[Disclaimer]
Beyblade and all its likeness does not belong to me. No profits are being made off this story.
Friends
Part 1
That Night
Tyson blew out an exhausted breath. Night was rapidly approaching and everyone back at the dojo was probably groaning like hungry zombies by now.
They'd been out at the field late and missed dinner. Luckily, Gramps had offered the starving members of the beyblade team some hot cocoa to tide them over and Daichi had latched onto the old-timer, asking for more marshmallows. At least this was one Daichi-free moment he was totally appreciating.
The world champ's stomach grumbled.
Any other time they would have gone to Kenny's family ramen restaurant after practice, but that was at least half an hour away and it was closing time now. Tyson was sure they would all die or at least go to bed hungry until Ray had spotted Hiro coming in late as well. He had left his car in the rarely used driveway in front of the main house. The team voted Tyson use it to drive to the nearest convenient store and pick up something to eat.
It was getting cooler in the nights now that the summer was coming to a close but the car was stuffy. Tyson rolled down the window and his long hair blew pleasantly away from his face. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Kai looking at him and hastily begun whistling an annoying tune.
Kai snapped his eyes back to the road.
Of course, Tyson didn't have his license yet… And anyway, things were always that much more fun when he managed to pester Kai into chipping in. It was even better that it was just the two of them. The blue haired teen smiled to himself and switched from whistling to humming a nameless song as he watched the neighbourhood pass by.
They spotted the flickering yellow and pink lights of the convenient store's twenty four hour sign and Kai pulled into the almost empty parking lot.
Tyson didn't even wait for the car to come to a complete stop before he popped the door open and stepped out. Kai frowned and killed the ignition.
"Don't bother locking it!" Tyson grinned, already opening the store's glass and barred door. There were dozens of flyers posted all over it. Fortune Teller, Garage Sale, Cheap Fireworks…
Kai entered behind him with a cross look on his face. "It wouldn't matter much if I did since you left the window down." He said and was immediately out of sight, exploring one of the aisles littered with brightly coloured packages.
Tyson bee-lined for the refrigerated section and his ankles got a chill because he wasn't wearing socks. They'd just thrown on whatever to drive here. Kai wasn't even wearing his scarf! The pony-tailed teen began stacking microwavable dinners into his arms. He looked longingly at the ice cream bars in the adjacent shelves and shrugged. It wouldn't hurt to throw those in too.
He felt more than saw Kai hover behind him.
"What kind do you think Ray would want?" Tyson wondered out loud. "I guess I'll just get one of each… I don't think Max will care as long as you got the right brand of mustard!"
He sent a smile over his shoulder at Kai who looked bored and was holding the mentioned squirt bottle of mustard Max had explicitly demanded they buy. Tyson shook a bag of bread and a pack of salami at him. "You won't eat the instant dinners, right?"
Kai nodded and closed his eyes, his hand already in his pocket and pulling out the random bills and coins they'd pooled together to pay.
Tyson looked back down at his pile of frozen entrees and bit his lip.
"Hurry up." Kai's cool voice said.
He rushed to the counter and dumped the food in front of a pretty surly looking cashier who was chewing on something that sure didn't smell like double mint gum.
Tyson watched out of the corner of his eye as Kai took back the change and gathered up the two plastic bags. Somehow he felt strangely shy, tagging along behind the taller teen out to the car in this domestic act.
They were friends, but only just.
And that was the problem.
Because Tyson wanted, really wanted, to ask Kai a question which was probably (most definitely) out of bounds in the friends department.
It had all started the other night.
The Other Night
"Guys! Guys!" Kenny's voice rang through the crisp clear air of the dojo's courtyard. He was holding up a colourful poster.
Tyson rolled his eyes, mouthing the words "Ming Ming" to his opponent Ray, and loading his blade up again.
Lately, Tyson had been Beyblading every chance he got. The others were tired for the day, having trained with kids in the hot sun out by the river. They were doing that every day of the summer and it had been a long few weeks. They had capped the night off with steaming bowls of delicious ramen served up at Kenny's family restaurant. Walking back to Tyson's dojo helped the work off the lethargic warmth and fullness, just in time to Beyblade again.
Tyson had an itch, an unresolved tension in his ripcord hand every time he picked up his blade. Ray had indulged him for a while but the night was coming to a close and the mosquitoes were buzzing around, threatening to bite if they stayed out to play much longer.
