⌜TEMPLE⌟²
A PERSIAN BLUE AUDI SLOWLY ROLLED UP TO THE STARTING LINE,
stopping next to the red Bugatti as Kuroo leaned against his car — a cigarette hanging from his lips. Smoke curled around his fingers, snaking around the golden rings and clouding his eyes until they blazed through the grey wisps of nicotine.
“Of all the cars I thought you’d be driving, an Audi was probably the last thing I expected.”
(Y/N) climbed out of the car, meeting Kuroo’s eyes from across the roof. “You better get used to it since you’ll be seeing a lot of it from the back.”
Chuckling, he raised his head lazily. “We’ll see about that.”
The girl walked over to the other side, mirroring his slumped posture as his eyes languidly trailed up and down her figure, momentarily focusing on her ripped jeans before snapping his gaze to meet hers. “I’m giving you a last chance to back out.”
“I don’t think I will.”
Kuroo took another deep inhale, the smoke tantalizingly circled the snakebite piercings. “I warned you. Don’t come crying to me when you’ve lost.”
She scoffed, cocking her head to the side with indifference plastered across her face. “I don’t exactly plan on losing.”
“Let’s see how that goes. We’ll be racing through the mountain” he started casually, inclining his head. “It ends at the bridge by the waterfront. First one there wins.”
Shrugging her shoulders, she placed her elbow on the roof of the Audi. “Sounds good to me.”
Kuroo studied her car with disguised interest, taking in all the details and recalling his memory of the model. “That car isn’t new” he pointed out. “Or cheap for that matter. Where’d you get it?”
(Y/N) tensed for a fraction of a second, willing her shoulders to loosen up before the man opposite her was able to spot the change in her behaviour. The corner of his lips rose the slightest bit upwards — Kuroo noticed.
Taking one final drag of the cigarette, he discarded the butt on the pavement, using the tip of his military boot to snuff out the dying embers. “You don’t have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable. Everyone is entitled to their own secrets.”
She turned her head to the side as to not look at him. “I thought we were gonna be racing. I wasn’t aware we were going to be telling each other our sob stories.”
Kuroo laughed lowly. “Well damn, now I’m interested. You’ve got a tragic sob story?”
Slowly, she turned her head to finally meet his eyes once again. A bright light shone behind her, one of the sports cars flashed it’s headlights and revved it’s engine as the crowd hollered and gathered around it.
Shadows crept along her face. “Don’t all racers have their own sob stories? That’s why we race in the first place. To forget about them — even if it’s for a moment.”
Kuroo squinted his eyes from the harsh light. A part of him couldn’t help but think that in that exact moment; her eyes were brighter, filled with determination. Determination for what? He didn’t know but it intrigued him enough to want to find out how far it goes.
Blinking away the thought, Kuroo regained his lazed expression. “Well don’t you just sound poetic. I have to say, it almost brought tears to my eyes.”
(Y/N) gave a small wry grin. “Save those tears for when you meet me at the finish line.”
‘This girl’ he thought to himself, amusement brimming in his eyes. Kuroo slowly walked over to her, crossing the short distance within a few strides. “This mountain is known as ‘The Temple.’ They started calling it after I joined the scene.”
The tall ravenette placed his hand on top of the Audi, right next to her elbow. Kuroo lowered his head to whisper into her ear. “People pay homage to temples when they pray to the Gods. That right there, is my temple.”
His warm breath ghosted over the shell of her ear, the barest hint of the snakebite piercing coming in contact. The cool kiss of the metal made a shiver race down her spine but he wasn’t done talking. Kuroo exhaled softly, and she just knew that there was an infuriating smirk splitting his lips without even seeing it.
“You’re about to pay homage to me, Nefertari.”
(Y/N) found herself pushing his chest away from her space once again, however instead of letting go, she curled her fist around the unzipped leather jacket, her palm coming in contact with his bare skin.
She pulled at the material until Kuroo was forced to bend down slightly, pleasant surprise painted across his features. “I’m sorry to tell you but I don’t believe in God. So I sure as hell don’t believe in you.”
He studied her for a moment, an incisor digging into his bottom lip and ′clinking′ against the piercing. “We’ll see about that.”
The moment was interrupted by the flagger stepping out onto the asphalt, a scantily-clad girl with a bra in her hand who took her position a few feet away. Almost instantaneously the noise and music around them rose a notch, spectators crowding on all sides to watch a showdown between a mortal and a God.
“See you on the other side” grinned Kuroo, a touch of maliciousness seeping into the words. His eyes had turned fierce, the golden eyeliner making them look regal. “Be sure to pay your respects.”
“You can do that to my Audi” she bit back, mirroring his expression.
A beat passed between them until he shook his head and climbed inside his Bugatti. Doing the same, the two of them got behind the wheel, making the necessary adjustments. Kuroo rolled down his window, letting his arm hang out. The golden chains grazed the side of the car as his other hand was placed atop the wheel — he revved the engine once.
