Disclaimer : I don't own MFB.


To Shipper305.

It turned out longer that I expected :/


Stay with me


He and Kyouya were dating.

Ginga had difficulties realizing that. After all these years wishing Kyouya would stand by him, would be an integral part of his life, his wish was granted. He should be happy about it. He was happy about it. Even in his wildest dreams, he wouldn't have dared to hope to become so close to him. They spent long moments together, often without speaking–there had never really been a need for words between them. Ginga was amazed to have the right to touch him, to be able to stay in his personal space without being considered as an intruder. He could brush his cheek, hold his hand or run his hand through his hair without Kyouya pushing him away. He could even snuggle up to him and hug him. Kyouya accepted or gave him back his display of affection, according to his mood. It was perfect. It surpassed Ginga's greatest hopes.

Yet he was constantly tormented by a hint of worry. Or perhaps it was for that reason. It didn't matter. Ginga decided to ignore it, thinking it would eventually disappear. A mistake. It had only given it the space to grow: it was no longer a tiny point but a gaping abyss that was waiting for him to lose his balance to close on him. Ginga was staggering at the edge, unable to get away from it.

One question was at the heart of everything.

What if Kyouya left?

They had never spent so much time together. Kyouya always ended up getting away, whether it was to train, achieve his goals, fulfill his ambitions or—

Ginga felt a weight on his stomach.

Because he doesn't want anything to do with me.

He remembered clearly Kyouya's departure during the legendary bladers' quest: the rage that had burned in his eyes and marked his face as he watched him, as if he were at the origin of all his misfortunes—

(To say that only a few hours earlier, Ginga hadn't doubted to continue this journey with him. The shock had been all the harsher.)

Ginga's throat tightened. He straightened up, struggling to breathe. He tried to take deep breaths to fill his lungs but his rib cage seemed to tighten, compressing his chest.

"Ginga?"

Kyouya's voice slipped on his skin and he managed to take a great inspiration. Concern did not dare to attack him when Kyouya was at his side. It withdrew, waiting for Kyouya to move away to rush on Ginga and ask him:

What if Kyouya left?

With more force every time. Because it was impossible for Kyouya to want to stay by his side that long.

Ginga raised his head. Kyouya was standing behind the fence that separated the sidewalk from the grassy slope. He looked at him, intrigued. His hands were slipped into his pockets.

Ginga watched him, drinking his image. His muscles relaxed. He felt well in the presence of Kyouya, relaxed. He often had that effect on him...or the opposite. There was no way in-between with him.

Ginga smiled, without forcing himself. He was happy to see him.

"Kyouya."

Leone's blader joined him. He sat to his right, turned towards the canal, his legs slightly folded. Ginga detailed his profile before returning his attention to the silent waters. The orange hues of the twilight reflected on their surface.

Kyouya leaned against him and placed his cheek on his shoulder. Ginga was surprised: he rarely took the initiative to show affection. He slipped his arm around his waist and buried his face in his hair. Kyouya was there with him, and there was nothing else he could wish for.

Except he stays by his side.

Ginga's heart twisted. He rejected this childish wish. Kyouya was with him, right now, he shouldn't ask too much. He had no right to. Instead of regretting what would happen, he had better take advantage of the present moment.

Stay with me, stay with me, stay with me

"You—"

Kyouya fell silent, without finishing his sentence. It was not his style: he always went to the end of his ideas.

Ginga rejected his concerns disgusting of selfishness. All his attention turned to Kyouya. He shifted slightly and took his face in his hands. The skin of his cheeks was rather soft, except for his scars which had a rough texture. Ginga followed their curve with his thumb. He loved them because they were part of Kyouya, just like his blue eyes and tanned skin.

"Is something wrong?" he murmured.

Kyouya looked at his face with his intense gaze.

"You are."

Ginga shuddered. His hands tightened. He detached them from Kyouya's face and retreated, ceasing all contact with him. He didn't pay attention to the freshness he suddenly felt. He stared at his boyfriend, frowning.

"What do you mean?" he asked in a sharp tone.

Kyouya didn't react to his aggression. Ginga saw him shift his weight backwards, in a peaceful attitude. His blue eyes continued to watch him.

