Oh how I wish this site had NC-17 capabilities.

Ah well, what can you do, eh?

This is where it comes together. Notice my snazzy… repeat… thing from chapter one? Yeah! Yeah, Don called it something like… erm… progressive... comparative… something… parallel. 8)

-Prenultimate chapter, yo!-

It's a bit… erm.. naughty xD;


'I love you.'

Gasps cut through the silence of the darkened bedroom. The house was silent but for the television set, long abandoned continuing in outputting its quiet murmur of noise. The only other noise filtered from behind that closed door.

'I love you.'

Twin breaths grew heavier, panting gradually becoming louder, punctuated by soft moans. Sighs and gasps were joined by the occasional groan and the shifting of material as bodies slowly moved around upon the bed, exploring new territory reverently. Worshipping.

'I love you.'

There was heat and friction, driving minds to the edge of a beautiful kind of insanity. They moved together, actions often simultaneous, bound by a deep understanding. They both needed, and it was pure and selfish. It was painful and passionate.

'I love you.'

A name upon his lips, whispered like a prayer. It was all too much. He felt like he was falling. Drowning in raging emotions, heady lust, and pleasure that ran through him like electricity. He clung on in desperation, trying to hold onto something tangible as his world span out of control. Blunt fingernails dug into the skin of a flexing back. He just couldn't take it any more. The air was choking him.

'I love you.'

And then hot white light flashed from behind closed lids, just before the wave crashed through him, violently surging from his scalp to his toes. It was all so perfect and so basic; he couldn't help but cry out in thanks. An answering grunt… and it was over. They had reached their crescendo together and so they lay. Together. Intertwined as they struggled to piece back together minds that had fallen apart so easily and unresistingly. It was over. And the piece of art they had just created had been magnificent.

'I love you, Kai.'



When Rei awoke that morning, it was not the sound of a shower that greeted him, but the awareness that he was not alone. He blinked his tiredness away, moaning softly as he rubbed at his heavy eyes. The arm around him drew him closer, a soft sigh ghosting ac—

Wait! The arm around him?

Rei froze, taking a deep, shuddering breath as memories of the night before hit him. Very slowly, he shifted around until he was lying face to face with Kai. Warm breath blew softly against the skin of his face in the steady rhythm that Kai's chest rose and fell to. As if sensing that he was being watched, Kai's eyes fluttered, cracking open to reveal a sliver of deep red. His face scrunched up in a way Rei found just adorable, before his eyes blinked open fully to stare at Rei with dazed mahogany. They lay together in silence for a few seconds, staring at the other to comprehend the situation they had awoken to. The soft sound of rustles floated through the air as limbs shifted, subconsciously.

And then Kai smiled. "Hey." He whispered.

Rei found himself smiling back. "Hi."

Their stare did not waver. Instead they basked in one another's presence. They were a mere ten centimetres or so apart, and Rei could feel the heat radiating off Kai's larger, nude form. It made Rei feel more secure and peaceful than he ever had in his life.

He shifted a little, glancing down as their knees touched beneath the sheets. He looked back up to find Kai's stare still upon him. Finally, after more peaceful minutes had trickled by, Kai spoke "Tell me, Rei…" he said slowly.

"Hmmm?" Rei replied dreamily, eyes flickering from Kai's lips to his wine coloured eyes.

"No regrets?" Kai asked with a small smile.

Rei considered this for a second, before answering honestly. "No. No regrets." It was the truth. Rei would never take back that night. The pleasure and the passion and the intimacy- it had been the greatest event of his entire life. Kai had been his first kiss, and now… now he was Rei's first. That held a certain… poetic quality, more often found in romantic fantasies than real life. And then there was the fact that he had found the answer he had been desperately searching for. His precious, beautiful answer. How could he regret that?

