Chapter 7: Breaking Loose with New Discoveries
"Kai, wake up." Tala whispered as he nudged the boy beside him in the shoulder. He knew Kai was a fairly light sleeper so he didn't want to be too loud. He wanted his lover awake, not startled.
"What is it Tala? What's wrong?" Kai groaned, not even opening his eyes.
"I heard someone moving down the hall way after Rei's door opened and closed again. You don't think that guy followed us back do you?" Tala sounded doubtful even as he made the suggestion.
"Tala, you know the system just as well as I do. It was probably the tiger moving rooms."
Tala glanced down at the half asleep boy. "Do you really think it was? I mean, you're right. That's a likely possibility. But do you really think that he went to Bryan's room?"
Kai smiled before peaking up at Tala through one eye. "Have you not noticed the interactions between those two? Bryan will be good for Rei. He'll watch over him. I think in some way, the interest goes both ways, they're just in denial."
Tala gaped down at his lover. "You think they like each other? Well, would explain why Rei has clung to Bryan a little bit. But you have to admit that he hasn't really clung to Bryan any more than he has to either one of us? But it does explain Bryan's reactions to Rei's actions. It would also explain why he was more pissed off than worried earlier tonight at the club. Do you think he was jealous of the guy that was trying to pick Rei up?"
Kai simply smiled and pulled Tala back down to the bed, wrapping his arms around him and trying to go back to sleep. "Go back to bed Tala. They'll take care of themselves in time. Rei won't be ready for that step until he decides he's ready. If we push them together before he's ready, it could split them further apart. That's the last thing Rei needs."
"I wasn't going to try to push them together." Tala tried to sound innocent.
"Don't even try it Wolf, I know you too well. I know your brain was beginning to plot, and I'm telling you now, leave it. You'll know when Rei is ready. Bryan also needs to find his own feelings. If they don't do this by themselves, they'll doubt the whole relationship."
"But Kai, they deserve to be happy." Tala frowned into Kai's chest as he closed his eyes, trying to go back to sleep.
"They will be happy. They just have to do it in their own time. It will be good for them both. Bryan can give Rei the support and backing that he needs. In order to do that effectively he needs to break out of the shell he's built around himself. In the end, they'll help each other. But you are staying out of it."
Tala sighed. "All right, I know nothing. Just answer one thing."
Kai groaned and pulled the red-head tight against his chest. "One last question and then we are going back to sleep."
"Do you think the tiger really is in Bryan's room now? I only heard Rei's door."
"I heard Bryan's door open just a few moments after Rei's. The foot steps went from Rei's room to Bryan's and the alarm is not going off."
Tala pulled back and stared at Kai in shock. "You are a son of a bitch, you know that! You never said anything about hearing Bryan's door open. I thought you were asleep. I never heard it. You could have at least told me when you knew I was worried."
Kai grinned and opened his eyes again to laugh at his lover. "I'm a light sleeper Tala. I was aware of the noises in the house as soon as the door creaked. Do you honestly think I didn't hear it? If you had listened closer instead of babbling to me you would have heard Bryan's door as well. That creep did not follow us back home. Rei is fine, he's in Bryan's room now if I heard right. Now come back here and go back to sleep, love."
Tala frowned and grumbled before settling back down in Kai's arms to attempt sleep for the rest of the morning. Kai could have sworn Tala had called him a few rotten names but he knew the wolf was just grumbling and didn't mean any of it seriously. After a few moments the two fell back into a peaceful sleep, hoping that life would be looking up for both of their other housemates.
-Dream Sequence-
"You're mine Rei, come on. Just follow me."
Rei spun in circles trying to escape the hands grabbing at him from all directions. No matter where he turned, he found more hands grabbing at him, trying to pull him into the darkness. "No, I don't want you. You aren't the one I need. I will not be a possession. I'm free. I will remain so. I will not be a caged tiger. Let me go. Please." Rei continued to spin in circles, looking for an escape route.
"Rei!"
The tiger quickly spun once again as he heard the loving voice from before call for him. "Please, where are you! I want to find you but I need help."
"Just follow you're heart Rei. It will lead you to me. Break free Rei. Break free and find me, please."
