Title: The other side of the barrier

Chapter 3 – What the hell?

Kai was sitting still, his hand resting on one bent leg, his stare unmoving, but his mind racing at full speed. It was one of those rare moments that Hiwatari didn't know what to think. Maybe it was some kind of dream? But then, those golden eyes peering at him through the evening shadow were just too vivid to be false. The story he had heard was reverberating in his ears as if pleading to be accepted. Was it possible that the legendary neko-jins really existed and the one of them was sitting in front of Kai, divided from the outside world only with a glass pane? And adding the fact that the mentioned person was living inside the picture from 6th century didn't help at all. The boy was named Rei and he claimed that he had been caught in mountains in China as a gift for an emperor. Trapped inside the unique canvas where the time had no impact on his physiological clock his body remained exactly in the condition it was before entering the frame. But the time was starting to count down regularly every time neko-jin would leave his trap.

'You mean that you can be freed only when you and the other person want it with all their heart?' Kai asked disbelievingly after a long silence.

'Yes, but I will stay outside the picture only if I am happy with the given freedom and if the other person is satisfied. Up to now I've been outside 4 times.' The boy went on, apparently happy to speak after spending so many years in isolated silence. 'First it was in China, then in Moscow, then in London and the last time again in Moscow.' He paused, glancing warily at his listener, and seeing no signs of objection he continued vigorously. 'Back in China it was some stupid guy who used to show me as an attraction on local markets so I quickly returned to the picture. After some time, I think it was during the reign of Ivan the Terrible of or what's-his-name, I was freed just to be a servant. In London… Well, it's slightly embarrassing…' neko-jin paused and lowered his gaze. Kai observed him with a hidden amusement, noticing his childish blush and previous excitement.

'Go on' he said softly to encourage the boy. Kai forgot for a while the strangeness of this conversation while his whole attention was absorbed in Rei's speech.

'All right. I was freed because that guy, Charles, thought that I was a woman… But when he figured it out, he didn't want me anymore so I was trapped here again'

Kai wasn't particularly surprised at this. Rei's feline looks could be easily mistaken with feminine silhouette, especially in the past centuries. But one question was constantly nagging the Russian:

'Ok, so all of them had some reason to "want you with all their hearts", but what about you?' he thought but didn't say it aloud, waiting for neko-jin to continue his story.

'The last time I was freed was by woman, back in Russia. She wanted me to be her lover, so I decided to escape back.'

'You didn't like her looks?' Kai couldn't help asking this with a little smirk under his nose.

'No, it's not that.' Rei shook his head but didn't elaborate on this. 'You know, for me every occasion to leave this place is good, so I always really want it. But I have no influence on the intentions of others.' Rei continued, thus answering Kai's silent question.

And so the conversion went on, Kai barely speaking, but eagerly listening, his mind traveling together along with Rei's descriptions of distant times the Chinese observed through the canvas. The rules of Tang dynasty with a rapid development of culture, literature, economy… The Russia of times when Ivan Grozny became first ruler to assume the title of tsar, when the country stepped onto the way of transformation into multiethnic nationality... The London of Victorian era, full of life, development, constant changes... The death of the last Russian Imperial Family... Those events, so well-known to Kai, were passing through his mind forming vivid images of history... realizing him how long the black haired boy had been trapped inside the unique picture. How long he had been forced to sit there and do nothing but watch helplessly how the times passes, how people die and how new are born, how the life changes... Hanging in luxurious salons, listening to silly conversations, important discussions…

Important discussions… The thought crossed Kai's mind. Rei was there, saw and heard things that are not known to anybody living in present times. It could be his chance… The only chance he got.

'Since the year 1918 I haven't seen too much. The frame was buried somewhere so I haven't got much to do. Until the day...'

'We've found the painting...' Kai finished and smirked.

'I am extremely sorry Sir, but young master ordered not to let anybody inside.'

'What?! What about…'

'I am sorry. Even you, Sir are not allowed.'

'Like hell I would obey' Tala got furious and tossed aside the butler standing in front of him. He pulled at the door to Kai's room almost unhinging it in the process.

'What the fuck are you thinking Kai?' Tala yelled, his icy eyes throwing daggers at the man lying comfortably at carpeted floor. 'Everybody's trying to contact you, Kablukov was calling hell knows how many times and you leave all these shit to me… What is the matter with you?'

Tala watched Kai rising slowly from the floor and shaking off his clothes, his breath erratic due to the anger boiling inside him. And then he noticed something odd. The picture…

'What the hell is this?!' he cried once more, pointing at the painting.

'Jeez, Tala, calm down' grumbled Kai, rubbing his forehead. 'You've already made enough noise. Why did he call?'

'I don't know,' Tala replied sharply. 'As if he would tell me.'

'Whatever' Kai sighed and left the room to make a phone call, leaving the red devil behind. Tala cursed in Russian and turned towards the painting still not believing his own eyes.

'Who the hell are you?' he asked incredulously, but he got no answer. Instead, he heard:

'Surely, you swear too much'

Kai returned to his room not even trying to hide his annoyance. He tossed his cell phone on the bed and lay down, placing his forearm on his forehead.

'So? What does he want?' Tala started, approaching the other man.

'The painting.' Came the muffled voice.

'What? Why?' the red head inquired, placing his hands on his hips in the usual manner.

'He learned somehow that it was found in excavations.'

'But this is not what he ordered. Nothing connected with…'

'I know, I've told him that.' Kai interrupted him impatiently, taking his hand off his face and gazing at standing man. 'But he claims ownership to everything discovered by the team.'

'So, give it back…'

'No way… I can't get rid of something so unique… Besides, he doesn't know about Rei.'

