Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade.

A/N: Yeah...well I wish I could say I liked this one. I've had it sitting on my computer since my last update, it's been mocking me ever since. If anyone has any suggestions to improve this one I'm open to hearing them. Thanks to all my reviewers, and like with all my other stories right now, this is on hold until my life is a little less chaotic. Remember that just because I update doesn't mean I'm back. Read and review please!

Takao snarled as he tried squirm his way out of Rei's grip. Even with the amount of suppresser's he was taking, it was far too close to his next heat cycle for him to be comfortable around a dominant male. He was caught between wanting to lean back and answer all of the man's answers and wanting to shred his throat to pieces for daring to touch him.

"Let go!" He hissed menacingly. "Rei! I swear if you don't let go this fucking instant I'm goin-mmmphf!"

Rei silenced the squirming man the only way he knew how. Much to the surprise of everyone else in the room he swooped down to capture the lips that were spewing threats in a fierce kiss. This was definitely not how he had imagined finding his mate, let alone his first kiss with said mate. His mother had told him the story of Huang Shizuka from the time he was born, and how her second son would be his mate. As a child he had constantly begged to be told what his mate would be like and in his mind he had built the picture of the perfect mate and the perfect life they would share. Only to find it being shattered even more as the minutes passed, and somehow…he didn't mind it one bit.

As Takao relaxed into the kiss he found himself mentally comparing what his mother had told him about his mate to what he remembered about the bluenette. Graceful? Maybe in a beybattle. Beautiful? Oh definitely. No complaints there. Loving? Maybe too much. Forgiving? Definitely too much, coughKaicough. Tastes good? Hell yeah…okay that one may have been his own hope. But it came true! Artistic? …Well he was going to become a blacksmith… Rei cringed visibly as he realized that he didn't even know if his old friend had graduated from the art college he was attending. Damn, he had a lot to make up for.

xXx

It was good. Probably the best kiss he'd ever experienced. And considering he was engaged to Johnny, the epitome of a virile Scotsmen, that was saying a lot. Wait…Johnny? Oh shit.

"Yeowch!" Rei yelped as he released him from his tight grip to hobble over to the couch so he could rub his wounded knee. "Takao what's the big idea!"

Takao gaped from where he had landed on the floor. "The big idea?" He asked incredulously. "I should be asking you that! You can't just go around kissing engaged people! What the hell has gotten into you!" He shouted as he edged backwards, rising slowly.

"Engaged?" Rei mouthed the word slowly, as if he was tasting it. "Well since I'm the one you're engaged to-"

"Betrothed! Am I the only one that can see a difference between the two?" Takao huffed.

Rei smiled lightly at his mate's antics. "So tell me what the difference is."

The Japanese blader narrowed his eyes suspiciously before crossing his arms over his chest. "Betrothal is what happens when your parents decide to stick their overly large noses in your love life. Engagement is what happens when one chooses their future spouse of their own free will," Takao stated in a matter of fact voice, not noticing Mao's horrified face, and Ray shaking his head frantically and waving his arms wildly in the background. "Two different things, so you're not my fiancé."

Rei's eyes flashed dangerously. "Oh really? Then who is your fiancé? For future reference of course."

Now as a child Takao was often considered a little dense. Or extremely dense depending on who you ask. It was something he was fully aware of, especially now in his later years. And while he had matured he was still the first to admit he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. But even he wasn't stupid enough to miss the murderous undertone in his former team-mate's voice or the possessive glint in his golden eyes. He may be dense, but he wasn't that dense.

He had every intention to see his future husband standing at the alter next to him, not sitting in a wheelchair. So he did what any self respecting man facing the possible loss of his virginity as well as the wellbeing of his fiancé would do.

He ran.

Approximately three feet before he was slammed back against the chest of an enraged nekojin.

Takao squirmed valiantly while sending pleading looks to the most understanding of the lot, Ray. But while he was understanding, he was also very loyal. Unfortunately not to him. And Mao…that traitor was snapping away with a camera she had pulled from who knows where. Takao snapped back to the task at hand when he heard a scary growl rumble through Rei's chest.

"Um…hi?" Takao said uncertainly as he leaned his head back against Rei's chest in order to look at his face.

xXx

He felt like snarling and ripping every male who had ever touched his mate to shreds. And he would too. As soon as he had secured his mate snug in his home and he knew that his petite mate would be pliant enough not to disobey him. It would be a shame that he'd have to hurt Ray but Mao would understand. Eventually. It's not like she really needed her big brother now that she was married. Maybe then he'd move onto Kai. He had always suspected that they were more than friends. But first he had something more important to deal with.

"Who?"

Rei would have been amused at the scared look on Takao's face if the matter weren't so serious. "Who what?"

He simply narrowed his golden eyes before turning to his childhood friends. "Who?"

Ray grimaced while Mao cringed and looked away, hiding the camera in the process.

"Johnny McGregor," Ray said blankly after a minute under his friends intense gaze, not daring to look at Takao's betrayed expression.

Rei's eyes flashed as he tightened the arms around his mate's waist possessively as he went through everything he knew about the Scottish blader in his mind. "Nekojin characteristics. How is he hiding them?"

That brought more cringes from the brother and sister duo, and more squirms from the young man in his arms.

"Suppresser herbs," Mao sighed. "He takes them non-stop. I wouldn't be surprised if he combines them with heat suppresser's now to lessen any scent he gives off."

Rei finally gave into his urge to snarl as he shoved his mate into Mao's arms and went to search for Takao's luggage.

Ray simply stepped out of his way and pointed to the stairs. "Blue guest room."

xXx

Takao groaned as he pulled himself out of his pink haired friends steadying embrace. "That's it. I'm outta here."

"You can't Taka!" Mao fussed as she wrung her hands. "You don't understand!"

"Understand what?" Takao snarled as he pulled on his leather coat and gloves. "That Rei's gone totally psycho? Forget the contract, my lawyer will send you a copy. If he wants to contest my marriage he can see me in court!"

"Takao wait!" Ray said calmly. "Think this through rationally. Didn't you once say you'd love Rei forever?"

Takao spun around to face him, the power of Dragoon flowing around him even stronger than when he was a child. His face set in a angry snarl. "Don't you dare!" He seethed. "Do you think I don't know what you all said about me back then? That I don't know how you mocked my feelings for him? I said I'd always love him, and that hasn't changed. But that's not Rei! That is not the boy I fell in love with, and although I loved the boy he used to be, I love Johnny more! So don't you dare try to manipulate me into staying here when it's obvious that he's become unbalanced!"

Ray winced at the coldness and anger of his words. "Takao that's not-"

"Not it at all. I've become unbalanced?" Rei hissed from the doorway as he took in Takao's jacket and angry face. "That's rich coming from the man who's been killing himself slowly for who knows how long!"

A/N2: Gee you guys are probably ready to kill me, ne?