Me: So this is Chapter 9! And no, the story is not over! We still have Tala's birthday left!
Disclaimer: See the last chapter cause I'm feeling hyperly (is that even a word?) lazy!
Recap of Last Chapter
"You wanna just stand still?"
"Yes,"
"Alright then," Tala smiled. A tap on his shoulder made him look over his shoulder. His eyes clouded over with confusion and then they widened when he recognized the figure behind him.
End Recap
"M-Mikhael?!" Tala said surprise evident in his features but he never once let go of Johnny. "You're…you're alive?"
"Yeah, look I'm sorry…" Mikhael said. "I know, it's stupid of me to come to your boyfriend's masquerade after abandoning you but-"
"Would you just shut up already?" Tala demanded. "Wait, when did you find out that Johnny's my boyfriend? You hated beyblading in the abbey." Mikhael grinned sheepishly and motioned to a lady walking up to them with a red mask and a mostly red dress that was decorated with black flowers.
"I kept tabs on you, making sure you were okay… but after the third world championships, I lost track of you… but Emeline, my fiancé is a big fan of beyblading and she looked deeper into your history and here you are," Mikhael said. "Here both of you are…"
"So why now?" Tala demanded. "Why now after all this time?"
"Because…I wanted to let you know I was alive too," Mikhael sighed. "I just wanted to see you again- in person. I'll see you around-"
"If you think you're going anywhere, I'm going to hurt you," Tala threatened. "I can do so without letting go of Johnny and I can dump the punch bowl over you in five steps."
"The same dry humor as always," Mikhael smiled. Tala smirked.
"So are you two gonna hug each other or just stand there and smirk and each other?" Emeline asked. The brothers shrugged and gave each other a quick hug, one smirking, the other smiling. We know who was doing what.
"So…time for proper introductions?" Johnny asked. "And you never told me you had a brother, Tala Ivanov."
"I didn't think it'd be of importance…" Tala grinned nervously.
"Oh, you'd better hope that-" Johnny hissed.
"Johnny, Mikhael, Mikhael, Tala, Mikhael's fiancé, I'm sure you know of Johnny's temper from the news so…" Tala said very fast and grabbed Johnny's lower back, his shoulder, and spun them several steps away before kissing Johnny to make him shut up.
"I hate it when you do that," Johnny panted.
"No you don't," Tala smirked.
"Thanks, again," Kai said. "For coming to my rescue."
"Thank Rei and Claude for bringing me here," Miguel smiled. "I almost didn't come."
"I'm glad you did," Kai smiled. "What made you decide to?"
"Don't ask," Miguel muttered. "Let's just say that I'm not letting you go into someone else's arms- ever." A realization bell went off in Kai's head. Someone had played the admirer card…again.
"Well then," Kai smirked, "Wanna show me how possessive you are?" Miguel nodded and smirked, closing the gap between him and Kai.
"Finally!" Tala shouted from across the room. The startled bladers looked up in surprise and glared at Tala.
"Shut up, Ivanov!" Kai shouted back.
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Both of you!" the other bladers minus Tyson and Miguel shouted. Kai and Miguel shrugged before Kai led Miguel to meet Tala and Johnny at a midpoint between them.
"Should we shut up?" Kai asked.
"I should hope not," Tala scoffed. "Who else would keep this place exciting like us?"
"So what should we tell them?" Kai smirked.
"Oh, I think we both know…" Tala smirked back.
"No!" they shouted back. The other bladers shook their heads and then Johnny looked at Robert who had put a hand on his shoulder.
"So how'd it go?" Johnny asked.
"Oh, well you know, the usual…he threatened to disown you, I threatened him…"
"So did he disown me?"
"I said it was the usual," Robert said. "No, no he did not. And it's very uncouth to shout across the room."
"Yeah, yeah," Tala said.
"Whatever," Kai agreed.
"It's about time they got together," Oliver said, spinning around and back to Bryan as they danced.
"It is," Bryan said. "Good thing they got Miguel here before he could leave for Barcelona."
"I never knew you could dance…"
"There are a lot of things you don't know about me," Bryan said simply. Oliver raised his eyebrow.
"Really?"
"But you'll find out about them…well, most of them," Bryan smirked. Oliver rolled his eyes and Bryan's smirk grew before he leaned down to kiss Oliver, who responded readily.
"So everything worked out," Claude said.
"It did, didn't it?" Rei said. "But there's one thing I forgot to ask..."
"What might that be?" Claude asked.
"Do you care to dance with a neko-jin?" Rei grinned with cat like similarity. Claude laughed and nodded, taking Rei's waiting hand as they moved to the dance floor.
"I didn't know you could dance," Claude said.
"Uh..."
"Wait, you can dance, right?"
"Nope,"
"I'll teach you," Claude rolled his eyes but he was still smiling.
"That was interesting," Spencer said.
"It was, wasn't it? Although I suppose I have to check on Ty-" he was about to walk to his younger brother but Spencer took his hand and pulled him to his chest. "Spencer?"
"You can do that later," Spencer said. "Right now, I want you all to myself." Hiro blushed and allowed himself to be swept into Spencer's arms for a dance.
"So...I take it that I get to see more of you?" Hiro asked.
"You do...I'm moving into my own apartment soon, to give the guys more space. I want you to come and live with me...if you want to," Spencer said hesitantly.
