#ficcy

[birb-shaped-cloud]

seb went for the fistbump and george expected a handshake so he awkwarly grasped his hand and then lewis and george fist bumped but you can tell that for half a second george was hesitating to see if it'd turn into a handshake -> turn into a hug, the way they do now. :( <3 at least in my head

and anyway, it always makes me feel a little bit crazy when i think about how george is now in a position in which he (kind of...) takes more of what he wants (now knows he can have) which is, touching (pretty) freely and randomly, or the teasing, but he used to be way more hesitant/careful about it.

and omg i think it can be so, like, painful to consider that lewis is just being himself but george projects all of that hero worship onto lewis, at least in early days, so when lewis barely registers an interaction it feels monumental to a young george...but doesn't that set you up for disappointment?

also so interesting (from a narrative pov) (like, i'm generally talking about them more as heightened "characters" here haha) how this new generation around colapinto, hadjar, kimi, is so openly adoring/starstruck. and they do it with confidence. and lewis reacted really kind to it - i think he realized with them in ways george or, let's say, lando never made him realize, because they weren't so frank about it? like, george has never been shy about naming lewis as his idol and calling him the goat, but i mean, in person he didn't act that starstruck and did he ever really tell lewis all of this to his face? so would lewis have really grasped it when, to him, george always was simply around, since 2017...etc. i know they both laughed about that photo, but i never got the impression that lewis truly viewed george as one of the kids, also because of how george conducts himself, maybe. anyway, the hero worship "problem" will always remain, but it's more subdued now that george has seen lewis as a person first and foremost, and i love how, if we think about it, george is one of the few comfort driver for lewis on the grid now, actually. the most familiar feeling one next to vb! they give me brainworms...

(Talking about this post again.)

Anon you Get Me!! I thought about these things soo much for The Cupid of Things, and continue to do so as I try to keep writing it...

I also feel like George was soo hesitant with Lewis earlier on, and now he just pokes at him to get his attention! While Lewis is getting asked a question!! The audacity and confidence there is v cute <3

I completely agree with you on the hero worship! I think Lewis might have understood George's references to it to be for PR at first? Like he's the senior driver, of course George is bigging him up instead of challenging the status quo etc. And I think George having been with Merc for many years might have contributed to that view, because George was more chill about it after having already went throught that phase of finding everything Lewis said and does fascinating when he was a Merc junior, sitting in at meetings and watching Nico win from Lewis' side of the garage in 2016.

Like, George remembers Lewis telling him off for double dipping the hummus in 2018. Who remembers an ordinary moment like that? I'm sure him having just learned what double dipping was in that moment made it memorable too, but I also think he was thinking, 'holy fuck, Lewis Hamilton is teasing me about how I eat my food.'

I think George had learned not to show it much by the time they became teammates (though he was still fucking obvious about it out of Lewis' sight, per the way his whole face twitches like he's about to stary crying when Lewis congratulates him after his first Merc podium in Australia.)

(Puts RPF glasses on) I think, partly because he had such a seemingly overbearing father, George is the type of person to hate being infantalized. He wants to be taken seriously! He wants Toto to see him as a capable driver! He wants to have the best in the sport as his teammate and test his mettle against him!

So, George was conscious of Lewis being his teammate, plus he was wanting to look cool and professional in front of him, Lando would certainly die before he expresses a genuine emotion, moreso in front of cameras, and Alex got ticked off at Lewis way back when he crashed him out of a podium (+ he's a Ferrari fan at heart.) Thus: Lewis didn't get much overt fanboying from that bunch. These recent crop of rookies, however, have grown up with the reality that Lewis is only the second seven time WDC in F1, so they have no shame in acknowledging how good he is even if they don't all idolize him. It's all expected, to them. (Compare with George, who would have tried to keep up a professional façade with Lewis cause his career goal for many years was to be teammates with him.)

(Some rookies are part of the newer 'the bold young star unseats the goliath' brand (i.e. Max) but I won't get into that.)

