Chapter 3
Pairings: Kai/Ray, the love-triangle (if you want to see it there) and Bryan/Tala, which is not minor anymore, it's rather major. ... I swear it wasn't my intention, it just happened!
Warning: It's not very Christmassy anymore, the story I mean, but still; if you hate Christmas, be alert. Contains yaoi-material and possibly coarse language. Aaalso, it hints about... adult themes happening during the story. I blame certain redhead and his boyfriend.
Disclaimer: Beyblade and it's characters do not belong to me (if they would, Beyblade would be considered as yaoi anime), I'm just borrowing them to amuse myself and the others (meaning individuals who are sleepy and amused by everything.).Beta: Nancyyy! huggle huggle huggle
A/N: Boy am I late. Sorry folks. But at least it's finally finished, and there will be no more chapters.
I thank the people who took the time to review the part two. Thank you, and I hope you had a lovely Christmas. -bows-
On with the story, shall we?
Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.
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Kai sighed and prepared to get disappointed. He really hoped he could have been spared from this, but that didn't seem to be an option. Ray wouldn't let it slip, and to be honest, it would have been rather weird if he had. So it was time to come out with the truth.
"Now that you're here, without any visible reason I might add, you might as well help me to win the damned cat's affection."
... well, no one says you have to come out with the truth immediately.
Ray looked at the cat next to him and shrugged.
"It'll come with time. You can't just have it like that."
Kai cocked his head at that.
"Funny enough, it seems to like you", he pointed out, glaring at the black- and white-furred animal that was pushing it's head against Ray's thigh. The other boy had the decency to blush a bit.
"It's a natural gift", he muttered and instinctively started petting the cat, making it purr happily.
"I wish I had that too", Kai said, trying not to look jealous to the cat. Lucky, evil creature. If Kai would have grown himself a pair of pointy ears and a tail, would Ray fondle him too?
"You could try to pet her again now. I'll make sure she won't eat you."
"I feel so relieved", Kai said snorting, but nevertheless his hand slowly approached the cat. When it made contact with the soft fur, there was no carnage as Kai had expected to be. Cat just kept purring contently. Probably only because Ray was still petting it too, though. Kai was pretty sure that if Ray had suddenly moved his hand away, Kai's own would have been dead meat.
There was a moment when neither of them said anything, they just kept petting the cat.
"Do you have a name for her yet?" Ray asked. Apparently the silence had become as
deceitful to his ears as it had to Kai's.
"Taijitu."
"Lady Taijitu... Sounds rather festive, don't you think? Somehow glamorous. You can proudly say her name and tell those evil, silly fans who shout your name on the streets that she's the lady who stole your heart and whom your love belongs to", Ray said in thoughts, still petting the cat's head.
"Yeah", Kai muttered, looking at his feet. Ray seemed to reconsider his choice of words and fell silent.
First rule you must follow when having an already awkward-feeling conversation? Never mention the L-word.
"Emh. Taijitu. Referring to yin-yang, is it? It's sweet. Suits her perfectly too, if you look at the colors. I like the name", Ray said, trying to sound cheerful.
"I had a feeling that you would", Kai said, sounding gloomy. Ray coughed and bit his lip nervously.
"I did thought that it was only my imagination at first, but... If I am wrong, I hope that this doesn't ruin our friendship. Kai?"
Kai turned his head resentfully and looked Ray straight in the eyes.
"Did that gift... you know... mean something? More than just 'there you go buddy, Merry Christmas'?" Ray asked, fingers twisting around the purple scarf he was still wearing. Kai looked at the cat again, his hand moving almost mechanically on the warm fur. He didn't want to answer because things hurt much more when they have been admitted, but on the other hand he knew that the other boy already knew the answer to the question, he just wanted to hear Kai saying it was true. Knowing Ray, straight and honest answer would be appreciated, even if the feelings wouldn't be returned.
"Yes", Kai said slowly. Ray nodded and looked at the snowy landscape behind the window.
There are many sentences you just do not wish to hear. Ray's next words to Kai might not be as high on the list as "This might hurt a little" or "Watch out for that –", but still, it's definitely something no one wishes to hear from the person they love.
"We need to talk."
A sentence with three little words might be the most beautiful one you ever hear, and a sentence with four might be enough to make you contemplate stabbing yourself with a jackknife. The cat slowly moved next to Kai and licked his hand, mewling somehow regretfully. It seemed to be a compassionate creature after all.
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Max was cleaning up the living room floor from the gift-wraps when Tyson ran through the door.
"I can't find Kai or Ray anywhere! I checked their rooms too; Ray's is empty and Kai's cat is in Kai's room, sleeping on the bed, but otherwise no living soul around!"
Max kept cleaning the floor peacefully.
