#nicolas capa fic

[blakeswritingimagines]

She Calls Me Back

Summary: Smart Sunshine and Dumb Grump

Word count: 5.3k

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Gran Turismo characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used nor do I claim to own them.

Nicolas Capa woke up each morning with a scowl, ready to face the day with his signature rude attitude. He seemed to revel in being a jerk, particularly towards his co-workers, and especially towards one person in particular: the new girl, whose name he often twisted into a derogatory nickname. Despite your cheerful and friendly disposition, Nicolas could not bring himself to extend any kindness or even basic respect. As the new person around the grid, you approached each day with cheerful optimism, determined to see the best in people, including your rude co-worker, Nicolas. Despite his repeated cruel jabs and rude behavior towards you, you held onto your warm nature, believing that everyone had good in them somewhere. You tried your best to engage him in friendly conversation and treat him kindly, but it was always met with a sneer or a sharp remark.

Nicolas's morning routine at the office began with a glare as soon as he arrived. Seeing you sitting at your desk with a warm smile on your face irritated him greatly. He hated your sunny disposition, especially first thing in the morning. He sauntered over to the desk, a mocking smirk on his face. "Well, if it isn't the sunny little ray of sunshine," he drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. You looked up from your computer, a genuine smile still on your lips. Despite the rudeness, you refused to let him dull your spirits. "Good morning, Nicolas," you replied in a friendly tone. "How are you today?" Nicolas scoffed and rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed by your relentless friendliness. "Just peachy," he retorted sarcastically, leaning against your desk and crossing his arms. "I just love coming in every morning only to find sunshine personified sitting at her desk, all smiles and rainbows." You chuckled lightly at his comment, not offended in the slightest. Despite his grumpy demeanor, you chose to see the humor in it. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed, huh?" You teased playfully, your eyes sparkling with amusement. Nicolas glowered at you, his annoyance growing as you continued to be unfazed by his snarky remarks. He hated how unaffected you were by his rude attitude. "Oh, I slept just fine," he retorted sharply. "The problem is having to deal with you and your incessant cheerfulness first thing in the morning. One of these days, your smile is going to break my grumpy mood, and that's simply unacceptable."

Your smile widened at his comment, finding his grumpy demeanor more amusing than anything else. You decided to play along and see how far you could push him. "Oh, really?" you said, pretending to look concerned. "Well, we can't have your grumpy mood being disturbed by something as harmless as a smile, can we? That would be a tragedy." Nicolas growled under his breath, growing even more annoyed by your playful banter. He crossed his arms tighter, looking down at you with narrowed eyes. "You think you're so funny, don't you?" he snapped. "But trust me, one day, your relentless cheerfulness is going to grate on my nerves and drive me up the damn wall." You feigned a look of disappointment, your playful demeanor unwavering. "Aw, and here I thought I was bringing a little bit of sunshine to your otherwise dreary day," you replied, a hint of sarcasm in your voice. "But I guess I underestimated how much you enjoy being grumpy all the time." Nicolas rolled his eyes again, clearly getting more irritated the more you teased him. "Oh, don't give me that innocent act," he retorted. "You know exactly what you're doing, don't you? Trying to get under my skin with your cheerful attitude. Well, let me tell you something: it's not going to work. I'm immune to your sunshine persona."

Nicolas huffed in feigned annoyance, trying to maintain his grumpy facade. Yet, secretly, he did find the banter somewhat entertaining. He was so used to his usual grumpy routine that this lighthearted interaction with you was a refreshing change. He pushed himself away from your desk and stepped back. "Fine then," he grumbled. "I've got better things to do than waste my time with your ridiculous cheerfulness." With a dismissive wave, he turned on his heel and sauntered towards his driver's room. You chuckled to yourself as you watched him storm off to his driver's room, entertained by the little banter. You found his grumpy demeanor endearing in its own way, and you couldn't help but find it amusing that he was so stubborn in maintaining his grumpy facade. As the day went on, you couldn't help but notice that despite his constant grumbling, he continued to find excuses to come by your desk. Nicolas found himself drawn to you throughout the day, making up flimsy excuses to pass by and continue your bantering. He would saunter up to you, pretending to have a question or two, or just to complain about something trivial, like the weather or a messy coffee machine. Each time, he would try to maintain his grumpy demeanor, grumbling under his breath and rolling his eyes, yet a hint of a smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

