Disclaimer: If I owned Beyblade, I wouldn't be writing this.
Chapter 37: Tragedy that Brings Them Together Part 1
-Flashback-
"Kai, come look at your daughter," Rei said, lifting his eyes from the small bundle in his arms. "Please."
"I'll be back in a minute." Kai said, after handing the bundle back to him, twenty minutes later.
"Kai, you know he'll never agree, to all three of us raising them." Rei said, carefully nursing their daughter.
"I wish he'd come, and see this little guy. He looks just like him." Sophie said, as she burped one of the baby boys.
"If he doesn't, then we're finished." Kai said seriously, after one long look at Rei and their daughter.
"So how'd it go?" Tala asked, when Kai came down to the family room.
"It went well, Rei had triplets." Kai replied casually.
"I thought he said he was having twins."
"He did, none of us were expecting it."
"Kai, where do we go from here?"
"Rei just had triplets, and you'll be giving birth soon. I know you hate the idea Tala, but can't we at least try it?"
"I am not playing mistress for you Kai. I've made that very clear."
"Then, we're through."
"Kai, that's not funny!"
"I wasn't joking." Kai said, casting serious eyes upon him.
"Where the hell are you going?" He asked, when the redhead began to pack his stuff, after Kai followed him up to their room.
"Away from you, obviously." Tala replied, moving about performing said task.
"Do you love me?"
"Don't go there phoenix."
"No seriously, tell me."
"My love won't change anything. The solution you've suggested, is preposterous. If you can't choose, I'll make the choice for you."
"You're in love with Hiro, aren't you?"
"What the hell does Hiro have to do with anything?"
"You no longer love me," Kai said, causing Tala to look at him slightly shocked.
"Hiro is the one you desire now." Kai stopped, as though waiting for any objection to his words.
"He's the one, that makes your heart skip a beat." Tala still couldn't say anything.
"You won't even, let me touch you, in the simplest, of intimate ways, anymore." Kai tried to kiss him then, but Tala turned his head.
"That's not true."
"It is true Tala, it's very true!"
"I have my reasons."
"Yes, I know that. You're suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Well Whoop-dee-doo for you!"
"This isn't about Hiro!"
"Yes it is!"
"No it's not!"
"Then tell me you love me."
"..."
"That's what I thought."
"Kai, I do love you. You just, wouldn't, understand, my reasons, even if I told you."
"Try me."
"I can't say."
"You can't, or you won't?"
"Probably a little bit of both. I know how you'll react."
"I was really looking forward, to being your baby's daddy Tala," Kai said, opening the door. "Even if it isn't mine."
"So, you're just going, to let me, walk away?" Tala said, as his eyes became watery.
"You don't trust me. You don't even love me. What exactly, is left, but to let go?"
"You doubt my love for you?"
"You've given me, plenty, of reasons, to doubt you. If you want this to work Tala," Kai placed a hand on the younger's shoulder. "Then give me, a reason, to believe you."
"Think what you'd like of me Kai," Tala said, looking at him seriously. "But don't ever, doubt that I love you."
"You haven't given me many options."
"You are, and will always be, my one, and only. Please do not forget that." Tala then grabbed the handles of the suitcases, and began to walk away.
-End Flashback-
"Mama," Kusumi tried for the up-tenth time, to get her mother's attention. "Come on, snap out of it." She said, poking him in the nose with her pencil. "I'm listening Bebe, what is it?" He asked, pulling her into his lap. "You were thinking of Kai, weren't you?" She asked, snuggling up in his arms. "What makes you think that?" He asked, as he began to check the vacation packet she'd finished. He suddenly wished, that she didn't, have a whole two weeks off from school, so close to the event, that had forced him to return to Japan.
"You were kinda talking, while you were thinking." She said, flipping through the channels with the television remote. "What did I say?" He asked, mentally cursing the habit. "Some guy named Rei had triplets, Kai asked you if you loved him, you asked him not to doubt you. In a nutshell, you were being a lovesick bitch." She replied.
