Avalanche of Love Ep. 08

I left you on another mini-cliffhanger last time, didn't I lovely? It just has to be like that sometimes, doesn't it? Well, your wait is over and now we can see how that overtime match will play out!

Ah who am I kidding, we know why you're really here, yeah? You want to see our favorite twins and their new bunny-sister, right? No shame in that, but I hope you'll humor me as I give you a little more sporty drama first.

Let's jump right in!

"Welcome back to Ice Stone Lodge here on beautiful Mt. Crystal Lake!" Jasmine called out with a bright grin to the camera.

"Say that line three times fast, Jas," Jaron hummed out melodically.

"Ice Stone Lodge, Mt. Crystal Lake. Ice Stone Lodge, Mt. Crystal Lake. Ice stone Lodge, Mt. Lystal Cake-"

"Ha!" The greyhound barked out.

"Ohhh... shut up! We should focus on our overtime anyway!" The mouse squeaked out with a fussy glare at the dog.

"Right you are, Jas, let's get down to the gate where our current points leader, Kai Hanna is set to drop in!" Jaron said to the camera, the scene already having shifted to the snow leopard.

The camera panned over to the leopard as he offered a slight grin and shrugged. "Maybe I should start charging by the hour, huh?" He dialed his music up and pushed off, moving into the pipe.

Kai had nothing to prove on this run, it was just for fun to him, as if he were just practicing, but he knew Hiroshi would lose his mind if he didn't put it out there. He hit the first pass and launched off it, spinning in a controlled flourish.

Sticking his landing he moved right on to the second, mixing things up with an end over end, seeing the pipe then the sky repeat a few times before settling and hitting the ramp once more. His third pass showed more casual but skilled tricks.

The leopard hopped up on the edge of the pipe on his quick fourth pass, grinding on it like a skateboarder would, even going so far as to remove his mouthguard and stick his tongue out at the camera as the drone zipped by.

Grinding his board to a halt he showed another playful grin at the camera, then cocked a brow, his eyes looking challenging. "Your move, Roshi."

The buck had been watching the whole thing up top on the TV, he was a professional and could clearly see the leopard was having more fun with it than dialing fully in. Still, the effort was there and when Kai called him out, his teeth snapped together before he stomped over to the gate.

Seeing the buck stomping over, the lead staffer tilted his own head. "Hey, not my business, but you might want to shake that off and focus. Don't you guys trash talk all the time?"

"This is different..." Hiroshi snarled as he locked his boots into place with a scowl.

"Yeah, okay. Try to keep your head screwed on right when you drop in." The staff member rolled his eyes and trotted out of the way as the camera came in.

"And here comes our other competitor for this special exhibition run, Hiroshi Yukazama!" Jaron called out to the viewers.

"He looks pretty serious, guess Kai lit a fire under his tail!" Jasmine hummed out as the buck quickly glanced at the camera before snapping his goggles into place, dialing his music, and pushing off.

Why was he so upset? Other boys had trash-talked him much harsher than Kai had. The leopard's jabs were playful at worst, and encouraging at best, so why was he so riled up by them? The questions whirled in his mind as he hit the first jump.

His tricks came out in a controlled, nearly mechanical flourish. Years of skill coming to the front, showing he'd broken the X3 in easily. Broken it in easily, because Kai, Jarome, and even Kayla had helped him. He'd gone from being a loner in firm control of his own destiny to having to rely on others to keep his dreams alive.

His second pass showed a full mimic of Kai's end over end, even adding a quick corkscrew to it to one-up the leopard as he stuck the landing. That's when it dawned on him, Kai was different, because Kai earnestly had gone out of his way to help, and had been a ... friend.

Hiroshi's eyes widened as he snapped out of his own headspace a moment too late, he'd gone up for a fourth pass, having completely been going on autopilot for the third one, not even remembering what tricks he had done, but the crowd roaring their approval.

Last season Madeline had stuck a fourth trick by the claws of her footpaws, but that wasn't happening this time. The buck missed the side of the pipe and came straight down without a slope or anything to ease the tumble. He drew himself up into as tight of a ball as he could, feeling a stabbing shock of pain against his hip and shoulder as he impacted the compressed snow.

"Roshi!" Kai screamed out and was already rushing over to the buck from the waiting area since he was mostly down the pipe. There was a collective gasp of shock from the rest of the spectators, Kayla pushing her paws over her mouth, Madeline just wincing at the impact.

