Hello, hello! :crickets: Hm, it sure is quite without Tym around...he's having a blast in Egypt though, so I guess I can't be too down about it. About the chapter :happy: I've wanted write this one for a while. It was one of the first fragments/scenes I thought of when this plot popped into my head. If everything works out, I should be able to fit all of it in one go. However, as many of you may know, that doesn't always happen. Um, dreams and flashbacks are in italics, and the little 'o' at the bottom are just tiny breakers. Alright, relax and enjoy!

Eep! I know I'm late! It's already October! :grumble: Sorry, but...11th grade is terrible for a procrastinating, rather-be-writing, sleep-loving person like me. :sigh: I'll see what I can do from now on.

Oh my goodness...there are no more symbols...at all! :smacks forehead: Stupid quickedit thing. Well, it looks like everyone will be in quotation marks. Very sorry...hm...very confused.

Loving Legends
Chapter 12 – Dreams
Disclaimer: See prologue

"I wonder when this storm is going to let up..." Tyson mumbled to himself as he stared out the window.

"It'll probably last all night." Kenny replied. "These storms don't come along too often, but when they do, they really make their mark. I mean the last one..."

Dizzi giggled and sat down next to Tyson, unintentionally drowning out the brunet's sentence. "Guess that means you'll be stay here, tonight." She mused, as Tyson let his head fall onto his propped up arms.

"Guess so." He glanced at her. "Hey, what about Emily? How are we going to explain you being here, Dizzy?"

She shook her head. "We won't have to. Emily is staying at Mariah's tonight. And even if she were here, the only thing we'd have to explain is why you are here, Tyson."

"What? Why?"

"Because, Tyson..." Kenny stopped his typing and looked up from his spot on the other side of the table. "I already told Emily that Dizzi will be staying with us for a while. You're right, she was curious about why Dizzi was here, so we made up a little story."

"Hm, figures you would always be one step ahead."

Stifling a laugh, Kenny nodded and went back to his laptop. "That's why I'm the Chief."

ooo

"..." Driger was still lying on the carpeted floor, his eyes watching Kai's every move as he walked to and from his closet. Stop pacing. He grumbled as he rested his head on his paws.

Kai paused after he had picked up a spare blanket. His narrowed crimson eyes were set on Driger's suspicious ones. "What is it this time?" He asked in a ticked off tone.

"Your constant pacing is making me dizzy." Driger said casually.

Kai sighed for the umpteenth time that night. Ever since the tiger had planted himself in his room, he had been nothing but a thorn in his side. Even with Dranzer's occasional cheerful chirps, it seemed Driger was content with irritating the hunter. So Kai was now doing his best to ignore the creature altogether. He wouldn't have to do it for much longer, thankfully. Soon he'd be sleeping, and then he could finally get some peace.

'Don't let his growls get to you...' Kai brought the blanket over to the bed and gently laid it over the comforter. It was undoubtedly going to be a cold night, what with the storm and its allies, so it was better to be safe. 'Just a few more minutes and I'll be in a much needed slumber.'

"And what, may I ask, are you staring at, hunter?" Driger interrupted.

Blinking, Kai gave his head a light shake and glanced at the tiger. 'What's he trying to say now?' Reaching for Rei's hand, the bluenette grasped it lightly in his own. "Look, I don't know what you've been growling about all night, but could you give it a rest already?"

Driger tilted his head up a bit. "So now you've finally decided to listen to me."

"I've been busy locking all of the doors and windows and getting ready for bed; I didn't have time to hear what you had to say."

"Mm..."

"Eh?" Kai noticed Rei stirring, probably from the noise.

"Mn..." Burying his head deeper into the pillow, the half-breed tugged his hand out of the older boy's and pulled the covers over his shoulders.

'Guess that means that you're really cold.' Kai moved the extra blanket higher so that it could warm Rei's upper body. 'How does he stay warm in the Umber Woods? His clothes are so thin; they can't possibly keep his body temperature up.'

"Hey! Are you listening to me?!"

Dranzer nearly jumped from the sudden outburst and ruffled her feathers. "Driger, please keep your voice down! I was almost asleep." She lightly admonished.

"If your human would pay attention to me, I wouldn't have to raise my voice."

"I don't feel like arguing. She closed her eyes and settled down. Please, just stop talking until the morning light."

"Mm..." Driger too, closed his eyes and grumbled as he tried to follow her suit.

Kai, on the other hand, couldn't be happier. It was about time there was some silence in the house, he only wished Dranzer had done that earlier.

ooo

Wolborg silently stared out into the woods. He was still very much awake, and seemed to be enjoying the sight of the trees bending to the storm's will. For some reason, he wasn't tired. The cold didn't bother him, so the wolf felt no need to adjust. Besides, Max was contently curled against his body, threatening to drain the warmth out of him if it were possible.

Wolborg turned his head slightly to check on the boy. Even with his wings wrapped around him, and the wolf's tail covering him, the blond was shivering. 'I suppose I have to do something about the cold.' He faced the opening again. Opening his mouth and concentrating on his target, he let his chilling ice breath loose and began sealing the entrance. 'I wonder how he managed before. This isn't the first storm Max has endured.' Giving himself a little push, Wolborg finished the makeshift door, leaving a small pocket open at the top for air. It wasn't much, but it would do for the night.

Wolborg barked a cough, and rubbed his nose against his shoulder. 'I hope that'll help you, little one. I don't think there's much else I can do. I'm not Rei; I can't do whatever it is that he does.'

'Hm, Rei. Rei, Max and Robert...'

...I can't believe you never knew.

"Never knew about what?" He demanded in a hushed tone.

The experiments. That enormous explosion that I thought, until today, all Umber Wood creatures noticed and felt.

"Of course I remember that. It happened during the first week of peace after the war between the creatures here. Some humans were being careless in a building and it blew up. What about it?"

Don't you know what the humans were doing in that building?

Wolborg huffed. "Like I care about what humans do..."

Well you should. It was because of those experiments that Rei, Max and Robert came here. Driger said in a low voice, making sure that Max couldn't hear them.

"What are you getting at?" The ice wolf asked curiously.

Another time, Wolborg. Driger growled through his teeth.

