Tumblr Prompts

Home is where the heart is

Based on this prompt I got on Tumblr :
can you do 'When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home.' for galex please?

Singapore. It could have gone so great, but it just turned into a disaster. At least for George it did.

He was so close....so fucking close to getting a place on the podium. And then --- then he hit the wall.

He didn't want to be there in the paddock anymore. Just wanted to disappear. Bur he was forced to do at least one interview, which he tried to get through as best as he could.

Once he was done with the whole media circus, he tried to make himself smaller than he was and slipped away.

He wasn't going to the Mercedes garage, nor the hospitality, instead he went to the Williams one. They still let him in. One look at him said enough and they just let him go through. He was a former Williams driver too. Also, they knew what happened. They knew snooping around was the last thing on George's mind right now.

None of them even batted an eye when they saw him disappear into Alex's driver's room.

Alex was worried about George. He knew he got out okay, physically, but mentally --- It would be so hard on him. The disappointment. The anger at himself.

He tried looking for him, but it seemed like George was trying to hide from everyone.

He tried asking Charles and Lando. Lando told him he saw him during an interview, but only very shortly. Lando looked a little worried too.

It seemed like George had disappeared after that. Which was even more worrisome to Alex.

He even went and asked Lewis if he knew where his teammate was, but Lewis seemed none the wiser either. Lewis looked into George's driver's room but he wasn't there.

He'd called George about a million times now, but all futile attempts.

Maybe..... Maybe he'd just gone back to his hotel room.

Finally admitting defeat, reluctantly, Alex went back to the Williams garage and over to his driver's room.

Opening his door, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Jesus!" He blinked, trying to make out the figure curled up on the makeshift bed. "George?!"

"What am I, Alex?" George's voice was barely above a whisper. "Am I still just a stupid little rookie?"

Alex's heart sank a little as he quietly closed the door behind himself.

"No, George. You just made a mistake. Lando hit the wall too you know."

"But he didn't crash. I did." George buried his face even more between his knees. "I'm such an idiot."

Alex stepped forward, one hand resting on George's knee, the other hand's fingers gently running through his hair.

"No one thinks you're an idiot. You were stressed out. Trying to get past Lando, Lewis right behind you as well. It was an easy mistake to make."

George doesn't say anything, but he doesn't have to.

"I'm just glad you're okay."

George does lift up his head at that, Alex's hand sliding down from his head and going to cup his cheek instead.

"You are?"

Alex wants to smack him in the face, because how dare he question that?!

But he sees those watery eyes and the dried tracks of his tears on his face and all he wants to do is hug him with all his might.

"Of course I am. Don't be silly, George."

There's a small, hopeful smile on George's face.

"Thank you." He sighs when he feels his phone buzz for what seems like the umpteenth time. "Since you're here, I'm assuming it's either Lando or Charles who keep calling me, can you tell them I'm okay?"

Alex nods and pulls out his phone, sending a quick text into their group chat that George is with him, then slides the phone back into his pocket.

Alex sits down next to George and lets him rest his head on his shoulder.

It's quiet then, but it's not uncomfortable. It's never uncomfortable with them.

It's Alex who finally breaks the silence. "You know you'll have to face the world again at some point."

"That some point is not now yet."

Alex swallows, "George. Why did you decide to come here. Into my drivers room."

George lifts his head and turns to look at him. The expression on his face is like 'are you stupid?' and maybe Alex is a little stupid for asking this, but - - -

George huffs then, resting his head once again on Alex's shoulder.

"Because when you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home."

And that's what he needed. A sense of home.

No matter where they went or what happened, Alex was home, and he could always find comfort in that.