Title: Imperfect Countenance

Author: YaoiGoddessNekoJin

Rating: T

Warnings: Yaoi, Language, Violence, Implied Rape

A/N: Well, I was gonna update yesterday, but the site was down. Oh well, due to the wait, this chapter is a lot longer than the others. A lot of stuff happens as well. ^-^ I really like how this fic is turning out. It has kinda taken on a life of it's own. A special thanks goes out to everyone who reviewed and favorited (yeah...that's not a word, is it? hehe)/alerted this story. I really wouldn't be able to do it without you guys. =^-^=

Chapter III

Max walked over to the bed that Rei had crashed onto as soon as he entered the room. The red duffel bag that his things were packed in was thrown, haphazardly, into one of the corners. Max cautiously sat on the edge of the bed and reached out a pale hand to reassure the raven-haired boy. Rei, who's head was hidden in the crook of his elbow, sniffed slightly and looked up at his friend.

"Why do they have to be so rude?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know. I guess that's just the way they are." Max replied soothingly. Rei shifted, leaning against the wall, and pulled his knees up to his chest, hugging them close while resting his head on the top. He sighed forlornly and glanced sideways.

"Is it me? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Rei, you didn't do anything. Trust me on that one."

"Thanks Max." Rei said, smiling at the boy. Max returned the smile and slung an arm around him in a friendly hug.

"No problem."

~x~x~x~

In the hours that passed afterward, Rei and Max had stayed holed up in the bedroom, chatting and hanging out. The three men in the sitting room had, for the most part, remained silent, staring mindlessly at the television. It was around eleven o'clock by the time that Judy finally got back from dinner and, being tired, she began to get everyone situated for the night.

"Where are the other two?" she asked no one in particular. Tala just shrugged before answering.

"They're in one of the rooms over there." he answered and, though his voice was full of politeness, he motioned vaguely as his eyes never left the set in front of him. Judy just shook her head, amused, and walked to the other side of the room, knocking on the first door she came to.

"Boys, are you in there?" her only answer was the door swinging open to reveal her grinning son. She smiled, ruffling his hair.

"Why don't you and Rei come out here for a second?"

"Okay."

Once everyone was piled onto either chairs or the couch, Judy stood in front of them asking about the arrangements for the night.

"Alright, who's staying, who's leaving, and who's sleeping where?" Her question went unanswered for a moment before Rei piped up quietly.

"I guess I'll take the room Max and I were in." Tala glanced, boringly, in the the model's direction before turning ice-blue eyes back to Judy.

"Well," he began. "Seeing as I'm just an assistant, I'm going home. Mrs. Lebedev, however, wants one of these two in each of their rooms." he finished, motioning to Rei and Max while smirking at his scowling friends. Judy smiled, clasping her hands together.

"In that case, thank you for everything, Tala, and I guess we'll be seeing you tomorrow. Mr. Kuzentov, you can bunk with my son, and Mr. Hiwatari, you're with Rei. Okay everyone, off to bed."

~x~x~x~

Rei was in the adjoining bathroom, door locked, before Kai had even entered the bedroom. He leaned his back against the door and slid down to sit on the cold, tile floor. Rei heaved a sigh of unease, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach. Sometimes, he really hated it when he was right. He just knew he was going to look haggard for the first shoot tomorrow due to lack of sleep. There was no way he was going to be able to rest, having to keep an eye open for fear of being murdered in his sleep. 'I know they hate me. I just wish I knew why they hated me. Maybe...I don't know...maybe there's something I could do to fix it.' Ever since he was a child, Rei always seemed to gravitate toward the role of peacemaker. He couldn't stand it when people were angry with him, or others for that matter, and always aspired to avoid conflict. These three, however, were so foreboding and...scary, for lack of a better word, that he wasn't sure he even wanted to try to become their friend. 'This is beginning to give me a headache.' Rei thought, rubbing his temples and rising to his feet. He grabbed his bag from beside where he had been sitting and proceeded to change for bed.

