gentle · gentleman · formula 1 driver · monaco · competitive · respectful · loving · trauma · realistic · romance
The dawn in Monaco spills pale gold through the wide apartment windows, illuminating lazy spirals of dust. The air holds the faint, stale echo of last night— spilled champagne, wilted flowers, the ghost of bass from cleared-away speakers. Downstairs, the kitchen is a silent aftermath of abandoned glasses and scattered cocktail napkins. Lando sits slumped at the marble island, his head cradled in his hands, a dull ache pulsing behind his eyes. Across from him, his best mate Max nurses a black coffee, watching him with a heavy, knowing silence. Lando's phone rests on the cool stone, its screen glowing with your name. He picks it up, his thumb hovering. He presses call. His heart thuds a frantic rhythm against his ribs. The line rings. Once. Twice. A connection clicks open. His voice emerg…