Little drabbels - F1 house life - fanfiction

Without power

It was evening, and most of the drivers were gathered in the living room, waiting for dinner to be ready. The atmosphere was relaxed, with the drivers chatting and joking, unwinding after a long day. In the kitchen, however, things were far from calm. Fernando, Seb, Yuki, and Kevin were trying to finish a simple pasta dish, but what should have been an easy task had quickly turned into a chaotic scene. Each of them had their own opinion on how to cook the dish, leading to a serious amount of discussion and, inevitably, a lot of yelling.

Lia, who had been trying to keep the peace, was in and out of the kitchen every ten minutes, calming them down and preventing the situation from getting out of hand. She had hoped that Fernando, usually a source of tension, would mellow out if she paired him with Logan, but that plan had backfired spectacularly. The presence of the young American only seemed to add fuel to the fire.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed from the kitchen, followed by the lights flickering ominously. The entire group froze, eyes wide as the lights flickered once more before going out completely, plunging the house into darkness.

In the kitchen, Kevin cursed loudly, his voice cutting through the stunned silence. "Well, shit... now you did it."

Back in the living room, the drivers started to shake off their amazement.

Oscar was the first to speak. "Damn, the power went out."

Lando, ever the opportunist, saw a chance to lighten the mood. "Don't worry, I've got this." He stood up dramatically and stomped his feet on the ground.

Oscar, confused, frowned. "What are you—"

Before he could finish his question, Lando's Sketchers lit up, their colorful LEDs casting a faint glow in the dark room. A mix of laughter and groans filled the room as the Briton grinned, pleased with his impromptu light show.

Carlos, sitting next to Lando, couldn't resist teasing him. "Mate, you look like a six-year-old at a birthday party."

Lando feigned offense, but before he could retort, a few of the drivers started lighting up their phones, using the flashlights to add some real illumination to the room. The four cooks emerged from the kitchen, looking a little sheepish as they joined the others.

Kimi, always protective, immediately checked over Seb, his brows furrowed in concern. "What did you do?" he asked, his voice tinged with irritation.

ernando huffed defensively, "Don't look at me. It wasn't my fault." He had one hand on Logan's shoulder and the other on Yuki's, guiding the two youngest drivers out of the kitchen as if shepherding them to safety.

Nico Hülkenberg, who had been sitting tensely, squirmed in his seat. He didn't want to make a scene by fussing over Kevin, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to hide his concern. The two had grown close, and Nico's feelings for the Dane were becoming harder and harder to conceal.

He didn't have to wait long, though, as Kevin walked over and plopped down next to him. "I'm fine, stop worrying so much. I can feel your concern from miles away," Kevin teased, his tone light but affectionate.

Nico blushed, the dim light mercifully hiding the worst of it, but he couldn't help himself from patting down Kevin's arms and shoulders, making sure he was really okay. Kevin tolerated it with a small smile, secretly pleased by the attention.

Checo, holding a flashlight, took charge of the situation. "Okay, does anyone know how to fix this?" he asked, shining the light around the room.

Lia, exasperated, groaned. "I'm going to call an electrician." But before she could make the call, Kimi, ever the stoic Finn, grumbled, "Nah, I can do it." He let go of Seb and grabbed a flashlight of his own.

Nico immediately stood up, not wanting Kimi to go alone. "I'm coming with you."

Valtteri also joined in, nodding as he got up from his seat. "Same."

Lia hesitated, her practical side warring with the realization that the drivers were determined to solve the problem themselves. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea," she said, but the older drivers were already on the move, flashlights in hand, ready to tackle the problem.

With a grumpy huff, Lia relented. "Fine, but I'm still calling a professional tomorrow. And no one is using the kitchen until it's been checked, got it?"

The drivers mumbled their agreement as they followed Kimi out the door, leaving the others in the dimly lit living room, still chuckling over Lando's light-up shoes and the sudden chaos that had descended upon their evening.

Once the door closed behind the older drivers, she turned back to the room and asked, "Sooo, what can we do now?"

Lance, who was cuddled between Esteban and Checo on one of the couches, mumbled, "Well, we need food. I need dinner."

Checo, always the reassuring presence, smiled softly at the younger driver. "It's going to be fine, Lance. Let's just order something, yeah?"

Lewis, seated on the other side of the room, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, good idea. I know a great place that delivers and has vegan options."

Taking charge, the older Briton stood up and began making his way around the room, asking each driver for their preferences. As he took orders, the drivers began to relax, the tension of the blackout fading as they focused on their dinner plans.

Lia nodded approvingly. "So that's the food sorted."

Just as she was about to suggest something else, a small whine cut through the room's chatter. The sound drew everyone's attention to the corner where young Zhou was curled up into a tight ball, leaning against his teammate, Valtteri. The Finn, who had been quietly sitting next to him, immediately turned his full attention to the younger driver, concern etched on his face.

"Zhou, what is it? Did you hurt yourself?" Valtteri asked gently, his voice laced with worry.

The Chinese driver shook his head, his voice small and slightly shaky. "No..."

Lia, sensing something was wrong, quickly made her way over to the pair. She knelt down beside Zhou, her tone soft and maternal. "What is it, sweetheart? What's bothering you?"

Zhou hesitated for a moment before lifting his head slightly, his wide eyes filled with unease as they met Lia's. "I don't like the dark," he admitted quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

The room fell silent, the drivers exchanging concerned glances. It wasn't something they'd ever really thought about—Zhou always seemed so composed, so capable. But now, seeing him so vulnerable, it was a stark reminder that even the strongest among them had fears.

Lia reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair away from Zhou's face. "Oh, darling, there's nothing to be afraid of. We're all here with you."

Valtteri, wanting to comfort his teammate, wrapped an arm around Zhou's shoulders, pulling him closer. "I'm here too, Zhou. You're not alone."

Checo, ever the thoughtful one, stood up and grabbed a few more flashlights, distributing them around the room so that every corner was lit up, even if just a little. "There, that should help, right?"

Zhou nodded, looking a bit more at ease now that the room wasn't so dark. "Thank you," he murmured, leaning into Valtteri's side.

Lance, trying to lighten the mood, piped up, "Hey, Zhou, how about we play a game while we wait for the food? Something fun to keep our minds off things?"

Lando, never one to miss out on an opportunity for some friendly competition, grinned. "Yeah, we could play something like charades or even truth or dare. That should keep things interesting."

Oscar, sitting nearby, nodded in agreement. "I'm in. Anything to pass the time."

Lia, watching from the sideline, felt a sense of pride, the drivers could so caring and soft with each other it always surprised her how greedy they got on track.