Title: Obsession

Author: PandaPjays

Chapter Title: Hating Us

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: Ehehehehehe. So I was busy procrastinating uni work (as one is wont to do) and I found the majority of this chapter sitting around and gathering dust. I'm not sure WHY exactly but I figured I should probably finish it off... don't kill me for the unGodly delay? Please? I like my life.

Lots of people have asked me if I EVER intend to finish this and the answer is YES YES DEAR GOD YES! I'm just battling that monster called 'life' in order to do so. However, if anyone is in the mood to send me semi-abusive reminders I would totally be into that. Just let me know XD

Anyways, on with the chapter. Hope it was worth waiting for.

Brooklyn sat at Kai's former desk, perched uncomfortably on Kai's former chair feeling a headache grow as he stared at the column of numbers flashing at him on Kai's former computer.

Is it any wonder I'm not feeling great about this? Brooklyn wondered despondently as he looked down at the hastily scribbled sign decrying the desk as his with as many stars and rainbows as could fit on the page courtesy of Enrique. It looked out of place on the bare landscape that was Brooklyn's stolen desk but he couldn't bring himself to throw it away. Though, that was probably more due to the influence of Enrique's puppy-eyes than any lasting attachment to the piece of paper.

Brooklyn jumped as his foot kicked the box sitting underneath his stolen desk. He hadn't known what to do with the few personal belongings Kai had left behind but had a feeling that, if Kai ever returned to collect them, it would not be a fun time if he found out that Brooklyn had thrown out the photo of Rei and the accompanying business card.

Brooklyn sighed and turned back to the work that was, unfortunately, completely his. He'd deal with that later.

-o-

Kai sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he stared intently at his coffee machine, troubled be the thoughts that were running through his head.

He knew that Rei did love him. That much went without saying. Rei just didn't understand how dangerous the world could be. He obviously couldn't see how easy it would be for the world to corrupt something as pure as he was.

That was why Kai had to protect him.

Kai was started out of his reverie by the dual sounds of the coffee machine finishing its job and Rei waking up. He pulled out another cup and quickly finished making coffee for both himself and Rei.

He walked into the lounge where he had moved the unconscious Rei an hour earlier carrying both coffee cups. He found the Chinese man sitting up and blinking sleepily as if he were waking from a long, peaceful sleep rather than a faint induced by panic.

Rei accepted the cup Kai handed him and moved over to allow him to sit down, mind still not fully in gear.

Kai took the vacated side and sat in silence, waiting for Rei to make the first move.

"Ours is better."

Kai blinked. "Huh?" He asked intelligently.

Rei indicated the coffee he was holding. "Ours is better" He repeated, this time with a very slight smile.

Taking a slow sip, Kai considered Rei's words. "You're right, you know." He said. "Not that it's hard to get coffee better than this crap." He added dryly.

Rei let out a bark of laughter. "Well... I wasn't going to say anything..." He trailed off as he remembered just why he had woken up on a stranger's couch and was drinking strange, tasteless coffee.

At least it's sweet. Rei mused before being disturbed that Kai knew how he liked his coffee.

It's not like it's a secret. He reasoned, controlling the panic that was threatening to rise up again. Half the regulars at the café probably know I like sweet coffee.

He hated how hollow lies sounded, even in his own head.

Kai was content to let the silence stretch out between them. Silence was better then the blind fear of earlier. That, and it meant that Kai had time to think of a way to explain what was happening to Rei.

Rei shifted uncomfortably in his seat, unsure of how to act. He had never been a hostage before, let alone one held by a psychopath intent on never letting Rei out of his sight again.

Rei made a face as the strong scent of alcohol wafted upwards from his clothes. "Can I... have a shower?" He inwardly winced as the question left his mouth. Obviously when he was being held hostage his thoughts turned towards the mundane rather than the more helpful James Bond-style escape plan.

Kai blinked. "Uh...Sure." He said hesitantly, taken aback by the request. "I'll go find you a towel...and some clothes?"He asked. "I think I'm a size bigger than you but I wasn't sure so I haven't bought you any clothes yet."

"Any clothes other than these would be great." Rei said, gesturing to his clothes, which had not only been stained by alcohol but also had been worn for an entire day at the café.

Kai nodded and disappeared, returning a few minutes and much rummaging later laden with clothes and a towel. "The bathroom's though that door" He said, gesturing with his head as he passed over his treasures.

"Thanks" Rei summoned up a half smile from somewhere within himself before doing his best not to scurry to the bathroom and slam the door, instead managing a very quick walk and shutting the door sharply behind him and smartly turning the lock.

He's never done this before, either.

Rei allowed his body to slowly slide down the door until he was sitting firmly wedged in the corner connecting the door and the wall as he considered that thought and what it could mean.

