Disclaimer: I own none of the characters.
Okay here is the final revised copy of this chapter. Thanxs to Porticulis who took the time and edited this for me!
Hope you enjoy this! So much better than what I wrote.
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Rei and Tala were sleeping, or something as close to sleep as they could manage after such an incident. Rei slept fitfully, events of the previous day flashed repeatedly in his mind. Rei writhed in his sleep and moaned softly. Tala stirred beside his lover, his emerald eyes awakening with concern.
"Rei come on, wake up. It's only a dream. Come on." Tala murmured sleepily, trying to rouse the Chinese youth.
Rei's eyes suddenly snapped open surprising Tala who recoiled slightly. Tala immediately drew closer to Rei who had bolted upright and was clutching his blanket. Tears streamed silently down his pale face. Tala gathered the neko-jin in his arms and rocked him gently. After the tears and the aftershock subsided, Tala gently lifted his lover's chin and lovingly brushed away the tear tracks. "What was it?" Tala asked, his green eyes softly curious.
"It was just a nightmare about yesterday." Rei replied simply. A sense of foreboding came over Rei followed by resignation. Tala would want to know the details of last night and Rei could no longer evade the issue. Sure enough, Tala eyed the Chinese youth questioningly.
"What happened yesterday after I left?" Tala asked, a pang of guilt stabbing into his chest. Rei remained silent. Sighing, Tala was about to drop the subject when he heard Rei begin to whisper softly.
"It was my fault."
"What?" Tala asked not sure if he had heard right.
"It was my fault. I did this." Rei repeated, his voice growing stronger. Tala was stunned for a moment but he quickly decided that it wasn't true.
"Rei, please tell me what happened." Tala pleaded.
"After you left I was so mad at myself. It was entirely my fault. If I never opened my mouth and blamed you for being overly protective then this never would have happened. When you left I couldn't move or think. I was so....depressed because I had made you so furious." Rei replied, his golden eyes strangely distant as he lay weakly in Tala's arms. "After a while of just standing there staring at the door I heard the phone ring. I thought something had happened to you. I went to answer it but when I did the person hung up. I put the phone down, frightened that something awful had happened to you. I couldn't take the guilt and I was so worried I went out to look for you." Rei paused for a moment and sighed. "Where did you go?" Tala prompted after Rei remained silent for a full five minutes.
"All over. I checked the park thinking you might be there, knowing you liked to watch the children play. Down by beach because you were always so entranced by the ocean. After a while of searching I couldn't find you. I was really worried. After that I went back home. I thought that maybe I was just being paranoid. When I got to our floor, I saw that the door was slightly ajar. I thought you had returned so I ran to the room to apologize. When I got into the room, I called your name but there was no answer. I searched everywhere but I didn't find you. I came back to the hall and . . . and I found one of my friends there. I asked him what he were doing here. He said that he decided to drop by, and he had invited himself in noticing that the door was ajar. He apologized. I told him it was all right. He then asked me what was wrong and I told him that we had a fight. He told me not to worry about it. I then told him that I wanted some time alone, and asked him if it was a problem." at this point Rei seemed to have some trouble breathing and tears began to well in his golden eyes. "H-he said that it was. I was taken aback. I looked at him and I saw him take out this dagger. I remembered it from a long time ago. It used to be mine. I was getting scared now, and he started advancing towards me. I tried to move to the door but he grabbed me and placed his hand over my mouth. He told me that this is what I deserved for loving you. I-I remember him grabbing my wrist and slicing it. It hurt so much. Worse then the cuts I got at the World Championships." Rei broke off, his body trembling uncontrollably in Tala's arms. Tala tightened his grasp on Rei. "There was so much blood. I struggled, I tried to free myself but I felt so weak . . . He let me fall. Everything was so dim. The last thing I remembered was how cold it was." Rei's voice sounded choked and Tala cursed himself once more for leaving Rei all alone, unprotected. "He said something." Rei continued suddenly, "He said that it was better for me to die this way, to suffer slowly knowing that I had brought all of this on myself . . . I deserved all the pain for . . . for loving you." Rei could hold back no longer. Once more, tears streamed openly down his pale cheeks.
Tala was silent. He couldn't speak. Not after what he had heard. One of Rei's friends did this? But who?
Tala swallowed hard and forced himself to ask that burning question.
"Rei," Tala began gently but firmly, "who did this?" Rei hesitated, his feline body tensing within Tala's embrace.
"A friend." Tala would not be denied his answer.
"Which friend?" Tala insisted patiently, careful not to sound interogative.
Silence.
"Rei, please."
Silence once more but then golden eyes cleared and Rei began to answer, his voice suddenly calm.
"It was . . . Lee."
