Lifeline (Sebastian Vettel)

Chapter 25: The Garage

Author's Note: This chapter runs alongside @__highlfying's Lifeline Chapter 3. The link to her chapter is in the comments.

P.S. This chapter is bloody long! About 70% longer than normal! I couldn't find a way to cut it back anymore. It was originally 5000 words, that's about two and a half normal chapter's worth gah! But I've moved some of the end of it into the next chapter to make it a more reasonable length. Anyway, enjoy.

60 laps in the pool, breakfast, a shower and a short drive later, Seb found himself walking through the grounds towards the Bahrain International Circuit with Britta and Tully in tow. He sighed exasperatedly, extremely aware that the two girls were whispering between themselves, probably about him, neither bothering to be subtle about it whatsoever.

Tully felt an arm slip around her waist as they walked through the pit lane hall towards the garage. Knowing it couldn't be Seb, as he was walking just ahead of her, she immediately whirled around, grabbing the offending limb and pinning it's owner against the wall by his neck.

"Jesus Christ! Seb, call her off!" Evan gasped, holding his palms up innocently. Seb stopped to look over his shoulder and couldn't help but laugh at the sight before him.

"What have you learnt?" Tully asked, cocking her head to the side.

"That you have a great waist and-" Evan was cut off as she tightened her grip around his throat, "Okay, okay! No touching." he cried.

"Hello, by the way," she said as she released him and stepped away.

"Always a pleasure seeing you, Tully," he said, grinning as he rubbed the red fingerprints around his neck.

Tully smirked subtly as she rejoined Seb's side and lead the way into the garage. As they walked, Seb hung his arm around her shoulders, winking at Evan who narrowed his eyes at the pair suspiciously and followed them in.

As they rounded the corner into Seb's side of the garage, Tully immediately spotted her brother, leaning against one of the benches casually, chatting to a pair of mechanics.

"You've successfully kept him alive!" Heikki exclaimed, catching sight of his sister as Seb subtly dropped his arm away from her shoulders.

"I always forget how hilarious you are," she replied, narrowing her eyes as she approached him.

"Come here then," Heikki grinned, pulling his sister into his arms.

Seb was next to join them and the two boys slapped each other on the back enthusiastically.

"How's it all going?" Heikki asked, looking between Tully and Seb.

"He could be worse, I guess," she shrugged as a coy smile played across her lips.

"She's a bit unmotivated in the mornings but we're working on it," Seb teased.

Tully scoffed and raised an eyebrow at the German as Heikki looked between them, observing their body language. They stood very close, angled in towards each other. Occasionally their hands would brush together and neither seemed to bat an eyelid over it.

Seb looked different too. Mischievous, bright and energetic. The haze of lethargy that had settled over him during the past few months was no longer evident.

The boys immediately struck up a conversation about what they'd both been up to since they last saw each other. Tully meanwhile, too distracted by her first visit to the Red Bull garage, found herself zoning out and watching the bustling activity around her.

"So what happened to you last night?" Brand, Seb's lead mechanic, asked over the noise of the garage. Tully looked over her shoulder at the sound of his booming voice.