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"Ne, ne, look at that!"
Joe winks at the two ladies who stare in his direction and smiles when they blush and giggle and huddle over their smartphones again. He makes sure his jackets hangs off of his shoulders just right when he approaches. He's worked up just the perfect sweat to get those muscles gleaming in the harsh floodlights. He can't help but throw a look over his shoulder. Tsk. That guy, busy with his board as always. Wouldn't hurt him to look at someone made of flesh and blood sometimes...
"You ladies having a good time?"
They giggle again and give each other conspiratorial looks.
"Say, Joe... Are you and Cherry Blossom..."
"Hm? There's no beef scheduled today." He grins. "Do you want to see one? I—"
"Ah, no need to hide it in front of us! Oh, to fight so hard against someone you love... this is a relationship forged by skating!" The girls sigh as one, happily. "I hope I can meet someone like that too one day..."
"Wait, what? Relationship? Love? Let me see what you have there!"
He reaches for the smartphone and his eyes widen.
Ah.
That thing.
There he is, staring at a HD picture of his last beef with Kaoru. Only it's not him looking cool as he crosses the finish line or cracks the earth, it's Kaoru with his face between his pecs like it's the latest fashionable mask. They had both fucked up a turn at sharp corner and well... he couldn't let Kaoru get hurt again, now could he? He can see his arms tight around Kaoru. They still hurt a bit now, even with the scratches covered up...
But he doesn't mind, even if it's for that ungrateful four-eyes. Joe might just give his arms if it meant never having to see him in the hospital again. He can probably learn to cook with his teeth and feet.
"I think you girls have the wrong idea," he sighs but from the sparkle in their eyes he can see they don't believe a thing he says.
"What was that about?" Kaoru asks him when he wanders over and Kojiro shrugs. He can feel more eyes on them. The ones that matter are drawn tight and facing him right on.
"Nothing much. People seeing things."
"Elevated heartrate. Facial skin heating," Carla blares. That little...!
"Are you lying to me, gorilla? What are those muscles for, if not to face things head on?"
"Who are you calling a gorilla? Fine then! See for yourself!"
Kaoru makes a face much like Kojiro's must have looked when he shows him the picture that seems to be rapidly spreading over the chat. Tsk, if they got time to gossip, they got time to practice their tricks... the mountain isn't some sort of dating show!
"It's because you are always too close! People get the wrong idea!" Kojiro complains and shoots up to get into his face.
"It's because you are simply too big to be avoided, gorilla!"
"See, this is what I mean!" But Kojiro doesn't mind, does he...? Not if he's true to himself. These days, he feels a lot safer if Kaoru is around. It's good to have him in his view. That means he's not off doing something reckless. He's not getting hurt again.
"Well, if you took our beefs seriously, perhaps people wouldn't think you're some sort of prince charming to the delicate damsel you clearly see me as!"
"That's not... Kaoru..."
"It's Cherry Blossom!"
"Fine, Cherry!"
"Just because I lost against... do you not take me seriously anymore?"
"That's not it!"
"Then I challenge you to a beef right now! And this time, let me skate. Don't get..." Kaoru looks at Kojiro's scratched arms and bites his lips.
"Fine. You got something to prove, be my guest. You always invite yourself anyway."
As the lights come on one by one as they get ready at the starting line, Kojiro can hear the audience chattering.
"They say couples always fight..."
"It must be their passion for each other! Ah, I can't wait to see it in action... do you think their love is more mature than Snow's and Reki's? I wonder how it will look on the track!"
"WE ARE NOT A COUPLE!" They shout as one as they kick off and start racing down the hill.
"Hey. Kaoru. I was lying, you know," Kojiro starts as he pours a glass for both of them back at his restaurant.
"What's this about now?"
"The people weren't seeing things. At least not on my part."
"What--"
"Ever since... ever since you got hurt... do you remember that day you came to visit me from the hospital?"
"You complained a storm about it."
"You feel asleep at the counter. And I thought... I never want to see you like that again."
He reaches out and cups Kaoru's face with one hand. Kaoru doesn't pull away.
"Kaoru. I know you can tell when I lie anyway, Carla or no. So I'll be honest." He curls a strand of Kaoru's soft hair around his finger. "I want to kiss you. Right now. I want to kiss you. Hold you. When I wake up, I want to see your sleeping face right beside me."
Kaoru doesn't say anything for a few long moments. Then he leans his face into Kojiro's hand. There is a little smile on his face.
"And here I thought you were a man of action, Kojiro."
When Kojiro kisses him, Kaoru's lips taste faintly of carbonara.
When Kaoru curls besides him that night, Kojiro sleeps properly for the first time since Kaoru got sent to the hospital.
When they return to Crazy Rock the next time, Kojiro doesn't get that pang of fear in his heart when he sees Kaoru race, because he knows Kaoru will always come home to him now.
Well, maybe he'll come to complain a lot too, and nag and fuss over Carla when his man is right there.
But that's just the way Kaoru is.
And that is why Kojiro loves him.