As the day wore on, Nicolas found himself wandering over to you more often than he cared to admit. Whether it was to ask for a pen or some files, he always managed to find an excuse to be near you. Each time he approached you. "Hey," he said. "Do you happen to have a… uh… ruler or something?" You smiled knowingly, seeing straight through his excuses to come talk to you. You played along, pretending not to notice his obvious excuses. "A ruler, huh?" you replied, rummaging through your desk drawer. "Let me check." You deliberately took your time searching through the drawer, pretending to look for the ruler, even though you knew exactly where it was. You knew he was just trying to find another excuse to talk to you, and you found it adorable. Nicolas leaned against the desk, his arms crossed, trying to act nonchalant. Despite his best efforts to appear disinterested, he couldn't help but watch you rummage through your drawer. He knew that you knew he was using flimsy excuses to come see you, but he couldn't exactly come out and admit that he actually enjoyed the bantering. So, he kept up his grumpy facade as he waited for you to "find" the ruler. As he watched you rummage through the drawers, he couldn't help but appreciate how cute you looked when you were focused like that. "Are there really that many rulers in those drawers?" he asked, feigning annoyance. After a few moments that felt like an eternity, you finally retrieved the ruler from the drawer and handed it to him. He took it, his fingers brushing against yours briefly, causing a subtle shiver down his spine.

As your fingers brushed against each other, you couldn't help but notice his subtle shiver and a small smirk tugged at the corner of your mouth. "You know, if you wanted to come over and chat, you could have just said so," you teased, your eyes sparkling with playful amusement. "You didn't have to invent all these excuses to see me." Nicolas' cheeks flushed slightly at your remark, and he quickly averted his gaze. "Please," he retorted, crossing his arms in a defensive gesture. "If I wanted to talk to you, I'd just come over and say so. I don't need to make up excuses." But his words sounded hollow, even to his own ears. He knew he was lying, and he could tell that his attempts to appear indifferent were failing miserably. You chuckled softly, amused by his obvious denial. You enjoyed seeing him struggle to maintain his grumpy facade while trying to hide his true feelings. "Oh, really?" you asked, feigning surprise. "So you're telling me you didn't come all the way over here just to ask for a ruler that you probably didn't even need?"

Nicolas huffed in frustration, feeling caught in his own lie. He knew he had been busted, and there was no point in continuing to deny it. "Alright, fine," he reluctantly admitted. "So maybe I didn't really need that ruler. But it's not like I came over here for your company or anything." He tried to sound nonchalant, but the flicker of embarrassment in his eyes betrayed him. You chuckled softly at his reluctant admission, your amusement only growing more apparent. You found his attempts to brush off his obvious interest in you absolutely adorable. "Of course not," you agreed, your tone dripping with sarcasm. "You just happened to stumble upon my desk and thought to yourself, 'Hey, I wonder if she has a ruler I can borrow.' Completely unrelated to me, obviously, especially since you're a driver who won't need it." Nicolas huffed, feeling defeated by your ability to read through his false pretense. He knew he was being a fool, but he couldn't help himself. With a grumble, he pushed himself away from you. "Fine, I have better things to do anyways," he muttered, feigning indifference as he turned to leave.

Just as he was about to walk away, almost begrudgingly, you reached out and gently grasped his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Your touch was gentle but firm, and your tone shifted from teasing to a bit more serious. "Hey, wait just a moment," you said, your voice softer now. "You know you don't have to keep up this grumpy facade all the time, right? We could actually have a genuinely nice conversation, you know." Nicolas froze as your fingers grasped his arm, his heart skipping a beat at your touch. He hadn't expected you to stop him like that, and your sudden shift in tone caught him off guard. He stood there for a moment, feeling conflicted. On the one hand, he wanted to maintain his grumpy persona, yet he found himself strangely compelled to give in to your kind words. After a few seconds of hesitation, he sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I don't know what you're talking about," he retorted weakly, avoiding your gaze and continuing walking after shrugging you off. Before he could take more than a few steps away, you stood up and quickly stepped in front of him, effectively blocking his path. You looked up at him with a mixture of determination and understanding in your eyes. "Nicolas," you said, your voice gentle yet firm. "I know you like to act tough and grumpy all the time, but you don't always have to be like that. You can let your guard down sometimes, you know? Especially around me."

