Authors Note Ok peeps this story is based on the song The Kids Aren't Alright by Offspring, I thought the four main members of Beyblade could fit the song. I hope you'll agree. There is shounen-ai in this so your warned. In case you don't know all the italics paragraphs are flashbacks. I'd like to thank my Imotou-san, Megs for beta-ing it and editing. Now all that's left is for you to read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with the characters mentioned in this story, they are owned by the respected owners. I neither own nothing to don with the song mentioned above, it is owned by the band and co.

Shattered Lives and Broken Dreams

She stood in a crowd of many at an old friend's funeral. From the originally four members, herself and Kyuoju not included, only two remained. Kon Rei and Kinomiya Takao. But Kyuoju wasn't even there, out of them all Kyuojo was the successful one.

She saw familiar faces and some not so familiar faces. There were lots of foreigners at this funeral, mainly Americans. Family, she assumed. And the reason being that this was Mizuhara Max's funeral. Yes, the little, happy-go-lucky, former BBA Revolution, and PPB All Starz star, was dead.

Dead at such a young age, barely in his twenties.

She remembered the fated phone call she received just a few weeks before, carrying the dreadful news.

The phone had rung repeatedly for the past ten minutes and all the brunette girl wanted to do was feed her dark headed toddler her dinner. So, after it annoyed her for the seventh million time, she left her child, who was now happily playing with her food and answered the phone.

"Moshi Moshi!" She wasn't very polite with her greeting.

"Hiromi it's me don't put the phone down?" Came the pleading voice on the other end of the phone line.

She frowned. "And why not Takao? You don't give me any money for Maaya!"

"I know, I'm sorry, but I'm not calling you about that. Someth-"

"Oh, what a surprise! You never have any money Takao!" She didn't let him finish his sentence.

"Will you just listen to me Hiromi!" He raised his voice, which aggravated her even more.

"Give me one good reason why I should?" She placed her free hand on her hip and her eyebrows were raised, even though he could not see her displeasure.

"Cause I'm not ringing about me, it's about Max!" He told her.

"Takao why can't you be like Max? I mean he's doing something productive with his life-" She started but was unable to finish.

"Max is dead Hiromi!" The bluenette yelled down the phone, his voice wavering, about to crack.

Hiromi's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "This better not be some stupid joke!"

"Would I joke about Max dying?"

"Well I dunno with you nowadays."

"Hiromi does it sound like I'm joking? I'm fucking crying for Heaven's sake! My best-friend is DEAD!"

He was right, she admitted to herself, Takao did sound upset.

"What happened?" She couldn't help but ask. Max was her friend too.

"He overdosed and by the time he got to the hospital, he was pronounced dead."

"No," She whispered more to herself. The disbelief began to settle, not only in her heart, but also in her wavering voice.

"I found out just an hour ago. His dad called me."

"Why did he- why did he take that stuff? I warned him!" Hiromi felt warm tears trail down her cheeks suddenly.

"We all did, but he never listened." Takao cried with her.

"Another one gone." She added. She brushed away her tears as her daughter was looking at her and tried to regain herself. "When's the funeral?"

"Next Thursday."

"I'll be there." She paused. "Do you want me to come over?" She asked.

"No, it's okay, my brother's here."

"Okay then, you take care now."

Takao replied the same way. As she put the phone back on the holder, she felt her legs go from underneath her and she landed on the floor. She looked blankly at the cold tiles for several long minutes, before she burst into fresh tears. Soon after, her daughter was crying with her too.

The rain persisted, soaking the funeral, as if to mimic the tears shed by the crowd. She found her ex-partner and decided to stand by him, giving him support for the first time since they had broken up. She noticed a Chinese man in the crowd and with him stood a pink haired woman; she instantly recognized him and his wife. She looked at him and gave a weak smile before returning to the ceremony.

After Max had been laid to rest, people started returning to their cars, but not Takao; he remained to stay at the graveside.

Crying and saying sorry, over and over.

