Title: Path Less Taken
Category: Beyblade; Chapter; Request
Summary: Somewhat based on Robert Frost's poem "The Road Less Taken"; Hiro has decided that the traveling life is no longer for him. After being granted vacationed leave, he realizes that he wants something different for his life. He wants a different life than his father's. He just didn't count on the person he runs across to be the only one to understand his feelings. Will he act on them before it's too late and an old enemy comes up?
Pairings: Hiro/Kai
Warnings: language; shounen-ai; violence; maybe a little yaoi
Other Notes: This is a request Hiro/Kai fic from my lovely new reader kaira28 who has requested a fic where Hiro has to save Kai from Boris. (evil laugh) I haven't tortured Boris in a while, and this gives me the perfect opportunity! ^^ Hope everyone enjoys.
Disclaimer: Don't own.
-S-S-S-S-S-
Path Less Taken
-Wooded Area-
-S-S-S-S-S-
We dance round in a ring and suppose,
But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.
- "The Secret Sits" by Robert Frost
-S-S-S-S-S-
Winter. Cold, wet, miserable. Sports were over except the playing-once-in-a-blue-moon hockey team. The skies were gray, nothing compared to the summer's blue. The winds were icy, promising coming snow or freezing rain. The streets were bare, people opting to stay inside where it was warm compared to the cold outside. It was quiet, almost dead. Not many people enjoyed the wonders that was the winter time.
There were always those exceptions.
Hiro Granger, a tall, young man barely in his twenties, stood alone in the deserted park. The trees waved, branches bare of any leaves, grass around the roots dull and brown. The skies above were dark with snow that was to fall later in the evening when temperatures would lower. The young man was not bothered at all by the little misconceptions. He actually enjoyed the cold. A strange man he was with his mahogany eyes and even stranger slate blue hair tied back into a pony-tail. He was handsome, jaw line strong, defined, skin tan as most Japanese's are. A black jacket covered his well-formed upper torso from the elements, hiding the fact that he had on a white dress shirt underneath that would have matched beautifully with his black dress slacks had anyone seen the attire. Strong, broad hands rested in his pants pockets as he enjoyed the winter weather that seemed to welcome him into its embrace.
Hiro smiled softly, eyes brightening. That morning had been hectic, but worthwhile as he finally had settled his work out with the BBA, or Beyblade Battle Association, headquarters. The head chairman, after resuming his rightful role, granted him his suggestion of staying around town for longer than expected.
The young man, at the age of just seventeen, started working for the BBA, traveling and doing business wherever they sent him. He hadn't minded in the least, until he returned just almost a year prior to that winter day in order to help his little brother out. Tyson, his brother, was a world champion when it came to the sport known as beyblade. The sport consisted of spinning tops and other various things, including the human spirit and determination. It once was condoned as a weapon, the beyblade. The top, with its razor sharp edges and quick speed, was deadly to all who came upon it unaware. Used by mankind for generations, this weapon was soon translated into a sport for kids, the razor edges replaced with plastic; safer, but still effective. Hiro, himself, grew up with the sport, and so did his brother. Whereas Hiro was never able to pursue a career in the sport, Tyson was. The navy haired boy that was his brother was a champion, but Hiro and the rest of the BBA got wind one year of something bad coming. The older male had to warn his brother, protect him like all older brothers do, but Tyson was innocent in a lot of matters. Yeah, he had dealt with the whole "bad guy is going to take over the world" scenario. He had dealt with that two years beforehand, but this was different.
Hiro, after some digging, realized that Tyson and the world of beyblade was in danger. So, he went undercover as Jin of the Gale, a well-respected, tough beyblader that had years of experience. Tyson realized who the male was before the World Championships even began. Hiro had realized that this was the perfect opportunity to help Tyson grow, become stronger so that he would be able to defeat this new evil.
Little did he realize, he wasn't the only one testing Tyson's limits and going undercover.
When the BEGA team came into the light and challenged Tyson, Ray Kon, Max Tate, and the rest of their friends, Hiro had once again covered himself in a mask, seeming to go to the side with the stronger people when in reality, he was spying. Yeah, tricky, especially with the mastermind Boris Balcov at the wheel, but Hiro wasn't alone.
To his surprise, Kai Hiwatari, Tyson's friend for the past three years and former coach and team captain, also joined the BEGA group. Hiro figured it was because he wanted another chance to battle Tyson, since the older teen lost in the championships. It was only after the Justice Five Tournament that he realized how wrong he was. The seemingly stotic, cold beyblader that was Kai had actually gone undercover for the second time in his life for the BBA against Boris. The first had been two years prior during the Russian World Championships in order to bring down the teen's grandfather, multi-millionaire Voltaire Hiwatari. Kai was good, Hiro had to admit. The teen never gave anything away. At the end, he presented the BBA each and every information that he discovered, a whole sleeve-full that even Hiro himself hadn't found. The BBA used this against the old Russian villain, and sent him to prison, also gaining a whole boat-load of money as well which helped the BBA's financial crises greatly.