~x~x~x~

Kai stalked into the room, slamming the door behind him, and looked around, resting his hands on his hips. He was going to kill Tala. Even though the bedroom was of impressive size for a hotel, there was only one bed. Granted, it was a very large, queen-sized bed, that didn't negate the fact that it was the only one. He knew that meant that he was going to be sleeping on the hard, uncomfortable floor, which would cause him to be sore and wake up in a foul mood in the morning. Vaguely noticing that light from the bathroom was seeping from under the door, Kai figured his charge was changing...or something...he really didn't care. Kai was in the process of making a palette on the floor when he heard the door creak open. He glanced over his shoulder when the sound of timid footsteps reached his ears. When crimson eyes fell on the boy entering the room, Kai's movements ceased momentarily. Out to all of the models he had worked with, the majority of them used any chance possible to show off their body. Rei, however, was dressed in an oversized shirt, that seemed to swallow his lithe frame whole, with Chinese writing on the front. Besides the shirt, he wore red boxers, that complimented his skin tone quite nicely, and had his lengthy, raven hair tied back in a loose ponytail so it swooshed around him when he moved. Even though he was dressed in such modest garb, Kai couldn't help but think that he looked absolutely stunning. This thought was only reinforced once he saw the light pink flush that colored tan cheeks. Apparently, he had been staring too long... Without a word, Kai turned back to what he was doing, silently berating himself for his actions and his unwelcome opinion of the other male. His hands didn't stop again until a small noise was made to grab his attention. He didn't turn around, but did motion to show he was listening.

"Um, you can have the bed. I'll sleep on the floor." Rei said softly. Kai just furrowed his brows and turned, confused, to the boy. Fearing Kai was about to try and argue, Rei hurriedly continued. "I'm sleeping on the floor, so you can either take the bed or we'll both be in the floor." To say that Kai was genuinely surprised would be an understatement. He was astonished. Here was this model, who he had presumed was just the same as every other stuck-up, spoiled brat he had ever met, offering to spend an uncomfortable night on the floor just so he wouldn't have to. Kai then said something that would have bewildered anyone who had ever known him.

"The bed is huge. There's plenty of room for both of us so, providing that you keep to your side, we can both sleep in it." Golden eyes widened almost comically at the less then than enthusiastic statement. He stood, rooted to the spot, until a glare from Kai had him jumping to pick up the blankets off of the floor.

Once everything was settled and both boys were in bed, Rei concentrated on the dark ceiling, reflecting over the past few hours. Kai and the others had seemed like real jerks to begin with, but now he wasn't quite sure. The last thing he had expected was for the bluenette to offer to share the bed with him. That thought made him blush; it sounded so...intimate. Rei was suddenly hyper-aware of the heat rolling off the body next to him. In response, his temperature seemed to be rising. His mind immediately turned to the moment when he had stepped out of the bathroom. He could have sworn that Kai had been staring at him, studying him. His current line of thought made his face darken further. He just couldn't understand why he was feeling like this. This sudden heat, the butterflies assaulting his stomach, none of it made a bit of sense to him. As his eyelids got heavier and heavier, Rei absently noticed how inviting the warmth beside him felt.

~x~x~x~

Bright sunlight filtered through the partially open curtains as the birds tweeted cheerfully in the treetops. Kai was the first to stir, moving his face further into the softness under his chin to shield his eyes from the morning's onslaught. He was surprised at how warm and comfortable he felt. Smelling the faint scent of lavender, Kai slowly blinked a few times, confused by the black mass in his field of vision. As his mind entered the world of the waking, he felt a weight in his arms. Perplexed, Kai lifted his head and looked down at what was supposed to be the bed. Instead, the sight that met his eyes was a peaceful, sleeping Rei, curled up on his side and nestled into Kai's chest. There was a split second when Kai's entire body ceased to cooperate and he simply stared at the vision before him. By the time that he snapped out of his daze, astonished amber eyes were blinking blearily back at him. Proving to be just the push he needed, Kai let fury fill his eyes and proceeded to shove Rei off the other side of the bed. The raven-haired boy yelled in shock as he went flying, limbs scrambling for something to cling onto, and landed in an undignified heap on the floor. He lay there for a bit, gathering his bearings. He then shot to his feet, indignation making his eyes blaze.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Me? You're the one who was molesting me!" Kai bellowed, making Rei shirk back slightly from the force of the behind his voice. The raven-haired boy turned bright red at the implication Kai was making. He never got the chance to reply, however, as all of the yelling had successfully drawn the attention of the other inhabitants of the suite and the door flew open as Bryan rushed in, wild lavender eyes searching for an assailant. Judy and Max were behind the large man and only stepped into the room when they were sure that there were no attackers.

