Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN THEM! -insert witty comment here- I've been dragged off by a very angry set of boys known as the Night Kids and until I write more chapters for them in their own story, I'm banned from writing my thoughts about wanting the Takahashi kyoudai to myself. Them's the breaks I suppose.

Warnings: None that I haven't mentioned already. Parental unit interference (sounds like something that could ground a Boeing 747), possible squick and mentions of the kyoudai's 'rape' incident.

Notes: Many thanks to the lovely reviewers who continue to urge me on. I didn't think this would last any more than three or four chapters so writing number 12 has shocked me immensely. Special thanks again to Dragondeb (uke Ryopon all the way!) and Omochao Pururu (Whee! Man schmex and Night Kids! The perfect combination!). And...I know Takumi works for the moving company in Fourth Stage and not the gas station, I'm trying to keep it simple and I'm pretending that this all happens during the course of Fourth. I guess I just enjoy the poor, tired looking boy working hard at the pumps. Who knows? -smiles-

Takumi was awake on time for his deliveries, his pillow styled hair leaving him in a subtle but adorable state of disarray as he fumbled with his sneakers on the inside step, tugging them on still tied up and snatching his jacket from the hook. It was still cold in the early mornings and not wanting to get a cold, the brunet boy bundled up every time.

It was a routine morning, the tofu crates already packed tightly in the little car's trunk, the cup of water held out by the elder Fujiwara, his lidded but expectant eyes grinning at his son. There was no mistaking the love Bunta felt for Takumi, whether it be expressed physically through hugs or pats on the back (of which Takumi had yet to experience in his short life), or whether it be advice given before a particularly hard race, one the younger driver was afraid of and worried over endlessly.

With a polite nod, the somewhat dull boy took the water and sat it in its place, his feet and hands doing their jobs as he took off for the daily run, an uneventful as ever drive that saw him back in his own bed by half past four. Not one to snore, Takumi rolled onto his side after snorting slightly, the heavy blankets muffling his laboured breathing as the day's heat started to settle into his second floor bedroom, his window accidentally left closed. He grimaced slightly in his half sleep before his alarm clock went off, a cheerful, if annoying welcome to eight o'clock.

Dressed and ready to go by quarter past eight, the hachiroku driver shuffled his way to the car and drove to work, the gas station looming closer, his best friend and comrade already waving from the first pump. Itsuki had the early morning shift for the daily commuters and it suited Takumi fine, not wanting to give up his few precious hours of sleep after his delivery. The manager seemed to know this fact and more than likely due to his friendship with Bunta, allowed the young driver to work the late morning to late afternoon shift instead.

Once parked and settled into his routine, Takumi smiled a bit, loving the feel of the warm sunshine on his face as he washed and dried the pumps themselves, being ever so vigilant about the other workers as well. A cheerful call from the duck lipped boy caught his attention and he lifted his head, wiping at his brow with the back of a slightly soapy hand.

"Naa, Itsuki. What is it?"

"Iketani-sempai's curious about your next battle! He couldn't make it to work today so he wanted me to ask you. It's this Saturday right?"

"Hai. At Irohazaka. The Emperor Team's number two driver wants a rematch. Fumihiro-san thinks it has to do with Ryosuke-san more than anything."

The shorter boy gaped at the other for a minute before closing his eyes and rocking backwards, getting into his 'I'm going to make a speech' position.

"Emperor's number two driver, Iwaki Seiji challenges Fujiwara Takumi! The outcome is obvious! He's been beaten before by the magnificent drivers of Project D! It will be no different!"

His nostrils stayed flared as Takumi stared at him, unable to shake the thought that his longtime friend had finally lost his mind. He peered out over the poised worker's shoulder and lifted a hand to point.

"Itsuki, you have a customer."

"Huh? Ah..sou ka. Be right back!"

He watched with a detached gaze as the even ditzier driver flounced away, bowing low to the middle aged man who emerged from his SUV while handing Itsuki his keys, his business suit spotless and immaculately pressed. He wandered into the lounge and sat down, no doubt waiting for an oil change as well as the loudmouthed boy drove the large vehicle into the first bay. He started immediately on the job, Takumi's eyes moving back to where the aged man sat, a cup of hot coffee in his hand, no doubt handed to him by their manager, a general perk of having to wait for your car to be serviced.

