To pixie_blood: No, I did not forget... *pouts big* hmph... and there's no
way I'd be grateful that a really cool reviewer wasn't around... that's
sad... lol... ok. so it isn't that funny...
Ok, I must comment on one thing (before I start the story). A lot of you remembered about Kai being a vampie! I'm actually surprised, cause I had practically forgotten... luckily for you (and me) this chappie was already typed before I could forget about the vampire part of the story. Vampire Kai is brought back up in this chapter and a little bit in chapter eight (But since he only needs one drink a month of Rei's blood... there isn't really much I could do) and then comes chapter nine, and then a big blow out with lots of vampire and Neko-jin stuff (Mostly vampire) and then I'm done. And then it's off to start working on the sequels of this and 'Another Word For Strength'. Anyways... Read on...
Erm... I think I might have to hide behind a trash lid or something for most of this chappie... I'm sorry for hurting him! I didn't mean it! *whispers* Well yes I did, but they don't need to know that yet.
Kai: Hn... He got off better than me at least.
Chi: Well that's cause I couldn't let him be the weak one in your relationship.
Kai: Why did you have to make that happen to me?
Chi: Well... *looks at audience* Because... you know what "That Man" was like to you during the tournament... do you honestly think he was innocent?
Kai: *snort* Are you so afraid to say the name of the man who ra-*Chi covers his mouth*
Chi: *sweating* Now really, Hiwatari-sama, we don't need that nonsense coming out of your mouth. Aren't you always the one who tries to keep your past a secret?
Kai: ... Hn...
***
Immortal Blood
Chapter 7: Written in Blood (I'm sorry! I couldn't think of a better title in time...)
***
In the morning, Rei awoke to find Kai wrapped around his bare torso, his pale shoulders sticking out from beneath the covers. He smiled. After Kai had yelled at their friends a second time, they decided to stop kissing unless they took it too far. Kai had been insistent that neither of them were ready. So, instead they crawled under the covers together and talked about what each other had been doing for the two years they had been apart. Kai had been wandering around Japan, trying to find a worthy Beyblade opponent, and avoiding being in the same building as his grandfather or anyone who worked for him. Kai absolutely loathed anyone his Voltaire hired, and refused to issue commands to them. He ended up alone for the most part of the two years.
Rei had been staying with the White Tiger team trying to get to know them again. He had missed them greatly and was trying desperately to reclaim their lost childhood days, but no one was the same as he remembered. When Mr. Dickenson called their village to let them know about the tournament he had been only too ready to leave.
He pulled back the covers and wriggled free of Kai's strong grip. The crisp mountain air licked at his bare skin and he involuntarily shivered. Dressing quickly, he went through to the living room to find his new gloves and headband.
"Ohayo Rei-chan." Mariah greeted him. She was sitting on the sofa with her head resting on her boyfriend's shoulder. Li was still fast asleep.
"Morning Mariah." He replied, offering her a small smile. He saw the boxes that held his presents near the doorway to the kitchen. He rifled through a couple of boxes before he found them. "I'm going for a walk, care to join me?" he asked. She nodded and lifted Li's arm carefully from her shoulders and followed Rei out of the cabin.
***
"So, how long are you guys planning to stay here?" Rei asked as they hiked up a hill. Mariah shrugged.
"Mr. Dickenson has been trying to hook us up with a lodge for a couple of days." She replied. "We were planning on staying around for the tournament." Rei nodded.
"How come the White Tigers never entered this time?" he asked, helping her up onto a rock ledge at the base of the mountains.
"We're waiting for the World Championships." She boasted. "That's where we can prove our improved skills."
"This Asian tournament had a qualifying round just to enter." Rei pointed out. Hundreds of teams had tried to enter but there had been just too many and the hundreds were narrowed down to the best 32 teams. There would only be five rounds before the finals.
"Well we all decided that the World championships would be much more of a challenge." Mariah defended her team's decision. They stopped at a small foot hill halfway up the mountain and sat down, watching the sun rise slowly over the lodging company's many cabins.
"I'm sorry about the other day." Mariah said softly after a few minutes. "I didn't mean to kiss Kai, especially if I knew it would hurt you so much." Rei smiled and patted her shoulder gently.
"It's ok." He told her. "I've already forgiven you. If it didn't mean anything to you or Kai then it shouldn't mean anything to me." Mariah looked up to him and smiled. He took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze to show that he had no hard feelings towards her. She sighed. They stayed on the hill for a few moments before Mr. Dickenson came towards them.
"Good morning, you two." He called cheerfully. They smiled to him and stood up, dusting there clothes off.
"What brings you out here, sir?" Rei asked politely. Mr. Dickenson smiled and nodded to Mariah.
"This young lady has a cabin awaiting her." He announced. Mariah cheered. "The rest of your team mates have gone on ahead and taken your stuff to the lodge. You might want to hurry before they choose all of the rooms without you." Mariah nodded and followed the old man. When she noticed Rei wasn't with them she turned around and gave him a funny look.
"Are you coming?" she asked. He shook his head and smiled.
"Iie." He replied. "I think I'll just walk around for a little bit and stop by later." She nodded in understanding. Mr. Dickenson turned around and waited for Mariah to catch up.
"Their lodge is the one closest to the lake." He told Rei. "You know where that is right?"
"Hai, I've walked past it a few times." Mariah waved goodbye and followed Mr. Dickenson to her cabin.
***
Rei wandered around the mountain range before finally heading to the lake. When he came out of the woods he could see the tiny cabin just around the bend in the lake. He walked slowly around the water's edge, enjoying the fresh breeze that swept past him. Just a few feet ahead of him were a handful of guys. They looked to be around twenty and as they got closer, Rei faintly recognised them from the night he was a chibi. They were some of the students that had attacked him and Li. He lowered his eyes to the ground and tried not to attract their attention.
