Disclaimer: I don't own it.
A/N: This was supposed to be my last Beyblade story, but there will be two more. This story has been sitting on my computer for two and a half years and has a lemon. The full version is posted on AFF. I hope you all enjoy.
"Gods I hate this place at night. It's so creepy." Rei tried to stay in the puddles of moonlight that streamed in through the skylights in the ceiling. The curator of the museum had asked him to stay late, as his assistant, to straighten out the paintings and check for signs of vandalism.
Rei not having anything better to do had agreed, in his haste forgetting that they had to shut down the lights right at closing or else the entire grid would still be on at opening the next day, leading to massive power outages in the building. The curator had handed him a flashlight, clapped him on the shoulder and said goodbye.
Not even a quarter of the way through the tour and the flashlight had died, leaving him with no light but that of the moon. Rei had extremely good night vision, for which he was glad. He shuddered, feeling like the pictures were watching him. He didn't mind so much during the day, but at night it was ten times as creepy.
"This is that last time I do anything for that old man." He stopped to straighten a picture of an eagle, all the while talking to his self. Many people would find the echoes bouncing through the halls disconcerting but Rei would rather have sound then the silence which reminded him of a graveyard, which he disliked immensely.
A dark arch at the end of the hall signified the door to another section, the one section that even in the daylight Rei didn't like. He stopped on the darkness that broke up the two rooms and took a deep breath before crossing.
A huge glass dome in the middle of the ceiling provided the only light in the statue room. Only the statues in the middle of the room were illuminated, leaving Rei with a fear that things were hiding in the darkness, watching him. It wasn't that he was scared of the dark normally. It was only when he was in the museum. "That man is getting a piece of my mind tomorrow."
A cracking sound reached his ears and he stopped, feeling his heartbeat speed up in fear. He glanced around the room searching for movement. A louder crack sounded, followed by the sound of small hard things falling to the floor, clinking softly against the stone floor.
He finally managed to pinpoint the sound. It was coming from the center of the room. What stood in the middle of the room came back to Rei in a rush. The statue in the middle of the room was that of a young man dressed in nothing but a loincloth carrying a spear. Rei wasn't sure why that statue was his favorite but it was. Something about the statue's face, with the triangles that marked his cheeks made Rei feel that his life was so much easier then the statue's had been.
There was a final crack and Rei clamped his hands over his ears, the sound overpowering in the circular room. Once the ringing had died down he moved forward, golden eyes widening in shock.
The statue was no longer a statue. Standing in front of him was a living, breathing person, slightly older then him and taller. Moonlight washed over pale skin, highlighting rippling muscles in silver. The spear was held easily in long fingered hands. Two colored hair stood up in all directions. Rei looked down briefly to the pile of stone flakes that decorated the floor around the figure's feet.
Rei took a step forward, his shoe scuffing on the floor. The figure spun around, spear point resting lightly against the ground; ready to spring up if needed. Dark eyes swept over him, gleaming with cunning. Rei didn't move, afraid that any movement would send that spear flying his way.
Rei let his eyes wander over the stranger, taking in every detail. Long, strong legs, a tiger striped loincloth that Rei had to keep from staring at, flat stomach, strong chest and the broad shoulders of one who fought for what they wanted. "Dear gods."
Rei had long ago accepted that he was gay. There had been a brief, intense fling at the end of senior year and that had been it. For the past three years he had been alone, only going out with his good friends Bryan and Tala. And now here he was looking over a seeming god who had been a statue five minutes ago.
"Hi." Rei took a step closer, idly playing with the end of his bound hair. He was having horrible images of the spear coming his way, but something seemed to be drawing him closer to the once-statue. Dark eyes watched him, lithe body not moving an inch.
Hesitantly the raven-haired man moved closer, one hand reaching out to touch the statue's arm. He managed to fight down his gasp of surprise as his fingers touched smooth, warm skin. For some reason he had expected the coldness of marble. The warmth drove the shock home like nothing else had.
"How the hell am I going to explain this? This statue was one of the biggest attractions!" In Rei's haze of panic he had forgotten about his companion and had started pacing and tugging at his hair, worried about what the curator would say. He took a turn to tight and slammed into a warm chest. Fingers curled around his forearms stopping his descent.
Their eyes met and Rei was glad for the darkness. Something about the other man's eyes calmed him, which enabled him to think straight. He ran a hand through his hair. "Okay. For now I'm going to go home. I'll think better tomorrow." He shivered not quite realizing why until he caught movement from the corner of his eye. "Shit. I can't very well leave you here."
