Chapter Text
When the news broke about Moto2 and Moto3 titles being discarded as serious championship titles, the MotoGP grid united for the first time in years.
The teams and their riders were all informed in June about the upcoming changes. This was done in order to allow the riders to plan their celebrations accordingly.
The news had broken at 9 am on a crisp Tuesday morning. And by noon, all hell had broken loose.
Within hours of the news coming out, Luca lost track of the number of group chats he was in.
There was, of course, the normal VR46 academy group chat that he was already in. Then there was an emergency group chat he got added into that included past and former Honda drivers. After that, he somehow got added to a chat with #93 allies like Alex, Fermin, Quartararo, and even David Alonso and Maximo Quiles.
He suspected that the last one was because of Alex. Luca personally thought that it was sweet of his boyfriend to include him in that particular chat.
After that, the chats all blurred together. There were a lot of DMs as well, which added to the mess that was Luca’s messaging app at the moment.
Luca only really bothered to check in with his boyfriend and academy teammates. He knew this announcement would be hardest on Alex, Pecco, and Franky though, since all of them would have championships removed. Alex would lose his Moto3 title and all of them would lose their Moto2 title.
But, Luca quickly noticed that a certain group of former and current riders were surprisingly silent.
The group in question?
Valentino, Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo, and #93.
Luca scoured all of the groups he was in, but he couldn’t find a single text from any of them after the news broke. No matter where he looked, he couldn’t find a single reaction from any of them.
Even in person, Luca was met with silence.
As it so happened, Luca had been at the ranch when the emails had gone out to the riders. When Luca had finished reading the email from Liberty, he had immediately gone to go find his older brother.
However, when he did find Valentino, the former rider was locked in his office.
When Luca had knocked on the door, his brother had refused to let him inside.
“I’ll be out in a second, Maro.” Valentino had assured him hurriedly.
A second turned into hours. By the time Valentino had exited his office, it was already dark outside. The rest of the academy had made their way to the ranch in the meantime. So, when Valentino finally arrived, he was greeted with the sight of all of his academy riders, even Cele, camped out in his living room.
The group had made themselves at home in the living room. Luca had claimed the couch, leaving a space for Valentino to sit beside him. Pecco had claimed an armchair and Marco had decided to perch himself on the armrest of said chair. Franky and Fabio claimed the other chairs, leaving Cele to sit on a random chair Luca had dragged in from the dining room.
To Luca’s surprise, his brother was actually in a decent mood when he arrived. Considering the new rules would mean that Valentino would only have 7 championships in MotoGP’s eyes, rather than 9, Luca had thought that Valentino would be one of the more infuriated riders.
But, Valentino only smiles as he looks over the group.
“Wonderful, you’re all here.” Valentino said, “Saves me the trouble of calling a meeting.”
The riders exchange uneasy looks. Luca himself shifts awkwardly in his chair
“You seem…cheerful?” Luca said in confusion.
Valentino shoots him a smile.
“Oh, I am. Lorenzo can be such a chatterbox sometimes, so I’m glad for a break.” Valentino chirps as he takes the empty seat on the couch beside Luca.
“You were talking with Lorenzo?” Marco asks curiously, voicing the other riders’ thoughts.
Valentino waves a hand dismissively. “Yes. I was talking with him. And Casey and Pedrosa. Oh, and #93 of course.”
Luca nearly chokes at the last name.
“You were talking to #93?!” He questions his brother in shock.
Luca knew that tensions between his brother and his longtime rival had cooled recently. With Luca’s soulmate being #93’s heir and #93 himself being teammates with Pecco, Valentino had reluctantly agreed to be cordial with the 8 time champion for the sake of peace in the paddock and at home.
But, Valentino willingly talking to #93 on his own without being forced to?
Luca glances out a nearby window. Part of him hopes that he can catch a glimpse of the pigs potentially flying past the room.
Franky frowns. “Why were you talking to them?”
“Well, there’s a reason.” Valentino claps his hands together, “We are planning a rider’s strike.”
The room fell silent. No one dared to say a word.