A few of them looked outraged about something and when they walked closer, Rei could hear that the owner of the lodging company had kicked them out of their cabin for drinking all the time and not paying their bill. When they saw Rei they didn't recognise him as the chibi, but did see him as a way to take out their anger.
They purposely slammed into him and yelled at him.
"Watch where you're going kid!" one of them screamed. Rei looked up and mumbled his apologies. He really didn't want to get into a fight with them, knowing one of them was the one who had shot Li.
"You don't have to be so rude." He muttered under his breath and kept walking. They unfortunately heard his words and grabbed him back. The guy who had grabbed him and threatened him from the night before, twisted his arm behind his back and slammed his fist into Rei's face.
"That'll teach you to mouth off to your elders." He sneered. Rei narrowed his eyes and fought to get his arm released. Using his free arm he punched the guy back.
"Get lost." He spat. The guy held his cheek and found that Rei had split his lip. He growled and threw another fist into Rei's gut. Rei sagged over and held his stomach in pain. The wind had been knocked out of him and he was gasping for breath. They let go of his arm and he fell to the ground. He stood up, shakily, and threw fists at the closest person to him. This was the wrong thing to do because he was alone against five guys who were at least five years older than him and were probably drunk as hell. They ganged up on him and took turns punching and kicking him. The first guy to punch him pulled Rei up so that he was standing and back handed him across his face.
It occurred to Rei that the slap hurt more than it should have and he raised a palm to his cheek. The skin had been torn deeply and the whole left side of his face was covered in blood. He looked up at the guy and saw a small blade glinting between the man's fingers. He swore under his breath and lunged at the guy, catching him off guard. They crashed to the ground and Rei immediately began pounding his assailant with fists. Two of the students grabbed Rei's arms and flung him off.
"So you're a strong fighter." The student sneered. He was stained with Rei's blood. "We'll see when I'm through with you." He nodded to his friends and they stepped away while the man grabbed his arms again and pinned him to the ground using his legs. Rei suddenly realised that he was a great deal smaller than everyone else. He would have a lot of trouble getting out of his grip. He leaned down on Rei and kissed him painfully, licking lustfully at the smearing of blood that was starting to dry on his face.
Rei felt a new burst of energy and fought against the guy's hands until one of his arms was free. He used his advantage to slam his fish into the other guy's nose and try to push him off.
"Get off me!" he screamed, pounding away at his chest. The guy laughed. "Kai! Help me!"
"Do you really think your girlfriend will come and save you?" he chuckled hoarsely. "No one's going to save you from me." Rei didn't give up. He began screaming again.
"LI! TAKAO!!! KAI!!!!" He continued to scream for his friends. Having enough of his shrill cries for help, the man stifled his mouth by crushing his lips back down to Rei's. He tried to slip his tongue into Rei's mouth, but jerked back when Rei bit down hard.
"You stupid fucking bastard." He yelled and punched him hard. He began to finger Rei's shirt thoughtfully and when he came to a decision he used the blade to roughly tear it off. Rei continued to struggle, but it didn't do any good. The guy discarded his shirt and lowered his mouth to Rei's neck, kissing and biting at it roughly. He began to grind his hips into Rei's, making the Chinese boy cry out in disgust. The motion was much faster and harsher than Kai had ever been, and he was revolted that his body was enjoying the foreign touches.
"KAI!!" He screamed again, knowing no one was close enough to hear him. "Someone... save me." He whispered, close to tears at his sudden despair. He received another blow to the face for his cries. Even though he knew no one would save him, Rei refused to give up. That would mean that this would be as much his fault as the man on top of him. He snarled back at the man who hit him and struggled again, screaming at the top of his lungs. The guy's eye's flashed red in anger and he thrust the blade into Rei's shoulder.
Rei's screams of help turned into cries of agony and a tear slipped out of his now sealed eyes. The man moved himself lower on Rei's body and went to remove his pants, planting rough kissed all the way down Rei's torso. Rei continued to scream.
***
Rounding a corner, Takao and the rest of the Bladebreakers walked slowly towards the White Tiger's cabin. They were going to invite them to the hot springs, and see if Rei wanted to come too. They assumed he was still with Mariah.
"What was that?" Takao asked, hearing something in the distance. The others looked at each other and shrugged. They couldn't hear anything.
"Takao, what the hell are you talking about?" Kai glared at him. Takao pointed towards the lake they were walking too.
"I heard screaming coming from over there." He exclaimed. Suddenly another scream echoed through the woods, a bit louder than the first. Everyone stopped in their tracks.
"There! You all heard it, too, ne?" he saw their surprised faces. The yell came again, straining to be as loud as possible.
"KAI!!" Kai's head shot up and in an instant he was off and running. He recognised the voice immediately and could hear the desperate urgency in the voice. Takao, Max and Kenny ran after him, wondering who would be calling for Kai.
"Kenny, get Li!" Kai ordered, but didn't dare slow down. Kenny nodded and branched off towards the White Tiger's cabin. They came out of the forest and saw the group of college students standing around in a group. And he saw Rei.
He had managed to get his hands free again and was in the process of pulling his boxers up and striking the guy who was trying to attack him.
"Get off me, NOW!" He screamed throwing all his rage into his fists. The guy wouldn't give up though and he pushed Rei back down into the dirt. Rei screamed as more dirt was ground into the cuts that littered his body.
Kai ran full force at the guy who had Rei pinned to the ground and tackled him off Rei's battered body. He had his eyes sealed shut and refused to open them, for fear that he would come back. Takao and Max pull out their Beyblades and launch them at the others who looked as though they were going to help their friend. Max's Draciel shot in between them and Kai and was acting like the defensive blade it was. Dragoon on the other hand, was bouncing all over the place, randomly slamming into each of them.
