Warning : Strong language, yaoi.

Disclaimer : I don't own Beyblade or any of the characters. The characters you do not recognise are mine and are not to be stolen/used in any story other than my own.

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All I Want : Chapter Six

December 24th

Can't you just smell the wonderful Christmas air? Here I am, sat outside (and it's fucking freezing out here) in my warmest clothes, thinking about the beauty of the earth in the morning as the sun rises and sets a golden glow across the snow, and I'm slowly sounding a little too much like Brooklyn for my liking. Maybe I should voice my thoughts since Tyson is standing behind me, also taking in the rather prominent Christmassy feeling while smoking (not to mention blowing the 'rejects' all over the back of my head, thanks Tys). He must be missing his strange, psychotic, environmentalist redhead of boyfriend by now. If I spoke my mind then maybe it would make my friend feel more at home.

"Brooklyn would love the sight of this."

But he beat me to it. Still, I supposed he'd be thinking of him, if I had a boyfriend I'd always be thinking of things that made them happy, just for sentimental value. I can be really romantic when I want to be, it's just that nobody has ever seen that side of me and so probably wouldn't believe me if I told them. I wish Rei could see this, actually, he loves nature (not to the extent of talking to it like some people…) but I know he'd appreciate the sight. I nod to show Tyson I'm listening and that I agree; it really is beautiful.

I wish everyone could see this, I actually think this counts as a 'natural phenomenon'. I'm sat on the bench on the large patio outside the back of my house while Tyson is leant against the wall behind me and we are both seeing the same. Namely my large garden, which is covered in a thick layer of clean, crisp snow, the morning sunrise casting a deep orange shadow over the scene, the indigo sky slowly lightening to a pale blue-grey as the time goes on. It really is beautiful.

It's just coming up to seven A.M. right now, I've been up since six. After three strong coffees, I am wide awake and ready for action, said 'action' being 'Talk to Rei Part A'. The general idea of this particular stage is to find out if he is with Mariah, then, if he isn't, to find out if he is in fact single at all. Part B will be finding out the ways of his sexuality, Part C (depending on the results of Part B) is either to start the 'Flirting Process' or to call Tala and whine down the phone at him for about six consecutive months. Then Part D, again depending on my results of previous stages, is to either tell him how I feel and make a move, or tell him how I feel and then walk away, once again turning to my lovely redhead of a best friend for sympathy and condolences – Not that he will give either of the afore mentioned, but at least he will listen and give me the occasional pat on the shoulder and no doubt team up with Bryan to plaster me with rum and Vodka to help me 'forget' about everything and then proceed to find me somebody new to obsess over (even though I'm not obsessed with Rei… Much).

I'm hoping everything will go smoothly and I will be able to wake up tomorrow morning in his arms; Rei's that is, not Tala's… Though I really wouldn't turn him down if it ever came to that, he is extremely cute after all, if not a bit ditsy at times. Saying all that about the stages, I get the feeling it could take more than a day, but I'll definitely settle for Boxing Day if Christmas morning is a little too soon for my favourite little neko, (who isn't actually so little) : I noticed yesterday that he is just as tall as I am these days, if not taller. If it weren't for those two months of heavy smoking, courtesy of Bryan, then I'd probably have a few inches more height than I do now. Marie reminded me of that in her lecture after catching me with a cigarette; "Smoking stunts your growth." – Like I'm not half a foot taller than her anyway.

Speaking of that daft cow, (ahem) she has taken it upon herself to invite Tala and Bryan over to my home later today and they will no doubt cause some havoc, even after assuring me they will stay quiet, but she did leave me with the promise of bringing Christmas presents for me, so I suppose I can let her off, just this once. I wonder how they'll get on with the guys, Tala and Bryan I mean, not Marie, she'll be fine. I fear there may be a tiny little bit of friction left over since their last meeting, which was left on a rather… destructive note for Bryan and Rei, (which I am still fuming about – For Rei's sake, that is) so they had better be polite and friendly, not to the extent of giving hugs and kisses – though the image of Bryan doing so would bring much amusement to my day – but at least being good natured and kind hearted (wishful thinking) enough to not completely destroy my old team with a simple glare or word (which is possible, by the way. Any word from Bryan can sound offensive and life-threatening, even if said word was 'fluff').

