Acceleration (IDP #3)

"Takumi-kun has been looking happier," Natsuki said.

"I have?"

"Mmm-hmm. Is it the road racing? Or do you have a boyfriend?"

Keisuke's face popped into Takumi's head, immediately followed by the all-too-clear memory of leaning against his car, knees weak, while Keisuke swallowed him down and Ryousuke watched. "I don't have a boyfriend," he protested, not quite quickly enough.

"I see," Natsuki said, in that thoughtful voice that Takumi was learning to dread. "Then it must be the racing."

"Maybe," Takumi said, and changed the subject. She didn't need to hear about the most recent challenge, and the bastard who'd issued it.

It didn't occur to him who would hear, whether he told them or not, until the day after the challenge in question. Takumi was outside scrubbing at the Trueno when his father came to the door. "Oi. Phone call."

"Who is it?"

"Takahashi," his father said.

Takumi froze still for a moment, then carefully set down his rag and walked into the tofu shop. His father headed out, as if to take his place scrubbing. Takumi watched him go, then picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"What were you thinking?"

"Hello, Keisuke-san," Takumi said, glancing out the door again. If the old man was listening, he at least wasn't doing it anywhere visible.

"I didn't think you were that stupid, Fujiwara!"

"I won," Takumi pointed out.

"You shouldn't have taken the challenge!"

"You told me a racer doesn't back down --"

"I should hand you over to aniki," Keisuke said grimly. "Do you have pen and paper there?"

"Yes." They took orders over the phone, sometimes.

"Good. This is aniki's cell phone number --"

"Keisuke-san, I don't --"

"Shut up, Fujiwara. If you're going to race assholes like Shingo Shoji, then you're going to have better back-up than just those Speed Stars friends of yours, got it?"

"I'm fine," Takumi said patiently, trying not to smile. Keisuke would hear it in his voice and get even more pissed with him.

"The only reason you aren't in the hospital is because you have better driving instincts than anyone except aniki," Keisuke said sharply. "There's a reason Nakazato's the leader of the Night Kids, and it's not just because he's faster."

"I'm fine," Takumi repeated.

Keisuke only rattled off a series of numbers, which Takumi wrote down and recited back to him. "Thank you," Keisuke said, sounding a little more relaxed. "I don't want to only hear about your race the day it happens."

"Any race?" The smile had slipped through, Takumi realized, but he didn't care any more.

"Every race," Keisuke said. A moment's pause, and then he added, "Are you free now?"

"I think so." He'd finished at the gas station for the day, anyway.

"Good. Come over here, Fujiwara."

"Um, Keisuke-san, I don't know the way. And my car is --" Not damaged, really, but marked. His father had said he was taking the car to a body shop that evening.

"Leave it, then," Keisuke said, almost absently. "Aniki's on his way to get you." His voice dropped into something like a purr. "See you." And he hung up, without waiting for Takumi's quiet, "Bye," in response.

Takumi went back out, to find his father frowning over the scratches again. "Done talking to your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend," Takumi said, and retrieved the rag from the bucket of water.

"Huh. As long as you're back in time for the delivery --"

"I know."

A moment of silence, while Takumi scrubbed. He could feel his father's eyes on him. Finally Bunta sighed, and muttered something that almost sounded like, "Be careful," before he headed back into the tofu shop.

He'd wanted to wait outside, but there was only so much soap and water could do to improve the kind of scratches and dings he'd apparently put into the Trueno. Finally he went inside to rinse himself off, and came out again to find Ryousuke talking to Bunta. Politely, of course. Everyone was polite to his old man, no matter how rude he acted.

Whatever they were saying, they broke it off as he approached. Ryousuke returned to the FC, and Bunta headed for the door, with a casual, "See you," to Takumi. Takumi shook his head, and got into the FC. Some days, he just didn't get his father.

"I'm glad you could come," Ryousuke said.

"Thank you for inviting me."

