Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.
Title: Waiting in the Wings
Chapter Title: Waiting...AAH!
Rating: T
Categories: Romance/Drama
Summary: Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grow stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?
Feedback: Reviews spur me on. I thought that you would have figured this out by now.
Status: Slow updates due to exams and lack of interest in Beyblade.
Notes: All readers should thank SOMEONE2003, since he/she kinda reminded me about this fic. I've just been a bit occupied with revision, tests, medical issues and my violin ((glares at it on the other side of the room)). Not to mention Avatar: The Last Airbender! ((fangirl shriek))

Kai is OOC. My excuse? Uh... hmmm... six years have passed, so he could have changed... kinda. And he has feelings for Mariam! ((grin))

Hey, I've done worse to the poor guy.

WAITING IN THE WINGS

Kai/Mariam
Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grown stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?

Flowerperson
© 2006

Part X
Waiting... AAH!

He scratched his forehead nervously. "It was just as we expected... Mr Joseph Shield took a worrying amount of a drug commonly known as ecstasy, a very dangerous drug that has taken the lives of many people: teenagers and adults. I'm very sorry to say this, Ms. Shield. Your brother..."

"Yes?" the blue haired woman's breathing stopped, awaiting the answer.

"He's brain-damaged."

Time seemed to pass in a blur. Hours were like seconds, days were like hours... it went past Mariam so fast (she wouldn't complain, the loneliness was unnerving). She had numerous consultations with so many different doctors that she could hardly remember anything that they had said. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw her brother's motionless body—pale as death, weak as a newborn kitten.

Joseph had woken up just that day, early in the morning. At first, she had jumped up in joy, her heart beating wildly as she threw her arms around her younger sibling. Tears of happiness and relief had leaked out the corner of her eyes, but her heart broke when she heard the first thing he had to say.

"Who are you?"

The doctors had explained that in Joseph's case, his brain damage had not necessarily affected his intelligence. Instead, he was cursed with amnesia. He had no idea who Mariam was, who he himself was... he didn't know anything about the Saint-Shields, their village or any of the friends they had left behind. Fortunately, he had kept his personality before his drug addiction.

That was a small comfort.

But she would prefer Joseph to have his memories back.

(Then she remembered all the bad things— all her mistakes— that had happened and wondered if it was that bad after all.)

She had remained cheerful (or as happy she could be) around him for as long as she was in that room. However, when he fell asleep, she left the room and reached the end of the corridor before bursting into tears, falling onto her knees.

Her heart hurt, her soul hurt, her brain hurt, her body hurt... everything just hurt. Mariam cried out Joseph's name, hitting the light blue floor with her fists. A nurse laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, urging her to get out of the corridor.

"Please, miss. You're making a scene."

Tough luck! She'd make a scene if she wanted to make a scene! Mariam could do whatever she wanted and what she wanted was someone to comforther. But not that stupid nurse. She wanted...

Kai...

Her sobs ceased; her eyes were wide as she was instantly mortified over her thoughts. She wanted Kai to comfort her? Like that would ever happen! He would never ever even think of comforting her when she was upset, when she was in pain.

So what has he been doing for the past month?

He hadn't been back since she had found out the news of Joseph's condition— and he wasn't even there to hear it. Besides, hadn't he pushed her away when she started to cry? Kai had looked upon her with disgust before making his grand exit. That stupid man thought he could just show up, be the knight in shining armour and escape before the 'damsel-in-distress' started her break down.

She didn't need him.

Oh yes you do.

Didn't! Didn't! Didn't!

Trying to keep what little dignity she had left, Mariam stood up shakily and took a deep breath. She turned to the nurse with a broad (fake) smile— she probably scared her, "I think I'm going to go home now. These clothes are getting a bit dirty. I'll be back tomorrow morning. Make sure Joseph knows, okay?" The nurse nodded mutely and Mariam walked on as if nothing had happened.

It was true. She had been wearing the same clothes for over two weeks. They smelled, she smelled— Mariam wouldn't deny it. No wonder Kai pushed her away in disgust; maybe he had picked up her scent.

But with a shower (cold water, since hot water was a provision she couldn't afford at the moment) and a set of fresh clothes, she would be slightly more energised, ready to try and reactivate Joseph's memories.

Her apartment was quite a walk away. It was way past dark when she arrived at the block of flats, maybe nearing ten o'clock. She smiled to herself as she saw that a new door had replaced (although it was shabby, without a lock and obviously wouldn't last long) the one that Kai had knocked down, but this also meant that she would have to pay extra on the rent that month. Mariam sighed. And since she hadn't been at work (she had phoned to try and explain, but they didn't really give a damn), she had lost the job thus lost their only income.

She couldn't exactly ask Max for more money— he had done so much for her, and it was more embarrassing than anything else.