"It's been a few days since you don't seem right."

It was an assertion, not a question. Ginga's tension became lighter. It was Kyouya's way of being thoughtful. He showed him he had noticed something was wrong, but he didn't ask any questions to avoid cornering him. Ginga didn't like to lie, but he always said the same thing to the question "Are you okay?" , whatever his state of mind was: "Of course!" with a big smile please. But not with Kyouya. He didn't know how to lie to him. This question from Kyouya would be a trap that he would be unable to escape.

"I—"

Ginga looked at his eyes, from the most sublime blue he had ever seen, and noticed a glimmer of concern into them.

"Are you going to leave?"

The question crossed his lips before he really thought about it. Kyouya seemed surprised.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you need to train? To go and accomplish a goal? To—?"

Ginga's throat compressed.

To get away from me?

"Now that we're dating, I'll let you know if I have to or feel like leaving. That's part of the rules."

Ginga had no idea about these "rules" Kyouya mentioned from time to time and, to be honest, he didn't think they existed anywhere other than in his head.

Kyouya wrinkled his nose. "Even before, I didn't leave without saying anything."

That was true. Kyouya had always warned him... in a way.

A flash. Blue eyes burning with anger, in ruins under a starry sky.

Ginga's heart had a painful jolt. He tried not to sag on himself, but it took a lot of effort.

"You don't believe me?"

"...I do."

He just didn't know if he preferred Kyouya to leave without saying anything or if he preferred to see him pour his anger on him.

It didn't happen like that every time, tried to reason Ginga.

He thought about the World Championships, where Kyouya had smiled, but instead of relieving him, that memory made him sadder. He had been in so much pain for so long. He had carried this pain to the hilt for two days, then managed to forget it thanks to Kenta and Benkei. He had remembered it when Dashan had spoken about the Wild Fang and Ginga had doubts about the identity of their leader. It had reopened, gaping, when his suspicions had been confirmed.

He still remembered his heart tearing when he had recognized Kyouya on the screen.

He still remembered the anguish that had invaded him, the certainty that Kyouya hated him, the nightmare that had followed.

Everything seemed to fly away when he had met Kyouya's eyes in the arena. His rival had looked for him in the crowd and looked at him, as if he had wanted to make sure of his presence. It had relieved Ginga. After all, if Kyouya hated him, why would he want to lay eyes on him?

But this relief hadn't erased his wounds. Pain didn't fade as if by magic, even if things changed, improved, turned out to be different from what we believed.

"You don't seem to believe me."

Kyouya's voice had an interrogative intonation, but he still didn't formulate his words as a question. Ginga didn't have to answer.

Except he could see a wounded spark in the eyes he loved. He sighed. He couldn't let Kyouya suffer from doubts and uncertainties, especially if he was able to prevent it.

"I believe you. It's just that—"

Ginga's lungs emptied. He didn't want to go on with that sentence. Part of him even wanted him to get up and run away, even if it meant getting away from Kyouya.

He clenched his jaw.

Don't be a coward.

Especially not in front of Kyouya. Leone's blader had fallen in love with his rival. A blader who had defeated him and he had failed to surpass, a blader able to face global disasters without blinking. Not a whiner running away from his problems.

Kyouya could never love a person like that.

"You left," murmured Ginga.

Kyouya stared at him, then looked away. Ginga was shocked. He could count on the fingers of one hand when Kyouya had not supported his gaze.

"I can't apologize for the legendary bladers' quest," he said slowly. "If we relive it, I'll do it the same way. I had to leave."

He raised his head. It wasn't a proud gesture, as usual. It was just to look at him.

"I'll do everything the same way."

Ginga wanted not to feel hurt–or at least not to show it–but it was a waste of time. Kyouya didn't regret any of the times he pushed him away.

Kyouya's expression softened.

"You know that, if we didn't, we wouldn't be here today."

"...Yes."

Kyouya raised an eyebrow, unbelieving. Ginga sighed. Yes. He didn't find himself convincing either.

"And, if I didn't do it, we wouldn't have found Tithi," mumbled Kyouya.

