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Of Bunnies and Bros

Summary:

All Oka wants to do is go home and sleep. Instead, he's at S being harassed by his brother and teased about his unspoken crush. Then Harry and Shadow get ready for a rematch... what more could possibly go wrong?

Notes:

I was already working on a Shadoka birthday fic for Scribs when Amethyst put this literal plot bunny in my head. I truly hope you both enjoy this absolute chaos of men being immature boys at S.

Please mind the tags for swearing, trash talking and adult language.

Chapter Text

Oka was too exhausted to be at S tonight. He was going on 20 hours without even a nap, and was dying to crawl into bed. But this time, he had no choice. Reki was at home with a bad cold, which meant his ever-attentive boyfriend Langa was also absent from work. Likely he was going to remain glued to the Kyan household for the duration of Reki's illness. That left Oka to deliver a couple of new decks Reki had designed to customers at S.

As soon as he arrived, Oka set out to search for the clients. He was accosted in conversation by a few regulars, before finding the first customer in the crowd at the starting line. A race was already in progress; it was a muscular young woman who somehow dared to beef with Cherry.

With Sketchy tucked comfortably in his jacket, Oka yawned as he stepped back into the throng to watch the remainder of the race.

A hand grasped his shoulder suddenly from behind, giving him a vigorous shake.

"Wake up! Old man, whaddaya doing here? It's WAY past your bedtime!"

His surprise immediately turned to irritation at the familiar voice. Sketchy growled in annoyance as Oka turned to his younger brother, lifting a brow.

"Look who's talking about being up past your bedtime, Harry," Oka quipped back casually. "Are you even old enough to be here?"

Harry ruffled his own messy brown hair - identical to his brother's, only shorter. "Ha HAAA," he returned, before noticing Sketchy's ears poking out of Oka's jacket.

"Hey, you brought Dumbo with you, too!" Harry enthused.

Sketchy's eyes glowed with a feral light as Harry reached out to pet her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Oka warned him. "You already know what'll happen."

"Is there anyone your cat doesn't bite?" Joe chimed in from behind Harry, slapping his shoulder amicably.

"She's not a cat, she's a fox. I've told you that a million times, Joe."

"Hmph. She always looked like a cat to me," Joe replied with a shrug.

"Looks like a RAT to me," Harry added, squinting at Sketchy.

Before Oka could speak, small hands appeared and reached out toward his jacket. Sketchy immediately wiggled free and leapt into the arms of the only person she loved aside from Oka.

"Miya, hey!" Joe said cordially.

Miya glared at both Joe and Harry, cuddling Sketchy against his cheek.

"You two need to apologize for bullying such an angel," Miya growled at them.

"Aw, kid, Oka may be a good guy, but he's no angel," Harry deadpanned. Joe guffawed loudly as Oka rolled his eyes.

The men earned a smirk from the teen as he stroked the fox's ears soothingly.

"Idiots. C'mon, Sketchy," Miya said in a sweet tone, snuggling her into his coat. "Let's leave the clowns to their circus for awhile."

As they walked away, Oka facepalmed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Great. Thanks, guys. Now I'll have to go track them down before I can leave. "

"Speaking of clowns," Harry said, ignoring Oka. "I'm supposed to skate next. You seen Shadow anywhere?" He stood tall on his toes to scan the crowd.

"Shadow? How'd you end up with a beef against him?" Joe asked with a chuckle.

"Ah, I kinda broke a bunch of stuff in his shop when I went to pick up flowers for Miki," Harry grumbled. "Total accident but he's pretty pissed off about it. I paid for the damage, but he still wanted to hash it out here. That's fine though. I've wanted a chance to beat him since the tournament."

"Did you say Miki? Harry, you realize she has an insane ex-boyfriend, right?" Oka offered, watching his brother with concern.

"Yeah, and in fact," Joe added, "he was the one who put Shadow in the hospital. You better watch out. Bad idea to get involved with her."

"Well, I didn't get a chance with her anyhow. She moved on to someone else already, so I wasted money on the flowers. But thanks for your concern. I'm sure your boyfriend would think it's sweet," Harry teased Oka with a knowing smirk.

"Boyfriend, huh?" Joe prodded. "Wow, Oka. That's news. I knew Shadow had a thing for you, but- "

"Oh yeah, I bet he has a REALLY BIG thing for you," Harry taunted.

