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A Rivalry Revealed Novel #1	By : kurahieiritrJIO Category: +G to L > Initial D Views: 2435 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Initial D, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-A Rivalry Revealed Novel #1
- 2-Riv 2
- 3-Riv 3
- 4-Riv 4
- 5-Riv 5
- 6-Riv 6
- 7-Riv 7
- 8-Riv 8
- 9-Riv 9
- 10-Riv 10
- 11-Riv 11
- 12-Riv 12
- 13-Riv 13
- 14-Riv 14
- 15-Riv 15
- 16-Riv 16
- 17-Riv 17
- 18-Riv 18
- 19-Riv 19
- 20-Riv 20
- 21-Riv 21
- 22-Riv 22
- 13
- 14
- 15
CHAPTER 14

Keisuke slid FD into place beside Takumi's hachi roku and shut off the engine. He noticed that Tohji was talking to Takumi, along with Kenta. Takumi nodded and appeared calm as the three conversed. Keisuke relaxed at the visually very positive sign. It made him think his chances with the amber haired man were more favorable than he had originally thought. Fujiwara was holding a conversation with a man who was obvious in his orientation without signs of distress, or hatred. That gave Keisuke hope that he a better chance to persuade the nineteen-year-old to give him a real chance.

The blond walked over to his brother to report in. "Everything's great, Aniki. I have good tires, so we don't need to change them."

"Excellent."

"Hey, Keisuke kun, Your little teammate's more than just really hot, he seems cool too. I can see how you've lost your heart." Akimoto ribbed him again.

'I wish Akimoto would realize how powerful his voice is. If Takumi, or the other team members overhear this conversation, they could put things together. Then Fujiwara will find out how I feel in the worst possible way.'

"Keep your voice down. Damn, Akimoto, do you want to mess things up for me?"

"iie, I thought I'd let you know that I noticed he has a sexy face, and is getting along famously with Tohji."

"Akimoto, don't you even think about it. I'll kill you if you do chase him."

His brother looked up from his laptop display with a thoughtful look. "Keisuke, calm down. Akimoto wants you to react. You're obviously fun to tease because you rise to the bait so quickly."

Keisuke hissed, "Aniki, that's not my point. Akimoto needs to keep his voice down. If he blows it with Fujiwara, I'll kill him. This was your idea."

Ryosuke continued typing. "I'm aware this was my suggestion. You should have faith in Akimoto, and Tohji's judgement. They're here to help you learn Fujiwara's reactions. Isn't the point of this experiment to find out if Fujiwara's homophobic?"

Keisuke hissed again. "True, but that doesn't mean that I want this to blow up in my face, Aniki. If Fujiwara gets wind of this and is phobic, he could leave the team."

Narise interrupted their building argument, "Keisuke san, your crush is doing very well with Tohji kun. I think you're worried about nothing. I don't think Fujiwara's phobic, although he appears to be rather shy by the way I've seen him acting so far."

Keisuke looked at the woman with a start. 'I know Takumi's quiet. He prefers to speak when he's spoken to. Takumi gets uneasy because he thinks he says everything wrong. I told Fujiwara that he's my equal to help him feel comfortable. If he's as shy as Narise suggests, then how can I get him comfortable enough to tell him my real feelings for him?'

"I tend to agree with you, Narise. That doesn't mean that Fujiwara's necessarily open to suggestion, but it's a good sign I think." Ryosuke glanced over at the three men who stood beside Fujiwara's car as he answered. Kenta looked excited as his hands moved while he spoke.

"I think it's time for Jinsei and I to get to know Fujiwara a little better. Then I can be more certain of my sketchy impression of him." Narise moved toward the knot of people a few feet away.

Keisuke felt a knot forming in his gut as he followed the pair, worried about how Akimoto would interact with Takumi. Akimoto's nymphomaniac behaviors could still cause a serious disaster that Project D did not need. He hoped Akimoto would leave Takumi alone since he knew how he felt about the younger man.

Tohji was telling his audience, "He was angry. But, Keisuke kun was a blood-covered wreck so he couldn't do much about my interference. I recall the hospital staff said that both had broken ribs among other injuries that afternoon. It was not the most auspicious first meeting I suppose."

Keisuke stopped next to Takumi, and interrupted the conversation as he grasped the topic. "Yeah, and if not for those busted ribs I'd have kicked your butt for interfering in my fight."

"True, Keisuke kun. Lucky for me you were too injured to be uppity that day."

"Now, Tohji, if Keisuke wasn't uppity at times, things would be dull for us all."

