18: The Quest Begins

TigerRain: Trust me. I have something for Ray. But it's going to be a surprise. ^_~

Sarcasmcat: Thank you

Chibi Chaos Sama: I know he is! I'm glad you agree! By and by, did you read Eclipse too?

Ms Hobgoblin: I hope it continues to go well ^_^;;

Imari: And now this chapter happens. :p

bmw: ???

TigerTerror: Sometimes clichés cannot be avoided. -_-;;

I hope to see the end of the use of the word 'yaoi'. Yaoi is actually the acronym of the phrase yama nashi, ocji nashi, imi nashi, which means in English "Without climax, without resolution, without meaning," or "no highs, no lows, no point". It's actually rather insulting toward the gay relationships, so you won't find me using it. This, of course, is why I say shonen ai or "boy love" instead.

'Yuri' isn't insulting that I know of, and where it came from is unknown, but the other term for it is shojo ai or "girl love", which is what I will be using. Hope to see people follow in my footsteps.

Disclaimer: I wish they were mine. The fun I would have…

Kai's crimson eyes slitted open, faint light flowing in from the entrance to the cave. He grunted, trying to find a more comfortable position in the cramp confines of the car. Sometimes being so tall could be a curse, and the fact that he was still growing didn't improve on the situation. His muscles screamed out to be stretched, his chest burning where his grandfather had struck him with the steel knob of his cane. And Kai wasn't even going to think about his arm…

Sighing, he pushed himself up, glancing toward the back seat as he did so. Lee and Ray were still asleep, curled up in each others arms, fairing no better in the small interior of the vehicle. They were both shorter than Kai, but the two 17-year-olds were still tall for their age. Kai remembered reading somewhere that the neko-jin were known for their height, which meant the boys still had a lot of growing to do. Kevin was a runt in terms of his race, but he would grow. And quickly.

Running a hand through his hair to straighten it, Kai glanced in the rear-vision mirror and noted that his face paint had almost worn off. He didn't have anymore with him, which left just one option. Digging in his pocket, Kai pulled out a handkerchief, rubbing it against the marks. In a matter of minutes the last of the blue was gone, leaving Kai to stare at his naked cheeks and raise an eyebrow. It had been so long since he had been without them, but the situation called for it. He seemed more innocent without them. He smirked. But then, just maybe, that could be a good thing.

Hearing a soft mutter, Kai glanced back and noted that Ray was in the process of waking up. He was surprised the neko-jin could wake up at all, considering what time the two had actually fallen asleep. Kai had lain in the darkness, scowling as he listened to the two exchange kisses. It hadn't gone anything beyond that, showing that the two were able to remember that they weren't alone in the car. Kai smiled faintly: well at least they weren't fighting.

The thing that unnerved Kai was the fact that listening to them had stirred something inside of him. Exactly what, he didn't know, as he was unable to put a finger on it. Perhaps it was the fact that in all his life Kai had never experienced love. Well, maybe that was not true. André and Maree, his nanny, loved and treated him like a son, and to him they were the parents he had never known. But that was family love, not the pure love of one to another, such as the love shared by Lee and Ray. Of that sort of love he had never experienced.

Opening the door of the car, he slid out and stood, straightening his tall, lanky form and stretching out his limbs, listening to them crack in protest. He frowned, glancing into the back seat and noticing that Ray's catlike orbs were now partly open, though not quite awake. Kai had never really thought about relationships until the revelation of Lee and Ray's relationship. He couldn't understand what it was about it that made his mind drift along this path, especially since the relationship of the two neko-jin was of a homosexual nature, and Kai was hetro…

Kai shuddered, noting the coolness to the air for the first time. For some reason, his thoughts of being hetro didn't seem as strong as they had once been. His frown deepened. It was probably because he was still half-asleep. His mind wasn't working properly, not yet awake. Yes, that was it.

Hearing his name, Kai moved back toward the car, leaning in the door and looking down at the back seat. "I'm still here."

Ray looked at him, blinking and rubbing his eyes. "Thought you'd nicked off."

"Hn." Kai straightened and looked around the interior of the cave, noting the endless darkness on the path that lead away from the entrance. "Wake up the Lion. I want to get moving."

"Yeah. Sure."

Kai reached into the car and retrieved the keys, moving around to the back and opening the boot. Before they had left they had thrown together a couple of bags of food and drink. Kai had also insisted on torches, the two teasing him for being afraid of the dark. Perhaps now they would understand why he had brought them. Kai? Afraid of the dark? Yeah. Whatever.

Retrieving the items and setting them on the cave floor, he heard one of the doors open and knew that the others were finally getting up. He reached in over the back, snagging the last backpack and tossing it onto the pile; their blankets. Spotting a movement out of the corner of his eye, Kai glanced to the side and spotted a curious Lee watching him. Kai paid him no mind, closing the boot and slipping the keys into his pocket, then moving to sort through the items.

He saw Lee look at him, then blink and rub his eyes much like Ray had. Kai frowned, ready to ask Lee what the hell was the matter with him, but the elder teen beat him to it.

"What happened to the blue marks?"

Kai didn't bother to look up. "I rubbed them off."

"How come?"

"They were coming off anyway, so I decided to finish the job. Got a problem with that?"

"No… just makes you look different, that's all."

"Makes you look younger," Ray agreed, leaning up against Lee as he watched Kai. Ray cocked his head to the side, smiling. "Cuter."

Kai bit back a smirk as Lee drove his elbow back into the other. What's the matter, Yin? Scared of a little competition? Kai blinked. Woah, where had that come from? He shook it off, picking up a pack and tossing it at Lee, who caught it easily, stepping aside as the second pack caught the unexpecting Ray full on the chest. Kai scowled as he stood, hoisting one of the food packs onto his back and scooping up his torch. God damned neko-jin, why did they all have to be so good looking?

"C'mon, let's go."

Lee and Ray exchanged a look as Kai stalked away, Lee nodding after him with an unspoken question on his face. Ray simply sighed and shook his head.

"He does it all the time," Ray said softly. "He's just a no-fun, all-work, never smiles, sourpuss."

"I heard that."

Kai's thoughts are starting to lead him astray. Hee hee hee…