Author's notes: Well, ff.net is seriously stuffing up my layout so yeah- I'm sorry about that. This story isn't long either - I'm sorry!!- but we've got careers week this week seriously boring ::yawn::

To:

TigerRain: yeah I totally agree!! - umm.. the neko-jins are serious fighters since their clans are always at war with the Eastern Lands. They're raised pretty strictly, and Rei had to attend heaps of lessons and things, but it's more along how to defend yourself and how to hunt and stuff- not like how Kai's been raised.

And thanks to everyone who helped me with the bold and italics thing hopefully it'll work!! -

Warnings: This is a yaoi fic, which means boy boy, so if you don't like, then don't read. This is a KaiRei fic. Oh, and there's a teensy weensy bit of bad language. Just one word though.

Disclaimer: If I owned Beyblades would I be here writing this??

"..." - speech

'...'- thoughts

((...))- speech in the forbidden language

::...:: - emphasis/ accent

Chapter 5

Silence filled the room. Tala looked purely amused, while Kai and Drael looked shocked.

Kai wasn't sure when the slave -well, servant now- had possessed so much courage to stand up to a noble. Rei had always seemed so submissive, so obedient- he guessed there was another side to the raven haired boy that he didn't know of. But then he thought of the fight between his grandfather and Rei. Of course there had to be another side- how else could Rei put up such a great fight? He was a brilliant fighter, that much was certain.

"How dare you?" Drael's face had turned a violent shade of purple and green. He slapped Rei across the face, expecting the servant to cower and back off, but Rei stood his ground, and glared straight back at the supposed language master.

"You don't even know how to speak the Forbidden Language!!" Drael spluttered.

((Oh really?)) Rei replied, an impish grin on his face. ((I do come from the Forbidden Lands.))

"You-" Drael raised his hand, as if to strike Rei again, but a strong, pale hand grabbed his wrist, leaving bruises on his skin. Drael gave a cry of pain and tried to pull his arm from Kai's strong grip, but the blue haired boy wouldn't let go.

"Don't you dare hit my servant. Who do you think you are, pretending to be a language master?

"My lord! You mean that you believe this- this ::commoner::-" he spat out the word as if it was venom "- over me?

"Yes, I do." Kai replied calmly, his fierce crimson eyes never leaving Drael's face, though the older man refused to look directly at him. "Now leave, and don't ever come back again.

The man didn't have to be told twice- in an instant he had left the room, after shooting a final poison filled glare at Rei.

Tala looked from Kai to Rei, then back to Kai again, a slow, sly smile spreading across his handsome face.

"I'd better get running." he said. "I've got to start planning out the peace treaties. Kai, you'd best get learning the Forbidden Language. I'll see you later, kitten.

Rei nodded, his gaze firmly fixed on his feet. His heart was hammering in his chest- how was Kai going to punish him?

Silence filled the room, then Kai placed his hand on Rei's shoulder. "So are you going to teach me how to speak the Forbidden Language or not?

"I guess... if that's alright with you." Rei said uncertainly, feeling the warmth of Kai's hand spread through to the rest of his body.

Kai smiled at him, and pointed to his piece of parchment. "So what's first?

For the rest of the day Rei taught Kai the Forbidden Language, not noticing the small, frequent glances that the bluenette sent him.

"And that-" Rei bent across Kai's shoulder to point out something on the parchment, and immediately froze, noticing their closeness.

Kai's breath caught in his throat, and all he wished to do at that moment was push the raven haired boy against a wall and kss him until he begged for more. His daydreams were cut short, however, when Rei pulled back, and brushed a lock of black hair behind his slightly pointed ear.

Kai reached out and touched the point of his ear curiously. "What's wrong with your ears?

"What do you mean, what's wrong with them?" Rei shot back furiously. He forgot at that moment that Kai was a lord, and that he was just a servant.

"Nothing." Kai was surprised by the vehemence in Rei's voice. "I just mean, why are they pointed?

"I ::am:: from the Forbidden Lands." Rei replied. He hadn't meant to get so angry over Kai's innocent question, but he was proud of his neko jin heritage.

"Oh." Kai couldn't think of anything else to say. "You may go now.

Rei nodded, his cheeks a faint pink, embarrassment filling his every sense.

"I'm sorry for being rude, my lord." he said softly.

"That's fine. It was rude of me to ask. If you see Tala, can you ask him to find me, please?

Rei nodded and left. He asked one of the maids for the directions to the redhead's rooms, but he hadn't gone far when Tala surprised him by walking past him.

