Chapter Text
racing has been in your blood since your embryo was created. your dad- a three time formula 1 world champion- insisted that your mother got you a passport after birth so you could see and experience every track before learning to speak full sentences.
"if we expose her this young, she'll learn enough shit to be a team principal someday," he said to convince her. your mom agreed despite the idea of nepotism allegations because selfishly- she wanted to continue traveling the world.
turns out, your dad was partially right. over a decade of running around a paddock and sweet talking your way into sitting at the pit wall made you fall in love with the sport and decide to pursue a career as a race engineer. just months after graduating with your degree in motorsports engineering with years of research under your belt, a new formula 1 team recruited you.
contrary to popular belief, you weren't hired for your last name. bruno bucciarati, the principal and partial owner for golden wind racing, sought you out himself for the immense potential he knew you could bring to a new team.
bruno seemed to do that for almost all of the crew- no applications needed.
to the shock of many fans, bruno hired leone abbacchio to be a spotter. abbacchio, a now retired driver who was loved by millions, had fallen off the face of the earth mid-season three years ago when he caused a completely preventable accident that killed another driver. the guilt of his actions and spiral into alcoholism left abbacchio isolated from not only the racing world but the public as well. bruno somehow managed to track him down and convince him to return to formula 1. his resurgence was the last thing anyone expected, but from golden wind's very first race he's been ranked as the league's top spotter.
narancia ghirga, chief mechanic, was another unexpected hire. he dropped out of school at fourteen to work at his dad's auto shop. local league racing caught his interest and before he knew it, he was on a pit crew for professional stock car leagues. narancia's knowledge and expertise at such a young age stood out to bucciarati who read an article about him in a racing magazine. his offer to narancia wasn't even finished before the boy called his boss at the time to quit.
your co-engineer, pannacotta fugo, was a genius with chronic crash outs. he had been working for a formula 2 team and outshined everyone else in the league but was unfortunately fired after his obscene reaction to a mechanic's kid's "yo mama" joke. bruno- always a believer in second chances- recruited him with open arms and plenty of eggshells to walk on.
golden wind's choice for a second driver was met with skepticism- especially by abbacchio. giorno giovanna, a formula 4 driver, was chosen by bucciarati after giorno had only been driving for a single season. he was a sharp driver who seemed to treat the track like it was first nature. the inside of a race car was his home and crossing the finish line was his reason for breathing. even the most dedicated fans for other teams cheered for giorno.
and then there was guido mista.
guido mista was the golden boy of formula 1. a longtime second driver for la squadra, mista made the podium at almost every race. his charm, devastatingly good looks, and ability to drive like hell made him a fan favorite- even by those who hated the team he drove for. from the first time he was behind the wheel of a kart, everyone knew he would become one of the greatest.
shortly after mista won his fifth championship for la squadra, bruno invited him to a private dinner in monza. alongside the veal- an offer to be first driver for golden wind racing was on the table. promises of a higher salary and better racing technology had mista shaking bruno's hand before the nightcap could be brought out. the shock and disappointment of him leaving la squadra had most fans claiming it was the end for mista, but after making pole and winning his first race for golden wind it was clear he would take the team further than anyone expected. the world was all in on golden wind from that point on.
guido mista was also the man you had secretly been having wild sex in your hotel rooms for the last two months.
it became a ritual- you always request an extra key to your room that "somehow" ends up in mista's pocket. what he chose to do with the key was always up to him, and the man never wasted an opportunity to get drunk off of your pussy.
your little arrangement was all fun and games until mutual feelings got caught after only a month. even then, the multiple "what the hell are we?" conversations happened while tangled in white sheets but they always ended with the conclusion of we're just secret fuck buddies who sometimes say "i love you" on accident while they cum.
while making things official and going public wouldn't be a total controversy, you had an irrational fear that you'd lose all credibility in the racing world over your relationship. though it killed mista, he respected your feelings more than his desire to show you off. you both knew it wasn't the healthiest situation but chose to ignore it for the sake of grade a backshots.
nobody knows about your "situationship" as mista lovingly calls it. not even trish una- the public relations manager for golden wind racing and your closest friend- has an inkling this is happening. you dreaded her finding out not because of negativity but because she would go absolutely overboard with documenting your relationship. a merch drop wouldn't be out of the question.
maybe one day you'll actually take that step. for now, you have something to prove to the world and the dick you're riding can come later.
☆☆☆
it's race day in miami.
the alarm on your phone jolted you awake at 3:50 a.m. 'tell mista to gtfo' the label read.
chilled air from the window unit grazed your arm as it left the warmth of your bedsheets to mute the annoying chime. after stretching your muscles, you rolled over and gently shook mista's shoulder.
