Beyond the Track - Oscar Piastri bxb

Cracks in the Armour

Oscar took his seat in the driver's meeting, absently twirling a pen between his fingers as he half-listened to the instructions coming from the front. His mind, usually locked on the race ahead, was somewhere else entirely. The past few days had thrown him off balance, and no matter how hard he tried to tune it all out, the noise only seemed to grow louder.

Everywhere he turned, there seemed to be a knowing look, a whispered comment, something suggesting that everyone knew—or thought they knew—about him and Nick. He'd caught a few glances from other drivers, a snide comment here or there, and even a few of the team crew seemed wary, as though they were sizing up his commitment.

It didn't help that he was struggling on the track, too. He'd missed several turns in practice, his times dropping lower than usual, and the team had noticed. Even Lando had started watching him with concern, though he hadn't brought it up directly since their last conversation.

Finally, he couldn't sit through another word of the meeting. When they took a break, Oscar slipped out of the room, breathing deeply as he leaned against the wall in the hallway. He pulled out his phone and saw a message from Nick.

'Hey, just checking in. Thought maybe we could grab a coffee before the next race?'

He wanted to say yes, but something in him held back, a mix of frustration and self-doubt gnawing at him. How was he supposed to enjoy anything with Nick when all of this felt like it was spiraling out of control? He typed out a short reply:

'Can't right now. Things are busy.' He left it at that, hoping Nick would understand.

Oscar slipped into the cockpit and gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to shake off the haze of frustration clouding his mind. This was supposed to be his escape—the track, the precision, the adrenaline. But as he shot off the starting line, his thoughts were anything but focused.

Every lap felt off. He miscalculated his lines, pushing too hard on corners, his frustration building with each small mistake. His usual sharpness was dulled, his concentration splintered by the lingering doubts and the weight of the whispers.

By the time he pulled back into the pit at the end of practice, his mood was sour. He ripped off his helmet, hardly noticing the concerned looks from his team as he stormed off to his trailer.

He didn't get far before he saw Nick waiting near the paddock, an expectant look on his face. Oscar's heart clenched, a mix of relief and irritation flooding through him.

"Hey," Nick said softly. "Thought you might want to talk."

Oscar looked away, tension evident in his clenched fists. "About what, Nick? How my focus is shot because of all this... extra stuff?"

Nick's face fell slightly, a flicker of hurt crossing his eyes. "Look, I didn't mean to be a distraction. I thought—"

"You don't get it," Oscar interrupted, the frustration spilling out before he could stop it. "You don't know what it's like to be under this kind of pressure. People are watching, judging, and if I mess this up, it's on me. My career, my reputation—it's all on the line."

Nick took a step back, clearly stung. "I know I don't fully understand what you're going through, but I didn't think that meant I couldn't support you."

Oscar exhaled, the anger fading as quickly as it had come, replaced by a wave of regret. He could see the hurt in Nick's expression, and it made him feel worse than anything that had happened on the track.

"Nick... I'm sorry," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "It's not you. It's everything else. I don't know how to handle this. I'm used to things being in control, and now... it feels like I'm losing my grip."

Nick nodded, his expression softening. He took a step closer, reaching out to rest a hand on Oscar's arm. "I get it. And I'm not here to make things harder. But you don't have to go through this alone. Let me help, even if it's just by being here."

Oscar felt a wave of relief wash over him, Nick's touch grounding him in a way he hadn't realized he needed. "I don't want to lose you over this," he admitted, his voice raw.

Nick offered a gentle smile. "You won't. I'm here, no matter what. Just... let me in, okay?"

Oscar nodded, feeling a sense of calm settle over him for the first time in days. Together, they stayed there in the quiet, letting the tension of the day fade, even if only for a moment.