"Ok, put 'em up."

Rather awkwardly, Anya put up her fists in the only she knew how. Kai arched an eyebrow, making Anya blush.

"You can see why I asked you to help me."

"Yeah..."

Kai put his fists up and Anya copied.

"Hit me."

"What?"

"I said hit me."

Anya gaze Kai a puzzled look.

"If you insist."

Anya lashed out at Kai, aiming for his face, but to her surprise, he dodged it effortlessly. Anya swung again and again, but Kai dodged each one with ease and grace. Eventually, Anya tired herself out. Kai drew back a fist and swung. Anya shut her eyes, but when it didn't come, she opened them to find Kai's fist mere centimeters from her face.

"Lesson #1: Punching and Blocking."

For a while, they continued on this way, the entire time Kai showing her the correct stances and movements while Anya did her best to copy them.

"Let's try this one more time." Kai said after a few hours.

Anya got into her stance, waiting for Kai to criticize. All he did was nudge one of her feet further back.

"Remember to keep your feet as far spaced as your shoulders."

Kai got into his stance as well.

"Remember the block?"

"Yep."

"Ready... go!"

Anya lunged and swung a punch, Kai dodging it as she had planned. She swung a punch with her other fist, almost hitting him except that he blocked with one arm. This time, Kai swung a punch at her. She put her arms up in a cross as a defense. When his fist went over it, she snapped her arms parallel, catching his arm. He yanked it back as Anya swung another punch, this time hitting him squarely in the left cheek.

"Not bad..." He said rubbing his cheek where she'd decked him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hurt you did I?" Kai laughed at her.

"I've felt far worse than a girl punching me on the cheek."

Anya eased up.

"That's enough for today." He said.

"On to dancing!"

Anya led Kai back to her room where she turned on her music box.

"What's that for?"

"Just so you can get an idea of what waltzing music is like."

She walked back over to Kai.

"I don't suppose you know the stance?"

"Not a clue."

"Well, just so you can figure out the steps, we'll improvise."

She took both of his hands, making Kai blush a little.

"Ok, follow my lead."

For nearly 2 hours, the Princess patiently taught the blader how to waltz. It wasn't too bad, he didn't complain, but every now and then his eyes would betray his frustration.

"Damn, you noble people must get pretty bored if you think this is fun." He grumbled as they continued practicing the steps.

"I don't think this is fun. Tell it to my father the stuffed shirt."

Kai chuckled at her called the czar a stuffed shirt of all things.

"Well, you learned the waltz very quickly."

"I'm a fast student."

But to his surprise, she took one of his hands and placed it on her waist and rested her hand in his other. Her free hand rested on his shoulder.

"This is the proper stance; now let's give it a try."

They started up dancing again, moving gracefully and easily. Once Kai got the hang of it, he was actually very good. Just for the heck of it, he spun her around.

"Are you sure you can't dance, you're very good."

"I have a good teacher."

Anya felt herself blush a bit.

That night as the two were changing into their nightclothes, backs turned to one another; Anya couldn't help but think about tomorrow when she was going to try launching Black Dranzer.

"Hey Princess, are you going to stare at the wall all night?"

Anya snapped out of her trance-like stare at the wall and turned around to find herself face-to-face with Kai. Caught by surprise, she sort of fell backwards, but Kai's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back up and against his bare chest. Anya blushed like crazy when she realized how close to him she was. Kai seemed to realize it to and both stepped backwards.

"Er, sorry..." He muttered.

"Yeah..."

There was an uncomfortable silence before Kai interrupted it.

"We should be getting to bed now..."

Kai took the couch as Anya took the bed. Using the crook of his arm as a pillow, Kai drifted off in a few minutes. Anya watched him for a while as he slept, admiring her newfound friend. He was beautiful.

Wait, what am I saying? Stop being such a weirdo. She scolded herself.

Kai shivered in his sleep.

Damn it...

All of the sudden, he felt something soft and warm being draped over him from foot to chin. He opened one eye to see that Anya had put a blanket over him.

"Goodnight Kai."

She walked back to her bed and fell asleep in a matter of moments.
"Goodnight Princess."

Anya woke up early the next morning to find that Kai was still asleep with his hands behind his head and facing the ceiling. The blanket she had put around him was kicked down to just below his waist, showing his firm upper body. Without thinking, her eyes scanned over him. His powerful arms which were crossed behind his head were sort of in a flexed position, showing well-toned biceps. Looking past his face, she took in a finely-built chest, broad shoulders and the start of a 6 pack. He stirred in his sleep and groaned before waking up. Anya stretched and yawned, pretending to have just woken up.

"G'morning." She said yawning.

Kai said nothing, just got up and stretched. Anya grabbed her clothes and went into the washroom to change. That was when she realized that today was the day she would be launching Black Dranzer.

"Ready?" Kai asked as he slotted Dranzer into his launcher.

"Yep." Anya replied as she did the same thing.

Who are we battling my mistress? A dark but smooth voice asked in her mind.

Black Dranzer?

The one and only.

We're taking on-

Anya was cut off by a very ticked-off Dryxaria.

Just who do you think you are, calling her your mistress?

What's a matter; jealous are you, huh Fae?

Back off Black!

Both of you cool it!

Anya got into her bladers' stance.

"3, 2, 1, LET IT RIIIIIIIIIPP!"

The two bladers launched their blades in perfect unison.

"Dranzer, attack!"

"Black Dranzer, counterattack!"

As Dranzer moved in for the attack, the black and bronze blade that held Black Dranzer came in and slammed into Kai's blade with breakneck speed, throwing it clear out of the dish. Luckily, Kai was able to catch Dranzer before the blade collided with his face.

