Deceit and Betrayal

Kyousuke hates Kuroudo. It is the most natural reaction to such a betrayal. Like how water in a glass will evaporate if left under the sun for too long, his love for his best friend will eventually fade away to nothing at every remembrance of that exact moment when he heard Kuroudo's abrupt confession about the microchip. His betrayal.

Kuroudo hates Kyousuke. It is the expected response to such a deceitful deed. Like how the dark of night will disappear to give way to the light of day, his love for his best friend will slowly vanish to nil at every recollection of that very instance when he heard the foreign sound in his crushgear which was the microchip. His deceit.

Kyousuke used to think his best friend was the greatest gearfighter there ever was. His skills were incomparable in battle and he could beat most opponents without breaking a sweat. Together, they were known as the 'Dynamic Duo', unbeatable and unmatched. He still couldn't tell what either of them had done wrong.

Kuroudo used to think his best friend was the greatest gearmaster there ever was. His settings were near to perfect and beating most opponents was no problem at all. Together, they were known as the 'Dynamic Duo', unparalleled and unsurpassed. It was still unclear to him when and where things had started to go so wrong.

Kyousuke and Kuroudo were as different from each other as night and day. Kuroudo had blonde hair and Mediterranean blue eyes while he had black hair and brown-almost-black eyes. He was half-French, Kyousuke was Japanese. Kuroudo was tall, while he was on the shorter side. But despite all these, they had stood on the same plane, best friends.

Kuroudo and Kyousuke contrasted sharply like water and fire. Kyousuke was quiet until it came to anything about crushgear as he had always been outspoken and assertive. He was a true gearmaster, Kuroudo was a skilled gearfighter and their team captain. Kyousuke was a follower, while he was a leader. Impossible as it seemed, they had been equals, best friends.

Kyousuke always stood up for Kuroudo, just as the gearfighter always stood up for him. He never cared who they were up against and held the belief that together they could not be defeated. They met whatever awaited them with no fear and basked in the light of their victory at the end. Not once did it occur to him that he would be alone, and that his worst enemy could be his own best friend.

Kuroudo was always by Kyousuke's side, just as the gearmaster was always by his. It didn't matter how strong their opponents may be, he knew that with each other no one had even the slimmest chance of winning. They were never afraid of what might be in store for them and blithely enjoyed their success after overcoming these. He never entertained the thought that one day he would find no person at his side, and that person would be shooting looks fit to kill at him instead.

'Here is a fool' never entered the mind of others-- it was always 'Here are a pair of fools'. Kyousuke agreed with Kuroudo on everything. He didn't care if others thought his opinions strange as long as Kuroudo held similar ones. They had never differed in ideas so Kyousuke could only but never did imagine what that was like.

If ever he was to be held a genius, so was his best friend. Kuroudo and Kyousuke thought alike. Others' opinions mattered little as long his thoughts matched Kyousuke's. Nothing could have prepared him for the time they would think oppositely.

Kyousuke wonders why he joined Kouya's team. Was it true he really wanted to go back to gearfighting? He said he hates gearfighters, but mostly he hates Kuroudo...right?

Kuroudo wonders why he is now in the Tobita Club. It really didn't make any sense. He knew Kyousuke is in it, and he hates Kyousuke...he has to hate Kyousuke!

Kyousuke hates Kuroudo. It is the most natural reaction to such a betrayal. His betrayal. But in the one year they were apart, he truly missed the flaxen-haired gearfighter, much as he hates to admit it. And now he tries to push him away, more as a natural reaction than because he hates him.

Kuroudo hates Kyousuke. It is the expected response to such a deceitful deed. His deceit. In the single year they were on ill-terms with each other however, the lack of the black-haired gearmaster's company was inconspicuous, but you'll never him say that. His half-hearted insults are responses expected of him, and nothing more.

"I'm going to fight for this team, yes, but don't expect me to be friends with that boy standing beside you!" Kyousuke wonders if it's the truth.

"Then that's good, because that's what I want to happen anyway." Kuroudo wonders if he had been completely honest.

When life gets confusing, it's rather reassuring to know that we often do not have choose what to do. Because...

...after all...

...that's why there are...

...natural reactions and expected responses...

...to deceit and betrayal.

End.

Disclaimers: I don't own CGT.

Author's notes: Dedicated to Hareta! No.1 fan of KuroKyou friendship!