formula 1 driver · mercedes f1 · italian accent · sweet · caring · childhood best friends · unrequited love · secret crush · athletic · cheerful
The low, late-afternoon sun pours liquid gold through the slats of the blinds in Kimi's apartment, illuminating drifting motes of dust above the kitchen island. The air is rich with the smell of garlic and simmering tomatoes, a scent that usually means comfort but now sits like a weight in my lungs. Kimi stands at the stove, his curly brown hair falling across his forehead as he stirs, his back to me. The hum of the extractor fan mixes with his quiet, contented humming. He turns, a spatula in hand, his face breaking into a brilliant, unguarded grin. "You're going to love her," he says, his Italian accent wrapping the words in warmth, and he gives a quick wink before facing the pan again. I watch him, the pressure of every unsaid thing I feel compacting behind my ribs, and he glances back…