Title: Chinese For Two
Pairing/Characters: Kai/Hilary
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Beyblade © Aoki Takao-sama

Chinese For Two

Part: VI

Hilary's eyes fluttered open and closed as she stared up at her ceiling, no real interest showing through except for the usual bored expression whenever she would stare at those dull, plain walls. She stretched, letting her body cover the papers she had been working on, now completely sprawled out across the floor and over the bed.

She just wasn't bothered enough to care at the moment. Hilary rolled over, letting her face meet directly with that of her gift. The picture now stood on her dresser, so that she could see it right away. She felt a slow, sleepy smile come to her face as she looked at each of her friends, not to mention family.

She sighed slightly, realizing exactly how lazy she had been lately. She let her gaze wander around the room, taking the catastrophe in. Nothing much had changed, minus the wrapping paper she had recently gotten so as to wrap the guys' presents with. She kind of forgot to put it away after awhile…

Hilary jumped as her ears picked up the sound of the phone ringing loudly, as if echoing in the stillness that had taken over the room. Sitting there in a daze-like state, it took a moment for her to register what was going on.

Leaping up frantically, she just about jumped to the phone, scooping it up and placing it to her ear. "Hello?" she asked, her breathing ragged as she tried to regain her composure.

"Hi, it's Mariah…are you alright?" She heard her friend ask on the other line. The brunette could practically see the worried expression that adorned her friend's face. Hilary nodded into the phone before she remembered Mariah couldn't see her, and answered with a huff of breath.

"I'm fine. So, what's up?" she asked, cradling the phone to her ear as she awaited the pinkette's answer.

"Nothing much, I just wanted to know if you got your present alright, I hope you like it…" She heard the hopeful voice.

The brunette grinned. "Oh yeah! I got it, it was really great. Thank you!" she answered cheerfully. But then, she remembered something strange that she felt curious about. "Hey, Mariah, why was Kai the one who brought me the picture, and not you?"

On the other end, Mariah flinched at the question. She was hoping the brunette wouldn't find it troublesome enough to delve into it so that she wouldn't have to lie to her friend, but alas, that wasn't the case. It was actually troublesome to receive a gift from someone it wasn't even truly from. And by the way Hilary had acted earlier; it must have been even more awkward when it was Kai who showed up.

"…" Mariah searched her brain to find something that sounded believable. When Kai had gotten back last night, she could tell that he wasn't really convinced that she had to go downtown. Now that she thought about it, her explanation was pretty lame. That's right; she had to go downtown to get some 'stuff'.

"Mariah? You there?" Hilary blinked as no response came back. She vaguely wondered if she had hung up, but then dismissed the thought as she finally heard her friend's voice.

"…Yeah, I'm still here…" Mariah mumbled nervously. She rubbed the back of her head as she tried to think. She'd just have to throw caution to the wind and hope that Hilary was more gullible than the phoenix. "Sorry I couldn't give the present to you myself, but I really needed to go downtown for some things." Oh great. She's switched from 'stuff' to 'things'. Much better.

"…Okay then…" Hilary mumbled, raising an eyebrow into the receiver. That answer had come a little reluctantly in her opinion.

"So, then!" Mariah's voice exclaimed through the phone, "Are you getting the guys a present?" The change in subject was unexpected, though casual enough.

"Yeah…just got some Beyblade parts for Tyson and Kenny…" Hilary replied, not too much enthusiasm heard.

On the other side of the line, Mariah gave a nod. "What about the others?" she questioned.

Hilary sighed. "I wasn't too sure about the others, but I got them stuff they might pick themselves…Rei a head-band, Daichi a new wrist-band. I got Max a CD player since he broke his old one…"

"And Kai?" Mariah probed.

Hilary rubbed the back of her head in disdain. "I had no idea what he would want, so I gave up and just got him a new scarf." There was a pause on the other end of the line, before Hilary decided to speak up again. "Mariah…? Don't tell the guys, will you!"