Nicolas stopped in his tracks as you blocked his path, feeling a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment at your determination. Your words struck a nerve, and he couldn't help but feel like you had seen right through his facade. "I don't know what you mean," he muttered, crossing his arms defensively. "I'm not 'acting' tough. This is just who I am. Why should I let my guard down around you or anyone else?" You remained standing in front of him, your gaze unwavering. You knew that underneath his grumpy exterior, there was a part of him that craved connection and vulnerability. "Because sometimes, being tough all the time can get exhausting, don't you think?" you suggested gently. "And you might find that once you let your guard down a little, you feel better. You don't always have to put up this wall of grouchiness. It's okay to show your softer side, even if only to me." Frustration bubbled up inside of Nicolas, fueled by his inability to handle emotions in a healthy way. He snapped at you, his patience wearing thin. "Oh, shut up," he growled, his voice harsh and abrasive. "I'm tired of all this talk about letting my guard down and showing my softer side. I don't want to be vulnerable or open up to you or anyone else. I'm fine the way I am, grumpy and guarded."

Despite his harsh words and abrasive tone, you remained unfazed. You knew it was just a defense mechanism and that under his grumpy exterior, there was a fragile person who was afraid to show his true feelings. "You know," you replied calmly, your tone still gentle but firm. "Saying that you're fine being grumpy and guarded is just another way of telling me that you're not fine. Bottling up all your feelings and putting up this tough guy act is not healthy." Nicolas felt a pang of guilt at your words. He knew you were right, but he didn't want to admit it. Your ability to remain calm and composed in the face of his grumpy outbursts was both frustrating and admirable. He huffed in frustration, but the heat behind his words had faded. "I don't need you to tell me what's healthy or not," he muttered, his voice lacking its usual edge. "I've been doing just fine on my own for years. Why do I need to change now?" Despite his protest, you could tell that your words affected him, even if he was stubborn enough to admit it. You knew that beneath his grumpy facade, there was a deeper layer of vulnerability that he refused to acknowledge. "You don't have to change if you don't want to," you replied softly, your tone still gentle but firm. "But being alone and closing yourself off from others isn't really 'just fine.' It's a lonely way to go through life, and I think deep down, you know that."

Nicolas huffed, feeling frustrated by how accurately you seemed to understand him. He hated that you could read him so easily, and he hated how your words kept hitting too close to home. He clenched his fists, his eyes averted and avoiding your gaze. "I don't… I don't need anyone," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I can take care of myself just fine. I don't need friends… or relationships. I have my racing career, and that's all that matters." The hint of vulnerability in his voice didn't go unnoticed by you. You could hear the pain behind his words, the loneliness that he tried so hard to hide. You took a small step closer to him, your eyes filled with empathy. "Maybe you can take care of yourself fine on your own," you said softly. "But life isn't just about taking care of yourself. It's about connections, about having people who care about you and having people you care about. Racing may be important to you, but is it the only thing that matters?" Nicolas felt his walls start to crack as you stepped closer, your soft voice and empathetic eyes making it harder to maintain his tough exterior. Your words echoed in his mind, stirring up feelings he had pushed deep down for years. He swallowed hard, his fists still clenched by his sides. "Racing is my life," he said, his voice faltering slightly. "It's all I've ever known. My whole existence revolves around it. There's no room for anything else, not even… friends or relationships."

Feeling overwhelmed by his own emotions and your persistence, Nicolas decided to fall back on his default defense mechanism - withdrawing. The vulnerability and honesty he had shown for a brief moment vanished as he steeled himself, building his grumpy facade back up higher than ever. With a final huff, he mumbled, "Whatever. I have better things to do than stand here and listen to you lecture me." Though he tried to put up his grumpy facade once more, you could see through it, sensing the layers of hurt and vulnerability that lay beneath. But you didn't press him further. You saw the emotional toll the conversation was taking on him and decided to give him some space. "Fine," you replied softly, your tone slightly dejected but still gentle. "Just… think about what I said, okay? You don't have to be grumpy all the time."