It was nostalgic. Like every year before that Tyson could ever remember; staying out late until the stars came out in his courtyard; feeling the sticky sweat of the summer day evaporate off his sun kissed skin and slightly burn with the cool air; looking over his shoulder and seeing the smiling faces of his friends there.
It was a good feeling.
But the itch was still there. That strange itch, one he couldn't make disappear no matter how much he scratched. Maybe something had bitten him, but he didn't know what it could be.
He slapped at a mosquito on his arm.
"Hey guys, listen up!" Max gestured to the frantic Chief with a knowing smile.
"Hrrghh…" Tyson groaned. "I'm not going to another Ming Ming concert!" He kicked the dirt and Kai came into view behind him. Who knows where he'd been lounging before?
Ray wisely took the poster and read it. "Woah…" Tyson started to smile to himself for being right.
The Chinese blader grinned, "This looks great!"
He always knew Ray was the gullible type.
Tyson pretended he wasn't interested but perked up a bit, staring at his teammates' backs crowding around the poster.
Max and Kenny laughed and gave each other pleased looks.
The blond grinned. "My mom thought of it. I think it'll be a great night!"
"And an amazing way to promote the sport of Beyblade to a whole untouched demographic!" Kenny had a tinge of pink on his cheeks and an impish smile.
Ray chuckled. "Untouched. Sure Chief, that's why you're on cloud nine right now."
Tyson pushed his way between Ray and Kai and snatched up the paper. "What!" He said dumbly.
"Can't you read?" Kai intoned and everyone snickered.
Max took the poster, rolled it up, and bopped Tyson on his baseball capped head with a smile.
"Girl's Night in Beyblade," He recited the title of the event in his special announcer voice. The one that was a very bad impression of A.J. Topper when everyone knew Max could do a better Brad Best.
Kenny took his cue to explain. "The board of the BBA has been doing a lot of research, surveys and statistics since they've been out of commission with the rebuilding of the main stadium and headquarters."
Ray looked solemn. "Yeah, without a place to Beyblade the BBA can't do much, can they?"
"Crunching numbers is pretty much all they've got right now." Kenny agreed.
Max snapped his fingers. "That's where my mom and the All Stars come in!"
"Oh yeaah…" Tyson said, his eyes rolling up as he thought. "Judy and Emily knew every blader's stats inside out. Even better than you, Chief!"
Kenny bristled at that but continued. "We all know there aren't many female bladers out there and after doing the research finally the BBA has recognized this."
Max was elbowing Kenny in the side while he said this but the Chief paid him no mind, a blush on his cheeks. "The fact Ming Ming is the most popular female blader around is just a coincidence."
"Well it sure explains why her picture is plastered all over the advertisement." Ray said with a slight frown on his face.
"Whoever goes with her is a lucky, lucky man, whose computer I will hack…" Kenny muttered and stupid silent Kai quirked an eyebrow.
Max laughed. "Yeah, well in the end it's just a big charity event that we're invited to since we're on professional league teams. Our team sponsors have paid for the tickets. All we've got to do is invite dates."
Tyson considered not gagging an achievement. He simply deserved a trophy. He turned the idea around in his head and imagined himself sitting at the party with the new trophy as his date.
"There are only a handful of female bladers in the circuit." Kai said sharply.
"Yeah!" Tyson chimed in, glad to finally agree with something.
Tyson then eyed the dual-haired teen in sudden was only ONE trophy to date around here, and it was his.
"That's silly," Max said with a good-natured chuckle. "They don't have to be bladers. We're supposed to be introducing girls to the sport."
High spots of colour spread on Kai's cheeks like blush from a soft make-up brush. Tyson smiled dopily at it, not caring about the glare he received.
"Ah," Ray nodded. "That way it won't end up being Girl's Night with ninety percent men in attendance."
Geeze. What non-beyblader girls DID he know?
His thoughts came to a grinding halt.
Hilary.
Tyson was thanking the great Bitbeasts in the sky that no one in their right mind would date HER. Hilary was definitely no blader but she acted as if she was one when they all hung out. And she'd never shut up about how annoying Ming Ming was if she was at the party!
Didn't Max say he would teach her to Beyblade one day? He shuddered. She would be a force to be reckoned with if that ever happened.
As if he could read minds, Max looked over to him and gave him an embarrassed smile. "Hey, hope you don't mind Tyson. I asked Hilary."
