Chapter Three: Going Under

From the personal diary of Kai Hitwari

I held my breath and waited for the insistent pain to stop hounding my mind; Kenny would come to Russia- he had to. I knew now that he wanted to see me more than ever so there was no other way out of this than to face it head on. I was tired of living in the 'what if' section of my life as it happened and wasn't about to run out on him again. I don't think he saw the look of pain on my face as I noticed the lone tear find its way down his face when I left. Well, as Tyson-kun would probably say: TTFN.


A soft knock sounded on my bedroom door at the same time the bedside phone let out a shrill ring sending a sudden pain throughout my head. Damn Tala and his early morning calls anyway, I thought as I sat up. After all, I had only gotten to sleep at three am that morning so I was still pretty much half-asleep. "Nani?" My voice was harsher than I had intended it to be as one of my still-too-young-to-drive maids opened the door and I silently berated myself for not being able to get more sleep the previous night.

I noticed the clock and gave myself another mental slap as I groaned loudly enough to make anyone think it was the morning after my nineteenth birthday and Brian had given me too much to drink. It's a long story- don't ask. Rene opened her mouth to say something and I gestured for her to turn around as I got up to get dressed. "You need something?"

Still with her back to me, the blond nodded hurriedly. "Master Kai, there are four people- three men and a woman- wishing an audience with you in the main hallway. I asked them to wait while I checked it out with you. Have you any pre-organized engagements, Sir?"

"Yes, actually, I do. It seems as though my friends from Japan have arrived a little sooner than anticipated. Have them seen to for breakfast then show them to their respective rooms." I smirked as she nodded. "You may turn." I said a little too acidly. "Have Rei Kon and Max Tate shown to the master room in the Northern Wing and Hillary Reed and Tyson Granger shown to the master room in the Southern Wing. Are my directions clear, Miss van Colvin?"

"Yes, Master Kai," she said dropping a low curtsey before moving to the door. Again the phone rang- should I? Yes, it might be important. Damn Tala anyway; I hoped- for his sake- that he had a good excuse- or at least a place to hide. I sat down on the bed rather roughly and picked up the shrieking contraption. "If this is a social or a wakeup call, Ivanov, you better have a place to hide where I can't find you."

His answer was not at all what I had been expecting as he laughed on the other end. "Loose something- or rather someone?" I felt my face curve into a not-too-concerned-yet-ready-to-kill scowl that I had used on Tyson so long ago whenever he annoyed me.

"Explain."

"Well..." Tala began before giggling again and I could almost see his sapphire eyes glinting with humor while his face twisted into something of a jackal-like look in the back of my minds eye. Yes, he can be very bad and yes, that thought was very cruel even if it was from me.

"Ivanov, I have no time for your childish behavior however important this call is. Spit. It. Out." I made myself sound like I had umpteen dozen things to do that day and sighed with an agitated air as I spoke.

"You take all the fun out of it, don't you?" I could hear the return scowl in his voice as we exchanged words.

"I live to make your happy life a living replica of Hades itself, Tala." I said sweetly. "What can I do you for?"

"Free, if that's what you want." He chuckled lightly. "Ok, back to business. What you lost...um-m-m, let's see here. Very sexy. Yes, very, very sexy, indeed. What beautiful blue eyes, they have. Hmm, they are definitely too skinny- must be undernourished. Brown hair- recently cut, too. Oh, yes, their about 5'3"." Only one person I knew had that kind of description.

"WhatthehellisKennydoingattheAbbey?" I said in one, quick breath. I knew that the redhead on the other line would catch every word so I didn't bother to take it slow.

"K, lemme get that straight. 'What the hell is Kenny doing at the Abbey?' is that right?"

"Ivanov." I growled at his readiness- or lack thereof.

"He forgot your number- don't do that! Brian, give me back the phone!" There was a pause. "HEY! You can't do that!"

"Watch me. Ian, untie him, he's not a prisoner of anyone's lusty dreams got it?" I listened as Brian set them straight. Ian mumbled something in the background that sounded like 'you had to ruin our fun, didn't you?' and retreated as my lavender haired friend growled. "Kai, you still there?"

"Yes."

"Good. Listen, everything's a mess here so I'll be over shortly with your koibito. And before you ask how I know let's just say that a mutual friend of ours has a knack for talking in his sleep." I nodded appreciatively and said my goodbye's to him, listening to the fading sounds of Spencer grumbling about doing housework at ten am with no promise of breakfast or even an after meal treat. Note to self: KILL TALA SLOWLY.


