A/N: Sorry for the wait guys, I hope this is good enough...tell me if I kept Kai's character in check. My beta reader is...on vacation. Anyway, I think I portrayed him fairly well but, whatever. Let me know okay? Oh and to black demon wolf, yes I do get tired of it, quite often actually. But I figure, what the hell? Besides, it never actually occurred to me to put it in the summary. Thanks though!

Disclaimer: I do not own BeyBlade. Damn.



Max groaned, blinking rapidly to clear the fog from his mind. He faintly registered the smell of pancakes and bacon in the air, but he didn't want to move. He was perfectly comfortable, and warm, and would have been content to simply lie where he was forever.

Lifting his head, he watched Tyson sleeping, and was acutely aware of the blunette's arm wrapped around his shoulders. Resting his chin on his chest, he giggled when it began rising and falling with the older teen's even breathing. Unexpectedly, the Japanese teen cracked open an eye and smiled at the blonde.

"What are you doing?"

Shrugging, Max finally rolled off the other, careful of the coffee table. Standing he stretched, rolling his shoulders before turning to the kitchen.

"Morning Rei!" In response, the Chinese teen turned, expertly flipping a pancake and catching it in the pan, nodding in his direction.

"Morning Maxie. I was bored, made breakfast..." putting the pan back on the stove he adjusted the heat before tossing the comic section of the paper at his friend. "So you'd better be hungry."

Catching the pages the blonde grinned, flopping back down on the couch. "Thanks!" Turning to Tyson, who had since sat, up he flashed him a wide smile.

"Wanna stay for breakfast?" The other teen yawned and nodded, offering a smile back.

"You sure?"

"Course," he answered vaguely, looking over his favorite comics. Suddenly, the phone rang behind them, which Rei promptly answered. When he hung up, the raven-haired teen appeared above them suddenly over the edge of the couch.

"Hello," he extended a hand to Tyson. "I'm Rei, you must be Tyson," he said cheerfully. Max eyed him from his paper. The tiger was never this cheerful in the morning.

"Yeah, hi..." the blunette trailed off, scratching the back of his head.

"Well uh, sorry to greet and run, but I've got some work to do on a story so I'll catch you two later okay? Oh and Max, there's still stuff on the stove, don't let it burn...bye!" And with that, he was gone.

Tyson blinked.

"Uh..."

"Yeah," the blonde covered for his friend even though he was skeptical himself. "He's like that..."



Rei walked briskly down the sidewalk towards the hotel, fiddling with the end of his air wrap. His eyes were narrowed in concentration; he had a lot on his mind. When he'd returned home after his little...self-initiated preview of Max's newest work, he'd set himself down on his computer and wrote, what he thought, was a decent article for four thirty in the morning. He was careful of names and specific details, but if the story was published he was sure it'd be halfway around the world by this time tomorrow...and that's all they needed.

He was close, so he jogged his way to the door, meeting the same girl as last time, and took the key from her. This time though, he didn't knock, and pocketed the key after he'd let himself in.

Kai and Tala were on the couch. The redhead was half-asleep, and the other Russian was trying to force feed him coffee it looked like. Rei put a hand on his hip.

"Do I even want to know?"

"Tala," Kai growled, shaking his head at the neko. "If you don't get up NOW I'm carrying you to the shower and you can go back to your room looking like a drowned rat for all I care." The other teen just mumbled something incoherent and buried his face deeper in the pillows.

"Uh, Kai? What's wrong?" Crimson eyes flashed briefly in his direction before the Russian sighed in defeat and stood, placing the coffee on the side table.

"He fell asleep while we were talking last night and he never finished what he was telling me."

The Chinese teen giggled. "That's why you called me?" Kai glared.

Rolling his eyes, Rei walked around the couch and pulled the blanket that was lying across it's back, out to lay it over the now peaceful teen. Straightening, he looked up into those ruby orbs again and smiled.

"Let him sleep, he did a lot last night." With a small smirk Kai nodded, his eyes softening slightly when he looked down on his friend.

"So," the neko started again. "What were you guys talking about, if you don't mind my asking?"

"What happened last night..." he answered, eyeing the raven-haired teen. The tiger nodded shortly.

"Well, I could fill you in." The blunette hesitated, still watching his friend sleep but nodded after a moment.

"Do, you---" he stopped himself for a second, as if deciding whether he should finish or not. Rei blinked curiously, tipping his head to the side. Finally, the older teen continued. "Do you want to get some coffee or something? I want to go out for a while."

"Sure," he agreed, a smile spreading across his lips.

Walking back around the couch, the two left, the door softly locking in place when they shut it. The hotel room was now silent, only the rhythmic sound of even breathing filled the empty space, and for a long time it stayed that way. Suddenly, an electric blue eye opened cautiously, it's partner following slowly until the redhead was completely awake. He sat up, grinning like an idiot.

"I win," he laughed to himself. "I knew it would work!" Still gloating over his victory, Tala grabbed the coffee from the side table and stood, heading upstairs to the shower.



"And then we noticed the door swinging shut," the neko finished, taking a sip of his drink. "We have no idea who it was."

Kai nodded, slouching over the counter in the high stool he was seated in. They were in a quaint little coffee shoppe just around the corner from his hotel. It was a bit too crowded, but the Russian was fine with that. More people meant a less chance of anyone noticing him. It still surprised him that Rei had seen him in that club; normally he could be invisible in a mass of people if he wanted to. He sighed bitterly, and yet it seemed someone else had found him as well. And now they were planning something...but what? It scared him that they had so little information.

