Chapter Text
“Well, that could have gone better.”
Dani looked up, knowing who the words were coming from but surprised he wasn’t in parc fermé, before running over the race again in his head and realizing 2015 hadn’t quite kicked off how 2014 had, for either of them. “Hey.” But at least your leg isn’t broken, and your career isn’t hanging by a thread. “You could say that.” But then you know that feeling, too.
“What happened to you?”
I don’t know if I can ever race again. “Just didn’t get into a rhythm.” I’m going to announce this publicly in a few minutes though, so I should probably just tell you. “I, er…I’m having some problems…” The smaller rider coughed under his breath slightly, the truth of it so much bigger than those words, before shrugging slightly and trying to avoid Marc’s eyes, keeping the last few minutes before he became Dani Pedrosa: Under Threat, as quiet as possible.
“Same.” The darkly amused but sorry smile died on the younger rider’s face as he saw his teammate’s expression, something more behind the words becoming more evident, before he cocked his head sideways slightly, like he was trying to hear something far away; the whole thing exposing just a little bit too much neck for Dani to manage to ignore it, unconscious of that fact or not. But maybe not quite the same. “You mean today, or…?” Personal? Or forever? Here? At home? With me?
“T-today.” Dani coughed as his voice ended up rustier than it shoulder have been, before taking a breath and shrugging again, noise of more people approaching starting to announce the end of the moment. “Today, tonight. Since last year.” He pulled his sleeve up to show the scar from the 2014 surgery and finally managed to meet his teammate’s gaze, so much in it he needed another breath to try and almost defuse it, before nodding at what it seemed to settle on: knowing. “Same thing.”
“I thought it was better-“
“So did I.”
Sorry, of course you did. And now what do I say. ‘Don’t worry about it’, ‘it’ll be fine in COTA’, ‘I’ll do the surgery myself.’ “Sorry…”
“Yeah, thanks…”
“Sorry, I know me saying sorry doesn’t do much.” Better. “Any plans?”
Not yet. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do, to be honest.” Yeah, that bad. “But I know what I’m not going to do.”
Please say retire. “Ok…”
“I’m not going to keep racing like this. So, I don’t know. I’m announcing it in a few minutes. Definitely not racing in Texas and Argentina. No idea what the doctor’s going to say…” He trailed off as he looked back at Marc again, face pale and eyes wide, much too much emotion for Dani to not feel it hit him slightly and make it sink in even more. I know. “I k-know.”
“You can’t go.”
What? “I can’t stay like th-“ He lost the words into Marc’s shoulder, somehow suddenly wrapped in a hug, before feeling the younger rider get control of it again and nod to himself, patting him on the back like they were sharing congratulations after a 1-2.
“Sorry, I just…you’re serious?”
“I’m going to announce it now.”
“Now.”
“Now. And then I guess we’ll wait and see.”
Wait and see. “Dani?”
“Yeah?”
“You’ll sort it out.”
“I hope-“
“No, I know you will.” Marc nodded at him before they both turned to the sound of approaching voices and the moment was gone, last words from the younger rider slightly quieter now they were overheard. “You’re Dani Pedrosa, and I didn’t grow up with posters of you on my wall for nothing.”
And this doesn’t hurt even more than it would because you’re the kind of teammate who says that. “Don’t., Marc-”
“Yeah, don’t.” The World Champion clapped him on the back on the way out, brief crossing of paths post-race now forcibly over, looking over his shoulder, eyes and mouth not quite matching up in what they were saying. “I will see you in Jerez.“
“Don’t-“
“Ok, I won’t. How about I will see you SOON.”
Better. “Ok…” And now, I have this conversation again, and again, and again, and again… "Better."