Rather Live Another Rainy Day
Chapter Five: Rain Storms
It started to rain at about nine o'clock, almost twenty minutes after Shanna had left for a walk. Kai stared out a window watching as the steady beat of the rain bounced off the ground. It was almost too dark to see out of the window. Almost, but not quite. However, Kai couldn't see any sign of Shanna. Kai had hoped she would have turned back as soon as the rain started but so far, there wasn't any sign of her and Kai was starting to get really worried. He didn't like the fact that the rain seemed to be getting harder and heavier, with no signs of stopping. Especially not with his girlfriend out there.
Finally at nine-thirty Kai grabbed his raincoat as well as hers, putting his on and tucking hers underneath his arm and rushing out the door. His number one thought at the moment was to get to Shanna before she got pnemonia.
Kai made it down the driveway to the garage and his motorcycle when he realized that he had no idea where Shanna was or even what direction she had left in. Kai cursed himself, starting up the motorcycle. Kai quickly tried to think of where Shanna would go in a situation like this. Then Kai got an idea and roared onto the street, collecting more speed as he went, swirving past the slower vechiles, not caring when they honked their horns at him.
Kai flashed down the roads, not noticing anyone who gawked at him as he did so, but still looking for anyone who looked even remotely like Shanna, not wanting to miss her and risk her health anymore than she already was.
Kai finally pulled in front of a house, Shanna's old house, the house he had met her at. Kai would have normally smiled at the memory but not this time, this time he had other things on his mind. Kai rushed through the woods, the rain that leaked in through the floor of branches had already soaked his hair, making it stick to his face. Kai didn't want to imagine what Shanna was like. Kai ran even faster, pushing the branches as he went, jumping over the logs and finally stopping when he came into an open clearing and could see a treehouse.
Without evn taking a breath, Kai ran to the tree and climbed hurried up the ladder, hoping that Shanna was in there all the time. Hoping that he hadn't been wrong with his assumption.
Kai stood on the floor of the treehouse, wiping the slick wet hair away from his eyes and sighed in relief as he spotted a figure sitting in the corner. Kai headed for her when he heard a small voice. "Go away."
§ § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § §
Tala walked steadily into his apartment, saying a goodbye to Bryan, who had picked him up from the hospital and drove him him since the docter had said that driving might be a strain after a while and so to avoid it for a good week or two.
Tala noticed taht there was a message on his answering machine. Tala almost crossed his fingers as he pressed the play button, hoping that it was April finally. Tala couldn't help but sigh in disappointment when he heard Kai's voice on the answering machine instead of April. Right family, wrong sibling.
"Hey this is Kai. April was there when you got taken to the hospital, she was pretty upset and she ran off. I think she may have gone to that apartment that you two were going to move into. When you get home, you should go and check up on her. She thought you might die or something Tala. She thought you might die or something before she'd have a chance to tell you that she doesn't hate yuo for what you did. Go to her Tala. Thanks, Kai."
Tala stared openly at the answering machine and then dashed to the window, causing pain to overtake his thigh, but he didn't care. "BRYAN!"
Bryan was standing next to his car, putting the key in the lock when he heard Tala and he looked up to Tala's window, putting his hand over his eyes to shield his eyes from the rain. He waved to Tala and waited for Tala to continue to yell out what he wanted.
"I NEED YOU TO TAKE ME SOMEWHERE." Tala called out. When Bryan nodded, Tala closed the window and rushed outisde to Bryan's car, the pain in his thigh almost incrutating but Tala refused to stop. Bryan was waiting for Tala in the car, Tala climbed in the passenger side and Bryan started the engine. "Take me to the new apartment."
Bryan looked at Tala weirdly but shrugged it off and backed up out of his parking spot, not one to question Tala, even if they had known each other for years and were best friends. They drove to their destination in silence. Tala too nervous to talk. What if Tala made it worse by showing up? Tala didn't know what he'd do then.
They got to the apartment building and parked outside of it. Tala didn't move from the car for a few minutes and then he got out, taking a deep breath. He nodded to Bryan as a goodbye, gritted his teeth and went into the apartment building.
§ § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § §
Rei had lost track of Lolli about five minutes ago and now he walk walking aimlessl around the park, trying to find her agin. He wanted, no nodded, to apologize to Lolli about what shehad seen. He needed to explain to her that it hadn't been his idea to kiss Crystal. That he had hated it. He didn't know what he wanted to say, he just knew that he needed to say something. Anything.
Rei closed his eyes, letting the cold rain drip down his face in almost a punishment for Rei. Rei welcomed it, knowing that he deserved all the punishment he could get. HEll, he woud be willing to go to Hell itself if it meant that Lolli would forgive him. He was ready to do anything for Lolli. Rei sighed. If only he had said that before this had happned, then maybe the girl he wanted to say it to would actually believe him.
Rei sighed and continued to look around for Lolli and he finally foun dher, sittig on a park bench, her blonde hair darkened by the rain, stuck to her head and her arms were wrapped around herself tightly as she shivered in teh coldness of the night. Rei felt guilty, it was his fault she was so cold. Rei pulled off his coat and went over to Lolli, holding out it. "It's not that dry-looking but it'll keep you warm."
Lolli looked up at Rei, her eyes filled with unfallen tears and she sniffled, then took the coat and put it on, snuggling into the warmness and then loked away, refuse to face Rei.
Rei sighed. "Listen Lolli, it wasn't how it looked-"
Lolli cut him off. "don't tell me 'cause I don't want to hear it." Lolli sighed. "You should take your coat back. You're going to freeze." Lolli made a move to take off the coat but Rei stopped her.
"Take it. If you don't want me, then I'd prefer to have to deal with it in bed with a cold because at least then I'd have a better chance of sleeping it off." Rei said simply.
Lolli sighed. "Do you have to make this hard for me? How can I be mad at you if you do this to me?"
Rei smiled. "I was hoping that you won't." Rei took Lolli's hand. "I'm sorry. I don't know who that girl thought she was but I promise I didn't want that, not one little bit. Not with you around."
Lolli blushed a little and Rei smiled. Lolli looked up at the rain in the sky and took Rei's hand and squeezed it. "I don't know how on earth I can ever manage to be mad at you."
Rei sighed exaggerately in relief. "Thank god. I was worried my charm wasn't working."
Lolli hit him on the shoulder. "Well one of your charms is working." Lolli took a deep breath. "Rei...I have to tell you something really important."
Rei shivered. "Can we go home before we talk more, or our next week will definitely have to be spent in the bed with a kleenex instead of in the bed with you."
Lolli rolled her eyes and nodded, grabbing Rei's hand. "Lets run." And so they did.
§ § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § §
Kai stopped going towards Shanna when he heard that voice. Kai took a deep breath. "I don't want to go. Are you alright? Are you cold? Wet? Tired?"
Shanna looked at Kai, her green eyes cold and emotionless. Then she turned away and continued to stare into the darkness of the wods, giving Kai no response to his question.
Kai sighed and stepped forward, his footsep sounding unbearably loud in the silence, the only other sound being the sound of the rain pouding on the roof. Shanna heard it and tense, but refused to turn her head towards the sound. Kai walked over to Shanna and knelt down next to her. "Shanna? Please tell me what's wrong. I can't help you if I don't know."
Shanna shrugged. "You can't help me then. I don't care. I can deal with this sort of stuff by myself." Shanna looked at Kai. "Besides it's somethign stupid anyways."
Kai stared into Shanna's eyes. "If you care about it, then it's not stupid. Tell me about it Shanna."
Shanna sighed again and looked away. "It's nothing, really. I just need a little time alone to think about it. I've just been a little bit overwhelmed with the wedding, that's all."
"Why? April and I are doing all of the-" Kai's eyes went wide. "Oh."
"Oh, what?" Shanna sked, her face still completely blank.
