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Arthur bit his lip as he wandered through the gathering under the bridge. If his nervous posture hadn't already set him apart, his appearance did the trick. He wasn't the type that blended well with the leather clad women and broad shouldered men that seemed to populate the crowd. He was painfully aware of how bright his blonde hair was compared to the various contrast of black and neon colored dyes.
They walked with their heads held high and more than once so far Arthur had been subject to a steel studded glare by those who had no time for his meeker attitude. It was the type, the crass and sharp sort, that he often left to his uncle. As customers they knew what they wanted and were aggressive in getting it. So more often than not Arthur would make himself scarce when he caught them coming into the automotive store and left them to the patient practice of his uncle Lance.
It was just precautionary, he would tell himself. Arthur knew he was timid and spooked easily. He didn’t want to upset the customers by stuttering or locking up. That was all. He wasn’t running from people that made his heart skip. Arthur certainly wasn’t hiding in the back to keep himself from getting caught up in all that leather and heavy metal.
But it was after those particular days, when he went up to his room and lay in his bed, that he heard it. He heard them. The powerful, distant roar of finely tuned machines. When he would climb to the roof he could make out the neon lights that flashed along the dry canal. Arthur had lain awake on countless nights and imagined those beautiful beasts that tore through the streets. Even his dreams had been tainted with their nitrous exhaust.
And that night the call had finally reached a peak. After closing Arthur had snuck away from his room to join the party. Though now he regretted it. Anxiety was biting at his heels. There were too many people, he stuck out too much. Everyone was too close. The noise was more disorienting in the throng.
It was too much.
As quickly as he could he weaved his way towards the thinner edges and then hurried on past. He had been turned around in the crowd and now found himself wandering into the large cavern of the canal tunnel. Arthur chewed his lip as he stared into the darkness. He glanced back towards the crowd and swallowed his nerves. The tunnel wouldn’t be too long with no big surprises. He had never braved them at night but at the moment it was the tunnels or the crowd and a quiet walk was far less daunting.
Taking a deep breath Arthur pulled out his phone and flipped on the light. With that he set off down the rabbit hole. The noise faded quickly, much to Arthur’s relief. The thick walls ate away the commotion and left only the faint thrum of music and the growl of engines. Familiar, calming noises. Arthur sighed and kicked at a bit of debris on the floor. What a waste. What a stupid mistake.
His eyes fell to the ground as he walked. What had he been playing at? He wasn’t the kind of guy meant for this. He should have stayed in bed. His knees knocked into a solid object. The flash of pain and the scramble to catch himself tore his head from his mulling. His phone clattered to the side, its light shining erratically as it skipped, slid, and then fell to the ground with a dull crack just before the light went dead. Arthur was left in the dark but found himself more concerned with what he had just hit, rather than his phone. He found his weight resting on the smooth metal of what felt like a hood. His knee was hooked against a grill. The other resting on a fender.
Arthur took in a shaky breath as he put weight on his arms, hands splayed against the cool metal.
Then the lights kicked on.
A pale neon pink light burst from the underside of the car and drenched the tunnel. It illuminated the car, with its lustrous onyx finish, and brought out the pale filigree of the skull motif across the hood. It was gorgeous. The car itself was built heavy. A sturdy, broad body on a low frame. Arthur would have dropped to his knees to get a look underneath or popped the hood if he could but the driver’s side door opening snapped him out of his revery. He remembered the machine belonged to someone and they probably wouldn’t like him laying on their ride.
He hurried to scramble off the vehicle and start his apology but his words died in his throat the moment he got a look at the driver.
Arthur was painfully aware of how the other man towered as he walked, oh so calmly, to the front of the car. Arthur couldn’t hold back a whimper and a shuffle back. The magnitude of this night’s mistake was blaring in his head and fear was offering a thousand different scenarios for how the unfolding scene was about to play out. None of them were good. Arthur felt his breath hitch in his throat when the driver stopped in front of him. The neon lights were playing terrifying shadows over a strong face and almost made it seem like the messily groomed violet hair was alight.
He caught a reflection of himself in the mirrored aviators the driver wore and could see how small and frightened he was. There was only one thought that went through his head then.
Oh god I’m gonna die!
_____
Lewis was resting in his car. Waiting for vivi to come and get him. All the lights off and meditating until a thump. And the car coming alive.
Curious at what the fuck is going on he sits up and sees Arthur. And, oh no, that's strange. A blonde twink on his roof. He figures it might be a new racer or scene kid and steps out to see.
Because they're kind've cute.
But said twink is skittish and under scrutiny is babbling and cowering. It's broken up by Vivi charging back.
Cops.
Arthur bolts. Louis wants to grab him but he and Vivi jump in the car and scram.
Cut to Arthur next day. Coming off his high and at the shop. Day to day things. Blah blah. At a point Louis comes in with his van. Arthur is okay dealing with him cuz day time louis doesnt have his mien popped so he's fairly approachable. Louis recognizes him from the night before but doesn't say anything. He wants to try and be subtle.
Vivi is having none of that the moment she catches any wind of it. She wants to investigate. And she will go with Mystery to do so.
