Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"I am not going to pay that much! This is absurd! You're all scammers!" The man’s voice boomed through the garage, echoing off the metal walls like a siren. "I only came in to get my headlight fixed, not to have you rewire my entire brake system !"

With the way he was yelling, Nico was honestly impressed the guy hadn't passed out yet. He peeled off his gloves slowly, resisting the urge to roll his eyes or frankly, punch the guy’s teeth in.

"Look," Nico said, voice tight but calm. "Your brakes were totally fried. If you hadn’t come in, they would've failed on you sooner or later and you’d be looking at more than just a repair bill. You’d be in a damn accident."

The man’s face grew redder with each word, puffing up and scrunching like a pissed-off toad. Nico had seen a lot of angry customers in his entire career, but this guy was definitely the ugliest.

"I get it, this isn’t what you came in for. But we do offer payment plans-"

"Bullshit!"

The man spat the word at him. Literally . Nico blinked when a warm fleck of spit landed on his cheek.

Nico closed his eyes.

Well… that was it. The last damn straw.

He opened them again, jaw clenched, fully prepared to drag this man to the trunk, shove his oversized head inside, and slam it shut repeatedly until he gained a sense of reason, or at least stopped spitting everywhere . 

But before the fury could properly ignite, Valtteri stepped in, all calm eyes and that choppily trimmed mustache that somehow made him look even more unbothered.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Henry,” Valtteri said smoothly, slipping between them like warm butter. “This here’s one of my newest employees. Still getting used to the whole work-life balance, y’know? These young folks, they really go above and beyond. Probably figured he was doing you a little favor, checking your brakes.”

He chuckled lightly and clapped a hand on the red-faced man’s shoulder before steering him gently away, toward his desk in the far corner. “Of course, we know how the real world works. Let’s chat about how we can make this right, hmm?”

Nico wiped the sweat off his chin with a greasy old rag, not caring if it was clean or not.

New hire? Nico scoffed inwardly. I’ve been busting my ass in this garage for four whole years. Put some respect on my undivided loyalty, you fake-mustache peacekeeper. Im also older than you what the actual fuck man?

He rolled his eyes and slammed the hood of the toad-man’s car shut a little harder than necessary. But hey, if it broke, he’d be the one fixing it anyway. If that ugly hermit ever had the nerve to come back.

Nico busied himself with rearranging his tools. The garage was always a mess, even on a good day, but Nico was always a bit of a stickler for order. He liked some sense of control in his little corner of the chaos. Still, he couldn’t for the life of him find the damn iron wrench.

Grumbling under his breath, he ducked beneath the car he’d been working on, then moved on to another already suspended a few meters off the ground. He stepped carefully around streaks of oil and old motor grease, muscle memory guiding him through the maze of clutter that neither he nor Valtteri pretend to exist.

Despite the mess, he had grown comfortable here. There was something almost homey about the familiar clang of metal, the smell of engine oil, the buzz of fluorescent lights that never stopped flickering. You noticed it? You fix it!

This garage wasn’t where he had ambitioned to work… but it was where he ended up after everything else had gone sideways.

He’d been here ever since dropping out of uni in his final year. And really, the fewer people who asked about that, the easier his life stayed. Not that his life was very complicated these days, it was just quiet. Eh? Not really . 

He just didn’t talk to people much these days. Few months? Years? What the hell yeah, its always been his handful of friends and Valtteri I guess . 

Didn’t really go out. Didn’t have time. Actually At the grand age of thirty, socializing felt like a luxury he’d long stopped budgeting for. His idea of a good time? Staying home, sleeping in, and not waking up at the ungodly hour of six a.m. to make breakfast.

Because… well, it’s not like a four-year-old can make their own Frosties . 

You’d think at that age they’d have at least unlocked the “use spoon and pour milk” skill tree. Guess what? Nope. Still a walking, talking hazard with sticky fingers.

“Nico, it’s almost four o’clock, boy!” Valtteri called from across the garage.

Shit. Already? Had the toad left yet?

Nico glanced at his watch, soot-stained and smudged, like everything else on him. Forget the iron wrench. Forget the grease. Forget the mess.

He had a kid to pick up.

He shot upright, grabbing his jacket and shoving his arms through the sleeves in a clumsy rush. As he sped past, Valtteri was leaning against his desk, looking equal parts tired and unimpressed.

Nico winced. Yeah, he was definitely gonna get an earful today.

“Thanks, I’m borrowing this!” he shouted instead, jingling Valtteri’s keys in the air before the man could protest. He kicked off his oil-slicked boots and shoved his feet into his outside shoes with record speed.

No way in hell was he going to slip in front of the daycare again. Not like last time. No Jensen, I don’t have a video of it, remember? I was the one falling on my ass.

The usual crowd of parents had already gathered near the gates, milling about and chatting quietly, checking their phones, pretending not to eavesdrop on each other’s lives. On most days, the hoard of people would’ve irritated Nico. The polite nods. The forced smiles. The awkward small talk he had zero interest in. But not when he comes here.

Not when he was about to see her .

It has been a bit over two years now. Two years of picking her up from daycare. Rain or shine. Tired or running late. And yet, every damn day, he felt the same thing, that bubbling excitement that curled warm in his chest the second the clock hit four.

He misses her. He always misses her. Even if she's only gone for a handful of hours.

If Nico had it his way, he’d never have to send her off at all. If the world made even a bit of sense, he’d get to spend every morning making her late breakfast, every afternoon napping beside her on the couch, and every evening watching her do her ridiculous little dances in mismatched socks.

But no. The world didn’t work that way.

So here he stood, boots swapped out for clean sneakers, grease still probably smudged somewhere on his jaw, quietly waiting just outside the cluster of “normal” parents. The ones who looked like they’d come straight from offices or errands or evening yoga classes. He kept to the edge, arms crossed, watching the daycare gates like they held the answer to everything.

Because they kind of did. For him. 

Behind those gates was the one tiny human who made up his everything, every frustrating customer, every missed wrench, every six a.m. wake-up, worth it.

His little girl.

The first thing Nico saw, before the rest of her, before the tiny sneakers pounding the ground, were her bright yellow hair clips.

She really loved those ridiculous little clips.

His smile stretched wide, arms already opening as he braced for the incoming collision. Like clockwork, she came tearing down the path in a full-speed sprint, barreling toward him like a missile with yellow bunny clips. She never walked. No matter how many times he told her not to run on the hard tarmac.

“Why, Papa?”
“Because if you fall, you're going to hurt yourself.”
“Is the floor gonna get hurt too?”
“… Yeah, yes it is.”

He caught her with a soft grunt, knees bending slightly to absorb the impact as she slammed into him and wrapped her arms around his neck like she hadn’t seen him in a year. Nico’s whole body relaxed as he pulled her close, pressing his face into the top of her head and taking her in.

Her little fists clutched the back of his jacket, and sure enough, he felt her nuzzle in, rubbing her face against the fabric like she always did. That’s why he kept this jacket spotless. No garage grime. No oil stains. It was her designated hug-jacket.

He caught a glance from one of the daycare volunteers, she gave him a quick nod and a smile before turning back to wrangle a group of shrieking four-year-olds. He nodded back in silent thanks.

“Missed you, Papa,” she murmured into his chest, voice muffled.

“Missed you more, sunshine,” he whispered, kissing the crown of her head.

He hoisted her up with practiced ease, settling her snugly on one arm like she weighed nothing, even though her legs were getting longer by the week. She clung to him with the natural trust of someone who believed he could carry the world and for her, he would.

Her Cars -themed backpack dangled from his opposite shoulder, obnoxiously bright red and decorated with a chaotic assortment of racing decals. It was loud. It was hideous. And she loved it. Nico still remembered the argument in the store.

“But this one’s got a pink car on it?” he had tried, lifting a softer pastel option from the shelf. 

She had gasped, horrified. “But… but! Mac-Queen!”

“It’s Lightning McQueen, dear,” Nico had corrected gently, already sensing the loss.

“YES!” she’d declared, victorious.

Yeah. He never stood a chance.

“What did you do today?” he asked now, shifting her a little higher on his hip.

Instead of answering, she patted the top of his head like she was winding him up, her tiny hand tangling briefly in his hair before she launched into her daily, unfiltered daycare report.

“Lucy finally knows the goldfish’s name” she declared solemnly, as if this revelation carried the same weight as an ancient prophecy.

Nico blinked at her. Her dark brown eyes were wide with wonder. She cupped his face between her small, slightly sticky palms, waiting for him to react accordingly.

He played along, lips pursing dramatically. “Oh? And does Lucy know what that name is?”

His daughter giggled, the kind of high-pitched, delighted laugh that seemed to clear the last of the smog from his soul.

“He’s called… Job,” she said, frowning thoughtfully, as if the name didn't sit quite right in her mouth.

“ Job ?” Nico echoed, already opening the car door and sliding her backpack into the front seat. “Are you sure the fish isn’t a librarian?”

She squinted at him, clearly not getting the joke but sensing that something was funny. He chuckled and bent to help her into the car, finding the child seat exactly where it always was.

Valtteri had long stopped removing it from his passenger side. “Eh,” he’d shrugged once, catching Nico trying to unbuckle it. “It’s a pain to take off and put it back on all the time. Might as well stay ready.”

Nico had rolled his eyes, but secretly, he’d been touched. His boss and friend really weren't exactly loud with his affection, but he showed up in quiet, reliable ways.

Nico clicked the seatbelt across her chest and double-checked the straps. She swung her legs with excitement, hands clutching the sides of the seat like she was preparing for takeoff.

“Wait,” he said, pausing before shutting the door. “You said his name is Job , but is the fish a boy?”

She gasped like he’d just committed a crime.

“No! It’s a girl ,” she corrected, one tiny finger raised high like she was citing the law. Her face scrunched into a firm little pout. “Girls can be named Job, Papa.”

“Of course they can,” Nico murmured, grinning.

Before pulling away, he leaned forward and smothered a kiss to the tip of her nose.

She squealed in delight, instantly clapping her hands over her face. “ Nooooo , Papa! My whole nose!”

“Darn right I did,” Nico said, shutting the door gently and making his way to the driver’s seat.

As he slid in and started the car, he could hear her softly giggling behind him, still cradling her nose like it had been stolen. The sound of her laughter filled the space between them, sweeter than any song on the radio.

Chapter Text

“Wait… What do you mean this is our next job?” Nico asked, somewhere between a glare and a laugh, as he stared at the absolute wreck parked in front of the garage. Well, parked was generous enough. It looked more like someone had dropped it from a five-story building and just hoped for the best.

It was, or had once been, a silver McLaren. The sleek, glossy kind Nico had seen in ads plastered on billboards or crawling down the streets of big cities with the kind of arrogance only a million-dollar car could have. But this one? This one looked like it had been dragged out of a demolition derby, and then maybe set on fire for good measure.

Nico crossed his arms over his chest, cringing at the mangled heap. The hood was practically kissing the windshield, and one of the doors was bent backward like someone had tried to open it with a crowbar.

Valtteri, unfazed as always, was leaning back against his desk, chewing on the cap of his favorite blue pen. He casually pointed the pen toward the wreck, as if it wasn’t a luxury vehicle on the verge of being declared legally dead.

“Look,” Valtteri said around the pen cap, “it’s a favor. For an old mentor who recommended us.”

Nico slowly turned his head, raising one perfect eyebrow in quiet judgment. “A favor?” he echoed. “You call this a favor? This is less ‘favor’ and more ‘try to resurrect the dead please.’”

Valtteri shrugged, stepping forward and inspecting the damage like he was admiring a piece of abstract art. He pressed his fingers into a crumpled edge of the frame, the solid steel had folded in on itself like cardboard. It didn’t budge, of course. Nico tried not to say, told you so out loud.

“Hey, you think someone driving a supercar like this is gonna bring it here if they have other options?” Nico mumbled as Valtteri gestured toward the McLaren dramatically, arms wide. 

“This place screams ‘working-class honesty,’ not luxury European motorsports experience, so take this job as an honor”

Nico scoffed. “Please. I’ve worked on supercars before. There was that Bugatti with the busted dashboard? The Aston Martin that needed a new window tint? Hell, even that Ferrari with the melted exhaust pipe-”

Valtteri raised a hand, cutting Nico off mid-list. “Yes, yes, I know. You're a miracle worker who's worked on rich fools' bucket lists. But those were minor jobs. Cosmetic. Easy fixes. This?” He jabbed his pen at the McLaren again. “This is a Frankenstein job. This thing needs rebirth, not repair.”

Nico sighed deeply, eyes still fixed on the wreckage. “You know what this car needs?”

“What?”

“A priest,” Nico deadpanned. “And maybe an exorcist.”

Valtteri snorted but didn’t argue. Instead, he nudged a bent piece of fender with his foot, humming thoughtfully. “Isn’t this a good opportunity to show them what we’re capable of?” he murmured, more to himself than anything else.

Nico gave him a sideways glare. “Oh, now you’re being sentimental.”

“I’m being smart,” Valtteri replied, grinning. “Big job, high profile, serious payout. Think about it.”

Nico groaned. He wanted to argue, but Valtteri was always ambitious like that. Too ambitious, sometimes. It’s what led him to open his own garage in the first place, betting everything on a fresh coat of paint, a charming smile, and the kind of earnest friendliness that made people trust him instantly.

Meanwhile, Nico had been the one crawling under busted transmissions and cursing at tangled wiring. A solid system really. Valtteri brought people in, and Nico made sure they left satisfied. It was routine now. They’d been doing this dance for four years.

Didn’t mean Nico wasn’t going to complain about it every step of the way.

“Yes,” Nico drawled, arms tightening across his chest, “but this is going to take more than a few spare parts and a buff job. This car is basically a very expensive paperweight. And it’s not like we’re dealing with some used hatchback. It’s a McLaren. You know, handcrafted engines, imported materials, nightmare price tags. The kind of car that has its own technicians?”

Valtteri didn’t flinch. He just grinned wider.

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Why isn’t this thing at a McLaren service center, huh? Why come to us?”

Valtteri gave him a look that said he knew exactly what Nico was thinking. Of course he did. After four years of working together, the bastard could read him like a worn-out manual.

“Well, for one its a favour” Valtteri said casually, “and second its because they paid the full sum. Up front.”

Nico’s brain short-circuited for a second. “Wait, what?”

“The whole thing,” Valtteri repeated, voice way too smug for Nico’s liking. “Parts, our time, everything. Paid and cleared. We just have to work our magic and have it done before the deadline.”

“Deadline???” Nico sputtered. “What kind of lunatic drops off a mangled luxury car and says ‘have fun boys, clock’s ticking?!”

Valtteri only smiled. Nico was so tired of that grin.

Nico threw his hands up. “Hell no! I’m not touching that cursed death machine! That car looks like it fought God and lost!”

“Fuck you, Nico,” Valtteri shot back, laughing now. “I’m your boss and you do as I say!”

“You’re insane, mate! Absolutely mental!” Nico shouted, motioning wildly at the car like it was proof of divine injustice. “You want me to restore that? That thing belongs in a museum for automotive disasters!”

Valtteri leaned back against his desk, completely unbothered, the chewed-up cap of his pen between his teeth. “Deadline’s in just under three months, figured we only have you over here. You’re welcome by the way.”

Nico groaned, already doing the mental math and watching his evenings and weekends vanish into the void. He stared at the wrecked McLaren like it had just grown teeth.

“…It’s not, like, the mafia or something, right?” he asked, going a little pale as the full weight of that lump sum payment finally registered. Did they buy our silence or something?

“Get to work, Nico,” came the far-too-cheerful command.

And with a final grumble, Nico muttered something about curses and divine punishments and reached for his gloves.

“WOAHH!” Lucy gasped, her wide eyes fixed on the half-disassembled engine sprawled across Nico’s workbench. The jumble of wires, pistons, and greasy metal fascinated her, but Nico felt a sting of guilt. He’d been working overtime, trying to get the McLaren back to perfect shape, and in doing so, he hadn’t kept his promise to spend more time with his daughter.

Every night, Nico thanked his lucky stars that Lucy loved cars as much as he did. It made things a little easier when he was stuck in the garage. She’d happily flip through the stack of cheap car magazines that Valterri kept lying around the workshop, an endless source of entertainment for a curious kid her age. Big pictures and colorful cars. 

Well, almost endless. There had been that one disastrous day when a certain magazine had slipped in by mistake, a magazine with pictures Nico never wanted his daughter to see so young. He barely managed to grab it and toss it out the window before Lucy started asking questions about why people took pictures of their private parts.

Nico hadn’t let Valterri forget that day for a second. He’d given him a well-deserved smack on the back, and Valterri actually felt a bit sheepish.

Lucy tilted her head, her little brows furrowed in confusion as she looked up at Nico. “Why is my chest a private zone?”

Nico paused, then tried to keep his answer simple and age-appropriate. “Well, it’s because… it’s cold when we don’t wear clothes.”

Lucy blinked. “Huh?”

“Let’s take a look at this car, shall we?” Nico said, scooping Lucy up with one arm and gently settling her into the front seat of the McLaren. The outer shell had finally been restored, what a tourtours task that had been, Valtteri had to call three out of country hotlines to get it done. Gleaming silver panels replaced the once-mangled mess, thanks to the rather generous deposit left by the mysterious owner and Valterri’s relentless ambition.

Now, all that remained was the engine. Or what was left of it. Nico stared at it like it had personally offended him. The damn thing had practically committed suicide. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. One step at a time.

He turned back to Lucy and patted her head absentmindedly. Her curls were a wild halo by now, frizzed from the long day. Nico couldn’t help but smile, even as he cringed a little at the thought of how many shampoo bottles had been tested and promptly rejected in their household.

He had tried, truly. But curly hair? It was a battlefield he was still learning to navigate.

Well, clearly, my regular shampoo isn’t going to cut it, he thought with a sigh. And all the fancy stuff I’ve been trying? Straight into the ‘never buy again’ bin.

“Papa, it smells gross”

“There are no bubbles in it!” 

“Papa, look its red, is it blood?” 

“Papa, this is lotion…”

Lucy gripped the steering wheel with barely contained glee, twisting it left and right in wild zigzags as if she were in the middle of a high-stakes street race. The McLaren only halfway resurrected, groaned quietly beneath her, but Nico figured it could take a little pretend drifting. At least until she wore herself out.

With a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, he turned back to his work, letting the familiar clinks and whirrs of the garage settle around them.

It was hard, though. All of it.

Being a single parent wasn't something he had planned for, but it had become the most important part of who he was. There were moments where he felt like he was flying in blind. Like he was just trying not to screw things up too badly before the next school drop-off or scraped knee.

He was the one she depended on. The only constant. And that weight was heavy some days.

Of course, he wasn’t entirely alone. Valtteri was always around, his business partner and accidental babysitter, stepping in with some genuinely useful advice and a quiet hand on Nico’s shoulder when things got overwhelming. And Jensen, bless him, had pulled more emergency babysitting shifts than Nico could count, especially on the nights when things fell apart harder than usual.

Even Sebastian would swing by every now and then, arms full of obscenely expensive gifts and chocolates that would have Lucy bouncing off the walls for hours. Nico had nearly strangled him after that one visit, when Lucy had been gifted a battery-powered drill that actually worked.

No one was allowed to tell her that Nico had “accidentally” broken it an hour later.

He sighed fondly, watching his daughter spin the wheel again, tongue poking out in fierce concentration.

All those incredible moments aside, the little joys, the laughter, the ridiculous toys, Nico still found himself staring at Lucy with a weight pressing heavy on his chest.

She was now dragging her fingers across the seat, tracing invisible patterns along the dashboard with that same wide-eyed curiosity she had for everything. Her tiny voice hummed softly, some made-up tune that had no rhythm but was entirely hers.

Valtteri had mentioned karting once, offhandedly, in that casual way he always suggested things that weren’t so casual. “You should think about putting her in a kart when she’s old enough. She’s already halfway there, the way she talks about downforce and tire grip”

And sure, the idea had sounded brilliant in theory. Lucy, behind the wheel, helmet too big for her head, tearing around a track with that same toothy grin she wore whenever she was behind a toy steering wheel. Nico knew she would love it. Knew, in that gut-deep way only parents seem to, that she would thrive.

But the thought also scared the hell out of him.

Not because she might get hurt, though, god, that was a fear too but because what if she did love it? What if she was good at it? What if this was the thing she wanted to chase with all her heart and he couldn’t afford to give it to her?

Karting was expensive. Ridiculously so. Even the entry-level stuff came with price tags Nico could barely look at without his stomach twisting.

And Nico? Well, he was getting by. Every oil change, every brake job, every emergency repair kept them afloat, but just barely. His tiny pool of savings wasn’t for hobbies or indulgence. It was for Lucy. Her future. College, maybe, chocolate? duh. Or even just making sure she had options, real ones, when the time came.

So karting? It felt like this beautiful, dangerous idea. Like letting her dream about stars when he wasn’t sure he could even afford a ladder.

He sighed, running a hand down his face before brushing a few strands of hair out of his eyes.

“I’ll figure it out,” he whispered quietly to himself, not for the first time.

Chapter Text

“They’re late,” Nico muttered under his breath, arms crossed and jaw tight.

Valtteri, already halfway out the door, didn’t even slow his pace. He had packed up twenty minutes ago, slung his bag over one shoulder, and waved off Nico’s growing agitation like it was just another Tuesday. Because it was just another Tuesday .

“Don't burn the place down with that burning anger of yours” he called casually over his shoulder, not even looking back. “and lock up when you’re done being pissed.”

And then he was gone, the bell above the workshop door jingling once as it shut behind him.

Nico stared at the empty doorway for a long second, then at the pristine silver McLaren sitting under the shop lights polished and purring and completely finally done. The project was finished. The miracle had been performed. And yet, the damned owner, the same faceless rich asshole who had dumped it here, was now two hours late for pickup.

Two whole hours.

Nico hadn’t left the shop all day. He hadn’t eaten anything more than a sad protein bar and a half-stale cup of coffee. He was tired, grimy, and beyond frustrated.

But what made it worse, what made it almost unbearable, was that he’d had to call Jensen. Again.

Jensen, had picked up Lucy from daycare with a breezy, “Don’t worry about it, I got her!” but that didn’t ease the knot in Nico’s gut.

Because that was supposed to be his job.

Not fixing overpriced cars for people who couldn’t be bothered to show up on time. Not standing alone in a half-lit garage watching the minutes crawl by while his daughter ate dinner without him. Again .

And it wasn’t even the first time this week.

Nico exhaled through his nose, pressing his palms into his eyes until he saw sparks.

You’re not a bad parent, he tried to tell himself. You’re doing your best.

But it didn’t always feel like enough.

Especially when his best meant missing bedtime.

A quick phone call had assured Nico that Lucy was perfectly fine, apparently in the middle of playing mini golf with Jensen’s “current boyfriend.” Not that Nico even knew Jensen had a boyfriend. Or that his four-year-old daughter knew how to play mini golf.

He let out a quiet sigh and rubbed at his burning eyes. His muscles ached, sleep clung to his skin like the grease he had yet to wipe off, and the fluorescent lights of the garage were beginning to give him a headache. He’d stayed up way too late the night before, working on all the tiny finishing touches Valtteri insisted they needed to “push it over the edge.” Nico had seriously considered quitting on the spot.

“I’m really sorry, man,” he began into the phone, wiping down his worn tools. A few of them looked like they had seen better days. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your date or whatever. If I knew you had company over, I would’ve- I don’t know- figured something out.”

Jensen didn’t miss a beat. “Nico, stop.”

Nico frowned, still wiping aimlessly the table that had definitely seen better days.

“I’m serious,” Jensen said, voice warm but firm. “You’re not interrupting anything. I’m more than happy to watch her for a few hours. Actually, I’m kind of mad you don’t drop her off more often. Lucy’s the best third wheel I’ve ever had.”

That earned a tired laugh from Nico, one that cracked at the edges. Jensen always knew how to break through his self-inflicted guilt spiral, just enough to remind him that maybe he wasn’t failing quite as badly as he felt.

“Thanks,” Nico muttered, softer this time.

“Anytime,” Jensen replied. “And hey, she’s beating me in mini golf. Like, genuinely. You might have a prodigy on your hands.”

Nico blinked up at the ceiling and let himself smile. 

Nico thought about it often, sometimes in quiet moments, sometimes when the world pressed too heavily on his shoulders. When Lucy was first born, he'd been thrown into the impossible. Raising a child on his own hadn’t been part of the plan. It was terrifying and overwhelming . The weight of caring for a fragile, tiny human who depended on him for everything had nearly crushed him in those early days.

Back then, Jensen had just been his landlord. A little too flirty, a little too curious, but ultimately very kind. Nico still remembered the night Jensen had ended up holding a wailing Lucy, her newborn screams echoing off the paper-thin walls, while Nico stood in the hallway, trying not to fall apart. He had reached out, taken her gently from Nico’s shaking arms, and let him breathe.

So yes, he was endlessly grateful for Jensen. And yes, he also felt incredibly guilty that he didn’t bring Lucy over to see her uncle Jen more often.

Parenting has never been the hard part. Not really. The actual doing , the diaper changes, the late nights, the lullabies mumbled half-asleep, those became second nature. It was the fear that had been hardest. The fear of failing her, not being the best person to raise her. The fear of never being enough.

His own parents had made it clear to him, Nico was on his own . They’d offered no support, no calls, no help once they had known that he wasn't going to continue his studies. Just the cold disappointed sort of absence that still lingered. He should have finished his studies. Could’ve kept his head down, pushed past the shame, and maybe followed the path he’d laid out for himself years ago. But he didn't, he couldn't pull through with it.

He’d always dreamed of building something great. STEM had always been it for him, engineering and design, maybe even inventing something that would carry his name. He had wanted to build supercars. To shape the future with his hands. As childish as the dream had been. He was so close.

Now, well… the future looked a little different but no less important in his eyes.

His goals had shifted. Became smaller in scale but deeper in meaning. Now his dreams wore light-up sneakers and stuck helicopter stickers to the fridge. Now his pride came in different forms, like making Lucy’s lunch on time or hearing her laugh at something stupid he said.

Still, he glanced across the garage at the McLaren sitting under the harsh lights. Its sleek silver frame gleamed, bodywork polished to perfection. The engine had come together a few days prior, because he made it come together.

And just for a moment, something warm flickered inside his chest. A quiet, stubborn kind of pride.

He was building supercars.

Just not quite the way he’d expected.

Regardless of how sketchy this whole job had been, Nico had to admit, he was genuinely glad he got the chance to work on this beauty. His fingers trailed across the freshly polished bonnet. Not a single fingerprint, dent, or smudge remained, not after the care he’d poured into every inch. It gleamed under the workshop lights like it belonged in a museum.

He stepped back slowly, arms crossed over his chest, and let himself admire the final piece. Against all odds, and a mountain of broken parts , it had come together. Mesmerizing didn’t even begin to cover it. The car was stunning , every curve a testament to what his hands could do when given the chance.

Did you get lost drooling over the car?” Jensen teased from the other end of the line.

Nico narrowed his eyes, deadpan. “You better have been at least ten feet away from Lucy when you said that.”

There was a short pause. Then, Jensen let out a guilty laugh. “Relax. She’s on the other side of the couch, they lost the ball I think. She’s also trying to duel my boyfriend with a plastic putter.”

Nico pinched the bridge of his nose. “Great. Just what she needs, more weapons.”

“I mean, to be fair…” Nico continued. “It’s a McLaren F1 , Jensen. How many people get to lay their eyes on one, let alone fix one up from the grave? The driver seat’s in the center , man. That’s clinically insane. This car is an actual unicorn.”

Jensen hummed in agreement. Nico smiled as he could hear the faint sounds of laughter in the background. 

He leaned his hip against the nearest workbench, eyes drifting back toward the car gleaming under the overhead lights. Even now, even after the hours he’d poured into it, he couldn’t quite believe it was real, it was a masterpiece. The kind of car that made every ache in his back and grease under his nails worth it.

“You should’ve seen the mess it was when it got here,” he added, his voice quieter now. “I thought we were being punked”

“And you did it” Jensen said, a rare trace of sincerity cutting through the usual sarcasm.

Nico caught sight of a faint smudge on the side door, just barely visible, but enough to irritate him. His brows drew together in quiet annoyance as he tugged up the hem of his already stained shirt and wiped at it, muttering under his breath. Might as well he was covered in grease and sweat anyway, a shower was inevitable.

With the phone still balanced between his shoulder and ear, he gave the door one last swipe, the surface gleaming under the overhead lights. Perfect.

“-Umm? Hello?”
The voice, soft and uncertain, echoed from the far end of the workshop.

Nico froze. Shit . He winced and quickly brought the phone to his mouth. “Sorry, Jensen, I gotta go, someone’s here.”

He hung up in a hurry, letting the phone drop into the open toolbox beside him with a clatter of metal on metal. The sound bounced around the cavernous space as he peeled off one glove and made his way toward the entrance, boots thudding quietly across the floor.

“Over here,” he called, voice steady but tired. He used his free hand to push back his damp bangs, still sticky from a long day under the hood. His shirt clung uncomfortably to his back. Another long night, it seemed.

Still, business was business.

And if this was the elusive owner of the McLaren… well, they had a lot of explaining to d o.

The man stood hunched over Valtteri’s cluttered desk, his fingers ghosting over the scattered papers as if trying to make sense of them. Forms, diagrams possibly, legal documents? Nico couldn’t tell from his angle, but whatever it was, he knew Valtteri had no business leaving confidential shit lying around like that. All willy nilly.

“Excuse me?” Nico called out, voice firm but laced with confusion as he took a few steps forward.

The man flinched like he’d been caught somewhere he didn’t belong. He turned around, and that’s when Nico saw it.

The jacket.

Bright red. Startling red. A color that didn’t belong in this world of dull greys and engine grease. It looked almost artificial, like it had been pulled from a different universe and dropped into the oil-stained monochrome of the garage. The boldness of it made Nico's stomach twist. Immaculate like the car.

And when he fully turned.

Nico's breath caught in his throat, heart thudding hard behind his ribs. The rest of the world seemed to fall away.

Because those eyes, those impossibly dark eyes, met his, and the air shifted. Recognition slammed into him with a force that made his knees momentarily weak. Time felt like it folded in on itself.

He hadn’t seen that face in years.

And yet here he was, standing in his workshop. The same thick lashes, the same slightly crooked nose Nico remembered, the same mouth, parted now in what looked like shock, as if he hadn’t expected this either.

Nico’s lips parted, but nothing came out.

If he’d still been on the phone, he would’ve dropped it right there, smashed it on the cold concrete floor without even realizing.

The man stared back, frozen like he was stuck between staying and running. His chest rose and fell shallowly beneath the red fabric. He looked... young still. And older, somehow. Like life had moved on for both of them in jagged, uneven ways.

The silence stretched, vibrating with everything unsaid.

Only the hum of the fluorescent lights overhead and the faint hiss of the old air filter filled the space between them.

Then, softly, hesitantly, like he wasn’t sure.

“…Nico?”

Chapter Text

The man mumbled something, Nico barely caught it, but the furrow in his brow was unmistakable. That crease between his eyes. 

Nico jolted like he'd been slapped. His spine went rigid, posture snapping straighter as if trying to physically brace against the sudden, invisible impact. His mind scrambled uselessly for words, for something to say, but it had gone completely blank like someone had reached into his skull and flipped the switch off.

For a split second, everything around him blurred, the workbench, the half-lit garage, the hum of distant machines, and all he could focus on was the sight in front of him. Lewis Hamilton. In the flesh. Standing in his workshop. Wearing red. Looking just as shaken as he felt.

He pulled together the most convincing smile he could manage, though it probably looked more like a grimace, like he’d just bitten into something sour and was pretending it was fine. It didn’t reach his eyes. He could feel it.

“Lewis” he said, his voice too bright, too casual. It cracked slightly at the edges. “You’re here for the car, right?”

He motioned stiffly to the silver McLaren resting under the harsh workshop lights, polished to near perfection. The car gleamed like a trophy in the dim, industrial space, chrome c atching every reflection.

Nico’s hand hovered awkwardly in the air for a moment before he dropped it, pretending to smooth down his shirt instead.

Lewis hadn’t moved.

And Nico couldn’t tell if that made it better or worse.

Of course that beauty would be his.

Lewis always did have an eye for the dramatic, and nothing screamed legacy and ego quite like a McLaren F1. Still, the man hadn’t said a word. Just kept staring, wide-eyed, like Nico was some kind of ghost.

Which, to be fair, might’ve been mutual.

Nico’s eyes flitted over him despite himself. The familiar glint of silver caught his attention first. Jewelry. Layers of it, like always. That one stupid chain he’d worn everywhere back in the day was still there, hanging casually over his chest. It made something ugly twist in Nico’s gut.

And the rest of him, well. His face had changed. A little slimmer maybe. Jaw sharper. Beard trimmed with a kind of precision Nico never could have the patience for. Even the mustache that used to make him look vaguely ridiculous had grown into him somehow. Matured. Framed his mouth in a way that made it hard to look away.

Nico inhaled through his nose, subtly, too sharply.

“Lewis?” he tried again, louder this time, cheeks beginning to burn from the weight of the man’s stare.

Lewis blinked, like waking from a trance, and gave a slight shake of his head. The braids tied back at his nape shifted with the movement, dark and glossy under the flickering lights.

“Yes?” he answered finally, unhelpfully, his eyes still locked on Nico like he didn’t quite believe he was real.

Nico’s throat worked. “Are you here for your car?” he repeated, voice tight with effort, barely hiding the panic that curled at the edges of his words.

Because this had to be one of his personal definitions of hell.

“Oh, yeah. Left it in pretty shitty condition, didn’t I?” Lewis said with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck.

Nico noted, vaguely, that his voice was still the same, slightly higher than one might expect, but confident. Casual even.

“Well, yeah,” Nico said, his tone dry.

He didn’t wait for a response. He couldn’t, not with Lewis’s eyes on him like that. Too focused. Too unreadable. Nico pivoted on his heel, making a beeline for the McLaren instead. He took a deep breath as he stood beside it.

He stared at it like it owed him something, like if he focused hard enough, it might explain why the hell life had to be this unfair sometimes.

He didn’t turn to look, but he could feel Lewis behind him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Lewis finally tear his gaze from him to glance at the car.

“Wow,” Lewis breathed, stepping closer. “You worked magic here, didn’t you guys?”

His tone was light. Easy. Nico wanted to hate how effortless it sounded.

He didn’t respond. Just forced a tight smile and reached for the keys, handing them over without meeting Lewis’s eyes.

Their fingers brushed for a second, a barely there touch, but it still sparked something low in Nico’s stomach. He pulled his hand back a little too quickly.

Lewis’s brows furrowed slightly, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t quite find the words. The moment stretched, just a second too long and Nico felt his throat tighten.  

God, this was awkward. Can the floor just eat me whole right here?.

He cleared his throat again, pushing out a forced, overly bright tone, the one he reserved for customers he didn’t want to deal with but had to. “Well, it’s getting late. But if you notice anything off, bring it back and I’ll take a look.”

The words spilled out before he could stop them. Nico froze the second they left his mouth, instantly regretting every syllable. Why did he say that? He should’ve told him to never come back. That would’ve made more sense. 

Please don’t come back. Don’t stand in my garage with your red jacket and soft voice and kind eyes like they remember things I’ve worked so hard to forget.

But instead, Lewis’s face lit up. Slowly. Like sunlight creeping over the edge of a building. His smile was small and hesitant but real. The kind of smile Nico remembered too well and had trained himself not to think about.

Lewis tossed the keys from one hand to the other in that casually confident way of his. “Alright,” he said, his tone light but sincere. “I’ll take you up on that.”

Nico gritted his teeth behind a strained smile. What? he thought bitterly, willing his pulse to settle. Of course you would.

And then, as if the universe was conspiring to ruin him completely, Lewis winked. A quick, ridiculously charming thing. One he probably didn’t even really have to think about, but it hit Nico like a punch to the chest. His heart fluttered in the most traitorous way possible.

Stop it, you're not a teenager.

Lewis turned and slid into the driver’s seat of the McLaren, the door shutting with a soft, expensive click. The engine purred to life a moment later, smooth and deep like satisfaction.

Nico stood frozen in place, arms crossed too tightly over his chest, watching as the car rolled out of the garage and disappeared into the streetlights. The faint sound of tires on asphalt faded, leaving behind a hollow silence.

He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and muttered under his breath, “Idiot.” it  wasn’t clear whether he meant Lewis or himself.

Probably both.

“What do you mean you met your baby Daddy?!” Jensen practically shrieked across the breakfast table, his voice cracking mid-sentence.

Nico didn’t even hesitate, he grabbed the nearest piece of toast and shoved it straight into Jensen’s open mouth like a silencer. “Shut up,” he hissed, eyes wide and frantic. “Lucy’s right there!”

Jensen made a muffled sound of protest, mouth now completely stuffed with the very toast he’d been about to eat anyway. He looked deeply offended, but Nico wasn’t paying attention.

His eyes immediately darted to the living room, scanning for his daughter. Lucy, blissfully unaware of the chaos at the table, was holding up a sheet of paper to Fernando, who sat on the floor, legs crossed and an expression of mild panic frozen on his face.

“She says it’s me,” Fernando said without conviction, tilting the drawing toward Nico as if for confirmation.

It was, in fact, mostly just a mass of scribbles, a large brown blob that Nico assumed was meant to be Fernando’s beard, floating in an empty sea of white paper. 

“Yup,” Nico said quickly, nodding. “That’s you. Very lifelike.”

Lucy beamed and began describing each scribble. Fernando looked like he was preparing to never grow facial hair again.

Nico exhaled in relief. “She’s still not great at drawing. Thank god.”

Jensen had choked on his too-dry toast, coughing so violently that Nico had to reach over and thump him on the back.

"Jesus," Nico muttered, patting a little harder than necessary. "I didn’t think the news would literally kill you."

Fernando glanced over from where he was seated. Nico shot him a quick, sheepish smile that roughly translated to.

I swear I didn’t just try to murder your boyfriend. But it was definitely close.

Jensen finally caught his breath, eyes watery and face flushed. “Like-” he wheezed between gasps, “what are the actual chances ?”

His voice cracked slightly as he spoke through a mouthful of half-chewed toast and crumbs. Nico grimaced and looked away before he could lose his appetite. “For the love of god, finish chewing before you talk.”

“That’s not the point,” Jensen insisted, still gasping like he’d run a marathon. “You ran into Lewis . Not a Lewis . The Lewis . Father of your child! Lewis. Father that doesn't know the existence of his own child, Lewis . That’s actually insane”

Nico sighed as he carefully sliced a peanut butter and jam sandwich into tidy little squares. “It’s not that crazy,” he muttered, avoiding Jensen’s stare. “We both live on the same planet. There was always a non-zero chance.”

“A non-zero chance?” Jensen scoffed. “You make it sound like you ran into him at the DMV, not in your actual place of work.”

Nico didn’t answer, focused instead on arranging the sandwich pieces neatly onto a container, anything to avoid talking about how Lewis’s voice had done something deeply unprofessional to his chest the moment their eyes met.

Nico had cut the sandwiches into little squares this time because the last time he’d cut them into triangles. 

“Papa, there’s more sandwiches that way!”
“I really don’t think-”
“Malory told me!”
“Lucy, don’t interrupt people when they’re speaking.”
“Sorry, Papa.”

Jensen snorted.

“Ah yes, eight billion people on this planet and you just happen to run into that guy? Sounds like fate to me.” He took a smug sip of his coffee, eyes twinkling over the rim of his mug.

Nico shot him a flat look and pointed a jam-covered butter knife in his direction.
“You’re making this a big deal.”

“No, you’re making this a big deal,” Jensen countered, far too pleased with himself. He chuckled, totally unbothered while Nico rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Lucy.

She came bouncing over, hugging her cereal bow. Her hair was a mess of fuzzy curls that hasn't been styled for the day. Her cheeks were full of sunshine and when she spotted Jensen’s big grin, she laughed, loud and sudden, like his joy had sparked her own.

“More?” she asked sweetly, holding up the bowl.

Nico gently patted her head. 

She was always hungry. Constantly running around like a wind-up toy and then acted surprised when her stomach wanted fuel.

“That was already your second bowl, baby,” he said, crouching to her level. “If you eat more, you’ll get a tummy ache. Did you have any water yet?” Before she could answer, Nico reached across the table and handed her Jensen’s glass.

Lucy took it with a dramatic pout, while Jensen spluttered.
“Hey! That’s my water!”

Lucy let out a delighted giggle before darting into Jensen’s arms. He scooped her up effortlessly, grinning as he blew loud exaggerated raspberries against her forehead. Her laughter echoed through the kitchen, pure and unrestrained.

Nico smiled at the sight, Jensen laughing along with Lucy, the way she wriggled in his arms. But even as he stood there with peanut butter on his fingers and love in the kitchen, Jensen’s earlier words rang loud in his head.

The Lewis.
Father of your child, Lewis.
The same Lewis who didn’t even know he had a daughter. Lewis

Nico exhaled sharply through his nose, dragging a hand through his hair. It’s fine. It’s going to be fine, he told himself. He wasn’t going to see Lewis again. 

That man was probably too busy being whoever he was now, some big-name personality with custom jackets and cameras flashing in his face. He was living in a world so far removed from Nico’s that he probably wouldn’t even remember the guy he half-drunkedly hooked up with at a university party years ago.

Nico straightened his spine and pushed the thought down like he had a thousand times before.

Yes. It was fine. Everything was fine.
He wasn’t going to let the idea ruin his weekend.

Lucy squealed again, and Jensen roared dramatically, pretending to be a monster. Nico shook himself back to the present, forced a smile onto his face, and went back to slicing fruit, because this was real. This was what mattered.

Chapter Text

Nico nudged the dorm door open with his foot, arms straining slightly from the weight of the box he was carrying, crammed with all kinds of random, sentimental crap he refused to leave behind. He stepped inside and dropped it with a satisfying thud at the foot of the right-side bed, breathing a little heavier from the five brutal flights of stairs it had taken to get up here.

His mum had already warned him not to bring "too much junk," which, to her, included everything from his old football medals to the battered notebooks full of physics notes. But Nico was a sentimental little shit through and through, and there was no way he was letting her use his absence as an excuse to toss out half his life.

He grinned to himself, flushed and slightly out of breath, as he turned to wheel in his suitcase. It landed next to the boxes, equally overstuffed.

His eyes drifted over to the bed opposite his. Definitely already claimed. A chaotic sprawl of textbooks and neon highlighters covered the sheets, and a worn hoodie hung off the back of the chair. Whoever it was, they’d clearly staked their claim.

Nico let out a breath, rubbing the back of his neck.
Guess I’m not the first one here after all.

