Hello, Mausis! :D Your comments never fail to brighten my day, thank you so much for your unwavering support! :')

I know the chapter title is super cliché, but I've been stuck in a bit of a creative rut lately, especially with everything else I have on my plate right now. To make things trickier, my brain keeps buzzing with ideas for other storylines. One idea I've been toying with is writing a collection of drabbles exploring my take on Hikaru and Kyoya's backgrounds and family history - a mix of heart-warming and tear-jerking moments from their childhoods.

Since these ideas are entirely my own and definitely not cannon, I'm a little hesitant to incorporate them into this story. I (mostly!) try to stay within the realm of canon here (though my interpretation of their pasts and baggage will be mentioned to a slight extent here), and I don't wanna overload the main plot with too many side arcs. Still, would a separate compilation of these one-shots be something you'd enjoy? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The playlist for this chapter:

Tyler the Creator ft Kali Uchis - See you again

The Killers - Somebody Told Me (obsessed with this song)

Chris Isaak - Wicked Game

Chapter 13 - Touch Without Touching

26th June

The forest was serene and cloaked in shadows, the only sounds breaking the silence were the occasional rustle of leaves and the soft hoots of owls in the distance. Hikaru shifted in her spot, trying to fight the pull of sleep as the moonlight barely illuminated their makeshift observation post on the branch. Behind her, Kyoya sat leaning against the tree with his arms crossed and legs sprawled, the very picture of stoic albeit sleepy endurance. Over time, Hikaru had adjusted to this less grumpy version of him, though his natural resting face still gave off a gruff, unapproachable vibe. She figured his face was naturally built for intimidation, no matter what mood he was in. Right now, he was clearly trying to steal a micro-nap, and Hikaru couldn't blame him for it. Between their gruelling training regimen and these endless night shifts, fatigue clung to them like a second skin.

Whilst by day the pair had been more than productive in their training, their behaviour during nighttime hours was becoming progressively undisciplined. With the monotony of their stakeouts, combined with the frustrating lack of actionable leads on infiltrating the enemy's base, the two teenagers didn't have any options left, so Kyoya would usually doze off, while Hikaru numbed her boredom by scrolling endlessly through her phone.

But tonight doom-scrolling didn't do the trick for Hikaru. Sighing in resignation, the bluenette shoved her phone in her pocket and spun to face her partner. She sat cross-legged, toying with the laces of her sneakers, reluctant to approach the snoozing King of Beasts. Big cats were known to attach much importance to their naps, and she didn't want her face to become a scratch-post.

Even so, Hikaru had a different agenda for after their night shift, something her partner couldn't catch wind of. She needed to sell the idea that she was just trying to stay awake by chatting idly, not that she had anything planned in advance.

"Sunshine," Hikaru began softly, her voice breaking the silence like a ripple in calm water.

"Don't." Kyoya already knew what his partner wanted, so his response was immediate, sharp, and delivered without even opening his eyes.

Hikaru somehow still managed to roll her sleep-heavy eyes, persistent. "Don't what? Speak? Think? Breathe?"

"Don't yap," he replied gruffly, tilting his head up and scowling like he's already trying to tune her out.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" she shot back, stretching her arms out in front of her. "Sit here in silence and stare at the dark until my brain melts? C'mon, we have to do something to stay awake."

Kyoya's sky-blue eyes opened slightly, giving her an unamused look. "We're on a stakeout, not a slumber party."

Hikaru groaned, planting her hands behind her as she leaned back, staring up at the tree canopy above them. Trying to get Kyoya to talk was like dragging a mule across a bridge. But she wasn't one to back down from a challenge, especially when she was determined to wring information out of the blader. "You make it sound like I'm asking for a lot here. I just wanna… talk." she mumbled, fixing him with a dry look. "And don't act like you're not bored out of your mind either."

Kyoya didn't answer immediately, his expression unreadable as always. Of course, he'd rather watch paint dry than admit she was right. Hikaru could practically see the wheels turning in his head, weighing whether it was worth the effort to respond or if he could just ignore her.

"Fine," the greenhead sighed with weary annoyance while rubbing the sleep from his eyes, like he'd rather do anything else than this, but has accepted anyway just so his partner would leave him be. "What do you wanna talk about?"

