Beyblade One-Shot: Glasses
(Author’s Note: Another one-shot idea from Tumblr: what if Ryuga needed glasses but didn’t know it because he assumes that’s how everyone sees. As someone with glasses myself, I loved that idea and this one-shot was born. It takes place after Ryuga x King so don’t read it if you haven’t read that.)
Ryuga was sitting on the couch in the living room, trying to read a book. Right now, he was the only one home. King was at work, Kenta was out battling, and Kenta's, or rather Ryuga's parents, had been gone all day but would be home soon. This was the first day in quite a while where Ryuga had gotten the whole day to himself. It was nice. He cared for his family and all but they could be a little much, especially since he'd been adopted. They'd calmed down after a week or so but they were... ecstatic to adopt him.
Ryuga tried to focus on his book. However, the words were so small he had to hold it right in front of his face to make out what they said. He still wasn't used to reading in general. So text this small was a nightmare. Beside him, Ryuga heard the door open. He spotted two people entering out of the corner of his eye.
“Hey, son!” Kenta's dad greeted.
Ryuga acknowledged them with a nod, not looking up from his book.
“You're… really into that book I see?” He asked.
“Not really,” Ryuga admitted, turning the page.
“Why are you holding it so close to your face?” His mother asked.
“Why does it matter?” Ryuga grunted. The room fell silent. Ryuga heard footsteps right in front of him and glanced up to meet his mother's gaze.
“Ryuga, can you read this?” She held her phone up about an arm’s length away from Ryuga. He squinted, leaning forward.
“Why do you want me to read a cooking recipe?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.
He guessed that was what it was from the picture at the top and it was blurry but he could somewhat make out the words ‘banana bread recipe.’
“Can you see what it says, Ryuga?” Kenta's mother asked.
“How could anyone see something that small and far away?” Ryuga grunted, sitting back.
Kenta's parents exchanged a glance.
“What?” Ryuga raised an eyebrow.
“Ryuga… Do faraway objects look blurry to you?"
Ryuga's eyes narrowed. What kind of question was that?!
“Yes, duh,” he grunted, putting his book aside.
Kenta's parents stared at each other again. His mom turned to him.
“Yeah… You need to get your eyes checked.”
Ryuga flinched. “What? Why?” He couldn't help but sound startled: that question was so out of nowhere.
“You're clearly nearsighted,” his mom explained, sitting next to him on the couch. “How long have you had these vision problems?”
“Vision problems?!” Ryuga's tone was defensive. “There's nothing wrong with my vision! I can see just fine!”
“Ryuga, a person with twenty-twenty vision could easily read this from that distance.” Kenta's mom pointed to the phone, which she still held too far for Ryuga to read.
His eyes widened. “…w-what?”
His voice came out in a breath. Ryuga had assumed that everyone had blurry vision when it came to things that were far away and he'd learned to adapt to it. He could usually guess what something was based on colour and outline. It was reading things that were far away that was a struggle for him.
“Have you… had blurry vision all your life, kiddo?" Kenta's dad asked, sitting next to him.
“I assumed it was normal,” Ryuga admitted. Why hadn't he figured this out? He used to live with someone who had glasses! How had Doji…? Ryuga froze.
“You're not going to make me get glasses are you?!” He exclaimed, turning to his mother.
She dipped her head. “Honestly, you might need them, sweetie.”
Ryuga stood up, backing away from the couch. “But I've never needed glasses before!”
“You never realized you needed them before,” his dad corrected him.
“I don't care!” He snapped. “You're not making me wear glasses!" Instantly, he whipped around and dashed toward the front door.
“Ryuga!” His parents called after him.
Ryuga ignored them as he pulled the door open and raced out of the house. Once he was out of sight, he paused to catch his breath. He clenched his jaw. Glasses?!?! His parents did a lot of strange things but making him get glasses; Ryuga didn’t realize these people were capable of angering him quite this much. He continued around the corner but walked into someone.
Ryuga’s eyes went wide as he recognized King’s voice. He gazed at him. King had fallen to the ground, dropping Variares.
“King?!” Ryuga exclaimed.
King met his gaze with wide eyes. “Ryuga! Hi!” He grabbed his bey and hopped to his feet, seemingly unfazed by his fall.
“I thought you didn't clock out until six?”
King giggled. “I got to leave early! Isn't it great?!”
Ryuga didn't reply. He looked away with a frown.
“Ryuga?” King's smile faded to be replaced by concern. “You uh… You okay, love?” He asked, taking Ryuga's hand.
“My… My parents are making me get glasses,” Ryuga grunted, gripping King's hand.
