Work Text:
For as long as he can recall, ever since he’s been friends and then work colleagues with James May, Richard has always had quite a fondness for the older man. Even when he can be an absolute pain in the arse. Which is quite often.
But regardless of James being a pain at times, James has always been the one there for him when he had needed him. Certainly a lot more than Jeremy Clarkson ever has been. Possibly even more than his wife… ex-wife… Mindy, has been. Which is not to say that both Jeremy and Mindy have never been there for him when he really needs them, because of course they have. Mindy was there for him years ago after his first big crash and she had refused to give up on him then, after all.
James however… he has always been there. No matter what. Always there to answer his calls, and to just come over, or invite him over, so the two of them can just sit and talk about literally anything over a gin and tonic or five.
It’s… it’s nice. Really nice....
It’s nice having someone he knows that he can always count on to make him feel better, and to just sit and listen to him rant and ramble on about the workshop and how much money it’s been costing him. He could never do that with Mindy, talk about the troubles he’s having with the workshop. Or well, he could, but… more often than not, especially towards the end of their marriage, she’d tell him about something he’s doing wrong with the shop. Like the Smallest Cog race car in particular, which has cost him far more money than he’s earned from it. Which, fair enough, but….
Just sometimes he’d quite like to just rant about the workshop to someone without having them tell him that he’s doing something, or everything wrong with it. And with James….
With James, he can do just that.
Granted James does still call him an absolute idiot for some of his wild fucking ideas for the workshop. But... not in a negative way.
Even after he and Mindy’s marriage had ended, James was the first person he had told. And James was there to listen to him. To let him cry on his shoulder, and to let him spend the night with him, drinking away all his sorrows. Without any judgment whatsoever, and without telling him everything he’s done wrong in his life.
It’s… it’s refreshing.
Which is probably why he’s found himself seeking James out a lot lately, and going to see him more often than he normally would. Because maybe James May is the only person still keeping him from completely falling apart.
He’s not sure what that’s supposed to mean for their friendship. He’s never thought of James in any way other than an older brother. His best friend.
But now… now as he sits with James, on James’s sofa, in James’s house in Hammersmith…. While he’s sitting on James’s lap, kissing James, as James runs his hands up his sides under his shirt….
Just maybe he needs James.
Needs him so much more than he’s ever realised he's needed him….