Hiromi waited with him until the Chinese couple from earlier caught her attention. She watched the two talk, which looked more like a small argument. The man then stormed off from the woman, anger shading his face. The young woman walked towards the cars, mumbling Chinese words to herself.

She decided to follow the man; Takao needed some alone time. She found the man in front of another gravestone. She too knew the graves occupier but never personally visited.

"You okay, Rei?" She asked, standing next to him, making her presence known.

"I miss him so much." His voice gave away the grief , more than the words themselves.

She put a hand on his shoulder in aid to comfort him. "I know you do."

"He's gone because of me, isn't he?" He looked at her with teary golden orbs.

"No." Hiromi shuck her head.

"Yes, he is." He sniffled. "If I hadn't been forced to marry Mao, Kai would still be here today."

"You don't know that Rei. He had a haunting past."

"He had got over that. He loved me; did you know that? And I broke his heart, and crushed his life again by marrying her." His voice sounded bitter and resonance of the past crept into every choked syllable.

"You had no choice but to marry her."

"I could have said no, but I did it for the easy life. And it destroyed me and Kai. It destroyed our happiness." His body trembled as salty tears streamed down his tanned cheeks. "I killed him." He wept.

"Rei, don't leave me!" Kai begged to the retreating Chinese.

Rei refused to turn around and look at him. "I have no choice." Regret laced his voice.

"I love you!" Kai cried, tears running down his pale cheeks.

Rei's body shuddered as he too cried with his lover. "I love you too."

Rei then felt Kai's hands wrap around his waist. "Don't go then." He whispered into Rei's ear. Stay with me?

Rei closed his eyes, not wanting to shed any more tears. He wished he could except Kai's plead but he had to go. It was inevitable.

"Kai please don't make this any harder than it already is." He removed Kai's warm palms from his waist and walked away, his heart breaking more and more with every step.

"Rei," Kai's voice sounded weak and small. It made the Chinese wince, as he had never heard Kai sound so fragile before.

He paused for a second and sighed sadly. "I'm sorry Kai but you know the penalty if I don't marry Mao."

"I won't let them hurt you.".

Rei spun round and looked at the Russian. "They already have." He was trying very hard to bite back the tears. "I love you, Hiwatari, Kai. You mean everything to me." The tears couldn't hold back any longer and they fell one by one onto his tanned cheeks.

At this point, Kai rushed over to Rei and held him. Rei warmly accepted the affection and nestled his face in the Russians chest. Kai then placed a hand under Rei's chin and tilted it up, so they both were staring into each other's eyes. The Russian leaned towards the Chinese and gently kissed Rei's lips. Rei returned the kiss, never wanting to leave his lover. He hastily pulled away though, for he was prolonging their farewell and torture.

"I'm sorry Kai". And with that, Kon Rei left behind the life he loved so much.

All Kai could do was watch him leave and crumble to his knees.

Rei cleaned up his tears before re-entering the lobby and meeting up with Mao. He didn't want anyone to see hed been crying.

He walked slowly over to the pink-haired girl, waiting for him by their luggage.

"How was he?" She asked, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged it off coldly. "As if you care!" He carried on walking past her, to the entrance.

She ran up behind him. "You know this isn't my choice either!"

Rei spun round, anger splayed over his face. "Yeah well, you sure aren't protesting against it!"

"I can't and you know that. It's the same for me as it is you. It was arranged when we were children." She knew how her fiancé felt; she too had to leave her partner behind as well. "We better go." Mao suggested, walking towards the entrance. Rei followed behind regrettably.

The porter was just putting their luggage into the waiting taxis trunk, when something fell from up above.

Rei stared in shock as he stared at crumpled body indented on the taxi bonnet. Golden orbs rested upon slate-grey and navy blue hair hiding a familiar white face. Dark scarlet blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. The blood matched the empty, lifeless, ruby eyes. Rei's eyes took it all in, disbelief now replacing his shock.

"Oh no!" He heard the pink haired girl mutter. "Someone call an ambulance!" She screamed.

Rei slowly walked over to Kai's limp body, the tears starting to form in his eyes.

