A/N: Hi!!! Wew, this was my longest update and I hope, it will be the last .;; Forgive me for my laziness, my writing blockade a.s.o. ;___;
Here my dedications:
@Raven's Lil Demon: You wanna write a BB fic cause of ME?! o.o Wow… I'm sorry for your blade ó.o
@Shaka Dragomir Nocturnus: Thanks for your review °^o^°
@Just-some-girl1: My loyal reader, here your next chapter!
@Lunastargirl: I'm really sorry for the bad delay!
@MadMaddie: Well, in this chap you will see Rei in another light ^-^
@the tigris: I love to put people on the rack! *smirks* But finally I managed to post this ^^; Thanks for your nice review!
@Renn: Maybe it will take a bit time until they find them together . I hope, you will read this further on ^^;
Kai, holding a sign: If you think, that this stupid author does own us, then you're on the wrong way.
.;;; Now let's start the fic!
Chapter Three
First Indications
~~Somewhere in the hospital~~
"Hey! You know very well, that you can't resign your examination!"
"But Max! How could you be so cruel to me! T0T "
"That's your own fault, when you get yourself an indigestion and make it worse with eating more ^^; " Gently the blond stroked over his friend's very spherical belly and grinned at him cheekily. The other one just pouted and turned his head away from him, while both of them walked through the long corridor and looked for the mother of Max, who worked as medical superintendent in this hospital.
"Woah, Max! I can't anymore!" cried the blue haired boy and bent forward slightly to suppress his pain.
"Don't Tyson! Not here! Give your birth to somewhere else!"
"Ha. Ha. Very funny."
" ^____^ "
"It's better for me to go as fast as possible before I break down ~___~ "
~~By Kai~~
It was really Kai's grandfather who stood at the door with a strict glare being on the point of teaching him a lesson. Due to the cuff at his left hand Kai had no chance to flee. He did that, when he was being beaten up again. He stayed calm and said nothing. Neither crying nor begging for pardon he would do and this made him grudge.
Waiting for the hit, it came immediately. Once, twice the wooden stick struck him. He ignored the burning pain at his shoulder and the little wound on his forehead, letting the blood flow over his eye. And this made the grandfather much madder.
"You think, that you can get away with this!" Kai waited for the next abuse and closed his eyes. But instead of it he heard him cry, split his eyes open again and looked up perplexed to see Rei, who had thrown the bed sheet over his grandfather's head and now stood before him with spread arms to protect him.
The old man pulled the cover away furiously boiled with rage and leered at the Chinese, who he looked back fiercely and was in his way.
"YOU DARE TO CROSS MY WAY?!" He swung his walking stick directly at Rei.
'DON'T!' Kai had rather cried out but his voice broke down, so that he had to observe how...
~*~ "Haaa, today was pretty good day! I slept my fill, got a delicious breakfast and..." An excited Max rushes into the room, smiles in an odd way and sticks a sweat drop at his head. "Uhm, CS~~~!" "Yes? *looks innocently*" "Would you be so kind and continue this fic? *gazes weird*" "*gets flitters* Uhm, okay...~.~ " ~*~
...how Rei seized the staff, raised his right leg and made the wood splinter. The stick was in pieces.
Kai's grandfather froze at this and gaped totally startled down to Rei, who still stood before Kai with stretched out arms to the side and didn't move one inch. His look said everything: 'Beat it.'
First the older man didn't stir a bit, didn't want to stand for that pert brat, but since his act would be noticed soon, he changed his plan, gnashed his teeth and turned his back to them.
"We will see each other again, Kai. And next time you will not get away that easy." With a raised head Mr. Hiwatari walked out of the room and didn't deign to look back at his grandchild anymore.
Rei watched the door as long as he was sure that this terrible person was really away, he addressed himself to Kai again.
Everything okay with you? put Rei the note book on Kai's lap, but no reaction of the slate haired was to be seen. His countenance was still covered from his bangs and the blood of his laceration tickled down his left face half. It didn't concern Kai very well, what happened around him and he didn't mind if he was beaten up again or not.
Was this the right way? Was it just fair, that his grandfather has thrashed him? Was it the right punishment for his disobedience?
Right this moment his strands were stroked away from his face, and made him flinch with fright. Before him there was Rei, sitting with a first-aid box on his bed and was busy with binding Kai's hair backwards with his red bandana in order to not have them in the way of his doctoring. On the occasion his own bangs hung in his face, which didn't really seem to disturb him. Now it was more important to get Kai's wounded dressed as fast as possible.
Kai watched fascinated, how Rei rummaged out a little brown bottle and a cotton pad, dripping an amber coloured liquid and spread it gingerly on Kai's forehead.
