#betweenlapsandlifetimes

ꜰ1 x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ | ʟᴇᴡɪꜱ ʜᴀᴍɪʟᴛᴏɴ ᴀᴜ | ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜɴᴛᴇʀ + ᴍʏꜱᴛᴇʀʏ

⚠️ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ:

ꜰᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴍᴅɴɪ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇꜱ

ꜱɪɢɴɪꜰɪᴄᴀɴᴛ ᴀɢᴇ ɢᴀᴘ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘ

ᴍɪʟᴅ ʟᴀɴɢᴜᴀɢᴇ

ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴛᴇɴꜱɪᴏɴ

The sun burned brightly over the Riviera, turning the cobblestone streets of Monaco into a shimmer of warmth and sea salt. The glint of expensive watches, the rustle of designer skirts, and the whisper of languages laced with wealth and influence wrapped around Lewis Hamilton like silk—comfortable, familiar, but also, lately, insufferably predictable.

At forty, he had grown accustomed to the cadence of adoration. He knew what it meant when strangers glanced at him for a beat too long, when they crossed the street subtly to intercept his walk, when their phones lifted discreetly under the guise of texting but angled perfectly for a snapshot. He wore sunglasses and a hoodie not for fashion today, but for escape.

That’s why when he noticed her, again, his patience wavered.

A young woman with long, unbothered strides, hair pulled back carelessly, clutching her phone like a lifeline, pretending not to look at him. He first clocked her outside of Café de Paris. Then again at the marina when he’d stopped to check messages. And once more near the old casino steps. It was subtle, but the kind of subtle that raised alarms when you’ve spent years in the public eye.

By the fourth time, when he slowed at a quieter side street and saw her again across the way, Lewis stopped walking altogether.

He turned. Waited.

And she froze.

Her eyes widened slightly—an expression of a deer caught mid-thought, not quite guilt, but something adjacent. Surprise.

That did it.

“Alright,” Lewis muttered under his breath, then strode toward her with calm resolve.

She took a tentative step back, but stood her ground as he approached. Her eyebrows furrowed now, lips parting as if to speak, but Lewis got there first.

“Okay, seriously, are you following me?” he asked, arms crossing in a casual yet unmistakably defensive posture.

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You’ve been behind me since the harbor,” Lewis said, pointing vaguely over his shoulder. “I don’t mean to sound paranoid, but this is Monaco, not Times Square. It’s kind of obvious.”

She stared at him, stunned. Her lips moved, but no words came. Then, a beat later, her brows lifted, and she scoffed with soft disbelief. “You think I’m stalking you?”

Lewis tilted his head. “Well, aren't you?”

A pause. Then her cheeks flushed, not with guilt, but with something closer to offense.

“I have no idea who you are,” she said plainly.

He blinked.

“I’m not following you. I’m... I’m following them,” she continued, stepping sideways and subtly motioning across the plaza. “My best friend is on a date. A suspicious one. She asked me to keep an eye.” (Author: It's a lieee~)

Lewis followed her gesture. A couple sat on the terrace of a rooftop café, seemingly engrossed in one another. Nothing about them screamed drama, but Lewis could see how someone might be wary.

Just then, as if summoned by the very act of being observed, the woman at the table turned. Her eyes narrowed. Recognition dawned.

“Oh no,” the woman beside him muttered.

The friend stood abruptly and made her way across the plaza with brisk, purposeful steps.

“I take it that’s her?” Lewis asked dryly.

She winced. “Yeah.”

The approaching woman came to a sharp stop in front of them and crossed her arms. “Qu’est-ce que tu fais là?” (“What are you doing here?”) she hissed, voice low but sharp.

The woman beside Lewis stammered. “Je… Nous passions juste par là. C'est une coïncidence.” (“I... We were just passing by. It's a coincidence.”)

Lewis watched the exchange, bemused as her friend scolded her rapidly in French. The young woman’s shoulders slumped in surrender. Finally, she raised both hands in mock defeat, responding calmly in fluent French, her tone soothing even as her friend remained riled.

Then, without warning, she turned back to Lewis. “Sorry about that,” she said quickly, and before he could react, she slipped her hand into his.

His brows lifted.

Her friend’s mouth dropped open.

“Bye, Clémence!” she called over her shoulder, already tugging Lewis down the street. Her fingers gripped his for only a few seconds, but it was long enough to leave a strange warmth on his skin.

Once they rounded the corner and out of sight, she let go with an exasperated sigh and ran a hand through her hair. “Well, that was dramatic.”

Lewis looked at her, still baffled. “Did you just use me as an escape plan?”

She met his gaze unapologetically. “Yes. And thank you for playing along, even if unintentionally.”

He smirked. “You could’ve just told her the truth.”

She scoffed lightly. “You don’t know Clémence. Telling her the truth would’ve meant a full interrogation, and I wasn’t in the mood for that.”

Then, muttering in French, she added something that sounded irritated and vaguely poetic. Lewis, not fluent beyond basic phrases, frowned.

“What did you just say?”

She glanced sideways at him. “Nothing.”

That look in her eyes—annoyed, intelligent, amused—sparked something in him. Before she could disappear again, Lewis called after her, “Wait.”

She turned, arching a brow.

He hesitated for only a second. “What’s your name?”

She tilted her head slightly, considering. Then: “(Y/n) Robinson.”

He smiled, extending his hand. “Lewis.”

“Just Lewis?” she asked, not taking it.

“That’s all you get until you stop pretending not to know me,” he said, half teasing, half challenging.

But she only shrugged. “I wasn’t pretending. Still not sure why you’re familiar.”

Lewis chuckled, genuinely thrown. It was such a foreign experience, he wasn’t sure whether to be insulted or intrigued.

She turned away again and began walking. He followed.

“You’re not going to shake me off that easily,” he said casually.

“Are you the stalker now?”

He grinned. “Maybe.”

She stopped abruptly outside a small patisserie tucked between two narrow buildings. It wasn’t flashy, no golden signs or velvet ropes, just a quaint spot with a chalkboard menu and glass display filled with confections. She looked at him. “You really don’t have anywhere better to be?”

“Right now?” he said, hands in his pockets. “No. Got some time.”

She stared at him for a moment, then sighed. “You’re being weird.”

“I’ve been called worse.”

She pushed open the door. He followed.

The smell of butter, sugar, and espresso wrapped around them like a memory. Inside, only three other patrons sat scattered between tables. The soft clink of china and faint jazz music filled the space.

