Work Text:
Akira looked around the empty garage with a heavy sigh. They’d had two customers the entire day and it was already four in the afternoon. Usually, they’d seen at least twenty or thirty by now. What was going on? Was this a holiday weekend that he’d forgotten about? The sun was shining outside, the air inside the garage humid and hot. Their fans were working overtime and barely making a dent in the oppressively heavy air.
“Yuu...Yuu!” He called and his co-worker, dozing on the old plastic sofa, jerked awake. Yuu sat up, rubbing at his eyes, and Akira laughed at the way his shaggy hair was sticking up on one side. “Did I miss a holiday? What the hell is going on today? Why are we still open?”
The raven-haired man shrugged his shoulders. The thin sheen of sweat on his arms emphasized the tattoo on his upper arm and Akira wondered, not for the first time, how badly it hurt to get inked like that. “I don’t know. I barely know what day it is. Close up early. Let me sleep.”
“Whatever you say, asshole.” Akira got up and went about picking up the few tools they’d left lying around. He and Yuu had started the business together ten years ago at the young age of eighteen. Just out of high school. Maybe they should have gone to college but neither of them had seen the point. They’d worked their way up from small engine repairs to cars and now they could do pretty much anything a customer needed fixing. The garage had grown quite popular too; they made good money. At least, they did on most days. He hated closing up early, but if no one was coming in then they were wasting their time sitting here in the heat.
He was just about to pull the rolling door down when he heard a quick honk. A black pickup truck pulled into the lot. It was far too clean, the shiny black surface reflecting the afternoon sun, to be a work truck and Akira automatically groaned. This type of vehicle always belonged to some rich brat. Akira knew the type. Daddy owned a bank or some shit, played football in high school and went to college on a scholarship but never made it anywhere, and they were always ungrateful. Not to mention they usually looked like most of their college years had been spent in the gym with a needle full of steroids and their heads were filled with air. They’d never done a real day of work and they sure as hell didn’t know a thing about vehicles except how to tear them up.
Maybe he could slam the door just fast enough…
But the bastard honked again.
“Just let the dickhead in, Akira. Take him for all he’s got. You know he won’t know the difference between a piston and a timing belt.”
For once, Yuu made a good point. Akira lifted the door back up and waved the driver into the garage. He couldn’t even see the guy through the window tint. It made his skin crawl. This was not what he wanted to deal with today. Even Yuu had gotten up to see their new arrival. Once the truck was stopped, the engine turned off, the door opened but the person who stepped out was nothing like Akira expected.
No. The guy was gorgeous. He was about Akira’s height, slim build. His hair was dark brown and shaggy but Akira could see it was shaved on either side underneath. He wondered what it would look like pulled up. The guy’s eyes were so dark they seemed black but his gaze was almost as warm as his smile. Akira was momentarily blinded by the sheepish grin that made its way onto the stranger’s face.
“Uh, hi.” He said, scratching at the back of his neck. “I’m sorry to have honked at you that way. Were you getting ready to close? I just...I think I ran over a nail. I just need a tire patched but I can go elsewhere.”
Akira shook his head to answer but also to clear it. “No, it’s fine. We don’t usually close this early. I can take care of your tire. Name’s Akira. Let’s see what the damage is.”
The other man stuck out his hand. "Yutaka. It's nice to meet you." Akira genuinely smiled as he shook his hand. His fingers and palm were rough. Maybe he had prejudged him too harshly. As Yutaka led him to the back tire on the passenger side, he heard Yuu mocking him and flipped him off.
"I'm pretty sure it's this tire. I must have run over something."
If he was being honest with himself, Akira did absolutely nothing to stop himself from admiring the way Yutaka’s jeans hugged his ass so perfectly. Whatever the guy’s hobby, it was doing him good. He always had preferred lean muscle over bulky when it came to men and this guy fit the bill like he fit in those jeans.
It took approximately five seconds for Akira to find the problem with Yutaka’s tire. He had indeed run over a nail. A big one at that. “This shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll get it patched up in no time. Did you happen to drive through a construction zone or something?” He asked, moving to get the repair kit.
“Well, I’m putting an addition on my garage,” Yutaka answered and Akira could already see the embarrassed look on his face without even turning around. “That’s probably where the nail came from. The builders keep everything so nice and tidy but I guess I would be the type to find the one nail out of place. Thank you so much for doing this. I’ll try to pay more attention.”
