"Did anyone hear from Joe or Cherry? Are they coming tonight?" Reki asked the group. They didn't show last weekend, and no one had seen them all week. Something was different.
"I wonder what they've been up to," Shadow said with a low growl.
"Tch," Miya chided in. "Speak of the devils."
A collective squeal from some girls further up the track clued in the gang to who just arrived.
"Heyyy guys!" Joe said cooly as he rolled up. "Long time no see."
"Where have you guys been?" Langa asked.
"Oh nothing too crazy," a smirk crept onto Joe's face. Cherry tucked his hair behind his ear: an embarrassed habit he had picked up when the two first got together. Joe continued. "We just did a little jewelry shopping in Paris." With that, he pulled off his glove and pulled up Cherry's hand to show the group their matching gold rings.
Reki jumped with excitement. "OH MY GOD!" He grabbed Langa by the shoulders and started to violently shake him back and forth. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!!!"
"CONGRATULATIONS!" Reki and Langa said in unison.
"Thank you," Cherry replied, nodding his head. "I guess this explains our absence. But I'm sure you all understand."
"Hah," Miya snickered. "Took you long enough."
Shadow had tears in his eyes and was blubbering between happy sobs, no one could make out a word of his.
"Now, since we're already here, I thought I'd challenge all of you to a beef." Joe said loudly.
Heads turned. The boys all looked at him with anticipation.
"We gotta find out who's gonna be my best man," a wide grin paints his face. "Cherry being, well, Cherry, has planned the menu, the venue, and all the nitty gritty details already, but he left the wedding party to me."
"Alright!" Reki exclaimed, giving Langa a high five.
"This should be fun," Miya quipped.
Shortly after Joe declared the beef. He, Cherry, Reki, Langa, Miya, and Shadow lined up at the starting line.
Beep...
Beep...
Beep...
Beep...
Beeeeep!!!
They were off in a mad dash down the hill.
Langa and Cherry pulled ahead early, with Joe and Reki not far behind. Miya followed closely, and Shadow was nowhere to be seen. He was still such a blubbering mess that he couldn't keep up.
This beef was no where near as intense as others the group had done with each other, and it mostly comprised of the gang throwing jokes at each other and giving words of congratulations. By the time they had gotten to the factory, they had practically decided everyone's place in the party. The beef was more a formality and a chance to have a little fun as a group.
Cherry finished first, then Reki, Langa, and Miya. Joe had fallen pretty far back to find Shadow and make sure he was doing okay. Just a minute later they rolled in casually to the factory.
They fist bumped and hugged and clapped each other on the back, laughing as they walked back to the gates to head home.
Just 2 days later, they each got an ivory envelope in their mail.
Inside was a handwritten card with beautiful calligraphy (no doubt by Kaoru's hand) and an invitation to Kojiro and Kaoru's wedding to be held in one month.
Joe asked Reki to be his best man.
Cherry asked Langa to be his.
Miya offered to be ring bearer.
And Shadow would be the "flower man" (his words, not theirs).
YOU ARE READING
Treat You Better
FanfictionI see the way you look at him. I see the shine in your eyes, the pink that rises in your cheeks to match your hair, and the small twitch in your perfectly kept lips when he turns back to you. You love him.... don't you. But as the years go...
