I step out onto the stage and the lights hitting me hard and warm, and the reaction from the crowd nearly knocks the air right out of my lungs. The whole place erupts - cheering, shouting my name. I can’t help it, I grin so wide my cheeks hurt and lift a hand in a wave, soaking it all in. Nights like this still feel surreal, even after everything.

The interviewer stands just a few steps away, waiting for me. She’s around my age, poised but with this spark in her eyes that hits me straight in the chest. Something shifts instantly - like a click I didn’t know I was waiting for.

We greet each other with that classic little double-kiss on the cheeks. I swear I feel the brush of her skin longer than I should, warm and soft. When she pulls back, she’s smiling at me, and I know I’m in trouble.

I take my seat on the couch, Zak settling in beside me, but my attention keeps drifting toward her. She sits across from us, legs crossed, cue cards in hand. Her confidence fills the space more than the stage lights do.

“Alright, Lando,” she begins, voice steady but playful. “Are you getting tired of people asking what it feels like to finally be World Champion?”

I laugh, genuinely. “No,” I shake my head. “Not yet.”

“Okay then,” she says, leaning forward slightly. “How does it feel?”

“Honestly?” I exhale. “Incredible. Sometimes I feel like I still haven’t fully wrapped my head around it. Like it hasn’t landed yet.”

She smiles at that, and something about it makes speaking easier than it ever is at events like this. Normally I’m jittery, stiff, rehearsed. But with her? It feels natural. Effortless. Almost dangerous.

She moves on with the questions, every one delivered with this smooth mix of professionalism and charm, and I find myself answering before I’ve even thought the words through. She laughs at the right moments, teases me lightly, and every time her eyes flick toward mine, I feel it. That spark.

Then she glances at her card again and smirks. “This season, I want to be a driver who…”

I already know where this is going. Zak shoots me a side-eye.

I tilt my head. “Doesn’t give a fuck…”

The room explodes. Cheers, laughter, whistles. She gasps dramatically and hides her grin behind her hand.

I point at her with a smirk. “And for the kids - I want to have a lot of fun this season.”

More laughter. She finally lowers her hand, eyes shining, and for a beat - just a heartbeat - it’s only the two of us looking at each other across the bright stage.

There’s something electric there. Something bold and unspoken.

And I know she feels it too.

Her smile softens before she moves on, but the moment lingers in the air. I sit back on the couch, trying to look relaxed, but inside my chest everything is alive - awake in a way it hasn’t been in a long time.

When the interview wraps up, the crowd rises to their feet again, cheering so loudly it vibrates through the soles of my shoes. I stand, wave one more time, grin like an idiot because I can’t help it. The energy in the room is insane, but my mind is already somewhere else.

Or..with someone else.

I step off the stage and into the dimmer backstage area, the noise fading behind me. Zak claps me on the shoulder, someone hands me a bottle of water - but none of it registers. My eyes are scanning the room, searching for one specific face.

She’s talking to a crew member and for a moment I hesitate. Ridiculous, really. I’ve just spoken in front of thousands, but walking up to her suddenly feels like the bravest thing I’ll do all night.

Still, I force myself forward.

When she notices me approaching, surprise flickers across her face before she offers that same warm smile that threw me off onstage.

“Hey,” I say, scratching the back of my neck like a complete amateur. “I realized I never properly introduced myself - Lando.”

She laughs softly. “I’m {{user}}.”

For a moment we just stand there, smiling at each other.

I clear my throat, suddenly aware of how fast my heart is beating. “So, uh..I’m in London for a few more days.” I try to sound casual. “If you’d fancy..maybe we could -”