The Granger hadn't seen hide or hair of Kai since. It was like the teen had disappeared off the face of the earth. When Hiro asked Tyson if he had heard from Kai, the teen replied no as well, but it wasn't uncommon for Kai to disappear for a while. Everyone just figured that the older teen needed time alone, or he was training.
The latter seemed more plausible.
After the tournament, Hiro had been helping the BBA as much as he could to get them back on their feet, but he realized how much time he had spent away from his own family. As much as he loved to travel, he was tired, and in need of a much needed break. He had talked it over with Mr. Dickenson, the BBA's head chairman, and was finally granted vacationed leave with pay for as long as necessary. So, there he was, the crazy coot he was, standing in the middle of the park in the middle of winter, and he loved every bit of it. It was the first time he felt free, and it felt great.
Footsteps rendered his thoughts useless as he looked about him, wondering who was walking in the secluded spot of Beycity's park. Hiro's mahogany eyes widened at the slender, but still very well-built form walking towards him. The teen's stylish black shoes crunched the frozen earth and grass as he walked with a grace only he could muster, that light swaying of the hips, the way he carried himself so confidently without a care in the world and yet seemed like he had the world's problems on his shoulders. His blue jeans swished and swayed in the wind, still slightly baggy for the fit teen's body, but only he could pull that off with such grace and style. The boy's belt buckle shined in the little light there was, halfway hiding underneath the red T-shirt that was actually not tucked into the pants. The thick black jacket kept the cold out and the warmth in, even shielding his hands as he stuck the gloved appendages in the pockets. A long, white scarf wrapped around the thin neck Hiro knew was underneath; it swayed perfectly behind the youth. Exotic, full violet orbs gazed out at him with recognition and a small hint of surprise behind stormy tresses that slapped ever so delicately against the deep blue triangle tattoos on his cheeks.
"Kai," Hiro spoke, surprised by the youth actually being there. He hadn't seen or heard from the teen in almost a year.
He looked great.
Hiro mentally blushed a little. Since when did he think other males were good-looking, let alone someone like Kai? After looking into the teen's violet orbs again, he realized he had felt this way before, confused at the enigma that was Kai Hiwatari. Who was he, really? What was his past? What was he actually like beneath that cold exterior? He had seen the teen take care of several stray animals before. He couldn't be all that bad.
Or was that another mask?
Kai stopped in front of Hiro with that stern gaze. He raised an eyebrow in amusement at the older male. Hiro seemed uncomfortable around him. Wonder why when he had never before.
The twenty-year-old shifted on his feet underneath that gaze, well, actually above it. He was still a good foot or two taller than the teen. "How are you? Haven't seen you in a while. Where have you been?"
Kai closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. "Hn, around," he answered monotonously, looking to the world as if he was bored out of his mind.
Hiro raised an eyebrow. "And my first question?"
Kai just shrugged, and Hiro wanted to scream. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance and twitched again as he caught a small smirk on Kai's face to his irritation.
"Okay, where are you staying? I'm sure Tyson would love to have you at the house, not to mention to see you. It's been almost a year," he tried not to grind out through his teeth. He honestly tried.
Kai's smirk widened at how easily he could get under the older Granger's skin. It was just too much fun. The older brother intrigued him, and when Kai was intrigued, he tried every possible way to figure things out. The best way to figure out any Granger was to get them riled. They tended to sputter out their true feelings without meaning to. Tyson was the only exception because he knew the game. He was second-in-command in it, Kai being the first.
"I am perfectly capable of finding a place on my own," Kai retorted, closing his eyes.
Hiro sighed. He had known the answer before he even asked the question. Kai wasn't the kind of person to invite himself. You had to practically drag the teen to do whatever you wanted him to, and that was only if you managed to survive after you let go. Tyson and Max were the only ones that never got an earful. Tyson because he never listened anyway, and Max because of his large blue eyes that had been dubbed the "puppy-dog eyes". The older Granger supposed that no one was able to resist them forever, even Kai.
"Well, alright, you're invited to dinner," he stated, crossing his arms in defiance. The older male was not going to take no for an answer. He had many reasons why he wanted to spend a little more time with Kai. Some selfish, the others were along Tyson's line. He knew his little brother would love to see the teen again. He'd been chomping at the bit for the past few months because Kai had yet to make an appearance.
