Author: Mirai Shinranui, AKA Jasmine Flame.
All flames can be directed to jasmine_flameAThotmail.com
Rating: PG.
Notes: I'd like to thank everyone that's been giving me effective reviews; it really helps me when you tell me what you do and don't like about the story, and how I'm doing with things like plot, pace, and characterization. Please don't be afraid to point something out, or just tell me if you didn't like a certain part of the story. Don't forget to give me a reason as to why you liked or didn't like something, because I need to know what I'm doing right or wrong! You guys are all really great and you're making me feel so good about starting this; I was worried I was going to mess Kai and Rei's personalities up completely and have to walk away in shame.
Part 6 – Walking in the Rain
Kai glanced up from the pile of paperwork his butler had so graciously brought him. Rei lay on his stomach in front of the television, his head rested in his hands. He had his legs bent, feet dangling in the air and waving ever so slightly as he laughed. Kai could do without the interruption of the television but Rei needed something to do.
Kai rested his chin on his hand, watching Rei for a moment. Laughter was such a foreign sound in this house, so every heartfelt giggle seemed to echo around the room and chase away the shadows that lingered at every turn. Kai wasn't sure what Rei was watching, but he didn't think it mattered because Rei would laugh openly at anything that tickled him. There was something about Rei that constantly stumped him; even now he was confused. Rei seemed so childish and innocent, his legs waving in the air while he pulled at a strand of his dark hair. Kai knew he wasn't always like this; Rei could be deadly serious if the situation called for it, in fact he was sometimes quite intimidating.
Pushing the stack of papers away from him, he dropped the pen onto the table. He'd had enough of these sorts of tasks. He wasn't interested in money or political power so none of this meant anything to him and only proved to be a nuisance.
"Have you finished?"
Rei didn't look at him while he said this, his gaze glued on the television and whatever program he found so enthralling. Kai wasn't stupid; he knew Rei was aware of everything going on around him despite how engaging the program was.
"Yes, I'm done," Kai replied and stood, stretching the aches from his back and arms. His wrist hurt from signing so many forms and he had a headache from scanning endless lines of black letters that really just seemed to blur together in the end.
The sound on the television was switched off and the room fell silent. Rei sat up and smiled at his Captain, beckoning him over with a single gesture. Kai sighed but responded, seating himself on the couch behind Rei.
"I can't believe you have to do all those things," Rei commented, crossing his legs so he felt comfortable, "I guess it was important."
Kai pursed his lips. He didn't care if they were important; he wished he could just ignore them and hope they would go away.
"No wonder you're always so grumpy; you have writer's cramp!" Rei laughed at his own joke, the warm sound again filling the room. Kai even allowed himself a small smile; Rei's laughter was infectious.
"Isn't there something we can do, Kai? You must get so bored here all by yourself. What do you usually do?"
Kai folded his arms and closed his eyes in thought. He didn't usually do anything. He would busy himself with things that needed to be done, like the endless stacks of paperwork that seemed to accumulate, but other than that he mainly sat and stared, thinking of all the things that had happened. He hadn't really thought about how to entertain Rei or any other house guest he would ever have. He never thought he would have a guest. He opened his eyes to look down at Rei, who still stared at him with such determination in his eyes.
"Nothing," he said.
With an audible sigh, Rei got up to sit on the couch beside Kai, "There has to be something you do. Okay, what do you want to do? You can choose."
Kai wasn't sure whether he wanted to scream or simply strangle Rei; why did he have to be so persistent? He had this unfathomable need to talk and interact when all Kai wanted to do was be by himself. Max and Tyson might enjoy this non-stop activity but Kai felt tired just watching Rei. He didn't have enough energy to put up with people for this long.
"C'mon, Kai," Rei started, placing a gentle hand on the Russian's arm, "There has to be something. If you want to be alone, you can just tell me. Honestly, I won't be mad. I understand you enjoy your time alone."
"It's not that," Kai said, the words not processing in his mind before he spoke. He instantly regretted them, even if he wasn't entirely sure what he'd meant.
"What, then? Is it…that you don't enjoy spending time with me?"
Something struck Kai in the chest, a dull sort of pain that sucked the breath from his body. The look on Rei's face was so depressed and hurt; perhaps this was a little piece of what Rei was really like underneath everything? Kai groaned and shook his head wishing that he was better at this communication thing. He didn't know how to express what he really felt with words, so no one would ever understand.
"It's not that," he repeated and placed his hand on top of Rei's. He could feel Rei tense at the sudden contact but it didn't take long for him to relax. Rei was so trusting…
"I don't think you can tell me how you feel…so I won't pressure you," Rei's voice was barely a whisper. He couldn't force Kai to express his feelings and he didn't think he'd have much luck if he tried to guess how Kai really felt. The only thing he could do was hope Kai would start to tell him things like this and try to make him feel comfortable about doing so.
"Do you want to go for a walk?"
Rei felt a chill run down his spine as Kai spoke. Was Kai simply trying to shut him up or honestly offering something to do that he'd enjoy? There was so much to Kai that he just didn't understand. He knew he had to try; he could see Kai opening up to him. Rei could feel the heat of Kai's hand on his and it made him smile. It was the little things he had to watch for, not anything obvious. He couldn't expect Kai to feel at ease with him after such a short time. It had taken them so long to make Kai realize they were friends, so going any further was going to be a momentous task.
