Dedicated to: luminousmoonlight
Warning: it's v long and hints at some spicy stuff ;)
Lance sat in his armchair in his living room. He was expecting his daughter to be dropped off for the week at any moment. Laya Stroll was practically the same as her father. Her attitude and kind heart made her the same, but she was a replica of her mother Y/n. Y/n and Lance had fallen deeply in love over the summer they had both turned 18 and from that, a beautiful relationship had come to exist. Over time however, things went downhill and a breakup was within reach, until Y/n found our that she was pregnant. They tried to keep the love alive but the truth was, it simply wasn't there anymore. No matter how much they tried, nothing worked and the two just broke up. Since then, they've been co-parenting and trying as much as possible to give their daughter the best life.
He jumped as heard the gates opening, followed by the pebbled pathway crunching against the wheels of her car. He stood up and walked towards the front door and opening it. He leaned on the door frame as he watched Y/n help their daughter out if the car door. Lance looked over to Laya. She was so little and she looked smaller with the huge backpack she had on her back. "Hi Daddy!" She squealed, waving at him with delight. Lance's lips immediately turned to a smile. "Hey pumpkin! You ready to have some fun?" He asked, picking her up. Y/n stood looking between the both. "She's got everything in her bag. Her pyjamas, her vitamins, her toothbrush-"
"I know. You got it all there." Lance replied. He moved a strand of hair from Laya's face. "I'll be back tomorrow. You don't have anything to worry about." Y/n reassured him. Lance bit his tongue on what he was going to say. She bent down and kissed her daughter on the cheek. "I'll see you later baby, alright?" Laya nodded and kissed her mother back before running inside and jumping on the sofa. "I'll be back maybe at 6. I'm sure you'll be fine." Lance nodded. "Okay. Bye Lance." She said, walking away. Lance waved back and watched her get into her car and drive away. He never really said goodbye to her. He wasn't trying to be rude, it's just the last time he said goodbye to her, she was out of his life for months. Y/n's mother was bringing Laya over to Lance's place so he could take care of her and it was the same person who picked her up. It wasnt until Silverstone last year when Lance invited the whole family. Y/n really had no choice but to go. She had a baby to take care of.
Lance walked back inside and locked the door. He walked into his living room and saw her watching Narcos. "No, Laya, we've talked about this I'm not allowed let you watch it." He said, taking the control and putting on some cartoons. He heard his daughter whimper. "Look, how about I go get you some food? Sound like a good idea?" Laya looked up to her dad and nodded her head. "Okay! Can I come and colour?" Lance smiled and picked her up. "Of course, pumpkin. Let's go."
Lance stood at the sink, washing the dishes as Laya sat colouring at the table. "Daddy?" Laya asked. Lance turned from doing the dishes to look at his daughter. "Yes pumpkin?" He replied. "How did you and Mommy fall in love?" Initially, the question gave Lance a warm and fuzzy feeling, but then he turned cold as he remembered that they were no longer together. He let out a sigh and picked her up, placing her carefully on the counter beside him. "I suppose it was when we were younger. See pumpkin, I was in Austria for a race and I saw her. From then, I couldn't stop thinking about her, I kept talking to her for as long as I could until the summer break and we just went on a road trip around France."
Laya's face turned to one of confusion. "Why France?" She asked. "We both speak French. It's something we both kind of bonded over that. In fact, we always went back, even the last time we-" Lance felt something inside him. It was the feeling of watching back an old memory, only to be saddened by the fact that the person in it is no longer there. Its painful to watch back even. "Our last Summer where it was just us was the best. It was just us and only us and I loved every moment of it." Lance had told her everything about their last trip before she was born. Like how they were once walking along the Seine and then it started to pour rain and they started laughing because they hadn't brought coats with them. Or the time they were stuck in their car during a traffic jam near the Notre Dam. Wherever they walked, it was hand in hand. Every morning they'd go to the same cafe every morning for their fresh croissants. Oh how distant thos ememories seemed now. "That sounded so fun! Maybe one day you and Mommy could bring me to Paris!"
