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offficialme · 2 years ago

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who needs stars, we've got a roof. ☆cl16

masterlist

author's note. finally writing something after like a month, had this unbearable burst of motivation. this one is heavily inspired by nothing by bruno major. listen to it while reading this if you want the full experience:)

as always, come over to talk, give feedback, give opinions, ask requests, or anything at all. asks are always open. ♡♡♡

warnings: fluff, angst. lowercase intended.

summary: moments with his girlfriend that altered Charles Leclerc's brain chemistry

charles leclerc wasn't exactly a man who knew his way with words. he might not have perfect answers for every question he was asked, but he could tell you one thing. if anyone were to ask what his favorite thing to do, ever, was, he would tell you that it was doing nothing with his girl.

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she kept tossing and turning in the bed, not caring enough that it might wake up the man beside her. she couldn't care less that he was tired, that he had just returned home a few hours prior after a double header, and that he was a light sleeper. the windows were open to let the summer breeze in, and her skin was starting to itch. he was starting to wake.

he eventually turns to face her, having had enough of her whines. 'what is it' he tried to sound irritated, but he wasn't fooling anyone. he could never be annoyed, not with her. 'i want ice cream' he sighed, getting up and walking into the kitchen to fetch her some. he comes back in a minute, pointing an accusatory finger at her. 'you' he moves to sit on the bed, just as she gets up, leaning her weight on her elbows. 'you had all the ice cream we had-' 'i can explain-'.

they both sit across each other in a small ice cream shop 20 minutes later. she thanks whatever god there is that this store was somehow open at this unconventional time, and that too in some alley away from the streets that she was sure were still busy and, oh so noisy.

she feels giddy, like a kid in a candy store. which, she suppose she was. charles watches her with a smile on his face, in a sweater she will be sure to rip off him the minute they get back home. he hasn't had a single bite of the strawberry ice cream she had ordered for him, too busy watching her.

she somehow manages to get her own strawberry ice cream on her nose, and charles doesnt even realise what he's doing until she looks up at him as he wipes the ice cream off her nose with his thumb, and licks it. he reaches his body over the small table a minute later, and kisses her. he then leans back in his chair, and finally starts eating his ice cream, after being threatened by his girlfriend.

charles steals glances at her and tries not to get caught, like he was a school boy trying to look at his crush without making it too obvious that he was staring. he tries to commit this frame to his memory, almost like he was never going to experience it again. he pays for two chocolate ice creams to go, and holds out the door as he lets her settle into the passenger seat of his car before placing the bag in her lap.

charles wasn't a relegious person by any means, no, so he thanks the universe instead, for keeping the ice cream shop open. he likes to think that it was something more than a coincidence.

---------

charles likes to act like he hates the notebook, which wasn't entirely false. he doesn't hate watching it with his girlfriend, but he hates how many times she has made him watch that one single godforsaken movie.

he grumbles into her shoulder, complaining for the 100th time that evening. they had been too lazy to put on decent clothes and go out to eat, so take out and movie night it was. the notebook plays on the tv, and boxes of chinese takeout lay on the coffee table as charles' lays his body on top of his girlfriend's on the couch.

'charles, if i hear you say anything one more time so help me god i will throw you out of the window'. he laughs at this, amused as he imagines how the scene would actually play out. she shushes him, and keeps her palm flat against his lips, and it stays there until he gets bored again and starts licking it.

it's her turn to be amused when she hears him wiping his nose with a hand kerchief just as the movie comes to an end. she takes out her phone, and takes what feels like a hundred photos of him crying to the movie he supposedly hates.

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they're both panting, their legs tangled together, both laying on their backs to the mattress, with a thin layer of sweat covering their bodies. she says they should really get up and shower, or they'll be too hot to get any actual sleep. 'in a minute', he says.

he turns to look at her, and she keeps staring at the ceiling. he feels like he could cry when she looks up at him with hooded eyes. he tells her how much he loves her, with infant tears adorning his eyes. she pulls the bedsheet over their bodies, and leans closer to bite at his bottom lip.

he pulls her closer and she eventually ends up on top of him, her chin on his chest and looking up at him with those eyes again. no words could ever convey what they feel for eachother, and they stay in a heap on the bed, too tired to do anything else.

he tells her how much he adores her and how she was the love of his life, 4 more times before she falls asleep on his chest. charles always makes sure to leave no words unsaid. he always says enough for the both of them.

