SUMMARY: Kai Hiwatari just turned of age. A family heirloom awaits. Responsibility forcing him to step out of the Beyblade world and into one with completely different set of rules. Life expected him to come unarmed and alone. Life was wrong. And Ray expected he had no choice but to go back home to China. Ray was wrong as well.
A/N: So, here's the thing. I'm celebrating! BOO-YA! I finished my book (2nd rewrite - the one that MATTERS).
No, not this book. This is not a book. XD My original work. War of Wings (found on FictionPress - check it in my profile).
So, I want to make SOMEONE happy, butI'm updating that thing every 2 weeks and the due date isn't here yet. So, why not you people? Huh?
I mean, I should probably be working - you know, that thing that makes MONEY, or sleeping to be rested for that thing that makes MONEY, but whatever.
This is going to be a series of connected one-shots (not one story, but you know, happenings on the time-line). Related to Street-blader and The Pits, but you don't need to read any of them to enjoy this. It's going to be a grow-together, perhaps even yaoi romance, I have no clue. I've got ideas, but they're not written yet.
Terms and conditions of additional chapters on the bottom of the page! It has to do with REVIEWS and prostitutes.
RULES OF A DIFFERENT GAME
[Chapter 1]
The Choice
The huge clock in the Bay city airport showed 13:30 when Kai glanced at it for the third time in what was obviously the last five minutes. He was growing increasingly nervous ever since Max left on his plane at 10:00 that morning. There was just something about the boy leaving Japan that tugged on Kai's conscience even though he refused to admit it. He'd grown close to the BladeBreakers in the last few years, and now they were all going their separate ways. Sure, they were gonna see each other at every possible occasion; Kai's business will bring him to Japan quite often and the others had their own motives. Max and Tyson still had one year on the tournament and they will probably use it gladly. Even Ray could still come back for one year, if he so chose; the judges were bound to make an exception for him - he would turn 18 during the games and not before them like Kai did.
Speaking of the tiger … the boy was standing near his exit looking at the displayed time-schedule for the last half an hour. His hair in their usual wrappings flickered through the air for every nervous stroll of five feet up and down that the young teenager managed. Even now, his eyes darted down at his ticket to China and up where the red numbers blinked.
He and Kai kept distance ever since Tyson departed an hour ago - becoming too hungry to stay put. Kai and Ray gave him a go, telling him they were going to be fine and neither of them will be stuck here for long. They would hear each other over the phone or over the Internet every week, and when anybody would touch down in Japan again, Chief was to be informed so he can pass the news on to Tyson.
Still, Kai's head was more stuck on Max hugging him than Tyson giving him a friendly shake of the hand. He always had a soft spot for the blond boy for some weird reason. Less like a rival than the other two and more like a little brother that made him proud over and over again.
After a short, but awkward situation where he and Ray pointed each to their own exits and told the time of their departing, they slowly drifted apart. Kai's mind was full of expectations about his arrival to Russia. About the Hiwatari Enterprises he would now be a full CEO of and the duties that came with it. About the paperwork and the numberless amount of signatures he would have to deal with. About loneliness that waited for him there - an empty void of some sort after the overwhelming company that were BladeBreakers.
Leaning on the wall with his hands crossed, Kai decided to check the outer world again. This time he would not check the clock. His mind would snap if he found out that less than five minutes have passed since the start of his musings. No. His plane leaves ten minutes after Ray's and if the other is still in his usual spot, then the time hadn't come yet.
Sure enough, Ray was chewing on his lip at the square pillar, right bellow the flight announcements. He hadn't so much as glanced in Kai's direction for ages. His mind too occupied for any contact, even with the master of anti-sociality. And Kai knew what that was about.
Ray was returning to China. Even if just three months ago he admitted that he wasn't ready to settle on one spot, marry the pink-fluffy thing and becoming the leader of the village. After the victory, Kai could see the boy glancing at him from the corner of his eye on occasion, opening his mouth to ask or speak, but words never carrying any sound as they left him. The last time they conversed about this situation, Kai told him that "You should follow what your elders say. Or you could chose not to." It was nothing if not controversial and really unhelpful, yet he could see Ray thinking about it every day. But at the end, practicality won. Ray had nowhere else to go to, refusing to stay alone at Tyson's for obvious reasons - the 'world champ' would make him a slave of the kitchen and the tiger would never see the daylight again -, informing Mr Dickinson that he does not feel comfortable leeching of BBA's money as the company just got back to its feet after the BEGA incident two years ago. He only had two choices left: get a job and fast to pay for own apartment, or leave for home where a house was waiting for him, complete with a wife and a title.