"You're mad at me because April's doing so much with your wedding. She's the one who found all the churches, helped pick out the flowers we were going to have, picked out the dresses for the bridesmaids, went to help you pick out your wedding gonwn." Kai wrapped his arms around Shanna. "I didn't realized that I was making you feel like this wasn't even your wedding. Gawd Shanna, you should have told me."
Shanna turned to look at Kai. "Tell you? You think that I could have just told you? You were so happy, so content. Do you really think that I was going to ruin that?" Shanna pulled herself away from Kai. "I love you, this is our wedding. How could I tell you that I hated how you took over everything with your sister. It would have crushed you and then I would have felt so terrible. I'd rather deal with the guilt of not being able to tell you, than the guilt of making you feel bad."
"Shanna-"
Shanna cut him off. "Don't you dare deny it. I know you too well Kai HIwatari so don't even think about it." Shanna stood up and glared at him. "You want to make this April and your wedding, it can be April and your wedding."
Kai jumped up and grabbed Shanna's hand. "I don't want it to be April and my wedding. I wnat it ot be our wedding, you and me. IF I could marry you right here I would, right now, with no one around. I would marry you without anyone here to see it and then I'd run away with you. I don't care."
Shanna turned away. "How do I know you're not lying? How do I know that you won't still want a big wedding? How do I know that you want ever regret not having a big wedding? Huh?" Kai was almost sure that Shanna was crying at this point.
"God damnit Shanna, listen to me." Kai turned Shanna to face him. "I would rather marry you in the fucking pouring down rain, right here, with only a few close friends, our immeadite family and that's it, then to go to a church and force you to have a big wedding. Do you hear me? I'd rather live another rainy day here with you than have a big wedding."
Shanna buried her head in Kai's chest and cried. Kai held her close to him, buring his head in her hair, breathing in the smell of her. Kai found that he could barely keep the tears back himself.
Shanna looked up at him. "I love you."
Kai smiled and nodded. "I love you too."
{A/N: Awwwwwwwwww! Yah, I realize that I didn't put much April/Tala in this chapter but I'll make up for it next chapter. I promise. Anyhow, what'cha think?}
Chapter Five: Rain Storms
It started to rain at about nine o'clock, almost twenty minutes after Shanna had left for a walk. Kai stared out a window watching as the steady beat of the rain bounced off the ground. It was almost too dark to see out of the window. Almost, but not quite. However, Kai couldn't see any sign of Shanna. Kai had hoped she would have turned back as soon as the rain started but so far, there wasn't any sign of her and Kai was starting to get really worried. He didn't like the fact that the rain seemed to be getting harder and heavier, with no signs of stopping. Especially not with his girlfriend out there.
Finally at nine-thirty Kai grabbed his raincoat as well as hers, putting his on and tucking hers underneath his arm and rushing out the door. His number one thought at the moment was to get to Shanna before she got pnemonia.
Kai made it down the driveway to the garage and his motorcycle when he realized that he had no idea where Shanna was or even what direction she had left in. Kai cursed himself, starting up the motorcycle. Kai quickly tried to think of where Shanna would go in a situation like this. Then Kai got an idea and roared onto the street, collecting more speed as he went, swirving past the slower vechiles, not caring when they honked their horns at him.
Kai flashed down the roads, not noticing anyone who gawked at him as he did so, but still looking for anyone who looked even remotely like Shanna, not wanting to miss her and risk her health anymore than she already was.
Kai finally pulled in front of a house, Shanna's old house, the house he had met her at. Kai would have normally smiled at the memory but not this time, this time he had other things on his mind. Kai rushed through the woods, the rain that leaked in through the floor of branches had already soaked his hair, making it stick to his face. Kai didn't want to imagine what Shanna was like. Kai ran even faster, pushing the branches as he went, jumping over the logs and finally stopping when he came into an open clearing and could see a treehouse.
Without evn taking a breath, Kai ran to the tree and climbed hurried up the ladder, hoping that Shanna was in there all the time. Hoping that he hadn't been wrong with his assumption.
