A/N: I know its late but its here and that's what counts, right? Anyway before proceeding with this I'd like to thank all those who gave me their much valued opinions for my fic ideas. Since all my options were chosen (I'm so happy) I decided to do them all given time, so just watch out for them k? I'm not sure exactly when they'll come out but they will eventually.

Now without further ado, chapter seven.

My Roomie

Chapter 7 Letters

By Stunstar

My dearest Ray,

How are you doing? I do hope this letter finds you in the best of health and spirits. Are you sure you are eating enough? You looked really thin when you last came to visit. Is it really cold up there? I do hope you have plenty of warm clothes if not just let me know and I'll send you some at the earliest.

In case you haven't guessed yet this letter is from my mom. And what a worry wart she is.

I feel that I have to regretfully let you know that we wont be able to come up there for your birthday, also since you will be turning eighteen with this birthday I should let you know that it is considered an ideal time for marriage here. However I have noticed that you do not seem as interested in Mariah…

bless you mom, you are so understanding! Don't tell me she realised that I'm not interested in Mariah, maybe she can get me off the hook there. I really had no idea she noticed that I was gay, she's really something.

…But I would like to tell you that Mariah isn't the only girl here you know, there are plenty of other girls like Zinnia, Katie, Margo and so many others and they all seem to have this what do you young people say? Ah yes they seem to have this 'thing' for you.

I take back what I said. I think it was too much to expect that my mom would have guessed and would accept me being gay without bringing the whole world down on her. To her it would probably be a bigger catastrophe than The Apocalypse.

But poor Zinnia's dad was bedridden the other week when a rock fell on him…

I thought that only happened in cartoons

… other than that things are fine here. Your dad is having some problems with his foot. He wobbles around a lot but the village healer says he should be fine soon, other than that things are fine. Oh and your grandma fell down the stairs the other day, she's been asked to rest in bed but other than that things are fine. Your little friend Kevin seems to have grown a little or maybe its because of those news wooden shoes he's wearing, they have those heels. Honestly I don't see how he walks around in those. Actually he can't walk around in those and keeps falling everywhere, other than that everything is fi-

That's it I can't read more of this. Every letter is the same more or less. Oh the letter doesn't end here I mean my mom never and note the emphasis on never writes any letter less than five pages long on both sides of the sheet. She's really sweet my mom and I love her very much and all that but her letters are a drag, she even writes about even the minutest detail and I don't want to fall asleep right now. But I don't mind really its just in the nature of my mom to let me know about everything that goes on, she thinks that I tend to feel homesick after sometime. Its the thought that counts after all but for the love of God I've been more of 'out' than 'in' in my hometown so I tend to get homesick for the world when I am there. But enough with her letter let me see what Lee has to say in his letter something makes me feel that I won't like what he has to say.

Hey there Ray buddy, there he starts the letter with some corny address or the other. Honestly a simple 'dear Ray' would have sufficed.

You must be doing fine there so I won't go into that. Actually your mother told me that she was writing to you so I decided to write as well because I know very well that you won't read your mother's entire letter and there is something of importance I think you'd like to know. Since your birthday's coming up, Mariah has been nagging me day in and day out that she wants to be with you when you celebrate it, so we are both coming there.

Oh dear God no!

Look Ray I know you only care about Mariah as a sister but she is hell bent on spending your special day with you. So incase she comes up with the 'I want to marry you' bit just humour her all right? Maybe when we come there you can lay it to her gently that you are not interested.

Lay it to her gently? Is he kidding or what? That girl wouldn't hear me out in any sense. Does he even know how many times I've tried to drill into her pink head that I don't love her? I think the next obvious thing for me to do would be to paint her walls with neon coloured messages informing her that I'm gay or walk around in a sandwich board ringing a bell. Even then I doubt if she would understand. Well, let me see what more disaster he has spelled out for me.

Actually she wanted to write to you but I told her that I was in a hurry to post these, because believe me if I had waited for her this would have reached you on you 51st birthday. I think she was planning to beat your mom in the number of pages in a letter.