A strike? A full on driver’s strike?
The other riders exchanged looks once again.
In all honesty, a strike wouldn’t matter too much when it came to the driver’s championship for most riders. Right now, the championship was mainly between #93, Alex, and Pecco.
As for everyone else, the main concern would be future contract negotiations. For those less secure with their teams, a strike could mean that they would lose their seats in 2026.
Luca unfortunately counted himself among that group. Especially after his crash in Japan led to him missing several races.
He bites his lip, trying to hide the uneasy feeling slowly growing within him.
Pecco meanwhile, swallows nervously. “A strike? For everyone?”
Valentino looks at him and gives him an apologetic smile.
“Well, yes. That is the only way to get this idiotic decision revoked. Which I’m sure you want, considering you have one title currently at risk.” Valentino points out.
Pecco winces at that. But Marco quickly speaks up next.
“So the idea is a strike for the entire grid? No one races?” Marco asks.
Valentino chuckles. “Well, it wouldn’t be just the grid. Casey, Dani, Lorenzo, and of course myself, will be joining you all. An impressive effort, don’t you think?”
Luca couldn’t believe a word that he was hearing. A strike with the old guard?
It had been years since the last strike. Would it really be possible to organize one now?
“Would we be striking during the next race?” Luca questions Valentino.
Valentino shakes his head. “No. We are looking at potential dates. Remember, this is only going to occur if Liberty refuses to reverse its stance. But, we are looking at striking during the race in Barcelona right now, so we would potentially miss that race and Misano.”
There was a slight stir among the other riders at that. Fabio frowns.
“So we would miss a home race.” He points out.
“Yes, but so would the Spanish drivers.” Valentino explains.
“But it’s the closest race to the ranch!” Cele protests.
“Alex would be missing his home race too.” Luca said defensively, “He is from Catalonia, remember? It’s one of the most important races to him.”
Valentino gives Luca an approving nod. “Exactly. We wouldn’t be the only ones sacrificing a home race.”
Pecco seems to consider that. “I guess but, do you really trust this? What about #93? We don’t know if he is going to abide by this.”
Valentino waves a hand.
“Oh he will. I heard him on the phone.” Valentino smirks here, “His reaction was quite entertaining.”
Luca gives his older brother a side eye at that, but chooses to say nothing.
The less he knew about his brother’s odd relationship with #93, the better sometimes.
“When will we know the strike is on?” Franky asks.
“We will let you all know.” Valentino assures him, “Two weeks' notice will be given so you can prepare.”
The others exchange looks again, but no one knows quite what to say.
No one wanted to strike, that was obvious. But considering the recent changes proposed, who’s to say that it wouldn’t get worse down the line?
Wouldn’t it be better to just nip the problem in the bud now, before it got worse?
Luca is the first to break the silence.
“Well, let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.” Luca said.
“They could choose to reverse the decision once they get backlash.” Cele said hopefully.
The others looked less than convinced, but for the moment, they just nod.
Valentino pats Luca’s shoulder. “I’m sure it won’t come to that. But it doesn’t hurt to be prepared, right?”
Luca manages to give his older brother a weak smile, hoping it’s enough to hide his nerves.
He doesn’t need to though. Valentino wasn’t even looking at him by that point.
Luca doesn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed.
Maybe both.
———-
Luca doesn’t get a chance to call Alex until the next day.
The Academy drivers ended up staying overnight after the impromptu meeting. However, they all were gone by the next afternoon, all making some sort of excuse to leave the ranch.
Once they were gone, Valentino had once again hidden himself away in his office to talk with the other former rider and #93.
This left Luca by himself. Luca didn't mind this though, since it finally gave him a chance to talk with Alex.
Once he was alone, Luca quickly grabs something to eat and locks himself in his own room with his phone.
He knew that Alex was busy training with #93 during their limited time off. So, he assumed it would be #93 who would tell Alex about the proposed strike.
Luca can’t help but be a bit relieved that he wouldn’t have to be the one to break the news of the strike to Alex. He wasn’t sure if he could bring himself to tell his lover that he may not be able to race at Barcelona, especially when it was possible for Alex to get his first win there.
