Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Great Britain
...
Kid's troubles dealing with all the extra shit that comes with being a member of a professional racing team and has almost nothing to do with actual racing are not over, unfortunately.
Normally he has no involvement whatsoever in anything that isn't in his job description. Attracting advertising deals and sponsorships doesn't interest him at all, and shit like the photo shoot is a very rare exception. Unless it's to dip into the research and development budgets of industry heavyweights, he's not going to lift a finger outside of the garage.
Talking to the media about anything interests him even less, and he makes a point of doing it as little as possible. Mainstream news outlets only ever want to know about how Trafalgar was doing this season, they couldn't give a shit about 99% of the work he did.
Whenever Kid gave an interview it was always for niche interest groups, little independent magazines and websites of motor engineering enthusiasts, shit like that. That's the only sort of media involvement he likes, just shooting the shit about bikes with a couple of fellow gearheads who have a healthy amount of respect for all the technical expertise and skill that goes on in the background of pro racing. Those kinds of guys are very low key and laid back, most of the time he didn't even have to leave the garage or wash the engine grease off his hands, which he appreciated.
He avoids the big red carpet type events like the plague, where the riders and their teams are swarmed over by photographers and TV crews from major networks to promote the races and get people to buy tickets, then spend the rest of the night rubbing shoulders with corporate bigwigs who just want to pat each other on the back about how much money they're making.
For those reasons, he has very little experience with the limelight that Trafalgar basks in on a regular basis. And it's also why he's very fucking pissed to learn that he'll be required to attend one such event once they get to London.
Apparently there's some big fucking Grand Prix gala this year, and all the teams are going to be there, so it'd look pretty stupid if their team's lead engineer is conspicuously missing. Or that's what they tell Kid, anyway.
Him, along with his whole dang crew, have to spend a day getting prepped for interviews and fitted for tuxes, and a whole lot of other bullshit that has absolutely fucking nothing to do with winning races. By the time they leave for the shitty gala itself, he's completely fed up with everything, and it hasn't even fucking started yet.
At least everybody else is stuck in the same boat. He can endlessly heckle Heat and Wire about what dipshits they look like in black tie, even if they just say the same about him. Killer is too mature to join in, he actually seems entirely cool in a tux even though Kid has literally never seen him wear one before. He even knows how to tie a bow tie, and has to spend ten minutes doing everybody's because the rest of them don't have a clue. Fucking Killer.
Trafalgar's assistant ends up coming to get them because they spend too much time dicking around in Kid's room, putting off the inevitable, and they're lectured about appropriate behavior and not making Trafalgar look bad while getting herded down to the lobby. Kid gets snapped at for slouching, too.
When they get down there though, and Kid sees Trafalgar decked out in a tux that looks like it was made for him (and it probably was, the rich bastard), he has no idea how anything could ever make Trafalgar look bad. Holy christ, he was fucking fine.
Trafalgar eyes him disdainfully, and Kid sneers back. He knows he looks like an idiot in formal wear, there's no need to rub it in. Like he gives a shit about dressing up fancy. The only reason he's doing any of this crap is because he's contractually obligated. The second he can get away from this giant waste of time he's taking this damn suit off and throwing it in the fucking trash.
So what if it's a rental, it'll be cathartic.
Once the whole team is accounted for it's time to leave, and everyone piles into the same limo. Somehow he ends up sitting next to Trafalgar, and for the whole ride to the venue he just wants to grab the fucker and mess up his perfectly styled hair and tailored outfit. Or at least put an arm around him.
Trafalgar is busy ignoring him, as usual, looking all elegant and completely at ease as his manager goes over the schedule of events and reminds him who he's supposed to talk to. Of course he'd be alright, he did shit like this all the time.
The instant they get there and the limo door opens, cameras are flashing and the press is crowding around. It's a given that as the reigning champions from last year they'd be getting a lot of attention, but Kid is still a bit taken aback.
Trafalgar gets out first, and reporters latch onto him immediately. Kid tries to stay the wake he leaves on the way into the gala so he won't have to talk to anyone, though as soon as they get inside Trafalgar notices and gives him a sharp look.
"Don't hang onto me, Eustass. You look like an idiot."
Kid glares at him. The fucking bitch. He has to know Kid isn't used to this shit. It shouldn't be a stretch to expect a little pity, just for tonight. It's not like Kid is trying to act like they're together or anything, even if they are on the same fucking team, he'd just appreciate a break from Trafalgar's usual ice-queen routine so he can get through this without being eaten alive by the fucking media. Is he really going to insist that he can't stand breathing the same air as him in public?
