Flower_on_thewind: Hi everyone!!! I have the second chapter out!!!! And before we start, I just want to say thanks to those who reviewed and those who considered the Rei/Kevin parring. I've added up all the votes, including ones from my friends out of fanfiction.net, and the results are…A DRAW!!!! (Note: for those of you who couldn't decide, I put you with Kevin because you guys actually considered the Rei/Kevin paring. Good for you guys for being so open minded!!!) So, I'm going to have 2 different endings!!!
Wufei: *Yawns* OH Pleeeeease don't bore us with you're yappin like last time… Last time, you were so boring that some "people " decided not to read your story!!! Duo didn't even want to help you this time!!! That's why I'M stuck with the job!!!
Flower_on_thewind: T_____T y-you don't have to r-remind me…*cries*
Wufei: *scoffs* weak onna…
Flower_on_thewind: *gets angry* Male chauvinist
Wufei: Pathetic excuse for an author!!!
Flower_on_thewind : O_O EXCUSE ME!?!?!?!?!?!
Wufei: You heard me!! You write so descriptively that it confuses and bores the reader!!!
Duo: *pops out of nowhere* Yeah! It made me REALLY bored!!!!! ^_____^
Flower_on_thewind & Wufei: DUO!!!!
Duo: *looks at scroll bar* Whoa!! What did you do girl? Swallow those Energizer batteries?
Flower_on_thewind: *blushes* Erm….no. I just couldn't help myself!!!!!!!!!! I just kept going and going and going… I couldn't stop!!!!!!! ^_____^
Wufei/Duo: -________-;
Duo: Riiiiiiiight…
Flower_on_thewind: um………yeah, ANYWAYS, this is Kevin's ending… So please ppl, give this coupling a try!!! It's unique!! ~_^; And there IS a hinting of Tyson/Kai at the end!!!!!
Duo: We hope you enjoy!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblades…I don't even have a beyblade of my own!!
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Wish upon a star:
Kevin's story.
Kai didn't know what to say. He didn't know if he could comfort Rei. And Rei was in a lot of pain. Tears slid down his face silently as they tried desperately to wash away all the bad memories. It hurt. And Rei didn't want to hurt like before. He made that painfully clear to Kai when he told him his emotional story.
All these emotions were new to Kai. And he couldn't lie to Rei, telling him that everything was okay. Truthfully, Kai didn't know if it was all going to be okay. Rei's past had a mind of it's own, and Kai couldn't control that. And besides, no one ever told Kai that it was okay when he needed it most. Even though all these small reasons flew through Kai's head, one reason stood above all: Kai didn't know how do comfort Rei.
"Kai?" Rei didn't know what his friend thought of him now. Kai was just starring off into space with no expression evident. Rei didn't know if it was because Kai was shocked because one of his teammates was different, or he was silent in disgust. "…Please say something."
Kai couldn't. He couldn't say anything he wanted to say. He really wanted to comfort him, to tell him how he felt, and that everything was going to be okay, but he didn't know if he could make that leap. Kai was never good in the ways of emotions. He was afraid of emotions. He was afraid to get hurt, like Rei did. It was like a leap of courage, and Kai didn't know if he could make the leap. Unlike Rei, Kai didn't think he would be able to face rejection like that and have the will to live. Love could be a very painful thing and Kai didn't know if he could ever face that pain.
"Kai?" Rei was almost pleading this time. He didn't like the silence. Silence could mean so many things. So many horrible things… It also made rejection harder to bear.
"…We should go back to the others." Kai stated coldly. Maybe tomorrow, he would muster enough courage to take that leap. But not today… Everything happened too fast today. Tomorrow maybe, but not today.
"…You're right…Max might wake up and find us both missing." Rei agreed, trying to hide the hurt from Kai's words. Yes, Kai's words stung Rei. And it hurt a lot. Rei felt like he would always hurt. Kai's coldness only added to the pain. 'Not any more.' His eyes narrowed slightly. Rei had enough of hurting. He didn't want to hurt anymore. No more. Rei was so tired of being miserable. He was tired of hurting himself; he was tired of hurting others! He needed to change…for the better. And he knew that it had to start with the past. Rei was going to make sure his life doesn't turn out to be a big mistake.…and to make sure of that……… his mixed feelings for Kai would have to wait….
***********************************************
Kevin ran as fast as his legs would carry him. The tears that had begun to fall during the confrontation with Rei still fell. He ran and ran until he bumped into someone. Kevin promptly fell on his butt, head still facing the ground.
"Kevin?" Mariah's voice was filled with concern.
Kevin quickly brushed away his tears and stood up to face his first ever crush. "Yeah what? Why are you still up?"
"Well……I was wondering if you apologized yet."
"Yeah, well I did. And I hope you're happy now." Kevin's voice was so bitter Mariah had to take a step back from him. After some observation, Mariah noticed the tear marks on Kevin's cheek.
"What happened?" She asked while pointing at the tear marks.
"Nothing." Kevin said harshly before heading towards their lodging.
"Wait, Kevin!! Don't go. Tell me what happened when you apologized! You can tell me."
" It's nothing! It's just, seeing that traitor again gets me angry every time I have to look at him."
"Kevin……… You know that deep inside… the same Rei who was once our friend before is still there. He'll always be there, no matter what!"
"Ha!!! Mariah, he'll never be like before!! Not before he left! Not like we use to know him."
"If you would give him a chance, then you'll see, Kevin. On the mountain, the one I found him alone training at, I could still see glimpse of that boy who use to be our friend. A-A White Tiger!! I know he's still in there…. Somewhere… He'll always be our friend! Deep in the heart, I know he'll always be."
Kevin stood for a moment. 'He'll always be our friend. Deep in the heart, I know he'll always will be.' Could he Rei ever be their friend again? Ha! Of course not!……… At least, not with him……….
"I hate him." Kevin's face was covered in shadows. If Mariah were any closer, she would have been able to see how close to tears he really was. Thankfully, she didn't notice. What she did notice was how passionately he said those three words.
"Oh, Kevin………" Mariah looked at Kevin with sad eyes. If only he would give Rei a chance… "Don't hate him. If there's one thing that I hate next to a snoop, it's someone who hates to forgive."
Kevin only answered Mariah in silence. 'Ha! Oh Mariah, if you only knew what he did to me… It's not that I hate to forgive people…It's more of an "I don't WANT to forgive him" thing.'
"Come on…It's really late." Mariah mumbled. She was very tired and from the looks of it so was Kevin. He seemed to be swaying on the spot! 'Poor kid.' She thought. She mentally shook her head. If Kevin heard her say that, she would be hearing an ear-full. No matter how many times she told herself that Kevin was about same age as her, she always saw him as a little kid (Probably due to his small height).
Kevin was kind of glad that the next day was a free day. He really needed to vent out all the anger. Tomorrow would be a good day to do just that.
********************************************************
The next day, Rei got up earlier than everyone else. He didn't wake up at an ungodly hour. In fact, pretty much his whole team slept in! Kai slept in because he stayed up so late worrying. Tyson, because he that's what he does, and Max because he had to endure Tyson's incredibly loud snoring!! Rei, on the other hand, woke up early by tormenting dreams of a future he would never want. A future all alone.
Since today was basically a rest day, Rei decided to walk around. It was a great distraction from his very troubled mind. After a couple of battles with other competitors, Rei thought that perhaps it would be wise not to show his awesome power incase other competitors took advantage by watching his technique. Wandering out of the tower, Rei found himself enjoying a leisurely walk in the forested area around the tower. It was a nice place, full of vibrant and colorful wildlife. It was very calming and peaceful. Nobody was around, so Rei finally felt some peace after a very emotional and stressful day the day before.
Rei suddenly heard noises in the distance. Curious, Rei followed the sounds until he found a clearing with someone unsuspecting within it.