Kai seemed to be relieved, and Rei couldn't help but reach out and brush away some hair that had fallen into Kai's gem-like gaze. Smiling softly when Kai's lips twitched into a small curve, he let his hand move to cup Kai's cheek, marvelling at how warm and soft his skin was. Kai's own arm shifted until his fingertips were brushing gently across the skin of Rei's shoulder and upper arm. Though only small, those touches were something so wonderfully assuring and confirming that they would be remembered until the day they died. Rei wasn't even aware that he had been moving until he found that he had his face pressed to the base of Kai's throat. Kai shifted, twisting his arms around Rei's smaller frame to hold him close in a tender embrace.

To the outside world, they looked like lovers, simply basking in one another's presence and thankful that the other one was near. It was perfect.

Too perfect, of course, Rei knew sadly. Their moment couldn't and wouldn't last forever. He sighed, nuzzling his face against Kai's neck and forced away the melancholy that nagged at the edges of his mind. He had the here and now, and he had… he had last night. Even if every thing were to go wrong, he still had last night.

After several long minutes, Kai spoke up. "I think they'll be back quite soon." He spoke softly, hands idly running up and down Rei's back.

Rei shivered at the feeling, and reluctantly pulled back. "Yeah." He pushed himself up onto his elbow, staring down at Kai.

Kai reached out without thought and twirled some of Rei's hair around his fingertips. "Tell me," He mused, eyes fixed upon the dark locks trapped within his grasp "Is this it?"

Rei frowned. "I don't follow you." He admitted softly.

The intent red gaze did not shift. " Was this just a one off?" He looked up at Rei's face. "Or is this going to keep happening? Because I like this, and I certainly liked last night, but… if you want to forget about all of this and dedicate all of your affections to Kinomiya, I'll understand and say nothing of this to anyone." He said and Rei could see rare sincerity glittering in Kai's mahogany gaze.

Rei thought about Kai's question, before posing one of his own. "Tell me, Kai. Do you… do you love me?" Kai said nothing, looking away, uncomfortable and a little guilty. Rei's heart dropped, but he still managed a smile. "It's okay, Kai. I know life isn't a fairytale. You… you don't just want sex from me do you?" He bit his lip.

Kai looked a little insulted at that and whipped his head around to face him. "Did it seem that way last night? I've told you, Rei. You're one of the only people on earth I like, I'm hardly going to treat you as a whore, and I certainly hope that that's not what you think I expect of you."

Rei sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it."

The offence in Kai's eyes faded and he shrugged, sitting up. "I understand why you did."

Rei nodded, before he too sat up. He glanced at Kai, before he reached out to touch his cheek and drew his face around until he could press their lips firmly together.

Just when Kai sought to deepen their contact, Rei pulled back with a small smile. "I think I need to take a shower. I'm a bit…"

"Musky?" Kai offered with a faint smirk.

Rei gave him a look. "I was going to go with sticky." He stood up, suddenly aware of his nakedness when the sheets slipped away from him. He yelped in surprise and grabbed at the sheets to cover himself once he saw Kai's unashamed stare. He coloured when Kai gave him the kind of smirk that just screamed that he was stupid, and with a sigh and burning cheeks, he relinquished his grip on the sheets and made his way to the bathroom. He paused at the door when he saw that Kai was still reclining on the bed. "Well? Don't you need one too?" he offered with a small smile and shifting to the side in invitation. Kai's eyes widened and he practically leapt from the bed and marched towards the bathroom door. Rei couldn't help but blush once more at the sight of Kai being entirely bare, but he laughed shortly afterwards when Kai grabbed his wrist and dragged him in with him.

Perfect. Kai was everything that Rei had ever wanted. Strong and protective. Critical and yet caring. Complex but passionate. He was everything right but for one thing.

Ironic really though, Rei thought. He had found his perfect match, his perfect relationship… but it would never be perfect, because in the end, when all was said and done- it was nothing and could never be anything more than an affair.


It was almost a hazy dream, how the days slipped by after that. Takao and the others had greatly enjoyed Hitoshi's housewarming party, though they had apparently missed Rei and Kai's (the latter was probably more a formality rather than sincerity) presence. Rei had told them honestly that he had ended up going to bed early and had woken up feeling much better. At any rate, everyone seemed much happier that Kai and Rei were back on good terms. Again, Rei had been entirely truthful when he had told them that he and Kai had talked about their differences and made up.

