MY EXCUSE: I'm extremely sorry, but I've been away in Croatia for a dance competition.

Don't beyblades, but in my mind…that's a different story.

Chapter 14 – Which one is home

Hilary was walking down the run down stairs in Kai building playing with a couple of quarters in her hand while heading out to a pay phone on the street. Opening the door she felt a harsh wind force itself upon her as she hugged herself in a baggy navy blue sweater. Looking both ways down the street she spotted a phone booth, still hugging herself she mentally cursed Kai for not have a phone in his place.

Slipping a quarter in the pay phone, dialing, and then she waited listening to the constant ringing…

The phone was answered.

"Hello, mother…"

The dojo

"No fair Rei, you always get the better controller…"

"Stop whining Tyson, just 'cause you suck at this game doesn't mean you have to make up sorry-ass-excuses for losing." Smirked Rei

"You know Kai is going to be here soon and if he sees you two playing video games all of our training is going to be doubled." Said a worried Max

"Ahhh, don't worry about it Maxie, member we have blackmail on him…remember when we saw him and Hilary walking home, hand in hand!" Teased Tyson

"…maybe we should leave them alone, it's their private business after all." mentioned Chief.

"Not a chance Chief, if Kai can torture us with his training then I can most certainly blackmail him!" Tyson said triumphal

"Whatever Tyson, just don't drag me into it…" Chief said back to Tyson.

"It's just so weird, Kai and Hilary, Hilary and Kai…I would have never thought." Said Rei

"Yep, you read my mind…I would have never thought those two would ever…you know...hook up. You think they'll be going to the dance together?" wondered Max

"That unpredictable…Kai is not really one for dancing, I think…I don't know anymore, I really never thought Kai was one for dating either,"

"He has defiantly surprised us this year…" agreed Rei with Chief

The door closed shut as Hilary walked back into Kais' apartment,

"I'm back…and it's freezing out there. You really need a phone,"

Of course Kai didn't reply to Hilary he just sat there at the kitchen table reading a letter that came to him through the mail.

"…not talkative today?" She asked while pouring herself a hot cup of coffee.

He looked up at her as a sign that he was listening, "I don't need a phone." And went back to reading.

There was a silence, but not a weird silence, they were use to being in each others presence without talking, they were use to living together.

The silence was soon broking,

"Kai? I have a couple of things on my mind, you have a minute?"

He again looked up and put down the piece of paper,

"Well, umm, first I was wondering…if we're…if we're stilling going to the dance together?" she mumbled blushing.

He just blankly stared at her for awhile, "You still want to go, right?"

"Yes! Of course I do. I just didn't know if you still wanted to go with me that's all…"

"Then we're still going."

Thank god that was off her chest now how do I tell him the rest she thought.

"You know how I was just out to make a phone call?"

"Yes."

"Well I talked to my mother…"

"Oh,"

"Yeah, and she wanted me…well she wanted me to move back in with her."

"…"

"I didn't say Yes or No yet…but she wants me to at least drop by, to check on me and stuff…"

There was another silence, except this one was uncomfortable.

"Well, at least you know she still cares about you." Mumbled Kai, he sounded a little disappointed though.

"Yeah I guess, hey you're ok with this, right?"

"…sure" he said as he got up and walked to his room, shutting the door behind him.

'What have I done…' she thought.

She felt a few tears forming in the corner of her eyes, quickly she wiped them away; she would not let them fall.

'I know shouldn't go back to my mothers, I'm happy here. But she is my mother, my one and only mother…' Hilary thought while sipping her hot coffee.

After a few more moments of sitting alone at the table she couldn't take it anymore, she wouldn't let Kai take the role of the sad and depressed one; that was her job. It was her problem and there was no way she would let him turn the table like that. She walked to his room and knocked on the door,

"Kai, can I come in?"…no answer.

"Kai?"

"Kai!"

"That's it I'm coming in…" she opened the door and she could automatically feel her face turn the brightest shad of red.

There he was, wearing nothing but his usual pair of baggy pants…

Completely bare-chested…

And the worst part, she couldn't take her eyes off him; she couldn't make her feet turn and walk in the opposite direction.

Their eyes were glued to each others.

"I'm heading over to Tyson's," he mentioned.

Their eyes were still glued to each others.

Then snapping back to reality Hilary finally turned around so that her back was facing him,

"Ummm, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…I knocked but you didn't…oh god." She rambled

Kai slipped on a familiar navy shirt and jacket, leaving the scarf to rest on a chair in the corner.

"Whatever," he said still in an upset mood. "Are you coming or not?"

She turned around to see him with a shirt on, "sure." She whispered.

She followed him out the front door, down those old run down steps and out onto the street, where this time they were both greeted with a harsh wind.

