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It was a quiet night in the Albon-Russell's hotel room. After the disaster class called The Canadian Grand Prix, the small family had barely spoken. The whole family was simmering in doubt and sadness. Alex, who simply dealt with enough shitty weekends wasn't very bothered by the whole mess he found himself in. Alex was used to picking himself up after a sour moment. Now, he just needed to get his stressed out husband, George, and his unlucky son, Arvid to their regular selves.
Alex remembered how excited the two were this morning. Both of them had woken up with high hopes. Arvid woke up rambling to him softly in George's hotel room about how excited he was to start in 9th. Arvid already had a rough few weeks and Alex was hopeful for his son. George had woken up after, sharing his son's excitement for the race. George had been dominant at Canada and was confident he could snuff his younger teammate once and for all. The joy that they shared was quickly shattered as the cars crapped out on both of them. Leaving a heap of blankets where father and son were marinating in doubt. Alex had decided that enough was enough.
"George. Arvid. Come on you two. Sit up for a second."
Arvid sat up first. Peeking out of his pile of blankets. His phone glowed behind him, a Tiktok of a young woman performing a difficult skateboarding trick. George appeared a second later, bright blue eyes with ugly red rims around them from crying, gave a confused look at Alex.
"I'm ordering room service, what do you both want?" Alex asked, the hotel phone in his hand, awaiting their responses.
"A salad." George responded, messing with his hair for a brief moment.
Alex raised a brow and probed George, "George, love. Please be honest with me. Do you actually want a salad? Aleix won't kill you if you eat something more than that."
George blinked in surprise at Alex, opening his mouth to protest before being cut off by Alex.
"George, if you don't want to eat a ton, we can split something like a burger. But please eat something with a bit more soul in it."
Arvid watched both of them from his spot, staring at the menu while George mentally battled himself on the idea of getting himself a burger.
"Dad, can you get me Spaghetti please..?" Arvid asked, watching Alex scan the online menu on his phone to make sure there was a gluten free option before nodding his head. Arvid responded with mumbled thank you, diving back under his small blanket fort.
George who had finally made up his mind responded carefully. "I want my own burger, Alex. Unless you want to share?"
Alex responded, "Not particularly, although we could share some fries?"
George smiled, finally getting up and uncovering himself from the blanket fort he had buried himself under. He sauntered over to Alex, giving him a cheeky kiss on the lips that Alex reciprocated. Both of them holding each other in a sickeningly sweet way that had Arvid respond from his blanket with a playful, "Ew! Right in front of me??" that gave the two a laugh.
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About 30 minutes later, their food appeared at their door by a waiter who didn't even glance for a second. Just handed over their food and departed. Alex just shrugged at the attitude, shutting the door and locking it behind him. Then Alex turned around, holding Arvid's pasta away from the two wonderfully juicy burgers. He wasn't going to risk cross-contamination. He already gone through the mental checklist that George had instilled in him after Arvid's first reaction to gluten.
Arvid was patiently waiting at the kitchenette, chatting with his papa about the latest trick he saw. Carefully narrating with his hands as George laughed.
"Okay, Arvid, pasta for you!" Alex placed the takeaway box with the obnoxious hotel logo right onto the table. Arvid, whose stomach rumbled right on queue had opened the lid, scooping food onto his plate. He started digging in vigorously. George who perked up from the couch sternly shouted. "Slow down Arvid!"
Arvid after grumbling to himself, slowed down. Alex smiled as he ruffled Arvid's hair. Arvid, who was not so pleased looked back up at his dad before glancing at his papa, pointing his fork at him. "Dad! Stop messing with my hair!"
Alex stopped messing with his hair but gave a playful pinch at his earlobe that got a small "hey!" out of Arvid. Alex paid no mind, sticking out his tongue playful at his son. Watching him grumble before going back to his pasta.
Alex sat down next to George, messing with his hair too. Which got him a similar reaction to his son. George swatted him away, careful not to hit the containers of their food. Alex, finally stopping his assault on George's messy hair decided to hand over his container.
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Arvid had finished eating first, watching his parents with a small smile decorating his features. The small touches the lovebirds shared made him glad to have such wonderful parents. Most assumed he was related to someone like Lando or Daniel and there was nothing wrong with that. But he wouldn't trade his parents for the world. Even if he managed to gain their abysmal luck. He wouldn't trade his Papa and Dad for anything in the world. George, noticing Arvid's wayward stare, had gave Alex a look before standing up. Declaring to the other two, "Okay.. I have an idea. Let's have a sleepover in Papa's room. We all need a family movie night."
Arvid quickly responded, "Really Papa?!", an ecstatic smile brightening on his face. The joy he seemed to lose after his DNS resurfaced.
George hadn't realized how much Arvid was longing a family movie night. He'd been so focused on his championship fight, it slipped his mind. Before he could say any more, Arvid had disappeared to his room to go shower and grab his pajamas. George let out a small laugh before pulling Alex close.
Alex, reciprocating peppered his face with kisses before saying, "Georgie, honey. Can I talk to you for a second?" His face looked serious, not an itch of his usual smile and George froze for a moment. Alex gently touch his husband's arm. Then, he started. "Georgie. I understand you are in a title fight and I cannot imagine the stress you are in. But please, don't forget about me and Arvid. He needs you now more than ever. We can do it together. We'll remind you that you can do it and you'll remind us how much you love us. Deal?"
George nodded immediately, burying himself in his husband's arms. He remembered what it was like for Alex. The harsh desperation that Red Bull snatched from him. The family already knew the pains of doubt and uncertainty. But they also knew how to survive it.
Alex sat up finally, grabbing the remote. George watched as he searched up The Hangover and playfully groaned. They had probably watched The Hangover thousands of times. But, Alex and Arvid loved it. So he couldn't give a rat's ass. He'd watch it thousand times just to be with them.
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Arvid finally returned to George's hotel room, holding a small plush tiger that seemed almost too childish for 18 years of age. Although he knew his dads didn't care. He opened the door to the room, whispering. "Papa?". George responded from the bed. Alex was in the shower, the humming from him could be heard through the hotels stupidly thin walls.
Arvid slid into the second bed, throwing the extra blankets he was hiding under earlier to god knows where. That action earned him a small glare from George that made him splat them on the bed neatly. Not trying to piss off his Papa. George gave him a nod, scrolling on whatever social media he decided to terrorize.
Alex emerged after the shower, wet hair being casually dried with a towel. He slipped into his side of the bed. Arvid snatched the remote from his spot, starting the movie. George put his phone down and moved behind Alex, grabbing the towel and gently moving it through Alex's semi-wet head. Earning a small mumbled thank you from his darling.
Arvid gave the two a side eye before chuckling to himself and fully immersing himself in the movie. Squeezing the tiger next to him carefully. Blinking periodically to keep himself awake. The intimate peace was something they desperately needed after the shit show that emerged from the Grand Prix. It didn't take long for George and Arvid to fall asleep.
Leaving Alex to quickly turn off the lights and movie. Once he was done, moving close to George. Pulling himself in his darling's embrace. George didn't even stir, just held him tighter. It wasn't a good day at the start. But they definitely made it better with their movie night.