2/2/24
(A/N: It's a long one, but it's necessary because we're finally getting into the nitty gritty of things. I hope it's not too long for you guys. Enjoy!)
It took only seconds for McQueen to catch up. After all, you were merely cruising, slouched in your seat and hand lazily on the wheel while your free arm hung out the window. "Okay!" He called out as he slowed his car to match your pace, driving right alongside you, mirror to mirror. "You got me out here. Where are we going?"
You turned to look at him, finding his head tilted in your direction and eyes scanning your relaxed face. A small smirk rose to your face as you gave a casual shrug of your shoulders. "I dunno." You replied. Your smirk only grew at the confused look on his face. The way the corner of his nose scrunched up and his mouth fell slightly agape, ready to question but no voice came out, was adorable. Turning your head back to face the road ahead as the two of you passed a large sign that bid farewell from Radiator Springs, you continued, "There's no knowing where we're going, but that's what makes it fun."
McQueen gave no response. When you glanced back at him, you saw him trying to mimic your posture. He would glance at you, adjust himself, then glance back to see what was next. You giggled quietly to yourself once he was relaxed and all lazed out, forcing a bored expression to his face to make him seem cool. Or, rather, to make him seem unbothered by the lack of clarity and direction in the drive which, inside, he found pointless and questionable. He continued to steal glances at you, waiting to see if you had any tricks up your sleeve.
With another laugh, you pressed on the gas pedal for a millisecond, revving the engine as your car lurched forward a bit. The engine roared when you did so. Looking back over at the rookie in red, you saw him immediately straighten slightly. He looked back at you, his innocent look of confusion making him look like a curious little puppy, and revved his engine back. His car lurched forward too.
Then, sending him a quick wink, a giant smile broke out onto your face as you slammed on the gas pedal, a look of pure bliss on your face. You car began to break away from McQueen's with such force that you could feel gravity forcing you back against the seat as much as possible.
"Whoa!" McQueen breathed out in excitement as he saw you race off at immense speed, a small blush still on his face after the wink you had sent him. "Yes!" He cheered as a determined look rose to his face. Both hands returned to their natural position on the wheel and clutched it tightly, and he floored it as well. The sound of his engine roared like a mighty lion and echoed out into the open air.
He eased up on the gas just a bit once his car had caught up to yours, veering into the other lane to be more beside you. However, having no clue where the two of you were going, he let you remain in the lead a fair amount. Your cars began to make their way into a beautiful forest area. Leaves fluttered up from the ground around you, the vicious winds of turbulence from your cars breathing a new life into them.
"Hey, Lighting!" You called out the window to him. "Why don't you take the chance to show off a little? Show me the true McQueen?"
"What?" He questioned loudly, trying to let his voice power over his car's monstrous engine. "What do you mean?"
You smirked to yourself as you pressed on the brake, allowing McQueen to go zooming past you which would give you the room you needed. Once he was clear of your front tires, you used the gear shift to help you spin around and seamlessly enter a phase of driving backwards. You sped up to catch up to McQueen.
"Whoa! How'd you do that!?" He beamed with a huge smile when your car came back into view, surprised that he no longer saw the car's rear bumper but your face through the windshield instead.
"What, you mean you can't?" You blasted with a hearty laugh. "You'd think a big-shot city boy racer like you would know a trick or two!" Shrugging your shoulders at him, you yelled out in false dismay, "Oh well!" And with that, you quickly turned the car back around in one swift motion and began driving forward once more.
McQueen chuckled at your childish behavior. It had come to grow on him. He found your personality quite charming and, well, intoxicating. He was always craving more of it, to see more sides of you than met the eye. "This is Lighting McQueen, you're talking to!" He called out with a rebellious smirk on his face. "I'll show you a thing or two!"
Slamming on the gas, McQueen sped forward and right past you. He merged into your lane right in front of you with just enough room to spare. Had it been anyone else, you would've spiked the breaks. But you trusted McQueen, and trusted he knew what he was doing enough to where he would never pull a maneuver that would put you in risk of a crash. He extended his arm out his window, motioning to you with a beckoning wave. The rookie was daring you to pass him, a friendly challenge.
Tightening your grip around the wheel, you tried to overtake McQueen. However, the rookie was very sharp and had reflexes unrivaled by anyone else you had ever encountered. He cut you off every single time, which was of no surprise to you seeing as how this was a common stalemate faced in the world of racing.
"Aw, c'mon, (Y/N)!" McQueen called out with a playful laugh of mockery. "You gotta do better than that if you wanna pass me!"
You rolled your eyes with a small laugh at the singsong tone in his voice. His cockiness was coming out strong, but he forgot who was really allowed to be the cocky one here. You knew these roads, had them memorized both in mind and heart. This wasn't a simple endless circular loop like all of the stadium tracks he had raced on.