Wait.
Wasn’t he supposed to be rooming with another first year?

He leaned in slightly, squinting to see if any of the books were annotated. No underlines. No scribbled post-it notes with lectures and deadlines. Just printed text and unopened notebooks. Nico relaxed a little.
Thank god, he thought.
At least he wouldn’t be humiliating himself in front of someone older and probably more qualified. Not that it would stop him from making a fool of himself anyway. Nico and disaster had a long, well-documented history.

“Settling in okay?” a voice asked suddenly, slicing right through his thoughts.

Nico nearly jumped out of his skin, spinning around so fast he nearly tripped over the box. He'd been too busy mentally judging the decor of what would now be his home for the next four or five years to notice someone walk in.

The guy leaning casually against the doorframe was tall, with sharp cheekbones and dark under-eye circles that hinted at either chronic sleep deprivation or possibly a caffeine addiction. Or both. His hair looked like it had been finger-combed on the way in.

He was, objectively speaking, handsome, if you could look past the unshaven jaw, faint stubble, and the general I might be a ghost haunting the engineering faculty vibe radiating off him.

Nico blinked.
“Uh… yeah. Settling. Great.”

The guy stepped forward, extending a hand. Nico took it with a practiced smile. His maths teacher once said that first impressions were everything and that people decide who you are in three seconds.

“Well, I think you're a bitch if you think you can know someone in three seconds,” Nico had muttered back in class. His teacher had not laughed.

Nico’s eyes flicked past the guy's shoulder to the massive framed picture hanging proudly above the opposite bed. 

It was... a picture of a farm? Chickens, dogs, maybe a goat, and… was that an alpaca? Nestled awkwardly in the corner, a poorly edited goldfish floated midair, looking utterly out of place. It was equal parts disturbing and hilarious.

Nico tilted his head, bemused. “Interesting decor choice.”

The guy followed his gaze and grinned. “Ah, my pride and joy. Hope it doesn’t bother you.”

Oh. Cool. He’s unhinged. Love that for me.

“Not at all,” Nico said quickly. “Live your truth.”

He cleared his throat and pulled his hand back. “I’m Nico Rosberg. First year. Automotive engineering.”

“Mark Webber,” the guy replied smoothly. “Also first year. Aerospace engineering.”

Nico squinted. “Huh. So they did pair us up to keep our egos in check.”

Mark smirked. “Well, only one of us is studying rocket science, don’t you reckon?”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

Mark’s smirk widened into a grin. “Nothing. Just that I’ll be flying cars while you’re still fixing their tires.”

“Oh, fuck you,” Nico muttered throwing out a middle finger.

Nico has had it.

He tapped the end of his pen against his lips, hard. So hard, in fact, he nearly smacked himself in the face. Which, honestly, would’ve matched how his day has been going so far.

The lecture still hadn’t started. The professor was taking forever to get things going. Meanwhile, Nico was still recovering from his personal nightmare, getting hopelessly lost in the labyrinth they dared to call a campus. And then realizing, with horror, that his class was in the exact opposite building from where he’d wandered in.

Naturally, he was late.

“Bomb-ass first impression there, Nico. Just amazing,” he muttered under his breath as he slipped into the semi-quiet lecture hall, trying to look like he hadn’t just jogged across half the known universe with his backpack sawing into his shoulders.

At the front of the room, the professor was currently holding out a large red box boldly labeled “Say Something, I Dare You” while a group of unfortunate students plucked colorful sticky notes from it like they were drawing lots to be sacrificed.

Icebreakers? In this class?
Nico blinked.

"What the hell is this, group therapy?" he muttered under his breath, shoulders tensing as he slipped as quietly as possible into the lecture hall.

Or at least, he tried to.

The moment he sat down, the old wooden bench betrayed him with a loud creak that echoed like a gunshot in the half-silent room.

Nico froze.

Every head turned. Every eye landed on him.

His face ignited, hot and prickling, and he stared straight ahead like that would somehow make him invisible.

But no such luck.

"How about you ask that one your question, Lewis?" the professor said into his mic, gesturing directly at Nico with a smug little flourish.

Nico resisted the urge to sink through the floor.
Nope. Nope. Nope. This is not happening.

The student holding the microphone stood near the front, shorter than the professor, definitely on the cuter side. From Nico’s far-back seat, he could barely make him out. He had a freshly buzzed head that contrasted nicely with his warm skin tone. Nico thought he smiled at him, but it was hard to tell from this distance. He squinted.

The guy glanced down at the sticky note again, one brow rising with amusement before he leaned into the mic.

“What kind of breakfast do you like?”

His voice was laced with laughter he was trying, and failing not to let out.

A few students around Nico snorted. Some near the front straight-up wheezed, hands clamped over their mouths. Even ‘Lewis’ himself was grinning like he knew exactly what he was doing.

The professor, bless his clueless soul, looked mildly confused but nodded like this was a perfectly normal question to ask to a group of just barely twenty year olds who have narrowly escaped childhood.

Nico, meanwhile, was slowly dying inside.
Was that… was that an euphemism?

Still, if there was one thing Nico hated more than public embarrassment, it was letting people think they could rattle him. So, he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the desk, voice smooth and louder than he expected.

“I don’t know. Depends on who’s making it, I guess.”

Then came the gasp from somewhere near the front, followed by an snickers of laughter.

Even the girl next to Lewis had slapped a hand over her mouth, hiding her smile.

And Lewis was grinning, his eyes sparkled with something smug, and he looked like he was very interested.

Nico tried not to cringe under all the scrutiny. 

“Alright, alright,” the professor said, sounding a little flustered. “Uhm, good. Good answer. Jess, you’re up next.”

Nico let out a slow breath and slumped in his seat.

Welcome to university, he thought. Where icebreakers feel more like verbal combat and you flirt with cute guys by accident.

“Isn’t he that one kid with the full ride?” Sebastian whispered, leaning in way too close to Nico over the library table.

Nico raised an eyebrow at the blonde in front of him, unimpressed.

Don’t even ask how they’d become friends. Seriously, don’t. Nico himself still had a hard time explaining it without groaning into his hands or threatening to burn the memory out of existence.

It had started during orientation week, of course. Because all dramatics happened during orientation week.

Two kids with German passports, forced to sit next to each other at one of those painfully awkward international student “bonding activities” that involved too many questions and not enough alcohol. 

Nico had clocked Sebastian immediately, blond, clearly hungover, and blinking like the overhead lights personally offended him. He looked like someone who had partied too hard the night before.

They’d exchanged a few dry words, mostly to the tune of "This is stupid, right?" and "My soul is leaving my body."

It was late. Nico had finally just escaped the social event and was halfway back to his dorm, when the sound of retching echoed down the hallway. And there he was, Sebastian, hunched over a trash can. 

And Nico thinks his mom had raised him right so Nico cautiously approached to make sure the other guy wasn’t dying, only for Sebastian to look up, blink once, and then promptly throw up all over Nico’s shoes.

Brand new. Fresh out of the box. They still smelled like the store.

Sebastian had mumbled something that might have been an apology before collapsing against the picket fence like a dying pigeon.

Nico, for some reason he still couldn't understand, had helped the idiot back to his room. Maybe it was the German bond between them. Maybe it was pity. 

Either way, the next morning, Sebastian had turned up at Nico’s door with a muffin and a very sheepish smile, saying, “I owe you my life. Or at least new shoes.”

They'd been friends ever since. A bond forged through vomit, clearly.

Now, several months and countless study sessions later, Seb was sprawled across his library chair like he wasn't in a public setting.

Nico had long since given up trying to force structure into their sessions. At this point, Sebastian only ever showed up to libraries for company and occasionally to gossip like a Victorian widow on a balcony.

“Are you even looking at your notes?” Nico asked without looking up, already knowing the answer.

Sebastian hummed. “I am. I’m just trying to process the information through osmosis.”

Nico sighed and resisted the urge to hurl a highlighter at him.

“Also what?” He hissed under his breath, flipping a page a little too aggressively.

Yeah, he knew about the full ride thing. Of course he did. Who didnt. 

He had applied for the same scholarship. Made it to the final round too, only to get rejected over some vague “criteria mismatch.” Whatever that was supposed to mean.

Not that he’d let it stop him. He’d busted his ass to get in anyway, scraping together every cent, covering more than half the tuition himself while his parents shouldered the rest.

He still remembered the way his dad had clapped him on the shoulder that morning before he left, suitcase in hand.

“I’m proud of you. For trying so hard to achieve your dreams.”

The words had landed so unexpectedly that Nico had stood frozen for a moment, blinking. His dad didn’t say things like that often. Hardly ever, in fact.

So, no, Nico wasn’t salty about the scholarship anymore. Maybe it had gone to someone more hardworking, more qualified. Someone who deserved it more than he did.

His fingers tightened around the edge of his textbook anyway.

“The guy who did get it?” Sebastian stage-whispered dramatically, eyes wide. “Man, he must’ve done some next-level voodoo to impress them. When I went in for the interview, I nearly shat myself.”

He jabbed his finger in someone’s direction with zero subtlety.

Nico barely resisted the urge to smack his hand down. “Pointing at people is rude,” he muttered automatically, but his eyes followed Seb’s gesture anyway.

Oh.

Nico froze.

There, hunched over a laptop with giant noise-cancelling headphones on and a focused look on his face, was a very familiar profile. Gone was the cocky grin and the visisble cheekiness, replaced now with furrowed brows and quiet intensity.

It was… him.

No way.

Nico squinted, just to be sure. That jawline, those lashes, the stupid way he chewed the inside of his cheek while reading…

“Lewis?”

Chapter Text

“Lewis?” Nico had blurted, staring directly into the man’s eyes.

And there it was, that annoyingly familiar, million-dollar, camera-ready smile that made Nico want to roll his eyes so hard they’d get stuck in the back of his skull.

For fuck’s sake. Why is he here?

Nico yanked the towel around his neck, already trying to convince himself that the man standing in front of him was some elaborate hallucination brought on by sleep deprivation and garage fumes.

But nope. Still there.

“Morning, Nico,” Lewis said, casually bouncing up to the entrance of the garage like they weren’t two people with a weird little, complicated history. “Had breakfast yet?”

Gone was the ridiculous red jacket Nico remembered. Today, Lewis was dressed in effortless streetwear, some kind of designer hoodie with about a million tiny logos stitched across it, and olive green cargo pants that were definitely more fashion than function. His braids were tied neatly back, and when he stepped away from his sleek, matte-red car, Nico couldn’t help but notice his dunks matched the exact shade of his pants.

Seriously? Matching shoes? At eight in the fucking morning?

Pimped out wasn’t even the word. The man looked like he’d stepped straight out of a lifestyle magazine.

Who was he trying to impress at this ungodly hour?

Nico, meanwhile, looked like a raccoon who had barely survived a mugging.

His two-day-old T-shirt clung in all the wrong places. The overalls he wore almost every day were streaked with oil and god knows what else, and he was pretty sure he hadn’t brushed his hair since Monday. But hey, those overalls had a lot of pockets. An insane number of pockets. Utility over style, obviously.

Still. As Lewis’s eyes flicked over him, Nico became acutely aware of every grease stain on his clothes, the smudge on his cheek, and the way his socks didn’t match.

Great. Just fucking great.

“Yes, I’ve had breakfast. You?” Nico mumbled, arms crossing instinctively over his chest as heat crept up the back of his neck. A memory threatened to bubble up.

He refused to acknowledge the way Lewis smirked. Like he remembered, too.

“Yeah, me too,” Lewis replied easily, completely at home in the awkwardness Nico was drowning in. “There’s this great little café just down the block. They do these ridiculous sandwiches, and they are, like, actually good.”

He gestured vaguely over his shoulder, thumb hooked casually, like this was just a normal conversation. Like he wasn’t him.

Nico nodded slowly. There’s a sandwich café? his brain offered, unhelpfully. He’d only ever been to the vending machine on the top floor.

Blessedly, his eyes landed on the car parked just outside the garage, a gleaming, cherry-red beauty near the open bay door. And if his soul were the kind to ascend from sheer automotive perfection, now would be the time.

“It’s a beauty,” Nico said, unable to hide the genuine smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Lewis followed his gaze and nodded. “Yeah. Spent a fortune getting her restored,” he said, flexing his fingers slightly. The rings he wore caught the sunlight and scattered it back inside the garage.

Before he could stop himself, Nico scoffed, “What’s with you and banged-up cars?”

The words were out before his brain had a chance to warn his mouth. He winced inwardly.

Lewis’s brow arched, and he crossed his arms over his chest deliberately. “It’s not banged-up. I had it customized.”

The way his sleeves stretched over his arms did absolutely nothing to help Nico focus. He forced his eyes back up to Lewis’s face, not the curve of his biceps, not the easy glint in his eye.

“Right,” Nico muttered, suddenly very interested in the car windows. “Didn’t mean it like that.”

Lewis smiled again. “Sure you didn’t.”

And just like that, Nico wished he hadn’t had breakfast. His stomach had begun to twist itself into an unholy knot. And he feared that all the Frosties he had eaten would come up the way it went in.

“Spent a fortune only to end up here?” Nico muttered, circling around the car with a critical eye. His tone was dry.

It was a 1967 Ford Mustang. Cherry red. The kind of car that looked like it had stories to tell, loud and messy ones.

Lewis leaned casually against the garage wall, arms crossed again as if he knew exactly how good he looked doing absolutely nothing. “Engine’s sputtering a bit. Figured I’d bring her in. Plus, this garage’s closer to my place.”

Nico was crouched in front of the Mustang, half hoping Lewis wouldn’t notice the way that last part made his chest clench strangely. Proximity. Right. Why was that a good thing?

He tossed the towel slung over his shoulder to the side and popped open the hood. Small talk wasn’t really his thing, but this? This, he could do.

At first glance, everything looked pristine. Meticulously maintained. No glaring issues.

“Looks clean,” Nico admitted, leaning in. “Well-kept.”

“Thank you,” Lewis said, puffing up like a satisfied bird. Preening came too naturally to him, it would be annoying if it weren’t also, somehow a bit endearing.

“Start her up for me?” Nico asked, stepping back and wiping his palms on the thighs of his overalls.

Lewis nodded and climbed into the car. The Mustang coughed, sputtered, then gave a sad, whining little growl that fell flat.

Nico winced.

“You don’t know what’s wrong with it?” he asked, his voice lower this time, almost to himself as he bent back under the hood.

Behind him, Lewis didn’t respond. Nico glanced over his shoulder and caught the other guy staring at the floor, eyebrows drawn together like something was short-circuiting behind those dark eyes.

“Lewis?” Nico straightened slightly, frowning. “You do know what’s wrong, right?”

Silence.

Nico blinked.

Is this what happens when your wardrobe is worth more than your car? Did fashion come at the cost of situational awareness? Or hearing?

“Hello?” he said again, waving a hand. “Are you having a moment or just vibing with the concrete?”

Lewis startled, head jerking up. “Sorry”

Nico narrowed his eyes.

Lewis just grinned, all sheepish charm like that could explain anything. “It’s just... you looked like you knew what you were doing.”

“I do know what I’m doing,” Nico snapped, spinning back toward the engine with a huff. Egotistical bastard. That smug, better-than-life attitude was going to give him hives.

Still, he leaned in again, fingers already tracing wires and prodding at parts to check for looseness or damage.

Lewis lingered near the driver’s door, shifting from one foot to the other. “I thought it might be a fuel line issue? Or maybe a misfire. It was fine yesterday, but this morning, it wouldn’t hold idle without coughing like a smoker.”

Nico hummed. “You run it cold?”

“Cold enough. I’m not an idiot.”

Nico shot him a look.

Lewis held up both hands, a grin on his face. “Okay, semi-idiot. But I’ve had her for years. I know what she sounds like.”

“Sounds don’t mean anything if you don’t back them up with the merry question of ‘why’” Nico muttered, head buried under the hood again. “What about the battery? Spark plugs? Fuel filter?”

Lewis rubbed the back of his neck. “Battery’s new. Spark plugs were replaced last year. Filter... uh. Maybe?”

Nico straightened just enough to throw him a flat look, one brow arched with merciless precision. “Maybe?”

Lewis shrugged, leaning back on his heels. “I’ve got a lot of cars,” he said, voice almost defensive. “Things get pushed down the to-do list. Especially after the week I’ve had.”

That last part came quieter. But enough to make Nico glance up again, just briefly.

“Hm,” Nico hummed noncommittally as he reached in and started unclipping the housing around the fuel filter. His fingers moved with an easy confidence, wiping grease onto the towel slung over his shoulder, brow furrowed in focus.

Lewis watched him move, fluid, precise, like the engine was an extension of him. He stepped closer without realizing, his arms still crossed, eyes tracking the way Nico leaned over the hood, lips slightly pursed in thought.

Nico didn’t seem to notice, or maybe he just didn’t care that Lewis was now fully in his space. He crouched low, popped a latch, and shifted to the side to get a better angle. His shoulder brushed Lewis’s arm in the cramped space between the car and the workbench, but he didn’t say a word about it. His movements were methodical, practiced, like muscle memory doing the work for his brain.

He reached back blindly toward the table.

Lewis, without missing a beat, handed him the right tool.

Nico sighed through his nose, pausing for just a beat as he adjusted his grip. His voice was quiet, barely above a murmur. “Why did you even come here,” he mumbled, tightening the bolt with one hand. “You knew what was wrong. And I know you know how to replace a filter Lewis’

Nico didn’t look at him, not even when the engine ticked in response to his adjustment, not even when his heart started thudding a little too loudly in his ears. His hands were steady. His face was neutral. But there was tension in his shoulders was tight in waiting.

Behind him, Lewis let out a breath that sounded almost like a sigh.

“I needed a reason to come see you,” he said quietly. Barely louder than a whisper.

Nico froze.

For a second, the entire room did. Even the car seemed to hold its breath.

The words landed somewhere in the center of Nico’s chest like a stone dropped in water, sinking deep, and fast. His stomach churned horribly. Something tight and sharp twisted under his ribs, and his throat clenched up like it was closing. Bile rose uninvited. Heat followed right after, panic? shame? Something nameless and hot, guilt.

He forced a swallow.

“You shouldn’t say things like that,” Nico muttered. It came out more brittle than he meant it to. Too raw.

Lewis stepped back a little, as if giving him space. But his voice was steady, eyes fixed on Nico’s profile. “I meant it.”

“I know you meant it,” Nico snapped, finally turning to look at him. His eyes were too bright. 

Lewis blinked, mouth parting like he wanted to say something else, but then he stopped. Let the moment stretch.

Nico turned back to the engine without another word hands moving again, but his rhythm was off now. Distracted.

“Nico… what went wrong?” Lewis had whispered. 

And then Nico shivered. The exact sensation he’d felt when everything had come crashing down around him. The moment he knew it was over. The moment he'd lost it all.

He couldn’t stay still.

Suddenly, Nico shot upright, the tools clattering to the floor at his feet. His heart was thundering loud and sick in his chest. Lewis’s face came into focus, all startled.

“Why the fuck are you here, man?” he snapped, voice cracked and sharp. His breathing came hard and fast. “What is this? Do you not have anything better to do?” 

Lewis flinched at the venom in his tone, but Nico wasn’t done.

“You here to rub it in?” Nico demanded, stepping forward. “To parade around everything I don’t have? All the things you achieved, you think I forgot? You think I don’t know exactly what I lost?”

His voice rose with every word, echoing in the quiet garage like a storm breaking.

“Is this some twisted way of showing me how much better you are than me? Are you here to gloat, Lewis?”

He was shaking now, and his hands clenched at his sides like he was holding back something bigger than anger. His body screamed at him to stop, to shut up, to breathe, to not do this.

“W-What?” Lewis stammered.

It wasn’t Lewis’s fault.

It never had been.

But the pain had nowhere else to go.

And Nico was never the kind to speak his fears aloud. But now, the words clawed at his throat, bitter and burning. 

Tell him. Just say it. Get it over with.

Maybe then the guilt gnawing at his insides would finally quiet down, maybe it would stop eating him out from the inside.

Just tell him the truth.

Chapter Text

It was really unfair. 

“Nice work, Hamilton. An exceptional talent!”
The old, balding professor clapped Lewis on the back with incredible fondness. Most of the class had already filtered out, off to their next lectures or skipping. Nico lingered by the door with his laptop balanced in one hand and his bag slung over one shoulder.

Now, if this man could stop waxing poetic about Lewis for one damn second.

“Rosberg,” the professor called. Nico blinked, definitely not glaring at the back of Lewis’s buzzed head as he turned around at the mention of his name. 

Lewis flashed that blinding smile at him and Nico answered it with a tight-lipped, unimpressed line. Honestly he was lucky Nico wasn't fully scowling at him.

“Could you give me a moment? I was just telling Lewis something.”
Nico’s jaw clenched. Lewis raised a brow at the professor, clearly surprised by how casually Nico had just been pushed aside.

Lewis, maybe you don’t notice this. But it happens more than you could ever know.

Nico forced a polite smile, already cramming his laptop back into his bag.
“No problem,” he said, his tone just on the right side of pleasant. “I’ve got a class anyway.”

And then, with the fakest smile he could manage, he directed it straight at Lewis, who blinked at him with a confused furrow in his brow and Nico was gone. Out the door before his own expression could crack.

There was also the debate fiasco. 

It had started as a simple academic exercise, with two teams and the classroom split down the middle. Nico and Lewis by luck or by fate ended up on opposing sides.

Nico stood up, getting way too into this.. “Reliability in digital systems still depends on software redundancies. When that fails, it doesn’t matter how advanced your battery structure is, it’s going to be dead weight.”
His team hummed in agreement, a few nodding, scribbling down notes.

Lewis leaned casually against his desk when his turn came. A glint in his eyes “But you're assuming the driver isn't part of the system. Real-time data collection and adaptive systems work with intuition, not against it.” He gestured effortlessly as he spoke, drawing a few soft laughs and even a small clap from someone on his side. “It’s not about replacing the driver, our point is to help them.”

Back and forth they went. Point. Counterpoint. Nico fired another argument about legacy systems and how modern tech sometimes oversimplified things. Lewis countered it with insights about efficiency and the changing structures depending on performance metrics.

And the best part? It was fun.

Other students chimed in, offering solid points that steered the conversation down different paths. But it always found its way back to Nico and Lewis. Who were both grinning.

Nico had almost laughed out loud. Almost . Until the professor stood up and cleared his throat.

“Excellent work from both sides,” he said. “But I think it’s clear that Hamilton’s team presented the stronger case overall.”

Cheers erupted from Lewis’s side. People high-fived. One guy stood up and mock-bowed at the rest of the class. Meanwhile, Nico’s team let out groans and exaggerated protests.

“Come on!”
“Biased!”
“We had diagrams!”

Nico remained seated, arms crossed, jaw tight.
His eyes didn’t go to his teammates or even the professor but to Lewis.

Lewis who wasn’t celebrating.
He was staring at the professor with a stunned, almost confused look on his face. His brows had drawn together, mouth parted as if trying to find the right words.

Nico caught that expression. It didn’t ease his irritation.
In fact, it made it worse.

Because Lewis didn’t need to celebrate. The world just seems to celebrate for him.

He pisses me off.

"Thank you! Next!" Nico snapped, flapping his hand like he was dismissing a fly rather than a paying participant. He sat cross-legged in the dunk tank with his arms folded and wearing the most disgusted expression known to mankind. 

"Nico, try to at least pretend you're having fun," Sebastian muttered through a clenched smile, collecting another crumpled bill from the next eager thrower.

“ Fuck you , Sebastian. I will never forgive you for this,” Nico hissed back, narrowing his eyes as he shifted slightly on the narrow seat where the water lapped just beneath the trap door.

Sebastian chuckled under his breath. “You agreed to it.”

“Thats bullshit and you know it!” 

The next ball sailed past the target and hit the backboard with a loud thunk . Nico barely flinched. In fact, he looked mildly bored. He’d been up there nearly three hours, and not a single person had managed to dunk him.

And Nico was counting on that perfect streak. He was dry, and he intended to stay that way.

With every failed throw, he only got more annoyed.

"You throw like a hungover toddler!" he called after the last guy missed.

Sebastian sighed. “You’re going to jinx it.”

But Nico just leaned back slightly smirking at the guy who gave him a middle finger..

The fundraiser had been floating around the student committee’s agenda for weeks now. Nico, meanwhile, had been too far up his own ass, obsessively trying to craft the perfect study schedule. That lasted all of three days before he snapped and muttered. Screw it, I'll study when I want to . 

Sebastian, on the other hand, had been more than eager to throw himself into the barely contained chaos.

Nico remembered it too clearly. The smug grin on Sebastian’s face as he slid the clipboard across the table like he won a lottery ticket.

“Guess what?” Seb had said, practically vibrating with excitement. “We’re doing the dunk tank!”

Nico had blinked at him, unimpressed. “Who the fuck is ‘we’?”

Sebastian only smiled wider.

“You and me baby! You and me .”

Now Nico was suffering the consequences of Sebastian’s scheming.

“You have that resting bitch face, Nico. Not that you try to appear approachable anyways.”

And that was how Nico ended up in the dunk tank while Sebastian played merchant just outside. He bounced on the balls of his feet, waving eagerly at passing students like an over caffeinated golden retriever.

Nico, perched cross-legged on the dunk seat with his cheek resting in his palm, looked thoroughly unimpressed.

“Wow. How’d you convince Britney to get in the tank?” a familiar voice drawled.

Nico looked up, already scowling, only to find Mark Webber of all people standing there, sipping an energy drink, one eyebrow raised in clear amusement.

Sebastian immediately short-circuited.

Nico watched, equal parts disgusted and entertained, as his friend stood frozen, blinking rapidly like a Windows error screen. Great. This again .

Sebastian’s very obvious, very painful crush on Mark had driven Nico up the wall more times than he could count. It was like watching a baby deer try to flirt with a freight train.

“No, I’m not stealing one of his hoodies for you.”

“I don’t know where he eats breakfast, Sebastian. Do I look like his calendar?”

“I don’t know if he’s single? we don’t talk about things like that!”

Nico threw his hands up, exasperated. “Just ask him out already, for fuck’s sake!”

“Hey, you wouldn’t be the first guy to want to see Nico wet in a white shirt,” Sebastian drawled, shooting Mark a wicked grin before turning to Nico with the most exaggerated wink known to man.

Mark glanced at Nico with a look that clearly said ‘Get a load of this guy.’

“Just get on with it,” Nico muttered darkly, resting his chin on his hand as Mark took aim.

A sudden dread coiled down Nico’s spine. Mark looked way too confident with that throw. The ball sailed through the air fast and ricocheted right off the edge of the target.

Close. Too close.

Nico exhaled in relief. “Thank god.”

“Oooh, damn. I was so sure you’d get it,” Sebastian said with a shit-eating grin at Mark, before looking over his shoulder at Nico.

Nico stuck his tongue out in response.

Mark just shrugged, unfazed, and sipped his drink like he hadn't just come inches from soaking someone. “Next time,” he said simply, before strolling off.

More students gathered around the dunk tank after that. A few throws were painfully close, but none had hit the mark.

Nico, miraculously, was still dry. So that was something.

The sun hung low on the horizon, casting a golden glow over the campus. The chaos of the day had finally begun to settle. Most of the crowd had trickled back to their dorms or found some other distraction, probably exhausted by the sheer absurdity that had been this fundraiser.

Even the energy around the dunk tank had mellowed. The remaining stragglers loitered more than participated, murmuring things like “It’s rigged” and “There’s no way no one’s dunked him yet.”

Nico, leaned an elbow on the rim, expression blank. He caught the eye of a group of girls, their arms crossed and cheeks puffed in frustration after failing to hit the target.

”they are definitely cheating, we gotta this to the committee” one girl glared at Nico with a vile expression.

“Have you ever considered that you just… suck?” Nico said, voice flat, tone neutral.

The girls turned scarlet. One of them opened her mouth to reply, then wisely decided against it.

“Hey, sorry I’m late. My stall just wrapped up,” came a familiar voice.

Nico didn’t need to look to know who it was. His entire body already tensed in recognition.

“Dude, you really want to try your luck?” Sebastian yawned from his post on a half-collapsed beach chair with his legs stretched out. “No one’s managed to dunk him yet. Nico’s ‘fuck off’ energy has apparently messed with everyone’s aim.”

Lewis chuckled and pulled out a folded wad of notes, peeling a few off and handing them to Sebastian. The golden haze of the setting sun caught the edges of his frame, his bare hands glowing against the dusky sky. Tank top clinging to his chest in a way that made Nico frown involuntarily. Unfair. Completely unfair. Who looked that good after a full day of sweating?

“I’ll take two,” Lewis murmured, eyes flicking to Nico as he gave a lazy wave.

Nico’s jaw dropped. “Two? Absolutely not. Everyone else only got one shot!”

Sebastian raised both hands, already pocketing the cash. “He paid double. Plus hes the last guy here?.”

“That’s not how this works,” Nico grumbled shifting in the dunk tank to sit up on his knees. Glowering at the pair of them.

Lewis picked up two baseballs from the bucket and tossed one into the air with a grin. “Guess I’ll just have to make them count.”

There was a glint in his eye Nico did not like.

Nico gripped the edges of the dunk tank’s cage, fingers tightening until his knuckles whitened. A sinking feeling curled low in his stomach. Something was about to go horribly, spectacularly wrong.

Lewis’s first throw whizzed past the target just a hair off. Nico only knew how close it was from the collective gasp that rippled through the small crowd. He hadn’t been paying attention to the ball. He’d been too busy watching Lewis.

More specifically, Lewis’s grin. Lewis’s stupid, smug grin and the way the muscles in his arms flexed when he threw. The way-

“Ooh, so close,” Lewis murmured, barely loud enough to carry. That damn grin widened, and Nico caught a glimpse of the little tooth gap that made it impossibly more annoying.

“Fuck,” Nico breathed, almost on instinct.

The second ball flew. And this time it hit dead center.

The loud clang of impact was drowned out by the trapdoor slamming open beneath him, and in the next second, cold water swallowed him whole. He plunged with a splash, limbs flailing in brief shock before he found the handlebars and pulled himself up, sputtering.

Water streamed down his face, his shirt clinging to him like a second skin. Hair plastered across his forehead and cheeks, Nico swiped it out of his eyes.

Only to find himself staring right into Lewis’s.

Lewis had moved closer, hands braced on the edge of the tank. His eyes, dark and unreadable. Neither of them said anything. The laughter and applause around them blurred, fading into the background.

Nico swallowed thickly, chest rising and falling. The sun caught in Lewis’s eyes. And for a split second, Nico forgot how to breathe.

Chapter Text

“Ahem.”

Valtteri’s voice sliced clean through the thick silence hanging in the garage. He stood just inside the doorway, a takeout bag in one hand, probably his breakfast and an awkward expression settling on his face as he took in the scene.

Nico stepped back instinctively, the air was suddenly too thin. His pulse was roaring in his ears and everything in him was wound tight like live wire. Lewis was still watching him with wounded eyes that made Nico feel like he was unraveling at the seams.

What the fuck am I doing?

“I’ll take an early lunch,” Nico muttered, voice tight. He tore his gaze away from those too-deep brown eyes, stumbling as he reached for his coat. The fabric caught on the workbench, and he cursed softly before yanking it free and bolting for the door. 

He didn’t look back.

Lewis didn’t call out. He just stood there, staring at the wall like it might explain everything. Like it might offer answers Nico was too much of a coward to give.

Because if there’s one thing Nico still does better than anyone else it’s running.

Nico half-sprinted, half-walked down the street, not entirely sure where he was going until the bright mural of the daycare center came into view. His legs moved on instinct. 

He pushed the door open a little too fast, and winced at the soft chime that followed. Forcing a smile onto his face, he walked up to the front desk all breathless.

“Hi, I’m here for Lucy,” he said, pulling out an ID from his wallet with slightly trembling fingers. “She’s got a doctor’s appointment that I completely forgot to mention to her teachers. I’m really sorry about that. Ah, here’s my parent ID.”

The receptionist took the card with a kind smile, unfazed. “It happens, Mr. Rosberg. No problem at all. Just wait here while I bring Lucy out, alright?”

Nico nodded and pocketed the ID again, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. He glanced around the room, trying to slow his heartbeat. The faint sounds of giggles and plastic toys echoed from the back.

Was he skipping work?

Yeah.

Would Valtteri fire him?

Not a chance in hell.

And still, as he waited, Nico felt the familiar weight settle in his chest. The guilt and regret. the sharp edges of everything he wasn’t ready to say.

But at least with Lucy, he could breathe for a little while.

She came bounding around the corner with her backpack half-zipped and a crayon clutched in one fist, her entire face lighting up when she saw him. Her mouth formed a perfect little “O” of surprise before breaking into a grin.

“Papa!” she squealed, running toward him.

Nico crouched quickly, his arms open, and scooped her up without hesitation. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her soft cheek against his in complete joy.

And as he held her, Nico looked at her properly. The resemblance struck him all over again, not to himself, but to someone else. That same cute nose. The same wide, expressive brown eyes. The texture of her hair, the warm tone of her skin. All of it whispered a truth he’d buried so deep within himself. 

She didn’t just look like him. She looked exactly like him .

“Papa, Papa! Am I leaving early?” she asked, muffling her excitement against his cheek.

Nico nodded toward the receptionist’s desk, offering a quick smile of thanks before turning to carry her out. The glass door swung shut behind them with a quiet thunk.

“Yes,” Nico said, his voice unsteady, barely holding together. “We’re going to get ice cream.”

Lucy shrieked with delight, kicking her legs in celebration, and Nico managed a laugh as the sound swallowed up the tremor in his voice.

“Really? Papa, reeeeaaalllyyy? ” Lucy drawled, dragging out the word as she tilted her head back so far back she was practically dangling on him, held steady only by Nico’s hands.

“Yes,” Nico chuckled, adjusting his grip on her. “But it’s not an everyday thing, so don’t go telling your teachers, okay?” he whispered conspiratorially into her ear.

Lucy burst into laughter, unfiltered and bright. “Papa that tickles! ” she squealed, squirming and quickly covering her ears with her small hands.

Nico smiled at her.

“Sweetheart…” Nico sighed, watching Lucy with a helpless sort of affection. Somehow, she had managed to get ice cream not just all over her mouth but in her hair too. He had been steadily working through a small mountain of tissues before finally giving up. He’d just rinse her off later.

His own cup of ice cream sat mostly untouched in his hand, melting slowly as he watched Lucy gleefully lick her fingers despite the sticky smear still glistening on her cheeks and chin. Nico sighed again. He really should’ve gotten her a cup instead of a cone.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he fished it out just as Lucy tried to lick a blob of vanilla off the tip of her nose.

The screen lit up with Valtteri's name. Nico hesitated only for a moment, he seriously considered ignoring it. 

“Hey,” he mumbled into the phone, shifting his cup to his other hand.

“Heya, Nico. How’s it going?” Valtteri’s voice was smooth, and annoyingly put-together for what went down at the garage.

Nico glanced over at Lucy, who beamed up at him with a mouthful of ice cream and all her misshapen little teeth on display. There was ice cream smeared across her nose, and her cone was melting fast.

“Messy,” Nico muttered fondly into the phone. “Remind me to bring a bib for Lucy next time.”

Valtteri chuckled on the other end and Nico realized he felt genuinely relieved. Nico bit the inside of his cheek. 

“Did he leave?” he asked quietly, voice barely above a whisper.

“Yeah,” Valtteri said, tone flattening. “Threw him out. Told him not to come back.”

Nico froze, confusion rippling down his spine. His heart kicked up, unsure whether to feel relieved or… guilty.

“Wait, what?” he asked, blinking. There was a pause on the line. Then Valtteri sighed.

“Obviously not, Nico,” he said dryly. “It’s Lewis Hamilton. We can't just ban him from the garage. He’s good for business plus my contacts would kill me if I pissed him off. But I did send him off with a warning.”

Nico stayed silent.

“I won’t let anyone mess with one of my owen,” Valtteri added, firmer now.

Nico exhaled, slow and shaky, eyes dropping to the top of Lucy’s head as she made a delighted noise and tried to bite the cone from the bottom.

Nico couldn’t quite figure out why the breath came to him in a slight huff

“Good, I guess. Thanks,” he murmured, watching Lucy now that her ice cream was long gone and her attention had turned to smearing sticky fingers across the countertop.

He pressed the phone closer to his ear and started wiping her down with whatever napkins he had left, gently scrubbing at the corners of her mouth.

There was a pause on the line.

“Nico, err… is he…?”
The question echoed in his ear. 

Nico froze mid-wipe. Lucy was pouting up at him now, clearly entering the early stages of a sugar high, ducking and twisting away from the napkin like it was a game. Her giggles rang out across the parlor, light and sharp as silver bells.

Anyone with eyes could tell. Especially Valtteri, who saw Lucy almost every day.

Nico let out a breath and reached for another napkin as Lucy wiggled in her seat, still smiling.

“Yeah,” he murmured. “He is.”

“Lucy, you’ve got ice cream everywhere,” Nico muttered, trying to clean the sticky streaks on her cheek while she wriggled like a cat avoiding a bath.

“Mmm… Papa, can we go to the pond?” she asked, pointing dramatically toward the window.

Nico followed her gaze and felt immediate dread. With his luck, she’d dive in headfirst just to “be one with the fishies.”

Before he could answer, Valtteri’s voice crackled back through the phone.
“You know, I could ask him to come in another time. Maybe when you’re not around and the new hire is?”

Right. The new hire.
Nico had completely forgotten about that.

“Oh no. Shi- I totally forgot,” he groaned, just as Lucy started fussing, tiny fingers grabbing at the phone.

“Lucy, hey, hey, Papa is doing very important adult things right now,” he said, holding up a finger with a no nonsense face. Lucy huffed and dramatically crossed her arms, managing to smear her sticky fingers across her shirt in the process. Nico winced.

“Okay, how about this?” he lowered his voice. “We skip the pond and go home to watch Cars instead?”

Her face lit up like a Christmas tree. As if they hadn’t already seen every Cars movie a thousand times.

“YEEEAHHHH!”
Lucy’s shout echoed through the ice cream parlor loud enough that Nico instinctively looked around offering an apologetic smile to the other patrons.

“Shhh, sweetheart,” he hushed gently, covering her mouth with his hand.

Valtteri’s chuckle buzzed through the phone. “Yeah, sounds like you’ve got your hands full. Don’t worry about today, just come in tomorrow and meet the new hire then.”

“Thanks, will do,” Nico said quickly before ending the call and sliding his phone back into his pocket.

He turned to Lucy with a pointed frown.

“Now, what did Papa say about screaming in public?”

Lucy’s shoulders drooped, her fingers twisting at the hem of her shirt. “Not to… because it hurts people’s ears.”

Nico raised a brow.

“So what do you say?”

“…Sorry…” she mumbled, eyes wide.

Nico sighed and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

He was a weak man.

“ You were… recommended to us ?” Nico echoed, half in disbelief as he stared at the young man in front of him.

He was probably sitting on a grease stain, he didn’t want to check. His gloves were peeling at the seams, the air purifier hadn’t worked in weeks and the overhead light above the workbench flickered like a bad horror movie prop. Actually scratch that, most things in this garage were broken.

And yet, somehow, this was where someone had decided to send an intern?

“An internship here?” Nico muttered again, rubbing his gloved hands over his face in some futile attempt to wake up from what had to be a bizarre dream.

Sitting across from him on an upturned milk crate was Alex Albon, their supposed new intern. Apprentice? Victim? Nico wasn’t sure yet. All he knew was the kid looked like an overgrown puppy dog, wide-eyed and too eager and totally out of place in this mechanical graveyard.

“Yeah,” Alex said with a casual shrug, glancing around at the clutter of parts and exposed wiring. “I applied for an internship with the Mercedes F1 garage… didn’t make the cut.”

Nico raised an unimpressed eyebrow, following Alex’s gaze as he took in the stained walls and dusty toolboxes. So this was the next best thing? Nico told him as such.

Alex laughed. “Honestly? I just want to learn. I don’t care how scrappy the place is, you have to see how I grew up if you think I can't handle this garage. Also, as long as I get to be around cars and not stuck behind a desk its good enough right now. One step at a time.” .

Nico sighed.
“Well, prepare to be bored out of your mind. This garage only gets exciting projects once in a blue moon .”

He was shrugging on his jacket when a sleek, unmistakably expensive car pulled up. Nico rolled his eyes, already knowing who that is.

“Welcome to the team,” he muttered, clapping Alex on the back hard enough to make the boy stumble.

Alex scratched at his nape then lit up at something he saw over Nico’s shoulder.

“Lewis! What brings you-”

Nico was already slipping out the back eyes fixed anywhere but on the man stepping out of the car.

You’re not running away. Your shift ended. You’re not running away.

Chapter Text

“No, I’m not going to the party,” Nico said, again. He’d lost count of how many times he’s had to repeat it. Sebastian with his beer in hand was pouting at him with a face so ugly Nico felt a strong urge to throw something at it.

“Come on, man. It’s the last party before finals. After this, everyone’s going to be too busy stress-studying to even breathe, let alone get piss drunk.”

Seb took a long sip while Nico rifled through his closet with increasing frustration.

“What are you even doing?” Seb asked, eyebrows raised, as Nico tossed yet another polo shirt onto the growing pile on the bed.

Nico pressed a hand to his forehead.

“I’ve got an interview tomorrow morning with the Williams F1 team for an intern position, but I can’t find a decent shirt to go with the only clean pants I have,” he groaned. He was this close to finally breaking into the world of race engineering. If the interview went well, he could start his practical training right after finals.

Sebastian’s mouth dropped open.

“What the actual fuck Nico, congrats! Damn, moving on fast, I see,” he said with a teasing grin, just as Nico threw a lilac shirt onto the floor in frustration.

“Yeah, so that’s why I can’t be hungover,” Nico muttered, dragging a hand through his hair. He did want to go to the party, really, he did. It might be the last one he’d get to enjoy before adulthood came crashing down on him. His final chance to be a reckless kid, before the weight of real responsibility settled on his shoulders.

He slumped down at the foot of his tiny bed. Sebastian was already sprawled across it, making himself at home right on top of Nico’s freshly folded laundry.

“Can’t be hungover for the interview,” Nico repeated, quieter this time. His life was about to change probably forever but he could handle it. He had to.

Sebastian must’ve sensed Nico’s inner turmoil, because he was now swirling the last of his beer in the glass like he was deep in thought though

“Meh, I’m definitely getting wasted,” he declared. “But the frat house is miles away. Not sure how we’re supposed to get there on foot.”

He nudged Nico in the back with his socked feet. Nico gave him a crooked smile.

