♡❀˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹❀♡

"Forgot to ask earlier.." I looked up from Marco's bike to see him dressed in his padding and suit. His helmet dangling in his hand -- tape on the bridge of his nose.
"Yeah?"

"Is that his?" He points down to my shirt. "Who's?" I play dumb, receiving a look in return. "You know who. Why are you still with him?" He puts his gloved hand in his hair, moving parts of his locks out of his face. "You can say his name you know." I mutter. He sends me a glare. "I don't know.." I respond, shrugging my shoulders. As I was about to open my mouth to speak again, Luca, Marco's teammate walks in.

"Sto interrompendo qualcosa?" He looks between the two of us. I shook my head no, gave him a small smile and walked out of the garage.

The weather had changed drastically in the past hour or so -- going from sunny and hot to cloudy and windy. I crossed my arms and continued to walk where ever my legs wanted to take me. I closed my eyes for a split second only to come crashing into something. My straps unbuckled as I tried to catch myself from falling face first, but failed to do so. I let out a small groan. "Oh shit. I am so sorry." A voice is heard. I tried to stand up, but ended up looking even more like an idiot as I didn't have my other leg to support me.

"Here let me help you." The voice says and I felt an arm go under and around my shoulder. Lifting me up. I locked eyes with the very man who had been staring at me earlier today. Although dressed in the very same padding Marco is wearing and a different teams suit. A rider. I knew it.
He gives me a 'sorry' look and went to let me go, but instantly grabbed back onto me as I almost fell over again.

I looked over to the right and pointed over to my 'plastic support.' Gesturing for him to get it. Which he does. I placed my bandaged nub in the little slot and strapped it back on. Adjusting it as I still hadn't gotten used to it yet -- meanwhile picking out the tiny rocks that managed to inbed my knees and the palms of my hands.

"I am so very sorry." I heard him once again. I looked up and locked eyes. Not saying a word as I felt he didn't deserve my attention, especially after today's events. He reaches a hand out for me to take.
"I'm Fabio." Smiling, showing the gap in between his two front teeth. Fabio Quartararo.

"This is the part where you tell me your name..?" He winces as I still didn't part my lips. "Vale!" I let out a frustrated sigh. Looking back I saw Marco walking over to us. His curly hair bouncing with each step.
"Vale? As in Rossi?" The French man by me jokes -- almost as if he was trying to smooth things over. Marco stops in his tracks, waving me over -- his eyes then dart towards Fabio, giving him a small wave before gesturing me to come over.

I walked away, not ushering a word.
Marco wraps an arm around my shoulder. As we walked back to his garage, I couldn't help but feel as though eyes were on us. Watching our every move.

₊˚⊹♡

1 Bagnaia
2 Quartararo

The echos of each riders engine piles in. I jump up from my seat once Marco comes back in the garage with his bike. He lifts his visor so that I was able to see his dark orbs and the wrinkles forming around them.
"Ottimo lavaro Marc!" I plaster my very own grin and engulf him in a hug once he hopped off. He lifted me up in the air and spun me around -- something that he used to always do as we were growing up with one another.

I was very happy for him. Proud to say the least. But there's a part of me that wishes it was me out there. Riding, taking in each corner. Having my heart race due to the adrenaline rush. To be out there and feel alive.

"You must come to every race!" Luca appears, taking off his helmet. Marco chuckles and places me on my two feet, taking off his helmet. He walked over and gave his teammate a pat on the back. "I'm afraid I cannot." I say. The two look at me with scrunched eyebrows. "Work. I have work." I explain.

"Since when?" Marco asks. "A couple weeks ago. Viv got me one.. said I needed to get off my ass." I try and joke.

"Surely she can spot you." Luca suggests. "I'm not sure a receptionist can take over the reigns of a mechanic. Especially one who is afraid her nails will chip." I let out a laugh. "Mechanic?" He opens his mouth and looks over towards Marco. "Where did you find this one."

He shrugs his shoulders. "She's all yours." He jokes.

"So.. you come with us?" Luca adverts his gaze onto me. "I told you, I have work." Marco comes over and hands me a water bottle. "Thanks." He nods.

"You can take over for one of my mechanics. He's flying back home and won't be back until next season. Family stuff." He scratches his head. "What? Who?" Marco speaks up. "Tom, I thought you knew?"

"Nobody told me." He furrows his eyebrows. "Are you up for it?" Luca looks at me, leaving Marco confused.

"I don't know.. I don't think Viv will like me leaving her."

"She can come along."

A few strands if my red curly hair falls infromt of my face. I raise a hand up to move them out of the way as they tickled my nose. "And what if I know nothing about bikes, eh?" I ask to try and get him to rethink the idea. "Ah, but you do. I've seen you ride beside bez here. Countless times." He grins but it seemed to have dropped just when his eyes did. "Terribly sorry by the way." I stand there not saying anything. I didn't feel the need too anymore. I didn't need anyone's pity. The garage grows quiet up until he asks me the same question again, seeming as though he made the whole situation awkward. "Will you?"

I ponder for a bit.

Turning my head to face Marco, I open my mouth. "What about him?" I whisper, loud enough for only him to hear. He didn't seem to understand who exactly I was talking about though. "Leo."

"Tell him its family vacation." He shrugs. "Or.. better yet, you can dump his ass and you will no longer have to worry about him." He grins. Nibbling on my bottom lip, he wraps an arm around my shoulder. "It will be fun.. like old times." He trys to reassure me. I nod my head, giving in. Like old times..
I glance down at the plastic.
Like old times..

Luca sees my slight head nod, my agreement to coming with them."Fantastico! Our lucky charm!"

₊˚⊹♡

"You're joking?" I shake my head, a grin forming on my lips. "When are we leaving?"
"In a couple of days. The next race is on the 5th." I go to my bedroom to change into my pajamas. Whilst I was slipping off my shorts she opens the door and walks in. "Hey!" I gasp, pulling them back up. "Oh relax." She shoos me. Her eyes dropping. "What happened?" She ushers over and drops to her knees. She runs her hands over the scabbed and scraped cuts. "I fell. Its nothing."

"Its not nothing. How did you fall?" She then begins to unbuckle the straps -- unraveling the tensor to reveal the forming scars and the few small little rocks in bedded in my skin, that I didn't notice were there before. "Were you not wearing it?" She looks up at me. "I was, it fell off." I explain, but Viviana doesn't seem overally convinced -- I used to always fight with her about not wearing the prosthetic. It was uncomfortable -- not real.
-- not apart of me.

She picks out the few rocks remaining. Not wincing a bit, even when she pulled out the deeper ones -- due to the slight nerve damage I had. "Is Marco staying in town?" She breaks the silence. "Yeah, he's staying over at his parents." She nods and wraps my nub back up again. "I'll leave you to it."

"Goodnight Viv."

"Goodnight Vale."

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