The Bet

Kai entered the Cafe like normal, and smiled at Lily.

He knew the names of everyone who worked in the cafe, and they knew what he would want without being told. Thus, all he needed to do was just sit down and they'd get him his coffee and snacks.

However, there was something different today.

Lily didn't look as welcoming as before.

It wasn't to say that she was not friendly, but her attention seemed to be somewhere else. In fact, normally, she would look at him a bit longer (naturally) but today?

Today, she just gave him a smile and turned away to do other things.

Though Kai found it strange, he didn't think much about it.

Until he turned his head to look towards his booth.

There was someone already sitting there, his back to him.

Someone with silver hair.

There was only one person he knew with that hair colour.

He quickened his pace and sure enough, upon reaching 'his' booth, he saw the person he thought he never would, "Zero."

Zero tilted his head and turned to look at Kai, "Kai."

Kai asked, indicating the space in front of Zero, "May I?"

"Of course," Zero answered, taking a sip of his long black (coffee) yet never taking his eye off Kai.

Despite that intimidating glare, Kai didn't flinch nor back down. He sat down, and smiled politely at the server who came with his latte.

So for the next minute or so, both of them were just staring at each other while drinking their coffee. Lily, who was observing them, couldn't help but think it was just like the olden days of the west. Two gunslingers, facing each other, ready and waiting to make the first move for their showdown.

The air seemed heavy.

On impulse, Lily grabbed a plate and started putting some sugared toast. This was a local delicacy back home, whereby the bread was buttered, toasted once, then again with sugar. Thus, its texture was crunchy like a biscuit.

She then quickly went over to their table and placed it there, saying, "This is something new. I recommend that you dip it in your coffee."

Black coffee was best, but latte was okay as well.

With a smile, Lily said before leaving, "Please enjoy this with our compliments."

She left before they could say anything.

Zero stared at the toast.

He then slowly reached out with his long fingers and did as Lily recommended. Taking a bite, his face broke into a warm smile as the sweetness of the bread melted into his mouth together with the bitterness of the coffee.

The coffee softened the hard texture, making it just nice to eat.

Lily sighed upon seeing Zero eating, her face showing just how enraptured she was in watching him do so. Ah, she could spend all day just watching him eat.

She sighed in contentment, happy to see that the heavy air that had initially surrounded him dissipated.

As Zero continued eating, he said nonchalantly between bites, "I hear that you've been looking for my girl."

"You heard correctly," Kai replied.

Zero's hand paused in dipping the toast in his coffee, then he said just before taking a bite, "Back off."

"No," Kai replied, still steady.

Zero finished his snack, finished the coffee then wiping his mouth with the napkin. He then gave his entire focus on Kai and said, "She's mine."

"For now," Kai replied through gritted teeth.

"No," Zero answered, leaning back and not breaking eye contact, "Since before, now, and forever. Till death do us part."

"You've not put a ring on her finger yet," Kai argued, "Until then, she has a choice."

"Yes, and isn't it obvious what her choice is?" Zero asked with a raise of his eyebrow, "She knows you're looking for her and yet, she hasn't shown up. You can't find her. What makes you think she wants anything to do with you?"

"She doesn't know me well enough to make an informed choice," Kai said, "What? Are you afraid that she'll choose me over you?"

Zero snorted, "I'm not the one who is afraid. I know where I stand in her heart and I know that you're not in it at all."

Though in truth, Zero knew that the latter part of his sentence wasn't 100% correct.

For the past three months, Lianne did monitor Kai. She had never shown this sort of interest in any guy that had pursued her before. It was obvious that she was tempted.

After thinking about it for a couple of days, Zero realised that this was why Sir was not blocking Kai nor getting rid of him.

Kai pressed his lips tightly together, "I know what I'm doing is frowned upon. Getting inbetween the two of you."

"Then why do it?" Zero asked.

"Because I'll regret it for the rest of my life if I don't even try," Kai said,

After his talk with Kyle, Kai had gone through a lot of soul-searching and forced himself to look at it from an outsider's point of view. No matter how he looked at it, he, Kai, was being a jerk and a douchebag.

"I know it makes no sense, and I know there is no logical reason to what I'm feeling," Kai said, "I just know what I feel and I've never felt so strongly about any woman before. If I was you, I would kill me, who is trying to steal my girl away from me. Yet, despite that, I still can't back off."

Zero gave a slow smile, "So? Shall we then?"

Kai looked at Zero and understood immediately what he meant, "The stakes?"

""Whoever wins, gets the girl," Zero replied.

Kai shook his head.

"No," he answered resolutely, "She is not an item to be used in a bet. Anything else but that."

"So what is it that you're suggesting?" Zero asked.

He had made that statement to test him, and unfortunately, he passed. If he had agreed to the suggestion, Zero would have beat him to a pulp and tell Lianne what happened. Knowing her, she'd then cut herself off from Kai completely.

"If I win, then let me meet her," Kai said softly, "Just one date."

"I can allow you to meet her, but whether or not she agrees to the date, that's another matter entirely," Zero said.

"That's all I ask," Kai said. Like he had always said, he just wanted a chance. A chance for her to know him, and for him to be able to convince her that he wasn't fantasizing about her.

Well, okay, he was, but not in the manner in which she thought.

Kyle had pointed out that he didn't know her but Kai disagreed about that.

Yes, he didn't know everything about her but what he did know, was enough.

Enough for him to know that she was the one for him.

She was beautiful to him, and the thought of waking up to that face every morning made his heart palpitate.

She was decisive, and he admired how strong she was when making her moves and decision.

She was strong, both mentally and physically - she could handle Irene and himself,

She had integrity, for she would not even give him any time of day since she had a boyfriend - yet, she did not break her promise to him to help.

He could go on and on about her, and he would never be able to finish.

"Fine," Zero said, "But if I win, you are to disappear and never appear nor seek her out again."

Kai's eyes shone with determination and he answered, "I agree."

Kai's hands started shaking.

Not from fear, but from intense excitement at the possibility that he could actually meet his Angel again.

All he had to do, was beat the crap out of her boyfriend.