Work Text:
The sound of German chatter from across the room rings annoyingly in Lewis' ears at Silverstone.
Lewis wipes a hand across his face. He knows there's nothing between the two but Nico has always made him nervous. He'd sweep the room with words Lewis never understood and he'd made friends Lewis could never reach. He was like a songbird in flight that can't be tied down or ignored. Nico was almost always in flight. Lewis just wished he could fly with him.
He stared at Nico talking to Sebastian and it clicked. It starts with an idea.
"Is it just me, or is Lewis a bit jumpy today?" Sebastian asked, gesturing the other man. His headphones were jammed over his ears again and he hasn't taken them off except for when he had to drive.
"Are you sure you're not just paranoid?" Nico replies, laughing a little half-heartedly even if it was glaringly obvious that Lewis was thinking deeply about something.
"Maybe you should ask him? I'm not making this up, he hasn't taken his headphones off all day." Sebastian gestured wildly at the Briton, the fact that Lewis was still listening intently to his music and didn't notice Sebastian's little tirade just proving the younger German's point. Nico sighs but turns to walk towards Lewis, ignoring the knowing look on Sebastian's face. This better not be a set up.
"Lewis" Nico calls out tentatively but the Briton remains staring at a wall with his head bowed down ever so slightly. And if Nico squinted he could almost see Lewis' lips moving to form words.
"Lewis!" Still no answer.
Nico looked back at Seb, the younger German giving him a thumbs-up for support. He let out a breath, and placed a hand on Lewis's shoulder.
"Schieße!" Lewis jumped up in surprise and Nico blinks. Schiebße?
"Nico. Man, don't scare me like that." Lewis smiles widely at him, pulling his headphones off and shoving his iPod into his pocket. Nico eyes the square shape in his jeans a little suspiciously.
"Scheiße, huh?" He grins when Lewis visibly freezes at being found out.
"What? No. I didn't say that." He stuttered, patting Nico's hand awkwardly. "I totally said shit. You surprised me."
Nico stares at him, unconvinced. "Lew, I'm your actual boyfriend. I'm not falling for it"
"Not so loud" Lewis mutters, eyes shifting in case anyone heard what Nico said. Nico rolled his eyes, Lewis didn't like to air whatever it was they had to the public. Or to anyone. Nico had always been okay with it, with waiting for Lewis to be ready. But now he needed answers.
"Right. What are you listening to?" He tilted his head at the Briton. "Nothing" Lewis answered lamely, shrugging it off.
"But it must have been very serious. You were concentrating on it very hard." Nico grinned, slowly backing Lewis into a corner.
"Well. Maybe it was."
"Who was singing?"
"Pharrel Williams" Lewis half-shouted, Nico's presence destroying any rational thoughts he had. Pharrel Williams? Of all the artists??
"Pharrel Williams?" Nico said, completely unamused.
"Yes."
"You were listening to Happy?" Nico asked, his eyebrows knitted together in worry because Lewis was so obviously lying to him. "It's a very deep song." Lewis insisted.
"Seriously? Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof?" Nico sighed.
"It can have a deeper meaning, you never know!" Lewis responded, his voice climbing ups couple of octaves. He willed himself to calm down. This was Nico. The one person he could tell anything to.
He eyes his boyfriend, who eyes him back squinting.
"Are you listening to German rap again?" Lewis sputters, the comment coming from out of nowhere.
"What the hell, Nico? It was that one time-"
"Well, what is it?" Nico stared at him, his chocolate brown eyes reflecting the hurt and the worry in his own irises.
"I'm" Lewis struggled to find the words, eyeing Sebastian in the corner and coming to a decision. He put his headphones back on. "Maybe we should talk later."
No, Lewis can't be shutting him away. He can't. "Lew-" he started to protest but then his hands were enveloped in Lewis' hands and he can't find it in himself to argue.
"Later, okay?" Lewis chances a light kiss on Nico's pale knuckles before letting go. "I promise."
Nico watches as he leaves the room, more confused than when he came in.
Lewis was pacing in his garage at sunset.
Not that Lewis doesn’t have an excuse to be there, his garage and Nico’s are next to each other so of course Lewis should be there working. No, he’s pacing in Nico’s side of the garage and Nico’s just sitting in front of one of the computers looking at the statistics. Nico was always the more scientific one.
“Nico?” Lewis prompted, Nico hummed in response. He nodded absentmindedly for Lewis to continue but his eyes were still glued to the screen. Lewis cleared his throat and began. “You know that I care about you, right?”
Nico glanced at Lewis, raising a brow at the Brit. What brought this up?
“Of course I do” he answered, trying to go back to his stats. His car was not cooperating with him during the race. He had to fix that. “I care about you too, Lew” he said softly, half of his mind wants him to guard his heart but the other half knows that it’s too late and Lewis has heard him. It doesn’t matter because Lewis knows Nico cares about him.
Lewis breathed, continues to pace even when he starts baring his soul to Nico. “I wanted to impress you since we first met” he starts and he knows this gets Nico’s attention because he’s no longer looking at the statistics with the iron resolve he has when he’s in full on work mode. He’s got Lewis in his peripheral vision and he’s listening intently. “When we were in karting, I was excited whenever you were around to watch me drive. Mostly because I wanted you to think that we were at the same level.”
Nico spun around in his chair, staring at Lewis worriedly. “Lew” he muttered.
“I never understood it, Nico. You were always too far. So far and so near at the same time. I didn’t know what to do with myself because I couldn’t understand why you would want to be friends with me we don’t even match.” Lewis has stopped pacing, his hands curled into fists and Nico is worried but he won’t interrupt. This is what Lewis needs to say. “I can’t speak five languages, I’m not a genius at aeronautics or engineering” Lewis bit his lip, almost drawing blood in the process.
“But, I tried. Even when I got my championship you’re still out of my league. And I try all the time, Nico.” His knees give out and Nico is there to catch him like he caught Lewis after Abu Dhabi. He could have chosen anyone and he still chose Lewis.
“It’s okay, Lew. I choose you.” Nico muttered into his ear, holding him close. “I always choose you”
Lewis let the tears fall from their face and laughs at how codependent they were. Him and his Nico.
“Ich will immer bei dir sein”
Nico flinches in shock and pulls away to look at Lewis face. “What? Are you serious? Do you even know what you’re saying?” he sputtered. Lewis spoke German, albeit rudimentary German but still German. He never wanted to learn different languages before. Was this what he was doing all along? Was he learning German with his headphones?
Does Lewis really want them to be official?
“Ich liebe dich, Nico” Lewis smiles and Nico smiles back because he cannot believe how lucky he is to be with him. They’ve never said the L word before but Lewis is ready now so Nico cups the Briton’s face and kisses him chastely. There was no rush, there was no reason to rush because they would be together now.
“I love you too, Lew”