Apparently, yes. Trafalgar swans off into the crowd, leaving him to sink or swim on his own. Within an hour Kid has had a dozen microphones shoved into his face, and all anybody is asking him is how's Trafalgar riding compared to last year, what does Trafalgar think of the bike this season, or does he know if Trafalgar fucking Law got a new goddamn haircut. Trafalgar did get a new haircut actually, and Kid's ready to chew off some fucking faces.
And after the press frenzy dies down, he has to sit through six fucking courses across from the bitch himself while Trafalgar daintly eats consommé and steak tartare and fucking duck foie gras, and continues to completely ignore him.
Then he has to listen to some shitty speeches by the president of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, and the head of the British Auto-Cycle Union, and at least five other interchangeable bigwigs he doesn't give a shit about. They really didn't hold back on all the fucking pomp and circumstance for this shit.
When that's finally over, he escapes to the open bar before some fucking sponsor rep tries to trap him into talking about Trafalgar for one more goddamn second. God this is awful. If they ever tried to make him do this again he's just going to fucking steal the bike and get a new identity in Thailand.
Liquor doesn't even help. He's still pissed off about everything after a few drinks, especially the fact that Trafalgar immediately fucking ditched him, and now he's just angry and kind of drunk. Heat and Wire disappeared right after dinner, Killer is off talking to some guy from the Suzuki team, and Kid doesn't really want to go back to the hotel by himself in this mood, so he decides to just stick to drinking until he can grab Killer and go.
Nobody bothers him for a while, the bartender keeps him well supplied with single malt Scotch and he doesn't see Trafalgar anywhere to refresh his memory either, so gradually he cools off enough that leaving sounds like a good idea.
But first he stops by the restroom, because six whiskys aren't doing him any favors at this point.
When he's at the sink, scowling at the reflection of his crooked tie in the mirror before deciding to just take the fucking thing off already, who walks in but Trafalgar.
Kid sneers. "Had enough of everyone kissing your ass tonight?" Nobody else is in here, so he's free to pick a fight without witnesses. If he couldn't fuck the stuck-up bitch tonight at least maybe an argument would help.
But Trafalgar doesn't take the bait. He just looks around the room, and then snatches Kid by the arm and pulls him into one of the stalls.
Before it sinks in what's happening Kid finds himself shoved back against the door with Trafalgar pressing up full against him, hands bunching up the front of his suit jacket, kissing him very insistently.
After a few seconds when he's still too shocked to react, Trafalgar pulls away, plainly irritated with his lack of participation.
Kid just blinks at him. "But there's no race tomorrow?" Fuck, of all the fucking things, why did he say that?! There are so many reasons that's completely irrelevant!
Trafalgar takes a step back, frowning, and Kid remembers he's still mad at this fucking prick.
"You piece of shit, you're such a—"
"I'll make it up to you," Trafalgar interrupts, smoothing out the creases he just put in Kid's tux and looking up at him with those disarming clear gray eyes. "Let's go back to the hotel."
Kid snaps his mouth shut. Ok, he can work with that.
He manages to keep his hands to himself on the way out of the party, but it has to be obvious to anyone watching that he and Trafalgar are leaving together. He doesn't really give a fuck if anyone guesses why, though.
He does not keep his hands to himself in the town car. By the time they're sitting together in the back seat, Kid is completely over the surprise and ready to get this show on the fucking road. Screw this random driver, who cares about him. He can watch in the rear view mirror for all Kid gives a shit at this point.
When they reach the hotel, Trafalgar has to push him off twice before he notices the car has stopped. Trafalgar straightens his own tux, runs a hand through his hair to re-tousel it the right way, and somehow manages to look like he hasn't been making out in the back of a cab for the last twenty minutes.
To Kid the trip through the lobby seems like the longest walk ever, but then they make it to the elevator and he can touch and kiss Trafalgar again and this time he's not going to stop until he's dead, not even for the hallway getting from the elevator to his room.
Luckily the hall is empty, or maybe it isn't, but Kid is too distracted to notice. Either way they make it to his room and he finally gets to push Trafalgar down on a bed.
He doesn't even get half of Trafalgar's tux off, undoing the stupid hook and clasp fly on the trousers is enough to use up the last of his patience. As soon as Trafalgar is undressed enough to be fucked, that's what he does, shoving Trafalgar's knees up to his chest and spending the bare minimum time necessary to slick him up before getting inside him all at once.