Takumi sighed softly and went back to his job, quickly wiping the last pump down with the soft cloth and hurrying to the drain in the other garage floor where he dumped the soapy water down, the hose alongside the inside bench working well to rinse the suds from the blue plastic bucket. He set it and his cloths on the shelf they belonged to and went inside to pick up the glass cleaner and paper towels, the front doors and windows needing a good clean. Doing the outside seemed wise at first, simply because it would get too unbearably hot to do it after lunch, his right hand spraying the lemon scented ammonia liquid while the left wiped them down, making sure to avoid streaks by flipping the towels over when they became too wet on one side.

He finished the outside just as Itsuki finished the customer's oil change, the ball of energy flying past him to inform the man and hand him his keys back, the payment already decided and done with. The man grinned at the young Takeuchi and handed him a tip, the 500 yen coin clenched tightly in his right hand as he bowed and took off his hat to the man as he exited onto the throughway.

The amateur driver ran back to Takumi and proceeded to punch him in the arm, holding out his prize like a man who had just been given the key to the city. He stuffed it deeply into the front pocket of his slacks and strutted away, leaving the brunet racer to finish the inside windows alone.

"Keep those windows looking nice, Takumi! As long as the customer's see how clean this place is and how great a worker I am, the tips'll keep coming!"

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In the Takahashi household, the morning had gone on flawlessly, the only sound before the eldest members had left being that of Takahashi-san as he stubbed his toe on the couch, his grunt and subsequent snarl at the innocent piece of furniture echoing through the silent residence. His wife giggled slightly and gave him a pat on the back, quickly donning her shoes and accompanying him outside as they both left for their respectable jobs.

Ryosuke slept in for a change, his alarm clock glaring at him as he flicked it off and rolled over, not wanting to even stand as his body ached painfully. He knew what it was from and sighed inwardly, snuggling deeper into the thick sheets, annoyedly peeking one eye open as he heard crashes coming from the next room. The blond monster was apparently awake. He groaned and stuffed his head under the plush pillow, trying to block out the noise but failing miserably.

A light snore from the raven haired driver turned into a snort as he woke again suddenly and stared at his bedroom door, the outline of the younger Takahashi against the glass as he stood with his arm raised to knock again. He cleared his throat and sat up completely, the covers draped over his lap and lower body as the nude upper half pimpled with gooseflesh in the chilly room.

"What do you want, Keisuke?"

The door opened and the oddly prim boy stepped in, his clothes tidy and unwrinkled and his hair perfectly situated. He had a light blush on his face and he seemed loathe to look the elder man in the eye.

"Aniki, I...I want to apologize for what happened last night. I don't want to say I'm sorry because I don't like to, but I feel really bad about it. I hope you don't hate me now.."

He looked up and right away Ryosuke noticed tears in the dark green eyes, a light sigh leaving his lips as he held his arms open for the younger driver, cooing lightly as he climbed into the warm embrace.

"It's alright, Keisuke. I could never hate you, no matter what you do. I love you entirely too much."

He placed a soft kiss to the shivering boy's forehead and pushed him away a bit, wanting to see that brilliant smile again. "Now, what do you have planned for the day? I remember you mentioning that you had plans. Are they with Kenta?"

The blond sniffled a bit and nodded, sitting back on his knees atop the plush bed.

"Yeah. He finally wore through those tires from last season so we're gonna go get him a new set. Plus gas, I think. I don't need any but he wants to fill it up in case we go to Saitama tonight. We never did make it to that new nightclub.."

Ryosuke smiled and nodded, shooing the boy off of the covers so he could stand, stretching and moaning as his back popped audibly, the cringe from his brother not missed as he noticed it in the dresser mirror. He shuffled to the bathroom where the water ran for a few minutes, his lithe form emerging with clean teeth and a washed face, the flushed toilet tinkling slightly before quieting entirely. A blue t-shirt, white jeans and a clean pair of underwear later, the elder Takahashi was set to begin his day. The tiny thermometer tacked to the outside of his window told him it was well above the norm so he decided to forgo socks in favour of wearing his summer sandals instead.

"I've got some errands to run as well so if you're going to be gone all day and all night as well, be sure to leave a note for Kaa-san. She worries far too much about you."

The FD master grinned and nodded, standing up from the bed to leave, feeling as if everything was alright again. He cast a glance over his shoulder before he disappeared into the hall, his eyes smiling and his mouth as well.

"Love you, Aniki."

