A/N: I want this to be dedicated to Glay! Because she's awesome and she loves Ty/Ka and I promised I'd write her some form of fic...

Tyson is 18 in this fic, and Kai is 19 (had to make 'em old enough to drink)

If I owned Beyblade, there'd be more bare-chested Lee. (Shaddup... I love Lee XD)

You Could Call It Love

by Galux Kitty

Summary: After a wild night drinking, Kai wakes up in bed. Namely, Tyson's bed. Kai seems okay with this (heh-heh), but how will Tyson react? How did these events come to pass? (Humour, but has a serious undertone of sorts...)

Warnings: Nudity, language, mild sexual references and a healthy dose of smut... neither the nudity or the flashbacks are overly graphic, so don't worry. I'd also like to say I have no idea as to the real alcoholicity of the drinks mentioned in this fic.

-x-

A soft groan escaped from the young man's lips as morning sunlight danced across his blurred field of vision. A chilled breeze blew through the window and made him shiver, and his slate bangs brushed across his cheek. It was only when he felt his fingers brush across someone else's skin that his eyes opened and he forced his eyes downward that he saw the inky-haired boy splayed across his chest.

Kai lay there with his jaw open in an expression of slight surprise, but he said nothing. He stayed perfectly still, scared the slightest movement would wake his friend up. The curtains flowed in the breeze and Kai watched as light dotted across Tyson's face and groaned mentally as he saw the younger boy's face scrunch up momentarily, before his eyes shot open and he stared upwards.

Kai stared. Tyson stared. Neither of them said anything or moved for about a minute. Then Tyson took in a deep breath and screamed, jumping to the other side of the bed in one swift gesture.

"Kai! What the hell did you do to me last night?!"

"Good morning to you too, sweetheart," Kai snickered sarcastically, before noticing the look on the younger man's face. "I don't know. I can't remember back that far," Kai snorted, unphased by Tyson's reaction, "But I thought even you could get the general gist, Tyson, considering neither of us have a scrap of clothing on our bodies."

"I don't even want to know what this'd look like if the press got a hold of it," Tyson grumbled and mentally cursed their national reputations, sitting up in the bed and feeling the sheets, heavy with sweat, slide off his bare, tanned shoulders. Kai watched him with interest, particularly the back of his neck, which was covered with tiny bite marks. A smile escaped to his lips, and said smile quickly turned to a smirk when Tyson realized he was watching him.

"Do you mind, Kai?"

"Obviously not."

Tyson sighed and bounced off his bed, much to the apparent delight of Kai, and fell to his knees to look for a pair of shorts amongst the masses of junk on the floor of his room. A letter from the BBA inviting him to the first world championships in Russia from three years ago, an old KFC box, a few hundred parts for his blade, an ancient looking sock, a few pages of a letter from Max, and a single page of one from Ray, dated April 2002, and... Aah! So that's where Dragoon got to!

"Can you see any of my clothes down there, Tyson?" Kai asked casually, swinging his legs off the side of the bed and surveying his friend's room with mild interest. Tyson grit his teeth, forced a smile and answered, "No, Kai." He knew Kai was leading him on, and this morning the Russian didn't have drunkenness to help him! No way was he going to get the better of him this time.

"Where do you suppose they could be?" Kai asked idly, fully aware that Tyson was uncomfortable with the gaze that was currently fixed on him. "I suppose I should go and look, I have a sponsorship meeting this morning."

"Well go and look, then!" Tyson thundered, rushing around to the other side of the bed and pushing Kai hastily out the door, shutting it tightly behind him and bolting it hastily. The doorknob clicked a few times, Kai called him name once, and then apparently gave up, and sure enough, Tyson heard his footsteps grow farther and farther away ever time he stepped. Tyson sunk down against the door, unaware that he was in full view of the world through his open window. The old lady who lived next door to him shuffled out of her tiny house with her morning washing, looked up to see if 'that nice Kinomiya boy' was in his room, and screamed, dropping her washing basket on her garden path and rushing back into her house at world record pace.

