A one shot dedicated to Demi Goddess as it’s her birthday .

Beyblade ain’t mine, neither is the song: “Ain’t No Other Man” © Christina Aguilera

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A large calloused hand pushed silver hair out of the person’s face, his other hand setting the brush carefully down on the shelf of the easel. Green eyes scrutinized his work and he smiled as he felt another supernatural pair scan it almost if not more closely.

Do you approve?

A passing wind filtering through each fibre of hair answered his question and Bryan Kuznetsov let himself smile. He wiped his hands on the towel hanging from the belt at his waist and looked at the work more closely.

Each of Falborg’s feathers was detailed, each one a significant likeness to the ones imprinted in Bryan’s mind’s eye and indeed a likeness to the feathers of his Sacred Spirit. Wings were spread across the canvas, a magnificent head bowed and eyes glowing. The general effect was as if the Falcon was preparing to swoops out of the painting.

I’ll be keeping this one, Falborg, Bryan thought directly to his companion.

The wind whistled the Falcon’s response.

Bryan turned his back on the painting, stretching his arms as he walked to the bathroom in his small Libyan house. He looked at himself in the mirror, his green eyes as sharp as ever, the creases on his brow reflecting a stressful past.

That was gone now. He didn’t really regret leaving – not much anyway. He left the rehabilitation center with the clothes on his back and enough money to get a plane ticket to anywhere. After earning more and more as he went he finally settled in North Africa, running his gallery under a different name and living life as he wished.

He stretched again, his bare chest pitted with white scars. Bryan sighed, walking out onto the balcony to sit down and watch the African world roll by.

He’d found some solace earlier that year – he wasn’t completely alone. He and his sister had been conversing through letters, on the phone – she even came to visit once while she was trekking through the Sahara on a training course. He’d remember it clearly…

“What kind of weird ass job sends you to train in the Sahara?” Bryan asked.

“The military kind that makes you a 2nd Lieutenant in the Platoon if you complete it.”

Bryan smirked. Yes, his beloved badass sister with too many piercing and outrageous purple hair was an army soldier… in Germany. How Alana had moved there from St Petersburg, Bryan will never know.

This was it. His life. A far cry from the endless routine and constant search for a purpose. Now he just drew, painted, doing what he wanted when he wanted, no one ruling and more importantly, no one to worry about. Alana could look after herself.

After being left in rehab longer than his team mates, then being sent to a detention center, Bryan had clocked up the years he had been “captive” and vowed to double them with his years of freedom. And in those years, he’d forget, immersing himself in his art.

Or, he’d try to forget.

The photos and cuttings from his previous life had been burned but memories were etched to the surface of his mind, a constant nagging in his heart about his “friends.” “Friends” that had left, and in turn, he left too. The memories of a brutal battle with a pure untainted soul, something which he apologised for in a letter but never stayed in Russia long enough the get the reply. If there was one.

This idyllic lifestyle had been running for two years and the twenty year old Bryan Kuznetsov was about to have it crash down around his ears with a bang.

Deciding that he should maybe finish one of his commissions to get sent to the United Kingdom, Bryan stood up and went back to his art room, his eyes taking in the unfinished portrait. He had just picked up a pot of paint and a brush to mix the thick acrylic when there was a knock at the door.

Frowning, he looked to Falborg for identification, but the Falcon just shrugged in his head. Sighing, Bryan walked to the door and opened it.

The paint pot he had been holding fell to the wooden floor with a thud, the dark blue oozing on the floor.

“By the Gods…” a voice croaked in a language Bryan thought he’d forgotten. “I’ve found you!”

Bryan swallowed. This is some weird retarded dream, he thought. He took a shaky step backwards. “T…Tala?”

The other man grinned, long red hair falling over his shoulders, a white t-shirt clinging to defined muscles, black trousers spattered with sand and a backpack slung over his back. “Where’ve you been!” he said. His smile faltered. “You just vanished.”

Bryan regained his voice, shock making way for anger. All this time and Tala had the gall to tell him that he vanished? “I just vanished!” he practically shouted, satisfied to see Tala wince. “What about you? Buggering off and leaving me behind. I never saw hide or tail of you… any of you while I was still inside!”

“Then why didn’t you come and find us when you got out?” Tala said.

“Maybe I didn’t want to,” Bryan snapped. For a fleeting moment he enjoyed seeing the hurt in Tala’s eyes – That’s it, a taste of your own medicine – but he just as quickly regretted it. He wasn’t about to give up his life now though – not without a fight.

“What the hell have you been doing?” Tala spat through gritted teeth, his left fist clenched – a sure sign that the comment had hit home.

“Come inside,” Bryan said, changing tact in order to infuriate his former captain.

