Summary: The mornings were all quite the same to them.
Rating: T
Pairing: Bryan/Tala (... no kidding?), mentions Spencer/girl from the grocery store and Kai/Kai's boyfriend (who shall remain nameless, even though I know who he is.)
Warning: ... take a wild guess? ... okay, fine then. Contains yaoi/boy x boy-material and language not suitable for children.
Disclaimer: Beyblade and it's characters certainly do not belong to me, I'm just borrowing them to amuse myself and the others, maybe.Beta: Ladyfiction. ... And yes, I'll start hyperventilating any minute now. She actually beta-read my story! I'll be saying "gosh" all week now and grin all the time, because I'm a fangirl like that. I just hope that I spotted all the things she pointed out.
A/N: Done for the YuBo WAVE!2. I hope the story is worth it. And I hope that there aren't any silly mistakes. ... I blame my head. It's giving me some trouble at the moment.
Reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated.
The mornings were all quite the same. The feared team of Russian bladers or, as some blue-haired quarters would say, calamities, would all sit together at the breakfast table. The food was always the same, so were there designated seats, and even the same kind of music played in the background. Tala had tried to explain why they did so, but it usually ended up with Ian comparing him to Freud and Spencer simply noting that they did so because they were too uninventive. Tala stated that it was all due to their unsecured childhood. Routines, even simple ones as their habituations, gave them a comforting feeling of safeness.
So there they sat. Ian was in one corner, slowly chewing a piece of bread with nothing on it. Next to him, there was Spencer with his bowl of oatmeal and glass of milk. Tala had a habit of searching through the whole fridge as well as the cupboards and took everything that he could possibly find. Bryan, sitting on the other corner, drank coffee. His whole morning diet during last few years had consisted of coffee.
Tala wasn't a morning person. In the Abbey, it had been essential to wake up fast and be energetic right away, otherwise you might have to do something nasty, or have something nasty done to you. But then the Abbey had gone to history and, apparently, took Tala's smooth awakenings along with it.
Ian seemed to wake up relatively easy. Usually getting up about half an hour before he really even needed to, he was the one who turned on the coffee machine, made the porridge, went to buy bread from the shop nearby and then sat at the table, waiting for the others. Spencer woke up painstakingly when the alarm clock rang, but he was always rather quiet for a while; it took some time to wake up the mind from sleep even if the body managed to get up when it was supposed to. Bryan woke up hours before the others started out their day, just in order to go jogging and be back on time to breakfast with his team. And Tala well, he didn't want to wake up at all.
It was another morning-ritual. Bryan would get back from outside and, while Ian or Spencer neither felt like trying to wake the redhead up, he was told to go get Tala. Nowadays the reason when asked 'why?' was 'he's your boyfriend', before that it had been 'if he gets psychotic and attacks you with the pillow, at least you are able to defend yourself'. Apparently even Spencer, a young man full of muscle from head to toe and capable of lifting more off the bench that Tala weighted, was defenceless against the powers of a red dotted cushion.
Bryan didn't really mind though, it gave him a reason to be alone with Tala. Before the two of them getting together, Bryan had used to wake Tala up by spraying cold water over his face and yelling at him to stop being a lazy prick. Now he took the liberty of lifting his boyfriend from the bed, placing him on the bathroom floor and turning the shower on. Mercifully, the water was usually warm. Tala's pyjamas might not appreciate the wet awakenings but Tala, once he stopped moping about the cruel separation from the bed, liked them. The material glued against his skin, warm water gently awake his senses... And Bryan usually stayed with him and watched, eyes focusing on wet skin and slightly transparent clothes. It was not very hard to convince the guy that he needed a shower after the jogging.
After the shower they dragged themselves downstairs and sat down next to the two other boys. Ian and Spencer discreetly pretended they didn't see the wet hair and flushed cheeks.
Their routine eventually led them to the present time. There had actually once been a fictional article about the lives of some of the most famous beyblading teams. The Russian team had been pictured as more or less gruesome, drinking vodka from the skulls of their enemies and talking about massacres of old age. It might have been almost disappointing to hear the truth. No skulls, no vodka – not on the early hours, at least – and as far as the topic of the subject went...
"You know, I think you are right. Baroque art is quite touching."
"I told you that you'd like it. Now listen to this song, I think you'll find the music just as lovely."
There was just something really non-threatening about Baroque.
The amusing part of the whole ordeal was because it was mostly Bryan who encouraged them to to experience the more highbrow culture. Some tabloids had suggested that Bryan looked like a guy who only thought one word at the time and that the word was usually 'hate', 'kill' or 'destroy'. Funny enough, 'Mozart' wasn't mentioned.
