Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade

Warnings: Shounen ai, ooc:ness, corniness, flufflyness, mushy mushyness, schmaltzy, saccharine-sweet, and all others words for too sugary.

Chiaki-chan: I promise I'll get rid of the oc as soon as possible. She sends shivers through me (like this whole chapter) and we all hate 'em. I have slept for four hours (sleeping is weakness of character, as we all know) and I have a fever so I'm not sure about this chapter at all. Still I hope you enjoy.


Chapter 4: Awkward Feelings

My body felt like it was frozen and on fire at the same time. I wanted to open my eyes, but couldn't bring myself to do it. It was hard to move, like something heavy was on me. It felt like I was somewhere between sleep and consciousness. The last thigh I remembered was that I had headed back to the hut after sorting my thoughts.

Finally my eyes shot open as I heard Kai's voice.

"It doesn't concern you." He said sounding dead serious. Looking around I noticed that I was lying on my bed covered with blankets. I removed some of them as I lifted myself on my elbows. Luckily the room's door had left open so I could see what was happening. This was that the phoenix was punched by Takao. I knew that the older boy could have dodged it easily, but for some reason he didn't. I was confused. Why was the dragon so angry?

"The hell, it does concern me!" The midnight-haired boy shouted. "Rei is our friend and he almost froze to death, so I think you better start explaining! I wasn't surprised if this was all your doing."

He wasn't blaming Kai for that, was he? I wanted to go to stop their fight, but I felt too tired to move.

"Do you actually think I wanted this to happen?" The captain asked. "Do you really think I'm enjoying this?"

"Well I wouldn't be surprised if you were! Oh right. You might lose a valuable blader, of course you care." Why wasn't Kai defending himself? I had started the fight after all. My head started to hurt from all the musing, but still I wanted answers.

"You really think that much of me?"

"Then why would you care?"

"Because…" Eavesdroppers were something I wasn't too fond of, but this was something I was too eager to hear. What did Kai consider me as? To my disappointment the team leader didn't end the sentence.

"Because he's a team member? Because he's a friend? Because of what? You can't even say it!" In this point the phoenix brushed Takao's hand off from his collar and left the room.

"Running away?" The dragon almost mocked him.

"I'll be back within two hours and if you even think about trying to lock me out, you'll find yourself missing one of your dear limbs." I knew Kai meant what he said. It seemed that the blue-haired blader had really managed to anger him this time.

I lay back down to rest, but couldn't stay like that for long. I was feeling kind of lonely and the awkward silence on the other room was bothering me. Making my mind and forcing my body to move I climbed up from the bed, taking one of the blankets with me. I put it around me to warm me up as I entered the living room. Everyone's eyes turned to look at me.

"You should be still in the bed." Max said from concern. "You haven't been inside for long yet."

Ignoring the blonde I turned towards the dragon. I wanted to hear his reasons. "Why did you hit him?"

"He deserved it." He simply answered crossing his arms, looking almost proud of himself.

"No he didn't." I corrected him, with a sad smile. Feeling like my feet wouldn't last for long I sat down on the couch, closest to the fireplace.

"So what happened then?" Kenny asked carefully, like testing the ice.

"Nothing really." I sighed. Kai had probably already gone through this cross-examination. Naturally he hadn't said a word.

"Like we would believe that." Takao stated and waited me to continue.

"I'm telling the truth. I just overreacted." Why didn't they just drop the subject? Wasn't it obvious we didn't want to talk about it?

"Meaning?" The dragon inquired more. He surely was stubborn and this was one of the moments it was extremely irritating.

"We had a fight, alright." I said in annoyance. "Nothing more, nothing less. Live with it."

"So it was his fault!" the midnight-haired youth declared, like he had been right, which he wasn't.

"I started it!" I shouted at the boy, who shut up and look at me in shock. The other two's reaction was very close to Takao's. I rested my head to my hands taking a deep breath. "Sorry. Didn't mean to yell at you or worry you. Let's just not talk about it, okay?"

The others just nodded, but not the dragon. Instead he bended down closer to the Chief's computer. "Dizzy, are you sure you don't want to fill us in?"

"Unlike you, I don't have a death wish." The bitbeast said making me sigh with relief. I was glad that she didn't tell everything so easily.