"Why Kai?" He asked the broken body. "WHY?" He yelled at the sky.

Tears cascaded down his cheeks, as he cradled Kai's head in his arms. He rocked back and forth sobbing.

Sirens rang in the distance.

Rei opened his watery eyes, the ringing in his ears too painful to bear, as if it happened minutes ago.

Hiromi was still as she stood next to him. Rei, you couldn't predict what Kai was gonna do. She tried to reassure him.

"I knew. I knew that he couldn't live without me. He begged me to stay and I still left." And then the Chinese man broke down. The Japanese girl immediately hugged him, trying to comfort him. It was all too much to handle, for everyone.

The doorbell rang just as the brunette woman tucked her sleeping daughter in to bed. It rang again, as she walked down the stairs. Finally, with a third ring, which started to annoy her, she opened the door.

"Yes?" She said angrily, though her mood instantly changed. "Takao?" She looked a bit shocked to see him standing at her front door. She hadn't seen him since Maxs funeral, which was months ago.

"Sorry I missed Maaya's birthday." She then noticed the teddy bear in his arms.

I" didn't think you were back yet." She answered him.

"Well I couldn't stay in America forever; after all, I have a daughter back here." A weak smile grimaced his lips.

"Do you want to come in?" Hiromi moved aside. "I mean Maaya's in bed now though."

"If that's okay?"

"Of course it is."

"So, can I get you anything?" She asked as they stepped into the lounge.

"Hiromi! I've been an idiot!" Takao suddenly blurted out, catching the brunette off-guard.

"What do you mean?" She gazed at him with a puzzled expression.

"I've wasted these past years doing nothing. I was once the reigning champion for five years and now I'm nothing." He slumped into one of the armchairs.

"That's not true Takao. You're a father." She sat down on the sofa opposite him.

"Yeah and I can't even do that right. I didn't take responsibility when you were pregnant and I haven't provided anything for her, since. I'm a failure, Hiromi."

Hiromi's face contorted into another disgusted look as she picked up yet another one of Takao's dirty boxers. She was getting sick of being his maid more than his girlfriend.

She walked into the lounge where Takao normally resided these days. She threw the boxers at his face, her aim perfect.

"What the hell Hiromi!" The bluenette said, irritated.

"You! Takao! That's what the hell!" She placed her hands on her hips, anger etched into her face, "you're so disgusting!"

"It's just some boxers."

"Just some boxers?! Takao you never clean up after yourself. I'm not your frigging maid!"

"Actually," Takao cocked his head, his perverted smirk indicating that he was imagining Hiromi in a maid outfit.

She growled in frustration at him, wiping the smirk off his face.

"Chill out, Hiromi," Takao told her.

"Chill out!" she screamed at him, "Chill out! You try to chill out with a pig for a boyfriend and lugging a baby about!" She threw her hands down to her side, stressing the size of her swollen stomach.

"Stop stressing, or he's going to come early."

"Yeah well if the baby comes early I don't expect any help from you!"

"What do you mean you expect no help?" His eyebrows knitted together forming a frown.

"What I mean Takao is that you sit around on your arse all day watching old tournaments. You don't clean up when I ask you. You never help me even though I'm about to have this baby." She sighed sadly and rubbed her bump affectionately.

"I bring in the money." He protested.

"No, Takao, you don't. You haven't had a match in six months. We're surviving on my maternity pay."

"So business is a little slow," he stood up and walked over to her, and placed his hands around her waist, "It'll pick up soon."

Hiromi wanted to believe him, but he'd been saying that for the last four months. She knew Kai,s suicide had hit her partner really bad, and that was why he hadn't battled. But they still needed money to survive, and he wasn't providing it for their soon to be young family.

"I'm going to go have a lie down," She moved away from him, feeling his hands slip from her waist, and proceeded upstairs.

Hiromi left him a few days later.

Tears stained his tanned cheeks, "I'm sorry," He wept.

Hiromi knowing, how hard he'd been taking everything lately rushed over and hugged him. Takao sobbed on her shoulder for a while.

