Author's Note: Hello! It's been another little while! I got back from vacation a few weeks ago, and I've been working on this chapter since I got back. I certainly hope it is to your liking. School will be starting very soon, and I hope to have finished this thing up either before it starts or a few weeks after. Of course, one can never tell when that CLS (Chronic Laziness Syndrome) will pop up. The damn disease is sooooo unpredictable! But, until then, feast your eyes on this installment. Happy Readings!
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My jaw was still throbbing beneath the not-so-cold-anymore ice pack when I went to sit down on the couch. I sighed in dismay. Surely, there would be yet another bruise on my abused skin; however, it could have been worse. A bruise framing one side of my jaw was less noticeable than a strategically placed bruise on my eye or my nose.
Groaning, I took the ice pack from my face and glared pointedly at it.
"You're not doing anything to help," I told it and threw it over my shoulder. I listened as the liquid filled pouch plopped onto the floor and sat, indolently, sloshing about.
Yet another groan escaped me as I realized that I had just chastised and punished an ice pack. I wondered briefly where my mind had wandered off to.
I allowed my hand to replace the unworthy ice pack and began massaging the sore area gently. Letting my eyes flutter close, I allowed my body to fall back into the couch cushions. The cushions held my form firmly but affectionately, and my muscles relaxed. Despite the fact that my posture was ungodly, I was quite comfortable. In fact, I thought I recognized the feeling that pleasantly traveled through me. Such comfort seemed rather familiar . . . which made me suspicious.
My eyes opened abruptly as I placed the warm, comforting position. Kai. It was always Kai. Kai had held me before with a firm, yet strangely gentle embrace. I frowned. Why Kai!? It seemed entirely unfair that I would yearn so much for his touch, I mean, I had never even really LIKED the guy THAT much. Sure, we had our moments when maybe we could call one another "friends", but the term was rather loose. We harbored respect for one another and later attraction, but that had been it! Now it seemed my mind had doomed me to ponder him forever.
I sighed. Max was probably right. I used people, because I was too . . . afraid, childish, maybe selfish to let them be a part of my life. And he was right to have concern for me, because my inability to open myself up to those around me WAS sort of gnawing at me inside.
Maybe I DID want something more with Kai, though the thought seemed absurd at first. I had difficulty imagining a romantic life with Kai Hiwatari. Somehow chocolates and candlelight dinners, walks underneath the stars, and what not were pieces of Kai's puzzle that I found to be odd and misshapen, like they didn't fit. Still, maybe I found them abnormal because I wasn't turning them enough; I wasn't trying hard enough to find a place for them to fit. There was probably so much more to him, and I simply hadn't taken the time to find out all there was to know.
On the other end of the relationship spectrum, Kai hadn't exactly put forth effort to learn much about me. After all, there I was contemplating whether or not to entrust my heart to him, and I wasn't even certain if he WANTED me to offer it. Perhaps he was still satisfied with a no-stings-attached relationship.
My mind flashed back to that, seemingly, emotion filled kiss, and easy voice, and . . . that last glance over his shoulder before he had left me to my own devices. I thought I had sensed something more coming from him and thinking that actually made me a little happy. I couldn't say that I LOVED him, but I also couldn't say that all I felt was lust for him. I felt . . . just something more. It was a faceless, shapeless feeling that part of me yearned to mold into . . . something. Maybe even something wonderful.
In my mind's eye I envisioned a mound of clay sitting on a pottery wheel. I pressed the foot petal and began spinning the plate, my hands going to grab the moist clay, trying to shape it. My hands struggled to make it take a form, but it seemed as though I could only get so far. I was about to give up in frustration when I felt a presence behind me, and two arms came from either side of me, placing pale hands atop my tan ones. I watched, mesmerized, as the clay began to blossom outward, gradually assuming a shape. I smiled and looked up at the one who had offered me his aid, and the person who looked down at me was an easily grinning Kai.
My daydream ended there, and I was back to reality, but something from the vision lasted. I still held a slight smile on my lips. I brought my fingers to trace the curvature of my lips. I wanted . . . to go see Kai. I wanted to talk to him about everything, and see if all my dreaming and thinking was something I shouldn't be dwelling on.
