I wanted to do a fic since Christmas is around the corner so...
ENJOY!!!
I do not own Beyblade! ^^

(Ray's POV)

December 18th

--Ah, Christmastime. What a time indeed. If only every single day Tyson and Max weren't driving me to the brink of insanity and Kai was actually around most of the time, this time would be just perfect.

I wrote this down in my journal, something Hilary bugged me to do, since she said it reduced stress (yeah right!).

--With Christmas just around the corner, it seems everyone has more on their minds than usual.

That was all too true. And what was worse was that there was a tournament going on that would run right over Christmas, which just plain sucked.

--I wonder if Christmas this year will be any good, since we're all away from our families and stressed out by the competition.

I looked up from my red and gold journal to see if anyone was around. Not. A. Soul.

I was alone in our hotel room, which was somewhat good for me. No Tyson or Max to make me want to jump out the window (with us being on the twenty-seventh floor); no anyone to bother me.

I sighed and stood up to stretch, then returned to my journal.

--I'm still wondering what I should get everyone for the holidays. Just because we're away from home doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't celebrate!

I decided to write down a list of things that I could get for the team and the rest of the Bladers.

--Max: anything cute (which is easy)

--Tyson: the best Christmas dinner he's ever seen (again, very easy)

--Hilary: a new outfit (still easy)

--Kenny: computer case (he needs one)

--Mariah: a make-up kit (she's been giving hints *rolls eyes*)

--Lee: new punching bag (he ripped his old one)

--Gary: new horse figurine (. . .)

--Kevin: an encyclopedia (he actually asked me for it)

--Tala: a new camera (he asked me too)

--Brian: the hair gel I use to keep my bangs under control (easy)

--Spencer: (doesn't want a present)

--Ian: same

--Kai: . . .

I stopped when I came to Kai. Why? Here's the thing.

I HAVE NO IDEA ON WHAT TO POSSIBLY GET HIM.

Since he barely talks at all (much less about himself), I had basically no freaking clue on what to get him!!!

I sighed and shut my journal. I hid it back in my suitcase and walked out onto the balcony that extended from the room Kai and I shared. I looked down from my spot on the twenty-seventh floor and sighed again. If I was going to get a gift for everyone then that would mean I couldn't leave Kai out, right? Right.

I walked out of the room and decided to head downstairs to the park across the street. Walking outside (especially when it was cold out) always helped me think. I grabbed my coat, my wallet and the hotel key and headed downstairs.

When I reached the park, I spotted a booth. It was one of those "test your luck" games. I was bored and didn't have anything else better to do, so I decided to give it a shot. I paid the guy running the booth and he showed me what to do.

"Reach in the box here and pull out one of the different colored balls." he said. "Each color represents what prize you get. The grand prize is a pack of ten free-gaming passes for the carnival coming up. With those passes, you could play any game in the carnival and not have to pay."

Thinking about it, those passes would be nice to have. Tyson would be able to try to master one game all day and not waste a penny. I smiled to myself at that thought and reached into the box. I noticed that a small crowd had formed behind me, so decided to hurry up and claim my prize. I fiddled around and picked one. I pulled out a white ball with gold stripes. The crowd gasped behind me and I looked up at the chart.

"I Won The Grand Prize?!!" I gasped, astonished. "Who woulda thought?"

The manager's eyes widened and he reached down and handed me the passes.

"You're one lucky guy." he said. I nodded and left the booth, everyone in the crowd asking to take their chance at it. As I began my stroll around the park, I felt happier all of a sudden. For some reason, I felt my luck was about to just get better. With that thought lingering at the back of my head, I wandered around for a few minutes before I came to the playground. Even with it being so cold, there were a lot of kids playing. I smiled at the sight of them and continued on my way. Around the area, I noticed that there were a lot of booths set up along the street. Curious, I walked over to an elderly woman selling necklaces.

"Excuse me." I said. "But do you know why there're so many booths?"

"It's for business." she answered. "You see, lots of us are like wandering merchants in these parts. We only come by at the best times, like right now for example. We like setting up our booths around here where it's busy and keep our prices low because lots of people don't like spending too much money during the holidays."

"I see." I said. "That's practical."