Kai stayed silent, eyes still closed as he thought about the statement. Hiro just watched him. He vaguely noted the still pink scar along the teen's right eye from his first and second beybattle against Brooklyn. Brooklyn had been a part of the BEGA team. The orange haired, laid back, naturally talented teen was ruthless when it came to beyblade. If he said he would win, he made sure of it. Kai had fought him twice, each one sustained more injuries than the last. Hiro had thought Kai wouldn't make it, but just to prove the older male wrong, Kai did.
"Why?" the beyblader asked, opening those violet orbs.
Hiro just shrugged. "Why not?" he countered, inwardly smirking at the light glare he received. Oh, Kai wasn't the only one who could get under people's skins.
"You do not make sense, Granger," the teen muttered, bringing his hands from his jacket pockets and crossing his arms.
Hiro smirked, "Guess it runs in the family."
He received a glare as a response. "Whatever."
"So, you going to be there? Dinner is at seven."
Kai didn't answer again for the longest time, opting to stare off into space towards a nearby tree. The older male just watched him again. He noticed Kai shift ever so slightly from one foot to the other in anticipation. So, the teen was nervous, huh?
"What's the matter, phoenix?" Hiro grinned, loving how Kai bristled ever so slightly at the nickname. The teen's bitbeast, an animal spirit trapped in a beyblade's "bit chip", was a phoenix. Dranzer was the beast's name, to be exact. Dranzer was strong, beautiful, and reminded Hiro of Kai so immensely it was no wonder that the phoenix had chosen Kai to be its master. He still had no idea how Kai had come into contact with Dranzer; no one did. That was one of the many secrets he wanted to figure out. One of the things he did for the BBA was supervise the digs on requiring more information that was the bitbeast. It seemed only certain individuals acquired the beasts. Tyson being another as well as most of their friends.
The teen glared. "Don't call me that," he growled, baring his teeth just barely.
Hiro smirked. "Come to dinner, and I won't."
The glare never faltered, even though there was the smallest hint of confusion in those bright eyes. "How do I know you are telling the truth?"
Hiro shrugged. "You don't. You just have to trust me."
The older male was astounded as Kai's glare receded, seeming to be taken over by hesitancy and nervousness. Was this another side of the feisty teen that was Kai Hiwatari, or was he just fucking with him? 'Kai,' his mind seemed to wander, 'why do you intrigue me so?' He had thought it was because of the phoenix wielder's last battle with Brooklyn. The teen had looked so beautiful, strong, powerful. Hiro always knew he was attracted to power, but Kai was different. He had seen the teen lose. He had thought it was the determination, the stubbornness, but it wasn't that either. Kai was just different. When Hiro had asked about him to the American team, the PPB All Stars, they responded with bitterness, along with the rest of White Tiger X. Both teams were beybladers, having been around Kai before. Tyson, Max, Ray, Kenney, and Hillary were the only ones who responded positively about the teen, but none knew him well enough to answer all questions. Hiro had even gone so far as to ask Kai's old teammates and childhood friends, the Blitzkrieg Boys. Tala Ivanov, the team leader and closest and oldest friend to Kai, managed to get some words out that weren't vulgar or derogatory towards the older man. Obviously, Kai liked his privacy.
"Whatever," the phoenix muttered, returning to his indifferent phase.
Hiro smirked. 'Got him,' his mind cheered. "Great. I'll see you there, and don't be late."
Kai humphed and snorted, but then stopped, a small sound reaching his sensitive hearing. He dropped his arms and concentrated on a spot to his left, straining his ears. He realized Hiro had done the same. It could have been just and animal, but the steps were too heavy, too precise. He growled low in his throat as he registered it was a human coming from the thickest part of the park's forest. Hiro tensed in front of him, glaring as well, trying to identify the, obviously, larger, older man coming towards them. He staggered and stumbled as if he were drunk, the tree roots causing him to almost fall as he neared them and tripped. Even from that distance, both males were able to smell the alcohol from the drunk.
Hiro fully faced the man, unconsciously stepping closer and more in front of the younger male beside him. Kai quirked an eyebrow at the gesture but said nothing as the man finally came into full view. The phoenix wielder felt his eyes narrow and harden as he recognized the man's face.
"Boris," he spat, growling and tensing even farther.
Hiro's deep eyes never left the man as he came to a stop, swaying on his feet. His muscles twitched underneath the clothing he wore, just begging the purple haired man to do something even remotely close to endangering Kai's life. It wasn't his own he was worried about. This man had purposely endangered Kai's health during the Justice Five Tournament. Hiro himself had practically begged the older male to lessen up on the teen, but being the sadistic bastard he was, the man never faltered and ordered Brooklyn to be even more reckless with the teen. He had also heard what the man had put Kai and the rest of the Blitzkrieg Boys through two years prior to the tournament. Needless to say, Hiro was not pleased.