*******************************************
Kevin had left the White Tiger's early that morning. He woke up feeling very bitter and frustrated. He needed to release his emotions somehow, and thought of the best way to do it. Seeing that he was the stealthiest person on the entire White Tiger team, sneaking out without waking everybody was a piece of cake. It was one of the only qualities he was proud of. This was one quality he was better at then Rei, and he prided himself with it. He headed towards a clearing he found once by running away from a kid whom he pilfered from. If there was one thing that helped Kevin cool off, it was practicing his martial arts. It was something he really enjoyed, but wasn't the best at. What the best thing about martial arts was that you could vent all your anger into the form, and improve your skills at the same time.
Once there, Kevin started with some warm ups. This part was pretty short because he wanted to go over the movements as soon as possible. Starting at a slow pace, Kevin started executing slow, precise movements with spirit. Slowly, the movements became faster, more powerful, and more fantastic as the tempo of the dance increased. Pretty soon, Kevin was lost in the dance of his tradition, doing extravagant moves that would aw any audience. He poured all his anger, frustrations, and confusions into every punch, kick, and jump. He soon started to feel more relaxed after the climax of the dance passed. Before he even knew what he was doing, Kevin launched himself into a butterfly kick. He promptly stumbled and fell upon the landing, throwing him back into reality. He hated that kick!! He could never complete it. No matter how hard he tried, or how long he practiced.
"Hey, you okay?"
That voice…
Kevin quickly got up and spun around to face the intruder he knew so well. "What d'ya want Rei?" He sneered.
"Er………Hi, Kevin…" Rei mumbled. This was the chance to make things right again. It wasn't fair what he did to Kevin. The least he could do was heal the scars he gave him, even if that meant facing all these old feelings he got whenever he was around him.
"What the hell are you doing here? Trying to inflict more damage?" Kevin's voice was so venomous that Rei almost decided to change his mind and walk away. 'No more running!'
"I was actually taking a walk."
"T'ch. Yeah right. And I'm a monkey in a dress." Kevin spat.
"…I see you still having trouble with the butterfly kick…" Rei said, trying to change the subject…
'The butterfly kick………'
~~~~~Flash back ~~~~~
"HAH!" Lee executed a perfect round house before jumping into a fast pace butterfly.
"Wow, Lee, that was so cool!" a younger Kevin exclaimed. Lee failed to suppress a delighted grin. Lee had been working really hard to try and perfect the butterfly kick. Now he was just as good as the older kids, and Rei wasn't too far behind.
"You better watch out, Lee, cuz I'm going to be just as good as you." Rei said with his pride inflating like a balloon.
"Yeah, right!!! I'm way ahead of you!" Lee comically stuck his nose really high into the air, causing Kevin to burst out laughing and Rei to snicker.
"Hey, Lee!!" a little Mariah called in the distance. " You're mom's looking for ya!"
Lee blushed a bit before replying, "Yeah, okay!" He gave a glance at his other two friends. "I'll catch you guys later. Maybe we could have a battle with our beyblades!"
"Okay! It'll be fun watching you two fight!" Kevin piped up.
With that, Lee went off to see his mother. Kevin looked to Rei who was still watching Lee in the distance.
"Hey, Rei…" Kevin asked uncertainly.
"Yeah, what?" Rei replied, snapping back to reality.
"Can you teach me that butterfly kick?" He gave Rei hopeful chibi eyes that no one in the village could resist. They were so full of hope and childlike innocence. Big violet orbs that could sparkle full of mischief and happiness.
"Sure thing, Kevin!"
"OH, thank you, Dai goh!!!!" Kevin gave Rei a really BIG hug before jumping around in glee. Rei smirked at the younger boy's antics before explaining the movements.
After showing Kevin a couple of times, Rei made Kevin try the flashy kick. At first, Kevin totally chickened out before he was about to launch himself in the air; thus he tripped over his feet. He was a bit discouraged, but kept on trying nonetheless. After a few more tries, Kevin stomped about, very frustrated with himself.
" I can't do this!!!"
Sympathy etched into Rei's eyes as Kevin continued to express his frustrations. "Don't worry, Kevin. If you practice, you'll get it!"
"Really Rei?" Kevin's eyes grew hopeful once more.
"Really."
~~~~~~~ End flash back~~~~~~~~~~~
"So what? What do you care what I can and cannot do? I'm just one of your "old" friends. The ones that don't matter anymore cuz you've got new ones."
"Kevin, it's not like that! Just give me a chance to explain." Rei cried. 'If only Kevin would listen!'
"My ass it's not!" Having his former idol so close brought all these angry emotions that Kevin couldn't possibly put a finger on. All he knew was if he stayed, he would explode!
"I don't need this right now!" Kevin spat. He couldn't take it. So, the green haired boy ran. He ran from the whirlpool of his emotions…just like his idol.
"Kevin wait!" Rei couldn't leave Kevin like this. The short conversation made it obviously clear how bitter he made his friend. Rei ran after him as fast as his long legs would carry.
Kevin ran as fast as he could. He could hear Rei calling out to him. Knowing full well that Rei's long legs would enable him to catch him in no time, Kevin started to panic.
"Kevin, just stop!! Please!!!" He was gaining…
"Just leave me alone!!" Kevin felt desperate.
"KEVIN!!" Rei was too close!!! only a few yards away………
"WHY DON'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" he cried. That's it!! …There was only one way out. Kevin jumped really high onto a tree and being the monkey he was, stealthily hid in the leaves. He knew his talent would be useful in times like this.
"Kevin!! Where are you!?!?!" Everything fell dead silent. Rei scanned the area for any traces of Kevin but found nothing. 'Damn his stupid sneaking abilities!!!!' Rei felt really desperate. His eyes darted whipped everywhere. He couldn't let Kevin slip through his fingers like that, not until he made things right!
"Kevin!!" His voice dripped with despair. If he didn't make up for all he did soon… Rei didn't know how to go about life. He couldn't live knowing how much he hurt one of his childhood friends. Small tears slid down his cheek.
"Please Kevin, I-I just want to make things better…like the way it use to be………Kevin, I-I'm really sorry…for everything……… a-and I-I know that…that I can't change the past, but I want to do something to make up for it." Rei slumped pitifully to the ground. He meant everything he said with every inch of his soul.
"Do………Do you really mean that?" a small voice said above him. Rei looked up to see Kevin sitting on a branch, staring intently at his boots.
"Yes." Rei said the word as if it were a sacred thing.
"But… you already know things would never be…like they use to be." Kevin's voice cracked around a large lump in his throat.
"No, Kevin…maybe not exactly…but something close to it." There was a bit of silence between the two boys. Neither knew what to say.
"I hate you." Kevin finally said. He curled into a little ball on the branch. Finally, he gave into his fear after so long…
Those three words stung Rei like no words ever stung him before. It was so full of accusations that it was almost unbearable to hear.
"I was so scared… especially when you were gone." Kevin's voice was barely a whisper. "I never told anyone the real reason you left…and I never told anyone what happened… It-it was…I-I felt……… so alone………"
"Kevin…"
"W-Was that…was that how you felt?" for the first time since the two started talking, Kevin looked at Rei. His eyes could be described as a lost little boy's.
"…Yes. I felt very alone. Especially when everyone in the village would think of you as a freak. "
"Then you know…"
"How it feels? …yes." There was a silence between the two.
"Then how do we make things go back to the way it use to be?" Kevin finally said. He couldn't look at Rei again. It was still a little too painful.
"Well…" Rei thought for a while. "I………We could pretend."
Kevin's expression became very confused. 'Pretend?' "What? I don't understand…"
"Just for today. Why don't we pretend like it was before? Just the two of us." This was the best Rei could do at the moment. He really hoped Kevin would accept this small offering to make up for what he had done. He never knew that Kevin had to go through what he did. Not until last night.
"I miss the way it use to be." Kevin relieved his body slightly from the curled position he was in earlier. "Everything was so much more simple and less confusing."
"Then how about today we pretend it was just like before the day I left?"
"…"
Rei waited patiently for the answer. It was nerve racking! The apprehension in the air turned so thick that Rei could've cut it with a knife.
"…I guess that would be nice." Kevin said a little hesitantly. Rei's heart burst with happiness. This was the first shaky step to regaining something almost lost.
"Then come on! I want to help you with the butterfly kick!" Rei was grinning like a fool. He couldn't help it! It's not everyday someone who hated your guts agreed with you to do something fun. It felt kinda like…like winning a battle.