The ponytailed teen stared blankly back. Oh god… the Bitbeasts never listened to him. He made a terrible face.
Kenny, Ray and Max all exchanged worried looks.
Kai was as impassive as ever. His dark eyes darted to the side, staring at some unknown enemy. "So there's no actual Beyblading at this thing?"
Ray smirked and patted Kai on the back. "Nope. Looks like you'll have to cut loose and have a night of fun like the rest of us."
****
It was getting close to bed time.
They packed up and trekked into the dojo for the night after that. The boys went about their business, getting ready for bed or just relaxing after the hard day of training. Hiro had been gone for a few days now, to who knew where. He was due back sometime soon though. He'd promised Tyson a surprise.
The mosquitoes buzzed around outside the tall windows lining one of the sitting rooms in the dojo. Tyson sipped at his hot chocolate, legs bumping under the low table with Ray and Max. Kai was haunting another room in the house that they didn't know, lost in the dark like every night.
Max smiled, flipping through one of his American sports magazines. Kenny had gone home, taking his Girl's Night poster with him. But the conversation was still sticking even now.
"Hilary seems pretty cool about the dinner." The blond explained.
Ray nodded, sighing deeply around his own hot chocolate mug. He smiled, warmed from the drink. "The event is a good idea... How long has Hilary been saying she'd pick up a beyblade herself but never got around to it?" His golden eyes looked up in thought. "How long has it been just a thought for lots of girls?"
The blond seemed deeply touched by that question and Tyson just had to snort.
"Something funny there, old Champ?" Max said with a good natured yet wary look his face. It was the same expression they all got when Tyson was obviously going to rip into someone.
"Girls love to put on stupid dresses and makeup and all that junk." The pony-tailed beyblader wisely spoke unwisely, so it looked like he didn't have first hand experience with the stuff.
"If Judy wanted girls to blade then maybe she should've made a beyblade series that come with bracelets instead of bit beasts!" He snickered madly to himself.
Ray frowned. "C'mon Tyson, you know that's not true."
"Dude, there isn't even any actual blading at this thing!" He finished off his mug, chocolaty foam on the side of his mouth.
Ray rolled his eyes in reply and changed the topic. "I think Kenny has already begun scheming a way to get a seat near Ming Ming."
"She's one of the biggest female players out there, so she gets to say a few words." Max filled in.
"Hilary will be pissed." Tyson laughed and then looked green at the thought of having to sit near her AND Kenny discussing the pop star.
The blond looked a bit uneasy. "You sure you're okay that I asked Hilary?"
Tyson blinked stupidly.
"You know I'd never step on anyone's toes…" Max trailed off looking out of the corner of his eye at Ray as Tyson started to laugh hysterically. His teeth were brown from the hot chocolate.
"SURE!" He wiped a tear from his eye. "You can smash my FEET before I go to a dance with THAT girl."
Max seemed shocked and fiddled nervously with his magazine.
"So name one girl you actually like!" Ray wheedled Tyson with a cute smirk and kicked Max playfully under the table. The weirdly moody blond's lips quirked up in a silent thanks.
"Uhhhh…" Tyson floundered, feeling as if he's just stepped off into some deep water. He bobbed around for an answer, but mostly his mind was blank.
He blinked.
And then blinked again.
"Don't tell me you're shy." Ray laughed this time and Max, too, was looking on in anticipation. It wasn't every day their awesome world champion was stumped and did impressions of goldfish.
Ok, well maybe it happened every day. But not the goldfish part. He preferred the phrase 'deer in headlights.' Deer had antlers, and were… manly. Or something. At least they didn't have to thread in dangerous waters.
Tyson took a deep breath of air and plunged ahead in the most blockheaded way he knew how.
"Well SURE I like GIRLS, but—"
"You like girls' butts?!" A voice screeched.
Only one person could make Tyson's brain buzz like that. "DAICHI!!"
"TYSON!!" Daichi yelled back from the doorway, practically bringing down the house. Hiro appeared beside him with an indulgent smile.
"Hey lil' bro. Surprise!"
Tyson's brain electrocuted itself. "HIRO!"
"TYSON!" Everyone shouted.
The pony-tailed teen couldn't help but laugh but it turned into a groan when the annoying little redhead practically bum rushed him into the ground.
"Y'know, when you said 'surprise' I was thinking maybe a new beydish, or I don't know!? A dinosaur bone! Not THIS specimen..!" Max was dutifully peeling Daichi off the world champ as he complained.
