Work Text:
Day 1
Welcome to ROOM NO. 9
CODE: VCARB
Subjects: 30-Liam Lawson; 41-Arvid Lindblad
Progress: [0/7]
Please choose between two tasks:
- Subject 41 collects 500ml of blood from Subject 30.
- Subject 30 and 41 kiss for 10s.
Countdown: 00:57:28
Arvid took a shallow breath. The dry, cool air didn't bring him the slightest relief; in fact, his internal organs felt constricted, squeezing out every gap and leaving behind a dry sensation of nausea. His teammate—Liam Lawson—stood at the other end of the sofa with his hands on his hips.
"Liam, what’s going on? Is this... is this some kind of prank? Did Admin tell you..."
"Mate... I wish I could tell you something else, but like I said, I woke up in this house just like you." He rubbed his cheeks, mustache, and chin with a bit too much force—a clear statement of "I am anxious."
Arvid looked around. The layout of the house wasn't unfamiliar; it was almost identical to the dorms of Red Bull Juniors in Milton Keynes, except for three things:
- There were two bedrooms.
- There were no signs of habitation.
- A set of blood collection equipment sat on the coffee table. On the TV, where the remote was nowhere to be found, a few lines of text were displayed energetically in the official VCARB font, alongside a ticking countdown.
"What happens when that countdown ends?" He tilted his head toward the older driver. Before the latter could come up with an answer, a bright, mechanical TikTok female voice rang out from the TV:
"If the subjects fail to make a choice in time, the experiment will automatically terminate, and the subjects will undergo standardized disinfection and disposal."
"Oh mate, that doesn't sound good." Liam scratched his head.
Arvid was choked up by his teammate’s nonchalant words. "Standardized disinfection and disposal"—as if they were laboratory mice. His heart hammered wildly. The numbness in his hands and feet, something he hadn't even felt in the 60°C cockpit in Bahrain, made his head spin. "Not good?" He hated that his low, rasping voice couldn't hide the tremor of terror: "Oh God..."
He collapsed onto the sofa, burying his face deep in his hands, murmuring, "This has to be a nightmare."
The friction of fabric came from the other side of the sofa; Liam’s weight made the cushion tilt. He began fiddling with the equipment on the coffee table: rubber tubing, blood collection needles, catheters, blood bags, iodine swabs, and a tourniquet.
Right, the task. Arvid’s cheeks flushed; he had completely forgotten the task. Falling into a breakdown so quickly felt far too weak for an F1 driver.
"You wouldn't happen to know how to draw blood, would you?" Liam asked.
"In the training camps, it's always earlobe sampling. I..." Arvid tried to pull some memory of a blood donation ad from his stalled brain. "I don't know how, Liam."
"Do the subjects confirm their choice?"
Liam spoke up: "Er, hey, do you guys have a tutorial video or something?" He glanced at Arvid.
No response.
"I guess we’ll pick Task 1 then." As soon as the New Zealander finished speaking, the countdown on the TV refreshed: 01:59:59.
Simultaneously, a blood collection tutorial began playing in the center of the screen.
"Aww nice, there actually is a tutorial," Liam said flatly. The absurdity of the statement made Arvid let out a sudden laugh. "Hey, pay attention, rookie. You’re the one drawing my blood."
The video ended. Liam balled his left hand into a fist and rested it on Arvid’s right knee. Arvid hoped he didn't look as clumsy as he felt. He tied the rubber tubing around Liam’s elbow, his gaze sliding from the honey-colored tan lines to the pale inner arm—the light blue veins weren't hard to locate. Under the coating of iodine, they appeared purple, like a bruise. He unwrapped the needle and assembled the catheter and blood bag. His left-hand gripped Liam’s arm with some hesitation.
"Are you ready?"
"Go for it."
Arvid stared intently at the needle between his fingers, his mind barely recalling some mantras his Nani used to recite: Dhanvantari, remove the pain, bring peace. He might have remembered them wrong, but he was lucky enough: the moment the needle entered the skin, dark red blood flowed along the catheter into the bag.
Arvid leaned in to untie the rubber tubing. The distance between them narrowed, leaving them in an awkward posture. Liam’s arm was held by the younger driver against his own thigh; neither wanted to move while the needle was still in. Arvid noticed Liam looking down, the ring on his right-hand glinting in the cold indoor light as he turned it incessantly.
They were supposed to be in Bahrain. On the final day of pre-season testing, they were meant to pack their bags after finishing the last summary TikTok and prepare to fly straight to Australia after a night's sleep. That was yesterday, Arvid confirmed to himself. He had been excited and expectant; his world was functioning perfectly. And now... he couldn't even find the proper words to describe. Was this a kidnapping? Blackmail? Or had he simply never woken up? There were no windows, no doors, and no communication devices other than the TV.
And Liam was here.
Why go to such great lengths to kidnap them both and give them these nonsensical tasks? If this was a dream, why would he dream of Liam? Was Arvid Lindblad’s imagination so vivid that he could dream of drawing his teammate's blood in such detail?
01:54:18
He glanced at the blood bag: 200ml. Noticing his movement, Liam gently shook his arm and was immediately gripped tighter by Arvid. "Are you okay?"
"I’ve had worse hangover mornings."
"I thought you didn't drink?"
"Yeah," Liam looked a bit surprised. "Haven't really in the last two years. But back when I just hit the legal age... and maybe occasionally before that."
Arvid’s mouth moved faster than his brain: "I’ve seen that old meme of yours."
Liam let out a high-pitched giggle: "Oh my God..." But his face didn't turn particularly red. Arvid felt his heart lump: "How do you feel now?"
"Don't feel much of anything."
"I mean, if you feel like..."
"Arvid, I’m fine," Liam gestured toward the TV. "And I don't really want to find out what happens if we quit halfway."
Silence settled between them, smelling faintly of a hospital. When the scale reached 500ml, Arvid pulled the needle out immediately. As he applied the pressure bandage for Liam, the text on the TV refreshed:
CODE: VCARB
Subjects: 30-Liam Lawson; 41-Arvid Lindblad
Progress: [1/7]
The new task will be released on the Second Experimental Day.
A muffled thud of wood came from the kitchen, followed by the aroma of food. Only then did Arvid realize how hungry he was.
