Warning: Not my best work, but that's what I said about another chapter and hey, you guys are still here. (big grin) I think this chapter's a little shorter then the others however.
Chapter Eleven
The following week, Kai found himself lazing around after breakfast for some much-needed alone time. The days had passed frantically, ever since the day that the big fight had broke out. It had been on everyone's lips since, but now was currently dying down and Kai was subtly grateful. The topic was now boring him.
He stared around the dorm room and rolled his eyes towards the many contents that had been sprawled out across the floors, hanging off the beds and draped off of the draws. Most of the items belonged to Tyson and Max, but he noticed some of his items as well and he grimaced as he realised that being in their company was beginning to make him lazy. He had to go down to the laundry room at some point as well, as he hadn't been in a while and as it was morning, it would be quiet, which would be perfect.
Once he had picked up his items, her wandered out the door and along the quiet corridors and passing inmates and prison officers alike. As he had already approached a month, the "Legendary Kai" label that he had been branding with had began to deteriorate and he was grateful. His privacy was no longer invaded and people would ask fewer questions (probably because they knew that it pissed him off) but he knew deep down that though no more tales of his idolism were told as much, they were still floating around. Perhaps they had ventured off towards other Wings.
He pushed open the laundry room door and surveyed the green room. It was completely empty, aside from the faint smell of soap powder and the rumbling of one of the washing machines at the far end. He wasn't the only early bird, then.
Sighing, he picked a machine and slammed some of his clothing inside, before closing them in; turning the knob and watching the inside fill up with water. Now what was he to do?
Standheld was becoming tedious to him. Beforehand, he had expected it, but now it was actually taking its toll on him. Even his plan was going downhill. Rei didn't seem to be taking the bait and he was beginning to think that Ian had lied when he'd said that they could get away with anything. Jurgen lived up to his reputation and seemed to be stepping up his game. Drug checks had been made a few days before and security appeared to be much heavier. He couldn't go down the halls without seeing at least one uniform these days.
Even the Games Hall was boring. Pool and chess had never fascinated him and cards could only do so much. He'd passed the library, but had never gone in and the chapel was just out of the question. Kai heaved a heavy sigh as he stood up from his crouched position. Voices were heard travelling down the corridors towards him and passed by the door, before fading away again. He leant up against the dryer and closed his eyes in an attempt to forget where he was.
He wasn't in the lowly laundry room, anymore, he was on the run again. A free spirit finding sanctuary wherever he went. He'd been almost over the whole of the Europe in that one year, finding friends who owed him favours or meeting new ones. He'd lost a lot of weight in the first couple of months and then gained it back again, but though the nights had been rough and the days had been hard, he still missed that sense of freedom. He wanted it back and he would have it back.
"Yeah! Yeah! Shut up!"
Kai sighed, opening his eyes as he was drawn out of his thought thanks to the crude remark. The door to the olive room was forced open then and in walked an individual carrying a clothesbasket stacked high.
"I can't believe I get stuck doing women's work…" He heard them mumble.
It wasn't until the person set the basket down that Kai realised who it was.
"Hiwatari!" The person said with the utmost revulsion. "What are you looking at?
It was Johnny.
The stoic character merely blanked him.
"Mute as usual!"
Kai remained aloof. Johnny was always making excuses to start something with him, ever since their first encounter in the dorm halls. Now every time he got the chance, he would make snide remarks as if to taunt him into an argument, but Kai was bigger than that. Maybe, that's what Johnny hated.
"I haven't got time for you," He finally replied.
Johnny growled, plonking his basket onto the ground.
"You think you're so hot, don't you!" He retorted.
Kai rolled his eyes. He knew what was coming.
"Well let me tell you something, big shot, you may have the others fooled, but I know what's really going on…
Kai chuckled slightly, his amusement of Johnny's outburst turning it into full-blown hysterics. Johnny thought he had him all worked out when in actual fact he knew nothing.
"What's so funny?" He heard Johnny snap.
"You're pitiful, Johnny" Kai shook his head derisively. "Just pitiful."
Johnny growled.
He was so predictable. Obviously, he was looking for something to unleash all his fury upon, to amuse himself with, but Kai wasn't about to be his lapdog.
"How about I show you who the pitiful one really is," The redhead clenched his fists. "I'm not afraid of you, Hiwatari"
Kai was glad when the door suddenly opened because if it hadn't then Kai would have been forced to defend himself and he reckoned that it was just what Johnny wanted him to do. Show that he was something else aside from this cool composed character. But from what Kai had heard, Johnny had a bit of a reputation for starting up trouble.
"Kai? Johnny? You guys are up early," Both individuals looked to the door to see Rei standing in it with an empty clothesbasket.
"Piss off, Rei!" Johnny snapped.
"What's wrong with you?" Rei screwed up his face as he stepped forward, heading towards the washing machine at the far end.
So he was the other early bird.
"He's fighting a loosing battle," Kai replied.
Johnny huffed.
Rei smirked, as the red light on his washing machine blinked off.
"Give it up, Johnny," He stated. "We all know you'd be no match for Kai"
"Wanna make something of it?" The hothead turned to Rei.
"Hardly!" Rei bent down, scooping out the wet contents into the clothesbasket. "You're always looking to start something, Johnny, why don't you just give it up."
"We'll continue this later when your boyfriend's not around," Johnny sneered at Kai, before trudging out.
"HEY ENRIQUE! WASH YOUR OWN SHIT! I'M NOT DOING IT FOR YOU!!!" He then heard Johnny shout from outside, his footsteps disappearing with each word.
Kai shook his head and sighed. He then looked up, to see Rei staring at him. The dark-haired character turned away from him then, busying himself with the wet clothes that he was dragging out from the machine.
"I hope Johnny wasn't trouble for you," Rei acknowledged. "I know what an arse he can make of himself"
There was a small silence.
"I could've handled him fine" Kai's tone was level.
"No, I know you could of, it's just that…" He stopped, as their eyes locked. "It's nothing."
Rei turned his head away, fiddling around with the items, but he wasn't drawing anything out of the machine. In actual fact, it was empty. Was Rei getting flustered somehow? Kai smiled. So Rei was into him. Perhaps he should play along.
"…But thank you, I guess," He stated.
It was his turn to turn away this time.
"Huh?" Rei looked up.
But before he could even begin to make sensed of what he'd heard. Kai had disappeared out the door.
TBC
Yay! First Rei/Kai kinda moment…