“You trying to make me the designated driver?”

Sebastian shrugged innocently. “Motivates you to stay sober. Honestly, feels like a win-win situation to me.”

Nico twisted his ankle in response, earning a loud squawk.

“Abuse!” Sebastian yelped, clutching at his leg.

“Why the hell are you pre-gaming in front of the party house?” Nico asked, already regretting every decision that had led him to this moment and more importantly this friendship.

Sebastian had just “found” a suspiciously unlabeled bottle abandoned on the lawn right next to a couple who were drunkenly making out in the grass. Nico had promptly looked away before things escalated to full on nudity.

Seb sniffed the bottle, raised his eyebrows at Nico’s horrified look and of course took a long swig.

Nico rolled his eyes so hard it might give him a headache. He could already tell he’s going to be dragging Sebastian out by his ankles by the end of the night.

As expected, Sebastian gagged immediately, coughing violently and thumping at his chest. Nico didn’t even flinch and grabbed a fistful of Seb’s shirt and yanked him toward the front door, shoving them both into the crush of sweaty dancing university students.

"Natural selection really skipped you" Nico muttered under his breath.

He squinted up, momentarily blinded by the obnoxiously reflective disco ball spinning above them. Why the hell is there an actual disco ball?

Sebastian, meanwhile, had thrown his arms in the air with a wild whoop that echoed and was quickly picked up by a corner of the room.

Nico let his eyes sweep across the packed house. He wasn’t here to party in full swing. He just wanted a little fun. And then he spotted it, the beer pong table being reassembled by a group of girls with red cups and serious expressions.

Perfect.

He tugged at Sebastian’s shirt and pointed toward the table. Sebastian frowned, leaned in, and shout-whispered into his ear over the thudding bass of some terrible remix.

“You’re not getting drunk, remember?”

Nico smirked, already moving. “I won’t. And have you ever known me to lose at beer pong?”

Before Sebastian could protest, Nico shoved him straight into the crush of bodies grinding and dancing between them and the table. Time to win.

“Awww, man ,” the blonde girl groaned, taking a swig from one of the many questionable concoctions in a red cup.

Nico had sniffed one earlier out of curiosity and immediately gagged, setting it down like it was radioactive. No idea what was in it. Probably better that way.

It was his sixth successful throw in a row, and his opponent had already downed four of those god awful drinks. She was swaying now, visibly on her last urge to throw up.

Nico chuckled as she bent over with a dramatic groan, her friends hooting behind her like a cheering squad with no mercy.

“Sorry, ladies,” Nico said, watching as the girl half-heartedly tried to crawl under the table, “I think she’s done.”

He tossed the ping pong ball lazily between his hands.

“Mind if I give it a try?”

Nico’s head snapped around so fast it was a miracle he didn’t sprain something.

Lewis stood there grinning at him holding two red cups in one hand. He was wearing a backwards baseball cap, a ridiculous fake flower lei, and an armful of glow-in-the-dark bracelets. 

He looked absolutely ridiculous.

“You’re gonna lose to him,” one of the girls called out half-laughing as she tugged her drunk friend out from under the table.

Nico shrugged, a little breathless from the adrenaline high of his winning streak. He tossed Lewis a ping pong ball with a lazy flick of the wrist. Lewis caught it smoothly with that damn smile still on his face.

“Come on, you can’t be that good,” Lewis leaned in, his voice low against Nico’s ear.

A shiver ran down Nico’s spine. Great. His body was already betraying him already.

Lewis took his throw and missed by a laughable margin, the ball bouncing pathetically off the side of the table and was skidding away. Nico raised an eyebrow at the other, amused. Lewis just offered a sheepish grin.

“I’m a little drunk,” he muttered.

Nico didn’t bother replying. He casually tossed his own ball and it sank clean into one of the red cups without even brushing the rim. A perfect shot.

Without thinking, Nico grabbed the nearest vile concoction and held it up to Lewis’s lips. “Drink up,” he smirked, satisfaction curling at the corners of his mouth.

Lewis blinked, momentarily stunned. His eyes flicked from the cup to Nico’s face and back again, something unrecognizable flickering in them.

Nico’s smirk faltered. His pulse jumped, and a flush started creeping up his neck.

Nico began to pull the cup away, face already burning from the awkwardness hanging thick in the air. But before he could retreat, Lewis’s fingers curled gently around his wrist.

He tugged Nico’s hand tilting the cup toward his own lips.

Nico’s breath caught. His eyes locked on the movement of Lewis’s throat, on the way his Adam’s apple bobbed with his swallows. The moment stretched unexpectedly charged.

When Lewis finally let go he slammed the empty cup onto the table with far too much flair. It should’ve been ridiculous and it was. It was definitely not hot. Not even a little.

Then he gagged.

“Yah, bleh what the fuck that tastes like actual shit,” Lewis rasped, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Nico really tried not to let the blush creeping up his neck betray him.

“Better step it up, or you’ll be drinking all night,” he said smoothly, handing the ball back to Lewis.

Lewis took it with a grin that made Nico’s stomach twist. “Can’t have that, can we?” he teased, voice light and cocky.

Nico rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth twitched.

Lewis took his second throw and it landed right into the cup. He beamed before turning to Nico with an obnoxious sparkle in his eyes.

Nico scoffed and took his turn. Another hit. The crowd around them, mostly bored college students nursing warm beer, started paying attention, throwing in dramatic “ooohs” and “ahhs” every time one of them scored.

Back and forth they went, locked in their ridiculous little score, neither of them drinking, both too competitive to miss on purpose. Nico narrowed his eyes in focus as the last cup remained, the winner’s cup.

This was it.

He lined up his shot, tongue pressed to the corner of his mouth.

And just as he flicked the ball—

“LET’S GET THIS PLACE JUMPING!” the DJ screamed into the mic.

Nico flinched. The ball veered left and bounced off the rim.

He stared at it in disbelief before turning his glare to the DJ booth like he could kill that man with a look alone.

The crowd around them had started chanting.

“Chug! Chug! Chug!”

Nico bit his lip, heart pounding for all the wrong reasons. Lewis was already snickering, lifting the red cup with a dramatic flourish. Nico was grateful for the dim lighting any brighter and Lewis would’ve seen how red his face had gotten.

Nico glanced at the sloshing contents of the cup and winced. Whatever was in there smelled like nail polish remover. He wasn’t supposed to drink. He was the designated driver.  

But his pride wouldn't let him back out. He grit his teeth, reaching for the cup, steeling himself to down it only for Lewis to pull away and drink it instead.

The crowd let out a collective groan, disappointed. Nico stood frozen, mouth slightly ajar, watching Lewis tip his head back and chug it all down.

When Lewis slammed the empty cup onto the table, he blinked against the sting of the alcohol and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Yeah,” he rasped, coughing once, “definitely doesn’t taste any better the second time.”

Nico stared at him, completely thrown off.

Was… was this what people meant by chivalry?

Lewis shot Nico a wink right before doubling over with a groan.

Nico’s heart nearly launched itself out of his chest. “Shit! wait, hang on, I’ll get you some water,” he blurted, already moving around all flustered and way too concerned for someone who he supposedly didn’t care about. 

As Lewis was finishing his third cup of water Nico was relieved to see he hadn’t completely lost his head. He was a responsible drinker. That was good. Not that Nico cared. 

He crossed his arms, trying to smother the stupid grin tugging at his lips.

They were both crammed onto a small couch, knees brushing. An unconscious guy lay sprawled out just a few feet away, but Nico chose to ignore that particular detail. We can’t have everything.

“Thanks,” Lewis rasped, tossing his head back against the cushion. He closed his eyes, fingers massaging his temples.

Nico definitely did not stare. 

At the long line of Lewis’s throat. Or the way his jaw flexed. Or how unfairly attractive his entire neck was. Jeez Nico get a grip. 

“Back at you,” Nico mumbled, more to his lap than anything.

Lewis cracked one eye open and turned to him, still cradling his temples, but his signature grin broke through.

Nico looked away too fast. Damn him.

Oh yeah? Why are you at a party if you’re not going to drink?” Lewis mused, side-eyeing him with that lopsided grin.

Nico didn’t even blink. “To suffer. Clearly.”

Lewis snorted all high-pitched and sudden like he hadn’t expected the answer at all. He clapped a hand over his mouth laughing harder when Nico just stared at him all unimpressed.

“Are you trying to get into my pants? Because it wasn’t that funny,” Nico chucked, rolling his eyes. Lewis was unbelievable .

Lewis didn't reply right away so Nico had to look over at him. 

“Was I that obvious?” Lewis lazily grinned at him leaning in just a little too close, his eyes flicking down to Nico’s mouth and then slowly back up.

Wait? what?

Chapter Text

Nico clutched the grocery bags tighter to his chest scowling up at the slate-grey sky as rain pelted down on the barely sheltered roof. The downpour showed no signs of stopping  and he was already soaked through. Jeans heavy with water and hair plastered to his forehead.

At least Lucy was with Jensen. If she were here, he'd be spiraling with worry instead of just being mildly miserable.

The bus stop was deserted. No surprise there, anyone with common sense was probably curled up under a blanket not standing in ankle-deep puddles waiting for a bus that clearly had no intention of arriving any time soon. He let out a long exasperated groan.

He really, really needed to get a car.

Nico shivered as another gust of wind sliced through his soaked clothes, making him grit his teeth. He had gotten caught in the downpour thanks to his own idiocy as he hadn’t checked the weather. Now here he was standing at a nearly-abandoned bus stop with rain water dripping down the back of his neck.

It had been a last-minute shopping run. Jensen had called while Nico was elbow-deep in soapy dishwater, Something about him and Fernando hitting a rough patch.

Nico had asked, because it felt like the polite thing to do.

“Not gonna talk about it,” Jensen had replied, immediately followed by, “Also, I’m downstairs. Let me up?”

Nico had stared blankly at the phone as the line cut, soap still clinging to his fingers.

And just like that, he was left with an emotionally unavailable Jensen and an overly excitable Lucy bouncing off the walls of his apartment. So, naturally, Nico did what any temporarily defeated adult would do. He grabbed his wallet and escaped under the noble guise of a much-needed grocery run.

Lucy had always been one tantrum away from a full meltdown over the tragic disappearance of her beloved Frosties, and Nico wasn't brave enough to deal with that kind of crying ever again.

So now, thanks to his impeccable timing and complete disregard for checking the weather app he was standing fifteen minutes away from home, huddled under a bus stop that provided no real shelter from the sideways rain.

He fished out his phone, squinting at the screen through the droplets clinging to the glass. It was well past Lucy’s bedtime. Nico let out a miserable groan. Jensen was definitely not a reasonable enough adult to put a five-year-old to bed without some sort of disaster. He could already picture Lucy still awake sugared up on juice and possibly braiding Jensen’s hair while watching cartoons with the volume at full blast.

Nico scowled, he needed better friends.

Just as Nico was debating whether to call Jensen and tell him through gritted teeth to please put Lucy to bed on time, a car rolled to a stop in front of the bus stop. Tires hissed against the wet asphalt and headlights catching in the rain like a movie scene trying too hard.

Nico looked up frowning, arms still clutched tightly around his soggy grocery bags. The windows were suspiciously tinted. 

The driver’s window slowly rolled down with the sort of dramatic flair that made Nico immediately skeptical.

Lewis raised an eyebrow at him from the driver’s seat.

Nico blinked unimpressed. “Are you stalking me?”

Lewis exhaled. “No.”

“Nico, what are you doing out in this weather?” Lewis called out, voice edged with concern. His hands stayed wrapped around the steering wheel of yet another ridiculous supercar.

Definitely a Mercedes. Judging by the sleek predatory design and the unmistakable silver logo glinting up front.

Nico glanced up at the worn bus stop sign above his head and then leveled a deadpan look back at Lewis.

“Take a wild guess. It’s not that hard” he muttered, attitude thick in his voice.

Lewis huffed out a breath. “Look, I know you have some very deeply rooted hatred against me” he shot back, “but seriously how long have you just been standing there?”

Nico bit his lips.

“The bus will come soon,” Nico muttered, eyes flicking behind the car. He was hoping, praying really to catch the glint of headlights that would send Lewis on his way.

Lewis turned in his seat to follow Nico’s gaze. Only to be met with the empty road. He scoffed.

“Well, it’s not here yet, is it?” Lewis added flatly.

Nico didn’t respond. He just hugged the paper bags tighter to his chest.

Lewis let out a slow sigh and something in his expression shifted, the slight tension gone, replaced by a flicker of hurt. His eyes softened and when he spoke again his voice had gone soft.

“Nico… just get in.” It was almost a plea. 

Nico met his gaze There was no smugness there, no teasing. Just tired sincerity. 

The pros clearly outweighed the cons on this one… just barely.

Nico heaved a sigh, maneuvered the door open with his free hand and slid into the passenger seat before Lewis could do something stupid like beg .

He kept his eyes fixed ahead, deliberately avoiding looking at Lewis. His soaked clothes made an awkward squeaking sound against the pristine leather seats and Nico winced.

Perfect . Now he was wet and making embarrassing noises in a supercar.

“Sorry,” Nico muttered, shifting uncomfortably. “That probably didn’t sound great for your seats”

It was the least he could do. Try to make the awkward tension a little less unbearable. He was getting a ride after all. Might as well not be a complete ass about it.

Lewis just hummed in response, turning the key. The engine roared to life with a low satisfying purr that pulled a small involuntary smile from Nico.

“Nah,” Lewis said, glancing sideways at him. “Sounds good to me.”

Nico immediately fought the urge to slide lower into his seat.

Yeah. This was definitely a bad idea .

“You live pretty far from that area, why go shopping all the way here?” Lewis asked, hands relaxed on the wheel.

Nico didn’t answer right away, too focused on furiously texting Sebastian. Or more accurately, sending a string of one-sided messages. Because Sebastian is a busy man.

Off doing whatever mysterious motorsport-adjacent things he did and apparently was not keeping tabs on Lewis like he was supposed to. Not that Nico ever told him to, but Sebastian does drop hints that he sees Lewis around from time to time.

Which meant Nico was left to deal with the increasing absurdity of Lewis randomly appearing in his life with no warning and no reason. Seb was definitely waking up to over a hundred texts from Nico. 

“Well, erm,” Nico finally said, glancing up. “That specific department store sells Frosties bundles for cheap on some days but it's usually on very oddly confusing days apart, mostly to bring in more customers maybe? I’ve been shopping there long enough to figure out how they might plan the next day out.”

He shrugged and gave one of the bags in his lap a little shake for emphasis.

Lewis whipped his head toward him, eyebrows raised. “Wait, seriously? Man, I love Frosties,” he mumbled, eyes snapping back to the road.

Well isn't that a surprise.

“So they’re not like fixed dates?” Lewis questioned.

Why was multi-millionaire Lewis Hamilton - private investor of the actual Mercedes Formula 1 team asking him when Frosties went on sale?

“No, but I could give a decent guess depending on the week?” Nico offered, then immediately winced. Right. Idiot.

“Great. You’re gonna tell me, right?” Nico opened his eyes just in time to see Lewis holding out his phone. How was he this fast?

He hesitated for a second before sighing and typing in his number.

Lewis took the phone back, tapped the screen and Nico’s phone buzzed with a missed call.

“So you can call me after your educated guess,” Lewis said with a grin.

Nico coughed and swiftly changed the subject.

“Mhm. these run out fast… even if they’re not exactly healthy.” He glanced down at the boxes in his lap and frowned. These contain an insane amount of sugar, right? Maybe he should start watching Lucy’s Frosties intake a bit more carefully.

Lewis shrugged. “Hey, what’s one guilty pleasure every now and then?”

Nico’s eyes flicked to Lewis’s side profile as the streetlights blurred past outside. He looked good. No, better than good. Matured, as if he has grown into himself as a person.

Why did Nico have to be such a terrible person?

He didn’t answer and instead turned his gaze back towards the window, watching raindrops race down the glass. The car was swallowed by an awkward silence again.

“I um.. didn’t…” Lewis muttered, barely audible over the hum of the engine and the rain tapping against the windshield.

Nico watched him through the window’s reflection and saw the way Lewis’s hands clenched tightly around the steering wheel.

“I didn’t come to rub anything in your face. I wouldn’t,” Lewis said, voice low and rough like it was pulled straight from his chest. “I didn’t even know you worked there until I came to pick up my car. And believe me… undermining you is the last thing I’d ever want to do.”

He exhaled shakily, the words tumbling out in one long breath. “I didn’t mean to pry or belittle you. I just… I just wanted to know how you’ve been. After all these years.”

There was something so disarmingly sincere in his voice that it was hard for Nico to breath. He blinked hard. Yeah. There were definitely tears threatening to spill.

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” Lewis said quietly. “except that I’m sorry.”
He hesitated. His voice dropped to a whisper.

“But first, I need to know what I’m even apologizing for.”

In the window, he caught the brief flick of Lewis’s gaze turning toward him and then quickly back to the road. Nico shut his eyes.

"I'm sorry too" Nico whispered.

"I was just as shocked to see you that day... and then that thing with the car." He let out a shaky breath. "I know you didn’t mean it like that… I was just... projecting my own failures onto you.”

The words felt heavy in his chest. When he finally glanced over, Lewis was frowning at the road, jaw tight.

“Nico, you're not a failure,” Lewis said firmly. He flicked his eyes toward him for a brief second before focusing ahead again. Responsible driver, how had he even wrecked that McLaren?

Nico scoffed. “Lewis, you don’t know me.”

It came out sharper than he meant it to, but it was the truth. They’d had a few good conversations back then. And even less now.

Lewis let out a slow breath.

“What if I’d like to?” he asked.

Nico felt his heart drop.

He straightened up slightly in his seat, eyes flicking to Lewis as the car slowed next to a building near his apartment complex. The familiar structure loomed ahead but Nico’s focus stayed on the man beside him. He wasn’t paranoid.

He didn’t mind Lewis knowing where he lived. But there were still things he didn’t want him to see. Not necessarily things, but a person. Fractured parts of a life Lewis had been absent from.

The car came to a stop and Lewis leaned back in his seat, hands falling from the wheel and gave Nico his most vulnerable expressions to date.

“I want to know,” Lewis said quietly. “How you’ve been. What’s happened all these years. Why did you choose this path? Why you left so abrup-”

“Lewis” Nico interrupted, voice just above a whisper. His hand curled tighter around the bag in his lap.

“Nico,” Lewis shut Nico up instantly.

“Why won’t you just tell me?” Lewis continued, quieter now. “Am I so repulsive that you don't want me in your life? Because if that’s what you want…  and if you ask me to go… I will.”

Nico’s vision blurred as tears pricked hot behind his eyes but he could still make out the faint shape of Lewis in the dim light.

“Because it’s not fair to you,” Nico whispered voice trembling.

“What?” Lewis asked, softer this time. Less certain.

Nico swallowed hard. “To want to be in my life. It wouldn’t be fair on you.”

Lewis tilted his head confusion flickering across his face and Nico looked away, dragging his sleeve across his eyes.

“It wouldn’t be fair for you to want to know me like that,” Nico said, voice barely above a breath “when you find out that I have a kid.”

Chapter Text

Lewis tasted like alcohol and fruit punch at first. All sweet and tangy but incredibly intoxicating. The longer they kissed the messier it got and the more it tasted like just spit and all things Lewis.

Nico groaned into Lewis’s mouth, fingers cradling his jaw like he was clutching onto the only thing keeping him sane right now. As if he'd fall apart if he dared to pulled away.

Lewis’s hands were firm on Nico’s thighs, lifting him with ease and holding him up as Nico’s legs tightened around his waist. Their bodies pressed flush together and Nico felt every ridge and line of hard muscle through too many layers of clothes.

It was getting hard to breathe, mouths clashing while noses bumped and teeth clicking, yet neither of them pulled away long enough to make it right. Because it was perfect. 

Nico whined out loud, tugging at Lewis’s shirt, hands greedy and shaking. Why wasn’t Lewis moving faster? Why wasn’t he taking his clothes off faster?

As if sensing the urgency, Lewis pulled back just a fraction, just enough to catch Nico’s bottom lip between his teeth and bite down gently before letting it slip free with a wet sound.

Without warning he grabbed both of Nico’s wrists and slammed them against the wall above his head pinning him there with one strong hand.

Nico gasped, the thud made a shiver course through his already overheated body, that was so hot. His overworked brain supplied. 

He tried to twist his wrists just to test the grip, but Lewis held firm. His one free hand moved lower, skimming the hem of Nico’s shirt, and his gaze dark and blown out met Nico’s with something dangerously close to a man gone mad with want.

“Keep your hands there,” Lewis muttered against his jaw, breath warm and hot.

Nico nodded, swallowing down the shudder that raked through him. His skin felt too tight, too hot. Every second of this awful god waiting .

“Fuck, Lewis,” he whispered, arching forward to press their chests together again.

Lewis smirked, but it was shaky around the edges. “I know.”

“Let me have this,” Lewis murmured against Nico’s lips, his voice rough. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do this?”

Nico’s lips quirked as he darted his tongue out and shamelessly licking the spit Lewis left behind.

“You want to know how long I’ve been waiting to touch you?” he shot back, tone sharp with want. His ankles locked behind Lewis’s back to pull him in tighter. The pressure drew a groan from Lewis, hands tightening on Nico’s waist like he didn’t know what to do with how good it felt.

“Sometimes,” Lewis whispered, breath catching, “I used to think the only way to shut you up was to fill that pretty mouth of yours.”

Nico leaned in until their noses brushed, voice dipping into something filthy.

“Only one way to find out.”

Nico squirmed in Lewis’s grip all impatient and frantic until Lewis let out a low chuckle and finally stepped back. The second there was space between them Nico dropped to his knees, hands already tugging at Lewis’s belt with a sort of feverish urgency.

He had imagined this too many times, far too vividly , for it to finally feel real now. But the warmth of Lewis’s body, the way his breath hitched above him was nothing like he had imagined. 

“Fucking hell…” Lewis muttered under his breath as Nico yanked the belt free and worked on the zipper with shaking fingers.

Lewis’s hands hovered near Nico’s, unsure whether to guide him or just watch. Nico glanced up eager to see what he's feeling being projected onto Lewis as well.

Lewis was flushed. Chest rising with shallow breaths with his lips parted, eyes dark and fixed on Nico like he was the only thing in his center of focus. Even under the dim lighting of the guest room the hint of red on his cheeks was unmistakable.

God, he was so beautiful like this.

Nico couldn't wait a second longer. His fingers curled into Lewis’s waistband. Mouth pressed eagerly over the thick outline in Lewis’s trousers, his breath coming hot and uneven. He didn’t bother with being polite, just mouthing at the shape of him through the fabric far too impatient. Letting the sight drive them both mad.

Lewis sucked in a sharp breath, hips jolting forward before he yanked Nico back by a fistful of his hair. Nico gasped with his lips parted and eyes wide.

“Patience baby,” Lewis murmured, voice rough with restraint. “Let me take care of it.”

One hand still tangled in Nico’s hair while his other moved to undo his fly. Far steadier than what Nico’s trembling attempts had been. He was panting now, practically vibrating with anticipation.

As soon as Lewis had his pants down far enough, Nico didn’t hesitate. He wrapped his hand around the base and leaned forward taking him into his mouth. His throat protested, mildly . but Nico didn’t care. Not with the way Lewis’s breath hitched above him. Not with the way his hand tightened just slightly in Nico’s hair like he was the only tether Lewis had to reality.

Nico moaned around him just to feel it twitch in his mouth.

Lewis let out a choked sound above him, head tipping back against the door with a soft thud. Nico barely noticed. His hands braced on Lewis’s thighs as he took in the weight and shape of him, his eyes fluttering closed for half a second.

“Fuck, Nico… h-hell, slow down,” Lewis gasped, voice cracking somewhere between pleasure and disbelief.

But Nico only pulled back with deliberate slowness as his lips dragged along heated skin until just the flushed tip remained. He flicked his tongue against it in a teasing lick, locking eyes with Lewis as he did. The effect was instant, Lewis groaned loudly, his head knocking back against the door once more. Jaw slack and chest rising sharply with every breath.

Nico let a slow smile curl on his lips as he took Lewis into his mouth again, deeper this time. Sucking down as much as he could while his fingers wrapped around what he couldn’t take. Lewis was big and Nico could feel every inch stretch the limits of his throat.

His eyes watered with the effort as saliva pooled and slid down his chin but he couldn't move. He was high on the weight of it, on the way Lewis groaned above him, on the sharp pull of fingers tangled in his hair.

Lewis suddenly yanked him forward with a desperate guttural sound. Nico gagged and pulled off with a slick gasp, mouth hanging open as he panted for air. His lips were swollen, spit-slick while his throat felt raw, and he couldn’t stop smiling.

Lewis’s hand caught his jaw in a rough grapple of fingers. Nico shivered under the pressure, a tremble rolling down his spine.

He fucking loved this. All of it.

“Nico, you look so fucking good like this baby, will you let me fuck you?” Lewis murmured, voice thick. “Yeah? I’ll make it good for you.”

Nico nodded so hard it felt like his brain had rattled loose in his skull. 

There is no way he’s leaving without sitting on this magnificent cock. 

He pushed himself up on unsteady legs, still buzzed out of his mind. The moment he was upright he had surged forward and crashed his mouth against Lewis’s, not giving a single shit that he’d just had his dick down his throat just minutes ago.

Lewis chuckled against his lips while his hands gripped tight around Nico’s waist before hauling him up. Nico gasped all startled and mostly thrilled. His arms instinctively wrapped around Lewis’s shoulders as he was tossed onto the bed.

The mattress creaked beneath him, and the sheets smelled faintly like an old dusty guesthouse but Nico didn’t have time to care. Not when Lewis was crawling over to him, not when his mouth was already pressing hot and hungry against Nico’s neck.

Lewis didn’t even bother unbuttoning Nico’s pants, he just yanked them down with that same rough urgency that made Nico’s breath catch. The force made him buck down against the mattress and had Lewis paused, shooting him a slightly apologetic look.

Nico bit down on his lower lip, his pride swallowing the urge to say just how much he liked being tossed around like that.

But just as Lewis was about to toss the pants off the bed, Nico jolted upright.

“Wait! my-my lube’s in there,” he mumbled, curling in on himself slightly, suddenly hyper-aware of how bare he was below the waist.

Lewis froze, his eyes flicking to Nico’s flushed face before nodding once. He rummaged through the pockets without a word, his movements less frantic and more controlled. Yet the slight tremors in his hands indicated he was just really good at being a gentleman.

With clammy fingers Lewis tore open the small lube packet, his hands shaking just enough for Nico’s already-dazed brain to decide he was taking far too long.

So Nico helped himself.

He wrapped a hand around his cock, the first stroke was dry but with just enough pressure to make the relief feel good. The drag was rough but the pressure was worth it right now. Anything was worth it because Lewis was taking too fucking long.  

He threw his head back against the pillows, breath hitching as his hand picked up speed.

“Couldn’t even wait for me?” Lewis drawled, voice full of impatience. One slick hand still occupied he gripped Nico’s calf with the other and pushed his legs apart without much effort, practically folding him in half.

Nico swallowed hard, his pulse skittering.

“You were-fuck… taking too long,” he gasped between shaky thrusts of his fist, thighs trembling with effort.

Lewis was watching him work himself, lips parted and eyes dark. Clearly not too upset about the view.

“Lewis,” Nico groaned, desperate. He needed him now. Yesterday. Last week.

“I hear you,” Lewis murmured, crawling closer. And oh , he was finally listening.

The first brush of fingers against his hole made Nico tense, breath catching in his throat. Lewis was bent over him, one hand braced near his head, caging him in completely.

When the first finger slipped in, Nico’s body welcomed it with an uncomfortable shiver. “Think you can take two?” Lewis murmured. His voice right by Nico’s ear, nose brushing over the flushed heat of his cheek. Nico nodded quickly, already wanting more.

The second finger was a stretch but not completely unbearable, but enough to make Nico’s thighs twitch. The burn flared before fading into something achingly good as Lewis began to work him open in slow deliberate thrusts.

Nico had fingered himself before thinking about Lewis's hands, definitely more times than he’d like to admit but nothing had ever felt like this. Nothing had ever felt like Lewis. His fingers were longer, thicker, and somehow everywhere all at once. Nico could feel how far he was stretching, feel the pressure in places his own hands never quite reached.

He moaned into the mattress, back arching into the mattress.

“C’mon, gimme a third,” Nico begged, his bottom lip tucked tight between his teeth. The stretch had burned, but it was the kind of burn that made his toes curl. The kind he craved.

Lewis nipped at Nico’s jaw, eager and breathless. “Yeah?” he hummed, before slowly pressing the third finger in.

Nico hissed, hips twitching. It was really too much… Lewis was whispering praises against his skin in a soft voice. Small scattered thoughts as he worked him open. The slow and deliberate scissoring was seconds to send him spiraling.

And then Lewis’s fingers brushed against that spot. The sensitive bundle of nerves that he's been actively searching for.

Nico cried out loud enough that he was sure that some of the party goers might have heard him. His knees gave a violent tremble and he grabbed a fistful of Lewis’s shirt, yanking him down into a desperate, messy kiss.

“Fuck, Lewis! Right there” Nico gasped, clawing at the back of his neck, his nails probably leaving faint red trails in their wake.

Lewis, who had been so focused and so quiet, just stared completely hypnotized by the sight of his fingers buried deep inside of Nico, moving with such slick lewd sounds.

He cursed right against Nico’s mouth. Patience worn entirely too thin.

“Fucking hell... where’s the condom?”

Chapter Text

Sebastian had always loved lying on top of freshly washed laundry. Back then, and even now. At least in the past he hadn’t even bothered pretending to help Nico fold them, just flopped right on top. These days he had the decency to lend a hand, especially when it came to folding Lucy’s seemingly infinite number of tiny clothes.

“Every time I come over, it feels like there’s more,” Sebastian muttered, holding up a small, Lucy-sized T-shirt smeared with colorful blobs. One of her masterpieces now demoted to pajamas, because it was far too hideous to wear outside. Nico had rules . Ugly-cute homemade art stayed inside the house.

“Kids grow fast,” Nico said, not looking up as he folded his twelfth pair of shorts. “Lucy outgrows half her closet every couple of months.”

The pile between them was a war zone of mismatched socks, nside-out leggings, and just chaos. Nico spotted the glittery turquoise skirt Jensen had bought her for her fourth birthday. It was sequined and garish enough to blind. He gave it a once-over before folding it carefully, relieved to see no loose threads or rogue sparkles everywhere.

“Small mercies,” Nico muttered under his breath.

Sebastian sighed heavily beside him, he had been on full Lucy-duty since breakfast, entertaining her with books, puzzles, and a chaotic lunch that ended with tomato sauce somewhere on the backside of the TV. Afterward, Nico had put on that ’one cartoon with the three bears’ and they had quietly slipped away into his bedroom.

“I’m so glad I get to hand her back to you at the end of the day,” Sebastian muttered as he folded another tiny T-shirt.

Nico scoffed, shaking his head. “That’s because you don’t know what it’s like. When your whole world looks up at you and asks for something… How the hell are you supposed to refuse?”

He nodded toward the sofa, where Lucy sat cross-legged, hair sticking up like she’d been electrocuted. 

Sebastian reached over and caught Nico’s wrist just as he was about to shove all the mismatched socks into one and call it “Mr. Snake,” which, admittedly, Lucy would adore. But Sebastian gave him a look.

“Don’t,” he said, voice softer now.

Nico snorted but the tension lingered in his shoulders. Sebastian’s hand was still lightly on his wrist.

“That’s definitely a feeling I won’t ever know,” Sebastian said, gaze flickering toward the sofa. The weight of that statement landed between them. Nico’s bravado slipped. He exhaled and slumped forward, shoulders curving inward.

“You think I’m an asshole for not telling him?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper. Sebastian sat up fully now, eyes narrowing in focus. “That I’m just... a selfish bastard for taking that right away from him?”

Especially after that night.

Sebastian just looked at Nico, as if he was weighing every possible version of the truth.

“I don't think you're an asshole,” he said finally. 

“I… Nico, wow, I didn’t know,” Lewis stammered, eyes wide like the words had knocked the wind out of him.

His mouth opened again, like he meant to follow it up with something but had forgotten. Just silence. Nico could feel his stomach twist itself into a thousand knots.

“Wait… no, I mean... that’s great. Really.” Lewis gave a stiff nod, like he was trying to convince himself of that fact. “You’re a family man now, huh?”

His voice was light, and his smile was pulled too tight to be real.

Nico frowned, brows pinching together. That wasn’t how this was supposed to go. He’d planned to explain it… all of it.

“I bet that’s nice,” Lewis said, more to the air than to Nico. “Having someone to dote on. Someone who looks up to you.”

He was staring at Nico like he was seeing him for the first time. And Nico, Nico could practically feel his heart crack under the weight of that stare. One piece at a time.

“Earth to Mr. Rosberg?” Sebastian flicked Nico’s nose with two fingers.

“Don’t call me that, reminds me of my dad,” Nico muttered, returning to the never-ending pile of laundry. His voice didn't waver but the way his shoulders slumped gave him away.

Sebastian groaned and reached forward, tugging the wrinkled shirt out of Nico’s hands. “What the actual fu-dge,” he caught himself, glancing toward Lucy who was currently trying to braid a stuffed bear’s hair.

Nico let out a tired puff of air, rubbing his temples. “I’m a shit parent, aren’t I?”

Sebastian blinked. “Now that's bullpoop and we both know it!”

Nico motioned vaguely to the living room, where Lucy was giggling to herself. “What kind of parent forces their kid to grow up with a single dad? What kind of person decides to not tell the other…”

He looked down at his lap, hands gripping the hem of one of Lucy’s skirts. “I’ve been the only one in her life for so long, and I thought I could be enough for her. But now I know I clearly can’t be. Back then, I was so scared . I still am, Seb. Scared of what it would mean if I told him. Scared he wouldn’t care. Or that he would.”

He laughed bitterly under his breath. “It didn’t help that he was on this impeccable road to success. We both were, but… I couldn’t . I couldn’t do that to him, Seb. It wouldn’t have been fair. We were stupid that night, and I’m the only one who has the living, breathing memory of it. And that’s fine . It was fine for me. But then it wasn’t.”

Nico rubbed his palms over his face, voice breaking. “Because now I have seen his face and he looks at me like there’s still hope . Like I’m still that asshole who used to bitch at him in uni. And I don’t get it… why does he keep talking to me? Why does he care so much about where I ended up?”

He let his hands fall to his lap again. “Seb, back then I was scared out of my mind. Scared he’d drop everything if I told him. No, I knew he would. He’s a righteous bastard like that. Do you know how many times I thought about calling him while I was pregnant? Just telling him to get his ass over here? But I never could. How could I do that to him when he was finally making a name for himself, achieving a dream I had always wanted too?”

Nico’s shoulders slumped, defeat clinging to every word. “So I didn’t tell him. And I told myself I could live with that. But guess what? I can’t!”

He looked over at Sebastian. “And I don’t even know how to go about this anymore. I feel like… I’ve been so selfish. I don’t even know what kind of life Lucy could have had if she’d known she had two good fathers. Because yes, Sebastian, Lewis would be a good dad. And I-” he swallowed thickly, voice hoarse “-I’m just the worst person on earth.”

Sebastian didn’t speak at first. Just let the word vomit settle in the room. The cartoons in the background filled the silence for them.

“You think I don’t get it,” Sebastian said eventually, voice barely above a whisper “but I do. I’ve been here, Nico. Through all of it. From the moment you took her home for the first time, to that night she wouldn’t stop crying unless you danced around the flat like a lunatic.”

Nico gave a hollow laugh. Too rattled out of his bones after that confession.

“You didn’t shut Lewis out because you’re cruel,” Sebastian continued. “You did it because you felt like you did the right thing. You had a newborn, he had a career and you had a heart barely holding itself together. You made the best decision you could back then.”

“I was stupid,” Nico whispered.

“I know,” Sebastian said. “And back then, fear looked like reason. It made sense… maybe? but it made sense at the time.”

“But now?” Nico’s voice cracked. “Now it feels like every day I wait makes me a little more of a coward. I look at her and think… what if she hates me for this one day?”

“She won’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do,” Sebastian said, more sharply this time. “Because she already thinks the world of you. You are everything to her, Nico. You’ve built a home, you’ve raised her into this hilarious, chaotic, cars-loving creature, and you’ve done it with nothing but your stubbornness and soft heart.”

Nico swallowed thickly. “You think she’ll understand one day? Why i am such a coward?”

“I think,” Sebastian said gently, “that your reasons back then were real. And the reasons you kept holding onto now… well they’re not as strong as they used to be, are they?”

Nico shook his head, staring at the pile of socks again. “No.”

“Then maybe it’s time.”

Nico didn’t answer right away. But he didn’t pick up another piece of laundry either. Just sat there, hands curled in his lap with Sebastian's knobby knees knocking into his every now and then.

And from across the room, Lucy shouted, “Grizzy says he wants dinner. Can I have dinner?!”

Nico cracked a smile. “Right. Can’t disappoint royalty.”

Sebastian shows him equally crooked teeth. “Come on, Your Highness. You’ve got this.”

Nico stared at the lone notification on his phone, completely thrown off. It wasn’t something that happened to him that often. He didn’t really get text messages. Jensen preferred to call, usually while yelling about something and Sebastian had an extraordinary gift for just appearing wherever Nico happened to be. 

So, yeah. Nico was quite ashamed of himself. 

The text read

Turns out Sunday is not the day Frosties are on sale.

Nico pursed his lips. Two days ago.

He let out a breath through his nose. Well. He’s a busy man. Sue him. At least he actually opened it this time. That's progress. Probably.

Alex was crouched by the front wheel, checking the tire pressure of their latest metal disaster. His long fingers skimmed the rubber, and for a moment, Nico swore they could probably cover the whole thing if he stretched them wide enough. Okay, that might be a bit dramatic… but only just a bit.

“It’s not the tires. Or, well, not this one,” Alex said with a lazy shrug, his voice echoing slightly in the quiet garage.

They were trying to work out how this car had ended up like this . Nico cast a look at the mangled hood and shattered windshield. The stop sign had certainly won this round.

“There’s got to be some reason why the car face-planted into a damn stop sign,” Nico muttered, rubbing his forehead clearly distressed at leaving Lewis on delivered like an asshole.

“Uuuuum, we blame the driver?” Alex offered, fiddling with a lug nut like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

That one always had to be touching something, bolts, wires, whatever he could get his hands on. Nico had long stopped questioning it. If there were any noticeable fingerprints on anything in the garage, odds were they belonged to Alex.

“The driver is an upstanding citizen… or so Valterri says-” Nico pockets his phone and stands in front of Alex.

“also, we can’t always blame the driver for the faults of the car,” Nico said, crouching beside the front bumper, his eyes still on the smashed hood. “Usually, we have to stay objective. Sometimes it’s the person behind the wheel. Sometimes it’s the machine. Most of the time it’s both.”

Alex paused in his fiddling. Nico continued, voice a little softer.

“Humans make mistakes. We always will. And machines? Well, they’re made by us too. Flawed by default. So you always have to keep an eye out for both. Can’t fix a problem if you’re only willing to look at half the picture.”

Nico moved to the driver’s seat and turned the ignition.

Nothing. Not even a weak sputter.

He raised an eyebrow and glanced at Alex, who blinked and stepped back with his palms up in defense.

“Hey, don’t look at me! It was running when the guy rolled it in” Alex insisted, giving his most innocent look.

Nico narrowed his eyes. “So it broke itself just now?”

“Maybe it got stage fright,” Alex offered with a grin.

"Right," Nico said, arms crossed, eyeing Alex like he was coaxing answers out of Lucy. "So what did we figure out?"

Alex rolled his eyes, already moving toward the front of the car. "That humans make mistakes," he muttered, popping the mangled hood with a familiar clunk.

Nico blinked. Once. Twice.

Oh .

Chapter Text

Condom?

Nico froze for a heartbeat, his breath catching. He was delirious with need and Lewis was still not as close as he needed him to be.

Instead of answering, Nico flexed his legs wider, grinding down ever so slightly on Lewis’s fingers still inside him. A moan tore from his throat while Lewis exhaled shakily.

“I don’t know? I just carry lube around, just in case…” Nico huffed out, tugging Lewis down into a kiss. Lewis went willingly, mouth slow and deep, tasting Nico like he was starved. When he finally pulled away, his voice was tinged with guilt.

“I wasn’t planning on fucking anyone. I was so sure you weren’t gonna come.”

His words sent a jolt through Nico, but before he could respond, Lewis crooked his fingers again right against that spot and Nico whimpered, mind short-circuiting.

What were they even talking about?

Lewis was cursing under his breath now, muttering something incoherent and sinful, and Nico decided that whatever it was didn’t matter . 

“It’s fine,” Nico gasped out, voice thick with heat. “Just… pull out.”

One hand stroked himself in desperate, slick motions, while the other gripped tightly at the back of his own hair, as if that could help him hold on a little longer. 

He was so close. He needed Lewis inside him.

Nico licked his lips, eyes glued to Lewis’s cock, which was still painfully hard and twitching with every breath. The sight made his stomach flip.

Lewis sputtered, one of his hands digging into the soft flesh of Nico’s inner thigh.

“W-What? I-I… That’s- Nico…” he stammered, visibly shaken.

And yet Nico kept rocking on his fingers, chasing the friction, his mind hazy with lust and poor decisions. Now? Lewis wanted to be reasonable now? When Nico was falling apart on his hands and ready to lose what was left of his mind?

“I- I don’t mind, mmhm” Nico breathed, head falling back. He was arguing with the man now, far too gon to even consider begging “Even if you don’t, ummf, pull out, I’ll just take the morning-after pill.”

He had to be insane. That was the only explanation. There was no sane reasoning within him. None. Except for the fact that he was absolutely deranged and dangerously gone for him. 

Lewis would prolly never know. Nico thought. 

He looked up, eyes wide and pleading, mouth parted with each shallow breath. Lewis stared back, stunned and frozen in place, like Nico had just cracked open the earth beneath them.

Nico groaned, frustration boiling over as the other still didn’t move. His hips stuttered. “ Lewis… ”

“Will you, ah… get on with it, or should I find someone else to fuck me?” Nico rasped, voice raw and reckless.

It wasn’t true. If Lewis left now, Nico would probably curl up and cry in sheer mortification and depression. But the words flew out anyway, driven by desperation more than anything else.

That seemed to shake Lewis out of his trance. His eyes refocused, brows furrowing as if Nico had insulted him personally. Then, without a word, he pulled his fingers out roughly. Nico hissed, the sudden emptiness making his body clench instinctively around nothing.

