Charles Lecrelc - Tumblr Posts

i saw this edit on tik tok on “moth to flame” by the weeknd and i want to write a fic about it.

but i have no idea which driver to write about.

have a great day loves💋

Moth to a flame LN4

summary: charles makes you realise that lando is not treating you right

warnings: angst and fluff

a/n: FINALLY i finished this and i hate it tbh. but idc really i am just happy i wrote it. SORRY FOR THE GRAMMAR MISTAKES feel free to correct me🙏🙏so enjoy and i love you all, sending kisses💋💋

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1:30 AM

L Norris

«Can i call you?»

you looked at Charles that was cuddling to your side. you closed your eyes and took a deep breath. you didn’t even have time to reply, your phone already vibrating.

you carefully left your bed and went to the bathroom. you looked at yourself in the mirror, the feeling of guilt spreading through your body.

Lando was like a virus that you couldn’t get out your body. it was never anything serious between you two. you were just very good friends that decided to start hooking up.

you always had some attraction to Lando, who would not. he was handsome and charismatic young man. the problem was that you started to develop feelings for him during your “relationship”. and that was it for you.

first of all you knew that he definitely didn’t want anything serious, at least nothing serious with you and second of all you knew that you weren’t the only girl he hooked up with and after you caught feelings it was something you could not stand.

so you distanced yourself a bit but lando knew what was happening and somehow you were spending more and more time with him.

you felt special, who wouldn’t, he took you everywhere and he was treating you like a princess . you went to see his races, he took you on holidays with him and you even got to know his parents.

but apparently…

you weren’t the only one.

one evening you had planned a date because you haven’t seen each other in a while but lando wasn’t picking up his phone and didn’t reply on your massages.

it started to make sense when your friend sent you paparazzi pick of lando and some girl holding hands and having dinner in restaurant YOU should have been in with HIM.

that was the first strike.

you needed time off, you didn’t want to see him, hear from him or meet him. you were hurt and offended. did he really forget about your date and just took some other girl with him?

after three days he started to call and text you but you just ghosted him until he showed up at your door.

he showed up with the most beautiful bouquet and beautiful necklaces.

and that’s how it always was.

he did something, you ignored him, he came to apologise and you fucked.

it was exhausting, you really tried to change your relationship but it never worked out.

and than you met charles.

you got to know him on a party of landos first win. you shared room with lando and all evening he talked about how he’s so lucky to have you and that he can’t wait to celebrate with you.

but somehow when you were in the club he disappeared from your sight and you couldn’t find him anywhere. you gave up and went to sit on some couches with a drink in your hand.

“ do you mind if i keep you some company?” you looked up and saw clearly tired charles.

“i would actually love some company right now.” you smiled

you talked for hours. he listened to you, you listened to him. you always had something to talk about.

you started to feel tired so charles decided to accompany you to your room.

as you came upstairs you took the room card from your purse. as you came closer to your room you already felt off so you hoped that lando was there and okay.

well he was more than okay.

you stood in front of the room door and clearly heard a woman moaning landos name from your room. you just stayed still and tried not to cry.

charles took your hand and led you to his room. as he closed the door you hugged him and started crying like a child.

you explained your relationship with lando to charles and he listened carefully to everything you had to say.

he didn’t understand why would someone play with you like that. he wanted to help you, he wanted to show you that it doesn’t have to be like that with everyone.

you slept at charleses room that night.

in the morning he ordered breakfast straight to your room and you ate at on a balcony with beautiful view and sunny weather.

after you finished you knew that you should go and pick up your bags from yours and landos room but you really didn’t have the mood to deal with him. you thought about every possible way of how to not go to go there but none of them seemed to work.

“what are you thinking about?” charleses soft voice snapped you back from your thoughts.

“nothing important, i just need to get my stuff and i really don’t want to see him.” you sighed and closed your eyes.

“i’ll go for them.” charles said and immediately stood up.

“no no no you don’t have to, i will get them in a minute.” you didn’t want to bother him with such a stupid thing.

“i want to do it for you. i’ll be right back.” he said and before you could answer he was gone.

i want to do it for you. this sentence meant everything to you. you’ve never met a man who would really took an action and not just say sweet words.

he came back minutes later with your bags and you went straight up to him. you hugged him tight and said “thank you charles.” you looked up “for taking care of me.”

“that is what you deserve chérie.”

and that’s how your soon to call relationship started.

you started going out on dates and few trips and to be honest you never felt better in your life.

charles was sweet, caring and his love for you is true. but he doesn’t know that you still call lando from time to time.

charles understands that you still need somee time to get over him and he doesn’t want to rush things.

after that night in miami lando tried to reach out many many times but you’ve never replied. you were really hurt and he was annoying you with every call and text more and more.

until he showed up at your doorstep and you felt like you’re reliving the same moment every month.

“can we talk, please?” he asked giving you flowers. you nod at him to come inside and while he’s sitting on a couch you put the bouquet in a vase with water.

“so… you and charles…” he started but you immediately cut him off.

“lando if you came here just to talk shit you can leave.” you were pissed off. the audacity this man had. unbelievable.

“sorry… i mean, i missed you and i just can’t go on without being either you.” he said while look into your eyes.

you hated the soft spot you developed for him. you didn’t even listened to what he was saying because every time it was the same, but he looked so handsome in his white button up shirt, two buttons unbuttoned, his tan skin peeking through and his messy hair.

“can i kiss you?” he asked and you went straight in. you didn’t want to admit but you missed his soft lips and curls. you straddled his hips and kissed his neck slowly.

“i hate you norris.”

“i know.”

after that you gave him some rules on how your relationship will be working.

first of all texts and calls only at night. second of all no day to day communication and third just sex. nothing more, nothing less.

you knew that this wasn’t right, that you needed to get rid off him and keep no contact but somehow you just couldn’t let go of your past.

soon enough your love for charles seemed to grow more every day. he treated you like a princess and he gave you reasons to fall in love with him more and more.

but as your lando situation was never solved you could not devote your heart to charles for 100%.

you haven’t seen lando in two months just photos of him and his new girl on the socials.

until the call.

“hello? babe are you there?” he asked as if you were full on his girlfriend.

“i’m here. how are you? ” you whispered.

“fine, portugal is beautiful, i’ll take you here some time.” he said confidently.

you laughed. “when are you coming back?” you asked.

“next week. what miss me that much?” you could hear him smirking.

“yeah right, i just need to talk to you about something.” you said while closing your eyes.

“oh, okay, can’t wait. i need to go love see you next week. love ya.” he replied and hung up.

“everything okay ma belle?” you heard charles outside the bathroom and the guilt just grew bigger.

“yes baby everything alright.” you said, turned off the light and opened the door. he hugged you and kissed you on top of your head.

“can sleep without you.” he murmured and you giggled and hugged him tighter.

“let’s go back to sleep.”

the thing you wanted to talk about with lando was breaking everything up. it was draining you, the relationship you kept just for nothing. you felt guilty because of charles and you could not keep it up anymore.

you truly loved charles and you to stop loving lando you needed to let him go.

you were in his apartment laying on the couch. “so what did you want to talk about?” he asked definitely bot expecting what you were going to say.

“listen, i really like you lan, i really do but i can’t do this anymore. i want a relationship, i want someone i can rely on any time, any day and i do not want just simple hook ups. i loved you enough and i’m not willing to spend any more of my love on someone who does not feel the same way i do.” your eyes started to water. “it was very hard for me to come up with this topic because i still have some feelings for you but in past months i’ve realised that there are people out there who can treat me better.” you finished with tears streaming down your cheeks.

lando just looked at you, too stunned to speak. he was in shock.

“so… you want to break up?” he asked.

“we were never together lando, i never had you.” you whispered.

“you have me now.” he whispered back, his eyes watering too.

“it’s too late lan, i waited too long and i went through too much pain because of you.” you smiled through the tears.

“no i it’s not i want you, just you. it was always you.” he said, and cupped your cheeks. you were slipping out of his grasp and he could do nothing to save you.

“lan stop with this nonsense, just last week you were with some new model, or we never discussed your night in miami.” you laughed at him.

“please, don’t end this.” he hugged you and cried on your shoulder.

you stayed like that for maybe minutes maybe hours. “i need to go lan.” you moved away and caressed his cheek.

“i know, i’m sorry… for everything.” he said and walked you to the door.

you stayed by the door for a few minutes just looking at each other. until you kissed him one last time.

“i’ll always have a soft spot for you norris.” you smiled.

“i’ll always be one call away baby.” he sniffled and smiled back and you closed the door behind you.

MASTERLIST

Jack Harlow

Jungkook

Tom Holland

Charles Lecrelc

what was going on in pierre and charles mind that they were fighting for the ball when they’re in the same team 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

i’ll be proud either ways when he gets p2/p3 because he did his best but the pressure he puts on himself is so so sad :-(

Austrian GP '23 // Post Quali

"I'm never happy when I'm second, I'm only happy when I'm first. Today, we missed pole position by very little. But, to be honest, looking at our season, this is probably the best quali we've had, apart from Baku..."

Your camera roll as Charles Leclerc’s s/o

Part 1

Danny didn’t deserve that and thatwas Charles’ podium

Goodbye

instagram au with mason mount x male reader cute pictures :)

Mason mount x male reader

Note: Dont be shy request x male reader!!

A/n note: heyhey, so so so so sorry that this took so long to put out depression really got me. Im also went through and still am in intensive trauma care. Take care of your friends!

Fc: Charles Leclerc

Masterlist

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Yourinstagram

Tagged theweeknd

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Yourinstagram number 3 soon ~~ @theweeknd

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Masonmount I’m so proud of you baby <3

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↳ yourinstagram love you<3

Theweeknd can’t wait for them to hear

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↳ yourinstagram they’re not ready to

Neymarjr orgulhoso de ti

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Pablogavi yesss!!!

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Ladygaga incredibly excited

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Theweeknd

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Theweeknd number 3 soon > @yourinstagram

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Yourinstagram they’re sooo not ready

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↳ theweeknd they aren’t broo

Arianagrande ahhhh!!!