"Oh no!!!" Kevin replied shaking his head. "I gave up on that kick a looong time ago. I'm not going to spend hours falling on my face!"
"Oh come on! This time we'll get it right." Rei felt the tension between him and Kevin slowly fade away.
"This is really going to hurt…" Kevin mumbled as he climbed down from the tree in record time.
"How the heck can you climb those trees like that?"
Kevin shrugged. "I don't know, maybe it's something to do with the bit beast and it's blader."
Rei just raised an eyebrow at the answer.
They made their way back to the clearing with a bit of light bantering over who had the weirdest teammate. It was as if all the nasty things that had been done or said didn't even happen. Kevin was so into the conversation, that he momentarily forgot how much he hated the person he was talking to.
"Come on! Gary can eat horses and can still be hungry. That's not just weird, that's just scary!!"
"That's totally normal compared to Tyson's appetite! Back in Hong Kong, Tyson ate so much that my boss was ready to throw him out! And nobody his weirder than Kenny. I have a hunch that he's in love with his bit beast!"
" His computer!?!?! UGH!! That's unwanted information, Rei! I've heard that some people love their computers, but I've never heard of them being in love with their computers."
"Let's see you top that!"
"Ummm……… Oh I KNOW!!! Did you know that Gary dreams about naked hot dogs? No really! And don't give me that look, Rei. I've heard him talk in his sleep! He said something about naked hot dogs are so sexy that they made the chicken legs look like school girls." By the end of the last sentence, Kevin was in hysterical laughter.
"NAKED HOT DOGS!?!?! What the hell!? How the hell am I suppose the beat that?" Rei had to stop walking because he was laughing so hard. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Rei wondered when was the last time he acted so carefree.
Upon arrival, both boys were still chuckling about a certain person who thought naked hot dogs were sexy. Kevin's face suddenly grew sad.
"Do I have to practice the stupid kick?" Kevin asked. He really didn't want to practice it, even though everyone, including Gary, can do it.
"Aw, come on Kevin! By the way you can jump around, I'm surprised that you haven't mastered it yet. I'm sure you can do it."
"………Really?" Kevin looked up towards Rei as he did when he was younger.
"Really." For a moment, it almost seemed they went back into time when they both were younger. Rei was yet again reassuring Kevin in his older brother sort of way and Kevin was yet again looking at Rei with trusting eyes of a younger boy. The moment was broken when Kevin looked away from Rei.
"Well then, here goes nothing…"
And so Kevin tried and tried again, every time falling flat onto the ground. Every time he fell, Rei would make sure Kevin got back up and try again some more.
"GAH!!" Kevin yet again fell. "THAT'S IT!! I'm not going to keep pummeling myself like this!"
"Don't give up Kevin!" Rei watched the younger boy give up yet again. Silently, he revised every move his old friend made. The movement was perfect up until the point of jumping…he moved fast enough to gain enough momentum to complete the jump. Then why… "Kevin, can you try one more time? I just want to figure out why you can't do it. I mean, the start is perfect, but I just can't pinpoint the exact point you need help on."
Kevin gave Rei one pissed off glare before getting up. "Rei, do you _like_ seeing me eat dirt? Cuz if you do, I swear, you have one sick problem."
Rei gave a short laugh. "Naw, I don't like to see you falling every time, but I think I almost figured out why you can't complete the kick…"
Kevin grumbled a bit before preparing himself for another attempt. Quickly, he ran to gain speed before twisting around to jump. For a fleeting moment, Kevin's determined eyes flickered with doubt as he hesitated. Then he jumped, having his legs fly horizontally from the ground. He already met the ground when he was going to bring his feet down to the ground for a landing.
"OWWW!!!! ERK!!! Not again!!" Kevin groaned. He looked to Rei to tell him what he done wrong.
Rei, who was watching intently, saw the moment of hesitation. It was the moment before the jump. That was the point that needed to be corrected. Rei momentarily remembered the time when Kevin tried the kick for the first time………
~~~~ flash back ~~~~~
After showing Kevin a couple of times, Rei made Kevin try the flashy kick. At first, Kevin chickened out when he was about to launch himself in the air and tripped over his feet. He felt a bit discouraged, but kept on trying nonetheless. After a few more tries, Kevin stomped about, very frustrated with himself.
~~~ End flash back ~~~
Even then, Kevin was afraid of the jump… why didn't he figure that out sooner?
"I've got it."
"Then what is it?" he snapped. Kevin was all ears, too frustrated to say any more.
"It's just before you jump. You kinda hesitate before jumping. So you're holding back some of the momentum that you gain before set up for your jump." Rei explained to the best of his abilities.
Kevin let Rei's words sink in…now that he thought of it, he did slow down before the jump… he always did. It was automatic, weather he liked it or not. Somewhere deep down, he was afraid of falling. And for some reason or another, he always falls down.
"You're right…I guess it's kinda like…well…I suppose I was always afraid of the jump." Kevin said sheepishly.
"Well, there isn't really anything to be afraid of… The jump is sorta like………a leap."
"A leap?"
"Yeah, a leap." Rei wasn't so sure where he was going to go with this comparison… but he decided to go with it anyways. " It's like leaping over a hole. You're afraid of leaping it because you don't know what's down there…" 'kinda like love………'
"But you have to get over the uncertainty, or else you'll never get across…" 'Like when I was uncertain about how to handle my feelings, and I thought running away was the way to solve it. But now I know that I have to face them in order to move on…'
"…So you jump anyways, only focusing on getting across instead of focusing on what might be underneath you." 'I'm focusing on my goal now. And my goal now is to make things right between me and Kevin'
"Whoa… I never knew you could explain things so well…" Kevin stared at his former idol in awe. What Rei said made sense, unlike whatever Lee tried to tell him when he explained things.
Rei blushed a bit. "It wasn't really anything…Why don't you try the jump one last time. I know that you can do it this time."
"Er………okay." Kevin took a deep breath and let it out slowly. His eyes were hard and determined. He never felt so determined to do this jump before. Not since Rei first showed him how it's done. Kevin made a dash for a couple of steps before twisting his body to prepare himself for the jump. 'I can do this. I know I can do this! Because…' He put all his weight on his take off foot. 'I'M NOT AFRAID!' Without a moment's hesitation, Kevin jumped off the ground and swung his legs in a graceful kick high in the air. Having jumped so high up, Kevin had more than enough time to land in a graceful, catlike way.
"YOU DID IT!!!" Rei cried as he ran over to his friend's side.
"Holy crap! I DID IT!!!!!" Kevin laughed before tackling his idol and now teacher in a great big hug. "After all these years!!!" Rei laughed with his friend. He was really proud of Kevin.
"You actually did it!! After so long! And now Lee and those guys don't get to bug you about it."
"I know, I know!! Ha ha, I FINALLY DID THE BUTTERFLY KICK!!!! And it's all thanks to you!" Kevin didn't even know what he was doing. He was so clouded with happiness, he wasn't even aware that he was basically glomping Rei. But Rei wasn't complaining. In fact, he wasn't only happy for his friend, he was happy that Kevin set aside his hatred and showed the same affections he showed Rei when he was younger. "I don't believe this, Rei!" Kevin hugged Rei even tighter causing Rei to blush a bit. Rei had to resist the urge to hug him back. He didn't want Kevin to get any ideas…
"Whoops! Sorry." Kevin said sheepishly when he realized that he was hugging the very person whom he announced he hated. Quickly, he pulled away and gave Rei some breathing space. "I got a little carried away. Sorry about that."
"It's no big deal."
"I still don't believe it…" Kevin said with an awestruck voice.
"You did it." Rei assured the smaller boy. A slow yet big grin graced the younger boy's lips.
"This is so cool!! I really don't know how to repay you Dai- I mean Rei." Kevin caught himself before he called Rei by his childhood pet name.
"Kevin…I don't mind you calling me Dai goh. I didn't mind when I was younger, and I still don't mind right now." Rei gave Kevin a sheepish smile. " I actually kinda miss it."
