#aa12

When Ollie first started hanging around Kimi, it wasn’t long before the academy boys began to notice how seamlessly the two fit into each other’s lives. It wasn’t just that they spent a lot of time together; it was the ease with which they did it. The way Kimi would light up when Ollie was around, the comfortable silences they shared, the subtle, unspoken understanding between them — it was obvious to everyone. From the outside, it seemed like Ollie had slipped into Kimi’s life as if he’d always been there.

It didn’t take long before the academy boys began to exchange knowing glances. To them, it was clear as day. Kimi and Ollie weren’t just friends — they were something more. Maybe they hadn’t realized it themselves yet, but to the rest of the group, the signs were all there. Kimi’s laugh was just a little louder when Ollie cracked a joke, and Ollie’s gaze lingered just a little longer when Kimi walked by. The way they worked together during training, almost in sync, seemed too natural to be purely platonic.

Still, in typical academy fashion, no one said anything outright. They just watched, waiting for the inevitable moment when the two would finally admit what everyone else had already figured out. The scrutiny was subtle at first, but as the days passed, the protective nature of the academy boys kicked in, and Ollie found himself on the receiving end of a series of increasingly pointed comments and warnings.

Pecco was the first to pull Ollie aside. It was during one of their post-training sessions, when the rest of the academy was scattered around the ranch, cooling down from the day’s work. Ollie was wiping the sweat from his brow when Pecco, who had been watching him for a while, walked up with a determined look on his face. Crossing his arms, Pecco stared at him, his eyes narrowing in a way that made Ollie feel like he was about to be grilled.

“Don’t hurt Andrea,” Pecco said, his tone firm, almost like a protective older brother issuing an ultimatum.

Ollie blinked, completely taken aback. His mind raced, trying to figure out what Pecco meant by that. Why would he hurt Kimi? Where was this even coming from? He opened his mouth to respond, but the words came out in a stammer. “Why would I—?”

Pecco didn’t let him finish. “Just don’t,” he cut in, his voice final, leaving no room for argument. The warning hung in the air, and Ollie was left speechless. Pecco gave him one last pointed look before walking off, leaving Ollie standing there, utterly baffled.

For a while, Ollie convinced himself that maybe Pecco was just being overprotective, maybe even a little paranoid. But then, a few days later, Franky caught him alone. It was during one of their routine training drills, and Ollie was focused on his bike when Franky appeared, his expression unreadable. He didn’t waste time on small talk. Instead, he got straight to the point, his voice low and serious.

“You better treat Kimi right,” Franky said, his tone carrying the weight of someone who wasn’t just offering advice — he was delivering a warning.

Ollie, once again, found himself at a loss for words. His brain scrambled for a response, but he could only manage a nervous stammer. “I— I don’t know what you’re—”

Franky’s expression didn’t soften. He simply gave a nod, as if to say the conversation was over, and walked off, leaving Ollie more confused than ever. What was going on? Why were they acting like this?

It seemed like everyone had some unspoken knowledge that Ollie was completely in the dark about. Each warning felt heavier than the last, and Ollie couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was happening right under his nose — something he hadn’t figured out yet.

Before long, it felt like Ollie couldn’t go anywhere without running into one of the academy boys, and every encounter seemed to end with some form of cryptic warning or veiled threat. Bez, usually the most laid-back of the group, caught him during a rare quiet moment by the garage. With a grin, he slapped Ollie on the back, but his words were anything but casual. “Andrea's important to us, man. Don’t screw it up.”

Ollie blinked, caught off guard by the comment. “Screw what up?” he asked, but Bez just walked away with a knowing smirk, leaving Ollie even more confused than before.

The next day, Cele found Ollie grabbing a drink by the track and leaned in conspiratorially, his tone more serious than usual. “We’re all watching you, just so you know. Kimi’s family. You better not mess with him.”

Ollie stared at him, dumbfounded. “I’m not messing with anyone!” he protested, but Cele had already given him a pat on the shoulder and walked off, his message delivered.

By the time Mig cornered him during one of the cool-down sessions, Ollie was already on edge, bracing himself for whatever strange advice or threat was coming next. Mig, ever the quiet one, didn’t say much — just gave Ollie a long, appraising look before muttering, “You know how much Kimi means to us, right? Just… don’t do anything stupid.”