As for Kai… well… days were spent thinking about him and stealing quick kisses and hasty gropes. They were 'training' together more and more often, spending all day together. Sometimes they would be training, such as the time they went to that same glade they had spoken in those short weeks ago. One moment, their blades had been weaving around natural debris, clashing occasionally. The next, Kai's arms had been around him and he was kissing him breathless. As Kai had pulled back, Rei was suddenly made aware of the fact that his trousers had been undone and were sliding past his thighs. Kai had smirked and dropped to his knees… it was safe to say that no more training had been done that day.

The nights were infinitely more passionate, as they were hidden behind a locked door. Every night was spent in Kai's bed as the two indulged in reaffirming their desire for one another. Some nights they simply slept next to one another in the most innocent of ways, comforted by the other's presence. Other nights they stared at one another, as hands searched known territory, exchanging touches. Many nights though, the heat in the room was stifling and they lay together, groaning softly, awareness of the close proximity of the other team members just next door and across the hallway doing nothing more than encouraging them.

They were of course, acting like normal teenage boys. And like most new couples who had just discovered the joys of sex together, they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Of course, as Rei had to keep reminding himself, he and Kai were not a couple. They were just… best friends who happened to like sleeping together, at least… that was probably how Kai looked upon it.

As if picking up on this new, sexual air to Rei, Takao had also begun to become more persistent in his advances, openly inviting Rei to his bed on four occasions. He had also tried to be mature about the whole situation, drawing Rei to one side and casually asking him about his feelings on the thoughts of furthering their relationship into more sexual territories (he had obviously put a lot of thought into what he was going to say). Rei had flat out said that he was not ready, which was in fact the truth. If it wasn't with Kai, Rei was sure that he wasn't interested in sex with anyone. Takao seemed a bit put out by that, but Rei couldn't help it. He knew that Takao would understand and dismissed him with a peck on the cheek.

It was thirteen days after Kai and Rei had taken that final step in their affair, and Rei felt like a changed young man. He was concerned, partly, because he seemed to be disregarding Takao's feelings more and more often, but he had long ago admitted to himself that their relationship was empty. He half hoped that Takao would get bored of him and move on to someone else, however, the half of him was fearful that if he did, it didn't say much for his personal value. He cared about Takao. That would never change, but he just couldn't feel for him the way he was supposed to and even though it was hypocritical of him, he was frightened of hurting Takao. Truth be told, he was too much of a coward to tell him simply that they weren't working as a couple. Even worse, he would be finishing it with the one person on earth who loved him. It was driving him crazy, and he was still no closer to a solution…

Still though, confusion, guilt and worry were soon cast aside during those passionate nights with Kai. And, despite the fear Rei held in his heart, he also felt so… liberated. He had obviously never delved into the sexual side of his nature, and he found himself enjoying it. Knowing that if he cocked his hips in just the right way, he could get Kai all over him like ivy in a second was somewhat… empowering.

There was of course, one final point. The one that made things so much more wonderful, but which would also make everything so much harder when things inevitably fell apart.

The front door clicked open, a flood of noise announcing the presence of Takao, Max, Kyoujyu and Hiromi. Immediately, Kai launched himself off from where he was lying on the sofa with Rei, breaking their kiss and reclaiming his hand from under Rei's shirt. Rei sat up too, and straightened his clothes. By the time the rest of the team walked in, Kai and Rei were reclining on the settee, deep in conversation.

"Hey guys." Rei said with a warm smile.

Takao grinned and went to bounce over to him when Hiromi spoke up. "Rei, may I talk to you outside?"

Takao paused and Rei blinked. "Ehhh… okay, Hiromi?" Rei answered, standing up from the settee.

"What's this about, Hiromi?" Takao questioned, looking annoyed.