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Justinbieber fav duo fr

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Eminem 🔥

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Yourinstagram & theweeknd

Liked by masonmount, eminem, Sza and 42,498,308 others

Yourinstagram We are excited to announce that our third collab album is finally out every where. We worked really hard on this together, and after many sleepless nights it’s out. We would like to thank the following artists for being on the album; Sza, Tyler, The Creator, lil wayne, Billie Eilish and Frank Ocean.

📸 : @masonmount.

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Yourinstagram & masonmount

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Yourinstagram We wish everyone happy holidays :) ignore the messy background

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Masonmount

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Masonmount 10 years together with you<3

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Yourinstagram best 10 years

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Sza 10 years?!? Cuteeeee

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Theweeknd aww

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Neymarjr <3

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Kimkardashian so happy for you two!!

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Yourinstagram & theweeknd

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Yourinstagram thanks to all my friends who showed at the release party <3

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Masonmount love you <3

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Neymarjr ❤️

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Sza this was funnnnn

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Ladygaga amazing night

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Mileycyrus we went mad 😭

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Pedri 🫶🏼

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Ynupdates

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Ynupdates yn has been seen signs and taking pictures with fans today!

~edit~ he apparently had a panic attack when he left. We send love to him <3

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Ynhater1 he looks so ungrateful

↳ ynfan2 maybe because people were literally shoving phones in this face?! They were invading his privacy.

fanYN1 he looks tired, give him rest

Ynfan1 y’all need to backup sometimes!

↳ ynsucks he signed up for this life…

↳ ynfan1 are you being fr, one does not sign up to be shoved with phones and papers.

Ynisthebest1 let the poor man enjoy his relationship and life ffs

Ynfan3 i was there, he literally almost had a panic attack. Y’all are psychotic.

↳ ynshubby same people don’t realise how dangerous it was.

Sza otw back he called me mid panic attack. Y’all need to stop being crazy and have manners.

Yourinstagram

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Yourinstagram I’m still alive… somehow!

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Masonmount I’m incredibly proud of you<3

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Billieeilish glad, take your time please

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Pablogavi 💞

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Sza call me whenever

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Zendaya meditate babes

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Ladygaga we love youuu

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————

{🍇} - REQUESTLIST

Don’t be shy to request celebrities/singers or any fictional character.

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Soccer

Neymar Jr

Jude Bellingham

João Felix

Phil Foden

Pablo Gavi

Pedri

Mason Mount

Achraf Hakimi

Kylian Mbappé

* You can request anybody else but the chances I will not do it wil be a lot bigger *

F1

Charles Leclerc

Max Verstappen

Daniel Ricciardo

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{🌂} request rules!

Do’s

Smut

Their is a limited things I’ll say no to (excl !ncest. Idc)

All fandoms can request

Top reader

Gender neutral and non binary reader.

Non queer people

Don’t

Female readers

Sub reader

The weird kinks

—————————————————

Masterlist

REQUESTS ARE OPEN

If you're not sure if I can do a playlist for a certain character send me an ask and I'll get back to you <3

Updated 17.02.24

Generic playlists ⋆˙⟡

01: romanticising long train journeys

02: lying in-between the sheets with you

03: dancing in the rain with my love

04: christmas with the love of your life

05: car songs for the girlies

06: car classics

Characters ⋆˙⟡

Percy Jackson and The Olympians

01: you’re dating luke castellan

02: you’re dating clarisse la rue

03: percy jackson - coming of age

Call of Duty

Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley (pending)

Outer Banks

01: you’re dating rafe cameron

02: you’re in love with jj maybank

03: pogues summer playlist 🌞

04: you’re sarah cameron

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUBS !! 💗💗💗💗💗

F1 drivers as random quotes (again) [Part 1/2]

It's all just a joke

Wish they sold it everywhere so I could try it 😭

Charles balancing ice cream like a pro

📸 LEC

Shal - Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc x SingleMum!Reader

Words: 10.6k

Summary: You and your son Beni are a team but you had once lost everything, following that it wasn't easy to let someone close to you, let alone love you again.

Warnings: Dad!Charles, Friend!Pierre, Losing a loved one, Mental Struggles

Authors Note: If you don't love Charles with children I am judging you hard. haha. I am in love with the idea of dad!Charles so here you go. I am supposed to study but instead, I wrote this.

It's not edited and English isn't my first language so be nice, please :)

Enjoy! ♥

Masterlist

Life sometimes has its own ways. Over time, you learned not to have too much hope and not to take everything that happened to you too seriously. Sometimes it was also important to look at the positive side of a situation. But that was not always possible.

You sat petrified next to the bed. One hand was on your stomach and the other on his. You didn't even notice the constant beeping of the machines in the background.

Someone put a hand on your shoulder. You didn't have enough strength to turn around and see who it was. Your body felt like a stone. That's how you sat there in the chair. Petrified.

You could see people around you and hear them talking but your eyes were only fixed on him, fixed on your hands that were holding each other as if it was a matter of life and death. Silly of you to think like that, because that was exactly what this was all about.

He had left the house normally in the morning and you shortly after him to go to university. Before your first lecture had even started, your phone rang.

A call that no one ever wanted to receive. It sent shivers down your spine. Your friends had to help you not to lose your balance. How you made it to the hospital, you didn't really know yourself, but still you were sitting there.

"Y/N, sweetie, it's time." Your eyes moved from him to his mother who was standing next to you and took your hand that wasn’t holding him in hers. You couldn't get a word out, just looked at the doctor who was already waiting at the machines. When he saw your gaze, he began his procedure.

You did not know how much time had passed, nor could you read the clock hanging at the other end of the room, because your vision was blurred by the tears that had been running down your face continuously since that morning.

“Stupid, stupid cars.” That was somehow all that was playing over and over in your mind while time didn’t seem too pass but also passed by way to quickly at the same time.  

The doctor's voice that interrupted your silence after what felt like an eternity was like a whisper and a scream at the same time.

"Time of death 7:43 p.m." 

-✨✨

"Estie, you know I'm usually up for any nonsense but can we please see that we get through as quickly as possible today? We have to film the same videos with Pierre this afternoon, let alone the videos you are supposed to film together." Esteban looked at you with a grin on his face. He had worked with you long enough now to know when you were serious.

"Alright, where's the little one?" You shrugged.

"Got lured into the other office with sweets earlier. Honestly, I love him but it's good to be able to work in peace for once." Esteban nodded and then sat down in front of the camera.

"So here we go then. The first video-..."

"MUMMYYYYY!" Beni came running through the door and fell around your legs. He grinned at you from down there but then ran over to Esteban when he saw him sitting in front of the camera.

"Hi Estie." Esteban looked up at you but you had your hands in front of your face and were trying to keep calm.

"Hey kiddo." Esteban sat him on his lap. "We're filming a video now." Beni looked from Esteban to the other media people in the room and then to you.

"Sowwy Mummy." He waved to Esteban and then asked him to be lowered. Beni came towards you with small steps and a shy look.

"It's ok my darling. You are welcome to stay here but then you must sit very quietly here in my chair and listen." Beni nodded and stretched his arms upwards to be hoisted by you onto your chair, which was slightly behind you.

Esteban was true to his word. He did his best to get the videos done as smoothly and quickly as possible. Besides a video about the expectations for the new season, a couple of videos for sponsors were also on the schedule.

After less than two hours, however, they were actually through just as Laurent, CEO of Alpine, walked through the door.

"Perfect timing. Y/N Otmar and I would like to talk to you." You looked from Esteban to Beni, who by now had fallen asleep on the chair and was taking a little nap.

"Go. I'll look after him. Pierre isn't here yet anyway, so we can't go on then." Esteban stood next to the chair where your son was sleeping and gave his CEO a high five on the way there.

"Great, I'll take you with me then." On the way to the CEO's office, you thought about everything you had done in the last few months.  Maybe you had made a mistake. You had to admit that not only once had you been completely overtired at work after Beni had pulled you out of sleep again and again all night.

Laurent opened the door to his office where Otmar was already waiting. He hugged you briefly and then offered you a seat next to him.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Laurent sat down on his desk chair opposite you.

"Do I have to worry about my job? Please give me enough time if so. As a single mother, it's not easy to find a suitable job and moving isn't ideal when you're alone either and when I'm working on -" Otmar interrupted you and put a hand on your shoulder reassuringly.

"Take it easy Y/N. We're not going to give you notice today." Otmar's gaze was gentle and you could see that he understood why you had reacted the way you did. Laurent laughed out loud.

"We'd be pretty stupid to let our best employee on the communications team and her little sidekick go." He handed you a folder. It was plain. You couldn't see what was inside from the outside. Laurent nodded and asked you to open the folder.

In big black letters, "contract" was written on the first page. You looked up from the folder first to Laurent who gave Otmar the floor. You let your eyes wander to the team principal.

"There have been changes in our team of travelling staff. We have been able to fill most of the positions over the last few weeks, but there is still one vacancy. The position of Head of Communications and, as part of that, Communications Manager of our new driver Pierre Gasly." Otmar paused for a moment, trying to figure out what you were thinking or if you were going to turn the job down right away.

But you were too focused on the contract you were leafing through. Only when you noticed that it had become suspiciously quiet around you did you look up at the two again. Laurent continued.

"We feel that the position would be best filled by you. You know the team, you know the work, you have always worked in the background for the old head Juliette from home while she was away. That's why we want to offer you this job." Your gaze moved from Laurent to Otmar, who was sitting next to you, grinning.

"Wow. Um, I, well, that's quite nice and I'm glad you believe in me so much and trust me to do this but you seem to be forgetting the most important thing." Before you could continue Laurent interrupted you.

"No, I think we've thought of everything. If you read section 3 on page twelve of your contract, it will probably answer your objection." You let your fingers glide over the pages and opened the page Laurent had mentioned.

"Alpine and Alpine Formula 1 Team also note that for organisational reasons Mr Benjamin Y/L/N is also covered by the contract to a comprehensive extent. Benjamin will travel to the events with his mother unless otherwise possible. Travel to and from the events will be covered by the team. After consultation with the team's travel management, Benjamin and his mother will be accommodated in a hotel room. Due to the age, this is possible in most cases without additional costs for the child. In the exceptional cases that costs are incurred, the costs will be borne by Mrs. Y/N Y/L/N herself."

