Title: Obsession

Author: PandaPjays

Chapter Title: Changing Lanes

Rating: T

Warnings: Yaoi. KaiRei TalaBryan if you don't like, don't read it. Fairly creepy themes and violence towards the end.

Disclaimer: If anyone has ever thought I owned Beyblades they were WRONG. I just like stealing the characters and using for my own amusement

Author Note: I've decided that senior schooling sucks monkey's testicles with pineapple. I thought that I'd just get that out of the way.

I'm sorry about the late late update again- I checked the last update day and almost fainted. I really didn't think it had been that long. Life has been waay crazy so I apologise.

On a brighter note, at the moment I'm high on sugar AND am actually on top of all of my assignments for once in my life. That, I am –really- proud of. Ok, enough of ranting about me. Here's the long awaited chapter.

Brooklyn walked into Johnny's office nervously. This was the first time that he had been inside the Scotsman's personal space since his first day. It was rather unsettling, to say the least.

Johnny followed Brooklyn into his office and closed the door, making the orange-haired man even more nervous. "Has Hiwatari said anything to you?" Johnny asked, walking past Brooklyn to sit across from him.

Brooklyn blinked. "Eh? About what?"

"About why he's not here today." Johnny told him, indicating in the direction of Kai's conspicuously empty desk, visible through the panel of glass in his office wall. "He hasn't rung in sick. He's just not here."

Brooklyn shook his head. "He hasn't said anything to me."

Johnny nodded slowly. "Ok then. Thanks for your co-operation. Looks like you get to do his job today." He told Brooklyn with a wave toward the door. "Better get to it."

"Um… ok." Brooklyn said in a small voice standing up and making his way out of Johnny's office to his desk, legs weak with relief.

He relief was tainted with an undertone of worry for Kai. Brooklyn didn't know him that well but missing out on a day of work without calling just seemed out of character. He looked despondently at the pile of paper on Kai's desk. The pile that had just become his responsibility.

Brooklyn looked at the picture of Rei on Kai's desk. Do you know where he is?

-o-

In his office, Johnny reached for his phone and quickly tapped in the number of the new secretary. "Oliver? I when you find time can you call Kai Hiwatari's house and let him know that if he ever doesn't turn up to work without a reason again I'm going to fire his arse?"

He listened as the green-haired man gave his affirmative and hung up.

-o-

Kai slowly made himself a coffee, ignoring the clock glaring out of his microwave. He jumped when his phone began to blare at him but ignored it, not wanting to talk to anyone.

He frowned as Oliver's voice blared through the house via the answering machine, listening to the message.

Fuck you. He thought calmly, pouring himself his coffee and moving to sit at the table next to his wall of Rei.

He had more important things to do than pander around to Johnny's beck and call.

Kai took a gulp of his coffee, ignoring how it scalded his throat on the way down. It was something else to think about. Something that was not related to Mariah.

The pink-haired girl had haunted his dreams, always there to whisk Rei away from Kai. Kai growled as he remember Mariah's smug smirk as she stole Rei away from him in dream after dream. It didn't matter the setting of the dream, she was always there, laughing at Kai.

Kai looked deeply into his coffee, trying to forget how easily the Mariah in his dreams had taken Rei from him again and again.

He also couldn't forget how easily Rei had been entrapped by her, not giving Kai a second thought as she led him away.

Kai sighed in frustration and took another large gulp of his coffee, making a face at the bitter taste. He didn't want to move today. He was afraid that, if he did, his nightmares about Mariah would come true.

Kai turned to look at his wall of photographs, his expression softening as he ran his eyes over each one, feeling the calming influence of Rei wash over him. If he didn't go to the café to watch over the Chinese man she might do just that.

Kai shuddered at the thought and stood up, determination in his eyes as he began to get ready to go to the café. She couldn't be allowed to have Rei. Not if Kai could help it. He needed to be there to protect Rei from the pink-haired girl.

-o-

"…So…" Mariah asked, looking hopefully at the front doors. "Do you think he'll come back?"

"…" Bryan stared at the permanent markers underneath the bench, wondering if Rei would mind if he vandalised something.

"Bryan? Do you think he will?"

Anything.

Rei popped his head out of the kitchen doors, looking at Mariah. "Has he come yet?" He asked with a grin.

