Disclaimer - If you recoginize anything, then I don't own it.

Thank you to FlamesOfFury, Rae TB, & dranzer-drigger for reviewing. I hope this chapter lives up to all of your expectations.

AN - Sorry, knew I forgot something & it was their ages. Kai is 24, Mariam is 22, Tala is 20 while Brookie is 15. Rei & Hiro are the same age as Kai while Max & Tyson are the same age as Mariam. Bryan is 21. Garland & Mystel are the same age as Brookie.

Chapter Two - Seeds of Discord

Brooklyn ran down the streets, not caring about the looks he was receiving or the time. He had to get to Hiro's apartment before his elder brother and his friends did. Now, he was grateful that he had joined the track team the previous year. It had given him more stamina to run as he was doing right now. He had quit the summer before the start of high school since he did not have time for the sport anymore.

He had wanted to concentrate on his studies during his first year of high school but he was finding even that difficult since he had started seeing Hiro. He couldn't concentrate on anything anymore and Tala had all ready chastised him about his poor grades. If they didn't improve, they had threatened that he wouldn't beyblade in a tournament anytime soon. Well, he had all ready ruined that after they had discovered his secret relationship and he didn't care anymore. He didn't think that he could fix his now broken life even if he tried.

Still he was out of breath as he pounded on the apartment door. He finally heard movement inside as the door opened and Hiro appeared in his pajamas. "Brooklyn," he said, sleepily, "what are you doing back? Do you have any idea of the time? Couldn't go to sleep without me?"

He stepped aside to allow the younger to enter as Brooklyn breathed deeply. "You have got to leave," he gasp inbetween breaths, "they know about us and Kai is on his way here now." "What?" Hiro exclaimed, waking up fully with that news, "how did they find out about us?" "I accidentally let it slip," Brooklyn admitted with a deep blush, "when I was shouting at Kai." "Just great," Hiro moaned, looking for some clothes to put on, "now my family will find out. This is not the way I envisioned telling them about our relationship."

"You have to believe that I didn't mean for it to happen like this," Brooklyn protested, "I didn't do it on purpose." "I didn't imply that you did," Hiro reassured, dressing quickly, "they would have found out one way or other and I had better leave before Kai arrives." "I want to go with you," Brooklyn pleaded, tears forming in his eyes. "You can't, Brookie," Hiro stated, grabbing a set of keys off the table, "you need to go home. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

Brooklyn couldn't handle the forced separation as the tears flowed down his cheeks and he practically collasped in Hiro's arms. They did not have time for this but Hiro could not push him away as he wrapped his arms around the youth and embraced him in a gentle hug. Brooklyn was getting his shirt wet as Hiro rubbed his back tenderly and then kissed him on top of the head. "Please don't leave me," Brooklyn cried, "I can't live without you. My life was awful before I fell in love with you."

Hiro took one hand and gently lifted Brooklyn's chin so they were looking each other in the eye. He couldn't stand seeing his angel with tears in his eyes and knowing that he had caused them. "I love you, Hiro," Brooklyn said, weakly, "please don't leave me." "I can't promise that," Hiro said, softly as he leaned down to capture his lips in a chaste kiss, "If I stay, I will only cause you more trouble. I can't allow that to happen."

As they kissed, a sound from the door caught their attention. "LET IT RIP!" the voice yelled as they heard the pull of a ripcord. The door exploded inward from the impact as Hiro shielded Brooklyn from the splintered pieces of wood. When the dust had settled, a blue beyblade was spinning on his living room floor and the owner of it was standing in the doorway. There was no mistakening who it was from his stance.

Kai's eyes narrowed at the sight of them as Brooklyn coughed from the dust particles. His eyes widened when he saw Kai standing there. "Dude, why did you have to destroy the door?" a voice joked as another bluenette stepped into the apartment. "Tyson," Hiro whispered as his little brother smiled but it faded when he saw Brooklyn in his embrace. "Didn't I tell you," Kai spat to his teammate as Tyson's mouth dropped open with surprise.

"Hiro," he whispered, "I didn't want to believe Kai but -" He swallowed nervously as Kai growled like a vicious animal, stalked forward like the predator he was and pushed Tyson aside into a wall. Kai glared at Hiro but narrowed his eyes on Brooklyn. "Kai, don't," Brooklyn pleaded, "you don't understand." "Oh, I understand completely," Kai snarled, his voice low and threatening, "you are going to jail if there is anything left after I am through with you."