God bless you Lee! Or else right now I would have suffered partial blindness from some awfully pink coloured letter with enough mush to make even the most senti person barf. And I would go about in a disoriented state banging off walls while muttering "pink…pink… too much pink" all the while.

I guess that's all for now, I'll see you when we get there. We should be there next Monday most probably just in time for your birthday.

Take care,

Lee.

I folded the letters carefully and stuffed them in my drawer for the time being and then collapse on the bed with a groan, staring at the ceiling. Oh yes, my birthday's coming up. Mariah's coming. And it falls on a Monday, next Monday in fact. Something tells me this will probably be my most memorable birthday ever. I'm just not sure if that will be in a good sense.

I look at the time and groan again I have my part time job to get to. More on that later now I have to get ready.

With the sheer force of will I drag myself off the utter comfort of my bed to get ready. I have approximately ten minutes to reach the café I work for on time and let me tell you I don't think my boss is too overwhelmed by me. I think he hates me.

I hear the insistent ringing of what can only be the unmistakable ring of a telephone as I brush my bangs to look partly presentable (for some reason my boss hates my hair. Actually he hates me period. And I have yet to figure out why) after the sixth ring I throw the brush back on the dresser irritably and head out of my room to the living room to answer the phone.

I just don't get it how come Kai is never around here anyway? And what about the others? They want to eat it's "hey let's go over to Ray's" they want to watch T.V it's "Ray won't mind" they basically want to do anything at all and plunder all my possessions and treat my apartment as a free-for-all but do something like answer the phone and they mysteriously disappear or get muscle cramps.

I lift the receiver in mid ring –

"RAY-RAY!"

I think my eardrums just got blasted into another dimension, if anybody is building a time portal could you find it for me?

"Mariah?" I ask directing my voice towards the mouth piece after holding the receiver an arms length away from me.

"GUESS WHAT SWEETIE? WE ARE COMING OVER THERE SOON!"

Guess what Mariah? We aren't standing on two different planets! For Gods sake lower your voice, the old lady down the street must have heard – and probably suffered a heart attack in the process.

"That's great Mariah" I once again direct towards the mouthpiece. No amount of confessions in any church was I a Catholic would redeem the number of lies I shoot her way.

"I KNOW I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO MEET YOU, IT'S BEEN AGES"

Really? And what a happy and blissful age it's been. But very short lived.

"The feeling is mutual Mariah-"

Like heck it is.

"-but can we talk later?-"

As in a couple of decades later? Maybe in another lifetime?

"-I have a job to get to."

"DID YOU GET LEE'S LETTER? I WANTED TO WRITE TOO BUT-"

What part of 'can we speak later' do you not get? And I am so NOT your 'sweetie' and for the love of God or- or- pink please stop torturing my eardrums!

"-AND THEN BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH-"

okay I'm officially trying to tune her out so 'blah' probably all you'll hear. What in the name of seven heavens did I do to deserve this?

"Mariah I-"

"-AND YAKITY YAK BLAH YAK-"

"Mariah listen-"

"-AND SO Yak he YAK BLAH-"

Just then the door opened and Kai entered and raised an eyebrow while clamping his hands over his ears at the sheer intensity of the cacophony. Okay I must be looking weird, I am holding the receiver a mile away from me, her shrill voice is reverberating and echoing around the room. I have my mouth open because I'm trying to speak and trying to make my voice be heard over hers and I probably look like I'm sitting on a bed of needles which I will do any day compared to this torture.

HELP I mouthed in this direction. Hands still on his ears he walked over towards me and releasing one hand from his ear (and wincing) pulled the receiver from my hand and slammed it back into the cradle.

A ringing silence followed.

He is my saviour.

I love him.

I am indebted to him for life.

He is a glorious, all knowing, my knight in shining armour, my life saver and – okay I'll shut up but you must understand the intensity of the situation and the dreadful fate he just rescued me from.

I looked at him speechless (verbally, mentally I can go on for hours) and give him my goofiest smiles.

"I have no idea how to thank you."

"Try having the gumption to do that yourself next time" he says before walking off. Oh great.

"Kai?"

He turns and raises an eyebrow in question.

