A/N: HAPPY KAI DAY DEAR VIEWERS. It's been wayyyyy too long since we've posted... What's a better way to celebrate our favorite slate-head's birthday than impulsively scribbling down a birthday fic :D!

This fanfic is set in G-Rev - post the BEGA arc and the Justice Five tournament. As you might have guessed, this revolves around Kai and Tala's friendship. I'm really sorry if either of them seem OOC. I tried my best to write this keeping their character in mind.

(Honestly, I've been looking forward to this day as if it were my friends' birthday. *insert disappointed laugh*)

AnYhOw! Without further ado, we present to you 2nd August by Sun with editorial help from Moon.

Read and review please! ^_^

Kai took a deep breath, embracing the freshness of the dusky air. It was a rather pleasant evening – not as warm as the last few weeks – with fiery skies above and green grass below him.

It wasn't very humid either, and the slate-head approved of that. He didn't dislike summer, but he despised the inhumanely hot afternoons which he had (forcibly) spent at Tyson's Dojo.

That was after the Justice Five tournament in March; the recovery period following his and Tyson's battle against Brooklyn. On being discharged from the hospital, the Granger duo insisted he stayed with them, even though he had a mansion of his own not only in Japan but also in Russia. Having no chance against their persistence, Kai had reluctantly accepted the invitation.

Things had begun stabilizing since then. Mr. Dickenson had taken his rightful place as chairman, while Boris was escorted back to prison. Mr. Dickenson also made the necessary provisions for the BEGA bladers to end their contract with their organization. Garland and his team became respectable beybladers under the chairman. The BEGA Pro-League had been abandoned, and the BBA was back in business.

Amid the normalization, various teams returned to their hometowns – including the Blitzkrieg Boys. Kai remembered bidding farewell to his ex-team at the airport. Tala had promised to visit often, and the slate-head agreed to keep in touch. Sending one final nod Kai's way, the red-head had made his way past the gates, alongside Bryan and Spencer.

The phoenix-wielder tried not to think of that as he watched the sun – now a globe of red – disappear behind the pink tinted clouds. He sat on the lawns that ran parallel to the river, occasionally glancing at the passing trains on the tracks. Whistles echoed in the distance, as another one passed by; presumably full of passengers returning to the comforts of their homes after a long working day.

Kai didn't mind being on his own. He had moved back to his mansion after spending a few weeks at the Granger Dojo. Since then, he had taken up the business venture of the Hiwatari Corporations and worked hard as the CEO.

'Too hard' as his advisors would often comment. After all, it was due to their urging and persuasion that the phoenix-wielder had decided to take a walk today. He couldn't, for the love of God, understand why birthdays were considered "special" days. Thus, he sat by the riverbank in solitude, on the evening of 2nd August.

Taking the liberty of being alone, Kai lay down on the lawn, staring up at the now purple-streaked sky. The scenery was probably the best gift he'd received that day. Plucking a strand of grass, he placed it between his teeth, knowing that a certain red-head would disapprove. The slate-head closed his eyes, smirking at the disgust that would've lined Tala's face – if he was here.

"See? I'm not wrong when I call you a cow."

Kai's eyes flew open at the familiar voice. Crimson met icy blue, as Tala leant over him. 'What now?' the Kai thought as he pushed himself up, blinking in disbelief. "Well," the redhead continued as he straightened himself, "What are the paparazzi going to think, if they find the Great Kai Hiwatari munching on leaves?" He stepped beside the slate-head, shaking his head in mock dismay.

Kai scowled. "They'd wonder what brought the ever-elegant Tala Ivanov here, unannounced," he retorted, voice laced with sarcasm. "You flatter me," the redhead stated off-handedly, watching birds fly through the clouds.

"Do you mind if I take a seat?"

Kai shrugged.

"How polite of you to answer."

"Hn."

Tala brushed back strands of flaming hair as he sat beside the slate-head. The two sat in silence as another train rattled by. Kai observed his ex-captain from the corner of his eye. Cerulean orbs had dark circles under them, indicating exhaustion. A trench coat hung over Tala's shoulders beneath which he wore a black full-sleeved turtle neck and thick navy-blue trousers. His usually neat red hair looked shabby, as if he'd been traveling recently.

"Couldn't you have told me it would be this hot? I'm on the verge of becoming human ice cream," the red-head hissed, fanning himself with his hand. Kai huffed. "I warned you earlier," he said simply.

"That was three months ago!"

"Hn."

Tala sighed. "I wonder how you wear that scarf everywhere. Don't you feel warm? Or is the Great Kai Hiwatari immune to heat?"

"You flew all the way from Russia just to crib about the weather?" Kai asked, holding the grass twig between his fingers. The flame-head fell silent at this. He gazed at the buildings in the distance, as if contemplating what to say next. He opened his mouth only to close it the next second. The hesitancy wasn't missed by Kai.

"Happy Birthday," the wolf-wielder said at last.

Kai's eyes widened marginally at the words, but he made sure to keep his face expressionless. He said nothing, pointedly avoiding the other's eyes. "Not even a thank you?" Tala asked, clearly offended. Receiving no response, he glared at the slate-head.

"Well, I sat through a delayed fourteen-hour flight – with a crying toddler two seats behind me – only to receive zero welcome and gratitude from your side. I came here thinking you'd like some company. Do you have any idea how badly I was mobbed at both airports? The media just wouldn't stop following me. They even chased me into the restrooms, bombarding me with questions. And–"

The red-head stopped abruptly, noticing the smirk on the younger's lips. Tala's ears reddened in embarrassment. "Finding this funny, aren't you Hiwatari?" he snapped, looking away. The teen in question cleared his throat.

"I'm going to say this only once, so better hear it loud and clear," Kai stated, "Thank you. I appreciate the gesture."

The wolf-wielder nodded, looking satisfied.

"What made you come?"

"I had nothing else to do."

"…Fair enough."

"You don't sound convinced."

Kai threw him a sideways glance.

Tala was well familiar with that look, thus closed his eyes, looking for the right words.

"…Maybe because you would've done the same for me," he confessed at last.

"Hn."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence again, as the street lights came flickering on. A light breeze blew past them, rustling through the grass and trees. The sky had now turned a shade of blueberry, with clouds drifting along in the pleasant wind.

Kai lifted himself to his feet, dusting the soil off his trousers. "Leaving?" Tala asked looking up at him.

"Hn. Unless you wish to get bitten by mosquitos?"

"No, thank you," Tala huffed as he too pushed himself off the ground.

The duo climbed up the grassy slope onto the road. "I hope you've made your provisions," crimson orbs narrowed skeptically in the red-head's direction.

"Of course I have," Tala said indignantly, "I'm staying at your place."

"No."

"Yes."

"NO."

"Oh come on!"

"…fine."

The red-head smirked triumphantly. Kai shook his head, smiling a small smile. Perhaps he had received a gift better than the artist's canvas of a sky.

Fin.