In warning.
(Y/N) responded respectively as her engine purred softly before she stepped down on the gas, letting the sentiment reciprocate. She pressed the performance button, disabling the stability of the car and letting her Audi finally let loose without having to worry about holding back.
The flagger raised her hand in the air, dangling the bra which only spurred on the cheers of the crowd.
Kuroo’s car screamed, deafening and loud. It drowned out the yells of those around.
Ready!
Her fingers tightened around the wheel, attention solely focused on the flagger who counted down. She pushed down on the pedal, letting the Audi roar — ready.
Set!
The both of them looked at one another, their cars impatiently waiting beneath their hands. Sizing the other up, Kuroo’s half-lidded eyes latched upon hers. Everything else around them fell away, the crowd became quiet, screaming off into the distance. The lights dimmed down, even his eyes were more subdued within the darkness of his car. The only thing that was bright, glimmering from the seemingly endless space between them — that goddamn golden eyeliner.
Kuroo raised two fingers into the air, the ring chains swaying along with the movement. They curled slowly, smoothly moving in a ‘come hither’ motion.
(Y/N) didn’t miss the sexual innuendo that came with a sharp feral grin.
Go!
The flagger threw the bra into the night, officially letting all hell break loose as the hellcat race began. She smashed her foot against the accelerator, the Audi lurching forwards and closing 100 metres that ran down the length of the port within seconds.
The Bugatti sped past, overtaking her and rounding around the first corner with an ear-splitting screech of the tires. Speeding towards the mountain, (Y/N) pressed even harder against the pedal, twisting the wheel and sharply turning; refusing to fall back.
Lights lined along the inclining road with several groups of spectators dotting along, watching and videoing the race as they surged upwards. The mountain had many curves and sharp turns, spanning throughout. With a purse of her lips, she sped up until she was right on his tail.
Kuroo moved his car in front of hers, not letting her get past him. Feigning a jerk to the left, she quickly moved the wheel to the right and accelerated even further as to line up next to him. Racing down the narrow road, it was a constant competition of trying to get in front of the other.
The scenery flashed by, a mesh of trees and nature, too fast to process anything other than a blur of colour. The further they drove, the darker it got until there were no more lights or people watching them. The only light provided came from their headlights and the moon.
They were alone — and this is where the real competition started.
The constant turns were absolutely brutal and she couldn’t deny it but she was struggling to keep her car steady. Dirt was billowing behind them but it didn’t look as if Kuroo was having any trouble at all. She could feel the smirk drilling into the side of her face but she rejected the idea of giving in and turning her head to face him.
An upcoming turn loomed in front of them which led to the beginning of a slope. (Y/N) reduced her speed which gave Kuroo the absolute advantage of pulling ahead; but she wasn’t done.
Counting the few seconds before the turn, she turned the wheel until her tires were pointing outwards and started drifting along the dirt. It took a lot of her strength with the mixture of speed to balance it without ramming into something.
The Audi skidded right along the dirt, going off road and using the wider space to propel herself around the Bugatti. (Y/N) wrenched her wheel to the right, just missing Kuroo by mere centimetres, adding more gas to move in front of him.
The road became so narrow that there was no possibility of him getting in front unless he wanted to prove his Godly power by balancing on the edge of a sharp cliff. The girl looked into the rearview mirror, grinning widely in hopes of him catching the victorious slip she pulled over him.
Kuroo wrapped both hands around the leather wheel, eyeing the back of the Audi — time to get serious.
Her heart was hammering in her chest, filled with excitement and horror at what she just did. But she promised she’ll do everything to beat him and she wasn’t backing out on it. The road went into a decline, the base of the mountain coming closer every single metre they raced.
The moon shone brightly, brightening the world around them. The peaceful atmosphere was completely shattered with the blares of their engines but to that degree, that was tranquil in itself.
The road started to widen and as she looked in the rearview mirror, Kuroo’s cat-like eyes were intensely fixed at the back of her Audi. He looked like he was waiting for the opportune moment to pounce.
The steep cliff that ran alongside the road was crumbling, ringing with a sense of danger. There was enough space to drive — that is if you have a death wish.
Kuroo apparently did.
The Bugatti came within vision which nearly made (Y/N) veer off track, their cars almost touching. She openly gaped to the side, catching his smug face. The cliff cracked underneath the car’s weight as he added more speed. The sight made her stomach drop and along with that; her defenses.
She fumbled with the gas, unintentionally slowing down when he took the chance to push past and right in front of her. The back wheel going over the edge when he turned, a piece of rock completely falling apart where the wheel was seconds before.
He’s absolutely insane.
As daring as she was, that’s something she wasn’t comfortable with trying and here he was, doing it as if it was nothing. His life not a priority, only his need for speed and racing.