"Now that I think back on it, I still, wouldn't have gone along, with their heinous suggestion." (Tala)
"You may have ended up having to share Kai if you did." (Kusumi)
"I can't believe, that I'm having a conversation, like this one, with you." (Tala)
"Kai was right, to doubt you, wasn't he Mama?" (Kusumi)
"You're not going to let me change the subject, are you?" (Tala)
"Not on your life, now answer my question." (Kusumi)
"At the time, I honestly thought he would be, my one, and only. It wasn't till just recently, that I admitted to myself, that I loved your father. In a very different way than Kai, but I loved him nonetheless. How are you doing, since talking with Sophie, anyway?" (Tala)
"I'm okay, I can't forgive him now, maybe I will someday, but not today." (Kusumi)
"If you need to talk to me, you know you can." (Tala)
"When you're not Yuriy, I know." (Kusumi)
"You know I'd drop everything for you if necessary Bebe, even as Yuriy." (Tala)
"Yeah I know, I didn't mean it like that. I was just, kinda saying stuff. I'm not so fond of Yuriy right now. All the fans here, are really getting on my nerves, with all this Yuriy-sama crap." (Kusumi)
"That's probably, because Japan is where I started performing as Yuriy. Before the real thing, I used to do concerts here for Mr. Dickinson." (Tala)
"How come you never taught me to beyblade?" (Kusumi)
"I would have, if you showed any interest in it." (Tala)
"I have, a confession to make. I kinda, take your beyblade, and play with it, when you're not around. You always leave it behind, when you're Yuriy. I just got so curious, as to why you'd keep a toy, after becoming an adult." (Kusumi)
"When you form a bond, as strong as mine and Wolborg's, it's really hard, to let go. I don't think, I'd ever adjust, to life without them." (Tala)
"Don't you have to like pass them on though?" (Kusumi)
"Not unless I want to." (Tala)
"You're kinda depriving them of what they like most though, since you don't beyblade anymore." (Kusumi)
"I'm a bit old for beyblading now. That doesn't mean I intend to seek a successor. Dad would be mighty angry at me, if I handed Wolborg down to the wrong person." (Tala)
"Mama, what was your dad like? You never mentioned your parents." (Kusumi)
"I never knew my biological father. My step father, was a twisted man. The man I actually consider my father, he was twisted as well, but he taught me great things." (Tala)
"So who was he?" (Kusumi)
"His name is Boris Balkov. That name is unforgettable to many, and while his body is gone, and his soul rotting somewhere, what he strived for lives on." (Tala)
"I don't get it." (Kusumi)
"Dad liked to experiment. According to him, I am "perfect". He turned me into a partial android, cyborg, robot, whatever you want to call it." (Tala)
"Now I really don't get it." (Kusumi)
"Watch, and don't scream Bebe." Tala said, before using Wolborg's powers, to cut off his left thumb. A minute later, wires came out, and the flesh was reborn, within little over five minutes. She blinked rapidly, trying to register what had just happened.
"Boris did this to me. He trained me, along with four others, to be the strongest. He pushed us to our limits, and beyond. His plan to rule the world, with us as his army backfired though. I lost on purpose. Hey stop there, go back one." He said, having kept his eyes on the television.
"What is it?" She asked, having subconsciously still been channel surfing.
"That's the battle." He said, watching intently.
"What battle?" She asked, turning her eyes to the screen.
"That right there is Tyson. His bit-beast Dragoon, gave Wolborg a run for their money." (Tala)
"He was at your concert." (Kusumi)
"Huh?" (Tala)
"I think so anyway. Kai was there, Tyson was there. Who's the cat boy, and the Blondie?" (Kusumi)
"The neko-jin is Rei, and believe it or not that Blondie is actually Max." (Tala)
"That's uncle Max?" (Kusumi)
"Yep." (Tala)
"He looks so different. Especially the eyes." (Kusumi)
"Max wears contacts now. I never understood why he doesn't wear his natural color." (Tala)
"It would certainly keep the fans away. I mean who'd believe he was Max with purple eyes, and red streaks?" (Kusumi)
"Yeah, you're probably right." (Tala)
"Kai looks the same." She commented.
"I wonder what my old teammates look like. I bet Ian's stopped growing by now." (Tala)
"Who are they?" (Kusumi)
"The lilac haired one is Bryan, the tall guy with blond hair is Spencer, and the short one is Ian. They're like brothers to me, Ian's more like a son actually. I hope they can forgive me, for not keeping in contact since your birth." (Tala)
"I don't believe I can Tal." A voice declared drawing their attention.
"Spence, I'm sorry." (Tala)
"We could've helped you Tala." Bryan declared, coming out from behind Spencer.
"Bry, what can I say to make it up to you guys?" (Tala)
"Don't forget about me, you owe me some charms mom." Ian said, sounding quite mad.
"Hi kiddo." (Tala)
"Don't you hi kiddo me, explain yourself." (Ian)
"I kind of can't." (Tala)
"How come Max could help you, but we couldn't?" That question came from Spencer.
