#i have been giggling for 10 minutes and they're delightful EVERY time i see it

[shayberri789]

The rise of in-universe memes in the aftg fandom lately has been the best thing to happen aside from tsc. Day bless each and every one of you making them

[scuttle-buttle]

Chapter 5

Previous chapters & additional tags can be found in my masterlist.

WC: 1083

Rated: E for eventual smut

Chapter tags: flirting, teasing, ass, implied sexual activities, family issues

Niki waited a week before calling you. Every day since you had come to the track he sat at the desk in his garage staring at the napkin you gave him. Clay approached him later the same afternoon you had been there, “There’s a rumor going on about you, Niki,” he'd said. “Something about a woman on the track? But maybe it’s none of my business.”

“You’re right, it’s none of your business,” he’d tried to shut him down. Clay only rolled his eyes. Each morning since, Clay would pester him about Did you call her? Why haven’t you called? C’mon Niki, where are your balls? Don’t be an asshole - I heard she's a nice girl! Niki ignored him as best as he could.

Finally, on Friday evening he picked up the phone, dialing your number. He didn’t expect you to answer, probably out with friends.

Unlocking your front door you rush to dump your bag. You had stayed late at work again, losing track of time. The phone was ringing off the hook, the shrill sound disturbing the quiet of your flat. You let out a huff as you answer. “Hello?”

“Catherine?”

“Yes?”

“It’s Niki.”

“Oh, hey.” You hadn’t expected him to call at this point. In your fluster you hadn’t picked up on the Austrian lilt of his voice. 

“Is this a bad time?”

“No, no, you just caught me as I walked in is all.”

“Good.”

Chewing your lip at the silence over the line, you finally ask “So how are you?”

“Fine, thank you.” Always to the point, Niki. “And you?”

“I’m good, yeah. What’s up?” 

He cleared his throat on the other line. “I am going to be in the city on Sunday on business. I would like for you to join me for lunch,"  he said matter-of-factly. 

Was he asking you out? Of course not, it’s just two friends hanging out. “Sure. What did you have in mind?”

“There is a small cafe 10 minutes out of Bologna. It is decent.” You laugh at his phrasing.  He gives you the details on when and where to meet him Sunday before ending the call.

________________________________

The spring air was unusually warm today so you wore a light sundress and a large brimmed hat. Arriving at the cafe, you saw Niki already there. He wore a cream colored polo and brown bell-bottoms. Now that did his ass justice, you giggled to yourself. There’s no harm in just looking.

He led you to a table outside, helping you with your chair. Ordering drinks and your food, the pair of you settled in comfortable conversation discussing your week.

The conversation drifted to how you both found yourselves living in Italy, to the topic of roommates, to you regaling a story about an old college roommate of yours. “She only had the plaster removed a week before, and then - BAM - I walk in to her jumping off the table doing who the hell knows what, and she ended up back in cast for another month. The whole time we were at the hospital she just flirted with every doctor that walked by. What about you, any crazy flatmates?”

"I lived with Hunt for a time," Niki admitted.

"Shut up, really? He never said." James and Niki living together? In what world did that work out? “What was that like?”

"It was… many sleepless nights,” he settled on, hinting at James’ proclivity for late night fun. “We were just a couple of hotheads in formula 3. He had a couch when I needed one,” he said, shrugging. “Money was short and I wasn't speaking to my family back in Vienna. I did what I needed to get where I am."

"What happened with your family? If you don't mind my asking."

"They did not support my aspirations in racing. The Lauda name means business, my grandfather says."

Offering him a kind smile, you said "I'm sorry…I think you still turned out alright without them.” Niki nodded. Your hand shifted like it wanted to reach out across the table for his, but you kept it close. His expression was soft as he looked at you, something you had yet to see before from him. 

You decided to open up a piece of your own family history to him. “My father he uh… well he's got this other family. They're nice and all and he always helped me with everything I needed. I suppose he felt guilty for not knowing he had another kid till I was 13. I love them but I never fit in with them really. Only my brother. " You stirred the ice in your glass. Sharing with Niki felt natural, but you weren’t sure how he would take it if he knew about James. Spending time with him had made you feel happier, and you wanted him to know you - not James Hunt’s little sister.

As he listened to you share your own family woes he felt the connection he had with you deepen. It had been hard for him to let go of his family, harder than he let on to anyone. Knowing you had experienced a similar feeling of isolation made Niki feel less alone.

