Pairings: Ryousuke/Takumi, Keisuke/Takumi
Summary: Ryousuke and Keisuke always reached for the same cookie or toy...

Synchronicity

"Hey, Fujiwara, don't be shy. Just jump in." Keisuke yelled.

The brown-haired young man hesitated before taking his younger son's advice and got in the swimming pool. Hajime Takahashi noted in amusement that the kid had not "jumped in" but walk down the small stairway built on one side of the shallow pool. His smile was mirrored on his older son's face as Ryousuke looked up from his ever-present laptop. There was a story there, Hajime knew. The kid was young, three years younger than Keisuke, but he was the second ace driver of "Project D", the little semi-pro racing group Ryousuke had made.

Ryousuke would probably be surprised at me knowing that...

Hajime was not as ignorant as both his sons might have thought. He knew, for instance, how many pro racing teams have approached Ryousuke: exactly two. He knew how good Ryousuke was at racing, how his oldest son was known as the White Comet of Akagi. How could he not when even the nurses in the hospital talked about his son like he was a minor god? He knew how important racing was to both his sons but someone had to be pragmatic and inherit the family hospital. He knew his sons, and Keisuke was too brash for the role. It would have to be Ryousuke. He was the eldest anyway.

"Charge!" Keisuke made quite a splash as he wrestled with Fujiwara-kun. Ryousuke watched the kid quietly in the cover of his laptop screen, a glimmer of something in his eyes.

Ah, that can be a problem...

As far as Hajime could remember, Ryousuke and Keisuke shared the same interests and things or in some cases not share the same things. He remembered the incident in which his two sons had a fight over a plate of butter cookies.

Ryousuke was eight then, and Keisuke, six...

xxx

"Hey, no fair, aniki. I got it first!" Keisuke wailed as he yanked on the pretzel-shaped sugar cookie, the other side was held by Ryousuke.

"Otouto, I clearly got it before you did."

"No, I did."

"No, you did not."

From what Hajime could see, they had both reached for the sweet at the same time. So there was no way to win this argument except...

Keisuke yanked the cookie and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Keisuke..."

"There, nya!" The words were followed with a punch in Ryousuke's direction, which the older child returned.

"Ryousuke, don't hit your brother." Miya had admonished their eldest child.

"But he took my cookie!"

"You're still the older, you have to be more patient with him..."

xxx

The lecture was something Hajime had heard his wife dish out many, many times before to Ryousuke. Though Hajime personally thought it unnecessary, Ryousuke was more considerate of his younger brother than Hajime had been of his own. He could honestly see that Ryousuke was more considerate than even most elder siblings he had ever remembered in his stint as a pediatric intern. It was rare for his older son to retaliate when Keisuke fought with him. That was why the cookie incident stood out in Hajime's mind; it was so rare for Ryousuke to assert what he wanted when his brother competed for the same thing.

Ryousuke is too aware that he must be the patient one...the responsible one...and Keisuke often capitalized on it...

There were many incidents when Ryousuke would back down to give Keisuke whatever it was they were hankering for because they were rather eerie in their similarity.

Sometimes, I think they were twins. If they were born within months in each other, I would have thought of delayed delivery but there are two years between them...Anyway to the present problem, this might become messy...

Hajime was fully aware that everyone on Project D was from the Akagi Red Suns, the team Ryousuke and Keisuke belonged to before. He had met most of the Red Suns before since he insisted on knowing whom his sons had been hanging out with. This was the first time he had met Fujiwara Takumi, the talented new addition scouted out by Ryousuke from Mt. Akina. The kid was shy and much younger than he thought possible, given that Fujiwara had beaten Ryousuke on the Akina downhill and tied with him on Akagi. Quiet and modest, he barely uttered a word since being introduced to Hajime. Even with Keisuke set on embarrassing pronouncements of being beaten by him and going to beat him someday. Most racers to Hajime's experience, not that he had met that many but, hell, most men, would have defended their honor from such challenges, but Fujiwara just stood there and took it, faintly twitching when Keisuke inadvertently complimented his driving skills. Hajime knew right off that something was up.

Ryousuke showed much more interest in Fujiwara than Hajime had ever seen him show an opponent. His older son never recruited any outsiders before, even when they had talent. He never spent time trying to improve their driving as Hajime observed. Moreover, he did not give them those looks or those judicious touches of reassurance, a hand on the arm, a touch on the shoulder, that Hajime saw when they were coming through the hall from the garage.

He likes him...

But there was Keisuke to consider. Hajime had not seen Keisuke shower as much attention to an opponent either. He might yell imprecations and try to beat his opponent but he would certainly not try to ask them to their swimming pool or playfully wrestle with Fujiwara as if they were both kids in grade school.

It was almost as if he considered Fujiwara as his younger brother. But no, if Ryousuke shows interest...then...as always, Ryousuke might yield...or worse...

Hajime had not been prepared for this, that both his sons might fight over some person for love or attention. He had suspected about Ryousuke's preference for some time now. There were many women who flocked Ryousuke's side but his older son had been immune to their charms. Ryousuke did not date, did not bring girls home to meet him and Miya. He had been prepared for the day that Ryousuke would admit to being homosexual, knowing it was not that bad, that there was still Keisuke, at least, to continue the family line. Keisuke had dated several girls and was last seen with a girl racer. But now, he was not so certain.

Keisuke is probably bisexual...

Still, there were practicalities to consider, and besides, Ryousuke was doing his part in shouldering family responsibilities. It was Keisuke's turn to grow up and do his share. Hajime turned away to go to the living room. There was a phone there and with everyone at the pool there was no one to disturb him.

"Sayuri-san, long time no see. I want to arrange an omiai for my son...Keisuke..."

-The End-

Author's Notes: Aieee, I know I so totally suck! I should go finish one of my other fics or do my work but this plot bunny kept pestering me until I knew I had to write it. And oops, here's an explanation for one of the words...

Omiai - traditional arranged matchmaking meetings