One of the best curves was coming up, a turn that spun with the wave of the land and curved off the ground slightly. It rode up a fairly gradual slope, giving more room to the road than met the eye if going off the presence of asphalt alone. Slowly starting to merge into the right lane, McQueen quickly jerked his car over to block you at the exact same time you flew back into the left lane full force, riding and drifting up the slope before racing back down and straightening your wheels just in front of his race car.
"Oh, you mean like that?" You called out with a hearty laugh, nothing but pure lively excitement and adrenaline rushing through your veins. McQueen laughed as well, shouting out a compliment on your driving skills that brought a blush to your cheeks.
The two of you eased up on the racing and relaxed back more into the simple nature of a drive. Your cars gracefully flowed with the winding roads, which flowed with the land itself, just as you liked it. The two of you went out of your way to drive through puddles of water sitting in the road once you reached the section that drive right along the canal side. It was fun seeing the water splash up onto your windshields, and to see just how high the water would rocket into the air like a crashing rude of the ocean. Just the same with any piles of leaves in the road, the both of you eagerly drove your cars right through them to watch the leaves go rushing into the air, doing flexible curls and flips in the air as they flurried.
McQueen soon lost himself in the drive once the two of you passed the canal and began to head more into the mountains and canyons. He was so overwhelmed with emotions, yet felt nothing but immense peace wash over him. The sights were breathtaking. The roads were fun and full of mystery at every turn. Every second was fresh and new, nothing like the monotony of the race tracks he prided himself in dominating. This was a whole new world to him, and he didn't want to ever wake up from whatever dream he was living in.
As he passed through a tall tunnel, one that was carved right into a mountainside, his mouth dropped in awe as he drove into the blinding light at the end of the dark tunnel to see a glorious waterfall. It was huge, the rushing water sparkling as far as the eye could see. He figured it flowed into the canal far below that he had once drove past with you. It was such a fantastic sight, watching all the mist and foam flying into the air which added even more glitters of light to the view.
His gaze began to follow the waterfall down to a long bridge that crossed right in front of it, so close that it practically kissed the rushing water of the falls. There, on that bridge, was you in your car. McQueen was close enough to have a good, clearly vide of you through your windshield and windows. You had such a peaceful look on your face, a relaxed smile tugging at your lips and your hair slightly flowing behind you from the wind being let in from your open windows. He watched as the world seemed to go in slow motion, you in front of the brilliant sparkling waterfall, watching as you slowly dragged your eyes over to look at him as a warm, loving look was sent his way.
A furious blush rose to his cheeks at the immense emotion held in your gaze, all directed at him and for him, and all he could do was send an awkward smile back. You laughed at his reaction and continued down the road. McQueen quickly sped up to you, and from there it was like a lively dance. Your cars swayed along with not just the flowing road but with each other, continuously shifting around one another in a circle where you would lead first, then you would fall behind as he passed on before ultimately passing by him once more. It remained like this through the zigzag of curves ahead, which let you know that the drive was near its end.
You sped into the lead one last time and into the final bend, coming to a gradual stop at the end in front of a large wheel-shaped building carved into the mountainside. Your car coasted to the overlook, where you parked your car in front of a log laying on its side, marking that no car should go any further. Turning the car off and slipping out, you began to walk towards the building just as McQueen came around the corner. He parked his car by yours and slipped out as well, jogging over to you.
"Wow! What is this place?" McQueen breathed out in awe.
"This is Wheel Well." You replied. "Well, it was, anyway. It used to be the most popular stop on sixty-six."
McQueen inspected further, looking at all of the rust and even the entirely missing gas pump that seemed to have been ripped right out of the plate, leaving nothing but rested bolts and wires. Empty cans and car parts were scattered everywhere, and the place was flooding with annoying, pesky gnats. "This place?" He questioned you.
"That's what Sally told me." You said with a simple shrug. "She wasn't around when it was lively, though, but I do believe her."
"What about you? Did you see it?"
"Oh, no, no!" You said with a small laugh that was mixed with a playful scoff. "That was many, many years ago. I'm not sure I was even alive then."
"I see." McQueen mumbled in response.
"I think it would've been nice to see it the way Sally gushes about it, though." You said with a forced smile, putting your hands in your hips as you looked up at the towering building. "Honestly, I wish I could've seen the whole town the way it used to be."
"You mean it wasn't always like this?" McQueen tilted his head curiously.
"Of course not." You merely smiled at his ignorance. "No town is built to look so sad and desolate right off the bat!" Turning to him and meeting his gaze, you took a chance and grabbed his hand, leading him back over to your cars.
"W-Wait! But what happened?" He asked, concerned why you were dragging him back to his car. He wasn't quite ready to leave. You seemed to have a lot more left to say, and this could be his only chance to have some alone time with you to really be able to learn more about you.
