Title: Our First Noel
Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine
Rating: T
Summary: see chapter one
Warnings: see chapter one
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. Any and all unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be touched. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the sole intent to entertain.
A/N: The real 12 days of Christmas range from the 26th of December till the 5th of January. In this story, however, the twelve days are just the days leading up to the 25th, meaning that this story started on the 14th and each chapter represents one day, leading up to Christmas day. I mentioned this since I am using the lyrics of the song for the titles of each chapter. Altered, of course. Just for the heck of it.
"Jingle bells! Boris smells! Tyson's is the best! He's so cool, the rest are fools and Kenny built a nest!"
Before you guys run off screaming (as I am wont to do), know that we are currently in the blessed privacy of the dojo, and not out in the street, listening to Tyson belt out every known Christmas song ever written. As you can hear, he isn't all too keen on the exact words and has so opted for coming up with his own version. If you think that 'Jingle Bells' has been violated you're lucky you didn't hear what poor old 'White Christmas' went through. I'll never be able to listen to that song the same way again or look at corn dogs the same way again, either. Believe me, it wasn't pretty.
"What other song is there?" asks Mr. Sinatra over there.
"Hmmm," Max ponders, covered in garland (the decorations, not the BEGA captain, mind you). "How about 'Deck the Halls'?"
Oh no…
"Oh yeah! I love that one!"
Talk about tough love.
Now, a lot of people say that Tyson has no talent other than beyblading (Kai would beg to differ; he doesn't think that Tyson has any talent), and I'm sorely beginning to believe that. Our world champion couldn't carry a tune in a semi-trailer.
"Deck the halls with balls of Molly!"
Never mind the fact that 'Molly' has involuntarily undergone an intense sex-change operation and is now living as a transsexual, this is the not the worst to come. That would be this part:
"Fa la la la la, la la la laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Hear that popping sound? That was my ear drum. Hear that slowly ripping sound? That is my sanity.
"Sing an ode to the sheep Dolly!"
Poor Dolly's probably rolling over in her grave right about now, Tyson.
"Fa la la la la, la la la laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Great, now Max has joined in the festivities. As if Tyson isn't bad enough. At least Max is a somewhat decent singer, but that's besides the point.
"Kiss the person gay apparent!"
Heh, I kinda like that. Where's Kai? He should be taking notes of this.
"Fa la la la la, la la LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
This is not going to get any less painful, is it?
"Uh…La di nana ni na Harold!"
Oh? Out of ideas already? There is a God.
"Fa la la la la, la la la… LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
I have to admit, holding that note, no matter how horribly, for so long is impressive. What's even better is that Tyson seems to have passed out due to a little thing called 'lack of oxygen'. Yup, there definitely is a God.
"Finally, some peace," Hillary, who is rummaging through a box close by, speaks my mind. "Maybe now we can actually get around to decorating the tree."
Yeah, that tree. Good ol' Woody. For the record, the only thing I am looking forward to is the day we get to reduce this overgrown weed into itty-bitty pieces in the backyard. I've got dibs on the chainsaw! First thing that will go will be all those needles. And believe me, I am going to remove them as slowly and painfully as possible. It's too bad that trees don't have mouths, but I will just have to imagine its suffering. After that, I'm gonna torch it. Oh yeah, this is going to be sweet. Hope I don't scare my friends, though. I'm just going to have to hold in my insane cackle when the time comes.
We've just finished breakfast, so it's around eleven a.m. Breakfast at Tyson's always takes around 3 hours. The first hour is spent trying to actually get Tyson out of bed. The other two are spent sitting around the kitchen table while trying to ignore the flying food particles. Poor Dizzy was showered with half-chewed scramble eggs after Tyson had suddenly sneezed. Sadly, I had been sitting right next to the Chief and so some of the 'debris' had landed on my plate. It doesn't take a psychic to guess that I had decided then and there that it would be the perfect time to start dieting again. At least, until lunch time. I'm going to order take-out and eat it in the sanitary privacy of my room.
