Title: Going Faster
Characters: Yuugo, Rin||Pairing: N/A
Word Count: 500||chapters: 1/1
Genre: Friendship||Rated: G
Challenge: Arc-V Flash Bingo, #027, best of three; Diversity Writing, A57, 500 word drabble; Mini-fic Masterclass Challenge; Collect the Yuus & Bracelet Girls: Yuugo; Character Diversity Boot Camp, #37, speed; write a character you've never written before: Yuugo
Notes: This takes place in a perfectly average AU. D-Wheeling, Dueling, but not any Dimensional Wars
Summary: Yuugo wants to go faster, to win the race. Because the consequences of losing aren't ones he wants to think about.

Yuugo bent over the handlebars of his D-Wheel, the wind from his racing catching at his clothes. His opponent was just ahead of him, just a little bit out of reach, but he knew he could win. All he had to do was move just that little bit more, coax a little more out of his D-Wheel, and he knew he could do it. He knew he could.

Because if he couldn't, he knew exactly what would happen next and he wasn't in any mood for that.

His opponent glanced back and though he was too far away to see the expression, he knew what it would be like anyway. He'd seen it before. Teasing. Mocking. Can't you do this?

Oh, he was so going to enjoy winning.

Faster. Faster. And they still kept ahead of him, not a clear lead; if they'd been standing still, then he would've been able to touch them. But they weren't still and he still hadn't won.

Another round, and it would be over. His throat parched from a combination of riding and not having wanted to take a drink beforehand. He knew exactly what Rin would say about that. Rin would so say much when the race was over, and he didn't think she'd wait for him to get a drink.

But it would all be bearable if he won, and so he kept on, ignoring everything from the dryness in his throat to the way everything zipped by far too quickly. Most people would've said he drove at paces that normal people would've considered dangerous.

Yuugo hadn't yet found a reason to care about 'dangerous'. They lived in the Commons; their lives were dangerous just because they existed. This put the danger in their control. In his control.

So he raced onward, the joy of the speed thrilling all through him, straining for that one last burst of speed that would overtake his opponent.

He didn't get it. The lap ended with him not quite close enough to pass. Both of them coasted over to the side before they stopped. Yuugo wrenched his helmet off and glowered over at his opponent.

Rin grinned back at him. "I win. Again."

He wanted to pout, but he couldn't bring himself to do anything that would bring down that smile.

Not that it really would. It would take more than a pout to upset Rin. She'd probably just smack him and tell him to buck up.

"One more time!" He insisted, slapping his helmet on his D-Wheel. "I can do it if I can get it fast enough!" He knew he could!

Rin gave him a careful look before offering up a quick smile of her own. "You really don't want to wash the dishes tonight, do you?"

Yuugo said nothing.

Rin sighed, the side of her mouth quirking. "All right. If it means that much to you."

Yuugo grabbed for his helmet again. "Best two out of three!"

Yuugo washed the dishes that night.

The End

Notes: Poor Yuugo. I'll write him being successful at something at some point.