"We should probably get going if we want to catch Brendon before he has to line up," Stevie said.
"We get to see him before?!" Roman screamed more than said. They should've had him meet with Maverick's PR person like he'd suggested. Then again, they already had enough on their plate. They were PR for Kingston Maverick after all.
"Yeah, silly goose," Stevie said like Roman didn't look like he was about to pass away. "He needs to see his good luck charms."
"How does my hair look?"
If Everleigh hadn't been staring, she probably wouldn't have noticed the look on Maverick's face. Contemplating how he wasn't the one to say the stupidest thing that day.
"Like a million bucks."
"Come on, Leigh." Seira took Everleigh's arm with hers. "Windsor has an open bar for their VIP."
Perfect. Everleigh could drown herself.
"Why didn't you say that earlier—" Maverick asked.
"Let's go!"
If she hadn't had to deal with Roman since she was twelve, Everleigh might've felt bad about making Roman a problem for Maverick and Rami. But, she had indeed dealt with him for almost eighteen years, and quite fucking frankly, it was someone else's turn. Linking arms with only women and walking toward the bar was the best decision for her mental health and she would stand by it.
As they walked through the door, Stevie beamed. "Welcome to Windsor, besties."
Everleigh looked around, undeniable smile. "This is gorgeous."
"Especially that open bar," Seira said. "Leigh, what can I get you?"
"Not a Ka-Chow," Maverick said.
"Sounds like moonshine," Everleigh said.
"Coming right up."
Seira walked away and Everleigh grinned as she flipped Maverick off, earning an eye roll in return.
"Do we have any tissues around here?" Stevie asked.
"Why?" Rami asked.
"No reason."
Everleigh looked at Stevie and followed her gaze. There was no denying Stevie would stare at him every time like it was the very first night.
There was something about true love that was unable to be explained with any of the words in any of the languages Everleigh knew and probably any that she didn't, either. Because love itself was a word that didn't feel strong enough when it came to Stevie and Brendon. People said that they loved a sport, or they loved books, or they loved their job, or they loved shopping. Love lost its meaning in a terrible translation of what it really meant.
Who could look at Stevie and Brendon and think it was anything other than golden strings of fate tying themselves together? Not tangled. Braided. Woven into something so cosmically meant to be that even past, present, and future were dumbfounded at how they didn't start life intertwined. That love was too often described as red, but it was clearly golden. Like fucking daylight.
Tearing her glance away from Stevie was a mistake. Because how in the hell had she noticed Brendon before Roman had?
"Stevie," Everleigh said, "I need reassurance right now that you love me despite the fact I'm sort of related to him."
"He seems fine—"
Roman nearly snapped his neck to look at what Stevie was looking at. Somewhat smart when he wanted to be. Brendon was on his way over. Everleigh didn't know a signal to give him to tell him to run in the opposite direction.
"Oh," Stevie said, "Never mind."
Roman nearly fell over. Everleigh didn't even blame Maverick for stepping out of the way. Some things left to fate were important not to tamper with. Luckily for Roman, Rami had only just met him. He hadn't suffered through as much as Maverick had the last year, and he certainly hadn't suffered through more Roman than Everleigh had. The man even fixed his hair for him.
"I give you permission to break up with me for bringing him here," Everleigh said.
"I could—never." The fact she didn't sound completely convinced at her own sentence was entirely valid. Everleigh couldn't argue with her.
"Hey guys," Brendon said.
"H—" Stevie started.
"Hi—" Roman shouted.
Maybe Everleigh had to take Maverick's hand for moral support. Revolting.
Everleigh didn't have Brendon as the best actor of the group on her bingo card, but there he was. "Feels like it's been forever, huh?"
"Um. Yeah." Roman laughed. Loudly. Awkwardly. "A while."
"I'm getting him a drink—" Everleigh tried.
Maverick stared at her. Begged her never to leave him alone with Roman ever again. "You think adding liquor to this is gonna help—" He grabbed her arm. Kept her there despite her attempted escape. A life sentence.