"Whoa..." Anya stared at her blade. In her mind, an image of a smugly triumphant Black Dranzer. Anya quickly picked up her blade and pocketed it. All of the sudden, she felt a sharp pain in the front of her head.

"You okay?" Kai asked when she winced and rubbed her head.

"Yeah... my head just hurts."

That was sort of a lie. The match had for some reason drained her of most of her energy. Black Dranzer was far more powerful than she had estimated.

"You're lying."

"I'm fine." She mumbled stubbornly.

Kai shrugged, even though he knew she was lying. The two started to walk back to Anya's room to continue with Kai's dancing lessons when Anya stumbled and fell. She shut her eyes expecting to hit the floor, but something caught her before she hit the ground. She opened her eyes, immediately finding herself gazing into Kai's crimson ones. He had caught her just before she hit the ground.

"Remind me to ignore you when you say I'm fine." He said with a rather straight face.

Anya felt herself blush a bit, especially when Kai placed his other hand under her knees and lifted her bridal style off the ground in his strong arms. He carried her the entire way back, never saying a word.

Stubborn girl. The power of Black Dranzer was too much for her. Kai thought as he carried Anya back to her room.
Kai let Anya back down once they got back in her room.

"Thanks..." She muttered while blushing again.

Damn it, why do I keep acting like this?

"C'mon, today I gotta show you the two-step."

Kai groaned inwardly. There was no stopping this girl.

Mid-lesson, Anya let them have a break.

"Princess-" Kai was cut off when Anya raised a hand.

"Princess sounds way too formal. Call me Anya."

"Er, ok, Anya, I just thought of this, but what were you doing out on the streets that night I ran into you?"

Anya paused for a moment, then stared at the floor.

"I just wanted to see what was outside. I don't get outside very much." She muttered softly.

Kai was taken aback slightly. Though he had been trapped inside the Abbey, there was at least a courtyard that the boys were allowed to go outside to for exercise. Anya was the Princess of the czar, almost the highest rank in the Russian society and nobility and she almost never got outside.

"Hm..." Was all Kai said.

Anya got up to her feet.

"I think that was a long enough break."

Regrettably for Kai, he got dragged off to be suited for the party/ball. Anya had to force back a laugh when Kai came back looking about ready to kill the tailors, judging by the murderous look in his eye.

"Sorry about that." Anya said while holding back a laugh.

Kai folded his arms.

"Aw lighten up, Kai." She said jokingly nudging him in the side.

Unfortunately for Kai, he was slightly ticklish in that area and his face cracked into a smile.

"Don't do that, I'm ticklish."

Anya smirked evilly.

"Oh you are, are you?"

Before he could react, Anya pounced on him and started tickling him.

"Ha ha ha stop!" Kai spluttered through laughter.

He somehow managed to turn the tables and started tickling Anya, who started laughing. She managed to wriggle out of his grasp and took off down the hall, still laughing. Kai followed her. Anya was actually pretty fast, but so was Kai. She led him outside into the gardens where a light layer of snow covered everything. Anya disappeared around a corner. When Kai followed, she was nowhere in sight. He kept on running, thinking that she had gotten ahead. When footsteps joined his, he looked over his shoulder to see a smirking Anya. She had hidden somewhere and now was chasing Kai. He smirked and picked up the pace. Anya did the same. Just to tease her, as they ran up the banks of a hill, he came to a dead halt, making Anya accidentally ram right into his back and knocking both teens to the ground. For a half second they lay there side by side before bursting out laughing.

"I haven't had this much fun in my entire life!" Kai laughed.

Anya smiled as he rolled over and put his hands behind his head. It was nice to see him smiling, really and truly smiling. It was a side Anya was glad she was able to bring out. Getting an idea, Anya started moving her arms up and down and her legs together and apart.

"What are you doing?" Kai asked.

"Making a snow angel." Anya replied.

After a minute of this, she got up and drew a halo over the head in the snow. Kai smiled and got up.

"Lets get back inside before we both catch a cold."

Back inside, Anya was still smiling as they sat in front of the fireplace, wrapped in blankets with a mug of tea that the maid had insisted on making. Kai stared into the fire, thinking. And of all things, he was thinking about Anya. She had brought out a side of him that he never knew he had. She made him laugh. Made him happy. For once in his life, he'd had fun and actually felt happiness.

"Kai? Hello, anybody there? Earth to Kai!"

Kai snapped out of his trance when Anya waved a hand in front of his face.

"You zoned out." She said teasingly.

"Yeah..." He murmured.

"Are you ok?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just thinking. I've never been able to have that kind of fun like we did today."

Anya looked surprised.

"Really? My mother and I used to do that all the time." Anya said dreamily as her eyes wavered. She quickly wiped her eyes.

"Sorry..."

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing..." Anya said quietly as she set her mug down and hugged her knees to her chest and stared into the fire. Kai put down his cup as well.

"You're hiding something."

Anya sighed.

"It's just... my mom..."

"What about her?" Kai asked gently, not wanting to say anything that might further prod this touchy topic.

"Well... For a while, I used to hang out with my mom all the time. Then when I was 7, she got sick. Really sick. She started off losing her strength, then she was stuck in bed all day. It was the eve of my 8th birthday when she fell asleep and didn't wake up..." She clenched her eyes shut, trying to force back tears. In an uncharacteristic pang of sympathy, Kai hugged Anya close to him. She closed her eyes as he held her.

"I never knew my parents..." Kai murmured. "I don't even know my last name."

Anya looked up at Kai, whose expression betrayed nothing.

"Really? I'm sorry..." She said softly and rested her head against his chest.

She could hear his heartbeat as he held her. Eventually, they drifted off in one another's arms.

Drachenfire: Awwwwwwwwww that's so cute! I know Kai may seem a bit OOC, but think about it, Kai admitted that he never knew he had that side, so technically it works.