Tyson pushed Hilary's hands down to her side as I entered- so the hooch still has his woman on a leash? Good to know.

"Kai! How ya doin' buddy?"

"Good to see you too, Tyson. I see you and Hilary are still together, any promise of a wedding in the future?" Hilary blushed.

"Not yet, maybe someday, but not yet." I turned my attentions to the blond who was staring at his plate as my manservant, Rufus, uncovered it.

"It's not going to bite you, Max." Tyson laughed and dug right into his plate leaving the rest of us to gap at his indecision. "See, only Granger bites." I looked at Hilary as she got her meal.

"Kai, what is this stuff? It's delicious!" Tyson gulped down half a glass of orange juice before talking again. "Try some, Hil."

"It's fried, salt turbot mixed with boiled potatoes and hash, Master Tyson. I shall tell Renee that you enjoy her American cooking, then?" Rufus answered for me because I had not a clue as to what the mess was that lay in from of me. Tyson nodded through another mouthful.

"Oh, wow, this is good. My complements to the cook...uh...what's your name?"

"Rufus, Master Max. Is the meal to your liking as well, Master's Kai, Rei?"

"Yes." We said at the same time and the whole table burst out laughing at the untold joke of the day. "Just like old times." I said as I glanced around. Tyson with his erratic eating habits; Hilary fussing over her cloths when she thought no one was looking; Max and Rei trying desperately not to make out at the breakfast table- it was perfect except for one thing...

"Anything left, Rufus?" Brian's words cut through my train of thought as he hauled back a chair for Kenny then one for himself. "Eat what you can, Squirt. S'up, everyone, how's it going?"

Tyson dropped his fork and everyone else tried not to gap at the lavender haired blader's wording. Max finally managed a "Hey there, Kutzenov." And Rei blushed at the drastic changes that overtook my long-time friend of fifteen years.

Gone were the old abbey attire he'd grown up with and the headpiece he loved so much. He had let his hair grow out so that he could mock Tyson's style and donned a pair of faded blue jeans and red T-shirt with the new logo for the abbey. On top of that he wore a waist length, black duster, black ankle tie-ups, an a black, and gold baseball cap that Michael of the All Starz gave him two years ago that read STUD in bold red letters.

"If only I was single." I heard Hilary say as we all settled back into the daily routine of injustice and mind games.


"So, Kai, why'd you want us here in Russia?" Max asked and Tyson nodded, saying: "Yeah, are you sure you missed us?"

"Oh, did I say that, Tyson? I meant I missed everyone except you. Sorry, dude." Rei and the others barely suppressed their laughter at my apparent joke. "What I'm going to say is going to hit no one very hard so here goes. My grandfather died in his sleep just past Tuesday." I waited for the rounds of condolences, but they never came. They knew what I'd been through as a child and didn't pity the loss of such a monster- but he was still my grandfather- my blood.

"Good riddance and congratulations, Kai. You're finally free." Tyson's words washed over me in a wave of pure brotherly love that I knew he had harbored for me all these years. And it was there that, for the second time in my life, I smiled a true smile for my friends.


Walking into the room that Kai had assigned for me, I felt like a prince that had just been brought back from where he was not supposed to be. I was suddenly transported from my bleak life in Japan to somewhere others can only dream of. "'And I dream a dream so full of life that one can only wonder; what this dream means and how many are yonder.'" I said quoting one of my own poems from high school.

"Nice poetry. Did you write it?" Kai closed the door with a soft click and strode over to me in a blur of dark grey and black- his usual attire.

"You should think bout changing your attire, Kai. I know that your grandfather is dead, but do you have to continue the 'Goth' look you always try for?" Were those my words? I was suddenly on my back and Kai's mouth covered mine in a heated, passion-filled kiss that sent my head swimming in a deep pool of love-lust and I responded to his every touch. We broke apart and gasped for air. He pressed his forehead to mine and smiled down at me. "K-Kai?"

"Ashituru, Kenny. And don't ever tell me to stop because I can't." I nodded and he kissed me again. Can I really say what's on my mind to him? Or is this just a game? I wanted the former, but the latter played its part in my thoughts. Yet, in the midst of it all, it was Kai's kisses that shook me through and through.


Gothika Red: DH is sooooo dead when I get out of this mess. She had the nerve to use MY nickname in this chapter! That Hooch!

DragonHeart: She's just jealous because I'm a better writer. (nose grows so long that it reaches Japan.) He-he, please review?