When two hearts are ready, they will speak

Title: When two hearts are ready, they will speak
Subtitle: Choosing the right path
Author: Lady Snowblossom
Pairings: Kai + Rei
Rating: PG, just to be on the safe side
Note: See part one
Additional note: Grumpy Tyson. Johnny surprises Robert and Kia. And Oliver and Enrique open the Bladebreakers eyes to the reason behind their captain’s recent behavior.
Additional note: no. 2: Warning, angst and sap ahead!
Additional note, no. 3: Thanks to everyone, who has reviewed so far. I hope this doesn’t disappoint.
Status: See part one.
Disclaimer: Part one.


Ignoring the by-play of the two aristocrats, Kai turned Johnny’s words over in his mind. What could he had done to give away his feelings for Rei; he’d tried to never show any obvious affection towards the raven haired beauty; hell, even today, when his heart was crying out for him to drag Rei out of harm’s way, he’d stood firm.

Had he given himself away, when he’d outrun Tyson to be the first to reach Rei, and take the injured boy in his arms? Maybe, his arms had lingered a heartbeat too long, when the paramedics had taken Rei from him. He could remember the funny look Kenny had given him, but then Mariah had bulled her way through the screen of concerned bladers, and he had faded to the end of the group, thinking his secret safe.

So, how did Johnny know?

“Let’s not play games-here, Kai. Why are you wandering the streets of Moscow . . . alone.”

Robert’s words broke into Kai’s musings, and staring into the other’s eyes, he shrugged and settled on telling a half-truth, “Couldn’t sleep . . . thought a walk would clear my head.” He ignored Johnny’s snort of derision.

“Oh, couldn’t sleep? How original.” Robert murmured sardonically, as he brushed some fresh falling snow from his shoulders. Sighing, the lavender haired youth looked skyward, as though seeking divine guidance, then he lowered his head to stare deep into the shadowed eyes of the youth before him.

The look on his face told Kai, that the proud blueblood wasn’t buying it. As he locked eyes with the older boy and allowed his usual mask of aloof indifference cross his face, he determined to win what looked like a long staring match. There was no way; he was admitting the whole, or rather, the real truth behind his restlessness.

Johnny leaned back and smirked in amusement. Things were beginning to look up. If he had to freeze out here: was it too much to ask that he get some entertainment out of it? He certainly didn’t think so and he had a feeling that watching Robert and Kai lock horns, would provide him with some.


~**~

*Knock, knock*

“Oliver, do you think this is a good idea. They might be in bed. It is rather late, you know” Enrique told the blonde Frenchman, who turned a frowning face on him.

“Robert said, to find out what was going on, and I’m going to find out.” Oliver extended his hand to knock again, his attention still on the Italian, but instead of hard wood, his knuckles rapped something soft.

“Ow! Hey, watch it! Oliver, what the?”

Oliver spun, his hand going to his mouth; as a tousled Max stood glaring at them, one hand rubbing the spot that Oliver had rapped, and the other holding the doorknob.

“Max, whose at the door?” a sleepy voice queried. The blonde turned his head and tossed over his shoulder, “It’s Oliver and Enrique.”

“Enrique and Oliver?” A light snapped on and Kenny straightened up and blinked owlishly in the glow. “What do they want?”

“I don’t . . .”

“It’s about . . .”

Max and Oliver spoke at the same time, then stopped, looked at each other, opened their mouths again, then Enrique spoke up.

“Look before we continue this comedy routine, can we come in? It’s late, and this might take some time.”

Wordlessly, Max stood aside in invitation, allowing the two to enter. The single lamp by Kenny’s bed cast a soft glow in the room, as the two blondes walked to the center of the room. They took in everything in a glance; Tyson was laid spread out on the bed, his mouth open - snoring. Kenny sat with his blanket pulled up to his collarbone, but gazed back at them with undisguised curiosity. Max closed the door, and turned on the overhead light, before turning to face the pair of boys.

Waving at a pair of wing backed chairs, Max politely indicated where the Frenchman and Italian could sit, before planting himself on the end of his bed, and jostling Tyson, who grumbled, then rolled on his side – grabbing air.