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charles holds his heart on his sleeve as he tries not to freak out, his fiance far too drunk to be dancing on a table the way she was, on a fucking yacht nonetheless. he hovers around the table, ready to catch her when she inevitably falls.

what was supposed to be a small dinner with some friends on his yatch, had somehow turned into an overnight party, thanks to pierre being pierre. she had originally not wanted to attend the party at all, feigning tiredness. charles wondered where it had gone, the minute she saw pierre and his girlfriend.

she falls over the edge of the table, red wine splattering all over the floor of charles' yacht. her upper body suffers no impact, unlike her legs and thighs, charles having caught her in time. he later rubs her legs with muscle spray on their bed back home, her being too gone to register the act.

she wakes up with no pain body pains, and charles doesn't mention her hurting herself ever again.

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lando makes them play mario kart, wanting to finally defeat charles after losing brutally every single time he's played with the monegasque. they're on the couch, shouting like teenage boys when she gets home with grocery bags almost falling out of her hands in their hallway.

she huffs and puffs as she puts them away in assigned cabinets, and she thinks she hears lando crying. finally making her way to the living room with a cup of tea in her hands, she watches lando making mistakes he could've easily avoided, only if he wasn't so stupid.

she tells him exactly that as she snatches the controller from his hands, and he's too shocked to say anything. charles lets out a laugh, and lando doesn't worry much because he knows charles was too good at this game to not win, and patiently waits for his turn to call her stupid.

she leaps up from the couch, and shoves her hands into charles' face, being too smug about her win. lando stares at him, slack mouthed and annoyed that he'd let her win.

there's not many people charles wouldn't mind losing to, and she was always the first on that list.

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he could feel her staring at him from the passenger seat, and she's too tired to feel embarrassed about it. they're in his car returning home from a gala they had to attend, and charles told her one too many times that he would rather be at home, doing nothing with her.

'never leave me, charles.' he waits until they reach a red light, and turns in his seat to properly look at her. she has the softest smile on her lips, her lipstick a little smudged. her freckles stand out from the moonlight, and she looks like she could fall asleep any moment.

charles has to stop himself and admire her, and he thinks she could sprout wings from her back any moment now and he wouldn't be surprised. she was his angel, his precious angel of a girl.

'I couldn't if I tried, you've bewitched me body and soul'. he knows it will make her crazy, that line. he has seen her physically clutching her heart everytime she's somehow reminded of it.

she tells him how happy she is right now, and says that she wouldn't mind if she died right then and there. charles brings her hand to his mouth and places a kiss on the back of her palm in response.

---------

charles is sure god isn't real now. he's not sure who's to blame. he's not sure where it all went wrong. maybe it's true that nothing lasts forever. she never got to walk down the aisle to him like they dreamed of.

charles says nothing as she leaves the keys on a table beside the door, and he couldn't convince himself to look at her face one last time, as the door closed shut.

charles never seems to find the ice cream shop open when he's wandering through monaco alone, on those sleepless nights. he supposes it's for the best, and he's not entirely sure that he could have a strawberry ice cream in that shop without breaking down. so he sits outside the shop instead, replaying the scene of her across the table from him in his head.

he never loses to anyone at mario kart again, and he doesn't scream with his hands in the air when he wins. he tries not to cry as the notebook plays on the tv, during a movie night with his friends. he thinks pierre squeezes his knee to offer comfort, but he's not sure about that either.

he lays in his bed, after opening his windows just the way she always had them open, reaches his hand to his side, and longs for the weight of her on his chest. he knows he'll never feel it again, and thinks of all the things he would do just to feel her lips on his, just one more time.

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offficialme · 2 years ago

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it's called love <3 || charles leclerc 16

type: one shot pairing: charles leclerc x reader word count: 3.2k summary: going to a gp with your boyfriend who's really protective when a creepy dude comes a little too close for comfort. requested: yes! '' Ok maybe something you are waiting for charles leclerc (you’re bf of 5yrs) and like a creep starts talking to you but you are polite and are just like no please go away. Then he starts like touching you(if you’re uncomfortable with that you can just write that the creep is like in your face) and charles is like losing his shit when he sees it. Have a lovely day 💗'' Requests are CLOSED!!! warnings: angst!charles, harassment? (not detailed, only mentioned), overprotective!charles, anxiety. notes: OH MY GODNESS I'M BACK BABY! Have you missed me? It's been SOOOOO long, I've missed you so much! It's been over 4 months!!! 4 MONTHS! I'm so glad many of you stayed, remember I was at 700 followers and I was doing the 700 drabbles celebration? well, I'm now at 970 followers. I will do a BIG thing for 1K followers, I'm just not sure what. If you have any ideas, let me now in my inbox :) Also, credits to creator of the GIF! Not proofread!

