Crystal: Hello everyone! Well… on the last chapter I said that it would take a week for me to update and it turned out that it became two/three weeks? I'm really sorry for the late update… I didn't mean for you guys to wait too long. -.-;
Thanks to: Moon Bind, Devlinn Reiko-sama, Yaoi Tiger, Saber-kon, Raku Ozzarian Princess, Game-Kid17, Prozacfairy, Dead yet a love sick puppy, Devilburns, Lady AA-chan, Shadow Tigress a.k.a Kit, Kodoku Wolf, Phoenixflame905, Koneko no Rei, SoulSister, Shanna, Kai-cutie-angel, TNTiggris, Foxdemon, Emiz, YL Granger, Tariki Rania, Songs make me cry, Keisan, Enelya Aldarion, SorrowWolf, Nekomoongirl, Shirohikari, Forfirith-on-a-sugar-high, Wolf whirl, Nothinglittlegirl, EternalElement, Neko Phoenix Girl, Neko Jin, and XxMaster-ExX!
I'm sorry if there aren't any responses for this chapter. Though for being great reviewers and readers, I give you free t-shirts with Kai's signature on them and an eternal supply of Gummi Bears!
Breathe – Chapter 17: Fitting of the Robes and lookie…more memories!
Rei drifted off to his thoughts as Mariah kept on blabbering about some things that he, Rei doesn't get at all. The poor neko-jin was really… disappointed at the least. He wanted to spend more time with his friends, and of course Kai. But what does he get? He gets an annoying pink-haired of a cousin, and a numb arm. Kai: that name can get Rei blush and---surprisingly---giggle at the name when it's mentioned. He still can't actually think that he would fall in love with the slate-haired boy, since after all, they weren't actually getting along when they first met.
-- Flashback --
Rei ran away as fast as he can until he reached his bedroom. He still can't believe that he had done that! Rei Kon, an innocent neko-jin who always thinks pranks and whatnot are offensive…especially to the victims. When he entered his bedroom, slammed the door shut and bolted it so no one would get in, he leaned against it and gave a small yet triumphant giggle.
'Hah! That'll teach him not to mess with me!'
As you can see, it seems that Rei once again had done something evil on the one and only Kai. He was really getting on the neko-jin's nerves lately. When Rei had entered the library since the adults want them to get more educated even though there's a wedding preparation going on, Kai had suddenly gave a rude comment at Rei's way, which ensued into another verbal insult.
When the two gave words of rudeness to each other, the other people who were also in the library, they couldn't help but sigh in exasperation yet watch in amusement. They sighed in exasperation because they're getting sick of Kai and Rei arguing all the time, even though they're fighting over small little things (like who gets to read the book first, etc…); and they also watched in amusement because, hey, lessons can be really boring at times too.
Now, back to the matters at hand. Just as Rei was about to lose his sanity, there was a big pound on the door, indicating that someone had followed Rei and that someone was utterly pissed off at the neko-jin.
"KON! Grr…GET OUT OF THAT PATHETIC ROOM YOUR SLEEPING IN AND TELL ME HOW TO GET RID OF THIS CRAP!" Wow…the person who has that voice was surely angry, which made Rei laugh even more.
"Why not, Hiwatari? It suits you even better!" Rei had managed to yell with all the laughing that he's doing.
Meanwhile, Kai was not having a good day. Well…he was having an all right day, but that stupid fiancé of his just had to ruin it all by showing up in the library so they could study. And of course, being the cold-hearted and evil little boy that he is, the crimson-eyed boy gave a small, little insult towards Rei's direction and as we all predict: chaos ensued. Insults were thrown at each other back and forth like a game, and it seemed that those insults were rolling off their tongues naturally, like they were born to keep on insulting each other until the end of the eternity.
As the result of the verbal insult contest, Rei stormed off the library, making Kai look all smug, thinking that he had won the battle (though to tell you the truth, the battle was far from over). What he had not known, Rei had come back again inside the library, though he wasn't alone. He had a gigantic bucket full of some liquid with err…stuff in it that for some odd reasons that the colour of the liquid was…pink. Anyway, Kai didn't know that Rei crept up to him quietly (one of the neko-jin's wonderful talents) and poured the entire bucket from the top of his head, letting all the icky liquid flow down from his hair, to his clothes, until to his footwear.