"What's going on?" Max asked, rushing over to Rei with worry evident in his blue eyes.

"Nothing." Rei answered briskly. "I'm going to get a shower." he continued, slamming the door on the way to the bathroom. Judy turned reproachful eyes to Kai as soon as the Chinese boy was out of the room.

"Kai, please try to be a little nicer to him. He's had it rough these past few years." she said sternly.

"What makes you think that I'm the problem here? Besides, I'm sure having to worry about whether or not you've gained a pound is very tiring." he snapped. Judy shot him a dirty look, which was doubled by Max.

"You are aware that I can have you fired, right?"

"Tch, like I need this job. I'm sick of it anyway." Kai, sure that he had won that battle, turned from the two blondes to start gathering what he would need for the day. He stilled, however, when the next words were spoken icily.

"I am very aware of your situation, Mr. Hiwatari. I don't think that your grandfather will be too pleased to hear that you've been harassing the boy that you're supposed to be protecting. I'm sure that he will be able to find someone far more deserving to leave that hefty inheritance to." And with that, Judy spun on her heel and left the room, Max trailing behind her. As soon as the door shut, Kai turned around, fire burning in crimson eyes, and threw the water glass, from the nightstand, at the door. He cursed loudly when the glass shattered and went to start picking up the pieces.

"Dammit!" Bryan took a step toward his angry friend, showing concern in his own way.

"Look, Kai-" the lilac-haired man began, but was abruptly cut off by Kai.

"No, don't. Just..." he trailed off. When Kai was finished with the glass shards, he stood and walked over to the wastebasket, dropping them in. By that time, Bryan decided he would try again.

"Kai, she doesn't know anything; none of them do. Just, don't listen to her."

"I know that, Bryan. I-" he paused for a second. "I know what rough times are, a lesson I won't soon forget." he said, disdain from past memories filling his voice. Both Russians jerked to attention when the bathroom door creaked open. Rei stepped out, steam billowing from behind him. He was completely dressed for the day, except for his hair, which was tied up in a fluffy, white towel. As Rei walked toward his bag, that laid in the far corner of the room, Bryan gave Kai a look before leaving. The bluenette just huffed, stomping into the bathroom.

~x~x~x~

Rei was still angry for what had transpired when he and Kai woke up that morning. Not that he was angry about how they had woken up, but about the way the surly bodyguard had treated him afterward. His back was still aching from the way he had landed on the floor. Rei had actually enjoyed waking up this morning; a thought which surprised him immensely. He had felt...safe, something that he hadn't had in a long time. When his parents had died, it was as if a rug had been pulled from under his feet. He suddenly found himself completely and utterly alone in the world. Sure, he had friends, but it wasn't quite the same as having a family to turn to. He had always taken the fact that he had a strong support system for granted before his parents passed. With them gone, that system had completely crumbled and he found himself seeking acceptance and adoration from complete strangers. He yearned for someone he could fall back to and could count on to help keep him steady. Great, he wasn't feeling so hot now. 'I guess wallowing in misery will do that to a person.'

After Rei was out of the shower and dressed, he began the process of wrapping his hair in a towel when he picked up on slight murmurs from the other side of the door. He stepped closer, pressing an ear against the humid surface, so that he could hear what was being said.

"Kai, she doesn't know anything; none of them do. Just, don't listen to her."

"I know that, Bryan. I-" there was a slight pause. "I know what rough times are, a lesson I won't soon forget."