"Want to? I'd love too!" Hiro said. Spencer smiled and captured Hiro's lips in a gentle kiss.
"How did you convince me to miss our ride home?" Aaron grumbled.
"There will be food," Matilda said. "Besides, I wanted to check up on them."
"Hey, what're you two doing here?" Miguel asked, spying his two other teammates.
"Oh, it worked!" Matlida squealed, giving Miguel and Kai both quick hugs. "Where's Johnny?" Kai pointed to the red head conversing with Tala and two other people, one who strangely looked like Tala. She ran over to Johnny and hugged him.
"It worked! It worked!" she said.
"It did, didn't it?" Johnny grinned, hugging her back.
"Hey..." Tala growled.
"Relax Tala," both Matilda and Johnny said at the same time.
"They're related, didn't you know?" someone from behind them hummed.
"Kane!" Matilda said, throwing her arms around him and he readily hugged her back.
"So are they a couple?" Miguel asked.
"I want to say yes...but I don't even know how they know each other," Kai said.
"Come with me," Miguel said. Kai leaned his head to the side and allowed Miguel to lead him outside into the gardens.
"What is it?" Kai asked when Miguel stopped.
"Kai Hiwatari, I love you," Miguel began.
"I love you too," Kai smiled. Miguel smiled back.
"I love you and I've wanted to be with you for a very long time...I'm not sure if we're official yet or if you want to but... will you go out with me?" Miguel asked. Kai smiled a smile that only Miguel was able to see and nodded. Miguel grinned and kissed Kai fully on the lips and even as the fireworks went off in the background or the bladers and other guests whistled and shouted things in encouragement, nothing could ruin this moment. In fact, they just made it better.
"So it looks like everyone here got their happy ending," Kane commented.
"They did but what about you and Jim?" Matilda asked.
"We got ours too," Kane smiled mysteriously. "What about you and Enrique?"
"He won't be flirting with any other girl any time soon," Matilda smiled.
"You're just the girl to tame that playboy," Kane smirked.
"And you're just the guy to get that genius away from his books," Matilda said. "Kane, you know you're my best friend right?"
"And you know that you're mine, right Matti?" Kane teased. "Now, may this best friend of yours who is forever in your debt and vice versa have this dance?" He bowed and held out his hand.
"He may," Matilda giggled, taking his hand.
"You two...are cousins?" Tala asked, his eye twitching. "And you never once bothered to tell me?"
"I didn't think it was important,"
"Johnny,"
"It slipped my mind,"
"Johnny,"
"Alright, it made you jealous,"
"Johnny,"
"Fine! I liked the attention!"
"Johnny,"
"It made you pay more attention to me!"
"Johnny,"
"You acted over protective!"
"Johnny,"
"I like it when you act over protective!"
"Johnny,"
"What?! What else is there?!"
"Nothing," Tala smirked, pulling Johnny by his waist to crush him against his chest in a protective hold.
"I love you," Johnny whispered as if he was afraid Tala wouldn't respond. Tala smirked and leaned next to Johnny's ear.
"I love you too," he whispered back. "And I always will, forever and a day."
"That's corny," Johnny said.
"But it works,"
"You're right...it does work," Johnny said before raising himself up on his toes and pressing his lips gently to Tala's. But they broke apart when a familiar voice began talking.
"Your attention please!" Mr. McGregor said into a microphone. "Well, I hope your all enjoying this party." There were sounds of encouragement through the crowd. "This masquerade was supposed to give me reason to tear my son and his...lover apart."
There were sounds of disapproval and Tala glared at the man. Mr. McGregor held up his hand again and it became silent.
"But I see now, the error of my ways. Johnny, Tala...can you two find it in your hearts to forgive me? I would very much like to be apart of your lives and find out how you can be so loyal to each other even under the disapproval of your father, Johnny," he said. "So will you accept my apology?" Johnny looked at Tala who nodded slightly and the auburn haired teen walked swiftly to his father and hugged him. Tala walked over more slowly then Johnny did, taking his time.
"Tala?" Johnny said.
"Mr. McGregor, I'm glad you approve of our relationship," Tala said slowly. "But I want you to know...that with or without your approval, I will continue to love your son and I hope he will return my feelings for as long as I promised him I would." Mr. McGregor nodded slowly and held his other arm out but Tala held up a hand.
"Let's just stick with a handshake for now. I don't like hugs when my brother gives them to me and I sure as hell don't need all this sappy soap opera stuff," Tala said.
"Tala, my boy, you read my mind," Mr. McGregor smiled, shaking his hand.
"Wait, does that mean you don't like hugs from me?" Johnny asked.
"No, I love yours," Tala said.
"Stupid wolf," Kai muttered.
"You have to admit though, he has a way with people... and words," Miguel said. Kai nodded.
"Miguel..."
"Hm?"
"I love you,"
"Love you too," Miguel said, pulling Kai close. "And nothing will ever change this."
"But Tala really is right about one thing..." Kai mused.
"And what's that?" Miguel asked.
"This has all been like some sappy soap opera!"
Me: I like this chapter! What do you guys think? And in the anime/manga, Johnny and Matilda aren't really cousins I just threw that in there.
Kai: The story isn't done. We still have Tala's birthday party left. And if you're confused about the day, don't worry...she is too.
Me: Shh! Don't tell them that! They're not supposed to know!