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Gabriel just barely managed to sit down before blurting out, “I think Nico’s stuck in a time loop.”
Ollie looked up from his phone, staring at Gabi with mild curiosity. “Sorry?”
Australia, the beautiful opening to a beautiful new season, and possibly the most stressful day for midfield teams. The pressure to prove themselves a threat to the grid, to improve from last year, and most of all, to let the drivers get used to long sessions with the car.
Qualifying was yesterday, and Gabi had scored a solid P10, with Nico right behind him. They had a good chance for points, and Gabi was both looking forward to and dreading the race in a few hours. And he was sure everyone else on the grid felt just the same; except for Nico, that is.
”A time loop,” Gabi repeated, “you know, when someone lives the same day over and over again. Like in Interstellar where-“
”I know what a time loop is,” Ollie cut in, thoroughly amused. “But why Nico? I mean, why today?”
Gabi tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Not sure why it’s today,” he allowed, “but yes, Nico. I mean, have you seen him? He’s completely calm, he walks around like he knows what he’s doing. Even Max looks bothered compared to him.”
”Maybe he does know what he’s doing. He’s done a first race, what, 20 times by now?”
”Fifteen,” Gabi corrected, and frowned at the smirk Ollie shot him for knowing that. “And, yes, but it’s different. He knows whenever something’s going to happen. He caught a phone an engineer dropped without even looking, like he already knew it would fall. When I went to ask him what time it was, he answered before I even asked. Without even looking at his phone!”
Ollie nodded, having already gone back to scrolling on his phone while Gabi ranted. “Maybe he just knows you that well.”
”Maybe, but he can’t read minds. At least, I hope he can’t.”
Ollie shot him a grin. “Are you worried he hears what goes through your head when he slaps your ass?”
”Shut up,” Gabi muttered, and gave Ollie’s leg a kick for good measure. “He’s definitely in a time loop. I wonder how many days have passed yet.”
”Why don’t you ask him?”
He shot Ollie a look. “Why don’t you ask him?
Ollie shrugged. “I’m not the one in love with my teammate.”
Gabi stuck his tongue out at him, watching Ollie laugh before passing his phone to show him some TikTok he saw. The topic switched easily, but the thought stayed in the back of Gabi’s mind.
“I think Nico’s in a time loop,” Gabi told Max when he spotted walking in the paddock two hours before the race.
Max turned, judgmentally looking Gabi up and down with a raised eyebrow. “Why are you telling me this?”
Gabi blinked, having expected a much more interested reaction. He frowned. “Well, have you ever met someone in a time loop?”
”No,” Max deadpanned, “and if I did, I don’t care.”
”You suck,” Gabi muttered, crossing his arms in disappointment.
Ollie believed him, at least it seemed like he did, but his only advice was to talk to Nico, which he obviously couldn’t do. Max didn’t seem to offer much help, so he could probably go to Fernando next. Franco might offer some insight, Gabi watched a couple of sci-fi films with him. And after that, he could go to-
“What do you want me to do about it?” Max finally asked, turning to look at Gabi. He probably had better things on his mind, like getting ready for the race, but they were certainly less interesting.
”I don’t know. I need ideas for what to do.”
”Talk to him,” Max said, like it was the most obvious solution in the world.
Gabi huffed. “And what, ask if he’s in a time loop? I can’t do that. I need something else.”
Max thought for a moment, or at least he pretended to, before shrugging indifferently. “Ask Fernando.”
Right.
Gabi braced himself against the doorframe, catching his breath before blurting out, “I think Nico is stuck in a time loop.”
Fernando didn’t even look at Gabi, focusing on putting on his race suit as he answered. “Why’s that?”
”He’s predicting everything before it happens,” Gabi summarized, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. “He knew what I was going to ask him before I did. And a minute ago he gave me a water bottle just before I was gonna ask my engineer for one.”
Fernando nodded, zipping his suit up and fixing it on his body. “And this is what you’re spending the last 30 minutes before the race on?”
Gabi frowned. Why did everyone act like they had better things to do? “If we’re in a time loop, it’s gonna reset sometime, anyway.”