Luca was sure that #93 would be able to break the news to Alex better than he could himself.
Luca can’t help but laugh to himself at the thought as he sits down on his bed.
It’s funny how calm he was about Alex spending time with #93 now, Luca muses to himself.
A few years ago, he couldn’t imagine being in this situation. He had been incredibly distant with Alex, due to Alex taking #93’s side when it came to the masked rider’s public split with Valentino.
Luca could only really watch Alex from a distance, as the Spanish rider spent his time sequestered with #93 and his rather limited allies.
This admittedly fed into Luca’s resentment towards #93.
Luca tried to stay out of his brother’s affairs with #93 as much as possible. He personally believed that whatever happened on the track, should stay on the track.
But, he couldn’t help but dig his nails into his palm as he watched his soulmate ignore him and focus on #93. Every time Luca heard Alex laugh at some stupid joke #93 made, his chest felt a bit tighter.
Who was this man to mess with his older brother and steal Luca’s soulmate, Luca couldn’t help but think to himself.
But he didn’t dare tell anyone else how he felt. He couldn’t risk it getting back to Valentino, who Luca knew would go off the rails if he knew how Luca felt about the situation.
It was bad enough that Valentino knew who Luca’s soulmate was. Luca had caught him glaring at the Catalan sometimes, when Valentino thought Luca wasn’t looking.
Things would only get worse if Valentino knew how much Luca was agonizing over not being able to bond with Alex.
Then, 2023 happened.
#93 left Honda in order to join Alex at Ducati, in a move that shocked the grid. And Luca had left VR46 in order to take #93’s spot at Honda.
Luca knew that it was a risky move. He had a secure seat with the VR46 team. Leaving the team would mean losing that security. He knew that he was now risking losing his MotoGP seat down the line, depending on how his time at Honda went.
But, Luca also knew there was nothing more he could do with his brother's team. If he wanted to make a name for himself, he had to leave VR46.
Besides, he was actually excited at the idea of building up a team from the ashes. It was a challenge, but he was more than willing to take it on.
And, to his surprise, changing teams lead to a co no conversation that Luca never saw coming.
During the last race weekend for the season, Luca had heard someone knocking at his hotel door. Thinking it was just his brother checking up on him, or one of his academy friends, Luca had opened the door.
That’s when he had spotted Alex standing in the doorway.
“… Marini.” Alex said.
Luca just stared at him, his heart in his throat.
“… Marquez.” He finally manages to say.
Alex taps his foot against the floor.
“Can I come in?” He asks hesitantly.
Luca was frankly speechless. After all this time, Alex had finally come crawling back to him.
The petty part of Luca, the one he had most likely inherited from his mother, judging by Valentino’s antics over the years, was tempted to just slam the door in Alex’s face.
It's what he deserved after all, for ignoring him for all of this time.
But, Luca doesn’t do that. Instead, he just steps aside, letting Alex into the room.
Alex nods and walks into the room without a word. He quickly takes a seat at the desk chair, looking rather uncomfortable.
Luca doesn’t say anything either. Instead, he takes a seat on the bed, only a few feet away from the Catalan.
“… Why did you leave the academy?” Alex finally asks.
Luca frowns at that.
How nice. No hi, or how are you? Just straight to the point.
“You came to my room just to ask me that?” Luca questions.
Alex swallows. “Humor me.”
If it was anyone else, Luca would have just kicked them out of the room. Hell, he is still tempted to kick the Gresini driver out of his room.
But, this was the first time they had ever actually talked to each other, beyond just normal on-track platitudes.
And Luca didn’t want to let it end so quickly.
So, Luca sighs and crosses his arms over his chest.
“Because I wanted to build my own legacy. I couldn’t do that if I stayed with my current team.” Luca said honestly.
“But what about your brother?” Alex presses.
Luca shakes his head. “Valentino understands that it isn’t personal. He knows that I want to make a name for myself outside of him.”