"I saw Ray a few minutes ago, he said that he and Kai were going outside for a walk."
"What, without a jacket? I saw Ray's jacket in the lobby, are you telling me he's out there only in his shirt? That doesn't make any sense! Maybe we should go find him and bring him his –"
"Tyson", Max interrupted, taking his friend's hand and squeezing it slightly, "I'm sure that Ray and Kai know what they are doing, so there's no need for us to worry. We could go find Hilary and Kenny instead and suggest a trip to the slide."
Tyson looked at Max for a moment and then smiled.
"Well, if you say so."
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About ten minutes before this confrontation, right outside the mansion there was a figure wearing a thick, dark jacket, white scarf and white mittens. It was talking to it's phone, sounding extremely peeved.
"You did what?" came the question through the cell-phone.
"You heard me Tala", Kai said calmly, wondering what had driven him to make the call in the first place. If it was the sympathy he was looking for, he might as well have told his worries to the tree next to him. The chances that the tree might have been more understanding were rather high.
"I knew you liked Ray", smug voice said. Kai rolled his eyes.
"Way to go, Sherlock. Now tell me what I should do."
There was a pondering silence at the other end.
"Run?"
Kai couldn't glare at his friend, so he imagined his friend's face on the bark and glared at the tree.
"Seriously Kai. I think you already did something. Now you just need to handle the consequences like a man."
There were other voices in the background, not as clear as Tala's but still audible, which told Kai that Ian and Spencer were going to the store. There was a click of the door and Kai could literally hear Bryan smirking.
They are together. No doubt about it.
"Tala, it's my life we are talking about here. Ray comes here soon. Give me something that actually helps and I promise that I won't complain about any furniture you and Bryan might break while staying here, including the bed."
"That's evil-minded hinting, Kai. I'm not even going to answer to that. stop stop stop not now Bryan So, what you should do about the situation... I think you just need to listen what Ray says because really, it's all up to him now your hands are cold, take them off, right now."
Kai blinked.
"For someones who just weeks ago glared and rolled your eyes at the journalists who asked whether you two are gay, you are acting rather suspiciously."
"Shut up. And don't expect you know what Ray is going to say to you, because most likely you don't. Just be polite and liste-eeenh no, I don't want them there Bryan, I'm on the phone, damn you Let him do the speaking, okaa-ah Bryaaan, please, not now, later, I'm speaking to Kai, stop that, mmh, Bry, seriously, stop."
Kai couldn't help but to cough inconspicuously to get the attention.
"Do you guys need a room? In addition to the one you already have."
"Tell Hiwatari to mind his own business", a low voice came somewhere on the background, sounding a bit muffled.
"It's pretty hard not to mind your business, considering how loud you are when attending them."
Tala made a little, moaning sound.
"But I'll do what you told and hope for the best", Kai hurried to say, not exactly sure was Tala even listening to him anymore. He seemed to be a bit occupied at the moment.
"mm, you should stopph... no, no, don't stop, don't you fucking dare to stop Kaii, Bryan is being mean to me!" Tala said in a whining voice. Revelation was followed by a certain sound, which is produced by lips touching another when the other participant wants to get laid and wants the other one want too. Kai grinned evilly.
"Bryan, stop teasing Tala and take him to bed already. You know he wants to."
"Hey, that's not what I meant, that's – angh."
The rest of the sentence was swallowed away and replaced by stammering words Kai could not recognize, except for the occasional 'Bryyaan'.
"I'll call you later, shall I?" Kai asked, slightly amused.
"Uh-huh", came the answer, sounding high and shaky. Kai closed the phone and grinned. Then he stood still for a while, stopped grinning and tried not to think about his best friends naked and on each other. He didn't quite succeed, and the result gave him a slightly ill feeling.
"Kai", came the soft greeting. Kai turned to look at another teen, who was wearing only jeans and a long-sleeved shirt in Russian winter. Kai gave him a stare.
"What happened to your jacket?"
"I guess Tyson or Max must have taken it. I'm fine, Kai", Ray assured and stepped a bit closer to the blue-haired boy. Then they just stood there, looking at each other.
"You wanted to talk?" Kai finally forced himself to speak. Ray seemed to snap out of something.
"Yes... I did", he said, as if he was talking more to himself than to Kai. Then he seemed to reach some conclusion. "How long have you felt the way you do?"
Kai locked his stare at the ground.
"What do you want me to answer?"
"The truth", Ray said firmly. Kai kicked snow with his left foot, looking suddenly very fascinated about the consistency of the soil.
Kai had seriously hoped that the gift would be enough for Ray and no straggling talk would be needed. He hated when he had to talk about his feelings, the words always seemed to fail him when he needed them the most.
