Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade and I'm not making any money from writing this fic… wish I was, but nah.

Author's Notes: Woah haven't updated this in a while… I'm really shocked that so many people liked this fanfic so much... I never expected such a great response! I gotta apologize for this chapter – it very pretty boring. The fic will also end in a couple more chapters… I've kinda lost the spark for it since, Tyson/Kai is the officially recognized couple in Japan so this story really is impossible.

And to Fyredra and Stacey… I appreciate you stickin' up for me! But uhm heh, me and her are ok with each other now.

Impossible

They were fighting.

As unbelievable as it sounded, it couldn't be denied that the shouts coming from inside the kitchen weren't ones of joy or happiness. For the first time in what must have been ages, the Granger household didn't have the atmosphere of cheerfulness that it usually emitted. This day it was eerily calm and the two yelling voices could be heard throughout the relative silence of the dojo.

Well, Tyson was the one doing the yelling; Naomi was as quiet as ever.

The day before, as soon as Tyson and Kai had stepped back into the house, a couple hours after dark, Tyson had remembered that he had meant to pick Naomi up.

So, Tyson had rushed out to the dressmaker's in the car while everyone put the purchases away and left a little awkwardly to their own places they were staying at. When Tyson got to the shop, he found out that his fiancée had left and he knew that she had taken the bus straight home. When Tyson got back to the dojo, the former world champion had immediately gotten on the phone with Naomi and tried to apologize for what must have seemed to be a hundred times. And Naomi had accepted his apology about a hundred times as well.

And yet the subject still hadn't dropped.

That was the reason why Max, Ray and Kai were sitting in the dojo, unable to continue the job of clearing out the old junk, and listening to the argument taking place in the Granger household's kitchen.

"Tyson, it's okay."

"It's not okay and I can tell!" The heated response echoed through the house.

"It is." Came the insistent reply.

"Naomi, if you're angry at me then tell me! Yell at me, hit me, kick me- do something! Don't just act like you're fine with everything!"

"You had a good reason."

"No, I didn't! I lost track of time with Kai and I forgot and I'm sorry - you know that - but you have to tell me that you're angry, because I know you are! You have a right to be."

"I'm not angry Tyson. You haven't seen Kai or the others in a long time… I understand that."

"That's not the point!"

And the argument started again from there.

Ray sighed and banged his head back against the dojo wall. "This looks like it's going to go on for a while. Tyson's really getting chewed out."

"It sounds like Tyson is doing a pretty good job of chewing himself out to me." Max put in.

"That's for sure." Ray agreed. He put his hands behind his head. "I knew that they would probably have a little falling out… but nothing this big!"

"Tyson always takes things hard… Betrayal is high on that list - whether it's by someone else, or himself." Kai said, his eyes shielded by his thick bangs. The owner of Biovolt was sitting on a large sturdy box, his legs and arms crossed, leaning back against the soft wood of the wall.

Max and Ray stared at him, and then at each other.

They still hadn't gotten the full story of where Tyson and Kai had been all day yesterday. Everyone had been in a hurry when the two had gotten back, so there hadn't been a chance to question the two on it, or why they didn't buy anything.

The slamming of cupboard doors could suddenly be heard and the three of them fell silent. More clattering sounded, and the reunited Bladebreakers listened as Tyson put the dishes left over from breakfast into the sink.

The owner of Biovolt closed his eyes and sighed slightly under his breath. Each time he had heard his name mentioned Kai felt a stab of guilt. He knew that, technically, it was not his fault – he had not been the one to forget about the girl. He hadn't done anything wrong by being with Tyson yesterday, but… even with knowing those facts, he could not seem to shake the feeling that his being here was affecting the couple in a negative way.

And there was another fact that he overlooked.

He did not want them to be a couple.

He wanted Tyson to be his.

And that was the problem…

****

It's wrong. Why did this have to happen?

The question is one that plagues me – I can never find an answer to it that I want to hear.

It's there in the back of my mind, has been for the past few days actually… Had I not known of their engagement and that I would lose him, would I have continued my days loving him, but never acting on it?