“As I said before, it’s fine. Do you find yourself in these predicaments often then?”
Yutaka chuckled. “All the time. Nothing really bad, just minor inconveniences. I’m kind of spacey sometimes and misplace things. Stuff like that. After a while, you grow accustomed to things going wrong before they go right. I’ve learned to just laugh at myself.”
Akira felt a strange fluttering feeling in his chest and kept his eyes on the task at hand. He knew if he looked up, Yuu would be standing there fake gagging and he’d just have to flip him another bird. It took less than five minutes to have the tire patched up and he handed the nail to Yutaka.
“A souvenir.” He teased. “You’re good to go. Just in case this happens again, don’t let whoever fixes it patch it again. It’s safer to buy a new tire.”
“Ah, thank you. I think if I have any more troubles I’ll come back to you.” He answered, the statement was innocent but made Akira smile nonetheless. “How much do I owe you for this?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll charge you double next time.”
The smile he received could have lit up the entire garage. “I look forward to it. Thank you again. I’m sure I’ll see you around Akira. Have a good evening.”
Akira closed the truck door for him and knew he was grinning like an idiot but wasn’t too concerned. At least until the black truck had disappeared down the road and he turned to find Yuu with his arms crossed over his chest.
“What the hell was that? This place has been a desert all day and now you’re just giving away service? We’ll never see that guy again, Aki.”
"Relax. Five bucks wasn't going to break the bank. I think he'll be back."
Yuu rolled his eyes. "No, you hope he'll come back. I haven't seen you flirt like that since you tried to pick me up in high school. I can't blame you though, he was adorable."
Akira felt his face reddening. "If I had known you then like I do now, I never would have hit on you. But you're right, he was. I don't know what came over me. I do want him to come back though. I didn't even ask for his phone number!"
"No one ever said you weren't an idiot. Don't worry, he was blushing at every word you said. I think I choked on all the sweetness."
He really didn't understand it at all, but one thing was for sure, he wanted Yutaka to come back soon.
********
"Hand me that wrench. Yutaka! Hand me that wrench."
Yutaka snapped back to reality to see his best friend's hand making grabby fingers in his direction. He quickly handed over the socket wrench. Kouyou had been buried under the hood of his car for an hour and all the while Yutaka had been floating off into dreamland.
Okay, maybe not a dream, because reality was so much better. He had just been looking for the closest option to get his tire fixed when he'd pulled into Akira's garage. It was something he could have fixed when he got home but he just hadn't been in the mood to deal with it. Not after the day yesterday had been.
It had only been three years since Takanori had passed away and yesterday had been particularly hard on both him and Kouyou. Losing their best friend so suddenly had taken a toll on both of them. Every year they took a car out to the track where the crash had happened and just drove. They didn't speak, they didn't need to. Racing had always been their entire life. The three of them had started with bicycles when they were in grade school, graduating into Motocross in high school and then on to rally racing. It was everything they loved and that shared passion had led them to be closer than any brothers could possibly be. Takanori's crash hadn't been his fault. It hadn't been anyone's fault. Simply a horrible fluke.
Kouyou had kept a secret. Yutaka had begged him to tell Takanori how much he loved him, but Kouyou always said it could wait. He knew his friend regretted never confessing. He was also sure that Takanori had known and loved him back. Yesterday Kouyou had pulled to the side of the track and bawled for almost an hour. Yutaka had pulled over behind him and waited but left him alone. He had to deal with this part alone.
Yutaka had noticed the nail in his tire just after he'd arrived home and dealing with the puncture had just been his last straw. So he'd taken the truck to the nearest garage he could find and by chance, he'd met Akira. He hadn’t been able to properly see the other man until he’d got out of his vehicle but he’d immediately felt a shiver of heat run up his spine. From his bleached blond hair that fell to his shoulders to brown eyes that seemed to be full of mischievous ideas, Yutaka hadn’t been able to think properly. It didn’t help that the guy had an infectious smile either. And his body? Yutaka didn’t consider himself a shallow person but how could he not appreciate beauty like that? It was obvious Akira took care of himself, so it would have been rude not to admire him, right? All that tan skin stretched over lean muscle. Yutaka had been ready to lick the sweat right off his biceps. Despite his good looks though, the mechanic simply had a cheery kind of aura that Yutaka felt too easily pulled in to. He would definitely find a reason to go back to the garage.
