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Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Watching Fujiwara did absolutely nothing but make Keisuke furious. He woke up at three in the morning every day just to be on the slopes of Akina before the eight-six, so he could glimpse the nightmare that plagued him. He even went out of his way and took a different car from his shop so he could follow behind him some days without giving away who he was, just to see him taking those impossible corners, trying to understand what he was doing to convince his car to do what couldn't be done in the FD. It shouldn't have been done in the eight-six either but there he was, leaving the disguised Takahashi brother in his wake, more furious than before.

The only way he'd ever learn would be to ask him or ride along, but that meant making friends with him and that was something Keisuke couldn't do. He couldn't be friends with his enemy, couldn't make nice with the guy that wasn't even serious about kicking his ass, but did it nonetheless.

Keisuke stopped going and did his best to improve himself on his home turf with his brother's watchful eye on him like it had been since his gang days were over. He didn't blame Ryosuke for worrying that one day he might snap and fall back into his old ways. Some days he really wanted to just take all of his pent up self-doubt and take it out on someone else instead of Akagi's mountain behind the wheel of his car. But he knew he couldn't go back after Ryosuke had picked him up and dusted him off and made him right his wrongs for their family's sake. He owed his older brother more than he had to give, but he would race himself to death to prove that he was worth something, that he wasn't washed up and lost anymore.

Keisuke was deep in thought, pulling apart another engine that had been flooded from a valley rainstorm. He didn't even hear the world around him, just kept his goal in his head as he picked the thing apart piece by piece.

"Keisuke."

Ryosuke stepped into the heated workshop through the rolled up doors when his brother didn't hear his first attempts at a greeting. He placed a hand on his tense shoulder and kept his gaze steady when Keisuke jumped back in surprise.

"You're so focused, forgive me for startling you." He grinned down at him. "Have you heard the news?"

"Which?" Keisuke asked, cleaning his hands as best as he could with the dirty towel over his shoulder.

"The Panda Trueno."

Keisuke was visibly irritated within seconds, "What about it?"

"Takeshi Nakazato of the Night Kids has challenged him to a downhill battle on Akina this Saturday."

Keisuke shook his head, "Figures. I knew he'd be getting attention soon after what he did to me."

"He turned it down. Said he wasn't interested in racing." Ryosuke watched his brother's stunned face.

Keisuke stood abruptly, "He what?!"

Ryosuke held up a hand to calm his overzealous sibling down, but it did nothing.

"That guy turned down a race?! After he dusted me twice and now suddenly he's not interested?! Is this some goddamn joke to him?! How can he drive like a God one moment and give zero fucks the next?! I don't even-" Keisuke took a deep breath and threw the tools in his hands on his work bench rather roughly and unnecessarily, before he stormed off past his brother.

Ryosuke let him fume because he knew his little brother well and he knew that he hated someone wasting potential more than anything. When Keisuke disappeared, Ryosuke knew he'd be headed to Akina to confront Fujiwara about his decision and he was more than confident that he'd change the boy's mind.

He didn't understand the driver of the eight-six anymore than Keisuke did. But he knew enough to gather that the boy had never raced before, so he must have been driving for other reasons for a very long time to be shaped into the driver he was today. Either way, Keisuke would hopefully be the push the boy needed to set him on a path to greater things.

Ryosuke was intrigued. There hadn't been a real promising challenge surface since his runs in the Iroha slopes with the Lancer Evo team. He had already begun testing theories and running simulations as to how the eight-six did what it did.

Keisuke was livid as he stood there waiting for the Trueno in the dark again. It was becoming a habit he supposed. He hated that he was having to do this at all. What was wrong with this guy?

His pulse quickened as he waited to see if the headlights coming up belonged to his new rival. He sighed as a local passed by at a turtle's pace. The summer heat was making the anticipation worse, but the roar of a familiar engine made it multiply tenfold. The tires were squealing as he came around a corner, slowing when he saw Keisuke and his unmistakable FD sitting there waiting.

The blonde stared at the windshield menacingly until the boy opened his door and got out, looking a little confused, borderline blank. Keisuke decided that's just how his face always looked, because it never changed no matter how hard he looked at him.

Takumi was waiting on him to speak when he walked a little closer, unsure of his motives. But Keisuke soon made it clear.

"Why the hell did you turn down the Night Kids?"

Takumi thought it over for a moment, "It's like I told everyone else. I'm not a street racer and I have no interest in doing it again. I only raced you because my dad made me an offer I couldn't refuse."

"And what was that?"

Takumi shrugged, "He said if I came up here and won he'd give me a full tank of gas."

"Are you blowing smoke up my ass? You came up here and humiliated me all for a tank of gas? You make me sick, Fujiwara! You are a god damn street racer whether you like it or not! You don't drive like that and say you're anything else!"

Keisuke burned even hotter when the kid didn't flinch, he seemed more emotionless if that was possible. "I drive like that because it gets the deliveries done faster and that means I get home faster so maybe I get more sleep. I do it for the family business, nothing else. I'm nothing special. I don't see what the big deal is. I don't even really like driving."

Keisuke stepped closer, pointing at him accusingly, "Racers would kill to have the skills that you have! What don't you understand? That's not something you waste on an excuse so lame as it's just for the family business. You take hold of it and use it, improve, go faster than the next guy and then the next! And you sure as hell don't back down from a challenge when it's offered! As much as I hate to admit I lost to your Trueno, all I want is to see you show everyone what you're made of because everyone else doubts your abilities. But until they're out there racing you, they won't understand how incredible you are, Fujiwara. You can't tell me you don't like driving or that it isn't fun because there is no greater feeling than crossing the finish line first. Think about that before you turn down someone else, you idiot."

Keisuke clenched his jaw to keep himself from hounding him anymore. He turned and got in his car, leaving him in his rearview mirror, too mad to care about how fast he was going.

Takumi wasn't one to change his mind, but as he drove home, Keisuke Takahashi's words were all he could think about. He still couldn't believe that one of the brothers that everyone claimed to be one of the best street racers of Akagi, had hunted him down just to tell him that he was . . . incredible?

Was he really that good?

Takumi didn't understand what was so great about the racing scene, but when he thought about that night, racing the FD, a small part of him did like passing him. He knew exactly how to do it, when and where, like it was second nature. He'd never thought of it as entertainment or competition. It was just driving.

"You're late getting back." Bunta mumbled as he took another drag from his cigarette, watching his dazed son shuffle around the corner. He was more out of it than usual by the way he looked around, surprised at where he was. That was a deep thought he was in.

"Huh?" Takumi rubbed the back of his head and glanced around. He hadn't even noticed he was home already. "Oh. I am late aren't I? The deliveries were made on time as usual, but someone stopped to talk to me on the way home."

"Mm." Bunta hummed in response.

"I've got to get ready for school, see ya later Dad."

The boy's mind was cloudy as ever and Bunta knew the gears were turning in his head now about racing, had to be. If he had to guess, another racer had stopped him, maybe for another challenge. Either way, Bunta knew he'd be racing again soon. With a smirk, he stomped out his cigarette and made his way back inside as the sun flooded the streets with morning.

"From what I heard, Fujiwara's friend accepted the challenge for him unintentionally. Perhaps that's why he doesn't want to do it, he feels forced." Ryosuke pondered as he tapped away at his computer. His little brother was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, brooding.

"So?"

"So?" Ryosuke mimicked, "Then you understand better than anyone where he's coming from with that. You know that pressure of people trying to make decisions for you and telling you that you don't have a choice. It makes anyone feel trapped. Fujiwara has to want to do this on his own."

Keisuke sat up and pushed himself to his feet, "Yeah, I know. But he'll be there tonight."

"Oh?"

"He knows he can do it. He'll be there." Keisuke left it at that and headed for the shower before the sun sank too far in the sky.

Takumi had debated all day and he knew if he didn't do this, he'd regret it. Because what was all the big hype about this GT-R anyway? Yuichi said he stood no chance, but did he really? He smoked Takahashi like it was nothing, so what was the GT-R compared to anyone else. It was just another car and when it came down to it, it wasn't just the car, it was the driver.

If Takumi was as incredible as Keisuke insisted he was, then he'd have no problem beating this new challenger. That made his fingers itch to be behind the wheel, to prove to Yuichi and Iketani that he stood a bigger chance than they gave him credit for. Sure, it didn't really matter, but the thought that someone out there didn't think he could win again was enough to make him run home.

But, only to find an empty parking spot and the eight-six . . . gone.

"You've got be kidding me, Dad." Takumi ran his hands through his hair and pulled. "Of all nights."

Keisuke was restless, looking at his watch as the minutes ticked by, bringing the hand closer to ten. Fujiwara still hadn't showed his face and it was making him anxious.

Nakazato was standing there throwing him dirty looks, like the overconfident prick he was. Keisuke sighed, crossing his arms, feeling his brother's eyes on him. So he looked his way, still not giving up on the kid, "He'll be here."

Ryosuke gave him a look like he was amused, "I've never seen you put so much faith in someone before, Keisuke."

Keisuke huffed and turned away, "He can't lose to anyone before we get the chance to race him again. If anyone is going to take him down, it'll be you or me. So if he loses before that, I'll kick his ass."

Ryosuke felt some sort of resolve settle in himself before they heard the roar of an engine in the distance just as the time told ten. Everyone's eyes turned toward the corner ahead, watching headlights appear. Keisuke didn't expect his heart to beat as fast as it did, but there he was grinning to himself as Fujiwara pulled up and got out, swatting his friends and their excitement away. It looked like they didn't expect him to race either.

A few minutes passed as they prepped for the start, revving their engines and gripping their steering wheels. Keisuke hadn't felt this much excitement in a while over a race, let alone one that he wasn't participating in. He boiled it down to the fact that he just really didn't want this kid to lose. He didn't want his pride to be shattered any further if the boy that wiped the pavement with him gave out on his second race.

Keisuke stood on the sidelines, catching Takumi's eye before the guy turned his focused face to the course in front of him. Keisuke smirked.

He's got this. No doubt.

"Keisuke, get in. We're going to watch from the best seats in the house." Ryosuke got into the FC to watch the event unfold right in front of them. They watched the Speed Star raise his hand in the air, counting them down.

"Go!"

The rest was history. Keisuke didn't know it, but right then was the moment he fell into a uneven rhythm with Takumi Fujiwara. One that would slowly work itself into such a smooth cadence that it would take him forever to realize it was even there.

Chapter Text

Weeks passed and Keisuke was there for the next official race that Fujiwara participated in because he knew when he watched him cross the finish line first, he would see his improvement. Keisuke felt like he was a witness to a rising prodigy, a racing legend, a God. As much as he hated to think about it, he felt like he was second best to the kid. Because he knew if he tried to take him on again too soon, he'd lose. He had to keep an eye on him, had to keep practicing.

Keisuke had to keep up.

In the meantime he waited patiently for the right time as Ryosuke devised a plan, his fastest driver theory. Keisuke thought that he was obsessed, but his brother was taking the cake. He sat up for hours in between university business, running simulation after simulation until he was close to perfecting it.

Takumi was piquing everyone's interest and at an astounding rate. Shinjo Shoji of the Night Kids learned the hard way that even a gum-tape deathmatch couldn't stop the guy.

It wasn't until word reached Akagi of Fujiwara racing and winning off his home course for the first time, that Ryosuke decided he was finally ready.

"It's time."

Keisuke was torn.

He stood there between the cars of two men he didn't want to lose the race. His brother was the best at what he did because he was so precise and calculating; calm. But Takumi was . . . something else. Keisuke didn't have a definition for what Fujiwara was. All he knew was that he wanted to see his brother's winning streak go untarnished, but didn't want the Trueno's new legacy to be ripped from him either.

All he could do was watch them race off into the distance and listen to the screaming of their tires as they battled it out. Ryosuke was going to win, or maybe if Keisuke had it his way, they'd tie. But he had no idea if Fujiwara was capable of racing on his brother's level yet. Keisuke shook his head at himself. Of course he was capable or they wouldn't be there at that very moment.

There was a sense of relief accompanied by dread when he heard Ryosuke finally made a move and passed him. Even greater relief when he heard Fujiwara took the lead again.

Why am I so relieved? It was supposed to be me or Ryosuke that would take him down, so why am I happy my own brother lost? He was unbeatable.

It was all he could think about. Takumi Fujiwara ran through his head more than his FD.

"Hey, Keisuke. You seem really distracted. Is something wrong?" Kenta asked, concerned with his mentor's mood as of late.

"Huh?" Keisuke blinked and didn't realize he'd poured so much water into his glass that it was overflowing. "Shit."

He cleaned up his mess and brushed the boy off, making him go back to his duties in the garage. Kenta was his newest project. The kid was showing amazing downhill racing potential and Keisuke needed the distraction from a certain black and white car that plagued him still.

Kenta was a boy with problems and he didn't need to be on the street with people who would only be a bad influence for someone so young. He needed a good push in the right direction, so Keisuke took him in, employed him in his shop, kept him moving forward instead of mixing with the wrong crowd. It was something he wished someone would have done for him when he was younger and on the run from his suffocating life.

Keisuke tutored him on cars and helped him mold a technique and a style that suited him and his skills in the rain. It was enough to keep him occupied as the eight-six continued to tear through it's opponents left and right. It was like an itch that wouldn't go away, one he wanted to scratch but knew it would just get worse until it bled and left him miserable. Or maybe not. Maybe he could satisfy it. Perhaps he could learn from Fujiwara and set his pride aside to better himself without feeling like a constant failure.

Keisuke was confident in his racing skills and knew he was a top-notch driver. His brother always told him as much and Keisuke believed him. But the moment the Trueno popped up in his head, he felt his confidence crack just a bit.

Fujiwara was in a league of his own and Keisuke was . . . intimidated.

"God." Keisuke sighed and rubbed his face as he sat on his stool. He had a hachi-roku complex and he was drowning in it.

"What is it, Keisuke?" Kenta placed a worried hand on his shoulder.

"It's nothing, Kenta. You can go home for the day, you have school tomorrow."

"But-"

Keisuke shoved his hand away, "I said go."

"Okay. But if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here to listen and not judge." Kenta said quietly in the shop, his voice barely audible over the loud fans blowing warm air in circles around them.

Keisuke scratched at his head and tried not to snap at the boy, he was only being kind. Ryosuke always tried to warn him about controlling his temper. "Thank you, Kenta. But you wouldn't understand."

"And how do you know I won't?"

Keisuke looked up at him through tired eyes, "Because I don't even understand it. Now go home."

Kenta left him there reluctantly, but always obeyed his wishes. He did his best to please him, help him anywhere he could because no one had bothered to take an interest in him before Keisuke came around. Kenta would forever admire him for that, not to mention he was one of the best street racers out there, and blessed with gorgeous looks.

Keisuke piddled around in the garage until it was late and all the other guys had left. It was just him as he closed up shop, putting away his tools, turning the fans off, rolling down the doors. He cleaned himself off as best as he could and got into the seat of his RX-7, feeling at ease the moment he turned the engine over and felt her roar beneath him. He couldn't stop sighing so much, but each deep breath made him feel better. It made his anxiety settle that much more as he drove to the mountain pass of Akagi.

A road on which he could never fail, pavement he knew like the back of his hand, the curves and bends like the sway of a lover. He drove to the top and let his baby rest, leaning against the fender, drowning in his thoughts as he watched the city below move.

It was mesmerizing and he wondered why he couldn't relax. Why wasn't he at peace? But that was a dumb question. He was always going, moving, trying to rise even higher than he already was. Keisuke was in an endless race with himself and now he had a new competitor. One that he envied more than he'd like to.

"Nakazato wants a go at you." Ryosuke finally spoke once he came down for dinner, taking a break from his work.

Keisuke swallowed down the tofu he was chewing, "Good. I can't wait to knock that stupid smug look off his damn face. I'd rather do it with my fist, but you know, that's against your rules."

"Yes, and my rules will always apply to you even when I'm done racing." Ryosuke warned, making himself a plate of food before he rolled up his sleeves. He sat on a stool at the island counter and leaned against the butcher-block. "Don't ever forget that, little brother."

"I won't. Stop worrying about me." Keisuke sighed tiredly.

"I'll always worry until the day you let go of your anger completely. You just need to find the thing that truly smothers the fire inside of you."

Keisuke rolled his eyes and wiped at his mouth, blowing a quick breath through his nose, "So poetic."

"I'm serious."

"As always."

Ryosuke put down his chopsticks and thread his fingers together, "I know racing helps you greatly, but you still need something more to balance you out. Perhaps a relationship."

"No." Keisuke was quick to shut the idea down. "You know I can't balance two things at once. I can't cut my dedication time in half so easily like you do. I can't focus and when I can't focus, I get frustrated."

"I didn't necessarily mean a significant other. Just a friend would suffice, someone you can connect with and talk to. It might make you feel better. I know Kenta would love to be your best friend." Ryosuke grinned slyly at his last sentence and Keisuke rolled his eyes.

"Kenta is a good guy but he's so enthusiastic, I almost can't stand to be around him for more than an hour. So, no." Keisuke drank down his water and rubbed his eyes. "Are you done talking to me about my life now? I need to sleep."

Ryosuke nodded quietly and watched his troubled brother leave the kitchen silently. He knew what Keisuke needed, but he couldn't give it to him just yet. The plan was in motion, but it would take more time. Ryosuke was still waiting to see how Fujiwara faired in his future races. Then he would set it in motion.

Keisuke punched the gas, moving along the outside line that was nearly impossible to make, but it worked and he was feeling good about his win against the Night Kids until he saw him standing there at the finish line.

Takumi Fujiwara.

Then suddenly he was self conscious. He took Kenta's praise, keeping his cool until the boy pointed Fujiwara out and nearly exploded.

"Let me race him! I know I can do it! I can redeem the Red Suns!"

"Kenta." Keisuke gave him a look that told him to calm the hell down. It shut him up but the longer he stood there, antsy, the harder the rain came down, the closer Fujiwara walked toward them.

Kenta couldn't keep his mouth closed, "How about it? Let's race, Fujiwara!"

Keisuke watched the absent look on his face when Takumi shrugged, "Alright."

His friend flipped out on him, complaining about the fact that it was raining and he'd never raced in the rain or on this pass for that matter. But Takumi didn't seem fazed. "You can ride with me, Itsuki. That way I don't have to come back up here to get you."

Keisuke grinned to himself and for a moment he thought Kenta stood a chance, because he did better in the rain than any of them did. But the more he thought about it, he knew he really didn't. Sure, Kenta would have a good start on the uphill but once the downhill started, Fujiwara would school him fast. It was worth a shot, though and it would be a good learning experience for Kenta. He needed to learn that you never raced Takumi Fujiwara on the downhill with full confidence.

Keisuke counted them down and for about the fifth time since he'd met him, he caught Takumi's eye before they shot off the starting line.

As he watched them head around the first corner, disappearing from view, he felt the utmost respect for the Trueno and the man behind the wheel. If he was being honest with himself, he never wanted to race him again, he only wanted to see him win.

It was an amazing machine and Takumi Fujiwara was an amazing human being. That was something Keisuke would always envy no matter how much it kept him up at night.

"Bro, what the hell is going on?" Keisuke burst into his brother's room when he heard the news about a new team moving from city to city taking everyone down. They were looking to take down the Night Kids and he was honestly feeling bad for Nakazato and his tragic losing streak he couldn't get out of.

"Kyoichi of the Emporers is on a domination expedition. Going from prefecture to prefecture, taking down the fastest of Gunma is their goal right now. His arrogance can only get him so far, but I can admit he is a tough opponent."

Keisuke sat on the bed, elbows resting on his knees, "Seriously? The Lan Evo team? Didn't you beat that guy's ass last year already?"

"Yes and I can only assume he intends to come after me once he goes through Akina. If he can go through Akina." Ryosuke glanced at his brother, observing the gears spinning in his mind.

"The eight-six has never raced against such a difficult car before. The Evo has the upper hand with it's four wheel drive. It can hug the road better than any of our cars and the acceleration is nothing to joke about."

Ryosuke hummed in agreement, "All we can do is wait and see, but judging by the way Fujiwara improves and evolves with each race, I'd say he'll give them one hell of a fight. That is if Kyoichi chooses to let someone else from his team race, instead of taking him on himself."

"So do you think he can do it?" Keisuke asked hopefully and Ryosuke was beginning to see his brother's attachment to the younger street racer. Keisuke didn't want him to fail, not that Ryosuke felt any different, but his brother's attitude and mentality was beginning to rely on the outcome of Fujiwara's races.

Ryosuke turned it around on him, "Do you?"

"Just because I want him to doesn't mean he can, but . . . yeah, deep down I really do."

Ryosuke turned back to his computer, "Like I said, as long as it's not Kyoichi, I think Fujiwara stands a good chance."

"I hope you're right." Keisuke took his leave, setting out onto the mountain side to do the only thing he was really good at, the only thing that kept him sane.

Chapter Text

It was a long road ahead and Keisuke was so damn anxious he couldn't keep still as he followed the crew out to Akina once again. Word had reached their ears of another race about to go down. The Emporers had finally made their way to the Speed Stars and if Keisuke knew anything about the guy, he knew Takumi wouldn't back down from guys as cocky as these. It was a race he had been looking forward to ever since his brother mentioned the team and their tour through the mountains.

His foot tapped against the pavement as the crowd grew around them. It was about to set him off so he got back in his car and followed his brother to a better vantage point in a corner.

Ryosuke ended the call on his phone and glanced his way, "Kyoichi isn't racing, it's his number two driver. This is good news."

"Fujiwara has a chance?" Keisuke lit up.

"He always has a chance, but it's even higher with this guy. He's overconfident and impulsive. Reminds me of someone else I know." Ryosuke smirked when Keisuke glared at him.

"Funny. Then he should have no trouble beating this guy."

The minutes ticked by and when the two cars came racing around the corner, the Evo overtook Fujiwara. Keisuke gripped the guardrail because he knew that was the guy's first mistake. You didn't overtake Takumi so early and hope to stay ahead.

"It's over." Ryosuke stated confidently. "The man lost his cool like I assumed he would. Fujiwara will overtake him again in a hairpin turn or right after. That's just how it works. Let's go."

Keisuke stared off in the distance at the dark road, wondering if it was good news or bad news. This Kyoichi guy didn't seem like the kind of person who took losses lightly and considering their win streak had just been broken, Keisuke feared something worse was coming.

It was worse, but Keisuke didn't know it yet. None of them did.

The Emporers were in Myogi taking on the Night Kids and rumor had it that Kyoichi wouldn't race Fujiwara until he had a better car to do it with. Keisuke was relieved to say the least, because the guy had a point. His Lancer was in it's own league and Takumi never really stood a chance when both the car and the driver were too experienced to compete against.

Keisuke followed the Red Suns up to Myogi and watched from above as the Emporers and the Night Kids battled it out.

"You already know how this is going to turn out, don't you?" Keisuke kept his eyes on the road below, the cold wind whipping around them.

"Yes." Ryosuke replied firmly.

Keisuke knew Nakazato would lose again but no one was expecting Takumi Fujiwara to come peeling up the mountain in a blind fury that you could practically feel as he flew by.

"What the hell is he doing?" Keisuke furrowed his brow and ran his hands through his hair out of frustration. "That idiot!"

Ryosuke glanced back at his fuming sibling, "Something's wrong. Did you see how he was driving?"

"Like a bat out of hell! We should stop him, he can't win this!"

Ryosuke turned his eyes back to the road, "I don't think this is about racing. It might just be about blowing off steam. His attitude is off, something may have happened and he doesn't know what to do other than drive it off. Kyoichi won't turn him away this time, but he won't say it's a race either because of the eight-six."

"I don't care! We can't just let him lose like this!"

"Keisuke." Ryosuke tone was calm but firm, his gaze hard as he looked at his little brother. "You're letting your emotions get the better of you. I know you can't stand the idea of Fujiwara losing, but you can't stop him simply because of that. This is his choice and this is something he needs or he wouldn't be here."

Keisuke swallowed down his anger and anxiety, feeling Kenta ever present at his side trying to comfort him, which only made him even more on edge. "I believe he's going to give it all he has, Keisuke. No matter what, even if he loses."

"Thanks, Kenta. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm so fucking pissed off right now, I could strangle Fujiwara with my bare hands."

Kenta took a dramatic step back and he heard Ryosuke chuckle to himself. "That would be unwise seeing as I plan to offer him a place in Project D."

Keisuke jolted, "What? Why didn't you tell me this sooner? We haven't even beaten him yet and you want him to race with us next Spring?"

"It's like they say, if you can't beat them, join them. Besides, I have no desire to best him. I only want to make him see his full potential. Don't you?"

"Well . . . yeah." Keisuke shoved his hands into his hoodie, pouting.

"With you by his side, taking the uphill, you'd make an unbeatable team. You both have room to grow and I'm fully confident we can take any opponent we're faced with. If I didn't think either of you were ready, I wouldn't be moving forward with this project." Ryosuke crossed his arms as the sound of two familiar engines whipped around the mountain in a race that was already over before it began.

A stomach-turning sound that no racer ever wanted to hear pierced through the cold air, leaving them all speechless. Keisuke's heart was in his throat and he did his best not to jump in his car and race up the road when the black Lancer came around the curve, slowing to a stop.

His window rolled down, "Your boy just blew his engine, not that he would've beat me anyway if this was a real race. I'll see you soon, Takahashi. We still have a score to settle."

They watched him drive away, his ego practically shining all around him. Keisuke was about to turn running until his brother grabbed the hood of his jacket, nearly choking him. "Leave him be, Keisuke. He just lost his car. He needs his space."

"What if he's hurt? He could be hanging off the side of the mountain for all we know!"

"Kyoichi wouldn't have left him there if he was. Fujiwara will be fine. This was a learing experience, so give it time to sink in."

But how much time?

Too much time. Only days had gone by but to Keisuke it felt like years. He repaired five cars in record time, just two days.  At that rate their garage was picking up reputation, even though it was already well known just because he was a wealthy Takahashi. Their five-star mechanics did the job as well.

Keisuke felt like he was losing his mind and most of all his self control when it came to a certain street racer. He found himself driving to Akina once again to talk to Takumi, but once he arrived at the gas station he frequented, he found him absent.

Keisuke stepped out of the car and everyone seemed so surprised when he asked for him personally. "Is Fujiwara here?"

Keisuke sighed, "Alright. I wanted to tell him this in person, but I'll just have to let you pass the message along. Let him know that I don't consider what happened the other night a race. It wasn't fair and the Red Suns are going to avenge the eight-six on the pass tonight."

They stood there speechless and before he got back in the car, Itsuke, the loud one, rushed forward, "I'll tell him! You've got the Speed Star's support! Go kick some Emperor ass!"

Keisuke gave him a nod before he disappeared onto the road once more, itching for the sun the drop and the White Comet of Akagi to take to the mountain once again.

"Keisuke."

"I've spoken to Fujiwara about the team and he seems indecisive, like he has some thinking to do. But he has until after winter to make up his mind." Ryosuke spoke, hearing his footsteps echoing in the empty shop. Keisuke was keeping himself busy doing meaningless maintenance on the FD, but Ryosuke understood.

Keisuke just simply didn't care for medicine. He was plenty smart enough to take up the trade but it bored him and he spent the rest of his high school years trying to find a passion that their dad approved of. Nothing sufficed and Keisuke took his anger and bottled it up only for it to explode on anyone that triggered him.

He developed a hard reputation and once he graduated with mediocre scores, he disappeared into Tokyo for a year and a half until Ryosuke tracked him down.

Looking at him now, Ryosuke could see that flightiness, that fear behind his proud demeanor that was screaming at him to go, to run away from everything again. Keisuke thought no one could ever understand him nor did he think anyone would ever balance him out, but Ryosuke had a hunch and he prayed he was right.

Keisuke needed to let the fear of never being good enough go. Because he was an outstanding driver and great person on the inside, he was just pent up and restless.

The only thing Ryosuke was trying to figure out was whether he was trying to prove that to their father or to himself. It was holding him back from realizing his full potential and perhaps he hadn't learned that just yet.

Ryosuke hoped that teaming up with Fujiwara would help resolve Keisuke's  impulsive tendencies and make him see that the two could learn so much from each other if they ran together. He could only hope that his little brother could let this rivalry go in his heart and find a life-long friend in the process, one that could open his eyes and pull him along to greater things.

"What about the eight-six?" Keisuke jarred him from his thoughts, "The engine is toast."

"They're replacing it from what I've heard."

Keisuke gave a small hum of acknowledgement and went back to his mind numbing work without another word.

"Keisuke -"

"I'm fine. Everyone in this damn family needs to stop treating me so delicately, like you're all just waiting for me to break. I'm not that person anymore."

"You're not and you need to realize that they know that, too. Our father will never be satisfied with how you choose to live your life, because it's not how he wants it. But you also need to realize that your dream is not his to orchestrate and he shouldn't have any effect on how you feel about it. Put it aside and focus on what makes you happy, Keisuke."

Keisuke huffed, "You sound like Mom."

"If I sounded like Dad, I think I'd be disappointed in myself. He's set in his ways."

Keisuke rolled back on his stool, "And yet you're in med school, going to be just like him."

"You know damn well that's not why I'm doing it." Ryosuke bit.

A sigh escaped Keisuke's mouth, "Yeah, I know. I'm just tired of not measuring up to you, the prodigal son."

"I can't help you see your own worth, Keisuke. I'll never lose faith in you. It's you that has to decide when you want to let this all go and free yourself."

Keisuke stood and he couldn't make himself face him, "No matter how much I try to rationalize it all. Everything I've worked for, it just crumbles every time I think about that night. Every time I think about him."

Ryosuke blinked, "He's not your enemy."

"I know that!" Keisuke spun and there was so much fire in his eyes, Ryosuke could feel it. It pained him to see it burn uncontrollably. "Ryosuke, it's not our father I'm afraid of letting down because I did that a long time ago and there's no fixing it."

"Then who?"

Keisuke swallowed his anxiety that was threatening to bubble up to the surface, "You. My brother, that has saved my useless ass more times than I can count. I feel like I have nothing to show for it. At one point I thought I did, I thought I was living up to all the training you put me through, the discipline. All up until that goddamn eight-six blindsided me like a train. He's better than me and is only getting even more skilled, there's no stopping him now and I feel like I'm stuck in the background again like a try-hard that will always be second best no matter how much he gives."

Ryosuke let him breathe, waiting to see if the heavy tears in his eyes would fall, but he fought them off like the stubborn man he always had been. "Keisuke . . . you have never disappointed me and I have never been more proud of you than I am now. In the past you would have played dirty to get what you wanted; sabotage and cheap tricks. But now, you actually care about those around you. Instead of fighting this boy, you encouraged him to keep going, to take hold of his gift and run with it."

Keisuke cut his eyes away. "It was pretty fucking stupid of me. Look at him now. He's incredible."

Ryosuke gripped his shoulder until Keisuke reluctantly brought his eyes up to his, "Maybe his dream is the same as yours. To be better and get better with each passing day. To learn and to grow and to prove to everyone that he's not just some average kid on the street. That he's worth something. You pushed him in the right direction and that alone makes you a better man than our father gives you credit for. Stop doing this to yourself. I'm proud of you and I'm proud to call you my brother."

Keisuke clenched his jaw right before he stepped forward and pulled Ryosuke into a hug. It was very uncharacteristic of him, but his words were something he needed to hear even if it was his father that should've been saying them. He couldn't always have his way, but when he thought about it, Ryosuke was a better father figure than their dad had the courage to be.

Keisuke stepped back and gave his brother a gentle push, swatting at his arm when Ryosuke ruffled up his blonde hair. "That's enough brotherly affection for a whole month. Now buzz off and do your doctor stuff."

Ryosuke smirked. "Whatever you say. Don't forget what I've told you. Get to know Fujiwara, because he's not -"

"Not my enemy, yeah, I got it." Keisuke shooed him away with a wrench, feeling the silence settle in when his footsteps faded away.

Chapter Text

Come with me.

Keisuke groaned and rolled over in his bed. He still couldn't get over the fact that he'd went all the way to Akina again just to talk to him, to convince him even more to join their team. It was his brother's dream to complete this project so Keisuke did what he could to make sure Takumi knew what a great opportunity it was and that Ryosuke wasn't the only one that wanted him there.

My dream is to get even better, grind you into the dirt, and eventually move on to professional racing.

Come with me.

He sounded so infatuated, but when he thought about it, Fujiwara was the best and Keisuke couldn't see anyone else being his teammate. His brother had been right, the two of them together, they could take on anyone. If he could just get past his fear of being surpassed by the guy, he'd be one step closer to being okay with his life.

Come with me.

It was weeks ago and he still thought about it every day when he woke up.

Racing with Takumi was . . . strange. From the moment he showed up for their first practices of the season just as the snow dissipated, he gave off an aura that was stronger than it had ever been. It was one that pulled you in and made you want to chase him, follow him blindly in a corner not knowing what was on the other side.

Keisuke didn't run from it.

Takumi pulled up for their first run and stepped out of the Trueno, looking shy for whatever reason. He was an ace and he was feeling like a fish out of water, surrounded by guys he still considered out of his league.

"Fujiwara." Keisuke walked over and touched his finger to a drop of dew on the hood of his car. "What's your goal here?"

It was a casual question, but he wanted to know what the guy was thinking. He needed to know he was serious about this.

Takumi shoved his hands in his pockets, "I want to learn from you and your brother, I want to go faster." He gave a shrug and cocked his head to the side, a faint grin on his lips when he caught Keisuke's eye, "And you said you wanted to grind me into the dirt one day, so I'm here to make sure you never get the chance. I aim to be better than you."

Keisuke stared at him in shock for a moment but he detected no hint of aggression from him, only a beneficial rivalry that was settling between them.

He smirked, "I'd love to see you try, you little punk."

Takumi began walking past him, "You've already seen me try, remember?"

Keisuke huffed, "Wow. Who knew the clueless kid from Akina was such a smartass? You just wait, when we have our rematch, I'll dust your cocky little ass."

Takumi turned on his feet, walking backwards, "I'd love to see you try."

Keisuke couldn't help but clench his fists at the brat. He knew it was all just harmless banter that made them both want to get out on the road and race. It was steady encouragement between two men that never wanted to lose to each other. At least that's what it was at first.

As the practices went by and the races were won in the first region, it slowly became something else as they got to know each other a little better. The only time they spent together was in the breaks between runs when they'd sit beside each other for a drink or a quick meal. Sometimes it was leaning against the hoods of their cars, a guard rail, or on the ground. They weren't picky they were just hungry.

"I'm dreading summer." Keisuke sighed and rest his head back on the rail behind them.

"Why?" Takumi asked before he ate another bite from his rice ball.

"The heat. I hate that clammy feeling from the mountain's humidity. The car runs hotter, too."

"Hm." Takumi agreed. "My AC doesn't run as well as it used to, so I guess I'm not looking forward to it either."

"You know, we can fix that." Keisuke rolled his head to the side and looked at him, spaced out as he ate.

He shrugged, "There are more important things to do to the car than fix the air conditioning. So, I don't mind."

Keisuke closed his eyes, "You're so weird."

"Huh?"

"You just go with the flow. I have no idea what that's like." Keisuke placed his bottle of water on the ground beside him and flicked the condensation on his fingers at Takumi who flinched.

"Hey!" He wiped at his face but then thought about it, "That actually felt pretty good. It's warm out here today, even in the shade."

"It is."

They sat in a comfortable silence before getting back into their cars and racing off in opposite directions once again. It was routine for them to find a stopping point together when they passed each other in the middle of their runs, just to find a place to eat. They were growing used to each other's small talk and occasional questions, to the point where they were beginning to seek each other out each time they waited for their opponents to arrive on racing nights.

Sometimes they didn't even talk, just gave each other a look of understanding before ducking down into their respective cars and taking their place at the top and bottom of the mountain. It was a steady bond that grew, an easy rhythm they fell into so smoothly that it was like second nature.

Keisuke didn't know when he started to feel calmer around him, even though they still teased each other at any chance. It was a friendship that formed before he realized it and all he ever found himself doing was pushing Takumi further down the hill, faster than he thought he could go. In return Takumi pushed him further up the mountain at speeds that impressed even himself.

They learned from watching each other's rhythm and as a result they grew. It was what Ryosuke had hoped for all along and it made him realize that this was indeed the answer for his little brother. He had faith that this was what he had needed.

