It was the long-awaited weekend for the scholars of Qing Hai International School. Students were allowed to go outside the campus and break free from studying, or stay inside and prepare for another great week. Keeping up with someone's training, four men chose to head off on a secluded place with their two-wheelers.

Puffy, cotton-top clouds spread along the steel blue skies. A flock of Sparrows twittered their morning songs. The scent of fresh-mown grass replaced the stench of the athletes' body odor in the usually bustling field which became idle.

Near the academy's gate, Zach squatted. His eyes glued on the bicycle in front of him.

Its height was half of his with a width tailored for him to lean a little closer to the rubber grips and perk his buttocks an inch higher. Renzo modified the bicycle, so Zach's flexibility and strength would further improve during the cycling training while maintaining the comfort.

With his small finger, Zach traced the images of SpongeBob and Patrick Star adorning the saddle and the grips. He giggled, seeing the icons of Ben Ten and his alien forms emblazoned on the bicycle's metal body. He turned to Ythan's bike, then to Xander and Leuther's. Only he had the bizarre bicycle among the plain but sleek ones. "I-is this mine?"

Ythan nodded. He placed the panting Little D into the basket attached at the front of Zach's bike.

Little D yelped, excited to go with his pseudo-parents.

"Thank you, Ythan. Th-this is nice," Zach said, eyes glistening. "Gege, look! The seat matches with the slippers you gave me. It has Sabrina's favorite Ben Ten too!"

Leuther sniggered at Zach's reaction.

"Yeah, yeah." Xander forced the words out of his mouth. He faced Ythan. "How much do our bikes cost? I'll pay you."

Zach's face dropped. "Uhmmm. Yes, about that..." He bit his lip as he thought of the possible ways to compensate the young master.

"Pay me?" Ythan sneered at Xander. "Pay me once you have the money."

"Well..." Zach said, twiddling his forefingers. "We can pay gradually..."

The three other men raised their eyebrows.

"Y-Ythan, if you want, I can help you in your assignments all throughout the year," Zach stuttered. "I don't know if that's enough, but if you need more—"

"Deal." Ythan extended his right arm.

Zach was taken aback. "I-is that good?"

"More than good." Ythan smiled.

"That's another deal then." Zach shook Ythan's hand and smiled back.

Xander groaned. "Let's go. We should come back before noon." He was about to sit on his bike when he noticed a small price tag stuck on the saddle.

Y3500

Fuck? 3,500 Yuan? That's my and Zach's one-week allowance combined. He gulped a pint of saliva. His hands unconsciously touched the pockets of his sweatpants which felt lighter than before.

Seeing Xander's reaction, Leuther inwardly smiled. Bingo! I found your kryptonite.

Leuther dropped the knapsack he was carrying into his bicycle's basket and took four helmets. "Safety first," he said, jiggling the helmets in his hands. Like Zach, he had donned a cycling jersey paired with cycling shorts.

He walked toward Zach, placed a helmet onto the boy, and pinched his cheek. "There you go, our little soldier."

"Th-thank you, Leuther." Zach blushed both from the pinch and embarrassment.

Leuther strode toward Xander. He acted to put the gear on his classmate when he dropped it. It fell between Xander's thighs.

"You!" Xander's mouth moved fast, but Leuther's hand moved faster.

Leuther quickly picked up the helmet, grazing Xander's groin. "It was not my intention," he said as he buckled Xander's helmet.

"I'll do mine," Ythan said as Leuther approached him.

Leuther stopped in front of Ythan with no space to spare between them. He glanced at Zach and replied, "I'm your fiancé." He looked back at Ythan. "It will be my job to take care of you soon. Let me practice."

Zach and Xander stared at the two of them, leaving Ythan with no choice but to agree.

Leuther fixed Ythan's helmet. He then took the opportunity to outline Ythan's aquiline nose with his dainty finger. As it was about to reach the young master's lips, Ythan stopped him.

"No need to do that." Ythan held Leuther's hand.

Leuther raised his arms. "Okay. But I will do more than that in our sleep later." He chuckled.

Zach's mood became sour. A vinegar seemed to burn his throat, and he didn't know why. As he tried to identify the source of such peculiar sensation, a strange pang shot through his heart. What's this? He frowned.

"Didi? Let's go." Xander pulled Zach out of the trance.

"I-I'm sorry." Zach rode the bicycle after noticing that he was the only person left on the grounds. Everybody else was on their bikes, aligning themselves side by side with each other.

They were about to set off when Little D yipped and whined.

Zach stroked his puppy's head. "Don't worry, Little D. We will go slow."

Ythan stood and strutted toward his puppy. He took out a small helmet from his windbreaker and attached it to Little D.

Little D closed his eyes during the process and barked with glee afterward. He positioned his front paws on top of the basket and waggled his tongue. A sunglass seemed to be the only thing amiss for him to rule the underworld.

Satisfied with Little D's state, Ythan rubbed the puppy's chin before heading back to his bike. "Follow me," he instructed everyone.

"Zach, get your head on the road!" Ythan shouted. He noticed Zach's blank stare traveling to a distant.

"I-I'm sorry." Zach shook his head. What's wrong with you, Zach? Does your heart hurt? Images of Leuther touching Ythan's face kept on rewinding in his mind.