Hiro shrugged, his back already turned. "Oh well. Night!"
"Sooo…" Daichi bobbed around. "Talking about girls, huh Tyson?"
Ray cocked his head. "He was just about to tell us who he'd like to take to the Girl's Night event."
The Gaia Dragoon blader's eyes started to shine with rude jeers no-doubt.
Tyson's foot met Daichi's thick head, putting a stop to that nonsense. "Shut up Daichi! Go away. It's past your bedtime ya know!"
"Whatever! I got my invitation for that party a long time ago." Daichi laughed under the champ's foot proudly. "I've already got MY date!"
Max and Ray both looked impressed. The blond asked, "Seriously?" as Ray said "Way to go!" at the same time.
"Grrrrr!!!"
Tyson could barely hear over the buzzing in his head, which seemed louder than before. Oh, wait. Never mind. That grinding growling sound was coming from him.
"Naaaaaaahhhah!" Daichi snickered. "Better get a date soon before all the GOOD ones are gone!" With that glowing advice, the kid stole the rest of Ray's hot chocolate, Max's magazine and darted up the stairs towards Tyson's bedroom. They heard the door slam closed so his sleep would not be disturbed.
"Little gremlin…" Tyson muttered evilly under his breath. He immediately grabbed up all of the empty mugs on the table and took them into the kitchen. Sure it was a little cowardly to run away and start doing housework instead of answer his friends, but he wasn't even sure he had an answer.
Max was going with Hilary. Fine by him, he wouldn't be able to stand a whole night sitting next to her. She'd probably put her hair in stupid pigtails and try to pretend they looked cute instead of like snakes coming out of her big Medusa head. And was there going to be–don't even think about it—dancing? She probably had two left feet!
Ray would most likely hook up with Mariah, even if she was already a blader. As usual. Nothing new or exciting there. It wasn't like he wanted a go with that crazy pink-haired girl. Her… boobs were too big. They'd get in the way. He really didn't know how Ray could deal with it.
Kenny was hung up on Ming Ming. Like that would ever happen.
And Kai?
He pulled on the tap, making the water run fast and furiously over the dishes in the sink. The hair on the back of his neck prickled as he sensed Max and Ray walk past the kitchen door hesitantly, but he relaxed once again when they disappeared down the hall toward the dojo.
Tyson's skin had no time to register goosebumps when Kai appeared by his side, slipping a used mug under the rushing water. Kai's eyes were dim and the colour indistinguishable in the low yellow kitchen light. Tyson could see the dark shadows under them and his mouth opened and shut slowly, like a goldfish.
Kai's long silver bangs slid into his face like thick daggers. "Good practice today." The words would have made his ears blink if ears could do such a thing. "Don't stay up too late, Tyson." His voice was low but clear. It was always a phenomenon, considering the guy was more silent than a ghost when they weren't Beyblading.
The stupid ghost gave Tyson a half smile. His eyebrows were narrowed low, to figure out what the other half meant was a challenge.
Tyson always answered challenges.
The ponytailed teen shut the tap off and silence bounced off the walls like it was spring-loaded.
Tyson only found his voice by the time Kai was already out of the small kitchen. He swiped his sudsy hands on the back of his jeans and called out, "Kai!"
Kai was no where to be seen.
Tyson swallowed and scratched his left elbow. For some reason he was itchy. He looked down and there was a red, swelling mosquito bite under his fingernails.
That Night
The plastic grocery bags rustled in the backseat of Hiro's car. Maybe the air conditioner was catching the crinkly material from an open vent in the back. Then again, it was totally possible he'd cranked the artificial air a little too high.
It was warm in here.
Tyson couldn't help but pull at his collar again, trying to alleviate the sudden burning itch he had. Actually, it wasn't so much of an itch as he'd thought. It was a prickling. Thousands of pinpricks of heat ran across his skin in a marathon of stress. Tyson could feel his heartbeat in his head and in his hands.
He squirmed.
Kai turned the corner onto his street.
This would be the only time.
He had to ask it… Ask Kai…
The question that was out of bounds. He couldn't explain it any other way at the moment. He had no grander plans, no fantasies, or dreams of the future and what it would be like if he and Kai were married or anything ridiculous as that. He wasn't a girl.
But all the same…
He was excited.
