rekd | OVERFLOW / OPEN

Yeah. I am.

[ qi fang's first warning will be that smug note in his tone, the restless revving of the engine. ]

Hold on tight, babe.

[ because they're going to come tearing out of the alley like it's going out of style. for such a little machine, this bike has some kick to it, and that first taste of speed was only ever going to set off that intrinsic part of him that needs to go faster, harder, no matter how many sedans they have to swerve along the way. with qi fang clinging to his back, honestly, this can't get anymore romantic—for reki, at least. ]

[ things qi fang should have expected: this. trust reki would retaliate in his own way, but honestly who's even keeping score anymore. with nothing but a sharp yelp and tight grip from qi fang, reki can definitely consider this a huge win anyway.

he tucks his chin over reki's shoulder, gritting his teeth against the cool night air that whips about his face. still, he can't complain, knowing chasing thrills and speeds is when reki is in his element.

so what else is a good boyfriend to do but encourage it? turning his head, he makes sure to breath hot against the shell of reki's ear. ]

Faster.

[ he'll emphasize his point with a sharp nibble to the lobe of that ear, tugging. ]

[ nevermind. this is romance: qi fang's voice in his ear and teeth in his skin and the world a crazy blur all around them. it's probably not the best idea to divert any of his attention when every obstacle in their path can be counted as a near miss, but reki wouldn't have it any other way, his grin as wide as it can go and his eyes alight with the thrill of it all. he has no choice but to do exactly as qi fang asks, not that he'd be able to stop himself anyway—not that he has a choice when the sound of sirens cuts through the night, wailing louder and louder behind them.

time for a detour then. he trusts that by now qi fang gets that holding on for dear life isn't optional, the bike drifting on its rear tire as he cuts a quick turn and thunders off into a narrow alley. it's a real kick now, weaving through dumpsters and crates, sparing just a shred of his attention to glance over his shoulder. ]

Havin' fun yet?

[ he's not nearly as reckless as reki, but qi fang can be known to toe the line from time to time. it's likely not a good idea to let his hands wander over reki's torso and lap either but he's still doing that anyway. the sirens are kind of a mood killer, though, as qi fang is made to suddenly think of his parents and their reaction to their son getting jailed for a midnight joyride. ]

Oh yeah, loads. If I throw up on you just know it's nothing personal.

Nah, but you're on laundry duty.

[ mercifully, they don't have too much farther to go, making record speed like they are. all those sirens and flashing lights cut short once reki swerves on to that rough dirt road that leads up the mountain and flicks on the brights to account for the sudden darkness that engulfs them. for the first time, he has to slow down a bit to manage all the skaters bursting out into the road in front of them, which just seems to bring all that hype up to a head. ]

Fuck, this is a wild crowd. Wonder who's skating tonight.

[ it's only his second time, but qi fang wonders if he'll ever get used to it. he's at least a lot more awake this time around, and definitely a lot more prepared. the energy is palpable and damn near infectious, especially the closer they get towards the gates. there crowd is thicker there too, all abuzz with excitement. even if qi fang is a stranger to all this, even he can tell that tonight's a pretty big deal. cheers have already started to erupt, the crowd just getting more and more hype. ]

Hopefully not whoever we're here for. Looks like we're late.

Don't think so.

[ despite the utter rush that is being a part of such a big, wild crowd, more people means more people reki doesn't know. he spares a hand to slide it over qi fang's thigh, squeezing gently. ]

Stay close, all right?

[ that's all he's really got time to say before the man at the gate is asking for their badges and waving them through. then he's gotta drag that hand away to fish around in his pocket for his phone, frowning at the screen. ]

[ qi fang slides a hand across reki's tummy, giving it a reassuring pat that he isn't planning on going anywhere. especially not once they're past the gate, the point of no return, and they stand idle a little out of the way while reki fiddles with his phone. with nothing better to do, qi fang lets his eyes wander, but does his best not to make any meaningful eye contact. he doesn't know the rules of s, after all; for all he knows, staring at someone long enough is a quick invitation to a beef. ain't neither of 'em need that kinda drama right now.

yawning, qi fang pulls back just so he can stretch out his spine, lift his arms over his head. perhaps too curious for his own good, he decides to bring the bag out front, peeking in to see the deck they'd brought along.

he lets out a low whistle. ]

Wow, this one's gorgeous.