"Rei finally shoved at the hands surrounding him, making his own escape route. He quickly took his chance and broke away, running towards the voice that seemed to care so much for him.
-End Dream Sequence-
"Rei, Rei, wake up, it's alright." Bryan gently shook the sleeping tiger, trying to wake him from whatever dream he was fighting.
"No, don't go yet. I'll find you. WAIT!" Rei's voice rose as he sat up quickly, almost smashing into Bryan on the way up. Rei looked around, slowly waking up, and noticed the sun was already up.
"Rei? Are you ok? You were talking in your sleep again. You were looking for someone, telling them you'd find them. Who were you looking for Rei?" Bryan placed a hand gently on Rei's shoulder.
The tiger looked over his shoulder at Bryan. He smiled at the worried falcon. "It's alright Bryan. It was just a dream, don't worry about it."
"Are you sure Rei? You were tossing quite a bit." Bryan continued to give Rei a worried look.
Rei leaned over and hugged the falcon close to him. "I'm really alright Bryan. Don't worry about it. Why don't we go down and get some breakfast. You guys have been worried enough about me the last few days. Why don't we go out to the mall or something? I could wander around and see if anyone is hiring. I'm going to need to get a job at some point and that way I won't be sitting around the house all the time. I'm sure you guys have to get back to work soon and I don't want to be here alone all the time while you guys work."
"You don't have to get right out there Rei. It's okay if you want to wait a little bit before you do."
Rei smiled as he stood from the bed and made his way to the door. He looked back to make sure Bryan was right behind him. "It's really ok Bryan. I want to do it. I need to do something with myself. Now come on, I'm a little hungry."
The two made their way down the stairs to find Tala and Kai already seated at the table with pancakes and French toast sitting in the middle. "Awesome you guys already made breakfast. It looks wonderful." Rei sat beside Kai and made himself a plate to eat.
Kai smiled at Rei as the tiger found his seat and mumbled a good morning.
"Rei was thinking of heading out to the mall today. What do you two have planned?" Bryan asked from his seat beside Tala.
Tala frowned as he thought through the plans for the day. "I don't think we have anything really. We don't have to go back to work till tomorrow. I think it sounds like a good idea to hit the mall as long as Rei is ok with going out."
Rei smiled at the wolf. "Don't worry about me. I'd like to go check out the mall. I want to see what there is here. I'm okay. Forget that last night happened. I had fun, it got late, and we came home. Everything else is blown over the shoulder. Don't even think about it. I'm fine. Really."
Kai smiled at his friend again. "All right then. After we clean up breakfast, we'll get dressed and head over to the mall. I'm sure Tala would love the chance to do some shopping and Rei could get to know the area just a little bit."
Rei looked around and found Tala with a huge grin spreading across his face. "Tala, what's the grin for?" The tiger never pictured Tala to be one to love outings like this that much.
"Rei, you have know idea what kind of a box you just opened. I hope you're ready for a long day, because you are going to see absolutely everything there is to see in that mall. It's been awhile since I really got to go shopping. Add on the fact that between the three of us, we can do a very good shopping spree."
Rei frowned a little at the redhead before smiling and shaking his head. "Who would have ever thought that our wolf is a shopaholic?"
Bryan laughed as he set his empty plate in the sink and began filling the sink to wash the dishes. The boys all quickly finished breakfast and cleaning before they headed upstairs for a shower and change of clothes.
Rei enjoyed gazing out the window of Kai's black car as they cruised down the streets on their way to the mall. Bryan sat beside him in the back seat pointing out interesting areas that they passed along the way and promised to bring him back to show him more places at a later time. Kai glanced into the rearview mirror in time to catch Rei's eyes go wide at the sight of the huge mall that now loomed in front of them. It only seemed to get bigger as Kai maneuvered the car around to the other side of the building. The mall appeared to grow off the side of a hill as he noticed two separate levels appear on the other side. He hadn't seen very many malls except for when they traveled, and even then he hadn't seen one so huge.
Kai and Tala grinned as the car was parked outside the food court and everyone made their way inside.
