Wow, I was so happy about all those reviews people left! I'd reply, but after that new rule I'm not allowed to, so fmoo. However, I will say: What I'm putting Kai through is my exaggerated and angst-ified version (plus yaoi-licious goodness) of what is happening to me. Thanks for all the hugs, but I don't really need comfort at the moment because I'm too busy being scornful of my soon-to-be-ex-stepdad and his desire to take the -lampshade- from one of the bedrooms. He's so petty...but he's not quite as psychotic as Kai's stepdad. Nowhere near, considering he has bad asthma and probably couldn't garner enough energy to lift a hand to punch anyone anyway...


"About last night..." Kai said awkwardly. "I'm...sorry." Rei smiled brightly. Almost too brightly, seeing as it was a Monday morning and they were in sociology again.

"It's okay."

"Only...she was upset because he said he's coming round tonight to talk to her...and I'm worried in case he does something..."

"I said it was okay. She's really pretty, your mother, isn't she?"

"Yeah." There was an awkward silence in which Rei laid a hand over one of Kai's.

"Look, it'll all be fine."

Kai nodded, but Rei could see that he didn't really believe it was so. They carried on with their notes for a few more minutes, than Kai stopped writing suddenly. "Rei...will you...will you come round again tonight?"

"Yeah, sure." Kai was about to reply when their teacher rounded on them.

"Kon, Hiwatari! Shut up!"

So Kai and Rei got back on with their work in silence.


That night Kai was sitting on his bed, nerves twanging with worry. He couldn't explain it but he had an overwhelming fear that something would happen... A knock at the window made him jump as if he'd been shot, but it was only Rei, teetering on the windowsill again. Kai got up and opened the window beside Rei, letting the Chinese boy jump inside. Strange thing was that while he was jumping, Kai's arms seemed to rise, capturing Rei in an strong embrace.

"Kai?" Rei looked up at him enquiringly, and Kai blinked.

"Um...I...sorry." He let go of Rei abruptly and closed the window, leaving the dark-haired boy very puzzled.

"So...is he back yet?"

"No. Not yet. But he will be. He said he'd be here at seven, and it's ten to now..."

Rei shook his head, taking hold of Kai's hand. "It'll be okay, Kai." Kai looked down at their entwined fingers, feeling his pulse start to race.

"I don't think it will be. You never knew him. He gets angry easily..."

"Well we're here. I'm sure if something happens we'll be able to think of something."

"Why 'we'? Why do you want to help? You're not my family...you hardly know me but-"

Rei clapped his free hand over Kai's mouth. "Stop making me shut you up like this. You don't half talk rubbish sometimes, Kai. I'm helping you because I want to, and because I want to know you better." Kai's free hand rose to Rei's, short, heavy fingers over Rei's delicate thin ones. There went his heartbeat again. Skittering like a frightened mouse. Rei pulled his hand away and smiled, and Kai's heart suddenly felt like it would leap out of his chest. Was it because Rei was touching him? But...he wasn't...he couldn't be..."Gay..."

Rei looked slightly offended at that. "I thought you'd gotten over calling me names, Kai." Kai found himself unable to reply, only licked his dry lips then leaned forwards and pulled Rei into his arms, crushing the Chinese boy against himself. "I...I didn't mean...I wasn't...it's just..." Rei tugged himself out of Kai's grip a little, reaching up and cupping Kai's cheek. Kai's heart went into overdrive again. Feeling it, Rei smiled. Mistaking what it meant, he spoke.

"Hey. Calm down. I'm only touching you. I'm not going to jump y-mph!" Before Rei could finish his sentence Kai kissed him, a clumsy inexperienced kiss that left them both reeling. Rei looked up at Kai with his mouth open, shocked beyond belief, while Kai stared back, wondering why he'd done that. And then it seemed clear...

"I think you've turned me..." He said quietly, voice low and husky. Rei laughed softly and kissed him again, a much more sophisticated kiss that made Kai moan with pleasure as their tongues danced and their hands wandered. Kai found himself automatically pulling Rei towards the wall, pinning him there and pressing against him shamelessly, wantonly. He could feel himself starting to get aroused by the contact, and the tell-tale bulge pressing against his thigh proved that Rei felt exactly the same.