"Ks!" The gash burned like hell and caused him a light headache, but before long it vanished again and the feeling of relief swamped him wholly. Slowly Rei dabbed the tincture of iodine onto the bad looking injury and removed it with a water soaked pad; in the meanwhile dried up blood rill on his face. Gently Rei put his left hand on the other's cheek therewith he kept still and he could paste an adhesive plaster.
Pretty professional, it seemed for Kai. When the raven haired finished it, he quietly closed the first-aid box again and looked directly into Kai's dark red eyes. But now the Russian noticed that he'd dropped all his rage, all his desperation and apathy and did nothing but stare benumbed at Rei and let him tend himself. Through a hand move by Rei he was distracted and he saw him writing again in his note book.
Is there still something, which hurts? Kai tipped on his shoulder and pulled his shirt aside, just to show a great violet coloured effusion. Aghast Rei drew near and wanted to inspect the spot more precise, if Kai hadn't slap his hand away. Depression showed up on the neko-jin's face.
I will get somebody to check it. =ó.o= Rei wanted to stand up, when Kai seized his arm abruptly and pulled him down on his bed again.
"You won't do this." Rei could read from his lips and shook with his head a 'why'.
"It's nobody's business as well as yours." A 'but' formed on Rei's lips, which Kai killed with another glare. Now also, Rei noticed it that Kai still held him at his arm and felt, how the blood shot in his head. Hesitating slightly he pointed Kai to it, whereupon the other one let off immediately and also kinda flushed.
Both of them didn't dare to look into the other's eyes: one with lowered look, one turned to the window. With the left hand Rei scribbled a Gomen on Kai's blotter, since his right one felt like numb and couldn't be moved.
"Hn." They didn't know what to 'say' or to do, having already forgot the incident. Kai mumbled something unintelligible, which the Chinese self wasn't able to read from his lips. The question was written in his face.
Kai struggled with a "Thank you" and hid his returning redness behind his bangs, while Rei's eyes lightened up and increased in brightness. Kai sensed how he was stared at by his vis-à-vis and because of this he turned back annoyed. He twitched shaken when he saw the joy beaming face of the neko-jin and observed at the same time, how he grasped his hand and squeezed it. 'What happened to him to behave like this?!' *blushes*
"Hatata, you're looking very well as cute couple! ^o^ " Out of a blue sky our much too well-known male nurse came up at the door with fresh bed-linen and a new sheet in his arm. As if a snake had bitten him, Kai tore himself away from Rei and glared one of his most dreadful death glares at the 'sister', since he had owed this to him, that it came so far with his grandfather (as if he had more a chance with a broken leg _ ).
"Ah, don't look that mad, my darling. Now I will free you from your grief ^____^ "
Soon he drew a key out of his breast pocket, let it tinkle once and unlocked the cuff still with a gayish face (LOOOOL X3 ). At once after he did this, Kai wanted to fall on him, when a stabbing pain hadn't rushed through his shoulder.
'There you are' it flashed on Rei's mind. 'He pretends like the spot doesn't hurt anymore, this thick-head.' and he fetched anew the first-aid box, while he intimated our male nurse with one hand to vanish as fast as he could without Kai catching this.
"Oh good grief! I really forgot the clinical thermometer! I'll soon back, my creamy cookie! ^.~ "
"I'M NOT YOUR CREAMY C...KSS!" And again his shoulder made itself known and Kai silence together ^_^;
This was the sign for Rei to act and he shoved behind him his shirt aside to examine the quite swollen bruise and to master it with a cooling compress (first-aid box with cold-storage ^.~ ).
"YEOW!" Kai screamed and nearly jumped out of his bed, when Rei didn't catch him from behind.
"Let me go, you ass, or you will pay for this!" he hissed frantically; wound in Rei's grip and tried to loosen the twined fingers before his chest. But they held together like glue which made Kai more furious than before. "Are you deaf or what?!"
.
.
.
He came to a standstill and stopped his struggling.
How foolish he was, so stupid. He was glad, that Rei was standing behind him. What Kai had cried out, would have hit him hard for certain.
Still and calm he stayed on his bed. His head again was filled with chaos, floated with strange emotions, and made him feel hot and cold on his skin. He felt, how Rei released himself from him, how the warmth left him, and saw Rei writing again something in his note book.
Now am I allowed to get a doctor who will look at it? Kai just nodded silently and let Rei go. Now he sat alone again in his room.
~~Later~~
The bruise was dressed and the laceration got a second look, but it wasn't that bad as it looked alike due to Rei who did a great job in doctoring Kai. Now Rei joined the Russian. But Kai wasn't so talkative by now (so like always ^^;; ), that's why Rei considered asking.
Rei: What do you have on your mind?
Kai: Not your business.
Rei: I think yes. =^^=
Kai looked at Rei and found a warm smile on his face. Can he maybe trust him though?
