Sakyo x Shinobu

Haloween theme

PG

Shinobu wasn't interested in this holiday, yet someone would drag him into a situation that he wouldn't have found himself in had he just gone home.

"Come on Shinobu, it'll be fun!" Zero tried to make him see that it was going to be a good night, but Shinobu wasn't interested.

"No, I think I'll just head home," He declined, refusing to add that he thought it was stupid for all of them to go along, just because they had learned that Mal had never gone out for Halloween.

Zero having heard that declared that they would take her out and Ren had managed to find a cat costume for the young girl to wear. The blonde blader was going to go along as well, to try and keep Zero in line, although as far as Shinobu was concerned Mal would manage that just fine.

Then he remembered that she was meant to be the child on this night and agreed that Ren had a point, this was to give Mal something that she had missed out on in the past.

He waved at them and Ren told him to mind himself, although he didn't pay too much attention to her warning, after all he would be in his house before it even got dark, what trouble could he get in that time?

Tonight he just wanted to go home, close the curtains and pretend that he wasn't in. He just didn't want to deal with the kids coming round to his place, particularly in case they were anyone he knew. He liked being private, no one needed to know where he lived.

He turned around sharply and glared at the male who was following him.

"You are starting to get there," Sakyo said with a smirk.

"Why are you following me?"

"I want to make sure you get home safely, after all that has been going on,"

Shinobu rolled his eyes; "Anything could happen, regardless of the…" He shot another glare at him; "You've been following me every night haven't you?"

Sakyo chuckled and nodded, not bothering to deny it; "Of course. I can't let anyone touch what is mine,"

"Damn you," He walked away quickly, hoping Sakyo would just get the hint and leave him alone; How did he manage to follow me? Why didn't I notice earlier?

"I would have thought," Sakyo began easily keeping up with him; "That you would have been doing something tonight,"

Shinobu never looked at him; "It's a night for kids,"

He smirked; "Really? No time for fun?"

"No time for fun?" Shinobu repeated and wondered what he was talking about; "It's just a silly night, what's so…" Before he could finish his sentence Sakyo grabbed him and gently kissed him although he pulled back; "Sakyo, stop,"

"Afraid of your friends seeing us?" Sakyo almost hissed out and Shinobu flinched, but he never denied it; "Let's go," He took his arm, the one that had only just healed and pulled him along, going past his house and towards the park.

"Sakyo, I am going…" He tried to pull away but Sakyo never let go and his arm didn't have the strength it had before, due to it being in plaster for so long.

"You need to train more,"

"What do you think I've been doing?" Shinobu demanded from him; "I just want to go home and…"

"You've trained with Zero and that other girl. You know their moves and they know yours," Sakyo told him and let him go as they came to a large bey dish.

Shinobu just looked at him before he got his launcher and Salamander bey out, ready to battle. He took a breath, still unsure if he could do this, after all the battle against Kira was something completely different… He had felt true fear as the battle came to its conclusion.

As they battled, he couldn't help himself from flinching at every attack that hit Salamander and then when Sakyo called for his Dark Knight Dragoon to come, he crumbled, he never gave an order to Salamander to attack or defend or anything, his mind just went blank.

"You're not battling like you normally do," Sakyo said as his bey returned to his hand, he looked at Shinobu; "You didn't just break your arm in that battle, you lost your blader's spirit too,"

He looked away but he knew that Sakyo's words were true. He did lose something in that battle, he felt fear and he allowed that fear to take over him, he gave up, his blader's spirit just left him.

How can I defeat Zero when I am such a coward?

"You need to remember why you are part of this sport,"

Shinobu just looked at his bey before tucking it away under his jacket, feeling ashamed of himself and how he had let Salamander down by just giving in like a wimp.

"I can't," He shook his head and felt like he should give up, although there was a small part of him that wanted to keep trying, but that fear… that fear was still there.

"Yes you can. Why is that blader defeating you affecting you so badly?"

"Because of his power," Shinobu whispered and shook his head.

"His power?"

"Yes, there was something… wrong. His bey isn't approved by the WBBA,"

"Illegal bey's," Sakyo stated; "It's not unheard of, the WBBA shouldn't be surprised by this, it was always going to happen,"

"But his power is…"

"Something you have to overcome," Sakyo told him; "How's the arm?"

Shinobu wiggled his fingers; "Fine, aches a bit,"

"I will train with you now,"

"What? I already train…"

"Zero won't help you, didn't I already say?"

"I heard that but Benkei trains us too,"

"Who?" Sakyo frowned and shrugged it off; "Lie to them, you need to focus on yourself, you need to train without them around,"

"But…" Shinobu stopped seeing that it wouldn't help him, those red eyes told him that Sakyo's word was final and no arguing would help him.

They walked away from the park, Shinobu thought over everything that Sakyo had told him and knew that he had a point; he needed to train with someone else, or how would he become stronger?

He was so lost in his thoughts that he bumped into Sakyo who was staring straight ahead at these bladers, who all appeared to be dressed as zombies.

"Tch, so last time wasn't enough for you?" Sakyo said and smirked at them, getting his bey out and ready to launch.

"Last time?" Shinobu repeated and took out his own bey.

"Stay focused Shinobu," Sakyo said softly as the zombie bladers launched and they countered.

Although the zombie bladers had a greater number Sakyo and Shinobu had power and skill. Of course it did seem that it was never ending, the more bladers they knocked out it seemed to double the amount that attacked.

"Huh, so you did learn something the last time," Sakyo smirked at them; "Dark Knight Dragoon!"

Shinobu knew what would happen and got his Salamander out of the way as Sakyo made his bey knock out a good number of them, pushing the bladers off their feet. However he still had his own number of bladers slamming into Salamander.

Taking a deep breath he used his own finishing move, a move he hadn't done since he had been defeated by Kira.

It knocked the remaining blades away, although more came after him and he repeated the attack, Shinobu was unaware of Sakyo being there, his focus being on the battle, his refusal to lose again. When it became clear that Shinobu was losing strength that was when Dark Knight Dragoon came in to blast the remaining zombies away.

"I think we are done here," Sakyo said as his bey returned to his hand again; "Come,"

Shinobu walked after him, looking at his bey; "Am I weak?"

"What?" Sakyo looked at him, surprised at the question; "Yes,"

Shinobu felt that comment hit him like a sharp knife being plunged into his heart, he felt himself become cold to the man who should be supporting him and surely he shouldn't say such a thing to some he called a lover.

They came up to his home; neither had said a word and Shinobu brushed past him to unlock the door, once open Sakyo gently pushed him inside and closed the door after himself.

"Go and shower, I'll get the tea,"

"This isn't your home," Shinobu bristled; "Get out,"

"No,"

"I don't need your help, I'm not…" Shinobu began once again, only to feel Sakyo's hand wrap around his still delicate arm and winced.

"You're still healing, go," He gently pushed him towards the stairs.

"Why did you call me weak?"

"You are, you aren't the strong, self-possessed blader that I met before," Sakyo told him; "That last battle, against Kira, has knocked your confidence in yourself, yet your bey is as strong as ever,"

"I…"

"Go," Sakyo said and gently kissed his lips, pulling back and grinning at him; "Or do I have to help you shower?"

"Tch, I'll be fine," He went up the stairs, shaking his head and muttering while Sakyo just chuckled and moved to make some tea.

He'll regain his spirit soon.