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The sun shone brightly into the room, streaming in through the curtains left open. Mir grumbled and reached for the sheets. He pulled the flat sheet up over his head, wrapping him and his bed mate in a soft, white cocoon.
Rins stretched his legs, careful not to dislodge their covering. He rolled onto his side to face Joan and traced a finger over his abdomen. As he traced from Mir’s collarbone to his hip bone, the other rider shivered, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth despite his still closed eyes.
“I know you’re not sleeping,” the curly haired Spainiard murmured. Mir didn’t budge though. “Oh, you want to play that game?” he asked, leaning over to brush his lips against Mir’s ribs. The younger rider tried to hide his grin, but his bitten lip was a dead giveaway.
Rins dotted a few more kisses as he scooted up Mir’s body. When he still didn’t get much response, he bit down on his shoulder, finally getting the gasp he’d been seeking.
Mir’s hand quickly found his curls, tangling in them and tugging lightly. Rins lifted his head to see his face. Mir’s lips were moving, but there was no sound. Rins raised up on his elbow, using his feet to shuffle a bit further up the bed.
This time, though, there was a jolt of pain. Rins opened his eyes, realising he’d been dreaming again. There was no one else here. He was still just alone in his apartment, the curtains drawn tightly to keep out any hint of the summer sun.
He scrubbed a hand over his face and adjusted his pillows a bit, making sure his foot was still elevated. His cast was too warm and itchy, and it just reminded him of the very different path his break had taken. His former teammate was just a dream, a wish he’d not fulfilled.
At their last race together, before their injuries, Mir had asked Rins if they could see each other over the summer break. He’d been nervous, but Rins had written it off as a byproduct of the distance that had formed between them, each pushed in a different direction on new teams.
Rins had had every intention of making it happen; he’d planned and plotted every way to be secretive enough. It was his ultimate break from the crazy schedule and even crazier pressure to ride a dangerous bike. But then, the bike had bitten. Both of them. Mir’s warm smile was just a memory now, the brush of his fingers across Rins’ a faint tingle after all this time. He missed him. He missed him so much it hurt, leaving an open ache in his chest that threatened to swallow even the bright summer sun.
Rins sat slumped on his couch, cursing the cast on his ankle yet again. He hated not racing, but he almost hated his ruined summer plans more. If he was more rational, he’d just text Mir and invite him to stop by, but they didn’t live that close any more, weren’t teammates any more. It felt different.
He groaned as someone knocked on his front door. Rins wasn’t in the mood to entertain, and he certainly didn’t want to hobble to the door. But, the knock came again, louder this time, so he grabbed his crutches and made his way to the front, muttering under his breath.
“Joan?” He was startled to see the younger man standing there, his bright smile just visible over the giant box he was holding.
“I know we didn’t make concrete plans, but I figured, if you can’t go on holiday, I’ll bring the holiday to you,” he shrugged, the movement limited by the obviously heavy parcel. “Can I sit this down? I’ve got one more in the car”
Rins just stepped back, still too surprised to say anything. Mir sat the box in the entryway, pausing to look Rins over. They just stared at each other in silence for a few moments.
Mir’s smile started to slip as a blush covered his cheeks. “I should have called,” he murmured, worried by the lack of welcome. “This was silly. I’m sure you’re tired and sore and don’t-“
“No, no. I’m really glad you’re here,” Rins interrupted, the words tumbling out. “You had an injury, too, so I figured…” he trailed off. “I thought you might have forgotten,” Rins added with a cough, barely avoiding voicing his real concern. I thought you would have forgotten us.
“Barely a scar,” Mir commented, showing off the faint outline on his healed fingers. Rins reached out to trace over Mir’s fingers, his hands having a mind of their own. Mir slotted their fingers together for a moment, and Rins tried to remember to breathe, holding himself still as Mir finally pulled away.
“I’d better get the other box. There’s ice cream, and it’s probably very melted already,” Mir grinned, his cheeks pink as he took off back to the driveway.
Hours later, they were sprawled on a pair of lounge chairs by the pool. Mir hadn’t known Rins’ favourite ice cream flavour, so he’d brought a variety. As it turned out, they both loved the double chocolate with chunks of fudge in it. So much so that they’d jokingly dissolved into an argument over who’d eaten more than their share.
Rins offered Mir a spoonful, conceding that he had been hogging it. It was begrudging, but he still managed to be generous with the scoop he held out.
“I’m injured so I feel like I deserve a little extra, but if you want to be selfish about it,” he joked, partially missing Mir’s mouth as he started to complain mid-bite.
“Playing the sad, wounded card already?” Mir teased, reaching for a napkin to wipe his mouth. Before he could, Rins swiped his thumb over Mir’s bottom lip, popping it into his mouth without realising what he’d done.
Rins froze, the pad of his thumb still between his lips. Mir was staring at him in surprise, and it took a few nervous moments before Rins realised Mir didn’t look like it was a strange thing to do. Instead, he looked sort of hungry.
“That was mine,” Mir said, partially standing up to lean over the small table between them. He slipped his hand behind Rins’ neck, pulling him in to press their lips together. Rins melted into his touch, feeling the past year of hoping bubbling up. “I am so glad that wasn’t the wrong move,” Mir admitted, still close enough that his lips brushed Rins’.
“Definitely not,” Rins replied, moving over to give Mir enough space to join him. He slipped his arms around Joan’s waist, pulling him flush against him. Mir slotted his leg between Rins’, grinning at the soft groan that escaped the older rider.
Mir kissed him again, tracing his tongue over the seam of his lips. Rins gripped onto his waist more tightly, opening his mouth as his fingertips dug into the skin of Mir’s back.
They were both breathless by the time they broke apart, Rins keeping his eyes closed as though he was afraid it was a dream. He finally opened them as he felt Mir’s weight shift, rolling more on top of him.
Mir was staring down at him in a way that left his skin feeling hot all over. Rins was used to always being the confident one, the one totally in control, and the way he was feeling made him nervous.
“You taste like chocolate,” he said softly, grinning. Joan chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m glad you showed up,” Rins admitted. “I haven’t smiled this much in weeks.”
“I was so scared you’d shut the door in my face,” Mir confessed, biting his lip before continuing. “It just got longer and longer between phone calls,” he muttered.
“I know,” Rins agreed. “I thought you weren’t interested any more or maybe it had just been because we spent so much time together.” He reached his hand out, running his thumb over Mir’s cheek. “But, I could have called, too.”
Mir leaned down to kiss him once more, lingering for a few extra moments. “There’s still a week left of summer.”
“We’re going to need more ice cream if you’re staying the week,” Rins commented, enjoying the grin that had bubbled up again.
“I wasn’t suggesting I’d stay the whole week, but if you insist,” he shrugged, letting Rins pull him in.