"You guys are so childish," Oka replied steadily, folding his arms with a roll of his eyes. "He's not my boyfriend."

"Really? So you want us to believe you buy all those piles of flowers at Dope Sketch for yourself? Or what, they magically appear?" Harry insisted with a grin.

"Ok, what is this? Official 'Shit on Oka Night' at S? The hell with you two," Oka grumbled. Shifting the weight of the skateboard bag on his shoulder, he decided to find his customer. Leaving Joe and Harry to laughingly shout apologies after him, Oka wove his way through the mass of spectators.

As he burst out of the line of people and picked up his step, Oka collided hard with a solid, broad body. The impact and the weight of the bag on his back almost sent him toppling backward. Thick, solid hands shot out and grasped his biceps, pulling him upright.

Oka's palm connected with a muscular chest, fingers clenching on the silver bandolier to steady himself. The pounding heart under his hand matched his own startled heart beat as he met Shadow's surprised expression. His deep brown eyes stood out even more when surrounded by the green flame makeup, and Oka suddenly realized he was staring.

Removing himself carefully from Shadow's grasp, Oka huffed out a slight laugh.

"Hey. Sorry. You, uh- there are people looking for you," he told Shadow, running his fingers through his own hair and glancing around.

Shadow peered at him, and Oka wondered if the familiar blush was coloring his face under the white makeup.

"Yeah, your kid brother is being kind of a shit lately," Shadow rumbled, shifting his board between his hands.

Oka snorted. "When isn't he?"

Shadow nodded in agreement, his gaze lingering before he glanced away shyly. Oka reached out and adjusted Shadow's vest. As he smoothed down the collar, the other man turned back to him with an affectionate expression.

"Thanks."

"Sure. Good luck. And don't go easy on the little brat. He's been whining about a rematch with you, ever since the tournament. Kick his ass," Oka said with a sideways grin.

Shadow returned his smile admiringly. "Don't worry. I will."

After a lengthy pause, the two parted ways tensely. Oka stepped aside to let Shadow pass him, then glanced over his shoulder. With a swirl of his cape, Shadow strode confidently toward the starting point. Oka's brows jumped as he watched him leave. The width of Shadow's wingspan was gorgeous, and so was- well, the entire rest of the back side of him.

Good lord.

With a deep steadying breath, Oka returned to searching the audience for his customer until they found one another. As he turned over the bag, aggressive banter between Harry and Shadow blared over the speakers. Oka didn't pay too much attention to it as he tried to find Miya in the crowd on the screen.

It didn't take long to see the kid at the edge of the screen, and make his way there. Miya had a front row view of Harry and Shadow, who were engaged in a trash talking showdown.

"Bunny outfits? Pssht… lame," Shadow said in a bored tone.

"Oh, I don't mean cute bunny pjs, like for kids." Harry grinned devilishly. "I'm talking about full-on bunny girl getups. And whoever wins gets to choose someone to wear the bunny outfit WITH the loser. They'll do so while they race next week. Right here. In front of everyone."

The crowd erupted into cheers, taunts and screams. Oka shook his head, exhausted. "Hey," he said, nudging Miya with his elbow. "I'm heading out. I can drive you home if you want. It's pretty late."

"Are you KIDDING me?" Miya nearly shouted. "I am NOT going to miss this race!" He hugged Sketchy close in his coat, the fox napping peacefully despite the ruckus around them.

Well, it looked like Oka wouldn't be going home anytime soon. Sighing deeply, he tried to rub the sleepiness from his eyes. Tucking his hands in his pockets, Oka lifted his head to watch the large screen above them.

Oka knew Shadow could win against Harry again, even without explosives tricks. He was the smarter and stronger of the two, excellent on turns and jumps. Then again, Oka had taught Harry everything he knew. If his brother decided to put his lessons to good use, instead of being reckless or relying on speed, he just might make it a close race.

The large stoplight lit up, the buzzer sounding the countdown as both skaters took their positions.

3…

2…

1...

Chapter 2

Summary:

Harry declares Shadow's competitor for the sexy bunny suit race. Oka and Hiromi work out their feelings for one another while preparing to compete in the most dangerous, absurd beef yet.

