nicky to merc

Daniel does NOT put any thought into why he cuts off repeaters after three fucks over the next twelve months, or why he makes excuses to friends who try to fix him up with their friends who are apparently perfect for him, or, indeed, why he turns down his ex-girlfriend who says she's had a change of heart and she misses him and maybe they could give it another go. He also does not think at all about why he checks an F1 WAGs gossip Reddit every few weeks for any mention of Max at all, and feels a sense of relief when there's no new gossip.

He definitely does not think about the number of times he replays a video clip of Max being asked if he's single and ready to mingle, and Max replying, "I'm single but not ready to mingle, I am just waiting," and declines to elucidate but does, in fact, grin at the interviewer.

Or the message that comes on New Year's Eve that just has a picture of one of Daniel's own rings, and a link to a website that just says this is where you got this ring from i think. they do other kinds of rings too ;)

And Daniel has to sit down at the edge of the dance floor at the bar he's at for a new year's party and not think too much about the backwards engineering Max will have had to do to a) look in detail at Daniel's ring collection and b) know it's one of Daniel's favourites and c) identify where it came from and d) really seem to be fucking serious about their napkin-witnessed promise and e) Max's hand-typed winky face emoji.

He definitely doesn't think about the message he sends back at 4am on January 1st that just says, love that ring, love that store or Max's immediate response of next year we will be together for new year or Daniel's horrible, drunken response of ❤️❤️❤️.

He does, however, think quite a lot about the message he sends in April with a link to a tiger ring from the website. The one that says, imagine if this was a lion.

Max is racing, but he sends a message almost immediately the race is done, even before the podium has aired. does this mean i will have a honey badger on mine haha

And Daniel, before he can second guess himself, sends back the other link he has open. Says, I was thinking you'd like something plainer. like this.

There's a longer pause this time, other calls on Max's time. It's a few minutes before Max replies, yes Daniel. Like that.

Daniel paces his living room for a bit, presses his face to the wall for a minute and breathes. He texts back, maybe we can have stupid lion and honey badger ones for engagement rings instead

A longer pause this time. Muted on the TV, Max is doing media interviews. Daniel sees him reach for his phone at the end of them.

I will have them custom made. A pause. A blue heart. 💙.

Daniel is up with the birds on his 36th birthday. He's waiting for a text.

In the end, though, it's not a text. It's a knock on his door. Max on his doorstep brandishing a ragged napkin from 2018 in one hand and a gift bag from a ring store in the other.

"They're really, really ugly," Max says, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. "These are the ugliest rings I've ever seen in my life."

"Eh," Daniel says, without looking in the bag. "Maybe we'd better get married sooner rather than later, then. Switch them out for the more permanent kind."

Max's eyes are bright. "I've got the licence applications open on my phone."

Daniel laughs. "I'm past 35," he says, because he is.