The once statue continued to watch him, not saying anything. Rei sighed in exasperation. "We might as well go home. Come on." He started walking away, preoccupied with his thoughts. The utter silence of the museum finally reached him and he turned around, thinking that his companion wasn't following him.
The neko-jin came face to face with a pale chest and he felt a blush spread across his cheeks. Fighting down his blush he grabbed the former statue's hand and started pulling him along, wanting to get out of the museum.
He locked the door and continued pulling the other man to his car. Rei dropped the statue's hand and went around the back to the driver's side. With a couple seconds of muttering and tugging he managed to yank open the stubborn door. He was about to slide into the car when he realized the statue was just standing there staring at him.
"Oh for the love of-" Rei bit his tongue, not wanting to teach his new 'friend' any interesting words. He rounded the car for a second time and yanked open the passenger side door. With some careful prodding and hands in very controversial places Rei managed to get his companion in the car without to many problems.
The raven-haired man got back in the car and buckled his seat belt before he realized that he'd forgotten to do the former statues. With a long sigh he undid his and reached across the other side of the car to grab the strap and found his cheek pressed against the warm chest of his passenger.
With a sharp tug he pulled the strap free of where it was caught and fastened it, trying his best to ignore the dark eyes that are focused on him. He pulled his keys from his pocket and started the car, his thoughts racing a thousand miles a minute.
Tomorrow he would have to go to work and explain to the curator what had happened to the statue. And then he would have to tell the doctors at the mental hospital the same thing. Not to mention the fact that he'd be stuck in the nice white hug yourself coats for the rest of his life.
The neko-jin blew through a red light, more focused on his problems then what was going on around him. Five minutes later he was back at his apartment. He scrambled out of the car and rounded the front to tug open the passenger side door. The former statue stared at him, dark eyes slightly narrowed.
Rei felt a blush sweep across his cheeks and with a sigh he reached across the other man and undid the seatbelt. He transferred his grasp to the statue's arm and gently pulled, trying to get him out of the car. When the statue suddenly slipped out of the car the neko-jin found himself pressed against the other man's chest, pale skin warm and smooth under his cheek.
He jerked back, feeling a blush sweep across his nose and cheeks for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. "Come on." He grabbed the statue's hand and they climbed the front stairs to the entrance of his apartment building.
Rei tugged the ex-statue down the hall, treading as lightly as possible on the old creaky floorboards. He didn't want any of his neighbors to wake up and have to explain to them why he was leading a man wearing nothing but a loincloth into this apartment.
They were nearly safe when the door across the hall from his apartment opened to reveal Mrs. LeClair, the sweet little old lady that lived across the hall. Normally Rei didn't mind stopping to talk to her but no was not the best time. He had to get the statue into his apartment before anything else went to hell.
"Hello Rei. How are you today?" Mrs. LeClair shuffled into the hallway as she clutched her shawl tighter to her chest.
The neko-jin stepped in front of the former statue, hoping that the woman wouldn't notice him. "I'm good, other then the fact I'm really tired. It was a long night at work. I'd love to talk but I really need some sleep. I'll take you out to lunch tomorrow and then we can talk as long as you want. I promise." He knew he was babbling but he was so nervous he really couldn't help it.
The old woman smiled at him, blue eyes crinkled with happiness. "Don't worry about it Rei. I don't want to distract you from your friend. Who is he?"
Rei stared at the woman, trying to figure out what he was going to say. A warm hand settled on the back of his neck. "I'm Kai."
The neko-jin glanced back at the man behind him, doing an accurate impersonation of a fish. The fingers on the back of his neck tightened slightly and Rei turned back to face the old woman. "This is my friend Kai. He was at a costume party and he had a little too much to drink so he called me to pick him up and I figured that I'd let him crash here for the night."
Mrs. LeClair smiled at the man and patted him on the cheek. "You're such a good boy Rei. I'll let you get him settled in. Good night boys." She shuffled back into her apartment, leaving Rei and the former statue to stand alone in the hall way.
Rei whirled around when the warm fingers dropped from his neck, golden eyes filled with shock. "You can talk! Why the hell didn't you say anything earlier? What possessed you to start now?"
The statue shrugged, mahogany eyes shadowed. "It just seemed like a good time. I didn't want you to look like an idiot in front of that woman. It's obvious that she respects you and thinks very highly of you."
The neko-jin stared at Kai for several more seconds before pulling his keys from his pockets. He managed to get the door open and he shoved the other man into his apartment with a hand to the chest, more worried about anyone coming down the hall then the fact that he was touching the chest of a man who was wearing nothing more then a loincloth.
