Anyway hope you enjoy, Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Year!
Chapter Six
All I Wanted
"Otosan! Dad-dy! I can't find my red dress!" Sakura's usually sweet soft voice rang out through the small house. "Have you seen it Daddy?" The little violet eyed girl bubbled having found one of the two men in question at last. Kai raised an eyebrow looking at the little girl who had taken to tugging on the sleeve of the shirt he was buttoning.
"Have you asked Rei?" The phoenix replied, tugging his arm away gently in order to fasten his feather tie. "Come on Sakura," Kai laughed softly, "how am I ever suppose to know where Rei puts"
"Looking for this sweetheart?" Rei broke into the room, holding the red dress in question.
"Otosan!" Sakura exclaimed leaving Kai to rush to Rei wrapping herself around one of his legs happily. "You found it"
Kai watched as Rei laughed whole heartedly, his golden eyes gleaming with genuine happiness, "You know 'Kura, sometimes I need to actually wash your clothes." The neko jin beamed down at the girl handing the dress to her, "here you are, I'll come brush your hair for you in a bit," and with that the girl gleefully raced out of the room.
"Mmmm Kai," the golden eye man now directed his attention towards the phoenix who had just finished putting on his belt, "maybe it is not such a good idea we go out, when its so cold out there and so much warmer in our bed," laughed the tiger.
Kai turned away to hide the blush that quickly flowered on his cheeks though did not pull away from the light embrace Rei captivated Kai's waist in.
"Rei." Kai choked still thinking about the way the seductive man continued to gesture toward their bed.
"I'm only teasing you Kai koi," Rei laughed again.
Kai admired the way that Rei laughed so easily, such a change from the worn man he had returned home to only a few nights earlier. Positioning himself so that he was now searching Rei's golden eyes he smiled softly kissing the neko jin on his forehead and then pulling away to marvel at the blush that formed on his face. A simple gesture yet Rei seemed to take so much pleasure in Kai's affection closing the space between the two of them in order to nuzzle himself into the phoenix's neck.
"Kai," Rei sighed happily his whole body light against Kai's touch, an entire pressure seemed to have eased away from the two companions who were now caught in one another's embrace peacefully. "Sakura's hair!" gasped Rei all of a sudden breaking the bond after he had gazed over at the clock. "I forgot and now we'll be late!" The tiger jumped rushing into the bathroom for a brush and then down the hallway.
"I'll warm up the car!" Kai shouted after him a smile teasing his lips.
---
"Kai! Rei! Sakura!" A blonde blur shouted throwing himself into the three. "You made it!" The boy exclaimed the obvious. "Rei did you bring your cookies?" The boy continued oblivious to the fact that those he was keeping captive in his bear hug were beginning to show an unhealthy shade of blue.
"Of course Max." Rei gasped trying to escape the grip before handing Max a Tupperware container that anyone could assume were the cookies in question, especially since once in Max's possession both box and boy disappeared.
"Rei!" A female voice called out as again Rei was bombarded by a rush of pink.
"Hey Mariah." Rei grinned hugging the woman lightly. "I can't believe you guys made it"
"Have a little faith in us Rei." Lee laughed also coming to greet the new arrivals. "We always come"
Kai watched the reunion from a short distance his mind full of questions as he looked around the house. Not really much of a party he thought. There was Lee and Mariah, both fluttering around Rei catching up on the times, Tyson who was on the phone in the kitchen, Bryan who was only recognizable from behind where he sat on an old lazy-boy chair watching the bluish glow of the television, Sakura who had chased after Max in hopes for her share of the sugar high, Tala who leaned against the far wall of the kitchen busy on his cell phone and Kai himself. The question was how did they all end up here? In the coldest armpit of the world. Why was everyone rotting here in Russia? Kai shook his head slowly and wandered away from Rei who was still playing "nice nice" with the visiting neko jins.
Entering the kitchen he was bombarded by Tyson who grinned at him in an evidently innocent way.
"What do you want Tyson?" Kai growled, ignoring Tala who had momentarily looked up from his conversation to enforce a sturdy glare upon Kai.
"Pizza cost forty bucks and between Max, Kenny and me we only got thirty three." Tyson blurted out grateful for Kai's invitation to tell him what he wanted. "Oh and maybe…" The navy haired man laughed nudging Kai with his elbow.