'I wonder what you were getting at, Driger.' He thought, clearly in a pensive mood. 'Experiments? Explosion? What happened? What happened to those three?'

The storm raged, the rain pounded against the icy barrier, and the darkness continued to flood the cave. Finally closing his eyes, Wolborg rested his head on his paws and gave into the approaching slumber. He'd have to think about those questions later.

ooo

Thunder continued to crash, and the occasional bolts of lightening casted light every now and then to brighten the town's dark shadows. Luckily, Kai's thick curtains blocked the flashes; the loud cracking sound was another issue though...

CRASH

"Nn." Rei groaned as he shifted in bed. Something inside of his person was willing him to wake up, and using the thunder as a convenient excuse, too.

CL.RACK

Though he was always the one to comfort Max during big storms like this, Rei wasn't too fond of thunder either. There was just something about the sudden sound that made him shiver with anxiety, but he couldn't figure out why.

CRR.CRASH

One thing he did know, or at least, his inner self knew; it was time to wake up.

BOOM CLL.CRACK

"Ehn!" Rei's eyes snapped open as his heart steadily pounded against his chest. It was just a dream, just a bunch of...strangely vivid pictures flashing quickly through his mind. It was the first time he had ever had this particular dream, and he was positive that he never wanted to have it ever again. There was a strange, factory-like building, a bunch of different color tubes, and this tall, mysterious figure.

"No." Shaking his head into the pillow, he breathed deeply, closed his eyes again, and scooted closer to the warmth next to him.

'Wait a minute...' Reality set in, and Rei finally took in his alien surroundings. The last thing he remembered was falling into a trap in the woods, but now...where was he? Whatever he was lying on was incredibly comfortable. It was a soft, yet sturdy bedding of some kind. And the blankets were so plush and squishy that he just wanted to snuggle there forever. ... But then, there was that warmth emanating from...whom exactly?

'I have an idea, but I sorely hope that I'm wrong.' Slowly opening his eyes, Rei looked up to see...a big lump of blanket. 'Uh.' Propping himself up on his left elbow, the raven-haired boy peered over the lump, pulled some of the covers back, and bit his lip. He was right; it was Kai. 'Oh my goodness...' He thought.

Rei sprang up into sitting position. He desperately tried to overlook the fact that he was in a bed with...him...and turned his attention to where he was. It was pretty dark, but he could still see clearly. He was in a fairly large room (which he assumed was Kai's) filled with miscellaneous furniture and items. A small smile crossed his face when he spotted Dranzer asleep on her perch.

'Ah, Dranzer. Guess that means I'm right. This must be Kai's house. But, what am I doing here? And how did I get here?'

"MMmmm..."

'Eh?'

"mmMMmmm..."

Rei blinked. "Driger?" He whispered. Pushing the soft covers aside, Rei slipped out of bed and walked over to the other side. Sure enough, there was the tiger, sleeping soundly on the floor. Kneeling down, the boy gently poked his arm a couple times until a bleary eye opened.

"What...?"

Rei smiled, happy to see his friend was here too. Though, that just triggered another question. "Driger, it's me. What are we doing here?"

Hearing the boy's voice, the tiger practically shot up. "Rei!" The half-breed immediately shushed him, and pointed in Kai's direction. Driger merely huffed. "Like I care if I wake him, all that matters is that you're all right." He grumbled.

He smiled. "It's good to see you, too. But please, stay quiet." If only to please the boy, Driger nodded, and then rolled his eyes. "Thanks. Now, mind explaining why we're in Kai's house?" For the first time since he had awakened, Rei noticed that he wasn't even in his own clothes. "And...I don't even know if I want to know where my clothes went..." He muttered.

"In a nutshell, Kai...rescued you from that trap you foolishly got yourself in. Then he brought you back here and, well, I'm not too sure what happened after that. After Trygle told me, I ran over here and you were already asleep." He pointedly avoided the part about Rei not coming back to their side of the mountain directly for now. He'd have to remember to have a little chat with him later.

"I see..." Rei sighed and ran a hand through his unbound hair. "Guess I have a lot of explaining to do, huh?"

"Well I'm glad that you're admitting that you need to explain something." Driger slowly got up and began walking to the door.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Where do you think? Now that you're awake, we're leaving."

"Leaving?" He quickly eyed the slumbering hunter and shifted his eyes to the clock before Driger noticed. "But, it's only four o'clock. The sun hasn't even risen yet. Not to mention the storm is still raging. It'd be useless to go now."

"What are you getting at, Rei?"

He blinked. "Uh...I was just thinking...maybe we should, you know..."

"Stay here?" Driger volunteered.

"...Yes?" He answered a bit hesitantly.

"Rei-"

"Come on, Drig! I'm still tired," He rubbed the back of his neck. "And a bit sore from the fall, actually. It's just for a few more hours. It won't make a difference if we stay a little longer." He reasoned.

The tiger grudgingly shook his head. "Rei..."

"It's not like I really want to stay. But the small of my back hurts a bit too, and this bed is so unbelievably comfortable..." He asked.

"Oh, don't start with those puppy dog eyes and sweet voice..." Rei tilted his head innocently and smiled brightly. "Ahh..." Driger groaned.

"Please?"

"..." Driger walked back over to him and stared at his pleading, golden eyes. "Mm..."

"Just this once? I mean it's not like I'll ever come here again." He patted the bed. "And this really is the most comfy bedding that I have ever slept on."

"Hmph, what a convincing argument." A growl passed his lips and he plopped himself down onto the carpeted floor once again. "Please sleep as quickly as you can so that we can leave soon, all right?"

Rei beamed with happiness and hugged the tiger thankfully. "You do know that I love you, right?"

"Yea, yea..." He grumbled as he closed his eyes. Hurry and go to sleep before I change my mind.

"Yes'um!" (1) Driger tilted his head questionably at him. "I mean...yes sir!" The boy hurriedly climbed back into the warm bed and tucked himself under the covers. This really was the most wonderful sensation he had felt in a long while. It was nothing like what he had back home at the woods.