Kevin cocked his head to the side. He was so confused. Here was the guy that he swore he hated and yet, he couldn't stop himself from smiling at him. It was like all those days of feeling alienated and alone was nothing compared to the happy, carefree moments he was having now. He spent days remembering a far away happiness of fitting in. He spent nights blaming Rei for what he's done to him. And now…it all seemed so far away. What happened to the hatred and the bitterness? It was like they disappeared into thin air. Why did it just suddenly go away just by spending some hours with Rei?
Rei laughed at Kevin's confused face. It wasn't exactly childlike, but it was defiantly cute. Kevin was always cute when he was younger. But now, Kevin is…well he was still cute, but he was also more daring, sarcastic, teasing, and even at times a little mysterious………
"What's so funny?" Kevin's face became even more confused than before.
"Your face." Rei said without thinking. He immediately regretted saying that after.
"And what's wrong with my face?" Kevin asked a little angry at the rude answer.
Rei didn't answer right away. He was too busy looking at the face that he fell in love with so long ago……… "Nothing's wrong with your face. It's just… perfect." He said a little dazed.
Kevin blushed a little at the comment. "Erm………Yeah … r-right." They sat in comfortable silence. Rei was mostly staring at Kevin, while Kevin tried to concentrate on looking at the ground. Every once a while, Kevin would glance up to see Rei staring at him. It made him uncomfortable and delighted at the same time. Ever since he was small, Kevin tried his hardest to get Rei's attention. Now, it seemed almost unreal that Rei's attention was all on him. But the way Rei was looking at him made him kind of nervous. He was never looked at before. Not like this.
"Why are you staring at me?" The question caused Rei to blush. He got a little carried away while staring. He didn't regret it though.
"Sorry Kevin, I sorta dazed out." 'What a big fat lie…'
It's okay…Hey! Let's have a battle! I really need to work on my skills." Kevin knew he was pushing it…after all, the last time they battled, Rei's bit beast left him. And it was all because of him.
"Sure. I don't mind." Rei was more than happy to get off the subject of his starring. They found an interesting shaped stump, which resembled something like a stadium in which they could use. Both put on determined expressions.
"You ready Kevin? This time, I won't hold back."
"You're on."
Each positioned their beyblade in the ready position. Soon afterwards, the countdown began.
"3" Tension grew between the two bladers.
"2" Kevin's eyes narrowed slightly, his full concentration was on the up coming battle.
"1" Rei's eyes turned to slits, much like a tiger's. He wasn't going to go easy on Kevin.
"LET IT RIIIIIIIP!!!" both beybladers launched their beyblades with heavy anticipation. Each beyblade spun around the rim, circling each other before meeting in the middle in one mighty clash. Rei's Driger, which was more powerful than Kevin's Galmon seemed to gain the upper hand. Kevin gritted his teeth when he saw this. Silently, he commanded his beyblade to retreat a little before circling around Driger. Rei was curious upon what Kevin was about to do. So he left his Driger in the middle of the stump.
"Come on, Galmon." Kevin muttered. "Crazy monkey attack!" with that, Kevin's beyblade became five, each one beyblading in every which way. Rei didn't even bother to keep track of the real Galmon.
"Really, Kevin. You have to do better than that to beat me."
Kevin gave Rei a small smirk. He was going to use his secret attack that he was saving for the final round in the tournament. Now was as good a time then any to reveal the attack. He made his blades form a circle around Rei's Driger. Each top spun, waiting for their signal.
'What are you up to…' Rei thought. He decided to see what was this new attack that Kevin seemed to be planning. Knowing Kevin, he would use this attack in later battles.
Kevin gave Rei a toothy grin. "Big mistake for letting me get into position, Rei. Now you'll get to see my new attack! CIRCLE OF DEATH!!!" With that, all the doppelgangers (including the real blade) charged at Driger in a crisscrossing style. Rei momentarily thought he was in trouble until he spotted an opening between two of Kevin's blades. He made Driger charge into the opening, knocking the two doppelgangers away.
"Nice move, Kevin. But it won't save you from my TIGER CLAW ATTACK!!" Rei's Driger began to bulldoze all Kevin's doppelgangers until he hit the real Galmon. Galmon flew high into the air in what Kevin felt like was slow motion. As soon as his beyblade struck the ground, Kevin's face went from absolute horror to discourage defeat.
"Aw, Man! My beyblade!" Kevin quickly went to nursing his defeated beyblade.
"Good battle, Kevin. I almost thought you had me when all of your doppelgangers came after me."
"Yeah, I thought I had you too." Kevin quickly pocketed his beyblade. It was a little scratched, but that's nothing new. Kevin looked up to see Rei picking up his beyblade. His hair whipped around his face when he did, causing Kevin to blush a little as unbidden thoughts came to mind. Quickly, Kevin got a grip on himself and made sure that thoughts like those wouldn't come often.
"So what do you want to do now?" Kevin asked before collapsing onto the ground to rest. Waking early, having an emotional out break, falling on your face for a couple of hours, and a battle sure took a lot out of you. Especially if you hardly had any sleep the night before.
"I don't know…" Rei said before catching the sleepiness in Kevin's eyes. "How about we just talk for a while."
"Okay." Kevin wasn't going to complain to that. It sure beat sniffing dirt all day. He got more comfortable by lying on the ground instead of just sitting on it.
"You tired?" Rei asked before sitting down next to him, but still facing the younger boy.
"No………well, maybe a little bit…" confessed Kevin.
"…Then should we head back?"
"NO!" Kevin bolted back up with newfound energy. " Of course not!!! I mean………Not yet! I-I just don't…I don't want this to end yet." He spoke the last part softly while glaring at his boots.
"…Neither do I. It was kinda fun today." Rei said with a sad grin.
"Yeah…It was just like before, excluding the others." There was a pause of silence. "I really liked today." Kevin whispered, still not staring up from his boots. "I haven't laughed like that in a long time."
"I wish…" Rei began before thinking it through. "I wish today would never end. Today was like…A dream come true. I'd never thought that I would have fun with you ever again."
"It felt a lot like before. Back when I would call you Dai goh and would follow you everywhere." Kevin grinned a bit at the memories.
"You can still call me Dai goh. I already told you that. I………I guess I really…missed you." Rei said everything from his heart. It didn't seem like much, but everything he said was true.
"…I missed you too." Kevin finally conjured the guts to look Rei in the eye. Piercing amber eyes met deep violet ones. "I miss calling you Dai goh, I miss following you around…I even miss the way you use to look at Lee while I was talking to you."
"So you noticed that back then, huh." Rei mumbled looking away. He was kind of ashamed that he ignored his younger friend like that when he was younger.
"Heh, I use to get so angry when you were somewhere else while I tried to get your attention." Kevin admitted goodheartedly. "It was like I was competing with an invisible ghost!! You'd be staring off into space while I was practically standing on my head trying to get you to notice me!" Rei burst out laughing at his younger friend's sarcastic comment. It quickly went away with the next few words he said.
"I'm sorry that I didn't give you the attention then, but now, I'm willing to give you every second I have to make up for what I've done." Kevin suddenly sat very still when he went over his friend's words. A thought just came to him, one that he didn't like.
"Rei…you shouldn't have said that when you know you can't." Kevin said a little darkly.
"Why not? I meant it." Rei said honestly. Kevin was starting to sound very mysterious especially with that dark tone. A small shiver went down Rei's spine………
"Rei……… Listen, I-I just realized that tomorrow……… Tomorrow I will have to go back to hating you."
"But why!? Today-"
"Today was just pretend. Remember? That was exactly what you said." Kevin curled himself into a ball for the second time that day. He hated the cold truth of reality…he wanted to stay in this little clearing and pretend with Rei forever.
"NO!" Rei cried furiously. "Today wasn't just pretend! Didn't you feel it? It was real. And I won't let you go back to being miserably alone again." A tear slid from Rei's blazing amber eye followed by a few more. Today was perfect…like a perfect dream. And it was real, wasn't it? It couldn't have all been a dream, it just couldn't!
"Rei, why you're making it so hard to go back? …I …if this keeps up, I don't think I would be strong enough to go back and then have to face you with the rest of the White Tigers…I don't think………I……I'm not strong enough to be alone again!!"
