Hello everybody. I've got a potential treat for you today. I wanted to write fluff recently so I started writing this during one of my classes. It's not really too fluffy, though; Kai and Hilary decided it would be a little steamy. I hope you like it.

Ray: Moonlight Serenity doesn't own Beyblade.

Kenny: She does own textbooks she should be reading, though.

Kai: On with the story!

Translations:

Jii-san – Grandpa (Granger)

A – oh

Hai – yes

Sumimasen – I'm sorry - thank you.

Baka ie – nonsense (I'm not)

E – what?

Daisuke desu – I like you

Strings

It was an incredibly hot day in late July. The heat was arid and unforgiving. The sun blistered in the sky; its rays weren't the least bit merciful and took no pity on the mortals below.

The wind was blowing softly and spinning small twisters in the sand. It pulled at the large, colorful beach umbrellas. It folded the corners of several towels and ruffled the edges of picnic blankets. It billowed through the hair of several merry beachgoers. It lapped at the sweat that cascaded down several warmed faces.

The combination of the heat and the wind were beginning to bother Kai. The ebb of the water wasn't particularly inviting because it would do little to soothe his tensed jaw. The wind was irksome. It provided very little relief from the heat. It tugged ruthlessly at the umbrella he sat beneath and caused it to frequently groan in protest.

The two forces of weather were creating a more significant nuisance, though. There was an even greater discomfort. The heat and wind also affected other beachgoers. Specifically, they bothered a pretty, petite brunette girl. The wind had pulled at the girl's flimsy wrap. It teased against her long, lean legs. When the heat became too great she had easily removed pale garment to reveal a tiny, frail, peach bikini that was only held together by loosely tied strings.

Kai suppressed a groan as she padded across the sand. He absolutely deplored her chosen swimsuit. It was so revealing. It hung low on her hips and clung to her sinuous curves. The bikini exposed nearly every arch, curve, and valley of her body. It divulged the results of years of physical training. The tone of her muscles was incredibly sensual and her soft limbs seemed very alluring. Kai shifted his weight uneasily.

It had been an entire year since he had seen the girl in such little clothing. They had only returned from BEGA tournament at the beginning of the month and had spent much of their time recuperating inland. They were waiting for the other participants to return home and recover from their various injuries.

Kai had never seen Hiromi in something so immodest. While the girl often worse shorts, small dresses, and midriff tops, she rarely wore anything any more revealing than those articles. He was used to seeing her flounce around in such materials. She generally chose one-piece bathing suits and covered her suit up with a slip, dress, or wrap. This indecency was nearly unbearable, though.

The wind brushed the strings of her tiny bikini across her tanning back. Kai nearly cursed aloud. The wind and heat were teasing him. They had forced her to strip down to nearly nothing and now they caressed that supple skin. He balled his hand into a tight, restraining fist. He ached to sweep his fingers over the same spot. He looked firmly away hoping to keep himself in check. He couldn't let go of control now.

Kai studied the horizon meticulously. He watched the tiny vessels cruise languidly through the deep, salty water. His brow furrowed when he observed the purple hue of the clouds many miles from his own location. There would surely be rain later in the day. It could even be a full-blown seaside storm. He looked toward his teammates again to see if any of them had noticed. The slight crease between Rei's brow indicated he had seen the storm. Max's fleeting glances toward the ocean implied he'd also noticed. Kai's eyes widened immeasurably when he looked at the sole female.

Hiromi was definitely a little preoccupied. She stood grimacing next to Takao. She called him an idiot loudly and gestured to Kyouju and his laptop. The bespectacled teen was attempting to remove the sand from his precious keyboard. She placed her hands on her waist and shifted her weight into her right hip. Her pliant lips pursed before she smiled maliciously. The powerful pose was both intimidating and sexy in her current state of dress. Kai wasn't the only one on the beach to notice, either, as several others had turned to find the source of the outburst and were quite pleased with it.

It was settled; he would not leave the beach before the girl departed. It was necessary he keep her safe from prying eyes and unwanted advances. It wasn't an option to leave her on the seashore alone. It would open too many possibilities. One of the foolish tourists could think she was unattached. He would have to standby to help them realize otherwise.

It wasn't exactly that Hiromi and he were seeing one another. They were together often, though. They both spent the majority of their time at Jii-san's. They grocery shopped and went to the bank together. They walked together late at night when neither could sleep or early in the morning before anyone else had awoken. They visited cafes together at odd hours of the night. They enjoyed the same nooks and crannies of the town together.

They'd first begun regularly spending their time together within a few months of their first meetings. In the beginning, they talked about the team. They talked about strategy, strengths, and weaknesses. They planned new, innovated methods of training. They chose which tournaments the group would participate. Seamlessly, their conversation took several new turns. They digressed into various topics. They spoke of their likes, dislikes, families, histories, politics, and art. They fell into conversation rather easily; well, more easily than was usual for Kai. He was still a little awkward, quiet, or hesitant.