They both fell quiet after that. Takumi watched Ryousuke driving. He'd paid attention, the last few times Iketani had mentioned the Takahashi brothers, but it still felt like he knew more from his own encounters with them than from that kind of information. Their dad owned a hospital clinic, according to Iketani, so they were rich. They were really good drivers who both preferred rotary engines. They were gay. They were apparently sleeping together. And Keisuke could make him come like his own hand never could. That wasn't much to go on.

"What happened?" Ryousuke asked abruptly.

"Eh?"

"You were ahead at the half-way point," Ryousuke said, glancing over at him. "And you won, while Shoji crashed."

Oh, of course. "I don't remember," Takumi admitted. "He hit me, and after that I guess I got angry."

He'd been angry before that -- Itsuki didn't deserve to land in the hospital, not for someone else's challenge. But when the red Civic had clipped him, it wasn't enough just to win any more. He couldn't remember what he'd been thinking, if he'd been thinking at all, just that he wanted to pound that bastard's face.

"But you still won," Ryousuke said. He sounded almost amused, and Takumi looked over in time to catch another small smile on his face.

"Yes," Takumi agreed, and tried to think of a way to change the subject. "I didn't know you were there."

"We were watching halfway down," Ryousuke said, as casually as if his brother hadn't just yelled at Takumi for even trying to race without them there. "Your friends passed a few minutes later, or else we would have followed you down as well." He signaled, and turned off onto a back road Takumi didn't recognize that must lead to Akagi.

"Ryousuke-san --" He wasn't a Red Sun (although he wasn't really a Speed Star either, despite Iketani's occasional hopeful requests). There was no reason for them to offer him support like that.

"Why did you accept that challenge?" Ryousuke said.

"Because he hit my friend's car." Takumi kept his eyes firmly fixed on the road in front of them.

"Did they tell you to do so?"

"No. Iketani-sempai said I shouldn't accept it."

"You knew about the gum tape?"

"Yes."

"Then why accept a challenge from someone you knew was willing to stoop to those levels?"

"Because he needed to be beaten," Takumi said stubbornly.

"Ch'." Ryousuke shook his head. "You're very like Keisuke sometimes."

"What?" Takumi looked away from the road, startled.

"He doesn't think," Ryousuke said. "He makes his decisions, not just in races but anywhere, according to an instinct that isn't yet fully developed." Despite the harshness of the words, he had a soft smile on his face, and his voice was gentle. "Yours, on the other hand, is more developed than I would ever have expected."

"I've been driving for a while now."

"Not only with driving," Ryousuke said softly, and pulled the car over to the side. Takumi had just enough time to realize what he intended before he leaned over and kissed Takumi.

It wasn't like kissing his brother: where Keisuke kissed without hesitation, demanding a response, Ryousuke lured you out with deceptive gentleness. The result was the same: the world focused down to the feel of Ryousuke's mouth and tongue, his shoulder under Takumi's hand, his hand sliding down Takumi's front to rest on his waist.

Then Ryousuke abruptly broke the kiss and sat back. "You're dangerous, Fujiwara." His voice was calm, but he was breathing quickly.

"You kissed me," Takumi said, a bit grumpy. He'd been enjoying the kiss.

"Yes, and Keisuke warned me that kissing you was like heading downhill with no brakes." Ryousuke started the car again, and merged back onto the road. "He's still waiting, and I don't want to start without him."

"Too late," Takumi muttered.

Ryousuke laughed softly -- not in mockery, more like something slipping through his control, just a little. "Patience. We'll be home soon enough."

'Home' turned out to be a Western-style house, all wood and windows. Ryousuke parked the FC in a detached garage, then led Takumi through a door into a wide entrance hall. "We're home," he called.

"Welcome back," Keisuke said, appearing at the top of the stairs. "Which room are we--"

"My room," Ryousuke said, heading up the stairs and leaving Takumi to follow. Takumi hesitated a moment, but there was no sign of either mother or father, and this wasn't an ordinary visit anyway. He followed Ryousuke up the stairs.

He found Keisuke pinning his brother against the wall, and brushing a kiss over his lips. Keisuke turned to smile at him and kiss him too, lingering over his mouth, one hand on Takumi's shoulder. Takumi was just beginning to relax into it when Keisuke broke it off and looked over his shoulder at his brother. "You kissed him?" He didn't sound jealous, but delighted, almost gleeful.