Notes:

Warnings for language, implied mature situations, and race injuries.

Also, this is set 3 years post-canon, when S is being run legally, with a new owner and new rules. If you'd like some insight into that as well as the Harry/Tadashi interactions, this fic takes place after the currently posted chapters of Beautiful Stranger.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Joe and Oka were stunned at the ferocity of the race. Everything stayed within the new boundaries of the S rules, but what captured their attention was Harry.

He was faster than Oka remembered. Joe felt an uneasiness come over him at the vaguely familiar crouching stance, and the specific way he planted his feet on his new board. As he dodged Shadow's attempts to cut him off, he swerved with accuracy, rearranging his board with footwork of a very specific style.

Almost like a dance.

As if reading one another's mind, Oka and Joe paused only for a mutual glance before walking at a rapid pace to Oka's car.

"I swear to God if that kid is trying stunts from past races without training- "

"I don't think so," Joe replied as they sped down the mountain. "It's too precise. Besides, where would he get the footage? I'm not sure that the Shindos let anything of Adam's leave the estate grounds. And I know Harry hasn't asked Kaoru for a rewatch on any videos."

"I have no clue," Oka replied, drumming his thumbs on the steering wheel. "We'll just have to ask him when it's done."

They made it to the bottom and leapt out of the car, hurrying to the finish line. Both men fixed on the screen as Shadow and Harry wove back and forth, dodging one another as they made their way through the final level. Shadow slid down one rail, while Harry launched off a handplant, flipping feet over head like a gymnast to clear the last of the broken stairs. At landing, he bowed forward at the waist, arms behind him to keep up his speed. Not to be outdone, Shadow pulled forward beside him.

They seemed neck and neck, and it could have been a tie. The camera still, however, called a winner.

"HARRY!"

Breathless and euphoric, Harry leapt off his board, punching the air repeatedly with a joyous shout. He cackled and taunted Shadow, who was crouched with hands on his knees. Working to catch his breath, Shadow's mouth twisted into an angry sneer and he whirled on Harry.

Oka stormed toward the finish line, just in time to see Harry and Shadow threatening each other nose to nose.

"Hey!" Oka demanded, stalking up to the pair. He shoved his way between them, forcing the men apart a few steps.

"This is supposed to be a friendly race, c'mon guys. And you," he addressed Harry, "I need a word with you, little man."

"Actually, there's something I need to do first." Harry slung his arm around his brother's shoulders, turning him back toward the crowd. "Since I won, I get to choose the second bunny racer. I'm sure you're all going to be oh so SHOCKED that I call you, my big brother Oka, to fill that corset. Right here, next week. Full sexy playboy getup, no shortcuts." Harry ruffled Oka's hair with a cackle as the crowd erupted in shouts and catcalls.

Releasing Oka, Harry strutted away from the aggravated pair, raising his arms dramatically to the adoring cheers of the crowd.

Oka took a deep, cleansing breath, pressing his fingertips to the bridge of his nose to steady himself. He felt the weight of a strong hand rest gently on his shoulder and opened his eyes.

"We might as well just suck it up and have fun," Shadow said with resignation. "It might not be that bad, huh?

"Yeah, for you. Look at you," Oka replied, gesturing to the length of Shadow's frame. The younger man's brows jumped, and he caught Oka's hand, holding it tightly.

"Quit with the tired dad crap," Shadow said with gruff affection. "Just because you haven't made a fan club out of everyone who dogs after you, doesn't mean anything. Believe me, everybody here knows who you are and what you can do. For what it's worth, I know," he added in a softer tone. Squeezing his thumb into Oka's palm, Shadow blushed as he relinquished his hand.

Oka met his eyes, then gave him a decided nod. "Yeah. You're right. Sorry, I'll be in better form tomorrow. I promise."

"I hope so. You're not yourself lately," Shadow commented kindly. "Not that I blame you for being exhausted, trying to keep up with THAT," he added, gesturing to where Harry had climbed onto a fan's shoulders to conduct a chorus of We Are the Champions from the crowd.

Oka huffed and shook his head. "He's always been a pain in my ass." Turning back to Shadow, Oka met his gaze. "You did incredible tonight, you know? And you look amazing."

Shadow's eyes darted away self-consciously, even as he took a step closer to Oka.

"Thanks. So, uh… so do you. But then again, you always do."

