Summer Holidays
pairing: kimi antonelli x childhood bestfriend!driver!reader warnings: fluff, little bit of pining, 0 to 100 real fast, not proofread oops word count: 4,461
Sunlight scattered bright sparks across the deep-blue Adriatic. Three weeks into summer break, the sea had warmed to a pleasant swimming temperature, which was why Maggie had woken you at six in the morning—far too early for a holiday, in your opinion—to go for a swim.
“If we go now, we’ll avoid the tourists!” Maggie insisted, opening the blinds to let in the morning sun. It was already getting warm.
“Counterpoint: if we go later, I get to sleep in,” you grumbled, pulling the sheets over your head to block out the light.
“Yeah, but Kimi is coming too!”
“Is he even awake right now?”
“He will be!” Maggie giggled, her energy seemingly endless. She grabbed the sheets and yanked them off the bed, leaving them in a heap on the floor before running out of the guest room and down the hallway to her brother’s room. Minutes later, you heard similar complaints from Kimi’s room. You grinned. Suddenly, swimming didn't seem so bad if it meant you could wind up your oldest friend. You pulled on one of the swimsuits that was hanging over the balcony railing to dry. It was still slightly damp from your day by the pool, but it would dry quickly on the walk to the beach. You tugged on a faded T-shirt, shorts and slides, ran a brush through your hair, though it would not matter once you were in the sea, and went to find Maggie.
Maggie had packed a small picnic in a grocery bag: an apple each, a hastily made sandwich and a carton of juice. It was a sweet effort from the eleven-year-old. Marco and Veronica were probably still asleep, enjoying the fact that you and Kimi could look after Maggie during the school holidays. Kimi finally slumped down the stairs in swim trunks that sat low on his hips and a battered old T-shirt. His hair was still mussed from sleep, and he looked only half awake.
“Maggie, it should be illegal to wake me up this early when I am not working,” he complained, rubbing his eyes and stretching out.
“I told you, the beach will get too crowded if we don’t go now. Everyone else is on school holidays too!” She packed the picnic into a backpack, handed Kimi a bundle of beach towels, and left you with only the water bottles.
“Why am I carrying the most stuff?” Kimi complained.
“Because you’re my least favourite sibling.”
“I am your only sibling! How can I be your least favourite?”
“Well, (yn) is practically my big sister, so she’s automatically my favourite. Keep up.” Maggie flicked his forehead. Kimi aimed a kick at her legs but deliberately missed. No matter how annoying Maggie was, he would never actually hurt her. The three of you set off down the cobbled street. The short walk to the beach was lined with olive trees and farmland, in what was usually a quiet town. It grew busier during the school holidays, when people from nearby cities escaped to the seaside, but it was never as crowded as tourist capitals like Naples or Bari. At least most of the tourists were still Italian, unlike you, who did not have a drop of Italian blood in you. Still, having grown up with Marco, Veronica, Kimi and Maggie, you were practically Italian by osmosis.
Down the hill, the water sparkled in the morning sun. The beach was empty, stretching into long bands of golden sand, with cliffs in one direction and more shoreline in the other. To you, it was one of the most special places on earth. However much you complained about getting out of bed before seven on your holidays, you would not trade this time with your second family for anything. Kimi laid out your towels on the sand, and Maggie immediately threw off her cover-up and sprinted towards the water. Kimi followed, tossing his shirt onto the towels and racing her to the shoreline. He caught her in the shallows and tackled her legs into the waves. You watched them with a fond smile, took a bite of an apple, and sat down with the book you had brought. You'd soak up the sun before going into the water, or maybe rest your eyes a little longer.
You woke with a start when a shadow loomed over you, cold droplets falling onto your face and chest.
“Come on, sleepyhead. Maggie wants to play mermaids, and I can’t be the only one subjected to that particular brand of torture.” Kimi was little more than a silhouette against the blue sky, but you could see his smile even with your eyes closed, as if it had been burned onto the backs of your eyelids and scorched into your brain. He offered you a hand, cold and wet from the sea. You took it, stood, and stripped down to your bikini.
