Author's Note: Thank you to all of my readers! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!


Scowling as he took the team's keycards off of the hotel counter, Tala thought about the best course of action. Training-wise, everything was fine. The Russians were progressing through the tournament with relative ease. They played on each other's strengths in a way that only came naturally after working together for most of their lives.

However, not everything was going smoothly on the Blitzkrieg team. To no one's surprise, it had been an awkward two months since the Halloween Party. Everyone noticed the tension, except for Kai who seemed blissfully ignorant of the situation. Spencer found Tala's awkwardness and Kai's naivete amusing. Bryan, less entertained, made snide comments about his two teammates at every opportunity.

Even though months had passed, Tala couldn't get the kiss out of his head. When he slept, he had dreams about that night: how soft Kai's lips were, how Kai felt laying beneath him, how Kai-

"Ivanov, what's the hold up now?" growled Bryan, shaking Tala out of his thoughts, "Does the hotel have two rooms or not? I won't share one with Hiwatari again. He tosses and turns all night and is up at the crack of dawn."

Kai flicked his slate bangs out of his eyes and readjusted his duffel bag higher on his shoulder. On a regular day, Kai would have just said hn and left Bryan alone. Unfortunately, it was three in the morning, and the Blitzkrieg Boys were feeling the jet lag after their red-eye flight. Bryan had been complaining the entire taxi ride from the airport to the hotel, and Kai was sick of listening to his voice. Because of this, the younger Russian was too irritable to let it go.

"Maybe if you didn't snore like a rusty chainsaw, Kuznetsov, then I wouldn't toss and turn. Even Tyson was an easier roommate to deal with than you."

Bryan growled at the comment, clenched his fists, and took a step closer to Kai. Kai, not being one to back down from a fight, squared his shoulders and smirked mockingly. Bryan's right fist shot out, but Kai dodged it with ease. As Bryan threw his left arm, Spencer stepped between the two and caught the punch. Tala put his hands on his hips and cursed every deity he knew. All of this might have been avoided if Mr. Dickenson had booked the team a different flight like Tala asked. It should be illegal to land at a destination between the hours of 2 and 6 AM.

"Are you two finished?" Tala yelled. The hotel agent hid behind the desk and wished he were anywhere but the lobby with the irate Russians. "We have two rooms, and after the last time, there's no way in hell I'd leave both of you alone together. I need everyone in one piece for the tournament. Spencer and Kai, you'll take one of the rooms. Bryan and I will take the other. We'll meet at breakfast at 8:30 sharp. Any questions?"

The group shook their heads and started towards the elevator. The team rode in silence to the 6th floor. As they walked towards their rooms, Kai thought about the strange pain spreading across his chest. It started when Tala gave out the roommate assignments and only seemed to get worse as Tala and Bryan disappeared behind their door. Had he strained a muscle dodging Bryan's fists? It was unlikely, but Kai couldn't explain the soreness any other way. He was too young for a heart attack.

Oblivious to his roommate's plight, Spencer opened their door and threw his bag on one of the double beds before walking to the bathroom. Kai, feeling woozy from his chest pain and drained from the long flight, flopped onto the second mattress. He barely managed to kick off his shoes and set the alarm before he fell asleep.

XXXXXX

Despite the holiday cheer of the other blading teams, the hotel's continental breakfast felt tense. The Blitzkrieg Boys radiated a dangerous aura which couldn't be ignored. It was so palpable that few of the other bladers dared to speak out of self-preservation. Unfortunately, the ones who did talk were the ones that Kai most wished would shut up. If Tyson and Max sang Christmas carols any louder, Kai wasn't sure that he could stop himself from committing murder.

Suddenly, Mr. Dickenson walked into the dining room and greeted the teams. As he was congratulating them for their participation in the tournament thus far, Kai's mind started to wander. He was thinking about his captain and how strong of a competitor he had become this year. Kai thought of Tala's last match, which was over in less than a minute. Such brute force, such power…

"... and this brings me to our last order of business. As you all know, the BBA Winter Holiday Party is tomorrow night. To add to the festivities, we are going to have a Secret Santa. You will pull a fellow blader's name out of my top hat. Then, you will be responsible for getting them one gift."

Kai groaned at the chairman's words. This was just what he needed. He hoped that he would get one of his teammates or even one of the former Bladebreakers. When Mr. Dickenson walked to their table, Kai grasped one of the few papers left in the bottom of the bowler hat. He held his breath as he opened the slip: Miguel Lavalier. Puzzled, Kai stared at the name dumbly, wishing he read it incorrectly. What could Kai buy for someone he barely knew?