There was another pause, one that made Hilary raise an eyebrow at the silence. "…Mariah?"

"Don't worry!" The sudden cheerful reply startled the brunette to the point of almost dropping the phone, though she managed to catch it before it completely slipped out of her grasp. "I won't tell them! I gotta go now, though, so I guess I'll talk to you later. Bye Hilary!" Before the brunette could even respond, the drone of the other end sounded in her ears, letting the girl know that her pink-haired friend had hung up.

She put the phone back in its cradle, and turning around, she stopped mid-step as her ruby gaze set on a particular sight. The neatly wrapped presents were still laid in the corner, ready to be delivered to their destinations. She'd forgotten about taking them over to Tyson's for a moment there.

She supposed it would be best to take them over now, seeing as she would probably not have the will to take them over later. Hilary stacked up the gifts, taking them downstairs and trying her best not to drop any of them. She should've just gotten Tyson shoes or something…because these blade parts were really going to break her back if she fell.

After three attempts at hauling them towards the dojo, two attempts at picking them up after she dropped them, and five musings about whether or not she should just leave the things there, she was surprised with herself when she realized she only had about another block to go before she reached the dojo.

Struggling to keep her arms enclosed around the objects, Hilary suddenly felt a great relief wash over her as she felt someone pick the boxes up out of her arms. Her eyes shot up, taking in the face of Rei as he looked down at her, his fangs gleaming in the cool winter sunshine.

"Rei?" Hilary questioned. What was he doing here? She would've expected to see him at the dojo right about now.

He flashed a friendly smile. "Hey! Looked like you needed some help there, so I thought I'd give you a hand," he said, shifting one of the boxes in his arms as he did. He started making his way up the path towards the dojo once again, before turning around to see if she was coming.

Hilary blinked before rushing over to him, until they fell into a steady step together. "Yeah! Guess I did…" she replied with a shake of her head.

They walked in a companionable silence that was calming in a way to the brunette. She glanced over to the neko-jin, seeing the friendly smile he wore for what seemed to be nothing in particular.

"These are pretty heavy," Rei commented, shaking the packages a little and hearing the rustling that came from them. "Wonder what's inside…" He let the sentence hang off being unanswered, looking over to the brunette with curious eyes.

Hilary grinned. "You'll have to wait for Christmas Day!" she answered.

"Hey!" Rei laughed out in protest, "You opened your gift before Christmas Day!"

Hilary rubbed her chin as if she were in deep thought before answering. "…Yeah, but I'm allowed!" she exclaimed.

"Sure you are!" Rei replied, rolling his eyes, though the effect wasn't as great when a chuckle escaped him.

Hilary gave a warm chuckle along with him. It felt good to do this. She suddenly remembered what it truly felt like to be with one of the people she cared about, and how important they were to her. It was something she hadn't felt for a long time, and had – she admitted – forgotten over the many months that had passed.

Rei stopped his walk, tilting his head up to gaze at what was in front of him, his golden eyes shining as the morning sun hit them, glowing with recognition and warmth. "Looks like we're here."

Hilary let her eyes roam over the area, stopping at certain places whenever a memory would pop up into her head, allowing her to indulge herself in them.

The dojo stood proudly, almost as if saluting them as they let themselves through the entrance of the Kinomiya residence. She could see Mariah through the open door, sitting next to Daichi, Tyson and Max as they conversed animatedly. Grandpa stood on the porch step, sweeping up some of the fluffy white snow which had accumulated over the past couple of days.

The old kendo master looked up from his actions, his mustache rising up his face as he gave them a friendly smile. "Yo, dogs. Haven't seen you hip youngsters all day now," he commented, his words amusing to the two people in front of him as he continued with his 'hip' lingo. "Haven't seen you since that party either, dudette. Not gettin' tired of mah crib now, are ya?"

Hilary chuckled, amused at his words. "Of course not, Grandpa. I've been busy lately. With school and everything."