Alex opens his mouth to say something, but seems to think better of it. He stays silent, as his eyes suddenly find the painting on the wall to be more interesting than the man in front of him.
Luca can feel his nails start to dig into his arms.
He knows what thoughts must be running through Alex’s head at the moment. For years now, if Luca was being honest with himself.
“Is that why you ignored me all this time?” Luca asks quietly, “Because of my brother?”
Alex bites his lip.
“… I didn’t want to get my hopes up. “ Alex finally admits.
“What do you mean?” Luca asks, an eyebrow raised.
Alex wrings his hand a bit. He is still looking anywhere but at Luca.
“… I have an older brother too,” Alex admits quietly, “One I would do anything for, no matter how angry he makes me at times. And I thought it would be the same for you.”
Luca’s frown deepens.
“I will always love my older brother. But that does not make me blindly obedient to him.” Luca said firmly, “If that’s what you are insinuating.”
Alex sighs and runs a hand through his hair.
“… I know that now.” Alex said, “It’s just, I was terrified. Of being soulmates.”
His eyes finally meet Luca’s. Luca can now see the fear and hesitancy lurking in Alex’s eyes now, which makes his heart ache.
“Of being your soulmate.” Alex said softly.
Luca doesn’t want to believe him.
He wants to be like his older brother, able to laugh away the pain and sorrow.
He wants to pretend like Alex was just making up excuses.
He wants to accuse Alex of just coming by because he was a spy for 93 and was trying to exploit his soulmate bond with Luca.
Maybe that’s why Valentino did what he did to #93, Luca thinks to himself.
It was easier to pretend not to care. It hurt much less than the truth.
But Luca, despite what everyone seemed to think, including his soulmate apparently, wasn’t Valentino Rossi.
He couldn’t look into Alex’s eyes and delude himself with the idea that the man was lying to him.
“You were scared of me because of my connection to Valentino?” Luca asks.
Alex shakes his head. “Partially. Though, it doesn’t help that my family doesn’t have the best track record with soulmates.”
Luca frowns a bit more at that. “What do you mean?”
Alex bites his lip.
“My parents were soulmates. But they divorced several years ago. And then there was my brother and well…”
Alex’s voice trails off, but the pain on his face is enough to tell Luca that whatever happened was very awful.
Luca’s grip on his arm slackened.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He said quietly.
Alex stares at the ground.
“It’s okay.” Alex said, “You weren’t responsible for any of that.”
“Still.” Luca said.
Luca finds himself slowly inching closer to Alex.
It felt oddly nice to actually talk with the Catalan for once. It was like a weight was slowly lifting off his chest, one he hadn't even realized was there in the first place.
“My family doesn’t have a good track record with soulmates either.” He confesses, “Valentino has been the unluckiest though. He hasn’t found his soulmate yet, despite searching for him for over a decade now.”
Alex clenches his jaw at that. Luca pretends like he didn’t see it.
“I’m surprised he hasn’t found him yet.” Alex said.
Luca shakes his head. “He’s tried. I think he’s hoping they’re involved in motorsports and they’ll find each other that way.”
An odd expression crosses Alex’s face at that. It was a mixture of amusement and annoyance. But, the expression is gone before Luca can comment on it.
Alex chooses then to clear his throat.
“Either way, I know I haven’t been the best of soulmates to you.” Alex confesses, “And I owe you an apology for that. I just wanted to talk to you about this, at least once.”
Luca opens his mouth, fully intending to accept the offered apology.
But, he hesitates.
When he really thought about it, had Luca ever been a good soulmate to Alex either?
Sure, he had always silently cursed Alex for hanging out around #93, but had Luca ever made the first move? Had he ever given Alex a reason to even talk to him before now?
Luca had always thought that #93 was the reason why his soulmate was ignoring him. However, the tension between Alex and Luca wasn’t just because of #93.
It was also because of Valentino.
At the end of the day, Luca was terrified to go against Valentino.
Losing Valentino would be one of the most heartbreaking things Luca could go through. Sure, Valentino wouldn’t openly go scorched earth on him like he had done with #93, but it would still be hell for Luca.