-- End Flashback --
Rei gave a small chuckle at the thought, making Mariah look at him disgustingly dreamy and all mushy like, thinking that what she had said made her cousin laugh.
"I know you would agree with me, Rei-Rei!" she had yelled, pretending to wipe the fake tears from her eyes. "Hiwatari really is such a big meanie who needs a life."
When Rei had heard the insult that Mariah had given to Kai, the neko-jin went berserk and immediately pulled his arm off Mariah's death grip, making the girl have a hurt look in her eyes.
"Mariah," he said in a monotone voice (which he hardly ever uses)---making Mariah shiver in fear---and faced Mariah with his eyes turning to slits ever so slightly. "I think we need to discuss something."
Mariah, who was slightly disturbed at her cousin's sudden change of façade towards her, looked at Rei dejectedly, confused at what Rei was about to say. "W-what are you talking about, Rei?"
Rei gave a sigh, and rubbed his temples impatiently. "You know what? I'll just cut to the chase. NEVER, EVER talk about Kai like that again, all right? You don't know him enough to be judged to early, so leave him alone!"
"What does that mean?"
"It means that I'm…in love with him. And if you keep on insulting him like that, then I might just not even look at you in face anymore."
Mariah was dumbstruck, her cousin's in love with that cold-hearted bastard like Kai? The pink-haired freak was devastated and confused. This wasn't supposed to happen! This was just all wrong… they weren't supposed to get married all lovey-dovey with each other! They were supposed to get married only as an arranged married suppose to be! A nice couple that doesn't know each other get married, make an heir for the throne, and that's it! Nothing else!
"Why him? Can't you also see that I'm in love with you as well?" Mariah demanded, anger rising up in her veins.
"Mariah…I only love you as a cousin or perhaps a sister and nothing else. I'm…quite surprised that you're in love with me more than a cousin, but I'll never ever feel for you that way. The love that you're feeling for me is the same way I'm feeling for Kai, and maybe perhaps even more than that. I'm sorry to bring this all down to you just like that." Rei had explained to his cousin, and with that he walked ahead inside the castle, leaving a rejected pink-haired freak standing there, with her mouth opening and closing like a fish.
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Breakfast was awfully quiet, especially towards where Kai, Rei and the others were sitting. Tala, Dizzi, Tyson and even Kai was surprised when Mariah wasn't giving them a sneering glare, and instead a blank look towards their way, and a heartbreaking look towards Rei. Meanwhile, the neko-jin was sensing that look Mariah was giving him and for some odd reason, he couldn't help but be guilty at the situation. Was he too harsh when he rejected her? Guilt was consuming his mind, making him not eat his pancakes.
Kai noticed that Rei wasn't being his usual self, but instead he was poking around his food, and the raven-haired beauty was lost in thought. The slate-haired boy looked at his fianc's cousin and saw that Mariah was also poking her food around, not eating one bit. Crimson eyes were narrowing at the situation. Something has happened and it involves Rei and his cousin. He was sure of it, and he does not like this one bit. What if the pink-haired freak had tried to molest Rei? And he wasn't even there to protect Rei! Jealousy and Anger were rushing in Kai's veins, making him push the knife he was using on the surface of the table so hard that it was stuck there.
Everybody looked at the crimson-eyed boy in confusion and astonishment.
"Kai? Are you ok?" Rei pushed aside his thoughts and looked at Kai with concern pouring through his eyes. Kai nodded his head, slightly surprised that he had managed to stab the table with a butter knife… "Did something happened about you and that cousin of yours?" asked Kai suddenly when everyone had finished gawking at him and the butter knife.
Rei bit his bottom lip nervously; he didn't really want to tell Kai about what happened before breakfast, thinking that Kai would gloat over Mariah, making him even guiltier than ever. But then again, if he told someone this then this guilt that had been lingering in his mind would go away, and all the weight on his shoulders would be lifted off, right?
