Disclaimer: Don't own Bakuten Shoot Beyblade...if I did, TyKa would be an official pairing...and there'd be at least five more seasons...XD

Author's Note:

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry that I haven't posted anything for so long!!! I've been very busy, but I wrote this in my spare time. I'll try to update my other fics soon, but no guarantees because I have to concentrate on APs...stupid colleges that make you take stupid tests...reviews will definitely help encourage me though! I never knew what effect reviews had before until one of them for one of my other fics sent me into a writing frenzy last time...XD.

Please Read and Review this please???

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Warnings: Angst-filled, but NOT a death-fic...

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Can We Stay Like This Forever…?

By KrymsonDranzer

"GODDAMNIT KAI!!! Why won't you just leave my life alone?!" Takao angrily shouted as he slammed the front door of the dojo. He turned furious eyes to an ashamed looking Kai who was looking at the ground. "This is the TENTH time that you've chased away one of my dates! WHAT is with you?!"

Kai said nothing. 'I only wanted to help...' he thought silently.

"Stop trying to plan my life out for me!"

'I'm not...'

"You're not my parent!"

'I know that...'

"And who are you to make all those comments about them?!"

'Someone who cares...?'

"Who do you think you are to pass your own judgment on them?!"

'I just wanted someone good enough for you...'

"You're not perfect yourself, you know!"

'I know...I can't be perfect for you, but I could help find someone who is for you...'

"ARGH!! Are you ever gonna SAY anything?!?!"

'...No...'

Takao growled. "I never want to see your face around here ever again!" He stormed off down the hall to his room to phone and apologize to the date Kai had just chased away and rearrange another date for them tomorrow as the rest of the Bladebreakers watched silently from the living room. He never noticed the flash of pain that flickered through Kai's normally emotionless eyes.

"...Kai?" Max hesitantly asked. "Are you okay...?"

Kai silently turned and left to his room. He hadn't meant to be such a pain to Takao. He cared for him. Cared too much even. No, he loved him. The problem was, he just wasn't good enough for Takao. If he ever told the other blader, he was sure that he'd be laughed at in the best light. At the worst, he'd lose Takao's friendship completely and be kicked out...not that it really mattered anymore. He'd lost Takao's friendship and was perhaps kicked out anyways, just by helping. It just went to show that his grandfather had been right: he really was incompetent in everything. He threw himself down on his bed and laid on his back. He wondered what he was going to do now.

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Max knocked quietly on Takao's door.

"GO AWAY!" Takao shouted.

"Takao, it's me, Max."

There was a moment of silence before some shuffling was heard behind the door. A click sounded as Takao opened the door.

"Can..can I come in..?"

"...sure..." Takao sullenly answered as he closed the door behind Max.

A pregnant silence stretched between them for a few minutes before Max finally asked, "Are you alright?"

Takao flopped back onto his bed. He sighed. "I...I don't know." He paused for a moment. "I mean, why is Kai acting like he is right now? It's frustrating the hell out of me! It's like he doesn't want me too be happy!"

"Or maybe he wants you to be happy a little too much..." Max murmured.

"Huh? What was that, Max?" Takao asked.

Max's head snapped up. "Huh? Oh, nothing..."

Takao looked suspicious. "...if you're sure... anyways, was there something else you wanted, Max?"

Max shook his head. "No, but you might want to apologize to Kai later. He..." He searched for an appropriate word to describe the other blader's actions. "Seemed kind of...quiet...?"

Takao snorted. "He's always like that." He sighed. "But yeah, I guess I should apologize. I really blew up at him out there..." He trailed off as a realization hit him.

"I never want to see your face around here ever again!"

He paled and bolted straight up. "Oh god. I told him that I never wanted to see him around here ever again! SHIT!"

Max rubbed his head and sighed. "Yeah, you did. But surprisingly, he didn't leave yet."

Takao looked at him in relief. "He didn't?"

Max nodded. "Yeah, but he locked himself in his room and doesn't seem like he's going to come out anytime soon though."

Takao deflated. "Damn. I'll have to apologize tomorrow then..."

"Well, I'd better turn in then."

Takao nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah. Okay...night."

Max left and silently closed the door behind him. As he walked down the hallway to his room, he thought, 'I just hope that Kai stays long enough for them to make up...'

