"Hey, Kurenai~"

"Hmm?" Shu curled his fingers into a first and uncurled them, fighting the agonizing fire in his chest.

Phi frowned over his shoulder, glancing at his paled face. "You seem distracted."

True enough, even if it was disappointing that the bastard had noticed. Shu was usually better at hiding his emotions.

When he'd gone to Spain to tell Valt the good news, he'd been stared at blankly. The conversation hadn't gone exactly as he'd planned.

"So you beat him."

"Yeah."

Valt frowned, his eyes distant. "Did you beat him four-zero?"

"Yes."

Then his ex had smiled, that distant face suddenly alive with wildness. His canines were sharper than before. "Good. Thank you."

No, 'Thank you so much, Shu! How'd you beat him?' No, 'Shu, you're my best friend!' Not even, 'Let's battle!'

But when Free popped up to listen, he'd look genuinely impressed. But as much pleasure as Shu'd taken from that, it faded when Valt's hand clasped Free's.

Valt had moved on, probably moved on months ago, and it hurt...

"Hey. Shu."

His head snapped back.

Phi frowned, glancing back at the screen. "You're breaking the controller, and I don't think it's helping you win~"

As he said that, Lucina grabbed Shu's character and threw him off-stage. Before the albino could react, Phi had a down-smash combo up and was back onstage.

"GAME!"

"GODDAMMIT!" Shu threw the controller across the room, unsuccessfully attempting to contain his rage.

Phi watched this with an amused expression. "Well, is someone having a bad day?"

"Oh, fuck off!" Shu stood up angrily at Lucina's score. "Screw this. Let's get something to eat, I'm fucking hungry."

Phi gave a pointed look between the albino'd legs. "Not much there for me to-"

In a second, a shard of Storm Spryzen was buried next to his ear.

"Not. Another. Word."

He smirked, instead of that nervous look. That damn smirk drove Shu insane half the time. "Good. Do you have a restaurant in mind?"

"Actually, yes." He stood, grabbed Shu's hand. Heat flared through his body, and he clenched his jaw. "Suoh and Hartes will meet us at the beach, I'll grab takeout."

Shu pulled his hand away, heart pulsing too fast. Shit his whole body was on fire. Breathing wasn't an option right now. "Sure, I'll get changed," he managed. As he turned his back on Phi, the pain eased- only slightly.

"Wait. One more thing!"

Goddammit, what was it now? He growled, whipping his head around, and fire burned up his spine. "What?"

It came out louder than expected, but Phi barely flinched. "You looked good with earrings."

Shu tilted his head, confused. That was probably a lie, and he didn't understand why he would bother to say it.

"Here, try these on." He pulled a box out of his pocket and handed it to him. The box cooled his hands, so he opened it. Two smooth, red gems stared back at him. Ruby, by the look of it, and about as expensive as those earrings of Phi's.

Shiny!

He had a weakness for shiny items, and apparently, the bastard knew that. The ice-cold metal made heat fade. Shu smiled.

"Thank you."

Phi turned away quickly. "Don't lose them."

"Why would I ever lose something so shiny~" Shu grinned, letting his hands brush the jewel. Why had Phi turned around so fast? It wasn't like he was scary, and the gift was beautiful.

"Let's go!"

Energetic wasn't something Phi could usually be described at. Strange.

"Where are the others?" Shu asked. He didn't like this beach. For one, it was too easy to be spotted and attacked by fangirls. For another, he'd been forced to pretend to be Phi to- again- get fangirls off his back.

Phi nodded to the side, near the bushes. The albino caught a glimpse of Suoh's jacket-cape thing and part of Hartes's body armor tossed there.

Yeah... that was a big no...

"Point taken."

"So..." Phi took out the boxes. Shu smiled at the smell of Thai food. "How was your trip where you left me alone for a long time?"

"Did the great Phi actually miss me?" The albno feigned a gasp. "And it sucked. Thanks for asking, Phoenix."

He pouted. "That's sad."

"Uwu~"

"No uwus are allowed here!" Shu stuck out his tongue and pulled a paper plate full of noodle goodness towards him.

"Whaddaya mean?" Phi scooted back, horrified. He dumped another box of takeout onto a plate and set it down. "Oh, lookie, the sunset! Almost as hot as me~"

He stopped devouring noodles and looked up. "Holy shit..." The star was slowly sinking through the clouds, turning them red and yellow and pink. It's white-gold reflection shimmering in the water caught his eye, and Shu smiled. The picture-perfect scene reminded him of mystical worlds that he used to believe in. Everything he used to believe in.

Forgotten worlds, he decided, taking his phone out to snap a picture. Much better than eggs with toast, Valt.

"God, for the last time, stop thinking about him!"

Shu flinched up from his plate, spilling noodles on the ground. "GODAMMIT!"

The Phoenix huffed and gave him another plate. "Quit thinking about Valt! It's embarrassing for you, someone who's like, known all around the world, to be chasing some dumbass who doesn't appreciate you!"

Shu growled, pushing away his now-empty plate and settling on his knees. "What the fuck dd you just call Valt?"

"See? This is what I'm talking about!" Phi snarled back, chest rising and falling rapidly. "Valt's not your goddamn master, so stop following him like a dog! You keep trying to make him love you, and he never will, because he's so close-minded!" He gasped for breath. "He literally cannot love you, not without seeing Red Eye, don't you understand!"

