Hi all! It's been awhile since I last posted...to those who were reading my last SyaoFai story I apologise that I never got to finishing it!

Now, I'm trying something new in the way of writing so make sure you tell me if its good or not...I'm still deciding if I like it or not. It's different for sure ;)

This story is dedicated to Angelic Land who challenged me to a SyaoFai OR FaiSyao Competition. Deadline was August 15th and a limit of 5000 words. And the victor will be decided by YOU!

So have a read of both, leave your thoughts and who you reckon wins. I can't wait to see what you think of the stories!

...though, all reviews and criticism is always appreciated. ^_^ Enjoy!

Racing Hearts

It was going so perfectly.

Everything had been fitting together, like a carefully stacked card tower.

All it took was one thing, one card to be out of place, and the magnificent tower fell to ruin.

The cars roaring engine was deafening, the vibrations causing his helmet to shake and his hands to tremble even as they tightened on the wheel. But Fai wasn't thinking about any of that. He didn't care that his hands were nearly numb from gripping the wheel so tightly. But he could only focus his searing blue gaze on one thing...the flaming pile of twisted metal he was racing toward.

...the metal that had been the frame of Syaoran's car.

But...maybe he should back up a bit...just by a two days. Two days ago everything had been normal, everything had been going perfectly for them...

Arriving in this new dimension known as Lanesway City, a place where battles and arguments were decided by races as was the law, the group found themselves nearly mown down by a roaring group of speeding cars. Managing to safely make their way to the garage's lining the track, they had run into a fiery haired little man known as Marc the Mad Mechanic. Did he ever suit the part! Fiery orange hair that was gelled up into a spiked mess and blazing neon blue eyes that jumped out at you from a well tanned face.

But it was Marc that gave them the information they needed. In this town of races, there was an annual race to win the Trophy of Trophies; The Snake Twisters Cup. Made of crystal with veins of silver running through it and a white feather embedded into the stem, this trophy wasn't just a great prize due it's size or expensive materials. No, the main reason it was so desired was because of the power that it held. The holder of that Cup gained the ability to have a wish fulfilled. But the wish would only last until the next Race Winner held the Cup so it was a Cup that everyone wanted and that previous winners continued to race for.

Upon hearing of the feather, it didn't take long to realise that it was the one they were seeking. Of course not a single person was going to hand over the Cup willingly so Marc, seeing their determination to get the Cup, got them into the race as part of his team. He gave them cars, equipment, outfits and gave them a rundown of their opponents and the track...he was going to get them across that finish line in first place.

Sakura had collapsed shortly after arriving and now continued to sleep in the spare room at Marc's place, her spirit with them as Syaoran had said. With sheer luck and determination guiding them, Syaoran, Fai and Kurogane entered the Elimination Round, flying through it with ease and securing their spots in the main race.

Rules were that as long as one team member crosses the finish line, the whole team is victorious. But, any member who is injured or crosses the line in the bottom 50% is eliminated.

And, been the newest team in town, no one had any intention of letting them win easily.

With the elimination round wearing them down, the trio started their engines and made their way to the starting line, ready to fight. As the sounding horn rang out across the track and all one hundred engines roared into life, things started to go downhill on a slope that slowly steepened.

This was not a normal race where you simply had to cross the line to win. It was a battlefield where you had to fight and kill to secure your winning. Wheel Spikes, Mines, Oil, Flames, Claws, Saws and Grinders...everything was legal in this race.

But even while been attacked, the trio still managed to fend off every attack with their own little additions Marc had included for them. Kurogane, guarding Syaoran's left side, sent anyone dumb enough to get close to his car or his team into the walls after slashing their tires; Fai was smirking quite evilly as he protected Syaoran's right side, leaving a nice trail of smoking cars as they hit his specially designed clear acidic oil path he left for them. And, anyone lucky enough to miss the trail, got a ball of flames through at them. Meanwhile, Syaoran cleared the path in front of them using the thickened metal at the front of his car...enabling him to barrel anyone he came across out of his teams way.

Crossing the line with the top 10 racers, Syaoran and his team were on their way to the Finale. Then all they had to do was come first and Sakura's feather would be theirs. Slowing down after crossing the line was their first mistake. Kurogane, bringing up the rear as they made their way to the garage where Marc was waiting for them, cheering in victory over their headsets, was the first of their team to be kicked from the track.