Tala looked in all directions as Rei looked around both levels surrounding them. "I think our best bet is to probably just circle the bottom level, drop things off at the car if we need to, and then circle the top. We should hit everything then and it should place us at some of the good restaurants around lunch time."
Kai nodded in agreement as he grabbed Tala's hand and pulled him towards the escalator that led down to the bottom level. From what Rei could see, the bottom level appeared to be made up of electronics and clothing stores. When he looked the other way, he could see a couple of small restaurants lined down the walk way. "I assume we're going that way so that we end up coming back around to those?"
Tala grinned and nodded at the tiger as he pulled his lover up the walkway. Kai groaned as Tala laced their fingers together and pulled him along. "Let the games begin. I hope you're ready for a long day Rei. You'll ready for a good night's sleep if Tala has his way today, and when it comes to the mall, he usually does."
Rei laughed and looked back to Bryan behind him. Bryan placed his hand on Rei's waist and guided him along the walkway behind the other two. They made a quick stop in a music store where Rei simply flipped through some cds and continued on his way. He loved music but wanted to get a chance to get himself settled into his new room and with the other three before he started buying more things along those lines. As they exited the music store, Tala's eyes went wide with joy as he spotted the next store. Rei looked over and saw the clothing store that was now before them. "What's so special about this one?" he asked Bryan.
"This is one of Tala's favorite stores to shop for clothes to wear to the clubs. Be careful kitty cat. He likes to shop for others as well. The wolf doesn't go to clubs alone and he likes to match those he does go out with. Kai is usually the one being dressed up but seeing as how you are new here, you will probably fall subject to his critique."
Rei simply laughed as they all entered the store. Sure enough, Tala dragged Rei straight to the front corner of the store and began piling clothes in his arms. After a couple of outfits were picked out, Tala sent Rei to the fitting rooms to try them on so he could see how they would look. Bryan watched as Tala sent Rei back and forth. He added his own opinion on the outfits he thought suited Rei and the ones he thought would only bring trouble for the tiger. By the time Tala was done, Rei was carrying three bags to add to his dresser and closet and Tala had found some new accessories for himself.
Next were some game stores and electronics shops. Kai decided to make a pit stop in one of the electronics shops while Tala and Bryan took Rei into the game store. While Tala and Bryan were checking out one of the new sports games for one of their game systems, Kai slid in behind Rei and handed him a small bag from the electronics store. "What's this Kai?" Rei questioned as he peaked into the bag. His eyes quickly widened as he took in the boxes that were held inside. "Kai, you really didn't have to."
Kai smiled and pulled Rei close to his side by the waist. "I know I didn't. I wanted to. The cell phone will come in handy here. When we get home, I'll make sure we get all the numbers programmed into it for you. This way, if you want to go out while we're at work, you don't have to worry about getting in touch with us if you need to. We also won't worry as much about where you are. You can leave a note at home if you decide to go out and we'll call you when we get it. If you need to get in touch with us while you're out, you have access to us at any time."
Rei smiled and wrapped his arm around Kai's waist in return. "Thank you Kai. I appreciate it. I'm sure it will be very useful."
"It wasn't a problem Rei. The three of us are set up so the phones are linked together. I just had them add you on with another phone. The other box isn't much. It's just a few accessories for the real present. I figured that with you thinking things through and not sure about a job or school or what not, that you could use a few things to help with anything that may come along the way. Sometime next week, they'll be sending a computer to the house for you. It's something you can use for school or fun. We all have our own system set up and a wireless network at the house. Bryan and Tala have all kinds of games they play online together. Consider it a welcome to the house gift maybe?"
Rei laughed. "You really didn't have to, but I will enjoy the gift. You guys are really spending entirely too much on me today. I don't know how to thank you."
Kai smiled down and gently kissed Rei on the cheek. "You don't have to thank us Rei. We just want to help you get settled into the house. And everything we've done has been to make you more comfortable or help you. There is no need to thank us. Just being happy where you are is thanks enough."
"I am happy Kai. Thank you. Now, I think it's time we drag these two out of here. It's getting pretty close to lunch time. If we want to pick a restaurant and get our food before we get too hungry, we better go now."