Now, the part that kills me is that hero worship really isn't a good ground to build a relationship on. I think Isack has said, though maybe not in these exact words, that Lewis is an exception to the refrain of 'don't meet your heroes.' I think George feels the same. But putting on my (even flashier) RPF glasses on: in order to be a friend or a lover, he needs to take Lewis off that pedestal. Because the Lewis he had in his mind was only the legendary figure. One with very public flaws, yes, but still an idealized figure rather than a whole person with flaws and quirks. So, I think George comes to understand Lewis' whole character with time, whether through sudden heartbreak leading to disillusionment or through those small moments of Lewis being slightly off or snappy or what have you (*insert the bts of 'welcome to the playground' from DTS season 5? 6?*)

And then they have a more open relationship that's not as affected by their public personalities, and George falls even harder :)

[orderxchaos]

"Even Death, it would seem, is a mercy too kind for Israel Hands. And of all the people to deny him this fate it had to be Stede fucking Bonnet."

[unwillingadventurer]

The Doctor takes Susan on a trip to Akhaten.

Wrote this five years ago but its now revised and on A03.

[lackadaisical-pottymouth]

Suits.

[Birdmen Crime AU Ficcy/Rememberpost] 

The first deal Fox made with him was for an oversized jacket he’d filched and his hand-me-down two-piece. It had been a secret pride of his mother’s, but an even more secret worry, that he was growing out of it. The arms were tight around his biceps and they rode up to mid forearm on the days he could tolerate the uncomfortable pull. Hadn’t it been for the impressive shoulder space, he probably couldn’t have put it through half the years it had managed. He knew his mother had been setting aside money to buy him a new one before...this. Had stumbled in on her in the middle of counting quarters into the hatbox she hid under her bed. Despite its sparse-at-best usage, she liked him having nice, expensive, things.

This was why she’d bartered for extra shifts and less pay in exchange for having her manager’s son teach him piano lessons. So he could have long and elegant fingers like his father, not ungainly, short ones like herself. But that was a story for another day, and he doubted he’d recognize the suit if it socked him in the face.

Fox had given a three-piece and hat, then thrown in shoes to boot in an uncanny act of generosity that had never been repeated. They’d drowned him at first, of course, because he was shorter then and hadn’t half the mass to fill them out (Fox was still an enviable five inches taller than him, even while hunched as he typically was), but the years had been good to him. The suit fitted nicely, and with a few alterations the misfits would likely be impossible to spot. Gratitude often swelled in him that they’d managed the trade-off prior to the biting equal-or-less system it had become. He quite liked having both kidneys, thank you very much, and there were secrets he’d prefer to take to the grave than divulge to Jonathan Smith-Fox in exchange for booze or rations.

He regarded himself in the broken bathroom mirror and allowed shy a smile. A had drifted through his hair, down combed narrows to the ponytail that dusted tickled his neck.

Had she been here, his mother would’ve taken a scissor to his short ponytail, ending its career with a merciless snip. Well, had she been present at all, his mother would have ended him with a merciless snip then spent the rest of her days buying his way out of Purgatory irregardless of the fact it would take three of her lifetimes to pay off even a year of his life as it had become. Reality rolled in his stomach and the smile was banished to a place where all sunshiney things went as of late. He picked up the blazer from where it hung on the shower rack and stepped over the elevated separator between the rooms, renewing his routine reminder to fix it.

In the tiny two-bed room, he found Fox propped up against the window with rays of sun dancing on his face and the arm that cradled it. Eishi frowned; three buttons on his vest made a show of dangling precariously from the burgundy fabric. He shook his head as he reached for the paltry sewing supplies he’d amassed over the course of their, well, his, indenture. Between a swindler and a pawn, the least they could do was look presentable.

A sharp smell assaulted his nose as he drew nearer, “Cripes, Fox,” he muttered, stooping to help the older man shrug out of the material with a little less decorum than he could have spared, “Did you chug the entire stash?” 

