#16445

Charles was waiting for him just outside the paddock, in a discreet Audi with tainted windows. Lewis smiled as he opened the door and slipped inside, leaving a quick peck on Charles' lips.

"I'm exhausted," he sighed, fastening his seatbelt as Charles started the car. "Thank god the season is ending soon."

"Still two races to go, though... it's too long, I want to have you all to myself," Charles pouted.

Lewis laughed - Charles was always adorable when he was doing that face. 2023 had been a long, long season, and he was looking forward to the peaceful break. The Mercedes had been hell this season.

They drove in peaceful silence back to Lewis' hotel, and went up to his room without being recognised - Charles had traded his usual red for a plain white hoodie, for which Lewis was grateful. It probably wouldn't look good to be caught with a Ferrari driver in the Mercedes hotel.

"Have you talked to Seb?" Charles asked suddenly as Lewis unlocked his room.

"Talked to Seb? About what?" he frowned. Charles slipped inside, and turned to face him.

"About us, duh. You can't keep him in the dark, you promised you'd tell him soon," he rolled his eyes. Right. They had had that discussion before, but Lewis had been... stalling.

"Keep me in the dark about what?" a third voice asked, making them both jump out of his skin. Lewis scrambled to the light switch, to discover Sebastian, sitting on the bed, arms crossed and an eyebrow lifted.

"Seb! What are you doing here?" Lewis gasped, eyes darting nervously between him and Charles. Fuck, that was not how he had planned things to go.

"Thought about surprising you by flying over. It wasn't difficult to get your hotel key from Toto," Seb hummed. "So, what are you hiding from me, exactly?"

"I- well... There's..."

"Oh you, see, it's- it's about a surprise for your birthday so we can't tell you!" Charles improvised.

"My birthday was five months ago," Sebastian drawled out.

"Charles, it's okay," Lewis sighed and turned to Seb. "I hadn't planned on telling you like this..."

"Tell me what, for fuck's sake?" Sebastian exclaimed, getting impatient. He never did like not knowing something.

"I'm signing with Ferrari in 2025."

There. The bomb was dropped. He waited anxiously for a reaction. He was scared Sebastian would be mad. He remembered the sorrow in his voice when he had been let go in 2020. He remembered the long night they spent comforting Charles whenever Ferrari messed up his race. Whenever he felt like cracking under the pressure, like he wasn't good enough.

He might have refrained from talking to Sebastian about it because he was scared he would try to talk him out of it. Charles had tried, a little, but the light of devotion in his eyes whenever he talked about Ferrari had always been facinating to Lewis. Like it was worth all the suffering it involved going through.

Sebastian's annoyed face morphed into... a smile. A huge, bright smile splitting his face in two, and there it was, the same light Charles had in his eyes whenever something involved Ferrari.

"You are?" he gasped, springing from the bed to rush to Lewis, and hang himself to his neck. "Oh my god, this is going to be incredible! I can't believe we're gonna get to see you wear the Ferrari red!"

"You mean, when he's not stealing your old shirts," Charles snickered, approaching to drop a peck on Seb's cheek. "Missed you, it's great to see you."

Sebastian turned to him, letting go of Lewis just long enough to kiss him. Charles hummed happily, hand wrapping around Seb's waist.

"Missed you too," Sebastian grinned.

"What about me?" Lewis whined, which was enough for Seb to pull him in for a passionate, filthy kiss. Damn, if he had known he'd get kissed like that, he would've told Sebastian much sooner.

When they pulled apart, Charles was looking at them with great interest. They were in for a fun night. Lewis wondered how Seb and Charles would react the very first time he saw him in a Ferrari racing suit.

He was looking forward to it.