Nothing huh?" he muttered, idly tipping his coffee to the side, tipping it back when the steaming liquid nearly spilled. Suddenly he blinked, the cup falling back into place with a dull thud. Rei watched him curiously, setting his own cup down to turn in his chair.

"What is it?" The Russian smirked, but when he looked up at the tiger, his eyes were sad.

"He was always so good at nothing..." he trailed off.

"Your grandfather?" the neko asked hesitantly. The older teen shook his head.

"Boris," he answered. Nodding, the ebony-haired teen went back to his drink with a sigh.

"Who was he anyway? I wrote a lot about him last night, but the details were sketchy."

"An old tutor..." he answered vaguely. "I wasn't allowed out of the house when I was younger..."

Suddenly he stopped, wondering why the hell he was admitting so much to the other. His crimson eyes flew to the teen beside him, but Rei was just looking into his coffee as if it would tell him the secrets of the universe. But...he didn't look surprised or creeped out in any way. He seemed...angry.

"I-I don't understand people like that," he shook his head after a while, surprising Kai. "It doesn't make any sense, you know?"

He turned to the older teen, his golden eyes pained. They were captivating, and honest. For some reason, it felt---right to talk with this guy. Like, no matter what he would understand. He was like Tala, but there was something else to it. After a moment he nodded.

"It's not something I would ever wish on anyone," was his reply as he turned away. Unintentionally his hand trailed to his cheek, to rest on one of the triangles etched into his fair skin. The neko's eyes narrowed, but decided that 'over coffee' wasn't exactly the best time to discuss this any further.

"So," he started timidly, sipping again at the warm liquid. "You think it was him?"

"Maybe," the Russian offered, snapping back to reality. "But I do think it's a bit bold for him. He---" Stopping himself quickly, he bowed his head. It was so hard to say the simplest things...a hand on his shoulder startled him.

"Obviously needs to take a bullet to the head," Rei smiled, finishing for him. Crimson eyes laughed with golden ones at the comment, and Kai found a smile teasing his lips. Reassured, he found that he could continue.

"Yeah, it's just that, he wasn't really big into making a statement like you'd think. He was a scientist---very intellectual. Way too interested in experiments. It could have been him, but if it was, I think he would have left a mark."

"Like what?"

"Like...like a clue, or something that would lead us in the wrong direction at first, only to bring us full circle to the truth. He's weird like that, always looking to confuse, to drive people nuts. Life is just one big theory to him, and it's his goal to push it to its limits."

"Yes well, I'm sure he'll win the Nobel Prize," the Chinese teen muttered sarcastically. Kai actually laughed at that one.

"I wouldn't give him any ideas," he replied, standing. The neko followed him up, exiting the shoppe and suddenly remembering something.

"Hey uh, I wrote this up for you guys. I want you to look it over and let me know what I should change," he told the older teen as he fished through his jacket pocket. Producing a smooth disk he handed it to the other. "Here."

"Thanks," he nodded, examining the small object. "So, do you think we should do this now?"

"That would probably be a good idea," Rei answered with a sigh. "I still have some time before I need to get it in, but it has to be edited."

The conversation ended there as they walked back to the hotel, but it was okay, the silence was comfortable. Closing his eyes, Rei walked on confidently, relishing in the new emotions churning inside his chest. He wanted to laugh out loud, but he opted to grin broadly, until a hard grip on his arm wrenched his eyes back open.

"What?" he asked, startled. Kai was staring at him intently, the doors to the lobby of the hotel looming over him.

"What were you doing?"

"Uh...walking?" The Russian crossed his arms over his chest.

"With your eyes closed?"

"Yeah," the tiger mimicked him. "What of it?"

"You're weird," was his reply, as he shook his head. Opening the door, he let himself in, not bothering to wait for the other. The Chinese teen glared half-heartedly, opening the door to follow him.

"I am not!" he cried indignantly. The blunette just kept walking, heading for the deserted staircase instead of the elevator. Following him in a huff, the neko finally caught up with the Russian in the hallway.

"I am not." Rei stated again, though this time, he stopped the other teen who smirked over his shoulder.

"Yes. You are." Stalking playfully up to the older teen, he looked him straight in the eye.

"Attack me."

"What?"

"You heard me," the neko answered closing his eyes again. "Attack."

"I'm not going to attack you," he answered flatly, although, he did tip his head to the side curiously. What was this guy up to?

"Afraid you'll hurt me?" the Chinese teen taunted. "Just do it, I want to prove something."

"The only thing you're going to prove is how fast you can hit the ground." At that, Rei opened his eyes with a snap.

"Oh, cocky are we?" Kai didn't answer, so the neko smiled and closed his eyes. "I'm not going to hit the ground." The Russian snorted, and Rei furrowed his brows when he heard the other move away.

"Fine, but you asked for it."

A pearl fang slipped over the neko's bottom lip and he whipped around, catching the blunette's leg before it made contact with the side of his head. Satisfied, he opened his eyes. Kai was staring at him like he had three heads.

"Two things," the Chinese teen replied, holding up two fingers and dropping the stunned Russian's leg. "First, you shouldn't have answered me, I could hear where you were. Second, your foot skidded on the carpet when you lifted your leg. I could tell exactly what the move was." Regaining his composure, the older teen took a step back.

"So your point was?"

"My point was that I'm not weird. I'm a martial artist." With that, the tiger swiftly turned on his heel, heading for the suite, his hair wrap swaying behind him.



A/N: Well, there you have it. More Tala and Kai next chap. And Tyson and Max go out on the...uh...city I guess? While Rei is off to publish the works. Guess we better sit back to see what happens! Thanks again to all of my wonderful reviewers! I appreciate everything that you have said and done for me!