"Don't break my shit."

Takumi jumped and almost hit his head on the propped up hood of Keisuke's FD. "Sorry! I was just . . . looking. I'm trying to understand another car other than my own. I didn't mean to-"

Keisuke put a hand up, "It's fine. I just mean be careful. She's been through a lot and always needs tune-ups. What do you want to know in particular?"

Takumi stood back and crossed his arms and thought, "Well. The engine, what's so great about the rotary?"

Keisuke shrugged, "Everything has it's pros and cons. You know, I never thought you'd be interested in stuff like this. I figured as long as you knew how to drive the car you couldn't care less what was under the hood."

Takumi looked up at him, "That's part of being a true street racer though, right? Knowing every inch of your car and how it works and what it's limits are. Before, I really couldn't have cared less. My dad was always the one taking care of the car. But now that it's mine, I want to know more and I want to know more about others. I know it seems kind of late in the game and I may be dumb when it comes to this stuff . . ."

Keisuke smiled and shook his head which clearly shocked Takumi, "You're far from being dumb, Fujiwara. You know every inch of your car already or you wouldn't be able to drive as incredibly as you do. Don't down yourself just because you dont know the fancy words my brother uses half the time. You've got to give yourself more credit than that. You're amazing, so don't let yourself think otherwise."

Takumi blinked and when Keisuke laughed he felt himself grow red. "Wow, you're blushing. That's cute, man. It's not like I was telling you anything you haven't heard before."

Takumi rubbed the back of his neck and almost stammered on his words, "Yeah-well. I mean it's one thing coming from my buddies back home, but from you, someone I admire and strive to be as good as, it's a different story."

"What?" Keisuke seemed dumbfounded, standing there beside him in a parking lot waiting for the next race to begin. Takumi was a mystery and kept surprising Keisuke at every turn. It was giving him whiplash.

"Forget it, I'm just going to go keep myself busy." Takumi turned to go but a hand on his forearm stopped him.

"Takumi." Keisuke said his name in a tone he wasn't used to. It was friendly and new as he pulled him back to the car. "Let me show you."

Takumi couldn't refuse. Keisuke was so different from what he used to know. He wasn't so hotheaded or flighty, he didn't yell as much or light like a match at each little offense or problem. This Keisuke was cool and collected, almost soft and Takumi was unaware of how much he liked the atmosphere he gave off. An easiness fell over him when he was near, like nothing could go wrong.

He was almost in a different realm as he listened to him and did his best to learn without becoming distracted by his being. It was an unnatural distraction he kept getting caught in and he was desperately trying to figure out just what it was exactly. But he continued to fail and fall into it.

Like his hands. Somehow that was a distraction all of a sudden.

Keisuke had hands that were long and slender, hands that could pull a car apart and put it back together. They were strong and Takumi could see them gripping someone's shirt as he threatened them if they got too cocky. He could see them being gentle, too. Like a polite handshake or running through his sandy blonde hair when it got too windy. He could picture them gripping the steering wheel or shifting gears without much effort.

Why was he noticing these things now? His hands had always been there. So had his smile, but lately it was brighter and so genuine that it had Takumi reeling at moments when he was caught off guard by it.

Keisuke had changed and he had no idea why.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that they actually like each other now." Kenta said matter-of-factly as he watched the two racers from a distance.

Fumihiro looked over at the boy, amused, "They've never not liked each other, Kenta. It just took a while for them to put their rivalry aside for the sake of an actual friendship. Ever since they became teammates, they've grown tremendously and I think that's the best thing that could've happened for them both."

"Project D?"

Fumihiro nodded his head, "And each other. They push each other to the limit, constantly growing from watching the other race. It's steady motivation without it being toxic. Sure they want to beat the other but what racer doesn't? Besides, they work better together instead of being against each other."

Kenta was staring wide-eyed at the mechanic, "So they're like parts of an engine working in tandem."

"Hm. Yeah, I guess they are." Ryosuke appeared from behind them, "At this point I don't even see that hunger to beat Takumi in my brother's eyes anymore and that's saying a lot. From the beginning that's all that drove him was the desire to eventually be the faster driver. But now, it's like he would rather see Takumi grow and improve even more and he wants to be the one to help him. This isn't about being faster than the other anymore. It's about being faster together."

Fumihiro waited until Kenta had nosed off somewhere else before he turned to Ryosuke and kept his voice low. "Do you think it's more than that?"

Ryosuke kept his eyes on his laptop, "Keisuke and Takumi's relationship, you mean?"

"Yes. I know you've noticed how much Keisuke has calmed down since they started racing together. Takumi has had a huge influence on your brother and maybe that's what he needs, even outside of racing."

Ryosuke took his eyes from the screen and crossed his arms, glancing over at his brother, hearing their banter.

"Ow!" Takumi pulled his hand back from the car and Keisuke laughed heartily. It was a rare sound to hear even for Ryosuke.

Fumihiro had a point. Keisuke had been at a low point for so many years, he'd lost count and he didn't know if he'd ever see that light shine in his brother's eyes again. But there it was as Keisuke stood there with Takumi, who was laughing with him, shoving him away with a smile when Keisuke tried to trick him again.

Ryosuke found himself grinning amidst the tension in the air as they waited for the start of the races. Engines roared in the distance and that signaled that their opponents were almost there.

"Keisuke, Takumi." Ryosuke raised his voice so they would hear him in their struggle with each other.

Keisuke looked up, Takumi under his arm in a light headlock. "Yeah?"

"Try not to injure one another before your races, please. You both need to stay in good shape, I don't need to remind you." Ryosuke held back his amused emotion as Keisuke let him go. Takumi flicked him on the ear and took three steps back when Keisuke jerked his head in his direction.

"He started it." Takumi said and looked away at the enemy team as they rolled into the lot. All the joking was put aside in an instant and Takumi walked back to his teammate who had gone serious, beginning his focus early. "Good luck out there, Keisuke. Show them what you're made of. I know you've got this in the bag."

Keisuke bumped fists with him and gave him a quick nod, "You, too. Don't forget what I told you about your acceleration."

"I won't."

Takumi took off with Fumihiro up the mountain to wait for Keisuke's race to be complete. At this point Ryosuke didn't need to give them much advice about anything, they gave each other enough as it was.

Keisuke rolled down his window when he saw his brother approaching. Ryosuke leaned down, "Keisuke. You're leading this time. Don't focus on the chaser, just stay focused on the road ahead of you and drive. Remember all of your training and stay concentrated. This should be a walk in the park for you."

Keisuke nodded and started his engine. He knew he could do this, no question. His latest technique was one that he didn't tell anyone about, but each time he was on the road he imagined a ghost in front of him, a black and white Trueno that no longer haunted him.

It drove him.

Chapter Text

Takumi didn't want to call it a win, but God Arm had to forfeit since he got sick and couldn't continue. It had been an endurance race that much was clear, but Takumi didn't know if he would've been able to catch up if fate hadn't worked in his favor.

The eight-six's suspension was trashed and he couldn't even drive it home that night. Joushima was kind enough to drive him back to the base of the mountain where Takumi couldn't even look either of the Takahashi brothers in the eye.

He was standing there, rubbing at the sweat on the back of his neck, feeling sick at the outcome of his race. He looked up only when someone placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

Keisuke looked him over, "Are you okay?"

Takumi just stared up at him, shocked that he wasn't judging him with those deep blue intimidating eyes like he usually did. "I'm . . . fine, I guess. I was completely outmatched."

"I know." Keisuke gave his shoulder a light squeeze, "But don't think that Ryosuke is disappointed in you. He knew this race would stretch out like this and he knew that you'd have more strength than Joushima in the end. This wasn't a sprint, or time attack, it was a test and you were the one that kept going in the end. Lighten up, man. I knew you could do it."

"Thanks." Takumi sighed, feeling relieved. "That means a lot."

"Matsumoto and Fumihiro are on their way up with a tow truck to pick up the Trueno. They'll have her fixed up in no time." Keisuke placed a hand on Takumi's face and gave him a reassuring pat on his cheek before he walked away.

Ryosuke made his way over and could sense the man's shame, "Fujiwara. You won and that's all that matters. What I'm more concerned about right now is that there's a massive storm coming and you have no way home before it hits."

Kenta popped up eagerly from behind, "I can drive him home, it's no problem! I'm great in the rain."

"It's not the rain I'm worried about, Kenta. The wind is going to be exceptionally bad. I want the entire team inside and safe before it hits."

Keisuke rattled his keys, "He can stay with me. Let's go, I can already hear the thunder in the distance."

Ryosuke nodded and Takumi had no choice but to get into the passenger's seat of the FD and go home with his teammate. A thought struck him as they drove away. He'd never been in the same car as Keisuke and above all he thought he and his brother lived together.

Once they were in Akagi, Keisuke stopped inside a shop and came back out with a bag of food filled with take-out. The wind was picking up in the night, whipping his blonde hair all over the place. Takumi didn't realize how hungry he was until Keisuke handed it to him and the smell filled his nose.

"Hold that."

He drove onto the mountain instead of the city and Takumi realized Keisuke was living away from their family home, alone.

"So, why have you been staying all the way up here by yourself?" Takumi inquired, watching the trees fly by as Keisuke drove them further up the mountain. It was a beautiful place, like any other of Japan's mountains, but this one was more scenic to him for some reason, even in a brewing storm. The way the trees swayed with the breeze was different, like they were trying to bend down and reach them.

Keisuke was quiet for a while and Takumi had given up on the question. He didn't want to pry if the man didn't want to answer. But eventually Keisuke sighed and wet his lips, "Do you ever just . . . not want to go home sometimes?"

Takumi thought hard about it and he never really had that feeling. The only thing that kept him away from home was work and the pull of wanting to be in his car. So he answered honestly, "No. I don't have a reason not to go home other than being out here with the team."

Keisuke grinned at his answer, "That must be nice."

The blonde's tone was solemn and he looked thoughtful as he watched the pavement ahead, "It's not that I don't want to be at home, I just get so overwhelmed with things. Mostly my dad and the way he looks at me, like I'm still not measuring up. He thinks he's being casual with me and that he's totally fine with how I am, but I'm not blind. I can tell because he doesn't even shake my hand anymore or ask me how my garage is doing. He doesn't even pretend to be supportive, just dodges the subject all together."

"I'm sorry. That seems harsh." Takumi curled his fingers in, "I can't imagine what it's like. My old man has always been pushing me to be a better driver and maybe that's solely because he used to race when he was younger. I guess I'm lucky even though all he does is tell me how much better he is than me. It only fuels me more, so I guess he does it on purpose."

Keisuke grinned, "You are lucky. I'd love to have that. Ryosuke has been the only real positive influence in my life. Aside from my mother. She's the one that told me to come stay up here to get a break from my dad's negative energy."

"Does your mother support you?"

"She just wants me to be happy." Keisuke left it at that as they pulled into the long winding driveway that led them to the two story house surrounded by trees but it sat high above them. Takumi guessed you could see the sunrise and sunset from the balconies.

The wind whipped around them both as they stepped out of the FD, Keisuke closed the garage doors just as the heavy clouds above finally let the rain fall. It beat against the house making a steady rhythmic rumble settle around them.

Takumi followed him through the house and up the stairs. He glanced around at all the expensive modern furniture and the kitchen that was covered in granite stone and ambient lighting. "There's a kitchen up here, too?"

Keisuke placed all the food on the table and glanced around, "Yeah, both floors have full accommodations, you know, if two families stayed here or if you just don't want to socialize with anyone downstairs. My parents used to rent it out a long time ago."

Takumi continued to take it all in. It was by far the nicest place he'd ever stepped foot in. He walked over to the floor to ceiling bay windows that surrounded the place, along with the wrap around balcony. "It's beautiful here."

Keisuke hummed in agreement, "Just wait until the sun comes up. That's the best part."

Takumi made his way into the kitchen, his socks sliding slightly on the wood floors. He sat down across from Keisuke as they made themselves a meal from the takeout. They ate in a comfortable silence as the storm raged on outside.

Takumi was exhausted by the time he was done, his stomach fully satisfied. His eyes were heavy and Keisuke was watching him with a small grin. "Come on, I'll show you the guest bedroom."

So he followed the blonde down a hall to the other side of the house. Keisuke pointed into a room, "That's the room. It has it's own bathroom and the towels are in a closet just inside if you want to clean up. Make yourself at home. Get some sleep."

"Thank you." Takumi nodded and before he turned to go Keisuke stopped him.

"You did good tonight, Takumi. You made my brother proud."

Takumi stood there, speechless for a moment, trying not blush like he so easily did. "He was proud of you too, Keisuke."

The blonde gave him a small smile before he left him to himself. That was one of the perks of having Fujiwara around; he never lied.

Takumi slept soundly through the night in the biggest bed he'd ever seen. It was comfortable and the pillow was like a cloud. He almost didn't wake up when he heard the door open with a silent click. The sun wasn't up yet but it was close, judging by the pale light creeping through the room.

He rolled to his back and Keisuke paused where he was at the foot of the bed. Takumi rubbed his eyes and sat up with a yawn, "You're up early."

"It's a habit." Keisuke shrugged and placed the clothes in his hands on the bed. "I washed your clothes for you. Mine are probably too big for you to wear."

"Thank you, again. For letting me stay here and for dinner and-"

"It's fine and you're welcome. That's what friends are for. So stop thanking me, okay?" Keisuke couldn't stop staring at the sleepy look on Takumi's face. His bedhead was kind of attractive and his shirtlessness was distracting.

"Okay." Takumi grinned up at him and Keisuke decided he liked his face when he actually showed emotions.

He stepped back, "I'll make us some breakfast. What do you like?"

"Everything. Let me help you." Takumi offered immediately and Keisuke was amused at his eagerness.

"Sure. I'll let you get dressed."

Takumi ended up teaching Keisuke how to make things he'd never known how to before. Things his father had taught him when he was young, but that was the outcome of growing up in a tofu shop where you had to pull your own weight by the time you were four.

Takumi laughed at him when Keisuke tried to flip a hotcake with one hand and he ended up losing half of when it hit the edge of the pan.

"Oh my Godddd. How the fuck?!"

Takumi took it from him, grazing his fingers. "Let me do it. If you keep trying we're going to run out of food."

"You're hurting my feelings." Keisuke remarked and decided stand off to the side instead of dropping anymore food.

Takumi looked at him seriously, "I don't intend to."

"I was joking." He grinned and gently pushed him, making sure he didn't throw him off balance.

Keisuke learned what he knew from his mother, who was the only source of affection when he was a kid, so he took it. She taught him how to cook devine food, but clearly had never showed him how to flip food in a pan. He thought it would be easy enough, but the way Takumi did it was professional.

"That's amazing." Keisuke sighed around the food in his mouth. It was restaurant quality and something he could definitely get used to waking up to, but that was a wild dream. Before, he had never thought about having a roommate or living with anyone other than his brother for that matter. He definitely had never thought about having Takumi around for more time than it took to race. Now that he was here, he enjoyed his company. Even more than Ryosuke's.

"Thanks. My dad came up with it."

"Remind me to thank him next time I see him." Keisuke relaxed as they ate, glancing out at the trees. The sun started to show just on the horizon and he watched Takumi's face as the warm light of morning spread across it.

"Wow." Takumi whispered as he gazed. The sun slowly chased away the pale blue and purple colors in the sky, replacing it with orange and pinks. "It's beautiful."

Keisuke leaned on his hand, eyes never leaving the man's face and he came to a startling conclusion. "It is."

He liked him.

Keisuke liked Fujiwara. To such a degree it made his nerves flutter when Takumi turned his eyes away from the sunrise and caught his stare. Every fleck of green and blue in his hazel eyes was shimmering.

"I've seen the sun rise every day for the past six years, but it doesn't compare to this. There aren't any trees to block the view so you can see it for what it really is."

Keisuke couldn't agree more. Without all the pressure of racing on their shoulders or his brother's perceptive eyes, he could see Takumi for what he really was; a down to earth guy who was intellectual and honest. Somewhere along the way, he had become his impulse control and at this point all Keisuke wanted was to do was unravel his personality even more.

"What do you want to do today? The garage is closed for Sunday so I'm free and I assume you're free from your job as well?" Keisuke asked hopefully.

"I am." Takumi shrugged. "But I don't know what there is to do. I don't get out much."

"I can tell." Keisuke teased. "How about we head into Tokyo and I show you what there is to see."

Takumi nodded as he picked up their mess, "Yeah, that sounds fun."

Keisuke helped him clean and he kept noticing how well they worked around each other. He also noted that Takumi had grown another inch or two since he first laid eyes on him. Back then he was only eighteen, but now he was on the verge of twenty, and almost as tall as Ryosuke. He'd filled out nicely and maybe that was the last of his growth spurts.

Maybe he would be able to fit into my clothes after all.

Keisuke shook away his thoughts as they put the dishes away and headed downstairs; Takumi quietly on his heels. He warmed the FD up before he opened up the garage door. A thought struck him when Takumi got into the passenger's seat and as the car rolled back he said, "You're the first person that's ever sat in that seat, other than the mechanics, but that's just business."

He felt Takumi's shock, "Seriously? Not even your brother?"

Keisuke grinned, "Not even my brother."

"Why not?"

Keisuke shrugged, "I don't know. Ryosuke always told me I needed to learn on my own. I rode with him in the FC to learn and then practiced on my own. Besides, I don't like having anyone in here with me."

"I'm sorry. I'd drive the eight-six if she wasn't in the shop right now." Takumi felt like a burden all of a sudden.

"I never said I didn't want you here. Let's just say I don't want most people riding with me. You, I don't mind. I kind of like it actually. I've never had anyone but myself to talk to while I drive. You don't have anything criticising to say to me, do you?" Keisuke looked over at him.

Takumi shook his head and grabbed the handle above his head as Keisuke slung the car out onto the mountain road, "I don't."

"Good. Because most people do. But you're not most people." That earned Keisuke a grin from the guy and he returned it as he began racing his way through the winding road until they made it into civilization.

The drive was long but comfortable. Takumi enjoyed it. It was nice to sit back and watch the road and scenery fly by for once and not be the one behind the wheel. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been to Tokyo, maybe when he was seven, sitting passenger in the eight-six with his dad.

That was such a distant memory. Every memory after that was more or less the same; learning to cook, running the store, cleaning, school, sleep, playing with friends on the streets. Things he could hardly remember and he wondered if any of it had actually happened.

Takumi had no idea where they were going but he trusted Keisuke to take them somewhere worth seeing. He was so lost in thought as usual, he jolted when Keisuke stopped the car. The sign in front of them read 'Ashikaga Flower Park' and he found out why when they got out and headed inside. Takumi was stunned at the raw beauty of the place. Wisteria hung all around them, making a tunnel that the sunlight soaked into, making the purple blooms glow.

"This is incredible." He said more to himself than to the man beside him, but Keisuke agreed nonetheless.

Keisuke reached a long arm up and his fingertip brushed the soft flowers, a few falling and gliding around them. "It's kind of fitting since Fujiwara means 'wisteria plain'."

Takumi blinked, "I didn't know that. I don't know a lot of things."

Keisuke chuckled, "And Takumi means something along the lines of 'the sea', also very fitting since your skills are so vast and I'm sure there's a lot more to discover."

"You make me sound so interesting." Takumi huffed and shoved his hands in his pockets as they walked along. "I'm just a guy."

Keisuke cocked his head to the side, "But, an interesting guy."

Takumi stared over at him and there was that distraction again. One he used to feel when he looked at Natsuki anytime she giggled, but this time it was Keisuke and it was any time he smiled or ran his fingers through his hair. He was starting to feel it with anything Keisuke did. It wasn't just his hands anymore or his stunning smile or the way his eyes crinkled when he gave a rare pretty laugh. It was everything, from the way he chewed at his bottom lip in thought or the way his chest rose when he sighed at something. It dawned on him finally after so many months of being oblivious to it.

He was attracted to him. Not just his looks or his driving, but his personality. Takumi was attracted to Keisuke as a whole. His entire being had pulled him in so slowly and delicately, fitting into his world like he had always belonged there.

He curled his fingers in when Keisuke reached up again and grabbed a hand full of petals in his hand, smiling like an amused child as he held them above Takumi and let them fall. One caught on the tip of his nose and Keisuke made a tiny content noise before he brushed it away and kept walking. His hands were back in his pockets and his shoulder blades were pushing against his shirt. Takumi felt that irrefutable tug in his chest when the man glanced back at him and motioned him along with a tug of his head.

"Come on, we still have a lot to see."

Takumi swallowed and jogged after him, still processing the revelation, still reeling that this was even happening to him. But, liking a guy wasn't a bad thing, he never thought it was when it came to other people. He believed you could like whoever you wanted to, but he never thought he'd be one of those people who felt this way and felt the need to hide it from the world.

His sexuality now felt so foreign and out of line but the longer the day went on and the more time he spent with Keisuke, the more relaxed he felt about it. He didn't care if the rest of the world shied away from bisexuality or homosexuality. None of it mattered. All that mattered was that he had never had so much fun with one person in his entire life. Nor had he witnessed a man transform as much as Keisuke Takahashi had.

Who he was now was like a flower in full bloom because when he'd first met him he was just a bud seemingly held back by the cold of winter. What had brought out his true self was still a mystery but Takumi hoped he never shut himself away again. This Keisuke was warm and carefree, even humorous. He was the kind of guy who would steal a piece of Takumi's sushi and pretend he didn't, only to crack a grin because he couldn't hold a straight face.

Keisuke was also the type of guy that showed Takumi his favorite scenery, pointing at things in the distance, letting his tone drop softly as he reminisced about better days gone by. It sounded like he hadn't talked to anyone like this in years, maybe ever.

Takumi found himself falling deeper into his attraction for him even after they headed home before the sun went down. Keisuke drove him to the tofu shop and got out of the car, leaning over, arms on the roof as Takumi stood at the front door.

"Listen, Takumi. I've got a proposition for you."

"Okay." He waited, seeing the nervousness find it's way to Keisuke's fingers where he tapped them against the roof of the FD.

"Would you be interested in working for me?" Keisuke rubbed his lips together. "At the garage?"

That was the last thing Takumi was expecting him to ask but then again he didn't know what he expected in the first place. "That's a long drive even if it is on the edge of Akagi. Plus I still have to deliver for my dad."

Keisuke smirked, "That was only the first part of my proposition."

"Oh." Takumi rubbed his neck, "What's the second part?"

"You could stay with me on the mountain and you wouldn't even have to be there all the time. You could come home anytime you wanted. Think about it, you'd be closer for Project D, you could work full time with me, learn even more. Either sleep all day, work all night, then deliver tofu. Or sleep all night, get up, deliver, and then drive over for work. It could just be for the rest of the season if that's what you want. I just think it'd be a good opportunity for you to get your hands dirty and learn more. But that's up to you. Think about it."

Keisuke left him standing there with his mind blown as he drove off, diappearing with a soft rumble. Takumi didn't know what to think. But as he lay there in his bed, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling, the more appealing it sounded. He would be able to see that beautiful sunrise every morning depending on what hours he chose to work, morning or night. There was also the opportunity to work with Keisuke every day, learning more about how cars worked. That was too good to pass up.

The thing that sold him on the idea though was the possibility of getting to know Keisuke even better. That had him wanting to go back right then. It was almost unnerving. Where there used to be a certain petite brunette running through his head, there was a tall, incredibly alluring street racer instead.

Takumi pulled his pillow over his head, groaning miserably before he tried to sleep.

"Dad?"

"What is it, son?" Bunta asked as he handed Takumi his cup of water for the delivery. The boy sat there in thought for a long minute. "Spit it out or you'll be late."

Takumi blew the hair out of his face, "Keisuke offered me a full time job at his garage in Akagi. But I'd need to stay over there to cut the driving in half. I'd be closer for the team and I can learn so much more about vehicles and racing there with him. He's a great teacher and I . . ."

Bunta grinned, "You're asking me if it's okay that you move away."

Takumi swallowed nervously, "Yeah. Are you okay with that? I mean, I can still deliver the tofu, that's not a problem."

Bunta knelt down by the window, "Son, you're a grown man. You can do whatever you want. Your room will still be here if you want to come home, unless I turn it into a man cave first."

Takumi gave a sarcastic smile, "Gee thanks, Dad."

"But let me say that you'd be a fool to pass this opportunity up." Bunta watched his words sink into his son's mind before he gave him a nod and pulled out onto the road.

Keisuke was listening to music, peeling a few vegetables, making himself some future lunches and dinners when he turned his head at a sound. He rinsed his hands off and dried them before heading downstairs to answer the door when he heard another knock.

When he swung the door open, expecting his brother but finding Takumi instead, a smile lit his face before he could stop it. "Hi."

Takumi grinned, momentarily flustered again at his smile, "Hi. I thought about it."

Keisuke eyed the bag on the man's shoulder, "I can see that. Come in."

Takumi hesitated when they reached the stairs, "Where do you want me to stay? Because if you don't want me up there, I'll stay down here."

Keisuke motioned him up with a hand, "Stay up here in the guest room. I'll get bored if you don't. Unless you want to be down there alone. That's up to you."

Takumi's heart gave a small jump in his chest and he didn't think twice about it before he followed him eagerly up the stairs. His nerves twisted even more when Keisuke looked back, smiling when he saw him coming up behind him.

Was this even a good idea anymore considering how attracted to Keisuke he was?

At this point he couldn't stop staring at him.

Chapter Text

Takumi woke to warm sunlight resting on his chest. He stretched, staring at the ceiling for a moment before he turned to look at the clock. According to the time he was five hours late for his new job, but his panic faded when he picked up the peice of paper on the night stand.

"Takumi.

Don't worry about coming today. Fumihiro is putting the finishing touches on the Trueno, so he'll bring it by there when they're done. Get some more sleep. There's plenty of food in the kitchen if you're hungry, I know you are. You eat like a malnourished eight year old. I'll see you when I leave. If you need anything, you have my cell number.

K."

Takumi folded the note and put it away. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes before he stood and it was a weird feeling not having anything to do or anywhere to be. So he simply stood there at the window before he slid open a door and stepped into the balcony, settling into one of the cushioned chairs, gazing out at the distant mountain of Akina.

For once he felt like his life was headed in the right direction. He never knew Keisuke was a such a considerate guy, letting him sleep in, telling him to eat like the hungry man he knew he was. The fact that Keisuke had already tuned into some of his habits was enough to make him grin, feeling slightly warm at the notion. Then he remembered he said there was food in the kitchen.

His stomach growled loudly so he slipped back into the house, shuffling around lazily in his sleeping pants and no shirt. It was the most at peace he'd felt in a while. Takumi poured himself a glass of fresh juice, opened the doors to the balcony and sat at the table letting the light breeze filter in, making his hair sway as he ate.

He went back for a peice of bread and found another note that made his laugh carry throughout the quiet house. It was taped to a sweet roll.

"If you touch this, Takumi Fujiwara, you are a DEAD MAN. This is my favorite and I will commit a felony for it.

Hands off.

K."

"Kenta!" Keisuke yelled when he saw the guy carrying fifty pounds of tools in his arms like a complete idiot. "How many times do I have to tell you? Sort it out, put it in a toolbag, then carry it. You're going to hurt your back that way and if you trip and fall and tools go flying at these vehicles I'm going to slap you six ways from Sunday. You got that?"

"Sorry! I was just trying to save time!" Kenta scurried away, flustered.

"Take your damn time and do it right the first time!" Keisuke shook his head and went back to work.

Matsumoto was off to the side laughing to himself as Fumihiro rolled out from under the eight-six. "What's funny? That boy is going to bust his face open one day."

Matsumoto shrugged, "No, it's funny how fast Keisuke gets wound up when his teammate isn't around. I thought it just coincidence before but it's so clear now."

Fumihiro couldn't help but grin, "I know. I was talking to Ryosuke about that the other day and it sounded like that's what he had hoped for."

"For Keisuke to calm down?"

Fumihiro shrugged, "More or less. But it's more along the lines of he was hoping Fujiwara would end up being someone that Keisuke leans on. I think it's amazing how quickly he settles when Takumi comes into the picture. It's like . . ."

Matsumoto took his hand and pulled him to his feet when he slid out from under the car again, "Balance?"

"Precisely."

At that moment they both heard Keisuke's phone ringing. They watched him pull it from his pocket, the hard look on his face immediately dropping, replaced by something that was borderline serene. They listened to him answer.

"Hey. What's up?" Keisuke smiled, shocking them both. "I will kick your ass if you really ate my sweet roll, you dick. No. Did you or didn't you? This is life or death . . . Takumi!"

The two mechanics shared a look and witnessed the after effects the phone call had on the blonde. He went back to his work with a faint amused grin until he looked over and caught them staring. "What?"

Matsumoto let out a laugh, he couldn't help it. They ignored Keisuke's suspicious glares as they lowered the eight-six off the floorjacks and started tuning her one last time. Once she was ready to go, Keisuke ventured over and gave a quick check, but he never would get into the driver's seat.

"It's not my privilege." He'd always say, even though deep down it was more along the lines of he was terrified of it and he didn't want to touch what wasn't his. It shouldn't be tainted by his unworthy hands.

"Alright, we're off. Be back in a bit." Fumihiro waved as he pulled out with  Matsumoto behind him in one of the support vans.

"He's so lucky." Kenta pouted as he watched them leave, "I want to drive the Trueno."

Keisuke bristled so fast he surprised himself, "No one drives it but Takumi and his mechanic. No one. It should stay that way."

"Haven't you ever wanted to drive it?" Kenta inquired, raising a brow at his teacher curiously.

Keisuke watched it fade out of view, "No. Never. I only want to see it drive."

There was a far off look in his eye that Kenta was beginning to notice more often. Before Project D, it hardly existed, but now it was present every day at some point. Kenta shifted on his feet, "Driving in front of you? Or in your rearview?"

It was a question with an answer that had changed so much over the past few months that Keisuke still didn't have a solid response. "If I had it my way, it'd be right beside me. But we both know what the more realistic view would be."

Kenta knew he meant that he'd rather see it's tail lights because he knew that's where Takumi would be; ahead, pulling him along in a downhill spiral going ever faster down the curves of a mountain. He wasn't dumb, he knew Keisuke had been pulled into a rhythm he couldn't get out of. But Kenta also knew that it was a good thing. Keisuke looked more like a man closer to finding peace in the disorderly world he lived in.

He let him walk away instead of fighting him about how no way Fujiwara was better than him, because he honestly couldn't say that Keisuke didn't want Takumi to fall behind him anymore. Now, all he could see in his teacher's eyes when the eight-six and it's driver were near, was pure tranquility. Keisuke didn't show it, but the way his fists unclenched and the hard look on his face eased into a relaxed emotion, told it all.

Keisuke was almost happy.

Kenta grinned to himself and went back to work, leaving Keisuke to his thoughts. It wouldn't do any good to try and quicken the pace and force him into something he wasn't ready for. He would be truly happy one day, but he had to get there on his own and Kenta knew what the answer was, finally.

Fujiwara.

Keisuke closed up shop after the sun started to fall in the sky and waved Kenta off for the night. He hopped in the FD feeling unnaturally chill as he took the roads to the mountain pass, keeping his speed at a casual pace. The air felt nice enough that he rolled his windows down and breathed in the smell of the trees around him. It was dark already and he almost forgot that there was going to be someone there when he went home. It made his heart beat a little quicker, but what really got it going were the headlights that flew up behind him, riding his bumper like it was a four course meal.

He knew that image well and he found himself laughing as he floored it up the incline, "You ass."

Takumi never let up and followed his line accurately around ever corner, every motion the FD threw at him, he matched. They flew by the road that took them home and kept climbing the mountain in a rhythm that felt like an April breeze. Keisuke had never felt this relaxed with Takumi right behind him. It used to make him burn with fury but now he was begging for him to pass him because he knew he could. He was waiting for it and intentionally slowed down a beat, at the same time Takumi's lights disappeared.

Keisuke's heart stopped and he gripped the wheel harder out of habit. He let out a breath and calmed himself, smiling wider with each passing second. He felt like prey.

The headlights flipped up right beside him as they came out of the next corner, Takumi was on the inside and Keisuke glanced over to find his windows down too, brown hair flipping in the wind, a smile plastered to his face when he looked and caught his eye.

So, that's what that feels like.

Keisuke licked his dry lips and let his heart settle as Takumi kept his pace beside him. It was terrifying, being blind sided by the eight-six.

Keisuke risked another glance.

But, holy shit. It was kind of hot.

Chapter Text

"You did what?!"

Takumi scratched his head as his best friend's head nearly exploded from the information. "I moved to Akagi."

Iketani joined the fuss once he was done waving a customer off, "That's a little out of character for someone like you, Takumi."

Takumi shrugged, "It was too good to pass up. I get to work with Keisuke and a lot of other well knowledged mechanics all day every day. I just feel like I can improve that much more when I finally know how my car works."

Iketani gave a nod of his head because it did make sense when he thought about it, "That's true. I'm glad to see you becoming more invested in the dirty work of it all. I didn't think you could get any better, but I know you'll prove me wrong."

Itsuke exploded again in a drooling mess, "That's not even the crazy part! He moved in with Keisuke Takahashi! One of the Rotary Brother's for crying out loud! Can you imagine how awesome that is, being roommates with one of the greatest street racers to ever grace the pavement?!"

Iketani was taken aback. So, not only did Takumi up and move to Akagi overnight, he moved in with his teammate. It clearly shocked everyone, seeing as they used to have the deepest rivalry between them. But it was respect that made them work so well together.

"How's that working out for you?" Iketani pressed, seeing the amused look on Takumi's face as Itsuke continued to daydream.

Takumi blinked at the question and Iketani noted that there was something odd in the way his demeanor changed at the mention of his new housemate, "It's . . . pretty great now that I think about it. Keisuke is like a completely different person. He takes a different form when he races, but at home he sheds the facade and is incredibly easygoing. It was strange at first but after a week, it's clear he's had a tough life. Makes me admire him even more than I already did."

Iketani grinned, "Sounds like you two are getting along even better now."

There was that far off look again as Takumi glanced out at the traffic going by, "Yeah, we are."

They were getting along so well, Takumi felt a constant pull to be near him again, even when they were at home in the mountain. He'd sit on the opposite side of the sofa, because everyone needed their space and he still hadn't learned just how much Keisuke required. He couldn't just sit down next to him like he did with Itsuke, that was a level friendship that stretched beyond what he and Keisuke had.

He found himself hoping that one day they would get there. Just like he hoped one day they would go out again and Keisuke would show him more things and pull him down the small lively streets of Tokyo once more. Takumi wanted to see his personality at it's core, wanted to see him staring off into the distance, head resting on his hand as the city lights flashed and reflected in his dismayed eyes.

Takumi just really wanted to see him again. That conclusion startled him. Maybe this was more than just a simple attraction.

"I've got to head back now. They're expecting me at the garage soon. I'll see you guys around, okay?"

Iketani and Itsuke gave each other a matched look as Takumi got in the eight-six and left.

Iketani raised a brow, "Does he seem different to you?"

"Yeah." Itsuke rubbed at his chin inquisitively. "I don't know what it is though."

Iketani waved as Kenji pulled in minutes later. He got out of the car and headed over, "What's up?"

Iketani was still in a fog, trying to figure out what exactly had changed in their young friend, "Something."

Work in the garage was slow much to Keisuke's delight because that meant he had more time to dedicate to teaching Takumi the ins and outs of the Trueno. He was slow at first, living up to his clueless reputation, but after the third day, he was picking up the pace at an astounding rate. He could now easily point out and name multiple parts under the hood and explain exactly what they did in perfect detail. He was blowing Keisuke's mind once again and he decided to put it to the test.

They got a new vehicle in the shop and the owner was an older woman who had no idea what was wrong with it.

"Takumi, this one is yours to figure out. She says the engine won't turn over no matter what she tries." Keisuke told him and watched the gears turn in Takumi's head as he popped the hood.

"Kenta, can you get in and turn the key for me?" Takumi asked and the boy got in the driver's seat, turning the key producing absolutely nothing.

Keisuke watched his teammate piddle for about ten minutes, testing the possible causes, marking them off one by one, until he finally got to the root of the problem. Takumi grinned to himself and looked over at Keisuke confidently, "It's the fuel pump."

