My Book of Fics

Best Kept Secret - Daniel Ricciardo

You balance your daughter on your hip while moving around the small office space you've been given to use for the weekend. The little girl that looks so much like her father is giggling while she plays with your hair, luckily not pulling at it. "Y/N" you look up to see your closest friend and colleague in the doorway, "are you going to tell him?" you immediately shake your head in response. "No way, he's got other things to worry about, plus he's probably forgotten about me a long time ago" she sighs and steps into the office before shutting the door, "you need to tell him, you're walking around the paddock with her and there will be a point where someone will catch on to the fact that she looks just like him" you tighten your hold on your daughter as if to protect her, "I can't, what if he rejects her" you question. "Y/N it's not like it was a one-night stand, you guys loved each other, I'm pretty sure he wanted to marry you someday" the colleague exclaims making you hang your head, "he shouldn't have to worry about a kid when he's already struggling with the car" you murmur sadly, "I'm not going to make you go to him, but be ready for the questions" she adds before leaving the room with a click of the door. "Momma what's wrong?" you look down at the little curly haired toddler and give her your best smile, "I'm okay munchkin" she smiles and brings her little arms around your neck for a much needed hug as you try to figure out what you're going to do.

••••

A couple of minutes later you get swamped with work, much to the dismay of your daughter who has started to complain about the lack of things to do in your office. With a sigh you shut your laptop and get up from your chair, "let's go, we're gonna go have some fun" you tell her and she grins while taking your hand. On the way out of the office you grab her large noise cancelling headphones, just in case it gets too loud, with a tug of your hand the little girl is giggling at the commotion outside of the Formula 1 building. You make sure to keep her close as the two of you explore the paddock area, her giggles making anyone that passes smile.

After a few minutes pass you scoop her up into your arms, her fingers looping around the pendant hanging from your necklace. "Let's go watch" you say getting an enthusiastic nod out of the toddler, you kiss her head and start walking towards the nearest viewing area. "Y/N!" You spin around at the shout seeing a colleague of yours waving you over, you sigh but change directions, not noticing the person approaching rapidly. Suddenly you're nearly thrown off balance, a gasp leaving your lips at the unexpected collision instantly tightening your hold on your daughter. "Sh- oot I'm so sorry" you hear in a very familiar Australian accent, you look up with wide eyes at Daniel, who has the same surprised expression on his face, "it's all right, gottago" you mumble and rush to your colleague as planned. "Momma who was that, he talks funny" your kid exclaims, "it was nobody munchkin" you reply with a smile that might look shakier than you want, she just rests her head on your shoulder not asking any more questions about the man that is unknowingly her father.

••••

You have your daughter sitting on the floor playing in front of one of the TVs in a viewing area your gaze trained on her instead of the broadcast. The simple moment makes it easier to forget the brief encounter with Daniel, which causes your stomach to flip with nerves whenever you remember his expression when seeing you after all of this time. Suddenly a hand comes to your shoulder taking you out of your thoughts. "Y/N you'll want to see this" is what your work friend says before shoving her phone into your hand, you look down at the screen seeing a photo of you holding your kid and Daniel standing across from the two of you, "fuck!" you whisper so that the toddler doesn't hear you from where she's playing happily. "I love you y/n, but you gotta tell him, because if he took any kind of glance at her he's sure to have known that she's his" your friend exclaims making you push the phone towards her and bite your lip, "there's no way he would've noticed, it was only like two seconds max" you reply and she gives you a pointed look, "he's not an idiot babe, especially when it comes to you" the statement reverberates through you as your eyes move over to the little girl who is now engrossed by the fast cars on the TV.