A/N: Very short somewhat semi-important chapter. I'm slightly distracted with all the exams and homework I've been having. Not to mention that I'm ready to kick back for a bit and have some fun outside of work. I turn the eighteen on Monday.
Chapter Thirty-Three
"We need a bigger distraction this time,"
"We needed a bigger distraction the last time,""Perhaps we're thinking too small,"
"No, no…what we really need is a better escape route,"
"There are no known escape routes,"
"Then we've got ourselves a problem,"
"Not necessarily…Kai recapped parts of the conversation he had listened to earlier that day, while in the showers with his Russian confederates. Ian had slipped him a message telling him that they were to meet in the showers that morning, when it was quiet to discuss matters. He had known that Tala wouldn't have wanted to pass up such an offer, especially when he and the others had another fourteen years to go before their official release.
Like always, Kai had been fairly quiet, only speaking when he wanted to and now and again to correct anything stupid that was purposed. The first meeting had been rather pointless really. They were a small group and in order to be successful, they would have to include extras. To force others to comply would be the wrong way of going about it, because no matter the circumstance, people seemed to enjoy revenge.
Somehow, it seemed the only way that was present and with the events that occurred, he wondered if anyone would conform freely – not that it bothered him much. After all, he had escaped once by himself before. It could be done again.
He heard the creak of the door and suspected that it was probably either one of his roommates coming to retrieve something. His eyes remained closed, but he did not hear the usual cheerfulness of Max or Tyson's usual comments about him lingering around in the dark. He didn't even hear the creak of the door when it usually closed behind them either. So immediately, he gathered it was a stranger.
"What do you want?" He said casually after a few seconds.
The person did not reply at first. He was sure he could detect some uncomfortable shuffling. The person then cleared their throat.
"Can we talk?"
Kai's garnet eyes opened. At the angle he was laid, it made them appear as nothing more than small slits. His facial expression remained stern, though his lips thinned slightly as he set his gaze upon the familiar Chinese garments, until he met with those brown eyes.
"We have nothing to discuss,"
"…That's not true," Rei murmured, pushing the door to a close with the palm of his hand. There was a brilliant amount of unease in his manner, as well as the fact that a small amount of fatigue was prominent on his face.
Kai's eyes moved from Rei and onto the wooden boards that held the above mattress in its place. He shifted slightly, but he did not dismiss Rei, nor did he leave the room himself.
Rei cleared his throat again and edged into the room, seating himself on Tyson's bed.
"Lee passed away yesterday," He said softly. His golden eyes moved to the floor in recognition.
The Russian simply grunted coldly. Rei's friend had never done him any favours, nor had he spoken to the individual before. All Kai had known of Lee was that he had been highly against their relationship when it had began as well as being opposed to the idea of homosexuality anyway.
Rei moistened the dryness in his throat and Kai rolled his eyes.
"I know you didn't come here simply to make small talk, Rei," He said directly. "So why don't you stop wasting my time,"
A sigh.
"I want to put the past behind us," Rei began. "…I know you'll never believe me if I try to explain again, but I truly never meant to hurt you…" He paused. "…Nor do I think you wanted to hurt me either."
Kai snorted.
"You're proud, Kai, but I think I know you better now…
"…You know nothing about me,"
"I may not know everything, but…I mean…you told me the story of your past and…well…I guess I thought you'd learnt to…trust me…" Rei looked up at Kai again. "Well…am I right?"
"I trust no one,"
Rei smirked. "You see, that's where I think you're wrong. You may like to think you are, but I don't think you're completely void of emotion,"
This time Kai sat upright, swinging his legs onto the floor and coming to a stand. "You're boring me," He said in the process and began to head for the door.
"Just what are you running from?" Rei stood also.
The Russian stopped with his hand on the knob. Maybe he was running. But he was certain it was for the right reasons.
"It's better this way," Kai murmured vaguely and then even quieter. "…I'll never get attached again." And he pulled the door open and sauntered through it, leaving Rei behind.
