Chapter Text
Luca stormed into Valentino’s motorhome with a very disappointed frown that his brother couldn’t understand. He should be the upset one…
“What’s up?”
“Vale, I know it’s not the right moment but… could you please go somewhere else so that I can use your motorhome?”
The older rider raised an eyebrow.
“Well, Alex can use Marc’s one if he wants to celebrate your podium.”
Luca snorted and set in front of his brother.
“That’s the problem… I can’t have any celebration until my best friend and my boyfriend don’t make up. God, why do they have to be fighting for the championship?”
Vale chuckled and Luca rolled his eyes.
“Welcome to the club of complicated relationships!”
“Yeah, well, I’d rather go on without ‘complicated’ if I could. For once that I’ve been lucky, it has to be Lorenzo and Alex who crashed…”
“It’s not only luck, Luca. You could have probably reached the podium in any case.”
“Maybe, I was feeling really good on the bike despite yesterday crash.”
The older brother smirked and Luca saw something on his face he didn’t like a bit. The third ‘zero’ in a row was probably a lot to take even for Valentino but he honestly didn’t know what to say to him to make him feel better.
“Did you notice? Whenever you’re the podium, I don’t finish the race… maybe it’s a sign of destiny.”
Luca shook his head but he was starting to get worried. He didn’t remember seeing his brother so broken, well, maybe after Argentina last year but it was a completely different kind of situation. The way he said those words…
“Oh no, no! No, no, no! You’re not allowed to even think about retiring!”
“Luca…”
“No, listen to me. You can’t just leave us here alone yet, you have another season to race, the bike is improving, they’re all in the top five and Maverick won, that means you’ll be able to be there too.”
“And if I’m not? I don’t have time to lose and wait for things to work again.”
“Marc would kill you if he’d be here now, listening to what you’re saying and seeing you like this. And the boys too. You’ve taught us to never give up and now you’re the first one to do it?”
“Luca, at 20 it’s absolutely normal to easily find the strength to go on. I’m 40, I gave my whole life to this world, I sacrificed to it the most beautiful thing that happened to me. I won, I’ve had fun, I created the Academy, I made people all around the world to love this sport. Maybe now it’s time I just do something only for me… and you, the boys and Marc will have to accept it.”
Luca was about to reply but there was a knock on the door. He looked ad his clock.
“It must be Balda.”
“Ok, I’m going to wait for Marc in his motorhome.”
When Vale was already at the door, Luca stopped him to hug him.
“Promise me you’ll think about it a little bit more, don’t make a decision now that you’re upset, ok?”
The older brother nodded, then opened the door to let Lorenzo in.
Now it was the time for the show to begin…
Luca crossed his arms on his chest and glared at his best friend who was clearly nervous because he knew where this would lead.
“Are you mad at me?”
“What do you think?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose! You know I wouldn’t!”
“Save it for Alex, he’s coming too.”
“What?!”
In that moment, Alex knocked and Luca said ‘Come in’. When the younger Marquez saw who else was inside Vale’s motorhome, he frowned and was already starting to turn around to leave when he heard his boyfriend calling him.
“Alex Marquez Alentà! Don’t you dare going out of here!”
He turned again to see Luca furious as he never saw him before… it was scaring and looking at the frightened expression on Baldassarri’s face, it wasn’t a good idea to contradict him in such a state.
He moved so that he was standing in front of his boyfriend, the other rider on his side.
“Now, do I have to tell you how mad I am at you two? Do you have an idea of how disappointed is having your best friend and your boyfriend fighting when they’re supposed to celebrate with me?”
Alex was about to speak but Luca raised a hand, the same hard stare as when he entered that made him gulp.
“I’m not done yet.”
The two riders exchanged a side look, both worried for what was next to come…
“Lorenzo, you were having a great race, why did you have to do such a stupid mistake? You could have wait, finding another part of the track to overtake him or stay with Alex until the end fight on the finish line.”
“I…”
“Alex, don’t make me talk about the way you acted with him, shouting like that when he was laying in the gravel with a foot under the bike. I never want to witness a scene like that ever again, it was pitiful even if you had the right to be mad at him.”
“I…”
“Let me finish!”
Both men stayed quiet, heads down like two students being reproached by their teacher.
“I want my celebration tonight, so you two are going to stay here until you sort things out and make up. Otherwise, Lorenzo, you can kiss goodbye to our trip to Paris to go to Disneyland during the summer break.”
At that, Alex chuckled but Luca sent him a look that could have killed him and stopped immediately.
“And Alex, no sex for a month, at least.”
Now it was Balda’s turn to chuckle but it lasted only a second because Luca cleared his throat.
He looked at the two men in front of him and a satisfied smirk appeared on his face.
He didn’t like being like this, even if he has to admit he was having a lot of fun playing the severe father role with the two annoying kids. But he was sure it was the only thing that could work to bring things back as they were before, with Alex and Lorenzo having a normal relationship and even going out all the three together.
“See you later.”
Luca left. The two riders looked at each other and sighed. Neither of them wanted to actually talk about what happened, but the idea of having to face Luca like this again was beyond terrifying so they preferred to make up.
Fifteen minutes later, they came out and Luca could finally smile. Everyone could have what they wanted now, a celebration for his podium for Luca, the trip to Disneyland for Balda and a lot of sex for Alex.