My masterlist

Your hands rubbed themselves together, your cold fingers getting warmer every second, slowly, but surely. The wind moved your hair slightly, the small locks that framed your face getting stuck on lips which was coated with a nice layer of lip balm which was preventing them from being dry.

5 years, that’s how long you and your boyfriend had been together for. It was long, but not long enough. You knew he was the one, you just felt it. The way he treated you in front of your families was like you and him had been together forever. He was so polite to your parents, got along great with your siblings and always made sure to grab your mothers’ favourite chocolates and your fathers’ favourite beer before going to visit them with you. He was the definition of a perfect boyfriend.

You always tried your hardest to return the favour. Supporting him whenever you could, wherever you could. A red jacket was one of those ways to support him. The red sneakers, paired with the black jeans and red blazer was a way to blend in with the tifosi, but also to support Charles whenever he was driving the shit out of that car. You were supportive, and he knew.

You had promised him to meet him at the hotel in Australia, since you had arrived there a few hours before he would, his plane being delayed due to weather circumstances. The reason you weren’t flying together could get blamed on your work, as you had set meetings in a few minutes, you were either going on a plane which would arrive a few hours earlier, or a day later. You obviously chose the first option.

‘Almost there, bella, just a few more minutes <3’

He was never one to use emoji’s, he was more of an old school guy in that way. Smileys consisting of a colon and a bracket was his way of communicating whenever he was happy, and a left angle bracket followed by the number three made the perfect heart for you.

You rubbed your hands together once more as you were waiting near the entrance of the hotel. You were able to get inside and go to his room – at least you thought – so after a few more minutes of waiting you decided to do so.

‘’Hi, could I check in please?’’ You politely asked the brown-haired lady that was seated behind the desk. She was young, probably around 20 years old. She seemed a little nervous, as she was accompanied by a lady on her left. That lady was older, around her mid 40’s, and had long, blonde hair.

‘’Yeah, of course, what’s the name of the reservation?’’ It was probably the young lady’s first day, as she was following a tight script of questions to ask.

‘’I think it’s on Charles Leclerc, or Ferrari F1 team.’’ You smiled at the younger lady, before looking over as you felt the eyes of the older woman on you.

It never happened that you were checking in before him or any of his team, but you really had to get that meeting started.

‘’Sorry lady, but you’re not the first one to try come in this hotel.’’ The older woman said, and you furrowed your eyebrows a little at her comment.

‘’Excuse me?’’ You replied, your eyes moving from the younger lady to the older one. ‘’I know it might seem weird, but my boyfriend will arrive in a few minutes, and I have a meeting to get to, I’m sure the team doesn’t mind if I enter first.’’ You kindly responded, a soft and gentle smile on your face. ‘’He told me you were aware of this.’’ You continued, knowing Charles had told the team about the situation, and they must have told the hotel.

‘’Look, darling, we understand your problem, but there is a nice café next to the restaurant of the hotel where you can have the meeting. Those drivers want their privacy as well, and with all due respect, you’re the fourth girl trying to get into the hotel with a story like this. I’m sure you’ll get a chance to meet them, but you’ll have to do that around the track.’’ She replied, which made your mind spin. You were speechless, mostly because she thought you were a fan, but also because apparently the team hadn’t let the hotel know you were arriving earlier.

‘’I think there must have been some kind of mistake here.’’ You told the lady, but remaining to stay polite, they were doing their job, which you could only appreciate. ‘’But it’s alright, I’ll just wait here in the lobby till they arrive.’’ You said, grabbing your passport which was laying on the desk, along with your phone.

‘’Oh no, the lobby is only for hotel guests, dear, you’ll have to wait outside with the rest of them.’’ You turned around, slowly, leaning over a little to have a look at the outside of the hotel, the entrance, the gate which was closed. The gate where dozens of fans were waiting to catch a glimpse of their favourite driver.

You couldn’t be there, you’d get mobbed, knowing all too well those fans knew who you were. You didn’t want to be rude, or show off that you were Charles’ girlfriend, so you simply swallowed thickly and looked back at the lady.

‘’With all respect, miss, I’m going to get swarmed if I exit this hotel.’’ You said, reaching for your phone. ‘’I can promise you I’m not a fan, I know it might look like it, but I believe something went wrong with the message. I am Charles’ girlfriend; you can look up my name on Google if you’d like.’’ You said, showing the lady your passport with your name.

‘’I know her.’’ The younger lady spoke and looked over at you, nervously. The older lady looked at the pictures online, and her face immediately appeared to be full of guilt, shame. The younger girl looked at the woman and bit her bottom lip, a clear sign of nervosity. ‘’I do recall Rebecca mentioning something like this, there was a note on her desk this morning.’’