(Y/n) stepped up to the counter and pointed to a slice of raspberry cheesecake. “And a lavender latte, please.”

Lewis ordered something simpler, an Americano and a plain almond croissant.

They sat at a small table near the window. The afternoon sun slanted through the glass, streaking the table with warm light.

He watched as she quietly opened a novel from her tote bag and began to read, seemingly unbothered by his presence. She didn’t ask him questions, didn’t glance at her phone, didn’t fish for details.

Lewis studied the side of her face, her soft expression as she turned pages. He sipped his coffee and tried to place what felt so unusual about the moment.

It was the silence.

It wasn’t uncomfortable or expectant. It was... easy. She wasn’t pretending not to care, she genuinely didn’t.

For once, he wasn’t the spectacle in someone else’s story.

Eventually, after a few attempts at small talk that were met with polite nods and monosyllables, he gave up trying to draw her into conversation. Instead, he leaned back and let himself enjoy the peace.

She finished her cheesecake slowly, wiping the corner of her mouth with a napkin, and finally closed her book. Standing, she looked at him and offered a simple smile.

“Well. That was oddly pleasant,” she said.

Lewis nodded. “Yeah. It was.”

She slung her bag over her shoulder. “Thanks for the company, Lewis.”

“Anytime, (Y/n),” he replied.

And just like that, she walked out.

He watched her disappear down the street, her figure weaving through late afternoon foot traffic.

For a long moment, Lewis sat alone. Then he looked down at the empty table, at the fork she had set gently across her plate, at the faint imprint her coffee cup left on the tablecloth.

No selfies. No squealing. No asking him to rev the engine of his fame.

Just cheesecake, silence, and the odd feeling of not being known.

He smiled to himself, pulled out his phone, and opened the notes app.

He typed two words:

Find her.

To be continued...❤️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 2: ʙʟᴜᴇ-ᴇʏᴇᴅ ʀᴇᴄᴏɢɴɪᴛɪᴏɴ🕶️

📝 Note from the Author: Hello my dear Alarwynnites! First post again for this very first title of the month of September hehehe, I hope you like this one! There will be some MDNI moments here, and a huge age gap I tell y’all. If you’re uncomfortable with these kinds of things, it’s totally okay to skip it, yes? Yeeeesss.

I love you guys so much, thank you for always supporting me! To my new followers—welcome, welcome! I’ll try to post as much as possible for this title. Andddd, anyone wants to request something? Another title maybe? I’m running out of ide—just kidding HAHAHA. This author has way too many ideas, but I’d love to hear yours too so the stories don’t all feel the same. So, if you have any, just drop me a message or leave it on my wall, okay?

Also, a huge thank you to Firefly Graphics for the amazing border—they make everything look so beautiful!

Thanks again, always.

ꜰ1 x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ | ʟᴇᴡɪꜱ ʜᴀᴍɪʟᴛᴏɴ ᴀᴜ | ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜɴᴛᴇʀ + ᴍʏꜱᴛᴇʀʏ

⚠️ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ:

ꜱᴜʙᴛʟᴇ ᴀɴɢꜱᴛ

ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ɪɴᴛʀᴏꜱᴘᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ

ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟ ꜰᴀᴛɪɢᴜᴇ

ʜɪɴᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜꜱʏ

ꜱʟᴏᴡ-ʙᴜʀɴ ᴅʏɴᴀᴍɪᴄ

Monaco, for all its glamour, had an odd stillness to it when he returned.

Lewis stepped into his apartment, the familiar scent of oakwood polish and ocean salt lingering just beneath the surface of luxury. It had been nearly a month, twenty-eight days to be exact, since he'd last walked through his own front door. The season was in full swing. Races blurred into one another—Bahran, Saudi Arabia, Miami. The weight of time zones clashed with the thrill of podiums. Airports, circuits, press conferences, tire strategy—he lived in a world dictated by split-seconds, mechanical symphonies, and roaring applause.

But none of that filled the quiet now. The emptiness of his home echoed around him, pressing into his skin. It was beautiful, his Monaco flat. Sleek, expansive, with glass doors that opened out to a view of the marina. Yet somehow, today, it felt impersonal. Cold. Too quiet.

He had unpacked only the essentials, leaving his travel-worn suitcase slumped near the entryway. He moved slowly, methodically, as though reacquainting himself with stillness. He tried to read, to scroll aimlessly, to drown himself in music, but his mind kept circling back.

To her.

(Y/n).

That unexpected stranger who had somehow embedded herself into his thoughts like a soft refrain he couldn’t quite forget.

And so, the next morning, he found himself standing outside her apartment door, hesitating for only a breath before he knocked. His knuckles hit the wood three times, measured and patient. He waited. No answer. He tried again.

Still silence.

Just as he was about to turn away, a voice caught his attention.

“She’s not home, monsieur,” came a gentle, accented tone. An elderly woman leaned slightly out from the next-door balcony, her pale hair pinned back neatly with bobby pins and a faded scarf. “She left town last week. Business, I think. She’ll return in two days.”

Lewis offered her a grateful nod and smile. “Merci, madame. Thank you.”

She nodded in kind, then disappeared behind her curtains, leaving him alone once again with the Mediterranean breeze curling around his jacket.

Two days. He could wait two days.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

While Lewis raced across continents, (Y/n) Robinson had been writing her own quiet narrative. It was one laced not with speed, but with intention.

Her modeling career was flourishing, but never chaotic. She chose her projects carefully, more curator than participant. Her shoots took her across Europe: a sustainable fashion campaign in Amsterdam, a barefoot coastal editorial in Lisbon, a moody winter piece for a Danish brand in Copenhagen. The lens loved her, but it was never just about beauty. Her images spoke—through her eyes, her stillness, her grace. They captured something often elusive in the industry: sincerity.

She turned down more offers than she accepted. When a luxury handbag label approached her with an extravagant proposal, she politely declined after learning about their exploitative labor practices. It wasn’t about the money. It never had been.

Her boy best friend, Julian, a French-Moroccan designer rising rapidly through the fashion world, often roped her in for his brand’s campaigns. With him, there were no pretenses. Their work was collaborative, fluid, playful. She modeled. He sketched. She captured behind-the-scenes moments on her vintage film camera.

And in the spaces between, she lived.

Charity was never for show. Once a month, she’d visit a local youth center in Nice, offering workshops in photography and design. The children there never knew her as a model, only as “Miss Y/n,” the woman who brought them paint supplies and listened to their stories.