This intrigued Rei. What could they possibly be talking about? And, why did Sir Ice Man sound so sad...so miserable? With more questions then he had had at the beginning of his shower, Rei exited the bathroom. He noticed the odd glance Bryan threw at Kai before he left. Rei decided to keep his head down and head to his bag, the combination of nerves and his thoughts swirling around in his head had him feeling sick to his stomach. As he heard another door close behind him, he figured it would be best to put drying his hair on hold, instead padding across the plush carpet, intent in going to the kitchenette for breakfast. His plans were thwarted, however, when a sharp pain made him gasp and pull his foot up off of the ground.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed, looking for what had caused the pain. There was a medium-sized shard of glass that had imbedded itself in the bottom of his foot. Rei nimbly hopped on one leg toward the bed and sat on the edge. Since there wasn't anybody in sight and he didn't want to look like a wimp, Rei figured he would pick the shard out himself. He bit his lip when he began to pull it and it started stinging. The more he loosened it, the more blood welled up under it, until, a tiny, crimson stream ran down his heel. The effect it had on Rei was immediate. He felt lightheaded and the world around him began to spin. That insistent urge to empty his stomach returned with a vengeance and black spots danced before his eyes. Rei used both hands to cling desperately to the bed covers when he felt sure that he was going to pass out. The one thing that Rei had never told anyone outside his village was that he had been with his parents when they died.

On that fateful day, they had all three been on their way home after scaling further up in the mountains to see the old medicine man who called it his home. Rei had been feeling a little sick and the healer in their village was unable to find anything wrong with him. They had spent the entire day trekking up the mountain and visiting with the old man and, by the time they finally left, the sun was beginning to set. As they were walking on a particularly narrow path, Rei's foot slipped on a loose rock and he felt himself falling over the edge of the severe drop. Being the first to react, Rei's father grabbed his son's arm in an iron grip. While looking at his father with terror-filled golden eyes, Rei's mother leaned down to grab his other arm. They began to hoist him up, only stopping when a loud crack rang throughout the air. All three pairs of eyes widened in a moment when everything seemed to move in slow motion and, once time resumed, all hell broke loose. The entire area of rock that the Kon family had been perched on broke off and all three fell to the unforgiving ground below, a landslide hot on their heels. Rei, himself, had lost consciousness, for how long, he didn't know, and the first thing he was aware of was the weight on his chest. He cautiously opened up his eyes and let out a horrified scream when he came face to face with the dull, lifeless eyes of his mother. He scrambled to get out from under her body and soon realized that he had been on top of his father, who was dead as well. His panicked mind began to put the pieces together as crystal tears flowed down his dirt-covered face. His father had used his own body to break Rei's fall and his mother had used hers to shield him from the rocks. They had protected him. His parents had sacrificed their lives to save his. It was all his fault. And the blood... As if just noticing the vast amounts of blood covering his parents, the ground, and himself, Rei turned to the side and vomited.

Rei had been there with his parents' bodies for another three hours before anyone found him. Ever since that day, Rei had had a severe phobia of blood, fainting every time he saw any. Rei brought a hand to his face, his vision darkening at the edges, and realized that he was crying. He had no idea when the tears had started, though. Just as Rei was about lay down and succumb to the overwhelming feelings, the bathroom door opened and Kai came out. At first, he looked at Rei as if he were crazy, then, noticing the tears, walked over to see what the problem was. He knelt on the floor in front of the boy and looked at the foot he had propped up.

"Oh, come on. You can't be that much of a baby." he said in annoyance. Rei didn't respond at all, sightless eyes staring into the distance. Kai began to worry when he saw how ashen the boy's face was. He decided to go ahead and remove the glass in Rei's foot, feeling slightly guilty that he had been the one to cause the accident. Once the shard was out, Kai grabbed a tissue from the box on the nightstand and put it on the bleeding spot, putting gentle pressure on it. When he had effectively staunched the blood flow, Kai turned his attention to getting the boy's mind to snap out of its daze. He brought his hands up and placed them gently on Rei's cheeks, wiping the tears away with his calloused thumbs.

"Rei." he called quietly. When the amber eyes focused once more and turned to him, Kai continued speaking. "What happened." When Rei spoke, it was disconnected and spacey.

"I...glass...blood...my parents..." he stopped as he broke down, sobs wracking his small frame. Dumbfounded, the only thing Kai could do was reach up and wrap his arms around the boy, pulling him into the comfort of his arms.

~x~x~x~

TBC...

A/N: I just had to throw in some fluffiness at the end. And, we learn a little more and have a few more questions. Until next time.