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Curses were common around the paddock, magic was widespread amongst the people, and no matter how hard the FIA tried to prohibit its use, it always seemed to slip through the cracks.
So, it wasn't uncommon; he still recalled the one time Lewis and Nico were cursed, when they couldn't pull away from each other as soon as they touched. Nico's hand welded to Lewis' shoulder had certainly been a sight. The FIA ran around like a bunch of headless chickens trying to fix that before the race— actually, no, they were trying to fix it before Nico and Lewis ended up killing each other. That was perhaps their bigger priority that day.
Or the time Jenson could only speak backwards, and they had to install something into the radio that weekend so the race engineers could actually understand him.
Kimi had been cursed once or twice, never that seriously; he wondered if his calm and cool-headed nature made people more wary of him. He didn't mind; it was easier to deal with the hassle of F1 when he didn't have magic concerns. More often than not, he forgot about that side of things. It wasn't as if he was one of the top contenders at the moment; if magic users wanted to target people, they'd go for the top runners, create havoc with whoever had a chance to win.
So, Seb, for example.
It worried him how much Red Bull Racing was targeted, but that was only because Seb was a part of it; Kimi couldn't care less what happened to Webber. Seb was Kimi's boyfriend, of course, he was going to care, and Seb had been privy to many curses in the past that each weekend there was a race, Kimi powered through it with bated breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
This weekend, it came in the form of Jenson barrelling into his driver's room. No knocking, no warning, the door slamming open before he proceeded to stare at Kimi for far too long.
"Can I help you?" Kimi had to ask because apparently Jenson's mind hadn't caught up yet.
"Sebastian's been cursed," he blurted out.
That was all Kimi needed; he urged Jenson to lead the way, asking for an explanation as they walked. They ignored all the reporters, anyone asking for an interview, Kimi was zeroing in on one fact and one fact alone, he needed to get to his boyfriend.
Well, his secret boyfriend, so the fact that Jenson was sent to Kimi definitely needed some explaining too.
"He's fine physically, according to the FIA curse specialist they sent, it's kind of a weird one," Jenson explained, "basically he thinks he's in like… a fantasy novel? I think? It's kind of hard to explain it fully, you'll just have to see for yourself."
"And why do you need me?" He asked.
Jenson smirked, and Kimi wasn't sure if that quelled his nerves or made him internally freak out even more, "You'll see."
They entered the Red Bull building, and Kimi could sense a curse in the air. Staff hurriedly rushed about, while more FIA officials simply waited and observed. There was stricter security at the door, preventing unauthorised individuals from entering. Kimi was never blessed with magic; he only understood how it felt through word of mouth, never from personal experience. Only a few drivers openly discussed their connection to magic, including the Ricciardo kid. No doubt he would soon join Red Bull's main team, and Kimi couldn't help but wonder the advantage it would give the team to have someone finally linked to the magical world. According to those with any remote connection to magic, you could feel it when it was activated. Usually, Kimi would have a good idea of what they were talking about, but as they entered the building, he felt the buzz— a faint hum, just barely pressing against his skin, making the hairs on his arms stand up.
When they rounded a corner to the corridor where Seb's room was, Daniel was in fact standing there. He looked nervous, a stark difference from his loveable, easygoing self. Kimi hadn't had too much interaction with the kid, but Seb was fond of him, and that was enough for Kimi to trust him too. He was flicking through a book, leather-bound and worn pages yellowing around the edges, the corners curling ever so slightly. Each page was full of scribbles Kimi didn't understand— magic stuff. Daniel looked up and practically deflated when he saw that Kimi was now here.
"Thank goodness, maybe you can help?" He suggested, nodding towards the closed door, "Seb… well, he's been asking for someone and at first we thought it might have been Jenson, but it obviously wasn't, so we maybe thought it could have been you?"
Behind the door, there was yelling— a lot of yelling. Thrown in there were plenty of curses too, some English and some Spanish, both of the accents familiar.
"Mark and Fernando are already in there?" Kimi asked.
"Well, Mark kind of got caught up in it, and Fernando doesn't want to leave those two alone in case it escalates. But now Seb isn't letting anyone else leave his, erm— what did he call it Jenson?" Daniel directed his gaze to the Brit.
"His den," Jenson supplied, looking too entertained for Kimi's liking.
"Yes. His den," Daniel scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "I really am trying to figure something out, but in the meantime, it might help if you go in there and try to talk to him. You know the rundown?"
Kimi nodded, "He thinks he's in a fantasy book."
"Yeah, that's all you need to know really, so," Daniel nudged open the door, "in you go."
It wasn't what Kimi had been expecting.
Well, no, that was a lie— Kimi was expecting chaos, but he wasn't expecting to see… well… this.
Fernando was pinned to the ground, actually pinned, Seb sitting on top of him. That was certainly odd, but what drew more of Kimi's attention was the fact that Sheb's mouth was clamped around Mark's forearm, teeth plunging into the skin so hard Kimi could see blood spurting out, trickling down in thin lines.
