So, I originally was going to write a TyHil, but it turned into a MaxMariam with hints of TyHil instead. I'll need to work on controlling my incessant need to write MaxMariam, but while I do that, you can do me a favor and check this out.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade.

Enjoy!

Perfect Match

"You have such a big head, Tyson!" Hilary shrieked at the World Champion. "Sometimes I wonder why everyone still puts up with you!"

"They're at it again," Max whispered to Mariam as Hilary's words floated out from inside the dojo. He glanced down at the Saint Shield lying in his arms as they cuddled on the back porch. They'd taken to spending a lot of time at Tyson's place, because Judy tended to hang around at Max's house and whenever Mariam got within a foot of Max she'd intervene in an extremely annoying and embarrassing fashion. Anywhere else was too public to just lap up each other's presence without getting a band of overeager paparazzi after them. The dojo with its thick outer wall, beautiful garden, and serene aura was the perfect place. Except when Hilary and Tyson went at it.

Mariam looked up at him and smiled. "That's the fourth time just this evening." She gave a small giggle and nuzzled her face into Max's shoulder, causing the younger boy to shiver and blush slightly, which had been her intended reaction all along. She sat in thought for a moment, breathing in time with Max. Then she spoke. "I wonder when they'll just stop with the arguing and admit they're perfect for each other."

"What do you mean?" Max asked, fiddling with the ends of Mariam's long blue hair.

"Oh, come on, Max. You can't honestly tell me you haven't realized how in love they are." She sat up and gave Max a look of disbelief.

Max slid back to lean against one of the posts that held the Kinomiya's porch up in order to be more comfortable during what could be another long conversation with his girlfriend about a topic he'd never considered. "I've never really thought about it, I guess. I suppose they would make a cute couple."

Mariam crawled back into her boyfriend's lap and looked him in the eyes. "You're really dense sometimes, Maxie. I love you, but it's true. Haven't you seen how they look at each other when they think no one else is looking?"

Max shook his head confusedly.

"Geez, Max. Our relationship must have been more me than I thought it was. Don't you see how they look at one another?"

Max sighed. "I think we've established that I haven't. Could you please enlighten me?"

She rolled her eyes at his obliviousness. "Maxie, when they look at each other, love is written all over their faces," Mariam stated like it was the most apparent thing in the whole world. Max, on the other hand, had little to no idea what she was talking about.

"Go on," he urged, still unable to grasp the concept of what Mariam was driving at.

"Well, when she looks at Tyson, you can see the pure love in her eyes. She looks at him with a dreamy gaze and sighs, wondering if she'll ever know if he feels the same. She wonders how he could ever feel the same – they spend so much time arguing that's it's unlikely they'll ever amount to anything. And they're total opposites, how could two people who were so different have enough in common to base a relationship on? It's all one big puzzle that she'd pay anything to know the solution to, if it results in his arms holding her in a loving embrace." She paused for a breath, and asked him once again, "Can't you see it?"

"And when Tyson looks at her?" Max coaxed, ignoring her question, knowing that his own was probably enough to convince Mariam that he was still in the dark. Also, he was allowing himself to be entertained by her more feminine half. She didn't show this side of her very often, and it was interesting to hear that she knew what went on inside someone else's head, or could at least guess. When she discussed the romance between Hilary and Tyson, she spoke as if she knew for certain that what she was saying was true. It was like it had happened to her before, like she knew from personal experience.

"I'm sorry to say I'm not as much of an expert in guy psychology as I am in the female department." Max nodded knowingly and Mariam studied him for a minute, before proposing, "Why don't you try to describe what he feels. I know you can't be as blind to their utter infatuation with each other as you claim to be."

Max took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair, causing it to hop up again in totally different directions. He thought for a minute, and decided that he could at least give it a go. "I, well, I think when Tyson looks at Hilary, it's more of a look of confusion. Maybe he's not completely sure that what he's feeling is love, or maybe he hasn't even come to think of it as love yet. But he knows he feels something, no matter how unsure of it he is. He's just not used to sharing his emotions and putting himself so out in the open. He doesn't want to let her read him like an open book, in fear that she'll slam it shut in disgust, but he doesn't want to keep what he feels bottled up, because how far would that get him?"