I got up from the couch, stretched, cracked a few bones, and picked up the warm ice pack, which I put back in the freezer. I put on my shoes and a jacket and went into my temporary room to fix up whatever part of me had become disheveled. I checked the progression of the bruise and found with disappointment that it was coming along quite "nicely". I shrugged it off though, refusing to let anything damper my determined resolve.
I left the room and the apartment, got into my car, and headed in the direction of Kai's place. His house, or rather his mansion, was located on the edge of the city, far away from people and noise. Rust colored bricks acted as the many faces of the mansion and soft gray colored limestone stacked the adjoining points. Windows were scattered about in a random, yet tasteful display, and all were different sizes and shapes. A wall of cold stone surrounded the property, save for two wrought iron gates that always seemed foreboding. Beyond the gates was a yard with neatly trimmed bushes lining said wall and immaculately cut grass. From a garden near the house, several plants grew, some flowering, and others of simple greenery. Ivy climbed the bricks walls, surrounding the mansion and giving it a friendlier demeanor.
I pulled up to the gates and sighed as I climbed out of the car. I walked up to the little speaker on the wall next to the black, gangly looking gates. Pressing the button I said, "Uh, hi Kai. It's me, Rei . . . um can you open the gates, please?" It sounded a little lame. Oh well.
I took my finger from the button and waited for an answer. It seemed as though I had to wait for some time before his voice sounded from the device.
"What are you doing here, Rei?" Came the monotone voice.
I frowned. "It's not like I'm a freakin' terrorist or anything. I just want to speak with you, and I'm not fond of having a conversation on THIS thing," I said, slight irritation in my tone.
There was a pause. "Fine, come on up."
I backed up and turned around to go back to my car, awaiting the gates to open. When they did, I drove up the long path that curved, taking me to a cement roof covered slab that acted as a parking area. I sighed as I turned off my vehicle and climbed out. Now I had to make the trek to the front doors. He had money; he should've invested in a moving sidewalk. Then again, an idea like that was probably why he was wealthy, and I was not.
I approached the massive oak doors that stood so tall and arched and shadowed beneath the stone balcony that hovered above. This place was very unnerving, and I wondered how Kai managed to live in such a large house without getting even a little scared at night.
'Then again,' I thought. 'Maybe he does.'
I raised my loosely fisted hand to knock, but Kai opened the doors before I even had the chance. Slightly embarrassed, I threw him a half smile and lowered my hand to my side.
"Come in," Kai said as he stepped to the side.
I nodded and stepped through the open portal. Once inside, I heard the door close behind me, and I looked back as if to make sure my exit was still accessible. Kai's house made me nervous. I wasn't above admitting that.
The marble tiling that made up the floor was done in a harlequin pattern and made use of the colors cream and maroon. It seemed as though the rest of the entryway was built upon that color scheme. Directly in front of me were two spiraling staircases of ebony that met one another at the landing, one case adorned with maroon carpeting, the other with cream. To my sides were several ebony doors, all closed tight, and above me was an elaborate, crystalline chandelier. The walls were cream colored, and they looked strangely barren, as if there had been wall hangings that were no longer present. I thought that entryway would have been rather beautiful had the chandelier been turned on. The place was rather promising and would have been quite charming with a little bit of work. My girlie mind kicked in at right about then and began redecorating. Sadly, it wasn't the first time my mind had gotten away from me in Kai's house, though I hadn't visited often.
A hand on my shoulder surprised me and caused me to jump a little. Kai stared from behind me, eyes betraying nothing. Oh yes, I'd forgotten about him.
"You wanted to talk to me, Rei," he said.
I nodded steadily, eyeing him. "Yes, I did . . . um, do. Is there some place we could sit down or something?"
"Yes, follow me." He said.
I rolled my eyes as he took the lead. Right, like I would wander off on my own in this huge place.
Kai led me to a door located behind the two staircases that led to a small hallway and eventually to a screened in, quaint looking porch that seemed incongruous with the rest of the house. It was bright from the setting sun, and it succeeded in making me feel a little less on edge. Kai motioned for me to sit down on the cushion covered, whicker couch that sat against the only solid wall. I took a seat and watched him while he went to sit in the matching whicker chair that was diagonal from the sofa. He crossed his legs and arms, waiting patiently (or so it seemed) for me to speak.
