Title: Innuendo
Authoress: Esuna
Chapter: 2/2
Rating: PG
Genre: Shounen ai, General,
Romance, mild Humour
Warning: Mild OOC, clichéd storyline, mild Takao
bashing
DISCLAIMER: Standard disclaimers apply.
Authoress' Notes: Thank you so much for the generous reviews!
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Takao slumped on the ground, panting heavily. As he wiped his sweaty forehead, he thought that looking for Hiwatari Kai was almost as "easy" as looking for a needle in a gigantic pile of haystack. Perhaps even harder.
But he had to do this. His own happiness with Max was at stake here, and the last thing he wanted was to have his relationship with Max looked at with profound contempt, especially from his own team mates. Thinking that Max was obviously having better luck than he was, he was determined to get his way, even if it meant talking to Kai.
Talking to Kai was like talking to a tree. Well, maybe not a tree for a tree could at least move when wind was present.
But we are talking about Hiwatari Kai here. The unemotional, antisocial, I-don't-give-a-damn Hiwatari Kai would never want to talk about love, or any other sentimental matters either. Takao was starting to have doubts.
The thickets beside him ruffled, as if something was moving in it. Somewhat scared, Takao fell seated on the ground and carried himself a few feet away from it. He prayed absorbedly that it was not a hungry carnivorous animal, for the reason that being on a menu was not his idea in his lists of perfect getaway must-haves.
Hiwatari Kai looked at the inanimate figure of Kinomiya Takao lying sprawled on the ground. He raised an eyebrow, wondering what idiotic plan was Takao up to now.
"What are you doing?" Kai asked, not in the least worried, just suspicious. No, worrying was never in his vocabulary.
Takao blinked, recognizing that voice. His mouth curled into a relieved smile and he sat up abruptly, looking at Kai that the latter was starting to get uncomfortable.
"Kai!" he exclaimed. "Thank goodness I found you!"
This time Kai's eyebrows furrowed. Why was Takao looking for him? Suddenly he had a really uneasy feeling, deep down within him. But he was not planning to let anyone know that.
"Say, Kai, you heading back to the campsite?" asked Takao cheerily.
"No."
"No? Well, I'll keep you company!" Laughing, Takao slung an arm around Kai.
Kai, not at all agreeing to Takao's hospitality, made an attempt to move away from him, first by removing the arm that was on his shoulder. "What are you up to?" There was a tinge of mistrust in his tone.
Takao quickly pulled his arm, hoping Kai was not bright enough to see his hidden intentions. "Me? Nothing! Nothing at all! Ha ha ha!"
The Russian began walking, thanking God that ridiculousness was not contagious, especially by touch. He never could tolerate ludicrousness, ludicrousness in the form of Kinomiya Takao above all ludicrousness the world has had to offer. But he was immediately disappointed when Takao ran up to him. Now Kai would never get a moment of peace and quiet.
"What say you I tag along?" said Takao, not at all bothered by Kai's disrespect towards him for he only had one goal in his mind, which was to get Kai and Rei together on the same bed. "Lovely weather we're having, isn't it?"
"It's going to rain, you idiot," Kai pointed out, noticing a cluster of dark clouds unfurling in the grey sky.
"Oh, no…the weather report said today will be as sunny as ever!" lied Takao, who never paid much attention to news, particularly when there was food on the table or a welcoming scent from the kitchen…
Kai was mildly annoyed. He did not care whether it rained or not, his solely hope was for Takao to get lost. The longer and farther he got lost, the better. Really, Takao was doing everyone a favour. Save, perhaps, Max, but Kai just did not know that.
"Say, Kai…what do you think of Rei?" asked Takao, beginning his task.
Kai frowned quizzically. "Rei?"
Takao sighed silently. At least he gave a reply to his question. Takao's first assumption was that their conversation would go terribly one way, with him doing all the talking and Kai ignoring him. Maybe there was hope after all…
"Yeah, Rei…"
"Why?"
"Oh, just…asking…you know, we are a team…so we should get close to each other…" Takao coughed, his sentence having a double meaning as his mind wandered off thinking about a certain blond.
"What's up your sleeves now, Kinomiya?" Apparently Kai was not really in a mood for a conversation at that moment.
"Me?" Takao pointed to himself, faking all the innocence he could muster. "Nothing! I'm just trying to start a dialogue with you!"
"In your dreams." Kao paced faster, trying to escape from the other boy.
"Kai, really, I'm serious! Why? Don't you want to talk?"
"No. Not with you."
"Come on! Don't you think it's better if we talk while we walk?"
"No."
"Kai! I'm trying to be nice here!"
"I didn't ask you to."
"But you never objected to Rei's kindness!"
Unnoticed by his companion, Kai's strides just got longer. "What is the big idea with Rei, anyway?"
"Because that's what I want to talk to you about! I want to know what you think of Rei Kon!"
Kai paused for a minute before barely opening his mouth to answer. "He is better than you."
"Yeah, and?" Takao tried to ignore the sharp insult. A born optimist, he thought at least Kai said something good about Rei.