"No!" Mariah told him with a pout. "You did remember to offer him another free coffee didn't you?" She asked.

Rei sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's like the twelfth time you've asked me that question."

"So? Answer it."

"Ok. For the twelfth time, I did give him the offer of free coffee again." He sighed and stepped out of the kitchen, letting the door shut behind him. "It now depends on whether or not he can get here today." He told her, moving to lean on the front counter.

Mariah's eyes widened as she considered the possibility. "Do you think he really might not come?" She asked in a small voice.

Rei sighed and tousled Mariah's hair, earning a squeal of indignation from her. "I'm sure he will but we'll have to wait and see, ok?"

Mariah arched an eyebrow at Rei. "Are you patronising me?"

"Yes." Rei told her, face serious.

Mariah made a face at Rei. "Arsehole." She said flatly, a grin betraying her.

Rei let out a startled laugh. "You know, you only started yesterday shouldn't you be a little more respectful of your boss?"

Mariah shrugged. "Yesterday my boss had the hangover of a lifetime. Made him seem a bit less than imposing."

Rei deflated. "I can be imposing." He said dejectedly.

Mariah ruffled his hair in the same way he had done to her only a minute ago. "You're so cute when you lie." She told him, not noticing Kai walking into the café.

Kai's eyes narrowed as she heard Mariah's comment. He was right to have been worried about Rei. She was already trying to take him away.

Kai controlled himself as he walked towards the counter. As fun as it would be to see Mariah's face as he gallantly whisked Rei away he didn't think that would be the best way to go about things.

Mariah noticed Kai and smiled, vaguely recognising the bluenette from the day before. "Hi! Can I help you?"

"Bitter, right?" Rei asked with a smile.

Kai's eyes widened in shock. Rei had remembered what he ordered. Rei had remembered what type of coffee he enjoyed. Rei truly did know of Kai's existence. It wasn't just Kai's mind playing tricks on him.

Kai stopped himself from melting into a puddle of Rei adoration and forced himself to answer. "Yes."

Ignoring just how pathetic his reply had sounded, Kai stared firmly at the counter, not wanting to press his luck any further.

Rei blinked. 'Ok then' he mouthed to himself before turning to Mariah. "Do you know which of the beans we sell are the bitterest yet?" He asked.

"Uh… no." Mariah said flatly.

Rei sighed. "I'm setting you homework then- by the end of the month I want you to have tasted all of the coffee in this café and to label them all- 1 being bitter and 10 being… whatever else coffee is. Ok? Ok." Rei grinned and reached for the correct coffee. "Sorry, Mariah only started yesterday."

Kai nodded in what he hoped was an understanding way. "That's fine."

Rei smiled again as he quickly and efficiently made Kai's coffee. It wasn't rush hour and they could afford direct service. "Here you go." He said as he finished making Kai's coffee. He pushed the cup toward the bluenette. "Enjoy."

Kai nodded and took the cup from the bench. "Thanks." He mumbled, still in shock that Rei had not only recognised him but knew the type of coffee that he liked. He numbly paid for his beverage as his thought processes went wild.

That has to mean something. He thought, renewing his determination to stop Mariah from getting her claws into his Rei.

For he was Kai's Rei.

Even if Rei himself only knew that subconsciously.

-o-

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Cutting sandwiches."

"Like an idiot would cut them"

"Lucky that I'm copying what you do every day then, hm?" Tala asked snippily.

Lee sighed, exasperated. "I've never cut sandwiches into squares." He said, reaching for the pile Tala had just painstakingly finished cutting and eating one of them. "These are useless now. You have to cut them into triangles."

Tala scowled. "Who died and made you God all of a sudden?" He asked.

"God did. Now do you see that pile of sandwiches?" Lee asked, gesturing to a pile on Tala's right. "I spent all morning making those- they are all perfect. Do not screw them up because you don't know what a triangle looks like."

Tala bit his lip, trying to control his temper and not throw his imperfect square sandwiches at Lee. "You know that this could be considered discrimination against squares?" He asked.

"You know, I don't care?" Lee asked in the same tone of voice.

Tala rolled his eyes. "You know, I hate you a little?"

