A/n - this oneshot is connected to the other Free x Shu oneshots I wrote btw and this is one of the prompts I added to the list in my message board. This alongside the last prompt got the most votes and it ended in a tie. So i decided ill write this first and get to the 6th next. 

When he first heard of the stranger who's supposedly Kristina's cousin, Shu was only confused. The group was gathered around the bey stadium, resting after another set of battles. Shu had been watching them, standing silently by the end of the group, not intervening, just listening to the banter and the occasional cry of enthusiasm. The snow outside had prevented them from outdoor battles, hence, the indoor stadiums were always crowded with the members, training to lift their ranks, challenging Valt to a battle when they had the chance and the latter took great delight in the sheer amount of battles.

It was when Honey arrived with news they decided to take a break. Shu passed Valt a bottle of water which the latter chugged down. The young girl looked troubled, more or less displeased to be precise. "He's coming for the vacation," She announced. Except for a few people; Valt, Silas, Cuza, Honcho and Shu, the rest immediately understood the meaning behind the simple sentence.

"Who?"

Sasha rubbed her temples at Valt's question. "I really hope it's not the person I think it is."

"It's him. It's Kristian. He's coming again."

"Goddammit!" Sasha cursed, stomping her foot on the ground. It was the first time Shu had seen her using Spanish in front of the rest of them. They had this unspoken rule of speaking in English because everyone understood what each other was telling. Sasha must be really shaken if she suddenly switched languages.

"Who's Kristian?" Honcho asked, looking at Rickson for guidance. The older seemed only glad to offer them the details, more like preparing them for the war before the battles begin.

"He's Kristina's cousin-brother. Around our age, and quite different?"

"He's a spoiled brat." Sasha slumped herself to the floor. "Spoiled to the point I cannot stand the mere sight of him."

"Spoiled than Wakiya?" Honcho couldn't imagine someone as spoiled as Wakiya. Didn't mean he hated the male, no matter how rich or spoiled he was, Wakiya was tolerable and considerate — if he wanted to be of course.

"Wakiya is a sweetheart considering him." Sasha was exaggerating but she didn't seem to care. "He's just straight up mean."

"Surprising though. I mean Kristina is kind and considerate. I don't see why her cousin wouldn't be," Cuza said, his hands firmly on his hips. Carl flying around him, repeating the word Kind over and over that he sounded like a broken record.

Shu didn't add his thoughts to the conversation. He had more pressing matters, like what happened to Free. After the Spider incident, the pair barely had the time to talk. Not that he cared, but still, it was nice talking to him. It was only in his absence Shu realised he enjoyed the blond's company.

"He can't be that bad!" Valt cheered, spreading his ever-glowing positivity despite the desolate, sombre faces of the rest of the group. "Is he a blader?"

"Nah," Sasha said with a dismissing wave. "He's more into soccer and won't stop talking about it."

A silence followed, all of them in one mind thinking about this spoiled cousin that was to arrive the following day.

Shu was in his room when he arrived. He didn't see any point in walking out and introducing himself, and besides he was tired. After the Red Eye fiasco, the constant nightmares had been his companion each and every night. He tossed and turned, unable to — fearing to — fall asleep, succumbing to the darkness lurking inside his mind. Sometimes, his exhausted eyelids would slip close without his knowledge. He would enjoy a restless sleep of two or three hours before snapping awake, panting with the memories running wild in his tormented soul.

Due to this, he found himself resting his head whenever he got the chance. Most of the time in the companionship of his friends, at noon when there was light to chase away the darkness.

The albino sighed, falling back to the bed. The chatter of the main garden seeping into the room through the slightly ajar window panel. If he was staying a couple of days here, it was inevitable they would meet. He turned to his side, closing his eyes for a few minutes of a nap closing off the world.

---

Shu made his way through the hallway towards the stadiums. He had intended to fall asleep for a few minutes but woke up two hours later. He was confused at first, then the realisation dawned on him. Valt and Honcho must be worrying, he thought clumsily running the comb across his tangled locks before dashing out of the room.

He shouldn't have trusted himself to wake up in a few minutes.

Especially when he had lost so much sleep in the past few days.

Quite surprisingly, unlike the other days there was no noise coming out from the stadium. Shu opened the doors, curious about the silence when everyone looked at him. It didn't take him so much time to recognise the tension. "Shu," Valt said, his voice devoid of his usual cheer and vigour. The albino uncertainly flicked his glance towards his best friend before settling it on the pair in the middle of the room.