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Tomorrow Morning...

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Takao woke up slightly earlier than usual to get ready for his date and apologize to Kai. Fifteen minutes before his date arrived, he knocked on Kai's door. "Kai?"

There was no response.

He knocked again. "Hey, Kai?"

Silence.

Takao frowned. Kai couldn't possibly still be asleep, could he...? He started as the doorbell rang, signaling that his date had arrived. He glanced at the door one last time and said, "Hey Kai? I'm sorry about last night. I'm going out on another date, alright? I'll be back later tonight." Then he turned and left, never realizing that a faint glimmer returned to a blank eyed, emotionless Kai who sat on the other side of the door on the bed, staring down at his lap.

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"...going out on another date...be back later..." Kai slightly moved his head up as he heard Takao's footsteps walk away. Slowly, it registered in his mind that he should follow. Perhaps Takao was right. He just got in the way of everything...he made a sudden decision. He'd follow Takao to see if his new girlfriend made him happy or not. If she didn't, then he'd stick around until Takao found one who did, and if she did, he'd leave...for good.

He got up and picked up Dranzer...along with a pendant that Takao gave him for Christmas last year. He hoped the girl really did make Takao happy. Then he could make him happy too by being out of his hair sooner, rather than later...

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Takao laughed as his girlfriend, Yuri, squealed in delight as he handed her the stuffed puppy she wanted from the display. He looked at her fondly. She was a classmate of his that had always been quiet, never quite social, but not quite anti-social. He asked her if she wanted to go eat lunch now, and she agreed. They left the arcade, never noticing the pair of crimson-red eyes silently observing them.

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Kai stared at the happy couple as they left. The girl seemed to be quite nice, now that he thought about it. She didn't seem like she was out for fame or fortune; she looked like she truly enjoyed Takao's company and vice versa. He looked at his watch. He had about six more hours before anyone would realize that he was gone, so he decided to go to the riverside. He would leave the happy couple alone like he said he would.

When he got to the riverbank, he laid down, crossed his arms behind his head, plucked a piece of long grass from the ground to chew on, and stared up at the sky, watching the clouds drift by lazily. Before he knew it, he fell asleep.

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Takao sighed as the clock struck five. He wasn't really having as much fun as he had been at the beginning of the day. They walked almost silently along the beach.

Yuri was silent. She realized that Takao wasn't really exactly enjoying himself anymore, but didn't know what to do. However, she did realize that perhaps it wasn't her that Takao wanted to spend time with. She could pick out many of her own attributes that fit a certain duel-haired captain's. She spoke up.

"Takao?"

"Mmm...yeah?"

"Maybe...do you want to go home...?"

Takao snapped his head around. "Huh?"

"Well..." She fidgeted. "It doesn't seem like you're really having fun anymore. And...and...isn't there someone else you like instead really?" She finally said as she took a wild guess.

Takao blinked. "Well...not really..." A pair of crimson-eyes flashed through his mind as he shook his head.

She was silent for a little while longer. "Actually, it seems to me that perhaps you like a certain member of your team...?"

Takao choked. "What makes you think that?"

Yuri shrugged. "Well, all day, all you seemed to talk about was Kai this, and Kai that, and Kai did this, or Kai can do that..." She pointed out.

Takao had nothing to say to this.

"Maybe...maybe you like him instead?" She suggested.

Takao stayed silent. He wondered if what she said really was true. He had talked about Kai a lot today. Even more-so than he usually would...and he realized that he had compared Yuri to Kai quite a few times in his head. He closed his eyes.

"Who do you love?" Yuri suddenly asked out of the blue.

'Kai...' He subconsciously said aloud as an image of Kai flashed through his mind. His eyes snapped open as he realized that he had said Kai's name aloud.

Yuri looked almost satisfied. "See? You do love him." She smiled.

Takao blinked. "Yeah..." He slowly smiled. "Yeah, I do..."

She giggled. "Then maybe you should go after him tonight and 'make-up'?" She suggested.

Takao grinned. "Yeah. I should." He winced. "I was really hard on him yesterday after you left..."

She laughed. "Yeah, I realized that. I heard you shouting from a block away."

Takao's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Yup!"

Takao groaned in embarrassment. "Man...I'll never live it down in the neighborhood..."