"I’ll get it." He bounced off the sofa. On the previously empty kitchen counter sat two trays with slightly different meals. Arvid could recognize his own at a glance: it was exactly what his nutritionist usually prepared. He took two sets of cutleries from the drawer and poured an extra glass of water for Liam.
Carrying a tray in each hand wasn't too difficult, but he still nearly dropped lunch (breakfast? dinner?) twice upon returning to the living room. The first time was when he found the sofa empty, and the second was when Liam tapped his shoulder from behind: "Thanks, mate."
Where did you go? "Li..." The toilet, of course, the toilet. "They have razors here too?"
They sat on the floor by the coffee table to eat. Arvid noticed that Liam’s cheeks, which were usually flushed even at the calmest of times, were now nearly colorless. His tear troughs were more prominent than usual, and he seemed to have little interest in the food. Arvid’s strained nerves loosened dangerously after eating, beginning to drift in directions they absolutely shouldn't.
What if they had chosen...? Should he have at least brought it up? Arvid—Arvid himself was absolutely not interested in men. Of course, that wasn't to say he thought Liam would be interested in men. The point was, he shouldn't have just let Liam make a choice that harmed himself. But if he had argued back then, would it have made Liam feel weird since... and what about now? Doesn't acting like this is all perfectly natural make him even more unlikable?
Arvid felt his stomach sink. But if he were Liam, he realized, he would have chosen the blood draw without hesitation. Hey, it’s just 500ml of blood. Some people are very repulsed by... and they had to work together for at least a year. No one wants to fall out with their teammate during pre-season testing, right?
"Radio check?"
Arvid blinked. Liam was looking at him. "You look like you’re contemplating the meaning of life."
"Sorry," Arvid continued before his teammate could respond. "I meant the blood draw."
"It’s going to get a bit annoying if you keep dwelling on that," Liam’s eyes looked large and dark. "I told you, it’s fine."
Arvid wanted to say more, but Liam followed up with a stretch: "You clean up? I’m going to take a nap."
Arvid negotiated several times with the urge to burst into Liam’s room to check on him. During the process, he searched the entire house: there were no vents, yet the room remained at a constant temperature with fresh air. On the shelves, besides a few succulents, stood three books—Lord of the Flies, No Exit, and Heart of Darkness. He couldn't read a single word. The cutlery he put in the kitchen vanished the moment he turned his head.
He pressed the doorknob. The room was pitch black. Arvid heard Liam’s steady breathing, and his own. He left the door ajar and walked to the bedside.
He was there to confirm his teammate was still alive. Though logic told him 500ml of blood couldn't possibly be life-threatening for a professional athlete, and he should turn around and leave now.
Arvid climbed onto the bed quietly. He felt as if he had returned to a thunderstorm night when he was six years old—he was still that scared child who needed to bury his head in his mother’s fragrant curls to sleep peacefully. He lay flat, his mind in a mess, yet he did feel drowsy. The warmth radiating from Liam put him at ease.
Day 2
CODE: VCARB
Subjects: 30-Liam Lawson; 41-Arvid Lindblad
Progress: [1/7]
Please choose between two tasks:
- Subject 30 creates a 5cm long, 0.5cm deep wound on Subject 41’s chest.
- Subject 41 and 30 French kiss for 1min.
Countdown: 00:51:12
An unopened scalpel and the same disinfection, bandaging materials as yesterday lay on the coffee table.
Arvid stared at himself in the vanity mirror. No, he wasn't stalling his return to the living room. He would walk straight over and tell the TV they were choosing Task 1. He was just waiting for his morning wood to subside. He was an 18-year-old athlete; it was perfectly normal, thank you very much.
The task seemed to refresh based on both of them appearing in the living room simultaneously. Arvid was certain it hadn't been 24 hours since the last task, and they both had slept a bit too much. When he opened his eyes, he found Liam splayed out haphazardly, one leg hooked over Arvid’s hip and a hand resting on his chest. Liam’s reaction to waking up with an extra person in bed was flatter than Arvid had anticipated; he just rasped a groggy "Mate, what the hell" before pulling his limbs back and falling back asleep for another half hour. Arvid couldn't be sure; there were no clocks here.
Regardless, when Liam finally got up, washed, and they finished breakfast together, Arvid found it a bit awkward that he was still hard. Arvid tried to calm himself down by imagining the scalpel slicing through skin. His thoughts were intermittent, constantly flashing back to the sight of Liam eating.
His teammate liked to use the tip of his tongue to wrap around the food. Sleep had perhaps restored him well; his lips seemed as rosy as Arvid remembered.
Arvid wasn't the type to stare at a teammate’s lips. This was just a common, normal observation from his social interactions. He turned on the cold water and washed his face again. To hell with it, he was just under a lot of stress. Liam wouldn't be staring at his crotch anyway.
"We pick Task 1."
"Do the subjects confirm their choice?"
Liam turned around: "Oh, wait, Arvid."
"Confirm."
01:59:59
"Hey!" Liam looked like he wanted to throw something at him, but since he had nothing in hand, he could only give up. "I told you to wait."
Arvid tilted his chin at him, the provocation in the gesture stronger than he intended: "Nothing to wait for, mate. Better to just get it over with."
Liam gave a couple of incredulous, dry laughs: "Fine then, tough guy." He patted the sofa cushion beside him, signaling Arvid to sit.
"Oh for fuck’s sake, why didn't they give me a tutorial?" Liam said as Arvid took off his shirt. Arvid nearly got tangled in his T-shirt.
Arvid folded his hands over his lower abdomen. His brownish skin was as soft and smooth as silk, the traces of his hard training evident at a glance. His pressed-together arms squeezed his pecs slightly out of shape.
The iodine wipe made his hair stand on end. Liam’s hand was a bit cold. He tried to stabilize the skin on Arvid’s chest with his left hand. After several attempts at finding the right angle, he withdrew his hand. Arvid discovered to his embarrassment that his nipples had become slightly erect from the repeated breaths of Liam hitting them, but Liam didn't seem to notice: "Mate, you have to put your hands behind your back. I can't get this done like this."
Arvid braced his hands behind him.
"Seriously, how do you train your chest..." Arvid wanted to answer, but the way Liam approached with the scalpel made him fall silent instantly. Fine, he was scared.
He was willing to overcome this for the both of them. It felt a bit braggy to say, but this was clearly the better choice for them both, wasn't it?
