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Chapter Text

“Three…” Lewis mumbled to himself, “two… o- No, I can’t do it!”
For about the fifths time after the end of quali, Lewis counted down to get himself to complete the mission he was on. Which was an important mission, of course. So important that it kept him up at night, made him wander through his hotel rooms aimlessly and – much to Niki’s and Toto’s dismay – it affected his driving because he just could not focus properly anymore.
Therefore, he would have to finally act on it and complete his mission. Rather sooner than later.
However, things sounded way easier than they actually were, considering that said mission contained an ever-smiling Australian and the strange feelings in Lewis’ chest and the voice in his head that hadn’t shut up about the Aussie for quite a while now.
So it wasn’t as if he actually had another choice. Sebastian was about to win the championship and if he wanted to keep his hopes up for the rest of the season, he would have to sort this out.
Knowing that Daniel’s crew would leave early after the Qualifying, Lewis fastened his steps and before he could change his mind again, he stood in front of the open gates of the Red Bull garage. The Aussie was nowhere to be seen, though, and Lewis felt his heart drop. He was not sure if he would gather up the courage another time, if he would have to postpone his plans once again.
But apparently, the odds seemed to be in his favour for once and a few seconds later, the Australian entered the garage through a door in the back. He was still wearing his racing suit but it was resting low on his hipbones, his white fireproofs complimenting his slim figure while Daniel was fiddling with his fireproof balaclava. Once he had removed the mask, he spotted Lewis standing in front of his car and raised a hand to wave at him.
“Mate! What you’re doing here? Spying for your team?” the Aussie beamed at the Brit once he had made his way through the group of mechanics and Lewis felt a knot forming in the back of his throat.
“Something like that, man,” he replied and Dan let out a soft chuckle. A smile spread on his lips that reached his dark eyes and softened his features.
“So…?” the Aussie asked and Lewis was snapped out of his thoughts about the way Dan’s iris reflected the sun light and made his eyes appear the colour of honey while they were rather the shade of a dark brandy. For heaven’s sake, why was he even thinking about these things?
But he could no longer deny the way his heart picked up speed whenever he was around the Australian or how catching one of Dan’s smiles felt like coming home to Monaco after weeks of flying across the planet.
“Buddy, sure you’re alright?” Dan asked again and a concerned frown appeared on his forehead. Lewis nearly jumped.
“Why, yes!”
“Great. So what was it you wanted?”
Lewis swallowed hard and glanced around them. There were Daniel’s guys, working on the car that left them behind a little helplessly by once again only leaving P5 and P6 to the Red Bulls. There was Max in his part of the garage, talking to Christian with his dad and if Lewis looked to the left, he could see his own team a few meters away.
No one seemed to pay them any attention, though. Which meant now or never.
“Will you dine with me this evening?”
Lewis felt as if a weight as heavy as his car had been lifted from his shoulders the second the words had finally left his mouth. For weeks, he had been thinking of this very moment and having it out in the open felt incredible. And even more so when Dan didn’t look at him as if he was out of his mind but beamed at him. Lewis had spent ages considering which was the best way to ask the Australian out on a date and in the end, he had decided to keep it classy and ask Daniel to have dinner with him.
“Sure!” Dan replied and placed a hand on Lewis’ shoulder.
“I’d love to, actually,” the Australian then said with a lower voice and the smile he gave the Brit sent shivers down Lewis’ spine.
So the Mercedes driver bit his lip a little sheepishly and then promised to text the Red Bull the address of his favourite restaurant in Francorchamps.
When the Australian was about to head back to his motorhome, Lewis held him back by grabbing the sleeve of his racing suit which was hanging loosely around Daniel’s hips.
The Aussie was aware that Lewis had just asked him out on a date, right? A date, not a casual meet-up between two drivers?
But just when Lewis started “Dan?”, the Australian said “Lewis?” and the Brit told him to go first.
Dan smiled.
“I’m really glad you asked me, Lewis. A date, huh?” the Aussie wiggled his eyebrows and Lewis let out a soft laugh.
“I’ll see you there then.”
“Looking forward to it!” Dan called when he had almost disappeared in the group of Red Bull mechanics and Lewis had to turn around to not let anyone see the giant smile that was spreading on his face at the words.
He had done it. He had actually, fucking, done it after weeks of hopelessly crushing on the Australian without even knowing if the other men was interested in the same sex at all. If he was even interested in Lewis, after all.
This was better than the pole today or the victory back at home in Silverstone and it made up for only coming forth in Hungary.
Hell, this was better than all of his wins of the season combined.
This was Daniel Ricciardo, agreeing to go on a date with him, Lewis Hamilton.

