A/N: Sheesh. In all truth this chapter literally took me two weeks to write within July… about a week ago. This is where I could babble about excuses for my lack of updates – graduation, exams, other hectic school schedules – but really, it's because finding the time to write is seriously dwindling. And the most frustrating for me is that lately I haven't been feeling very well, and although this is the time of year I update far more often than usual, I fear that shan't be happening. I'll just leave it at that.
I amdetermined to not let this die for another nearly 5 months though. Augh on hiatuses.
I didn't do a whole lot of editing this time, so if you see any mistakes, please tell me. I highly appreciate it. Oh, and from this point on, people will be introduced as relatives to Hilary... but do not worry about names and all that. People will be essential to the chapter they are in and tossed aside accordingly. The last thing I need is OC mayhem.
Thank you to those that beared through such a long wait… hopefully I didn't lose anyone in the process. Thanks especially goes out to sanaa, Sony89, Musee.Picasso, Unfunny Joke, ToraHimeSama, Garowyn, Aiyanne and Tinkerbell04 for reviewing, you're what makes writing worth it. A response to what you have worked so hard on, I hope to hear from you again.
Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade right now. Odds are, I never will.
Chapter Six: Cheaters Never Prosper
"You didn't help with the decorating, did you?" Tyson piped up curiously, stepping out into the backyard with Hilary in tow. He sent her a wary gaze, attempting not to cringe at the sight. "Not that it's terrible or anything… just girly. So girly you could choke on it. This is no man wedding."
"What's a man wedding exactly…?" Hilary countered, giving him a sigh. "Last time I checked boys ate worms when they were little, girls fascinated about this day."
"That can't be true. I've never eaten a worm in my life. What do you have to say about that?"
"I'm a little surprised. You eat everything else."
Clutching his side in mock pain, Tyson pretended to double forward. "Oh Hilary, that was – that, what you just said – that was hysterical. My side is splitting from laughing so hard."
The brunette grabbed him by his elbow, tugging him along to his full height. "Stop acting like such a spaz," she told him earnestly, "You're not Tyson world champion beyblader here, you're my… uh…."
"Incredibly handsome friend?" he filled in for her, sending her a puzzled glance. "I thought the whole point of me being here was because I am a champion though? Not because I'm your 'uh' as you so put it."
"Right. But… some people are going to think you have mixed motives, remember? Maybe you're doing this for another reason."
"Oh," he uttered dumbly, unclear about what she was trying to say. Yet after a second, it began to sink in and he tensed at the prospect, "Oh. I see what's going on."
Hilary's eyebrows creased together, her fingers that remained on his arm constricted with thought as well. "What do you mean?" she murmured under her breath, unsure of what he was talking about.
"Don't get me wrong," he waved his hand at her absently, his head bowed down. "You have a thing for me, it's perfectly natural."
"No… no it's not," Hilary disagreed blankly, allowing herself to pull a face. "And it's not true. I don't like you like that…. That's just…. Where did you get that from?" she searched his expression to no avail and he managed to stare back to the same extent.
"I'm not stupid. You were sending some pretty good signs. I don't know how to tell you this though…," he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her tightly against him, "I don't know if I feel the same."
"Great. Can you stop suffocating me?"
Tyson loosened his grip sheepishly, still letting his head duck down nearly beside hers. "I'm not trying to break your heart…," he started again, making Hilary take a deep breath.
"Will you please just lay off," she snapped lowly, prying him further away with her elbow. "Whatever possessed you to think I was into you, just let it go. It's wrong. That thought is wrong."
"I wouldn't go that far," he stated, dropping his arm to his side. "Weird, not wrong. Wrong is like… robbing a bank. You liking me isn't like a criminal act, it's not against the law or anything."
"How about the law of nature?"
"Aren't we full of venom this evening?" Tyson chuckled, noting her pinched features. It was as if the very concept made her taste buds turn sour, twisting her face into a mild expression of pain.
"For one, it's the afternoon," the brunette pointed out, recovering her actions. She placed her hands on her hips as his eyes rolled skyward, "And I'm not the one blabbing on and on about nonsense."
"No, of course not… you've been making plenty of sense all day."
"Can you blame me for wanting today to be perfect?"
