Quick author's note; I don't know why, but I always imagine the Air Gear boys as like… sixteen or seventeen… and Ikki is a complete boozer. I always portray him as the dumb blonde in the relationship. FYI.

Ikki waited for Kazu to respond, but the Jet only remained silent as the dusk grew darker and darker until they could hardly make out one another's faces.

"Maybe we should go back now," Kazu suggested half-heartedly. He knew it was stupid that all his hopes were riding on his crush over the Crow, but…

This is majorly stupid. I'm acting like some sort of fucking love-sick girl!

The night was cold and silent.

It was the last day they would spend together at the spa, and Kazu awoke with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Today was a day for leisure and mingling with other couples. But Kazu didn't feel like he was in a couple. They were two separate people… no love… no togetherness.

"Earth to Kazu! Hey! You in there, man?" Ikki knocked on the Jet's skull unrestrainedly before the blonde slapped the pestering hand away.

"I just wanna sleep in today, alright?" Kazu huffed. He knew he was acting immature about the let down, but he couldn't help it. Especially when Ikki spooned in around the Jet's still, half-slumbering figure.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" the blonde demanded, shoving Ikki unceremoniously off the bed, straining the string and causing it to bite into both their wrists.

"So-rry! Way to ruin the mood," the Crow mumbled, picking himself up off the ground and looking suspiciously at Kazu.

"You make it sound like it's my fault! You're the one getting all chummy! Let's just get out of the room," the blonde finally suggested, throwing on his beanie to hide his horrible bed head.

"Alright, alright," Ikki mumbled, sauntering after the fuming Jet as though there was something to be done about his mood.

At that particular moment, Kazu was sure there was nothing more that could go wrong on this trip when, unfortunately, rain clouds formed over head. Metaphoric rain clouds, to be precise. Straight in front of the taciturn, anti-social storm riders, came the gay couple from last night, approaching fast and with precision. Kazu only had seconds to react.

"Did you enjoy our little show last night?" The brunette asked, his green eyes gleaming. His mind was only focused on one thing. The Jet followed his gaze until it landed on Ikki's uninterested face. A spark of jealously ignited in Kazu's deep, blue eyes, but he remained silent… that is, until he realized that the brunette's partner, a black haired man, younger than the first, also had his eyes fixed on Ikki.

"What show?" After speaking, Kazu bit his tongue. Why did he always say those ridiculous things in front of Ikki?

On cue, the two men began snickering. The Jet only rolled his eyes. What were those two idiots up to anyways?

"Well, you know what would be fun in a dump like this? Drinking. How 'bout you two boys wrestle up some chairs and we'll be back with some… refreshments," the darker haired man explained, leading his partner away as they snickered.

"Finally! I thought I was never going to get any liquor!" Ikki laughed triumphantly. Kazu, however, looked less amused.

Bonehead.

~With the two liquor seeking gay men~

"So, twenty bucks for the dark haired huh? Interesting proposal." The brunette smiled, interestedly swirling his olive in the dirty martini in front of him.

"First one in his pants, wins."

"What'll we do about that other guy?"

"The blonde dweeb?" the younger man sighed, tipping his sunglasses down over his nose.

"I'll take care of it. It shouldn't be too hard, considering the two of them don't seem… well connected." Both men chuckled before setting the alcoholic beverages on their tray and returning to the pool, the black haired man's eyes trained on Kazu.

"Geez, I have never felt so light-headed in my life!" Ikki declared, laying full out on his deck chair after at least four shots of whiskey in less than twenty minutes.

This is just embarrassing, Kazu groaned, blowing his blonde bangs out of his eyes before pulling the Crow to his feet.

"Come on you idiot. You don't wanna make a bigger fool out of yourself-"

"Why don't you let him do what he wants? What are you, his mother?"

"Hey, back off jackass," Kazu warned shrugging away from the arms that reached out to grab him and his friend still dazed in a drunken stupor.

"Look who's trying to be tough now. Get a clue loser. He's not into you-"

With a swift push, the Jet was stumbling backwards, losing his footing along the slippery deck and making an enormous splash as he fell into the pool.

In that same moment, the red string linking Ikki and Kazu was severed and the Jet came up sputtering…

Wake up call.

In the blink of an eye, the older brunette was drop kicked in the stomach and spiraled backwards into the bushes with at least a few broken ribs.