“Huh?” King tilted his head to the side. “Reading glasses? Nearsighted? Or…” He looked away, muttering to himself, “Dangit what's the other one?”
“They think I'm nearsighted,” Ryuga growled, letting go of King's hand so he could clench his fist. “Because I couldn't see what her phone said from far away.”
“How far away?” King asked, meeting his gaze.
“It doesn't matter. I'm not getting glasses.”
“…Ryuga, you're not gonna look any less intimidating with glasses and even if someone thought that, you could just kick their butt.”
“King, that's not the problem.”
Ryuga sighed. He might as well tell King. It was easy to talk to his boyfriend, so Ryuga found himself telling King nearly everything.
“I've gotten by without glasses for eighteen years,” Ryuga grunted. “Why should I need them now?”
“It… might make your life easier.” King smiled a bit, taking Ryuga's hands. “t's never too late to make a positive change in your life.”
"It's not positive!" Ryuga snapped, shooing King's hands away. King winced. Ryuga froze before continuing without shouting, “I don't need some stupid glasses to see. I manage fine without them.”
“Wait… This is you not wanting to depend on something, isn't it?” King's tone was accusatory. “I thought you were past that.”
That was definitely part of it, Ryuga couldn't even deny.
“That… And…” Ryuga bit back the words.
“And what?” King asked, his tone gentle.
Ryuga clenched his fist. “It's stupid.”
“How you feel isn't stupid.” King took Ryuga's hand. “Come on, I'm your boyfriend. You can tell me.”
“…I don't want to look like Doji.”
“Oh!” King staggered back, his eyes wide. Then his horror melted into sadness and unshed tears glistened in his eyes. “Oh… Ryuga…” He reached a tentative hand toward him.
“I know,” Ryuga grunted, looking away. “I know that's ridiculous.”
King fell silent. He rested his hand on Ryuga’s arm. Ryuga met his gaze. King didn’t speak for a few moments, rubbing Ryuga’s arm as he seemingly struggled to think of a reply.
Then King forced a smile. “Would it make you feel better if I said there's no way you could possibly look like him when you're so handsome?”
Ryuga flinched. “Tha- that's not… You don't even- I!” His face grew hot and he suddenly couldn’t form a sentence or even a rational thought.
King draped his arms over Ryuga’s shoulders. “You'll still look handsome with glasses, my emperor. Maybe even more handsome.”
He pressed his lips against Ryuga’s cheek. Grabbing King’s shoulders, Ryuga tilted his head to the side and leaned in for a real kiss.
“So was I helpful?” King asked as he backed out of the kiss.
Ryuga bit his lip. “I… I suppose.”
King really didn’t help, not with his response at least, but having someone he trusted listen to him did help a little. King smiled and tried to lean in for another kiss. Ryuga pressed his hand over King’s mouth.
“We shouldn’t do this in public,” Ryuga sighed.
King stepped back with a sigh. “Right…” He smiled again. “Want to go home then?”
Ryuga looked away. “Not right now.”
“It’s only been a few minutes since…”
“Oh.” King apparently didn’t need Ryuga to continue. “Okay, wanna just… go for a walk then?”
Ryuga dipped his head. King and Ryuga made their way out of the neighbourhood and out toward the forest.
“So… how's work been going for you?” King asked, taking Ryuga's hand.
Ryuga stared at him. “I don't have a job?”
“Well yeah but you've taken a few of those blader for hire jobs. How are those?”
“They're okay,” Ryuga replied. All the jobs so far had been boring but it was nice having his own money to spend.
“You thinking it could be a career?” King asked with a smile. Ryuga just shrugged. “‘Cause I don't wanna be the only one of us with a job and I don't think you'd wanna be a house husband.”
“Husband?” Ryuga's face reddened as he raised an eyebrow. “Who said we were getting married?”
“W-well…” King giggled, resting his hand on the back of his neck. “I didn't mean right now or… or even soon. Just like… one day. I'd like to.”
Ryuga froze. He couldn't deny that he wanted a life with King but was marriage really necessary? Besides, there was one problem with that.
“Is… that even legal?” Ryuga asked, biting his lip.
“Er… I… n-nevermind.” King fell silent.
Ryuga and King walked together for a while longer before it started to get dark. They made their way back toward the house. When they got there, Kenta’s parents were sitting in the living room, seemingly waiting for them, while Kenta was sitting in the kitchen gazing at his Sagittario.
“Ryuga…” Kenta’s mother met his gaze.
Ryuga glared at her. “What?” he growled, clenching his fist. King shut the door behind them, slipping past Ryuga and walking away.
Kenta’s dad gazed at him with uncertainty. “Are you…?”
“Still mad?” Ryuga cut him off. “Yes.”