"He's not as annoying as you are."
"Don't you think he's—beautiful?"
Kai nearly stumbled, but he stopped himself from falling degradingly, not wanting to make himself look like a fool. Especially with somebody present, especially if that somebody was Kinomiya Takao.
Takao grinned triumphantly. "So you do think he's beautiful?"
Kai fired him a death-glare. "I didn't say anything like that."
"But the fall—"
"I didn't fall," Kai corrected him in rebuke.
Takao pouted. Kai's stubbornness was too much for him to bear. He was trying to help him get a life, for God's sake! With considerable difficultly, Takao calmed himself. He had to get the job done, no matter what. "But I think he is."
Kai did not answer, for he was too busy reflecting as to why Takao was being extra-annoying today, what with his persistent reference to the Chinese boy.
"Ah, the amber eyes…contrasting magnificently to the dark hair…the long, flowing hair…the graceful walk…the way he brings himself…the generosity he's known to possess…" Takao mused, imagining Rei's features. 'Only outdone by Mizuhara Max…my Mizuhara Max…' He silently added to himself. He should be congratulated, indeed, to still be thinking of Max even when he was talking about Rei's attractiveness…
Takao's speech made Kai inadvertently picture the said boy himself in his thoughts. "…So?" He finally said.
"Don't you think anyone who gets him is lucky?" 'I am to have Max…'
"…No."
"He's fascinating! The way he laughs, when he smiles…" Takao smiled to himself. 'Oh, Max…' By then his brain was full of images of Max.
Kai looked at him briefly in suspicion.
"And his amazing perseverance! Ma—I mean, Rei, he gives us all the support we need even in times of peril!"
"What are you crapping about?"
"Ma—Rei Kon!"
"I don't think so."
"Eh?" Takao stared at him. "Are you referring to Rei?"
Kai sighed in aggravation at Takao's slowness. "I don't think you're talking about him."
Takao was horrified, hoping against hope that Kai was not starting to see the presence of his affection towards Max. At least, not until he got his point across and get Kai to notice what a great person Rei Kon was. "Who else would I be talking about?"
Kai rolled his eyes. "The buns you were having in the bus."
Takao recalled the delicious, mouth-watering chicken buns he was gobbling in the bus on their way to this – place. "Ah…buns…"
'There he goes again, ranting about food…Damn it, he's such a fickle-minded moron…' Noticing the chance to finally get rid of Takao once and for all, he took a sudden turn to his right. Back to his moment in solitude…
Takao was about ten steps away when he at last came to his senses and saw that Kai was gone. "Kai? Where did you go?"
No reply. There was not even any sound of footstep. Takao gritted his teeth, noting that he was alone. Alone and lost.
He yelled out in frustration, sending a number of birds evacuating the trees.
"What was that?" asked Kenny, hearing the almost unworldly roar from the distance.
"Probably some wild animal," said Rei, picking up the paper cup that Kenny had accidentally toppled on the table.
"Are you sure that wasn't Takao?" asked Max, concerned. He was starting to imagine innumerable tragedies that could have befallen his missing Takao.
"Well, I can't say for sure…" Rei distributed plastic cutleries to them. "By the way, Max, why are you always talking about Takao?"
"That's because—EEYOUUCH!!!" Kenny held his foot, a look of pain on his visage.
Under the table, Max had kicked him in an effort to stop Kenny from blurting out the one thing he was secreting from the others. He gave an innocent smile as he looked at Rei. "Ahaha, nothing! It's just that it's getting late, and I'm afraid if he's lost…"
"Are you okay, Kenny?" Rei moved closer to inspect Kenny's bruised foot.
"Yeah, yeah, I am…" Kenny shifted away from Max's kicking radius. One bruised foot was bad enough. "I think I just kicked a stone…that's all. Nothing to worry about…"
"If you say so…" Rei shrugged, pouring a ladle of his broth into Kenny's bowl before sitting down next to him.
It was at that moment Kai chose to appear. Rei could feel his cheeks heating up because of the blush colouring them.
"Hi, Kai!" greeted Max enthusiastically. "Have you seen Takao?"
Kai looked at him distastefully. "No."
"No?" Max was crestfallen. "Where could he be? It's getting dark…"
"Ah, I believe it is going to rain soon…" Rei observed. "I do hope he's not lost."
"Where he could be is none of my business," said Kai with an air of finality, sitting next to Max.
"Pass me your bowl, Kai…Thank you! Here, have some broth…" Rei returned the filled bowl to him.
Kai nodded once as a gesture of thanks before scooping a spoonful of Rei's cooking into his mouth. For some reason, all the other three kept a close eye on him as he did so. He sat up straight, swallowed the food, and became aware of the stares.
"What?" he demanded brusquely, just in time to see everyone looking away swiftly, either at a bowl or a spoon or a bruised foot. "Why is everyone acting weird today?"
"Weird? Oh, no, no, no…We're not acting weird…" Max said quickly. "So…how does it taste?"
Kai budged himself away from Max. "It's dreadful."
