Sorry I've been so long with this update, but my Mum decided a couple of days ago that my room needed a full-scale sort out. My God, I've dug up some junk... But anyway, because of that I haven't seen so much as a snifter of the computer in the last few days, that's why this wasn't up sooner! Thank you for all of your reviews. The replies will be quite brief- I got that many that if I replied in depth I'd end up with more reply than story...
Platinum Rei: Be anxious no more, the update is right here!
Katsutoshi96: I'm glad you like it so far!
Ellen: Would you be shocked if I told you it was Bottom!Kai as well?
I-Shave-Clowns: Glad you like it!
skimmie: I'm glad you love it. I bet it loves you too!
Shadow Vampiress: I'd pay to see -Kai- acting like a cat, that'd be pricelelss...
Just that good: Hmm...the White Tigers don't feature too much in this story...but they do help Kai out a lot.
Ashley: Hey, hper's fine. I spend half my life on a sugar high...which is probably why I end up writing things like this...
animeobsession: Well, here's the second installment. Hope you like it as much as you liked the first one!
PandaPjays: Well you don't have to wait any longer!
Thin-K: I love making Rei act like a cat...I don't know why, I just do...
Delores L: Well, I hope you like this chapter as much as the last!
VGMaster04: Well, cat's don't use toilets, do they? As well as being realistic, I was trying to make life hard for Kai!
miriam906: Like I said up top, this update's slower than I would have liked, but hey.
siliana blue: Thank you very much for that email. I liked making Mr. D confused as well...it suits him!
Mei Kimari: I know, I'm a shameless over-exaggerator in real life, it rubs off onto my fiction...
BloodyShadows: Ah, fluff. Don't we all just love it?
lady-nikki: Ah, Lee's not so bad. I quite like him. But no, there are no cat-fights. Sorry!
luvwell: Glad you liked it!
Quellesirel Peredhil: Well, I'm not usually one to follow the norms...
Echo in the Dark: Yow...I didn't think it was -that- funny...mildly amusing at best...
reviewer: Cutesy, huh? I like that word! And I'm glad you like this so far!
Glitter-Cat9: Me too. The idea of someone seriously acting like a cat tickles me!
darkangelintheshadows: That's what I was aiming for!
syuchang: I'm glad you like it!
MichikoCamui630: Here- more to the power five!
purplekittiegurl: I think everyone loves KaiRei, although this is ReiKai, sorta. w00t bottom!Kai!
forever-FFN: Well you'll find out if you scroll down!
keisan: A confession, you say? Hmm...well I suppose it is sort of...
DarkLightJak: My head, usually...but most people wouldn't dare poke around in that morass of insanity...
And now, the chapter!
Kai woke up with a start, expecting to feel a heavy weight on his chest, and not feeling one at all. He sat up and looked around for Rei. Ah...there he was. Kai laughed softly. The neko-jin was chasing his hair, batting at it and biting it. When he saw that Kai was awake he skipped over, nuzzling Kai's hand in the hope of being stroked. Kai ruffled his hair and stood up. Rei followed him, nipping at his heels, wanting him to play. "Rei, stop trying to eat me."
"Meowow!" Rei shot in front of him and pounced on a defenceless shoe, chewing on it in delight. He wailed as Kai took his 'prize' away and put it on a shelf, butting Kai angrily. Kai sighed, reached down, and picked Rei up, carrying him awkwardly back to the bed and putting him down. Rei bounced up again, and Kai would have sworn that the Chinese boy was mocking him. Rei's 'paws' came to rest on his shoulders, and before Kai could do anything Rei had used him as a boost to get to the spider hanging from the ceiling.
Kai had to admit that it was slightly disgusting- Rei was sitting there in a heap on the floor, a couple of spider legs poking out of the corner of his mouth. And then he -swallowed-. Kai shuddered and opened the box of chocolates again, throwing one to the naughty neko-jin, who scoffed it in less than a second.
A few more hours of such madness followed before someone opened the door of the hotel room again. Rei, who had been sitting with his head in Kai's lap, enjoying the attention and chicken being lavished on him, shot up and skipped over, purring. Lee came in the door and knelt down, glaring at Kai before touching noses with Rei and purring at him in a questioning way.
