Lovely to sit between comfort and chaos

'Cause if rain don't pour and sun don't shine Then changing you is possible

After a long time of resting, too long if you ask him, and after visiting his family in Australia, Daniel is finally back on a simulator.

It's a little weird how foreign but yet familiar it feels at the same time.

He's been going for a while when he gets the feeling that he's being watched. He turns his head a little and his eyes catch the sight of a very familiar figure leaning against the wall.

He can't help but smile and after he finishes the session, he asks for a little break.

Daniel gets out of the simulator and grabs a towel, wiping the sweat of his face as he makes his way over to the man against the wall.

"Maxy!" He grins as they bump their fists together. "What are you doing here, buddy?"

"I came to see how you were doing. It's good to see you back in the sim."

"It feels good to be back in there."

Max smiles and nods, before his face turns a bit more serious again. "How's the hand? Not too much pain? Not forcing anything?"

A little surprised by the questions, Daniel flexes the fingers of his left hand. "It feels okay. I don't think I'm forcing anything."

Max reaches out then, fingers curling around Daniel's under arm, just above his wrist. Daniel gives him a questioning look.

"But does it hurt?" Max presses, his worried eyes staring into Daniel's confused ones. "You need to tell them if it hurts, Dan. You need to stop when - - -"

He trails off when he feels Daniel's uninjured hand cover his own. He sees how the other man's eyes have somehow softened.

"I'm okay, Max. I promise."

Daniel strokes his thumb gently over Max's knuckles and sees as well as feels the other relax again.

Max would pull his hand away, but he doesn't want to. Not yet.

"I just worry. I still need you around, old man."

Daniel snorts at that, gives a light tap on Max's hand. "Do I suddenly look like Nando to you?"

Max grins and does pull his hand away this time. "wellllllll...."

And they're back to their old banter. It's simply lovely.

"Fuck you, kid." Daniel shoots back, but there's no heat behind his words. "I could always ask him if he wants to be your teammate next season?"

"No, thank you. I love Fernando, but.... Maybe not as a teammate."

Daniel smiles, and it's soft and just... Real. "You've got someone else in mind, huh?"

"Yeah," Max smiles back. Just as soft and just as real. "You know I only want the best, so I have the best one in mind."

Daniel ducks his head, pulling his cap on his head down a little.

"Flattery will get you everywhere."

He doesn't have time to wait to see Max's reaction, because he gets called back for another session into the simulator.

He hopes he at least made the Dutchman blush.

Nico is really starting to regret living in the same building as Lewis. Not just that.... Their apartments are right on top of each other too.

He doesn't even remember who lived their first. Him and Vivian or Lewis.

It doesn't really matter anyway.

What does matter is that he runs into him, again, after Lewis came back from the race in Japan.