Disclaimer: Don't own Beyblade or coke or anything but the actual story...

Fire - Right... I don't think I have any ARs... So... On with the story...

Oh and it's not yaoi! I know, amazing!

What She Needs

The music was loud, not something that I'd actually listen to if given the choice, but I could feel my feet tapping to the beat of it. I prefer rock to pop and R'n'B. I was sitting near the food tables, regularly standing up and getting myself another can of coke, I think I'm up to my sixth. I'd settled for bringing a few over at a time.

We were all dressed casually, slightly dressed up in the girls' cases. I'd been happy choosing a creamy, white shirt and normal, white dress pants. My hair was in a low, loose pony tail, the beginning of a headache telling me it had been a great idea.

The party was in full swing, many bladers having stood up and begun dancing (my teammates and Tyson the most outrageous). I noted with surprise that even the Blitzkreig Boys were celebrating. Bryan was currently snogging Spencer, completely caught up in shoving his tongue down the brunette's throat, oblivious to the amazed and slightly scared stares they were receiving. While Tala and Kai were swaying and twirling rythmically to the slower than usual music, their arms wrapped around each other's waist.

My eyes scanned the room, stopping on Max and his dancing partner: Michael. I was surprised when I found out about them, of course... I'd expected Michael to be a completely cocky, skirt chasing jock. He'd ignored Emily, seeing her as more of a little sister than a potential girlfriend. He'd flirted with Julia, but that was when Max had dragged him away. I was happy that he hadn't tried to 'woo' Mariah.

I grumbled bitterly, tipping my head back to gulp down the rest of my coke, my eyes came to rest on another dancing couple. She was dancing with that cat-boy Ray, her face glowing with her smiles and laughs. Her hair was out tonight, flowing down her back and around her as she moved.

I growled quietly, glaring heatedly at him. How dare he touch her like that, hold her waist so leisurely and have her pulled close to him. I squashed the empty can in my hand as he twirled her, finishing their dance with a quick kiss to her forehead. It only angered me more when she laughed and leant up to peck his cheek.

I was fuming when I noticed her strolling towards me, looking for a refreshing drink no doubt. I tossed my drink into the bin beside me, immediately grabbing another can, drinking an aggresive gulp, trying to look casual.

"Hi Rick!" I choked, jumping in my chair and coughing. Mariah looked at me with worry before I stared annoyedly up at her, a dark blush staining my cheeks. I'd managed to keep my clothes clean from the soft drink to my releif, "Are you alright?"

I nodded, still fuming from Ray's and her own exchange and now, my stupidity, "Fine, absolutely... Peachy."

She took one of the cans from my pile, sitting down beside me. She took a petite sip and I couldn't help but stare and note at how fragile and delicate she looked while doing anything. Besides blading. She could kick my ass at that, there was no fragility when she was fighting, only grace. I smirked slightly, taking another sip.

"So..." She started after a long pause, "Why aren't you dancing?"

"I don't dance." I answered bluntly, my eyes scanning the dancefloor behind her before resting upon her. She had decided to wear a dress, pink of course, which came down to just above her knees. Her right wrist held a small silver bracelet.

She giggled, "Of course you dance. Everyone dances!" She paused, fingering her bottom lip, "It's just the way we dance that is different."

I snorted, "Well mine is to sit here and drink for the entire night."

"You're going to be hyper later if you don't slow down. These drinks have tonnes of sugar in them."

I sent her a glare, "I know that, but I've built up a strong resiliance against sugar."

There was another long pause, and another set of stares and looks directed towards Mariah, from me. I noticed Lee glaring at me, probably thinking I was checking out his girlfriend.

Which I was.

Not that anyone could blame me. She was very... pretty. A bit too much pink, but... Still. I watched her curiously run a finger around the outside of the can, the song being played ending for another slow one to play. Her eyes lit up, "I love this song." We watched as carious couples wandered out to slow dance, more so for me, watching Mariah sway happily to the music in her seat.

