(digs next present out of hamper)

Merry Christmas … Ray-Tiger-Cat! (Hands gift-wrapped fic and hugs)

I thought I'd do Tyson/Hilary for you - and everyone else who reads this - since it's one of my favourite pairings, and also one that I haven't really paid much attention to yet!

Please enjoy!

"Tyson, stop it!" Hilary groaned loudly at the wail of pain and stalked over to the quarrelling boys.

"Tyson Granger, put him down!" she demanded, hands on her hips and glaring fiercely. Tyson shot her an insolent look and hoisted Daichi even higher. There was a loud ripping noise, and Daichi fell to the floor with a crash, his underwear torn and exposing his behind. Turning away slightly to spare Daichi some shreds of dignity, Hilary fumed at Tyson's laughter. "Now look what you've done!" she yelled. Tyson shrugged and grinned at her.

"Chill out, it's just a joke!" With a quivering hand, Hilary pointed to where Daichi was just picking himself up, his little brown face burning with humiliation as he backed against the wall, holding his ruined trousers and underwear up, bottom lip trembling, eyes suspiciously shiny. Tyson looked abashed for a moment. "It was just a joke!" he repeated defensively.

Two years of irritation welled up inside Hilary, and as Tyson moved as if to walk away, she stepped in front of him. Right in front, too close to push away without stepping back, close enough to see every single eyelash, pore, and nervous twitch.

"Hil, what are you -"

"You listen to me, mister fat-head-I'm-the-best, and listen really well, ok?" Far from her usual infuriated screech, her voice was a soft, almost tender whisper. "You're acting like a spoilt kid. Do you really want the kind of attention your behaviour is getting? People like Kai, Brooklyn and Garland respect the person they fought and lost to, a mature, confident young adult. Not this. Not you."

The lavishly decorated room had fallen silent, everyone straining to hear. Tyson looked paralysed, wedged between anger, embarrassment and fear. "When you behave like this, Tyson," Hilary continued, her voice slowly rising, "like a nasty child who finds other people's misfortune funny, do you really think you're gaining any kind of respect from anyone?"

"I … Hil …"

"Did anyone else laugh with you when you were humiliating Daichi? Or did they all just laugh at the two most immature beybladers around?" Gathering his courage, Tyson pushed Hilary away a few steps.

"Shut up!" he yelled angrily, dark eyes blazing. Hilary stayed where she had been pushed, and it was with a jolt that the people standing nearest to her noticed the tears sliding silently down her cheeks.

"You're such a jerk, Tyson." she whispered. "What happened to that boy we all used to know and love?" A little electrified shudder ran through Tyson, and those near enough and perceptive enough to pick up on the glaring implications in that statement.

"Hilary …" Tyson reached out a hand, pleading, to no avail.

"Stupid brat!" Hilary hissed, her streaming eyes narrow and glittering. Turning, she fled out the main door, becoming a streak of brown and pink disappearing into the inky night.

-----

Bewildered, Tyson looked around for Max, cheerful, tactful, dependable Max who always stood by him. With a sinking heart, he remembered Max passing out during the earlier presentation: no one had seen him since.

Kai and Ray, the two that he could always count on to know exactly what was happening at any given time, had also disappeared, re-appearing only for interesting two rounds of Truth or Dare.

Helplessly, he looked at Kenny.

"Chief?" he asked uncertainly. As he looked at him, he suddenly realised just how little time he had spent with Hilary and Kenny recently. There had always been something happening, an interview, a child who wanted tips, proving that he could still stand his own against Daichi and Gary in an eating competition … little things that ate up his day and before he knew it, it was dark and Gramps was yelling for him to get inside.

Kenny shrugged with exaggerated nonchalance.

"She was kind of telling the truth, Tyson. Maybe you should go after her?" Tyson kicked the floor sullenly.

"Why? I don't even know what she's so upset about!"

"You're sixteen, Tyson." Mariah said acidly from across the room. "And you act like you're still thirteen."

-----

No one quite understood the look of intense unhappiness that crossed the World Champion's face just then.

"Well, maybe I wish I still was." Tyson muttered. Directing a baleful glare at the room in general, he stomped out, hands shoved deep into his pockets.