He cracked his knuckles together as Brooklyn buried himself into Hiro's chest, trying to act as a human shield. "Move away from him, Brooklyn," Kai instructed as Brooklyn shook his head no, "so I can teach him a lesson, man-to-man." "NO!" Brooklyn shouted, turning his head toward Kai, "I will not move or will I allow any harm come to my boyfriend." "What he is doing to you is wrong!" Kai snapped, "don't you see that? You are still a child and he is a man."

"It doesn't matter," Brooklyn cried with such despair that it nearly broke Hiro's heart, "I love him! Nothing you say will ever change my mind. If you hurt him in any way, I will personally hate you." "Love doesn't make it right," Tyson added, calmly, "Hiro, I can't believe you would do such a thing and to a student no less." "I love him, Tyson," Hiro stated, calmly, "and I don't care what you think."

"How do you think Grandpa is going to react to this?" Tyson stormed, "you have dishonored our entire family with your lust and inappropriate behavior. For the fact of the matter, what is Dad going to say about this? Did you consider any of our feelings before you jumped into bed with him? I see that you did not and how could you? We've known Brooklyn since he was a toddler and the whole team thought of him as a little brother. Your actions haven't just angered Kai but me, Max and Rei as well."

Hiro swallowed nervously as the spit got caught in his throat. He knew Tyson was right. He had shamed the Kinomiya name but everything about Brooklyn made him feel better. He couldn't help that he was nine years younger and still a child in some aspects but that was what he loved about him; his innocence and naviety. Brooklyn made him feel whole and wanted. It was the feeling of being loved that he desired and it didn't matter how old the person was but if they returned the feeling.

"I know you do care, Hiro," Tyson retorted with a glare that could match Kai's, "but why would you do this to our family? To me? I use to look up to you, big brother but now that I've seen how low you will stoop to get what you want, I am disgusted that you are even related to me." "Tyson, I didn't mean-" Hiro began but found that he couldn't finish the sentence, "I didn't want-" "Just leave us alone," Brooklyn protested, "this doesn't concern either of you."

Kai bent down to pick up his spinning blade as he loaded it into his launcher. "I am doing this for your own good, Brookie," Kai argued, "you are my responsibility but most of all my baby brother. Have I ever led you astray? Have I ever lied to you? You didn't use to be like this. This ill-gotten affair has turned you from a sweet and innocent boy into a person that I do not recoginize. All you do is lie and deceive us now, this is not the real you."

"Would you know the real me if you ever saw him?" Brooklyn demanded, his temper flaring, "You are hardly ever home. Have you ever ask what I wanted? It's always been - Brooklyn do this, Brookie do that. You never ask what I want but forced me to do things your way or not at all. My whole life since Dad died has circled around you and your reputation and you know what? I'm sick of it.

Are you afraid that the press will find out that our perfect little family isn't so perfect, Kai! You know what your push for perfection did to me in the past. Do you want a repeat of it again? Well, do you? Answer me, damn it!"

The blood drained from Kai's face from Brooklyn's threat. He didn't want to go through that hell again if it was possible. He couldn't deal with it all a second time. If he was thrust into that situation again, he would probably just walk off and never come back. What had he done to the gods for them to torture him in this manner?

Kai was now wishing that he had brought Tala and Mariam with him. He wasn't good with heartfelt speeches. He was the type of guy who always kept a tight lid on his emotions and would use physical force to settle an argument. It was the only way to guarantee tht he wouldn't be hurt. Rei had tried to open him up and slowly he had but Rei, Max and Tyson were just a boyfriend and teammates. Brooklyn was his own flesh and blood; his little brother. It was pathetic that he couldn't talk to Brooklyn like he could his friends.

"Life isn't always black and white, Kai," Brooklyn added, "there are multiple shades of gray where our relationship and love for one another is not wrong." "That still doesn't make things right," Kai growled, "you can defend it all you want but it comes down to one simple fact. This is pedophilia and Hiro is a pedophile. He is an adult and knows right from wrong. I could care less that you are gay but who you are dating is an entirely different matter."

