(A/N): Hey! It's me again, with another one-shot. This time it's not holiday related :P But it's still TyHil! Haha, I'm obsessed with writing about those two, I think they're so cute :) LOL. Anyways, review if you'd like and tell me how you thought it was. I'd love some feedback :) Anyways, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade.
Coffee
He never really used to be a fan of the stuff. It was bitter, and he couldn't stand that. The sharpness of the liquid reminded him of those times he felt betrayed by his friends, his family. It always left a sour taste in his mouth. When he looked at it, it was a pitch-black bottomless pit. Just staring into the swirling pot of it would catapult him into those times when he felt surrounded, almost suffocated, during those dangerous beyblade battles. And then there was the smell. Musty, acrid, and overall unpleasant. It reminded him of a certain day, fifteen years ago. He had woken up to that same smell and bounded into the kitchen, only to find a note from his father. His usually cheerful face had fallen that day when he realized that his dearest daddy was not coming back.
Tyson sighed as he stared into his cup of coffee. He removed the lid, exposing the steamy black liquid. His reflection stared back at him, mirroring his solemn expression and set jaw, as well as the sad glimmer in his chocolate brown eyes. As the smell wafted up towards his nose, he saw his coffee look-alike make the same grimace that his own face contorted into.
He was not normally such a depressing person; on the contrary, he portrayed a certain happy-go-lucky persona. But something about the sickly-aromatic smell of coffee made his insides fold, bringing out the memories he so desperately tried to push out. It made him agitated and sombre. So today, Tyson was extremely confused. He wasn't sure why he'd ventured into the coffee shop. All he knew was that he would have walked right past the place, had he not seen his reflection in the window of the shop. He was dressed in his normal daywear, sporting a bright red jacket and sunshine yellow shirt. Perched on top of his head was the cap he had donned when he was just five years old. His midnight hair was tied back as always, a few strands of his bangs hanging low across his forehead. Then there were his auburn eyes, the ones that were usually sparkling with some secret amusement.
On this day, though, the boy saw something startling. His attire lacked its usual lustre, the usually vibrant colours seeming pale and almost grey in weird way. He could see the frayed edges of his cap, the way the vivid crimson and cobalt had faded into a pale aqua and pink over time. And his face – something was off about his face. His eyebrows were furrowed in a bunched mess, his mouth pulled down into a frown. His eyes were laced with dark bags and faint creases. There was no wistfulness in them today. The image was shocking enough for him to decide to get some caffeine, some black coffee. After all, it was supposed to give the energy to get through the day. But as he observed the cup now, Tyson felt he couldn't will himself to drink the vile liquid.
With another short breath, Tyson rose from the window-side booth he had been sitting at. There was really no point in trying to drink the stuff; he knew it would taste just plain awful, and then he knew he'd be in an even worse position than before. He really didn't want to waste a day trying to recover from the upset stomach he would inevitably be facing if he downed the entire cup. He brought the coffee to his hands and meandered to the nearest trash can, where he tossed the cup and its contents. He brushed his hands together in satisfaction and whirled around, mentally planning out the rest of his day. What he failed to notice was a petite brunette coming his way. In mere seconds they collided, sending the drink she was holding to the floor. The lid broke free of the lip of the cup, splattering its contents as it clattered across the ground. Eventually it came to a stop a few feet away from the dazed adults.
"Hey, watch where you're going," Tyson grumbled, not bothering to look up at the one who had bumped into him. He began brushing off his worn-out grey jeans, his face fixed in concentration.
"Still just as rude," the other replied.
The thin, shrill voice of the adult broke his concentration. His mind registered the voice in a matter of seconds. Memories tied to that high-pitched, soprano voice washed over him quickly and subtly. He felt the odd sensation of nostalgia beginning to suffocate him as soon as he looked up and found himself staring into a pair of beautiful ruby eyes.
"Hilary?" He questioned her curiously, feeling his lips tug into a huge smile. "Hilary Tachibana? Is that really you?"
