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Vale sometimes misses his time in MotoGP, luckily nowadays it's more because of the adrenaline he use to get out of it and less because he mourns what more he could have done, but wasn't able to. If he had acted differently, switched teams, would he have gotten his tenth?
He used to look at his collection of helmets, bikes and leathers with a sorrowful look, thinking of all the what if-s. He knows it's not healthy to do so, that it will just drag him deeper into his mind until there is no way for him to escape.
He used to try and get the same feeling he used to get on the track, tried to use the same moves on his dirt bike, but these attempts always ended with a crash, Vale laying on the dirt, fist clenched and bike somewhere discarded, these days would end with him in a sour mood and not making anyone's life in the ranch better.
But then Marc came back into his life and everything felt much lighter, like he was able to float back to the surface again. Don't get him wrong, nothing instantly clicked together like a perfect puzzle, they were both still too rought at the edges for that, but they were getting there.
The slow mornings of neither wishing to get out of bed, instead cuddling and accidentally falling asleep again and staying like that until one of the poor academy boys wants to ask his mentor a question and finds the nuzzled up in each other. That's how the rule of banging on the door as loud as possible before entering came from.
Or when they are both on track and a piece of Vale is seemingly glued back on. It's nice to ride with Marc again, he hadn't realized he had missed it that much. Now it seemes like to all of those days where he would endlessly crash on his dirtbike, trying –and failing– to chase that feeling of completeness, they all had a simple solution. And that solution is a short, deer eyed, Spaniard named Marc Marquez.
Or Marc's constant recurrence that what Vale had done during his career was indeed enough. Yeah, sure it would have been nice for him to win the tenth,but one loss does not erase the wins, doesn't erase who Valentino Rossi is and it certainly doesn't erase all that he has done for the sport and the support his fans have for him even after he retired. Vale knows that, but it still feels nice to hear someone say it out loud. It lifts a certain weight off of his chest.
Or the more tedious tasks around the ranch that he would usually do alone and grumble into the silence while doing so. He could pay someone to do these things for him, but Vale doesn't want to lose his grip on reality just yet. But now when he grumbles into the silence he gets that oh so sweet (manic) laugh from Marc, or a playful nudge.
There is also the negative side of there being yet another person to make fun of his age or 'elderly status', as the academy boys like to call it. And they still fight, still scream and say things in the heat of the moment, but when the inferno has dimmed into something small that gives warmth rather then burns, they both know they will be back in each others arms at the end of the night.
It had been a promise that they made to each other at the start of the relationship, that they will always tell the truth, even if it involves talking about feelings (much to Valentino's dismay) and they will always come back to at least try and fix things first before running away.
Neither of them could handle another falling out, so they both followed those rules cearfully. No matter how many times Vale though it would just be easier if he broke it off. Because he knows it would be easier ony for a second and then he would be drowning again.
So at the end of a bad day were nothing seemingly went right, at least they can curl up in bed together and fall asleep to each other's steady heart beat. Or at the very least –when they aren't together– video call until one of them falls asleep.
But there are also things he doesn't miss about MotoGP. Mainly the events. Having to dress up in a suit was far from Vale's idea of a fun night. The fabric that made it easier to sweat in an overcrowded room, the constant fixing of his suits when he lifts his hands a little too high and the tie that feels like a collar around his neck, reminding him to speak politely and not step out of line.
Oh the things he does for his Marc. The Spaniard had invited him to the award show. To be honest, he didn't really want to go at the start, but Marc told him to think about it, so he did. Marc never pushed him to do things he didn't want to, plus it's not like they could just show up at an event together without the media creaming their pants with the amount of headlines they could make of that.
In the end he decided that he should go. He no longers feels sick at the thought of Marc catching up to him, he no longer threads the idea of Marc winning the tenth that he couldn't. Instead he welcomes theses thoughts with open arms. (this life is amazing if you greet it with open arms, or whatever the lyrics are to the song that Marco has been singing, ugh, it's stuck in his head now)
And he would like to be there, to see Marc dolled up, all handsome on stage accepting the medal that he deserves. Maybe finally being seen as equals by his fans that he had turned against the Spaniard so many years ago. Marc has fought so hard, especially after the injury. Vale isn't entirely sure that he would have gotten back on the bike, at least not professionally.
Marc deserves the title and so many more. So yeah, he wants to be there to witnesses the man that made the best comeback in sports history accept that dumb medal. Gosh he is so down bad for the tiny man. Him and Marc had agreed that his cover up for attending the show was Marco's third place in the title fight. Just a good mentor supporting his student, nothing more.
He had to dig deep into his closet to find the old thing, his old suit. Luckily he had kept it and didn't have to go shopping for a new one (that is another thing that Valentino is not found of) and the suit was still in its bag thingy so it shouldn't have any wrinkles (hypocrite), so he shouldn't have to iron it either!
Goodness gracious, he is starting to sound like a useless manchild. No cooking skills, doesn't like dressing up, doesn't like shopping, can't iron. Thank gosh that he is good at riding bikes or he wouldn't know what to do, probably be useless, yeah,that sounds about right.