"If you find my eardrums somewhere around here let me know." He smirks not the I'm-the-great-Hiwatari-worship-me smirk but one of genuine amusement before he stalks off towards his room closing the door with a snap. I stare at the closed door dreamily before reality decides to step in and knocks into me the fact that I have work to get to. I look at my watch. Oh great thanks to Mariah I'm going to be late!

I grabbed my jacket and raced out but stopped as I heard something with my extra sensitive ears. I realise its coming from Tala and Bryan's room and curiousity getting the better of me I stood in front of their door and leaned to press my ear against it and I gasped.

It's Tala's voice and he's moaning. Tell me I did not just hear that! I could not move even though I know this isn't right. Just then footsteps caught my attention and I sprang away from the door. Bryan appeared as he walked down the corridor towards me. I stare at him.

Wait a minute – if Bryan just came home who is Tala with? At this point Bryan stops in front of me and gazes coldly at me. Okay I guess he wants to know what I'm doing standing like a doofus between the two doors of our apartments.

"This is a wonderful hallway don't you think? I could stand here for hours" I gush sounding like a complete idiot. Well why don't you give me a better idea before looking contemptuous? He stares at me like I've gone insane which anybody would probably think given what I just blabbered. I think he's considering calling a mental institution or punching me to put me out of my misery. And I have a strong feeling he's going to give in to the latter option. I think I have two seconds to go before he decides to rearrange my face for me. Help!

As if on cue the door opened and Tala appeared looking – well he looked quite respectable considering what I think he was doing.

"What are you guys doing out here?" Tala enquires his blue eyes gazing from a confused me to an expressionless Bryan. And then Bryan spoke up (I think I'll die of shock).

"Apparently Kon thinks this is a wonderful corridor to be standing in doing nothing" he sneers. Tala looks at me with a raised eyebrow probably worried about my sanity as well. This is getting really weird I'm getting out of here.

"I'm gonna go now, you guys take care, have a lovely evening" I say backing away before turning and walking away with the rags of dignity I can muster. Once out of sight I turn my walk into a full fledged run.

------------

"You are late again! Such irresponsibility shall not be tolerated"

And you got in just two minutes before I did.

"There are customers to be served and your tardiness keeps them waiting."

So does your unnecessary banter.

"If the service isn't up to the mark it makes customers leave."

Yell a little louder or make a public appearance instead of being holed up in your office and it'll have the same effect, only faster.

"Such behaviour shall not be tolerated henceforth."

I hear ya, for like the millionth time. Let me introduce you to my boss Mr. Goodman though he is anything but a good man, we guys at the café have various other names for him which I don't care to elaborate on because they change with the times. For looks he is a small grey-haired balding man who could wear five inch heels and still not even come up to chest level with me. Yes, I've shot up over the years and now stand nearly six feet in height though I still have a few more years to add a couple more inches to it, neat huh? But that doesn't deter him because he has a loud booming voice to make up for his stature which I think developed over the years because people probably looked around alarmed whenever he spoke cos they could never really see him and think it was some disembodied voice. Giggle sorry, you have to see him its incredibly funny. And all the while he's ranting because I was all of ten minutes late.

"Don't repeat this again. Now go and do your job."

"Yes Sir" I reply withholding the urge to stick my tongue out at him and head out to the main serving area.

The place I work 'Goodman's Café' (very original ne?) is a very popular hangout and frankly the place is quite great even if the owner isn't. And of course with my experience as a waiter it is but an ideal part time job for me. The other guys who work here are pretty nice (nature wise mind you, in the looks department - not meaning to be impolite - but they are bleh) but to my horror as I got here today I found one more reason to regret my job apart from my boss.

"Raymond! It's so good to see you! You'll be hearing me play of course. And did you get that roommate thingy you advertised for."

I nod smiling though it's probably more like a grimace and now let me re introduce you to Babs. And let me remind her that a roommate is not a thingy!

"Yes I got a roommate."

"Good for you" she said punching my arm.