He closed the door behind him and suddenly realized that his hand was on the other man's chest, a finger dangerously close to one pink nipple. With a yelp of shock his hand fell away from Kai's chest and he blushed for what felt like the thousandth time that night. "Okay. Follow me. You can sleep in my bed tonight and I'll take the couch." He started off toward his bed room, the former statue following mere inches behind him
Rei managed to get the statue settled in his bed and he grabbed the blanket off the foot of his bed as he left the room. He curled on the couch and slowly drifted off to an uneasy sleep.
When Rei woke that morning he was warm and his pillow was moving. With a sharp cry he rolled off the bed and landed on the floor, too winded to sit up. Kai's face appeared over the edge of the bed, mahogany eyes slightly confused. "What happened?"
The neko-jin slowly sat up, eyes focused on the former statue. "What happened? I went to sleep on my couch and woke up in here! That's what happened! How the hell did I get in here?"
Kai frowned slightly, looking confused. "I couldn't sleep last night so I went out to where you were sleeping. You looked cold so I brought you back in here. Body warmth is the best way to stay warm."
Rei tugged at his bangs. "I realize that, but it doesn't mean you have any right to bring me in here."
The ex-statue's frown deepened. "Why? Your sleeping pad is more then big enough for both of us. I don't see why you are so skittish."
"Kai, it's nothing against you. It's just….I barely know you and well," He bit down on his lower lip, trying to keep from sounding too rude. "Most of the time strangers don't just share beds, even platonically. It's just something that isn't done."
Kai was about to answer when the phone on the dresser next to the bed started ringing. Rei lunged to his knees and grabbed the phone. "Hello?
"Rei, you better have a good reason for not calling me last night."
The neko-jin sighed. "Crap! I'm sorry Bryan. Things kind of blew up at work last night and it completely slipped my mind." He and the big Russian had become friends in high school when the other man had saved him from being beaten by the school bullies.
"Things blew up? Neko, should I be worried?"
Rei shook his head; despite the fact his friend couldn't see him. "No. Yes. I don't know. Would you mind coming over here? And bring some clothes with you. I promise I'll explain everything when you get here." The former statue was a little smaller then Bryan, but the other man's clothes would fit fine.
"I'll be over in a couple of minutes, as soon as I manage to get Tala out of bed. I'm expecting a full explanation when I get there."
The phone clicked off and Rei set the receiver back in its cradle before leaning back against the side of the bed, head in his hands. "Thank god. Bryan will be able to help me get things straightened out."
Rei didn't move from where he sat until he heard the front door open. He jumped to his feet and sprinted out of his room. The neko-jin wrapped himself around the lavender haired man, head resting on the broad chest. "I seriously fucked up this time Bryan. The curator is going to kill me."
Bryan slipped an arm around his friend and rolled his eyes at Tala, who was smiling at him. "Rei, somehow I doubt the curator is going to kill you. What happe-"
The Russian stared at the tall figure that appeared to stand hesitantly at the entrance of the hallway. "Neko, who is that and why is he wearing a loincloth?"
Rei glanced back at Kai before burying his face back against the other man's chest. "That's why he's going to kill me. Could someone get him dressed in something besides that loincloth?
Tala held up the bundle of clothing he held. "I'll do it." He grabbed Kai's hand and dragged him back towards the bathroom, asking the former statue quiet questions.
"Rei, what the hell is going on?"
The neko-jin untangled himself from his friend and perched on the arm of the couch. "You remember the statue at the museum of the man in the loincloth? The one that's really popular, that everyone comes to see?"
Bryan nodded. He'd seen it several times and it was one of Tala's favorites at the museum. The redhead had to spend at least five minutes every time they were there to see Rei just to stare at it. "The entire city knows that statue." All of a sudden the older man realized what his friend was trying to get across. "Shit. Rei, don't tell me that he's……the statue."
The Chinese man looked up at his friend, golden eyes melancholy. "Yep. He's the statue."
The Russian ran a hand through his hair, silver eyes half closed in thought. "Hell. First off, don't tell Tala. He'll never leave the poor man alone. Secondly, call in and say you're going to be taking a couple of days off. We'll try to get this figured out. For now, let's go out and see about getting him some clothing."
Rei jerked slightly. "Bryan, I can't afford to clothe him. I'm barely managing with just me. Hell, just feeding him is going to wear a hole in my already thin savings."