In the meantime, Kai was just looking at Rei, waiting patiently for the neko-jin to respond. Suddenly, the crimson-eyed boy shifted his eyes from Rei to Mariah a couple of times, jumping off to conclusions without consulting Rei to what happened first. Kai, who was possessive and protective over Rei ever since Mariah had come over, started to snarl quietly, though Rei heard it (another wonderful talent of the neko-jin).
"It's nothing, Kai," Rei said hurriedly, for he knows what's going to happen next and he doesn't want it to happen. He's already feeling sorry for Mariah, and she doesn't need Kai yelling at her.
Kai didn't believe Rei one bit, though he decided to let it slide. He felt that Rei was already feeling bad and he didn't want him to feel more miserable. Although he decided to have a little discussion with Mariah, without Rei knowing… after all, if Rei doesn't know, then no one would get hurt.
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After that quiet breakfast, Mariah walked silently in the corridors, heading towards at her chambers. Suddenly she just felt very tired and weary. To tell you the truth, she never really expected that speech from her Rei… She shook her head violently; it's not "her Rei" anymore…it's "his Rei". She still can't believe that Rei loves that cold-hearted bastard, after all, from what she had heard from her aunt and uncle that Rei hates Kai…she just doesn't get it. How can you love someone that you absolutely hate?
When she was about to enter her bedroom, someone blocked Mariah. When she looked up to see who it was, she saw crimson eyes, staring at her with pure loathsome. Suddenly, her golden eyes turned into slits, recognizing whom those crimson eyes belong to.
"What do you want?" she hissed.
Kai, who was blocking Mariah from the door, glared at her until she started to shiver. "What the hell did you do to Rei?" he hissed back, making Mariah whimper in fear.
"Why would I do something to my own cousin?" she retorted, trying to be brave even though she knows that it won't work.
"I don't know what you did," The crimson-eyed boy took a deep breath so he could calm down, and tried not to punch the day lights out of Mariah (he would be in BIG trouble if he did). "But stay away from my Rei, you got that?" With that, Kai left a terrified Mariah in the corridors. But what he didn't know was that a pair of eyes was looking at the situation, and frowned.
Kai walked away from Mariah as if nothing had ever happened. He smirked triumphantly, while heading towards the library since he has some reading to catch up on. He never noticed that he was being followed, but then again, the footsteps that were following them were really quiet; so he wouldn't be able hear it. The crimson-eyed boy entered the library, he picked up the book he was currently reading, and took a seat sideways on his favourite armchair, with his leg dangling over the armrest, which was very un-Kai like.
Too engrossed at book he was reading, Kai didn't even notice someone was standing right in front of him, their hands resting by their hips, and with their lips pursued. It was then the said person cleared their throat made Kai stop reading and look up, only to meet with a pair of disappointed, yet hurt/guilty golden eyes of a certain raven-haired neko-jin.
Kai didn't know that Rei saw his little encounter with the pink-haired girl, so he assumed that the disappointed look from Rei's eyes that Kai was seeing was something else. "Rei is something wrong?" he asked.
"I don't believe you," was all Rei said, making Kai slap his forehead inwardly. Rei had seen the whole thing? The crimson-eyed boy stood up from his seat and walked through one of the shelves, ignoring that the fact Rei was following him. "How could you, Kai? I told you to leave it alone!"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Kai! I know that you know exactly what I'm talking about! Why'd you have to yell at Mariah like that? She didn't do anything!"
The crimson-eyed boy turned around to look at Rei's golden eyes. He walked towards the neko-jin, slowly, while his eyes are having a possessive look in them. Rei noticed that and he started to back away from the older boy; though, unfortunately for Rei he ran out room. So now his back was leaning to the bookshelf, with his eyes wide with anxiousness.
"Uhh…Kai…w-what are you d-doing…"
"Two words, Rei: Shut up." With that Kai crushed his lips towards Rei's cherubic ones into a passionate kiss.
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Max looked at Kai and Rei back and forth, from his book. Both were seriously quiet, and every time they would look each other in the eye, they would blush and look away. That made the blond thoroughly confused; they weren't acting like that before breakfast. His cheerful, blue eyes looked at his lover, who was sitting by his side, reading a book about… food. Max decided not to bother Tyson, so he looked over to Bryan, who was sitting right beside him, talking to Tala.
