MS: Couldn't help myself. Seeing all the exotic pairings with Mariam on this site has made me want to revisit my old niche; writing back-alley lemons. LOL. This time I think I'll give the ol' two-on-one a try ;) I hope you guys enjoy it! It'll be a two-shot I do believe. I'd also like to remind people (for those of you who visited 'Putting it Together') about the roleplaying notice I have on my profile and in one of the chapters. I'd love to find a new partner who could roleplay the Beyblade fandom with me. Again, no webcams or real-life interaction involved; it's all done through messaging on Skype. I have a few story ideas I'd love to try out, and if anyone is interested in this please send me a PM!

One last thing; go check out the poll on my profile guys! I need some opinions. Now read on, and please review!

"This whole spying thing of yours is getting a bit old."

Mariam paused midstep. That cold, calculating voice belonged to one person only.

Kai Hiwatari of the BladeBreakers... Protector of the legendary phoenix of fire. Renowned Tyson-hater, andddddd prick extraordinaire. She'd thought she'd gone unnoticed; her feet were extra quiet. She stayed extra-far away... But apparently she'd failed.

Mariam drew in a deep breath and turned to face him.

"I just wanted one more look. Just to make sure that we didn't make a mistake."

Kai's face hardened at the thought. Only days before this cocksucking team had challenged them to a match with stakes that the BladeBreakers hadn't been prepared to bet. In fact, they had been robbed of one bitbeast.

Now, Kai was no sentimental man; quite the opposite. But something about the way Ray's heart had broken after the Saint Shields took Driger had made him feel like more of a team player than anything had in a long, long time. Hell... Maybe since his team pulled him off that freezing ice pan in Siberia.

His fists clenched at his sides.

The BladeBreakers may have only been together for about a year, but he supposed that was enough time to begin to actually care for his teammates. Kenny was a know-it-all, and his voice was grating. Tyson was- ...Tyson was Tyson. Max was absolutely juvenile, and Ray... Kai could give or take Ray Kon. At least, that's what he'd thought. Then the Saint Shields stole Driger from him and the look of loss on Ray's face was enough to send Kai into a downward spiral of madness. He could remember the desire to burn right through Dunga, sear through all of them like the flames that had engulfed the rollercoaster that day. Anything to get the white tiger back to its rightful owner. Anything to protect Dranzer. And Dragoon, and Draciel. All of them had felt it. Tyson maybe wasn't as close to Ray as he was to Max; but together they were a team. A team that had won, fought, lost and learned together to make themselves the best beybladers in the world. Max saw Ray like a big brother. He'd ask the Chinese blader everything that he and Tyson didn't know, Kenny was too shy to answer, orrr they just plain didn't want to take a chance on asking Kai himself. And Ray always answered.

Ray was a part of their team. And, as much as Kai hated to admit it... He was family.

So naturally, Kai didn't appreciate finding yet another rat in his backyard after the BladeBreakers had done exterminating.

"You didn't 'make a mistake.' Now leave."

That infernal female just rolled her eyes at him.

"I was trying to. Go home, Kai."

The Russian crossed his arms, gaze unyielding. Mariam rolled her eyes yet again, and began to walk a few paces away. She could understand his hate; jesus, she understood Ray's. Her entire team had. But... they were given a mission. And they had just cause to believe that Dragoon, Draciel, Dranzer and Driger posed a threat to society. Stories about their destructive power had been passed down from generation to generation in Mariam's clan for centuries.

The battle was waged and... the BladeBreakers won. Mariam would be a liar if she said that she expected that outcome, but at the end of the day the battle had been hard fought and sorely lost. Tyson, Kai, Max and Ray would keep the legendary beasts of water, wood, fire and earth.

"Don't let me catch you around here again. I won't spare your beyblade like Max did. Not after the trouble you caused."

Now that remark stopped Mariam in her tracks and she swung the whole of her body around. Scoffing loudly, the words just sort of slipped out before she could help herself. Never one to back down from a threat, she said: "You don't frighten me, asshole. What are you going to do? Glare at me until I burst into flame?"

Using Max against her was a low blow. By now it was obvious that the blonde and the blunette had carried on a brief flirtation. Something that Mariam would admit to herself, late at night when she slept alone, that she would've liked to see go farther. Something about that kid... Fuck. Shaking her head, Mari buried her feelings toward Max Tate and laughed humorlessly. "You're pathetic, Kai."

Again Mariam turned around to head back. By now she was sure Ozuma, Joseph and Dunga would be wondering where she was. With the flight booked for early the next morning, Mariam closed her eyes and tried to enjoy her last night of freedom. Japan had been an amazing opportunity; mission accomplished or not. But she was no fool, and she'd been dreading the day she had to go back to where she came from.