A comfortable silence fell over the table. You studied his profile as he watched the people pass by. His nose and upper jaw protrude more than was typical and you could see why your brother had called him a rat. Even so, you thought he looked rather charming, despite the fact that he was basically scowling most of the time you had known him. There was just something about his no-bullshit attitude that you found attractive. He told it like it was, no sugarcoating. 

Niki was the one person you knew that could be completely deadpan in any situation. Most people called him an arse due to the shortness of his tone. But you were beginning to pick up on his tics over the course of the meal. While his tone never changed, you noticed that if he had a slight twitch of his upper lip he was joking. His dry sense of humor delighted you.

Lunch arrived and the two of you ate, resuming light conversation. The food was delicious; “and you said it was just decent.”

“It is decent. That is a compliment,” he defended.

Laughing, you told him “you need to work on your compliments, Niki.”

“Fine.” With a quirk of his lip he added “you’ll have to teach me.”

“Alright.”

Tag list: @ay0nha @apparrio @livvyshmiv @fictionlandslanddreams @vinylrosess @typical-bistander

[yeet-me-off-mount-taigetos]

Perfect match pt. 2 (Hyakuzawa Yudai, gender neutral pronouns)

"Wow, Hyakuzawa-kun! That suit looks great on you." the instructor complimented to which he nodded his head along with a barely audible 'thank you'.

"Do you know where (Name) are?" he was nervous. Twenty minutes till the competition for which they were preparing for 6 months so hard. He was always doing his best, and he became pretty good, but still far less skilled than (Name) were.

"No, they said they were going to the bathroom." the instructor pondered. "Maybe they got lost? This is such a huge building. I'd better go loo-" she stopped speaking as she noticed the male has been paralyzed, gaze focused at the end of the hallway. There were (Name), running towards them.

"I'm so sorry, I got lost. It's such a huge building." they apologized with a small smile.

"I figured." she said. She saw how shocked Hyakuzawa still was. Poor boy was always embarrassed whenever he saw (Name) these days. He had his reasons though. He swore to himself that he would confess to them if they win tonight. But what if they don't? No, they must. For (Name), he must do his best. "I think I leave you two alone for a bit. Practice one last time." with that, the instructor left them.

"You look great, Yudai." they said, a little blush settling on their cheeks.

"Thanks." his monotone voice was quiet too. He was still surveying his partner. They were stunning. Their outfit emphasized the shape of their body, and it was eye-catching. He's never seen them like this, it made his heart beat faster. The make up they wore, the way their hair was styled, everything about (Name) screamed attractiveness. "You. . . look lovely." he anxiously added.

With a slightly embarrassed chuckle, they grinned. "Thank you." then their face softened. "Your bowtie. . ." they stepped closer, fixing his tie. Their arms went around his neck, then back to his front, their hand brushing his chest one time.

"Uh. . .thanks." he spluttered, clearly flustered, and (Name) noticed it.

"Yudai, calm down." they squeezed his shoulders. "We'll make it, your hard work will pay off, trust me."

"I feel like I could have done better." he admitted, his expression darkening.

"Don't be pessimist, you did very good. I know you can do it." they gave him a reassuring smile.

"I don't want to mess this up. I know your parents won't let you dance anymore if you fail tonight. I don't want to make you unhappy." (Name) were speechless. Did Mrs. Instructor tell him that?

"Yudai, chill. we won't fail. This is our night. I know we're taking that award home." their hands clutched his in a tight grip. "I can't express how thankful I am that you agreed to be my partner, and I enjoyed every second we spent together, so what if we don't win tonight? We will, of course, but if not it doesn't matter. I'll be happy regardless because I've already won by meeting you. So thank you very much."

"(Name). . ." he was stunned by their words but he took them to heart. A confident smirk plastered on his lips as he squeezed their hands. "Let's practice one more time." they nodded and so they stepped forward, taking hold of each others' hands, (Name)'s palm on his shoulder blade, Hyakuzawa's on the small of their back.

"Go ahead." they beamed.

"Alright. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. . ." the male lead his partner's each step. They weren't clumsy anymore, their dance was astonishing. (Name) were flawless as per usual, Hyakuzawa's leading has improved a lot, he was a great dance partner for (Name).