“Ok, what’s so important that the two of you came knocking at this time of night?” Kenny asked, reaching for his digital traveling alarm clock. “I mean, its . . . Good grief! Its one-forty-five!” He yelped, dropping the clock, to stare wide-eyed at their visitors.

“One-forty-five!” Max squawked, turning to stare with wide eyes at Kenny, who shrugged and showed him the clock. Then, Max turned back around and fixing the pair of bladers with are,are, demanded. “Alright, give!”

Enrique shrugged, “Well, we saw Kai leaving the hotel and Robert . . .”

“What!?!” Max shouted.

“Where was he going?” Kenny demanded, and flinging blanket and modesty to the winds, he jumped out of bed and came to stand beside Max. He opened his mouth to say something, when he was interrupted.

“Can’t a guy get some sleep around here? Maxie, if you want to yell at Kenny go out in the hall.” Tyson sat up in bed, rubbing at his eyes. “After all, we don’t want Mr. Grumpy Pants in here going on about our being all rested and ready for the . . .ah, guys when did they come in? Tyson’s rant trailed off, as he spotted the pair wearing expressions alternating between valiantly suppressed laughter and bewilderment.

“Tyson!” Max and Kenny chorused, flushing with mortification.

~**~


It was starting to snow harder, and the bite of the wind made Johnny shudder, as he watched the pair in front of him, continue to stare at each other: several minutes had past without one word being said, at least no physical words were said. Their eyes; however spoke volumes and none of it good. The Scotsman shook his head, and turned his attention to the trees and the way the wind whipped the branches around, he hoped that Robert could get the bottom of this soon, it wouldn’t be safe to stay out much longer.

Robert’s brown eyes were solemn, as he considered how to make Kai open up and talk about the real problem. The Bladebreakers had already lost two bit-beasts and a team member; far too much rode on Tyson’s shoulders, and they had to be sure that Kai would have his mind on the match and not on anything else. He decided to be blunt.

“Kai, if you are having a problem with losing Dranzer and seeing Rei in the infirmary, we need to know. So, will you be able to lead your team, or not.”

Slate eyebrows flew up, as Kai flinched from the brutal question. “Look, Robert! I don’t have a problem with anything! I’ll lead my team, and I don’t need any advice from you! Now, leave me alone!” He gritted through clenched teeth. The angry Russian broke eye contact with his tormentor and spun on his heel to storm away.

“Why are you feeling so guilty? Is it because it was Rei, who was hurt and not you.” Johnny’s low voice cut the ground right out from under the fuming team leader.

Robert’s eyebrows shot up; he would never have thought that Johnny could come up with such a shrewd statement. Then, his eyes narrowed as he took in the rigid stance of the Russian Blader.

Kai closed his eyes against the sudden sting of tears. There was no way; he’d let those two see him cry! Dammit, he didn’t cry! Crying was for weaklings!

“That’s it, isn’t it, Kai.” Robert said, gently. “Rei got hurt and you’re blaming yourself, aren’t you?”

Shoulders slumping in defeat, Kai turned, “It’s my fault, if I hadn’t insisted on going first. Rei wouldn’t be hurt.” A single tear trailed its way down the unadorned cheek of a suddenly very young and vulnerable boy.

Johnny rose from his seat and walked to the youth, he usually just felt like beating into the ground, and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. “Your lover is a true warrior, and you should be proud of him.”

Kai turned haunted eyes to the redhead. “Rei isn’t my lover, he doesn’t know.”

Johnny and Robert’s jaws dropped.


~**~


Several confused moments past as Max and Kenny tried to fill Tyson in on what was going on. But, they kept interrupting each other so much that all they were doing was confusing the bewildered mor more.

“Clap! Clap!”

Three sets of eyes turned to where Oliver stood clapping his hands together, blues tws twinkling. He grinned widely, when he realized that he had their attention.

“Now, if you can keep quiet for a few minutes, I will tell you why Enrique and I are here.” The short Frenchman sat down and primly crossed his legs. “Earlier, this evening Robert, Enrique, Johnny and myself were downstairs in the foyer, heading for the elevator, when Kai went past us, like he was running from something. So, Robert and Johnny went after him, and we came up here to find out from on you you, if you knew what was wrong.”