Kai stood on the floor of the treehouse, wiping the slick wet hair away from his eyes and sighed in relief as he spotted a figure sitting in the corner. Kai headed for her when he heard a small voice. "Go away."
§ § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § §
Tala walked steadily into his apartment, saying a goodbye to Bryan, who had picked him up from the hospital and drove him him since the docter had said that driving might be a strain after a while and so to avoid it for a good week or two.
Tala noticed taht there was a message on his answering machine. Tala almost crossed his fingers as he pressed the play button, hoping that it was April finally. Tala couldn't help but sigh in disappointment when he heard Kai's voice on the answering machine instead of April. Right family, wrong sibling.
"Hey this is Kai. April was there when you got taken to the hospital, she was pretty upset and she ran off. I think she may have gone to that apartment that you two were going to move into. When you get home, you should go and check up on her. She thought you might die or something Tala. She thought you might die or something before she'd have a chance to tell you that she doesn't hate yuo for what you did. Go to her Tala. Thanks, Kai."
Tala stared openly at the answering machine and then dashed to the window, causing pain to overtake his thigh, but he didn't care. "BRYAN!"
Bryan was standing next to his car, putting the key in the lock when he heard Tala and he looked up to Tala's window, putting his hand over his eyes to shield his eyes from the rain. He waved to Tala and waited for Tala to continue to yell out what he wanted.
"I NEED YOU TO TAKE ME SOMEWHERE." Tala called out. When Bryan nodded, Tala closed the window and rushed outisde to Bryan's car, the pain in his thigh almost incrutating but Tala refused to stop. Bryan was waiting for Tala in the car, Tala climbed in the passenger side and Bryan started the engine. "Take me to the new apartment."
Bryan looked at Tala weirdly but shrugged it off and backed up out of his parking spot, not one to question Tala, even if they had known each other for years and were best friends. They drove to their destination in silence. Tala too nervous to talk. What if Tala made it worse by showing up? Tala didn't know what he'd do then.
They got to the apartment building and parked outside of it. Tala didn't move from the car for a few minutes and then he got out, taking a deep breath. He nodded to Bryan as a goodbye, gritted his teeth and went into the apartment building.
§ § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § §
Rei had lost track of Lolli about five minutes ago and now he walk walking aimlessl around the park, trying to find her agin. He wanted, no nodded, to apologize to Lolli about what shehad seen. He needed to explain to her that it hadn't been his idea to kiss Crystal. That he had hated it. He didn't know what he wanted to say, he just knew that he needed to say something. Anything.
Rei closed his eyes, letting the cold rain drip down his face in almost a punishment for Rei. Rei welcomed it, knowing that he deserved all the punishment he could get. HEll, he woud be willing to go to Hell itself if it meant that Lolli would forgive him. He was ready to do anything for Lolli. Rei sighed. If only he had said that before this had happned, then maybe the girl he wanted to say it to would actually believe him.
Rei sighed and continued to look around for Lolli and he finally foun dher, sittig on a park bench, her blonde hair darkened by the rain, stuck to her head and her arms were wrapped around herself tightly as she shivered in teh coldness of the night. Rei felt guilty, it was his fault she was so cold. Rei pulled off his coat and went over to Lolli, holding out it. "It's not that dry-looking but it'll keep you warm."
Lolli looked up at Rei, her eyes filled with unfallen tears and she sniffled, then took the coat and put it on, snuggling into the warmness and then loked away, refuse to face Rei.
Rei sighed. "Listen Lolli, it wasn't how it looked-"
Lolli cut him off. "don't tell me 'cause I don't want to hear it." Lolli sighed. "You should take your coat back. You're going to freeze." Lolli made a move to take off the coat but Rei stopped her.
"Take it. If you don't want me, then I'd prefer to have to deal with it in bed with a cold because at least then I'd have a better chance of sleeping it off." Rei said simply.
Lolli sighed. "Do you have to make this hard for me? How can I be mad at you if you do this to me?"
Rei smiled. "I was hoping that you won't." Rei took Lolli's hand. "I'm sorry. I don't know who that girl thought she was but I promise I didn't want that, not one little bit. Not with you around."
