Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade. The song break-line used is How we Kill Stars by Shaka Ponk.
Warnings: grammar. The grammar killed me. It's not that awful but I had to fix myself until I was sure the Have\Had\laid\lied placing was correct. Meh.
From the moment they laid eyes on each other, it was clear as a day they had a problem.
Rei halted in the center of the small main-living room, glancing over his shoulder with hands raised above him as he tied a red hairtie around his long, cascading ponytail. Bryan stopped at the door behind him, half a foot inside, holding a purple backpack hunched over his shoulder and hand still on the door handle.
It was odd, to meet each other face to face again like that, and what made it odder was their casual attire. Bryan, though still in army boots, wore midnight blue baggy pants and a matching jacket with lavender T-shirt under it, and Rei was clad in mid-shin black trousers and simple red T-shirt instead of his traditional chinese, white outfit. Even his headband and the gloves were gone.
Kon Rei was rarely seen with his hair out of its bindings and almost never seen wearing something out of his traditional Chinese domain, not to mention black above-waist, and Bryan... well, their usual clothes, like to many other Bladers, sort of became their formal Bey-battle uniforms.
They've also only seen each other at Beyblade events, and always surrounded by their teams, and never really paid much attention to the other. They had no reason to interact again, so they never met personally like this, and the lack of their usual uniforms only made things more... personally awkward.
Especially since they seemed to be thinking the same.
The Russian stepped back to read the name-plate on the door then at the key in his hand. His annoyed 'Tsk' confirmed that it was indeed the numbered room he was assigned to.
He was out of sight in a heartbeat, the black-haired hot on his trail.
. . .
—A high correction and love way connection—
. . .
They didn't even knock, just burst the door open in a fairly silent whoosh, causing Hitoshi to choke and spit on his coffee and nearly drop the cup from surprise on the bed, as they instantly stepped into the bedroom and unceremoniously announced that they wanted to change rooms. Or rather — roomates. Or rather — Rei did the announcing and Bryan kept quiet but the Trainer suspected he spoke for them both.
It took the older Kinomiya a few seconds to recollect himself and gather his dignity back, including lifting himself from the awkward position he fell onto, with one hand supporting his weight on the mattress and the other gripping the slipping cup for its dear life.
He took a deep breath and tried to settle his heartbeat back into normal pace, putting his coffee on the nightstand.
"Ok, good evening to you too. Now you can tell me what you want. Clearly."
Rei repeated his words. Clearly.
The male looked at them.
He set down on the bed crossed legs and eyed them suspiciously. "Is this about what happened at the Russian tournament few years ago?"
"Maybe." Came a vague reply from the Chinese and Hitoshi observed them with piqued interest. Rei stood idly with his eyes cast away, ponytail dangling behind him. Bryan, several good inches taller than Rei, stood beside him slumped in a bored manner, hands in his pockets. The older Kinomiya sighed curtly in slight irritation. "How old are you again? I didn't expect the two of you to act like resentful children. Surely you two are mature enough to get over a quarrel that happened a few years ago?" He dryly noted with arched eyebrow. Well, quarrel might be an understatement, but he needed to get them to think of this as something small and petty or they'll never get over it.
No reply came. In fact—there was on reaction at all. They held their postures and just kept silent, as if Hitoshi said nothing. Hitoshi deflated again. Seems like it was up to him to settle this whole ordeal.
"Rei, you do realize it wasn't entirely Bryan's fault, right?"
"Of course. He was only doing what Borkov ordered him to do. It was his upbringing."
"Then you shouldn't hold grudge against him for—"
"It's not grudge." Rei cut him bluntly, looking at him. "We simply dislike each other."
Again, Hitoshi observed them longly, eyes wide. "Alright," he said after few moments, closing his eyes and leaning back, hands placed on the mattress to support his weight on the bed. "Tell me why you dislike each other, then."
"He tried to kill me."
"He lived."
"What—" Hitoshi nearly fell back in astonishment, bringing his hands back in front of him, blinking dumbly. Considering how uncooperative they were only seconds ago their reply was way too quick.
"See? You can't like someone who tried to kill you and you can't like someone who survived your wholehearted murder attempt. It's just mutual Dislike. It's not going to change, even if we have gotten over that battle three years ago."
"Are you over it?" Kinomiya glanced at them skeptically.
"If we weren't we would have been at each over's throats right now, rather than coming to you."
"I have a certain difficulty comprehending the logic behind that statement." Hitoshi said dryly.
"So can we-"
"No. unfortunately I don't have spare rooms and everyone are already settled in theirs. I'm not going to bother anyone just because you two can't get along."
"We can get along," Rei muttered under his breath. "We just don't want to."
"You're speaking like it's easier for you to hate each other rather than actually try to get along."
"It is."
"Rei—"
"We can't be the only ones who complained about the rooming arrangements." Bryan stepped in with his hunched posture, almost coming to stand between Rei and Hitoshi —almost protectively, or at least the gesture seemed like that, and Hitoshi found it... bizarre.
"Yes, but the girls are on a separate floor and I am not mixing you." The Couch said firmly. "Besides, these numbers have a living room and a separate bedroom each, so one of you can sleep on the couch. You'll just have to endure it, quietly."
In other words, don't make a scene. Or a mayhem.
"Am I clear?" He looked at them hard, expecting a confirmation that they understand. Bryan turned and stomped to the door, with vexed gleam in his eyes and clearly dissatisfied. At least he knew how to control his temper, Hitoshi thought. Rei stayed behind.
"Who of the girls complained?" He asked in his usual, just-curious tone. Hitoshi muttered without thinking.
"Hiromi and Ming-ming."
"Good luck with that." Rei wished him emphatically in amusement and got out of the room too.
Hitoshi released a deep sigh and robbed his eyes. Rei's tone clearly held no sincerity with that Luck wishing, and it took him few seconds to realize that non of them gave him the confirmation that they understood his order.
They also didn't close the door.
Unlike the too extremely angry girls who came to him earlier, both boys were good at keeping their emotions at bay so he didn't expect a public outburst, but if they did hold grudge against someone, at the moment it could only be him.