Whenever he talked about his trip with Yuu and Tithi, he got irritated, as if it had just ended, and Ginga took a hint of fun out of it. Watching Leone's fierce blader trying to not worry because and for children was entertaining.

But not today.

"It wasn't just this time."

Kyouya frowned with confusion.

"It was the only time."

Ginga was tempted to nod and let the conversation end there. That's what he would have done if it was someone other than Kyouya. In reality, if it had been someone other than Kyouya, he probably would not have given himself up to this point.

He couldn't turn back now. He wanted to be sincere with Kyouya.

"There was the World Championships."

Kyouya frowned a little more. He still didn't understand.

"You left. You... didn't want to team up with me."

As if I didn't matter. As if you'd rather give up the idea of showing off as a blader in front of the whole world than stand by me.

Ginga knew it wasn't true. He understood when he saw the Wild Fang fighting the Chandora.

But that was how he felt it.

"I wanted to fight you. I told you before I left we would meet again at the World Championships."

"I hadn't understand then," said Ginga.

"What?"

"The only thing I heard was that you didn't want to be on my team."

"Of course I didn't want to be on your team. You were, you are, the only blader I want to defeat. The others—" Kyouya snorted. "The others aren't interesting. Bladers from all over the world don't count if I can face you."

Kyouya looked at him insistently. It was very light, but his tone contained a suppliant note, as if he feared that Ginga wouldn't believe in his sincerity.

Ginga's expression softened and tinged with a slight sadness. Of course he believed him. Kyouya wasn't a liar or a concealer–unlike him.

Ginga leaned over and took his hand. He pressed it.

"I've come to understand that."

Kyouya wrinkled his nose. "What's the point of a challenge if it is not understood?"

Ginga opened his mouth to apologize but Kyouya glared at him. He swallowed his apology. He was not afraid of Kyouya. He wasn't even intimidated by him. He just wasn't in the mood to be grunted at because he would apologize. Kyouya hated excuses. According to him, decisions had to take the responsability of it and, if we truly regretted them, it was better to pay our debt than to use an empty word.

Kyouya sighed.

"To say that I told Nile that you were waiting for me at the World Championships. I was nowhere near it."

Ginga dislike seeing him sullen. Nothing pleased him so much as to see him smile and have fun. This was one of the reasons he loved to fight against him... even though the main one was simply that Kyouya was a formidable opponent and that he was one of the only ones with whom Ginga didn't need to hold back.

"Did you tell Nile about me?" he teased him.

"Of course," replied Kyouya, with such poise he destabilized Ginga.

The blue eyes were filled with distrust. "And if you think you can change the subject so easily, you underestimate me."

Ginga shrugged. He hadn't thought it would work. If he had launched Pegasus, on the other hand...

"We will solve this problem."

Ginga jumped and let go of Kyouya's hand. He stared at him with shock. He didn't expect that either. He didn't want to—He preferred to keep everything inside him, as in recent years, and ignore it. He had no desire to look at his feelings in detail.

"Ginga."

He raised his head towards Kyouya. His boyfriend had not taken his eyes off him. His expression betrayed neither anger nor annoyance, although he was frowning.

"The World Championships were over three years ago. What are you going to do? Wait forever?"

It was so close to the truth that Ginga couldn't hold back a wince.

"I am not saying anything about the rest, but this time I'm concerned too."

Ginga didn't need to ask him what he meant by "the rest". He knew. Kyouya was mentioning his father and the fact he had let Ginga believe he was died for almost a year. He never talked about it, but Ginga clearly saw the coldness with which Kyouya treated his father. Leone's blader deliberately ignored him, not looking at him or talking to him whenever they were in the same room. If some of Ginga's friends found out, they'd blame him. Perhaps they would even advise Ginga to think twice before continuing their relationship.

Ginga was grateful. Of course, he would prefer Kyouya and his father get along... Except he didn't consider Kyouya had to take the first step when Ryuusei was so clearly hostile to him. And Kyouya made an effort to keep his hostility to himself and content to treat him with cold indifference. Kyouya, who was one of those people who openly showed what he thought of others, took these precautions for Ginga, to spare his feelings.