Well, that was a piece of information that has absolutely nothing to do with the current events, but that's what you get when you listen to me ramble. Deal with it.
Remember me telling you about Woody being like freakishly huge? That had given me the false hope that it would have been too big to fit here in the dojo. Woody is ten feet tall; the ceiling is…wait for it…ten and a half foot tall! Now you be honest and tell me that this tree has been purposefully sent to destroy me. Still need proof? See this long red line on my arm? I swear, I had been standing like six feet away from the tree when the delivery men brought it into the place an hour ago and it still managed to swipe me! If it hadn't been for my horrified cry I would have probably heard it snickering with glee.
So the delivery men had set up Woody in the training hall, much to Grandpa's outrage since they left a fairly decent amount of scrapes on the polished floor boards. He keeps muttering that they (as in Tyson and him) won't be able to train on 'damaged' surface. If it isn't for the fact that Tyson can't put a four-piece jigsaw puzzle together without asking Kenny for help, I would have thought that he had purposefully chosen the training hall so that he could get away with not training. Could it be that there's more going on under that cap than we grant?
"Looka me! I'm Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer!" Tyson, having regained consciousness, shouts, sticking the silvery end of a red ornament up one nostril.
I'm depressed. I lost a shot at the world championship title to this guy? We should all be ashamed of ourselves.
As the previous clues suggest, we are now all seated in the 'ruined' training room, going through boxes over brimming with Christmas decorations, all eager to begin adorning Wonder Woody over there. At least, the others think that I am helping out with decorating. Aside from the little plastic angels in my lap, I'm really sitting here coming up with some rather devilish ways to get back at Woody. So far I have thought up the following:
1. Pour bleach in its water when no one is looking
2. Let a colony of termite lose on it when no one is looking
3. Use a long pole to tip it over (Pole needed since I will not touch that thing) when no one is looking
4. Set it on fire and then pretend to have mistaken it for fire wood, just in case someone is looking
Considering that we don't even have a hearth in this place, option 4 is pretty farfetched, but I am willing to try anything. Better yet, I think that that would make a good plan C. Maybe I'll just do all of them. Ah, here's another option:
5. Call an exorcist
Just in case that tree is possessed by a really evil spirit. Oh, without a doubt, I know it's possessed. But some spirits are more powerful than others and meagre attacks like termites and cleaning solutions probably won't get the job done. How does one make holy water? Take normal water and just boil the Hell out of it?...Heeeeeeeeey, I might just be on to something here.
"Found the lights!" Max just announced, dragging a huge box over. "We have to put them on before we can hang the ornaments. Can't risk the whole thing falling over."
Oh no, we wouldn't want that to happen now, do we? Not to poor ol' Woody.
"How are we going to reach the top?" Kenny asks. "It's too tall. Maybe we should have gotten a smaller tree."
Right on, genius. Where were you when I needed an ally back in the parking lot?
"We've got a ladder in the shed."
This could go two ways. Compared to what he'd been singing all afternoon, that had to be the most sensible thing Tyson has said all day; but his timing sucks since this now means that I can't volunteer to call the parking lot attendant and tell him to bring us a less lethal fir. Tyson, I hope you don't mind getting a lump of coal for Christmas, especially since I think I'll be aiming it at your head.
I know, I know. I am being pretty cantankerous towards my friends. Mentally, anyways. On the outside I'm still faithful, smiling Ray. Gotta keep up appearance, right? Ever wondered why I am labelled as the silent one of the group? Now you know; I spend way too much time on inner monologues. So why these particularly negative inner monologues now? The reason is what you've probably already noticed, namely that I don't have Kai on the brain. And the reason why I don't have Kai on the brain is Woody. And the reason Woody is here is because of my friends. So I figure: Ray plus Woody equals Ray minus Kai. Woody has got to be the roots of Hell and since it is standing here in the dojo, the dojo has to be Hell and since…Alright, I'm bored. Never mind. It all comes down to that Woody is depriving me of Kai.
"So why don't you go find Kai?"