"You know, I still don't care? Triangles, now"

-0-

Kai smiled to himself as he drank the last of the coffee Rei had prepared for him. It was getting around to lunchtime and the café was beginning to fill up. Kai watched as people began to file into the café, faces that were unfamiliar to him. His lunch break normally occurred after these people had left. It was interesting to see another side of the Gatling's clientele.

Not that the clientele was that exciting anyway but any change was good.

Kai wondered absently how many of the people in the café had come for the Chinese man who was now busy trying to make the coffee machine run at double capacity.

He scanned the interior tables and caught at least half of the female population subtly watching Rei through side glances and compact mirrors as they tidied up their appearance. He even noticed, with some amusement, one woman whose date was obviously trying to distract her attention away from Rei's figure as he moved gracefully around behind the counter.

Kai let out a derisive breath and rolled his eyes. Didn't they know that they would never have Rei? Why did they even bother wasting their time?

Rei was too good for them.

Kai rested his head on his hand and watched as the line to the counter grew as time went on. He also noticed with some satisfaction that as the line grew longer Mariah's face went from being mildly pretty to showing signs of stress. It was a heartening sight for Kai.

Mariah, however, wasn't having quite as much fun as Kai. "Rei" She said, her voice tight and high pitched with stress. "I need help."

Rei grimaced as some hot coffee splashed, burning his hand. "Ow." He said emphatically before writing a number on a piece of paper and placing it on the saucer of the cup. He put the cup down with the rest of the undelivered orders and exhaled a frustrated breath of air. "I'll see what I can do." He told Mariah before walking away from his post and towards the kitchen doors.

"Soon would be nice." Mariah said before she turned to help yet another customer.

Rei rolled his eyes and opened the kitchen door, poking his head into it. "Santa, I need your elf."

"Take him" Lee said, not looking at Rei. "He has no appreciation for anything."

Tala looked at Lee and raised an eyebrow. "He is no Santa."

"He's the evil Santa from hell but he's still Santa." Rei said firmly. "He's giving you the gift of time off there to come and serve out here."

"My belief in Santa was just reaffirmed." Tala said, quickly putting down his knife and almost running toward Rei.

"He is so getting a lump of coal." Lee grumbled, shaking his head.

-o-

Kai stood up from his table and walked out of the café. His seat was taken before he had even taken three steps away from it. Crazy people Kai thought wryly.

As much as he didn't want to leave Rei, the Chinese man might notice that he hadn't left the café for hours, and that Kai couldn't afford. He didn't want Rei to be afraid of him before he had an opportunity to explain himself. Then Rei would come to understand why Kai did what he did.

That is, he would unless Mariah poisoned his mind first. Kai just had to hope that Rei was more resilient than that. He needed more time.

Kai stopped in his tracks, vaguely remembering another reason why he had come into the café. He turned around and began fumbling through his pockets, finding the camera he had stashed in there earlier. He took it out and, allowing the crowd to hide his actions took a few pictures of Rei as the Chinese man walked around the tables, serving everyone their coffee.

Now, Kai was finished.

-o-

Kai walked into his apartment much later and sighed as he shut the door. His day of freedom had been wonderful and productive. He had seen Mariah's danger for himself. He knew that the pink haired girl's threatening presence was not just in his dreams but also in real life.

As scary as that was, it was worth knowing.

Kai looked down at the envelope he had picked up from his mailbox before he had entered the building. He frowned as he saw the company logo on it. A bill? He wondered, ripping open the top of the envelope and unfolding the paper within.

Kai grimaced as his suspicions were confirmed. He threw the envelope into the bin and the contents on to his kitchen bench where it joined a growing pile of similar such envelopes.

Great, just great. Kai thought, resigned. He ran his hand through his hair, mentally swearing at his grandfather. Bills had never been a problem before.

Kai noticed the light on his answering machine blinking and he moved over to press the button to make it play.

'You have one message" The mechanical voice echoed throughout the house.

"Message one." It said unhelpfully.

"This is Oliver from McGregor Enterprises just calling to inform you that you missed work today without any explanation. Mr McGregor wishes you to know that you are being issued a formal warning. Any further warnings will result in your termination from this company's employment rolls. Feel free to contact us at any time if you have a legitimate reason for your absence. Thank you."

Kai sighed as the beep signalling the end of the message sounded. "Shit."

Please tell me what you think.