Love on The Grid - Formula 1 AU! Yuta Okkotsu - Pt 4
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PART 1 ||| PART 2 ||| PART 3
synopsis: One-night stands were nothing but a necessary painkiller for your inability to cross paths with true love. Your most recent find at a Vegas Club was no different. He was boring, obedient, SLOW! You leave him high and hanging hoping you'd never see him again until you find yourself gawking at a supersized billboard of him on a Vegas highway with the title 'LEGEND RETURNS TO VEGAS'.
genre: microscopic amounts of fluff and lots of angst
content: 18+ only. Some Verbal Ab*se(read at your own discretion), Formula one driver! Yuta x f! reader, angst angst angst, swearing, mentions of s*x, panic attack description and discussion of mental health <3
word count: 4.6k
a/n: part 4's out buddies. enjoy. For this part i wanted a.n.g.s.t and some necessary conversations. this part made me so sad yuck, i took multiple breaks. hugs for YUTA
*******
The morning sun, a soft orange, peers through the ceiling window and you watch night slowly blossom into day, minute by minute. You are cocooned within Yuta's cage of arms as he breathes deep and quick against your chest, fast asleep. The rest of your body is cushioned by fluffy blankets, pillows and his bare body that glows bronze in the sunlight. You let him have this moment one last time.
You keep watching the sun rise as you have been, staring at the window all night long with barely any sleep, as the sky goes from a deep blue to a pale blue to a bright blue. You didn't get a wink of sleep after last night. Your heart beats steadily as you caress Yuta's fluffy black hair, and he groans in his sleep.
You feel a terrible knot in your stomach for some reason.
Deciding to get some fresh air to treat your anxiety, you try sliding Yuta's arm off, but he only wants to hold on tighter to you, his brows knitting together in what seems like an expression of worry.
You frown at him.
"Yuta, I need to use the restroom..."
He buries himself closer to your chest. "Go later..."
Each time you hear him speak; you feel your heart crack a little in the weak spots. If you could, you would just stay here with him forever. But you need to stick to your decision.
"It's morning, Yuta..." you speak, lips brushing against his soft hair. "Let's wake up."
"It's press day... Let me sleep in, with you, just a while longer." He raises, raising his head a bit and looking at you with puppy eyes. He leans in for a kiss and wants to hold on to it.
You hold on to his face, losing your train of thought as soon as you see his helpless-lover boy eyes. The dumbfounded way he smiles at you like he would kiss your feet.
The heated moment though, just as your fingers find his hair, gets interrupted by a beeping sound coming from your watch.
*New Message*
You check your watch, irritably. And your eyes widen at the name that pops up.
"What's wrong?" Yuta asks, grabbing your wrist lightly.
"I'll have to respond." You state. "It's from work."
Getting out of bed, you quickly put a shirt on, his, and head out the lavish hotel suite. "I'll be back." you leave Yuta in his bed, with a smile.
You take frantic steps as you pace through the lobby scrolling through the messages that were left unread on your watch. There are a good 10 messages from Megumi. You recall that you left your phone with your friends to keep Megumi's relentless contacting at bay while you ran off with Yuta. Now, while unknowingly holding your breath, you open his messages.
"Why won't you answer your phone?"
"Y/N. What's wrong? Are you alright? I haven't heard from you at all. Just tell me if you're okay. I'm worried. Reply ASAP."
Now he's worried? You suppress a chortle.
"Y/N. I just got in contact with someone from your office. Your other friends are unreachable. They said you've taken a personal leave? Where the hell have you gone!"
"... Nobara told me that she heard from a few people at your office that you've left for Vegas. Why the hell did you do that? Pick up my calls!"
You scroll further up to find the latest messages
"Oh, someone sent me these. So that's what you're up to?"
*Attached file* You open it to see a grainy picture of you and Yuta entering the casino from last night.
"Really, Y/N? You had the balls to run away from me, acting like I'm sort of criminal when you were up to this? What good are you anyway? You're no different than me!" Your blood curdles as you keep reading the messages.
"Getting caught cozying up to some strange man? Have you no shame? What am I supposed to tell the people here now when they find out? Do you ever think about the consequences of your actions."
"Hope he fucks you up and leaves you out on the street, naked, for everyone to see."