Lance nodded his head. "Maybe one day kiddo." He paused for a moment, drinking in the happiness he had from talking about those moments before asking about Y/n. "Did Mommy tell you where she was going for work?" Lance asked. "Work? Mommy is going out with one of her boy friends she met at the farmers market." Laya replied. Lance felt hurt in a way. She always told him when she had dates so why be so secretive now? He has taken care of Laya before when Y/n had a date so why lie and say she had work? "I think its time for bed, pumpkin." Lance told her, helping to clear up her colouring pencils. "Okay Daddy." She yawned. Lance picked her up and walked with her to her room. He helped her change into her Paw Patrol pyjamas and then sent her to brush her teeth. After she was tucked in and asleep, Lance left her room and walked down the hallway, looking at the photos on the wall. He used to have newspaper clippings and headlines from podiums but they found themselves in a shoe box and replaced by drawings from Laya and various family photos. He would never admit it, but his favourite was by far the photo from Silverstone last year. Everyone looked to happy. His family, Y/n's family and Laya in a little Racing Point shirt and oversized cap to match. He realised neither were happy to be there but it reminded him of who he drives for and what he drives for. He drives for her.
The next day, Lance sat eating popcorn as he snuggled up with Laya under a huge blanket while watching Winnie The Pooh. They heard the doorbell ringing which earned a groan of disapproval from the toddler. "Why can't people just wait until the movie is over." She groaned, making Lance chuckle. "You can keep watching. I'll get the door." Lance stood up off the couch and walked towards the door to open it. His face softened as he saw Y/n standing before him. "Hey." She said. "She's just in the living room. We're having a movie night kind of thing." He explained. "Oh, well I'm ready to bring her home whenever so it's no rush." Y/n smiled. "Come on in." Lance stood to the side and allowed her to walk in and into the living room. "Hey baby!" Y/n grinned, walking up to Laya on the sofa. "Mommy! You should know better than to come while there's a movie on! Would you do that in a movie theatre?" Y/n chuckled. "I suppose not. I'll go sit in the kitchen while you go get ready." Y/n walked into the kitchen to see Lance already standing at the counter. He looked like he was thinking about something, she just didn't know what.
"How was she?" Y/n asked as she sat at the table. "She was full of questions, that's for sure. Just like you." Y/n nodded her head before it grew silent, the kettle boiling being the only noise. "How was your date?" Lance asked. Y/n froze. "Yeah, yeah it was alright. I don't think we'll end up dating though." She replied. Lance became invested. Maybe she felt the same way he did. "Oh? How come?" Lance took out two cups and a tea bag. Y/n always had a cup of tea when she was picking up Y/n while Lamce stuck to his coffee. Y/n let out a sigh. "Well for one, he was just so rude. He literally opened the door and didn't even hold it so I could walk in. It ended up like, smacking me in the face." Lance smiled and let out a small chuckle. "That's a red flag and that's coming from a driver." He said, taking the kettle and pouring water into each cup.
"Yeah, well then he wouldn't stop talking about himself. Like, I tried to get a word in but whatever I said reminded him of so etching that happened to him in the past. I said I loved Formula one and I'd been to races and he straight up went, 'Oh my god, I went to Baku in 2017. It was such a great race.' and I was kinda like 'oh sick. I was there too.' So at least we could talk about F1 for a while." Lance poured some milk into her tea and walked over to the table to place the cup in front of her. "And what did he say about f1?" Lance pulled out a chair for himself and sat down, sipping on his coffee. "Well, he talked about how the sport shouldn't be so money oriented so everyone has an equal opportunity to get into it, which I have to say I agree with but then he kinda just-" Y/n paused and drank her tea, not wanting to say what he had. "He kinda just?"
"He called you a useless pay driver. I did stick up for you though. I said you need talent to back it up. He called me a simp for Daddy's Cash but eh, not anymore." Y/n laughed. "See I don't think that's true at all." Y/n set he tea down. "What do you mean?" She asked. "Well I think you still like me." Y/n scoffed at his words. "And why would you ever think that?" Lance shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe it's the fact that you always end up hating your dates. You never go back on a second date with them." He explained. "Well that's a lie, because I actually went on a second date with Mark." Y/n said, as-a-matter-of-factly. "And did you end up going on a third date?" Lance asked. "It's none of your business who I go on dates with. You've been on plenty since me." Y/n spat before standing up. "Yes, but I stopped after the last girl because I realised they weren't you and none of them would ever come close. I don't want to settle for some girl because I can't have you." Lamce stepped closer to her and lifted her chin up to look at him. "And what makes you think I'd settle for you?" Granted, that hurt Lance but he knew she only said it to try sound like she was sure of herself. "You don't have to lie. I know you miss me."