Tonight, this final excursion to the Granger dojo had been the last luxury Mariam decided to allow herself. She'd wanted to see Max one last time. Maybe leave some childish hopes of a life away from her home island at rest. Running into Kai had... Not been on the schedule.

He moved so fast that she almost screamed; almost.

Kai grabbed her arms hard enough to bruise and shoved Mariam against the unyielding side of the brick alleyway wall. She felt the backs of her arms scratch and tear; felt the hard press of her ponytail being pushed into her skull. He was so close... Closer than she'd ever been to him. The startle had risen goosebumps on her flesh, caused her heart to pound and swallowing roughly, she raised her green eyes to Kai's own. Mariam wasn't naive; she was at least a foot and a half shorter than the BladeBreaker captain, and with a lot less muscles. But that didn't mean her bark couldn't best his.

"I didn't much take you for a woman-beater Hiwatari."

Kai grit his teeth so hard Mariam could've sworn she heard his jaw click. When he lifted a hand Mariam couldn't help it. She closed her eyes...

And braced herself for the hard impact of Kai's fist.

...Only, the hit never came.

Instead Kai's hand closed around Mariam's jaw and left cheek. He brought their faces close; again so close, it made her shiver. Maybe made something wet down below that she would've never admitted to. Whatever Kai had in mind, this intimidation tactic... He won. It was working. Mariam was wedged against the wall so tightly that she could barely move, and suddenly screaming for help and running home to Ozuma sounded pretty damn appealing. Her eyes were squeezed shut so tightly that it almost hurt. Waiting, still waiting...

"Look at me."

A second passed; it took that long for her to register what Kai had actually said. Reluctantly, Mariam opened her green eyes and stared up at him.

He almost smirked. She was breathing so heavily that her clothed breasts pressed against his chest with every inhale, and her eyes were so riveted on him that he almost felt-... He did, feel it.

Power. Kai felt powerful. And he wondered if she could feel the second something, pressing between her hips.

"You should be a little more careful about how you talk to people Mariam. Maybe a little more respectful of their privacy. I'm not a woman-beater." Kai's lips formed a thin line at the pause between his sentences. "It takes a low, low son of a bitch to hit a girl. And I'll gladly beat the shit out of anyone who ever dares to try."

Mariam's eyes narrowed a little in confusion. As the seconds wore on and Kai continued to speak, it got a little easier to breathe; a little easier to accept the fact that he probably wasn't going to beat her, dismember her body and send it back to her brother in parts. But the closeness... Now that hadn't changed.

Mariam wriggled against him, tried to turn her head and felt Kai apply resistance.

"Kai we leave tomorrow... I won't be around again. Now get your hands off me and let me go back."

The dual-haired man raised an eyebrow.

"No."

The female blader's eyes narrowed again. "What...?"

Kai pressed himself even closer to the Saint Shield female. And now Mariam could feel the definite hardness pressing against her hips. This was... Mari couldn't produce a deduction. She had no idea what to expect; and that made her uneasy. Kai, had made his point.

What more did he want from her...?

"You know now as well as I do that our bitbeasts are in good hands. Driger belongs with Ray, Draciel is safe with Max, and despite the fact that Tyson has absolutely no fucking brains, Dragoon is at home with him." He tightened his grip on her chin. "And Dranzer is staying with me." Mariam stared brazenly back at him. Hm... Kai had to admire her spunk.

Now at the same time Kai had noticed that, since hitting puberty, all women seemed to be the same. They all have their own little secrets... Little secrets that, as it turns out, often belie their true intentions. And he had no reason to believe Mariam was any different.

It didn't matter where she came from; but he was going to find out why she kept coming.

"I think you should tell me why you keep sniffing around. Just you... Not Ozuma. Not your brother, not Dunga. Just you Mariam. So how's about you let me know the truth."

Kai would've had to be blind to miss the shooting stretch of pink across her cheeks. Mmhmm... He did smirk this time.

Mystery solved.

"So it's true then."

"What's true?!" She pushed out against him suddenly, but her shape was miniscule in comparison to his own and Kai barely jarred against her shove.

"You're wet for Max."

Mariam's eyes opened wide, and her jaw nearly hit the floor.

"I... What the hell did you just say?!"

Kai resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Again with the denying, again with the lying and fuckin' again with the consistent feminine need to hide and/or disguise every embarassing feeling relating to emotions. Odd creatures, women; they yap at men every damn day to talk about their feelings but when they're confronted with the simple notion of liking to fuck they shut up like prison gates on his Grandfather.