Tears had already formed in your eyes as you read the paragraph. When you looked up at Laurent again, you could no longer hold them back. One after another ran down your cheeks.

"A few of your colleagues told us that you would like to show Benjamin the world before he starts the serious part of his life and has to go to school. Of course there's still time before then, the little one is only three, but we thought the sooner you start the better." Laurent leaned forward a little in his chair and beamed at you.

"Exactly, and why shouldn't something that works here not work on the road?" said Otmar, "The team has come to know and love you and your little angel. The first few races we'll have to find a rhythm but we're sure we can do it together." You nodded cautiously and out of the corner of your eye you could see Otmar and Laurent sinking contentedly back into their chairs.

You would be lying if you said that travelling with the team had not been your dream. However, you had already finished with it after you had given birth to your son.

You were already infinitely grateful to Laurent and Otmar because they had made it possible for you to start with your child with them. And Otmar was right. Beni was always warmly welcomed, not only in your team, but also by the other colleagues. You had truly found a new family in Enstone.

-✨✨

The knock on the door jolted you out of your thoughts. Actually, you wanted to stay awake despite the jet lag, but it wouldn't work out that way. Pierre beamed at you from the other side of the door.

"Where do you get so much strength and motivation from?” Pierre tilted his head a little and seemed to think for a moment, but then just shrugged his shoulders and came into your room without being asked. When he saw Beni sleeping in his little bed provided by the hotel, his glow seemed to almost double.

He lifted the little one out of his cot and sat down on the sofa in your room. Then he put Beni on his chest and wrapped his arms around your son's sleeping body. He snuggled a little further into Pierre's chest and then slowly opened his eyes.

"I thought maybe we could take a little trip. Charles is already here, too, and had suggested that we could go karting together. I'm pretty sure Beni would have the time of his life." Your gaze wandered from Pierre and your son to your bed and back to them.

Beni had woken up in the meantime and continued to cuddle up to Pierre with sleepy eyes. Pierre first tousled the little one's hair and then gave him a kiss on the head.

"Oh, come on. If you sleep now you'll be up all night. And if your kid doesn't do something, he'll be up all night too, if he's been sleeping since we landed." Pierre looked at you with a know-it-all expression. And somewhere you knew he was right.

"All right, but why does it have to be karting? Don't you Formula 1 drivers ever get tired of it all?" Pierre shook his head vehemently. He seemed satisfied with your answer and then turned to Beni.

"Me, you, Mummy and Charles, we're going to have a great day." Beni’s mood instantly changed. He loved spending time with his Uncle Pierre. Even before they went to the first race Pierre had made sure Beni knew he was the cool uncle to ask when Mummy said no to something.

"Who Shal?" Beni looked over at you. Pierre looked to you as well, confused.

"You haven't met Charles at all?" You thought for a moment and then shook your head. Among the drivers who had been fighting for your son's attention in particular, the Monegasque hadn't been until then.

"I can't believe your mum has kept Charles from you until now. Charles is my best friend. He drives the Ferrari." Beni's gaze moved from Pierre to you again. He had tilted his head and seemed to be thinking. There was nothing sweeter than when his little brow furrowed and you could see quite clearly that he was really thinking about something.

"Wed car?" You nodded and had to grin.

"That's right my darling. Charles drives the red car. The team is called Ferrari." Beni bounced excitedly in Pierre's lap.

"Fewawi." With so much joy and enthusiasm, you could never have said no to your son.

The Monegasque was already waiting for you outside the entrance to the kart track. He stood in front of his Ferrari and only looked up when Beni enthusiastically tore himself away from you and ran across the car park towards Charles.

"Shal." He fell around the Monegasque's legs. Charles bent straight down to him and lifted him into his arms.

"Hello little one." Beni fell around the Ferrari driver's neck and hugged him even as you and Pierre stood in front of them.

"Funny, I never get such an enthusiastic greetings. Do you already have a favourite?" Pierre was right. Even though Beni was quite an outgoing child, he didn't normally lie in people's arms right after he met them the way he did with Charles.

Pierre wanted to take Beni from Charles, but he wouldn't let go of the Monegasque.

"It's okay. I can hold him." The three boys walked ahead into the hall of the kart track. Of course Charles and Pierre were known here. Together with the owner of the facility they explained to Beni a kart that had been standing there.

You stayed a little in the background and watched the three of them. It warmed your heart how Pierre and especially Charles, fully in their element, tried to explain the kart to Beni.

"We should have one here in his size." The owner went out of the room and came back a little later with three kits for the boys. Pierre and Charles got dressed first. Charles, who finished first, then helped Beni into his small suit and carefully pulled the helmet over his head.

Your heart beat a little faster as you watched the scene before you. Charles set Beni down on the floor beside him and your son reached straight back for the Monegasque's hand.

Outside, the owner brought three karts. Two big ones and one very small one. Now your heart began to beat faster for other reasons. Your son was only three years old. Surely you couldn't just put him in a kart.

"Um Pierre." Both Pierre and Charles immediately looked to you. Beni, meanwhile, jumped straight into one of the big karts under the owner's supervision, while Pierre and Charles both came over to you.

"What is it? Would you like to come and ride too? I'm sure it's no problem." You shook your head and then looked at your son. Through the helmet you could see the little eyes shining. But that didn't calm your pulse or your heartbeat.

"I don't think that's a good idea. He's far too small. What if he loses control, what if he gets scared, what if he crashes into something, you can't just put him in a kart and hope everything goes well." Before you could finish your sentence Charles had taken you in his arms without saying a word.

Pierre stood a little perplexed next to the two of you and didn't know exactly what to do. Only when Charles noticed that your breathing had calmed down a little did he let go of you and gave you a gentle smile.

Under different circumstances it would have taken your breath away but at the moment you had other things to worry about.

"Hey look at me." Charles' eyes were full of understanding and compassion. They radiated at the same time this calmness and an unbelievable self-confidence so that you couldn't help but adapt to him.

"If you'd prefer he can ride in one of ours for a few laps first to get a feel for it and if that's ok with him then we can slowly switch to his own kart. Would that be ok?" You looked again at your son who still had that incredible gleam and sparkle in his eyes. His attention was now on you and Charles. You nodded slightly and then looked back at Charles.

"Please be careful with him. He is my everything." Charles encircled you in his arms and hugged you to his chest.

"We know what we're doing, Y/N. Believe it or not but we do this professionally." Charles let go of you again and you couldn't help but let a small laugh escape your lips. "I like this smile on your face  a lot more than the worry." Charles stroked your cheek with his thumb.

"Okay, enough of this, whatever this is." Pierre looked at you with a puzzled look and then pulled Charles by his arm away from you back to Beni who was now again waiting with complete excitement until it finally started.

Surprisingly, it was quite easy to persuade him to ride with the boys first. For the first few laps the little one sat on Pierre's lap, tied with a rope, until he wanted to change and then continue riding with Charles.

But after a short while, the little one had enough of the two of them and finally wanted to drive himself. Of course your fear was unfounded. Everything went as it should. Charles and Pierre let Beni win and he had the time of his life.

-✨✨

The hotel was quiet. You had decided to put Beni to sleep and then do some more work in one of the lounges on your floor. The team in England was now in the middle of their working day.

You kept an eye on Beni via the baby monitor. He was sound asleep after all the fun with Pierre and Charles over the past few days.

Pierre had worked out a whole list of things you could do with Beni in Melbourne. Charles had joined you almost every day. After a week, the three of them had been karting at least four times, including that day.

It had been the first time you had let Beni go off on his own with the two of them and Charles' brothers Lorenzo and Arthur, who had landed in Australia the day before, because you couldn't for the life of you see your son throwing himself into the corners anymore. Every time you did, you had a little heart attack. So you asked Lorenzo to look after the little one, because he was the most trustworthy of the four.

"So, what have you been up to all day?" Charles came through the door and sat down next to you on the two-seater sofa, glancing at your screen.

"I was supposed to work but these four slobs I know took my son go karting and actually I thought if I didn't see it I wouldn't get scared but somehow my mind was still on the slobs and my son." Charles laughed and then nudged you on the shoulder. You looked over at him.

"Do I look untrustworthy to you?" You furrowed your eyebrows, grimaced, then shook your head.

"You and Pierre are the worst, if you want me to be honest. Of course I trust you but -" Somehow you couldn't get a clear thought out of your head and you also knew very well that there was no real reason, except one, why it was so hard for you to see Beni in such a vehicle.

Charles had noticed that your mind was suddenly somewhere else. He put an arm around your shoulders and then pulled you a little closer to him.

"I'm a good listener, you know." You looked into his eyes and at that moment you could have sworn there was something between the two of you. You couldn't really sort it out but that feeling made you suddenly open your soul to Charles.

"No one knows this story. I've honestly always been pretty good at hiding my feelings, well most of the time anyway. It's not just with Beni, but also when other people who mean a lot to me get in a car. Pierre, among others, every race weekend. I can't watch the races. I know Beni loves it but I always try to block it out and focus on something else." Charles looked at you slightly confused. Despite not knowing exactly what it was about, his features and eyes were so gentle and understanding.

Charles let go of you and you sat up a little straighter on the sofa. You let your head fall back to stop the tears that were already forming in your eyes.

Charles didn't push you. He just sat next to you without saying a word. But his presence alone made you feel safe and for some reason you knew you could trust him.

"Most people just always assume that I've broken up with Beni's father or that he just doesn't want anything to do with the child or whatever. And in most cases I just let people believe that too because it's easier for me. But -" You had to take a deep breath several times and in the end you still lost it against the tears that had formed and were now running down your cheeks.

You straightened up again and wiped the tears from your face with the jumper you were wearing.

"Beni's father didn't even know I was pregnant. We had met at university, both studying in Munich in Germany. He was already in his last semester and I was in my first when we first met. It took a while but after a few months we were inseparable. Shortly before my last semester, we decided to move in together. He had got a good job at BMW after graduating as a mechanical engineer and I had also worked there during my studies.