"Aki kun, I think when Keisuke gets obsessed with something, he gets very uppity. He knows very well my thoughts on that score."

Akimoto spoke to Takumi before Keisuke considered how to steer the conversation for the rest of the evening. "So, Fujiwara wasn't it? You're hot. Haha, I can see naze Keisuke scowls when you get brought up!"

"Say, . . . nani? Shit. Naze do I put up with you? You live with your brain in the gutter, Akimoto! Learn some self control!" Keisuke felt panic unfurling in his stomach as he snarled. He had to control the bad feeling he had or he would lose control of the situation. It was rare when Akimoto hit on someone he was interested in, yet the burly fighter had offered to play middle man. Could the burly fighter be testing the waters to make such an offer reality behind his back? Keisuke's stomach tightened again.

Narise grabbed Akimoto's ear and yanked him down to her eye level. "Jinsei, my dear, just because you think he's adorable doesn't give you license to enact lechery. Do I make myself clear?" She glanced over to Takumi as Akimoto whimpered in pain. "Forgive, and ignore him for being so stupid, . . . kudasai? He assumes that if he finds someone attractive, the rest of the world must likewise."

'Please let her words keep Takumi from bolting at the implications her lover just announced to the world.'

Keisuke repressed a groan as he watched how Narise tormented the burly man through a vicious tug that garnered a mild yelp before letting him go. "Jinsei doesn't mean any harm. But, he often forgets that others are not bisexual like himself."

"That's . . . n, n, not a problem." Takumi stuttered hard, and looked very uneasy with the situation.

Keisuke saw the borderline horrified look Kenta shot Akimoto. The sandy haired racer was also upset over the pass. Kenta looked back at Takumi with a small shiver as if trying to judge how he would react. The amber haired teen furrowed his brows, and shifted back against his car, as if poised to escape. Tohji ran his hand across his face with an unintelligible mutter before glaring at his lover.

'Tohji, come up with a way to salvage this mess before I lose my chance to calm Takumi, onegai. Damn it Aniki, how did you convince me to try this plan?'

Aloud Keisuke snarled,"I'm used to this baka saying stupid things that he shouldn't. He's been doing it for years. Che. If it wasn't for the things I owe you for . . ." Keisuke fought to contain his mounting fear as Takumi's eyes took on a distant look.

'Shit, Takumi's thinking about Akimoto's comments. I hope the changes in my attitude don't cause Takumi to recoil, if he puts things together, and realizes I'm in love with him. Will he explode in this parking lot because he figures it out?'

Akimoto pushed again. "But, Fujiwara has that sleepy eyed look. You know they call it bedroom eyes for a reason. It's sexy. I figure it has to be attractive to lots of people."

"Even so, saying that Keisuke kun has a reason to glare sounds like the two of them are at odds, baka! Think before you speak, Aki kun." Tohji tried to salvage the damage done by his lover.

'I'll kill you if you step across the line, Akimoto. I won't let you have Takumi even if he admits that he swings right now. He belongs with me, not you!'

Keisuke growled "Che. Keep your hands off Fujiwara, Akimoto. I won't let you mess with his head."

"Are you making a claim on him, Keisuke kun? Because if you aren't, then he's a free agent. Fujiwara can do as he pleases if he's into swinging." Akimoto gave him a fierce grin.

'Naze the hell is Akimoto trying to force me to make a declaration before we even know if Takumi is open to a same gender lover? He knows I need to sort out how to convince Takumi not to run. This plan is going very wrong. If I speak up and Takumi takes offence, I'll lose more than my heart. Takumi might leave Project D, which would make things messy for Aniki and everyone else.'

Again, Tohji stepped in to try and calm things down. "Keisuke kun, you know Akimoto has a hard time where his libido's concerned. His libido's thinking for him right now, so everything that flies out of his mouth is meaningless. Leave it alone."

"How the hell can I? You heard nani he just said!" Keisuke took a step closer to Akimoto to block him from Takumi as he vented his ire.

Tohji spoke in a calm, yet steel edged voice. "You two fighting won't do anyone any good. You still have a race to win. I'm not saying his methods are smart, only that you should ignore them, Keisuke kun."

'Does Tohji know nani Akimoto is up to? Nani the hell did they decide to do after I left for my test run? I'm going to get some answers just as soon as I convince Fujiwara to calm down. Maybe I should get him to ignore everything Akimoto has said. There's nothing to prove that Takumi's open to dating me yet. Then again it could ruin my chances if he is bi. Fuck! This is turning into one hell of a mess. I have to calm Takumi down fast because he's looking very upset right now.'

