Picture Perfect | Daniel Ricciardo

° 17 °

There was a long- long phone call that made Daniel being late for work today. It has been a few days after the beach talk that he had with Dani and now that he knows where he was standing with Dani he seems to have found his energy and passion back again. It might seem weird that a girl had the power over him to do something like that, but then again, Dani wasn't just some girl. Daniel was sure she was his soulmate, she was Yin to his Yang, the salt to his pepper, the right hand to his left hand, the light to his darkness, the spiciness to his food. He couldn't help but grin at that thought while he was trying to move his ass fast to work. He couldn't be any later than he already was. Dani surely wasn't amused with him being late as they were to work together today. But she will be fine with him after he tells him the amazing news. With his backpack on his back, he started to sprint from street to street. His grin seems to stay on his face, even when he was running as hard as he was. He was glad that he was currently at the top of his fitness game because otherwise, he wouldn't be as fast as he was right now. Or it was just the urge to tell Dani about his news that kept him going for this long and this hard. The sweat was present on his face as it was just another hot day where the sun seems never to disappear. There were some clouds in the air, but the sun kept on avoiding them just like Daniel currently was doing, but instead of it being clouds, they were people. In the last corner that he had to make he almost lost his balance as he took the turn a little bit to sharp, but the important thing was that he had made it at work. While being out of breath and feeling the sweat rolling down on his face, he walked into the shelter where the airconditioning immediately greeted him friendly. God bless for air conditioning... 
'Jesus Daniel, did you overslept or something? It's eleven A.M.' Nick immediately said as he was sitting at the counter. 
'Sorry.... some big news.... got me... busy... for a while,' he gasped for air in between his words. Nick smiled back at him as he could see he really tried his best to not be any later than he already was, so he just let him go to his work with a nod as respond. Daniel put his stuff away in his locker before walking to his section that he shared with Dani yet again. He usually found the days where he had the dogs more enjoyable, but since he had to work with Dani he didn't seem to mind being with the cats that much. Daniel found Dani pretty fast as she was standing in the room with the kittens that had no mommy anymore. They found almost a whole family stuck under a fence with six kittens and unfortunately a dead mommy and no dad. Dani had almost cried when hearing that story and therefore really cared a lot about these six kittens that thankfully all made it. Daniel heard Dani talking to one of the kittens that she was holding to give the kitten his needed milk, so he decided to keep his mouth shut as she hadn't noticed him at the door.
'I know, I know. You will soon be back with your brothers and sisters, but you need to have some milk.' Dani said to the kitten in her hand in a small voice that she put on. 'Don't you want to be just as strong as your siblings?'
Daniel couldn't help but smile at the sight he was seeing. He almost didn't want to interrupt this special moment, but when she was done with the kitten and turned around she saw him standing there. 
'Ah, so you did finally decide to come?' Dani asked with a smirk as she put the kitten back with his siblings. She looked back at Daniel who now was joining her in the same room. 
'I have big news,' Daniel said as he smiled with his teeth showing. Her favourite smile of his. 
'Is it that big that you forgot the time?' she asked playfully with one eyebrow raised, one of the many skills that she had. Daniel couldn't help but let out a short laugh out of his mouth by seeing the look she gave her. It reminded him immediately at the first time she showed him that trick with the one eyebrow and how much she started to brag that she could do that and Daniel didn't. 
'It was that big that I was on the phone for an hour long,' Daniel said. He wanted to try and sound casual about it, but he just couldn't. Now that all his energy and passion seems to be back into his body he was excited again and even Dani saw the excitement on him. 

'Okay, well... What's the big news then?' she asked. Daniel put both of his hands on each side of her shoulder as his smile only got bigger and bigger. 
'Are you ready for it?' he teased. Dani laughed at his ridiculous act and nodded.
'Yes, now tell me!' she laughed, hating how he was teasing her that much. Now she was excited too.
'Okay...' he started, making Dani roll her eyes with a laugh. He was now really stretching it all out. If he now tells her something small like taking surfing lessons again then she was going to be pissed at him. 'What the big news was, or is... I decided and got accepted to go back to Formula One as a racing driver again.' He looked closely at Dani's reaction. 

'Are you for real?' Dani asked as she was building up more and more excitement by this news. If he was serious then this was big news. She kind of felt devastated when she heard he had stopped with his passion.
'I am,' he said and started laughing when Dani jumped up and down to get all of her excitement out of her. She even jumped on Daniel and hugged him tightly as he caught her in the air. 
'Really?' she asked again as she tilted her head a little bit back to look into his eyes. They were really close now with their faces.
'Yes!' Daniel laughed again. 'I wouldn't dare to prank you with something like this,' 
With those words, Dani tried to hug him even tighter as she was hiding her face in his neck.
'I'm so happy for you,' she said, but her voice was muffled because she had still her face in his neck making it also tickle. Daniel slowly put Dani down as she started to ask him many questions in a row. Some questions he didn't even have an answer to, yet. 
'What team are you going to be in?' she asked as she was already imagining the costs she was going to have to buy all the merchandise. 
'Toro Rosso for now, but they already let me know that they want to give me a Red Bull seat soon,' Daniel said proudly. Dani couldn't help but give her best friend another big hug. She couldn't be happier for him then she was right now. 

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A/N: Throwback to Daniel in the Toro Rosso 🤙