They started walking back to the front of the mansion when there was a loud BANG, the sound of the two oak front doors being slammed shut. They slowly sneaked down the side of the house and looked around the corner to see Kai slowly limping away down towards the street.
"Kai..." Rei yelled out and rushed over to him while the others followed from their hiding place. Rei stopped when he reached him and saw the state he was in. Kai saw the happiness in Rei's eyes quickly vanish to be replaced by that of concern and confusion,
"Kai wa...what happened?" Rei stammered looking at the blood and bruises that covered Kai's body, Kai said nothing he just looked to the ground. 'Why did they have to come looking for me' he thought 'it would have been easier if the had just stayed at the hotel' he didn't need this right now, he didn't want Rei to see him like this, weak.
I flinch slightly as Rei touches my shoulder and then the others showed up,
"Whoa what happened to you?" Tyson questions however I say nothing, no one else says anything at first they all just stare at me, staring at my weak and pathetic state.
"Its nothing, I'm fine just leave me alone!" I lie trying to run off. Bad idea. I could barely stand let along run and all I manage to do is trip and collapse onto the cold, harsh ground. I begin to tremble as tears sting my eyes. I'm so confused, I can't understand why I'm crying, I have had beatings like this before and had never reacted so...so weak. I'm disappointed in myself for being so venerable in the company of Rei and the others; im supposed to be better than this.
Tyson's getting frustrated and it isn't long before he's yelling at me.
"Well looks like we have just been searching the whole bloody town looking for you and you don't give a shit that Rei was worried as hell about you going off and getting yourself beaten half to death!!!"
I don't look at him or any of the others, I just stare at the snow covered ground and cry, my prides been stripped and I've been left exposed to the elements as weak. Im pained yet agitated as realisation of what Tyson was accusing me of surfaces. Its not true. I do care for Rei, I didn't want him to worry about me.
"Don't you think that's just a bit harsh Tyson?" Rei seems like the only one who can truly understand me, I guess he's the only one who knows the full extent of my pride and intolerability for weakness. If I wasn't in so much pain I might have smiled because I'm glad, glad to have Rei here with me and I'm glad I let myself confide in him.
He pulls me closer to him and I'm grateful for the comfort and warmth he brings me. Tyson's beginning to drag Max down the street so he could have more time to eat and Kenny's laughing as he walks off behind them, they're an unusually light hearted group. I don't know where Rei gets his strength from but suddenly I find my self being carried down the streets in his arms, I got to protest that I'm capable of walk but he tells me that I'm not and that if I try I'd be in an even worse condition then I am now.
I often saw Rei giving me worried looks as we head down the road towards the hotel. All I want to do is smile and tell him that I would be fine though I can no longer stop the tears from escaping, my cold barriers have broken and all I can do to hide my tears is looking away. I don't understand why I feel so venerable now, of all the times in my life why now? Maybe I just couldn't take the presser of holding all my emotions inside of me for so long in my life. I sigh, I know that even if I managed to tell Rei I was fine it would have been obvious that I wasn't, deep inside I am just happy to be away from his grandfather and back with Rei.
I stare at the ground not wanting to talk about anything right now, however, I am going to tell Rei the truth tonight if I can manage it with out breaking down in tears again.
"Thanks for everything," I tell him with a shiver as the cold wind nips at my exposed skin and it is just now that I realise its started to snow again. Rei smiles at me, holding me closer to his body, allowing me to share his warmth. Despite my pain I smile, I allow the tiredness to take over my body and my eyelids slowly close though I don't mind, I know that I'm safe here with Rei; he'll protect me from anything that I have no doubt about.