Tyson felt a grin claw up his cheeks and he bit down on his lip to squelch it. The grin was no prisoner though, and ripped through Tyson's defences, breaking out on his face like a bad case of hives. It spread out, wild, and Tyson bit down again before it spread again.
This was the best idea he'd ever had. He and Kai were the best of friends. They were the best of rivals too. It would make sense to have fun together all the time, especially at the function. They could go together. They wouldn't have to go through pretences. There'd be no more pretence, not after this.
The trophy in his mind vanished and all that was left was Kai. He'd never seen anything better.
Kai pulled into the long gravel driveway of the dojo and let out a sigh. He killed the ignition and Tyson put his hand on Kai's arm.
"Let's go to the banquet together." The world champion said in a rushed excited breath.
Kai stared almost fuzzily, like he was not quite aware. Tyson twisted around so they were face to face, and he blocked the older boy's view of the windshield.
"It'll be great!" Tyson's mouth was shape shifting, never finding exactly the right smile to settle on.
"What?" Kai leaned back.
"I…I…" Tyson was breathing a little faster now, his palms getting sweaty. He swiped them across the tops of his thighs over his faded jeans.
"That banquet is for girls. We're supposed to bring girls – dates." Kai explained slowly, staring straight into Tyson's eyes.
That didn't deter the world champion. "Yeah but," his words slowed down and he got this bizarre look in his eyes. He was suddenly closer than before, capturing Kai's eyes with his own.
"I.. I think I could… for you…" The pony-tailed teen's fingertips were barely brushing the button up hem of Kai's jacket. "I could…"
Kai stared, a barely there frown beginning to grow across his face.
"We don't have to pretend," Tyson said in a hushed almost secretive tone through a smile. "Both of us don't want to take anyone else, right?"
When the dual-haired teen didn't answer, Tyson pressed on. "Kai…"
"What are you asking for, Tyson?" Kai said, his words surprising both of them. His voice was coloured dark and rough, like a crayon that was rich and full until it broke off in your hands.
Cornered, Tyson's eyes darted about, never hitting the target full on. "You." He whispered as if he thought the answer was wrong but it was still his only answer.
His eyes met Kai's and there was something wild and challenged in them.
Tyson's blood rushed to his mouth, making his lips buzz, and pulled him forward.
Kai turned his head at the last second and Tyson caught the super soft skin right by the corner of his mouth.
"Don't. I—" Kai's voice was a whisper and then got a shade darker. "I'm not…"
Tyson didn't hear it, his lips quivering at the heat between their mouths. Tyson let out a small groan and kissed Kai again. His heart was like a little bird in his chest, fluttering violently against his ribcage, wanting to sing.
Kai took him by the shoulders and pulled him away gently. Their little puffs of breath took form in the night air and the rear view mirror had fogged up.
"Tyson," Kai's face held no expression.
His heart thumped loudly in his chest and reverberated in the palm of his hand still clutching at Kai's jacket.
A sinking feeling started in the pit of his stomach. Kai was shaking his head 'No' almost imperceptive. Tyson dropped his hands away and Kai sat there staring out the car window like he stared out of every window, looking for something no one else could see. The older teen flicked the door handle and got out of the car.
Whatever rejection Tyson had been expecting, (and he definitely hadn't thought about rejection) he'd never expected this.
This quiet dismissal was a mature thing that Tyson didn't know how to handle; like it was something only adults could touch without smashing it to pieces. He didn't know what to do with what he now possessed. This respectful rejection. This… This piece of shit moment overlapped with the excitement and thrill and love for Kai's kiss still strumming through him.
Suddenly his ankles were freezing.
He got out of the car. The stars were out by now and the moon was a sliver barely visible behind some clouds. Tyson randomly hummed to himself, or maybe for both of them, to cover up the awkwardness. He stared at Kai's stiff back as the older teen cut across the large section of landscaping from the house to the dojo.
Kai's hair always looked really blue in this type of light, and for a moment Tyson imagined that was himself stalking away alone. The image turned into an inconceivable wish that he could be Kai for that second, so he could just… just…
Just be friends.
They could only ever be friends.
Kai disappeared into the darkened doorway of the dojo. At least he hadn't up and left entirely. Tyson should have been okay with that. No, he would be okay with that.
He took a deep breath and bit his lip.
The real question had always been impossible to ask. Because how could you ever make Kai fall in love with you? The answer, of course, was easy.
You don't.
End Part 1