“…I was going to say 'okay,'” Kenta’s dad replied. “Are you okay?”
Kenta’s mom bit her lip. “Do you… want to talk about-”
“Okay, well you're still getting glasses.” His mother’s tone was stern and her eyes narrowed. “You need them, Ryuga.”
Ryuga bit back a growl. “Whatever,” he sighed, his gaze dropping to the floor.
“Wait what's happening?” Kenta looked up, his eyes wide. “Ryuga's getting glasses?”
“He’s nearsighted,” his mother explained, dipping his head.
“They think I'm nearsighted,” Ryuga grunted, walking toward his room.
“Kiddo, I'm sure the optician will say the same thing,” Kenta's dad replied.
Ryuga rolled his eyes instead of replying.
“We scheduled your appointment for next week,” Kenta’s mother informed, “I know it upsets you but you need-”
Ryuga whipped around. “I don’t want to talk about it!” He snapped. Kenta’s mother winced, instantly stabbing Ryuga’s heart with guilt. “I… I need some space,” he muttered, opening the door to the basement and instantly closing it behind him.
Ryuga walked down the stairs slowly. He wanted to run: he wanted to get to the safety of his room as quickly as possible, and not even risk his parents or brother trying to talk to him right now. Even talking to his boyfriend sounded overwhelming right now. Wait… his boyfriend!
Ryuga stopped at the foot of the stairs, peeking around the corner. King was sitting in the far corner. His gaze was fixed on his phone and his legs were right up against his chest. Ryuga sighed and walked into the room. King gazed up at him, his blue eyes wide with anxiety. Without a word, Ryuga laid down on the bed, rolling onto his side and tugging the blanket over himself.
“Should I… um…” King’s tone was cautious. “Sleep on the couch tonight?”
“Please,” Ryuga muttered, closing his eyes. “I need space.”
King let out a sigh. Ryuga heard him stand up and walk toward him.
“Alright.” King’s voice was surprisingly close to him. “Goodnight, love.”
“Goodnight,” Ryuga replied.
And with that, King left the room.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Later that week, Ryuga endured the terribly boring process of getting a prescription. In all honesty, he forgot most of it. All he really remembered was looking through several different lenses, some of which made his vision clearer than glass and sharper than a blade. Like the things he saw through the lenses were far closer than they really were. It was startling.
Now he was sitting at home with Kenta and King, watching Yugioh. They had all had a long day of battling and wanted to catch King up on Yugioh GX, also known as the best Yugioh show. So far, that is. Apparently, there were seven Yugioh shows… Ryuga was going to be trapped watching this show for the rest of his life at this point. He just couldn’t stop himself.
Across the room, the front door suddenly opened. Ryuga glanced over his shoulder.
“Hey kiddos,” Kenta’s parents greeted as they walked in, closing the door behind them.
“Hi mom! Hi dad!” Kenta greeted cheerfully.
Ryuga’s eyes narrowed. His parents being home now could only mean one thing…
“How have your days been?” Kenta’s dad asked, grabbing some kind of case from his bag.
Ryuga tuned them out, glaring at the ground. He knew what they’d done. He just wanted them to get the pleasantries out of the way and give him the stupid things already so he could get it out of the way.
“Oh, here, Ryuga.” Kenta’s dad took a step toward Ryuga, holding a little case in front of him. “We got your glasses.”
Ryuga popped the case open and sure enough, inside there was a pair of black, rectangular glasses. He flinched. These glasses… looked so much like… like… Ryuga shook his head. Looking away, he took the temples of the glasses in his fingers.
“Aren't you gonna try them on?” Kenta's mother prompted.
Ryuga glanced up. Everyone was staring at him expectantly. He let out a sigh; there was no getting out of this. Unfolding the glasses, he closed his eyes and practically plopped them on his face. He blinked his eyes open. Instantly, he couldn’t stop his eyes from widening. Before everything blurred together. Now every shape and colour popped out at him at once and he could make out every little detail as if it were all right in front of him. He could see everyone’s eyes on him. So clear and bright… despite his parents being several steps away.
“Well…?” Kenta’s dad prompted after a while of silence. “See any better, kiddo?”
“Can you see my handsomeness better?” King asked, from beside him.
*I was always able to see that.*
“It's… different.” Ryuga’s voice came out in a breath. He didn’t know how else to really describe it other than detailed. *Does everyone see this well? Have I really been at a disadvantage all my life?!*
“So they're working?” Kenta’s mother grabbed her phone. “Here, what does this say?” she asked, holding her phone up.
Despite being a noticeable distance away, Ryuga could clearly read the words on her screen.