Syaoran entered the garage first, Fai following close behind. Right before he started to enter the garage, a member of the Tiger Shark group put his foot on the accelerator and slammed straight into the back end of Kurogane's car, sending him flying down the track. Medics were called even as his car skid to a halt, upside down and bent but in one piece...the front end at least. Fai had just stood there, staring at the smoking pile as Syaoran raced toward Kurogane, peeling back the door with a strength not many possessed before dragging the warrior out, lying him on the track and checking his vitals. The shock that had Fai frozen left him slowly as Syaoran's shoulders slumped and he smiled, waving Fai over as the ambulance pulled up.

The Tiger Shark member was disqualified due to attack on a racer who had already crossed the line but Kurogane was also disqualified because his leg had been dislocated in the crash so he was unable to race in the Finale...which only peeved off the warrior to the point he tried to stand up so he could kill the runt who rammed into him. It took both Fai and Syaoran, plus a medic to strap Kurogane down onto the stretcher, to prevent the warrior from caving the kids head in...

...Though he did manage to slam his fist into the guys face as he passed, knocking the racer out cold and lying on the ground while another medic slowly made her way over to make sure he didn't have brain damage. The two saw Kurogane into the ambulance but were not permitted to leave the track until the race was over but Kurogane simple grinned at them and said

"Don't you guys dare loose to these sods."

Of course, without its support, the slope started to steepen.

Finding it hard to catch up on sleep that night, Fai got up and crept into Syaoran's room, taking a seat on the floor by the bed as he simply watched the boy who had captured his heart during the time they had spent together sleep. Fai let out a sigh, worry for the boys safety worming its way through his stomach as his mind started to come up with all the ways Syaoran could be injured or killed in the Finale. When he raised his head, his blue eyes met warm brown ones that were watching him. Syaoran smiled and sat up, reaching over to place a hand on Fai's lowered head saying

"We'll win. Nothing can stop us from getting that feather. I'll be fine Fai, you have my back after all. Get some rest." Fai smiled back at Syaoran, nodding even as he stood and left, casting one last glace at the brown haired boy before closing the door behind him, feeling the heat rise into his cheeks as the feel of Syaoran's hand on his head remained warm.

Knowing Syaoran trusted and was depending on him fuelled Fai's determination to win and to make sure they both crossed that line in one piece. It was a promise he made to his heart.

...There was no way he could have known that it was a promise that would be broken right in front of him.

As the sun rose over the mountains, the final twenty cars rolled up to the starting line. Twister Snake Track Race had started out with over five hundred racers, rapidly going down to just above a hundred after the elimination round. Now, after the first race, only twenty racers remained in a condition to race.

This was the race that counted and not one person was going to hand over that trophy easily; Fai and Syaoran included. This Finale was only three laps and the person in first place would win the Trophy. Now this battlefield had just turned into a War Zone.

By now the slope was leading toward a drop that was fast approaching.

With all eyes on the lights as the horn once again sounded over the cars, feet hovering on the accelerator even as the lights flashed red once...twice...thrice...GREEN! Gears were shifted, feet slammed down, wheels spinning on the track as the brake was released, sending twenty cars soaring down the track in an effort to be number one.

As Fai rounded the last corner of the final lap, he sensed rather than heard the screech of tires quickly followed by a shock wave that made his car swerve on the tracks. The four cars in front braked even as he shifted gears, weaving his way between them as he continued toward the finish line, determined to win for Syaoran who he knew wouldn't be too far behind him.

Even as he soared across the finish line in first place, the onlookers cheering loudly, a worm or worry started to eat at his stomach. Fai slammed on the brakes, bringing the car around to face the other side of the track, unbelting himself and opening the door to watch as the other cars raced toward him. 18 cars flew past him, speeding over the finish line while sending glares at him but waving nonetheless in congratulations.

Not one of the passing cars stopped beside him...not one was the black Holden Commodore with the green checkered lines down the side...not one of them was Syaoran's car. Fai's blue eyes slowly rose up to look toward the crashed car, smoke and flames rising from the twisted wreck that was his crushes vehicle.

He barely noticed Kurogane vaulting himself over the wall and racing toward him, yelling something he couldn't hear over the ambulance sirens and his pounding heart. With his throat closing up and his stomach in knots, Fai slid back into the car and hit the accelerator hard enough that the wheels spun on the tracks, sending up blue smoke before he realised the hand brake and flew back down the track toward the smoking pile.

He soon pulled up beside the pile, jumping out the car with wide eyes before he screamed

"SYAORAN!" The crash site was swarming with paramedics, firemen and police, will who were trying to put out the flames and find the driver that was still inside. The next sound Fai heard caused his heart to stop...