"Well, I'd better get home now. You'd better get home quickly, too." Yuri said as they stopped at the bridge overseeing the river.

"Are you sure..?" Takao asked, unsure.

She giggled. "Yes, I'm sure. It's still pretty light out."

"Alright." Takao finally said. "But one thing first." He leaned in to quickly peck her on the cheek.

She blinked, startled. "What was that for?"

Takao grinned. "Think of it as a thank you for making me realize what I wanted was under my nose all this time."

She smiled slowly. "You're welcome. Bye."

"Bye!" Takao shouted as he ran across the bridge to the other side to get home. He wanted to get home as quickly as possible to apologize to Kai, seeing as he had never really properly apologized to Kai. Then he paled and sped up as he realized that he never told Kai that he never meant what he said last night when he told Kai that he never wanted to see his face around the dojo ever again. 'Shit!'

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Kai woke up slowly five hours later as the sun was preparing to set. He stared out below at the rushing waters. Then, he heard familiar voices speaking close by and realized that it was Takao's voice, along with his girlfriend's. He looked up just in time to see Takao lean over to kiss the girl on the cheek. 'Oh.' His eyes dulled again. He returned to staring at the water as he realized that Takao really did like her. He didn't know how long he sat there staring at the water, but he got up a little while before the sun set completely. He stuck his hands into his pocket and clenched his hand around Dranzer, pulling it out and staring at it.

Finally, he said, "Old friend, I guess this is goodbye. I'm glad you stayed with me for so long, even though I put you through so much...bye, mother..." He placed her on the ground in a patch of grass before walking up to the middle of the bridge. He stared down at the water as he clutched at the pendant under his shirt. He didn't know how long he was there before he finally climbed the railing.

Dranzer had glowed brightly in protest at the farewells. She had protected him and taken care of him for more than a decade. She wasn't going to give up her charge easily without a fight. She had to call for help. She released herself without Kai noticing and quickly flew home.

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When Takao got home, he quickly rushed to Kai's room and pounded on the door. "Kai! KAI!! Open up!"

"T-man! What happened, dude?" Takao's grandpa had poked his head over to see what all the ruckus was all about.

"Gramps! Do you know where Kai is?"

"Nope, sorry, dude."

Takao cursed.

"Takao? What's wrong?" Max, Rei, and Kenny had come over to see what happened too.

"Do any of you know where Kai went?"

They all shook their heads.

"Sorry."

"Haven't seen him all day."

"Nope."

"Damnit! Where could he be?!"

Just then, Dragoon glowed a bright blue, causing Takao to take him out of his pocket. "Dragoon? What's wrong?"

Then a shriek sounded as Dranzer crashed through the paper doors of the dojo.

"What?" Max exclaimed, startled.

"How can Dranzer be out of her blade like that?" Rei said, shocked.

Dranzer flew straight over to Takao and grabbed his sleeve and began pulling him towards the newly made exit.

"Whoa! Waitasec! Where are you taking me?" Takao exclaimed, confused.

Kenny's eyes shot open. "How is she even able to grab Takao?!"

Dranzer shrieked angrily in panic as she tried to get them all moving quickly. Her master was in danger! She silently called for help.

Dragoon rose out of his blade and also began pulling at Takao.

"Dragoon?!" Takao asked, bewildered.

'Your chosen mate is in danger.' Dragoon's voice echoed in Takao's head.

"Say WHAT?!" Takao shouted.

'He's at the bridge!' A feminine, unknown voice sounded in his head.

"Dranzer..?" He stared in awe. Then it registered exactly what they both said and he panicked. He quickly ran out of the house and towards the bridge with both beasts following closely behind. The rest of the Bladebreakers looked at each other and quickly ran out after Takao.

He cursed at himself as he ran. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Kai while was being stupid. He arrived at the bridge just as Kai fell forward into the water. He paled.

"KAI!!!" He screamed. He rushed to where Kai was last seen and looked down into the waters, frantically looking for any trace of Kai.

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'Sayonara, Takao. Aishiteru.' Kai thought as he closed his close and tilted over right into the watery depths.

Suddenly he heard a faint call and his eyes opened a sliver. 'Takao...?' He saw a flicker of blue out of the corner of his eyes, but dismissed it as impossible. 'No...why would he be here..? He's already gone home...' He shut his eyes and allowed himself to continue his plunge into the rushing waters underneath him, extinguishing his flame.