His eyes narrowed. “Mom, stop making me read your cooking recipes.”
“It's baking and it's just an example,” Kenta's mom insisted.
“Here, read this.” Kenta grabbed a card out of his pocket. Standing up off the couch, he took a few steps back to stand beside his mother and held up the card.
Ryuga let out a sigh. “Winged Kuriboh. If this card on the field is destroyed and sent to the graveyard: for the rest of this turn, you take no battle damage. There, happy now, Kenta?”
Kenta stared at him with bright awed eyes.
His mother glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “You had him read a Yugioh card? Really?”
Ryuga raised an eyebrow at her. “You had me read a cooking recipe. Really?”
“What's the difference?!”
“Well, the glasses seem to work,” Kenta's dad cut in cheerfully.
“How do they… feel?” King asked, his tone cautious.
“They ‘feel’ like glasses.” Ryuga stood up, gripping the ends of the glasses in his fingers. “Do I have to wear these things all the time?”
Kenta’s mother nodded. “You should. At least outside of the house.”
“But we'd prefer if you wore them at home as well,” his father added sternly.
Ryuga frowned. “Dad, that's not necessary.”
“It'll be better for your eyes if you wear them regularly,” he insisted. Worry slipped into his tone.
Kenta’s mom let out a sigh. “Can you at least do it for us, Ryuga?”
“Ugh, fine, whatever.” Ryuga turned away.
Ryuga clenched his fists. He knew he could never quite hate his parents but this was probably the closest he had gotten in a while. Sure these glasses helped him but it wasn’t help he needed or wanted. And these glasses… they even looked like the ones Doji had worn! Of course, Ryuga couldn’t really see the glasses themselves when they were on his face but that reminder alone made him sick to his stomach. His eyes widened.
Turning away, he went downstairs to be alone and more importantly… He stopped beside the mirror. Ryuga’s head was hung low, the glasses nearly sliding off his face. Shaking, he raised his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his reflection. Ryuga turned around.
The dark glasses popped out at him and suddenly, all he could see was Doji's cold gaze staring him down. Ryuga jerked back. He yanked the glasses off, closing his eyes in a desperate attempt to block out the images to no avail. Harsh cold laughter echoed in his ears. Ryuga barely bit back a yelp as a bout of shivering wracked his body.
Ryuga whipped around, his heart pounding out of his chest. King was at the foot of the stairs. *When did he get there?!* Silently, Ryuga placed the glasses on the dresser and sat down on the bed. King sat down next to him.
“Ryuga, you look nothing like him." King's tone was firm. "You’re nothing like him in any way."
“I know… I just…” Ryuga trailed off. He knew it was baseless fear but he couldn't help it.
King scooted a little closer, resting his hand on Ryuga’s shoulder.
“Can I give you a hug?” he asked softly.
Ryuga dipped his head. King sighed and wrapped his arms around Ryuga. He also rubbed him a bit in an attempt to comfort him though to Ryuga, just having him here was enough.
---------------------------------------
Despite what his parents told him, Ryuga didn't wear his glasses all the time. He only wore them around his parents. They couldn't enforce it when they weren't around, despite Kenta and King making it no secret that Ryuga wasn't always wearing them. He didn't care. In his mind, he had good reasons not to wear them. He didn't want to be reminded of Doji, he didn't want others to question him, and he didn't want to become dependent on them. Because as much as he hated to admit, the glasses did help him see.
Ryuga made his way upstairs, clutching L-Drago. Kenta and King were both on the couch, their gazes fixed on their respective beys.
“Kenta, King,” Ryuga prompted.
Kenta looked up from his bey.
“Yeah, I’m ready,” he replied, getting to his feet.
“Same!” King called, raising his hand. “Let’s go kick some bey!”
Ryuga nodded and pushed open the door. All three of them were about to go to a tournament today. A tournament that by Gingka’s description, ‘everyone you’ve ever known’ would be battling in which was Gingka’s way of saying ‘I know way more people than you do but you’ll recognize all of these people.’ Still, it meant there would be strong, possibly legendary, bladers participating. So Ryuga was excited.
“Hold it!” Ryuga was barely out the door when his mother called after him.
He looked over his shoulder. “What?”
“Ryuga…” She sounded disappointed. “Your glasses.”
Ryuga frowned. Taking them out of his pocket, he put the glasses on without breaking eye contact.
His mother smiled. “Thank you.”
Turning away, Ryuga walked out the door. Kenta and King followed. Once they were out of sight of the house, Ryuga took the glasses off and stashed them in his jacket pocket.
“Ryuga!” Kenta protested.
“I always battle without them,” Ryuga grunted, zipping his jacket. “I’ll be fine.”