What the…? Kazu was stunned as Ikki had apparently shaken off the lasting effects of alcohol for enough time to bash the other man's head against his knee and throwing him against the pavement.

"I was fine with the drinking… but insulting my best pal. That's when you've gone too far." Ikki smiled cockily at Kazu who swiped his wet bangs out of his eyes, trying to hide his embarrassment at being saved by another, uninhibited boy. The very boy who had drawn his admiration for years and now was offering his hand.

"I know you're having fun down there and all, but we need to split before they call the cops," Ikki insisted, pulling the soaking wet Jet out of the pool.

Just as the blonde's feet touched the ground, the Crow's arms encircled his shoulders, pulling the drenched body closer to his chest.

Before Kazu even had time to react, he was sinking into Ikki's warm chest contentedly. However, the contact was over nearly as soon as it began.

"Thanks for doing me a solid and sticking up to those ass-wipes. You okay?"

"Y-yeah," Kazu choked out, blaming his stuttering on the cool air caressing his wet body. "-but our chance to win that money is down the tubes."

"Geez, you have such a thick skull!" Ikki smacked his hand against his forehead and wrapping his other arm around the Jet's shoulders.

"It was never about the money. It was about you and me," the Crow explained, poking Kazu in the chest for emphasis as they sauntered back to their suite.

"You and me?" the blonde blinked, feeling at a loss for words.

"Yeah… I come out to you, and you come out to me!" Ikki exclaimed, jumping on the bed and waving his arms around as if to accentuate the fact that he was no longer being constricted by the red string.

"Coming out is NOT easy!" the blonde huffed, stripping off his soaking tee and letting it hit the floor with a wet 'slop'.

"Yes it is."

"No, it isn't."

"Just say it: 'Ikki. I'm gay.'"

"Not a chance."

"'Ikki, I'm really gay.'"

"You're such a retard-"

Like lightning, Ikki has glided across the floor in the blink of an eye and was standing before Kazu, leaning over the exposed blonde and breathing huskily in his ear.

With a playful caress, Ikki had the disgruntled Jet shivering his name.

"Ikki… stop. I-"

His words were silenced by Ikki's mouth that, although wreaked of cheap liquor also felt soft and commanding.

It wasn't anything major, but it received the desired affects… and much more.

"Ikki, I love you," Kazu broke the kiss and breathed heavily, his blue eyes cast away from the Crow who smiled and licked his lips.

"About time," was all the darker haired whispered as he rested his mouth on Kazu's neck.

"But what about Akito?" the Jet asked accusingly, walking over to pick up his tee-shirt and sitting down on the bed.

"What about him? Kazu…"

Ikki paused before he said these next words.

"- it's always been you."

The look Kazu gave Ikki when those words left his lips was primordial.

Stalking towards the Jet, Kazu found himself on his back, pressed into the mattress by the hungry predator that lured over him in such a sexual way that Kazu burned with passion.

Ikki's lips found his and soon their mouths were closed against one another, not even stopping for breath as the Crow groped between them to touch the Jet's naked torso.

The darker haired boy's lips left the blonde's and traveled down his neck, finding that perfect, irresistible spot-

"Ikki," Kazu gasped out as more of a warning than as encouragement, but the Crow couldn't resist leaving the deepest, darkest hickey he could on the boy's neck below him.

Although Kazu hadn't just discovered his sexuality, he was still wary about the next step. Yeah, he'd jacked off a few times, but who hadn't? What was going to happen tonight in this luxurious resort? Would it change his life forever?

"You worry too much. I can see it in your eyes-" Ikki began, attempting to ravish the Jet's stomach in the next wave of attack, but was halted by a knock at the door.

"This is the police. Open up."

Both storm-rider's heads popped up as they locked frantic gazes.

"Shit, shit, shit," they muttered in unison, gathering up their belongings in their backpacks and high-tailing it out the back window, never to set eyes upon that swanky, memorable hotel again.

While hitchhiking to try and get back to the Noyamano residence, Kazu received a clap on his shoulder.

"Thanks for forgetting your shirt man. Now they'll go after you for sex and then we can get a ride!" The crow joked, prodding the Jet with his elbow.

"Fuck you, okay… fuck you."

Haha! I've finally finished. Honestly, it's just sad how long it took for me to write this piece. Please PLEASE review.

DMar