A/N: Sorry for the looooong update, my beloved readers! ;___; Got a writer's block for a while why I couldn't continue this fic. But as you can see, I'm now fit again! XD Maybe I suck at updating, but I'm the queen of long chapters 0
Ty: Too many nights she spent with this that she now turned nuts -_-;
CS: Don't say something which you can regret *lours*
Ty: Yeah, yeah, she didn't own one of us nor in the future.
CS: Damn! Take me seriously! O°°O
Rei: *patpat*
CS: o.o ... ^____^
My thanks goes to:
Bluumberry, nessi, Devlinn Reiko-sama and Just-some-girl1
Kenny: Now on with the fic!
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Chapter Ten
Unburden
One week was over and the Bladebreakers had to leave the haunted house including Shu.
"MASTER KAI~~~!!! T____T " Big tears dripped from the invisible eyes of the little blue ghost whom was clutching at Kai's black shirt and never wanted them to leave. Max came along kneeling at Shu and passed him a handkerchief therewith the sad spectre could blow into something except Kai's cloth. Kai stood there emotionless; he didn't say any comforting words and watched his 'friend' wiping his tears. Without hesitating he turned away from him and went to the bus, which was to collect them and bring them to the airport.
"Ts, once being Grumpy, always being Grumpy." Tyson snorted in a huffish tone and apologized to Shu for Kai's bad behaviour. "It's not that bad. In all of those years, that I didn't see him, he didn't change a bit ^^ " Shu folded his arms and nodded like a know-it-all while the rest of the team couldn't help but sweatdrop.
'What happened to him, for him to become like that...' Rei thought over this and looked a little sad. A hand was found on his shoulder, made him turn his head to see Max with a wide grin saying, that it's time to go. "Okay."
~~At the airport~~
A clicking loud-speaker: "Mr. Dickenson, please come to gate 6." The voice of the air-service sounded a little annoyed cause it was at least the 10th time that he called after the chief of the BBA corporation with the five young men being taken in tow, who still weren't in their plane. Then the steward heard the panting of an old man holding his hat to avoid it, that it flew away.
"Mr. Dickenson! How could you allow yourself to come so late?!" The angry man scolded the smaller one like he was a child. "Suman (1), but my boys were in a jam with their bus ^^; " "Anyway! Shoo! Get into your plane!" hurried the steward and pushed them all together into their transport which finally took off from the Chinese airport.
Another boring flight for the Bladebreakers on the way to an exciting country: America. And the most excitement was Max, because his mum worked there for another Beyblade team. He spread his joy everywhere, to the stewards, to the pilot and, how could I skip him, to Tyson, getting his share the most. "Mizuhara! Stop making fuss!" The captain was in high spirits again, as you can see. "But it's not my fault that I'm so happy to see my mum again!" the turtle murmured sulkily but silently, pursing his lips. Tyson laughed a little at Max' peevishness and gave him a kiss on his cheek to make him forget it. With what he succeeded, perceptible at the flush in his face.
~~Two hours later~~
The sky got darker, over clouded with grey masses, but the mood of the Bladebreakers didn't change. Except by Rei. When he saw this obscuration, he quickly hid his face in his hands, tried to stop the tears which were coming down slowly. He also tried not to think about it, since he knew that a certain person could hear him in his quietness.
"Rei?" It was Max' voice which gave him reason to calm down fast. "Did anything happen?" the blond asked innocently. And this was quite shocking for the neko-jin. His face became pale and there was this feeling again, which he absolutely didn't miss the whole time, when they spent at Shu's house...
'He doesn't know it.'
An invisible pain pierced through his chest and stole his breath for a minute. "What doesn't he know?" Now Kai asked the most unpleasant question, his arms rested on Rei's seat, the tiger nearly thought 'loud': 'Where's the next hole I can hide myself?!' He knew that he had to respond right this moment if there wasn't suddenly a flash and after that a thundering rain, getting to hear and pattered on the plane's roof and wings. And with the rain unending tears dropped on the floor, overflowing the Chinese's cheeks.
Max stood there in shock, Kai's eyes widened. In Rei's golden orbs was no gleam, totally blank. As was his whole face. He was not in the state of hearing, saying or seeing something, just crying. No sobs, no whining, no outcries, just crying.
