Info-ish things:
"Talking"
'Thinking'
/Bitbeast speaking/
"Speaking in Russian"
"Speaking in Chinese"
Scene split: 0x0x0x0
Beginning/End: -x-x-x-x-
Today we start off wiiiiith...
MAX AND MARIAM!
-x-x-x-x-
Chapter Four
Presents, and an Unexpected Guest
"Should...should we..."
"Um...uh...I..."
Both looked anywhere but each other.
"I think we should just kiss!" Both burst out, beet red. Startled, they looked at each other, noting that the other was blushing just as bad as they were, if not more.
For a few more moments, they both made shows of studying the objects in the room. Max was internally panicking, while Mariam bit her lip, visibly nervous. Then, at the same time, both turn to face the other.
Tentatively, both slowly leaned towards the other: closer...closer...and closer still. Their lips met, and fireworks could have exploded right over their heads for all they would have noticed.
After they both realized they were leaning into the kiss, they immediately jumped apart like startled rabbits. Cherry red, both stood and returned to the main room, unable to look at one another.
Both were thinking, 'wow.'
0x0x0x0
"About time you got here!" Tyson shouted, nearly pouncing on Max as he entered the room with Mariam behind him.
"Shut up, Tyson," Mariam growled, shoving him off Max. Hilary started giggling, and Mariah soon joined her. The boys were all non-plussed. Mariam growled some choice words under her breath, and sat down by the other two girls, blushing faintly. Max, who had apparently forgotten Zeo for the moment, sat down next to her, also flushing faintly.
"So..." Hilary began as she leaned closer to the two. "How was your kiss?" She whispered so only they and Mariah could hear. Both turned cherry red and looked in opposite directions. 'Sheesh...'
"Ano...nani?" Mariah asked, leaning closer so as not to be overheard.
"Can we PLEASE JUST EXCHANGE PRESENTS?!" Tyson shouted.
"DAMERU!" Came the annoyed shout from the room Kira was lodged in.
"WELL, SOOOOORRY!"
"Shut up, Tyson," Kai growled.
"Make me!" He ground out back.
"Guys!" Rei got in between them before it came to blows, which, judging by how they stood, would have come in another few seconds.
"Out of the way, Kon," Kai snarled: he had HAD it.
"Calm down," Tala told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Giving Tala a look that could peel paint, Kai resumed standing behind Hilary, leaning against the wall. Tyson shot him a filthy look before returning to his spot next to Daichi, fuming.
Brooklyn shuddered slightly. This atmosphere was very unsettling for him.
0x0x0x0
Groaning mentally, Kira stood, still cocooned in her blanket. Growling profanities, she headed towards the main room, vowing if she didn't get enough sleep tonight, tomorrow heads would roll.
0x0x0x0
Everyone's eyes were glued to the doorway when a disheveled Kira wrapped in a blanket appeared in it.
"Since sleep isn't allowed until presents are distributed to everyone, I'll have to join all of you as well..." Kira grumbled, plopping herself down in between Brooklyn and Tala on the couch. Tala said nothing, but stole some of her blanket. He was cold. Sighing mentally, Kira shifted so he could come under the blanket as well. Both scowled at everyone who was watching with wide eyes.
"Get on with it, already!" Tala and Kira both growled.
"Okay, okay," Tyson said, raising his hands in surrender. 'Sheesh.' He then handed Daichi's present to him. Daichi handed his present to Tyson. Both tore them open to reveal...matching attack rings.
"Thanks," both grumbled to one another.
0x0x0x0
Kai handed Hilary her present, looking very intently at the wall so no one could see his very faint blush. Tala and Kira exchanged looks, then shook their heads.
"Kai," both mumbled the name like it was some sort of annoyance.
"I heard that," he informed them.
"Yeah, and?" Kira wanted to know.
"What're you gonna do about it?" Tala wanted to know.
"You're the one being an idiot. She doesn't care whether you show emotion or not, and we certainly don't. Boris is GONE, Kai."
"She's right," Tala agreed.
"...I know, alright?!" Kai grumbled.
"Alright," they replied, while thinking, 'for now.'
Hilary blushed faintly before mumbling, "domo arigato."
"Open it," the dual haired blader commanded, looking very intently at the wall again. Kira and Tala sweatdropped.