Fuck. His face flushed. That might’ve been too much.

Was Lewis going to call him a slut? Was he thinking it? Nico wasn’t a slut… he wasn’t. He opened his mouth to say as much, to backpedal and blame it on his idiot mouth getting ahead of him again, but.

Before he could get a word out, Lewis wiped his fingers on the sheets, grabbed Nico by the underside of his thighs, and dragged him down the bed.

Nico gasped, wide-eyed, feeling Lewis’s cock press against his inner thigh all hot and hard.

One hand guided himself, nudging bluntly against Nico’s entrance. The pressure was maddening, the way the head caught on the loosened rim, dragging against sensitive, swollen flesh. Still, Lewis held a simmering irritation in his movements, as though Nico had pushed him past a limit.

“All you do is speak bullshit” Lewis muttered darkly.

And then without any premotion Lewis forced the thick head inside.

Nico gasped, body arching with relief. Finally.

Nico felt the full stretch of the head. Deliciously unbearable . Lewis was pushing in slowly, so slow it was maddening. Nico bit his lip, throwing his head back, eyes squeezing shut as his body adjusted to the steady intrusion. He felt everything , every inch, every throb, every slight twitch of Lewis’s cock as it filled him deeper and deeper.

Lewis was panting now, letting out low, winded puffs of air. Nico clapped both hands over his mouth to muffle the noise he knew would otherwise escape the moment Lewis’s hips met his, balls pressing flush against his overstretched rim.

Taken him whole. Swallowed him up completely. Nico’s hazy, overworked mind supplied unhelpfully.

“Jeez… N-Nico,” Lewis groaned, voice strained and ragged. “Stop clenching down so hard.”

Nico hummed into his palms. He was trying . But Lewis was so fucking big , and every muscle in his body seemed determined to hold him in.

He had something smart on the tip of his tongue, a quip about how Lewis should take it as a compliment but it died the moment Lewis pulled out just a fraction and pushed back in with a smooth, devastating snap of his hips.

Nico gasped. His legs were held tight in Lewis’s grip and then he did it again. Pulled out further this time. And slammed back in fully.

Holy shit.

Nico’s thoughts blew away with every thrust. The pressure, the stretch, the depth it was unrelenting. Each movement left him breathless, mouth open and body quivering. He sucked in air with every retreat of Lewis’s hips, barely keeping up.

The pace was slow at first and thank fuck . Nico would never say it out loud, but he was grateful . Lewis was huge. Anything faster would’ve split him apart from the start.

“Nico, you feel-” Lewis groaned, voice thick with disbelief.

Yeah. Nico knew exactly what that felt like. Too good. 

When Nico glanced up, Lewis was staring right at him. Lips bitten red, with eyes dark and unfocused .

“Mhm… Lewis, c’mon,” Nico urged, voice barely a whisper.

And that was all it took. Lewis pulled out deeper, then slammed back in, hips snapping with more force now, more purpose. The sound of skin slapping echoed through the room, mixing with the quiet, broken moans Nico could no longer hold back.

When Lewis brushed that bundle of nerves just lightly, Nico had clenched down so hard they both groaned, the sound breaking into the charged air around them. Nico’s eyes flew open in shock, lips parted as he stared up at Lewis with a look that was half in warning and half in plea.

Don’t abuse that power… or maybe do. Please, do.

Lewis seemed to hear the message loud and clear. He hiked Nico’s knees up even further, angling his hips with precision. And then he slammed forward again, and again, every thrust perfectly grazing that devastating spot inside Nico.

Nico’s vision blurred with tears. His body trembled, humming with tension. His stomach coiled, tight and hot, the edge rushing toward him.

A shaky hiccup broke from his throat. With trembling arms, Nico reached for Lewis.

Lewis noticed. Even through the haze of lust and aggression in his movements, he saw Nico’s state and reacted. He released Nico’s thighs, leaned forward until their chests were pressed flush together. His mouth found Nico’s in a kiss and he moaned into it, wrapping his arms around Lewis’s shoulders. Feeling him everywhere, outside, inside.

Nico wrapped his legs around Lewis’s waist, heels digging in as Lewis fucked into him at a brutal, relentless pace. His hands found Lewis’s scruffed cheeks, pulling him away from the kiss with a desperate tug. Nico’s eyes were glassy, lips parted, he was so, so close.

Lewis drew back just enough to see the way Nico trembled into his mouth when one particularly deep thrust struck perfectly. A groan tore from Lewis’s throat, guttural and raw. His hand slid between their bodies, wrapping around Nico’s cock with desperate fingers.

Nico tipped his head back with a sharp gasp as Lewis stroked him, each movement perfectly timed with the deep grind of his hips.

“Come on, Nico,” Lewis rasped, voice strained and breathless. “Come for me, baby.”

That was all it took.

Nico choked out a broken sound as he came hard into Lewis’s hand, his whole body seizing with the force of it. Warmth pulsed through him, his nerves alight and sparking as Lewis buried his face in Nico’s neck, nipping roughly at the sensitive skin there.

Lewis let out a ragged moan, arms shaking as Nico’s still-wrapped legs clung tighter around him. With one hand, he lifted Nico’s thigh higher, adjusting the angle before thrusting back in frenzied now, rhythm lost to need.

Nico was blissed out, floating in the haze of afterglow, his body pliant and warm. And yet, he still whispered, low and wrecked out of his mind .

“Come in me. Please.”

Lewis groaned, long and drawn out, and Nico felt it, the sudden flood of heat deep inside as Lewis shuddered above him, cursing softly against his skin.

And Nico held him through it, trembling with the overwhelming fullness, his hands stroking Lewis’s back as the tension slowly ebbed away.

Nico awoke with a jolt, eyes flying open as if he’d just remembered something crucial. For a moment, he stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling until reality crashed down on him. 

“Shit.”

He yanked the covers up around his waist, heart racing as he practically launched himself out of bed. A sharp twinge in his lower back made him wince, but the only thing echoing in his mind was a frantic looping mantra of fuck fuck fuck FUCK .

He scrambled around the floor, sifting through the mess of mismatched clothes in a desperate hunt for his phone. The digital clock blinked 8:15 AM . His interview was at nine .

Kneeling on the floor, Nico clutched his phone like it might save his screwed ass. 

He needed to shower. It was a ten-minute drive home… if he didn’t hit traffic and another thirty-minute haul to the Williams office. Maybe twenty-five if he broke a few speed limits .

He yanked on his jeans, skipping underwear, he’d probably regret that and winced again. His body definitely remembered last night. There were crusty remains. But hygiene would have to take a back seat for now. His future was on the line.

He was mid-button when a familiar, groggy voice broke the tense silence.

“Morning?”

Lewis, propped up on one elbow, blinked over at him with a mix of confusion and sleep-soft fondness. The golden light from the window spilled across his bare chest, and for a second, Nico forgot what day it was.

Then panic snapped him back.

“I have an interview in less than forty-five minutes. Do not say shit to me” Nico mumbled, scowling as he resumed his search for his clothes.

Lewis hummed in acknowledgment, nodding like that was a reasonable thing. Meanwhile, Nico was spiraling. His hair probably looked like hell, his shirt was nowhere in sight, and his dignity had fled sometime between orgasm number two and now.

He was seconds from giving up and walking out shirtless when he finally spotted the wrinkled thing under the bed. With zero care for whether it was inside out or backwards, he yanked it over his head and grabbed the rest of his belongings.

Lewis was smiling now, full on smiling and it made Nico’s cheeks flush hot. He looked unfairly good for someone who had nearly ruined Nico's back in the best way possible.

With a sharp inhale, Nico turned toward the door, ready to bolt until he felt Lewis’s eyes on him again.

Something inside him fluttered.

He spun on his heel, marched straight back to the goddamn bed, and leaned down, grabbing Lewis by the jaw. Their lips met in a kiss that was short and impressively rushed.

Then he pulled away, just as quickly.

And left.

He didn’t look back. Didn’t see the way Lewis watched him go, completely still except for the slow, stunned smile growing on his face.

Chapter Text

“Stop apologizing, Alex, or I will hit you.”

That shut the younger boy up, but not for long as Alex frowned at Nico anyway, guilt still etched all over his face. He kept wiping his hands down the front of his jeans every few seconds, and Nico was this close to slapping them away.

“But still… it’s late. And I shouldn't have had to call and drag you out in the middle of the night to help me with this.”

Nico sighed, rolling his eyes for the seventh time that evening though the eighth was already locked and loaded.

Alex had three younger sisters. He’d been juggling school, side jobs, and every odd gig he could land to support them and his mom, all while stubbornly chasing his dream of becoming a race engineer. Tonight, one of the girls had called him, voice trembling.

Nico had asked if it was an emergency.

“Not that kind,” Alex had said, cheeks flushing with shame as he explained that their father had come back angry, trashed the house, and taken all the food with him. The girls were scared to leave the house in the dark.

Nico had stared at him, slack-jawed, for a full five seconds before snapping into motion and practically shoving Alex out the door.

Now, the kid was zipping up his hoodie, hair and ears hidden beneath a beanie that had definitely seen better days, made even more tragic by the bright red Lightning McQueen pin stuck to the side. Lucy’s doing, no doubt. She’d taken an enormous liking to Alex, who in turn had grown soft over Lucy.

“My sisters don’t even like cars,” Alex had grumbled to Nico once, as Lucy carefully taped a license plate with Alex’s favourite number  to the garage wall “to help him feel more inspired.”

“Don’t come back until you’ve had a proper, home-cooked meal for once” Nico called out as Alex turned to go.

Alex didn’t say anything this time, just lifted a hand in a tired but grateful thumbs-up as he disappeared into the night.

Nico sighed, turning back toward Alex’s half-finished project. The pickup date was tomorrow morning, naturally, and apparently the client was somewhat of a big shot. Not Lewis -level big, of course. If it were Lewis, Nico might have tolerated Alex’s last-minute panic with a bit more grace.

Apparently, Alex was close friends with George, the Mercedes Formula One driver George. Which made the chain of connection even messier, Lewis was a shareholder at Mercedes, and somehow, this all traced back to someone’s grandmother’s dog having a friend or something. Nico had stopped trying to keep the story straight by the time Alex had gotten to “karting days.”

Still… It was kind of nice. The way people were all weirdly connected. Tangled into each other’s lives like that.

But that didn’t change the fact that they had to finish this tonight. Nico scratched at his nose before crouching down and picking up from where Alex had left off, careful not to ruin the kid’s careful alignment.

The work kept his hands busy, but not his thoughts.

He was worried. About Lucy.

She was home. Alone.

That… never sat right with him.

Usually, whenever Nico had to be out late, he left someone he trusted around her. Jensen. Sebastian. Even Valtteri, who sometimes read her bedtime stories in this hilarious monotone voice. Lately, even Alex had started showing up for her.

But tonight, no one was there.

She’d never truly been alone, not since that one time just a year ago, when Nico had run down to grab a delivery and came back to find her crying quietly at the front door. She’d thought he left forever.

His chest still tightened every time he remembered that.

She was older now, and probably asleep. If she did wake, she might not cry anymore… but Nico knew she’d be anxious. Confused. Quiet in that way she got when she didn’t want to say she was scared.

He sighed again, heavier this time, and paused to flex his fingers.

Maybe it was time to get her a phone. Nothing fancy. Just something basic, kept at home, so he could reach her in moments like this. She already knew how to use one, hell , she’d called Jensen twice last week to come get her because “Papa was being annoying again”

Nico huffed a small laugh under his breath.

He’d figure it out the fine details later. After this project was done and he was snuggled up in his bed with Lucy next door.

Nico let the worry drain out of him as he worked, the steady rhythm of tightening bolts and aligning panels soothing enough to keep his mind from spiraling. It was just a couple of hours. Lucy was home, fast asleep. He’d be back before she even realized he was gone.

Still, when he rinsed the motor oil off his hands and glanced at the disaster that was the garage sink, he winced.

“Okay, that’s getting cleaned tomorrow,” he muttered, reaching for a towel just as his phone buzzed on Valtteri’s old, dented desk.

Nico frowned.

Who the hell was calling at this hour?

He wiped his palms quickly, still scowling when he picked it up, it was an unknown number.

Weird. A scam call, maybe? He's gotten a few of those before.

He hesitated only a second before answering. “Hello?”

There was a brief silence, then. 

“Hello, is this Lucy Rosberg’s parental guardian?”

Nico felt his entire body go still. The towel dropped from his hand to the floor. His breath caught in his throat.

“Yes! yes, this is Lucy’s guardian. I’m-I’m her father. Nico. Nico Rosberg,” he said, voice shaking before he could stop it. His heart was pounding so loud he barely heard his own words.

“Mr. Rosberg,” the voice on the other end continued “Lucy was brought into Southeast Hospital’s emergency facility a few minutes ago. We need you to come down as soon as possible.”

Everything stopped.

The world narrowed, collapsed into that single sentence. Hospital .

His hands gripped the phone tighter, almost crushing it.

“Is she- what happened? Is she-” He couldn’t even finish the question. The static rush in his ears made it hard to breathe.

“She’s stable. But you need to come now.”

Nico didn’t remember hanging up.

Didn’t remember grabbing his coat, or shouting something to the empty shop that Alex was long gone from. All he knew was that one moment he was in the garage, and the next he was scrambling for his jacket. 

There were no cabs. Of course there weren’t. Not at this hour.

Nico’s fingers trembled as he unlocked his phone, already knowing the odds weren’t in his favor. Sebastian was out of the country. Jensen always slept with his phone on Do Not Disturb . And Valtteri… Valtteri was on holiday this weekend, somewhere across the city, hours away even if he could answer.

Still, Nico scrolled through his contacts anyway, tears slipping down his cheeks unchecked. His mind was spiraling faster than he could catch it.

Did she leave the house? Did someone get in? Was she alone when it happened?

He couldn’t stop imagining the worst. The cold panic rising up like bile. Nico wiped his nose roughly with the back of his hand and tapped on a name. His thumb hovered and then pressed Call .

The phone rang.

And rang.

Each second echoed in his ears like a countdown. Nico didn’t think he breathed the entire time. His heart slammed against his ribs. Then a click. The call dropped.

Nico let out a strangled, broken sob, clutching the phone to his chest. His knees buckled slightly and he leaned against the workbench for support.

He was so fucking useless.

Just as his vision started to blur his phone lit up again, an incoming call . Nico’s eyes snapped open and he fumbled to answer, barely swiping before the call connected.

“Nico?”

Lewis’s voice was low and scratchy from sleep but it was still alert.

The sob that had been building crashed over Nico’s throat.

“Lewis- p-please. My Lucy- my daughter, she’s- she’s in the hospital. I need- I don’t have a ride, I’m sorry, I didn’t know who else to call and you said you lived close by-”

“Nico, breath, I’ll be there in five.”

The line went dead, but Nico stared at the screen, breath hitching in shock. Then he moved to close the garage doors and lights.

Lewis would come. He said he would come.

The car ride was silent and tense. Nico sat with bloodshot eyes, worrying at his bottom lip over and over again until it was raw. He hadn't said a word beyond the name of the hospital.

Lewis didn’t press for anything, he just drove fast. Far past what anyone might call safe but this wasn’t a normal night. His jaw was clenched, hands firm on the wheel, dressed down like he’d been yanked straight from sleep. Nico barely noticed, but part of him registered that Lewis had come the second he called.

When they reached the emergency entrance, Nico's body moved before his mind could catch up. The car hadn’t even fully stopped when he threw the door open and ran.

He shoved through the automatic doors, barely noticing the nurses and patients in the waiting area turning to stare.

“I- I'm here for Lucy. Lucy Rosberg. I was told- told to come down here?” Nico’s voice cracked as he approached the desk, his hands flying to his hair, dragging back the strands like he could pull himself together by force.

The nurse stood up immediately, calmly asking him to wait a moment while she checked.

Nico tried to breathe, he really tried but the air wouldn’t come in right, like his chest was too tight to let it. Then a warm hand settled gently on the small of his back.

Nico flinched blinking up at the blinding overhead lights, tears pricking at his lashes again. Get it together. God, get it together.

“Hey,” Lewis said softly from beside him, voice steady, low. “Just breathe out, yeah? You’re turning kind of red.”

Nico turned his eyes , meeting Lewis’s.

And Lewis nodded at him.

Nico let out a long, shaky exhale. And again.

“There you go,” Lewis murmured. “Just like that.”

A nurse called from behind the desk. “Mr. Rosberg?”

Nico spun around so fast it made him dizzy.

“She’s right through here. The doctor’s with her now.”

He didn’t wait for more. Nico pushed past the desk and down the corridor the nurse had gestured toward, barely aware of the footsteps or lack thereof behind him. Lewis didn’t followed, but that didn’t register.

When he burst through the doorway, the sterile scent of antiseptic hit him and then his gaze landed on her.

Lucy sat perched on the hospital bed, small shoulders trembling. A doctor was crouched in front of her speaking in a quiet soothing voice. Lucy’s bottom lip was wobbling, her fingers fisted into the scratchy hospital blanket.

Then she saw Nico.

Her face crumpled instantly. A sharp hiccuped sob tore out of her as tears began to stream down her cheeks.

“Oh, baby,” Nico whispered, crossing the room in three long strides.

He scooped her up into his arms without hesitation, cradling her tightly against his chest as her body shook with sobs. He buried his face into the crown of her head, breathing her in. She was safe.

“You’re okay. You’re okay. Papa’s here now, I’ve got you,” Nico murmured into her hair, kissing the top of her head over and over as she clung to his shirt.

She sobbed harder. Nico’s heart shattered all over again.

Eventually, he loosened his hold just enough to look her over properly. Her cheeks were flushed from crying, eyes red-rimmed and puffy. A bandage was wrapped carefully around her chin, a white gauze with a small pink spot seeping through the side. Her pajama top was slightly askew, one sleeve hanging too far down her shoulder.

Nico’s breath caught.

He blinked back at the doctor and nurse now standing quietly at the corner of the room.

“What- what happened to her?”  

Chapter Text

Nico was hunched over the toilet bowl for the third time that day and it was only eleven pm. His hands gripped the rim like it might pull him in to the fact that this was his reality. His stomach clenched again violently and though there was nothing left to give, his body still heaved. All dry and painful. It was humiliating.

Tears stung at the corners of his eyes. He gasped out a shaky breath, cheeks flushed and damp, sweat sticking to the back of his neck.

This was hell.

And when you’re sharing a bathroom with another man, this was the last place you wanted to be.

From outside the bathroom door, a glass of water was slowly extended toward him.

“Here,” Mark said, voice quiet but not unkind.

Nico glanced up at him with watery eyes and a scowl. What was Mark so afraid of? Did he think Nico was going to vomit on him from five feet away?

He took the glass anyway, grumbling under his breath, and drank the whole thing in a few desperate gulps. His throat burned in retaliation.

“This is stupid,” he mumbled hoarsely, leaning his head against the cool porcelain. “I can't keep anything down, I can’t think, my muscles feel like they’ve been run over by a truck.”

Mark didn’t respond right away, lingering awkwardly in the doorway.

“Sebastian’s on the way,” he said finally, softer this time.

“Nah, I’m fine. Tell him not to come. Why did you even call him?” Nico groaned, dragging himself from the bathroom to flop dramatically onto his bed. The headache pulsing behind his eyes was massive, borderline nuclear. He wanted to die. Or kill someone. 

Mark just shrugged from his seat at the desk. “Maybe because you’ve been puking up your breakfast for three days in a row?”

“Maybe it’s the flu,” Nico mumbled into the mattress, still queasy. “There’s one going around Mr. Geoffrey’s class.”

Mark was opening his mouth to counter, when the door burst open and Sebastian strode in like he owned the place. He had a small black shopping bag in hand and an expression that said he was done with Nico’s shit.

Without a word, Sebastian dropped the bag right onto Nico’s chest, making him grunt. Then, like a nurse from a drama series, he pressed the back of one hand to his own forehead, and the other to Nico’s.

“You don’t have a fever. Can’t be the flu,” Sebastian muttered, lips already pursing in that way that meant he was diagnosing something unpleasant. Insolent bastard, listening through the door.

Nico scowled up at him. “You’re not a doctor.”

“Its some other sickness, maybe” Nico groaned, dragging the little black bag onto his lap. He unknotted the handles and peered inside, fingers fumbling through the contents.

Three elongated boxes.

Nico pulled one out in silence. Mark and Sebastian had gone dead quiet, so quiet it made his skin crawl. Nico blinked at the box, flipping it over in confusion.

A pregnancy test.

His fingers slackened, and the box slipped from his hand, landing squarely on his chest. He stared at it like it might explode. Then, with shaky hands, he reached into the bag again and retrieved the other two.

Different brands. All pregnancy tests. All now piled haphazardly on top of his hoodie.

“It… it can’t be,” Nico whispered, voice barely audible. His eyes darted between the tests like one of them might suddenly change its mind and say, just kidding . 

He wasn’t even talking to them anymore, just to the thick air curling in his lungs.

Mark had leaned forward, elbows on his knees, watching Nico like he already knew. That look . That Mark knows something I don’t and I hate it . Sebastian sat silently at the edge of the bed, tugging loose threads from the holes in his ripped jeans, not meeting Nico’s eyes.

Nico scoffed. “It’s not possible,” he said sharply, like that would make it true. “I took the afterpill in the car, remember? You watched me .” He jabbed a finger at Sebastian, accusation sparking in his chest.

Sebastian looked up, calm but firm. “Not all contraceptives work, Nico.”

A beat of silence passed. Nico stared down at the boxes on his chest like they were bombs. Everything in his body felt like it was sinking. 

“There’s no way. It can’t be…” Nico murmured again, more to himself than anyone else. His voice cracked on the last word.

Sebastian had moved closer at some point, quietly, his knee now brushing Nico’s shoulder. The contact was steady, in a way that made Nico feel like he might break apart.

“It might just be nothing,” Sebastian said gently, trying to offer something comforting, something hopeful. “The tests could come out negative. Me and Mark might just be… fucking paranoid.”

Nico didn’t respond to that. His fingers gripped the test tighter, his nails digging into the box’s cardboard edges. He hadn’t opened it yet, hadn’t even moved. He just stared at it like it held the outcome of his entire life. Because it might?

“But what if it’s positive?” Nico’s voice was suddenly sharp, desperate. He looked up, wide-eyed and lost, curls falling into his face. “If it’s positive… what then ?”

Sebastian’s smile had faded completely. He didn’t dodge the question, didn’t try to say it’d be fine. He just looked at Nico, really looked at him.

Then, quietly, he reached out and brushed the curls off Nico’s forehead with tender fingers, tucking them back slowly. The touch was so soft Nico almost flinched.

But Sebastian didn’t answer.

And that was the worst part.

Nico’s chest caved a little more. He was curled in on himself, test still clutched in his hand, wanting, needing someone to tell him it wouldn’t end everything, that he hadn’t ruined everything.

“I want you to say something ,” Nico said hoarsely, blinking fast. His lip trembled, and his voice cracked again. “Seb.”

Still, Sebastian stayed quiet for a few moments longer before whispering. 

“If it’s positive… then the choice is up to you”

The three tests lay face down on the sink like landmines. Nico sat on the toilet lid, doubled over, his elbows on his knees and his hands pressing hard into his temples. His heart was beating like a war drum inside his chest. This… this moment felt like the edge of a cliff, and he didn’t know if he was about to fall or fly.

Mark leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed tightly over his chest, his jaw tense, eyes unreadable. Sebastian stood stiff in front of the mirror with his hands gripping the counter.

The timer had gone off nearly a minute ago, a sharp shrill sound that Nico hadn’t even realized had silenced.

No one moved.

“I can’t… I…” Nico whispered, the words cracking in his throat. He threw a trembling hand over his eyes. “Sebastian. You do it. I can’t look. I can’t.”

Sebastian didn’t speak. He simply nodded once and reached forward, fingers uncharacteristically hesitant as he flipped the first test over.

Then the second.

Then the third.

Nico didn’t lift his head. He kept his eyes hidden behind his hand, only peeking through the sliver between his fingers to search Sebastian’s face. He didn’t need to see the results, if he could just read Seb’s expression, maybe he’d know.

But Sebastian’s face was blank. Too calm.

Too quiet.

Nico’s throat tightened. “Seb,” he croaked, voice trembling. “What does it say?”

There was a pause, just a heartbeat too long. Then Sebastian picked up the tests slowly, gently, like they were fragile things. He turned to Nico with soft, tear-glassy eyes and a smile that looked like it hurt to wear.

“Congratulations,” he whispered, voice thick.

And then Sebastian broke.

He choked on a sob, tears spilling down his cheeks as he turned and hid his face in his arm, shoulders shaking from the force of it. Mark exhaled sharply from the doorway, like all the air had left the room.

Nico blinked. Then blinked again. The breath in his chest shattered.

Three tests.

Three clear, positive signs.

All at once, it was like the world had narrowed into the four walls of that cramped bathroom. Nico felt the air leave his lungs in a slow aching exhale. His hands came up, covering his face fully this time as the tears started, silent at first then heaving, gut-deep.

He didn’t even know what he was feeling. Everything. Nothing. Grief, panic, awe, fear, and heartbreak, all tangled up into a knot inside his chest that wouldn’t come undone.

“I can’t do this,” Nico sobbed quietly into his hands. “I’m not… I’m not ready. ”

Sebastian crouched down beside him then, hand resting gently on Nico’s knee. Mark stepped inside too, finally, but didn’t say anything. Just the weight of truth settling like snow on their shoulders.

Shit . 

He was pregnant .

The words spun around in Nico’s head, over and over, like a record stuck on the worst track in existence. He was pregnant. From a one-night stand. From that one night.

He was pregnant with Lewis’s baby.

His breath hitched, a sharp inhale through his nose that didn’t make it all the way into his lungs. His throat felt tight. His chest felt tighter.

He had a baby on the way.
He had a baby on the way and…

He wasn’t ready.

He wasn’t even close.

He was still in university. He had deadlines. Exams. Projects. He had an internship lined up. He’d just signed a lease on a flat with one bedroom and a fridge that should barely fit more than a carton of oat milk and two sad oranges.

He had no money saved. He had no car. His job after graduation was a maybe, not a guarantee. He was barely scraping by for himself , and now he was going to be responsible for a whole other human being?

He was twenty-one. He was just twenty-one.

His hands were shaking. He pressed them flat against his eyes.

This was insane.
This wasn’t how this was supposed to happen.
This wasn’t part of any plan.

And worst of all… he couldn’t even bring himself to tell Lewis.

How could he?

What would he even say? “Hey, remember that night you were a tad bit drunk and I was too horny to make good decisions? Surprise, you’re going to be a father.”

Lewis would flip. Or worse, he wouldn’t care. Or he’d pity him. Or tell him it wasn’t his responsibility. What if Lewis denied it? What if he thought Nico was trying to trap him or something? The thought alone made bile rise in Nico’s throat.

But even more terrifying than rejection was the thought that Lewis would believe him. That Lewis would step up. That he’d try to do the right thing.

Because Lewis always tried to do the right thing.

And Nico knew what that would mean.

It would mean Lewis dropping everything. Rearranging his life. Twisting himself in knots to be there. Sacrificing things he’d worked so goddamn hard for.

Nico squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his palms to them like he could crush the images out of his head.

Lewis had a future. A bright one. Lewis had clawed his way to every opportunity he’d ever had. He had no safety nets, no backup plans. Everything he was building  he’d built with blood and sweat and stubborn determination. He worked harder than all of them put together and everyone knew it. Nico knew it.

And what, Nico was supposed to hand him this? A baby?

An entire life derailed because of Nico’s stupidity?  

Lewis deserved more than that. He deserved to be free, to follow through on everything he dreamed of without some crushing responsibility thrown into his lap at twenty-one. Nico couldn’t do that to him. He couldn’t ask that of him.

Lewis had never once faltered when it came to his future. Nico wouldn’t be the reason he did.

He wouldn’t be the weight that pulled him under.

So, no he couldn’t tell him. Not today. Maybe not ever.

This was Nico’s mistake.
His to figure out.

Alone .

And his parents.

Oh god. His father.

He would kill him. Not just metaphorically, Nico was convinced he’d literally be strangled to death at the breakfast table. He could already hear the shouting. The disappointment. The silent, heavy judgment from his mother. The start of the icy tension, the lectures, the way they’d look at him like he’d ruined everything they’d planned for him.

Because this wasn’t the life Nico was supposed to have.

He was supposed to finish Uni. Get his degree. Start his job. Get married? Maybe think about kids at thirty-five, when everything was clean and stable and socially acceptable.

Not now.

Not like this.

And still… beneath all the chaos and panic, there was something quiet pulsing in his chest. Something fragile. Something… real.

There was a life inside him.

A heartbeat that wasn’t his. A baby.

He pressed a hand to his stomach, fingertips trembling.

He didn’t feel brave. He didn’t feel excited. He didn’t feel ready.

He just felt… completely, terrifyingly human.

Chapter Text

The doctor’s voice was calm, but it grated against the chaos pounding through Nico’s skull.

“She doesn’t have a concussion,” he said, reading off the chart. “Her vitals are stable, and she’s lucid. But the slight impact threw her. That’s when she hit the pavement and broke her chin. We’ve cleaned and wrapped it. No signs of internal bleeding, no major trauma but she’s understandably shaken. There’s bruising along the arms and knees, likely from how she tried to catch herself during the fall.”

Nico blinked. None of this was making sense. Impact?

“I’m sorry, what do you mean impact?” he asked, voice just above a whisper, eyes narrowing in confusion. “Impact with what?”

It was the nurse who answered gently, stepping forward with a clipboard hugged to her chest. “Lucy was in a car accident,” she said. “A driver brought her in it was the same person whose car she got in front of. From what we understand, she was crossing the road when the car came around the bend. He tried to stop, but she darted out and he clipped her, barely. He’s still outside, by the way, refusing to leave until he knew she was alright.”

Nico’s world shifted sideways.

His knees buckled and he nearly lost his balance, arms tightening around Lucy where she sat huddled in his lap on the bed. He buried his face into her hair, trying to stop the scream building in his throat. His baby. His baby.

She could’ve died.

His heart raced so violently it made his ribs ache. One wrong angle. One second later. One inch further under that car and-

He couldn’t even think of it.

Lucy sniffled against his chest, her small fingers clutching the front of his hoodie. “Papa Im sorry,” she whimpered, voice muffled.

“I’m here, I’m here,” Nico murmured, rocking her gently. “You’re okay. You’re okay, mein Herz.”

But he wasn’t. He wasn’t okay at all.

The room buzzed in the corners of his vision, the fluorescent lights burning against his skull, the sterile scent of antiseptic nauseating. He pulled Lucy tighter against him, as though he could protect her now from a moment that had already happened.

Lucy had fallen asleep shortly after the nurse administered the antibiotics. She was still a bit ruffled, cheeks blotchy and eyelids fluttering now and then but curled into Nico’s side, she’d drifted off easily. It broke him a little.

“you must’ve been so tired,” Nico murmured softly, brushing a strand of hair off her forehead and pressing a feather-light kiss to the bridge of her nose. Her little upturned nose. The bandage along her chin was still spotted faintly with red, the gauze would be cleaned once more before she's discharged. Nico forced himself not to look too long tucking her into the blankets.

His hands hovered over her tiny form before settling uselessly in his lap. He hadn’t asked how she got out there. How she ended up on the road. But in his gut, he knew. She must’ve woken up and found him gone. And like she always had since she was old enough to walk, she must’ve gone looking for him.

And that meant she’d gone outside.

A car accident.

Nico’s grip tightened on the side rails of the hospital bed, his knuckles turning white. Rage and guilt crashed through him in equal measure. W hat kind of parent was he? Letting her slip out without noticing? Letting her-

He shook his head and stood up too quickly, the world tilting slightly around him. He needed air. Just a moment.

Outside the room, he stopped in his tracks.

Lewis was still there.

He stood a few steps away, arms folded, listening quietly to a man who looked utterly stricken. Nico blinked. He hadn’t expected Lewis to stay this long, hadn’t even noticed him not following in. But there he was. Calmly talking to someone who looked like he’d seen a ghost.

Lewis spotted Nico approaching and straightened a little. He gave a small nod, then turned to the man beside him.

“This is Lucy’s dad,” Lewis said, voice gentle but steady. “Could you tell him what you just told me?”

The man looked up at Nico, blinking in surprise. There was a flash of confusion across his face. He had turned to Lewis with a furrowed brows.

“I thought you were-” he began, then stopped himself and shook his head. “Never mind.”

He turned fully to Nico now, eyes wide and glassy.

“I’m so, so sorry for hitting your daughter,” he said in a rush. “Is she okay now? I wasn’t expecting anyone to be there, it wasn’t a crosswalk or anything, it was dark and I... I tried to stop, I swear I tried. But it happened so fast. She just appeared and I-” His voice cracked. “I’ll pay for anything, I mean it. Medical, counseling, anything. I didn’t see her and I’ll never forgive myself if she’s hurt but I swear it wasn’t my intention.”

Nico stared at him.

The man was trembling. Rattled to his core. And yet all Nico could think about was Lucy. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. His chest felt too tight.

Lewis shifted closer his presence grounding Nico again, even if only slightly.

“I’ve got it,” Lewis murmured, almost too softly for anyone else to hear.

Nico nodded wordlessly, still staring at the man, still trying to find the balance between fury and reason. Between needing someone to blame and understanding there might be no villain in this. Just a terrifying accident. Just a moment of his absence.

He drew a shaky breath.

“Thank you,” Nico finally managed, his voice hoarse. “For bringing her here.”

It was all he could say, for now.

Nico was in a predicament.

Lucy still needed to have her bandage changed, her chin was delicate. The skin around it was swollen and sensitive and the doctor had warned that she might experience some muscle soreness in the coming days. Which meant more medication. More syrups she’d scrunch her nose at and spit into tissues when she thought he wasn’t looking. She hated meds. And he hated giving them to her.

But that wasn’t the real problem.

The real problem was Lewis.

Because Lewis had texted Nico not long ago saying the matter with the driver had been “handled” Just like that. No details, no fuss just Lewis doing what Lewis always did and that meant shouldering the weight, making things smoother before anyone had the chance to even process it.

And now that the adrenaline had faded and Lucy was peacefully sleeping in her hospital bed, the fear finally caught up to Nico in full.

Lewis was still out there.

Unknowingly waiting around for a child that was biologically his.

Unknowingly sitting in a hospital, exhausted and quiet and too kind, right outside the room of the little girl he had absolutely no idea he had helped create.

Nico swallowed thickly and stood up, pacing quietly toward the door. He cracked it open slowly half-praying and half-dreading that maybe, just maybe Lewis had gone home.

He hadn’t.

Lewis was still there. Sat in one of those stiff, plastic hospital chairs like he’d made peace with discomfort hours ago. He was slightly slouched, scrolling idly through his phone, his brow faintly furrowed like he was thinking through something too complicated for a casual waiting room.

Nico’s stomach churned.

Lewis looked up.

His posture straightened instantly, phone forgotten. “Nico?” he asked, concern sharpening in his voice. “Is something wrong?”

Nico stepped fully out into the hallway and closed the door behind him with a quiet click. His body moved on instinct, but his head was chaos, thoughts looping and spinning and crashing into one another. He couldn’t breathe.

Lewis motioned to the chair next to him. “Sit. You look pale.”

But Nico shook his head quickly, arms folding across his chest.

Lewis’s brow furrowed, a crease forming between his eyes. “Nico,” he said slowly, like Nico was something delicate and about to shatter, “what is it?”

Nico didn’t answer right away. He was staring at Lewis like he was some cosmic joke the universe had decided to play on him, twice.

Lewis. Kind and brilliant. Who’d worked harder than anyone Nico knew to get to where he was. Lewis, who had every right to walk away from this hospital and never look back.

And yet he was here.

Nico’s throat was tight. His heart pounded. Because the worst part of all was that he didn’t want Lewis to leave.

But the second he knew… he might.

“Why are you still here, Lewis?” Nico whispered.

He wasn’t looking at Lewis’s face, he couldn’t. His gaze dropped to their shoes instead, and that’s when he saw it.

The right shoe was a different brand from the one to the left.

Lewis was wearing mismatched shoes.

Nico felt the breath hitch in his throat. The kind of ache that cracked right through your ribs. He hadn’t even noticed earlier. But now… now it hit him like a freight train.

Lewis had rushed out so fast he hadn’t even double checked what shoes he was putting on.

A fresh wave of tears welled in Nico’s eyes.

“I figured…” Lewis spoke, soft and careful, like he could sense Nico was holding on by a thread. “You’ll need a ride home, right? The nurse said something about her getting discharged soon.”

Of course he waited to take Nico and Lucy home.

Because Lewis was kind. Thoughtful even in chaos. Because Lewis was good . A really, really good man.

And Nico was the villain in this story.

He didn’t respond. The shame was too loud.

Lewis shifted slightly. “Are you okay? Do you want some water? I think I saw a vending machine just-”

Nico wiped at his nose with the back of his hand and before Lewis could move away, reached out and grabbed his wrist.

“Wait,” Nico said, voice cracking.

He tugged him gently leading him to the room. The air felt thick, and his heartbeat thundered in his ears. But his hand stayed locked with Lewis’s, steady even as the rest of him trembled.

The door creaked open, and he stepped inside, pulling Lewis with him.

Lucy was curled up on the bed under the hospital blanket. She clutched a pillow close to her chest, nestled into it like it was Nico himself. Her cheeks were a little flushed from sleep, the bandage across her chin was a little askew, and her lashes fluttered every so often.

Lewis stilled beside him.

Nico didn’t say a word. He just moved to the side of the bed, bringing Lewis close enough to see her clearly, see the curve of her nose, the angle of her jaw, the dimple in her chin.

All those things that weren’t Nico’s.

All those things that were his.

Nico didn’t look at Lewis. He kept his eyes on Lucy, on the pillow clutched against her. He waited.

Waited for the realization to land.

Waited for Lewis to step back. To let go. To get angry. Or worse, to look at him with disappointment, betrayal, or pity.

He bit his lip hard, trying not to sob.

He just stood there, fingers still tangled with Lewis’s, waiting for the moment everything would fall apart.

Lewis stared for a few moments and then, slowly moved closer. Their arms brushed lightly as he stepped forward. Lewis leaned down slightly, his gaze softening as he took in Lucy’s sleeping face.

Nico held his breath.

He felt like the world had tilted sideways. His chest ached from how hard his heart was beating. This was the moment. The one he had dreaded for years.

And yet…

There was no sharp intake of breath. No anger. No retreat.

Instead, Lewis’s expression, so tired and so achingly gentle, settled into something even softer. The corners of his mouth lifted just the slightest bit, tugged into a smile that made Nico want to cry on the spot.

Nico slowly released Lewis’s wrist almost in disbelief.

Lewis turned to look at him then, really looked at him. His eyes searched Nico’s face scared and pale and bracing for the worst but Lewis didn’t even flinch.

“She looks a lot like you,” Lewis murmured.

Nico blinked, lips parting.

“I think it’s the eyes. The shape, maybe. And the cupid’s bow. Same as yours.”

Nico felt like the floor had given out beneath him.

No one had ever said that to him before. Not once. Not even out of politeness. Everyone had always asked, quietly or not so quietly, if there had been a mix-up. If Lucy was even his. Like he’d stolen her or lied. Like her softness and wonder couldn’t possibly come from him.

But Lewis had just said it like it was the most obvious thing. Like he could see her in Nico and Nico in her, and didn’t question it for even a second.

That was what broke him.

That soft, sincere tone. That stupid, warm smile.

Nico choked on a breath and the tears came hot and fast, blurring his vision. He turned his face away, but it was too late.

God, he really liked this man.

This stupid, stupid, good man.

Chapter Text

“Lewis, are you stupid?” Nico whispered, voice cracking.

Lewis’s brows furrowed as he took a half-step back, clearly startled by the sheer intensity in Nico’s voice. He clearly hadn’t expected to see Nico like this, like he was trying to keep himself from breaking apart completely.

But how could he not see? How could he stand there and smile when the truth was right in front of him?

“She’s my daughter,” Nico said, nearly choking on the words. “My four-year-old daughter, soon to be five”

His breath hitched. He was barely holding himself together now.

“I got pregnant with her in uni after a stupid party where I slept with a man who pissed me off every damn day in class,” he half-laughed bitterly, tears still falling and hands gesturing wildly. “And I made mistake after mistake. And I didn’t plan any of it. And I was terrified. But she’s here now, Lewis. She’s here and she’s- you have to see it.”

Nico jabbed a finger toward Lewis’s eyes. “Just look at her. Then look at yourself .”

Lewis blinked at him. Slowly. His lips parted like he wanted to say something but his eyes…

That was it . Nico saw it happen. Saw the exact second realization dawned on Lewis's expression. The soft, confused look drained from his face. His jaw tightened. The color drained slightly from his face.

He looked at Lucy again. Then at Nico.

And he didn’t breathe. 

Nico’s chest was heaving. His hands hung limp by his sides now, like even they had given up the fight. He had nothing left. Not an explanation. Not a defense.

What could he say to make it right?

He couldn’t make it right.

Lewis didn’t say a word.

He had just turned. And left.

The door clicked open and Lewis walked through it without hesitation. And it closed behind him cruelly, like it was taunting Nico with every inch.

His knees gave out before he realized it, and he sank to the floor beside Lucy’s bed. The tile was cold. His hands trembled as he reached up to clutch his chest, right over his heart.

It hurt .

God, it hurt so much.

But it was fair. Of course it was fair . His brain supplied that truth like a knife.

You lied. you hid this. you deserved this. Maybe Lucy didn’t. But that too, was Nico’s fault.

He let his forehead fall against the edge of her mattress, his silent sobs turning into sharp, broken gasps. His hand found hers, all soft and warm beneath the small bandaids, and he held on like he was drowning through the pain.

Because maybe he was.

And because he deserved to.

The discharge papers were taking forever. Nico stood hunched over in the waiting lobby, his foot tapping the ground with nervous energy. Three fifteen in the morning. Of course things were slow. Barely any staff floated around, and the few that did looked just as ready to pass out as Nico felt.

But this was still a hospital, a practically breeding ground for germs and Lucy had a healing cut on her chin, open skin on her knees and elbows. Every second they lingered, Nico imagined her catching something else. He tugged his hood further over his head, slumping deeper into his coat.

His eyes burned. He’d been up too long, cried too much, felt too many things too fast. What a night. What a horrible , terrible night.

Beyond the glass doors a drizzle fell. The kind of quiet rain that barely made a sound but blurred the world into grey. Fitting , Nico thought bitterly. Even the sky was feeling as shitty as he was.

