Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade; I'm simply using the characters as my puppets…
LJ Comm Prompts:
100chances: #7 The Look in Your Eyes
Dinner Date by Yaoi Girl
'How did I get myself into this mess?' Rei mused as he sighed during the rather long limo ride from his house to the Hiwatari residence. And a dress isn't the most comfortable thing to travel in, mind you.
Just how did one Kon Rei get himself into a situation such as this? Let's probe one Hiwatari Kai for answers, shall we?
Kai had come home late that fateful Thursday afternoon, practically kicking the door off its hinges in his rage.
Rei was still up and was rather surprised that one of the others hadn't come downstairs to see what the commotion was about.
"Was that really necessary?" he inquired as he walked over to the wide open door as Kai ungracefully flopped down onto the couch, looking drained and flustered. The door had taken a bit of his temper down. If only it had been Takao… "What's up? How did dinner with the parents go?"
Crimson eyes narrowed at Rei before they closed and relaxed as a defeated sigh escaped Kai's lips.
"I lied to them."
"You do that all the time. What did you lie to them about this time?" the neko-jin then prodded as he sat in the recliner with his legs in the seat beneath him, looking to the lost Russian.
"Let me explain the situation first, then I'll tell you," he said as he pulled his jacket off, flinging it over the back of the couch, much to Rei's dismay. "It started out like a typical dinner. Mother non-stop glomping me while father asked me about this and that; you know how it goes."
Rei had only heard the 'horror' stories about dinner time there.
"Then, while we were eating, mother comes out with 'You have a girlfriend now, right? You know that you'll have to be married by the age of 18, otherwise you'll loose everything!' That 'everything' being my inheritance. Some stupid Hiwatari tradition thing."
"So you lied and told her you had one?"
Kai nodded and sighed again, sinking deeper into the couch. "And now she wants me to bring my 'girlfriend' over on Saturday for dinner."
"And you lied and said that she had plans for Saturday, right?"
The Russian shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Mother wouldn't take no for an answer unless the girl called herself with an explanation."
"Well, we'll just get one of the girls we know to call and…"
"Even if it works this one time, she'll still beg and plead for me to bring over my mystery date. Besides, she's right. I really do need to start looking for someone to marry."
Rei smirked against better judgment, that judgment being a pang in his heart. "I could never see you with a girl," he stated matter-of-factly as he stood to finally hang that jacket up that had been driving him nuts lying in a heap on the hardwood floor.
"I know, and trust me; I really don't want to be with one."
As Kai idly watched Rei hang up his jacket in the closet, he took particular interest in the long, silky, raven tresses that was braided, as well as Rei's lithe body, his borderline feminine features…
"Rei?"
"Yeah?" he asked as he closed the closet, turning to Kai.
"I need you to do me a big favor."
It didn't go unnoticed to Rei the way Kai was eyeing him up and down, a nervous gaze nestled in his eyes.
"Forget it!"
"Please, Rei? Just this once? After that, I'll tell mother that 'we' broke up! I don't have time to find a girl to pretend to be my girlfriend for one night; and you know me the best!"
As much as it amused Rei to no end that Kai was actually pleading with him, he still refused as he began to turn various lights off in the kitchen and living room, deciding that it was nearly time for bed. When there was one remaining lamp on in the living room, he turned back to the Russian in shock.
There, on his hands and knees with his head bowed, was Hiwatari Kai, all pride and dignity gone for the moment.
"Please, Rei! I promise it'll be just this once! I won't do anything inappropriate and I'll try to make the stay as short as possible…"
Now what was Rei supposed to do? Their captain never begged for anything! Yet here he was begging for this one little favor. For one night. In a dress. As a girl. And not just any girl; as Kai's loving girlfriend
Rei sighed, shifting a bit and tugging at the somewhat tight, sleeveless, crimson Chinese dress adorned with some intricate design in gold. There was a slit on both sides of the calf long dress from the bottom to about mid-thigh. His raven locks were up in a tight, beautiful bun with a pearl beaded band atop the actual ones, and many bobby pins, that were keeping his hair in place. Not to mention the matching, short heels he was wearing and the choker around his neck. And by god, the girls they knew were good for something as he had admired himself, with some disgust at what he had been transformed into, in the beautiful display of light make-up and lip gloss.