"Sure," Rei answered with a bright smile, "Where do you want to go? Oh, I know! Will you let me cook dinner for you, Kai?"
"…why?"
Rei laughed, "Because I want to. I won't poison you or anything."
Kai nodded, though he was still somewhat skeptical. Why would Rei want to cook dinner when he didn't have to? He had someone to cook dinner, and there was no need for Rei to put himself out. If Rei wanted to, Kai couldn't stop him. In fact he refused to stop him. From now on anything that Rei wanted to do was fine with him.
"Great! We can go to the store so I can get some things. Do you have any idea how empty your fridge is? I'm surprised you get anything for dinner."
"I don't shop."
"Obviously," Rei said. He stood, clasping his hand around Kai's wrist to pull him to his feet. Kai didn't protest so Rei didn't fuss over it, "Do you have raincoats or an umbrella? It's still really horrible out there."
Kai nodded; he'd forgotten about the rain. He hoped Rei wouldn't feel too uneasy outside in the downpour. Kai wondered if it was really a good idea to take Rei outside in that. The rain had let up a bit, but a steady drizzle still fell from the sky. Kai was sure there would be a storm by tonight. He found the rain quite soothing in general; the sound of the drops tinkling against the glass, and the wind howling outside usually suited his mood. Today he was only worried about one other person, not caring if he even had to go without umbrella and raincoat to supply Rei with one.
"I'll meet you at the door in a while," Kai said. He turned, pulling his arm from Rei's gentle hold, losing the warmth that his friend seemed to emanate.
-----------------------------------------
"I hope he wasn't too mad that I offered to make dinner," Rei said, referring to the butler.
"I doubt it," Kai answered. He doubted anyone would be mad after receiving the rest of the night off. He didn't think anyone could get angry Rei, especially when he said things in such a nice way. It would've been a crime to deny him the opportunity to cook and Kai wasn't willing to go through the pain of saying no to him.
Rei stuck close to Kai's side, the hood of the raincoat bunched tight around him. Kai didn't mind; he was being given the opportunity to prove to Rei that he would look after him. He could sense how timid Rei was out in the rain and it made him jumpy. Kai wasn't concerned for his own safety, rather that of Rei's. He held the umbrella further away from himself so Rei received more of its shelter. They had only been able to find the one, and since Kai was taller – if only by a touch – he had chosen to hold it. Kai could feel that most of his side was wet, the water running from his raincoat and onto his pants, but he didn't mind. He didn't say anything either, knowing that Rei would insist they both share the umbrella equally.
The wind pulled at Rei's raincoat, a few strands of hair working free from under the hood. He jammed them back, wondering just how far it was to the store. It wasn't that the distance mattered much, but he didn't want to be out here a second longer than necessary. He walked closer to Kai, enjoying the warmth another body provided. Kai always seemed so cold, as if made of solid ice, but the feeling Rei got now was far different. He felt safe despite the weather and his own absurd fears. Kai was like a pillar he could hide behind where the wind, rain, and cold couldn't reach him. Right now he was more than happy to hide.
"I really hope you enjoy dinner tonight, Kai," Rei said, giving Kai's raincoat a short tug. Kai glanced at him but said nothing, committing himself with a curt nod.
Kai didn't believe he would have anything to worry about with Rei cooking; if it were anyone else he wouldn't have agreed. Kai wasn't exactly proud of his own culinary skills, in fact the only person that would touch his food was Tyson and that was only because Tyson would eat anything set in front of him. So what, he thought, it wasn't the end of the world. He couldn't do everything perfectly.
"You can help me, if you like," Rei said, "I'm sure you can cut vegetables."
"I thought you were cooking me dinner," Kai said, the smirk on his face very evident.
Rei frowned but Kai decided it didn't really work because he still looked sweet and not really angry at all. Rei looked like a child throwing a temper tantrum.
"I just thought it would be nice to do something together. You're such a grump, Kai!" Rei crossed his arms, obviously annoyed.
"Okay!" Kai said, "You act like such a child."
Rei glared at his Captain, his white fangs showing just over his lip. Kai tried to glare back but found he couldn't; even when Rei tried to be angry it still seemed funny to him. It wasn't that Rei couldn't appear menacing, but they were arguing over something so utterly ridiculous he found it hard to keep a straight face. This would normally be the sort of argument he had with Tyson, not levelheaded, sensible, Rei. Kai's lips quirked into a smile, and a small sigh escaped his lips as he looked away, "Maybe you can teach me something about cooking?"
"Kai! I can't believe you—what?" Rei was taken completely off guard. He hadn't been expecting that sort of reply from his Captain. Wait, was Kai laughing at him?
"I'll cut vegetables and you cook, alright?" Kai asked, kicking at a puddle as he walked through it. He made sure he purposely didn't look at Rei, though he would have loved to see the confused expression on his face.
"Really? This will be great! Oh, Kai…I'm so glad you—" Rei cut his sentence short, deciding not to get too mushy. He knew the Russian could change his mood almost instantly, so he held back the nice comments for later. Rei placed his hand on Kai's arm, giving it an affectionate squeeze; the simple action showed exactly how he felt rather than wasting his time with words Kai would most likely tune out. He pulled his hand back, just in case Kai found the gesture uncomfortable, but for once he was rewarded with a gentle smile from his Captain, teammate, and friend.