F1,F2 and F3 One Shots Book 9 (REQUESTS CLOSED)

313 - Valtteri Bottas

Requested by PamAndersonFan

313: "I've never stopped loving you."

Before the start of the 2022 season, you would have thought that it would be impossible for you to feel down and gloomy in the paddock because you got to work in the sport which had always been your greatest passion, but over the past few race weekends, you had been feeling very unpleasantly surprised. Being about to enter the Mercedes hospitality, where you worked, you smiled broadly over your shoulder as you turned the corner to enter, noticing that your former driver, Valtteri was approaching. When being with the same team, yourself and Valtteri would always beam at the sight of each other and would always find yourselves quickly being lost in conversation, but as he had during the past few weekends, Valtteri lowered his head at the sight of your smile, completely ignoring you.  

"What was that all about?" Lewis asked you with surprise, the Brit causing you to jump as you suddenly realised that he was trying to exit as you were entering. "Has something happened between you and Valtteri? Everyone knew that there was something secretly going on between you two last season. It was always impossible for you to hide how much you were into each other." 

"I really don't know what's been going on with him lately. I don't know if he's trying to avoid me because we're with different teams now," you replied with confusion because of how much that didn't seem like the Valtteri you knew. 

Planting his hands comfortingly into your shoulders, Lewis guided you back a few steps to get you both out of the way as more people wanted to come in and once he had, he started to speak once more, lowering his voice so that all of those around wouldn't know your business. 

"I know it's easy for me to say with my outsider perspective and I know you'll want to play him at his own game. I know you'll think there's no point in talking to him if he doesn't want to talk to you, but maybe the only way you'll sort things is if you make the first move," whispered Lewis cautiously, knowing that you may disagree with his solution. "You never know. You may just surprise yourself." 

Yourself and Lewis had been apart of the same team ever since he joined Mercedes in 2013 and it was because of this that he knew you so well since he was right. You hadn't spoke to him because you didn't want to put effort into something which you thought you would get nothing back from, but as the day continued, you were giving his advice more thought, something eventually telling you to go and talk to Valtteri after the race that afternoon once you knew that his interviews would have concluded. 

You took a deep breath as you raised your fist up to the door of his motorhome, internally reminding yourself that 'you may surprise yourself'. You expected Valtteri to ignore you, but the complete opposite happened, Valtteri rushing to open his door as quickly as he was able. 

"By the way you've been acting recently, I know you probably don't want to see me, but can we please talk to get things straight between us?" You asked hopefully, you letting out a sigh of relief as Valtteri moved out of the way for you to enter because you considered this to be a sign of at least a bit of progress. 

You were amazed at how different the atmosphere was between yourself and Valtteri, the two of you having descended into an unbearable silence once you had sat down on the sofa, putting as much distance between you as possible. 

"Please talk to me. Please tell me what went wrong between us," you eventually spoke up with sorrow, realising that waiting for Valtteri to speak wasn't getting you anywhere. "This time last year, you told me you loved me, Valtteri. You told me there was nothing you wanted more in the world than to be with me, but you were scared the team would disapprove. Now that you're with a different team, why have we become more distant rather than becoming closer and finally being together?" 

There was an uncomfortable pause before Valtteri finally answered, his lips quivering for a while as he wanted to speak, but was unable to find the words, his heart sinking as he thought about the pain he must have caused you. 

"I've never stopped loving you," he replied softly as he hung his head with shame. "I was intending to ask you to become official at the start of the season, but I guess I just let jealousy get the better of me. Seeing you still being with a winning team whilst I was close to the back of the grid made me envy you. Yes, I love it here at Alfa Romeo and I love the new challenge, but it was when I'd see the smile on your face after a win, I'd realise just how much I missed it. I've been acting like a schoolboy rather than a grown man and I promise to put any jealousy behind us if you'll forgive me. 

Rather than being furious with Valtteri as he had expected, he raised his eyebrows in confusion as you let out a few chuckles of amusement because you had never known him to be the jealous type because of how chilled and laid back he always was, Valtteri soon joining in with the laughter, before you both beamed at each other as you wheezed. 

"There's nothing to forgive because I can only imagine how difficult it is for you to no longer be fighting at the front of the field, but I just can't get over you being jealous. That's hilarious!" You responded warmly, before you got the sudden urge to fling your arms tightly around his neck.

The two of you melted into a loving embrace as you shuffled as closely to each other as you were able. Another silence fell over you, but this time, a much more blissful one. Your broad smiles hadn't faded in the slightest as you pulled away from the embrace, holding Valtteri at arms length as you wrapped your arms around the back of his neck. 

"As I said, there's nothing to forgive, but if you're even not feeling great about what's happening out on track, please promise me that you'll talk to me about it because then I might be able to help you," you replied firmly, but whilst also overflowing with love. 

"I promise and I'm going to make a promise too. Unlike last season, I promise that I'm never going to let anything work related get in the way of us ever again, that is if you'll have me. If you'll finally be mine," replied Valtteri affectionately, his pupils dilating with hope. 

You didn't hesitate to agree to this, before Valtteri's lips came crashing down onto yours, capturing them in a passionate kiss, both of you not parting your lips until you had no choice but to come up for air. Once you had got your breaths back and had left Valtteri's motorhome, everyone around you smiled widely at the sight of the two of you being hand in hand with your fingers entwined, but no smiles were more enormous than the ones exchanged between yourself and Lewis, who had always wanted to see you happy with Valtteri. As you passed him, you mouthed 'thank you' because you knew that yourself and Valtteri wouldn't have gotten where you were without him, without his encouragement for you to go and talk to him.