Her life wasn’t loud. But it was rich.

So when she opened her door that day—hair tousled, dressed in an oversized shirt that fell to her thighs, and blinking in mild confusion—it took her a moment to register who was standing there.

Lewis.

Real, in front of her, with that slightly sheepish grin and hands tucked into his jacket pockets.

“You came back,” she said, surprised but not displeased.

“I did,” he replied, voice warm. “Was hoping you’d be home this time.”

She stepped aside without hesitation. “Come in.”

Her apartment was modest, but it breathed with personality. Light filtered softly through gauzy curtains, landing on books stacked along the windowsill and half-developed photographs pinned haphazardly to the wall above a vintage desk. The scent of lavender clung faintly in the air.

“Coffee? Tea? Biscuits?” she asked as she padded barefoot toward the kitchen.

“Coffee and biscuits sound perfect,” Lewis answered, easing onto the couch.

Minutes later, she returned with a wooden tray: two mugs, a tin of shortbread biscuits, and a bar of dark chocolate cracked into neat squares. She placed it on the coffee table and sat across from him, curling her legs beneath her.

“I’ll go change real quick,” she added. “Unless you’re into pajama interviews.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Nah, you’re good. But go ahead. I’ll still be here.”

She disappeared into her room and returned soon after in denim shorts and a loose white shirt that slipped off one shoulder. Comfortable, understated, lovely.

“So,” she asked, settling in again, “what brings you here?”

“Wanted to see you,” Lewis answered honestly. “And I figured I better do it before either of us flies off again.”

(Y/n) smiled, and it reached her eyes.

Conversation flowed easily after that, pausing and resuming like tides. They spoke of places visited, moments missed, people encountered along the way. He told her about the intensity of race weekends. She told him about an off-the-grid eco retreat she’d modeled for in Spain, where phones were locked away for seventy-two hours.

He liked hearing her speak. She chose her words carefully, not for affectation, but because she thought before she spoke. He liked that about her.

As the sun crept higher, hunger began to stir.

“Want to grab lunch somewhere?” Lewis asked, half rising.

(Y/n) shook her head with a small grin. “No need. I’ll cook.”

“You sure?”

“Sit. Enjoy the view.”

He watched her work in the kitchen—chopping, stirring, seasoning. She moved with a kind of rhythm that made it look effortless. The kitchen was her studio now, her canvas. Soon, she plated the dishes with the same care she gave to styling photoshoots: pan-seared salmon with lemon butter, sautéed greens, and a bowl of herb-infused couscous.

As he took his first bite, he closed his eyes briefly in appreciation. “Damn,” he muttered. “That’s good.”

“Only ‘good’?” she teased.

“Okay, amazing. Might need to up your salt game next time, though,” he added with a grin.

She laughed and tossed a napkin at him. “Noted.”

After lunch, he insisted on helping with the dishes. Elbow to elbow, they worked through plates and cups, their hands occasionally brushing beneath the water. Neither acknowledged it, but both noticed.

That day turned into a quiet evening, and the next followed in much the same rhythm. He came by again, bringing flowers this time—lavender and peonies, her favorites, though he never asked. She raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“Who told you?”

“Lucky guess,” he lied, knowing full well he’d caught a glimpse of dried petals in a jar on her windowsill last time.

By the third day, it felt like a pattern had been carved. A warm, strange pattern of closeness stitched between their vastly different worlds.

She folded laundry in the living room while he scrolled through his phone, lounging in the same spot on her couch as he had the past two afternoons. He looked at home there—barefoot, relaxed, a world away from the hyper-polished figure seen on television and billboards.

Then her phone rang.

Her eyes flicked toward the screen and lit up.

“Ciao!” she answered brightly.

Lewis looked up.

Italian. Her voice shifted into a melodic cadence, quick and lilting.

The man on the other end laughed, teased, congratulated. She beamed.

“Cinque giorni,” (“Five days,”) she repeated. “Non di più.” (“No more.”)

There was an ease in the way she spoke to him. Familiarity. Warmth. Maybe even history.

Lewis listened, catching fragments of the conversation—cinque giorni, non di più—but not enough to follow it fully. The rest slipped past him like music half-heard through a wall. Still, he could read everything in the tilt of her head, the warmth in her tone, the way her fingers twirled the edge of her shirt absentmindedly. He knew enough to feel it, and he didn’t know why that unsettled him.

When she hung up, she glanced at him.

“That was my friend,” she explained. “He’s taking me to Italy for a few days. Kind of a thank-you gift after our last campaign.”

“Campaign?” Lewis echoed.

She nodded. “We worked together last month. Brand launch. It did well.”

He smiled. Or at least, he tried to.

“That’s great,” he said. “You excited?”

She beamed, shrugging casually. “Of course. I love Italy. I leave tomorrow.”

He nodded again, eyes dropping briefly to his phone. “You deserve the break.”

Something in his voice made her look at him more closely, but she said nothing. She just smiled again and began folding the last of her shirts.

The next morning, she left. Early flight. Taxi waiting. Passport and film camera in her tote bag.

She didn’t text him goodbye. He didn’t expect her to.

Still, he stared at her empty building later that evening, wondering what kind of silence was left behind when someone took their light with them.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Time moved quickly when it was structured by race calendars. Lewis found himself pulled back into the vortex—media appearances, simulator sessions, press obligations, and strategy meetings. He boarded his flight out of Nice with a practiced ease, the private jet engine roaring to life beneath a sky streaked with gold.

Yet through it all, something sat quietly beneath his ribs—a curious, persistent ache.

He didn’t know what he and (Y/n) were, not exactly. It wasn’t a romance. Not yet. But it wasn’t casual either. It was the beginning of something that refused to be labeled. A quiet chemistry. A budding comfort.

And now she was in Italy. With a man.

Lewis wasn’t jealous, not in the possessive way he’d once been in his younger years. He respected her independence, admired it even. But still, it stirred something. An ache that whispered: you miss her.

And as the plane soared above the clouds, he wondered if she thought of him too.

He hoped, somewhere between the vineyards and sun-drenched cafes of Italy, she did.

Even just a little.