The older man's face contorted to that of rage, sweat dripping along with the occasional drizzle of saliva mixed with alcohol from his lips. The purpled haired male just glared at the phoenix wielder, seeming not to even care about the other.
"What are you doing here, Boris?" Hiro asked tersely. He moved more in front of Kai, shielding him from the drunk's gaze.
Boris finally regarded the slate haired male. His glare never faltered. "I can be anywhere I wanna be," he slurred, forgetting his once perfect grammar.
Hiro stood tall and proud in front of the younger teen. He never wavered. "You are not wanted here. Leave."
The purple haired scientist snorted, wiping a grimy hand across his mouth to pick up the drool. "You leave. All's I want to do is speak to that bastard right behind you."
Kai's breath quickened, heart pounding in his chest with a mix of adrenaline and fear. If Hiro left him, he'd be at the man's mercy. There were a few things the twenty-year-old didn't know about the phoenix wielder, and they were important.
Hiro seemed to sense the urgency in Kai as he growled low in his throat and completely screened the teen from the older man's eyes. "That is not going to happen, Boris," he ground out, straightening his back, shoulders broad, taunt. Like that, he was much taller than the older male.
Boris didn't seem affected in his drunken haze. He spat out at the male's feet, barely missing the nicely polished shoes. "Out of my way, Granger. You and your whole lot are a nuisance, always have been." He took a few, unsteady steps towards the two. "Kai, on the other hand, has been more than a nui-nuisansh..." He reached right in front of the Granger, large, thick nose just barely reaching Hiro's chin.
Kai's nose scrunched at the putrid smell of too much alcohol. He could sense at least three different beverages: whiskey, scotch, and tequila. Boris had a lot to drink that night, and if he got into a fight with Hiro, they'd both be in trouble. Boris was a mean drunk, Kai knew from experience. A mean, strong drunk, that man. Kai still had the scars. "Hiro," he whispered, internally begging the slate haired man not to get into a fight.
Hiro heard him and quirked an eye at the teen.
"Let's go," the phoenix wielder spoke quietly, trying not to give Boris any ideas.
Hiro seemed to understand the insistency. He ever so slightly nodded his head and turned back to the problem at hand. "Let's go, Kai," he spoke so defiantly it had Boris off kilter for a few moments, just long enough for Hiro to grab Kai's elbow and hurriedly walk down the path towards the exit. The older male kept looking over his shoulder, making sure that Boris didn't follow them. So far, so good.
They reached the exit of the park and didn't stop there. Hiro lead the way to the Granger dojo, Kai in hand. There was no way he was letting the teen out of his sight after that run-in. Who knew what would happen if he did. Kai didn't seem to want to argue for he kept quiet. They finally reached the dojo's entrance, and Hiro finally let go of Kai's elbow.
They both sent a wary eye in the direction of the park.
"You might as well stay until dinner," Hiro offered, not looking in Kai's direction, eyes still trained on the horizon. "It's only fifteen minutes until then."
Kai didn't respond as he relaxed his shoulders a bit in the male's presence. His violet orbs shifted to rest on the Granger. Hiro perplexed him. The way the man had positioned himself in front of him, keeping him from Boris's line of fire. The way he protected him, stood up for him. It astounded the phoenix wielder to no end. Why had Hiro done that? Was it just because Kai was a friend of Tyson's? Why?
"Why?" he questioned aloud.
Hiro turned his gaze to the teen. "Why what?" he asked, confused. What did Kai mean?
"Why did you do that? Protect me from Boris?" Kai more or less demanded.
The former Jin of the Gale shrugged his shoulders. "Because I wanted to."
That caused a defensive questioning look to cross Kai's face. "That does not make sense."
"Sure it does. I wanted to protect you. So, I did." He smirked. "Not rocket science, Kai."
Kai glared at the male. "I understand rocket science, Granger. You, on the other hand, I don't."
The smirk widened. "And I bet it's just killing you." Hiro's mahogany eyes glittered in amusement. He had Kai on the run, now.
The glare never faltered, in fact, it got deeper, darker. "Hn."
"Oh, my god! Kai!"
The two at the dojo entrance flinched, jumping in their skin as the voice rang out through the neighborhood. Kai sighed, turning his head to the dojo. Tyson stood there, dumbfounded, mouth hanging open. The teen hadn't changed in the year.
