Hello Ulrich:
Sorry, after reading your post I am not understanding your issue clearly. The I2C data register (I2Cx_D) is a single byte with bits organized in the conventional order:

I attach a very simple sample project which I shared a while ago that communicates a KL25-Master to a KL25-Slave through I2C. The master simply issues a read command and then the slave sends 10 consecutive bytes. Maybe this project helps you as reference.
You could also download KSDK for KL25 and you will find I2C example projects:
Software Development Kit for Kinetis MCUs|NXP
Let me know if you have doubts or your issue persists.
Best regards,
Jorge Gonzalez
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