To be continued...❤️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 4: ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʟᴀꜱꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ꜱᴄʀᴇᴇɴ🕶️

ꜰ1 x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ | ʟᴇᴡɪꜱ ʜᴀᴍɪʟᴛᴏɴ ᴀᴜ | ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜɴᴛᴇʀ + ᴍʏꜱᴛᴇʀʏ

⚠️ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ:

ᴍᴅɴɪ / ᴇxᴘʟɪᴄɪᴛ ɪɴᴛɪᴍᴀᴄʏ

ᴀɢᴇ ɢᴀᴘ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘ

ꜱᴇxᴜᴀʟ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ (ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟᴇᴅ)

ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ ʟᴀɴɢᴜᴀɢᴇ (ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴅɪʀᴛʏ ᴛᴀʟᴋ)

ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴠᴜʟɴᴇʀᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ

ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴇᴘᴛɪᴏɴ

The streets of Monaco were familiar, even in the dark. Each sharp curve of the hillside roads, each amber-lit corner, each ivy-draped stone wall, they all blurred past as Lewis sat silently in the back seat of the black car. The driver spoke little, sensing something from the weight in the air, and the radio played low, some soft jazz number that faded against the clamor of his thoughts.

He hadn’t even gone home. His house stood just across the harbor, high above the water with its panoramic view and polished silence, but tonight it might as well have been a continent away. The moment his plane touched down, he’d made a quiet decision, the kind that didn’t need justification. He didn’t even give himself the chance to hesitate. He had spent weeks moving from track to track, smiling for cameras, speaking in soundbites, chasing seconds, and yet, the most glaring absence had been the one thing that had nothing to do with the sport.

She had haunted every pause. Her laughter in that blue dress, the careless way she kicked off her shoes in the shade, the way she never needed an audience to shine. Her absence had stitched itself into the fabric of his days, so much so that it had become unbearable. So he came straight here.

When the car pulled up to the quiet apartment building tucked between an art gallery and a café now closed for the night, he stepped out before the driver could offer assistance. The wheels of his small suitcase clicked softly against the cobblestones as he approached the glass entrance. No cameras, no entourage. Just him, worn and aching and quietly desperate.

He didn’t even knock right away.

He stood there for a second, grounding himself. Then he lifted his hand and rapped twice, soft but certain.

For a moment, there was only silence behind the door. Then, faint footsteps. The click of a lock. The creak of a hinge.

And then, there she was.

(Y/n) stood barefoot on the hardwood floor, framed by the soft golden glow of the hallway behind her. She wore one of her oversized shirts again, white, with the collar slightly askew as if it had been tugged by sleep or restlessness. Her hair was loosely tied back, strands escaping near her temples, and her face held that rare combination of surprise and vulnerability that came from being caught off guard in your own home.

Her eyes widened the moment she saw him, Lewis Hamilton, standing at her door, suitcase in hand, his shoulders heavy with fatigue but his gaze unmistakably clear. No bravado. No hesitation.

She didn’t speak at first.

Neither did he.

Then, with a small breath, she stepped aside.

Lewis moved past the threshold slowly, his eyes not leaving her face. The door clicked shut behind him, muffling the outside world. But before she could even turn around fully, she felt the shift—the closeness of him behind her, a tension thickening the air like the stillness before a storm.

She turned slightly, her lips parting to speak—maybe to ask if he was hungry, if he was okay, if the day had gone as brutal as expected—but she didn’t get the chance.

He closed the space between them in a single, sure step.

His hands rose gently—one settling against the hollow of her neck, the other brushing a thumb across her cheekbone. The touch was reverent, like she was made of something ancient and precious. Then, his thumb paused just below her eye, gaze catching hers with startling clarity.

His breath hitched. “God… those eyes,” he murmured. “Glacial. Electric. The most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.”

Before she could react, he kissed her.

It wasn’t rushed, nor desperate. It was devastatingly patient. Like he’d been waiting for years, not hours. Lips brushing hers once, then again—deeper, more certain. Each pass of his lips against hers peeled something open inside her, something fragile and fierce all at once.

Her hands found his chest. His heartbeat thundered beneath her palm. When he pulled back slightly, his breath was shallow, his eyes burning.

“Do you want this?” he asked, voice hoarse. Low. Careful, even now.

She didn’t hesitate.

“Yes,” she whispered, and the ground beneath her felt like it shifted.

His suitcase fell to the floor with a dull thud. He lifted her like she weighed nothing, like he needed her close or he’d unravel. Her oversized shirt slipped off one shoulder as he carried her down the hallway, and his lips followed the trail of exposed skin with a devotion that made her breath catch.

He entered her bedroom like a man starved of light, laying her down like something sacred beneath the moon-drenched sheets. His gaze roamed her face, down the curve of her neck, the valley of her collarbone, his fingers trailing like he was painting memories into her skin.

Then, as his hand slipped beneath the hem of her shirt, he stilled for a breath.

“I don’t have a condom,” he murmured against her collarbone, regret lacing his voice.

She opened her eyes, meeting his, calm and steady.

“I’m on the pill,” she whispered.

His brow lifted. “Yeah? Why?”

She smiled faintly, a whisper of mischief behind the honesty. “There’s this guy who’s been coming into my apartment ever since… I guess I just wanted to be ready.”

Lewis let out a soft, breathy laugh—one full of surprise, disbelief, and something else entirely. “That guy… huh?”

She nodded, lips brushing his. “Think you can keep up with me? You’re already forty,” she teased, her voice low, almost daring.

He kissed her like an answer.

What followed was not soft.

It was not delicate.

It was raw. Intense. Electric.

He moved with precision, with stamina that made her breathless—his body a map of muscle and fire, shaped by years of discipline and drive. Everything he did was intentional. Every angle he shifted into, every rhythm he adjusted, every time he pulled her closer or pressed her deeper into the mattress, it felt like he was chasing something. Not just release, not just pleasure, but victory. Completion. Her.

She was loud for him. Unapologetically so.

Whimpers spilled from her lips as his hands gripped her hips, his pace unrelenting. Her cries grew sharper when he pressed into her harder, deeper, setting a rhythm that had the headboard gently thudding against the wall. When he slid a hand between them, his touch circling her most sensitive point with practiced, devastating precision, she gasped—her whole body tightening, spine arching off the sheets.

“That's it,” he growled beside her ear, voice hoarse, dark with heat. “Let me hear you, baby. Let everyone know who’s making you feel this good.”

A shudder ran through her as he mouthed along her jawline, teeth grazing skin, the words he whispered next leaving her breathless.

“You’re so perfect like this—writhing, begging, soaking my hand like it’s the only thing that can touch you.”

She moaned helplessly, her fingers clawing at his back. He kissed the corner of her mouth, her temple, then lower, until his teeth scraped lightly at the skin over her breast, drawing another cry from her.