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The house was once again silent as Ryosuke puttered through to tidy up until he had to leave, his trip to the pharmacist and the grocery store for more of the ground turkey he loved so much, pending as he pocketed his wallet and slipped both his shoes and coat on. He was in high spirits as he drove into town and parked at the supermarket, locking his precious vehicle and looking off to his right as he walked towards the brightly coloured building, his attention caught by the car parked by itself at the end of the lot.

Its colour was striking to begin with, the dark blue shimmering beautifully in the midday sunlight, the gold rims telling him what model it was without even peeking at the rear end. He smiled and wondered if its driver was a worthy opponent. The plates said Gunma so it must be a local of some sort.

Pushing the doors open he entered the sweet smelling market, immediately beelining for the meat counter where he smiled warmly at the girl who came to serve him, his lean frame bending over to point at the large tray of freshly ground turkey. He straightened up and waited for her to get a clean container before giving his order.

"I'll take two pounds of it, please. As well as a half pound of the cheddar cheese there."

He gestured towards the orange dairy product and tapped the glass counter, nodding thankfully at her when she nodded in understanding.

It wasn't often that the elder Takahashi did groceries for himself or the household but his palate had been craving a turkey hamburger with cheese, healthy enough as long as he had a fresh salad with it, his mind checking off the vegetables he'd need and remembering each one as they sat waiting in the cripser drawer back home. The girl set his items up on the counter and asked if he needed anything else, to which he replied with a negative and a small wink as he took the containers down and cradled them in the crook of his elbow.

He wasted another ten minutes wandering through the bakery, adding a package of cinnamon rolls to his pile as well as a loaf of crusty bread for his burgers, happily heading to the checkout with his heavily load. The FC driver waited patiently while the elderly lady ahead of him paid for her goods and left, carefully setting his own down on the counter before digging for his wallet and looking around personably, smiling at the man behind him and giving a small nod of his head in respect.

The grizzled looking shopper did the same before his eyes opened slightly, dropping to the tag on the master racer's jacket, the delicate sloping script announcing that he was Takahashi Ryosuke, medical assistant. It was the jacket normally worn over his dress shirt and tie when he was outside having a cigarette while on duty at his father's clinic. The young driver smiled slightly and cleared his throat, noticing the man's stare and feeling somewhat uncomfortable from it.

"May I help you, sir? You seem to be looking rather intently at my jacket. Is something the matter?"

The elder man looked up and grinned sheepishly, embarrassed to have been caught staring.

"Ano..I was reading the name printed there. Takahashi Ryosuke, is it? Your father is the owner of the clinic here in Takasaki?"

"Hai, he is. I'm a student in his medical program."

The dark haired Mazda lover offered his hand for the man to shake, smiling as he would to an ill patient, noncommittally and nonthreateningly.

"Takahashi Ryosuke. And you are?"

"Fujiwara Bunta."

The younger racer blinked for a moment before going back to his calm smile, quickly shaking the firm grip and peering back to see if the cashier had started his things yet, the white haired lady infront of him still picking out pennies to add to her tally.

"Ahh, Takumi's father. It's quite an honour to meet you. Your skills have certainly rubbed off on him."

"Takumi is full of surprises. His skill is purely natural. I haven't physically taught him anything. he learned it all while driving Akina for the shop."

"Ahh, sou ka. He's told me that story before and I must admit, I assumed it to be a facade. Something to hide his unbelievable skill."

The elder man chuckled slightly and pointed to the counter where the pretty red haired girl had started to ring Ryosuke's things through, his own purchases set up behind the little dividing bar, more than what the younger driver had picked out and then their situation dawned on him. Why would Takumi's father be shopping outside of his own city?

"Fujiwara-san? Why is it that you're shopping in Takasaki City instead of Akina? It's pure curiosity I assure you. I've just never seen you here before."

Bunta smirked a bit and lifted his right hand to scratch the back of his head, his light laugh oddly interesting to the other male.

"I was trying out my new car on the highway, needed groceries and found this place on my way back to the throughway. I'm actually glad I brought the new one for this many purchases. They never would have fit into the hachiroku."

"Hmm, true enough. May I ask you another question at the expense of seeming nosy?" A nod while he dug out his wallet and paid the patient cashier, her smile almost as radiant as her hair. "Does your new car happen to be the WRX STi I spotted in the lot earlier? It's a brilliant machine for downhill driving, even if it is four wheel drive."