"Alright." Keisuke nodded and took him into the back to find a new part, "Here, now replace it."

It was fascinating to watch him work. Takumi had taken an old red bandana that Kenta offered when he saw how much sweat was collecting on his forehead. He folded it into a long strip and tied it around his head, giving his thanks, wiping the rest of his face with his white shirt. His bangs hung over the red fabric and grease smudged his face. Seeing Takumi dirty and working, the muscles showing in his arms after he rolled his sleeves up to his shoulders, was having a profound effect on Keisuke.

He found that he was actually quite . . . sexy. In a way he'd only ever seen in a man. The delicate bones of his wrists, the slender structure of his fingers, the smooth thin shape of his face. The way his hair fell just so even if it was messy and wet from his exertion.

"Start it up, Kenta." Takumi motioned with two fingers and waited for the engine to roar. When it did a feeling ran through Keisuke he couldn't process. He was unbelievably happy that he had fixed it on his own and he'd only been learning for a week. More so, he was feeling things in his belly that never came to life unless he was filled from head to toe with absolute excitement. Like that night they took a joyride up and down the mountain at top speed.

Takumi accepted the praise from the owner of the car, but he was waiting for his mentor to give him the approval he so desperately sought at this point. Keisuke sent her off after getting a hug that always made him uncomfortable. He stepped back in the shop and looked up to find Takumi rubbing at his eye harder and harder.

"Stop." Keisuke stood in front of him and took his face in his hands and angled his head up. He could feel the heat and confusion in Takumi's face, finding it unbearably cute, "Open your eyes."

Takumi pried his left eye open, still squinting as it burned. Keisuke pushed at his eyelid, "You got dirt and grease in it. Come here and try not to rub it in anymore."

He pulled him over to his work bench and pulled out a kit for situations like this because Kenta always found his way into one. The bottle of eye drops was half empty already. Keisuke took a clean towel and let his hand return to Takumi's face and for a second he felt his heart beating from where his fingers were resting on his jaw. His thumb slid under his chin and pushed until Takumi's head was at an agreeable angle. "Open up as best as you can and try to keep it open. These drops won't burn, I promise. It's going to flush your eye out. Got it?"

Takumi made a small noise in the back of his throat as he looked up at him through hazel eyes and Keisuke was half tempted to just stare at him all night. But he finally moved his hand and pushed his eye open, feeling him twitch and then relax soon after.

The first drop shocked him. Keisuke felt Takumi's fingers grip his sides to keep himself steady, his fingers slowly curling in making Keisuke lose focus for a moment. He added more drops and Takumi let out a steady breath, concentrating on not blinking to the best of his ability. Once Keisuke tilted his head to the side so the drops would run down his face, he wiped it away with the towel, adding a few more drops for good measure.

After he was satisfied, he stepped back and let Takumi blink, "Wash your hands before you rub your eyes again, okay?"

Takumi have a quick nod, "Yeah. Thank you."

Keisuke grinned at him, still seeing the pink color tinting his face, "No problem."

Takumi disappeared into the back to wash his hands and splash his face with cool water. Keisuke's hands were massive, his fingers long and soft sliding across his face, holding him there, tilting his head. Just the thought made a furious blush rise up his neck again.

It was frustrating to say the least. Why couldn't there be a cute girl running around, being nosy, catching his attention instead? He gripped the sides of the sink when it settled in his head abruptly.

Because the thought of a cute girl being silly and nosy, like Natsuki, is suddenly so damn boring. Every girl is boring now compared to Keisuke Takahashi.

A noise made him stand at full attention. He looked to his left and found Keisuke leaning against the doorframe of the small break room. He let a pretty grin light his face, reaching his eyes before he said, "I'm proud of you."

Takumi could've died right then because he knew the blush was back by the way Keisuke broke into a full blown smile. He threw the towel at his face and left, his faint laugh echoing in Takumi's ears that were probably blood red.

But as he pulled the towel off his face, he felt himself smiling, confirming it when he looked in the mirror at his dirty reflection. His heart hadn't done this in a while nor had the butterflies in his gut ever agreed with the touch and subtle affection of a man before. But again, he didn't care. Takumi wasn't running from genuine feelings but he sure as hell wasn't going to tell anyone about it. That would probably cause more trouble than he could handle right now.

He couldn't image the look on Itsuke's face if he ever told him he found a guy attractive or completely mesmerizing, to the point where he was sure he had an embarrassing crush.

"It's not just Keisuke that's changed." Fumihiro stated which drew his fellow mechanic's attention. "It's Takumi, too. Look at him."

Matsumoto moved his focus to the other ace and saw a smile he'd never seen before. He heard a laugh that was rare and sounded utterly carefree and it was directed at the other ace. Takumi had found a random bolt on the floor and tossed it at his coworker, snorting when it hit Keisuke square on the head. The blonde cursed, whipping his head around at the culprit, only to find Takumi peering ever so slightly above the hood of a car.

Keisuke broke into a chuckle against his will, "You little shit!"

Matsumo raised his brows in astonishment, "Is that what I think it is?"

Fumihiro crossed his arms, leaning back against the counter, "Yes, my friend. That is teasing at it's finest."

"Flirting?"

"My dad said he would do the deliveries on the weekends, so I'm free from Akina on Friday to Sunday now." Takumi commented as they sat there watching a show to pass the time on Saturday morning.

"Nice." Keisuke replied and waited a good long moment before he asked, "Does that mean you want to do something?"

Takumi almost jumped at the invitation but didn't want to seem desperate, "I suppose. We could go to Tokyo again if you're up for it?"

He saw Keisuke grin from the side, "Yeah. I hate being stuck inside for too long. Besides, there's more stuff I want to show you anyway."

Takumi bit his tongue to keep his excitement from showing and got up from the sofa to change. Just being in the FD again was enough to put his mind in a state of near euphoria, or maybe it was just being in the same car as Keisuke or just being this close to him in general.

Maybe it was all of the above.

Chapter Text

Takumi had his arm hanging out of the window, watching the small houses and shops slowly slip past his line of sight. The Chiba prefecture was quaint but lively. Again, he had no idea where they were going but he had an idea once he spotted a garage up ahead on their right, filled to the brim with cars he'd never laid eyes on before.

"What are those? They look fast." Takumi asked curiously, sitting up in his seat.

Keisuke perked up, "This is the shop of a living legend. He specializes in Porsche, has his own line of parts, and he's fucking amazing."

"How do you know him?"

Keisuke grinned as he pulled into the lot, finding an empty space to park the RX-7. "A few years back, when I meddled around in Tokyo, I stumbled upon one of his RWB Porsche builds and I sought him out. It was one of my first interests when it came to cars. He taught me a lot and for a while he kept me out of trouble."

Takumi saw a flash of regret swim across Keisuke's face, but he hid it just as fast before they got out. The gravel crunched beneath their feet before they reached the concrete floor of the shop that was alive with music and the sound of metal being grinded down. Keisuke knocked on the hood of a car and the sound stopped. A man about Takumi's father's age rolled out from underneath and smiled up at the blonde once he realized who he was.

"Well, well, if it isn't that little blonde brat from Akagi." The man stood and shook his hand, pulling him into a quick hug. "I've been hearing good things about you these past few months. I always had hope you'd find your way out of the Tokyo scene."

Keisuke rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, I . . . it took me a while to realize how childish I was. Just wanted to stop by and let you know I wasn't dead. Looks like you're doing quite well for yourself as usual, but that's normal for the creator of RWB."

The older man sucked at the cigarette in his mouth and Takumi couldn't help but notice how much he resembled his dad, but with eyes that actually opened and looked around.

Keisuke looked back at him, "Nakai, this is my teammate, Takumi Fujiwara. Takumi, meet Akira Nakai, one of the greatest car enthusiasts of our time."

Nakai extended his hand with an inquisitive gaze, "Fujiwara, huh? Any relation to Bunta Fujiwara?"

Takumi shook his hand and released it with a shy nod, "Yes, sir. He's my father."

Nakai chuckled, "I take it he built you up into a street racer, too. Let me guess, you're driving around in that old panda Trueno."

"I am."

Keisuke smirked, "He's the downhill specialist for Project D and he's extremely modest about it, so don't let his looks fool you. He has skills that could give anyone a run for their money."

Nakai took a drag and winked, "Oh, I don't doubt it. Anything that Bunta created was destined to be a prodigy. That man is a legend on his own. I wouldn't expect anything less."

Takumi brushed his hair out of his face, "Did you ever race with my dad?"

Nakai shrugged, "On occasion, nothing official. We taught each other a lot of things. That was long before he got married and settled down, but I knew he would never leave his racing blood behind. You look a lot like him when he was young, but you favor your mother even more."

Keisuke watched a look cross Takumi's face he'd never seen before; yearning. There was a question hanging on the tip of his tongue, he could feel it but Takumi never asked. In fact, he went quiet and Keisuke knew he'd be lost in thought for the rest if the day unless he shook him out of it. He wanted to know what it was.

Nakai took them both around the lot and they talked for an hour about his builds. He gave Takumi a lesson in tuner cars and the engines of all of his creations. Takumi was inspired, Keisuke could tell, but he could also tell he was still lingering on an earlier subject.

After another hour, a soda, and much appreciated wise words from an old respected legend, the two of them said their goodbyes and thanks, pulling back out on the road. Keisuke wasn't sure how to bring it up, but he was curious to know what Takumi was thinking. Because the guy was thinking hard about something.

It wasn't until they were arriving in the heart of Tokyo that Keisuke forced it out, "What's on your mind?"

Takumi looked over at him, coming out of his daze, "Huh? Oh. It's nothing."

"It's something. But you don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to. You just had me worried there for a while." Keisuke admitted and could tell Takumi was blushing a bit because every time he did he turned away and hid the redness of his neck with his hand.

"You shouldn't worry about me, Keisuke." Takumi muttered, staring out the window again. "I'd tell you but I don't even know what to say. It's something I've never really thought about before."

Keisuke kept silent, waiting for when he was ready. Takumi opened his mouth several times as they drove through the busy city, but he never could say it. Not until Keisuke had parked and lead him along to his favorite sushi bar in a back alley he used to escape to once upon a time.

The sun was setting and it was the latest they'd ever stayed out in Tokyo. The streets came to life with chimes, music, and an array of lights that made Keisuke nostalgic until his regrets crawled under his skin and every mistake he ever fostered made itself comfortable at the front of his mind.

Takumi relieved him of his dark thoughts and brooding when he finally spoke, "It's about my mom."

Keisuke set his chopsticks down right after he pulled them apart with a light snap.

"I've never had one and it's not like I ever had any vague memories of her when I was a child. There's just . . . nothing. Maybe she died or left me and my dad. I've just never known and what Nakai said made me think about it for the first time." Takumi leaned on his hand and stared off at nothing as he wondered, "He said I favor my mother more than my dad. I wonder what she looked like."

"I bet she was beautiful." Keisuke said nonchalantly and shrugged when Takumi turned surprised eyes on him. He took Takumi's chin between his fingers and moved his face side to side as if surveying him. Keisuke grinned cheekily when he said, "Because if Nakai says you favor her, then she must have been."

Takumi blinked and felt his fingers curl in on the table. Keisuke was slowly smiling the longer Takumi sat there in complete shock, face slowly tinting itself a pretty shade of carnation pink. The blonde knew exactly what he was doing to him, teasing, but he meant it nonetheless.

Takumi clenched his jaw and almost didn't see Keisuke's other hand stealthily confiscating a piece of his tofu, caught in between his chopsticks. He was almost too flustered to react, but as soon as Keisuke dropped his fingers from his face, he moved. He caught Keisuke's wrist in his hand, stopping the tofu just short of his mouth, resting against his bottom lip. The taste teased him.

It was almost impossible not to laugh at the face the brunette was making. His face was stuck in between a glare and an grin, so he looked completely ridiculous, almost evil which he was far from. That's what made it so damn funny. Keisuke broke into a wide smile until he couldn't hold it in anymore, his head tilted back with a rich laugh. But it faded once Takumi finally figured out what face he wanted to make.

It settled on a heavy stare. He made eye contact, his face emotionless as he turned Keisuke's wrist and the tofu in his direction instead. His mouth opened with wet lips and Keisuke felt the heat on his own face as he watched Takumi catch the food with his tongue. Immediately his charade fell and he smirked up the blonde.

"Steal my food one more time and I will never eat with you again."

"That's harsh." Keisuke blew his hair out of his face and flipped him off, "Sharing is caring."

Takumi gave a chuckle, shaking his head as they continued to eat under the pale glow of the lights above, "I can not share, but still care."

Keisuke shoved his shoulder, "Whatever, man. So, about your mom. Your old man's never brought it up before?"

"No and I've never asked. It just never seemed like something I should bring up if he didn't think it was necessary to tell me." He pondered, losing his focus again as he fell into thought for so long, he almost jumped when Keisuke snapped his fingers in front of his face.

Takumi looked around and realized the place was empty and the check had already been paid. He huffed, "I was going to pay for us this time. I don't like the feeling of you always paying for my things, your brother spends too much as it is on my car."

Keisuke reached over as he stood from his chair, ruffling up Takumi's feather-soft hair, "It's my treat. Besides, if you didn't know, I'm made of fucking cash."

"Okay, but that doesn't make me feel any better. I don't want you spending your family's money on me." Takumi fell into place beside him, looking over when Keisuke let out a sharp sarcastic sound.

"Is that your problem? You think I'm spending all my daddy's money on you?" Keisuke's eye went cold and Takumi regretted ever saying anything. He felt himself shrink a little walking beside his lengthy teammate with a tempered history.

"Keisuke . . . I didn't mean tha-"

The blonde shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at him, "You'll be glad to know then that I have never once used a single shred of my father's money. I have worked and earned my way through life, all because he never believed I could. To this day I still have a trust fund with my inheritance just sitting in it. I could've used it and ran, but I didn't. So, don't think my dad is paying for your food or your favorite coffee in those cute little cans, Takumi. I am. Because I want to."

Keisuke kept walking and Takumi found his own feet glued to the ground. He watched the completely oblivious blonde taking long strides down the silent alley, wondering if he knew just how breathtaking he actually was. Keisuke was shedding layers of his armor so suddenly that Takumi was having a hard time soaking it all in.

Takumi's heart thrummed a light tune in his chest, skipping a beat when Keisuke stopped and turned around to see why he wasn't moving. That familiar scowl was etched into his face just like it had been the first time he ever saw him. Somehow it was comforting to know he was still the same beautiful human being underneath that false emotion. Takumi knew him better than that now.

"What the hell are you doing?" Keisuke held his arms out, "It's late, you don't want to get caught in the night life around here, trust me."

Takumi forced his feet to move and he knew this wasn't the first time he'd followed him into the night without knowing what was next and he also knew it wouldn't be the last.

"Put that jacket on I gave you." Keisuke ordered him and Takumi untied the hoodie from around his waist and slipped into it. Keisuke reached around him and pulled the hood up over his head, doing the same with his own before he lead him out onto the street again.

"Are we hiding from something?" Takumi asked, feeling an uneasy chill running down his spine.

Keisuke shook his head, "It's just a precaution. Stay close to me."

Takumi didn't understand. This entire city came to life at night. It was beautiful, rich, and intoxicating. So he didn't know why it felt so foreign all of a sudden. He stayed at his friend's side until he heard the scream of tires, a lot of them accompanied by the roar of engines.

"Keep moving, Takumi." Keisuke gripped his arm when he fell behind, curious as headlight came into view as a entire crew of flashy cars drifted around the corner in a show of lights and burning rubber. Smoke bellowed around them and Takumi felt Keisuke yank him even harder. Then there was an arm around him, forcing him to stay with him at his pace.

"Who are they?"

"People you don't want to meet." Keisuke's entire attitude had changed. He wasn't relaxed anymore and Takumi could feel how tense he was as they veered off into the parking garage.

A few minutes later he got into the passenger's seat, buckling up, pausing when he saw how hard Keisuke was gripping the steering wheel, eyes piercing through the windshield. He could barely hear him breathe.

"Keisuke. What was that back there?"

He finally turned the key and pulled the car onto the road, taking them home. "A race."

Takumi's eyes grew wide, "Through traffic? In the heart of Tokyo? Isn't that illegal?"

"Incredibly."

Takumi pulled the hood off his head, "Then why?"

Keisuke kept his eyes on the pavement, never looking over at him, "For money."

Chapter Text

It was two in the morning before they got home. Keisuke was still quiet, his shoulders stiff as they made their way up the stairs in the dark. Takumi never pushed or asked him what was wrong or what the hell had him so worked up and silent.

All he knew was that he didn't like it. This Keisuke made him restless with worry. Things had happened to him, he knew that much and from what he could gather, it had to do with those intense street racers in Tokyo.

Takumi stood in the massive open living room and gazed at Keisuke's long lean body as he walked to the door of his room. He pulled the hoodie over his head along with his shirt and Takumi could just barely see writing that ran down his spine in the pale light of the moon; a tattoo.

That piqued his interest even more but he let him go. He retreated to his own room, not even bothering to take his clothes off before he fell into the bed. He couldn't sleep anyway, so he stared at the ceiling for half an hour before he rolled to his side getting a whiff of the hoodie still wrapped around his body. Takumi inhaled a scent so addicting it put him to sleep and he dreamed of him.

For the first time, Keisuke was there in his sleep, blind-siding him with that smile. His fingers were on his face, his thumb beneath his chin just like that day in the shop. Keisuke was tilting his head up, staring into him, sending shivers down his spine when his thumb moved to his lips. He pressed down opening his mouth and for a moment he was leaning in and Takumi was clenching Keisuke's shirt in his hands. To his surprise he pulled him closer, heart pounding and just before he closed his eyes and pushed up on his toes to meet his lips, he woke up.

Takumi blinked against the sunlight. It was still early and he was still engulfed in the hoodie, surrounded by his smell and it was soothing. In that moment he thought about being wrapped around Keisuke instead.

He sat up feeling a deep flush of heat taking over his entire body as he rubbed the sleep and the heavy image from his head. Takumi buried it deep inside of his mind as he shuffled out of the room, rubbing at his unruly hair. The house was quiet.

"Keisuke?" He called but got no response. It was only six a.m. and he was gone. His room was empty and the FD was missing when he made his way to the garage downstairs. The Trueno sat there alone, her partner's space vacant.

Eight a.m. rolled by and Takumi was sitting on the balcony leafing through pages of a car magazine when he finally couldn't stand being there alone anymore. It was kind of annoying how much he wanted to see Keisuke at all hours of the day now.

"You're ridiculous, Takumi." He said to himself as he grabbed his keys and made his way back down to the eight-six, slipping into his shoes. The garage door slid open and he rolled the sleeves of the black hoodie up, rolling the windows down to let the early Fall air in. It woke him up even more once he was out on the road and he didn't know where he was going, but eventually he made his destination the shop.

Both Kenta and Keisuke's cars were there, but he only found Kenta when he went inside. The guy was fiddling with an engine, looking startled when Takumi made a noise to let him know he was there.

"Oh! Hey, Takumi."

"Where's Keisuke?"

Kenta shrugged, "Ryosuke came by and he left with him. I don't know where they went, maybe up to Kanagawa to study the course for next weekend's race."

Takumi slumped in a stool in the quiet shop watching him work, "Why didn't they take me, too?"

Kenta wiped his forehead, "Keisuke said you guys got in pretty late last night. So, he wanted to let you get more sleep."

"He didn't sleep anymore than I did. He should've got more, too." Takumi furrowed his brows. Keisuke was still stubborn as always, that never changed.

"Yeah, but he seemed to have a lot on his mind."

Takumi looked away, trying not to picture that brooding image of Keisuke pulling his shirt over his head again. He was still trying to forget. "Yeah, he does. Can I ask you something, Kenta?"

The guy nodded with a cheerful smile as he sat back, "Sure, what's up?"

Takumi pulled the sleeves of the jacket down and found the edges were worn, "Do you know what Keisuke did before all of this?"

Kenta looked away in thought for a moment before he shrugged, "Not really. I just know that he used to be involved with gang related stuff. But you remember when that gang showed up that night and Keisuke knew who they were."

Takumi nodded, "I remember. I was just curious if anyone knew."

Kenta watched as the ace stood and wandered over to Keisuke's workbench, looking over all the things he had hanging from various objects. Pictures were stuck to the wall with tape of who he guessed were old friends, a few of him and Ryosuke, his mother. Now he knew where Keisuke got his beautiful smile from. There were two metal bracelets stacked on top of one another off to the side, the kind that you had to angle your wrist just right to get it on.

"I wouldn't touch those if I were you." Kenta said, coming up behind him.

"What are they?"

Kenta rubbed the back of his head, laughing nervously, "I have no idea what they are, bracelets obviously, but I touched them one day and I though I was going to die. Keisuke almost broke my wrist. He never told me what they were or who they were for, just said never to ask and never to touch."

"Hm." Takumi looked down at them again. They must have been important to him if he got that defensive over two peices of metal that just sat around collecting dust.

"But maybe he'll tell you." Kenta said softly, "I know he likes you. A lot. He's never like this with anyone, Takumi. When you're not around he gets very snappy and irritated. But when you're here, working, talking to him, throwing stuff as his face, he seems almost happy. I don't know if that makes you feel weird but I thought you should know that the reason he's changed is because of you. Even Ryosuke says so."

Once upon a time he probably would have felt weird about it, but now it just made him warm all over. He knew Keisuke had changed and now he knew why, but he still didn't understand it fully. What was so special about himself that made Keisuke turn into a different person around him?

Takumi never saw anything in himself, no special qualities, no attractive characteristics that would pull in anyone. According to his friends back home, he was clueless. At least back then he was, now he was educated and eager for more. Maybe that's what Keisuke enjoyed, teaching him things, keeping him company.

But still. Why him?

Takumi couldn't find an answer and decided that one day he'd ask him, but as of now he just needed to let Keisuke cool down and get back to normal.

Their first race in Kanagawa was over before he knew it, the competition was exceptionally skilled. But he didn't expect anything less when Ryosuke told him they were in the heart of racing, the core of mountain pass sprints. It was a challenge he had trained for relentlessly, Keisuke even more so. By then his teammate had fell back into his more casual attitude and things went back to normal once they were home. Their routine never changed.

Takumi woke up, drove his delivery route for his dad and when he drove back he found he still had time to run the pass of Akagi at least once with Keisuke before they headed to the shop to start the day. It was as easy as breathing and it made him think about what was going to happen when it was all over. He did his best to live in the present because it was honestly the best he'd felt in his entire life. He didn't want to think about not waking up to Keisuke's morning greeting, a small smile and a quiet groggy 'morning' from his lips.

"Takumi!"

The brunette hid his hand behind his back as Keisuke's voice rang out in the bustling shop. "Come here!"

"No!"

Keisuke reached for him and Takumi dodged for the fifth time, "I swear I will throw you over my shoulder and tape you to a chair if you don't give me your damn hand and let me get that metal out!"

Takumi sighed through his nose as they circled a car, losing and gaining no ground. "It's fine! It's literally the size of a grain of sand and it'll come out on it's own eventually!"

"Yeah and if it gets infected and you can't use your hand to drive next weekend, I will be extremely disappointed. Is that what you want?" Keisuke made his tone soft and saw the change in Takumi immediately.

Takumi stopped in his tracks, caught in his calm gaze as he moved around the car. Keisuke grinned and took his arm, pulling him over to his stool.

"That's what I thought. Sit."

Takumi reluctantly perched himself on the seat and held out his hand for him, looking away with his eyes shut tight when he saw the tiny tweezers in Keisuke's hand. But the dread soon faded when he felt a gentle finger run across his palm, searching for the small metal shaving that had gone astray. That dread was replaced with something else and there was that heated image again, but it morphed into Keisuke running his hands over his body and not his hand.

Takumi jerked when he felt a sharp prick and looked up at him finally. Keisuke held out the tiny peice of silver grasped in the tweezers, grinning. "See? That wasn't so bad was it?"

Takumi blew his hair away from his eyes with a pout, "I still think it would have been fine."

"Can't take any chances. Especially not you."

Takumi realized then that Keisuke's fingers still had a soft hold on his hand as he stood there looking down at him. He wondered why Keisuke hardly showed this side of himself with anyone else.

"You know, you're actually really great at taking care of people."

Keisuke made a faint sound and let his hand go, "That's usually how it works. The ones that were never taken care of end up being the best at taking care of others."

Takumi grabbed at his arm when he went to walk away, "What does that mean?"

Keisuke looked down at his hand on him and then caught his eye. He was struggling with something in his mind before he sighed and brushed his hair back, "Ask me again some other time, okay?"

Takumi let his arm go, wondering how long it would take him to confess his past, because it was making him anxious wanting to know every detail that had morphed Keisuke into the man he was. He couldn't give a damn about anyone else. "Okay."

Keisuke gave him a classic smirk and gave his face a gentle nudge with his knuckles, "You shouldn't worry about me, Fujiwara."

Takumi shrugged, "That's what friends do."

"Hm."

"Can I ask you something, Ryosuke?"

The raven haired racer looked up from his computer as they awaited the next race in Kanagawa. "What is it?"

Takumi shifted his weight to his other foot and hesitated, "Um . . . I was just wondering, what happened to your brother in Tokyo?"

Ryosuke stood to his full height and chose his answer carefully, "Lots of things. Some he still hasn't told me to this day. It was a dark time for him, but as far as details go, it's not my place to say. You'll have to ask him yourself or wait until he's willing to tell you."

Takumi closed his eyes and listened to the sound of Keisuke's wheels as he tore through the mountain in the distance, "Yeah, I know. Sometimes I feel like he's going to, but then he closes up again."

Ryosuke made a small amused sound and smirked, "If you had asked him before all of this, he would've verbally assaulted you. So, I think you stand a good chance of pulling it out of him."

"Everyone says he's different around me. According to Kenta you think so, too." Takumi shifted his gaze when Ryosuke crossed his arms.

"I do. It's such an obvious change, it's hard to miss."

Takumi shook his head, "I don't get it. What is it about me?"

Ryosuke looked out at the road in thought, "Maybe he sees in you what he's always wanted. A guy with a gift too extraordinary for this world. Someone unaware of how amazing he is, someone that has had support from the day he was born."

"I feel like that would make him angrier with me, not . . . calm."

Ryosuke sighed, "He doesn't want things to turn out for you the way they did for him, Takumi. All he wants is for you to succeed."

"Does he think he won't? Is that why he's always pushing me harder?"

Ryosuke shrugged, "Perhaps. It's hard to say what's going on in his head all the time. He's never felt good enough, but I'm hoping you can prove him wrong."

Takumi felt the frustration swell, "He proves himself wrong everyday, shedding seconds off his time. I'm willing to bet he could take me on the downhill now. What the hell is wrong with him?"

"I'll leave that to you to found out."

Takumi let him return to his work, moving to the eight-six when he heard the unmistakable sound of the FD coming up the mountain. He had a lead that shook the old record to it's core. Of course Keisuke was good enough, he was more than good enough and Takumi had no idea why he couldn't see that.

It was ten p.m. on a Wednesday and they both had decided to stay in all day and work in the shop all night to get through all the extra work that had stacked up. They took over the dayshift workers and began the long stretch through the night. Both of them went through a car an hour, shaving down the line of cars that sat outside in the lot awaiting repairs. They called it quits for the night around three in the morning. Takumi helped him close everything up but he waited by Keisuke's workbench, trying to talk himself into asking the question that had been on his mind for days.

Keisuke stepped over, ready to cut the lights but hesitated when he saw the way Takumi was looking at him. The brunette sat down and observed his teammates face as he reached over and picked up one of the metal bracelets. If he was lucky, he wouldn't leave with a broken wrist like Kenta almost did.

Keisuke didn't move, but Takumi detected a flicker of fear in his eyes, like he was caught, "What are these?"

The blonde closed his eyes and sighed, his shoulders sagged while he pulled up another chair. He reached down into a box beneath the counter and pulled out a bottle of clear alcohol and a glass. Takumi watched him pour himself a drink once, twice, three times before he rubbed his eyes and sat back with a another heavy sigh.

"Those were made from the scraps of a car that belonged to the only person I ever considered a best friend."

Takumi turned the metal curiously in his hand, "Where's this person now?"

Keisuke kept his eye on the motion, "He's dead."

Takumi waited, not willing to ask anymore questions, instead choosing to let Keisuke continue if wished. Eventually he did.

"That race you saw in Tokyo, I used to be a part of it. When I got out of school that's where I ran and immediately found myself caught in the middle of a gang of drift racers that forked out money like it was nothing. They were always at war with each district, trying to take over each other's pride and cut down their reputation until they were the ones on top. It was a vicious cycle and when things got worse, they turned to sabotage and with me being the angry giant who needed to take it out on someone, I was the one doing the dirty work. If I didn't, it was my ass on the line and they aren't the kind of people you say no to. So, I gained a reputation of my own. I was respected and eventually I turned into someone that you didn't cross and it was so empowering to have people scared of me." He paused and took another drink. "I knew this guy, Kaito. He was in pretty deep too and we ended up being great friends in the middle of it all. He's the one that introduced me to Nakai, but unlike me, Kaito never managed to get out. But he's the reason I did."

Takumi offered the bracelet to him and Keisuke took it, rubbing the polished metal between his fingers. "What happened?"

Keisuke rubbed his eyes hard, downing another glass and he looked like he was in pain the more he said. Takumi was almost tempted to make him stop but he also looked like he needed to get it off his chest.

"The drift king, as the asshole liked to call himself, sensed that me and Kaito weren't loyal to the cause as much as we used to be. We were two of the best drifters they had and I was his muscle. So he retaliated and challenged me to a one-on-one through the most dangerous part of town. It was an alley sprint through narrow streets, the trickiest of them all and I knew I would win. But before I could even agree to it, Kaito demanded that he race him first. He had a day to prepare and that night he went off into the streets at top speed. But something went wrong and the moment I heard he flipped the car fifteen times, I knew it was sabotage. Kaito wasn't that careless, he wouldn't have made a mistake that big."

Keisuke paused yet again to clear his throat and Takumi was having an even harder time listening when he saw how glossed over his eyes were with faint tears. "Keisuke, you don't have to -"

"I need to." He continued, biting back fears he hadn't felt in a long time, "Kaito was hospitalized for weeks. They put him in a coma so he could hopefully heal. I didn't know what to do with myself. I defected as they all assumed I would and I beat the shit out of anyone that tried to come after me. I'll never forget the fucking smirk on the king's face after the wreck, he knew exactly what he'd done. I hid away at Nakai's garage for a few days, keeping my mind busy by making those bracelets from a stray piece of Kaito car. I planned on giving him one to remember everything by once we both got out of Tokyo. I went to visit him again even though I knew he was comatose, but when I saw the doctors crowding around the door, I knew he was dead. Kaito never woke up and eventually his heart gave out from the injuries. I was inconsolable and I was bound and determined to kill someone, but my brother showed up out of nowhere and talked a bit of sense into me, he brought me home. I don't know what was worse, facing my mother or facing my dad. My mother had been sick with worry, I could see how much weight she'd lost and how sunken in her eyes were from the last time I saw her. But my dad . . . if there was any way to describe a look beyond disappointment, that's what his face held and I had never wanted to die so bad in life up until that point. It all still haunts me, even if it was three years ago, it's always there. I still see Kaito racing down the alley, still see him lying there lifeless in the hospital bed." He cleared his throat and he got quiet, whispering, "I still think about the fact that it should've been me. It was always supposed to be me."

He hung his head and Takumi saw a tear stain the concrete beneath them and he couldn't stop himself from standing and moving closer, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder, "Keisuke . . ."

He looked up at him, leaning back slightly so he could see his face in the dim lamp light. His voice was strained and frail. It quivered when he asked, "Do you think I'm a bad person?"

Tears were falling freely down his face now and Takumi's heart was beating ninety to nothing. He moved the hand that was on his shoulder and brushed Keisuke's hair back, letting his hand settle on the side of his head. "You are the most selfless person I have ever known. I'm not judging you on who you were in the past, only on the person it's made you into today. You're not a bad person, Keisuke. You're beautiful. So, please stop doing this to yourself."

Keisuke felt his lip tremble right before he pulled Takumi in and buried his face against his stomach, crying like the day Kaito had died. He wrapped his arms around his slim waist and pulled him closer just as Takumi cradle his head in his arms, holding him carefully. His fingers curled in his bright hair and after a few minutes Keisuke stopped crying, sitting there with his face pressed against Takumi's warm stomach. His shirt was wet with tears but he never complained, never pulled back until Keisuke moved, wiping at his face furiously.

He would probably be embarrassed to hell and back if it weren't for the alcohol in his system, that was why he drank as much as he did. It was the only way he could convince himself to talk without worrying. Drinking wasn't something he did often and he found himself giggling with the effects.

Takumi grinned as he let his hands fall away from him, missing it instantly, "What?"

Keisuke shook his head, "You're the first person I've ever told that to. So, thank you for listening."

Takumi wiped a stray tear off Keisuke's face before he reached over a cut the lights off, "Anytime."

In the dark, Keisuke stood and dug out his keys to the FD and handed them to Takumi. "Here. Drive."

Takumi lead him outside into the cool summer night, eyebrows inching up his forehead. "You want me to drive the FD?"

"Yeah." Keisuke shrugged like it was easiest desicion in the world. He moved to the passenger's side and got in. It was an odd feeling since he had never even sat in that seat before. It was even stranger when Takumi got behind the wheel, looking nervous. Keisuke found it adorable, but there were a lot of thing he was finding unbearably adorable about the guy.

"Are you sure? I know you're drunk and I don't want you to be mad when you're sober and realize that you let me drive it without thinking about it." Takumi rambled and Keisuke simply smiled over him.

"What's there to think about? You're the most amazing street racer I've ever laid my eyes on. I have complete faith in you, Takumi, and I have no doubt that you will blow my mind." Keisuke admired the blush that he produced on the younger man's neck.

"Okay." Takumi still sounded unsure as he revved her up and started to pull out. "But I still need to go deliver the tofu for my dad."

Keisuke gestured to the road ahead, "Then let's go and don't hold back. I may be drunk but I want you to use her to her full potential. Don't half ass it just because you're the first person to drive my car other than me."

Takumi gripped the wheel as he took off down the road toward Akina, already settling into the feel of the car. It was so smooth and tuned perfectly, it really couldn't get any better but Keisuke always found something to tinker with. "So I was first to ride in it and the first to drive it. Is there something you're not telling me, Keisuke?"

The blonde rubbed at his face before staring out of the window at the lights flying by, "Probably."

"What is it?"

Keisuke inhaled and rolled the window down, loving the rush of air on his warm face. "I haven't had a real friend since Kaito. Then you came along and I feel things I shouldn't, things I haven't felt in a long time."

"And what exactly do you feel?" Takumi's blood was rushing past his ears so fast he could hear it.

Keisuke hummed, his head lulling to the side as they neared the town in which Takumi grew up, "Happy, Takumi. You make me happy."

Takumi blinked, dumbfounded as he stopped in front of the tofu shop, his dad already coming through the door.

"How?" Takumi asked, flustered as hell.

Keisuke threw his hand in the air, "Fuck if I know."

Bunta was moderately shocked when Takumi got out of the FD but seemed amused when he learned why. Keisuke waved at him through the window, "Good morning Mr. Fujiwara. I just wanted to say that you're an amazing chef and thank you so much for teaching Takumi how to make that mouthwatering breakfast dish, whatever it's called. That was like, weeks ago but I still think about it every day. It was that good."

Bunta raised his brow at his son who scratched his head and grinned, "He's uh, he's a little drunk right now. That's why I'm in his car, I couldn't leave him at the shop alone and he insisted on coming with me. Threw me his keys and wouldn't take no for an answer. Besides, I want to see if I can balance the water in his car as easily as I do in mine."

Bunta grinned with a shake of his head, "Alright. Pop the trunk."

"Oh my fucking God, Takumi!" Keisuke was nearly hanging out of the window as Takumi took the corners at impossible speeds, keeping his word and not holding back. "How the fuck is the water not spilling?! How?! Are you an extraterrestrial?! You have to do this again when I'm sober!"

Takumi had never laughed so hard in his life as he raced down the mountain towards the hotels by the lake, arriving promptly and loading the empty tofu crate back into the trunk. The water never spilled and he now knew that he indeed did have an ability, one that allowed him to adjust to any car he got into, learning it's balance and becoming attuned to it's limits.