Hey, was that my 9.9 percent of planning brain power that has just spoken? I could start to worry that I am hearing voices in my head, but right now I'm just too thrilled that I have actually come up with a reasonable idea. Now to skilfully bring it up with a casual tone of voice.
"Where's Kai?"
Or blurt it out in a high voice pinched with giddy nervousness.
Luckily, I am currently in the company of friends who wouldn't noticed a love-struck neko-jin if he had blurted out his feelings while sitting amongst them. Yeah, they can be that oblivious sometimes.
"I think he's in the kitchen," Hillary says, too busy trying to untangle the silvery garland (decorations) that have managed to wrap itself around Max's neck. Probably Woody's satanic doing…Hope it goes after Tyson next. Alright, alright! I'll stop wishing evil thoughts about my friends.
"Yeah, Ray! Good idea!"
Oops, did I just say that out loud?
"Why don't ya go get Kai? Maybe he'd like to help."
Yeah, as if Kai will ever volunteer to do something as humanly as having fun. Still, any excuse to see Kai is good enough for me so I mumble a hurried "Okay" and make a bee-line for the kitchen. I have to duck at the doorway since Tyson has clumsily strung up a plastic Santa. Should I take that as a foreboding sign of how this place is going to look once Tyson is done with it? Luckily for the dojo, and those in it, Tyson's dad and brother are coming home tomorrow so hopefully they can stop this plague of cheesy ornaments before it gets too out of hand.
And there he is.
No, not Hiro or Bruce. Kai!
Leaning against the counter near the coffee maker, sipping a mug full of the stuff. He's the only guy on the team who drinks it. For which I am extremely grateful. Can you just imagine Max on caffeine? Yeah, I shudder at that image. Actually, I shudder at this scene too, but for entirely different reasons. Time to make up for all those brain cells wasted on Woody.
Everything Kai does just oozes sex. And I should know since I basically stalk the guy's every move. The way he walks is just too tempting. He somehow manages to find that oh so desirable balance between being aloof, dangerous and erotic. My one regret is the fact that he usually walks behind the rest of us, meaning that I can't ogle at his butt. But other than that, I love the way he walks. And the way he blades. And the way he tells Tyson to pay attention before he snaps his wrist. And, of course, the way he drinks. Those lips just teasingly touch the rim of the mug and that gorgeous throat flexes as he takes a sip and swallows. Sometimes he pauses to lick his lips. What makes it even more enchanting is the fact that he actually has a peaceful look on his face, his eyes focused on some magical place only he can see as he thinks about…whatever it is gods think of. Kai and coffee. It's a beautiful thing. Then again, Kai's beautiful no matter what.
All in all, I am very glad I left the rest and happened upon this delicious sight.
"You want some?"
Yes, I'd like to have you naked and covered in chocolate…wait…Damn his built-in radar. He hasn't even turned away from looking out the window. I'm part cat, for crying out loud! What happened to all that silent stealth? That proves it. Kai is no mere human.
"Uh…"
Stop! Halt! Freeze! Hold it right there. This has happened before. I'm given a chance but completely blow it due to these stupid mental debates and praise. I've been doing this for three years now and where has that gotten me? Nowhere, that's where! It's time for a change. Time for progress. I will not blow it this time. I can't! I can do this. I can give a reasonable answer. Okay, Kon, baby steps. One in front of the other…
"No thanks."
I did it! Hey, laugh all you want but that's a milestone in my book. I actually answered a question that Kai had asked without deviating from the subject or spontaneously becoming mute. I'm in business, baby! Whoa, focus now, Ray. Don't let it go to your head. Deep breaths. Okay now? Okay. Now say something, sensible, to him.
"You want to help out with the tree?"
I swear I am this close to doing a happy dance. I think this is the longest conversation I have ever had with my team captain. This mental coaching is really working. Should have thought of it sooner. Alright now, Ray, stop grinning like a total goof before Kai turns around and sees you. Good, now my expression is one of calm interest. Or so I hope. Feels kinda weird though. Oh man, what if I look constipated? This is all new territory to me. Sure, I'm known as the calm one of the group…as long as I'm not around Kai. Yikes, here comes the test! Kai's starting to turn.