That was it. That was your last straw. Your hand is shaking so hard, you push the watch off of your hand and it clatters across the floor. You gasp at it but don't make an effort to retrieve it. You look around, suddenly feeling claustrophobic amidst the hotel walls and quicken your pace. Holding your hand to your mouth, you keep pacing till you find an open balcony that overlooks the dusty, morning skyline of Vegas. Your heart thrums against your ribcage loud and wild as you try to reign yourself in. You want to scream out, but no voice would come out. You want to cry but no tears would leak. What are you supposed to do now? What if you go back to the room to find out Yuta has deserted you? What if that was his idea all along?
What if...
"Hey there, miss." A soft, husky voice calls out to you from behind and you turn to look, with bleary eyes. "Um... is this yours?" he holds out your watch to you. You stare at it but don't take it back.
"Are you alright? Do you need help or something?" He asks, concerned. He has narrow, serpentine eyes and beautiful features for his delicate face frame. He has long hair that he ties half-up and let's the bottom half flow free. He's dressed in baggy, warm clothes - dark blue and red. Just like the car from the race.
"I'm sorry, I-I'm alright..." you manage to croak out, with a dry throat.
"Thank you for this. Sorry, again for any trouble." you say, accepting your watch with a tight smile.
"Well, you don't look to good. What's wrong?" he asks with a subtle smile, making his way towards the railing and leaning on it, watching the sunrays illuminate a desert like Vegas.
"I've never seen a girl in distress after being with Okkotsu. So it must be something else." He says, maintaining his gaze at the sky.
"Wh- How do you know about Yuta?"
"That's the shirt I gifted him last year." He says bitterly, pointing at the shirt you're wearing. "And well, I saw you at the party last night. Glued to him. I hate to admit it but I have to keep an eye on his activities since he's the number one competition after all." He says, smiling unconvincingly to the point his eyes crinkle and form crescents.
"Who are you again?" you ask, narrowing your eyes at him.
"Geto."
You raise a brow at him.
"Did Okkotsu say nothing about me? That's offensive. I am Geto from RedBull. Number 2 at the race, remember now?" he gives some more information, and it finally clicks in your brain.
"Oh, I get it." you exclaim. "Why would Yuta tell me about you?"
"He hasn't told you anything? Are you even dating him woman?"
".... I'm not?"
"What?" Now his narrow eyes go wide for a moment. "Seriously?"
"Why, what's wrong?" you prod, curious now.
"Well by the look of it, he seemed to be pretty smitten with you. It's usually the other way around. Girls get smitten by him because they love a Romeo. They love to be pampered and treated with chivalry. But this is the first I've seen him actively trying to woo someone. I thought you two were a sealed deal." he says. It makes pink rise up your cheeks.
"Well, we aren't dating..." you admit to him and he shakes his head.
"That's too bad." Geto smirks. "After years of unknowingly wooing every driver's girl on the grid - including mine and Gojo's, the girl he likes doesn't like him back."
"Well, we're just friends." You try to steer the discussion.
"Friends don't look at each other like they would start eating each other out any minute. Believe me, if there was even a slight chance that you appeared to be available, Gojo would have made his move on you." You wrinkle your nose at the notion and Geto lets out a laugh.
"Why do you care though?" You ask. "I thought y'all are supposed to be enemies or something."
"On the grid, sure." He states. "But we are friends away from it. Plus, we go way back. Trained together, grew up together. Okkotsu had a knack for being the father of the group even back then, although he's younger by a few years."
"He's a good lad." Geto comments, finally looking at you.
"I don't want to hear more about it..." you say. The more you know about Yuta, the harder it will be to let go of him.
"If I start talking about his green flags, we will be out here all day. And I have press to attend to." Geto says, leaning away from the railing now.
"I mean, I don't know much about anything other than cars and race craft. But, yes, get rid of your ex, he seems salty. And don't let go of golden opportunities. That's call stupidity."
Your jaw pops open. "H-How did you know about-"
"You left your watch screen open. Anyway, Ciao." He says, deserting you in the balcony. One thing he did accomplish was completely erase your panic attack. Maybe you will thank him someday, after you punch him for reading your messages.
You hurry back to your room and find Yuta already dressed up in a navy-blue jacket, white tee and jeans. His hair has been gelled to the side again and looks like he took a nice long shower. He's just done applying his intoxicating cologne when you peer through the door.
"Done with your office call, baby?" He asks, fixing the collar of his jacket in the mirror. He looks so good today; you can't help but smile sheepishly.
You remember as if it was yesterday (it was) when you found him all clueless, in that club.
"Yeah, I'm done." You say, keeping your eyes to the ground as you walk in. One of his shirts and pants should do. A bit oversized perhaps, but they will do. You start rummaging through his closet to pick some colors that would flatter you.