Keisuke had settled down by the time he got back in the car. Takumi began driving them back up the mountain. They went around a painfully familiar corner and Keisuke looked over at him.

"Go back down the mountain. I want you to show me something and I won't ask you to do anything else for at least a day."

Takumi laughed, "Wow, one whole day, huh? That's an offer I can't refuse."

Keisuke smiled brightly over at him as he whipped the FD around, "More enticing than a full tank of gas?"

"No. Not even close."

Keisuke was having too much fun and he knew that Takumi was joking. He wished he would've done this sooner and sober. At that moment he made a promise to himself that he would.

The corner came up fast, the same one that Takumi had passed him on the first time he ever saw the eight-six. Keisuke didn't even have to ask, Takumi just knew. The brunette cut him a look and Keisuke gripped the handle, feeling pure adrenaline flowing through him, "Do it."

Takumi slid around the corner and whipped the wheel back fast, pushing the FD into a perfect inertia drift. Keisuke was speechless. He couldn't move until Takumi pulled over at a rest stop and got out to watch the sun crawl over the mountaintops.

The blonde forced himself out of the seat and he swayed when his feet hit the ground. He looked over at Takumi leaning against the wooden rails on his elbows, took three long steps forward and grabbed his face when he turned around.

"Mmph!" Was the sound Takumi made when he felt the pressure of Keisuke's mouth against his and for a moment he couldn't breathe. Not because of his lips that were so soft against his own, but because it was like fire slowly pouring into his veins and he had never felt anything like it before. It was because of his long experienced fingers carding through his hair and the way he sighed against his face. It was also the way he pulled away and blinked, his blue eyes in a haze right before he snapped out of it.

Keisuke's voice was but a terrified whisper, his eyes blown wide with fear when he realized what he'd just done, "Oh my God . . ."

Chapter Text

"I . . . I'm . . ."

"Keisuke, calm down."

But he couldn't. Keisuke ran his hands through his hair and pulled in a deep breath, "Holy shit, I'm so fucking sorry!"

"Keisuke, st -"

"I'm sorry . . ." He looked like he was on the verge of crying again, he was so panicked. Still feeling the alcohol wasn't helping. "I was just so . . ."

"Out of it?" Takumi tried to ease his worry.

"Yeah."

"Filled with adrenaline?"

Keisuke sighed and gave him a nod, feeling his nerves starting to relax only by a tiny fraction. He felt like a complete idiot. "How can I make it up to you?"

Takumi found himself grinning at him, Keisuke's face had never been this red before. "You can start by calming down. Stop overthinking. You think I'm going to hate you, but I don't. I can't. You're still a bit drunk, so how about you take a deep breath and I take you home so you can sleep it off?"

Keisuke finally met his eyes again, feeling humiliated beyond belief, but there was still a part of him that wanted to grab his pretty face and do it all over again. He took another deep breath and let it out, feeling a lot better knowing Takumi didn't hate him or want to hit him. "Yeah, okay. I'm sorry."

Takumi, to Keisuke's surprise, let out a small chuckle, "Stop apologizing. It's okay and if it makes you feel any better, I honestly wouldn't be mad if for whatever reason it happened again."

Keisuke's eyebrows inched up his forehead, "You what?"

Takumi raised a hand in front of himself, feeling his own blush forming when he realized what it sounded like to say that. "Not that I'm saying I want you to kiss me again, I mean not that I wouldn't ever want you to . . . I mean, it wasn't a bad thing, it was kind of nice. Shit, what am I saying?"

Keisuke laughed at him as he stumbled over his words, "I get it. You're not offended and you don't hate me."

"Yeah." Takumi ducked his head and walked away embarrassed, "Let's just get home."

"Alright." Keisuke couldn't help but watch him as they drove home. Takumi was still a bit pink in the face and Keisuke was having a hard time getting over it. He still had no idea why he did it or what had come over him, it was just that Takumi had turned his world upside down and now occupied a space in every aspect of his life. Now there was a place in his heart that he filled and it felt like it was overflowing steadily, seeping into every inch of his being. Takumi would consume him one day and deep down Keisuke didn't want the flood to recede.

He wanted to drown in him.

Keisuke woke with a headache and a sore body from head to toe. He knew it had been a really long time since the last time he drank such hard liquor, but he didn't expect it to make him feel like he was sick with the flu, body aches and all. He also didn't expect to wake up to the smell of something so wonderful cooking in the kitchen, making his mouth water and convincing him to get out of bed.

The sun was bright outside as he dragged his feet across the floor, not even bothering to put a shirt on, he was so worn out. Keisuke squinted against the sunlight as he moved across the living room to the open kitchen where he could see Takumi cooking effortlessly at the stove.

Keisuke sniffed the air as he came up behind him to see what it was, "What is that? It needed to be in my stomach like, ten minutes ago."

Takumi glanced over his shoulder, not anticipating him to be that close, "Wow, you look like shit."

"Thank you, I feel like it."

Takumi grinned to himself and pointed at the table, "Sit."

Keisuke didn't argue as he shuffled around in a haze, slumping into the seat and laying his face against the cold wood surface. What had happened in the early hours of the morning were sort of foggy but he remembered. That thought alone made him sit up straight and push himself to his feet. Takumi eyed him curiously as he moving to a cabinet and began pulling down bottles of alcohol that he couldn't even pronounce.

"What are you doing?"

Keisuke tossed it all in the trash and sat back down with a sigh, "I am never drinking again."

Takumi turned back to the food as he arranged their plates, "Why not?"

You know why, Takumi.

"I have never felt this shitty before in my entire life. My whole body hurts." He told only half of the truth. "I never should've touched that damn bottle."

"What was it?"

Keisuke shook his head, "Some Spanish Tequila I stole from my dad when I was fifteen."

The brunette slid a plate of food in his direction, "You were pretty out of it by the time we got here this morning. I almost couldn't get you up the stairs without you trying to fall asleep."

Keisuke gave a small laugh, wincing when his muscles ached with the motion, "Thanks, for making sure I didn't sleep on the floor."

Takumi shrugged with an innocent smile. He pushed a glass of liquid in front of him and smiled wider when Keisuke looked at him suspiciously, "Drink it, you'll feel better."

"What is it?"

"Just drink it."

Keisuke leaned down and eyeballed it like it was a science experiment, smelling it, determining it had lemon in it, "Why should I trust you? I'm extremely weary of drinks at the moment."

Takumi had his elbows on the table, chin resting on his linked fingers, "Taking care of a hungover man is something I've been doing for so long that I should put it on my resumé. Trust me, it'll make you feel better in no time."

Keisuke made a face at the glass in his hand and half expected it to be more alcohol as a cruel prank but he knew Takumi had nothing but good intentions, he was too pure to pull a joke that evil. He swallowed down the drink that was actually quite pleasant; a hint of lemon, honey, maybe vinegar and something else he couldn't place, but it held a spicy yet sour aftertaste. His head immediately opened up and he felt like he'd just engulfed fresh mountain air or drank from the purest stream.

"Holy . . . hell." Kiesuke coughed around the spice on his tongue but he did feel better. He felt like he could breathe again without hurting. "Did you come up with this on your own?"

Takumi seemed pleased that he approved, "Yeah. Like I said, I've been aiding my old man since I was old enough to know what worked and what didn't. I mixed that up one day and thought he was going to kill me when he realized there was cayenne in it, but a few minutes later he was thanking me."

Keisuke laughed and sat back, feeling a flush of heat on his chest from the pepper, "You're pretty amazing, you know that?"

Takumi brushed his hair back with a hand and when it fell to the side in a part that was much different than the usual way, down the middle, Keisuke swallowed thickly. He was still so pretty it made him restless if he stared for too long.

"I'm not."

"You are. Accept it."

Takumi picked up a peice of his food and Keisuke watched his pink lips part, saw his tongue glisten in the light and he knew that he was in deep, feeling that warm subtle burn burst to life in his belly.

He distracted himself with the food in front of him that brought him even more back to life. It filled his stomach with comfort while Takumi filled it with butterflies. That kiss was still fresh on his mind and he didn't know if he'd ever stop replaying it his head.

Takumi snapped him out of his thoughts when he touched his fingers lightly to the knuckles of his hand where it rested on the table between them. Keisuke looked at his smooth fingers, relaxing into the touch as Takumi ghosted over the scars that remained from his past.

"You fought a lot." Takumi spoke quietly. It was a simple statement and he wanted Keisuke to realize that his past wasn't anything to hide from, that he shouldn't be ashamed of the things he'd done.

"Every day."

The air was calm between them and Keisuke was falling in love with the way he took his hand and rubbed soft circles over the scars. He was falling in love the way his hair hung in his face and the way the sun made his eyes look like the lake in Spring, shining with so much promise and beauty.

He was falling in love with him.

Keisuke lifted his hand and caught Takumi's fingers in his, turning his palm up, finding the small bruised spot where the metal had pierced his skin. "Does it hurt?"

Takumi stared at their hands for a moment before he willed himself to shake his head, "No. Just a little sore."

"That's good."

Silence fell over them again but they never pulled their hands away from each other's. The air felt almost electric, the same thing Keisuke had felt when he was riding with Takumi as he tore down the mountain in his FD. He had felt alive.

Like nothing else mattered.

"I kissed you." Keisuke muttered.

Takumi cocked his head to the side, his hair shifting away from his eyes, "You kissed me."

Keisuke finally let go of his hand and rubbed his face hard, "Damn it, I am such a fuck-up."

"Shut up."

Keisuke dropped his hands and saw a fire in Takumi's eyes he hadn't seen since the day he stopped him in Akina and lit into him for turning down a race. He'd never seen anger like this in his eyes before now.

It was hot.

Takumi stood and moved to his side, gripping his face with one hand, forcing him to look up at him. "You are not worthless, Keisuke. You have made me into what I am today and that means everything to me. All I want is for you to see that. I want you to know how completely compelling you are and how much people love and appreciate you for who you are. You never charge the people that come to your shop as a last resort because they have to have their car to get to work, but don't have enough money to pay you to fix it. You pulled Kenta off the street so he wouldn't be caught up in the wrong crowd and you let me live and work with you so that I can learn and improve. You have taught me more than I can ever repay you for and I can't let you keep going on thinking that you won't ever live up to it. I don't care if your dad is disappointed in the way you live your life and I don't care what life you lived in Tokyo. All I care about is you, right here and now, Keisuke. And I want you to start caring about yourself, too."

Takumi let him go and walked off to clean the dishes he'd used. He looked over at Keisuke who was still sitting in shock, "You can start by chewing gum instead of smoking cigarettes. Gum doesn't turn your lungs black."

He turned back to the sink and it wasn't until he was almost done that he felt Keisuke's body heat behind him. The man reached around him and pulled the plate from his hand and placed it on the counter. Then Takumi felt him pull his shoulder, spinning him around and into a hug that he sighed against.

Keisuke's chest was bare and broad and Takumi felt his strong heartbeat against his own. His chin sat on his shoulder and his head was filled with the same scent that had been etched into his hoodie. Takumi placed a wet hand on his waist, silently apologizing but Keisuke nudged the side of his head to cut it short.

Keisuke turned his lips until they were just above Takumi's ear and he told him, "Thank you."

The hour was growing late and both of them had been spending their time on the road, running circles around each other up and down the mountain. Keisuke appreciated it because it took his mind off of the things he couldn't stop thinking about. Things like drifting in the Tokyo nightlife, Kaito, his mistakes, Takumi's lips, and the undeniable need to touch them again.

They pulled into the garage just as a small storm blew in and made their way upstairs to watch it all unfold. The atmosphere was nice in the house, the light was dim and blue as the sky darkened with the grey clouds outside. Takumi sank down onto the couch and chewed at his bottom lip when Keisuke sat down right next to him instead of putting distance between them.

"Movie?" The blonde asked as he turned the television on.

Takumi nodded, "Yeah, sure. Your pick."

Keisuke grinned before he hopped up, "Okay. My personal favorite."

Takumi watched, amused at Keisuke's genuine childish behavior as he dug around on his knees for a movie. Again, this wasn't a Keisuke he was used to seeing, this pure happy man who seemed giddy at times.

He smiled when the screen displayed something he hadn't seen since he was a kid, "My Neighbor Totoro?"

Keisuke fell down beside him again, pulling a blanket up and getting comfortable. He nodded excitedly, "Yeah, it's always been my favorite. Ever since I was ten I guess, whenever it came out. Just the music, the story, the animation. Makes me feel like a kid again each time I watch it."

"I like it, too. It's been a while." Takumi reached over and pulled the blanket until it covered them both. Keisuke glanced over at him with a small grin before he shifted even closer until the blanket covered them both more adequately.

The music played and he watched the smile spread across Keisuke's face and Takumi felt the happiness swell inside of his own chest. Lightning flashed outside and it was the perfect weather for blankets and movies and time spent with a person you cared for. Takumi was finding himself caring more about Keisuke every day, with every truth he uncovered about him. It all made him want to know even more, to help him overcome it, to take care of him when he needed it most.

Takumi had never had the desire to do that for anyone, not even his own friends. Not even Natsuki.

Three quarters of the way through, he looked over to find Keisuke trying his hardest to keep his eyes open. He found it rather cute until he realized he was just as tired, having gotten no sleep after he had got Keisuke up the stairs that morning. All he could do was think about that kiss and his hands and the way he smelled. It was all so suffocating but he wanted more.

Takumi felt warm all over at the thought of curling up against him on a cold morning, feeling the body heat he gave off. He inhaled deeply at the image of Keisuke waking up slowly, his tired eyes prying open only to smile against his pillow with the sunlight draping his handsome face. The thought made a hot shiver run up his spine just as a heavy weight fell on his shoulder.

Keisuke had finally given up his fight with sleep.

Takumi debated on what to do for so long the credits were rolling and that familiar childhood melody played throughout the room. It was dark outside while the rain and steady strikes of lightning continued on. In the end he didn't want himself or Keisuke to wake up with sore necks, so he opted to get him into his bed.

Takumi nudged him but got no response, "Keisuke."

He reached over and ran a hand over his soft face, trying again, "Keisuke . . . wake up."

"Nn."

"Go get in the bed."

Keisuke moved his head slightly before he reached up and rubbed his eyes. His voice was thick and groggy with sleep and that sent an even warmer line down Takumi's spine, "Come with me?"

The brunette flushed a brilliant shade of red but in the dark his teammate was none the wiser, "If that's what you want."

Keisuke sat up, looking out of it but he nodded, "Yeah. I feel better when you're near." He scratched his head, "Is that weird?"

Takumi quickly shook his head and pushed himself to his feet, offering him a hand, "No, not at all. I feel better when I'm with you, too."

Keisuke gave him a sleepy smile as he let Takumi pull him to his feet and then lead him to the master bedroom. He didn't know what to do at first, but he followed suit when Keisuke tossed his shirt over his head and fell onto the comfortable bed with a sigh.

"I love the rain." Keisuke mumbled from where he was lying on his stomach with his arms curled beneath his pillow. "The thunder and the sound the rain makes on the rooftop, it puts me to sleep."

Takumi pulled his hands behind his head, "I like it, too. Just not when I'm stuck in it. I like the way everything seems so much brighter after a rain."

Keisuke hummed, "Yeah, like how much greener the trees and the grass look. Like it's all brand new."

"Exactly."

The blonde stretched and moved to his side, facing Takumi in the dark, "But what my favorite thing is, is right after a hard rain in the middle of the night on a perfectly flat stretch of pavement. The street lights reflect onto the road and it looks like they go on for miles below and if I think about it, it almost seems like I'm driving on glass with nothing beneath me."

"I don't think I've ever noticed that before." Takumi looked over at him and Keisuke had his eyes closed, face pressed into the pillow, nearly asleep again.

"I'll show you one day."

It was the first time Takumi had ever slept in the same bed with anyone. At first he was restless, worrying that any time he moved he was going to wake him up, but he never did. So once he got over that, he finally fell asleep with the storm's lightning flashing faintly behind his eyelids.

The dream he had was short but sweet. He was helping Keisuke make the bed and in the end the blonde picked him up and fell back on the clean sheets. Takumi was straddling him, leaning over and lacing their fingers together against the mattress, moving his face closer. Keisuke was smiling up at him, their lips almost touching right before he rolled them over.

Takumi laughed and let his hands slip beneath Keisuke's black shirt that always fit him just right, his fingers traveling over the long expanse of delicate skin. Takumi felt fingers in his hair, pulling his head to the side and Keisuke was leaning down, lips meeting his neck before he ran his teeth up to his jaw.

Takumi gasped when a tongue met his ear and the small rush of breath against him made him shiver hard. The feeling ran down his spine and he was arching into him, wanting more of his long hard body pressed against him.

He wanted to be held down.

Takumi woke from the dream breathing heavily and clenching the sheets in his fists. He looked over at the other side of the bed to see Keisuke facing away and his tattoo in full view. Characters were arranged down his spine to form a name.

Dragon of Setagaya.

But there were also two thin black lines that ran through them from the base of his neck to the line of his pants. It looked as if they were there to mark the lettering out. But what did any of it mean? Was it the drifting group name or was it the name he was known by in Tokyo?

Takumi rubbed his face and shook his questions away, along with the dream once again, checking the clock to find that he needed to leave soon for his deliveries. He got up quietly and pulled his shirt over his head, stepping silently around the bed, pausing at Keisuke's side. Takumi was tempted to touch him just once and he couldn't stop himself before he reached down and brushed a stray hair off of his sleeping face. His fingers wandered across his cheek, finding their way to his shoulder where he ran the back of his knuckles over the warm flawless skin.

Keisuke was beautiful. His chest heaved with a sigh in his sleep as he rolled to his back. Takumi pulled his hand away and watched him get still once more before he decided it was best for him to leave for the morning. Because he knew if he stayed he'd end up wanting to touch his fingers to his skin again and he didn't want to scare him off if he found out how much he liked watching him sleep or feeling the heat of his body so close to his.

Takumi left silently and Keisuke pried open his eyes when he heard the faint roar of the Trueno as it pulled down the driveway and back onto the mountain road.

He sucked in a breath and touched two fingers to his face where Takumi's had just been. His nerves were tingling beneath his skin, missing the touch and wanting more. The sheets were balled up in his fists as he tossed in the bed, frustrated with heat and want coursing through him.

Keisuke didn't know what to do but distract himself with other things. Things like cigarettes but just as he stepped onto the balcony to light one up, Takumi popped into his head and his words were hounding him.

"You can start by chewing gum instead of smoking cigarettes. Gum won't turn your lungs black."

Keisuke sighed with an unlit cigarette in his mouth, debating on if it was worth it, but he knew that if Takumi even smelled a cigarette again he'd be disappointed. Keisuke didn't want to disappoint anyone else, especially him.

So, he got dressed once the sun started to show and drove himself down to the local gas station where all the old men gathered at the same time they always did, waving at him in greeting when he pulled in for a refill. He pushed his way inside and paid for his gas and a handful of strawberry flavored gum.

Kenta was adding marks to a tally which had everyone's curiosity peaked. No one knew what it was for.

"Are you going to enlighten us, Kenta?" Fumihiro made his way over, wiping at his dirty hands.

Kenta seemed smug with himself, "This is how many times Keisuke has gone outside to smoke, but turned back around for a peice of gum instead."

Matsumoto raised his brow, "Eleven times already and he's only been here three hours. I wonder what's making him attempt to quit smoking."

Kenta snorted, "That's kind of a dumb question don't you think?"

Just then Keisuke snapped at Takumi for the first time in months and everyone's mouth dropped open. Instead of backing away or feeling offended, Takumi crouched down in front of his teammate where he sat frustrated at the car in front of him. Takumi pressed their foreheads together. "I know you're irritated and if you need to take it out on me, that's fine. That's what friends are for. I understand you're worked up, dying for a cigarette and that rush of nicotine, but it's not worth it. Besides, that gum smells so good it makes my mouth water."

He blinked when Takumi sat back and gave him a light pat on face like Keisuke always did to him and he found himself smiling, watching him go back to work.

Keisuke realized how quiet it was so he glanced around and found Kenta and the two older mechanics standing there staring with their mouths agape. His smile dropped and they scrambled to look busy like they hadn't been staring the whole time. He wasn't mad, he actually felt really good. But that was the effect Takumi had on him.

Keisuke gripped the socket wrench in his hand and a while later he heard Takumi guiding another mechanic through the underbelly of a car on the lift, teaching them something they didn't know. The pride swelled inside of him as he slipped a new piece of gum in his mouth. He blew a bubble and it popped loudly in the shop, causing Takumi to look over at him.

Takumi was filthy with that red bandana around his head again, giving him a smile of approval. Keisuke chewed at the gum with new purpose and gave him a wink before grinning and getting back to work.

The way Takumi had grown and the way he knew how to calm him down so easily, just by looking at him or reminding him that he wasn't worthless with just a few sweet words, or a gentle hand on his arm. . . it made his mouth water.

Chapter Text

Keisuke was weary as they watched the fog decend on the mountain in Kanagawa. Everyone was growing anxious worrying about how they were to tackle the course now, but he didn't let that stop him. He found a spot to overtake Ikeda and memorized it until he could do it with his eyes closed. In the fog, it would be like they were driving blind anyway.

Takumi never showed it if he was nervous. His own race was in the back of his mind. It was his teammate he was worried about. Before, he never would've let it bother him, but now all he wanted to do was ride with him just so he wouldn't have to sit there and guess what was happening on the road.

He curled his fingers in his pockets as he watched Keisuke make his way to the FD that sat warm and ready. Yellow was slowly becoming Takumi's favorite color because each time he saw it, good memories surfaced. Memories of riding with the man, memories of sunrises and sunsets, waking up to his bright hair just before dawn. Yellow made him happy, but at the moment all it made him feel was distraught.

"Keisuke . . ." Takumi found himself grabbing the driver's door before his teammate got in. The blonde looked down at him from the two inch height difference and saw just how worried he was.

"Takumi, don't get yourself worked up. I'll be fine. Me and Kenta have a plan."

"What plan?"

Keisuke winked and got inside, "You'll see." He reached for Takumi's fingers and held them where no one could see, "Stay focused. Don't worry about me."

Takumi shook his head and sighed, "It's hard not to when I'm about to watch you race into a fog you can't see through."

Keisuke pulled him closer until Takumi leaned down just inside the door, "Listen to me. I have never been more prepared for a race. So go ahead and head up the mountain with the others and wait for me . . . because I'll be there."

Takumi sighed when Keisuke's fingers reached up and slid across his face before giving him a light tap on his cheek. It was his way of showing affection and Takumi nodded reluctantly before he stood back and shut his door.

He looked back at the support van that was about to head up and he made himself walk away from the man he was completely enamored with. He hated that he was realizing that fact just then, right before the man was about to race blindly up a mountain at speeds even he was frightened of.

Takumi caught his eye before he ducked down into the eight-six and drove off up the mountain, witnessing the road Keisuke was about to ride. It was a nightmare and he knew he'd soon face it as well. But for now, he couldn't care. All he cared about was Keisuke and his well being and seeing him come up the mountain first and wrapping his arms around him to reassure himself he was still alive and not at the bottom of the valley.

But he had faith in him. Takumi always had faith in Keisuke, even in a downpour in the pitch black of night.

Takumi did his best not to push through the team and wrap his arms around his neck when the FD made it up the mountain safely and in first place by a long shot.

Takumi took his place at the starting line and gripped the wheel tighter than he usually did. Once he got into a rhythm, he knew he'd be fine and his mind would clear up but for now all that was there was Keisuke.

Then there he was leaning down at his window with something in his hand. He watched with a wildly beating heart as Keisuke slipped one of the metal bracelets he'd made onto his own wrist before he pulled Takumi's hand off the wheel and slipped the other gently over his skin. It fit like a glove, shining in the gloomy weather.

He didn't know what to say because this meant more than either one of them had words for. All he could do was look up at him with admiration in his eyes. Takumi opened his mouth but Keisuke slipped his fingers beneath his chin and shut it before he could speak.

Keisuke grinned with a spark in his eyes, "Give 'em hell, Fujiwara."

"Do they have matching bracelets?" Fumihiro pointed it out once they were about to head home from Kanagawa. Keisuke and Takumi were talking amongst themselves as everyone packed up.

"Yeah," Kenta grinned cheekily, "It must mean a lot, because Keisuke wouldn't tell me what they were for. He's had them sitting at his workbench for as long as I can remember. Maybe before then."

"He made those almost four years ago before I pulled him out of Tokyo." Ryosuke shut the hatch to the support van before he let a smile grace his face, "Trust me, it means a lot more than you think it does."

Kenta jumped at the opportunity, "Do you know what they mean?"

Ryosuke shook his head, "No, but they were important to him because he wouldn't leave the city without them."

Takumi was in the passenger's seat of the FD again with his hand catching the wind as he hung it out of the window. Something soft was on the radio and he felt like he was drifting in a day dream. Each time the light caught the bracelet on his wrist he smiled a little and glanced at the respective bracelet on Keisuke's arm as his hand held the wheel.

He couldn't talk himself into coming out and admitting what he felt to him or even himself. It was a big confession to say he was in love with him, a guy who even at this point still felt way out of his league. But Keisuke had given him his prized possession and let it show on his wrist for the world to see. That had to mean something, didn't it?

Takumi decided not to worry too hard and focused on the road ahead, "So. Where are you taking me this time?"

Keisuke smiled at the horizon, "Somewhere fun." He looked over at him a second later, "Don't worry, it's not in a bad part of Tokyo where my past will show itself again, I promise."

Takumi wet his lips, "Can you promise me something else?"

Keisuke waited.

"Promise me that if your past ever does show itself again, that you won't try and face it on your own. Promise me that you'll let me help you." Takumi watched him go over it in his head and grinned when he did.

"Yeah," Keisuke nodded, "I promise."

They rode in a mutual relaxed silence as they drove further through Tokyo until Keisuke introduced him to the district of Koenji.

Takumi sat up and took in the sights around him. It was small streets and shops filled to the brim with people and music he'd never heard before, beats and rhythms that hundreds if not thousands of people were dancing to in an seemingly endless sway of bodies. It was a festival.

Keisuke watched the wonder in his friend's eye and felt the atmosphere soaking into him. He found a place to park the FD and got out, jogging around already feeling the excitement settling into his bones as he opened the door and pulled Takumi out by the hand.

Keisuke looked back with an elated smile, "Come on."

Takumi's heart tried to keep up. The smile never left his face and Keisuke was holding his fingers in his like it was the most natural thing in the world and that was exactly how it felt to Takumi; natural. Keisuke pulled him further into the crowd, into the culture, and the music.

He had never felt so free before that moment. His body moved with the ones around him, with Keisuke's and when he felt a hand slip around his waist, Takumi knew right then and there that he had fallen face first into a guard rail for Keisuke. The way his body melded with his had Takumi following the motion of his hips, had his hand sliding around him, their faces brushing.

That's when he saw her. Iwase.

"Hey, isn't that Kyoko?" Takumi said in his ear and Keisuke damn near froze. He turned his head and caught her just in his periphery. She was waving through the dense crowd but he ignored, pretending he didn't even see her. Keisuke grabbed Takumi's hand and moved further into the crowd in hopes of losing her.

Takumi glanced back, "She's still coming."

"Damn it."

Keisuke was moving even faster, Takumi linked their fingers to keep a better grip on him as he flew through the crowd. They were moving through a tight alley full of dancers when Keisuke grabbed two masks off a stand and handed him one to cover his face with. Takumi stared through the holes and looked back to see Kyoko scanning the crowd on her toes, giving up after a few seconds.

"I think she stopped looking."

Keisuke kept moving further into the heart of the festival, "I'm not risking it. Let's keep going."

"Would it really be that bad to just talk to her?"

"Yes."

Takumi stayed silent after that until they reached a town center with even louder music and they were immediately drawn into the bustling dance. Keisuke lost his grip on his hand, but he never lost sight of him as they danced, masked, completely anonymous except to each other. He witness Takumi get sucked into the center where people were passing around drinks. He shook he head shouting above the music about how he wasn't legal yet for another month, but they insisted, so he drank the shots that came in doubles.

As night fell, Keisuke was holding him steady while they walked away from the scene and across the road to a pond that was lit up with the soft glow of hanging lights that swayed with the breeze.

He pulled his mask back already laughing, "I'm sorry, Takumi. I didn't mean to get you wasted."

Takumi snorted behind the mask before he slung it off and rubbed at his numb face, "It's fine. I had to get drunk at least once in my life eventually. Everything is really slow and . . . feels happy."

His words were well put together and didn't sound as slurred as Keisuke was expecting. "Well, I'm glad you're happy. Have you had fun today?"

"So much fun. It wouldn't have been near as much fun if you weren't here though." Takumi swayed lazily until he leaned against the wood of the boardwalk that overlooked the water. "That reminds me. Kyoko, why didn't you ever want to see her or talk to her? She seemed like the perfect girl for you. I mean, she even has an FD."

Keisuke turned his gaze to the reflection of lights on the water, "It has nothing to do with what she drives, or how she drives, or how perfect she may be."

Takumi leaned against his arm, "Then what is it?"

Keisuke shook his head, "I don't . . . I don't really know how to explain it. She's pretty and smart and a street racer. You'd think I'd have it made, but she thinks she loves me. She doesn't even know me."

Keisuke looked over at him hanging close on his arm, hazel eyes alight with alcoholic wonder and he thought.

She's not you, Takumi.

Keisuke heard his name being called faintly in the distance and he didn't have the energy to turn around because he knew he'd see her coming through the distant crowd, waving. Probably wearing some ungodly preppy outfit, like that would make him want her. But he never would, especially not when the man beside him was staring up at him almost grinning when he said, "I know you."

Keisuke's heart took off and the blood rushed to his face just as Takumi broke into a smile. He reached up and pulled Keisuke's mask down over his face, then stood on his toes and pressed a kiss against the plastic.

Keisuke didn't hear his name being called anymore and maybe she gave up or maybe it was because she just saw Takumi kiss him through his mask and decided that she really didn't stand a chance.

Takumi looked over Keisuke's shoulder before looking pleased with himself, "She's gone. Maybe for good."

Keisuke was still at a loss for words behind the mask, the heat of his lips through the material was lingering and all he really wanted to do was pull it off and kiss him properly. But Takumi was drunk and that would be taking advantage of him. That was something he would never allow himself to do.

"You need to eat something or you'll be miserable in the morning." He changed the subject and hoped his fingers would stop shaking.

"Sure. Where to?"

Keisuke held his hand out and Takumi took it, lacing their fingers together again and just that small connection put Keisuke's mind at ease. "I know a place."

It was dark outside but the festival raged on like it always did for two days each year. Keisuke remembered the first time he experienced it, but it was nowhere near as fun as having Takumi along for the ride. The way his personality had come alive as he danced, the feel of his waist and hips as he moved to the music around him; it was almost like a dream.

Keisuke never thought he'd be there in that moment, walking with the Ghost of Akina's hand in his through a crowded street in the middle of the night searching for food. He pushed the mask up once again and finally led Takumi into a small tofu shop that was well enough away from the music that they could hear each other speak.

Keisuke sat him down at a table in the back and went to the counter to order their plates, "Give me two of the specials and two waters, please."

Takumi was watching him with a tipsy crooked smile when he walked back with enough food for four people. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Keisuke made sure he ate enough but he knew he would regardless because he always ate like he was starving. It was unnatural. "How do you feel?"

Takumi shrugged, "I'm fine. Things are still moving a bit slow and you're even prettier than before but that's not exactly an illusion, so . . . yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

Keisuke tried not to laugh with food in his mouth. He swallowed and coughed lightly, "You think I'm pretty?"

Takumi bit into another wonton, "No. I think you're beautiful. I mean, have you looked at yourself lately?"

"Uhh . . . no?"

"You're tall, blonde, fit, and your face is just so . . . I don't know. You're kind of perfect, Keisuke."

Keisuke shook his head at him, amused. It was nice to know that Takumi still didn't know how to lie even when he was drunk, but his brutal honesty was making it harder to keep himself from pulling him across the table and kissing the life out of him.

"Well, if it means anything to you Takumi, I think you're beautiful, too."

For once Takumi didn't blush, instead a gorgeous smile swept over his face and Keisuke sighed because he was still falling in love with him, deeper and deeper with each passing second. It was a challenge to even think properly around him at this point.

"Have you ever loved anyone?" Keisuke asked as the food diminished in quantity and Takumi was obviously growing tired.

Takumi looked out at the window and the lights, still hearing faint music, "I thought I did, but she ended up being a manipulative liar. After that I just couldn't stay friends with her and pretend it was all okay when she apologized. She was just all that I knew and she thought she loved me, too. But, looking back on it now it just seems so ridiculous that I ever felt anything for her. It was boring."

Keisuke nodded, "Yeah, I get that."

"Have you ever loved anyone?" Takumi sat back and ran a hand through his hair, feeling sleep creeping in.

Keisuke saw how heavy his eye lids were and he smirked, "I have."

"Yeah?"

Keisuke held a finger up, "Just one person."

"Ever?"

"Ever."

Takumi pursed his lips, "Who was it?"

Keisuke retracted his finger, "I might tell you one day when you're not drunk."

Takumi sank against the table dramatically, "Well, that's no fun."

"Come on, let's go before you fall asleep in the food."

Takumi was dead on his feet so Keisuke hoisted him up onto his back and his head immediately sagged over his shoulder, his fingertips were brushing his stomach as he slept. Keisuke could feel his warm breath on his neck as he carried him back to the car.

They were almost there when for the third time that day he thought he saw someone suspiciously familiar and it wasn't Kyoko. The dread crawled up his spine as he shook Takumi awake long enough to get him strapped into the seat. He wasted no time getting them out of there, but he didn't want to risk taking them home only to be followed. Instead he drove them all the way through Tokyo and into Chiba to a safe haven where he knew those certain someones wouldn't follow.

Nakai's garage was lit up like Christmas as always. The man was an insomniac, even at three in the morning. Keisuke could hear him grinding away beneath a Porsche when he knocked ritually on the hood until he rolled out.

"It's a bit past your bedtime, kid."

Keisuke grinned, "I could say the same thing for you, old man."

Nakai pulled out a cigarette and offered him one that he refused, settling for his strawberry gum instead. "What brings you out here this time of night? You in trouble again already?"

Keisuke shook his head and looked back at Takumi sleeping against the window in the FD, "No. Not that I know of. We were in Koenji for the festival and I think one of them saw me. I didn't want them to follow us home."

"Crash here tonight. I know that's why you're here." Nakai followed Keisuke's line of sight to the man that was fast asleep. "You're taking good care of that boy?"

"I'm trying." Keisuke brushed his hair back. "More like he's taking good care of me. He got me to quit smoking."

Nakai clapped him on the back, "Good. If you get him mixed up like you were, Fujiwara-san will have your ass."

Keisuke frowned, "Trust me, I'm keeping him as from my past as I can. I don't know what to do if they ever come looking for me. I think they tried to tonight."

"You need to lay low. I'm sure they know what you're driving now." Nakai got back down and rolled underneath the car. "You know where the bunks are in the back. Get him inside."

Keisuke gave him his thanks and walked back out into the night to pull Takumi out of the car. He wouldn't wake up so he was forced to carry him in his arms.

"You're heavier than you look, man." Keisuke groaned as he laid him down in a bunk he used to occupy on many occasions. He pulled his shoes off of him and crouched beside the mattress, brushing the hair out of his face so he could glimpse him sleeping.

Takumi was the prettiest and most innocent thing he'd ever had the privilege to see and a part of him felt that he didn't deserve to even have him as a friend. But the way Takumi had made him change for the better and realize his past insecurities weren't worth brooding over, made him think that maybe he deserved him now.

Takumi had made him a better man.

You didn't let someone like that go.

Keisuke stood up to leave but there were fingers gripping his hand weakly. He looked down to find Takumi looking up at him through messy hair and glossy eyes. "Stay with me?"

Keisuke curled his fingers around his, "If that's what you want."

Takumi didn't answer just pulled him closer and let him push his shoes off while he moved over, making room. Keisuke got comfortable facing him on his side and waited until he fell asleep again before he moved his hair away from his face once more.

Keisuke dozed off with that image in his head and Takumi's hand in his.

And that's what he woke to. Pink lips and a fair face attached to a body that he loved with every fiber of his being.