”For him it will, maybe,” Fernando said, finally turning to look at him. “But not for you. Or else you’d remember it too, wouldn’t you?”
”Well,” Gabi hesitated, trying to find a quick explanation to deny that, but the logic was true. “Okay, right. I’ll go get ready.” A pause. “What do I do about it, though?”
”Talk to him.”
”Why does everyone tell me to talk to him?”
”Because it’s good advice,” Fernando doubled down, patting Gabi’s shoulder as he walked past him out of the room. “But do it after the race. Make me proud and score Sauber some points.”
Gabi rolled his eyes, but followed after him. “I’ll do my best.”
The race was incredible. 9th place was exactly the kind of pace the team was hoping for with this car, and getting points in the first race was a delight. He was overjoyed when celebrating with the team, but one thing he did notice was that Nico was nowhere to be seen.
It was disappointing, obviously; he partied like hell when Nico got his first podium, and he imagined it would be the same today. He tried not to bother himself too much with it and still enjoyed how well he did.
It took a few hours before he managed to slip out of the paddock, still getting hugs and claps on the back from mechanics and other drivers. He debated whether he should call Nico before the sun set and check how he was doing, but before he could make a decision, he spotted the man himself sitting by himself in a hidden corner between garages.
He started at Nico’s slump back for a few moments before walking over to sit down next to him.
Nico straightened up immediately like he’d been caught doing something wrong. It was adorable. “Ah, hey Gabi.”
Gabi returned the greeting with a smile, watching as Nico turned his head forward again. “You weren’t at the party,” he pointed out, if he could even call it one.
Nico hesitated, his fingers curling together where they rested between his knees. “No, yeah, sorry about missing it, that’s on me. You did great today, I guess I’m just a little stumped.”
”About not starting the race, or the time loop?”
”Honestly, I’m not sure anymore. It’s just-“ Nico cut himself off abruptly, bewildered. “You- you know?”
Gabi leaned back against his hands, having a hard time holding back his grin. Nico’s expression was hilarious compared to how conflicted he sounded a moment ago. “I guessed,” he corrected gently, “but yeah.”
Nico’s mouth opened before he forced it shut again. “I,” he ran a hand through his hair. “How?”
”Long story, told it too many times already,” he dismissed easily, “you just act like you’ve already done everything before. Is that why you missed the party, because you’ve already been to it before?”
Nico didn’t seem to hear the last part, eyes narrowing slightly. “You’ve told other people?” He stared at him for a moment longer, but instead of laughing, he leaned forward and buried his face in his hands.
Gabi watched him for a long moment, waiting for the chuckling to start, to get playfully kicked, or something, anything, to show Nico found this as amusing as Gabi did. But Nico was uncomfortably silent. That is, until his shoulders twitched with the faintest sign of crying.
Gabi’s face fell immediately.
”Hey, Nico, no,” he muttered, putting a hand on Nico’s shaking shoulder, leaning closer as if it would help. His tone was softer, urging him to take everything back, to make him stop crying, to fix what he said. “Not like that at all. It’s- they won’t take it seriously, you know that. I didn’t mean-“ he cut himself off, “I didn’t think it was… a bad thing.”
Nico inhaled sharply, wiping at damp eyes where tears were forming. “What could possibly not be bad about a time loop?” He sighed quietly. “I feel so stuck, I’m just… It’s the same exact day over and over again. My car won’t start, not even once, and there’s nothing I can do about it. And I’ve tried, believe me, I’ve tried.”
Perhaps Gabi had been looking at it too optimistically. He would be thrilled to be in a time loop, getting to redo the same race, learning and improving every time. But he’d seen the looks Nico got in the garage, more than that, the disappointment on his face the entire day. Like he’d given up hope long ago.
”It’s not the exact same day,” Gabi mumbled, because what else could he do? “I’m here this time.”
He watched Nico’s expression reluctantly soften, and his shoulders slumped. “You are,” he mumbled, the hand still on his shoulder grounding him. “Wonder if you knew any of the other times.”