Bryan crossed the small living room in two long strides and knelt in front of the neko-jin, large hands resting on Rei's knees. "Rei, don't worry about covering any of it. As much as you hate relying on me for money, I'm not going to let you try to wiggle out of this. You know I have more money then I could possibly spend in my lifetime, even with Tala's expensive tastes. I'm going to buy him clothing and I'm going to stock your fridge and cupboards, until we figure out what we're going to do with him."
The neko-jin's head drooped as a sigh of frustration slipped from between his parted lips. He knew Bryan was right. The Russian had inherited a huge fortune from his grandfather; despite the fact the old man had hated his grandson. In his will he'd explained that by giving Bryan all of his money he'd doomed the younger man to a life without any love and left to a life of having people beg him for money.
However, Bryan had managed to live a happy life without his vast fortune interfering with his life too much. He and Tala were planning on adopting several children that year, and had already donated huge amounts of money to every orphanage in the city.
"Fine. Can we get going? I don't want to be here when the curator calls to ask about the statue." Rei slowly got to his feet, glad that Bryan was willing to do the thinking for both of them. He felt like his brain was going to melt. "TALA! What did you do to him?"
Bryan turned to face his mate who was standing next to Kai, a slight smirk curling his pale lips. Tala, as usual had gone out of his way to make the former statue look excellent. He was wearing a pair of black cargo pants and a black T-shirt that clung to his like a second skin, showing the lines of his muscles perfectly. "Very nice love, as usual."
The redhead smiled and moved next to Bryan to press a soft kiss to his mouth. "I figured if he's going out in public he should look his best. Now let's get going. I want to get him all sorts of nice clothing." He turned bright blue eyes on Rei, his smile widening. "And maybe we'll see if we can find something for Rei besides his never ending supply of jeans and long sleeved shirts. I want to take him and Kai clubbing tonight. Show them off."
Rei shot an incredulous look at his friend, a slight whimper escaping his throat. He enjoyed his privacy and the one time he'd gone out to a club his first year of college he'd been accosted by three drunks. Luckily, Bryan had been there and the three men had quickly become acquainted with the top of the bar.
The Russian pulled his partner against his side, silver eyes on Rei. "Don't worry neko, I'll make sure no one cops a feel and I'm sure that Kai won't let anyone get near you. He's seems rather protective of you. But first, we actually need to get out of the house."
Rei stared at Kai, trying to figure out exactly how he'd ended up in this small dressing room, with a pile of clothing sitting on the bench and Kai before him, without a shirt on and the zipper on his pants half undone.
They'd stopped at one of Tala's favorite stores and the redhead had run around the store collecting clothing he thought would look good on Kai before jamming it in the former statue's arms and pushing him into the dressing room. With a thoughtful look at Rei he'd also shoved the shorter man into the room, saying something about Kai getting confused about what exactly went where.
He picked up one of the shirts and held it out to Kai. "Here. Try this one on. The sooner we get through all of this crap the sooner we can go home."
Kai was about to take the shirt when he found himself jammed against the back wall with Rei sandwiched between he and Bryan. The bigger man was pressed against the neko-jin's back, smiling slightly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude, but some of Tala's friends are here and he doesn't want them to know we're partners. Something about them coming to me for money."
The Russian smiled down at Rei, noticing the slight flush painting the tan cheeks. He knew that look all to well. His smile transmuting into a leer, he leaned down slightly and nipped gently at the neko-jin's ear, eyes never leaving Kai. When the ex-statue didn't show any signs of movement the man slid his hand down Rei's stomach to cup the younger man's half hard cock, leer widening as he felt it harden against his palm. "Is this for me or him Rei? Or is it the thought of both of us having you making you hard?"
He pressed even closer to the neko-jin, pinning him against Kai. He and Rei had a brief fling their senior year of high school and he knew exactly how to make the neko-jin squirm. With a soft sigh that ruffled Rei's hair he caught one of Kai's arms with his free hand and covered his hand with the former statue's before pulling his hand away, leaving Kai's hand lightly resting against Rei's cock.
He leaned forward until his mouth was near Kai's ear, his warm breath causing the ex-statue to shiver slightly. "I think he's hard for you. Rei has always felt the need to be dominated, and he can sense your strength, your need to control. He'll do what you say, and he sounds so sweet when he comes." The Russian placed his hand over Kai's and pressed slightly, drawing a low, breathy moan from the neko-jin.
Bryan drew back and nuzzled Rei's cheek, before brushing a light kiss to the corner of the younger man's mouth. "He'll take good care of you Neko. He can give you exactly what you want and need in your life." He took a step back, and removed his hand from Kai's watching to see what would happen.