Then, like a lifeless doll, he broke down in slow motion on the floor in the plane's corridor, accented with another rumbling flash. "REI!" Max leaned over the other angel and laid carefully his head on his lap. The turtle noticed the pallor in his face, still wet from the fallen tears.
"It was too much for him."
Suddenly Tyson came up, worry and earnest accompanied him and he kneeled before the two. "What are you saying, Tyson?" Max wondered about the way he acted, cause Tyson behaved very...quiet. Normally the blue haired couldn't hold himself back and had more easily been excited about such happening. But this time he was still, as still as death.
~~Later~~
The rain had stopped and the night showed his midnight blue with his many little stars, which were guarded by father moon. Here and there one of them left his place at the sky and searched a way down to earth. No impediment to the plane rushing through the ocean of freshness.
They put Rei on two seats, where the arms were turned up, and fetched a cover to put it on him. Max used his jacket as pillow while Kenny, who through the entire time was on the toilette (...), went to the stewardess to get some tea. Kai sat towards Rei and faced him, thinking about him how he looked like when the storm appeared. A scary image, which burnt into his head. That's why he did something he never expected he would ever do this: He asked Tyson to do him a favour:
"Talk to him. I guess you're the only one who can understand him right now." Tyson's jaw dropped to bottom when he perceived what his captain said a few secs ago.
"YOU want me...WHAT?! OoO!" Kai shook his head in disbelief, that the dragon could be so dense. "Listen, Kinomiya. I say this one last time: Speak to Rei, listen to him and give him advice if you're able if at all."
"Okay, okay, buddy, I already understood ya." "Then do what you have to do." And with this he left Tyson and went to the pilot to inquire about how long the flight will take.
Tyson put one arm at his side, the other one rose up to scratch his head. "Well, God, I presume that Rei and I are companions in misfortune. Am I right?" Max heard this monologue and walked towards him asking him a poser with a voice full of cares: "What do you have in common with Rei?" But the owner of Dragoon couldn't answer this. Instead of he looked intensely into the blue eyes of Max for a moment whom had the chance to see that for the very first time, what he thought, it had never existed by his...love: sadness. Tyson always seemed to be a happy boy, no problems which he couldn't cope with, no hurts which didn't burden him. At least no external.
Right after something laced itself in his chest and took his breath to see him so blue, so that he maybe had cried if the half angel didn't take him in a tight hug.
"T..Tyson?" Max stuttered confused into the chest of the blue haired, feeling the warm breath in his neck.
"Please don't ask any questions. I can't respond to them." Max heard Tyson's low voice shiver, felt insecure to not know what to do in such a moment. Hesitating he returned the embrace with another one which caused the dragon a jerk his whole body.
"It's okay with me. If you wanna tell me this one day, then do it." he soothed into his ear and gave him a little kiss on his cheek. "Just tell me why you can't."
A slight blush extended over the dragon's cheeks when he felt the kiss on himself staring at his love. Normally he couldn't be disconcerted by anything but this little...touch of blissfulness made him jump in his guts. Then he saw Max looking at him expectantly, for this he lowered his inner heat therewith he could finally answer his question. Now he was serious again and caressed the other's cheek.
"I can't tell you this, because I would also cry like Rei. I'm only better in digesting it than he." Max nodded understanding and loosened slowly his grip of Tyson.
"I guess you have to talk with him now ^o^ I leave you alone! ^___^ "
"Mata ne (3) ^^ " Max went to the seat further in the rear and bore Kenny company with his laptop, who was typing wildly on the keyboard and exploring the net for collecting some info about their next opponents in America.
In the meantime Tyson walked to Rei, who didn't sleep anymore and was sitting upright at his place with his knees at his chest, rubbing the rest of his little nap away from his eyes.
"Yo Rei!" Tyson greeted him friendly and took the other free seat next to the neko-jin. "How do ya feel now?"
"Um, I think a bit better than before. Sorry for making you worry about me =-.-= "
"Naa, don't apologize! I know what you have to go through."
"You...really? What...How.." Rei's eyes resembled of plates when he watched Tyson revealing his wings in the compact version (the five aren't the only passengers on board ^^; ) and pointing to one of them. The Chinese understood at once what he meant with this and buried his face in his arms, which rested on his knees.