Kevin was already crying silent tears when Rei gave his heartfelt speech. Now his small body was shook with violent sobs. It was a pitiful sight that Rei didn't like. So Rei did the first thing that came to mind. He pulled his smaller friend into a comforting embrace. Kevin didn't know what to do, so he just let Rei hug him until his tears went away. It felt really nice being held by Rei. Kevin would admit that much. Rei was so warm, and Kevin was so tired, he could have fallen asleep right there.
Rei really enjoyed having Kevin so close to him yet again. This time, he allowed himself to hold onto Kevin as tightly as he dared. It was so comfortable, Rei absently thought he was in some sort of heaven. Just him and Kevin in their own little world. But like most things, the embrace came to an end. Kevin pulled away and wiped the rest of his tears away all the while never looking up at Rei. He would have stayed longer in the embrace, but he didn't want to accidentally fall asleep in Rei's arms. That would be a little too embarrassing.
"Sorry, Rei. I keep forgetting that boys don't cry. I shouldn't have ruined the day………" Kevin said a little dryly.
Rei didn't know what to say. He didn't wan this day to end like this…definitely not like this. So many things happened today. It was as though the gods above gave Rei the chance to fall in love with Kevin all over again. And fall in love he did. His little crush on Kai was nothing but a little crush. It wasn't the same steady love he felt for Kevin.
This time, he didn't only fall in love with the cute, innocent little boy who always tagged along. This time, he also fell in love with a sarcastic, street-smart boy who survived an emotional onslaught of confusion, betrayal, and pain yet kept the little boy alive throughout it all. Kevin was a mix of these two. He seemed like a harden street rat who saw everything bitter in order to keep strong and yet all he was inside was a small boy who didn't know what was right and what was wrong anymore. Rei needed to say something to show how much he cared for Kevin, but didn't know how. So, he listened to his heart…
"Kevin…… I want you to know that after today you're not won't be alone. I want you to know that you'd always be my……my friend no matter what. You know that, right?"
"…I guess…… I know that now…"
Kevin was way too tired to think. The whole situation was just too weird. If you'd ask him if he saw Rei as a friend yesterday, he would have ranted about how he hated the traitor. It's amazing on how a few hours can change an entire year. Kevin's eyes began to feel like lead, but he forced them to be wide awake. He wanted to pretend a little more before becoming the midget beyblader again. Before he even knew it, he was leaning against Rei! He suppose he was more tired then he thought.
Rei supported his smaller friend. Kevin was obviously forcing himself to stay awake. He took this time to watch the smaller boy knowing full well that he won't be able to tomorrow.
"Why are staring at me again?" Rei's constant staring was making Kevin feel a bit weird.
Rei laughed at Kevin's bluntness. "Well, I don't get to see you very often."
"Tch. You get to see me everyday since the tournament started."
"Yeah, but I don't get to see my friend whom use to call me Dai goh. I hardly ever saw the real you since the day I left."
"Rei." Kevin said in a serious tone. " Enough with the melodramatics. There's still a lot of time before dark!! I really would like to enjoy some peace and quiet, thank you!"
"But Kevin-"
"Rei." Kevin gave Rei a sleepy, one eyed, mock glare. " Do I need to make you eat dirt? It'll be perfect revenge for making me learn the kick."
"I doubt you'll be able to make me, but I'll shut up, just for the little baby."
"Rei!! I'm just as old as you are!!!! Just because I'm kind of short-"
"Kind of short?" Rei interrupted teasingly. Kevin became REALLY angry. If there was one thing he hated most was how people like to make fun of his height.
"Thaaaat's it!" Kevin, with some kind of newfound energy twisted around and tackled Rei. He tried to pin Rei so that his face would be "eating dirt" as Kevin would call it. Unfortunately, Rei, who was much bigger and stronger, literally flicked the little midget away and pinned him to the ground. Thus, in this position, Rei promptly began his merciless tickle attacks upon Kevin.
"Let's see who's making who eat dirt now!" Rei taunted.
Kevin was dying of laughter. "STOP IT REI!!! Hahahaha!!!" Kevin started to beg piteously to Rei. "Ahahaha!!! I swear, when-hehehehe- when you let me go, I'm going to-HAHAHAHA going to-EEEEEEEKKKK!!!! I SWEAR I'M GOING TO CHEW YOUR HAIR OFF!!!! TEE HEE HEE!!! NO, STOP!!!!!! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease stop it!!!! DAI GOH!!!! "
Finally, Rei decided he had enough punishment. Both backed off from each other to allow some breathing space. Each was red in the face from laughter. Kevin, because he was being tickled, and Rei because some of the hilarious curses Kevin shouted.
"Y-you're going to- to ahahahaha!!! You were g-going to chew m-my hair off!?!?!?!?!?" Rei couldn't get the image of Kevin trying to bite his longer portion of hair with his teeth.
"Oh, shut up!! If I'm angry enough, I will!" Kevin bared his teeth and growled for good measure. His cheeks were rosy and he was panting ever so slightly…Er…that was unneeded description right there. Rei decided he liked Kevin's new humor. It sure wasn't there before he left.
"HAHAHAHA" Rei couldn't help but laugh at a growling, teeth baring, angry Kevin. It was way too funny.
Kevin watched as Rei laughed. His solid, determined expression was no where to be seen and in it's place was a soft, happy expression he remembered when he was younger. But this happy expression was a little bit more different. It was certainly more handsome and intriguing to look at. Kevin was spellbound to watch.
"I'd like to see that, someday." Rei finally said as he calmed down.
"That someday could be real soon." Kevin muttered. He looked up at the sky and saw how late it really was. The sun was already setting. That means the day was almost over…
" I remember." He whispered, getting Rei's attention. "The time when Lee gave Mariah a kiss during sunset. I was really angry when I saw it." He gave a glance at Rei who had a confused expression. "It was during the time you were so sick that your mom only allowed the doctor near and no one else. Mariah was so angry at Lee that she beat the crap out of him." Kevin gave a bit of a laugh. "I'm glad it wasn't me."
"So that's why he was covered in bruises when I saw him after I got better. I always wondered what happened…" Rei gave a small laugh before he glanced at Kevin who was admiring the sunset. The orange and red lit the younger boy's face in a warm, loving way.
"Has anyone ever loved you? Minus the day I left, I mean." Rei said quickly.
Kevin blushed. No one ever asked him something like that. It felt very weird and embarrassing. He never really talked about crushes or love with anyone. And he never known anyone to like him like that except for Rei. Then again, that small confession from Rei was so short and so long ago, Kevin wasn't even sure if it counted.
"No. Nobody ever saw me like that." Kevin muttered quietly. He quickly ducked his head, wishing the green hair that was hiding half of his face would hide the other half as well.
"Not even a girl back in the village?" Rei asked incredulous. He was sure that at least someone would like Kevin.
Kevin blushed even harder. "Neither guy OR girl ever thought of me like that." The orange glow from the now fading sun made Kevin's blush a little less noticeable. Kevin was glad of that.
"I don't believe that." Rei said a little too harshly. "You're beautiful!" Rei blushed as soon as he said that. He got a little carried away there. But it was true. Rei thought that Kevin was beautiful, inside and out.
Kevin was blushing furiously. No one ever called him beautiful before. Heck, all he heard about him was how cute and childish he was. Anything else was how annoying and bratty he was. Never beautiful.
"I'm not beautiful. If I was, people would say so. And besides, they're too busy yelling at me for stealing something." He let a small, grim smile grace his face. Kevin reeeeeally didn't know where this subject was leading to, but for some reason his heart speed up a few notches.
"They're all idiots." Rei confirmed .
"T'yeah right. Listen, Rei. I appreciate you trying to flatter me, but what you're saying is faaaaaaar from the truth." Kevin said while shaking his head. "For one thing, as much as I hate to admit it, I AM a little too short for my age. For another thing, I'm nothing to look at. If I was, SOMEBODY would have at least said something. And another thing is that I'm a ……Well, I'm weired. No thanks to you." His cheeks were still very red and he didn't know if they could take any more punishment.