Chapter Text

"I made you boys some hangover breakfast." Nakai said when he heard Keisuke make his way into the tiny kitchen in the shop. The smell was mouthwatering.

Keisuke pulled out a chair, "He's the one that'll be hungover, he's still asleep."

Nakai tossed him a bottle of pills and poured a glass of water, "Give him two of those, he'll be good as new."

Keisuke stood and looked around in the cabinets, "Actually, do you have lemon, honey, and cayenne?"

Takumi inhaled deeply, stretching his sore lungs and his sore body as he rolled to his back. He felt like he was spinning as he pushed himself up, looking over to find Keisuke standing in the doorway with a glass in his hand.

"How do you feel?"

Takumi rubbed his eyes with his palms, "Not great."

"Here." Keisuke handed him the drink and Takumi smirked.

"I finally get to taste my own creation, huh?" He swallowed it down and coughed before he let Keisuke pull him to his feet. "Where are we?"

"Nakai's. Come on, there's food waiting, you need to eat." Keisuke lead him into the small kitchen and guided him to a chair.

The older man grinned as he laid the food out for them and took a seat, "So, you're finally taking after your old man after all."

Takumi flushed, "No, no. That was a one time thing. I don't drink, I just got caught up in the moment."

Nakai shrugged, "Good. I don't think Bunta would want you to end up like him, drinking and attending boring commerce meetings."

"He seems to like it though." Takumi ate as he recalled the previous day's events and felt the heat creep up his neck again when he remembered the mask on Keisuke's face and his lips pressing against it. He chanced a glance at him and watched him wipe at his lips, his tongue flicking out to wet them again.

Keisuke looked over at him only to see him avert his stare. He grinned as they continued to eat in silence until their plates were empty. They hung around the shop and helped Nakai lower an engine into one of his new builds and were filthy by the time they headed out around noon.

Keisuke answered his phone when it rang, "Hello?"

"They're onto you, Dos."

His heart jumped to his throat, the phone creaked in his hand when he gripped it harder, "Who is this?"

"Someone you can trust. You need to leave. You've stirred up the dust, Dos. Go."

They hung up and Keisuke was left standing there in the gravel, breathing unevenly and when he looked up Takumi was leaning on the FD, hands in his pockets watching him. He knew something was astray.

This was the part where he had to decide whether or not to lie to him and keep his past to himself. Or he could keep his promise and let him in when he asked, "What's wrong?"

Keisuke felt his anger swelling and every part of him wanted to head straight into Setagaya and come face to face with the man that had ruined his life. But Takumi pushed himself away from the car and stepped up to him and asked again, "Keisuke, what's wrong?"

Keisuke shook his head and couldn't figure out what to say. Takumi stepped even closer, his hand found his and he squeezed and that calm fell over him again making him sigh.

"We need to leave. People are looking for me."

Takumi nodded, "Okay. Then let's go. Tell me about it when we get home?"

Keisuke hesitated for a moment but just looking into his eyes, he couldn't lie to him. So, he nodded, "Yeah, I'll try."

Nakai stepped out of the shop and snapped his fingers. Their hands fell apart to their sides as they looked back at him. "Get home, another bad storm is rolling in off the coast. Don't get caught in it."

Just then the wind gave a cool gust that whipped around them, so they got in the car and headed out on the long road back. Takumi never spoke and Keisuke went over the conversation in his head that he knew they'd have to have when they arrived.

It didn't make it any easier to deal with when they got there just as the heavy thunderclouds began to loom over their heads. He closed the garage door and slipped out of his shoes, following Takumi up the stairs into the silent house as the wind picked up outside.

Keisuke knew he was waiting, but he still didn't know how to start. He kept himself occupied as the rain came down lightly at first, but twenty minutes in the lightning struck just beyond the house. In the distance a transformer blew, then another.

"Shit." He said then listened to the next one blow and the power went out immediately. The air went still in the room and he sighed. "Alright, well you know what this means."

Takumi grinned in the dim light and helped him pull a table and two chairs inside from the balcony and left the doors open to let the wind in as they set up a game of Shogi. It was a tradition when you had nothing else to do but work your brain in the raging white noise of a storm.

Takumi made the first move and leaned his elbows on the table, "I'm crap at this, just so you know."

Keisuke smirked as he slid his peice across the board, "You and me both. This is more of Ryosuke's kind of thing. He always made me play but I never won."

"I never had anyone but my dad and he's a genius at everything despite how often he plays dumb." Takumi shrugged and sat back, looking out at the storm. They made five more moves before be asked, "Who called you?"

There it was. The conversation Keisuke had been dreading, his anxiety knotted the nerves in his gut. He sat back and rubbed his head, "I don't know."

"What did they say?"

"They told me that people were onto me and that I needed to leave."

Takumi thought for a moment, trying to peice it together, "People . . . the people from your past?"

Keisuke nodded and looked out the doors, wanting to run out into the rain just because he had the urge to get away from the subject.

You're such a fucking child, Keisuke.

"I'm sorry. I know this bothers you." Takumi stared down at his hands.

"I promised you." Keisuke said softly but then chuckled, "I could really use an entire pack of cigarettes right now."

The look on Takumi's face was worth it. His face went serious before he smiled at Keisuke's teasing grin. "I'd be extremely disappointed."

"I know."

"Strawberry smells much better on you." Takumi grinned in the pale light before he let it fade, "So, why are they looking for you? It's been, what, three years?"

"Almost four now. I literally hadn't been back to Tokyo until the first time I took you." He shrugged, "They must have grown even larger and are still under the same DK if he has people reporting sightings of me after all this time."

"I don't get it. You left and just because you show up in Tokyo one day doesn't mean you're looking to stir things up again. Why can't they just leave you alone?" Takumi moved another tile, not really caring about the game at this point, it was just something to keep his fingers occupied.

"It's never that simple when it comes to a man who's been humiliated in front of his followers. I got in his face on multiple occasions and he clearly held some sort of fear when it came to me, probably because I'm so tall and back then, extremely intimidating. Because he never laid a hand on me, just brushed it off with a smirk or a sarcastic comment. Little did I know what he had laid out for me, but you know, that didn't exactly go according to plan." Keisuke popped a peice of gum in his mouth, "And now that someone has seen me, they're on high alert because that asshole can hold a grudge for an eternity. He thinks that since he's the best, the leader, the top drifter that he has to eliminate anyone that poses or has ever posed a threat to him. And that's me. Even though I never want to get caught up in that shit ever again."

"And what if he comes looking for you all the way out here?"

Keisuke got locked in his stare, "I doubt he will, but let's hope he never thinks twice about it."

Takumi chewed at his lip, "Hypothetically speaking, do you think I could beat him?"

Keisuke felt a small fear plant itself in his head at the mere thought of that ever happening, but he kept it locked away, "I think you can beat anybody."

Takumi blinked slowly, "Even you?"

He smiled, "Yeah. Even me."

"Hm, I don't." Takumi looked back out at the rain for the hundredth time, the wind brushed his face, "You're a completely different racer than the first time we had a go at each other. I don't think I could catch you . . . even on Akina. Rain or shine. A part of me doesn't even want to beat you anymore."

Keisuke chuckled, "That's . . . the dumbest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth. You can take me any day, anywhere on the downhill."

"And you can take me any day, anywhere on the uphill." Takumi wet his lips.

Keisuke sat up and pulled his shirt over his head and sat back, letting the wind cool him off, "Well, then it seems we're equal after all. I don't want to race you anymore, to be honest."

"Why?"

"It scares the shit out of me."

Takumi slowly smiled as he played with a tile between his fingers, "Yeah, me too."

Keisuke stood and made his way to the kitchen for a drink, bringing back two. Takumi thanked him and ran his finger over the condensation on the can, "Your tattoo, what does it mean?"

Keisuke felt the memory of it arise and he remembered the sting of a needle for two straight hours and how much he fucking hated it. "Dos."

"Dos?"

"That's what they called me. D.O.S."

Takumi leaned his head on his hand, "Dragon of Setagaya."

He nodded, "Ryosuke has never even seen it. You're the first."

Takumi tapped his finger against his cheekbone, "You really trust me."

"I do." Keisuke took a sip, "And that's not an easy thing for me to do with anyone for obvious reasons."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Letting me be your friend." Takumi cocked his head, "You're the best one I've ever had."

Keisuke smirked, "Don't tell Itsuki. That little shortstop would probably try to murder me."

That made Takumi laugh and Keisuke could watch him all day.

They gave up on the game after an hour, both frustrated and hungry. Keisuke shared a sweetroll before he tossed up the idea of the them making a few passes on Akagi since the rain had stopped.

Takumi was all for it but he had another idea. Keisuke was confused when Takumi tossed him the keys to the eight-six. "I want you to drive it."

"No." Keisuke tried to hand them back but Takumi took off down the stairs with a cup of water in his hand with Keisuke hot on his heels.

"I am seriously uncomfortable with this, Takumi." Keisuke swallowed nervously as he sat in the driver's seat for the first time. "The road's wet and I've never -"

"I trust you." Takumi shut him up, clicking the seatbelt in. He placed the cup of water in the holder and glanced up at him, "Don't spill it."

Keisuke groaned miserably then took a deep breath before he rolled them out of the garage onto the wet pavement. "I'm going to soak your floorboards."

"Just feel the car and find a rhythm." Takumi instructed like it was the simplest thing in the world and Keisuke cut him a look as he pulled onto the mountain pass. He picked up speed, eyeing the water as it started to slosh around.

"You have to roll the water with the weight when you turn. You can't just sling the thing around and expect it to stay in the cup."

Keisuke huffed sarcastically, "Thanks, senpai."

He took the first corner which was wide and he wasn't used to not having an automatic breaking system but he adapted as quickly as he could. This car was a monster and an even bigger one owned it. The water teetered on the rim of the cup and he held his breath as a tiny amount dripped down the side.

"Fuck."

"You won't get it on the first try, trust me. It took me forever. I ruined so much tofu." Takumi grinned at his concentrated face, but he knew Keisuke would learn it faster than he did. Seeing him behind the wheel of the Trueno had him burning a little on the inside as he slung her around the mountain, losing a decent amount of water, but it was impressive all the same.

He took it slow and steady going back up the mountain, but let her loose when they went back down again. Takumi was astounded at how much he absorbed in one pass. He was still losing water, but it was less and less each time. The fire spread further inside of him and he whispered, "You're incredible."

Takumi's fingers were itching and he had a strong ache in his chest and pure want raging in his gut. He'd never felt this way about anything. He'd never wanted to grab someone's face so bad before and feel how wet and warm their mouth was. He'd never wanted a person so intensely that it made his eyes water.

Keisuke was smiling the better he got even though it was far from perfect. That was the first time he'd learned something new and didn't worry about being the best at it by the end of the day. It was freeing, not thinking about being better than someone else, everyone else, being better than Takumi.

They were better together.

The sky darkened and Keisuke took them into town for some dinner. He pulled the sleeves down on his long sleeve shirt. The air had cooled off with the storm and he grinned when Takumi reached into the backseat and pulled on the black hoodie he'd given him a long time ago.

It looks good on you.

They stuffed themselves with good home cooking at a local restaurant where the owners knew Keisuke, ever since he was younger. Takumi was enjoying himself, listening to Keisuke tell him about the little bike gang he and his other friends had made when they were ten years old. He told him things about himself that Takumi never would've guessed. Things like how much he loved the lake and the ocean, or how a good hot bath could change his mood instantly.

It rained lightly the entire hour and half they spent talking and eating, reminiscing as the street lights came on, cars slowly rolling by. Keisuke picked up the check and Takumi followed him out into the night once again.

Keisuke was giddy as he got into the driver's seat of the eight-six and Takumi had a smile stuck on his face just being near him. He gave off such a good vibe, he never wanted to leave his side.

"This is it. This is what I was talking about that night. The lights on a wet road." Keisuke took them slowly through the streets and Takumi focused on the pavement and the way the lights seemed to stretch forever below them.

Like they were driving on glass.

"That's actually kind of terrifying if you really think about it. It's like we're riding on nothing, like the car is drifting through blackness and there's just . . ."

Keisuke grinned in a daze, "Nothing. That's what's so relaxing about it. I love it."

Takumi let him take them to a deserted part of town where there were an endless show of lights hanging lazily over the streets, on posts, some flickering from lack of maintenance. It was mesmerizing and so desolate. Something about it pulled at Takumi's soul. Maybe because it was a part of his.

Keisuke parked the car and got out, "See? Now imagine you're not standing on anything. It's fucking amazing. Makes me feel like I am everything and nothing all at once. Makes me feel drunk and high and completely grounded all mixed together. It's such a stupid simple thing but it just feels so . . . good. Do you have anything like that? Something that takes you somewhere else entirely?"

The rain fell hard with a splash and he laughed so hard as he held his arms out because in those fleeting rare moments, he didn't feel his insecurities or his past or his father's disappointment. All he felt was the cold rain soaking into his clothes filling his head with the smell of wet road and oil.

"So? Do you, Takumi?"

He still got no answer until he dropped his arms and turned around only to feel cold fingers sliding across his face and into his hair. There was a only a split second between their eyes locking and their lips meeting. Then there was darkness as he let his eyes close, feeling everything all at once. It was better than the lights on the wet pavement. It was better than the time he felt his lips when he was drunk, better than being a passenger in the FD, better than sweetrolls and cigarettes.

Keisuke found the will to move, his hands gravitating to Takumi's wet face. Everything was so cold except their mouths still pressed hard against each other's. It was warm until he angled his head and felt the pure fire that resided on his tongue when it slipped past his.

Takumi let out the breath he'd been holding and this was the place where he felt his life has been leading up to because nothing had ever felt this right or absolutely perfect. Everything fell into place and he sighed against his face when Keisuke's fingers gripped his dripping hair.

His heart was pounding and he lost his breath just as they pulled away. Their lips were slick and shining with spit and Takumi burst out laughing when Keisuke blinked and said bluntly, "Holy shit."

His laugh was cut short when Keisuke pulled his face to his again and kissed him raw in the relentless, freezing downpour. He didn't stop until he could feel him shivering. Their breath made tiny puffs in the air as they drew in breaths like they'd been running and maybe they had been all this time.

Running towards each other.

Keisuke wiped at the rain on Takumi's face, grinning, speaking softly when he pulled him back to the eight-six, "Let's get you home. My brother will kill me of you get sick."

"I've never been sick in my entire life." Takumi stuck his nose in the air and he came back down sneezing, looking up at Keisuke in horror.

"Well, there's a first for everything isn't there, tough guy?" Keisuke broke into a laugh when Takumi flipped him off, sulking into the seat of the car.

Chapter Text

Takumi felt like complete and utter garbage even after Keisuke ran him a hot bath to soak in for an hour. He was fighting a headache and felt his throat swelling, doing his best not to start coughing. He shuffled slowly out of the bathroom and pulled on his sleeping pants and one of Keisuke's old shirts that he'd left for him on the bed. It smelled amazing and he stood there for a moment breathing it in. That alone made him feel better.

The power was finally back on and the heater had been turned up to accommodate the chills that were wracking his body. In the kitchen he found Keisuke making him some warm tea with honey to sooth his throat.

Takumi walked up behind him and slipped his arms around him and pressed his face against his bare back. "Mm, God you're so warm."

"Hey! Get your germs off me!" Keisuke wiggled but it only made Takumi squeeze him even tighter and he heard him giggle. Keisuke gave up even though he didn't mind it at all. He stirred the tea and handed a mug to Takumi when he finally let him go.

Keisuke brushed his wet hair away from his face and placed a hand on his forehead, "Do you feel okay? You're a little warm."

Takumi shrugged, "I'm freezing."

He took a sip of the tea and sighed, letting his head fall to Keisuke's chest. The blonde grinned to himself, "You're pitiful."

"I feel like shit, cut me some slack."

"Come on then, go get on the sofa and we'll watch a movie." Keisuke pushed him off and spun him around, forcing his feet to take him to the living room. He settled down and let Takumi lean into him before he pulled a blanket over them and pressed play. Princess Mononoke played throughout the room and Takumi grinned, nuzzling even closer to him.

"I love Miyazaki movies."

Keisuke brought his arm up around him, "Me, too. Now hush."

Takumi obeyed and it didn't take him long to fall asleep. His hair was now dry and Keisuke was running his fingers through it as he watched the movie to the end with Takumi's head in his lap as he slept. He felt his forehead again and he was warmer than before.

Keisuke sighed when the credits rolled and he was forced to move the body on him. Takumi was still half asleep when Keisuke pulled him up and into his arms, carrying him like a child into the master bedroom. He kicked the blankets back with his foot and laid him down, tucking him in.

Takumi reached for him, pulling at his arm until Keisuke was forced to lean over. Takumi reached for his face and drew him in until their lips met for a long moment. Keisuke looked down at his tired face that was a little red, but he didn't know if it was from his sickness or not.

He grinned, "What did I tell you about keeping your germs to yourself?"

Takumi smiled up at him, "Let me take them back then."

He pulled him down for another brief kiss then let him go. Keisuke felt his face one more time, "Get some sleep, I think you have a fever."

"What time is it?"

Keisuke looked over at the clock on the table, "Two in the morning."

Takumi groaned, "Damn it. I have to deliver today."

Keisuke shook his head, "Don't worry about it. I'll talk to your dad. Just rest, please."

"Okay." Takumi muttered and he was already half gone again, so Keisuke shut the door behind him and let him sleep.

He was tired but that phone call was still plaguing him. Who was it and how did they get his number? But it didn't matter right now, he had something else to take care of and that thing was coming down with a serious cold.

He waited until about three o'clock and then pulled the keys to the Trueno off the hook, setting out to Akina.

Bunta was standing outside smoking on a cigarette when Keisuke pulled up in front of the shop. He stepped out and could see the confusion on the man's face, "You're a lot taller than I remember, Takumi."

"Yeah, I decided go blonde, too." Keisuke smirked, "I just wanted to let you know that Takumi is getting sick with a cold, so I made him stay in and sleep. He's trying to teach me not to spill the water, so if it's not a problem I'd like to deliver your tofu today, sir."

Bunta never moved from his spot, "Hm, well that's a first. He's never been sick."

Keisuke rubbed at his neck, "Yeah, that's what he said. It was my fault so I'm trying to make up for it."

Bunta's eyes turned up with a subtle grin, "Hm. Open the hatch."

Keisuke followed suit and closed it when the man loaded it up and let him get back in the driver's seat. He handed him a ritualistic cup of water and just as he told his son every time, he told Keisuke, "Don't spill it."

"I'll do my best, sir."

Bunta placed his hand on the frame, "Your brother has taken good care of this car. I expect you to take good care of my son."

Keisuke nodded, feeling vulnerable under his hidden gaze. It was like he knew he and his son were maybe more than just teammates or friends, "I will, Mr. Fujiwara. You have my word."

"Good." That was all Bunta said before he turned and disappeared back into the shop just as the light flickered on above. Keisuke set out for Akina's pass and it was one that he knew just as well as his home course. The only reason he did was because of Takumi, the prodigy that had once ruined his pride, but in the end he'd helped him build it back up into a wall that would never come down again.

Takumi had rose to the top and taken him with him and Keisuke could never repay him for that, but on that chilly morning on a pass that was made for the eight-six, he'd try his best.

The water crept dangerously close to the edge but Keisuke didn't worry. He imagined the tail lights of the panda in front him as he always did and he followed the ghost of Akina through the curves. He felt every inch of the car and instead of steering her, he let her drive him instead, he let Takumi lead him to the end.

"Keisuke." Ryosuke answered his brother's call. He paused his work on his computer and stretched his legs in the early morning hour.

"Hey. Are you busy?"

"Always, but it can wait."

Keisuke rubbed at his face. He was exhausted having gotten no sleep in the past twenty four hours, not since Nakai's. "Can you come up the mountain sometime soon?"

"Sure. Is everything okay, you sound worried?"

"It's Takumi." Keisuke sighed and glanced back through the open bedroom door where his figure was still buried beneath the blankets asleep. "He's come down with something and I want you to take a look at him."

Ryosuke was already grabbing his portable medical bag and heading down the stairs, "What are his symptoms?"

"Well, he's burning up with fever but now he's broke out in a cold sweat. He's sleeping but it's restless. Just constant tossing and turning. Can you come?"

"I'm on my way."

Ryosuke hung up and got in the FC. He made it there in ten minutes flat and he knew things had been very good between them judging by how comfortable they seemed to be living together now. Things were exactly how he hoped it would be. Takumi was even in Keisuke's bed, but he knew it was for reasons other than what he was thinking. The bed was probably closer at the time. He climbed the stairs and paused at his little brother's haggard look.

"When's the last time you slept?" Were his first words when he reached the top floor. Keisuke was chewing relentlessly at a peice of gum, pausing only the bite at his nails.

He shrugged, "Hell if I know, just go look at him."

Ryosuke followed into the bedroom where Takumi was clearly in a very sick state. He was pale and sweaty, but hot to the touch.

"How long has he been like this?"

Keisuke sat down on the edge of the mattress, "Since last night. He was sniffly and warm at around two this morning. So I did his delivery and made him stay in. I came back a few hours ago and he's just gradually gotten worse."

"Has he woke up at all?"

"No. He just mumbles and rolls over when I try to wake him." Keisuke looked over at him worried, he bounced his leg, only stopping when his brother raised a brow at him. "Sorry."

"And what were you doing last night?"

Keisuke put his face in his hands and cringed. "Playing in the rain," he jerked his head up, "but not intentionally. We were out on the road in that empty part of town and it just came down hard and cold."

Ryosuke bit back a smile as he took his temperature, reading one hundred and one. "He has a mild case of flu. He has a high fever which means his body is fighting it off, but he needs to stay hydrated or he'll really take a turn for the worst. I brought some medicine with me, you just need to wake him up and make sure he's eating and drinking plenty with it or he'll be like this for longer than necessary."

Keisuke nodded in understanding, "And if his fever gets higher?"

"Then you take him to the clinic and let them bring it down."

Keisuke rolled his eyes, "Yeah, wouldn't that be the sight of the century. Hey Dad, I'm totally incapable of taking care of this human being so here do it for me. That would be the fucking icing on the cake. Just one more thing he'd look down on me for."

Ryosuke stood, "You're not a doctor, Keisuke. Our father knows that and he's a fool to think otherwise. I thought you were over this."

"I was." Keisuke left the room and his brother followed.

"Then what happened?"

Keisuke ran his hands through his hair and heaved in a breath before he let it go, "What happened is that Takumi is completely comatose and can't talk any god damn sense into me right now. That's what."

Ryosuke slowly smiled which frustrated Keisuke even more, "He's good for you, please don't mess this up."

"I'm trying my fucking hardest. I don't know how to keep myself in line without him. It's kind of terrifying." Keisuke sighed when Ryosuke gave his face a gentle pat like he used to do when they were younger. It was a habit that Keisuke had carried on.

"Do you have any idea of the profound effect he's had on you?"

Keisuke swallowed and gave a small nod, glancing into the room, "Yes, I do."

Ryosuke watched the steady calm wash over his brother's face as he stared off into the other room at the thing that had brought him back into the light for the first time in years. He cocked his head to the side, "You love him. Don't you?"

Keisuke's eyes flicked back to his and he didn't even have to say anything because Ryosuke knew, how could he not? Keisuke was so worried about him it was precious. His younger brother hadn't cared so much about one person in so long that Ryosuke thought he never would again. But the subtle rhythm that had settled between them was just right and they had fallen into it at their own pace. He even saw changes in Takumi that he could only describe as something falling into place. Like peices of a puzzle that were always meant to fit together.

"It's okay, Keisuke. This is a very good thing."

Keisuke huffed, "It sucks, man. I can't do anything without thinking about him. I can't drive without wanting him next me. I can't fucking sleep knowing he's sick. I can't function properly unless he's there. What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Embrace it, Keisuke. He makes you happy and from what I can see, you clearly make him happy, too. Don't let go of that. Ever." Ryosuke walked to the kitchen and left the supply of medicine and clear instructions on how to give it. "Remember what I said. He needs to get up and he needs to be fed. After that he can rest. You'll take good care of him, I know you will. Call me if anything happens."

Keisuke leaned against the wall and rubbed at his eyes, "Alright. Thank you."

"Relax, little brother. Just do what feels right. That's what you've been doing all along." He turned to go but looked back, "And please get some sleep, you look like Nakazato every time he hits the guard rail."

Keisuke cut him a look, but it was jesting, "Fuck off."

Ryosuke grinned and headed for the stairs with a wave, "Fucking off."

Keisuke grimaced, "Don't curse. It sounds weird."

"There you are." Keisuke grinned at him and pulled his arms until he was sitting up, slouching pitifully with his hair hanging in his face.

"I can't move." Takumi mumbled and his voice was a little hoarse. He cleared his throat and flinched at the soreness that ran through his body.

"I made you soup and I've got medicine. Come on, get up." Keisuke dragged him out of the bed and waited until he was on his feet and balanced.

"What kind of soup?" He asked as slowly followed Keisuke through the house.

"Your favorite."

Takumi found himself smiling through the pain and was grateful when he found a chair to sit in. He rubbed at his face but it didn't help any to wake him up. Keisuke put a bowl of miso in front of him and a tall glass of water.

"Thank you, so much." Takumi looked up at him, his eyes heavy. "For everything and talking to my dad. What did he say?"

Keisuke hummed, "He was surprised when I pulled up in the Trueno."

Takumi looked up at him in shock as he swallowed the hot liquid that felt like heaven on his throat, "You drove all the way there just to talk to him?"

"Yeah," Keisuke nodded, "I told him how sick you were and he let me deliver the tofu. I didn't even spill a drop of water this time."

Takumi broke into a smile and didn't know what to say so he drank more soup to calm his racing heart. He wanted to say that he was amazing and that he made him happier than anyone ever could. He wanted to tell him that he loved him with everything inside of him, but that was frightening and he was too worried about what Keisuke would or wouldn't say in return.

He wanted more, so much more to such a degree that he felt like he was burning inside. Takumi felt a cool hand on his head as Keisuke checked his fever. He sighed against his fingers and caught his eye.

"Are you still cold?"

Takumi shook his head, "No, just really tired. Can we watch another movie?"

"After you finish that bowl and drink all of the water."

"But I'm already full."

Keisuke raised a brow and Takumi groaned, "Fine, Mom."

Keisuke grinned smugly and made sure he ate it all and hydrated before he settled in on the couch for another Miyazaki movie. Keisuke fell asleep first this time and woke up to menu music playing and Takumi breathing softly against his chest. He didn't move him but stretched his own legs out down the couch and got comfortable before he drifted off again. The hours went by as they slept the day away, not worrying about the garage or cars or weather.

Matsumoto understood when he'd called in the middle of their slumber and Keisuke had answered grogily, "Yeah?"

"Are you two okay? Ryosuke said you wouldn't be here, I'm just checking in on you boys."

"M'fine. Takumi's really sick and I haven't slept in five years. We'll be there when he can get his energy back."

He heard the man chuckle, "Alright, take care then."

Keisuke tossed the phone on the ottoman and curled himself around Takumi, dozing off again immediately. He hadn't slept so comfortably in a decade it felt like and he soaked it in.

"Hello?" He was busy rubbing his eyes when a strange voice woke him up in a flash.

"Dos."

Keisuke left the room in a hurry, heart beating quicker, "What do you want?"

"They followed you."

"I don't want any part of this. Tell them to fuck off, I'm willing to use my fists again if I have to." He practically hissed into the phone.

The man went quiet for a moment, "I can't exactly do that. I've never been on good terms with DK or his group."

Keisuke clenched his fist as he moved downstairs to the empty living room, "Then why are you calling me?"

"I'm doing you a favor. He's going to want to race you, since you never got to all those years ago. That's all he wants."

"I said I was done."

The voice sighed, "Then he'll use your weakness to pull you in. He knows about your boy and we both know he'll do anything to bring you down."

Keisuke sank down onto the seat behind him and ran a hand through his hair, trying not to fall into this elaborate trap, "I know he'll do whatever it takes and I know he's gunning to take me out for good. He'll kill me, do you understand?"

"I understand better than anyone else, Keisuke. He killed your best friend . . . my brother."

Keisuke's heart stopped and he couldn't speak because everything flooded back in all at once. Kaito standing there smiling as he got into the driver's seat, giving him a lazy cocky salute before he drove off for the last time.

"Meet me at Nakai's and I can tell you more."

"Wait!" Keisuke jumped to his feet but the call ended and he was left pacing in the empty house downstairs, his anxiety at it's peak as he tried to figure out what to do about any of it.

This wasn't something he could tell Takumi but it wasn't something he wanted to lie to him about either.

He'd promised, but keeping him out of it was worth the lie. Takumi was worth protecting with his own life.

It was morning again before Takumi woke up at four. He pushed himself up weakly and made his way into the kitchen to find Keisuke dressed and freshly showered, keys in hand.

"Where are you going?"

Keisuke turned and handed him and hot bowl of soup and his medicine. "I'm going to Akina to do your delivery and then I have to take some parts to Nakai."

"You're going into Tokyo? When you know they're looking for you?" Takumi was weak but he did his best to stay upright as he grabbed a fist full of Keisuke's jacket.

The man grinned at him fondly and brushed his hair away from his face so he could see his eyes in the dim kitchen light, "Do you really think I'm that big of a dumbass?"

Takumi smirked up at him, "Yeah."

Keisuke smiled and ran a thumb over his smooth cheekbone, "Don't worry about me, Fujiwara. I'm taking Kenta's car when I get back from Akina. No one will have the slightest idea that I'm in Tokyo. So, drink your soup, take your medicine and relax. I'll be back before you know it."

Takumi sighed, wanting to go with him but he knew he'd be too big of a burden and probably sleep the whole time. Feeling worthless, he let him set off into the dark morning, receiving a warm kiss on his forehead before he got in the car and disappeared. Takumi stood on the balcony and listened as the sound of the engine faded into the mountains and he wondered why he felt so uneasy. But he didn't have the strength to worry right then. 

All he could do was eat, take his medicine, and watch the television until he once again slept the day away, dreaming of Keisuke's warm skin and broad chest, his long fingers digging into him.

Then he dreamed of Tokyo, pretty lights, fast cars, and Keisuke looking back at him in the middle of it all before he stepped into his car and vanished.

That was the first time Takumi had ever woke up crying.

Chapter Text

The drive to Chiba felt unbearably long for some reason this time. Perhaps it was because he was about to meet Kaito's brother and a part of him felt responsible for his death. Coming face to face with his family was sending dread up his spine, but it was the least he could do to show himself after all these years. Hopefully this guy could help him get the DK off his back and as far from Takumi as possible.

He pulled into the lot, the gravel crunching beneath Kenta's tires. It was quiet when he got out and covered the orange car with a cover just to be safe before he made his way inside through the open garage doors.

"Hello?" Keisuke called, finding it odd that Nakai wasn't crammed beneath a Porsche at the moment. There was no one in the vicinity as he walked through the parts strewn about the floor. He paused when he heard another set of shoes on the concrete. Then he lost his breath when a person came around the corner wearing a deep blue jacket. They pulled the hood off their head revealing midnight hair and a set of brown eyes that Keisuke knew.

The guy stepped closer and Keisuke held a hand up, letting out the breath he was holding, feeling his fingers shake, "Stop. Give me a second, please. You look just like him."

Keisuke clenched his jaw when the boy grinned, "That's what my mother always says. My name is Riku. Three years younger than Kaito and I never knew why he insisted I never go with him on his night drives. Not until he died."

Keisuke swallowed, "I'm sorry I left when I did. I never thought about finding his family or . . . I just couldn't deal with it at the time."

Riku shook his head, "I don't blame you, so don't apologize. You're not the one that fucked with his car before the race. DK is going to get what's coming to him one day and I'm just sitting back, waiting for the opportune moment."

Keisuke furrowed his brow, "What does that mean?"

Riku motioned him to follow and led him into the back lot where Nakai was fiddling with a peice of junk. He waved and Keisuke gave him a nod. Riku pulled a cover off of a car that Keisuke had a peice of clinging to his wrist. His heart hammered, "What the hell are you planning to do with this? This is Kaito's and the last time I checked, it was in peices."

Nakai made his way over, "That was almost four years ago. We've had a lot of time to work on it. She runs as perfect as the day he got her. Just needs some paint and a new set of wheels."

Keisuke was reeling, "So, what, you two have been building this back up all this time?"

"Yes."

"For what?"

Riku shrugged, "To take DK down."

Keisuke was growing livid, "That's the most reckless idea I've ever heard. He's going to do the exact same thing he did before."

"No he won't." Riku crossed his arms, "Not if you show up and demand a race right then and there. He won't be able to refuse and when you beat his ass into the pavement, Tokyo is yours."

"Who ever said I wanted Tokyo? I have other things I'm trying to accomplish outside of this hellhole. I can't just drop everything and do this." Keisuke rubbed at his face. "I can't just waltz in there and take over an entire city. Do you know how long it's been since I've drifted on these streets, in traffic nonetheless?"

"The skill never leaves you. You've been doing it on the mountains for years. The streets here are a breeze compared to that." Riku started the engine and it purred beneath his feet, "And if you don't do it, DK will find a reason to pull you in anyway."

"You mean Takumi."

"Yeah. He'll find him, convince him to race instead of you and that'll be the only reason you'll need to get in the driver's seat. Am I wrong?" Riku raised an inquisitive brow and he knew he was right just by the way Keisuke seemed to cave in on himself. He could tell just how much this Takumi guy meant to him.

"No. You're not wrong." Keisuke ran his hand over the roof of the car as he looked down at the guy in the driver's seat, "I'll do anything to keep Takumi out of this."

"I know. Just like you tried to keep my brother out of it." Riku ran his fingers over the steering wheel, the same wheel his brother had mastered over years. "He was almost out. You both were. He kept telling me that he'd take me for a ride when the time was right."

Keisuke crouched down just inside the door, "Well. How about we roll her into the shop and finish her, then you can take her for a spin yourself."

Riku immediately saw in Keisuke's eyes what his brother must have seen; mysteries and promising adventures. The blonde was incredibly magnetic. He'd only just met him and he was already following him without hesitation. Riku wondered if he had that effect on everyone.

"Nakai, do you have some spare spark plugs? These are leaking really bad." Keisuke rummaged through bins around the shop before the man pointed him in the right direction. The engine was being tuned to perfection while Keisuke and Riku repaired the smaller things together. It wasn't the way Keisuke had planned on his day to go and it suddenly had him thinking about home.

And Takumi.

He stepped outside and put his phone to his ear, listening to it ring and ring. Takumi never answered and that sent his nerves into a fit. Any other day before he knew him, he would've shoved the phone back in his pocket and went back to work. But this was different.

It was so much different now when he loved him more than his car or the sunset or pretty much anything that appealed to his senses.

He walked back into the shop, slipping back into his black button up. "I gotta go. I'll be back when I can."

"Something wrong?" Nakai stopped what he was doing and waited for an answer.

"No. I hope not. He's not answering, I called twice. So he's either dead from the flu or just being petty. I doubt it's either, I just need to get back." Keisuke rolled his sleeves up and brushed his hair off his forehead, "I can't let anything happen to him like you said. Bunta will murder me just with a stare and his eyes don't even open."

Nakai chuckled and shooed him off. "I'll tell him you said that."

"Please don't."

Takumi felt better than he did before he napped for six hours. It was midday and he was alone, bored, and going stir crazy. He never had a problem being alone in silence before, but now his mind raced, forever chasing a Mazda and the man that drove it.

He showered beneath hot water and took more medicine before he took the keys to Keisuke's FD and set out for the shop.

It was busy when he got there and pulled in next to his Trueno. Everyone greeted him with smiles and pats on the back like he'd been gone for years and honestly it kind of felt like he had been.

"Did Keisuke say when he'd be back?" He asked and Matsumoto shook his head.

"No. He didn't say anything at all, just took Kenta's car and left."

Takumi hid his disappointment or at least he thought he did because Kenta bounded his way with a look of sympathy, "Don't worry, he'll be back before the sun goes down. He can't stay away from you for that long."

Takumi flushed a shade of pink and Kenta smiled wide, "Don't sweat it. I can keep a secret, Fujiwara."

Takumi rubbed at his neck, "Thanks?"