"W...Wh."
"Please don't ask; I also told this Max. You know the best why -_- "
"Yes...Why it's so hard to forget? Every time I think I have forgotten it, the next rain shower proves me the opposite." Rei sighed with affliction in his voice and avoided direct eye contact with Tyson. "But...how could you bear this! Till today I can't handle with it. First I repressed it, forgot it for a while, considered this with other eyes. However I started to remember again this event and as you can see: It overwhelmed me..."
First Tyson couldn't say anything to this because it was not quite easy to have a response for a question which he himself couldn't answer well. You can see at his face that he racked his brains over this subject being lost in his thoughts for a few minutes when his face lighted up forthwith and he turned to Rei glancing at him without any unsteadiness:
"Listen to me, Rei. I'm not much more different than you or Kai."
'Kai? =oO=? '
"I also have my problems and depressions sometimes, but I hide them, didn't share them with someone else. But you and I know, that this is not the right way. You can't bottle them up for long, you must have an outlet, that give you peace in yourself." Then he turned his head away, being a little embarrassed about this subject.
Whew, that's unusual for the Chinese to hear such words from Tyson's mouth. Astonished he gaped at him, nearly forgot his actual problems when right this moment Kai appeared in front of them.
"Did you talk?" he asked in a not so harsh voice like always.
Both of them nodded in the same time, looking in a way flabbergasted. "Good." Yet he went away taking a seat in the background again and closed his eyes.
"Was that Mr. Sourpuss?"
"I think yes."
After one hour they arrived the airport of Los Angeles, the known city for earthquakes and so on.
"Wow! I want to see my mum! XD " Now they were in the city, Max freaked out totally. He was so ebullient with anticipation meeting his mum soon that he had to show this with romping and looking around, making everyone nervous excluding Kai. But this time the demon remained still, didn't exert himself to keep Max quiet.
"Kai, I think you should say something before..."
"MAX! Stop it! Woah! Look out!" Rei was interrupted by the loud cries of Tyson trying to keep Max to the group.
"You see, there's already a watcher. Now I can concentrate on someone other..." In addition he glared at Rei so penetrating, that the neko-jin had to span around to conceal his burning blush.
'What did he mean with this?! =@o@= ... Ah!' Slowly he turned his head back to have a look on Kai, if he had heard him, but it didn't seem like that. The slate haired stood at their packages with closed eyes and waited for the men who picked them up to bring them to their hotel.
A few weeks ago Rei felt next to him this coldness and rejection of him. At present he could say, that he just sensed the rejection, which wasn't the same anymore. Rejection not to them, more to someone else. The raven haired blader tore at his hair with confusion and shook his head. "Maybe it's too far-fetched."
"What is too far-fetched?" came a rough voice surprisingly into his ear, made him jump inwardly, and he thought, his captain stood right beside him. But the phoenix didn't move one inch what made Rei having goose pimples.
"Okay, guys! Time to go!" Mr. Dickenson shouted to them and knocked one time on his hat.
~~At the hotel~~
Apparently the Bladebreakers weren't the only Beyblade team, who were stationed there, when they arrived at the reception from the four star hotel and asked for their room keys.
"REIIII!!!" A shrill voice echoed through the hotel hall and a pink haired brawling figure came skipping along, winded its arms round the neko-jin's neck, cuddled at his chest like a clinging burr and muttered things in it like
"Missed ya sooo much" and "Why did it take so long?!". Rei smiled with a sweatdrop and patted Mariah's head with the indirect request to get off from him.
"Hi Rei!" Lee greeted to him with a smirk and came up with Kevin and Gary, both a little tired from their journey. With a wave he also said "Hello" to the rest of the team, whereby he didn't miss the glare of their captain to the couple, made him more pettish.
"Hi Lee! What are you doing here in America, buddy?" Tyson greeted back and squeezed the hand of the black mane boy.
"We're just here to watch your match against the All Starz. But I think that's no prob for you to manage this championship, ne?" The bluenette's chest swelled with pride and he pumped his fist into the air. "Of course we'll win this match! And after this we will fight against *you* at the world championship in Russia! 0 " Tyson was now totally excited which he expressed with cuddling Max. The blond struggled in panic because the dragon did this in front of the others and flushed madly.