Rei purred back, a low rumble, although sounding almost high-pitched next to the bass roar coming from Lee's throat. The younger neko-jin gave a chirp of happiness and licked Lee's nose. Lee straightened up, frown slightly diminished. "He's happy. He says you feed him and play with him and you're comfy to sit on. But he doesn't like the shower. Well, he calls it the horrible wet yuck, but you get the meaning..." Kai nodded, and Lee went on talking. "He calls you his 'Happy-Nice'."
"-His- Happy-Nice?" Lee smirked.
"Well, yeah. He thinks you're his property now. So if I did this..." Lee came over and sat down on Kai's lap. Rei, watching, hissed, stalking closer. Lee got up, smirk ever wider. "He would object. Like I said, he thinks you belong to him."
"But...but..." Kai tried to speak, but no words were forthcoming. Rei leaned against his leg and he reached down to stroke his hair without thinking. Lee smiled, walking towards the door. "Hey! Where are you going?"
"Oh, away."
"But...what am I supposed to -do-? How do I make him better?"
"Treat him like you have been. Give him a day or two and he'll be fine." Lee shut the door quietly after himself and Kai sighed, looking down at Rei.
"Happy-Nice? Couldn't you think of a better name? I sound like some kind of soft drink..." He muttered. Standing, he made his way into the bathroom. Rei insisted on following. "Rei, I need to use the toilet. Wait outside!"
"Moww?" Rei blinked, obviously not understanding, and Kai slapped his hand to his head in frustration. Then, an idea came to him. He opened the door of the shower and turned it on. Rei gave a squeal of dislike and ran out of the room. Kai smiled slightly, used the toilet, then decided to get in the shower, seeing as it was running already.
He hadn't even had time to wash his hair when something crashed in beside him. Something...or rather, someone...
"Rei, what are you doing?"
"M-M-Mow!" Bleated the neko-jin, clawing his way up Kai's leg and trying to bury his face in the Russian's groin. Kai repelled him gently, and with a hearty blush. "What's wrong with you?"
"Kai? Where the hell are you? And what the hell is going on with Rei?" Kai cursed under his breath.
"I'm in the shower, Ivanov!"
"Yeah, well mind giving me an explanation of why your little cat-friend just tried to rip my face off?" Tala's hazy outline appeared through the frosted glass. Kai watched him fold his arms and give a low whistle. "Never thought you were the type to share a shower, Kai..."
"I'm not sharing, he ran in when you scared him."
"What? He attacked me! I'm the one who should be scared. Anyway, you're naked, so why-" Tala laughed suddenly. "Oh, I get it! You and Rei are together!"
"What?" Kai gasped out. Tala laughed again, leaning against the wall for support.
"Well why else would you be in a shower with him? You're naked, buddy, and he's almost if not just as much naked as you!"
Kai poked his head around the door, fuming. "He was under too much stress, he's gone catty, and I have to look after him! So shut your mouth, bird-brain!"
"Wouldn't that be more appropriate for you? I mean, Wolborg isn't even a bird..."
"IVANOV!"
"Fine, fine, I'm shutting up, I'm shutting up. Need a towel?"
"Yes." Tala handed him one, and Kai switched off the shower before winding it around his waist and opening the shower door. Rei crawled out, winding himself around Kai's legs and glaring up at Tala. The redhead crouched down and cocked his head to one side. "His eyes are all funny..."
"Yes, I know. What do you want?"
"Well, I was going to ask you if you wanted to come out with me and Bryan, but I guess not. And I was right, you do like him."
"Huh?"
"Oh come on, Kai, you don't look after anyone even remotely like you're looking after him! Look at you! You're petting him and you haven't even noticed you're doing it!" He laughed. "So what was stressing him?"
"Well...us. The Bladebreakers. We expected him to look after us all the time and cook for us and stuff, but...well, we were selfish. And Lee says he's gone like a cat so he can rest up for a few days. And...well, to be honest, I felt so guilty...I want to make him happy, now." Tala stood back up shaking his head.
"You know, if I had a heart it'd be bleeding right now...well, I'm going to see Bryan...hmm...maybe we could play a bit before we go out tonight..."
"Ivanov, get your sick fantasies out of my room right now! I -don't- want to know what you and Bryan get up to in your spare time!"
Tala smirked. "More than you do. With anybody. I'm going, I'm going!" He said hurriedly, letting Kai's glare propel him out of the room. Kai looked down at Rei and smiled gently.