It was only the sound of a door slamming that made them stop. "He's back..." Kai's blood ran cold and he ran out onto the landing. Rei joined him, listening as two people he couldn't even see argued back and forth in Russian. Kai looked increasingly and increasingly distressed, and it made Rei wonder what exactly was being said down there...

Eventually, Kai shot to his feet, screaming the only word of Russian Rei knew- "Niet!" Kai ran down the stairs and suddenly the argument moved into the sliver of hallway Rei could see. A fat, angry looking man with dark hair, Kai's mother, and now Kai, who stood in front of his mother protectively. Rei had to bite back a scream as the man launched himself forwards and hit Kai full in the face, sending the younger Russian sprawling, dazed. Then of course the fat man moved over to Kai's mother, pinning her up against the banister.

Rei suddenly realised that if he didn't do something, everything would be ruined. He looked around for something to help him, or to give him a hint. He found his inspiration in a discarded cup on the landing. Taking careful aim, he threw the china mug as hard as he could, so that it smashed off the back of the fat man's head, making him grunt with pain and turn, looking for the culprit. Rei ducked.

The fat man must obviously have dismissed it as an odd cup falling off the rail or something, so Rei looked around for something else to throw. He heard a rip...the sound of clothes being torn? He had to do something quickly then. He snuck back into Kai's room and picked up a hockey ball that was lying around, then hurled that down as well. This time, Kai's mother saw him, and looked at him strangely. Rei put a finger to his lips then ducked again.

There was a harsh snarl in Russian and then someone started to climb the stairs. Rei panicked slightly, standing up and facing Kai's stepfather as he climbed, leaning over the bannister opposite. "Leave them alone!" He said nastily. "Or you won't like what happens." The fat man kept climbing, so Rei had to think of a way of acting on his bluff. He looked at the top of the stairs, where Kai's stepdad would meet him, and grinned. There were ornate ends to the bannisters...two carved owls that Rei grabbed, swung himself round on...

And kicked Kai's stepdad in the face, knocking him off balance so that he fell back down the stairs cursing loudly. Rei leapt down after him, making sure he wasn't going to be getting up. "Um. I think you should ring the police or something." Kai's mother blinked, then picked up the nearby phone, while Rei knelt down next to Kai. He was lying slumped against the pale wall, head lolling. Rei patted his hand gently. "Kai?"

"Unh?"

"Kai, wake up..."

Kai blinked a few times then opened his eyes. Worry crossed his face and he tried to stand up, but Rei pushed him back. "It's okay, he's unconscious. He didn't hurt your mother. Only your hockey ball's all covered in blood from his nose and I smashed that mug that was on the landing...and I think I scratched the varnish on your stairs...I'm sorry...I couldn't think of anything else to do..."

Kai shook his head, then pulled Rei into his arms. Rei leaned his head on Kai's shoulder as the Russian whispered into his ear. "Thank you. Thank you so much..." Another hand touched Rei's shoulder.

"I have to add my thanks, whoever you are."

"He's my boyfriend, mother...and he's called Rei..."

"Then thank you, Rei. I'm Dimitra." As Rei snuggled up to Kai, Dimitra went out to meet the police officers who were storming the front street.

"So I'm your boyfriend now? When did I agree to that?"

"Hn." Kai sounded disappointed, so Rei looked up, smiling.

"I'm only joking. I want to be your boyfriend. I have for a while."

Kai smiled back, then kissed Rei on the cheek, reaching up a hand to stroke his hair. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. You're more than welcome. Come on, the police'll need to talk to you." With a smile, Rei helped Kai to his feet. And that was it.


"Now I want to look at the effects of tourism on the people of South Africa..."

Rei sighed, watching his teacher scribbling on the whiteboard with very little enthusiasm. He'd long ago decided he hated sociology. However...there were some perks to being on the foreigner's row and being ignored...

Kai was sitting next to him, scribbling what Rei took to be notes. A few seconds later, Kai passed him the piece of paper he'd been writing on. 'If I go and skive in the toilets again, will you come and find me?' It read. Rei raised his eyebrows and then wrote back. 'If I must.' Kai smiled, standing up.

"May I be excused?"


Fin

There, the end. I know it's short, but I felt more chapters would only spoil it, so there won't be any more.

R&R please!