"His libido is pissing me the hell off, Tohji! You should know naze too. Fujiwara has the second race tonight. If he gets freaked out, he might lose because he can't concentrate." Keisuke shifted at an angle that allowed him to block Akimoto from the man he wanted for himself.

Takumi spoke as if easily shrugging the unexpected incident off. "I won't lose, Keisuke san. I might not know nani to think of this, but, I can focus on my battle. I'm not ready to lose because another man hit on me. Though, Akimoto san is wrong to assume I would ever accept his offer."

Tohji sighed audibly and relaxed. "Now Akimoto kun knows to stop. Arigato for informing him that you aren't interested, Fujiwara san. He should settle down now."

Akimoto grinned as if he had sprung a grand joke. It irritated Keisuke even more. "You can't blame me for trying."

Keisuke wanted to explode, but fought to contain his annoyance. "Who says I can't blame you for trying? If you would keep your mouth shut, you wouldn't have to fight all the time!"

"But, I like to fight, Keisuke kun. You know that it's fun." Akimoto gave him another challenging grin. For some reason Akimoto was determined to push him.

'I really want to plant a fist into his grinning mouth. I'm in position to be a perfect block between Akimoto and Takumi, which is as close to a declaration as I can get by with under the circumstances. I hope Fujiwara can forgive me for this.'

His older brother stepped into the group giving a firm command. "Both of you need to calm down. Keisuke, don't let Akimoto bait you so easily. Akimoto, refrain from making Fujiwara uncomfortable, yoroshiku. We need to be professionals here. That is an important factor to Project D's success."

Keisuke ground his teeth, frustrated with Aniki's disastrous plan. He glared at his older brother with all the silent fury he felt. He knew his brother understood the silent communication flashing between them as it stretched out for several heartbeats. He noted the subtle shifts in his brother's expression. Ryosuke knew that Akimoto had pushed him into a very bad corner.

Keisuke let his fists unclench and took a deep breath when he was satisfied that Aniki was uneasy about things he had set into motion. "Fine, Aniki."

"Gomen for making trouble, Ryosuke san. I forget to control my mouth sometimes." The big man looked at his older brother with a sheepish expression on his face. Keisuke heard the distinct sound of Fujiwara releasing an explosive breath. He dared not look at his teammate even though he wanted to find a way to calm the younger man's fears.

'Takumi's way too tense after getting hit on. Akimoto really alarmed him. Discovering whether he's homophobic wasn't supposed to happen like this. Now I'm really worried. If he wasn't a homophobe before, he might be considering a change of mind after getting subjected to Akimoto's crap.'

Ryosuke spoke again. "For future reference, Akimoto, consider your words whenever you speak to Fujiwara because he dislikes feeling cornered. Keisuke and I are both aware that our downhill specialist has a temper. Remember that from now on, yoroshiku."

"Oh, Fujiwara has a temper? Hm, I guess that makes sense because a lot of the quiet ones do." The big man raised a hand in a peaceful gesture as Keisuke took a step backward toward the A E hachi roku. Even though he dared not be obvious, Keisuke remained intent on insuring that Takumi remained untouched. The thought that Akimoto had so blatantly hit on his heart's desire left Keisuke blindly angry.

"I won't start a fight, Keisuke kun. I promise I'll behave for the rest of the evening. He turned me down. I can take iie for an answer when it is meant the first time." Akimoto gave Takumi a last glance before he shifted his focus back with a meaningful look. The silent message his long time friend gave him made Keisuke wonder what Akimoto had in mind with his obnoxious actions of the last few minutes.

'Akimoto is up to something specific if that look means nani I think it does. Naze was he pushing me into declaring my feelings for Takumi? Nani is behind the scene Akimoto just made? I was gone long enough for Aniki and Aki to lay a trap for me. Their conversation went silent when I got out of the FD which is suspicious now that I think about it. If Aniki had Akimoto push Takumi this way, I'll have some very harsh words with him once we get home. I can't take Aniki aside and demand an explanation with Akimoto making such an obnoxious pass at Takumi. Still, Aniki could be behind this somehow.'

Ryosuke put a hand on Takumi's shoulder as Keisuke fumed over having lost control of the situation so completely. "Fujiwara, go ahead to the top. It'll be time for your run as soon as Keisuke finishes off his opponent. Don't let this unsettle you. Akimoto was most likely using you to irritate Keisuke since he hasn't seen my brother in a few months. Kenta, ride up with Fujiwara and run the times."

