eleven, and there were still no signs of Rei. The slate blue-haired boy began to think that he had driven off his friend for good. His heart sank. He cursed himself for being so stupid to let the White Tiger run off like that. He knew that he should've stopped him. He continued on with his search, hoping that he'll have some luck soon...
Twelve midnight just rolled around and a sharp blast of wind bit the bare flesh of his skin. He was panicking now. He could hardly stand the thought of Rei crying out there, thinking that he didn't care for him one bit. He knew that he had to keep on looking... but it was getting late.
His mind said that Rei was probably back at their room, crying his heart out. But... his heart didn't feel that it was true. What if... What if Aku and Kagai...? "No! I musn't think like that.... Rei's safe... he can protect himself..."
But can you really fight back when you have a broken heart?
He fell on his knees, not caring about the freezing ice against him. He lowered his head, allowing his bangs to cover his eyes. And then... a solitary tear made it's way down his cheek. Then he cried... the Red Phoenix cried. Why? Why did he have to be such a coward? Why can't he say those three simple words?
"I'm so sorry, Rei... Please come back to me..." His heart ached like there was a knife stabbed in it, and he shuddered before he whispered those three simple words - words that were needed to be said.
"I love you..."
Shinzui's Rolling Rant: Holy mother of juppies! It was long! Anyways, I'm prepared for anybody who's out to kill me!! -ish behind a fortress now- I have swords and everything! Hehehe... What did you think of meh Christmas gift? Was it good or was it utterly horrible? Are you out to kill me? Tell me everything in your review! But right now... I need to open some presents! Mfreep! Ja!