Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.
Title: Can't Fight Love
Chapter Title: I Should Be…
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: Chapters.
Notes: This is a flashback after Mariah found Ray with Salima and before she got with Kai. I just felt like putting it in ((pokes tongue out)).

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 8
I Should Be…

I should be… uncaring.

Mariah had run into the hotel lobby crying her heart and soul out. Kai, lounging in their posh, suede armchairs hadn't even batted an eyelash. Why should he? The little pink-haired bimbo could sort out her own problems.

It was probably something foolish, anyway. Like… her favourite pink ribbon had gotten some dirt on it, a cat had been run over in front of her eyes, she had put on a few pounds or maybe over some boyfriend or a potential crush (God, how he hated how a destructive word as 'crush' had been turned to that of endearments!). Humph! Relationships! A waste of time! And it all ended in tears anyway. He had never seen one completely happy couple. If they were, their realities were incredibly disillusioned.

A guy, Kai confirmed mentally as a perplexed Lee wrapped his arms around his younger sister uncertainly. Kevin was scratching his head while Gary just sweat-dropped at the female's sobs.

Most would have found her tears an emotion-evoking sight but the Russian found it to be nothing special – just a girl crying over a pointless matter. Give her a box of chocolates and a calendar of hottest beyblade bishounens and she would be happy. Well, he personally wouldn't give her the calendar since it had him as the 'November Bishie'.

He didn't even endorse the product and yet he was in it. Apparently, he was chosen for November because of the cold weather (it wasn't as cold as December but for some reason, Tala was the 'December Bishie'… maybe because his bit-beast's element was ice) and since that in Britain, they had a firework night or something. Kai's beyblade did use the power of fire…

Growling, the male with blue triangles on his face realised that he was going completely off-topic. Why was he thinking about why Mariah Wong was crying anyway? Let her cry, maybe it would stop her mouthing off.

At least she wasn't as loud as Hilary – the stupid girl that stalked Tyson. Sometimes he'd wished that those two would realise that they liked each other so they could stop bitching about each other to him. Yes, Hilary, Tyson is a pig. Yes, Tyson, Hilary is a loudmouth. Now just leave me alone! He didn't understand why people started talking to him randomly. They thought that because he was so silent, he would listen. Nuh-uh! Oh no! He just sat there and drowned out their ramblings.

Mariah continued to be consoled by her neko-jin brother and Kai watched them interact, but only due to his undeniable, ever-so-apparent and eternal boredom!

What idiotic emotions the opposite gender demonstrates! How weak!

The White Tigers (without Ray… where was he, anyway?) continued to tell her words of comfort and rub her back soothingly. Kai scoffed, feeling the urge to go over there and tell them to leave her to her own depression. She was only doing it for attention and they were giving it to her on a silver platter. How incredibly and utterly… stupid!

I should be… cold.

Eventually, they ushered Mariah out of the lobby (many were beginning to stare now) and up to their room. Kai merely sat in his seat, and frowned. After all, was frowning not what he did best?

Was not caring what Kai did best?

A few days later, he noticed Mariah twiddling her thumbs and sitting on a bench just outside the hotel. This hotel was stationed in New York. Many of the most famous beyblade teams were here for a reunion of sorts but as of yet, no particular date had been set. People just showed up. The Russian, personally, had been proud to arrive with his correct team – the Blitzkrieg Boys (or the Demolition Boys, as they were once known). He would rather die than be thought of as a member of Tyson's team.

Tyson had been his rival! And besides, Kai wouldn't settle for second best. If he went with the Blitzkrieg Boys, he was the captain (much to Tala's chagrin). He even considered calling his old Blade-Shark members, but they would be less inclined to attend and since they had 'faded out', Dickinson would not think it was necessary to invite them.

Even from afar, he noticed the tears in her golden eyes and it made him angry. Strange, this emotion had not been one that he had felt before because a simple girl crying. Disgust, yes but never fury or anything similar to it.

He walked over to her and sat on the bench close to her (but as far as possible without falling off the bench). His arms were crossed, and he was already putting on his 'I'm-Kai-and-I-don't-give-a-damn' face.

"Pathetic," he sneered. She jumped – obviously she hadn't noticed that he had sat beside her. Mariah wiped her eyes dry (they were still sickeningly red and puffy).

"Kai?" her voice was squeaky and slightly hoarse, tainted by her foolish sobbing over a matter that was probably useless. Stupid girl. "What… What are you doing here?"

"I'm sitting down, what do you think? Honestly, you are such an idiot."

Her cat eyes narrowed but it was obvious that she did not have enough strength to have an argument with the face-painted Russian beyblader. Despite this, her hands clenched. "Why did you say that? What have I done to you?"

