(A/N: Thank you for the reviews! ^^)

End of the Affair: Part 8- When You Leave Me

~*
Rei turned over in his sleep, pawing fitfully at the sheets, murmuring and meowing as his dreams tormented him. Kai looked tiredly from his book to the neko-jin, who was curled up fetally. Kai sighed and got up out of the plush arm-chair.

Sitting down on the the edge of the bed, he started rubbing Rei's back, attempting to soothe the raven-haired boy's troubled dreams. "Oh, Rei-koi. When I find out what sick bastard did this to you, he'll think thrice before even thinking about you."

Rei meowed and attempted to bury his head in the blankets. "Shh, Rei-chan. Wake up."

He shook the neko-jin gently. Gold eyes flew open and Rei recoiled from Kai's touch, hissing. "Keep away from me."

"Shh, Rei-kun, calm down. It's only me."

Kai reached out, as if to place his hand on Rei's cheek, but the neko-jin turned his head to the side and caught Kai's hand, viciously biting down. The bluenette retracted his hand, watching the wound turn red and bleed.

Rei hissed and curled up, keeping a watchful eye on the other boy. Kai sighed and hefted himself up. "I'm going for a walk," he announced to no one imparticular.

He started to walk away. Something caught his hand and he turned around to see Rei, clutching his hand and nuzzling it fondly. "Kai-kun...won't...won't leave Rei alone, will he?"

The neko-jin looked up at him imploringly. "Rei doesn't like to be alone," he whimpered, loosening his grip on Kai's wrist, seeing that the other boy had no intentions of staying.

Kai sighed and lef the room. "I'm going to call a shrink, Rei."

Rei didn't reply. Rather, he'd curled up, biting down on his thumb to keep from crying out loud. He didn't want to be left alone, no, not alone....

~*

Kai sat in his grandfather's office, waiting for the phone to stop ringing. He shifted his weight, annoyed and impatient. He was worried. Rei wasn't acting normally- though, who could expect him to? He was keeping to himself, but he didn't want to be left alone. He was contradicting himself. Worst of all, he was talking about himself in third person. Kai didn't like that at all. He found it rather disturbing.

Sighing, he hung up and glanced at the clock. That was the problem. It was only four a.m. Cursing his luck, he slithered out of the room and down the hall. He paused by the room where he'd found Rei. Cautiously, he walked in, surveying the disgusting state of it. And then he saw it. The pristine sliver of paper, folded neatly on the end on of the bed. Picking his way across the floor, he plucked it from it's resting place and unfolded it. 'What do you think of your precious pet now?'

Kai growled and flung the paper away, cursing the man. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he exited the room, mentally cursing the elder Hiwatari with every foul word in every language he knew. He wanted to kill him. But never so much as when he walked back into the bedroom. His eyes fell on Rei, who was crumpled on the bed, sobbing brokenly. 'Goddamn him....goddamn him to hell and may he burn for all fucking eternity.'

The bluenette sat down on the edge of the bed and gently grasped Rei's hand. The neko-jin jerked away. "No...no more. God, no more. Stop- don't touch me-"

Kai sighed heavily and let go of Rei's wrist. "Koneko...," he murmured, leaning down and wrapping his arms about Rei's waist.

The raven-haired boy struggled vivaciously, attempting to free himself from the unwanted embrace. "Shh, Rei-koi...It's me, Kai. I'm not going to hurt you-"

He nuzzled Rei's hair. The neko-jin stopped squirming. Kai stroked his hair lovingly, trying to calm the stressed boy down. In this position, they fell asleep.

~*

It had to be at least nine a.m when the phone rang, startling Kai into wakefulness. Rei whimpered and turned over in his arms. Gently sliding out of the cuddling embrace, Kai reached for the phone on the bedside table. "Hello?"

He stifled a yawn.

"Kai, where the hell are you? You were supposed to be here half-an-hour ago!"

Kai blinked several times, trying to clear sleep from his mind. "Huh?"

Whoever was on the end of the other line sighed deeply. "Did you forget about the meeting?"

Kai snapped fully awake. "Judy? That you?"

The woman sighed irratley. "Yes, Kai. I called because you never showed up on your flight. I was beginning to wonder if you were cancelling the American launch of the product."

Kai glanced towards Rei, who was still fast asleep, curled in the covers. "Err....sorry. It's been a rather...busy night here."

He swore if the blonde woman had been there, she would have been smirking. "Enjoying Rei's company?"

Kai frowned. "Not like /that/. Rei's....not well."

"Oh." She sounded surprised. "What's he got? The flu?"

Kai paused. What was he supposed to say? He couldn't just tell her that Rei had been raped, could he? Of course not. "Yeah, the flu," he murmured softly, looking back at the sleeping boy, who most certainly did not have the flu.

"I guess you won't be bringing him along then. Pity. Max was looking forward to seeing you all again."

