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

Chinese For Two

Part: VII

The words that poured from Grandpa Kinomiya's mouth were beginning to pass through one of Hilary's ears and out the other as she nodded to each of his statements, though not entirely sure what he was saying. After getting into the subject of her major – Political Science – she decided to click out and push all thoughts of school and all the other little demons that just loved to keep her up all night with silent musings about school work, teachers, and the fire breathing tests that loved to torch her, out of her mind completely.

She took note that Rei had left almost instantly, leaving her to listen to Grandpa as he continued to tell her of how important and great it was to stay in school, and – though she knew this already – she just felt like crawling into bed at the moment and never coming out again.

Snow had begun to fall softly, landing lightly on top of her head, stray flakes hanging on the edge of her hair and falling down like crystals in a thunderstorm. She shivered, directing her heavy gaze to the gate of the dojo, where it stood closed, as though staring at it would suddenly swing open and bring a visitor that could lighten up the mood and make the atmosphere less dull.

Unfortunately, no such thing happened, and Hilary's head fell, resting on her chin, her eyes heavy and begging to be shut. She felt like she could just lay down in the snow and let sleep claim her, the sudden weight of everything around her beginning to pull her down, like a bunch of bullies were ganging up on her, wanting her to fall so that they could steal her lunch money.

Her eyes opened further, her ruby eyes darkening with the desire of rest. She'd never let bullies bother her before, and she wouldn't let them now. She really wasn't sure why she was tired – maybe from being up so late at night, working on school papers, or perhaps the cold – but either way, she couldn't just sit down and let the snow soak through her clothes while Grandpa thought she was indulged in his speech.

She sighed softly, more water falling down her neck and making her shiver.

Where were the others? Hilary glanced through the open shoji door, but could see no one in her line of vision. She felt a stab of annoyance at their lack of presence. They went off somewhere else, leaving her outside without even asking to come inside? She could practically see herself, reprimanding them, scolding them, asking where their manners were.

In that moment, she almost felt like a mother, and she scrunched her nose up in distaste. She took a moment to imagine herself asking them if they were wearing clean underwear.

For some reason, the idea just didn't seem like one she wanted to indulge herself in any further, and she quickly put it in the back of her mind, giving it a nice mental pat, giving it soothing words and asking that it never come back again.

With that set, Hilary glanced back over to the door, though this time the body of Tyson caught her eyes, though he quickly went back and around the corner he was looking from. It appeared that he hadn't seen her, though the idea that he didn't even bother to come out and greet her tugged at her, and she felt that it was time to drop in.

As if reading her mind, Grandpa gave a hearty laugh. "Can't be havin' mah home girl fallin' behind, now, can we? Well! Might as well get out of the cold, now, eh?" he asked with a chuckle. "Come inside." He opened the shoji door further, letting her slip inside and take in her surroundings.

It was almost quiet, besides the loud thump that seemed to be pounding against the floors, and Hilary felt herself give a sigh, then a small shiver as the warmth collided with her chilled skin.

She glanced back at the door frame, relieved to see that her gifts were sitting there unharmed. Rei had taken the moment to make sure of that.

"Are you serious? That's crazy!" Tyson's voice yelled out loudly, making it quite easy for Hilary to jump at the suddenness of it. She remembered before how easily Tyson got excited, and when he did, he would usually yell with high volume as if he were on the most thrilling roller coaster ride in the world. Idly, she wondered what had made him seem so surprised, slipping behind the corner as he had previously done.

"Be quiet, though!" Mariah whispered fiercely, eyes ablaze with worry and hesitation as she shushed them. She leveled her gaze with the four new teens, her index finger placed firmly against her lips, signaling her desire of quiet.

The four seemed to quiet down at this, each of them staring at her with anxiousness.

"Um, guys?" Hilary's voice called, slicing through their nervous thoughts and making them jump up, reminding Hilary of when Tyson had yelled out. She blinked as Daichi stared at her in horror, as if she were about to devour him and give the leftovers to the wolves. She mentally raised an eyebrow at the thought before shaking it away, getting back to the matter at hand. "What are you doing back here?"

