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Pierre woke not to the sound of an alarm or Pyry coming in to shake him awake, but to the sun shining through gossamer curtains with a warm body pressed up against his. It was probably mid-morning though it could easily be earlier if he had to guess. This soon into winter break he hadn’t quite broken the habit of rising early he developed during the season. Still, it was early enough to enjoy the morning, and he stretched his arms out in front of him, pushing back into the body behind. Pierre hadn’t intended to wake him, but Dany grumbled all the same and wrapped his arm around Pierre’s waist, tugging him even closer.
“Time is it?” he asked, sleep hanging heavy over his words. Pierre turned in his arms to face him. He tracked his eyes over Dany’s face, down the slope of his nose, and over to his cheeks, where his eyelashes dusted over the smooth skin under his eyes. His eyes were still closed, but when Pierre stayed quiet, he cracked one open, then quickly snapped it shut against the sun.
Pierre felt the slow smile spread across his face and reached forward to tangle his fingers into the loose collar of Dany’s shirt. “Dunno,” he said, “still morning, I think.”
“Too early,” Dany grumbled, “it’s winter break, we are supposed to sleep in on winter break.”
“We can blame it on the jet lag,” Pierre said, even though the time difference meant they should be sleeping later.
“Wrong way,” Dany muttered, and Pierre let out a sigh. He rolled over onto his back and splayed himself out on the bed, throwing his arm over Dany. Dany grunted but remained still, letting Pierre stay where he was. It was warm in their room, and even warmer in their bed, but Pierre had no desire to move. He didn’t have a race to worry about, he had no team obligations for at least a month, so he could just relax and spend time with his boyfriend. Next to him, Dany made a soft sound, and Pierre turned to face him, His eyes flitted over Pierre’s face, lingering on his lips for a moment.
“Dany?” Pierre whispered.
Dany reached out and ran his fingers through Pierre’s sleep-tangled hair. “We do not have to do anything today,” he said, coming to the same realization as Pierre. “I can stay in bed with you and do nothing at all.”
Pierre grinned and pulled his limbs back to his body. He propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at Dany still lying flat on the bed surrounded by the mussed white bedding and pillows askew. It would be so easy to duck down and kiss him, but Pierre resisted the urge. “We are both going to stay in bed and do nothing?”
Dany returned his grin. “It was the plan, but so was sleeping in, which you disrupted.” He reached up and ran a calloused palm down Pierre’s bicep. Pierre followed the movement of his hand with his eyes, all the way from Dany’s long fingers to the vein running along his forearm, to his own impressive bicep, over his thick, corded neck, and finally to warm brown eyes sparkling with mischief. “Do you have any ideas that may further disrupt my plans?”
Pierre threw his head back and laughed. Dany used his distraction to flip him. The sheets draped over Dany and Pierre, and Pierre looked up at Dany. “Did you not get enough last night?” he asked with a laugh. Dany ducked down and captured Pierre’s lips. Pierre met him easily, letting Dany lick into his mouth. When he pulled away, they were both breathing hard.
“I could never have enough of you,” Dany said, without a hint of a lie.
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Pierre stretched out on a beach lounge chair just off the end of their private deck, the sun high in the sky and beating down on his skin still wet from the ocean. Next to him in an identical lounger, Dany laid under the shade of a beach umbrella, shining from the sheen of sunscreen that hadn’t soaked into his skin yet. Pierre knew by the end of this vacation that his skin would be the bronze tan he loved so much, and Dany’s would remain unchanged in color.
The waves at low tide on the private beach were far enough away from the loungers that the sound of them was nothing more than a gentle lapping crash of water upon sand. Pierre watched the curves of them crawl up the beach in gentle swirls before they retreated back to the ocean. It made a lovely pattern of scalloped edges on the wet sand. He tipped his head back, closing his eyes against the shine of the sun and breathed deep. A shadow fell over him, and he opened his eyes to see Dany standing above him with a towel.
“You should reapply your sunscreen,” he said, holding up the bottle.
Pierre laughed and sat up. “I don’t burn like you do.” But he took the towel and sunscreen anyway and patted dry the last remaining water from his skin. Even with the sunscreen, he’d come away with a tan. He rubbed the lotion into his skin where he could reach and scooted forward for Dany to join him. “Help me with my back?” he asked.
Dany took the sunscreen back and situated himself behind Pierre. A few moments later, his hands landed on Pierre’s shoulders, the sunscreen warmed by the heat of his palms. He worked the lotion over Pierre’s back, digging his fingers into sore muscles. Pierre groaned, his head dropping to his chest. Dany hummed, and his hands drifted lower, mapping out the planes of Pierre’s back. Lips pressed onto his shoulder and trailed down his arms. Dany moved back to Pierre’s neck and took a deep breath.
“I got an email this morning.” His lips moved against Pierre’s skin, and Pierre shivered. Dany pressed his fingers into Pierre’s lower back. “They are going with Tsunoda next season. My results were not enough to sway the influence of Honda.”