Then the doors slid open with a soft hiss.

Nico had looked up in that moment.

Lewis stood there, hair wet and dripping as he shook his head slightly, sending a spray of raindrops around him. His dark hoodie and sweatpants were soaked through at the edges, clinging to his frame. He looked tired. Worn. But in his hand was a plastic grocery bag, slightly crumpled from the rain.

Nico blinked in surprise, stunned for what felt like the tenth time tonight.

Lewis approached him slowly after catching his eye, pausing like he wasn’t sure if he’d be welcome. He opened his mouth, closed it, then tried again.

“I… you must be hungry,” Lewis said awkwardly, glancing away. “The vending machine didn’t have many healthy options you might like, and I-” he huffed, sheepish. “I don’t know what four-year-olds eat exactly, but… does Lucy like yogurt? There were so many kinds, like pouches and tubes and plain ones, and I wasn’t sure if she was picky but these looked the best-”

“Lewis,” Nico said gently, cutting him off before he went on a longer tangent.

Lewis stopped mid-ramble. His eyes snapped back to Nico’s, cautious and open all at once.

Nico’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Can I get a hug?”

Something in Lewis crumbled. His shoulders, his jaw, his quiet defense mechanism.

“Fuck,” Lewis breathed, stepping forward instantly. “Nico… yeah. Of course.”

Nico didn’t wait. He pressed forward and collapsed into Lewis’s arms. He buried his face in the warm, rain-damp fabric of Lewis’s hoodie, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist. And Lewis held onto him with no hesitation, no distance. Just solid and warm and steady, like he’d known Nico needed this from the moment he saw him.

Nico let himself feel it in.

Lewis didn’t say a word. He only tightened his arms around him and swayed them slightly like it might help with the high of emotions that they were both feeling right now.

How long? It had been so long. Once, Nico used to imagine what hugging Lewis would feel like.

Now he didn’t have to.

Lewis didn’t let go, just let Nico cling on to him as if he’d stay as long as Nico needed.

“She does like yogurt,” Nico whispered into the damp fabric.

“Fantastic,” Lewis murmured, and somehow pulled him even closer.

Lucy hadn’t stirred the entire time, probably too tired and too drugged up or worn out from the pain. Either thought made him want to dig an even bigger hole and crawl into it. 

Nico carried her carefully, her little breaths warm against the crook of his neck, mindful not to jostle the bandaged chin as they approached Lewis’s car.

Lewis was already there, quietly opening the door, taking Nico’s bag from him without a word. Just... helping. Just being there.

And Nico felt it again that sharp, aching tug in his chest. Gratitude, guilt, or something more?

“I texted Alex, by the way,” Lewis said once they were settled in the car, engine humming softly beneath them. “He was worried. Couldn’t reach you.”

“Shit, yeah, I was in a rush. Thank you,” Nico said quickly. Then again, quieter. “Thank you.”

Lewis glanced over, brow slightly raised. “It’s just Alex.”

“No,” Nico shook his head, watching the streetlights streak past the window. “I mean thank you for… staying. For not…”

How did you say that? For not hating me? For not abandoning us?

Lewis’s voice dropped low, steady. “You don’t have to thank me for that.”

“I do, though,” Nico whispered. “I was awful. You didn’t have to stay, but you did.”

The car was quiet for a beat too long. Then Lewis’s jaw tightened. His hand flexed once on the wheel.

“I’m not going to leave,” he said, not looking away from the road. “I’m not going anywhere. Not unless… you want me to. Unless you don’t want me in your life.”

Nico stared at him, throat tight, heart cracking wide open.

“Lewis,” he whispered, voice barely holding together, “I always wanted you in it.”

“Then why?” Lewis’s voice cut through the quiet, sharper than before, frustration and hurt bleeding through every word.

“That’s not why-” Nico tried, but Lewis barrelled on.

“Then what was it, Nico? Why didn’t you… why couldn’t you tell me? What did I do that made you think you had to hide this from me?” His voice cracked, raw and trembling now. 

“Was I that awful to you? I know I was annoying, but I tried- I tried so hard to get your attention. Was I really that unbearable? So much that you thought you had to do this alone?”

The guilt hit Nico square in the chest, brutal and suffocating. He swallowed hard, words stumbling out.

“No, Lewis... God, no. It wasn’t like that,” Nico said quickly. “I was so close to telling you. I wanted to. You were-” He paused, breathing unsteadily. “It was the last seminar of the year. I brought a test. I had it in my bag. I was going to tell you.”

Lewis’s brows furrowed, confusion and heartbreak written all over his face. “Then why didn’t you?”

“Because…” Nico exhaled shakily, eyes dropping to Lucy still curled in his arms. “Because you had just gotten the McLaren Formula E job that day. You were so excited. Your dream right there in front of you.”

He looked back at Lewis, expression pained. “And if I had told you then, be honest , Lewis would you have gone?”

Lewis opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Just silence. And then… he closed it again, lips pressed into a resigned line.

“I… I could’ve helped you,” he said softly, almost like a child. His voice so small and trembling Nico barely caught it. “You shouldn’t have had to do it alone.”

Nico felt something break in his chest.

“You needed to live your life,” he said, arms tightening around Lucy. His voice wavered, but he kept going. “And you did ”

And maybe that was the worst part, he still would’ve chosen Lewis getting everything he ever wanted, over holding him back.

Even if it meant raising Lucy alone.

“I can’t believe you did that,” Lewis muttered, voice quiet but weighed down with emotion.

Nico sank further into the passenger seat, shame curling like smoke in his chest.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed out, barely above a whisper. His hands tightened around Lucy’s small frame, sleeping soundly against his chest. He had made countless mistakes in his life but he had sworn, over and over, that this wouldn’t be one of them. That loving Lucy, protecting her, raising her wasn’t something he’d ever regret.

But maybe hiding the truth… was.

“Nico, don’t. Don’t apologize,” Lewis said suddenly, almost pleading. Nico looked at him, surprised by the frustration behind his voice. There was a lot of pain and honesty there. 

“I don’t want you to apologize,” Lewis repeated. “You… you didn’t do anything wrong. You were scared. You did what you had to do. I just-” He exhaled hard. “I just hope you’re not going to push me out again. I don’t think I could take that anymore.”

The car felt suffocating for a second, all emotion and unsaid things pressing in around them. Nico stared at Lewis, at the way his hands gripped the wheel and for a moment he couldn’t speak.

Because what could he say to that?

That he was still terrified?

That he didn’t know how to unlearn years of guarding his heart?

That he wanted Lewis in their life but had no idea how to do it without falling apart?

“Well…” Nico murmured, voice thin. He glanced down at the little girl bundled against his chest. 

“She’d probably like having you around” he added, uncertain, eyes flicking toward Lewis.

Because honestly? Nico didn’t know what Lewis wanted beyond Lucy. Maybe this was just about her and about doing the right thing, about being present for a child he hadn’t known he had. Maybe it had nothing to do with him. And Nico didn’t want to hope for that treacherous thing in his chest. But Lewis’s voice broke softly through the silence.

“Well… I was hoping her dad might want me around too.”

Nico’s breath hitched as he turned his head slowly, eyes widening. He found Lewis staring hard at the road, biting his lip with nervous energy like it was the only thing keeping him from unraveling.

“I mean,” Lewis went on, almost stumbling over his words, “she’s probably a cool kid if you raised her. But I don’t know much about kids… especially not… the one that’s mine. I’ll probably mess up a lot. But if-if you’ll let me… I’d like to try.” He hesitated, then added, a little too fast “Only if you think it’s okay. Only if you want me to.”

He dared a glance at Nico and the girl nestled in his arms before looking back at the road, jaw tense, shoulders tight with anticipation.

And that’s when Nico smiled.

The first real smile of the entire damn night.

“Yeah,” Nico said quietly, heart in his throat. “I think we would like you around.”

Chapter Text

Nico sat on the sofa with Lucy’s head in his lap, nursing a much-needed cup of coffee after the chaos of the night before. Lucy was sipping a milk packet while lying down, it was a rare exception Nico allowed after she had complained her back still hurt.

He tried not to replay the breakfast conversation in his head. Gently, but firmly he had explained to Lucy that he’d be getting her a house phone and that under no circumstance should she ever leave the house without an adult and especially not run into the street. He’d told her that she was incredibly lucky and that something much worse could’ve happened if that man hadn’t stopped in time. There were tears, from both of them. But they’d hugged it out in the end,  with Nico whispering soft “I love you”s into her hair.

Now he just hoped whatever milk she was sipping wasn’t dripping down the side of her mouth onto the sofa. He still hadn’t told Jensen. Or anyone, except Alex, who had called at sunrise in full panic. Nico had barely gotten the words “her skull is fine” out before Alex mellowed out in relief.

He sighed and raised the mug to his lips only to choke mid-sip as the caller ID lit up.

“ Ew, Papa, that’s so gross,” Lucy cringed from his lap, milk-stained cheeks puffed out in disapproval. Nico didn’t respond. Too busy coughing until his eyes watered, thumping his chest like it might help.

“Hello,” he rasped hoarsely into the phone, trying to sound like he wasn’t actively dying.

Lucy glanced up, unimpressed. “Silly Papa,” she muttered, turning back to her show.

“Hey Nico, how are you holding up?” Lewis’s voice came through the phone, all warm and concerned. And even though he was just a sound on the other end of a screen Nico blushed.

Right … Lewis wanted to be a part of Lucy’s life and, by extension, Nico’s. That was sort of established last night. But… did that mean now? Like in immediate effect ?

“Hey, um… yeah, we’re good,” Nico started, his voice a little too light, a little too fast. “Lucy’s already had breakfast. I was just having some well-needed coffee.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Nico winced internally. Did that sound like he was skipping meals? Like he wasn’t taking care of himself? Was Lewis going to think Lucy had an unreliable parent? Oh my god, breathe. Nico scolded himself, brushing Lucy’s hair off her forehead.

“That’s good,” Lewis replied gently. “You haven’t had any real food yet?” There was a pause, then “Sorry if I’m overstepping, but… would you want me to bring something over? A late brunch, maybe?”

Nico nearly melted into the sofa. Why was Lewis so confident ? And thoughtful ? Could Nico just tell him to go away? for the sake of his own heart? Because this much blushing couldn’t be healthy.

He’s not flirting, you idiot, Nico reminded himself. You both went through a kind of  hell last night. He’s just being kind. That’s all.

Right?

Nico glanced toward the kitchen and the remnants of his rushed grocery run from last week. There was food in the house. There was absolutely no need to bring anything from outside. And anyway, if Lewis brought something, Lucy would undoubtedly want a bite, and Nico couldn't exactly give Lewis a specific order, they weren’t… that close.

Were they even friends? Co-parents? Acquaintances with history and a child between them? Did semi-friends have kids together?

Before Nico could spiral further, Lewis’s voice cut through the silence all gentle, like he was coaxing a skittish cat.

“Riiight, I’m guessing you’re overthinking this based on that long pause. Just say the word if I’m messing up your peace, and I’ll get out of your hair.”

“No, err, yeah, it’s okay,” Nico stammered. “I was thinking of getting lunch in anyway.” Lie. He absolutely wasn’t.

“Great. Anything specific? For Lucy?” Lewis asked, clearly far too pleased to be delivering food.

Nico looked down at Lucy just as she sucked the last drops out of her milk packet with an aggressive slurp. He gently pulled it from her hands before the noise became unbearable.

“Mac and cheese,” Nico said under his breath.

But Lucy’s ears were sharp. She shot up with a wince, eyes wide.

“Are we really having mac and cheese? Can we get it from the Full house? The yummy one? Not the weird milky ones, those are reeeeally bad but the one that melts in my mouth?!”

She leaned toward Nico’s phone like she could make herself understood through sheer enthusiasm. and Nico did scold Lucy not to talk so much less she pulled her stitches and cried like this morning. Not that it had any effect now in the face of Mac and cheese.  

Nico grinned despite himself. Lewis had definitely heard that.

“One mac and cheese for the missus. What about you?” Lewis teased, and Nico could practically hear the grin through the phone. It made something flutter stupidly in his chest.

With what little courage he had left Nico replied, “I don’t know… surprise me?”

“Sounds good to me,” Lewis chuckled, the sound all soft and genuine, definitely laughing now.

Nico panicked and hung up immediately. His face went hot.

Shit. Was that rude?

“Papa, you didn’t say bye,” Lucy pointed out, peering up at him with big eyes.

Yup.
Definitely rude.

When Nico stepped out of his apartment, Lewis was parked right out front. Not that it was hard to guess… It wasn't like anyone else in this neighborhood just casually drove Ferrari’s. Nico rolled his eyes, equal parts exasperated and impressed, before making his way to the passenger side.

Lewis’s grin lit up the second he spotted him, rolling down the window. Nico leaned down beside the car trying not to look too jealous. The car was stupidly nice.

“Hopefully you like what I picked out. I kind of went off what I imagined you might like, so there’s a chance I’m wildly off,” Lewis said, handing him a large bag packed to the brim.

Nico blinked. “Are we feeding the entire street?” he muttered, peeking into the bag. This was definitely more than just lunch for two. 

“Are you not joining us?” Nico asked before he could stop himself, clearly dumbfounded by the sheer variety of food.

Lewis blinked in surprise like the question had genuinely caught him off guard. His expression softened with something close to regret.

“I’ve got a meeting I can’t miss. I also didn’t want to come on too strong. Maybe next time?” His voice was sincere and his smile apologetic.

Nico hesitated, heart thudding a little too fast. Then, fumbling with the containers and trying not to look at Lewis directly. “Maybe next time you could join us for dinner?”

Lewis stiffened. “W-what?”

“Or, instead of staying in… Lucy really enjoys going out to eat,” Nico offered, voice careful and a little unsure. “She loves restaurants, gets way too excited picking from the menu and judging the decor like she’s a food critic or something.” He smiled softly at the thought. “So… maybe when she’s better, we could do that if it's possible.”

Lewis leaned forward on the wheel slightly, still grinning. “Wow. How very grown-up of her. Keeping her tastes refined, huh? Only the classiest dining for Miss Lucy?”

Nico’s face lit up like someone had turned the sun on him. “No God, that’s not what I meant,” he said quickly, tripping over his own words. “She’s not…she just… likes the experience, I guess? The little kids’ menus, the crayons, the big desserts. She just likes experiencing new things.”

Lewis laughed, a warm, open sound that made Nico feel ridiculous. “Sounds like she knows how to have fun,” he said.

Nico looked down at the bag of food again, fingers curling around the handles. “She’d probably love it if you came too. Not just me all the time” He added the last part with a bit of insecurity.

Lewis went quiet. It wasn’t a heavy silence, just… a meaningful one. When he finally spoke, his voice was gentler. “Then it’s a date. Not that it’s a date date. Because I'll be meeting Lucy for the first time, would that be too much for a first meeting? Plus I'm so down for a date date if thats err…”

Nico looked up at him sharply, heart stuttering in his chest.

“...If you want it to be” Lewis finished, looking unusually nervous for someone with a face like that.

Nico bit back a smile. “You should probably go to that meeting.”

Lewis laughed again, but it sounded a little breathless this time. “Yeah. Right. Of course.”

Nico was well aware that Lewis had a packed schedule, but he hadn’t anticipated just how busy he’d be. Meaning he hadn't gotten a text in the last four days. Not that Nico had much time to dwell on it, he was currently wrestling with a very stubborn four-year-old octopus.

“Lou, come up here,” Nico muttered, finally managing to pry her arms from around his leg. She let go with the most exaggerated pout, lower lip wobbling. Nico crouched down, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “Are you a fish today? Or maybe a squid?” he teased lightly.

Lucy giggled at that, the pout momentarily disappearing only to quickly resurface with an even deeper frown.

Nico tilted his head, curiosity piqued. “Hmm… did something happen?” he asked gently, already pulling his phone from his pocket. A message from Lewis blinked at him on the screen, but Nico ignored it for now. The last time he tried multitasking while wrangling Lucy, it ended with Alex dropping Valtteri’s phone into a mop bucket. Don't even ask.

Lucy crossed her tiny arms around her and shook her head so hard her hair bounced up and down. “Don’t wanna say.”

Nico arched a brow at her, the kind of look that said he had all day and wasn’t above waiting her out. “Oh? You don’t wanna say? That sounds like a story to me,” he said, leaning in slightly, voice soft but knowing. “And I’m very good at guessing. Should I guess?”

Lucy’s nose scrunched, torn between stubbornness and curiosity, but she stayed quiet, her eyes darting to the ground.

“You know…” Nico tapped his chin dramatically, “maybe I should ask the teachers. Or maybe they’ll tell me if you’ve been secretly eating glue.”

Lucy gasped, her scandalized expression almost enough to make Nico laugh out loud.

“Papa! I promised not to do that anymore!” she shouted, cheeks pink, hands flailing.

“Aha,” Nico grinned. “So, something else happened”

Another ping vibrated in his pocket, but Nico barely had time to react before Lucy huffed and turned her back on him. 

“Papa doesn’t believe me when I said I didn’t even eat the glue, ” she said, all indignation and wounded pride. She kicked a loose rock with her tiny crocs, her foot barely making contact, but the frustration was clear. Classic childhood rage. Adorable .

Nico tried not to laugh, he really did but a snicker escaped anyway. He crouched down to her level, watching her cross her arms and stick out her bottom lip in the most dramatic pout yet.

As he pulled his phone back out, a new message blinked on the screen. This time, curiosity won out. He opened the chat and was immediately greeted with a photo.

A large, scruffy dog stared straight into the camera, eyes slightly squinty, tongue lolling happily. There was dirt on its nose and tufts of grass clinging to its fur. Nico could almost hear the heavy breathing through the screen.

‘Just got back from Spain. This one’s been cooped up for far too long, so he’s running around actually, just sunbathing in the grass, really.’  

Lewis had added the caption casually, like they talked about dogs every day.

But it wasn’t the dog that caught Nico’s attention. It was the park behind him. Nico recognized it instantly, it was barely a five-minute walk from here.

He looked up from the screen to where Lucy was still facing away from him, the tiniest scowl etched into her face. A tiny storm cloud in her short braids.

And then it hit him, a brilliant yet terrifying idea.

Chapter Text

The air was crisp today. Just the way Lewis liked it. Not sweltering hot nor damp with the threat of rain. The kind of day that made the trees seem greener and the sky more endless. Rosco, of course, took that as a personal invitation to trot around the park, but as soon as Lewis unclipped the leash and set him down, the big pup made a beeline not for adventure, but for the nearest patch of shade and promptly collapsed with a soft huff.

Lewis watched him settle with a fond smile, then sat down beside him, legs stretched out, spine against the thick trunk of a tree. Rosco barely twitched. He looked entirely boneless, a very spoiled dog indeed.

A small boy had wandered too close earlier, eyes wide with concern as he pointed at Rosco’s unmoving body and asked if the dog was, in fact, alive. Lewis had reassured him with a laugh, scratching Rosco’s belly until he let out a snore in response. The boy had gasped in delight, muttered something about “fat dogs,” and dashed back to his mother.

Lewis chuckled again at the memory. Kids were all wild energy and wonder and honest questions.

Then the smile slowly faded.

He also had a kid.

The thought hit him like it had every hour since that night at the hospital. It came uninvited and unrelenting. A daughter. He had a daughter. And she had Nico’s name on her paperwork, Nico’s mouth, Nico’s chin. He’d only just found out less than five days ago, and the weight of it hadn’t lessened at all.

He tilted his head back until it met the bark behind him with a soft thud, eyes blinking up at the speckled sky. A squirrel darted across a branch above him. He barely registered anything at the moment.

He had a child.

With Nico Rosberg.

The man who’d occupied every crevice of his memory for years. Nico, with the golden hair and sharp tongue, with the quick wit and those annoyingly precise academic notes. Nico, who had gotten under his skin faster than anyone else ever had and… stayed there.

God, he’d been so in love with him. Back in uni, it had been unbearable at times. The crush had been all-consuming, leaving Lewis restless in a way nothing else did. They had studied nearly the same thing, moved in the same academic circles, argued over the most ridiculous things with a tension that bordered on flammable. 

It was niche, the way they both loved motorsports, engineering, everything that hummed with life. And Lewis had always hoped that maybe, just maybe, Nico would still be in that world too. That their paths would cross again. That he’d spot him at a race weekend, tucked in some VIP suite or walking through the paddock.

But instead, he’d seen Sebastian.

More than a few times, in fact. At the Ferrari garages mostly, sometimes at press events. And every time, their conversations had a strange hollowness to them, this mutual tiptoeing around the ghost of someone they weren’t saying out loud. Nico hung in the air between them like a song stuck in ones mind.

Lewis had been a coward then, too. Back in university. The morning Nico left, he’d almost said something. Had almost asked him for his number. The words were right there on the tip of his tongue, pressing like an ache behind his teeth.

But he hadn’t said it.

Because what if Nico hadn't wanted that? The electricity he felt whenever Nico looked at him? What if it had only ever been one-sided?

And now, years later, he had a daughter with the very man he’d once been too afraid to hold onto. A little girl who looked like Nico and smiled in her sleep the way Lewis sometimes did.

Goodness.

Rosco shifted beside him, stretching out with a grunt, and Lewis instinctively reached out to rest his hand on the dog’s back.

He wasn’t angry. Not anymore.

He just... didn’t know how to process it. The love he’d buried. The child he hadn’t known. The ache of everything that could have been, pressing sharp against the fragile hope that maybe it wasn’t too late.

Maybe he could still be something good for them?

When Sebastian used to brag about his niece, Lewis had hardly paid attention. Just rolled his eyes whenever Seb called her a terror, never thinking to ask questions like why Seb, an only child, had a niece in the first place.

Was he talking about Lucy?

To him?

And Lewis, Big Shot Lewis Hamilton, god fucking damn it, had just nodded along completely clueless. Too busy sketching race cars inside race cars to see what had been right in front of him. Too caught up in missing Nico to realize Nico had been busy raising their child.

He covered his face with both hands.

What a failure of a man.

He’d thought about it endlessly, especially that night at the hospital, after stupidly walking out when the truth hit him like a freight train. His brain had short-circuited. Nico’s words had echoed in his skull as the rain soaked through his clothes.

Hurt. Guilt. Betrayal. All of it spun like a storm in his chest.

And yet… underneath the chaos, there was something else.

A small, persistent thump in his chest, joy.. A strange warmth whenever he remembered that he had a child. A daughter. With Nico.

That feeling was what pushed him back inside. What made him turn around and return to them.

Because he had a kid. He might never stop saying that.

One Nico had hidden from him for four years. For reasons that still hurt if he thought about them too long. And yes, he was angry. Furious even, that Nico had taken that choice from him.

But the moment he saw Nico curled around Lucy in his car, whispering soft apologies into her temple, every ounce of that anger dissolved.

How could he stay mad? Nico had given up everything, his future, his dreams, to raise their child. Alone.

He was incredible. He always had been.

And Lewis would never truly know what those years had been like for him. He couldn’t begin to imagine the weight Nico had carried. All he knew was that he didn’t want Nico to carry it alone anymore.

Not if he could help it.

Regardless of what excuses can be made. He hadn’t been involved in the first portion of Lucy’s life. And Lewis was eternally grateful that Nico had allowed him to be more involved in the rest of her life. 

Lewis bit his teeth. 

Did he even deserve to swoop in now? To show up and risk unraveling everything Nico had spent four years building? Lewis couldn’t stop thinking about how impossibly open Nico had been. Willing to let him in. Just like that.

The thought made Lewis feel faint sometimes.

How was he supposed to do this? What if Lucy didn’t want him around? What if she resented him? Kids her age had opinions, strong ones. He’d read enough online parenting forums in a panic to know that much. Each scroll had only made him more paranoid.

What if she didn’t want him near Nico? Could kids be possessive like that?

Yeah, there was definitely a headache forming.

Rosco let out a low grunt beside him.

Lewis huffed out a dry laugh. “You and me both, bud.”

Did Lucy even like dogs? Would she like Rosco? He glanced at the lazy pup sprawled like a tired rug on the grass while other kids chased after bouncy golden retrievers and spry spaniels. Rosco, bless him, was too old for chaos now. Gentle, slow, and in desperate need of naps. Not exactly a child’s dream pet.

Lewis scratched behind Rosco’s ears, his chest tight with uncertainty.

Would their lives even fit together? Could they actually make this work?

He sighed, resting his forehead against his fist, eyes following the blur of kids and dogs playing under the soft sun. There were too many unknowns. Too many chances to get it all wrong. And not many moments in his life where he truly felt equipped to get it right.

Lewis glanced down at his phone, biting the inside of his cheek. He’d sent Nico a photo, just Rosco looking charmingly disheveled in the grass. But there’d been no reply. Maybe he’d come on too strong. The whole breakfast thing had already felt like a lot. 

But he’d needed to see Nico, needed to confirm with his own eyes that this, all of this was real. That it wasn’t just a cruel fantasy his mind had crafted after years of relentless, unshakable pining.

His phone buzzed suddenly beside Rosco’s nose. The dog gave a snort and huffed.

Lewis chuckled quietly, reaching for it without checking the caller ID. Probably someone from the MTC again, even after being sent home they still found ways to pester him.

“On a scale of one to ten, how friendly is your dog?”

Lewis’s entire body jolted at the sound of Nico’s voice. Slightly breathless, like he was walking fast… or jogging.

“Uhh? Rosco? He’s… he’s a solid nine point five?” Lewis replied, and winced at how the sentence ended in a question. “He’s actually really gentle. Doesn’t bite. He’s kind of picky about who he loves but when he gets attached to you, it's almost intense.”

There was a pause. Then Nico sighed, something almost amused in the exhale.

“Perfect. Lucy wants to meet him, if that’s okay with you?”

Lewis froze. His heart might’ve fallen straight out of his throat.

He swallowed once. Then again.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “Yeah, it’s more than okay.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

His brain short-circuited. They were coming. Here. Right now. Nico and Lucy were on their way to this park. The park where Lewis was very much unprepared, mentally or otherwise. 

He swallowed thickly, trying to play it all cool and casual like he hadn’t just broken into a cold sweat right then. But his heart was pounding, like it wanted to make a run for it without him. What was he thinking, sending that photo? Of course Nico would respond in a way that just seems to surprise lewis endlessly. The possibility of this moment actually happening hadn’t felt real until Nico had explicitly spelled it out.

Lewis crouched down to Rosco’s level, his hands bracing on his knees, his face hovering just inches from his dog’s.

“Rosco, hey, hey… psst, listen, mate,” he whispered urgently, voice pitched low like they were about to enter a tactical operation. “I’m begging you, make a good impression, alright? This is important.”

Rosco blinked at him, entirely unimpressed.

“I only have one shot at this,” Lewis continued, his voice rising with quiet panic. “One chance to win over a child that's half me! Don’t blow this for me, alright? I’m serious. Be charming. Be cuddly. Do that cute thing where you roll over like a log. No licking her face unless she asks, got it?”

He practically smushed his forehead against Rosco’s snout, breathing deeply like he could will his nerves away. Of course this wasn’t the dog’s fault. Rosco was great. Friendly and gentle with tiny people. He was going to do just fine.

It was Lewis who was the problem. It was him who didn’t know what to say. Or what kids liked. Or what Lucy liked.

Goodness, what if he didn't have anything to say to her?

He hadn’t even asked Nico about the important stuff. Her favorite color? Favorite animal? Did she like cartoons? Did she hate noise? He only knew about mac and cheese. One singular fact, completely useless right now.

What if she found him boring? Or worse, awkward? He’d been awkward around kids before, he knew that. He tried too hard. Always fumbled it. Too many “hey buddy”s and “champ”s and weird high-fives that landed wrong. He didn't want to fumble this. Not her.

His chest clenched at the thought.

What if he said the wrong thing? What if Lucy took one look at him and immediately decided. nope. Hard Pass.

Lewis inhaled sharply, shaking his head and scrubbing a hand over his face. He needed to relax. Be present. Be himself. That’s what Nico would say, right? That if he just showed up with honesty, that would be enough.

Still, the panic buzzed like static at the base of his skull. He wasn’t ready. He might never be. But Lewis had never wanted to get something more right in his life.

“Im so gonna fuck this up” 

Chapter Text

Lewis was going to nail this.

Nico thought it absentmindedly, watching Lucy as she tugged at his hand with barely-contained excitement. She was already scanning the park, eyes bright and full of purpose. Nico couldn’t help but smile. Lucy liked people who loved cars as much as he did and there was no bigger race car nerd than Lewis Hamilton. If anyone stood a chance of winning her over instantly, it was him.

He tried not to let his nerves show. Tried not to think about the way his heart was thudding in his chest. 

“Oh my god, Papa! He’s so squishy-looking!” Lucy had shrieked, once she saw the doggo she was going to meet. 

“Lucy,” he had hissed at her under his breath “don’t yell, baby, we’re in public.”

She practically vibrated under his hold, eager to bolt like a shot toward a dog she didn’t even know the name of. He had to hold her wrist firmly to stop her from tearing off without a second thought.

“Papa, where is the squishy dog?” she questioned, scanning every dog in the park like she was on a mission.

I’m thinking the same thing, Nico had thought until his gaze landed on a familiar silhouette under the shade of a wide tree.

There he was… Sitting with his legs stretched out and head ducked low, one hand absentmindedly stroking the back of a fat, lazy pup that looked like it hadn’t moved in the last twenty minutes.

Nico bit his lip. God, he looked nervous. 

He crouched down beside Lucy and gently turned her by the shoulders. “Over there,” he said softly, pointing toward the shaded tree. “That’s him. But hey, remember what we talked about, okay?”

Lucy nodded, her curls bouncing. “Be nice and gentle,” she repeated like it was a promise. And before Nico could even react, she took off at full speed.

Nico let out a shaky breath, rising slowly to his feet. This was it. No backing out now. He watched as Lucy slowed, her movements turning cautious as she approached the unfamiliar dog and unfamiliar man.

And then she paused a few feet away, inching forward all shy. Nico smiled faintly, hands shoved into his jacket pockets, heart somewhere up in his throat.

She was about to meet her other father. And whether she knew the weight of that or not, Nico did.

He held his breath, watching the moment unfold like the most fragile thing in the world.

“Hi,” Lucy said brightly, “are you Papa’s friend with the cute doggie?”

Nico watched Lewis startle at the sound of her voice, his head snapping up like he hadn’t even registered them approaching. Nico saw it happen. Lewis’s expression cracked wide open, all stunned as he took in her.

Nico bit back a laugh as he stood a little ways behind them. Lucy was already rocking back on her heels, eyes flicking between Lewis and Rosco, more interested in the dog than the man but still polite enough to direct her question.

“Well,” Lewis finally said, his voice small and a little dazed, “if your Papa told you it was the cutest dog in the world, then yes that’s Rosco.”

He glanced at Nico when he said it, and the smile on his face was so blindingly genuine and oh so full that it almost hurt to look back. Nico found himself returning the grin anyway.

Lucy crouched, practically vibrating to reach out to Rosco. “Can I?”

Nico felt a bloom of pride. Good girl.

“Of course,” Lewis said, his voice softer now. “He’s a big softie and really loves attention. So better give him some good loving.”

Rosco gave an approving huff as Lucy gently patted him. She giggled. “He’s squishier than the picture.”

Nico watched Lewis lean beside her, his body language easing into something more welcoming. It struck him, seeing Lewis like that. He wasn’t just trying, he really wanted to be here.

“I know, right?” Lewis said. “He used to run around like crazy, but now he’s more into naps and snacks. We have that in common.”

Lucy beamed, leaning closer. “You think he likes me.”

“Course he does,” Lewis murmured. “You’ve got some good scratching skills. He only picks the best people.”

“Am i a really good scratcher Papa?” Lucy had commented off her shoulder as she used both hands to scratch Rosco’s furry head.

Nico hummed quietly, arms crossed loosely as he watched the two of them. It was strange, watching Lewis talk to her like that. Strange but not wrong. 

“You are incredible” Lewis had praised Lucy with toothy grins. “You're doing incredibly well” He had turned to look at Nico when he said that.

He hadn’t expected that. Praise from Lewis always caught him off guard. Back then it had made his chest warm. Now, it made something behind his ribs ache. He nodded, unable to say much else.

“Wanna know a secret?” Lucy piped up suddenly.

Lewis leaned in immediately. “Always.”

“My Papa said you brought me mac and cheese,” Lucy whispered, like it was top-secret information.

Nico flushed immediately. He had mentioned it offhandedly earlier, just in case. Now he regretted it deeply. Lewis laughed, eyes flicking to Nico in delight. “I heard you liked mac and cheese?”

Lucy nodded eagerly. “It’s my favorite food in the entire world. I want to eat it all the time, but Papa says I have to eat all my leaves.”

“I said greens, not leaves, lucy”

“Yes that!”

“Did you also like the chocolate pudding inside?” Lewis wondered.

“Mhmm,” Lucy hummed, then added brightly, “my favorite is cupcake flavor pudding, but don’t worry Papa loved the chocolate one.”

Nico sighed under his breath. Way to throw me under the bus.

“Is that so?” Lewis shot Nico a wicked grin. “Well, glad someone appreciated it.”

Nico leaned down to Rosco just to hide his expression, running his fingers behind the dog’s ear. He was incredibly docile, letting Lucy poke his squishy belly and scratched his chin.

“How old is he?” Nico asked, smoothing Rosco’s fur just as the pup leaned in to lick Lucy’s hand. She shrieked in delight.

“He’s a pretty old dog,” Lewis replied, watching them with that soft, almost dazed smile. “He’s twelve.”

“Whaaat?” Lucy gasped, eyebrows shooting up. “This dog can’t be twelve. He’s so small!”

Lewis chuckled. “He’s not small for a dog, he's on the rounder side yes, I will admit.”

Lucy giggled, throwing herself onto the grass beside Rosco with a thump. “Do dogs get birthdays?”

“They do,” Lewis said, nodding seriously. “Rosco’s is in October. He gets a hat.”

“A hat?” Lucy gasped, clearly scandalized in the best way.

“Yup. One of those little cone ones with stars on it. He hates it.”

“He hates it?” she asked, turning her face to Rosco, nose almost touching his. “That’s silly. Birthdays are the best. Do you get cake?”

“I get cake,” Lewis said with a shrug. “Rosco gets dog biscuits shaped like bones. And a big cuddle.”

“That’s so cool. Papa, can we make him a birthday card?” Lucy turned her face toward Nico, eyes wide and hopeful.

Nico gave her a soft smile. “Only if he promises to keep it.”

Lewis pressed a hand to his chest. “I will guard it with my life.”

“Okay,” Lucy said, very seriously. “We’ll make it pink.”

Lewis grinned. “Rosco’s a fashion-forward guy. He can pull off pink.”

Lucy cooed at Rosco and began humming softly, laying flat on her front now, one hand still stroking his fur. She looked content, way too peaceful for this time of the day, the sunlight catching in her lashes.

Lewis watched her like she was the eighth wonder of the world, his features softer than Nico had ever seen them.

“She’s brilliant,” Lewis leaned over and murmured under his breath, his voice low. Nico raised an eyebrow, barely biting back a grin. “She can hear you, you know.”

Lucy looked up at them with a wide smile, clearly did hear, and then slapped both hands over her ears.

“I can’t hear anything now,” she declared loudly, then proceeded to lean so far forward in her crouch that she was practically face-first in the grass. Nico winced.

“Oh my God,” he muttered. “Lucy, no grazing. You're not a cow.”

“But cows are cute” she argued, not lifting her face.

Lewis giggled before reaching into his hoodie pocket and pulling something out a bright yellow squeaky ball, and Rosco who had previously looked half-asleep had perked up like a wind-up toy suddenly given power.

“Here,” Lewis offered, holding the ball out to Lucy. “He may be lazy, but you could always squeeze a little run out of him if you’ve got the right motivation.”

Lucy lit up, taking the ball in both hands as Rosco practically wiggled in place, his tail already thumping against the grass.

“Oh no,” Nico said softly, watching the way her eyes sparkled with excitement. “This is going to be chaos.”

“I believe in them” Lewis said solemnly, even as Rosco began to spin in lazy circles like a roomba.

And then they were off, Lucy with a loud “GO FETCH, ROSCO!” and the ball sailing off with an enthusiastic squeak. Rosco took off like he was five years younger, tongue flapping out the side of his mouth and ears bouncing. 

“She likes dogs huh” Lewis said beside him, tone soft again. 

“She likes a lot of things” Nico replied, eyes still following her. “Loves the world with no hesitation.”

Lewis smiled. “Wonder where she got that from?”

Nico scoffed under his breath. They stood side by side now, quiet for a moment as Rosco trotted back with the ball, tail wagging proudly, and Lucy clapped along. 

“I didn’t think it’d feel like this,” Lewis said, voice quieter now. “Just… watching her be.”

Nico looked over, only to find Lewis already watching him. His smile was smaller now. Fragile. Or just careful.

And Nico felt his heart beat faster in the best kind of way.

He hadn’t let himself imagine this, not really. Not in any concrete tangible sense. He hadn’t let his mind wander off to parks and small shy smiles and Lewis just… being here. With them. It’s not something he had even begun to imagine back then. A hope or dream too out of reach for them. 

But right now? Lewis was sitting beside him, shoulder brushing his, and eyes tracking Lucy’s every move. Nico knew that feeling all too well. It was a bit surreal.

Chance. Fate. Whatever it was, Nico could only be grateful in this moment.

Because Lucy deserved this… deserved this, deserved more than life itself and Lewis, for all the history between them, had looked at her with a kind of inexplicable wonder from the very beginning. Nico wondered when the surprise would wear off. 

He let out a soft breath, the corners of his mouth tipping up. Maybe life had been cruel to him. Maybe he had made choices he regretted. But this moment? 

He won't regret asking Lewis to play a part in this.

“She does grow on people,” Nico admitted, a bit hesitant. But Lewis only nodded, eyes flicking back to the little girl and the slightly out-of-breath dog tumbling through the grass.

Rosco dropped the ball again. Lucy picked it up, already winding her arm back for another throw.

“She’s going to wear him out,” Lewis muttered fondly.

Nico chuckled. “She’s wearing me out, and I’m just standing here.”

Lewis laughed, glancing sideways at him. "Aren't kids supposed to do that?”

Their shoulders brushed in that moment, just a fleeting touch, soft as a breath, the kind of accidental contact that could be dismissed in a crowd. Neither of them moved away. A subtle spark, too delicate to speak of, but impossible not to feel. Both of them ignored it… or at least pretended to.

“She called me Papa’s friend” Lewis said after a beat, tone a little complicated. Nico met his gaze, heart suddenly in his throat. 

“You are,” he replied carefully. “Aren’t you?”

Chapter Text

Well, what else was he supposed to say? 

Lewis and Nico were… friends? Or makeshift ones at best. They were on the road to becoming friends… okay, that sounded better. Still, could Lewis not look at him like that? Nico could feel that piercing, slightly stunned stare even without meeting his eyes. He crossed his arms and glanced down at Lewis’s ridiculously fashionable Vans instead.

“Wow,” Lewis said with a nudge of his shoulder, grin easy, “it took me what? eight-plus years to finally be your friend?”

Nico scoffed, whipping his head around. “Excuse me, you didn't want to be friends with me in university though”

“What made you think that?” Lewis laughed. “You do realize I spent most of uni trying to be your friend, right? Nico, you raised a whole child… you can’t still think that.”

Nico blinked trying to make head or tail of what lewis was telling him because it was sounding more and more like bullshit. “But...”

Lewis looked genuinely baffled. “No, wait, you seriously didn't know how much I thought you were amazing back then. Book smart? Sharp? Hilarious in your own way? I didn’t spend all that time trying to undermine you, Nico. I was trying to get close to you.”

Nico frowned, tugging at the grass beneath his palms, his chest tightening. “You spent all your time arguing with me, you mean”

Lewis turned toward him, brows furrowed. “Yeah, because you were passionate and brilliant and fun to argue with. And, okay… maybe I had a habit of winding you up on purpose, but I never once looked down on you. I thought you were the smartest person in the room. The coolest. Obviously the prettiest.”

Nico blinked. “What?”

“What?” Lewis echoed with a lopsided grin.

Nico’s face was starting to heat up. “You! you kept trying to one up me all the time! How was I supposed to know you were flirting?”

He regretted it the second the words left his mouth. He hadn't meant to say that out loud. He wanted to swallow them whole, maybe curl into the grass and disappear completely. There had been no indication that Lewis would admit to anything.

But instead of laughing it off, Lewis just stared at him, then slowly pointed a finger at him, eyes wide.

“Wait. You knew I was flirting, but you didn’t know I wanted to be your friend?”

Nico groaned as Lewis burst out laughing. He was definitely turning red now.

“Unbelievable,” Lewis chuckled. “I was literally trying to woo you and you thought it was the debate club’s revenge match.”

Nico shoved at Lewis’s shoulder, hiding his face behind his arm but his lips betrayed him with a smile.

“Well, it worked, didn’t it? The wooing,” Nico admitted, because it was true. He didn’t take men to bed often, either too wrapped up in studying, or too busy pretending it wasn’t Lewis’s soft mouth he wished he was kissing.

Nico coughed loudly into his palm. He wasn’t supposed to think that. Especially now. Goodness.

Lewis reached over and gently patted Nico’s back, raising one pretty eyebrow in that effortlessly knowing way of his. He got Nico so quickly, it was unfair just how perfect he was .

“Hmm,” Lewis hummed, amused. “I did get you into bed, so I’d say my plan worked.”

Nico smiled, just a little before his mind caught up and reality sank in.

“Lewis…” he breathed, voice softer now, a bit pained.

“That night, and the morning after, I-” Nico started, maybe to apologize, maybe to explain how he’d manage to keep such a big secret, maybe to say he never meant to screw up so badly the way he did. But he didn’t get the chance.

Lucy stomped over before he could finish, clutching Rosco by the belly like a giant teddy bear. The size difference between them was a little comical. She was panting just as hard as the dog was, her hair sticking up in all directions, grass in her curls and dirt smeared across her clothes.

Nico’s first thought was that She definitely needs a bath.

“Did Rosco flop over?” Lewis asked with a grin, looking over at them.

“Yeah... huff ... he... huff ... might’ve gotten tired... huff ,” Lucy wheezed, still holding the dog.

“Breathe, baby,” Nico said gently, brushing her frizzy hair back from her forehead.

Lucy took in a huge gulp of air, cheeks puffed, while Rosco licked lazily at her chin, probably wiping some of the dirt off her face.

“I think you wore him out for the day,” Lewis chuckled.

“Aww, does that mean you’re leaving?” Lucy pouted, squeezing Rosco tighter against her chest. The pup let out a huff, his tail thumping lazily in surrender.

