#schumilton

god okay, so, they've been sharing space for a year now, lew has opened up more and more and mick has distanced more, trying to make lewis more comfortable with everything he feels so he makes the connection smaller.

and lewis didnt tell him about ferrari, mick doesnt know why, they're soulmates? charles knew? did seb, george, val? did they know? why didnt he, he didnt feel anything different from lewis either. Lewis shows up again that first day after the announcement he,s been busy, so has mick, they havent seen eachother in a while. Mick congratulates him, tries to close the bond more, not let the resentment that has grown seep through, its ugly and grimy and it shouldnt exist, thats not his seat, not his team, not his legacy or family to live upto anymore.

okay, listen, this started when mick first showed up in the garage bc boy w headphones yk, the visual is there.

but basically, mick going into engineering instead of racing bc of his dad and doing all his internships at mercedes after studying in england. mick also having run around and visited the garage when his dad was still racing with merc made a lot of the team already feel connected and know mick before he got his internship.

then when he got the internship he spend most of his time at the head office/factory and obviously endeared a lot of the guys there to him bc well. pretty prince boy. maybe some of the guys jokingly started calling him 'little prince' and it kinda stuck. eventually he started joining a few races and mostly worked with lewis's side and a lot with bono. lew obviously knew abt the guy that the team constantly talked abt bc what the fuck is 'little prince' for a nickname.

“Might be childish of me but I think I always did imagine I’d marry for love.” Mick laughs, eyes dry and sore. “Something that could be from the songs.”

It is not right, perhaps, to say this to Lewis of all people. Definitely not behaviour fitting of a king. They talk about a lot of things but marriage — Mick’s especially — is not one of them.

Mick is wedding a man he has never met tomorrow to secure passage over the Lochcliffs so he can push on to Nighthall and rescue his father. He will do it without regret. He lets himself have this one thing.

Lewis shifts behind him, steel armour clanging softly. A heavy fur lined cloak is placed over Mick’s shoulders. It smells of sweat and dirt and, vaguely, wonderfully, of the lavender that Lewis carries around in his pockets.

Mick wonders how terrible it would be of him if this is the cloak he gives his husband tomorrow in the marriage ceremony. No one would have to know. It’s an old one of Michael’s after all — Mick’s house colours — that Lewis has taken to wearing recently.

Mick drops his head forward, elbows resting on the war table. They are alone in his tent. He can have this.

Lewis’s hand is gentle through his hair. Cutting it short unfortunately did not get rid of the memory of Lewis pulling on it during the Midsummer Feast. He doesn’t say anything.

32: trapped

"They thought it'd be funny," Lewis says dryly. "You know." He waves a hand, loose at the wrist, and his ring shines on his left hand in the morning sun. "The guy who breaks Michael's records marrying his kid? Hysterical. Good telly."

"I told you it wouldn't be forgiven." Fernando is rolling his eyes a few seats down. "This is why you always read the fine print."

Lewis shrugs. "I suppose."

"Well," George says, cheerfully, and claps his hands once. Mick doesn't even blink from where he has ducked behind his phone. His shoulders are hunched up to his ears. His ring sits on the end of his leather necklace, untucked from under his jumper. "At least you're a good-looking couple."

Alex gives him a sideways look. George grimaces out of the corner of his mouth back at him.

"This is truly a nepotism sport," Lewis is saying to Fernando, ignoring George. "Literally the definition of keeping it in the family!"