If Kenta knew about them, or even had an inkling of an idea, then the whole shop knew. Maybe even Ryosuke. That made Takumi blush even brighter and grab his keys off Keisuke's workbench. He practically ran to the door. "I'll see you guys later. There's something I have to take care of."

"Stay safe!" Fumihiro called after him, "We're glad you're feeling better!"

Takumi waved to them as he left the lot behind and took to the pavement, embarrassed and anxious. He drove until his mind was clear and he was pulling the car into it's home in Akina.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." Bunta tossed his dead cigarette and held the door for his son who looked thinner than usual.

"What eyes?" Takumi poked at the man and Bunta had to admit he had missed the boy's smart mouth.

"I thought you were sick."

"I'm better." Takumi slipped out of his shoes and laid himself on the mat by the table as the television mumbled in the background.

"Oh?" Bunta pushed at his ribs with his foot, "You look like roadkill to me. I've got lunch if you haven't eaten yet."

Like always at the mention of food, Takumi sat up and looked better in seconds, "I haven't, thank you."

"That's what I thought."

They ate in silence and Bunta was waiting for him to speak his mind because he knew that far off brooding look too well. It always came before he hesitantly asked a question that he usually never waited on an answer for before he said nevermind and went to his room.

"Dad?"

There it was. Bunta continued to chew at his food until Takumi asked the question that was almost twenty years in the making.

"What happened to my mother?"

Bunta swallowed and put his sticks down, resting his hands in his lap. "She died just after you were born."

He saw the blank expression on his son's face morph into something he couldn't pin down. "Why didn't you ever tell me about her?"

"I was waiting for when you were ready to know."

Takumi nodded, "Tell me."

Bunta told him.

"Your mother was the only woman that could make me listen and she was the only reason I stopped racing." He paused to see if Takumi had questions but he chose to listen instead. "I met her in Chiba, where I used to live and after an entire year of running around each other, she made a man out of me. We married and a few months later we came here to her hometown to settle down. This place was cheap and the idea of a little tofu shop was always so appealing to her so we made it work. She became pregnant with you soon after and if she hadn't died and had it her way, you'd have five more siblings and I'd have no hair from ripping it out."

Takumi's mouth turned up in a grin before it quickly faded, "What happened? Was it me?"

Bunta sighed, "No, son. It wasn't your fault. She was sick, came down with a simple cold when the seasons changed. It was an early snowfall in Autumn and I wasn't home. I went out of town for a few days on a job and she was as stubborn as a rock, working herself while I was gone even though I made sure she had help. She went to the market in a small storm on foot and it got bad before anyone knew it was coming. Eventually that cold turned into pneumonia and she was in the hospital going into early labor by the time I got back. You weren't supposed to come for another two weeks and her body was weak with sickness, she didn't have the strength to heal after you were born. It took too much of a toll on her and she died three days later."

Takumi's eyes were watering and he cleared his throat, "Do you . . . do you miss her?"

"Every day." Bunta grinned, "You two would've been trouble makers, I can tell you that. Takumi, why are you crying?"

Takumi wiped at his face, "I don't know. I just feel like I robbed you of something that made you happy. I feel like a burden."

"How's that?"

He shrugged, "You couldn't live your own life because you had to raise me alone. Without her."

Bunta laughed and Takumi looked up at him in shock, "Takumi, raising you was always something I was going to do. With or without your mother. Her passing didn't change that. I was prepared to stay up with you all night and day. I miss her but she's a part of you and that's more than I could ask for. When I found out I was going to be a father, my life changed for the better and I have never once regretted it. You have her eyes, Takumi and I see her each time I look at you. So, don't you dare say you're a burden because you are all that I have. Do you understand that?"

Takumi blinked, his lip threatening to tremble again but he willed it away and nodded, "I understand."

Bunta got to his feet and motioned for his son to follow. He opened a drawer of a table in the corner of the room that Takumi had never gone through because he was never the meddling type. His father produced a framed photo of himself and a woman that Takumi immediately knew was his mother.

She was beautiful, just like Keisuke bet she would be. Her hair was a deep shade of auburn brown and her eyes were as hazel as his and he understood what Nakai meant. He favored her so much he could only imagine what his father saw when he looked at him. He saw his world and what was left of a woman that he loved more than life itself.

"Kazuko." Bunta gently ruffled up Takumi's hair like he always did and pulled him closer when he saw more tears fall down his face. His son cried for his mother like he knew one day he would. "Her name was Kazuko Fujiwara and she was the only woman fit to be your mother. That's why you've never had another."

Takumi stepped away after a moment and dried his eyes. Everything felt so out in the open then and he knew he wouldn't be able to bring the subject up any other time, "I need to tell you something, Dad, or I might not ever tell you at all if I don't do it now."

Bunta left the picture out for the first time in nineteen years and headed for the shop, slipping into his shoes. He reached for his pack of cigarettes, "You don't have to tell me. I already know."

Takumi's heart hammered in his chest as he followed outside barefoot, "What do you mean you already know? You don't even know what I was going to say!"

Bunta raised a brow at him, "Has anything ever got past me?"

"No." Takumi turned red and looked away, "But still . . . I just don't want you to hate me for it."

"Your mother told me to take care of you and love you no matter what kind of man you grew up to be, no matter what made you happy, or who you decided to be with."

"Dad . . ."

Bunta pressed his hand against Takumi's face, "Stop crying, son. There's no reason to. Keisuke may be a hotheaded smartass but so are you and I know you won't let him push you around. I hear him coming now, you better dry it up or he'll get worried."

Bunta chuckled when Takumi swatted him away. "Don't embarrass me."

"You do that all by yourself." He turned to go back inside but looked back, "Your mother would be proud of you, Takumi. Now go home. I expect you here in the morning for the delivery. Don't forget your shoes."

Takumi stumbled to get back inside and slip into his sneakers, rubbing his face one more time before he paused at the door looking back, "Hey, Dad?"

"Hm."

"I love you."

Bunta sighed, smoke escaping his mouth, "I love you, too, son. Now get outta my hair."

Takumi smiled from ear to ear and shut the door behind him just as Keisuke pulled up in the street.

"Hey." He greeted him as the blonde stepped out of the car, clearly frustrated and worried for reasons Takumi didn't understand until he realized he had left his phone in the seat of the eight-six. "Oh."

Keisuke huffed, "Yeah, you dumbass. I called you five times. I thought you were dead."

Takumi tried not to laugh, but it only made him smile and step closer just to pull him down and into a kiss that sent a fever through both of them. Keisuke was baffled and he didn't really comprehend that they were in public, mouths locked for a full minute, until someone whistled in the distance. He pulled back, face warm and heart stuttering at the serene look on Takumi's face.

"The hell was that for?" He whispered.

Takumi shrugged, "I felt like it. Do you have a problem with that?"

Keisuke shook his head quickly, "I - uh, no. I just - didn't expect it in such an open place. What if people find out?"

"So what if people find out?" Takumi stepped back toward the Trueno with a grin, "Kenta knows, so by now the entire island of Japan knows."

Keisuke let his head fall back with a resigned sigh, "Fuck."

Chapter Text

Keisuke had always been great at keeping secrets, but when it came to his own it only made him nervous. He was afraid that he'd make one false move or say something, a slip of the tongue and Takumi would figure it all out. Thinking about it made him anxious. What would Takumi say if he learned the real reason behind him going to Chiba so often?

Project D's final race was in four days and so was the perfect opportunity to take DK by surprise. Saturday night after the race, Keisuke and Riku had a plan. Riku would pick him up from the race and drive them back to Chiba. From there Keisuke would take Kaito's completed car and head into Setagaya and confront the guy that had caused everyone more trouble than they bargained for.

Keisuke knew no one liked DK, but they were scared of him and what he was capable of. That's why he was still in control. But that was about to change. Hopefully he could give Tokyo the chance to breathe freely again and give people the chance he never had to back out.

If Takumi suspected anything, he never showed it. It gave Keisuke hope that he could actually get away with it all. But deep down he knew something was bound to go wrong, that's just how his luck worked. It was still the same after all these years of trying so hard to fix his life.

So, there they were at Nakai's once more, but this time Takumi insisted on going with him to help with the car. Keisuke kept it as simple as he could, telling him a partial truth, that the car belonged to Riku who was Kaito's younger brother and that he wanted to complete it. Takumi understood what he told him and that was the reason he wanted to help, because it had to do with his past.

But he was oblivious to everything else, to the fact that Keisuke was going to put his life on the line in four days time and he wasn't going to tell him.

It was getting late and they were waiting on the paint to dry. After that the car was done except new wheels  and a few minor details that could wait, if the car survived the race. Keisuke had a feeling it would this time. There was no way it could be tampered with if he demanded a race on the spot.

DK couldn't refuse him. Not after all the years that had gone by.

Keisuke was leaning against the fender of a Porsche in the back of the garage as the time ticked by slowly. He was getting more worked up about the entire situation by the second and Takumi wasn't making it any better. He couldn't stand lying to him and he couldn't stand how close he was.

He watched him walk toward him in the dim lights overhead, working himself comfortably between his legs. They were eye to eye and Keisuke was already warm all over just from his proximity, but the moment he grabbed his fingers and angled his head, Keisuke was nearly on fire.

They kissed slowly, tongues dancing like it was an old pastime, like they were home. Until Takumi pulled back an inch and asked, "What are we?"

Keisuke's heart made an uneven beat, "Whatever you want us to be. But if you're asking me what I want then I'd say I just want to be with you."

Takumi searched his eyes and found truth and ran his hands through his blonde hair, angling his head for better access to his mouth that was always so warm, wet, and eager to kiss him back.

Keisuke sucked in a breath when they parted, "You make it incredibly hard to control myself, just so you know."

Takumi grinned and Keisuke wanted to groan miserably at the way his eyes looked so dark and inviting. "I thought I was your impulse control."

"You are." Keisuke ran his hands up Takumi's sides, fingers sliding beneath his shirt to meet warm smooth skin, "When it comes to everything else. But with you . . . it's really hard to control anything. So from now on, you should stop getting so close to me."

"I like being this close to you."

Takumi's nose was brushing his neck and Keisuke was trying and failing to control his breathing, "I'm serious."

"You smell so good." Takumi said low beside his ear and Keisuke was doing his damndest not to tear a hole in his shirt where he had it clutched in his fingers. Keisuke shivered when he felt his nose just beneath his ear and he couldn't stop himself from turning his head and pressing his mouth against the junction between Takumi's shoulder and neck.

Takumi let out a breath that was on the verge of a moan and Keisuke was about to lose it when there was knock on the hood of a car. They whipped their heads around at the sound, finding Nakai standing there with a smirk, "You know the rule."

Keisuke chuckled and brushed his hair back, "Yeah, I know the rule. Wasn't planning on breaking it any time soon, don't worry."

Nakai disappeared and Takumi looked down at him, "What's the rule?"

Keisuke let him move and then stood to his full height with an amused smile, "No sex on the cars."

"Oh." He watched Takumi turn pink, "So . . . people have done it before?"

Keisuke shrugged, "Someone did or else he wouldn't have the rule. Don't freak out, it wasn't me."

"I didn't think it was." Takumi rubbed at his neck nervously, feeling too hot all over at the thought of being pressed against a car by Keisuke, his hands pulling at his clothes, and his lips attacking his skin. "I'm gonna go . . . check on the car."

Keisuke said softly, "I've never been with anyone, in that way, if it means anything to you."

Takumi stopped where he was and looked back at him, "Well I've never really thought about it before but . . . I kind of figured you had."

Keisuke knew he gave off that impression of someone who was cocky, smart, and experienced, "No. No one has never meant enough to me to take it that far. It's too important of an act to waste on someone you don't love."

"Yeah. That's how I feel, too." Takumi gave him a shy grin and headed for the shop where they were rolling the car out now that the paint had cured.

Riku was clearing his throat to keep his emotions under control when the car was rolled back into the shop. It was just like he remembered it, but he had to keep himself under control for Keisuke's sake. If Takumi even caught wind of their idea or the fact that the car was actually Kaito's, Keisuke wouldn't be able to focus on the race. None of them could afford that circumstance.

"So, we're just waiting on the wheels to come in then?" Riku asked and Nakia clapped a hand on his shoulder as they admired their hard work.

"They should be here Friday night or Saturday at the latest." Keisuke stepped up to the hood, "I put a rush on them."

"Thanks." He kept up the charade as Takumi joined them in their gazing.

"What's it called?" He asked cautiously, "I'm still learning models and all the names."

"This is a '93 BMW M3, one of the best drifting cars out there." Keisuke informed him and he thought that maybe he shouldn't have. Was that too much information?

"So, do you do a lot of drifting out here?" Takumi was growing curious, but Riku was actually quite the actor, it seemed.

"Me? No, never. My brother never let me and he never taught me. Besides, this car is too perfect now to just go out and destroy it trying to learn how."

Takumi nodded, "Maybe you could come up to the mountains sometime. It's actually pretty fun, gets your adrenaline going."

Riku laughed, "Thanks for the offer but I'd end up in the valley if I did that. I'm not as good as either of you are. Not even close. This is just for show. I've wanted this car for as long as I can remember. So, thank you, all of you, for helping me put her together."

Keisuke grinned over at him, "Anytime, man. Listen, we need to head out. The Project will want us heading back out for the last race's practices soon. Call me when the wheels come in, I want to be here when it's done."

"Will do." Riku shook his hand as he passed and he gripped Takumi's hand, "It was nice meeting you, Fujiwara. I just want you to know that Keisuke would do anything for you and you mean more to him than he'll say. Keep that in mind."

Takumi grinned and shook his hand, "Thank you. I'll see you around?"

"Absolutely. Take care." Riku watched them make off in their friend's orange Silvia and head for the mountains once more. Just four days until everything would unfold. He could only hope that everything panned out the way they had it laid planned. It was flawless but anything could happen.

Keisuke was finally pulling away from the NSX and he'd never felt more sure of himself or his car. He didn't even look in his mirror when he heard Hojo spin out from his overconfidence behind him.

He'd won his last race and when he reached the top of the mountain after a tiring drive, Takumi's arms were around his neck and he felt himself smiling, picking him up and spinning him in a half-circle. "It's all up to you now, punk. Don't lose yourself out there."

Takumi was nervous, Keisuke could tell as soon as another Levin pulled up beside him. A coupe with a kid younger than either of them behind the wheel. It was kind of fitting seeing as it was how Takumi had started out. But could Takumi win?

Keisuke had no doubt. Not even when they kept passing each other, repeatedly losing and gaining the lead that had everyone on the edge of their seats.

He stood there listening to the crew discussing the possibilities and both driver's weaknesses and advantages and he was the first on the road down the mountain when he heard the outcome.

Takumi blew his engine on the last corner . . . but he won.

Keisuke wanted to cry and he didn't know why. Maybe because Project D was finally complete, or maybe it was because he'd been on such a long journey with Takumi and to see him reach the top at the end was a heavenly feeling. Or perhaps it was because he'd lost his car again.

But deep down he knew it because Riku was down there waiting for him to arrive and he was about to tell Takumi another lie and leave in the heat of the moment when he was distracted and surrounded by his friends.

"Do you think I'm a bad person?"

"You are the most selfless person I have ever known. I'm not judging you on who you were in the past, only on the person it's made you into today. You're not a bad person, Keisuke. You're beautiful."

Keisuke shut his eyes as he came to stop in the lot near the immense crowd of fans as they swarmed the cars, congratulating the victor. Takumi had been looking for him, he could tell by the way he smiled at him through the crowd when they locked eyes.

Keisuke stood there with a grin on his face as Takumi pushed away from everyone and walked toward him in the parking lot.

"It's over." Takumi wet his lips and shrugged, "Blew my girl up again."

"It's always fixable." Keisuke replied softly and grabbed Takumi's outstretched hand, threading their fingers. He brushed the brunette hair off his face and ran his thumb across his cheekbone.

"I'm not sure if I should get it fixed this time. Maybe I should move on to something else."

"Like what?"

Takumi grinned up at him, hands settling on his waist, "Something more professional."

Keisuke smiled, "You really want to go professional with me? That was my dream."

Takumi curled his fingers in his shirt, "And it slowly became mine."

There, in his eyes, was such a naked honest truth that stabbed at Keisuke's heart. Takumi had followed him into this project and he was willing to follow him out of it too. He really wanted to be with him and that fact made Keisuke doubt the morality of his next decision.

"We'll talk about it." Keisuke whispered and pulled him in for too brief of a kiss, "Riku is here to drive me back to Chiba tonight. The wheels came in and I want to be there with him when he takes it out."

Takumi was oblivious and that hurt Keisuke more than any fist that ever met his jaw. "Can I come?"

He shook his head, "This is personal. He's Kaito's little brother, this so something I need to do alone. Take my FD to get you back home. I don't know how long this will take but I'll call you when I can, okay?"

Takumi looked vaguely disappointed but he understood. He stepped back and took the car keys that were handed to him. Then under the dim orange glow of the lightpole above them, Keisuke pulled him back in for a kiss that didn't feel like any of the others they had shared.

Takumi felt a strange electricity rolling off of Keisuke and flowing through himself. It felt almost sad, heartbreaking, but warm. So warm and he finally figured out what it was as Keisuke's fingers stroked his face and he sighed against his lips. It was sorrowful, laced with agony, like he was trying to say something he couldn't find words for.

Takumi was left dazed as Keisuke walked away to a black car in the lot that Riku waved from. The excitement from the race was long gone and he couldn't even comprehend anything that was coming from Itsuki's mouth, or Iketani, Kenji. Everything seemed to blur and he felt lost with nothing to grasp onto.

Kenta was the one to jar him from his thoughts, "Takumi? You okay?"

He blinked as things came back into focus, "Something feels . . . wrong."

"Oh. Well, let's all get back to the shop and you can tell me all about it, yeah?" Kenta grinned sympathetically.

"Yeah." Takumi got into the FD feeling faint again at Keisuke's smell that surrounded him. He followed them to the garage but there was still that nagging thought that wouldn't go away.

Was he lying to me?

Keisuke rubbed at his eyes and sighed the further Riku drove them into Tokyo. "I think I gave it away back there."

The guy turned his head, "How?"

Keisuke ran his fingers over his lips, recalling the distant look on Takumi's face when he pulled away, "When I kissed him. I didn't . . . I was trying to say 'I love you' but it felt more like 'goodbye'. I know he felt it, he's intuitive like that. I shouldn't have went to see him, I should've just left."

"No." Riku shook his head as they neared the next prefecture, "Then he really would've suspected then, probably would've followed you. I've only known him for a few days and I can tell how smart he is. Don't worry about this too much, Keisuke. We have other things to focus on right now."

"I know. I just want this over with." Keisuke stared out at the city wondering what was going through Takumi's head at that very moment. All he wanted was to go home with him and spend a good while talking about the future, even longer kissing him, maybe make him teach him how to cook something new for breakfast, then perhaps he could convince himself to finally confess that he loved him more and more with each passing day.

But Keisuke always had a feeling, a dark shadow that lingered just behind him no matter how bright things were looking. He was waiting for it to creep up from behind and grasp him once again in it's clutches.

I should've told him before I left.

Back at the shop Takumi was helping Matsumoto and the other's roll the Trueno into the lot off the truck. He'd insisted that they keep it out of the shop because he still hadn't made up his mind on if he wanted to fix it or just get another car. Either way, he didn't want anyone buying him a new engine or spending another dime on the peice.

Inside, Kenta was talking to him about what they were all going to do in the future as far as racing went and Takumi still stood by his decision to follow Keisuke into professional circuit racing. But he thought about his gut feeling from earlier, the feeling that he'd just been lied to, and he started to have doubts.

When Natsuki lied, that was the end of it right then and there. Takumi could never trust anyone that had once used him. The reason he only had three friends back home was because they were all honest. His dad lied sometimes just to get him to do things but that was a different story, it was something he grew up with.

He didn't know how he'd feel if Keisuke lied. It all depended on what exactly he'd lied for. If he had lied at all and just as he was about to put that thought in the back of his mind and go home, he spotted something he hadn't before.

Above Keisuke's workbench on his board were pictures he'd looked at before, but there was one hidden beneath them all, only a corner of it stuck out. He saw purple and a wheel as he reached out to pull the picture from it's place.

Takumi felt his nerves coil, looking down at Keisuke and Kaito. It had be Kaito, he looked like Riku but older. They were posing together in front of a '93 BMW M3, the same car that he'd helped Keisuke, Nakai, and Riku work on the last week.

So, it was a lie. They had all lied.

But why? Why keep if from him that it wasn't Riku's car, but Kaito's?

Then it clicked.

"This is a '93 BMW M3, one of the best drifting cars out there."

"So, do you do a lot of drifting out here?"

"Me? No, never. My brother never let me and he never taught me. Besides, this car is too perfect now to just go out and destroy it trying to learn how."

That was Riku's bluff.

Keisuke was going to drive it. He was going to drive Kaito's car in one more race, that's why he kissed him the way he did.

That's why it felt like he was kissing him goodbye.

Takumi threw the photo down and stormed outside to find the mechanics who looked genuinely concerned when they saw the flame in his eye. "I need a favor."

"Alright . . . what is it?" Matsumoto asked nervously, Fumihiro just as hesitant at his side.

"Can you tune the FD for extreme drifting?"

Matsumoto's shock was clear, "Define extreme drifting?"

Takumi crossed his arms, "I mean downtown Tokyo Bosozoku illegal street racing, drifting."

"What's this about, Takumi?"

He pulled his phone out and dialed Ryosuke, looking back at them, "It's about the Dragon of Setagaya. He's going to race again."

Chapter Text

Ryosuke was at the shop within five minutes of Takumi's phone call. His mind was racing and his heart thrumming a tune it hadn't in a long time. Keisuke had been doing so well and it was giving him a headache trying to figure out why he had jumped the gun and ran off to Tokyo again.

He thought those days were long gone, in fact he knew they were when Kenta swore on his father's grave that he'd seen Keisuke kissing Takumi in the back of the shop, away from prying eyes. Ryosuke had seen the smile lighting his brother's face each time Takumi entered the room, each time he brushed past him with a grin. Things had changed. They both had changed.

So why?

"Nakai." Takumi said when the man answered his shop phone. It was quiet in the background, which was odd.

"Takumi, what can I do for you?"

"What time is the race?" Takumi breathed calmly through his nose when he was silent, "Don't lie to me anymore, Nakai. I know what he's going to do."

The older man sighed, "Alright. It's in two hours, that's when he plans to confront DK. Keisuke and Riku are breaking in the tires on the road right now. After we tune it a bit, he's heading into Setagaya. It's out of my hands."

"Where in Setagaya?"

"Takumi. Whatever you plan on doing, it's too late. At this point, you'll just distract him."

Takumi gripped the phone a little harder, "He should've thought about that before he lied to me."

Nakai looked out at the road when he heard the BMW coming down the road, "DK and the crew meet at a parking garage in the south ward, it's hard to miss. It'll be lit up like Christmas. Whatever you're going to do, do it fast, they're back already. Bring whoever will come, you'll need help if things go bad."

Takumi hung up and jogged over to Ryosuke when he got out of the FC, clearly in a frustrated state. "We need everyone on board with us when we head into Tokyo. How much time do we have?"

Takumi swallowed, "Two hours at the most. Who should I call?"

Ryosuke pulled his own phone back out, "Everyone you can get. Call your friends back home, I'll get in touch with Nakazato and Sudo. Tell them where to be. Once the FD is tuned, you can go. We'll be right behind you."

Takumi nodded but before he went back inside he caught Ryosuke, "He was being followed. Over the past couple of weeks he kept getting calls and I knew something was wrong but I didn't even question it. I didn't think he would lie to me about it."

"There's no use lingering on it now. We just need to be there when it's done. I know Keisuke is headstrong and never asks for help, but he should have thought this through. He could very well be headed to his death tonight."

Takumi felt the fear settling in and it only made him angrier. Matsumoto called him over and explained how different the FD would feel but Takumi adjusted after one minute on the road. It was like a loose cannon as he tore through the city, finding the freeway and flooring it around the traffic that was building the closer he got to Tokyo.

Iketani hung up the phone and closed up the gas station as quickly as he could, "Itsuki, you're riding with me. Kenji will meet us on the road. We have to leave now if we're going to make it in time."

Itsuki jumped into the passenger's seat and buckled up, "I still don't understand what's happening!"

"Takumi said Keisuke is in trouble. He's running a race against a dangerous gang, trying to settle a final score. Something bad might happen and he needs all the help he can get. If Takumi needs us to be there, we're going to be there." Iketani gripped the wheel as his tires grabbed the road while he increased speed.

"But still, why is he going this far for Keisuke Takahashi? Can't his brother handle it?"

"I figured out why Takumi is so different now." Iketani nodded at Kenji when he started riding beside them. "They're more than just friends, Itsuki and we need to support them both. Being two men in love in this kind of world can be hard on anyone. Especially well known street racers with big reputations. They are clearly good influences on each other and I support Takumi's decisions one hundred percent. That's what friends are for. So don't you dare leave him in the dark on this, you got that?"

Itsuki nodded nervously as he continued to stare out the windshield at the road flying by. His best friend was in love with another man. But who wouldn't fall for a guy like Keisuke Takahashi? He was incredible. Even though it was a taboo thing, Itsuki would never let Takumi deal with anything alone. He owed him that much.

Takumi weaved through the streets until he was coming up on the parking garage Nakai told him about. He was a block away when another car pulled in front of him and slammed on the brakes forcing him to stop.

Riku got out of the driver's seat and met Takumi at hood of the FD, "Takumi, you have to let him do this."

"I know he's going to regardless."

"Then why are you here?"

Takumi looked off down the road when he heard the rumble of engines in the distance, "I'm here to win the race if he doesn't."

The shock was clear on Riku's face. He glanced back at the sound that was getting louder. The race was starting, just ten seconds away. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea. If something happened to the BMW, Takumi could take down the DK himself. And who was he kidding? He knew if DK couldn't tamper with the car, he'd have another plan down the road.

They heard the cars taking off, the tires squealing. Riku's heart pounded with his desicion, "You know the rules?"

Takumi nodded, "Nakai explained. Anyone can join the race, anyone can take DK's reputation, but they're all too scared to race against him."

Riku turned back to the his car and pulled out a headset and tossed it at him, "Plug it into your phone, put the headset on and I'll call you and talk you through it. We need to go, now."

Takumi jumped back into the FD and floored it after Riku took off after the racers.

The phone rang and Takumi listened to him talk in his ear, "Do you know the course already?"

"Well enough."

"Good. But the traffic is unpredictable so keep your eyes open. Anyone could blindside you at any moment. Don't worry about cops, if you're going fast enough they can't catch you and they won't try."

Takumi cut the wheel and drifted through an intersection like it was an afternoon nap. The streets were so different here. Smooth and full of moving obstacles, but it was like it was in slow motion, like it always had been when he drove. Riku had amazing skills as Takumi watched his tail lights thread through the cars with ease.

Takumi followed, never losing a second.

"Alright, we're coming up on the freeway. This is the tricky part. We'll catch up to them a bit but not by much. At the other side we have to go up the entrance ramp with a u-turn and hope there isn't a car on it's way down. But don't sweat it if there is, just pick a side and they usually dodge to the other."

Takumi huffed, "Usually?"

Riku chuckled, "Yeah, I can't count how many times there's been head-on collisions right there."

"That's reassuring."

"Relax, man. Alright I can see their lights, they're making the turn. We're about seven seconds behind. Get ready."

Takumi shifted down and saw the moment he needed to whip the wheel around before it even happened. He pulled the handbrake and barely missed the car that was already avoiding Riku. His heart was in his throat when the reached the main road, heading straight into the heart of Setagaya. The traffic was immense and he couldn't even see the two cars ahead of them anymore.

"Where did they go?"

"They hopped the sidewalk."

"What?"

Riku was tempted to follow suit but he didn't want to risk it, "We have a chance to get close again after the next three lights. The traffic pretty much fades out and the road is empty for three miles once we hit the old bridge. No one uses it anymore."

"You sound like you've done this before." Takumi noted and listened to him breathe.

"I've never driven it. I've been watching these races for four years, learning, taking note of the traffic patterns, trying to find a weakness in DK's driving." Riku gripped the wheel tighter when they broke through the traffic.

"Does he have any?"

"No." Riku deadpanned and he heard Takumi sigh, but he never wavered in his rearview. "But this is where he likes to pull something off. Either an overtake or something a bit more dangerous."

Keisuke had never felt so restless, but at the same time he was calm. He knew how DK drove because he was by his side for a year and half on these streets. There was nothing the guy did that Keisuke couldn't recover from or counter.

Everything except what he did next.

It was all so fast but he saw it happen slower than the beat of his skipping heart. So slow. Slower than the way Takumi had kissed him on a cold Autumn night.

Keisuke caught his eye when he glanced his way just as they were neck and neck and he was about to pull ahead as the old bridge neared. The same one he'd considered jumping off of once upon a time.

DK, Touma, rolled his window down and pointed a gun at Keisuke's wheel, giving him a shit-eating grin just before he pulled the trigger. Keisuke couldn't react fast enough when his tire blew, couldn't stop the car from veering off wildly into the concrete median. His stomach was in his throat when he felt the weightlessness flood his body as the car flipped, then the painful jolt of the seatbelt holding him tight when the car came to rest on the hood.

He tasted the blood in his mouth from where his teeth had caught his lip. He yanked the seatbelt loose and caught himself on his elbows before he kicked open the door. His ribs were bruised and it was getting harder to breathe.

He lost his breath entirely when he pushed himself to his feet and felt the wind coming off his FD when it flew by at breakneck speed.

"Takumi!"

Takumi couldn't comprehend it when he saw the car in the air, nor could he stop. He was too close now. "Riku! Make sure he's okay!"

"I'm on it!"

Riku hit the brakes. Takumi gunned it harder, as hard as she would go.

Keisuke was holding his side as he limped over and got into Riku's car, "What the fuck is he doing here?!"

"No time for questions." Riku peeled off down the pavement after the FD's tail lights.

"Give me that headset!" Keisuke didn't wait for him and snatched it off his head, "Takumi, please! I know you're mad at me but this isn't worth it!"

"It's not worth it?! It's worth it if it means that this guy stops dragging you back into things you have been trying to let go of! It's worth it if it means you don't have to lie to anyone else!" Takumi slung the headset off into the floorboard and pulled a hard drift. DK was only a second away.

Half a second.

There.

"Holy shit . . ." Riku whispered when he felt the aura coming off of the FD, a blue glow that radiated with his pure skill. Takumi braked and cut the next corner, fitting perfectly between two rows of cars in the opposite lane, drifting flawlessly through a gap and back onto the right side of the road in front of Touma and across the finish.

Takumi slid to a stop in the immense crowd around the parking garage and his feet were on the pavement, carrying him toward DK. The second he saw the gun in his hand Takumi gripped his wrist in one hand and punched him square in the face with the other, knocking him onto the pavement; stunned.

"That's for everything you ever did to Keisuke, you asshole." He let out the breath he was holding, finally feeling the adrenaline wearing off. His fingers started to shake. "For Kaito and anyone else you've killed for the sake of your precious ego."

Touma was breathing hard on the ground, wiping his lip as the crowd whispered frantically around them. It was like he was waiting for them to step up and defend him, but they didn't know who's side they were on. It made him furious.

The second Takumi turned around to leave someone ran at him from the crowd, barely getting a hold on his shirt when heavy footsteps came at them from the side. Keisuke grabbed the guy by his shirt, lifting him in the air before he shoved hard, sending him flying back into the dense crowd, "Touch him again and you'll be swallowing your own teeth!"

Takumi's heart wouldn't stop racing and his blood wouldn't stop boiling. The two of them stood there in the middle of the road, staring at each other and a part of Takumi wanted to ask if he was okay, if he was hurt, or if he needed to go to a clinic. But the other half, the half that was winning, wanted nothing more than to shove his fist into his face and bruise him even more.

After everything, Keisuke had still lied.

Keisuke took a step forward and knew it was over when Takumi took a step back. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and dared to reach a hand out, "Please, Takumi . . ."

Fuck, he sounded so desperate. He didn't care at this point. "Let me explain."

"You lied to me, Keisuke. That's all I need to know." Takumi turned and he felt familiar fingers on his forearm. It took him back to that night on the mountain when Keisuke first started teaching him about the FD, the first time he noticed how much he'd changed, and how goddamn pretty his hands were.

Keisuke tugged and Takumi spun, slapping him hard. The sound reverberated off the crowd before he shoved him away, feeling hot tears, "You fucking promised me, Keisuke!" He voice shook as he took deep breaths, ". . . you promised me."

Keisuke nodded, still holding onto his sore ribs, "I did . . . but would you please just let me tell you wh-"

"No."

"Takumi." Keisuke watched him start to walk away, "You can't leave . . . Tokyo is yours now. You're the new DK."

"Like hell he is!" Touma was storming their way but slowly, one by one, Ryosuke, Kenta, Iketani, Takeshi, and countless others made their way out of the crowd and stood between Touma and Takumi, Keisuke at the front.

"It's over, Touma. You're done." Keisuke sucked in a painful lungful of air and took the shoulder his brother offered. "Get the hell out of town, no one wants you here anymore. You've killed off more people than you can count on one hand and bullied everyone else into following you."

"No one here will agree with your punk ass. That's all you ever were, Keisuke. A little brat who followed my orders because he had nothing better to do." Touma sneered, his dyed red hair glowing under the street lights. "You really think they'd rather follow you or your emotional boyfriend over there?"

"He kicked your ass didn't he? I'd say that's a guy worth following." Keisuke grinned when the crowd gave a faint cautious laugh. Touma looked around, his anger swelling even more.

"What are you fucking booster seats waiting for?! Get this trash out of my sight!" He ordered, but no one budged.

The longer the silence drew on, the more scared he looked. It escalated when a few guys stepped onto the road toward his car, the silver Skyline. A girl pulled out a pocket knife and ripped a hole in one of his tires, "That's for my cousin."

Another guy slashed at the other tire, "My uncle."

Another racer, another tire. A broken windshield. "My sister."

Riku walked up to him and with a swing of his arm, his elbow met his skull, knocking him out cold. He spat on his shirt, "That's for my brother, you worthless peice of shit."

Keisuke was in pain when he felt something clink at his feet. He looked down to find his keys to the FD by his shoes. His eyes searched for Takumi's and found them watching him, empty and emotionless as the day he met him. Seemed like decades ago and it hurt more than he thought it would.

"Tokyo isn't mine, it's yours. Looks like your past became your future." Was all Takumi said and then he left, melding into the crowd that was steadily tearing apart Touma's Skyline. The crowd that immediately accepted Keisuke as the new drift king, the new leader of the Tokyo nightlife. The one thing he never thought he'd be a part of again. The one thing he promised never to go back to.

Keisuke tried to follow him, but Ryosuke had a firm hand on him, "Let him go. You know once his mind is made up, it's almost impossible to change it."

"That's why I need to try and change it now."

Ryosuke gripped him harder, "Listen to me, Keisuke. He needs time to settle down and so do you. So much has happened tonight and we need to clean things up here before you try to sort out the biggest mess you've ever made."

Keisuke clenched his jaw and immediately regretted it, his head pounded but he gave him a resigned nod. "Alright."

"Don't think I'm disappointed in you. These people are free from a tyrannous leader and it's all thanks to you."

"And look at the price I paid."

Ryosuke let his tone drop into something more sympathetic. He could feel the pain in his brother's eyes as he kept his feet from running after the other half of his heart. "You know it didn't have to be this way, Keisuke."

A lump formed in the blonde's throat. He tried to speak but it came out in a strained whisper, "I just didn't want him to get hurt. Is that so fucking bad?"

He let his feet carry him into the night life, back into his past to sort through his thoughts and what to do with the city that he now held on his shoulders. It was a weight he knew he couldn't carry because the only thing that held him up anymore was gone.

It was his own fault and maybe he deserved it. Maybe he deserved to be in so much pain with his brother stitching him up in a shady part of town like the backalley punk he was.

"It's not over, little brother."

Keisuke lifted his head and watched his brother work diligently at the cut on his arm, "It was over the moment I kissed him goodbye."

Ryosuke hummed to himself, "Give it time."

"You keep saying that and I keep getting deja vu."

