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It was not even 8 am and Marc was already up and stressed. To his credit, it was pretty normal for people to be anxious on Christmas Eve, when they had to host the event. Especially when it was the first time for him to spend Christmas not with his familial pack.
For the last 32 years, he was with his father, mother and brother, even if their parents separated years ago. They were still on good terms and both wanted to be with their two sons, so to avoid any troubles, they agreed to spend 48 hours together.
But when Valentino asked Marc if he wanted to spend Christmas at the ranch, with the VR46 pack, he didn’t hesitate to agree. Their relationship was still very new, but spending 10 years apart from each other will do that to you.
His brother had been extremely upset with him, even when both their parents pretended it was fine. Marc’s relationship with his parents was normally extremely good, but when they learned that he got back with Valentino Rossi the night he won his ninth championship, they had been so mad they ignored his calls for more than a week. It hurt Marc a lot, leaving him in a miserable state.
Their silence immediately stopped though, when Bez accidentally crashed into him at the Mandalika Grand Prix, which caused him to break his arm again. They accepted him back without a second thought, and they had many discussions. Discussions where they would all end in tears.
It got better, little by little, but they didn’t want to meet Valentino yet. At first, Marc evoked the possibility that his alpha would spend Christmas in Spain, with them. But it got turned down so quickly that Marc almost got whiplash, like it was the stupidest idea he ever got, after getting a relationship with the said man.
When Marc bursted into tears explaining that to Vale, the older man looked a bit hesitant before asking if Marc would be alright to spend it here, instead of Spain. To both of them, it was unacceptable to be far from each other. When they got too far from each other for more than half a day, their instincts were starting to act up.
The dread and anxiety they felt was through the roof. The doctors said it was because of Marc’s stress heat, which was a near-death situation and their bodies and minds didn’t heal yet. At first, the omega cursed himself for causing both of them harm, but Valentino reassured him hundreds of times that he preferred that over not being back to Marc.
So they adapted. It helped that Marc had to bench the end of the season, because of his crash and his arm, so he spent his recovery with his lover. They argued, screamed at each other, confessed their fears, hugged each other, and they had immensely satisfactory make-up sex even if Vale was really worried about the Ducati rider’s arm.
But when they agreed to this arrangement, it was already the 12th of December. Marc had to run from places to places to find appropriate gifts for each of the boys. Because he already got multiples for his lover and family, but he didn’t anticipate having to find at least 5 more gifts.
He didn’t know the boys THAT well, so it got really tricky. Valentino guided him, giving him their hobbies and hyperfixation the best he could, but like any dad, he wasn’t really sure what their favorite character in a saga was or if they already had an item or not.
Marc grumbled about how useless he was, and Vale would put on a fake-offended expression, understanding how nerve-wrecking it was for Marc. He found the very last gifts the day before. But imagine how horrified Marc had been to realize Christmas was far from being organized.
No one in the house had anticipated the food nor the decoration. And Marc learnt that during the puppy pile the night before. So he prepared a war plan. They agreed on a menu that was unsatisfactory to Marc, but he couldn’t do better.
He woke up at the crack of dawn to check on his sourdough that Alex taught him how to make during the lockdown, and he kept on making it. His brother loved to say he was like the trad-wives they were seeing more and more on Instagram to get under his skin, and it was a success every time. It wasn’t because Marc was an omega that could bake and make bread that he was a housewife !
He already regretted having left the comfortable bed he had been, but it wasn’t the time to rest. Once he took his coffee and his shower, he went to shake his alpha to make him get up. They didn’t have all day, and some food needed to cook for hours.
Valentino moaned and grumbled when the cover got snatched out of his reach and when Marc opened the shutters and the windows, letting in the cold air and the light inside the room. But the omega was on a mission, so he sent Vale to wake his pups up.
No one looked awake, but they seemed to understand that Marc could get very scary if they didn’t obey and went to fetch the ingredients he needed. The omega reluctantly let them eat breakfast before forcing them out of the house, feeling the anxiety running through his veins.
Christmas was sacred. It was the time to spend time with family and close friends, to celebrate the end of the year, eat good food and be grateful. He could not remember one single bad Christmas, even in 2015, he found solace in the celebration, joy in his family embrace.
