Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.
Title: Can't Fight Love
Chapter Title: The Reason.
Rating: T
Categories: Angst/Romance.
Summary: Ray is in deeply in love with…? But what if she's married? Kai/Mariah/Ray. Who will Mariah choose? YOUR CHOICE!
Feedback: Reviews! YUM! Flames? Ah… toasting marshmallows…
Status: A short story with chapters.
Notes: Sorry for the long wait! Here's your pitchforks and torches… how about you give me a head start? New layout.

Reviewer Responses:
kurama, Amaya, xXAguiliusDraconisXx, Crismon Eyes, EVILkrazyMONKEYS, Jet, Mimi, Belle, Vote, Suki, Rina, Umi, Binka, Rayluver, Kiss da Girl, Lea, Trix, Luvyagirl, Angelfire1472, a, m, Humaninspirations, heya, Miranda, Sora Takenouchi Ishida: Thank you! Your vote has been recorded.
Obi-Wans Gurl: Um… interesting plot but that would turn this into a really long story and I can't really deal with writing a pregnant Mariah! O.O' But thanks for the review.
BeyMistress05: Yay, I made a Mariah/Ray shipper pick Kai!
Miranda: I totally agree. There are not enough Kai/Mariah stories but I – a simple authoress – plan to change this, one story at a time.
Nina: Hey, I'm neutral (ok, maybe not. I prefer Kai/Mariah but still like Ray/Mariah) with the pairing and I think that readers should occasionally decide on the pairing. Its different, and being different is my speciality. Thanks for voting, anyway.
rain: Tut tut! Good try though! Your one vote for Kai has been stored.
Trickyrabbit: I shall ignore your comment about Kai and Tyson. Hmph! ((stomps on Tyson)) Die, die, die!
Jessica: I'm so, so, so sorry about the long wait! I did email you and as an apology, I'd be happy to write your request (if you still want me to). Thank you so much (if you're still sticking with the story!)
aquariusfan: Mariah's having Kai's child? O.o Ok… I'm confused!
Midori Yuri: It seems… that the story will actually be longer than six chapters! But yes, I shall consider an alternate ending but I don't know…
lunarangel: ((sniff, sniff)) That… was so… beautiful! ((bursts into tears)) Wow, I really enjoy your reviews. They always leave me feeling so… ((sniff)) emotional. Oh Kai, my lone wolf! ((Bursts into tears AGAIN)).
Bluestray: Thanks for the review and I don't think I'm going to put in something about her becoming pregnant. Actually, I don't know. I just go wherever my muse leads me.
SOMEONE2003: Thank you for the compliments ((blushes)) I try my best… thanks for the vote too!
Raiki-Casinio: I agree! KAI ROCKS BIG TIME! Stupid Ray just barging in… ((grumbles)) Thanks for the review, and the vote.
VGMaster04: Thanks for the review… but… no vote?
Tai-for-you: Exactly, Mariah would have to be stupid to leave Kai for Ray! Then again, she does have pink hair…

Wow forty reviews! ((faints)) I feel so honoured so here's an extra long chapter!

CAN'T FIGHT LOVE

Kai/Mariah/Ray
Ray is deeply in love with…? But what if she's married? Who will Mariah choose? Your choice!

Flowerperson
© 2005

Chapter 6
The Reason

"Hello, Ray."

Ray couldn't lie and say that he didn't predict a future visit from the mahogany-eyed Russian. That was just wishful thinking. And why would Kai not want to 'discuss' certain matters with the Chinese man? He was the husband of the woman that Ray loved with all his heart, soul, mind and body. If it was Ray, he probably would have done the same thing.

Except he wasn't in that position but oh God, he desired for it terribly. He didn't want to be the other man, he wanted to be the man – the man of Mariah's dreams, the man of her heart, the man who made her feel loved.

He hadn't done a very good job of it so far.

"Kai," Ray nodded, "Would you like to come in?" The Russian accepted and walked in Ray's flat. Ray closed the door after him and lingered, just for a bit to ponder over the emotions that the usually stoic beyblader might convey.

Anger? Hatred? Or perhaps he would remain impassive and deadpan – the epitome of his personality. When one thought of Kai, did one not imagine his blank face with the blue triangles and his two toned hair along with his mahogany eyes as cold as ice despite the warm colour? They reflected his cynical remarks and pessimistic observations.

Kai was the ice-king. So why was sweet, loving Mariah his queen?

Because Kai gets everything he wants, a voice whispered deep in Ray's mind. Envy? Most likely for Ray was very much envious of Kai. He had been Tyson's true beyblading rival and he had any girl that he wanted, whilst not making a complete fool of himself as the normal male would do. He was cool and aloof and women loved him for that.

"So… why are you here?" Stupid question, he knew. But he was willing to use anything to get rid of the awkward silence and thick tension you could not hack though with a chain saw.

Hiwatari turned to him with one raised brow, "Do not play dumb with me, Kon. I'm not really in the mood for it, if you cannot tell. You know why I am here, so lets get straight to it." Of course, Kai had no time for idle chit-chatter. Kai didn't have time for anyone but himself. But did he make Mariah an exception of this? Ray did not know the details of their relationship, and he hadn't really wanted to know.

Time to get on the defensive, "I believe I do have an idea, but you'll have to clear it up for me." Accompanied with a smirk, Ray made it clear to Kai that he was prepared for a brawl: verbal, physical or even mental.

Kai frowned as his brown eyes narrowed, "Fine. We can play that game, Ray. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

Ray strolled past him and sat on his sofa. "Go ahead. I'll answer them all honestly and fully." Kai's eyebrow once again rose as he disapproved on his ex-team-mate's new attitude.

