How To Win In Paradise
Ah, Boshi and Croco...what might have been if you weren't owned by Squeenix. (Okay, there are probably somewhat more...prominent characters from that game, but seriously, they could still probably get sports title roles or something. And Boshi would have made a GREAT running rival for Yoshi, like Wario and Waluigi for the Mario Bros.) Still, their short little bit in the ending credits of Legend of the Seven Stars basically gives me the headcanon that they become best buds, and perhaps more. So...what better way to express that idea than to write about it?
OBLIGATORY CONTENT WARNING: This story contains sexual acts between two males, mildly rough-ish sex, and attempts at an accent.
Hah...dis is da life.
Croco was on his back on the grass, lazily basking in the sun. The weather was perfect...well, that was almost always the case on Yo'ster Isle. A land of gorgeous tropical sun and surf, populated by the native Yoshis and frequently mobbed by tourists, heading down here was the best idea he'd ever had. After all the hoopla that had nearly destroyed the world...well, he needed some kind of break from everything. A nice vacation sounded perfect...especially a place where his name wasn't known.
It couldn't have worked out better. The Yoshis were beyond friendly to everyone, almost carefree with the exception of their races. They loved to race, especially in groups, and it was one of the most popular attractions for anyone visiting. Croco had been chomping at the bit to try his hand at the racing - he'd been running for ages, that was his main way of getting away from all the marks he'd nicked stuff from. Surely he could take on some lackadaisical Yoshis, right? They weren't running for their lives, just for fun.
He'd been disabused of that notion very fast. Turned out racing was about the only thing the Yoshis took seriously around here, and they were training and practicing almost from their hatching. Even if there weren't stakes to it, they still wanted to win with a passion. And while Croco had been running plenty in his life, he wasn't a trained runner, and he was so outclassed it was laughable. That had led to some grousing at first, but he'd managed to let it go pretty quickly - he was still in a beautiful area, and he wasn't losing anything really by not being as good at racing.
And it gave him a chance to focus on what he was REALLY good at.
The Yoshis always liked to place friendly bets on races, usually food. They didn't care so much about that - food was plentiful around here, especially the cookies they were famous for. So it had been a loose, disjointed operation...that Croco had more or less taken over and streamlined into a smooth operation. Bets had a lot more to them now, he had an entire bookkeeping business going, with proper odds and payouts and systems of organization that he'd only WISHED he could run anywhere else. The Yoshis hadn't cared in the slightest that he'd organized all that, they just raced and enjoyed themselves as always, and their bets were fairly inconsequential. The tourists, though...THAT was where the money was. And oh, boy, was there money. Croco had an entire storeroom attached to his hut stacked with both money and goods, and that was just his personal holdings - the main betting station was even more loaded. It was beautiful, legitimate business that was paying off in spades; he didn't even need to hustle anyone, it was so easy.
If there had been any way to make paradise better, that was it. Making his name big, raking in the dough, and not having to dash away and hide out from anyone. Especially that last part, because sometimes you couldn't tell if your mark had the means to get you back. Who'd've thought a portly plumber could be such a beast in a scrap? He'd seen Mario around plenty, he often came to visit his closest Yoshi friend and watch or even ride along in the race (it always seemed like that should have slowed down that green machine, but that rarely seemed to be the case). Remembering those first couple encounters smarted a bit, but he held no grudge - it was thanks to him that Croco was even around to be living the high life like this.
Dat mug really knows how ta bet, though...he got some kinda insider information?
Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the footsteps approaching until the voice attached to them spoke up. "You are the exact definition of a lounge lizard."
Croco snickered and opened up one eye to look at the blue, well-toned body standing next to him. "Ya know what? I'm okay with dat, Boshi. Dis is a place for lounge lizards."
Boshi was standing over Croco, arms folded, a stern expression on his face. "You wouldn't know it, from the way they run. That's anything but lounging...you're the only one around here who does only that."
"Dat's cuz' I likes ta relax. And all da people dat come down here ta visit, dey're likin' dat as well. Dis place, it's relaxation central."
"You're not even a visitor anymore. You basically live here."
"Yeah, and? Dat's not makin' me any more inclined ta go nuts. It's too nice out here ta fret and worry over da littlest things."