Crackly hums filtered out of Fox’s mouth along with another waft of stale alcohol. Eishi snorted his disapproval as he sat on the shapeless slab he called a bed. The needle and thread may have made it difficult to pinch the bridge of his nose in annoyance, but they also provided the riveting chore of rationalising why not to stab the swindler with the dulling tips.

Point- he pays us

Counterpoint- no he doesn’t 

Point- he’s a buffer

Counterpoint- for how long? 

At this his eyes cast back to the lazy, blonde Fox. Sunshine enshrouded him in what looked like a halo, but the prospects of either of them and any sort of heaven seemed farfetched. He ignored the feeling that followed, as he was getting very skilled at doing, and continued to sew the burgundy buttons back into place. “Useless Fox,” he bit testily as he snipped a thread with his teeth, “Can’t even get a decent suit.” 

Fox released a breath that sounded more like a sigh, “Iss’a good jacket,” he slurred while deep in his sleep, “issa good, good jacket. I’d bet on it.” And the air under his vacant hand received rewarding pats. Eishi suspected the jacket in Fox’s dreams was likely more furry in kind and exponentially more alive. He resolved to wake Sleeping Beauty before Ceberus made acquaintances with the evil stepmother.

Soft mutterings continued till all three buttons had been fastened firmly in place. “Oi,” Eishi called, nudging Fox in his sleepy haze, “It’s done, get up.” 

A catastrophe of groans sounded from yawning lips and Eishi rolled his eyes as Fox groggily stood. 

Part of him regretted that pins and needles alike had been returned to the metal storage tin, Foxes’ suit jacket fit awfully. The arms didn’t reach the end of his wrists, and the cut of the jacket seemed somehow awkward, the baggy fit unflattering. Hadn’t it been for the space of the shoulders--that somehow seemed tailored for Foxes bonybroad back-- Eishi might’ve forced him to change entirely. 

Fox shrugged it on the same way he’d shrugged it off, but it caught on his arm and refused to be pulled up. Eishi guided the fabric upward with a huff. “Where did you get this thing?” he asked in a stroke of exasperation-spiked bewilderment.

It was rhetorical, he thought. The kind that didn’t need an answer. He didn’t want an answer, not really. But something in green eyes stared at him a long time in silence before blinking away with the arrival of a mannequined smile. 

Fox trudged toward the door, seemingly fully awake. “A friend,” he called over his shoulder.  

.

[birb-shaped-cloud]

👀 for britcedes!

"Who gets jealous more easily and how obvious are they about it?"

Hmm this could go so many ways based on which verse we've working with, but I generally tend to think of George as the one to covet Lewis. In fact, when I make Lewis the jealous type (as in lorelei) the plot tends to revolve somewhat around that, because that jealousy comes from possessiveness, which in this specific example comes from grander societal views that make Lewis feel like he's fully entitled to be in control. This might be a slightly out of character for him, but I think there's enough in his past actions to argue for this kind of internalized demand that all things bend to his will: he is a rich, famous man after all. However the Lewis in lorelei is smart enough not to show that jealousy overtly, because he knows George would balk at that attempt at control then and there. That Lewis would soften his jealous urges through courting gifts and professions of love. (Up until he actually claims George, of course, after which he can afford to be more obvious about it.)

Moving away from that verse... In a more canon-typical setting, I don't think I could ground Lewis' jealousy in the same sources I do George's. Because Lewis is quite confident in himself. I think jealousy, to a degree, stems from an insecurity about one's self and how their partner views them, and this is how I characterize George's. He's the younger of the pair, with an age gap that's significant enough to put them on almost opposite ends of their careers (also allowing for some delicious hero worship, of course.) I think for all his confidence on track and the performance of poshness he puts on, he's not quite sure that Lewis actually likes him as a person and partner. So even though he knows he has to share Lewis with his friends and his acquaintances and celebrity circle, I think he'd still balk at it—especially since he wouldn't necessarily be invited. If he were to be invited, I feel like he'd automatically put on his schmoozing-with-sponsors persona, which would of course defeat the point of hanging out with Lewis' friends. Getting George to open up to them would take a living room, not a bar or a lounge or anywhere public, really. He'd get too in his head about it.