"Rei, do you want to sleep?"
"Wrr?"
Kai bit his lip. Of course, Rei didn't understand him... Daring, he picked Rei up, carrying him like an oversized baby. To his surprise, Rei liked it, batting at Kai's hair with his 'paws' and purring loudly. After a few minutes, he got restless again and whined to be put down. Kai obliged, then found that Rei took an abnormal amount of pleasure out of trying to eat his shoelace.
"Rei, do you want some chicken?" Kai asked teasingly, dangling the fresh morsel in front of Rei's nose. It was the morning after, and Rei was rolling around on the bed, having spent the night sprawled on top of Kai, breathing loudly in his ear and thus forcing the Russian to stay awake. So now Kai was trying to feed him in an attempt to make him sleep again.
Rei curled his tongue around the chicken and pulled it into his mouth, chewed and swallowed it, then seemed to realise something. He sat up, purring, then bit Kai on the shoulder. Hard. "Ow! Hey, what did you do that for?" Rei mewed and licked the bite, nuzzling at it. Kai fumed, silently, then vowed to find Lee again.
"So, he finally marked you..."
"Is that what you call it? Because I call it a whacking great bite mark!" Kai hissed. Lee laughed, and Kai fumed again.
"Kai, that's how neko-jin mark things. You've probably seen him doing it before, nipping at things, but when you go a bit more towards your cat side, nipping turns to biting. Of course, actually marking you is a sign that he's attracted to you..."
"WHAT?"
"Well, he's showing you the needs of his human side now, isn't he? To be loved, protected, and...well, to be with you."
"Am I hearing what I -think- I'm hearing?"
Lee leaned back on the bed and tickled Rei's chin. The neko-jin was asleep, breathing softly, all curled up in the blanket. "He wants you. He wants you to love him and be with him and be...his boyfriend. Lover. Call it whatever. All I know is that he says he loves his Happy-Nice and he hopes his Happy-Nice loves him too." He purred into Rei's ear and the younger boy yawned, opening his eyes and looking around sleepily. He saw Kai, sat up, and licked his cheek, purring. "Shall I give you a translation?" Asked Lee, amused. Kai nodded, not entirely sure that he wanted to hear what Rei was saying.
"Here Happy-Nice, let me clean you. I like cleaning you because you taste like snow." Rei's purring moved up a notch as he settled his head on Kai's lap. "Your legs are nice and warm, Happy-Nice, even if everything you say is gibberish. You're very pretty in a strange kind of way because you don't have really dark fur and your skin is all pale. Love you, Happy-Nice. Hope you like your mark, I tried to do it neatly but you squirmed. Wouldn't you like to mark me back? Even just a little bit?" Rei looked up at Kai enquiringly, and Kai felt his mouth go dry.
"You don't understand me, do you, Happy-Nice? You understand what kinds of food I like, but not what I'm saying. Silly." Rei nudged Kai's arm with his head. "Hey! Stop looking at that other cat! You're mine!" Lee laughed loudly. "Oh, now he's getting angry...pet him, Kai, before he feels neglected!" Kai obliged, and Rei started purring again. Lee moved back into translating Rei's purrs and squeaks. "I'm tired. I want to go to sleep! Move a bit, I want to sit on you." Kai leaned back slightly and Rei clambered onto his lap, nipping at his skin and licking him again. "Kiss goodnight, Happy-Nice! Well, good-day, but still... Don't be doing anything with that other cat while I'm asleep!" Lee paused, as Rei fell asleep. "Snore, snore. See, I told you he liked you."
"Well...but I..."
"Just let him be. He needs to chill a bit. His eyes are getting more human already, I give it a couple of hours before he's back to normal. Anyway, I'd better go, I'm supposed to be seeing Spencer..."
"Spencer?"
For the first time, Lee blushed. "Yeah. He asked me out yesterday, so I said I'd have a drink with him..."
"Have a nice time, then."
When Rei woke up half an hour later, Kai was nowhere to be found. He leapt off the bed, prowling around, then whined loudly to the walls when his thorough search of the rooms revealed no Happy-Nice. Before very long, his extremely loud wailing attracted his next door neighbours. Or, more correctly, Oliver and Enrique. The two majestics opened the door cautiously, and stood there, shocked. Rei was lying in the middle of the bed, chewing the blanket angrily.
"Um...Rei? Are you okay?" Asked Oliver, concerned.