Hikaru had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep the triumphant grin off her face. She tapped her chin, pretending to mull it over thoughtfully. She knew she had to tread carefully because Kyoya was like a hunting dog, capable of sniffing out lies and nonsense with uncanny precision. Best to keep it casual. "Hmm... Oh, I know! What's it like studying at UTokyo?"

Kyoya raised a brow, his initial resistance giving way to an answer that sounded almost conversational. "It's... fine. The professors don't care if you show up, but the classes are brutal. Half the students are competing to be the smartest person in the room. Survive that, and yeah, it's worth it."

"Sounds... exciting," Hikaru admitted, lips curving upward in genuine interest and an undeniable spark of admiration in her eyes. She knew Kyoya was exactly the type to thrive in this kind of intense environment. "Everyone says studying there is easy, it's just getting in that's the hard part. I've heard horror stories about the exams. Like, people fainting under the pressure. I can't imagine what that was like for you."

To her surprise, Kyoya frowned, a crease forming between his brows. She wasn't sure why her words had elicited that reaction, but for Grumpzilla here anything was a good reason to scowl. "You don't know?"

The bluenette simply shook her head. But his assumption was understandable; after all, being peers, it stood to reason that he'd think she'd already used up her only opportunity to apply to UTokyo last year when they graduated. "Between school and work, I couldn't afford cram school or a tutor. I knew I wouldn't stand a chance without one, so I didn't waste my one shot applying at a place where the best of the best compete. Instead, I applied at Kyoto University and got in. But I took a gap year to give UTokyo a shot. If I don't make it now, I'll head to Kyoto in the spring. At least this way, I'll know I tried."

Kyoya chewed over something he didn't say, at least, not right away, only staring at Hikaru with that blank expression she could never decipher. His silence stretched just long enough for her to wonder if he was judging her decision, or worse, about to tease her for it. But when he finally spoke, his voice was low and grudging, almost as if the compliment had to be pulled out of him with a hook. "Smart."

Hikaru arched an eyebrow, taken aback by the unexpected compliment. Praise from the King of Beasts was rare, which meant she ought to recognize its value when it came her way. "Thanks?"

Kyoya gave a faint shrug, as if he hadn't just surprised her. "Planning for a backup isn't dumb. But," he added, fixing her with a pointed look, "you better make it into UTokyo."

Hikaru squinted at him, suspicious and unable to suppress a teasing smile. "Why do you care if I get in or not?"

A sharp tch escaped Kyoya's mouth, but his signature smirk completely undermined the act. "Because if you screw up the exam, it'll look like I didn't teach you anything worth a damn in advanced math. And I'm not about to let anyone think I'm a crappy tutor."

Hikaru blinked at him, caught off guard and unable to stop the incredulous scoff that slipped past her lips. Try as she might, the bluenette couldn't dismiss the gut feeling that Kyoya's true motivation wasn't as simple as he claimed but rather the prospect of them studying at the same place. She wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. "That's why you care?"

"Damn right," The blader pulled his knees to his chest, his arms draped loosely over them with an air of effortless self-assurance. "If I'm putting in the effort, you better make it count. Otherwise, it's a waste of my time."

For a moment, Hikaru didn't know whether to laugh, roll her eyes, or take it as the backhanded compliment it was. Instead, she settled on narrowing her eyes at him with a mock glare, playing along. "Oh, so now my academic success is about your reputation?"

Kyoya's smirk deepened. "You're catching on."

Hikaru gave him a wry smile, shaking her head, before steering the conversation with deliberate intent in another direction. "So, you've battled just about everyone worth mentioning." Hikaru said across a yawn. "What's your opinion on the best strategy? Overwhelming power or precision and speed?"

Kyoya shot her a sidelong glance, clearly suspicious of her sudden interest in his thoughts. "Why? You writing a book or something?"

Hikaru rolled her eyes. "Can't I just ask you a question without an interrogation?"

Kyoya shrugged, also yawning funnily enough. "Power wins. If you can crush your opponent before they can react, it doesn't matter how fast or precise they are."

The bluenette nodded thoughtfully, trying to keep a neutral expression. He had no idea she was already taking his advice to heart for her secret project. "What about misdirection? Like creating decoys or making your opponent think you're going one way, then striking from another angle?"