As to the obviousness... I think Lewis clocks it pretty quickly, even if he gets somewhat distracted because of his annoyance at the performance George initially puts up in front of his friends.

(Not even mentioning the trend in Lewis' past partners here: all beautiful and famous and looking very much unlike George. I feel like that'd create the doubt of "is he even taking this (me) seriously?" in George.)

So the answer is George lol. George gets more jealous AND is huffy about it.

(From this ask game btw!)

[birb-shaped-cloud]

🧳 If they had to run away together tomorrow, where would they go? For Gewis?

Hmmmm see this is hard because logistics aren't a concern when dealing with athlete/celebrities.

To me it depends on why they're running away. In the sequel-that-never-was to my accidental mating fic ("on endings and beginnings") they'd run off to Lewis's house in Switzerland and hole up in it to ride out the extremely awkward hormone imbalance that follows a mating. Except Lewis would refuse to even hint at anything more physical than a light scenting, so it'd just turn into George losing his mind and practically climbing the walls, eventually forcing them into an ill advised hike through the Alps or a trip to a city that gets them photographed. Alternatively, Lewis sees it coming and takes him out for a nice little picnic. All very domestic, if tense.

If they're running away for "running away from responsibilities" reasons... They're getting lost in a rain forest or dying on Everest. Lewis has enough sense not to pull that sort of thing but I feel like George would just egg him on until they have to get a heli rescue.

[birb-shaped-cloud]

Not to get overexcited (hope you don't mind 🙈), but I'm actually so fond of George remembering the double dipping story so many years later. Even able to underline it with a spot-on Lewis impression. Lewis having been so aghast and confronting him really left an imprint, it really shows how cemented that memory is in his head. 😭

Which ties into what someone said, that these moments can feel so big to you, whereas the other person likely (most certainly) doesn't even remember, I've had this happen to me a few times only to learn later that it was only a canon event to me lmao. 😩

They live such a fast paced life with so many things happening each day that it's just crazy that that's one of the moments deemed intense/important enough by his brain to remember. But, at the same time, of course that's the case - You're in that private plane and that's Lewis Hamilton eating with you, and you're so young and unthinking about different settings - at home on the couch instead of with other people - that you fucking double dip while sharing food on that fancy ass jet with Toto Wolff and with Lewis, who is used to dining etiquette*, is an actual germaphobe and, did I mention, also happens to be Lewis Hamilton, appalled by your table manners -- I would have never let myself live this down either. 😩 (Obviously he can laugh about it. I alao bet you that he never did that again and it's in his head every time he's sharing sauce with someone, sob. Learning that behaviour from Lewis...)

Plus, it's also so endearing to think about them during that time, I kinda love that Lewis just called him out like that, I can almost hear his laugh, and it's how I'd talk to my friends. It's giving domestic. Even though they weren't that used to each other and each other's quirks yet (clearly) it's already giving family, being casual. Am I making sense. 🥹

*not that not returning food that already touched your mouth back to a shared dip is fancy dining etiquette. It's really just basic manners and I honestly don't know what George was thinking lmfao, but it gets funnier when contrasting it with Lewis eating at the met, or with the queen of england, or whatever he did back then, not to mention that he really loves his hygiene. 😭😭 Poor George suddenly feeling like a heathen lmfao, I love him sm. My weirdo #myweirdo.

It's small tiny minor things like these that show how important Lewis' opinion feels to him, that he remembered that so well, despite everything else that was going on. It also makes my heart ache a little because I do (or did) love the Merc family vibes and, well. Let's not. But mostly, it makes me grin and I love that you mentioned it too. <3 Makes them both so human and relatable too, and George must have soo many stories that are silly and fun and just weirdly relatable like that. 🫶🏼

I don't mind at all dear anon <3 His impression is honestly spot on. And to be fair to him, I'd also absolutely remember an embarrassing moment like that till the day I die. Adjusting to the Monaco-glitz of the Formula 1 life must have been difficult, though I'm sure Lewis warned him gently yet mischievously enough to make his stomach flip and the blood rush to his cheeks. (Not to be crude but does anyone remember the Union Jack underwear he got for a George who was in his tweens... Lewis, sir, do you have anything to say about the concepts of sadism and humiliation...?)

