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Kojiro crosses his arms over his chest and sighs through his nose right as Cherry Blossom streaks across the finish line, his rival coming to a shaky halt with bitterness etched into his expression.
Never one for fanfare, it had been a surprise to hear that Kaoru agreed to be the final skate of the night, but it made sense. The newcomer, Yo, had been hot on his heels all night demanding a beef, though Kaoru had been ignoring him with a distinct look of annoyance. Perhaps he had caved for his own sanity, or because he knew that his presence in the final skate would draw lively crowds and be a firm reminder of Cherry Blossom's cherished position within the S community. Maybe he just wanted to embarrass the poor guy.
In any case, it's ultimately Carla's long form that gives him a decent lead at the end, and the crowd erupts into screaming cheers.
Not one to linger, Kaoru is quick to tuck his board under his arm and begin to head out, dodging fans wanting to congratulate or cozy up to him as he goes.
Someone's tugging at Kojiro's jacket sleeve, calling out to him—had she said her name was Jenny?—but her presence feels distant as Kaoru passes by, steely gaze locking onto Kojiro's own.
His heart jumps into his throat for that painfully long second, and he wonders if Kaoru will have anything to say—if he should be the one to say something.
It's been weeks since their S adrenaline last led them beneath each other's sheets, a week since Kaoru's latest insistence that they ’are never doing that again', and Kojiro's starting to believe him this time.
And who is he to argue, having been the one to end their relationship in the first place, only to later allow Kaoru to take comfort in his arms and in his bed. He is hardly in a position to ask more of Kaoru than he already has, and it makes him sick to think of his own selfishness.
That's why, when he opens his mouth, guilt and silence tie his tongue. His indecision puts a crease between Kaoru's eyebrows, and Kaoru turns his nose up at him in response, continuing to walk by without further acknowledging Kojiro's presence.
Damn it.
Shoulders falling, Kojiro tries to bite back his disappointment and paste on an easy Joe smile, not wanting his company to notice the interaction (or lack thereof). He's about to turn to Jenny—or had she left already?—when alarmed gasps and chatter have him tensing.
Yo, the man Kaoru had left at the finish line, storms by, knocking shoulders and driving people out of his way as he goes. With his shoulders squared and eyes narrowed, it's clear that he's furious, and he makes a bee line for Kaoru.
"That's it?" he snaps, loudly slapping his palm against the underside of his board to draw attention. Kaoru flinches at the sound but continues on his way without looking back.
Kojiro's feet are already moving, taking him closer to the scene. He can't ignore the unease coiling in his gut, but he forces himself not to intervene, lest he overreact and make a scene that Kaoru won't forgive him for.
"I refuse to lose because you cheat with your board. Race me again," Yo demands, now mere steps behind Kaoru and keeping pace with him. "Do you hear me? This isn't over."
"What's done is done," Kaoru replies coolly, ponytail swishing behind him as his feet start to move faster.
Yo's steps falter, fists flexing at his sides, and Kojiro sees the moment his expression changes to one of intent. Kojiro shoots forward, but Yo is faster, catching up to Kaoru in the blink of an eye.
"Hey, asshole, look at me when I'm talking to you—"
"Kaoru—!"
Yo's hand darts out, fist tightly ensnaring pink hair and yanking. Carla clatters onto the ground, and Kaoru stumbles back with a pained shout, hands flying up to his head as his knees begin to buckle.
Kojiro sees red.
With one hand firmly gripping the top of Kaoru's ponytail to ease the strain on his scalp, Kojiro harshly drives his knuckles down against Yo's wrist. Swearing, Yo lets go of Kaoru's hair, and Kojiro is on him in an instant, hooking his arms around Yo's and twisting them behind his back.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he snarls, his S persona and reputation the farthest things from his mind.
Yo grunts and struggles against his hold, thrusting his head back in a useless attempt to smack Kojiro in the face. "Get your hands off of me! This is none of your business."
Kojiro pulls his arms tighter, feeling a twinge of satisfaction when he hears his shoulder crack at the stress.
"It's absolutely my business," he says lowly, jostling Yo for emphasis. "You don't touch him like that. You don't touch anyone. Anything is fair game while you're racing, but S has no place for sore losers like you."
He sees movement out of the corner of his eye, one of the capmen stepping forward to investigate the scene, and Kojiro calls him over with a jerk of his head. "Get this guy out of here before I punch his face in, will you?"
The capman hesitates, hand going to his earpiece before he nods and steps forward.
"Your badge is being revoked. Where is it?" the man asks, a second capped figure walking up on Yo's other side.
"Fuck you," Yo responds, spitting on his shoes.
