Two weeks went by way to fast. Having Joe around was both invigorating to the Kitsune, as well as being totally annoying! The guy was dumber than an ape! He had seen smarter chinchillas! What was up with Joe? Kaoru watched as "Joe" took the new skateboard from Reki.
It had been two weeks and the stupid ape hadn't been able to think of a good name for the kid. He was calling him, "The Kid" more and more though. Kaoru, aka Cherry Blossom, thought it fit Reki. He, too, was starting to use it only when they skated. Kid was a good name for the fire headed skater.
"So, I made it in order for you to keep the bulk of your weight here. It will give you..." Reki was explaining the physics of the board to Joe.
Muscled bound and dumber than a rock, Joe moved his hand as if it were talking. He then smashed it, not too hard, over Reki's mouth.
"Kid, you talk a lot! I want to skate!" He smirked back at the Kitsune watching.
"Let's go, dumb and slow!" Cherry called out.
"That's how I like it!" Joe laughed at the insult.
Honestly, Kaoru wasn't sure if this was a totally different guy! He saw none of his beloved Kojiro in this mountain of muscle. Their bodies were the same, but they were so different!
Joe got ready. This was what he called the gunslinger. He insisted it was the most like the track they would he using the next day, show day as he called it. Kaoru lined up next to him. Langa stood off to one side. Miya held a small pistol in his hand. It barely made a clicking sound, but in the sudden silence, they heard it.
It was as loud as any racing buzzer! Joe kicked off, hard. The board under him was painted just like his old one. Reki really had an eye for detail. Cherry slunk low, he twisted into the first bend. He was sure, with his leaner frame, he would easily outdistance the mass of muscle coming for him.
As he stood to take the straightaway, he was shocked to see the head of green at his feet Joe was whooping with laughter.
"Caught ya, Pinkie!" he taunted slipping past Kaoru.
Joe vanished around the next bend. "How?" Cherry gasped to himself.
"Carla, recalculate for higher speeds." He ordered.
"Recalculating." The computer voice spoke. It gave him the odds of what could happen at higher speeds. It also gave him a way to reach them. Cherry Blossom smirked.
Maybe Joe had the right idea. He needed to become someone else to beat Adam. He needed to became the Kitsune he always wanted to be. No longer a push over, running for cover. But strong! Someone that stood up for himself! A fox that struck fear and wonder into all who saw him! He was...
"CHERRY BLOSSOM!!!" Kaoru yelled as loud as he could.
His voice echoed off the walls of the canyon they had dipped into. He heard Joe's laugh just before him coming out of a bend, he saw the hunched body. Cherry aligned his own to reduce the wind resistance. He sailed past the bulky meat man!
This was exhilarating! He had never felt anything close to this amount of freedom! He whooped, but only inside. Kaoru would have cheered! Cherry Blossom knew he was able to do this all along!
"DAMN PINKIE" Joe cried from his side.
"It's Cherry Blossom you dimwitted baboon!" He called back as he inched ahead.
"Not today!" Joe laughed.
He kicked off the wall in the next bend. Cherry growled lowering himself to his board, he flipped one leg out to trail around the bend. He then used it to kick forward. They were side by side. The finish line was coming up. Shadow leaned against his car. Miya pointed, shouting out. Neck and neck the Fu dog and the Kitsune raced toward the finish! Cherry wasn't going to lose to a gorilla, he called out one last instruction to the board.
"Carla, transform!" the cruiser turned into a long board, but it was too late.
By the time the tip of Carla had crossed the line, Joe's front wheels slashed over it. Cherry fumed as he spun around to face him.
"HOW!" He snarled.
"I don't cheat. But Adam does. Smart little move there." Joe praised him.
"All demons cheat." Cherry muttered.
"Yep! That's why we have our plan for tomorrow!" Joe smirked.
He looked so much like Kojiro that Kaoru nearly came out of hiding. Cherry refused to allow that simp free right now. He huffed, turning away from the muscled bound moron, he kicked up his board.
"It needs a faster motor. Let me borrow it for tonight! I have just the thing!" Reki reached for the board.
Cherry eyed the red head. "How about we fix it together." He offered. Reki beamed.
"Meet you back at the base!" Joe yelled.
Snow whimpered. He reached one hand toward Reki, but his stomach growled. Reki chuckled.
"This won't take long, go with Joe." He ordered the Yeti. Langa dropped his hand. His face turned downward, as he went after the idiot gorilla. Reki took Cherry home with him.
His house was loud! Children ran around sounding like elephants. When Reki stated it was, just the twins, Kaoru grew concerned. It sounded like a heard! The door to his shop was flung open no fewer than six times as they worked. One after another they barreled in demanding his attention for something.