Liam finally chose to cut right in the center of his chest.
They clearly couldn't... French kiss. This was just a small scratch. Any random crash would be harder to recover from than this.
The sharp pain made Arvid shudder involuntarily. He bit the inside of his cheek. Fortunately, Liam was very fast; even though Arvid felt he had dithered for over ten seconds, the sharp scalpel met no resistance in cutting him open. Arvid looked down. Through Liam’s messy bangs, he could see a streak of blood cloaking all details of the wound, trailing down his body and being absorbed by the waistband of his sweatpants.
Arvid really hoped Liam’s gaze didn't continue downward. He now needed enough clumsy concealment that could shut Flavio or Horner up.
CODE: VCARB
Subjects: 30-Liam Lawson; 41-Arvid Lindblad
Progress: [2/7]
The new task will be released on the Third Experimental Day.
Liam used a towel to wipe the blood from his exposed upper body and then covered the wound with it: "Keep pressure on it." Arvid sat up straight, one hand pressing the towel, the other pressing his crotch. The pain in his chest was no longer sharp, but rather a numb throb. Liam turned back, brushed aside Arvid’s hand, and carefully aimed the waterproof bandage at the wound. His thumb traced along the edge of the bandage. Arvid felt the touch of his finger seemed to overshadow the pain, sparking goosebumps all over his body.
Fuck, Arvid, what is wrong with you?
The two, who had no clock, could only perceive the passage of time through the meals provided by this supernatural room. Arvid used the excuse of resting to hide in his room the entire time.
Getting hard when his dear teammate cut him open... what a pathetic pervert. Arvid tried to think of nothing while getting himself off in the bathroom, but when that failed, his thoughts drifted to the girls he followed on Instagram, the female celebrities he had always been obsessed with, and the high school classmates he’d had fantasies about. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Could this place have the power to influence his consciousness, making him to turn... He had never been that kind of person. He had zero interest in men. He wouldn't even click on that kind of content out of curiosity if it popped up in his porn feed.
Let alone a teammate. A colleague. What the hell? He had seen Liam when he was a kid, but his memory was limited to just "having seen him." Of course, starting from last year, they had filmed a YouTube video together, and Liam had presented him with an award in Oceania. They could be considered acquaintances, but that was it.
Liam Lawson. His first teammate in F1. A passing senior figure on his inevitable path to success. Nothing more. A weirdo who constantly switched between annoying, boundary-less warmth and complete distraction. Arvid had stared at Liam for too long—so long that someone on social media had said, "Find someone who looks at you the way Arvid looks at Liam." He was just maintaining the politeness of a rookie. He was a humble future star, so even when facing a senior who had been demoted after only two races for Red Bull, he would maintain this level of attention. Watching every TikTok video from 2025, sweeping his gaze across the seams of the race suit from the other end of the garage, staring directly at his teammate’s face in front of and behind the camera. Actually, he wasn't always listening to what Liam was saying; he was just staring at his stubble, his slightly hooked nose, and the tip of his tongue that always flashed between his lips during syllables.
Arvid’s long-suppressed, heavy gasps escaped his mouth. He held his position for a long time before mechanically cleaning himself up.
Day 3
CODE: VCARB
Subjects: 30-Liam Lawson; 41-Arvid Lindblad
Progress: [2/7]
Please choose between two tasks:
- Subject 41 dislocates one of Subject 30’s shoulders.
- Subject 30 performs oral sex on Subject 41 until he ejaculates once.
Countdown: 00:57:23
Yesterday, the room provided them with food again. The way Liam knocked on his door to call him out for dinner made Arvid miss his mama. They took turns showering and retreated to their respective rooms by unspoken agreement.
Arvid woke up earlier. As if trying to delay the task refresh, he ate breakfast at the kitchen island. Liam naturally sat down beside him.
The instructions on the TV didn't change despite Arvid’s particularly forceful glare.
"You’ve got to be kidding me..." He squeezed the words out from between his teeth. Thoughts like tinnitus drowned out his senses: What do we do? What do we do?
How would a dislocated shoulder affect a driver’s career? How was he supposed to take that responsibility? Why was this room treating them like this?
"Arvid," the younger driver’s neck stiffened as he found Liam pressing a hand down on his unconsciously bouncing knee. "Pick Task 2."
"Huh?"
"Do the subjects confirm their choice?"
"Confirm."
The countdown on the TV refreshed. Arvid watched in shock as Liam decisively pushed aside the coffee table and knelt between his legs.
"Liam, wait, hold on."
His teammate seemed to find his reaction stupid, offering a smile without moving: "Hmm?"
Wait, no, that’s not right. "Liam." He searched frantically for the right words.
"Mate, do you want my shoulder dislocated?"
"No... That’s not what I..."
"Good, looks like we’re on the same page then." He stared at the dumbfounded Arvid for a few seconds before taking a deep breath. "Don't tell me you’ve never..."
"No, I mean, yes, I have," Arvid felt like his brain hadn't woken up fully today. "Girlfriends. Not with men."
Liam raised half an eyebrow. Arvid added stutteringly, "I’m straight."
"Yeah, I can tell. In case you didn't know, so am I."
"You can't force me to have do this with you." Why did he say that? Would he make Liam angry? If he was unwilling, could they retract the choice? Could he win Liam in a fight and eventually hurt him?
His teammate remained in a kneeling position, only shrugging at his words: "You’re right."
Arvid blinked.
"The thing is, Arvid. It’s not like I’m happy to be in this position. I don't want a bad shoulder, so yeah. I think being blown by a guy, or blowing a guy, is a much smaller loss than an arm injury." He adjusted his posture, hands pressing onto Arvid’s knees. "So, I’d be very grateful. If you could just, well, endure it for a bit and let me finish today's task quickly. "
Arvid found that when Liam looked up at him with those eyes, it put him in a position of weakness where he couldn't refuse. He closed his eyes and nodded. He couldn't tell if it was because he couldn't bear to watch a man give him a blowjob, or something else.
Liam unbuckled his sweatpants. Arvid cooperated by lifting his hips, letting him pull the clothes down and expose his lower body. Liam’s right hand pressed firmly against his inner thigh; his left hand gripped the penis.