After both employees apologized more than once, they offered you the key for the room. However, you knew Charles would be arriving soon, so you asked them if it was okay for you to stay seated in the lobby till the team would arrive. They immediately agreed and offered you some fresh drinks on the house.

You had just finished your meeting, which took around 30 minutes, before you could hear the fans screaming their lungs out. You got up, placed your laptop in your bag and zipped it up, making your way towards the hallway of the entrance.

‘’Babe!’’ Charles immediately had a big smile on his face when he saw you standing in the hotel.

‘’Hey, baby.’’ You giggled, feeling how his arms wrapped around your waist tightly. You could never get enough of his hugs, his embraces, it felt like heaven.

‘’How did your meeting go?’’ He asked, stepping to the side with you still in his arms to let the rest of the Ferrari team enter the hotel.

‘’You ready, amour?’’ You heard Charles’ low voice against your ear, his arms were tightly wrapped around your waist as he was pressing his chest against your back. You had just gotten ready to go to the track with him. Your love language was touch, and it made the both of you fall for one another even harder.

Once you had arrived at the track, the two of you passed the entrance of the paddock, many fans asking the Monegasque driver for an autograph or a selfie. It wasn’t something he wasn’t used to, and you had learned to get used to it those years you were with him. People loved him, adored him, and you could only feel proud of that same man that was loved by many.

You both decided to take a break and take a seat in the hospitality area, talking about work, your upcoming holiday and much more. Your eyes moved over his face, listening to how he was passionately talking about all the things they did at the factory a few days ago. The way his eyes were shining brightly, that small sparkle in them that could light up your day. He’d had a few rough seasons here at Ferrari, but this year went better than ever, with him leading the championship, Carlos being second in the rankings as well. Ferrari was doing much better.

‘’Come on, let’s say hi to the engineers.’’ He reached for your hand, his soft and warm one perfectly fitting into yours, like if you were made for one another. He gave your hand a gentle squeeze the moment he felt your fingers intertwining with his, and it felt reassuring. You were in love, and he made sure everybody knew.

As you walked towards the pit area, into the pitlane, you noticed a man staring at you. It made you uncomfortable, but you quickly brushed it off, assuming that it was just a fan who recognized Charles and was trying to get a closer look at the two of you.

You kept walking, holding Charles’ hand and smiled at his engineers as he greeted them.

‘’Y/n, hey, long time no see.’’ Some of the guys walked over to give you a hug, which you gladly returned.

‘’Hey guys, how are you doing?’’ You started talking to them, and Charles occasionally looked over into your direction. He felt so lucky to have you, he really was on cloud nine.

After catching up with the guys from the team, as well as talking to some of the girls on the team, you decided to walk towards the fence, moving your head from left to right to see all the teams nicely positioned in their garage boxes, working on their cars.

When you first started dating Charles, you were nervous when you’d come here, knowing people would look at you, perhaps even judge you for being Charles Leclerc’s boyfriend. But the gentleman he was, he found a way to reassure you, make you feel comfortable and keep you safe from all the paparazzi and fans that tried to get close to you.

As you were waiting, you noticed that same man from earlier step closer to you, causing you to look at him. Maybe he just wanted to have a talk, maybe he was an interviewer, or a fan?

The more he spoke, the more you got the idea he was the latter, a fan, but not particularly of Charles. You felt uncomfortable, nervous, but did not want to be rude and simply walk away. But Charles noticed. He was looking for you, since you were no longer in the garage, and the moment he saw the look on your face, and that man standing not even half a meter away from you, he sensed something was wrong.

He saw that man talking to you, and immediately made his way over towards them. As he approached, he heard the man ask if you wanted to go have a drink with him after the race.

Charles felt his blood boil. He was furious that someone was trying to hit on you, his girlfriend, right here in front of his eyes. He stepped in between the two of you, causing the man to step away to create some sort of space between him and Charles, who was glaring at him with piercing eyes.

‘’Excuse me, do you mind stepping away from my girlfriend?’’ He said, his voice dangerously low. You had never heard him talk like this, but it gave you some reassurance, once again.

The man, who had not expected Charles to react in such a manner, backed away immediately. Your boyfriend then placed a protective arm around you, walking away from that man.

‘’Do you know him?’’ He asked, clearly still somewhat angry at what just happened. You could see the anger still prominent on his face. Although you appreciated his concern, and you were glad he stepped in at that time, you didn’t want him to get into any trouble because of you.

You reached out for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before looking into his eyes the moment you were back in the garage. You shook your head at his question, but immediately tried to calm him down as you saw it made him even more mad.

