My Book of Fics

The Treehouse - Daniel Ricciardo

The Ricciardo's lived next door to your family. You and Daniel becoming quick friends when introduced by your mothers. The two of you spent countless hours together, and you somehow convinced your dad to build a treehouse in the backyard to have place where only you and Daniel would go. The treehouse became a sort of safe haven as the two you you grew up, and was a place filled with memories. It was where you first realized that you liked Daniel more than a friend. It was where you would comfort him after a bad karting race. It was where he gave you your first kiss at 16. It was also where he told you about the opportunity in Europe, and where he broke your heart in a way that you didn't think could ever be repaired. The treehouse full of a past with Daniel was soon neglected, dust gathering while you were away for school. It's importance fading as you grew older and came home less and less over the years.

Fate had other plans when the COVID pandemic hit the globe. You fled home fearing the worst for your family and close friends. Taking shelter in your childhood bedroom seemed like a time warp as your present merged with your past. The desk where you spent hours doing school work now cluttered with work documents that have way higher importance. In the chaos of moving back in with your parents you completely forgot about the chance of seeing Daniel again, being back in the place where the two of you became friends and then broke it off as teenagers.

••••

A knock on the front door breaks you from your focus. You look away from your laptop for a second but shrug figuring that your parents would answer it. When another knock sounds you frown, "MUM!" you shout, the lack of response makes you sigh. You get up from the desk chair and quickly shuffle to the front door of the house. With a swing of the door you're surprised to see Grace Ricciardo in front of you. "Y/N! What are you doing here?" She exclaims and pulls you into a tight hug, you grin into her shoulder returning the embrace, "I'm working from home now, this COVID thing threw a wrench in things" you explain while stepping out of her arms.

"Ah yes, nothing like a virus to get us mothers worried" you nod and she sighs, "anyways I came over to drop off some things for your mum" she adds and hands you a bag, "thanks I'll pass it on" she smiles, "it was really nice to see you Y/N" you smile as well, "you too Grace, maybe we'll see each other more often during this work from home situation" she pats your hand, "definitely" she exclaims and winks before turning around. You bring the bag into the kitchen, putting it on the counter with a note explaining who it's from before venturing back up to your room to continue working. Your mind going to the lady who is like your second mom, and her son, wondering what he's been up to all of these years. Making it the first time you've thought of him since he ended it and left. The thought disappears when you get a call from work, your mind going back to the task at hand.

••••

Its the next day when your Dad brings you out to the backyard that you see Daniel. "Sweetheart I think it's time that we think about taking down the treehouse" you snap your head towards your father in shock, "what? why?" you exclaim feeling the panic in your chest at the idea, "you're about to turn thirty, you haven't even looked at it since you left for Uni" you bite your lip and hang your head. "Hey Y/D/N how's it going?" you lift your head at the voice to see your father smiling as he hugs someone you can't quite see over his shoulder, "it's going great, just checking out potential ways to take this thing down" he explains, "you sure Y/N is gonna be okay with that?" the mystery man says as your father steps out of the way, "i'm working on her right now" you open your mouth to object but no words come out when your eyes land on the man standing in front of you.

"Daniel?" you ask shocked, he smiles before sticking his hands into the front pockets of his shorts, which brings your attention to his tattoos, "hey Y/N" he says making you look up at him again. You go to say something but your mother cuts in, "oh perfect everyone is here, Grace wants to know if we want to have a dinner like old times since Dan and Y/N are back" you close your mouth and look over at your mum who's grinning at the three of you, "sounds good hun, we'll be there" your dad replies making her nod and go back into the house. "I better get back to the farm, but see you tonight" Daniel says making you turn back to him with a small smile, "see you Dan" your dad replies and he turns around to walk out of the backyard. "Not yet Dad, let's keep it for a while longer okay" you say while looking at the treehouse, that has for sure started to show its age, "whatever you say sweetheart, I'll be inside if you need me" he replies and presses a kiss to your head before walking away. You let out a sigh while you keep your gaze on the treehouse that used to mean everything, shaking your head slightly as you turn away to go back into the house where your family is most likely preparing for dinner with the Ricciardo's.

