Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ Of Traitors and Thieves ❯ It's not the way ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, any of its characters on any plots from the programme.

Of Traitors and Thieves

Chapter 2 - It's not the way

Kai smiled as, at staggered intervals, he heard the rest of his 'team' awake and find their way downstairs. He smiled even more as they saw the grin on his face and turned away rather frightened. They knew how angry he'd been yesterday and they knew what happened when Kai got angry. It wasn't pretty.

Rei was the first BladeBreaker to re-enter the training room after being deterred by Kai's evil smile and he smiled back at Kai and sat down next to him.

"You know I don't care what you make us do, my stamina's as good as yours." Kai glared at Rei as he realised the words were true, he hated his plans to go even a little wrong but knowing that it wasn't going to affect a person in the slightest he couldn't accept. The only defensive action he could think of was denial.

"It wasn't you I was trying to be mean to." 'Yeah right' he thought to himself, 'that's sounds SO convincing.'

Rei glanced at him, with a friendly smile.

"Why do you hate us?" Kai was taken aback by this and a brief look of confusion surfaced on his face, only to disappear shortly afterwards.

'I can't let him get to me.'

"I don't. I just don't want to be near you, okay?" Kai hung his head; he didn't want to open up. He was still confused by Rei's actions yesterday.

"But why?" Rei protested. "Do we annoy you? If so, the way to react isn't to punish us like this." Rei's voice was thick with anxiety.

Kai glanced up but could not bring himself to meet the golden orbs that somehow seemed to see right through him.

"Why do you care?" He spat. "I've never said a nice thing to any of you, I don't care about any of you, and I never will."

There was silence. Rei didn't even search for words to say. He was too tired; he'd stayed up all night wondering what had possessed him to speak his thoughts out loud.

|| "I don't know whether it's 'cos I love you or hate you." ||

'Dammit' Rei thought. But just as he was about to get up and leave, he remembered what Kai had said before Rei had accidentally let his feelings show.

|| "Is something wrong?" ||

Rei smiled. Kai had cared, or at least, he had acted like it.

"You cared yesterday." Rei said, not even trying to hide the layer of satisfaction that hung in his words. Kai didn't glance up at this. He just sighed.

"You weren't yourself." He said, noticing that all of his sentences failed to be longer than one or two lines. 'Am I really that blunt?' he questioned himself. 'Yes.' Came the inner reply.

Kai, deciding that he needed some time on his own, got up to leave. As he walked through the door, his scarf billowing behind him, he glanced back and said;

"It's hate."

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Rei stared after Kai. It took a while for the meaning to sink in.

|| "I don't know whether it's 'cos I love you or hate you." "It's hate." ||

'No!' Rei thought to himself. He had figured out last night that whether he liked it or not, he was in love with Kai. He had heard the screams in another of Kai's nightmare filled nights, he had seen the tears that Kai cried when he thought noone was looking, he heard Kai's conversations with himself and he knew Kai's past. 'Kai's only cold because it's the only way he can defend himself against Biovolt and his grandfather.'

Rei felt the sudden urge to put Kai right and ran after him.

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Kai had gone into the garden after informing the team that he would not lead their training today. He had ignored their cries of joy and didn't even frown inwardly.

He sat thinking. Why had he said that to Rei? He knew it was hate. But then, so did Rei. Rei wasn't stupid and it would even have been obvious to Tyson that nobody could love Kai, at least, not in Kai's point of view.

As the footsteps behind him grew louder and nearer, then came to a rest, Kai sensed the person the footsteps belonged to sit down next to him. 'Ah,' He thought, 'so my koneko has decided to join me.' Kai smiled and then drew back in shock. ' 'Koneko'? Since when do I call Rei 'koneko'?' Kai didn't like affection and that meant he couldn't confront it. Rei had to leave. NOW.

He turned to face his teammate but the bitter remarks that had been on the tip of his tongue wouldn't make themselves heard when Kai saw the pain in Rei's golden eyes.

Kai's stomach twisted, he didn't like making people upset like this.

He put his hand on Rei's shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

Kai raised his eyebrow at the comment. 'The answer's bloody obvious you baka.' A voice in his head said. 'Damare,' he answered back 'I knew that.'

Rei sniffed and lightly pushed Kai's hand away.

"Hai. I'm fine"

Kai laughed.

"I may be a 'sour-puss' but I'm not stupid. Something's wrong, my friend, what is it?"

Rei's face seemed to light up a bit at Kai's words, 'my friend'. Kai's face, however, fell. Since when did he have friends?

'Maybe he does care,' Rei thought happily, 'maybe he trusts me. Maybe he actually likes me! No…that would never happen. I wonder what his skin feels like…argh! Shut up!'

Whilst thinking, Rei's facial expression had undergone rapid changes and this left Kai feeling slightly amused and yet worried. What the hell was Rei thinking about?

"Nani?"

Rei just chuckled and shook his head.

"It's not hate Kai." Rei smiled at him. Kai felt his barriers drop…more than he would have liked them to, but he felt comfortable enough around Rei so he didn't mind.

"Well it can't be love!" He laughed, relieved when Rei laughed as well.

"I guess not. But wouldn't it be kawaii if it was?" he said, screwing up his face in a childish smile.

Kai snorted, still laughing, and he realised that he felt happier than he ever had before.

"No, koneko, it wouldn't. That would mean you love me, and loving you back would take to much effort."

Rei found himself not actually caring much about Kai's quick dismissal; he just took advantage of Kai's good mood.

"Not necessarily, I'd but in enough effort for the both of us!"

Kai stopped laughing. What would it be like to be in love with, and to be loved by, Rei? He looked at Rei's smile and pictured what it would be like to wake up and see that face. 'Such a beautiful face.' He mused. Maybe he could give it a shot; he'd like to know what love felt like and the only person in the world that he trusted more than himself was Rei.

"Kai?"

"Hmm. Yes?" Rei's worried voice had brought him out of his thoughts.

"I…I asked if you were alright? You spaced out for a while." Rei's smile and happiness had faded.

"I'm alright." Kai smiled to reassure him. It didn't work.

Rei's cast his gaze down and whispered. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect you to love me back. I took it too far." He got up and walked away.

Kai was left confused. What did he mean? I don't even remember what we were - the conversation came back to Kai with a thud. 'Oh crap!' He got up and ran after Rei.

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"REI!" He panted as he fell into step alongside the other teen.

"Hi." Rei said, his voice shaky.

"I'm sorry, I totally blanked. I…well…I…"

Rei looked at him with tears in his eyes. "Yes?" Kai pulled them both to a halt and brushed Rei's cheek with his hand. Then he pulled the kitten into an embrace and kissed his forehead.

"I want to love you. I want to try." He whispered.

Rei couldn't believe it. Did he mean it or was he just messing around? 'No, that's not the way Kai would mess around. He's too…polite?'

"Do you mean it?" He asked, not caring that his voice gave away that he was crying.

Kai, pulled him closer. "Hai. You're the only person I trust. I know you won't hurt me."

Rei laughed amidst his tears and clung to Kai.

"I love you!" He choked.

Kai took Rei's hand and started to lead him back to the house.

"Come, koneko, they will wonder where we are."

Rei leaned against Kai and smiled. The tears came harder than ever, but this time they were tears of joy. This was the way he wanted it to be. This was the way.

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Okay, finished that chapter. But you have only the English weather to thank for that. It's too rainy and miserable to think about doing anything else. Darn, now I have 6 other fics to write new chapters to. Grr.