“Fine, but I get to have the purple tail.”
The three of you came out of the ocean only when the sun was high overhead and you could no longer ignore your rumbling stomachs. Slightly sunburnt, hair soaked with salt water and matted to your heads, and dizzy from laughter, the three of you collapsed onto the towels and opened the sandwiches. The beach had grown busier, with a few families dotted around: children building sandcastles and paddling in the water, parents supervising or sunbathing. Maggie devoured her sandwich, then tried to steal half of Kimi’s, which he held out of her reach.
“I am a growing child, Andrea! I need all the sustenance I can get!”
“I am also growing, Margherita!”
“Ugh! You know I hate when you call me that.” She sat back down again, pouting.
“Come on, Mags. I was only joking.” It was amazing how quickly her mood could shift. Some days, he missed the sweet nine-year-old she had been only a few years earlier.
“It’s okay, Mags. Here, you can have half of mine,” you offered.
“See, this is why she's my favourite.” Maggie took a large bite of the offered sandwich and pulled a face at her brother. Kimi looked to you for help, but you just shrugged.
“Mate, she’s your sister.”
They bickered a little longer, until the sun grew too hot to bear and Maggie begged to go back into the water. You gave in, too warm to argue, and walked down to the shoreline to look for shells with her. Kimi watched the two of you walking hand in hand, his two favourite people in the world, and felt as though a giant hand had closed around his heart and squeezed. It had only been around a year since his perception of you had changed but keeping it a secret had become harder and harder each day. Somewhere between the action of the races and quiet moments behind the scenes together in the team motorhomes, your friendship had shifted. Kimi didn’t know if it was one sided, you had always treated him differently to your other friends in the motorsport world. You had always been physically close; you’d been ruffling his hair and only stopped when he had finally overtaken you in height. There were pictures of you two asleep on each other’s shoulders in the car, on trains and planes, you celebrated their wins together and mourned the losses together too. Nothing about that had changed, so why had his feelings. When did he start noticing how your eyes lit up when you were talking about the book you were reading, when did his heart start skipping a beat when you grinned at him during team briefings, or when there was an inside joke. Why couldn’t he stop staring at your lips when you talked. It was infuriating, but it was as natural as breathing to him.
This summer had only made his feelings ten times worse. Watching you with Maggie felt like being stabbed in the heart with a knife because he knew that if anything were to happen, and it all went to shit, not only would his heart be broken, but Maggie’s too. So, he tried to pretend like nothing had changed. He figured he was doing a good job of it, as you hadn’t changed the way you acted towards him in the slightest. Maggie was showing off a shell she had found to you, your hair reflected the sun and looked particularly radiant. In the absence of a bucket or bag, you shoved the shell down your bikini top, to the raucous laughter of Maggie.
“What are you going to do tomorrow?” Maggie asked you down by the shore.
“Not sure, probably whatever you ask me to do.”
“Well, we did the beach today, pool yesterday, so we should go down to the markets tomorrow.” She said decidedly.
“That sounds lovely, Mags, we can get some ingredients and make your parents dinner.”
“Why would we do that?” She pulled a face.
“To thank them for letting me stay over summer break!”
“I think looking after me is enough of a thank you. That and putting up with Kimi year-round.”
“I don’t have to put up with your brother, you know, he is my friend.”
“Yeah well. That’s on you.”
You snorted out a laugh, bending over to pick up another shell.
“Hey, this one has a hole, we could make it into a necklace!”
“We have to find two more, then we can all have one.” Maggie renewed her energy into looking for the perfect shells. You joined her, it was strange being thurst into the limelight so young, you felt like you'd have to grow up faster, so when you had breaks like this, you let Maggie take the lead and allowed yourself to be a child again. With the lapping of the sea and the concentration on finding shells neither of you noticed Kimi sneaking up behind you until his hands were around Maggie’s middle, and he carried her back into the waves. He had been heading for you but chickened out at the last second, dunking his sister into the water instead. He laughed as she squealed in protest, wriggling out of his grip and splashing his face with her hands.