Rei: When I held you fast, you certainly called loudly, I shall let you off, although I was in the back of you.
Again Kai was distressed, concerning Rei's knowledge of human nature, visible at his 'slipped' expression. The Chinese hit the nail on the head!
Kai: Slowly you become sinister.
This made being Rei overwhelmed with laughter, he jerked and trembled that much.
"Hmph." It didn't leave Kai's mind, that he nearly dragged someone into his business. Something serious could have happened to Rei, since he hadn't been fit to fight.
'What does this guy want from me anyhow? Why does he interfere in affairs, which don't concern him?! It's too dangerous...'
Again he took the pen and wrote something in his note book, reluctantly:
Scram! I want to be alone!
Rei: Why? I thought the encounter with the man had shocked you and you need someone to stand by now.
Kai: Ts, I can gladly dispense with it. Don't you savvy it with your sparrow brain, that I want my peace?
Rei looked at Kai in a weird way, the eyes so empty and his face without any expression. He stood up, walked to the door and closed it after him. The absolute silence took place again...
*~Rei's POV~*
'How could someone be so cranky?!' I walked down the corridor, angered cause of Kai's insulting words. 'What have I done to him, that he treats me so gruffly now?! I don't get him.' At this moment I stood still in the middle of the passage, and then suddenly I got aware of one thing:
I couldn't understand Kai. For the very first time my knowledge about the people failed. But a little while ago I knew how to do it! How could this happen, that a boy gives me a great deal of trouble, so that I'm not possible anymore to put myself into his mind? 'Is it due to this...?'
When I entered Kai's room with the bed-linen, I saw how this loathsome guy struck out at him. It was worse, that Kai didn't offer resistance, but accepting it that easy!
'Possibly I don't understand him, because my father has never beaten me.'
Now there it was again, this stabbing in the chest, the sign of guilt. 'Father...'
*~Normal POV~*
~~In Kai's room~~
The slate haired had leaned back into his pillow and listened to the silent noises, which came through the door and let him join to the bustle, which was held outside every day. And who belonged to this? Of course Sister Go, who burst in customarily and couldn't be stopped like always.
"Hello~~~! I've heard of the laceration at your head and the bruise at your shoulder! I don't want to ask, how this came about, but you should be more careful, if you want to come out of here soon ^___^ "
"Spare me your commentaries and finish your work." Kai said sulkily in a low voice and wanted to turn to the side, but his bruise still hurt too much for such actions.
"Na, na, its better that we should stay calm. As I can see, Shushu didn't make your bed. He's likely flirting again with some acquaintances at the check-in-desk. ^___^ "
"Spare me your gossip and do it at least!" It became critical for Kai's mood, and then it sank and sank. And if this went on like this, he couldn't guarantee to keep someone alive.
"Where's Rei?"
"Dunno. I don't give a damn, where he is." The nurse didn't add anything to this and did her work. To see her that quiet was kinda fishy to the Russian, but it was more comfortable than to hear her loud and hoarse alto-voice.
"Kai?" The addressed one turned to sister Go and discovered for the first time another expression than this happy and careless one, which always wanted to encourage someone. This was nothing but sorrow and compassion.
"You should know, Kai, Rei wasn't deaf and dumb since his birth."
~~In the hospital corridor~~
When Rei was often asked to get out of their way, his mind was roused again.
'I'll take him to task. More or less...'
Without further ado he went back on the same way, began to run like a lunatic and hastened ultimately down the passages. Then this restlessness didn't leave him, which accumulated in him more and more. He wanted to help him and maybe even himself...
~~In the room~~
The Russian looked up to her, for the first time with another expression than a severe face. A question was on the tip of his tongue, which he couldn't spell though. As if he was like paralyzed.
"I know what you want to ask. He...became like this. No accident or something similar did cause this. It was his..."
Abruptly the door was banged open and Rei stood exhausted and totally out of breath. As though the devil in person has driven him to run through the hospital corridors like wild, and to run down some nurses. His look changed from sister Go to Kai and back and he noticed, that he had disturbed them in their conversation. First he didn't get it, what had happened there, because he saw earnest and oppression in Go's face, which didn't fit to her at all. But like a shot he suspected, what she wanted to tell Kai. His frame of mind changed immediately and you cannot say that this looked like pleasure. With reddened cheeks and flashing eyes he hurried mad to sister Go and started to gesticulate wildly, what Kai of course couldn't understand.
Rei: |Did you tell him anything?!|
Go: *shakes* |No! I didn't!|
Rei: |But you wanted to!|
He got beside himself with rage, totally desperate that sister Go almost had said his most profound secret to somebody. It put him into an inner conflict, made him seize her wrists, looking deeply in her eyes and forming with his lips a "Go out". Sister Go sensed something like angst, since she had never seen Rei like that. But she resisted his look, when he then let her go and she disappeared out of the room closing the door behind her faintly.
