#jr99

As soon as they crossed the finish line — Rueda first, Carpe second — both of them screamed inside their helmets. The victory was huge — especially for the first race of the season — but standing on the podium together made it even better.

They celebrated like teammates in front of the cameras, spraying champagne, hugging, and grinning so much their faces ached. But the real celebration? That came later.

Back in the quiet of Rueda’s hotel room, away from the cameras and the team, they could finally let loose. As soon as the door shut, Carpe practically tackled Rueda onto the already messed up bed — Rue was good at many things, staying tidy wasn't one of them — both of them laughing breathlessly.

“I can’t believe we did that!” Carpe gasped, still high on adrenaline.

“You were amazing,” Rueda said, grinning as he cupped Carpe’s face. “You almost had me in those last laps.”

Carpe huffed playfully. “Next time, I’m taking the win.”

“Oh yeah?” Rueda teased, pulling him closer. “We’ll see about that.”

Carpe didn’t answer — not with words, anyway. Instead, he pressed a quick, excited kiss to Rueda’s lips. One kiss turned into another. Then another.

“We did it, we did it, we did it,” Carpe mumbled between kisses, giggling as Rueda squished his face between his hands.

“You’re ridiculous,” Rueda said, but his heart was practically bursting.

They were both a little sweaty, still in their team shirts, and their hair was a mess from the helmets, but none of that mattered. They were just two kids celebrating the biggest moment of their careers in the silliest, happiest way possible — wrapped up in each other, sneaking kisses and whispering promises of more podiums, more wins, and more moments like this.

And when Carpe finally yawned, pressing his forehead against Rueda’s, Rue just smiled. “Tired already?”

Alvaro grinned. “Nah. Just happy.”