Keisuke considered everything he would say the moment the man he was crazy about was out of earshot. Fujiwara nodded once and got into his car. Kenta took the stop watch Ryosuke held out to him. His brother whispered something to the smaller, brown haired driver. Kenta looked startled. He nodded in reply, and walked to hachi roku's passenger side and got in. The pair headed to the top parking lot.

"Nani the hell are you four thinking?" Keisuke kept his voice down to a soft roar with difficulty. "And nani did you say to Kenta just now, Aniki?"

Ryosuke looked at him with a pointed stare that demanded silence. "You'll understand in a moment. Tohji, nani was your impression of Fujiwara's reaction to Akimoto's propositioning him? Does Keisuke have a chance, or do I need to separate my twin aces before a disaster happens that ruins Project D?"

"So you staged this. I was worried since it isn't like Akimoto to chase someone who belongs to Keisuke kun, even if his libido is difficult for him to control." Tohji swept his jet mane back from his eyes.

Akimoto gave Keisuke an apologetic look. "Ryosuke wondered how your squeeze would react to being hit on by a man. Because he was worried, I did you a favor by taking the heat in your place. Gomen for pissing you off, Keisuke nī."

"Didn't it occur to you that forcing me to declare myself by demanding that I make a claim on Fujiwara was a bad move, Akimoto? Now he knows how I feel about him even if I haven't confessed to anything yet! Or, . . . was that also your idea, Aniki?" Keisuke snarled softly at both men.

"Sumimasen, Keisuke kun, I got excited, and didn't think before that popped out of my mouth. It was an accident. Guess it's because I know you're head over heels for him." Akimoto grimaced after a moment.

"Can we get back to Tohji's impressions, minasan?" Ryosuke looked annoyed, but Keisuke felt cornered, and had to lash out.

"After this disaster it doesn't matter anymore, Aniki. Damn. I wish you'd clued me in on nani to expect. Now, Fujiwara will never speak to me again because Akimoto hit on him, and all but announced that I'm in love with him in his damned challenge."

Tohji placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be so certain, Keisuke kun. Although the way things played out will have told your crush about your true orientation, he didn't have a bad reaction to Akimoto's advances. Remember, he said Akimoto was wrong to hit on him. He also showed no overt violence in being propositioned once he realized it was happening. Before that little scene Aki kun staged, Fujiwara said that his only problem with gays or bisexuals was not knowing how to act around them. It was nice to discover that he actually worries about offending us without intention. He also has concerns about getting offended and not knowing how to request that the offensive behavior be curtailed."

"So? Fujiwara's probably still mad as hell over Akimoto's actions! I can't blame him for being upset about it either. Worse, now he's going to avoid me after I finally got him comfortable with talking to me." Keisuke rubbed the back of his neck as anxiety made his muscles lock and twinge. He had the start of a headache that was expanding rapidly through his skull.

Tohji placed a hand on his hip, giving him a stern look. "Fujiwara never claimed to be straight when Akimoto was baiting him to feel him out to see if he was a swinger, Keisuke. Most men make that claim immediately when someone of the same gender says they're attractive. There was not a single hint of overt heterosexual orientation mentioned in any of his responses. Nothing he said implied that he's homophobic either. Fujiwara said he was unaware of having ever been around bisexuals or gays before myself and Akimoto."

"Keisuke, Tohji raises a very strong point. Fujiwara didn't claim to be straight when Akimoto was pressing him to accept or reject his advances. Think for a moment, little brother." Ryosuke's voice though soft conveyed his optimistic feelings.

"Matte. If Fujiwara didn't claim to be straight, then you think he's bisexual, and aware of it?" Keisuke's eyes shifted between both men looking for confirmation.

Tohji shook his head. "Don't jump to conclusions prematurely. As red as his face was, I'm a little surprised that he didn't make such a claim, or throw a fist at Aki kun's face. Straight men always do that. However, he distinctly said that Akimoto was wrong specifically, not that all men were wrong to flirt with him. That's the most distinctive statement that your crush made when confronted with Aki's blatant advances, Keisuke kun."

Ryosuke gave Tohji, and him a thoughtful look. "Hm, so perhaps Fujiwara isn't overt about his orientation, yet could be open to a man that he knows."

"I can't say for sure. However, I mentioned that most people judge bisexuals, and gays, without giving consideration to the emotions that cause changes in our relationships. Fujiwara said he hadn't thought much about it, but that emotions would make a difference. I liked his honesty. His answer gives me reason to think Fujiwara is fair, and open minded about human failings if nothing else. My impression is that Fujiwara tries to understand through comparisons with his experiences. The way he said things when we were talking truly struck me as him trying to relate to me by making comparisons to things he has experienced."