Rei breathed heavily from his sprint through the corridors and before he was aware of it, tears ran down his cheeks. He turned fast away from Kai; he didn't want him to see him like this, and buried his hands into his tousled hair.
The Russian didn't distort one face muscle, still looking over to Rei spell bounded. He had witnessed the silent conversation and saw how Rei had become irritated vehemently and now was standing in front of him with his back to him. This was especially the most impressive spectacle he had ever seen. Not even his grandfather could be so mad even if he roared so much. This wrath's shining in those golden eyes, every single tensed muscle, those quivering lips. Those things had fascinated Kai.
Slowly and carefully Kai got out of his bed. What sister Go has told him...it was kinda unbelievable. Rei wasn't deaf and dumb indeed?! It gave him no rest, to know, that the Chinese was possible to talk to him, if he wanted it! Dragging his plaster leg Kai limped to Rei, who still stood there and didn't move one inch. When he touched him on his shoulder, it was like if the neko-jin has burnt himself at it flinching that bad. Then Kai saw them, the tears moistening the face of the normally happy boy and reddening the skin. But Rei covered it with both hands, too weak to run away even now, and wished that everything had to have an end finally. Why me? Why do I have to suffer like this?
'Because it was my fault...'
Suddenly the strength in his legs left him and he sank onto his knees. Bowing down to the front he was overcome by silent sobs, taking his breath and nearly smothering him. He hyperventilated.
When Kai got this into sight, panic obtruded himself. He didn't know what to do in such a situation. Should he call someone? Then they would ask awkward questions later. Now what to do?
Carefully he sank down, kneeled onto his right leg, since he had to have an eye on his left one, that he didn't move it very much, and sat down right behind Rei. First he still hesitated, but then he took him timidly into his arms and stopped his trembling. Then rocking him back and forth, Rei calmed down and lay calm in Kai's embrace. He also started to breathe more regular and relaxed in this comfortable warmth. But now Rei saw the stretched out plaster leg next to him and realized that it was Kai, who pulled him into his arms, and turned around startled. His lips formed a 'what'.
Kai couldn't stand his look and veered his head away, his cheeks covered with a light hue of red.
"That's the last time I help you, got it?" Now Rei got red too and couldn't help it. He threw himself at Kai and overturned him. "ARE YOU GOING NUTS?!" The Russian took Rei's head in both hand and turned it to himself. "You psycho, get off of me! *glares*"
And if it wasn't bad enough, the door was slammed open.
"REIII!!! Are you here anywhere?!" A cheerful blond boy peered in the room and called after the Chinese and found him immediately lying on the ground in the arms of another boy.
"Oh! There you are! As I can see, I'm an intruder! ^___^ But I just wanted to let you know, that Tyson and I are here in this area, cause he caught again another indigestion and sits at the moment in my mom's consulting room. Will we see you later? You can bring your friend with you! ^o^ "
You can imagine, how funny Kai and Rei had to appear, to be 'caught' by someone and then in addition in such a predicament! Rei nodded briefly and smiled a bit afflicted, while he got off of Kai.
"Cool! See you later then at our usual place! XD " And yet the boy disappeared again with a slight door click.
"Why did you tell him, that I would come along with you?! I'm NOT your friend!" Kai was upset again, and then he was seen in such an embarrassing situation. Rei just grinned and was happier than before. "And what are you grinning so dumb at?!" Well, no answer. What are you expecting from a deaf-mute? Aside from, that he isn't really one .
Rei stood up, fetched his note book, went back to him, who still sat on the floor, and wrote the lines:
I suppose you don't want to admit it, do you? Since I met you for the first time, I already knew, we would get along well with each other. And you can say what you want: We are friends now. Besides...
"What." Kai was very annoyed of that, what he has read. 'What did come to his mind?!'
Rei: I like you. =^^=
This made the slate haired speechless. Rei...liked him?! Although he was always so cold to him? The Chinese had to be hit at his head!
Rei: And you will come along, if you want to or not. Don't always run away from people. =^___^=
Kai: I don't run away!
Rei: There you go! Then you can go with me! =^o^=
Kai: *grumbles*
And with this Kai was completely tripped up by Rei and had to trot in his wheel chair after him to meet with Max and Tyson in the park, the so called friends of the neko-jin. In that time Kai had forgotten again, what he wanted to ask Rei...
When they arrived in the park, they didn't go like usual to the stone flags with the chess patterns, but walked further till they landed on a great meadow, where the Russian couldn't trust his eyes.
...
TBC
A/N: Okay, here the end of this chapter! I hope you liked this one and want to give me review ^^ Therewith I can impove.
Bye
crimsi