Li and the rest of his team had come out of their cabin and were running to the lake as Kenny had told them to. They found the area in a mess. Kai was still beating Rei's attacker senseless, and Takao and Max were having trouble keeping the other four guys away from Kai.
"Rei!" Mariah screamed when she spotted their friend lying in a pool of his own blood. He had his eyes sealed shut tightly and wasn't moving. His clothes were in tattered strips all around him and he was bleeding from a number of different wounds. They ran into the fight, Mariah protecting Rei, Kevin and Gary helping Takao and Max, and Li had singled out one of the college students who had escaped from Max and Takao's defence and was making his way to help his friend. He immediately recognised him as the man from two nights ago who had clumsily aimed the gun at him.
He snarled and tackled him to the ground, before he could get close enough. He picked up a rock from the shore and slammed it into his head. He had pulled out a knife and was planning on slitting Kai's throat. With the guy unconscious, the fighting stopped.
Everyone had their blades aimed at someone's head, ready and willing to launch the final blow.
"Leave now." Takao stated, more serious than anyone had ever seen him. His eyes had narrowed to such a glare that would be enough to rival any one of Kai's. They held up their hands in retreat and ran. One stopped to drag back the man Li had been struggling with, but none of them dared go near Kai.
He was still punching the life out of the guy beneath him. It took Li and Takao to finally drag him away from the man.
"Fucking bastard." Kai snarled to the unconscious body. Takao held him back before he could go into another round of one-sided fighting, while Li gently picked up Rei's limp body.
Rei cracked an amber eye open, sensing that no one was going to hurt him and peered up at Li.
"Kai." He stated. He wanted Kai. Takao let go of his shoulders and he walked up beside Li. Rei tilted his head back to see Kai and he smiled. Kai took his hand and rubbed it gently, his face expressionless. He was trying to forget his anger enough to offer Rei a smile.
"Those were the same men who attacked me and Rei the other night." Li whispered softly. Everyone looked up at him surprised.
"Rei went looking for them?" Takao's forehead creased in frustration. "Why would he do that?"
"I don't think he did." Li responded, looking down at Rei. "They were drunk. And he knew they carried weapons. I think they found him." Rei winced as Li's arm came in contact with a raw wound.
"Kai." He breathed again, struggling to stay strong and not collapse into a weeping mess. "Help me up." He asked. Li let him down gently and Rei stood up, leaning heavily on Kai.
"Why don't we still go to the springs?" Kai suggested. "The hot water can calm you down and clean out your wounds." Rei nodded. He just wanted to stay away from the lake for a while. Kai wrapped an arm around Rei's bare waist and led him towards the hot springs.
***
When they got to the springs, everyone changed and slid into the warm water. Rei secluded himself away from the others, curling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around his legs. He didn't think he could handle the pitying glances everyone kept giving him. He wasn't weak. He didn't need them to feel sorry for him, especially since it didn't make it go away. He sighed and closed his eyes, letting his imagination conjure up all his happiest memories to distract him from remembering.
Kai looked over at Rei and frowned at his state. He didn't want to see his love sink into deep despair and depression. He knew that Rei was in shock and if he cut himself off from his friends he wouldn't be able to make his life normal again. He waded over to Rei and placed a tentative hand on his shoulder.
Rei jumped and buried his face in his knees. Kai smiled gently and sat down beside him, keeping his hand firmly on his shoulder.
"It's only me." He whispered. Rei slowly lifted his head and looked into Kai's eyes. They held absolutely no pity, only warmth. "We'll get through this. I'm not leaving you." A small smile made its way to Rei's face. He was grateful that he had Kai.
"Hold me." He breathed. His memories had seemed to mould themselves with the recent event and turned horrific. Kai nodded, sensing the desperate urgency in his request and pulled Rei to his chest. Rei began to sob violently into his shoulder. He uncurled himself and wrapped his arms and legs around Kai's body. Kai only held him tighter. He ran his fingers through Rei's long raven hair and sighed.
"Oh, Rei. What did they do to you?" He asked, not really knowing if Rei would tell him. Rei leaned closed and turned his head so his mouth was near Kai's ear.
"I was walking to the White Tiger's cabin and they were walking away from it." He whispered. He wanted to tell Kai everything. "I tried to avoid them. I knew they were trouble, but they slammed into me. Then they started to hit me... out of nowhere. I tried to fight back, I knew that's what you would have done, but they kept punching me. And then the one guy... he slapped me... he had a knife in his hand. My blood was everywhere. Then he tried to kiss me. I bit down on his tongue and that's when he started..." he trailed off, his voice not letting him go any further. "I was so afraid and I tried to call for you. But at the same time I was so angry. I felt that if I didn't fight him, if I gave up, I'd be just as bad as him. That's what made me so angry... I wanted so badly to just give up and get it over with." He held Kai tighter. Kai's brows creased in frustration. If only they had left sooner. There were too many 'ifs'. He closed his eyes and rested his head against Rei's.
"It's okay to be afraid." He whispered, reassuringly. "Not everyone is expected to be brave under all circumstances."
"Kai, can I ask you for something?" Rei asked after a few minutes. Kai pulled back and looked down.
"Of course." He replied. Rei looked away.
"Can you bite me?" He asked. "I can't get the images out of my head. I just want to sleep." Kai looked up nervously at the others who were keeping at least one eye on Rei at all times. If he bit Rei now, everyone would know about his secret. He looked back down at Rei and nodded. Rei needed this more than he needed to keep his secret. He pushed aside Rei's hair with his nose and sunk his teeth in deep.