So, it was a sacrilege for him to butcher Christmas. He needed that to go well, after the terrible climate in his family, his crash which could have ended his career and the rocky start of his relationship with Vale, between his stress heat and how his anxiety got the best of him on the evening he won the championship.
They were all dressed warmly enough to brave the Italian cold, and went to the local market. It was almost 10 am already, and it was buzzing with the number of people that were doing their last purchases for Christmas. Most families looked as stressed as Marc was feeling, so it was reassuring.
Valentino and Marc were in charge of the turkey and the charcuterie, Franky and Francesco the cheese while Celestino and Marco had to go buy potatoes and some fruits. The catastrophe duo was so chaotic, it was safer to give them the easiest thing to buy.
Knowing it was impossible to have a log cake from a bakery the day of Christmas without ordering it weeks before, Marc decided he would make some strawberry and chocolate shortbread for dessert. The fruits were also for dessert.
When the couple arrived at the butcher stand, they both winced at the immense queue. They had at least half an hour to wait, but it was inevitable, so they sighed and the pack alpha warned the rest of the pack in their shared groupchat, where Marc had been added without him asking to. If it was a sweet gesture, Marc was puzzled at the jokes and bizarre conversations the pups were having. Vale just straight up told him he stopped trying to understand them years ago.
The wait seemed endless, to both men. Little by little, they were joined by the boys with their own purchase. Marc tried not to grind his teeth too much when he saw the state of the fruits chosen by the two younger omegas, who seemed either way too ripe or unfit to eat at all.
It didn’t help that Valentino kept on sighing, being more and more obnoxious. He even grumbled how it would have been much simpler to do the original plan, and to re-heat a frozen pizza. How could Italians who were so on their high-horse every time someone talked about pineapple on pizza but ate frozen food on Christmas.
Marc ignored the best he could his lover, and focused on Francesco, who was resting his head on his shoulder. The younger alpha had a hard time during all the season, even when Marc was in recovery and far from the circuit, so he was a bit more subdued than normal. But the fact he was taking comfort with Marc warmed the older omega’s heart.
He decided to unlock his phone and start to scroll silly animal videos on Instagram, smiling when he was successfully pulling a giggle out of Pecco. Even if it was a covered market, it was still outside, so on top of being stressed and cranky, they were starting to get cold. Thankfully, it wasn’t snowing yet, because a small storm was foreseen for the evening.
When it was finally their turn, Marc took his little written list out of his pocket. He had been immensely teased by the boys because he was acting “like a grandma”, but he couldn’t help but feel like it was more steady and reassuring than using his phone. He started to ask for a turkey but …
“Sorry, signore, we don’t have any more turkeys”. The butcher declared, his voice gruffed and tired.
“What do you mean you don’t have any ? It’s Christmas !” Marc protested.
“Exactly ! The demand is much higher during the holidays, you should have ordered one or come to the market at 7 am, not 11 am. Your bad planning is not my problem.”
Marc just stayed silent, completely shocked by the speech of the professional, who obviously repeated it endlessly today. To his horror, he felt the burn of tears starting in his eye. He was NOT about to cry about a damn turkey in public. The silence continued, as Marc was unable to utter the rest of his list.
Seeing his dismay, Valentino finally stepped in, detangling the yellow sticky note out of his lover's fingers, and started to ask for the rest of the charcuterie they needed. In the softest voice, he then asked Marc if roasted pork was okay instead of the traditional turkey, and all the omega could do was to nod dumbly.
What could they do ? It wasn’t like they could go to a farm to buy some, and if they went to a supermarket now, it would only be the worst of the meat left. And there would be so many people, they would be too exhausted and overwhelmed when coming home. Marc tried to swallow his disappointment and to put on a brave face, which Vale rewarded by a small forehead kiss.
They paid and quickly came home. It’s not the end of the world, Marc decided. He could still fix this and make Christmas worth it. He immediately went to the kitchen to put the cold ingredients in the fridge and started to prepare the meat, because it would need to cook at a low temperature for hours. But before he could do anything, Valentino grabbed him and insisted on Marc eating lunch with them.