'If only I could stay here every night. It's so relaxing; I can barely feel the knot in my back anymore.' Golden orbs peered ahead, fixating on the lump of blanket that covered the boy who saved him. 'As much as I hate to admit it, he did save me. I guess I could have gotten out on my own after I woke up, but with the storm...I don't know what would have happened.' He furrowed his brows. If he was left in the trap and the storm had come, it would have filled with water. And with the nets holding him down, he would have...

Rei squeezed his eyes shut. 'Man, why wasn't I more careful?'

"Hn."

'...?' Rei tensed a bit and pretended to be asleep. 'Did I wake him up?' After a few seconds, the raven-haired boy peeked at the other and saw that he had only turned onto his back. 'Phew...' Relaxing, he opened his eyes and gazed at the hunter. He looked a lot different when he slept. 'That's definitely a new side to him.'

Kai still had his blue paint on, too. Rei smiled. It was awfully smudged and barely resembled triangles anymore. Now, maybe it was because he was drowsy, or maybe it was because he was happy about being in such a comfortable bed, but despite himself, the boy reached out and tentatively rubbed off the last bit of the smaller marking from Kai's right cheek. Then it didn't look even. So, Rei proceeded to clean up the rest as well. His fingers were marked with a chalky kind of blue now, but the older boy did look better, a lot better.

'Actually, when he isn't arguing or acting arrogant, he's...kind of...' Rei couldn't place the last word. It was on the tip of his tongue. And then, a few seconds later, he smiled. "Cute." He whispered. 'Yea, when he's sleeping, he looks cute.' Happy about his word choice, Rei's ears perked up while he fought down his blush and tried to go to sleep.

'Stop smiling already! It's late, I have to sleep!' He took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. 'Enjoy the fluffy-as-a-cloud bed, and sleep.' For some reason, his body wouldn't listen. He felt his heart beating quickly; almost like it knew something was coming. 'What's wrong with me? Why can't I--'

And then, it came. A warm, strong arm made its way around Rei's middle, gently wrapping around his waist.

'Eh...' His tail stopped moving as he felt Kai settle on his side, keeping Rei in a somewhat protective hold. The half-breed could feel the older boy's warm breath against the tip of his sensitive ear, and he lightly bit his bottom lip to keep himself quiet. 'What does he think he's doing?! No...stay quiet!' He willed himself to keep his sounds to himself. 'He's sleeping and has absolutely no control over what he's doing! This is not his fault.' Blinking, the youth bit down harder. He hadn't realized just how close they were now. His nose just barely grazed Kai's shirt.

'But it is your fault for not moving away! Why am I not rolling out?! Go Rei, go!' The mantra scrolled through his head, but there was no response. It seemed not even his own body would listen. Perhaps it was in shock. Thankfully, Kai stopped moving after a few seconds, and Rei happily assumed that he was fully asleep again. That's when he let go of the breath he didn't know he had been holding.

'Thank goodness...' The thought flowed through his mind slowly like a silent prayer.

Once his heart had stopped pounding so hard, Rei began to relax and realized that this wasn't so bad. The breathing near his ears was truly nice, and being held like this reminded him of when he was little and Max hugged him in his sleep.

'Only...it isn't Max. It's Kai.' He wasn't sure why, but Rei rather much liked that thought and closed his eyes. It was a comforting feeling knowing that someone other than Robert and Max cared (even if Kai was asleep and had no control of what he was doing). So, as not to be rude, the half-breed settled into the comfort of a friend, and went to sleep.

ooo

Kai stood near the entrance to the Umber Woods by himself. The morning fog was slowly beginning to fade as he looked around. He didn't know why he was there, or even how he had gotten there. All the hunter really knew was that he was supposed to be there. So he continued to scan the area, though he never once moved from his spot.

'Am I waiting for someone? Is someone meeting me here?'

Then some answers came. Actually, footsteps came. They were barely audible, but sure enough, Kai could make out the soft sound of tapping heading towards him. The only problem was that he couldn't move to meet this person halfway. It wasn't that he didn't want to, it was just...his body wouldn't obey. So he uncharacteristically waited, getting a bit impatient when they got closer and he still couldn't see this person.

"Hey, who is that? Who are you?" He called out.

There was no reply, but the figure was getting closer.

'Damn the fog, I can't see who it is.' He squinted, but it seemed that, even though the person was getting closer, his image was still masked by the mist.

Now they were within a few feet of each other, and Kai could finally make out some parts of this person. Messy onyx-colored hair, slim figure (despite the clothes), hm...long hair... yellow – no, golden eyes...

"Rei?" He questioned.

The figure didn't reply.

'Wait a minute, that can't be Rei, where are his ears? This person doesn't have cat ears. But his tail is...no, that's the binding of his hair...what's going on?'

Admittedly, Kai was confused, and he only had to suffer its bitter taste for a few seconds to pronounce that he didn't like it. There was something very familiar, yet strange about this person, and he wanted to find out what it was. So, he reached out to touch him. There, they were close enough, just a little closer...and he's reaching out too? So close...so very close...his slender fingers...they almost met...almost...

"Rei..." The bluenette whispered as he gradually blinked his eyes open, his arm reaching out to the other side of the bed. He furrowed his brows. "Rei?" It only took him half a second to realize that he had been dreaming and his body had decidedly chosen to act out his motions. Groaning lightly, Kai brought his hand back and rubbed his eyes gently. "Damn it."

Clearly not happy with his puzzling slumber, Kai closed his eyes and returned his hand to where it was before. Digging into his pillow, he unintentionally pulled whatever his arm had surrounded closer to him and took a deep breath to try to get back to sleep.

"Nn..."

And then...

"Mmn."

He felt something push against his chest and exhale leisurely.

'...What...?' His eyes snapped open as he tilted his head down towards whatever was sleeping against him. 'Please don't be...aah...' Just as he had dreaded, it was Rei. The half-breed was happily snug between the sheets and the bed, as well as the sheets and Kai. His unbound hair surrounded his form and partially licked the blue sheets under them. He had a small smile across his face as he readjusted his position, bringing his head higher so that the crook of Kai's neck became his new pillow.

'...We were not this close last night. I did not bring him this close...' Unfortunately, as he tried to reason things out, his breathing tickled Rei's ears, causing them to flicker and the boy to move ever closer. 'Aah...that was not a good idea...'