Kai looked at his team's response to their picks. Spencer had a neutral expression, Tala seemed disgusted, and Bryan had a sadistic smile on his face. Kai raised his eyebrow at Bryan, silently questioning the name on his paper.

"Tyson." That was all Bryan needed to say. Kai broke out a smirk of his own as Bryan continued, "I have to think of the best way to create chaos. I'm going to be the Secret Santa from hell. Maybe this party will be interesting after all!"

"If you want to combine forces," Tala sighed, "I got stuck with the other Granger." Kai felt another pang in his chest. For some reason, he had hoped that Tala would pull his name from the hat. It was a funny feeling that Kai knew was illogical. Why should he care if Tala got him a present? The team never got gifts for each other.

"Nah, I want this to be a surprise. Plus, Captain, you'll need some deniability." Bryan wiggled his eyebrows. Nodding, Tala decided it was best not to press the matter. If Bryan didn't want to share his plans, so be it. Tala would get Hiro some nondescript gift, something that the arrogant fool wouldn't complain about.

"I picked Johnny," Spencer said. Kai's smirk turned to a frown immediately at the mention of the Scot's name. Shaking his head, Kai was glad he dodged that bullet. "What about you, Kai?" the blonde asked calmly.

"Hn, Miguel." Glass shattered across the table and onto the carpet. Kai, startled by the noise, turned to Tala who was clutching the remaining shards of a cup in his hand. Kai wasn't sure why the redhead was upset. Did Tala hate Lavalier for some reason? It wasn't like he needed to get a gift for the Spanish blader.

"So dramatic," Bryan said as he rolled his eyes, "Now we need to stop by our room before we go hunting for presents."

XXXXXX

After Spencer wrapped Tala's hand in a thick bandage, the Blitzkrieg Boys started out toward the shopping center. Once there, they saw various bladers in the crowd. Some, like Kevin and Daichi, were running from store to store. Others, like Brooklyn and Garland, were already carrying wrapped presents and moseying back in the direction of the hotel. Kai could only hope his team would find what they needed quickly.

"Hey Kai!" Hilary shouted and waved. She was standing with Ray, who whispered something in her ear before taking off into a shop. Kai bobbed his head towards her, hoping the nod would suffice in keeping the brunette away. As if he'd be that lucky! She sauntered over and took his arm, slowly dragging him away from the other amused Russians. When Tala cocked his head in a silent question, Hilary tried to explain. "I need his help, but I'll bring him back soon!"

Kai allowed himself to be pulled towards a bench outside one of the stores. He waited for her to start the conversation, but she began to rummage around in her purse. Silence. Normally, that wouldn't bother Kai, but he wanted to go back to the hotel to train. He needed to be in top condition before his next match. Since Hilary wasn't giving him any indication that she would talk soon, Kai tried to guess what she wanted.

"Are you my Secret Santa?" That would be a relief to Kai, who could count on his former teammate to get him a practical gift. Maybe she'd get him a new set of arm guards or an updated launcher.

"No, I got Bryan," Hilary started, "and I don't know what he'd like. You're on the same team, so you guys must spend a lot of time together." Kai raised an eyebrow. Close to Bryan? Him? Kai was going to scoff outright and leave, but he changed his mind after glancing at Hilary's pleading eyes. The things he did for this girl.

"Do you have anything in mind?"

"I thought about getting him concert tickets. Does he like any particular bands or types of music?" Finally finding what she was looking for in her bag, Hilary took out a pen and notepad. Then, she waited patiently for Kai's response.

"No." She rolled her arms, motioning for him to keep talking. He sighed. "During training, Tala plays songs from this punk band, and it drives Bryan crazy. I don't think music's his thing." Hilary wrote something down before she asked her next question.

"Okay… does he like going to the movies?"

"Hn, no." She glared at his answer. Sensing that she wanted him to expand on that, he continued. "I've never seen Bryan willingly choose to watch anything. Tala's always the one to force us to watch his random DVDs."

Kai trailed off and thought about the last Blitzkrieg movie night. He had chosen the seat next to Tala on the couch and had tried to focus on the film's terrible plot. However, Kai couldn't summarize what happened if his life depended on it, because he kept getting distracted. Every time Kai started to get lost in the movie, Tala would reach into the bowl between them, toss a piece of popcorn into his mouth, and then lick his fingers. Kai's face got hot just thinking about it. He hoped Hilary didn't notice, but her eyes narrowed.

"Does he need new gear for his blade?"

"No, I don't think Tala needs anything." Hilary chuckled at his answer and twirled her pen.

"What about Bryan? Does he need any blading accessories?"