"I'm serious Kevin. They're all idiots! You're totally perfect. And you are definitely something to look at. Trust me." Rei blushed a bit after realizing that he basically told Kevin that he was attracted to him.
Kevin was too embarrassed to reply. Getting these kinds of compliments from somebody who looked better than drop dead gorgeous did that to you. They shared a bit of silence with each other as the last of the sun's rays went down and the first star of the night shone brightly like never before.
Rei glanced at Kevin who was observing the sky again. He looked very dark and mysterious in the shadows of the twilight night. He watched as the younger boy stared into the night sky. He noticed also Kevin's quick glances towards him resulted in slight blushes in the boy's face. Rei grinned at that. He kind of liked that affect on Kevin. Not only did it make Kevin seem more adorable, it made him feel special in that just his mere presence can do that to him. Why it made Kevin blush, he did not know………maybe it was the fact that he was staring again………
"Hey, Rei. Do you see that bright star right there?" Kevin said while pointing to a very bright star in the dark sky. He needed to distract Rei from his staring. Yes, it did make him feel special with all the attention, but Rei's intense eyes never leaving him was a little too much for Kevin. He didn't know if he would explode from the nice, fluttery feeling he was getting from it, or blush until his face turned purple.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"It was the first star in the sky." Kevin explained. Every night, he made sure he saw the first star in the sky. He never told anyone this, but he really did like the stars. It filled him with wonders of what could possible be out there when he was back in the village.
"It's very bright." Rei commented. He saw Kevin gaze at them like they were the most beautiful things that ever existed.
"I've always kept a look out for the first star………you know, my grandma told me that if you wish upon the first star in the sky, it would come true." Kevin gave a small smile to the stars. "For some reason, I always believe that story."
Rei looked up at the stars once more. He never knew Kevin loved the stars so much. Not even when they were younger. He was way too busy chasing after Lee to have notice. Rei regretted that.
"Why don't you make a wish?" Rei suggested to Kevin.
"A wish?" Kevin looked at Rei as if he said something weird. That look quickly soften to a sad, distant expression. "The last time I made a wish was……… was the day you left."
Rei grew silent. He could only guess what Kevin had wished for, but he had a hunch.
"Well, make a wish now. I'll make one too, if you want me too."
Kevin's eyes perked up like way back when he and Rei were younger.
"Okay, I'll make a wish only if you make one." So it was in agreement. Kevin looked up to the sky to gaze at the first star one last time before closing his eyes to make the wish. Rei watched as the luminous light from the moon shone upon Kevin's features making him look something like a being from the heavens. For a moment, Kevin looked like he was praying and that someone from above sent him their blessings with pure light. Rei drank in the image before closing his own eyes to make a wish.
'I wish that today would never end. So everything that happened today was real, and not for the sake of pretending. I wish that tomorrow, Kevin wouldn't hate me, but treat me the same way he treated me all day today.'
When Rei opened his eyes, he saw that Kevin had already finish his wish. For some reason, or another, Kevin was staring at him with the most intense look in his eyes………something that resembled purple fire. It was gone an instant later when Kevin looked away. Neither said anything in the next few minutes. They didn't know what to say. Finally Rei's mouth decided that he would attempt a conversation.
"So…er…this may seem a bit odd………but I've been wondering if you liked anyone, or not." Juuust great. Of all the things that could have popped out of his mouth, this is what he got.
Kevin blushed. "Erm…nobody really."
For some reason, Rei's heart sank to the bottom of his stomach. He didn't let it show though. No, his face was neutral. "Not even Mariah?"
Kevin gave Rei a small smile. "I use to, when I was smaller. Remember? I gave her flowers for her birthday, but it made her noise get red and swollen. Hey, I didn't know she was allergic to them!!!" He put his hands up to show his innocence. "Hee, hee. I got beat up real bad the next day."
"I remember that!! You ran to hide in the washroom and tried to flush yourself in the toilet!!"
Kevin gave a small giggle. "Yep. Hey, I didn't know where the stuff in the toilet goes. It just went………down. I thought it would take me away from her!"
"It's a good thing I stopped you before you jumped in! Can't have you getting stuck down there." Rei said good-humouredly.
"Yep…that was a huge crush………" Kevin muttered.
"…Last night, you said you still-" began Rei.
"Love her? Yep. She's the best big sister anyone could ever have. When you were gone, she kinda took over the empty big sibling spot." He gave a sheepish grin. "You're still the best thought."
Rei blushed deeply. "What about…guys?"
Kevin blushed a darker shade than Rei. "Well………when we set the quest to find you, there were some nice looking guys………but we never stayed in one spot to get to know a lot of people." Rei's heart dropped to his stomach. He kind of wished that Kevin would have given a little hint that he liked him …wishful thinking………
Rei noted how Kevin fidgeted nervously while he answered. Rei suppose Kevin was still a little bit uncomfortable with the subject. He looked to the sky and sighed when he saw how high the moon was. He looked back at Kevin who looked very sleepy. Why hadn't he noticed that before? Well, he did……… he just forgot.
"We have to go back." Rei stated. Kevin began to whine. He only resorted to whining if he really needed to. At the moment, all logic said to go back.
"I wish that this could last forever." Kevin said suddenly. He was now leaning against Rei because he was too tired to sit up straight.
"Me too…Hey Kevin?"
"Uh huh?" Kevin was too sleepy to create normal words.
"The day I left…what did you wish
for?
This question jolted Kevin awake once again. He didn't know if he should tell Rei or not… might as well…it didn't look like he would ever have the chance again.
"…I had wished that……… that one day, you would return at make things right again." Kevin said in a tone that was barely above a whisper.
Rei was speechless. Had Kevin really wish for him to return? Even after what he did on his last day?
"My wish came true, Rei. You made things right again…even if it's just for one day. You still made it right. And somehow, even though I hated you for so long, I knew deep down that you would come to me and make things right. All-all because I wished on the first star." Kevin had that awestruck catch in his voice. He looked directly at Rei who looked straight back at him.
Suddenly, Rei felt the same urge to draw closer to Kevin like the day he left. He couldn't fight it and he certainly didn't want to fight it. It was like fate was trying to push him toward Kevin. Toward the forest green hair, the perfectly well shaped face, and most certainly the deep violet eyes. Rei drew close toward Kevin until they were a hair's breath away from each other. Kevin didn't seem to mind. In fact, his heart was racing a million miles per hour. He felt intoxicated. He had dreams of his first kiss. About how nice Rei's lips felt upon his. Over the long period of time, Kevin's heart secretly yearned for the kiss again, no matter what Kevin's mind said.
Finally, Rei couldn't take being so close, yet so far. He felt like he was being teased in the most aggravating way possible. He closed the gap with a sweet, demanding kiss. Kevin knew exactly what Rei was about to do, yet it still felt so surreal touching other's lips. They were so soft and warm……… It was even more fantastic than he remembered!! It felt like………like flying into the night's sky towards the stars!! Kevin seemed to melt into Rei when he finally mustered enough courage to kiss back. Rei was seeing the stars when he felt Kevin kiss back. His heart leapt for joy. He instinctively pulled the smaller boy closer from the waist. Being so close to each was certainly an experience neither would forget.
Unfortunately, both needed to come back down from the stars and retrieve something called oxygen. When they parted, each was blushing so deeply that they could have been mistaken for tomatoes.
"Why?…" Kevin asked breathlessly. Kevin never, in a million years, would have thought that Rei would kiss him again. It felt so wonderful, having Rei so close. He distinctly noticed that Rei still held him by the waist and didn't seem to want to let go any time soon.
'Why?' Rei mentally repeated. 'Why did I kiss you? Why did I leap over the unknown hole and kiss you? I'm not sure… but I think my answer is because………' Rei lent closer towards Kevin's ear.
"I still love you." Rei said breathlessly while holding on to a now shocked Kevin. He pulled back to say the rest of his confessions to Kevin's face. He was going to make sure that he was totally honest to Kevin, and do himself.