"Max found out two years ago. I was going to try getting in touch with you guys, but I never found the courage to do so. I'm sorry." (Tala)
"Boris is good to us when he wants to be, even from the grave." Bryan said, casting his eyes upon Kusumi.
"She's adorable." He said smiling.
"First I'm lively, then I'm adorable. What will they think of next?" Kusumi waved nonetheless.
"You kept it." Ian said, noticing the bracelet on Tala's right wrist.
"Of course I did. Added a charm every year on your birthday actually. I wanted to call, but I didn't know, where to start looking for you, nor did I know, what to say, if you asked, why I had just left, the way I did." Tala said, wrapping Ian in a tight embrace.
"You don't know, how much I missed you." (Tala)
"I can guess," Ian said returning the hug.
"I missed you too." (Ian)
"Bry, did you dye your hair?" Tala asked, after breaking away from a hug with him.
"It was supposed to keep the fans, from noticing who I was, but it didn't exactly work." The elder said, looking him over.
"You look good. Never thought I'd see you with long hair." (Bryan)
"I tried cutting it, a good thousand times now. It won't stop growing back, and it comes back, in about two days." Tala said, pulling a lock of the long mass over his shoulder, and playing with it.
"That probably, has something to do, with Wolborg's essence." Spencer said, releasing Tala from a hug.
"I'll never know for sure, since Boris is dead, but I don't mind it, all that much. It does wonders for my career. I've pretty much had it done, in every style I could think of." Tala said, looking them all over carefully.
"Spence is taller than I remember, and sporting new red, black lined head-gear, with a bloody skull in the center. Bry's got silver hair now, and Ian's got dreadlocks. I thought you'd, change a little more than this, really." (Tala)
"Spence hasn't gotten any taller, for four years now. I think it's safe to say, he won't be getting any taller than 7'2. I stopped two years ago at 7'0. Ian's finally reached that 5'0 limit. You're about 6'8 if I'm not wrong." Bryan said, trying to figure it out without really measuring him.
"You're not." Tala assured him.
"Hey Ian, are you wearing platforms?" (Tala)
"At least with them on, I don't have to feel like you're giants, which you all kind of are, no matter how you put it. These bring me up to 5'6, not much, but I'll take it." The younger replied.
"I wouldn't trade you, for anyone in the world, short or not." Tala said, patting his head.
"Ditto." Bryan and Spencer said, doing the same.
"Get her off, get her off, get her off!" The door to the hotel suite hit the wall, as Garland entered, with Ming-Ming on his back. Brooklyn and Natalia trailed behind him.
"Um, hi." Kusumi said staring.
"Mama, are people, going to keep, barging in here, out of nowhere?" (Kusumi)
"I don't know Bebe, but I should hope not." He replied.
"Tala!" He had no time, to brace himself, when Ming-Ming tackled him.
"Weirdos." Kusumi said, grabbing her homework packet, and taking off towards one of the two bedrooms.
"I'll let you get reacquainted." (Kusumi)
"Come back here!" Tala commanded, as he sat up.
"At-least, let your aunt, have a look at you, before you bail." He explained, pointing at Natalia.
"As long as you people stop acting like idiots, I won't have to bail." She said, rolling her eyes, as Natalia circled her.
"Kawaii!" Natalia declared, hugging her.
"I can't breathe!" Kusumi exclaimed, after a minute.
"Oh." Natalia said, letting her go, after she'd repeated it three more times. "Sorry."
"You look good Seibald." Tala said, looking Garland over. He hadn't changed much at all. Other than becoming 6'9, he hadn't changed at all.
"You too Ivanov." Garland said, giving him a hug.
"Tal, your phone's ringing." Spencer said, handing it to him.
"That's Yuriy's cellphone." Ming-Ming said, grabbing it.
"I'll explain later kodomo. Give it." Tala said, holding his hand out.
"I can't believe I couldn't tell it was you." She said, handing it over.
"Apparently, people can still, easily fall, for the simplest tricks in the book. Add a letter to your name, and you've got a, full proof stage name. Change your appearance a little, and even your friends won't recognize you." He said, flipping the phone open.
"Yuriy speaking." (Tala)
"Tala, I need you to come to the mansion." (Kai)
"Kai, how did you get this number?" (Tal)
"It doesn't matter. Just come!" (Kai)
"Why should I do that?" (Tala)
"Tala, my son Karuma is dead! Rei is dead! Mogami, is in critical condition, and I don't know, if she'll make it!" (Kai)
"Go to the hospital, I'll meet you there." (Tala)
"Okay. At Tokyo International Hospital. Thank you, Tala." (Kai)
"Don't thank me Kai, it's the right thing to do, that's all. Besides, I'm worried about Mogami." Tala said, quickly hanging up.
