That is All I Ask For: Chapter 1: Joining
Dante Shade, an undefeated racer
for four consecutive years, had his name and fame shattered by a scandal he had
no part in. Known for his muscular build and the sword tattoo on his arm—a
symbol of his racing team, Zero Eclipse, representing a sword piercing a
crescent moon—Dante became a legend in the racing world. Until it all crumbled.
The scandal was a
well-orchestrated attack by Arc Meteor, the owner of Phantom Apex, a rival team
that had faced defeat at Dante's hands time and again.
As Dante's reputation plummeted,
sponsors withdrew their support—everyone except for one anonymous backer who
had never revealed themselves to the team.
That sponsor was Micah Blade,
owner of Eclipse, a real estate empire that had dominated the market over the
past nine years. Micah had long harbored a quiet crush on Dante. They had
attended the same college, though they ran in different circles. Dante never
noticed Micah, but Micah knew everything about him—his likes, dislikes,
favorite colors, even the way he laughed.
When Micah discovered Dante was
getting into professional racing, he waited patiently for Dante to form a team
and then became their first angel investor. In those two years, Micah, who came
from a real estate-savvy family, founded Eclipse and outperformed even his
older brother, Michael Blade, who had inherited their father's business.
When his secretary, Leo Morgan,
asked why he never revealed himself to the team, Micah simply replied,
"I'm trying my best not to fall even deeper for him."
Leo, who was already aware of
Micah's one-sided love, could only sigh and excuse his boss's absence by
claiming he was overseas in a business meeting.
The day the scandal broke and
Dante's career was smeared, Micah was furious. He began an exhaustive
investigation into Phantom Apex, uncovering every skeleton in their
closets—from hidden romances to one-night stands with celebrities. It took two
years, but once Micah verified every detail, he began leaking the stories, one
piece at a time, ensuring the public eye remained fixed on Arc Meteor, and his
corrupt team, Phantom Apex. His journalist contacts helped spread the
revelations across channels and publications.
Back in the garage, as Dante
practiced with Zero Eclipse—who had remained loyal to him through thick and
thin thanks to their mysterious sponsor—he was called into the meeting room by
the crew leader, Juno Cross.
"Someone finally got justice
for our Dante." Juno said, a proud smile on his face.
"Really?!" Dante asked,
nearly collapsing in relief as he leaned back onto the table.
Juno nodded. "We can finally
return and prove our team's worth."
Dante smiled warmly. "Thank
you all for staying by my side these past years."
The crew—Daniel Forge (the second
racer), Silas Thorne (Juno's fierce and sharp boyfriend), Talon Kael, Riven
Varek, Renzo Drake, and Nyx Thorn—gathered around to hug Dante.
Talon and Renzo, though adorable
in appearance, were foul-mouthed firecrackers when provoked. Their partners,
Riven and Nyx, looked intimidating but were complete sweethearts, hopelessly in
love with their boyfriends.
Daniel, too, had a girlfriend,
Meredith Flames, who was notoriously shy and rarely made public appearances
with the team—but the entire crew adored her.
What they didn't know was that
Meredith was the only one who knew about Micah's secret identity. She'd always
been quick to deter anyone who tried to flirt with Dante, fearing for the life
and career of the poor soul who dared.
"We do need a third racer to
complete the team." Silas pointed out. "Scar Maddox left when Meteor
spread the fake scandal."
"I have a friend who's into
racing. I can ask him if he'd like to join." Meredith offered, leaning
into Daniel.
"The one you always talk
about?" Daniel asked, narrowing his eyes in playful jealousy—a trait he
knew Meredith secretly adored.
"Yes, and before you
ask—he's gay. He actually asked if he could join once, but you said no back
then." Meredith shot back.
The trio—Dante, Juno, and
Daniel—considered her proposal. From what Meredith had mentioned, her friend
was passionate about racing and had impressive driving skills, even if he'd
never competed in a professional tournament. It seemed like a worthwhile gamble.
They could train him and get to know him before deciding if he was trustworthy.
Daniel nodded, followed by Dante
and Juno. "Let's meet him."
"He might be busy today—it's
his mother's death anniversary. I'll ask him tomorrow." Meredith said
thoughtfully. She knew she needed to alert Micah and prepare him.
The team agreed, showing silent
sympathy for Meredith's friend.