"It was your ex wasn't it?" He asks out of nowhere and your hand freezes on one of the cloth hangers.
"W-what are you talking about?" you ask, without turning around to face. "It wasn't him, haha, of course not, Yuta!"
You hear Yuta's bare feet walking towards you as you feel a chill run up your spine. He hugs you from behind and you feel warm and fuzzy all of a sudden.
"I'm not going to make you tell him this since I don't want you talking to him at all, but-" He whispers against your eye. "If he reaches out to you again or says anything that even makes you twitch your eye or crease your forehead, I'm sending assassins after him."
"Or a high-profile restraining order, whichever you pick." He makes you turn around to face him, greeting you with a grin but you are already teary eyed.
"Shoot, did I overstep?" He asks, concerned, wiping away at your tears.
"How did you even know about him?" You ask, half-laughing by how absurdly worried he looks at having made you cry.
"You told me all about him on the first night we met, on the way to our first- ahem..." He says. "Well, you were quite passionate about your hatred about him."
"And you remember all of that?"
"Of course. It was plenty entertaining. Hearing you destroy that git. Plus, you said you wanted a hot hookup to get over it." He smirks at you.
"What!" you scowl at him. "Who said you are hot?"
"Apparently, tipsy Y/N is franker about her feelings." He laughs. "But you immediately started apologizing fervently for making me uncomfortable by making weird remarks. It was cute. Plus, not once did you badmouth the girl, he cheated on you with. It was dignified on your part."
"Wow, I don't remember anything about that at all..." you admit. "But I'm so surprised you remember so much of it."
"It's the first time someone was so raw with me. I haven't felt this human in so long..." Yuta says, pressing his forehead to mine.
"Shut up..." I whisper against his face. "... Or I'll fall for-" you stop yourself in time.
"Hm?" He mumbles, closing his eyes.
"Look at the time, Yuta!" you shriek once your eyes land on the wall clock. "Press conference starts at 11:30. It's 11:10!"
The two of you look at each other, burst out laughing and make haste. You pick out one of his light teal shirts and blue jeans. The two of you hurry down the hotel and as Yuta makes dash for the driver's seat of his lambo, he is pulled away by Toji who stuffs him in the back along with you. The drive is quick and stressless and the two of you get out and separately enter the arena where what seems like a thousand photographers and journalists have gathered. You pull a black cap onto your head to maintain some privacy as you walk twenty paces behind Yuta, having Toji as your company.
You slip through the crowd, feeling the buzz of excitement in the air. The press conference room is abuzz with journalists, photographers, and fans, all eager to catch a glimpse of their favorite Formula One drivers. Toji walks beside you, his large frame providing a sense of protection from the sea of people. You adjust your black cap, hoping to stay inconspicuous amidst the chaos.
As you approach the main stage, you spot Gojo and Geto already seated, microphones in front of them, Geto clothed sleekly in a black suit and his face calm and composed despite the flashing cameras and Gojo decked out in a flashy red jacket and white cargo pants. They answer questions with practiced ease, their camaraderie evident as they occasionally share a laugh. The audience is captivated, hanging on their every word.
You find a spot at the back of the room, not too far from the stage but far enough to avoid drawing attention. Toji stands nearby, his eyes scanning the room with a bodyguard’s vigilance. You shift your focus to the stage just as the spotlight shifts to Yuta, who takes his seat with a confident smile.
The moderator welcomes him warmly, congratulating him on his recent win. The room erupts in applause, and you can’t help but feel a swell of pride. Yuta, your Yuta, is the center of attention, and he handles it with grace. A lock of hair falls onto his forehead, it has a habit of doing that, you adore it.
The questions come quickly. Reporters ask about his strategy, his thoughts on the race, and his plans for the future.
"How's the car doing this season? Do we expect to see any upgrades for the Singapore Grand Prix next weekend?"
"Well Mercedes is planning to test out some new components. The car is quick at the corners but keeps sticking to ground in the straights so we'll have to see."
"Do you see yourself beating the Redbull dominance this season?"
"I think we have a fair shot, yes." Yuta says with a hint of mischief, waving at Geto next stage, who shakes his head.
Yuta answers each question thoughtfully, his charm winning over even the most skeptical journalists. You can tell that the crowd absolutely loves him and you don't blame them. You even see a few of the girls and guys carry hand-made gifts that they'd want to give to Yuta later and it brings a smile to your face.
Then, a question from a reporter in the front row catches your attention.