Lewis chuckled out a bit sadly. 

“ Yes, because you need a bath and rosco needs a well deserved nap” Nico muttered already up on his feet. Leaving Lewis back on the grass. 

There would be other chances to apologize. To properly explain his frustrations… one day, when the timing felt right.

“Aww, Papa, but do I have to ?” Lucy whined, clinging to Nico’s side. Nico had already adjusted her little backpack onto his shoulder, preparing to leave. “Yes,” he said gently. “Now say goodbye to Lewis and Rosco.”

“Bye, Rosco. Bye, Lewis,” Lucy whispered, setting the pup carefully into Lewis’s arms before giving Rosco a big, wet kiss on the head. Rosco let out a soft woof in reply.

Lewis accepted the dog with a soft smile, then leaned down to whisper something in Lucy’s ear. Nico’s brows furrowed slightly. Were they keeping him out of the loop now? But Lucy just beamed up at Lewis and nodded solemnly, whatever promise passed between them tucked safely away.

Lucy gave a cheerful wave with one hand while Lewis waved Rosco’s paw in return. Nico, trailing just behind her, gave Lewis a small smile.

A genuine one. One reserved just for him.

There was something quiet and deep in his gaze as he looked over at Lewis, unspoken apologies, unspoken thank-yous and a little something shy. 

Walking back home, Nico felt surprisingly refreshed only to glance over at Lucy and sigh. Well… at least one of us feels refreshed.

“So, Lou” Nico asked as they crossed the road, her small hand tucked tightly in his, “how was it? Did you like him?”

Lucy hummed thoughtfully. “Yes. Rosco is very fun. He’s also kind of slow, but I am too. We can both be slow together” she giggled.

Nico smiled at that, warmth blooming in his chest.

Of course, he hadn’t really meant Rosco… but Lucy didn’t need to know that just yet.

“No, fuck-” Jensen’s words were immediately muffled by the large palm Nico slapped over his mouth.

“Four whole goddamn years” Nico hissed under his breath. “It’s been four years, borderlining five and you still don’t know not to swear in front of Lucy?”

Said child thankfully, was too engrossed to notice. She was watching MotoGP, completely overstimulated by the blur of speedy bikes on screen, her eyes wide and glued to the action. Nico furrowed his brows. He was glad Lucy didn’t have epilepsy or any aversion to flashing images, but… did MotoGP have an age restriction?

“Sorry, sorry,” Jensen muttered after Nico let him go, grinning wide. “Its just that, I went on a very well-needed vacation, i was gone for only a couple of days only to come back to you canoodling ?”

He whispered the last part like some scandalous revelation, all toothy amusement and disbelief. Nico had told him over the phone, but that only prompted Jensen to show up at his doorstep uninvited.

“There was no canoodling, you absolute moron,” Nico snapped quietly. “It’s just that… we were already circling each other’s orbit. It felt wrong not to tell him, you know?”

“Yeah, he needed to know…” Jensen said, nodding slowly. “So, how’d he take it?”

Nico shrugged, sticking one of Lucy’s latest art projects onto the fridge. It was a portrait of a dog, Rosco specifically and this time Nico could actually kind of tell what it was supposed to be. 

“Surprisingly… Well actually, it wasn’t that surprising. Lewis is a pretty low-key person i guess…” Nico said, fiddling with the fridge magnets. 

“But even then, he didn’t… like, he didn’t get mad. He didn’t ask me why, or demand answers. He’s just been… incredibly patient with me. Well, he did walk out to regain his composure, but then he came back and just word vomited everything he was feeling. but still, I feel like I’ve been given too much mercy, you know? For what I did.”

Jensen remained unusually quiet, letting Nico speak.

“I think I would’ve felt less awkward if he had gotten mad at me. If he’d demanded answers, yelled at me or something . That would’ve justified this feeling I’ve been carrying around. But now…” Nico trailed off, exhaling. “I don’t even know anymore.”

Jensen raised one ridiculous brow at him. “You mean… you’re upset he doesn’t hate you as much as you hate yourself?”

Nico shot him a glare. Jensen just raised his hands in mock surrender.

“Look, man, I don’t know how this is all going to play out, but from what I’ve heard on the phone and now in person I don’t think Lewis hates you. Honestly? I don’t think anyone could hate you. Well, besides yourself, but that’s a whole other can of worms.” He gave Nico a look, half-smile creeping in. 

“For what it’s worth, I think Lewis would want to know more, even if he hasn’t asked. He doesn’t sound selfish though. And I think… Maybe he’s the guy who could make that awful feeling you carry around go away . And that’s saying a lot, because trust me… so many of us have tried.”

Nico rolled his eyes, lips twitching despite himself.

Jensen leaned against the counter with a smirk. “Also, not to be that guy, but you get kinda… passionate when you talk about him. All like wahh and bwahh , ‘he looked at Lucy like this’ or ‘he said that to me’ -are you sure you didn’t already have a crush on him when you slept with him?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Ask Sebastian. He’d know,” he said flatly.

“Nah, he had some questionable requests last time… just… don’t,” Jensen replied with a dramatic shiver. “I’ll ask him later. Wait , are you admitting you like Lewis, or…?”

Nico turned away, placing the magnet back on the fridge for the final time. He let out a quiet sigh.

“It doesn’t matter how I feel,” he mumbled, eyes drifting to where Lucy sat, completely absorbed on the couch. “There are things way bigger than my affection at play here.”

Yes, things are incredibly complicated now. So what if Nico had once had a very teeny tiny crush for Lewis? So what if he’d been completely oblivious to Lewis’s boldness back then? It didn’t matter anymore.  

They couldn’t afford to mess this up. He couldn’t. Not like last time.

He couldn’t drag Lucy through whatever stupid thing he might end up doing. She would need Lewis in her life, far more than Nico needed to indulge in feelings that had no place in reality.

Jensen frowned. “Nico… you literally have the best-case scenario right here-”

“I can’t mess this up, okay?” Nico interrupted, voice tight. “I just can’t . Lucy is way more important than what I want.”

He paused, then added, more quietly, “Am I glad he’s in our lives? Yes. But that doesn’t mean we have to play house or anything.”

He wasn’t yelling, but his words must’ve been loud enough, because Lucy looked over from the couch, eyes wide with curiosity.

“I can’t,” Nico whispered again, softer this time. “It’s just not worth the risk.”

Chapter Text

“Please, Nico?”

“Yes, please, Papa, can we?” Lucy echoed sweetly.

Nico groaned. He was currently lying underneath a truck and honestly? If the damn thing decided to fall on him right now, he wouldn’t complain.

He adjusted his hand. “Who said you could go? Did I give you permission?” he called out, voice echoing slightly under the chassis.

“But Papa, Alex will be there,” Lucy whined.

She was crouched beside him on the left, peeking under the truck with her big brown eyes. Nico didn’t look at her. He knew better than to let her get to him.

Alex’s voice came from the right as he bent down to Nico’s level. “If you’re not comfortable with it, you could come too,” he offered.

Nico nearly bumped his head on the metal above him.

“I don’t want to go. It’s... far away.” Weak. Even he knew that was a terrible excuse.

“But Papa, if we drive, it’s not far,” Lucy reasoned, clearly exasperated.

“It’s only about an hour in the car. I’ll be well-behaved. No promises about Lucy, though,” Alex teased with a laugh.

Lucy let out a dramatic gasp of protest. Nico sighed as green and blue flashes flickered across his face, Lucy’s light-up shoes were going off again. All this while Alex giggled like a menace on one side and his daughter pouted on the other. This was his life…

“What even is this thing we’re going to?” Nico asked, already feeling himself losing this battle.

He slid out from under the truck, wiping his hands on his jeans before tossing his tools into the box beside his foot. He gave Alex a long, pointed look while he just smiled. Lucy darted to his side, both of them standing shoulder to shoulder like they had already practiced this.

They better make this argument good, Nico thought, vaguely amused.

“It’s the sprint race,” Alex explained. “I’ve got two free passes, and when I mentioned to Valtteri that they were for the Mercedes paddock…”

Lucy, who was nodding along like she hadn’t just been scolded a few days ago for eavesdropping on adult conversations, piped up with a proud grin.

“-and someone happened to overhear,” Alex continued with a wink, “I thought, who better to take with me than this little miss?”

Lucy clung to Alex’s arm now, puffing her cheeks out and giving Nico her best puppy-dog eyes.

Nico raised an unimpressed brow at his daughter.

The Mercedes paddock. A sprint race. In another life, it would’ve been Nico’s dream to attend something so prestigious like that. So why shouldn’t he let his overly eager child go?

“You’ve never been to a Formula 1 race before though. Its going to be something entirely knew. Are you sure you want to go? I heard It’s really loud,” Nico reminded Lucy, trying to steer her away from the idea. But he was running out of convincing arguments not to let her go.

“They have those ear covers, right?” Lucy asked, glancing at Alex for confirmation.

“Headphones,” Alex corrected gently.

“Yes, headphones. Wait… why are they called headphones if they cover the ears?” she asked, genuinely confused.

“Errr...” Alex stalled, clearly caught off guard.

“Well, I think it's because they go on your head” Nico reasoned. That was the correct answer... right?

He sighed, then added, “Are you sure you’ll be okay without me? Alex will be busy with important stuff, you know.”

Lucy hadn’t been to many places without Nico before. Sure, she’d spent a few hours at Jensen’s now and then, but that was different. Jensen’s place was practically a second home. A formula 1 paddock was new. Different. Crowded. It might be overwhelming for her.

No, correction… It was Nico who found it scary to send her into that world alone.

“Yeah, but Papa, that’s why you’re coming too,” Lucy said matter-of-factly.

Nico blinked and looked over at Alex.

“Didn’t you say you had two passes? There are three of us.”

Alex smirked knowingly. “Don’t worry about that.”

Then, with that same confident grin. “So... are you coming with?”

Nico looked between Alex’s self-assured expression and Lucy’s wide, hopeful eyes.

“Fine,” he relented. “When is it?”

Lucy let out a squeal so loud that Valtteri had actually hushed them from the other side of the garage.

“I’m sorry, but you need three passes. She counts as one person,” the woman at the rotating barrier said to Alex, her tone apologetic. She gestured toward Nico, who was holding Lucy on his hip.

She’d gotten tired barely two minutes into the wait, and Nico had ended up carrying her.

Nico raised a pointed eyebrow at Alex, who held up a finger in a wait-a-second gesture, his cheeks slightly pink as he scrambled for some kind of excuse.

“He looks a little funny, Papa,” Lucy whispered in his ear, giggling.

Their situation wasn’t technically funny, but Nico had to admit, Alex did look a bit stupid.

Lucy swung her legs back and forth and accidentally knocked into the barrier with a thud. Nico checked her foot quickly, just as Alex suddenly exclaimed,

“There’s our third pass!”

He pointed past the gate, visibly relieved. Nico was too busy checking if Lucy’s toes were intact to notice the figure that had approached them with a knowing smile.

“LEWIS!” Lucy gasped, her face lighting up with a wide smile.

Nico’s head snapped up to look.

There Lewis stood, all cool and composed, with one hand in his pocket and a paddock pass dangling from the other. The bomber jacket made him look smug in the most unfair way. Nico tried not to visibly check him out, but Lewis, of course, had no such reservations. His gaze swept over Nico with zero shame, taking in his semi-dressed-up state like he was making mental notes.

Nico flushed despite himself.

Lucy didn’t hesitate. She reached over the barrier with grabby hands, and Nico blinked in surprise as Lewis scooped her up like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“What are you doing here! You’re not George Russell! Are you friends with George Russell? He’s a driver, Lewis, he's a winner! Did you know that?” Lucy chattered on, tugging gently at Lewis’s earring in fascination.

Lewis let her, completely at ease with the lack of personal space.

Nico walked through the gate, still smiling faintly as he caught sight of Lewis watching Lucy with wide, disbelieving eyes. Like he still couldn’t believe she was real and was in his arms

“Yes, I do know George Russell. Is he your favorite?” Lewis asked, holding Lucy carefully, just a little awkward but still a hundred times more competent than Nico had expected.

It tugged at something in Nico. Watching Lewis hold Lucy like that made it impossible not to join in, like being drawn into the gravity of a shared moment.

“Not only is he her favorite driver,” Nico added, bumping his shoulder lightly against Lewis’s, “he might just be her favorite person in the world.”

Lewis turned to Lucy with a dramatic, exaggerated gasp. “Well! I happen to be great friends with George. If you’d like, we could go see him?”

That sent Lucy into a spiral of excitement. She immediately began peppering Lewis with questions, her voice animated and full of wonder.

“Did you know Alex and George are really good friends too?” Lewis told her with a grin.

But Lucy only nodded solemnly. “I thought Alex was playing pretend. Sometimes I also play pretend.”

Lewis snorted, trying to hold back a laugh. Alex, on the other hand, scoffed loudly.

“I was not playing pretend. You’re playing pretend!” Alex pointed a finger accusingly at her.

Lucy giggled over Lewis’s shoulder, her laughter sparkling like a bell. She wasn’t fazed at all.

They walked through the paddock, weaving between VIPs, camera crews, and fans in team gear. Everyone around them looked polished and purposeful, but Nico couldn’t help noticing the stares.

Of course people were looking, they were walking with Lewis Hamilton, and Lewis was carrying a miniature version of himself. Nico didn’t even know what to make of that.

Lewis bumped his hip against Nico’s, as if to remind him it was okay.

“I didn’t know you were going to be here,” Nico said.

It wasn’t entirely true.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he had suspected Lewis might be here. Hoped for it even. 

“Would you prefer it if I wasn’t here?” Lewis murmured.

Nico shot him a look, one he prayed said, that’s the last thing I’d ever want. Judging by the small, reassuring smile Lewis gave in return, his message had somewhat been received.

“Oh my goodness,” Lucy whisper-shouted, reaching over Lewis’s head toward Nico.

Nico leaned forward, his hands braced lightly against Lewis’s back as he bent to her level. “Hmm?” he hummed, meeting her wide-eyed expression.

“Papa, look! That's George! Lewis look!” Lucy’s blinking sped up.

Nico giggled softly over Lewis’s shoulder, but when he turned his head, he found Lewis was already watching him. And if Nico hadn’t been so busy fighting the warmth creeping into his cheeks, he might have noticed the way Lewis’s gaze had flicked to his lips.

He pulled back a little too quickly.

Across the way, George Russell was practically crushing Alex in a hug, squeezing the life out of him while Alex squawked and pushed at George’s head in protest.

“Mate you’ve got company,” Alex complained, finally managing to pry himself free. Lucy’s grip on Lewis’s shirt only tightened, her eyes going huge and round as George turned toward them.

“Is he real?” she whispered to Nico in a hush.

“That’s really him,” Lewis said with an amused smile, shifting her in his arms so she could see better. “He’s my friend. I’m actually his sponsor.”

Lucy gasped so loudly a couple of people passing by turned their heads. “I dont know what that means?” she confessed, brows knitting in obvious confusion. Nico snorted  behind Lewis.

By now, Alex had brought George over, the Brit still catching his breath from the ambush hug. George’s gaze swept over the group, whilst slightly lingering on Lucy before a slow smile spread across his face. “Well, this must be the famous Lucy I’ve been hearing about.”

Lucy’s jaw dropped. “You… you know about me?”

“Oh, Alex never shuts up about you,” George teased, glancing sideways at Alex, who only rolled his eyes. 

Lucy leaned toward George with genuine admiration shining in her eyes. “You’re even taller in real life.”

George laughed, bending slightly so they were almost eye level. “And you’re even cooler than I imagined.”

Lewis glanced at Nico over Lucy’s head. Nico didn't meet his stare, a bit too nervous to feel butterflies in his stomach right now. George ruffled Lucy’s hair gently “So,” he said, “are you going to cheer me on today?”

“YES!” Lucy replied without hesitation. “You’re my favorite driver in the world.”

Alex groaned dramatically. “Oi, and here I thought I was your favorite person in the world.”

“You’re my favorite Alex,” Lucy said matter-of-factly, which made George double over laughing.

“Sounds about right,” George teased, clapping Alex on the shoulder. “Come on then, Lucy, let’s get you behind the scenes. I’ll show you the cars before the others.”

Lucy’s eyes widened in awe. “Really?”

“Really. But only if you promise to tell me all your racing tips.”

“I have loads of tips!” she chirped, slipping her hand into George’s without hesitation.

Alex slid into step beside them. Lucy was bubbling with questions for George about racing, speed, helmets, and whether he’d ever driven upside down. 

That last one had warranted a sharp snort from Lewis too. Within seconds, the three of them had pulled ahead, their voices carrying through the hum of the paddock.

That left Nico walking with Lewis.

The noise around them was constant, with all the people in the distance, the thrum of conversation, media crews darting by. Lewis slowed his pace just slightly, enough so their arms brushed once twice, before Nico realized it wasn’t an accident.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming,” Lewis said casually, but his tone was almost shy.

“I wasn’t sure I was going to,” Nico replied, his eyes fixed ahead. “Lucy sort of… decided for me.”

Lewis’s mouth curled into a faint smile. “She’s got good instincts.”

Nico scoffed, crossing his arms. “You mean she has no concept of personal boundaries when she wants something.”

“That too,” Lewis said, a warm laugh threading through his voice. “But she’s got good taste in people. And places.” They passed a row of team garages, each one buzzing with activity. Nico caught himself glancing at Lewis. 

“Do you… come here a lot?” Nico asked, instantly regretting how awkward it sounded. What was this? A first date?

Lewis shot him a sideways look that was both amused and a little pointed. “It’s recommended that I show my face around the paddock from time to time. George and Kimi definitely makes the visits a whole lot more exciting. But no, I don’t usually have company like this.”

Nico didn’t ask what company was supposed to mean, whether he meant Lucy, or himself, or the two of them together. But Lewis kept walking close, his arm brushing Nico’s again. Stupid dang butterflies, gonna give him a stomach ache.

Up ahead, Lucy’s laughter rang out as George crouched down to show her something on a digital display. Alex stood beside them, grinning over his shoulder like he’d claimed victory for convincing Nico to come.

Lewis glanced toward the group, then back at Nico, and there was a softness in his eyes. “Feels good, doesn’t it?” Lewis said quietly.

Nico frowned. “What does?”

“Seeing her so happy.”

Nico tilted his head, a stupid expression on his face. 

“Yes, yes it does”

Chapter Text

Nico looked beautiful today.

Not to say Nico wasn’t beautiful every day, he was… is. That. Extremely beautiful. Every day.

Lewis shook his head, feeling a little off-kilter today. He kept checking if his jacket sat right, if his hair was behaving. He told himself not to glance at Nico every five seconds, but the knowing look Alex had shot him earlier made it painfully clear he was failing miserably.

But something about today felt different, and Lewis couldn’t quite put his finger on why. Maybe it was the sunlight catching in Nico’s hair, or the way his eyes softened every time Lucy laughed. Or maybe it was simply that Lewis had never seen Nico smile this much before.

“She’s forgotten about me,” Nico murmured, shoulder to shoulder with Lewis, nodding toward Lucy up ahead.

Lewis followed his gaze. Lucy was glued to George’s side, chattering away as Alex backed up her outrageous claims. Her whole face was lit with excitement, tiny hands gesturing wildly as if she were explaining some vital piece of racing strategy.

“She’s just… busy holding court with her ‘favorite’ people,” Lewis said, making air quotes with his fingers.

“That title used to be mine,” Nico replied with a quiet huff of laughter, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.

Lewis smiled despite himself. “Don’t worry. I’m pretty sure you’re still her number one. George is just a temporary distraction.”

As they walked through the crowd, Lewis’s hand brushed against the small of Nico’s back, guiding him gently to his side. It was subtle in the way that still said he’s with me to anyone watching.

The gesture didn’t go unnoticed. A few heads turned their way, eyes lingering before looking elsewhere. Media crews shifted aside without a word, clearing their path.

Nico shot him a quick, almost puzzled look, but didn’t step away.

Up ahead, George had crouched beside his car, pointing out the buttons and switches on the steering wheel while Lucy hung on every word. Alex leaned casually against the barrier, grinning like he was just as entertained as the four-year-old.

George’s voice carried back to them. “Want to sit in the car?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

It came in the form of a delighted, high-pitched shriek. “Yes!”

But before climbing in, Lucy glanced over her shoulder at Nico, eyes wide and pleading. Lewis chuckled to himself, she had that puppy-dog look perfected, all big brown eyes and the tiniest pout.

“Go, go,” Nico said, waving them off. “Don’t make things difficult for George, and come out when they tell you to…”

And just like that, Lucy, George, and Alex vanished into the bustle of the garage, leaving Nico and Lewis standing at the edge. Nico exhaled, shoulders loosening just a fraction, though Lewis didn’t miss the flicker of awareness in his eyes as he noticed a few lingering glances thrown their way.

“They’re going to be at it for a while,” Lewis said, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Want a small tour of the paddock? Courtesy of yours truly.”

Nico gave him a sidelong glance, the faintest smile tugging at his lips. “I thought you didn’t come here that often?”

“I’ll figure it out,” Lewis shot back, already starting down a side corridor. “Come on, you'll get the real inside look. Not just the PR-friendly stuff Lucy’s probably getting.”

Nico followed, his steps unhurried, taking in every detail as they went. Framed championship photos lined the walls, screens streamed endless telemetry data in neat columns of numbers, and a half-disassembled gearbox sat on its stand like a piece of modern art. Lewis gestured toward things as they passed, keeping his tone casual but peppered with little insights, things Nico wouldn’t hear on a broadcast.

“That’s where the engineers do all their number magic,” Lewis said, nodding toward the glass-walled room to their left. He slowed as they passed, eyes drawn to the cluster of people bent over glowing screens, lines of data streaming past like code only they could read.

“Honestly, I’d rather be in there than stuck in those godforsaken meetings I’m forced to sit through.” He aimed for a casual offhanded remark to fill the space, but the truth slipped through a little too clearly.

Nico didn’t answer right away, just gave a thoughtful hum, his gaze lingering on the engineers as well.

Lewis hesitated. He could’ve left it there, kept walking, pointed out the next shiny thing in the paddock, moved the conversation along. But instead, something in Nico’s quiet attention made him slow his steps.

“You want to be in there,” Nico said quietly.

Lewis almost winced. God, why did he say that to Nico of all people? Nico, who had wanted to be in there more than life itself. Nico, who had been forced to give it up, not because of lack of talent or drive, but because life had handed him something he couldn’t control. A blessing really. Maybe he was just a foolish idiot.

Nico shifted slightly as a small group of guests moved past them in the narrow walkway. The motion brought him closer, close enough that Lewis caught the faint scent of his cologne, close enough that his breath hitched before he could stop it.

“How did that happen?” Nico’s voice was softer now, but there was curiosity in it. “Weren’t you an engineer first?”

Those big, clever eyes blinked up at him. How had everything changed? And that, somehow, made it harder to answer.

“There were some big wins from Mercedes under my direct instructions” Lewis began, his voice low, “and suddenly I was showing up in more photos. Getting brought into meetings. Shaking hands with the right people.” He gave a small shrug, trying to make it sound like it didn’t startle him just how nico’s face made him want to spill his entire heart out. 

“Sponsors liked the face. The voice. My expertise. And my… background. Suddenly, I was more useful outside the garage than in it.” A quiet laugh escaped him, though it sounded more like a sigh dressed up as humor. 

“It’s not that I hate it, I am doing some pretty important things” His hands gestured loosely in the air before dropping back to his sides. “But that was never the dream.”

He didn’t need to explain what the dream had been, not to Nico. He could tell from the way Nico’s lashes fluttered once, slowly, the way his expression softened just a fraction. The rest of the paddock noise faded into static, the murmur of voices, the shuffle of people moving past.

In that moment, Lewis didn’t see the bustling garage, didn’t see the VIP lanyards or the camera crews hovering in the periphery. All he could see was Nico. The pretty curve of his mouth, like he was holding back words. And for a heartbeat, Lewis had to remind himself to breathe.

Lewis looked away, the words sitting heavy on his tongue. Out here, in the open, with people milling about, he felt far too exposed. The weight of passing stares pressed against his back, tugging at the threads of his composure.

“Sometimes,” he said quietly, almost to himself, “I feel like the cameras won.”

He hadn’t meant to glance at Nico after saying it but his eyes betrayed him. And there Nico was, meeting his gaze head-on. There was no pity there, just a quiet softness. The faint furrow of his brows told Lewis he understood far too well.

“You miss it too,” Nico said, the words wrapped in a small, sad smile.

Lewis let out a breath, slow and measured, and gave a single nod. His own mouth curved into a half-smile. “Yeah,” he murmured, “I do.”

For a moment, it was just them, an unspoken understanding suspended in the space between.

Then Lucy came barreling toward them, a blur of energy and determination, clutching a miniature tire nearly half her size.

Nico instinctively stepped back, brows knitting in mild confusion at the sight.

Lewis couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. Lucy was a force to be reckoned with. He might miss a lot of things, the pit wall, the adrenaline of modifying a well performing car, the rush of working the garage floor. But looking at her now, he realized his future didn’t feel so daft and lonely anymore.

He bent down and scooped her up with ease. 

“Guess what I got?” Lucy beamed, her small arms looped around Lewis’s neck as she thrust the wheel towards Nico.

“A tire?” Nico asked, feigning deep thought.

Lucy giggled, then turned her head to look at Lewis before giggling again, clearly enjoying her own secret joke.

Nico gave Lewis a long-suffering look, one that screamed resignation.

“This is a cooler tire, Papa, it’s a trophy!” Lucy declared proudly, holding it out. Lewis watched amused, as Nico’s eyes widened in real time. He leaned in towards Lewis' space again. 

“Oh my goodness… Lewis, tell me that’s not true,” Nico said, staring at the wheel with mild disgust.

Lewis bit back a laugh and the entirely inappropriate urge to kiss him before answering.
“It is true… but this one’s just a replica.”

Lucy’s little brows furrowed instantly, and for a split second, Lewis swore she looked exactly like Nico. Same tilt of the head. Same sharp little frown of disapproval.

Then she turned, looking over at Alex and George with visible betrayal, as if they’d personally conspired to keep this devastating news from her.

Alex blinked, then sent Lewis a sharp what did you just say? 

But George… George wasn’t even pretending to hide his reaction. He was openly gawking, eyes flicking between Lewis and Lucy, then to Nico, then back again like the gears in his head had just started turning. Like he’d spotted something he couldn’t quite believe but desperately wanted to double-check.

That can’t be true, Lewis thought instantly.

His gaze flicked back to Lucy. The shape of her face, the stubborn set of her brows, that quick, bright smile she flashed when she caught him watching it was all Nico. All Nico.

He hadn’t wanted to hide Lucy away. This was a big part of his life, and he had wanted to share it with her. To let her see the world he lived in, the one that made up so much of who he was.

Maybe, if she liked it enough, she’d come again, with Nico tagging along. Maybe it could become something they shared, something that belonged to them. Something she’d tie to his name, to the warmth of his hand guiding her through the paddock.

And, if he was lucky, maybe she’d enjoy his company enough to want more of it. Not just for the cars or the chaos, but for him.

Now, the thought of the world guessing… of speculating? Headlines and cameras turning on her and Nico felt dangerously real.

He didn’t want this day to become something it wasn’t meant to be. He didn’t want Lucy’s joy twisted into gossip, or Nico’s comfort shattered by a spotlight he had never asked for.

Lewis forced a smile, swallowing the tight lump in his throat. He shifted Lucy higher in his arms, her small hands still proudly presenting her new prize to Nico.

Maybe George hadn’t actually made the connection. Maybe he had, but would choose to say nothing. Still, the tension sat under Lewis’s skin like a low, constant hum of static.

He met Nico’s gaze for the briefest moment, silently hoping he couldn’t see the flicker of fear in his eyes.

“Are you Nico? Nico Rosberg?” George asked, hands tucked casually in his pockets.

Nico blinked at him, mild confusion flickering across his face. Lewis, for his part, was just as confused. But George only smiled brightly and extended a hand.

“I saw you in the MTC a few times, years back. You were busy and I wanted to ask where the bathroom was once, but you looked a little intimidating so that never happened” George admitted with a sheepish scratch to the back of his neck.

Nico gave him a stunned smile in reaction.

“Papa, you were here before?” Lucy piped up suddenly, eyes darting between them.

Chapter Text

Nico didn’t know whether to smack George or roll his eyes. Before he could decide, Lewis turned to Lucy and nodded like this was all perfectly fine.

“Yes,” Lewis said, drawing the word out as though he was letting her in on some great secret. “Your Papa’s been to the paddock before. He’s good at fixing cars, right? He can even fix those cars.” He pointed toward the sleek green machine parked in the Aston Martin garage they were passing, his tone light but far too smug for Nico’s liking.

Nico’s jaw twitched. That was it. He was going to smack Lewis… just not here, not in front of Lucy either because he shouldn't condone violence to her so soon.

“You can fix race cars too?” she gasped.

Lewis only grinned wider, clearly enjoying himself far too much. “Well, I can. But your Papa-” he tilted his head toward Nico, eyes glinting with mischief. "He's the real deal. Way better than me.”

Nico blinked, still a little caught off guard.
“That’s not true. Lewis is a world-renowned engineer, okay, Lucy? Don’t believe him,” Nico scoffed, giving Lewis a light punch to the hip. The jab didn’t deter him in the slightest, in fact, it only made Lewis grin wider.

“Well, we could always ask George, couldn’t we?” he snickered, tilting his head toward the younger man.

George’s gaze bounced between them, brow furrowing. “I… err-” he started, clearly unsure which side he was meant to take.

Before the awkwardness could deepen, Alex swooped in. “Right,” he announced, clapping his hands together, “how about we get some food before they run out? Are there good croissants?”

The mere mention of food made Lucy perk up instantly, bouncing on her toes. “Food!” she echoed, slipping from Lewis’s arms and floundering down to grab Alex’s hands.

“Don’t run, Lucy,” Nico muttered automatically, though his lips twitched despite himself.

The others drifted ahead, and somehow without even trying he and Lewis fell into step again. He glanced sideways at Lewis, remembering that ridiculous comment about who was the better engineer, and shook his head. 

“You know I'm not a better engineer than you.” His tone was firmer than he’d meant it to be.

Lewis’s mouth curved, like he was fighting back a laugh. “You sound very sure about that.”

“I am sure,” Nico replied, eyes fixed ahead. It was easier to say it without looking at him. Their paths had been different, Nico’s work dealt with problems that never touched the racetrack, while Lewis had been thrown into the heart of the sport and forced to adapt. Even if he wasn’t directly working on the cars anymore, Lewis had proved time and again that his skill wasn’t bound to a single role. His instincts, his ability to see solutions no one else could, that was talent you didn’t just lose.

But he couldn't say all that could he? 

“You wouldn’t be in that position if you weren’t,” Nico said, and it was the truth. When he finally glanced at Lewis, he found him already watching him back, wearing that same unreadable expression that always left Nico wondering what exactly was going on behind his eyes.

“Right Lucy, I think we’ve annoyed George well enough for the day, haven’t we?” Nico crouched beside her, voice gentle but firm.

Lucy’s bottom lip wobbled, unshed tears making her eyes shine. She didn’t want to go, not yet. But she was a big girl now, and being a big girl meant learning when it was time to leave, no matter how much fun she was having.

“But Papa…” she mumbled.

Nico took her small hands in his own, giving them a reassuring squeeze. She wasn’t usually the type to put up such a fuss. But today had been… a lot. An exciting lot. She’d met some of the other drivers, grinning widely as she high-fived Bearman like she’d known him forever. She’d spent the rest of the afternoon darting between conversations, tugging Nico or Lewis toward whatever had caught her attention next.

And then there had been the Croissant Incident.

Lucy had eyed Lewis’s pastry with laser focus before whispering that she wanted a bite. Then, leaning up on tiptoe, she’d whispered in his ear that she didn’t actually like her own one very much. Lewis had immediately pushed his plate toward her.

Nico had folded his arms across his chest, fixing him with a look. “She needs to learn that sometimes you don’t like everything you choose for yourself,” he’d said, every inch the responsible parent he was supposed to be. He would have given his own to her if she’d really hated hers that much… but that wasn’t the point.

Lewis had only shrugged. “It’s just a croissant,” he’d said.

Nico had narrowed his eyes at him, the tiniest prickle of suspicion threading through his thoughts. Something told him it wasn’t going to be just a croissant.

Then there had been the other ordeal of the day, the actual sprint race.

Keeping Lucy occupied until then had been Lewis’s job. And, to Lewis’s credit, he’d done it remarkably well. In fact, Nico suspected Lucy might be the only person in the paddock who had ever managed to achieve a level of inter-team harmony just by existing.

She had toddled her way through almost every garage, firing off questions at engineers and mechanics like she was conducting her very own paddock-wide interview, all she was missing was the mic and she'd be good to go. 

She’d poked and prodded drivers without an ounce of hesitation, somehow charming a very stupified Oscar Piastri. By the time Nico caught up with her again, she had apparently wormed her way into the good books of some very important figures, important enough that Nico found himself fighting off a low-level panic the entire time. Was that the Ferrari principle?

Because while Lucy’s enthusiasm was infectious, there were also some pretty obvious looks. The ‘when did Lewis have a kid?’ face, that seemed to sweep through each person they met before it melted into something softer under Lucy’s charm. No one was openly questioning anything. But Nico knew how gossip spread, well enough to know that a few quiet rumors would be taking shape before the day was over.

And then, of course, there was the way Lewis looked at her. The way they both lit up in identical delight as he carefully fastened the oversized ear protectors onto her head. Lucy beamed up at him the entire time.

For a brief moment, Nico’s chest felt tight, it made him want to look away before anyone caught him staring. Because right then, those rumors didn’t seem so worrisome to him.

Not when Lewis had turned to wave him over, and Lucy, half-deaf from the snug foam padding had shouted “Papa!” loud enough for half the pit lane to hear.

Goodness.

“You can come any other time,” Alex offered helpfully, and Nico had a feeling this wasn’t going to be Lucy’s last visit anytime soon.

She was fussy now, and Nico couldn’t blame her after all. All she’d had were little bits and bobs to snack on, and two croissants, thanks to Lewis. But she needed real food.

“Lou, you can come again another time,” Nico coaxed, “maybe even for a proper race next time. I’m sure Alex and George would love to have you around. Aren’t you hungry? I think you’re hungry.”

Lucy crossed her arms, lips pressed into a stubborn pout. She wasn’t going to admit it, because admitting it meant admitting it was time to go.

Behind them, Nico could hear Alex and Lewis talking. Alex gave Lewis a salute before turning back to Lucy.

“Hey, Lucy, even I’ve got to go. I have to pick my sister up from school.”

“Oh… bye,” Lucy mumbled, her voice small. She waved half-heartedly as Alex jogged off in the opposite direction.

“See?” Nico said gently, crouching so he was eye level with her. “Even Alex left, because it’s late now. Soon there won’t be anyone here.”

Before Lucy could protest again, Lewis crouched down beside her, resting his forearms on his knees. “Hey, Lucy,” he said, voice low like he was sharing a secret, “are you gonna cash in that favour we talked about?”

Nico blinked, confused, eyes flicking between the two of them. “What favour?”

Lucy’s pout vanished instantly, replaced by a bright grin “He’s gonna take me to get mac and cheese!” she announced. Nico straightened slowly, one brow arching in Lewis’s direction. 

“Mac and cheese,” he repeated, his tone neutral but pointed.

Lewis just gave a shrug, one of those infuriatingly careless ones. As if mac and cheese has enough nutrients needed for a growing child. Before Lucy grabbed both of their hands and started tugging them toward the exit. “Come on! We have to go before all the mac and cheese is gone!”

Nico let himself be dragged along, still giving Lewis a look that promised this conversation wasn’t over. Lewis only grinned back at him, unbothered.

“When I said no mac and cheese, this wasn’t what I meant,” Nico whisper‑shouted across the table at Lewis, who sat at the far end wearing what could only be described as an extremely innocent expression.

Lucy sat to Nico’s left, legs swinging happily under her chair, blissfully unaware of her father’s simmering tone. She was far too distracted.

The seat to Nico’s right was conspicuously empty, because it wasn’t a seat at all. It was open to a wall of glass.

A gigantic wall of glass. With fish on the other side.

It had taken a monumental effort just to get Lucy to sit down. Upon arrival, she’d pressed her nose flat against the glass, utterly enchanted with the marine life. Nico’s horrified expression at the sight of her kissing the glass must have been obvious, because Lewis had smoothly promised her dessert if she sat down ‘soon’.

And it wasn’t just fish, there were massive, deep‑blue creatures drifting by with unhurried grace, their scales catching the light in dazzling, shimmering flashes. Nico was fairly certain one of them had been staring at him for the past five minutes straight. Nico tried not to get lost in the beauty of it all.

Scolding Lewis was difficult enough under normal circumstances, but doing it while the man sat bathed in the faint blue glow of a million‑litre aquarium was almost impossible. He looked absurdly at ease with himself and unfairly handsome, elbows resting on the table as though having a private dinner in an underwater cathedral was something he did on the regular. 

Did Lewis even know what normal was?

The worst part was that he wasn’t even pretending to notice the ridiculous backdrop. He sat there as if he was immune to the sheer absurdity of it all.

Has Nico mentioned the gigantic fish tank yet? Because it was right there. Impossible to ignore. Lucy hadn’t uttered a single word since she'd sat down, utterly silent as she took in more of her surroundings.

“There are other options besides mac and cheese,” Lewis said, flipping through the menu and holding it out for Lucy to see. “They’ve got a pretty extensive children’s section, smaller portions, fun decorations…”

He tapped on a picture of a salad bowl with blue jellyfish‑looking things scattered across it. Lucy’s eyes went wide.

“Can I get that, Papa?” she asked, pointing at it with enthusiasm.

Lucy didn’t even like lettuce.

Nico stared, utterly baffled. What in the world was happening? Seeing Lucy so determined to order a salad of all things, he decided he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If jellyfish lettuce got her to eat greens, he’d take that win.

“Of course,” Nico said, leaning back slightly. “Do they also have an extensive adult menu? Because if there are too many options, I’m not sure I can decide.”

It turned out they did have an insane number of items and no prices listed. As Nico flicked through the pages, it hit him that this dinner was already well out of his tax bracket if they were opting the prices.

Lewis must have noticed his hesitation, because he leaned in, pointing out suggestions without missing a beat. “This one’s great,” he said, tapping a dish. “Or the tofu‑based gravy, it’s really-”

Nico looked up mid‑sentence deciding he'll just have whatever Lewis is having, because how was his brain supposed to process information right now. Nico’s breath hitched, Lewis had really nice lashes. Actually… His nose was nice too. So was the shape of his face.

Scratch that, Lewis was incredibly gorgeous.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t as if this was some sudden revelation, Nico had known back then, too, just how fine Lewis was. But here, in this setting, it was harder to ignore.

Especially when Lewis had ordered for him because Nico couldn’t decide, casually explaining that they couldn’t possibly get the same thing, because then how could he steal a taste of Nico’s? He had even winked when he said it.

Nico, who had been in the middle of wiping Lucy’s face as she demolished the complimentary breadsticks and managed to scatter crumbs everywhere, had felt his ears heat instantly. He’d prayed the dim blue aquarium lighting would hide the blush and that their server hadn’t noticed.

“Of course, sir, the cheesecake will be brought out after the meal,” their server announced smoothly.

“Thank you,” Lewis replied, and Lucy, still busy with her breadstick, chirped an echo of his thanks. The server smiled warmly at her before retreating.

Lewis leaned forward a little, turning his attention to Lucy. “Hmm, so how was the paddock? Did you like it?”

Lucy licked her fingers clean before nodding vigorously. “Mhmm! So fun! George is cool. I like Ollie, he’s fun too! And the cars were so loud, Lew, did you see them? I didn’t see them because they went WHOOSH.”

She demonstrated with a sweeping motion of her hand, making the sound effect for emphasis.

Lewis chuckled. “Yeah, I saw them. But I’ve got to admit, the real show wasn’t the cars, it was watching your Papa try to act like he wasn’t impressed.” His gaze slid to Nico, eyes sparkling in a way that made the implication obvious.

Nico’s lips thinned. He shot Lewis a look that very clearly said you’re dangerously close to getting kicked under this table.

Instead of backing off, Lewis only tilted his head, resting his chin on his hand as though Nico had just given him an invitation. “Cmon Nico,” he said lightly, voice dipped warm and teasing, “if you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to think you don't really like me.”

Nico opened his mouth, only to shut it again, aware of Lucy sitting between them. Lucy, entirely missing the subtext, piped up cheerfully, “But Papa does like you. He even smiled when you weren’t looking.”

Lewis’s laughter came fast and unrestrained, bright enough to make Lucy giggle along. Nico, on the other hand, sank a little in his seat, wondering if it was too late to request the bill and flee.

“I was impressed, it was fun,” Nico told Lewis. It was the truth. He had enjoyed himself, and the added bonus had been seeing just how natural Lewis was around Lucy.

“I’m glad,” Lewis replied. There was a pause where their eyes lingered on each other a moment too long.

“Look at that one!” Lucy suddenly exclaimed, pointing toward a decently sized parrotfish gliding past the glass. Nico tore his gaze away from Lewis to show Lucy his interest.

He started telling her about the time Uncle Sebastian had accidentally gotten bitten by a parrotfish, when he felt something brush against his foot under the table.

Lucy’s eyes went wide, horrified, and she whispered to the fish, “Don’t eat me.”

Nico smiled, but shot Lewis a pointed look. Lewis, elbows resting casually on the table, only tilted his head and nudged Nico’s foot again.

Nico nudged back, just in case Lewis hadn’t gotten the memo.

Apparently, this was all the encouragement Lewis needed, because now they were definitely shoving at each other under the table.

“What are you, twelve?” Nico snickered in disbelief. Lewis only shrugged, looking far too pleased with himself.

“Silly, Papa, Lewis is a hundred years old,” Lucy declared before shoving another breadstick into her mouth.

Nico watched as Lewis’s jaw dropped open. He couldn’t hold back the laughter anymore.

“What? What do you mean I’m a hundred years old? I’m not a hundred years old! I’m not even half a hundred years old!” Lewis protested, looking genuinely offended.

That only made Nico laugh harder, the sound bubbling out of him because of how ridiculous Lewis sounded defending himself.

Lucy swallowed her breadstick and added, completely serious, “But I learned in school that people who are smart are old, and you’re really smart… so you must be really old. A hundred is really old.”

Now Nico had tears in his eyes from laughing. Lucy glanced at him like he’d lost his mind, still clutching her breadstick, crumbs dotting her face, there was one under her eye.