"Psst… Bryan?" he asked, making Bryan and Tala look at him.
"Yeah?"
"Have you noticed how the way Kai and Rei are acting towards each other?" Max jerked his head, indicating that the pair should look at Kai and Rei.
Tala and Bryan looked at Kai and Rei's way and of course, Max was right. Kai had a book with him; either he was actually reading on it, or he was using it was a shield so no one could think that he was staring at Rei, which was rather an amusing sight to Tala. Rei has a book as well, though on the other hand, he was actually reading, you could tell because he looked engrossed at the book, and he was chuckling at some parts that no one understands, this amused Bryan, because his best friend was too wrapped up reading that the neko-jin wasn't even noticing that Kai was giving him a lustful look.
Max waited for the older boys' responses, until Dizzi came into the room, looking like she was going to explode with happiness.
"Guess what?" She asked, noticing how awkward Kai and Rei act towards each other, though she didn't say anything about it.
Tyson looked up from his book, and gave Dizzi a quizzical look. "You're getting your brain fixed?"
Everybody except Tyson could tell that Dizzi's left eye was twitching out of fury and that her hands were ready to strangle the blue-haired boy; though to their surprise, Dizzi ignored Tyson's comment and kept on smiling, which freaked everybody out. She plopped down on one of the cushioned armchair right beside Kenny.
"Well? Aren't you going to tell us why are you all happy and junk?" asked Tyson.
"Well, I was just told by my father that the people who are going to measure us for the robes and junk are coming here, tomorrow! Can you believe it? We're this," Dizzi put her thumb and index finger together, "Close for the wedding to take place!" She gave a squeal and her eyes were teary eyed. "My childhood friend… he's grown up so much."
Kai gave Dizzi a slight glare, ignored the girl's little moment, and continued read---I mean staring at the book---I mean staring at Rei. He was busy staring at the neko-jin so much that he didn't even noticed Tala and the rest had left them in the library all alone, until he heard the door being locked. The same with the neko-jin as well, he was too wrapped-up reading his novel that he never noticed that all of their friends were gone, though he did heard footsteps leaving and the door locking.
Both heads turned towards the door and their widened in surprise.
"What the hell?!"
Meanwhile, outside the door, a few giggles and snickers from the people who locked the door when they had heard both Kai and Rei said, "What the hell?!". Dizzi had to stuff in her fist at her mouth just to prevent from laughing too loud, while the others were leaning on the wall or on each other, to prevent from falling over.
Dizzi gave Max a high five and giggled more. "Man, am I good or what?"
Tyson frowned and gave Dizzi a look. "What do you mean you're good?" He gave a smug smile and puffed his chest out with pride. "I'm the one that had the idea to lock them in the room in the first place!"
After Tyson had said that, silence engulfed the whole corridor until,
"HAHAHAHAHAHA…" Everybody except Max had started laughing very loudly, making the maids who were cleaning the paintings look at them and see if either their Masters or Mistress still has their sanity left.
Tyson was insulted; he wasn't even being funny! So why the heck were his friends laughing like they had heard some joke? The blue-haired boy crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. His lover looked at their friends like they were some weirdoes and patted Tyson's arm. "Oh come on, Tyson," Max whispered quietly. "They were only joking."
It took at least ten whole minutes for the gang to calm down, and wipe tears off their face, Bryan being one of them. "Man… Kinomiya, that was some nice joke. Thanks for giving me a good laugh."
"I wasn't being funny," Tyson retorted, while Max was soothing him by patting his arm.
Tala raised his red brow. "Are you sure you didn't? Because that really was a good joke, Tyson."
"I TOLD YOU, IT'S NOT A JOKE!"
Everybody (now it's including Max) was looking at Tyson; the blue-haired teen's face was fuming and there were veins popping out of anger. He never really gets mad at anything, except for when someone tries to steal his precious food. Tyson was about to yell more when,
"WOULD YOU PEOPLE SHUT UP? YOU LOCK US HERE AND NOW YOU'RE BEING LOUD TOO? CAN'T YOU SEE THAT WE'RE READING?" Kai had yelled through the door, obviously annoyed at the racket that Tyson and the others were making.