A shocked silence followed Tyson's moody departure. Tala was the first to break the silence, with a languid shrug and a heavily sarcastic,

"The intelligence of those two stuns me." There were murmurs of agreement.

-----

She was wearing a new coat, Tyson realised as he hung half out the doorway, not quite daring to go any further. It was an extraordinarily light pink, almost white, with a fluffy collar and hood. She looked good in it, just standing there with her back turned and her head tilted upwards, staring at the stars.

"Hilary?" He stepped fully outside, shivering slightly at the cold. She turned, her pale, delicate face damp and blotched scarlet.

"What?" she snapped. Tyson opened his mouth, and it hung there idiotically while he scrabbled for something to say.

"Nice coat." he managed feebly. "Is it new?" Mahogany eyes flashed.

"I've had it for two months."

"Oh." Defeated, Tyson ducked his head and scraped at the thin, powdery layer of snow on the ground with his foot, staring at the patch of brown he had uncovered. Hilary laughed, softly and sadly.

"Oh Ty, you're so stupid." It came out as a term of endearment, and Tyson looked up, a glimmer of hope alight in his face.

"Why am I stupid?" he demanded playfully.

"Oh, you want a list, do you?" She grinned as he backed away, one hand pressed to his chest theatrically. "You're greedy, you're clumsy, you're tactless, you're blind to what's right in front-" She cut herself off, found safer ground. "And you act like a hyperactive kid."

"You ever wondered why?" Tyson asked, a layer of casualness in his voice that didn't deceive Hilary for even a moment.

"No …" she replied, slowly. "Why?" Tyson shrugged self-consciously.

"Everyone likes kids." he mumbled. "And it's like, being a World Champ and famous and all that, I can't change." Hilary took a few steps closer, her head on one side like an inquisitive bird.

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously. Tyson flashed his trademark grin at her, but it faded quickly and he returned to studying the newly exposed ground.

"All of you are right, I do still act like I'm thirteen." Hilary looked at him expectantly.

"And this is why?" she prompted. Tyson rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"'Cause that's how people know me." he said at last. "When I first won the World Championships, that's who I was, this tactless little goofy kid with a stomach bigger than his blading talent. And people don't seem to realise that I've got older, I've got stronger, in blading and just normally, and, oh, I don't know, I've grown up, I s'pose." He grinned shamefacedly. "Bet you never thought you'd hear me say that, hey?"

"Nope." Hilary replied bluntly, smiling. "This is deep for you, keep it going!" Tyson pretended to glare at her.

"It's like, I've grown up but my image hasn't." he elaborated. "The public don't know who I am anymore, not who I really am. And maybe it was more fun being thirteen, and maybe I still want to be there again sometimes, but not all the time, you know?

"We know." Hilary said softly. "I know." Tyson looked up at her, surprise written all over his face.

"You know?" Hilary nodded.

"Why do you think I was so mad at you?" He shrugged and laughed sheepishly.

"'Cause I wouldn't listen to you?"

"Well, ok, that too." They laughed in unison. Teasingly, Tyson reached out and pushed the fur framing her face in to brush at her skin. Shaking her head, she laughed again. "Your hands are freezing!" Grinning widely, Tyson put his hand flat on her cheek. She let out a squeal and batted his hand away.

"Now who's being immature?" Tyson joked. She stuck her tongue out at him in a way that she remembered doing when she was tiny.

"Both of us!" she shot back. Her eyes widened. "Stop that!" She dodged away from Tyson's icy hands, provoking a chase that lasted for a full half an hour.

Breathless when they stopped, they stared at each other, happy in a way that neither of them had been for a long time.

"Let's go inside, before I get frostbite or something." Tyson decided, wrapping his arms around himself and shivering exaggeratedly. Eyes dancing, Hilary nodded.

With only the slightest hesitation, Tyson reached out his hand. With only the slightest hesitation, Hilary took it.

Their eyes met. And, with only the slightest hesitation, so did their lips.

Well? Did you like it? I was going to leave that last sentence out, but then I decided, oh, what the hell, put it in. A nice little clump for you all. (Clump- my name for fluff-fics under 2000 words) These little presents are my first real fluff for a long time, so I hope no one has found them lacking?

Ray-Tiger-Cat, I hope you liked it!

Please review! (hands everyone baubles)