Even if it made sense, the dread of losing time was making the Ducati rider feel insane. He didn’t have any appetite, and only managed a few bird bites of the focaccia. Pecco noticed it, and just squeezed his hand, promising him that he would help him in the kitchen.
It was maybe nothing, but to Marc, it was like he won the lottery. Being two to prepare would be much easier than alone. It wasn’t that he believed the boys would not want to help him, but he saw them in the kitchen. Bez, Celestino and Vale shouldn’t be alive still, because they were messing everything they were making, the dish being either burned or uncooked.
Franky was a very, very average cook. He could survive alone, but his dishes were very sad and plain. Pecco was very particular about his eating habits. He was rotating between 3 meals that he cooked very well, but most of the time, he would just eat nuggets or cheese with a bit of bread. He was a picky eater, but it was also because of his neurodivergency.
Pecco never explained it precisely, but Vale asked Marc not to criticize how the younger man ate, because they were glad he was feeding himself to begin with. Marc would have never, but if he understood correctly, nothing seemed appetizing to Pecco, so he was only eating the few ingredients that he could stand, texture and taste wise.
Vale declared that they would do the dishes and everything, and that Pecco and Marc would go prepare the meal. He insisted that they could ask for help at any time, that they would set the table for tonight and that everything would be perfect, so Marc shouldn’t worry.
It was nice of him, but of course Marc would worry. Hosting the biggest celebration of the year was a big deal, and the boys of the pack kept repeating that Marc was a great cook, so he couldn’t disappoint them. Putting on their apron, Pecco started a soft folk playlist that entirely pleased Marc.
The meal preparation started and it went very well from the very beginning. Pecco had a way to understand Marc, to get what he was trying to say to him even when Marc struggled to find his words in Italian and English. And because the younger alpha was very precise and a great listener, Marc only had to explain how to cut and season the potatoes once, and Pecco got it.
Once the main dish was ready, they put it in the oven, and asked Marco to put a timer of 2 hours, since they would accelerate the cooking at the beginning. The Aprilia rider confirmed he did it while squirming on the sofa, because he was being tickled by Celestino.
The sight made Marc chuckle, and the relief of having done the first part of the meal washed over him. He decided to start the base of the shortbread, singing softly with Pecco to Noah Kahan. They would cut them in a circle, and carve a heart in the middle, to put fresh strawberry jam or chocolate filling after it would be cooked.
It was a long process, but Marc never minded doing the extra step for Christmas. It was a once-in-the-year type of thing, and seeing the satisfied and filled expression on his guest face was worth it.
After a long time of labor, needing a couple of hours of baking, because the dough needed to cool in the fridge for half an hour to stay in place once it cooked, they decided to focus on the cheese and charcuterie board. The fatigue was starting to settle in both their arms and head. As much as he loved to cook, Marc woke up early, and the anxiety he felt to host so suddenly had drained him.
Pecco sat and stopped singing minutes ago, exhausted by the precious help he gave to Marc. His head was in his hands, but he still smiled slightly to his cooking partner to reassure him that he wasn’t mad. The omega decided they needed a bit of rest.
He made both of them a cup of coffee, which Pecco accepted gladly, practically inhaling it. As much as the older ducati rider loved the dark liquid, the Italians were so much worse. One day, Marc decided to count how many cups of coffee his lover was taking, and horrifyingly found out it was between 12 and 15 a day. He intended to keep this man alive for many more years, so he kept trying to give him some decaf coffee from time to time, but Vale caught him every time.
“Is everything okay ?” Suddenly asked Franky, his head peaking through the kitchen door; “It smells like something is burning.”
Oh god. The pork and the potatoes. He didn’t have to think about what it could be, the smell suddenly becoming rancid and obvious. Marc ran toward the oven, turning it off and grabbed oven mitts. When he opened the oven door, smoke filled the kitchen, marking Pecco hiccuped in panic. The younger alpha ran out of the room, terrified of inhaling the dark smoke.
Franky rushed to open the windows while Marc took out the dish out of the oven, putting it on the unlit gas plates. It took a few seconds for the smoke to clear out so Marc could be able to see the extent of the damage, while his heart was hammering against his chest.
