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The roar of the engine is the only sound Jenson hears as he completes the final lap of his motorsport career.
This was it. The final curtain.
He's not sure how he feels as he navigates each and every corner. It's like all his emotions are bundled up together and have tied themselves in knots.
Has it been a perfect end to his career? No. He would have liked to be on the podium and not in 16th. He also would have liked not to have caused the Ferrari of Thomas Flohr to crash into the barriers, but it couldn't have been helped.
He just needed to get the car home. Sebastian was waiting for him in the pit lane.
Sebastian. Man, he still cannot believe that they have been going strong since 2009. Who'd have thought he'd have fallen for his closest rival in the championship?
15 years on from that and they were still strong.
Sebastian wanted to be here for his last race, hell he had insisted on coming. Jenson knew Sebastian was meant to be in Brazil promoting his F1 forest initiative, but he had decided to postpone it to come to Bahrain instead.
Jenson had been touched of course, but he had still felt bad that Sebastian had given up his project for him.
Sebastian had promised him that he was okay with it and that in Abu Dhabi he would run it. There seemed to be something about Abu Dhabi that excited Sebastian and Jenson had no idea what it could be.
All too soon the checked flag is in his field of vision and he crosses the line.
It's weird, the emotions still feel confusing. He's not sure if he's happy or sad. Relief is a prominent emotion, but he's not feeling anything big. It's scary.
When he gets out of the car, he finds his team around him and he lets them hug him and pat his helmet. It's a weird feeling to know that this was the end.
He's just unclipped his helmet and removed the balaclava when Sebastian appears in his field of vision. He's wearing a pink shirt in tribute to Jenson's father and it's that that brings tears to his eyes.
"I'm proud of you." Sebastian says, his voice gentle as he takes his helmet from him. The sight of the pink shirt together with the helmet he had worn decorated like his very first helmet that his father had gifted him, is what makes his tears fall.
Sebastian makes a soft sound, pulling him in close to his chest. "It's okay, I've got you."
Jenson clings to him, sobbing into his shirt. All the emotions slam into him. This really was the end.
Sebastian lovingly rubs his back soothingly, handing the helmet off to a member of the garage. "Hey Jense?"
Jenson pulls back, trying to stop his tears. "Ye- yeah?"
Sebastian smiles sweetly, gently wiping away his tears. "Now that you've joined me in the wonder that is retirement, I have something to ask you."
Jenson looks confused, puzzled at what Sebastian wanted to ask. "Okay? What is it?"
Taking a deep breath, Sebastian clears his throat and gets on one knee, right there in the middle of parc ferme.
Jenson freezes, the world seeming to stop turning as he watches Sebastian take a ring box from his pocket.
Sebastian smiles sweetly at Jenson. "Jense, you and I have known each other for years now. I have loved every moment with you, even the bad. You are the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, until we are old and grey and forget each other's names. I love you, Jenson. Will you marry me?"
Jenson's heart seems to stop in his chest and more tears fill his eyes. Frantically he nods his head, the answer to the most important question in the entire world getting lodged in his throat.
"SAY YES!" Someone from the team yells, which seems to make Jenson unfreeze. He has enough presence of mind to flip off the team member, before he looks at the hopeful Sebastian at his feet.
"Yes, Seb. 100% yes. I will marry you!"
Sebastian smiles like the sun and he gently takes Jenson's hand, slowly putting the ring on his finger.
Jenson admires the silver band for a moment, before he pulls Sebastian to his feet and into a loving kiss.
Cameras flash all around them as fireworks light up the night sky. It's not for them, but it feels like it should be.
Cheers ring out all around them and Jenson pulls back to rest his forehead against Sebastian’s.
It's simply perfect.
Abu Dhabi 2025
"Let me seeeeee!"
Lando beams at Jenson as he reaches for his hand, wanting to see the ring.
Jenson laughs and lets him look, unable to stop smiling.
"Oh it's so pretty! Seb made a good choice!" Lando says, looking genuinely happy for Jenson.
"Thank you!" Jenson smirks a little, "when is Carlos going to pop the question?"
Lando blushes deeply at his words and gives a little shrug. "I uh- we haven't talked about it."
Jenson is about to ask more when Sebastian dashes into the garage, looking excited. "Jenson? Come with me!"
Puzzled, Jenson follows Sebastian out to where Zak Brown is waiting next to one of the Mclaren cars.
"What's going on?" Jenson asks, confused as he looks at the race suit in Zak's hands.
"Remember how you joked that you wanted to be the last person to press the DRS button? Well I asked Zak nicely if you could go on track after the race and press the DRS button one last time," Sebastian grins at him,"call it a little present for saying I do".
Jenson tears up, looking shocked at his adorable Fiance. "Holy shit, I love you so much."
"I love you too, now go out there and drive." Sebastian gives him a loving smile.
He kisses Sebastian gently, his hands shaking when he takes the helmet handed to him by Lando.
It was the helmet he had worn when he had first pressed the DRS button.
Fuck, Sebastian had thought of everything.
He gets changed and makes his way to the F1 car, feeling his heart pounding in his chest.
He was about to make history.
As Jenson drives around the circuit, he activates the DRS button and feels as if he's come full circle.
When he drives back into the garage, Sebastian is waiting for him. It makes Jenson's heart swell with love.
He climbs out of the car and removes his helmet and the Hans device. He hands both to a Mclaren mechanic before he moves over to Sebastian and pulls him into a deep kiss.
Its perfect, he is happy with this ending to his career.
Retirement looked amazing, he couldn't wait for what came next.
The future was golden.