Kai looked over to Hilary who was shivering uncontrollably, he on the other hand showed no sign that the cold was affecting him. He thought about putting his arm around her, you know to keep her warm. But he was mad at her. He didn't know why, well actually he did. It was because she may and most likely will move out. He pretended like it wasn't bugging him, but apparently he wasn't doing so great a job of not showing it. He had let her get close, and she was just going to leave?

Again, he looked over at her and saw how, well how unhappy she looked.

She was getting thinner, her faced seem to have a confused and hurt look on; she just looked lost.

"Hey…"

Hilary lifted her head up and looked at him,

"Do you want to go by your mothers after Tyson's?"

A smile grew onto her face, "Thank you for understanding Kai."

And slowly she slipped her tiny hand into his, but to her surprise he pulled his hand away, than slowly wrapped his arm around her; pulling her small body towards his. He didn't turn towards her to see her reaction; he just kept looking straight ahead,

"Don't want you to catch a cold."

"Don't you think this is a little much Kai?" Chief asked at little nervous of his response.

"Nope."

"It's been 4 hours straight." Chief again said nervously.

"And it should be 5." Kai said with a straight face.

"You can't be serious!" Chief said as he went wide-eyed

Kai only replied with a devilish look which appeared on his face.

"Boys, half an hour more then we're done." Kai then turned to Chief, "Happy."

Half an hour later.

Lying on the floor looking half dead was Tyson, Max and Rei.

"Do you want me to make dinner for them?" asked Hilary as she stared down at the boys with chief.

"Sure Hil, I'll try and wake them up."

Kai just stood there smirking with his back against the wall, he was quite proud of himself. Hilary walked past him to kitchen giving him an evil smirk.

Sitting around the table the boys were pigging out on Hilary's pasta dish,

"Hilary, this is awesome!" Max exclaimed.

"I agree you've out done yourself Hilary." complemented Rei.

"Excellent!" quoted Chief.

Tyson was too busy decorating the table with tomato sauce to say anything nice, and Kai was Kai. Hilary then walked back into the kitchen and stared to wash the pots. Moments later Kai came into the kitchen with his plate,

"So what you're not hungry again?" he asked putting his plate in the sink.

"Kai, I've told you not to worry about me."

"I worry for no one, now let's getting going to your mothers before it gets any darker outside." And with that he left the kitchen.

Kai had already gone outside by the time Hilary came out of the kitchen,

'Guess he doesn't want them to see us leaving together…'she thought.

"Alright guys, I'll see you tomorrow at school. Night." She said slipping her shoes on.

"Bye Hil." "Thanks for dinner!" "See you tomorrow." "Yeahf bwye Hilaferty."

("Yeahf bwye Hilaferty." Tyson saying 'Yeah bye Hilary' with his mouth full.)

Hilary walked outside to see Kai waiting at the end of the driveway for her, and through the window of Tyson's dojo again you could spot 4 pairs of eyes

watching them.

"Eh guys, he waited for her again."

"Ok, I'll be fast at my mothers I promise."

Kai said nothing back, he didn't like talking about her going to her mothers; it reminded him that another person he allowed to get close to him was probably going to leave him.

Hilary just looked up at him, watching the cool wind blow through his hair, boy was he ever handsome. And she wanted so bad to tell him just that. It was now obvious to her and probably everyone else that she liked the infamous Kai Hiwatari a lot more then a friend. She just didn't know if he liked her back.

They had now appeared at her front steps, she started to dig through the flower pot on the left of her porch; where they always kept a spare key. Finding her prize she turned to Kai,

"Are you going to come in?"

"I'll wait outside."

"You sure, it's pretty cold…"

"I'm fine Hilary."

Whenever she heard him speak her name she got shiver down her spine, and could never fight back.

She unlocked the door,

"I'll be out soon."

and went in.

No longer then 20 minutes later did Kai hear the door handle turn opened. He stood up from the step he was sitting on,

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Then he heard sniffles, he turned to look at Hilary and there she was, standing in front of the door with her head down in shame, crying her eyes out. Crystal tear could be seen hitting the concrete porch. The key she was holding in her tightened fist had dropped to the ground and she kicked it into a couple of bushes giving out a cry of frustration. For a moment Kai was clueless,

He just stared.

Then started to walk up towards her, put a finger under her chin and lifted her face into his view.

Looking into his eyes she threw herself into his arms and cried into his shoulders. His arms then made their way around her tiny figure and pulled her closer then she was, resting his head on her shoulders.

Not something you'd see Kai do with a person everyday, right?

But as said, he let her get close, she took down his wall and he aloud it.

Hilary was now heart-broken, confused and frustrated and all he could do was hold her.

And that's exactly what he did.

A/N: Finally. Well, how'd you like it? Oui or no. Please do tell by reviewing.

SNOOCH TO THE NOOCH