Oka pondered the sweet, shy expression behind the frightening makeup. "Stop by the store tomorrow after you close up shop," he said softly. Oka brushed the backs of his fingers over Shadow's jawline. "We can come up with something for next week, together."

Shadow blinked in surprise before composing himself to answer.

"For the costumes, sure. As for the race, I still plan to wipe the track with you," he grinned teasingly.

"We'll see," Oka said with a sly smirk in response. Resting his hand on Shadow's bicep, he kneaded it briefly, keeping his gaze. Oka let his palm drift downward until he captured the man's large index finger in his fist. With a suggestive squeeze, he smiled at Shadow before turning away.

Tucking his hands in his pockets, Oka made his way toward his brother as he chatted excitedly with a few fans.

"Hey."

Harry excused himself, spinning on his heel to face Oka.

"What's up?"

"I need to get going, but I just want to know- what are you up to?"

"Me? Nothing. Why do you say that?" Harry replied with faux innocence.

"The way you're skating? C'mon, man. The speed, and the dancing. The angle of your forward crouch. It's not you."

"That actually IS me, now," Harry replied excitedly. "I've just decided to up my game."

"I worry about what happens when you get too cocky. Don't start acting out, okay?"

"Why are you getting weird about it, bro? I mean, I get why you're still shook by Adam, even though it's been years. I was part of the actual tournament, remember? But I promise, there's no boogeyman, no crazy haunted vibes lingering over this place. He's long gone, and you know it."

"So why are you skating like him?" Oka asked bluntly.

"I'm not skating like him."

Oka cocked his head, confused for a moment. "You are though, you- "

Oka trailed off as Harry's gaze distractedly scanned their surroundings, then lit up more excitedly than before. Following the line of vision, Oka noticed Miya speaking to a familiar dark haired man in a cap and bomber jacket. Sketchy had woken and poked her head out of the teen's coat, allowing Tadashi to scratch her head gently.

Oka glanced sharply at Harry, who grew a fond smile as Sketchy happily leapt into Tadashi's arms.

"Are you serious? You're learning from Kikuchi-san?"

Harry clapped a hand onto Oka's back affectionately. "Can you believe it? Best coach EVER." With that, Harry gave a slight skip and breezed toward the pair.

As Harry approached, Sketchy leapt back to snuggle into Miya's jacket. The teen greeted him and said an amicable farewell to Tadashi before heading to meet Oka.

Oka was stunned to see Harry playfully slap the brim of Tadashi's cap downward in greeting. Instead of being annoyed, the stoic man calmly waited for Harry to adjust it back into place. The way he was looking at Harry seemed more than tolerant, Oka noticed. Still impassive, there was nonetheless a bright energy to Tadashi that hadn't been there before.

Oka's mind swarmed with concerns as he dropped Miya off and drove the rest of the way home. Exhaustion won out however, and he was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

When he finally opened his eyes again, bright sunlight glared through his window, his alarm having gone through several rotations without waking him.

"Shit!" Oka tumbled out of bed in only his boxers and snatched up his phone. He was relieved to see that Langa had gone to his morning shift, and opened the store for him. Texting a hasty apology and eta, Oka scavenged for breakfast food, stuffing cold rice and a stale steamed bun into his mouth as he hurriedly got ready for the day.

There was a quiet knock as Oka shrugged into his jacket. Throwing the door open, he was greeted with bright orange and red flowers filling the entrance. He took a startled step back, and his heart thudded as a familiar, handsome face peered around the bouquet.

"Hey," Hiromi rumbled softly, shifting the flowers aside. "I got word you're under the weather today. Wanted to check up on you."

"Under the weather? No, I-" Oka glanced down as his phone buzzed in his palm.

Langa: Harry offered to help out so you can have the day to rest. Reki is feeling better too so he will come in later.

Harry: Enjoy your "sick day" with your hot nurse, bro. Yw.

Oka's eyes darted up to Hiromi's sweetly concerned face. It may be wrong to take advantage, but then again, a day of being spoiled by Hiromi...? Oka gave a slight, fake cough, patting his own chest pitifully.

"Yeah. I- um, I don't have much food here, so I was just on my way out for some soup."

Hiromi shifted to show him the grocery bag in his arm and the carry out handles hooked securely over his hand.