Valentino was more than a mentor or idol to him. He was his older brother, the guy he had been trying to live up to since he was old enough to understand what the word ‘brother’ meant.
Luca had wanted to have a good relationship with Valentino, even if it potentially meant not having his soulmate around.
That was the real reason why he had never approached Alex before.
But now it was different. Alex had made that first step and offered Luca an olive branch.
And Luca really wanted to accept it. Even if it meant upsetting Valentino.
Luca takes a deep breath.
“To be honest, I haven’t been a good soulmate either.” Luca said. “So I don’t think an apology is needed.”
Alex blinks at him in surprise. “What?”
Luca just shakes his head.
“We both have been ignoring each other. It’s not just you.”
Alex looks stunned. It’s clear that he wasn’t expecting Luca to offer him an apology.
The idea makes Luca wince.
“…Can I see your wrist?” Alex finally asks tentatively.
Luca can feel his heart begin to pound at the question. But, he slowly nods.
He holds up his left arm and lowers his sleeve. The name emblazoned on the arm shines somehow, even in the dim hotel light.
Alex Marquez.
Alex freezes. For a second, his eyes seem to mist over as he stares at Luca’s wrist.
After a few minutes though, Alex does the same. He lifts up his arm and lowers the sleeve.
Luca knows what to expect. But, he still lets out a small gasp when he sees the name on Alex’s wrist.
Luca Marini.
Several minutes pass. They both just stare at the other, neither willing to put their arms down.
“So what do we do now?” Alex asks hesitantly.
Luca swallows but offers him a tentative smile.
“Do you know any good places for dinner around here?” Luca asks.
Alex’s lips twitch and firm a similar smile.
“I think I know a place. Want to join me?” Alex offers.
In a moment of bravery, Luca reaches over to grab Alex’s right hand, but he doesn’t just hold it. Instead, Luca brings up Alex’s hand to his lips, so he can press a kiss to the back of it.
“I’d be delighted to.” Luca hums, enjoying the way Alex’s face turns pink at the gesture.
Okay, maybe he could get used to this soulmate thing.
Luca smiles a bit at the memory.
The months following their conversation had been some of the most awkward and uneasy months of his life.
He had to navigate his budding relationship with Alex, while also maintaining his relationship with Valentino and the academy. Oh, and in the middle of all of that, he had to deal with a new bike and manufacturer.
But in the end, Luca knew he wouldn’t change it for the world. After all, he had managed to win over Alex in the end.
And he had never been happier.
Just then, his phone started to ring.
Luca glances at it curiously. Once he sees the name of the caller though, he smiles.
Luca picks up the call without a second thought.
“Hey. Good timing, I was about to call you.” Luca hums.
Alex laughs a bit at that. “Oh? So I beat you to it then."
“Seems like it.” Luca said as he laid down on his bed. “How are you holding up?”
Alex lets out a sigh. “As well as I can really. I think I screamed my lungs out into a pillow yesterday. #93 was kind of worried.”
Luca raises an eyebrow. “You screamed into a pillow?”
“Better than punching something. I would have fucked up my hand if I had done that.” Alex defends.
Well, that made sense. Still, Luca can’t help but be a little concerned about his soulmate.
“Right. Anyway, you’re still with #93?” Luca asks.
“Yeah, been with him these last few days. I was actually in the middle of a training session with the boys when we got the emails.” Alex explains, “I think the boys got spooked when #93 screamed.”
Luca’s eyebrow shot up. “He actually screamed?”
Alex snickers a bit. “Oh yeah. It was too loud for the voice modulator to work properly. Everyone heard him screaming ‘What the fuck’ at the top of his lungs. Thankfully the helmet muffled the noise though.”
Luca snorts. “Lucky them. People would pay to hear that.”
“That’s what Fabio said.” Alex laughs, “He complained to #93 that he should warn him next time so he could record him. #93 made him do extra laps after that comment.”
“Reminds me of Vale,” Luca chuckles, “We should never allow them to run a joint training session.”