"My lord!

Tala looked up, having obviously been deep in thought. "Oh, hello kitten.

"Lord Kai wishes to see you. He's in his office.

"What's new?" Tala snorted, and walked off.

Kai was sitting at his desk, unconsciously ripping a spare piece of parchment into tiny scraps of paper.

"If you keep that up you could get a permanent job as a paper shredder." Tala commented dryly, and Kai sat up hurriedly.

"Tala! There you are!

"So how are your lessons going? Rei taught you anything interesting?

"Very funny. Why are you so fixed on Rei anyway?

"He ::is:: very beautiful, and extremely exotic." Tala licked his lips teasingly, and quickly ducked Kai's playful swat aimed at him. "What? Even you have to admit that he's gorgeous.

"You speak of him as if he's a toy, a mere ornament." Kai growled. "He's not. He's a human being.

"That's not what you said about your previous lovers.

Kai could find no retort to that, and kept quiet.

"So... you banged him good yet?

Kai gave a gasp of surprise, and stood up, anger radiating from his being. "How dare you say that? For God's sake Tala!

"Don't get so worked up. I'm joking." Tala grinned. "I find him just as respectable as you. I'm just having a bit of fun.

"Well don't.

"Someone's angry today. What, the kitten turn you down?

"No! I don't like him. I mean, not in that way!" Kai protested, ignoring the fact that he was probably blabbering.

"Well if you're not going to make a move on him, I will." Tala gave his customary smirk and walked out of the room, ignoring Kai's look of disbelief.

After a moment of shocked silence, Kai ran after him, desperate to find Rei before the redhead did.

He found the neko jin sitting in their room, reading one of the numerous books he owned.

"Rei! There you are!" Kai said, obviously relieved. He sat down beside the surprised boy, who put down his book and stared at him.

"My lord? Are you alright?" Rei asked, concerned. He inched towards the blue haired teen.

"Have you seen Tala around?" Jealousy shot through Rei, and he bit his tongue to keep down his anger, ignoring the metallic taste that filled his mouth immediately.

Why did it have to be Tala who had all of Kai's attention? Why couldn't it be him that fascinated the blue haired lord?

Immediately Rei felt bad- he did like Tala, for all the smirking and teasing the redhead was nice to him, even though he called him Ôkitten'.

"No." Rei tried to keep his voice calm. "I don't think-

Tala decided to poke his head into the room at that moment. His smirk widened when he saw Kai.

"Rei, kitten.

"Hmm?" Rei glanced up at him, momentarily distracted from his anger at the blue eyed boy. "What's the matter?

"Do you want to go for a walk around the city with me this afternoon?

Kai glared threateningly at him, and made signs that depicted a certain death for Tala behind Rei's back.

Tala ignored him, and held out one of his slender, pale hands to Rei, who -shocked beyond belief- hesitantly placed his own, tanned hand in his.

Kai gave a growl of anger, and he stood up, glaring so darkly at Tala that the redhead took a step back.

Rei quickly pulled away from Tala, and approached the livid crimson eyed boy. "What's the matter? Are you sure you're okay?

Kai shook his head, and left the room, not bothering to say anything to either Tala or Rei.

"Well. I think our little Kai-kins is a bit jealous." Tala muttered more to himself than to Rei.

The neko jin blinked at Tala's nickname for Kai, holding back a laugh. Kai-kins? He grinned.

"Shall we go then?" Tala took Rei's hand in his again and they left the castle.

"My lord was looking for you earlier." Rei said, feeling extremely uncomfortable, and he wished more than anything that he could take his hand away from Tala's.

Although he did like Tala -a lot- but he wasn't Kai. He couldn't explain his infatuation with Kai, but he knew that it was love, no matter how much he tried to deny it.

"Was he now?" Tala asked, amusement evident in his voice. "He likes you, you know. That's what I wanted to talk to you about.

Rei's attention was immediately fixed on him, and him only. "What do you mean?

"Oh come on- surely you've seen the way that he looks at you.

"Is this proper, my lord, to be discussing such matters?" nervousness was building inside Rei's chest, along with excitement. "Surely you must be joking.

"No, I'm not." for the first time since Rei had met him, Tala sounded dead serious. "Look Rei, ever since you've entered Kai's life, he's been relaxed, and sleeping full nights. I don't know what you're doing, but it's working.

"I swear, I'm not doing anything!" Rei protested. "Perhaps it's the weather, or-

"Don't make excuses, Rei. Please, just stay with him, ok? I love Kai dearly as a friend, and to see him happy means a lot to me. I know he cares for you, in his own little way. I'm not asking for you to love him if you don't, but just understand that he's a nice person at heart.