"He'll... I think he'll be okay..." She whispered to Kayla as the leopardess looked back at the rabbit. "I've taken drops like that before, he got into a good tuck."

"Gods! Are you okay, man?!" Kai had beaten the medical staff over as he dropped to his knees next to the buck.

"I'm... fine..." Hiroshi winced as he slowly tried to pick himself up, then gave a pained gasp as he collapsed back down into the snow.

"Idiot! Hold still and let the medical guys check you out before you try to move!" The big cat snarled.

Hiroshi just hissed through his teeth as he glanced up at Kai. "Sorry..."

"For what?" Kai frowned as the medical staff pushed forward.

"C'mon give us some room here!" One of the MT's snarled as Kai backpedaled while they started looking the downed rider over.

"Oh gosh... well, why don't we go to a commercial, we'll have more info for you when we return, everyone!" Jasmine huffed out, trying to shift back into her own professional tone.

"We'll be right back, everyone!" Jaron called out as the feed cut and an impromptu commercial break started.

"The x-rays came back. He ended up dislocating his shoulder on the impact, and also has a thin hairline fracture on his pelvic cavity. The doctor is recommending he avoid any strenuous activity for the next few months, but he could theoretically be back on the slopes after a few weeks of r and r." Kai explained to the other riders that were all waiting in the lobby area after having gotten the news from the doctor.

"Well, at least that's something... You know Hiroshi will be back at it in like two weeks tops!" Jarome mewed out with a grin.

"Yeah, but if he takes another fall anywhere in the area, he'll be done boarding, for good most likely. It'll slow his overall recovery rate too." Madeline offered her own words, a realistic foil to Jarome's optimism.

"Tch... He'll be fine, Madeline!" Jarome hissed out then looked over at Kai. "Can we go see his stupid ass now or what?"

"Uh yeah... they said he wanted to see me first, but I wanted to give you guys the update."

"Well, we have our update, now hurry along and see him, my friend." Raul placed a paw on the necklace he wore and nodded to the large cat.

"Yeah, get your tail moving, don't keep him waiting, brother!" Kayla mewed out as well, putting her paws on her hip, looking similar to how their mother used to look when she was scolding him.

"Okay okay! Just don't look at me like that, geez!" Kai hissed out and stomped off.

Kai pushed into the small room, Hiroshi looking his normal composed self as he sat there in the bed. The buck inclined his head as the leopard entered. "Kai, glad to see you."

"Are you? Isn't it my fault you're like this, man? We wouldn't even be here if I hadn't been goading you on." The leopard hissed out as he took a seat next to the bed.

"I put myself here by daydreaming on the pipe, Kai. All you were doing was trying to spark my competitive spirit as I did yours when you started last season." Hiroshi sighed as he leaned back into the pillows of the bed.

"That's true, I wasn't goading you to be malicious, I just wanted to see you beat my score, see you rub it in those Gemini guy's faces." Kai offered him a grin and then leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "So what are you gonna do?"

Hiroshi sighed and shook his head. "I'll be professional, I'll nurse this damn arm and hip injury for the bare minimum, then get back to things."

Kai nodded at that and frowned. "I won't try to talk you out of it, I know how it is... Still, you will have to be extra-"

"I know what I have to be and don't have to be, Kai," Hiroshi cut him off, his words sounding calm but pointed as he spoke.

"Sorry... I'm not trying to placate you or something, just worrying." Kai sat up straight and looked out the frost-covered window of the hospital.

Hiroshi frowned and then seemed to shore his composure up before just rapidly snarling out, "I get it... Look, I appreciate you lighting a fire under me, you're... my friend okay? I wanna kick your ass in the points totals after that shit you pulled too, so don't think I'm going to go easy on you!"

"Heh... Yeah, I appreciate that. I feel the same, that's why I'll make you fight tooth and nail, make you earn every last point!" The leopard shoved his paw out, the buck gripping it as they closed grips as if ready to arm-wrestle.

"Hmph... I'll miss one competition but I should be back to form then. You better get as many points as you can, you'll need them when I'm back." They parted grips as the leopard grinned at the trash talk.

"Yeah, I know I will, man." Kai shook his head and slowly rose from the seat. "Hey, we can talk more later, you've got a whole waiting room full of riders wanting to see your ass. Let me get out of here so they can visit too."

Hiroshi snorted and shook his head. "Don't bother, tell them to just wait. I'll be discharged within half an hour."

"Already?" Kai tilted his head curiously.