"Depends," Kyoya scratched his jaw, thinking for a moment before responding. "If your decoys are convincing enough, it could work. But if they're flimsy, you're just wasting energy. A good blader will see through that in seconds."

Hikaru tilted her head, pretending to consider his words while mentally filing them away and sensing that Kyoya was warming up to the topic. "Flimsy, huh?" she echoed, feigning offence. "You're saying I'd waste energy on something that doesn't work?"

Kyoya's cocky expression stayed in place, a tad more teasing now. "I'm saying you overthink. You try to make everything perfect when sometimes all you need is to trust your instincts."

Hikaru rolled her eyes, but her playful smile didn't falter. Such a typical response from a guy that calls himself the ruler of the animal kingdom. "And what if your instincts are wrong?"

Kyoya leaned closer with equal parts vindictiveness as nerve for daring to challenge the accuracy of his intuition. "Mine aren't."

The heat of his confidence was almost infectious, and Hikaru found herself also leaning forward, forgetting for a moment that this was supposed to be subtle research for her own technique. "Okay, then let's say you're up against someone who's just as strong, just as fast, and just as intuitive as you. What's your move?"

The blader sneered, but this time it carried that edge of arrogance that always made her want to punch him in the arm. "You outlast them. Pressure them until they crack. Nobody's perfect, and eventually, they'll slip up. That's when you strike."

Hikaru's brows furrowed. "But what if they don't crack? What if they're just as good at holding their ground as you are at pressuring them? You can't always rely on brute force to win."

"It's not brute force, it's tactics," Kyoya corrected. "If you're good enough, you make them crack. You don't wait for them to hand you an opportunity; you create it."

The secretary scoffed, crossing her arms. "But that's risky! What if the opening you think you see is a trap? You'd walk right into it and lose the whole match. Sometimes it's better to play it safe and wait for a real opportunity, instead of forcing something that might not exist."

Kyoya shook his head, a laugh escaping him, not mocking, but definitely condescending. "Playing it safe gets you nowhere. It's the kind of thinking that keeps you from winning. Hesitation is what costs matches, not risks."

Hikaru bristled. "There's a difference between hesitation and caution, Sunshine! Not everyone fights like a reckless animal, throwing themselves at their opponent. It's better to–"

"You're wrong." Kyoya interrupted her mid-sentence, his voice firm.

"Let me finish!" Hikaru snapped.

Kyoya looked exactly like a cat that got the cream. "I always let you finish."

If Hikaru had been drinking at that moment, she would've chocked. If she'd been walking, she would've tripped. But Hikaru was doing neither so she only froze, her brain stumbling over the double meaning laced in his words. The smug look on Kyoya's face told her he knew exactly how it sounded, and the casual confidence with which he delivered it made her stomach flip in a way that had nothing to do with anger.

"E-Excuse me?" she stammered, her face on fire.

No way. There's no way he meant it like that. Kyoya never messes around…right?

"Your arguments," Mr. Smugness clarified, but the way the curve of his mouth turned to a full grin told Hikaru he knew exactly what he'd implied. "What'd you think I meant?"

Ah, you cocky jerk. Don't even try to pretend you didn't know how that sounded!

Hikaru had convinced herself she'd grasped the rule of always expecting the unexpected from people, especially her partner. He had a knack for throwing curveballs, giving a middle finger to anyone foolish enough to think they'd pinned him down. She understood the game, but she wouldn't let herself be the victim of his antics—especially not when he clearly enjoyed ruffling her feathers and had succeeded all too well.

That's why Hikaru forced herself to pull herself together and gave her partner a derisive smile that was meant to be a cover for her more sincere embarrassment. "Nothing."

Kyoya was about to reply when the first streaks of dawn began to creep over the horizon, painting the sky in soft shades of pink and orange. Hikaru blinked, surprised by how quickly time had passed.

"Is that—?" she started, her eyes fixated on the colourful sky.

"The sunrise," Kyoya said, his tone unexpectedly gentle.