The six continued to stare, but soon they seemed to be cut off from their stupor, realizing the looks they were receiving from the brunette was one of confusion at their behavior.

Max waved a hand in her direction, giving a chuckle. "Oh, hey, Hilary! You startled us!" he exclaimed, indicating towards the others who nodded in agreement. "We were just…checking out Mariah's room!" he continued, and gave an awkward laugh when Hilary raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" she asked bluntly. It was quite a strange thing for him to say. He wanted to see her room? She hadn't really heard of a boy who would want to see a girl's taste in fashion and furniture. That was something she would think a group of girls would do at a sleepover party, and – she tilted her head, gazing into the pinkette's room which she was occupying during her stay here – the room was practically empty, save for a few pink sheets here and there, the only things that showed it was Mariah who was sleeping in there. Otherwise it was almost a plain room.

"Well…" Max started hesitantly, giving a silent gulp. "Mariah asked if we could give our opinions on her room!" he said, hastily moving into said room, grabbing a fluffy pink pillow and running out with it, shoving it in front of him as if doing so would make the fib easier to believe.

He gave the pillow a nice pat, squinting a little and dusting off invisible dirt. "Yup! I think this is a great pillow, and boy, it feels nice and comfy!" He rubbed his cheek against it a little as if to demonstrate. He pushed it up to the brunette further. "Wanna feel?" he asked.

Hilary stared at the blonde in silence. Finally, she blinked, turning around and started walking back into the living room. "Er…" she started, taking a look back into the smiling blonde's face. "No thanks…maybe later. I'll be out here talking to Grandpa if you… need me." With that statement, Hilary hastily walked away, only sparing a small glance, before disappearing behind the corner once again.

When she was believed to be out of ear-shot, the bladers heaved a sigh of relief, Max plucking the pillow over his shoulder, the pink fluff ball landing on top of Dizzi, making Kenny give a squeak of surprise.

Rei shook his head, though he had to give Maxie credit for that excuse. He doubted the brunette believed it, though it seemed to scare her off. Rei frowned, realizing that was probably not the best outcome.

Mariah gave the three boys a leveled gaze. Each of them stared up at her, waiting for her to say whatever was on her mind. Whatever she said, she had to make sure her ruby-eyed friend wouldn't hear, less her plans be ruined in the outcome.

Letting practice sentences run over in her mind, Mariah tasted each one, contemplating which ones would tell the story best. What was the story, exactly?

Kai and Hilary weren't spending Christmas at the Kinomiya dojo. Her eyebrows furrowed. So where would they be? Mariah could remember talking to Rei before about it, and he had said that Kai was going to spend his time at his Grandfather's old mansion.

A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of the old tyrant that had almost caused permanent damage to the Beyblading world, and decided to put it to the back of her mind, despite her curiosity for knowing what the phoenix's reasons were. So she'd think of Hilary for now.

In her mind's eye, she remembered the flat frown on her friend's face when they were chatting in the kitchen those few nights ago. She looked worn and tired; the usual spunk she carried a flicker of what Mariah was used to.

Mariah looked back up at the expectant faces, and drew at deep breath as she spoke. "No more yelling. This is important."

And as if that explained everything, she turned, striding back into the room that had become hers over her stay at the Kinomiya residence, leaving the boys to stare after her as she picked up the fallen scarf, placing it over her shoulder as she gave each of them a knowing grin.

"So listen up."

Maybe I'm just paranoid… Hilary thought as she played with the end of the pillow she was sitting on as the silence washed over her. It wouldn't be the first time…

Yes, she remembered her moments when her mind had gotten the best of her. She could've laughed now, thinking back on it.

"I'm a very good judge of character, Kenny!" Hilary stated as she looked down at the small brunette who shook his head at her. "Kai has to be a spy! I bet he's working with those guys in a secret organization where they turn us all into robots so we have no feelings of our own, and use it so that they can take over the world!"

Not being able to help herself, she laughed. The light sound seemed to echo off the dojo walls, as Hilary was able to laugh, the joke being her own secret thought that not even the ticking of time could take away at the moment. So she held onto that moment, wrapping it around herself like a blanket that would keep her warm through the cold winter nights.

"Uh…home girl? Ya alright?"