Inwardly though, Ryuga was a bit nervous. This tournament wasn’t being held in the usual stadium: it was being held in a stadium Ryuga had never been to and thus wasn’t used to. Without optimal vision, battling could be a struggle, especially against someone like King, Kyoya, or Kenta.
King rested his hand on Ryuga’s shoulder. “Remember, if you put them on and your opponent judges you, just kick their butt.”
Ryuga smiled a bit. The three of them fell silent as they made their way to the stadium: a bigger newer stadium that towered over them like a coliseum. King and Kenta stopped outside, gazing in awe at it. Ryuga could tell it was big and he could see a blur of blue and white. He squinted. However, it didn’t help anything become clearer.
“Ryuga!” King wrapped his arms around Ryuga. “You’ve got to see this!”
Ryuga frowned. There were people around them, some random people passing by on the sidewalks with others waiting in front of the stadium. Ryuga recognized many of them even from a distance. Gingka was with Madoka, Tsubasa, Yu, and Reiji, along with two boys, one blond and one brunet, that Ryuga vaguely recognized as legendary bladers. Ryuga didn’t want any of them seeing him with glasses.
“I can see it now,” Ryuga replied, stepping toward the crowd of bladers.
Gingka’s eyes lit up at the sight of him. “Ryuga! You made it!”
The others looked up at Ryuga, their reactions ranging from happiness to fear. Madoka and Yu both smiled. Reiji hid behind Tsubasa, who gazed in concern. The brunet and blond that Ryuga didn’t care to remember the names of stared at him with wide eyes.
“Hey, guys!” King greeted with a wave.
“Hi!” Kenta added, bouncing forward.
“Hi King! Hi Kenta!” Gingka greeted, shaking their hands.
King turned to Tsubasa. “Reiji, you can come out,” he prompted, holding out his hand.
Reiji cautiously peeked out from behind Tsubasa. The eagle boy frowned.
“Say hi to your friend,” Tsubasa replied, walking out of the way.
Reiji stiffened. “Hi King,” he greeted, taking King’s hand. With his other hand, he pushed his hair out of his face to meet King’s gaze.
Ryuga walked past the crowd as they all chattered amongst themselves. Eventually, the tournament began. Ryuga’s first battle was against Tsubasa. He struggled to see their beys in the huge stadium, which without glasses seemed as big as a lake, but he knew Tsubasa’s fighting style so he managed to win. Kenta and Yu had managed to defeat their first opponents as well.
Now they were watching the final battle of the first round: Gingka versus King. Gingka was a long time friend of Ryuga’s and getting to battle his ultimate rival would be nice… but Ryuga was obviously rooting for his boyfriend. He couldn’t see the stadium at all from this crowd. So he was relying on sound and Madoka’s analyses for this battle, which was at least something.
“Special move!” Gingka called, “Pegasus Cosmic Tornado!”
“Variares! King of Thundersword!”
The two blurs of light collided in an explosion. The audience shielded their faces. As the smoke began to clear, there were gasps in the crowd.
“What is it? Who won?!” Ryuga demanded, squinting and leaning forward.
The smoke had cleared but the stadium was way too far away for him to see much more than two blurs that he knew were King and Gingka. Cheers rang out from the crowd.
“It’s all over folks!” Blader DJ announced. “King wins this match!”
Ryuga shot up. “YES!” He froze, then sat back down, dipping his head.
“Delayed reaction much?” Yu asked, raising an eyebrow.
“And with that, we move onto the second round!” Blader DJ cut in. “The first match will be Ryuga versus Reiji!”
Ryuga stood up. *This shouldn’t take long…*
“Hey…” Yu spoke up. Ryuga glanced down at him. “Go easy on Rei-Rei.”
“Why?” Ryuga grunted, his eyes narrowing. He would normally scoff at a request like that but Yu sounded so nervous.
“He’s kinda scared of you,” Yu replied, “And this is his first big tournament since getting Serpent back.”
Ryuga dipped his head. He made his way down into the huge stadium, taking his place in front of it. Reiji approached much later. The snake boy walked slowly and even though he was far away, Ryuga could tell Reiji was shaking. Ryuga tried not to let his impatience show. When Reiji finally reached the stadium, Ryuga raised his launcher. Reiji froze. Then he quickly mirrored the movement.
“B-bring it, Ryuga!” Reiji’s voice quivered. He shook his head, his hair swinging over his eyes.
“Three… two… one… let it rip!”
Ryuga and Reiji launched their beys in unison.
“Dark- or- special move!”
Serpent raced toward L-Drago, a lime green glow surrounding it.
“Meet the attack L-Drago!”