Closing his eyes, Kai tried to calm himself. He took a deep breath (careful not to repeat what just happened), which actually didn't do anything along the lines of relaxing his body. All it did was allow him to get a better whiff of Rei's hair. It smelled like drops of honey...and the fresh scent of fallen rain (which was probably from going through the storm last night).

Kai decided that he should try to ignore that sense, as it wasn't helping him relax. So he switched to another, which happened to be touch. His hand rested comfortably on the small of Rei's back. Even through the borrowed shirt, the hunter could swear he felt the raven-haired boy's soft skin. He was quite warm, and at that point Kai wished he had dressed him in a shorter shirt. At least then he could feel...

'No! Forget about that sense, too! Just sto--'

"Puuurrrr..."

'Oh god...' In the midst of trying to forget touch, he had rubbed the boy's back, eliciting a new sensation for his senses to devour.

"Mmmm..." It seems the looks of a cat came with the abilities of one, too. The boy could purr, quite well too in Kai's opinion.

'Stop it! Why are you enjoying this?! No, why are you still here?! Get out now! You have to give this boy to Tala; do not do anything stupid now to mess that up!'

"Mmm...Kai..."

'...' He stopped. Kai did not move.

"Help me..." The younger boy clung to him, his smile fading with every second.

'What's he dreaming about? Why did he say my name? Should I do something...? NO! Don't even look at him. That sense will give in to him as well, but what does that leave me? Taste? Damn...'

"Kai..."

That was just about enough. If Kai stayed there, in bed, with Rei, well, he didn't trust himself that early in the morning. As carefully, and as quickly as possible for the hunter, he scrambled away and stood off to the side of his nightstand. His heart was kicking, but he just waited to see what Rei would do. He was afraid that his rapid departure would cause a little ripple, and it did. The half-breed reached out for him, but ended up stretching and curling up with his blankets again. It looked like he didn't care that Kai was missing.

"Help me..." The boy pleaded.

The older swallowed hard and ran a hand through his hair. What was he supposed to do?

Then the mumbling continued. "Help...so...hungry..."

'WHAT?!' Kai held his head in his hands and muttered to himself. He wasn't sure was more unbelievable, Rei's dream-talk or the stubborn fact that he actually wanted to help the boy out. Sighing, he decided to just forget about it. So he grabbed a fresh pair of clothes and headed for the bathroom.

ooo

"No, wait Kai; I really do need your help!" Rei continued running, his arm outstretched, reaching for the one person he thought could aid him. "Please, stop! I...I need you're help! Kai!" For some reason, the bluenette was faster than he was. It didn't seem possible. He has a half-breed; his speed should surpass Kai's. However, it didn't. Rei was slowly losing ground, until he stopped completely from lack of energy.

"Wait..." His breathing was jagged, which was something he hadn't experienced before. Or at least, in a long, long time. "St-tupid hunter..." He leaned over, coughing incessantly until he gave in and fell over from exhaustion. He collapsed on the floor, the cold, metal floor.

Silence reigned, occasionally broken by the boy's lone coughs. Soft tapping entered the area, closing the distance between the source and the raven-haired boy's body. A man loomed over Rei's fallen form, his shadow enveloping the half-breed. "What a poor kitty. There's no one to help you up, is there?"

The youth closed his eyes, and then, when he opened them again, his saddened golden eyes met lonely metal bars. He was trapped. "No..." Summoning his strength, he made his way to the walls of his confinement, and pulled at them in vain. "Help me..." He whispered.

"But who would help a half-breed?" There it was again, that dark, resounding voice. It blackened his thoughts, pervading the hope in his being.

Rei blinked. The stranger's question held truth. He was so protected; he didn't know anyone outside of the woods that would do something for him. But, there was one person he trusted enough to ask for help..."...Kai. Kai will--"

"Kai is a hunter. Now why would a hunter help a half-breed?"

Forcing himself to stand, Rei leaned against the bars and desperately searched for the source of that wretched voice. "B-Because he's my friend--"

"No, it's because he needs you, because he wants to capture you and hand you over to some aristocrat in return for a hefty sum."

Rei gritted his teeth and shook his head. It wasn't the first time that thought had occurred to him, but if he could win that argument against himself, then he certainly could do the same against this shadowy voice. All he had to do was drown him out; he had to concentrate on something else...

He called for his friend. "Kai! Kai, can you hear me?!" Sure enough, there was the hunter, standing just a few meters away. Thrusting his arm through the space between the bars, the raven-haired boy beckoned him to help. "Kai, I knew you wouldn't leave me!" Finding his energy, the younger boy tried to get the bluenette to listen to him. "Kai! Please, I need you!"

"..." Kai's face was emotionless. He didn't walk towards him, or make any gesture that would indicate his coming to help.

"Come on, please. I need--" Rei stopped mid-sentence as he saw the hunter's actions. A smirk crossed his once blank face. He uncrossed his arms slowly, making his movements known. And all too soon, Rei realized why. Kai had a sizeable cash figure in his hand. It was nicely bagged and tied. The bag slipped into his pocket and he gave a wave over his shoulder as he walked off.

"..." The half-breed blinked, his hand still outstretched. A wetness soon chilled his arm as he continued to blink away the blur in his eyes. He bit his lip, unconsciously gripping the bar tighter with his other hand as he reached for the retreating figure.

"Kai..." The whisper choking out of his throat...his vision was almost covered.

"There's no one out there." A cold hand rested on Rei's shoulder, a calloused, icy hand.

Rei closed his eyes. "B-But...he's my..."

"Friend? That hunter? Don't be foolish. Now come, we have some unfinished business to attend to, Rei. Robert and Max will be joining us as well, so do not worry, you shall not be lonely."

"..." He swallowed, unwilling to let go of the bar. "No..." He willed himself to believe the sensation in his heart over the illusions on this man. "He's my friend. He...he saved me."

The man pulled at his shoulder. "Come along now, Rei, I was the one who saved you from these humans. I made you who you are, and now it's time for you to repay me!! Let go!" He commanded.

Now more than ever, Rei refused to go. "Stop! Kai! Kai!"