"I know how hard it's been for you," She stroked his dark blue hair, but it will get better.

Takao could not move from her embrace; he remained standing motionless, if only to sob on her, finally letting the entirety of his grief and pain surface.

After he had let all his grief out, he calmed down and regained his posture.

"Here," Hiromi offered him a tissue, before placing a cup of hot tea before him. They sat down again, in silence.

Takao cupped the tea in his hands, drawing in the warmth from it. He then took a mouthful, feeling the warm liquid run down through his body; it eased the coldness he felt.

He looked down into the cup, "you remember how I like it."

The brunette smiled, spite herself, "well, Maaya likes it the same way."

Takaos head shot up, his brown orbs wide in surprise.

The Japanese girl chuckled slightly, "I don't know why you look so surprised; she is your daughter and like you in every possible way."

"Really?" The bluenette asked; a smile tugged at his lips.

Hiromi nodded smiling back.

"Poor kid," Takao chuckled before returning to his tea. Hiromi giggled with him.

Silence settled upon the two. The blue haired former champion kept looking at his tea swirling around in the cup, occasionally taking mouthfuls. Hiromi looked at her hands that were placed on her lap, deep in thought.

"Hiromi?" His voice brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up at him in response. She noticed he was struggling to say something. "Can we give us another chance?" He finally managed to say; his eyes were locked onto her ruby orbs. Hope glazed them.

"Takao," Came the response, shaking in her voice.

The Japanese man put the cup of tea down and went over to her. He knelt on the floor and cupped her hands in his.

"I mean, I've changed. I've grown up; I'm not the same person anymore. I want us to be a proper family again," His voice came out pleadingly and it reflected in his eyes, Hiromi saw.

The brunette sighed and closed her eyes before opening them again, "Takao," She paused, thinking of how to word what she wanted to say, "I can't, I'm sorry." She watched his face fall and hopes dissolve.

"But…" He stuttered, his voice faltering.

"I know you've changed, I can see that, but there's too much history."

"But I love you," Tears welled up in his eyes.

She moved her hands from his and brought them up to his face, placing them on either side of his visage. "I love you too," her own voice wavered now, "I think a part of me always will. But were not good as a couple. You drive me crazy," She tried to lift the mood a little, but failed.

"So, this is it then?" The tears now spilled down his tanned cheeks.

All Hiromi could do was look at the floor, as her own tears cascaded down her cheeks.

Takao then stood up, even though it felt that his whole world was crashing down around him.

"I'm sorry," Hiromi cried, looking up at him, but he refused to connect with her eyes anymore.

He just looked at the floor, sobs making his body shiver.

"You can still come see Maaya," she hiccupped, "I'd like that and so would she."

"We'll see," Was all the bluenette managed to get out; he then started towards the hallway, to the entrance.

"Takao!" Hiromi got up and ran over to him. He turned around at the mention of his name. She threw herself on him, her lips pressing against his, her arms snaking around his body. He pulled her closer to him; his hands cupped her face, as he kissed her back repeatedly.

He couldn't get enough of her, she was all that he wanted, but he knew if he let this continue it would only lead to something that was wrong.

He pulled away, forcing himself to do so. They were both breathing heavily, looking at each other.

"We better not," he forced himself to say, wanting to do the complete opposite.

A blush crept onto Hiromi's cheeks and she ran a hand through her hair. "You're absolutely right," She agreed.

Just then, Maaya woke up crying, alerting both parents to her presence.

"I better go see to her," The mother suggested.

"Totally." Takao replied.

"Mummy?" A small voice called from upstairs.

"Coming darling," Hiromi turned and called upstairs. "I better…" She said turning around only to stop.

Her front door was open and she saw her ex-partner walking down the street in the darkness. She watched him for a while and then closed the door and went to her daughter.

Takao never got in touch to see Maaya.

I hope you liked it or whatever the word is. Anyway all that's left now is to leave me a review if you like, any criticism is also taken. So its bye for now.

Diesty-chan