"Humph!" Kai grunted, "You're so weak and feeble and yet an attention-seeker. You always have to be in the limelight, you're just a lost little girl without it, crying in the shadows."

"I'm not!"

"Yes you are," the Russian looked up, to the stars. "You can't do anything for yourself. You always depend on your brother or on Ray. You act so vulnerable so that you don't have the responsibility of a hard-working person."

Mariah protested, "I am hard-working!"

I should be… mocking her.

"At being what everyone wants you to be? A sweet, little girl that loves the colour pink a too much and envisions herself as a cat-wannabe? As a lovesick bimbo chasing after Ray when it's obvious he doesn't care for you? Face the facts – no one wants you. Lee doesn't want a weakling sister. Girls don't want a pathetic role-model. Ray doesn't want a clingy girlfriend." The venomous insults continued to sprout from his mouth but he didn't necessarily care. This was Mariah! When had they ever talked properly? If anything, they had only expressed hate for each other.

She didn't say anything and Kai glanced to her, curious of her silence. Obviously, she was sore about one subject that he had brought up during his insulting rant.

Ray, he realised with a smirk. He had to be the one that had caused the usually optimistic girl's sudden depression.

"It's him, isn't it? Ray?" she glanced to him but then looked away quickly when she spotted the superior look in his smug face. He was happy about her feeling bad. Jerk! "I can see it in your face. Did he finally come to his senses and throw you away? You're just a pretty doll to him. He's probably playing with someone else now… maybe that Salima girl. I heard that her team were here."

"SHUT UP!" she shouted at him before standing up and breaking into a run. Kai was faster than her and within a few strides; he was in front of her, blocking her escape.

She had to stop feeling sorry for herself – it was a sign of weakness and Kai couldn't stand the sight of it. Stupidity was one attribution commonly performed by this neko-jin. Mariah had to grow up. Soon she would be an adult and have to deal with this on her own. She couldn't depend on everyone else forever.

"Get out of my way, Kai!" she took a step to the side and he mirrored her action. She did it to the other side and he repeated this. She growled threateningly but it didn't even affect him in the slightest. "What do you want?" she asked angrily. Mariah couldn't understand why he was torturing her like this! She'd been played with enough!

"Grow up." He just said.

There was a stretching silence until she voiced her perplexity. "What?" Grow up? What was that supposed to mean? Kai made no sense! Did he always speak in such riddles? Stupid boy…

"You can't be grieving forever on something that has already happened. There are far worst things that have happened. Whatever has gone on with you and Ray, at least you still have your brother. At least you still have your bit-beast."

Her arms (which were previously pushing him away) fell limply to her sides. "You… wouldn't understand. I love him. He told me that he loved me and yet… he just picked her over me. Like it was nothing." She paused then added sadly: "Like I was nothing."

"Love!" he scoffed. "How foolish of you to believe it when someone tells you that they love you."

"Do you believe in love?"

I should be… ignoring her.

"Of course not! Love is but an idiotic emotion that hinders your path to power. Love is lies, love is death and love is stupid. I don't know anyone that is happy because of 'love'. Then again, I don't know anyone that is happy."

"Then what do you feel for your bit-beast?" her question was indeed a good one. Maybe she wasn't as stupid as she seemed. However, Kai was still far smarter.

"Mutual respect," he stated arrogantly as he crossed his arms. Slate bangs tickled his eye and he blew them away irritably. "Dranzer and I are an unstoppable team. She knows as well as I do that love is a foolish emotion – a completely unnecessary emotion. Love is only used by idiots such as you. If he didn't love you, you shouldn't return it. If he doesn't care for you, you shouldn't lie to yourself and say that deep down, he does. That's not the man that a bimbo such as you wants."

More grey bangs in his face. He blew them away, growing more infuriated.

"Even I am a better man. At least I admit that I have no need for love when others use it to their own lustful gain. Lies, that is all that love brings. It shall only bring tears. If someone treats you like dirt, you should walk away or at least fight. Tell him what a deceitful fool he is. Tell him that love is simply a lie. Tell him that you defeated him."

He looked up and down.

"Besides, you'd be lucky if anyone loved you."

"Jerk."

"Bimbo."

"Stupid boy."

"Stupid girl."

There was silence for a moment until Kai grunted a "Humph!" and began to walk away. He was halted at the voice of Mariah's. It was much clearer and more confident. She was not self-piteous. Or at least, at the moment and it was all because of him.

"Kai!" she called. He didn't turn around, but waited to hear what she had to say. "… Thank you."

With another grunt, Kai was inside the hotel.

I should be… emotionless.

I should be…

I shouldn't be…

I shouldn't be me.

Authoress' Notes

Woo! Long! As said before, this was a flashback. There may be more.

VOTES
Ray – 30
Kai – 55

Flowerperson