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"Shit!" Takao cursed as he climbed the railing of the bridge to go after Kai. "Dragoon, I'll need your help to pull us out afterwards, alright?" He commanded and quickly dived into the river after Kai. He hoped he wasn't too late. The water had become even more unstable at night.

He swam quickly through the depths, searching quickly for any flash of Kai, or anything to tell him where Kai was. He swam for what seemed like hours, but in actually was only a few minutes, before he saw a glimmer of white at the corner of his eye. He turned to see Kai's scarf quickly flowing away from him and he rushed over to grab onto it as well as the boy attached to it. As soon as Takao had a good hold of Kai, he quickly surfaced and took a deep gasp of desperately needed air.

'Dragoon!' He called.

Dragoon quickly soared over to him and held his tail down on the water so that Takao could climb on and drag Kai on, too. As they landed on the riverbank, he swiftly pulled Kai from Dragoon's body and began the process of CPR, all the while questioning himself why he didn't see this beforehand. He also wondered what possessed Kai to do such a thing anyways, too.

'Stupid, stupid, stupid Kai! You'd better wake up! I'll never forgive you if you don't!' Takao thought, frustratedly. He began panicking as Kai didn't respond.

"Takao!" Max shouted as he ran down the hill to reach Takao and Kai. Rei and Kenny followed closely behind him.

"Shit! What happened?" Rei asked.

Takao gritted his teeth as he continued trying to revive Kai. "I happened, that's what." Then he suddenly stopped as Kai began coughing up water. He gasped in relief and quickly told Kenny to call an ambulance.

"Already did." The chief answered.

Takao sighed in relief as he heard the sirens of the ambulance nearing. Kai had collapsed back into unconsciousness as soon as he had finished coughing. As they watched as Kai was piled into the white van, Takao noticed something red glinting off to the side. He walked over, only to pick up Dranzer's blade in amazement. Kai really hadn't been expecting to come back...he sniffled as tears filled his eyes. "Why..?" He whispered.

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The Next Day...

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Kai squinted as the light shined brightly in his eyes from the artificial lighting. 'What...what am I doing here...? Am I dead...?'

He heard a shuffle to his right and looked down to see Takao staring up at him from where his head was on the bed. He scowled. He knew what happened. Takao happened. He was better off dead. Takao didn't need him around anyways.

"Why?" Takao asked softly.

Kai snorted and turned the other way, refusing to meet the other boy's eyes. "Why what?"

Takao got angry. "You know what! Why did you do it?!"

"Hn."

"Oh no you don't! I refuse to let you do this again!" Takao grabbed Kai's chin and turned the duel-haired blader's face towards him, crushing his mouth onto the other's. Kai's eyes widened in shock at the blunette's actions and struggled to escape, but Takao held him still with his arms. Kai's eyes slowly drifted close as he gave up the fight before slowly letting himself sink into the heat of the kiss. Finally, after a long while, Takao finally released him and leaned his forehead onto Kai's, staring down into the other blader's eyes.

Kai's eyes opened dazedly. He couldn't believe what had just happened. Didn't Takao already have a girlfriend? His eyes shot completely open and he pushed Takao away. "Get off of me!" He snarled.

Takao stumbled back and fell onto his backside. "Ow!!" He glared at Kai. "What was that for?!"

Kai glared back, hurt that Takao was playing with his feelings, whether or not the other blader knew it or not. "You have a girlfriend and you suddenly decide to kiss me! What am I supposed to think?!"

Takao growled. "I don't have a girlfriend anymore!"

"What, was it because of me?" Kai's voice dripped venomously with sarcasm. "I wasn't in the way this time, so you can't blame me if it didn't work out this time."

"Argh!!" Takao shouted, frustrated. "Was that what you were trying to do?!" He glared heatedly at Kai. "And people say I'm stupid! What did you think you'd accomplish by trying to kill yourself?!"

A flash of pain flickered through Kai's eyes almost unnoticeably before he retorted with, "Well, it wouldn't have been considered 'tried' if you hadn't been such a busybody as to interfere."

Takao glared. "And if you succeeded? So what happens then?! It wouldn't have accomplished anything!"