Ryosuke stood back and gave his brother an affectionate pat on his face, being mindful of his bruises, "And I'll keep saying it, until you learn that patience is key. Especially when it comes to Fujiwara. Because he doused the angry flame inside you like I knew he would, but you lit a fire inside of him and I have faith it won't die out any time soon."

Chapter Text

"Keisuke."

Riku said his name for the fourth time, still getting no response. His mouth opened to try one more time, but Ryosuke put up a hand and shook his head.

"He's lost in his own head right now. You need to leave him be. He'll be back." The older Takahashi sat back in his seat in the warehouse the Bosozoku street crew had always used. It was full of cars, some incredible, some still in the process of being built lying around in rusty heaps. Random stolen neon signs hung carelessly around the walls giving the place a night club vibe and it took Ryosuke back to the evening he'd found his brother running through the streets in a blind rage with tears streaming down his face.

It was a night he'd never forget.

Seeing Keisuke now was like looking at a different person. Four years ago he would be tearing the place apart and he would've strangled Touma with his bare hands. But the Keisuke that was here and now, staring out a window like he didn't know who he was, it was like night and day. He had let Touma go, to live with his sins.

What they were going to do about the gang now was proof enough that Takumi had molded Keisuke into a man that was worth more than the largest diamond known to man. He was priceless.

Keisuke had met with the district leaders a few days prior and laid down the new ground rules.

"Being a street racer is about the love of the road, the cars, and the rush. It's about getting better, pushing yourself harder. Not about money and pride. I know that was all I wanted at the time, but I've learned so much since then. Racing shouldn't be a life or death game. It should be about having mutual respect for one another, learning from the car next to you, or behind you, or the one that beats you. I don't want anymore fighting or sabotage. I don't want anyone else to die for the sake of someone else's ego. The races can continue, but only in the most secluded places at the times when the roads are mainly deserted. If you want to place bets and race for cash, that's the racer's decision and I have nothing against it as long as it doesn't get out of hand. Race clean. If I hear of anyone going against these rules I will confiscate their car until I feel they've earned the right to have it back. Does anyone have a problem with that?"

The first week was the hardest because it consisted of weeding out the old DK's cronies that still wanted what they could take, but Keisuke was as swift as he was tired and had them running within hours of hearing about their mischief. Soon, everyone else fell in line and got used to the way things were running. It was how it always should've been.

Two weeks in and Keisuke was back at the garage in Akagi, staring at the tool chest beside his own that he'd scribbled Takumi's name on with a dumb smiley face next to it. Each reminder he found of his presence or lack thereof, sent him spiralling back down into a deep, dark pit of despair that he did his best to run away from.

Cigarettes were useless because he couldn't find any and that was Takumi's doing. He'd found all of Keisuke's hidden stashes and emptied them out, instead replacing them with strawberry flavored Pocky. Even then Keisuke couldn't help but grin. Even when Takumi was gone, he was still forcing him to be a better man.

But it made him ache. Two weeks felt like a lifetime but he kept hearing Ryosuke in his head each time he considered calling Takumi even if he wouldn't answer.

"Give him time. Give yourself time."

Time felt fleeting. More so each day he spent without him and he felt like he was unraveling, fingers itching, body shaking for a fix, a high that he only ever had when Takumi was there.

It hurt. It was a pain he'd never felt before.

It was hard to stay occupied after the Tokyo scene had been settled and he had no one else to babysit. Even Kenta was capable of taking care of himself and for the first time ever, Keisuke wished he was still a clumsy mess that needed looking after. But he wasn't and Keisuke was drifting further and further into his own mind. It was the worst place to be.

He turned the volume up on the music he had playing around him, music with no words, just rhythms that made him nostalgic. With each beat, he could see Takumi swaying to it as he tinkered with a car, saw him grinning at him before he'd disappear into the back. Vivid memories that wouldn't stop playing on repeat.

Keisuke glanced over at his calendar, noting that Takumi's birthday was only a week away, three days before Christmas. He found some sort of resolve and made his mind up on what he was going to do to try and fix his mess. Keisuke pulled his hood up, swallowed his Pocky, and walked out into the rain that soaked into his skin. The cold was welcome even though he couldn't really feel it or much of anything.

He pulled the brake down and rolled the Trueno into the shop, setting her up to be repaired. The ruined engine was the first thing he put on the lift and pulled out, refusing help when the others showed up for work around seven in the morning. Keisuke put his headphones on and tuned the rest of the world out for the rest of the day. He welded his way through the night and into the early morning hours, stopping only to find himself another piece of Pocky or gum.

"Has he slept?" Matsumoto asked when Ryosuke stepped out of the office.

"No and he won't until he literally passes out."

Keisuke stopped only when Nakai pulled into the lot in a truck. The rain had stopped and nearly iced over since the last time he checked.

"I've got the engine you wanted. Pulled it out of a Subaru I had in the yard." Nakai took a drag from his cigarette and helped him haul it inside. Keisuke gave him his thanks and let him help install it. Hours turned into another full day and he couldn't blink because his eyes were so dry.

He pushed himself as hard as he could but he felt his heart kicking thunderously in his chest. Keisuke had zoned out when he felt a hand on his cold arm. He glanced over to find his brother looking down at him with a bag of food in his hand.

"Come eat, it's been almost three days. You'll work better with food in your stomach."

Keisuke hesitated but he knew he couldn't keep going much longer without something to eat. So he gave the Trueno one more glance before he followed Ryosuke into the small office and tried not to inhale the food he was given.

Ryosuke didn't say a word, just watched his little brother patiently as Keisuke leaned his head on his hand. Halfway through eating, his head slid down and he was out cold, face pressed against the countertop. Ryosuke pulled a warm jacket off the back of his chair and covered him with it, placing a towel beneath his head for support. Then he left the office and let him sleep.

"Hey, Mr. F. How's Takumi doing?" Itsuki asked nervously when he entered the shop on a cold December morning. Bunta was preparing a lunch that his stubborn child probably wouldn't eat again.

"No idea. He's still in his room."

"Oh man. This isn't good." Itsuki whined dramatically. "I've never seen him like this before. I thought it was bad with Natsuki, but this is a nightmare."

Bunta puffed on his cigarette and sliced another tomato, "At least you don't have to live with him. Get up there and make him come eat something. It's been two days already."

"Whaaaat?! Takumi, the Takumi Fujiwara that chokes on hot spring buns, hasn't eaten a bite in two whole days?!" Itsuki deflated dramatically. "I'll try my best Mr. F."

"Good luck." Bunta smirked and went back to preparing the meal. Maybe Itsuki could get something out of him because for three weeks now Takumi wouldn't speak, barely ate, and only came out of his room to deliver the tofu each morning. Bunta really didn't know what to do.

"Hey, man. It's Itsuki, can I come in?" He waited outside the closed door until he heard a noise after a silent minute. Itsuki's eyes went wide when he saw how horrible his best friend looked when he slid the door open. Takumi had dark circles beneath his eyes from lack of sleep and he looked at least five pounds lighter.

"Uhh, hey." Itsuki stammered and followed him back into the room, watching him fall back into his bed.

"Hey."

"How ya doing?"

"M'fine."

"Cut it out, Takumi. You look like crap and your dad says you haven't been eating. So why don't you just talk to me about it and get it off your chest. I thought I was your best friend." Itsuki pouted.

Takumi sat up and sighed, rubbing his face, "You are. I just . . . don't want to talk about it. It doesn't change anything. You would probably look at me completely different if you really knew."

Itsuki huffed with a small grin, "I know. We all know, Takumi. And it doesn't matter. You and Keisuke were kind of always a thing even before we figured it all out. Your rivalry, your teamwork, your relationship. It all makes sense really. There's nothing wrong with it. I don't consider you any less of a man or any less my best friend just because you were with another guy."

Takumi's pale complexion had turned a soft pink and he rubbed at his neck, "Thanks, Itsuki. I'm sorry I never told you or ever thought I couldn't tell you. I just never saw it happening and I didn't even realize it until it all hit me at once one day. It just grew more and more the longer I was around him. I'd never felt anything like it."

Itsuki sat on the end of his bed and crossed his legs, "It's alright, dude. So, do you want to talk about it now? What happened that night?"

Takumi glanced out the window at the icy rain that had begun to fall, tapping against his window like the birds on a Sunday morning. His chest tightened and he felt a lump in his throat as he picked at the hem of his pant leg. "He lied to me."

"So?"

"You know I hate liars."

After Natsuki, he just couldn't deal with anymore lies or being made a complete fool of.

"Do you hate him?"

Takumi blinked and felt a shiver run through him. Did he hate Keisuke? He curled his fingers in and he knew the answer like he knew his middle name. But what did it even matter? A lie was a lie and where there were lies there was no trust.

"Takumi . . . do you even know why he lied?"

Takumi felt hot tears gathering at the memory of Keisuke looking so disheveled, bruised and bloody, standing there reaching out for him. Pleading. Begging him to listen, to let him explain. But in his fury, Takumi refused, tossed his keys at him, and left him there with the weight of the world and his past sitting there on his shoulders with no one to help carry the weight.

He'd abandoned him and Takumi felt sick at the thought because he knew he had needed him and there was no telling what state of mind Keisuke was even in anymore. Takumi had witnessed him evolve into a stunning human being, watched him let his insecurities go. Now? Keisuke could be right back in that dark pit of self-loathing again and Takumi could only blame himself because he'd just left him there without the decency to understand why he'd even broke his promise.

"I never gave him the chance to tell me." Takumi cleared his throat and blinked back the tears sitting in his eyes. "Am I a bad person, Itsuki?"

Itsuki balked, "You? Come on, man. You're a legend on the streets and just so happen to be the most humble guy I've ever known. That makes you one hell of a guy. Not many racers can keep the attention from going to their head. You're also very passionate and you had every right to be mad at him. He made a mistake but I feel like he's the kind of guy that makes up for what he's done. Has he talked to you yet?"

Takumi shook his head silently. He could feel the cold creeping in through the window now sending goosebumps up his arms.

"He's giving you time. He knows you. Most people don't realize how stubborn and set in your ways you are. Once you set your mind to something, that's all she wrote. Like when you refused to race because you were convinced it was pointless." Itsuki grinned when Takumi did. "And you didn't start considering that maybe you were wrong until Keisuke made you think otherwise. He believed in you from the start more than we ever did. So maybe you should learn why he broke that promise and then decide how you feel about it then."

Takumi blinked and felt a heavy tear escape. He wiped it away just as fast and laughed when Itsuki made a disgusted face at him. But he laughed with him a second later, "I'm here for you, buddy."

"I know. I'm sorry I haven't been around lately."

Itsuki brushed it off, "Nah, it's cool. I understand why now. But I hope this doesn't mean you want something colorful and gay now for your birthday, because if that's the case you're gonna be extremely disappointed."

Takumi snorted and swatted at him and for a moment he felt okay and that maybe things would go back to they way they were. He tried to imagine it, waking up and driving, coming home and then going to work, eating, sleeping, stopping by the gas station. But it seemed so far away, like it wasn't real, just a vague memory because all he could think about was waking up in the house on the mountain to a pale morning, pre sunrise. All he could feel was the comfort and warmth in Keisuke's eyes sitting across from him as they shared a freshly cooked breakfast even if the hotcakes were broken because he still couldn't flip them in the pan correctly. All he could taste was the sweetness on his lips and the faint strawberry on his tongue when they kissed.

He couldn't picture what his life was like without him anymore.

And that made him hurt more than anything ever had.

"Eat."

Takumi swallowed, "I want to, Dad. But I know it's just going to come right back up."

Bunta kept watching his son, knowing exactly what was wrong with him. Nakai had give him a call the night it happened to let him know he was about to bring him home and that he wouldn't be of sound mind for a while. It was going on three weeks now and Takumi had barely improved. If it had been anything else, the boy would've brushed it off and moved on within an hour.

He sighed as Takumi picked at his food. He understood then just how much his son had loved the boy. It was a feeling Bunta knew well and he sympathized. "So, do you want to tell me what that bracelet is and why you keep staring at it?"

Takumi sat back like he'd been caught. These were foreign subjects that they never discussed. Relationships and feelings weren't things they brought out into the open often and Takumi was even more sick to his stomach.

"I'm not upset with you, son. I just want you know that you can tell me. If it makes you feel better."

Takumi thought for a moment, his eyes still locked onto the metal band that sat at the edge of the table where he'd left it the night Nakai dropped him off. "Keisuke made it. Two of them, from a peice of his best friend's wrecked car after he died."

"And he gave you one?"

Takumi nodded with his hands in his lap to keep them warm, "Yeah. They were important to him, never let anyone touch them or ask what they were for. But once we got closer, he gave it to me and wore the other. It meant a lot. It meant that he trusted me and I trusted him."

Bunta hummed quietly and thread his fingers together, "He gave you something that he valued more than anything?"

"Yes."

"Then why are still sitting here pouting?"

Takumi huffed, "Because he lied to me, Dad."

"Everyone lies, son. Especially when they want to protect the people they care about." Bunta raised a brow. "Did he tell you why or did your stubborn ass leave before he had a chance to?"

Takumi turned red and looked away.

"Look at me." Bunta demanded and waited until his boy looked him in the eye, "You can't condemn someone based on feelings alone. You need facts. So how about you educate yourself before you waste away in your room for the rest of your life."

"Dad I -"

Bunta put a hand up, "You're homesick."

"What?"

Keisuke rubbed at his eyes until they watered, the cold was almost unbearable as it continued to sleet outside relentlessly. He rolled the doors down and pulled a heater with him over to the Trueno and continued to put it all together.

"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty."

Chapter Text

Takumi's nerves were in a knot the entire day and time was ticking by in slow motion. It felt like years had passed when five thirty finally rolled around that evening. He pulled on a long sleeve shirt and his jacket and was headed out the door when his dad stopped him.

"Take the car, it's too cold outside."

Takumi shook his head, "It's fine, I'll just walk. It's not far. Gives me time to think anyway."

"Suit yourself."

Bunta watched his son go and turn the corner. The snow was falling again, coating everything in a heavier layer of white. Deep down he wanted things to work out for the kid, because the way Nakai had explained it, Keisuke did what he did for a good reason. Maybe Takumi could put aside his differences and let it go. Whatever happened, he wouldn't let his kid waste away, he was all he had left.

Keisuke was freezing his ass off and his toes were going numb through his boots. He had on two layers of shirts and a jacket but he still shivered. It was his own fault for getting there earlier than he needed to but he couldn't sit at home and wait for the time to go by. He needed to see him. If he didn't, Keisuke didn't know what he'd do. Probably go to his house just to maybe catch a glimpse of him in his window. Perhaps it would hold him over until he could figure something else out.

He knew he'd said he wouldn't bother him again, but Keisuke couldn't picture living a life that didn't have Takumi in it. He couldn't just give up on something that had been more real than anything he'd ever experienced. If he had to choose between racing and Takumi, he'd drop it all in a heartbeat.

So, there he sat on a cold metal bench in the middle of Akina's town center that was lit up with Christmas lights. It was beautiful and he remembered when he thought Akina was nothing more than a small rundown town full of nobodies. He smiled to himself because he'd never been more wrong about anything or anyone.

Keisuke checked his watch and it only made his heart beat quicker. It was ten after six and Takumi was nowhere to be found and maybe he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up but this was all he wanted. Keisuke just wanted to see him.

He ran his hands through his hair and sighed when the clock read 6:20 and he was so cold he couldn't breathe.

"Sorry I'm late."

Keisuke jumped to his feet and spun around, losing his breath entirely at the sight of the man before him. Takumi looked tired and sick. He sucked in a breath and stepped toward him nervously. It was closest they'd been in weeks and Keisuke held back the urge to wrap his arms around him. He curled his fingers in and shoved them into his pockets.

"Hey."

Takumi sighed at the sound of his voice, his breath clouding around him before it disappeared, "I walked here that's why it took so long."

"It's fine." Keisuke grinned sadly, "I told you I'd wait."

Takumi rubbed his lips together, "It's cold. You should've went inside."

Keisuke shook his head at him, "I couldn't risk missing you."

A silence fell between them and they stood there awkwardly before Keisuke broke the tension, "But yeah, it's cold as hell. You wanna go find somewhere warm to sit and eat?"

Takumi looked around shyly before he shuffled his feet, "I don't want to ruin your plans but . . . can we maybe skip the food? It's just that I'm not entirely confident that I can hold it down right now. I haven't been able to eat."

Keisuke's chest drew in painfully because it had to have been his fault Takumi looked as horrible as he did. He was pale and had clearly lost weight. But he nodded quickly and moved along beside him on the sidewalk, "Yeah, that's fine. What about tea? Can you hold that down at least? Maybe it'll warm you up some, you look like a ghost."

Takumi huffed, a small grin played his lips, "So do you."

"Thanks." Keisuke smirked and led him along to a small café where they took a seat closest to the small fireplace in the back, warming immediately as they shrugged out of their jackets.

Keisuke observed him and the way his shirt hung loosely over his shoulders, exposing his collar bones that seemed more prominent than before. It made him feel sick even if they were pretty.

"Are you okay?"

Takumi blinked and turned to look into the fire, "Are you?"

"Do you really want to know?"

A moment passed and he looked back at him just as the waiter brought their drinks. Takumi never answered and Keisuke let it be. He wasn't going to force him to say or ask anything he didn't want to.

Takumi took a sip of his tea and winced when it hit his stomach. He waited until the feeling passed and took another and felt his nerves finally relax. The tea stayed down to his surprise. Then the hunger hit and he took the butter wafers when Keisuke slid them in front of him.

"Feel better?" Keisuke asked when Takumi ate the last one in a single bite.

Takumi shrugged, "A little."

He hadn't kept that little amount of food down for that long in so many days, he'd lost count. He felt much better than he led on. He was starting to wonder if it because his body knew he needed it or if it was because Keisuke was right there in front of him and his body was automatically relaxing from his proximity. Takumi didn't know and he didn't know when his heart stopped pounding in his chest and settled into something more comfortable, how it used to be.

Takumi could feel the heat in his face while he watched Keisuke's fingers holding his coffee cup gingerly. He could see the fire dancing in his eyes and he looked down when Keisuke looked up again.

"So, how are things in Tokyo?"

"It's under control. It took a while, but it's how it should be now. I haven't been back since it settled. They don't need a babysitter, but if it ever gets out of hand, I'll handle it." Keisuke replied quietly and really wanted to reach out and run his fingers over Takumi's hand where it sat splayed out on the table in front of him.

"Did I mess up your FD?"

Keisuke grinned, "No. Not even a scratch. It took a minute to tune her back to the way she was, but it was nothing. Listen, I wanted to say -"

"I still don't want to talk about it right now." Takumi interrupted him and swallowed. "It makes me . . . I don't know, feel a certain way, I guess. I would just really like to keep my food down for one day at least."

Keisuke nodded quickly, "Okay, yeah. I get it. I'm sorry."

"Can we get out of here? The smell of the food is getting to me." Takumi closed his eyes and concentrated on not letting the nausea roll through him.

Keisuke stood without a word and pulled his jacket on, waiting for Takumi who paused and took a deep breath, closing his eyes tight once he got his jacket zipped up. Keisuke reached over cautiously and pulled him by the shoulder, arm around him as he led him out of the café. Takumi's eyes were still closed and he sighed when they walked back out into the cold air that had no smell. Keisuke let him go and took a step back.

"Better?"

"Yeah. Thanks." He finally opened his eyes and looked around. "Where to?"

People bustled about in a frenzy, doing last minute Christmas shopping and it was almost too much for Takumi until Keisuke took his arm and pulled him along down the road to the Mazda that sat waiting on the side of the road.

Takumi got in, feeling the memories already surfacing before Keisuke even got into the driver's seat. It smelled so familiar and comforting and so much like home that he had to bite his tongue to keep his eyes from watering.

He didn't realize how much he'd missed this. He didn't know just how much he'd missed him.

"Don't puke in my car, please."

Keisuke grinned when Takumi let out a small amused huff and said, "Learn how to drive and I won't."

"Ouch."

Takumi glanced out the window, letting his smile fade, "I'm joking. You're still the best driver I know."

Keisuke drove them quietly down to the lake that had been frozen solid for three weeks now. He had tested it out himself just to be sure that his plan to bring him down here wouldn't backfire and end up with both of them beneath the ice.

When they arrived, there were already a decent amount of people skating on the smooth surface but he paid them no mind. Keisuke pulled two sets of ice skates from his backseat and handed Takumi a pair and he raised a brow when the brunette gave him a look.

"What? You can skate, right?" Keisuke's face fell at the nervous shrug Takumi gave him. "Shit, I just ruined this didn't I?"

"How could you ruin it?"

"I brought you out here to have a good time with me and you can't even skate. You're going to bust your ass and I won't be able to stop myself from laughing and then you'll be mad at me." Keisuke scowled while he tugged his laces even tighter on a bench.

Takumi sat beside him and laced his up as well, "I won't be mad, it's just that I haven't done this since I was ten so I can't promise I won't drag you down with me."

Keisuke grinned over at him, "I used to do this every year with a group of friends, until they weren't friends anymore and I didn't have anyone. It was boring to do it alone, you know?"

Takumi got to his feet and stepped cautiously behind Keisuke until they were both sliding slowly onto the lake. Kids were screaming and laughing in the distance, some falling but getting back up with the help of their parents. It made Takumi feel a little lost because he never had that. Never had his mom or dad out on the ice with him, enjoying a family outing together.

He lost his balance and reached out for the only thing that was there, which was the back of Keisuke's jacket. He slid toward him and caught his waist until he was steady. Keisuke spun and grabbed his arms to keep him still. He smiled down at him and noted how pink his nose and cheeks were from the cold air, "Got it?"

Takumi shook his head and gave a small laugh, "Not really."

Keisuke moved backwards smoothly, taking him with him, letting him find a small rhythm until his feet were adjusting. Takumi picked it up faster than Keisuke had when he was younger. He was a natural at adapting even when it came to this. A few minutes passed and he let him go, turning in place and taking off around the lake. Keisuke glided around everyone with ease and it was relaxing. Sometimes it made him feel weightless if he closed his eyes, but he didn't dare for fear of falling on his ass. The ice wasn't a friend of his tailbone.

He heard skates clipping the ice quickly behind him and he turned his head just as Takumi flew past him like a professional. A smile lit his face and he took off after him. He let his long legs carry him ahead of him then he turned and glided backward, Takumi skating just in front of him until his grin fell and he slowed down.

Keisuke brought them to a stop and Takumi took a deep breath. He looked pale again. "What's wrong?"

Takumi shook his head, "Lots of things. But right now I'm just really dizzy. I don't use this much energy unless I'm going up the stairs."

Keisuke took his hand without thinking and pulled him away and off the ice, forgetting the skates and his plans for the rest of the evening. They got back in the car to get warm and he asked a question he'd been curious about for a while, "What happened with Natsuki? If you don't mind me asking. I just want to understand you a little better."

Takumi rubbed at his cold, tired face and sighed, relaxing back into the seat as the snow finally stopped falling. "She was always someone I found myself going around in circles with. She was cute and funny and eventually we started dating. But it felt more like I was being dragged around to do whatever it was she wanted to do. It felt off and I never really paid attention to it, just went along because I liked her. Someone started leaving me notes and even called me to tell me she was always with another man, an older man. I saw her at a hotel with him one day before they got in his Mercedes and left. I was so upset." Takumi paused and rubbed the cold out of his hands, "That was the night I went to Myogi and blew my engine, do you remember?"

Keisuke nodded, "Yeah. I was so pissed off at you, I didn't understand. I just didn't want you to lose for no reason but I get it now."

Takumi grinned, "I was so stupid. After that, she told me she left the guy and that she loved me. She ended up going to Tokyo for school, wanted me to go with her but I couldn't. Because you had got to me first and asked me to come with you. To join Project D."

Keisuke chewed at his lip, "Did I really have that big of an effect on your decision?"

Takumi nodded, "Yeah, you did. You made my mind up for me. I felt like you guys were way out of my league. You were the best out there and you wanted me on your team. I was so on the fence about it, but I turned that corner and there you were, waiting. How could I say no?"

"Do you regret it?"

"No. I never have. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. You pushed my life in the right direction and I'll always be grateful for that, Keisuke."

They sat in silence, neither one knowing what to say after that. They wanted to say a lot of things. Keisuke didn't know if it was the right time and Takumi didn't know what words to use. So they bit their tongues.

Night fell as Keisuke drove them back through town, past all the lights that were strung up over the streets. They reflected off the windshield and he risked a glance at his passenger. Takumi had a hand on his neck like he used to do when he was trying to hide the heat on his skin.

Keisuke's heart picked up it's pace because seeing the lights hanging above them and watching the snow begin to fall again, it took him back to the night in the abandoned part of Akagi when Takumi had kissed the life out of him under the lights in the cold rain.

It took him back to everything they had shared and his nerves twisted when he pulled up in front of the tofu shop. Takumi hesitated on his next words, "Thank you for the tea and for helping me remember how to ice skate. I enjoyed it. I haven't been out in a while. And thank you, for the eight-six."

"You're welcome. If you ever want to get out again, you know where to find me."

Takumi got caught in his gaze and he could feel the tension hanging thickly in the air but he didn't know what to say without knowing if he was saying the right thing or if he was making the right choice. He decided he needed more time and opened the door before he made a fool of himself.

Keisuke grabbed his wrist before he stepped out and felt the metal bracelet beneath his jacket. His pulse hammered in his chest at the realization and Takumi's face was turning pink.

Keisuke took a deep breath and said, "Goodnight."

He let him go and Takumi swallowed nervously with a nod, "Goodnight."

Keisuke waited until Takumi was inside, out of the frigid weather before he gripped his wheel and tried to calm himself down. Takumi still had the bracelet on, that had to mean something, right? He was replaying so many things in his head and his mind was having a hard time keeping up. It didn't help when Bunta stepped outside and walked to his window.

"Shit." Keisuke muttered before he rolled the window down and looked up at the intimidating figure. "Mr. Fujiwara."

"Are you giving up on him?"

Keisuke was stunted for a moment at the question and he eventually shook his head, feeling his resolve settle again, "No, not in a million years. I don't know if he's given up on me and I don't care if you're against it or all the things I did, but I'm not -"

"I know what you did and I know you did it for a good reason, kid." Bunta leaned down, "He's the one that needs to realize that. He's stubborn, but he'll come around."

Keisuke shook his head, "He still hasn't asked me why I did it."

"He's an idiot. Cut him some slack." Bunta's eyes turned up with a grin, "Come back around on Christmas. It'll be a hard time for him this year. It's when his mother died and he knows that now. So, how about you get him out of here and convince him that you're worth the trouble."

Keisuke blinked and gave him a small smile. It was reassuring to know the legend of Gunma wanted them to work it out. From what he understood, everyone did. But Takumi was a mystery, always had been, but he'd fight for him.

Takumi Fujiwara was more than worth it.

"I'll do my best, sir."

Chapter Text

Kenji was sitting inside the gas station on Christmas Eve with the guys, like they usually did before they went into town to be lonely together in a restaurant or bar or any place that was still open and would put up with Itsuki.

"Have you guys heard from Takumi?" He asked as he propped his feet up on the table. Iketani knocked them off and sat down beside him.

"Not a word. But Keisuke stopped by the other day and said Takumi let him take him out for his birthday. He said he couldn't eat much, his appetite has been messed up ever since Tokyo."

Itsuki sighed, "Well, at least he made some progress. Takumi seemed pretty set on staying in his room and never leaving it when I paid him a visit. He still has feelings for him, that's obvious."

"Yeah, but you know how he is." Iketani shrugged, "You wrong him once and he'll hold a grudge for the rest of his life. He's stubborn that way."

"This is different though." Itsuki looked out the window in deep thought, "Takumi was in love with him. Keisuke Takahashi is an incredible guy and I know he had to have lied for a good reason. I don't believe he'd lie to Takumi unless there was no other option."

"I just want it all to work out for them, ya know? I kinda miss the guy." Kenji sighed heavily.

Just then the door opened and Takumi walked in, pausing when they all stared over at him. "Hey, guys."

"Hey! Good to see you, man!" Iketani was the first to jump to his feet and pull him into a hug. Takumi made a strangled noise and pat him on the back.

"Good to see you, too." Takumi sucked in air when Iketani let him go. He joined them on the couch, feeling a little better since his birthday.

"What's up? You never come out around Christmas time." Kenji asked.

Takumi shrugged, "Dad made me leave the house. Told me to stop being a homebody and get some fresh air."

"We're going over to Family's, wanna go with us?" Iketani inquired and smiled when Takumi nodded.

They piled into Iketani's car and drove through the snow, cramming into a booth when they arrived. It was warm inside so they hung up their jackets and ordered coffee. Takumi sat by the window and watched the traffic go by, heart jumping anytime he saw yellow.

The guys were talking amongst themselves but it was muffled in his ears as his breath fogged up the glass. The coffee settled warmly in his stomach. He'd managed to keep everything down ever since he saw Keisuke and as he sat there feeling more alone than he had in his room, he felt that tug in his chest like he used to. The same feeling that he used to get when Keisuke wasn't near.

Takumi sighed to himself and rested his head against his hand.

He wanted to see him again.

Christmas morning was the same as it always was, just another cold day. Another year gone by without his mother. But it had never bothered him before until now. A part of him wished he'd never learned the truth.

Takumi was getting dressed when his door slid open and his dad sat something on the bed and left without a word. Takumi pulled his jacket on and walked over, finding that it was a photo album, an old one. His fingers ached with cold as he sat on the mattress and opened the first page finding pictures of his dad when he was younger, holding a small child who he assumed was himself, with the Trueno in the background. There were images of his mother on his dad's shoulders, pictures of them both laughing and smiling, going on adventures together. He'd never seen his dad smile like that. Nakai graced a lot of the photos, too. There was even one with Tsuchiya, the international drift king.

Takumi found himself feeling more at peace with things, even if it hurt more than he thought it would. There was still one thing he needed to do before he felt like he could really move past it all. He sat the album on his bedside table and headed down the stairs with more energy than he was used to. Bunta stopped him when he walked by.

"Eat before you go to the temple."

Takumi whipped his head around, "How did you know?"

"Haven't you learned to stop asking that question by now?"

His son grinned with a shake of his head and took the food that was offered. He ate faster than he had in weeks and Bunta felt himself warming with the fact. The boy was getting better and all it had taken was a visit from a certain person.

It took Takumi longer than he anticipated to find the family grave amongst the countless number of tombs that towered above him. He followed the poorly drawn map his father had given him and eventually came across the stone that held the family name. His mother's family name since Bunta didn't have the money nor his in-laws full respect to take care of funeral and cremation costs back then.

Takumi dropped to his knees and said a silent prayer. He didn't really know what to do because they weren't ones for tradition but he spoke into the still air to ease his mind, "Hi . . . Kazuko. Mom. Thank you, for giving me this life. I wish I could have known you."

Nothing else left his mouth, but tears formed before he knew it and he cried quietly in front of the tomb that sheltered her ashes and all those before her. He felt like he was finally putting it behind him, her truth was known and he accepted it. It was time to move on.

But it was time to learn another truth and accept it no matter what it was. A truth he was terrified to know, but one he desperately yearned for no matter how heavy the lie had made him feel. He needed to know and he was ready to listen.

The phone was cold in his hand as he dialed a familiar number and listened to it ring three times before he heard the chiming of another phone just in the distance. Takumi looked to his left to find Keisuke standing there, far enough away that he could only hear his voice when he answered his phone.

There was silence and then, "Takumi."

He was still on his knees, wiping away dry tears when he asked, "What are you doing here?"

Keisuke stood tall and firm in the distance, "I didn't want you to be alone."

Takumi's chest tightened and he sighed, a fresh tear escaped but he forced it away, "How did you find this place?"

Keisuke held up a peice of paper, "I followed this shitty map your dad drew up."

Takumi laughed for the first time in a month and it was like life was slowly pouring back into him. Like Keisuke was the sunlight his cold tired body needed to keep going.

"Wanna get out of here?" Keisuke asked him softly and Takumi was on his feet, hanging up the phone as he got closer to him. He stopped just feet away and could see the plea in Keisuke's eyes. Like he was hoping he wouldn't push him away again.

Takumi looked up at him, "Lead the way."

Relief flooded Keisuke's face and he broke into a beautiful smile, exposing the faint dimples in his cheeks. He almost grabbed Takumi's hand but he didn't want to press his luck. This had become the most delicate matter he'd ever had to deal with and it was one that he couldn't ruin no matter what. How it all unfolded from there on out would determine his future and all he wanted was for Takumi to be in it.

It felt like they had started all over again and Takumi was starting to realize how little Natsuki had meant to him then. Because he'd never given her a second chance, never let her fix it even though she confessed and pleaded. With Keisuke, it was different because he had actually loved him. They had things in common and balanced one another.

They were connected by an immovable force that neither one could recon with.

Takumi had loved him. Still loved him and that ate at his sanity because the more he had tried to distance himself from him ever since that night in Tokyo, the more it tore him apart. Maybe he was being stubborn but he had a right to be. But maybe he had been going about it the wrong way.

Had he?

Takumi rubbed furiously at his eyes as he lingered on the thought, always falling back into the same mindset, the same resolve.

Keisuke lied.

Everyone lies, son. Especially when they're trying to protect the ones they care about.

His father's words echoed in his head endlessly as he lay awake in his bed that was too uncomfortable for the first time after all these years. It lacked warmth and an extra set of long legs that took up too much space, but it wasn't so bad if they tangled with his own. It was missing a wholesome element that he could only define as a bright soothing energy that made his heart race at the same time it made it slow down. It was missing a certain touch, a certain set of fingers that raised goosebumps on his skin at the faintest contact of flesh against flesh.

It was missing Keisuke.

Takumi blinked absently at the ceiling as the cold kissed his nose and he let his mind drift to Christmas, to the blonde that lit up the world around him as they had walked through Akagi's seasonal festival. Keisuke had pulled him along everywhere, told him stories, invited him inside his friend's shops to chat and poke around at oddities.

Takumi had a good time even though he hardly said a word, just followed him aimlessly, observing him, noting how his smile was never completely true. It was sad, a shade of sorrow hidden behind a stunning set of teeth. When the day ended and he drove him back home, Keisuke had caught his fingers before he opened the car door, letting his smile fall. The pain was clear on his face, as clear as the sky on a cloudless day. Takumi felt his own resolve crumbling when Keisuke whispered, his voice almost cracking on his words.

"I miss you."

Takumi was getting tired of staring at his ceiling. It had been six days since he saw him last and the New Year was about to begin. The festivities were already coming to life in the distance and the sun wasn't even all the way down yet. It was just another holiday he never participated in because it was just another day and he had no one to be with.

Chapter Text

The weather had cleared up over the past week, melting any snow that was left on the road. It made the drive into Tokyo much easier, but no less nerve-racking. But Takumi was ready to resolve this one way or another. In the end he didn't know whether he'd show forgiveness or go his own way and let Keisuke go.

His anxiety boiled inside of him and he felt feverish. Takumi hated confrontations, hated feeling this way about someone he cared about too much to walk away from. They had always argued, bickered, slung sarcasm, pushed and shoved. But this was different. There were so many feelings involved and not enough communication. A lack of trust.

Takumi wanted to trust him but the last person he trusted, turned his world upside down and lied to him for God knows how long before he realized. He was stupid and naive to think it couldn't happen to him, that such a small seemingly innocent girl could do such a heinous thing and think it was something so easily fixable. An apology wasn't enough. He couldn't look the other way.

Would this be the same? Would he never speak to Keisuke again because of just one lie?

Takumi sighed as he drove into downtown traffic, stopping every so often at the streetlights to let everyone run across the road and go about their New Year festivities. Most people looked to be in good spirits, tagging along in groups, or just two by two, hand in hand.

He glanced at his knuckles where his hand rested on the steering wheel and for a moment he could feel fingers ghosting across his skin; warm and careful. He closed his eyes and for just a second Takumi could feel Keisuke's radiant energy beaming in the empty seat beside him.

The light turned green, the feelings faded, and he was left with a hollowness in his chest so he drove a little faster in an attempt to make it go away. But it didn't matter how fast he went, because it would never feel anything close to being on the road with the FD chewing on his bumper. Nothing compared and nothing ever would.