"How are you?" Roman blurted.
"Kind of nervous. Glad you guys could make—" Brendon caught himself when he looked closer at what was in Roman's arms. "Is that a teddy bear?"
"It's my daughter's."
"No, it's not." Everleigh was certain that if Maverick hadn't been holding her in place, she would've left to go see if any of the other drivers wanted to hit her with their car for whatever she had in her wallet.
"Sometimes," Roman corrected.
"I—" Brendon stumbled. "That looks like my beanie—"
Stevie grinned. "Oops."
"I'll ship it back to you," Everleigh said.
Roman looked about ready to throw her on the track himself. "Bit—"
"Tell us about the sports stuff, Bash," Maverick said. Grip a little tighter on her arm, more in a protective way.
"Did you finally lose at trivia or something—" Brendon asked.
"Not yet," Stevie said.
"Not ever," Everleigh said.
"Soon, if Maverick answers coveralls."
"What the hell else do you call them?"
"Overalls or race suits," Brendon said calmly.
"Overalls or race suits," Roman answered at the same time, angrily.
"Well." Maverick finally let go of Everleigh's arm, if only to cross his. "Now I know that answer."
"Here, babe," Seira said, handing Everleigh a drink that resembled Brendon's Ka-Chow from the party earlier in the year.
"Thank you, lovely." Thank God Maverick had let go of her, it gave her free reign to down the entire drink in one go. Surviving Roman and Maverick deserved a drink. "Delicious. Amazing. Wonderful."
"Can we cut her off now?" Maverick asked.
"Should I get another one or do you want to switch it up?" Seira asked.
"This is perfect. Thank you."
"I'll take one too, please," Stevie said.
"Roman?" Seira asked, though she didn't look like she wanted those words to leave her mouth.
"Hmmm?"
"He's good," Maverick said. "Please don't."
Seira left after saluting the other two women. Maverick shot Everleigh a look that said he was going to steal whatever Seira came back with from her. At least it was a fair warning.
"Do we want a quick tour before I have to leave?" Brendon asked. Bravely.
"We'd love one," Roman said. "Thank you."
If Everleigh hadn't been beside him, she probably wouldn't have heard the near-silent, "Jesus Christ," Maverick mumbled under his breath. She took his hand, squeezed it.
Stevie linked her arm with Roman's. "You can ease up on Fake Bash now."
"Oh." Roman looked down like that was something he needed to do to not choke out a stuffed bear. "Sorry."
"Proud of you," Stevie said.
Brendon looked at the bear again. "What did you just call that—"
"He calls it Fake Bash," Everleigh said, "but the goblin can only sort of pronounce it."
"It sounds more like fuck buzz," Maverick supplied. Maybe Roman was right that they were two halves of the same idiot.
"She's doing her best," Roman said.
"Right." Brendon eyed the bear like it had a webcam. "This way."
When Seira quickly rejoined them and handed her a new drink, Everleigh sacrificed her drink to give to Maverick. Pushover that she was. Disgusting.
Everleigh wasn't sure what she thought behind the scenes of a Formula One track was going to look like, considering her lack of knowledge about the sport came from the Cars franchise, but Brendon was a great tour guide in spite of his nerves about the race ahead. There were a lot more offices than Everleigh expected, but she supposed to keep things running smoothly, they needed that many. There were a couple board rooms, a few hospitality rooms with team colours pinned to the doors. Brendon was sure to explain what teams they were for because, quite frankly, he knew to count himself lucky that Maverick and Everleigh even knew what colours Windsor was.
Brendon led them upstairs to where the driver's rooms were. It didn't go unnoticed, maybe because Everleigh was trailing behind, that Stevie and Roman were hoarding Windsor merchandise from Brendon's room.
"Oh, I use that deodorant too—" Roman blurted when Brendon paused for a breath.