Rei collapsed against the former statue, his breath trickling across the pale skin, causing Kai's nipples to harden. Without a second thought Kai tilted the neko-jin's head back and claimed his lips in a deep kiss, hand gently squeezing Rei's arousal, causing the smaller man to moan.
One of Rei's hands slid up Kai's stomach, tracing the lines of the muscle before gently rolling a nipple between his fingers, smiling into the kiss as the former statue arched into his touch. At just that moment Tala burst into the dressing room, slamming into Bryan's back. "Sorry, I didn't me-" His voice trailed off as he peered around his mate, blue eyes glazing with lust as he took in the sight of the neko-jin and former statue. "Holy shit! Please tell me we can keep them Bry, they're so perfect."
The lavender haired Russian smiled. "No. As much as I would love to keep them we can't. They belong to each other." He carefully slid one hand around the arch of Rei's hip and gently removed Kai's hand from Rei's erection, his smile widening at the whimper from the neko-jin. "Calm down Neko. You'll get what you want later. I promise."
He pushed Rei into Tala's arms, smiling when his partner latched on to the younger man. "Take him with you and see if you can find him some different clothes." He turned to look at the redhead who was grinning like a wolf. "And see if you can find some accessories too. Maybe a nice collar. I'll stay here and deal with Kai."
Tala leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of Bryan's mouth. "Okay. We'll be back in about fifteen minutes." He shoved Rei out of the dressing room. "And Falcon, go easy on him." Laughing quietly Tala slipped out of the small room and dragged Rei away, ignoring the neko-jin's complaints.
Bryan turned back to Kai, his smile turning into a leer. The smaller man was panting softly, leaning against the wall with a slight flush painting his pale skin. His dark eyes were glazed with lust and the Russian could easily make out the outline of Kai's cock. Stepping forward he rested one arm on the wall above Kai's head, trapping the smaller man. "Rei's lucky to have you. If Rei and I were still together we'd take you, make you ours." He stroked his fingers along the man's collarbone and down his chest, flicking lightly against one nipple and drawing out a soft moan.
His hand continued down the other man's stomach, fingers spread wide. One of Kai's hands curled over Bryan's shoulder, strong fingers digging into the muscle. Bryan smiled and leaned down, warm breath sliding along Kai's cheek. He pressed a light kiss to the man's cheek as his hand delved into the former statue's pants, cupping his erection. "Come for me."
Tala glanced back at Rei, a slight smile twisting his pale lips. The neko-jin was slumped in his seat, arms folded across his chest as he stared out the window. All the bags from the store were piled between him and Kai, hiding them from each other. Bryan noticed his mate's gaze and his silver eyes darted up to the rearview mirror. He smirked when he saw the barrier between the two men.
The redhead reached over and took Bryan's hand, their fingers lacing together. "Do you think they'll actually get together?" He knew Rei was so caught up in his own thoughts that he wouldn't pay attention to the fact they were talking about him.
"They will. I'll make sure of it." Bryan raised Tala's hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it.
-----
Rei leaned his head against the shower wall, the hot water beating a steady tattoo against his back. As soon as the four of them had returned to his small apartment he'd run into the bathroom and locked the door, wanting to hide from Bryan and Kai. Being sandwiched between the two men had brought him to full arousal faster then he had thought possible. He'd forgotten how much he loved being with Bryan, how safe and loved the big man had made him feel.
He knew that Bryan worried about his lack of a significant other in his life, but he was shy and had a hard time opening up to people. He wasn't even completely sure he knew exactly why he had brought the former statue home. At that time it had seemed like the right thing to do, but now he was completely confused by what had caused him to bring someone he didn't know into his home.
On the drive to his home he'd been trying to convince his inner voice it was just a matter of being nice and not leaving the poor former statue at the museum, confused and lost. However, after the incident at the store, he wasn't sure his intentions in bringing Kai home had been all that noble.
The neko-jin banged his head against the tiles, feeling like an idiot. He hadn't intended on letting things progress so far in the dressing room, but he'd been helpless to stop it. Something about being trapped between the two men had penetrated to his core, demanding that he give into their strength and allow them to use and protect him.
With a soft sigh his thoughts wandered back to what happened in the dressing room, vividly remembering the way Kai's hand had felt against his cock, even through the clothing that separated them. He felt his cock spring to life and he gently took hold of it, water providing lubrication as he brushed the pad of his thumb over the slit, sending a jolt of pleasure up his spine.