"Yes," Ryousuke said. He was still leaning against the wall, and the faint smile on his lips looked vaguely smug. Takumi wondered what exactly the brothers had said to each other about him.

"Good," Keisuke said. "Then he can make it up to both of us."

Takumi swallowed, and looked from Keisuke to Ryousuke. "What should I do?"

"Come into my room," Ryousuke said.

His room turned out to be the first door down the hall, a wide spacious place with sliding windows that led out onto a balcony. A desk sat near the windows, with a laptop on it, open and humming as it cycled through some sort of screensaver. The only light was the lamp sitting on the desk: Ryousuke hadn't turned on the overhead light.

"We have complete privacy here," Ryousuke said from behind Takumi.

"Better than a parking lot," Keisuke said.

"If you wanted to see me naked," Takumi said, trying to ignore the way his heart was speeding up, and not entirely from arousal, "you could just ask." He reached down and pulled his t-shirt off over his head, tossing it to one side.

"There doesn't seem to be a need," Ryousuke murmured. Takumi could feel his eyes on him, the dark, hungry look he'd seen last time.

Takumi took in a deep breath and let it out, then unzipped his jeans. This wasn't like the times he'd dreamed about sex. Then again, in dreams, clothing conveniently melted away like sugar candy, and you never had to worry about trying to discreetly pull off your socks at the same time as your jeans.

He tossed his underwear aside, and straightened up to look straight at Keisuke. "What do you want?"

"I..." Keisuke looked from Takumi to Ryousuke, then his eyes slid helplessly back again. "Um."

"We hadn't gotten that far in our planning," Ryousuke said. He sounded like he was trying not to laugh again.

Takumi caught himself clenching up one hand, and forced it to relax again. "Then, if Ryousuke-san doesn't mind--" He crossed over and knelt down in front of Keisuke. "I think I owe you something from last time."

"Fujiwara--" Keisuke looked down at him, then looked away over at his brother again, letting out a soft huh of laughter. "Yeah," he said, and popped the button on his jeans. "Okay."

It took a minute to get Keisuke's jeans down over his hips, and his underwear with them. Keisuke grabbed Takumi's hands before they could get any farther, and squeezed them, then stepped back far enough to strip off his own shirt. He kicked off jeans and boxers together, then stepped back forward. His eyes fixed on Takumi's.

Takumi smiled up at him, then leaned forward and carefully licked up the bottom of Keisuke's cock.

"You don't owe him anything," Ryousuke said, soft and dark. As Takumi took the head of Keisuke's cock into his mouth, he could hear Ryousuke prowling closer. "He came home with me, and we lay on that bed, and I sucked him as you're doing now --"

Keisuke gasped as Takumi swirled his tongue around him. "A-aniki!"

Takumi sat back, letting Keisuke slide out of his mouth for a moment, and glanced over at Ryousuke, trying not to grin. "Like this?" His jaw ached a little, but not enough to overwhelm the thrill of Keisuke trembling.

"Like that," Ryousuke agreed, and Takumi felt Ryousuke's hand stroke his hair.

"Not like --" Keisuke's voice hitched as Takumi took him back in, then managed, "Not like that. We were on the bed." His hand came down to clench in Takumi's hair next to Ryousuke's. "And I was sucking you at the same ti --" He broke off as Takumi brushed his fingers along Keisuke's hip, tugging him that little bit forward. He'd read about this, the one time he'd snuck into the library and found that book. He wanted to try.

He looked up, meeting Keisuke's eyes. Keisuke's hand tightened in his hair, and an involuntary moan of surrender escaped him. "Fuck. Fujiwara, please!"

Takumi laughed, muffled around Keisuke's cock, and let him move.

It didn't take long. Keisuke seemed to have given up on trying to hold back, and Ryousuke didn't help, moving around to stand behind his brother, teasing him with too-light kisses and touches, and occasionally offering Takumi suggestions on how to wind Keisuke up even further. He was the one who warned Takumi when Keisuke was about to come. Takumi didn't pull away.