"When I left, I tried so desperately to forget you and the White Tigers. I wanted-I wanted to run away from all the confusion a-and the p-pain that I felt. You understand that-that pain of being alone. It was terrible! But even though I tried to forget you all, and it was so difficult trying. Soon, my feelings for Lee faded away until it was a faraway memory. But you… You were different. It was so much harder trying to forget you than it was with Lee. Now that I think about it…I think you were the hardest to forget about. I didn't know why then…but I do now. " Rei gazed intently into Kevin's eyes.
"It was because I love you." His confession was so full of passion; it made Kevin feel all these different emotions that rammed through his entire body. It made him want to sing for joy, it made him want to jump onto Rei and cry onto his chest like there's no tomorrow. It made his heart pump blood in his ears and made his stomach flutter every which way. Why did a simple confession do this to Kevin?
It was because he was in love too. Yes, he was very in love with Rei. He tried to drown it in hate because he was so confused with his emotions. But now, just being with Rei made things seem a lot more clearer. He spent so many days blaming him when really he was just too confused with his feelings to understand what they really were. It was love all along, and Kevin only now realized this. Rei was so many things to Kevin. He was the person he looked up to, the person whom he idolized, the person who gave him his first kiss, the person that he hated for a long time. He was his hero, his dai goh, his friend…his lover?
Rei was getting worried. Kevin still hadn't gotten over the initial shock of the kiss. His eyes were dilated in a far away gaze. He was breathing abnormally fast, and his mouth opened and closed a little. Rei could only assume the worst but still clung to a glimmer of hope. If Kevin didn't say yes, Rei was sure he was going to die right on the spot. He didn't know if he could handle this kind of rejection. But Kevin had kissed him back!! That had to have meant something! That hope grew dimmer and dimmer as Kevin took longer to come out of his state.
Finally, Kevin's eyes came back to focus and stared hard into Rei's eye; looking for something. What that something was, Rei did not know. Then it dawned to him that Kevin was going to reject him. Sadness and despair enveloped him; taking him whole. Yet some part of him still clenched that tiny sparkle of hope. He had to hear it from Kevin's own voice.
"Kevin, do you-" Rei was cut off by Kevin's moist lips. This kiss was more passionate, more desperate, more of everything they both wanted. Rei almost died when he felt something wet run along his bottom lip. He gasp in surprise, allowing Kevin entrance into his mouth. Tongues moved in an exotic dance, making both Kevin and Rei 's blood grow hotter with time. To Rei, Kevin tasted sweet with a bit of spice; the perfect mixture. To Kevin, Rei tasted like an exotic drink he never tasted before. It was addicting. When the kiss ended, each still felt the pounding of their hearts that were beating in perfect time; fast, and wild.
"Does that answer your question, Rei?" Kevin asked breathlessly. His appearance was devilish, and his cheeks were blazing red.
Rei blushed deeper than Kevin. "In more ways then one." This comment made Kevin giggle a bit. No one ever made Rei feel like that before. It was truly amazing!! But now…he had to wonder………
"W-who taught you how to kiss l-like that?" the question made Kevin blush deeper if that were even possible.
"Well, nobody. I've only been kissed by one person." Was the shy reply. Kevin knew that last kiss clearly had an affect on Rei. He kinda like that effect it had on him………
"I-I still don't believe you………" Rei was clearly speechless. Thus causing Kevin to laugh out loud. Correction, Kevin LOVED the effect his kiss had on Rei.
"I see that you REALLY like it.…" Kevin said slyly. This made Rei even more uncomfortable, but he laughed nonetheless.
"You bet." They gazed at each other for awhile longer.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Kevin was REALLY sleepy now. He was basically swaying on his feet! Rei wasn't sure if he would be able to walk back to the tower. It was really late now, and he was sure both the blade breakers and the White Tigers were worried. Maybe even blaming each other.
"Come on, Kevin, we really have to go back now." With out protest, Kevin found himself being piggybacked on Rei. He felt content being carried away by his newfound lover. They made their way through the forest in the dark. Rei noticed how light Kevin was. He wasn't sure if it was normal to be that light and was kind of worried.
"Gee, Kevin. You really need to eat more."
"Oh, SHUT UP!!" came the annoyed mumble.
"No, I'm serious. You're lighter than my beyblade!"
"Hey!! Don't piss me off when I'm half asleep!" Kevin growled halfheartedly.
"Or what? You're gonna chew off my hair?" Rei chuckled a bit.
"One more smart comment like that and I will!"
"Oh, so you have enough energy to chew off my hair, but you don't have the energy to walk. What a lazy butt you are!" Rei was enjoying the bantering. It was kind of refreshing.
"You asked for it!" Kevin muttered before clamping his teeth about five millimeters away from the roots of Rei's ponytail. Rei stopped in his tracks. He certainly did not expect that! It came as a shock; a blissful shock. It sent adrenaline coursing though his body, especially towards one spot of his body……… Kevin started to growl chew his hair ever so lightly making matters worse………or better ^_^;. A small noise emitted from the back of Rei's throat when he felt Kevin's hot breath blow upon his scalp. His arms slacked causing Kevin to tighten his legs around Rei's waste to keep him up. This was way too much for Rei.
"Kevin………" Rei growled low and barely controlled, causing Kevin to stop what he was doing.
"Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?" Kevin was very confused. What the heck was Rei talking about?
"No, why?" He shifted his position slightly, thus his leg brushed against something warm and very hard. This caused both boys to blush deeply.
"Oh…"Kevin said stunned and surprised. He didn't know he could do something like that to someone.
"Next time you do that, make sure I'm sitting down." Rei muttered. Kevin secretly couldn't wait for that next time. He liked it when he drove Rei out of control like that. It made him feel like he was the only one who could make Rei loose his cool. It made him feel special………
"Until next time then." Kevin murmured before setting his head upon Rei's shoulder.
'Why the hell did I say next time!?!?!?!' Rei asked himself. 'If there is a next time, I would probably lose my head!' His mind wandered off a bit causing his already hot face to grow hotter. 'Or maybe all pure thoughts I've ever had…'
Rei continued to walk on towards the tower with a faint blush still gracing his cheeks. During the trek, Kevin had fallen into a light asleep with a content smile on his face. Rei didn't mind, Kevin being asleep. He looked real tired all day. Rei was glad the smaller boy was finally asleep with a happy smile. It assured him that his new lover was defiantly happy.
When Rei neared the road, which took them straight towards the tower, he gently woke Kevin up. He needed to clear some things up with him.
"Mmhmm?" Kevin mumbled while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Hey Kevin, I just want to clear something up with you before we head back." Kevin was all ears. By the sounds of it, what Rei needed to say was pretty serious.
"I just want you to know that when we get back, we're going to have to pretend to hate each other. I don't know how you feel about that, but I want you to know that today was defiantly real, and that I love you." Rei kept an eye on Kevin's facial expression. It was blank; obviously taking it's time to go from dreamland.
"………I'm okay with that. But…to make things believable, I will have to insult you and act the way I use to." Kevin's voice was very sad, his eyes hard. Suddenly, his eyes turned soft and his voice barely a whisper. "But I want you to know that I love you, Rei. And no matter what I say or how much I pretend, I will always love you……… Will we ever be able to live life real, and not pretend?" His voice turned to a scared little boy's.
"One day will. I'm sure of it." Rei said determinedly. "I wished on the star today, and I'm sure that one day, we'll be able to live life like today."
Kevin's expression slowly turned from sad and oppressive to hopeful and happy.
"Did you really wish that?"
"Yep. Today was the best day of my life! Of course I would wish that." Rei said.
Kevin's eyes turned a bit misty. "I hope that one day will be soon………" He took a shuddering deep breath. "Today, I wished for everyone to be happy like how we were today; like how we were when we were smaller. And when I mean everyone, I meant White Tigers and Blade Breakers alike. I really hope that wish will come true too…"
"I'm sure it will." Rei said before putting a determined face on. "Are you ready to pretend?"
Kevin's eyes soften to a sad look. "Not just yet…" He gave Rei one last kiss for the night. It was quick, yet sweet. His eyes were still closed when he pulled back. Kevin opened them with a sigh.