"You don't look well." Ian said, as Tala put the phone down.
"I don't know how, Kai can just keep on going, after losing his daughter, and one of his sons. I would be dead in a heartbeat, if Kusumi ever died." Tala said, hugging his daughter tightly.
"So, you gonna go meet him, or not?" Spencer asked.
"Of course I am." Tala replied instantly. "Please watch Kusumi for me." He said, giving her his blessing.
"Don't worry. We'll take care of Kusumi, you go see how Kai's doing." They all assured him.
"I'll call later. Bebe, be good, okay?" He gave her a stern look. She nodded, and made a peace sign.
"I love you." He said, blowing her a kiss. She smiled, and blew one back.
"Love you too Mama." (Kusumi)
-Hospital-
"Breathe Kai, breathe. Just breathe." Kai muttered to himself, as he paced in the waiting room.
"It's gonna be alright Kai, don't lose faith." Tala said, as he entered.
"I don't know what I did to deserve this, but whatever it is, I wish I could undo it." Kai said, accepting the embrace offered to him, once Tala had pulled him over to the couch in the room, noticing they were the only ones there.
"What exactly happened?" The redhead asked.
"Mogami and Rei had an argument, about Karuma's behavior, she left and from my understanding, got drunk. Rei was coming back, from getting Karuma some supplies for a school project, and Mogami, from whatever bar she went to. On the way, there was a car that crashed into Rei's car, which in turn, caused Rei's, to collide with Mogami's. The police said, that Rei and Karuma would've lived, if the cars hadn't gone up in flames. Mogami was found, just barely an inch away from the flames." Kai explained.
"Rei and I, didn't exactly get along, but I'd never wish death upon him, not to mention, that poor boy." Tala said sighing.
"Kai," He said, snapping his fingers in the elder's face.
"Eh, huh?" Kai mumbled, looking ahead blankly.
"Kai, it's okay to cry." Tala said, placing Kai's head on his lap.
"Your pants will get wet." Kai countered.
"That's fine." Tala said, attempting to get him to relax, by massaging his back.
"I'm sorry." Kai said suddenly.
"For what?" Tala asked, continuing to soothingly massage his back.
"I shouldn't have let you walk away." Kai replied thinking back on everything.
"Please, don't talk about the past, not now." Tala wanted to leave the past where it was. If Kai dug it up, he was certain, that nothing good would come of it. There were just some things, that weren't worth the hassle.
"I've really lost you, haven't I?" Kai asked sadly.
"Kai, please." Tala couldn't keep his voice from shaking.
"Hiro's dead, and so is Rei. Don't you think we should look at such tragedy, as a second chance?" Kai adjusted himself, so he was right side up, and asked the question, while looking at him, as seriously, as he could muster.
"I will have nothing, to do, with significant others, anymore. All of my love, belongs to my daughter right now." Tala replied instantly.
"Then go." Kai said, sitting up.
"Kai, I'm not Rei, I won't submit to your will. I'll give you a second chance, when, and if, I damn well feel like it." Tala retorted simply.
"Stop, acting, like you, don't, love me, already, it's annoying!" Kai turned to the redhead, and glared at him. "I love you Kai, but not like that." Tala retorted calmly. "Stop lying!" Kai grabbed Tala off the couch, and kissed him. When Kai pulled away, Tala was left to rub an icy finger, upon his bloody lips, and catch his breath. "I really was right, to doubt you!" The elder hissed at him.
"No, you weren't. After so many years, I gave up on the possibility of you and me being together. I hadn't been with anyone since I left, and when Hiro showed up, less than two and a half weeks ago, to tell me about Boris's commemoration ceremony, he awoke the flames of love, that had died in me. He had changed so much, I had eyes, only for him. He was still, a very vile sex partner, but I loved that about him. It made me feel alive. I tried to fight him, like I did in the past, but then it hit me," Tala stopped speaking, because Kai had kicked a chair over.
"You still hate to lose, don't you phoenix?" He asked, causing Kai to tackle him, and begin working away at his clothes. "If you go any further, I'm going to scream so loud, that your ears will burst." He promised. "Stop me if you can!" Kai growled at him, attempting to get the younger's pants off with his teeth. "Remember that you asked for this." Tala said, clamping his legs around Kai's neck, and using slight strength, to send him spiraling, into the nearest wall.