“What are you thinking about? Or who?” Kouyou’s face appeared in his line of sight, a smudge of grease on his cheek.
Yutaka shook his head. “No one. I was spacing out, I guess. You gonna be ready for this weekend?”
“Yeah, I think at this point I’m fixing things that don’t need to be fixed. Distracting myself. The Merc needs its oil changed. I’ll probably do that next.”
“Oh?” Yutaka’s ears perked up. “Why don’t we take it somewhere this time? You really should relax for a while. You’ve been out here all morning and I know yesterday wore you out. Come on, we’ll go get the oil changed then go for a drive outside the city. I’ll even stop at that BBQ stand you like so much. How’s that sound.”
For once Kouyou didn’t argue with him. He smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “It actually sounds nice. Let me go take a shower then we’ll head out.”
Yutaka let out a long breath as his friend disappeared from the garage. That was a bullet dodged. And now he didn’t have to follow through with damaging something on his car just to have an excuse to see Akira again. Not that he’d...been thinking of doing something like that. Nope.
The Mercedes purred as Kouyou expertly maneuvered the car through traffic, following Yutaka’s directions. As they neared the garage he felt his pulse quicken.
“This is a little off the beaten path. How do you know about this place?” Kouyou asked, eyes shifting to him for a moment before focusing back on the road.
Yutaka chuckled a bit nervously. “I just found it yesterday, actually. I was impressed though. I thought you could use a trip off the beaten path.”
“You’re probably right.”
The garage came into view and Kouyou pulled the Merc into the parking area before the open bay doors. The man who had been with Akira the day before stepped out of the building. His long black hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail putting his high cheekbones and sharp jawline on full display. He was beautiful, but not Akira.
“Well, hey there. Again. Did you run over another nail?” He asked, coming towards the passenger side of the car, but he stopped in his tracks as his eyes landed on Kouyou. He saw the man’s jaw go slack and had to wonder if he was feeling the same way now that Yutaka had last night. Kouyou, on the other hand, had just turned the brightest shade of red, his head turned into his shoulder.
“I uh, no, this is my best friend, Kouyou.” He said, pulling the raven-haired man out of his stupor. “We’re just looking to get an oil change.”
“Ah, Kouyou.” He said the name like he was tasting something sweet. “I’m Yuu. I can take care of this for you. Um, Yutaka, right? Akira is in the office, but I’m sure he’d like to see you. It’s just through the back door there.”
Yutaka wasn't sure how to take that, but he wasn't going to waste time asking. Was it possible that Akira wanted to see him too? Only one way to find out. He knocked on the office door and waited for a beat before opening it and poking his head in. Akira was there behind a desk littered with papers. He had a pair of thin-rimmed glasses pushed up on his head, holding his hair back. Yutaka knew he was in trouble.
"Uh, your friend told me to come in here. I'm sorry if I interrupted. I'll just duck back ou-"
"No, you didn't. Come in. I didn't expect to see you again so soon. Did the patch not hold?" Akira asked, setting down the paper he'd been scrutinizing.
Yutaka stepped further into the room, taking a seat in front of the desk. It seemed as if every surface of the office was covered by greasy fingerprints. Somehow the sight calmed his nerves. “No, no, everything is fine. My friend needed an oil change so I thought I’d bring him. Charge him extra to cover for my patch.”
Akira smiled, shaking his head. “I’m guessing Yuu is helping your friend. An oil change doesn’t take too long so tell me, why did you decide to bring your friend here? We have cameras, I can see the car you brought in, surely someone who can afford that car has the money to take it to the dealer. So why come here?”
“Oh. Well, yes; Kouyou can afford to do that, but I thought he needed a change of scenery.” Yutaka was chewing on the inside of his cheek. “And I wanted to come back and meet you again.”
When he looked up, the mechanic was smiling at him warmly. “I’m glad. Because I wanted to see you again. Yuu’s my best friend; yesterday he basically told me I was an idiot since I didn’t ask for your phone number. I’d like to make up for that mistake though. Would you maybe want to go out with me this weekend?”
“I- Akira I would love to.”
Akira grinned, looking like a child on Christmas morning. “This Saturday I’m entered in a rally race at this course north of the city. Would you want to come with me? I’d love it if you came.”
Just like that, Yutaka’s heart dropped out of his chest. Akira was a driver too? That meant they’d be competing against one another this weekend.