Tala took off his boots, seeing that Bryan was barefoot, and stepped over the spilt paint. He was angry and confused yet something inside was so utterly relived at seeing Bryan – something which he hung on to - to remind him of why he had been searching.

Tala looked up at the wall hangings and past a wooden bead curtain into a wide room. Canvases were propped against the wall, paper littered the floor and the wide doors let light stream through from the sun.

A hand was placed on his shoulder and Tala looked up at Bryan. The Falcon jerked his head towards the kitchen and Tala duly followed.

“Why are you here?” Bryan asked, leaning against the counter.

“I was worried about you. We all were.”

“We?” Bryan asked.

“Me, Spencer and Ian. Your team-mates.”

“Team?” Bryan snorted. “That’s news to me.”

“Bryan! Stop being an asshole.”

“I am an asshole. And proud of it.” Bryan gave a half smirk. “Let’s leave the why – how did you find me?”

“I went to your sister. Told her everything. Pleaded my case… she said you were in North Africa but the stubborn cow wouldn’t say where in North Africa.”

“And you found out about my sister how?”

“When she saved my ass during the bombings in Southern Russia.”

Bryan reached over the counter for his pack of cigarettes and his lighter, the metal clicking as he light the end of the white stick. “So now we go back to the why.”

Tala hesitated and Bryan pressed to his advantage. He stepped forward towards Tala until there was only a foot or so between them. “Why hesitate, Tala? Where’s the one who never give a damn about what he said, voice his sarcastic opinions? Did rehab dull your edge that much?” Bryan took another drag and exhaled slowly, watching Tala’s scowl deepen.

“You git! You think this about me?” Tala shouted. “Rehab may have dulled my edge but at least I didn’t run from it all!”

“I had no where to go.”

“You could have found us!”

“I didn’t think,” Bryan said, looking at the cigarette in his hands, suddenly disgusted.

“No, you didn’t!” Tala snatched the cigarette and crushed it in his fist, ignoring the burning on his palm.

“What are you going to do about it then?” Bryan glared as he shouted back. This was getting ridiculous, but he didn’t care. He didn’t miss Tala… he can’t have done.

But you did. You did, as I did my own kind.

Bryan shut his eyes a stream of wind coiled around his body and ruffled his hair.

Tala, however, didn’t notice the communication from Bryan’s Sacred Spirit. “I’m taking you home!” He closed the gap between them and grabbed Bryan’s arm.

Bryan stepped backwards, but Tala’s grip was so that the redhead came too. He fell back against the counter and glared right into Tala’s face. “This is my home! I’m free here, I don’t need people like you telling me what to do!”

“I’m not telling you what to do! I’m trying to reason with you!”

“Well this is real good reasoning – shouting while you’ve got hold of my arm!”

Tala let go – he let out a growl of frustration and closed the inches between their faces, slamming their lips together. Blue eyes flashed in satisfaction at Bryan’s surprised look, green eyes widening in shock. It didn’t take long for them to slide shut and Bryan to respond, forcing Tala to close his eyes in pleasure.

The kiss was as fierce as their shouting – hands roamed, fisting in hair and grabbing arms. When they finally split apart Bryan smirked, pushing himself up against the counter a bit more so he didn’t slip.

“I like that reasoning better,” he said between breaths.

“Asshole,” Tala spat out before pulling Bryan’s head in for another kiss.

Bryan felt himself slipping, his bare foot sliding along the wooden floor. He reached back to grab the counter, but missed, instead hitting the ‘on’ button of the radio, the music unheard on lovers ears as they tumbled to the floor.

(Do your thing, honey)

I could feel it from the start,
Couldn't stand to be apart.

Something ‘bout you caught my eye,
something moved me deep inside!

Tala shifted his legs so he straddled Bryan, his opposite reaching down to twine their fingers together. Lips crashed and tongues clashed, Bryan reaching up to fist his hands in Tala’s read locks.

“When did you start growing you hair?” Bryan gasped out.

“Years ago, now stop talking,” Tala growled, bending down to latch on Bryan’s neck. Bryan moaned and twisted in intense need.

“Shit… that’s…” he gasped, Tala continuing his onslaught.

Don't know what you did boy but,
You had it and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Deciding that it wasn’t fair that Tala had most of the control (though he wasn’t exactly complaining) Bryan tugged insistently at Tala’s t-shirt. “You’ve got too many clothes on. Off.”

“It’s getting a bit hot in here, isn’t it?” Tala murmured, lips brushing the raised red welt on Bryan’s neck.

“Quit… messing with me…” Bryan snaked a hand down Tala’s leg, lifting him up easily and reversing their positions. Tala grinned, arching his back and tightening his legs around Bryan’s waist.

