Problematic Beyblade Oneshots

Pax/Pri

Pri knew Pax had other girlfriends. He'd bring them around the house all the time, grinning at the way she'd pout and stomp her feet once she saw them.

"You'll have to excuse her," Pax would say, arm wrapped around the girl's waist, "she tends to be very possessive."

"Oh, that's adorable!" The girl would squeal, leaning forward to pinch Pri's cheek. When Pri stuck her tongue out and hissed at them, they'd laugh. "You must be such a great big brother, Pax!"

Pri would watch them, peering through the cracks in her door into Pax's room. He never bothered closing it, preferring to leave it wide open. For Pri to see. He'd hold the girl close, kissing her while looking into Pri's eyes from across the hall.

The girls would leave and if she was lucky, if Pax didn't like them, she'd never see them again. Pax would leave them at the door and then make his way to Pri's room. By then she'd have gone back to playing with her dolls. She refused to turn even when she heard his footsteps at her door. Even though she wanted nothing more than to be kissed by him the way he kissed those other girls.

He'd sit in front of her, taking the dolls from her hand and setting them to the side. She'd huff and turn away from him, crossing her arms across her chest tightly, trying to keep her composure, to punish him the way he would.

She didn't stay mad for long. He'd uncross her arms and hold them until she looked at him. Then, he'd kiss her. And she'd be reminded that no matter what girl he was with, she was always number one. She'd crawl onto his lap, trying to replicate what that other girl had done. And she must have been doing it right, because he'd leave her alone the same way he did those other girls.

Quickly, she realized her imagination was her strongest tool. She didn't need to be jealous when she could be them. She began to watch Pax with a smile in lieu of furrowed eyebrows. Her eyes followed every movement of Pax's hands on those girls and imagined they were on her instead. She began to look forward to the girl's visits, awaiting new touches she could imagine being on the receiving end of.

When Pri eagerly welcomed one of them to their home, Pax scowled at her. He dragged the girl to his room and slammed the door shut. Pri pressed her ear to the door and listened to the whimpering on the other side. She didn't know what to visualize. This was a new sound. This time Pax was angry.

Pax stopped bringing them around after that.

Still, he couldn't take away her imagination. The dolls in her hand became her new outlet. She'd make them hold each other, kiss each other, love each other, all while imagining her and Pax in their place.

Sometimes he'd play with her. "What do you typically do with them?" And she'd explain that they were in love. He'd chuckle, he'd know, he'd understand, the dolls would kiss, they would kiss.

Pax would take her out. She told herself they were dates. Even though she'd see the couple sitting on the bench just a few feet away and know that this wasn't the same, she convinced herself that the love between her and Pax didn't need to be put on display like that. Although she wishes it would be.

Her fondest memories are the simplest ones. Sitting on the couch, with his arms wrapped around her. She was caged in by his body, but she wasn't trapped. He would run a hand through her hair and rest his head on her shoulder. They'd both watch whatever was on the television at the time. Pri would drift off into sleep and Pax would carry her to bed, tucking her in carefully and kissing her goodnight.

Then Pax was injured. He spent a majority of his time in his room now, and so did Pri. She went back to playing with her dolls, her dolls who were never injured, who didn't have rooms to hide away in, who spent time with each other no matter what.

He taught her how to make her own breakfast. She learned the directions to the places they used to visit, and she went alone. She was too old to carry to bed now, anyways. She was old enough to become Quadra. She was old enough for Pandora.

Their fingers brushed when he handed her the mask. She felt like she was watching him from across the hall all over again. She put it on, and he smiled. He smiled in a way she hadn't seen in so long, and she knew exactly how to bring her brother back, how to make him love her again.

"You look beautiful, Quadra." He reached up to readjust the mask slightly, but maybe that was just an excuse. He cupped her face in his hands and pulled her in for their first kiss in years.

She- Quadra- won her first battle. It was hardly even a challenge, what with Pax watching from a distance. She couldn't let him down, especially not when they were finally together again. Some blader calling himself The Dark Prince wasn't going to stop her.

When they got home, he hugged her. He would've picked her up and spun her around if he could. She squealed and jumped in place.

"I had so much fun, Pax!"

"I'm glad. Your elemental power skyrocketed during that match."

She still didn't fully understand what that meant, other than Pax was proud of her. Pri reached up to take the mask off, only to be stopped by Pax's hand. He grabbed her wrist, lowering it while kissing her. She forgot about the mask and focused on him instead.

The Phantom's Gate was great for Quadra. Pri would call Pax at night and giggle about how no one suspected a thing and how fun it was to be beating everyone. Pax smiled and listened, reminding her that Quadra was the reason she won. She lowered her voice, glancing at the windows and door for any signs of Bel lurking around, then spoke about how much she missed him.

"Being apart is necessary for our plan to work."

Pax didn't answer the phone when she needed him. She took off the mask and lost. Pax was furious.

"I lost because you weren't there for me! I called you, and you didn't answer!"

"You lost because you weren't Quadra. She can beat them, you can't."

It dawned upon her that she had been deceived. He didn't love her, he loved Quadra. He loved the idea that she could carry on Pandora's legacy and help it reach its full potential.

Everyone kept telling her that Quadra is a part of her. She didn't know what to think. She wanted to be able to blade as Pri, but if Quadra was who Pax loved, how could she ever let her go?

Hanna kept her company when Pax wouldn't talk to her. "Those are my old dolls. I keep telling my mom I don't need them anymore, but she just won't throw them away."

She looks at the dolls, set up nicely in a living room set. They sit next to each other, smiles painted on their faces permanently. She closes her eyes and imagines Pax smiling at Pri the way he smiles at Quadra, the way he used to.