"Explain to me, why did you allow Hiro, to do as he wished with you, when he wished, but you will not, grant, me, the same right?" Kai got up easily enough, and tackled him.
"Get the hell off me. This is a hospital, not a mating chamber!" Tala tried to fight him, but was getting nowhere.
"Like you'd really care, where you were being fucked, you fucking little bitch." Kai bit back.
"You're insane." Tala countered as they wrestled.
"Yes, insane for you!" Kai spat back, trying to subdue him.
"Kai, enough already!" Tala wouldn't give in, no matter how much Kai tried.
"Answer my question. Why does Hiro have a right to fuck you, when and where he wants, but I don't?" Kai supplied furiously, still attempting to get him to hold still.
"I can't answer that, it's a stupid question." Tala retorted.
"Answer me!" Kai growled.
"Why should I allow you that right? I don't love you Kai, not anymore." Tala countered.
"That's a lie." Kai said, and the burst of strength he gained from the jealousy inside him, served to even them out, causing their fight to come to stalemate.
"If it were, I wouldn't have to stop you." Tala said calmly, keeping the stalemate going. He was not about to give in to the elder.
"If you don't love me, why did you come here?" Kai hissed at him.
"To hold you as you cried for your son, your sister, and Rei." Tala replied.
"If that's why you're here, then leave. I don't need you, not for that." Kai started to let go of him.
"You know what, I don't have to, take this bullshit from you. I'm going to sit down, and if you come near me, I'll call Wolborg, and you will be sorry." Tala tried to push him off, but Kai held him in place.
"That stupid wolf and bitch are going to do what to me exactly?" Kai countered.
"I suppose my bit-beast should be a chicken then?" Tala spat back.
"That was cheap." Kai said.
"Just like you." Tala supplied, with a smirk.
"Whore!" Kai hissed at him
"Asshole!" Tala hissed back.
"Jackass!" Kai straddled him, and started clawing his chest.
"Mother Fucker!" Tala made to punch his face, but Kai caught his fist.
"Bitch!" The elder spat, pinning both the redhead's arms above his head.
"Hiro's!" Tala reminded him, squirming viciously beneath him.
"Slut!" Kai's eyes burned with hatred, as he let his spit fall onto Tala's face.
"And again I tell you Hiro's." Tala smirked at him, and licked the spit off.
"Android!" Kai couldn't take it anymore. Not only was Tala refusing him, but teasing him too.
"Say that again." Tala said angrily.
"You heard me." Kai said, getting all up in his face.
"Take it back." Tala hissed against his lips.
"I will not." Kai retorted, and licked his lips.
"I said take it back!" Tala spat.
"No." Kai said.
"Kai!" Tala was ready to kill him.
"What? Don't like being told the truth about yourself?" Kai merely spit on his face, and smirked.
"I'm not about to let it get to me. You don't mean it. You're just jealous after all." Tala changed tactic. If Kai wanted to play, then Tala would too.
"I am not jealous." Kai said, glaring knives at him.
"Yes you are." Tala said knowingly.
"No I'm not." Kai countered.
"Yes you are." Tala repeated, in the same knowing tone.
"So what?" Kai asked, kissing him, only to be forced off of the younger.
"Keep being jealous Kai," Tala said, smacking him. "Because you, can't touch this." He then adjusted himself, and went over to the couch. He sat down, and started to read a magazine, he'd grabbed, from the side table.
"Tala, you're making me really mad right now." Kai told him seriously.
"Lalalalalalalalala~!" Tala had decided to ignore him.
"Don't ignore me!" Kai exclaimed, ripping the magazine from the younger's hands, and kissing him.
"Ow!" He cried out, pulling away.
"I warned you." Tala said, grabbing another magazine.
"Two can play your game." Kai said, grabbing hold of Tala's head, and forcing his tongue deep down his throat.
"...I...can't...believe...you..." Tala said between coughs, when Kai finally released him.
"You like it rough, I'll give you that. Just say you love me already!" Kai exclaimed, biting his neck.
"Kai, I love Hiro, not you." Tala retorted.
"Fuck Hiro, you're mine!" Tala had no idea, when his pants had gone, nor his underwear, all he felt was Kai's dick inside him.
"Not likely." He muttered.
"Then stop me." Kai growled, thrusting harder.
"Why should I? You can't fuck for shit." Tala got pissed.
"We'll see about that." Kai hissed back, in a promising tone.
A/N: Enjoy this, I enjoyed writing it. Would've written more, but there is a distraction. It's 8:31pm. Reviews = Happy Writer.