His other hand traveled up his stomach to pinch his right nipple, the small nub of flesh made more sensitive by the small silver loop that pierced it. He arched into the touch, slowly stroking his erection, pleasure spreading through his body and that was when his imagination took over. After the day's earlier events, it wasn't hard.
Normally he masturbated to thoughts of Bryan. He was always left with lingering guilt afterwards. In his mind he had no right to use Bryan. Their relationship had ended years ago and the Russian as Tala's. However, Rei could not let go of the silver haired man that easily. He smiled slightly as he gently squeezed his cock, gasping as pleasure rippled through him.
The neko-jin continued to stroke himself, rapture increasing with each stroke. His eyes slid shut and slowly the hand on his manhood became Kai's, the calloused fingers delightfully rough against his skin. He could feel the other man's body pressed against his back, hardness resting against his ass.
Somewhere along the line Bryan managed to slip into his fantasy. The tall man was leaning against the wall, wearing a pair of black leather pants that laced up and clung to him like a second skin. They were mostly undone, revealing a tantalizing amount of skin above the obvious bulge of the Russian's arousal, outlined beautifully by the tight pants. He was watching the other two men with predatory eyes, one hand idly stroking the triangle of skin that was exposed by his pants. The fingers of his other hand were rolling his left nipple, the small gold ring glinting in the light.
There was something about Bryan watching them and the feeling of Kai's hands on his cock that caused Rei to lose control, his body arching into the hand around his cock, coming hard and biting his hand to keep from crying out. As the fantasy faded he sank to his knees, the cool water pounding on his back. After several minutes at the bottom of the tub the neko-jin slowly got to his feet and turned the water off before pulling one towel off the rack for his hair and wrapping the other around his waist.
He slowly opened the door and peered out; making sure the hall was empty. His sensitive hearing could make out the sound of Tala, Bryan and Kai in the living room, talking softly. Sighing quietly he padded to his bedroom and shut the door, locking it behind him. He briskly dried and braided his hair before tossing the towel on the bed.
It was at that moment he realized someone had carefully laid clothes out on the bed. Frowning he lifted the leather pants to reveal a black tank top, a long sleeved crimson fishnet shirt and a leather collar that was studded with red stones. There was no doubt in his mind who had chosen the outfit. "TALA!!!!!!"
Rei stared at his bright green drink, not sure if drinking anything that was glowing green was actually healthy. Hell, he wasn't even sure what was in it. Tala had ordered for the four of them before disappearing onto the crowded dance floor, leaving Bryan to watch over Rei and Kai. The Russian was nursing a drink that was mostly vodka, silver eyes half closed as he scanned the crowd.
He was just about to take a sip of his drink when a man with stunning blue eyes and navy hair slid on to the stool next to him, hand resting lightly on his. "Hi."
The neko-jin smiled shyly at the other man, trying to find some way to kindly tell the man he was interested. He really had no intention of going out on the dance floor, let alone with a complete stranger. Hot breath washed over his ear and he shuddered as Bryan's low, accented voice caused a shiver to trickle down his spine. "Just go, enjoy yourself. I'll keep Kai out of trouble."
"Fine." Rei slowly got to his feet, painfully aware of the warmth of the other man's hand as he laced their fingers together as he led the neko-jin to the dance floor. The music coming from the speakers was primal and throbbing, causing shivers to run down his spine. He glanced back at the bar and nearly melted when he saw Kai watching him, mahogany eyes burning.
Turning his attention back to Tyson Rei slipped into the man's arms, doing his best to ignore the warmth that was pooling in his stomach from the feeling of Kai watching him. One of Tyson's hands rested on his lower back, the other on his neck, gently rubbing .The neko-jin relaxed against the man's chest, the impromptu massage easing the tension that had been in his shoulders and neck since the moment Kai had erupted from the statue. He sank further into the navy haired man's arms and allowed his mind to drift, not focusing on anything.
Bryan downed his shot of vodka and leaned closer to Kai, resting one hand on the other man's shoulder. "I don't know why you let him go off with that idiot. I can tell you wanted to stop him." He caught Kai's chin in his free hand, forcing the smaller man to look at him. "Only you can give him what he craves."
Kai stared at the other man for several seconds before he got to his feet and stalked off. The Russian laughed at the other man's sudden desertion, knowing that he had gotten to Kai. Warm fingers brushed across the back of his neck as Tala slid into his lap, facing him. "Did you just set Rei up to be ravished?"
The lavender haired man nodded, one hand trailing over the patch of skin between his lover's shirt and pants. "I did. However, for this to work he needs to stop being so noble and admit that he's attracted to Kai."
