Chapter Text
SEPANG 2018
The first time they almost kissed, it could have been justified by their drunken mood… even if both knew it’s a lie.
Luca’s first victory in Sepang coincided with Francesco’s Moto2 World Champion title.
They’re in the same team, they train together in the Academy and basically live together most of the time. They even go on holidays together, because their girlfriends are friends too.
But ‘friends’ is not enough to describe their relationship. Of course they are friends, every boy of the Academy can be considered a friend by the other members. But the bond between Luca and Pecco is something different.
Sometimes, they don’t even need to talk to know what the other is thinking.
Luca goes to Francesco when he needs some peace from the stressful life of being Valentino Rossi’s little brother. His quietness is enough to make him relax. Pecco is always calm, sweet, ready to listen and give advices but only if they are requested. You can be sure to have him on your side and you can count on him for help in taking important decisions.
And for Francesco, Luca is exactly the same. The person he knows he can always rely on, the one he has discussed Ducati Pramac offer for a seat in MotoGP, the one who supported him when Vale tried to persuade him to wait for a less difficult bike to ride in the top class. The first one to share his victories and the arms that held him when he failed.
Season 2018 has been incredible for both of them and the fact that they could share it as team-mates made it even more precious, knowing next year it will be completely different.
When the celebration night ended, they decided to take a walk to the hotel which wasn’t far from the restaurant they were in. They drunk a couple of glasses of champagne too much, they’re not used to drink and they both felt a bit tipsy.
The cool air of the night helped them to sober up a bit. But there was another kind of drunkenness that wasn’t fading, and was the one caused by their closeness. Every time they bumped into the other and their skins touched, it was like a small electric spark, whenever their eyes met, a smile appeared on their faces followed by a blush that they didn’t even try to hide.
The idea of parting their ways once their reached the hotel made them both aching, which was ridiculous because they’ll meet again in a few hours to take the plane back to Italy.
Luca proposed to stay out a little more, on the pool terrace.
They were there, feet in the water, complete silence around them.
“Thank you, Luca.”
“What for?”
“For being there for me during the whole season, for pushing me to win the title, for sharing all my emotions with me. This is not just my title, is yours too.”
The butterflies in his stomach exploded and Luca couldn’t deny them anymore.
He’s tried, ever since their first podium together in Brno in August, but there was no way to make them disappear. In that moment, Luca realised his feelings for Pecco have exceeded the friendship limits to become something stronger. But he kept them locked inside, too scared to let them out, for various reasons.
He had a girlfriend he loved who was his best friend and has been his rock for ages, Pecco and him were working together and these feelings could destroy the wonderful relationship they’ve always had, if Vale’s experience with Marc Marquez was something to learn from. Most of all, he was sure they were one sided, so completely useless.
“I’m sure you’d win even with another team-mate…”
Francesco placed his hand above Luca’s.
“Maybe… but I’m sure it would have never been the same as doing it with you.”
Their eyes locked and for a second it seemed like the world stopped spinning around them. Luca was afraid that if he blinked, Pecco would disappear and he couldn’t breathe because his heart was beating so fast that he could feel it in his throat.
Francesco’s eyes were shining when he leant closer, their lips only millimetres apart.
Then a security guard pointed his flashlight towards them stating they weren’t allowed to be there at that time of the night.
SANTO DOMINGO – JANUARY 2019
The second time, they have drunk only water, so alcohol wasn’t an excuse…
Francesco’s birthday coincided with their penultimate day of holidays in Santo Domingo.
Instead of relaxing and celebrating his title, the Italian rider spent the month of December taking care of Luca who had a surgery on his shoulder.
He couldn’t help it, mostly because he knew how difficult it was for him to do nothing for the first two weeks… keeping Luca still was like a mission impossible, Marta, Valentino and him set up their shifts to stay with him and forced him not to use the shoulder more than necessary . When he finally was allowed to start his rehabilitation, Pecco was always on his side to help with the exercises.
It was a bit awkward at first, when they were alone.
What almost happened in Malaysia was still hanging above the two men but none of them had the courage to talk about it. So they tried to act as relaxed as possible and soon they were back in their usual ‘friendly’ way of acting, even if every touch seemed to burn their skin and Pecco couldn’t deny his heart always skept a beat when Luca’s piercing blue eyes met his.
