⌞ the chain ⌝

⌞ thirty-eight : L2 ⌝

"Yeah, kiddo. Most definitely."

_ 

Having Arty back was like a dream. I got to have back one of the only people who got to see the girl I was before the world turned against me. He was my person, in a way. If you would have looked at us, there could have been the assumption we were twins. Sure, Charlie and I were practically identical but there was just that connection Arty and I had. One I had always longed for with Charlie, one that I never got since he was always held above me. 

But I could accept having my little brother back and by my side—through it all, like he always was. He just made everything feel so much slower, calmer, and more in the moment. I didn't want to lose any more time with him, and so I cherished it all. 

"Eli?" 

"Yeah," I called from the kitchen. 

I had finally settled on getting an apartment in London. It wasn't like I didn't enjoy having my space with Lewis but I always knew I needed my own. Something to call mine, something that made this place feel more like a home than just a guest staying in someone else's apartment. Plus, I needed space for Arty. I wasn't going to be the one to walk out again. 

"What should I pack?" 

"It's going to be warm, pack something light." 

"But like..." He trailed off as he walked into the kitchen. "I'm going to be with you, in the garage. Colors, Eli. Colors." 

I snorted, shaking my head. "Whatever you want. If there are issues, I'll handle it. Be comfortable." 

_ 

And it was a travel day. The day I hated most in the world because why was I being dragged through all of this again? At least I had Arty with me and Damon was there too. I would be getting to see Lando, George, Alex.. everyone. It was like a dream come true even if I was stuck hanging out with Jem for an entire season. I wasn't here for friends, I was here to win. No matter the cost, right? 

 "What's running through your head, Lu?" 

"I'm racing my brother." 

That seemed to be the part I didn't forget. It was finally time for me to race him but I didn't know I would deal with it. It didn't feel right. I had both my brothers in the same place. Not in the same way. Charlie was racing with Alfa and I was racing with Redbull. And we would have to race each other. But Arty was here to cheer me on. And maybe Charlie too. 

"Ah, I was wondering when that was going to set in." 

"Damon!" 

He snorted. "Relax, relax. Just breathe and focus on yourself. Like you always do." 

"Right, right..." 

He sighed and took my shoulders, a very familiar gesture now. I wondered if he ever got tired of my antics as we walked through the airport. "Stop that shit, I'm getting tired of it. You are racing for you, right?" 

"Well, I'm not racing for anyone else." 

"Lovely. So fuck Charles, and everyone else. We're here to win." 

"Take it home." 

He ruffled my hair and I had to swat his hand away. "All the way." 

I shook my head but let Arty catch up, knowing that whatever conversation we had going was over and nudged my shoulder. He was taller than me now so it wasn't like I could exactly throw my arm over his shoulder like I always did so I linked my arm with his. I could settle for one brother and piss off the other. All's fair in sibling rivalries and racing, right? 

_ 

The flight was hell on Earth, as it always was. Strat, numbers, and a little brother who kept trying to distract me because everyone hates long flights. A little air sickness and the string of French curses I put together made Arty burst out laughing during the turbulence. All that being said, we landed just fine and now I had a slightly taller Brit running toward me in the airport. 

I giggled as I dropped my bag, Lando almost tackling me in a hug. "Fucking finally, dude. I thought this break would last forever." 

"I saw you during the break." 

"For coffee, that's not the same. Plus, I'm still getting used to not seeing you every day. It's weird and I hate it- who's that?" 

I snorted, knowing that boy was running on so little sleep and probably nine energy drinks from the way he seemed to vibrate. But when he looked over my shoulder, I noticed Arty standing like an awkward schoolboy, waiting for his crush to notice him. I snorted again, shaking my head at the fact that he never grew out of his nerves. 

"That's my brother, Arthur." 

"Oh, I see. Wait, you're racing your other brother, right?" 

"Yeah." I hummed, trying not to let those nerves bother me again. "Charles." 

"Sick." 

"Not even close. Minus the fact that I feel sick." 

Lando took a few steps back and it caused me to snort again, remembering the first time we met. How I had threatened to throw up on his shoes if he didn't step back and from the look he was giving me, it seemed he remembered to. The both of us curled over in laughter. 

"God, you're a mess." 

I snorted as we both finally caught our breath. "Yeah, but still the best teammate you had." 

"And will ever have." 

We swiped our noses at the same time, causing both of us to chuckle. I could see he was still wearing the gold version of our matching bracelets, mine clinking against my wrist. It was good to know that while I was going to have to figure out where I stood with all these new people, I still had Lando there to be my other side. Even if we were both too competitive for our own good. 

"Don't expect me to go easy on you, just because you're my favorite." 

"I expect you to do nothing else." 

He snorted, shaking his head as he linked his arm with mine. I looked over my shoulder at Arty and gave him a smile, waving him on as he picked up my bag. I wasn't going to leave him standing, waiting for me to do something, anything. Never again. He was my little brother and he was a part of my life. I wasn't leaving him behind again. 

________________________________________________________________________________

a/n: it's shorter but we needed a slightly happy chapter before i throw twin angst at you. aha. you all still love me, right? i know one of you is going to throw a fit. you know who you are. you keep complaining, i'm not going to give you brocedes crumbs. but, as always, love it or don't :p