Kai nodded and let go of Rei so that he could pull his wolf out of the store. Bryan laughed and guided Rei behind them further down the hall a nice looking Chinese restaurant. Rei noticed the help wanted sign in the front window with interest. He had always liked working with food. It would suit him just fine to work in a restaurant and it did look like a fairly nice place. The girl at the front quickly sat all four of them at a table and took a drink order for them. When she asked Rei what he would like, he gave her his order and asked about the sign in the front window. "What kind of help are looking for?"
"We have waiter and bartender positions open. Would you like one of the applications to take home? We really need some help in the waiter area. It's been a little short staffed lately." She smiled at Rei as she wrote down their drink orders and placed the menus on the table.
"Sure, thank you."
Kai looked at Rei with a small frown. "Are you sure Rei? You don't have to jump at the first opportunity for a job. You don't need to worry about it."
Rei smiled back at Kai. "Thank you Kai. But I do need to do something. How will I know what I want to do if I don't start getting out and start trying new things? I always was good in the kitchen and have always loved working with food. Maybe I can start as a waiter and move into the kitchen and be a cook. You never know."
Tala placed a hand on Kai's knee under the table and smiled at Rei. "I think that sounds like a good plan Rei. Have you thought about getting the experience and trying to open your own place? If you enjoy the field that much, you could probably do well running your own place."
Rei smiled at the thought and looked down at the table. "When I was younger I use to think that would be a nice idea. As I got older it seemed like an impossible dream. I haven't thought about it much recently though. There's a lot to it other than just knowing food and having some experience."
"You could always take some management classes or business classes. It's not an impossible dream Rei. If it's what you want, you should go for it. You don't have to make a decision now. Just think about it ok?"
Rei smiled and nodded as the waitress came back with their drinks and the application. She took their orders and went back to the kitchen. It didn't take very long for them to get their food and finish lunch. The waitress, Michelle, said goodbye and bid them a good day. She told Rei she looked forward to seeing him again soon with his filled out application and the boys continued on their way around the mall. Tala made a quick stop in one last clothing store and bought Rei a few more things for around the house and just being out and about. He figured Rei could use some more clothes for just hanging out. "Tala, my closet and dresser are already full from the shopping trip that was done without me, where am I going to put this stuff?"
Tala grinned at Rei as they exited the store. "Simple. We didn't have a whole lot of furniture in there because we wanted you to have a choice. When we make the circle upstairs, we can go into the home furnishings department of one of the stores and you can pick out a second dresser that I know will fit by the way, and a desk. We can also check out getting you any linens or things for the bathroom that you may want to change. Everything that is in that room was set for a guest room. It's your room now and it's time to personalize it for you."
Rei grinned as he prepared his plan for running Tala around the store for decorations. As they came up to another game store, Bryan pulled Rei in behind him. He had heard Kai tell Rei that the tiger would be getting a new computer, and Bryan was determined to get Rei involved with the computer gaming. He knew the basic software that would be included with the new system, so he began picking out games and other programs that he thought the kitten would enjoy. By the time they left, Rei was loaded down with all the bags from their shopping and Bryan was taking a few off of his hands.
Rei plopped himself down into a chair in the food court as they completed their circle. "I think it's time to drop some things off guys. My arms are loaded."
Tala laughed at Rei as he took up a few of the bags. "Alright kitten. You and Bryan wait here. Kai and I will take this stuff out to the car and be back in a few. After that we'll continue the top level. There isn't as much that we should hit up here. There's just another clothing store really. It's bigger than the others, but it's a store that we all usually shop at. That's where we'll hit the home furnishings for you're other stuff and then we'll be headed home. You two just sit right there and we'll be right back."
"You two behave out there. Remember we're still in public, as if that's ever stopped you before." Bryan grinned as Tala feigned shock.
"I don't know what you are implying Bryan. We always behave."
"Yeah right. I saw the small make out session just inside the fitting rooms of the last clothing store. Don't pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about."
Rei giggled at Bryan's side as the wolf and phoenix carried everything out to the car. It didn't take them long to drop everything off and return to their friends.
