This has been floating around in my files for a while now, until I discovered it again and instead of making it a long oneshot I decided to post it and see what you people think! Whoo, Hiro/Kai!

--------------------

Hiro jogged beside Max, who was flagging slightly, and grinned at him encouragingly.

"Come on, Max, you can do it!" Max laughed breathlessly. Hiro smiled and sped up, keeping a careful eye on everyone. As joint coach of the Bladebreakers and the BEGA team, he had to remember plenty of things, not the least being the amount of stamina everyone possessed. For instance, while Daichi had a reasonable amount of stamina, a respectable amount for a thirteen year-old, he constantly pushed himself to try and keep up with people like Kai and Garland, people half a decade older, and with the stamina to run for what seemed like forever. Especially Kai. On the other hand, if Ming Ming and Kenny didn't get yelled at every few minutes, they would drop out and start walking, panting like they had run twice the actual distance.

Checking his watch, Hiro saw that it was time for another loud reminder to keep running, and dropped back. He let out a silent sigh of relief at the decrease in pace. He had been running with Garland, an exhausted Tyson (who was so like Daichi in that respect it hurt) and Kai for the past ten minutes, and his legs were protesting. Not much of course, not much, just a little.

"Chief! Ming Ming! Run!" he called. With much grumbling, the two unfittest members of both teams sped up. Hiro jogged beside them for a few minutes, debated walking as it would probably be faster than the speed they were running at, and was about to check on Brooklyn when an alarmed cry rang out from the front.

"Hiro!" Tyson's panicked yell stopped everyone in their tracks. Kenny and Ming Ming looked at each other and sprinted. Hiro, silently shaking his head at the sudden burst of speed, jogged after them, not unduly concerned. Tyson panicked over a lot of things.

"Hiro, step on it!" Garland called. "Kai can't breathe!"

Hiro sprinted.

Kai was doubled over, his breathing rapid and panicked. His scarred face was dead white with shock and fright. Everyone milled around helplessly, although Hiro noticed with approval that Ray was trying (unsuccessfully) to make Kai calm down. Skidding to a halt, he grabbed Kai by the shoulders and tried to make him look at him. Kai jerked himself free, his breathing getting even faster at what he saw as a threat.

"Kai! Listen to me!" Hiro demanded, giving the gasping blader a slight shake. "Are you an asthmatic?" Kai shook his head vehemently. Air wheezed in and out of his lungs as he desperately tried to suck in as much as he could. "Well, you are now. Listen to me, all right?"

"Can't...breathe..."

"Hiro, his lips are going blue!" Ming Ming called anxiously. Hiro made a snap decision.

"Someone call an ambulance." he ordered calmly. Panicking would not help the situation. Kai pulled out of his loose grip with a violence that nearly knocked them both over.

"Don't...need...an ambulance!" he snarled. Suddenly, he put both hands over his face. Everyone fell silent, confused. Hiro watched, his interest piqued. He knew what Kai was trying to do; calm himself down. Surely it was impossible at this stage in an asthma attack, no one had that kind of self-control... Kai raised his head and Hiro fought back a gasp. Okay, he was wrong. Now that didn't happen every day.

"You okay, Kai?" Tyson asked nervously.

"Fine." The word came out like a barrel from a gun and Kai's eyes lost their focus with the effort of speech. Ray made his way tentatively to Kai's side and rested a hand on his arm. Kai shook him off. "I'm...fine." Hiro rolled his eyes, annoyed at the blader's stubbornness.

"Yeah, and I'm a pizza." he said curtly, then swore under his breath as he anticipated his brother's comment. "Tyson, don't say a word." Tyson grinned and nodded. "Let's head back, then." Hiro announced. There was a general movement in the direction of the BBA centre. Kai took a step forward and would have collapsed if Hiro hadn't grabbed him round the waist and hauled him upright. He began to walk after the others, maintaining his grip on Kai. He was virtually carrying him, the eighteen year-old a dead weight in his arms.

"Get...off." Kai hissed. Hiro laughed.

"Kai, I'm the only thing holding you up! You're exhausted, just learn when to give way!"

"I...don't...need...you! Let go!" Hiro ignored the younger blader's furious demand and carried on walking. Suddenly, a sharp pain dug into his stomach. He swore and put a hand to it, only to feel cold metal underneath his fingers. Dranzer's razor sharp blades were buried in his T-shirt.

"What the hell..." He jerked away and stared in shock at Kai, who glared and pulled Dranzer away slowly. "Kai, what are you doing? You could have seriously hurt me!" Kai laughed soundlessly and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah...right. I know what...I'm doing."

"You tried to stab me and you say you know what you're doing?" Hiro demanded incredulously.