Grandpa shook his head in agreement, running his hand over his chin, as if he were contemplating something. "True, true. Very responsible of ya, home girl. Glad to know you're putting that mind of yours to good use, ya know?" He pointed to his temple, "Gotta keep at it."

Hilary nodded, smiling, "Sure will, Grandpa."

Rei walked into the house, letting the two indulge in their friendly exchange. The dojo room was now full of talk, which it had been deprived of less than a few hours ago. He set the gifts down on the floor so that they wouldn't be in anyone's way incase they needed to get by.

Tyson and Daichi seemed to be bickering about something, while Kenny typed on Dizzi, seeming caught up in whatever he was looking at. It reminded him vaguely of the old days of when they were still a team, and that slowly caused some of the uneasy tension in his body to ebb away.

Rei let his gaze run through the room, searching for his pink-haired girlfriend, though she seemed absent as he ran a hand through his long raven hair. "Guys…?" His small question caught the others' attentions, causing them to turn their attentions to him.

"Have you seen Mariah anywhere?" Rei asked. He had seen her just a little while ago when they had stopped to talk to Grandpa, though now he couldn't make out any sign of her.

Daichi gave a loud, over exasperated yawn. "She went into her room. She said she 'needed to go check up on something'," the young blader answered.

"Really…" Rei mumbled to himself, rolling the words over in his head. He knew the neko-jin well enough to know that when she said things as vague as 'needed to go check up on something', it usually meant she was trying to keep her true motives a secret.

"You alright, Rei?" Tyson asked with concern, seeing the far away expression that seemed to overcome his neko-jin friend. "Gonna sit down, bud?"

Rei shook his head softly, small hairs escaping their binding every now and then as he did so. "I think I'm just going to go check on Mariah," he answered, before making his way to the next room over. "I'll be right back," he added over his shoulder.

"Whatever you say," Tyson called back, pulling out his Dragoon from his pocket, the edges shimmering from the light that poured in from the open doorway. "Daichi, Maxie," Tyson started, glancing over to the two other boys, who also stared back, as if reading his mind.

Kenny stopped typing, his chestnut brown bangs rising slightly as he rose a concealed eyebrow. The looks the three were giving each other were sly, and seemed to hold secret meaning as they exchanged glances, though it wasn't too hard to decipher the meaning behind it. Great…

Three smirks suddenly appeared on their faces, and Kenny resisted the urge to groan. They were planning something…the something that usually got them into trouble, and the two always seemed to love pulling him in for the ride as well.

Tyson, Max and Daichi glanced over to the door where Rei had previously disappeared through, and almost instantly, the three had disappeared from the computer whiz's sight – and through the door that lead to Mariah's room.

This time, Kenny didn't hesitate to let the exasperated groan escape him, along with the shake of his head. "Oh, wait, guys!" he called after them, getting up from his seat and running in the direction the three had went, making sure to keep his precious laptop close as he padded down the hallway. If the three were going to do something they weren't supposed to, who was he to stay behind?

Rei stepped in through the open door, quietly closing it behind him, before looking further into the guest room which had been claimed as Mariah's during their stay. The room had a cheerful air to it, the sheets a bright pink color and the small trinkets that lay on top of the dresser – compliments of Mariah.

Rei couldn't help but blink as he watched his girlfriend bending down on all fours, her head deeply ducked under her bed, and if she were looking for something. Suspicion grew as he let the question run past his lips. "Mariah, what in the world are you doing under-"

The question was cut off when the pink-haired neko-jin instantly sprang up in surprise, her head hitting the bed as she started. A cry escaped the girl's lips as her head hit the floor once again. A few not-very-nice mumbles were heard from under the bed, before Mariah finally pulled herself away from under the bed, rubbing her head as she glared at her boyfriend, who was giving her an apologetic look.

"Sorry, Mariah," Rei apologized, waiting for her to indicate that she was alright.

Mariah gave a soft sigh. "It's alright, Rei, you just startled me," she stated, before returning to the task at hand, not sparing another moment to chat.