"They've got more ailing people to take care of, I'm more or less fully functional, Kai. Just achy and sore. I'll need to wear a brace on my left arm to keep it in place for a few days, but after that, I'll be fine." Hiroshi nodded.

"Geeze... you're one tough son of a bitch, Roshi!" Kai gave a laugh as the buck cocked a brow at the use of words.

"Son of a bitch, eh?" Hiroshi inclined his head.

"Oh uh... hey, I'm not hating on your mother, sorry, I know you respect her, man." Kai quickly followed up.

"Respect her? Huh... I can't stand her, Kai. I don't even talk to her and haven't since I debuted professionally three years ago." The buck shifted his cool brown eyes to the leopard's shocked blue ones.

"Whoa... when you talked about her though? I mean you have that picture of her and you on your wallpaper?"

Hiroshi snorted over at his phone. "Kai, I knew a professional kickboxer growing up, a friend of my parents. You know what he used to do before an upcoming match?"

Kai tilted his head and then gave it a shake. "What?"

"He'd put the guy's picture on his refrigerator." Hiroshi cocked a brow as if seeing if the leopard would follow the chain of logic.

"Ah... so that's it... she's your rival. You keep that picture as motivation for what you want to beat!" He mewed out in understanding.

"That's the gist of it, yes. She dragged me into this world for her own pride. I resented not getting to be a normal fawn. While other kits got to play, I was training, that was my life from the moment I was able to get on a snowboard."

"If you resent it, why don't you just turn your back on it?" Kai frowned.

Hiroshi grumbled and shook his head. "Because this is all I know, Kai. This is what I am for better or worse. I have no other goals or aspirations, no family, no friends, I have-"

"You do have friends and family, Roshi! Me, Kayla, and Jarome all are like your little Altima family, ya know? Hell, Madeline, Gina, and Raul like your stupid ass too!" Kai hissed out and folded his arms. "Besides, we just established the friend thing. Stop trying to shoulder everything, you're too damn uptight."

"Hmph... so now you're giving me a lecture?" Hiroshi offered a small smirk across his muzzle.

"Someone has to." Kai grinned and clenched his paws into fists. "You could do whatever you want, man. Be a sportscaster like Jaron, or go on to coach, or just board until you're a gray-muzzle and can't keep up with kits anymore."

Hiroshi snorted and shook his head. "Your optimism is annoying, but I appreciate it."

"Hey... everyone is here and if you feel like it, why don't we all go hang out! Kayla has been wanting to go karaoke with Mad, this city's supposed to have a really nice place for that!" Kai mewed out with a smirk.

"I'm still licking my wounds here and you want to drag me out to sing?" Hiroshi scoffed.

"You need a fucking walker, grandpa? It's a bruise, shake it off and come hang out with everyone, enjoy the bonds you have with everyone for once!" Kai showed a challenging grin.

"You're an asshole, I don't need a walker." Hiroshi snarled and then shoved his nose up. "Get out so I can get changed, tell them I'll tag along, but if Jarome pisses me off, he'll be the one in a hospital bed next time."

"Heh... sounds good, see you in a few, Roshi!" Kai mewed out and quickly trotted out of the room with a smirk.

"So baby, come to me! Show me who you are! Sweet to me, Like sugar to my heart. I'm craving for you, I'm missing you like candy!" Madeline sang out, one paw holding the mic, her other pointing at Kayla with a wink while she strutted around the small stage. Kayla's tail fluffed out, looking rather embarrassed with a silly grin on her muzzle as Gina prodded at her with a smirk of her own.

"Were any of us even alive when this song came out?" Jarome sighed out to the other boys.

"Uh... I think I was like two or something?" Kai gave a shrug.

"We commonly hear our parent's favorite music early in life, and it can leave an impression upon us. Perhaps this style was something they enjoyed." Raul hummed out melodically, almost in time with the song.

"She's got a nice voice on her, she could probably hone that if she tried." Hiroshi nodded toward the bunny as she sang.

"You mean like a pop idol, my friend?" Raul asked.

"Maybe she could! But... uh, I think at this point that plot point has run its course, you know?" Kai shrugged at the commentary, all the boys giving an agreeing nod to let the subject rest.

Jarome looked over at the buck who was just neutrally watching the girls. "Hey man, you want me to get you another beer or something?"