And his heart fell in his stomach when he saw how burnt the dish was. Everything was black and crisp, and entirely irrecoverable. Stuck into place, he wasn’t able to take his eyes off his disaster. That was it.
All the hard work that Pecco and he did was only good to be thrown out. Feeling the weight and the shame of his mistake, the familiar burn of tears in his eyes invited itself. He didn’t deserve to feel sorry for himself, when it was all his fault.
He could hear people talking, probably to him, but it was like he was under the water. Nothing was intelligible. Between the scream and the smell, everyone in the house knew how bad he messed up the dinner he insisted on making. Another proof of how useless he was. He was the worst omega known to earth.
Completely absorbed in his spiral, he got out of it when he suddenly was pressed into a firm chest, in a loving embrace. The soft earthy scent mixed with the smell of cold tobacco left no doubt about the identity of the person trying to comfort him.
“Vale, I’m so sorry.” The Ducati rider sobbed.
“No, no, my love” The alpha exclaimed, alarmed. “It’s not your fault, please don’t blame yourself.”
Valentino cradled his lover’s face in his right hand, gently drying off the tears of his cheeks. A small menacing glance to the rest of the people in the kitchen made them scramble to leave the room as soon as possible.
“Marc, it’s okay. No one is hurt, and the kitchen is fine.”
“It’s not okay. It’s ruined. I’ve ruined Christmas.” Marc protested, looking stricken.
“You didn’t ruin Christmas, you silly man” Valentino giggled softly. “It’s only a bit of meat and potatoes. You had too much to deal with, I should have insisted on helping. It was unfair for Pecco and you to expect that you could deal with a meal for 6 people in a few hours. I should be the one apologizing.”
“No-”
“No, it’s not you” Bez interrupted, his head popping in the kitchen, looking as pitiful as Marc. “I was supposed to put a timer for the dish, and I forgot it. I’m so, so sorry Marc.”
When Bez choked on a sob, obviously overwhelmed with guilt, all Marc could do was extend his arm. Marco all but ran into the hug, almost knocking both Vale and Marc on the floor. The pack alpha looked almost murderous at his pup, but Marc didn’t hold it against Marco. The Aprilia pup was always in his own world, and he should have known better than to ask him. If he wanted reliability, he should have asked Franky.
Giving a quick glance at the burnt meal at his right, Marc sighed, got out of the soft hug he had been in and started to prepare another dish. Maybe he could find another batch of vegetables, with some spices and salt. It was disappointing, but what could he do more to salvage that ?
Before they could even place the parchment paper into the new dish, Valentino grabbed him, to his confusion.
“Marc, you’re going to rest. You look dead on your feet.”
“What ? No ? I can save this, I promise !”
“I know you can. But you already did so much. We can handle the main dish.”
And just like that, with an insistent hand on his lower back, Vale drove Marc into their shared bedroom. As much as he wanted to get rid of the evidence of his failure and to make it better, the sight of their comfortable bed, and of his nest almost made him forget everything.
He was so glad to be able to nest again. It had been one of the best things about getting his instincts back. Like a puppet with his strings cut, Marc collapsed on the bed, letting his alpha undress him and put him in soft clothes.
The sweatpant he put on Marc was his, but the tee-shirt and the hoodie was Vale’s. Being surrounded by the smell of his soon-to-be mate was the last straw, and the Ducati rider became all putty, installing himself in the warm bed.
Not without giving him a forehead kiss, Vale left the room and promised to come back quickly. After a few seconds, which felt like hours, he came back, his arms full of a Pecco-shaped ball. Delight bursted through Marc, who immediately made grabby hands toward his teammate.
The pack-alpha put the younger alpha on the nest, who was also in pajamas already and looked deeply upset. It broke Marc's heart. Of course, Pecco was also disappointed with what happened to the meal. The younger man still allowed Marc to hug him, and they both sighed in comfort, while Vale placed the weighted blanket on both of them.
“I apologize for the meal, Peccolino, I should have been more att-”
“It’s not your fault” Francesco interrupted him. “It’s Marco, he never listens, it’s so frustrating."
Oh. OH. So Pecco was upset at his boyfriend. The state of Bez right before made a lot of sense. The Aprilia rider must have gone to his boyfriend's side when the smoke started to fill the kitchen, must have been rejected and that’s why he had been crying in Marc’s arms. The Ducati rider felt very bad for both the boys, understanding both their anger and sadness.