As soon as the meeting ended,
Meredith drove straight to Micah's office.
"Micah, are you ready to get
closer to Dante?" she asked, barging in.
"What?" Micah panicked,
rushing to the glass wall to check if Dante was at the garage. His office had
been designed to overlook the team's racing track—a gift he had secretly given
them.
"Relax. He's still at the
garage." Meredith said. "We need a third racer, and you race
underground all the time. You've never lost when you compete yourself."
Micah sighed. "Do I have
to?"
"If you don't, they'll bring
in someone else. You'll regret it if Dante starts liking him. If I hadn't
suggested you, they were considering your cousin, Astral Blade."
Astral Blade was Micah's cunning
cousin, who has always envied and pursued everything Micah held dear—but never
succeeded. Charismatic yet insincere, he hides deep jealousy behind a
glittering smile.
Micah's expression darkened.
"That guy isn't getting within a hundred meters of Dante."
"Exactly. So I told them
about you. If they ask why you couldn't meet today, say you were preparing for
your mother's death anniversary."
Micah nodded. The excuse was true
even though he'd never had a strong relationship with his mother. He still
loved her and always buried himself in work on this day every year.
"Did you give them my real
name?"
"I said your name was Micah
Slade—your grandmother's maiden name. They won't know your true identity."
Micah smiled softly. "Thank
you."
Meredith smiled back. Getting
Micah to smile on this day was a rare achievement, and she was proud of it.
"Can I ask you
something?" she said.
Micah nodded.
"I was in your group in
college, but Daniel noticed me. Why didn't you ever try to get noticed by
Dante?"
Micah sighed. "I did try.
But his adopted father, the college principal, hated him being too close to
other men. He knew Dante was gay but wanted to choose his partner himself. I
had to keep my distance."
Meredith nodded, suddenly feeling
guilty.
"What exactly did you tell
them about me?" Micah asked.
"I said you were soft-spoken
and kind. And that you knew a lot about cars and loved racing but had never
competed professionally. I said you were a quick learner and really admired
Dante and Daniel."
Micah laughed lightly.
"That's exactly Dante's type—men he can trust, but his father would've
never approved of. Thank you."
"Just... don't break
character." Meredith warned. "And dress modestly. No more of your
underground racer persona."
Micah groaned. "Time to shop
for a new personality, then."
"Want help?"
"No. If Daniel sees us
shopping together, we'll both end up six feet under. You know our worlds
revolve around them."
"True." Meredith said
with a laugh.
"You should let Daniel see
the real you someday." Micah said. "He's known you for years. If he
finds out the hard way, it'll break the both of you."
"I know. But every time I
bring up strong, independent women, he gets annoyed."
"Maybe he just wants you to
depend on him once in a while—not because he hates strong women."
"Maybe. Remember when
Meteor's son tried to embezzle my funds through my own company?"
Micah nodded.
"After it was resolved,
Daniel was furious—not because of the incident, but because I didn't come to
him first. We nearly broke up. That's why I only come to you when he can't
help."
Micah nodded. "Then make
sure he never finds out about this side of you."
"Thank you, Micah."
Meredith said, hugging him.
He hugged back. "Now off I
go to shop for modest clothes. Wish me luck."
She laughed. "Send me
pictures of your outfits. I'll approve them."
"You're enjoying this way
too much." Micah grumbled as he left.
The next day, Meredith stood with
a dressed-down Micah in front of Zero Eclipse. He wore a simple brown shirt,
black pants, and rolled-up sleeves—casual, modest, and charming. He also put on
his round spectacles. His eyesight was fine. He just wanted to look extra
likable in Dante's eyes.
"This is Micah Slade, the
friend I mentioned yesterday." Meredith introduced. "He loves cars
and has watched all your races. He admires both Dante and Daniel."
Micah gave a polite bow.
"Nice to meet you all. I don't know much about racing yet, but I'm a fast
learner. Teach me, and I'll catch up quickly."
Meredith struggled not to smile.
One of the most skilled underground racers in the city was now pretending to be
a clueless amateur.
Dante smiled at him. "You'll
be training with me. Juno, Daniel, and I agreed on that."
Micah smiled back, soft and humble on the outside—while inside, he was resisting the urge to hug Dante and never let go.
Comments
Post a Comment