“No, dear,” Lewis tried to explain, tone patient but a little too defensive, “that’s wisdom. Yes, old people usually have a lot of wisdom, but that’s because they’ve lived for a really long time. I don’t have a lot of wisdom because I haven’t been alive that long.”

Nico stifled another laugh, because Lewis’s explanation somehow managed to sound confusing both to him and very obviously, to Lucy, who turned to Nico with an expression that screamed, what is this fool talking about?

Lewis wasn’t about to let it go. “Okay, if I’m smart, then what’s your Papa? He’s really smart too, right?”

Lucy beamed at Nico and nodded. “Papa’s the smartest.”

Lewis grinned. “Then how old does that make him?”

Lucy frowned in thought, her little brows knitting together as she considered it. Nico smiled at the playful back-and-forth.

“Erm… two hundred?” she finally said.

Nico froze, then covered his face with both hands as Lewis dissolved into triumphant laughter.

“I’m just going to assume you’ll end up giving most of your food to Lucy and then eating off my plate instead,” Nico mumbled as they stepped out of the gloriously expensive restaurant. He was busy rummaging through his pockets, a flicker of panic hitting him at the thought he might have left his house keys inside. He was juggling bags filled with paddock goodies, merchandise Lucy had been gifted, along with what were probably the most expensive caps he would ever own, and of course, a generous stash of breadsticks Lucy had decided she couldn’t live without.

Up ahead, Lucy was waving at the reception desk, loudly declaring her love for the breadsticks. Nico had smiled politely at the staff, all the while internally wondering whose child she really was, because her unending social skills certainly hadn’t come from them.

“Is that your way of saying this is something we’re going to do often?” Lewis asked, stopping beside him.

Nico had already run out of excuses to look away. He couldn’t even claim to be distracted by Lewis’s new car, he had already fluttered over it on the ride here.

Lucy rounded the vehicle, complaining loudly that she didn’t know how to open the door. Lewis moved to help her in and buckle her seatbelt, while Nico finally fished his keys out of his pocket with a quiet sigh of relief.

When he looked up again, Lewis was holding the passenger door open for him. Nico gave him a small smile.

“What a gentleman,” he murmured in Lewis’s ear before sliding into the seat.

It was easy with Lewis. Beyond all the teasing, the poking, the moments where most people would retreat when Nico went full wet-cat mode… Lewis didn’t. Sometimes he’d take the hit, other times he’d circle back, but he never really pulled away.

It was just so inexplicably easy to be himself around Lewis. All of himself. Even the sharp edges, even the salty parts.

Nico glanced up when he realized Lewis still hadn’t shut the door. Lewis was standing there, blinking down at him like he’d momentarily forgotten how to move. There was something dazed in his eyes, something that made Nico’s pulse skip, and then heat crawled up his neck.

Did he fluster Lewis Hamilton of all people?

“Yup. Right.” Lewis’s voice was a little rough as he gave an awkward headshake, snapping out of whatever trance he’d fallen into. The door closed with a soft click, and he rounded the car to the driver’s side.

When he slid into the seat, Nico caught the faintest flush still painting his cheeks. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make Nico’s stomach feel unsteady in the best and worst ways.

“You guys buckled in?” Lewis asked, trying for casual, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

Lucy, grinned and threw him a thumbs-up from the back seat.

Nico spent the entire car ride firing off texts to Valtteri who may or may not have just caused an accident in the garage. This, Nico thought with a long, drawn-out sigh, was exactly why he clocked in to work every single day.

“She’s asleep,” Lewis murmured, breaking the quiet.

Nico glanced over his shoulder to see Lucy fast asleep, her head tilted against the seat, a tiny line of drool glistening at the corner of her mouth.

“She had a pretty exciting day,” Nico said softly, a small smile tugging at his lips. “No wonder she’s knocked out.”

“You think so?” Lewis’s reply was almost tentative, hesitant in a way that made Nico pause.

He turned to look at him, but Lewis’s eyes flicked away quickly, focusing on the road again. The moment felt strangely familiar, like they’d been here before, both of them skirting the edges of a conversation they weren’t quite ready to have.

They really needed to stop having important discussions while driving.

“It was just, Alex said he needed another pass,” Lewis began, his voice careful, “and I asked who it was for. When he said it was for you two, I was… momentarily too excited to think about anything else.”

Nico felt the corners of his mouth curve despite himself. Lewis was excited, genuinely excited to be around Lucy. And Nico wasn’t going to fault him for that.

Lewis’s hands tightened on the wheel, knuckles faintly white. “But it slipped my mind… just how many people would be there. All the media, the VIPs, the photographers. And if you’d felt uncomfortable, if Lucy being there, with me, around all of that-” He exhaled sharply through his nose. “You know you could’ve said so, right?”

There was a pause before Lewis added, almost under his breath, “I… I’m stupid, actually.”

“You’re not stupid, Lewis,” Nico countered, the faintest grin tugging at his lips. “You’re a hundred years old.”

Lewis snorted quietly, but Nico could see the faint crease in his brow. And Nico… well, he had a feeling where this was heading. He’d already thought about it, more than once.

The world Lewis lived in was not the same as the one Nico and Lucy inhabited. Lewis’s life was crowded, always under the lens, forever scrutinized. If Lewis truly wanted to be in Lucy’s life, that part of him… that public, inescapable part… wasn’t something Lucy could avoid. It wasn’t something Nico could shield her from completely.

The thought made Nico’s stomach twist, but he forced himself to be pragmatic. Lucy would be in the spotlight at first, that much was inevitable. The whispers, the speculation, they may even share snapshots of her face online. He hated it already, but he also knew the cycle well enough. 

The rumors would burn hot, then cool. Eventually, the world would move on to someone else. That was the best Nico could hope for… the least he could hope for.

Because it would be wrong, wrong to deny Lewis of Lucy’s existence. Nico knew that. He’d known it from the moment Lewis had first laid eyes on her. Lewis must have felt the weight of that absence, blaming himself for not being there, for missing moments he could never get back. 

Lewis didn’t laugh at his “hundred years old” joke, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward. The gesture was small, but Nico caught it.

“I am worried, Lewis” Nico said, his voice lower now, more deliberate.

Lewis’s eyes flicked to him, quick but alert, before returning to the road.

“I’m scared too,” Nico admitted, feeling the words drag their weight out of his chest. “Scared of what’s to come.” He wasn’t even sure what exactly he meant, whether it was about them, about Lucy, about the public piecing together the truth, or just everything all at once.

He paused, choosing his words carefully. “I’m scared that the media will start connecting the dots. That one blurry picture, one headline, one slip… and they’ll start harassing my daughter. Following her to school, twisting her into some kind of public curiosity.” His grip on his thigh tightened unconsciously. “Would you let that happen?”

Nico’s voice was quieter now, but the question was heavier than anything he’d asked Lewis before. Because this, this was him putting so much on the line. Not just his own peace, but Lucy’s. And once it was gone, there would be no getting it back. He needed to know how far Lewis could and would go. What lines he’d cross to keep her safe.

“Never.”

There wasn’t a heartbeat of hesitation in Lewis’s voice. The word came out firm with raw conviction.

Nico looked over and saw it in him, in the set of his jaw, the steady line of his mouth, the glint in his eyes that said this wasn’t just something he’d say to comfort him. 

He meant it.

Chapter Text

This would be the second time Nico had to carry Lucy to bed after a car ride with Lewis, he thought dryly as he reached over to unbuckle her seatbelt. He tilted his head, wondering how he was supposed to do this without waking her. If she woke up now, she’d be fussy and wouldn’t sleep again until three in the morning.

“Want me to carry her?” Lewis’s voice came from just behind him.

Nico glanced back to find him standing there, eyes a little wide, shoulders lifting in a tentative shrug.

“Only if you want me to, of course,” Lewis added quickly. “Just tell me no if you don’t, I just thought it might be easier since you’ve also got a lot of stuff to carry-”

“That would be nice, Lewis.” Nico cut in with a small smile. He was a little draft, sure, but unnecessarily charming to boot, so it all balanced out in the end.

So Lewis ended up carrying a sleeping Lucy, while Nico gathered all their gifts. And the thought that ran through Nico’s mind, as they headed toward his front door, was… had he actually cleaned today? Shit.

“Don’t mind the mess,” Nico whispered, gesturing down the corridor toward Lucy’s room. He quickly set all the bags on the kitchen counter before opening her door.

He flicked on the nightlight just in case she woke up and panicked in the dark, while Lewis carefully lowered her into bed. Nico’s nose twitched at the sight of her still in her outdoor clothes, but the fear of waking her and then having to endure hours of Looney Tunes reruns because “the blue bird was so, so, so fast” was enough to make him choose his battles carefully.

Leaning against the doorframe, Nico watched as Lewis tucked her in with careful, deliberate hands. Once satisfied, Lewis brushed away a few frizzed curls from her forehead before stepping back. The quiet room made Nico’s heart thud harder than it should have. Lewis pressed a finger to his lips in a conspiratorial “shhh” before tiptoeing out, earning an exaggerated eye roll from him.

He closed the door and turned only to find himself practically chest-to-chest with Lewis. Nico blinked.

“George said she looks exactly like me,” Lewis murmured into the nonexistent space between them, his gaze soft, face relaxed as his eyes traced over Nico’s features. To his eyes, his nose… and even his lips.

“I told him he needed to go to Specsavers because she looks exactly like you,” Lewis added with a small tilt of his head.

Their moment broke when Nico snorted.

“Yeah, right.” Nico grinned and stepped away, knowing full well Lewis would follow.

“I’m not joking!” Lewis called incredulously. Nico shook his head, the smile stubbornly clinging to his face as he busied himself with the abandoned gifts.

“Okay, basic features aside, so what if she’s not as pale as you? She’s a mixed kid, of course she’s going to be tanner” Lewis reasoned, trailing after him. Nico was stacking the assortment of caps on the top shelf, already making a mental note to get hooks for them if she's going to be collecting team caps now.

“Okay, so she’s tan. What about her hair? Her eye color? Her eye shape? Her chin? Should I go on?” Nico deadpanned, glancing at him over his shoulder.

Lewis scoffed, leaning one elbow on the counter like he couldn’t believe a single word Nico was saying.

“C’mere,” Lewis said, curling his fingers in a beckoning gesture.

Nico stepped forward cautiously, only for Lewis to hook a single finger under his chin and tilt his head upward.

His breath hitched.

Lewis was staring. Studying him. And with every passing second of that unwavering gaze, Nico felt his face grow hotter.

“You done?” Nico muttered, voice a little tighter than he meant.

Lewis smirked, eyes still locked on him. “Nope. Just a bit more.”

Nico pulled back with a scowl, certain his face was now an alarming shade of red. He turned back to the counter, muttering under his breath, things like stupid man and no concept of personal space, while shoving breadsticks into disposable containers.

Lewis’s quiet snicker followed him.

“It’s true,” Lewis said after a beat. “She’s got your chin, your smile, the roundness of your face-”

Nico shot him a sharp glare for that last one, and Lewis raised his hands in mock surrender, though the grin never left his lips.

“She has your dimples, your laugh, the way your whole face lights up when you talk about cars, your-”

Nico shoved half a breadstick into his mouth before he could finish.

Lewis froze mid-sentence, blinking at him in stunned silence.

Nico gave him a polite smile, just this side of smug before turning back to his task. Lewis chewed slowly, still looking at him like he wasn’t sure what had just happened. Meanwhile, Nico focused very hard on sealing the containers, silently willing the heat in his cheeks to drain away to… well, anywhere else.

Lewis chewed the breadstick in silence before drifting closer, close enough that Nico could feel the faint brush of his arm.

Nico held the container up like a barrier. “More?” He was deflecting, he knew that but he was also warm all over.

Lewis shook his head, eyes warm, a smile tugging at his lips.

“She’s perfect,” he murmured, almost in awe. “Thank you for making such a perfect little girl.”

It was like Nico’s heart lodged itself in his throat. How was he supposed to keep his bearings when Lewis was being all soft and sincere, saying things like that? The telltale sting of tears prickled at the back of his eyes, but he forced them down.

“I didn’t do it all alone,” Nico said, his voice steadier than he felt. “I had help along the way.”

His fingers tightened around the plastic container. It was ridiculous, feeling nervous in his own home but Lewis’s presence in that moment felt so large. Overwhelming. For someone who stood at the exact same height, it felt like Lewis was somehow towering over him, peering at him from over his shoulder without even leaning in.

And yet… Lewis had said it so easily, giving him more praise than he deserved. Handling all of this with a calm that Nico couldn’t match. It was unfair how he seemed so steady while Nico was the one barely holding on.

Lewis nodded slowly. “I’m sure you did.” Then, softer, “But can’t I praise you anyway?”

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a near whisper, dangerously close to Nico’s ear. Warm breath ghosted along the curve of his nape, sending a tingling shiver down his spine.

Suddenly, Nico’s phone began pinging nonstop, the sharp ding of incoming messages breaking the moment. Lewis instinctively stepped back as Nico reached for it.

A glance at the screen told him it was Jenson. Just Jenson. Nico set the phone back down without opening the chat, he wasn’t eager to open that particular idiocy tonight.

When he looked up again, Lewis was scratching the back of his neck, looking almost sheepish.

“I’m… uh, I’m sure it’s time for me to go,” Lewis said, his voice pitched just a little too high, already moving toward the door.

Nico smiled faintly and followed, watching him fumble with the lock. Lewis stepped outside, turning back as if to say goodbye, but something in his expression, so open and unguarded, made Nico speak before he could think.

“Are you busy next weekend?” His voice was steadier than he expected.

Lewis’s brows furrowed briefly before his expression shifted into something almost regretful. “Well… I won’t be back until Sunday night,” he admitted, the disappointment clear in his tone.

Nico let out a quiet sigh. Of course Lewis was busy, he was a busy man. Damn it.

“Oh.” Nico leaned against the doorframe, nodding as if to brush it off.

“But,” Lewis added quickly, his own frustration evident, “I’ll be free that week after, if you’ll have me. Just… text me, keep me posted,” he reasoned, almost as if he was trying to make up for not being available sooner.

Nico nodded, still feeling that faint sting of disappointment. “Alright… I’ll let you know.”

Lewis lingered for a moment longer, his eyes searching Nico’s face like he wanted to say something else. Instead, he offered a small smile.

“Goodnight, Nico,” he said softly, stepping back.

“Goodnight, Lewis,” Nico replied, watching as Lewis walked down the hall. He didn’t close the door right away, letting it stay open until Lewis disappeared from view, the faint echo of his footsteps fading into the quiet.

“Damnit nico, couldn't hold yourself now, could you?” He mumbled. 

“What do you mean she bit his finger?” Nico mumbled into his phone, a carrot in one hand and a handful of potatoes in the other. He just got into the grocery store, because children eat a lot, like a lot lot. And Lucy, in particular, consumed fruits like they were going out of style. The dent she put in his wallet just for berries alone was unreasonable. Now, all he needed was to somehow get her to eat a decent amount of greens, and she’d be set for life. He tossed a cabbage in his hand thoughtfully.

On the other end of the line, Jensen had been wheezing with laughter for the past few minutes. Nico had barely stepped foot into the store when the man had called, and Nico, fearing something had happened to Lucy, picked up immediately, only to be met with Jensen, breathlessly informing him that Lucy had bitten Fernando.

Lucy didn’t bite people. Ever. But for some reason, whenever she spent time at Fernando’s, she either came home with a new skill or a brand new reason to be put into time-out.

Nico groaned out loud. He’d been in the store for over fifteen minutes, and at this rate, he wasn’t going to get through his grocery list fast enough to make it to Fernando’s, pick up Lucy, and have dinner ready before she started getting hungry and demanded Frosties.

“Oh, Alonso, don’t make her feed my fish! You know they have a really strict die- ” Nico hung up before he got sucked into another pointless exchange.

He looked down at the potatoes he chose and made himself a promise, he wasn’t going to cave and make Lucy fries with these just because she asked. No, tonight she was going to eat something nutritious.

Say it until you believe it, his mind supplied.

His phone rang again, and Nico was this close to throwing it into the nearest bin. Juggling the plastic produce bags while trying to bag the potatoes, he could feel the side-eye from nearby shoppers.

Goodness. Jensen’s fish better have died if he was calling again.

“What?” Nico snapped into the phone without even checking the caller ID.

The line was quiet for a few seconds before a hesitant voice replied, “Is this… erm, not a good time?”

Nico froze, pulled the phone away, and glanced at the screen.

“Lewis! no, that’s! shit, sorry. It’s fine, I just didn’t check the caller ID. Thought you were someone else. Uh… what’s up?” He shoved the bag of potatoes into his cart, realizing too late that his voice had carried louder than socially acceptable, judging by the sharp stink-eye from the woman to his right.

“Hi to you too, Nico,” Lewis snickered through the line.

Nico groaned internally.

“I was calling to say I’m back in town, just out getting some gas,” Lewis mumbled.

Nico blinked, a little confused. Usually, by this time of day, Lewis would have sent at least one picture of Roscoe doing whatever it was Roscoe did while Lewis was working. Most of the time, it was photos of the dog living his best, most pampered life in luxurious settings. Other times, it was selfies of Lewis and Roscoe together, either outside on a run or curled up in bed.

Not that Nico would ever admit it to anyone, but there was one photo in particular. A just-woken-up Lewis, hair a mess, with a flopped-over Roscoe beside him that he may have gone back to look at more than once.

Lucy had seen all these photos too, and she’d made it her personal mission to send Lewis an equal amount of selfies in return. Most were ridiculous angles of her in random corners of the house, though a few had been of Nico sleeping taken without his knowledge. She was practically a pro at taking pictures now that she had her own house phone. But still, Nico swore she wasn’t getting social media until she was like at least twenty.

So when a whole day passed without a single photo from Lewis, Nico had admittedly been a little concerned.

“Oh. Well, I’m doing some shopping, we’re out of toothpaste at home,” Nico grumbled, pushing his cart forward.

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

“Wait, are you at that place that sells the Frosties?”

It took Nico a second to remember. “Yeah. But it’s not that day. Still, yes, I’m here.” He frowned at the endless rows of cereal boxes.

“Well, I’m close by. Want me to drop in? I could give you a lift,” Lewis offered.

Nico blinked, caught off guard, a shy grin crossed his face.

“I just meant that… because I’m close by and-”

“Lewis.”

“Yeah?”

“Come help me find the toothpaste.”

Chapter Text

“First of all, this sucks ass. And second of all, it’s like 200% artificial because this must taste nothing like grape juice.”

Now, why Nico was arguing about the nutritional value of grape juice at 7:30 p.m. on a Sunday night with Lewis who was dressed in a godforsaken white suit was not how he had envisioned his evening going.

A few moments earlier…

“Hey, Lewi… why are you in a suit?” 

Nico had gawked at him, because Lewis looked wildly out of place in his immaculately tailored white three-piece against the two day old produce section. His hair was pulled back, his fingers glittered with silver rings, and even his shoes looked swanky enough to belong in a display case.

“I told you, I just got back,” Lewis said, peering into Nico’s almost-empty cart with clear amusement.

Nico, meanwhile, was still trying to process the fact that this man not only owned a white suit but looked that good in it. And upon closer inspection, he noticed the slight shadows under Lewis’s eyes and the weariness tucked between blinks.

“Yeah, but I thought you meant you’d been back for a while? Lewis… Did you even go home?” Nico asked, narrowing his eyes as Lewis picked up a bag of Cheerios from the cart.

“Just off the flight. It was quite a drive from the airport, but I promise you, my luggage went home, even if I didn’t.” Lewis shook his head.

Nico crossed his arms. What was he supposed to say to that? Go home? Take a breather? Lucy gives great snuggles?

But what actually came out was, “Why?”

Lewis looked up from scrutinizing Nico’s grocery choices. Maybe Nico’s feelings were just as transparent as his face.

“Because you asked…” Lewis mumbled, a shy smile tugging at his lips. “And because I really wanted to see you.”

Nico’s arms dropped instantly. Yeah, he definitely didn’t have a comeback for that.

“I think toothpaste is this way,” he muttered instead.

Now, here they were, Lewis having shed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves to reveal inked up arms, holding up a packet of grape juice like it was an affront to humanity.

“Look, it even says artificial sweetener. Why are you buying fake juice?” Lewis asked, still scandalized.

Nico just dropped two more packets into his cart. “It’s not for me, it’s for Lucy because she likes it. And before you start lecturing me about proper food intake, she has it in moderation.” He raised a finger, cutting Lewis off before he could launch into another health speech.

Lewis grumbled as Nico pushed the cart away. He could be such a nag sometimes, but Nico couldn’t deny the warmth curling in his chest as Lewis trailed after him like an overeager puppy, humming softly and hovering close.

“You must've had an event today? Is that why you’re so dressed up?” Nico broke the silence first.

“Yeah, it was in the late afternoon. And let me tell you it was long and incredibly boring. I had to pose for far too many pictures. I think I’m slightly blinded by the camera flashes actually. Got on the plane as soon as it was over.” Lewis stretched his neck for emphasis, as though the act of standing still for photos had been grueling labor.

Nico let out a quiet laugh. “Why would you book a flight for the same day as the event? Wouldn’t you be exhausted afterward?” It wasn’t as though he didn’t have the money to stay overnight.

Lewis glanced over from the protein shake aisle, his mouth twitching like he was holding back a smile. “I didn’t exactly book a flight. I just wanted to come back as soon as possible. I promised someone I would.”

He said it while looking directly at Nico, making it abundantly clear who that “someone” was.

“I didn’t make you promise anything... And that doesn’t even make sense? You ‘didn’t book a flight?’ Did you drive back or something?” Nico frowned. Lewis definitely hadn’t looked like he was in the country based on his pictures.

Lewis placed a bottle of honey into the cart before Nico could protest.

“No, Nico. I didn’t drive back.” His tone was dry, amused. “I flew here… you know… private.”

He picked up a can of beans, raised an eyebrow at it, and promptly put it back.

It took a moment for Nico to process. “Oh… oh.” Right. Immaculately tailored suit. Swanky shoes. Of course he’d have a private plane. 

“Wow, you own a private plane,” Nico murmured into the apple he was holding, feeling like he might be just a little bit dissociating.

Lewis shrugged, a little nervous, though why on earth he would be nervous was beyond Nico. This was a man who owned a private plane, attended lavish events in different countries, and sat in important meetings where they probably discussed… Vehicle taxes or something.

Goodness.

“And I can barely pay for these stupid fruits,” Nico muttered, groaning when he caught sight of the blueberry’s price again.

Lewis leaned over his shoulder, an easy laugh escaping him. “It can’t be that bad.”

He glanced at the berries. Nico sighed and pointed out the ones Lucy liked, slightly larger than normal blueberries. She loved eating them alongside grapes, and if given the chance, she’d annihilate any fruit she could throw into her mouth.

“She’s got expensive taste?” Lewis teased, grinning at him.

“She must get it from you then” Nico grumbled, dropping a punnet into the cart. He pretended not to notice the way Lewis’s face lit up at that.

Lewis reached for more berries, tossing them in as well. Nico arched an eyebrow at the now ridiculous pile.

“That seems a little excessive,” Nico said dryly.

“Nonsense.” Lewis waved him off, his earlier bone-deep exhaustion and mild disdain for Nico’s grocery choices vanishing, replaced with a kind of boyish excitement.

It was almost childish how a small comment could make him so happy.

And, Nico’s brain unhelpfully supplied, Lewis looked really good when he was happy.

“You have to admit, it was kind of funny,” Lewis snorted, leaning casually against the stairwell railing.

Nico rolled his eyes so hard he was sure his head rattled. “No, it wasn’t and don’t you dare tell Sebastian,” he gritted out.

He rapped his knuckles against Fernando’s apartment door, still scowling. It hadn’t been funny at all. He and Lewis had basically argued in front of the cashier.

“Lewis, these are my groceries.”

“Yeah, but you were just complaining a few minutes ago about the price of fruit being too high.”

“I was joking.”

“Well, I’m not, so I’ll pay.”

“No, you’re not! Don’t take his card, take mine.”

“Look at this enormous pile of fruit. With inflation, that’s going to put a sizable dent in your wallet. Take my card.”

“Are you calling me broke? Here’s my card.”

“I’m not calling you broke! I’m saying I have the means and it’s just fruit. Take my card.”

“Well, there’s also toothpaste!”

Nico was frustrated, not because Lewis ultimately won the argument with his, “I put more items in than you anticipated, so please let me” logic, but because of how easily Nico let it go when Lewis muttered please. That word should not have been as disarming as it was.

There was also the simple fact that Nico could, and would afford anything for his child. It wasn’t as if he’d failed in life so badly that he couldn’t buy his daughter fruit. Still, the old frustration lingered, the years of not finishing university, of raising a baby in less-than-ideal conditions, scraping by when every bill felt like a threat. 

He had worked his way out of that, piece by piece, until now he could look at Lucy’s life and feel proud of what he could give her. But even in that pride, the familiar itch of anxiety sat under his skin, the fear that one day, it might not be enough again. That no matter how much he provided now, he could still fall short.

“I didn’t mean it like that, you know?” Lewis said, sensing Nico’s frustration ran deeper than their little checkout squabble.

“I know you’d break an arm and a leg to get Lucy whatever she wants,” Lewis continued. “I know because… so would I… and I’ve only met her a handful of times.”

Nico sighed. “Yeah, no… I’m making an unnecessary fuss, that’s all.” He waved a hand dismissively, a little embarrassed. Obviously, Lewis wasn’t undermining him, Lewis was constantly praising him, even when Nico didn’t feel like he deserved it.

“It’s just… I want to be able to help,” Lewis said, quieter now. “I know you don’t need any help, but I’d still like to do things for you and Lucy. Just because I want to. It just feels like I have a lot of catching up to do.”

Nico opened his mouth to apologize? To explain? To justify how shit it made him feel? It didn’t matter what he was going to say, because at that moment, the door swung open.

Jensen stuck his head out, blinking at Lewis for a couple of seconds before turning to Nico.

“She’s in the kitchen. I don’t think her bag is packed, though,” Nico groaned. Leave it to Jensen to find any excuse to keep Lucy around for longer.

“Lucy, your dad’s here!” Jensen called over his shoulder, locking eyes with Lewis as he said it. Nico almost kicked him. Lewis only smiled politely.

The quick patter of feet echoed down the hallway, and Lucy appeared, heading straight for the door.

“I’m Jensen,” Jensen said, extending his hand. Lewis shook it.

“Lewis,” he replied.

Nico glanced between them, catching the slight tension that seemed to hang in the air.

“No, Papa, I don’t want to go home- Lewis!” Lucy bemoaned, cutting herself off the moment she realized who was standing there. She immediately bolted forward and wrapped herself around Lewis’s leg. Lewis’s smile could have lit up the entire city.

“Hey there, cutie. How’ve you been? Missed me?” Lewis asked, trying to gently pry her off his pant leg. But Lucy’s grip was iron-tight. With a resigned sigh, Lewis slid his hands under her arms and hoisted her up. Lucy giggled, clinging to his neck.

“Mhmm. You didn’t even send a picture of Rosco today-”

Before Nico could hear the rest, Jensen very deliberately grabbed his arm and yanked him inside. Nico stumbled, nearly tripping.

“What the fu- dge, Jen?” Nico hissed, catching himself.

They left Lucy and Lewis in the entryway as Jensen led him toward the living room. The murmur of their voices still carried faintly from the door. Nico’s eyes landed on Alonso, who was gathering Lucy’s toys and placing them neatly into her bag. Alonso looked up and gave Nico a warm nod.

Why isn’t Alonso my best friend? Nico thought with mild disgust before turning his gaze on Jensen, who stood with his arms crossed, staring expectantly at him.

“What?” Nico asked, bending down to help pack the toys. He still had dinner to make, after all.

“You’re co-parenting now?” Jensen asked, and Nico immediately lifted a finger to his lips, glancing toward the hallway. They probably couldn’t hear anything from here, but still…

“No. We’re just… getting a feel of being around one another, you know…” Nico said. Not that it was true, they’d only hung out a pathetic three times as the three of them, not counting the time in the hospital.

“Getting a feel for each other, my ass. You definitely want to feel something else up-”

“Jensen-” Fernando cut in sharply from the side.

That’s it. Alonso is my best friend now. Throw Jensen in the trash, Nico thought, feeling his face go hot. Jensen only gave his boyfriend a sheepish grin before continuing, undeterred.

“Do you even realize how you were looking at him with Lucy? That was the most smitten I’ve ever seen you. I didn’t even know your face could make an expression like that.”

Yup. That’s enough bullshit for today.

“Just keep the rest of the toys,” Nico said to Fernando, grabbing Lucy’s small bag. “She’s here often enough that she’s gonna need them anyways”

He ignored the Jensen-shaped annoyance entirely.

“Would she be visiting us a lot then? Wow. Really cashing in on the opportunity, I see. What kind of company are you keeping Nico, I wonde?”

At that moment, Jensen had never felt more like a buzzing fly in Nico’s life.

And yet, when Nico stepped into the hallway scowling and muttering things about swatting away flies, he saw Lucy patting Lewis’s chest with her tiny hands, both of them wearing identical toothy grins, he felt something in his chest soften.

Maybe Jensen wasn’t so far off.

Chapter Text

Jensen was charming, Lewis would give him that. He had an easy grin, a sly glint in his eyes, and apparently no concept of personal space.

Lewis leaned casually against the doorway, watching as Nico knelt to help a pouting Lucy put on her bag, even though she’d insisted that she could do it herself.

“Tell your Papa to bring you here more often, hmm?” Jensen said, his voice warm and teasing. He crouched slightly to be at Lucy’s level, one hand braced casually on the wall far too close to Nico’s shoulder.

Lewis’s jaw ticked before he could stop it. It wasn’t that Jensen was doing anything wrong, he was good to Lucy, too good. Lucy giggled at something Jensen said, the sound bright and easy, like she’d known him forever. She might have known him her whole life.

It should have been a good thing, Lewis told himself, seeing Lucy so at ease. But there was something about the way Jensen’s hand lingered on the strap of Lucy’s bag, the way his gaze flicked up to Nico with that mischievous, knowing look like he was in on a joke Lewis wasn’t part of, that tugged at something sharp in his chest.

Nico just rolled his eyes at whatever Jensen was murmuring, but there was no real bite to it. They had that kind of familiarity, that history Lewis didn’t share. Jensen could tease him without crossing a line, could stand too close without Nico stiffening, could make Lucy laugh without even trying.

And Lewis hated how much he noticed.

When Lucy turned to beam up at Jensen and promised she’d “make Papa bring me here more” Lewis forced a polite smile, one he knew didn’t reach his eyes.

It wasn’t even that he didn’t like Jensen, anyone who was good to both Nico and Lucy was immediately in his good books. He just… didn’t like how obvious it was that there were people who’d been part of Nico and Lucy’s lives long before him. People who had a head start. People who’d already figured out how to fit into their world better than he had.

“Let’s go, Lewis!”

Lucy’s small hand slipped into his own, and Lewis felt his heart thunder in his chest. Her hand was so tiny, so warm, and when she looked up at him with those big, round eyes, he realized he was in real danger of spoiling her relentlessly.

With a genuine smile, he swung their hands lightly. “Next stop?”

“Home,” she confirmed with a decisive nod.

Lewis looked back down at this little wonder before glancing up, only to see Nico blushing a soft, pretty pink. Unfortunately, he wasn’t looking at Lewis. His gaze was fixed on Jensen, who was smirking about something he must have just said.

Lewis’s jaw tightened. He shook his head, pushing the thought aside, and looked back down at Lucy. “Wanna see what color my car is today?”

“YES!” she squealed without hesitation.

“Lewis, are you coming?” Lucy asked, struggling with the buckle on her seatbelt. Her hands tugged at it with all the determination she could muster but made no progress. Nico leaned in to undo it for her, and from Lewis’s vantage point, he couldn’t see Nico’s face, even though he wished he could.

“Well, it is pretty late. Maybe Lewis is tired?” Nico reasoned gently, glancing at Lucy’s frown.

He was tired. Bone-deep tired. He hadn’t gone home, hadn’t even sat down properly for the last ten hours. The event earlier had been exhausting, something he’d been mentally preparing for weeks in advance. It had been a drag, yes, but not the kind of drag that left him sluggish, it was the kind that wound him up with nervous energy. And still, the only thing that stuck in his mind from that entire day was the flicker of disappointment on Nico’s face when Lewis had told him he wouldn’t be able to make it this weekend.

So, the moment the event wrapped, he’d told his driver to take him straight to the airport. He was still running on adrenaline, too keyed up to feel the jet lag fully.

“Oh… Lewis, are you too tired to watch Cars with me?” Lucy’s voice pulled him back, her pout almost comically exaggerated.

“Lucy, I just said-” Nico started, but Lewis cut in without thinking.

“I’m not tired,” he said quickly, leaning toward her, “and I would love to watch the Cars movie with you. But… tomorrow’s a school day, isn’t it? If you stay up too late, won’t you be tired at school?”

He didn’t want to leave. Not this. Not the comfortable bubble of back-and-forth, of Nico’s soft voice in the background, of Lucy’s hand still holding onto his sleeve.

Nico gave him a small, grateful look, but there was something complicated there too, something Lewis couldn’t quite read. Lucy, on the other hand, looked utterly put off by the suggestion. Pout even bigger.

“Well,” Nico said after a moment, “if Lewis isn’t too tired, maybe we could watch half the movie?”

Lewis’s head snapped toward him so fast his neck almost protested. Nico only gave a small, shy shrug.

“That is, if you want to,” Nico added. “You should probably go home, thou-”

“Yes,” Lewis blurted, maybe a little too eagerly. “Yes, I’d love to.”

“YEEEES!” 

“Lucy dont scream please”

“My favourite is also the second movie!” Lucy announced with wide-eyed excitement, pausing and unpausing the TV with the remote because she had something important to say every few seconds.

“Lucy, you have to get ready for bed before dinner,” Nico called from across the room. He’d been moving around, picking things up and fussing in that quiet way he did when he wanted to make sure everything looked presentable. Lewis didn’t know how to tell him that nothing in this place needed fixing, at least not in his eyes.

“But it’s not even been five minutes!” Lucy protested, her voice rising in a dramatic little whine.

Lewis grinned over his shoulder just in time to see Nico give her a stern look and point toward her room. Lucy let out a dramatic sigh and stomped away but not before glancing back to make sure Lewis wasn’t going to leave.

“Go,” Lewis promised softly. “I’ll still be here.”

When she vanished down the hall, Nico sank onto the couch beside him, taking up the space Lucy had just left. His shoulder brushed Lewis’s.

“She won’t be gone long” Nico murmured. “She’s too excited that you’re here.”

Lewis smiled faintly. “Good. I want her to always be excited to see me. You think it’ll fade, though? Once I’m not… new anymore?”

It wasn’t fear, exactly, but the thought of being just another passing presence in her life left an ache he didn’t want to name.

Nico’s mouth quirked. “Hmm… not sure. Keep taking her to the paddock and it might never fade.”

“Noted,” Lewis said, his eyes lingering on Nico a beat too long.

Right on cue, Lucy came stumbling back, clutching a gigantic plush shaped like a biscuit. She plopped it into Nico’s lap with great ceremony, then wedged herself into the small sliver of space between them. Lewis felt something inside him shift at that, like she’d unknowingly made room for herself in a corner of his heart he hadn’t realized was empty.

“Are. You. Readyyy!” Lucy declared, drawing out every word. She jabbed at the play button pressing it more times than necessary before the movie finally started.

Lewis chuckled, glancing sideways just in time to see Nico press a gentle kiss to Lucy’s hair. The three of them settled into the couch, shoulders touching, the flicker of the TV lighting their faces in the quiet glow of something that made his body feel all loose.

Lewis was glad that he’d chosen to come back tonight.

Lewis woke to the faint sensation of tapping against his forearm. Groggily, he blinked his eyes open, the dim light of the room making everything feel hazy and dreamlike. For a moment, he wondered if the figure in front of him was even real or something out of his deepest desires.

“Sorry,” Nico murmured, voice low. “But that can’t be good for your neck.”

Lewis rubbed at his eyes, trying to blink away the heaviness clinging to them. He couldn’t even remember when he’d fallen asleep. The room was quiet, the TV off, and when he glanced to the side he realized it was just the two of them on the couch.

“Lucy fell asleep a little while ago,” Nico explained, sitting cross-legged a few feet away. “I carried her back to her room.” His expression was unreadable but there was clear uncertainty. Was Lewis overstaying his welcome?

“Oh… yeah? Well, I should get out of your hair then” Lewis said, pushing himself up. His legs felt heavy, sluggish, like they hadn’t quite caught up with his brain.

Before he could take a step, Nico’s hand curled around the cuff of his rolled-up sleeve. Lewis glanced down, catching the way the dim light deepened the shadows in Nico’s eyes. They were still beautiful, maybe even more so at this very moment.

“Sit down, Lewis,” Nico said, voice carrying a note of insistence. “You can’t drive back half-asleep.”

Lewis barely had time to react before Nico tugged firmly, pulling him back until he sank into the couch again.

“Mhmm” Lewis nodded, trying to blink away his sleepiness.

“Sorry for keeping you here,” Nico said quietly, his voice carrying that familiar edge of guilt. “You’re probably so tired today. Bet you didn’t think you’d be forced to watch Cars of all things huh?” He offered Lewis a small, weary smile like he was trying to make light of it but still half-meant it.

Lewis hated that smile. Hated the way Nico always seemed to think anything he did or asked for was somehow an inconvenience.

“Did you forget the part where I got on the earliest flight here just so I could be with you both?” Lewis mumbled, leaning in a little, his voice soft and pointed. “Or… did I forget to mention that?”

Nico glanced away, shrugging like the weight of his words didn’t matter. “Well i just mean that… well, we can be a lot sometimes. Lucy and I both…”

Lewis’s brows furrowed. “Do you seriously think I find this tiring?” he asked, disbelief dripping into his tone.

“I mean… it’s not that easy,” Nico admitted, eyes still fixed on some spot beyond Lewis’s head. “Kids are… and Lucy herself is a handful sometimes. She’s got so much energy which is both a blessing and a curse but you-” he hesitated, “-you’re a busy guy. You will always have somewhere you need to be. So me, asking for your time would feel a bit… unfair.”

Lewis shook his head, almost incredulous. “But it wouldn’t. I’m choosing this, Nico.” He shifted, leaning closer until Nico finally, finally looked at him. “I’m choosing to be part of this. I want to be part of this. Honestly, I’d like to hear you say you want me-”

Nico blinked, startled, and Lewis’s cheeks flushed faintly. “-around,” he corrected quickly, clearing his throat. “That you want me around. I know my life might look busy from the outside, but I’m not going to leave you hanging. I’m not going to disappear when this thing we have stops being exciting or becomes unpleasant

“I want to catch up on all the milestones I’ve already missed, all the firsts I wasn’t there for, the little things you probably think don’t matter but really do. I want to see her grow, to be there when she loses her first tooth, when she wins her first game on sports day, when she decides she suddenly hates her favourite cartoon”

He leaned in slightly, eyes never leaving Nico’s. “And I want to see you happy. Really happy. The kind of happy where you don’t overthink it, where you don’t wonder if you’re asking too much of me. And more than anything, I want to be part of all of it, Nico. Not as a guest. Not as someone who’s just passing through. As someone who belongs here, with you.”

Nico’s lips parted, but no words came out.

Lewis searched his face, his own voice softening. “I’ll make time, Nico. Not because I’m forced to. Not because I feel obligated. And yeah, I know that’s what’s worrying you, you’re afraid I’ll wake up one day, decide this is too much, and… walk away.”

His hand moved without thought, resting his hand on the back of the couch near Nico’s shoulder, close but not touching. “But I won’t. I won’t take this back. I don’t want to take this back" Lewis continued, eyes fixated on Nico.

"Tell me how can I convince you that this is something I truly want?”

Chapter Text

Nico hadn’t expected the words to hit him so hard. Lewis hadn’t raised his voice, hadn’t done anything but speak in that warm, deliberate way of his but somehow every syllable had settled in Nico’s chest like an undeniable truth. It was almost suffocating just how genuine Lewis was being with him. How honest.

It wasn’t that Nico didn’t believe him. It was just that, a part of him just didn’t know how to accept it. People didn’t just say things like that to him, not without looking for a way out. His life had been a series of goodbyes disguised as promises, and here Lewis was, offering that same promise. Would nico be a fool to believe him?

He’d thought he’d gotten good at keeping his face neutral, but the pressure building behind his ribs betrayed him. The bubbling in his chest felt almost dangerous, hope mixed with fear and the sharp, dizzy rush of wanting to believe.

At that moment, he couldn’t look at Lewis. He focused instead on the couch fabric between them, tracing the stitching with his fingers, because if he met Lewis’s gaze now, he wasn’t sure what he was going to see.

There wasn't anyone who had told him, I want to do this with you.

“Nico, look at me. Please, and see for yourself how much I mean it.”

How was Nico supposed to not give in to that tone? He felt the pull instantly, like the words were a hand tugging gently but firmly at his heart. His eyes lifted almost against his will.

Lewis was sitting so close, close enough that Nico could feel the warmth radiating off him but it was the look on his face that made Nico’s breath catch. All unguarded, every wall lowered. It wasn’t often he saw Lewis like this, stripped of the charming composure he wore so naturally.

Nico drank in the sight. He didn’t know when, or if he’d ever get this chance again.

Before his brain could catch up, Nico’s hand was already moving. Fingers brushing the air between them, then cupping the line of Lewis’s jaw. His thumb rested near the corner of Lewis’s mouth, the soft stubble of his beard scratching faintly against his skin. Lewis didn’t flinch away.

When Nico’s palm settled fully against his cheek, Lewis leaned into it like it was the easiest thing in the world. Nico felt the faint shift of muscle and bone under his hand, and something in his chest stuttered.

“Do you trust me?” Lewis’s voice was a low whisper.

Nico’s throat was tight. “Yes.”

And he did, Goodness, he did. It was terrifying, the depth of it. Terrifying how easy it felt to trust him in this moment.

“Then tell me.” Lewis’s gaze pinned him in place. “Tell me what you want from me.”

Nico blinked, the question rattling through him. What I want from you? He could think of a hundred answers, none of them small.
To be wanted.
To be family.
To be his.

He swallowed hard, because the words felt too big for the air between them. 

“I’m scared,” His hand was still on Lewis’s face, but it trembled now. “I’ve been doing this all on my own since the day Lucy was born. It's been just me, for so long And I’ve-” he paused, shaking his head, trying to find the right thread in the mess of his thoughts. 

“-I’ve gotten used to that. I had convinced myself that we needed, I needed no one. That I was strong enough.”