"Oh, so you hit him between the eyes with us being together, baby. I wouldn't have thought of that." Akimoto smiled at the older man.

"It wasn't a conversational opening piece. I used another route to make such an observation because he was uncomfortable, and I wanted to make certain of the cause. Telling Fujiwara that I had always assumed I was straight until I met you made a difference in Fujiwara's thought processes, and I saw that immediately. Fujiwara kun took it all very well when we discussed how most people hate gays and bisexuals."

"How the hell did you introduce that kind of subject then?" Keisuke a hand through his hair as he demanded an answer.

"I asked Fujiwara if he thought he might like to learn stunt driving. He said iie, but domo for asking. That was the opening I needed to ask if my involvement with Akimoto had anything to do with his refusal to explore the possibilities of such a career."

Ryosuke gave the older man a smile. "So you challenged him to confront both his uneasiness with your orientation, and alternate lifestyle in one sentence. An excellent strategy, Tohji."

"Age and experience in handling such loaded situations makes a difference. Practice makes perfect, Ryosuke kun." Tohji sounded amused.

"That still doesn't tell me nani you whispered to Kenta before he left with Fujiwara, Aniki."

"I believe Kenta's also figured out that you're interested in Fujiwara, if not how strong the attraction is, Little brother. I've noticed that he seems to wish to help you, although I doubt he's brave enough to ask if he can be of service. I simply asked him to calm Fujiwara down, and find a positive spin for the incident." His dark haired brother answered with a superior look.

"Nani? You and he both knew before I had a clue?! Shit, until last weekend I didn't have any idea, but you both had me completely figured out. Naze the hell didn't one of you tell me?" Keisuke felt his alarm growing exponentially as he quietly sputtered at his brother.

Narise interrupted, "Keisuke san, I don't really know you, but from everything Jinsei and Kakeru have said, I'm not certain that informing you of their suspicions would be wise. Had you taken offence, you would have harmed someone."

Sarcasm laced Keisuke's voice, "Arigato for the vote of confidence."

Ryosuke frowned at him. "Don't get angry with Kenta or Narise. I know Kenta will calm Fujiwara down, and help you if possible at the same time. Perhaps you should trust Kenta, Keisuke."

"When Kenta wants to worm information out of people that don't want to talk, he gets results, Aniki. He isn't the problem, Fujiwara figuring things out and panicking on him is my biggest concern."

Tohji gave a satisfied nod. "Good to know. I might offer Kenta kun an opportunity to do a tryout for stunt work. He has enthusiasm, and brains are always welcome in my field."

Ryosuke turned to look at the older man as he did. Keisuke was the first to speak. "Are you serious?"

"Hai. We've known him for the two years you've had him on your team. He seems like a fairly talented driver. Kenta has enthusiasm, and you've given him added instruction. Combined, it gives me reason to think I could train him within reasonable time."

"If Kenta wishes to be a stunt man I think it would be a good experience." Ryosuke nodded before he glanced at his watch. Keisuke noted the dive Ryosuke's brows took as he saw the time.

"Keisuke san, are you going to be able to drive?" Narise asked after she glanced at her own watch.

"Hai. I'll win this battle." Keisuke took several bracing breaths, and tried to silence the last of his annoyance so he could focus completely on the race.

"One thing before you go, Keisuke kun." Tohji placed a hand on his shoulder. "Fujiwara is a rather cautious shonen. His very strong desire to go unnoticed dictated most of his actions with me tonight. Shy people need to know a person fairly well before they can express or accept love. Keep in mind that instead of offence over Akimoto's pass, he displayed very severe embarrassment It was as if he was worried over anyone finding him attractive enough to make a pass. I think you might have a real chance. You're someone that Fujiwara already knows. You may have to move slowly to get anywhere with him because he is somewhat defensive, but, I'm rarely wrong in how I judge people. So focus on your race with an easier heart."

"Domo arigato, Tohji kun. I'll keep that in mind." Keisuke walked to his yellow FD with the advice in his ears.

Disastrous or not, Tohji had a point. It was rare when he read people incorrectly. If he thought Takumi might be open to him instead of Akimoto, then he would design a plan that hinged on a slow approach to get results. Keisuke cleared his mind as he turned on the FD's engine. He had a race to win. The blond felt better since Tohji had given him hope.
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A Rivalry Revealed Novel #1