And everybody ended up with their family - some more happy than others about it, but family was where it all of it came to a close. Except for Kai. For him it ended up with his family's business. Alone in some large house, with tons of paper work and no visitors except for some psychotic ex-team-mates if they were up for it. Even beyblading was out of his grasp now.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. He grumbled at the thought, then cursed mentally as he noticed himself checking out the time again. 13:45. Ray's plane will start boarding in five minutes. Obviously that much was known to the Chinese as well, as he was visually hyperventilating now, absently grasping at his heart as he almost chewed his lip bloody.
Kai's nostrils flared at momentary frustration.
Then he made a choice.
If he gave the tiger the third option, will the boy grab it like a lifeline or run away from it like Kai expected him to.
Walking up, the Russian went unnoticed, which only proved how tightly strained the seventeen-year-old really was. He sighed, holding tight to the strap of his dufflebag and burying the other hand deep into the pocket of his cargo-pants. "Ray."
The one he called jumped almost a foot in the air and whirled around, ready to bolt into the other direction as the predator that was hunting him. Seeing that it was in fact only his team-mate he slowly relaxed, although his lip was still being viciously bitten. "Sorry, Kai! Didn't see you there."
"That's a first," Kai said calmly, staring at the spot behind Ray rather than at the guy himself. It sometimes made personal words flow easier. "You look nervous."
A chuckle. A very nervous chuckle. "Oh, well, you know. Just going home and all … Haven't been there for a long time and …"
"Quit the bull, Ray," Kai said, looking into those golden eyes. Eyes of a frightened animal. "We both know you don't want to go home yet, because you're afraid you will not be allowed to leave. Ever."
Those eyes hardened and slits narrowed into cats. Flight turning into fight. "Well, I don't have a choice do I?"
"Remember our talk at the hotel room?" Kai asked. The answer was obvious even before he finished the sentence, yet he still elaborated, "In Moscow."
Ray looked ready to argue some more, but suddenly his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Yeah. Of course I do."
"There is always a choice," Kai repeated his old lesson.
Staring at the floor, Ray thought for a moment until his head snapped up, eyes glassy, "I tried, didn't I? I didn't get a job. And even if I did … I-" He rubbed his nose-bridge, growling under his breath. "I don't know what else to do."
Kai blinked. "Here's an idea: come with me."
It took a few seconds - maybe a whole minute - for his words to sink in. When they finally did, it was obvious how shocking to the tiger they were. He stopped his nervous ministrations and looked up at Kai as if he just realized his true captain was kidnapped by aliens that replaced the original with a really bad copy. "What?"
"Come with me," Kai repeated.
Ray opened his mouth, but nothing came out for the first few tries. Until suddenly: "How? Where?"
Kai shrugged. "To Russia, of course."
"What, now?"
Kai did feel like this was a bit too spontaneous to be healthy for him, yet he figured Ray panicked enough for the both of them. He really wasn't a nervous sort of person by nature. His plan seemed sound to his own ears, and if he could convince Ray without too much effort, how bad can it really be. "Yeah."
"I-I-" Ray looked up at the schedule again and blurted his first problem. "I don't have a ticket."
"It's a private plane," Kai admitted. "I would have already left if not for the amount of traffic today. We had to book a window just to lift off."
Ray's jaw almost dislocated. "You have a private plane?"
"Hiwatari Enterprises."
"You mean, like Voltiare's company?" choking on the name.
Kai chuckled. "Ray, it's Hiwatari's company. Voltiare hasn't been in charge ever since he was sent to prison. They were waiting for me to come of age."
"Your company?"
Kai nodded. "As of today."
Ray looked around, searching for wormholes out of this crazy dimension. "You're the leader of Hiwatari Enterprises."
"It's called a CEO, but essentially, yes."
Silence.
"Flight 862 Is now boarding. We repeat: Flight NH862 Is now boarding." Ray's flight. The English translation was followed by few others.
"Listen," Kai sighed. "It is not a one way trip. I will be coming back to Japan, and go to China for that matter. The main seat of the company is in Russia, but a large branch of it is here. We are placed all over the world. You will not be stuck in Moscow forever. If you decide, you can come back with me next time I visit Japan and you'll be right here again. If you change your mind about going home to your village at that time, you are welcome to do so." Kai swore he just passed his daily words-to-speak. Unfortunately, he'll have to get used to this, seeing what waited for him back in Russia.
"But-but … You'll be busy."
Kai nodded. "True. Very much so."
"I don't want to impose."
Kai snorted at that. "Of all the people I know, you are the least imposing one." Ray looked at him doubtfully. "Why do you think I always picked you as a room-mate."
A deadpan expression covered his teammate's face. "Because you're do not suffer obnoxiousness, hyperactivness or smartassness in your immediate surroundings."
Kai lifted one eyebrow. "You're being a smartass right now."
