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Ollie walks back to his hotel room after dinner, and he feels like shit. Even though the team had reassured him that he had done well, that the conditions had been incredibly hard, that he did the best he could, he still knows he didn’t deliver. He just wants to go to sleep.
He takes out the key card to open his hotel door, but for some reason it doesn’t open immediately and he wants to scream. Literally nothing wants to work out well today it seems.
When he finally manages to get the stupid door open, he feels his phone buzz in his pocket. His heart does a funny little skip when he sees it’s a message from Kimi.
KIMI
hey bear
everything alright?
didn’t get to see you after the race x
OLLIE
Hey
Sorry, was just such a shit day and only got back to my room now x
He smiles a little at Kimi’s message. It’s the first time since the race ended that he’s smiled. Kimi just has that effect on him. He’s always so considerate, always there for him whenever Ollie needs him. And he’s so damn pretty too. It’s really easy to develop a crush on Kimi Antonelli. Which is exactly what Ollie did.
KIMI
want me to come over?
OLLIE
You don’t have to
I get it if you’re too tired
KIMI
non essere stupido
I’m tired but I still want to come over
OLLIE
Va bene 😊
I’m in 305
Okay. So Kimi is coming to his room. It will probably take less than five minutes, since they’re staying at the same hotel.
Ollie quickly takes a look at his reflexion in the mirror, and besides feeling like shit, he looks like shit too. He quickly throws on his favourite grey hoodie and ruffles his hair a bit, but to no avail. It’s not like it matters much, since it’s Kimi. And it’s not like Kimi reciprocates his crush in any way, so in the end it doesn’t even matter if he looks like shit.
He starts to clean up his room too, but at the same time there’s a knock on his door.
Ollie opens the door, and he can’t help but smile at the sight of Kimi standing in front of him. He looks so soft, his curls peeking out from under his cap, and he’s wearing the same kind of grey hoodie as Ollie is.
“Hey”, Kimi says with a soft smile as he wraps his arms around Ollie, the door shutting behind him. Ollie gently pulls him against him, his chin resting lightly on top of Kimi’s head, Kimi’s cheek pressed against his chest.
“Hey”, Ollie breathes out, relaxing his shoulders. Having Kimi near him always makes him feel so at ease. For a moment he doesn’t think about the bad weekend. For a moment, it’s just Kimi and him.
As they ease out of the hug, Kimi looks up with a reassuring smile and gives Ollie’s hand a soft tug, leading him to the bed. Kimi settles himself against the pillows and pats the space beside him, a quiet invitation.
Ollie stretches out next to him, exhaustion settling in his eyes as he lays back. Without a word, Kimi wraps an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close until Ollie’s head rests against his chest. Kimi traces slow, comforting circles on his back, just the way he knows Ollie likes it. His fingers comb gently through his hair, and Ollie almost purrs at the touch.
Ollie feels himself relax, his legs tangling with Kimi’s, their bodies fitting snugly together. Kimi knows exactly how to hold him, how to make him feel at ease.
It’s a thing they do, the hugging and the cuddling. They sort of just fell into it, ever since they became teammates. Ollie doesn’t do it with any of his other friends, but Kimi is so affectionate with everyone, he probably does this with everyone. He’s never asked, and he doesn’t want to bring it up in case Kimi thinks he’s being weird. He wouldn’t want to risk this unspoken understanding they have.
“I made so many mistakes”, he groans and buries his face into Kimi’s chest.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, bear”, Kimi reassures him.
Bear. It’s soft, affectionate. Something only Kimi calls him. Not the usual Ollie. Ollie feels a warmth blooming in his chest every time Kimi says it.
Ollie closes his eyes, inhaling the familiar scent of Kimi’s cologne. He almost feels the weight of the weekend lifting, just a little.
“One bad weekend doesn’t change anything. You’re still the Ollie I know. Dedicated, talented, always pushing yourself”, Kimi says, his voice gentle.
Ollie sighs against him, a part of him wanting to argue, to point out all the mistakes he made, but the way Kimi’s hand slides soothingly through his hair silences him. Instead, he nestles closer, his voice coming out soft. “It just sucks, you know. I wanted to do better.”