Remember her? One of my "applicants" when I was searching for a roommate? Remember I pledged that I would feed a dozen homeless people if I don't ever encounter her again? Well, looks they'll have to stay hungry. And all of a sudden she's on a new kick of calling me "Raymond" like it is so darn hard to just say "Ray". God I hate my job. And this time I will not contradict myself into changing my preference like I did before. This time when I say 'I hate my job' it sticks to 'I hate my job'.

Mr. Goodman you see got a sudden inspiration to have a singer for entertainment purposes and Babs here is the person he hired. What happened to good old stereos, I ask you. If you are asking me why this is so bad you obviously haven't heard her singing when I first entered the café today it was to hear someone wailing about swinging monkeys and hand puppets and I got to thinking if Mariah hadn't actually made her way over here so fast. Turns out it was Babs.

I have a roommate who I'm crazy about and I haven't the remotest idea what he thinks. I have friends who have their share of good and bad, one of them who moans out when he is apparently alone of which I can make no sense. I have a job listening to ridiculous songs and a cranky boss. I have school which comes up with nasty co curricular activites and I have an insane friend who thinks she loves me and is already looking at wedding brochures and is arriving next week.

This is my life and does it seem strange that I just want to bang my head against a wall?

-------------------

1. Kai Hiwatari.

2. Kai and chocolate

3. Kai and jelly? Jell o?

4. Kai and ?

I am making my birthday wish list here - that is if I ever make it to my birthday. Anything else I can slather Kai with? If I ever get him that is but a little wishful thinking never hurt nobody.

It's the next day, Wednesday, I survived work (barely, because Babs was singing about socks and tarantulas. I have lost my faith in music) and now I am sitting in my economics class. Tala is once again sound asleep and I have just scribbled in the back pages of my notebook about Kai and doodled his name in three scripts and seventeen fonts. I think my economics notes is turning out to be some sort of a diary or shrine about Kai.

I glance once at the bent red head of my friend still trying to fathom out yesterday evening's – you know. Was he day dreaming or actually dreaming? If so then about who? If he wasn't dreaming then did he have somebody in there who he later stashed in a cupboard or something? Should I ask him? Will he like it that I heard? I'm so confused, why is my life such a complication? I'm only seventeen soon to be eighteen I don't need this!

The bell ringing signaled the end of the class. Tala woke up and turned to me.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

I shake my head and muttered a 'nothing' hopefully not too quickly. Thankfully he didn't question me.

"Can I borrow your notes. I don't want to flunk a class I'll try and see if I make any sense of it."

I nodded absently and passed him my book which he stuffed into his bag. It was the last class of the day so we headed back home.

We met up with the others at the gate and Kai and Tyson seemed to be in some kind of an argument. You know that argument where Tyson just shoots his mouth off because he's irritated and Kai shuts him up with well placed comments? That one. Their bickering goes on all the way home, though I'm not quite sure what it's about and I'm not going to get involved either, I have enough problems of my own.

Tyson was still fuming even as I made him a sandwich (yeah like one sandwich is going to work, what am I thinking?). Then he muttered something along the lines of 'I'll show him' and disappeared which is a very usual occurrence in one of their arguments. I just hope he knows what he's doing or he'll end up in serious trouble.

I so did not want to go to work so I decided to call my boss and tell him I was sick. I made my way downstairs and the polite person I am knocked on the door of the apartment that Michael, Emily and Hilary shared (unlike certain other people I know I don't barge in unannounced).

Michael opened the door and offered me a cheery grin.

"Can I use your phone?" I asked. Oh wait I forgot to say didn't I? But Kai sort of broke our phone when he slammed the receiver so it's out of order and we haven't done anything about fixing it.

"Sure" he says grinning and steps aside to allow me in. My first thought as I entered was 'what in the name of Buddha happened here!' the place was frankly a mess. These guys are pigs!

"Sorry it's a little messy" Michael says grinning. I raise my eyebrow 'a little messy?' Hello! It looks like something exploded in here. Now I know why they hang out at my place, how can anybody live in this dump?

"We got here just a few days ago so things aren't quite settled with yet" Hilary says offering an explanation.

"O-kay, now how am I supposed to find the phone here?" I asked.