“Actually, I have plans on Saturday. I’m sorry, but would you be available on Sunday? I really want to go out with you. I just can’t Saturday.” Yutaka quickly tried to backpedal. “I uh, I don’t know much about racing though. Tell me about what you do?”
Akira smiled but Yutaka could see his disappointment. “Of course. Sunday would be just fine. Maybe you could celebrate with me after I win. There’s this one guy that I haven’t been able to beat yet, but this is my weekend. Plus, even if I don’t win, getting to go out with you the next day will make it feel like I did.”
Now Yutaka knew he was blushing. That line was so cheesy but for some reason, he could tell Akira was serious. They spent the next half an hour with the mechanic telling him all about racing and from what he was learning, he could tell Akira was a good driver. The circuit they raced in was all anonymous drivers; there was no way for him to figure out which racer Akira was unless he found a name.
“The drivers, do they have special names? I bet you have a cool nickname.” He asked, hoping it sounded inconspicuous enough.
“I don’t have a cool name at all. My car is blue and has a hawk on the side, so Yuu called me Blue Hawk. Real imaginative, isn’t it?” Akira laughed but Yutaka felt like the room was closing in on him. He knew Akira’s name. He knew his car because it constantly crossed the finish line only seconds behind him. The driver Akira was so determined to beat was...him.
What the hell was he supposed to do? On one hand, he really wanted to go out with the mechanic but how would Akira react once he found out his biggest rival was the very man that he was asking out? He probably wouldn’t even give him a chance. It was a stupid decision he’d most likely regret later, but Yutaka made it. He wouldn’t tell Akira until they got to know each other better.
“Blue Hawk. Well, I think it’s a cool name. Maybe Sunday you could take me for a drive?”
“Of course, I would like that very much. Eh, it’s been almost an hour, maybe we should go see if Yuu’s finished that oil change.” He said, getting up from his desk. Yutaka got up with him, moving towards the door. He felt Akira’s hand press to his back and his entire body went up in flames. He was so ready for Sunday to come.
They’d only just stepped into the garage when Yutaka stopped, his hand flying to his mouth. Kouyou was there on the sofa, straddling Akira’s friend. The raven-haired man was moaning as his hands dug into Kouyou’s hair, their lips meeting again and again.
“Excuse me? That’s my sofa!” Akira yelled and the two broke apart, eyes wide, chests heaving.
Kouyou all but jumped off the sofa. “I- Yutaka, I...we… The Merc, she’s finished.”
Both Yutaka and Akira burst out laughing, unable to hold it back any longer, while the other two were blushing like crazy. Somewhere in the midst of the crazy moment, Akira’s fingers had threaded through his own and squeezed them gently.
“I think this won’t be the last time we walk in on them.” He said as Akira led him to the car and opened the door.
Akira hummed in agreement. “But if our best friends are together, then it gives you and me more time to get to know one another. So I’m okay with it.”
So was he.
********
As it turned out, Akira did lose the race on Saturday, and Yutaka was so thankful that Kouyou knew what was going on so he didn’t try to force him to go out and celebrate. Beating Akira had felt so much more fulfilling when he hadn’t known who he was. Now he just felt guilty even though he had no reason to. It wasn’t as if he cheated or anything along those lines. He was simply a better driver than Akira. Nonetheless, he didn’t feel like celebrating.
Despite the outcome of the race, Yutaka met up with Akira the next day. The mechanic had sent him the address of a small cafe and Yutaka arrived ten minutes early to find Akira already there. He was dressed in tight black jeans and a plain white t-shirt that clung in all the right places. Yutaka licked his suddenly dry lips and took a deep breath before continuing towards the small window table where his date was waiting. Akira’s smile was breathtaking as he stood to greet him.
“I was nervous so I’ve been here for almost an hour.” He said, pulling out the chair beside him. “I was half afraid you wouldn’t show up. I guess my fear was unfounded.”
Yutaka chuckled, taking a seat and reaching out for his hand. “Completely. No way I wasn’t showing up. How did the race go? Are we celebrating?” He felt like such an ass even asking the question but maybe he could make up for the lying by offering comfort.
“Unfortunately, no. I won second place, which is where I think I’ll be for the rest of my life. It’s okay though. The trophy is a bit smaller but at least that way more of them will fit on the shelf, right? Anyway, I thought we could have lunch then head over to the track. Is that okay with you?”
