Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or any of its characters
Beyblade
A Snowy State of Mind
Chapter 2: Taking A Chance Was Right
By: Plushie-Sensei
Hilary took a seat on the porch of Tyson's dojo, watching the boys go at it with their beyblades. She smiled as she watched Tyson and Max's battle, pure enjoyment on their faces; especially Tyson's as Max's blade flew out of the dish. Tyson truly was born to spin a blade.
"Alright, I think that's enough for today, boys," Hilary said as they finished up. Kai caught his blade in his gloved hand turning to see everyone sitting near Hilary, obviously waiting for lunch.
"So did you make us lunch, Hilary?" Max asked cheerfully. Hilary nodded a proud grin on her face.
"I think I've got it this time!" she boasted, giving the boys each a bento box. Tyson on the other hand was hesitant in taking his, looking at it cautiously. Hilary's face fell with worry as Tyson didn't take his lunch. "What's the matter, Tyson? I thought you were hungry," she said, still holding out the bento box. Tyson gulped, taking it lightly into his hands.
"Are you absolutely sure you got it right this time?" he asked. He looked up only to find a fist slamming into his face, an angry girl wielding it. Tyson fell backwards holding his nose as the bento box landed in Hilary's other hand.
"You jerk! I'm giving you food, Tyson! What more do you want!" she shrieked, sitting back down. Rei, Max, and Kenny continued eating their meals, minding their own selves for fear of Hilary's wrath.
"Aw man, I think she broke my nose!" Tyson whined, still laying on the floor.
Kai, Max, Rei, and Kenny all practiced a bit more, Kenny, of course, analyzing the data he'd conceived from the other three, while Tyson sat back with Hilary. His nose was still slightly bruised as he sulked, his stomach growling at him for not accepting Hilary's offer. He seemingly had too much pride and not even food would make him budge. He turned slightly hearing a sigh from Hilary.
"Just eat it, it's not poisoned or anything," she said.
"I wouldn't put it past you..." Tyson mumbled. Hilary growled slightly, but let it drop as she sighed again, holding her chin in her palm. Tyson then looked up at her position on the raised walkway of the dojo from his place on the ground. His stomach growled again but he paid more attention to the sullen look on Hilary's face. He removed his hat, scratching his head. They fought over the dumbest of things sometimes. He let out an elongated sigh, and then held out his hand. Hilary stared at him blankly.
"What...?" she asked.
"The- The bento! I can't take it anymore, I'm starving!" he said, waving his hand in annoyance. Hilary looked at him for a moment before placing the bento in his greedy hands, watching with slight fear as he inhaled the food. She let a smile grace her lips though as he halted, actually taking the time to chew. His eyes widened slightly as a look of guilt came over his features. "H-Hil-" She raised her hand to stop him.
"Just eat..." she said. "Forget about it. At least I'm getting better, right?" she asked, smiling. Tyson felt an uneasy feeling in his stomach, and it made him frightened slightly knowing that it wasn't the food that had caused it. He felt somewhat uncomfortable, his heart feeling as though it was turning in his chest. He looked back to his dish, taking a steady breath before eating normally; normally as in for most people, and not himself. Hilary held a concerned expression, but decided not to say anything about it. She was too busy concerning herself with the fluttery feeling within her own heart.
The sun was now hidden behind the Earth itself as Tyson looked out his window. He could see the sparkling pond in his backyard from his window, but his eyes were blocked by thoughts racing through his mind. He sighed for the nth time that night, his excessive thinking giving him a more mature appearance. He couldn't understand the fluttery feeling he felt, nor could he stop it. His stomach still turned, but he didn't feel sick. He couldn't understand and the more he tried to figure it out the more he felt uncomfortable. What made him even more unnerved was the fact that he couldn't get the image of Hilary's smile out of his head. He ruffled his hatless hair, letting his forehead softly collide with the windowsill.
"Yo, what's up? Why aren't you in dreamland?" Tyson whined silently as he heard his Grandpa's voice. "It's gotta be the middle of the night," he continued.
"I know, grandpa, I know..." Tyson whined. "I just can't sleep, okay?" Grandpa scratched his head in question.
"Is there somethin' in that noggin of yours that's keeping you up?" he asked. Tyson turned around, his eyes pleading for him to leave.
"Yes, now just let me take care of it, okay?" he said clearly not enjoying the moment. Grandpa raised his hands in defense.
"Alright, alright..." he said, finally leaving. Tyson sighed yet again, roaming to his bed and collapsing. He knew his grandpa didn't take to heart the things he'd said; though it added to his uneasy feeling that he'd acted so carelessly. He pulled one of his pillows into his arms, staring at it. The image of Hilary came into his mind again, the pillow taking her sleeping form for a moment. He sat up, still holding his pillow, though his face was anything but calm.
