Flame and Heaven [Rei]

[Kai Shiba]

"No, not now," he told her, "That would be cruel to make it now." It would have been cruel, because they didn't have enough time, and ending a moment like this was just a horrible idea. No, small moments like these had to continue for as long as possible.

[Rei Yoshida]

She grinned. "Perhaps you're less hopeless than I think you are." Occasionally Kai could sit back and relax and enjoy her company. It looked like today was one such rare day.

[Kai Shiba]

"I'd like to think I'm never hopeless," he told her. That wasn't just in response to her question, in the wording she used, but that was the truth as well. He never wanted to be hopeless, he always wanted to have ways to improve and become better at the things he was weak at, even if said weakness was in time management.

[Rei Yoshida]

She chuckled. "Alright! Alright! You got me! Not hopeless just hope deficient," she teased, snuggling closer. Rei absolutely didn't want to move. She was quite comfortable here, resting against Kai. She supposed if she continued to ignore her tea it would end up cold but she'd take Kai's warmth over the liquid any day.

[Kai Shiba]

"Hope deficient?" he asked, smiling a little at that wording. That was something new, something he enjoying hearing out of her. At least she had hope for him, but he always knew she did. She wasn't going to give up on him, no matter how difficult he might be at times because of the demands on him from all sides. "I like that wording."

[Rei Yoshida]

Rei beamed when Kai said he liked the wording. It was a rather rare occurrence to hear something like that. If people commented on her wording or mouth it was typically in a negative fashion. She was rather forthcoming with her opinions and feelings and such openness was not appreciated by everyone. "I'll have to use it more often then!" She could switch from hopeless to hope deficient fairly easily. She tensed a bit. "I want to ask you a question, Kai."

[Kai Shiba]

"And what would that be?" he asked. He wasn't sure of anything she might ask him, but he did try to think on it before she asked. Nothing would come to his mind, however, so he was very curious indeed on what this might end up being about.

[Rei Yoshida]

She was nervous to bring it up, to ask. Because it was something they only really hypothetically discussed and that was a rare enough occurence. Kai had said 'his child' not 'their' child. It didn't hurt. Not really. Okay maybe a little. But that was just him. He didn't want to put any extra stress on her plate. But...He was 28. She was 24. At some point they should actually start thinking about their future. She wasn't sure at all how to broach the subject. "Where do you see yourself in two years?" she asked. Okay...That had to be a really idiotic way to start.

[Kai Shiba]

He knew where she was more or less going with this. He tightened his grip on her a little, "I see myself here. With you, with the others. But with you most of all." That was true, while he cared about all of them in some way, nothing could compare to his affection for Rei. She was the most important one to him, for obvious reasons. But was she looking for more in her question? He wasn't sure.

[Rei Yoshida]

She smiled a little at the 'you most of all'. But...She needed more. The impulsive Rei wanted to think that there was potentially some plan for them. They'd never bothered to make one. And she was worried that if they were them and never spoke of it it would never happen. And he'd turn 40 and they still wouldn't have made any progress. And then she'd die without having their child. Gloomy, unproductive thoughts. Not like her. And certainly fixable if they could actually talk about it. But she was slightly afraid to talk about it. She didn't want to add pressure to him and she certainly didn't want to be rejected. But she was a woman. And women didn't stay fertile as long as men. Her biological clock was ticking. She still had plenty of time but it wouldn't be indefinite.

"Eventually I want to have a family with you," she said softly. "I know you don't like to talk about it but at some point I want that. And..and..I just...I worry if we never talk about it it'll never happen. And I just..." Think. Breathe. She needed to try and figure out where she was going with this. She floundered for words.

[Kai Shiba]

He moved from her and sat in front of her so he could look at her face, into her eyes. "Rei," he said softly, letting out a small sigh. He smiled a little then, "Trust me. You don't need to worry about that. You are the only woman who has my attention, and the only one who has my heart. I don't bring it up because I don't want to burden you, or make promises that might not be able to be kept, for whatever reason."

What might come tomorrow, he didn't know. If something did indeed happen, he didn't want to break a promise to her. But being unable to keep it in any way hurt. Being unable to make her promises hurt. He was in a no win situation.

[Rei Yoshida]

She tensed when Kai moved to stare directly into her eyes. Rei was typically the sort who was very free with words but this situation was...difficult. And she was incredibly emotionally invested in it. She relaxed and smiled a bit when he said she was the only woman who had his heart. She knew that. She didn't doubt his loyalty. Still, it was nice to hear.

"I don't need promises. I know you could die or I could die. Or heaven forbid both of us could die. But I just want to know you're thinking about it," she admitted. She thought about it. A lot. Probably more than she should. But she wanted to be with him. Kai was the only guy who had ever really clicked with her.

[Kai Shiba]

"I think about you," he told her. He'd never really thought much about marriage, just the child, his heir. The woman whom he was with never had a face. If it was Rei, and she were to die, it would hurt him too much. Better to keep her faceless and just deal with things as they come. He did want her, though. That was the point of dating, you either broke up, or married them. He only saw one good option there.

[Rei Yoshida]

She smiled. "That I never doubted. But what do you think about the future? I don't want to be a Yoshida forever." She wanted to be a Shiba. She was going to die, probably younger than most like her mother. It was just a thing that most Shinkengers went through. They typically didn't die of old age but with a sword in their hand lunging at an enemy. And...while she couldn't say she was fine with that there was simply nothing to be done for it. It was the way it was. But she wanted to find her own bit of happiness first. She wanted a family and a life, normal things, Because she wasn't like her mother. She was more than just ShinkenPink.

[Kai Shiba]

"You want to be a Shiba," he said softly. To some people it might be a name, it might be power, it might be wealth (through the company), but he knew that for Rei, it was none of those things. It was love, affection, a bond the two of them had that she wanted to make stronger, that she wanted to last forever through marriage. He knew her well, and he knew that she was better than so many other types of people. He knew this was genuine, and he wanted it to, someday.