"This happened." You answered him once you reached the cliffside, disgust and even a little contempt lacing your words. You pointed out across the expanse below.
McQueen first looked down to take in what rested in the valley at the base of the mountains he currently stood on. He saw a breathtaking view of the vast desert expanse, full of grand mountains and canyons. In the middle of it, resting peaceful, was little ol' Radiator Springs. "Whoa... Look at that!" He then followed your gaze to see the Interstate full of bustling vehicles trying to get from point A to point B. It was perfectly nested on the other side of some hills and mountains. Even the waterfall was hidden from sight due to the inward curve of the mountains around it, shielding it off from the rest of the world. "Look, they're driving right by! They don't even know what they're missing!" He pointed out.
"It didn't use to be that way." You frowned.
McQueen turned to you. "Oh, yeah?"
"The townsfolk say that, forty years ago, that Interstate down there didn't exist. Back then, cars came across the country a whole different way."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the road didn't cut through land like that Interstate. It moved with the land, you know? It rose, it fell, it curved." You motioned back down towards the road you had just driven along. "You saw for yourself on the way up here. But they added the Interstate to save only a few minutes of driving, and the town got bypassed. I wish it hadn't." You stopped talking as you turned to walk back to your car. You slid yourself up into the hood, bringing a knee up and in towards your chest as the other leg came to bend and rest under the one that was propped up. An arm came to rest on the knee of the popped up leg, while the other was behind you providing support as your hand came to rest firmly on the hood. Your gaze remained fixed on the view ahead.
McQueen eyed you curiously, cautiously walking over to your car once he saw you get comfortable. Not really knowing what to do in the moment, he simply leaned back against it just off to the side of you. He crossed his arms over his chest in a relaxed manner. "Y'know..." He began, treading carefully as he tried to find the right words that wouldn't sound offensive. "I don't get you. How does someone like you end up here, and... Why haven't you left?"
You sighed with a bittersweet smile. "It's not that simple, rookie." You let your propped up leg fall to rest, now sitting with your hands in your lap as you legs dangled over the front end of your car. You began to fiddle with your fingers, picking at your cuticles absent-mindedly. "It's just... These guys are my family and always have been. I'm not sure I'm ready to leave them."
"Well, I mean, surely you plan to leave eventually?" McQueen asked, still looking out at the breathtaking view but his attention was solely focused on you.
"That's the thing. I want to, but it's just a hard decision to make. Things like this are hard to determine once you fall in love and get attached."
"Y-You're in love?" McQueen stuttered out, now turning his head to look at you. He didn't know whether to feel hopeful or scared. It all determined on who you were talking about.
"With everything that comes with this dead end town, yes." You replied seriously, missing the sigh of relief McQueen gave at your response. "It's so open and free out here. Roads stretching as far as the eyes can see. This whole mountainous area. Always fresh air and full sunsets, and I can see the millions of stars in the sky each and every night."
"But isn't there anything you wanna do you with your life?" McQueen asked, turning around to face you. "I mean, I'm gonna go out on a hunch and say you wanna be a racer." He motioned at your makeshift race car you were sitting on.
You sighed sadly. "I want to be a racer more than anything!" Your words came out as a whisper, your finger coming to lazily drag along the hood with a loving stroke. "I've dreamed about it my whole life! I love to watch the races and I love to drive my car as often as I can and wherever I can..."
"...But?" McQueen waited for the conclusion to your response with anticipation.
"It would take me away from all of this. My family, the freedom, the beautiful scenery." You gestured out at everything the world had laid out before you, out over the cliff side and into the valley. "Honestly, the perfect life would be for me to be able to become a racer and still stay here with my family." A sad chuckle then broke through your lips. "But it's never going to happen. Doc would never allow it."
"What does Doc have to do with any of this?" McQueen asked, looking at you funny.
"Well, for starters, he's my father." You told him, surprised to see he was utterly appalled at your statement. "What?"
"Doc is your father!?" He practically shouted. "The Hudson Hornet is your father!?"
A frown rose to your face. "Not by blood, he's not. But he is my father nonetheless."
McQueen carefully eyed you for a moment, shifting slightly closer to you. "I'm... I'm sorry, um... What happened?"
You sent him a forced smile. "We're getting off subject. Also, the fact that Doc is a famous racer... Do not bring that up to anyone, ever."
"Why not?"
"It's just hard for Doc, okay? If you want to know the real reason, you'll have to ask him yourself. He probably won't even give you the time of day, though." You told the racer. "At the very least, please don't tell anyone for my sake, okay? Do it for me?"
Although McQueen stared at you with a calm expression, you could see the thousands of words waiting to be said rushing around in his head. You could see it all in his beautiful light blue eyes. "Alright..."