"Talking about the main event, Yuta, congratulations on your win! We’ve heard a lot about your professional achievements, but we’re curious about your personal life. Aren't we all?" The journalist asks the crowd and recieves a resounding roar.
"Is there anyone special in your life right now?"
You hold your breath, heart pounding. Yuta’s eyes scan the crowd, and for a fleeting moment, they lock with yours. His smile softens, a private look that only you would recognize.
“Well,” he begins, pausing to gather his thoughts. He bites his lip sheepishly.
"There's this amazing woman that I absolutely can't stop thinking about. I don't think she knows it."
"Is there anyone who would ever turn down a driving legend like you? You're quite the lover-boy aren't you?" The journalist comments in jest.
"I hope she doesn't." Yuta admits.
The room buzzes with curiosity, but Yuta doesn’t elaborate. Instead, he moves on to the next question, skillfully deflecting further inquiries into his private life. It’s surreal, hearing him acknowledge you in such a public setting, even if no one else knows it’s you.
But whatever it is, he has now made it public. There's no going back now. If it has to stop, it has to stop here, before any damage is done.
The press conference continues, with Gojo and Geto fielding more questions. They discuss their rivalry and friendship, making the audience laugh with their banter. You can’t help but admire their ease and confidence, traits that Yuta shares.
The rest of the day goes by in a blur. The press conference area is vibrant with activity beyond the main stage. Tables selling F1 merchandise line the sides, displaying caps, T-shirts, posters, and model cars. A photobooth nearby draws fans, capturing moments with fun props and themed backdrops. A meet-and-greet section is bustling, where fans eagerly await autographs and photos with their favorite drivers. Excitement peaks at the game round booth, where fans compete in F1-themed challenges, like tire-changing races and simulator laps.
You find him standing with his team, his expression relaxed but his eyes searching. When he spots you, his face lights up with a smile that makes your heart skip a beat. You walk up to him, feeling the weight of the moment.
[Music Recommendation: ]
“Nice job in there,” you say, your voice low.
“Thanks,” he replies, his smile turning into a smirk. “Did you like my answer?”
You laugh, feeling the tension melt away. “It was very diplomatic.”
He leans in, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I meant every word.”
You feel your smile dropping now. You pull him to the side for a bit.
"Yuta, I must leave today. I have a flight. Will you come to see me off?" you say, with an air of seriousness.
The smiles fades away from Yuta's face too as he hears this, but he perks himself right up.
"Gotcha. I'll see you out in a few... Wait in the car."
Sure enough, Yuta isn't late by more than five minutes. He dismisses Toji saying he wants some privacy with you.
"Wow. What a day!" Yuta laughs, running a hand through his hair and seating himself beside you in his car. The two of you start for the airport, having told him that you are to depart for home today and that your friends have already taken all your luggage with them.
Yuta doesn't seem all too worried and drives smoothly, playing with your fingers with his free hand, smiling merrily to himself. He rolls down the window so you could let your hair fly out again at top speed.
You gulp hard as you see the lanes of the road widening and buildings getting sparser - indicating that the airport is now close.
Yuta's shiny Lambo joins the queue of cars waiting to drop someone off and you spot a lot of onlookers whistle at the car.
"So, this is it, then." Yuta says and shrugs his shoulders.
"Mind writing your number on the notepad there, Y/N. I am about to call you every day." He says, lost in his fantasies as he parks on the side of the departure lane and gets out of the car to open the door for you.
He helps you out of the car and your lips quiver in anxiety. There is no point in delaying it anymore. Now is your final chance to do this right.
"Hope you wrote the number right!" Yuta grins at you gleefully, not letting go of your hand. "Oh, and-"
He brings out a card and slips it into the front pocket of your shirt.
"That's my contact info, in case. The Singapore GP is next week, I thought you'd like to come perhaps? You can call me and we can get your tickets book. I will make sure to respond, just-"
"Yuta, I'm not leaving my number with you." you finally blurt it out.
"We're not meeting again after this." you add, your lips shaking. "Ever."
Yuta looks blank for a minute until it suddenly dawns on him.
"Y/N..." He holds both of your shoulders as the cars behind him start honking. The both of you pay no heed to it.
"I don't understand..." He swallows, his eyes glassy. "D-do you not want to? I- I thought..."
You have two choices now. Lie to him that you were just using him as a casual outlet and reaffirm everything Megumi has said about you. Or, tell Yuta the truth he deserves to know.
Instead, you pick the third option.
"You are a celebrity, Yuta. I am a commoner, a nobody. You will be busy, find many, many better people. My life is much more static than your fast paced one." You say, trying to make it sound convincing. He looks far from convinced though.