"What are you doing to him?!" Mariah screamed, being the first to notice Kai's teeth. She stood up and tried to run at Kai. The water slowed her down enough for Li to grab her by the arm. Rei fell limp in his arms as he licked away the blood. It wasn't much blood, just enough to keep Rei out of it for a while.
"You're a vampire!" Li cried when Kai raised his head to look at his audience. His fangs were still visible.
"How the hell could you do that to Rei at a time like this?" Takao yelled. Kai gave them all a pained look before burying his head in Rei's hair, hoping to drown out their cries of disgust and protest.
Kenny grabbed Takao's arm, stopping the boy from going after Kai.
"Why did you bite Rei, Kai?" he asked gently. Takao whirled around and looked at him in disbelief.
"Don't tell me you knew about him already?" he demanded. Kenny nodded, but kept his eyes on Kai.
"He only wanted to sleep." Kai whispered, loud enough for them all to hear. "He asked me to." Everyone looked surprised.
"He knew about you?" Ma asked, startled. Kai nodded, his face still hidden in the raven locks.
"Hai. When I collapsed in the hills... it was from lack of blood. He-I... he offered and I refused, but he kept pressing me... he was already immortal... he just slept." Kai looked up at them, a blank look on his face. Mariah and Takao stopped fighting against their holds.
"Will he be okay?" Mariah asked softly, looking sorrowfully at Rei's limp body. Kai nodded curtly.
"He'll wake up by tomorrow morning." He replied. They all nodded and sat back down. They understood Rei's plea for escape.
Kai stayed with Rei for a few more minutes in the water before lifting them both out.
"I'll take Rei back to our cabin." He announced to the others and carried Rei out of the hot springs. Their clothes were beside a tree. He let go of Rei's legs and bent over to pick everything up. He carefully wrapped Rei up in a large towel and threw one over his head to keep away the cool night breeze. Picking the rest of their things up, he carried Rei the rest of the way back to their lodge.
***
When they finally got back to their shared room, Kai shook Rei awake.
"Wake up!" He yelled. "You have to get undressed and then you can sleep more." Rei nodded and drowsily grabbed his clothes and slowly dragged his feet into the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later, ready for bed and collapsed into Kai's arms. Kai smiled down at Rei.
"Can I sleep with you?" Rei asked. Kai blushed at the first thing that came to his head. He nodded and helped him over to his bed. He pulled the covers over themselves and noticed that Rei was already fast asleep, curled into his side. He had his arms wrapped tightly around Kai's waist. Kai bent his head and kissed the top of Rei's head gently. He had a good feeling that Rei would be okay tomorrow.
~Finis
Yep... it took me forever to finish this chapter... I got lazy and began to get bored with Beyblade... it's not on TV anymore... this exact same thing happened to me with CCS... but luckily I kept going before I could totally get rid of my liking of Beyblade. Plus I still have a tape that has the Russian tournament on it with episodes I refused to watch... you know... the ones where Kai is acting all evil... so if it gets desperate enough I can watch those. Then the next season should be here (I hope...).
In advance I'd like to write my will and apologise for the next chapter. I'm SORRY!!! Oh, and to Cindy... it's Kai. If you're not Cindy you won't understand... (Hopefully she doesn't either... or else I'll get murdered before anyone sees the next chapter).
Chapter 8: Of Virgins and Poison Ivy (Nice title, ne?)
"Everyone knows about me now." He said softly. Rei looked surprised. He thought back to just before he fell asleep and realised what he was really asking of Kai. He gasped and put a hand to his mouth.
"Oh, shit." He cursed. "Gomen, gomen nasai." He apologised. Kai looked up at him, his eyes hardened, but his mouth gave Rei a tiny smile.
"It was unavoidable." He said. "I don't really care what they all think anyways." Rei nodded. They sat down at the table and Takao opened his mouth, which, surprisingly enough, had no food in it. Yet.
"So I guess you're no longer a virgin, ne Rei?" he asked, waving his fork suggestively. Kenny and Max looked appalled that he would even bring that up.
"Takao!?" Max cried. Rei blushed.
"That's not the kind of thing you ask at breakfast... or any other time either." Kenny exclaimed. Kai looked pale.
"Who said I was a virgin to begin with?" Rei asked quietly, attracting all eyes to him, except Kai who spat out the food he had been chewing and started choking.
"What?!" They all screamed. Rei laughed.
"You're all assuming I was a virgin before me and Kai slept together." He stated. Kai's face went from pure white to deep red.
"Now wait a minute, we didn't..." He trailed off at Rei's glare.
"In answer to your question, Takao, Iie. I'm still a virgin." Rei answered. Everyone let out the breath they were collectively holding. Rei snickered at their expressions. "I've never slept with anyone. Not even Kai." He added.
"But all those noises." Takao whined. Kai rolled his eyes and Rei blushed slightly.
"What about the noises?" Kai asked shooting the younger boy a sharp glare.
"Well, there's the moaning, the groaning, the bumping into walls, the bed creaking, and the list goes on." Takao listed, ticking off his fingers. Kai stood up from the table and snorted.
"You're such an asshole, Takao." He replied, walking back to his room, not liking the breakfast conversation.
"So what about your virginity, Hiwatari?" Takao called out before Kai left the room. He stopped for a moment, as if caught in a memory and almost looked back to the table.
"I-I don't want to talk about it." He stammered and slammed the bedroom door shut angrily...
DON'T KILL ME!!!
Oh and to chibi kitty, I have yet to get writer's block. I'm actually working on the tenth chapter as I type. And I have chappie eight ready to go. I'm just waiting for a bit... that way the chapters come out evenly enough to get feedback on each of them.