Kimi pauses, shifting slightly so he can look down at Ollie, his eyes soft. “You did so well. Remember, I crashed on my FP1 debut. It happens to everyone, bear,” he says sincerely.
“Maybe,” Ollie murmurs.
“I feel that pressure too. Like if you mess up, then you’ve let everyone down, including yourself.” He pauses, returning to drawing soothing circles on his back. “But those mistakes make us normal.”
Ollie feels the tightness in his chest ease. There’s no one who understands him quite like Kimi does.
“Thank you,” Ollie says softly, looking up at Kimi. Kimi gives him a gentle, reassuring smile, his thumb brushing softly along Ollie’s cheek.
Kimi slowly strokes his hair. Ollie wonders if Kimi knows what this means to him, how much their moments together help him feel like himself again.
He’s so aware of Kimi’s presence. The warmth of him, the steady beat of his heart through the fabric of his hoodie, the slight scent of his cologne lingering in the air.
Ollie shifts his hand, shyly finding its way to Kimi’s. His fingers graze over Kimi’s knuckles before he slowly threads them together.
Kimi’s thumb begins to trace small circles over the back of Ollie’s hand, and Ollie feels a faint blush creeping up his cheeks. He can feel Kimi watching him.
Slowly, Ollie lifts his head, his eyes finding Kimi’s in the dim light. His heart races as he lets his hand drift up to Kimi’s shoulder, feeling the solid warmth beneath his palm. They’re so close now, and Ollie’s gaze drops, almost instinctively, to Kimi’s lips.
Kimi’s eyes flicker down to Ollie’s lips, just briefly, then back up to his eyes, and in that split second, Ollie feels a surge of courage he didn’t know he had. He leans in slowly, his lips brushing Kimi’s in a tentative, hesitant kiss.
Kimi lets out a quiet, breathless sigh, his thumb tracing a gentle line along Ollie’s cheek as he returns the kiss, soft and unhurried. His hand slides to the back of Ollie’s neck, pulling him just a little closer, deepening the kiss. Ollie's heart is pounding so hard it feels like it might burst from his chest.
When they finally break apart, their foreheads rest together, both catching their breath. Ollie opens his eyes to find Kimi smiling softly, his gaze warm.
“Hey, bear,” Kimi whispers, a smile spreading across his face.
Ollie lets out a small laugh, his heart still racing as he leans into Kimi’s embrace. “Hey,” he whispers back.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a while, you know”, Kimi admits, cheeks flushed pink.
“You have?” Ollie asks softly. He can’t believe Kimi feels the same.
Kimi nods, a shy smile creeping onto his lips. “Yeah. I just… I didn’t want to make things awkward between us. I didn’t know if you felt the same way.”
Ollie's heart leaps. “I mean, I’ve liked you for a while now, but I thought you only saw me as a friend,” he admits.
Kimi’s expression softens, and he gently brushes Ollie’s hair back from his forehead. “I don’t really cuddle like this with other people, but I thought maybe you did. I didn’t want to assume this was special for you or something.”
Ollie chuckles, feeling warmth spread through him at Kimi's words. “Believe me, it was always special for me.”
Kimi looks relieved, and a small laugh escapes him. “I was worried I’d just been reading everything wrong.”
“You definitely weren't,” Ollie assures him. “Every time we hugged and cuddled, it always felt like more than just friendship for me. But I kept telling myself it was just me being hopeful.”
There’s a moment of silence where they both just kind of grin happily at each other, and Ollie can’t help but let out a laugh. “I definitely didn’t expect this like half an hour ago”, he says.
“Yeah, me neither,” Kimi chuckles, his smile broadening. “So, now that we’re on the same page… what do we do now?” he asks, his voice slightly teasing. Ollie loves how casual they are together, how normal this already feels between them.
“Well,” he says, grinning, “I could use more cuddling. And maybe a movie?”
“That sounds perfect”, Kimi smiles brightly. “But only if I get to pick the movie”, he adds with a little wink and Ollie can feel himself swoon at the sight.
“Deal,” Ollie agrees, and Kimi kisses him softly.
Not such a shit day after all.