"Oh, Bryan," Kai stuttered, "he can always use new gloves. He either shreds them while blading or when he punches walls in anger."

"Cool!" Hilary wrote down a few final words and then put her notepad back in her purse. "You're a lifesaver, Kai!"

XXXXXX

"Now Bryan," Tala drawled, "We're staying at the party until 11:00. Don't ask me again, or I'll throw Falborg out the window while you're asleep."

"No worries, Captain," Bryan slurred, "I already started the party! Vodka always helps. Whoever spiked the punch last time did a shit job. The only one here who got tipsy was our resident lightweight, Hiwatari." He took out a startlingly large flask, took a swig, and put it back in his coat pocket.

"Fuck you, Kuznetsov!" Kai spat.

"No thanks," Bryan cackled, "You may be hot, but the last thing I need is being kicked off the team due to the Wolf's jealousy."

"Bryan," Tala slowly warned, "That's enough." Tala's icy eyes bore into Bryan's. Kai was fascinated by the silent conversation happening between the two of them and wondered what it meant. He had no idea why Bryan made that comment about Tala, but seeing his captain's expression, Kai decided it was best to move on. He added it to his mental list of mysteries that he never bothered to solve.

After an hour of eating and drinking, in which the Blitzkrieg Boys supplemented the punch with Bryan's vodka, Kai was feeling good. After five shots and four glasses of punch, maybe he felt a little too good, but he wasn't going to give Bryan the satisfaction of seeing him turn away drinks. He'd show him who was a lightweight! And if Kai didn't remember this party in the morning, so be it.

Finally, Mr. Dickenson got on the microphone and gave a speech about holiday cheer and told the bladers that it was time to exchange presents. People moved to find the recipients of their gifts.

"I see Johnny over there," Spencer pointed to a table near the dance floor. "Kai, he's next to Lavalier. Why don't we give them our gifts and be done with it?" Tala's head swiveled around, and he glared at the Spaniard. Miguel, who had smiled when he saw Kai look at his table, cowered slightly underneath Tala's glacial stare. Kai knew Tala was pissed off at the other blader for some reason, so he decided that it would probably be best if he gave Miguel his present as quickly as possible. He and Spencer pushed their way through the crowded room and approached the Europeans.

"Hey Johnny, Miguel," Spencer started. "We're your Secret Santas." He passed Johnny a small green package. The Scot unwrapped the paper carefully, revealing a miniature snow globe. He thanked Spencer and excused himself to go and hand over his present to Max. Abruptly, Julia stomped over and shoved a gift into Spencer's arms. Spencer, more amused than upset by her rudeness, took his present back to the table where Tala and Bryan were sitting. This left Kai on his own with Miguel.

"So, you have something for me?" The Spanish blader moved closer to Kai and gazed down at the Russian. His smile was almost blinding, and Kai wasn't sure how to respond.

"Hn, it's nothing special." He took a step backwards, trying to reclaim some space. Miguel, however, shifted closer again. He leaned forward, so that his mouth was brushing against Kai's ear.

"I'm sure it's great. Thank you," Miguel whispered. Kai felt warm and weirdly trapped. Even though he knew he could back further away, his legs refused to move. Like a statue, Kai was stuck in place. He gripped Miguel's gift hard enough to wrinkle the outside of the bag. Kai's heart was pounding so loudly that he was sure the Battalion leader must have been able to hear it. Kai tried to speak, but nothing came out of his mouth. His head spun, as if he had downed three shots in a row.

"Ahem." Miguel was yanked away from Kai, and the Russian looked up to see his captain's eyes blazing in anger. "Have you given Miguel your present yet? We don't have all night. I think Dickenson will allow us to go home early." Kai shakily placed the gift bag on the table.

"Here!" Kai exhaled audibly, relieved that he was done playing Santa. He turned to Tala and nodded that he was finished. Tala took the other's hand and dragged him to the outside balcony that was attached to the ballroom. Kai vaguely heard Bryan wolf whistle in the background. What a weirdo.

Once outside, Tala let go of Kai and sat on the railing with his legs hanging towards the garden below. Kai followed and soon both Russians were looking at the night sky. Kai felt a sense of peace wash over him as the two sat in silence. After a few minutes, Tala's voice rang in the air.

"Was he bothering you? You're still sweaty." Kai took stock of himself. Was he upset with Miguel? He was definitely uncomfortable with their interaction, but he wasn't sure if he wanted Tala to cause a scene over it. It must have been all of the alcohol causing him to lose control earlier. Otherwise, he would've just walked away. Wouldn't he?

