•champion• lewis hamilton•

36

Lewis had been dreading this conversation. Since their friendship deteriorated, he had made a point of never going to Nico for anything major.

It didn't matter that they were now rebuilding their decade-long friendship. Lewis still didn't want Nico to even think for a second that he needed him.

The British Champ took a deep breath and knocked on Nico's front door.

He could feel his heart in his throat, and with every second, the beating intensified.

When Nico opened the door, the German looked pleased to see Lewis standing before him. They had lived in the same building for years, and Lewis had always brought Christmas gifts for Nico's children, but Lewis had never knocked on Nico's door.

"Lewis? What are you doing here? Are you out of spinach?" Nico laughed in a weak attempt at easing the tension.

The Champ didn't speak. He only nodded. Nico had never seen Lewis look lost. His old best friend had an annoying habit of generally being good at whatever he tried, and Nico hated it.

With a vacant look glazed on his face, Lewis broke his silence. "I think something is wrong with Daisy, except she won't tell me anything and keeps saying she is fine, but I know she's not because she keeps chewing on the inside of her cheek...and Dais only does that when she's worried or scared,"

Nico took a deep breath and touched the Brit's shoulder to calm him down before inviting him into the apartment. They walked through the airy and bright hallways and into the kitchen.

As if no time had separated the two world champs, Nico instinctively brewed a Rooibos tea and gave it to Lewis, who sat by the island with his resting on the marble.

"You remembered?" Lewis smiled with a raised brow.

Nico nodded. "Of course, I remembered, bro; we did grow up together, remember?"

In all honesty, Nico had always been hopeful that one day, Lewis would walk through his front door again and need him. Daisy had been correct when she said that her brother had always lived in someone else's shadow, and only now had Nico begun to feel how his little sister had always.

"So, why do you think Daisy is in trouble?" Although he already knew the answer, Nico asked and prayed that Lewis would not answer. "Surely you should know by now that Daisy doesn't tell me half as much as she shares with you..."

Nico attempted to shift the conversation away from Daisy's problems to her relationship with Lewis. It wasn't successful.

"But if it was something I had done... I think she'd come to you?" Lewis worriedly remarked. From Lewis's tone, Nico knew that he didn't believe the words that had just left his lips. "You are her big brother, after all."

The blonde shrugged. "Hamilton, we are both very aware that you've been more of a big brother to Daisy..." Nico regretted his words almost instantly. He knew his cheeks were flushing red. Damn.

Lewis awkwardly took a sip of the tea. The relationship he shared with Baby Rosberg was far from fraternal. It might have started that way, but there was no way Lewis could see Daisy like that anymore—not now.

"Nico...I need to tell you something," Lewis sighed, chewing his lip. "It's about Daisy and I,"

The Brit's heart was pounding. Lewis had never thought he would tell Nico about the plan he and Daisy had concocted at the beginning of the season, which was how their love affair had started as a sham with the only intention of distracting Nico.

Lewis's feelings became genuine somewhere along the way, and he realised that there had always been a string between himself and his best friend's sister.