Shu clenched his teeth. Sure, it was true, and it hurt like hell, but hearing it out of Phi's voice hit something in him. Probably his nonexistent heart. He stood up sharply, trying not to hiss at the heatwaves. "Get to your point, or I'll-"

"You'll do what?" the Phoenix growled back. His eyes flashed black. "Hurt me? Yell at me? Too bad, 'cause nothing's gonna stop me from saying this!" He inhaled. "Look," the albno spoke more gently, and Shu settled back on the sand, wary, but willing to listen. "You shouldn't keep running after him. I'm only taking the time out of my amazingly busy life to say this because I... never mind..."

Shu noted the red on his face, what he'd mistaken for fury before. It clearly wasn't. "Go on~"

"IT'S BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, DAMMIT!"

Phi loved him?

Okay, then. He'd lost hs best friend to one of hs worst enemies, joined the people he hated n their idiotic squad, and had fun. Nothing could get werde-

Wait.

Phi loved him?

Yeah, that was weirder.

"I knew it ever since I took that phone from you at the airport." He was speaking softer now. "And I didn't tell you so you could be happy with Valt. But you won't be!"

What the actual... no, he wasn't about to-

"So go out with me."

Well, that was straightforward. Shu hesitantly stood, as did Phi. Those unblinking eyes bored through his mind. Shu would admit to anyone but the black-eyed Phoenix that he had some trust issues and chasing after Valt was something he did a lot. But...

But it was Phi. The demon blader. He couldn't forgive that, after his own beyblade was destroyed.

He had no emotions, none of Valt's mercy.

The Chimera Blader didn't show weakness

"No."

Phi clenched his teeth. "Go out with me."

He folded his arms, shifting his legs to a defensive stance. "Did I or did I not just say no?"

"GODAMMIT, KURENAI!" He stormed across the blanket until he was nose-to-nose with Shu. "All I'm asking is one chance. One."

He'd already had too many chances. Phi could be anything but a good person, because a good person meant weakness. Even Shu had the capability to be king, but the bastard? Not ever. "I'm sorry."

The only gift he could offer. Real apologies out of Shu were rare, and he knew it.

"That wasn't a question."

What?

The next thing he felt was Phi's lips on him, hungry. Shu flinched backwards, instinctively bringing his knee up, but the Phoenix's arm was around his waist, and his knee barked in pain when it hit some kind of... metal?

Clearly, Phi had come prepared.

His mouth parted in shock and a shit ton of pain. Phi took advantage of the situation, tilting his head more and kissing him again.

Shu stomped on his foot and jabbed his elbow at Phi's arm, brutally shoving him backwards. The Phoenix fell on his ass in the shallows.

Oh shit. Phi hated water: he did everything he could to avoid it. If it was a life or death situation between spikes and drowning, he'd choose spikes without hesitating.

Now he was pissed.

He moved forward slowly, and Shu backed away. Each nervous step made a soft imprint in the sand. His angry, slightly crazed expression made Shu wish the wall of rocks and the stairs would get closer. He didn't dare look over his shoulder. "Phi, calm the fuck down."

The bloodlust in his eyes kept him moving. The soft sand curled against his bare feet again, getting slightly rockier. "Phi?"

Black flooded his gaze.

Atychiphobia: the fear of failure, he'd said to Phi. Fear of failure... shit, this was probably the worst kind of failure Phi had felt. That... probably wasn't good. He probably couldn't even hear Shu right now.

The Phoenix lunged at Shu, and he jumped back as hard as he could.

Squelch.

He heard it before he felt it.

A spike of red rock jutting from his stomach, slimy crevices pooling with his blood.

Agony exploded through his body, fire bursting through his head and gold and black flames curling over his eyes. Shu's hand grabbed the shard of Spryzen that he'd brought even now. Every brush of his hair and clothes felt like someone was stabbing him. Over and over and over.

The black receded from those crystal eyes, and Phi rushed over. "Shu!" He was panicking. An accomplishment in itself.

Tears dripped from his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Shu..."

There was nothing either of them could do about this. Shu already knew he was going to die, adn Phi knew him well enough to know he didn't want to die in a hospital.

But there was one more thing to do, one way to avenge Valt, and him, and everything that had happened to him.

One less thing to leave behind.

"Phi," he rasped. Sparks licked the back of his throat, and they were real this time. It was true fire, a sign Spryzen was giving his all to save him.

It still wouldn't be enough.

"W-what is it?"

"Come over... here..."

Phi moved until he was again nose-to-nose. "I never meant to hurt you, Chimera."

Then he gasped, face draining of all color. The black-eyed blader slowly looked down, eyes slowly fading to white. His pale had shook as he stared back up at Shu.

The true albino gave him the wild grin of a Chimera. "I did."

The chimera that had buried a piece of himself in Phi's chest.

Red blood, a slight golden tint to it, poured out of his chest, and he gasped and clawed at it. His broken heart showed his eyes as Phi stared at him. "Why?" he begged.

The flames were fading, but Shu felt his skin on fire, felt the hair on his arms disintegrate. Felt his skin starting to disappear. He was burning alive, instead of dying on these rocks and having his blood drained. He decided it was a mercy, likely the last one his beyblade could offer.

"Because if I'm going to die here, you're dying with me."

Phi gave a weak smile, body going limp.

"Then I guess I'll see you in hell."

---

Uwu this was the bad ending

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAhAHH

HAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA

Got'em hoesssss!!!!

So wassup!

Go back and read the good ending, if you want!

Robin out!