'About who?'

'It's me' the third voice reminded the Russians of his presence. Tala merely glanced in the direction of the frame and then continued:

'So what do you plan to do? Kai?' he added when he saw a smirk forming on Hiwatari's face. The man rose from the bed and took a slow stroll towards the enormous windows of his bedroom. Then he abruptly turned over and addressed the red head.

'I have a task for you. Remember the time when you copied the paining of…'

'No way!' Tala reacted quickly. 'It won't work this time, it's…'

'It WILL work' Kai stated firmly. 'Take the frame' he commanded and they put the cover on painting and slowly took it out the room down to the basements were the studies were located.

'We have this luck that Kablukov hasn't seen the painting in real. He doesn't know the stroke pattern etc.' Kai explained on their way. 'I'll provide you with appropriate wood and frame.'

'Where the hell are you going to find such things? It is from 6th century, isn't it?' Tala was skeptical about this whole idea. What was all this fuss about anyway?

'Don't you worry, I'll find something in Voltaire's collection. He left tons of old things.'

Kai opened the metal door leading to computer laboratory and two Russians placed the paining in front of some high-tech machinery. Hiwatari took away the cover so Rei could look at the new surroundings.

'Rei, I'm leaving you here with Tala, he just needs to make a picture of you.' He said off-handedly. 'Pictures of his original position are already in system. I will have someone bring you the materials in the morning' he continued instructing the red head as he turned back to the exit.

'What? I'm not going to spend here all night!'

'Yes, you are. We have not much time to spend. Besides, you have no other tasks assigned .'

'Yeah but maybe I have some plans?'

'Don't worry, Bryan will also have some work to do' Kai smirked and finally left the room.

'Damn you' Tala murmured. 'So we are stuck in this together' he sighed, turning to Rei and brushing his red mop of hair with his fingers.

'Tala, yes?' Rei asked slowly, watching the Russian turning on the computers. The red head nodded so he continued. 'Maybe you can tell me what is going on?'

'Well, basically, I need to copy the paining of you. I will use this computer…'

'Sorry, but I don't know what a computer is.'

Tala stopped in his tracks as he was taken aback a bit by this confession. He gazed at the Chinese who was sitting with his legs crossed at the bottom of the canvas.

'It's a kind of machine… Maybe YOU will start with your story, won't you? What the fuck you're doing in there? How is this even possible?'

So Rei told him the story of his life.

It was already midnight and Tala was immersed in his work, taking the samples of colours for individual paint. They were silent for a while after a long conversation about past and present times.

'And who you are for Kai?' Rei's question broke the silence.

'I'm a friend of Kai's.'

'Oh really?'

'Don't mind our quarrels, we just…'

'No, no. I didn't mean that. It's just…'

'Yeah?' Tala encouraged the Chinese, not shifting his sight from the screen in front of him.

'It's just… he looks at you in a strange manner.'

Tala instantly turned his attention to Rei, his brow raised quizzically.

'What do you mean?'

'His eyes look then as if… maybe not angry, but more like… hurt.' Rei finished and raised his amber eyes at the red head, who was now standing in front of the frame.

In the meantime, few floors above, Kai was sitting on his bed, the darkness of the room enveloping his heart, bear feet on the wooden floor, his thoughts swirling dangerously to abandoned, forbidden memories… Yes, he remembered it as if it was yesterday.

~~Memory~~

The silence was overwhelming. No sound could be heard, except for soft flakes falling on the white covering of the ground. However, inside him, he could hear his heart beating frantically. His chest was like on fire, the enormous heat spreading towards his head and arms, but his legs were frozen in one place, the coolness of snowy ground enveloping them gradually. His eyes were still, gazing at the whiteness in front of him. White, white… everything was white. Boundless whiteness in view… White snow, white clothes, white back in front of him… fiercely red head as if hung in the air. His clenched fist trembled, the black leather glove making a characteristic sound. The blackness of his attire nastily contrasted with the surroundings; he felt almost ashamed of being there, standing there whole in black, black coat, black pants, black gloves… white carnation in his hand…
The words he had spoken reverberated in his mind. Was it a minute ago? Or hour? He lost the track of time. All he could do was to wait… Wait for the answer. Maybe he hadn't really spoken anything? Maybe it was some illusion or maybe he just had done it in his thoughts? No… He was sure he had done it, he had put his all feelings in his confession and now he was waiting for a verdict.

Slowly he became aware of the change in the surroundings. Something changed in the view in front of him. Yes, the red head was now facing him, the face paler than usually, almost as white as snow. The lips started to move but he could hear nothing. Or could he? He closed his crimson eyes and stood motionless. The meaning of words found its way to his consciousness. He opened his eyes and there was noting red in front of him any more, only whiteness was left. And few footmarks in the snow. The vision changed slowly and he felt his back on cold snow, his eyes looking at milky sky. He could lie there forever.

'I'm sorry Kai'

He heard that.

'I don't feel the same way'

He heard that.

'You are like brother to me'

He heard that.

'But nothing more… I'm sorry'

Why Tala was apologizing?

He felt blank. He didn't care. He was just lying there. The snow falling at his face, melting on his cheeks. Suddenly, something hot burnt him. The tears trickling their way down his pale face.

The white carnation lying in the snow next to his black silhouette.

Author's note

Sorry for such a long update ^^; I was writing this with very long breaks so it can be kinda different in style somehow. This chapter is a bit wordy but I had to add more dialogues. And I hope you don't mind the description at the end - I wanted it to be more sensual. Anyway, tell me what do you think in your reviews and I will try to update sonner this time :P PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!