"I've considered you different from anyone else as long as I've known you. If you are talking about that special moment when I realized that I like you more than as a friend, it was some time after the first Championship the Bladebreakers won, when our little team was apart and I was trying to forget all about beyblading", Kai said slowly, placing every word carefully to it's spot, "Now, I might have been able to forget Beyblade itself, but I couldn't forget us and the moments we shared, even if there weren't that many really warm ones. After our team reunited, it all became clear to me. Since that, many things have changed, but not the fact that I have feelings for you."
"Why?" Ray asked silently, after a moment of silence.
"Why what?" Kai inquired, somehow finding the single-worded question harder and more cruel than any other possible.
"Why do you feel those things?"
Kai felt irritated.
"I don't know why, it's not like it was my conscious choice. I just know how I feel about you."
"Then how do you feel about me?" Ray kept asking.
"That, my friend, could be the dumbest question I've heard in a long time."
Ray's lips turned into a little smile. Then he got more serious and turned away from Kai.
"I only want to be sure", he said quietly, looking up to the sky. Kai blinked.
"Sure about what?"
"Sure that this is worth it. That it's not just some thing you'll regret soon."
He turned to look at Kai again, and the teen's surprised posture made Ray smile a bit sadly.
"I love you, Kai. You probably hate me for saying that, but I do. I've known and I've been sure about it for a good while now. So please understand that I just don't want to get my hopes up for nothing. I don't want to get disappointed, not with you and not again. I need to know that you are real about this. If now is too late to save our friendship, at least we shouldn't let our teammates suffer by trying our luck and failing miserably. And that's pretty much what I wanted to say to you."
Silence fell upon them again. Ray was shivering now, the coldness had seemed to stop giving them peace and had attacked with full force. Without thinking twice, Kai took his jacket off and put it on Ray.
"Don't worry about it, I'm more used to the coldness and my shirt is thicker than yours", Kai interrupted when the other was about to say something. Ray seemed to consider whether to impugn, but his sense made the final decision not to.
"Thank you", he muttered and buttoned the jacket tightly.
"And Ray..."
Kai reached out to button the highest stud of the jacket. Ray looked at Kai's hands and then at his eyes expectantly and maybe even tiniest bit of hopeful.
"It'll be worth it, I promise you that. I've never felt anything like this towards anyone else, and it isn't just some passing phase," Kai said, keeping his eyes on the button, thinking up words as he went along, knowing very well that what he was saying at the moment probably determined his whole future, "I'd never let you, or us, down. And I do... love you too."
That was all he had to say, but even if there would have been something more, it would have most likely been forgotten when Ray without a warning tackled Kai into a snowpile and landed on top of him.
"I'm really glad to hear that."
Carefully Kai tried to move his hands. It turned out to be useless, seeing as Ray was pinning them down.
"Well. That was rather unexpected", he admitted, looking into those golden orbs observing his crimson-ones.
"I like surprises."
"I'll keep that in mind."
They shared a grin. Kai was feeling rather ambivalent. The snow under his back was cold and made his skin itch, but the boy over him was warm and made his skin quiver, for completely different reasons than out of cold.
"Would it be surprising if I kissed you?"
"Not really."
"Too bad."
It seemed to came as a surprise to Ray anyway, judging by the small oh-sound he made when Kai's lips touched his own. Kai decided to be sneaky and use the opportunity brought by ajar lips to his own advantage.
Too soon for older boy's liking their lips parted.
"Whoaa", Ray muttered, face slightly blushed.
"That's pretty illustrative, don't you think?""It's the only thing I could come up with, really."
Ray seemed to notice just then that he was pushing Kai against cold snow. He stood up and helped the other to get back on his feet.
"Thanks. And I forgive you your lack of words", Kai said solemnly. Ray managed to glare a bit.
"How generous of you. May I remind your highness that you weren't exactly that talkative yourself. And why do I always have to do all the talking anyway?"
"I think it comes more naturally with you when we talk."
"Well if that's the case, maybe you should talk to other people instead of me?" Ray said, clearly ready to see how far Kai would go with it.
"No, I think that I'm going to surprise you again."
Kai made a sudden dash and they both ended up in snow. This time Ray was fully prepared for the kiss.
They ended up needing a lot of coffee next morning.
Aaand Christmas is now officially over.
Naughty Ray. Blaming others for stealing his jackets... Bad kitty.
Just as I imagine Hilary being a Kai/Ray-shipper and knowing how Kai feels about Ray, I can imagine Max knowing or at least guessing how Ray feels about Kai. Ray and Max have always seemed like good (and cute) friends to me.
... I didn't mean to write Bryan to this story at all. Honestly. Damn his sexy smile inside my head which lured me into concluding him here. If this continues, I'll be writing M-rated stuff some day. Oh my.
Even though Christmas is over, I appreciate and value reviews.