"Let...me...go, and I...won't come...near you...again." Kai gritted out. Shrugging, Hiro stepped away, pulling up his torn T-shirt and checking for a wound. Dranzer was deadly sharp. Finding nothing except a deep scratch, he walked on, and shot a quick sideways glance at Kai. His face was grey and pinched, breath hissing out of him in hoarse gasps as he fought to keep up with the brisk pace Hiro was setting.

"Have you ever had an asthma attack before?" Hiro asked eventually, breaking the tense silence. Kai shook his head wordlessly. "You should go to a doctor, get some medication for it." Kai ignored him. His eyes were dark, and the air around him crackled with fury. "Kai, are you listen-" He broke as Kai shot him a murderous glare, his face illuminated by a sudden flash of scarlet from Dranzer. The eerie lighting empathised the silvery lines left on his face from his battle with Brooklyn and threw his face into shadow, and wisely, Hiro backed off. They walked the remainder of the way back in uncomfortable silence.

--------------------

He watched as Kai exchanged words with Ray, who looked concerned but eventually nodded, then turned on his heel and walked off. His mouth opening to call out, Hiro tried to follow him, only to find his path blocked by a certain neko-jin.

"Ray, he shouldn't be going out again!" he protested. "He's just had a severe asthma attack!"

"I know that, Hiro!" Ray snapped. For the first time, Hiro saw the worry written all over Ray's face. "He's probably feeling like seventeen different kinds of hell right about now, but if you go after him, he'll hurt you." Hiro snorted.

"He tried that on the way back." He showed Ray the scratch. This time, it was Ray's turn to snort derisively.

"That was nothing compared to what he did to me when I tried to help him after his battle with Brooklyn." Hiro nodded slowly, remembering the large, disfiguring bruise and severe concussion that had sent Ray to hospital along with Kai. "Hiro, you've got to understand; to Kai, pride is everything. If he can't rely on himself, then he doesn't want anyone else helping him. That battle knocked a lot of pride out of him, a lot of self-esteem out of him, and he's clinging to the last shreds with everything he has." Hiro nodded again and tried to push past Ray. Pride or not, Kai was his responsibility. He was sure he could handle a fight if Kai wanted to start one. "Hiro, have you been listening to me?" Ray demanded. Hiro toyed with the idea of saying no. "He's dangerous, Hiro! I'm his best fried and I wouldn't go anywhere near him when he's like this! He - is - dangerous!" With a last, brutal shove, Hiro pushed Ray out of the way.

"So am I." he muttered and began jogging.

--------------------

There were only two places that Kai would be. The riverside, or the old warehouse. Hiro made a wild guess and headed swiftly in the direction of the river.

Looking down over the edge of the steep banks, he saw Kai lying on his side on the grass, his eyes closed.

"Hey! Kai! You all right?" he yelled.

"Peachy." came the faint, highly sarcastic reply. Hiro scrambled inelegantly down the slope and sat down next to Kai, ignoring the furious glare that he received for his actions. "What do you want?"

"Checking if you were okay."

"I'm fine." Kai rolled over, presenting his back to Hiro. "Just tired."

"I'm not surprised!" Hiro snapped. "No sane person would ever-"

"Well, then maybe I'm not sane." Kai muttered.

"Course you're not. Neither am I. We cope with Tyson on a daily basis. It's part of the job description."

"Hilarious." came the flat reply.

"I know." Hiro replied, deadpan. "So, when are you going to think about going to a doc-"

"When I want to, all right?"

"In that case, we're gonna be waiting for a while..."

"Then wait! Like I care." Hiro felt an unusual flash of temper spark inside him. Forcing it down with difficulty, he stood up.

"If you're insistent on being this stubborn, then I'm damn well not going to help you!" Oops, temper not forced down properly...

"Fine by me." Hiro swung on his heel and strode away, fuming silently.

"Spoilt brat..." he muttered under his breath. "Wants everything his way, and damn the rest of the world to hell if they don't like that!" Feeling more than a little annoyed at losing his temper so quickly, he walked faster than usual.

When he got back, he couldn't help but smirk as Ray cast a surprised glance at his unscathed body.

"Dangerous, hey Ray?" he murmured. "Not to me." He scowled. "Just drives me up the wall, that's all..."

--------------------

You know, I have no logic whatsoever. I know absolutely zilch about asthma except what I can get off the Internet, (so please, any info would be very gratefully appreciated) so what do I do? I go and start a fic where Kai has asthma. Sensible, huh?

Blame Fruits Basket, I was inspired while watching that episode where Yuki gets an attack while running.

Okay, please review! Next chapter will be up... well, whenever, really. Another example of my faultess logic; I'm already overloaded with unfinished fics, let's start a new one! Thos shouldn't be very long, though. (Now then, how many times have I said that...)

I'm shutting up now. Really. Review, sil vous plait! (please in French)