“Agreed.” Alex said.
Luca knows that they’re dancing around the elephant in the room. It was easy for them to fall into their usual routine of joking about their mentor’s antics.
But, they couldn’t hide from it forever.
“Have you heard the other news?” Luca asks carefully.
Alex pauses, but lets out another sigh. “Yeah. Me and #93 were talking about it last night with Fabio and Fermin.”
“How do you feel about it? All of it, I mean.” Luca asks.
“I can’t say I’m thrilled about not racing in Barcelona, but if it means keeping my championships, I’ll go along with it.” Alex mutters, “I still hate that Liberty is even attempting this. It’s a disgrace to the sport.”
Luca runs a hand through his hair. “It is idiotic. I don’t see the point in all of this.”
“Fermin thinks it’s so #93 and Valentino make up.” Alex said dryly, “He believes that Liberty thinks that they’ll both be so insulted they’ll work together and make up along the way.”
“Considering the fact that they have been organizing the strike together, he might actually be right.” Luca points out.
Alex snorts. “Don’t remind me. #93 has been on his phone all day.”
Luca blinks. “Oh? Is he talking with Casey, Dani, and Lorenzo too?”
“No, just your brother.” Alex complains. “They’ve been texting all day, haven’t you noticed?”
Luca thinks back to the last 24 hours.
He had noticed that Valentino was on his phone more than usual, but hadn’t thought much of it. Sure, he had seen Valentino smile and occasionally let out a laugh. But, Luca had assumed that his older brother was just really enjoying organizing his revenge plot against the idiots trying to reduce him to a 7 time world champion.
“I mean, I guess? I thought it was Vale being Vale honestly.” Luca said
“Do I want to know?” Alex asks.
“Probably not.” Luca admits, “But I’ll keep an eye on him. I’m sure this will die down soon enough. Just wait until Mugello.”
Alex lets out a sigh, “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
“Hey, maybe they really will make up during the next few months?” Luca suggests, “After all, #93’s 9th is coming up. Valentino might try to mend the fence.”
Alex went quiet at that.
Luca quickly notices the conversation’s sudden mood drop. A small bit of guilt forms inside him.
Even though they had been together for over a year, some scars still ran deep. Luca knew that Alex still resented Valentino for what happened with #93. Though, Luca still didn’t know why the Catalan was so defensive of his fellow countryman. None of the other Spanish drivers seemed to take it too seriously anymore.
But still, maybe it would be better to stay away from that train of thought for right now.
The silence went on for so long, Luca was concerned that the other man had hung up on him.
Eventually though, Alex speaks up.
“Enough about the strike. How are your injuries healing?” Alex asks, in a clear attempt to change the subject.
Luca doesn’t protest. Instead, he shifts so he was now leaning against the headboard of his bed.
“The doctor said they are healing nicely. I should be able to rejoin the season soon.” Luca informs him.
Alex seems to perk up at that. “Really? When will you be back?”
Luca relaxes as his soulmate cheers up.
“Well…”
They fall into a normal conversation after that. They talk about Luca’s healing injuries and Alex’s training, ignoring the looming strike hanging above their heads.
At the moment, Luca finds that he doesn’t really mind that too much. Right now, he was just enjoying talking with his partner.
That was enough for him right now.
——
In the following weeks, there were rising tensions in the paddock.
No one dared to openly talk about the potential strike in the paddock. But, there were small hints here and there. Some unusual driver pairings could be seen during track events. If a rider was alone, someone else would slip by to check on them.
Luca wasn’t exempt from this behavior. He let himself spend more time with Alex publicly, ignoring the pointed questions reporters began to give him about it.
It wasn’t just the current grid riders acting oddly either. The former riders were also starting to make their presence known more in the paddock.
Dani was seen in the Ducati garage more often. Jorge attended more races as a commentator. Casey visited the ranch a couple of times. Valentino continued to go to races, though he ignored Dorna officials whenever he could.
This led to a particularly amusing event where Valentino turned to greet #93, instead of addressing the Dorna official trying to speak to him.