"T..Ty...Tyson! Not here! *0* " he stuttered helplessly while his cheek was rubbed with the other's cheek. But the called one didn't listen to his friend and continued his proof of love.
~~Camera pans to Lee and Kai~~
Being side by side was usual for team captains, though both of them didn't properly have anything to talk with. Properly.
"And when will *you* get him?" came the innocent question of Lee, a question, which seemed to be very impressive. Kai loured at him with a bit of confusion in his garnet orbs and had no clue about what he talked.
"What are you driving at?" he hissed at him suspiciously. Surprised Lee watched him, waited till it clicked in his mind and smiled then a bit compassionately at the still glaring Kai.
"You have to find out on your own ^^ "
What an informative answer, Kai thought and grumbled quietly turning his back to Lee and let him give the key to their common hotel room. He was sick of solving riddles, watching those idiots in their love exchange and especially seeing Rei with this girlish monster at his side ogling with him, for what he had no reason why. Silently he took his luggage, got into a lift and disappeared from all view.
All of them gaped after the team leader, weren't sure what made him freak out. Also Rei felt in a way guilty to him, though he had no reason for this.
"Mariah, get off me. We have to check in and go to our rooms. The flight was a bit strenuous." The girl looked at him disappointed and obeyed stepping back with a pleading gaze.
"But we'll meet later, yes? ó.ò " The neko-jin nodded shortly and swung his sports bag over his right shoulder motioned the rest to follow him.
Again he shared a room with Kai, who had resisted strictly to Tyson's suggestion to spend altogether in one room. When Rei entered it bored, his breath was swept away in one second. He had never seen such effulgence and warmth than this. Both beds were more like for two married couples than for only two boys, covered with dark brown velvet which shimmered under the huge slightly shivering lustre. Also two big closets stood towards their beds which Rei couldn't use completely even if he had his whole clothing on this journey. Astounded he wandered in, put his bag slowly onto the ground next to one of those beds and couldn't leave one spot unseen. He blinked one or two times, didn't believe his luck to live in such a splendiferous hall and walked through it with admiration and still enthusiasm.
"You've never been in such luxurious hotels like this, haven't you?" Kai's low voice sounded behind the tiger before something clicked, turning out as the door lock. Rei gulped heavily and looked over to Kai who was staring at him strangely. Without releasing the eye contact the phoenix sauntered to him and spoke softly: "Now we're finally alone."
SPLURT
Out of the blue Rei had another nose-bleed which he hectically prevent with cupping his hands over his nose therewith he didn't ruin the bright carpet under him. Did he hear Kai speaking SOFT?! And what did he mean with 'finally alone'?! He was confused and got upset at one time. 'Why do I always get this?! == ' Nervousness crept through his body cause of his captain's odd behaviour listening to his own racing heart which barely felt like he had run a Marathon. At once Kai came up to him, drew a handkerchief out of his cargo pocket and pressed it under Rei's bleeding organ who feared a little by his touch.
'Since when does he care about other's health? About me?' It was more or less a stupid question as he found out for what he could have hit himself mentally. Of course Kai cared about them all the time, kept always his eye on them. That was his task as captain. And as demon.
At present both of them stood there and said nothing with Kai still pressing at Rei's nose. "I guess the bleeding stopped." was the slate haired's only statement and pointed Rei to the bathroom to wash the red liquid of. Quickly the neko-jin scurried in and held his nose under the jet of water, enjoyed the cooling of this wetness. After a few minutes he finished cleaning and took a dark green towel from one of those silvery racks to dry his face while he went back to the sleeping room. There he saw Kai sitting on one bed, arms crossed and eyes focused on him. He seemed so small on this huge bed.
"You finished?" Rei nodded uncertainly and joined Kai on the bed next to him, didn't think one second to refuse his menacing eyes for running away. What was naturally senseless, since Kai had locked them and kept his and Rei's key, which he had taken when he was in bath. He dropped himself on his back; the towel flew after and right on his face, covered it fully. Now the Chinese reckoned with everything, then he knew, that Kai wanted to talk to him about 'this' for a long time ago. And he knew likewise, that this time he had to respond to his questions. But he didn't know, if he was already prepared for this.