"Nobody cares," Everleigh said. Oh, yeah, there was the lack of sleep kicking in. She enjoyed that they were behind because Maverick providing the nip in the ass as an I told you so forced her to cover her mouth so she didn't snort laugh in front of them.
"Isn't it the best?" Brendon asked.
"That reminds me," Stevie said, "I stole your backup at home."
"Stevie—" Rami chided.
"Guys deodorant is so much better," Stevie said. "Don't give me that look. You steal my deep conditioner all the time—"
"Men have never suffered lavender belch or vanilla orgasm antiperspirant," Everleigh said.
"Excuse me?" Maverick asked.
"Deep conditioning is important," Roman said.
"Also," Seira said, "death to the pink tax. Right ladies?"
"Stop buying conditioner that smells good and maybe I'll stop," Rami said.
"Fuck the pink tax," Everleigh said.
"Pink tax can get royally fucked," Stevie said. Only somewhat stealthily placing sunglasses on Fake Bash's face.
"How do we fight the pink tax—" Roman asked.
"Good question," Stevie said.
"I'll send everyone a list of brands to use," Seira said.
Brendon looked down at his phone. "Okay, I think I have to go. Are you all alright to find your seats?"
Roman saluted. And promptly fell into him to hug him. "Good luck."
Maverick nearly squeezed the feeling out of Everleigh's fingers. Pinched the bridge of his nose with his other hand.
Brendon laughed. "Thanks. We'll try not to cry this time."
"Not likely." Stevie kissed him around Roman. "See you on the other side. You got this."
"I love you," Brendon said.
"Love you too," Stevie said. With Roman. At the same time.
"Hey, buddy," Maverick said, "if you want to watch him race, you're gonna have to let go of him—"
"I'm so sorry." Roman practically jumped back.
"Don't let go of Fake Me."
"I won't."
As they parted ways with Brendon so he could head to the garage, Stevie led the way to where their seats were.
"Roman and I call front and centre seats," Stevie said.
"As if they were going to anyone else," Rami said.
Stevie linked her arm with Roman's again and ran over to their seats. The other four followed, not nearly as fast. Maverick and Everleigh filed in behind them—they understood their place. Not that they weren't excited for Brendon to be going toward his first championship, but more that the others were better at knowing what was going on, and that was important too.
"I'm sorry about before." Roman's problem was that the crowd was buzzing, music blaring. In order to be heard, he had to yell. "I'm not used to, like, celebrities. Nerves kind of hit."
Everleigh buried a laugh into Maverick's shoulder as he shook his head.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."
"Why?" Roman asked.
"Never mind," Maverick said.
"Don't worry about it," Stevie said. "Seeing them in person for the first time is... weird. If you come to more races, you'll get used to it, though."
Peeling herself off her boyfriend, Everleigh frowned. "You actually want him back at more races after this—"
"Shut up," Roman said.
"At least he understands what's going on," Stevie said.
"Hmm," Rami said.
"Rami is, of course, welcome to join us up front," Stevie said.
"So I'm stuck with the spoon that probably only knows F1 cars go vroom vroom?" Seira asked, eyeing the seat beside Maverick as Rami happily sat himself down beside Stevie.
"I bet you I could name a driver other than Bash," Maverick said. Bravely.
"Current?" Seira asked.
"Yes."
"Who?"
Maverick's chest deflated a little. "Idris—"
A chorus of groans met him before he could finish the name. Maverick had overestimated his ability not to say something stupid.
"Even I know he retired last year—" Everleigh said.
"That's not public knowledge," Maverick protested.
"That's quite literally public knowledge," Rami said.
"Literally all of us posted about it last year after the race," Stevie said.
"That's—no."
Stevie pulled her phone out, opening Instagram quickly. "When someone forever changes the landscape of an entire sport the way that Idris Johnson did, saying goodbye seems like the hardest thing you could possibly do—"
"Okay, I get it. Stop." Maverick fiddled with his hearing aids.