"Kai!—aah!" Rei tumbled off of the bed and onto the floor, the majority of the blankets following his suit. He quickly pushed them aside and looked around. A weight lifted from his shoulders when he realized that he was still in Kai's room, wrapped in Kai's covers...and still in Kai's clothes, too. "Eh..." He sighed in relief as he let his body slump against the mattress. "It was...a dream..." He murmured.

"What was a dream?"

Rei's head snapped up. A bright smile crossed his face. There was Kai, standing next to the threshold of the bathroom. He wore a confused expression, as well as only half of his trademark triangles. "Kai..." He breathed.

The bluenette eyes him curiously. "Are you all right, Rei?" He asked quietly (Dranzer and Driger were still sleeping).

"...Un!" Relieved that everything had been a figment of his imagination, Rei bolted up and ran towards him. Of course, opportunity couldn't pass up the chance, so...Rei's feet got tangled in the sheets, he tripped, and as luck would have it, he did not have to meet the floor for a third time in that short period.

"Rei!" The older boy steadied himself and slowly brought the clumsy boy to his feet. This was the second time he had to be Rei's cushion, and though it felt nice, he hoped it wouldn't become a habit. "Are you sure...you're ok?" He questioned, his voice laced with worry.

"Mm..." Rei felt his eyes light up. It seemed like Kai would always be there when he needed him, and all past matters of mistrust left him. "Yea...I'm ok." He looked up to meet Kai's curious stare, and smiled back. "Embarrassed, but ok."

Kai blinked and faked a cough. "Yea, I think that feeling is mutual."

Rei tilted his head, his ears twitching. "Eh?"

He looked away and let Rei fill in the blanks. This, after careful examination, wasn't too hard to do. Since his falling-out-of-bed incident had brought Kai out of the bathroom in a hurry...he wasn't exactly...finished. His cargo pants were on just fine, but his shirt was, well, it just wasn't there. And since he had caught Rei out of the spur of the moment...

"Oh...uh..." The half-breed quickly found his balance and pulled away from the bluenette. "Sorry." He fought down his blush and shrugged innocently. "I was just...the dream I had was...yea!" He finished with a laugh. He had never been too good with hiding his emotions, so laughing usually helped...a bit.

"Ok..." Kai stepped forward and placed his hand on Rei's forehead. That only helped to increase the red of his cheeks. "You aren't sick from the storm last night, right?"

"N-No. I'm fine! I just had a...a um..."

"Nightmare?" Kai offered.

He nodded sheepishly. "Yea, that's it." Rei was so flustered, but he wasn't sure why.

Kai furrowed his brows and removed his hand. "If you're sure..." With that, he turned around and walked back into the bathroom.

Rei watched him leave, yelling at himself for acting so childish. 'And Max calls me mature...' He headed back to the naked bed and proceeded to cover it. It seemed like the very least he could do. So he began tossing all of the blankets back and straightening them out as best he could. Actually, he wasn't sure where everything went, but did it matter? 'They're just blankets, why should it matter if one is on top of another?' He went according to color, and thickness, putting the darkest, fluffiest blue on the bottom, and piling the others on that one accordingly.

"There, that looks pretty good!" He exclaimed with a smile. It kind of looked like a present, with the largest, thinnest piece wrapping the entire thing. Having finished his self-appointed duty, the raven-haired boy began to straighten his clothes. They were so baggy; they practically fell off of him. In fact, the shirt's collar hung around the middle of his chest.

"Heh...I wonder where my clothes went..."

"They're on the chair over there."

"Ee!" Rei's ears shot up and his tail went rigid from fright. "I really wish you'd stop...stop sneaking up on me like that!" He declared as he pivoted to meet a now fully dressed Kai.

He shrugged. "It's not my fault you scare easy. And your clothes are there." He pointed to a chair over in the corner of the room. Sure enough, Rei's garments were resting neatly on the cushioned seat.

"Ah, great! I really want to get out of these things." He stated, tugging at the loose material, unaware of Kai's 'How can you not be grateful?!' stare. Though, he recovered when he felt those crimson eyes drilling into his body. "Um, not that I'm not grateful or anything!" The youth quickly mumbled out. "Really, thanks! I can't even begin to tell you how appreciative I am for your help."

Shifting his steady gaze from a flustered Rei to his newly made bed, Kai raised a brow. "I guess this is part of your thanks?" He motioned to the bed.

"Oh yea! It's not much, but look how tidy it is!" The half-breed cheered.

"Hm..." Kai figured that Rei had absolutely no idea how a bed was supposed to be made (since he never had to do it before), so he passed on the sarcasm, and just smirked. It resembled a blue marshmallow now that the flat sheet (2) was covering the top and tucked under the mattress. He turned away and let a chuckle or two escape his lips.

"What?" Rei asked. "Didn't I do it right?" Kai waved his hand at him and continued to hold his amusement. "Hey, I never did this before. I was just trying to help." He reasoned.

"I know...and I'm, heh...I'm thankful." Kai rubbed the back of his neck and walked over to the chair. He picked up Rei's clean clothes and tossed them to him. "Why don't you get changed so that you can leave? I'm sure that tiger of yours is dying to get you home."

Blinking, Rei caught his clothes and looked over his shoulder. Driger was still asleep. Should he wake him? The rave-haired boy wasn't sure if he wanted to go yet...it was still early after all. "Uh, yea...huh."

Kai nodded and headed out the door. "Fine. Just try to make a quiet exit. It may be early, but some of the townspeople could be walking around."

"Heh, with Driger around, maybe's don't exist." He said with a smile. "But I guess I could try, seeing as I owe you a lot now."

"You don't owe me anything." Kai muttered.

"How can you say that?" The half-breed was stunned, but still managed to say his peace. "Kai, I owe you my life."

Kai stopped at the threshold. '...Life...' The thought ran through the hunter's mind. 'You might just lose yours by my hands later...' He stated solemnly. That clouded his mind. 'Why should I be sad about it? This never bothered me too much before. I chose to accept Tala's offer, just like I chose...to save Rei last night...just like I'm choosing to feel this way about him...' He closed his eyes, giving his head a light shake. 'What's happening to me? What exactly have I chosen to feel?'

Waiting for his response, Rei walked up to him and poked his shoulder. Kai tilted his head to his direction a little. The younger offered a smile. "Why don't you think about it? I'm sure I can do something to repay you...other than making your bed. It seems like I'm not too useful for that kind of work." He faked a pout. "Apparently my way isn't the Kai way, right?" Rei didn't wait for an answer. "Just remind me that I owe you, ok? I hate to be in your debt."

