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The night air was beginning to chill when James pushed open the door to the rooftop.
This wasn’t the first time he had heard Niki leaving the connected room they shared and be gone for hours. It wasn’t as if Niki should inform him of his every movement, mind you, but it wasn’t very Lauda to return to the hotel room the next morning or go straight to the racetrack...and considering every possibility that crossed James' dramatic imagination, seeing the Austrian seated on the cornice was a relief.
"Beautiful night, isn’t it?" James says and chuckles when Niki jumps, startled by his presence.
"I’m going to fucking kill you, asshole," Niki says, trying to gain some composure by glaring at James.
"What are you doing up here, Niki? Feeling like stargazing?"
"I should be asking that myself"
"Well, like I said, it is a beautiful night." James replies, laying his back against the cornice, beside Niki. "And you?"
Niki turns his gaze away from James. “That’s none of your businesses”
"True," James replies and takes a swing of his beer. He can feel Niki’s eyes following the movement, "Care for some?"
He expects his ratty companion to scoff derogatorily and tell him to fuck off or start rambling about discipline and why one shouldn’t drink, but Niki grabs the offered bottle and takes a swing, returning the bottle in a single movement, leaving James speechless…and a bit worried.
He had noticed a very subtle change in Niki after the ring, at first he had thought it was his imagination, in the end Niki had gone back to racing and, although he was not in his best shape, he kept being consistent, with his sharp remarks and his dry humor.
But…
"Ha, finally I’ve found the way to silence your big mouth, Hunt" Niki says, breaking the silence.
What to do?
"Really, James, I can practically hear your brain working, and we both know the way you spend beautiful nights is fucking as many whores as you can, not this, so if you have something to say…"
Fucking rat.
"Right, Niki," James says, a bit annoyed. "Look, I know we aren’t the best of mates but, I’ve noticed something’s a bit off with you- no," he stops Niki, "don’t you fucking dare to deny it, rat."
Niki exhales, exasperated.
"Like I said, James, that is none of your businesses," Niki cuts him, stepping down of the cornice.
"I know, Niki, just…" he takes a deep breath, looking at the back of the other racer, his red cap hiding his brown curls. "Everything’s going to be fine, okay? Eventually. I imagine it has to be a lot to take, I’m not even certain I could have handled it as well as you do... you are brave as fuck, rat,"
Niki turns his back and stares James right in the eye.
"Just…if you ever need someone to talk to, or to not talk at all and spend nights with you like this, up in a roof, I’m here. You don’t have to do it alone."
The silence stretches between them. Niki’s eyes never leaving James’, until the blond feels utterly uncomfortable with everything and decides that might be his cue to leave.
"Well, that was it," he says in a light tone as he straightens his back and begins walking towards the exit "I’ll just..."
"James,"
James turns his back to find Niki looking at him, a kind of smile playing on his lips.
"I think we might be needing two more of that," Niki says, nodding to the forgotten beer in James’ hand.
There are a lot of things unsaid, hanging in the air. James can feel them, like electricity around them.
He just smiles.
“Right you are, rat” he says, hearing an ‘asshole’ in a heavy accent following him down the stairs.
There will be a moment for them, later, he thinks, glad that there would be a ‘later’ for both of them.
Right now he has to fetch as many beers as he can.