Another shameless use of Rei's cat side as a plot point. But it didn't turn out -too- badly. Yee, I made Kai into a meanie...but only a little bit of a meanie... And I totally made up the name/disease Falagramy, so if it actually means something I'm sorry. Anyway, here it is:
Rei rolled over in bed, groaning. He didn't want to get up! He was still tired! He burrowed into the covers, flinging out a hand to slap the alarm clock. He lay in a doze for a while, then rough hands shook him. He groaned and snatched the covers back as they were pulled away. "Go away!" He moaned. The shaking stopped.
"Rei? Are you okay?"
Rei groaned and curled up further, then someone pulled the covers away from his face. He winced, shutting his eyes as bright sunlight assaulted them. Someone dragged him into a sitting position and he lolled against them. So tired...
"Rei, what's wrong? Are you ill?"
"Kai? Is that you?"
"Yeah."
"Okay." Rei shut his eyes and dropped off to sleep again, leaving a very bewildered Kai holding him up. He looked at Rei closely. The neko-jin had huge dark circles around his eyes, and he was unnaturally pale. His breathing was laboured and raspy as well.
He laid Rei back onto the bed and tucked him in. He went to walk out, but Rei suddenly gasped for breath and he hesitated. He went back over to the neko-jin and sat back down next to him, wondering what exactly was wrong with him. He watched Rei for a few minutes, then Rei's eyes fluttered open again.
"Rei?"
"What? Who-? Oh...Kai..." Rei muttered, slurring. "I'm tired. I don't want to get up. Please don't make me!" He looked up pleadingly and Kai felt his heart melt.
"Rei, you're ill. You're not getting up today." He stroked Rei's hair and Rei closed his eyes. A crackling noise came from his throat and he blinked suddenly.
"I can't purr..."
"That's because you're ill, stupid."
"Is it human or cat or both or neither?" Asked Rei sleepily.
"I...don't know."
Rei rolled over, still exhausted. "Phone Lee." With that he fell asleep again. Kai stroked his cheek and then picked up his phone from the bedside table. He searched through the memory for Lee's number and dialled it. The ringing tone went on for a few rings, then someone answered. "Hai?"
"Lee? This is Kai. Rei's ill and he said to phone you to ask what was wrong."
"Oh. Well...um." There was a silence. "Has he got a temperature?"
"No. He's just really tired. And he's not breathing so well."
"Oh."
"What? Is it serious?"
"No, no. Only...well...it sounds like he has Falagramy."
"And what's that? Can I help him in any way?"
"Well, when you get it, you get really tired, then you get really hyper. And you stop being able to lie. It's not serious, but it can be really, really embarrassing...hope you're all ready to find out exactly what Rei thinks of you..." Lee chuckled. "My mother got it once, and she told my Dad she'd had an affair...not such happy times...but it doesn't last long, only an hour or two."
"Oh. Right. Well...thanks." Kai rang off then put the phone down, looking down at Rei as he did so. The neko-jin rolled over, breath still catching in his throat. His eyes snapped open suddenly and he sat up, startling Kai.
"Kai?"
"Y-" Kai had barely begun when Rei leapt up and hugged him, letting go and bouncing on the bed.
"Love you!" He giggled, and Kai gaped at him.
"Rei..."
"I'm bored. I'm going downstairs!" He ran past Kai and jumped over the bannister. Kai ran out after him, in time to see the neko-jin hit the floor in a crouch and run off again. Kai hurried after him and found him giving Max a big hug. "Maxie! You're so happy-nice!" He moved on to Tyson and hugged him as well, grinning like a child at Christmas. Then he saw Kai again and glomped him. Kai struggled weakly as Rei kissed his cheek, purring.
"He's ill." He mouthed at Tyson. "Some cat-thing..." Rei let go of him suddenly and sprinted into the garden, chasing a fat seagull away. He climbed up a tree after it, then fell. Kai ran for him, horrified, but Rei landed on his feet again and shot over to him. "Ka-i, do you love me? I love you."
"Oh."
"I think you're wonderful!" He giggled again, the high-pitched sound grating on Kai's nerves. "And I think you're sexy!" He grabbed Kai and slid his hands up the back of his shirt. Kai pinned his arms to his sides and he wriggled free. "I'm bored." He looked around, then took a running leap at the house, vaulting onto the roof. He clambered over it, laughing, then squeezed his way through one of the impossibly small windows. Kai ran back indoors and careered past Tyson and Max, back up the stairs. Rei was sitting on his bed, reading his diary nosily. He snatched it back, panting, and Rei laughed loudly, bouncing up onto his feet. Kai flung the diary down and grabbed him, pushing him back onto the bed. Rei giggled again and pulled Kai on top of him.
