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Why was he taking care of his championship rival? Ah yes. Because Kimi had the eyes of a lost puppy, cheeks dusted pink and paired with slightly parted lips as he couldn't breathe through his nose. It must be a crime to look so adorable, George thought, looking at the boy brazenly curled up in his bed.
How did he find himself in this situation, one may ask. It started small - a few sniffles and complaints from Kimi during team meetings, and ended with Kimi on the doorstep of his hotel room, looking miserable.
"George, I must've... Caught a cold here."
"Okay, so... What do you want me to do about it?" George looked at the younger one, who was busy battling his congested nose, in surprise, confusion clear on his face.
"Well... Help? Besides, I told you Britain's weather was awful! I hate the constant drizzles and everything..."
Kimi's tone was bordering on whiny and he gave Russell an accusatory look, as if England's bad weather was his personal doing and not just a thing Kimi liked to complain about. But truth was, Antonelli just didn't know who to go to. It was always his mom taking care of him during his illnesses, and surprisingly, this was the first time he fell seriously sick while traveling without his family. After giving it some thought, as much as his flu addled to brain was able to, his gut feeling pointed to George. For no rational reason. George just felt safe. He felt like the guy who could solve all problems. George must've seen that hint of lostness in Kimi's eyes as he invited him into his hotel room.
"Sit down. I'll make you some tea or something, though I still don't know what you expect from me. Have you taken any medicine?"
"No... Feel to bad..."
Interpreting Kimi's bad English, it must've meant he felt too sick to go to the drug store.
"Thank you... I feel cold, George" Kimi muttered, taking the cup of hot tea from George's hands.
"Cold? It's +25 degrees in the room". His gaze flickered to the AC keeping the temperature stable - just to check.
"I'm cold", Kimi repeated.
George placed a hand on Kimi's forehead, feeling it burn hot under his palm. George himself would later be questioning why in that moment he just went with it. With the role of the caretaker. He could've told Kimi to go away, to mind his own business, but he started checking his temperature and making him tea as if that's how it's meant to be. How suddenly Kimi's illness became a George problem and not a Kimi problem. Truly, the boy had him (and, to be fair, everyone) wrapped around his little finger without meaning so.
"You are feverish, Kimi"
In response to that Kimi let out something between a whine and a mewl. But George was already covering him with his blanket - for the best, George thought, as Kimi's skinny bare thighs peeking out from under his shorts would finally stop distracting him. So lean and tempting, George suddenly almost imagined himself biting into them, hearing the tiny squeak Kimi would make... Wait, why was he even distracted by a sick young boy's thighs?
Kimi lay down on the bed, making himself comfortable with the arrogance of a stray cat that had snuck into your home and into your warm bed. George picked up a nasal spray, spraying it into Kimi's nose - a very motherly gesture. In response to that Kimi, still very cat-like, scrunched up his face as if someone was making him sniff acetone.
"I feel like shit" he groaned.
"I know, Kimi, I know"
"Why does it have to happen to me. Why do I have to suffer while everyone else feels perfectly fine. I wanna drive the car! I wanna be in the simulator, racing, not stuck here like an idiot" Kimi started his word vomit, or more like complaint vomit, until it was interrupted by a sneeze.
Kimi tried turning his face away from George, but to keep Kimi from getting snot on his sheets, or so George told himself, he gently turned his face back to him, reaching for a napkin and wiping Kimi's nose.
"You... Don't have to do that"
"It's okay."
"That's disgusting. I'm disgusting, I'm all feverish and snotty. Why do you deal with me?", Kimi grumbled.
"Because you came to my room uninvited and made it my problem, interrupting whatever plans I had had for the evening" - George thought, but didn't say it out loud
"Because you're my teammate. And my friend, are you not? I care about you"
"Do you?" - it was painfully obvious Kimi was fishing for kind words
"Of course. Besides, I'm the senior driver, isn't it kind of my responsibility to look after you?"
"So I'm just a burden on you? And what if I don't need looking after? I'm an adult, I'm capable!"
"The hypocrisy" - George thought, but bit his tongue again.
"You aren't a burden. You'd do the same if the roles were reversed, right?". He left the latter bit of Kimi's whining devoid of a response.
"I would! I mean, I'd try to..."
Even Kimi knew that George wouldn't need looking after.
"See?" - George tucked a strand of Kimi's unruly curls behind his ear - "now don't speak too much. Your throat must be hurting"
Kimi sniffled and turned his back to his teammate. He heard George exiting the room, but he was too busy being miserable to look.
It wasn't for long - soon he heard the click of the door again.
"Turn around" George said softly and Antonelli obediently followed.
A spoon was immediately shoved into his mouth and Kimi, too busy battling his surprise, swallowed.
"What was that?!"
"Cough syrup. Don't act like I made you swallow a pint of rotten milk or something."
Kimi gave a soft "hmph", but made no further complaints.
"...George?"
"Yes?"
"... I'm still cold"
"What do you want me to do? It's just your fever"
Kimi blushed, reaching for his teammate's hand.
".. you're warm".
George got it. After all, Kimi's hints were as big as bombs.
"Make space" - and the young boy shuffled to the side of the bed
However, as Russell's weight settled in, in a matter of seconds Kimi was beside him, a hand draped over George's stomach and head resting on his chest. George wrapped his arms around Kimi in return, but not before covering them both with a blanket.
His heart skipped a beat as he could feel Kimi's hot breath on his neck and the feverish heat of his body.
"How can you be cold? You're burning" George said half joking and half worried.
" 'm cold..." - And Kimi only snuggled closer, making George suppress a giggle as his curls tickled George's chin.
"...Kimi..." - George stroked his back "It's gonna pass soon. The worst will be over. Now just be a strong boy and make it through it, alright?"
"... Alright. And what will I get for being a strong boy?"
"I'll ask Toto to give you extra time on the simulator"
Kimi smiled into George's neck, content and happy at the prospect.
"Time on the simulator? I'd like that..."
"...George?" Kimi sniffled again and looked at his teammate with those lamb-like eyes of his.
"Yeah?"
"Do you... Like me? As a teammate?"
George didn't give the question much thought. Didn't allow himself to.
"Of course I like you, Kimi. Why else would I be here with you?"
"Just needed to hear it. Thank you... For taking care of me."
Kimi draped one of his legs over Russell, making a small sound of satisfaction.
Before either of the knew it, Kimi was out like a light, leaving George with a warm, heavy weight on his body and uncomfortable, inconvenient thoughts in his head. Ones he would rather not be dealing with, especially as his sick younger teammate slept on his chest.