I'd hate it if my friends didn't get along with each other, it would probably bring a tear to my eye and a fist to my face if Bryan decided he still doesn't like Rei, since I know which one I'd stick up for, and let's just say a life-long 'friend' wouldn't be too happy about my decision. But still, said life-long friend does know about my feelings for my old team mate and I know, despite him being a bit of a cold bastard at times, he wouldn't do anything that would hurt me. Unfortunately, that isn't for my sake, we're not that closer friend yet, but he'd do it for Tala's sake, considering the redhead would no doubt do something awful to Bryan if I got hurt. It always feels good to have friends who care.

"You coming in or you staying out here?" Tyson breaks the silence with his cheery voice, comparing to how he used to be, it's amazing he's this awake in the morning. It's bizarre. Though... Hasn't he ever heard of the word 'are'? I'm tempted to shake my head as a reply, but since it wasn't a 'yes or no' question then I guess he'd find that pretty frustrating. The thought of him getting confused and wondering whether to risk asking me his question a second time brings a smirk to my lips as in a cruel sense of satisfaction. This is when I realise that no matter how old I am and how many people I open up to and fall in love with, I will always be the same old Kai that my grandfather literally whipped into shape – Whether I like it or not. Still, back then I didn't have friends, I do now, so I'm obviously a nice enough guy otherwise I wouldn't have anybody at all, not even Tala… And that is a painful thought.

He may be cruel at times, he may have been a right evil bastard to the Bladebreakers when they first met him and he might be a little too immature every now and then, but hell, I could not live without my Tala; (yes, my Tala). I don't want to get too over the top about this, but he really has touched my heart with his sweet smile and bright eyes… And the way he's always there for the people he cares about. He really is the best friend I have ever had and probably ever will have and I couldn't ask for anything different.

Since he is such a good friend to both me and Bryan, nobody hurts him and gets away with it. Of course, there have been times in the past that somebody has hurt him beyond repair, one example of such a person being Boris – And what did he get out of it in the end? Being tortured and lacerated to death by a teenager that he himself had raised. Another example being my grandfather, and though he hurt me a hell of a lot more than Tala physically, he practically ripped the redhead's mind to shreds, leaving him in a mental hospital for two months to recover. And again, how did all of that end? Bryan. A car. Road spikes. Dynamite.

That was very well planned actually, I was surprised. I knew that Bryan was extremely intelligent, even though he tends not to show it, but he really impressed me with his plan. I didn't know how it would work, I couldn't even understand the mere physics of it, but when Bryan came back to my house after his 'task' had been carried out, he explained in more detail (keeping every gory fact in said explanation, too) and I finally understood it. I think that that is what makes Bryan such a dangerous person : Not only does he have immense physical strength, but he also has the brain power of about twenty scientists, literally in fact, considering a lot of work from 'geniuses' went into him at the abbey when he was younger. It was supposed to make him a better blader but it simply made him super intelligent as his blading skills couldn't be outdone by any other in the entirety of BioVolt Corporation, except one person. Tala.

The redhead is much stronger than he looks to be honest, and that is why he was chosen as the team captain for the Demolition Boys and not Bryan. Intelligence and physical strength just doesn't cut it against supernatural blading skill. The scientists' work really had a major effect on Tala and boy did they regret that in the end – Tala's actions at the end of the last tournament brought down BioVolt to a crashing halt and, after Bryan had finished with Boris, there was nobody to pick the place back up again. I really respect those two for risking their lives like that, both of them realise what they've done for the world, but neither will admit it. Tala because he's not that immodest and Bryan because he refuses to admit that he actually helped the entire population of the planet. To me, he is adamant that his murders were for personal reasons, but to Tala, he is happy that everything is over forever. I knew he had a heart really.

"Kai, are you even hearing me?" Huh? He's been talking to me? "Or were you too spaced out to remember I exist?" Yeah, that's the one.

"I was thinking." Not about Rei for once, either.

