The boy stood still. Panting, his brow furrowed in, the sweat dropping from his face. Anyone who decided to stare at the boy would see him as the image of tiredness. It would lead one to wonder, just what activity could the boy have been doing, to end up in such state?

His shoulders were slumped, his back hunched over. There was no mistaking what there was, onto the boy, dead on exhaustion. The clothing hung tight to him, nicely hugging his curves, and, though there weren't that many curves, the boy having a defined body,it still hung nicely over his body, showing to everyone around, and to the world in general, just how nicely shaped the boy was.

"I.." - He began, and his voices came out at a lackluster pace, him being too tired to say anything at a steady pace. His breathes hung deep into the air, himself having to search deep within his own lungs just to speak. Labored breaths, his panting respiration, his body needing the air he so desperately craved.

The boy, whose name was Onoda was hunched over his bicycle, the sport's bike's light metal frame supporting him, though at a cost. The bicycle would make it self evident what laborious activity he had been performing. His action spoke louder than the words he was unable to mouth, there wasn't anything he could say that wasn't obvious by the way he stood. Facing the world but unable to do so, he might as well be a rock. His legs couldn't carry him any further forward, his sense of balance was affected. He had the feeling that if he weren't holding himself against the railing of his bicycle then he'd be on the ground.

He could go no further.

Onoda San, the boy had failed, he had tried, gone as far as his legs could carry him, he had sprinted and climbed and done all that was possible for him. He was a natural climber, ready to take on the challenge, but his stamina needed work.

"I'm through…" - The sweat of his tired, aching body, was mixed in with the bitter tears of defeat. He had gone as far as he could, but he could take no more. He had done what he could, now it was up to the others. At least for now.

Onoda San allowed himself to remember all the words the others had told him, about how he should and would keep going. There would be other races. - He had no doubt about that. - He was a valuable member of the team, and there was no denying that he was appreciated. - It was too bad their trust on him was just not translated into results.

His friends...they still kept running, but him, he could go no further, the wolf, the spider, the bear...the sprinters and the climber, the team could move forward without him. - Even if that wasn't really how the race worked. - He had brought them up this far, they could still go on.

He thought he saw some of them look back, ready to stop, to wait for him, to carry him on to the final. He didn't want that, they could still win without him. He moved an arm forward, perhaps too insistently, insisting that they move forward.

For a moment he really thought they would stop, and he wasn't so sure if that was what he wanted or not. Part of him yarned for the attention, he had to admit. Naruko looked like he was ready to abandon the race. The boy was like a wolf, and wolves are renowned for their loyalty.

But instead, he didn't. Onoda got himself a sad smile as he saw the team race forward and move onwards. It wasn't fair, exactly, but races were often decided on the stroke of luck, and on the stroke of stamina. And his complaints would get him nowhere, he had been beaten, betrayed by his own body. It was what happened and there was no use denying that.

He didn't know for how long he stood, his body shaking, like a leaf ready to be blown by the wind. He had long since drunk his water, and his needs for more were evident in the way he kept his mouth opened. He had been overtaken by plenty of people, and he was coming in last. Despite that he refused to give in. He just needed a minute.

He kept telling himself that, a minute, that was all he would need, his team was on the front, he could, if not join them, at least race up to them. He wouldn't come up in last.

By the way he shook it didn't seem very likely, but Onoda had determination, Onoda had resolve, it was something that he was going to do...As soon as he stopped sweating like he was in a sauna.

So thirsty he was...all the water he could have held in his body being exhaled through his pores. It was cooled him down, yes, but at a terrible cost. And he still had a lot of kilometers to go through. Onoda San could move yes. - He would even say he'd move. - But it would be hard, torturous, a cycling tour through the summer heat and the thirst would only get worse. He had perfect notion of that.

He lifted a leg, gently pressing it against the other side of the seat, he took position, careful, oh so careful not to fall over. His toned buttocks pressed against the seat and he hunched over. It was a different kind of hunch, instead of a hunch of defeat, of giving himself up, it was one of determination.

The first few steps were the hardest, it was hard to get rolling, but he was aware that he had lost a lot of time and needed to make it up. Singing to himself, and telling himself not to think about the water he so desperately craved, the touch of the wheel over the asphalt, the satisfying sound it made, it gave him the determination to keep going.

This was what cycling was all about, the fun of a climb, the racing with friends...his friends, Imaizumi and Naruko, not to mention his mentors, had long since passed him, but he wasn't worried about that. He knew that if they got to a point where they won, he'd come in soon after.

His legs moved automatically, he pressed forwards, through the blistering sunny heat. He loved cycling, he loved the thrill of the competition, and though he still sweated like crazy, he couldn't help but see himself smiling. The big toothy smile of his white as the marble that it so resembled, that reflected the sun that could be seen through the occasional shade.

"Imaizumi kun...Naruko Kun! I'm coming!"

He knew himself to be coming, he had no doubts about that, his legs moved faster and faster and he kept the pace up, he didn't stop for breaks. The burning he felt on his legs was both painful - for what kind of burn isn't? - But also sweet, for it showed him that he was alive.

Onoda San passed through some of the bicycle riders that had overtaken him, blind to them, and with his sights set only on reaching his friends. If he had previously thought he had been through...well now he wasn't so sure about that. He knew he could reach them, if he just pushed himself harder.