It is frightening to think this.

Some say love is blind.

Maybe this is true.

Maybe because of my love for you, I can't see the real person there. This is what people say – but I think you, the others, and I all know how much I trust the opinions of people. The only person I've ever fully trusted is you. And yet, you don't know this…

You don't know almost everything that's been happening with me for these years we have been apart, and I don't know almost everything that's happened to you.

I can see differences and I can see similarities in the Tyson Granger that existed in my past, that boy that won the World Championships, and the Tyson Granger in this present, the one that is now finding it difficult to talk with his fiancée.

Even with the changes that years can bring, both of these 'you's' are essentially the same.

I will always remember the past version of yourself as my first crush. My first love. Like a lingering perfume your presence must have marked me with some invisible sign of ownership… why else would your name always find itself attached to mine in rumours at my boarding school?

Usually the rumours weren't anything astounding. Mostly they held hints as to why I had quit beyblading after the World Championships. Some said I did it because I didn't have the talent anymore. Others said that it was because I thought that no one was good enough to blade against. And one rumour said that I thought the only one worthy enough to beybattle… was you.

All rumours have their truths to them.

****

The sliding wooden door opened and Tyson stepped through it, shutting it quietly behind himself.

"Hey guys." Tyson said waving shortly, and focused on rolling up his sleeves.

Ray and Max got up from the spots on the floor, and Kai stood from the box he had been seated on.

Max spoke up first. "Hey Tyson, are you-"

"Lots of stuff to do today!!" Tyson cut the blond off, still concentrating on his sleeve. "Let's get it all done real quick, okay?" The world champion lifted his head and finally looked at his old team, a half grin on his face. "I wanted to take you all to the beach this evening."

"The beach?" Max's eyebrows angled in concern.

"I think that's a great idea, Tyson." Ray stated.

Tyson smiled. "Hey thanks, Ray." He reached up and adjusted his cap. "I'm gonna go phone the junk place to make sure they're sending that truck to pick this stuff up. Then we can all go out." The midnight haired young man gave them the thumbs up then headed for the living room where there was a phone.

As soon as Tyson had left Max sighed. "I think he's trying to get away from Naomi for the day." The blond assumed.

"I don't blame him." Ray replied. "He just had a long fight with her, he needs some time to cool down."

"I guess." Max said, still a little unsure. "I've never seen Tyson act like this though."

"Kai…Where were you two all yesterday, anyway?" Ray questioned the silent owner of Biovolt, a concerned expression on his face.

"Does it matter?" Kai muttered under his breath as he got up and pushed past them, going outside to the Granger's courtyard.

****

"The van is on its way?… Ok, yep we've got most of it ready to store… Ten minutes? Gotcha." Tyson held the phone to his ear talking with the junk movers.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Naomi walk past holding some cleaning supplies, and enter the kitchen. The voice on the phone line started up again and the longhaired blader's attention was torn away.

"I'm sorry, didn't catch that… Ok…Yeah."

The door to the kitchen shut quietly.

****

It was maybe 6 years ago that they had met.

She had been taking kendo lessons from his grandpa and he had been there and given her some tips too, when the old man's back had been turned. Later, after the lesson, he had talked with her, and it went on that way for every other lesson – him talking to her, and her gradually talking to him, too.

They became friends.

One day he walked her home from school, and another day she met his friend Kenny. From there she learned about his passion for Beyblading, and that led to him trying to teach her a how. It didn't work out too well, but it was fun all the same.

She liked him.

Months later, after another one of those self-defence lessons, he had shown her his room, and she saw a framed picture on the desk of five boys. One of them was him.

She asked about the group, and he told her the most amazing stories…

When her mom had come to pick her up, his grandpa had said they could both stay for dinner. He had bounded downstairs, and she had carefully set the photograph back down on the desk.

And she noticed.

There were lip marks on the glass frame - over the face of the tallest of his teammates – impressions left behind from when he had kissed that picture.