"I figured as much."

Oka gave him a smile and stepped aside, letting Hiromi pass him and gesturing to the kitchen. "Thanks."

"Sure."

Oka closed the door and hung his jacket again, glancing over his shoulder to watch Hiromi set everything on the countertop. As he approached, Oka was mesmerized by the shift of muscles under Hiromi's tight pale pink shirt, and the perfect fit of his black jeans.

Hiromi started to search through the cabinets, and Oka leaned back against the small kitchen island that doubled as a table.

"Can I help you with anything?"

"This'll do unless you have a real vase handy?" Hiromi held out a ridiculously tall glass beer stein, and Oka chuckled.

"Nah, that's the best you'll get here."

"What did you do with, uh, everything at the shop?" Hiromi tried to be casual, but Oka could hear the nerves beneath his tone.

"The vases are all there. I wasn't sure if you wanted them back or if I needed to keep them. For more future flowers."

Setting the tall glass with the bouquet aside,
Hiromi turned to face him. "There will be more flowers, yeah," he replied nervously.

"Good." Oka gave him a sweet smile, reaching out to pat his chest tenderly. "I'm glad you're here. Really. Do I get to keep you, or do you have to go back to work at some point?" he added flirtatiously, letting his hand drop away slowly.

"Oka, I feel kinda bad about something," Hiromi muttered, his ears turning red.

Oka tipped his head curiously. "Okay?"

Hiromi sighed deeply, propping his hands on his hips. "I lied to leave work early today. I told them I was going home sick because I wanted to see you when I heard you weren't feeling well."

Oka felt himself melting as Hiromi averted his gaze. "Hiromi. You feel guilty for lying to get out of work, but you did it just to see me?"

"Yeah." He lifted his gaze, meeting Oka's eyes. "Yeah, I did. I never do anything like that."

Oka's heart beat harder against his ribs. "It looks like I'm a bad influence."

The corner of Hiromi's mouth quirked into a slight, sexy smile. "Yeah. Looks like you are."

"Well, guess what?" Oka replied, pushing himself off the counter to stand up straight.

"Hmm?"

"I'm not sick. I was just running late because I overslept."

Hiromi stared at him in disbelief and awe. "You're not sick?"

Oka shook his head, as Hiromi's eyes drifted down the length of his body, and back up to his face.

"Wow," he rumbled teasingly. "What a liar…"

The two men stared at one another for several seconds, before Oka lunged forward and threw his arms around Hiromi's neck. At the same time, Hiromi grasped his ribs and caught his lips in a passionate kiss. Oka stumbled back against the island, and Hiromi easily lifted him by his hips to sit on it, kissing him frantically. Oka eagerly wrapped his legs around Hiromi's waist, pulling them flush together. Grunting, Hiromi mouthed his way down Oka's throat as he slid his hands beneath his thighs. Lifting Oka easily, he walked toward the bedroom confidently as Oka latched his teeth onto Hiromi's ear with an encouraging moan. Kicking the door closed behind them, Hiromi dropped over Oka onto his bed. In a clash of lips, teeth and tongues, he let out all the desires that were hidden behind his insecurities for months.

No more waiting.

Later, as the sun began to dim, Oka's bedroom was lit with a soft orange glow. They had reveled in one another all day, sharing takeout in bed, curling around each other contentedly. Legs intertwined, Oka sighed and nuzzled against Hiromi's broad chest.

"You're going to look amazing in a corset," Oka smiled against his thick pec.

"Stop teasing me," Hiromi complained, playfully tugging at his hair. "I hope your ego realizes we're both going to look ridiculous."

"Oh, I don't know," Oka mused, tracing the contours of his muscles with admiring fingertips. "Seeing you in an outfit like that isn't the worst idea. They leave little to the imagination."

"Sure. But how exactly are we supposed to skate in them without killing ourselves? Or at least, without injuring anything vital?"

Oka laughed quietly, lacing their fingers together. "It does present a huge challenge. In fact, it'll definitely make the race more exciting don't you think?"

"Well sure. Inefficient shoes means less stability."

"Depending on the corset style, less flexibility, too," Oka added with mock seriousness.

"And the distraction of mocking public laughter? Sure. It'll be a total riot," Hiromi replied with a grin.

