Untitled, because seriously, just...no. There's like no title for this.
This oneshot is a response to the following wacko dare I received by email from some anonymous person:
'I bet you couldn't write a Kai/Tala fic that hints on that pairing for yaoi fans but isn't actually a yaoi/pairing fic.'
Yeah, when I received this, I was like WTF?! too. I wasn't even sure how I could go about writing something that could fall in the above category. I really didn't want to write it, but I was dared so I guess I HAVE to prove that I can write something like that while keeping the characters in character too xD Here I focused on the distance between Tala and Kai in season 3, which is made pretty obvious in the anime, particularly up to the world championship tournament stage.
This IS NOT a yaoi pairing fic. I don't write yaoi, as is stated on my profile page. But if yaoi fans read this and want to interpret it their way, that's out of my control. While I was writing this, I didn't have a pairing in mind, because I don't believe in this pairing. To me, Kai and Tala are friends in a brotherly way. That's all! So it was kinda hard thinking up a situation where I could capture tension and awkwardness, which is the feeling this work is supposed to radiate. I hope I managed to pull it off.
Scenario:: Tala's just lost his match against Daichi and encounters Kai in the locker room.
Untitled
By AngeLhearteD
Sometimes, there are no words.
But that doesn't mean they are not heard.
He was still in a state of shock as he slowly pushed the locker room door open. The room was empty. He stood for a moment, absorbing what this meant.
Bryan and Spencer had probably already returned to the hotel. They had been so embarrassed by his terrible performance that they had left the match early.
It was strange. Tala had expected them to remain seated. After all, they were his loyal team-mates. The already high level of disbelief at losing to Daichi – a completely new player to the international beyblade scene – had soared when he had looked over at the team bench to find only Kai remaining, arms folded, one leg crossed over the other.
He recalled Kai's expression. The slate-haired teenager's face, usually devoid of emotion, had displayed a very open look of disapproval and disdain; something that bordered on pure disgust. On meeting Tala's gaze, Kai had promptly risen from his seat and retreated into the indoor premises of the bey arena.
That look had hit Tala harder than any harsh censuring words could. Kai had the ability to soundlessly convey exactly what he was thinking with a single glance. The look had told Tala everything. Kai thought he was pathetic. Kai thought he was a joke to the professional game. Kai thought that Tala was not worthy of being his team-mate.
It made Tala angry. So he had made a mistake and underestimated Daichi. They were still the team with the highest points tally. Yes, the defeat was shameful considering his experience and reputation. But at least he had the courage to admit it, even if it was only to himself. Hadn't Kai underestimated an opponent before too, only a few years ago, when he had lost his title to a certain unknown Tyson Granger? Just what was Kai's problem? So what if Tala had taken longer than he should have to depose of Kenny, too. Why was it acceptable for Kai to mess up deliberately by launching his Dranzer blade out of the dish against Daichi, but it wasn't alright for Tala to lose a match that he had actually tried to win? Sure, he had been careless, and it wasn't like him to be careless, but Kai had absolutely no right to judge him.
I'm the captain here, Tala thought, teeth gritted, furious. He was beginning to think that it had been a mistake to allow Kai to rejoin the team. Even if he had done so partly because he wanted to further his own plans for revenge on a certain Boris Balkov; Kai couldn't be trusted. Kai was too unpredictable.
Tala's eyes slowly rose from the shiny, polished pale blue floor.
Kai was here.
Sure enough, he stood against the pale cream wall, arms folded, left leg crossed in front of the right, eyes closed. It was 'The Kai' stance, made famous by none other than yours truly.
Funny how Tala hadn't noticed him when he had first opened the door; Kai was always there one second and gone the next. In this instance, it was the other way around. But Tala knew it was likely that in the midst of his shocked stupor, he had failed to spot his team-mate standing beside the end of the row of metal lockers at the far right side of the room. He always seemed to make uncharacteristic slip-ups when it came to Voltaire Hiwatari's grandson.