Trafalgar is so tight like this, bent in half, hot and perfect and squeezing around him. He's pleading nonstop for Kid to go harder and deeper, which drives Kid crazy, and leaves him desperate to pound Trafalgar into the mattress and really make him scream.
Coming once doesn't even take the edge off, if anything it just makes him want to do it again right now. Trafalgar is moaning and twisting around under him like a little slut on his bed, and even if it takes all night Kid's gonna fuck him until he can't get it up anymore.
He flips Trafalgar over and gets him up on his knees next, and Trafalgar just grabs the bedframe, arches his back, and offers his ass up like the eager bitch he is. Jesus. Kid is completely lost, there's nothing on earth that could get him to let go of Trafalgar tonight.
At the end of it, when he's so spent he probably wouldn't be able to go another round without dying, it's so so satisfying to be able to lay down right then and there and pull Trafalgar up against him. No need to get dressed, or lock up the garage and walk back to his room. He can just curl up behind Trafalgar and nose into his soft sweat dampened hair and breathe in that mix of expensive shampoo and cologne and fresh sex.
Trafalgar doesn't act like he's in any hurry to get up and go to his own room either, which is excellent. He just puts his arm over the one Kid has draped over his chest and lets Kid nuzzle the back of his head.
Kid isn't mad at all anymore, since it's pretty hard to stay angry with anybody who sucks his dick like it's the only thing they ever wanted. He's just really tired, and not even from being all fucked out and wrapped up cozy around Trafalgar. Shit like that goddamn gala is a different kind of exhausting than spending a whole day in the garage, and he's gonna need at least a week before he recovers enough to deal with anybody not on the team. If some reporter stuck a camera in his face before then he'd smack it out of their little weasel-y hands.
Sleep would help, but he wants to stay up and enjoy this a little longer. Trafalgar would probably sneak out back to his own room sometime before he woke up, and who knows when he'll be able to do this again.
When he starts nodding off though, he tries to think of something to say to keep him awake for at least a few more minutes.
"That party was shit." Yeah, that'll do. Scintillating.
Trafalgar turns his head a little towards him. "I thought it was alright."
"You're used to it," Kid murmurs, his lips brushing over the back of Trafalgar's neck before he lays on a kiss. "Does anybody actually like that crap?"
"I imagine not. It could have been worse, though."
"Yeah, could've been better too. I was kinda hoping you'd do something besides, ya know, leaving me to the fucking sharks," he says, in between kissing his neck.
"Sorry," Trafalgar says.
Kid pauses for a beat, and glances up. Has he ever heard Trafalgar apologize? To anyone? Is he being sarcastic?
Judging from the way Trafalgar is avoiding his eyes instead of smirking at him and delighting in his suffering like he usually did, he actually means it. Holy shit. The bitch might just have a heart.
He squeezes his arm around Trafalgar's waist a little tighter, and goes back to kissing him. "I lived. They better not make me do that again, though."
"They might trot you out next time too."
"Fuck, you think so? Can't believe the kinda pricks that kept talking to me..."
"You did get a lot of attention."
Kid snorts. "That's for damn sure, they only wanted to talk about you though. Wait, how d'you know? I barely saw you the whole time."
"I just noticed."
But Trafalgar is frowning, and starting to shift in his arms. Not much, just enough to give away his discomfort with that line of questioning, and Kid realizes despite Trafalgar ditching him in the first ten minutes he'd still been keeping an eye on him.
Kid grins wide against his neck. He must've been too busy fending off anyone who tried to talk to him to notice Trafalgar watching him, but now it's nice to know he had been. "Aw, Trafalgar cares. Were you jealous? Not enough reporters trying to suck your dick tonight?"
"No," Trafalgar says, answering all of it and nothing, then elbows him in the ribs hard enough to hurt.
Kid moves his hand down between Trafalgar's legs and gives him a loving squeeze. "Ow. Don't be mad baby, I'll make sure your dick is always taken care of."
Groping Trafalgar's cock while kissing his neck turns into some real making out once Trafalgar turns around to face him, and Kid rolls him onto his back, just because he likes having Trafalgar under him even when he's being sweet.
They kiss leisurely, there's no urgency to get anything done at this point. Kid's not even sure he's physically capable of doing anything else tonight, and Trafalgar also seems content to let things lead nowhere.
He slides a hand up Trafalgar's thigh, and Trafalgar draws his leg up in a sinuous response, and it hits him just how nice it is to be able to be like this with him, warm and easygoing with each other. He wishes they could do this all the time instead of only when no one else was around.