Right? Your man's a genius.

[ reki tips back his head to soak up all the love and adoration he deserves. word's still out on whether or not the actual client will like it, but he's working on that, kicking off the engine and removing that godawful helmet qi fang picked out for him. thanks but no thanks. he leaves it slung across the bar and offers qi fang a hand to help him off the bike. ]

You got it? I can take over.

[ there's just enough time to roll his eyes and drop a wet kiss onto reki's cheek before it's time for business. he hands the bag over to reki with a shake of his head and a dismissive hand up in the air. ]

A genius should reap his rewards.

[ but he's sticking close, slipping off the bike and taking his place by reki's side. he's not sure who they're looking but, but he figures whoever it is will likely spot them first. ]

Good idea. Back to being arm candy for you.

[ reki looks up from his phone long enough to shoot him a smirk as he links their arms. and then it's tough looking anywhere but all around them; a race has already begun, so there's nothing but action up on all the big screens, the betting pool is getting heated, judging by the meat grinder of a crowd, and the rest of the night's prospective racers are commandeering the gallery with flashy tricks and eye-catching swag. it takes a lot more focus than he has to place a crowd that's a bit removed from the rest, gathered around the open bed of a pickup truck, nursing red solo cups and blasting music from one of the open doors in the cab. he steers them in that direction, but his eye's still on one of the skaters dominating the half-pipe overhead. ]

No wonder everyone's here tonight. Look, you see that shit?

It's tough being so beautiful...

[ his lamenting sigh is, of course, easily swallowed up by the crowd raging all around them. he's actually surprised reki's managed to make sense of the throng of bodies, but then again reki's had much, much more experience with this than him. to qi fang, it's just chaos incarnate, all blaring noise and flashing lights and the occasional brush against an overly sweaty body too caught up to even seek out an apology.

he doesn't actually know what reki's referring to until he follows the other boy's line of vision, squinting up at one of the big tv screens to try and make out one of the blurring bodies zipping past. ]

How come you don't skate in a costume?

[ yeah, that's the most insight he can offer after seeing what looks like a matador pirouette over an exploding firecracker and land gracefully back on his board with ease. ]

[ for a second, reki's way too amped to even process the question. it's like a dream come true, seeing this in real time, and he's squeezing qi fang's arm absently in his excitement, eyes wide.

until his nose wrinkles and he slips qi fang a nauseous look. ]

Nobody wants to see me in spandex.

[ qi fang tears his eyes away from the screen and winds up spending more time watching reki watch the match than the match itself. there's no denying how enthralled he is, how his very body screams excitement, like he's barely able to contain his own energy from ripping right out of his flesh and jumping right onto the track itself.

and qi fang's supposed to believe that he's just okay with giving this up? riiight. ]

Agree to disagree.

[ reki's spared from further elaboration when qi fang glances up, noticing someone approaching them. a young woman with neon green hair and a shirt two sizes too small for her body giggles and hands him one of those solo cups and, well, he's not driving... ]

Gross, [ reki groans, eyes back on the screen. for a second, at least. then he's watching that girl hand qi fang a cup and his smile brightens. uncannily. ]

You come from over there? [ he asks, gesturing toward the pickup truck and their contact. the girl nods and reki promptly drops the smile, dropping a fist over the cup in qi fang's hand to send it spilling to the floor. he'll push up his sleeves as he storms toward the crowd, red-faced and shuddering with rage. ]

[ the girl shrieks, hopping away from the splatter, and qi fang's left to just watch the liquid pool and spread around his feet. when he looks up, reki's already halfway to the truck, and his pulse spikes in panic. ]

Reki—

[ he shoots forward, reaching for reki's arm to try and pull him back. ]

[ reki's due very little credit, sure, but his destination isn't anyone in particular this time. rather it's that cooler those solo cups are set on top of. not that it matters so much; by the time he's kicked it across the dirt, scattering cups and splashing drinks everywhere, their contact is darting right toward him, fists clenched all the same. he feels qi fang's fingers lock around his arm, but c'mon— ]

We don't do business with fucking creeps, [ he snarls, hard-eyed and ready to snap as the guy rocks right up to his face to stare him down. ] Disgusting piece of shit— I can't stand people like you.

