Based on the song Memories by Conan Gray
Requested by Anon on Tumblr
Summary: Daniel's return to RedBull is not just a return to the team, it's a return to you but it just might be too late for that.
Warnings: Angst (a lot of it), fluff
Note: bittersweet, did shed a few tears while writing this, happy ending because I needed it for myself.
The chapter that seemed like it was never ending has finally ended. Daniel is free from McLaren. It wasn't just a team-oh how he wishes it was-it was worse than anything he could've possibly been through.
Or so he thought.
Signing the papers at RedBull to be a third driver wasn't something he thought he'd ever do. But the team treated him better than McLaren ever could. So he was happy. Glad to return to a place where his mental health could be at ease.
That was, until he remembered everything that happened once he left. He remembered how things ended between you and him.
It's been a couple of months
You can't say that you're happy but at least you're better than you were a while ago. When you heard the news of Daniel Ricciardo returning to RedBull, it was an overload of emotions that you kept locked away.
That's just about enough time for me to stop crying when I look at all the pictures
You remember the first day you met Daniel, all those years ago when you joined the team to handle the social media side of it all. You two were well acquainted from the moment you began. He was one of the very few people who personally welcomed you in the team.
Then, you sat right beside him, giving him a little special treatment as you showed him the photos you were planning on posting to the team's socials. It was of him, smiling wide as he always did, while talking to his teammate.
It's been a long time since then, so you never thought you'd be the one posting the photo of him once again clad in a RedBull team shirt.
Now I kinda smile, I haven't felt that in a while
You briefly forgot about his return to the team-well truthfully, you were trying to avoid it as much as you could. You weren't upset that he was returning, you were just trying to wrap your head around the fact that you'd have to see him more often. Hearing his accented voice, laughs, jokes wasn't something you could prepare for.
You could avoid him when he was at McLaren, but you didn't need to as much. Mainly because he never came to the garage just for you.
He was in too deep with the mess at McLaren since day two, and as much as he wanted to, he couldn't make the time out too come see you. You knew parts of what happened at McLaren through Max, because Daniel would always talk to him. It hurt that he didn't come to you. You thought that you would still be the person he'd come to with his problems, not run away from.
Fortunately, you didn't see him at all since the announcement. Well, you were invited at a party where everyone was welcoming him but you didn't go because you weren't feeling well. Which was kind of a lie.
However, you didn't know that Daniel was only excited for the gathering because he wanted to see you. It was selfish, wanting to see you when he was the one who ended things, but if he wasn't selfish now, then he'd lose everything he needed.