Six pairs of eyes blinked slightly while staring at the locked library door.
Tala shrugged nonchalantly and preceded to go to the dojo to get some training, though I don't think that, that would happen since Bryan was following him.
Kenny headed down towards to the other library to continue his reading (there's like at least three libraries in the castle), though while he was walking, he kept his eyes on his book, reading.
Tyson and Max snorted and thought that what Kai meant to say is that he was staring, NOT reading and went down to the kitchen area.
And last but not the least, Dizzi went to her room.
The dark violet-eyed girl went inside her room and gave a small sigh. It seemed that every single one of her friends have their special someone except her. She walked towards a desk and pulled out a drawer; inside the drawer there was a small stack of paper, obviously something that she has been writing on. Dizzi took out the manuscript and jumped on her fluffy bed, taking her time for the softness of the mattress cuddle at her face. After she had done that she looked at the pieces of paper that her hands were holding and read them.
She re-reads them again, only this time though she started to sing the words that were imprinted on the paper. Her voice was so heavenly that a certain someone that was passing by her bedroom door had heard it, and now they were standing right in front of the door and was listening at Dizzi's voice.
Said someone had knocked into the door, making the singing voice stop.
When Dizzi had opened the door, she was surprised to Kenny outside her door. "Kenny! What's up?"
"Umm… uhh… I… I w-was just passing by a-and I heard this really good voice singing and I realized that it was in your room…" Kenny trailed off, feeling embarrassed that he's making a fool of himself in front of the girl he had a crush on.
Dizzi, who was getting Max's naivety, just blinked and smiled. She grabbed Kenny's arm and pulled him inside her room, making the poor boy, who was blushing fiercely by the way, startled at the action. "So… what exactly did you hear?" she asked, as she plopped down into the bed, while Kenny just took a seat at a random chair.
"Well… I really didn't hear the exact words, but I'm sure they're really nice." 'Meaning that you're voice was heavenly,' Kenny added though he only said it through his mind, as if Dizzi can read minds or something.
In the meantime, Dizzi was kind of arguing with her inner thoughts. You see… as we all know, during the recent events of Wedding planning and preparations, she had developed feelings for the brunet, and right now she's actually thinking about telling him…
Right now…
In her own bedroom…
Oh what possibilities could there be…
She shook her head inwardly and scolded herself. Oh how could she think of such a thing? He probably doesn't like her that way, that's for sure. Dizzi sighed loudly, making Kenny look at her with concern.
"Is something bothering you, Dizzi?" he asked, while walking towards the bed.
Dizzi shrugged and gave an ironic smile. "You know… it's kind of weird that our friends have someone to be with, while the both of us are still single…"
"What do you mean?" Kenny sat down at the edge of the bed, his forehead cringing slightly.
"Well… it's just that Tala has Bryan… and then Tyson has Max… and Kai would probably get Rei in the end despite how clingy Rei's cousin is…"
Kenny looked at Dizzi's depressed look that's etched on her pale complexion. He just has to make her happy again… though what should he say to comfort her?
'Well… you could start by telling her how much you like---maybe even love---her' his inner thoughts piped up.
Kenny looked at Dizzi's face; her eyes were closed and it appears like she's sleeping, and peacefully at that. 'What if she doesn't feel the same way?'
'Then take a risk… that's what your friends did, and look how they turned out…'
The brunet sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose. As much as he hates to admit that his inner thoughts were right; either tell her or just watch her from a far… So then, Kenny took a deep breath and tapped Dizzi on the shoulder.
"Hey, Dizzi?"
Dizzi sat up and looked deep into Kenny's eyes, regardless of the boy's glasses being in the way. She tilted her head, indicating that she was waiting for Kenny to say something to her; though on the inside she couldn't help but be nervous. What if he's going to say that he loves another girl or boy from his kingdom and he needs her advice? Oh she would never, ever bear the thought. The dark violet-eyed girl looked in an anxious yet amused at Kenny's appearance.