"You heard me. Don't bother denying it. That was your bandana on his arm that day, and you're the reason the little bastard won't stop jacking off before he goes to sleep." He closed his eyes and shook his head, that shit-eating grin still in place. By now, Mariam wanted to rip it from his features. "I wonder if you're the same... You certainly like to stare at him when you think Max isn't looking."

Mariam wondered if she looked as pale as she felt. Christ, how did that smug asshole figure it out?! She'd managed to keep her infatuation for Max a secret even from Joseph... So how the hell did Kai know...? She sucked in a deep breath. He just kept watching her, watching her flounder for something to say. Something to do, even though she was so tight to his dick and the wall that she could barely lift her arms to give him another push.

Mariam bit down on her lower lip. If he wanted to play games... Maybe she could play with him.

"If you don't want me to deny it, I won't." Mariam steeled her features, and looked the Russian right in the eyes again. "Slim pickings back home... And there's nothing wrong with going home with a little story to tell." She made herself smile, a cunning little thing.

Kai raised an eyebrow. His reaction... Wasn't what she expected.

"So you come to Japan with a side-task of screwing over some innocent guy who no doubt will spend way more time thinking about you and your pussy than you'll spend thinking about him at all; and... The beyblading champion you pick for that is Max Tate?"

The arrogant son of a bitch. Kai tossed his head backward and laughed.

"Sweetheart, you clearly have no concept of men."

Mariam was ready to say anything just to get away now. She was tired of being mocked, and she supposed she officially knew how a butterfly in a display case felt. Because Kai seemed to be taking her in... every inch of her. From the inside, to the out. And as she felt him press that length between her legs again, she supposed he was enjoying himself.

Of course, she couldn't hang her head and keep her mouth shut. Not Mariam. The sixteen year old barked out an exaggerated laugh.

"What, are you actually trying to say that you could do better? That you could be better? Way to be a team player there Kai. I wonder what Max would think if he found out you were putting down his dick size."

Kai didn't find it very funny.

"It has nothing to do with size."

He released her chin only to grab the arm he'd let go of before. This time Kai spun Mariam around so fast that she nearly face-planted right into the concrete. In doing so she scratched her cheek and hissed as he pressed her there so tightly for a moment that it was hard to breathe. Hard to focus, on anything other than the fact that Kai's cock was poking her in the ass and his hot breath was tickling at her ear. He smelled good... Something cold. Made her think of winter.

"What the fuck are you doing Hiwatari?! I said let. go!"

Kai didn't laugh. This time it was a low rumble, a chuckle that sent shivers up her spine.

"I can show you, you know. Send you home the right way. Poor, sweet little Maxie never has to know I found you. Besides; I think you owe me for the shit you put us through."

Mariam blinked her green eyes. "I... Are you-... Don't objectify me!"

Kai bit down on her ear and she nearly moaned. Yeah; excellent defense there sister.

"If you're not the least bit curious; if you're not the smallest bit interested, in what I can offer you, then..." Now Kai threw abandon to the wind. Holding her wrists behind her back with one hand, he slipped the other down over her ass and back up in under her skirt. Her thighs were parted where she met with the alley wall; and her panties were, as he suspected, damp. Mariam went stiff as a board. He continued. "...Then I'll stop what I'm doing and you can go back to wherever it is that you're from tomorrow. Aching... And knowing you could've been with someone who would fuck you right. Because believe me when I say, Tate never could."

Mariam stammered. She had to try to think with his goddamn hand up her skirt, rubbing where it felt just a little too good. Maybe this was why Kai was the captain... He could make a damn persuasive arguement.

Kai waited; nudged her panties aside to run his fingertips over her bare flesh. Hairless, soft as satin and twice as drenched as when he started. Yeah... He could show her a thing or two about the real reason she spent hours watching them. He'd make her regret everytime she gave her attention to Max. But most of all, Kai knew what interested him in her was taking her down a notch. Mariam of the Saint Shields wasn't some sweet girly little blader like Frankie, and she wasn't a die-hard romance case like Mariah either.

The idea of reminding her that she could get as good as she gave-

A noise at the mouth of the alley caused both heads to whip toward the lighter side of the street.

"I can't say this is what I expected to find on my walk."

Ray crossed his arms and stared at his captain and his enemy. Then... He grinned, and Mariam caught a flash of fang from the entrance to their darkened location. She was effectively pinned beneath Kai's hulking chest and caught between, not to be funny, but a rock and a hard place. Kai's hand up her skirt didn't exactly help her case either.

Ray knew, after all, that Mariam always seemed so much more comfortable when she could ambush someone with her brother. Two against one seemed to be her style; she didn't exactly like to fight fair.

"Well Kai? Aren't you going to invite me in?"

'Time to show her what happens when the tables turn.'