Brooklyn blinked, wondering when he would get the chance to give Kira his present.
/Preferably not when Kai's around,/ Zeus, Immi, and Wolborg told him in unison.
/I second that motion/ Dranzer mumbled.
/Stupid Kai/ The four grumbled; Brooklyn just kinda nodded, a little weirded out.
0x0x0x0
A florescent Max handed Mariam a box wrapped in green paper that was almost the same exact shade as her eyes. Flushing faintly herself, Mariam handed Max a box as well. Both tore their box open, and gaped at what was inside. Mariam had gotten him a necklace with a silver chain. That's not what had surprised him.
It was what was on the necklace that surprised him. A replica of Draciel, done down to the minutest detail, was what met his eyes. Stunned, he stared at it.
Mariam had just opened hers, and she almost laughed. It was Sharkrash, done to the minutest detail, on a silver chain. She lost the battle to appear serious, and giggled a bit. Max looked down, thinking she was laughing at his present.
"We think a lot alike, don't we," she grinned at him. Startled, he looked up into smiling green eyes. A flush instantaneously bloomed across his face and this time he looked down out of embarrassment. "Cheer up, Maxie." Once she realized what she said, she flushed horribly as well, and looked away.
Max's eyes widened. She had just called him Maxie!
0x0x0x0
"Here," Rei murmured softly, handing Mariah his gift to her. Blinking, she had thought Kenny was her Secret Santa, she accepted it.
"Arigato, Rei-chan," she grinned, then ducked her head, blushing. Her blush, however, was nothing compared to his. He now resembled a cherry tomato, but on a larger scale. "Here's yours," she handed him a present as well.
0x0x0x0
Kenny and Zeo watched as the couples and two friends around them exchanged gifts with one another.
"They're a little slow, huh," Kenny mumbled, looking at the three couples who were flushing and exchanging gifts.
"Yeah," Zeo agreed, grinning just a little bit.
"Who's your Secret Santa," Kenny asked after a few moments' peaceful silence between the two.
"You," Zeo replied.
"And you're my Secret Santa...weird," Kenny muttered.
"Almost like we're being given a hint," Zeo agreed. Both looked at each other for a moment, then looked away.
'Naaaah,' both thought, shaking their heads to chase their weird thoughts away.
0x0x0x0
Kira glanced sideways at Tala for the briefest of seconds, and was startled to see the tiniest of flashes of sadness in his purple orbs. Deciding she would bring it to Kai's attention if he didn't bring it up himself, she put it out of her mind for the time being.
Kai was currently watching Hilary intently, and both Tala and Kira noted she was getting nervous.
"Quit scrutinizing her," Tala grumbled after a few moments annoyance; Kai almost jumped. The two started bickering in Russian a moment later.
"Please open it," Kira whispered to Hilary. "He's going to drive us all nuts until you do."
"But I have to give him his present," Hilary mumbled.
"Then for the sake of everyone's sanity, please do," Kira grumbled, mock falling off the couch in exasperation.
"Are you okay?" Both Brooklyn and Hilary asked in unison. Their reply was Kira thwacking her head against the floor. (1) "I'll take that as a yes." Both sweatdropped; Hilary chose Kai's preoccupation to slip her gift to him into his hands.
"Now I can open it," she told the frazzled Kira.
"Thank Kami-sama!" The girl replied, throwing her hands up in exasperation. Hilary just giggled while Tala and Kai stared at them like they were nuts. Brooklyn sweatdropped.
'I don't wanna know,' he decided.
/You really don't/ Five voices chorused.
Tala, Kai, Hilary and Kira blinked.
"Hey BD." Kira greeted.
/Hello to you too/ The phoenix replied solemnly.
/And I don't get a hello?!/ Dranzer demanded, outraged.
/Nope,/ Immi, Zeus, Wolborg and Black Dranzer chorused in unison.
"Okay, so are you guys gonna open your presents?" Brooklyn asked after all of them had sat and listened to the bickering of their bitbeasts.
"..."(2)
"Sure," Hilary grinned.
0x0x0x0
"So..." Mariah blushed a bit, but went on. "Are you gonna open it?"
"I'd rather you open yours first..." Rei mumbled.