Finally Takumi sat back. Keisuke was still breathing hard, leaning back against Ryousuke with his eyes half-closed, watching Takumi as if he didn't quite believe what just happened. Takumi ran one hand up Keisuke's leg, and could feel him still faintly trembling.

He looked from Keisuke to Ryousuke. Ryousuke looked back with those dark, hungry eyes, smiling as if to say well done. His arm around his brother's chest was still clothed, Takumi noticed.

He caught himself absently rubbing a hand over his erection, and forced himself to stop. He could wait. He had to wait, because there was something he wanted more. "Keisuke-san," he said.

"Mmm?" Keisuke straightened up.

Takumi stood up carefully to match him, feeling a little wobbly -- arousal, kneeling this long, he couldn't be sure which. He looked from Keisuke, to Ryousuke behind him, then back again, meeting Keisuke's eyes. "Show me," he said.

Slowly the grin came back to Keisuke's face, while behind him, Ryousuke blinked. His eyes widened as Keisuke turned around, and he said, "Keisuke--"

"He asked," Keisuke said. He unbuckled Ryousuke's belt, each movement separate, taking his time as he kissed Ryousuke. Once the belt was undone, his fingers stroked downward over Ryousuke's slacks, as if he wanted to show off to Takumi the way Ryousuke's erection strained against the fabric. Takumi took an involuntary step forward.

Ryousuke abruptly pulled back from the kiss. "Then let's show him properly," he said, and that controlled voice was actually hoarse. "On the bed." He looked at Takumi.

Takumi shrugged, and sat down on the bed. Keisuke sat next to him, and pulled on his shoulder so Takumi fell to lie on his side, head on Keisuke's thigh. "Relax," Keisuke murmured, although the reassuring tone sat oddly with the gleam in his eye.

"Mmm." Suggestions like that didn't need a real response. Takumi settled himself, and breathed in Keisuke, and watched as Ryousuke finally took off his clothing. It was more conscious than either he or Keisuke had been, a more deliberate show. But it ended the same way, with Ryousuke naked in front of them.

Beautiful, Takumi thought, letting his eyes wander down over pale skin, and slid his fingers down over his own cock again.

Keisuke grabbed his wrist, although his grip loosened immediately at Takumi's startled movement. "Not yet," he said, and brought Takumi's hand up to his mouth to lick Takumi's fingers. "There's better."

"Much better," Ryousuke agreed, and leaned down to take Takumi's hand himself, so both he and Keisuke were licking, and sucking, and much more of this kind of tease and it wasn't going to matter what was better.

He squirmed and turned his head, then grinned to himself. Ryousuke didn't realize how close he was standing. All Takumi had to do was open his mouth, and he could lick Ryousuke right there.

Ryousuke jumped as if Takumi had bitten him instead, then laughed quietly, as if at himself. "Patience," he said, and let go of Takumi's hand.

They rearranged themselves on the bed at Ryousuke's direction. Takumi lay on his side, partway down; Ryousuke on his back; Keisuke lying over his brother. "So Keisuke can show off," Ryousuke said, with a lazy smile at his brother.

"Thank you," Keisuke said, rolling his eyes. He glanced over at Takumi, as if to say watch this, and slid his mouth down Ryousuke's cock.

Takumi watched, inching closer. It was beautiful, Ryousuke stretched out all elegant and pale, except for where his brother's hands and mouth and soft muffled murmurs brought out flushes of pleasure. It was probably good that he was no good at poetry, or he might try to say something stupid instead of just watching and shivering with the urge to reach out and touch.

"You can touch," Keisuke said.

Takumi looked down, startled, to find Keisuke propped up on his elbows and watching him rather than Ryousuke. "Where?"

"Anywhere," Keisuke said, ignoring his brother's growl of Keisuke! "He's a lot more sensitive than he'll admit." He punctuated the suggestion by dipping his head and running his tongue along the most sensitive bit of Ryousuke.