‘’It’s okay, Charles. Thank you for protecting me, but please don’t get yourself into any trouble.’’ You said, your voice soft and calming. It helped, because you noticed Charles calming down at your words, something you always seemed to do.

He took a deep breath and looked at you, your eyes filled with love and understanding. He knew that he was lucky to have you by his side, and he didn’t want anything to come in between you two. It felt like his duty was to keep you safe, to keep you his.

‘’I’m sorry, y/n. I just can’t stand the thought of anyone trying to hurt you. You mean the world to me.’’ Charles said, his voice sincere. You knew he was meaning every single word he just said.

You simply smiled as a reply and leaned in closer to him, your lips brushing his gently before you placed a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth, causing those corners to curl upward into a smile.

You watched the race along with his team, standing the entire time as you were nervous. You always were, because you were aware of the fact one single mistake could have big consequences, such as the car diving into the wall, with a driver still inside of it.

As the race came to an end, Charles ended up on the podium, something that had become a habit lately. The trophies at your place were starting to become more and more, and the pole position tyres were almost filling up an entire room already. But you didn’t mind, you were proud of him, and you were hoping he’d get even more trophies, and even more tyres.

As Charles was climbing out of the car, he immediately searched for you, and the moment he saw you standing in the crowd, he smiled, everybody could see it in his eyes. He went for a dive into his team, receiving pats on the back and on his helmet. He took off his helmet, along with his balaclava, and he made his way over towards you. You were already feeling the cameras and phones being in your face, but you didn’t care. He won, and that’s the most important thing here.

He pressed his lips on yours, cupping your cheek and pulling away after a second or three as he had more duties to fulfil. You watched him get to the back, into the cooldown room before he was ready to take on the big trophy.

You were watching behind the cameras as Charles talked to the interviewer, occasionally looking into your direction to check if you were listening, and you were, to every little thing he said. You supported him, no matter what.

However, once he walked towards Sky Sports, you got accompanied by someone else. It was that man again, the one that asked you out for a drink.

‘’So, you up for that drink now?’’ He asked, a smirk plastered on his face. Charles was doing his interviews, so at the moment, he was focussed on the interviewer, his back facing you as it was on the other side of the media pen.

‘’Sorry but no, I’m not interested.’’ You politely rejected the man, but he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. It was at this moment you got scared, as he kept getting closer and closer to you.

‘’Come on, dear, I’m sure you’d love to spend some time with me.’’ The man said, his hand slowly reaching up to brush your cheek. You immediately took a step backwards, looking around to see Charles still facing the interviewer, his back facing you.

‘’I don’t, really, please leave me alone.’’ You were starting to get nervous, anxious, because it was so crowded here, all the drivers were here, so that’s where everybody’s attention went to. And he knew, the man knew nobody was here to protect you at this moment. Nobody to tell that man to back off but yourself.

‘’Why would you say no? Come on, let me buy you a drink, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.’’ He smirked, tucking some hair behind your ear. He was getting too close, and you were looking around for help.

It was like he was aware you were nervous, but Charles looked around in the middle of his interview to try and find you. He looked behind the camera, but didn’t see you, so he simply looked back at the position you were during his other interview. And then he saw it, and the anger that was gone first came back immediately.

Without any apology to the interviewer, Charles jumped over the fence, stepping towards you and that man with heavy feet. The anger in his face was present, and it made all the camera’s, all the interviewers face him, record him.

‘’Mate, I think you didn’t get the first warning earlier today.’’ He said, stepping in between the two of you again, his arm wrapped around your shoulder protectively. You were shaking ever so slightly, feeling all cameras on the three of you.

‘’Back off, seriously, leave my girlfriend alone.’’ Charles stated, his voice low, on the edge of mad, angry, furious. You immediately reached for his left hand, the arm that was around your shoulder, and you gave him a gentle squeeze.

‘’Love, don’t get yourself in any trouble.’’ You whispered, which seemed to calm him just a tiny bit, but not enough. The man in front of you kept looking at you, and not at Charles, which only built the anger up inside of your boyfriend even more.

‘’Stop looking at her, leave her alone, step away from her.’’ He said, his eyes clearly showing he was furious. The security soon arrived, multiple people asking them to go to the media pen, so they did.

‘’This man, he’s harassing my girl, please get him away from here.’’ Charles spoke, and you felt how his grip around your shoulders tightened a little, pulling you closer to his body in order to keep you safe. The security soon took the man away, telling Charles they would handle it.