His hand cupped her there, thumb brushing against the peak until her legs trembled. Then lower again, teasing between her thighs as he moved within her like he owned every inch of her body.

She was falling apart. And he knew it.

“Look at me,” he whispered, pulling back just enough to lock eyes with her. “Let me see those beautiful eyes while I ruin you a little more.”

She obeyed, and the moment their eyes met, something inside her snapped. She arched beneath him, her voice breaking into pieces as waves of pleasure rolled through her, pulling her under. He didn’t let up. If anything, he pushed her higher, his hips rolling with precise, merciless control as his lips moved against her neck, his voice a low, steady current of filth and reverence.

“Taking me so damn well,” he muttered. “So tight. So ready for me. This body was made for me, wasn’t it?”

All she could do was nod—her thoughts scattered, her breath caught in her throat. He was relentless, yet never careless. His hands caressed just as often as they claimed. He kissed her between the roughness, whispered praises in the lulls, and anchored her in every storm he pulled her through.

Later, she found herself above him, straddling his hips, their bodies slick and trembling. His hands were splayed over her thighs, thumbs stroking upward. She moved on him with desperation, driven by the burn he’d ignited inside her.

“God, just like that,” he groaned, head falling back, curls damp against the pillow. “Ride me, baby. Show me how much you missed me.”

Her moans echoed softly around the room, broken by his name and half-formed words she couldn’t finish. He guided her movements with strong hands, meeting her halfway until she collapsed forward, clutching at him.

He flipped them without warning, locking her wrists above her head with one hand while the other traced lazy, aching circles just beneath her navel.

“You still with me?” he asked, voice gravelly.

She nodded, eyes glassy, lips parted. “Always.”

What followed was everything and more.

A slow undoing. A reclamation. A quiet, shattering kind of love in the most primal form.

And each time, he returned to her with more reverence, more passion, more whispered confessions tangled between skin and sweat. She welcomed him again and again, every time with open arms and a voice that called his name like a song he never wanted to stop hearing.

When it ended, each time it ended, they were nothing but breath and pulse and sweat and skin. Tangled in each other. Exhausted and still hungry.

She traced the tattoo ink on his arm, curling beside him, lips at his shoulder.

“You’re glowing,” he whispered, voice softened now, raw and husky from everything they'd said without words.

“So are you,” she replied, pressing her forehead to his.

He chuckled faintly, running a hand through her hair. “Remind me to never challenge you again. You’ll wear me out.”

She laughed softly, fingers splayed against his chest. “But you kept up.”

He smirked, eyes heavy-lidded but burning still.

Every breath. Every movement. Every look. All of it, proof that Lewis Hamilton didn’t just win on the track. He conquered wherever he set his focus.

And tonight, it was only her.

She lay nestled against his chest, a damp strand of hair clinging to her cheek. He reached over, brushing it away gently. She sighed, resting her hand over his heart, feeling the rhythm of it beneath her fingertips. His skin was still warm, his breathing slow. For a long time, neither of them spoke.

The room was filled only with the quiet hum of the city outside—a scooter passing in the distance, the low murmur of a late-night radio somewhere, the occasional clink of a neighbor washing dishes far above. But within the four walls of her room, there was only peace.

Lewis let his fingers trail lazily along her bare back, following the curve of her spine. He wasn’t thinking about the next race. Not about tire compounds or press conferences or podiums. Just her. Just this moment. Just how terrifyingly easy it was to forget the world when she was beside him.

“Why didn’t you call?” she asked finally, voice barely above a whisper.

He hesitated, his hand stilling.

“I don’t know,” he said after a beat. “I watched your stories. Every day. I kept thinking... maybe you didn’t want to hear from me.”

She tilted her head, propping herself on her elbow to look at him. Her eyes searched his, quietly, with no anger, only hurt.

“I was waiting,” she said softly. “I didn’t want to pressure you. I thought maybe it didn’t mean the same to you.”

“It did,” he said quickly, almost too quickly. “It does.”

Silence again.

He sat up slightly, running a hand through his curls. “I’ve never done this before.”

“Done what?”

“Fallen for someone like this,” he said, voice rough. “It’s different. It’s... it’s terrifying, if I’m honest.”

She reached for his hand beneath the sheets, lacing her fingers with his.

“You don’t have to be perfect,” she said. “You just have to be real.”

He turned to her then, eyes shadowed but soft. “I want to be. With you.”

The words hung between them, heavier than any race result or press headline. And somehow, she knew he meant it. Maybe he didn’t know how to say all the right things, but he was here. In her bed, in her space, choosing her when he could have chosen comfort or silence.

She leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Then stay.”

He exhaled a soft laugh, relief flickering across his features. “You’ll get tired of me.”

“Try me.”

They drifted into silence again, but it was different this time. Warm. Full. She curled closer, her head on his shoulder, his arm snug around her waist.

She could feel the difference in him now—less guarded, less rehearsed. The man who had stood on podiums, who had broken records and barriers alike, now lay beside her with the quiet vulnerability of someone who no longer wanted to hide.

And she, she had waited for this. Not the moment in bed, not the kiss at the door, but the stillness after. The breath they shared in the silence. The truth that finally had no need to hide behind images or half-written captions.

Hours passed without notice. The night thickened around them, and neither stirred. Not even the ticking of her kitchen clock nor the moonlight shifting across the room could wake them.

By the time dawn crept into the sky, soft and coral-hued, they were still there—arms wrapped around each other, the boundary between them erased by breath and trust.

She woke first.

Blinking slowly, she turned her head and watched him sleep. His lashes were long, lips parted slightly, brow smooth in a way it never was when the world was watching. She studied him quietly, absorbing the reality of him—how utterly human he was, despite the myth that surrounded his name.

And in that stillness, something deep within her settled.

Maybe this wasn’t forever, not yet. Maybe there would still be complications, distance, fears that flared up in quiet hours.

But for now, for this morning, she had him.

And he had her.

Not through a screen. Not through assumption. But here. Entirely.