Tyson shot his hands up into the air with exaggeration. "It's not your wedding!" he stated, his voice straining to remain calm as it bobbed against his wishes. "I just told you that, whatever your grief is… bottle it up and throw it out to sea. That's what I do."
"And that explains a lot," Hilary had given him a knowing look, glancing around to see whose attention he grabbed. "That's why you practically explode when someone gets you angry."
"And by someone, you mean you."
"It's not my fault you fly off the handle."
"You kinda know what buttons to press."
"Well, you only have so many."
"What does that even mean…?"
Jabbing a finger in his direction, Hilary smiled. "Exactly," Tyson retaliated by pushing her hand aside, sending her a disapproving stare in the process. He had opened his mouth to complain about her making even less sense than before when he was enveloped into a tight hug.
"Tyson!" Hilary's eyes widened, watching her Mother nearly crush her boyfriend after appearing practically out of thin air. Mortified, she clasped her hands over top of her mouth, stifling the urge to scream with pure force. Instead she met the boy's gaze, his more stunned than anything, she watched as he slowly regained his composure.
"Mrs. Tatibana…," he replied, unsure of what he was supposed to do exactly. He reluctantly returned the hug, patting her shoulder awkwardly as he sent a pleading look to her daughter. Helplessly, Hilary shrugged her own shoulders loosely.
"Oh, it's so great to see you!" her Mother cooed, pulling away slightly so that she was gripping his arms. "It's been such a long time… you look so handsome! Don't you think so, Hilary?"
The brunette grimaced as they both turned to her expectantly; Tyson seemed especially interested, not to mention smug, at the switch in conversation. "Yeah Hil, don't you think I look outstanding tonight?"
She lowered her hands, pulling a tight smile to fool her Mother. "Oh… um, yeah… Tyson does look good tonight," she agreed lamely, "Even if he's out of his… element."
He frowned at the remark, "That was supposed to be a compliment?"
Mrs. Tatibana rolled her eyes at Hilary's behaviour, patting the boy to comfort him. "She's just being a girl; you know how they get about these sorts of things…. She's a little embarrassed; you should've seen how red she was when she was telling us all about you…."
"Oh?" Tyson raised an eyebrow, the smug expression returning to his features.
"Mom!" Hilary shouted, wobbling with determination the few steps toward them. She ended up nearly falling over, Tyson reaching out in time once again, much to her slight dismay; he pulled her up with an annoyed face.
"There she goes again," the older woman sighed dreamily, taking their closeness as a sign of love instead of the fashion casualty it was. "Although I don't see why, I'm sure Tyson complimented you too, sweetie."
"Yeah sweetheart, don't you remember?" Tyson teased with a grin. He poked her side with his elbow as payback for earlier, enjoyed by her Mother's ways of humiliation.
"Of course he did," Hilary admitted blandly, a smirk washing over her face. This made Tyson's amusement drain away and he opted to watch her carefully. "What animal did you just compare me to…?"
Blanching, Tyson paused. "Uh…," he laughed sheepishly, "A… a swan. I think that's what I said."
"Are you sure? I thought it started with an 'R'?"
"A… ravishing swan."
"Maybe."
Mrs. Tatibana smiled dreamily at the two of them, drinking in the scene of her daughter beside such a suave young man. She was nearly positive that amongst this group of boys her daughter ran around with, he was the most sought after – so quiet and mature, who could resist such a combination?
"Well, I should leave you two alone," the woman noted, feeling her presence was long overdue and that it was starting to rattle her daughter. "But I am so happy you're here Tyson!" she rejoiced, crushing him with another unexpected hug, "You simply have to come over more often."
"Yeah," the world champion agreed, keeping a strong grip onto Hilary. He was a little afraid her Mom would've sent her sailing, but it was mostly for moral support, being rather uncomfortable with their proximity.
Mrs. Tatibana pushed away briskly, forcing herself to walk away from the couple out of fear she would smother them. "I'm sure Hilary would just love it if you did," she called out finally, giving him a wink.
Tyson snorted, knowing she was a safe distance away, as he waved to her in reply. Hilary, on the other hand, hung her head in shame. "I'm sure you would too, ravishing swan," he joked.