[ just like most everyone else, the guy towers right over him, same as the rest of the crowd circling around them. he coos right in reki's face, asking what he's gonna do about it, and reki's at least got enough presence of mind to stand his ground and not instigate a fight immediately. ]

[ honestly, when it comes to physical fights, qi fang's instinct is to avoid them as much as possible. maybe it's a side effect of being around people who are a lot more hot-headed than him (sun jing, reki...); sometimes he just as easily enabled, other times he can't help but become their foil. most of the time, it's because someone has to have some self-preservation instinct...

he admittedly isn't entirely sure what's going on, but he can piece enough together to know that reki probably won't be backing down any time soon. ]

Alright alright alright.

[ he comes right up to reki's side, situating himself right where he and the client are inches away, squaring off. he's acutely aware of the crowd gathering around them; specifically, just how many of them seem to be on the other guy's side. ]

Let's all just cut our losses, huh? We keep the deck, and you get to keep the rest of your night.

[ "yeah? and who's gonna pay for my drinks, you?" the guy asks, but reki's moving between them in an instant, right back in his face the second he averts his eyes. ]

Touch him and I'll break your fucking face.

[ they share a tense moment, one that's broken by the sound of footsteps and loud shouts. turns out a very small fraction of the crowd wants to be present when the mountain guard comes running in, reki himself not included, and he takes that as a sign, grabbing qi fang right back.

"this ain't over!" he hears as he whirls on his heels, but by then it's time to run. ]

[ it all happens in seconds. one moment he thinks some hands are definitely going to be thrown, and then the next he's being whipped around and pulled out of the general vicinity. his steps pick up speed when the shouts from the guard finally reach his ears, but it's tough to say whether or not they're being followed.

just in case, qi fang spots a shadowed area hidden behind a crowd of people sharing joints, wrapped in a thick cloud of pungent smoke. ]

Here—!

[ he pulls them through the smog and tucks them into the shadows, one side caged by a tall fence of chickenwire. he takes advantage of the brief moment of quiet to look reki over, lifting a hand to his face. ]

You okay?

[ thank the stars for qi fang's quick thinking. under all this smoke, it's impossible to tell who's who—not the most comforting thought considering how jumpy he is right now, but it is what it is. the guards run right past them, not eager to disrupt a far more amicable crowd, and that's that. he guesses. ]

I'm fine, [ he growls, but his tone and his expression soften immediately. ] Are you okay? You didn't drink any of that shit, did you?

Yeah, I'm good.

[ of anything, he's just ashamed he even considered drinking it in the first place. it's pathetically naive of him, but more than that he feels guilty for getting them here. for making reki so upset, and now painting a target on his back from someone who is clearly trouble to begin with. good fucking job, dumbass. ]

Sorry. I should've known better.

[ the apology is a shock. reki's the one who promised he wouldn't fight anymore, and as stuck as he is on the idea that this circumstance is a different story, he still figured an apology was owed.

but hearing it the other way around just makes him angrier. promise or not, he should have decked that motherfucker when he had the chance. ]

Don't you fucking apologize. They're the scumbags. You didn't know.

[ he shakes his head, putting both hands up now to cup those cheeks in an attempt to soothe, placate. ]

What kinda idiot takes a free drink, huh? And then I fucked up your sale.

[ no no, the blame here's on him. reki wouldn't have had the opportunity to fight if it hadn't been for qi fang's stupidity.

he leans down, pressing a brief kiss to reki's brow, then his lips. ]

We're good though, okay? No real harm done.

Fuck that! You think I want their money? You think I want some fucking creep out there repping our shop!? Don't you fucking dare blame yourself for this.

[ this really is the wrong crowd for this conversation. mellows are being harshed all over and one by one, slow-blinking, drowsy stares are being fixed on the pair of them.

but who cares; this is important. he grasps qi fang's wrists, willing himself to calm down so he can convey how serious this is. it doesn't work, but maybe the effort will speak for itself. ]

It's not your fault. Okay? Fuck him.

TFLN / OPEN RP / THREADTRACKER

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