Ryuga’s bey followed his command, charging toward Serpent and crashing into it with a screech. Reiji yelped in alarm as a burst of wind whacked into them. Ryuga laughed a bit. Serpent was flung back, barely landing at the edge of the stadium.
“Did you actually think you could beat me?!” Ryuga asked, grinning a bit too widely.
Ryuga’s eyes narrowed. “That’s why you fail. Finish him off, L-Drago.”
L-Drago raced toward Serpent. A ball of lime green light encased Serpent right as L-Drago clashed with it. The light expanded then exploded. Ryuga staggered back, hearing Serpent race away as he shielded his eyes. He squinted. Reiji’s eyes narrowed in determination. Ryuga smiled.
Ryuga sent his bey racing after the light green streak of light that followed Serpent like the tail of a comet. Serpent smacked L-Drago from behind. Before L-Drago could retaliate, Serpent began looping around Ryuga’s bey, trapping it in place.
“Take that!” Reiji exclaimed, sounding out of breath.
“That won’t stop me!” Ryuga retorted, commanding L-Drago to attack at every angle.
Serpent was knocked back. L-Drago instantly attacked again, driving it further and further across the stadium. Serpent struggled to fight back. Finally, with one more fierce attack, L-Drago flung Serpent out of the stadium.
“Ssserpent no!” Reiji gasped, falling to his knees in front of his bey.
Ryuga snatched his bey out of the air. *Two down, two to go.*
Tsubasa and Yu rushed past Ryuga as he made his way back up to the bleachers. Next up was King’s battle. Ryuga didn’t catch the name of his opponent and from this distance, he couldn’t hope to recognize him but he figured this would be an easy win for King.
That assumption went away as he heard King struggling. He couldn’t see it but Chris’s bey didn’t seem to be affected by King’s attacks at all.
“Special move! Sword of Ares!”
There was an explosion then an annoyed growl from King.
“Special move! King of Thundersword!”
“Special move!” A raspy voice called out. “Barnard’s Loop!”
A massive blur of colours materialized in the air above the stadium, looking almost like a face. Then another burst of light wracked the stadium.
As it died down, Blader DJ spoke up. “And the winner is Chris!”
Ryuga stiffened with anger, his jaw clenching. He barely held back a growl. *How dare he!*
“What the heck was that?!” King exclaimed as he sat next to Ryuga. “His stupid bey wouldn’t move no matter how many times I hit it!”
Ryuga’s eyes widened. King was able to fight toe to toe with Ryuga as both an opponent and a partner yet this “Chris” guy gave him trouble?
King let out a groan. “Now I can’t battle anymore.” He turned to Ryuga. “Can you beat that guy for me, Ryuga?”
Ryuga dipped his head. “Gladly.”
King smiled. “Thank you.” He pulled Ryuga into a side hug, nuzzling his head against Ryuga’s shoulder. Ryuga tried not to smile.
Sure enough, Ryuga and King got their wish as the first semi-final was Ryuga versus Chris. Prying away from his boyfriend, Ryuga walked down to the stadium.
“First we have the legendary blader of the Winter Constellation with his Phantom Orion: It's Chris!” Blader DJ announced as they walked. “And his opponent, the Dragon Emperor himself who needs no introduction: it's Ryuga!”
Ryuga stopped in front of the stadium.
“So it's you!” Chris exclaimed, his eyes wide.
Ryuga raised an eyebrow. “Am I supposed to recognize you?”
“You tried to absorb all my power for yourself on Beyster Island!”
Ryuga actually did remember that but only because of a more potent memory tied to it.
“Nope. Not ringing a bell,” Ryuga replied, shaking his head.
Chris let out a growl. “Whatever. It won't go that way this time.”
“Good!” Ryuga grinned. “I prefer it when they put up a fight.”
Chris raised his launcher. “I'll make you regret that wish.”
“Three! Two! One! Let it rip!”
Ryuga and Chris launched their beys, which landed on opposite ends of the huge stadium.
“Go, Phantom Orion!” Chris called.
L-Drago and Orion smacked into each other with a screech. Chris's bey remained steady. After a while, both beys swayed backwards out of the attack. L-Drago swooped back in. It smacked into Orion again and again, sending up sparks as the fusion wheels screeched against each other but still Orion didn't budge. Ryuga sensed something different about Orion. It obviously had the power of the star fragment in it but there was something else that was making it so resistant to L-Drago's attacks. Orion knocked L-Drago back.
“Ryuga!” Madoka's voice called from the crowd. Ryuga glanced over his shoulder. “Orion's fusion wheel is free rotating! It rotates separately from the performance tip and spin track creating less friction! Normal attacks won’t work!”