"I think he's actually around here somewhere—"
"No way."
"Wait, let me text him—"
"Should ask him if he's like Tom Brady so Kingston can cheer him on—"
"Cut it out."
"I'm offended on Idris' behalf. Oh—he's here, he said." Stevie looked around for a moment before she started waving her hand. "Idris!"
Idris walked over, smiling at Stevie. "Hey! Was wondering if I'd run into you."
"Obviously, they can't keep Mario and Baby Mario apart," Stevie said. "Have you met my friends yet? This is Roman, Everleigh, and Maverick."
Idris leaned in to shake Roman's hand. It was probably sweaty if Everleigh knew anything about Roman. Poor Idris. He gave Everleigh and Maverick acknowledging nods. "Hey, how's it going?"
"Good—Great." Roman continued to shake his hand. Stevie looked close to having to pry them apart, but eventually, he let go. "How are you?"
Idris laughed. "Happy to be on this side of the track."
Maverick tried his best to hide behind Everleigh. Sit with his shame at not knowing Idris had retired the previous year.
"Have you been to one of the races before?" Idris asked Roman, who looked about ready to shit his pants. "Your name sounds familiar."
"Uh, no," Stevie said quickly. Good for her. "Not with us. You haven't heard of him."
"Are you sure?" Idris asked. "I swear you were telling me about someone Bash knew who saw the Brasil race last year—"
"Definitely not him. Must be mixing him up with someone else."
Even over the buzz of the crowd, Roman's squeak was heard. "You raced good."
"Thanks, man," Idris said. "Had to leave with style, I guess."
"You looked good."
Maverick was still trying to burrow his way out of Idris' sight, but that didn't stop him from blurting, "That's not what he meant."
"Fingers crossed it's Brendon's year," Stevie said.
"No doubt about that," Idris said, shaking Roman's hand again. "Enjoy the race, yeah?"
Roman nodded vigorously. Probably a better response than if he had spoken. Idris flashed a smile before heading over to his own seat. Everleigh elbowed Maverick to get out from behind her the moment his back had turned.
Stevie leaned over to Roman. "Now that is a famous person."
*
Everleigh didn't know much about Formula One, but she knew Brendon was in second. When they had first booked their tickets, Roman had tried his best to explain what the hell Formula One was. All Everleigh had really paid attention to—and understood—was that Brendon needed to come sixth or higher to win the whole damn thing, but that wasn't always as easy as it should've been. Evidenced by Roman's mental breakdown the year before. At least he'd let Stevie take Fake Bash for moral support around the twentieth lap.
There were only a few laps before the end of the race. Everleigh could barely feel her hand, Maverick was hanging on so tightly, so she could only imagine the lack of feeling in Stevie and Roman as they clung to each other like a high school couple in a horror movie. Needless to say, adrenaline was at an all-time high. If there was ever the time for a moment of bated breaths, it was when Brendon sped up at the smallest of openings.
"Is he—oh my God, he's about to—Roman, I can't breathe—" Stevie squeezed Fake Bash like her life depended on it. And it might've. "I think I might be killing Fake Bash."
"It's—He's—Okay—Wait," Roman said. The counsellor kicked in over the equally as panicked fangirl that lived inside of him. Roman was a walking conundrum with a Jersey accent. "What are five things you can see—"
"Um... Fake Bash. I can see Fake Bash," Stevie said. "And Rami's empty water bottle. There's a Windsor guy right down there."
Brendon was neck-in-neck.
"And the scoreboard over there. And—"
"AND AFTER SPENDING THE LAST FIVE LAPS RIGHT ON HIS TEAMMATE'S TAIL," the announcer yelled, "ELLIS PULLS AHEAD OF HIM INTO P1 JUST BEFORE THE FINAL THREE LAPS! BRENDON ELLIS IS POISED TO TAKE HIS MAIDEN CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE!"