Well, almost. He looks over a bare shoulder at me and at first I panic at the look on his face. Do I really look constipated? Cue my guardian angel who has been holding my hand through all this, for from beyond the doorway Tyson has begun yet another round of carol bashing. Kai raises a single brow and tilts his head ever so slightly, which causes his slate coloured bangs to sway before his deep red eyes. I think I just heard millions of fan girls squeal. All right, so that was me in my mind. What can I say? I'm weak.
"Don't think so," he says, referring to the idea of being in the same room with Tyson 'The Carol Killer' Granger.
I merely laughed, albeit nervously. Please don't tell me that I am losing what little ground I had gained.
A clink tells me that Kai has finished drinking his coffee and has placed the empty mug in the sink. Looking up, I watch as he starts to head out the back door, probably off for his daily session of aimless wandering. Now fixated on the mug, I can practically see myself falling back into familiar, and hated, territory: Being left with only fantasies and wishes. Come on, Ray! You can do better than that! Don't chicken out now.
And so, taking a deep breath and begging God for every possible blessing a guy like me can get, I run out the door, just in time to see Kai reaching the dojo's entrance. Balls of steal, Ray. Fisting me hands, I quickly jog after him. Of course, he hears me coming and turns, face expressionless though I know he is wondering why I am there. Which has brought up a good point; why am I there? What am I going to say? Whatever it is, I better say it now because I've reached him. Third time a charm, right? Here goes.
"Mind if I join you?"
Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, YES! What day is today? I'll tell you what day it is. It is Ray Kon's lucky day! That is, unless Kai flatly turns my request down and leaves me standing out here like a total loser. So far he isn't saying anything, merely staring at me. Which, by the way, is making me even more giddy since he is actually paying attention to me. Not to Bladebreaker Ray. Just Ray. Why didn't I think of taking this approach sooner? I mean, acting like a sane human being instead of some brain-damaged freak. Still, the silence is starting to stretch so I decide to use my newly found logical mind to explain my words.
"If I hang around in there any longer I'm going to kill Tyson. And since I saw you going out…"
Am I moving up the conversation ladder, or what? That's two sentences in one go, people. Two! Not to mention the cool trail-off that I think sounded rather…er, cool. Crap, I'm starting to sound like the old Ray. Focus. Stay focussed. So, Kai, what do you say?
"Whatever."
In my perfect world Kai would have said, "Oh sure, Ray, I'd love it if you accompanied me on my usually solitary walks because I think that you're pretty hot and I'd like us to have some alone time together.", but in this cruel and heartless world "Whatever" is just as good. My leg is trembling to perform a little jig of joy, but I manage to suppress the urge by digging my nails into the palm of my hand. Painful, but worth it.
So here we go. Me and Kai. We have left the dojo. And we are now walking alongside the wall. Now we are crossing the street. And waiting for the stop light to cross another one. Now we are crossing that street. Now we are walking down the side walk through crowds of people doing their Christmas shopping. Now we are passing the butcher store where a group of kids a singing carols the way they were meant to be sung. And now we are passing the baker who's displaying many red and green icing-covered cakes and Santa cookies. Now the park is coming into view, its entrance covered with green garland (decorations) and lights. Now we are crossing the street before that. Now we are in the park. Now we are walking down a sandy path.
And now I'm about to jab my eyes out and scream really loud.
The tough thing about being heads over heals in love with a guy like Kai is that a) he isn't the most romantic guy on earth, and b) I so totally suck at flirting. For some reason I had imagined us to be holding hands by now or something, but his hands are in the pockets of his jacket. Which he had grabbed on his way out. Since it is very cold outside. Which reminds me of the tiny fact that, in my hurried decision back in the kitchen, I hadn't grabbed my jacket. Shit, now that I've figured that out, I'm freezing! What? Had I been running on the heat of my unrequited passion or something? No wonder Kai had been staring at me back at the dojo. Those who think that I have just blown all my so-far hard work, please raise your hands.