Lolli blushed a little and Rei smiled. Lolli looked up at the rain in the sky and took Rei's hand and squeezed it. "I don't know how on earth I can ever manage to be mad at you."
Rei sighed exaggerately in relief. "Thank god. I was worried my charm wasn't working."
Lolli hit him on the shoulder. "Well one of your charms is working." Lolli took a deep breath. "Rei...I have to tell you something really important."
Rei shivered. "Can we go home before we talk more, or our next week will definitely have to be spent in the bed with a kleenex instead of in the bed with you."
Lolli rolled her eyes and nodded, grabbing Rei's hand. "Lets run." And so they did.
§ § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § § §
Kai stopped going towards Shanna when he heard that voice. Kai took a deep breath. "I don't want to go. Are you alright? Are you cold? Wet? Tired?"
Shanna looked at Kai, her green eyes cold and emotionless. Then she turned away and continued to stare into the darkness of the wods, giving Kai no response to his question.
Kai sighed and stepped forward, his footsep sounding unbearably loud in the silence, the only other sound being the sound of the rain pouding on the roof. Shanna heard it and tense, but refused to turn her head towards the sound. Kai walked over to Shanna and knelt down next to her. "Shanna? Please tell me what's wrong. I can't help you if I don't know."
Shanna shrugged. "You can't help me then. I don't care. I can deal with this sort of stuff by myself." Shanna looked at Kai. "Besides it's somethign stupid anyways."
Kai stared into Shanna's eyes. "If you care about it, then it's not stupid. Tell me about it Shanna."
Shanna sighed again and looked away. "It's nothing, really. I just need a little time alone to think about it. I've just been a little bit overwhelmed with the wedding, that's all."
"Why? April and I are doing all of the-" Kai's eyes went wide. "Oh."
"Oh, what?" Shanna sked, her face still completely blank.
"You're mad at me because April's doing so much with your wedding. She's the one who found all the churches, helped pick out the flowers we were going to have, picked out the dresses for the bridesmaids, went to help you pick out your wedding gonwn." Kai wrapped his arms around Shanna. "I didn't realized that I was making you feel like this wasn't even your wedding. Gawd Shanna, you should have told me."
Shanna turned to look at Kai. "Tell you? You think that I could have just told you? You were so happy, so content. Do you really think that I was going to ruin that?" Shanna pulled herself away from Kai. "I love you, this is our wedding. How could I tell you that I hated how you took over everything with your sister. It would have crushed you and then I would have felt so terrible. I'd rather deal with the guilt of not being able to tell you, than the guilt of making you feel bad."
"Shanna-"
Shanna cut him off. "Don't you dare deny it. I know you too well Kai HIwatari so don't even think about it." Shanna stood up and glared at him. "You want to make this April and your wedding, it can be April and your wedding."
Kai jumped up and grabbed Shanna's hand. "I don't want it to be April and my wedding. I wnat it ot be our wedding, you and me. IF I could marry you right here I would, right now, with no one around. I would marry you without anyone here to see it and then I'd run away with you. I don't care."
Shanna turned away. "How do I know you're not lying? How do I know that you won't still want a big wedding? How do I know that you want ever regret not having a big wedding? Huh?" Kai was almost sure that Shanna was crying at this point.
"God damnit Shanna, listen to me." Kai turned Shanna to face him. "I would rather marry you in the fucking pouring down rain, right here, with only a few close friends, our immeadite family and that's it, then to go to a church and force you to have a big wedding. Do you hear me? I'd rather live another rainy day here with you than have a big wedding."
Shanna buried her head in Kai's chest and cried. Kai held her close to him, buring his head in her hair, breathing in the smell of her. Kai found that he could barely keep the tears back himself.
Shanna looked up at him. "I love you."
Kai smiled and nodded. "I love you too."
{A/N: Awwwwwwwwww! Yah, I realize that I didn't put much April/Tala in this chapter but I'll make up for it next chapter. I promise. Anyhow, what'cha think?}