Teach Me Something // LH44

Chapter Thirty

I didn't like how busy the area under the podium was. It was actually horrible, like a mosh pit of bodies. The only positive was that I was happier than when at a concert. The men and women standing around me of all genders and colours were yelling out happily, clearly relieved that they were able to make it back to this point. It was filled with the victors of the day and to say it was crazy would likely be an understatement. The look on the face of the man on the top step was one of pride and I think it was the most proud I'd ever seen him be of himself. Except for the fact that actually, when I squinted, the look closely resembled the one on his face when I'd chosen to stay in the elevator last night after everyone else had gotten out. I assumed it had to be different but I couldn't actually spot one from this far away. The events of today had been a surprise to everyone except the man on the top step.

Well, him and me.

His eyes were shining as he looked down at the team, eyes searching through the faces and the yells. All throughout the anthem being played he looked at the team... and I knew after a few moments that he was in fact looking for me the moment the trophy hit his hands. Eventually he found me as I stood exactly where I had promised him I would be, in the midst of it all and when he did his smile grew and his shoulders sagged, as though he was relieved. I was relieved too, the fact that he was no longer in the car was immensely reassuring and that he had done what he knew he was capable of. Today, we were both having a successful day.

"How do you feel?" Anthony asks as he moves away from the rest of the Mercedes team and comes to stand beside me. I'm busy fighting every urge to wave at him up there, settling for a beaming smile while Jenny, who is standing on the other side of me, waves up at him on my behalf, one arm tight around my waist where it had been all day. Lewis laughs to himself as the German national anthem comes on and waves back at her with a shake of his head before he forces his eyes to look somewhere else, likely back to Toto.

Or towards his future team who are standing in the same area for his future teammate who finished third, the talented Dutchman filling out the roster for the top three of the race. There were two other Britons standing not far away with flat faces as they run through all the lost opportunities in their mind and watch someone outmatch them and for a moment, I find that I in fact feel pride. I didn't do anything, I had no right to feel smug, in fact I could safely say that smug was not something I was used to feeling but right now I was immensely proud that it was him up there. Whatever we were or weren't... I liked the fact that I knew him and that although I was going back to my bed tonight... I'd woken up in his this morning.

I don't do anything, I smile and I keep one arm around Jenny and I look to Lewis's father with my grin in tact, knowing that I don't need to tell him how I feel. I don't need to tell him that seeing Lewis succeeding to his own definition is maybe the best that I'd ever felt. I stay there the entire time, watching and waiting until he walks off, sparing one final look over his shoulder to me, and that's when I spare him a small wave of my own. I wasn't sure he caught it until I see the singular arm raised back returning it with a much more real smile than what he'd been showing for the photos just now. This one was authentic and it was the one that I fell in love with. The one that I was still very much in love with.

I saw it again the moment that he walked through his hotel room door and saw me sitting at the table in the corner of his room with a pile of textbooks piled up next to me on the table. I had spent the last two hours sitting here, catching up on my marking while I waited for him to get back from the celebrations at the track, glad that I'd managed to sneak them past Jenny when we drove out here on the first day otherwise I would have been bored stiff."You're still here," he says with a relieved sigh, his eyes finding me instantly, lighting up when they do. I stand up as he approaches me, immediately letting him pull me into a hug, once more pressing a kiss to his tattoo.