It was one of the best displays of affection he could offer him.

"Okay," Ginga murmured.

He didn't want to talk about it, but Kyouya was the only person he had to be sincere with. He rarely pushed him that way. It must have been the first time since they knew each other.

"When you left... I lost all motivation for the World Championships."

Kyouya shivered, shocked, but didn't interrupt. It was better that way. Ginga preferred to tell it all without stopping once.

"It lasted all day and all the next day. My friends' fights, the composition of our team, our impending departure to conquer the world... none of that mattered anymore. Even looking at the stars! I was only thinking about your refusal to team up with me."

Kyouya opened his mouth, hesitated, then pinched his lips. Ginga smiled at him.

"Benkei and Kenta came to comfort me, thankfully. They shook me up. Especially Benkei."

Ginga felt a little lighter at this memory. His friends had told him that if he did not recover, he would be unworthy of Kyouya's challenge, and even more unworthy of representing the bladers of their country.

That was the slap he needed.

"Then there was the Atlantis story..."

Kyouya snorted with exasperation.

"...and you intervened."

It had completely disrupted Ginga. Kyouya had indeed been the last person he had expected to see. He thought his last hour had arrived and Leone's blader had protected him from the fatal blow. Ginga had not dared to believe his eyes at first... even when he had gone away he had feared to have dreamed and could not help stopping to observe his rival, to make sure that he was present, while the situation was urgent and the fate of the world was at stake.

"With the Gan Gan Galaxy, we went to China. Your challenge helped me defeat Dashan."

Ginga's smile faded away. The good memories stopped there. His fist squeezed on the grass, pulling out several strands. A weight leaned against his stomach, making his breathing more laborious.

"We—we learned our next opponent would be the Wild Fang a few days before your fight against the Chandora. Dashan—he said his leader had a Leone, that he fought like a lion..."

A spark of pride sparkled in Kyouya's eyes, even if his expression remained serious. This vision appeased Ginga who drew strength from it.

"...and I assumed it was you. It could only be you."

The shadow of a flattered smile appeared on his boyfriend's lips. Ginga watched, relaxing a little more. Kyouya's reactions gave him the energy to continue his story with a little more detachment. Whatever he may have felt or believed at the time, the truth was before his eyes today: Kyouya was at his side, only because he wanted to. He was smiling and, if ever Ginga reached out to touch him, he would not dodge him.

"Madoka researched your team the next day. I saw your picture and... it broke my heart."

Kyouya's satisfied expression faded away. Ginga was tempted to force himself to smile, but it was Kyouya in front of him. He couldn't betray him like that.

He wouldn't be convincing, anyway.

"It's a bit melodramatic, but that's the impression I got. Then I had a nightmare about our separation. It was very different: you challenged me without smiling once. You turned your back on me. Even though I called you, you didn't come back and..."

Ginga fell silent. This part of the nightmare had terrified him– e still felt his heart panic at this memory–but others tended to find it laughable.

"And?" encouraged Kyouya, even though he didn't seem to want to know the rest.

Ginga breathed in, trying to gather courage.

"A lion rushed toward me, fangs and claws out. He jumped on me to devor me and... I woke up. Shouting," he murmured as low as possible.

He didn't want to look like a coward or a whiner in front of Kyouya.

"It disturbed me all morning," he went on, wanting to put an end to his explanations. "I even saw the lion again when I heard your footsteps in the stadium, when you came for your fight against the Chandora. Then our eyes met. You looked at me and it made me feel so relieved. It meant you didn't hold a grudge against me. And you challenged me. And I wanted to fight you."

Ginga plunged into Kyouya's gaze. He laid a hand on his own.

"Our duel... The way you pushed me to put all my strength into it, and the way you played, opened my eyes. And your reaction at the end of our second fight confirmed that."

Kyouya looked at him for a moment, before lowering his eyes to their tied hands, plunged into his thoughts. Ginga waited but Kyouya did not answer. He extended his other hand and raised his chin.

"Kyouya?"

"From the trial until our fight," he summed up. "It was all this time that you didn't understand what I wanted to tell you."

"Kyouya..."