That earned an eye roll from Boshi, as he sat down on the grass next to Croco. "Maybe I could stand to learn a couple things from you." The purple reptile knew exactly what that meant. He'd bonded with Boshi quite readily after his arrival, the two were somewhat mutual outsiders, even in a place where there wasn't much judgment or pressure to fit in. The two had spent more time with each other than just about anyone else since his arrival, so he'd gotten to know Boshi's moods pretty well. And this wasn't a good one.
"Da race didn't go quite ta plan again?"
The blue Yoshi let out a deep sigh through his nose. "Third out of four again."
"Ah. It's been a while since ya won one, ain't it?"
"Yeah. A long while. And it'd be nice if I felt like a had a chance, even, but...I wasn't really that close. Again. It's so frustrating."
"Ah, don't get discouraged. Ya gots ta have a slump now and den. Keeps ya humble."
"I don't need humble. I need a spark. I'm just...feeling...ugh, overrun." Croco snorted, and Boshi gave him a look. "Don't even, I know how it sounds. It's like, one-on-one, I feel better...I've gotten a few notches there recently. But the four-Yoshi, six-Yoshi, eight-Yoshi races, those are the ones people want to see, and it's the ones Yoshis like more because more of them get to run. And there, I just...I feel like it's too much, so much more pressure, like I've got a whole gang against me and it's...you know, it's hard."
"Ey, I know three-against-one, it can hurt pretty bad. Dere was a time ya was da top banana, wasn't dere?"
Boshi huffed a bit. "Well, it sure seemed like it. Yeah...it was the same way back 'home' as well."
Now this got Croco's attention; both his eyes opened and he tilted his head towards Boshi, locked in. The blue dino had been loathe to talk about his past ever, and he didn't want to miss this opportunity. "Was it, now?"
"Yeah. It was really...different there. I don't like to remember it much, because it was a crappy life no matter where you were. You had to be rough and tough to go anywhere, fight for just about everything you wanted to get, and sometimes even that wasn't enough. I learned pretty early on that if you gave an inch they'd take you for every mile you had. You don't trust anyone, and you never put your claws away." Boshi let out a quiet, wry laugh. "Even here and now, I still can't wear proper shoes...covering them up just eats at me until I'm a wreck."
"Ey, don't sweat it. You know I likes da look."
"Yeah, true. I'm glad I'm not the only one around here who likes to go bare-clawed...I mean, there's no real danger here that needs it, but still. So, yeah, really the only way to make anything of yourself is to be one of the ones in charge of things, so that's what I tried to do. Tried to put myself at the top, told myself that once I was there I'd be king. And I got damn close, closer than I probably had any right to...but the closer I got, the more I learned that even if you're the king of a slum, you're still living in a shitty slum. So I bailed, got the heck out of there, looked for somewhere else. And I heard about this place that was basically Yoshi paradise, so I figured, why not?"
"Makes sense ta me. Dat's what brought ya here, did it?"
Boshi nodded. "Thought I'd found my place...but turns out, I was way out of place. I mean, yeah, it's a great location, fantastic weather, no rough living...but it was so not what I was used to, and even if the other Yoshis tried to make me feel welcome, I felt anything but part of the crowd. Couldn't open up to anyone, couldn't follow anything they talked about...I felt awkward as hell, and it was getting me all nervous. I guess I just reverted to what I was used to - trying to take control, so I'd feel more comfortable."
"An' lemme guess - dat was by doing the whole racin' thing."
"Well, yeah. I figured...well, I thought I could really do the same thing, be the one in charge, and everything would be good. I worked hard, won a race against the top dog, and then just...tried to make rules over things. Just one-on-one races, because that's what I liked, and putting some structure on the races so that there were more controls. And it...well, I liked it, but I guess no one else did. But I thought I could kind of get them used to it, make them like the rules and order and everything." Boshi sighed again. "That...wasn't exactly fitting me in, but I ignored it...until I couldn't anymore. You've heard THAT story already."
The croc laughed. "Hey, at least ya only got beat in a foot race. Not a buncha bumps on da noggin, like ya heard about me."
"I suppose, but it was a blow. I mean, jeez, I thought having a guy riding you would make you slower...but those two, they just have this weird something together. And it makes them really good."
"No shit. Learned long ago not ta just bet against da guy, it's a good way ta lose lotsa money. More, if you're some kinda big bad wise guy. So ya lost, didn't seem ta make da world end."