Right now the poor boy was blushing so much that you would probably think that he's a human tomato when it's the first time you've met him, not only that, when he's trying to talk, his mouth would open and then in a second it would close again (like what fishes do when they breathe).
Kenny's look made Dizzi have made yet another conclusion, though only this time it was a positive one instead of a negative. Dizzi had this really shrewd idea that maybe… just maybe… Kenny would feel the same way and she would have a happy ending.
"Well… I w-was just going to say that… umm… I-I mean, that I…" Kenny stuttered, his already red face was still going red, making a fool of himself more.
Dizzi just smiled lovingly at him and said, "Kenny? Just shut up and kiss me."
And you know what happened? He did.
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"Why am I going first?"
"I already told you! You're the one who's getting married so it would be right that you and Kai would be measured first!"
Rei sighed as he waited patiently in his and Kai's room with Dizzi and Kai for the tailor and designers to show up. "Then, what are you doing here?"
Dizzi gave a cheerful smile and gave a wink. "I'm here to make sure that the both of you don't make anything too… drastic that, that would make your hormones drive to the edge." She turned her cheerful smile into a smirk when she saw Rei blushed a pretty shade of red, while Kai was glaring at her, though he has a small tinge of red that's contrasting against his two blue shark fins that are painted in his cheeks.
Just as Kai was about to snap at Dizzi, at least three people came in the room, with a measuring tape, scissors, different kinds of fabric, and pins. By the time all three people came into the room, Dizzi stood up from her seat and smoothed out her dress. She gave Kai and Rei a small, yet mischievous smile and left the room, after she gave a small bow to the three people.
"Okay, now let's get started," one of the three people said, while the other two were moving a wooden block so that when either Kai or Rei could stand on them, the tailor would be able to measure them and try the fabric on them easily. "Who's… Kon Rei here?"
Rei stood up from the armchair reluctantly and gave Kai a look, as if he was asking permission to the older boy. Kai just gave a small, yet reassuring smile towards the neko-jin's way, making Rei feel at ease. The neko-jin walked towards at the wooden block and stood on it, waiting for the tailor to just get it over with the fitting and whatnot.
While he was being measured for his clothing, Rei couldn't help but wonder what would he wear for the wedding. Was he going to wear a dress, or a warrior suit? The neko-jin kept on giving secret glances towards Kai's way, afraid that he would get embarrassed in front of the slate-haired boy if he asked what kind of clothing would he wear.
As if the tailor was reading Rei's mind, the tailor gave a low chuckle. "You're wondering what you're going to wear the wedding, am I correct?" he asked, making Rei look at him surprisingly.
"Umm… yeah…"
"But you're too embarrassed to ask since your fiancé is leaning on the wall across the room, am I correct again?"
Again, Rei nodded, getting freaked out, thinking that the tailor was somekind of psychic reading his mind.
The tailor gave a low chuckle again, while taking a fabric from his assistant and wrapping it around Rei. "About your clothing, well… you're mother was wondering if I would sew a traditional Chinese gown for you," He gave a dry smile when he saw Rei paled slightly. "But in the end I managed to convince her that you wearing a gown wouldn't make a good combination. Your husband and the rest would be mesmerized at you, but you wouldn't feel comfortable with what you're wearing."
Rei sighed with relief when he found out that he wasn't going to wear any dress. "What am I going to wear then?" he asked.
"Since you're going to wear them very soon, I might as well tell you anyway. You're going to wear a combination of a traditional Chinese dress and a traditional Chinese warrior suit. I haven't really exactly made the details yet, so right now I'm only going to see what colour of the fabric would be good for you." The tailor explained, while unwrapping the fabric he wrapped around earlier and replacing it with yet another fabric though the colour was different. It was a white material with silver and blue embroidery [1]. When Rei had seen the cloth, he loved it already.
Crystal: There! Now you all know what Rei's going to wear for the wedding --coughMoon Bindcough--
[1] – I hope you didn't mind if I used the colour that you suggested, EternalElement… --laughs nervously--
I hope that satisfied you readers! I'll be updating my other fics very soon too so just be patient. Oh, and just to let you guys all know, I have a new TxB fic coming up, so I hope you guys check it out! This is Crystal saying, Ja ne and see you all soon!