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Valentino always liked the color yellow.
As everybody, he was born blind color and the only way to enjoy the wonder of the world was to find his soulmate. But he never had the time. Since he was little his only goal was to win, first with the go kart then with the bikes. He knows he was born to do this, to feel the adrenaline, to be on top. When he was becoming famous and meeting new people everyday he started thinking about it again… for how many people did he give an autograph today? How many people touched him while taking a picture with him? He was the world champion, for god’s sake, people liked him… but still he never met his soulmate, because, well, he’s still color blind.
That year he was on the edge, he had just lost two championships in a row and wasn’t sure if he could retake it. It was after one day in Barcelona that everything changed. Just after finishing the meeting with the fans that he realized something was different: he was seeing in color.
Of course he started freaking out, he had no idea who his soulmate is, he talked to a lot of people today. Well, some things he is sure: his soulmate is spanish, probably catalan, likes motorcycle, racing, and also is his fan, probably.
But how will he met her or him? He has no idea.
Marc was just a child. He heard his parents talking about soulmates and colors, that they are just happy because they met each other and they hope their sons find it too. He was curious to learn what the colors are, but the most important is that he was curious to learn what color his bike is.
When he was growing up he started to think that maybe the bike is his soulmate and that the color stuff is all bullshit, because he is happy, he feels good when he’s with her and this is everything he wants to do in his life.
He also enjoys a lot watching his idol, Valentino Rossi, winning and being dominant in MotoGP, he dreams to be like him one day and to meet him will make his world much better, screw all those soulmate thing.
He was over the moon when he got the chance to be in the world championship, it was a step forward to meet his idol, he knew it was difficult and the 125cc riders never met the MotoGP ones, but one day he got lucky. He was with the other fans, waiting to take a picture with THE Valentino Rossi, he will fulfill his second dream at the same year, now only missing being world champion.
When it was his time and Valentino touched him in the shoulder, something changed and he didn’t know what. He was so happy. It was just when he was at home, having dinner with his parents and his little brother that he realized what had happened.
He found his soulmate.
He sees in color.
Is Valentino Rossi his soulmate? No, it can’t be, there’s 14 years of difference between them, it’s even ilegal for them to… No, maybe it is someone else, he touched many people today.
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That race felt special, Valentino didn’t feel like this for good two years. He was in heaven, being back in his beloved team with his beloved bike and going to the podium after an amazing battle was everything he needed to feel young again.
He finally could be happy again and put behind him the feeling of guilty for what happened with his best friend. He could be there, alongside the new generation, honoring him and making him proud.
And god, he indeed was with the new generation, that young rider, Marc Marquez, that didn’t care that he was the nine time world champion, that fought with him uniquely and only because they were there to do this. He didn’t have special treatment like he had with other riders, and it felt so good.
So good that he had the desire to hug him and congratulate him, after all he was just a rookie in his first race with the big guys and he did it amazingly. When he finally did it and they touched, something inside of him was screaming, his skin was hot it was not because of the adrenaline of the race, the leathers were not enough to prevent it.
Did he met Marc that day? Is he his soulmate?
That race was exactly what he was expecting. A very good fight and an amazing first experience. He was used to the tiring and long races in the smaller categories with many changes of positions and a rider on you every lap. But this time the rider he was fighting with was Valentino Rossi.
And he put it in his dreams too, yeah, he had dreamt about racing with him, fighting with him, taking all from him and giving all he has, just like a kid but in a very big place, with the adults. Now the only thing really really missing is the title, but he’s happy, god, he thought he had been happy when he won the other titles, but now it’s bigger, way bigger.
And then after the race Valentino hugged him and he felt in heaven. What he felt was exactly the same thing his parents used to say to him and Alex when they were younger, and he had stopped those thoughts, he had buried them deep inside of him, he couldn’t think about the Valentino Rossi being his soulmate, but now… Now he is sure, because he is feeling it.
And god, should he say anything? Does Valentino know?
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He was about to go out to celebrate with his team, it’s not everyday that you have your first race in MotoGP and conquer a podium. The knock at the hotel room’s door he thought was his father, and when he opened, he was already saying “I was already going to…”
But stopped when he had to look up. It’s not his father, but it’s his newest track competitor.
“Did I come in a wrong moment?” He says, with that accent and Marc promises to himself to learn how to speak italian just to talk to him in his native language.
“No no, not at all” he says in a rush, well, it’s kind of a bad time, but he doesn’t care, if Valentino wants to talk to him outside the track for the first time, who is he to deny it to him? “Come in”
It was a little awkward to see the Italian there, standing in the middle of his hotel room, looking like a normal person.
“I’m sorry to come here just to ask you this… you can not answer it if you don’t want to… I mean, it’s too personal…” He starts, stumbling a little and Marc has never saw this side of the man that is his idol. “But… do you see in color?”
This.
Does Valentino know? Does he want to make sure it’s him? He hopes so.
“Yeah… since I was 15…”
“Oh…”
“Do you?” He asks in return, now he wants to know if what he is suspecting is truth.
“Since I was 29…”
When he says like this it goes straight into Marc’s heart that they have such a huge age gap between them… Vale is so experient, he had won everything… And he is just a rookie that is still learning what the world is.
“Did we met that day in Barcelona?” Vale asks and immediately Marc grabs his phone and shows him the picture. He loves that picture, it’s the prove that he had met his idol. And now he is standing right in front of him, looking at his phone with something is his eyes.
“Wow… that’s… I knew my soulmate was someone that likes bikes, but I wasn’t expecting to be someone so…”
He didn’t finish the sentence and Marc was starting to feel nervous… does Valentino like him?
“So?”
“So special and so good....”
He thinks he is special and good? God, he doesn’t know what to say, he just stays there, staring at the man that is not only his idol anymore, he is his soulmate, the person made to stay with him his whole life.
After what seems like eternity, it’s the Italian who broke the silence.
“Do you want to go out on a date with me?”
Marc doesn’t answer, he just grabs his wallet.
“What?” Valentino asks.
“Where are we going?”
Valentino smiles and Marc really loves that smile. Screw the celebration with the team, he has a life to start.