Arvid tried his best not to make any sound. Liam only needed a few stroke to get him fully hard. Any thoughts Arvid had of condemning himself were churned into oblivion by the friction of the calluses on Liam’s fingertips. Instead, the image of Liam playing the guitar flashed before his eyes—those pinkish knuckles.
The departure of Liam’s fingers almost made him whine, but all his thoughts ceased entirely as his dick is enveloped by a warm, moist space.
"Fucking hell..." Arvid moaned involuntarily.
Liam’s mouth was very tight and small, maintaining a mechanical rhythm of suction while the base of his tongue constantly brushed against the sensitive glans. This is way too much, a blurred thought crossed Arvid's mind. Has he done this before? Otherwise, it doesn't explain how...
Liam paused his movements to relax his jaw. The rhythmic movement of his throat as he swallowed saliva made Arvid want to thrust deep into his good teammate’s mouth. Arvid finally opened his eyes. The sudden eye contact with Liam nearly made his heart stop. Is he just staring at me like that all this time? Arvid’s desire overrode his previously rambling rationality. He reached out to cup the back of Liam’s head, thrusting his hips before the other could protest—gag, er...—Arvid felt the pain of Liam’s previously retracted teeth scraping against him. It didn't make him back down. He applied force with his hand, fingers clutching Liam’s hair to control the pace... An F1 driver’s neck wasn't so easily moved, so when Liam showed no resistance, Arvid forgot all thoughts of slowly enjoying this blowjob. He was as impatient and clumsy as his first time masturbating as a teenager, crashing into the older driver’s mouth without any rhyme or reason. Such an intense release naturally couldn't last long. Arvid swore several times in a row, before coming entirely into Liam’s throat.
CODE: VCARB
Subjects: 30-Liam Lawson; 41-Arvid Lindblad
Progress: [3/7]
The new task will be released on the Fourth Experimental Day.
The older driver spat him out. His eyes were rimmed with red from the stimulation-induced tears. His lower face was nearly covered in saliva and the fluid Arvid had secreted. He held onto Arvid’s leg and dry-heaved several times. A thread of white semen slowly dripped from the corner of his lip onto the carpet.
I want to bite him, bite those open lips until he bleeds for me. Arvid was startled by his own thought. He sat up a bit awkwardly: "Sorry."
Liam looked up, his voice raspy: "Do you say that to your girlfriend too?"
Arvid gave a shy, anxious laugh: "That was the best blowjob I’ve ever had. Thank you."
His previously calm teammate’s face suddenly turned red: "You are so weird..." He got up and left, slamming his door without further explanation, leaving Arvid with a sense of inexplicable melancholy.
Day 4
CODE: VCARB
Subjects: 30-Liam Lawson; 41-Arvid Lindblad
Progress: [3/7]
Please choose between two tasks:
- Subject 30 cuts off one of Subject 41’s thumbs.
- Subject 41 performs a single nipple piercing on Subject 30.
Countdown: 01:49:38
Arvid knelt on the sofa, not daring to look into the eyes of the teammate lying flat in front of him. He wasn't sure how much of it was because of what had already happened yesterday, and how much was because of what was about to happen today.
He had already been a bit too eager to make the decision for both of them. Liam was noncommittal about it. They sat side-by-side in silence, watching the tutorial. Arvid didn't want to offer any self-justification, and Liam, naturally, didn't make any accusations, though that didn't make Arvid feel even a tiny bit more at ease. He always felt like Liam was mocking him through this passive permission. His teammate could bluntly say, "I don't want a dislocated shoulder, I’ll give you head", but Arvid never had that kind of candor. His pride? Perhaps it was just baseness that left him speechless.
This experiment didn't seem to seek any form of fairness or justice. It was just casually handing them choices between injury and eroticism that were enough to destroy a good professional relationship. He could hardly imagine how they would face each other if they managed to last until the end of the experiment, if they actually got out of this place alive.
His worries proved a bit premature because Liam was currently staring at him and asking, "Did you forget something?"
Damn, he should have watched the tutorial more closely.
"Er..." Arvid froze, holding the disinfectant swab.
Though he didn't have the courage to look Liam in the eye, Arvid knew his older teammate had just rolled his eyes massively. "You’re not as reliable as you look, you know that?"
Before Arvid could process the meaning, he felt his wrist being grabbed. "You need to stimulate it first." Arvid’s fingers let go of the swab, and with a gentle pull from Liam, they landed on his pink nipple. "Only then can you find the right spot for the needle." Seeing the younger driver looking dazed, he rolled his eyes again, though less obviously this time, and continued: "Er, if you don't want to... I’ll do it myself." He made a move to swat Arvid’s hand away, but the latter finally regained his speech: "The task says I’m the one piercing you."
He didn't wait for Liam to answer. He took it upon himself to flip his hand and pin down Liam’s hand that was trying to push him away, letting instinct take over—leaning down to lick his teammate’s nipple. Liam’s sharp intake of breath greatly encouraged him. Arvid’s tongue circled his areola, he nipped the nipple with his front teeth, and gave an appeasing suckle when he felt the person beneath him trying to suppress a shudder. Arvid vaguely felt that this was one of the many things he had wanted to do for a long time, he just didn't always admit it to himself when he was staring at the Visa logo on his teammate’s racing suit.
Although Liam’s free hand was half-heartedly pushing against Arvid’s chest, the younger driver decided when to stop based entirely on his own will. He looked down to inspect his work: Liam’s entire face and chest were flushed with a shameful pink. The tormented nipple was completely swollen and erect on his flat chest. What satisfied him most was that Liam finally stopped staring at him, instead turning his head away and covering his face with his hand.
If he didn't only have two hands, he would have loved to pull Liam’s arm away and force him to watch the procedure. A pity. Arvid unwrapped a new set of swabs and repeatedly disinfected the patch of skin that looked very fragile. He fixed the piercing forceps and fitted the stud onto the needle, roughly finding the position: "Take a deep breath for me, Liam."
His teammate obeyed the instruction without a word.
"Exhale slowly."
The needle passed through the flesh very smoothly—after all, this part wasn't meant to cause them pain. Liam hummed. While pulling out the needle and screwing on the ball-end of the stud, Arvid whispered soothingly, "You did great, thank you." He discovered that the older driver would let out a faint moan at such simple words. He liked being praised, being thanked... Arvid carefully finished the disinfection and applied a dressing, though what he wanted more was to personally lick away the blood Liam had shed for him, letting the cold, hard stud be permeated by the temperature of his mouth.