As it wasn’t his place to try to convince Pecco to forgive his lover, he decided to drop it for now. Reassured that the younger man wasn’t mad at him, he just passed his hand through the mass of hair that was on his head, and they just enjoyed each other's presence and comfort.
Marc truly cherished the relationship he was building with Pecco. They were so different, and yet, understood each other perfectly. Pecco picked up every time Marc pretended to be fine and reassured him, while Marc noticed from a mile away any change of expression of Pecco, and helped him to avoid drowning in his sadness or self-doubt.
The older omega didn’t expect the younger man to be so sensitive and gentle, especially with him. He was his closest rival, as his teammate, but Pecco was so inherently kind that he just … didn’t care about this fact.
To be honest, Pecco was not your typical alpha. He was quiet, to begin with, and far from being dominant. He never tried to impose his way of thinking, his scent or his opinion on anyone, especially not on any omega.
He never used his alpha voice, and preferred calming moments like this, cuddling with Marc, instead of punching things and screaming when he was upset. To be entirely honest, Marc thought Pecco was acting a bit like an omega. But it wasn’t his place to question anything, and he would just treat Pecco like Pecco wanted to.
Christmas music from downstairs could be heard, and with all the fairy lights in the room, Marc was finally entirely relaxed. He allowed himself a little purr, even if it made him cringe since it never got better in terms of sound.
Pecco smiled softly at him, letting a grumble of his own. A few minutes passed and it sounded like a washing machine was on, with both of them rambling and purring. That’s when Celestino decided to invade them, a malicious smile implanted on his lips.
As much as Tino liked to seem like the happy-go-lucky character, always joking and teasing, he was one of the most emotionally intelligent people Marc encountered. That’s why Vale’s youngest pup, contrary to what they were used to, entered very silently and kneeled beside the nest.
Of course, he was welcome in it. He had been in Marc’s nest countless times now, being the one who truly helped the older omega to familiarize himself with his instincts. And yet, he didn’t make any sound, not wanting to break the ambiance that Pecco and Marc created.
The moto2 rider gently nuzzled Francesco’s shoulder, who became even more putty than he was before. That was enough for Marc, and he hauled the younger Italian in the nest, putting him on his empty side.
“Am I your favorite now that Marco is sent to the dog house ?” He jokingly asked Marc.
Pecco let out a growl to the reminder of his clumsy boyfriend, and before Marco could admonish the youngest man, Celestino cackled like a mad man. Despite what it seemed, it was this kind of little sentence that helped resolve conflict in this house, so the older omega let it slide.
“You’ve been set free from helping ?” Marc Wondered.
“Yup, I did my part. You’ll loooooove the deco ! Vale didn’t want me to help with the food, so I can rest now.”
Marc seriously doubted that he would love it, because Tino had aesthetically terrible tastes, but the fact they were all working downstairs to try to make it better warmed his heart. Being a bit bored, they ended up watching some Supernatural episodes on Celestino’s cracked phone, when Vale appeared at the threshold, his arms crossed but his eyes kind.
“All the puppies out of my den, adults need to talk.”
The said puppies grumbled but obeyed, Marc fighting himself to not grab them and put them back in his arms. He knew he was getting too attached to them, that he was starting to treat them like his own pups, but it was a problem for future Marc.
Once they were both gone and closed the door behind themselves, Vale took three big strides and went up in their shared bed. While Marc was the one embracing the pups before, it was Vale who was the big spoon here, surrounding him in his warm embrace.
“Your den ?” Marc declared, his expression full of pretend outrage, making Vale giggled. “That’s my nest you’re talking about, you neanderthal.”
“My love, I’m gonna give you the choice of what you want to do. Nobody will be mad if you decide you had enough, that you want to rest and that you want to eat in your nest. But, if you wish to, you could come downstairs. We figured it out, probably not as well as you would have but … allora, that’s the best we could come up with.”
“Of course I’m going down with you, I can’t ignore all the hard work you did in the past …”
“3 hours” Vale estimated, his eyes so soft they looked like melted chocolate despite their color.