"No...and I guess they didn't hold any grudges. But it kind of stung that, well, none of it stuck. They didn't want rules, and structure, they just wanted to race around any way they felt like, and not worry about that stuff. Taking control didn't work, so I decided to just try to get better at racing because that was about all I could do. Except...goddamn, I was super good in those races when I was in charge, but I just can't get the group races down, at all. The more races there are, the more tense I feel, and I just rarely ever do well. Heck, the last time I won a four-Yoshi race was a fluke...and I don't think I've ever won any with more. I just...I dunno, not being in charge must've done something to me."
"Nah, 'tain't that. Ya only did da one-on-ones when ya had da runna da house, right? Dat's what happened. Ya don't like groups, 'cuz it reminds ya of when ya had lotsa guys against ya, so ya stopped all dat and made dem all do what YOU were good at. Ya just need ta learn ta deal with all da group races, and then ya won't have any problem."
Boshi just looked at Croco with a doubtful expression. "You really think it's that simple?"
"Course! Ya gots da skill, but then ya gots da nerves. And da nerves, they don't make for a good racer, ya know? So ya gots ta relax, get in da zone, and den you'll have no problem winnin' races here and dere."
"I...just don't think it's that simple..."
Croco chuckled. "Well, den, maybe I can grease da wheels a bit, maybe? I ain't gonna whack a mug, but a little bitta somethin' ta slow dem down-"
"No!" Boshi shouted. "I don't want to win just by cheating! I want to win properly, I want to win by being better than everyone!"
"Ha! Dat's right, dat's da spirit!"
"That's...what? I thought you said I have to relax!"
"Course, but ya gots ta have da winnin' spirit, too! Can't win nothin' if ya just wanna take down everyone else! But ya gots ta use dat right, not just have it on all da time! Now, dese other Yoshis, when dey ain't racin', what're dey doin'?"
If Croco was going somewhere with this, Boshi certainly had no clue. "Uh...lots of things? Eating, sleeping, playing games, swimming, other stuff I guess?"
"Yeah, but dey're doin' it tagether. Dey're all friendly-like, and dey all know each other like brothers. And ta you, dey're all a gang against ya, 'cuz ya still think like ya live in da hood. But it's not da hood anymore, so ya gots ta think like it is what it is, and get ta know dem, get ta really be friends with dem. 'Cuz dey're friendly, but ya ain't really friends, ya think, right?"
"I...yeah, I guess. But you really think that'll work? That I'll just feel better by...just being friends with them?"
"Easy peasy." Croco gave the blue Yoshi a wink and a thumb's-up. "Ya know, I'm thinkin' of writin' a book. It'll be called 'How Ta Win In Paradise.' Da first rule is, ya gots ta not be obsessed with winnin', 'cuz in paradise, ya win just by bein' in paradise. Da second rule is, ya gots ta be around others, 'cuz paradise ain't nothin' all alone. And da third rule is, ya gots ta let go'a what ya did before ya got ta paradise, 'cuz da baggage ain't parta paradise, it's parta da stuff dat came before. So let go'a da hood, and start ta bond with da boys. And as ya do, da speed'll come right to ya."
Boshi was quiet for a moment, head down. "...Maybe you're right. Thanks, I guess...I'm not sure how well I'll do. Not really used to making friends, so much..."
"Ey, ya got me don'tcha?"
Finally, a smile broke through, even if only a small one. "You're right, that I do. Guess I should be thankful for that, you're a good guy even if I can barely understand you half the time. Though I guess I should be lucky you don't bet on me in races, otherwise you'd probably get pretty tired of me pretty quickly."
"Ey, who says I don't bet on ya?"
"...Wait, you do? Knowing that I don't win, you'd put...well, ANYTHING on me?"
That huge, toothy crocodile grin was almost gleaming. "Well, I ain't gonna break da bank, but I always put a bitta somethin' on ya. 'Cuz I like ya, and I don't care if I lose a bitta stuff on ya, it's worth it ta try to build ya up a bit, ya hear?"
"Wow...I, uh, I'm sorry I-"
"No apologies, Boshi, my man. It ain't no accident, and I ain't regrettin' a thing, ya hear?"
"Yeah, I hear. Thanks." Boshi let out another sigh, though it didn't seem as heavy this time. "I guess I need to figure out how to...bond, I guess. I'm not used to relaxing, or opening up...or being vulnerable, I guess. Always had to be guarded, protect myself...I, uh...maybe...do you know how?"