Rei's eyes roamed the small room, taking in the generic decor. Before Kai had come into the room Rei had been looking at the whole of the apartment from his vantage point on the couch and had noticed the same bland style throughout the dwelling.

He hasn't personalised his own home. Rei mused, getting up slowly and walking over to the small vanity and looking at his own haggard face. Except with me. He thought, shivering slightly as he began going through the drawers in search of anything that would give him a clue about his captor.

All he found were a few generic toiletries; spare toothbrushes, a razor, a lethal looking pair of scissors he probably used to keep his hair under control, and replacement bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Nothing the least bit helpful when it came to learning about who Kai was.

Rei sighed and returned to his original train of thought. If this was a first for Kai that meant that, like Rei, he would be largely unsure of what to expect and thus, was liable to make mistakes.

A small, genuine smile crossed Rei's features as the plan began to form.

-o-

Kai almost had cardiac arrest when Rei emerged from the bathroom. He had spent his time trying not to think about Rei naked in his shower with varying success. But this. This was so much better.

Kai had been right. The shirt he had given Rei was a few sizes too big, leaving one shoulder tantalisingly bare.

Rei blushed at Kai's almost predatory stare and, self-consciously, tried to adjust the top, only succeeding in making it reveal more of his shoulder. "Sorry I took so long. I was having trouble making sure my hair didn't get too wet." Rei swung his lengthy hair over his other shoulder to examine it, leaving even more of his bare skin for Kai to oogle.

Kai's gaze travelled up from Rei's neck to find the Chinese man's eyes as he scrutinised his hair for any sign of moisture. Rei met Kai's eyes briefly before turning his attention back to his hair, blushing slightly.

Kai froze, a feeling of uneasiness settling in the pit of his stomach. There was something not quite right about the look that Rei had just given him. He couldn't place his finger on what it was but something had definitely changed since Rei had gone to the bathroom.

"Do you have a brush?" Rei asked suddenly, looking up from his hair and meeting Kai's eyes again. "Something I can use to try to get my hair under control?"

Kai studied Rei's eyes for a long moment before nodding slowly and standing. He moved into his bedroom and rummaged around until he found the brush he had bought for this occasion. He brought the brush out, stripping the store's packaging off as he did so. "Is this ok?"

Rei nodded mutely and held out his hand to take the brush from his captor. "Thanks." He murmured.

Kai's eyes widened as he felt the faintest caress as Rei's hand moved to take the brush from him. Is he starting to understand? He wondered, troubled, as he took his seat back on the opposite end of the couch, watching Rei intently. Then why does this feel so... wrong?

Rei placed the brush in his lap as he deftly removed the binding in his hair- now looking a little worse for wear. "Can I ask why I get a new brush? Don't you own one?" He asked casually, shooting Kai another of those looks which made the Russian alternately shiver in admiration and uneasiness.

Kai shook his head mutely. "I don't own one but I thought you might need one." He said, fascinated by the way Rei began sectioning his hair into manageable pieces, wafting the scent that was so uniquely Rei over to Kai in the process.

Rei paused to consider that for a moment. "Oh." He said simply, tackling a section at the front with the brush. "You can't tell, you know-" He said off-handedly as he reached a rather large knot. "-That you don't use a brush on it, I mean. Normally you can but with your hair it looks..." Rei trailed off, realising he was babbling. Instead he began to attack another piece of hair, making a face as it proved to be more tangled than the first piece.

Kai scooted closer to Rei and held out his hand. "May I?" He asked gently, trying not to scare the Chinese man again.

Rei looked at Kai for a moment before relinquishing the brush to him and turning his back. Kai adjusted his grip on the brush and began on the section Rei had given him the feeling of uneasiness moving from the pit of his stomach to take over his whole body. He didn't know what had changed but he knew that whatever had happened had fundamentally changed his Rei into the person he was tending to.

Rei leaned in slightly to Kai's attentions. "You know, for a person who doesn't actually own a brush you're surprisingly good with one. It doesn't hurt at all." Rei looked over his shoulder at Kai, flashing him another look combined with a smile.

Rei bit his lip as he looked for his next words. "I'm... Sorry." He said eventually, frowning. The words didn't sound right but he didn't think they made words for what he wanted to say. "I...uh... Didn't understand before." He tried again, still frustrated that he couldn't quite get his meaning across.

They both jumped as the phone rang loudly.

Kai paused in his actions, his gaze flicking toward the phone before turning back to Rei, ignoring the persistent ringing. "I don't understand what you're trying to say." He said, carefully keeping his voice neutral and returning to his task.

The phone stopped, leaving the room in an uncomfortable silence.

Rei reached for Kai's wrist, holding it to stop Kai from brushing. He gently extricated the brush from his hair and spun around so he faced Kai again. "That's probably because I'm not saying it very well." He said with a ghost of a smile. "What I'm trying to say is that... I'm not used to this."