The day of the race arrived, and Nicolas was in his normal grouchy mood, silently psyching himself up for the competition. As he went through his pre-race routine of getting into his race gear and mentally preparing himself for the upcoming event, he tried to push any thoughts of you or anyone else out of his head. He had one goal in mind - winning. The sun shone brightly over the race track, a bustling hive of activity as teams and their drivers prepared for yet another race. Nicolas Capa, with his signature grumpy demeanor, was making his way to his designated spot, his mind focused on the upcoming competition. As he walked, he couldn't help but notice the familiar figure of yours, diligently checking the brakes of his car. He felt a pang of annoyance at your presence, your calm composure and unwavering professionalism only serving to grate on his grumpy nerves. You noticed Nicolas's grumpy demeanor as he made his way to his spot, but you didn't let it deter you from your duties. You continued inspecting the car, your focus on ensuring that everything was in top condition. While his grumpy attitude wasn't the most pleasant, you couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for his dedication and determination, even if he didn't always show it kindly.

As Nicolas approached his car, his eyes flicked over to where you were working. He hated to admit it, but there was a part of him that found your focus and dedication mildly impressive. Even the most annoying people could have their positive attributes. He huffed slightly as he approached you, his grumpy demeanor still in place. "Do you need to check everything three times?" he asked, his voice laced with irritation. You looked up from your work and met his grumpy gaze with a small smile. Despite his snarky remark, you were not intimidated by his grumpy demeanor. You continued working, your movements efficient and precise. "Attention to detail is important," you replied calmly, a hint of amusement in your voice. "I'd rather make sure everything is perfect and avoid any potential accidents during the race. Better safe than sorry, right?" Nicolas rolled his eyes at your calm reply, but he couldn't help but silently agree with your logic. He knew that attention to detail was crucial in their line of work, and he appreciated the fact that you took your job seriously. Despite his grumpy exterior, he couldn't find any real reason to get angry at you. He leaned against his car, his arms crossed, watching you work. After a few moments of silence, he reluctantly spoke up. "You know, you're annoyingly good at your job."

As you continued your work on the car, oblivious to anything happening around you, the sound of a loud, sneering voice filled the air. One of the mechanics on the team, a tall, muscular man with a perpetually grumpy expression, approached them, a sneer on his face. "Hey there, princess," the mechanic sneered, towering over you. "Think you're smart doing all that checking and re-checking, huh?" As the mechanic approached you both, you bristled at the condescending tone he used. You stood your ground, meeting his gaze with a steely determination. "I'm doing my job," you retorted, your voice firm. "Accurate checks and re-checks are necessary to ensure the car's safety. If you were paying attention to your own work instead of bothering me, maybe you'd understand that." Nicolas had been watching the exchange between you and the mechanic with growing irritation. He hated how the man was speaking to you, treating you with such disrespect. It stirred up something within him, a mix of protectiveness and indignation. He pushed away from the car he was leaning against and stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. "Hey," he interjected, his voice firm. "Watch how you talk to her."

The mechanic looked over at Nicolas, a slightly surprised expression on his face. He chuckled dismissively. "Oh, look who's playing the knight in shining armor," he said snidely. "Why do you care how I talk to her? Got a soft spot for the princess, do you?" Nicolas's jaw clenched his annoyance with the mechanic's condescending tone growing. "She's part of the team," he retorted, his voice tight. "And she's good at her job. More skilled than some people around here who should focus on their own work instead of wasting time mocking their colleagues." The mechanic huffed at Nicolas's words, his expression turning annoyed. He didn't like being called out like that, especially in front of others. "Oh, so now you're some kind of expert on who's good at their job?" he sniped back. "If she's so good, why does she need to double-check everything? Shouldn't she know what she's doing by now?" Nicolas's temper flared at the mechanic's dismissive comment about your work. He took a step closer, almost standing between you and the mechanic now. "She checks everything for a reason," he shot back. "It's called being thorough, making sure everything is in order. Maybe you should try it sometime instead of running your mouth."