And that was when it hit her, the difference in their abilities. He was a skilled driver and she could see it now. Kuroo had no regard for the restriction that life brought along with self-preservation — he absolutely shattered it without a second thought.
She should have been more surprised when he won but truthfully, she wasn’t.
Or upset for that matter, however instead she felt breathless.
And when she looked into those bronze eyes, her throat went a little tighter. (Y/N) felt a mixture of emotions attack her, fleeting and ever-changing in the same way the golden eyeliner glimmered when a car’s headlights flashed across his handsome face.
“You held back” he started as soon as she climbed out of the Audi. There was another cigarette stuck between his fingers. “You could have kept going but you didn’t, why is that?”
“I wasn’t holding back” she grumbled. “I’m sorry if I don’t jump at every chance to go flying off a cliff.”
Kuroo watched her intently for a second. “You’re a good racer but not a great one. You’ve got the potential to become better. Your drifting needs work because you arch out too far and that costs you seconds that could be used to win. I can’t help but feel you’re afraid.”
Taken aback by his words, she evenly met his stare with a narrow of her eyes. “Why would I be afraid? I race, don’t I? I’m not scared of a little speed.”
“Do you want to get better?”
(Y/N) fell silent, thinking it over in her head. “Doesn’t everyone want to get better in the things that they love?”
Kuroo brought the cigarette to his lips, not breaking eye-contact. “You don’t love racing. You enjoy it but you don’t love it. I can tell the difference when I see it.”
For once, she had no rebuttal because as much as she wasn’t about to admit it to a stranger, her pride won’t let her voice it out. Looking at the blue Audi, the vehicle that brought her freedom and exhilaration but also what kept her chained to it with a constant sense of trepidation.
Kuroo noticed the muted self-hatred that surfaced for a fraction of a second but it was gone as quickly as a flash of a light. He decided to take a chance and ask the question that has been on his mind ever since they raced.
“That’s not your car, is it?”
“Was it that obvious?” she said softly, drilling holes into the Audi.
He took a moment before answering, noticing the slight slump in her shoulders. Kuroo walked over to stand beside her, spectating the car with her. “I’d be more than happy to take it off your hands. I won fair and square, so how will you repay me? With your body or your car?”
(Y/N) looked at him sharply, a glare slicing through him. “As if, I’d rather throw myself off the cliff thank you very much.”
Kuroo raised both his hands into the air, the golden chains ′chimed′ and the cigarette burned away at his fingers. “You lost Nefertari, so that means you owe me now. Whatever I want. That was the deal and right now I need a way to relieve some of the tension I got from racing you. Your body or car can do that for me.”
“Yeah well, that doesn’t exactly cut out for me pretty boy. Any other requests?” she fired back, disregarding the suggestive curl of his lips.
Kuroo pretended to think it over but he already had another request in his head when he saw the way she skidded past him during that turn that left him hungering for another moment like that. “Yeah, race me again tomorrow. Same time, here.”
The girl blinked, confusion marring her features. “You wanna race again? So you can rub it in a second time? I’m starting to think you have sadistic tendencies.”
The ravenette flicked the nicotine stick on the floor, crushing it with his boot. “Oh you have no idea. Maybe I can show you just how far it goes.”
They looked at each other, the summer evening air tainted with the troubled youth and it’s need for a taste of recklessness. Kuroo rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck with a quiet groan leaving his pierced lips. The lotus tattoo burned into her vision, crawling across his throat as she had to shove the sudden urge to reach out and run her fingers over it — wondering if it’ll feel as hot to the touch as whenever she’d look into his bright eyes.
“Fine” she relented. “I’ll do it.”
“Great” he grinned. “Oh, there’s one more thing. Wear bl-”
But the rest of the sentence was cut off abruptly when the music switched off and panicked cries began to resound all around them. Sirens echoed in the distance, closing in every passing second.
“SHIT IT’S THE COPS! GET OUT OF HERE!”
The crowd dispersed at once. Hastily climbing into their cars or running in directions to take cover from the police. The sudden turn didn’t seem to faze Kuroo as he leisurely took a step back, pulling out another cigarette calmly.
(Y/N) eyed him cautiously but all he did was smirk lazily in return. Deciding that it was time to finally go, she walked over to the driver’s door with every intent of getting out of there. “Hey Nefertari” he called out, leaning against his Bugatti. “Wear something blue tomorrow.”
Faltering, she gave him one last look. “We’ll see about that.”
Kuroo waved his hand, chuckling to himself as he watched her start the car and drive in the opposite direction. He was the last few remaining but he was in no hurry to leave. The need for more adrenaline kept him rooted to the spot, patiently waiting for the law enforcement to finally show up — a police chase sounded fun right about now.
Maybe it’ll sate his thirst for a little while longer.
Driving away, she took a turn just as several police cars entered the port, their flashing lights and sirens echoing in the enclosed space.
The image of Kuroo in her rearview mirror, bathed in blue lights remained imbedded into her memory.