(Wow... seventy reviews... that's a hell of a lot more than I ever expected to get... thank you so much to everyone who is reviewing!!!!!!)
Ok, I must comment on one thing (before I start the story). A lot of you remembered about Kai being a vampie! I'm actually surprised, cause I had practically forgotten... luckily for you (and me) this chappie was already typed before I could forget about the vampire part of the story. Vampire Kai is brought back up in this chapter and a little bit in chapter eight (But since he only needs one drink a month of Rei's blood... there isn't really much I could do) and then comes chapter nine, and then a big blow out with lots of vampire and Neko-jin stuff (Mostly vampire) and then I'm done. And then it's off to start working on the sequels of this and 'Another Word For Strength'. Anyways... Read on...
Erm... I think I might have to hide behind a trash lid or something for most of this chappie... I'm sorry for hurting him! I didn't mean it! *whispers* Well yes I did, but they don't need to know that yet.
Kai: Hn... He got off better than me at least.
Chi: Well that's cause I couldn't let him be the weak one in your relationship.
Kai: Why did you have to make that happen to me?
Chi: Well... *looks at audience* Because... you know what "That Man" was like to you during the tournament... do you honestly think he was innocent?
Kai: *snort* Are you so afraid to say the name of the man who ra-*Chi covers his mouth*
Chi: *sweating* Now really, Hiwatari-sama, we don't need that nonsense coming out of your mouth. Aren't you always the one who tries to keep your past a secret?
Kai: ... Hn...
***
Immortal Blood
Chapter 7: Written in Blood (I'm sorry! I couldn't think of a better title in time...)
***
In the morning, Rei awoke to find Kai wrapped around his bare torso, his pale shoulders sticking out from beneath the covers. He smiled. After Kai had yelled at their friends a second time, they decided to stop kissing unless they took it too far. Kai had been insistent that neither of them were ready. So, instead they crawled under the covers together and talked about what each other had been doing for the two years they had been apart. Kai had been wandering around Japan, trying to find a worthy Beyblade opponent, and avoiding being in the same building as his grandfather or anyone who worked for him. Kai absolutely loathed anyone his Voltaire hired, and refused to issue commands to them. He ended up alone for the most part of the two years.
Rei had been staying with the White Tiger team trying to get to know them again. He had missed them greatly and was trying desperately to reclaim their lost childhood days, but no one was the same as he remembered. When Mr. Dickenson called their village to let them know about the tournament he had been only too ready to leave.
He pulled back the covers and wriggled free of Kai's strong grip. The crisp mountain air licked at his bare skin and he involuntarily shivered. Dressing quickly, he went through to the living room to find his new gloves and headband.
"Ohayo Rei-chan." Mariah greeted him. She was sitting on the sofa with her head resting on her boyfriend's shoulder. Li was still fast asleep.
"Morning Mariah." He replied, offering her a small smile. He saw the boxes that held his presents near the doorway to the kitchen. He rifled through a couple of boxes before he found them. "I'm going for a walk, care to join me?" he asked. She nodded and lifted Li's arm carefully from her shoulders and followed Rei out of the cabin.
***
"So, how long are you guys planning to stay here?" Rei asked as they hiked up a hill. Mariah shrugged.
"Mr. Dickenson has been trying to hook us up with a lodge for a couple of days." She replied. "We were planning on staying around for the tournament." Rei nodded.
"How come the White Tigers never entered this time?" he asked, helping her up onto a rock ledge at the base of the mountains.
"We're waiting for the World Championships." She boasted. "That's where we can prove our improved skills."
"This Asian tournament had a qualifying round just to enter." Rei pointed out. Hundreds of teams had tried to enter but there had been just too many and the hundreds were narrowed down to the best 32 teams. There would only be five rounds before the finals.
"Well we all decided that the World championships would be much more of a challenge." Mariah defended her team's decision. They stopped at a small foot hill halfway up the mountain and sat down, watching the sun rise slowly over the lodging company's many cabins.
"I'm sorry about the other day." Mariah said softly after a few minutes. "I didn't mean to kiss Kai, especially if I knew it would hurt you so much." Rei smiled and patted her shoulder gently.
"It's ok." He told her. "I've already forgiven you. If it didn't mean anything to you or Kai then it shouldn't mean anything to me." Mariah looked up to him and smiled. He took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze to show that he had no hard feelings towards her. She sighed. They stayed on the hill for a few moments before Mr. Dickenson came towards them.
"Good morning, you two." He called cheerfully. They smiled to him and stood up, dusting there clothes off.
"What brings you out here, sir?" Rei asked politely. Mr. Dickenson smiled and nodded to Mariah.
"This young lady has a cabin awaiting her." He announced. Mariah cheered. "The rest of your team mates have gone on ahead and taken your stuff to the lodge. You might want to hurry before they choose all of the rooms without you." Mariah nodded and followed the old man. When she noticed Rei wasn't with them she turned around and gave him a funny look.
"Are you coming?" she asked. He shook his head and smiled.
"Iie." He replied. "I think I'll just walk around for a little bit and stop by later." She nodded in understanding. Mr. Dickenson turned around and waited for Mariah to catch up.
"Their lodge is the one closest to the lake." He told Rei. "You know where that is right?"
"Hai, I've walked past it a few times." Mariah waved goodbye and followed Mr. Dickenson to her cabin.
***
Rei wandered around the mountain range before finally heading to the lake. When he came out of the woods he could see the tiny cabin just around the bend in the lake. He walked slowly around the water's edge, enjoying the fresh breeze that swept past him. Just a few feet ahead of him were a handful of guys. They looked to be around twenty and as they got closer, Rei faintly recognised them from the night he was a chibi. They were some of the students that had attacked him and Li. He lowered his eyes to the ground and tried not to attract their attention.