”Did you never try to ask me?”
Nico rolled his eyes, but there was no annoyance behind it. “Right, because it’s perfectly normal to go up to someone and ask, ‘by the way, did you know I’m in a time loop?’”
Gabi huffed, knocking his knee together with Nico’s. “I would’ve believed you.”
”That’s not the issue,” Nico groaned into his hands again. “You’re… well, you’re you. You’d get all cheeky and excited about it and ask a bunch of questions I don’t know the answer to, and we’d still not get close to getting me out.”
Gabi bit the inside of his cheek, because that did sound like him. The brief thought crossed his mind that perhaps he’d been a bad friend, not because Nico thought he would dismiss his feelings, but because he knew it would be true. Something else did catch his attention, though.
”You know how to get out?”
Nico shrugged, turning away again. “Start the race, probably.”
”That makes no sense,” Gabi countered, “if it’s the same day, the car would never start.”
Nico’s frown deepened. “Thanks for the reassurance.”
Damn it. Gabi exhaled, pulling his hand back, not missing the way Nico’s shoulder twitched at the sudden lack of contact. He sighed, trying to get back on track.
He couldn’t control what happens in the next loop, but he can change the course of this one.
”What if you’re going for the wrong thing?”
Nico glanced at him again, raising an eyebrow with the faintest hint of interest. “What else could possibly be the solution?”
Gabi tapped his chin, considering it. He didn’t know every facet of Nico’s life, but there had to be a reason it was this day of all days. There had to be something he could do today, something about the race. But if it wasn’t starting it…
”Maybe you were supposed to celebrate with me?”
”I did,” Nico admitted, “the first twenty times.”
Oh. Right. Gabi’s fingers tapped on his knee restlessly. He needs to think outside the box; it’s better to throw it at the wall and see what sticks. “Maybe it’s a true love’s kiss thing?”
“I knew you wouldn’t take this seriously,” Nico scoffed, and swiftly pushed himself up. “Just- forget it.”
Gabi felt his heart drop. “Nico, no, wait,” he hurried to stand up as well, grabbing Nico’s arm to stop him from leaving. Why did he keep messing this up? He needs to focus. “I’m sorry, I’m not good at this.”
Nico glanced between Gabi’s face and his hand on his arm, but didn’t pull away. “Me neither,” he stated, adjusting his stance slightly. In front of them, the sun was starting to set, painting the sky a purplish blue. A beat. “I really hope it’s not a true love’s kiss thing.”
Gabi shifted his weight between his legs, unsure if he should ask, but did so anyway. “Why’s that?”
”Because I wouldn’t know who it’s supposed to be with.”
”Isn’t that a good thing, though? You could try different people, you get infinite loops after all.”
“I’m not going to start kissing every person I see just in case, Gabi,”
”Why not? Come on, you can start with me.”
Nico gave him a look, clearly holding back laughter, and let out a huff. That familiar teasing hint in his tone as he answered, “sounds like you just want an excuse to kiss me.”
Gabi’s face flushed, and he crossed his arms. “You don’t need to bully me for trying to be helpful.”
Nico finally smiled, small and gentle, but there. “Sorry, sorry,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. A beat of silence passed, awkward, but not uncomfortable. “Maybe we should. I, just in case.”
Gabi gave him a look. “Sounds like you just want an excuse to kiss me.”
”You can’t use my own line at me,” Nico scoffed, words lighthearted as he finally turned to face Gabi.
”You can’t own a sentence, old man,” Gabi retorted, hesitating before he took a step forward. “Or, should I not call you that if you’re going to kiss me?”
He watched that same conflict as before play out on Nico’s expression, fidgeting with his fingers again. The dimmed light of the sun painted his face beautifully, Gabi noted to himself.
”What if this does break the loop?” Nico finally asked; what if he wakes up tomorrow and they’ve kissed?
Gabi gave a hopeful shrug. “Then you know you got to kiss the first point scorer for Audi F1.”
”You’re such an idiot,” Nico shook his head, and they both managed to share a quiet, bittersweet laugh before their lips finally met.