Nevertheless, in the background of the dining room there was classical music playing. All four boys had agreed that it was a peaceful way to start the morning, and Bryan happened to adore classical music. Sometimes they played Beethoven and he particularly enjoyed the ninth symphony but Mozart came before all other music. Tala could only say that it was Mozart playing in the background, Bryan could have probably told the name of the song, the year it had been composed and maybe even Mozart's thoughts while composing it. Mozart was just one of Bryan's many favorites.
They were all still sitting. The others had started to talk now too, but Tala preferred listening. He would be the one doing most of the talking in the evening anyway, so it was only fair to let the others have their voice heard. Spencer and Ian chuckled; Bryan had obviously said something funny. Tala grinned too and turned to look at his favourite sociopath, yet another accurate description on the courtesy of the tabloids. Bryan, completely unaware of his own sociopath-ness, was smiling peacefully while holding his mug and taking small sips of coffee now and then. Tala, with his messy hair and tired appearance, could never understand how someone could always be so perfect, so brilliant and so beautiful in the mornings.
"Tala? Are you awake at all?"
Tala realized that someone, possibly Ian, had said his name.
"Huh? Sorry, it's the morning that slows my brain down. What were you talking about?"
"Spence has a crush", Bryan said with a smirk.
"Our little Spencie is growing up", Ian snickered. He stopped though when he saw the glare, which the tall, blond boy was giving him.
"Oh? So who's the lucky lady?" Tala asked, smiling to the sweet scene before him.
"The girl from the grocery store! The one who works at the vegetable section", Ian said quickly before Spencer had the time to stop him.
"She seems nice. Pretty girl, too", Tala supposed and Bryan silently nodded to his statement.
"Yeah. You will look absolutely stunning at your wedding day", Ian beamed with a happy smile.
"Shut up dwarf."
"No no, seriously, even that blush suits you perfectly when I imagine you at the altar. It will be a big contest on who's getting to be the best man. But between Bryan and me, I strongly advice to pick me. Bryan might destroy the place if they don't serve the right kind of food, and that isn't very model behaviour for the best man."
"Hey, why wasn't I included to the contest?" Tala asked with a raised eyebrow, conveniently stopping Bryan from verbally attacking the smaller teen. Ian looked rather devilish for a moment.
"I though you might wear a dress and keep Bryan accompanied."
"Fuck off", Tala muttered, and to his delight, Bryan spat the exact same words in unison with him. Ian just smiled sheepishly.
Then All Hell broke loose. It didn't happen immediately, but Tala could see the signs. Bryan dug through his pockets and pulled out a small package of cigarettes. The voices of Ian and Spencer arguing about whether there would be a wedding or not became suddenly quiet and soon completely muffed to his ears. A silvery lighter appeared in Bryan's hand and he lit up a smoke. The small click of the lighter seemed to be as loud as a gunshot. Tala swore that the world turned red. Bryan slowly inhaled and then blew out a smoke cloud. Tala could have sworn that he could see the poison slipping down his boyfriend's throat, taking hold of the organs and strangling them, slowly killing his Bryan...
Tala slammed his hand against the table. Ian and Spencer quieted down and Bryan just stared at him with blazing eyes. There was friction in the air, you could taste it and feel it on your skin.
"I've told you to stop smoking."
It could have been a declaration of war.
"Um, Bryan, maybe you should go outside with Spencer and maybe I could do the dishes with Tala and –"
"I'll smoke if I want to."
"You know, I agree with Ian, cold air might really do some good, so maybe we should –"
"Stop it Spencer. You too, Ian. I want to get this straight with him. So you are smoking, and let me get this absolutely clear to all of us, because you want to, even though I have asked you not to?"
"Yes", Bryan answered and, to make a point, took another drag and gave Tala a challenging look.
"That stuff kills people."
"Everyone dies one day."
"Why do you have to purposefully bring that day closer?" Tala asked, squeezing his glass with such force he thought it might get broken.
"I like the taste."
"More than my taste, Bryan?"
Spencer coughed and Ian looked quite embarrassed. Even though they absolutely and fully accepted their friends dating and even made jokes about them with a strong sexual innuendo, they always felt a bit out of place when Bryan and Tala themselves started talking about the more physical aspects of their relationship.
"I think this is our time to leave", Spencer muttered and pushed Ian away from the danger-zone. Tala and Bryan kept staring at each other while Ian and Spencer quickly and quietly put their jackets on. They didn't even blink when a small 'bye' echoed in the corridor and the door was closed.
"So", Tala let out, not very differently than some people would have yelled 'Fire!'.
"So?"
"I'm waiting for the answer."
"You ain't going to get one."
"I'll take that as a 'yes', then." His blue eyes narrowed. "Fine. Fine. I hope the cigarette bakes you a nice, warm apple pie or let's you fuck itself, because I'm not even touching you as long as you are killing yourself", Tala snapped and angrily stared at Bryan, who wasn't even looking at him anymore but was still holding the smoke. Tala snarled, stood up and stormed off from the kitchen. Bryan remained still, cigarette slowly burning in his hand.
