Burst Finish My Heart: Free de la Hoya x OC | A Beyblade Fanfiction

Chapter 31: Leader

ONE DAY LATER...

Ferox woke up with her face buried in a pillow. She blinked slowly, shifting in the covers of a cozy bed before scanning her surroundings. She was in what appeared to be a simplistic private dorm room, although the dark yellow curtains were unusually extravagant.

She had fallen asleep on Free in the forest and had mysteriously ended up back at BC Sol. Free had probably carried her to his dorm, and it was a reasonable assumption to make considering that on a nearby couch, Free was fast asleep, his golden locks splaying over a pillow.

Ferox felt a bit guilty, since Free was sleeping in a particularly uncomfortable position, and the couch did not appear the most suitable for resting. At the same time, she was relieved that she had not woken up beside Free in bed because that would have unsettled her. She did not want a repeat of the night in the forest so soon, and she was glad that Free understood that as spirited as she was, she came from a traditional background.

Ferox slipped out of bed and approached Free's sleeping form.

She sniggered because his mouth was slightly ajar, and he was making little wheezing noises.

How adorable, she thought.

Free's celebrity persona was extremely stoic and calm, so it was amusing to see that Free was still just an average guy who slept on his stomach and had moments of shyness. And Ferox was not like her public image either; the media painted her as wild and audacious, but she was not as crazy as they thought. She wondered what the media would think of her being with somebody they believed to be her polar opposite.

Free stirred in his sleep, and he slowly opened his beautiful dark brown eyes. He yawned and lazily said, "You're up awfully early."

"It's daylight," Ferox disagreed, glancing at the window. Although the curtains were not drawn, there was a substantial amount of light peering into the dorm room.

"Sounds tiresome," Free replied and turned onto his other side.

All of a sudden, the alarm clock by the bed went off.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG!"

Free moaned, upset that his sleep had been disturbed.

Disliking loud noises, Ferox bristled a bit, but she marched over to the alarm clock and turned it off, perhaps bashing it as she did. As she saw the time on the alarm clock, her heart stopped. It was 9:30 AM, meaning that breakfast had already been served, and training had already started.

She had never been late to anything or skipped out on anything related to Beyblade. And she felt a sinking sensation fall over her as she realized that Valt, Rantaro, and Kitt would be deeply worried because they would have no idea where she was. But more likely, to her discomfort, they would have gotten used to the fact that she was mysteriously disappearing from time to time, especially after the night in the forest.

"Free, we should be at training," Ferox said firmly.

"Always so serious," Free groaned, but he stretched and stood up from the couch.

He wanted to appear responsible, so listening to her right now was probably the best course of action. Besides, maybe he could be a "leader" to the team, like Ferox had talked about the other day, and Free slightly smiled at that thought.

"We're the top bladers, so we must be responsible," Ferox reasoned.

Ferox noticed that her Beyblade Tala Zmaj was just behind the alarm clock beside Drain Fafnir and within arm's reach. Hearing the soft sounds of sleep from her Beyblade, which was lying on top of the other dragon, Ferox gently grabbed Tala Zmaj and stowed the Bey in her pouch.

Free's eyes widened as it occurred to him that he would be entering training with Ferox, and Ferox did not have any qualms with doing that. It was nice how although Ferox was distant in some respects, she was simultaneously open and unashamed about their relationship.

"You're right," Free agreed, although showing up to training was not his style.

There was something about Ferox that vitalized him and made him want to try harder. Ferox carried a resolve and optimism that he envied, and he was glad to have her by his side. Yet Free could not help but still think that Ferox was more of a natural leader than he was. He was energy-less and unsociable compared to her magnetic aura.

"You don't seem the most enthusiastic," Ferox observed.

"Because I'm not sure that I'm cut out for this 'leadership thing'," Free confessed.

"Being a leader doesn't necessarily mean giving inspirational speeches or doing bold things," Ferox said with a shrug. "You're fine the way that you are. You win, and other bladers want to follow in your footsteps. And you guide your team how you feel it is best."

Free smiled at her. "You always know what best to say, don't you?"

Ferox blushed, still not used to seeing Free smile. "I just said what came from the heart."

That's what the best leaders do. The media is right that I am a 'lone wolf,' that teamwork is not my thing. You, on the other hand, would be somebody that BC Sol strongly rallies behind. I see how Valt and Rantaro look up to you, and soon, the rest of BC Sol will as well. Because unlike me, you have the patience and determination to lead others, Free sadly thought. But wanting to appear strong and assertive, he did not voice his doubts about his leadership skills.

Stan Hamburg was walking down the corridors of the dormitories reserved for BC Sol's top team because he had forgotten his water bottle. Stan felt unhappy that he was missing even a few minutes of training, but he would surely faint without water, and he needed to be in top-notch condition if he wanted the respect of his teammates.

Besides, with the arrival of Ferox, Valt, and Rantaro, Stan had to be cautious more than ever. Ferox was an incredible blader, and it made him uncomfortable that Free had acknowledged her at the battle tryouts and told her that he liked her style.

Stan had been used to him and Django being the only ones who stuck by Free. All of the past World Leagues, they had been the ones battling with the "lone wolf," and it was hard to accept that a newcomer had so easily stolen Free's favor.

Perhaps, "stolen" was not the right word. Free had always been far out of reach from Stan and Django, and he had never so much glanced in their direction. Still, Stan had thought that they were friends, to some degree, after having bladed so long with one another.

As Stan was about to turn the corner, he heard Free's door swing open. Stan peered his head around said-corner, and he was prepared to greet Free. He gaped as he saw Free exit the room with Ferox, and Free shared a chaste kiss with her.

Stan hid behind the corner, his heart racing. Ferox and Free were romantically involved?! It was strange to Stan that Free had fallen in love with anyone, but he felt strangely relieved. Free was not favoring Ferox to spite him and Django. Free was just taken with a pretty girl.

At the same time, Stan worried that Free's judgment was clouded. Stan's mind dared to wonder if Free had gone easier on Ferox because he was attracted to her. Stan would not blame the yellow-haired boy, considering how beautiful Ferox was.

Stan immediately shook off the thought, internally scolding himself for his jealousy. No, Ferox had earned her place on the top team fair and square. It was Stan that needed to work harder, but he could not help but feel afraid that Ferox being so close to Free would lead to Valt and Rantaro taking him and Django's positions.

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Last Edited: 7/25/2022