They were all going to die…
Kai sat beside him in the back of the limo, sitting with his elbow propped on the door handle and chin in his palm as he stared out the window, sighing. He hated to be dressed up too, but at least he made out better than Rei since he was in guys clothing: a tailored black suit and tie.
The Russian's parents had decided that instead of having a meal at the Hiwatari house, they would go out somewhere special for the special occasion.
"Are we almost there?" Rei whined as he twirled a piece of his bangs around a finger in boredom.
Kai looked to the teen sitting next to him and felt his breath catch. Rei wasn't looking at him, but at the floor rather sadly. Something pulled at his heart at the sight. Maybe he shouldn't have asked Rei to do this after all…
"Almost," he replied as he took Rei's free hand in his own, squeezing it gently.
Nervous about the whole situation, his amber eyes hesitantly met Kai's as he curled his fingers around Kai's hand, hoping to show just how he felt at that moment.
"I'm scared too," he admitted as they held the other's gaze, almost shyly.
"We shouldn't be scared though, right? I mean, it was all planned out and we're not really dating…" he whispered as he turned his gaze back to the floorboard of the vehicle.
"I know."
But the atmosphere said otherwise as the pair scooted another inch closer to the other for silent support, their fingers tightening in growing anxiety.
Another ten minutes of a silent ride and the limo came to a slow halt in front of a rather fancy looking restaurant before the driver hurried to open the door for them.
Kai's parents were already waiting, standing beside the limo. His mother had a smile plastered across her face as she watched her son slowly climb out of the vehicle before turning and leaning in slightly with his arm outstretched.
"You ready for one hell of a night?" Kai smirked, despite the butterflies beating his insides up.
"I think I can manage," he offered, returning the smirk with a small smile as he again wrapped his fingers around the Russian's hand, in awe at the soft expression he found lying in those crimson orbs as he helped Rei out of the limo.
"She's beautiful!" his mother squealed as Kai and Rei stood side by side, hand in hand in front her. She wasted no time in wrapping her arms around Rei in her form of a greeting, momentarily separating them as Kai went stumbling backwards towards his father, who steadied him before placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You did good, son. She looks like a good woman," he smiled down at him.
'If only they knew,' he thought as his mother and Rei joined them. Soon, Kai and Rei fell in step behind his parents, Rei looking to Kai with somewhat wide eyes and a smile that said he was about to break out in laughter. His mother was something else!
"She wants to know how I put up with you," he whispered in his ear as their fingers once again twined between them.
"I'd like to know the answer to that myself," he murmured as he glanced to his neko-jin companion.
"I wish I knew too."
No sooner than they entered the overly, but nicely, decorated building they were ushered promptly to their reserved table where Kai and Rei slid into one side of the secluded booth while Kai's parents sat together on the other side.
Over the course of the past few, short days, Rei had mastered sounding like a girl, and it kind of unnerved the Russian bluenette just how good he had gotten at it. It was nice, however, that since Rei could be used as a girl's name they didn't have to come up with one. So that made things a little bit easier.
"How long have you two been together? Kai's never said a word about having a girlfriend," his mother offered as they skimmed the thick menus.
"Three months," Rei meekly offered.
"And how far have you gotten?" his mother then smirked.
"Mother!" Kai hissed, even as a blush broke out across his pale cheeks.
"I'm curious!" she smiled as she closed her menu, finally having found something to eat, looking between her son and his 'girlfriend'.
"What we do during our alone time is of no concern to you," he stated rather huffily as though he really were defending something.
Sidney, his mother (A/N: okay, so I finally decided to give his parents names…) merely laughed and waved her hand dismissively. "Fine, fine. Alright then, Rei, where are you from?"
"A small town in China," Rei offered as he finally closed his own menu. He couldn't tell what half the items were, seeing as they were in French or Italian or some language he couldn't understand. He just went by the description and had nudged Kai while pointing discretely to said entrée; Kai nodded in return.
