Formula One - One-Shots Collection - Complete

56(PC) - Daniel Ricciardo

'ALL MY LIFE, i'VE PRAYED FOR SOMEONE LIKE YOU'

As I smoothed my wedding dress out, I turned and caught my reflection in the mirror. I stared at the person who looked back at me, the way she looked so unlike herself. I reached for the curls that were in my hair only to have my hand smacked away by my sister, Shay. "Don't touch anything," she warned me as I looked at her. "I spent ages making you look like a princess."

Smiling at her, I nodded, "I know." I took a deep breath as I walked towards the window of the hotel room. I looked out at the gardens, my eyes moved to the area on the lawn where I would be getting married. 

"Are you okay?" Shay asked me, I didn't know where in the room she was but I didn't even care. 

My hands linked together in front of my stomach as I spoke, "I'm good. I just need a few minutes," I told her. 

She placed a hand on my bare shoulder, "Okay. I'll be outside." 

I listened as she left the room, I only turned around when I heard the door close. For the first time since I woke, I was truly alone. Crossing the room, I picked up my mobile phone which was charging, pulling out the cable I watched as the screen lit up. My fingers flicked through the phone before I came to my husband to be's name, I looked at it for a moment before I heard the hotel door key card enter it. 

Looking up, I watched as my closest friend, Cora strolled in the room with my sister hot on her heels. "What are you doing?" She asked as her eyes landed on me. She was so bolshy in her approach, she didn't care who she offended. 

"Nothing," I locked my phone back up before I held it close to me. "I just wanted a few minutes peace, is that too much to ask?"

Shay looked panicked, "I tried to keep her out-"

"I'm not going to let you be alone on the run up to your wedding," Cora butted in. "You might run away, what would I tell Daniel then?" She watched me with a hand on her hip, her ginger hair pulled tightly away from her face as she waited for my response. 

"I am not going to run away," I sighed as I shook my head. "I just need a few minutes to reflect," I explained as I sat on the edge of the bed, my sister's face visibly cringing as I did. "You can give over as well," I looked in Shay's direction as I spoke, "Today is my wedding day, please just give me a moment."

Shay gave me a curt nod before she left the room, I looked at Cora who crossed her arms over her dress wrinkling the peach fabric. "What's going on, Mari?" 

"I guess I'm just nervous," I told her in a quiet voice. "I just, I love Daniel, I dunno, I'm just being silly."

Cora walked towards me, her hands pulling my phone from my grip before she held my hands. "You are going to marry him today, I know you love him but if there is something, you need to sort it out now before it's too late." 

My eyes met hers as I squeezed her hands, "I guess."

She handed me my phone back, "Call him now." She stood up, "Don't leave it."

XOXOX

Sitting next to Daniel at the head table, my eyes looked over at him as I smiled to myself. I couldn't believe I was so lucky, he'd come into my life quickly and he almost left until I bit the bullet. I was the one to invite him on a date, I remember it clearly. 

"Can I have everyone's attention?" Daniel hit his glass with a fork as he stood up. 

My eyes cast around the room, everyone important in our lives was in this room. My family, his family, my friends and his friends. I smiled as I turned my attention back to my new husband. "I just want to say a few words," he said as the crowd fell silent. 

"Firstly," he looked happy as he spoke. "Myself and Mari would like to say a big thank you to everyone who made it here today. We realise that for some of your it's been more stressful than others especially with the journey, but we are so grateful to every single one of you that have made it here." He grinned widely before he began to speak again, "This wedding has been in the making for about two years now, let me tell you, Mari is a slow planner." He looked at me for a cheeky look as he winked at me, I smiled at him as quite a few people laughed. Turning his attention back to the room, he continued to talk. "I didn't quite realise how stressful it was for her though, I thought two years and by the time it came down to the last month everything would be prepared. Only last week, I was sitting in the my car waiting to go out for the first qualifying session when Michael ran over to me, phone in hand. Mari was on the line and there was an emergency. Turns out the emergency was that I was supposed to have picked up the tux's an hour ago, I was in Germany there was no way I was getting there anytime soon." He looked back to me, a grin on his face, I gave him a small eye roll as I returned the smile before he returned his gaze back to the crowd. "In her last minute madness she'd forgotten when I was going to be away, luckily my good friend, Crystal managed to get them for me leaving me still in Mari's good books." There was laughs around the room as he took a sip of his drink. 

"Kath, I need to say a massive thank you to you. Thanks for helping Mari with the planning of this special day, the two of you have done a grand job." Daniel looked at my mother as I smiled to myself, "Thank you for allowing me to take Mari off your hands. Thank you for allowing me to marry your daughter." 

His attention moved around to his own parents, I listened to him thank them before he thanked the ushers, bridesmaids and the guests once again. He threw in a few jokes, people laughed before he looked back at me. I knew he was going to talk about me now and I was worried yet I smiled back at him before he looked back out at the people who watched him. 

"Now, I think we can all agree that Mari looks absolutely stunning today," he gave me a quick wink. "I can't believe, even now on our wedding day that you said yes. If I am completely honest I cannot believe we are even here." He glanced at me before looking away, I watched him closely as I kept a smile on my lips. "So it was almost five years ago that I met Mari, I was at home on a race weekend. I'd just been to my parent's house before I headed to the track, Mari just happened to be on the gates when I arrived. She had no idea who I was, she even made me get out my VIP pass," his eyes landed on me for a moment before he shook his head, his smile widening. "Even then she had no clue, still, I must have had something about me. Mari was the one to do the asking, asking me on a date later that evening."

I shook my head as I blushed thinking about his words. It was a long time ago when I thought about it. I remember meeting him, he was not arrogant but a little bit a taken back when I didn't recognise him. Working on the track gates was only a job to me, I didn't know a single thing about F1 or any of the drivers. 

Daniel looked back to the people in front of me, "Mari was beautiful then and still as beautiful now if not more. Things then were different," I knew where he was going with this and I almost wish he didn't but Daniel could never keep things to himself. "I debated going on this date, I almost didn't turn up. I'm so glad I did though," his eyes landed on me as I smiled. "I would not be without her, Mari is perfect." I looked away as he returned to our family and friends, "This morning, Mari phoned me." He chuckled as he thought about it, "It had been three days since I'd last seen her and she was phoning me last minute on our wedding day." He looked down at his glass as I watched him with a smile, "I thought she was having last minute doubts. If I'm honest I thought she was going to call the whole thing off." He laughed again, a few others laughing with him as I kept my eyes on him, his other hand resting on my shoulder for a moment. "When I saw her name on the screen, I was worried but obviously that all worked out. Turns out she had something much more important to tell me. So, you might have noticed Mari is only drinking juice today and that's because she called to tell me she had taken a test and we're bringing a mini Ricciardo into the world." People cheered and clapped at his words as he picked up from glass, "Please join in raising a toast to my new wife, Mari," he put his glass to his lips as people followed suite as I stared up at him with a massive smiled. "Now, if that lads could get on with the roasting, that would be much appreciated," he handed the reins of speeches to his best man before he sat next to me. 

He linked his hand in mine as he looked at me, "You're an idiot," I laughed as I looked at him. 

"I'm your idiot," he told me before leaning in and kissing me. 

Melting into his kiss, our moment ruined when Michael called out Daniel with a stupidly rude joke which made him pull away and laugh at his closest friend as I smiled. I wouldn't have him any other way.