“Get her! Get her!” Maggie yelled. Kimi strode through the waves, reaching for you, but you had a head start without the water resistance. Your long legs took you quickly across the sand, but he had overtaken you in height a year ago, and somehow he had always been the faster of the two. He eventually caught you, diving into you and sending the two of you sprawling to the sand and water. You rolled over into a breaking wave and were drenched. You coughed up some sea water as you slid out of his grasp, smacking his chest lightly, fighting off the heat you felt at being so close. Kimi didn't know (you were good at hiding it) that your feelings had changed too. You'd been fighting with your instincts for the better part of a year, every fibre of your being wanted to bridge the short gap between friends and something more, but there was always the element of the unknown that scared you off.
It didn't take long for Maggie to swim over though the shallows, laughing all the while at your hot cheeks and tangled limbs.
“He got you so good!” She exclaimed. “But we still need to find another shell for Kimi,” it didn't take long. The three of you wandered the shoreline, sand and salt in your hair, the sun kissing your skin and turning it a little redder. You talked about everything and nothing, about Maggie’s classes, about the upcoming races, about how he would kick your ass for the rest of the season. You just smiled, he had always been this competitive, especially with you. Once Maggie had found a shell she seemed good enough for her big brother, the three of you packed your things and began the walk back home. It was mid afternoon, the sun had dropped lower into the sky, casting everything in a beautiful golden glow. You and Kimi each held one of Maggie’s hands, and she swung them back and forth, giddy with excitement. She speaks about the plan for the rest of the day, the rest of the holidays, how she's excited to go to Monza later in the year and how jealous her classmates were of her famous brother and his famous best friend. You couldn't help but smile at her infectious energy, she was a delight to be around.
Marco and Veronica had left the house by the time the three of you were back, they had texted Kimi to let him know and left some extra snacks out on the counter. Maggie rushed back to her room to collect her crafting kit as you poured some fresh juice into cups and dished up some of the fruit salad that was in the fridge. There really was nothing like coming back from a morning at the beach to fresh fruit and the fans on high.
“I could go for a nap right now,” Kimi stole a piece of kiwi fruit from the bowl and threw it into the air, catching it in his mouth. You laughed at him, shaking your head.
“Maggie is insistent that we have to make these necklaces now, she wants us to wear them to dinner.” You watched him pick up another piece of fruit and scoff it down. His skin was tanner than it was a few weeks ago, long days spent outside by the pool or at the beach, his cheeks were red with a little sunburn, and you could still see flecks of sand in his curls.
“What you actually need,” you said, “is to get all that sand off you, you brought the entire beach home!”
“And whose fault is that? You were the one rolling around in the sand!”
“Andrea are you kidding me!?” Your hand reached out to smack his chest, but his reflexes were too quick, and he caught it with his signature cheeky smile. It was hard to ignore the spark of electricity that ran up your arm and straight to your chest. The moment lingered for longer than it should, his hand clasped around yours, eyes locked together, until Maggie came bounding down the stairs with a box of craft supplies. Kimi dropped your hand like it was made of hot iron and stepped back hastily. If Maggie noticed anything out of the ordinary, she didn’t show it, putting the box of supplies down on the kitchen bench and grabbing a fork, stabbing it into the fruit salad, and shoving a giant mouthful down. You laughed, as if the two siblings couldn’t be more alike, even their eating habits were the same. Maggie opened her crafting box, and you sifted through the various supplies until you found some jump rings and pliers, and a spool of cord.
“Can you grab some scissors, Mags?” You asked, setting out the supplies on the dining table. The room was large and open, huge patio doors lead out to the pool area, and the tiles on the floor were cool despite the heat. Kimi grabbed the bowl of fruit salad and brought it to the table, and Maggie grabbed scissors like you asked.
Once set up at the table, you gave the shells a wash in a bowl of fresh water and patted them dry with a rag and set to work putting them onto jump rings to make charms. Kimi fumbled with his, struggling to get the tiny jump ring open. You ended up taking pity and doing it for him.