"What's it like there?"
If she kept this up all night, Rei was sure his 'voice' would falter or give out altogether.
"It was very green, lots of tall trees, exotic animals and birds everywhere, beautiful mountains," he vaguely offered, not really wanting to recall his homeland. Too many bad memories, like two years ago when his parents died in that landslide along with half the town…
"So, when can we meet your parents, darling?"
Rei lowered his gaze just enough so that his bangs concealed his tearing eyes. The awkward silence caused Kai to look away from his menu to his friend, worry lying in his own eyes as he seen silent tears fall from the neko-jin's chin. They would have to ask about his parents…
'Damn it! I completely forgot to tell them about that…' Kai mentally kicked himself as he slid his hand into both of Rei's clasped ones on his lap. He then looked to his parents and shook his head slowly.
"Oh, sorry dear," Sidney replied genuinely.
Kai leaned over and cupped his hand around Rei's ear. "You're make-up will run if you keep crying. I know it's hard and all…"
Rei nodded slightly and gently dabbed his tears away with a napkin, sniffing as he inhaled before exhaling a small sigh as he tried to compose himself.
Silence then filled the table until the waitress came to take their orders. Rei was definitely grateful that he had pointed out to Kai what he had wanted, otherwise he was sure that his voice would crack and that he would butcher the entrées name horribly.
"So, Kai," his father, Gavriil, offered. "How serious are you about Rei?"
Kai had to make this look convincing otherwise they'd know that they'd been played. His father was good at picking out when his son was faltering.
The young bluenette looked to Rei with a soft, genuine smile as their eyes met. "Rei's the person of my dreams."
Rei faintly blushed and looked away shyly, fighting back more tears. 'He's only saying that to convince his parents!' he reminded himself, even as Kai's hand tightened in his momentarily as he kept his eyes on Rei, though now a bit saddened at the other teen's obvious inner turmoil.
"You certainly sound sincere," his father then remarked with a nod.
"Alright everyone!" Sidney cut in at noticing the teens' discomfort. "Let's stop moping around and enjoy the evening."
Rei smiled at her the best he could, even as Kai gently pulled his hand away.
Soon their dinner had arrived and they ate as happily as could be, talking about random things and offering words of wisdom to the youth.
As they ordered dessert, Kai politely excused himself to go to the restroom and Sidney offered to escort Rei to the woman's restroom – you know, the whole women travel to the bathroom in packs thing.
Rei was a mess as he leaned back against the wall of the overly white bathroom and waited for Kai's mother to finish in the stall. And wasn't at all ready for what he heard from her concerned lips.
"You don't have to hide it from me any more, Rei," she smiled as she washed her hands.
"Hide what?"
"Who you are."
Rei looked at her, dumbfounded as his mouth worked similar to one of a fish.
She giggled as she dried her hands, turning to look at him. "I know that you're not a young woman."
"But how…?" he started in his normal tone, eyes showing his fear.
"For one, I can tell you're not used to make-up. Any rich girl would always wear it, right?"
The neko-jin nodded, smiling sheepishly.
"And two, call it a motherly instinct. Kai may not have found himself a girlfriend, but he is truly in love with you, even if you haven't been a couple for three months."
"Kai? In love with me?" he asked, confused, more so to himself that the beautiful, dark blue haired lady standing before him.
She nodded, smiling sweetly. "For once, my son's been telling the truth. I can see it in his eyes when he looks at you."
"It was only supposed to be for tonight, and then things would go back to normal," he admitted as he studied himself in the large, well polish mirror.
"I think he intends for it to be longer, Rei."
"What…?"
"Motherly instinct," she laughed as she wrapped her arms around Rei. "Will you continue to take care of my little boy?"
Rei returned the embrace and smiled. "I always have, haven't I?"
With that, Sidney had both her arms wrapped around one of Rei's as they exited the restroom. "Gavriil still doesn't know. I don't know if he'll ever figure it out that you're a male."