"This is . . . a lovely area," I said in a bout of nervous small talk.
Kai stared at me briefly before replying, "Yes, it is, but I don't think you came here to tell me that."
I smiled. "You're right. I came here to ask you . . . and tell you something, well, maybe a lot of some things."
I struggled to find word order. Somewhere along the line, I had lost my confidence in what I had come to do. Maybe, I needed to just leave. But I couldn't live my life with HIM invading my every thought, could I? No, I had to stay and talk to him.
I took a calming breath and tried to find my tongue.
"As you know, Max uh, well he saw us today," I started.
Kai visibly flinched at my statement.
"I went to talk to him, and he thought that we were . . . an item, which I guess is a perfectly acceptable conclusion, because, well, you know. And I told him that we weren't."
Kai continued to stare at me.
"There were some things said then, and well, I won't go into details, but he got me to thinking about things, mostly about you and I. What I wa--"
I stopped talking as I noticed Kai's eyes get a little wide, return to normal, and then he stood up to gracefully walk over to where I was. I watched his every move carefully. He sat down beside me and turned so that he was looking straight at me.
"Kai," I said, my voice soft.
His hand reached upward and his soft fingers gently brushed the bruise that marred my skin.
"What happened?" He asked, voice also softer and sounding concerned.
I felt myself blush for an unknown reason. "That was a result of the period where 'some things' were said."
He still looked at me, expecting a better answer.
I sighed. "Tyson came over and he uh, well he did it," I confessed.
I saw flames suddenly swell up in Kai's crimson orbs, and I panicked.
"But he had a good reason, Kai," I assured. "I said something . . . something terrible to Max." I said this and looked away out of shame and sadness, remembering how my words had stung him so.
"That's no excuse," Kai said, his voice tinged with anger.
I looked back at him. "If Tyson hadn't done something, then I would have," I told him seriously.
Kai looked at me evenly, his brow slightly furrowed in curiosity. "What did you say to Max?" He asked carefully.
I didn't want to repeat it to him. I didn't want to hear myself say it again. I knew that if those cursed words slipped my tongue then I would see Max's pained expression, and I didn't want to see that again. Gently, I shook my head.
"Just . . . something terrible," I said.
Suddenly, I felt very vulnerable and, without even thinking about it, I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around Kai's neck, hugging him against me. He shifted under my embrace and tugged my arms from his neck. He then pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arms around my waist. I sighed, resting my head on his shoulder while he nuzzled my neck in an affectionate way. And it felt so good and so right.
Behind us, the sun was going down, cloaking the little room in a navy blue light. The air that seeped through the screens became cooler and tried desperately to crawl under our skin, but there was no way that I could feel cold in his arms. I thought that maybe I had the answer to a question I hadn't even asked. Perhaps Kai DID want my heart. I hoped so, because I knew for certain then that I wanted to give it to him.
"Rei?" Kai asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Hm?"
"Would you like to stay for dinner?"
I chuckled and pushed away from him so that I could look into his lovely face. "Can we eat in his position?" I asked playfully.
Kai smiled a perfectly normal, perfectly beautiful smile. "Only if you promise not to spill," he replied.
I grinned. "Deal."
I climbed off of him and waited for him to stand. As I moved aside to let him lead, he swiftly surprised me by sweeping me off my feet and carrying me bridle style out of the room. I laughed, feeling giddy with the position.
"I could get used to this, Hiwatari," I said through my smile.
Kai raised an elegant eyebrow at me. "Is it something you'd LIKE to get used to?"
I caught the off handed, slightly hesitant tone in his voice. Was I right before? Was he offering a long-term relationship?
I brushed a hand through his hair and down the side of his face. "Yes, I think it is," I said.
Kai halted in his tracks and stared at me with an expression that looked somewhat stunned. ". . . And you understand what I'm . . . suggesting?" He asked.
I simply grinned, nodded, and reached up to plant a firm, brief kiss on his lips. "Yes," I said.