One sister wanted him to help her with zipping up her dress, then her eyeliner "Just wasn't working right!" Reki was skilled at handling them. He juggled fixing the board and dealing with his manic family. Two small girls would race in, literally climb up him, and he would just laugh before setting them hack down, so they could race back out.
"What chaos you live in." Cherry shook his head.
"Yeah, isn't it great!" Reki beamed. He held out the finished board.
He had added a different deck to it. It was black with the purple pink lights. He showed Kaoru where Carla's base sat, even showed how he had protected all her circuits. Then pointed to where the extra space for the long board was hidden.
"You are a wizard. How did you do this so fast?" Kaoru gasped.
"I'm really good with my hands." Reki shrugged.
"Lets get you back to Sai La Luce." Kaoru couldn't argue with that. He was hungry for some Kojiro time!
They left the chaos of Reki's home life. Kaoru breathed deeply once outside. He led the way to the restaurant. The main dinning hall was open to the public. Kaoru dragged Reki around the back as there were several people inside. Langa practically dropped himself over the redhead, as soon as he opened the door. Kaoru swore he heard the Yeti sigh.
Then the sight he was growing to love, filled his vision. Kojiro walking out of the kitchen, his beefy arms bare from the elbow down. They were loaded down with plates, a device to carry sauces was dangling from his thick fingers. Kaoru breathed in the smell. It was a mix of the food cooking, the sweaty bodies, and Kojiro's unique scent of soap, spice and well, him! Kaoru could never identify the last scent. It was just Kojiro.
"Allow me." He scooped the sauce rack out of the man's fingers.
Kojiro smiled fondly as he flung the dishes, expertly, across the table. They sailed to a stop before the correct person, leaving only one dish in the chef's hands. He held it out to Kaoru.
"Follow me?" he asked with those sweet adoring eyes. Kaoru smiled softly.
"Always." He cooed, slipping his hand inside the others elbow.
Kojiro led them out to a back garden that was hidden between the two buildings. Kaoru sniffed. This was the third scent! This was Kojiro!! He breathed deeply.
"It's the mint. It keeps a lot of the animal life away." Kojiro explained as he flicked a switch.
Lights blossomed around them as something covered up the sun. Kaoru looked up. There was a dark glass celling that slid into place.
"I never saw this." He whispered.
"Aside from Kari, no one else but me, comes back here." Kojiro said. He sat the plate down on a wire table. Another plate already rested there.
Kojiro pulled out the seat. Lit candles danced between the plates. He poured a generous amount of red wine into a goblet. Swirling it he held it for the Kitsune to sniff. Kaoru sipped it. The fragrance was something he had never had. It was intoxicating but mildly seductive as well.
"I wanted one night alone with you, before whatever happens tomorrow." Kojiro told him.
They sat together as they ate. The Tofu carbonara was better every time he had some. Kojiro kept him supplied with as much as he wanted, as well as the wine. Soft music began to play. Kojiro stood up.
"May I have this dance?" He asked.
Kaoru blinked at the offered hand. He slipped his into it, finishing the wine, he was pulled up into the strong arms. There was no other place he felt more at ease. Here he was protected. Here there was no Adam, no demon, no dead family, no century of loneliness. Here there was only... him.
Those red eyes filled with such tenderness and love, gazed at Kaoru. He felt as if he didn't deserve their praise, their love. He sighed, lowering his head to the strong hard shoulder.
"You know, I hate Joe." He whispered.
Kojiro laughed. It was deep, booming sound that shook Kaoru's head. Lips touched the back of his hair as Kojiro kissed him.
"Good, I would hate to be in competition with him." He joked. Kaoru lifted his head to gaze at that face once more.
He trailed his long fingers over it. Mesmerized by every line, wrinkle, glowing sign of love and care.
"You know I love you, right?" He asked.
Kojiro kissed his finger tips as the traveled over his lips.
"How could I have known? You never said anything." He spoke gently, as always.
Kaoru leaned forward. He captured the lips with his own. He was a bit more aggressive than Kojiro, biting the lip to demand entrance. With a chuckle, Kojiro allowed it. Kaoru explored the inside of the others mouth. Then he pulled away.
"I love you." He stated as firmly as he could.
"No matter what happens tomorrow. I am keeping you." Kojiro promised.
A new concern blossomed in Kaoru's chest, but Cherry was there to alleviate. He chuckled pointing out that had been his plan all along!
"When did you get a fourth tail?" Kojiro asked out of nowhere!