Chapter Six
Likewise
'Why'd you leave?'
'My plane ticket.'
'Funny. You know what I mean.'
'Well…I…' She couldn't say, "I freaked you out and the others wouldn't leave me alone and they'd want to say goodbye and I just can't handle that-"
'Nah, don't answer, actually.' Kai sighed, looking out over the city. Anika looked at him carefully in his black dress shirt and pants. On the front of the shirt, on either side, there were two silver phoenixes.
How fitting. Sometimes, when he moved, they looked red. She leaned on the rail next to him.
'Sorry I asked about it.' Kai continued.
'Why?'
'Shouldn't've brought that up again.'
She looked at him, this time letting her eyes do the talking. He didn't meet her gaze for long, knowing he had to get this out or be haunted for the rest of his life. He was not going through another two months like he just had ever, ever again.
'It'll just be awkward between us again.' He sighed. 'That really sucked.'
Anika raised an eyebrow in surprise.
'It did, didn't it?' she smirked, looking at the lights over the city. 'What did you do?'
'Me? Destroyed bricks, mostly. What about you?'
'Reading, and the gym people loved me.'
Kai smirked as she laughed a little at the memory.
'Why'd you come, anyway?' he asked.
'My father talked me into it, and I-uh…felt kind of…bad for wandering off. I was kind of torn between coming and not, to tell the truth.'
'My grandfather ordered me too. He said he'd never seen me so distracted. I haven't either. I've never felt so freaked out in my life. No- not being able to concentrate on what I wanted to freaked me out. Never felt anything like it.'
Anika wisely remained silent, turning around and listening to him talk as she watched the light play behind the doors five metres away. She'd closed them when they had come out here.
'I just didn't know what to do- buried myself in training, but every time I paused for a breath, there was always this guilty feeling in the back of my head. It drove me insane until I realised I had a few very alive ghosts to lay to rest.'
'How do you plan to do that?' Anika asked, ignoring her heartbeat as it picked up. Again. Damn you, Kai, she thought, watching him stand up straight and look at her coolly. Great. Was she to be shot down in flames or something else involving flames that she didn't want to thinkaboutbecauseifshdid shewasgoingtostartblushing-
'I plan to tell you this. Damn you, Anika Takatsuki.' Kai growled, grabbing her arms and glaring at her furiously. Anika's breath caught in her throat. The rage in his eyes-
-was different to normal fury. He didn't want to kill her.
Oh God. Not that.
'I can't say anything else except that.' Kai said, letting her go but not stepping back. He didn't take his eyes off hers, either. Anika was very, very suddenly aware of how close he really was.
Like very close.
And every single little bit of common sense she had- hell, any sense she had, went flying out the window.
She really, really hated him and his little smirk. It was threatening to twitch onto his lips now.
'Damn you too, Kai.' She growled, unable to look at him anymore, spinning around and glaring out at the city. Her eyes began to fill up and she cursed.
Damn, damn, damn. She'd sworn she would never let anyone get this close to her- and the person who did was one that had sworn the same thing.
Destiny, she thought sourly, had an extremely bad sense of humour.
'You're crying, Anika.' Kai said softly, over her shoulder. His hot breath tickled her neck.
'Damn you.' She said again.
'Yep. What you said.' Kai said, turning her around and flicking her tears off with his thumb. Anika bit her lip as he dropped his hands to her shoulders.
Oh, shit. Now he was losing it. He –or his self control- was going to be in very big trouble if she looked at him with that hatred in her eyes again.
Very big trouble.
Because he was quite aware that both of their hatred was not hatred but something else.
And she looked at him again, her eyes burning.
Dammit.
Kai didn't really know what he was doing. His brain did not have anything to do with what he did next.
He did know that his self-control was kicked out of the window, and something shoved the grand piano out after it.
One hand stayed on Anika's shoulder and the other traced her jaw line, tilting her chin up as he bent down, gently pressing his lips against hers.
Anika froze. What the… hell…ah…shit. She relaxed, giving up. Kai's other hand dropped to her shoulder as she began to kiss back, and eventually to her waist, pulling her against him, sending a waving of mind-numbing emotion and confusion right through her body.
She could feel him smirk.
Damn…you.
The words didn't seem important….
Nothing did, actually.
Some time later…
Kai stood up, and silence fell at the wedding table. Anika unceremoniously threw a cherry at the back of her sister's head as she sat in her new husband's lap. Kai didn't have to say anything when he stood.
'Ooh, goody, speeches.' Max grinned. Anika rolled her eyes at the blonde, and he laughed.
'I've been asked to say a few words about Tyson's wedding day,' Kai began. 'And I will. When the idea first occurred to me that Tyson could get married- initially when I saw him staring at his now wife- I thought that the bible called that day the Apocalypse.' He paused for the ripple of laughter as dodged the apple Nicole hurled playfully at his head.