Tightening the blanked around me I stared into the flames. I couldn't help it that the phoenix crept back to my thoughts again. Fire was his element after all. Sighing I came to the decision that I really had to talk with my captain when he came back.

"You cold?" Max's unusual quiet voice snapped me out of my brooding. I just shook my head.

"How about we play something?" I suggested at last, wanting the time to pass faster.


It was the second round of Cluedo. Kenny had won the first one and I have to admit I weren't paying any attention to the game. Instead I looked at the clock again. It was already five past eleven and Kai still wasn't back.

"Rei, it's your turn." Max informed me. I picked up the dices and threw them moving my piece randomly.

The front door open and close, as a sign that someone entered the hut. At last the phoenix was back, I was going nuts already. We all turned to look at the doorway expecting to see our captain there, but instead a girl, about the same height as Takao stood there smiling at us.

"Hello!" She greeted. "My name is Meeri, nice to meet you. I'm Anna's niece and for the rest of your staying I'll be your guide."

We changed puzzled looks. All of sudden a girl walks in our living room in the middle of a night exclaiming herself as our guide? Either her time sense was seriously messed up or she was just… weird.

"I never agreed to that." Kai's voice was heard as he walked in, looking as cold and bored as always. The girl whispered something to the red-eyed youth's ear and he grunted as an agreement. I couldn't help but feel a small prick of jealousy. I kicked myself mentally. It surely wasn't like me to feel jealous, and I didn't even have a reason to be. The girl tore me back to reality.

"So you guys get dressed up warmly. We're going to ski." she informed happily, shocking all of us.

"Now?" The Chief asked in horror.

"Yep!" She smiled. "It's a perfect weather outside. And if you want to be alive after the next two days I suggest you come outside with me."

"Do you know how late it is?" The dragon asked looking at her, like she was crazy. She certainly gave the impression of it.

"I know the clock perfectly well. We're still going." She stated strictly.

"Kai, was this your idea?" Takao glared the captain.

"Enjoy your lesson." the phoenix smirked and the boys couldn't do anything else, but to go to put something warm on. I also stood up and went to the bedroom to change. It didn't take long before I heard Kai entering the room.

"You're not coming?" I asked turning to look at the other, who was leaning against the wall. Seriously, sometimes I wondered, does he do anything else?

"No and neither are you." He said with a tone, that didn't leave any place for arguments. Of course he wasn't coming. He probably could ski perfectly well; he came from the eastern neighbouring country of Finland. I was just trying to make a conversation. Because it wasn't working, I sat on the bed looking at the scarlet-eyed one. I heard as the girl hurried the others up and soon she informed that they were going, leaving us alone.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, staring into each others eyes in silence. And it was the first time I noticed how much Kai's eyes actually showed. Surely, he knew how to hide his emotions, but now I could see clearly his hesitation. And I was dying to know the reason behind that.

"We need to talk." He finally sighed.

"I figured that out." I replied sarcastically. My heartbeat was speeding up again. I didn't know what to wait. One question was haunting my mind, even when I knew the answer already. I couldn't help it, before I spoke it out. "Was it true?"

"What?" He asked like he had been lost in thoughts.

"That you didn't open up, because of me?" I didn't want to hear the answer, but then again, I couldn't bear it, if I didn't.

"Yes." He replied almost softly. I could feel the tears starting to come back, so I lowered my head. Why was I this sensitive now? It usually took pretty much to make me cry.

"What did I do? Why don't you trust me?" My voice was shaking and I didn't like the fact that Kai was seeing me so weak. He probably was mentally laughing at me right now, for me being so pathetic.

"It's not like that." He said sounding irritated. "It's not like I don't trust you, or that you did something… It's just..." He kept a pause to take a breath. "It's just that I was afraid… because if someone it would be you who would get close to me. And I wasn't very eager to help the process." I was shocked. The phoenix was actually saying this? He had actually admitted that he was afraid?

The bed moved a bit, when he sat next to me.

"Then Takao punched me, making me actually think." Even though he was talking with a serious tone, I couldn't help but chuckle at this remark.

"You didn't deserve that one." I said giving a little smile the tears long forgotten.

"I think I did. Not, that it felt more than a little girl's slap." He pointed out, but got serious soon after. "And just after I had sorted some of my thought after the incident. I met that girl."

"Meeri?" I asked, again feeling little jealous.