Stopping in her fit of giggles, Hilary glanced over to see Grandpa Kinomiya giving her a peculiar look, and she instantly shut her mouth as she watched him rub his chin.

She gave a sheepish laugh.

Hiwatari Kai walked down the path that lead to the dojo, glancing with uninterested mahogany eyes at the piles of snow that were building against the cars and driveways that the owners would have to dig out eventually.

"Likewise."

His eyebrows furrowed. He mentally waved a hand when images of the Bladebreakers pranced around his head like sugar-fairies on an annoyingly bright day.

Yes, so he had missed them all. Days of battles flooded into his memory, and he could still feel the sand underneath his feet when he had stepped foot onto the sandy beaches those years ago, and he could still remember everything.

An image of the brunette came into his mind again, and he wondered what about that picture had caused such a shine to appear. Maybe it was the thought, he considered. Rei had told him something like that before.

"It's the thought that counts!" Rei flashed him a smile, his canines seeming to shine under the Christmas lights overhead. "Quality over quantity!"

Like a Beyblade part, he realized distantly, staring as the light snow started to fall even more, the glistening drops hanging off the roofs and lying lazily on his slate colored head. Quality over quantity.

So maybe that was it. And maybe she had grabbed onto him because she had found something of great quality.

His breath came out in a puff of smoke as the dojo was finally in sight, and he felt the cold air caress his skin, causing him to shiver under the winds that pushed at his limbs and pulled at his clothes.

He really wanted his scarf back.

"Ya sure you're okay, right?" Grandpa asked, raising an eyebrow while feeling her forehead. "Ya ain't got that nasty flu bug, do ya?" he asked in concern.

Hilary grumbled. His concern was touching, really, but he didn't have to go as far as this. Well, she mused, at least he wasn't calling for the men in white. "I'm fine, Grandpa. Really." She pushed his hand away gently, taking in his wrinkled features, and smiled softly at him. He really hadn't changed from all the months that had passed. She was glad. He was one of a kind. She didn't know anybody else who chased after their grandson with a wooden kendo stick.

He grinned. "Just makin' sure mah home girl ain't sick. Boy them bugs need a new hobby," he laughed, giving his solid chest a nice pat. "Nothin' can infect this home bro!"

She giggled, "Of course not!" She realized how silly they were being, but when she really thought about it, she had never really gotten into such interesting conversations with Grandpa before, and she liked the extra kick of kookiness.

Grandpa chuckled, giving a nod before grabbing for his kendo stick and standing up along with her. He gave her a pointed look. "Ya ain't headin' home yet, are ya?" he asked curiously, and eyed the presents that sat in the corner of the dojo. "Aw, them all for me?" he laughed.

Hilary stuck out her tongue slightly, clamping a tooth on it as to stifle the laughter. No need to think they were both crazy now. "Yes, yes they are, Gramps." She tugged on the hem of her sweater again, glancing over at the pile of presents. "I'm gonna leave them here, if that's okay with you," she said, and at his nod, she continued. "Maybe I could come see you guys on Christmas Day? I want to see the guys' faces!" she exclaimed excitedly, waving a fist in the air.

Grandpa's smiled curved slightly, slipping down into a slight frown. "Of course, home girl. Ya're always welcome here. Ya know that." He watched her expression. It seemed to brighten at his words. "Why ya even ask?" At her blink, he went on. "Ya better not being stayin' at home all evenin'!" He shook his head when she remained silent, her eyes darting to the floor before the ruby eyes came back up to watch him again. He smiled, before holding up two fingers at her. "See ya at Christmas, home girl!"

Hilary's mouth hung open at his words, before she realized a small drop of spit accidentally leaked out from the open gap, and shut it up again. She'd hadn't expected Grandpa to say that – their playful banter turning into a discussion she didn't want to bring up – but, she could say, she liked the words that came from his mouth. She vaguely wondered if the old man had a sixth sense – she'd been low in the dumps lately – and had mentioned it.

Grandpa gave a flick of his kendo sword, before padding over and stopping before turning the corner that lead to the guest rooms. He gave a hearty chuckle, and almost as if he had heard what she was thinking, he continued down the hallway, and she laughed as his voice rung through the warm air of the dojo. "'Tis the season to be jolly, lalalalala, lalalalaaaaa!"