The bluenette turned around completely and nodded absently. "Hn."

"Good. Now...do you think you have some spare cloth or something I can use to bind my hair back?" He picked at a few strands of his midnight hair, which was not only tangled, but also a complete mess. "Even a tie to pull it back into a ponytail would do."

"Why don't you just leave it the way it is?" Kai suggested, his senses finally allowing him to form a sentence.

"Why? It'll just get in the way if I leave it out." He pushed all of it behind him; however, a few stubborn strands fell over his shoulder. "What good is it if I leave it unbound anyway?"

Kai shrugged. "Well, you went through all the trouble of taking care of it, why not show it off?" He held a few of the silky tresses in his hand, letting them slowly fall across his fingers. "Besides, you look...cute." He finished with a light smile, a very light smile.

"..." Rei's eyes flickered in confusion, his ears following in suit by relaxing and folding down.

"Mm...eh...food..." A grumble came from the opposite corner.

"Uh!" The half-breed turned towards the sound and saw that Driger was finally waking up. Then he heard footsteps drifting away. Kai had left. "Kai?" Left by himself, Rei rubbed his temple. Something about that seemed very familiar...but he couldn't quite place it. '...Cute?'

'Actually, when he isn't arguing or acting arrogant, he's...kind of...' Rei couldn't place the last word. It was on the tip of his tongue. And then, a few seconds later, he smiled. "Cute." He whispered. 'Yea, when he's sleeping, he looks cute.'

"EH?!" A jolt ran through his body as he recalled what he had foolishly said last night. 'No way it was a coincidence! I mean, since when does Kai even say that word?! But...that would mean...' The pieces came together bit by bit, and the end result petrified him. "He heard me?!" He exclaimed. Groaning, Rei quickly covered his mouth, letting his clothes fall to the floor. 'Why did I say that out loud?!' He pestered himself with his own question, in complete disbelief of his current situation.

Slowly making his way to the bed, he fell on it, his face making contact with the light blue sheet. "Man I'm stupid..." He mumbled into the fabric.

"...Eh, what?" Waking up at last, Driger roared a yawn and eyed the fallen boy oddly. "Did you just say that you're stupid, Rei?"

The boy made no effort to acknowledge the tiger's presence, but did respond. "...Yes." He muttered.

"Oh." The creature yawned again and rested his head on his paws again. "Alright, just checking."

ooo

Reaching the kitchen, Kai placed his hands on his head and grumbled. His mind was an absolute mess. Not only was he unsure of his mission (even more so than before), but he had also told Rei something he probably shouldn't have. 'Agh...when did things get so complicated?! Where's the black and white that I love? When did I get thrown into this damn world of grey?!' (3)

KNOCK

He looked up. "Hm?"

KNOCK KNOCK

'Tyson?' Kai put his arguing aside and headed for the door. 'No, Tyson wouldn't get up this early just to come back home.' Taking hold of the knob, the hunter questioned the source. "Who is it?"

"Who do you think would come by this early?"

Instantly recognizing the voice, Kai forgot all about his problems – new ones were replacing them and multiplying. 'Oh shit.'

"Come on Kai, let me in. It's not storming, but it's still cold." The person persisted.

"Uh...hold on." He glanced at the staircase, unsure whether or not this was a good idea or not.

"What do you mean, hold on? Either let me in or leave me here!"

Kai smirked. "Oh yea...?"

"Just cut it out and let me in already! I'm freezing!"

He sighed. There was no way around it; he just had to hope that Rei didn't come down. "All right." Unlocking the door, Kai turned the knob and pulled it back. A chilly redhead stumbled in, hugging the folds of his jacket in the process.

"Finally!" He yanked his turtleneck down and shook his head. "What's the big idea leaving me out there to freeze?! Talk about hospitality..." He muttered sarcastically.

"Yea, just be glad I let you in." The bluenette commented as he shut the door behind him. "What are you doing here, anyway?" He asked suspiciously.

"Just seeing how you're doing on the assignment. I mean, how long has it been, Kai? My employer is going berserk." The boy rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them up. "He calls me at least twice an hour, every freaking hour of the day asking for updates!"

Kai crossed his arms. "I told you, Tala, this is no cake walk. If you want this done right, it'll take time. Believe me; no other hunter can get this job done better than I can."

The other boy tilted his head. "Forgive me, but your credibility has been knocked down a few pegs based on your recent progress."

Kai crossed his arms. "Don't lose what little faith you have. I will finish what I started."

"..." Blue eyes met crimson ones, neither shade wavering in the least. "For your sake, I hope you keep that promise." Tala said in an almost expressionless tone.

He then proceeded into the kitchen, with Kai following at a slower pace. 'I will finish it. Personal feelings have never and will never get in the way of my job.' Though the statement was processed without a doubt, Kai could feel a wave of displeasure course through his person. 'It's true, so...why isn't my body listening to me?'

"Hey Kai, come on. I completely forgot where everything is in here. Where do you keep the coffee?"

He didn't respond; the matter at hand was far too important to be interrupted. Well, not by Tala at least...

"Kai, who is that?"

"!!" Shifting his gaze, the hunter was surprised to see Rei standing in the middle of his staircase. He was back to his regular appearance, ah, all except for his hair. He had kept it down. "Rei!" He whispered. Fear sprang through his body. If Tala saw Rei here, he'd have him taken away.

'This is perfect! Just hand Rei over now before things get out of hand.'

'But...I can't...'

'Why not?! This solves everything! Tala will be happy; you'll get your money--'

'But then I won't be able to figure out what these emotions are.'

'Why find out? They only hinder your job performance!'

"Kai?" Rei mumbled quietly. He came down a few more steps, bringing them to eye level. "Hey, are you ok?"

"Uh..."

'See, you can't even form a sentence around him! Just push him through the door and let Tala take him!'

'But I want to know why I can't form a sentence around him! I want to know why I want to smile when he does! Why does my body act this way when Rei is near me?!'

'How the hell should I know?! Just finish what you were supposed to do. You promised Tala.'

