Rise Up

Chapter 47: Fighting the Lions

Maybe launching a gossip bomb like our relationship the day just before the race in Barcelona wasn't really the best idea we could have come up with.

Last night, after posting our favorite photos of ourselves on our Instagram accounts, we decided to at least silence our phones, completely ignoring the upcoming reactions from the world, to be able to enjoy our time in peace. Maybe the main reason for it was also the fact that we weren't that ready to face the consequences, to discover what the people will think about it all.

The morning started with both our phones vibrating on our nightstands, fortunately not for the sea of notifications but for our alarms, set on the same hour. We planned to head quite early to the track to avoid getting in the middle of a media storm outside the paddock but also in front of the hotel.

"Hmm... please, five more minutes."

It was more than clear after have spent a few nights together, that Lando wasn't the morning person of the couple. Chuckling about his grunt when he turned around in the duvet to let his face hide into the soft pillows of my bed, I sat up. After stretched a bit up my muscles, I picked my phone and turned it off, soon did the same with his, bending over his back to reach the small table next to his side. While I was still over his body, he quickly turned around, closing his arms around my torso and pulling me even closer to him.

"Good morning, love." A little peck caressed my lips in a way that gentle that my brain was already a melting mess.

"Good morning, Norris." Engulfed in his arms, I rested my head on his bare chest, hugging his side even tighter and enjoying the warm he was spreading under the duvets.

"Don't call me like that too, please. I'm just Lando to you. I can get over the fact that you don't have cute nicknames for me as I do for you, but at least call me by my name."

I knew how much he was annoyed by the fact that people were used to call him just by his surname, almost as if Norris was just the F1 driver and not the normal 23 years old guy under that name. However it was just a way to tease him a bit and I was more than glad to see that it was working on his nerves.

"Well, my little bear, I think it's time for us to finally get up. Honey, do you need to take a shower? Because I need it as well and honestly I don't want to be late."

He chuckled at my words, caressing gently my head still laid on his muscled chest.

"You're exaggerating now."

"Doing what, sweetie? Anyway, let's get up, C'mon. Love, today we're gonna challenge the lions out there, are you ready?" I asked him with a big smile plastered on my face, pulling myself a bit upper on my forearms.

"I'll be more than ready after a quick shower with my gorgeous girlfriend and a breakfast gently offered by the hotel room service. What do you think?"

"I think that I'm craving a toast right now, darling."

"Ok, this is going way too far. Get in the shower, I'll call the lobby for the breakfast and I'll reach you." He said laughing at my silliness and pulling me in for another long kiss that was about to turn into a real make out session, if only my phone didn't interrupt us.

Sat on his lap, I bend again over my empty side of the bed and grabbed the phone who was pinging non-stop.

"My Lord, who's assaulting you like this, this early?" He asked, genuinely curios and totally annoyed for the interruption. He pulled his head into the crook of my neck, hugging the side of my body in a tight hug, looking like a cute koala around a tree.

"Ohh, what the hell is going on?" I unlocked it and spotted more than thousands notifications on Instagram and Twitter. My phone was going absolutely crazy, as if the world just got awaken with our news.