The mechanic puffed his chest, his irritation growing. He stepped forward as well, meeting Nicolas's defiant stance. "Oh, so now you're gonna play the tough guy, huh?" he taunted. "Defending your precious princess? I didn't know you were so protective of her." Nicolas's frown deepened, his eyes narrowing further. The comment about protecting you hit a nerve, and he couldn't help but feel his irritation escalate. "You got a problem with that?" he retorted, his voice low and dangerous. "Maybe you're just mad because you know she's better than you and you can't handle it." The mechanic chuckled scornfully, trying to maintain his facade of superiority. "Oh, please. Better than me?" he mocked. "She's just a pretty face. Probably only got this job because of her looks." The words hit Nicolas like a punch, igniting his anger even further. He clenched his fists, struggling to keep his temper in check. "You have no idea what you're talking about," he growled. "She's more than just a pretty face. She's skilled, dedicated, and damn good at her job. I'd take her over you any day, any race." The mechanic, still trying to maintain the upper hand, smirked smugly. "Oh, look at that. The grumpy driver is all riled up because of the princess," he teased. "You've got it bad for her, don't you? Bet she has you wrapped around her little finger."

Nicolas's eyes flashed with anger, his lips curling into a tight snarl. He stepped closer, now invading the mechanic's personal space. "Shut your damn mouth," he hissed, his voice filled with barely-contained rage. "You don't know anything about her or me. Keep running your mouth, and I'll show you just how 'wrapped around her little finger' I am." The mechanic, sensing that he had pushed Nicolas to his breaking point, decided to back off a little. He held up his hands in a mock surrender. "Easy there, tough guy," he said, trying to downplay the situation. "No need to get so riled up. I was just messing around. You don't need to go all alpha male on me just because I talked about your precious princess." The mechanic's attempt at de-escalating the situation only served to irritate Nicolas further. He clenched his jaw, restraining himself from lashing out. "She's not 'my precious princess,'" he retorted, his voice tight. "And she doesn't need your snarky comments or your mocking. She's a valuable member of this team, and she deserves respect which you'll be showing her right now." The mechanic rolled his eyes, still trying to act nonchalant. "Fine, fine," he grumbled. "No more mocking the princess, got it. But honestly, you're making a big deal out of nothing. It's not like she can't take care of herself."

Nicolas felt a pang of protectiveness at the mechanic's careless attitude. "That's not the point," he snapped. "It's about respect, something you clearly know nothing about. She should be able to do her job without having to put up with your snarky comments or your mocking. And it's not about her being able to take care of herself. It's about you staying in your damn lane and treating people with a modicum of decency." Nicolas fixed his fierce gaze on the mechanic, his irritation growing even more as the man continued to act like a jerk. "Apologize," he ordered, his voice firm and commanding. "Right now. Apologize to her for your disrespectful comments and your mocking attitude." The mechanic's smug expression faltered slightly as Nicolas's demand echoed with authority. His initial defiance slowly faded into reluctance, and he reluctantly turned his gaze towards you, standing silently nearby. After a moment of hesitation, he muttered a half-hearted apology. "Sorry, princess," he mumbled half under his breath. "Didn't mean to offend you or anything." As you stood there listening to Nicolas and the mechanic exchange their heated words, your emotions were conflicted. You felt the warmth and flutter in your heart as Nicolas fervently defended you and stood up to the mechanic's demeaning comments. But at the same time, you also felt a pang of frustration that the situation had escalated in the first place. It was a part of the job you disliked, having to constantly fight for respect and deal with belittling attitudes.

However, you also couldn't ignore the way your heart fluttered when Nicolas so passionately came to your defense. You wondered if he realized how much his support meant to you. You had been silently observing the entire exchange between Nicolas and the mechanic, your expression remaining calm and neutral. Despite your composed exterior, you had felt a mix of gratitude and surprise at Nicolas's forceful defense of you. You watched as the mechanic finally offered a half-hearted apology, and you crossed your arms, regarding him with a cool look. "Thank you for the apology," you said calmly, your tone tinged with a hint of sarcasm. "Although it could have been a bit more sincere." After the intense argument, the mechanic mumbled another reluctant apology, though it was clear he didn't mean it. He cast a last mocking glance at you before walking away, his smug attitude still intact. Nicolas stood there, his eyes still filled with irritation and lingering anger. He watched the mechanic walk away, his fists clenched at his sides. He then turned towards you, his gaze softening as he looked at you.