They sat in silence for a moment, the morning sun casting a golden glow over the forest and surrounding mountains. Hikaru glanced at Kyoya out of the corner of her eye, feeling her stomach twist in unease. In many ways, she felt closer to him than ever before, yet that closeness only magnified how far apart they truly were. Knowing more about Kyoya didn't bring clarity; instead, it revealed just how much of him remained beyond Hikaru's reach, leaving her more perplexed the more she thought she knew.

Stealth had always been one of Hikaru's greatest strengths, and now it was her ally in her secret sneak-out while her partner was snoring away in his room. She moved through the suite with soundless precision, her light steps quick and purposeful as she slipped unnoticed into the hallway and then out of the hotel.

The training grounds were eerily quiet, the usual din of clashing beys and shouts of encouragement replaced by the soft trickle of the river running alongside the edge. It felt so weird to be alone here. Hikaru breathed in the fresh morning air, feeling the cool breeze brush against her skin. She stood near the stream, Aquario clutched tightly in one hand, her launcher in the other.

Three days. That's all Kyoya had given her. Three days to create a new special move and prove herself worthy of his respect, and more importantly, of sharing their secret with her friends. She'd made up her mind to exceed his expectations, to knock him off his high horse and show him what she was capable of. Yet now, as she stood alone, the weight of her task pressing on her shoulders, the once-clarifying focus she had begun to fray at the edges.

With a determined exhale, Hikaru gripped the launcher as tightly as she could without her fingers trembling. Concentrate, she told herself, but the voice in her head sounded shaky, unconvincing. She inhaled deeply, aligning her stance. "Alright, Aquario," she murmured under her breath, her voice trembling. "Let's do this."

The bluenette mounted Aquario onto her launcher, the click of the bey settling into place, but the sound echoed like a crack of thunder in her mind, triggering an uninvited memory. Suddenly, it wasn't Aquario and her envisioned special move in her mind anymore, it was the memory of her last battle with Ryuga.

The dark arena. The oppressive, suffocating energy of the dark power.

Hikaru's breath hitched, her grip loosening involuntarily. In her mind's eye, she saw Ryuga's feral grin, heard his maniacal laughter as clearly as if he were right behind her.

"You're nothing. A weakling," his voice taunted, cold and cutting. "You'll never escape. You'll never be enough."

Hikaru's chest tightened painfully, as though the weight of his words were a physical blow. Her stomach churned violently, and her knees felt like they were about to give way. She tried to take another breath, but it hitched, her lungs refusing to cooperate. Her vision blurred, her surroundings spinning in chaotic circles as her muscles froze in place.

"Stop it," Hikaru whimpered, but her voice was barely audible, drowned out by the phantom laughter that rang in her ears. Her grip on the launcher faltered again. She crouched down, arms wrapping around her knees as though she could shield herself from the storm in her mind.

This isn't real, she thought. This isn't happening again.

But her body wouldn't listen. Her trembling hands wouldn't stop shaking. Her heart wouldn't stop pounding. The past wouldn't stay where it belonged. Her lips trembled as her breaths coming in shallow gasps. Then without intending to, like a knee-jerk reflex that Hikaru had acquired over prolonged Yoyo-exposure, a single thought sprang into her mind.

How would Kyoya react if he saw me like this?

Her eyes snapped open. The answer came to her instantly. Not embarrassment. Not fear. Just clarity.

Kyoya wouldn't care about her panic or her past mistakes. He'd sneer, scoff, and tell her to get up. And not in a way that dismissed her struggle, but in a way that demanded she rise above it. He'd never let something like this stop him. And suddenly, for the first time in minutes, the oppressive weight lifted. L-Drago and Ryuga began to dissolve from her mind, their haunting echoes fading like mist under sunlight. She imagined Kyoya standing beside her, arms crossed with that sharp, no-nonsense look in his eyes.

"Get a fucking grip..." she could almost hear the King of Beasts say, eyes narrowing in focus. "You're better than this."

Hikaru's fingers tightened around the launcher, her knuckles whitening as the shaking in her hands stilled. She rose to her feet, her legs still quivering but no longer paralysed. This time, when she aligned her stance, she felt the quiet strength of Kyoya's imagined presence beside her. It wasn't about relying on him, she realized. It was about channelling the same unyielding determination he carried into battle.

"Alright, Aquario," she murmured again, but this time her steadier, her resolve firm. Aquario was her constant companion, her weapon, her most trusted friend. It won't let her down. "Let's create that whirlpool."