"Will you fucking stop biting me, you little fuckwad gremlin," Mark hissed, twisting and pulling to no avail, and the more Kimi looked, the more he noticed. There were several crescent-shaped bruises dotted along Mark's arms, where Kimi could only assume Seb had bitten him previously.
Seb seemed to take that as an initiative to bite down harder.
"You cunt, you're enjoying this, aren't you?" Mark snapped, using his other hand to try and pry Seb's mouth open.
The place was a tip, chairs upturned, clothing scattered everywhere, the trio of drivers slumped in the middle of it all. Fernando was shouting in Spanish, and Kimi could imagine what he was saying, trying to shove Sebastian off, but with Mark lumped in with him, it looked difficult.
As much as Kimi would love to sit and watch this all continue to happen, he realised he had to be a responsible adult here and make sure Seb didn't damage Webber even more (he could only imagine the headlines if outsiders found out about this stint), so he cleared his throat.
All three drivers snapped their heads towards Kimi.
Fernando and Mark's overlapping voices rang out, a cacophony of complaints and frustrated comments.
"Thank fuck you are here mate, get him off of me—"
"He bit me! Several times—"
"Is Daniel done yet with figuring a solution—"
"And won't fucking let go—"
"Seb, get off—"
"He's being a right cunt—"
"Mark, you are not helping—"
"Shut it Nando, you're not the one being mauled currently—"
"My chest is being squashed, I will have broken ribs if I am not—"
"My. Arm. Is. Bleeding—"
"Listen—"
"Guys!" Jenson cut in, louder than everyone else, to stop the constant back and forth, "Will you two shut up for one second and let Kimi talk to Seb maybe?"
Webber certainly did not look pleased but shut his mouth, and Fernando sighed, head thumping against the carpet as he lay there.
"Why am I here again?" Kimi asked.
"He's been asking for his godawful prince," Mark grumbled, glaringly down at Seb, who still refused to let go, "kept going on and on about defeating evil so he could save his one true love."
Ah, so that wasn't entirely ideal.
"And you think I'm his one true love?" He was careful to act neutral, expression flat as to not give anything away, hoping that maybe he could twist this into a misunderstanding of sorts.
The two of them wanted to go public at some point, but Seb was so busy fighting for championships, they both decided now was not the time, instead opting to lay low. They could keep it to nights spent tangled in the hotel room covers or stuffed into supply closets, pressed up against the door as Seb moaned into his mouth. Or even in their apartment, sun-kissed mornings as Kimi cooked breakfast whilst Seb made them both some coffee.
They didn't need the publicity of it all quite yet, so Kimi hoped they could make this out to be the curse talking rather than their true feelings—
"Mate, we know you two have been fucking on the side for years now," Mark scoffed, "Seb here isn't very discreet with his feelings."
Well shit.
"Hey, not as if you two are much better," Jenson argued, pointing at both Fernando and Mark.
"Wait, this whole time not only have Fernando and Mark been dating, but also Seb and Kimi?" Daniel questioned, sticking his head round the corner of the doorframe.
"Daniel, have you figured it out yet!" Fernando shouted.
At the same time, Jenson muttered, "Maybe some people are oblivious."
Well, it seemed that his plan of staying hidden with his relationship with Seb had been thrown out the window, but at least it wasn't public knowledge yet, so he could work with that.
"Hang on, you got Jenson before me?" Kimi realised. If they knew about his secret relationship, then he wondered why Jenson was brought here first.
"Blame Fer for that," Jenson grinned.
"Look, Seb said he was looking for the most beautiful man on the planet, and my mind went to Jenson, am I wrong?" Fernando argued.
"A bit rude when it's me you're dating," Mark huffed.
"Mark, Seb would never describe you as the most beautiful man on the planet," Fernando bit back, "besides, as soon as he saw you, he started biting you and shouting about how you were a monster."
"Rude fucking brat."
Beside Kimi, Jenson chuckled. Behind them, Daniel was still furiously swiping through pages, eyes scanning the lettering as he tried to think of a solution. Maybe it was time for Kimi to step in. He approached slowly, crouching down, "Hey Sebi, I'm here, you saved me."
For a split second, Seb relinquished his grip on Mark, teeth parting slightly, giving enough time for his teammate to scamper backwards, hitting one of the chairs. Seb glared at him, hissing, the low noise erupting from the back of his throat.
Mark held his hands up in faux surrender, "Look mate, you defeated me, no more biting necessary, he's all yours."
Seb blinked at Kimi, eyes sparkling as his lips broke into a pleased smile, "My Prince, I am overjoyed to see your safe return!" He bowed his head, moving onto one knee that pressed into Fernando's chest, the Spaniard wheezing at the increase of pressure, "I have vanquished the beasts for you."
"Didn't do shit but bite me," Mark muttered from where he sat.
"Silence, beast, or I will lay my sword into you once and for all!"
"Your sword?" Mark spluttered, "Mate, all you've done is bite me!"
"As I said," Seb flashed his teeth, smiling widely, his canines prominent, "my sword."