Kai was merely doing what he did best. Well, second to being arrogant or third to being arrogant and a grouch, or fourth to being arrogant, a grouch and a traitor; he was making Tala feel threatened. The flame-haired Russian always felt like he had to be on extra alert around Kai. Because as much as he loathed admitting it, Kai was smart, and Kai was quick. If given the slightest opportunity, he could make a complete fool out of a very unfortunate and humiliated person. If given the slightest opportunity, Kai could make you feel very inferior, and very sorry, very fast.
Tala would not be made to feel inferior. He would not be humiliated. And he was going to make it clear to Kai that he was the one in charge on this team. He could discard Kai at any moment. He called the shots.
'It's time you explained yourself.' Tala said in Russian, in a tone of voice as icy as his very element.
Silence.
Closing the door behind him, Tala took a few steps forward, piercing gaze fixed on the younger teenager across the room.
'You're not leaving here until you tell me exactly why you threw your match against Daichi.'
Silence.
And then, with a deliberate slowness, Kai's head rose and the amethyst eyes fixed on Tala.
His expression was blank. But Tala's sharp eyes caught the faintest beginning of a sneer forming on the right corner of Kai's lips.
Did Tala seriously think that he could tell him what to do? Did Tala seriously think he could boss him around? All these years of knowing each other, and yet Tala didn't know him at all.
Rule number one when it came to dealing with Kai Hiwatari: Nobody, absolutely nobody, told him what to do. He was too proud, too wilful, too stubborn. Kai yielded to nothing. He took orders from no-one.
The smooth, quiet voice finally spoke up, and the trace of mockery and arrogance in the tone was unmistakable to Tala's ears.
'Same question.'
Tala was determined not to let Kai see that he was irritated.
'Don't try to pull that on me, Kai.' Tala continued in Russian, ignoring the fact that Kai had chosen to reply in English. 'I actually bladed against Daichi, whereas you decided to play target practice on Hiro. Which you missed, anyway.'
'I already told you.' Came the flat response, again, in English.
'Right, you have your reasons. I want to know what they are.' Tala said, walking forward until he stood in the middle of the room.
Kai's eyes lowered again.
'Hn.' Was all he offered.
No, Tala thought. He wouldn't let Kai worm his way out of this one using his mask of indifference.
'You'll answer me Kai. I won't have someone who deliberately throws away victory on my team.'
'Then kick yourself out first.'
Tala's face contorted into a frown.
'I didn't deliberately throw away victory.'
'You had to resort to your special attack. Against Kenny.'
Oh no. No. Tala knew exactly what Kai was doing. He was twisting the exchange to focus on Tala's faults.
Tala would not let him pull off his clever word games. Ignoring Kai's taunting remark, he shifted the conversation back to the original question.
'You deliberately threw the match against Daichi. Why?'
Silence.
'Answer me, Kai.' Tala said, through gritted teeth.
Silence.
Realising he wasn't going to get a response, the red-head decided it was time to deal his ace card. It was the only way to get a guaranteed reaction from the stoic teenager in front of him.
'It's because Tyson wasn't playing. Wasn't it?'
In a flash, Kai's eyes were on Tala again, and Tala knew he had struck something. Kai hadn't expected him to figure it out. It made Tala even more annoyed. Did Kai think he was an idiot? He knew very well that Kai hadn't rejoined the team out of pure enthusiasm for representing Russia, his land of birth. He knew Kai had ulterior motives.
Tala relentlessly continued, sensing he now had the upper hand. He stalked forward, like a wolf closing in on its prey.
'If Tyson had been playing, there's no way you would've launched outside the dish.'
Anybody else would have stopped pushing their luck by now. Kai's eyes were full of warning. They were full of danger.
Tala was forgetting one very important thing. Although Kai had his back to a wall, he was no prey at the merciless advances of a wolf. Prey was helpless.
Kai was anything but helpless. Especially when cornered and forced on the defensive.