Hilary grinned before turning around on her heel, opening the shoji door, and -

- almost collided right into Hiwatari Kai.

The tall dual-haired man stared down at her with his sharp mahogany eyes, his blue triangles forever curving around his jaw and seeming to glare menacingly at anyone who looked at them. Almost like they had a life of their own. But that was silly, she mused, and her eyes went down, and spotted the missing scarf.

Her eyebrows furrowed. She thought he would've found it by now, or one of the guys would've saw it and given it back to him.

Or, a little voice said in the back of her heard, tugging at her brain as if it were a fishing rod, waiting for the big catch that had went for the bait. Maybe it was one of the guys?

The thought was very likely. It was probably Daichi or Tyson who had taken it, a Christmas prank, most likely.

Kai stared down at her with curious eyes, though they revealed nothing of his thoughts. She seemed to be thinking about something, he noticed, watching as her ruby eyes seemed to flash with emotion, her mouth forming a stance as if she were about to state a sentence, but would then change to a different position as her eyebrow creased and her ruby gaze shifted as they looked up at him like a silent spectator.

He wondered what she was thinking. The brunette had always had a thought on everything, no matter if it were a Beyblade tip, a sarcastic remark to the bad guys they had faced – he snorted at how childish that sounded – or even reprimanding Tyson or Daichi for choking on their food. She'd always had her own outlook on everything, and he wondered what she saw now as she looked up at him.

It was definitely one of the guys! Hilary thought, mentally raising a fist in triumph as if she had solved some great mystery. But then she sighed, the little person inside her head tilting her head in thought. Or maybe not. Maybe Kai just misplaced it…

She nodded to that, thinking of all the different sides to the story.

Suddenly, she heard the dual-haired man give a sigh. Turning back her attention to the phoenix, she watched as he silently slid in through the open door, walking past her and into the living room, taking a seat on the cushion that sat in the middle of the room. He gave her a small nod in greeting, the way he always did, and shadows of a ripped up training poster flashed through her mind before it disappeared again. She blinked.

"Hey, Kai," she greeted, giving a small wave before pulling her jacket closer to her body, the winds from outside making her shiver. "Pretty cold outside, huh?" she asked, remembering his missing scarf and how much colder it must've been for him. Well, she thought. I got him the perfect gift then. She grinned at him.

He raised an eyebrow, her cheery features surprising him just a little. From what he remembered, she hadn't been this cheery when he had saw her the other day, and he wondered what was the cause for the sudden brightness in her face.

"Hn." It was the only thing he could think to say.

Hilary shook her head, realizing the dual-haired man probably wouldn't say anything more. "Well, I'd better get going." She gave a small sigh, and wondered when she had picked up Tyson's habit of procrastinating. "If you don't mind, tell the guys that I've gotta get home. Homework to do." She pointed to the presents lying in the corner, causing him to follow her finger to where she was pointing, before he turned back and gave her a blank look of confusion – she wasn't sure how she knew, she just could tell – and raised an eyebrow. She grinned at his look. "And no peeking before Christmas Day!" She raised a menacing fist that didn't match the look on her face at all. "Or else!"

He smirked at her statement, the threat being a hollow one, but decided not to comment.

She turned on her heel, exiting through the door and sliding it closed behind her.

Silence overcame the room, and Kai relaxed in his cushiony seat, closing his weary eyes and soaking in the quiet atmosphere.

"Grandpa!" Twin voices yelled from behind the corner, instantly causing Kai's mahogany eyes to fly open in surprise as three people came crashing down into the living room, their limbs in a tangle.

Tyson pushed Daichi's groping hand out of his face, glancing up at Grandpa Kinomiya - the old man being fully satisfied at being held up by the two boys – and giving him an exasperated look. "Why'd you have to swing at both of us? Why not just Daichi? He's the better target!"

"Hey!"

Kai shook his head, gently messaging his aching temples as he watched the exchange, but smirked at the three people in front of him as they tried to untangle themselves from each other, their energy unlimited.

Rei was wrong. If it was like this, he preferred quantity over quality.