"You shower first?" Arvid wiped his hands clean with a kitchen towel. Although the room automatically cleaned their food waste, Arvid stubbornly finished the trivial task of washing the dishes himself. It made him feel like he still possessed some sanity and made him think less about the ominous words "standardized disinfection and disposal." After all, that sounded exactly like the fate of the plates he had thrown directly into the sink.
Liam was a bit distracted: "Hmm?"
"I said, you shower first?"
"Oh," he instinctively raised his hand to touch the ribs on the side of the piercing. "Can the wound touch water?"
"It should be… fine? Just don't soak it and make sure you dry it properly."
"Sound like you’ve considered a piercing plan."
Arvid smiled slightly: "I’ve looked up how to maintain an earring online, but Nani didn't agree to me getting one."
"Nani?"
"Grandma."
"In New Zealand, we call grandma 'Nana'." Arvid stared as Liam took off his shirt right there in the living room. "I wonder how she’ll scold me later." Arvid felt his actions were quite brazen.
The younger driver looked at the other’s messy hair: "Does it hurt?"
"It wasn't that bad during the piercing, but it hurts a bit now." Arvid thought of the scratch on his own chest—that slightly throbbing heat, the obvious pulsing of blood vessels bringing waves of faint pain and a bit of itching. Against Liam’s pale skin, the red, swollen nipple and the glint of silver were exceptionally striking. This was his doing, his masterpiece. Just like the light-colored scar that would remain forever on his own dark skin, it was the consequence of them entrusting themselves to each other. As the hot water from the showerhead ran over the path Liam had carved on him, he couldn't help but imagine how the water droplets would linger on the tip of Liam’s nipple.
Arvid entered Liam’s room without knocking. Unsurprisingly, his teammate was shirtless, half-lying on the bed. Surprisingly, Lord of the Flies was spread out on Liam’s lap, many pages torn out, and several paper airplanes were scattered around the room.
"Mate, didn't your Nani teach you to knock before entering someone's room?" Liam really flushed very easily. Arvid’s new discovery was that his cheeks would turn a peach-pink similar to his nipple. They lay on the bed and tore up nearly half the book. Some became paper airplanes that nose-dived into the wall; more became unrecognizable, crumpled paper balls. Liam kept teasing Arvid for his impatient origami skills, while Arvid began to take apart the items Liam had folded—stars, cranes. He blew up paper balloons and flattened them again. Until Liam got bored and decided to sleep. He didn't voice any objection to the fact that Arvid didn't seem to plan on leaving.
The room fell into darkness.
"Liam."
"Hm?"
"Are you cold?"
"I’m alright." He sounded half-asleep. Arvid reached out and pulled the blanket over Liam’s stomach, tucking the edge under his arm to prevent it from slipping near the wound. They were similar in build, so it was a bit difficult to embrace Liam from behind. His nose could barely reach past Liam’s shoulder, his breath brushing against the side of the other’s neck. The older driver instinctively tilted his head, muttering something Arvid couldn't recognize. He felt Liam’s hand pull out from under the blanket and rest on his arm.
Where did this strange... attention come from? Arvid was certain that his repeated glances toward the other side of the garage, his attempts to strike up a conversation on the commute, and his repeated viewing of the little video VCARB had made him and Isack film were out of pure professional curiosity—or more accurately, competitiveness. He had long known he would successfully enter F1. Every previous level of racing had been a smooth transition. He had no reason not to shine just as brightly in F1. That word meant defeating his teammate, getting promoted, and becoming the next king to change the dynasty of a primary team.
So, he was just observing his teammate, observing the future loser. Arvid remembered an older driver telling him in some race: "It’s always easy to show kindness to losers. You’ll find that champions are all the 'nicest' people." Nothing that happened in this room had any meaning beyond that. Liam had already lowered his stance, pre-emptively accepting his fate, and Arvid had no ulterior motives.
Arvid quietly listened as Liam’s breathing became long and light.
Day 5
CODE: VCARB
Subjects: 30-Liam Lawson; 41-Arvid Lindblad
Progress: [4/7]
Please choose between two tasks:
- Subject 41 performs a below-knee amputation on one of Subject 30’s legs.
- Subject 30 restrains Subject 41 and completes 10 lashes.
Countdown: 01:42:49
When Arvid saw the Barbie-pink rope on the coffee table, he humorously thought it was quite a fashionable choice for hanging oneself. Then he saw the whip, gag, and blindfold of the same color, and finally the few lines of text on the TV. Fine, but why Barbie pink? The answer was obvious: he would be wearing a blindfold, while the aggressor, Liam, who was not deprived of vision, liked pink.
"Ouch, do you have to tie it so tight?" he said, a bit grumpily. Liam circled back to the kneeling Arvid, leaned over, and squeezed his jaw hard with one hand. With the other, he stuffed the gag into the younger driver’s mouth despite his annoyed struggle. "Mmm! Mmm!" While Arvid was still trying to break free from Liam’s hand over his face and push the foreign object out with his useless tongue, the "click" of the buckle came from the back of his head. He looked up to protest further, but was completely silenced when he met Liam’s smug expression.
"Sweetheart," Arvid’s eyes widened. "Pink suits you. Why don't you ever wear it?" Knowing full well his teammate couldn't speak, Liam amused himself and twirled the blindfold around his fingers twice: "That reminds me, we could share a wardrobe."
How the hell did his mind jump to a wardrobe... Arvid’s vision fell into darkness. His jaw was already starting to ache. But Liam unhurriedly moved behind him. The knots the tutorial instructed him to tie weren't complicated. Only the last step remained: connecting the two separate sets of ropes restraining Arvid’s wrists and ankles. He had no way of predicting any of Liam’s movements, so when his teammate pulled his wrists down, he let out a startled moan and sat directly on his calves.
"Hey, relax, sorry. I should have told you first," Liam continued after hearing a rather loud grunt from Arvid. "Alright, alright, I’m almost done."
Arvid felt Liam check the knots behind his back one by one and then get up to leave him. The deprivation of sight only then began to make him feel a bit uneasy. The carpet muffled the footsteps, and the lack of another person’s warm touch made his exposed upper body feel a sense of loss.