Free and a stranger — who's probably the cousin of Kristina. Shu could see the striking similarities. The light blue piercing eyes that were now penetrating his own gaze. Pale skin rivalling the magenta hair.

Shu shifted, wow this was awkward.

Sasha sighed, "You know what, let's just continue with our practice."

Kristian now turned to the girl with a smug grin painted on his lips. Shu was more interested in Free who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Where had he been the past few days anyway? He decided to ask the blonde himself when he heard Kristian's words.

"Ah, you guys are still continuing playing with those shiny toys? That's pathetic."

Shu stopped dead in his tracks. He frowned. Was he insulting beyblade? Sasha glared, "Kristian, you like soccer, and we like what we do here. So, could you please leave us alone?"

"Well, at least what I'm doing is considered a sport not playing with spin tops."

"Yeah well, a bunch of guys running after a ball is a game but us playing with spin tops aren't."

This time everyone did in fact turn back to him. Shu clamped his mouth shut. He totally didn't blurt that out just now, did he? Kristian frowned, walking up to him. Valt snickered in the background. Rickson just rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"Well, he got a point."

It was only when he stood in front of him Shu realised the guy was at least a head taller than him. Kristian raised his brow, "Wait, I know you. You're Red Eye, aren't you?"

Shu didn't wince at the name. Refusing to be intimidated he shrugged, "Yeah. That would be me."

Kristian smiled. Not a friendly nice to meet you smile. But you're beneath me bow down to me asshole kind of smile. "Ah yes, I remember you. You're the drama queen who tried to be the villain of the story and miserably failed in the end."

He heard Honcho's protest in the background. Shu smiled instead, "For a guy who hates beyblades, you know awfully a lot about it. Are you sure you aren't a fan?"

If Kristian was mad, he didn't show it. There was nothing but contempt and disgust on his face. "Don't get me wrong, but it's hard to ignore such a drama queen."

Shu jutted out his bottom lip, shoving his hands to his pockets. "Well, they're ignoring you, aren't they?"

Someone snorted. Kristian's brow twitched, the annoyance finally visible on his composed, handsome face. He turned to Sasha. "Don't tell me Kristina adopted another homeless kid again. Seriously, we have plenty of those here anyway, why need more?"

Sasha sneered, "Shut up Kristian. Free and I are not homeless. Our parents are busy with their work, that's all."

Shu looked at Free only to see the blonde was staring back at him. But he didn't seem to care about the insults. This unnerved the albino. So, he just pointed back at Kristian, staring dead at him in the eyes and asked the inevitable. "Is he always such an asshole?"

A faint smile bloomed on Free's lips before he suppressed it back down. Kristian spun on his heel, turning his attention back to Shu. "What?"

Shu put his hands up in surrender, "I said you're an asshole."

Kristian took a step forward and leaned down as if to assimilate dominance. It was an unspoken rule in many mangas that the taller one usually held the dominance playing upon their hands. "And what does that make you? A lowlife scum? Do I have to tell you everything you did-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Shu cut him off, waving his hands dismissively.

Kristian snorted, "What? Does speaking of those memories hurt? Seems to me like you're running away."

Valt in the background was watching the exchange, trying to jump in to stop the verbal abuse but for the first time, he saw Shu was actually getting mad. "That's none of your business. Why don't you make your merry way to that door and leave everyone alone?"

"BC Sol is my uncle's club. You have no right to tell me what to do."

"Rights are a social construct. Get out."

The thing with Shu was, he was rarely mad. This, mad. Sure, he'd had his fair share of being angry at different people, take Lui for an example. But sometimes, some people's existence is enough to spike up your fury. Like, Shu looked at Kristian, and boom, he's mad.

On the sidelines, Valt was shifting from leg to leg. In normal circumstances, he's the one in the middle of attention but right now, seeing his best friend, staring down a guy who's taller than him, his pale skin visibly heated up with his ears and cheeks coloured crimson, Valt made a mental note not to make Shu angry again. He had seen mad Shu, but not I-will-fuck-you-up furious Shu.

Kristian was dumbstruck after Shu's simple getout. No one, not even Sasha or Free whom he always leisurely insulted had ever told him to get out. "What if I don't?"