"Kai..." He dragged the russian into a fierce kiss, forcing Kai's lips open and pushing his tongue into Kai's mouth. Kai pulled away, still breathless. "Rei, stop it!"
"You started it, Kai-kun." Rei smiled seductively. "And I'm going to finish it."
"Do you have an obsession with me or something!"
"You could say that. I love you Kai." Rei wound his legs round Kai's hips and yanked him down, not allowing Kai to escape. "And I want you. But I love you more than I want you." He caressed Kai's cheeks, tickling his skin. "You want me too, Kai, I can feel it..."
"Rei, you're -ill-! You won't be very happy about this when you're -better-!" He tried to pull away, but Rei held him in a vicelike grip, unwilling to let go of his prize.
"I'm getting bored, Kai...can we do something? Anything?" His legs dropped away and he sat up, pinning Kai to the bed beneath him. He tickled Kai under the chin and the russian hunched up. Rei's fingers stroked over his hips and stomach, then under his arms and back to his neck. By then Kai was laughing despite himself, writhing under Rei's touch. Rei closed his eyes, laughing, then the expression seemed to fall from his face and he pitched forwards, collapsing on top of Kai.
Kai tried to move out from under Rei and failed. He lay half-asleep under the neko-jin for what felt like an eternity, then Rei opened his eyes again. "Kai?" Rei's fingers traced Kai's cheeks and then he leaned over and kissed Kai's forehead. Kai's arms clamped around his waist and his eyes shot open. "Well I'm glad that's over."
"W-W-What?"
"Don't you remember? You were all tired and ill, and Lee said you had Falagramy. Then you got hyper and tried to seduce me and then you collapsed on me."
"WHAT!" Rei yelled, yanking himself out of Kai's grip, looking horrified.
"You said you loved me. But...Lee said you can't lie when you have Falagramy..."
"You can't." Rei's voice was suddenly choked with tears, and his eyes filled up. "I'm sorry Kai. I wasn't going to tell you, I-" Rei's words died on his lips and he clutched at Kai's shirt.
"You should have told me."
"Kai...I..." Rei burst into tears, and Kai hugged him, puzzled.
"What's the matter? Why are you crying?"
"I don't know..." Rei snivelled. Kai sat up, holding him gently.
"Don't cry." Kai winced at the tone of his voice. It sounded more like an order than a comforting request. Rei sniffed.
"I'm sorry..."
"I..." Kai sighed. He had no words, no words to tell Rei that he returned his feelings, no words to say he was sorry, no words at all. He opened his mouth and closed it again, powers of speech suddenly deserting him. He delved for words, beautiful, kind, amazing...love. He opened his mouth again, without any noise coming out. Rei pulled away from him and stood up, still crying. "Don't feel you have to be nice about it..." He choked, running out. Kai sat there, confused. Then, after a while, he stood up and looked out of the window. Rei was running across the lawn, then he tripped, sprawling, and Kai felt his chest constrict.
Rei got back up again and kept walking, then collapsed against a tree, leaning against it and wiping his face almost angrily. He clawed his way up the trunk and sat on a branch, knees to his chest. Kai watched him, then reached out a hand towards Rei. It met with the glass, startling him, and he backed away.
Rei sobbed into his knees, feeling broken. He cried desperately, chokingly, clinging to himself in the way he so wanted to cling to Kai. But Kai didn't feel anything for him...that much had been apparent.
"Rei?" Rei ignored the voice, knowing he was imagining it. Kai didn't want him, no-one wanted him, he was worthless, useless-
"Rei!"
He looked down, eyes blurred with tears. A grey and purple outline swam before him. Kai... He gave another heart-wrenching sob and closed his eyes again. His heart was already broken...he wasn't going to go insane as well...
"Rei...I..." Kai climbed up the trunk and sat on a branch parallel to Rei's. "Rei..." He reached out and touched Rei's arm. Rei looked down at it, then turned his face away.
"Rei, please...don't cry..."
"Stop pretending to care!" Howled Rei.
"No...Rei...I...I -do- care...I love you...I...just...there's nothing I can find to say..."
Rei looked up, wiping his tears away. He looked over at Kai, breathless with hope. "Do you...mean it?" He whispered. Kai nodded, and Rei uncurled himself and climbed over beside Kai, clinging to him, clutching him desperately.
"I'm sorry Rei..." Kai said quietly, stroking Rei's hair. He wrapped his arms around Rei, holding this delicate, fragile, beautiful creature to himself.
"Rei, I'm sorry..." He took Rei's hands and kissed them in turn. "I'm sorry..."
"Oh Kai..." Rei whispered, taking his hands back and wrapping them around Kai as if he were about to disappear. Kai held him back, secretly marvelling at how the day's events had escalated into this. From Rei being tired, to him crying in Kai's arms up a tree...and who knew what would come after?
fin