Hiro shook his head. "Tyson, you're going to catch flies in your mouth if you keep it hanging open."
Tyson shut his mouth, shook his head, and smiled brightly all before he bounded over to the un-expecting teen and hugged him, laughing his head off. Kai stood rigid under Tyson's onslaught, not comfortable with the teen hugging him. Not comfortable with anyone hugging him.
"You're staying for dinner, right?" the dragon wielder asked hopefully as he let go.
Hiro nodded. "Yes, he is. Now, go set the table, Tyson."
The younger male saluted and rushed off. "It's good to see you, Kai!" he called over his shoulder.
Kai sighed and shook his head. Yes, some things would never change. Tyson was one of them. He looked up at the elder Granger, noting the teasing glint in his eyes. "Don't start," he growled.
Hiro just smirked before he turned serious again. "Kai, I have a question." The teen didn't answer, but then again, Hiro didn't give him a chance to. "You've never wanted to run from Boris before. In fact, you like to stand your ground. I've seen you fight; I know you can. Why didn't you?"
Kai was caught off-guard, eyes wide at the realization that Hiro knew something was wrong. "Hiro," he muttered, crossing his arms and looking elsewhere. "It's a long story."
Hiro mimicked the movement. "We have time."
Kai didn't look at the male, disquieted. What would Hiro say once he knew? What would he think? Kai couldn't stand it, the unknown. He bit his lip. "I can't anymore," he whispered.
"Can't? Can't what?"
Before the teen could utter another word, Tyson's voice rang out from the dojo doorway, breaking up their conversation. "Dinner's ready!"
Kai didn't wait a moment longer as he uncrossed his arms and headed towards the house. Hiro watched him with disarray. What was Kai going to say? What couldn't he do any longer? He'd have to ask the teen later.
-S-S-S-
Kai sighed as he quietly exited the Granger dojo. It was going on eleven at night, and he really needed to head out before Tyson decided that he needed to stay the night - or several nights, knowing the dragon wielder. The teen wasn't in the mood to entertain two Granger's that night, since their grandfather had retired to bed earlier that evening.
The phoenix wielder gazed up at the night sky, realizing how peaceful it was under the stars and moon. It had been a long while since he had been that at peace. Of course, his head was another matter. Every time he would even stand close to Hiro Granger, something riled in his chest, his stomach turning. His mind would twist and turn, trying to figure out what emotions were emitting from his body whenever he was around the older male. He had never been good with emotions, his grandfather making sure he suppressed them completely at an early age. Since his run-in with Tyson and the other members of the Bladebreakers, Kai had been bombarded with emotion after emotion. He tried to understand some of them, but others were just a mystery. The one that appeared whenever Hiro was near was one of them. He just couldn't put his finger on it. He was interested in the older male, yes, but as to why and what for, those were still unknown.
"Well, well, well, finally alone, are we?" a voice slithered through the cool night air.
Kai tensed, spinning on his heel towards the sound. His violet orbs widened as a larger body came into view just before a loud bang echoed through the streets. The phoenix wielder grunted as his body fell to the ground, hand gripping his shoulder where the bullet had pierced. Growling, he turned his hateful gaze up at the man who had shot him.
Boris stood tall and proud of his accomplishment. He smirked down at the teen writhing in pain on the asphalt that was the road. Voices sounded behind him, crying out his victim's name. He quickly made his way over to the teen who was trying to scoot farther away from him, attempting to stand but failing.
Kai grimaced as Boris grabbed his scarf, tugging him forcefully upwards. The hand with the gun raised, and just before the handle met his head, he spotted Hiro in the Granger dojo doorway, concern, shock, and fear embedded in his bright mahogany eyes.
Then, his world went dark as Boris threw him in the trunk of a nearby car and shut the hood. The older man had already hot-wired the vehicle and slid in, slamming on the gas as he shut the door. The black car sped down the highway, unaware of the tall youth running in vain after it.
"Kai!"
-S-S-S-S-S-
Next Chapter:
"Steel Room"
Boris has Kai. Can Hiro find him in time before the older male has a chance to do what he set out to: kill Kai Hiwatari.
And what of Hiro and Kai's relationship? Is there anything there? Will they admit it?
All questions will be answered in the confines of the steel room.
-S-S-S-S-S-
Hope everyone is liking it so far! Chapter two up soon! ^^
This is going no over than four chapters, just a heads up. So, each chapter, except maybe the last, will be long. ^^ Good for all of you, huh? There will also be a poem for each chapter, pertaining to that chapter or the story in general. ^^ Enjoy them as I had a time trying to find the right ones. ^^
Don't forget to review! Let me know how I'm doing!
Ja Ne
Miz
