Disclaimer: Don't own it

A/N: Here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy it. And a huge thanks to everyone of my reviewers.

Bryan flipped through his key ring, finally finding the key to the front door of Rei's small house. He managed to the get the front door open with only a minor amount of problems. The living room had a distinctly Chinese air about it. Bamboo plants sat on a shelf above the futon, green leaves spotting the white wall. Two leather armchairs flanked a coffee table. Several tiger statuettes were spread over the flat surfaces. A catnip plant was hanging near the window.

Rei's bedroom was simple compared to his living room. A double bed sat against one wall, a small dresser providing a nightstand. Across from the bed was a wardrobe, a second catnip plant resting on the surface. A window was located above the bed, leaving it in shadow. Bryan carefully set Rei on the bed, stripping off the neko-jin's jacket and shoes. He tossed a tiger patterned fleece blanket over the sleeping tiger. Rei snuggled into the warmth of his bed, a deep rumbling purr filling the room. A small smile tugged at the Russian's mouth as he listened to the soothing sound.

He brushed a strand of ebony silk back, eyes softening for a second. He drew his hand back and stuck it in a pocket, unconsciously berating himself for the unusual show of emotion. As much as he hated it, he had to admit that over the years Rei had become even more stunning then when he was a teen. The Chinese blader had a sudden growth spurt, leaving him standing slightly over six feet. His eyes had darkened slightly and his hair was as long as ever. The tan skin was still flawless, covering the lean, lithe body. Muscle moved smoothly under skin, reminiscent of silk over stone.

Bryan closed the door to the bedroom, careful not to make a sound. He pulled his shoes and jacket off, leaving them at the end of the couch. Sprawling out on the couch the lavender haired blader pulled the fleece blanket off the back, draping it over himself. "Shit. I'm getting soft." Moonlight orbs closed, letting the darkness invade.

*****

Rei rolled over, burying his head in the pillow in a futile attempt to ease his headache. Normally he didn't drink as much as he had last night. And now he had reason never to repeat the experience. He slowly reached one hand out, searching for the bottle of aspirin he usually kept on the bedside table. An explosive sigh was released when the neko-jin realized that the bottle was in the living room, taking up residence on the coffee table.

Moving slowly he got out of the bed and made his way to the living room. The house was still dark, a blessing in his mind. Light tended to aggravate his headaches to the point of him not being able to move. He made it to the living room and sat on the couch, trying not to jar his head too much. He wiggled slightly; realizing there was something wrong with the futon. It was harder then he remembered and it was moving up and down. The futon shifted slightly and he was thrown forward, narrowly avoiding the edge of the coffee table. He rolled onto his back, one hand massaging his right temple. The sudden flight through the air hadn't helped his headache any. A pale hand moved in front of his eyes, making him even more nauseous then he already was. "Shit Bryan. Next time warn me."

The Russian didn't answer; knowing that anything he said would aggravate the neko-jin. "Do you want aspirin?" Rei nodded slightly, eyes still closed, hands searching for the edge of the futon. He pulled himself on it, head pillowed on the blanket. The fabric held a scent slightly reminiscent of a forest, fresh and wild. He spread the blanket out some and snuggled into to it, forming a kind of half nest on the couch, taking comfort from the warmth. Warm fingers danced down his neck, skillfully relieving the tension. Two small pills were pressed into his hand. "Do you want anything else?"

One golden eye opened, glazed with sleep. "Put me out of my misery?" Bryan smirked and stooped to pull his shoes on. "What do you think I was trying to do all those years ago?" The neko-jin swallowed the aspirin before curling up more on the couch. "Very funny Bryan. I'll see you next week." He drifted off to sleep with the sound of the door closing ringing in his ears.

*****

Bryan pushed the potatoes into the oven before pushing the chicken next to it. There was a knocking at the door, followed by the sound of Rei yelling. "Bryan, open the damn door! My hands are about to fall off!" He opened the door to find a pie plate shoved into his hands, nearly dropping it. His view in was obscured by condensation and he raised one eyebrow at the neko- jin in front of him. Rei pulled his jacket off and hung it in the closet before taking the pie tin back and making his way to the kitchen. "It's an ice cream pie. I thought you guys might like it." He stuck it in the freezer and shut the door, sniffing at the air. "Smells good." They made there way to the living room just as there came more knocking at the door.

Tala stumbled in as the door swung open, grinning. "Rei, Bryan." Kai just shook his head, smiling slightly at his lover's antics. Since the incident at the bar last week, the redhead was obsessed with finding out if anything was going on between the neko-jin and Bryan. Listening at the door was one of the few things he hadn't tried until now. And he still didn't have an answer.

Kai closed the door and hung his coat up before sitting on one of the couches. "How was your week Rei?" The Chinese blader sat down, idly playing with the end of his bound hair. "Fine. One of my employees walked out on me so now I have to find a replacement. Other then that it's been fine." The conversation through out the night was nothing special, just the normal goings on of the week. Dinner was gourmet potatoes and cheese mushroom chicken. Dessert went fine, all three Russians deciding that the ice cream pie was worth having again. Tala watched the interaction between Rei and Bryan, noticing that something had changed between the two of them. He wasn't sure of Rei noticed but he knew that Bryan had. It was only a matter of time before Bryan let it slip and then things would definitely change.

*****

Rei flicked his headlights off, eyes drawn to the concert stoop in front of his house. Something was laying on the step and he had a bad feeling about it. He got out of his car and warily made to the front of the house. A single white rose lay on the steps, porch light highlighting the petals in yellow. He picked it up, only to drop it when a thorn pierced his skin, drawing blood. "Shit." He gingerly picked the rose back up.

