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They had always been close, kept in touch even after Jerez. It was difficult, of course, with Ruben jetting all over the world nine months of the year, but they managed, with postcards and the occasional phone call, later on with emails and texting. They even managed to meet in person a few times throughout the years. And no matter how long they hadn’t seen each other or spoken to one another, it was always back to being instant best friends the moment they met again.
Vegas was different though.
They literally ran into each other by accident in the early summer of 2015, Ruben on a business trip, Sonny on his way to the next race. Ruben, staring at his phone and not watching where he was going, turned a corner and bumped into Sonny. After a couple of seconds of shocked silence - neither of them had any idea that the other person was in the vicinity - they decided to spend the rest of the day catching up.
This turned into two and then three days, Ruben rescheduling his business meetings and Sonny foregoing the race he had planned to enter. They spent every waking - and sleeping - minute with each other, wanting to make the most of it before life would tear them apart again.
On their last day together, already half-drunk on cheap complimentary casino champagne and half-furious at the world for forcing them to part ways again, the news broke on a flickering TV bolted to the corner of the casino bar, rainbow graphics glitching across the screen while a crowd of strangers cheered. They both frowned in confusion and asked the bartender what was going on.
“Obergefell vs. Hodges,” the man said, pointing at the TV screen. “Gay marriage is now legalized.”
Ruben looked at Sonny.
Sonny looked at Ruben.
And then they just grinned at each other.
*****
They bought signet rings from a 24-hour pawn shop, the only matching pair they could find. Heavy, slightly tarnished, too small for Ruben's meaty fingers so he was forced to wear his on his pinky.
The rings were completely wrong for the occasion.
Which made them perfect.
The ceremony took ten minutes.
The marriage certificate took five.
Afterwards, they sat on a curb outside the chapel, legs touching, letting the desert air cling to them like a security blanket.
“Well,” Sonny said, staring at the ring on Ruben’s hand. “So that just happened.”
Ruben gave Sonny a contemplative look. “That makes me, what? Your number four?”
“Hmm, technically, yes. But number two got annulled, remember? So you’re officially my number three.” Sonny grinned. “Third time’s the charm, amigo.”
Ruben stared at his ring. Somehow, he liked seeing it on his pinky. It didn’t scream “marriage” but more “understated jewelry”. Then he looked at Sonny's ring, which the man wore on his right hand, European style, in honor of his European husband, as he had half-jokingly declared. “You’re my first,” Ruben said softly.
Sonny’s eyes softened and he bumped shoulders with the other man. “Hopefully also your last?”
And then they just smiled stupidly, drunkenly, at each other and promised to check in, promised to stay in touch, the way they had done in the past.
*****
Eight years later, Ruben walked into a laundromat outside of Daytona. He was nervous as hell, not sure whether Sonny would actually accept his offer to come back to Formula One.
He was even more nervous that Sonny would tell him to go to hell, because they had not stayed in contact after Vegas.
Then again, it took two to tango, and Sonny could’ve just as easily picked up his damn phone to call once in a while, right?
Before Ruben even said a word to Sonny, he saw that the other man was still wearing the signet ring. He took it as a good sign. Sonny’s reaction to him showing up out of nowhere and the easy camaraderie they immediately fell into again only served to prove his point.
Ruben knew in his gut that Sonny would join APX even though the man initially turned him down.
*****
When Sonny walked down the pitlane at Silverstone, Ruben felt the old pull slam into him. The team bustled around them, but the world narrowed to a single point: Sonny was back. With him. For him.
They talked strategy, sponsorships, upcoming races. They bantered like old friends. They argued like they always had - loud, stupid, and with a kind of affection that made the rest of the team exchange looks.
The only thing neither of them acknowledged or even mentioned was what had happened in Vegas all those years ago.
Their signet rings glinted in the light, but they both pretended not to see them.
*****
It happened after a brutal free practice session, long after the crew had gone back to the hotel. Sonny sat on a work bench in the garage, still in his race suit, sweat drying on his neck, staring at his car.
Ruben walked up to him. “You drove like hell today,” Ruben said quietly.
“Had to,” Sonny muttered. “Gotta find the perfect set up for quali tomorrow.”
Ruben leaned against the workbench, right next to Sonny, his hip barely brushing against the other man’s knee.
A beat passed.
Then another.
“You still wear it,” Ruben said suddenly.
Sonny didn’t react for a moment. Then he just lifted his hand, twisted the signet ring with his thumb, and said in a low voice, “Yeah. Never actually took it off.”
Ruben swallowed. “Neither did I.”
Silence stretched between them - comfortable, yet terrifying.
“So,” Sonny said, clearing his throat. “We ever gonna talk about the fact that we’re... Ya know...”
“Married?” Ruben supplied.
Sonny’s laugh was small and slightly disbelieving. “Yeah. That.”
Ruben hummed, his eyes focused on the car in front of them. The shitbox - the very reason he had brought Sonny into the team, back into his life. “I think we made the right call.”
“You do?” Sonny turned fully towards Ruben. “After all this time?”
Ruben nodded. “Yes. Even if we were idiots. Even if we never spoke about it again. Even though we did it as a joke back then, more like a fuck you to the conservatives, thumbing our noses at them. It was the one moment in my life I knew one hundred percent that I made the right decision.”
Sonny exhaled, long and shaky. “Yeah. Same,” he admitted. “Guess we were always better together than apart.”
Ruben looked at him - really looked - and saw the truth reflected in the bright blue eyes.
“So, uh... What now?” Sonny asked after a long moment. “We announce it? Hold a press conference? Release a dramatic black-and-white video where we stare meaningfully into the middle distance?”
“God, no,” Ruben said with a horrified laugh. “That’s not us.”
“Right,” Sonny agreed. He smiled, tired and fond. “Well, we could start by acknowledging it. Like, properly, ya know?”
Ruben reached out and tapped Sonny’s ring with his own. “Hi, husband,” he said softly.
Sonny’s breath hitched. Then he grinned, reckless and carefree. “Hi, husband. Nice to finally meet you again.”
Ruben leaned closer. Sonny’s head dipped. They shared a quick, chaste kiss.
“You realize,” Ruben murmured against Sonny's lips, “that we are still total idiots.”
“Oh, absolutely,” Sonny replied with a chuckle. “Total disasters. But married disasters.”
They kissed again - and this time, it was long, passionate, and years overdue.
THE END