When he was finished explaining Tyson's inner turmoil, he stared right down into Mariam's eyes. She seemed to be contemplating something. It was like she was trying to figure out where Max stood at that exact moment. He knew that she knew the hidden meaning behind his words, and that she was trying to think of a safe way to approach him about it.

"Wow," Mariam whispered, after their momentary silence. She was seeing Max in an entirely different light that evening. Their relationship was also getting a once over. "Is that…" She hesitated. The last thing she needed was to scare him away, but they were far enough into their relationship for her to hazard the risk. "Is that how you felt about me?"

"Maybe," he mumbled, looking away and studying some stray pieces of grass that were popping up through the cracks in the deck. "And what you said…?"

"I…mmhmm," she squeaked out, looking at his freckled cheek, both anxious and excited.

"Wow," he breathed out, turning back to face her. "Your eyes – um…"

"Yes?" Mariam didn't know why everything was suddenly so awkward, but it wasn't their traditional awkwardness, because that had died away long ago. It was a comfortable awkwardness, for lack of a better explanation. An awkwardness that wasn't as much awkward, as it was tender. It wasn't unsettling like the usual brand. But, yet, in a way it almost was. It was as if they both had something on the tip of their tongue and couldn't come around to forming the words, but they were enjoying it.

"They look lovely in the moonlight," Max blurted out, transfixed by Mariam's eyes as they examined his own.

Mariam gave a little smile. "Yours, too."

And just like that their lips connected. A sweet, loving kiss shared over tons of emotions. Mariam gently wrung her hands into Max's hair as her lips moved against his and Max wrapped his arms around Mariam's waist as he let her lead his lips in their passionate embrace. The slamming of the back door broke their trance and they split apart unwillingly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Hilary apologized sheepishly. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Mariam waved the whole thing off genially. "Any girl who can slam a sliding door can interrupt me as much as she wants." She got up off of Max's lap and offered him a hand to help him up. Once they were both standing, she smiled, wished him and Hilary goodnight, and took her leave, winking at the blond on her way out.

"I'm sorry, Max," Hilary apologized again once Mariam was out of earshot. "I totally forgot you two were back here, or else I wouldn't have even come out. I'm always getting on the others for bugging you and here I go butting in on possibly the most romantic moment-"

"It's really okay, Hil. Don't worry about it." Max grinned and clasped her shoulder briefly. He was just about to head inside for the night when he remembered Mariam's wink. He paused, thoughtfully, in front of the door and turned back around. "Hilary?"

"Yeah?" The brunette looked back at Max and did her best to appear as if everything was okay and her fight with Tyson hadn't bothered her in the slightest.

"You should tell him how you feel. I think you'll find that he feels the same way."

Hilary looked dumbfounded. She stood speechless, her mouth opening and closing as she constantly thought of words and discarded them for others. As funny as it was to see Hilary speechless for the first time in her life, Max knew he couldn't let her go on like this.

"Just tell him, Hil." He smiled reassuringly and retreated indoors. He collected his jacket and was walking back to the training room to say goodbye to Tyson and Ray, when he met the latter in the hallway by the sliding door. Max followed Ray's gaze out to the back porch and chuckled.

"About time, huh?" Ray asked, glancing at Max before spying once again on Tyson and Hilary.

The pair was wrapped up in each other's arms with their lips locked together tightly. Both looked as if they hadn't expected the kiss to happen, but were glad it had. They were thoroughly enjoying themselves by the looks of it.

"Yeah," Max agreed, knowing that he would have one heck of a story to tell to Mariam the next day. As much as he tried to think of something clever to say, the only thing he could manage was: "Mission accomplished."

Ray raised an eyebrow at Max, who shrugged.

A/N: So, yeah. TyHil can even be credited to Max and Mariam, apparently. I have one crazy mind. And Kai's not there, because he's never there. Honestly, he spends most of his time out feeding cats and chewing grass than he does with the rest of his team.

Review?