Re: Initial D, Ryousuke/Keisuke, testing the suspension (cont.)
Aniki eased them out of camp so smoothly that Keisuke would have been willing to bet that no one even noticed their departure, and merged into the flow of traffic just as smoothly. The traffic was heavier--daylight and all--but getting to watch Aniki drive was still an education. The part of Keisuke that wasn't jangling sat back and watched for a while, silent.
Aniki didn't say anything either, about Fujiwara or anything else. Bit by bit, Keisuke found himself relaxing, exhaustion finally managing to overtake him. He settled deeper into the passenger seat as fatigue crept over him, mind drifting from the ways and means of Aniki's driving, lulled by the smooth purr of the engine.
That, of course, was when Aniki struck. "You drove well last night."
His brother's voice surprised Keisuke, jolting him out of his half-doze. He responded before his brain was fully in gear. "Not as well as Fujiwara did." Another record shattered on the downhill run, another hillclimb that was adequate but not astounding. There were days when Keisuke was starting to be afraid that this was how the rest of his life was going to go.
"Fujiwara also did well," Aniki allowed. And the thing was, he was so good at that neutral tone that Keisuke couldn't even tell what he was actually thinking.
"Yeah, so what else is new?" Keisuke stared out the window at the passing scenery. Aniki'd gotten them off onto a side road at some point. There was a lot less traffic and a lot more trees. Scenic, if a person liked that sort of thing: two brothers out for a pleasant Sunday drive. The thought made him angry, for some reason, and anger made him reckless. "So. You fucked him yet?"
"No," Aniki said, deep and even, not ruffled, not even by that. "Have you?"
"Are you kidding?" Keisuke looked away from the window, but his brother's profile didn't have anything to give away. "I'm not the one he has a mancrush on."
He can see just the faintest twitch at the corner of Aniki's mouth. "No? I think you're being hasty."
"I don't want to fuck Fujiwara," Keisuke growled, while the darker corner of his mind turned over the possibility of taking Fujiwara, of mastering him in that way, at least. Then he dismissed the idea. With his luck, Fujiwara'd end up being better in bed, too.
Aniki's sudden bark of laughter startled him, made him realize he'd said that last part out loud. "Is that what this is about?" he asked, as he braked, and pulled off onto yet another side road that, judging from the way there were weeds growing up through the pavement, didn't see much use.
Keisuke hunched his shoulders as they idled along. "Do we have to talk about this?"
"We have to do something," Aniki said, and pulled the car over, parking under a stand of trees. The silence after he killed the engine was intense.
Keisuke kept his eyes forward as Aniki shifted in his seat, staring resolutely at the trees, mouth pressed shut.
Aniki sighed. "You don't have any reason to be jealous of Fujiwara."
"Who said I was jealous? I'm not jealous." Not that he thought Aniki was going to buy it. Wasn't going to let that stop him from trying, though.