24: Conflicting Emotions

TigerRain: Who'll be more dominant? Heh. You won't know in this story, but later on...

Sarcasmcat: Short, sharp, and to the point. ^_^

Imari: Ray and Lee are dating and they both want Kai. Kai's not sure what he wants... yet. ^_~

Ms Hobgoblin: Ray missing out? Not for much longer. :p

Just as I am writing this chapter I am looking at the rough sketch of the image by Melanie. I can't help but stare in awe: here is an image from my head, written for all to imagine, and drawn by a talented artist for all to see. It's just so hard to comprehend; hard to describe what I am feeling. Thank you Melanie. *^_^*

Disclaimer: . but then I wouldn't be able to have any fun now, would I?

Ray blinked as he slowly chased the sleep from his mind. His eyes were on the fire, it slowly dawning on him that the strong chest that he was leaning against was not his lovers. Looking down, he took in the arm threaded around his waist and had to smile. Kai.

He snuggled in closer, letting his gaze move around the fire light and smiling as he spotted Lee hunched by the embers, adding a few more bricks to keep the fire going enough for them to make breakfast. Lee felt his gaze, looking up and smiling warmly toward his fellow neko-jin. Ray smiled back, expression turning to curiosity as he spotted the mischievous glint in Lee's eye. Something had gone down while he had been sleeping.

Gently peeling himself from the still sleeping Kai's arms, Ray made his way across to Lee's side, remembering to keep his voice low. "Okay, what happened?"

Lee looked up at him, blinking his wide catlike eyes innocently. "I really don't know what you mean."

Ray didn't buy it for a second. "Come on, Lee. What did you do?"

"Oh, nothing." He prodded the fire, encouraging it to blaze back to life. "I might have kissed him, that's all."

"You what!?" Ray's eyes widened, glancing quickly at Kai to see if his outburst had woken the phoenix up. Seeing that he was still asleep, Ray turned back to Lee. "What happened to taking it slow?"

"So I decided to take it up a notch."

"Try three or four." Ray sighed, crossing his legs and stretching. "I'm almost afraid to ask but. what did he do?"

"He didn't punch me, if that's what you're asking." Lee smirked. "If you really must know, he kissed me back."

"Really?" Ray laughed. "I told you you would be the one to do it."

"Not so fast, Tiger. I really wish it were that easy, but it's not." Lee nodded to the side. "Right now he doesn't know where he stands. He's confused, torn between his feelings and what he believes of himself. Until he can decide exactly where he stands, there is nothing we can do."

"That's not entirely true." The corners of Ray's lips turned upward, an almost evil glint burning in his eye. "You've had your fun, now it's my turn."

Lee looked up. "Think you can handle it?"

"Watch and learn." Ray leant forward, catching Lee's mouth in a quick kiss before he moved back toward the phoenix. "Get out of sight."

Lee nodded, catching hold of the water bottles and torch, disappearing into the darkness to fetch some more water, the bob of light the only indication of where he had gone.

Ray watched him go, drawing a deep breath and calming his nerves. Sometimes he wished he had Lee's unwavering sense of determination, something Kevin also seemed to possess. Ray often found himself fighting off nerves and self doubt that always seemed to appear at exactly the wrong time. such as now.

Ray knelt by Kai, eyes exploring the others face. He was cute, that's for sure, and no one could deny that. Kai's fan club almost rivalled Ray's own when it came to obsessed fan girls, and even the occasional fan guy. Tyson often boasted that his own fan club drew in the ladies, but it could never compare to the fan club of the Tiger or the Phoenix. But right now Ray didn't care about fan clubs. All he cared about was Kai.

He reached forward, running a hand through Kai's hair, marvelling at its texture, and wondering at its strange yet perfect colouring. He brushed Kai's fringe from his face, letting his fingers trail over one cheek, liking the way the skin glowed in the firelight. He smiled as Kai's eyes flickered open, crimson orbs coming to rest on his face, the confusion and conflict Lee had mentioned playing through them.

"Ray?"

"You had something in your hair," Ray said gently, caressing Kai's brow. "I got it out."

"Ah. thanks." Kai glanced around. "Where's."

"Fetching some more water." Ray smiled. "It's just you and me."

Kai looked up sharply, and Ray was almost surprised by what he saw. Instead of the strong, calm, and collected leader he knew, Ray found himself looking upon an unsure and almost nervous young man. It was almost the complete opposite of anything Ray had ever thought about Kai; the other side to team captain that Kai kept locked deeply away. Ray smiled faintly. He didn't mind this side at all.

"You're afraid," Ray observed. "Afraid of me. Of Lee. Of the unknown."

Kai shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do." Ray brought up his other hand, gently cupping Kai's face. "You're afraid of the first step in a place you've never thought you'd come to be in. You're standing at a crossroad, wondering which path to follow when there was a point you were so sure of your destination. You no longer know what is wrong or right, where black begins and white ends. You are standing in the grey, and you don't know which way to turn.

"You feel that you no longer have any control over you feelings, your emotions. No control over yourself." He leant forward, eyes half closed as he smiled reassuringly. "But there is one thing you can control. You can always say 'stop'."

Ray brought his lips down onto Kai's, marvelling at the softness of those lips. He waited for the rebuke, the hard slap in the face, but it never came. All sense of nervousness washed away as Kai allowed Ray to deepen the kiss, though Ray could sense the hesitation.

Lee settled himself by the fire, smiling faintly. From where he sat, Ray seemed to have things perfectly under control. Lee had never doubted that his lover would be able to have a hand in taming the phoenix, but to see Ray so confident in something that borderlined suicide. well, it almost made Lee proud. The only thing that stopped it was the faint jealousy, and the fact that while the phoenix was responding, they may still lose the overall struggle-

A pang to the heart caused Lee to gasp, one hand reaching up to clutch his chest. Ray let out a moan, pulling away from Kai sharply, eyes shooting behind him as he felt a similar throb. "Lee!"

"I felt it." Lee closed his eyes, trying to regain control. What was it? What was it?

Kai frowned, looking from one to the other, faint concern written into his features as the cold exterior of the Blade Breaker team captain returned in vengeance. "What? What is it?"

Ray shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I don't. I don't know."

"I do." Lee opened his eyes, gaze hard as the catlike orbs rose toward the darkness, and ultimately, their destination. "It's Kevin."

Sixth sense is telling them something is very, very wrong. And just when Kai and Ray were getting comfortable too. ^_^