Kai stared at me for a few moments longer, as if drinking in my features. He sighed then. It was a relieved sigh.
"Rei," he said. "We're skipping dinner."
I cocked an eyebrow. "What?" I asked, confused.
He captured my lips in a passionate kiss and began jogging down the hall, through the door and up one of the flights of stairs to the second floor. He ran down yet another hallway and stopped in front of a door that he wasted no time in throwing open.
I grinned. We were in Kai's room. "Oh," I said knowingly.
He simply nodded and flashed me a hungry smile as he tossed me carelessly on top of the large bed. He crawled above me, legs straddling my hips and stared down into my eyes for the longest time. He grabbed my hair, which was flopped out to the side of my head and took out the holder, setting the tresses free. He brushed my bangs from my face and caressed my cheek with the back of his hand.
"It'll be different this time," He whispered.
I only smiled softly and pulled him down for a kiss.
It WAS different that night. What we did could actually be described as love making, because it was heartfelt, and I didn't think I had ever experienced such a pleasure in my life. When it was all over, we simply lay in one another's arms underneath the covers. I could hear Kai's breathing even out beside me, signaling that he had fallen victim to sleep. My eyes too were heavy, but I stayed awake a while longer so that I could watch his slumbering form with only the light of the moon outside of the window. Eventually, I drifted to sleep as well.
Morning came too quickly for my tastes, though Kai didn't seem to have a problem with it. I groaned as I felt him gently shaking my shoulder, trying to coax me awake; however, I would not be coaxed and ultimately he gave up. I felt the mattress shift as he climbed out of bed, and I snuggled deeper into my pillow. If Kai wanted to rise with the sun, that was fine, but I needed more than ten hours of sleep, thank you very much.
I must have fallen back into a deep slumber, because when I woke up the clock read eleven. I stretched and kicked the covers off, yawning as I did so. My body was immediately introduced to the chilly air, causing me to regret taking the covers off. I sat up and grabbed them, pulling them over me again, allowing the warmth to seep into my skin once again. I frowned, unused to waking up with nothing on. I missed my pajamas right about then.
Just then, the door to the bedroom opened up, and Kai entered carrying a tray. He closed the door behind him and started forward, smiling slightly when he saw me sitting up and clutching to the covers for dear life. I smiled back as he approached and sat on the bedside. He set the tray on my lap and brushed some of my hair behind my ear before lightly kissing me on the cheek.
"Good morning," he greeted.
Another yawn escaped me. "Morning," I said drowsily.
"I was wondering when you would wake up. Do you always sleep for that long?"
I shrugged. "Depends on what I was doing the night before," I replied with a wink.
Kai smirked. "Guess we'll have to be careful about when we do that."
I grinned and nodded, turning my attention to the items on the tray. There were eggs, over easy, and bacon, wheat toast with strawberry jam, two sausages, hash browns, a slice of muss melon on the side of the plate, and a glass of iced tea. Now, I wasn't much for large breakfasts, but even I had days when breakfast just sounded good. A lot of times, the guys and I would go to this little diner and eat, and on those days I always ordered a lot. Oddly, I always ordered what Kai had on the plate before me. Suddenly, I felt very girlie again. I wanted to squeal. How sweet! He remembered my favorite breakfast foods! EEEEEEEE!
I'm better now.
"Thank you, Kai," I said, kissing him quickly on the lips.
"Sure," he replied, getting up from his spot on the bed.
I began delving into the breakfast, surprised at my appetite. As I nibbled on some toast, I watched Kai picking up some things around the room and putting everything back in order. Obviously, he had already showered and gotten ready for the day, as he was looking delightfully refreshed. His shirt was a collared, white button up number and he wore darker jeans and a pair of brown shoes. I thought white was an especially good looking color on him. It complimented his hair and those amazing eyes.
Of course, thinking about Kai's clothes made me wonder where MY clothes had gotten too. After all, they were sort of the only ones I had, seeing as how I hadn't exactly packed an over night bag.
"Hey Kai," I summoned.
He stopped his cleaning and looked over at me. I blushed.
"Where are uh, MY clothes?" I asked.