You observed the mechanic walking away, a slight flicker of annoyance in your eyes at his insincere apology. Once he was out of earshot, you turned your attention back to Nicolas, who was still visibly upset. You noticed his clenched fists and the anger still lingering in his eyes, though his gaze grew softer as it landed on you. You gave Nicolas a small, reassuring smile before your expression turned more serious. "You didn't have to do that, you know," you said softly, your voice laced with a hint of gratitude. "I'm used to dealing with annoying mechanics like him. I can handle myself." Nicolas's expression softened further upon hearing your words. He took a deep breath, his anger slowly ebbing away as he met your gaze. "I know you can handle yourself," he replied, his voice still holding a hint of irritation. "But I couldn't just stand there and watch him talk to you like that. It… it just pissed me off, seeing him treat you with such disrespect." You chuckled softly, a small smile playing at the corners of your lips. "You know, I never thought I'd see the day when the grumpy driver would get all worked up over something as simple as someone making a snarky comment," you teased lightly. "It's kind of adorable, in a weirdly grumpy way."

Nicolas's initial irritation faded completely, a hint of amusement replacing it at your teasing remark. He rolled his eyes playfully. "Oh, shut up," he retorted, a hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "I am not adorable." Your eyes gleamed with mirth as you smirked at his response. "Oh, yes you are," you teased, your tone filled with lighthearted banter. "Admit it. You're secretly a big softie underneath that grumpy exterior. And you just proved it by defending me against that annoying mechanic." Nicolas grumbled, his cheeks turning slightly pink as you continued to tease him. "I am not a softie," he protested, trying to maintain his grumpy facade, but failing to hide the hint of amusement in his voice. "I just…" he trailed off, not wanting to admit that she had a point. "I just hate it when people treat you with disrespect. That's all." A soft chuckle escaped Blake's lips as she saw the hint of pink in Nicolas's cheeks, enjoying the sight of him flustered and struggling to maintain his grumpy facade. "Uh-huh," she teased, a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. "Sure, you're not a softie. You just get all riled up and protective when someone is disrespectful to me. That totally sounds like something a grumpy, non-softie person would do."

Nicolas felt a mix of irritation and amusement as he realized he was caught and couldn't deny it. He let out a huff, crossing his arms defensively. "Oh, shut up," he mumbled, his grumpy facade faltering even more. "I just… I just don't like seeing you treated with disrespect, that's all. It's not because I'm a softie or anything." You couldn't help but find his grumpy denial endearing. You enjoyed seeing this softer side of him, the part of him that he usually tried so hard to hide. "Sure, sure," you teased, your grin growing wider. "You keep telling yourself that. But we both know the truth, grumpy. You're a softie deep down." You smiled warmly, your gaze softening as you looked at Nicolas. You took a step closer, standing just a few inches away from him. With a playful glint in your eyes, you leaned in slightly and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. Pulling back, you gave him a gentle but genuine smile. "Good luck out there," you said softly. "You got this." As you stepped closer and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, Nicolas felt a rush of surprise and… something else, something he couldn't quite put a finger on. He felt his cheeks heat up even more, his grumpy facade completely crumbling. He stood there for a moment, his mind reeling as he struggled to process the unexpected affection. He opened his mouth, intending to say something in response, but the words died on his tongue. Finally, he managed to find his voice. "I… uh, thanks," he mumbled, his usually confident demeanor replaced by a flustered expression.

After a moment of flustered silence, Nicolas gathered his thoughts and found his voice once more. He cleared his throat nervously, still feeling the lingering warmth of your kiss on his cheek. With a hint of hesitation, he finally spoke up. "Hey, uh, after the race… could we maybe talk for a bit?" he asked, his usual confidence having abandoned him for the moment. Your smile softened even more at his flustered silence and hesitance. You could see the effect your kiss had on him, and it brought a sense of pleasure to you. "Of course," you replied, your voice gentle. "We can talk after the race. I'll wait for you here until you finish. Take your time and do your best out there." Nicolas felt a mixture of relief and anticipation at your words. Your gentle reassurance brought a sense of comfort to him, helping his usual confidence start to return. He gave you a small, thankful smile, his gaze lingering on you for a moment before he caught himself and cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure.

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, his voice regaining its usual confidence. "I'll… I'll do my best. See you after the race then."