Kai glared ignoring Tyson's gesture and looked directly at Tala. "What about him? He's a lawyer, doesn't that make him rich?" Tyson who was about to continue with some horrible joke but stopped immediately at Kai's statement and blinked, as did Tala much to Kai's surprise. The red head had stopped suddenly leaving the person on the other line of his cell phone calling his name for attention. Both men stared at Kai undisturbed by their own actions until Tala crossed his arms and glared meaningfully at Kai closing his cell phone with out a word of goodbye and leaving the room swiftly.
"I'm glad I sacrificed my life for an asshole." The Russian spoke fiercely without turning back. "God forbid I receive gratitude for my efforts." Kai followed him with crimson eyes before resuming his gaze at Tyson raising an eyebrow in question, trying his best not to show he was feeling awkward.
"That wasn't cool dude." Tyson almost glared at Kai before leaving as well.
Kai shook his head disregarding the strange way the two men had acted. "What the fuck?" He whispered under his breath exasperated however he could not shake the feeling that he had screwed up somehow.
Feeling eyes on him from behind he spun around to find Rei watching him with a toying smile.
"Oh don't mind me Kai," the neko jin laughed, golden eyes shimmering, "I'm just admiring the view"
Kai almost felt his cheeks redden as not only did he accept the compliment but he found that his own gaze drifted over Rei's sleek body which sported clothes that hugged his lithe curves close.
"Maybe we can get the boys to baby-sit tonight," Rei laughed suggestively referring to Kenny, Max and Tyson.
Kai rolled his eyes but felt a grin toy at the corner of his lips. Rei pulled a few steps close to Kai placing his gentle hands on Kai's hips, and as hard as Kai tried he could not refuse nor ignore the feeling that warmed him suddenly as he imagined the neko jin's tanned naked body shuttering underneath him. Shaking his head he was shocked by his own imagination, but by the way Rei continued to come closer to Kai, the ebony haired man was beginning to leave very little to the imagination as Rei's own hips lightly touched up against Kai's and Rei pressed his chest against the bluenette's"
"Rei," Kai whispered or more so almost whimpered.
"Yes Kai?" Rei asked innocently then as if just noticing the position they were in stepped away. "Oh sorry Kai," he teased grinning seductively obviously not sorry at all.
"Get a room," Lee groaned as he entered the room followed by Mariah who had scrunched up her face in mock disgust.
Rei laughed then winked at Kai before taking the two Chinese visitors to the counter to prepare dinner.
Kai shook his head again unable to suppress the warmth that had flourished through his body thanks to the neko jin. Still a little short for breath he was about to leave to find Bryan when Rei called out from behind him, now occupied with making dinner, to check on Sakura and make sure she and Max weren't causing chaos.
Searching the lower levels of the house he had found only Bryan watching TV, with beer in hand still, a closed door where he thought he heard Tala and Tyson conversing in hushed voices and Kenny working on his computer.
The upper levels seemed more promising when he heard loud giggles and shouts coming from the end of the hall. The rooms he passed were all underly furnished , shabby and in the case of what he assumed was the room that belonged to Tyson, messy.
Knocking briefly before opening Max's door he found both the young girl and energetic blonde hooked on a beybattle in a small portable beydish. Kai almost laughed at the sight of the two hunched over the dish encouraging the blades enthusiastically to obey their words. For the most part Draciel performed perfectly but Kai could tell that Sakura was struggling as she sheepishly cried to Dranzer for an attack. The phoenix ignored the request and instead began to wobble.
"I'm never going to get it." The young girl pouted as the sapphire beyblade jumped from the small replica stadium and came to a halt next to the frustrated child.
"Don't worry 'kura-chan" Max grinned happily catching Draciel in his hand, "you just started"
Kai took advantage of the fact that neither of the two occupants had noticed him yet and searched around the room. Max's room was brightly colored and was far more decorated than the other hovels had expressed. Pictures and posters flooded most of the wall space of old Beyblade Tournament posters and pictures of his parents, the All Stars and of course the Bladebreakers.
Kai smiled fondly at some of the memories captured in the photographs, many focused more on Rei, Max, Tyson and Kenny with Kai usually to the side supporting a scowl of frown but in the more recent ones Kai was close to the group often holding Rei in some way. The more he took in the of the memories the more he realized that most of the pictures showed scenes that were unfamiliar to him of the Bladebreakers' older years. Years that Kai had missed, years, that Kai now realized with a pang of remorse, that he would never see nor recover.
"Kai!" Max exclaimed surprised. "Man you scared me when did you get here"
Entering the room completely in view now Kai stared at the two, his scarlet eyes void of emotion.