"What about?" Wow, nosiness comes as second nature to this kid.

"Tala and Bryan." I reply. Simple and truthful, and that's a bonus for me, my answers are usually one or the other. "They're visiting later."

"Cool. It'll be good to see Tala again. I take it he's alright now, yeah?" I feel a smirk forming on my face at the question, maybe he should define 'alright' before I answer. I can imagine that "Yeah Tyson, he's fully recovered from his whooping but I wouldn't say he's alright. This is Tala we're talking about, after all."

"He's good." I tell the teen behind me, though not without a slight snigger, but that went unnoticed to Tyson. I'm still finding it funny. I guess I need a hobby other than getting drunk with my two insane friends and dreaming rather vividly about a certain former team mate… But then again, without either of those pastimes I may end up finding life rather boring. Especially the latter. Dreaming about Rei is always fun, very fun. Anyhow, before I manage to drift off into another perverted world of my own ("Rei World"), I am dragged away from such thoughts by a deep rumbling sound coming from behind me. Apparently Tyson will always be the same in the food department. "Want some more breakfast?" I inquire, 'more' being the operative word here as he's already had three pieces of toast and two bowls of cereal this morning.

"Heh…" He chuckles, blushing slightly. "Sure." He never changes. Well, apart from being about ten times more mature than he was a year ago and finding the brain inside his head rather than continually thinking with lower departments… But apart from those minor things, he is still the same old Tyson. With a new clothing style and better music taste. Alright, he's not really the same at all, but I'm just rambling now. I stand up and make my way to the back door, allowing my new-found friend to enter the house first. I still can't believe how close we've become over this short period of time. I had three years to bond with like this, and I still never managed to – But then again, that was when I was under my grandfather's wrath. (Yes, he had a wrath, okay?)

Once inside the kitchen, I take a seat at the breakfast bar, nodding to Tyson as a way of giving him permission to make his own food, he watched me eagerly enough when I was getting things for him earlier that I think he knows where I keep everything now – Unfortunately including those tasty chocolate croissants, they're called pain au chocolat in French, and I only know that because that's where they're from. Oliver taught me a lot during our stay in France. That place was great fun now that I look back and realise that I did actually enjoy myself with my team for what must have been the very first time on our tour. Okay, so China was pretty good but I didn't tolerate them much back then, though I'd grown used to them by the time we went to Europe… Strangest tour ever.

Well, Tyson's happily making another four pieces of toast and a large mug of coffee so I'll just sit here and drift back to my plans. I really have to make sure all this goes well. Winning Rei's heart would be the best thing that has ever happened to me, even better than Bryan killing my grandfather… I wonder if Rei prefers top or bottom? That was slightly off track, but I give up. I can't think straight anyway, not while I know that Rei will be walking from his bedroom to the bathroom very soon wearing only his underwear… I'd have him top or bottom, it doesn't matter to me, I'm a virgin anyway. Hopefully that will change very soon, though of course I'm not really interested in that. Well, I'm interested, I am a seventeen year old male, of course I'm interested, but what I mean is that… I've just realised I'm blushing. Anyway, what I was trying to say was I'm not bothered about losing my virginity because it's not an important factor in a loving relationship, it's just a bonus, even though the simple thought of Rei grinding my hips with his is damn attractive, plus a little arousing; okay, more than a little. Memo to me : keep legs crossed before having such thoughts about Rei when in company! Although Tyson has his back turned now, he could turn around any minute; sill, I'm sure he'd understand. Since his brother is such a good friend of Brooklyn's, he'd probably be around a lot so it must be pretty hard for Tyson to control himself while in their company. My apologies, that was bad taste.

I am once again pulled away from my thoughts at the sound of Tyson's soft chuckling. I really hope he hasn't noticed anything. I turn my head slightly to give him a look that's supposed to be questioning, but I get the feeling I'm glaring too. I hate the subconscious mind.

"What?" Yeah, that came out a little too harshly as well. He's still smirking, but at least he's had the sense to stop laughing at me. I hate to be laughed at.