'I'm right aren't I, Kai?' Tala demanded, stopping a mere arm's length away from Kai.
Kai's fury was like a rumbling volcano. Just waiting for the exact conditions in which it would finally erupt. Just waiting for the final push.
Closing his eyes, mastering that anger, he unfolded his arms and pushed himself away from the wall. He began to move to the right, meaning to step around Tala, but he only managed to step in front of the last locker at the end of the row when Tala's left hand angrily slammed into the locker beside it, effectively blocking any further movement. Surprised but making sure not to express it, Kai's gaze rose to find Tala's face mere inches from his own. His eyes marginally widened as they rested on the sharp tip of Tala's nose directly before his line of vision. Tala was too close. Far, far too close. Kai's personal space was being violently invaded, but he resisted the enormous, unbearable urge to tilt his head to one side to create more space between their faces.
He could practically feel Tala's light breathing. Involuntarily, he held his own breath, silently outraged by the fact that Tala had actually succeeded in making him feel uncomfortable and threatened.
'I said you aren't leaving until you answer me.' Tala's voice had dropped to a slow and menacing low tone.
The feeling of being cornered, of being interrogated, of being forced to remain in place against his will, made Kai see red. He would not be intimidated. Tala failed to instantly recognise the devastating consequences of his mistake. When he had slammed his palm against the locker, his right hand had almost automatically grabbed hold of the front of Kai's scarf. Tala wasn't aware that his fist was clutching the white fabric until Kai's eyes, without warning, locked onto his.
The amethyst depths were now tinged with amber. A screaming warning in itself. The sheer intensity of Kai's gaze, combined with the devastatingly hypnotic colour, was like a physical slap to the face, and Tala finally realised that Kai had made him lose his cool in a way only he could do. In a moment of pure frustration, he had made a very big mistake.
Kai's voice, when it came to him, was pure fire. It sliced like a razor sharp knife. Cold and cutting. Unblinking, unmoving, his words, this time delivered in ruthless Russian, were a command that would not be disobeyed; the voice of complete and devastating authority.
'Let go.'
Tala saw the pure violent danger in Kai's eyes, and knew he had gone too far. He didn't need to hear any more words. Kai's expression, or sudden lack of it, told him everything. He was silently fuming that once again he was being forced to give way and let his wayward team-mate off the hook yet again. But there was nothing for it. That piercing gaze just dared Tala to defy him. And Tala knew that if he pushed it any further, Kai would be out. He would abandon the team in an instant, and Tala still needed him to get to Boris. And so with a great reluctance at failing to get any answers, he let go and stepped back. The moment his grip loosened and fell away, Kai had swiftly moved, and was gone.
He didn't know how long he remained standing there, in front of the locker. His thoughts were a furore of anger and bitterness. Time seemed to stand still.
'Tala?'
He hadn't even heard the door open again, hadn't heard Spencer come in. All he could think about was how Kai had won yet again.
Yet again, Tala had been made to feel inferior. Once again he had failed to stamp down on his authority.
And once again, Kai had made him look like a complete fool.
Author's Note:
Yeah there, it's done! OMFG. That's as close as I'll ever, EVER get to writing a fic of that kind! So does it qualify as a yaoi fic that's not really a yaoi fic, only subtle and suggestive? It doesn't even seem suggestive to me, just awkward, which is what I was going for, because I just can't write anything even remotely suggestive between these two. My brain kind of freezes over and my fingers refuse to type! Gawd I'm never doing this again. To the person who dared me, I DID IT! And hell I tried keeping them in character despite the awkward errrm...situation. Please people heal my traumatized brain by reviewing. OMFG I was dying writing the part where their faces were inches apart. DYING I TELL YOUUUU. It just wouldn't happen! But yeah, I forced it to happen in this. Unh. Any more dares? Next I'll be getting KaixOC requests, good gawd. Anyways, just review please. Did I get the tension across well? Did I describe gorgeous Kai's eyes well enough? Did I fail my WTF challenge in general? Let me know!