“Of course. You have a good outlook. There’s nothing wrong with second place. No matter how good you are, there’s always someone better. If you enjoy what you’re doing, then there’s no reason to not be proud of second place. I’ve never been here before. Have you?” He could see the way Akira’s eyes lit up in response to his words and it made him feel some kind of way.
“Actually, I have, quite a bit. Yuu and I come here every Sunday for lunch. He was a little miffed that he couldn’t come with me today until your buddy, Kouyou, called him and asked if he wanted to see a movie. Then he completely forgot about our tradition and ditched me. Those two...I’ve never seen two people look at each other like that. Like, as their friends we should be warning them for jumping into this relationship too quickly, but I don’t feel like I need to. I don’t have one bad feeling about them being together at all.” Akira mused, then cleared his throat. “I come here for the chicken chili. Lots of protein and it tastes so good. Um, but they have lots of things, what are you in the mood for? They have vegetarian options too.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not a vegetarian. I’ll have whatever you’re having. I’m not hard to please when it comes to food. I agree with you about our friends though. I haven’t seen Kouyou this excited about anything in a long time. All he’s talked about is Yuu all week. Plus, doesn’t the world need one more couple of exceptionally beautiful people?”
Akira laughed, the sound deep in his chest. “I thought that couple was you and me though?”
By the end of lunch Yutaka’s face literally hurt from how much laughing and smiling he’d done. It was wonderful.
*****
Akira was a good driver; really good actually. Yutaka could have given him a few notes, but nothing major. He could tell that really the only thing stopping Akira from beating him was his lack of risk-taking. Akira took things too safely. Then again, Yutaka could admit that sometimes he took too much risk. So maybe Akira was the better driver.
Usually, Yutaka didn’t like riding with other people unless it was Kouyou but riding with Akira was relaxing. He let his head fall back against the headrest as the car basically suctioned itself to the road when Akira maneuvered it around a corner. They weren’t going nearly as fast as they would in a race but he was enjoying it just as much.
“Am I boring you? You look like you’re about to fall asleep over there.”
Yutaka opened his eyes and rolled his head to look at Akira’s profile. He was concentrating on the road but his gaze slid over towards him a few times. “No, not at all. I’m just relaxed. I think I may have to hire you as a personal chauffeur.”
“I’d be happy to drive for you, sir.”
“You’re such a smartass.” He said, reaching over to slap the mechanic’s arm, but he stopped, deciding instead to rest his fingers on his forearm. “Thank you for this date. I’ve never been so happy to have had a nail in my tire.”
“It was my pleasure to patch you up.”
“Akira, stop it! I’m trying to be serious. Are you always like this? How am I ever going to put up with you?”
Akira scoffed. “I am always like this. Do you always blush every time someone flirts with you? Or is that reserved for me?”
Yutaka bit down on his bottom lip in an effort not to grin. “Only for you.”
******
Yutaka couldn’t have possibly seen it coming. He couldn’t have imagined meeting someone like Akira. The way they managed to intertwine themselves into each other’s lives was nothing short of a miracle. There was no strain, no fighting, and Yutaka had never been happier. Kouyou and Yuu were getting on well too and their double dates were unforgettable. It was amazing to see Kouyou so happy again. He hadn’t seen him like this since Takanori’s passing and honestly he’d been so afraid that Kouyou would never be the same. He had, however, warned Yuu that he would break his legs and ship him off to somewhere no one would find him if he hurt Kouyou.
Three months had gone by since he had started dating Akira and so far he’d been able to keep up with his lie. Even though it was making him want to pull his hair out. The more he learned about Akira, the more he realized how much this lie was going to hurt him, but he couldn’t figure out a way to tell him the truth without losing him. He knew that sooner or later his secret was going to come out, but for now, he didn’t want to think about it. Unfortunately, life didn’t always work the way you wanted it to, and things couldn’t stay perfect forever.
“Alright, that’s the last. You wanna leave the Porsche in the garage, right?”
Yutaka nodded as he lowered the door on the McLaren, his favorite care outside of the 911 he raced. For the most part, Yutaka didn’t like to flaunt the money he’d not only inherited but earned himself. His father had owned an electronics company that he’d left to him and Yutaka had been raised learning how to run it. Then in college, he’d started trading stocks and now? Now he liked to go out to his garage, sit with his supercars, and read a good book before a race. He knew the cars were superficial material things, but he loved them like children.