"Hate to interrupt, but can you move him off me?" Fernando breathed out, voice croaky, "It is a little hard to breathe."
Kimi held out his hand, which Seb gracefully took, helping his boyfriend to stand whilst making sure Seb didn't stomp down on Fernando.
"I am so glad to be reunited with my one true love," Seb sighed dreamily, draping his arms around Kimi, falling into the embrace
"Gross," Mark sneered.
"Be kind, Mark," Jenson reprimanded, "need I remind you that Seb is still cursed at the end of the day, he can't help it. Besides, if we really want to start talking about people being gross, then should I let the others know what I walked into last week when Fernando had you bent over—"
"Jense, not the time," Fernando interrupted as he clambered up, making a move to step backwards, further away from Seb, "also need I remind you that after you saw us, we invited you to—"
"Guys!" Mark put a stop to them both, flushing beet red, "No one here needs to know all that shit!"
"He's right," Kimi hated to agree with Webber, but now really wasn't the time to be discussing what the three of them got up to. Kimi did not care, nor did he want to know.
"Right, yes, Daniel how are we looking?" Now that Seb had been directed away from hurting Mark further or keeping Fernando trapped, Jenson turned fully to Daniel, the kid still skimming through the pages.
"I swear I'm almost there," he assured, tongue stuck out slightly in concentration, peeking just past his lips.
Seb was safely tucked against Kimi's chest, the blonde not caring about who saw— he obviously thought he'd been on an adventure, a courageous quest where he managed to defeat all the evil and save the Prince.
"Ahah!" Daniel gasped, jabbing a finger into the current open page, "Curse of alteration, mind tangent! Sector 4B. Basically, the curse works by feeding the victim's mind information about a fictional setting. They will believe that the role assigned to them is true and act out a scenario as if they were living within the imaginary world."
Kimi realised how morbid a curse like that could get; he was lucky Seb was only thrust into a fictional world of dragons and royalty, not anything more sinister or dangerous. Though if Seb was fed a role, if he was fed tasks, he supposed maybe Mark was a target too— getting both drivers unable to race this weekend would have been good for others on the grid.
"There are preexisting settings basically," Daniel continued, running his fingers down the page as he read, "it's fairly hard to do a custom curse for this one, so people figured ways to make it easier by creating 'settings' so they can choose one and thrust it upon the intended victim. So lucky for us, a fantasy story is one of them, or we were going to have to spend a lot of time figuring out a way to break the curse."
Daniel continued to read, but his eyes widened slightly, and he blushed before looking up at Kimi.
"Well?" Jenson prompted, "How do we break the curse?"
"It says true love's kiss," he answered meekly.
"Yeah, no, I'm not staying around to watch that." Mark was up immediately, pushing past them. Seb twisted around to bite again, but luckily, Kimi held him tight. Although he wanted Seb to go after his teammate, he wanted his boyfriend to be back to normal even more.
"I will leave you to it." Fernando was much more composed with his exit, giving a wide berth to them both.
"Come on Daniel, if it doesn't work they can come get us. We'll be waiting in the main part of the motor home," Jenson tugged the younger man along, Kimi grateful for them allowing him and Seb this private moment.
He loosened his hold on Seb, gazing into his eyes, "Hello, my sweet knight."
"My Prince, I am so glad to see you safe," Seb beamed.
"Would you like a reward for saving me?"
There was a glint to Seb's eyes, playful yet knowing, "I would love that."
Kimi leant in, revelling in how Seb tasted against his lips, the skin soft, faint traces of mint and berries, gum mixed with the chapstick. When they parted, Seb looked dazed for a moment, blinking away the confusion.
"Kimi? What are you— where are we—" he eyed the room, recognition in the form of a frown across his face, "we're in Red Bull hospitality."
"That we are. Welcome back, my knight."
"Hey, what—" Seb looked back to Kimi, "I just had the weirdest fucking dream."
Kimi couldn't help but laugh softly, chuckling as he leant over to kiss Seb again, "I have something to tell you, and it involves you calling me a prince and biting Mark Webber."
Seb's eyes widened, "So it wasn't a dream?"
"No, you were cursed," Kimi answered, "but I did enjoy you biting Mark; it felt therapeutic in a way, and I wasn't even the one biting him."
"I made a fool of myself—"
"Hey, no, you didn't," he cut in softly, "sure they know about us now, but that doesn't matter. Besides, I… I really enjoyed being your Prince."
"Oh?" Seb raised a brow, "You enjoyed that?"
"Yeah, being saved by you and having you look after me, that was nice," he admitted.
"Then maybe I should be your knight more often, then? And you can reward me for all my heroic duties."
Kimi glanced at the clock. It was late enough in the day that no one would bat an eye if they left, and they could argue that Seb needed some time to rest after being cursed. Even if that wasn't actually the case, no one would need to know.
"Well, the hotel is only ten minutes away if you want to take it somewhere more private," Kimi smirked.
"The chariot awaits, my prince," Seb bowed, dipping his head, and Kimi felt his heart flutter. "Let me show you how a good, devoted knight treats his most beloved prince."