Okay here is the final revised copy of this chapter. Thanxs to Porticulis who took the time and edited this for me!
Hope you enjoy this! So much better than what I wrote.
************************************************************
************************************************************
Rei and Tala were sleeping, or something as close to sleep as they could manage after such an incident. Rei slept fitfully, events of the previous day flashed repeatedly in his mind. Rei writhed in his sleep and moaned softly. Tala stirred beside his lover, his emerald eyes awakening with concern.
"Rei come on, wake up. It's only a dream. Come on." Tala murmured sleepily, trying to rouse the Chinese youth.
Rei's eyes suddenly snapped open surprising Tala who recoiled slightly. Tala immediately drew closer to Rei who had bolted upright and was clutching his blanket. Tears streamed silently down his pale face. Tala gathered the neko-jin in his arms and rocked him gently. After the tears and the aftershock subsided, Tala gently lifted his lover's chin and lovingly brushed away the tear tracks. "What was it?" Tala asked, his green eyes softly curious.
"It was just a nightmare about yesterday." Rei replied simply. A sense of foreboding came over Rei followed by resignation. Tala would want to know the details of last night and Rei could no longer evade the issue. Sure enough, Tala eyed the Chinese youth questioningly.
"What happened yesterday after I left?" Tala asked, a pang of guilt stabbing into his chest. Rei remained silent. Sighing, Tala was about to drop the subject when he heard Rei begin to whisper softly.
"It was my fault."
"What?" Tala asked not sure if he had heard right.
"It was my fault. I did this." Rei repeated, his voice growing stronger. Tala was stunned for a moment but he quickly decided that it wasn't true.
"Rei, please tell me what happened." Tala pleaded.
"After you left I was so mad at myself. It was entirely my fault. If I never opened my mouth and blamed you for being overly protective then this never would have happened. When you left I couldn't move or think. I was so....depressed because I had made you so furious." Rei replied, his golden eyes strangely distant as he lay weakly in Tala's arms. "After a while of just standing there staring at the door I heard the phone ring. I thought something had happened to you. I went to answer it but when I did the person hung up. I put the phone down, frightened that something awful had happened to you. I couldn't take the guilt and I was so worried I went out to look for you." Rei paused for a moment and sighed. "Where did you go?" Tala prompted after Rei remained silent for a full five minutes.
"All over. I checked the park thinking you might be there, knowing you liked to watch the children play. Down by beach because you were always so entranced by the ocean. After a while of searching I couldn't find you. I was really worried. After that I went back home. I thought that maybe I was just being paranoid. When I got to our floor, I saw that the door was slightly ajar. I thought you had returned so I ran to the room to apologize. When I got into the room, I called your name but there was no answer. I searched everywhere but I didn't find you. I came back to the hall and . . . and I found one of my friends there. I asked him what he were doing here. He said that he decided to drop by, and he had invited himself in noticing that the door was ajar. He apologized. I told him it was all right. He then asked me what was wrong and I told him that we had a fight. He told me not to worry about it. I then told him that I wanted some time alone, and asked him if it was a problem." at this point Rei seemed to have some trouble breathing and tears began to well in his golden eyes. "H-he said that it was. I was taken aback. I looked at him and I saw him take out this dagger. I remembered it from a long time ago. It used to be mine. I was getting scared now, and he started advancing towards me. I tried to move to the door but he grabbed me and placed his hand over my mouth. He told me that this is what I deserved for loving you. I-I remember him grabbing my wrist and slicing it. It hurt so much. Worse then the cuts I got at the World Championships." Rei broke off, his body trembling uncontrollably in Tala's arms. Tala tightened his grasp on Rei. "There was so much blood. I struggled, I tried to free myself but I felt so weak . . . He let me fall. Everything was so dim. The last thing I remembered was how cold it was." Rei's voice sounded choked and Tala cursed himself once more for leaving Rei all alone, unprotected. "He said something." Rei continued suddenly, "He said that it was better for me to die this way, to suffer slowly knowing that I had brought all of this on myself . . . I deserved all the pain for . . . for loving you." Rei could hold back no longer. Once more, tears streamed openly down his pale cheeks.
Tala was silent. He couldn't speak. Not after what he had heard. One of Rei's friends did this? But who?
Tala swallowed hard and forced himself to ask that burning question.
"Rei," Tala began gently but firmly, "who did this?" Rei hesitated, his feline body tensing within Tala's embrace.
"A friend." Tala would not be denied his answer.
"Which friend?" Tala insisted patiently, careful not to sound interogative.
Silence.
"Rei, please."
Silence once more but then golden eyes cleared and Rei began to answer, his voice suddenly calm.
"It was . . . Lee."