"You're still just as dense, too," The perky brunette smirked, placing both her slender arms on her hips. "Of course it's me, you dummy!"
And it was her; it was Hilary in all her starry-eyed, loud-mouthed glory. He stepped back to observe her, letting his gaze sweep from head to toe. Just looking at her took him to another time, when they were just teens. Her style was essentially the same; she had pulled on a sweater over a simple T-shirt, and paired it with some denim shorts. Her chestnut curls had been accented with streaks of blonde, although they still hung loosely by her shoulders. A small red clip held stray locks of hair away from her delicate face.
"Wow, Hil, you look good," Tyson merely answered, really meaning it.
"Stop ogling," She gushed as she laughed, her voice ringing like jingle bells. "But same to you, Tys."
They stood in silence for a while, simply smiling at each other awkwardly. Tyson felt nostalgia prick at his insides again, causing his stomach to flip and turn with every passing second. When he looked at her, he saw his colourful past, the moments he wished he had cherished at the time. In that moment, Tyson knew he had to seize this opportunity, to take advantage of this chance meeting.
"Hey, let me buy you another coffee," He began, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "On account of, uh, spilling your other one?"
Hilary smiled softly and nodded. "I'd like that,"
Tyson picked up the steaming-hot cup of coffee from the counter and began searching for Hilary. He saw a willowy hand beckon him towards the window-side booth he was once seated at, waving frantically to get his attention. He made his way over and sat down across from Hilary, simultaneously sliding the coffee over to her. She caught the cup without missing a beat.
"Thanks," she beamed, removing the lid of the cup.
"Don't worry about it," He shrugged, throwing her his characteristic lopsided grin. "So what brings you back to Bakuten? Last I heard, you were doing pretty well in San Francisco,"
"San Francisco was nice, but it was no Bakuten," He watched as she added a bit of cream to her coffee and stirred it until it was just a shade lighter than her honey-brown locks. She gleaned a package of sugar from the holder at the table and shook the sugar packet as she continued. "There was just something missing."
He nodded in agreement. He'd been feeling like he was missing something since university started, as well. He supposed that it was just withdrawal from his lack of beyblading, but he was starting to think otherwise as he stared at his childhood companion. They had been pretty much inseparable since they had met almost six years ago, although there had been some rough patches throughout their friendship. But staring at her now, Tyson didn't feel the regular animosity he had felt towards her before. He wondered if she felt the same.
"So how are Kenny, Max, Ray, and Kai?" Her voice broke his thoughts, somewhat startling him.
"Huh? Oh right," He grinned, noticing the irritated look that briefly flickered across her face. Just like old times. "Chief got that scholarship in Information and Technology in Tokyo, and from what I hear, he's killing all of his courses."
"I wouldn't have expected any less," Hilary replied, smiling proudly.
"Max decided to take an internship at his mother's research facility in New York. Ray took a year off and went back to China to teach beyblading to the kids in his village. And Kai," Tyson paused, racking his brain for tiny bit of information he had gotten from their former captain. "Who really knows?"
"Typical Kai," She laughed, picking up on Tyson's subtle frustration. "And…what about you?"
He blinked in a somewhat dazed stupor. "What about me?"
"How have you been?" She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in exasperation, but he could see that she wasn't truly aggravated; the faint hint of a playful sparkle appeared in her crimson eyes, and the ghost of a smile was plastered to her lips.
"Heh, right," He removed a hat to run a hand through his long navy hair nervously. "I'm okay. Doing this and that," He didn't want to mention that everyday away from his friends had been difficult, and that his separation from beyblading had been almost unbearable. He also neglected to mention that he was barely passing his courses and that he was fretting nervously about finding a job to help him pay for his post-secondary education. The last thing he wanted to do was to bother Hilary with his troubles. He could – no, he would – brush it all off, would come up with some sort of solution. He was Tyson Granger; he would find a way to get through it all.