The suit should still fit him,he has never been someone who puts on much weight, mostly because rideing motorcycle makes you lose quite a bit of weight and also because he seems to shit out every meal he eats in approximately 2 hours after consuming. But better safe then sorry, maybe if it doesn't fit him, he could go in some shorts, a t-shirt and some thongs- the footwear, not the panties.
He hums a tune to a song he can't quite remember, just something playing at the back of his mind, he has to figure out what song it is after he is done with this. He doesn't bother opening the buttons and instead opens only one before sliding his hands in and then slide his head through, easy peasy. Except he gets stuck.
He can't get his arms out to open more buttons and he can't move his arms while they are in the shirt because then it will tear. He cant pull his head out of the hole, but he also can't push his head through it. For a moment he just stands in the middle of his (and Marc's) bedroom, amazed at his ability to fuck up the simplest of tasks know to man.
Then panic kicks in, all panic no disco. He tries to wiggle out of the shirt. This is not a way for him to develop a more healthy relationship with formal wear! In fact Vale thinks he might actually despise it now! At some point he stops struggling and gives up, there is no way he gets out of this alone.. wait, but he doesn't live at the ranch alone, not anymore.
"Marc! Darling! Please help me!"
Vale yells as loud as he can, so his pleas could hopefully reach the ears of his beloved.
To his relife, Marc all but stumbles up the stairs, running to their room like someone had screamed bloody murder.
"Vale??? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did something happen?"
That's just 3 different ways how to ask the same thing, Vale thinks as his soon to be husband (not hopefully, but certainly, there is no way Vale will let Marc leave) rambles endlessly before falling quite as he sees the predicament his lover has fallen to. El dottore, defeated by a white button up, pathetic story, but not one that is unbelievable.
When Marc heard Vale scream his name from the second floor, he had ran up the stairs with speed that would make even his ducati jealous. After all, it's not usual for Vale to ask for help. However, what he didn't expect was for him to find his man stuck in a shirt, standing impossibly still.
The room is so quite that for a moment Vale is worried that Marc left.
"Marquez..?"
His name brings him back down on earth and makes his brain catch up to the situation at hand. When it finally does he can't help but start laughing. Honestly, what else is there for him to do??? Help his husband?? As if.
"Vale! What happend?!"
Welp, at least Vale now knows that Marc is still in the room, for better or worse, laughing his loud, obnoxious and hysterical filling the silence. As much as Vale loves the sound, he is starting to swear and he wants to get out as soon as possible. Despite that, Vale waits for Marc to let it all out. Only when the laugh had died down with the remaining of Vale's self worth did he speak again.
"Love.. could you please help me?"
Marc had to gather himself, the hysterical laughter from before has now turned into soft giggles. "Yeah, of course, dear, I will be your knight in shining armor." He walks closer. "Vale, I need you to stay still if you want me to help you." He reasons with Vale as the other man tries once again to wiggle out of the shirt.
Vale scoffs at that, but compiles.
"Thank you." Marc says, he would have given Vale a kiss for doing what he told him, but before that he needs to get his man out of the shirt.
He starts to slowly undo the buttons of the shirt, around halfway through, Vale is able to slip his hands into the sleevs of the shirt. He takes a deep breathe in, happy to smell something that isn't an old shirt that hasn't been touched for years. He places his hands on Marcs waist, pulling him closer, the Spaniard giggling as he does so. Vale starts planting soft kisses on Marc's face, making loud exaggerated kissing noises.
"Mwah! Mwah! My hero!" Vale coos, pulling Marc against him as close as he could without crashing either of their bones. He clings to the smaller body, nuzzling his head in Marc's hair. Focusing on the smell of his freshly washed hair, contioner and the cologne that he uses for special occasions, that all coming together to make a smell that's so distinctively just Marc.
Marc tries to wiggle out of Vale's grasp. "Vale.. you need to get ready for the award sh-" Vale promptly cuts him off "Shush~ let me just hold you a bit longer." Marc sighs, but stops trying to escape Vale's grip and instead wraps his hands around Vale cuddling him closer, if that's even possible.
After a few minutes of hugging Marc speaks up again "Vale, you can't stall on getting ready in hopes I forgot the time and we miss the award show."
"Ugh, sucks, I had hopes." Vale grumbled while pulling away.
"If you really don't want to come, you don't have to."
"No, I want, let me get ready." Vale says, because it's true, he wants to be there for his boyfriend.
Vale starts to pull away from Marc before Marc pulls him back against him. "Yeah, you should get ready, but let's just stay like this for a few more minutes." Vale hums in response, burying his face in Marc's hair again.
It felt.. better then he thought it would, although he is sitting away from the people Marc values. It's still nice, being able to see him up there on the stage, accepting the multiple awards that are rightfully his. The screams of his fans are a background noise to the beautiful scene in front of him.
It did hurt a little when he couldn't join in on the Marquez family picture, but that sadness fled his body when after the ceremony Marc pulled him close, kissed him and thanked him for being there, even though he knows that Vale doesn't like the events. All Vale could do in response was to smile at Marc gently, pull him in even closer and thank him for inviting him.