Chapter Text

It was almost 7.50pm when Daniel remembered that he was supposed to meet Lewis at the restaurant at 8pm.
Thinking about it now, he wouldn’t say no to a relaxed evening on the extra-large couch in his hotel room but he hadn’t met any of his friends lately and it was important to him to keep in touch with them. Plus, Lewis was always fun to be around. They just connected.
So the Aussie got his ass up and changed into jeans and a shirt that at least could be described as ‘not lying in a pile on the floor’.
After a short sprint and just 10 minutes late, the GPS of Daniel’s phone told him that he had arrived. And he immediately regretted not making more of an effort with his outfit, considering that he was standing in front of a small restaurant which appeal lay in its Belgian charm and modesty. Through French windows that reached down to the floor, he could see inside and make out that wine-red walls were illuminated by soft lightning. When the door was opened for him, he was greeted by smooth music and there was a grand piano in the back of the restaurant. All in all, the room was rather small and yet far from huddled since the tables were mainly for two persons only.
Dan tried his best to straighten some of the wrinkles in his navy long-sleeve shirt with his hands when he spotted Lewis sitting on a table in the back of the restaurant. City lights fell through a window and painted shadows on the Brit’s face which lit up when their gazes interlocked.
The Australian raised a hand to wave at Lewis and the Mercedes driver stood up to greet him. Dan frowned when he felt Lewis hesitating but shrugged it off as British aloofness, pulling the other man into a loose hug.
“I’m sorry I’m late, mate,” Dan apologized and Lewis brushed it off with a gesture while helping the Aussie with his chair.
“I’m just glad you showed up at all,” Lewis said when both of them sat down, his fingers absently playing with the watch he was wearing on his wrist. There was a certain tone to the Brit’s voice that Dan identified as nervousness.
“You thought I wouldn’t show up?” Dan asked and his gaze wandered over the Brit’s outfit. You could wear a tux with a bow tie and you’d still feel underdressed around Lewis Hamilton but Dan could not deny that the black button-down shirt with golden ornamentation with a jacket* that was made out of velvet the rich colour of an emerald was extremely classy. Lewis must have been to a fashion week lately.  
When Lewis lifted his gaze to meet Dan’s eyes, the Australian spotted a shyness in the Brit’s dark eyes that he had not seen before.
“I don’t know?” Lewis shrugged his shoulders and the next time he looked at Dan, a wide smile was tugging on his lips, “it’s not as if… as if I have dinner with someone every day. Haven’t had for a long time, actually.”
Dan nodded. He also spent much less time with his friends than he wanted to. Going out with his mates as he did with Lewis today was rare. He cherished those evenings.
Therefore, he said, “It’s been a while for me, too.”
Lewis’ eyes lit up at those words and he lowered his gaze almost sheepishly.
“I’m glad then that you said yes when I asked you earlier.”
Dan grinned, “Of course I did! I was thinking of asking you to go out sometime, too.”
He had rather imagined hitting a bar with some of the guys, going jet skiing or riding motor bikes, since Lewis was one of the few people that didn’t look at him as if he was out of his mind for wanting to do those things (considering the dangers of a possible injury). Having dinner was OK, though. Dan loved food.
Lewis’ eyes widened a little at the Red Bull driver’s words and Dan grinned when he thought of that time they had lost Max on a quad tour through the desert of Abu Dhabi.
Lewis cleared his throat softly and handed Dan the menu.
“What do you want to drink?”
Dan did not open the leather-bound folder and held Lewis’ gaze.
“What do you?”
A word dropped from the Brit’s lips that was just as long as it was exotic and Lewis had to tell Daniel the number in the menu for him to understand what Lewis had chosen.
It sounded super-fancy and would probably be served in a lightning bulb with fresh berries and tiny umbrellas and Lewis chuckled when Dan raised his eyebrows.
“I think they have Red Bull cola here,” the Brit said and winked at the Australian. Dan let out a dramatic sigh and shook his head rapidly, grinning.
“No way, mate. I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
Lewis bit his lip, “Are you sure?”
Dan nodded stubbornly. Given that the most impressive thing he could cook was a decent 'high proteine bircher muesli', he should really keep his mouth shut on this topic, the Aussie thought.
“Can’t be worse than having to drink Red Bull all the fucking time, “ the Australian said and Lewis let out a laugh.
“You know that you can fill whatever you want in their cans, right?”
Dan grinned and his eyes widened playfully, “No shit, Sherlock! But Max is addicted to this stuff and it’s pretty much everywhere.”
Lewis was about to say something when a waiter approached them and asked them for their order.
“I’ll take what he’s having”, Dan said after Lewis had managed to pronounce the name of his drink flawlessly, “and a beer! Just to make sure.”
A laugh escaped Lewis’ lips that was just the right volume not to disturb some of the other guests.
Dan was not disappointed when the waiter came a back few minutes later. Their drinks were not filled in a light bulb but the glass looked like something you’d rather expect in a laboratory. The liquid in it had the colour of a night sky.
“Is this glitter in there?” Dan asked and inspected their drinks suspiciously.

