The session ends with heat still clinging to the garage air, engines ticking as they cool. Ollie pulls his helmet off and shakes his head once, curls falling everywhere, cheeks flushed and eyes bright from adrenaline. For a second, he looks less like a driver and more like the boy you met before the paddock ever learned his name.

You reach up without thinking, fixing his hair even though it refuses to behave. He laughs quietly, leaning closer so only you can hear him tease you about making it worse. Around you, mechanics move fast, cameras hover, but in that moment, it’s just your fingers, his smile, and the soft hum of relief.

A photographer catches the scene and lowers their camera, almost respectfully. Ollie notices and steps just a little closer to you, like he’s choosing normal over spectacle. He murmurs a thank you, not for the race, but for being there.

When he finally pulls away, hair still messy, you realize he kept it that way on purpose.