"Still that street racer's loathing against 4WD hmm? It has its place. That car is a crutch for Takumi. For when the 86 finally gives up its ghost." Ryosuke was now packed and ready to go and Bunta's things had been half priced through, his wallet out in his hand as he waited with that crooked little smile on his face.

"Takahashi-san.."

"Ryosuke, please. Takahashi-san is my father."

"Ahh gomen, Ryosuke-san. Can I ask you a question without seeming totally rude and out of place?"

"Of course. I don't see the harm."

"What's the true nature of your relationship with my son? Is it entirely Project D oriented or is there something I'm not supposed to be catching on to? Your brother I believe it is. Keisuke-san? Has been calling my home for him and Takumi seems to be hiding the conversations from me. Turning his back and blushing. Have the three of you got...something going on that I'm not aware of?"

Ryosuke blinked and felt that all too familiar blush creeping up from his shirt collar, his groceries tilted at a dangerous angle as he processed the elder man's questions, uncertain about how answering will save all four of them from intense embarrassment. A small cough caught Bunta's attention and he fumbled with his wallet before handing the polite girl the money, his change handed back with a "Please come back soon, sir!". The first three bags were easily shifted into his hands while Ryosuke, with his single bag, snatched up the remaining two and nodded towards the parking lot, free to help the veteran driver.

They reached the blue Subaru and the elder Takahashi waited for Bunta to open the trunk, the inside spotless as if it were brand new, the grocery bags easily fitting into the large space and quickly closed off from the outside world with a loud slam. Ryosuke jumped slightly, still on edge from the other man's line of questioning, his eyes taking in the relaxed way the tofu master lit his cigarette and dragged heavily on it, the light smoke drifting around his head like a hazy cloud.

"You haven't answered me yet, Ryosuke-san. Not that I'm in so much of a hurry that I can't wait, mind you. I just prefer to watch out for Takumi as much as I can while he's not looking, you know? I don't want him involved in anything he can't handle."

"I understand, Fujiwara-san. It's easy for me to say that no, there isn't anything going on, but in truth, I'd be lying to you. Takumi is a very well respected member of our team and though I see him as somewhat of a prodigy, I'm not so close to him that I find him..attractive, or anything."

The normally stoic and reserved Takahashi found himself blushing madly as he stammered like a child, unable to shake the offensive stare Bunta was currently boring right through his skull.

"And your brother? Do I have to watch out for him?" Somewhat alluding to the ominous midnight phonecall from the other night.

"I..I don't think so. Keisuke is as professional as I am, but he's a different person when he's got what he wants within his sights."

"And he's got Takumi in his sights. I may look it, but I'm not blind. Takumi blushes at his words, he avoids me when he's on the phone and in the last two weeks, I've seen your brother three times at my store looking for Takumi. Not even girls hunt him down like that."

He tapped his ashes against the Impreza's front tire and stuck it back in his mouth, sucking long and hard on it before blowing the acrid smoke out into the afternoon air, both eyes opening wide as he stared the younger man down.

"I'm telling you now, I have no problem with whatever goes on, so long as it's not under my roof, Takumi doesn't suffer because of your brother's mistakes and there's no change in his gradual increase in skill learning from you two." His eyes closed again and he humbly got into the sporty little model, his frown and dispassionate mention of the boys' goings on upsetting the elder Takahashi.

Ryosuke could hardly believe his ears. Was Bunta allowing Takumi to be dated by another man? He hoped that their signals weren't being crossed and that he wasn't completely misunderstanding the elder racer.

With a small bow, Ryosuke turned and went back to his own car, its glisteningly white surface greeting him like a well worn evening suit, his right hand gently running along the roof before he got in, setting his goodies on the seat beside himself. The beep of a car horn from behind made him turn his head and lift his hand in greeting, waving the elder Akina master on as he headed back for home.

The brilliant racer sighed heavily and slouched somewhat in his seat, afraid of the conversation he had just gone through, the idea that his brother's and a bit of his own, relationship with Takumi had been noticed by the boy's father. Flushing a deeper shade of red, Ryosuke turned the car on and headed back for home, thinking that his contact lenses could wait another day. He had a phone call to make and if he didn't catch Takumi at home, there'd be hell to pay once Bunta arrived.

The whirlwind had just begun for the young hachiroku driver and despite his father's admittance that he didn't mind what happened, the FC owner could feel something amiss.

It was as if Bunta was expecting Ryosuke's answers, testing him to see what he would actually say after being told the half truth...