Rei scowled at himself. "And I still can't get it right!" he muttered angrily to himself before looking back at Kai. "I mean that I'm not used to someone looking out for- after, me. It's new. And... I don't think I've reacted too well to it and then I yelled at you and then I-"

Kai held his finger gently against Rei's lips, silencing the Chinese man. "Turn back around." He said quietly, his thumb gently moving to trace the curve of Rei's chin. "I was only halfway through your hair."

Rei blinked before doing what he was told. "Do you understand?" He asked. "I know I've been a bit... But I'll try to stop. I understand." Rei suppressed a shiver as he felt the rhythmic tugging of the brush running through his hair again. "You... only want what's best for me."

"Thank you." Kai continued running the brush through Rei's hair, face set in a frown of thought. As Rei had been talking to him he had realised what his uneasy feeling had been about. If Rei hadn't turned around he would have continued to be blissfully ignorant.

Rei's eyes were flat. As he had been talking there was none of the familiar swirls of gold, betraying his every emotion. His eyes seemed frozen like one of the many inferior photos stuck to Kai's wall. It was like the lifeless Rei from those photos was sitting in front of him, even as he spoke and drew breath.

Kai continued to methodically untangle the hair of the man in front of him as he came to the only conclusion he could. This wasn't his Rei.

-o-

Brooklyn sighed as he hung up the phone. He had been trying to reach Kai all morning with no luck. It was as if his former boss had disappeared off the face of the planet.

He turned back to his computer with a sigh before a brainwave hit.

If anyone knew where Kai was it would be Rei. If anything Kai was probably with Rei at this very moment which was why Brooklyn couldn't reach him.

Brooklyn reached down to pull out Kai's box, a small smirk on his features. His smirk widened as he pulled out the business card he had found hidden in the back of picture frame containing Rei's photo.

He lay the card in front of him on the desk and reached for the phone. At least this was one problem solved.

-o-

Lee tapped the kitchen bench anxiously, his nails making a skittering noise matched only by his mind rapidly ticking over. Rei had never been this late. Never. He hadn't told Lee that he was doing anything remarkable the day before and he wasn't answering his phone.

Lee knew he was being ridiculous. Rei was an adult. He was probably just experiencing some kind of throwback to his rebellious teenage years and was at the moment cruising in the Pacific Ocean with a French billionaire he had met while clubbing crazily the night before.

...Or something like that.

Nevertheless Lee had sent Tala to Rei's apartment just to make sure that their boss wasn't just hiding there and ignoring his phone.

Lee began making a new batch of sandwiches, needing something to distract him from his worries.

The piercing shriek of the telephone made him jump, the knife he was using slipping and cutting his finger. Lee swore and stuck his finger in his mouth, tasting the blood as he did so. With his other hand he reached for the telephone. "Hello? Tala?" He asked.

"Um... no. Sorry, this is Brooklyn from McGregor Visionaries. I was just wondering if I could speak to Rei? I'm a co-worker of Kai's, well I used to be anyway, and I'm trying to get in contact with him."

Lee frowned. "I'm sorry? Rei's not here at the moment. Who's Kai?"

A palpable silence came down the phone. "Kai and Rei are... friends. I've just got a few personal things Kai left here and I just want to return them."

"No, I'm sorry. I don't think you understand me. Rei's my closest friend and I've never heard of this 'Kai'. I think you must be mistaken." Lee tried to ignore the small squiggle in the bottom of his stomach. It was just a coincidence that on the morning Rei went missing he got a strange phone call about a friend he had never met, right?

"I'm sorry if that's the case but I'm definitely not mistaken. Kai and Rei are definitely... close friends. Look, I'm just trying to return some of Kai's stuff to him. He's not answering his phone and Rei will know where he is."

Lee felt the squiggle turn into a cold lump in his stomach. "Rei's not answering his phone either. Do you think this Kai will know where he is?"

Brooklyn caught the edge of panic in Lee's voice. "Look, don't worry. I'm sure if they're both not answering then their together somewhere. They're perfectly fine."

"No. If Rei was ensconced in his room by himself he would be perfectly fine. When he's gone missing at the exact same time as someone I've never heard of who is connected to him somehow disappears off the face of the planet there is cause to worry. You don't know Rei. I know all of his friends. Kai isn't one of them. So I'm going to ask you- Where is Kai? Do you have anything? An address? Something?"

"I'm sorry I'm not at liberty to tell you-"

"I don't think I made myself clear. My friend is missing. This is my friend who would call me to complain that he stubbed his toe when he got out of bed. He is not the kind of friend who just disappears. It may be nothing but he and Kai could be in trouble. It might be nothing but they could both be caught up in something and it's gone bad. So I'm going to ask again- Where is Kai?"

Oh... Dramatic.

As always, please tell me what you think. Reviews are my lifeblood.