Rei raised an eyebrow at her hasty behavior, wondering what on earth she could be doing that she wasn't supposed to. Perhaps it was about that little 'plan' of hers that she was trying to execute. If that were the case, then he might as well stay and find out what she was doing, seeing as he had promised he would help her with it.

"Found it!" Exclaimed the excited pink-haired girl as she pulled herself out from under the bed, her hair ruffled and messy as pink strands fell loose in her face. She held something close to her as she took in a breath of air, wiping the sweat off her brow.

Rei was about to question, before he clamped his mouth shut as he realized what Mariah was holding: a scarf. And not just any scarf, but Kai's scarf. The long, almost silky white scarf that would hang from the team captain's neck wherever he went, was currently unoccupied, and in the hands of the pink-haired neko-jin.

"Mariah…?" Rei started, but the sentence died down again as he looked at her gleaming eyes. They held a cunning look in them, the look that said she was planning something. Looks like he was about to find out what that was, and how the scarf came into place. If Kai ever found out…

Rei didn't even remember the precious scarf to be missing from the phoenix's neck, and he was slightly curious as to how his girlfriend had gotten it in the first place without alerting the attention of the captain.

"I don't think Kai will miss this too much, do you, Rei?" Mariah asked, glancing over his way.

"Hold on a minute; how did you manage to get that, Mariah?" Rei asked, not bothering to hide his curiosity and confusion. "How'd you get it without Kai noticing?"

Mariah gave him a bright smile. "Easy!" she replied, snapping her fingers. "He left it when he went over to Hilary's, so while he was away, I hid it under my bed. He's still looking for it actually…" Mariah said, her features thoughtful as she placed a hand under her chin, giving it a rub. "He'd never think to come in my room!"

Rei groaned. She was having fun with this… "So, how does the scarf come in exactly?"

Mariah gave a tiny smirk, her eyes shining. "Well, if Kai lost his old scarf and can't find it, then he'd have to get a new one, right?"

Rei nodded a little in agreement. The phoenix would surely not go without his trademark scarf. "You think Hilary would get Kai a new scarf?" Rei questioned.

Mariah nodded. "Exactly." She twirled her finger around the long white scarf. "I called earlier, and found out it was a scarf she was getting for Kai, so…I got lucky that time in hiding it!" Mariah said sheepishly.

"Ah! Dizzi! No!" A shrill scream sounded outside of the door, along with a loud thump that caused the two neko-jins to jump from their seats.

"Sorry, Chief!" Came another yell, though this one sounded deeper and less frantic.

"Watch out!"

"Hey! That thing hit my foot!" Another thump was heard; the screaming continuing for another minute, before, finally, all was quiet again.

Rei and Mariah stared unblinkingly at the door, practically frozen in place, before slowly turning their heads to look at each other. Both their gazes said the same thing, the message reaching the other almost instantly as both neko-jins raced to the door, opening it with a swing.

There stood Tyson, Max, Daichi, along with a frantic Kenny who held his precious laptop high over his head as Tyson and Max watched exasperatedly as Daichi held onto his foot, his face screwed up with pain. "That laptop hit my foot!" he yelled, still holding onto his aching toes.

Mariah paled as she practically yelled her question, "How much did you hear!" she asked, her golden eyes narrowing in suspicion, though she knew it was probably futile to hide their conversation.

All three boys stared up at her, each of them not wanting to set a fuse off. They were eavesdropping – something she probably wouldn't feel very pleased about.

"Uh…" Mariah turned her fiery gaze to Daichi, whose index fingers were being poked together nervously as he stuttered. "…Up until the part the laptop hit me?"

Mariah sighed in exasperation as she watched them apprehensively. Up until the part the laptop hit him – so that meant -

Tyson arched a blue eyebrow, his blue eyes searing into her golden gaze, searching for the secrets she was harboring. She couldn't stand the look he was giving her – for nothing could ever be kept from Tyson for long, as she had found out.

The neko-jin slapped her forehead as she realized just how much she had revealed:

Everything.