Chapter Text

About one hour and a half later, they left the restaurant with stuffed tummies and Lewis held the door open for Dan.
“It’s been nice, mate,” the Aussie said while they strolled down the huddled streets and Lewis just smiled, listening to the sound their shoes made on the cobblestones.
“My driver is waiting just around the corner,” Lewis mumbled and he felt the sudden urge to not keep walking. He knew that his drivers were usually very discreet – it was their job after all – but being alone with Dan and moreover in the centre of his attention was rare.
He wanted to cherish the moment and not just let it slip through his fingers and pass.
Who knew when they would find time for another again? Without security guys lurking around or paparazzi catching their steps?
So Lewis slowed down and Dan turned around in surprise when the Brit stopped.

“You okay, buddy?”
The Mercedes driver nodded but when he opened his mouth, no words came out.
Dan grinned, “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Lewis answered when his voice could finally be trusted again. His gaze wandered over Dan, his (for a Formula 1 driver) relatively tall figure, the dark stubble on his chin, his wild locks that were for once not hidden under a sponsor cap and his bright teeth that shone even whiter in this dark alley.
“So what is it?” Dan pressed gently.
It was only then that Lewis realized that he had stepped closer to the Australian. He quickly made a step back but Dan did not seem to mind.
“Did you really enjoy our evening?” Lewis eventually asked, his voice barely more than a whisper, for he could feel his heart jumping into his throat.
A frown formed on the Aussie’s forehead and a confused look clouded his dark eyes, “I already told you that I liked it, didn’t I?”
Lewis nodded and sighed, while he nervously rubbed his neck.

“Yeah, right, sorry. It’s just…”
What? How was he supposed to tell Dan?
“You can tell me, you know? Just spit it out, Lewis,” Dan shrugged his shoulders and smiled at the Brit in such a carefree way that the knot in Lewis’ throat loosened.
“Most of the time, I’m just not sure whether people actually like to…” date me? have sex with me? love me? “… spend time with me or…”
“Want to benefit from the celebrity bonus?” Dan jumped in and Lewis nodded, relief washing over him at the realization that Daniel knew exactly what he was talking about.
Before he knew what was going on, one of the Aussie’s hands was curling around Lewis’ waist and Dan pulled him forward while a soft chuckle was spreading through his body.
They continued walking this way, their sides pressed together.

“You know, Lewis, I might not have a world championship title yet but if I wanted to benefit from someone’s status, I’d probably hit on Seb. He’s got one more title, after all.”
Lewis couldn’t suppress the smile that was tugging on his lips and he playfully shoved Daniel away.
“I think that would cause you some Kimi-trouble.”
Dan shrugged his shoulders and smirked, “No pain, no gain.”
Lewis rolled his eyes at the words but had to bite his lip to stop himself from grinning like an idiot. Because that was the kind of thing the Aussie was doing to him.
“There’s the car!” Dan suddenly exclaimed and Lewis felt a disappointment in his guts that was new to him.
Which meant that he could now only pray that the Australian wasn’t just playing him.

***

When Lewis woke up the next day, he still could not believe it.
He, Lewis Hamilton, had been on a date, with his not-longer-secrete-crush Daniel Ricciardo. And it had been amazing. More so, it had been incredible.
But today was race day and there was a pre-race press conference set for the morning so he’d have to hurry in order to not be late.
He would have to face the press with Kimi, which wasn’t exactly ideal since he wasn’t in the mood to talk much and the Finn surely wouldn’t help with that.
On the other hand, Fernando would be there as well and with all the Honda-problems lately, the Spaniard would probably save him some time.
And Lewis got lucky for the first questions were all directed at Fernando who answered with his fists curled under the table.
The Brit wasn’t listening to anything the Honda driver was saying, though. Instead, his evening with Dan was playing on his mind over and over again.
“Hey, Kimi,” he eventually whispered and covered his microphone while Fernando was telling through gritted teeth that yes, I enjoy working with team very much, next question please.
When the Finn didn’t even flinch, Lewis nudged his knee and tried it again, “Kimi, hey!”
“What you want?” the Ferrari driver eventually answered in a low voice while he kept his gaze straight.
“Guess who was my date yesterday.”
Very slowly, Kimi turned his head in Lewis’ direction and stared at him for a few seconds.
“Bwoah. I really don’t care.”
“That’s just rude, Kimi. I still can’t believe he said yes. I didn’t even know he was into guys! But you have to keep it a secret, okay?”
“Bwoah.”
“Great, man. Now guess.”
Kimi’s face was still blank.
“Felipe?”
“What?!”
Kimi shrugged, “You’re into Brazilians, no?”
“Wh-… Oh my god, are you joking? Has Kimi Raikkönen actually just made a joke?”
The Finn’s face was still motionless and Lewis bumped his knee against Kimi’s.
“Guess for real.”
“Ricciardo,” the other driver eventually said almost bored.
Lewis frowned, “How do you know?”
Kimi snorted, “Everyone knows you have a crush.”
Lewis’ heart skipped a beat, “What do you mean everyone knows. Who the fuck is everyone?”
“Everyone with eyes.”