And it looked like they had been wiped away but then a fresh set had been pressed there about a hundred times again…

She had some of those too - on the pictures of handsome movie stars and some class photos from previous years and previous crushes.

She had some on a picture of him.

It was at dinner that night that her mom and his grandpa talked about an arranged marriage… how it would be a good thing… because she needed someone to take care of her, and he needed to settle down one of these days when he got too old to enter Beyblade competitions.

He protested. They were young – They didn't feel that way about each other, he looked at her, right?

She did not know what she felt.

He did not want to get married.

Maybe his grandpa knew that – maybe his grandpa saw the lip marks when he cleaned the picture frame.

She did not know what she wanted.

But it was not a matter of want anymore. It was a duty now – an obligation. And Tyson was nothing, if not dutiful. When she got home, she ran to her room and found her picture of him and hurriedly wiped away the lip marks.

They never talked about that night.

****

"Kai, can I talk to you for a moment?" Ray asked to other young adult who was standing by the dojo's pond, watching a few leaves fall from a flowering tree. He had told Max that he was going to talk to their old team captain, leaving the blond to go wait for the moving van while he approached Kai's withdrawn form. Standing a small distance away, Ray wondered what was the best way to bring up the issue he wanted to talk about.

"Kai-"

"Do me a favour and get to the point, Ray." Kai said, cutting off what the Chinese blader had been going say.

"Oh…Alright then…" Ray managed, slightly unnerved by Kai's mood. It was a great change from his comfortable attitude the last couple of days, and Ray was suddenly reminded of how Kai used to act so very long ago. Well if Kai wanted to act like that, then he wouldn't sugarcoat anything.

"I was talking to Max about you and Tyson recently. You've got feelings for Tyson. Strong ones." Ray paused before continuing. "Kai, you have to think of moving on."

Kai scowled deeply but did not say anything.

"He's getting married." Ray said, exasperated at the former team captain's lack of response.

Kai turned away and gazed at the small decorative pond seeing his reflection in the water. "That doesn't change anything. Even if he's getting married, nothing's changed."

Ray's eyebrows shot up at that. "What do you mean nothing's changed? Everything will change! Don't you get it Kai? He's getting married, Kai – and it's not just him in this either, it's Naomi and her family, and his family too. It's all of us, we're all a part of this wedding and we're here helping out to make it work! What are you doing here if you don't want it to?" Ray folded his arms and his eyes bore into Kai's back. "You have a couple more weeks to do… whatever it is you came here to do. So Kai, tell me, what did you come here for?"

The owner of Biovolt's lips pressed into a thin line and his eyes narrowed, still staring at the clear water of the pond. "I came here…to see him… and to tell him… before it's over."

Ray's mouth opened in shock. Was that really what Kai planned to do? "Think about this Kai." The Chinese blader implored. "When do you think you're going to tell him? Right before they say 'I do'? Or maybe afterwards and completely mess with Tyson's feelings by giving him yours to think about!?" Ray ran a hand through his fringe in frustration. "You can't just tell him this."

Kai's shoulders stiffened visibly, Ray's words cutting deep. He straightened his back then quickly started to stride out of the courtyard.

Momentarily stunned, Ray's eyes widened before he called out to Kai. "No, don't walk away! That's what you always do."

Kai stopped, but Ray could see that his hands were clenched into fists.

I think I've been going about this the wrong way… Ray thought. He sighed and shook his head, trying for a different approach this time. The Chinese man looked at Kai. "You could have told him a long time ago." Ray stated simply.

Kai's head bowed. "I know." Came the reply.

"It's not much longer that you have, you know. The wedding isn't that far away." Ray said cautiously.

"Yes."

"So… what are you going to do?" Ray asked uncertainly.

Kai continued to stare at the small pond, his answer devoid of feeling. "Nothing."

"Hey, Ray! Kai!!" A loud voice called out, and the Chinese man turned around to see the groom-to-be running over and waving.

"Hey Tyson." Ray answered.

"There you guys are!" Tyson exclaimed reaching them and putting a hand on the Chinese blader's shoulder. "The van's here around the other side. Max's already putting some stuff in, and we need some help!" He grinned, but it slipped away when he saw Kai standing motionless by the pond.

