Pit Stop of the Heart -Daniel Ricciardo bxb

New Territory

The next few days at the race track felt like they were moving in slow motion, the endless back-and-forth between sessions and strategy meetings blurring together. But somehow, in the midst of it all, Daniel found himself thinking more and more about Lucas. The kind of thoughts that weren't entirely casual anymore. They'd gotten closer, sure, but now there was a certain tension between them that Daniel couldn't quite place. It was subtle—small glances that lingered a little too long, conversations that felt deeper without meaning to be.

After the final practice session on Saturday, Daniel found himself walking toward the back of the paddock again, his usual escape when the noise and chaos became too much. He hadn't intended to look for Lucas, but as his steps brought him closer to the quiet spot they'd shared before, he saw him standing there, leaning against the same crate.

Lucas glanced up when Daniel approached, his expression shifting from casual to something more aware. "Didn't expect you to show up here again," he said with a raised eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"Figured I'd take the chance for some peace and quiet before the madness kicks in again," Daniel replied, leaning next to him on the crate. He could feel the weight of their proximity now, the air between them thicker than before. It wasn't just a friendly camaraderie anymore. There was something... different. Something unspoken.

Lucas gave a small nod, his eyes studying Daniel for a moment before he turned to face the track, his voice a little quieter than usual. "It's nice here. Away from everything, you know?"

Daniel nodded, his gaze drifting over the empty stretch of asphalt. "Yeah. I think I prefer it this way. Sometimes the noise just gets... too much." His voice trailed off, the words feeling heavier than he meant them to.

A beat of silence passed between them before Lucas spoke again, his tone softer now. "I get that. It's like everything's moving too fast, and you can't catch your breath."

Daniel looked over at him, surprised by how real Lucas sounded, like he understood exactly what he meant. "Yeah, exactly. Sometimes it feels like I'm just going through the motions. Like I'm not really here, just... existing."

Lucas shifted slightly, his body language more open now, less guarded. He didn't say anything at first, just seemed to think for a moment, like he was weighing his words carefully. "I think we all feel that way sometimes. But I think you're here more than you realise."

Daniel's gaze flicked to him. He wasn't sure if it was the way Lucas said it, or the fact that their proximity made everything feel a little more intense, but there was something in the way he spoke—something that made Daniel's heart pick up a little.

"Yeah?" Daniel asked, his voice a bit hoarse before he cleared his throat, trying to sound casual. "I think I'm still figuring that out."

Lucas smiled, a soft, almost knowing curve of his lips. "It's not always about having everything figured out. It's about making the moments count."

The words hung in the air between them, and for a moment, neither of them moved. Daniel couldn't help but notice how close they were now, standing shoulder to shoulder. It wasn't the comfortable distance they'd had before—it was something more. Something a little electric, like the kind of tension that came from being around someone who, despite everything, felt just a little more important than they should.

Before Daniel could respond, the sound of footsteps broke the silence, and they both looked up to see a few team members walking by, reminding them of the reality of the day. Daniel took a deep breath, stepping back slightly, breaking the tension in the air.

"Well, I should probably get going. Big day tomorrow, after all," Daniel said, his voice a little tighter than he wanted it to be.

Lucas nodded, though there was a slight, almost imperceptible pause before he spoke. "Yeah. Same here." He didn't move at first, his eyes still holding Daniel's for a moment longer than usual.

Daniel's pulse quickened slightly, unsure of what it meant, but he couldn't ignore the way Lucas's gaze lingered just a bit too long, the air between them feeling charged with something that hadn't been there before.

"Alright," Daniel said, a little too quickly, as he turned to walk away. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah," Lucas replied, his voice low, like he was holding back something, "see you tomorrow."

Daniel didn't look back as he made his way down the paddock, but something in the back of his mind kept replaying the moment—how it felt when Lucas had looked at him, how his words had sounded like they carried more weight than they should have.

By the time he made it back to the team's garage, the noise and the buzz of race day settled back around him. But no matter how much he tried to focus on the preparations for the race, he couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed, and that change was unsettling in a way he wasn't ready to face.