On a cold Thursday morning at the end of January, I just had fewer classes and lectures to attend, had already written and submitted my Bachelor's thesis, he set off for work and I set off for university. I still remember it like it was yesterday. The phone rang just as my professor entered the lecture hall. It was an unknown number and under normal circumstances I wouldn't pick it up but something told me I had to pick it up.

It was the police. My boyfriend, Beni's father, had taken a diversion on his way to work because the motorway was closed due to black ice."

You paused. You took a deep breath because it still hurt to talk about it. Just thinking about the phone call sent shivers down your spine and goose bumps all over your body.

You had never told anyone the whole story. Not in such detail. Not even with the therapist you had several appointments with after the accident and before Beni was born.

Charles hadn't said a word until then. He just sat there and had tears in his own eyes. But when your breathing became faster and faster and he noticed that you had started to tremble, he came a little closer to you and took you gently in his arms.

It took you a while before you could breathe normally again. Charles' heartbeat, which you felt as he held you against his chest, helped you to find a normal rhythm again.

"You don't have to go on." Charles let his arms that were wrapped around you loosen a little but you didn't move. For the first time you were talking about the most painful thing that had happened to you in your young life.

You didn't know exactly why now and why with Charles but you couldn't just stop now. All those emotions that you had kept bottled up for the past four years had to come out.

"He was driving along a country road that had very little traffic despite the closure and that was his undoing. In a bend, black ice formed from one moment to the next and he lost control of the vehicle. What's more, the idiot wasn't wearing his seatbelt and was thrown out of the car when the vehicle overturned several times down the embankment.

When I and his parents arrived at the hospital, the doctors tried to save something in surgery, but the initial situation was already so bad that there was nothing they could do. He was brain dead.

Only after several hours when his living will was handed over by the lawyer could his equipment be switched off."

It was the worst thing you ever had to experience. The moment when the last breath left the otherwise lifeless body was burnt into your subconscious.

Charles hugged you tighter again. But every now and then he wiped a tear from his own face. He couldn't help but think of his father. Although he knew he was going to die and his time had been foreseeable, which meant Charles could say goodbye, it didn't hurt much less.

He knew exactly how you felt. And yet he wanted nothing more than to take away your pain. At that moment he would have given anything to make it more bearable for you.

"I'm so incredibly sorry. And, I know that doesn't make it better, I know that doesn't take away the pain, but I want you to know that you can always come to me. I know what it feels like. That emptiness, that silence, that being alone and with you it's even harder because you have a child. An incredible boy, mind you, who will forever connect you to him." You let go of Charles for the first time and sat upright next to him again. You had to grin a little at the thought of Beni.

"Beni was born on the 16th of September. A little less than nine months after my boyfriend passed away. I had found out the night before he died, was going to surprise him with it after work the day of the accident." Your heart warmed at the thought of the moment you held your angel in your arms for the first time.

"Alpine gave me the chance despite the baby. Beni has grown up with a big family. At home in Enstone everyone loves him with all their heart and they are almost sad if he didn't come to work one day because his grandparents were visiting." Only now do you realise that you were still holding on to Charles Hoodie. You let go of it, but immediately afterwards you felt somehow empty and cold. Your gaze wandered longingly to Charles' hoodie, where you had been holding it. Charles must have noticed this, because he took your hand in his and put it back exactly where you had been holding him, so that you could reach for it again.

But instead you reached for Charles' hand. Your eyes moved from the touch between you to Charles' face and his eyes in which you could see nothing but empathy, love and admiration.

The warmth he radiated spread through your body in one fell swoop and you wanted nothing more than to wrap yourself in the warmth of his arms and care and never let go.

Charles also felt the warmth between you. Mindful of what you had just told him, he left most of the action to you. If he would have allowed himself to give in to his feelings, he would have simply kissed you head over heels at that moment. But he knew that would have been wrong.

So you sat for what felt like an eternity there in the lounge of the hotel, Beni on the baby monitor, work by now completely forgotten, your hand in Charles' hand and your eyes that dared not part.

"I need time Charles. I know you're feeling that right now too, otherwise you'd be pretty numb and I can't imagine that. But I haven't allowed myself to love, or even feel, after losing everything once already. Beni is my priority, my everything. I can't just let myself get caught up in this."

Contrary to your assumption, his hand didn't let you go but pulled you towards him once more. His arms wrapped around your body, making you feel safe again and even more that you couldn't describe.

"I can understand that. Take all the time you need. In the meantime, I will not only be able to sit still, I will show you that loving someone or showing feelings does not have to be directly connected with pain. Because yes, I once felt what you feel now and I know one can’t look past it so easily." Charles put a hand to your cheek and then gently stroked your cheek with his thumb.

"It's getting late, we should get to bed. The race weekend starts tomorrow."

-✨✨

"Flower and toy delivery." Pierre walked into your office and put the flowers and the bag with a toy, presumably he had already looked inside the bag because it was impossible to tell from the outside, on your desk.

Beni was sitting on the floor between his little toy cars and on a carpet on which a race track was drawn on. The carpet had been a present from Otmar for his third birthday.

"You've been getting flowers for the last few weeks and I've always wondered where all these came from so suddenly." He looked at the card stuck in the bouquet and pulled it out. "Until Charles asked me yesterday, after a bloody 7hr flight from the US back to Europe when we parted ways in London, to get you flowers before work today and give Beni this." He pointed to the bag. "Little Romeo even came up with a darn quote that he wanted me to put on the card."

With every word Pierre said, your smile grew bigger and wider until eventually it had become a grin.

You took the card from Pierre that had been in the beautiful bouquet of different red flowers, and read what was written on it.

"Everyone is a Ferrari fan. Even if they say they're not, they are Ferrari fans." - Sebastian Vettel

You knew Charles was probably getting at the fact that, even if you couldn't admit it to yourself yet, there was more between you. In the end, you were more than a "fan" of his, you were aware of that and every day more and more Charles made it clear that he meant what he had said in Australia.

----------✨✨ flashback ✨✨------------

Thinking back to Australia, during the whole race weekend Charles was always suddenly standing next to you, constantly engaged with Beni, and even picked you up from your room on Saturday morning to drive to the track together. In order not to make it too conspicuous, Pierre also had to ride with you a little earlier than he would have normally come to the track.

During the long break between Melbourne and Baku you got flowers sent to the office every few days and there was always something for Beni too. His toy car collection had expanded by a few cars since then, various Ferrari road cars to be exact.

The day before you left for Azerbaijan, Charles arrived at your doorstep in the afternoon, just as you had left the office. Beni was beside himself with excitement and while you packed your bags he played with Charles in his room into the evening.

When it was time for bed, you allowed Beni to watch one more episode of his favourite show, which lasted only ten minutes. Charles had joined you on the sofa and for the first time in a long time Beni snuggled up to someone else instead of you while watching his show.

At first you were a little sad that he preferred Charles but when you saw the little one snuggled against Charles' chest your heart leapt and you could have sworn that there was a tugging in your abdomen that you tried to ignore.

The episode was not even half over when Beni had already fallen asleep. His face buried in Charles' chest and with his little hands he clung to the Monegasque, afraid he wouldn't be there when he woke up.

Charles managed to put the little one to bed without him waking up. And you didn't know what had come over you when he came walking out of the room while you were still sitting on the sofa. But only a few seconds after Charles had sat down again, you had pulled him to you and suddenly your lips were on his for a few seconds.

Although it was only a fleeting kiss, your heart leapt for joy, your stomach buzzed with butterflies and your head was filled with fireworks.

From Baku onwards, Beni was seen more and more often alone with Charles. Especially in the mornings, he had picked up the little one every now and then to go to the track with him. Since you couldn't get around the social media of the teams for professional reasons, you kept seeing comments from fans who were making wild speculations. But you tried to suppress them.

Charles taking Beni with him before the first practice session in Baku and having him sit in his car was the most liked post across all the teams and across all race weekend. Beni’s eyes were glowing and you could see on the pictures the sheer joy he felt while sitting in the car and Charles explaining to him the steering wheel.

You were with Pierre at the time still caught up in an interview with a French TV Channel when the pictures got posted and someone from the team of the TV Channel showed you what Ferrari had captioned the post.

“Sowwy Alpine. We have stolen your driver for 2037 and we won’t give him back.”    

You couldn’t hold back a little laugh at the comment.

After the race that he won, Charles came up to you just as you were finishing in the media pen with Pierre, who again managed to drive an amazing race and put the Alpine on fourth.

“When are you and Beni leaving for Florida?” He had whispered into your ear which sent shivers down your body. While you should have focused on what Pierre was saying your mind drifted of to how close Charles was standing behind you. You turned around slightly to see the Monegasque standing behind you with a sly smile on his face.

“Congratulations, first of all.” He tried his best to wink at you but failed miserably which made you laugh and gained the attention from Pierre and a couple other media representatives in and around the pen.

“We are leaving later tonight. We’re going directly from here to the airport after we’re all done with the media and debrief.” Charles thought for a second then nodded.

“I think I must be on the same flight. It lands in Miami around 10 A.M. on Monday.” You nodded having looked at the details earlier on while the race was still on. It was a 20 hour journey from Baku to Miami with one stop somewhere along the way.

“Great. I have a surprise for you and Beni. Well, mostly for Beni I guess but I hope you’ll enjoy it as well. I hope you don’t have any plans until Wednesday.” Charles got nudged by his comms manager and had to leave before you could say anything.

All the way from Pierre finishing up his interviews to walking back to the motorhome and to gathering your things so that you could leave the Circuit at the right time you had to think about Charles’ words. What was his plan? Were you going to spend three days just with him.

The airport war not too crowded so the line to check your bags went quickly. At the desk the lady kindly asked for your passports then continued to check in your bags.

“Oh, you have pre checked-in but your seats must have changed. I’ll print you and your son your new tickets.” You looked at her confused. But she just happily continued her work and handed you two new tickets making the ones on your phone invalid.

“You have been upgraded for the whole journey to first class, madame. Your new seats are 3A and 3C. You may as well use the first class lounge which is after the security check in Terminal A. Enjoy your journey.” You couldn’t really believe what the lady had just told you.

You took Beni and walked towards the security check that was especially for first class customers. While waiting in line you looked at the tickets again. You send a picture to Pierre.