"Just an idea I had. Don't get so touchy." Hiromi waved him off and headed outside. Rei followed obediently, until Hiromi stopped, a little into the wooded area next to the dojo. "We won't be interrupted here." She said finally after looking around.

Rei began to fidget. "I-interrupted?" He enquired.

Hiromi gave him a steady stare. "I know I'm no beyblader, but I feel like I'm a part of this team. Do you value my opinion?"

Rei blinked in surprised. "Of course." He replied sincerely.

"Then tell me. How long have you been sleeping with Kai?" She asked seriously.

Rei choked on his breath. "What?" he spluttered.

"Unlike you lot, my head isn't filled with Beyblading, Rei. Maybe it's because I'm female, but I notice things. And I notice how you and Kai are flirting every opportunity you get. You used to flirt together before, but now… you can barely stop staring at him, Rei. If Takao and Max weren't so naïve, they'd pick up on it easily. So tell me, how long? Because if you're not sleeping with him, you're certainly not far from it." She concluded.

Rei paled. "We're… we're…" He sighed. "We thought we were being careful." Guilty yellow eyes looked up at Hiromi. "About two weeks. It's been about two weeks since we started…" He trailed off.

"Having sex?" Hiromi supplied. She received a shy nod and she sighed heavily. "God, Rei. I'm of half a mind to slap you and ask you what the hell you think you're playing at, but I know you and this isn't it. You're so… kind, Rei and you're always putting others first. What on earth has possessed you to lead Takao on like that? You do realise that he'll be utterly devastated not only by the fact that you're cheating on him, but that it's with his greatest rival? And besides, I really didn't think you were the type to go around… sleeping with people."

Rei frowned, feeling a little hurt. "I'm not the type! I'd never even kissed anyone before Kai! He was… he was my first and yes I do realise how much it's going to hurt Takao, but… I just can't stop!"

"You can't stop? Rei, what are you? Addicted to sex? Do you realise how shallow that is? You're willing to destroy Takao all because you like shagging Kai? And just how long has this been going on for if he was your first kiss too?" Hiromi scoffed.

Rei felt as if he had been slapped and he looked away, feeling tears prickle at the corners of his vision. "It's wrong of me." He said quietly. "And it's killing me that I'm doing something so terrible, but I… but I…" His voice dropped to a strained whisper. "I love him."

"What? You love Takao? You have a funny way of showing it!" Hiromi snapped.

And then, in that same, raw whisper, Rei spoke aloud for the first time the stunning revelation he had had all those nights ago when he had been taken to Kai's bed for the first time; "I love Kai."

Hiromi gasped, and stepped nearer. "You love… Kai?"

Rei nodded and, as if admitting the truth had broken down a barrier, tears slowly trailed down his face as the emotional turmoil of the guilt, confusion, ecstasy, fear, and doubt that had accumulated over the past month came pouring out. He hadn't realised that he was on the verge of a breakdown, but now, with someone to listen, it was almost as if he could release the pent up stress that had been building up inside of him like an ominous storm. "I… I love him, Hiromi. So much it's killing me. I'd always thought that he was just my friend, and that it was just a crush, but I was kidding myself. I'm crazy about him. When he's not near me it feels like there's a black cloud floating over me. I need him. I need him all of the time. Hiromi! The feeling of him inside of me, it's… it's so overwhelming. It's like I've been waiting my entire life for it, and I know it's wrong and I know it's terrible of me, but I can't stop wanting him." He cried out, desperately wiping away tears that wouldn't seem to stop.

Hiromi seemed convinced, because she stepped forwards and pulled him into a hug. "If you love him so much, then why aren't you with him? Rei, this situation is crazy." She soothed, rubbing his back.

Rei pulled her closer and buried his face in her shoulder, teardrops falling onto her and soaking through to her skin. "Because he doesn't love me." He said very softly. "He can't and he won't. He doesn't want a relationship. He told me that. He likes me, and he's attracted to me, but he won't love me." He took a deep breath and clung onto her like a lifeline. "I need to be loved, Hiromi. I've gone my whole life with no one loving me and now that I have it, I can't exist without it. How can I make the right choice? I do love Takao, but he's like my little brother… and he loves me, but I can't feel any passion for him. I love Kai with all of my heart, but he won't love me back. I just don't know what to do!" He sobbed.