"If it's just that, you don't have to worry, Y/N... Drivers can have private lives. We can think of a work-around. You don't have to-"
"No, you don't get it, Yuta. That's not all."
I love you.
"I-I... I am still in love with Megumi. I'm not over him yet." you say with a straight face. Mentally, you want to throw up, stab yourself for saying that. Even the mere thought is disturbing. Yuta looks utterly confused now.
"You are not, Y/N. What are you saying!" He leans in, trying to reason with you.
"You don't love that asshole... "
You are right. I love you.
"You don't have to be stuck on him, Y/N. Let go. You will only hurt yourself." He tries to plead but you know where it's going to lead. He asks you one more time.
"Do you... love me, Y/N?"
I love you. But I don't love myself. It will take time. Time for me to put myself together. Time for me to stop having panic attacks. Time to see myself as beautiful, as worthy. Time that you can use to better yourself. Find someone better. You are a champion and I can't be the obstacle on your track. Don't wait for me. I won't make you wait. I love you that much.
The words stay stuck in your mouth for you know that if you were to reveal your feelings - Yuta would convince you that he would wait.
So, you just shake your head.
"I'm sorry. I apologize, I truly do." you say as your eyes go dull, not looking anywhere, not at Yuta's quivering eyes, not at the mob that is closing in realizing that the person in front of them is THE racer Yuta.
You slowly separate yourself from Yuta and purse yourself, stifling a sob as you jog away from him, not looking back.
You choose to go deaf until you are inside the airport.
That is when you finally break down crying.
****
The flight back to your crampy, old town in a remote state is rather suffocating. Your friends are seated together in two rows while you share your row with a knocked out, snoring lady.
You stare out the window and at the clouds, dejected and feeling an empty hole in your stomach that you don't know if it will ever get filled.
You get to your dimly lit apartment complex at around 9 PM, when most of the town has gone to sleep and it's rather dangerous to be out.
You take in a deep breath, mentally preparing yourself for the upcoming altercation and ring the bell.
A very tired looking but equally shocked Megumi opens the door and immediately scowls at you.
"So, you've returned?"
"I have come to take my stuff out, as much as I can for now." you say, emotionlessly. The more to the point this conversation is, the better.
"It's quite late, Y/N." He mentions, softly. You almost see the old Megumi for a second, but no matter which version of Megumi shows up in front of you right now, your heart lies somewhere else. Plus, you'd rather Megumi eat shit then ever smile at him again.
"Stay the night at least, I'll drop you off wherever you want in the morning." He suggests but you remain firm.
"Megumi, I'll burn the house down if you even look at me. Move out of the way."
He doesn't try to engage in small talk after that and scurries out of your way.
It takes some time get all your essentials in place and the minute you leave the door of this apartment that you have lived and loved in for the past three years, it's like your life starts accelerating beyond your control, akin to one of Yuta's races.
One year for the both of you go by fairly quickly and yet at the same time, painfully, torturously slowly.
While the hectic days of your life begin to take a toll on your health - finding a new place, settling for a shitty temporary stay till you get a new lease, constant troubles at work, loss of job, moving around to find work, having to do everything by yourself, all magnified by an immense sense of loneliness have become a cause for you to regret living.
On the other hand, Yuta has become a devil on the track, partaking in dangerous race strategies and putting himself, his car and his team at risk, bringing in tons of negative press for his risky driving. His wins are completely overshadowed by poor sportsmanship and his inability to entertain interviews and questions. He loses out on the championship win that year.
The two of you sleep in each night, shedding silent tears, wondering when either of you will be able to return to normalcy and just why, a fleeting romance of three days was enough to affect the two of you in this manner.
The two of you slept, troubled by the fact that each day you spent without each other, the body's tendency to hold on would only get more stubborn.
He missed you, your softness, your sarcastic remarks, your blatant disregard for his celebrity status and your acceptance for what he is and more so what he is not.
You missed the unconditional way in which Yuta cared for you and listened to you, in the small time you were together. The way that he would look at you like the world revolved around you and he needed nothing else to live on.
The two of you had no choice but to move on though, after all, time waits for no one...
And yet, time has the power to heal everything.
Slowly.
But certainly.
The next time you see dark blue eyes look up at you from the TV screen, your heart has been set free and reborn.
To be continued...FINAL CHAPTER NEXT GUYS!
a/n: stupid ariana, forever making me cry. anyway, how was this? I can't write any fic without angst - key weakness. another weakness - my love for popular songs lmao
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