They weren't a couple, but they were definitely attached, he thought as he looked toward the brunette. She wore an evil grin and Takao was cowering at her feet. Daichi cringed and moved behind the volleyball net. Hiromi glanced in the younger boy's direction. There was a calculating glint in her ruby eyes as she announced, "let's play volleyball."

Kai's eyes widened infinitesimally again. He wondered what the girl could possibly be thinking; was she out of her mind? In order to play volleyball, she would have to run, jump, dive, and more. She would sweat. She pulled her chocolate brown locks into a high ponytail; they would surely bounce teasingly. He almost growled as he looked her over; the only thing keeping her innocent were those insubstantial, welcoming strings.

When Takao invited him to play, Kai was finally broken from his lengthy reverie. Hiromi turned to him and she smiled encouragingly. Her large, ruby eyes were wide with excitement. How could he possibly deny the girl? She looked so welcoming. She looked so tempting. He stood from his place in the shade when he realized he had a bigger problem. He would have to ensure that no bystanders got the wrong idea about her. He would need to play on her team to keep her safe. She trotted toward him and he refrained from gulping; he was trying to smother the other part of him that wanted to watch her play from a more delectable vantage point.

The intent of the game became obvious very quickly. Hiromi was aiming to decimate Takao with her deadly spike. The capped boy trembled on the other side of the net. Hilary, Rei, and Kai made up one team. The other team consisted of Takao, Max, Kyouju, and Daichi. Takao clumsily dodged the majority of Hiromi's attempts to obliterate him in the sand.

Kai played well enough; anything that may resemble an error on his own part would be chalked-up as aloofness by his teammates. Only the dual haired captain would know why he was somewhat distracted; Kai found himself often watching the muscles on Hiromi's body flex. He couldn't even begin to forget about those feeble strings. They were taunting him.

The game itself was going fairly well. The former team was winning by a landslide, but Hiromi was becoming tired and the latter team was beginning to gain ground. The only thing that interrupted their play was Takao's shrill screams when Hiromi continued her onslaught and a loud, clap of thunder that rumbled overhead after they'd been playing for twenty minutes or so.

The wide grin that had spread across Hiromi's face during the game was wiped clean and replaced with a frown. The glint in her ruby eyes faded as their color darkened with slight apprehension. "Oh," she muttered mutedly. The ball thudded softly beside Takao. He and the rest of the team, save the captain, were gazing toward the heavens. Kai watched Hiromi's crestfallen gaze and frowned a little himself momentarily. He enjoyed her energetic smile much more than her puckered brow; however, he realized the oncoming storm was likely to call for less indecent attire for the pretty, lithe brunette girl. Kai was glad to know his torture would soon end.

The game dissipated within moments and the chores were divided up accordingly.

Takao, Rei, Max, Kyoujyu, and Daichi gathered a few things and headed toward the boardwalk. Takao and Max were on dinner duty. As a general rule, Hiromi cooked breakfast; however, she'd been late that morning because she'd had to find a swimsuit on very short notice when Takao hedged the evening before he wanted to go to the beach. Kai wished she'd had a little more notice: she might've had time to find something that wasn't nearly so alluring. As she'd missed her daily duty and Rei and Kyoujyu had filled in, she was stuck with beach clean-up duty.

The wind picked up as the storm approached and the strings of Hiromi's bikini brushed across her spine again. Kai shivered a little with suppressed desire. He shook his head in hopes of gaining resolve. He would stick around to help the brunette and watch out for her; it seemed a little too frivolous to leave her alone looking the way she did. The quiet blunette began to dig one of their beach chairs out of the sand.

The two worked silently together for several minutes. They each focused on several tasks. A soft harmony fell over them as they gathered supplies. Their actions and cooperation was easy. Everything went smoothly until the wind gusted severely. There was a large clatter behind Kai, a gasp, and a slightly distressed, "a."

Kai turned quickly toward his companion to assess the dangers of the situations. Could she be hurt or in trouble? He was surprised to find her lying on the sand next to the troublesome umbrella. It must've blown over when she'd tried to pack it away. She seemed unharmed. He approached the girl and extended his hand, but she merely regarded him with wide, fearful, sparkling ruby eyes.

The captain was confused for a moment. Why was the female coach regarding him in such a way? He didn't withdraw his hand, but she continued to neglect it. He considered her quizzically. Hiromi looked him in the eye, glanced away, and began to chew on her pale pink, lush, lower-lip. His confusion mounted as he pondered her nervous stare. He shifted uneasily as he watched her suck her succulent lip and attempted to halt her ministrations.

The girl only broke from her reverie when the captain called her name. She seemed very startled and her eyes seemed to convey a sense of dread. "Are you all right?" he asked. The older teen began to worry and looked for any signs of injury. The dual-haired beyblader turned away quickly when he noticed the root of the problem. His face heated up uncomfortably. "You're stuck," he stated. Kai's breathing hitched.