"What happened to the old Ray?" he questioned aloud, not really caring if Ray answered or not.

The Chinese man shrugged remotely, "What happened to the old Kai? The old Tyson? The old Max? We've all changed. We don't stay children for eternity. I thought someone as smart and as rich as you could figure it out."

"Humph," Kai grunted, "Then why were you more mature as a child than you are now? Right, now to the real issues," He paused, and then continued with a monotone voice, "Back then, Mariah thought that you and she were something. You promised her that it was something, and would turn into something more when you returned her declarations of love. She thought the feelings were mutual. But she was wrong."

Ray was about to protest, but Kai held up a hand and Ray decided to stay silent – for the moment – and think over what he would say. He had to make it clear to Kai that he was sorry for hurting Mariah in the past, and that he loved her. And also that… Kai couldn't fight the love that Mariah still contained for him because he knew that she still loved him! He KNEW!

"You was always unavailable when she needed love and comfort. Others had to fill in – I had to fill in. But then she realised when she saw you and Salima," he spoke her name in distaste but he supposed it was because of her than Mariah had fallen out of love with Ray and had eventually come to love him, and he had come to love someone. "Mariah realised that it wasn't that real something that you had promised her. She was ready to love you forever, but you ran away from it. You got her hopes up after years and years of crushes and loving glances, wishing for you to return her love. But then you killed her when you rejected Mariah for her."

"I was confused!" Ray replied angrily. "I was only a simple teenager then, Kai. I wasn't ready for commitment!"

"But she was!" Kai shouted, "And she thought that you were too! You lied to her! You tricked her! You manipulated her into your own sick, twisted, little game whilst you played around with Salima. Mariah – who had always trusted you, even when you left the White Tigers for the Bladebreakers – was betrayed by you! She was broken by you! Where was she meant to go after that?"

"She found her way into your arms pretty easily!" Ray retorted as his golden eyes glared at Kai with the same force as the sun. If this was not Kai, he surely would have been melted by the intense stare. But this was Kai – the master of both cold and harsh glares – who was married to Mariah – the mistress of both warm and soft smiles.

"I can't believe that you broke her heart. I can't believe you let her fall so hard. Stop playing with her! How could you let it go that far, and still make it go farther now still, when she has gotten over it! Why did you claim that you cared for her if you had doubts that she wasn't the one? Everyone said that you were probably the most caring out of all of us. Everyone thought you would be honest if there was a girl you didn't love, but of course why would you say that if you were so caring? You played with her heart and broke it! I managed to fix it. But Jesus! Ray, don't play with it now. You could have told her instead of her seeing you with another girl! Not the day after! But really… what was the reason? Was Salima the reason? The reason you lost contact with Mariah, the reason you didn't mind hurting her? The reason Mariah's pure, bountiful love couldn't please you?"

"I didn't want to hurt her, Kai. I didn't know what I was doing."

"Exactly," Kai replied, "You didn't but you went along with it anyway. Her heart had a lot of trouble letting you go, she can't go through it again. Her mind had difficulty with the fact that you – her best friend – betrayed her trust. Were you official? Or didn't you even find it an issue, if you had been or not? Would it have bothered you if the relationship had been longer?"

"You don't understand, Kai. What me and Mariah did… it was different. It was special. You can't take that away from us?"

Kai grinned sadistically, "You forget Ray, I already have."

"We were always best of friends – our bond is strong and is still there. Nothing can break it; not even the great Kai Hiwatari. All those years of friendship had just made it – made us – that much stronger."

"She didn't care about the bond! She cared about you! She was with you; she thought that you loved her so to her, she was winning. She was in bliss, and you managed to take her from that utopia and place her in the dystopia. You took her from heaven and put her in hell; except I just managed to pull her out of it. She missed your friendship, but its clear you didn't. You lost interest in her, then suddenly it's back again? You aren't the same, old Ray and I tell you what, she's not the same, old Mariah."

Ray was deeply affected by Kai's words. They were so true. I can't believe that I let her fall so hard. I can't believe I broke her heart. How could I have let it go that far? I was so stupid! How? How could I have let her go? She's ten times better than Salima and yet I left her for her! I said that I would love her forever – and I did. I do. It was just… my stupid teenage behaviour! I said that I would look after her and protect her from those that would hurt her yet I was the one that scarred her for life. I wanted to love her for eternity, I just left her broken for eternity. Kai fixed her – shouldn't I be happy? If I love her so much, I should let her be happy, right? Oh! This is so confusing!

"Is Mariah the reason? Did you just want to hurt her? See if she would care? See if she truly loved him? Test her trust? You charmed her into loving you, and then just injured her. You're pathetic. All you had to do was not pretend to love her, or just warn her. But it's done now. It's better now. She's supportive, she's just moved on. You had her believing that everyone was her fault… but she can see it now. It's a situation that's she's let go, you should do so too. She's hurt because you didn't be a man and let her know. But seeing you with her, I guess she figured it out. If she hadn't, I wonder how long it would have gone on for…"

And with that, Kai stood up and walked over to the door.

"I'll let myself out." The Russian left and Ray was left alone in his apartment.

Solitary.

Unloved.

Deceitful.

Pathetic.

Ray.

Is she the reason?

No.

I'm the reason.

Authoress' Notes

Please review!

VOTES
Kai – 44
Ray – 27 (I kinda sense cheating in here… but because Ray's behind anyway...)

Hehe, it seems that Kai is in the lead.

X Flowerperson X