I'm not entirely sure why I'm here- training did, after all, finish upwards of five hours ago,
and even Sensei has left the dojo. My classmates flooded past me in a burst of noise and
colour, some admiring the new obi they earned at last night's grading.
"See you, Ken." one of them calls, slipping into the darkness outside. I grin and raise a
hand in parting.
I didn't grade. Surprising, until you know that I'm currently a 5th Dan black belt-
technically equal in rank to my Sensei- and so I'm required to wait a few months between
gradings. Besides..I slouch against the whitewashed wall of the corridor- they're not too
keen on my ego around here. Some people think I'm too young to be so advanced, and I
just have to tell them that I like to win.
I do like to win, more than anything else. I can beat anyone- anyone but him- in this dojo.
He's still in there, practising. I slide my head round the door, curious to see what he's
doing now. He's alone in the high-ceilinged room, hands together in the classical scissor
position. A black belt, like myself...actually, he's 6th Dan- more disciplined than I am,
you see. Ryu, his name is, and he's doing Tekki Shodan with almost inhuman grace,
giving the already graceful movements his own perfect, sinewy motion. For the moment,
I'm content to lean and watch him go through the kata alone, his leg muscles bunching
and releasing with each step. Finally, he pulls up again into the scissor position, hands
folded carefully one on top of the other. Then he turned, grinning.
"I knew you were there, Ken."
"Cheat." I accused, returning his smile and strolling into the dojo myself, feeling my eyes
adjust to the half-light inside. His brown hair is falling into his eyes, making me itch to
brush it back for him. He grins, turns to me, and places a hand on his hip mockingly. "So,
why does the great Ken honour us with his presence? You're not actually here for some
practice, are you?"
"Are you implying I need any?" I reply, examining one of my palms with fake disinterest.
This rivalry's getting to be kind of a tradition between us. Besides, he's so cute when he's
mad. I grin and strike my usual cocky pose, feeling Ryu itching to correct my stance and
posture. He tuts, walking around me slowly, hands folded behind his back in a passable
impression of our Sensei. "Ken, how are you ever going to progress if you won't
practice?" He kicks my back leg into a jyu-dach stance, a grin lighting up with face. I
hold the stance for a while, then straighten and look him in the eye. "There's one thing I
don't need any practice in, ne?"
Ryu breaks into a full laugh, shaking his head in mock-despair. "So you're not here to
work? Sensei was asking after you-"
"No," I interrupt him before the mock-despair can become a lecture on how I, Ken, am
undisciplined and over-confident, "I'm here for you. Want to take the Viper for a burn?"
He shifts his feet, running a hand through his hair and succeeding in making it even more
adorably rumpled. "Well....I should really get some time in on my kumite-"
I sigh deeply, whipping behind him and propelling him towards the door. "Sensei
wouldn't want you to die of boredom, would he? You just might, without me around...."
_______________
"Ken...." Ryu said through his teeth, "could we maybe slow down? Just a little? This is a
70 mph zone-"
He looks vaguely ill-at-ease inside the Viper's leather confines, one hand white-knuckled
on the door-handle.
"For God's sake, Ryu!" I laugh, shaking my hair back in the wind. "Learn to have a little
fun!" The combination of Viper and clear night have me in a wicked mood, ripe for a
little joy-ride. I feel like I've earned it: too much work and no play makes Ken bored out
of his skull. I put an arm around Ryu, feeling the warmth of his body from the exercise.
"Let's just forget the whole 'I'm Ryu, I must be perfect all the time' thing for a while,
okay? Just a couple of hours...." I smile winningly at him, and despite himself, he grins
and kisses me. "You're a very bad influence," he whispers in my ear softly, beginning to
lip my neck. I give him a look. "I'm driving. Now who's a bad influence?" He ignores me
and works his way onto my shoulders, covering me with kisses. Concentrating on the
road is becoming a serious problem, so I spin the Viper into a lay-by and give him my
full attention, sneaking an arm around his back and smoothing the piece of hair which
irritated me earlier.