“Yeah, I don’t want to take any risks. Just the kids.”
Kouyou chuckled, dragging the hose towards the driveway. It was bathtime. Yutaka clicked a few times on his phone and heavy rock music began playing out of the speakers installed on the outside of the garage, pumping out and across the driveway and lawn. This was the best possible way he could think of to spend a Saturday morning. The only thing that could have made it better was currently driving up to the front gate. Akira let himself in and his cherry red Mustang rolled up the driveway. A familiar head of black hair sat next to him in the passenger seat. Kouyou would like this.
The four of them spent the better part of the morning laughing and joking. The sun was shining bright but the rain from the past few days had cooled things off. It was a perfect day.
“I don’t mean to be shallow but having a boyfriend who owns supercars is so fucking cool .” Akira teased, bumping their shoulders together.
“Well if we’re being shallow, then I should admit, having a boyfriend with abs I could wash clothes on is pretty fucking awesome.” Yutaka replied just before getting a shot of cold water to the face. He looked up to find Yuu holding the hose, tongue poked out at him.
“I can’t take any more of your sappy bullshit. Get a roo- BITCH!” He yelled as a sponge fell to the ground after smacking him straight in the face.
An all-out war started, sponges flying, hose spraying, and by the end of it all four of them were soaked to the bone but at least the cars were clean.
“Aki, there are towels in the grey cabinet just inside the garage. Can you grab them?” Yutaka asked, yanking his shirt off over his head. The cabinet was just inside the doors and the Porche was off towards the back behind a curtain. Akira wouldn’t even notice it.
Akira gave him a pointed stare. “You want me to walk away while your clothes are coming off? That seems cruel.” He said before jogging off towards the open garage doors.
Along with the others, Yutaka started cleaning up the brushes, rags, and buckets laying all over the driveway. He’d just finished gathering everything when he realized Akira was standing not ten feet away from him, eyes burning a hole through his skull. When he met his gaze, Yutaka’s heart dropped to the floor. The pain on his boyfriend’s face was like a kick to the gut.
“Akira-”
“Is it you or Kouyou?” His words were whispered but Yutaka heard them loud and clear.
“Aki, it’s not-”
Akira’s eyes went wide. “Is. It. You? Or Kouyou?”
Yutaka’s eyes shifted to his best friend and it was obvious Kouyou knew exactly what had happened. Yuu was looking between them with a frown.
“Don’t you fucking look at him, Yutaka. Look at me. Tell me the truth. Which one of you is the Ruby Rattler?”
Now Yuu got it too. He moved away from Kouyou and stood beside his best friend. “You’re kidding me, right?”
Yutaka held his hands up. “Akira, can we talk about this in private? Please?”
Akira shook his head. “We don’t need to talk. You’ve been lying to me this whole time. I told you who I was and you’ve been kicking my ass on Saturdays only to turn around and comfort me for that exact fucking thing like you actually felt sorry for me. How could you do that? How cruel do you have to be to deceive someone like this? It’s been months, Yuta. When did you plan on telling me? Did you ever? You sat there in front of me on our first date and told me to be proud of second place. Because you were sitting there knowing you’d bested me. I trusted you. I have never hidden anything from you and I trusted you to do the same with me. I’m sorry, but we’re done. Yuu? Are you coming with me?”
Yuu glanced towards Kouyou for just a second and Yutaka could see he was warring with himself but eventually he nodded and followed his friend to their car. Kouyou’s bottom lip trembled and his gaze was full of anger as it turned on him. The moment the Mustang pulled through the gates he broke down, tears pouring from his eyes. “I told you! Yutaka, I fucking told you from the beginning that this was going to blow up on you and now look what you’ve done? I’m going to lose Yuu because of this!”
Yutaka felt tears on his own cheeks as Kouyou stormed off towards the house. His boyfriend, his best friend...he was going to lose them both. His throat was tight, his legs buckled and he ended up on the driveway on his hands and knees. They were...perfect. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. And it hurt so fucking bad. How could he be feeling this much pain and still be breathing?
*******
It took a little over two weeks for Yuu to forgive Kouyou. Another week went by before Kouyou showed up on his doorstep and another hour before he'd forgiven Yutaka too. It made things a little more bearable to have Kouyou with him again but no matter how much he tried not to think about him, Akira was constantly on his mind.