After the interviews, in which Charles made sure you were directly behind the interviewer so he wouldn’t lose you out his sight anymore, the both of you safely made your way back to the hotel. Your phones were already blowing up, you were trending on almost every social media platform out there. Pictures and videos of Charles jumping over the fence, him talking to that man, protecting you, people calling Charles an absolute hero, because he was.

He knew that he would always do whatever it takes to protect her, no matter what challenges lay ahead. Together, they knew that their love would always keep them strong and safe, because they always protected each other, and reassured each other. That’s what they had, and that’s called love.

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offficialme · 2 years ago

Text

wildflowers and fruits

lance stroll x reader

wc: 4833 words

warnings: controlling relationship (not an f1 driver, made up character), physical abuse (never written but implied), emotional abuse, eating disorder/not eating, smoking, 2 tiny mentions of su*cide (not depicted but implied) everyone is sad, so very sad

I promise you all that part 2 will be so much happier and fluffier

____________________________________________________

“You don’t even love him, Bug, you know that, don’t you?” Seb had always been right, whether it was his knack for details or the wisdom of age, he was never wrong. That was why you had jumped at his offer to mentor you through your first year as a Formula 1 driver, well one of many reasons why.

You brushed his hand from your shoulder and stood up. “Thanks for the coffee, Seb.” He had figured it out and it scared you but he couldn’t know that. He grabbed your hand, a last-ditch effort to talk some sense into you. “I’ll sponsor you! I will sponsor the team, whatever he pays, I will double it. Just please don’t feel like you have to do this.” He looked up at you, his blonde curls dishevelled from running his hands through them and his eyes wide and pleading, staring straight into your soul. “I love him, Seb” and with that you pulled your hand from his, leaving your driver’s room for the garage.

---

Lance watched as you made your way into the engineering room, apologising for your tardiness, as you quickly took your seat and put your headset on. You didn’t look up, you didn’t turn to him and smile. Lance frowned, the weather in Singapore was unbearably hot, his Aston Martin t-shirt and shorts bringing him, not nearly as much reprieve as he wished. But in comparison to you, he felt cold, your body covered by an Aston Martin hoodie and leggings. He knew why, all the drivers did. Despite his naive and at times spaced-out appearance, he picked up on things, especially when it came to you.

The latest title sponsor for Aston Martin, ‘Securitic’, a large UK-based crypto banking app, was owned by Harry Lyons, a pompous, sharp-dressed British man whose good looks charmed many into thinking he wasn’t a terrible person. But Lance knew. To be fair, even Yuki knew, Oscar too, despite the young drivers being rather wet behind the ears. Lance hated the man keeping his racing team afloat, a phrase never before uttered by a Formula 1 driver. Why? Harry Lyons had trapped his teammate and the love of his life.

Lance had met you back in Italian Formula 4, you were 14, he was 15 and you were teammates in Prema, coming in 2nd behind him in the championship that year. His dad had nudged him as you walked into the trailer, hinting at him to pick his jaw off the floor. Since then you had both become the best of friends, finally meeting back up as teammates to drive in Aston Martin together. He just never mentioned how deeply in love with you he had fallen.

“How did you find the brake bias change, Lance?” He was pulled from his thoughts, looking up to his engineer, Ben. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, it was better than FP1 for sure.” Ben nodded along, scribbling a note on his paper before continuing. Lance’s gaze drifted back to you, shocking himself when he met your eyes, gazing over your laptop at him. He smiled softly and lifted his hand, giving you a small wave. You smiled back but it never reached your eyes, a smile he didn’t recognise.

After an engineering meeting and a PR meeting, Lance was free, leaving the motorhome to be enveloped in the warm Singaporean air, the smell of rubber and oil mixing with the smell of local food and flowers. “Lance!” He turned around to find the voice, seeing Esteban, Pierre and Charles walking through the paddock towards him. “Hey guys, how are you all?” The company was welcome, pulling him from his thoughts. “Good mate! The car is actually looking good for us” Esteban explained, Pierre nodding along in agreeance. Before Lance could ask Charles about his day too, he watched the Monégasque roll his eyes, tracking something across the paddock. “What a wanker!” Lando had slotted himself in between Charles and Pierre, also distracted by the sight in front of him. Lance turned around, heart sinking as he watched you walk beside Harry towards the paddock exit.