"Very good. Five minutes till the start." they stopped dancing and looked at the clock on the wall. "Let's line up." he had the entry number 9 on his suit. A lucky number (Name) noted, because they knew Hyakuzawa's jersey number was 9 too.

"I'll do my best." he stated, his grin radiating power and strength. He was serious about winning the competition for (Name).

"So will I." they added.

The entry numbers where called in, eventually reaching 9. Hand in hand, they elegantly walked out on the dance floor.

"Wow, they're so tall."

"What a tall couple! They're a perfect fit."

"Look at that tall guy, he looks so good next to his partner, like they were made for each other!"

The audience was thrown off by them, mostly because of their heights, but the quiet comments they overheard about being perfect together made them both skip a heart beat. Looking at each other, they put on their brightest smile, nervously and excitedly gripping each others' hands, almost crushing them. The music started and they took their first steps. Bodies pressed together, they felt the others' heart beating faster and faster, their steps quickening along. (Name) arched their back incredibly, they were thankful in their mind for Hyakuzawa's strong arms holding them up. Never in his life he thought he would enjoy something this much, let alone ballroom dancing. He felt so delighted holding (Name) in his arms, dancing across the ballroom. He was unaware of the stares the judges gave him. They knew he was new, but his leading made his partner stand out. Not like their perfect moves and form weren't eye-catching enough, the judges acknowledged the couple, mostly (Name) though. Of course, there were more skilled dancers that have been participating in the competition for years. The crowd cheered on them the most. Truth being told, the couple barely had a chance to win, but the thought didn't crush their spirits. They didn't have flashy moves like the others, and Hyakuzawa was still clumsy to professional eyes, but none of them cared. They had fun. They danced their heart out, for hours, round after round. The world has disappeared around them, the dance floor had space only for the two of them, as they were having the time of their lives.

The competition came to its end, the dancers all bowing to the audience, leaving the dance floor. Breathing heavily, the couple walked out of the room. The very moment they stepped into the hallways they embraced each other joyously.

"You did it, Yudai! You were great!" (Name) giggled giddily.

"I couldn't have done it without you." Hyakuzawa, still hugging them, lifted their feet of the ground and spinned them around, them laughing even more giddily. He has never felt like this before, and he didn't want this feeling to go away. They were both satisfied with their performance, having high hopes for the results.

Soon, the announcement of results began. Wishing for the best, the pair gripped each others' hands, (Name)'s nails digging into his skin, but he didn't mind, in fact, he was just as much on edge as they were. The judges announced the top 10 couples. With each numbers called, the roots of hope grew deeper.

"And at first place stands. . ." the judge looked down on his paper before reading the winners' names and entry number. Hyakuzawa and (Name) shared a glance, both of their eyes glinting gleefully, grinning from ear to ear. "entry number 31--" (Name)'s expression have clouded over, their grip on his hand loosening. They were obviously disappointed. On the other hand Hyakuzawa was. . . angry? His brows knitted together, a scowl sitting on his face. The winners received their awards, then the whole event ended, the dancers leaving to their dressing rooms. The pair, still hand in hand, passed by other contestants. They were either crying, or fuming with anger, some had their instructors scold them for their poor performance.

"Hyakuzawa-kun, (Name)-chan!" Mrs Instructor came running after them, catching them off guard with a big hug. "Congratulations!" she smiled proudly at them, like they were her own children.

"What for?" they asked, head hanging low. "We didn't win."

"So what, you did great. Especially you, Hyakuzawa-kun, I'm impressed." the male didn't respond, just looked to the side. "Come on, you were--"

"Good evening." one of the judges greeted the trio, not realising that they were in the middle of a discussion."Entry number 9, Hyakuzawa Yudai and (Full Name), yes?" the instructor nodded. "I wanted to thank you for participating tonight. I'm sad you didn't make it to the top 10, I was honestly captivated by your performance." a disappointed smile graced his lips. "(Name)-san, your skills are beyond amazing, and Hyakuzawa-san, you're a diamond that needs to be polished. You're both capable of amazing achievements, and I believe I have the chance to see you again next year. That was all I wanted to say, have a good night." the elderly man bowed, then left. The instructor looked at her students.

"You heard that? This such an honour!" she squealed enthusiastically, but they didn't return the same good spirits. "Alright kids, get changed and go home, you need a long rest. Goodnight." she pulled them into a hug again, before making her way to the exit.