The raven haired teen understood that he'd have to continue to act as a girl until the evening ended.
Kai had since beat them back to the table, simply staring nervously at his hot fudge sundae, idly drawing his tongue across his lips, though not from the dessert before him.
"What's up with him?" Rei whispered to the woman beside him who simply beamed at the sight of her son, not offering a word of explanation.
As Rei and Sidney took their seats, after Kai had slid out so that Rei could sit back in his spot, he heard Kai sigh shakily.
"Are you alright?" he whispered as he placed the napkin back across his lap.
Slowly, hesitantly, Kai looked at him while toying with something in his pocket before pulling the small object out and holding it in his palm. His mother's giddiness wasn't helping with his confidence level at all…it seemed she knew all too well what was going to happen.
"Kai…?"
"Rei," he began as he took Rei's left hand in his own. "I…I just…" he paused, biting his lower lip as his crimson eyes danced with amber ones. "You truly are the best thing that's ever happened to me," he finally said, though his voice was almost shy.
'Is he being serious or is this part of the plan?' his mind idly wondered. But the next few words turned his world upside down and proved that Sidney did know something about her usually stoic son.
"I know that we…haven't been together long and we're close friends, but…" he paused again as he shifted the item around in his hand before holding up a silver ring with a lone diamond in it. "I want us to be more."
'He's not asking me to marry him, is he?!' his mind flipped, then calmed when Kai again continued, as though having read his unstable mind.
"No, I'm not asking you to marry me," he chuckled nervously. "But I am asking you to be mine and mine alone, Kon Rei."
"Such a lovely promise ring!" his mother squealed as quietly as she could, hugging her husband as they continued to watch.
"Will you?"
Rei's head was spinning so fast that he didn't know what way was up or down or left or right. He wasn't sure if Kai was still just pretending or not, but just the way the Russian was looking at him told him everything he needed to know.
"Of course I will," he replied, not bothering to conceal his voice. Kai was asking him, not the person he was pretending to be that night.
Kai smiled a bit more confidently now as he slid the ring onto Rei's finger before twining their fingers and gently cupping Rei's chin.
'What a way to come out and say you love someone,' the neko-jin mused happily as Kai's lips shyly met his.
Sidney nearly fainted from over excitement while Gavriil sat blinking, still trying to figure out something about the situation, all the while Kai's sundae was melting into a blob of cold milk and chocolate with a sinking cherry in the middle. But the boys didn't seem to notice.
When they pulled apart, both wearing a blush, Kai said the words that Rei had only dreamed of hearing before. "I love you."
Rei smiled and hugged Kai, whispering in his ear, "I love you, too."
To which Kai responded in his ear, "I can't wait to get you out of that dress."
When they broke the embrace, Rei was nearly ready to start laughing as Kai smirked at him.
"What's so funny, boys?" Sidney inquired.
"Nothing, mother," Kai lied, his eyes still locked with Rei's. "I think it's about time to head home, don't you agree?"
"Of course, dear," she replied as she grabbed her purse and husband. "Goodnight you two. Rei, it was a pleasure."
"Goodnight, mother," Kai replied as he helped Rei from the seat, wrapping an arm protectively around the raven haired teen's waist.
"I never expected something like this from you, and for you to actually be sincere about it," Rei admitted as he rested his head on Kai's shoulder as they walked.
"Which part? The 'I love you' part or the 'Can't wait to get you out of that dress' part?" he smirked as they slid into the backseat of the limo.
"I know very well you're sincere about the second. But I didn't think you'd actually be able to commit to someone."
"You said it yourself; you could never see me with a woman."
"True," Rei smiled as he snuck onto Kai's lap, tugging the silky material of tie so that Kai's face was closer to his own.
"I see that I've been reading your eyes correctly for the past few months," he murmured against Rei's lips before fully claiming them.
Neither could wait to get home, particularly to one of the bedrooms…
Chapter 2 will indeed have a lemon in it, but it will more than likely be posted to my LJ. Check my profile within the next couple days for a link to ch. 2!
Comments and reviews are worshiped!