A/N: This is my first BB fic and my fist venture into the world of shounen-ai, so I hope it wasn't too dull. This is for the KaixReiML fic rush challenge.

Disclaimers: I own absolutely nothing.

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More Than Words Can Say

Rei fingered the withered photograph in his pant pocket, brushing his fingers over the once smooth texture of it. The little piece of memory had been with him for a long time, forever it seemed. He did not remember how he had it, nor why, only that it was always with him. He remembered when he would stay up during the cold, winter nights, simply looking at the picture, memorizing every line and curve. The picture had travelled with him wherever he went. It had been with him when he left China and his home with the White Tigers, his family. It was there, safely nestled in his breast pocket when he stepped into the world of professional Beyblading. It was still there with him during every match he'd entered and under his pillow at another random hotel.

Rei sighed, a puff air, barely audible above the din in the Bey Stadium. The match had been halfway through, with Takao playing against some guy. Rei hadn't bothered learning his name, after all, they would likely never meet again, why waste the memory space? Takao, as per usual, was bouncing on the soles on his feet, jabbing his fists into the air and sending an occasional taunt toward his opponent.

"You can do it, Takao!" Max, the vivacious blonde, cheered, jumping to his feet.

Rei glanced around at his teammates, being careful to conceal his gaze behind his raven mane. Kenny was sitting on the bench beside him, trying to both type on his laptop and look fully engrossed with the battle at the same time. Max was now stifling giggles at Takao's almost comical face. And Kai... Kai had disappeared.

Rei frowned, a look not well suited on the handsome youth. Creasing his brows in concentration, he let his topaz gaze scan over the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of blue hair and cherubic face. There were none. Kai was a very private person, a cold, hardened enigma. He wanted nothing to do with the rest of the Breakers, wanted nothing to do with human contact. Rei had understood that ever since they first met. Still, that didn't stop him from wanting to know more about his taciturn leader. Besides, it was very much unlike Kai to willingly miss a battle that he had an opportunity to critique later.

'There must be something important go on then,' opined Rei, and used that as an excuse to leave the stadium. He told Kenny he was leaving, to which the bespectacled boy nodded absent-mindedly.

Outside the arena, in the maze-like corridors, Rei used his feline senses to search for Kai. At first, he detected nothing, but then his sharp nose picked up a faint scent. It was musky and reminded him of ocean waves during a storm, luring, calling him. It was very definitely male, and definitely belonged to Kai, Rei knew. From the many times Rei had shared rooms with the bluenette, he had come to acknowledge that smell as only Kai's. This little detail seemed so small, so intimate, that Rei flushed with embarrassment.

Using his nose, Rei followed the alluring aroma, getting stronger as he progressed. It had led him to the rooftop door. The Chinese youth wondered what Kai could possibly want. Shrugging the question away, Rei pushed the door open and stepped outside. It was late evening; the majestic moon high in her court, with millions of crystalline stars peppering about, attending upon their queen. The wind was neither cold nor warm, and whipped around him, sending his messy fringe flying and his neat pony-tailed hair swaying with the breeze. Silhouetted against the sky and standing at the small fence-like periphery, was Kai.

Rei gazed at him for a long moment, neither moving nor saying anything. Kai looked so noble in his stance; Rei thought him almost godlike. His back was straight, hands clenched in fists at his side. Rei could imagine the other boy's narrowed eyes, the dual triangles on his cheeks (he'd always thought that made Kai seem untouchable) and the almost-sneer stretched on his lips. He was like a king, poised, looking out toward his people.

"Why have you come here, Rei?"

Kai's voice broke his thought patterns. The voice was cold, detached, and sent a slight shiver to crawl up Rei's neck. The Chinese boy warily ambled over to stand by his captain's side.

"You had disappeared, I had wondered where you'd gone," the golden-eyed teen said, barely looking up at the other's scrutiny. "Mind if I join you?"

Kai looked at him from atop his nose, neither accepting nor reproving. After a while, he, in a very Kai-like manner, said, "Whatever."

Rei let the uncomfortable silence settle between them. Something was on Kai's mind, he could tell, was always able to discern. The lights of the streets below reflected on his pale face, making his garnet eyes dance with it. Rei wanted to touch that face, wanted to run his hands through that hair – he'd always wondered if it was as soft as it looked – to make sure that the boy beside him was real, not a very beautiful mirage. Kai was so frigid, so far away; Rei wanted to open him, to unravel his layers.