You: I think Alpine may have made a mistake. They put me and Beni in first class as well not just you two drivers.

Peach: That smooth Bastard

Peach: I can’t believe people are calling Carlos the smooth operator when that bastard is roaming the streets upgrading tickets without letting you know.

You: What are you talking about?

Peach: Come up to the lounge, we are waiting.

You had a suspicion on who had upgraded your tickets and as you walked into the lounge for the first time in your life together with you toddler you almost instantly spotted Pierre and right next to him Estie, Carlos, and the answer to all your questions, Charles.

Charles smiled at you and opened his arms for Beni who made himself comfortable in Charles’ lap right away.

“How in gods name were you able to find our booking and upgrade our tickets?” Charles switched his attention from Beni, who now cuddled up to the Monegasque, to you standing opposite him next to where Pierre was sitting.

“I didn’t really need anything besides your name and the confirmation that you were booked on the same flight as we were.” Charles pointed at the empty seat next to him on the one side and next to Carlos on the other side. You rolled your eyes and sat down patting your little boys head.

“Well, thank you. You did not have to do that but we really appreciate it.” Charles smiled at you and touched your hand for a moment but then seemed to realise that the other three drivers were watching and focused back on Beni who was really tired but knew that he was going to be on the plane soon where it would be much nicer to sleep so he stayed a wake chatting to Charles and his favourite uncle Pierre, while you got lost in a conversation with Carlos and Estie.

Boarding was pretty soon after and for the first time ever you did not have to walk through first and business to get to your seat. It was actually one of the first ones.

“So actually the plan was for you to have a little break and enjoy the flight.” You looked at Charles who put Beni in his seat next to the window. Your seat was not next to your son. It was Charles who was supposed to sit next to your little one.

“Are you sure, I mean it’s not easy with a toddler and we also have a stop, You’ll have to get him ready as well and pack his things and all.” Charles took a look at Beni who was looking out of the window then came across the walkway to your little cabin.

“If you miss him we can switch. But I think you deserve to for once not have to worry and just enjoy the flight. Everything is complementary so don’t hold back.” Charles looked around for a second then gave you a soft kiss on your cheek and walked back across the walkway.

You watched him chat to Beni while unpacking your flight essentials. The lovely stewardess got you a glass of bubbly while you made yourself comfortable and it didn’t take you long after the flight took off before you fell asleep and only woke up shortly before the landing for the stop over.

Miami was as expected pretty warm and humid already even though it was only spring. As both you, and Beni from what Charles had told you, had slept for a good chunk of both flights you were pretty energetic after you landed and moved into your room at the hotel.

It was just before noon when a knock at the door sounded through the hotel room. You got up from the floor, where you were playing with Beni and some of his cars that he had taken from England on the big trip to Baku and Miami.

“Are we ready for a little adventure.” Charles stood there in front of your door with a smile spreading from his left to his right ear. You almost thought Daniel Ricciardo had made a come back and was now standing in front of you.

After Charles instructing you on what to pack for the next couple of days and a little road trip up the coast you couldn’t believe your eyes as you rolled up to the gates of Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Charles had gone out of his way and booked you into a Suite at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

“You are crazy.” You said out loud what you were thinking. Charles stood behind you with Beni sitting on his shoulders.

“Shal, down.” Charles lifted him off his shoulders and put him on the floor. Beni almost instantly hopped onto the bed and started jumping on it.

“Do you like it?” Beni nodded his head frantically and jumped into Charles’ arms as he spread them out for the little one. Then he threw Beni back on the bed which made the little one laugh. You watched the two of them with heart eyes until Charles turned to you and put an arm around you.

“What about you? Do you like it?” You looked at your little man who was still glowing from all the excitement.

“I mean obviously I like it. This is awesome. Thank you, really. I don’t think I would have ever come up with the idea to go to Disney but this is so much Charles.” Charles didn’t let you talk any further. He shook his head and pulled you a little closer before wrapping his arms around your body and pulling you to his chest.

“No, this is perfect. This is what you deserve. I want you to just enjoy the next couple of days and not think about anything work related.”

And you did. All of that Tuesday was spend moving from roller coaster to roller coaster that Beni was allowed to ride. He was holding onto Charles’ hand so tight that at some point you thought his hand must have gone numb.

Obviously it wasn’t easy to stay undercover. Well actually Charles had failed to do so from about  10 minutes after you had entered the park. Some people had come up to him to ask for pictures which he happily took but then asked the fans to give him some privacy.

Every now and then as you walked through the park you could tell that people were taking pictures of the three of you. After a while you forgot about that though and just stopped worrying about all the pictures that would be found online later and enjoyed the time with Beni and Charles.

As you got back to the hotel after a full day at the happiest place on earth Beni had fallen asleep in Charles’ arm and was snuggled up against the Monegasque.

Charles wanted to put the little one down on the bed that he had shared with you the night before but Beni wouldn’t let go of Charles and as he forced his hands to let go of his shirt Beni woke up and started crying.

As you tried to calm your angle down after you had already gotten changed into your night gown, Charles got changed quickly before softly and quietly asking for your permission to join you and Beni in your bed. Only when you nodded did he pull the covers back and slid into the bed next to you.

“Hey, Beni.” The little one got quiet for a minute then turned around to see Charles laying in bed next to him.

"Shal, here." Beni reached out his hand which was gladly taken by Charles but against both of your beliefs Beni didn’t switch over to Charles.

No, Beni instead pulled Charles by his hand to come closer to him and where he was laying in your arms. Only when Beni’s back was against Charles’ chest did he calm down and after only a couple of minutes he had also fallen asleep.

As Charles was laying just centimetres away from you he reached out his arm and put it around the two of you.

Your eyes connected for a brief moment and you could have sworn that what you saw in Charles’ eyes was love. Not only for you but also for your son, the little family that you could be if only you allowed yourself to feel and fall in love again.

With your thoughts running wild and Charles’ hand resting on your back you fell asleep that night with a smile on your face.

After the pictures of the three of you at Disney had spread further speculations within not only the fans but also within the paddock itself at the Miami Grand Prix, the speculations didn't stop after not only Beni came to the track with Charles in the morning, but also you, and this time there was no sight of Pierre, because for once he was in the paddock before you.

----------✨✨ flashback over ✨✨------------

Pierre pulled you out of your thoughts as he continued talking.

"I don't know what, but something happened in Australia. I think if you asked Charles to let me pass at the start, he would do it. He'd do anything for you." Pierre reached for the bag with the toy for Beni and gave it to the little one, who had already been examining it from afar.

"Oh come on, you're just afraid you'll lose the position as favourite uncle." Pierre turned his head from Beni back to you and looked at you with raised eyebrows and a somewhat confused expression on his face.

"No, I'll be so bold and say that I don't have to worry about that position, more about the fact that my best friend actually already is a father, but he and the child's mother, who is my communication manager, somehow don't really see it yet."

Pierre's words made you think. Had you actually already let Charles get so close to you that from the outside it looked like he was Beni's father? Actually, you didn't think it was so obvious that there was something between you.

A small cry of joy from Beni snapped you right back out of your thoughts.

"Mummy, Shal car." Beni jumped towards you and showed you the Formula 1 car replica. It even had Charles' number on it. You got it out of the box for him, knowing Beni was about to play with it.

"Y/N." You looked up at Pierre who was still leaning against your desk watching you and Beni.

"I just think you have yet to admit to yourself that Charles is made for your little family. I don't know what's stopping you from admitting it but don't put him off forever. He'd probably wait forever and a day for you but he doesn't deserve that." You knew Pierre was right. But it sounded easier than it was.

-✨✨

The advantage of having a child was definitely that no one questioned when you said that the child was sick first and then you caught it. It broke your heart not to have been there in Imola or Monaco but you needed distance from the whole situation.

The more you thought about it, the more clearly you could see how you were actually just stalling Charles. And the more you thought about it, the more your heart broke. It wasn't your intention to stall Charles but you knew exactly why you couldn't let him get closer to you.

So while your colleagues from Imola made their way to Monaco, you travelled from London to Munich to visit Beni's grandparents, the parents of your late boyfriend.

While you were able to disguise the visit as a short holiday for the first few days, it was Marie, Beni's grandmother, who quickly realised that there was something else behind the visit.

Beni sat in front of the television with his grandpa Richard and watched the race. Whenever he saw one of the two red Ferraris, he clapped and shouted "Shal". Your heart leapt from joy every time.

"It's him." Your eyes wandered from Beni and the race to Marie, who was already preparing dinner next to you at the dining table.

"Excuse me?" Marie cleaned her hands and sat down next to you.

"I can see it in your eyes. I knew it from the moment you walked through the door. And as much as the little one gets excited every time a red car flashes through the frame, it can only have one origin." You couldn't look her in the eye, lowering your head so that you were looking at your fingers.

"Whether you know it yourself or not but you came here to get confirmation that it's okay to move on." You knew she was right. However, you hadn't expected to be so easy to see through. Well, part of it was Beni betraying you, but maybe it was a good thing.

"I-" you didn't know what to say. There were so many things you should and wanted to address but somehow nothing could cross your lips now.

"Y/N, look at me please." You took your eyes off your hands and looked at Marie. She smiled gently at you.

"As much as we both probably wish for a different reality but your son doesn't have a father. He's never had one. My son may have been the procreator but he passed away far too soon to have any attachment to the little one. That your heart is so attached to my son I think has a lot to do with the fact that you've managed to withdraw so much in the last few years that you've never been confronted with such feelings." She took your hands in hers and smiled cautiously.

"It's time to take a new path and do good for yourself, to listen to your heart. You owe it to Beni to have a male caregiver, possibly even a father, who loves him and would do anything for him."

It was difficult for you to process Marie's words at first. You needed to be alone, sort out your thoughts and be clear about what you wanted.

When the warm spring air hit your skin, it gave you goose bumps. Without thinking about where you were going, you followed your legs wherever they took you. Your path led you once across the city. Past so many places that had once meant so much to you.

The restaurant where you had been on your first date, the house of your first flat-sharing community where you had spent so much time together, his favourite restaurant, your favourite place in the park.

No matter where you went, all the places had one thing in common, they were really nice memories that came back to you, but without meaning to, your brain quickly drifted back to Charles and all the nice things he had done for you and especially for Beni.