“We should trade! I am giving my shell necklace to Kimi, then you can give yours to me, and Kimi will give you his!” Maggie implored, and you couldn’t say no to her. Once the shell charms were threaded onto cord, Maggie gave you hers and asked told you to tie it on her brother’s neck. Standing so close to Kimi was becoming a gamble. You’d already nearly broken before the summer break, when he had won at Monaco and you’d finished in the points. The way he had raced over to give you a hug, whispering how proud he was of you, despite him being the race winner. He dragged you to the Mercedes celebrations by the harbour and managed to pull you into the water with him. The internet loved that clip. You tried to shake the memory of the way that day had felt out of your head, reaching your arm around his broad shoulders to bring the cord around his neck. His usual necklace was getting tighter on his neck by the day. You remembered when he first got it years ago. A good luck symbol. The only time he took it off was racing, and that was only due to the rules around metal jewellery in the car. His laughter at something Maggie had said brought you back to the present, and you hastily tied her necklace around his neck, leaving enough room for it to hang onto his chest. He touched it carefully as you finished tying the second knot, giving the necklace the ability to be tightened and loosened as he wished. Your fingers brushed the back of his neck, and you noticed the goosebumps that rose on his arms.
“Sorry.” You muttered quietly, trimming the excess cord to stop it from being irritating. He then stepped away, and watched with a fond smile as you tied the same knots around Maggie’s neck while she held her hair up out of the way. She was beaming with pride at the necklace around Kimi’s neck.
“You did a great job!” Kimi said, touching the shell by his heart. “It’s beautiful!” Maggie laughed, then midway through, fought back a yawn.
“I think everyone needs a nap before dinner at this rate!” You smiled, finishing with Maggie, and lifting your own hair so Kimi could put the final necklace around you. He stands in front of you rather than behind and suddenly, the bowl of fruit salad is the most interesting thing in the world. You can’t watch him bite his lip as he concentrates, and you certainly can’t be held accountable for any actions you may or may not take if you did. Maggie just rolled her eyes.
“You guys are weird.” She said and yawned again. “…Maybe I could do with a nap.” You tried to keep your eyes on Maggie while Kimi’s laugh echoed around you. He finished tying a knot (not as neat and tidy as yours) and stepped back with a proud smile.
“Shower first Mags, or you will end up with sand in your bed, and you hate that.”
“Jeez, okay Mr Bossy.” She said and made her way back up the wooden stairs to the bedrooms, leaving a trail of sand behind her, and a mess of craft supplies for the two of you to clean up.
It didn’t take long for you and Kimi to fall back into old patterns, bickering over who had which chore to clean up, so as to not face the annoyance of his parents when they got back from their day out. It was times like this that he felt like he was imagining everything that he had been noticing in the past few months. It felt like being tweens again, and it was enjoyable. There was no pressure to be the WDC leader, no media, no track politics, just two best friends spending their summer together. Once the main kitchen/dining area had been cleaned, you suggested putting on a movie before getting ready for dinner. Maggie was still napping in her room (or more likely scrolling on her phone or texting her school friends), and a film was a good way to avoid any awkward silences. Kimi picked an action movie and you both flopped onto the settee, not quite close enough to touch, but close enough to feel the heat radiate from his body. The combination of the early morning, excitement and sun had your eyes beginning to droop by halfway through the third scene. You adjusted yourself groggily, tucking your legs up under you and leaning onto a pillow that was propped up against Kimi. He reached out an arm, with some hesitation, and placed it around your shoulders. You’d fallen straight asleep, the pillow being the only thing keeping your head from resting on his lap. He softly ran a hand over your head, only stopping when he was cupping your jaw. Kimi tried to keep his eyes on the film, he really did, but it was impossible with the way your eyelashes fluttered against your cheekbones as you dreamt.
That was how his parents found the two of you 90 minutes later when they arrived home. Veronica nudged Marco with her elbow and pointed at the two of you, now both passed out while the end credits played.
“Do we wake them?”
“They do have to get ready for dinner.”