"Mowow! Mow mow mow!" Rei snarled, tearing off a chunk of duvet.
"Um...what?" Rei hissed and turned his back on them, leaving them even more shocked and puzzled.
"Oliver? Enrique? What...oh. Oh..." Kai came up behind the two majestics, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. "He's...um...it's something to do with his neko-jin side. He's gone sort of feline...and I think he's hungry..."
Enrique nodded, pulling Oliver out of the doorway. "Come on, Oli, I want to show you the jacuzzi!" Kai walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Rei burrowed his face into the blanket, still very much hurt that Kai had left him alone. "Rei?"
"Mow." Came the muffled reply. Kai sat down next to his crouched form, stroking his back.
"Rei, are you angry with me for leaving you on your own?"
"Mow."
"I brought you a present..."
"Mow." Kai sighed. If the smell of the fresh fish he'd purloined from the kitchens wasn't enough to cheer Rei up, what was? He sat for a while, hugging Rei, chin resting on the neko-jin's back. As he lay there, he remembered something Lee had translated...
Slowly, he brushed his teeth over Rei's bare back, then bit down on the smooth skin gently, digging harder as Rei purred, until he tasted the tang of fresh blood in his mouth. Before he could do or say anything, Rei bounced up, tackling him to the bed and licking him all over his face, nuzzling and purring and nipping. Kai submitted to Rei's affectionate gestures, smiling. He gasped as Rei discovered a particularly sensitive spot behind one ear, then felt the neko-jin start licking him again.
Kai felt Rei's toungue dip into his mouth to lick, and moved instinctively, closing his lips around Rei's tongue, winding his arms around Rei's body and holding him close, kissing him furiously. At first, the Chinese boy struggled, then he lay still, moaning softly as Kai continued to kiss him and hug him. After a while, Kai broke away, unsure of what cat-Rei would think of human affections.
Instead of being met with a slitted glare, he saw only wide amber eyes. "Kai..."
"Rei?" Rei nodded, then kissed him again, shifting so that more of him was pressed up against Kai.
"Kai...I...what happened...what's going on?"
Kai sat up, holding Rei against his chest. "I'm not quite sure. You went...well, you started acting like a cat, and Lee said it was because you were exhausted...and I realised that we expect you to do too much for us, Rei! So I've been looking after you. Lee helped, he sort of translated for me. He said you...like me. And then...you were angry with me because I left you alone, and you wouldn't react so I..." He trailed his fingers across the dents in Rei's back that he'd made with his teeth. "And you started licking me, and I..." He blushed. "I kissed you."
"I thought I was dreaming...are you really telling the truth?"
"Yes. I'm sorry, Rei...for expecting you to do so much for me..." Rei blinked, pressed up against Kai's chest.
"Did I...bite you?" His fingers traced the tooth marks on Kai's shoulder, then he shifted, going to sit up. Kai held him where he was, stroking his hair. "Kai...I didn't do anything stupid, did I?"
"No. Well, you tried to eat Tyson, and Tala, but that was more funny than stupid. Oh, and you ate a spider. That was quite disgusting..." Rei sighed softly as Kai kissed the top of his head. "Are you okay?"
"...I'm fine."
"Are you sure? You aren't saying much..."
"I'm just...enjoying this. While it lasts. Only...why am I only wearing my boxers?"
"I had to make you get in the shower. Needless to say you didn't like it. And you didn't seem to want to let me dress you afterwards..."
"You...saw me naked?" Rei asked, crossing his fingers.
"Not intentionally." Rei felt his breath catch in his throat, and subconsciously tensed. "It bothers you, doesn't it?"
"A bit...did I do anything else like that?"
"No. You just meowed and licked me and let me feed you."
"You really looked after me, huh?"
"You deserve it. I'm not going to be so selfish any more, Rei. If there's anything you want me to do, I'll try and do it. If there's anything you want, you can have it. Anything at all."
Rei shifted slightly and wrapped his arms around Kai's neck, closing his eyes. "I just want you to keep holding me, Kai. For a little while longer, anyway..."
"I never knew how you felt about me, Rei...I never knew how much work you were doing...I'm sorry..." His hands traced lovingly across Rei's tanned skin, making the younger boy shiver. "I love you..."