"Thinking of Rei, per chance?" … Oh come on! My body is facing away from him and everything. Maybe I have a big sign on my back that says 'Thinking Perverted Thoughts'. I am perfectly aware of the fact that my eyes are practically burning into his but right this second I don't care. He's taking the piss. "Hey Kai! Don't look at me like that! You're just blushing to fuck, I just thought…" That's right Tyson, quit while you're ahead.

"Your toast's done." Perfect timing. My toaster really knows when to help me out… Kai, you're losing it. I stand and turn to leave, no way I'm staying in here any longer than I need to… Aha, idea. "I'm taking a shower." A cold shower, but let's keep that between us, hmm? It looks like I'll be using my own personal bathroom too, since I've just seen the best sight that one can in the morning. Oh yes, there goes Rei in his underwear. He waved at me this time too – I hope he didn't realise that I was enjoying the sight of those long, slender legs… Okay, definitely time for that shower.

This is going to be a long day.

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"If you don't behave I will kill you."

"Good morning to you too, Kai."

I'll give you three guesses as to who is at my door, 'three' being the number you need here. Marie has just piled a bunch of presents into my arms which is making me feel very wanted right now as they all have my name on. One's from her, one's from her father, Toujon, one's from her mother (whom I have never met) and the other three are from Tala, Bryan, and (much to my surprise) Spencer. I can't even remember when I last saw him but I hope everything is going well in his life. I nod to Marie in appreciation, kicking the door open to let the three Russians inside.

"We'll be as gold as good." Tala states with a giggle. Did I forget to mention that he's a complete lunatic? I raise my eyebrow slightly at his 'joke', though keep my straight face to show them that I am completely serious about not causing any havoc today. As they enter my home, Marie thanks me, Tala grins to show his gratitude and Bryan simply grunts and pushes past everyone without a word. Hey, that's Bryan for you.

"Where are they?" Tala asks, sounding suspiciously like Cruella De Ville when searching for the newborn puppies. I send a glare across the hall toward him but he obviously dodged it because he's still beaming with mischief. I'm warning you Tala… Leave them well alone. I nod toward the living room where my team mates are gathered, drinking their hot chocolates as per usual since they arrived. My redheaded friend bounds excitedly toward the door and practically squeals with delight when he reaches it, making me quicken my pace with worry, which is damn hard considering the pile of presents I'm currently trying to balance across my arms.

Upon reaching my destination I am greeted by a sight that makes me want to laugh. I don't think my former team are entirely sure what to make of this smiling, friendly-looking version of Tala that they're seeing before them, it must be quite a surprise. I can't blame them for being unsure though, when they last saw the redhead, he was under a lot of pressure and didn't smile at all, and he was quite… Dark. He was like Bryan is now, silent and forceful. But the Tala that is standing here now is quite different. Today he's wearing all white, apart from his sweatshirt which is royal blue. He looks rather classy today actually in his usual thick white trousers, topped with the sweater and a floor length white fur-lined coat plus matching boots; very classy. All he needs now is a white top hat and a cane, but I think that may be taking things a little too far. The only items of clothing that look out of place are the bright orange scarf that Bryan had given him for Christmas last year and the matching gloves that I had unfortunately been a part of buying, but Tala loves them, even if they are hideously bad taste.

Tala takes a step forward and I'm pretty sure I head Kenny 'eep' with fear, he's never been that keen on my Russian friends, has he? He wasn't too keen on me to start with either, but who can blame him – Back then, even I hated me. Aha, it wasn't Tala that Chief was scared of, it's the fact that Bryan has just walked in with, what seems to be, the meanest scowl he can muster set upon his features. I glance across at him and glare my well known 'Hiwatari Death Glare' even though it has no effect whatsoever on him, but at least I'm making an effort, unlike some!

"How are you all?" Tala grins around the room at the others, carefully removing his scarf and gloves in the process. My team mates seem to be smiling just to be polite rather than actually being happy to see the redhead. When no reply is heard, Tala pouts slightly and turns to me. "Kai, they don't seem very talkative." I smirk slightly while carefully placing all my new presents under the tree, and yes, I am perfectly conscious of the smug look on my face, thank you very much.

