You know, this wasn't supposed to turn out like this... (sweatdrops) Oh well. This pairing needs all the support it can get! (cheers for Ray/Hilary) Enjoy!

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Everyone thought that Ray was nothing more than a polite, well-mannered teenager. An all-rounder; nothing particular special about him other than his startling looks. Hilary knew better.

They thought that Ray was soft-spoken, the peace-maker, the gentle one of their old group. That title, she knew, had gone to mischievous, always grinning Max. Ray could be a peace-maker, he could smooth over any situation with just few, calm words, but he didn't make a habit of it.

They thought he was modest, self-effacing. No one ever noticed the conceited gleam in those large golden eyes, the way that he made every movement knowing that he was being looked at, drooled over. When he bladed against anyone who he knew wasn't up to his standard, no one saw the way he would play with them as a tiger plays with its prey after catching it, milking every drop of attention and praise that came his way. The slight, contemptuous raising of his eyebrows at every ineffectual attack went unseen by everyone except her.

Few people realised Ray's true sexiness. Oh, they clustered in groups to gush over his hair, his body, his eyes, his blading ability, but they didn't know. They had never stood, back pressed against a wall and felt the full, magnetic force of those golden eye focused on them and them alone, never heard the way that his voice dropped half an octave, honey-coated words sliding over his tongue with ease. They had never known the smooth, predatory charm of the tiger, the single-mindedness of a powerful cat who knew exactly what he wanted.

His body had pressed flush with hers, his tongue thrust into her mouth, hot and demanding, sending tendrils of heat throughout her body. His hands had roamed where they wished and she was unable to stop them, unable to do anything other than moan softly and melt in the rays of his incredible sexuality. In too short a time, he had pulled away. His intense golden gaze had lightened, returning to his usual cool scrutiny. Turning, he smiled at her from sideways on, his typical, friendly, open smile.

"See you around, Hil." Even his voice had undergone the transformation, changing back into the light tones people would call normal. As he walked away, his movements fluid and graceful, she had seen that spark of triumph that came whenever he got his way glitter in his eyes.

Just as Driger's blinding speed went unused and unnoticed until he deemed it necessary, Ray kept his own power inside until he needed it. The power was in his words. They flowed from his tongue without effort, subtly persuading the people around him to change as he willed it. Hilary knew from dizzying experience how quickly he could turn from merely polite and affable to an animalistic passion and back again, leaving her breathless and confused as she stared after his retreating form.

No one seemed to notice her sudden desire to be around the boy. That was what he was to them, after all. A civil, occasionally mischievous boy with that strange, long hair and those strange golden eyes. Since he had left the team to join up with White Tiger X, the only one who had seemed truly willing to switch teams, no one had questioned the hours that they spent together. It was well-known that they were good friends, and didn't Tyson and Max also spend hours together? No, no one questioned it. Why should they? They didn't know how good that strange, long hair felt sliding through her fingers, soft, silky waves brushing against her hands and arms, or how those strange golden eyes could darken with an intensity that sucked her in and spun her around.

Confident, almost brazen about his blading ability now that he was finally the leader of a team, he walked everywhere with a slight swagger, the gleam ever more pronounced. Hilary trailed along behind, still watching him carefully.

Why could no one see what she could? Why did no one else feel this irresistible compulsion to be near him? His ego worried her and she feared that he might tumble, as Tyson had just a little while ago. Pride comes before a fall, they say.

And what a fall it was. Beaten by Kai in a battle that had her nearly screaming with tension and wishing with all her might that she could be down there with him, he became the only ex-Bladebreaker not to face Tyson.

He drew in on himself. The terrible, wonderful compulsion to be near him no matter what faded with his confidence, but still Hilary came. She encouraged him and scolded him, tried to make him see sense. Eventually, he rose to her bait and challenged Tyson.

The battle destroyed their beyblades, but it also destroyed Ray's slump. He was back, cocky and flirtatious, but with a gentler side, now that he had seen the folly of allowing over-inflated egos to reach too big a height.

Embraces and nuzzles became more commonplace than burning, ravishing kisses, but they still managed to take their relationship to the next level. And finally, at last, someone noticed them.

"Get a room, you two!"

Suddenly, everybody noticed them. Everyone knew about them, everybody pried into their shared moments that had been special because of the privacy, the secrecy.

"We don't all want to see your inventive way of cleaning Hilary's tonsils, Ray."

"Aw, they're so sweet…"

People commented on Ray's "new" self-confidence, his shameless flaunting of his looks. New? They had just never opened their eyes properly before.

Scared of the invasion, they backed away, said they were taking it slowly.

Hilary smiled at the thought. Ray's "taking it slowly" merely meant that he had upped the level of secrecy again, found new places to exercise his gift with words and actions and leave her gasping.

Ray wasn't well-mannered then, he was breathless, eager, almost impatient at times. He wasn't polite, he was proud, his eyes glittering with triumph as he claimed her as his again and again.

To be brutally honest, he was an overconfident sixteen year-old, with an ego that needed deflated quite regularly, an activity that Hilary found many interesting ways of doing.

But he was sexy and charming, and had never cheated on her, so she could cope with the ego.

However, Tyson's was another matter…

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Well? All opinions very welcome. I don't know whether I like it or not... (frowns) Hope you lot do!

Please review!