Michael dove into a pile of clothes beside and the couch and emerged slightly tousle headed but with a victorious smile phone in hand.

I dialed the number quickly and waited for old Shorty (sorry not in an imaginative mood) to pick it up.

"Goodman speaking"

"Hello?" I say hoarsely, "Mr. Goodman? Ray Kon here cough I'm not feeling well cough cough I don't think I can come in today cough cough cough."

Next to me Michael was laughing and Hilary was smiling indulgently at my brilliant if not a little over exaggerated acting.

I heard Goodman sigh, "first you are late and now you are sick. I excuse you this time but don't keep this up is that clear?"

"Acchhooo excuse me, yes Sir of course. cough"

"And for goodness sake get some cough drops."

"Yes, cough Sir."

I heard the click of the phone as he hung up and hung up myself grinning toothily.

"That was brilliant!" Michael said thumping me on the back as he continued chuckling.

Yes, I am a man of many talents and no, humility is not my strong point.

"I think you overdid it with the coughing" said Emily emerging from her room arranging her glasses. Some people don't appreciate the art.

"Are you kidding? It was awesome" Michael defends me, sweet fellow. He turns to me, "Say Ray can you teach me that? I want to get out of math tomorrow."

"I can try Michael" I respond, "but it serves better over the phone because then they can't see if you are sick or not."

He nods, "true, just thought I'd give it a shot. So what are your plans for the evening if you aren't working."

You know I hadn't given that a thought. But I guess I'll basically sit around doing nothing which is an art all by itself.

I shrugged in response to his question, "I haven't really thought about anything I think I'll go take a shower first."

I'm a very hygienic and neat guy basically and that is one of the reasons that entering their apartment had given me a nauseating feeling at first.

Giving a cheery wave I head on back to my place. The first thing I notice upon entering is that Tyson seems to be in a very good mood given how he was a few minutes ago. I wonder if he's up to something. He grins at me as I enter waving the bag of chips he was eating from, "want some Ray?"

Isn't he polite? He is offering me my own food in my own home. Nice.

I shook my head in response and headed towards the bathroom. A nice soothing shower is what I want. Sometimes I can't have enough of it. And I'm going to give my hair special attention. I normally tie it up when I take a shower because it takes too long to dry. And thrice a week I take extra care of it. I love my hair, not in the same way as I love Kai which is not possible because my hair is a thing - okay I confess warm showers makes my brain go fuzzy, thus the irrelevant blabber.

Oh great! I've run out of shampoo, damnit! Oh wait, maybe Kai won't mind if I used his. After all it's just shampoo. He won't kill me for it right? Right? Right!

Nice smell and the colour is ..red? Is it raspberry shampoo or something? I glance at the bottle but the its some Russian company and my Russian is rusty, okay I don't even know peanuts worth of it. Oh who cares about the colour as long as it doesn't spoil my hair which it won't consider Kai's hair is great, I just want to run my fingers through them … one of my unlimited fantasies, a time pass when I'm in the shower. Some of those thoughts would probably be censored…

After a good half an hour or so (and a lot of daydreaming later) I turned the shower off and tied a towel firmly around my waist. Then I noticed tints of red on the bathroom floor -Strange. I wiped the steam off the mirror took a look at my reflection – and shrieked.

My hair, my beloved hair, it's got smidgens of red on it! What the - ? How did it turn red? How – I gasped – the shampoo!

Just then there was a pounding on the door and Max's concerned voice filtered through.

"Ray are you all right? I heard you yell, you didn't fall or anything did you?"

No I did not fall and no everything is so not all right! It's a prank I'm sure of it and I'll turn the person who did this the same colour as my hair!

I opened the door and stormed out nearly toppling Max -who was right behind the door- in the process.

"All right who did this?" I bellowed jabbing at my hair for emphasis and breathing like an angered bull. I don't think I'm making a pretty picture but like I care right now. The room turned deadly silent and I glared at every person gathered there (yes, I even glared at Bryan who was lounging on the couch, I love my hair damnit!) nobody gets away with destroying my precious hair. And then Tyson's guilty face caught my attention.

