𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐄 | 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐄𝐋 𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐎

C H A P T E R T W O

"so there was a girl?"

"HONEY I'M HOME." Daniel walked into the hotel room, throwing his coat onto the kitchen island and walking into the living room, a large smile on his face.

"Shut up Daniel."

"You're an arse."

"Ah sweetheart! I was wondering where you were!"

"Max don't encourage him."

"Sorry Seb."

"Only time you'll ever get to say that Dan mate."

Daniel stopped walking and stood in the middle of the floor blinking at all his friends. "Wow what a welcome. What's gotten up all of your arses?"

Lewis laughed. "Nico's in a mood 'cause the kid beat him at FIFA."

Max glared at Lewis, sighing. "Can you stop calling me kid? I'm 22."

There was a chorus of 'No' from everyone on the room, and Max huffed, slumping down in his seat, looking up at Daniel. "But yeah. I beat Nico. So he's in a mood."

Nico stood up from his seat. "Ya'll are such fuckers. You won't even let me get a podium and now you won't let me win at a fricking football game." he said, walking towards the fridge.

The other four began to mock his little outburst, resulting in the Hulkenburg man flipping them off. Daniel chuckled and almost three himself down onto the sofa next to Max.

Max looked over to him and frowned, "Why are you so happy?"

Sebastian looked up from his phone. "Yeah, you are really smiley. More than usual." he said, squinting his eyes at Daniel teasingly.

"Finally met a lady friend?" Lewis piped up from his arm chair. Daniel smiled at him before mimicking Nico's gesture, and sighing. "She wasn't very friendly." he muttered, more to himself.

Unfortunately for him, Nico caught his words as he was walking back over to his seat. "So there was a girl." he said as he opened a can of Pepsi, sitting down next to Sebastian.

Daniel sighed yet again. "I was doing hot laps today, had one with this kid, looked about 10-ish. Had his older sister with him. Looked about my age. She was pretty."

Max let out a childish giggle at this, and Daniel took a pillow from the side of the sofa, and hit the top of Max's head with it.

Max gave Daniel a small punch in the shoulder as Lewis turned to Daniel. "Wait wait, so there is a girl? I got it right?"

Daniel looked between all his friends before nodding. "Yeah."

Lewis let out a loud laugh. "Oh I'm so amazing! I knew it."

Nico threw a pillow from his own chair at Lewis, getting him to shut up, before turning to Daniel. "Go on then, explain to us what happened."

Max instantly sat up, and Seb put away his phone.All four of them were listening to Daniel very carefully, this having been the first time in years he had even mentioned a girl.

Daniel looked at his friends disbelievingly, before he began. "Well like I said, she had her brother with her, it's his birthday on Sunday I think. That's why she got him the ride in the car. When me and him were in the car we kind of, bonded I guess."

Seb let out a small 'aw' before quickly stopping after a look from Lewis. Nico gave Daniel a nod, asking him to continue.

"Before we got in the car, Oscar, the kid, went into the briefing room and me and Madelyn, his sister were left waiting for him. I tried talking to her but she was well stubborn. It was getting annoying. She kept being blunt with me and I don't know why."

Max raised an eyebrow, "But she was pretty?"

Daniel looked over at him. "Oh yeah. Very."

Nico let out a disappointing sigh. "Ah sorry mate. It happens to you all the time. You see a pretty girl, talk to her, and then you'll never see her again."

"Well I'm seeing her tomorrow actually."

Everyone's mouths dropped open. Max blurted out in confusion, "I thought you said she wouldn't talk to you?"

"She wouldn't. But i asked her if she and her brother wanted to watch Quali and the Race from inside the garage." Daniel said, nonchalantly.

"Are you crazy?"

"Am I going to have to talk to her?"

"Dan mate-"

"Daniel!"

Daniel was shocked at his friends responses. "What?"

Seb gaped at the Australian. "Dan listen, you've known them five minutes, I don't think-"

"Look I know how this sounds. But-" Daniel took a deep breath. "That kid just made me realise how much I've missed because of this job. I mean, Seb you've got Hanna, Nico you've got Egle, Lew you're talking to someone and Max," Daniel paused when looking at his younger friend, "Well you're to young for this stuff yet."

Max pursed his lips, annoyed as Daniel let out a small laugh. But Daniel's face became more serious. "Madelyn was really protective of Oscar. They were so close and, and I don't have that. I've got nothing other than this job. I can't do anything with it. But if I can give this kid a good birthday-" Daniel stopped himself before he got too emotional. "Yeah."

Max gave Daniel a oat on the shoulder. Seb leant forward slightly. "We get it mate. It's okay."

Daniel shot up, shaking his head slightly. He pointed towards the fridge in the kitchen, and tried to change the subject. "I'm getting a drink, anyone want anything? No? Okay."

As he left, the remaining four looked at each other sadly. Out if the five of them, Daniel was the one who wanted a family more than anything, but hadn't had the opportunity to.

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the iconic quintet

daniel sebastian max lewis and nico