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don’t wanna drive another mile without knowing if you’re breathing
Seb is giving him a look which Daniel has neither the desire nor mental capacity to deal with at the moment. But surprisingly, he also gives Daniel his keys, reminding him sharply to hand them back over later this evening.
His former teammate doesn’t owe him anything. Come to think of it, they’re sort of rivals now and there is more than one reason Daniel shouldn’t have access to Red Bull’s Motorhome under any circumstances. But it is Seb, his old friend and not for the first time one of the few people to look right through Daniel’s charade. Maybe he should be terrified that Seb can read him this easily, but for the moment he is grateful and a little touched by Seb‘s trust. It makes this reckless plan of his a little less hopeless.
“He took it hard, when you left”, Sebastian says in a way of warning, holding his gaze just for a second too long. There is more hidden in those depths of blue that Seb clearly isn’t ready to voice, but the mere hint of it is enough for Daniel’s heart to clench achingly long after Seb leaves him to it. Daniel stays frozen in his spot, thinking of the fury lacing Max’s voice the day he had left, the accusations thrown his way, the hurt they had caused. And the unyielding silence that followed ever since. Over the past few months he’d been telling himself that this wasn’t his problem to deal with any longer.
But somehow it always ends up being Daniel trying to pick up the pieces of what Max allowed someone else to break.
don’t cancel any plans ‘cause i won’t let you get the chance to never make them
He climbs into the small cabin, trying to stifle the feeling when the familiar mix of smells hit him hard. The lingering sweetness of Red Bull, warm hay, aged leather and a new addition; Checo’s stupid cologne.
He grimaces, moves a few clothes to the side and stretches himself out in his old bottom bunk, waiting for Max to return and desperately trying not to think of all the time the two of them had spent in here.
Obviously, Daniel fails.
don’t let this darkness fool you, all lights turned off can be turned on
Idiotically, the entire cabin is dark when Max finally enters. Daniel hadn’t really planned this dramatic effect, he just happened to be so deep in thought that he hadn’t noticed his surroundings. [Read: he’d fallen asleep.]
It scares the shit out of Max in any case, which is lucky for Daniel who has enough time to regain his bearings before Max switches on the overhead light.
“Daniel!”, he exclaims, shock and anger wrapping his words in thick accent, “What the hell are you doing here?“
“What does it look like, genius?”
“An intrusion”, Max deadpans.
“Okay yes…, that.”, Daniel stumbles, still not fully awake and caught off guard despite having plenty of experience with Max‘s bluntness. But it has been a while since they shared more than a passing greeting and suddenly he can‘t seem to remember how one formulates sentences.
“Seb gave me the keys.”, he settles on finally, which makes Max snort with barely hidden disbelief.
“Seb gave you the keys to our motorhome? Did he get kicked in the head?”
Max‘s eyes were burning, already on the defense, but his words reminded Daniel why he was here in the first place. The fury in him ignited once more, he forgets all the confusing effects Max’s proximity after months of distance has on him and vows to make him understand this time. Who knows how many chances he has left to do so and how many he’d wasted already?
I can’t lose him, not because of this.
„No, but apparently you did, repeatedly”, his voice serious when he finds it again, seeing how Max’s expression falters for a second as he too notices the change in tone.
„So?“ Max retorts unconcerned as if being trampled by his grand-prix- winning horse is something to simply brush off, „Since when do you care?“
„Max.“
“No, Daniel, just don‘t-“, Max lifts a finger in warning even as his voice falters. It is clear that he’s in no mood to accept Daniel’s concern, nor the things left unsaid between them.
Daniel realizes belatedly it's rather unfair to spring this on his ex-teammate after the weeks - months by now - he spent avoiding him. And maybe that’s one of the things Seb didn’t dare to say out loud earlier. But Max’ tendency to put his own health at risk has always been Daniel’s weakness and he couldn’t have stopped himself from coming here if he had tried.
No matter the consequences.
So, won’t you stay, won’t you stay with me?