"Ray, buddy I'm sorry it wasn't even-" but he was cut short as I lunged at him. He dropped the bag of chips and raced out of the room and into the corridor with me in hot pursuit as I mumbled incoherent things which included Tyson and boiling oil and which I think he heard.

"Tala, help!" Tyson cried and hid behind Tala who had just appeared possibly from all the commotion.

"No I won't! it won't be any fun then" he replies as he neatly sidestepped leaving my prey at my mercy. I love this guy too! But in totally another sense I'll get to that later. I have only one thing on my mind right now and that is to get Tyson. My hair needs justice!

Tyson backed into the wall cornered, "Ray, dude don't look at me like that, it's scary" he stammers.

I don't answer and proceed to slash at him.

Wait - why can't I reach him? Then I noticed that a pair of arms had latched themselves around me restricting my movement. Now I so resent that. I struggled against the hold making wild clawing movements at Tyson who is shrinking further away but looks relieved.

"Shredding him to pieces won't help any, besides I don't think anybody is in the mood to clean a mess" a smooth voice says in my ear sending instant shivers down my spine. Kai! Kai has his arms around me. One of my million fantasies has become an actuality. His voice is a little laboured possibly from having an armful of struggling neko jinn (I can put up quite a fight and let it be known that Ray Kon is no ninny).

But much as I love having his arms around me (which I so do) a part of my mind still seeks revenge.

"Justice shall be mine!" I yell out of nowhere. The next instance I feel myself lifted off my feet and carried inside I vaguely heard Tala say, "Geez Kai did you have to do that? I wanted to see the cat fight".

The next thing I knew Kai had set me on my bed with a flop. I looked at him my temper fading.

"I know you probably want to kill him but then there'd be a lot of police mess to take care off" Kai said nonchalantly. Easy for him to say, it's not his hair. But he looks yummy…

I think I just stopped breathing. Kai is so close to me. He's leaning towards me examining the red and black tresses, his fingers sliding through them. Oh don't moan, not now…must control…focus.

"I could kill him for doing this myself" I hear him mutter before he moved back to stand in front of me. I let out the breath I had been holding at the close proximity. Was I meant to hear that? Did I even hear right?

Just then Tyson came shuffling in pushing Max ahead of him as a shield, "I'm really sorry Ray. That wasn't even meant for you! I wanted to get Kai. It was just a prank. Besides it will disappear with a couple of washes." After saying the prepared speech he dashed off possibly thinking I was still in a deranged state. But Kai has me feeling like a marsh mellow.

"Well that's it, now I have to spend another hour or so rinsing this off!" I stated with a huff lifting a couple of strands and letting them fall back limply.

Kai merely nodded and walked off , he paused at the doorway and turned, "Ray?"

"Yeah?" I question slightly breathless.

He smirked, his eyes raking over me (cue giddiness) "get some clothes on."

Anybody want a look at a tomato faced towel clad goof? If you do I'm available.

-----------

Ah, yes, I feel great. Another hour in the shower but my hair is its shiny black again! Apparently Tyson poured some of that temporary hair dye thingies into Kai's shampoo as a get back for their earlier argument. Kai threw the bottle in the thrash and I haven't seen Tyson after his confession. Kai had disappeared for a while and nobody saw Tyson since…

I don't mean to make it sound sinister but he'll turn up after Kai thinks he's learnt his lesson.

I'm in a great mood now. My hair is back to normal and Kai put his arms around me! If that isn't bliss I don't know what is! And he cared about my hair too, he did! I'm so happy!

I'm so happy! (I can't seem to say it often enough).

Wait I just had a happy moment with Kai I think that is something that needs to be noted down. Now where is my notebook? Yes my economics notes is now possibly, officially my Kai-fantasy notebook, cool huh? I mean who wants to read about national income anyway when you can doodle away on Kai for future reference.

That's strange I searched my bag, my shelves, under my bed on the kitchen counter – no book. I'm not that careless a person it must be around her –

Oh dear God! I loaned my book to Tala! My economics notes is with Tala! And all my Kai fantasies in that book!

Oh shit!

Tbc…

A/N: So, how was it?