Kai glared down at his blankets and angrily muttered, "Well, it would've made you happy..."

Takao stared in shock. "Wha-what?"

Kai growled. "You heard me! It would've made YOU happy if I was gone! YOU said that you didn't want to ever see my face ever again! I kept my end of the deal! What about you?!"

Takao stumbled back in shock. "Wh-what...? B-but I didn't...didn't mean it..." he whispered.

Kai gave him a flat stare. "I don't think it matters what you want anymore. I said I'd go through with my end of the promise. You might as well go through with yours."

"What? What promise?" Takao was confused.

Kai sighed tiredly. "I promised that I'd leave like you wanted me to as soon as you found someone who seemed to really love you."

Takao's eyes flashed in pain. "Is that what this is all about? To try to make me happy? And when did you make that promise anyways...I never heard it..." He sniffed angrily as tears began leaking out of his eyes. "D-did you really think that I'd be happy to know that you died, just because of some stupid thing I said in a fit of anger?"

Kai determinedly stared down at his lap.

"I-I'm sor-sorry..." Takao couldn't stop the tears from leaking out of his eyes now. He couldn't believe that Kai was willing to go this far for him. He took a deep breath. "K-Kai."

Kai remained motionless.

"I-I..." Takao gulped. "I love you!" He blurted out.

Kai's head shot up and stared incredulously at Takao. 'What the HELL?' Then he got angry. "I don't need your pity!" His eyes watered. No, he couldn't, no, he wouldn't cry.

Takao sniffled. "I-I'm not...I'm...I'm being serious. I-I do love you..." He whispered brokenly. "I j-just didn't figure it out until Yuri pointed it out to me."

Kai remained silent. He couldn't believe that Takao would do such a thing. He couldn't believe the whole situation in general! "Really." He said, flatly. He tried to reign in his emotions. "I don't believe you." He turned to look away from Takao.

Takao was torn. He didn't know what to do now. He hadn't thought that Kai loved him in return as he seemed to, but he also hadn't thought that Kai would actually try to commit suicide. "Wh-what do you want me t-to do?" Then he became more resolved. "What do you want me to do to prove that I love you? I'm not lying, and I'm not pitying you either. Just...just please, tell me what I can do to make you believe me."

Kai stayed silent. His mind was conflicted. He didn't know what to do. On one hand, he desperately wanted to believe Takao, but on the other hand, he didn't want to get hurt again. He really wouldn't survive a next time at this rate.

"Please..." Takao begged him.

"I-I..." Kai didn't know what to say. Kai turned to see the normally bright blue eyes tinted in sorrow and broke down. He took a deep breath. He just hoped that he didn't regret this decision. "I believe you."

Takao knelt on the ground, stunned that Kai actually believed him. He stood up and sat on the bed next to Kai, picking up the other's hands with his own. "Kai." He said softly. Kai refused to look at him. "Kai. Look at me."

Takao took a deep breath and began. "You don't know how sorry I am for this to have happened before I actually admitted that I love you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all this. If I had-"

Kai cut him off. "Stop it." Kai looked up to meet Takao's eyes. "Don't...don't apologize anymore."

"But-"

"Don't."

Takao stayed quiet for a moment. "I love you."

"...I know..."

"Will you please stay with me this time?"

"...alright..."

"Will you please stay with me and never do this again?"

"..."

"Will you..?"

"...I..."

"Please...?" Takao's voice held a slight measure of desperatity.

"I...alright..."

Takao shuffled closer to Kai and wrapped his arms around the other boy's thin waist. He buried his face in Kai's mop of hair and breathed deeply. "Oh god...I thought I lost you when you wouldn't breathe..."

"..." Kai didn't know what to say. It seemed that Takao really did care for him. "I...I love you too..."

"...Can we stay like this forever?"

"...sure..."

Silently, they both drifted off into a peaceful sleep as the day's events caught up with their weary bodies...

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Uh...talk about sappy... ...oh wells...I hope you enjoyed this...what do you guys think about Yuri? Was she too much of an OC? I meant for her to be someone like Hinata from Naruto...the 'understanding' part at least...and NO, it's not Tala...and YES, I know that Tala's Japanese/Russian name is Yuriy...

Read and review please? Pretty pretty pretty please???