A/N: I CLAIM FIRST HITO/MING-MING! WOO! I CLAIMED SOMETHING! YAY! I FEEL SOOO SMART! Yah. Well, it's a strange couple, but hey, that's what fanfiction is for.

Background info: In this, Ming-ming will be around 17 (saaay, two years after G-rev)except when she's reflecting, and Hitoshi is 27 (except when he's reflecting). Whoa, lolita-complex! 0.o;; Which has got to be totally non-canon, but then again, this is fanfiction. And obviously an AU. So anyway, let's assume evil Queen Minmin (Mingumingu's dark side? Yah? Remember her?) and cute popstar Ming aren't the same person. In fact, let's pretend that evil Ming Ming doesn't even exist. For this ficlet, anyway... just lots of reflection before we get into da good stuff. o

Anyway, on with the flick!

"Black Roses"

Ming Ming -

I'm not quite sure when I fell in love with him.

Hitoshi Kinomiya. Ninja. Archeologist. Brother to the World Champion. Utterly gorgeous. Just utterly.

Those were my first thoughts when I first met him. He was only present to train Brooklyn, although I certainly don't think Brooklyn needed it. Those first weeks, I only saw him occassionally. Passing through the halls, a glimpse through a window, stepping into a car to leave... he wasn't concerned with my existance, and truthfully, at the time, the feeling was reciprocated.

I think that, maybe, just maybe I began to feel a little more towards him after the team members for Justice5 were chosen. Listening to him discourage Hiwatari; praise Brooklyn's yet unknown abilities; watching the way he moved from the hallway into the limelight. He commanded immediate attention, but I, being young and enamoured with nothing but beyblading, turned my face away and focused on the battle.

The image stuck, though. I will always remember that moment. But I do not know when I fell in love.

After he became the team trainer instead of simply Brooklyn's trainer, I began to see more of him. In the co-ed locker rooms, he would exchange occasional words with one of the others. I never saw him on my own or talked with him, even, other than a polite 'good morning, Jin-sempai' on rainy days when we trained inside. I wanted to sing. I wanted to Blade.

And it wasn't until the moment I lifted my microphone to sing against Sumeragi that I first thought of singing for him. To him. Of him. The thought was brief, and quickly dismissed; but that was the first time.

After the battles, while Kinomiya and Brooklyn were battling happily, I saw him walk away. He threw his glasses and I thought--was that a tear? Jin-sempai? Crying? Was it from pride or disappointment? Several minutes later, it began to bother me. I couldn't focus on the battle; so I left, quickly.

And wonders be, I caught up with him. That was the first time we spoke alone. The first time I looked directly into his eyes.

He had been sauntering down the sidewalk some ways away from the devastated Bey stadium, most likely headed toward his car or home. I had to run to catch up with him; through the beginning of the conversation, I was breathless. Was it simply from running so hard to catch him? Now I wonder. Perhaps that is when it started?

"Jin-sempai! Matte! Onegai!"

He didn't stop at first, but he did slow and even pause, turning slightly to look at me as I ran towards him.

"Mingming, stop calling me that. I'm not your upperclassmen."

I fell in step with him, and we began walking slowly once more.

"Even so. Where are you going?"

"Does it matter?"

"Not really. I just wanted to know."

We were silent for a while. Now that I think back on it, it's thrilling to know that he let me walk with him.

"He really is something, isn't he?"

"Who?"

"Takao-kun. It's amazing how strong he is."

"Aa. Yes."

"He must get it from you."

"I doubt that."

And we were silent again until he happened upon his car.

"Will you com back?"

"What do you mean?"

"I get the feeling you're going to leave."

"I'm not."

"No? Staying in Japan? Tokyo?"

"Maybe."

He closed his car door, and I stepped back smiling. Then was the first time I really looked directly into his eyes.

"Ja ne, Mingming."

So... breathless...

I watched until his car had completely disappeared; and then I turned those silly teeange girl thoughts away; so my now-former trainer would be staying around. Big deal. That had nothing to do with his eyes. Nothing did.

I turned and jogged back toward the once-Bey stadium. The battle was over.

I went home.