Fifteen minutes had passed since they started the trip. Rocks and crevices cluttered the road. Giant trees towered the left side of the path, casting shadows of what seemed to be nuclear explosions. Only the labored breathing of Zach and Leuther could be heard.

Along the way, a flapping noise broke into the atmosphere. Xander jolted as his bike vibrated and came into a slow stop. He stood and found out that his bicycle's rear tire deflated. "What the hell?" His jaw tensed.

The three other teens and Little D halted to check the situation.

This is someone's fault! Xander wanted to make five holes on the young master's face, as many as the times Ythan provoked him. However, when he looked at his little brother, he decided otherwise. "Didi, wait for me until I fix this thing. Okay?"

Zach nodded, concerned at his brother.

With his didi's moral support through cheering, Xander tinkered the wheel under the heat of the sun. Ythan, Leuther, and Little D took shade under a canopy.

Another fifteen minutes had passed. Sweat drenched the sides of Xander's muscle shirt to which Leuther's gaze was stuck. Seeing Xander wet with his abdominal obliques exposed, Leuther clicked his tongue. I can't wait to dry him out.

Xander tried many ways to repair the broken tire, but they still turned out to be unsuccessful.

The men under the tree approached the brothers.

"We can't wait all day." Ythan offered Xander no help. "As what you've said, we have to get back before noon."

"How about lending me a hand?" Xander retorted.

"You should've already learned that broken tires cannot be fixed," Ythan said with his stony eyes. "They can only be replaced."

Flames flickering in his sight, Xander returned Ythan's gaze. I know that. I'm not dumb. I just want my brother to stay. "What do you propose then? You seemed to be the all-knowing guy here." He smirked.

"Help is on the way." Ythan lifted his phone and placed it back into his pocket. "Someone will bring in another tire within ten minutes. Zach and I can go ahead, while Leuther stays behind to keep you company. Aside from me, only Leuther knows the track."

Beside the young master, Leuther beamed at Xander.

"Gege can ride my bike," Zach said, wiping the sweat on his brother's face with the handkerchief Ythan had given him. "I can sit on his lap or stand behind him like what we always did when we were kids."

"That can be a good idea," Leuther replied. "But your bike cannot hold your gege's weight. You see, he seemed to be so thick." His voice became sultrier with the last word. "So thick that the sturdy bike gave up on him." He wetted his lips. But I won't give up on him too easily.

Zach slumped his shoulders. "You're right."

"If you don't trust me that much," Ythan said to Xander. "We will wait for you in the cliff ahead. You have my word that Zach and I will not go unless you show up."

"What do you think, little soldier?" Leuther asked Zach.

"I-I think that's fair enough," Zach answered after five minutes. "I'll wait for gege and continue my training until he arrives."

If not for Zach's decision... Xander clenched his teeth. "Okay, didi. Make sure to wait for me ah." He ruffled his little brother's hair.

"I will," Zach said, nodding. He took out five pack of biscuits from his left pocket and gave them to Xander. "Just in case you and Leuther get hungry."

"How about you?" Leuther's eyebrow raised.

"I got ten more." Zach grinned and patted his right pocket. The other men were dumbfounded including Little D.

Ythan, Zach, and their puppy coursed their way to the cliff. Xander and Leuther sat still beside the road, perpetuating a silence rising to a crescendo.

Ten minutes later, a Ford Mustang arrived at a spot beside the broken bike.

Renzo exited the car with a bicycle tire in his hand. "Shoti, where's Ythan?" He wore a white long-sleeve strapped with black suspenders.

"He went ahead." Leuther rose and took the tire.

Renzo glanced at Xander and back at his brother. "He left the two of you alone?"

"Yes," Leuther replied. "We will catch up with them." As he was about to turn around and give the wheel to Xander, Renzo held his shoulder.

"Wait. Come here."

"What?" Leuther furrowed his eyebrows.

Renzo scanned Leuther's body from head to toe. He checked for anomalies on his brother's face. After ensuring that Leuther had none, he sighed. "I'll go now. Things are quite busy at the office."

"Sabrina's with you?" Xander stood.

"Nope. She's at the office," Renzo replied. "Our staff is working overtime to finish our project quickly."

"Can you please remind her about Zach's swimming training tomorrow? She should also bring our siblings together with her."

"Ohhh. Yes, about that." Renzo dabbed his nose. "I'm sure she'll never forget. I'll be with you as well. Ythan also invited me." He beamed.

"I'll see you then." Xander tilted up his chin.

"Alright, I'll go." Renzo hurried back to his car. "By the way, Shoti, tell Ythan to pay me not in cash, but in kind," he shouted. "What I mean is literal kindness." He laughed and sped off.

Leuther couldn't help but roll his eyes.

As soon as the new tire replaced the deflated one, Xander did not waste time and urged his companion, "Lead the way."

Leuther rose from his beautiful sitting position. Bending, he wiped the dirt off his knees and legs, facing away from Xander. The piece of clothing he wore did a terrible job in protecting his two soft mounds from Xander's sight.

After his performance, he punctured the wheels of his own bicycle and strolled toward Xander. "Do you mind... if I ride with you?"

A/N:

How about you? Do you mind riding with Leuther?

How about with Xander instead?

Don't forget to vote and leave a lot of comments.

See you in the next chapter (which would be in the next few minutes)! Bai-bai!