••••

When you hear the commotion downstairs a couple of hours later you rush to zip up your skirt. You stumble out of your room and go down to where the two families are talking. As soon as you appear you're brought into several hugs which make you smile and realize how much you missed the family that might as well be an extended part of yours. Your mother rushes everyone into the dining room, going on about cold food but all that you can notice is the absence of one member of the Ricciardo family. With a shake of your head you wipe away the moment and follow everyone into the big dining room, smiling when talking seems to overlap while you sit down at the full table. The focus quickly shifts to you and what you have been doing, making Daniel disappear from your thoughts, at least until your parents ask Grace about his racing.

As the night slows down you get up to excuse yourself, before you leave you go to your dad. "We can take it down, i'm just going to spend one last night up there" you murmur making him raise his eyebrows in surprise, "you're sure Y/N?" you nod and kiss his cheek in response. With a wave towards the Ricciardo's you go find some blankets and pillows, changing into sweats before going to the backyard where you climb up to the treehouse. A puff of dust rises when you shuffle into the space, you sneeze but continue dragging the makeshift bedding into the treehouse that used to feel so much bigger. With the flick of a switch the small strip of lights secured to the ceiling turn on, making you see everything surrounding you, the only thought going through your mind is that nothing has changed in the treehouse. You wrap yourself in the blanket you brought up, a sigh leaving your lips as you get comfy, your gaze scanning the old posters and drawings decorating the wood walls.

••••

A thump followed by a swear makes you push up from where you were laying lost in thought. You sit up even further when a familiar head of curly hair appears in the treehouse opening. "I wonder how we ever got in here as teenagers" is the first thing Daniel says, you shrug and watch him get fully into the space. "Whatever it took" you reply with a smile remembering the laughing fits that followed the process of climbing into the sacred treehouse. "My mum told me that you agreed to take this down" he adds making the smile slip off your face while looking down at your lap, "I'm turning thirty in a couple of weeks, you're going to be thirty-one, it's time don't you think" you exclaim not able to look at the man sitting across from you.

When Daniel doesn't say anything for a couple of seconds you look up. He has a far away expression on his face, his gaze locked on a drawing on the wall that is dear to the both of you. "This is where I fell in love with you" he murmurs breaking the silence, you blink a few times to attempt to stop the tears from falling, although the action only makes it worse. The man that you never truly stopped loving shifts closer and brings his hand up, surprising you when he uses the pad of his thumb to catch your tears. "Me too" you reply quietly, he smiles slightly his fingers still moving along the lines of your face, "I never stopped Y/N" he adds and slides his hand into yours bringing it up to kiss the back of it gently. "Dan" you start hesitantly making him look up with furrowed brows, "I can't go through that again, I won't do it to myself" you finish, remembering how broken you were the first time he left you in the dust. "I don't plan on leaving Y/N, I was fucking miserable without you" he murmurs and easily lifts you into his lap before pressing his lips to yours. The embrace has you sinking into him, your hands on his shoulders as he shifts you even closer to his body. 

When Daniel pulls away a couple of seconds later you move your hands to either side of his face so that he's looking up at you, his eyes dark with desire. "I need you to promise me Daniel, no games because i'm so tired of people playing with my feelings" you say trying to convey the seriousness of the statement. He blinks a couple of times and moves your hand up to press gentle kisses to your palm, "I promise, I swear, I cross my heart, all of it beautiful, me and you that's all that I want from this day forward" you stroke his stubbly cheek, looking into his eyes which promised you the world since a very young age. "Okay" he grins, easily catching your lips with his, proceeding to lay you down on the blankets you brought up, giving the treehouse one final send off, of love being showcased in the most intimate way. The last night turning out to be the most meaningful as the two of you leave it more together than ever, with a promise of the future.