And he wants to say that, out loud, even if it's just once. He thinks he's been pretty clear that he actually likes Trafalgar, that it's not just the sex he enjoys, he wouldn't mind dropping some of their animosity in public too, but in return Trafalgar has made it pretty clear that he's going to keep being a shit no matter what happened when they were alone.
Still, it's not like they ever talked about it, and tonight they had barely attempted to be subtle about whatever they have going on either. Maybe if he said something, maybe he just had to spell it out before Trafalgar would take him seriously...
He pulls away because he can't think when Trafalgar is doing that thing with his tongue, and just looks at him. Trafalgar looks back, lying against the pillows dark and beautiful and sleepy, and Kid suddenly wants him so much it feels like there's something physically stuck inside him, lodged in his rib cage sharp and painful.
He's gonna say it, he has to, how can he not–
Then the fucking door opens, and ruins it.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Killer says, after he flips on the overhead light and realizes the room isn't empty. "I know for a fact Trafalgar has the penthouse to himself, why the fuck are you doing this in our room?"
Ah shit, he forgot about Killer.
Kid just scowls at him. Killer probably wouldn't appreciate hearing that they had been too impatient to ride the elevator up another twenty floors to make it to Trafalgar's room. Yeah, of course now he wishes they had spent another minute to get there, but at the time it had been vitally important to not waste a single second.
Killer doesn't turn around and leave right away though. "You're worse than teenagers," he mutters. "Alright, I'm taking the suite then. Where's the key."
Kid glances down at Trafalgar, who's watching Killer, not looking at all embarrassed to be caught in a compromising position. The little bitch seems to think it's funny, actually. Probably because he's not going to get an endless amount of shit for this later.
"In my wallet," Trafalgar says. "Which is somewhere on the floor, I'm guessing." Then he looks at Kid, sly-eyed and smirking. "Where did you throw my pants, darling?"
"Gross," Killer says.
"Just get the fucking key," Kid growls, very aware of how Trafalgar's hand is resting on his ass. Even though Killer can't see it through the sheets, Kid's pretty sure he's gonna start blushing if Killer doesn't get the fuck out in the next five seconds.
Thankfully Killer has no interest in hanging around, even for the sake of embarrassing the shit out of Kid. He just grabs the keycard to Trafalgar's suite, and leaves right after saying, "Don't touch any of my stuff."
Kid drops his head into the crook of Trafalgar's neck. Well, at least Killer hadn't walked in fifteen minutes ago, or caught him fucking Trafalgar in the garage. He never would've let Kid live that down.
"How long has he known?" Trafalgar asks once the door's closed.
"Since prelims."
"You told him?" He sounds surprised, but when Kid lifts his head to look at him again he can't tell if he's mad about it or not.
"Nah, he figured it out. He's always like that. Looks like you lost your room, though. Guess you have to stay here."
Trafalgar arches an eyebrow. Damn, it was gonna sting if he said no after all this.
"I suppose you're right."
Kid grins, and leans in to get back to where they were before Killer interrupted.
Trafalgar winds up staying with him the whole night. He's very nice when he's asleep, all warm and naked and spooned up right against him. He looks good, he feels good, he even smells good... overall it's just a very good night for Kid.
The morning is not as good. He wakes up to someone pounding on his door, bright and early, and instantly hates them. Trafalgar just grumbles something and burrows under the pillows, and Kid tries to ignore whoever is here to rip him out of heaven, but the knocking takes on a furious pace and eventually it has him out of bed and tugging on a pair of shorts to answer the door.
He's fairly sure the look on his face would make whoever was on the other side run for the fucking hills, but when he opens the door and sees who it is he finds himself unexpectedly smirking.
Shachi is the one standing in the hall, and he looks fucking pissed.
"The fuck you want?" Kid asks, but his shit-eating grin ruins any chance he might've had to pretend that Trafalgar isn't currently in his bed.
Shachi seems too angry to reply, he just glares at Kid and shoves his way in. "Law! You have to get ready! Get up!"
Shachi wrangles an uncooperative (and naked) Trafalgar out of bed and into the bathroom with the ease of someone who's spent hundreds of mornings getting the little shit ready for events, and then stands guard so Kid can't even go into the shower with him.
Half an hour later Trafalgar still seems more asleep than awake, but he's showered and dressed and Shachi is pushing him, yawning, out the door. Kid wants to protest that he didn't even get a good morning kiss, but he's not sure Trafalgar would give him one and he does not want to be shot down in front of Shachi after scoring such a great victory.