Lewis didn’t speak, just watched him with those maddening eyes of his, like he already knew this was something Nico needed to get out.

“I’m scared of…” Nico’s throat caught, and he dropped his gaze for a second before forcing it back up. “I’m scared of how I feel about all this. Because if I let myself want this, and then you decide it’s too much, I can’t…” His voice wavered, and he felt the sting in his eyes before he could stop it. “You can’t back out of this anymore.”

His chest tightened. “If Lucy starts looking at you like you’re hers and let me tell you, she’s already halfway there, you can’t change your mind. You can’t decide one day that this isn’t for you. I can’t let her lose you before she’s even had the chance to keep you.” He swallowed hard, breath hitching. 

“Just like the way I lost you… before I even had you.”

The silence that followed was too heavy. It stretched between them like a wire pulled tight, and every second it didn’t snap made Nico’s heart beat harder against his ribs. He couldn’t look away from Lewis’s face, but he also couldn’t bring himself to look too closely. Not when he was this afraid of what might come next.

But then Lewis shifted, eyes still so heartbreakingly steady on him. Like he wasn’t going anywhere.

Fuck this.

Nico surged forward and grabbed Lewis’s face in both hands, thumbs brushing the soft skin beneath his eyes. He stared into those stupid, earnest eyes that had always managed to disarm him. That still did.

“Don’t say anything if you don’t mean it,” Nico murmured, voice low, trembling. “But if you do… say it again. Tell me you want to be here. Tell me you’re staying.”

Because if Lewis said it again, if he gave him that truth one more time, then Nico would believe it. He’d let himself believe it.

“Nico…” Lewis’s voice was soft, eyes searching his face like he was trying to commit every detail to memory.

“Nico, I want this. I want to do this. I want to do this right so bad” Lewis breathed, the words tumbling out in one heartfelt rush.

Nico nodded, feeling a little dizzy, like his whole body was tingling at the edges. Lewis momentarily glanced down at his lips and Nico’s breath caught.

They were so close now. Close enough to feel the warmth of each other’s breath, to hear the subtle hitch in Lewis’s chest. And Lewis was…

Nico panicked.

That’s what he’d say if anyone ever asked how he managed to ruin such a perfect moment. Utter panic.

Because instead of leaning in or pulling back, Nico did the one thing his scrambled brain came up with, he pushed his palms forward and squished Lewis’s face between them firmly. Like a stress ball.

Lewis blinked, surprised. “Wmah are you doinm?” he mumbled through puckered lips, all squished and wrinkled.

Nico stared at him like that, like a doofus and felt the heat rise to his cheeks. But instead of embarrassment winning out completely, he laughed. Just a little. Because Lewis looked ridiculous, and because maybe Nico needed that moment of absurdity to not drown in all the feelings.

He pulled his hands back, leaning into the couch again. Lewis looked at him, wide-eyed and incredulous.

Nico bit his lip, smiling.

“Do you… wanna stay the night?” Nico whispered, the words barely above a breath. The nerves crept back in, tightening his chest. But he meant it, he didn’t want Lewis to leave yet.

He had wanted to ask him to stay forever, but he settled for the next best thing.

Lewis’s eyes widened slightly, surprise flickering across his face before a slow, warm smile spread over his lips.

“Yeah,” he said, soft and sure.

“Nico, you don’t have to-” Lewis started, but Nico waved him off, already done with their squabble. Lewis sighed, exasperated.

“Nico, I’m the one imposing. Please, just sleep in your own bed!” Lewis insisted, pointing firmly at it.

The room was a bit of a mess, there was a folded pile of fresh laundry by the closet door, a small army of empty energy drink cans lining the top of a high cupboard because Lucy wasn’t allowed near them, and the duvet was still pulled back from where Nico had forgotten to make the bed that morning. And then there was Lewis standing on the other side of the bed, now dressed down in sleep clothes he’d borrowed from Nico.

Nico tried not to notice how the shirt clung tighter across Lewis’s back and arms than it ever had on him. Lewis was definitely broader than before. Nico shut down that train of thought before it veered into dangerous territory.

He crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. “Exactly. You’re the guest. So you get the bed.”

Lewis groaned and threw his hands up in surrender. “I’m not arguing with you about this. We argue way too much anyways” Then he glanced over his shoulder and added, “The bed looks big enough for both of us anyway, doesn’t it?”

And with that, he sat down on the edge of the mattress and tapped next to him. 

“What?” Nico’s eyes widened, caught completely off guard. Lewis only shrugged, a little sheepish but clearly amused.

“We’re both sophisticated adults here. I think we can share a bed without any issues,” Lewis said casually.

No, no, no. Lewis might’ve been a sophisticated adult, Nico, on the other hand, felt like a nervous teenage boy about to combust. Without saying a word, he slipped under the duvet stiffly, worried that if he opened his mouth, something deeply embarrassing like ‘do you wanna cuddle?’ might fall out.

Lewis, clearly victorious, just snorted and got in on the other side.

Dammit, Nico thought. I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight.

He lay on his back like a corpse, staring at the ceiling, muscles tense.

“Seriously?” Lewis said, amusement lacing his voice. “You look like you’re having an aneurysm. You’re the one who asked me to stay, remember?”

Nico turned his head toward him, scoffing. The room was dark except for the soft orange glow of a mushroom-shaped nightlight perched on the bedpost, clearly Lucy’s doing. The warm hue bathed Lewis’s face, highlighting his features like something out of a dream. His nose looked sharper, lips softer, eyes calmer.

Goodness, Lewis was gorgeous.

There’s a gorgeous man in my bed.

“I didn’t think you were going to say yes to so many things!” Nico whispered back defensively, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity.

Lewis chuckled, voice quiet. “Nico, I don’t think I can ever physically say no to you.”

Nico froze.

There he went again, saying the right thing clearly at the wrong time.

Nico didn’t respond at first. He just blinked at the ceiling, trying to keep his heart from thudding too loudly. How does he say these things so easily?

Beside him, Lewis shifted. The mattress dipped slightly, and Nico tensed instinctively, but all Lewis did was roll onto his back with a quiet sigh.

“Okay,” Lewis said lightly, voice low and laced with tired humor. “I’m officially calling a truce before your brain overheats.”

Nico huffed out a quiet laugh, still a little breathless from everything. The tension in his shoulders loosened, just a little.

“I’m just lying here, Lewis. Perfectly calm”

“Sure you are,” Lewis murmured. “Totally calm. That’s why your whole body is vibrating like a tuning fork.”

Nico gave him a flat look in the dark, but he couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. “I hate you.”

“Mhmm.”

Nico let out a quiet snort, turning his head away to hide the warmth rising in his cheeks. The silence that followed wasn’t heavy anymore, it was comfortable.

Lewis’s breathing began to even out beside him. Nico listened to it. Maybe he’d freak out again in the morning. Maybe he’d overthink everything the moment the sun touched the window.

But right now? Sleep claimed him while he still had a smile on his face.

Nico stirred at the sound of soft murmurs… no, soft murmurs and muffled screaming?

He cracked one eye open, the morning light spilling faintly into the room. His gaze landed on the broad expanse of Lewis’s back, solid and large in front of him. Nico blinked, then glanced down to see his own hand still fisted in the back of Lewis’s shirt. Right. That shouldn't have happened.

He lifted his head slightly, groggy but curious.

Lucy was standing beside the bed, wild-eyed and vibrating in place like a shaken soda can. Her hands flailed in dramatic little bursts, as if unsure whether to throw herself at them or explode from the sheer chaos of her emotions. Lewis, half-awake but clearly already had more brain cells to spare, had one hand gently clamped over her mouth and the other making hushing motions.

“Hush, Luce,” Lewis whispered, voice still thick with sleep. “Let him sleep. We’ll explain. Just… calm down…”

Nico raised a brow at the scene before him, watching in complete silence. This ridiculous, chaotic moment. His daughter practically combusting in real time, Lewis trying his damndest to be quiet, and himself, still curled around Lewis.

He let his head drop back onto the pillow with a small, private grin. Still, he didn’t remove his hand from Lewis’s shirt.

He wasn’t quite ready to let go yet.

Chapter Text

Lucy had insisted rather loudly and with no room for negotiation that she wanted to brush her teeth with Lewis.

Lewis, still in Nico’s borrowed sleep shirt, blinked at her in mild shock before letting out a soft, breathy laugh. “I’m honored,” he said, placing a hand dramatically to his chest like she’d just knighted him in the royal court of toddlerdom.

Nico padded in behind them, still half-asleep, his hair mussed and the collar of his shirt slipping low on one shoulder. He leaned in toward Lewis and whispered, “She has to properly brush her teeth and not just rub them lightly, remember”

Lewis barely registered the words at first, because Nico was yawning mid-sentence, arms stretching up in a lazy arc and for a moment, time went blurry. The hem of Nico’s sleep shirt lifted just enough to reveal a sliver of soft, pale skin and the gentle dip of his waist.

Lewis’s thoughts stuttered to a pathetic halt.

He looked away instantly, the tips of his ears going red. Goodness, pull it together, he scolded himself. He was supposed to be brushing teeth with a five-year-old, not starring in one of his own repressed fantasies.

But damn it, the image was already lodged in his head like a splinter. Nico half-asleep, warm and domestic in the early light, his skin still creased from the pillow, his voice a low rasp. 

Lewis bit the inside of his cheek and focused very hard on Lucy, who clambered onto the bathroom counter.  Her little legs swung back and forth, and she beamed at him with a bright, toothy grin that was already smeared with a suspicious amount of bubblegum-flavored toothpaste.

Lewis raised a brow and turned to Nico, voice low and skeptical. “She’s a kid though. Her actual teeth haven’t even come in yet. What exactly are we brushing?”

Nico shot him a flat, unimpressed glare as he handed over a small, sparkly toothbrush with a blue cartoon dolphin on the handle. His expression said you're being stupid again, even as he blinked sluggishly, the soft lines of sleep still clinging to his face.

Lewis felt something in his chest flip.

Nico’s hair was a total mess, sticking up in all directions, cheek still etched with pillow creases. He was barely even awake glaring at Lewis, and yet he could not look away.

He accepted the toothbrush numbly, all his earlier snark evaporating under the force of his own sudden realization, he was kind of screwed.

Because this was what Lewis had once thought only existed in the self indulgent daydreams he had been constantly having over the week. Nico, handing him a toothbrush in the early morning, bleary-eyed and barefoot, mad at him over Lucy’s glittery toothpaste. It was mundane and ordinary and utterly spellbinding. 

And maybe Lewis was imagining things, but the fact that Nico trusted him with moments like this all sleep-heavy mornings and messy routines felt like something he would never take for granted. It was like being let in on a secret.

He tried to swallow down the warmth crawling up his throat and the ridiculous ache behind his ribs. He looked back down at the toothbrush in his hand and said, far too softly, “Right. Baby teeth still need brushing. Got it.”

Nico hummed, squeezing his own toothpaste and promptly shoving it inside his mouth. His lashes fluttered low, his movements automatic. Lewis caught himself staring again.

Oh no, he thought faintly. I like him so much it’s not even funny anymore.

Oral hygiene, as it turned out, was a full-blown disaster.

Don’t be fooled by the sparkly pink toothpaste or the cheerful dolphin toothbrushes, those were lies. Elaborate decoys. Because brushing Lucy’s teeth was a battle of wills that no man, no matter how charming or well-meaning, could win without scars.

At first, Lewis had tried to help. He’d stood beside the bathroom sink with a smile and encouraging tone. Lucy had grinned, clearly thrilled at the attention, but the moment the toothbrush came near her mouth, she twisted dramatically and let out an indignant, “No!”

Nico wiped his mouth and hands on one of the bath towels. “Her dentist said if she doesn’t brush properly, she’ll get cavities”

That had only made Lucy wriggle harder, flailing her arms like she was auditioning for an interpretive dance routine titled Get This Thing Away From Me. She squirmed toward Lewis with big, watery eyes and outstretched hands. “Help meeee!”

Lewis blinked in confusion, suddenly with a squirming child clinging to his shirt like it was a life raft. “What do I do?”

“I’m so sorry Lucy,” Nico mumbled.

In one fluid, practiced motion, Nico gently but firmly wrestled the toothbrush into Lucy’s mouth. She let out muffled protests, gripping the front of Lewis’s sleep shirt with both tiny fists, and Lewis could only stare in quiet horror as Nico efficiently brushed her teeth with the precision of someone who’d done this far too many times.

To his credit, Nico didn’t even seem fazed. “The less of a fuss you make, the quicker it is,” he said evenly, pulling back with a tired sigh once he was satisfied. He wiped her mouth with a soft towel like a gentle afterthought. “See? That wasn’t so bad.”

Lucy, still clinging to Lewis’s shirt, gave him the most betrayed look in existence. Her lower lip trembled just a little, and Lewis helplessly traced his fingers along her tiny wrists.

He knew it was probably inappropriate to smile when she was still sniffling, but he couldn’t help it. Lewis glanced up at Nico, who was now rinsing the toothbrush at the sink  

“I think I'm traumatized,” Lewis whispered with faux-seriousness, earning a fond eye roll from Nico.

“You’re traumatized?” Nico replied, arching an eyebrow. “She does this every morning.”

Lewis looked back down at Lucy, who was still gripping his shirt with pout. He leaned in and wiped her eyes for her. “Dont worry lou, I promise I wont let your Papa hurt you”

Lucy sniffled again. Then, unexpectedly, she nodded.

“Excuse me?!” 

Breakfast was an equally exciting affair.

There hadn’t been time for anything fancy as Lucy was already late, and Lewis had faintly caught Nico mumbling something about being too out of it last night to remember setting the alarm.

Nico had thrown open the kitchen cabinets in search of anything edible, while Lewis was somehow roped into the impossible task of taming Lucy’s frizz. Which were on the hopeless side this morning. Nico had vaguely gestured around the house, muttering that her hair products were “around here somewhere,” and Lucy had been absolutely no help, offering only that she thought “the bottle might be purple. Or blue. Or green?”

Needless to say, he hadn’t succeeded. Lewis cringed slightly at the final result, but Lucy had beamed at herself in the mirror and proudly declared that she was “fluffy and free.”

Nico, with a glance at the clock and the chaos unfolding, had let it slide.

Somewhere in the middle of the madness, they’d both stumbled upon a shared joy, Frosties.

It had started when Nico grabbed the box from the cupboard and wordlessly poured a generous helping into three bowls, sliding one across the table to Lewis with a casual shrug. But Lewis didn’t miss the way Nico’s lips tugged into a shy little smile, and the warmth in Lewis’s chest bloomed like it was chasing the cold right out of him.

Then Lucy noticed their matching bowls.

She gasped like Lewis had just committed some sacred rite of cereal bonding.

“You like Frosties too?” she whispered, eyes wide.

Lewis blinked. “yeah! They’re my favourite!"

Lucy turned to Nico, utterly betrayed. “You said only babies eat sugar cereal!”

“I said every day,” Nico countered, rubbing his temples.

But it was too late. Lucy scooted her chair closer to Lewis’s and they clinked their spoons together like glasses of champagne before digging in. Lewis grinned through a mouthful of frosted cornflakes, casting a cheeky glance at Nico. 

The kitchen echoed with crunching and laughter, and for a moment, the rush to get ready paused. It felt like a snapshot, a morning that might not be significant in the grand scheme of things, but somehow felt like one Lewis would remember forever.

That moment nearly cost them the school bell.

Lucy, mid-second bowl had declared, “I’m not going to school. I’m staying here with Lewis.”

“You are definitely going to school,” Nico said, already grabbing her backpack. “You have art today.”

Lucy froze, spoon halfway to her mouth. “Art?” she asked, suddenly alert.

“Yup, its a big canvas type of day” Nico added.

Lucy bolted from the table, cereal already forgotten, her bowl still spinning slightly from how fast she’d jumped. Lewis blinked after her and turned to Nico. “Big canvas day?”

“Made it up,” Nico said, unbothered, sipping from his coffee like he was used to improvising lies before 8AM.

Lewis laughed

Nico smiled behind his mug.

It was messy, rushed, and a little absurd.

And Lewis found himself already wondering what tomorrow morning would look like.

“Will you stop avoiding me now?” Lewis asked, his voice quiet. He didn’t look at Nico at first, only kept his eyes on the dashboard while the car settled into silence. The soft click of the handbrake echoed faintly. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nico pause, fingers hovering near his seatbelt. He had froze mid-motion.

“Hm?” Nico hummed, blinking at him in confusion.

Lewis turned slightly, letting himself look. “You always run off whenever I come to the garage,” he said, keeping his tone light even though his heart was pounding a little harder than he’d like. He tried to keep the rest of his words even.

“Would you keep doing that… even if Lucy wasn’t around?”

He hadn’t meant for it to come out sounding so vulnerable and small.

But he needed to know if Lucy was the only thing tethering them together now. If she was the bridge Nico was willing to cross, and nothing more.

If that was all Nico wanted, if Lewis had to exist on the edge of this new little life as nothing but Lucy’s other dad, he’d… find a way to live with it. He would just have to bury the feelings down again, deeper this time.

But if there was even a semblance of something more… even the sliver of a chance… He had to know.

“I wasn’t…” Nico started, then faltered. His shoulders sank with a sigh, the kind that carried the weight of months, maybe years, of things left unsaid. 

“Back then, I just wasn’t ready. To tell you about Lucy.” Lewis didn’t move, didn’t speak. He just listened as Nico’s voice softened further.

“You were suddenly here all the time, and it felt like if I looked at you for too long, I’d give everything away. So yeah. I avoided you.” Lewis finally let himself smile. Slightly in relief. It wasn't an answer to his question, but he felt that this was as good as he's going to get.

He tilted his head, watching Nico closely. And when Nico finally turned to meet his gaze, it made something twist in Lewis’s chest.

Because he looked apologetic.

Lewis hated that look on him, hated the way it pulled down the corners of Nico’s mouth, the way it made him seem smaller, uncertain, like he was waiting to be punished for anything he said.

Nico was always so composed, so sharp-edged and untouchable. But when he looked like this? All out of his element, like he wasn’t sure he was allowed to be here, it made Lewis want to reach across the console and take his hand. To pull him in and say it’s okay. You’re safe. You don’t have to hide around me.

All he wanted, maybe all he’d ever wanted, was for Nico to feel comfortable around him.

Chapter Text

“What is that even supposed to mean?” Sebastian whisper-shouted over their midnight snacks. It was the only time Lucy was fast asleep and since she had an intense sweet tooth, they had to sneak in all the sugar when she couldn’t catch them.

“It means I don’t know,” Nico groaned, flopping onto the sofa and shoving an indecent amount of popcorn into his mouth. His emotions had been all over the place lately, completely out of control.

Lewis was an incredible gentleman. He picked up Lucy from daycare when Nico’s schedule got chaotic. Sometimes he’d take Roscoe and Lucy to the park when Nico was running behind on errands just to give him a breather all the while being so busy himself. And Nico could practically kiss him for that.

Which led them to the problem.

The urge to kiss Lewis wasn’t some fleeting, casual afterthought anymore. It was creeping in more and more like an impulse he couldn’t ignore. One more “I got her hair this time” one more “Do you guys like Indian food?” or “I brought you and Lucy a little gift,” and Nico was going to lose it.

He stabbed his hand into the popcorn bag again, frustrated.

“Hey! Leave the poor popcorn alone. What did it ever do to you?” Sebastian said, frowning as he picked through the sweets for a cola-flavored lollipop. “So, is it like an ‘I wanna get in his pants’ vibe, or an ‘I wanna spend my whole life with him’ vibe?”

He said it so casually, just as he unwrapped the cola one, his favorite, since Lucy hated how they made her tongue tingle.

Nico grumbled something unintelligible under his breath.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Okay, since you already got into his pants once, I’m guessing it’s the second one.”

Nico fished around in the snack bowl until he found a sour gummy. He paused, remembering that time Lewis had texted him from America, proudly announcing he’d found a massive bag of sour gummies. Lucy, in response, had requested that he find her a non-sour one. With a sigh, Nico popped it into his mouth.

He immediately regretted it.

“I don’t want to get into Lewis’s pants… no, wait, correction, I do want to get into Lewis’s pants, but you have to admit this whole thing started because I did get into his pants and Oh my god, this is horrible!” Nico spat the gummy out, grimacing, while Sebastian looked at him like it was the funniest thing he’d seen all night.

“Mhm,” Sebastian nodded, unbothered. “And look how good that first time turned out.”

“You mean how absolutely fucked everything was?” Nico shot back, wiping his tongue with the tissue.

“Yes,” Seb said cheerfully, “but he’s here now. No thanks to you, I might add. Honestly? I think it’s fate”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask you about that…”

Sebastian offered him a sly, guiltless smile.

“Look, I didn’t directly tell him anything,” he said innocently. “I just... very casually mentioned to Toto the garage you worked at. While Lewis was in the room. That’s it. I didn’t say anything else.”

Nico stared at him, halfway between betrayal and resignation.

“Sebastian”

“What?” Sebastian popped another cola lolly into his mouth. “You’re welcome, by the way. You wouldn’t even be contemplating giving him more babies if it weren’t for me.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” Nico grit out.

“Okay, enough with pissing Nico off for the day. Honestly what is it you want from him, eh? Now that we’ve agreed there’s definitely something you want.” Seb’s tone was casual, but his eyes were far too interested.

Nico groaned, wishing he could sink into the couch cushions and disappear. What did he want? Everything.

Lewis was just… too easy to like. Too good with Lucy. It already felt like he’d been part of their little world forever, like they’d always had him. He was patient, not only with Lucy but with Nico, in a way that made him feel like a teenager with their first ever crush. He never pushed, never asked for more than Nico could give, but somehow still managed to make him feel appreciated for every little thing he did in raising Lucy. He was careful one moment, carefree the next. And Nico knew that Lewis was trying. Trying so damn hard. And he was doing so well.

So maybe Nico had a crush on him.

He kept his head down, busying himself with separating all the sour gummies into a different bowl. His fingers fidgeted with the sweets and his throat felt tight.

“I… I want him around…” he muttered, so quietly it almost didn’t make it past his lips.

Seb tilted his head. “That’s it?”

Nico’s hand stilled over the candy. He swallowed hard. “…I want him around all the time.”

The words felt like they’d been dragged out of him, bare and unguarded, and there was no taking them back now.

“Ah, there it is,” Sebastian drawled, the corners of his mouth curling. Nico shot him a look. 

“Do you know how much is at stake already, how careful I've been trying to keep this beautiful thing we have going on?” he said, voice low, almost defensive. “This isn’t just about Lucy.”

Seb raised an eyebrow.

Nico sighed, dropping the gummy he’d been holding. “I want him… not just as Lucy’s co-parent. I want him as mine. As a partner. In every sense. And that-” he broke off, shaking his head. “That’s so fucking risky.”

“How?” Seb prodded, though his tone had softened.

Nico huffed out a humorless laugh. “Risky enough that every time I think about it, I feel like I’m standing on the edge of something I can’t come back from. Because Lewis… he’s-” Nico stopped, searching for the right words. 

“You think you’re just letting him in a little, and before you know it he’s always there, part of everything. He’s in Lucy’s bedtime routine on most nights, in my kitchen in the mornings before I have coffee, in the way the house feels less quiet when he’s around.”

Seb said nothing, just kept chewing and watching him.

“It wasn’t hard falling in love with him,” Nico admitted softly, the words tasting both terrifying and inevitable. It hadn’t been some grand startling revelation, more like something that crept up on him as slowly and naturally as morning light.

One day, he’d woken up to a text from Lewis saying he wouldn’t be in town, and Nico’s gaze had drifted to the empty side of his bed. He’d remembered the one time Lewis had actually stayed over. Just once. Lewis always seemed to have something going on at night, always blushing and stuttering out an excuse whenever Nico asked him to stay.

It had been… annoying. And a reality check. Because maybe Lewis wasn’t really making time for him at all, maybe it was just for Lucy. And Nico was the one over his head, twisting it into something more than it was. What a depressing thought.

It was one thing to have a crush back in university. It was an entirely different thing now, in their circumstances.

“It’s almost laughable,” Nico went on quietly, “just how little it took. And maybe that’s what scares me. Because everything he does is for Lucy and, in turn, he does all these little things for me, too. Just… being selfless. Caring. And it’s the easiest thing I’ve ever done, falling for that. But… What if that’s all it is? What if I’m being greedy, wanting more, seeing more than what's there?”

His voice dipped. “I don’t think I can lose him, Seb. Not now. Lucy can’t lose him. And I can’t…” His voice cracked. “I can’t do that to her. I can’t do that to me, either.”

Seb leaned back, popping another lolly into his mouth. “So what you’re saying is… you’re already in too deep, huh?”

Nico groaned, burying his face in his hands. “…Yeah”

“When will Lou be back?” Lucy pouted over breakfast. Nico’s hands stilled mid-motion.

“Soon, baby,” he replied.

It got a little complicated when Lucy referred to both herself and Lewis as Lou. Nico couldn’t bring himself to be too annoyed by it, especially with the added implication that even their names sounded alike. Not that he’d planned that, of course. Just a happy little coincidence…

“Hmm.” Lucy poked at her toast with her fingers. She was quieter than usual, though maybe she was just tired. She’d stayed up late last night, determined to build the best race circuit ever right in the middle of their living room, one Nico had been banned from crossing.

“Papa, you’ll ruin the hairpin!”

“The what?”

“The hairpin! Papa, you’re stepping on my track! Nooo, go away!”

“I’m just trying to get the charger!”

Nico chuckled at the memory before looking back at her. “Are you okay, sweetie?” 

Lucy looked up at him and nodded, cheeks puffed as she chewed.

“What day can Lewis take me to school again?” she asked between bites of toast.

Nico, still busy packing her lunch, raised an eyebrow and silently prayed she’d actually eat the carrots this time. “Do you not like going with me?” he asked, not hurt exactly, just momentarily thrown off. It was good that Lucy wanted to spend time with Lewis, Nico would happily step aside for them. But the request felt… abrupt.

“No, no, Papa, mhmm. I’m done now,” Lucy mumbled, sounding oddly frustrated as she pushed her plate away. She toddled off toward the hallway to grab her shoes, a smudge of jam still clinging to the corner of her lips.

“Lou?” Nico called after her, confusion threading through his voice.

“Hey, Nico.”

Lewis grinned at him from inside the car, a beautiful, dark machine with a sleek body. Definitely a McLaren, judging by the style and layout. That much was easy to guess.

What wasn’t easy to guess was why Lewis wasn’t in the driver’s seat of said car.

“Landooo” Alex bemoaned, clinging dramatically to the car’s roof instead of greeting the driver.

Upon closer inspection, Nico realized the person behind the wheel was none other than Lando Norris. The youngest McLaren sponsor ever, just casually rolling into Nico’s garage in what had to be one of the most expensive pieces of machinery he’d seen. Well… if you didn’t count all of Lewis’s cars.

Nico thought, not for the first time, about how many ridiculously expensive cars had come into this garage in the past few months.

“Lots of love to you too, Alex,” Lando muttered, rolling his eyes.

Lewis got out of the car and, as usual, immediately crowded Nico’s space.

“Hey. You look good. Is Lou still in daycare?” he asked, giving Nico a slow once-over.

Nico gave him a flat, unimpressed look before glancing down at himself. He and Alex had been doing oil changes all morning, meaning they were covered in grime from lying on the floor and being splattered with motor oil.

Lewis, of course, was immaculate in his streetwear. Nico wasn’t even going to comment on the leather boots this time.

“I look like literal shit,” Nico said bluntly. “And yeah, she’s still there.”

Lewis only shook his head, a faintly fond expression tugging at his mouth.

“What the hell- Is that even legal?” Alex exclaimed after whispering with Lando.

“Well, duh. If it wasn’t, would Lewis bring me here?” Lando shot back with a smirk, climbing out of the driver’s seat and walking straight to Nico.

Nico had just tugged off his gloves when Lando grabbed his hand and started shaking it. Hard.

“Hi! I’ve heard so much about you. You’re about to be my lifesaver.”

Nico blinked at the sheer eagerness.

“Well, if you’re here for illegal modifications, Lewis is lying. I don’t do them,” Nico deadpanned, shooting Lewis a look.

Lewis only snorted.

“No, no, no I swear it’s legit,” Lando said quickly. “I’ve just got this idea for a custom car I’ve been dying to build, but McLaren’s been super busy or just being overall shitty. And, well… let’s just say they’re not thrilled about the design I came up with. They keep delaying it.”

He grinned, all childish excitement, his voice growing higher by the word. “So, I was promised I’m standing next to the next best thing? And don’t worry, me getting fired is totally off the table. So… fire away. I mean, your questions. Fire your questions at me”

Nico looked at the eager smile, the slight tooth gap and gave Lewis a look.  “Did you birth this one?”

Chapter Text

Lando’s demands were reasonable but honestly, even if they weren’t, as long as they were within the realm of possibility, Nico was eager to make them happen. Actually, he was more than eager, he was excited.

Lewis was grinning over Nico’s shoulder while Lando went on about the processes of his “ultimate desires” or whatever grand vision he was dreaming up.

“So, what do you think?” Lando asked at last, eyes glittering with anticipation.

Nico huffed out a breath that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

“I think you need to talk to Valtteri about that. He’s the one scheduling projects. Start now, or else he won’t be able to squeeze you in.” Nico crossed his arms over his chest as both Lando and Alex immediately darted off to bother Valtteri.

“Seems like a pretty big project, hmm?” Lewis murmured, knocking his head gently against Nico’s shoulder. He’d been unusually touchy lately. Maybe Lucy’s clinginess had rubbed off on him… or was it the other way around?

Nico couldn’t help but smile.

“You want me to thank you eh? For directing him over to me?” he asked, tone dipping into mild snark, because Lewis absolutely seemed like the type to orchestrate new projects he knew Nico would enjoy using his influence in what could only be described as an attempt to woo him.

“Nico, I’m not doing this just to get a thank you out of you,” he said, voice low but firm. “I’m doing it because I want to. Because I admire you. And… honestly, this is me doing my utmost to be around you” He exhaled like it was the most obvious thing in the world, like Nico should have already known.

Nico’s brain promptly short-circuited. Damn it, how was that fair? How was Lewis allowed to say things like that and still act so effortlessly composed?

“But… I do want to thank you” Nico said, his voice coming out softer than he intended.

Lewis groaned under his breath, like Nico was missing the point entirely.

“Just, please,” Nico tried again, the words tumbling out before he could second-guess himself, “let me thank you. In the form of… dinner.”

It sounded ridiculous the moment it left his mouth. They’d had dinner plenty of times before, always with Lucy, of course. But this was different. This time, he was asking Lewis out. And the implication behind it hung heavy in the air before Nico could snatch it back.

Lewis’s eyes widened slightly, and Nico felt the heat rush to his cheeks. If he could swallow his words whole, he would’ve done it in an instant.

“Yes, yes, of course. How do you want me?”

The second the words left his mouth, Nico felt the heat flood his face. Brilliant choice of wording, Lewis.

“I mean, nothing extraordinary. Well I’m a normal person, so probably nothing really fancy” he rushed to clarify, fumbling over his own tongue. “Eating in would be nice. I could cook for you, and you could… keep yourself occupied with Lucy. Look, I know it’s not my best work but-”

“Nico,” Lewis interrupted, his tone so steady it stopped Nico mid-sentence. “I would sit through the entire Cars universe, ten times over if it meant spending that time with the both of you.”

He said it with such sincerity that Nico’s heart stumbled over itself. How was he supposed to respond to that? Could he just… ask Lewis to stay? Could he tell him about the terrifying feelings coiled up inside, the ones that whispered he didn’t want Lewis to leave? The ones that wanted everything with this man?

“That’s… great” Nico managed, his voice painfully unremarkable. Loser, his brain chimed in immediately.

“It’s a date then,” he added quickly, the words coming out far too high-pitched to be casual.

Lewis’s grin widened, warm and almost smug in the best way.

“A date,” he echoed, and Nico was done for.

“PAPA! LOUUUU!”

Lucy’s voice rang across the compound, high and unrestrained, pulling more than a few heads in their direction. Some parents glanced over with faint smiles, others already wrangling their own rowdy kids barely batted an eye.

Nico’s grin broke out the second he spotted her. His daughter came hurtling toward them, school bag bouncing against her side, clutching her latest art project.

She collided into their knees and Lewis let out an exaggerated groan, bending slightly as if wounded, while Nico gave a startled “oomf!”

Lucy latched onto them both like seaweed to a rock.

“Goodness, Lucy,” Nico chuckled, scooping her up and settling her against his hip.

“I heard someone wanted me to come pick them up?” Lewis teased, his voice warm but playfully admonishing. Nico kept his gaze firmly on Lucy, because he seems to be blushing a whole lot today.

“I missed you,” Lucy said simply, her head flopping onto Nico’s shoulder in pure exhaustion.

Nico’s smile faltered into a frown, she looked utterly spent.

Lewis, however, melted on the spot. His shoulders relaxed, his expression softened into something downright sappy, and he extended his arms toward her with obvious longing.

Lucy giggled and reached for him without hesitation. Lewis gathered her into his arms with a flourish. 

“Guess what, Lou?” Lewis said conspiratorially, lowering his voice like they were sharing top-secret intel. “We’re making dinner at home tonight. And…” he paused for dramatic effect, “you get to help me.”

Lucy gasped loudly, smacking her little palms together. “You’re staying for dinner?”

Lewis nodded with a grin. “If your papa lets me.”

She looks fine now. Nico thought, watching her suddenly full of energy and excitement, all traces of earlier tiredness gone. His heart did a strange flip at how easily Lewis could bring that light out of her.

“I have to show you my new race track!” Lucy announced, wriggling in his arms until Lewis adjusted his hold to let her point enthusiastically toward their car.

“Oh yeah? Is it a big one?” Lewis asked, clearly indulging her.

“It’s got corners and everything. Papa doesn’t even know what a hairpin is,” Lucy deadpanned, eyes narrowing slightly in mock disapproval.

Nico blinked, caught off guard. “Hey-”

Lewis, however, gasped in theatrical horror, clutching his chest like she’d just accused him of treason. “Your papa doesn’t know what a hairpin is?”

Lucy shook her head with solemn disappointment. “Nope.”

“Well,” Lewis said gravely, “looks like I’ll have to teach him. Maybe after dinner.”

Nico rolled his eyes, but his lips betrayed him with a twitch of a smile.

“That looks fugly,” Lucy announced, staring at the gravy while Nico stirred the pot, her little legs hooked loosely around his waist from where she sat on his hip. She was eyeing the bubbling mixture like it had personally offended her.

“What?” Nico looked down at her, stunned. “Who taught you that word?”

Lucy just shrugged, Lewis, midway through chopping the vegetables, froze. He blinked at Lucy, then at Nico, his expression somewhere between startled guilt and please don’t yell at me in front of the child.

Nico’s brows drew together, his disbelief quickly morphing into suspicion. Lewis gave him a sheepish smile, one shoulder lifting like a shrug was going to save him.

This discussion isn’t over. Nico’s look promised.

Lewis immediately ducked his head and went back to his task, slicing with unnecessary focus.

Nico huffed, shifting Lucy higher on his hip and turning back to the pot. When Lewis had asked Lucy if she wanted to help with dinner, Nico had naively assumed Lewis himself wasn’t going to be a disaster in the kitchen. Newsflash… he was.

The man could operate on high-speed machinery with immense precision, but apparently could not dice onions without looking like they were about to file a restraining order.

Nico found himself briefly wondering if Mercedes knew that the face of their company, their multimillion-dollar sponsor asset was currently standing in Nico’s kitchen annihilating the produce, wearing an apron he had claimed as “his.” 

And it was not just any apron, it was Lucy’s craft project from last year. Tie-dyed in clashing neons, speckled with glitter glue that had survived three washes, and proudly sporting the phrase Chef in wobbly, uneven letters.

It was an eyesore, objectively. But Lewis wore it like it was one of his designer couture. And Lucy was adamant about it, her papa didn’t get a say. Lewis, of course, was equally adamant, declaring it his “lucky cooking gear” the moment she’d handed it to him.

From the other side of the counter, Lucy craned her neck to watch the gravy again. 

“It still looks fugly,” she informed Nico but now hiding behind a grin. 

Lewis snorted behind his cutting board, trying and failing to hide it.

Nico turned, pointing a spoon at him in warning. “Do not encourage her.” Lewis only grinned wider, leaning over to stage-whisper to Lucy. 

“Don’t worry, we can fix it with… a bit of seasoning.”

Nico had just placed the dirty bowls in the sink when within seconds the counter was covered with jars and shakers. Lucy had already unscrewed one, dumping a suspicious amount of oregano into the gravy before either he or Lewis could react.

“Lucy!”

“But Lou?” she said, pointing at Lewis accusingly, the picture of innocence.

Lewis lost it. The laugh burst out before he could smother it, and within moments he was laughing so hard he had to put the knife down.

Somehow, in the chaos of Lewis trying to scoop spoonfuls of oregano back out with tears in his eyes and Lucy giggling from where she now sat in time-out on the kitchen counter, no longer allowed to “help” the bread in the oven had burned.

Nico caught the smell first. He muttered something sharp in German under his breath as he yanked the tray out.

“Experimental,” Lewis hiccuped, peering at the charred edges. “Extra crunch.”

“Extra inedible,” Nico shot back, glaring at him before pointing a warning finger at Lucy to remind her not to move. She nodded solemnly… still smiling.

From her perch, she watched Lewis dramatically taste-test the vegetables, pulling ridiculous exaggerated faces of approval or disgust.

Nico tried to stay annoyed. But between Lucy’s muffled laughter and Lewis looking so at home in his kitchen, tie-dye apron and all, his resolve didn’t stand a chance.

With every day that passed, this feeling inside of him felt a little less scary.

“Is it just me, or did she get knocked out faster tonight?” Lewis mumbled as he flopped onto the couch right where Nico was already sprawled.

They really needed to start meeting somewhere other than this damn couch or in cars, maybe in bed? Nico thought.

“Mhmm, she had a longer recess, I heard” Nico replied, feeling loose-limbed and sluggish after tackling the ridiculous mountain of dishes they’d somehow managed to ruin. Lewis’s shoulder was pressed against his, the two of them sinking into the cushions, worn out from an evening of entertaining a hyperactive child.

This was definitely not how dates were supposed to go, his brain added unhelpfully.

“How was it?” Nico mumbled into the comfortable silence.

Lewis made a questioning hum.

“I mean… how was our date?”

It had been ordinary, so very ordinary. Nothing different from what they did on any other day. So why was he even asking?

“It was the best time of my life,” Lewis said after a short snort.

Nico blinked, turning his head just enough to look at him. “Really?” His voice came out raw, stripped bare in a way that startled him. Maybe because that was exactly what dating him would be like, all stupid and domestic. Unglamorous really. And maybe… he cared about what Lewis thought more than he wanted to admit.

Lewis propped himself up on one elbow. His hair was tousled in the same charmingly chaotic way Lucy’s was at the end of the day. The thin chain around his neck caught the light before disappearing beneath the folds of his oversized shirt, minus the horrendous apron from earlier, thankfully.

He looked nice. Tired, but nice. 

And now… Nico couldn’t help but notice they were completely alone. The apartment felt quieter without Lucy’s constant chatter filling the air.

“Of course,” Lewis said suddenly, his voice low but sure, a light smile tugging at his lips. “You both are the highlight of my life, Nico.”

Nico blinked, caught off guard. “You… I said it was a date? But how was this any different from all the times you’ve hung out with Lucy?”

“Maybe it’s because you’ve always let me spend time with you under the excuse of just hanging out with Lucy,” Lewis replied with a small shrug. “But this time… I was spending time with you, too.”

Nico’s brow furrowed. He caught another fleeting glimpse of the chain around Lewis’s neck as his shirt shifted, the metal glinting before disappearing again.

“That doesn’t even-?!” Nico dropped back onto the couch, staring at the ceiling in mild frustration. Wasn’t Lewis always hanging out with him, too? Or had all those afternoons, all those makeshift last minute dinners, been for Lucy’s sake alone? And if that was the case… What exactly made tonight’s so-called ‘date’ different?

Lewis shifted closer until he was leaning over Nico, blocking his view of the ceiling. The sudden proximity made Nico’s heart hitch in his chest. Lewis was looking down at him now, his gaze steady and unreadable.

“Nico…”

The sound of his name alone sent a pulse through him.

“Weren’t you hanging out with me too?” Nico asked, his voice tightening. “Do you even want to? Or was this just because I asked, and you couldn’t say no becau-” He faltered, suddenly out of breath under the weight of Lewis’s stare.

“No.” Lewis’s voice was firm, unshakable, cutting through the jumble of Nico’s words.

Nico swallowed, his chest tight. “…Then why?” The words slipped out all soft and small, almost like a whine, and he hated how desperate he sounded.

Lewis’s eyes roamed across his face, searching for something, some sign, before the tension in them eased just slightly.

“Because I’m stupid, Nico,” he said finally, his tone carrying an edge of quiet frustration, but also something warmer. “Stupid enough to find every excuse just to be here. With you. Because somehow, I’m always choosing you.”

Chapter Text

Lewis had wanted to keep things light. Just teasing banter on this comfortably worn out couch after a long day, the kind of thing that kept them in safe territory. But then Nico tilted his head, the golden strands of his hair falling into his face, eyes fixed on Lewis with that expression.

It was a little lost, like Lewis was holding something back that Nico desperately needed to hear. And Goodness, how could he just sit here and not say it when Nico was looking at him like that?

Lewis felt his chest constrict, the words catching in his throat like barbed wire. This wasn’t the plan, he’d been so careful not to push, not to risk turning what they had into something that could shatter. But in this moment, with Nico stretched out beneath him looking at him upside down, their breaths mingling in the quiet space between them… he couldn’t keep pretending.

“I…” Lewis’s voice cracked before he could stop it. He exhaled, forcing the lump in his throat down. “Nico, Lucy isn’t the only reason I’m here.”

Nico blinked at him, a flicker of confusion, of disbelief, in those pale eyes. Lewis pushed forward anyway.

“I keep finding excuses, making reasons just to see you. To be near you. And it’s not about the convenience of it all, it’s also not about the fact we share her. It’s because…” He swallowed hard, feeling the confession scrape its way out. 

“…because somewhere along the way, every choice I’ve made keeps leading me back to you.”

Nico’s lips parted like he was about to speak. Lewis let out a shaky breath, eyes searching Nico’s face.

“I’ve been so damn stupid,” Lewis started, his voice barely steady, “thinking I could hide it. That I could tell myself it was only for her. Only for Lucy’s sake.”