"You know, Kon, what I want you to tell me." the gruff voice woke him up out of his thoughts, making him listen attentively.
"Yes, Kai, I'm aware of it." was the silent answer, his voice was cracking. It was so hard for Rei to bring up some words into his mouth without letting out a sigh or a sob. Luckily the towel didn't reveal his face.
"Take that thing off your face."
Don't halloo till you're out of the wood. With one swift motion the towel was snatched away from Rei's face made him fear to have to look in those crimson demon eyes scrutinizing him. But nothing like this happened. Instead of he felt Kai fall beside him and placed his head on his arms, closing his eyes and waited for Rei to start speaking.
Yet the Chinese had to let out a sigh, pressed his palms on his eyes in order to not start to cry again. He'd cried enough for this day and he was sick of it. He didn't want this anymore, he couldn't move his heart any further, because he had to learn to solve his problems in another way except crying like a baby. And this was the hardest way for Rei.
"Why, Kai?" The spoken one cracked one eye open, but didn't dare to flinch a bit. "Why must I tell you *this*?"
The tiger's voice sounded husky and broken. It was like just a whisper in this huge room, but loud enough for the phoenix. And like always he didn't answer this. He only lay there knowing that Rei didn't need one, could fancy it. He heard him breathing heavily, sensing the burden which he had to overcome. This time he had to manage this. Then later it would be too late.
"Kai...I'm not...allowed to tell this to someone." the angel began to speak and broke of suddenly. "Why?"
Finally he joined this conversation ^^;
"Because...because God told me not to say one word about my task. If I would do this, the people around me would be in danger." Now Kai perceived a shiver in Rei's voice and opened also the other eye. Turning his head to the side, he saw him hiding his eyes behind his palms, his face contorted with grief and biting on his lower lip. He propped up on his left arm and watched the neko-jin's chest how it fell and rose.
"You carry your anguish with you, don't you?"
A simple sentence which shocked Rei pretty much. Until today nobody spoke to him relative to his task with Lee as exception, since the black haired boy never saw this as anguish, never thought him suffering. Letting this seep through was the beginning going to be weak. For this Kai had to hate him terribly which was another reason again to break down in crying. Sad he turned his back to the demon and hid himself from him. 'I will not cry. I will NOT start crying again!' he repeated those words in his mind many times, forgetting again, that Kai was able to 'hear' them.
"Why not?" he asked briefly, his face emotionless and eyes with indifference. Rei took his hands away from his eyes, both golden ones were as clear as not any longer ago.
"Nobody said that you are not allowed to lighten your burden." The angel slowly turned back to Kai, facing him with an angst expression. Those gleaming orbs asked again, if it's really okay, searching for ratification, but they didn't get any response from the other.
"If you feel like it, cry. I don't hinder you to do this."
"But...but.." The neko-jin shook his head vehemently and tore his rebellious hair with despair.
"I can't go on like this! I must be strong when I want to fulfill my task! == "
"But you are not strong." And these five words hit Rei hard, shattered his soul, finished him definitive.
Why did he say such cruel things? Why did he have to make things worse? The raven haired teen shut his eyes, didn't want to shed tears again. Every muscle was flexed and his whole body crooked when he felt his heart aching, wanted to stop beating any second. It hurts. It really hurts what Kai had told him. He asked himself, why the slate haired did still rub salt in his wound?
...
Then indication of realization were reflected in his countenance and he started to relax again in his cramped carriage, opened shortly his eyes a cleft wide. A releasing feeling swamped him, didn't let him fall in his own abyss anymore. Properly it was easy to recognize this.
'Therewith it could heal better...' This was the only explanation. Kai just told him the truth, and this was something, which hurts sometimes the most because it's the most difficult way to avow this.
He gave the hand between his own ones another squeeze and...wait...whose hand?!? His eyes split open and gaped at the pale hand of Kai he caught in his ones, which he took thoughtlessly and clung to this like a kid at his mother's lappet.
"MEW!" Rei tossed the hand away and stared aghast at Kai, who didn't seem to be concerned of what happened. As if it was a typical manner, that the Chinese boy took his hand and pressed it urgently like the day has no tomorrow.