At this point, Ollie was utterly baffled and increasingly paranoid. It felt like everyone had some sort of hidden agenda, and he was the only one out of the loop. Every interaction left him more confused than the last, and by the end of the week, he was at his breaking point.

“I don’t even know what’s happening!” Ollie finally burst out, throwing his hands in the air in frustration while he and Luca were walking back to the house after training. “Every time I turn around, someone’s telling me not to hurt Kimi or warning me to treat him right. What the hell is going on?”

Luca, who had been quietly observing the whole situation for ages, smirked knowingly. “They think you’re dating,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "They did the same thing when I first brought Lance."

Ollie almost choked on his own breath. “What?!” he sputtered, stopping in his tracks. “No! Kimi’s like a brother to me! Why would they even think that?”

Luca raised an eyebrow, shrugging as if it all made perfect sense. “Well,” he started, “you two are always together. I mean, you spend practically every second at the ranch with Kimi. And he’s… different around you. More comfortable, you know? Plus, you fit right in with the rest of us. It looks pretty obvious from the outside.”

Ollie shook his head, still in disbelief. “We’re not dating,” he insisted, rubbing his face in exasperation. “How do I get them to stop thinking that?”

Luca shrugged again, a casual smile tugging at his lips. “You could try telling them,” he offered, his tone playful. “But I’m not sure they’ll believe you.”

Ollie and Kimi decided it was finally time to sit everyone down and clear up the ongoing confusion. They'd been hearing whispers and side comments for a while now, and it was starting to get out of hand. So, they gathered the entire group in the dining room, preparing themselves for what they knew would be an awkward conversation.

With everyone seated around them, Ollie nervously cleared his throat and began. "So, uh, we’ve heard some things," he started, his voice faltering slightly.

Kimi, who was sitting beside him, rolled his eyes at Ollie’s hesitance and decided to cut straight to the point. "Everyone apparently thinks we’re dating."

Ollie quickly nodded in agreement, glancing around at their friends. "Yeah, but we’re not," he clarified, hoping that would put an end to the rumors.

But before they could say more, the entire group burst into laughter. The teasing smiles on the others' faces made Kimi and Ollie even more defensive, shifting uncomfortably in their seats.

"What!" Kimi blurted out, his voice a mix of exasperation and disbelief. "He’s like another brother to me. What are you guys even talking about?"

Ollie was quick to chime in, nodding vigorously to reinforce Kimi’s point. "Seriously, we’re just friends."

But the laughter didn’t stop. Bez, leaning back in his chair, let out a chuckle and shook his head, clearly amused by their flustered reactions, he was the same when Vale confronted him about him and Marc. "Whatever you say," he said, his tone light and teasing.

The rest of the group groaned, half-joking and half-exasperated. It was obvious they weren’t entirely convinced, but after a few more jokes, they let the subject drop — for now, at least. The tension in the room faded as they moved on to other topics, but Kimi and Ollie exchanged a look, knowing that this probably wasn’t the last time they’d have to deal with this particular misunderstanding.

About a week later, during a particularly large family meeting at the ranch, Kimi found himself standing up in front of everyone, his face flushed and his hands nervously clasped together. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he tried to muster up the courage to speak. "So, um… I’ve been thinking… And I may-or-may-not-be-in-love-with-Ollie."

The room fell into an expectant silence. It was as if time had paused for a moment. But instead of the shock or surprise Kimi might have anticipated, the reaction was quite different. Pecco let out a long, exasperated groan that was quickly echoed by the rest of the boys, who seemed almost exasperated by the whole situation.

"We know!" Cele muttered under his breath, shaking his head with a mix of annoyance and amusement.

"Seriously, it took you this long to figure it out?" Luca chimed in, rolling his eyes as he gathered his things to leave. The other boys followed suit, their steps echoing with a casual familiarity.

Kimi stood there, frozen in place, his face a mask of disbelief and confusion. He turned to look at Ollie, who was blinking in stunned realization. "Wait, so… everyone knew except us?"

"Obviously," Bez called over his shoulder, a smirk playing on his lips as he walked out of the room. The rest of the group followed, their laughter and chatter fading as they left Kimi and Ollie standing in the middle of the room, completely dumbfounded and caught off guard.

As the last of the footsteps receded, Kimi and Ollie exchanged a bewildered glance, their minds racing to process what had just happened. The realization that they had been the last to know about something so significant left them both speechless, adding a new layer of awkwardness to their already complicated situation.