Tyson shrugged, “Don’t have a clue. Then again, we never did know what was going on in his head. It’s not like, you know, he talks to any of us heart-to-heart.”

“Not even Rei?” Enrique asked puzzled.

“No.” said Max, “Why would you think he’d talk to Rei?”

Oliver and Enrique looked at each other, then at the three on the bed. “Because they’re lovers.” Oliver said.

Tyson fell off the bed. Max gaped.

Slowly, Kenny nodded, “Now it makes sense. That’s why he was so reluctant to let the medics take Rei. Kai wanted to protect him. No wonder he was looking so lost.”

Tyson clawed his way back onto the bed. “How do you know that they’re lovers?” He demanded, glaring under his bangs at the pair in the chairs.

“You really didn’t know?” Oliver ignored the question; he looked into each face and saw only honest amazement on one face, dawning anger on another and understanding on the third.

“I said . . .” Tyson began, but Enrique cut him off.

“We heard. Its’ simple really. When you were staying at Robert’s castle, we had plenty of opportunities observe you, and Rei and Kai’s body language gave them away.”

“Well, that and the fact that Kai watched Rei like a hawk, while trying to not look like he was watching him – helped.” Oliver added. The blonde glanced at his watch, and rose to his feet. Enrique followed.

“Look, guys, morning’s not too far off, so we better be on our way.” The two headed for the door, then Oliver paused, “And guys, I wouldn’t say anything to Kai and Rei, if they hadn’t told you, then its obvious that they wanted it kept secret. Good night.” Then they were gone.

“Now what?’ Tyson asked.

~**~

“You n-n-never told him!” Johnny stuttered-eyes wide. “But we all . . .”

“We all assumed that you were.” Robert finished.

“No.” Kai shook his head. “I never had the courage to tell him. Then we came here and I fell under the spell of Black Dranzer and hurt him. I don’t have the right to tell him, anymore. He’d only reject me. And he’d be right to.”

The two Majestic’s could only stare at the defeated look on the other’s face. Here was a sight, they never thought possible to see, a wounded, bleeding Kai. What surprised them more, was it hurt to see him like this; gone was the proud, defiant boy, who wouldn’t back down from a challenge, all that was left was a shell.

Robert thought for a moment. Kai couldn’t possibly be thinking straight, with this much pain clouding his mind. Something had to be done to restore his belief in himself, but what? Then he smirked the answer was so obvious that they were missing it.

“Tell him.”

“What?” Kai blinked at the tall youth.

“My nanny always said that when one fork in the path wasn’t working, you take the other one.” Robert said earnestly, “Kai, until you find out where you stand with Rei; you are not going to be of any use to your team.” Robert glanced at his lighted watch face. “You better hurry, there’s only a few more hours till daylight and . . .”

“And Tyson wins.” Kai said.

“Or the world loses.” Johnny answered.

Without another word, Kai turned and disappeared under the trees. Robert and Johnny watched him go.

“Don’t blow it, Kai.” Johnny muttered.

Robert put a hand on the redhead’s shoulder. “We’ll just have to leave it up to chance now.” He looked at the empty hole Kai had gone thorough, and sighed. “Let’s go, I’m freezing.” Johnny nodded, and they vanished into the snow.


Well, part three’s done! And I don’t have a clue where this came from! I was just going to do a two part story, now it’s almost got as many heads as a Hydra!

Kenny: It doesn’t have that many chapters!

LS: Not yet, it don’t!

Tyson: How many heads does a hydrant have?

Kai: Hydra! Not hydrant, you baka!

Tyson: Loou! ou!

LS: Boys, boys, no fighting or you’ll both end up sleeping alone.

Kai: Hn.

Tyson: Eep!

LS: Oh, and Tyson, a Hydra is a mythological beast that grows an extra head, every time you cut one off.

Tyson: Kinda like, Hillary.

Hillary: I heard that!

LS: And here, I thought they would be easier to work with than the Gundam Boys, or the Ronin Warriors, geez!