“You’re up against him this weekend, aren’t you?” Kouyou asked as they sat side by side on the living room sofa. His voice seemed too quiet for the high vaulted ceiling.
Yutaka nodded. “I don’t know what to do. If I win, I’m an asshole. If I lose, he’ll think I pitied him. I don’t want to do this race at all.”
Kouyou was quiet for some time, his lips set in a frown. Yutaka couldn’t help but wonder if he had been in contact with Akira after he’d made up with Yuu. He wondered but wasn’t sure he actually wanted to know.
“Maybe you should try to talk to him before Saturday? I haven’t spoken to Akira but Yuu says he’s torn up over this whole thing. He obviously cared about you just as much as you cared for him. Maybe we could help set something up?”
And that’s how Yutaka ended up sitting in the back corner of the cafe where he and Akira had met on their first date. He didn’t want Akira to see him too soon, so he stayed towards the back where it was busy and waited for the mechanic to take his usual seat. Kouyou had told him that Akira thought he was meeting Yuu this morning, so he knew the blond would wait patiently for his friend. The look of disgust on his face when he noticed Yutaka made the pain in his chest ten times worse.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” He hissed as Yutaka sat down opposite of him.
“I know you’re angry at me, and you have every right to be, but we need to talk, Aki. We need too and you know it.”
“Don’t call me that. We don’t need to talk. There’s nothing to talk about. And since it seems that I’ve been tricked into this meeting, I’ll be going now.” He said, picking up his coffee and starting to get up.
“Please. Akira, I’m begging you. Please listen to me. Just once. Let me explain myself and then I’ll leave you alone."
It looked as if Akira would ignore him and walk away but finally, he sat down again. "I don't know what else you could possibly say that would make any difference. You know how I feel about lying. You know how badly what you did hurt me."
“I know,” Yutaka replied. He reached out to touch Akira’s hand but stopped himself just in time. “I know how badly I hurt you. I’m not expecting you to forgive me. I know that isn’t possible. I only want to explain to you that I didn’t do this to hurt you. That wasn’t my intention. It never was.”
Akira turned his head away and Yutaka didn’t miss the way he wiped at his face. He decided to stay quiet. When Akira was ready to listen, then he would talk.
“Okay, explain it to me then because from where I’m sitting, every comforting word you ever said to me now feels like you were mocking me.”
Yutaka had to take a deep breath to keep himself from tearing up. “I swear to you, Akira, I was never mocking you. I meant every word I ever said to you. I wanted to give you advice and comfort you because I know you could be better than me. But that’s only part of what I wanted to say. Aki, I wanted to tell you. The moment you told me who you were I know that I should have said something, but I couldn’t. I was so afraid that if you found out who I was, you wouldn’t have even given me a chance. And I couldn’t live with that. I’d met you only once and I already knew I needed to be with you. Then a couple of weeks later I’d decided I wanted to tell you the truth and you came over but you started talking about how much you wished Ruby Rattler would just disappear and I lost my nerve. I was scared that you would leave. I know...the outcome was the same but I just needed you to know that I never deceived you to hurt you. I just wanted to be with you as long as I could.”
He could see tears in Akira’s eyes; see the way his throat worked harder to swallow. “Is that all? I need to get going.”
“Aki-”
“Don’t. You promised, Yutaka. Don’t make this another lie. I understand what you’ve said.” He said, standing once again. “I forgive you. I forgive you for lying to me, but I can’t make myself trust you again, no matter how much I may want to.”
Yutaka held his breath as Akira leaned over to kiss his forehead. He wasn’t able to look up while his ex left the cafe. His entire world was coming crashing down around him again and he wasn’t sure he could handle it this time. When he could finally move again, Yutaka pulled his phone from his pocket and called Kouyou’s number. The blond answered almost immediately and he could hear Yuu somewhere next to him.
“Yuta? Is everything okay? Are you still with Akira?”
“No. He just le- left. Could you please come and get me? I took a Lyft here.”
Kouyou tsked. “Of course. We’ll be there in ten.”
Yutaka hung up and sat back in his chair. He was thankful that Akira had forgiven him but he wasn’t sure how it was going to feel competing against him in the coming weekend.
*******
Everything. Fucking. Hurt.
Was this heartache? He saw Akira before the race started. The mechanic was wearing dark sunglasses and a slouchy beanie pulled over his hair. Yutaka never would have recognized him if he hadn’t loved him and though it was the hardest thing he’d ever done, he turned and walked the other way; he wasn’t going to lie to Akira ever again.