"What's wrong with me!" he yelled, throwing his pillow to the floor as he gripped his tired face in exasperation. He really needed sleep...
"Tyson, are you okay?" Max asked. They were, for the most part, all there on the docks; all there meaning Max, Rei, Kai, and of course, a very uneasy Tyson.
"No, I'm not okay," he said, throwing a rock into the waters below his suspended feet. Rei exchanged glances with Kai, though one-sided as Kai wasn't even paying attention to them. He was too busy staring off into the bay. Rei sighed, his eyebrow twitching slightly.
"What's wrong, Ty?" Max asked, his usually happy face taking a backseat to his concerned one. Tyson sighed again, then sat up slightly, his eyes darting from side to side.
"Chief isn't... here, right?" Max nodded.
"Yeah, why?" he asked, confused.
"And- And what about... her...?" he asked. Max turned to Rei, feeling slightly, more very concerned. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head looking absolutely helpless.
"Her meaning Hilary?" Rei asked, easing Max's nervousness. Tyson snapped to him, reaching over Max to shush him. Max stared blankly at the boy across his lap, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Shh! Don't say her name, she might pop up out of nowhere!" he growled. Rei pushed him off of Max.
"Relax, she's not here. She's doing something with her mother," he said. Tyson sighed in relief. "Why?" Tyson paled.
"N-no particular reason..." he said, laughing that annoying laugh he always did when he was extremely nervous. Obviously Rei and Max didn't buy it, but what scared him the most was Kai's shadow suddenly blocking his sunlight. "K-Kai?" Tyson mumbled.
"What did you do?" he asked, eerily calm. Tyson turned to the bay.
"I didn't do anything... but I think I'm sick," he explained, looking up at Kai, hoping he had an answer to his difficult question. Kai seemed to ponder over what Tyson said.
"You don't look sick," he stated blankly. Tyson sighed heavily.
"I know, but lately my stomach's been turning and my chest feels like there's a freaking air pocket in it! I can't even sleep at night and I keep waking up from these nightmares that I can't even remember. I feel... guilty for some reason but I don't remember anything I could've done to make anybody upset with me..." Tyson let his mind slip a bit, thinking over his own words.
"Oh, yeah... You are sick, Tyson..." Kai said. Tyson looked up to see Kai walking away with a large smirk on his painted face.
"What... do you mean?" Tyson asked, fearing the worst. Max seemed fearful as well.
"Does he have Lime Disease?" Max asked. Rei shook his head, mumbling something incoherent.
"No, Max, he doesn't have Lime Disease... but," Tyson gulped as Kai continued. "It is considered a disease..." Tyson whined, faking tears. Max patted him on the back, trying to comfort him. "It's not deadly though..." Kai said, grimacing at the stupid nature of the two. Tyson seemed happy again.
"Really, Kai?" Tyson asked, his eyes sparkling. Kai frowned.
"Yeah," he said turning around, pausing only for a moment. "But it will kill you from the inside out... if you don't tell her..." Kai said then walked off the dock to the main harbor. Rei raised an understanding eyebrow, his lips curling into a smile. Max squinted, trying to understand.
"Tell... her?" he asked. "Does he mean your doctor?" Max suggested. Max paused, wondering why Tyson was staring fearfully at the waters below. "Tyson?" he asked, backing up a bit as Tyson stood up. "Hey, what's wrong?" Rei opened his closed eyes, golden orbs waiting for what Tyson would do next.
"How...?" he asked, helplessly. Rei put a hand on Max's shoulder telling him something about Kenny needing his help back at the dojo. Max nodded standing up, giving one last comforting smile to Tyson before scuttling off. Rei remained seated, looking at the boards that made up the dock he was sitting on, and Tyson was standing on.
"Kai has quite a way with riddles, huh?" Rei asked. Tyson's hands rose so he could look at them, as if they had the answers.
"Tell her what?" he asked again. Rei sighed.
"Calm down, Tyson... Just think about it. What's been plaguing your mind lately?" Tyson remembered his brief encounter with 'Hilary' as he was hugging his pillow the night before.
"Why is this happening! Are you trying to tell me... that I have... feelings for Hilary?" Tyson asked, his heart speeding up. He fell to his knees, his hands holding his pounding head. Her image was plaguing him, her smile making him feel so strange. Rei was silent the entire time Tyson was freaking out. He held a calm air to him, then smiled slightly.
"That's... exactly what I mean..." he said. Tyson's body suddenly froze, realization hitting him like an atomic bomb. His breathing slowed to normal, and his hands dropped. His eyes however showed fear.
