I'm back! Sorry for the wait. My brain is working again! -cheers- I hope you all enjoy this fluffy little oneshot.
Dedicated to Zapinit
Ray had taken to traveling the world after he retired from beyblading. He had saved up the majority of the money he made as a professional blader and was using it to find the right place to call home. He knew that he couldn't go back to living in White Tiger Hills because he'd seen too much of the world to be happy there any longer. He had apologized and explained to the elders who then gave him their blessing to go out into the world. Currently he was in Germany looking up an old friend he'd spent years watching. The German noble had managed to catch Ray's eye the first time they met and the infatuation had only grown over time. They hadn't seen each other in over five years, but Ray had a feeling that Robert's manners wouldn't allow him to refuse Ray's company.
The tiger walked up to the front door of the truly overly large castle that Robert called home and lifted the heavy knocker twice. He only had to wait a minute before the door was opened by Robert's butler, Gustav. Ray flashed a smile in a way that didn't show off his fangs too much. "Hello. Is Robert home?" he questioned in the nicest voice possible. He still felt a little guilty for all the headaches he and his friends gave the butler all those years ago. He may be well into his twenties, but he had a feeling the butler still remembered him.
"Yes, he is. Please come in young sir." Gustav let him into the house and took his jacket before Ray removed his shoes. "Please follow me, Master Robert was expecting you and requested I show you to his study." Ray obediently followed the butler through the maze of a home he was being hosted in. He let his eyes wander over the art that hung on the walls and wondered if Robert even knew what he owned and what he didn't.
Before he knew it the tiger was standing in front of Robert trying not to ogle. Robert looked even more handsome than he remembered. Ray was pretty sure that it had something to do with the new shorter hairstyle that the noble was sporting, but he had also found a balance between being toned and having too many muscles. Ray smiled widely at the griffin before taking the seat that was being pointed out to him. The tiger sat opposite his noble host and sighed softly as his infatuation/crush came back full force.
"What brings you to Germany?"
Ray blinked at the question. He hadn't really been paying attention to anything except how good his host looked in his snuggly fitting clothing. "I, uh, was wandering through Europe and sort of ended up in Berlin. I haven't really been planning out where I go. I just sort of go where I feel like it." Ray watched the griffin's face carefully for a reaction and was disappointed not to get one.
"Where all have you been recently? I haven't heard from anyone else about you suddenly showing up on their doorstep."
Ray pouted slightly. "I called first." Robert smiled softly at him which gave the tiger some encouragement. "I was in Scotland, but I didn't stop by to see Johnny. I don't think I would have been all that welcomed anyway. He always dodged questions about his home-life when I would ask."
Robert tilted his head to the side slightly. "Johnny has a very large family that he is easily embarrassed by. He also happens to be the youngest so he is often dismissed by his father entirely. He can't control his temper when he talks about them so he doesn't. He probably would have welcomed you into his home though since none of his family members actually live there with him."
Ray blinked in surprise at the detailed explanation he had just been given. "That explains a lot."
"You don't have much room to criticize for dodging questions about family though since you routinely did the same thing" Robert pointed out in further defense of his best friend.
"That's because I don't have a family and the closest thing I have are the White Tigers. Everyone already knew them." Ray was slightly concerned with the direction this conversation was heading. "If you're that curious about my family I'll give you the very brief version. I'm either an orphan or was abandoned as an infant. Either way it's not pleasant."
Robert frowned as he watched his guest's eyes fixate on the floor. "I didn't mean to make you say anything. I figured you had your reasons just like Johnny, but I still felt the need to protect him."
"Johnny doesn't need anyone to protect him. He always held his own against everyone." Ray lifted his gaze off the floor satisfied that Robert wouldn't see the pain at not knowing his history in his eyes any longer. "Robert, can I ask you something?"
"I don't see why not."
"What would you do if I kissed you?" Robert stared at him incredulously for a minute which Ray took as a bad sign. "Forget I asked. It was just my curiosity getting the better of me."
Robert watched as Ray looked away from him again this time to stare out the window. He moved to take a seat next to the tiger. "Why is it you have so much trouble looking at me today? What is it you don't want me to see?"
"I've never been good at hiding what I'm feeling and I'd rather you not see every last emotion that goes through me." Ray kept his face turned away from Robert as his heart started to ache.
"If you're trying to hide your sadness then you might as well stop trying. I saw it while I was still trying to register your question." Gently he placed his fingers beneath Ray's chin and turned his head to face him. "Would you like to find out what would happen if you kissed me?"
Ray bit his lip thinking it over, but ultimately decided that the German wouldn't have made the invitation if he intended to push the Chinese away. Slowly, hesitantly he leaned over and placed his lips on Robert's. He barely applied any pressure still afraid of the consequences. Robert smirked inwardly at the usually bold tiger's shyness. He could tell that he would have to take the initiative and control the kiss if they were actually going to get anywhere. The griffin leaned closer putting more pressure on the tiger's lips as one of his hands tangled in long black hair and the other rested on the small of his guest's back. Ray purred rather happily into the kiss and eagerly accepted Robert's attempt to deepen it. The German noble was clearly an experienced kisser and knew just what to do to turn Ray into a smitten kitten who just wanted more affection. Ray practically crawled into Robert's lap hoping to get more contact with his longtime crush. They parted and the tiger snuggled into the griffin's chest happily purring.
Robert ran his fingers through Ray's hair gently undoing the bind that still held the ankle length locks in place. "How long are you planning on staying in Germany?"
"Forever and ever" was Ray's response. Robert chuckled and held the tiger tightly. "Is that okay?" the kitten questioned as he tilted his head back slightly worried that Robert would object to his answer.
"It sounds wonderful" Robert whispered before capturing Ray's lips in another sweet kiss. They would take things slow as they got to know each other all over again, but they both knew that Ray had finally found the place he could call home.
No one ever said that I didn't pounce on a chance to do pointless fluff. This happens to be one of those times. I seriously thought about writing a lemon for this pairing, but decided that mass amounts of fluffiness would be more fun for me. Please review!