On the bench in the park, you took your mobile phone out of your jacket pocket for the first time in days. There were countless messages from the team, from friends, but above all from Charles.

The last message that was sent and received that day though, probably shortly before the race started, was from Pierre.

Peach: I know you said you needed some space and I didn't tell anyone that you weren't sick but Charles is really worried.

Peach: You haven't answered any messages from him or anyone else since you flew to Germany.

Peach: I've only just been able to stall Charles, but the poor thing can't think of anything else. Please get in touch.

Peach: I hope you are both well ♥ We miss you!

Your fingers pressed down on the call button almost automatically and after barely a second Pierre had picked up.

"Y/N?" Pierre sounded quite concerned.

"Hey Peach, sorry for not getting back to you in so long." You could hear Pierre breathe a little easier on the other end of the line.

"I'm glad you're okay. You haven't answered anyone and Charles is already going crazy." It made your heart beat faster, as if on cue, to know that he was so worried about you. Not just Charles, but Pierre too. 

"I honestly didn't think it would be so noticeable if I didn't answer. Anyway, actually I just wanted to tell you that we're flying home tomorrow afternoon and then we'll be back for the next race."

"Well I'm glad to hear that, but believe me it's far too quiet here without you and you are very important to many here and it pains me to say it but especially to Charles you mean more than you'd maybe like to admit. I think he had one of his worst races in a long time today and then at home too." It broke your heart to hear that Charles was so upset that you hadn't answered him. But on the other hand, those days with Beni's grandparents gave you a lot of insight into what you wanted for yourself and Beni in the future.

"I know how much I mean to him, Peach. But most of all, I realised how much he means to me. But I had to come here to put my past behind me, so that I could look to the future, free of what once was." You could hear several voices in the background with Pierre.

"I'm really glad to hear that. I have to go now for the interviews. I'll see you tomorrow." You hadn't noticed what time it was. Only when Pierre hung up did you realise that he had probably just got out of the car when you called.

Seeing the result of the race in Monaco broke your heart a little bit.

Carlos Sainz

Max Verstappen

Oscar Piastri

Charles was only listed in eleventh place. He hadn’t even managed to get a point.

Your fingers slid across the screen and opened the chat with Charles. There were several messages he had sent you every day. You hadn't read any of them since Monday. The messages became more and more desperate until at one point he was really just begging you to finally answer him.

Your heart contracted at the thought that you had caused him so much pain, despair and grief over the last few days, just because you hadn't managed to get your life under control sooner.

Your finger pressed the call button next to Charles' name but after several rings no one picked up. Your heart continued to tighten in pain. What if he was angry with you, didn't want to have anything more to do with you because you had broken his heart?

Your fingers literally flew over the keyboard and formulated a message to Charles from the bottom of your heart without much influence from your brain:

'I am so infinitely sorry that you have been worrying so much these past few days and that I have simply ignored you and therefore ruined your home race today. But please let me explain.

Beni and I are fine. Neither of us was ill. I was the one who needed distance to come to terms with myself. That is why Beni and I are in Germany with Beni's grandparents.

Charles, I had to take this step to come to terms with the past and to learn what I wanted for myself and my son in the future. It took a while but I finally know and I hope it’s not too late.

I want Beni to have someone besides me by his side who loves him just as much as I do, a father figure, someone who will put him above everything and teach him things in the future that I, as a mum, just couldn't convey as authentically no matter how hard I tried. I want Beni to have a dad he can rely on and who not only cares for him, but also for me. Someone who loves me without asking questions and protects us both from everything bad.

But I would never have been able to learn all this if I hadn't come here. Because I have finally understood that I want you to be that person. I couldn't imagine anything more beautiful than having you by my side. And I'm pretty sure Beni would be beside himself with joy if he could see you more often than just during the race weekends or when traveling to our race destinations. Because he loves you ... at least as much as I love you.’ 

Hoping that Charles would answer by the time you got back to Beni and his grandparents, you put your phone back in your jacket pocket and slowly made your way back.

It was time to pack your bags again and book your flight home for the following, because if there was one thing you realised, it was that Munich was your past. And as much as you had loved the city, it was now nothing but the city where your child’s grandparents lived. It had not been your home for a long time.

The suitcases were packed and Beni was lying next to you in your bed, watching an episode of his favourite series on the iPad. You couldn't concentrate on it though. Charles had read your message more than three hours ago but there was no reply from the Monegasque.

You: Peach, I think I messed up. Charles didn't answer my call and now he has read my message more than three hours ago but hasn't replied.

Pierre's answer came without delay.

Peach: Take it easy. He had a shitty day today and you can imagine how everyone pounced on him after the race.

Peach: I'm sure it won't be long now.

You: Not long until what? Until he answers, until he blocks me completely?

Just as you sent the message, the doorbell echoed through the whole flat. Marie was still in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner. You offered to help but she didn't want your help, told you to look after your son and enjoy the last evening basically on holiday.

You could hear her soft footsteps approaching the door and then opening it.

After maybe two minutes the door closed again and her footsteps approached your bedroom door. You got ready to open the door, left Beni in bed and walked to the door. The knocking was stronger and more definite than normal but you opened the door straight away anyway.

Before you could realise that for some reason he was standing in front of you, his lips were on yours and Charles pulled you close. It took you a few seconds to realise what was happening. But when your head was up to date, you returned the kiss directly and put your hands on his neck.

"SHAL." Charles detached himself from you and after a quick look straight into your soul and a small smile on his lips, he turned to Beni who had put the iPad aside and was standing on the bed to give his Shal a hug.

Charles lifted the little one up and gave him a kiss on the forehead. Beni put his arms around his neck and pulled him close.

Without noticing it, tears began to run down your cheeks. This was what you wanted. Just the thought that Beni would hopefully call Charles Daddy one day made your heart beat faster.

You ventured a look from the room down the corridor where Marie and Richard were standing, both with huge grins on their faces. Marie threw you an air kiss and a wordless goodnight.

You closed the door behind you and walked to Charles and Beni who were both already comfortable in bed again. Beni was lying on Charles' chest and instead of finishing his favourite show he was talking to Charles about the race.

"Sowwy, today." Charles smoothed his mane and gave him another kiss on the temple.

"It's ok, little one. I'm happy now that I am with you and your Mummy." Beni put his arms around Charles' chest to hug him, but his arms just reached around the front. Charles head immediately turned towards you as he felt the bed move beside him.

You lay down with the two of them but you could already see Beni's eyes getting smaller and smaller. Charles put one arm around your back and pulled you to his side while he stroked Beni's back with the other. You also put your free hand on Beni's back and held Charles' hand there. 

Only when Beni's eyes had been closed for a while and his breathing had slowed down did you look up at Charles again. You could already feel his eyes on you and as you suspected, the Monegasque's blue-green eyes were once again staring straight into your soul.

"I would like nothing more than to have you and Beni by my side for the rest of my life and to protect you. I want us to be happy together, for you to move in with me and for us to be a family. My dream is that you take my name and we make at least three more siblings for Beni." Tears formed in your eyes, but for the first time in a very long time, they were tears of joy.

"I've grown to love you so much in such a short time, it's been pure hell being without you two for the last two weeks." Charles nudged your nose with his and kissed away the few tears that had managed to roll down your cheeks before deftly placing his lips on yours again.

The kiss was much softer than the one before but still felt so much deeper and more meaningful. Charles rested his forehead on yours and only dared to break the silence after a few seconds.

"I love you Y/N. You and Beni are my future too." 

-✨✨

Thanks for reading ♥ Feedback is always appreciated :)

Taglist: @amsofftrack @ricsaigaslec  @hungryhungarian @enjoymyloves

IM OBSESSED

🐺 ― ODE TO THE DOGS OF WAR | MASTERLIST

summ. The Devil of Monté Carlo steps foot into your parlour to strike a deal, and against your better judgement— you accept his offer. (or: the one where the gangster falls for the pretty baker.) pairing. f!baker!reader x mafia!charles leclerc rating. general audience, swearing, gang violence, gun violence, blood, death. Specific warnings in respective chapters. genre. mafia!AU, friends-to-lovers, drama, action, romance tag. #ode to the dogs of war #ff: dogs of war *

Follow my library account @meteor-trails for updates!

AO3 Shortcut | PINBOARD

0. PROLOGUE

1. WELCOME TO THE CIRCU(IT)S!

2. THE WOLVES’ CARNIVAL

SO CUTE AND FUN! IM OBSESSED!

Made with Love

Charles Leclerc x amateur baker!Reader

Summary: in which Charles would rather risk the entire paddock getting food poisoning (again) than break your heart by telling you that your baking is horrible

You hum to yourself as you pull a tray of freshly baked cupcakes out of the oven. The sweet, chocolaty aroma fills Charles’ kitchen, making your mouth water.

This batch is sure to be perfect! You’ve been practicing your baking skills for months now, determined to get it just right.

Charles wanders into the kitchen, drawn by the scent. “Mmm, something smells good in here!”

He peers over your shoulder at the tray of cupcakes. They’re a bit misshapen, with cracked tops that deflated the second they were taken out of the oven. The frosting is glopped on unevenly.

To you, they look absolutely mouthwatering. To Charles, they look … well, he loves you too much to say.

“Try one!” You urge, holding out a cupcake. Charles flashes you a hesitant smile before taking it. He peels back the liner and takes a bite. His eyes widen and he forces himself to chew and swallow.

“Well? How is it?” You ask eagerly.

Charles clears his throat. “It’s, uh, it’s great. Your best batch yet,” he lies. In truth, it’s dry and dense, with a strange bitter aftertaste. But the delight on your face makes the fib worth it.

You throw your arms around him in a hug. “Yay! I can’t wait to share them with the team this weekend.”

Charles’ stomach drops. The thought of the entire paddock pretending to enjoy your baking makes him cringe internally. But he plasters on a smile. “What a nice idea! I’m sure they’ll love them.”

The two of you arrive at the circuit and you can barely contain your excitement as you carry a large container of cupcakes into the paddock. Charles trails behind you, backpack slung over one shoulder, his other arm wrapped around your waist. He presses a quick kiss to your temple before you flit off to distribute your baked goods.