"Go...Gomen ne! I...I didn't want to...harass you!" Rei stuttered embarrassed and blushed in a deep red, wanted to hide it.
"You didn't" was the only response to the timid ball, lying in front of the demon. When the raven haired turned his face up he still saw the same stern gaze from the son of hell, he knew, that he couldn't satisfy him if he didn't reveal his everlasting secret. ' 'You can't bottle them up for long, you must have an outlet, that give you peace in yourself.' ' From one moment to the next his voice changed from an anxious one into a self-confident steady organ which only was lacking at words and reassurance.
"I'm….afraid, Kai."
This was the decisive fact for the phoenix to look up and face the tiger, whom wasn't curled up anymore and was now in a sitting position at the bed end, hands folded before his forehead like if he wanted to say his last prayers. He had never heard him saying his fears nor his sorrows and he had never seen him in this frame of mind. It was kinda weird for Kai to digest this new information, but nevertheless his curiosity didn't leave him alone till he found out about the other's task.
"I'm afraid of my task." Rei went on with his revelation and stroke once his hair.
"Why?" it slipped through Kai's lips reluctantly, touching them with his finger tips and wondered since when he cared about other people's problems. But the angel didn't react on Kai's slip.
~~Flashback~~
In the room next to the hall the Lord came near to Rei and put one hand on his shoulder.
"Listen, Rei. Your task is not one of those usual ones you always had like protecting people before their premature death." The little tiger lop-sided his head, his face resembled as a question-mark.
"Look, you are predestined to *mumblemumble*"
"What? =?___?= Please speak up, my Lord!" Rei did not feel quite at his ease, that his chief acted so weird. The VERY old man before him sighed seriously and bowed down to him just to whisper into his ear:
"I've foreseen that you will...
~~End Flashback~~
"...that I will die before my 17th birthday."
"WHAT!" Now Kai was totally beside himself, and this had to signify something. Rei looked flabbergasted at the fuming demon and backed a bit away on the broad bed.
"Don't KID with me with crap like this!"
"B..But I tell the truth!" He got frightened staring at Kai as though he wanted to chase him like a predacious animal when the slate haired slowly crawled nearer and nearer to him.
"I won't allow this." hissed he in an oddly quiet tone.
Suddenly someone banged at the door:
"REIII!!! You are coming with us to the hotel onsen(4)?! ^o^ " The door was slammed open , although it was locked (!), and Mariah, radiant with joy, walked in with a bathrobe and some white towels on her arm, freezing at the sight of Kai, nearly (!) lying on her Rei (she's overstating... -,-; ). You can see her hair bristled up with anger while she stomped to both and screeched with a much high-pitched voice:
"Get. Off. Him. YOU PERVERT!!!"
*~Rei's POV~*
Ouch! That was ear-deafening! And *I* thought she couldn't be more pissed off than the day when Lee told her the joke that I was longing for her in my boxers in the temple garden =^^=; But there's something much funnier than to have a prank on Mariah: To see Kai's priceless face of astonishment. He gazed at her like a carp in low water which deeply affected me with laughter without making any sounds =.= He likely thought at this moment that...
*~Kai's POV~*
...nobody had ever called me a pervert! This pink pseudo girl dared to call me a lecher!? She will pay for this insult!
When she loured at me in a disgusting way I sent her my most evil death glare which was worthy for a demon like me. Looking scared at me she walked a few steps back and whispered in a sharp tone: "He's mine." Ts, what did she think? That I'm interested in another GUY?!
I squinted to Rei and discovered a slight tint on his cheeks, turning his head to *its* way. 'Why is he...'
"We will soon come after, Mariah." said he gently and shifted a bit away from me. I, still on four legs on my bed, pushed myself away from him and walked right into the bathroom without leaving the occasion to close its door with a loud bang.
Why do I have to deal with snipes like her?! Why do I have to deal generally with anybody?!? Can't I be myself and live alone...I'm sick of this life and these feelings...
"Kai?" Rei called my name and knocked timidly at the ebony.
"What!" I snapped, wasn't in the mood to have a small talk between door and hinge.
"Do you want to go with me to the hotel onsen?" Why should I.
"I don't mind." What...did I say?!