Not without basking in each other's presence for a little more, they finally went down the stairs and Marc gasped at the scene. The whole dining room was full of Christmas decorations that weren’t there before, the windows full of kitsch Christmas imagery, the furniture covered in colorful light, all the small lights in the room lit while the big light was unlit.
The boys were bickering, because some of them were trying to eat the charcuterie and cheese board while the others told them to wait for their pack alpha and omega. The use of the term “pack omega” for Marc made him blush so hard, he must look like his bike.
The boards were not very organized, but it wasn’t a big deal. No matter their appearances, they were delicious. The jokes, the smiles and the happiness radiating from the room warmed by the chimney was all Marc could hope for.
When it was time for the main dish, the meal presented by Vale made his brain short-circuit. It was carbonara pasta, but the pasta was uneven. So …
“I made them myself,” Vale admitted, his voice shaking. “The bacon is … not bacon. It’s vegetarian meat. But the eggs are real !”
The doubt in his lover's expression broke Marc’s heart, who lurched to kiss him silly. Whistling rang in the room, embarrassing them both, but it was all worth it. Marc was over the moon. His alpha made pasta from scratch for him, and made one of his favorite meals ever. Who cares if it was vegetarian ?
All the napkins on the table were mismatched, some of them were Christmas themed, while some looked very Halloweeny, but it was perfect. Their bellies were full, and gratefulness was all around Marc. It may not have gone according to plan, but it was perfect by his standards.
Franky and Marco had finished his shortbread, putting the strawberry jam in the heart-shape, and admitted they forgot to buy chocolate, so it was gonna be fruity instead. It made Marc snort, because it was so honest.
They weren’t really hungry anyway, but everyone took some pastries and complimented the “chefs”, since almost everyone participated in their making. By the time they finished dancing, playing terrible board games and eating, they were all practically sleeping.
But Celestino and Marco insisted on waiting until midnight to open the gifts, like the children they are. Marc had been raised as a “opening the gifts the day after” but it was fine to him. He longed to give the gifts he bought.
And oh lord it was worth it. He soon got a lapful of a very happy Pecco with his brand new lego set of the Kawasaki bike, followed by every pup who hugged him to thank them for their gifts. He bought a carved necklace for Marco with his dog on it, a mini-scientist set ( but for adults, to open geodes) for Celestino and a watch for Franky.
From them, he got Supernatural and Criminal minds merch, as well as a few clothing items with a motorcycle on it and a few books about engineering. It was perfect. Valentino and Marc kept themselves for last. And Marc gasped when he realized what was inside the first gifts. It was a key. A key to the Ranch.
“It’s your home too” Valentino declared, his eyes glossy with tears.
Which followed a very languid kiss where Celestino pretended to retch. Valentino also got him a giant ant plushy, a few rock CDs and many small gifts like nesting supplies and soft clothing items. Marc could feel his own anxiety when Vale was opening his gifts.
But it was useless because Valentino looked delighted. Marc got him a coupon for a tattoo at his favorite tattoo artist, a long black coat embroidered with white lace for the winter and a few pieces of jewelry. Everyone was very happy about their gifts, with their bellies full and the joy was at an all time high.
How could the evening be better ?
Well, Marc quickly got his answer, when the pups started to bring their mattresses in Vale and his bedroom. They all planned to spend the night with the couple, and Marc felt his heart burst with joy. His separation anxiety was apparently quite evident, but nobody commented or teased.
“Muah !” Celestino exaggerated while smacking a wet kiss on Marc’s cheek, before running in the mattresses he shared with Franky.
The giggles of the boys were resonating in the small bedroom, the fairy light illuminating Vale’s softest smile while he was hugging Marc. The room was way too hot, Marc still had many issues to resolve, including the one with his family, but for now, he was okay.
More than okay, he was happy. He got his taste of happiness after being denied for more than 10 years, all because of his failing suppressants. If he knew what 2025 had in stock for him … he wouldn’t have believed it.
He would have liked that his suppressants failed before than they did but … at the same time, maybe he wouldn’t have been ready. Everything was coming in the right timeline, when fate decided it was his time. Their time, because Valentino also looked smothered in contentment and gratitude, which was all Marc could ever ask for.