"From up here," the dark-haired youth began after a long while, still gazing at the moving metropolis below him, "the world seems very tiny, the people minuscule dots moving to and fro. It makes me feel big, larger than life, larger than anything."

"Hn," was Kai's grunt-like response.

"If I think about it," continued the Tiger, "then I begin to realize that that's how you must feel."

"What do you mean?" Kai's scarlet gaze settled on his. Rei squirmed, feeling his cheeks heat up at the other's intense regard. It made him feel as if Kai could read through his soul, could seep into every part of his being and digest all his darkest secrets.

"Well, it's like you're a mountain. You glance at everyone else as if you're above them," Rei said in a small voice, unable to pull away from the other youth. "You distance yourself, pretending that there is no one else in the world. You're cold and solitary, and you won't notice that someone might actually want to break through."

"That's because I don't want anyone to break through."

"But... why?"

With a sigh, Kai looked up at the stars, as if asking them for guidance. "I don't want to let people in because then they'll be able to know me, to touch me, to hurt me. I don't want that; it makes me feel vulnerable, too fragile. That's not how I work."

"But... you've let me in. Didn't you?" Asked Rei, feeling more confident because of Kai's response. "I'm here, aren't I? I'm talking to you, and you're not pushing me away, which means you've let me in. Why?"

Before Rei could blink, Kai had his pinned with his eyes. Rei was paralysed, both with fright and the intensity of those eyes. They were burning, scorching onto his memory, searching his own golden orbs. Rei wanted to pull away, to run, yet at the same time, he could do nothing. His breath came out in quick rasps, and he touched the area just above his heart, though the action was completely lost to both him and Kai.

With another intake of breath, Kai pulled away, leaving Rei's question hanging on air.

"It's my birthday today," the umber-eyed youth said after a long pause, looking at the stars again.

Rei's eyes widened, "Kai," he breathed out. He had no idea that it was the other's birthday, and he had a suspicion that no else did either. It hurt him to know that his friend – yes, he considered Kai his friend, despite the other's attempts at pushing him away – would not tell him something so important. Didn't Kai trust him?

"Why did you tell anyone?" Rei asked, being careful to mask away the hurtful note.

"I didn't think it was important," Kai replied with a nonchalant shrug.

"Of course it's important! Your birthday marks another year of your life, meaning one more year spent with us," the Chinese boy exclaimed, not minding how loud he sounded in the stillness of the night. A little more softly, he said, "I don't even have anything to give you."

Another shrug. A cold reply. "That's fine. I don't want anything."

"But I want to give you something, to remember that this day happened, that you were a part of us," Rei said.

He thought for a moment, scanning his mental inventory of his person. He had nothing besides the clothes on his back, his trusty Drigger and that worn photograph tucked away in his pocket. He took out the small memento, studied its surface, like he'd done so many times in the past. He touched the smooth surface, as if for the last time.

"Actually, I do have something to give you," Rei said, handing the photo to Kai.

The Phoenix was at first unwilling to take the makeshift gift, but curiosity had gotten the best of him. He took the small offering and glanced at it. In black and white ink, a trio stood, smiling up at him. A father, mother and child. The adults had big, bright smiled painted on; the man was embracing his wife. Nestled in the crook of the woman's arms was a baby boy. He was asleep, a tuft of raven hair on his head, a peaceful smile on his chubby face, small fingers grasping the woman's long hair.

Looking closer, Kai realized that the family in the picture was Rei's, the little boy being the Chinese lad himself. Though Rei had never mentioned anything, it was no mystery to the bluenette that he was an orphan. This photo must have been his only reminder of the parents he once had. And now, Rei was giving this precious photograph to him? Why?

"Happy birthday, Kai," Rei said with a goofy grin.

Kai looked at him, maybe for the first time. The photo was a declaration of friendship, of a bond between them. It was Rei's attempt to show Kai that he cared, that he would be there for him. Otherwise, he would have made a big deal out of giving the photo away. In other instances, that would mean that he would never get it back. Rei didn't think so, however, and thus showed his trust in Kai.

Perhaps for the first time in his life, Kai smiled. It wasn't a cruel smile, not like the one he would give to a competitor. Neither was it a benevolent smile. He smiled just because he was happy, for the first time in his life, to be alive, to have someone who cared.

Finis~

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Perhaps I'll make this into an arch... *shrug* That all depends on you peoples.