Tala found his way to the bedroom. Even though nowadays Bryan slept there practically every night, it was still officially only Tala's. He glared at the walls, which were taped with pictures of the four Russians and their friends. There was one paparazzi-picture where he and Bryan were hugging. Bryan hated that picture, so naturally Tala had put it on his wall. Now he ripped it off and threw it in the trashcan.
Surely if Bryan would even remotely love him, he would try to please him and try to stop. But no, he just needed to be stubborn and needed to show he didn't believe or need anyone. And that led them to these petty quarrels, which Tala hated more than anything.
Tala could still hear the classical music softly playing in his head. He didn't want to listen to it anymore, it reminded him too much of Bryan. Tala took his guitar and strung a few tunes. A bit clumsily, he played some simple melodies at first, but after a while he got hang of it and let his anger free. There's nothing, which helps more in anger than playing some hard guitar solos imitated from the 80's rock. Classical was nice, but rock had a special place in Tala's heart.
Tala felt a hand on his shoulder.
"I think I can actually recognize the song you were playing."
Tala did know that Bryan was trying to apologize, but he didn't feel like giving in just yet.
"Good for you."
Another hand appeared on his back and a slight kiss was pressed to his neck.
"You are not really mad at me", Bryan whispered. Tala grinned inside, he had heard the unsaid question 'are you?'.
Tala put down his guitar and settled with an unhappy look on his face. Then he glared at Bryan.
"Guess again."
"Tal..."
"Don't 'Tal' me. And take your hands off, I told you that I don't sleep with smokers."
"No, you just said that you wouldn't touch me, you didn't say anything about the opposite..."
"Bryan, listen. I am not having sex with you, no matter what. Stop."
In the last few months, Tala had learned that if you denied Bryan of something he wanted, the boy would go to extremes to get it, especially if the denied pleasure happened to be something more physical. That proved to be difficult and, considering the next few days after the event, extremely embarrassing if Bryan decided that he wanted sex while Tala was on the phone or shopping for clothes. Some of the shops didn't allow Bryan and Tala to come in to them together anymore. It was Bryan's behavior that had told the media that the two of them really were together; it had been rather hard to deny it after they had been caught in a cubicle, with very little clothing. Tala might have been able to explain it somehow reasonably when the manager (as well as few reporters) asked what they were doing, but Bryan managed to open his mouth first. His innocent "wrestling?" had caused massive headlines.
The hands on Tala's body became more demanding. Bryan kissed Tala's neck repetitively, trying to make him surrender and succumb. When the audacious hands found their way under Tala's shirt, the boy inhaled sharply and only by force he stopped himself from pushing against Bryan and encourage more touching. Tala knew that giving in now would be a victory for Bryan, and this was a battle the redhead did not want to lose.
"Bryan, stop that. I'm serious", Tala said slowly, managing to sound like he really meant it. Bryan stopped, and Tala could almost hear the thoughts running around inside the other boy's head.
Bryan growled.
It was a running gag to Ian and Spencer that Tala was the submissive one in bed. Kai made witty remarks on the how always-in-control leader Tala would surrender to someone else's will (though interestingly enough he stopped talking as soon as his own boyfriend showed up). Tala only sneered at those kinds of hearsay. What did they know about it, or about the power and control in general? It was his conscious choice to let Bryan be the dominant one. It prevented him from seeing how much Tala really controlled him, in bed and in many other things. The submissive partner really has the power and the control, no matter what the dominant ones think. The simple truth was that Tala had a tight clasp over Bryan, and thus he had a lover who would faithfully stay with him and love him more than anyone else ever could. Wasn't that worthy enough to let his love have a little taste of dominance in the bedroom-department?
Tala pressed himself slightly against Bryan's lower body, so innocently that he might have done it accidentally. Bryan hissed quietly and placed his head on Tala's shoulder.
"Smoking or me, Bryan."
"I hate you."
"You love me."
"More than my cigarettes, huh?" Bryan asked slowly, inhaling Tala's scent and drawing figures on his chest with his fingers.
"I'm sure that at the moment your crotch would prefer my hand over the death-sticks you defend so fiercely."
Bryan was quiet for a while. The he sighed and nibbled Tala's ear.
"Fine. Fine then. I will try to stop smoking, and be extremely pissed at you for the next 6 months or so."
Tala smiled openly and turned to look at his lover.
"Oh, I'll handle it. After all.." he murmured, leaning closer to the other boy, whispering the last words to his lips, "... I know how to handle you, my love."
The next morning could be quite the same. But sometimes, there's also a possibility of change.
I'll do an exception and won't start talking about a lot of pointless things. Only the next must be mentioned:
LadyFiction, Mourir... I just wanted to thank you for the possibility to be part of this. ... And yes, I'm still a fangirl. I'll build up the altar any day now.
Hurrah, YuBo!