"Thank you." You sent him a small, gracious smile. "Anyway, Doc would never let me become a racer. He's too over-protective in my opinion, but there's no fighting that man's stubbornness. We never see eye-to-eye on this and it always ends in a big fight."
"Well, what does he say about it?" God, it felt so good to hear him constantly opening doors for you to explain and elaborate. It felt amazing to finally get all of this off your chest to someone who you knew would better understand, especially since there was no keeping secret about Doc's past at this point. You also loved the look of genuine intense interest he held on his handsome face. You wanted to just kiss him right then and there for it!
"It's always the same thing over and over." You began. "He says it's too dangerous... He thinks it's a dangerous game played by dangerous people, and he just doesn't trust racers in general. He also told me he doesn't think I'm mature enough for it."
McQueen let out a small chuckle. An angry look rose to your face, and you were about to snap until you realized why he chuckled when he said, "My mom was the same way. I still laugh about it to this day."
Your face relaxed. "Really?"
"She pretty much said the exact same things Doc said to you."
"Then how did you become a racer?"
McQueen laughed at the thought. "It took a lot of fights and many years of reasoning, but I finally convinced her that it was my life and I was going to do what I wanted with it."
"If I tell Doc that, he'd lose his mind."
"(Y/N), why are you walking on eggshells with him?"
"Because I have to."
"Why don't you just go behind his back?"
"Because I can't!"
"But why don't you just-"
"I can't lose another father!" You snapped, offended by the question and thoroughly upset that the memories began to flood back through your head. McQueen recoiled slightly with a flinch, eyes widening in realization.
You brought your knees up to your chest and buried your head into them. "I'm scared that if I push too far, I'll make Doc too mad. I don't want him to hate me or anything..." McQueen slowly reached out to you, about to grab your hand, but quickly pulled it back and tried to act like nothing happened when your head suddenly snapped back up as you began to rant. "I mean, I know he just wants to protect me and that he loves me and he cares about me, but I feel so trapped and suffocated! I can't seem to find the balance between a loving father and the freedom to do what I want! He won't even let me go see the tie-breaker race and that doesn't even involve me racing at all! And I don't want to worry him or anything, and I know that deep down I'm afraid to race because I know he's right, it is dangerous, but I can't help loving what I love! I just..."
You sighed, taking a moment to calm yourself down. McQueen simply remained quiet, staring intensely as he gave you space yet still remained fully attentive to offer support should you need it. "He's projecting his fear and distaste of the sport onto me... And that's not fair to me." You then continued, "He seems like he can't make us his mind, too! He sends mixed signals all the time. He doesn't want me to race, but gives me my own race car! He wants me to stay safe, but teaches me his tricks anyway and wants me to learn! It's just..."
You looked right at McQueen, right into his eyes, finding that the calmness pooled within them seemed to ease the pain and suffering within yours. "I feel like he's hiding something. Why else would he be so finicky with this?" When you realized the long rant you had just gone on, you pulled yourself from your thoughts with an embarrassed chuckle. "I'm sorry, did I go too far?"
"No, not at all." McQueen replied. "Look, I wish I could be of more help..."
"Oh, don't worry about it." You told him, literally waving him off. "It's not your problem. It's nothing."
McQueen frowned at that, eyebrows furrowing. It most definitely was not nothing, but he didn't wish to pry further. It seemed like you had just went through a lot mentally and emotionally in those few minutes. For now, all he could do was be there to support you. After all, it broke his heart to see you so upset. Cautiously, keeping an eye out for any sign you rejected his advanced as he did what he did next, he climbed onto the hood of the car and sat beside you. Your shoulders were practically touching, but you didn't mind the lack of space. In fact, you not only welcomed it, but wished there was no space between you whatsoever, but that was a thought to keep to yourself.
"I'm sure you'll be a racer someday, (Y/N)." McQueen told you, speaking softly. "And even if you don't, then it will be because it was your choice and no one else's."
You smiled at the kind words. "Thanks. What're friends for, right?" You gently bumped his shoulder with yours playfully.
He bumped your shoulder back with a small chuckle. "Hey, listen... Um, thanks for the drive. I had a great time." He sent you a warm smile. "It's kinda nice to slow down every once in a while."
You sent him an even warmer smile. "You're welcome, Lightning." And with that, taking a chance, you slid closer to him and replaced whatever little space there had been left between the two of you, resting your head on his shoulder as you stared out at the beautiful world ahead of you, letting it cleanse your mind and soul. A blush was on your face, but one even darker was on McQueen's. He nervously wrapped an arm around you, feeling like that was the only right thing to do. It was subconscious when he rested tilted his head into yours.
And so, the two of you sat on the hood of your car at the edge of the cliff, practically snuggled together, with a breathtaking view before your very eyes. You and the racer boy that Doc had forbidden you from getting close to.