No! No, I refuse to give up! I came this far. The farthest I have gotten in three long years. I am not going to let the weather beat me now! If I was willing to draw blood from my own palm to be here with Kai than I will walk through rain and snow for him!
Oh, hello there Irony. Didn't see you looming above my head with that back-stabbing dagger. Not a dagger, you say? Just a big ass cloud about to burst with rain? You never miss a beat, do you?
And now it's raining. I suppose I should be honoured that I've got every being in the universe out to get me, but really, a guy can only take so much.
"Shit!" I curse as my clothes begin to take on water faster than the Titanic. Here's a tip to all you people who ever get caught in a rain storm: flapping your arms up and down does not make you any drier, it just makes you look like an idiot.
A sudden force on my arm tugs me off the path and I almost stumble but my feline prowess finally kick in and I manage to remain upright as I am led off the open path and towards the trees. Wait, did I just said 'led'? The only other person who was with me was…Meaning that…
Contact! Oh blessed Mother of Christ, we have contact! Kai's hand is holding my arm!
"I thought cats were supposed to hate water."
Nope, sorry. That's too much. Contact and an (semi) amused remark from Kai? I swear I should be fainting right around now, but that would deprive me of the moment so I fight back unconsciousness. With all that effort though I cannot think up an equally witty response, but that had never been my strong point when around Kai, anyway. Soon enough the rain is no longer on us as Kai finds a nice little shelter. I would have called it a bus stop had it not been for the fact that we were in the middle of a park with no road in sight. Still, it looks like one. I'll leave its function completely over to your imaginations.
Wringing the water out of my shirt as much as possible, I sneak a look over at Kai who is doing the same to his scarf. Which reminds me, now I am wet and cold. How could I have forgotten my jacket! I couldn't have been that absorbed in following Kai that I had neglected to notice the biting cold, could I? Obviously so. I amaze myself sometimes.
"Guess we're just going to have to wait it out, huh?" I ask after we are done wrinkling as much fabric as possible. This conversation thing is going smoother and smoother. Practice makes perfect, right? When the time is right I am going to test that saying in the bedroom. With Kai, of course.
Kai looks up, scarlet eyes studying the sky before he 'Hn's.
"Most likely not."
Following his stare, I can't help groaning. The entire sky is black, despite it being midday. Dark clouds had rolled in during our romantic stroll and there isn't a patch of blue in the sky. Is that thunder I heard in the distance? This could get complicated. See, ever since I was a little kid I've been afraid of thunder. Long story…Well, not really a long story. More like an embarrassing story. One that I am not so eager to share with you right now. Let's save that one for a rainy…er, sunny day. How eager am I to let Kai find out about my little phobia? Let's put it this way; I'd rather pay Tyson to sing me Christmas carols all day come Christmas day than let Kai see me cowering for the weather. The things I'd do for my captain.
"Let's go."
"Huh?"
Ah, there's some of that intelligible dialogue that has gotten me so far during all these years with this team. I actually feel nostalgic.
Kai has pulled up the hood of his jacket, covering his two toned hair. Despite the shadow now on his face, his eyes still shine bright red down at me where I am sitting on the bench.
"You want to stay here?"
Not if you're leaving. That'll just defeat the goal of this entire outing, wouldn't it?
"But…it's raining," I point out. Like, duh.
"It's only a ten minute walk."
Yeah, in freezing cold rain and wind. With no jacket. And a phobia for lightning. Sounds like a hundred mile journey to me.
"Maybe it'll blow over," I mumble hopefully.
As if to contradict my expectations, a large bolt of lighting strikes the lightning rod on one of the sky scrapers in the near distance. I jump to my feet, eyes wide. Really, it is a fascinating story, the origin of my fear of lightning. I should tell it to you guys one day. How about Friday? I don't have anything planned in the morning.
"Not unless you want to wait till tomorrow."
No, Friday's good. Oh wait, he's referring to what I had just said. Focus. F-O-C-U-S, Ray.