"Yeah, her. And almost the first thing she did, she asked me if I had fought with you."

"She asked that?" I questioned and got a nod an answer.

"She really sounded like a shrimk when she spoke to me." The scarlet-eyed youth noted. "Probably would enjoy Dizzy's company."

I chuckled again. This was the first time Kai actually talked this much, and I enjoyed his company more than ever. "Speaking of her, I think that the Chief didn't switch her off."

"Probably in his room playing minesweeper or something." The phoenix stated. Hopefully she wasn't listening to us, I added in my mind.

We sat in comfortable silence for a while. The fight didn't bother me anymore and I felt pleased, now that the captain had opened up a little.

"Did I actually hurt you that much?" He was the first to speak. I could feel the pressure come back to my heart. Why did he have to bring this up again? I had hoped that he would forget, what I had said. Not trusting my voice I nodded.

"Why didn't you stop then?"

"I guess I'm just stubborn." I replied quietly. "Because I care."

"How much exactly?" What kind of question was that? Why did he even ask? And more importantly: What should I answer? Lying never had done any good.

I raised my head, so I could look into his eyes. I wanted to see how he would respond. "Words can't describe it."

The reaction sure wasn't what I had expected; he smiled. Kai actually smiled. Not the 'you-are-going-to-hell'-smile, but a real one.

"The girl was right again." He said running his hand through his two-toned hair.

"What did she say then?" She was starting to sound pretty scary person to me. I was sure I hadn't met her before and already it sounded like she knew me.

"That you cared for me more than I gave you credit for." He answered simply.

"Did she say anything else?" I was really curious to know.

"She asked if we were together." The phoenix stated normally. I was just about to comment, when the words sink into me. She asked what! I had heard of people with too active imagination on she was surely one of them. No one else could come up with something as absurd as that. Not that I minded if it would have been the truth, but it was clear that it wasn't. Swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat I collected myself for the next question.

"What did you answer?" My voice had started to shake again.

"How'd you have preferred me to answer?" Kai questioned back, looking straight to my eyes and I knew I couldn't escape to anywhere.

"I would have wanted you to tell the truth." I replied scared as hell where the conversation was headed to.

"If she asked again, what would you want to answer?" The captain asked with a soft voice. Today certainly was a Rei's torturing day.

"I wouldn't lie to her." I knew that he wouldn't give up, but I wanted to delay it as much as possible. I wasn't feeling like talking about this in the first place.

"So what would you want the truth to be?" Why did he have to ask me this? Didn't he notice how I suffered? Or did he just enjoy seeing me like this? My mind screamed to run, but I didn't. I closed my eyes to gather enough courage to reply. I took a deep breath before I answered, knowing that my voice wouldn't carry far.

"I would want to tell her that we were." I whispered as a tear rolled down my cheek. I didn't look at my captain fearing his reaction. I was crying again. How did he manage to do this? Was he some kind of kryptonite that made me crumble into million peaces? And why hadn't he said anything yet? Why didn't he just leave? I really didn't want him to, but at least then he would do something. More tears started to fall joining the first one, only to be gently wiped away by Kai.

"I'm glad to hear that." He whispered pulling me into a warm embrace. "I was actually afraid that you would say something else and laugh at my hurt expression." He admitted and I could hear that he was smiling. Pulling my self little bit further away, so I could look into the crimson eyes.

"Now, why would I do that?" I inquired wiping the last tears.

"For the same reason Takao hit me?" The phoenix asked not removing his hands around me. Not that I complained about it. Instead I lowered my head, so that it rested against his shoulder.

"Which is?"

"Because I'm an emotionless idiot, who made you cry?" He suggested, making me laugh again.

"I forgive you for that." I said circling my hands around the other so that I returned the embrace.

There I sat, being hugged by the one I dreamed of, just enjoying the feeling, listening his breathing. Then a question popped in my mind. Before I would probably have been all too nervous to ask it, but now I knew that it wouldn't hurt me.

"You never answered Takao, when he asked the reason for you to care about me." I allowed myself to question him.

"You want to know?" He confirmed pulling me yet closer, if that was even possible.

"Aa."

He lowered his head, so that he could whisper the answer to my ear.

"You're too dear to me to lose."

TBC


Chiaki-chan: -shivers- It was even schmaltzier than I thought! And Kai is so OOC that it makes me want to cry.