“What?!" Ryuga exclaimed. "That's not how friction works!"
“What are you? A science major?” Chris retorted, making Ryuga glare at him. “That's how Orion works.”
Ryuga clenched his fist. He wished he could see Orion more clearly so he could debunk this nonsense.
“If it did, the fusion wheel wouldn’t work!” Ryuga snapped. “You’re either a liar or an idiot!”
Chris's confident posture wavered for a split second.
Ryuga's bey raced around the stadium, blue flames appearing around it as it charged into Orion. Chris's bey staggered back.
The bey slipped away from L-Drago, making it wobble. Ryuga squinted. Orion seemed to have disappeared from the stadium even though Ryuga could hear it spinning. But where was it?! He looked around wildly. There was a clashing sound. A small blur dashed past L-Drago then looped back around again to hit it. It kept disappearing. Then reappearing and smacking L-Drago around like a ragdoll.
“NO!” Ryuga snapped, his heart skipping a beat.
He grabbed his glasses from his pocket and quickly put them on. They were covered in dust and smudges but that didn't stop Ryuga from spotting Orion a few centimetres from L-Drago.
Orion suddenly stopped. Ryuga took the opportunity to attack Orion. There were some confused gasps and mutters from the crowd.
“Did-did Ryuga just put on a pair of glasses?!” Blader DJ asked.
Ryuga stiffened. “ULTIMATE MOVE! DRAGON EMPEROR SOARING CLAW!”
L-Drago raced around the stadium, a huge ball of fire roaring to life around it before smacking into Orion and driving it high into the sky. There was a harsh screech, like the wail of a dying animal. Then an explosion of blue flames. The fire whipped at Ryuga's face and the force nearly tore his jacket off. Chris let out an alarmed gasp.
When the smoke cleared, L-Drago and Orion were both still spinning and a harsh grinding sound was echoing through the stadium, like a piece of metal was caught in a machine. It seemed to be coming from Orion and was making Ryuga's ears bleed.
“Gah- wha-” Chris's eyes were the size of dinner plates as he stared at Ryuga. “What did you do to my bey?!”
Ryuga smiled. “So there is something connecting the fusion wheel and performance tip. Finish him off L-Drago!"
L-Drago began barrage attacking Orion, which staggered under each hit. It was moving normally and still made that grinding noise. Ryuga wasn't entirely sure what he did or how exactly this bey worked but he was sure of one thing: he had this match in the bag.
"I won't let you win!" Chris exclaimed, his eyes wild. "Special move! Barnard's Loop!"
Four bright circles of light appeared one by one in the shape of the Orion constellation. Bright red and white lights flared to life. It took the shape of a huge face with gleaming eyes and shark-like teeth. Ryuga could now see it clearly: the move that defeated King. His eyes narrowed.
“L-Drago! Dragon Emperor Soaring Claw!”
L-Drago raced toward Orion and its huge special move, the two colliding with a shockwave that shook the ground beneath them like an earthquake. Ryuga barely stayed on his feet. As the dust cleared, he spotted L-Drago spinning in the centre of the stadium. Orion meanwhile landed beside Chris.
“It's all over!” Blader DJ exclaimed as the crowd went wild. “The winner of this fierce match is Ryuga!”
Ryuga snatched up his bey, a smirk gracing his features. Chris fell to his knees.
“Dang it!” He exclaimed, smacking the ground with his fist.
Ryuga turned and walked toward the crowd. His friends, King, Kenta, Madoka, Gingka, and Yu were walking toward him.
“Ryuga, you wear glasses?” Gingka's words were like a slap in the face.
Ryuga had completely adjusted to the glasses and forgot he had them. Taking them off, he nodded.
“Since when?” Yu asked, tilting his head to the side.
“A few weeks ago actually," Kenta answered before he could.
“Why haven’t you worn them until now?” Madoka asked.
“I didn’t want people to question me,” Ryuga muttered, trying to wipe the lenses clean on his jacket. It was futile. Cleaning glasses seemed to be one of the hardest tasks known to man and try as he might, they would never be fully clean.
“Are we… making too big of a deal out of this?” King asked, stepping closer to Ryuga.
“Yes,” he replied, giving up on cleaning the glasses as he put them back on.
“Isn’t it kind of a big deal though?"
“Gingka!” Madoka snapped at him.
“Not really,” Yu cut in with a shrug. “They’re just glasses. Wear ‘em with pride Ryu!” He smiled, throwing his fist in the air.
“Hey, Madoka…” Chris muttered as he walked toward the group, clutching his bey. “Can you take a look at my bey?” he asked, holding up Orion.
She and Chris walked out of the stadium side by side. Curious, Ryuga followed.