Takumi could feel his mouth going dry as he pulled into the large warehouse. Cars were on lifts for tuning, signs hung from the walls, music echoed off the tin walls and roof, and he felt a little lost. He was stepping into Keisuke's world. It was intimidating and impressive. So much work, so many cars, a numerous amount of members. Yet no one was there, no one except Riku.

Takumi hadn't seen the guy since that night it all went down and he didn't really know what to say to him. The air was awkward or maybe it was just Takumi, because Riku walked up to him with a smile like nothing was wrong.

"Hey, man. How've you been?"

Takumi grinned as he glanced around again at all the vehicles, a few sported underglow that matched their paintjobs. "Things have been tough. A lot tougher than I thought, but then again I never planned on anything like that to happen so I can't say it should be easier than it has been."

"That's understandable. But if it makes you feel any better, I also thought it would be a bad idea if Keisuke told you about what he was going to do that night." Riku shrugged as he rubbed at his cheekbone, like he was waiting to be scolded but Takumi was beyond that.

"It's over with, Riku and it wasn't your decision in the end. It was his choice to lie and he's living with the consequences."

Riku sighed, finally seeing the way Takumi looked and how much his expression had changed from the last time he saw him. He looked rough. "Looks like you've been living with it, too."

Takumi swallowed past the lump in his throat and felt heat creeping up his neck, "Just because I care about him doesn't make any of it okay. I have things I'm struggling with, too. I know I still look like shit, but I'm ready to resolve this."

Riku smirked just as they heard the Mazda speeding down the pavement. Keisuke pulled in beside the Trueno, where it always used to be.

Keisuke's heart was racing as he stepped out and pushed the hood of his jacket down, meeting Takumi's hazel eyes. There was something there in the way he looked at him and it did nothing to calm his nerves. All he could do was move to stand beside the other two men and wait for one to speak because he had no words. Even if he had tried to rehearse conversations in his head the entire drive there.

Riku looked between the two of them standing there like complete idiots that were too afraid to speak, like schoolgirls with crushes. He giggled to himself and shook his head.

"Sooo . . . Keisuke, are you coming down to the track with the rest of the crew? They've been waiting for you." Riku pulled a response from him at least.

Keisuke's voice was rough, like he hadn't used it in days, "What? Oh right, the playlist run. I completely forgot about that, I've been out of it these past few days."

Riku crossed his arms and looked at Takumi who had a hand on his neck, looking at anything but at the blonde next to him. "Well, do you guys want to go? It'll be fun and it's getting closer to midnight, we can watch the firework show from the stadium stands. What do you say, Takumi?"

Takumi licked his lips before he shrugged, "Yeah, sure. But what is a playlist run?"

Keisuke spoke up and shoved his hands in his pockets, feeling more vulnerable than he ever had. This was the night when Takumi would either forgive him or leave him and he was honestly having a hard time holding his emotions in. Keisuke felt like he was going to cave in on himself anytime Takumi glanced his way. "A playlist run is just a stupid recreational thing some of the guys came up with a few years ago. We go down to a closed race track and we all play the same set of songs as we kick off the line and we just drive. Whoever picks the songs, choose ones that match the rhythm of the course so it kicks your adrenaline into overdrive. It was the only freedom we felt back then."

"That's . . . extremely creative." Takumi grinned, his curiosity spiked as the time ticked by. "Let's go."

Keisuke smiled crookedly as he jumped back into the FD with a new rush of excitement running through him. Takumi looked like he wanted to have a good time at least. Maybe that meant he wasn't going to crush Keisuke's heart to ribbons later. Or maybe he was just distracting himself from the moment he knew he'd have to break the had news.

"Damn it! Stop thinking!" Keisuke yelled at himself as he followed Riku through the city, Takumi's headlights sitting comfortably in his rearview mirror. "If he wants to be with you, then great. If he tells you to fuck off, then that's exactly what you deserve. Just enjoy this while you can . . ."

He heaved a breath and did his best to stop lingering over the future and what it held. But nothing could stop it, especially when Takumi was right behind him holding his happiness in the palm of his hand.

The track was littered with cars. It was way more people than Keisuke had anticipated but when he thought about it, it made sense. Back then it was only about ten of them that had the nerve to sneak off and have fun behind Touma's back. Now, with Keisuke at the top, everyone could relax and enjoy themselves and their cars. It kind of made him proud of himself for giving something back to them.

The only reason any of this had happened was because Keisuke had wanted to take Takumi into Tokyo that day. Of he hadn't, he wouldn't have been spotted, the wheels wouldn't have started turning in Touma's head. Riku never would've called him. They'd all still be at square one.

So, technically they all had Takumi to thank. If he hadn't been on the mountain pass that night, shattering Keisuke's ego and taking him down a notch, they wouldn't even be here letting their tires scream around a track, blaring music with adrenaline running through their veins.

Keisuke had a grin plastered to his face as he climbed out of the car, moving to greet his old friends that looked as hopeful as they used to.

"Hey, man! So glad you showed up. Asahi put together the best playlist yet." Reo smiled over at him. He'd been there with Keisuke and Kaito through it all. He turned his gaze to the Trueno behind them, sitting calm beside the FD. "Is that the fabled eight-six I've been hearing about?"

Keisuke glanced back at, it's owner stepping out. His lungs felt empty when Takumi caught his eye, grinning under the lights above. "Yeah, that's the one."

Reo smirked, "The car or the guy?"

Keisuke hummed thoughtfully, "Both."

He felt a hand on his shoulder, "Well, just know that we've got your back no matter what. We owe everything to the both of you."

"Thank you."

"Enough talk, let's drive before we get run off by the cops. I'll grab you guys a mixtape."

Keisuke laughed, "Alright. Let's do this."

Takumi was right behind him when he turned around, looking just as clueless and slightly on edge just like the first time he ever raced him. Keisuke grinned at the memory and forced his hand to stay at his side instead of reaching out and touching his fingers to his face.

Takumi rubbed the back of his head, "So, when do we start?"

Reo came up to them and felt every inch of tension between them. Hell, everyone on the track probably did too. "Right now. Here's a tape. Hit play when you head off the line and just drive. The rhythm isn't hard to find. Have fun, guys. I give it forty-five more minutes until we get run off."

Takumi looked vaguely suspicious, "Run off?"

Keisuke shrugged, "Someone always calls the cops. What's an awesome night of driving without some grumpy ass old lady sucking the fun out of it?"

"Do they just tell us to leave or . . .?"

Keisuke slowly smiled at the worry that etched itself across Takumi's innocent face, "No. We run, as fast as we can. That's the highlight of the night."

Takumi's eyes widened a fraction, "What?"

Keisuke couldn't resist. He chuckled fondly and reached up, slipping his fingers across his cheek, giving his skin a gentle affectionate slap, "Don't worry. We always get away."

The small contact of skin against skin had electricity dancing through Keisuke's fingertips as he got into his car and rolled the window down, "Just follow me and let everything else go."

Takumi let the shiver run down his spine in the cold air. The warmth was still occupying his face and he could feel the outline of Keisuke's fingers lingering on his skin. He took a deep breath and stared at him for longer than he needed to and he was half tempted to just get in the passenger's seat and let him blow his mind, but he made himself turn back to the Trueno and sink down into the driver's seat.

There was a subtle rumble of engines as everyone lined up behind one another at the start. The cassette was light in his fingers as he inserted it into the slot and waited to press play. Someone at the front revved their engine once, twice, and on the third rev the sound of tires screaming filled the air as they all took off. Three seconds later Takumi floored it after Keisuke's brake lights disappeared.

His heart pounded with the rush of being behind him again after so long. Takumi pressed play and turned his volume up as he flew over the white starting line, like Keisuke had instructed. The sound flooded his head and he was sceptical as to how anyone thought this was fun, but it sunk in fast.

His heart thrummed as the beat picked up, like it was leading to something big and it was. The first corner was coming up and just like Reo had said, the rhythm wasn't hard to find. Takumi followed the music into the turn and the rest was an adrenaline rush like he'd never had before. It was a close second to the time he and Keisuke had run each other up and down Akagi's mountain all night when they'd first moved in together. But it was nowhere near the first time they kissed.

It made him homesick. More than he already was.

Keisuke had said to let everything else go, just drive, and he tried. But the longer Takumi glided through the corners, practically brushing the FD's bumper, the more his head filled with thoughts and images of the blonde. He saw every smile, every rare laugh that made his head fall back and exposed his neck, he saw every stick of Pocky and every peice of gum caught between his lips. Lips that always pressed against his with a force that was other-worldly. Lips that Takumi wanted to feel again.

He was lost in a daydream and didn't realize the tape was close to ending and no one else was on the track but himself and Keisuke. Only when he looked over did he see that they were side by side drifting in sync. It was a perfect cadence they were encased in, smoke billowing from their tires as they fought against the pavement.

Takumi knew there would never be anyone else that made him feel this way.

Keisuke knew he'd spend the rest of his life trying to prove to him that some promises were worth breaking if you were doing it for someone you loved more than life itself.

They moved with ease around each other and the course, like rushing water down the mountainside, unstoppable, with purpose. They came to a halt with the music at the line. The other twenty cars and their drivers were applauding them from the sideline.

Takumi's adrenaline didn't have time to fade because Reo waved his arm around in the air and everyone jumped behind their wheels again, "We got cops! It's go time!"

Keisuke stuck his head out of his window and yelled, "Everybody split up! You know the drill!" Then he waited for Takumi to roll his window down, "There's something I want to show you, follow me."

Takumi gave him a nod and took off after him. They left the track and stadium behind them and weaved in and out of the Tokyo traffic. The lights were a blur and he couldn't even feel himself manipulating the wheel. It felt like Keisuke was pulling him along by the hand until they disappeared into a parking garage with the sound of police sirens fading in the distance.

"Hurry!" Keisuke was jogging toward an elevator once they had parked, holding the door until Takumi got in. It took them to the roof of the garage and he kept checking his watch. The city stretched out for miles around them and Takumi was about to ask what they were there for, but the sudden burst of purple fireworks in the night sky answered his question.

People shouted in the streets below them, collective cheers and popping of small firecrackers filled the air as the New Year rolled in. All Takumi wanted to do was reach out and hold the hand that was resting patiently next to his on the concrete, but he didn't. Instead they sat in absolute silence and watched the show go on across the city.

It was magnificent and Takumi had a very faint, vague memory of fireworks from when he was a child. Maybe his dad had taken him to a show at one point but it was an image too broken and scattered to peice together.

The sound of people slowly coming up to the roof for the show shook him from his thoughts and he turned his head to find Keisuke looking up at the sky in wonder. He looked peaceful, like he would be if he was on the mountain, leaning against the rail of the balcony as the sun came up, chewing on a stick of Pocky.

Keisuke turned and caught his stare and there was always something there behind his eyes, something he was always trying to say. Takumi was ready to hear it.

"Let's talk."

The pulse quickened in Keisuke's neck as he stood tall and looked around at the growing crowd. He stepped away from the edge, "Not here."

Takumi was nervous and he didn't know why. He was going to be the one asking the question that would finally give him the truth. He still felt so small following Keisuke back into the warehouse and up a set of noisy steps to a loft that was dimly lit with light from the signs hanging precariously in the shop.

Keisuke shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on a chair before he turned and waited, "Let's talk."

Takumi swallowed, feeling too warm all of sudden and he didn't know if it was from the anxiety or just being in the same room alone with the man again. His mouth felt dry and he sighed, forcing himself to speak.

"Why did you lie to me?"

Keisuke had waited so long for Takumi to ask, he thought he'd have his answer rehearsed and set in stone but he didn't. He spoke honestly even if he was terrified of saying the wrong thing. "I lied to you because I didn't want you to get hurt."

"I didn't get hurt. You could've told me and all of this would be fine." Takumi huffed.

Keisuke bristled, "You could've been hurt, you idiot. If I had told you, if you had come with me, he would've taken advantage of the situation and used you against me."

"So you didn't trust me to stay out of it, if that's what I needed to do?" Takumi cut his eyes at him.

"That's not what I'm saying." Keisuke was getting frustrated. "Do you not trust me enough to realize that I thought keeping you out of it completely was the best option at the time?"

"Keisuke, I lost all trust for you the moment I figured out you lied."

"Are you fucking serious? Just like that? I lied to keep you safe! Once!" Keisuke ran a hand though his hair that was too long nowadays. "If that's all it takes for you to stop trusting someone, then you have serious issues, Takumi!"

"Fine! I have trust issues! But do you blame me? The last person I let myself get close to was seeing another man and dragging me along for months -"

"Enough about Natsuki! Stop comparing my lie to hers! She lied to you because she was a stupid girl who didn't know what she had! I lied to you because I love you!" Keisuke drew in a quick breath, "And I would do it again because I already lost my best friend and Touma would've forced you to race him instead of me just out of spite! I knew that if you came with me, you wouldn't back down from him! He would've used you to hurt me all over again and I wasn't risking that . . . I wasn't going to lose you, too."

Takumi was standing there silently, mouth slightly agape before he snapped it shut, breathing unevenly, "Then it was all for nothing, wasn't it?"

"What?"

"It was all for nothing because I showed up and raced him anyway." Takumi stepped closer, "Because I care about you, Keisuke. Did you ever stop for one second and think about what would happen to me if something happened to you?"

Keisuke's fingers trembled and he shook his head, "No, I-"

"I know you didn't. If you had just told me like you promised you would, we could've worked it out together like we always used to. It didn't have to end like it did." Takumi sighed, feeling the exhaustion from the entire ordeal settling on him, "So, the next time something bad happens you better tell me because all I've ever wanted to do is help you."

Keisuke was on the verge of crying. Takumi still wanted to be there for him. He blinked back the tears and asked weakly, "Why? After all of this . . ."

"Because I love you, Keisuke. More than anything and I've missed you to the point that I can't sleep. I can't do anything without thinking about you or wanting to drop everything just to see you. This whole thing has been ridiculous and maybe I went a little overboard with how upset I was, but I had problems that I've sorted through. I just need to know that you won't lie to me again or-"

Takumi let his words be snatched away by the fingers on his face as Keisuke pulled him in and forced their mouths together and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't been craving it like a god damn hot spring bun. His hands moved of their own accord and his fingers were twisting in Keisuke's unruly hair that was still as soft as he remembered it. Just as quickly as they tangled with his locks they dropped and sought his skin.

When he found the edge of his shirt, he slipped beneath it and let his hands slide up his taught chest that was flushed with heat. He heard Keisuke's breath hitch in his throat before they pulled back for air.

Keisuke felt the heat pooling fast in his belly, his thumb sliding over Takumi's wet lips that glistened with their spit. He couldn't even see the color that usually shined so bright in his hazel eyes. They were dark, his pupils blown wide, etching away the green hue. The only color he could see was the soft orange glow of the neon signs that hung just outside the loft window.

All it took was a small grin and Takumi was yanking his shirt up even further and pulling it over his head. Once Keisuke was free of the fabric he gripped Takumi around the back of his neck and made their tongues become reacquainted with each other.

It was faster than he wanted to go, but his libido drove him forward and Takumi wasn't objecting in the slightest. He was actually encouraging him and he never would've imagined him to be this fluid and precise with every move he made, every tilt of his head, every slide of his hands. But then again, this was Takumi.

Takumi was a quick learner and even better at improvising.

Keisuke helped him out of his shirt quickly, almost too quickly because he heard a small tear but it didn't faze either of them. Their breaths were met with an equal amount of fumbling fingers on respective buttons and zippers, nails scraping skin when they met bare thighs, stumbling backwards while their socks lay abandoned on the floor.

This was last thing Takumi had been expecting. He was anticipating a talk, a harsh one full of truths. But Keisuke spat out those three words and he lost his entire thought process for a moment. He didn't drive all the way there to fight nor did he drive all the way the there to end up being hoisted up into Keisuke's arms, hands gripping his ass through his underwear before he laid him back on the worn bed.

Takumi shook. He'd missed his hands and his lips and every other inch of his body. But what he'd missed the most was the look in Keisuke's eyes as he looked down at him like he was the only thing in the world. He looked at him like he loved him.

Takumi reached his fingers up and touched them to Keisuke's warm mouth and they were kissed at fervently.

"You really love me?" Takumi whispered.

There was a moment between his question and Keisuke's answer where he slowly smiled above him, leaning down until their noses were just an inch apart, "I love you . . . Takumi Fujiwara. More than my FD, more than rainy days, more than Miyazaki movies."

For the first time in a long time, Takumi felt a furious blush rush across his face, spreading across his chest. Keisuke wet his bottom lip as he witnessed it.

Takumi broke into a smile and let a small laugh escape before he pulled him down for a hot kiss that had Keisuke rolling his hips down against his. Takumi pulled back with a gasp, exhaling on a moan when he felt a tongue on his neck followed by teeth.

Takumi breathed out slowly at the sensations that flooded his body from head to toe. Suddenly it wasn't enough and his hands were clutching Keisuke's hips, pulling them down harder, moving his own to a rhythm that made the man above him bite at his lip.

Takumi pushed, taking Keisuke by surprise when he rolled them, straddling his waist and the bulge beneath his briefs. He pressed his hands to his chest that was already covered in a fine layer of sweat. Keisuke's lips were so red as he panted below him.

Takumi drank in the sight of him, "You're beautiful."

Keisuke sat up, wrapping his arms around his waist, placing a kiss to the heated skin of his chest. He looked up at him, "And I'm yours. But we need to talk about this first. I don't want to rush into this because I don't want to hurt you or make you think this is the only option. Sex isn't important, but I want you and I want to make you feel good just as long as it doesn't cause you pain."

Takumi took his face in his hands and gazed down at his concerned eyes that had gone dark and heavy lidded with arousal. "Keisuke, I want you, too. All of you and yeah, sex isn't important seeing as neither of us have ever even done this before. But I'm willing to try it and we can work out the kinks along the way. Or if you don't want to, that's fine, too. For once, I want you to act on your impulses, let your emotions get the better of you because when you lose control you are the most passionate person and I love that about you. Do what feels right."

Keisuke gripped him tighter, growing impossibly harder at the proposition laid out before him, "You feel right."

Takumi carded his fingers through his blonde hair and clenched handfuls in his fists. He leaned down to his ear feeling the subtle tremble in his own thighs, "Well then, what the fuck are you waiting for, Keisuke?"

"God." Keisuke groaned against his chest, "It's sexy when you curse."

The blonde lapped his tongue over a sensitive nipple in front of him, feeling pleasure ripple in his belly at the whine Takumi released as he nipped at it with his teeth.

He pulled back when Takumi rolled his hips down and Keisuke was tempted to do it all the wrong way, act irrationally without thinking. Keisuke rolled Takumi over once more and attached his lips to the smooth expanse of neck while he felt his nails running cautiously across his shoulder blades. Their hips linked, falling into a deep rhythm on instinct, their breathing was paralleled, inhaling on the other's exhale.

"Keisuke -" Takumi began to say before he felt lips caressing his jawline, sending sensations straight to his groin.

It was a gentle but relentless attack on Keisuke's part and he was enjoying it almost too much. To hear Takumi like this beneath him was something he only got to imagine in his head or dream of on nights he got fairly decent sleep.

Keisuke pushed himself up so he could gaze at the furious flush that was painting Takumi's skin. His cheeks were blistered pink, his lips worried red. "What is it?"

"I want to."

"So do I." Keisuke sighed and closed his eyes, "But there's no lube here."

"What about some sort of oil? Would that work?"

"Maybe, but where are we going to find oil?"

Takumi shrugged and turned his eyes to the loft window, "There's got to be something in this massive warehouse."

Keisuke's expression fell, "I am not putting motor oil up your ass, Takumi."

The brunette laughed beneath him and Keisuke chuckled, "Seriously, I didn't think you'd be such a freak."

"No! That's not -" Takumi shook with laughter, wiping a tear from his face, "that's not what I meant. There's a kitchen in here, right?"

"There is."

"So, maybe there's cooking oil down there. It wouldn't hurt to look. I mean unless you want to stop and do this some other time."

Keisuke layed himself over him, kissing at his neck, "I don't know. Maybe it's best if we just stop and think. We can take this slow."

Takumi ran his fingers up Keisuke's bare back, "When have you ever taken anything slow? You're always going one-hundred and sixty kilometers an hour. You never hesitate."

"Not until you." Keisuke sighed, "You made me catch my breath. Made me realize that I'm worth something."

Takumi smiled to himself as they layed there in silence, feeling good about the both of them and how far they had both come. Then his stomach growled.

Keisuke lifted his head and he grinned, "Hungry?"

"Very."

"Then let's find something to eat. We can put this on hold." Keisuke pressed a warm kiss on his mouth then pushed himself up and off the bed. He held his hand out for him and pulled Takumi to his feet. "I just bought a lot of groceries for the guys so hopefully there's still something left."

They slipped into their pants and headed downstairs to the kitchen where the floor was too cold. Music was still filtering faintly throughout the entire shop as they plundered the fridge and the cabinets, throwing together what they could. It ended up being hot cakes and miso and it was the best thing Keisuke had eaten in a while.

He snuck another cake from Takumi's plate and smiled when the man cut his eyes at him. "Do you really hate it when I steal your food?"

Takumi swallowed down his soup and grinned, "No. I think it's cute but I could never tell you that back then."

Keisuke smirked, leaning against the counter, "I liked watching you work on cars. All sweaty and dirty, concentrating."

Takumi raised his brow, "I don't know if you know this, Keisuke, but you're extremely gay."

Keisuke let his head fall back with a rich heavy laugh that echoed throughout the entire warehouse. He always looked five years younger when he was flooded with happiness.

That's what Takumi had missed even more, was being the reason he smiled.

To be continued....(one more chapter perhaps?)

Chapter Text

The air was cold but not enough to make Keisuke shiver, it was comfortable in the loft. He woke slowly and stretched. His arm fell to the other side of the bed to find it empty, the heat of the other body was gone.

He sat up and blinked the heavy sleep from his eyes wondering if it had just been a dream or maybe it was real and Takumi had made a last minute decision and bolted.

Keisuke dressed quickly and slipped into his shoes before he ran down the stairs. The shop was still empty since he told everyone to go home and enjoy the holidays. It was finally a new year and it had been a long one full of changes. So many changes and he was ready to start fresh and move forward with his dream, with Takumi by his side like he always had been.

But where was he?

"Looking for me?"

Keisuke stopped mid stride across the shop floor and let out a breath of relief, shaking his head at himself. Takumi looked at him curiously, "Did you think I was gone?"

"Yeah, I did. Thought maybe I dreamed the whole thing up which wouldn't be surprising, I dream about you a lot." Keisuke stepped closer and Takumi slipped into his overstretched arms, fitting himself snugly against the warmth he offered.

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

Keisuke grinned against the side of his face, "I don't deserve you."

"You deserve more than I can give you, Keisuke."

"You're more than I could ever ask for, so shut up."

Takumi chuckled against his shoulder, "Okay. I made breakfast by the way."

Keisuke hummed and squeezed him a little tighter before he let him go, "A man after my own heart."

Takumi pushed himself up and planted a warm kiss to his lips and grinned up at him when he fell back on feet. "Come on, it's still hot."

Keisuke followed him through the shop, wondering how he still managed to make his heart skip like it did. He never wanted it to stop and he promised himself he'd never let it.

Akagi was a welcome sight after they drove for such a long time while still full on breakfast. It made Keisuke sleepy all over again and it wasn't like they had any work to do until the next day. So he followed Takumi up the mountain to the house they hadn't occupied at the same time in too many weeks to count.

It was quiet except for the trees swaying with the cold wind. The house was still warm and it only made them even more drowsy so he had no arguments when Takumi slipped out of his clothes down to his underwear and fell into the bed.

Keisuke did the same and slipped beneath the sheets, pressing himself close to Takumi's warm back, burying his face in his hair. With a content sigh he closed his eyes and pulled him close and drifted off with nothing on his mind. His past was just that, in the past and his future was tucked safely against his chest.

Takumi woke to careful fingers running along his back and he lay there for a while basking in the comfort that Keisuke's touch always offered. He could've fallen back asleep but the more he focused on the feel of his hands, the more the heat flared inside of him and there was nothing to put it out.

So Takumi turned on his side and met Keisuke's patient eyes and touched his fingers to his soft lips before he kissed them with his own. What started as something slow and careful morphed into something a bit wild and desperate.

Keisuke deepened it, his fingers curling in Takumi's hair. They angled their heads and opened their mouths to each other, tasting syrup from hours before.

Keisuke let his hands wander, fingers slipping just below the band of Takumi's briefs, but there was no hesitation. Takumi pushed them down and slipped out of them in one fluid motion, his hands gripping Keisuke's waist.

The blonde took the hint and lifted his hips and watched Takumi undress him, his heart knocking in his chest the moment his fingers brushed over his cock. His head hit the pillow and he sighed with the slight relief and the feeling of Takumi settling between his thighs.

"Mm - oh fuck!" Keisuke gasped, arching unintentionally into Takumi's mouth when it engulfed him in one hot fell swoop. Takumi held him at the hips to keep him still as he experimented with his tongue for the first time, circling around the head and swallowing him again for good measure.

Keisuke was breathing heavier with each bob of Takumi's head and he found himself reaching for his messy hair and screwed himself over when he looked at his lips locked tight around him, mouth red and wet. Takumi glanced up at him and Keisuke licked his lips, focusing as hard as could on not finishing because he was on edge just from looking at him.

"Stop." Keisuke breathed out and let his head fall back down. "This will be over in seconds if you keep going."

Takumi wiped at his mouth and kissed at his smooth stomach instead until Keisuke pulled him up by the arms and into a filthy kiss, slipping a hand between them to grip Takumi's length in his hands. A sound escaped his throat and Keisuke paused. Literally anything Takumi did was making the heat throb in his gut.

Takumi sank against him, rolling his hips against his hand, mouth latching onto his earlobe. Keisuke ran his free hand down his back, gripping one of his cheeks in his hand and squeezing harder than necessary. Takumi groaned into his ear and Keisuke bit at his own lip.

"Let me make you feel good." Keisuke whispered into the quiet room that was warming at an alarming rate, sweat was already beading on his chest. "Do you want that?"

"Yes."

Keisuke retracted his hands and Takumi sat up until Keisuke made him lie on his back while he dug around in his nightstand. He rolled back with a bottle in his hand. This time Keisuke pushed his legs open and saw the flush that ran across Takumi's chest. He grinned down at him and ran a hand over his trembling thigh, "Relax, I won't hurt you and if at any point you want me to stop, just tell me."

Takumi nodded and swallowed nervously, his breath was uneven with anticipation. But he wanted this too bad to object.

He watched him pour the lube onto his fingers and gripped the pillow behind his head at the cold sensation of fingers touching and rubbing his hole. Takumi shut his eyes and tensed for a moment. Keisuke waited for him to exhale, using his other hand to distract him from the odd intrusion.

Takumi's cock was hot in his hand and his ass was even hotter as he pressed in half of one finger, slowly sinking deeper when Takumi accepted it. His hips flinched as he stroked him slowly in his other hand.

"You okay?"

Takumi sighed and relaxed even more, his legs falling apart wider. He let out a small moan of approval when Keisuke pushed in all the way and curled his finger just a bit. "It's a weird pressure, but it's - ah! That's - good . . . right there! Ah!"

"Jesus." Keisuke pulled back a bit and took a moment to breathe before he got off on the way he was arching onto his fingers, writhing. He didn't want ruin the moment because of his own needs. He risked a second finger, going slow until Takumi opened his eyes.

"Faster."

Keisuke lost his breath but soldiered on, slipping his fingers into him faster. He added a third without thinking but Takumi barely flinched, just urged him on and just as he was about to reach his peak he brought a leg up and pushed Keisuke back with his foot on his chest and followed him back on the mattress until he was straddling him.

He was close to sinking himself down onto Keisuke but he stopped him, "Hold up."

Keisuke pointed to his pillow where a condom lay waiting. Takumi reached for it and Keisuke took it from his shaking fingers. He tore it open with his teeth and held Takumi closer as he rolled it down himself, pressing kisses to his chest.

Takumi carded his fingers through Keisuke's hair and pulled his head back to slide his tongue past his as he lowered his hips, feeling a little overwhelmed at the feeling of being breached by something much larger than slim fingers. But Keisuke was careful, stroking him through it as he worked himself further in. It felt like he was being squeezed to death and he knew this wouldn't last long enough for him to even breathe.

"Keisuke . . ." Takumi panted above him, "Move."

"Give me a second." Keisuke huffed and pressed his forehead to Takumi's chest and took a deep breath, holding onto his waist like his life depended on it.

"It hurts, I'm not going to lie. But it feels better if you keep moving." Takumi swallowed thickly, "I know it won't last long and that's okay, because you can have me for the rest of our lives. If that's what you want."

Keisuke looked up at him, "I'll always want you."

"Then take what you want."

Keisuke pushed up and rolled Takumi to his back, pushing one of his legs up as he leaned down to latch his teeth lightly into his shoulder. He pulled out and sank into him all in one fluid motion. Takumi cried out, his voice going hoarse as Keisuke set the pace fast and a bit hard but Takumi didn't mind, he was brushing that spot again.

Takumi sunk his nails into Keisuke's back and tossed his head back, falling into his heavy thrusts, doing his best to breathe through the pressure and raw pleasure that built again quickly in his groin. Then it was there, his muscles clenched, his hips bucked, back arching, fingers gripping Keisuke for all he was worth.

His climax flooded his body and he shuddered, sounds he didn't know he could make left his mouth. Keisuke was still hitting him in just the right spot, the feeling wouldn't end and Takumi thought that this was be a great way to die, fucked to death in the arms of this incredible man that defied all odds.

Keisuke stiffened, bit into his skin a little too hard. It didn't stifle the moan that crawled up his throat as he slowed himself down and rode it out until he couldn't hold himself up anymore.

Takumi held him there as they caught their breath, sweat trickling across their skin, wetting their hair. It was quiet until Takumi giggled, breaking into a full on laugh when Keisuke giggled on top of him.

Takumi sighed and brushed Keisuke's hair away from his face when he pushed himself up weakly. "That was more enticing than a full tank of gas."

Keisuke snorted and rolled off of him to his back, tangling their fingers as they lay in the mess they made. "You know what's more enticing than that?"

"A shower?"

"A shower."

"I love you."

Keisuke smiled, rolling to his side to kiss Takumi before he pushed himself from the bed with sore arms. "I love you, too. But I'll love you even more if come get in the bath with me."

Takumi smirked, "I thought you liked it when I was dirty."

"Believe me, I've daydreamed about washing the dirt off your skin for long enough. I'd rather do it in real life now. Come on. Don't make me beg you." Keisuke wet his lips, "Because I will."

Takumi glanced down at the mess on his stomach and then at Keisuke who had a fair amount on his own skin, it was shining in the evening light. "Alright, yeah. This is pretty gross."

Keisuke held his hand out, waiting until Takumi slipped his fingers into his own and they made their way into the bathroom to clean themselves off.

Takumi was letting Keisuke run his soapy hands over his back and across his stomach which only made him want to dirty the sheets again. "So, what are you going to do now? With Tokyo and the garage here?"

Keisuke shrugged, "I don't know. Going professional is kind of out of the question now. They dig deep and a lot of them don't want to sponsor a guy who's the head of a street crew that has a bad reputation."

"What if you sponsored yourself?"

His hands paused over Takumi's hips, "What, like create my own company?"

Takumi turned around beneath the falling water, "Yeah, you have the steady business for it and a ton of support. You can make the shop in Tokyo the ground floor for it, start your own motorsport company, make your own builds like Nakai. You could go so far with it, Keisuke."

Keisuke blinked. He'd never thought of doing something that huge or moving onto something that widespread. "Would you do it with me?"

"Like a business partner?"

Keisuke grinned and caught the suds running down Takumi's chest, "Yeah. You've got so much rep on the streets now, people would be flooding in just to glimpse a peek at your car alone. The business would pile in, we'd be so fucking busy with orders, builds, and maybe one day we could put on our own autocross event or a car show. That's even better than the idea of going professional; providing the builds for the professionals."

"You look happy."

"I am. I want to do this." Keisuke pressed their foreheads together, "But I want you with me."

"Then I'm there."

"Hey! Keisuke! Someone here to see you!"

Keisuke waved from across the shop, "I'm coming, give me a sec."

He wiped the sweat from his brow and tossed his tools in the bag before he threw the towel over his shoulder and made his way through all the work they had laid out for them.

The last few months had been challenging but nothing would get in his way this time, not when he had the best partner and the most supportive friends and co-workers he could ask for.

The shop in Tokyo was where they spent most of their days, travelling back and forth when they could. There was a never-ending demand for parts and the business was skyrocketing faster than he ever could've imagined.

Takumi was by his side through it all, working him up when he needed the boost and calming him down when he got too riled up and frustrated. He also liked to give him sultry looks over the hood of a car and Keisuke would clench his jaw and make him pay for it when they were alone and they could be as loud and obscene as they wanted.

Kiesuke couldn't ask for a better life now that he'd gotten it together. That alone had been a struggle but it was worth it.

He wondered who was there to speak with him, perhaps another professional sponsor looking for more builds. It wasn't and his heart crawled it's way into his throat when he saw the man he feared the most standing patiently at the front doors.

"Dad?"

"Son."

Keisuke swallowed and reached his hand out for a polite handshake like he always did. His father met his hand but a moment later pulled him into a firm hug.

Keisuke was stunned. The last time his dad hugged him was . . . well, he couldn't remember.

"I want you to know that I'm proud of you for doing what makes you happy despite everyone trying to pull you down and that includes me. I'm sorry for holding you back for so long. I was selfish and it was tearing your mother apart." His father stood back and clapped him awkwardly on the shoulder, but Keisuke would take what he could get.

"Thank you." They fell into a uncomfortable silence and he knew their relationship wasn't perfect but this was a start.

"You've got good people here and," his father paused and saw Takumi off in the background tending to things, "that man is even better. You should bring him around sometime, I'm sure your mother wants to meet him."

Keisuke blushed and Takumi's habits were rubbing off on him because he put his hand on his neck to hide it all. "Sure, yeah. I'll - I'll do that."

His father chuckled and left him there feeling out of it and more than a little confused. It was so unlike his dad to go out of his way and apologize for things he didn't believe in. That could only mean someone had said something to him.

Keisuke paced back and forth listening the phone dial in his ear. He chewed at his nails until his brother picked up, "Keisuke."

"Hey. Quick question, did you say anything to Dad by chance?"

"Did I say anything about what? You need to be more specific."

Keisuke sighed, "Did you say anything about me and Takumi or the business . . . anything?"

Ryosuke chuckled to himself, "No, I didn't."

Keisuke brushed his hair back, "Then who the hell-"

He turned and looked back at Takumi who was leaning over the roof of a Supra, tapping his fingers against the metal with a grin on his face.

"Nevermind, I figured it out. Talk to you later, Ryosuke."

"Take care."

Keisuke hung up the phone and let it drop into his pocket, making his way to Takumi who was watching him carefully, like he was trying decipher the look on his face. He kept his cool and faced him when he came around the car.

Takumi looked up and grinned beneath the hands that cupped his face, smiling into the kiss Keisuke planted on his face. When Keisuke pulled away he sighed, "I'd marry you if it was legal."

"I know."

"Hey!" Riku clapped his hands, getting their attention, "You can make gay babies later. Let's get this car done, it has to go tonight."

Keisuke chuckled, shook his head, and kissed his lover one more time before they went back to their endless but fulfilling work.

In time it paid off and only a year after they started, they were one of the biggest motorsport/autocross companies in Tokyo. Keisuke felt like it was finally time and that they were more than prepared to host their own event.

The planning took months and multiple minds, but the end product was more than they envisioned. Pulling up the morning of and seeing the place being put together on a circuit track, tents as far as the eye could see, exotic cars, tuners, muscle, everything you could think of were lining up for the show.

Midway through the day, musicians took to the stage in the center of the course and as the drift events went underway, the music beat in their chest as the smoke billowed from their tires.

It was a dream. One that Keisuke could never have accomplished without the man beside him in his Trueno, the only partner and teammate his FD would ever need.

He took his hand as the sun sank in the sky. The lights flashed around them as the music played on into the night. They mingled with the crowd and danced the night away, bodies swaying in a perfect cadence and everywhere they looked, their name and legacy was plastered on signs and banners for the world to know.

Fuji-Hashi Racing.