He smirked. "You need them? I really think I like you like this," he commented, motioning toward my covered-from-the-waist-down body.
I rolled my eyes. "Snap a picture," I suggested sarcastically.
Kai chuckled. "You're clothes are in the wash, well, except for your boxers. They'll be done in just a little while. Until then, you're welcome to wear some of my stuff, if you want."
"If I want? Ya know I'm not so sure. I may just tie this blanket up and go around in a toga. I mean, it worked for Caesar." I said, and then glanced at the color of the comforter. "And anyway, I hear blue is the new pink this year," I added.
Kai laughed, and it was a beautiful, rare sound. He grabbed some clothes out of the dresser and laid them out on the bed.
"Here, smart ass," he said, pointing to the clothes. "The shower is that way, and I'll be downstairs if you need me."
I smiled playfully and blew him a kiss as he exited the room. The smile did not fade as I finished breakfast and got into the shower. I just couldn't believe that the previous day I had doubted the existence of any deeper feelings for Kai. Now, we were acting like a couple that had been together forever. I felt so relieved and happy, like nothing could go wrong.
The way my life had been going, that should have been my FIRST clue that something was ABOUT to go wrong.
I concluded my shower and dried off, wrapping a towel around my waist before leaving the steam filled bathroom. Automatically, my hand went up to touch the bruise on my face. It came as no surprise that the bloody thing still ached.
I padded over to the bed and examined the clothing Kai had set out. I shrugged and put on my boxers, and the jeans that were a little loose in the hips. I threw on the black t-shirt and pulled the black hoodie over my head, realizing that it was sort of baggy on me as well.
My hair was still sopping wet, but I didn't really care all that much. I was feeling far too lazy to deal with it that day, so I just dried it to the point where it stopped dripping and let it be. After that, I headed down stairs to try and find Kai, which was stupid. He could have been anywhere, so I just went to the stairs, sat on a choice step and yelled.
"Kai!" I figured it was the best method. "Hello? Kai Hiwatari!" I shouted. He didn't answer. "Uh, Marco!" I listened for 'Polo', but I didn't hear anything.
I sighed. I really didn't want to have to go looking for him, but he wasn't giving me many options. Oh well. I stood up from the step and jumped the last two so that I could begin a search for my newest lover.
I decided to check the room that we had been in the day before but found nothing, much to my disappointment. I check a few other rooms that were in that small hallway behind the stairs, but came up empty handed. Eventually, I simply decided to start opening and closing doors in sequence. None of the rooms held the person I was searching for. There was only one other place and three other bathrooms he could be in. I decided to check that one other place first.
Some how, I found the swinging door that hid the kitchen behind it, and a sense of pride danced inside of me. My, I was a good explorer. I found it all by my little lonesome!
My pride flickered out like a candle flame as an eerie feeling brushed my senses. My instincts were telling me to be cautious, which made me very nervous. I stayed very quiet, as I stood right outside the door, listening for any noises. I think I would have preferred it had there actually BEEN noises. At least I wouldn't have had such a horrible, knotted feeling of suspense sitting so heavily in the pit of my stomach.
Slowly, I pressed my palm to the door, careful not to jolt it. With a gulp and a deep breath, I pushed the door open and slipped into the kitchen before it could swing shut. My heart was pounding in my head by that time.
'Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,' I thought, as my eyes beheld the mess.
Pots and pans, utensils, and broken plates and cups littered the floor and the counters, but none of that bothered me as much as the tiny splatters of blood.
Fear throttled me. Where was Kai? Was that blood his?
'Oh please, God, don't let it be his. Please, please, please, please . . .'
I took a hesitant step forward as I continued to scan the kitchen. There were so many things to restrict my vision, what with the counters and the pantry door, which was ajar, open cabinets and drawers, and there was that huge walk-in freezer, but that thing was closed. Still, it was something to think about.
My breathing was shaky, and it seemed so very loud. Everything seemed loud, even the silence. Part of me wanted to burst out in tears, I was so worried, and another part wanted to start screaming for Kai and stomp through the kitchen searching for him. Fortunately, a rational part of me beat the other two parts.