-x-

Meanwhile, Kai was wandering around the top floor of Tyson's house, firstly wondering where his clothes were, and secondly wondering where Tyson's grandpa was. Somehow he didn't think friends of his grandson wandering around, aimless and naked, was something the old man saw every day. Damn it, as soon as he was home he was going to overdose on ibuprofen, have a cup of tea and then go back to sleep and try to ignore his shocking hangover.

He noticed a doorway on his right, so he nudged it open with the side of his foot, and curiously poked his head around the doorframe. He realized it was the bathroom, and looked askance against the bright rays of light coming through the window, made ten times worse by the fact that the only colour they'd used to decorate the entire room seemed to be white. Once mahogany eyes were used to the brightness of the room, Kai swiftly stepped inside and peered around. There was a lot of soap smudged across the glass shower door, the floor was soaking wet, and there were soapy footsteps across the bathroom floor, ending at another large blotch of liquid soap. Or what he hoped was liquid soap...

And lying in a corner, tossed askew and wet enough to have been dunked in a swimming pool, were the clothes he had worn the previous night to the club. And suddenly, a memory of that night flashed across his mind...

(Flashback)

Dark eyes swept across the room, pausing very momentarily on select people, who didn't even notice the nineteen year old man sitting silently at a table, pushed into a particularly dark corner of the nightclub. Gaze continuing to dart, Kai Hiwatari relaxed as he watched his friend push back through the crowd.

"Jesus Christ, that que was insane," Tyson whined, pushing a shot of tequila across the table to Kai, who picked up the glass delicately and downed the small amount of liquid in a few quick gulps. Kai became aware of the younger teen watching him drink, and he placed the small glass back on the table and wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve. "What are you looking at, Tyson?"

"How can you stand drinking that stuff?" the inky-blue-haired boy asked, stirring his White Russian (AN: Double meaning or what?) with the tiny, ornate paper umbrella that the bartender had stuck in his drink to 'make it look nicer'. God knows why you'd bother making a drink look nice if it was just going to be slurped down without much thought, anyway.

Kai shrugged. "Why do you ask? It's just like all other booze. Makes you love or hate everybody, and afterwards you wake up with a shocking headache."

"Yeah," Tyson acknowledged that he had at least a little experience with alcohol, "But I heard that stuff is really strong. Three glasses and I bet I'd be comatose." He sipped his drink through the green curly straw the bartender had also stuck in 'to complement the umbrella', and stopped to cough a little. "This stuff must be stronger than I thought. "

"You're just not an experienced drinker," Kai snorted, gesturing violently to a nearby waitress to bring him another shot of tequila. Tyson laughed, and Kai stopped violently waving at the poor, overworked woman and cocked one eyebrow in question.

"You just reminded me of when we used to 'blade, is all," Tyson grinned, puffing his chest out and adopting a deep voice, "You're nothing but a punk who thinks he's the best, Tyson. I bet I could kick your ass."

Kai grinned at the impersonation, and nodded slowly. "And I bet I still could."

"Yeah, and I'm a world-champion ballet dancer," Tyson snickered, taking another sip of his drink and once again coughing after taking a sip that was a little too big. "Hey Kai..."

"Yes?" Kai replied, not really seeing the reason of saying any more than that.

"Make sure that I don't go over the top with the drinks, okay?"

"If I can remember," Kai grinned at Tyson's questioning look, "Kinomiya, it's Friday night, I've had a shit week at work and I know that I'll have to drag my sorry ass back in there on Monday. I'm here to get drunk."

Tyson nodded once, grinned, and pulled the straw out of his drink. Instead, he raised the entire glass to his lips and began to guzzle it down.

-x-

"I've had such a great time tonight, Kai," Tyson slurred, his eyes glassy. Kai grinned, realizing that he'd let Tyson have a few too many to drink. But heck, things were getting a little hazy on his end too. Kai turned away towards the crowd of dancers in the centre of the room, fewer that what there was before but still a large number. His gaze locked onto two vaguely familiar people- a blonde-haired, blue-eyed man and a woman with brown hair and russet eyes- dancing just off to the side of the larger group, holding each other close. Kai considered for a moment, then gathered his courage and turned to his friend, who also seemed to be lost in the crowd.