"The oil's leaking out! Everyone get back!"

Fai didn't move, eyes fixed on the flaming pile before him even as someone pulled at his arm, yelling for him to move back. It was then a figure raced past him toward the pile, arms rising before bringing a sword down to slice through the door. Fai was by the warriors side in an instant, both ignoring the flames licking at their skin, reaching in and grabbing a hold of the person inside. With a hard tug, the two pulled the body free...dragging it from the car just before it exploded, the flames soaring up into the sky.

Fai stared down at the boy in his arms as Kurogane slowly undid the helmet, carefully removing it to reveal Syaoran's slightly bruised face, his eyes closed and his body still.

"No...no...Syaoran?" The two just stared down at the brown haired boy's unmoving form before both their eyes widened as his chest suddenly rose and fell, starting a coughing fit. Syaoran slowly opened his eyes, blinking blearily up at them before smiling as he asked

"Did we win?" Kurogane smirked while Fai smiled back, holding back a tear as he nodded, wrapping his arms tighter around Syaoran's shoulders even as Syaoran reached up to gently pat his head and mutter
"Thanks Fai..." before he passed out again.

Now Paramedics finally forced their way through, pushing Fai and Kurogane back as they placed an oxygen mask over Syaoran's mouth. Soon enough he was on a stretcher in the ambulance, racing toward the hospital. Fai rubbed his eyes before chuckling as a medic stormed over to them, yelling at Kurogane for running on his leg. Kurogane scowled, murmuring something about 'it's already fine...leave me alone...'. With that, Fai retrieved the Trophy before he and Kurogane jumped into Fai's Nissan Skyline and raced toward the hospital to check on the severity on Syaoran's wounds.

Kurogane didn't even get to see the boy, been forcibly dragged off by the hospital staff to get his leg checked over to make sure he hadn't done any more damage. Fai smiled, always amazed at the strength and pushiness hospital staff had when they needed it. Leaving Kurogane in their hands, Fai worked his way up to the ICU where Syaoran was resting. He found the boy resting peacefully, his lower right leg and most of his upper body wrapped in bandages but, for the most part, he looked quite content.

Closing the door behind him, Fai set the Trophy down on the bedside table, there for Syaoran to see. And, in the centre as they were told, was Sakura's feather, glowing softly in their presence. He smiled, taking a seat on the bed before he just watched Syaoran sleep...his cheeks heating up slightly as his gaze drifted over the familiar body. Without even realising he had moved, Fai leaned downwards to lightly place his lips against Syaoran's...eyes closing before opening again slowly. Then they widened as wide blue met warm brown ones staring up at him through lidded eyes.

Fai quickly moved back, turned his gaze toward the window even has he hung his head, mumbling a stuttered apology. He heard more than saw Syaoran sit up in bed and shuffle toward him before a tanned hand placed itself against his cheek, bringing his gaze back to face the brown haired boy who was smiling at him. Fai blinked slowly, staring at him before stilling as Syaoran leaned forwards and kissed him firmly on the lips, hand sliding to the back of Fai neck so he could tilt the blondes head, deepening the kiss when Fai responded quite happily, gasping in delight as he felt a strong warm muscle trace across his lower lip before slipping in...battling with his own tongue for dominance until Fai gave in, head reeling as arousal spread throughout his body.

Fai pushed against Syaoran, pressing himself close until he made Syaoran fall back against the covers. The two broke apart, cheeks flushed as they breathed heavily, their gazes fogged over with desire. Fai smiled down at Syaoran before asking carefully

"...your injuries?" Syaoran simply smirked, reaching up so his arms linked behind Fai's head before he replied

"I have waited too long for this and now there's no way I'm letting you go." Fai's cheeks darkened in embarrassment before he bent down to kiss Syaoran again, this time in control.

Kurogane smiled, sliding the door closed as Fai let out a gasp of pleasure, near moaning for Syaoran to stop teasing and get on with it. He took a few steps down the hall and then stopped, sliding down the wall to sit on the ground. He'd just leave them be for a bit before telling them it was time to go. It was the least he could do to congratulate their victory in the race...

...and to Syaoran's victory at winning Fai's heart before he could.

Well, there you have it. I got 2, 719 words in the end...I only rewrote this story 3 TIMES before I was happy enough with it. Not sure if I'm fully happy with it but it's better than what I started with...and shorter too :p And for once, there is no smut...fluff but no smut. It just worked better without it...odd I know.

And now I'll stop rambling and leave it in your hands. Please R&R for me and I'll catch you all next time!

Seeya!

Kain