"O-okay," Mariah mumbled, blushing a bit more as she tore the paper from its package. It revealed a half of a Yin-Yang symbol painted on gold plating attached to a gold chain. Mariah grinned. "Open yours." Blinking, Rei did so.
His was the yin part of the Yin-Yang symbol, painted on gold plating and attached to a gold chain.
"Great minds think alike, huh?" Mariah smiled sheepishly.
"Yeah," Rei agreed, grinning back at her. Both just kind of stared at one another as their faces slowly grew closer together. When their lips gently brushed, both pulled back, flushing slightly, but happy.
"This Christmas is gonna be the best ever..." Rei surmised.
"Pretty much," Mariah agreed.
0x0x0x0
All of them jumped as what sounded like a huge chunk of ice smashing against the door resonated through the dojo. Tala, blade out and ready to launch, headed towards the door. Kira, after a moments' hesitation, dropped the blanket and followed. Kai stood around the corner from the doorway inside the room, his blade also at the ready.
Those back into room heard a loud thump, as well as a shriek and a yell before all was silent. Kai was about ready to fly down the hallway when a voice was heard.
"Bryan, as much as I like you, I don't like you on top of me," came Kira's wry drawl. "Although I'm not too sure I can say the same for Tala..." A few moments later, a scowling duo of Russians and a wickedly grinning one rounded the corner into view.
"Hi Bryan," Tyson mumbled sullenly; Daichi echoed him as everyone else stared.
"What? His plane probably got grounded 'cuz of the snowfall," Kira shrugged it off. A shuffling and murmurs of "oh" could be heard.
"Hey," Rei greeted in a slightly strained manner, resisting the urge to cringe or hide behind Mariah. Barely. All the others shrugged it off, called greetings, and returned to what they were doing. Once the three had taken seats, Kira and Kai traded glances before turning to face Bryan.
"Hey Bry, wanna hear about sugar high Tala?" Bryan spun around so quickly he almost fell off the couch. Kira snickered as Tala glared at her while Kai smirked, but said nothing at all. Bryan raised an eyebrow at Tala, who looked away. Kira noted the flicker of sadness was gone from his eyes. Judging from the quick glance Kai gave her, he noted it as well. Both were about to turn away when Bryan stopped them.
"Well?"
"We were just teasin' Tal," Kira grinned before starting a conversation with a rather startled Brooklyn. He started to relax when she asked about his blade and how he'd been doing.
"What's with her?" Bryan turned toward Tala and Kai.
"Who knows? Tala replied and just looked out the window. Kira had kept her mouth shut and he was returning the favor...just this once. Kai gave Bryan a small shrug of his shoulders before standing by Hilary. Both still had yet to open their presents.
0x0x0x0
"So how have you been," Brooklyn inquired after he had answered the barrage of questions. Kira cautiously glanced behind her to where the other Russians sat. When she concluded they were all occupied, she slid her eyes back forward.
"Bored to tell the truth. Kai and Tala won't let me out of their sights for more than fifteen minutes at a time. If I'm not being watched by one, it's the other...unless I'm in the bathroom, getting changed or in the shower," she replied flatly.
-x-x-x-x-
Alright, if you aren't Tyson or Daichi, you may have noticed the dropped hints between Zeo and Kenny. I haven't decided whether I want to pair them together, or whatever I'm gonna end up doing, sooooo...
...I need a poll here, people.
1- Zeo x Kenny and Daichi x Tyson
2- Tyson x Zeo and Daichi x Kenny
3- Daichi x Zeo and Tyson x Kenny
4- NO THEY'RE JUST FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!
I already have a vote for number 1. Me! XD
Just to let you know, there will be no kissing between these two pairings, or anything. Just a lot of blushing, confusion and maybe a confession or two. ::wink wink::
Immi's note: Yaoi, even...ah, what the heck! PICK NUMBER 1, NUMBER 1 MILORD::holds up three fingers::
...I didn't know dragons had fingers...ahem, anyway.
Tala isn't in on this because who I'm planning on pairing him with...hm, you'll just have to find out who THAT is...
(1)- you know how you sometimes palm your forehead in frustration, etc? Well, she took it to the extreme...XP
(2)- Kai had chosen that moment to shut up.
Hope you all enjoyed!!!
Emma