"Kinomiya?"

"What? Oh... sorry Kai," Tyson apologized. "I thought I saw..."

"So did I." Kai frowned for a moment, and then spoke again. "Hey Kinomiya?"

"Yes?"

"Do you dance?"

Tyson grinned. "Only when I'm pissed."

Kai smirked back. "You're pissed now."

"I suppose so..." Tyson said, and to Kai's amazement, actually got off his seat and stretched his arms, pausing mid-stretch twice to yawn. "Coming, Hiwatari?" he asked, and Kai smiled.

"But of course."

Once they had made their way to the dance floor, Tyson stood awkwardly. To be truthful, he now felt like an absolute moron. But his pride fell into insignificance when Kai grabbed his hand, and yanked him forward, resting a hand on the back of his neck to keep the younger boy to his chest.

"When I say dance, Kinomiya..." Kai whispered huskily, "You dance with me."

If Kai hadn't been holding him so tightly, Tyson was pretty sure he would have collapsed on the floor.

"Kai! People are watching us!"

"No-one here knows us, Tyson."

"We're not entirely sure about that..." Tyson replied, blushing against Kai's chest when he remembered that couple from earlier.

"Just relax..." Kai murmured, using his thumb and index finger to cup Tyson's chin, and forcibly tilted his head so he could see his face. "No-one here cares except you."

To tell the truth, Tyson didn't actually care all that much... it was the alcohol acting, not really him directly... but the searing feeling of desire that shot through his body when Kai's hand brushed across his cheek felt genuine.

"Just one dance, Kinomiya... that's all I ask of you," Kai spoke again, his hand moving lightly across Tyson's face, finally coming to rest on the nape of his neck. Kai's other hand was slowly brushing down Tyson's spine, resting for a moment on his thigh, before Kai retraced his original path up Tyson's back. Enjoying Kai's surprising tenderness, Tyson slowly moved his arms around Kai's body. He was actually slimmer than Tyson had first anticipated, as though he'd lost a fair bit of weight in a short time, and Tyson wondered if anything had happened to him. Kai seemed perfectly fine to him. As Tyson felt Kai respond to the sudden intimacy he was showing towards him, the blue-haired boy grinned. 'Perfectly fine... that was an understatement...'

They were still dancing when the DJ announced the final song of the night.

(End Flashback)

"Kai?"

Kai spun around, still holding his soaking wet clothes in his arms, to find Tyson standing behind him, wrapped in one of his blue bed sheets. "Did you find our clothes?"

"I found mine," Kai said, shaking the sopping bundle clenched in his fist.

"... Why were they in the bathroom."

"Perhaps I was hot after being stuck in that stuffy club all night, and I wanted to cool down. But considering that these were in amongst my stuff..." Kai held up Tyson's red satin boxers and spun then around by the waistband on the tip of his finger. "I would say we took the shower together, Kinomiya." Tyson snatched the garment instantaneously and scowled at the slate-haired man. He jumped around a bit, trying to get his legs through separate leg holes in his underwear and trying to ignore Kai's smirk as he hopped around.

"Do you have a clothes dryer, Kinomiya?"

"Of course I have a clothes dryer, Hiwatari," Tyson scowled.

"Can I use it, in that case? And do you have any idea where your grandfather would be at this time of the morning?" Kai questioned.

"Meditating at the back of the house," Tyson snapped in reply. He scowled again when Kai dangled his pants from an extended finger and snorted, "I haven't got all day."

Tyson snatched Kai's clothes and grumbled quietly all the way out of the bathroom and to the top of the stairs. It was only when he looked down the flight of stairs that he discovered where the rest of his clothes from last night were.

(Flashback – this part might be a bit steamy)

"Well Tyson... here we are."

Tyson gazed at his front door and slid out of Kai's car, which looked like vandals had done its last paint job. Kai opened the driver's side door and calmly got out of the car after his friend. Tyson walked stiffly up to his front door and stuck his set of keys in the door, wriggling and twisting the key around a few times until the door clicked open. He became aware of Kai's breath brushing across the back of his neck, warm and minty and calming in one way, but arousing in the other.

