Rei sighed and closed his amber eyes, hiding the glistening orbs from his team. He sat far away from them, his arms folded over his chest, eyes closed. He hadn't been happy for weeks now, he had no reason to. Everything was gone, nothing was left and he had no reason to go on. He missed his old team, the Bladebreakers. He missed Tyson's personal praise and rants. He missed Max's kind words and sugar highs. He missed Kenny's constant analysis of everything. Most of all he missed Kai. He missed everything about Kai, every inch of him and his cold personality. He missed those crimson eyes, and seeing that perfect body everyday. What the Bladebreakers used to have was something special, something beyond other friendships. So why did it go wrong?
He liked his current team, he really did. They were nice, his childhood friends. But he missed his newer friends, the ones he had bonded with so well in the world tournament. That day he spent on the ice in Russia, earning Kai's trust, was that all a waste? Did he get beaten up by Brian for no reason? He did that for his friends, and now they weren't even a team. It didn't mean anything. Nothing. He had permanent scars, disfiguring his chest and arms, and for what reason? He couldn't stand it. He stood and growled, stalking out the room. The rest of his team, who had been previously been amerced in conversation, stared at the closed door in shock.
"Well, that was sudden." Kevin muttered blinking.
Kai sat in his hotel room. He was in the same town as his old team, yet he had yet to encounter even one of them. The reason he hadn't so far, may be because he had hardly left the hotel room since they had arrived. He didn't want to risk confronting Rei or another ex-team member, he didn't think he could stand it. He missed them, even though he never acted like their friend, he missed them. He didn't have a friendship with his current team, they were just his team. And he didn't get on at all with Brian. He still, and probably never would, forgive him for hurting Rei. He sighed heavily.
"Something wrong?" Came a cold voice from behind him. He didn't have to turn around to know who it came from.
"Hello Tala." He said in a monotone voice and the red haired Russian sat down beside him. Tala was the only one of his team he liked, the only one he could trust. Tala was his friend, or as close as he could get with that boy.
"Well?" He asked, facing the other teen. Kai sighed, and turned so his back was facing the red head.
"And what makes you think you'd understand?" He grunted, folding his arms and closing his crimson eyes. Tala sighed and shook his head,
"I was just trying to be nice." He paused, as if trying to find the words. "Look, Kai, we have known each other most of our lives, we are friends. I'll understand, and I won't tell the others." Kai turned back around, meeting the ice blue eyes with his fiery ones.
"Fine. But you can't get mad or tell the rest, especially not Bryan." The red head nodded. "Ok, I-I just miss my old team, and Rei." Tala smiled at this comment.
"You miss them? Even after you abandoned them and pretended to hate them?" Kai nodded, his gaze turning to the floor. "And you particularly miss Rei? I knew it." He laughed, receiving a cold glare in return.
Tala shook his head,
"Look Kai, I understand, really. It's just, how do you feel about Rei? Tell me the truth."
"I love him." Kai replied after a long deep pause. Tala smiled and nodded.
"Then, as a friend, I would advise you to go and find him, because you can bet he feels the same." Kai smiled and gaze Tala a quick hug before rushing out of the hotel room, leaving the red head sitting alone, a smirk clear on his pale face.
Rei stood in front of the sink in the small bathroom he shared with his team. The door was locked tight behind him, barring intrusion from his friends, not that they would intrude. They were polite, not like his old team, where anyone would invade another's privacy whenever. Rei missed those days so much. He stood in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection in the smooth surface. Slowly, he ran his thin fingers along the glass, basking in its cold feeling against his skin. He ran his hand over the face of his reflection, and down the neck. He brushed away the tears in the mirror with his hand, gently stroking the image of his face. He slowly brought the hand back and touched his cheek, feeling the tears dampen his skin. Suddenly he let out a loud, strangled scream and closed his eyes tightly. He smashed his hand forward into the mirror, shattering the fragile glass.
A warm liquid tricked down his fist. Rei opened his eyes and examined the wound, intrigued by the red substance that leaked from his skin. Gradually, as if in a trance, he sank to his knees, picking up a shard of the broken mirror as he fell. The boy stared at his reflection in the glass, marvelling at how terrible he looked. There were voices outside, calling in to him, asking if he was ok, asking him to come out, begging him not to do what he was about to do. He ignored them, their cries falling unnoticed on his ears. He raised the shard up to his wrist, his face remaining un-emotional. He pressed it against the skin, a bubble of red appeared. He gasped and bit his lip. Finally he pressed down again and ran the sharp blade against his flesh. Dropping the now stained shard, he looked at the destruction he had created. The gash was deep and gurgled out crimson. He smirked. Crimson, the colour of Kai's eyes, his beautiful eyes. Rei's gaze began to waver. Only then did he realise just how deep the gash he had made really was. Black dots began to dance about his vision as he fell sideways. All he saw was black, and then there was a loud bang. Blood, blood filled his ears; it was the only sound audible. He was aware of a rabble about him, of people shouting and screaming. He could here voices, he recognised them, but did not know to whom they belonged. Except one husky, controlling voice, barking out orders to those around him. Rei smiled,
"Kai." He managed to squeak out, before everything went silent, and the voices stopped.
Kai ran out of the room and down the hall to the room Rei was sharing with his team. He expected to find the door closed and locked, but it was wide open. There were frantic voices coming from inside. He could hear Mariah screaming and Lee banging on a door, shouting something to Rei. Kai rushed in and found the White Tigers banging frantically on the bathroom door and calling for Rei to come out.
"What's going on?" Kai asked hurriedly.
"It's Rei; he-he's locked himself in. We heard him scream, and something smashed. Wha-what if he..." Kevin stuttered, trailing off at the end. The crimson eyed boy growled and pushed Lee out of the way, standing head on in front of the door. With a shout he kicked the door down, sending it crashing to the ground loudly. On the tiled floor, lay Rei. Blood covered the entire of his right arm, having been generated from several cuts on his hand, and one deep one in his wrist. Shards of glass lay scattered about him, some stained with the crimson liquid. Rei didn't move, he laid completely still, his skin pale as snow. Kai rushed over to him and lifted the frail boy into his strong arms, placing one hand over the bleeding wrist. The blood was still pumping out, the only sign that he still lived.
"Get me a towel!" He shouted to whoever was listening. Someone handed him one, though he didn't care who. He wrapped the towel round the boy's wrist, slowing the blood flow from the artery. He applied some pressure and hugged Rei to his chest. 'Shit, he's freezing.' Kai thought as he held the deathly cold boy to him.
"Kai, I've called an ambulance, they should be here soon." A red head said, crouching down the other side of Rei. Kai looked up through tearful eyes to see Tala, looking back at him, concern etched upon his face.
"Why? Why did he do it?" Was all Kai could manage to mutter between sobs. The slate-haired teen's tears fell upon the icy, pale skin, splashing lightly on Rei's limp form. Kai held Rei tightly, and didn't even let go when the doctors came, carrying him down to the ambulance and sitting with him inside. He didn't mind that he would have to fill out all the paperwork, or that he was covered with his friend's blood, all that mattered was Rei's health, and he silently prayed that the Chinese boy would be the same. Kai knew he couldn't live without him, he couldn't cope. All he could do now, was pray.
Hey, please review and don't flame. This is a two-shot that may lead into a multi-part but I have yet to decide, hope u like.