The question of him not knowing what double-dipping is a curious one, and it's making me think that he's never shared a dip with someone. Sounds like the Russells were a 'spoon your dip onto your plate' kind of household. (Or he ate his meals alone, the significantly younger sibling that he was, which is just. Upsetting.)

One of my favourite things about Lewis is how weird he is (affectionate) 😭 George is usually written as the persnickety one but Lewis is just as bad. He's clearly a germaphobe, as you said. I'm not sure he'd be so into the high-class, exclusionary table manners, being from a normal background himself, but he definitely has some Thoughts about food. (Remember when he got annoyed at George eating onions and went directly to Toto to complain about it? He's such an entitled little shit sometimes, it's hilarious to me.)

Oh, I mourn for all the stories we won't hear... I think George is a bit too respectful of Lewis' privacy to air them out like that. (He had the Roscoe poo story and the singing in the shower on a loop when they were teammates, to such an extent that it felt like those two were reading from a script whenever they went on stage together. Though I think it's a great way to get through those media obligations, 'cause not many people watch those pre-race interactions with the fans, so it keeps things fresh for the audience in whatever city they go to.)

So, we won't get many gewis hijinks—unless George blows his money and becomes a pundit? And the stories are a decade old at that point, so he just tells them? One can only hope...

[birb-shaped-cloud]

🧣 stealing clothes 🙂‍↕️

Who steals the other's scarf / gloves "on accident" every winter?

Talking of clothes broadly... I don't think Lewis likes George's, generally. They tend to be muted colours, plus George likes a very tight fit in his clothes. Lewis, in contrast, prioritizes The Look and a looser fit. (I wish I could say he prioritizes silhouette as well, but I'm not particularly fond of his lately.) So if anyone were to steal clothes, it'd be George. I think a big, soft sweater or shirt would be a bit of a revelation to him. Not to go out in (I think he's a bit of a snob in that he thinks a loose shirt looks like pajamas), but he'd snuggle up on the sofa or the bed, all the while smelling Lewis's detergent (or perfume, depending on when he stole the shirt.) Lewis, of course, would be aghast at George wearing his "dirty laundry", even as George argues that he'd barely worn it that morning, come on, Lewis, you didn't even sweat in it. (Plus, he's certainly touched worse stuff in the adrenaline soaked moments after races.)

George also tends to pick some very specific clothes and cycle through them until a new ones catch his attention (the recent light green jacket comes to mind, as well as the sweater he has on here. He wore it so many times, I assume it was comfy.)

So, I think George has two sets of scarves and gloves that go together, match with most outfits etc. and he just wears them the whole winter. Lewis, on the other hand, would have a huge collection of whatever-suits-the-look, but since scarves touch his face he might be more picky with the texture? I imagine him as the type to have very fluffy, make you want to bury your face in them kinda scarves. Which, coincidentally, is what George does: he's too tall to slouch completely into the scarves without putting all his weight on Lewis or just looking completely bent out of shape, so he'd just steal one. Then, when Lewis doesn't comment past an eyebrow raise, George's two particular sets of scarves and gloves would just... turn into five sets. (Lewis would then accuse him of theft, and George would bribe him with kisses.)

(Lewis does take George's scarf in a hurry once, just accidentally snatching it off a hook instead of his own on his way out the house. George throws an absolute fit about it, because it's his scarf Lewis, the other one is in the wash, what was he supposed to wear—never mind that there must be a hundred scarves in the house. Lewis, who certainly has his idiosyncracies when it comes to the way he likes things done, puts his hands on George's windbitten cheeks and apologizes very nicely, at which point George flushes and calms down and mumbles something about textures and weight and familiarity, sorry for yelling, Lewis.)