Oka snorted out a laugh and pushed himself up on his elbow to meet Hiromi's eyes. He twirled a thick wave of orange hair around his finger as their eyes met.

"You're so damn cute," Oka said softly, his smile bright.

"Nah, you," Hiromi replied in a low tone. Reaching up to touch Oka's chin, Hiromi brought him in for a lingering kiss.

A sudden bang in the kitchen startled him, but Oka barely flinched.

"What the hell?"

"Sketchy wants her dinner," Oka replied simply.

Hiromi let out an amused sound and gave him another kiss before sighing deeply. "Can I come with you? She's never been mean to me at the shop. Well, not yet."

Oka loved everything about this moment. Their closeness, their banter… it was so easy to be with the young man who now gazed at him so fondly. Oka felt like he was perpetually wrapped in one of Hiromi's strong, warm hugs. The shine in Hiromi's eyes melted him, as did the enormity of the fact he had just offered to be part of Oka's home and life, all with one simple request.

"Sure. Of course you can."

~

Shadow paused to survey the crowd through his windshield. People of course noticed as soon as he arrived; not many S participants drove a small pink car. Plus, he was definitely the center of attention tonight.

With a sigh, Shadow opened the door and pushed himself off of the seat to stand, adjusting the sides of the corset as it already had begun to poke into his ribs. They had agreed on ordering the traditional black playboy bunny suits, with slight adjustments. Shadow's was laced from his defined abs to his chest, which filled out the generous cup size to near overflowing. The bottom was high cut on the sides and cheeky in back, complete with a fluffy bunny tail attached. His thick legs were covered with fishnets, calf-height wedge boots on his feet. Shadow slipped his finger under the white collar with the black bow tie, to loosen it a bit from his throat. He then retrieved his board, short gloves and the headband with the bunny ears from his car. Taking a deep steadying breath, Shadow squared his shoulders and walked confidently toward the waiting crowd.

Typically Shadow had a large group of fans, but today they seemed to have more than doubled, by the sound of the crowd. Shouts, laughter, screams, whistles and catcalls all rose into a cacophony that obliterated any other sound. Shadow hadn't even heard the approach of Oka's car, and was unaware that he had arrived, until the crowd's attention began to shift.

There were still calls, but interspersed with audible gasps and excited chatter. Hiromi turned around to see Oka walking toward them.

He wasn't wearing the agreed-upon suit. Instead of a band with ears, he wore a black masquerade mask that covered the upper part of his face, with poseable bunny ears on top. His collar was black with a white bow tie, and he wore leather gloves that reached to his elbows. A cropped sleeveless mesh top with leather piping and seams clung to his upper body, leaving his abs entirely exposed. The shiny black shorts were fitted as well, tight at the cut below his hips. As Shadow's eyes fell on the thigh high platform vinyl boots, he became acutely aware that his own costume was unable to contain as much as he suddenly had to show.

"Hey," Oka said casually, shifting his board from under his arm to between his hands.

"Hi," Shadow managed to choke out, eyes wide.

Oka smiled at him slowly. "Fuck… you look incredible."

Shadow huffed. "Yeah, uh… you- that's not the costume we agreed on," he blurted out.

"Ohhhh yeah. That," Oka chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "They sent me the wrong order and I didn't have time to return and get another one."

"I'm kinda glad," Shadow reassured him quickly.

Oka chuckled. "Hir- Shadow. I look like a deranged fever dream catwoman knockoff. But thanks."

As Shadow listened to the suggestive calls of the S audience, he gave Oka a smug grin. "I think a lot of people disagree with that."

Step on me, Foxy!

That six pack is making me thirsty!

Manager, I need a spanking!

Footsteps approached and Langa was suddenly beside them. As he offered Oka a roll of duct tape, the manager frowned.

"Langa, what-?"

"Those shoes look really unstable," he said kindly. "I thought this might help."

Shadow laughed loudly, causing Oka to snicker. "Thanks, kid," he said, patting Langa's shoulder. "But I think I'll definitely need the option to bail."

With a nod, Langa offered Oka a fist bump. "We're betting on you."

"You, what? C'mon now!" Shadow complained.

Langa shrugged. "Reki and I bet on Oka. Cherry and Joe bet on you," he told Shadow plainly.

It was Oka's turn to be offended. "Oh, did they, now?"