To be continued...❤️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 6: ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʀᴇᴀʟ🕶️

ꜰ1 x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ | ʟᴇᴡɪꜱ ʜᴀᴍɪʟᴛᴏɴ ᴀᴜ | ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜɴᴛᴇʀ + ᴍʏꜱᴛᴇʀʏ

⚠️ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ:

ꜰᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴍᴅɴɪ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇꜱ

ᴀɢᴇ ɢᴀᴘ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘ

ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴛᴇɴꜱɪᴏɴ

ᴀʟᴄᴏʜᴏʟ ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ

ꜱᴜʙᴛʟᴇ ɪɴᴛɪᴍᴀᴄʏ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ

Two days passed like molasses in the Mediterranean heat, slow and indulgent. The air in Monaco carried with it the scent of salt and citrus, and the sea sparkled with a laziness that mirrored the rhythm of the days. Lewis Hamilton, despite the whirlwind pace that usually defined his life, found himself lulled into a rare stillness. He spent the days drifting from late brunches with old friends to quiet walks along the harbor, the kind of life one could only afford in a place that celebrated leisure as an art form.

He hadn’t expected to see her again.

Certainly not in the middle of a noisy restaurant just off Avenue de la Costa, where crystal chandeliers clinked overhead and conversations buzzed like champagne. The interior was all marble and gold trim, yet somehow the atmosphere was more casual than opulent, a Monaco trademark. Lewis had joined a few friends for dinner, some local, some from abroad, all equally comfortable navigating menus that didn’t list prices.

He was halfway through a glass of red wine when he saw her.

At first, she didn’t register. She looked different—not dramatically, but notably. She wore thin-framed eyeglasses now, the kind that looked almost weightless, so subtle they could disappear under a glance, and yet they made her striking features even more defined. The last time he’d seen her, she’d worn contact lenses. But tonight, her eyes—those glacial, electric-blue eyes—were entirely unfiltered. The shade was the kind that made people stare, but not because of glamour. It was rare. Arresting. Almost unnatural in how vividly it contrasted with her complexion and the warm candlelight of the restaurant.

He knew those eyes.

It took him a moment, but he knew.

(Y/n).

And in that realization, something within him shifted, familiarity blooming like a sudden melody from the background noise.

She wasn’t alone. At her table sat Clémence, unmistakable with her expressive hands and loud French reprimands. Two other women sat beside them, one speaking animatedly while the others laughed. It looked like a reunion of old university friends, complete with shared desserts and glasses of rosé.

Lewis found himself studying her without meaning to. Her laugh was quieter than her friends’, yet more sincere. She sipped her drink slowly, savoring rather than consuming, and every now and then, she glanced at the people around her as though memorizing the moment.

And then, she looked at him.

Only for a second. Their eyes met, locked, and something flickered between them: recognition, surprise, the thrum of an unspoken thought.

Then she blinked and looked away.

But that was all the confirmation Lewis needed.

He leaned back in his seat, his own friends still deep in discussion about racing, yachts, and the latest buzz around Formula 1's shifting dynamics. But he wasn’t listening anymore. He was watching her. She was more composed tonight, less flustered than before. There was a serenity to her movements, like someone who had no desire to impress and, in that very detachment, became all the more intriguing.

At one point, she excused herself and headed toward the back of the restaurant, likely toward the restrooms. Lewis waited a beat, then rose as well.

He wasn’t being subtle.

He lingered near the corridor just outside the bathrooms, feigning interest in a sculpture on the wall. The hallway was dimmer, quieter. And when she stepped out, her posture straightening as she adjusted the strap of her dress, he stepped forward.

“Are you (Y/n)?” he asked gently.

She didn’t startle, not exactly. But her eyes widened momentarily in amused recognition. Her lips parted into a faint smirk as she tilted her head.

“You really are the one stalking me now,” she said, voice dry and colored with humor.

Lewis laughed. “Total coincidence.”

“Mm.” She raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

He watched her for a beat. The glasses made her look more reserved, yet not less confident. If anything, they added a new layer to her mystery. A woman who didn’t want to be seen, yet was impossible to miss.

As she turned to walk away, Lewis reached out, fingers lightly brushing her arm. “Wait, are you free after this?”

Her steps paused. She glanced over her shoulder, her expression unreadable.

“I mean... for a walk,” Lewis clarified. “Somewhere nearby. Just you and me.”

For a moment, she didn’t answer. Her eyes scanned his face, searching for... something.

Then, with a slow nod, she said, “Yes.”

Their separate dinners resumed. She returned to her table, where Clémence was now dramatically recounting a story involving a lost heel and a flirtatious bartender. Lewis rejoined his group, offering a vague excuse for his absence, though none of his friends questioned him. His mind remained tethered to the woman just a few tables away.

When the evening wound down and the bills were paid, split as if none of them had a care for cost, he stepped outside and waited beneath the awning.

She emerged a few minutes later.

He didn’t need to call her name. She spotted him immediately, and without a word, she fell into step beside him.

They walked in comfortable silence. The streets were quieter now, the nightlife humming at a slower pace. Lamp posts bathed the sidewalks in warm, amber light. The occasional car drove by, but otherwise, it was just the faint rhythm of their footsteps and the distant call of the sea.

It was (Y/n) who broke the silence.

“You’re Lewis Hamilton. The Formula 1 driver.”

Lewis glanced at her, surprised. “Took you long enough.”

She chuckled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “My friends were trying so hard to stay calm when you walked into the restaurant. I didn’t recognize you at first. I just thought, ‘Hey, that’s the guy I used for my escape plan two days ago.’ Then we made eye contact, and it clicked.”

He laughed quietly. “And now?”

She smirked. “Now I just see a guy who really doesn’t know how to take a hint.”

Lewis grinned. “And how does it feel? Standing next to the Lewis Hamilton?”

Her answer came without hesitation. “Nothing. It doesn’t change anything.”

That silenced him. Not in a bad way, but in the way someone is silenced when they hear something unexpectedly refreshing. She didn’t say it to be flippant. She said it as a fact, with no agenda. No awe. No flirtation. Just a woman who happened to know who he was and wasn’t particularly impressed.

The longer they walked, the more Lewis realized how little she needed to speak. She was content in the quiet, in observing her surroundings, in letting the world pass without the urge to fill it with chatter. It was strange. Most people around him tried to impress, to dazzle, to show him why they were interesting.

(Y/n) didn’t care to be interesting.

She simply was.

They passed by the harbor, the boats rocking gently in the moonlight, and Lewis finally turned to her again.

“Do you live nearby?”

“Not too far,” she said.

“Can I give you a ride?”

She hesitated. “I don’t usually take rides from men I’ve only met twice.”

He smirked. “Fair. But if you say no, I’ll just follow you home to make sure you get there safe.”

She rolled her eyes. “Stalker logic.”

“Protective logic.”