"I know." Rei whispered, so softly that Tala almost missed it.

He nodded. "Thank you. And that's all I ask of you.

Tala smiled comfortingly at Rei then disappeared among the throng of city dwellers.

Rei stood for a while, lost in his own confused and excited thoughts, before he returned to the castle and back to his and Kai's rooms.

Kai wasn't there, and he wondered where the bluenette was. Surely he couldn't have gone far?

He was probably working, Rei figured, and he silently entered Kai's office.

Indeed, Kai was in his office, though he was far from working. His head was resting on his hard, wooden desk, and Rei was disturbed to see his face set in a scowl, and tear stains on his painted face.

"Kai?" Rei ventured further into the room cautiously.

Kai's head shot up, and he stared at Rei in surprise. "I thought you were with Tala?

"I was." Rei fidgeted with the hem of his shirt.

"That was quick." Kai said shortly, his voice curt and cold. He turned away from Rei and shuffled a few of his documents. "I never thought of you as Tala's type.

"Tala's type?" Rei echoed, surprised. "But Lord Tala isn't interested in me!

"Oh really? So he just randomly chose to accompany you for a walk around the city?" Kai knew that he sounded like a jealous lover, but he was so consumed with envy that he didn't care any more. Rei was the only person he had ever honestly loved, and he had escaped his grasp.

"He just wanted to talk to me." Rei hesitated, then added softly "About you.

"About me?" Kai blinked, surprised. "What did he say?

"Just some things." Rei bit his lip anxiously, then asked -because he ::had:: to know, it had been bugging him ever since that day- "Why did you kiss me? This morning, in bed?

Kai went a deep red, and he stood up. "I-" he began, stopped, then grabbed Rei's hand and made him sit down while he knelt next to him. "Rei... I kissed you because- because I love you.

Rei gaped at him, unable to say anything. Kai loved him? How was that possible? There was no way that Kai could love him back- there was no reason for him to! They didn't even know each other properly- and there was no way that his father was going to let him marry another man.

"I-

"You don't have to say anything." Kai interrupted, taking Rei's silence as a rejection. "Just forget what happened, ok?" he stood up, and made as if to walk out of the room, but Rei, using his cat like speed and agility, beat him to the door, then pinned Kai against the wall, his mouth urgently seeking the bluenette's.

At first Kai was too shocked to respond, but he quicky regained his senses and returned the kiss just as fiercely and soon the tables had turned and it was Rei that found his back pressed against the wall. Kai's hands were roaming his body freely, bringing a heated blush to Rei's tanned cheeks.

There was a knock at the door and they both groaned, frustrated.

"Seems like I interrupted something. Kai, I need a word" It was Tala. Rei had the strong urge to throttle the redhead at that moment, and dump his body into the nearest pond.

"Fuck off!" Kai yelled at him, and resmed to planting teasing little kisses down Rei's neck.

There was a gasp from the other side of the door, and Rei's heart sunk. He would recognise that gasp from anywhere- it was Princess Mariah of the Black Panther clan (a/n: sorry- crap name, I know, but hey, it's late, ok? I'm not creative when it's late!).

"Umm.. Kai? I've got the Forbidden Lands ambassadors here with me..." Tala sounded nervous.

Kai swore, except softer this time, and pulled away from Rei.

"We'll finish this later." he promised, but Rei was too panicked to think coherently.

Oh Gods... Mariah was here- that meant that she was going to announce to the whole world who he was and ruin his relationship with Kai.

"I- I need to go." Rei whispered, and ran for the door, but Kai pulled him back, frowning lightly.

"You can't leave now. I need you to translate for me." he protested, and cupped Rei's cheek with one hand. "Why are you so nervous?

"I just am." Rei retorted. He glanced nervously at the door, and dropped his voice. "Please my lord-

"Don't call me that. Call me Kai.

"Please Kai-

The door opened and Tala, Mariah and Lee entered the room.

"There you are Kai! Honestly, you took your time letting us in!" Tala said cheerfully, and quickly spaced himself away from the two neko jins who had their fangs on display and claws out.

Mariah and Lee bowed respectfully to Kai, who bowed in return. They then turned their attention to the lithe figure standing next to him, and Lee was the first to recognise Rei.

"Your highness!

ooh what will happen next?? Sorry the layout has been crap recently, but stupid ff.net keeps stuffing things up.