Disappointment was written all over Rei's countenance. "R-Really? It's that bad…?" He stammered, barely getting a word out.
"Kai! Rei made it! Can't you say something positive about it?" countered Max, defending Rei.
"It's okay, Max…if it's really bad, we'd better have no more of it…I don't want to see everyone getting sick or having constipation or…"
"Rei, Rei…" Kenny stopped Rei from gathering their bowls. "It's nice, trust me! Besides, we're more likely to get sick if we're not eating anything…"
Kai made a face which said I-do-as-I-please-who-are-you-to-stop-me before resuming, imbibing the soup without another word. Max, on the other hand, deadpanned, presuming that Takao had done nothing to achieve their aim of the day. Kenny was slightly amused to see his prediction coming true. Meanwhile, Rei hid his face behind his bangs.
Out in the blue Max gave a yelp. "Look! There's Takao!" He pointed to a figure charging out of thick bushes.
Sure enough, there was a worn-out Takao. Upon seeing his companions, he sighed in happiness and ran towards the table. "Food!!!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I'm famished!" He threw a cold glance at Kai, who had taken his rightful place next to Max. Kai merely looked away, paying no heed to him.
Rei stood up. "Here, Takao, you can sit at my place…" He smiled wearily.
"But you hardly ate!" Max pointed out.
"No, it's all right." Rei grinned. "I'm not really hungry anyway. Call me when you're done, and I'll take care of the dishes. Enjoy your food."
Max stared at Rei's retreating back as the latter entered his tent. Max sighed, making a mental note to ask Takao about their mission that night.
"So…how did it go?" asked Max, snuggling closer to Takao in their tent.
" Bad…" Takao stuck his tongue out at an imaginary Kai. "That guy was not responding to me. Honestly, it was he who asked me before anything else…And he did not even acknowledge Rei's splendour when I hinted that to him…"
"Same here… In my case, it sounds as if Rei was thinking of Kenny or Michael when I was saying about how someone wanted him…" Max grinned a toothy grin. "Really, Michael? Of all people?"
"Kenny? Rei thought Kenny wanted him?"
Max giggled. "Yeah! You should've seen Kenny's face! He looked as if he had just seen a ghost!"
"But all in all, I think Rei's open to the idea of dating a boy…"
"As for Kai, I personally think that guy's not open to the idea of dating anyone, be it a girl or a boy!" Takao snorted. "He had the nerve to just leave me alone in a middle of a forest…"
"Well…" Max's voice seemed sad. "I guess we've failed? In our mission to get Kai and Rei together?"
"Yeah, from the way I see it," Takao mumbled. "I guess we'll just have to make our relationship stay a secret?"
"It is going to be hard, nevertheless…I mean, with all the noise you're capable of…"
"Oh, but I can be quiet too…"
Their chat ended, much to Max's joy, as Takao proved how silent he could be even in the middle of their nightly agenda.
Kai was lying on his back when Rei entered their tent. Kai looked at him briefly and Rei, after smiling a bit, sat down at the other side of the tent.
"The broth's finished," Rei was saying casually. "And truthfully, I'm glad you finished your portion."
Kai shrugged in response. "You didn't eat anything."
Rei chuckled. "No, I didn't. It's okay…At least everyone else did."
For a few minutes none of them spoke. It was Kai who broke the silence.
"…Takao was just saying about your generosity."
"Takao? So you did meet him in the forest?"
"He met me."
"Indeed? What did you two discuss about?"
Kai rolled his eyes again. "He was talking about you."
"Me?"
"He said that you're beautiful."
Rei laughed, hiding his blush. "Really, I'm not…"
"And some other bunch of rubbish."
"I-I see…rubbish…Max was saying that someone's been giving me the looks…He said it was you."
"Rubbish."
"Yeah, my thoughts exactly. You're not the type who'd look at others with the look. What do you think they were up to? Were they thinking of pairing us together?"
"Like that'll ever happen – they're not cut out to be playing matchmakers."
A chortle. "Their methods were a tad unconvincing, though…I do pity them…"
"Whatever for?"
"I'm sure they're rather down to see their endeavours come to nothing…"
"Serves them right."
"…"
"…"
"By the way, I'm just curious…Did you really mean it when you said my broth was dreadful?"
"Yes and no."
"How's that possible?"
"I didn't finish my sentence. It was dreadfully delicious."
Rei chuckled again. "Sneaky, aren't you?" He reclined, thinking of the day's occurrence. As he was busy reflecting, Kai rolled over and gave him an affectionate kiss on his lips.
"I love you too," Rei whispered when they broke apart.
"You don't mind to this discretion?" asked Kai.
"Not at all. Quoting Aphra Behn, Love ceases to be a pleasure when it ceases to be a secret." Rei smiled contently. "I'm just sorry for Takao and Max though…they looked so pitiful the whole day…"
Kai gripped Rei's hand tenderly. "Let them suffer longer. That's what they get for being too busy loving each other and neglecting their training."
end
A/N: I suppose I am guilty of not putting enough effort in this story…But, oh well, it's too late to say anything now…