Pierre hummed and tried to turn to face Dany, fully sit in his lap, but Dany squeezed his knees together at Pierre’s hips, preventing him from doing so. Just because they had both been expecting the news didn’t mean it didn’t tug at Pierre’s heart. Dany deserved a spot on the grid more than others who would continue to race. Pierre knew as well as Dany that he had driven an F1 car for the last time. Coming back a second time wasn’t something that happened, not to drivers like them. But he could feel the steady, slow beat of Dany’s heart where his chest was pressed against Pierre’s back. His breaths were even where they puffed on Pierre’s neck. Pierre arched his back into Dany, and Dany wrapped his arms around Pierre’s stomach.
“It was a good last season with you,” he said. “I have loved watching you rise.”
Pierre leaned them both back. Dany rested his chin on Pierre’s shoulder. “Would you change anything?” Pierre asked.
“No.” There was no hesitation in his answer. “I have you.” He always would. “Is there anything you would change if you could?”
Pierre took a breath. There were so many things he’d like to change, but none of them were under his control. He would suffer the despair, the uncertainty of the past year and a half all over again if it meant he’d also get to experience the joys. If it meant he’d end up right where he was in Dany’s arms.
He shook his head slowly. “There are of course things that I would change.” He felt Dany deflate underneath him. “But nothing that would not lead me to this moment. Nothing that wouldn’t lead to you.”
Dany held him tighter. They’d said it before, whispered against lips before a race, kissed from champagne soaked mouths, yelled through slammed doors and laughed over spilled coffee and misplaced dishes. They’d never said it without saying the words like this, but Pierre knew he didn’t need to for Dany to understand what he was telling him. He rolled to face Dany, and this time Dany let him.
“I love you,” Pierre said anyway.
“I know. I love you too.”
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
Dinner was as quiet as the rest of the day had been. Just the two of them in a private dining room with special chef prepared meals that had been curated for them. Pierre watched Dany over the rim of a half-drunk glass of wine. The evening was still somewhat warm, though with the setting sun the temperature had dropped enough that Pierre could wear one of his favorite linen shirts. He still wore shorts, but they were nicer than the beach shorts he’d worn earlier. Dany was dressed similarly, his shirt unbuttoned halfway down, showing off his chest, and Pierre had caught himself staring more than once over the course of the meal. The dark blue fabric contrasted nicely with his fair skin, and the long sleeves had been rolled up to expose Dany’s forearms. Pierre watched the lean muscle there flex as Dany reached for his wine. Like that morning, he followed the same vein down to his fingers, grasping gently at the bowl of the glass. Pierre flicked his eyes back up to Dany’s face and caught Dany looking back. Pierre felt his face flush but held Dany’s gaze.
Dany looked away first, past Pierre’s shoulder. Pierre watched his fingers stretch as he put his wine back down without taking a sip. He raised his hand to flag down the waiter who came to take their plates. Pierre leaned back in his seat, sated. A good meal of fatty sushi he usually denied himself during the season with good company. A good, though short season where he’d gotten his first win and a change to celebrate it privately at home. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew if he tried, he’d have a hard time recalling a moment he’d been more content as he was then. Dany’s hand settled on Pierre’s neck, and Pierre opened his eyes. He let Dany tip his head back so they could look at each other. Dany curled his hand down Pierre’s cheek, and Pierre leaned into the touch.
Pierre stood and let Dany lead him out of the dining terrace and along the softly lit paths back to their room with his hand at the small of Pierre’s back. He unlocked the door and guided Pierre inside. The door shut with a click, and Dany craned his head down to Pierre briefly, standing abruptly and leaving Pierre wanting more.
Pierre followed Dany into the bathroom and squeezed toothpaste onto both of their toothbrushes. It was still early, but he knew it would be a night where they crawled into bed to catch up on the sleep lost over the season. They had no reason to rush with each other, especially not at the beginning of their off-season break. They stood side by side as they brushed their teeth, and Dany kissed him once more, this time tasting minty fresh. He murmured something about the toilet and bed, and Pierre retreated into the bedroom.
Once alone, Pierre stripped off his shirt and tossed it toward his suitcase, his shorts and underwear joining it in quick succession. He turned down the corner of their made bed and crawled in. He sat against the headboard and waited for Dany to return from the bathroom. When Dany emerged, he was also shirtless, and Pierre let his eyes drift down to Dany’s abs. When Dany moved to climb into bed, Pierre grumbled until Dany relented with a laugh and removed his boxers. He put his knee on the bed, and Pierre rolled toward him with the dip of the mattress. Dany caught him and rolled him back over, throwing his leg over one of Pierre’s, effectively pinning him down.
Dany wrapped his arm over Pierre’s chest and buried his head in the back of Pierre’s neck. He breathed deeply, and Pierre felt Dany’s whole body relax. The hand over Pierre’s chest crawled up and hooked into the golden chain of his crucifix. Dany ran his fingers along the delicate links, and his hand tugging the chain was comforting, grounding Pierre in the moment. Eventually, Dany’s breaths slowed, and his hand got heavier until his fingers slipped from the necklace, falling back onto Pierre’s chest just above his heart. Pierre waited a few minutes, until Dany’s soft snores faded into deep breaths, before sitting up slightly to turn to tuck himself into Dany’s chest. He rested his head on Dany’s heart and let the steady beat of it lull him to sleep.