#uuuuups

"So... Alex..." Marc said, sitting down next to the younger one. "Alex, my beloved little brother, how are you doing? Are you alright? Any pains from the season?"

Alex looked up very slowly. He had a very mistrusting glance at his brother. It was unlikely for him to be that nice. Unless...

"The fuck do you want?" "Whaaaaat? Can't I-" He avoided his brother gaze as his voice hit a high whenever he was trying to lie to his brother.

"Wasting my time won't help your matter" Alex said, putting his phone down, his chat with his boyfriend still open. "Spill it"

Marc sighed. His voice turning serious again. "Okay listen... I need you to ask your boyfriend something" The younger one raised his brows in confusion. "Luca? What the fuck do you need from Luca?"

Marc bit his lips. He knew it was a long shot and maybe weird. But the other alternative would be waiting for months for the season to restart. And then he had to somehow figure out where Marco's soulmark is. Which - judging by his social media photos - wasn't on his chest or any other more or less visible place. It also wasn't on the down parts of his legs, leaving only the area that's covered by shorts.

So just like his own.

The sword was placed high up on his thigh. It was easy to cover up if wanted.

He would either have to catch him mostly undress - preferably undressed by him - or he'd have to tell him.

But soulmark were personal. They were too intimate to be brought up in a conversation between coworkers that didn't know each other very well. And when one hated the other. But -

But between close friends. Friends like Luca and Bez - Or maybe Luca had seen it after all the years or training together. So the only way was to get Luca to spill what he knew or to try and ask Marco.

Luca was right now his only shot. And the only really connection was Alex. So Alex had to ask.

"I think I figured out who my soulmate is" he explained. He had been chewing on the subjects after the birthday discovery for weeks now. And he was sure he had to take that step. "YOU WHAT?!" Alex asked and sat up, his eyes glizzering. "And you asshole waited to tell me?! Who is it? Wait - It's Bez, right? It has to be Bez!"

"Wha-What? How-" he wanted to ask but Alex beat him with a crazy laughter. "I knew it! You have heart eyes whenever you see him! And that whole greeting over the season?! Like come on! Your dignity really jumps out the window when it comes to that one. I mean - Stand up, Marc!"

Marc felt himself blush. That was that with not being suspicious. And he had actually thought no one had noticed that.

"So you have the biggest crush on him. That's why you think he's your soulmate?" Alex continued, his legs crossed on the sofa as he eagerly waited for the whole story.

"Partly... As it turns out his birthday is on the 12th November. And he's born 1998... So-" "The day you got the soulmark!" Alex exclaimed with excitement.

Marc could only nodd.

"So to sum it up - the guy you have the biggest and longest crush on, who is one of Rossi's kids, may I add, but-" "You are dating his brother!" "Ey! That's different. I'm not Italy's most wanted theft. Plus it's not like Rossi could actually hate his own baby brother. So we're save - I think."

It's not like Vale knew. Yet.

"But never mind, we'll ignore that for now. So that guy has the exact same birthday as your soulmate"

"Basically. Sadly the internet doesn't say when Bezzecchi was born. Like at which times." "Sounds like you tried to check. Stalker-" "I am not a stalker-" "You just want to be well informed. I know. So just that I get that right. Based on all that you want me to text Luca - what now?"

"I mean... I don't know what Marcos soulmark is so... Maybe... As a personal friend of his, Luca knows? Or he could ask him? And maybe he tells you and you tell me just to... You know... Support my theory." he explained.

"And so you don't make an absolute foul out of yourself when you spent the whole next seasons trying to woo him without getting your dick cut if my his mentor and pseudo dad that already hates you."

Marc stared at his little brother. He really was wondering why he even liked that little fucker.

"Thank you for the encouragement" he said dryly and got a smile as a response. But when he grabbed his phone, Marc knew he had his support. He typed a few times to start a call.

He had put it on speaker. Marc heard the Italians voice answer after a few rings.

"Hola mi corazon" He decided it was adorable that Luca spoke Spanish with his little brother. He definitely won a few sympathy points with that.

"Ciao tesoro" Alex replied while looking back at Marc. "Listen, sweetheart. Marc is hear and listening, so keep it clean, alright" "Alright" he chuckled. "Yeah I don't need to hear your dirty talk" the brother replied and Luca laughed again.

"Hey Marc, nice to hear from you" The Italian greeted him. "Awe, no corazon for me?" he asked teasingly. "OH shut up, you want something from him, remember?" Alex intervened quickly.

"You want something from me? Is everything okay?" Luca asked confused and Alex quickly explained. "Yes yes. It's just that Marc thinks he knows who his soulmate is. And we need you to confirm it" "Me? And... How?" he asked, the confusion audible.

"We think it's Bez. Like your Bez - Marco Bezzecchi. He has the exact same birthday as Marc's soulmate. And Marc really has a crush on him, like we suspected!"

Marc blinked a few times. Like THEY suspected? So he was part of his brother's and his boyfriends gossip? How obvious had a been.

"That's why we were wondering, you as Bez friend, do you know what's his soulmark? Can you tell us? Please, my love."

Marc was twitching in his seat. Nervously he hold onto his own leg. His hand rested on the high part of his left thigh. If it wasn't for the fabric of his pants, he would touch the ink of sword.

A sword. It had to be a sword. In brown. As brown as Marcos eyes or his hair. Say sword Luca. Say-

"OH. Sure. It's a black skull on his right hip."