"Max?" He asked, confused. "Isn't he-"

"He and Tyson arrived just a couple minutes ago. They're upstairs, unpacking."

"Oh."

There was a terse silence. "I have to go now. Rei's up again. I'll catch the next flight out, okay?"

"Sure. See ya soon, Kai."

"Goodbye," he muttered, hanging the reciever back up. "And good riddance."

He turned back to the bed. He settled himself back onto the pillow. And was met with two golden orbs.

~*

Judy hung up the phone, setting it back in it's cradle. "Well, Kai's on his way," she stated, turning to the two teens who had just clambered down the stairs.

She smiled at them. "Finished unpacking boys?"

Max nodded shyly and looked at Tyson. The blue-haired boy nodded. Max looked at his mother, a slight blush creeping onto his pale cheeks. Nervously, he grasped Tyson's hand. "Mom, we've got something to tell you..."

~*

"You're leaving?"

Kai swallowed, trying to avoid Rei's gaze. "Rei-koi, I have to-"

"I thought you said you wouldn't leave me."

"Rei, you've got to understand-"

Rei turned away. "I thought /you/ would understand."

Kai placed his hand on Rei's cheek tenderly. "Koneko, it's for the good of the company-"

"Who cares about the comapny?! You've got all the fortune you need! What do you need more money for?! What about me?! How do you think I feel with you always running off and doing-God-knows-what in other countries?! I hate it Kai! I hate it! I want to bind you to me permanently- I won't have to worry about being alone-"

"How can you miss someone if they never go away?!"

"I don't want you to go away! Ever!"

Rei started crying. "Do you think I really want to stay here? By myself? After....after what happened?"

"Rei, I have-"

Rei slapped him, hard. Kai blinked several times, placing a hand on his cheek. "Rei-"

The neko-jin was breathing roughly, hyperventilating almost. Tears trickled down his bruised face. "You don't care about me."

Kai blinked, startled. "Rei, I love you-"

"No. No, you don't. You might have at one point, but not now. I'm an idiot to believe you do."

"Rei, listen to me-"

He looked pleadingly at Rei, stroking his cheek.

"Go away. Leave me alone."

Kai sighed, resigining. They'd have to have this argument later. He had to leave. Quickly, he kissed Rei gently on the cheek and hauled himself out of bed. "Goodbye Rei-chan. I'll be home as soon as possible. We'll argue then."

And with that, he left the room, to leave Rei to crying into the pillow.
~*

Mariah woke with a start. The phone was ringing. She glanced at the clock, wondering who could be calling so ....early. She frowned. It was half past eleven. She untangled herself from the mass of limbs that was the White Tigers and trudged into the kitchen. The phone continued to ring. Annoyed, she picked it up. "Hello?" she asked shortly.

"Mariah?"

"REI?!"

She pulled the phone away from her ear and blinked several times.

"Yeah."

The voice sounded weak, strained, choked.

"Are you okay?" Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest.

"No."

"What's wrong? What's going on? Where are you? Are you hurt?"

She couldn't stop the flood-tide of questions, so concerned for her ex-boyfriend she was.
All she got for a reply was sobbing. After a moment or two, Rei's voice returned to her ears, broken and whimpering. "He left me, Mariah. God, he left me, all alone here-"

"Who did? Are you hurt?"

"Kai! God, he just up and left-"

She crowed in victory. "I knew he didn't love you, you idiot!"

She suddenly shut her mouth, realizing that she'd said that out loud. "Oh, God, Rei, I'm sorry-"

"Some help you are Mariah. I thought you were my friend, at the very least."

His tone was bitter, agonized.

"Rei, please, listen to me-"

The phone went dead. She looked down at the reciever, tears welling in her eyes. "Oh, Rei-chan, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say that. I-I didn't mean to hurt you. You would never hurt you. You know that, right?"

Li stumbled groggily into the room. "Mariah? Who was that?"

She turned light pink, brushing her tears away. "Oh, no one. A telemarketer."

Li frowned, scrutinizing her. "It was Rei, wasn't it?"

She turned away. "No. It wasn't."

"Yes, it was. Nothing else could have you this flustered. Look, Mariah. You've got to let him go."

He turned to leave the room. He glanced back over his shoulder. "And if he ever so much as says one word to you, ever again, I'll personally see that the bastard never gets out of bed again."

He left the room, angrily. Mariah's arms went limp at her sides as she stared after him. "Oh, Li..."

~*

(A/N: THERE! XD Done! Fina-freakin'-ly! Yeesh. That took me forever to finish. Sorry to all about the slow update. I kinda got...a bit of writer's block. But just for this fic. X3 How frustrating...Never fear, I'm back on track now. The next chappie will be out soon, very very soon. On an added note, I've made Kai the owner of a big company [not Biovolt or whatever it was called]. That's why he's going on a business trip, and talking about 'the good of the the company'. Just thought I'd clarify. R&R is welcome.)