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Nothing could be heard over the sound of the roaring engine as Jaehyun stared ahead at the empty road that had been temporarily closed to the general population. As night fell upon the city the streets had turned into a racing track for people like Jaehyun - people who lived and breathed for the thrill of adrenaline. Just like every racer Jaehyun was here to win, but unlike his opponents - he had never had a single loss in his career ever since he had begun racing at the age of seventeen. Some said that he was the best one in the game and others said that he was just a one lucky bastard. If you were to ask Jaehyun, he would simply admit that he was both. Nothing could stand in the way of his victory - winning was everything to Jaehyun because no one cares about those who come second, right?
The growing tension in the air could be felt with every passing second. There were five cars racing tonight, including Jaehyun’s silver Godzilla. Jaehyun never thought too hard about his opponents because he knew that there was not a single person who could match his skills. However tonight was different. Tonight he was competing against him.
Just when he glanced to his left, the Red Porsche 911 GT3 R was pulling up and it came to a stop right next to him. The rolled down windows gave Jaehyun a perfect view of his opponent’s face: rosy lips that stretched into a menacing smirk, sharp angles that looked like they could leave a bloody cut if you dared to touch, eyes dark and ominous - so much that they could make anyone’s blood run cold. All those things described the man Jaehyun was competing against - Lee Taeyong, a member of a rival racing team, his supposed enemy.
Taeyong’s silver-white hair reflected against the street lights, turning a light shade of blue. He was wearing a white jacket that hung loose over his bare shoulders. Jaehyun’s eyes darted to the milky skin of Taeyong’s torso and for a second, he forgot how to breathe.
Noticing Jaehyun’s attention on him, Taeyong met his eyes and gave him the cockiest of his smirks. He knew the effect he had on the high and mighty Jeong Jaehyun - the man was wrapped around Taeyong’s fingers and they both knew that. Neither backed away from the intense eye contact as the tension between them rose to the complete maximum. Jaehyun could see Taeyong’s dark orbs brewing with excitement and anticipation - a sight both intriguing and terrifying. That was the thing about Taeyong - he turned into an absolute maniac when he was on the track. And Jaehyun would be damned if he said that he wasn’t attracted to that side of Taeyong too.
A deafening cheer from the crowd followed as the countdown began. Taeyong’s smile grew wider as his eyes never left Jaehyun’s.
The next second they both heard a loud signal, indicating the beginning of the race, and in a heartbeat, all racers speeded ahead.
Jaehyun felt his heart racing as adrenaline pumped through his body like gas through the engine of his vehicle. This was the enchanting moment he constantly longed for - the moment of complete freedom. As the engine thundered in his ears and the cold breeze blew over his tense body, he felt like he could finally breathe. Jaehyun knew he was born for this. Going faster and faster until the thrill of speed overcame the fear of death. The incentive to get out and run, increase mileage and feel the roar of the engine was all he ever wanted.
However, as he glanced at the red Porsche that was speeding ahead of him, Jaehyun knew that there was something he wanted even more now. He wanted Taeyong. Taeyong who kept him on the edge, intrigued him with every quirk of his personality and lulled him in like a dark spell - was Taeyong that Jeong Jaehyun was in love with.
Love was never a part of his vocabulary but as Jaehyun sped down the highway with Taeyong overtaking him by a few seconds - he couldn’t help but think that this was love, this was the highest form of bliss. It felt like heaven's gates had opened for him as he heard the choir in Taeyong’s voice. The moment the rivalry turned into something much more fiery, the moment when he tasted Lee Taeyong for the very first time. Their relationship was far from perfect. They never put a label on it and the constant push and pull played mind tricks on Jaehyun every time he had the chance to spend time with Taeyong outside of the racing track. Though, despite it all, Jaehyun was not going to back down. After all, this was a competition too - a competition for Lee Taeyong’s heart.
Jaehyun’s hands gripped tighter and tighter on the steering wheel the closer they got to the finishing line. He glanced at the red Porsche, wanting to see the driver’s face - and that was his mistake… or maybe it was a deliberate decision to slow down but no one needs to know that. Those few seconds of hesitation gave Taeyong an advantage to win, to make Jaehyun experience his first loss.
Taeyong reached the line first, with Jaehyun finishing half a second later. Loud cheers and blasting music reached his ears once Jaehyun came down from the bliss of the race and adjusted to his surroundings. He watched Taeyong step out of the car in his full glory as his comrades rushed his way to celebrate his victory. Maybe it was the aftermath of the adrenaline high but Jaehyun felt dizzy as he looked at Taeyong’s pearly smile. It was dazzling and bright. A complete opposite of his usual smirk.
Jaehyun stepped out of the car just when he noticed the winner walking his way. Taeyong stopped in front of him, still wearing the same victorious smile.
“Congrats.” Jaehyun said, leaning against the car door and biting back a smile.
“What happened there? Why did you hesitate?” Taeyong inched closer. “Did you let me win on purpose?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Hm..” Jaehyun shrugged, tilting his head to the side and flashing Taeyong a cheeky grin. “I just got distracted.”
“By what?”
“By you.”
Taeyong let out a chuckle at the words. His palms found their way on Jaehyun’s chest as he pressed himself closer to whisper the next words into Jaehyun’s ear. “Come see me tonight. I missed you.”
The last thing Jaehyun cared about in that moment was the curious eyes of the bystanders that were thrown off by the unusual exchange between the two rivals. Not when his heart chanted Taeyong’s name, dazed by the words spoken by him.
He bit his lip to hide his smile and gave Taeyong a quick nod before the latter was dragged away by his teammates.
Jaehyun watched him from the side for a while as Taeyong’s smile beamed with every compliment he received. And in that moment Jaehyun felt victorious despite his own loss. He was the winner after all.