Stevie and Roman could've been heard over the entire stadium when they really put their minds to it. The screaming was high-pitched and explosive, Rami had to catch Fake Bash when Stevie threw her arms around Roman, no care for the fake version of the man down on the track she'd share her universe with for the rest of her life. Probably would've lost the bear to the crowd like a graduation cap the moment Brendon crossed the finish line. Roman and Stevie hugged and spun around like they'd known each other for years. Trauma-bonded from the year prior, for certain.
"AND THERE WE HAVE IT, FOLKS! BRASIL 2023 BELONGS TO ELLIS. A REDEMPTION DAY AFTER A DEVASTATING LOSS LAST YEAR AT THIS VERY TRACK. BRENDON ELLIS FLIES HOME FOR HIS FIRST EVER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE AHEAD OF HIS TEAMMATE RIX TSUI, ALSO SECURING THE WINDSOR CONSTRUCTOR'S TITLE. ELLIS BECOMES THE 35TH DRIVER IN HISTORY TO WIN AN F1 CHAMPIONSHIP!"
At least this year, the tears were for the right reason. The best reason. The only reason tears should be shed by those who deserved the entire world: happiness. Pure, unadulterated. Every neuron fired exactly what it needed to at that moment. Nothing could stop it.
Everleigh stole a glance at Maverick, crying like he had at the Grammys. She wiped a couple tears from under her eyes. He hugged her quickly as Rami leaned over the seat to hug Seira, Roman was already taken by Stevie.
"Roman, we gotta go! Right now!" Stevie yelled. She didn't give him a chance to respond before grabbing his hand and sprinting out of the VIP box.
Rami turned to look at the other three. He nodded his head in the direction Stevie had dragged Roman. "This way."
They didn't see the other two again until they were at garage level, weaving their way through a large crowd of people. For the most part, nonviolently. Cheers erupted as Stevie and Roman got to the front of the crowd, a roaring engine cut after a moment. Above the crowd they slowly moved through, not nearly as fast as Stevie on her mission, the cheering grew louder when Brendon stood on the top of his car. Even from a slight distance, the tears on his cheeks shone in the gorgeous Brasilian sunshine. The tremble of his bottom lip fought his glowing smile.
Brendon took a moment to jump down and run over to Stevie, burying her in a hug a year late. Definitely crying more than a few well-deserved tears. There was a moment in every person's life where they feel like everything came together. It was even more exciting to see what his next highest peak would be, where he would grow, what he would do. But for that moment? It was brilliant to witness and be there for Brendon's in person.
There was something to say that if a birth was timed right, and that person's life lasted long enough, one person could see Haley's Comet twice. Brendon's first was Stevie. When they fell in love. When they realized they were meant for each other. The last two were cosmically tied together and separated, but they all happened at the same sighting of Brendon's comet. The second one was the moment that race, the season, ended. Brendon witnessed Haley's comet before seventy-five years had passed—and nobody deserved it more than he did. Brendon was going to have a thousand more Haley's Comets. He got to break the record—his third would be as outstanding as the first two.
What wasn't his third Haley's comet sighting was Roman not-so-sneaking into Stevie and Brendon's hug. To his credit, Brendon laughed. And threw his arm around Roman like he wasn't being a little shit. A couple quick hugs were exchanged with the other four, but there were driverly duties he had to fulfil. Interviews, photos. Perks of being the overall winner and race winner. A champion in every aspect of the word.
The group of them headed to a small spot at the side of the crowd, excitement buzzing in the air like oxygen was replaced by adrenaline and how dare they breathe anything other than that. It didn't take long for Brendon to rejoin the group.
He was sweaty, still crying, but there was no dampening the smile that would ache on his face for weeks. Of course he went to Stevie first. If she was the comet, he was the plasma trail. Always finding his way to her. "Hi."
"Hi?" Stevie looked aghast through her tears. "Hi? Babe, you did it. You fucking did it. I knew you would. I just—I love you. I love you so much."
