Growing up affects people in different ways.
Some stay the same, simply becoming taller versions of themselves with more body hair and a worse smell. Asher and Oscar weren't those people.
Asher grew kind, he grew loud, funny and outgoing due to his change in environment. See, when he was fifteen, his Nonna had let him come and stay with her permanently and, with the help of his aunts, uncles and some incredibly kind family friends, he had the funds and the means to continue racing-only this time, for himself, for fun.
This new ability to live for himself changed everything about the young man. To those who have only known cruelty, the discovery of kindness creates a new positivity in the world they didn't know existed. The shy, timid, terrified, antisocial boy he once was, was an entirely different person to the courageous, gentle young man he was becoming. The hunger no longer brewed in his stomach, no more yearning and pleading, simply silence.
Oscar grew quiet. He grew awkward and shy but ultimately, happy. His positive love for the world, and his life, remained but it shrunk in its volume. He learned to keep to himself more, brightening up around those he trusts most but otherwise, keeping his head down, flying under the radar.
To those who have only known kindness, the discovery of cruelty creates a new calignosity in the world they didn't know existed.
Now nearly twenty, Oscar is entering Formula Two, just one more step until he accomplishes his dream.
Media days are Oscar's least favourite days, if he had it his way, none of this would happen, he would simply just race. They could take photos of him doing that. boom. media.
Today is slightly different however, at the start of the season, all the Prema family, from Formula 4 to Formula 2, would do media day together, and different drivers would film challenges or take photos together. This was not news to Oscar, having been with Prema for a while now, he is used to this.
He is not used to seeing a certain Italian driver wearing a prema hoodie, at least one size too big for him as the sleeves went past where his fingertips ended, sitting in between Aurelia Nobels and Frederick Vesti, laughing his head off.
He still looks to be the same Asher, curly brown hair styled messily in front of his eyes, It's a miracle he could see, Oscar reckons he's getting a haircut soon. His rosy pink lips are still soft and plumb, teeth a lot whiter than Oscar recalled yet one unchanging thing is his eyes. His quiet forest eyes which were once filled with so much hurt, seem to be mending, their bruises and cuts have bandages over them. He is healing. Oscar likes that.
What Oscar doesn't like is that he is here. He is here in his prema, laughing with his friends, friends he had worked hard to make and Asher had waltzed in on his first day and started joking around with them. Oscar also doesn't like the unresolved issues between him and his old friend, He also doesn't like the fact Asher hasn't noticed him yet or that he's wearing Fred's hoodie.
"Hey look, Oscar's here" The voice is Fred's. He removes his arm from Asher (another detail Oscar isn't best pleased with) and uses it to wave Oscar over. Aurelia smiles warmly at him, as she often does being the lovely person she is.
Asher seems to go through the five stages of grief in around five seconds. His face tells a thousand stories, of hurt, of happiness, of love? Oscar can't tell and before he has the chance to think too hard about it, the Italian is beaming and welcoming him over.
Oscar does the rounds, pretending he doesn't see the three of them. Saying hellos and 'how are yous?' to everyone he can see that he is semi-friendly with, he spends most of the time just talking to Logan, before approaching Fred.
Play it cool, he tells himself, be cool, pretend everything is perfectly fine. everything is perfectly fine. He smiles and asks Fred and Aurelia how they are until he and Asher lock eyes. It's like they've travelled back in time, back to when they were thirteen, holding hands by the lake. A warm smile spreads across Asher's face, a smile so foreign to Oscar that it is the first time he's noticed the gap in his front two teeth.
"Oscar, meet Asher, he's driving in f3 this year. Asher this is Oscar, He is joining Logan in f2" Fred introduces the pair, still holding eye contact, quiet forest eyes meeting Loud chocolate ones, neither daring to be the one who looks away first.
"Yeah, we've met" Their reply is in unison, still staring directly into each other's souls, a thousand unspoken conversations happening at once, as though it will make up for the lost years. It won't. But they sure do think it will and nobody around them dares to say otherwise.
Their attention is brought to the media director as she explains what today will entail and how everything will work, nothing Oscar is interested in, staring at Asher is far more engaging to the Australian. A sharper jawline is another change he notices in Asher, Adam's apple, a silver cross hanging lowly from his neck, and a small scar underneath his left eye. It also seems Asher could sense the piercing eyes on him, as he is currently looking directly back at Oscar.
'Fuck. He's looking this way. Fuck. He's looking at me.' Oscar internally panics, looking around for Logan, for Fred, for anyone but they have all gone. He sees them, paired up, and walking out of the room. Oscar really should have listened to the briefing. He wishes he had now. Deeply wishes.
"Hey, how are you, Oscar? I haven't seen you in forever mate" Asher asks. The question makes Oscar question his sanity. Has he met Asher before? Did he make the whole experience up because here he is, acting as though nothing is wrong, between them? Nothing at all? He hopes that the other is putting up a front, he hopes that he does remember because there was something about what they had that Oscar desperately wants back. His searches in other people for that kind of comfort and security whilst also causing his heart to race have come back empty-handed.
"yeah, I'm okay. How have you been?"
"Better, a lot better than I was"
Asher remembers. Oscar is sure of it. Absolutely positive.
(A/N: THANKYOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE READING THIS ILYSM)