Now under the (freezing) shower, fatigue was beginning to overwhelm her. She just really needed some decent sleep— a good night's rest. Exhaustion began to darken her eye sight as she stepped out of the shower, drying herself with a fluffy (formerly white, now grey) towel. Collapsing on the bed, she glared at the wardrobe on the other side of the bed. Did she have enough energy?

It was a warm night, and the covers were awfully inviting.

"Mariam? Mariam, are you here?"

Kai had been to the hospital, wanting to make some sort of amendment for the way he had left. It had taken him two weeks to sum up enough courage to go to the hospital to 'apologise' (he wasn't going to say 'sorry' literally, but in context), only to discover that Ms Shield had decided to sleep at her flat that night. She would be back the next morning, but Kai had rehearsed his words too many times to just go back home and wait.

How sad was it that he had to practise what he was going to say?

Almost as sad as remember exactly where her apartment block was, and what her number was.

You are going soft, Kai. Might as well grab the girl and ride your horse into the sunset now.

A small part of him whispered that he wouldn't mind, but the rest of the stoic Russian ignored that thought completely. He didn't have a horse, after all. Kai had sighed in relief when he noticed the new door (although it looked like it had seen many other door-frames in its day) but frowned when he realised that the lock was absent. Maybe he should get her a door. It wasn't exactly going to put a dent in his finances, and it had been his fault.

The place was just as he remembered it. It was messy and...

The knife was still under the kitchen table.

He glared at it disdainfully before picking it up and putting it back in the draw with other cutlery. However, the draw was broken and wouldn't close properly.

He would never have been able to cope with a living space like this. It only just occurred to him that what Mariam said about him being spoilt might have been true. He hadn't necessarily been surrounded by wealth for all of his life, but the Biovolt complex had always been kept in immaculate condition (much as he hated to admit it).

Where was she? Sleeping, his mind answered. It was eleven thirty. She was most likely catching up on her lost sleep. But still, he just had to apologise. He couldn't wait around until she woke up. He'd just mutter something about being too harsh then be on his merry way away from her.

Kai walked over to the bedroom and opened the door. "Mariam, I just want to... apologise for my act—aah!" Kai's eyes bulged out of his sockets. Was he seeing what he thought he was seeing? Was she naked?

Jtioh...wggr...whio...egnla...

No logical thoughts were processed in Kai's brain. She was naked! Nekkid! Birthday suit! Undressed! Without clothes! In all her 'natural glory'! Had he not been Kai, he would have been drooling (however, he did have to wipe away some blood from his nose). She must have decided to go to bed... 'commando' and had kicked the covers off whilst she was sleeping.

Just at this point (cruel, cruel fate, Kai mused), Mariam began to stir. She groaned before opening one of her emerald eyes half-way. She noticed Kai staring at her with a bright red face and her brows furrowed before she pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Kai?" she slurred, "What're y' doin' 'ere?" She rubbed her eyes before looking down at herself.

Mariam screamed.

"Pervert!"

Kai dodged the lamp.

"Lecher!"

A baseball hit him on the nose. Ouch, that hurt and also happened to re-activate his nose-bleed. He put a hand to his nose in an attempt to halt the bleeding. Couldn't she throw him a box of tissues or something?

"PEEPING TOM!"

"Ow! Hey, I didn't—argh! Will you let me finish? OW!"

"What do you think you were doing watching me... naked?" She had wrapped the covers around her body and was now glaring at Kai, imaging all types of torture for the Russian beyblader to go through— including cutting off a certain part of his anatomy.

"What were you doing naked?"

How could he just direct the question back to her? She was the one that was meant to be outraged, but he was also throwing a tantrum. Of course, because it was never Kai's fault... "It's my apartment! I can choose to wear or not wear what I want!"

"So you parade around naked? Ew." Great. Now the nosebleed was worse. Stupid, horny inner man. Kai couldn't believe that 'he' was getting so worked up about Mariam. She wasn't even that pretty! (Liar...)

"Why are you sneaking into my apartment?"

"I wasn't sneaking! I wanted to... apologise for the last time we met." That was really, really hard to say. He hated this stupid 'apology' thing— why in the name of Dranzer had he decided to do this again?

"You, apologise?" She burst out laughing before gripping tightly on her covers— they had begun to slip (Kai ignored the small feeling of disappointment). "Yeah right. How did you know I was here, then? Hmmm?"

Kai tilted his head back to try and stop the nose-bleed, content that she was out of things to throw. "I went to the hospital but they said you had gone back to your apartment."

"Oh, so you're still my stalker, huh? I thought I had gotten rid of you! Why didn't you wait for me to come back in the morning?"

"Because... because... just shut up!"

That insufferable man! "Me? This is my apartment! YOU shut up!"