"Eh...I maybe have a couple'a ideas." Croco sat up for the first time, and before Boshi could ask what was going on, he'd turned and pounced on the blue Yoshi, his weight driving Boshi onto his back and holding him there. It stunned him into silence, but as he looked up into Croco's eyes, there was no malice to be found.
"Ya wanna learn ta open up a bit...ya gotta be close ta people. And dere ain't much closer dan a little bitta somethin' like dis..." Croco's head lowered down, and Boshi had to suppress a gasp as he started feeling the purple reptile's tongue licking around his shoulders and chest. Warmth and wetness and just the right amount of pressure, twining together in a sensual unit of delight...and then he started adding tiny nibbles on top, a sharper sensation poking through, not nearly enough to be painful but more than enough to make him feel the contrast. It was giving him a bit of a short-circuit in his brain - it was a sudden thing, no way he could've expected Croco wanting him this way. Well, maybe he'd seen Croco giving him looks before, but it wasn't like he'd been the only one getting them...and maybe he'd been giving them, too, but again, not the only one.
Croco had to be a bit cautious as the blue Yoshi's chest started to heave up and down, but weaved around the motions with an ease and grace that strongly suggested that this wasn't his first rodeo. His toes dug into the ground a bit as he started to grind his slit against Boshi's, giving quiet, sensual growls, a nice contrast to the very quiet moans he was hearing from his partner. Oh, he'd had his eyes on this for a while, to be sure...it was nothing he wanted to race, lest he push too hard and drive Boshi away. He'd recognized the shyness right off, and working his way into a friendship with the dino was definitely the way to go...he could tell that Boshi needed it, anyway. The way he'd opened up today, though...that was a good sign to him, that he was ready for another step forward.
And he certainly seemed to be responding; Croco could feel him everting rather rapidly, joining his own shaft in exposing itself into the air. A nice healthy size, long and wet, a bit thinner than his own but a touch longer. An' I'll bet it's pretty tasty, too, he thought with a laugh. "Howzabout ya show me what dat famous Yoshi tongue 'a yours can do ta me, eh?"
Wordlessly Boshi nodded, still in a haze; his brain hadn't quite caught up with everything yet, but what it did know was that it wanted more of what this was. Still chuckling, Croco rose up and flipped himself around, placing his member over Boshi's muzzle while his own set up shop next to its own treat. Without waiting for Boshi to catch up with him, he opened up and wrapped his maw around that tantalizing shaft. His tongue swirled around it and his teeth brushed against it slightly as he shifted himself up and down, slowly teasing the Yoshi and getting him even more worked up. The taste was indeed what he'd hoped for, reminding him of Boshi's natural scent - rougher than most Yoshi's, but still with the familiar lightness that the dinos usually had, almost sweet and fruity with just a mildly musky tang. Perfectly fitting the fit and toned frame underneath him, in his opinion.
Boshi had finally snapped out of his trance as he felt the wet shaft smear itself around his muzzle. The hefty pleasure coursing through his loins was making his toes curl and his tail thump...and it certainly wasn't fair for him to be the only one getting this pleasure. Opening up, his long tongue darted out, wrapping around Croco's shaft and giving it a nice tight embrace. Immediately he found himself partial to the taste - distinctly drier and muskier than any Yoshi's, faintly bitter but not off-puttingly so. His hands reached up to grab Croco's legs and keep them apart as he started to work that shaft with his tongue, his saliva getting naturally slipperier as it adapted for its erotic action. Croco's purrs egged him on...he was pretty sure he knew how to make his reptilian partner love this kind of treatment, he'd given himself head more than enough times to have a sort of expertise about it.
"Ah, yeah...dat's da ting, yeah..." Oh, he was GOOD. Croco wasn't unfamiliar to getting head but he'd never gotten it from a Yoshi...and holy HELL was that tongue a masterwork! It squeezed him so perfectly, wrapped him in warm heat, the ideal temperature and pressure to maximize pleasure. And then Boshi's mouth got into the act too, the softer maw massaging the parts of him that the tongue didn't cover, both of them sliding over his dick and making him shiver. He had to force himself to get back to work, it was hard to concentrate with that level of euphoria but it certainly wouldn't have done to leave Boshi hanging...