'……'
Shit, my concentration has been broken again! Why did this stupid jacket decide to drape itself over my shoulders now? Doesn't it know that I am trying to think of a way to prove to Kai that I am not a total wimp? How can I think when the scent of Kai's cologne is now invading my senses as I can still feel the heat of his body in the fabric? Can't a guy concoct a plan these days? How…
Aren't we supposed to see our lives flash before us before we die? Cause I am in heaven. No, even better than that, I'm in Kai's jacket!
Stunned, I gratefully grip the thick material to my body, which started to tremble a few minutes ago without me noticing, and look up at my captain with wide eyes. He is only wearing a rather thin, sleeveless white sweater now (with pants, of course. You perverts.) and his scarf around his neck, and an impatient but not angered expression on his face.
"Ready now?"
Give me an F! Give me an OCUS! What does that spell? Who cares? That ship has long sailed, anyways. I've got Kai's jacket on me! And, best of all, Kai was the one who gave it to me! Kai did something nice for me! That's enough to make anyone feel warm and mushy inside, though the jacket did wonders to heat up my cold skin.
"But…What about you?"
I had to ask that. One of those clichéd questions that always pop up in romance novels between two people who care a lot for each other and one of them sacrifices something to prove their love for their partner. Right, Kai and I aren't lovers, but the moment just begged for me to ask that.
"I'll manage."
Not an 'I'll gladly freeze to death if it will ensure your well-being', but by Kai standards that was a very thoughtful response.
"Thanks, Kai," is all I can say. Pulling it on correctly and pulling up the hood, I am overcome with the desperate urge to inhale deeply. But Kai is standing right there and me sniffing his clothes just doesn't seem right, you know?
"Whatever. We're going."
And that was an order. One that I didn't care to not obey. Luckily, we are both in good condition and so we begin to jog back to the dojo. Using one hand to hold the hood from flying off, I look over at Kai running beside me and almost stumble.
I'll give you the words, you paint the scenario: Kai, rain, white shirt, wet, sculpted chest. Can you see it before you? I bet it's nothing like the real thing though. Though he doesn't show any signs of discomfort at all, despite being all wet and cold, I can see the perked nubs of his nipples through the fabric clinging. Plus, his hair is plastered to his face, sticking to that sharp jaw line and down his dripping neck.
Someone, pinch me…What am I saying! Don't pinch me! I don't care, even if this is a dream. It is a damn good one. Better yet, it's reality. Kai really is running next to me, through the rain, putting the entire damn cast of Baywatch to shame. This is better than any wet dream I have ever had (No pun intended.). Sadly, the dojo is now within sight. Oh well, it had been nice while it lasted. And oh will this little experience last in my memory. I think I'll have it engraved on my tombstone if possible…
We enter the dojo through the kitchen, which is empty. Dripping wet and panting softly, we shake the excess water off of us, though I am drier, thanks to Kai's jacket. Damn, I suppose this means that I have to take it off now, being inside and all. Dutifully hanging it over a chair to dry out, I turn nervously to Kai who is using a clean kitchen towel to dry out his hair and skin so that he doesn't trail too much water on his way to the washroom for a hot bath. I'm surprised that he isn't even shivering.
"Aren't you cold?"
He paused in his drying before slinging the towel over a shoulder.
"I'm used to it."
I nod, having run out of things to say but, for once, I am not disappointed or beating myself up. I had just spent nearly an hour with Kai, the love of my life. There's no need to get greedy.
Satisfied with his effort, Kai makes his way out, heading upstairs to his room. However, as he passes me where I am standing, he says, softly,
"You take a shower first. Call me when you're done."
And he's gone, leaving me to look around in case the evil poltergeist residing in Woody hadn't resumed its mind games with me. But I can still hear Kai's footsteps beyond the kitchen and the air is evil spirit-free. Alone and elated, I finally allow myself the goofiest grin ever.
Only 10 days till Christmas, and I had gotten myself a pretty good head start.
Not even Tyson's bastardization of 'Oh Christmas Tree' coming from the living room can ruin this day.
Tbc…
Read & Review, please.