Kyouya took his hand off his hand and stood up. Ginga raised his head so as not to lose his face from his eyes. He also stood up. It seemed more natural to him. Kyouya and he were always facing each other–except for some of his spectacular entrances.

"I did this for us."

"I know..."

"You know it now," he spit. "You didn't know it then. I thought I had made myself quite clear."

To say that I told Nile that you were waiting for me at the World Championships, he had said.

"You have been. I am the one who—"

"Stop."

Ginga was surprised by the vehemence of Kyouya's tone.

"Don't start blaming yourself. Get mad! If you'd yelled at me at the trial, you wouldn't be so still sad about it today."

"You want me to yell at you?" asked Ginga, stunned.

Kyouya uttered an exasperated grunt.

"It's not about what I want or not, it's about what you want. Be selfish for once. Shout! Break something. Stop..." Kyouya's shoulders collapsed. The fire that had animated him had extinguished as quickly as it had ignited. "Stop taking it upon yourself all the time."

"Sometimes I get angry. And we've already had several fights."

"Our arguments can be counted on the fingers of one hand," Kyouya contradicted him. "And we have known each other for more than four years."

It seemed to annoy him. Ginga didn't understand. It was positive they didn't fight much, wasn't it?

Although... it could also be seen as a weakness of character.

Ginga's shoulders stiffened. A fire lit in his eyes and he raised his head with defiance. He was not weak.

"I fight with you when you piss me off," he said. "I grumble at you when you cross the line."

Ginga waited for Kyouya to nod before letting his face and attitude relax.

"It doesn't happen often because your presence soothes me."

"Soothe you?" repeated Kyouya, incredulous.

Ginga nodded. "I don't feel the need to pretend with you. I let my emotions express themselves naturally, even when they are negative. It is relaxing."

Kyouya stared at him for a moment and then shook his head, as if he didn't dare to believe it.

"During my entire World Championships journey, I thought of our future duel with joy," he murmured. "Whenever I found myself in front of weak adversaries, I tried to fight them with seriousness and dignity, because I didn't want to be ashamed of my career when I would face you. I wanted to be blameless. In every boring fight, I comforted myself by thinking we will soon face each other and that all my efforts would be rewarded when I find you. I thought it was the same for you."

Ginga swallowed. His heart was racing and he was warm everywhere. As always when Kyouya evoked their rivalry, he discerned a certain ambiguity.

For him, it was about us. It's his way of showing me his feelings.

Does that mean that at that time already, he?

"Did you love me?" asked Ginga in a breath.

Kyouya looked at him with exasperation. "Is there anyone else I've done the same for?" he asked with frustration.

Ginga thought. Kyouya grumbled.

"You are my rival. You. I have spent more than three years talking about you and acting only for you."

Ginga blinked, surprised, before letting out a laugh. Kyouya sprang and bared his teeth, clearly vexed.

"What?!"

Ginga covered his cheek with his hand. He smiled at him with tenderness. Only Kyouya could consider these acts as clear proofs of love... and, at the same time, one would have to be blind and deaf to not understand they are proofs of love.

"I loved you too."

Kyouya swallowed his grunts. He looked at him, as if to assess his sincerity, before putting a quick kiss on his palm. A bolt of lightning ran through Ginga's veins. He stepped toward him.

"Stay with me."

"Ginga..."

His breath blocked. He had just revealed his greatest wish to Kyouya, and Kyouya could sweep it away in a word.

What was I thinking?

Anguish tried to suffocate him. He wanted to leave, quickly and far. He knew Kyouya's answer. He was free and wild–and that was how Ginga loved him.

"I can't promise that. Not even to you."

"I know," said Ginga.

Kyouya closed an arm around his shoulders and Ginga found himself pressed against him. Kyouya's scent filled his nose. He recognized the familiar shape and warmth of his body through the layers of fabric that still separated them.

"But I always come back, don't I?"

Ginga's eyes widened. He thought of their different adventures and, indeed, Kyouya always came back.

A weight left him. He was so heavy that he waved. He slipped his hands on Kyouya's waist and nestled his face in his neck.

"Yes. You always come back."

And that was the only thing he needed to know.


THE END