Tala relaxed against Bryan, head resting on his shoulder. "And you think having Kai pull him away from that guy is going to help? How do you know he won't freak out?"
"He won't freak out. That's how I started our relationship. He was at Senior Prom with Mariah. She had forced him to come and it wasn't hard to tell he was miserable. He knew he was gay by then and having to pretend to be Mariah's date and it was killing him. So, being the good friend I am I broke in and pried Mariah off him. He was so happy I thought he was going to cry."
"Needless to say Mariah was pissed. Before she could start yelling I did the only thing I could think of to keep her mouth shut. I kissed him and he nearly crawled up me. Seconds later I had him pinned against the wall. His submission was so sweet." Bryan pressed a kiss to Tala's throat, silver eyes half closed. "He'll give in."
Rei rested his head against Tyson's chest, smiling softly when he felt the man brush his fingers lightly over the path of barely exposed skin. As nice as it was to be with Tyson there was something that was missing. The navy haired man was sweet but he was nothing compared to Bryan and Kai.
He sighed and was about to let Tyson down softly when he was suddenly pulled against a hard chest and warm fingers drifted across his throat before a light teasing kiss was pressed against the corner of his mouth as his mysterious partner's free hand curled around his hip, fingers spread possessively. "Kai."
The older man nodded, eyes never leaving Tyson. "I was watching you. I didn't like the way he was touching you." The hand on his hip slid lower, fingers dangerously close to his cock, which had stiffened the moment Kai had touched him.
Tyson held his hands up and took a step back, navy eyes wide with shock. "I didn't mean anything by it. Hell, if I'd known you two were actually together I wouldn't have even come anywhere near him." He smiled at Rei. "Thank you for dancing with me."
Rei watched as Tyson vanished into the crowd before pulling from Kai's arms to turn and face him, golden eyes bright with anger. "What is your problem? And don't tell me it's because of the way he was touching me."
Kai reached out and stroked the back of his hand along Rei's cheek, dark eyes focused on the neko-jin. "That was only part of it." He took a step closer and lightly rested his free hand on Rei's hip, hand still stroking his cheek. "I could tell that you didn't feel anything for him." When Rei made to say something Kai silenced him with a soft kiss. "Don't. When I first saw you I could sense your desire, hidden beneath the shock and fear. You belonged to me, even then."
Bryan gently nudged Tala and the redhead slowly sat up, blue eyes confused. "What?"
The older man smirked, eyes bright. "Look at them."
Tala scanned the dance floor, trying to find their missing friends. When he finally found them he smiled brightly, one hand sliding down his mate's chest to cup him through his pants, drawing a soft moan from the lavender haired man. "It seems you were right about them."
Kai had Rei pinned to the wall with his body, one hand between the neko-jin's legs. Rei's head was thrown back against the wall, his chest heaving as he whimpered. The taller man's free hand was stroking along the neko-jin's cheek as he whispered in his ear, a smirk curling his lips.
Bryan pushed Tala off, ignoring the dirty look his mate gave him. "Let's go round them up and get them home. The last thing we need if for them to get arrested for public indecency."
The redhead laughed as he followed Bryan through the crowd, one hand on his back. "Actually I think it would be rather funny. Maybe then Rei wouldn't be so tense."
The taller man glanced back at Tala, silver eyes bright. "It may, but there's also the chance he would call me to bail them out, which means that I wouldn't have as much time to play with you tonight as you deserve." He smiled at the flash of realization that crossed his lover's face before he pulled him close. Bending low he nipped lightly at Tala's ear. "What would you prefer tonight? The silk ropes or the handcuffs?"
"Silk." With that said Tala grabbed Bryan's wrist and pulled him towards where Kai and Rei were, hell bent on getting there before anything happened. He'd get a sex change before he let Kai and Rei interrupt his time with Bryan.
The moment they set foot in the apartment Rei headed for the bedroom, leaving Kai standing in the living room. The slate haired man locked the door and kicked his shoes off before following the neko-jin to the bed room, mahogany eyes bright with desire.
He paused in the doorway, one hand clutching the frame so hard his knuckles were turning white. Rei was standing by the bed, having shed all of his clothing, leaving him in nothing but the collar around his throat. When he reached up to take it off Kai couldn't stand it. "Leave it on."
Rei jumped at the sound of the husky voice, hands falling back to his sides. He turned slightly to face the other man, golden eyes peeking out from underneath long, dark lashes. "And what makes you think I'm going to listen?"
The taller man smirked, mahogany eyes dark with lust. "Because it's in your nature. Get on the bed, on your back with your knees bent. I want to see you."