You first approach Max Verstappen, holding out a cupcake with rainbow sprinkles. “Here Max, have one!”

Max eyes the treat dubiously but accepts it with a polite smile. “Thanks Y/N, that’s really nice of you.”

You beam and turn to Charles, missing the look of apprehension on Max’s face. Charles catches Max’s eye and draws a finger across his throat in warning. Max’s eyes widen but he nods in understanding. Charles won’t let anything ruin your mood today.

You make your way through the paddock, handing cupcakes to mechanics, engineers, PR reps, reporters, team principals, and drivers. Charles hovers behind you, keeping a watchful eye on each recipient.

Daniel Ricciardo visibly gags on his first bite when you turn away. Charles glares and shakes his head sharply. Daniel rearranges his face into a smile and gives a thumbs up.

Lando Norris takes an overly large bite and Charles has to pound on his back as he chokes it down.

Esteban Ocon discreetly spits his cupcake into a napkin when you’re not looking. Charles lunges forward and grabs his arm, squeezing tightly until Esteban wheezes out “Delicious!”

You remain blissfully unaware of the chaos that falls over the paddock in your wake, oblivious to Charles’ desperate interventions. All you see are your friends and acquaintances enjoying your baking.

When you finally offer a cupcake to Charles, he takes it and eats the whole thing without hesitation. Because even if it tastes like sugary sawdust, the delight on your face makes it the best treat in the world.

“Wasn’t that fun?” You gush to Charles afterwards. “I can’t wait to try out a new recipe soon!”

Charles just kisses your frosting-smudged nose and says, “I can’t wait either, mon amour.” As long as you’re happy, he’ll choke down all the questionable cupcakes you offer. Because your smile is the only thing that matters.

***

The paddock is bustling with activity as you and Charles arrive for the next race weekend, yet another batch of fresh baked goods in hand. You’re eager to share your latest creations — classic chocolate chunk cookies. You spent hours carefully following the recipe, determined to get them just right.

As you make your rounds distributing cookies, the reactions are the usual mix of forced smiles and discreet spitting. Charles trails behind you, glaring at anyone who doesn’t immediately rave about how delicious they are. The drivers and mechanics quickly catch on, showering you with praise and shooting Charles grateful looks when he turns you away.

You finally offer a cookie to Graham, a mechanic from the Mercedes team. He takes it hesitantly, eyeing Charles standing behind you. But Graham is new to the paddock and unaware of the baked goods situation.

He takes a bite and immediately grimaces. “Ugh, these taste terrible!” He blurts out.

You gasp, stumbling back as if struck. Tears well up in your eyes. Charles is at your side in an instant, pulling you into a comforting hug. Over your shoulder, he shoots Graham a look of absolute rage.

Graham realizes his mistake too late, shame washing over his face. “I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean ...” he stammers. But you’re already pulling away from Charles and rushing off, sobbing.

Charles turns on Graham, eyes blazing. “How could you? All she ever wants to do is make others happy!” Graham cowers before him, other mechanics backing away nervously.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” Graham says miserably.

“Sorry isn’t good enough,” Charles snarls. “You stay away from her, you hear me?” Graham nods shakily. Satisfied the message is received, Charles races after you.

He finds you behind the garage, face buried in your hands. “Oh mon ange,” Charles murmurs, wrapping you in his arms. “Don’t listen to him, your cookies are perfect.”

You cling to Charles, sniffling. “I just wanted to do something nice for everyone. But I’m so horrible at baking!”

Charles tilts your chin up. “You listen to me. You have the biggest, kindest heart. It doesn’t matter if the cookies are a little, er, overdone. What matters is you put love into making them. Don’t let someone like Graham get you down.”

You smile tremulously. “Have I told you lately that you’re the best boyfriend ever?”

Charles grins. “Hmm, I don’t mind hearing it again.” Laughing through your tears, you tell him again, punctuating it with a kiss.

After ensuring you’re okay, Charles seeks out Graham. “I trust you’ll be more considerate going forward?” Graham nods meekly. “Good. But just so we’re clear, if you upset her again, you’ll be out of this paddock for good.”

The next day, the news breaks that Graham has been dismissed from the Mercedes team for “attitude issues.” You feel a bit guilty, hoping your cookies didn’t cause him to lose his job. But Charles seems strangely satisfied, so you don’t dwell on it.

From then on, Charles redoubles his efforts to protect your feelings whenever you provide baked goods. The paddock falls in line, fawning over your overly salty pretzels and dry banana bread.

The brightness of your smile makes it all worth it to Charles. Because keeping that joy and kindness shining in you is what matters most to him.

***

You step out of Charles’ Ferrari, the engine purring as he puts it in park. Taking his hand, you smile excitedly — today is another fan meetup organized by the team, and you can’t wait to connect with Charles’ supporters again.

“Are you ready, mon cœur?” Charles asks, squeezing your hand gently. His green eyes crinkle at the corners as he looks at you adoringly.

“Absolutely!” You chirp, patting the large picnic basket hanging off your arm. “I made lots of treats to share today!”

Charles grins and leans in to kiss your forehead. “I’m sure they will love everything you made, as always.”

You beam, bolstered by his encouragement as you both make your way to the event. The meetup is being held in a local park, with tents and tables set up amongst the lush green grass and towering trees. You spot a long line of fans waiting eagerly for Charles’ arrival. Most are dressed in the familiar rosso corsa of Ferrari, holding posters and memorabilia for him to sign.

“Charles! Charles!” They chant excitedly when they see him. You hang back happily, letting him have his moment with his dedicated supporters. Charles takes selfies, signs autographs, and chats animatedly in Italian, French, and English. The fans are thrilled to interact with their racing idol.

After some time, Charles waves you over. “I would like you all to meet someone very special to me,” he announces, wrapping an arm around you. The fans erupt into cheers and applause. “This is Y/N, my love.”

You blush at the attention but manage to give a little wave. “Hi everyone! I’m so happy to be here today.”

Charles addresses the crowd again. “As some of you know, Y/N loves to bake and has brought some special treats to share with you all today.”

This is met with more enthusiastic cheers. Though none of them particularly enjoy your baked goods, the fans appreciate the effort and know Charles likes to reward them for humoring you.

You open up your large picnic basket, beaming with pride. “I made my favorite oatmeal raisin cookies, some lemon squares, and my famous rocky road fudge!”

The fans try not to visibly cringe, lining up politely with plates held out. You happily distribute your overly dry, burnt cookies and gooey, cloying fudge. The lemon squares are mushy and saccharine. But the fans accept it all with smiles and encouragement.

“Mmm, delicious!” One teenage girl forces out through a mouthful of your fudge.

An older man gives you a thumbs up as he chokes down a cookie, eyes watering. “So good!”

You beam, pleased that they enjoy your baking so much. As you chat with each person, you don’t notice Charles discreetly handing out autographed photos, caps, and other prized memorabilia to reward the fans for their efforts.

After you’ve handed out all your baked goods, Charles suggests a stroll through the park gardens. As you walk hand-in-hand admiring the flowers, he says softly, “You have such a big heart, Y/N. The way you care so much about connecting with the fans means the world to me.”

You squeeze his hand gratefully. “It’s the least I can do — they support you in everything, so I want to support them too.”

Charles stops and turns to you, his expression tender. “You are amazing, truly. I’m the luckiest man in the world.” He leans in and kisses you sweetly. Your heart flutters just like the first time your lips met.

When you return from your walk, the event is winding down. You say goodbye to the fans, who thank you profusely for the treats and making their day so special. You tell them you can’t wait to bake for them again soon!

After the last fan leaves, it’s just you and Charles. The late afternoon sun casts golden light on the empty picnic tables.

“Did you have fun, mon amour?” Charles asks, caressing your cheek.

“The best time!” You say enthusiastically. “I just love baking for your wonderful fans and seeing how it makes them smile.”

Charles’ eyes are full of love. He kisses the top of your head. “As long as it makes you happy, that’s all that matters to me.”

You snuggle into his chest happily. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

“I don’t think so,” Charles teases. “Why don’t you remind me again?”

You grin up at him. “I’ll tell you over dinner … I have a new donut recipe I want to try out.”

Charles fights down a grimace as he reminds himself that your love is more than worth suffering through another dreadful dessert. “I can’t wait!”

***

“Mate, you have to stop her before she poisons someone,” Max whispers urgently to Charles as you step out of the room.

Charles furrows his brow. “What are you talking about?”

“Your girlfriend. Her baking. It’s … it’s just terrible. I’m sorry, but it has to be said.”

Charles lets out a dismissive chuckle. “Oh come on, it’s not that bad.”

“Not that bad?” Max raises his eyebrows incredulously. “I chipped a tooth on her brownie last week!”

Charles rubs the back of his neck awkwardly as he avoids making eye contact.

“Look, I get that you don’t want to upset her,” Max continues, his voice lowering conspiratorially. “But we can’t keep lying and pretending it’s good! One of these days, someone is going to end up in the hospital.”

Charles sighs deeply, running a hand through his tousled hair. “What do you want me to do? If I tell her the truth, she’ll be devastated.”

You return to the room then, a bright smile on your face as you carry a plate of freshly baked apple tarts. “Who wants one?”

Max cringes almost imperceptibly while Charles shoots him a warning look. “They look great, ma belle!” He says with forced enthusiasm, taking one and bringing it to his lips.

The apple filling is gelatinous and tastes faintly of soap. Charles forces himself to swallow it with a strained smile. Max quickly declines when you offer him one.

Later that evening, Charles finds Max alone outside his apartment building. “I need your help,” he admits defeatedly.

Max looks at him expectantly.

“With Y/N’s baking … how do I get her to stop without completely crushing her?”

His friend contemplates this for a moment. “Well … you could try convincing her to take up a new hobby instead?”

Charles shakes his head. “I’ve suggested that before, but she’s dead set on baking. It’s her biggest passion.”

“Okay, then you’ll have to take a different approach.” Max strokes his chin thoughtfully. “What if … you told her a bunch of us were going vegan or something, so she couldn’t bake for us anymore?”