"H-hai," the girl said hesitantly. Hiromi Tachibana swallowed nervously. "I'm stuck," she repeated faintly.

"I can help," Kai tried to keep the husky tone from his voice, but Hiromi began to blush fiercely at his words. He steeled his resolve. The older boy crouched beside her. She was careful not to move. The pair didn't take a single breath. Kai's hands hesitated over Hiromi's back. He was much too afraid of giving into the sensations coursing through his being. He tried to work out any solution that didn't involve touching the girl or her pesky bikini strings! The blunette finally growled aloud and the girl shivered.

Kai found the entire day to be absolutely cruel. Hiromi's seductive flouncing had been maddening. It was painful to keep his hands away from her. He yearned to brush the sweet spot on her back. The blush on her cheeks made him warm. The way she worried her lip made him itch to brush those lips against her own. Now she was lying before him in desperate need of his aid. It would take all of his self control not to give over into such flippant desires like want or love.

While Kai pondered his heightened feelings, the girl in question lie perfectly still in the sand. When had his feelings for the lovely brunette become so powerful? It was hard to deny he was drawn to her. Somewhere along the lines of their companionship he'd grown rather attached to her, but he had never once dared to acknowledge his feelings before another being.

"I think I'll have to untie it," Kai muttered when no other solution presented itself. He realized if he allowed her to wiggle herself free there could easily be a slip. His own hands could ensure less embarrassment for the girl.

"O-okay," Hiromi looked skyward before closing her eyes. Neither of the pair took a breath through the entirety of the process. Kai's hands hovered over the skin of her upper back and slowly worked the bow loose. Once the top was untied, he moved to the notch on the umbrella where it was caught. He slackened the tension in the strings and unwound them carefully from the snare. When she was freed, he began to retie her bow. It was then he felt the skin he'd so desired to have under his fingertips. His callused hands grazed softly across her back and danced there as he tied a taut, tight knot. Hiromi's flesh pimpled eagerly.

As Kai finished the knot and helped the discomfited girl to her feet, he realized all of the strings that tied the two of them together. The way she blushed, smiled, and laughed all ensnared his heart. The way she jutted her hip out, dimpled, and swung captured his attention. The way they got on together enveloped him completely. He realized he was already tied to her.

The young girl finally lifted her ruby eyes from the sand. The teen's usual ferocity had vanished in the wake of her embarrassment. A red blush lingered on her cheeks. The younger girl's usual vociferous vivacity was replaced with mortified timidity. She met Kai's amethyst orbs shyly and bowed a little, "sumimasen."

"Baka ie," Kai muttered. The blunette pulled the coach against him and she gasped in surprise. Hiromi's widened ruby pools looked into the depths of Kai's own eyes. She was pressed to him vulnerably. Hiromi's skin was sun-warmed against his own alabaster flesh and Kai groaned.

"E?" The crushing force of Kai's rough mouth pressed against her own silenced Hiromi's question. The kiss was surprisingly soft. He wound his arms around her back and pressed her closer to his body. His lips worked against her supple mouth. Kai ran his tongue over her bottom lip to earn a better taste of Hiromi. The girl gasped and the older boy used this to his advantage. Hiromi melted into the kiss. Kai felt the girl's hands twine around his neck and finger the strands of his navy hair. He brushed his hands over the warm skin of her back and she shuddered pleasurably.

The kiss continued for several minutes. Hiromi was wrapped pleasantly in the swirl of her thoughts and Kai's arms. Kai realized she'd been longing for this as well. He felt her heart thundering against his chest. They stumbled backward and fell against the remaining beach chair. The older of the two twisted until he was atop the younger girl in the sand; however, he kept his weight off the smaller teen. As the kiss continued, Kai felt several refreshing droplets of water slide down his back, but did not halt the kiss. He twisted his hand into the strings Hiromi's bikini. When the summer storm began to pour upon them, they finally broke the kiss for air. Kai rolled from atop the girl and lie on his side. The pair stared into one another's eyes. "Daisuke desu," Hiromi panted.

Kai stared into the Hiromi's half-lidded eyes; the tempting girl lie before him propped on one elbow in the sand. Her dark lashes were heavy with rain, but her orbs were alight with emotion. Kai was no longer bothered by the weather. He followed the path of the rain down her curves and observed the way the sand stuck to her skin. He brushed his hand along the same path and she quaked beside him. He cupped his rough palm against her full check and pulled her face toward his own. "Daisuke desu," he breathed before pressing his lips against hers again.

There were ribbons and strings that tied Kai to Hiromi. They were taut, tight, and binding, They were strings that distracted and teased Kai relentlessly; however, he didn't mind them so much anymore.

Okay, I know it wasn't particularly incredible, but I enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoyed reading it. I might have to write a few more somewhat steamy stories. Thank you for reading - please review and let me know what you think :)

May God bless you,

Moonlight Serenity