Moving into the kitchen he dropped the rose on the counter before flicking on the light over the sink. He turned the water on and let out a hiss of pain as the water ran over the puncture. The water swirled down the drain, crimson and clear mixing together. He dipped some hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball, dabbing it over the puncture. Turning off the kitchen light he moved into his bedroom, not turning the light on. There was enough light coming in from the window that he managed to change in the dark. He slipped into his bed; the sheets cool against his warm skin.

*****

When he entered the kitchen the next morning, the first thing that caught his eyes was the rose. The flower was dried out, leaves brittle, white petals curling into small cups. He dropped the rose into the garbage, unaware of the eyes watching him.

*****

The ringing of the phone broke the silence in the small house, causing one of the occupants to jump. Rei was up to his elbows in dishwater, cleaning the plates from dinner, unable to answer the phone. "Bryan, would you get that?" The Russian picked up the phone. "Hello?" There was a moment's pause before Tyson's voice came through the receiver. "Is Rei there?" The navy haired blader's voice sounded slightly suspicious.

Bryan handed the phone to Rei who was drying his hands, having just finished the dishes. "Hello?" Rei yelled out a startled "NO," nearly dropping the phone in the process. His tan skin was flushed, the pink color barely visible. One lavender eyebrow arched questioning the neko-jin's sudden outburst. "It's Tyson." Bryan didn't answer; knowing the neko-jin knew what he thought of the navy haired blader.

Tan fingers curled into lavender hair, tugging gently. The lavender strands had captivated Rei since the night of the Christmas party three weeks ago. They were softer then they looked, like silk. He pulled his fingers through slowly, reveling in the feel of the soft strands. Moonlight and gold locked neither looking away. Pale fingers brushed over his cheek, leaving behind a trail of fire. Gold eyes slid shut the sound of purring filling the small kitchen. Bryan moved closer, thumb brushing over the neko-jin's lower lip. The hand in his hair tightened, drawing his head down. Warm lips brushed over his, tongue flicking out teasingly. He wrapped one arm around the smaller blader, pulling the lithe body against his, so close that he could feel ever little detail. His free hand inched down Rei's side, reaching underneath his shirt to tease the bare skin. One hand brushed the top of the neko-jin's pants, drawing a moan from the Chinese blader.

They were drawn apart by the sound of car doors slamming. Bryan rested his forehead against Rei's, eyes meeting. The sound Tyson yelling and pounding on the door abruptly broke the silence. The Russian smirked, lips lightly brushing against Rei's. "Better answer the door before your friends breaks down the door." The neko-jin nodded, stealing one last kiss before reluctantly untangling his hands and stepping back.

He set the phone on the table on his way into the living room. When he opened the door Tyson nearly fell in, Max laughing at him. The navy haired blader sheepishly scratched the back on his head, much like he had when he was younger. "Hey Rei!" The neko-jin moved to one side, allowing his two teammates in. Max nearly collided with Tyson, standing on tiptoe to see what his lover was staring at.

Bryan was still in the kitchen, sitting at the table nonchalantly, smirking. "Its not nice to stare Tyson." The blader in question snapped out of his funk, dark eyes narrowed in anger. Both younger bladers turned to Rei who was just coming into the kitchen. "What the hell is he doing Rei?" Rei shrugged, getting mugs out of the cupboard. "My guess Tyson would be sitting." The Russian got to his feet, smirk widening.

"I'll see you later Rei." He left the kitchen, moving with the stride of a hunter. Rei filled the mugs, knowing he was in for a long night of questions.

*****

"Have you talked to Bryan lately?" Rei looked at the piece of paper on his desk, small doodles filling the margin. "No. What happened?" There was a slight sound of shuffling papers coming from Tala's end of the phone. Rei set his pencil down; eyes focused on the picture hanging on the wall of his office. It was a picture of the Bladebreakers from slightly after the World Tournament. If you looked hard enough you could just barely make out the bandages that covered his upper arms.

"Hello Tala to Rei. Are you there?" The neko-jin shook his head, dispersing his thoughts. "Sorry Tala. And to answer your question Tyson and Max came for a two-week stay. What are we going to do about dinner Wednesday?" There was the sound of conversation on the other end of the phone and Rei could just barely make out the sound of Kai's voice. Seconds later the redheaded Russian was back. "Kai figures we have two options. Either go to the restaurant and get kicked out because of Tyson's eating habits, or you bring them here and we lose our appetite watching him eat. You decide."

Rei picked his pencil back up, returning to his doodling. "Guess they get to know about the penthouse. See you Wednesday."

*****

Rei pulled into the reserved parking space, shutting off the engine. Tyson and Max looked around the garage of the apartment building, awed by the massive size of it. "Come on you two. We're going to be late." He led them over to a small elevator that was hidden in a darkened niche. The elevator was small and simply decorated.

He entered a four-digit code in the small number pad before turning to face his friend's. Both Max and Tyson were staring at him in shock. "What?" Tyson started talking, mouth going fifty miles a minute. The blonde clamped a hand over his lover's mouth, smiling at the neko-jin. "What he means to ask is just who are we going to visit that you get a private parking place and who has a private elevator." Rei didn't answer; instead opting for a smirk that resembled Bryan's almost perfectly. "Don't worry, you'll find out."

A small dinging sound was heard and the doors slid open to reveal a small foyer with ornately carved doors set in one wall. Rei flipped through his key ring, locating a small key. He unlocked the doors, pulling Tyson and Max in after him. He hung his jacket in the closet in the second larger hall before pushing open a second set of doors. The lights in the living room were dimmed. The curtains over the sliding doors were open, showing off the fantastic view over the city.

"Rei, you have realized that now I have to disinfect my entire house haven't you? " The cold voice rang out from the dark, causing the two younger bladers to jump in surprise before crying out in unison. "KAI!"