The brunette rolled her eyes, "She's a little crazy. This whole wedding was practically put together because of her, the professionals couldn't design their way out of a hat… apparently."
"They couldn't tie balloon to trees?"
She shot him a defensive look. "I think my Mom did a great job."
"Not a man wedding though."
"And again… why does that even matter?"
"Oh, it… does," Tyson started clearly, before his conviction disappeared. He seemed to have just stopped, staring absently over her shoulder with interest. But when she turned to look herself, he seized her shoulders in a panicked frenzy. "Don't look!"
Confused, she tilted her head to the side. Unfortunately for Tyson, it was the side that he had been looking over. He frowned in displeasure, her face concealing his view. "What?" Hilary scowled.
"What's her name?" he asked, sidestepping around the brunette somewhat to see her again.
"How should I know? I don't even know what she looks like," she pointed out, not entirely pleased by his actions.
"Look then… just not too obviously," the navy haired boy decided, choosing to look away himself so that it wasn't obvious.
"Unlike you, I'm not gonna ogle her…." Hilary glanced in the direction she was pretty sure he had been looking, seeing a group of her female cousins. Making a face, she explained, "I don't think they're your type."
"So you do know them," he deduced with a nod, ignoring her suggestion. "Hard to believe you're related."
With a grunt, she made a subtle movement to dig her heel into his foot as carefully as possible. And much to Hilary's satisfaction, he yelped before squirming away from her. "That's what you get…," she warned him, wagging a finger petulantly in his direction.
"I guess the truth really does hurt," he retorted, spite lacing his words. She merely rolled her eyes, enjoying seeing him jump about in mild pain.
"Um… kids?" Hilary tensed at the male voice, her Father sneaking up on them once again. Unsure if he had seen this display of behaviour or not, she bit her lip as she fended off her impatience, "I thought you were going to sit down not… jump."
Following her Dad's gaze, she realized Tyson was still fumbling around with his foot awkwardly. It seemed the navy haired boy took no notice to him though, focusing with intensity downward at his wound. "Uh… Tyson's just…."
"Right," Mr. Tatibana cleared his throat, quickly jumping in. He nodded once as if remembering something before he stepped in the boy's direction, "Would you mind if I spoke to my daughter alone for a second?"
All at once, Tyson stopped bouncing around, his head shooting up to stare at him. "Of course, take as long as you'd like!" he good naturedly slapped the man on the shoulder, "I should be mingling anyway, there's a while family I haven't met yet."
"That's a good idea," her Father smiled, but he failed to see Tyson wink at Hilary before he stalked off. Much to her fury, he was headed straight for the group of her cousins; her anger managed to bubble further at the fact. "What's wrong…?"
"Nothing," the brunette seethed, her jaw clenched unwillingly together. "I'm fine."
"Okay," he said slowly, reluctant to accept her statement. Clearing his throat, Mr. Tatibana tilted his head in further wonderment, "Was that display a dose of the so called Tyson weirdness you warned me about?"
"Nope, just the Tyson stupidity…," she muttered under her breath, knowing now that her Father hadn't seen her ram her heel into his foot. "Why are boys so stupid?" she questioned loudly, staring up at her Dad. It was clear that there was no room for disagreement, her eyes blazing with undisguised annoyance.
"Uh…," the man said uneasily, scratching his head wearily. "Hard to say… I don't quite know what we're talking about."
"Nothing," Hilary huffed between gritted teeth.
"Maybe you should be talking to him after all…. Where did he run off to, anyway?" the brunette watched with interest as her Father scanned the yard. Unsurprisingly, when he did find where Tyson had successfully run off to, his expression crumbled darkly. It started with his eyebrows sinking slowly, deepening the wrinkles that lined his forehead as a scowl formed threateningly on his mouth. "What is he doing?"
Curiosity won out as she decided to look at Tyson too; he leaned against the picket fence casually and, she assumed by his own expression, was trying to be rather smooth as he flirted with an assortment of her cousins. "Oh you know," Hilary noted flatly, "Mingling."
Her Father threw her a pained look, taking her completely off guard. "I didn't raise you like this, did I?"
"Um… I don't know," Hilary retorted in confusion, "Raise me like what?"