"Thank you for this, Kai..." Tyson murmured uncomfortably, still painfully aware of the older boy's breath on his neck, but not daring to turn around and see just how close to him he was. "You really are the best friend I've ever had."

Kai made no sound but Tyson could envision his shrug.

Tyson was just about to turn the doorknob and let himself in when Kai grasped the back of his jacket, pulled him back the few steps he had just walked and spun him around to stare into his face in a few quick movements. "Don't I get to say goodnight, Tyson?"

Tyson's heart gave one single, loud thump against his ribcage and he gulped in a lungful of air.

"Kai..."

"Yes, Kinomiya?" Kai gazed at his friend, mahogany mingling with molten chocolate.

"Please... don't hold yourself back... please let me..."

"Who ever said that I was holding back?" Kai interrupted, and suddenly, Tyson recognized the whirlwind of emotions in his voice, as though a window had been opened in his mind, letting him gaze into Kai's very soul.

It was at that point that Kai lunged forward and pulled Tyson into him, and endowed upon him a bruising, searing kiss. Although he had been made to wait for a long time to receive this reward, Tyson decided that his patience had paid off. Tyson let a low groan of lust as Kai's tongue slid lightly across his bottom lip. Unable to contain himself any longer, Kai forced his tongue past Tyson's moist lips and was immediately met by Tyson's own tongue, brushing violently against his. Kai could feel Tyson's body heat radiate, warming his skin and making a light sweat bead across his brow. Kai finally broke away from Tyson, but pressed him back up against the door, and pressed his lips against Tyson's neck, letting his tongue contour down from the younger boy's neck to the deeper lines of his collarbone. After hearing Tyson's whimper of desperate approval, Kai let his lips wander back to the velvety skin on his love's neck. He paused for a moment, gathering his breath and his thoughts, and brought his lips to Tyson's neck; kissing, licking, nibbling, anything to have Tyson's sweet flavour melt across his tongue.

Tyson was gripping Kai's shoulder blades tightly, gritting his teeth violently to stop himself from crying out and waking up half the neighbourhood.

"Kai... please..."

"What, Kinomiya?"

"Stay with me tonight."

(End flashback)

Tyson was now fully clothed and, thank God for small mercies, Kai was now wrapped in a bath towel. Something was clinking and jangling against the metal sides of the dryer, but they both figured it must have been some spare change Kai had in one of his pockets or something...

What else could it be?

The clothes dryer beeped and Kai's clothes fell to the bottom of the machine. Tyson stood on tiptoe to reach the wall-mounted appliance and grabbed his friend's clothes, tossing the attire to him nonchalantly.

Tyson kept staring fixedly at the back of the clothes dryer as Kai discarded the towel and pulled his dirty clothes back on for the ride home. He started buttoning his shirt steadily, and eventually finished the job, leaving the top button undone. He then paused to stare directly at Tyson.

"Now I go, right?"

"... I'd prefer it. I'm sorry, Kai. I need some time to think this though."

"Understood," Kai replied. Without waiting for Tyson to say anything else, he swept out of the room and around the corner leading to the front door. Tyson blinked, and then hurried after him.

"Kai!"

"What? I really want to be getting home," the slate-haired teen snarled.

"I'm sorry if you're mad at me, Kai, but... this is how I feel at the moment." Kai ignored him and turned so that his back was facing Tyson. "Kai, I can't talk to you when you act like a two-year-old."

Tyson took a single step forward, and placed a soft hand on Kai's forearm. Dark crimson eyes flicked up to look at his friend, his ally, possibly the one person he had come to rely on through his hardships and, for one night, the person he had dedicated himself to, heart and soul, physically and mentally, at a level of emotion he had never let himself experience before, or even touch upon.

"I had a good time with you last night, Kai. You have to at least realize that. You're the best friend I've ever had."

"Kinomiya, although I don't like admitting this, you were always the one I relied upon to come through for me. And last night, you showed me what it was like to have a true friend to rely on you, instead of you always relying on them to help you, expecting no thanks. So what I'm trying to say is..."