"I can't... I can't do that..." he said. Rei looked up in slight surprise.
"What?"
"If... If I have... feelings for her... wouldn't that... ruin our friendship?" he asked. Rei let out a breath.
"You're over thinking things, Tyson," he said.
"How can you be so sure she won't be afraid...?" he asked. Rei shook his head.
"She won't, okay? Just tell her-"
"How can you be so sure!" Rei jumped slightly at Tyson's forceful voice. He remained silent for a moment. "She's been... always been there. I'm so used to it now that I don't know what I'd do if she wasn't there any more. I know I keeping making her feel left out and hurting her feelings... but I can't help but feel... scared of what would happen if I... messed up," he pondered. Rei sympathized for his friend. He felt the same way sometimes about a certain someone...
"Tyson... Sometimes the right way isn't always the easy way, this I'm sure you've heard before..." Tyson nodded. "Just tell her, Tyson," Rei said, turning to Tyson with a heart wrenching expression, doing just that to Tyson's heart.
"I know, but-"
"No buts! You're hurting yourself, Tyson! Don't... don't let her get away... If you don't try, someone may get to her first... then it'll haunt you forever..." Tyson couldn't help but feel that Rei was really speaking from the heart... from experience… Tyson sighed, feeling a bit better.
"Alright... I'll try..." He saw Rei smile, though the smile was a bit empty.
"That's better..." Tyson stood once again and began walking off the dock when he noticed Rei not following him.
"Hey, Rei?" Rei waved his hand.
"Go... I'll be there in a... minute..." Tyson nodded and walked onto the main harbor, leaving Rei to his thoughts. His lonely thoughts...
Hilary sat at the desk in her room, tapping her bottom lip with the eraser tip of her sharpened pencil. A packet of papers were in front of her, math problems scattered neatly across the page closest, and obviously the one of her main interest. She sighed, boredom etched across her tired face. She glanced at the clock, catching it to be somewhere close to five o'clock. She dropped her pencil and leaned back in her chair, fixing her denim skirt and purple long sleeved shirt. She had very nice clothes on for the moment because of the errands she was running with her mother earlier that day. She let out a sigh, suddenly hearing the doorbell. She looked at her closed door, wondering who it could possibly be. In the back of her mind, she was hoping for a certain someone.
Downstairs, Tyson waited outside her door while staring down at his feet, a very uneasy feeling in his heart. 'Maybe I should've waited longer...' he thought, but he truly felt that if he didn't tell her, what Kai said would come true. He would die from the inside out...
"Hello," came a sweet voice. Tyson looked up to see a beautiful woman standing before him. Now he knew where Hilary got her good looks...
"Um, hi, I was wondering," he cleared his throat, "If Hilary- If I could talk to, um..." The woman giggled at Tyson's actions.
"Of course, I'll go get her," she said, inviting Tyson inside. He hesitantly walked inside, removing his hat politely, watching as Hilary's mother walked up the steps and turned out of sight. He looked around, only now realizing that this was the first time he'd ever been inside Hilary's house. It was very tidy...
"Tyson?" came a slightly timid voice. Tyson looked up to see Hilary walking down the stairs, smiling at him as if relieved of something.
"Hilary... I uh, wanted to talk to you... about something important," he said, trying to tear his eyes away from her... pretty outfit...
"Okay," she said, waiting for him to begin.
"Um, not... here. Somewhere more... private, perhaps?" he tried to sound as though nothing was up, but it was quite obvious something was.
"Okay..." she mumbled, calling to her mother, telling her she'd be out for a while. He mother called back joyously, telling her to 'have a great time'. Hilary followed Tyson out the door then, and made sure to lock it behind her.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Hilary asked, both of them sitting on the edge of the dock. The same dock Tyson had come to terms with his feelings; unbeknownst to Hilary, the very object of Tyson's turmoil, yet affection.
"I... I'm not really sure how to start this..." he said, nervousness building up faster and faster.
"Just cut to the chase then," she said shrugging. He seemed lost all of a sudden.
"I can't do that... I have to be careful... very careful..." he said. Hilary placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, a small smile in place. Tyson hesitated before placing his hand on hers, keeping it on his shoulder as long as he could.
"What's wrong, Tyson?" she asked, clearly worried. Tyson let a smile grace his lips as her hand gripped onto his shoulder.
"Nothing's wrong, Hil... I guess I'm just having trouble with how to phrase this..." He chanced turning to her, catching her ruby eyes. She gazed back at him, seeing pure emotion in his maroon orbs.
"Phrase it?" she breathed, noticing how close Tyson was to her.