Tala pulled Rei down the walkway upstairs until they reached the next shop. "This is really the only other store to hit, and then we'll head home and get everything put away, ok?"
Rei nodded as the redhead pulled him through the home furnishings department. Sure enough, Rei was able to find a desk that would suit his needs and another dresser to fit all of his new clothes. They talked to one of the sales clerks about setting up a delivery time later that evening and Rei was left to his own devices with Bryan as Kai and Tala went their own separate way. Rei quickly discovered why Tala and the other two enjoyed this store. They carried all kinds of styles. It wouldn't matter what kind of look they were hunting for, they could probably find it here. Rei quickly picked up a few things and found the fitting room. He took note that Bryan was close by in case he wanted to ask the falcon's opinion of the outfit. He tried on a couple of shirts and decided he didn't really like how they looked once he had them on. He kind of liked the baggy cargo pants he had found. He stepped out of the fitting room to ask Bryan what he thought, but didn't see the falcon anywhere. "Hmm, I could have sworn he was right there. I guess I'll go ahead and get these and see what they think later."
"I think those look nice. They suit you very well."
Rei spun around, slightly spooked by the unknown voice.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. You seemed to be looking for another opinion and the person you were looking for wasn't here. My name is Josh." The stranger held his hand out to Rei in a friendly gesture with a smile.
Rei quickly took in the fact that this stranger was several inches taller than him. He appeared friendly enough to Rei though, so he didn't see any harm in introducing himself. "My name is Rei. You're right. I thought my friend was right here but I guess he walked off to continue shopping. Thanks for the opinion though. I think I'll go ahead and buy these." Rei then turned back to the dressing room to collect the clothes he wanted to buy and return those he didn't. When he left the fitting room, Josh was still waiting outside looking through some clothes on the close by racks. Rei quickly looked around trying to find Bryan above the racks.
Josh noticed him looking around. "Still don't see you're friend?"
Rei smiled gently at the man and continued looking over the racks. "No. That's really funny. I could have sworn I saw him earlier. I guess he's around the other side. Thanks though. I'll just be on my way. It was nice meeting you."
"Wait, Rei, I'm heading over that way anyway, why don't I walk with you? Another set of eyes could do well while you look for your friend."
Rei simply shrugged his shoulders and described Bryan to Josh. They walked their way around to the other side of the store.
"So I haven't seen you around here before Rei? You don't look Russian, are you new in the area?"
"Yeah, I'm from China. I just moved in with a few friends who live around here. The small village life just didn't suit me anymore, so I moved in with my friends."
"How did you meet them if you're from a small village in China?"
"I was on the same team with one of them. And all three of them have been friends since they were little. We all compete in the same sport together."
Josh suddenly looked like everything was clear. "Now I know where I know you from. You beyblade, don't you? You're from the Bladebreakers."
Rei blushed and nodded as he continued to look around for Bryan. "Yeah, that was my team."
"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm not going to go all star struck on you. You're pretty good in the dish. Maybe we could get together some time and spin a few."
Rei nodded and frowned as he still didn't spot Bryan. "Sure, maybe we could. I hear there's a pretty good park with some dishes around here."
Josh nodded and pointed to Rei's other side. Rei looked at him as if he had grown a second head. "I think I just found your friend. He doesn't really look to happy, though."
Rei was about to turn around when he felt Bryan slide an arm around his waist and pull him close. "I've been looking for you, kitten. I went back to the fitting rooms but you weren't there."
Rei looked up at Bryan and smiled. "I finished and figured you had wandered elsewhere, so I went looking for you."
Josh smiled at the two.
"Who's this?" Bryan frowned and nodded towards Rei's company. "Bryan, this is Josh. I ran into him over by the fitting rooms. He was helping me look for you."
Josh held his hand out to Bryan in a friendly gesture.
Bryan shook hands with the stranger. "Thank you for helping him. We have to be on our way though. Tala and Kai are probably looking for us and it's time to head home."
Josh nodded and waved goodbye to Rei. "Bye Rei, it was nice meeting you. Maybe we'll run into each other again sometime."