He didn’t know how he managed to keep cool because the temptation of kissing Luca and confessing his feelings was really strong. To be honest, he was sure he wasn’t going to be able to handle this situation for long… and of course they’ve planned their holidays together…
Pecco really hoped that the presence of Marta and Domizia helped him to decrease the intensity of his feelings that have reached a very dangerous high level of strength like never before. He’s always thought he loved his girlfriend, she’s just perfect for him but nothing compares to the way he feels when he’s near Luca.
And that’s beyond scaring because the word ‘disaster’ is written in capital letters everywhere he turned. This can’t end well, he knows it.
The days in Santo Domingo were flowing by quietly, in the end, they made a very good group of friends and they were having a lot of fun. Until his birthday came and the two girls decided to set the boys free for the day, so that they could do some shopping.
Pecco and Luca decided to rent a scooter and explore the surrounding area of their resort. Of course they raced, they ate delicious local food in a restaurant at the side of the road, they swam and relaxed in secluded beaches…
Just the two of them.
“It’s been one of the greatest birthdays of my life!”
They were standing in front of Luca’s room door. The younger smiled and Pecco was so lost in that perfect face that he didn’t realised Luca has placed one hand on his shoulder until he felt his skin on fire there.
“I’m happy we celebrated it together.”
He took Lucas’s hand and intertwined their fingers to bring him one step closer. He felt bold, all of a sudden, and he wanted the only birthday present he wished for… but like the other time, when their lips were almost touching, the speaker called everyone to join the pool for ‘The Happy Hour game’ making them jump away.
AUSTIN – APRIL 2019
The third time left them with too many questions that needed an answer.
Luca was happy for his race even if he wanted the top five. But considering how he was struggling with the bike, a 6th place was good enough to be satisfied. He still wasn’t used to the ‘new’ qualifying procedure they applied also to Moto 2 and Moto3, with a Q1 and a Q2, and the adjustment process to the new bike was slower than he thought.
The most difficult thing for him in this news season, though, was the fact of not having Francesco on the other side of the box. Nicolò was the one, amongst the boys of the Academy, that the befriended less and they weren’t so close to work as perfectly as he did with Pecco last year.
He missed him more than he was willing to admit to himself… it was silly because they still trained together and lived side by side every day but it seems like Pecco is more distant now that he’s in MotoGP. It happened with Franco too, but it was less stronger… maybe because Luca didn’t have feelings for him like he has for his former team-mate.
After celebrating Vale’s podium, he took a walk in the paddock hoping to meet Pecco alone, he wanted to congratulate with him for being in the top ten, which he knew was the other rider’s goal for the season.
“Hey! Are you happy with your ninth place?”
Pecco smiled so sweetly that the rest of the world disappeared around Luca.
How was it possible that something he witnesses every day, because Francesco smiles most of the time, made him feel so happy?
How can the other man’s close presence close affect him that much that he can’t think straight?
How can he pretend that he’s not melting every time Pecco looks at him, when his knees tremble?
It’s becoming harder every single day.
“Yeah, well, I’m not sure I’ll do it without the crashes of who was ahead, but yes, it’s a small step forward. And you?”
Luca smiled.
“It’s a good result, I’m improving at every race.”
“That’s what you wanted to do, right? I know being in the top five would be better but with all the changes they made and all the possible competitors, you have to take things the way they come.”
“Reaching MotoGP made you wiser?”
Pecco laughed and that sound was something Luca couldn’t get enough of.
“I’ve always been wise, I’m a Capricorn!”
They stayed silent for a moment, only looking at each other smiling. Luca wanted to kiss him more than the other two times, but they were in a still crowded paddock and it wasn’t safe. As if Pecco could read his mind, the other man took his hand and led him between two motorhomes, partly hidden from view.
Luca had his back against one of them, Francesco in front of him, one hand intertwined and the other tentatively caressing his other arm, making goose bumps explode with the touch.
“Luca…”
“Pecco…”
They closed their eyes, their lips touched but it was too light to even feel it because, of course, someone called for them.
Before realising Pecco was backing away from him, Luca heard him whispering “Not again, please…”
Balda appeared with a very amused face to pick them up and meet the others to plan the celebration for Andrea and Valentino’s podiums.
During all the rest of the afternoon and the evening, other questions raised into Luca’s mind.
Would they actually have kissed if Lorenzo didn’t interrupt them?
How would it feel?
The almost slight touch of their lips had been enough to set his whole body on fire…
Was Pecco thinking at the same things? Was he really returning his feelings?
From the way he acted before, he was reasonably sure the other man is in his same shoes.
That’s why he’s more and more convinced they should talk about it and sort things out together. Possibly with no one interrupting them this time.