Langa nodded. "I promised I wouldn't tell you how Tadashi and Harry are wagering, though."

Oka shrugged. "Well, I'm sure there's no surprise there. He IS my brother."

Langa simply raised his brows. "Okay," he responded. "Good luck. We'll see you at the end of the track."

As he walked away, Shadow cackled again and Oka let out a snort. "Oh great. This is getting even better. My own brother, against me?"

"What do you expect from that little shit? He's pure chaos," Shadow commented with a shrug.

The lights began to flash, and the two men found their places at the starting line. As Shadow took his position, he bent forward, and the crowd screamed again at the backside view of him. Both men tried to contain their laughter at the absurdity of the situation. Oka adjusted the mask and crouched as well, causing another swell of hoots and shouts.

The laughter, cheers and catcalls almost drowned out their final words to each other.

"See you at the finish line, whenever you get there," Oka taunted.

"Hmph. I'll be there waiting to patch you up," Shadow returned easily.

With determined smirks, the two men waited for the lights to count down.

3…

2…

1…

As they launched off, both men immediately picked up speed. Shadow adjusted his stance to keep his balance, whereas Oka struggled with his footing. They managed to keep pace steadily until the first curve. Shadow moved to crouch, but the ribbing in his corset prevented the ease of his bend, throwing him to one side. His hand hit the ground too hard, shredding his glove as he tried to right himself. Oka moved more easily, squatting down and clutching his board with both hands. He remained in that position, suddenly afraid to stand, yet picking up too much speed.

As Oka wobbled to a full stand, Shadow found balance and angled himself to gain on his opponent. As Shadow pulled up beside him, Oka was unaware because of his mask's blind side, and pulled a hard left. Shadow tried to dodge him but the two collided harshly. There was a round of gasps and exclamations from the crowd as they watched the pair onscreen tumble violently onto the track, each rolling in a different direction.

Oka pushed himself up plank style, breathing heavily before dragging his feet beneath him to stand. He stumbled, then glanced down and swore aggressively to see that one of his heels was missing. Shadow rolled to sit up, then pushed himself to stand. As he searched for his board he grumbled when he saw how badly cut up his legs were, the fishnets completely shredded in several places.

Amid the murmurings of the crowd, Harry suddenly burst into hysterical laughter. Oka had turned his back to the screen, unaware of a tear in his shorts that revealed the bottom curve of his right ass cheek. Joe chuckled, then laughed loudly, followed by Reki and Langa's boisterous giggles. The hilarity spread as the audience watched Shadow briefly search for his lost bunny ears, his chest spilling out of the corset.

Pushing off again, the competitors sped down the mountain. They seemed to have a better handle on maneuvering; balance, however, continued to be an issue. Oka especially struggled with two different heel heights; Shadow had limited range of motion for his torso, making his movements less smooth. Nonetheless they both cleared the next corner, wobbling dangerously as they gained speed.

The crowd cheered and hollered as they approached the last turn before the factory. Shadow overcorrected his stance, his board skidding out from beneath him. The velocity propelled him sideways into a roll that ended when he hit the wall. Langa and Reki recoiled, and Miya let out a hiss of sympathy. Racing ahead, Oka's ankles shifted sideways in his boots as he angled away from the turn. He seemed able to correct and clear it, until the board hit a crag of rocks, throwing him headfirst into the bushes. With a sharp gasp, Harry gripped the sleeve of Tadashi's jacket with both hands. Arms still folded, Tadashi murmured a reassurance to Harry that his brother would be fine, as Cherry clucked in irritation.

"What, you think you could do better?" Joe snarked at his partner.

"Don't be an imbecile. Oh, I'm sorry, that's not possible for you," Cherry droned. "My thought, if you must know, is that they focus too much on what they can't do, rather than what they CAN."

"I don't see what they can do, except break their necks, " Miya said scornfully.

"Oka needs to adapt his foot placement to the boots," Tadashi interjected softly. "He rides goofy. If he switched to regular, the ball of his foot without the heel could be better used for steering. The heeled one, stabilizing."

"Genius," Harry said in awe, placing his hand on the crown of Tadashi's head affectionately.

"Shadow relies too much on his core, which is useless when he's wearing something so restrictive on his torso," Cherry added. "His shoulders are so wide he needs to learn how to use them to steer himself."