A few of them looked outraged about something and when they walked closer, Rei could hear that the owner of the lodging company had kicked them out of their cabin for drinking all the time and not paying their bill. When they saw Rei they didn't recognise him as the chibi, but did see him as a way to take out their anger.
They purposely slammed into him and yelled at him.
"Watch where you're going kid!" one of them screamed. Rei looked up and mumbled his apologies. He really didn't want to get into a fight with them, knowing one of them was the one who had shot Li.
"You don't have to be so rude." He muttered under his breath and kept walking. They unfortunately heard his words and grabbed him back. The guy who had grabbed him and threatened him from the night before, twisted his arm behind his back and slammed his fist into Rei's face.
"That'll teach you to mouth off to your elders." He sneered. Rei narrowed his eyes and fought to get his arm released. Using his free arm he punched the guy back.
"Get lost." He spat. The guy held his cheek and found that Rei had split his lip. He growled and threw another fist into Rei's gut. Rei sagged over and held his stomach in pain. The wind had been knocked out of him and he was gasping for breath. They let go of his arm and he fell to the ground. He stood up, shakily, and threw fists at the closest person to him. This was the wrong thing to do because he was alone against five guys who were at least five years older than him and were probably drunk as hell. They ganged up on him and took turns punching and kicking him. The first guy to punch him pulled Rei up so that he was standing and back handed him across his face.
It occurred to Rei that the slap hurt more than it should have and he raised a palm to his cheek. The skin had been torn deeply and the whole left side of his face was covered in blood. He looked up at the guy and saw a small blade glinting between the man's fingers. He swore under his breath and lunged at the guy, catching him off guard. They crashed to the ground and Rei immediately began pounding his assailant with fists. Two of the students grabbed Rei's arms and flung him off.
"So you're a strong fighter." The student sneered. He was stained with Rei's blood. "We'll see when I'm through with you." He nodded to his friends and they stepped away while the man grabbed his arms again and pinned him to the ground using his legs. Rei suddenly realised that he was a great deal smaller than everyone else. He would have a lot of trouble getting out of his grip. He leaned down on Rei and kissed him painfully, licking lustfully at the smearing of blood that was starting to dry on his face.
Rei felt a new burst of energy and fought against the guy's hands until one of his arms was free. He used his advantage to slam his fish into the other guy's nose and try to push him off.
"Get off me!" he screamed, pounding away at his chest. The guy laughed. "Kai! Help me!"
"Do you really think your girlfriend will come and save you?" he chuckled hoarsely. "No one's going to save you from me." Rei didn't give up. He began screaming again.
"LI! TAKAO!!! KAI!!!!" He continued to scream for his friends. Having enough of his shrill cries for help, the man stifled his mouth by crushing his lips back down to Rei's. He tried to slip his tongue into Rei's mouth, but jerked back when Rei bit down hard.
"You stupid fucking bastard." He yelled and punched him hard. He began to finger Rei's shirt thoughtfully and when he came to a decision he used the blade to roughly tear it off. Rei continued to struggle, but it didn't do any good. The guy discarded his shirt and lowered his mouth to Rei's neck, kissing and biting at it roughly. He began to grind his hips into Rei's, making the Chinese boy cry out in disgust. The motion was much faster and harsher than Kai had ever been, and he was revolted that his body was enjoying the foreign touches.
"KAI!!" He screamed again, knowing no one was close enough to hear him. "Someone... save me." He whispered, close to tears at his sudden despair. He received another blow to the face for his cries. Even though he knew no one would save him, Rei refused to give up. That would mean that this would be as much his fault as the man on top of him. He snarled back at the man who hit him and struggled again, screaming at the top of his lungs. The guy's eye's flashed red in anger and he thrust the blade into Rei's shoulder.
Rei's screams of help turned into cries of agony and a tear slipped out of his now sealed eyes. The man moved himself lower on Rei's body and went to remove his pants, planting rough kissed all the way down Rei's torso. Rei continued to scream.
***
Rounding a corner, Takao and the rest of the Bladebreakers walked slowly towards the White Tiger's cabin. They were going to invite them to the hot springs, and see if Rei wanted to come too. They assumed he was still with Mariah.
"What was that?" Takao asked, hearing something in the distance. The others looked at each other and shrugged. They couldn't hear anything.
"Takao, what the hell are you talking about?" Kai glared at him. Takao pointed towards the lake they were walking too.
"I heard screaming coming from over there." He exclaimed. Suddenly another scream echoed through the woods, a bit louder than the first. Everyone stopped in their tracks.
"There! You all heard it, too, ne?" he saw their surprised faces. The yell came again, straining to be as loud as possible.
"KAI!!" Kai's head shot up and in an instant he was off and running. He recognised the voice immediately and could hear the desperate urgency in the voice. Takao, Max and Kenny ran after him, wondering who would be calling for Kai.
"Kenny, get Li!" Kai ordered, but didn't dare slow down. Kenny nodded and branched off towards the White Tiger's cabin. They came out of the forest and saw the group of college students standing around in a group. And he saw Rei.
He had managed to get his hands free again and was in the process of pulling his boxers up and striking the guy who was trying to attack him.
"Get off me, NOW!" He screamed throwing all his rage into his fists. The guy wouldn't give up though and he pushed Rei back down into the dirt. Rei screamed as more dirt was ground into the cuts that littered his body.
Kai ran full force at the guy who had Rei pinned to the ground and tackled him off Rei's battered body. He had his eyes sealed shut and refused to open them, for fear that he would come back. Takao and Max pull out their Beyblades and launch them at the others who looked as though they were going to help their friend. Max's Draciel shot in between them and Kai and was acting like the defensive blade it was. Dragoon on the other hand, was bouncing all over the place, randomly slamming into each of them.