"Daddy!" Sakura yelped jumping to her feet and hugging Kai's leg. "I can't get the new launcher you bought for me to work." She protested trying to contain a whine in her voice.
Kai stared at her hesitantly then to Max who shrugged. Sakura pealed herself away from Kai for a moment, rushed to the beydish reclaimed Dranzer then raced back to Kai and dropped the blade in his hand.
"Maybe you could talk to her for me?" Sakura asked her violet eyes wide, "and tell her that all I want to do is become a champion blader like you Daddy"
Kai stared in to his hand where the sapphire blade immediately grew warm and then to Sakura who continued to look at her with wide lilac eyes.
"Please Daddy"
Kai sighed and rolled his eyes but slowly nodded his head but instead of directing his attention to Dranzer he turned to Sakura. "First you need to learn how to hold your launcher in a way that will connect with Dranzer. I have no doubt," he found himself surprised to admit, "that you have connected to her in every other aspect, but you have yet to discover a way to differentiate from a beybattle wielding her, opposed to a pleasant conversation of comfort"
Max nodded from behind the girl with understanding, Sakura still looked a little confused so Kai continued.
"Try holding the launched more to and angle and point your index finger towards the beydish as if to direct her, don't pull at the rip cord so hard either, that might cause problems." Kai instructed the child handing her back Dranzer which had now begun to glow a soft crimson.
"Okay!" Sakura smiled and returned to the beydish to try again. This time the launch was more stable but still Dranzer was not balanced. Sakura tried again performing the same method she had just tried.
"Sakura, first rule, if that didn't work try changing something for a better result." Kai coached this time placing one of his hands upon her own smaller one adjusting her grip on the launcher, and then placed his palm upon her right hand to show her how the rip cord should feel. A sudden dread filled him as he knelt behind the small child that placed so much trust in his words, her hand felt so small and fragile beneath his and her frame was so vulnerable he felt the need to protect her in a way that he had never felt before. This girl relied on him, no one had ever relied on him like this before and as Sakura twisted to see what had cause Kai to hesitate her lilac eyes collided with his own crimson orbs and he himself felt vulnerable. Quickly a smile caught his lips against their will which was quickly returned by Sakura.
"Daddy!" She exclaimed like a child seeing a parent for the first time in a while.
"Ready Sakura?" Kai asked the girl still smiling his hands ready to to guide her movements.
"Ready Daddy!" She cried out gleefully.
"Alright then!" Max shouted oblivious to the bond between father and daughter." Then 3-2-1"
"Let it Rip!" Sakura and Max shouted together and instantly a flash of purple and red collided for only a moment before the purplish shape faded and Draciel was sent into the far wall.
---
Back downstairs Sakura was just finishing up her review on how the beybattle upstairs went o Rei, still a glow from the victory, before moving on calling out 'Uncle Tala', so that he two would hear of her win, Max followed her willing to give details if she left any out.
"You're her hero again." Rei told Kai with out turning to him for his focus on the stir-fry he was preparing after Tyson had given up on the pizza idea which resulted in Rei saving the day with his cooking skills. "You know that right?" Rei laughed flushed with happiness.
Kai nodded slightly leaning against the counter, with his arms crossed, near where Rei was working.
Rei stopped what he was doing for a moment and looked at Kai searching his crimson eyes unsmiling. Kai raised an eyebrow to the neko jin's gesture until Rei shook his head and returned to his work and laughed.
"What's so funny?" Kai inquired watching as the obsidian haired man methodically turned the stir-fry.
"You'd laugh at me if I told you," Rei smiled rolling up the sleeve of his shirt so he could steam the rice.
"Oh?" The bluenette continued to pry curiously.
"Its just…" Rei hesitated watching the steam drift lethargically, "when I just looked at you, you seem like a different person from…" Rei looked down blushing slightly. "I sound stupid never mind me Kai Koi"
"Rei!" A sharp voice entered the room. "Can we talk?" Tala entered confidently shooting a long glare at Kai.
"Uh, sure Tal," amber eyes shocked by the Russian's sudden appearance held by anger.
"Alone." Tala hissed indefinitely his glare remaining on the bluenette.
"Um…" Rei answered unsure before turning to Kai with pleading eyes. Kai nodded and began to set off however paused next to Rei. "And Rei…" he whispered into the neko jin's ear, "I promise to never 'never mind' you again," kissing him on the cheek gently and leaving the two to talk.
Well? Please read and review, all ideas will be considered.