"Kai, what's the hold up?" Came an inpatient voice from the kitchen.

"Who's in that room, Kai?" Came another, this one much softer and sweeter than the last.

'You promised Tala.' He could hear footsteps approaching from the kitchen.

'But I also made a promise to Rei. I told him...I'd protect him.' The tapping steps grew louder, the redhead was getting closer.

'You said you'd protect Max, not this half-breed!' The footsteps were so close.

'But...I want to protect Rei.'

"Kai?"

"Kai!"

"Nn?!" Just as the door to the kitchen began to swing open, the hunter pushed it back, effectively stopping Tala and causing him to fall backwards.

"Ow!"

Rei blinked curiously. "Uh...what did you do that for-whoa!" The raven-haired boy was swiftly pulled from the stairs and pushed roughly into the nearby closet. "Kai, what are you--" His mouth was covered by Kai's hand before he could finish his sentence.

"Shut up and do not move." He commanded.

"Eh...what did you say to me--" The door closed with a slam, and Kai quickly stood in front of it as an annoyed Tala popped out of the kitchen.

"Kai! What the hell is your problem?!" He demanded as he rubbed his nose.

"...Sorry, I was coming to help you, but it was just unfortunate timing, I suppose." He answered with a small shrug.

The redhead glared daggers at him, his icy eyes zeroing in on the bluenette "..." Grumbling to himself, Tala stomped back into the kitchen, kicking the swinging door open as he went.

Kai breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close..."

'Wouldn't have been close if you had just given Rei up.'

'Admit it, it would have been much easier if you had only given him up! You've always listened to your head in the past, so why the sudden change?!'

'...This is different. Rei is--'

"Kai?" A muffled whisper reached his ears.

The hunter slowly opened the door he had been blocking, revealing a ticked off half-breed. "Rei."

The boy had his arms crossed, his cat ears pointed and slanted down. "Mind telling me what that was all about?" He asked calmly.

"I would, but this isn't over yet." He glanced at the door to the kitchen, making sure Tala didn't decide to check up on him again. "Please, just stay in here. I'll explain later."

"No! You can't make me--"

"Kai?" Tala's voice rang out once more.

"Shit!" Kai slammed the door on Rei again and raced into the kitchen. There stood the redhead, a confused look on his pale face. He cleared his throat and tried to be casual. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to know what that yelling I heard was." He replied.

"Oh that? It was...probably some annoying kids outside."

Glancing at his watch, Tala quirked an eyebrow. "Kids running around, at 7:30 in the morning?" He questioned in an incredulous tone.

Never losing his stoic expression, Kai nodded. "Yes."

Tala tilted his head. "Uh...huh..."

ooo

"Rei? Hey, Rei? Where did you go?" Driger slowly descended the staircase, careful not to break or step on anything (on Rei's request). Upon entering the living room, he scanned the room and began sniffing him out. "Rei? Come on, where did you go?"

The rumble of his roar reached a boy's sensitive ears. "Huh?" Rei pushed his hair back and put his ear up close to the door.

"Rei? Say something!"

"Driger?" Carefully opening the door, Rei peered out through the crack and smiled as he spotted the tiger roaming the area. "Hey, over here!" He whispered.

"What?" Driger walked over to the closet and gazed at the half-breed curiously. "Rei, what are you doing in there, hide and seek? We have to go!"

"I know, but Kai has to explain all of this to me. He's in there with another boy, so I think that's why I can't--"

"What? Another human?! You have got to...no; we have got to get out of here, now!"

"But Kai told me not to--"

Biting on the boy's shirt, Driger began pulling him out of the closet. "Let's go before he finds you and catches you!"

The raven-haired youth tried to gently tug his shirt out of the tiger's mouth. "Driger...stop it! They'll hear you!"

"They might hear me, but they'll only understand you!" He commented and continued pulling.

"Drig, please..." The creature wouldn't let up; he was concentrating on getting them out of the hunter's house. He was so wrapped up in trying to overpower Rei; he didn't notice the sofa behind him...and accidentally bumped into it.

SCHRE

"Drig!" Rei scolded.

o

"...?" The redhead in the kitchen turned his attention to the swinging door and more importantly, to what was in the next room that had caused the noise. "Hey, what was that, Kai?"

o

"Uh...oops?" The tiger grinned sheepishly, his teeth finally tearing through the fabric of Rei's shirt.

o

Kai grabbed onto his friend's arm in an effort to stop him. "It's nothing! Must have been Dranzer! You know how loud she can be sometimes."

o

"I can hear them coming!" The raven-haired boy mumbled. Grabbing hold of the tiger's fur, he ushered them both to the garage door. "Hurry, get in!"

o

Despite Kai's excuses, Tala continued going towards the door. "Kai, let go of me will you?" Tala continued to walk towards the door, his pace considerably hastened by Kai's antics. "You've been acting really weird lately!"

o

"Hey, I'm not going back into that dank garage!" Driger roared as he resisted Rei's push. It wasn't working too well though, as the boy had pretty much shoved him all the way in.

o

"Tala, I thought you wanted something to drink, or eat...something?!" The hunter knew that Rei had stayed where he was, but he couldn't say the same for that tiger of his. Those roars were most definitely his. 'Oh, what's that damn tiger think he's doing?!'

o

"Just stay quiet, stay put, and don't move, and don't you dare go anywhere!" The raven-haired boy commanded as he closed the garage door with a bang. 'Shh...that wasn't smart.' He could hear the footsteps against the kitchen tiles grow louder, his heartbeat rising in direct variation to it. 'Got to hurry!' Throwing his hair behind his over his shoulder in a hurried fashion, Rei dashed for the closet, closing it tightly with a muffled thump. 'Eh? Oh come on!' One of Kai's jackets had gotten caught between the lock, its sleeve hanging out on the other side in pain. He would have fixed it, but...

o

"Kai let go!" With a final tug, Tala broke out of Kai's hold and stumbled out into the living room. "Huh?" Staring into the living room, his icy blue eyes were met with...nothing.

"Hey, I'm just trying to stop you from--?" Pushing the door aside, the bluenette met the same, empty sight. A weight lifted off of his shoulders. 'Thank god.'