The sound of air being torn apart by a flexible object at high speed made Arvid shrink back. Liam murmured to himself: "Do you think it’ll hurt less if I hit your back?"
Please, mate, can you just hurry up? Arvid let out a few meaningful muffled sounds. Liam probably caught his drift. When Arvid heard his voice again, it came from behind: "If you feel you’re ready, just nod."
Arvid nodded.
Snap! Arvid shuddered all over. At first, he felt nothing except for being pushed from the back. When he started his second breath, a burning pain quickly surged over the skin the whip had struck, then dissipated just as fast, leaving behind an unbearable but satisfying itch. Arvid panted and widened his eyes, horrified to find that this singular pleasure made him want the second lash. The darkness reduced his control over his groans.
Liam didn't dally. Arvid heard him count aloud: "One." Immediately followed by the second lash, landing a bit lower. "Two." Liam tried to control the direction of the whip, avoiding existing welts. "Three," "Four"... Arvid straightened his back in a daze, trying to control himself from moving around. Transitioning from pain to itching, and then suddenly turning into a pleasure and numbness that struck his brain directly. New and old whip marks alternated and layered, bringing immense stimulation to his senses. His own saliva was uncontrollable because of the gag, dripping onto his chest and near his wound. The coolness sparked goosebumps. Arvid discovered in despair that he was hard, again.
The feeling of being treated so roughly was actually wonderful. Arvid just wanted to fall forward, press his forehead into the carpet, and groan loudly, urging Liam to continue. Though his teammate intended to go easy, Arvid could still feel the bursts of searing pain on his back accompanied by comfort. However, the knots Liam had pulled tight left him with little room to lose control; he could only stay in place and shake violently.
"Ten."
CODE: VCARB
Subjects: 30-Liam Lawson; 41-Arvid Lindblad
Progress: [5/7]
The new task will be released on the Sixth Experimental Day.
Arvid let out a damp whimper, unable to contain himself. Liam’s hand on his shoulder triggered a shudder that swept through his entire body. "Hey, shh... are you okay?" his older teammate whispered soothingly in his ear, quickly undoing his gag and blindfold. "Talk to me."
"Li... Liam." Arvid’s jaw was very sore; he couldn't make any complicated sounds, so he chose the name. Seeing the light again made him feel even more dazed. He blinked away the tears while panting wildly. Liam untied the knots one by one, his hair brushing against Arvid’s back: "I’m here. Sorry, I hurt you." Arvid made some sounds that were meant to say it was okay but actually sounded very upset. Liam repeatedly apologized and comforted him. The last piece of rope was untied, and Arvid slumped onto the floor, barely moving his arms to flex his stiff muscles. Liam handed him a wet, cool towel.
At this moment, the pleasure from the whipping had nearly dissipated. A heated throb gradually took over his back. When Liam got up to leave him, Arvid almost cried out to beg him to stay, but his gradually returning vision and remaining logic reminded him that Liam was going to get the medicine on the coffee table. He wiped his face and painfully adjusted his posture to sit cross-legged. He felt he had become sluggish because Liam seemed to be back behind him in an instant: "And here…is the medicine. It might hurt a bit. Are you ready?" Arvid suddenly felt his throat was very tight, so he nodded.
He felt a pair of gentle hands stroke the welt closest to his shoulder. The coolness of the ointment seeped into his skin. Arvid smelled a strong scent of peppermint. The burning sensation on his back faded, but his throat was still hot. He buried his face in the towel, trying to calm himself and focus on the dissipation of the pain.
He thought he had hidden it well, until Liam finished applying medicine to the last wound on his side. Arvid felt a pair of hands gently brush aside the curls on one side of his forehead.
He put down the towel and saw Liam sitting on the floor in front of him, head slightly lowered: "Sorry for making you hurt so much."
"It’s not," Arvid sniffled. "It’s not because of the pain. You were very gentle." You are too nice to me, he wanted to say. Actually, he wasn't sure if Liam was nice to him. Everything that happened in this room confused him, and nothing had happened between them outside this room yet. An intense, inexplicable sadness made Arvid almost unable to think. Why? What happened? And then? His gradually calming heat below, the words he had been trying to organize earlier but had forgotten, his unreasonable tears—Arvid Lindblad was completely lost in a daze.
"Liam," he said. "Can you hug me?"
His teammate stared blankly, tilting his head. He looked like he was considering how to hold Arvid without touching the wounds. His expression was too silly, Arvid thought. Then he leaned forward until he only needed to nod slightly to kiss Liam. Through his eyelashes, he saw his teammate lower his eyes. Perhaps a long time passed, or perhaps only a second, before Liam raised his arms to wrap around Arvid’s neck.
This kiss began with a careful touch at the corner of the mouth and a long tracing of each other’s lip shapes. Arvid felt he could go on kissing like this forever, as pleasant as sipping the first glass of iced lemonade at the start of summer. Liam let out a soft sigh in the gap between movements. Arvid immediately seized the opportunity to take the other’s fleshy lower lip into his mouth, feeling the arms on his shoulders tighten. Arvid began to explore Liam boldly—a moist push and pull, nips that grew slightly heavier, a safe pain that was just enough, and a tidal game without end. He tasted a bit different from what Arvid had imagined. Arvid always thought Liam would taste of peppermint gum; in reality, he had almost no taste. Arvid only licked a bit of the saltiness of his own tears. He was so immersed that he couldn't perceive the pain.
"Arvid," finally, the older driver let go. "Enough." Facing Arvid’s persistent demands, Liam turned his head and gently pushed him away: "I don't think you know what you’re doing."
Arvid couldn't read the emotion in those drooping, lake-colored eyes at all: "I don't understand."
Liam took a deep breath and stood up: "Don't bother me again today."
Day 6
CODE: VCARB
Subjects: 30-Liam Lawson; 41-Arvid Lindblad
Progress: [5/7]
Please choose between two tasks:
- Subject 30 cuts open Subject 41’s abdominal cavity.
- Subject 41 causes Subject 30 to reach orgasm without touching his penis.