"This is not okay," Mr. Tatibana snapped lowly, although not angry at his daughter. He pointed accusingly at the unassuming boy, his minor acceptance with the boy disappearing by the second. "He is not worth it. I'm going to-."
"Do nothing about it," she interrupted, putting a hand on his arm to prevent him from leaving. "I know it's not right. That's why I stepped on his foot."
"Stepped…?" he retorted skeptically.
"With my heel. Really hard. Like… really, really hard. That's why he was jumping around like that when you came over," Hilary sighed; she couldn't believe she was saving Tyson from what he truly deserved.
"You couldn't have aimed a little higher?"
"Dad!"
"This better be the first time he has done this," he warned, ignoring her plight. Mr. Tatibana then pulled a face at his wording, "And last, of course. You better go over there and set him straight."
Hilary hesitated. "But Dad…."
"No daughter of mine is going to sit back and watch some hooligan step all over her. You're his girlfriend for goodness' sake! He has some nerve to pull a stunt like this in front of me, let alone your family." By this time, her Father was seething, so much that his face was beginning to turn colour. Hilary personally thought it was a rather interesting shade of red, nonetheless she remained silenced. "It's either me or you."
"Guess I'll spare him some mercy…," the brunette sighed, reluctantly letting him go. Somehow her own anger had been absorbed out of her and she was left tired at the prospect of arguing with Tyson. "We wouldn't want a funeral today as well."
"Go."
"You're not going to tell anyone… are you?" Hilary inquired before turning to leave. Mr. Tatibana looked emotionlessly back at his daughter, her eyes wide and pleading. "Mom adores him; I don't want to hurt her."
"If he doesn't do it again…," the man agreed stiffly, sneering at the boy. It was rather amazing that very few people had taken notice to their heated conversation; those that had noted merely looked on with puzzled bemusement. "Go."
"I'm going," she rolled her eyes, making her way toward her date. He was still leaning against the fence talking to a group of four girls; he appeared to be trying to explain something as they watched with varied interest.
"For a guy like me…," Hilary overheard him boast, coming into hearing range, "It's not a huge deal. I could probably do that in my sleep if I wanted to."
"What's that?" she asked, her voice still holding onto the last few straws of annoyance she had. "Eating a ten course meal?"
Tyson glanced to her skeptically, almost as if he couldn't place why she was angry. "No," he frowned before shrugging, "It doesn't matter anymore. Have you met Darcy?"
"We're related."
"Oh right, I keep forgetting that," he grinned, jumping back to evade any attack from heels. This seemed to confuse her cousins even more, they speculated with raised eyebrows and creased frowns. "I see you're getting better at walking."
"I'm glad you noticed, not that it's any thanks to you," Hilary scowled. She pointed at the arranged chairs swiftly, realizing that people were beginning to be seated. "Can we go now?"
"But it's terrible to interrupt conver-."
"Come on!" Without a second thought, she reached for Tyson and seized his arm. Surprised, he blinked blankly, being pulled away from the group of girls before he could utter a goodbye.
"What was that for?" he demanded, struggling to break free from her grasp. Her fingers were firmly gripping his sleeve and he didn't have the guts to harshly break away; the last thing he wanted to do was tear the suit. "And can you stop dragging me around, I can walk myself."
"Unfortunately it's illegal to let dogs roam around, I can kinda understand why now."
"Excuse me?" Tyson barked, clenching his fists. "I wasn't doing anything wrong. I can't help it if I'm a chick magnet."
Snorting, she whirled around clumsily to face him, having stopped walking in the process. "You're not a chick magnet, you're… chick repellent," Hilary chided, "Stinky, disgusting chick repellent."
"Yeah, and you're a bouquet of flowers," the boy waved her off, his eyes narrowed in anger. "I think you're just jealous."
"Of what, your amazing drive to help people out?" Hilary retorted, feigning interest. "They can have it for all I care."
Frowning further, Tyson asked, "What are you talking about?"
"You agreed to be my date and at the first sign of another woman…," she began, speaking intensely. He coughed rigidly in the midst of her sentence, causing Hilary to correct herself, "Fine, girl. At the very first sign of another girl you jump ship. What happened to all that chivalry stuff?"
"Chivalry?" he repeated incredulously, "I can't believe you just associated that word with me."
"I'm using it loosely."