Shu didn't wait a second. He didn't even avert his gaze as spoke, "I will fucking murder you."

Kristian opeled laughed, placing a hand on top of Shu's head as if to elaborate who's the taller, he grinned, "What are you going to do, kid? Bust my kneecaps?"

"I will castrate you, don't test me."

That brought an audible gasp from Sasha and a loud burst of laughter from Honcho or Silas, Shu couldn't be sure. But he was being serious. His fist would look beautiful on that smug face. Kristian moved his hand and smiled, "I'd like to see you try."

"Listen here," The albino said, "I went off to Mexico on my own, spread a rumour that I am dead and pushed away all of my fucking friends and survived that shady underground battle grounds on my own just for the hell of it. What makes you think I am not capable of cold-blooded murder?"

Now Kristian actually looked uncertain. But he recovered as quickly as the expression took over his face. Refusing to back down, Kristian shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe it's you losing to your best friend after you all did that for me. Or maybe it's that your parents allowed-" Kristian wasn't able to finish that sentence, Shu cracked his knuckles and launched forward about to drive his fist to that face.

The taller took a step back in pure reflex but the attack never came. And Shu was mad because someone had their hands around him which locked him into place, not allowing him to break that bastard's whole face. "Get off!" He struggled, trying to kick Free off.

Free tightened his grip around Shu's waist, pulling him back. Shu placed his own hands on top of Free's trying to pry his arms off. "Okay, Shu. That's enough. He's scared of you already."

Kristian clicked his tongue, "As if I am."

"You look like you're about to wet your pants though," Sasha said, smiling.

"I will fight him," Shu declared, trying to free himself from Free's grasp. Free started dragging him out of the room, ignoring all the protests.

"There, there. Let's go out and cool down, shall we?"

"No!" Shu continued to object, thrashing. "I'll kill that motherfucker. I will fight you!" Shu called off over his shoulder seeing the impossibility to break free from Free. "I won't mind going to jail if it's you I'm killing."

"Take one for the team, Shu!" Sasha called out, laughing. The others didn't look much better than her. All of them red-faced and biting back their laughter bubbling from their throat. Krisitian just watched as his nemesis Free dragged the furious boy out. The blonde had a smile on his face, which was new but more than that, the taller male was having a reality check. That Shu was pretty cute, wasn't he? But before he could criticise himself for the thought, Shu screamed one last threat over Free's shoulder.

"Sleep with one eye open asshat. I'm coming for you tonight!"

And the doors closed with a solid thud.

Valt was the first one to lose it, "That's my first time seeing Shu that mad."

Honcho sniffled, wiping a tear off his eyes. He looked visibly tired of holding back his laughter. "I love that Shu."

Kristian stared at the closed door for a long second before storming out. His heart was still racing, not from fear but damn that shortie was kind of cute.

Outside, Free released the mortified male out of his grip. Shu spun on his heel, ready to accuse the male of dragging him out when he saw him laughing. Free De La Hoya laughing. Shu froze, his cheeks now tinting pink again, but for a different reason. He's such a beautiful person. "I didn't know you had that in you, Shu." He said, finally calming down. "You looked really mad."

Shu huffed, averting his gaze. "You didn't have to drag me out of here. I would've actually hit him."

"I'm sure you would've. But I felt like you'd regret it later. Considering how mellow-hearted you are."

"I am not mellow hearted! I can kill a person and hide their body just fine."

Free rolled his eyes, chuckling. "Sure, Marshmallow."

Shu rolled his sleeves up, only remembering then he had forgotten his coat inside. He raised his brow, "You wanna take me on?"

Free shrugged, "Come at me then."

Shu did as he was told. Not because he wanted to hurt Free, he could never. But he had to prove the fact that he could take Kristian on if he wanted to. The blonde didn't dodge but grabbed his arms pulling him into a hug. Shu found himself falling face-first to his chest. Free's hands wrapped around him, squeezing him in a comforting manner as the blonde buried his face to his white locks. "I don't do this often, but you're so cute."

Shu flushed, but didn't push away. This was way out of character for the guy he knew but it was out of character for him too. To go ahead and threaten a guy he just met. What about the Shu Kurenai who was so worried about first impressions? Shu sighed, burying his head on his shirt, enjoying the warmth in the other's body. Ah well, he'll let Free have this chance. The boy looked like he needed a hug and frankly, Shu could use one too.