Countdown: 01:45:03
Arvid felt that yesterday's kiss with Liam didn't clarify anything; instead, it added more questions. So, he... liked Liam? What did that mean? Was he bisexual now? More importantly, Arvid felt anxious—did Liam like him? Or... was he just indifferent about who came in his mouth, who he kissed, and who he called "Sweetheart"? He didn't understand Liam’s meaning. Clearly, he was the one who kissed back—or maybe they both kissed each other at the same time? Regardless, Liam was the one who chose blowjob over violence. Maybe he just didn't want to ruin his career in a stupid experiment, but he did kiss me after all. Doesn't that mean something? Did Arvid imagine that unspeakable atmosphere between them, while the reality was just his own head being clouded?
The most pressing problem was that even though his brain had finally turned a corner and accepted one fact—he had a sexual urge toward Liam—it didn't mean that on a technical level, he instinctively knew... er... how to...
"Are you going to keep sitting there, or...?" The task, of course, didn't force them to complete it in the living room. There was no tutorial today either. Liam left a sentence saying he was going to the toilet, leaving Arvid and his blank little brain on the sofa, staring at the refreshed lubricant and condoms, engaging in fantasies that were far too rich but offered little reference.
Arvid was directed by Liam to lie on his own bed. He stared straight at his teammate undressing piece by piece in front of him. His indifferent expression was almost shameless. However, Arvid felt that Liam’s pink earlobes showed that he wasn't as calm as he appeared. A naked Liam—the silver glint on his nipple flashing—climbed onto the bed. Arvid instinctively reached out, but withdrew after receiving a not-so-gentle look: "Don't move. I’ll do it myself."
Liam pulled down Arvid’s trousers. His completely erect penis popped out. Arvid wanted to take off his shirt or use his hand to caress himself, but Liam softly told him to stop. His teammate slowly put a condom on him. The cool lubricant was warmed between his hands. A portion was covered on Arvid’s very ignored dick after a few simple strokes; the other portion—
—Liam’s fingers pushed into his hole. It hit Arvid that Liam had just been prepping himself in the toilet. The erotic image of Liam masturbating in front of him didn't last long, as the older driver moved forward, guiding Arvid’s dick into his body.
"Oh God..." Arvid groaned. He wanted to reach out and hold Liam’s waist, but his hand was swatted away. "Liam, jesus."
"Don't move." Arvid looked up. His teammate ordered him with an unquestionable air and a face so red it looked like it would explode any second. The sweet tightness made Arvid just want to thrust his hips hard, crashing until he couldn't hold on anymore, but he decided to let Liam control the situation for a while... The New Zealander’ trembled as he bit his lip and slowly began to move.
The person on top having much more sexual experience than himself made Arvid feel sharp jealousy in the gaps between panting and trying to stay in control. Well, clearly Liam was an expert at lying. The "I’m straight" bullshit was something only a fool like Arvid would continue to believe after a soul-shattering blowjob. The fuck, could be said to be the opposite of intense—sluggish and leisurely—yet Arvid felt this could destroy his will more thoroughly than any passionate one-night stand he’d ever had. Liam wouldn't let Arvid touch him, but his own hands avoided his hips and slowly wandered over his body with the rhythm of the rise and fall. Arvid stared in a daze: "Liam?" The other let out a displeased gasp. Arvid felt that if this continued, he would definitely give in before Liam reached orgasm. He had to be the one to control the rhythm. "You’re not looking at me."
"What?"
"What’s so important that you’re still distracted at a time like this? Hmm? What’s on your mind?"
"I’m not..."
Arvid suddenly sat up straight. Liam let out a squeak, his waist suddenly going soft. His struggling hands were easily restrained by Arvid. In an instant, their positions were swapped. Arvid felt Liam was squeezing him so hard he was about to come, but he kept his voice steady, pressing down on his teammate and continuing to question: "Is there anything more important right now than coming in my bed, Liam?"
Liam stared at him, then said in a voice that was barely audible: "No."
Arvid knew this wasn't the truth; he was better at reading Liam now. But he didn't intend to call him out, so he just adjusted his position:
"Can I touch you? Can I kiss you? Can I bite you?"
"You can do whatever you want to me."
Arvid buried his head deep into the other’s neck until their upper bodies were tightly embraced. Liam’s nipple stud pressed against his heart. He began to thrust into the older driver without any rhyme or reason. The movements weren't exactly tender, but both were addicted to the much stronger pleasure. Arvid felt Liam’s breathing become messy, so he bit the other’s lips. His own name became intermittent airflow, spinning on their tongues along with melodic groans, like a serenade sung only for him. He slowly found the trick, thrusting again and again into a spot deep inside Liam that made the passage wrapping his dick spasm. Seeing those eyes, which were like ponds after rain, rippling with blurred waves, Arvid felt a sense of sweetness. He finally got rid of his T-shirt. Liam’s hand touched the blood scab he had caused. Arvid took his hand and bit it in his mouth. His free hand roughly tugged at the nipple ring. Liam’s waist arched involuntarily, and his calls for Arvid’s name became urgent.
Feeling both himself and the person beneath him were about to come, Arvid slowed down his movements. He grabbed Liam’s hands that were trying to scratch him and let himself press against the other’s chest. Their violent heartbeats were transmitted to each other’s bodies. Arvid kissed the corner of Liam’s mouth, bit his ear: "I love you."
Liam shuddered violently. He responded feebly: "You don't know what you’re saying."
"You’re the one who doesn't know what you’re saying," Arvid showered Liam’s face with kisses. "I love you, I love you, I love you. Now it’s your turn to say it to me."
Arvid completely stopped his movements, though it nearly exhausted all his willpower. He braced his upper body, looking down at Liam, who had been fucked so good that his whole body went pink—face giving a wild expression, yet he was still biting his lip hard.
"Say you love me, Liam." Arvid reached out and squeezed his teammate’s jaw, forcing him to look at him. Feeling the other’s hole still hungrily contracting to please his dick while his mouth showed no sign of yielding, Arvid applied a bit more force and softened his tone. "Please, Liam. Be my good boy, just once. Say you love me."
Liam let out a pained groan. Arvid could feel his internal and external shuddering, so he pressed his advantage: "Please, please, please. Liam, Lili, good boy, my good boy." Feeling the person beneath him shuddering violently like a glass skyscraper collapsing in an earthquake, he kissed Liam’s mouth, pried open his teeth, and thrust hard into the deepest part of his body. His teammate let out intermittent screams, holding him tight. Arvid thrust heavily a few more times. The long-accumulated pleasure finally crossed the boundary. Arvid crashed into Liam with force, his cheek brushing against Liam’s curls. The pleasure was extended by the contracting and twitching of the hole as the other reached orgasm.
