Hey! How's everyone doin'?

This right here is a b-day present for Olv1993~!
She said she didn't want anything…but I couldn't resist! So…there's this. xD

I hope you all enjoy it. 'Livvy especially! 83

Disclaimer: Beyblade Metal Fusion isn't miiiiine. If it was, Reiji would show up again and Tobio would be in every episode because he is amazing. ;D

Traces of sadness
No more chain me to the ground
I am limitless
Ever since you came around

-"Zero Gravity" by Kerli

The Power of Glue

Until recently, I believed that there was only one set future for everyone. One set path that they must follow, and no matter how they'd like to change it, there would be no chance of that. Because it was the way things were meant to be.

But, after my first battle with Gingka Hagane, I began to question my view of things. Just a little bit, mind you. I questioned it just a little bit more when my roommate at the Dark Nebula came back from his battle with Gingka. And by the end of my second battle with the amazing Gingka, I had almost completely abandoned the idea.

This would explain why I hadn't hesitated to let the infamous Reiji Mizuchi live with me – even after experiencing quite a terrifying battle with him. I knew that Reiji had lost everything when the Dark Nebula collapsed, and I knew that there was nothing ahead of him but sadness. Therefore, I took it upon myself to change that.

I was fascinated by this new idea of changing the future…I wanted to see more of it in action. If it really was possible to stop unpleasant things from occurring, then I could be doing a lot more than just predicting.

...POV Change...

Ryutaro Fukami stretched before curling up under his covers, trying to ignore the awkward atmosphere as best as he could.

It was his second night with Reiji in his 'house'. The first night had been even worse, with Tobio there as well. Earlier in the day, though, Tobio had gone home, planning to sleep in his own house tonight so he could avoid the awkwardness.

Ryutaro didn't mind, he got the feeling that Reiji was more uncomfortable with Tobio around anyway.

Even after spending two days with the redhead, the fortuneteller was quite amazed at how quiet he was. He was used to the taunting Reiji from the beybattles he'd seen…and experienced himself for that matter.

But this Reiji was different. He was quiet, and actually pretty meek. He'd even found Reiji hiding once…it had taken some persuasion to get him to come out. Though, sometimes Ryutaro still noticed Reiji looking as though he wanted to hide when he was feeling overwhelmed by his thoughts. …Or so the fortuneteller guessed, anyway.

Back to the present, Reiji still (of course) wasn't accustomed to living with Ryutaro. He seemed to be having trouble getting to sleep, even.

…Actually, thinking again, perhaps yesterday it hadn't been as awkward…Tobio, at least, had managed to fall asleep after a while which made it easier for Ryutaro to do so. Now, it being just him and Reiji…and with Reiji just lying there staring at the ceiling…the redhead didn't even appear to be trying to sleep.

"Is…everything all right, Reiji?" Ryutaro asked, looking over at Reiji with kind eyes.

"…" Reiji glanced at him and blinked before returning to watching the ceiling.

Once that 'conversation' had been over for about half an hour, Ryutaro finally deemed it safe to roll over and get some sleep.

...

The next day, Tobio showed up again around lunchtime.

"This is even more awkward than before," the sniper grumbled. He and Ryutaro were sitting on the 'porch' to the fortuneteller's 'house' as they talked.

Ryutaro sighed. "It's not his fault, he can't help it…. Right now he's experiencing something akin to culture shock."

"He'll get used to it eventually."

The fortuneteller blinked. "Of course he will, but until then things will continue to be awkward."

"So basically, you're telling me to deal with it and stop complaining," Tobio stated, bluntly as usual.

"…Why must you always restate whatever I say?" Ryutaro sounded almost exasperated.

"Because you make it way more complicated than it needs to be!"

Even though he'd originally planned to go home, Tobio wound up spending the night again. And Ryutaro still couldn't decide if it was better with or without him.

He guessed it might just be a little better when he fell asleep without much trouble.

...

As the other two slept peacefully, Reiji was busy pondering something. This particular something had been on his mind ever since Ryutaro had come to find him and had brought him home.

No one had ever done anything as nice as that for the redhead before. Reiji himself wouldn't dream of doing something so nice for anyone else. He'd been raised to treat others cruelly, so this whole 'nice' thing was still very alien to him.

…It was sometimes downright awkward.

Reiji never knew what to say, or how to act…so he sat there quietly most of the time, doing his best to soak things in. Even that was difficult as sometimes all he wanted to do was run back to the familiar dark room where he'd spent the majority of his life. Back to where people didn't do kind things and where completely dominating your opponents and destroying their happiness was all that really mattered.

But still. There was something oddly comforting about this place that kept the redhead from leaving.

He still thought that Ryutaro was exceptionally strange though…to have taken him in and cared for him since…Reiji couldn't quite understand just why anyone would do that.

The redhead propped himself up on his elbow and stared at the sleeping fortuneteller next to him. There was a lot he wanted to know, but he couldn't focus on anything but the giant WHY that was bouncing around in his head.

When Ryutaro had picked him up he hadn't offered any explanation besides "you can't stay here like this any longer". Reiji even had trouble understanding what he'd meant by that….

Quite suddenly, Ryutaro stirred and Reiji just blinked as the other teen woke up.

It was Ryutaro's turn to blink as he noticed Reiji seemed to be watching him. "Reiji…?"

The redhead flopped back down on his back, his hair covering his eyes in the process.

"Can't you sleep?" Ryutaro asked quietly.

Reiji just shook his head.

"Something's been bothering you?" the fortuneteller guessed.

Reiji nodded.

"…Can I help?"

Behind his hair, Reiji blinked again. "Why?"

Ryutaro smiled warmly, though he was unsure if Reiji could see him. "Because I want to."

The redhead's eyebrow twitched slightly. That still really didn't explain anything. "…Why?"

The fortuneteller paused for a while, thinking. "So your future changes for the better."

Even though he didn't quite understand, Reiji thought it somehow felt nice hearing Ryutaro say something like that.

AWKWARD ENDING ALERT! Well, the whole story was sort of one big awkward party, but whatever. XD
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that, and happy birthday, my friend! 8D

…I'm not sure how I feel about this story. Does it make sense? Please tell me it makes sense! It was hard to write. :\ …I hope it isn't boring, and I hope it didn't seem vague or pointless. ^_^;

Tobio wasn't even supposed to show up. I can't control myself, apparently. …Oh well, his fault for being so…cute…!

BUT I HOPE I put enough focus on Reiji here. Writing Reiji is troublesome for me. Though, I have a pretty better hold on how I want his characterization to be after Ryutaro helps him, so maybe that's why.

About the title…I really put that there before writing very much of this, so it doesn't fit as much anymore. But initially it was called The Power of Glue because glue sticks things together and fixes stuff, which is what Ryutaro wants for Reiji, to be, like, fixed and put back toegether…so yeah.

Well, it's about time for me to stop rambling and ask for you all to be kind enough to drop me a review! 83 I would appreciate it veryveryvery much! :3