"Gee, wonder who you watched to get THAT idea," Joe replied breezily.

"This isn't about you, sweetie. It's just called having a brain," Cherry retorted. "I'm sorry you don't know what that means."

Onscreen, the pair had trudged back to their boards. Shadow already kicked off, disappearingbdown the track. Sans mask, Oka's expression was one of fierce determination as he bowed forward to gain speed.

"They're insane," Reki enthused as the pair were neck and neck again.

They entered the factory, speeding side by side. As Shadow began to have trouble steering again, he suddenly executed a fakie, riding backwards at top speed.

"Whoa," Langa breathed, watching Shadow's backward approach to the rail.

At the same time, Oka sped toward the stairs, dropping into a crouch.

"What the hell is he doing?" Harry exclaimed, unable to take his eyes off the screen.

They watched in shock as Shadow's knees bent, and he leapt blindly to the rail.

"Shadow's doing a backward tailslide?!" Miya hollered.

With an excited cackle, Reki shook Langa aggressively by his shoulders. "Look at him!"

As Oka launched off the stairs, there was a collective gasp. It seemed his board was getting away from him, spinning vertically tail over nose. The fear he would freefall was palpable, the attendees seeming to hold their collective breath. A moment later, they realized he was keeping the board in place as it rotated like a windmill around his toe. Cherry and Tadashi exchanged smirks as Joe let out a curse.

"That bastard is doing an Impossible, midair-"

Shadow rocketed off the end of the rail, spinning two and a half turns before slamming to the ground hard, facing forward again. Oka steadied his board as he sped toward a rough landing, his boots clacking loudly against the deck. In a whirlwind of earthen dust, the two men were a blur of skin and black leather as they crossed the finish line side by side. As they each ground to a halt, both were catapulted off their boards and into the dirt.

The cheers were deafening as they lay panting, trying to find the will to stand. Oka rolled to his side and crawled to Shadow with a weak laugh.

"Hey, loser," he muttered, slapping Shadow's shoulder playfully.

The larger man hoisted himself to sit, then reached out an index finger to push Oka back by his forehead. "Who ya calling loser, ya loser?" He grinned.

Their friends suddenly surrounded them, pulling the two men to their feet in a frenzy of congratulatory hugs and praise.

"Hey, but, who won?" Shadow asked.

"It may have been a tie," Joe offered.

"Too close to call without a detailed review of the video," Cherry added.

"Tadashi is doing that right now," Harry explained, gesturing to where the man studied the replay on a tablet.

In the next moments, everyone became so consumed with recalling the tricks and debating the outcome, the attention actually fell away from the pair. Oka's eyes moved back to Shadow, the chaos around him fading into the background.

"Hey."

Shadow turned his attention to Oka, melting inside at the adoring smile.

"Yeah?"

"You wanna get out of here?" Oka offered. "You said you'd patch me up when we were done."

Shadow glanced around them, then back to Oka. "You don't wanna know who won?"

Shaking his head, Oka leaned his lips to Shadow's ear. "I'd rather you help me get out of this outfit, Hiromi," he whispered. As he pulled back, the brightness in Shadow's eyes made him smile even wider.

Nodding, Shadow scooped up his board. Oka did the same and, clasping hands, they ducked swiftly through the crowd. Once free of the swarm of people, they rushed to where Harry had parked Oka's car near the end of the track.

"Am I dropping you off at your car first, or-"

Oka's question was cut off by a deep kiss, the solid body pressing his back against the side of the car. Oka held onto Hiromi's ribs, tasting his lips and tongue eagerly. It was several moments before they drew away, both trying to catch their breaths.

"Just take me home with you," Hiromi whispered.

With one more lingering kiss, he released Oka, and circled toward the passenger side with a knowing smile over his shoulder. Oka chuckled as he noticed that the bunny tail, though ragged and filthy, was still attached to the ass of Hiromi's revealing bodysuit. Unsure whether to be amused or aroused, Oka slipped into the seat beside Hiromi with a heavy, contented sigh. Both eager for a private celebration, they shared a glance of mutual adoration before hurriedly escaping into the night.

Notes:

Sorry this took so long to finish, and thank you all for reading! Kudos and comments are always welcome. Til next time 🙏🏻💚