The secretary closed her eyes, imagining the vortex she had envisioned during her battle with Kyoya. Finally, she pulled the ripcord with all her strength.

"Go, Aquario!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the thick air.

Aquario shot forward, streaking across the air with blinding speed, hitting the surface of the river and immediately spinning across the water's surface, sending small ripples outward. Hikaru watched intently as Aquario glided, its movements fluid and deft.

Her bey couldn't control wind, but it could create currents in the water, a whirlpool-like move. If Hikaru could get Aquario to generate enough force in the water, she might be able to trap her opponents similarly, pulling them into the vortex and rendering them defenseless.

It was a long shot, but it was worth trying.

"Alright... let's see what we can do." Hikaru said, tightening her grip on her launcher. She steadied herself, focusing on the river before her. The water was calm, undisturbed. She needed to change that.

Aquario picked up speed, its momentum building as it spun faster across the water. Slowly, the ripples grew larger, the water starting to churn around her bey. Hikaru could feel it, Aquario was starting to create its own current, pulling the water along with it.

Her heart raced in anticipation as she watched the water swirl more intensely, the beginnings of a whirlpool forming around Aquario. It wasn't perfect yet, but it was something. She was getting closer.

But she needed more.

Hikaru launched Aquario again, this time with even more force, determined to push her bey to its limits. The surrounding water reacted, swirling faster, more aggressively. The whirlpool was forming now, pulling at the surface of the river, creating a visible spiral in the water.

"Yes..." she whispered, excitement bubbling up inside her.

Aquario was now thriving in its element, adapting to the water currents and using them to its advantage. Hikaru grinned to herself, feeling a rush of exhilaration. This was it. If she could perfect this move, she could stand a chance against Kyoya, or at least give him a hard time.

Hikaru kept on practising, pushing her bey to generate stronger and stronger whirlpools. The more she launched, the more control she gained over the technique. Her bey was starting to respond instinctively to the currents, manipulating the flow of the river.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Hikaru called Aquario back and caught it in her hand. Her face was flushed, and her hair was matted to her forehead with sweat. She had a satisfied grin on her face, knowing that she was getting closer to perfecting her new special move. She knew she was onto something, a new and powerful technique that could tilt the scales in her favour. It may not have been perfected yet, but it was a tantalizing taste of what was to come, and it fuelled her determination to master it.

Her heart was still racing, though not just from the thrill of her success. Hikaru bit back a laugh as a wave of realization hit her. How had she ever doubted herself like that? The fear, the uncertainty, those had been the real obstacles, not her lack of skill. All this time, she'd let L-Drago and the dark power cripple her, convince her that she couldn't keep up, that she never had a chance of being a strong blader to begin with. She'd let it haunt her, made herself small in the face of something that should've pushed her to fight harder. But now… now she saw the truth.

"Good job, Aquario," the bluenette whispered with a soft smile. "We're almost there. We're gonna give Kyoya hell!"

Upon saying that, the bluenette stilled.

Kyoya. None of this would've happened without him.

As the thought settled in, Hikaru felt a wave of conflicting emotions wash over her. Kyoya had been the driving force behind her return to beyblading, pushing her to get back into the game instead of coddling her like the rest. She'd watched him battle with that unwavering confidence, that fierce determination that made him impossible to ignore. And when she needed guidance, he was there, despite his abrasive nature and constant temper tantrums. He saw something in her, something she hadn't even seen in herself for a long time.

Hikaru swallowed hard, her throat tightening with an unforeseen, overwhelming gratitude. But beneath it, something else bubbled up, something that made her pulse quicken in a way that had nothing to do with her beyblade. And Hikaru had a hunch she was in trouble.

I plead guilty to the charges of using this fic as Hikaru's redemption arc. And I regret NOTHING

After writing this chapter I realized just how much my English has given away because of my German :') Can't believe it took me as long as it did to remember the English translation for ansprechen *face palm*

I so hate to say that I'll be late with the next update already but I'll be moving these next two weeks. Yes, I know, the timing is impeccable. Finding a moving service right around the holidays was a nightmare, but I don't have another option unfortunately :( I'll still try my best to upload at least one more chapter before Christmas! See you next time :D