"rise and shine, speed racer. last time was way too close of a call."
mista groaned. "you realize if we finally went public i wouldn't have to sneak around like this anymore," he murmured before pulling you closer. "but someone here enjoys gatekeeping." mista's nose nuzzles into your hair.
you press a kiss onto his shoulder. "no," another kiss. "i just really like my job and am choosing put that first for the time being. now get out before i push you into the hallway naked." you gathered whatever sleepy strength you had and forced mista off of the mattress with your legs.
mista let out a raspy laugh as he stumbled out of bed. "it's so fucking hot that you're business-minded. like, it actually makes me hard sometimes." you giggled at that but chose to remain silent afterwards as to not distract mista.
while he got dressed, you chose to admire the view. mista's body was one to be envied by all men. even while half awake he was unfairly gorgeous. the warm glow of your bedside lamp caught the sharp lines of his shoulders and back moving as he pulled up his joggers. the elastic was left hung just low enough on his waist to tease you. your eyes moved upwards and you noticed the faint pink lines your nails left on his skin- a beautiful contrast against the natural olive tone of his triceps. you were crestfallen seeing him put a shirt back on.
after sliding his shoes on, mista walked to your side of the bed where you were still naked under the sheets. he kneels down and looks into your eyes before placing a gentle kiss to the corner of your mouth. mista's lips drag along your skin until he reaches your earlobe.
"today's race is for you, pretty girl," he murmurs lowly into your ear. "plus, the faster i drive the faster i get to come back and drown in your pussy." chills run down your spine hearing him say those words in that way. still, you tried to keep your cool.
"actually it's- ahhh- for you considering your current standings, but i appreciate- mmm- the sentiment." you finally break free from mista's ear nibbling and begin to do the 'shoo' motion for him. "now please go so i can get an extra hour of sleep in."
"hot n' bossy. love seeing that in a woman."
"guido mista!"
hearing you use his government name made him run out before you could even say bye.
as you went to turn the lamp back off, you saw he left his watch on your nightstand next to your earrings. they looked like they belonged together.
☆☆☆
golden wind's paddock was already buzzing with controlled chaos by the time you arrived. the familiar scent of fresh tires and gasoline fumes permeated through the air as you made a beeline for bruno. his demeanor looked way too calm for race day.
"morning, bruno," you said before taking a sip of your energy drink. "i reviewed our new tire plans on the way here and agree with fugo that medium are the best call for today. we just need your final blessing."
bruno nodded. "i have full faith in the two of you. today can go fully in our favor if we put everything into it." you loved how he unintentionally gave pep talks. the principal of your dad's team just verbally abused everyone into winning.
after spending the next few hours confirming race strategy, triple checking data screens, and holding fugo back from jumping a mechanic, you finally had a moment to breathe before one last briefing with the racers and monitoring the final checks.
as if the gods knew perfect timing, both mista and giorno came into your line of sight.
"perfect- i was just about to hunt both of you down. have you two reviewed the revised strategy? the forecast is slightly different now so we've got nothing but sunshine."
giorno nodded firmly. "fully memorized, ma'am." as much as you hated when giorno called you that, you did feel a little pride receiving the respect.
"beautiful, giorno. i think trish needs you for just a moment and then you're all clear. best of luck today!" he gave you a final nod of acknowledgment before searching for trish's bright pink hair in the crowd.
mista smirked. "if i prove i memorized the plans can i get a prize?"
you wanted to smack him with your clipboard. "get on the podium and then we'll talk. now please confirm you know the strategy." mista, unserious as always, salutes you.
how were you so attracted to this idiot?
the time for formation lap finally came. despite not being a driver, you still felt the addictive rush of adrenaline. after anxiously taking your seat, you put your headset on.
“radio check- professionally,” fugo barked at mista through his microphone. while you were able to handle mista’s bullshit, fugo despised the man for his inability to remain serious at tense times.
“cock n' balls.”
“oh, fuck off!”
before fugo could threaten to quit for the fourth time today, you decided to take control of the conversation.
“remember our plan, mista. don’t charm your way out of it,” you spoke into the microphone of your headset. “melone is favored to win but you’re more than capable of coming ahead.” you could hear mista's smile before he even spoke. just picturing it made heat creep into your cheeks as you fought back a grin of your own.
"yeah, yeah. just remember who this race is for."
with bigger fish to fry and another crashout pending, fugo chose to ignore mista's cryptic message.
as the formation lap faded into the starting grid, you felt your stomach tie in knots that would make a scout jealous. all of your tiresome work will now either pay off or fuck everyone over.
no pressure.
one by one, five red lights illuminated the grid. every living creature at the circuit seemed to hold its breath.
lights out.