Ray snorted. "So, I guess we can't be sharing a room then."
"We won't have to. I have a mansion."
"You - you -" Ray actually took a step back. "What?"
"It needs a bit renovation, but yes, we definitely wouldn't be sharing a room."
Ray paused, looking at his ticket, deep in thought. Until finally: "You're really doing this? You're asking me to come with you. You really mean it? This is not a joke?"
"I think I ran out of joke-fuel during yesterday's farewell dinner."
Ray grinned. "I never knew Tyson could have so many nicknames."
"Yeah, there are things I wish I wouldn't knew about him. Like how many rice balls can he stuff in his mouth."
He got a good natured laugh in return to that statement.
"But, yes. I mean it," he said as the tiger calmed down.
Ray looked down at his ticket and up at the schedule again. A voice crackled up, informing him about his flight boarding. He sighed looking down. Kai gave him time to think, refusing to force the guy or leaving him behind without the decision being final. Finally there came a nod.
"Alright. I accept."
Kai felt himself soar with relief. Not realizing how much Ray's acceptance of his offer meant to him. He let a smirk seep through his otherwise perfect mask. "Good."
They waited for ten more minutes. After Ray watched his plane depart without him, they headed towards one of the smaller exits. Each carrying their own negligible amount of luggage, Kai and Ray boarded the plane, handing their packs to the stewardess whose smile didn't waver as she noticed two passengers instead of one.
Quarter of an hour later they were in the air, and Kai felt more at ease then he ever thought possible. For the first time since he started planing his return, he felt like he could do this without losing his mind or soul. Ray was here to remind him of his old life - of the life he thought he was going to leave behind forever. Now he took it with him. The ecstasy even went so far that he actually focused on the song that boomed through his headphones without his thoughts jumping synapses on 'what if' scenarios.
Something tugged on the cable that hung out of his ear and he turned his head, removing the object and staring at Ray who was holding a thin book in his hand. English written book, not Chinese. Probably what Ray thought to be the last moments of the outer world before he would be trapped in his village forever.
But what distracted Kai from the object was a big grin on the tigers face and the other, extended hand. He measured them both, looking from one to the other suspiciously.
"What?" he asked, leaning away.
Ray smiled even wider, if that was possible. His teeth brilliant against the warm light of the room miles above the ground. "Happy birthday, Kai!"
Kai opened his mouth to protest. Nobody knew bout his birthday, except for those who handled his official papers, and those were wise enough to keep it to themselves. Even Mr Dickenson.
'Happy birthday' sounded so much weirder than 'It's your birthday' statement from his grandfather. And as he wondered how this guy knew about today being his birthday, he remembered their talk on the ground. The talk about him coming of age today. Even if Ray wasn't as nosy as the others, he picked up on such small stuff.
And the outstretched hand still waited. At least it wasn't an immediate glomp as some other - namely Max - would insist on. And it wasn't a yell for the whole world - like Tyson and Daichi would have done. Or planing for his party - Hillary and Chief's style. It was a congratulations, like one of many that waited for him back in Russia.
Kai reached out, taking the hand, letting the tiger lift it in a more informal touch teammates usually did. His forearm felt warm against the other's. "May your new position not give you bigger headaches as your last."
Kai doubted it, but it was a nice thought anyways.
A/N: Like the start? No? Yes? Well, do I have some news for you!
HERE'S THE CATCH: This is gonna be REVIEW WHORING.
You want more chapters? (that aren't written yet, btw - only two more are written, and neither of them is ch2; 4 more are planned: 1 has Tala in it and 2 are sexy scenes and I have no idea how I'll get that far with them! *tears hair out*, also this won't be just one of those mansion-fics. Other BladeBreakers will show up for a chap or two, there will be travel and whatnot)
WORK FOR THEM.
Convince me that it has enough people that are interested. Heck, it can be only 2 people that are really into it, and they write AWESOME reviews and I'm in a good mood, and things happen and I update. You can speed my updating time (next week or next millennia, who knows my mood - I sure don't, my shrink sure doesn't, my bff maybe, but he's an asshole) immensely with just ONE review. Coz that mail reminds me that I'm writing something else but my own original work and MONEY MAKING WORK SUCKS.
Now, maybe I'll update in two days. Maybe never - if I forget this exists. There is no schedule to it.
You wanna keep your words to yourself? Okay, go read the other Beyblade fics.
Oh, are you like me, who already covered all the good ones at least 2 years ago? That sucks.
Your reviews can consist of ONE WORD or AN ESSAY - I know I used to write essays for reviews in my days when I read FFVII smut. But this will be no non-realistic smut, so yeah ...
JUST REVIEW! Damn you all! YOU'VE GOT THE POWER OVER THIS!