A/N: This is a shorter three-part fic. It has been edited and parts re-written, and is posted for archival purposes. If you are confused, please visit my profile.

You & I
Part One: Unappreciated
By Melissa Moore

I suppose it had always been one of his passions, ever since he had been old enough to play. But then again, Beyblade was a craze that was sweeping the entire world. So Takao would have been crazy not to jump on the bandwagon. He had told me once on the one and only day he had stayed after class to help me clean, "Beyblade is my first love. Friendship is my second."

To which I had replied, "Am I a friend?"

He had smiled at me and laughed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Sure, Hiromi-chan."

I had always been ready to support any of his endeavors, but it was after my 14th birthday that I started to get tired of the whole Beyblade scene, but of course, I had never told him that. I was his friend, and I had to be ready to support him no matter what. But I could only hold up the charade for so long.

It had always been the only thing on his mind, but after those accursed feelings had somehow wiggled their way into my heart, I found myself often wondering if I could ever be worthy of his sole attention. But as days, weeks, months passed, I found it was foolish to think so.

And all the blushing and stuttering denials when someone accused us of liking each other seemed only one-sided. He was always too busy thinking of new strategies and ways to defeat his next opponent. I suppose I should have been admiring his dedication and passion for the sport. But... inwardly, with each casual conversation and nonchalant brush of our shoulders, I found I was inwardly seething.

He treated me as one of the guys! I guess I should have been grateful that he at least treated me with that much respect, and not with meaningless chatter and insincere smiles he directed toward his fans.

Whenever he smiled at me, I could tell he was being sincere just by the look in his eyes, and I could tell I was being affected by the sharp tingling in the pit of my stomach.

I was grateful to him. He was my first real friend. He had helped my demeanor calm and had helped me to not be so uptight. His motto in life had inadvertently rubbed off on me.

"Everything will be all right in the end. Relax."

He was the first person who had smiled at me without sarcasm or hatred. And I fell in love. I'm not quite sure when I did, but it happened... and when I realized it, I took it hard. I admired him. His tenacity, endurance, kindness, loyalty, and even his outstanding tendency to be incredulously stubborn.

I love him.

I, Tachibana Hiromi, love Kinomiya Takao.

But there was only so much of his childish ignorance I could take.

I felt...

... unappreciated.