I gulped as I noticed the look of longing in her eyes, obviously she wanted to dance. Shit... I can feel my insides churning as she mouthed the words to the song.

"Do you want to dance?" Her eyes snapped up to to meet mine. But she nodded as I stood and took her hand. I cursed, trying to remember the breif dancing lessons Judy had made me take, just take one step after the other.

I twirled Mariah into my arms, one hand holding hers the other resting on her waist as her other hand held my shoulder. I saw Max hide behind his hand, almost as if he were giggling at my expence.

"I thought you said you didn't dance." My attention was drawn back to the girl in my arms.

"I don't."

"Looks like you are to me." She grinned, I scowled, but twirled her again.

"Would you prefer sitting around instead." I said gruffly, blushing again as she blinked innocently up at me.

She beamed again, before pouting, "You wouldn't do that to me. Would you Rick?"

I flushed again and settled for staring at the walls around us, and the sending a few glares at my team mates as they laughed, or grinned, or in Michael's case, sent me a few rude gestures. He got a hit in the arm from Max for them, and a few death glares from Lee, before the White Tiger X captain turned to us again and glared at me.

"You're boyfriend's glaring at me." I said idly, more to help myself ignore Mariah's head, that had settled against my chest.

She blinked up at me, "Who?"

"The dark haired one, not Ray, but still has long hair."

"Oh..." She said before beaming, "He's not my boyfriend!" She then wacked my arm playfully and I grinned back as her hand went back to it's place on my shoulder.

The song ended a few mements later, and we headed back to the table. I'd immediantly opened another can, and offered it to Mariah. She took it with glee, sighing after she took a long gulp of it, the total opposite of all the one's I'd seen earlier that night. I joined her and we were talking again, more about our home life this time though.

Lee was still glaring at me, even with Kevin and Ian poking and yelling questions at him and it being a good fifteen minutes after my first dance with Mariah. I was starting to become slightly unnerved; I'd never known anyone but the Blitzkreig Boys that could glare for so long and with so much loathing streaming in it.

The thoughts I'd had a few days ago about asking her out seemed to disappear with the glare now ignited again and trained on me as Mariah laughed at one of my more embarrassing memories. I'd eventually decided that there was no way I was going to ask Mariah out in any sort of way. Boyfriend or not, Lee seemed more than a little threatened and I wasn't going to challenge that until I got a bit of rest and relaxation.

We danced a few more times, my question and her answer still seeming a little off in my mind. He wasn't her boyfriend, yet he seemed to protect her like a possessive one.

I sighed and gave up thinking about it as I ran into Tyson, both Mariah and I finding it amusing that it was because of Kai he was on our side of the dance floor anyway.

At the end of the night I'd approached her, "So who is he, if he isn't your boyfriend?" We were standing at our table, finishing off our umpteenth can of drink each.

She smiled and winked after she threw the can in the bin, "Lee? He's my older brother." She then stood on the tips of her toes and kissed my cheek before running off to her teammates, leaving me blushing and dazed.

It had taken me a few seconds to realise she was leaving and immediantly took off after her. After all...

Why worry if he was her brother? He couldn't protect her all the time. What happened when she went out? I doubted that he followed her around, but couldn't help but think that if I were there...

She needed a protective boyfriend. Just for some extra protection, after all, if she went out, he was likely to go with her. I'd made up my mind quickly on what I was going to say, and in front of her brother and Kevin... I could see this becoming harder with every step I took.

I sighed. Oh well...

At least I could be that protective boyfriend she needed.

Fire: ... What can I say? I love Rick/Mariah, it's my... something'thed favorite pairing... And I haven't found any fanfiction or fanart with the pairing... So... Here! Waha! The first if i looked right... -sweatdrop-

And I know... There's still the chance that Ricky will be turned down, at the end of this... But he's being optimistic... So... Yeah... Let's all be happy with him... -beam-

Reveiw please, I'm looking forward to finding out what you think...

And on a final note, I redid the first chapter of Parental Guidance, read it again to know what's happened...