Hiromi held him tightly. "Shhh, Rei. I know it's hard, but you're going to have to make a choice. And you are loved. I love you. And Max loves you. We love you because you're our precious friend. We'll get you through all of this. And who's to say that Kai won't learn to love you?"

"Kai does. Hiromi, he said that he doesn't want a relationship, he said that he can't give me what I want." He sniffled pathetically.

Hiromi kissed his temple. "Rei, sweetheart, does Kai know you're in love with him?"

Rei shook his head. "No, but it wouldn't make any difference. I know him and I know that if I tell him, it'll just push him away… what am I going to do, Hiromi? I need to be loved, but I can't be with Takao, and I can't have Kai… I've been thinking lately too… what if Kai's just subconsciously using me as another way to compete with Takao? I'm just so confused!"

Hiromi sighed. "I know, I know," She stroked his hair gently "but Rei, you have to end it with Takao. You can't be with him when you're in love with Kai and I can see that you've been pushing him away. It will destroy him if he finds out that you've been sleeping with Kai, but you need to end it with him to stop him being hurt in the long run."

Rei drew back, wiping his eyes as his tears began to subside. "You're right. I'll tell him tomorrow when no one's around" He said simply. "And…" He flushed. "I'm sorry about… that."

Hiromi laughed softly. "Any time, Rei. Besides. I think you really needed that."

Rei gave her a small, bashful smile.


That night, Rei slept in Kai's arms once more, though Kai sensed that he was not in the mood for sex and so, did make any of the usual moves. As it turned out, Max and Kyoujyu both returned home the next day for the weekend.

Rei was in the kitchen, doing his and Kai's laundry when he heard the front door shut. Seconds later, there were arms around his waist and a mouth on his neck.

"Bit risky isn't it?" Rei chuckled, though he pulled the hands away.

Kai grunted and re-attached himself. "Kinomiya's gone to train some kids at the local BBA centre."

Rei frowned, but leaned back without thinking. "He didn't say anything to me."

Kai made another impatient grunting sound, hands untying the sash at Rei's waist. "I just passed him as he was walking out of the door… he'll be gone for hours." Kai whispered, releasing Rei's neck.

Rei shivered at Kai's husky words. "Well then…" the words he had spoken to Hiromi the day before came to him again; 'I'll tell him tomorrow when no one's around.' When Rei thought about it, this could maybe be his last time with Kai, depending on how he reacted to him telling Takao that they were over. "Let's make the most of it." Rei said finally, grabbing Kai's hand, and pulling him towards their bedroom with a coy smile.

As usual, between their mouths meeting and hands searching, clothes fell away leaving them uncovered. Skin pressed and slid together as they lay upon the bed, Kai hovering over him, kissing mouth and licking tongue upon his flushed skin. Rei was reduced to a groaning, writhing mess by the time Kai's mouth was worshipping his chest. He spread his legs wider as Kai left tickling touches upon his inner thigh. Fingertips trailed slowly higher, making Rei gasp out.

And then there was a click, and Kai paused. Rei's eyes, so deep they were almost amber flickered open, looking to Kai to see why he'd stopped. He frowned in confusion when he saw that Kai's head was twisted, staring at something behind him.

"Kai?" Rei questioned softly, angling his head to peer around Kai's larger form.

The resulting gasp cut through the dead silence of the room, so much so that it almost seemed to create a booming echo off the walls.

And Takao, eyes wide and mouth slack stood, frozen in horror and shock in the open doorway.


Oh dear.

…poor Taka?

I'm sorry xD! The next chapter will be the last. How sad, just before Rei was going to tell him too. Lesson learned: Don't trust that people won't return home early… ever.

And this is cliché purposefully. Let's put it this way- Kai's not very subtle or good at dealing with people.