"Why won't you listen?" Brooklyn pleaded, pulling away from Hiro and confronting Kai which was a mistake, "I have tried to explain my reasons but I see that your mind is closed." "My mind is not closed," Kai snapped as his eyes burned with a crimson fire, "I understand completely, little brother. It is your mind that is clouded." Their voices raised until the two were screaming at one another at the top of their lungs. Tyson and Hiro could only watch the exchange with heavy hearts.

Hiro should have interfered but he didn't know what to say since Kai was right. He had taken advantage of one of his students and their relationship was wrong. He just wished that he could convince his heart otherwise. He sighed heavily knowing that this fight was bound to get physical eventually. "That does it!" Kai shouted, shoving Brooklyn aside as he aimed his beyblade at Hiro, "he needs to be taught a lesson and I am the one who is going to give it." He pulled the ripcord as the blade went flying and Hiro closed his eyes for the blow that never struck.

Hiro heard a cry instead that did not escape from his lips but that of his young lover as his eyes quickly opened. The strike had been swift and sudden. Kai watched in horror as Brooklyn darted in front of Hiro to protect him and was injuried by his blade instead. Brooklyn groaned as he held his chest where Dranzer had struck, ripping his t-shirt to shreds and leaving deep red gashes that were bleeding. Kai stood silent and did not move. He didn't even try to offer any assistance since he was in shock from what he had done.

Tyson darted forward as did Hiro as the sound of car doors slamming could be heard in the distance; followed by footsteps pounding the pavement. Tala and Mariam arrived with Rei at that moment to see Brooklyn slumped on the floor from where he had fell. Hiro was holding him in his arms as Tyson used a shirt to wipe away and stauch the flow of blood. "It's going to be all right, tenshi," Hiro reassured, calming the younger, who was crying with tears running down his all ready red cheeks from the pain the beyblade had caused. Mariam darted around Kai and pushed Tyson aside to take a look at Brooklyn's wounds.

"Brookie," Kai whispered, walking forward as though he was a zombie, "I didn't mean- I didn't want-" Rei and Tala's eyes then widened as they saw his beyblade near where Brooklyn had fell and it was spattered with blood. "Kai, what did you do?" Tala hissed in a dark, venomous tone as he approached his older brother. He put a hand on his shoulder and turned him around violently.

There were unshed tears in his eyes as he looked at Tala. "I didn't mean to hurt him," he whispered, "he got in the way." Kai ran out of the apartment without another word. Tala was going to follow him but Rei motioned that he would take care of his boyfriend. Tala was glad that Rei had offered, otherwise he was liable to sic Wolborg on the buffon for using his beyblade as a weapon.

"Is he going to be all right?" Tala ask, kneeling besides of Mariam as his throat tightened. He couldn't look Hiro in the eye since he had been the cause of this. If he did, he would definitely lose his temper that would result in something that he would definitely regret later. If Brooklyn hadn't been seduced by the older man, none of this would have happened. "They are only superficial," Mariam replied with relief, "they do not need stitches and I can treat them properly when we get home." "I am not going home," Brooklyn protested through his pain, "I am staying with Hiro. I will never forgive Kai for this."

"No wonder he and Kai do not get along," Tala mused with a slight smile, "they are both too much alike. When their minds are set, there is no changing either of them. They definitely inherited that trait from our mother." "You are going home whether you want too or not," Mariam informed with a snap which left no room for argument, "you can't stay here or will I allow it." With a motion of her head, Tala understood what she wanted as he pulled Brooklyn away from Hiro and lifted him into his arms. Even though Tala was tall, he didn't have as much muscle or mass as Kai but still he was more well-built than Brooklyn.

"Hiro," he cried, reaching an arm toward the man, who tried to grab his hand but was pushed back by Tyson, who was glaring, "NO! Put me down, Tala! PUT ME DOWN NOW!" He tried to struggle but he was too weak and tired to fight him as he was carried away. His eyes were stinging from all the tears he had shed as he tried to reach out to the one person he loved and trusted.

"I love you, Hiro," he cried as he reached out one last time. "I love you too, Brookie," Hiro called as the siblings disappeared out the door, leaving Hiro's fate a mystery for the moment. Since fighting Tala was not an option, Brooklyn choked on his sobs and buried his face into his white coat. "I hate you, Kai," he growled as Tala gently put him in the car, "I will never forgive any of you for this." No one saw his eyes glow a bright green for a moment or the whisper of "they will pay for this". Their interference would cost them later since they had unleashed a monster that they would not be able to control.

Astera Snape

R & R