Bryan frowned as Josh walked away. He held Rei closer to him as they walked up to the counter to pay for their items and meet with Tala and Kai. "You met him by the fitting rooms?"
Rei looked up at the falcon curiously. "Yeah, he was shopping through the racks there when I came out to find you. I was going to ask your opinion about some outfits but you weren't there. He gave me his opinion and helped me find you."
Bryan frowned, but stayed silent.
Rei picked up on the protectiveness. "It's ok Bryan. He didn't push anything. We were just talking. I need to make other friends here besides you guys. I need to know other people around this area. I can't depend on only you three. I love you all, but it would still be a little lonely for me. I need to meet people. You are all family to me, but I need to be able to find more. In order to do that, I need to meet people. Please, Bryan. Don't cage me in."
Bryan looked down at Rei and took in the sad eyes. He wrapped his other arm around the tiger and apologized. "I'm sorry, Rei. I don't mean to cage you in. I just want to make sure you aren't hurt. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds."
Rei smiled and tightened his hold around the falcon. "It's ok Bryan. Let's just head out to meet Tala and Kai. I think it's getting closer to dinner time and we need to get home to meet the delivery truck."
Bryan nodded as they walked to the store entrance. They quickly found Tala and Kai already waiting for them. They made it out of the mall with only one more stop at a pet store. Rei got caught up with the kittens and found a bright orange tabby that he fell in love with. Bryan immediately found someone to pick out the tabby for Rei and found all the other items they would need for the pet. Kai and Tala smiled at the look on Rei's face. "Bryan, you really don't have to. It's a lot to ask to get a pet. It's your house."
Tala smiled. "It's ok Rei. We just never thought about getting a pet. If you want this kitten though, you're welcome to get him. It's not like you'll let him run loose tearing things up anyway. Not to mention he doesn't look like the type of cat to do that type of thing."
Bryan reached towards the kitten and gently petted him. The kitten leaned into Bryan's hand and began purring. Rei smiled at the reaction. "I guess that means he likes everyone. Thank you Bryan. I think I'll call him Flare."
Bryan smiled as the clerk put together a package of food, bowls, and collar for the kitten. "This will give you another friend for at home when we aren't there Rei. Even if we aren't there, you'll have Flare to keep you company." Rei smiled as they made their way out of the mall and towards the car.
They all got settled in and surprisingly Flare seemed to have no problem with the car. They had also gotten a carrier for him and he had settled in to sleep on the way home. Bryan slipped his hand into Rei's on top of the carrier between them. "So are you going to be meeting up with Josh again?"
Tala turned around to face the two in the backseat. "Who's Josh?"
Rei looked to Bryan with a frown. "He's somebody I met in the store after we split up. Bryan disappeared and Josh was shopping by the fitting rooms when I came out to find Bryan. We talked a little as he helped me find Bryan. I don't know if I'll be seeing him again. We didn't swap numbers or anything but he says he lives around here. What are the odds that I'll run into him again here?"
Tala frowned. "Well you are thinking about taking the job at the restaurant. He's bound to be in the mall again. It's possible. Who knows what could happen. It could be good for you to meet more friends."
Bryan frowned again and looked out the window. Rei tightened his hold on Bryan's hand. "Bryan, are you ok? What's wrong?"
Bryan just smiled at Rei and shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong. I just didn't get a good vibe from that guy. But you know how to take care of yourself. Just be careful, ok?"
Rei smiled and nodded. "I promise Bryan. If I run into him again and he does something wrong, you'll be the first to know, ok?"
Bryan smiled and tightened his grip on Rei's hand. Tala and Kai shared a small smile in the front seat at the exchange.
It didn't take them long to get home and get everything in. Rei immediately took Flare inside and set him down in the kitchen with some food and water. The kitten happily wandered around the kitchen while the four carried everything in.
While Rei was in the kitchen getting everything set up for Flare, Tala pulled Bryan onto the couch between him and Kai. "Bryan, are you really ok about this Josh guy? We've seen how you are around Rei. If you don't like the feeling you get from this guy, Rei will listen. If you don't like this guy for other reasons Bryan, it's even more of a reason for you to tell Rei. You can't cage him, but you can tell him how you feel. Rei is close enough with you and he seems to return some of the feelings. I just don't think he knows there's a possibility of them being returned."