"..." The redhead was oblivious to Kai's relief. He was too busy being confused. 'I could have sworn I heard...' "Kai, I thought you said Dranzer was making all of that noise." He stated as he whirled around to face the crimson-eyed boy.

"Oh." He regained his composure and shrugged casually. "She must have gone back upstairs. She probably didn't want to interrupt us."

"Interrupt us? We weren't doing anything." Tala countered.

Kai racked his brains, and threw out the first thing he thought of. "We were talking in the kitchen. She's a smart phoenix. Dranzer must have assumed that we were discussing my assignment and didn't want to intrude until we were done."

Azure eyes studied steady ruby ones for one second...and then another, before breaking the gaze. Tala dropped his shoulders and turned away, allowing Kai to congratulate himself for another job well done.

'Sounds like they done talking. Hm, I don't know if I should risk brining in that sleeve though...' Rei pondered his situation, giving the cloth a hesitant tug. Unfortunately, that was enough to bring most of the material back into the closet, and pushing the door out a bit. 'Shoot!'

"Eh?" His sharp senses catching the silent action, Tala faced the closet door and walked towards it. "What was that?"

"What was wh--" Upon realization, Kai cursed, the weight returning to his shoulders. It was too late to stop the redhead though, as he was already at the opening, his hand gripping the brass knob. "Tala, wait!" Deaf to Kai's words, the boy gave the handle a pull, the light of the living room slowly flooding into the dreary closet.

Rei's heart stopped. 'T-That's not Kai's scent. It must be...the other human!' He swallowed hard and bit his lip, completely frozen. He backed up against the wall; the four jackets clearly not enough to cloak him. He was trapped, with few options left. 'Damn it.'

(1) Yes'um is short for 'yes mam/mum' so...he had to switch to 'yes sir'
(2) A flat sheet is an optional part of a bed's set of sheets. It's the one under the comforter, and should be closest to your body if you have it.
(3) When kids get older, most teachers or parents start telling them that sometimes there are no clear-cut answers (black or white – yes or no). Sometimes there are no answers, or at least, no clear answers (grey – maybe), and the kids get frustrated when they learn of this new concept.

Ugh...I'm done. Lookit, only five days late...heheh...yea. Again, I'm sorry. I won't make any of those promises again unless I'm absolutely sure about my update time. With this new school year, I can't be positive about anything yet. So, as not to give anyone false hope or anything, I'll just say the next chapter should be out around Halloween or so. Since this is an evil cliff, I'll do my best to continue shortly. Luckily, Tym will be back by then, so maybe he can help me out.

Ah, the thank yous! You guys know that I love all of your reviews to death! They are the little tropical umbrellas in my non-alcoholic beverages! :smile: I'm very grateful to everyone who takes the time to leave me one, even if it's short. And to those people who just read, well, I hope my imaginative play makes you smile.

Porticulis – Aah, I hope things were a little better this time. I'm not too sure actually, since my attention was a bit divided in certain parts (which may show). I'm not sure if others will see it, but something isn't quite right here...there's...a rift in the story. If you don't notice it, it could just be me being overly critical of my work. But know that I do intend to re-write this entire thing later to smooth out the wrinkles. Some aspects I simply incorporated too late. :sigh: My amateur mistakes at work. Anyway, you know that I appreciate any suggestions that you have, and I'll do my best to improve as this rolls along. Yes, first impressions are the most lasting for a lot of people, I trust mine wasn't too bad :smile:

Ilex-Aquifolium – No need to worry, I won't let this story die. I love it too much! :huggle: I may take a while to update, but it'll come eventually if you keep an eye out for it. It seems like I do monthly updates, but like I said, it depends on how busy I am. Thanks for reviewing!

ChibiNekoSakura – Thank you :blush: The idea? I'm not sure...I guess after all the stories I read and how people characterize Rei so closely with a cat...I had to see what would happen if he were part feline :shrug: Something exploded in my head after that and this concept showed up! Ok, maybe that's not how it happened, but it was something like that. When my mind wanders strange things happen. Heh.

Neko Phoenix Girl – Yes, I did check out your story. I believe I left a review, too. It was very good. It made my day. :smile: You said that you were going to do a sequel, not sure if you submitted it yet. I haven't checked the Beyblade section in a while.

Syaoran-Lover – Don't worry, I'll explain it all...later. :evil laugh: No, I will. It's kind of important, unless you've already figured something out. Actually, I didn't think that one was such a high cliff...this one could be though. I'll just go type...now. Thanks and bye! :quickly runs and hides behind random plushies:

Angelgirl10 – You don't have to hesitate to tell me if something doesn't sound right. I can take it. Or, at least, I'll be able to take it after I eat a cookie. :munch: Yea, Kai isn't really the pondering type (love that word), but it's hard to make him pensive without overdoing it or kicking him out of his character :grr: It's just something I need to practice since he'll be thinking a bit more later. Eh, it's ok about the update thing. I ask authors to do that too...sometimes...it is just curiosity at work. I'll do my best, though! Thanks again!

Kitty – Aah, Grypholyion is a griffin (I must have misspelled that four times throughout the entire story by now), a mythic creature with the body of a lion, and head/fore feet/wings of an eagle. So, you were pretty much on the nose! :gives cookie: Actually, I'm not too sure if I got all of that right. Um...I bet you guys are dying to correct me, so please do so! He is male in my story (and is usually male in other fics) that much I am sure of.

Also thanks and cookies to: Sarcasmcat, Tariki Rania, Kit (Shadow Tigress), Shaka Dragomir Nocturnus, TNTiggris, Nothinglittlegirl, Platinum Rei, LordIronDuke126, devilburns, saFire flame, and Cross Hunt-s! You guys are great! I appreciate your words of encouragement and...happy...thoughts? Yes! :grin: Thanks again!

Ok, now I'm really done! I must have taken up a page with those thanks, but I feel I should write them out since you all took the time to tell me what you think! Once again, feel free to say what you think. As long as there's some reason to your words and it's not random shouts or flames (eek), I'm happy to hear it. I'm still a student when it comes to writing, so I'm definitely not perfect. Sorry if there were spelling/grammatical errors here, my buddy didn't have time to beta it! :grumble: Darn school work...

Until next time! Ashes!