"Thanks, perhaps?"

"Something like that," Kai affirmed, and engulfed the younger man in a hug. Visions of years long gone by flashed across Tyson's mind, back to a certain tournament that had occurred almost three years ago... many were sure that he, Tyson had saved Kai's life in more than one sense and, for the first time, he realized that they had always been there for each other in one way or another, albeit the care was sometimes so subliminal it was barely there. But even if the other wasn't present, the memory of how they had watched out for each other time and time again was always there for recall, and knowing that someone in the world cares that much about you is sometimes all you need.

In a flash, Tyson's back was pinned against the door, much like the night before, but Kai stayed still, stared with wonderment... and finally smiled, placed a gentle kiss on Tyson's lips and whispered, "I won't be gone for long, Kinomiya. Mark my words, I'll be back for you."

Tyson felt a pleasant, but sudden jolt in his stomach that he figured had nothing to do with hunger... well, not for food, anyway...

"Goodbye, Hiwatari," Tyson murmured. Kai pushed himself away from the inky-haired boy, flicked his fingers in a silent farewell, and was out the door before Tyson had the chance to say anything else.

(Flashback)

Perhaps this is what he wanted...

Being able to feel intensity he desired, and perhaps Tyson just saw the whole thing as a simple act of affection, but underneath it was a physical challenge to him, a stunt that required the best out of both of them, on a physical, mental and emotional level he had not dared to touch on with anyone else. An act of such strength, such passion... the expectations one had for the other, and the pressure to live up to said expectations, but all the while knowing they would appreciate whatever the other did...

No one but Tyson Kinomiya had seen him in the state he was in now. Their eyes locked and their lips once again met with a starving passion that desperately needed to be fed. Tyson broke away from Kai for an instant, just long enough to whisper his lover's name...

"I love the way my name rolls off your tongue..." Kai whispered, and Tyson shivered, despite the humid atmosphere of his bedroom.

Afterwards, they stayed close to one another, drawing energy from the other's presence, Tyson occasionally reaching up to brush Kai's moist hair out of his face, fiddle with the teal stud set into Kai's earlobe. He didn't really know why it fascinated him so... probably just because it was just one more thing that made Kai the person he was.

"Kai?"

"Yes, Tyson?"

"Do you believe in fate?"

Kai hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering his answer, and Tyson wondered if he had touched a nerve. But Kai soon relaxed, and whispered, "No."

"Why not?"

"... I suppose I don't like the idea that there's a greater power out there, controlling how I live my own life. Perhaps some things are meant to occur but don't, and others aren't but still do... but in the long run, I think it's what you do yourself that makes the difference, not what any greater power or anyone else decided you would do."

Tyson smiled, and nodded. "I agree."

But already, something was inkling in the back of his mind, a tiny voice that said this wasn't fated to happen at all...

(End Flashback)

Kai sauntered over to his car, which was parked haphazardly on the pavement outside of Tyson's front yard. His car keys were clenched in his teeth, so he spat them out, into his palm, and unlocked the car. It was only then that he realized he'd left the car completely unlocked the night before. He mentally slapped himself in the head for leaving his car open to theft and slid onto the driver's seat.

It was only then that he felt something hard gouge into his thigh. He shifted, pulling the offending object out of his back pocket.

Tyson's house keys.

A sly grin crossed Kai's features. Tyson would be seeing him again sooner than he thought...

-x-

A/N: Well, that's it! I like having Kai call Tyson by his last name, 'Kinomiya', for some reason. I don't really know why, I think it just makes Kai a little less OOC.

Aah yes... the Max/Hilary. I had to put a hint somewhere. I quite like that pairing, it's a great side pairing if you don't mind writing yaoi and het in a fic together, which I certainly don't.

This is like the first fic I've ever written without any Ray/Mariah in it. It's good that I'm expanding my horizons, but it makes me feel kind of bizarre in another sense... oh well.

Do you think this fic deserves a second chapter or sequel? If so, please say so in your review, but be warned, the next chapter will have an uncut version to be posted on and OnlyTyKaHotness, if it comes to pass. Thanks for reading, and please review!