Rei drew the blanket higher to cover his shoulder and snuggled further back into Kai's arms. The other man was still asleep, his breath warm on the back of the neko-jin's neck. He smiled softly and closed his eyes again, basking in the warmth from the older man's long body.
He was about to roll over when the phone started ringing, causing him to jump. Cursing in Chinese he grabbed the handset after the second ring, hoping the sound hadn't woken Kai. "Hello?"
"Mr. Kon I was wondering if you could tell me what exactly happened to our statue? When I left you alone the other night it was fine. When I came in today, I found that it was gone. The cleaning staff showed me what was left of it. However, I find it hard to believe the pile of rubble was the statue. It was nothing more then some granite flakes. What happened to the statue?"
Rei wiggled out of Kai's arms without waking him and leaned back against the headboard, fingers of his free hand stroking through the soft slate strands. "Sir, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. I'll come in later today and explain as best as I can."
"I expect you to be here at three. And I hope you have a good excuse."
The call ended with a click and Rei set the phone back on its cradle, sighing in frustration. "That man drives me insane." He leaned down and kissed Kai on the forehead before slipping out of the bed to pull on a pair of black sweatpants and a T-shirt. With a final glance at the bed he padded out to the kitchen to see what was in the cupboard for breakfast.
He was halfway through making the batter for French toast when an arm slid around his waist. Warm breath brushed over his ear followed by a soft kiss to this cheek. "Good morning." Smiling brightly he got a glass down from the cupboard above his head and handed it to Kai who filled it with water and sat at the table to watch Rei.
"What are you making?" The slate haired man took a sip of water and twisted the glass around on the table.
"French toast. Perhaps one of the greatest breakfast foods in existence." Rei grabbed the loaf of bread from the counter and opened it. He pulled several pieces out and dipped them in the batter before dropping them on the skillet, smiling when the batter started bubbling and hissing. Sighing he got a second glass out of the cupboard and filled it with grapefruit juice from the fridge before joining Kai at the table.
They sat in comfortable silence while the French toast cooked, Rei only getting up to flip the bread over. While he was up he got plates and silverware out of the cupboard and set them on the table. With quick movements he scooped the toast off the skillet and onto a plate. He turned the skillet off and settled into his chair, setting the laden plate in the middle of the table. "Enjoy."
Rei curled up in one corner of the couch, legs drawn up to his chest, golden eyes fixed on the other man. "Kai, how did you end up as a statue?"
The slate haired man ran a hand through his hair, eyes focused in the distance. "I was the heir to one of the largest tribes in the Mountains. I was supposed to marry the daughter of one of the other tribes. I refused and her father, a Shaman of great power cast a spell on me. Slowly, over the following five days I slowly turned to stone. Needless to say it wasn't a pleasant experience."
"I was aware of the passage of time, but that was it. When I came back all I remembered was my life before the Shaman cast his spell on me. I had no memories of anything that happened." Kai sank sat on the couch next to Rei, one hand resting lightly on the neko-jin's foot.
"That still doesn't explain why after all these years the spell finally broke. It could have happened at any time over the past thousand years." Rei leaned over slightly and pressed a kiss to the corner of Kai's mouth. "Not that I'm not glad it happened when it did."
Kai smirked. "I'm sure you where. And as to why the spell broke at that moment, it's hard to say. It could have just been the fact that the spell had weakened after 10 centuries or something could have triggered the collapse of the magic. Shamanistic magic is very susceptible to the heavens. An eclipse can either strengthen or weaken the magic. It depends on the spell being cast and whether or not it's a solar or lunar eclipse."
The smaller man jerked slightly, golden eyes widening in shock. "There was a solar eclipse two days ago. That must explain what happened. But why didn't it break the spell at the moment of the eclipse? Why did it take so long?"
The former statue drew Rei into his lap, so the neko-jin was straddling him. He slipped his hands under the neko-jin's shirt, stroking along his sides. "Because it was an ancient spell. Nothing that old breaks that easily. It took hours for it to finally break.
Rei rested his hands on his partner's shoulders, golden eyes focused on Kai's. "This isn't temporary is it? I mean, I'm not going to wake up tomorrow and find that you're a statue again tomorrow." His voice dropped. "Because I don't think I could stand to lose you." He buried his face against the other man's neck.
Kai sighed and moved to press Rei against the couch, trapping the smaller man against the cushions. Rei's legs wrapped around Kai's waist drawing him closer and Kai leaned down to kiss the other man. "It was a one time spell. You're stuck with me."
"Good."