The halls were alive with the buzz of inmates as usual. As usual, some were talking or partaking in innocent or not so innocent card games. Others were loitering and eating snacks. He noticed Ian slipping out of his dorm room with Bryan close behind. The lavender-haired Russian jerked his head at him, gesturing for him to come over and no sooner had he reached him, he heard the familiar call out to him.
"I'm not giving up on you, Kai," Rei's voice had sauntered to his ears over the crowd, his golden-hues strong and forthright as he stared at the Russian.
Bryan narrowed his eyes and Ian sniggered.
"What's that about?" He enquired curiously.
Kai stared at the retreating form of his former lover.
"Don't worry about him,"
-
"Really!"
"Yeah! It's true. We heard it with our very own ears. Kai is planning to escape," Oliver's face was simply beaming as it often did when he was dishing out valuable gossip and his receivers were hanging on his every word, as far as Tyson, Max and Kenny would go.
"I think he's being irrational," Kenny offered his logical opinion.
"No way! Kai's onto something," Tyson intercepted. "Didn't he get out before?"
"Maybe so, but this is Stanheld, Europe's greatest prison facility," Kenny continued. "Ever since that fault in 1996, it's become extremely stringent, so much that people from all over the world are sent here,"
"Well, he is enlisting the help of Tala and the others," Enrique added from his casual position upon the lower bunk. "They've probably got connections."
Tyson fingered his cheek, one of the few ideas he rarely acquired, popping into his head.
"D'you reckon they'll want any outside help?"
"Don't even think about it, Tyson,"
"Yeah," Max said. "I agree with Kenny. You'll only get yourself in trouble."
"And you know what those Russian's are like," Oliver continued, a brief memory of his previous run in with Tala, bypassed his mind's eye.
"They'll probably want to work alone,"
"…But still, what if they're successful?" Tyson pressed. "And I helped in some way…or even better…escaped too?"
"You're not thinking of leaving me, are you?"
Tyson was met with Max's big blue bashful eyes, and Enrique smirked, while Oliver sniggered.
Snaking an arm around his waste, Tyson pulled the blond towards him. "Now you know I could never leave you,"
"Yeah! He's just thinking of the bigger picture," Enrique sneered and the room erupted into fits of laughter.
Johnny, who had been resting on his bunk since that very morning glared.
"You mind keeping it down!" He yelled at them.
Personally, he would have preferred that his roommates not invite the others, but these days he didn't seem to get a say in the matter. People had lost their respect for him – though in some cases there had been none to begin with – and in turn, they treated him like shit. And it was all that Hiwatari's doing. He'd get the Russian back some day, but that didn't mean he liked hearing about him.
Oliver screwed up his face, creating a mock-scared expression that made him appear even more feminine than usual.
"You could always leave, you know," Enrique said.
"This is my room too,"
Oliver tutted. "Are you still brooding?"
"Hey, leave him alone," A pause. "I'd be upset to if I'd been given the once or twice over by Kai," Tyson sniggered and everyone else doubled over again, some a little less obvious about it then others.
The redhead death-glared them and turned on his side. His facial wounds were healing, though his arm remained in the cast that he had been allocated. A large plaster was strapped across his left cheek and a few cuts and bruises adorned here and there. He was more mentally scarred then anything.
"You were always taunting Kai anyway," Enrique said over the noise, as it diminished.
"Well, it's normal Johnny-logic," Oliver inputted. "He simply didn't like him,"
"Well Kai isn't the most likable of people, is he?" The blue-haired Japanese placed his hands behind his head. He was seated comfortably on the opposite bunk directly underneath the Scotsman, with Max at his side.
"I have to agree with you there,"
"Talk about cagey,"
"And grumpy,"
"But Rei managed to get in there,"
"Didn't last very long though, did it?"
"I bet it was something to do with Tala,"
"Yeah! He's been even more miserable than usual,"
"But not of recent…
"Ah, whatever's going, we'll just have to wait and see,"
TBC