The internet imploded over that incident .
By the time the Austrian GP rolled around, the tension in the paddock was so intense, Luca was pretty sure someone could crash into it on track.
It seemed like the teams had caught onto the potential strike. Luca could feel the eyes of his team engineers boring into his back every time he passed by them in the garage.
And from what he heard from Alex and his own friends, they were experiencing similar treatment from their teams.
There was supposedly a private dinner during the weekend as well between the former riders, though Luca hears that #93 was invited to attend as well.
No one talks about what was said during the dinner. However, the growing frustration on Valentino’s face made it obvious that negotiations with Liberty were not going well.
But for once, his brother’s unhappiness.wasn’t his main concern.
No, Luca was more concerned with Alex’s growing uneasiness as it became apparent that he really could possibly not race at Barcelona that year.
“I get that it’s needed,” Alex confides in Luca after the Austrian sprint race, as they cuddle in Luca’s hotel room, “But I can’t say that I’m happy about it. Do you think there’s any way that this can be resolved before Barcelona?”
Alex’s face is filled with a mixture of hope and despair as he says this. Luca’s heart breaks at the sight of it.
“Maybe they’ll come to an agreement before the race.” Luca suggests.
But he knows that neither of them believe that to be a possibility anymore.
The Hungarian Grand Prix was somehow even worse.
Luca is openly confronted by his team principal about the potential of a strike. He barely manages to weasel his way out of a promise to race in Catalonia.
However, he isn’t the only one accosted by their teams. Luca quickly finds out that Pecco and Jorge Martin had also been lectured by their teams about the strike. And it wasn’t just them either. It seemed like every team was arguing with their riders over the situation.
The only teams not fighting with their drivers were Ducati with #93, Gresini with Alex and Fermin,, Aprilia with Marco, and VR46 with Franky and Fabio.
Luca tries to call his older brother when he has time, hoping to get some sort of clarity about the situation and where they stood.
But, he only gets his brother’s voicemail. Multiple times.
He pretends like it doesn’t sting, especially when he sees #93 texting frantically on his phone during the driver’s meeting.
Luca doesn’t need to see the name to know who #93 was texting. The look on Alex’s face is enough to give it away.
In the end though, the teams’ efforts were in vain.The strike announcement finally comes after the main race.
Texts were sent to every driver on the grid, notifying them of the decision to boycott the Catalonia GP.
Luca had been with Alex when the text had come through. It had been a rough race for Alex, who had ended up in P14 after everything was set and done.
The duo were curled up in Alex’s motorhome after the race. Luca was holding Alex’s head against his chest, as he ran his fingers lightly through his boyfriend’s hair.
Alex had been mostly quiet, but would let out a soft hum every once in a while. He glances up at Luca from time to time, and his eyes seem to convey the thankfulness he couldn’t voice.
For a while, Luca successfully convinces himself that everything was fine. Maybe the strike would be postponed, or not even occur at all.
Then, their phones go off.
They both froze at that. Neither of them dared to move for a minute.
Luca wants to scream. But he doesn’t.
Instead, he does his best to grab the phone without moving Alex too much. He hopes that he was just being paranoid. Maybe he had just gotten a congratulatory text from his brother or friends, since he had finished top 6 in the race.
There is a text message waiting for him from Valentino, but not the one he wanted to see.
| Valentino: The strike is on. The grid will not be racing in Catalonia.
Judging by the sharp intake of breath from Alex, he had just received the news as well.
Luca turns back to his boyfriend. Alex was staring at his phone, his eyes slightly wide.
“We aren’t racing in Barcelona.” Alex whispers.
Luca wishes he could say something comforting. Something that could erase the despair and pain he knew Alex must be feeling at the moment.
But, Luca knows that there was nothing he could say that could make Alex feel better. Instead, he just silently pulls his soulmate closer to him.
Alex doesn’t say anything either, he just shuts his eyes and buries his face in Luca’s shoulder.
Neither of them say anything for the rest of the night. Instead, they both dozed off on the couch, safe in each other’s arms.