racing hearts - a Fabio Quartararo fanfiction [🇬🇧]

chapter 2

[Friends - Justin Bieber]

I turned around only to see that my guess turned out to be correct. It was actually Fabio.
I didn't manage to face him for the whole evening only for him to start talking to me.
A "hey" never crossed my lips when I asked directly, "Are you drunk?" "No...?" it came back from him with a questioning look.
I looked at his mug, which contained a slightly brownish liquid. Then I looked up at him skeptically.
Fabio seemed to understand, "So yes, I've been drinking but I'm not drunk."
I averted my gaze from him when, after a short silence, he asked, "Why should I even be drunk?"
Staring at the night sky again, I explained, "Well, I didn't know you could sound nice when you're sober. I thought you always sound arrogant."

That was the truth. The first time I didn't catch an arrogant note in his voice. No matter how hard I tried to ignore it, his voice was actually soft and kind.

"Surprise," Fabio said as he sat down next to me. I unconsciously moved a few inches away from him. I just wanted to put some distance between us as I didn't really feel like talking to him.
There was silence between us, but I could feel his gaze burning at me.
"W- why are you even here?," I asked hesitantly.
"Because of the birthday," Fabio replied ironically, taking a sip from his mug.
I gave him an annoyed look, which he caught.
"Hey, that was just a joke. Calm down and don't always take everything so seriously," he said to me.
Without planning my tone, I snapped back, "If you came here to criticize me, you can go right now!"
He looked at me briefly and then turned his gaze back to the landscape, which you couldn't really see anymore because it was already so dark.
"I wanted to talk to you," he said a little quietly.
"About what?"
"Why do you hate me?", it suddenly came from him.
"I could ask you that too," I replied, not knowing what he was trying to achieve with his question.Fabio laughed, which irritated me.
"Well, you're lucky because I've already asked myself that question. 'Why do I hate you?'
I've thought about it and I have to say I haven't found an answer. So yeah, we didn't have the best start , but we didn't like each other directly. There was never really a reason for it.-" "What are you getting at?" I cut him off before he could continue.
"Is there any real reason for our enmity?"
After that there was silence. Now he had me because we both knew the answer to his question.
"No, there isn't..." I answered slowly.
"So," Fabio said immediately, "let's try a friendship."
"You're crazy," I spoke quickly.
He looked at me, "Oh come on. Sure, we got off to a bad start, but why should that be the reason for eternal enmity?"
I didn't answer.
Hell, he was right, but I didn't want to admit it.
Fabio spoke up again, "Let's try. If it doesn't work, then I'll leave you alone, but I want to bury this hatred between us, Nika."
That name gave me goosebumps. No one had ever called me that before. Always just 'Anni'.
"Don't call me that!" I replied, overwhelmed, since the feeling I got was new and frightening.
"Okay, but are you in?" he asked, not really paying attention to what I said.
I still hesitated a bit, but I guess I had no other choice, which is why I nodded.
Fabio gave me a smile.
He started the conversation and it surprised me.
It surprised me because it was so easy. It felt like we had always done this, even though this was our first real conversation. With every sentence my remaining hatred of Fabio disappeared more and more. I noticed that he was very different from what I had known him before. He was an easy-going and very likeable person with whom you could have good conversations.
We talked about all sorts of things and told things about ourselves and our lives.
"Do you live here in Monaco?" Fabio asked.
"Yes exactly," I answered, "My best friend Mick and I share a big apartment here."

Mick and I have been friends since the days at the kart track. When we met for the first time, we became friends straight away and this friendship has lasted to this day. So it was a logical step for us to buy an apartment together, since this friendship felt like family anyway.

"Where do you live?" I asked.
"In Italy. But I'm also often in France with my family," Fabio answered me.
I thought about it for a moment, but then decided to say it, "May I tell you something? Nobody knows yet."
"Go on."
"I plan to move back to Austria. Not yet, but maybe in two to three years. It's my home and somehow I miss the country. However, I want to continue living with Mick, but I have no idea if he also wants to move there. After all, almost all Formula 1 drivers live in Monaco."
Fabio nodded in understanding. There was a short silence between us but this time the silence was pleasant.
"Actually crazy how much has changed in these six months, isn't it?" Fabio began, "we suddenly come along with each other, we're both world champions-"
I stopped him: "So you made it last year too?"
He replied, mock shocked, "So you didn't inform about me?"
I laughed, "Well, I was under so much pressure and stress that I didn't have time to pursue anything else."
"I know that," he replied with a smile.
Fabio introduced a change of subject, which swung back to my plan to move to Austria at some point.
"Doesn't your family also live in Austria? Because then you would have to be there more often anyway."
I was silent. When we talked about Fabio's family, I used to hope that he wouldn't ask me exactly this question.
I suddenly heard a voice, "Anni, are you coming?"
It was Daniel. I turned and saw him standing in the doorway.
I was eternally grateful that he crashed our conversation right now.
"Yes," I answered, whereupon Daniel disappeared back into the house.
I looked at Fabio.
"I guess I'll go then. Thank you for persuading me to end the hatred."
He laughed and didn't bring up his question again, "No problem, it was nice with you."
I got up when I heard Fabios voice again, "Write me when you get home."
"I'll do it. Good night," I said goodbye.
"Good night, Nika."
I stopped.
"Didn't we just have this topic before?"
"Well, I like the name," smiled Fabio.
I smiled back and without saying anything else I disappeared inside and searched for Mick and Danny.
When I found the two, we made our way back to the car.
They grinned the whole time, Daniels getting bigger and bigger.When we got in the car, I couldn't take it anymore.
"Okay, did you drink too much or why are you grinning like that?" I asked.
Dan immediately broke the silence: "So Annika, be honest... Fabio?"
"I thought he was the most unsympathetic person you've ever met," Mick now spoke up with the same grin as Daniel.
I blushed, but thank God you couldn't see that in the dark car.
"Well, let's put it that way... We've spoken out," I replied, which was quite an understatement. We made quite a friendship in one evening.
"Something else will happen between you...", Mick said casually. I knew for a fact that he meant a little more than a friendly way between Fabio and me.
I immediately shot back: "You better watch what you say. After all, I'm driving the car."

More than friendship will definitely not happen between Fabio and me. That's impossible.
Well, that's what I also thought about the friendship...