It felt like they were intruding when Stevie kissed Brendon like it had been forever and a day since she'd seen him. It was proven when every single member of the group that wasn't them looked away to give them the moment. Rami pointed out a fake bird everyone pretended was real in the sky above the track. For a group of terrible actors, Emmys and Oscars given out all around.
"I love you," Brendon said when he'd found his breath again. "My Stevie. Always my Stevie."
A moment passed before anyone spoke up again. Basking in the electricity in the air, giving Stevie and Brendon their moment among the cosmos before they came back down to Earth.
When the silence was broken, the look Rami gave Everleigh made her wish she was an invisible bird in the sky.
"Piston Cup Champ!" Maverick said, giving Brendon a quick hug. "Congrats, man!"
Roman looked like he considered vomiting. At Maverick's words, at Everleigh's choice of men. Sick to his fucking stomach.
Brendon was too happy to correct him. Bless his god damn heart—though it was clear he mentally crossed Maverick's name off the VIP list for next year. "Thanks, Mav. So happy to see you here."
"That's—" Rami started. Stevie elbowed him—the one time she was going to let Maverick get away with something stupid. Rami swallowed hard. Burying those words wouldn't have been easy for anyone. "Yeah. Our Piston Cup champ."
"The best Piston Cup champ. Obviously," Maverick said.
"He was like lightning out there," Seira said.
"Real McRoyalty," Everleigh said. Like she hadn't chosen that lovable idiot. Somehow, it was worse that he was nodding along because he thought everyone was agreeing with him and not simply making fun of him. She gave Brendon a small hug as both a congratulations and an apology for bringing him with her.
"A true precision instrument of speed and aerodynamics," Rami said.
"I wanted to give the folks a little—" Brendon was fighting for his life but pulled his composure together. "—sizzle."
"Floated like a Cadillac," Roman said. Swallowing back his vomit. "Stung like a Beemer."
Brendon laughed and threw his arm around Roman. "Yeah, exactly."
Roman hugged him like they'd known each other for centuries. "Congrats, champ."
"See? You were my good luck charm."
Roman squeezed Brendon to the point his eyes bugged out a little. Everleigh made a note in her head to send him the longest apology text later—her boys, her responsibility. She should've brought Dewey instead of them.
"Do we want a picture of the happy throuple?" Seira asked.
The first photo they took was standard, despite the tear-stained cheeks. The second photo, which ended up having Stevie and Roman kiss one of Brendon's cheeks each, was a little more their style in the best and worst way possible. In other words, the perfect way to cap off the afternoon.
*
Roman squealed in his seat and nearly fell out of it. A couple people sitting nearby at the airport glared at him, Everleigh gave them apologetic glances. Maverick was asleep on her shoulder. Excitement of the Piston Cup knocked him out like it had the night of the Grammys.
"What's your problem?" Everleigh asked.
Roman leaned a little closer and shifted his phone her way as he tapped away from whatever he'd been doing prior. Stevie had posted the photo of the two of them kissing Brendon. Tagged him in it like a good sister-wife would.
Stevie's caption was better than the photo itself. me, the love of my life, and his side chick (gender neutral). Brasil 2023.
Everleigh laughed. "Hope you've sent that to Flo."
"It'll be the first thing I show her, don't you worry."
Maverick stirred. Nuzzled his forehead into Everleigh's shoulder for a moment before grumbling and sitting up a little straighter. "You're not being comfortable."
"I'm so sorry."
"Butthead."
"Hey, Mav?" Roman leaned forward a little. Everleigh leaned back as best she could.
"Hmm?" Maverick rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"Thank you for booking the tickets for today. It was a lot of fun."
Maverick did his best to keep a smile from breaking through. "Sorry they were two days late."
Roman shrugged. "We saw the good part."
"You really mean that?"
"I'll... get over missing the other two days." Roman rolled his shoulders back. Trying to shake it off. "But for now?" He held his phone up. "I downloaded all three Cars for the trip home. Hope you're not thinking of sleeping."