Li and the rest of his team had come out of their cabin and were running to the lake as Kenny had told them to. They found the area in a mess. Kai was still beating Rei's attacker senseless, and Takao and Max were having trouble keeping the other four guys away from Kai.
"Rei!" Mariah screamed when she spotted their friend lying in a pool of his own blood. He had his eyes sealed shut tightly and wasn't moving. His clothes were in tattered strips all around him and he was bleeding from a number of different wounds. They ran into the fight, Mariah protecting Rei, Kevin and Gary helping Takao and Max, and Li had singled out one of the college students who had escaped from Max and Takao's defence and was making his way to help his friend. He immediately recognised him as the man from two nights ago who had clumsily aimed the gun at him.
He snarled and tackled him to the ground, before he could get close enough. He picked up a rock from the shore and slammed it into his head. He had pulled out a knife and was planning on slitting Kai's throat. With the guy unconscious, the fighting stopped.
Everyone had their blades aimed at someone's head, ready and willing to launch the final blow.
"Leave now." Takao stated, more serious than anyone had ever seen him. His eyes had narrowed to such a glare that would be enough to rival any one of Kai's. They held up their hands in retreat and ran. One stopped to drag back the man Li had been struggling with, but none of them dared go near Kai.
He was still punching the life out of the guy beneath him. It took Li and Takao to finally drag him away from the man.
"Fucking bastard." Kai snarled to the unconscious body. Takao held him back before he could go into another round of one-sided fighting, while Li gently picked up Rei's limp body.
Rei cracked an amber eye open, sensing that no one was going to hurt him and peered up at Li.
"Kai." He stated. He wanted Kai. Takao let go of his shoulders and he walked up beside Li. Rei tilted his head back to see Kai and he smiled. Kai took his hand and rubbed it gently, his face expressionless. He was trying to forget his anger enough to offer Rei a smile.
"Those were the same men who attacked me and Rei the other night." Li whispered softly. Everyone looked up at him surprised.
"Rei went looking for them?" Takao's forehead creased in frustration. "Why would he do that?"
"I don't think he did." Li responded, looking down at Rei. "They were drunk. And he knew they carried weapons. I think they found him." Rei winced as Li's arm came in contact with a raw wound.
"Kai." He breathed again, struggling to stay strong and not collapse into a weeping mess. "Help me up." He asked. Li let him down gently and Rei stood up, leaning heavily on Kai.
"Why don't we still go to the springs?" Kai suggested. "The hot water can calm you down and clean out your wounds." Rei nodded. He just wanted to stay away from the lake for a while. Kai wrapped an arm around Rei's bare waist and led him towards the hot springs.
***
When they got to the springs, everyone changed and slid into the warm water. Rei secluded himself away from the others, curling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around his legs. He didn't think he could handle the pitying glances everyone kept giving him. He wasn't weak. He didn't need them to feel sorry for him, especially since it didn't make it go away. He sighed and closed his eyes, letting his imagination conjure up all his happiest memories to distract him from remembering.
Kai looked over at Rei and frowned at his state. He didn't want to see his love sink into deep despair and depression. He knew that Rei was in shock and if he cut himself off from his friends he wouldn't be able to make his life normal again. He waded over to Rei and placed a tentative hand on his shoulder.
Rei jumped and buried his face in his knees. Kai smiled gently and sat down beside him, keeping his hand firmly on his shoulder.
"It's only me." He whispered. Rei slowly lifted his head and looked into Kai's eyes. They held absolutely no pity, only warmth. "We'll get through this. I'm not leaving you." A small smile made its way to Rei's face. He was grateful that he had Kai.
"Hold me." He breathed. His memories had seemed to mould themselves with the recent event and turned horrific. Kai nodded, sensing the desperate urgency in his request and pulled Rei to his chest. Rei began to sob violently into his shoulder. He uncurled himself and wrapped his arms and legs around Kai's body. Kai only held him tighter. He ran his fingers through Rei's long raven hair and sighed.
"Oh, Rei. What did they do to you?" He asked, not really knowing if Rei would tell him. Rei leaned closed and turned his head so his mouth was near Kai's ear.
"I was walking to the White Tiger's cabin and they were walking away from it." He whispered. He wanted to tell Kai everything. "I tried to avoid them. I knew they were trouble, but they slammed into me. Then they started to hit me... out of nowhere. I tried to fight back, I knew that's what you would have done, but they kept punching me. And then the one guy... he slapped me... he had a knife in his hand. My blood was everywhere. Then he tried to kiss me. I bit down on his tongue and that's when he started..." he trailed off, his voice not letting him go any further. "I was so afraid and I tried to call for you. But at the same time I was so angry. I felt that if I didn't fight him, if I gave up, I'd be just as bad as him. That's what made me so angry... I wanted so badly to just give up and get it over with." He held Kai tighter. Kai's brows creased in frustration. If only they had left sooner. There were too many 'ifs'. He closed his eyes and rested his head against Rei's.
"It's okay to be afraid." He whispered, reassuringly. "Not everyone is expected to be brave under all circumstances."
"Kai, can I ask you for something?" Rei asked after a few minutes. Kai pulled back and looked down.
"Of course." He replied. Rei looked away.
"Can you bite me?" He asked. "I can't get the images out of my head. I just want to sleep." Kai looked up nervously at the others who were keeping at least one eye on Rei at all times. If he bit Rei now, everyone would know about his secret. He looked back down at Rei and nodded. Rei needed this more than he needed to keep his secret. He pushed aside Rei's hair with his nose and sunk his teeth in deep.
