Countdown to the Finals
Summary: As the finals approach, Bryan and Tala share a stolen moment to help them cope with the pressure.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Beyblade nor am I making any money by writing this.
Warning: yaoi, lemon.
Author's Notes: This just randomly popped into my head one day and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. Be warned now, I haven't written a lot of Beyblade stories. Also, I haven't proofread this, so there's bound to be typos. Feel free to point them out and I'll fix them. This won't be the end, either. I have ideas for a follow-up to this. It'll probably be much longer than this, most likely a multi-chaptered thing. But until then, enjoy this little piece.
Sixty minutes…
The fact that they were able to slip away from the others was a miracle in the first place. They had gathered in one of the stadium's complimentary practice rooms for a last-minute training session. After watching them for a while, Boris had zeroed in on Ian and Spencer. Boris was known to carry on for extraordinary periods of time without losing his focus. They had found it surprisingly easy to slip away.
Fifty five minutes…
It was also a miracle no one walked in on them in the men's room at the Beyblade World Championship Finals in a very compromising position.
Tala was splayed against the row of sinks, Bryan pressed hard against his body, their mouths suctioned together. Tala, the fierce, ruthless leader of the Demolition Boys. Tala, the icy prick who never showed any emotion. Tala, who was scared out of his mind. He knew, as well as the others, what was on the line today.
But Tala, unlike Spencer, or Ian, or even Bryan, would bear the brunt of the blow if they failed today. He was the Perfect Leader, cool, calculating, emotionless, ruthless, but that was a lie, a carefully constructed lie so no one would see that he was not a Perfect Soldier like he pretended, like Boris wanted.
That was why he was here today in the men's bathroom, just before the Beyblade World Championship Finals, why he had accepted Bryan's invitation to 'blow off some steam' in the first place. He knew that it was all just a lie, that deep down, Tala was just as anxious as the Bladebreakers had to be right now. Because no matter what Boris said to them, no matter what he did to them, he could never destroy that vital aspect of their lives.
They would always be humans.
Boris thought he could create emotionless soldiers willing to obey any order without question by treating them harshly; working them to the bone, punishing them harshly when they failed, crushing their spirits. He thought that the Demolition Boys were the epitome of his project, but they only acted the way they did because they were frightened. Acting the way they did allowed them to survive. That was what they all really wanted. To live.
Fifty minutes…
This wasn't the first time Tala and Bryan had come together like this. They had found it was a good way to relieve the stress generated from the pressure put on them to succeed. Sexual contact of any kind was expressly forbidden at the Abbey, but they found a way to defy this without being caught. If they were caught, they would be punished severely, but as Tala had come to realize, these stolen moments with Bryan were well worth the risks.
Forty five minutes…
Bryan's mouth left his and skillfully worked its way down his neck. He unbuckled Tala's jeans and the redhead raised his hips, allowing Bryan to undress him. A long, slender finger slid between his thighs. Tala would never cease to be surprised at how gentle Bryan was when he was prepping him.
"You ready for this?" Bryan asked as he shed his own pants and his underwear.
"Yes," Tala murmured.
He hissed softly at the penetration, but raised his head to kiss Bryan on the lips. Bryan accordingly dipped his head, eager.
Tala squeezed his eyes shut, forgetting everything except the pleasure. A soft moan escaped past his lips, quickly silenced by a needy kiss from Bryan.
Forty minutes…
It didn't last long—it never did. They had to be quick or they would be caught. Still panting, Bryan kissed Tala one last time before bending down to pull up his pants and underwear. Tala remained where he was a little longer, watching Bryan dress.
"Hurry up," Bryan said sharply, straightening up. "We don't want to be caught."
He was back to his usual, detached self, acting as though this moment had never happened. It cut Tala deep, though there was no other choice. They had to act indifferent towards each other in order to survive. They would be punished so severely if anyone found out the true nature of their relationship. But it still hurt.
Bryan did not look back at Tala as he exited the men's room. Tala remained where he was for a few moments longer, then exhaled softly, and straightened up so he could dress.
Idly, he wondered if he would have the chance to shower before the finals began.
Thirty five minutes…
Tala slipped into the Demolition Boys' locker room. Mercifully, it was empty. At the very back of the locker rooms were a bunch of showers. The shower area was well stocked with everything Tala needed. Obviously, the organizers of the tournament wanted to make sure that the two competing teams had all the luxuries they needed.
With a sigh, Tala undressed and stepped into one of the showers. It felt good, standing beneath the hot spray, cleaning himself up.
He barely noticed how much his hands shook.
Twenty minutes…
Boris was still ragging on Ian and Spencer when Tala returned to the practice room. Bryan was there, Falborg tightly clutched in his hand. He did not even acknowledge Tala's presence as the captain rejoined his teammates. Tala reached into his pocket and pulled out Wolborg, standing at attention as Boris continued his lecture.
He never even noticed their absence.
Ten minutes…
They stood in their locker room, tall and proud, each of them holding their respective blades. Boris stood before them, giving them one final inspection.
"You may proceed," he said at last and Tala's heart leaped into his throat.
There was no turning back now.
Five minutes…
The stadium lights were blinding as Tala led his team out of their locker room. All their preparation, all their training, had led to this moment. Today, things would be settled one way or the other.
The roar inside the stadium was deafening. Excited fans packed the seats, eager for the final battle to begin.
Tala turned to his teammates, the boys he had grown up with, as they took their seats on their bench.
"We can do this." His voice waivered slightly. "We have to."
Four minutes…
Tala turned Wolborg over in his hands, carefully scrutinizing it. It helped keep his mind off the massive task in front of them. The order they would blade in had already been decided. Spencer would go first, followed by Bryan, and finally Tala. Now all they could do was wait.
Three minutes…
Tala found himself glancing at the Bladebreaker's bench. All of them were currently engrossed in a conversation, all except one…
Two minutes…
Kai was watching him. It unnerved him to see Kai's gaze on him, but Tala did not back down. He stared back at Kai, refusing to be the first to back down. He knew he should have felt angry that Kai had betrayed them, but he wasn't. He was happy. Kai was no traitor. He was free. And maybe one day, Tala and the other Demolition Boys could be free too.
Kai continued to stare at him and while Boris was looking away, he dared to mouth something at Kai. Somehow, he knew Kai would know what he was trying to say.
Save me.
One minute…
Spencer stood at last and slowly made his away to the center of the arena. Kai was already waiting for him. Tala threaded his fingers together, Wolborg and his launcher resting next to him. This was it. It had all come down to this moment.
Three…
The first dish of the tournament rose dramatically from the floor, its layout finally revealed.
Two…
Spencer and Kai stood at the ready.
One…
"Let it rip!"
The finals had begun.