Ray noticed Tyson's sudden change in demeanour. "Sure Tyson. Hey, I'll go help Max out right now. Mind if I grab a few bottles of water from the kitchen?"

"Yeah, sure." Tyson replied, but he hadn't really heard the question. He was looking at Kai.

Ray sighed inwardly and headed for the house. How was he going to fix this?

****

Tyson barely noticed as Ray left, his eyes only on Kai's unresponsive form. He was standing there stiffly, his back to Tyson, looking into the pond's water, and he seemed to want to be alone. But Tyson didn't leave because he was never one to leave Kai alone, especially since he was probably the one to cause Kai's bad mood. They had had such a great day yesterday, and this one had started off badly.

"Hey, best man…" Tyson smiled gently and walked over to his old team captain. He gingerly put his hand on Kai's rigid shoulder and was slightly shocked to feel Kai wilt a bit at his touch.

The owner of Biovolt turned around and looked at Tyson, his expression unreadable to the engaged man for the first time in many years.

"Listen…" Tyson started, letting his hand slip from Kai's shoulder. "Me and Naomi fighting wasn't your fault or anything, Kai." Tyson said, then rambled slightly trying to explain. "I mean… the wedding's still on and everything in case you were worried about that…"

That's it then. Kai thought, ignoring the constricted feeling in his heart. The wedding is still on, and he's not mine, because I was too late to do anything about these feelings. I could have told him sooner, but I didn't. I don't know if I ever would have… and now I know… that I never can.

Any more time spent with Tyson alone, was more time for a heart to break. This pining that I've kept doing just… has to end. Kai sighed and decided to try and get away.

"Tyson, the moving van is here-"

"The others can take care of it." Tyson replied casually, and then took a seat on a boulder by the pond. He then reached up and took Kai's hand, pulling him to sit down by the pond too. The touch sent a pleasant buzz through Kai's body and he couldn't help but sit down. Just a little more time wouldn't hurt…

"Besides, it's a nice day to sit around a bit." Tyson spoke, his deep blue eyes looking straight into Kai's and he smiled boyishly, making him look very handsome.

Kai swallowed painfully, knowing he'd have to stop noticing things like that. It was now his obligation to accept that Tyson was getting married, and would never be his, but… he couldn't stop the thought. How will I ever stop wanting him?

****

She rubbed at the glass harder and the fuzzy images of the beautiful courtyard, with its vines, flowers and small trees that Grandpa had panted was slowly coming into view.

"You were right Tyson. I am angry at you…" Naomi admitted quietly. "But not for the reason you think." The washrag was dipped into the bucket and rung so that most of the soapy water drained back into the pail. She adjusted the metal band on her finger.

The wedding ring he had bought her didn't fit. It was slightly too big, and always slid down her ring finger so she had to wear it on the middle one. Naomi pressed the damp rag to the window once again. "You were thinking of someone else's hand when you got this…" She said, her tone pensive.

"Tyson…" Her grip on the windowsill tightened and she closed her eyes. "You gave it to the wrong person." Her grip relaxed, as she was too tired to keep the anger too long. She shook her head and opened her eyes slowly, staring out the window to the scenery outside again.

"You talk to me about not saying what I feel… but you don't even recognize it when you do it yourself." Naomi dipped the rag into the bucket again and repeated the cleaning on the glass more quickly this time. "We both didn't say things… and now look at us…" Naomi said to Tyson. "We're trapped."

Finished with washing it, Naomi gave the glass one last wipe, and through the window she could clearly see Tyson sitting by the pond, very close to Kai. She tossed the rag back into the bucket and turned, heading for the laundry room to put the cleaning supplies away.

****

The door creaked open slowly and the longhaired blader stepped fully into the kitchen, his eyes on the hallway that Naomi had just walked down. He made his way over to the recently washed window over the sink; gazing out like the girl had done only minutes ago. He saw them then – by the pond – Tyson and Kai.

Ray had heard everything.

****

To be continued…