"What are you doing to him?!" Mariah screamed, being the first to notice Kai's teeth. She stood up and tried to run at Kai. The water slowed her down enough for Li to grab her by the arm. Rei fell limp in his arms as he licked away the blood. It wasn't much blood, just enough to keep Rei out of it for a while.
"You're a vampire!" Li cried when Kai raised his head to look at his audience. His fangs were still visible.
"How the hell could you do that to Rei at a time like this?" Takao yelled. Kai gave them all a pained look before burying his head in Rei's hair, hoping to drown out their cries of disgust and protest.
Kenny grabbed Takao's arm, stopping the boy from going after Kai.
"Why did you bite Rei, Kai?" he asked gently. Takao whirled around and looked at him in disbelief.
"Don't tell me you knew about him already?" he demanded. Kenny nodded, but kept his eyes on Kai.
"He only wanted to sleep." Kai whispered, loud enough for them all to hear. "He asked me to." Everyone looked surprised.
"He knew about you?" Ma asked, startled. Kai nodded, his face still hidden in the raven locks.
"Hai. When I collapsed in the hills... it was from lack of blood. He-I... he offered and I refused, but he kept pressing me... he was already immortal... he just slept." Kai looked up at them, a blank look on his face. Mariah and Takao stopped fighting against their holds.
"Will he be okay?" Mariah asked softly, looking sorrowfully at Rei's limp body. Kai nodded curtly.
"He'll wake up by tomorrow morning." He replied. They all nodded and sat back down. They understood Rei's plea for escape.
Kai stayed with Rei for a few more minutes in the water before lifting them both out.
"I'll take Rei back to our cabin." He announced to the others and carried Rei out of the hot springs. Their clothes were beside a tree. He let go of Rei's legs and bent over to pick everything up. He carefully wrapped Rei up in a large towel and threw one over his head to keep away the cool night breeze. Picking the rest of their things up, he carried Rei the rest of the way back to their lodge.
***
When they finally got back to their shared room, Kai shook Rei awake.
"Wake up!" He yelled. "You have to get undressed and then you can sleep more." Rei nodded and drowsily grabbed his clothes and slowly dragged his feet into the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later, ready for bed and collapsed into Kai's arms. Kai smiled down at Rei.
"Can I sleep with you?" Rei asked. Kai blushed at the first thing that came to his head. He nodded and helped him over to his bed. He pulled the covers over themselves and noticed that Rei was already fast asleep, curled into his side. He had his arms wrapped tightly around Kai's waist. Kai bent his head and kissed the top of Rei's head gently. He had a good feeling that Rei would be okay tomorrow.
~Finis
Yep... it took me forever to finish this chapter... I got lazy and began to get bored with Beyblade... it's not on TV anymore... this exact same thing happened to me with CCS... but luckily I kept going before I could totally get rid of my liking of Beyblade. Plus I still have a tape that has the Russian tournament on it with episodes I refused to watch... you know... the ones where Kai is acting all evil... so if it gets desperate enough I can watch those. Then the next season should be here (I hope...).
In advance I'd like to write my will and apologise for the next chapter. I'm SORRY!!! Oh, and to Cindy... it's Kai. If you're not Cindy you won't understand... (Hopefully she doesn't either... or else I'll get murdered before anyone sees the next chapter).
Chapter 8: Of Virgins and Poison Ivy (Nice title, ne?)
"Everyone knows about me now." He said softly. Rei looked surprised. He thought back to just before he fell asleep and realised what he was really asking of Kai. He gasped and put a hand to his mouth.
"Oh, shit." He cursed. "Gomen, gomen nasai." He apologised. Kai looked up at him, his eyes hardened, but his mouth gave Rei a tiny smile.
"It was unavoidable." He said. "I don't really care what they all think anyways." Rei nodded. They sat down at the table and Takao opened his mouth, which, surprisingly enough, had no food in it. Yet.
"So I guess you're no longer a virgin, ne Rei?" he asked, waving his fork suggestively. Kenny and Max looked appalled that he would even bring that up.
"Takao!?" Max cried. Rei blushed.
"That's not the kind of thing you ask at breakfast... or any other time either." Kenny exclaimed. Kai looked pale.
"Who said I was a virgin to begin with?" Rei asked quietly, attracting all eyes to him, except Kai who spat out the food he had been chewing and started choking.
"What?!" They all screamed. Rei laughed.
"You're all assuming I was a virgin before me and Kai slept together." He stated. Kai's face went from pure white to deep red.
"Now wait a minute, we didn't..." He trailed off at Rei's glare.
"In answer to your question, Takao, Iie. I'm still a virgin." Rei answered. Everyone let out the breath they were collectively holding. Rei snickered at their expressions. "I've never slept with anyone. Not even Kai." He added.
"But all those noises." Takao whined. Kai rolled his eyes and Rei blushed slightly.
"What about the noises?" Kai asked shooting the younger boy a sharp glare.
"Well, there's the moaning, the groaning, the bumping into walls, the bed creaking, and the list goes on." Takao listed, ticking off his fingers. Kai stood up from the table and snorted.
"You're such an asshole, Takao." He replied, walking back to his room, not liking the breakfast conversation.
"So what about your virginity, Hiwatari?" Takao called out before Kai left the room. He stopped for a moment, as if caught in a memory and almost looked back to the table.
"I-I don't want to talk about it." He stammered and slammed the bedroom door shut angrily...
DON'T KILL ME!!!
Oh and to chibi kitty, I have yet to get writer's block. I'm actually working on the tenth chapter as I type. And I have chappie eight ready to go. I'm just waiting for a bit... that way the chapters come out evenly enough to get feedback on each of them.
(Wow... seventy reviews... that's a hell of a lot more than I ever expected to get... thank you so much to everyone who is reviewing!!!!!!)