As Lance watched, he noticed your body language, your jaw tightly set, shoulders rigid and eyes wide, staring down at the ground. You appeared to be holding hands but on second glance, your fingers were splayed, your hand being crushed by Harry’s possessive grip. Lance saw red, taking a step forward to instinctively protect you before Esteban’s hand found his shoulder. “Not in the middle of the paddock, mate. Not now.” He was right. As Lance turned around he saw numerous reporters, all live on camera. As much as Lance dreamed of breaking Harry’s nose to the left, it wasn’t the best decision for your career or his for that matter. He looked back at you, making eye contact for the second time today as you walked past, your eyes quickly falling back to the floor. Lance’s eyes then settled on the devil’s. Harry simply looked Lance up and down, smirking at him, before turning you to him and kissing your lips harshly. Lance looked away, feeling sick to his stomach. “Can we please just go?” Lance’s voice was meek and the group was quick to rally around him. As they walked to the exit, they chatted about their plans for the weekend, the FIA sponsor gala and the sick feeling they all had watching you with Harry was seemingly avoided within the conversation.

---

It was 2 am and tomorrow was FP3 and qualifying and that meant you should have been asleep 5 hours ago but here you were, wide awake. This was how most nights went for you now, Harry taking you back to the hotel suite or his Monaco penthouse, either having sex with you or screaming at you through a locked bathroom door and then you inevitably up, unable to sleep as he lay there peacefully. It had gone on for just over 3 months now, ever since he had pulled you into a dark meeting room at the Silverstone HQ and explained everything he wanted. You could still hear his voice in your head.

“I have been watching you for a while darling and I know how much you value Stroll Junior, so, if you want him to have a race seat for next year, I recommend you listen rather closely. I also recommend that you don’t tell anyone about this little arrangement, otherwise, you and little Stroll may both be seatless for next year. I wouldn’t doubt it, sweetheart, Lawrence and I go an awful way back, that is the reason why he gave me such a good contract, which stipulates that I even have control over the future Aston Martin lineup.”

You shivered, the memory making you feel cold as you sat by the hotel pool, cigarette perched between your fingers as you lamented your situation. It was a bad habit, especially for a professional athlete but it seemed to be the only control you had these days, between your strict F1 schedule and Harry’s restriction on anything that brought you joy, you justified the cigarette. You also allowed yourself the luxury of a tank top and shorts in the warm weather, the only light cast over your ever-thinning body and the purple marks that littered it was coming from the entrance hall to the pool area, at least 20 metres away.

You took a long drag and looked out over the city, wishing at that moment that you could be anyone else. An F1 fan barely able to sleep from the excitement of the impending race, a child in a soft slumber, a night shift worker, slaving away to make less money in a year than I made off one race. You would trade roles in a heartbeat, just to be away from Harry.

Footsteps broke you from your thoughts and you froze in place, a default response after these last few months. From the dark garden bed in the corner you were perched on, you squinted to see who had joined you in your melancholy. Lance. Of course, it was Lance. Your heart ached to look at him, his hair was as boofy as the day you met and you had to stop yourself from chuckling at the way he dragged his slipper-clad feet over the pool tiles, a comforting shuffle noise echoing out. The sound brought you back to beach holidays together, the sound of flip-flops on a boardwalk and the feeling of the sun on your neck and of snowed-in days in Canada, slippers on a wood cabin floor as yourself, Lance, Chloe, Scotty and Jack the dog made pancakes and played Monopoly together.

But none of that happiness existed anymore and those memories felt like they belonged to someone else. In a way they did because you were here looking at the pool wondering which poor staff member would find you at the bottom and Lance was over there, crying enough tears to fill it up all over again. He was crying. Why? Your heart sank further and the guilt you felt inside was enough to make you want to throw up the one apple you’d eaten yesterday. As you peeked further around the monstera shielding you from view, your foot slipped, garden pebbles tumbling onto the pool tiles below.

“Who’s there?” Lance called out into the darkness, wiping his eyes quickly and standing up. You were speechless. You hadn’t uttered more than a ‘hello’, ‘good luck’ or ‘see you around’ in 3 and a half months and you didn’t know what you would say if he found you. “I didn’t know the Ritz-Carlton had a pool boy ghost?” Lance chuckled to himself as he made his way over cautiously. It was good to know his awkward humour hadn’t left since you last talked. There was probably no avoiding this, so here goes nothing. As you stood up and emerged from behind the plants, Lance stopped dead in his tracks, mouth hanging open. Except it wasn’t like when you caught him staring at you in that god-awful bright blue Sherri Hill prom dress at the 2014 FIA gala, this time he wasn’t in awe, he was horrified.

“Hey, Lance.” You stood there in a spaghetti strap tank, Italian national team soccer shorts and no shoes, hair pulled back into a ponytail, exposing your ever-fading cheeks, cigarette still smoking in your right hand. His eyes dragged down your body in the same way you imagined it would look to drag your hand over sandpaper, his mouth in a thin line, trying to hold back how terrorised he was seeing you this way. One on your left wrist, three on your upper right arm, more than he could count across your shins and knees, one on the left-hand side of your abdomen and as he brought his eyes to yours, he gasped. One growing darker by the minute right around your left eye. You suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious, remembering why you had only given yourself a reprieve from the heat under the blanket of darkness.