"This and that can keep you occupied," She smiled understandingly, but he could see her piercing eyes scrutinizing his every move. He figured that she somehow knew how his life had gone after high school. Still, he didn't want to admit that he was still the same under-achiever he had been since they met. He wanted to impress her.
He watched silently as she took a new coffee stir-stick and began to feverishly blend the coffee, creating a twister-like form within the liquid. She kept a concentrated stare directed at her cup, preserving the uncomfortable quiet between them. Finally, without shifting her gaze, she tossed in a simple yet confusing question, startling him to the core. "Hey, Tys," she began softly. "What happened to us?"
He wasn't sure how to answer that question. He had tried addressing that question in his mind many times before, but he would always draw a blank. Today was no different. All he could do was give her shrug, the helplessness of their situation finally breaking through his façade. "I don't know," He replied thickly, longing to pull her into his arms at that moment. He refrained just barely, and instead met her eyes when she finally raised her head.
"Me neither," she sighed, pushing the coffee away. "We were so close…"
He bobbed his head slightly, his heart pounding in his chest. It was true that their friendship had been rocky if anything, but it was still a friendship which they both valued. At one time, even, he felt that their friendship was maybe something more. But he didn't act on his feelings, waiting for the perfect moment. Then it was too late; she had gotten a scholarship to America, the one she had been dreaming of. Tyson knew that revealing his feelings would have gotten in the way of her decision, and so he held off. She left for America while he remained in Japan and they slowly drifted apart. Now, fate was giving him another chance, and he was determined not to let it go.
"Truthfully, Hil," he began, trying calm his racing heart. "I, er, missed you. A lot." There. It was out there, in the open, and he was so damn scared. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that he, the five-time World Champion beyblader, was suffering from a bad case of stage fright. He swallowed his pride for a moment and glanced at her.
"I missed you too, Tyson." she replied, placing a hand on one of his. Tyson felt a jolt of electricity thunder through him at her touch. "I think that's part of the reason I came back," She continued, biting her lip a little.
"So…let's start over." he stated, a certain fortitude in his voice. He extended his free hand towards her with a wink. "I'm Tyson,"
She giggled before swatting his hand away. "How cliché," she said, her scarlet orbs sparkling. "Besides, I know everything I need to know about you. You're a pig-headed, egotistical 'blader," she paused to laugh at the faint pout appearing on his face, "but you're also my best friend. And I love…that," He noticed the hesitation in her voice at the last sentence and grinned broadly, exposing his thousand-watt smile.
"I love that too,"
She briefly laughed once more before sighing. Reluctantly she slid away from the window to the edge of the booth. "I wish I could stay, but I have so much to do before I can get settled in Bakuten again," Her forehead creased and she frowned as she proceeded to get up from the seat.
"Relax, Hil," Tyson soothed, his voice soft. He rose from his seat as well, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You'll be fine."
She looked at him with those cute ruby orbs, her face brightening as it broke into a smile once again. In a whirlwind of emotion, Tyson pulled her close to him, wrapping her arms around her in an embrace. She leaned in easily, resting her head on his shoulder. They closed their eyes and stood in a content silence for a minute, smiling to themselves.
"Same time, same place tomorrow?" He asked hoarsely. He couldn't concentrate properly, and so his question came out as a soft murmur; her close proximity was very distracting.
Hilary said nothing but he felt her nod against him. Cautiously, she pushed herself away from him, her face bright. "See you tomorrow, Tys,"
He waved as she walked away, but something on the table caught his eye. A full cup of now-cool coffee. "Hey, Hil! Aren't you going to finish your coffee?" He called out loudly, causing her to turn around.
"Nah, I was never a fan of the stuff. I prefer the company instead," She winked at him before heading out the door, the shop's bell chiming as she left.
Tyson grinned. He couldn't wait for coffee tomorrow.
(A/N): There it is :) Hope you guys enjoyed it! Let me know what you thought in a review. Oh, and HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope this year brings peace & love & happiness for you all!