Both of them got slowly louder and lewder as the initial crest was now breached, inhibitions fading and desires ramping up. Croco was giving Boshi a rather intense bobbing blowjob, working him with a power that was sending sparks through him, his entire dick being massaged and stroked by the rough tongue and taunting teeth. How a mouth with long, sharp fangs could be so adept at pleasuring sensitive, vulnerable spots, Boshi couldn't have fathomed, but he knew he loved it, each light graze was another electric burst that sent him closer to the edge. As it was, he was pumping precum rather liberally into Croco's waiting mouth, giving him more of that sweet taste.
Not that Croco wasn't giving his own offering...his mind was being rather blown by Boshi's work, vastly exceeding anything he'd ever gotten in his life. The long, flexible tongue massaged him, squeezed him, stroked him...and just when he thought he'd felt all the tricks, the coils started to wrap and unwrap, giving an absolutely unique variant of pleasure to his shaft that nearly sent him to an early release. Boshi wasn't taking him nearly as deep but it didn't matter in the slightest, he was getting as good or better than he was giving in his mind, and it was all he could do to keep up.
It was destined not to be long for either of them, regrettably. Boshi was the first to unload, his moan loud and unrestrained as he bucked up into that maw, releasing his seed in potent spurts into Croco's eager maw. Croco clamped down and sucked and swallowed almost on instinct, not letting a single drop of that delectable nectar escape him...and then had to brace himself as he started to shoot as well, thicker shots erupting from his own cock. Boshi scrambled to swallow as it came, more copious than expected, and he ended up letting go of the tip and trying to catch the shots with his open mouth, which ended up getting plenty of it on his face and chest. Still, he got quite a bit of it inside, and hummed rather blissfully at the rugged, slightly bitter taste. He almost wished he tasted like that...it seemed tough and potent to him, the kind of powerful, confident male that he had tried to be in his old life.
They kept working each other until there was nothing more left to offer, no more shots coming out no matter how hard they tried...but there was no regret for the effort, which kept them nice and hard for the next round. Finally Croco rolled off of Boshi, swinging himself back around to get face to face with the blue lizard. He was greeted with a rather attractive sight: Boshi using his long tongue to slurp up the seed that had landed on him, cleaning himself very thoroughly. "Ya like dat, do ya?"
"I...was not...expecting you to be...that good at that..." panting Boshi in reply.
"Hah, I guess I'm fulla surprises." Croco clambered back over him and licked a bit of his seed off Boshi's nose. His tip teased the Yoshi's hole, pressing against it and then backing away, making him draw in a breath each time he felt it. "Ever done anythin' like dis before?"
Boshi gazed back up at him, blushing hard. "Not in this position. Been a while since I did anything...not since da-er, THE hood."
"Well, den...dat only barely counts. 'Cuz I bet dere's baggage with dat, ain't dere?"
"Yeah, you could say that. Maybe you can show me how it's done in paradise?"
"With pleasure." Croco grinned wide and then bucked in, driving his cock in to the hilt in one fell swoop. Boshi's eyes slammed shut, his toes curled and his back arched as he was filled roughly...it was exquisite, Croco was nice and thick but Yoshis could handle thick easily, the way they popped out eggs. Those eggs were made to pop OUT, though - and his inner walls were obscenely sensitive to anything going against the grain. It was such a potent rush that it almost made him black out momentarily, and he clenched so hard on the invading cock that it felt almost crushing to Croco. "Hoy! Dat's...WAY tight, dere."
"Ah...haah...sorry..." Boshi was still seeing stars a bit. "Woooow...that felt...crazy good...better than I thought..."
"Heh, and dat's jus' da start...think you're gonna love da main course."
"Oh, yeah...just...give me a moment..." Croco held himself patiently in place as his partner took some deep, steady breaths in and out. Slowly, the grip of his ass loosened around Croco, making it possible for him to move around...once he was relaxed, he gave Croco a nod. "Okay...go ahead."
"You gots it." The purple reptile pulled out, trying to keep it slow but it felt like that rear made slipping out almost effortless...and then pounding in was almost the exact opposite, fighting him and clinging to him fiercely, giving him such a wonderful tight friction that he could hardly contain himself. He had more experience than his partner but this was a whole new realm...no wonder Yoshis were so popular. The way his ass worked Croco, it was a challenge to get into a steady pace of thrusting, but his spurts of precum loosened things up a bit, and soon he was rocking back and forth fairly evenly, purring in decadent bliss as he lost himself in the sensations.