"Just because I'm here with you doesn't mean I can't look at other women." If it had been in any other circumstance, Hilary would've laughed, the kind of laugh that made people fall to their knees holding their sides as tears slipped down their cheeks before drenching their clothes. But because today happened to be this day, it barely amused her that her Father once again crept into one of their discussions at a very awkward time. "Do you get me, Hil?"
"In all honesty, I don't think I ever will," she murmured, sending a sheepish smile past him at her Father. Mr. Tatibana still seemed fired up, glaring at the form of the unsuspecting boy in front of him with pure hatred. "Oh hello, Dad."
Tyson turned on his heels at this, facing a very unimpressed man that was slightly taller than him. "Hey, Mr. Tatibana. How's it going, you looking for a seat?" Hilary nearly gawked, trying to determine if he was trying to keep cool in a heated situation or if he truly didn't sense the danger he was in.
She panicked about her Father's retort, expecting something over the top and dramatic. He had a tendency to do that, although she considered herself lucky to not have picked up such a horrible quality. "Hilary," he replied icily, ignoring her date altogether, "We're sitting on the right. You and your…." Mr. Tatibana hesitated at this, making her pulse pick up as her mouth started to open with an objection of some sort. "You and Tyson can sit there too."
"Oh," she acknowledged, allowing the relaxation to roll down her spine. Her Dad nodded solidly before walking away briskly, Tyson stared after the figure, unsure of what happened. "Thanks Dad."
"What did you say to him?" the navy haired boy asked, swiftly turning his attention back at her. "One second he loves me, the next he hates my guts. What's the deal?"
"Maybe he had a lapse in judgement," Hilary offered, although he didn't buy it for a second. "Or he got the wrong impression."
"Yeah, from you," Tyson accused. "What did you tell him about me? What kind of horrible lie did you muster up and spread?"
She feigned disinterest, finding that suddenly she felt guilty. Somehow he had gotten the right information from the wrong idea and now Hilary couldn't decide whether she would really be lying to him. "That's ridiculous. He got it from you talking to your little mingling group."
"Right. That makes complete sense."
"Listen… can we just sit down and shut up?"
"Well I know I can…."
"Apparently."
"I don't even understand why you're angry," he scowled, deserting her once again. She growled in frustration, taking off with a wobble right behind him down the aisle. "It's not like people are mad at you for no reason."
"No reason?" she repeated with venom, her voice hissing as it tried to remain low. The last thing she wanted to do was make a show before the wedding, completely overshadowing the occasion. "I told you my reason."
"That has nothing to do with you," Tyson retorted with a snort, his voice was a few decibels louder than hers. "Okay, it does. But not really. You're not caring from your view, but through what other people think."
"Which is so different from you," the brunette shot back. "You don't care how I feel at all just how my Dad does."
"That is different. Apples and oranges. I still care about how I feel, and I feel your Dad's sudden mood swing is more of a burden than your harping. So shut it, will you?"
Stumbling over her words, Hilary snapped, "I'll shut you."
He ignored her, shrugging his shoulders. "I get why Max ran away now…. I don't know what you could've possibly told your Dad about him."
"I didn't tell him anything."
"And I didn't do anything wrong."
"Oh yeah right. Why can't you just admit you're wrong?" Without realizing it, Hilary had managed to shout the question rather loudly at the unimpressed boy. He looked back at her with wide eyes, gaping at the commotion she was causing. Slowly the world was catching up with her and the brunette soon realized everyone had stopped to watch her.
Tyson laughed nervously, turning a noteworthy shade of red. "Oh alright…," he added softly, stalking back to wrap an arm around her shoulders, "I'm wrong. You do love me more, so I should be the one to hang up first."
And with tight smiles, people picked up their own conversations deciding it was best to ignore them. Hilary also saw her Father standing in a row of chairs not far from them, jaw set with an embarrassed and furious mixed expression. It was enough to make her bow her head, letting Tyson lead the way.
"Why did you do that…?" she questioned cautiously, knowing they were clearly not on the best of terms. For the life of her, Hilary couldn't fathom why he would declare something like that to a group of strangers. He glanced down, his eyes showing he was trying to bury anger in an attempt to please her crowd.
"Your friends already think you're insane. All you have left is your family."