"Okay, now I'm ready." Rei nodded before picking Kevin up to carry him back to the world they know that's full of pain and confusion. A world that is full of harsh, narrow-minded people who made their lives miserable
In the shadows, Kai watched the two lovers retreat back to the tower. His eyes were an icy cold brown. He and the other Blade Breakers were all out looking for their missing teammate. He had been gone all day and it worried them all. Kai had spotted them when Rei stepped out of the forest. He was curious to why Kevin was on his back. So instead of making his presence known, he watched. And now, he wished he hadn't.
Kai spent the entire day summoning the courage to tell Rei exactly how he felt. He convinced himself that the moment he found Rei, he would take the leap and jump. It seemed that fate was against him this time.
"Who needs emotions?" Was the cold, unfeeling question he asked himself. It was a distraction from perfection. Yesterday, he might have been too blind to see it, but today, it was as clear as water that it wasn't needed. He pulled his newly frozen mask back on to his face, but it seemed to still have the cracks Rei inflicted upon him for Kai had the most pain filled expression on his face.
Suddenly, he heard a rustle behind him. He spun around to see Tyson come out of a bush.
"Oh, hey Kai!" Tyson chirped. "Any signs of Rei yet?"
"I saw him head towards the tower in the distance." Kai replied apathetically.
"Great! Let's go!"
"Hn." Kai folded his arms and began to head back. They both headed back in silence before Tyson started a conversation.
"Hey Kai, you don't seem as pissed off as usual, what's up?" That was quite true. All day, neither Tyson nor Kai had an argument together. That was very odd to say the least.
"So what?" was the short reply.
"I don't know." Tyson said while putting his hands behind his head. "It just doesn't seem right."
"Whatever…"
"MAN!! I DON'T GET YOU!!!" Tyson suddenly burst out. Taking Kai by surprise. "How can you do everything so mechanically?!?!?! I'm beginning to wonder if you're even human! You have to do everything with so much perfection!!! What's up with that, huh?"
Kai's eyes narrowed quite a bit. What does Tyson mean "mechanically"?
"It's what's expected of me. I doubt you'll ever understand that."
"What d'ya mean, 'I doubt you'll ever understand that'?!?!?! I understand that you have to do your best to become the best, but even the best aren't perfect. Don't you know? There is no such thing as perfection!!! Every thing has a flaw. And what the heck do you mean by 'it's what's expected of me'!?!?! All life's ever expected any of us is to live it!!"
"Look! You won't ever understand anything!!! You don't have to be expected perfection, and even if there is no such thing as perfection, I'm expected of it all my life!!!" Kai suddenly exploded. He would never know how Tyson had this effect of pissing him off so quickly. Maybe it was because they both were complete opposites………
"Whoa, Kai. Listen to me, THERE.IS.NO.SUCH.THING.AS.PERFECTION!!!!!! And no one expects you to be perfect!!! And even if they do, just don't do it!!"
"You have NO idea how hard in life I worked to get this far. Unlike you, I actually had to work towards perfection to get this far."
And who says I don't work too!?!?! And you're forgetting one BIG thing about life, Kai."
"And what might that be?"
"Don'tcha know? Life's all about heart!!" Tyson plastered on a demented but cute nevertheless smile on his face.
"Heart?" Kai was clearly confused. He never heard of that saying before………
"Yeah, your heart! If your heart is in everything you do in life, everything will go just fine!! And when things seem like your heart isn't enough, you just have to learn to pick yourself up and keep on going." Tyson said with a BIG confident smile.
"…That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Kai said popping Tyson's bubble.
"HEY!!!!" Tyson was fuming mad. You could practically see the steam.
"Putting your heart into everything… That's a loser's motto!"
"IT.IS.NOT!!!!!!!!! Just think about it! You know, as well as the rest of the team, that I can be just as good or even better than you!!!!" Tyson's voice took on a serious tone while Kai's expression turned shocked. This was how this all began………
"If my heart is really into it, and if I become more serious with what I'm doing, I could do anything better than you, and YOU know it. That's why you're always picking on me………and don't pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about!! I'm a lot smarter than I look. It's something that I picked up from my grandpa. And if there's anything my grandpa taught me is to enjoy life as much as I can. And that's exactly what I'm doing!"
Kai was shocked. He would NEVER, not in a million years, have thought Tyson could talk so seriously, so………so intelligently like that before. Kai then realized that he was staring. He quickly snapped out of it for prides sake.
"I've completely underestimated you, Tyson. I must admit that I'm surprise. " Kai said, barely keeping his voice neutral. "But I still think you're an idiot. And your motto is still shits."
"Aww man!!! Come ON!!! Can't you cut me some slack? My motto is da bomb!!" he emphasized what he said by waving his arms around, looking quite comical in the process. "It can be applied anywhere, and I mean ANYWHERE!!! Even………even love!!" Kai's ears perked up without his permission.
"Yes, it even applies to love! If you pour your heart into what or whom you love, it would make you invincible!! It would allow you to care for that person that you would do anything to protect him/her, and keep you powerful enough to stand through any obstacle life throws at you! It even…It even allows you to make it through if you must face rejection!!! Yep, it would even keep you from hurting from that. As long as you know the person of your affections is happy, you would be happy too. You would be happy that they're happy because-because," Tyson began to grins sheepishly. "I'm not making any sense here, am I?"
Kai was dazed. Everything that Tyson said………actually made sense!!!!!! He was amazed how Tyson, no matter how stupid he sounded in the day, could sound so normal and like he knew exactly what he was talking about. When he finally snapped out of it, he noticed Tyson blushing from sheer embarrassment.
"Actually, you made a lot of sense…" Whoops! How did he let that one slip!?!?!?!
"Really? Well you looked kinda confused there for a while. Love is an emotion of fire, and your bit beast's element is fire. So I thought you kinda knew about the subject more." Tyson was clearly uncomfortable with the subject.
"Whatever………" Kai didn't want Tyson to know how his word had affected him. Now that he thought about it, a phoenix does symbolize a lot of what he should be. He was totally opposite of his bit beast……or was he? Maybe deep down he was exactly the same as his bit beast. Maybe it was so suppress by his grandfather that he had forgotten that it was even there. And now that met these four boys, those traits have reawaken. In their own way, each of the blade breakers has changed Kai. Rei especially. Rei had reawakened the ability to love someone, even if he didn't know it. And was he going incase himself in his armor of ice and slowly die there again? He gave a glance to Tyson, whose stomach let a reeeeeeally long groan of protest.
"Erm………sorry about that. I haven't had dinner yet." Tyson let out a forceful laugh to cover his embarrassment.
Of course not. He was the barer of the phoenix. And one thing about a phoenix was that it always is reborn, stronger, and smarter than the last time.
"Hey, I'm going to run ahead and get something to eat." Tyson said quickly before sprinting ahead.
And everything about the Phoenix most certainly applied to love as well……
Kai gave a small smile to the retreating form that was running straight towards the China tower………
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Flower_on_thewind: Whew!! All done! ^_____^
Duo: You had Kevin chew on Rei's hair!!!!!!!!
Flower_on_thewind: Yeah so? I couldn't help it!!!!! That image of Kevin biting the guy's hair wouldn't leave me!!!!!!! u_u;
Duo: On behalf of all ppl who have long hair, I will half to punish you for such actions against us! *takes out sledge hammer and bashes it on flower_on_thewind's head*
Flower_on_thewind: @_@;;;;; ouch.
Wufei: *shrugs* She had it coming.
Duo: ^_^;; Okay everyone, since my friend is unable to do anything but feel pain at the moment, I will have to say the final notes. Upon the arrival of another school year, she won't be able to make Kai's ending just as long. She is also infected with the virus, Writer's block. So she's asking you for ideas. ^_^ how did I do Wu-man?
Wufei: Wha-huh? *looks up from Macho Man Magazine* Oh, you did just fine………O_O WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME!?!?!?!?!?!?
Duo: Yikes o_O;;; *runs away from angered Wufei*
Flower_on_thewind: Oooookay………So what I'm asking you for are constructive comments, comments, and idea's for Kai's ending. Thank you for your time!!