A/N: Hi! I am back with another pairing for this little story of mine… yeah, I am not going to make excuses about my absence (I am sure you all know what I'm talking about). Stuff happened and it's still going to happen in the future. Plus this very chapter was on my mind for months.

Now, dedication for this chapter. I know several persons have been wating for me to write something for this pairing, but to be sincere, I dedicate this to the one and only Kingdom's Oathkeeper since it was one of her great stories I've read about this pairing for the first time and really enjoyed it even if it wasn't the main pair (though that awesome story does not exist anymore…).

Disclaimer: I don't own the Beyblade Metal Saga. I make absolutely no profit from this story. Let's move on to the actual chapter now.

A Time to Love

Chapter 11: Wakin' Me Up – Nile x Hikaru

Her smooth eyelids were still heavy and she was feeling a little light-headed, but Hikaru managed to blink the sleepiness away with four quick flutters of dark lashes.

It was late in the afternoon judging by the clock on the wall, and the light of the setting sun was slipping through one single open window, covered by a thin curtain.

With a suppressed yawn, the girl went to stretch her still heavy limbs but found herself unable to.

What in the name of-!

Something warm was circling her supple form, pushing Hikaru into a hard and chiseled surface, thus immobilizing her arms against her own face and that really smooth plane the bluenette was lying on.

Hold on, what!

Since when was her pillow that comfortable? Or her bedspreads that heavy? That afternoon nap sure must have numbed her to get that reaction out of herself. That in mind, Hikaru decided to wait a little more for her body to work properly before trying to move again.

Soon, the amethyst eyed girl's senses sharpened which permitted her to identify just what was holding her down – a pair of tanned arms that seemed to have moved in their owner's sleep across her shoulders and lower back, the musculature (It was true because they were right there, in front of her large eyes.) adding to the force they caged her with.

The girl tilted her head back to let her wider-than-usual eyes follow the arm closer to her to its juncture with the person's torso – and only then to see that her cheek was pressed into the same individual's chest.

Her nose twitched after the sharp realisation, but it wasn't the fresh scent of her mother's homemade washing powder that her senses picked on. It was the sweet smell of cocoa butter that reminded her of only one person.

Nile. It smelt just like Nile.

Then she remembered.

They had got the whole day to themselves (though she was able to plan much more than any of them could do) and had stopped by Hikaru's house for a little break before they went to catch the next train to Yokohama. The blue head wanted to visit all around the place and Nile – good, sweet, nice boy, Nile – couldn't bring himself to say no right then.

The two had been laughing when Hikaru's mother greeted 'em with a bunch of homemade cupcakes, dark eyes gleaming under long and thick eyelashes. The younger female had blushed at the memory of her parent's request of meeting her boyfriend again, and had prayed that the woman won't say anything embarrassing to him.

Everything had been going well until Hikaru decided it was time to leave for the rest of their date and the egyptian boy had stopped her in her tracks.

What could be the problem now, Hikaru would've though, but at the urgency in his dark eyes the girl knew whatever was troubling the male's mind was indeed damn important.

With a few quick glances around the room – everywhere but her face – he had said three words that were to break her mood (and heart) for the rest of the day: "I'm leaving tonight."

It was enough to make the bluenette drop her purse and almost sink to the floor under the weight of the sudden realization (confession); and if it wasn't obvious enough, her dark glare sure had made it be.

Apparently, Kyouya had wanted to go train for the future World Championships (sponsored by the WBBA of course), this time to be sure he will be ready to beat Ginga once and for all; and for all that to happen (as you see, they are still teamwork-based competitions) the african team had a lot to prepare in those last few months – back in Africa. The plane was to take off tonight.

There had been silence.

Then a grit of milky white teeth.

A sharp yell – a incoherence mingle of words thrown together to give form to the discomfort.

After that the powerful sound of a door shut close – thud!

Then more silence once again.

And that was how they got where they were now – spending the rest of the day in silence, trying to preserve what little time they had left before his flight at 10 p.m. that evening.

She could not believe him. Hikaru could actually not believe him. ("And you couldn't have told me sooner!")

And Kyouya neither. Who was he to decide so suddenly where and when to leave in such a journey – without telling anyone else, like the WBBA or even Ginga, too may she add! But then again, they had all known the Leone wielder for many years and should have learned by now that it was juts like the green head to go and do as he pleased; plus 'informing others' has never been his style anyway.

"Ugh, Nile." She threw a glance at the single clock on the wall. "We should've been at the Yokohama Marine Tower by now," she whispered with faint regret, careful not to wake him up.

Hikaru raised herself a little and tried to escape his arms only to stop with a sudden realisation: she had snapped at him a while ago and had not apologised (even if it had been his fault too). She had discarded her annoyance at him without taking cont of his attempt at calming her.

What a bad girlfriend she was! Blaming all of it on him when she could have find out sooner about it herself. If only she had seen that something was bothering him (and give it some thought, not dismiss it).

Now, with Nile's face only a breath away from hers, the blue head could just stare, transfixed, at his serene expression – as if he wasn't hours away from letting her go for who knows how long (maybe all the time till the World Championships!).

"I'm sorry," Hikaru whispered back as she felt her eyes moisten. Here he was: so close to her.

It felt pathetic to say those words now – to even hear them sound so hopeless – while he was smiling in his sleep. (The same way he was when they were together, day by day!)

There was so little time left (because it's always like that: we never have enough time, not even forever) and they were to make the best out of it.

She'd make sure of that.

A/N: First of all this is not an AU. In the series it hasn't been confirmed if Hikaru's mother is dead (we just know that she was ill when Hikaru was little) so we're all free to interpret and speculate and here let's just say she's got over her illness.

Secondly, we are nearing the special number – 100! Let's get there now, shall we?

Thank you for the allocated time,

BlackCatNeko999