That's when I heard it. It was very soft, like a muffled grunt. I snapped my head in the direction from whence it had come, my senses on high alert. It had come from the vicinity of where the third counter was. Logic told me that whoever was in there was probably BEHIND that counter.
I approached in a stealthy manner that seemed to be a piece of my feline heritage. My heartbeat slowed to a more normal pace, and my breathing evened out. Whoever was behind that counter, if they had hurt Kai, was going to be receiving some minor to serious injuries.
Confidence just happened to peak within me, and I stood taller as I came up to the counter and, one by one, let my claw like fingernails click against the tile. I let a little fang show and leaned over to find . . . Kai? All my predator confidence, bad-ass-ness disappeared, and I leapt the counter and landed kneeling at my lover's slumped form.
"Oh, God," I mumbled.
Kai's back was against the counter, and his head had lolled over to the side. His eyes were half lidded and dazed looking. He had a split lip and some scraps on his face, but what worried me the most was the gash on his forehead. It was a wound that was bleeding rather profusely.
His breathing was slightly labored but good over all, and he had a strong pulse. The gash was the product of a blunt object, most likely a pan or something. I was concerned about a concussion or some other form of head trauma, but I tried to concentrate on stopping the bleeding. I grabbed a towel from the sink above us and pressed it against his forehead, growling as I realized that he needed a more permanent hold. I quickly took off the hoodie and ripped a sleeve off, hoping it wasn't one of Kai's favored clothing items. I tied the sleeve securely around his head so that it covered the wound and used the rest of the heavy material to dab at the blood on his lip. It was this action that brought him back to consciousness.
I heard him groan, and it was the same sound that had alerted me to his whereabouts the first time.
"Kai?" I asked quietly.
He said nothing as he attempted to push himself upward more. He seemed a little disoriented. I quickly came to his aid and helped him prop himself up better.
"Kai?" I asked again.
This time his faded eyes found me. He mumbled something totally incoherent, so I shushed him, seeing no need for him to speak if I couldn't understand him.
"Sh, sh. Just hush for now. I've got to get you to a hospital. You've got a head wound that's bleeding pretty bad," I explained.
He didn't seem to be responding well.
"Kai, can you understand me?" I asked.
He gently nodded. I sighed in relief and started to try and help him to his feet, but he shook his head and shimmied from my grasp. He mumbled something else, though that time it was a littler clearer.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"Be. . . hin' . . . you!" He struggled out the warning.
I whipped my head around only to find a frying pan raised feet above me, held in the hands of an none descript gentlemen. I gasped.
'Shit!'
Suddenly, that heavy frying pan was descending, and I had to let survival kick in. In one fluid motion, I caught the guy's wrist with one hand and delivered a hard, direct kick to his knee. He shouted out in pain and stumbled backwards, dropping the pan a few inches in front of me. I jumped to my feet, knowing well enough that I had to get the upper hand in this fight. Apparently, he had the same thought.
Still in pain, he tried to come at me, but I clawed him across the eyes, causing his hands to fly up to his face. In his distraction, I kneed him in the gut, and while he slouched from THAT agony, I slammed my elbow square in between his shoulder blades. He stumbled for a minute before collapsing completely.
I took a deep breath and looked around the kitchen for something to restrain him with. As soon as I was sure that he wasn't going anywhere, I could tend to Kai.
I glanced back at my wounded friend. His features showed relief, but I could tell that he was in pain. My heart wept at the sight. All I wanted to do was go over there and cradle him in my arms, to kiss his pain away, but I couldn't. At that point, I had a feeling that the only thing that would 'kiss his pain' away, would be some nice, strong, doctor drugs.
I went to the pantry in search of something to tie the intruder up with and came out with two roles of duct tape, which I thought to be a strange thing to keep in a pantry, but I suppose I couldn't have asked for something much better. I used both roles of duct tape in all of their entirety to bind the man's ankles, his wrists behind his back, and his arms to his sides. Just to be certain, I slapped a piece over his mouth and dragged his somewhat hefty form into the pantry. Closing the door and lodging a chair beneath the doorknob, I had successfully contained the evil, no-good, very bad man.
Finally, I could care for Kai, and he DID need the care.