"Lance. We broke up. We decided we weren't right together and we decided that no matter how hard we tried, we would never, ever work out for eachother." She said. "That was then. It's been four years since then." Y/n rolled her eyes. "I just can't talk to you, you never listen! It was just like last summer!"
Y/n felt a tug at her coat. Both she and Lance looked down to see Laya with her sketchpad. "Mommy? Do you think we could maybe sleep over at Daddy's tonight?" Laya asked. Y/n sighed and smiled at her daughter. "I'm sure Daddy wouldn't mind but it's gonna have to be granny that picks you up tomorrow morning because I've got an early shift." She explained carefully, playing with her brown curls. "No, I mean can we have a sleepover. You could come too!" Y/n didn't know what to say. She hadn't stayed in that house since they broke up. "Laya, I don't think that's the best idea."
"Please?" Laya pleaded, the grip on her sketchpad getting harder. She looked to Lance. "I guess I could stay for one night." She mumbled. "Yay!" Laya screamed before jumping and latching onto her mother's legs and hugging for dear life. "You're the best!" Laya scrambled out of the kitchen and back to the living room presumably, leaving Lance and Y/n in a bit of a predicament. "I'll sleep on the couch. Don't worry about it." Lance muttered, walking out and being practically non existent for the rest of the evening.
As night fell, Y/n lay in bed thinking over what Lance had said earlier about how she probably still loved him. On the surface, she felt like she didn't. Since they broke up she hadn't had any form of lust towards him. Just thinking he was a good dad and was a wonderful partner for the time they were together. Lust however, was not to be confused for love. She felt it in each artery of her heart that she loved him. She never stopped. She felt as though she lived for him. She wanted to learn to love someone more than she did Lance, but failed, hence the multiple dates. She had enough. She had to put her pride aside and tell him. She stood up and marched out, careful not to wake Laya. She peered in through the door and saw Lance asleep in a shirt and his boxers like he always did. She walked up slowly to him and gently nudged him, trying to get him awake. He tossed and turned uncomfortably before his eyes just about opened and saw her. "Y/n? What are you-"
Lance was cut off by Y/n latching her lips onto his. He wasted no time in kissing back, holding onto her hips as she cupped his face. "Y/n, wait." Y/n stopped and looked and him. "Do you really want to or do you just feel bad?" Y/n chuckled softly at his question as if it were a joke. "Lance, I love you. I'd never do that to someone I love." She restarted the kiss again. This time, it was different. There was a hunger somewhere in the kiss. She found herself moving from his lips to his neck. Lance soon joined pursuit and nipped at her neck and collarbone, leaving lilac marks on her skin. They both knew where thus was going. There was no going back without it being awkward now. "Are you sure you want this?" Lance asked in between kisses. "Lance-" she paused and looked deep into his eyes. "Lance, I love you. Of course I do." That was all he needed to do what he'd been wanting to do for so long now. He picked her up, her legs clasping around his waist and walked into his bedroom and kicking the door shut behind him. He wanted to show her he loved her and cherished her in every way and he would.
-time skip o' clock-
Lance sat listening to his engineers. Silverstone. One of his favourites and the teams home grand prix. "So basically, you're losing a lot of your time in Copse. We think if you-" His engineer was cut off by the sound of Laya shouting for her dad immensely loud. Lance's face turned to a grin before he excused himself and walked to his family. He picked Laya up and put her on his shoulders before turning to Y/n and pecking her on the lips gently. Lamce then looked down at the newborn bundle of joy in her arms and rubbed his little face. "Is he okay?" Lance asked. "Casper is fine. You need to go get ready for qualifying so i might just bring them to the hospitality lounge." Y/n replied. "Sounds good. I can meet you there after." They gave eachother one final kiss before Lance set Laya back down. "Can you tell Sebastian I said hello?" Laya asked. Lance stooped down to her level and smiled. "You can tell him yourself after qualifying, how does that sound?" Laya bounced up and down excitedly at the mere thought of meeting her dad's teammate again. "Come on. We have to go. Leave Daddy to his racing."
Lance bid them farewell and watched as they left out the backway. He felt a poke at his shoulder, making him turn around. He saw his engineer again. "Ready to get in the car?" Lance nodded and prepared himself. He sat in the car for a few moments before the green light came on in the pits, looking around before finally looking at a sticker photo of his family just beside the steering wheel. Reminding him once again who he was racing for and who he love most in this world.