"I've been thinking, Hilary... And believe me I must have stretch marks in my head," he said, smiling brighter as she giggled. "You see... Kai told me that... I'm sick, so to say..." Tyson raised his hand to stop her as she was about to go on a rant with worry. Both paused though, as Tyson's fingers softly touched Hilary's slightly parted lips. He could feel how soft they were, perfectly untouched. "Don't worry," he breathed, "I won't die... not before I tell you..." he said. Hilary continued to gaze at him, a pink hue over her cheeks.
"What's wrong then?" she asked, her lips brushing against Tyson's fingers. Tyson dropped his hand, turning to her completely, a fiery look in his eyes.
"Hilary... I want you to know... that I care about you," he said carefully, completely aware of his words. Hilary's eyes widened a margin, her hand rising to her heart. She blushed even more.
"You... you mean... you... like me?" she asked, cautiously. She looked to her lap, seeing his fists near her knees. His fists were trembling... She suddenly let a smile spread across as she met his eyes again.
"I do..." he said, breathing afterwards as if it was difficult. Hilary's sweet smile assured him that he needn't be so worried.
"Well... I had no idea..." she said. Tyson was starting to worry that she wouldn't return his feelings, or toss them aside as if he'd never said them... "I... feel the same way..." she said shyly. She stared dreamily at the calm waters below her, the moment so perfect to her; just what she'd been waiting for. Tyson continued to look at her, the memory of his embarrassing pillow incident popping back into his head. He scooted closer to her, their thighs touching and he pulled her into his arms. Hilary tensed as he pulled her against his chest, but calmed immediately, feeling absolutely wonderful. She closed her eyes as his strong arms protected her form.
"You don't know how long I've wanted to... hold you like this. And like an idiot, I barely realized it..." he said, mentally cursing himself. Hilary placed her hand gently over Tyson's heart, feeling it beat with hers.
"You don't know how long I've wanted you to hold me like this..." She pulled away looking him in the eyes. "You are such an idiot sometimes," she said, placing her hands on Tyson's cheeks. She pressed her forehead against his, closing her eyes. "I... love you, you goon..." she said. Tyson smiled, suddenly tilting his head, his lips pressing against hers. Hilary's eyes shot open as his were calmly closed. She felt her chest pounding, her ribs starting to hurt, though she let her eyes slide closed, her hands slipping around his neck. He smiled against her lips, pulling her close, his arms tightly around her waist. Their lips parted slightly, both smiling at each other.
"I love you too..." he whispered, giving her a lopsided smile. She let a giggled escape her lips as she embraced him again, their foreheads pressed together as they smiled, along with their hearts.
The sun began to set, the bay taking on an orange color, reflecting against the shiny boats and various people on the nearly deserted dock. Kai stood on top of the small hill leading down to the docks, watching the sunset as well as the pair on the docks, sitting side by side, the shorter of the two laying her head on the other's shoulder. He let a small relieved smile grace his usually distant face.
"Well... this turned out exceptionally well..." he said, arms crossed, his scarf catching the breeze of the bay.
"You are quite the little cupid, Kai," came a silky voice. Kai turned to see Rei walk up beside him, smiling at the pair on the dock.
"Shut up, I only did it to shut them both up," he said, looking away. Rei's eyes lidded as he smirked.
"Sure... But you gotta admit, Kai, you did a great job... With my help, of course," Rei said. Kai turned back to him, raising a single questioning eyebrow.
"What?"
"Well, if I didn't stay behind long enough to help Tyson realize his feelings, not to mention giving him that heartfelt speech, he'd be down there, alright, but not with Hilary..." Kai's eyes softened.
"Heartfelt... speech?" Rei nodded.
"No need to be concerned, Kai," Rei began.
"I'm not..." he said, making Rei glare at him.
"Yea, well, that speech not only helped him, but myself..." Kai blinked in question.
"How so?"
"Well... There's someone back home that I know I'll loose if I don't get to her first..." Rei said quietly, looking at the slowly fading sun.
"Is that so...?" Kai mocked. "Well, you better go get her, tiger," he said, smirking. Rei lightly punched his shoulder.
"I'm not leaving just yet. I want to make sure you really do know what you're doing with those two," he said, crossing his arms over his chest as well. He suddenly looked like he'd just realized something. "Say... You know, Kai, you sure know a lot about romance for a guy who's not even nice to his best friends..." Kai growled.
"Who said you dorks were my best friends?" he said, glaring at the sun. Rei chuckled.
"You've got to be the nicest guy ever, Kai..." he said, smirking.
"What ever..." Kai and Rei continued to watch the sun fall, the two below seemingly lost in their own world...
TBC...