"How's it goin' Tala?" As I had thought, it was Tyson to make the first move for the former Bladebreakers. Tala spins back round to face him and smiles brightly, to which my navy-haired friend nods once, returning the same action.

"Not bad. You?" Ten points to Tal for his ultimate friendliness, not that I expected anything different from him. He's changed so much since they last saw him and he's so sweet that even diamond would melt at his now-soft tone.

"Yeah, everything's goin' well." Tyson beams back at the redhead before turning his attention to the other teen, stood silently against the door frame, ignoring everyone as he usually does. "How 'bout you Bryan?"

Bryan turned his head and is now fixing his questioner, a.k.a. Tyson, with a glare that – if looks could kill – he would be sprawled out across the floor, dead as Bryan's manners. "Fine." He mumbles, returning his glare to the door frame instead. I inwardly smile, I knew that Bryan wouldn't go all out on his speech and be a little angel, but I am happy that he at least has the decency to make a little bit of effort, i.e., speaking when he's spoken to, just like he was taught while growing up.

"Hi everyone." All heads turn to the door where the white-haired young woman, commonly known as Marie has just entered with a bright smile fixed on her lips. She turns her head to me and holds up some shopping bags. "I'm going to get straight to the cooking, alright Kai?" She smirks lightly. "Wouldn't want to get in the way of your little reunion." Upon noticing the moody-looking teen next to her, she lets a slightly more sadistic smirk appear on her face. "You look like you're enjoying yourself, Bry."

And it happened faster than the speed of light. One quick and swift thump to the top of the arm from Bryan, leaving Marie to walk off, laughing softly. For some reason she seems to enjoy 'playing with death'. By this I mean she is constantly taking the piss out of my lilac-haired friend, forever earning herself huffs and soft punches, but then again, she can get away with it. I've said before that she's scary when she's angry, and damn has she put Bryan in his place for 'picking on' Tala and bringing him close to tears. Marie made him apologise to the redhead – Enough said.

Bryan is now mumbling and cursing to himself in Russian, while Tala has taken a seat next to Tyson and they appear to be chatting happily and catching up. While looking at them though, I notice something else too from the corner of my eye. Rei is looking at me. Looking at me! I can usually sense people's eyes on me but since the mood is so light at the moment I guess I let my guard down, and now his gorgeous, deep amber eyes are on me. I almost feel special, but not quite. If his miraculous eyes were filled with love and desire, then I would feel special, but on closer inspection there is no such luck. I think he just wants to ask me a question. I turn my head to gaze at him inquiringly, seeming to make him jump for a reason unknown… And blush? Kami he's cute when he blushes.

"Um…" Make that very cute. "Who's that girl?" Please don't tell me this is why you're blushing… Please no.

"Marie. She's like a sister to me." I answer in a slightly irate voice, pure accident I promise.

"She said she was going to cook and I… Um…" Thank fuck. He just wants to cook. I smirk and slightly raise an eyebrow, making him blush a little more. Aww, don't worry Rei, I understand your cooking fetish.

"You want to join in?" At the brightness that his eyes have suddenly acquired, I take that as a big yes. Rei, you are so cute, just come here and kiss me right now. "That's fine, Rei."

"Thanks Kai." He grins, flashing his fangs, the same grin he can use to make any fan girl faint. Then again, maybe it's not just the fan girls considering I am fast losing my balance and may fall over at any point. Oh Kami Tala, stop laughing at me and help.

"No problem." For fear of falling on my ass, I have stood up now instead. Crouching under a Christmas tree for too long is probably bad luck or something stupid like that anyway. Shit excuse, I know but I have a lot on my mind right now. Example : He's standing up, ready to follow me to the kitchen, which means I have to lead him, which means I get a chance to speak to him on our own which means I could tell him and… Take a deep breath Kai. "This way."

I let Rei leave the room first and as I pass through the door, I distinctly hear Bryan, of all people Bryan, whisper 'good luck'. I feel good and I'm ready for this. I think. I hope. Bryan has even closed the door behind us, bless him. Remind me to buy him a packet of cigarettes to show my appreciation. Okay, here goes. "Rei?" He stops, and turns to me. Deep breaths now. In… Out… In… Out… "Can I talk to you?"

