Intimate Conversations [Sebastian Vettel feat. Jenson Button]

CHAPTER ONE

Author's note: Hi, everyone!

So this happened. (happy the idea didn't just stay in the drawer!)

Will be a short piece, but still much bigger than what I originally intended (a quick one-shot!). Hope you enjoy!

A big kiss and hug to my sebastian brainrot girls, to whom I dedicate this piece <3

May 2022

Spring. 

Two bikes set aside. One blue, one white. A picnic basket. A polaroid camera next to it on the fleece surface of the blanket. 

The strawberries and the other berries were all gone; there was still some cheese and crackers left and a good portion of pie. The bottle of rosé wine lay aside with the two plastic wine goblets, empty.

Sebastian had fallen asleep with his head on Stella's lap, his magazine about energy efficiency systems fallen aside and several pages folded. She'd been reading her book, a Frida Kahlo biography, occasionally running her fingers through his hair as he snored softly. 

She pushed her sunglasses on top of her head and rolled her neck. Wiggling her bare toes, Stella uncrossed her ankles and tried to stretch, as carefully as possible not to wake him up. After a deep breath, she took in her surroundings at the park. Constance Lake was as idyllic as ever. 

Secretly, she would miss the lake house once refurbishing the new place in the countryside was completed and Sebastian moved in permanently. Bigger, with a lot more space for all the motorbikes and cars he hadn't sold, it would be the new setting for the next stage of his life. He'd been very keen on having her opinion on everything, from bigger decisions to smaller details, which she was always excited to provide. Once in a while she was reminded how that was him wanting to include her - seeing it as their house - and it was a little overwhelming.

The group of teenagers ahead was now kicking a ball around. There were families and children all over the park next to the lake shore and for a fleeting moment she regretted they hadn't done the picnic on a different day, before Sebastian's daughters left for their mother's. Not that they hadn't enjoyed the programs they had planned, such as the visit to the art museum in Zurich or the zoo trip.

It never failed to impress her how dedicated and overall amazing Sebastian was as a father. He was a complete natural with children and there was no lack of love in those girls' lives despite their parents being separated. The pandemic would certainly not be missed but Stella would treasure forever the memories they made during lockdown, living together like a family for extensive periods of time, including the challenge of coming up with new ideas to keep the girls entertained. It was a learning experience for them as a couple, too, and apart from a few mishaps, they were proud of having passed that test with flying colours.

Involuntarily, her imagination added a little boy running on the grass in front of the lake. A toddler with floppy blond hair, just like his dad's. A smile materialised almost instantly, followed by a sigh as reality sunk in. 

Moving to Europe was paramount to consider the idea of having children together. Ryanair was constantly expanding and she had made it far in the Lufthansa position she had applied to recently; but ultimately other candidates with more experience ended up being the awarded ones. It was a shame because she was logging a good average of flight hours at the moment - but maybe she would just have to accept that a step back and applying to positions where she would fly less was the only solution to avoid being stuck on the wrong side of the Atlantic for another two or three years. She had made friends in Miami, the work environment was great and she loved the city. But it all felt a little without purpose and the more time passed, the more she longed to return. Not to how it used to be in London, as things had changed so much from the previous lives she led there - but to the people who were in her heart.