I looked down the road and counted about fifteen other booths scattered around.

"Here." the woman said, holding out a Yin-Yang necklace. "Take it as a gift. Keep the Yin and give the Yang to someone you care about. I've had all the necklaces blessed so their keepers would be protected and have fair luck."

I smiled and took it.

"Thank you." I said, and left with a smile.

'Someone I care about, huh?' I wondered. Then an image of Kai appeared in my head. 'Wait a minute, why am I thinking about Kai? Oh yeah! I have to figure out what to get him as a gift!! Think, Ray, think!!'

I kept walking as I thought about it. Then you wouldn't guess who I saw buying something from one of the booths. It was Kai!! He was at a booth that was selling cosplay props, like shoes and bracelets. Kai thanked the man running the booth and kept walking, checking out the other booths. He stopped at another and pulled out a piece of paper. He nodded and slipped it back into his pocket. He then started talking to the woman running the booth of sports gear. She pulled out a hat with a sign on it that said "I'M #1!!!". Kai looked it over and paid the woman, who gave him a bag for it. I got it now, he was Christmas shopping!! I laughed to myself, knowing how embarrassed Kai'd be if Tyson found out, since Tyson would probably nag him to death about what he was buying and for who. I thought about what I was planning to do for the day, and figuring that I had absolutely nothing to do, I decided to play spy and follow Kai on his Christmas shopping. Who knew? Maybe I'd find out what to get him.

After a half hour, I had seen Kai buy that #1 hat, a board game (it was in a different language), a pair of fancy sunglasses, an "I'm with an Idiot" shirt, and a few novels. Kai stopped in front of a store and stared up at the sign. "Lenceria Ooh-La-La" was what the store was called. I could tell Kai didn't want to go in there, but he swallowed his pride and calmly walked inside. I doubt it was less than two seconds before Kai came back out with a bag of something. I didn't want to know.

I followed him to a cafe and looked at my watch. It was twelve-thirty, lunchtime. I was hungry and liked the cafe he went into so I would just pretend to wander in for a bite to eat and "just happen to run into him". I waited for him to get seated and I walked on in. I made sure to aim for a table that would make me walk past Kai so I would "coincidentally" run into him. I chuckled to myself as I walked and "noticed" Kai was there.

"Oh hey Kai." I said. Kai jerked his head up and his eyes went wide at the sight of me.

"Oh, uh, hey Ray." he stuttered.

"Funny meeting you here." I said. "Thought you didn't like places like this."

Then I pretended to just notice the bags.

"What's with all the bags?" I asked, holding back a chuckle.

"Nothing!" Kai said.

I chuckled.

"So... you alone?" I asked.

Kai nodded.

"Mind if I join you?" I asked, smiling.

"Uh, sure why not?" Kai replied, and I sat down across from him. The waitress came by and we both ordered lunch. We both decided just to have a quick helping of noodles. While we waited for our food, I decided to get some "answers" out of Kai (though I already knew everything).

"So, Kai," I said, "those bags from Christmas shopping?"

Kai avoided looking me straight in the face, but nodded.

"It's amazing that you can figure out what to get everyone." I said. "I'm still completely clueless about what to get for a few of them."

"Just wing it." he said. "Wander around aimlessly and the right thing to get them will come by, works for me."

"Really?" I asked, wondering whether or not I should give Kai the other half of the Yin-Yang necklace, then I remembered the grand prize!!

"Uh, Kai?" I asked. He glanced at me. "Well, I was wondering if you might be interested in the carnival coming up. Earlier I won some free game passes and figured that uhm… Oh, never mind, forget I said anything!!"

"You wanted me to go?" Kai asked.

I avoided eye contact and nodded.

"Sure, I'll go." Kai said, surprising me.

"Really?!" I asked.

"Well, with everything getting so tense, it'd might help get some stress off." He replied.

'YAY!!!' I exclaimed in my head.

"It's on the twentieth," I said, "and I'll try to get everyone to come, we all need a load off."

Kai smiled slightly and nodded in agreement.

I couldn't wait for the twentieth!!

I can't wait for the twentieth either.
I don't know why, I just do.
Working on next chapter!!!
^^