Told my mother, my brother, my sister and my friends,
Told the others, my lovers, both past and present tense.
That every time I see you everything starts making sense.

Bryan pulled Tala’s shirt over the other Russian’s head and their lips collided again as soon as he tossed the offending garment aside. Bryan edged down Tala’s neck, heading for the redhead’s chest, fingers dancing over white scars.

Ain't no other man, can stand up next to you,
Ain't no other man on the planet does what you do
You're the kinda guy, a girl finds in a blue moon.

Tala’s hand edged downwards towards the buckle of Bryan’s trousers, flicking them open and attempting to push them down. Bryan caught his hand and smirked against his chest.

“In a hurry, Tala?” he asked, looking up at Tala with lusty green eyes.

You got soul, you got class.
You got style your badass - oh yeah!
Ain't no other man its true - alright -
Ain't no other man but you.

“Quite possibly,” Tala gasped. “Now who’s messing?”

“You can’t say you’re not enjoying it,” Bryan said. “You started it after all… I could stop…” Bryan said, starting to sit up.

“Don’t you dare!” Tala said, reaching up to grab Bryan’s retreating head and bringing it down to kiss him hotly again.

Never thought I'd be alright.

No, no, no!

Till you came and changed my life.

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do this,” Tala murmured, kissing him again.

“I can probably guess it’s as long as you’ve been looking for me,” Bryan said huskily back. His hand snaked down, pulling gently at Tala’s trousers. He smirked into the kiss as Tala groaned into his mouth as Bryan’s cold hand slipped below the waistband.

Bryan edged downwards, taking the trousers and boxers with him. He subconsciously licked his lips to damp them as his mouth went dry. “Shit, Tala…”

Tala writhed, increasing Bryan’s desire for me. “Are you just going to sit there?” the redhead snapped.

What was cloudy now is clear! Yeah, yeah!

You’re the light that I needed.

You got what I want boy, and I want it!

So keep on givin' it up!

Bryan crawled a hand up Tala’s thigh then hips, let it hover over the redhead’s desire for a second before trailing it up his chest. Tala swore, arching his back and pushing his hips in Bryan’s direction.

Bryan couldn’t take it any more. He wanted this redhead now.

Tell your mother, your brother, your sister, and your friends.

Tell the others, your lovers, better not be present tense.

Cause I want everyone to know that you are mine and no one else's!

Hastily shedding his trousers Bryan laid back on the cool would and pulled Tala on top of hum. Chest again chest, skin sliding on skin, they savoured each other’s touch and taste.

Ain't no other man, can stand up next to you
Ain't no other man on the planet does what you do

You're the kinda guy, a girl finds in a blue moon.
You got soul, you got class.
You got style, your badass – yeah, yeah, yeah!

Ain't no other man it's true - alright -
Ain't no other man but you.

“Bryan… I want you…” Tala moaned by Bryan’s ear.

“I… uhn!” Bryan let out that exclamation of surprise when Tala’s tongue traced the whorls of his ear. “I… we don’t have anything, Tala.”

Tala stopped and buried his face in Bryan’s neck. “Damn it…” he growled.

“They’ll be plenty of time for that,” Bryan said, sighing.

“Huh?” Tala said, watching Bryan stand up.

Bryan bent down and offered Tala his hand.

“I’m coming home.”

Ain't no other, ain't, ain't no other!
Ain't no other, ain't, ain't no other lover!
Ain't no other, I, I, I need no other!
Ain't no other man but you!

Tala grinned and let Bryan help him off the floor. He grabbed Bryan’s head and kissed him hard. “That’s a promise?”

“Well… it’ll take some time. I have to shift all my stuff…”

“We’ll sort it out. First, I need a shower.” Tala sighed. “A cold one.”

Bryan grinned, then laughed, reaching over to flick the radio off... though the music would always play in head.

You are there when I’m a mess
Talked me down from every ledge
Give me strength boy you’re the best
You’re the only one who’s ever passed every test

He wasn’t alone anymore. And boy, was he glad that Tala came to find him. There would be no other man for him.

“Oh and Bryan?”

“Yes, Tala?”

The redhead smirked. “In case you forgot… Happy Birthday.”

Bryan shook his head and followed his lover to the shower… though it’d be hard to cool off in this kind of heat.

Ain't no other man, can stand up next to you (next to you)
Ain't no other man on the planet does what you do.
You're the kinda guy, a girl finds in a blue moon.
You got soul, you got class.
You got style, your badass - oh yeah!
Ain't no other man it's true
Ain't no other man but you.

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Heh… alright, the ending was crap, but I didn’t feel like a full blown lemon and I didn’t dare risk it again on Maybe I’ll write a proper Oneshot some other time – for now, Happy Birthday Demi Goddess! XD Hope you had a great day

Love phoenixandashes