The next time he’d seen Akira had been through his rearview mirror just before…
Things were starting to make sense. The track had been checked but apparently not well enough. The road had been wet and he hadn’t been prepared. Yutaka remembered the tree; he’d only narrowly missed it. The car had flipped, hadn’t it? Down an embankment towards a highway. Was he still there? Was he sitting upside down in that car still?
With monumental effort, Yutaka forced his eyes open. The room around him was dark but his eyes still hurt and his vision was blurry at first. It took a few minutes of blinking before he was able to recognize the cast encasing his lower left arm and his whole right leg. So he had been transported to the hospital. They must have been keeping him on a good amount of pain medication because he didn’t feel a thing. Yutaka turned his head away from his arm and his heart stopped in his chest.
A mess of blond hair lay on the bed beside him. Akira was here? Why?
******
Akira felt the bed beneath his arms shift and it woke him from his sleep. He’d been so exhausted by the time they’d allowed him in to see Yutaka that it hadn’t taken more than ten minutes for the adrenaline to die down and he’d fallen asleep there beside him. The moment he’d realized that Yutaka was going to be okay, his entire body had felt like a lead weight.
He’d come around the bend of the track just in time to see Yutaka’s car go over the edge. It had slid down the embankment on the roof of the car and stopped just short of the highway. Akira had stopped at the side of the track, dialed 911, and made his way down the steep hill as quickly as he could. The medics arrived and though they assured him that everything would be okay, Akira wasn’t willing to believe it until he could see for himself. They’d allowed him to ride to the hospital in the ambulance because he’d lied and said he was Yutaka’s boyfriend. Once at the hospital, they’d taken Yutaka into the ER then into an operating room. His leg had needed setting and both his radius and ulna had been broken in multiple places. He’d be in pain and need physical therapy but other than that, he was going to be fine.
The time that Yutaka had been asleep had given him time to think as well. He could still feel that anger deep in his chest, but when he’d been sitting there, holding Yutaka’s hand as they drove to the hospital, none of the anger had mattered. The only thing he’d been able to focus on was the fact that he had let this anger force him apart from the only person he’d ever fallen in love with. And that was the truth. He loved Yutaka. He had since the moment the other man had driven into his garage. He hated that Yutaka had lied to him but he hadn’t been wrong. Had Akira known the first day that Yutaka was basically his number one enemy, they never would have dated. He never would have given him a chance. It didn’t make what he’d done acceptable, but it did make it understandable.
Yuu had told him a couple of weeks ago that holding this grudge was stupid; that if he loved Yutaka then this shouldn’t keep them apart. Akira had internally agreed but he’d still been so angry. He wasn’t sure if Yutaka would take him back once he woke up, but he had to try and now it looked like he’d get the chance to find out.
Akira smiled as dark chocolate eyes met his own. There was confusion in their depths. “Hey, sleepyhead. It’s about time you wake up. I’ve been waiting for ages.”
Yutaka’s lips curved into a pretty smile. “Why ar- Akira, what are you doing here? Did Kouyou call you? He shouldn’t have. I’ll keep my promise, you don’t have to be here. I’m fine, but I’m tired. Please, go, so I can sleep.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Yuta. I’m not here because of Kouyou. I’m here because I was scared. I was terrified that you were too badly injured, that you wouldn’t wake up. I was scared of losing you. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“I do.” He nodded. “You don’t have to worry about me anymore though. Residual feelings made you care that I got hurt. You loved me. It’s to be expected. You don’t have to be here though. Just go home.”
“No. Yutaka, listen to me. I’m sorry that I let this go so far. When you get out of here, would you let me come help you with therapy and recovery? We could...make a date out of it?”
He watched Yutaka’s eyes widen. He recognized the hope in their depths. “What about m-”
“People make mistakes, right? If we’re right for each other then we should be able to overcome this.”
Yutaka’s smile was blinding. It took some effort, but he inched his way to the side of the bed and patted the mattress beside him. Akira climbed onto the bed and put an arm around his neck. Yutaka laid his head on his shoulder, nuzzling into his neck.
“Are you in any pain?” He asked, his fingers carding through soft brunette hair.
“Nope.” He answered and Akira could feel him grinning against his throat. “Not anymore.”