Charles raises an eyebrow at the suggestion, but then slowly nods. “You know, that could actually work …”

The next day, you eagerly bring a fresh batch of blueberry muffins to the paddock to share with everyone. Charles takes a deep breath before pulling you aside gently.

“Hey, can I talk to you about something?” He starts, trying to keep his expression neutral.

You blink up at him curiously. “Of course. What’s up?”

“Well …” He clears his throat. “I was talking to the guys and … Lewis has actually convinced a bunch of them to go vegan. Lando, Max …”

He lists off a dozen more names, watching as realization dawns on your face. Your shoulders slump slightly.

“Oh … I see.” You glance down at the muffins in your hands. “I guess that means I can’t really bake for them anymore.”

Charles feels a pang of guilt at the disappointment in your eyes. But then, your expression brightens again.

“I’ll just have to start baking vegan treats instead!” You declare happily. “This is so exciting, I’ve been wanting to experiment with more plant-based ingredients!”

Charles’s shoulders tense as the plan epically backfires. Of course you’d take this as an opportunity to bake even more.

Over the next few weeks, you gleefully embrace the vegan baking lifestyle. Charles has to smother his laughter when Max nearly chokes biting into one of your “chewy” vegan brownies. Lando spits out a mouthful of your gritty vegan chocolate cake when you’re not looking.

You, however, remain blissfully unaware of how dreadful your creations are. No matter how many hints Charles tries to drop, the problem only seems to be getting worse.

One evening, you set a plate of fresh-from-the-oven vegan peanut butter cookies on the coffee table, plopping down on the couch next to Charles with a proud grin.

“Try one!” You insist, picking a cookie up and holding it in front of his lips.

Charles hesitates for just a second too long. Your face falls and he scrambles to take a bite, barely suppressing a wince as he chews on what feels like a solid lump of chalk mixed with peanut shavings. He forces himself to swallow it down with an enthusiastic grin.

“Wow, these are incredible!” He lies through his teeth. “You’ve really outdone yourself this time.”

You perk up immediately, the dejected look vanishing. “You really think so? I tried a new recipe I found online.”

“Definitely a winner,” Charles affirms, trying his best to sound convincing. “We should bring some to the paddock for everyone to try.”

Your eyes light up at the suggestion and guilt twists in Charles’s gut. The last thing he wants is for the other drivers to have to suffer through these … confections. But he could never be the one to shatter your baking dreams.

The next day at the track, you eagerly pass around the plate of peanut butter hockey pucks to the drivers and crew. Charles discreetly pulls Max aside with a pained look.

“Please, I’m begging you …” he murmurs under his breath. “Just smile and nod, no matter how bad they are.”

Max grimaces as he takes an experimental bite of one of the cookies, his expression doing little to mask his revulsion. But he meets Charles’s pleading gaze and forces out a strangled, “Mmm … great!”

One by one, the others follow suit — fake smiles and strained praises as they choke down your baked atrocities. You remain obliviously pleased, unaware of their suffering.

Over the next few weeks, the vegan baking experiments only seem to get worse and worse. The paddock has become a silent circle of culinary martyrs — all sworn to an unspoken code to preserve your feelings at all costs.

You proudly present a tray of charcoal-colored muffins that leave the entire garage coughing from the plume of burnt flour. “Tried a new recipe for dark chocolate avocado muffins!” You explain brightly.

“Can’t wait to dig in,” Lando is close to crying, his eyes already watering.

Charles has to bite back a laugh as Max takes a heroic bite, barely managing to keep it together. He pats the Dutchman on the back firmly as the poor guy fights back a gag reflex.

“Two more words about her baking and you’ll be racing with three wheels next season,” he warns Carlos in a low mutter after witnessing the Spaniard nearly vomit up a slice of your “moist” vegan zucchini bread.

The sheer willpower it takes for the entire crew to maintain the facade is almost impressive. Technique and strategy meetings have now become immense displays of unspoken fortitude — everyone driven by the simple goal of not letting you catch on that your baked goods are, in fact, completely inedible.

Charles has started bringing backup protein bars and shakes to every race just to make sure nobody accidentally lapses into baked good-induced delirium.

He really has no idea how much longer this can possibly be sustained. But he also has no idea how to safely extract the situation without demolishing your passion and self-confidence in the process.

For now, his main objective is to ensure your bright smile and cheerfulness remain unchanged — no matter how many mouths he has to personally silence to make that happen.

At the end of the day, having you by his side, radiating that infectious joy and following your heart’s desire, is worth enduring all the subpar vegan muffins in the world.

He’ll take a bite of your latest abomination with an adoring grin, because that’s what partners who truly love each other do — they support each other through the good, the bad, and the burnt-to-a-crisp.

***

It’s the start of a new season, and Charles has been racking his brain for a solution to the ongoing baking saga. As much as he loves indulging your passion, the charade is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. The entire paddock is at their wits’ end trying to choke down your vegan torture devices week after week.

That’s when he has an idea — one he hopes will be a win-win for everyone involved.

“Surprise!” He says with an excited grin, presenting you with the envelopes. “I got us signed up for this baking course. I thought it could be fun for us to take some classes together!”

You’re beaming as you throw your arms around his neck. “That’s such a thoughtful idea! I would love nothing more.”

Of course, Charles being Charles is hardly fully forthright about his motivations. “To be honest, I’m the one who really needs the help,” he fibs sheepishly. “We all know I’m a disaster in the kitchen. But with your talents guiding me, maybe there’s hope!”

Over the next few weeks, you and Charles diligently show up for your baking classes. The instructor walks you through fundamentals like properly measuring ingredients, controlling oven temperatures, and mastering technical skills. Slowly but surely, your creations start emerging looking (and smelling) better and better.

One evening, you return home with a fresh tray of beautifully baked chocolate chip cookies — the first delicacy you’ve felt confident enough to bake since the lessons. You present them to Charles with bated breath.

He takes one tentative bite, his eyes widening in surprise. These are actually ... edible! More than edible — they are legitimately delicious! The dough-to-chip ratio is perfect, the texture is chewy but not dry or crumbly. He quickly stuffs two more into his mouth with an appreciative moan.

“Ma belle … these are incredible!” He gasps out between bites.

You clap your hands over your mouth, eyes shining with glee. “Oh my gosh, you really think so? I was so nervous!”

“Are you kidding? I could eat this entire tray all by myself!”

The two of you dissolve into celebratory laughter and hugs, the sweet taste of success quite literally on your tongues.

“I think it’s time for the real taste test,” you declare one day, rolling up your sleeves as you start prepping an array of fresh baked goods. “We’re taking these bad boys to the paddock!”

The next race weekend, you stride in carrying bakery boxes of your fresh chocolate chip cookies as well as some decadent fudge brownies.

“Fresh out of the oven!” You announce proudly, setting them down with a bright grin. “Who’s hungry?”

For a long beat, nobody moves. The drivers exchange wary glances, their self-preservation instincts kicking in as they recall the many baking debacles of the past. Lando bravely reaches for a brownie first, his face scrunched up preemptively-

Only to blink in surprise as the rich, fudgy flavor hits his taste buds. His eyes widen comically as he takes another bite. “Bloody hell ... this is actually good!”

The words seem to shatter the suspended tension. Soon the entire paddock is swarming the trays, devouring the fresh baked goods with delight. Charles watches on in disbelief, his own taste buds experiencing flavors he didn’t even know were possible from your former creations.

He sees Max take a bite of one of the cookies, freezing in place as his eyes slip closed with an expression of pure bliss. When they open again, Charles is alarmed to see they’re glistening with unshed tears.

The Dutchman wordlessly holds up the cookie, gazing at Charles reverently as a lone tear trails down his cheek. Then, to everyone’s astonishment, he brings the baked good to his lips and takes another sensual bite, savoring it like it’s the first good thing he’s ever tasted.

From then on, it’s like a switch has been flipped. The paddock that once dreaded your baking now seemingly can’t get enough of it. Every race weekend, they await your fresh creations with unrestrained enthusiasm, like kids on a sugar bender.

Charles has lost count of how many times he’s caught drivers and crew sneaking off to wherever you’re prepping the latest batch, nostrils flaring as they try to scout out that heavenly aroma.

It’s gotten to the point where Max’s performance coach has had to implement strict rules about his treat consumption to prevent indulgences from derailing his season.

“Easy there, Max!” Rupert calls in a booming tone, swooping in to physically restrain the Dutchman as he makes a mad dash toward where you’re unpacking that week’s fresh delivery. “You know you have a limit on those.”

Max strains against his performance coach’s grip, eyes zeroing in on the platter of goodies being unloaded with unrestrained longing. “I don’t care, she brought triple chocolate cookie dough brownies this time! Let me go!”

Rupert grunts in exertion, struggling to keep his driver in check. “This is for your own good! Think of your diet!”

“That’s irrelevant!” Max practically snarls, pupils blown wide like an addict suffering from withdrawals. “Do you have any idea how long I waited to have real baked goods again?”

It’s a battle of wills and metabolism that quickly becomes a weekly sight. Charles can’t help but chuckle fondly as he watches Max and Rupert’s familiar tug-of-war happen like clockwork every Sunday.

As much as he’d love to intervene, he knows better than to come between Max and your heavenly baked creations. He’s just thrilled that this baking journey took such a delicious turn — both for your invigorated culinary passion and for the safety of everyone’s tastebuds.

Honestly, he’ll take the sight of a feverish Max drooling over freshly baked goods any day over having to choke down burnt muffins and brittle biscuits. This is the sweet upgrade everyone had been dreaming about.

The true recipe for happiness was sticking by each other’s side through all those halfbaked stumbles.

First race in and there's already so much story potential with angst :')':

By now, Max has too many partners in my head...

We have:

Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton Labralestier - 🇬🇧

Avian Akakios Aakster - 🇳🇱🇬🇷

Anas ibn Malik 'Amir Alzaman Nasim Latif Najm - 🇦🇪

Ylli Luan Hoxha - 🇦🇱

And another one, which I have to detail - 🇵🇱🇷🇺

Second undetailed - 🇨🇳🇧🇷

»•» 🌱 «•«

But also Charles has another one-

Rey Love Kian Aubin Bellerose - 🇸🇪🇫🇷