“Where are you going, Ryuga?” King asked, trailing after him.
“I… I want to know how Orion works,” Ryuga admitted. *And I want to get away from the others before they ask me more questions about my glasses.*
He and King followed Chris and Madoka out of the stadium. Madoka sat down in the grass. Grabbing her tools, she began untwisting Orion's face bolt, allowing the other pieces to come apart. Two little ball-shaped pieces fell off of the spin track.
“What the?” Madoka muttered, scooping them up.
“What is it?” Chris asked, sitting in front of her.
Ryuga and King sat down as well, leaning forward to observe the bey.
“These little metal bearings.” Madoka held up the metal pieces. “Have these always been there?”
Chris shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Haven’t you ever taken apart your bey and looked at it?” King asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
Chris shook his head. “Never got a chance.”
Madoka held up the bey, gesturing to each piece as she spoke. “These bearings connect the fusion wheel to the performance tip for the bey can still create enough friction to spin but they’re small enough to go unnoticed and make the fusion wheel a freely rotating one.”
Ryuga found himself nodding. This explanation made way more sense than the scientifically impossible one she and Chris had given earlier.
“But…” Chris sounded perplexed as he stared at Orion. “I was told the fusion wheel spun completely separately from the rest.”
“What moron told you that?” Ryuga asked, his eyes narrowed. “A bey like that wouldn’t be able to spin.”
“So… why did Orion suddenly start spinning like any other bey in the middle of the battle?” King asked, tilting his head to the side.
“Because my ultimate move knocked the bearings out of place,” Ryuga explained, dipping his head. “That’s why it was making that weird noise.”
“That’s what I’m trying to fix,” Madoka muttered, trying to twist one of the bearings back in.
King turned to Ryuga with an impressed look. “Dang, Ryuga. You know your stuff when it comes to science.”
“Not really,” Ryuga grunted, “I just know a lot about Beyblades."
“That is science, Ryuga,” Madoka replied, not looking up from her work.
King chuckled into his hand. “Don’t worry, Ryuga. I happen to find nerds very attractive.”
Ryuga glared at him. “Don’t call me a nerd.” King was partly doing that because Ryuga was wearing his glasses. He knew it.
“But you are!” King insisted.
“Are too!” King booped Ryuga’s nose.
Ryuga jerked back, shaking his head and grunting in protest. King scooted toward him. His arms looped around Ryuga. The two of them were face to face, only centimetres from each other’s lips. Ryuga stared at him. King really did look more handsome through his glasses. King tilted his head to the side. Ryuga closed the gap, taking King’s face in his hands as he kissed him.
“Uuuuuuuh…” Chris stared at them with a bewildered expression.
Ryuga and King backed out of the kiss.
“Or… uh… oops…” King smiled cheekily.
Chris blinked. “…after Among Us, I really shouldn’t be surprised.”
“No one was surprised,” Madoka's tone was dry. “We all saw it coming."
“Heh…” King smirked. “It’s not my fault I’m so irresistible.”
“Okay, okay, you won me over too.”
“You fell for me first if you remember. If your mind can go back that far.”
“As a matter of fact, it does not. Better kiss me to bring back my memories.” King leaned in, puckering his lips. Ryuga accepted the kiss.
“And the final match will be Kyoya versus Ryuga!” Blader DJ's voice called from the stadium.
Ryuga and King backed out of their kiss.
“I’d better get to that.” Ryuga stood up.
“Knock ‘em dead, love!” King blew him a kiss.
Ryuga nodded to him before he entered the stadium. Kyoya had already taken his place there, his launcher raised and his eyes narrowed. Ryuga took his place as well. Then with a jolt realized he still had his glasses on. Ryuga froze. Everyone had already seen him in the glasses and he needed them to see, especially when his opponent was someone as powerful as Kyoya. Suddenly, Kyoya let out a sigh. Lowering his launcher, he reached into his pocket and grabbed his own pair of glasses. Ryuga's eyes widened. Kyoya put on the glasses, which were much rounder than Ryuga's glasses. He stared at Kyoya.
“Well, I don’t want you to have an advantage!” Kyoya exclaimed, raising his launcher again. “Now take aim!”
“Don’t tell me what to do, Kyoya,” Ryuga grunted, raising his launcher.
“And three!” The Blader DJ cut in. "Two! One! Let it rip!"
Ryuga and Kyoya launched their beys.
(Author's Note: And that's the end. I'm gonna leave the winner of this battle up to your interpretation because these two are pretty evenly matched in my mind and it seemed like a good place to end this little mini-story. Don't know if I'll do any more of these but I hope you enjoyed this one!)