Hiroshi perked his ears and scoffed at that. "My arm is just in a sling, it's not broken, and I can walk fine. No, I don't need-"

"Maybe you should offer to unzip him and hold it for him in the bathroom too!" Kai mewed out at the lynx. Raul who was normally very composed couldn't help but give a snort as he turned away to not bust out in a laugh.

"Asshole!" Hiroshi and Jarome both snarled in unison toward him.

The music faded on Madeline's song just in time for the three girls to turn to the boys, hearing Hiroshi and Jarome yelling at Kai. Madeline just rolled her red eyes and placed the mic back into the stand. "Geeze, you guys should all just fuck and get it over with."

"Oh my gods, shut up, Mad!" Jarome hissed out with a fussy look on his face. The rabbit just gave the lynx a smug smirk as she stepped down and flopped next to Kayla on the leather sofa in the lounge.

"All of us have done a song, when are one of you guys going to break up the boy's romance club meeting and come sing?" Gina catcalled out.

"Uh... I guess I can sing something, let me go look at the lineup..." Kai moved over to the screen with all the songs listed.

"If you sing ska, I'll throw something at you!" Jarome mewled out mockingly.

"Just for that, I'm going to find the most ska song on this damn thing!" Kai fired back with a grin.

Kai stood up on stage, everyone giving him glares as he just happily sang, "I'll sing along! Yeah with every emergency! Just sing along..."

"'Don't sing ska, I'll throw something at you', he said!" Hiroshi snarled and used his good paw to shove Jarome.

"Hey! I didn't think he'd actually do it!" The lynx hissed back before throwing an empty cup at Kai who skillfully juked to the side while continuing the chorus.

"I think this should veto his rights to how we handle him tonight." Madeline snarled as she folded her arms while lounging back on the sofa.

"Oh? So you didn't want to try what he wanted? Should I just do it with you, without Kai involved?" Kayla spoke out nice and close to the bunny's ears so Gina wouldn't hear over Kai's yowling.

Madeline bit her lower lip at the questions and shook her head before pushing nice and close to Kayla to huff into her own ear. "Uh... It's fine he's just uh... never had it that close to me yet, you know?"

"Heh... you afraid of brother's cock, sis?" Kayla purred seductively into her girlfriend's ear which jerked a few times behind her head.

"Uh... yes? I mean... no? I don't..." Madeline sighed then winced as Kai attempted to hit a high note and snarled back at the leopardess. "Oh, my gods... I think I'd offer to let him put it in my tailhole if his ass would shut up!"

Kayla giggled and hugged Madeline right up, the rabbit huffing and snuggling into her leopard. "He's almost done, this is the last line."

After that, the party agreed to put a ban on any more ska for the rest of the night. Jarome got up and sang some newer pop music, whereas Raul actually surprised everyone by knowing some R&B, both older stuff and more modern. Hiroshi snarled and fussed but finally went up to sing a single song, surprisingly a rather broody punk-metal one.

No one had too much to drink so everyone was able to leave safely, not that any of them were driving since they weren't far from the hotels and none of them lived in this particular city.

"This was pretty great! We should do this after every competition!" Kai mewed as he walked out of the lounge with the rest of the group.

"So long as you swear to never sing ska again, I'm game for that," Gina purred out with a playful smile at the larger cat.

Kai hissed out and clenched his gloved paws. "Oh come on, was I really that-"

"Yes!" Several of them snarled in unison. Kai grumbled and stuck his nose up with a hiss.

"Oh, don't take it to heart, brother dearest, you just need to focus on tunes you can actually carry!" Kayla moved up and gave her pouting brother a gentle but casual hug since everyone was watching.

"Indeed. You'd not go try to play soccer or baseball with bravado, even though you sport the title of a professional athlete, yes? Stick to your strengths, my friend." Raul hummed out melodically as he trotted out with them, whisps coming from his breath in the cold night air.

"I'm still just blown away by Hiroshi! Heh... Not sure if I'm surprised or not you like the moody angry stuff!" Jarome showed the buck a playful grin as he leaned over toward him.

"Having you around sets my mood to angry all the time," The buck snarled and shoved the lynx away from him with his good paw.

"They put up a fuss but you can tell they like one another's company," Madeline said with an amused grin on her muzzle.

"Wanna do a ride share, anyone? I'm staying at the Marrileap about a half mile off," Gina asked the group.

"Oh, that's where I'm at too, I'll totally share a ride with you, babe!" Jarome mewed out with a grin.

"A cab ride is all you're sharing with me, player, so get that smirk off your face." Gina offered the lynx a challenging grin.