Bryan shook his head. "Rei can take care of himself. If he's ready for a relationship, he deserves someone that can return his feelings. I can't give him what he needs right now. Hopefully later, he'll still be there. But I can't make him hold back because of me. He deserves more."
Kai frowned and wrapped his arms around Bryan. "Oh, Bryan. Just hang on. Things will work out in the end. You'll see. You'll break out of you're shell in your own time. You are learning your own feelings all over again at your own pace. Things will happen soon enough. You can't rush it. You just have to be patient."
Tala stood as he heard the door bell. "That's probably the delivery truck. Why don't you go answer it and help Rei get his stuff settled back into his room. I'll go get Flare and we'll keep him out of the way until you guys get things in."
Bryan nodded. The evening passed quickly and by the time Rei and Bryan had everything settled in, Kai and Tala had dinner ready. They ate, showered, and headed up to bed. Flare found himself a cozy place at the foot of Rei's bed after the tiger curled under the blankets. His tiny head perked up though as his ears picked up the mumbling from the falcon's room.
Dream Sequence-
"You're just a shell of a person."
"You're really just a robot aren't you?"
"You don't have a heart. You can't feel anything."
"Yes I do, please, stop this. I want to feel emotion again. I don't want to be closed in anymore." Bryan tried to push away the walls surrounding him, but they refused to move.
"Bryan, you can break free. Don't cage yourself in. Fly free. You need to break free of the shell for me to find you. Your shell hides you. Break free."
"I'm trying, please. Just help me. I don't want to be in here anymore. I feel pain, I feel sorrow, and I feel helplessness. I've known happiness with Kai and Tala and now Rei. Please. I'm finding all my feelings again. I don't want to be here."
Bryan continued to beat the wall in front of him even as tears began to fall from his eyes. Slowly the walls began to slide away and he was able to push his way through the maze. The voice was getting louder. He knew he was getting closer.
"Keep fighting Bryan. I'm coming to find you, but you need to break free a little more. Break free and I will find you, love. You just have to help me find you."
"Please, I want to feel love. I want to be able to love in return." Bryan pushed the last wall out of his way and felt himself fall free of the shell that had been placed around him. "Please, I'm out of that maze, where are you?"
The voice seemed to come from right behind him. "You can love in return; you just have to find it."
"Please, where are you? I want to find you!"
"You have, you just have to see me."
Bryan spun around to try to find the voice but once again he faced emptiness. "Wait!"
-End Dream Sequence-
"WAIT!" Bryan snapped straight up in bed as he woke from his dream. He looked around the dark room and figured it was still fairly late at night. "Damn, his dreams are rubbing off on me now."
"Bryan? Are you ok?" Rei called through the door as he knocked.
Bryan looked up at the knocking. He stood from the bed and opened the door for the worried tiger. "Rei, what are you doing up?"
Rei frowned at Bryan. "I heard Flare scratching at your door. When I came to see what was wrong I heard you calling in your sleep. Are you alright?"
Bryan nodded and looked down at the little kitten that had its front paws resting against his shins. He leaned down and picked the little one up. "It's ok Flare. It was just a dream."
Rei frowned and reached up to wipe the tears away from Bryan's cheeks. "Are you sure Bryan? You look pretty shaken. Do you want us to sleep in here with you? Flare seems to want to stay with you anyway."
Bryan smiled at Rei. "I think I would like that. I think it's kind of lonely sleeping by my self now. I've gotten so use to having someone there with me the last couple of days."
Rei smiled and slid into the room. Bryan set Flare down at the end of the bed before climbing under the blankets. Rei quickly slid closer to Bryan and curled into his arms. "Good night falcon. Get some more rest. We'll be here."
Bryan smiled. He waited until he could hear Rei's soft, even breathing before kissing his kitten good night. "Good night, love. I think I know what that dream was trying to tell me. Everything I needed was right under my nose." Flare crawled up to settle on the pillow above the two heads before falling back to sleep with his new friends.