"Uh, sure." That smile is beautiful. He looks a little confused, but still, he is so utterly perfect. "What's up?"

Okay Kai, here we go. Remember the stages, don't just blurt it out. "Are you with Mariah?" Hardly any jealousy at all, I'm impressed with myself. He shakes his head and, to my surprise, laughs. Okay, that went well. Part A is complete.

"What made you think that?" Good question, actually. I shrug and can feel my cheeks beginning to burn. Excuse needed quickly.

"Yesterday… You looked a little offended." Remember the bathroom incident? He laughs again. This is going well so far. Every time he laughs I want to kiss him and it's slowly getting difficult to refrain myself from doing so.

"Well she is my friend." He defends. "I wasn't offended exactly, but I do wonder why you have such a thing against her. She's alright when you get to know her, trust me." Sure she is, Rei. She's the child from Hell. I nod and find myself sighing. Great. Blushing and sighing. How much more pathetic can I get?

"I just…" That came out wrong, I was meant to say something about his love life to find out if he's single. Now I'm stuck. "Was wondering. How is your love life, anyway?" I hate the way he's looking at me. Please stay naïve Rei, I don't want you cottoning on that I am trying to chat you up here. I love you so very, very much.

"Don't ask. I'm still single. I have been since you met me." Well why the hell didn't you tell me that before? He lifted his head and is now staring straight into my eyes. I think I'm going to fall over.

"Ahh." Well done Kai. Make an incoherent noise, why don't you? "That's a shame." I say, getting a solemn nod as a reply. He's obviously upset about it, he must want somebody. I feel sorry for him and show that through my body language, yet on the inside I am bouncing around like a lunatic. Maybe I really do have a chance here… If he is into guys. Let Part C commence. "Why don't you have anyone?"

"The only people who are interested are fan girls or people who don't know me as a person but just as a blader. I want more than that." I nod in agreement, hell I know that feeling. "Know what I mean?"

"Yeah." Sigh. I can do this. "I know exactly how you feel." Heart to heart statement is needed to grab his attention, I still need to prove things to him like I showed Tyson I was only human, I need Rei to know too. However, finding a heart warming statement to say is a little difficult at the moment since the only thing my mind can come up with is 'I love you', and I'm not entirely sure how well that would go down. Wait, double-take. Rei's in love with somebody! Yesterday, in his sleep he said those words, those three precious words that sounded so beautiful coming from him, the way he whispered them with so much feeling… My knees may go weak in a minute.

"How about you, Kai?" Rei, if only you knew. I shake my head and accidentally let a sigh slip out, letting my gaze fall to the floor. I'm never going to be able to tell him, I couldn't bare it if he turned me down. I close my eyes and sigh a second time, this is getting pathetic.

"Nobody." … What? I snap my eyes open to be greeted with hair. Black hair. Rei's hair. And then it sinks in… He's hugging me! If this is to make me feel better Rei then I don't know whether you're doing a good or a bad thing. In my dream world I am pulling him close and holding on to him, but in reality I am still standing here like a frigid bitch. He's starting to pull away because of that fact, so I have to act quickly. I slip an arm round his back to keep him in place then add the other arm so as to give him a proper hug. I don't want to let go. Ever.

"Uh… Kai?" No, not yet. Just a little bit longer. "Why don't you want to let go, ever?" … Shit. Curse my internal monologue that doesn't work! Right. It's now or never. I've already made a prat of myself, let's go the whole way. I pull back slightly and look at him, gazing right into those beautiful eyes, confusion the most prominent emotion held within, but there's something else… Is it… Hope?

"Rei," I don't know what else to say, so I think just saying what I have to is going to be the easiest way. I sigh and look away, unable to face whatever reaction I get. "Rei, I…" Somebody kick me! Just another two words. "Love you." There. Said it. I look up as Rei lets go of me and steps backwards, uncertainty and perplexity written all over his face. This is bad.

"What?"

This is really bad.

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