(Y/n) laughed softly. “Fine. But only if your car isn’t some obnoxious, revving monster.” (Author: You jinxed it, honey)

He gestured to the lot they were approaching. When her eyes landed on the car parked there, her breath visibly caught.

It was sleek, black, and beautifully understated for someone of his status. The silhouette screamed performance, yet the finish was subtle enough to keep it elegant. Her fingers curled slightly, as though resisting the urge to reach out and touch the hood.

“Is this yours?”

“Every part of it,” Lewis said, pulling out the keys.

He opened the passenger door for her and watched as she climbed in, slowly, like someone unaccustomed to such luxury. When he shut the door and rounded the car, he caught her expression—half amused, half reverent.

“First time in a sports car?” he asked once inside.

“Yes,” she admitted softly.

He started the engine, the purr smooth and low. She gave directions, and soon they were gliding through the empty streets, the wind whispering past them, the city glowing in the rearview mirror.

When they pulled up to her building, a modest yet charming place tucked between larger residences, she turned to him with a slight frown.

“I don’t know how to open the door,” she said.

Lewis chuckled, leaned over her, and reached for the handle. The door swung upward, smooth as silk.

In that brief moment, they were too close. Her breath hitched softly. The scent of her perfume, light, like jasmine and fresh linen, filled the small space between them.

His hand hovered near hers. The only thing separating them now was the lens of her glasses.

And just like that, the moment broke.

She pulled away and stepped out, clutching her bag tighter. “Thanks for the ride,” she said quickly.

“Yeah, no problem,” Lewis replied, watching her as she closed the door with a quiet click.

He waited until she disappeared behind the entrance gate before driving away.

But her presence lingered like the echo of a song.

She was in his thoughts long after he parked in his garage.

He didn’t know why.

And at that same hour, (Y/n) sat by her bedroom window, glasses still on, arms wrapped around her knees as she watched the city lights. There had been a tension in her chest that she hadn’t quite named. Not nerves. Not attraction. Something more elusive. Recognition, perhaps.

Something about him disarmed her.

Something about her unsettled him.

Neither of them knew it yet, but this would not be the last quiet moment they shared.

This was only the beginning.

To be continued...❤️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 3: ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴜꜱᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅꜱ🕶️

📝 Note from the Author: Hello again, my dear Alarwynnites! Second post of the day, can you believe it? I was actually thinking of posting 5 chapters today, non? But nahhh, I like the suspense I give y’all HAHAHAHA. So let’s just stick to three chapters for today.

Thank you again for reading this one. Also, heads up: I won’t be writing a Note from the Author on the following chapters from now on, only when it feels necessary HAHAHAHA.

Big love as always, and thank you for keeping up with me and this story!

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 1: ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʀ ᴡʜᴏ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ🕶️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 2: ʙʟᴜᴇ-ᴇʏᴇᴅ ʀᴇᴄᴏɢɴɪᴛɪᴏɴ🕶️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 3: ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴜꜱᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅꜱ🕶️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 4: ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʟᴀꜱꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ꜱᴄʀᴇᴇɴ🕶️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 5: ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴍᴇᴀɴᴛ🕶️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 6: ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʀᴇᴀʟ🕶️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 7: ᴀ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ʙᴇꜱɪᴅᴇ ʜᴇʀ🕶️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 8: ꜱɪʟᴋ & ꜱᴛᴏɴᴇ🕶️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 9: ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴢᴏɴᴇꜱ🕶️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 10: ꜱɪʟᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇʟɢɪᴀɴ ꜱᴜɴʟɪɢʜᴛ🕶️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 11: ᴘᴏꜱᴛ-ʀᴀᴄᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜꜱ🕶️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 12: ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ🕶️

ꜰ1 x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ | ʟᴇᴡɪꜱ ʜᴀᴍɪʟᴛᴏɴ ᴀᴜ | ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜɴᴛᴇʀ + ᴍʏꜱᴛᴇʀʏ

⚠️ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ:

ᴍᴅɴɪ / ɪɴᴛɪᴍᴀᴄʏ ɪᴍᴘʟɪᴇᴅ

ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢ-ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴇɴᴅᴇʀɴᴇꜱꜱ

ᴅᴏᴍᴇꜱᴛɪᴄ ɪɴᴛɪᴍᴀᴄʏ (ꜱʜᴏᴡᴇʀ, ʙʀᴇᴀᴋꜰᴀꜱᴛ)

ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴠᴜʟɴᴇʀᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ

ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘ ʟᴀʙᴇʟ ᴅɪꜱᴄᴜꜱꜱɪᴏɴ

ᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄ ᴏᴜᴛɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ꜰᴀɴ ᴀᴛᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ

The first fingers of sunlight threaded their way through the gauzy curtains, casting long strips of gold across the wooden floor and the tangled bedsheets. The warmth crept in slowly, silently announcing the start of a new day, but Lewis Hamilton had already been awake.

His eyes had fluttered open minutes ago, not because of the light, but because of a presence, a quiet awareness that he was being watched.

When he turned his head, there she was. (Y/n), still pressed close beside him, her cheek nestled against the pillow, her body half-curled toward him. The sheet was drawn loosely over her hip, her bare shoulder catching the soft morning light. Her expression was calm, serene even, but the smile tugging at the corners of her lips betrayed her amusement at being caught.

“Morning,” she murmured, voice soft and unguarded.

Lewis didn’t speak right away. He simply looked at her, really looked at her, as though she were some rare thing he’d stumbled across in a dream he wasn’t ready to leave. Her eyes were steady on him, lashes still sleep-heavy, her hair a bit wild from the night before.

With a quiet breath, he reached out and tucked a loose strand behind her ear. His fingers lingered against her cheek for a moment, tracing the warmth there. Then he leaned in, and kissed her.

The kiss started slow—no urgency, no rush, just lips moving against lips in the quiet language they were still learning to speak. It deepened naturally, with the kind of tenderness that came not from passion alone, but from familiarity—an instinctive knowing of where to touch, when to pause, how to draw out the smallest sigh of contentment.

Her hand slid up to his jaw, fingers brushing the soft stubble there. She shifted closer, letting her leg drape over his hip, their bodies settling back into the rhythm they’d found the night before. The sheets rustled gently, sunlight dancing across their skin as the world outside faded into background noise.

The morning unfolded slowly—time no longer measured in minutes, but in heartbeats and laughter muffled against skin. They spoke in half-sentences and laughter, calling each other’s names like secrets passed between kisses. There was no script to follow. Just the quiet cadence of two people rediscovering the spaces between them.