CODE: VCARB
Subjects: 30-Liam Lawson; 41-Arvid Lindblad
Progress: [6/7]
The new task will be released on the Seventh Experimental Day.
Arvid panted, kissing the other’s ear, quietly waiting for Liam’s spasms to subside. Feeling Liam’s arms, which were holding him so tightly it was hard to breathe, let go, Arvid increased the distance between them to see his face clearly. Liam took a deep breath, his voice a bit raspy from the intense groaning: "I love you." When he said those words, he looked straight into Arvid’s eyes.
Arvid suddenly felt he didn't understand Liam at all. He didn't know if this was the truth, but he just curled himself into Liam’s arms once again.
Day 7
CODE: VCARB
Subjects: 30-Liam Lawson; 41-Arvid Lindblad
Progress: [6/7]
Please make a choice to end the experiment:
- Jointly retain experimental memories.
- Jointly erase experimental memories.
No countdown, no refreshed equipment, no instructions for lust or warnings of injury. Arvid mused that they had already reached the boundary. There was nothing further than murder or sex. Curiously, neither of these two things required much emotion; only enough determination—a trait they, who made a living from racing and entrusted their bodies to machines going 300km/h, did not lack.
They could decisively drive through corners while hanging by a thread.
He could also decisively choose to forget all of this, Arvid thought.
The "love" uttered under the urging of lust—could he convince himself it was just a juvenile jest?
Standing in the seventh day he was welcoming, there was a version of himself that was perhaps completely different from yet completely consistent with the one at the start. An Arvid who, in order not to kiss a man, would hurt his teammate and let his teammate hurt him. An Arvid who, for the sake of another’s career, let a man give him a blowjob, and for the sake of his own career, pierced a man’s nipple. An Arvid who, for the sake of life and safety, accepted a whipping and had sex with a man.
And he could decisively choose to forget all of this.
To return to where it all began. Just scrolling through every VCARB TikTok video. Just listening to the guitar and singing coming from the other side of a plastic wall in the driver’s room. Just casually bumping fists and filming a few videos during a race week. Just letting his gaze drift time and again from the other end of a plane, the garage, the track. To return to that restless beginning where he deceived himself into thinking it was all just competitive spirit.
This was a sermon with only him as the listener, and he knew full well his conviction stemmed from a desire to escape.
Had his admiration for Liam reached the level of love? Perhaps he could have slowly and clumsily hidden his way to an answer, or forgotten there was even an answer. The love of an eighteen-year-old comes and goes freely, let alone an unacknowledged love. He could have blissfully enjoyed the conviction of a future star, leaving Liam on the edge of his vision, briefly intersecting here to work together before parting. However, this base experiment insisted on making him face his true self in boredom and pain, fighting the thoughts in his head. It insisted on making him acknowledge his weakness, his desire, and his yearning. It insisted on making him personally experience and crave the feeling of having Liam, even if it was just an arm resting on his waist upon waking up, the stable sound of a fork hitting a plate beside him during the mundane act of eating, or a word of "I love you" spoken quietly in the fatigue of orgasm—its truth or falsehood hard to distinguish. He had never truly possessed Liam. He only had these moments—these few seconds that gave him the illusion he had caught Liam, these moments that made him addicted and willing to pay any price just to experience them again.
He could say to himself over and over in his head that he had to do all of this for his dreams and his life. However, not only could the Arvid standing in the living room right now not agree, but doubtless, the Arvid who looked at Liam in the Bahrain night seven days ago, and the Arvid who couldn't help laughing at the "Mysterious girl, move your body close to mine" video six months ago, couldn't either.
But he was so afraid, so worried, that Liam could decisively choose to forget all of this.
Arvid felt that if he forgot the memories of these six days, he would never be whole. Even if his mind forgot, his body would not. The desire that lost its continuity would drive him mad.
"Arvid," he shuddered and turned to his teammate. "Which one do you want to choose?"
"I... I don't want to forget all of this. I want to remember. I can't..." Arvid took a breath. "You can't..."
"I can't what?"
"We can't pretend all of this never happened."
"Why?"
"Because," Arvid’s heart was crashing around as if his chest were too narrow to contain any more. He couldn't indulge in his own feelings anymore. "Liam, can you do it? Can you?"
His teammate stared at him blankly. "Do you think you can forget everything, Liam? Return to seven days ago? What kind of feelings did you have for me then?"
"You are my teammate."
"I was then. Is it possible that in your eyes, I could never have been anything else to you?"
"Stop asking. I agree, alright? Is that okay?"
"No, I’d rather you choose to forget everything than have you not tell me the truth right now."
Liam breathed in, and out. "If I’m honest with you, then you’ll let me make the choice?"
"Yes. Now, answer me, please."
"I think I do like you, Arvid," Liam gave him a slight smile. "You are very... cute. And obviously, you are very handsome." He seemed to be searching carefully for words, as if he suddenly needed to relearn his mother tongue. "I don't know. Actually, I don't know you that well, but I think we could have gotten along very well."
"You ask me what kind of feelings I had for you seven days ago. It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but I would jerk off thinking about you. I like the focused way you stare at me. I like your annoying British accent, and your teen temper." Liam began to turn the ring on his hand again. "But could you have been something else to me? I didn't consider it. I didn't consider it seven days ago. I didn't consider it when you were unwilling to kiss me. Actually, I didn't consider it when you did kiss me either."
"I only dared to consider it when you begged me to say 'I love you'."
Liam stared at him: "But is returning to real life with this… Everything, the best decision for us, Arvid? Returning to the track, returning to the competition? Letting this matter trouble us? When the easier choice is right there?"
"Even if I forget what happened in these seven days, I’ll still be troubled by you."
Seeing Liam’s expression, Arvid said, "No matter what you choose, at least give me one more kiss."
"You’ll forget." Liam’s voice trembled slightly.
Arvid knew he had already won. "Then give me a mediocre kiss. Not the kind that will stay with me for eternity."
Liam closed his eyes and gave him a light peck on the corner of the mouth.
Then he made the choice.