"Kai..." Rei looked up into Kai's eyes. "Don't feel you have to like me because I got ill-"
"Don't say a stupid thing like that!" Kai pulled Rei into a searing kiss, laying back with Rei on top of him. Rei's hair cascaded over the both of them as he moaned softly, tangling his fingers in Kai's hair.
"Kai...oh God, Kai..." Rei whispered as they broke apart. "You don't know how long...I kept quiet about it..."
"About doing too much or liking me?"
"Both." Whispered Rei. Kai kissed him softly.
"Stop worrying about it, it's okay." He held Rei against his chest, stroking his hair. "When you were all...cattish...Lee said you called me your Happy-Nice. At first I didn't like the idea of belonging to someone, but...then I found...that I liked it. I would go on liking it...if you would...want that..."
Rei nodded, then smiled. "I feel an overwhelming urge to lick you..."
"I've gotten used to it, over the past day and a half." Rei laughed softly and started to nibble and lick at Kai's neck, making the Russian gasp. Rei stopped, uncertain, but Kai shook his head. "You shocked me. But I...I like it..." Rei continued, moving a little lower, pushing Kai back onto the bed and pushing up his shirt, fingers brushing over one of Kai's nipples, making him gasp again, amazed as it hardened under Rei's touch. "You're a virgin, aren't you Kai?" Kai nodded once, reaching up to take hold of Rei's hand.
"Do you want to...?"
"Only if it's okay with you." Kai blushed.
"I don't...know...anything. About...what to do...or-" Rei put a finger to Kai's lips, cutting off his nervous confession.
"Shh. Don't worry. You've taken care of me...now let me take care of you..."
Kai took in a shaky breath as Rei kissed him, fingers seeking the button of his trousers. This was a new, strange, different Rei that had suddenly surfaced. One who was in control...and Kai found himself liking having someone else take charge for once. "I've never...thought of myself as an uke..."
"Well you'll have to re-think fast, won't you? Just because I'm cute doesn't mean I'm bottom..."
Kai woke up with a start, feeling distinctly sore and quite tired. He looked over at Rei, who was snoozing peacefully, arms wrapped around Kai possessively. Kai sighed, laying an arm over Rei's slim waist. "I belong to you...and you belong to me..." Rei stirred, and Kai smiled. "I look after you...you look after me...it's like a circle, isn't it?"
"Wha-?"
"Shh, Rei, go back to sleep." Rei snored softly, and Kai smiled. "Circles...all like little circles...I love you, you love me...hah, I sound like a kid's TV show...but still...when I love you, you love me, and I love you and you love me...it just...goes on, doesn't it?" Rei snuffled and burrowed himself into Kai's shoulder, grumbling. Kai smiled, closing his eyes again.
When I love you...you love me...
It was strange, how something so good could come out of something so bad...love from exhaustion...togetherness from confusion...
So strange...
So...
Tala knocked at the door of Kai and Rei's room, and waited. No-one answered. Well, it wasn't like Kai to sleep in, so obviously he was just being ignorant! He opened the door, and stopped short. Rei and Kai were lying in one of the single beds together, the sheets around them crumpled and in some places suspiciously stained...
He smirked. So they -were- together! He'd been right! He smiled at the affection the two seemed to radiate- and the way in which they seemed to fit together perfectly, tanned flesh against pale, like some kind of yin-yang symbol. He turned and walked out, shutting the door behind him. He walked back to his hotel room, grinning as he opened the door to reveal Bryan, who appeared to have just stepped out of the shower. "What are you so happy about?"
"I win! I win the bet! They -are- together, so you owe me a drink!" Tala leaped over into Bryan's arms, snuggling himself against the warm but wet chest. "Bry-an...do you want to play?" He asked, batting his eyelashes innocently.
"Play what, Tala? Shall we play...lock Tala in the bathroom? Ignore Tala for the rest of the day?" Tala leaned closer, whispering in his lover's ear. Bryan's smiled, sliding his arms up Tala's shirt. "Why are you being so..." The lavender-haired boy pretended to think. "Easy?"
Tala giggled, pulling Bryan towards the bed. "Because I love you...because you look really hot all dripping like that...and because I'll be damned if Hiwatari's getting more than me. -I'm- the team slut, not him!" Bryan simply smiled. He, of course, had no complaints...
Fin
Okay people, this is the END of this fic, so there's no point asking me for an update, because there won't be one! R&R please!