It wasn’t just about physicality—it was the way her fingers brushed through his hair when he kissed her shoulder, the way he held her like he was anchoring himself in the moment. It was the intimacy of shared breath, of knowing glances and whispered jokes and soft sighs between kisses.

Eventually, they lay still again, limbs intertwined, her head resting against his chest, rising and falling with each measured breath. Outside, Monaco stirred with its usual morning rhythms—cars humming softly, shutters creaking open, the sea murmuring against the harbor walls—but within these four walls, the world was still.

“So…” she said, voice quiet against his skin, “what are we?”

The question didn’t come with tension or expectation. It was casual, almost playful, but it hung in the air with the weight of honesty.

Lewis didn’t answer immediately. He looked down at her, his fingers trailing lightly along the curve of her spine, thoughtful.

“I don’t know yet,” he said finally, his voice low and honest. “But I know I want you. I want this.”

Her head shifted slightly, just enough for her to look up at him. A small, amused smile tugged at her lips again.

“So… boyfriend and girlfriend?”

The words were light, teasing, but something in her eyes told him she wasn’t joking entirely.

Lewis let out a quiet laugh, the kind that rumbled low in his chest and softened his features.

“Yeah,” he said, brushing his thumb gently over her cheek. “Yeah. I like the sound of that.”

She grinned then, wide and warm, and pressed a kiss just over his heart, where her hand still rested. For the first time in weeks, there was no lingering uncertainty between them. Only clarity. And peace.

Later, they showered together.

There was no rush to it, just the easy rhythm of two people learning each other’s preferences in small, domestic ways. She liked the water hotter than he expected. He stood back and let her adjust the temperature without protest. She hummed while rinsing her hair, a soft tune he didn’t recognize, and he found himself watching her more than anything else. The way she closed her eyes under the stream, the curve of her smile when she caught him staring.

They didn’t speak much. They didn’t need to.

It was in the way he gently lathered soap into her shoulders, how she traced slow patterns on his chest with her wet fingertips. Touches were quiet affirmations, movements precise and unhurried. When they finally stepped out, they dried off in companionable silence, towels wrapped snugly, fingers brushing as they reached for robes.

Afterward, she made breakfast—something simple, but thoughtful.

Toast with soft butter, eggs just the way he liked them, and coffee that filled the air with a rich, earthy warmth. He sat at the small kitchen counter, watching her move around the space with natural ease. There was something comforting about seeing her barefoot in her robe, hair damp, the early sun lighting her profile.

She didn’t fuss. She didn’t perform. She just… existed, and that was enough to keep him still in his seat, smiling quietly into his coffee mug.

“You want to do something today?” he asked once she sat beside him, her plate already half-finished.

She paused, chewing thoughtfully, then nodded.

“Yes. But something quiet.”

And so, that was how Lewis Hamilton—seven-time world champion, global icon, most often seen flanked by security or cameras—found himself walking hand-in-hand through the quieter parts of Monaco, his baseball cap pulled low, sunglasses shading his expression, the weight of recognition softened by the hush of back streets and morning air.

They avoided the crowded spots. No casinos. No bougie hotel bars or luxury rooftop pools.

Instead, they wandered into narrow alleyways lined with artisan shops—pottery with thumbprints still visible in the glaze, leather goods that smelled of rich oils and patient hands. She stopped to admire a pair of hand-painted espresso cups; he bought them without question, just to see her eyes light up.

They ambled down cobbled paths near the port, pausing to watch the boats bob lazily in the sunlight. A few fans noticed them—pointed quietly, snapped photos from a distance—but none approached. Perhaps it was the way he walked beside her, fingers laced with hers, his gaze unguarded. Perhaps it was the simple fact that he looked happy, and people knew better than to interrupt that kind of quiet joy.

For lunch, they found a tucked-away bistro with white tablecloths and a sea view. The waiter didn’t fawn or ask for autographs. He just brought water with lemon and took their order with polite indifference. They talked about everything and nothing—favorite vacation spots, childhood disasters, the smell of sunscreen and pavement after rain.

“Did you always know you wanted to race?” she asked at one point, twirling her fork.

He smiled thoughtfully. “Yeah. Since I was six. But I never thought I’d end up here.”

She glanced out at the sparkling sea, then back at him. “And now?”

He looked at her instead of the view.

“Now I know what I don’t want to miss.”

They finished their meal slowly, lingering over espresso and shared dessert. Then they wandered again—through old bookstores stacked high with yellowing pages, where she found a weathered copy of a novel she loved and made him promise to read it. They bought gelato—pistachio for her, dark chocolate for him—and walked through the gardens, stopping to sit under a tree when her sandals began to pinch.

She leaned against him, laughing as a breeze lifted her hair into his face. He tucked it behind her ear again, like he had that morning, and she kissed his jaw without thinking.

Evening came gently.

They found a quiet restaurant for dinner, this one even smaller, lit by candles and strung bulbs that bathed the terrace in golden light. He sat across from her, one leg brushing hers beneath the table, and sipped wine as she told a story about her first solo trip abroad.

At times, he just stared at her—her hands animated in midair, her laugh soft and open, her eyes catching the light in a way that made him lose track of the conversation. There were so many pieces to her, and he was just now starting to uncover them all.

She noticed, of course.

“What?” she said, smiling over the rim of her glass.

He shrugged, unashamed. “Just… taking it in.”

And she blushed, lowering her gaze, pretending to hide behind her hair. But he knew. She felt it too.

They walked home beneath a sky thick with stars.

The noise of the city faded into the background, replaced by the hush of night and their soft footsteps on the path. Her hand was still in his, their fingers linked in a way that felt natural now. Familiar.

Outside her building, they paused.

Neither of them spoke for a long moment.

Then she leaned against his shoulder, looking up at the stars. “Today felt like… something I’ll remember.”

He kissed the top of her head. “It was.”

They went inside together—quiet, full from food and warmth and the kind of closeness that didn’t need to be named again.

By the time they reached her apartment, neither of them even considered saying goodnight. They simply stepped inside, kicked off their shoes, and moved as though the space already belonged to both of them.

There would be questions later. Real conversations. Decisions to be made.

But for now, all that mattered was this.

Two people. One quiet day. And the beginning of something real.

To be continued...❤️

🕶️ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʟᴀᴘꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ - ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 7: ᴀ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ʙᴇꜱɪᴅᴇ ʜᴇʀ🕶️