Kimi and Ollie remained in the center of the room, the weight of the situation settling heavily between them. Kimi stared at the empty doorway where the others had just exited, trying to process the wave of information that had just crashed over him.

"How… how did everyone know?" Kimi finally managed to ask, his voice tinged with bewilderment.

Ollie, still grappling with his own shock, shook his head. "I have no idea. I thought we were being subtle."

Kimi let out a disbelieving laugh, his eyes scanning the now-empty room as if expecting an explanation to materialize out of thin air. "Subtle? Everyone knew we were dancing around something, and you didn’t think anyone would notice?"

Ollie’s face turned a shade of pink, a mix of embarrassment and frustration evident in his expression. "I didn’t think it was that obvious. I thought we were doing okay."

"Well, it wasn’t exactly a secret," Kimi said, trying to force a sense of humor into the situation to ease the tension. "I guess we just didn’t see it."

Ollie sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, what now? Do we just… go with it?"

Kimi took a deep breath, his gaze meeting Ollie’s. The awkwardness of the situation seemed to dissolve as they stood there, confronting the reality of their feelings. “Maybe it’s not about just going with it,” Kimi said softly. “Maybe it’s about acknowledging what’s been there all along, eh?”

Ollie’s eyes searched Kimi’s, looking for any sign of hesitation or doubt. “Yeah, I guess we should actually talk about this,” he said, his voice steady but filled with a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

Kimi nodded, feeling a surge of courage. “Agreed. But before we dive into all of that, maybe we should just—” He hesitated for a moment, then took a step closer to Ollie. The distance between them felt charged, and he could sense Ollie’s own nervous energy.

Ollie’s eyes widened slightly as Kimi got on the tips of his toes and gently cupped his face with both hands. The touch was tender, and for a moment, everything else faded away. Kimi leaned in slowly, giving Ollie ample time to pull back if he wanted to.

Ollie’s breath hitched as their faces drew closer, and before he could second-guess himself, he closed the gap between them. Their lips met in a soft, hesitant kiss that gradually deepened as they both gave in to the moment. The kiss was a mixture of relief, affection, and unspoken understanding — a confirmation of the feelings they had both been trying to navigate.

When they finally pulled away, both Kimi and Ollie were breathless, their eyes locked in a gaze filled with newfound clarity.

“I guess that’s one way to handle it,” Ollie said with a small smile, his hand still resting gently on Kimi’s cheek.

Kimi chuckled softly, his heart still racing. “Yeah, I think it’s a good start.”

As Kimi and Ollie stood in the middle of the room, still processing their kiss, the door creaked open. Kimi’s brothers, who had been lingering just outside, peeked in with a mix of curiosity and amusement.

Luca, with a smirk on his face, was the first to speak. “Well, this is a surprise,” he said, raising an eyebrow as he took in the scene before him.

Pecco, with a more puzzled expression, stepped into the room, glancing between Kimi and Ollie. “We didn’t mean to interrupt,” he said, though his tone suggested otherwise.

Ollie and Kimi quickly pulled apart, their faces flushing with embarrassment as they realized they had been caught in the middle of their little intimate moment. Kimi looked at his brothers, his cheeks red with a mix of shame and frustration. “Guys, seriously? You couldn’t knock?”

Luca chuckled, clearly enjoying the moment. “We were just coming to see if you two were okay. And, well, it looks like you are.”

Marco nodded, a knowing smile on his face. “Seems like you two had a lot to talk about.”

Ollie rubbed the back of his neck, trying to regain his composure. “Yeah, we did. But now we’re, uh, a little thrown off.”

Kimi’s face softened as he glanced at Ollie, then back at his brothers. “Well, now that you’re here, I guess you’ve figured out what’s been going on.”

Luca shrugged, his smirk widening. “Yeah, we figured it out a while ago. But it’s nice to see you two finally acknowledging it.”

Franky stepped forward, offering a supportive smile. “If you guys need any advice or just want to talk, you know we’re here for you.”

Kimi and Ollie exchanged relieved glances, their tension easing slightly at their brothers' acceptance. Kimi gave a small nod, appreciating the support. “Thanks. We’ll definitely take you up on that.”

As Kimi’s brothers left the room, still chuckling and exchanging knowing looks, Kimi turned back to Ollie, taking a deep breath. “Well... at least it’s out in the open now.”