Entering the changing room, (Name) rushed to their bag, fiddling with their clothes. Hyakuzawa sat down on a chair, still fuming. His hands balled into fists as he slouched in his seat. Noticing his behaviour, they stood in front of him.

"Yudai--"

"We lost." he spat. "I couldn't win for you."

"Yudai, I told you. Win or not, I'm still happy." they tried to ease his frustration by kneeling down and putting their hands on his.

"I'm not going to dance more, and you can't continue your career anymore. You're still happy?" his anger turned into disappointment "I failed you." and self-blaming.

"No, you didn't. You did your best and I'm very proud of you. I'm happy because I had the chance to compete tonight, because you helped me out. I'm happy that I've met you, Yudai. You mean more to me than dancing."

"You should've looked for someone better." was all he said before he rose from his seat, grabbing his clothes. Backs turned to each other, they both began changing their clothes, Hyakuzawa finishing earlier. "May I wait for you?" he offered.

"No, thanks. I still have some business to do." they replied quietly. "Goodnight, Yudai."

"Goodnight, (Name)." then he exited the room. He found his way out of the building, the cool breeze hitting his skin as he strolled in the empty street. The sky was already dark and he wondered how late it was. He reached into pocket but he couldn't find his phone. He checked his bag, but still no phone. With an exhausted sigh, he went back into the building, to the dressing room. He figured (Name) have already left so he casually swung the door open. He was wrong. There were his partner, head on the ground, crying their eyes out. They were clutching the entry number Hyakuzawa left behind just like he left his phone. Phone or not he was thankful that he came back, as he quickly scooped up (Name) in a hug.

"Yudai! I thought you've already left." they exclaimed, tears streaming down their face.

"I'm sorry." he buried his face in the crook of their neck.

"But it wasn't your fault." they sobbed. They gripped his clothes, crying into his shoulder.

"I broke my promise."

"Your promise?" for a moment their tears stopped as they looked up at the male.

"I promised I would win the competition with you to make you happy, but I couldn't keep it." he explained, their gaze locked on each other.

"Life is unfair, Yudai, you did your best and we still lost. It wasn't your fault, it's life's fault." they sobbed, caressing his face. "Be proud that you gave it your all."

"I can't be proud of myself when i made you cry." his brows ceased with worry for them.

"I'm not crying because of you." they lightly slapped his chest. "Of course I'm sad, We lost and now my parents won't let me dance anymore." they sniffed. "But I'm sincerely happy that you became a part of my life. I can't find the words how happy I was tonight, I enjoyed dancing with you, a lot more than I expected."

Hyakuzawa fell silent. If (Name) were honest, it was time he was honest too. "(Name), I have something to tell you." his heartbeat quickened and he was fidgety. "Ever since I met you, I explored new feelings. The highlight of my days were always afternoon practices with you at the studio. I felt strangely happy when I held you on the dance floor, and I wished that the music didn't stop, and neither did we tonight. You're very special to me and I think--" before he could finish, (Name) cupped his face in their palms, their lips softly meeting his. When they pulled away they saw the bewildered expression in his face. Blinking away the surprise, Hyakuzawa put his hands on the back of their head, pulling them in for another kiss, a longer one this time.

"Yudai, how long have you been wanting to do this?" they asked as they pressed their forehead against his, their noses bumping.

"Since you started calling me by my given name, I guess." there he was, a blushing mess as usual.

"Oh, no!" (Name) whined.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" he jolted in fear.

"No, it's just. . .my make up ruined your hoodie." they informed, clearly guilty about it.

"It's just a hoodie, I have more." and there was the blunt Hyakuzawa, as usual.

"But it's white." they exclaimed. "I'll get you another one, I promise."

"No need to." he protested apathetically.

"But--"

"No."

". . .okay."

"Get dressed, I'll wait for you outside." with that, he left the dressing room. With a delighted smile, (Name) threw their formal clothes of, putting on their casual clothes.

They left the building with him, walking down the dimly lit street. "How come you came back?" they questioned.

"I left my phone there and I--oh, I didn't pick it up when I was there." he sighed, his face showing no emotion though.

"Here, dummy." (Name) held out his phone, him taking it with a nod of his head. They reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers with his. He looked at them and they looked at him. Soft smiles sat on their lips as they continued their way home.

They won the grand prize tonight:

each other.