She plots out to run into Arthur, using Mystery as a lead in. It turns out Arthur is deadly afraid of dogs. Vivi swoops in to try and calm him down and offers him lunch as an apology. He accepts to be polite but quickly hides.
Vivi has to fess up to Louis that her idea went askew. Louis has to pat her and say they'll take their time.
They start coming by intermittently and chatting him up. Getting lunch and talking. Arthur warms up to them and eventually builds enough confidence to hit the circuit again. This time he goes with a good luck token. Louis' scarf.
He hits the scene. Starts getting overwhelmed when he runs into Mordred. The man is energetic and pokes a bit at Arthur. Assuming he's new or belongs to another team.
Arthur says he doesn't but he's confused when Mordred mentions 'Ghost's colors'. Mordred proceeds to take him on, much to Lafaye's chagrin. But it's worth it as Arthur just kinda succumbs to Mordred's charm and energy and gets to actually see a race. A race where Mystery is showing off.
Mordred explains that said rider is the Kitsune and the other angry bike rider facing off with him is Shiromori. Long standing thing there. He guesses it’s maybe an old fling. And now Arthur sees magic in their plumes and how they ride and hears the shriek of Shiromori’s engine.
He has to comment that it doesn’t sound right. It sounds like it’s hurting.
Mordred shrugs.
The race goes. Kitsune wins. Shiromori slinks away. The night goes as Arthur is dazzled by Mordred.
It makes a pattern.
Arthur starts to make a habit. Talking more with Lewis and Vivi and getting friendly and visiting Mordred on the nights there’s a race. And one time he sees the Ghost race. At a distance he sees him and his dazzling partner. A towering dark figure struck through with violet and a woman in all blinding white. Cut under the faintest ice blue. They’re stunning. And Arthur’s heart thumps as he clutches his scarf and makes guesses.
And it’s on one of these nights to a circuit that he spots Shiromori. Alone and hissing over her bike. Arthur chances towards her and gets a face full of fang for his trouble. Which immediately unsettles him and he babbles about her bike and it hurting and what he hears. She relents in a huff and lets him at it. Just to shut him up.
He takes the chance. And with her help holding the bike he dives in. His sense zeroing on that whine. Her snarling over his shoulder. A time pressure but he’s focused. Straining to find it and get his arm into a spot annnd got it. His finger sparks against a spot and he feels the wires unbunch and the belt straighten. Tighten. He draws back. The bike is singing.
Shiromori tries it and it revs. She’s begrudgingly impressed. Arthur forgets to be scared. She thanks him and heads off. Arthur goes to join Mordred. The races line up. Another match between Shiromori and Kitsune. But this time there’s a deeper challenge. Shiromori is closer than she ever has been. Kitsune is being matched. And then she peels ahead in a wash of white petals and smoke. Winning.
The crowd is in an absolute upset. They’re roaring and cheering. And Shiromori stands in the spot light and basks and howls. Arthur cheers because it was an amazing race and his work helped. It’s in the wind down Shiromori appears. Offers him a ride home. Mordred is floored. Arthur says yes.
She drops him at home and thanks him. Arthur heads to sleep.
In the day Mystery in dog form comes to visit. Arthur has been working on being okay with the dog and it shows. But Shiromori shows up. In civilian wear. No drastic makeup and sharp teeth. Normal clothes. Arthur is floored.
“Yeah yeah welp. We all have our tricks.” She flashes the flowers in her eyes. “And since yours are so useful I wanted to bring this by to see if you could do some work on it.”
It’s a bike but not her racer. Arthur and her chat. He doesn’t notice Mystery all but flee.
Mystery tells Vivi and Lewis that Arthur is working with Shiromori. And they have to collectively debate what that could mean and if it’s true. But they decide that if it’s true they’ll see if he’s going to the next circuit.
So the next race comes. They show up and look. And there he is. Standing with Mordred and chatting him up. And Lewis feels that flare. Of wanting and a ping of jealousy. And Vivi is focused. They understand. They can’t keep this life separate now. They just can’t and don’t need to. So they’ll show off and head up to him. Approach and before anything Arthur looks at them and says:
“Oh hey Lewis. Vivi.”
They stutter to a stop. All the wind out of their sails.
Arthur just smiles. He plays with the scarf around his neck.
“I mean. It was pretty confusing when Mordred said I was wearing your colors. I figured it was a coincidence at first. But seeing what people can do. Then getting to watch you guys. Oh, uh, not in like a creepy way! But here. The couple of races. I thought it had to be you guys! But I wasn’t sure. It was seeing Shiromori after that. When she visited me. That confirmed it. Heh… I… I probably should have said something sooner. I don’t know. I didn’t want to just.. assume. “
He rambles as Vivi and Lewis gawk. Slowly they share a look. Vivi grins. Lewis smiles. He’s the first to break down into a laugh. Vivi giggles. Their laughter makes Arthur stop rambling. It’s then they properly approach him.
“Arthur we should have told YOU. And we’re sorry we didn’t sooner.”
He dismisses it easily.
“And if you can forgive that we would like to start something off right. Would you be willing to be our partner.”
Arthur thinks they mean pit crew.
“Our partner. Dating. We would like to date you.”
Shock. And then elation. Agreement.