The capmen nod to each other before checking Yo over, searching his shirt and pockets until they recover his S patch from his front pocket.
"We'll escort him," one of the men says to Kojiro, nodding as he takes over holding his arms back. "Let's go."
With Yo being led out of sight, any sign of aggression leaves Kojiro as he lets out a big sigh. He can feel his hands trembling with adrenaline, even as his energy begins to crash. Worry overwhelms his exhaustion, though, as he looks around for any sign of Kaoru. A woman decked out in too much body paint points to one of the open doors leading out of the warehouse, and Kojiro hurries off in that direction.
When he gets outside, he finds Kaoru leaning against the exterior wall, chin tucked against his chest and eyes shut tight. Carla chimes at a steady pace that Kaoru matches with his breathing, and Kojiro's chest aches at the familiar sight.
"Here I thought you'd lost your voice, but it turns out the gorilla can still bellow after all."
Kojiro startles, looking up from the rise and fall of Kaoru's chest to find Kaoru eyeing him warily.
"Kaoru..."
Kojiro falters, a weighty knot of emotion clenching around his throat as he tries to speak any of the million thoughts on his mind.
That scared me.
I'm worried about you.
Are you okay?
What can I do to help you?
I never want to let anyone hurt you again.
I miss you.
I love you.
But once again, with Kaoru's attention on him, he wavers like a coward.
Frustrated with himself, he opens his mouth to try again, but this time, Kaoru cuts him off.
"I'm fine."
His voice sounds firm, certain, but Kojiro doesn't miss the way his golden eyes wander in that second, nor the way, nor the way he's fidgeting with the wrappings on his arm.
The sight of the anxious tick helps Kojiro harden his resolve.
"I'm sorry," he says like it's a heavy confession, soldiering on even as Kaoru tenses in surprise. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'm sorry I didn't do enough."
It's his guilt for failing to protect Kaoru tonight, but they both know it's so much more than that. An apology for leaving, for breaking trust, for giving in to stress and insecurities and pushing Kaoru away when all Kaoru had needed was the comfort of his presence.
Silence stretches between them, disturbed only by distant murmurs of S-goers as they withdraw for the night. Louder is the beat of Kojiro's heart in his ears, but he hardly hears it, desperately hanging onto Kaoru's every breath for a sign of a reaction.
Eventually, Kaoru shakes his head, then nods, shoulders falling.
"Okay."
A simple acknowledgement, but it holds volumes coming from Kaoru, and Kojiro feels his knees go weak with relief. It's not forgiveness, but it's not a rejection, and for the first time, Kojiro feels confident that he hasn't lost or ruined everything.
Kaoru pushes off from the wall and turns away.
"Good night, Kojiro."
"Wait," he says, stepping after him.
He regrets it immediately, freezing in his tracks when Kaoru flinches, hands protectively patting his ponytail before guiding it to drape over the front of his shoulder, out of reach. The reaction confirms Kojiro's suspicions, revealing the unease Kaoru has been trying to mask.
"Will you stay at my place tonight?" he asks, because he can’t bear to watch Kaoru walk into the dark night by himself, even if he’s done so countless times.
Kaoru shoots him an icy glare over his shoulder.
"Not like that, princess," Kojiro scoffs at the misunderstanding, the heat of embarrassment creeping up the back of his neck. "Just...will you let me take care of you?"
I don't want you to be alone right now.
Kaoru rolls his eyes and turns his face away. "I don't need a thoughtless ape to do that. I can take care of myself."
"Please."
The single word is soft, fragile, exposing Kojiro's vulnerability and the fact that, even if Kaoru is truly okay, Kojiro isn't.
He hears Kaoru sigh and watches him raise a hand to his face, though he can't quite see what Kaoru's doing. Kojiro imagines him rubbing the tension from his forehead.
He hopes that's all it is, anyway.
"Okay."
The reply is quiet enough that Kojiro almost misses it, and he strains to listen when he hears what might be a hitch in Kaoru's breath. He’s caught off guard when Kaoru turns around suddenly, and though his eyes are thankfully dry, he looks even more exhausted than Kojiro feels—resigned, even.
With a deep inhale, Kojiro slowly steps forward until he's at Kaoru's side. Almost immediately, Kaoru sways on his feet, leaning against Kojiro's arm for support and allowing his head to rest on Kojiro's shoulder for only a moment.
"Take me home," Kaoru murmurs, and this time, Kojiro's sure he hears a crack in his voice.
Kojiro can't help but press a kiss into Kaoru's hair, nuzzling gently against his head before pulling away.
"Yeah, let's go home."