"I'm okay. He was just being friendly, I think." Blue eyes scanned Kai's face, looking for a trace of a lie. Finding none, Tala sighed in relief. He ran his right hand through his hair and turned to his teammate. His eyes seemed to stare into Kai's soul. Again, Kai felt unable to move away. However, unlike earlier with Miguel, Kai didn't feel trapped, and he didn't want Tala to leave. To his surprise, Kai felt his body leaning towards the redhead.

"Kai, there's something I need to tell you. I re-"

"Hey Kai! I've been looking for you." Ray interrupted. Kai promptly hopped off the railing, while Tala turned and snarled at the new intruder.

"Fucking Secret Santa…"

Ray, used to dealing with Kai's moods, continued on like nothing had happened. "Here, I hope you enjoy it! Happy holidays, Kai. You, too, Tala." He gave his former teammate a strawberry envelope, winked, revealed his fanged smile, and went back to the ballroom.

Bewildered by everything that had happened that night, Kai felt it would be best to open the card and then continue to talk to Tala. Kai leaned against the railing as he tore open the envelope. He skimmed over the standard holiday message and took out two movie ticket vouchers taped to the side. He squinted as he read the fine print. Why had Ray given him these? Did Hilary say something after their conversation? Confused, Kai looked up at Tala, who was still sitting on the railing and hovering over his shoulder.

"Hn, movie tickets. That's more of your area of expertise than mine. Would y-"

"Hiwatari!" Kai jumped away from the railing, and Tala cursed Bryan under his breath. Kai folded the tickets and placed them in his pocket before he responded to the Falcon blader.

"What is it, Kuznetsov?"

"You wanted to see my gift to the pig, and it's finally show time. Ivanov, you won't want to miss this either." He grinned widely and gestured for them to walk back inside.

Alarmed, Kai snuck a glance at Tala, who shrugged. Still wary but interested in Tyson's torment, the two Russians followed Bryan back to their seats. Tala took his usual place at the table, like Kai expected, but both were shocked when Bryan chose Spencer's spot next to Kai instead of further away. He leaned into the younger Russian and closed the gap between them to a level that frankly concerned Kai. What the hell was happening now?

"You see, Hiwatari, I like to think of this as a gift to Tyson and me…"

Sensing danger too little too late, Kai felt someone drunkenly crash into the corner of his chair. Whirling around, Kai saw the World Champion standing there with his tie partially undone and wearing a Santa hat. There was some sort of plant attached to the end of the white puff ball. Kai had no idea why Tyson was wearing the green sprig nor why he was intruding into Kai's space. Did no one understand the concept of a personal bubble?

"I just want," Tyson hiccupped, "to say, Kai, I miss you so much…Bryan gave me this hat and told me all about your crush on me. I'm flattered, man! So here's a gift for you: a kiss under the mistletoe!" Kai's eyes widened in absolute horror as Tyson moved closer to his face. He tried to get out of his chair, but Tyson had already started to straddle him. The younger blader missed all of the warning signs that Kai was unamused. Tyson's mouth swooped down, and just as their lips met, Kai kneed the other boy in the crotch. A flash went off, and Tyson howled as he hit the floor.

"Perfect," Bryan chuckled, "That's going on the refrigerator for sure. Hiwatari, you should've seen your face - pure terror! Not that I blame you…" Finally realizing that Bryan's gift was a prank at his expense, Tyson crawled under the table to escape Kai's wrath.

Kai would kill Bryan for this: the Blitzkrieg Boys would just have to finish the season as a trio without him. Now, what could be used as a weapon?

Sensing that Kai was about to lose it, Tala put a hand on the younger blader's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Although the touch made Kai shiver slightly, he wasn't ready to let go of his anger. Still, he paused to weigh his options. On one hand, killing Bryan would satisfy his need for revenge. On the other, Kai understood that Mr. Dickenson might not approve of him murdering a teammate during a public event. Fed up with the entire night and knowing he would explode if he spent another moment in the ballroom with Bryan, Kai stomped off towards the elevator. He would sleep this off and forget that his lips ever touched the World Champion's.

"Bryan." Tala watched the phoenix blader disappear down the corridor. He was torn between being amused at the display and annoyed that this ruined his chance of getting with Kai that night. He sighed and knew he'd have to try to smooth things over with the younger Russian the next day. There was no way to fix it now.

"Yes, Captain?"

"You're lucky that we're bunking in the same room. Otherwise, I think Kai would strangle you in your sleep. And I can't guarantee that he won't gut you with a spoon when he sees you at breakfast."

"It was worth it. This party was way better than the last one!"