Takeshi Doesn't Get It

An IGPX one-shot by LGR

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"How's it going, Cunningham?" Takeshi Jin asked, joining said man on a bench in the park. That laid-back, ultra-casual way of his made known trough his speech.

The Team Satomi pilot had just been taking a morning walk around, not really doing much. It was the off-season and Takeshi was enjoying not being stressed to the bone and having some time to relax and not worry about the next race.

"Lame," Cunningham, responded sullenly, not taking his eyes off of a spot in the distance, not moving or twitching or flinching or anything. He was like stone, and Takeshi found himself a little intimidated, which was saying something. The Satomi Forward's nature was so informal and relaxed that not much really affected him.

"Huh?" Takeshi wondered confusedly at the response.

"It's the off season," Cunningham snapped, as if that should be all the explanation Takeshi should need. Which, obviously, it wasn't.

"Uh, yeah, it is," Takeshi agreed, not really knowing where this was going, and wondering what would happen if he did anything other than completely agree with the other man's statement.

Cunningham's eyes narrowed, as he continued to not look at the other Forward.

"I thought you'd get it Takeshi," he growled.

The Team Satomi Forward frowned a little in confusion. Get it? Get what? What was there to get?

There was only one thing Takeshi could think of and it still didn't make much sense, "I know you like IGPX and all," he began, feeling like he was talking to himself, the way Cunningham just sat there angrily on the bench staring into space like a statue, "But is the off season really that bad? I think it's kind of nice, having a vacation, you know?"

He snuffed, "I guess you don't get it," Cunningham snapped angrily, glaring off into the distance, shocking the other racer with his sudden shift to negativity.

"What do you mean?" Takeshi inquired, knowing he was probably going to regret this, but not really being able to help himself. It was like a car crash, you couldn't turn away, and the gruesome, goriness was as much of an appeal as it was a deterrent.

Cunningham looked like he might light the trees about eighty yards away on fire if he didn't let up.

"The off-season is fucking bitch, Takeshi," he explained waspishly, if you call that sorry excuse for a sentence an explanation, that is… "You just don't get it," he spat, "I can't explain it to you."

Uh huh…okay…

At this point, Takeshi realized he probably should have bailed out along time ago, and that obvious his brain wasn't working because he still wasn't booking it now, "Aw, come on," Takeshi goaded, "At least tell me why you're so pissed off, man."

Yeah, so I can never piss you off again.

"Why I'm 'pissed off'?" Cunningham said it like it had been an insult Takeshi had thrown at him. As the forward had done nothing of the kind, it just confused the teen.

Cunningham finally took his gaze off the trees and turned to his bench companion, which only made Takeshi want him turn back around and ignore him again. Cunningham, was fucking scary…

"I'm 'pissed off'," he began, eyes practically glowing read as he spat the words out at Takeshi, "Because you just don't get it! I thought you'd get it! I want to tear someone apart. I'm mad, angry, pissed-the-fuck off all the fucking time. And I've got to walk around with that inside me. I can't let it out. I feel like screaming up I don't say a word. I feel like running, but I stand perfectly still. It's like trying to tell a bird not to fly, or a fish not to swim. I think I'll explode, or catch fire or something. I feel like I ought to be fucking spewing lightning or something. I feel like I'm on the edge, every moment, every second of every day and no one even knows. They just go on in their damn little world living their damn lives and they don't even know what the hell's going on…"

He didn't say a word; he just stared at Cunningham, eyes slightly wild in fear at the words coming from the man next to him. What the hell was going on? Cunningham? Ice man Cunningham had so much pent up wrath, so much rage under the surface?

This guy seriously needed therapy…

"The only time that goes away—he only time I'm at peace is when I'm racing. And then it all just melts away and I'm rising, or maybe falling, and I can take a breath and it feels like I'm getting air, and I can look with my eyes and it feels like I can actually see something…"

Silence.

Cunningham just looked at Takeshi for a second, not saying anything and for his part, Takeshi just tried to look as non-confrontational as possible. Eventually Cunningham scoffed and turned back to stare at the trees and Takeshi let out the breath he was holding.

Takeshi joined him for a moment, trying to look at what the other man just said in a way that didn't call for his immediate transfer to the loony-bin.

Sighing and standing up, Takeshi decided to just forget this had ever happened.

"See yeah, Cunningham," he waved and started walking down the side walked without looking back.

"Later, Takeshi," Cunningham responded almost amiably, still staring at the trees.