Crystal: It seems that I've taken a liking to writing drabbles... Oii... -shakes head- Anyway, hope you guys like it even though it's short and whatnot...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything...

Three Small Words

A lot of things amuse Rei. He's always amused at how Hiromi would beat the crap out of Takao every time he mocks her behind her back, or how Kyouju somehow manages to trap Max into one of his non-stop speeches about this and that. In fact, the raven-haired neko-jin's easily amused at almost everything!

Especially when it's about his dear koishii by the name of Hiwatari Kai.

Now, Rei didn't mean to be rude, but he's very amused of Kai. Sure the older teen's drop-dead sexy that it should be a crime and he's almost good at everything - keyword: ALMOST - he does but… there's just one little flaw…

He can't say those three small words that would make Rei the happiest man in the whole wide world.

You might think that he's somehow disappointed in all of this… but to tell you the truth; the Chinese teen's more engrossed at the idea than having to mope about it. He's so amused that you can even translate it that the neko-jin's mocking his team captain. Not that he was mind you, after all Rei loves Kai more than anything else in the whole damn planet that he would die if Kai left him (which won't be happening for a long, long time).

When did he start noticing this? Rei started noticing this just right after their first date.

Kai had sucked up all of his pride and slammed the raven-haired teen on the back wall of the dojo, asking to go outwith him this Saturday and didn't wait for the response only to kiss him fiercely afterwards. Needless to say, Rei had been breathless for the rest of the day.

Saturday had come, and Rei was very excited. Kai took him to a very stylish and eloquent restaurant that night with a candlelit dinner with violinists playing soothing music and the lights dimmed a bit. It was even more breathtaking when the slate-haired youth led him to the dance floor so that they would be able to dance to the slow music. After they ate, Kai took him to the park for a walk under the moonlight. Rei was so stunned that he now suspects that Kai's a closet hopeless romantic.

All in all, the night was the best night that Rei ever had… until…

"I really had fun tonight," Rei murmured to Kai when they arrived in front of the dojo entrance. How could he not? He'd seen Kai relaxing, smiling… and heck, even laughing sincerely during their date!

Kai squeezed Rei's smaller hand and then kissed the palm of it, satisfied in seeing his boyfriend's - yes boyfriend, any problems with that? - face turn into a nice shade of red. "Hn…"

Rei smiled even more and reluctantly took his hand away from the older teen and started to enter the dojo. "Come on, let's go inside," he said, but before he took a step on the laminated wooden floor, Kai's calloused hand took a hold of his wrist making him stop. "Kai…?"

"Uh… Rei… what I meant to say is that, I… I…"

Never before in all of his years that Rei has known Kai, the neko-jin has never seen the slate-haired Russian stutter before. It was just priceless… it's like a once-in-a-lifetime thing! It was so adorable when Kai's pale cheeks - this time not adorned with his infamous blue shark fins - turn into a light shade of pink as he stammered.

Rei tried not to laugh at his team captain, but it was very hard not to; after all, he knows what Kai's trying to say but he was not satisfied knowing only. He wants to hear it as well. Finally after thinking that Kai had humiliated himself enough; the younger of the two stopped him with a chaste kiss.

Since then, every time they were alone, Kai would make an attempt again and again for Hiwatari Kai is not a quitter; and that would always put a smile on Rei's lips, come rain, snow, hail… or even Takao's grandpa's 'special' meatloaf, the neko-jin would always be entertained at his boyfriend's attempts.

He really didn't mind if Kai can't say it for another year or so… after all, he already shows it strongly on actions.

Besides Rei says those words twice as much every single day for the both of them anyway, and he would keep on doing that until Kai's ready.

OWARI