'But now that the day is here, and, much to my disappointment, the world is still intact and we are all very much alive…so I suppose I have to go through with this. When I first met Tyson, he annoyed the hell out of me. He was immature, over-confident, over-zealous and a downright pain. I am sad to say that this has not changed.'
He ignored Anika trying not to snicker aloud at his left. Tyson was glaring at him, but trying not to grin at that same time. Kai continued.
'Fortunately or unfortunately, Tyson turned out to almost deserve his ego. He was and still is one of the most talented beybladers I have ever met and doubt I will ever meet anyone like him again…thank God.' He added in an undertone. A few more giggles. 'He still had a lot to learn, but as my team-mate I watched him grow better from his mistakes and unfortunately, watched his head grow as well.'
'Then in his last year of high school was the summer that changed our lives, like it was straight out of a B-grade movie. Anika's little sister came to Tokyo. Until then I had never thought it was possible for anyone to be more over-confident about their talents and looks than Tyson. Nicole Takasuki proved me wrong. Beautiful, charming and dangerously well aware of it, I watched her wheedle her way with just about everyone, and told myself it could not get any worse when I accidentally walked in on her and Tyson two weeks after that International Beyblade dance.'
'I still say you did that on purpose!' Tyson shouted. Kai smirked and continued after taking a drink that Anika passed him, and the laughter had died away.
'Once again, I have been proven wrong in my blind hope. Now that it is dashed, I should like to mention that it really couldn't get any worse. For the sake of our sanity, I raise a toast to the continued well being of Tyson and Nicole in their married life.'
'No children?' called Kenny naughtily. Kai paled.
'Can you imagine what their kids would be like?' he demanded. Silence fell, and the unanimous request went up:
'Can you pass the champagne, please?'
Kai sat down, and Anika grinned at him.
'Well spoken.'
'Good, because I am never going to talk that much again.' Kai muttered. Anika giggled and leaned on his shoulder. 'You tired, Ani?'
'Mm.'
'Me too.'
'Hey, Kai!' Tyson yelled down the table. Kai looked up as Anika sat up again, sipping her champagne. 'I've got a really good speech in mind for YOUR wedding!'
Kai smacked his forehead on the table a few times as Anika rolled her eyes as Tyson stood up, raising his glass.
'To Kai! Because he may not have known this, but this is the same day that Anika stole his ten thousand yen note-'
'I DID NOT STEAL IT, YOU LIAR!'
'-and then they and into each other looking for the girl that had taken it and the boy it belonged to. What followed for the next three months was living hell for them, and for me, because I almost went bald, tearing my hair out with frustration. Bald at the age of seventeen!' he added tragically, and feigned offence when they laughed. Kai and Anika swapped looks.
'Without Kai and Anika's complete and utter pig-headedness and shyness, I would never have met Nicole. And for that I won't charge them the cost of my toupee.'
Max fell off his chair, holding his stomach and laughing so hard he was crying. Various guests were doing the same thing.
'So to my new sister-in-law-' he paused as Anika turned to Kai, a terrified look on her face.
'Just kill me now, please, if you have any mercy!'
'None at all.' Kai grinned.
'Damn you, Kai.' Anika scowled, sticking her tongue out and looking back at Tyson as Kai laughed and put his arm around her shoulders.
'-and her still-embarrassed-about-it boyfriend Kai, thankyou for being two of the most frustrating people I have ever known.'
'I am not still embarrassed about it.' Kai glowered.
'That's why you're blushing, is it?' Nicole teased. 'Hey Kai, if you marry Anika, we're all related!'
'Oh God.' Kai groaned. 'Anika-'
'No, I understand perfectly. However, as my boyfriend you still have to put up with my sister's family.'
'Give up, Kai.' Max grinned. He'd gotten married two years ago. Anika was bloody pleased with herself, and still claimed Max should buy her a chocolate sundae every time they passed that ice cream parlour.
'Never.' Kai grinned wolfishly. 'Pass the chips.'
'Never give up?' Anika asked as conversation resumed normality around them. 'I certainly don't remember you telling me that.'
Kai choked on his chip.
'D-damn you, Anika.'
'No, not until we get home.' She said calmly, and giggled as his face froze in terror, in case someone had heard that. She leaned her head on his shoulder.
'Wake me up before we go home.'
Home, huh….Kai thought, putting his arm around her waist. Strange….
Such a simple word.
But it sounded like the best thing in the world to him right now. He caught Tyson's gaze as he kissed the top of Anika's head, and gave a minute shrug. Tyson smiled.
Kai had given up on one certain factor a long time ago.
'Hey, Tyson.' Kai said, his voice carrying up the table. Tyson raised an eyebrow in query. 'How much do you think they charge for ski gear in Hell?'
Tyson and Max gaped at him guilty.
'Er- you heard that?'
'Oh, I hear lots of things.' Kai grinned. The light caught his teeth, and his grin looked like the one that came towards open-water swimmers.
With a fin on top.
Yep, Anika smiled against his warm skin. Some things definitely never changed. Others, however…
Around about two hundred bucks for a family pack.