Takumi hesitated a moment, then took Keisuke at his word and let his hands wander. Ryousuke's neck. Ryousuke's hip (not-so-accidentally brushing Keisuke's shoulder at the same time, and getting a hum of pleasure for it). The inside of Ryousuke's wrist. Ryousuke's belly-button (which made Ryousuke huff a startled laugh that was almost a moan). Ryousuke moaned sometimes through gritted teeth, but Takumi couldn't tell if that was because of his touch or Keisuke's. It didn't matter.

Keisuke caught his eye again, and curled his fingers as if in silent invitation: down here. Takumi slid over, and Keisuke levered himself up again, catching Takumi's hand in his and sucking two of Takumi's fingers into his mouth, too quickly to be a tease. Then he guided those wet fingers down between Ryousuke's legs, and let go.

Takumi's breath caught. But he knew what Keisuke wanted. As Keisuke leaned down again, sucking in lazy pulses, Takumi carefully slid his hand back and pressed his fingers against Ryousuke's entrance, gently rubbing back and forth.

Ryousuke stiffened under them, and came without a sound.

Takumi remembered to breathe again. Keisuke smiled down at his brother, something soft and warm that lingered in his eyes as he looked up at Takumi again. Ryousuke lay there, eyes closed as if he was about to fall asleep.

Then his eyes snapped open. He sat up and pulled Takumi into a hard kiss, as much an attack as a kiss, like that first time with Keisuke. Takumi could hear Keisuke chuckle, off to the side, but ignored him in favor of kissing Ryousuke back just as fiercely. He wanted this, whatever this was, and he was long past worrying or being scared, and if someone would just touch him he could finally come.

For a moment he was abandoned, and then Keisuke took over the kiss, just barely more gentle than his brother, as Ryousuke spread Takumi's legs and took his cock into his mouth. Takumi moaned, shaking with the urge to buck his hips up into that wet heat. Like that -- so good --

But not quite good enough. It was as if he'd waiting too long: even when Ryousuke moved, his hands on Takumi's hips encouraging him to thrust in and out of the sucking pull of Ryousuke's mouth, it was still almost. Takumi moaned again, this time in frustration.

Both Ryousuke's mouth and Keisuke's abruptly left him again. Takumi heard a soft wet sound, and opened his eyes to see Keisuke letting Ryousuke's fingers slide out of his mouth, wet and gleaming. He looked over at Ryousuke, who met his gaze, unblinking.

Takumi didn't let himself think about it. Instead, he spread his legs a little more.

Keisuke leaned down again and nuzzled at Takumi's neck, biting lightly. Ryousuke settled back between Takumi's legs, warmth and the tantalizing trace of fingertips up his inner thigh. Then the hot suction returned, taking Takumi deep -- and one wet finger slipped back behind Takumi's balls, only a moment of teasing pressure before it slipped inside.

It was enough. Takumi came.

He didn't fall asleep immediately afterwards. Sleep would have meant his eyes were closed. But he lay there, dazed, as Ryousuke got up to go do...something...washclothes, perhaps, since Takumi could hear water running. Keisuke still lay next to him, warm and comfortable, stroking Takumi's arm as if he were a cat.

"What time is it?" Keisuke asked suddenly.

Takumi blinked, and tried to turn his head to look at a clock. Ryousuke had a clock here, didn't he? He must, because he answered from the bathroom, "Early still. There's no rush."

"Good."

Silence. Takumi felt a warm washcloth on him, and tried to stir. Ryousuke chuckled next to him. "Go back to sleep, Fujiwara."

"'m not asleep," Takumi protested, but it came out slurred.

"Almost," Keisuke said, and Takumi could hear him yawn, too. There was another moment of silence, as Ryousuke finished with him, and Keisuke's petting hand wandered down to Takumi's hip. Then Keisuke said quietly, "Aniki. Do you think..." His hand stopped, resting against the curve of Takumi's ass.

"We can ask him."

"He will."

"Eventually. Patience, Keisuke."

"That's what you said --"

"It hasn't become less true. Sometimes you lose if you go too quickly."

"I know, I know." Another yawn, and then warmth and smooth skin against Takumi's back. Keisuke. "G'night, aniki." A soft kiss against the back of Takumi's neck. "G'night, Fujiwara."

"Sleep," Ryousuke murmured, and Takumi let himself go.