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Wout squinted his eyes as he crossed the finish line, he was tired, his knees were giving out, his legs were shaking, his back was wobbling. He leaned on the handlebars of his bike and took a deep breath. He tried to look for Jonas to congratulate him but the youngest was nowhere to be found. Wout turned around and gained the courage to climb down to the team bus and sit on top of his time trial bike.
After five minutes Wout saw none other than Jasper Philipsen crossing in front of him heading towards the Alpecin bus. With some effort, Wout put his fingers to his mouth and whistled, trying to get the other man's attention, who looked around, looking for whoever was calling him.
Wout never really liked Jasper, he seems to be snub-nose. Wout knew that the Alpecin runner was Mathieu's best friend, but he still couldn't go along with him.
“Here." Wout shouted and Jasper took a few steps back. “Where’s Matj- Mathieu?”
Jasper frowned when he noticed Wout's correction. "Who wants to know?"
“Stop being stupid and answer my question.”
Wout says rolling his eyes.
“I’m not the one being stupid here, why do you care about Mathieu? To get in trouble?” Jasper says with pepper on the tip of his tongue.
“Getting into trouble with who? you? I see the rumors about you are true, you're spoiled shit." Wout spits the words in Jasper's face who gets up from the bike, heading towards Wout.
“Jasper!” A firm voice is heard throughout the space.
“Matje." Jasper's voice changes drastically, the harsh and acidic tone has become cute and sweet and Wout feels the blood inside his veins heat up.
"Can you please get out of here?" Wout can hear the cameras quickly approaching with the small but big confusion. Jasper drops his smile and obeys Mathieu leaving the scene. Wout bends over his steering wheel and feels Mathieu approaching.
“You shouldn’t be here.” Wout says dryly and Mathieu frowns.
“What?”
“You’re the one who is reticent about coming out. There are cameras everywhere.”
“Hey, why are you talking like that to me? If I remember correctly, I didn't do anything to you." Mathieu says indignantly and Wout raises his head looking at his boyfriend.
“I’m sorry, Jasper really pissed me off.” Wout says. “Anyways we should talk later. That way they will find out.”
“Let them find out.” Mathieu says and Wout looks at him, eyes bright with expectation.
"Are you sure?"
“I've never been so sure." Mathieu says and removes his glove showing the beautiful golden ring on his fourth finger. At that moment, hundreds of flashes shot at them, focusing on the shiny ring indicating that Mathieu had a girlfriend.
Wout could see the anticipation in the eyes of the media, trying to find Mathieu's possible girlfriend nearby.
“Wait. Are you really sure?" Wout asks again. “I don't want you to feel forced, or anything like that, just because I was upset."
“Wout, I love you. I want everyone to know that you are mine, and I am yours. I can't wait any longer, I don't like people thinking you're single and I know you don't like people thinking I am either. “ Mathieu says, putting his hands on the steering wheel of the Wout bike. "I want people to know our love. Will you allow me?"
Wout smiles from ear to ear. “Of course, I just wanted to know if you were really sure about that.”
Mathieu smiles and takes the glove off Wout's left hand slowly, amidst flashes, revealing his twin ring on Wout's fourth finger, who blinks, almost going blind with the flashes. Mathieu reaches up and kisses Wout's lips softly, feeling the cameras go off again.
“See you at the hotel." Mathieu whispers and disappears to his bus. Wout got off his bike, avoided all attempts at questions from the interviewers and walked to the team bus. He couldn't stop smiling, it was done. They told to the world everything.
On the other side, Mathieu was also ecstatic. He just kissed Wout, in front of hundreds of cameras, in front of the whole world. He gets on the bus and feels the eyes of some teammates on him, Mathieu looks back with a frown, but soon the arms of his teammates stretch around him. Mathieu laughs, trying to hug everyone at the same time.
Mathieu hears some “I'm so proud of you” being muttered and smiles. He loved his team.
He went straight to Wout's hotel, asking his colleagues for cover, when he arrived, Wout opened the door with a huge smile on his face, a smile that Mathieu had been in love with for years. Mathieu grabbed Wout's waist with his hands and pulled him towards him, kissing him fervently. Wout's hands cupped the other's face and the Belgian deepened the kiss.
"Finally." Mathieu says in between kisses. “Everyone knows you’re mine.”
“Yes but wait." Wout stops the kiss. “We still need to talk about what happened just now." Wout says and takes Mathieu to his bed. They both sit down.
"Jasper likes you?"
“I’m not gonna lie to you, he probably does.” Mathieu says sighing. “But I don’t want you to feel insecure. You’re the men I love, I don’t have eyes for anyone else.” Mathieu puts his hand on Wout's chin and makes him look at him. “I love you Wout Van Aert" Mathieu says and Wout laughs at the expression.
“I love you too Mathieu Van der Poel." Wout says. “You’re mine."
“I’m yours.” Mathieu says and kisses Wout again
Wout couldn't say that he felt completely safe with Mathieu's words, but not for him, he trusted the man in front of him too much, but for Jasper, he was nosy and arrogant, and would do anything to get what he wants. Despite this, Wout would never let him win any battle, neither on the bike nor off it.