*~Normal POV~*
Grabbing one big dark green towel Kai unlocked grimly the door and saw a waiting Rei at the room door leaning against the frame with crossed arms and a warming smile.
"Where's this pink fluff of girl?" The demon asked ill-humoured and gave his best not to scowl at Rei fiercely like to the 'girl'.
"The 'pink fluff' said that she had a team meeting with Lee and the others and that's why she will join us later."
Kai couldn't help but smirk. Not to see this broad was quite a comfort.
Walking down the corridor, taking a lift they didn't say anything until they reached the entrance of the thermal spa.
"Oh, I didn't know that men and women are separated!" Rei stated a little amazed and passed his hand through his rebellious hair one time. "So much better." mumbled the Russian unaffected and went through the curtain with the men sign next to it.
"Oi! Matte yo! (4)" the Chinese shouted without taking care of the soft giggle behind the other curtain and went after Kai.
In the bath Rei's breath was taken again when the sight of the appointments came into his field of vision. Like in the temple there were those stone lanterns too, reinforcing this surrounding a warm aura with its golden light. A wall consisting of thick-piped green bamboo divided the onsen in two, one for men and one for women, and blocked undesirable glances at the same time. The steam of the hot spring enveloped him like a gentle whiff and gave him a bubbling feeling in his stomach making him come near jumping into the water with overjoy.
"You're really easy to impress" came a voice from nowhere and Rei whirled from right to left to see Kai already sitting in the hot spring and watching him with his crimson pools. "Take off your clothes if you're not intending to sink with them." Rei sniffed at this comment. "Why are you always so snappish? =ò.ó= *slips off his shirt* You always have a pointed remark for everything, haven't you? *strips off his pants, stands in boxers* Can you actually like yourself? =ò_ó= "
The slate haired just glared to him having no response for his question but another sarcastic remark: "You also have to get rid of your boxers. Only towels are allowed in the bath."
Kai knew exactly that Rei would react shyly to this fact having to stand naked in front of him and sharing a spring with him. In spite of the fact that it didn't fit his manners, Kai wanted to be a meany at Rei, chaffing him like Tyson always do to him. The neko-jin had to put *this* out of his mind, stop worrying about his current situation. Otherwise they will get into trouble, just because one of their best beyblader was depressed and not fit for the championship. Not that Kai was worried about Rei. Where shall this go, when he starts to be solicitous for other people? ;b Besides seeing Rei bare was kinda...arousing?! He slapped himself slightly for this crappy imagination and watched Rei doing the impossible:
"Okay! =^o^= If these are the regulations! =^___^= "
He stripped easily his boxers down (at this moment the steam was VERY dense! ;b ), wrapped up his green towel and climbed into the hot floods of bliss.
"Shhh, that's really heart-warming! =^.^= ... What? =oO=? " The younger teen noticed the astonished face of Kai and waved with one hand before him.
"Is something wrong?" Kai snapped out of his daze and only 'hmphed' to his question, looked to the other way. But Rei didn't want to end this conversation and asked nosily and in a way seriously: "Can I ask you a question on something?"
Kai's head jerked to Rei and pierced him as usual with his scowl. "Nande (5)?" he just snorted the word out, motionless in his crossed armed position.
"Well, you said once before, that I can cry to lighten my burden."
"Hn." Kai didn't miss Rei sighing mutely, but...
"Then I ask you: Why do *you* never cry?"
...after this he was extremely stirred up in his guts. Rei did it again. He made him speechless. Rather good. With open mouth and plate-like eyes he stared straight into the golden ones of the angel, who now got the upper hand of their little question game. Small pearls of sweat trickled his face along, not sure of the hot water or of uneasiness he felt, being for a minute incredibly weak. Now he was the asked one. For the first time someone asked him if he hadn't also some problems.
And Rei still waited for a reply...when in this moment a splash didn't interrupt them:
"Yo, Tyson, hurry up! The water is sooo hot! 0 And I mean this in both ways! XD " The funny thing was, Max' voice came from the other side of the onsen behind the bamboo wall, accompanied with the noisy one of the blue haired. "Yeah! But where are Kai and Rei? I thought, Mariah told them about this wicked bath! XD " A low snicker.