It was a sight to behold, some would even say that his pace was impossible, though he was realising just how much he could cycle along. It was the truth, this was his life.

When he arrived near his companions, who looked back with the sure confidence that he would return to them and help them win the race, like he had done oh so many times before, he was ecstatic, there was no doubt in his mind that pushing himself harder and harder to reach that stage, a stage where he could just push himself into arriving near his mate, and fellow cyclist friends had been worth it.

Though he wasn't as ecstatic as Naruko. The redheaded boy, fangs on the ready let go off his handles as he complimented the boy. They rode in formation and Naruko kun pressed the boy, pushing forwards into formation.

It was then that the touch happened.

Naruko Kun didn't know what compelled him to touch the other boy like that, at first he was just going to push him forwards, a pat in the back and a push, but when he saw him hunched over he lost his mind. He pressed his hand against the spot in the back where it meets the ass cheeks. - And further down and he might have squeezed it down, before giving him the pat.

Nobody had ever said that the boy wasn't impulsive, and it was a spur of the moment thing. It wasn't even meant in a sexual manner (or so Naruko claimed to himself), it was just an encouragement to the fellow team mate.

So why was he feeling like that? He suddenly became even redder than his hair, and he decided to focus on the road ahead. Onoda said nothing...what could he say? He had just been touched, inappropriately by a friend...and worse he had actually liked the touch.

He got himself into position, right in front of Naruko, and Naruko found it harder to concentrate on the road with the view of Onoda's back bits pointing right at him. It was a delightable sight, a sight he quite enjoyed, though it made him be not so eager to sprint forward.

As the race drew to a close the two boys both decided, simultaneously, that they had to talk to one another. It wasn't like they could ignore the touch that Naruko had provided, and though the situation could get itself very awkward, it was better not to stall it.

The talk happened when they were relaxing after the finishing of the race. They were in the hotel bathroom. - Which had mosaics that shone under the lights as well as a big bath-tub where the two stood, doing their best not to look at each other's naked bodies.

"Onoda I…" - Naruko was always severely abrasive, severely impulsive, it was what had gotten him into this situation, in the first place, but now he found himself unable to find his words. - "I...don...I'm"

Onoda risked a glance down at the body of the other boy that was thankfully covered in water so he didn't manage the peek. Not that that was his intention, but anything was better than looking the other boy in the eyes.

Onoda smiled, despite himself, he had predicted that the situation would become very awkward and he had been correct, he just didn't know what to say to this, however. To desarm the situation.

"Look Naruko…" - He was still looking at the bubbly water, steaming blue water that hid away everything from view. Naruko realised just where the other boy was looking and not for the first time that day became red. - "I...don't know…" - It was the truth, he didn't know. What could you even say to a situation like that? Pretend it didn't happen? Well they were mates, they were friends, he would have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"What do you say we just forget it?" - The boy was suddenly very flustered, Naruko had been caught in his own trap, and didn't know what to say or do. Onoda was so naive! And he had been seduced by the naivety of Onoda! Why had he gone that way?

"But I don't want to forget…" - Onoda murmured to no one in particular and Naruko cursed to the winds, this was what he was talking about! - Onoda was acting all innocent and unaware, and it was making him...and his body - tense up. It was like he was doing this on purpose, despite the boy knowing that he wasn't. Onoda was just that clueless.

What could Naruko say to that? Besides the obvious? If he didn't want to forget, did that mean he wanted him to kiss? Wasn't he as embarrassed as he was?

"Well…" - He didn't know what to say to that, as he stood there, naked, very obviously aroused, and apparent in his idea that the other boy was teasing him, even if he didn't really mean it. "You have to."

He didn't want to do things like that, but what choice did he have? Keep feeling up the fellow cyclist?

"You know this feels really good on the legs...of course you'd know that." - Onoda's weak attempt at deflecting the subject wasn't helping much, but Naruko appreciated the effort nonetheless.

"Yeah…" - He was normally so upfront, what was wrong with him? - He looked at the goofy smile on the other boy's face, goodness how he loved that smile. And it appeared every time the other was embarrassed.

"You know...as soon as I got here, I drank life a whole bottle of water!" - His easily excitable voice, the way it resonated across the room. - It all made Naruko feel compelled to act.

"I know...after a race, you always need that water!" - Naruko tried to keep the conversation going but he couldn't help but imagine what lay below the layer of water. While the tight clothing left little to the imagination it couldn't really compare to the real deal.

But he couldn't get his head on that train of thought. He shook it.

"For godness sake, you two, just get a room!"

The voice startled them, it had come from the door, where the spider lay, his head staring across the door. He had a playful smile on his lips as he looked at the two, oh so clearly in love boys. It was clearly painful how awkward they were acting and he had been there for the groping. Luckily that cycling club didn't have that kind of bias, he meant it, it was just necessary to look at Junta and Hajime.

Both boys blushed, the red becoming present in their pale tones of skin. Was it that obvious?

"No point hiding it then." - Naruko decided. - He pressed a strong firm hand across Onoda's own, pressing him forwards, they slipped on the bathtub and nearly fell atop each other.

"Maybe some clothes first, and drying..."

Onoda concluded.

And that night they slept, holding themselves tight against one another, ready for whatever came next, whether a race, or just a relationship.

The end

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