It was everything Boshi had needed and never known; his mind was rapidly overwhelmed, moans and cries racing from him unrestrained as he was rocked by the endless thrill. His limbs found their places finally, arms and legs wrapping around Croco and locking the two together while they coupled, encouraging his partner to keep going and make this heaven linger. Controlling himself was impossible, he was unable to keep himself from clenching down on the thick tool...it just felt too good, it was like his body was trying to milk more pleasure out of it by forcing harsher contact, exposing even more sensitive spots within him. It wasn't enough to lock Croco in place this time, though, not as slick as his walls were with the ruffian's precum.
As he picked up the place, slowly ramping up his thrusts into the Yoshi, Croco redoubled the little things as well. One of his hands pushed its way under Boshi's back, scratching lightly right around the hump on his back, and he resumed with the nibbles around his shoulders and neck, getting just around the lizard's spiked collar. The light little accents to the full-force pleasure assault got Boshi shivering continuously, his body's response going into total overdrive. It took just a few more thrusts before his cry became full-throated, his orgasm rocking him hard. Spurts of cum shot forcefully onto Croco's chest and belly, the warm and sticky fluid giving off a slightly sweet scent that lingered in the air.
Croco never ceased, plowing through the additional tightness with deep growls of effort. Each thrust seemed to trigger another spurt from the pent-up blue Yoshi; he was going to be a nice sticky mess when it was done. Not that that bothered him at all, it seemed the sign of a job well done to him. It was tough keeping himself from blowing as well, but he wanted to milk a little more out of it if he could...he dug his toes into the ground, clamped down a little harder on Boshi's shoulder, and started slamming in with redoubled effort, driving himself with all the strength he could muster.
He only got about a dozen wild thrusts out of the new pace, but each one wrested a heavenly squeal out of Boshi, a far higher-pitched sound than he'd ever heard from his friend, almost a match for the other Yoshis on the island. And then just as he hit his peak, he felt a violent clutch around his dick, like a trap snapping shut...his seed pulsed out forcefully, overcoming the stranglehold Boshi's ass had on him now, and he felt the warmth in his body redouble as a fresh batch of batter spewed across his scales. He continued to rock a bit, trying to pull back but instead just getting a hot sensation in his cock that cooled when he pumped himself forward, helping him to saturate Boshi's innards with his croc cum.
It was a high that he could've handled forever, but it couldn't last that long...all too soon he felt the euphoric high slip away, bringing him back to reality. Though, not a bad reality at all...he was panting nicely from the energetic ride, but still feeling the lingering tingle of pleasure all throughout him. And from the looks of it, Boshi had gotten more than his share of it as well; the dino was still clinging to him, clearly much more fatigued, letting out shuddering, shaky moans with each heavy breath. His jizz was dripping from Croco's body, and had giving him a nice coating all along his front as well. It was something that he couldn't help but chuckle at. "Now...dat's what I call...winnin' in paradise."
"I...haah...I...believe...that..." Boshi was gulping down air, trying to catch up with everything; his head was still spinning from the crazy pleasure. "Damn...that took me...way too long...to try..."
"Dat ain't no thing, ya tried it and dat's what matters. Dat's what paradise is about." Croco gave an experimental tug; no dice, Boshi's body wasn't letting go of him that easily. He snickered again as he rolled the two of them onto the sides, giving the dino a bit of his own embrace. "Looks like we gots ta teach your body ta relax a bit more as well, eh?"
"Ah...hngh, yeah...sorry..." Boshi squirmed a bit, trying to loosen himself up, but his ass was being stubborn; it didn't want to let go, not after the pounding it had taken. "Guess...I'll need a bit of...time, yeah..."
"No prob, my man." Croco's hand rubbed against his back, trying to aid the relaxation along. "We gots all da time we want. Dat's also paradise."
"Yeah, you're right..." It was definitely something Boshi was starting to see...he really was in paradise, a place without trouble, where anyone could relax...and it was about time he joined in with that. And as he did, he was sure he'd find his fleet feet again...once they weren't weighed down by the past any longer. And there were all sorts of people around who would be happy to help him find that happiness again...and the rush of a racing victory definitely wasn't the only one he wanted to feel again.