"Hey what...!" Kai quickly covered the Chinese's mouth to stop his babbling, found his vigour again, and showed him with a frown on his forehead not to carry on this, when he wanted not to be noticed by their team mates. Rei took the hand away and 'thought' excited to Kai:
'What the *beep* are they doing in the women's bath?!' The demon only shrugged and went on listening to them.
"Dunno, Ty. Maybe they will come later. Busy with something *eye wink*" "*re-eye wink* Or they're just on the other side in the onsen for women and sit there stock still, hushing up their awkward oversight! XD *laughs archly* "Nooo, Ty, I don't believe this! Especially Kai would never let himself making such a mistake!"
Kai: - biiig T-A-S!
(na, who still knows what this means? ^o^ okay, I used this only one time -.-;; )
Rei: =Ô.ó= 'What's the matter? Cause of what are you mad like this?'
Kai: *whispers* They've planned this.
Rei: 'WHAT?! But...how did you find this out?'
Kai: *still whispers* I can hear their thoughts -_-"" They exchanged the women sign instead of the men sign and let us go in here accidentally.
Rei: 'Not true!' =0=!
Kai: Hn..."_"!
As if a snake had bitten him, Kai seized Rei and let him crash against his chest. "Kai, what the...?!" But the older teen placed one finger on the other's lips to be quiet and glided through the turbid spring to the bamboo wall, pressing against it without leaving one space open. Then he felt the wall vibrating and whispered hoarsely to the Chinese: "Don't move."
The tiger's heart was in his mouth, pondering as loud that he could hear it in his own ears. He couldn't suppress his redness, heated more up in Kai's embrace, his head was swimming, being too long in the hot water.
"Yo, Max! Think I was wrong with them being here on the women's side! ^o^ " shouted Tyson confidently and climbed the wall down again.
'You sensed that he was looking over the partition?!' Kai nodded, was a little relaxed now and loosened his grip of Rei. But this was a big mistake, cause the neko-jin sank nearly to his knees and had drowned himself if Kai didn't catch him at his shoulders. "Uh, sorry, the steam knocked me out for a sec." mumbled Rei and rested his head on Kai's chest. Kai instead of stood still and didn't move one inch, was kinda paralyzed.
~~On the other side in whispers~~
Ty: Max, I saw them! In each other's arm! 0
Max: Really?! Finally they got it!
Ty: Yeah, with the consequence that Kai will kill me -.-;
Max: Do you think so? ó.
Ty: Of course! To play a prank to him is one of his mortal sins! ^^; Besides he is making an ass of himself pretending that they weren't on the women's side ^^;;;
Max: I will protect you! "o
Ty: oO Oh, you're so sweet! ^o^
Max: *blushes*
Then...
"KYAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"
Max: o.o Oh, that sounds like Mariah ^_____^;;;
~~Back to the women's spring~~
"YOU RAKE! TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF *MY* REI!!! 0 " she screamed irascibly and jumped into the hot water, yet wearing a towel and her hair tied up in a big knot. It seemed the water began to boil around her, underlining her incomprehensible rage.
The boy between Kai and Mariah awoke again, roused up by her cross voice, got over his dizziness, and turned now to the pink haired girl:
"Mariah! Just shut up! Kai only wanted to help me, nothing more and nothing less."
"And what are you doing on this side for women?!"
"We just missed the sign and went in here. No reason to make so much fuss!" And with this he waded out of the spring, taking care to not drop his towel, and disappeared behind the curtain, wanted only to take a nap after this fracases.
Kai and Mariah only looked perplexed after him. Rei ended this argue so simply that nobody could say something in return. Now Kai also moved out of the bath but didn't forget one thing:
"Kinomiya! You will pay for this! You can prepare yourself for being tortured with special training!"
Max and Tyson watched each other.
Ty: You see, like I said _
Max: Yeah. ^-^;;;
…
TBC
(1) Sorry
(2) CU soon
(3) hot spring
(4) Wait!
(5) What
CS: I'm really asking myself why I let Kai act this whole fuss in the onsen... Of course because it's funny! XD
Kai: *death glare* You will pay for this!
CS: Kai, we're out of the fic now ^^;
Kai: Hmph.
CS: Please write me a review, if you liked this chapter! °^0^°