Veronica sighed, she gently shook her son’s shoulder, his head had fallen to rest on your side as you rested on the pillow on his lap. He woke up, rolled his neck out and blushed furiously at the situation he’d been found in. It wasn’t compromising (not that he was thinking about being found in compromising positions with you). His mum just gave him a knowing smile, and muttered that he should wake you up, and that she and Marco were going to shower and change for dinner. When they retreated up the stairs, Kimi nudged your side. You groaned, shifting but not waking up.
“Hey, tesoro, wakey wakey,” He muttered by your ear, you grumbled again and reached a hand up to shove him away. He laughed, he shouldn’t have expected any better, you were always grumpy when being woken up, like a bear coming out of hibernation.
“Go away.” You said into the pillow, blocking out the light with your free arm.
“Come on, we have to get ready for dinner. Your hair is a nightmare right now.” That was enough to get you moving. Your head shot up, and you reached up to touch your hair, which was indeed a bird’s nest, the saltwater had turned it into straw, and it was sticking up at all angles.
“God you’re so annoying!” You exclaimed, unfolding yourself from your curled up position on the settee, and reaching to ruffle his curls. He swatted your hand away with a fond smile.
“Go shower bird-head.”
“That literally doesn’t make any sense.”
Kimi replayed the moment of waking up curled around you in the shower three times. If it was the closest thing he was going to get to waking up next to you, he would treasure it for the rest of his life. He only actually cleaned the sand out from his hair after he heard you banging on his en-suite door yelling at him to hurry up and stop being so vain. When he emerged, hair still damp from being towel dried, dressed in a light linen button-down and matching trousers. He pulled on a pair of boat shoes and left his room, where he nearly knocked you over. You’d been waiting outside his room, wearing one of your nice sundresses with a cream purse slung on one shoulder and a cardigan tucked neatly over it. His arms automatically reached out to steady you, afraid of tipping you down the stairs and causing injuries that would affect the rest of your season.
“Sorry!” You said, your hands had come to his waist to keep your own balance. You were practically chest to chest; it wasn’t since the Monaco incident that his face had been so close to yours. You could count every freckle the sun had brought out on his cheeks. He let out a shaky breath, a nervous smile as he studied you.
“I know you haven’t done anything, but could you please stop looking so ridiculously kissable? My parents are here.” He muttered.
“I- what?” You responded, mouth hanging open slightly. “Was that meant to be an outside thought?”
“That was not meant to be an outside thought.” Kimi stammered, backing away and looking anywhere but at you, his heart was hammering out of his chest.
“I figured.” You laughed, avoiding eye contact like it was the plague. “I can’t help it, you know.”
“Can’t help what?”
“Looking so kissable. I can’t help it.”
“I know. You always look kissable.”
“Why haven’t you?”
“We’re friends. Friends don’t kiss their friends in the way I want to kiss you.”
“Maybe not, but I don’t think friends think about their friends in the way I think about you either.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Why don’t you find out?”
His hand resting on the small of your back pulled you in until your foreheads were touching.
“Is this okay?” He asked, leaning in. You were done with waiting, your hand reached up and caught his collar, pulling him closer until your lips touched his. He let out a strangled noise from the back of his throat that could have possibly been classed as a whine. The hand that wasn't holding you by the small of your back reached up to caress your jaw, encompassing it fully with its size. You pressed against him, your other hand working it's way up his back until you had it curled into his hair. He made the same noise again, pulling back the slightest bit to catch his breath, pupils blown and cheeks red. You weren't much better, one hand still clutching his collar as your eyes nervously darted down to his lips and back. This time he closed the distance, pushing you back gently until you hit the bannister separating the upstairs from downstairs. You let out a small ‘oomph’ and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue passing your lips and exploring your mouth. Your hand in his hair pulled a little and he instinctively pulled you closer, pushing his hips against yours. You only separated when you heard footsteps on the stairs and Maggie's voice yelling from below.
“We have a reservation to make! Hurry up!”
Your eyes met and the two of you descended into a fit of nervous laughter. You ran your hands through his hair to try and straighten it, and he pulled at your dress, that had ridden up your thighs. There was truly no hiding what had happened from his family though, as the both of you walked down the stairs with sheepish grins on your well-kissed lips.