“I-I should probably go, I’ll see you tomorrow.” You quickly snubbed your cigarette, chuckling it into the bin before starting to walk back to the hallway, brushing past Lance along the way. “Hey, no, wait, we um, we haven’t talked in so long, buttercup. I am really worried about you.” His eyes carried so much love that you considered throwing yourself into his arms again, knowing he would do anything to keep you safe, but in turn, ruining his career and that is all you were worried about.

“I’ve just been busy, I’m fi-” How were you supposed to stand here looking the way you were and tell him you’re fine? You didn’t have the strength to tell him everything and you knew that if you stayed here much longer, Harry might wake up and come looking for you and that would be the end of both of your careers. You tried to think of what to say but Lance got there first.

“Does Seb know?” You shook your head. The man wasn’t dumb if anything quite the opposite and you suspected he knew. Hanna had even talked to you a few times about your relationship and you suspect it was because they were both worried. Your parents were out of the picture, meaning that the Vettels had been the closest thing you had to a mum and dad. You suspected Harry had also picked up on your lack of familial ties too.

“Did I do anything wrong, Petal?” His eyes were glassy again and you wondered if when he had been crying earlier, he had been crying about you. You again wanted to fling yourself into his arms and give him the world, the emotions resulting in you letting your guide down for a second. “You could never do anything wrong, Lanny.” The nickname tumbled out of your mouth before you could stop it and it tasted of home-cooked pasta, overpriced beach ice cream and red-wine-tainted kisses. Before you let him answer you continued. “You did nothing wrong, this is all me, please just don’t worry about me. I’ve got you, ok? You are going to be ok. I will see you tomorrow.” And before Lance could process what that meant, you had slipped past him, back to your hotel room to hop under the sheets and lie as still as possible so as not to wake Harry.

---

You were surprised you had even finished the race at all, let alone ended up in P4. It was the kind of race in which you hoped you would DNF, engine overheat, electric issue, or plough head-first into the wall - all were options that crossed your mind during the 61 laps. Lance had gotten P3 and your heart swelled with pride for him. The mechanics tapped you on the back and pulled you along to the podium to watch. You hadn’t seen Lance up there on those steps in 3 months, despite him scoring numerous 2nd and 3rd place victories. ‘Go and stand under his podium and clap all you want, just don’t come crying to me when the world calls you a gold-digging whore, dear’. It was enough for you to not go anymore. That and the look in Harry’s eyes when he said it. There was no compromising on this. But when you watched the podium celebrations back, always in the early hours of the morning with a cigarette in hand, on a balcony, roof-top or terrace somewhere, you never missed the way his eyes scanned the team, hoping to catch you down there, smiling up at him.

This time you would get to do that, although you were suspicious about how you had made it to the podium celebration without a firm grip pulling you away. When you turned back around, looking through the team, you saw him, linen suit pressed and arms folded. He didn’t scowl at you this time, instead raising an eyebrow at you and cocking his head. Your blood ran cold. His unpredictability scared you the most. What was he planning?

You quickly whipped your head back to the podium, clapping softly as the team cheered and screamed for Lance as he made his way to the 3rd place step. His eyes caught yours as he skimmed the team, glancing past you before backtracking to make sure you were real and not a dehydration-induced mirage. He smiled brightly and waved. In that moment, riding the high of the podium he believed that last night had fixed everything, that you had gone back to your room and dumped Harry, gotten a night of good sleep, eaten breakfast, and covered your black eye in makeup while singing along to The Beach Boys as you used to every morning. He let himself believe that you were coming back to him and in that moment you let yourself also go along with that crazy thought. The idea that Harry had maybe let you go to the podium celebration because he was done with you because he wanted to break up and free you.

He had come back to the garage, drenched in champagne, smile wide and toothy. He couldn’t take a step without being congratulated again. ‘Thanks, man’, ‘I appreciate it, bro’, ‘couldn’t have done it without you’. They were sincere, every word but he was on a mission. Mid-conversation and trying to track down your body within the garage.

“Lance! Well done, an amazing drive, truly fantastic defending from Charles there at the end.” Seb was your mentor but that didn’t stop him from showing his ex-teammate some love when he did well. “Thanks, hey have you seen her?” Lance’s eyes were still darting around as Seb held his shoulders, having pulled back from a quick hug. “Already left, gone to go and get pretty for tonight, I suspect.” Lance had just gotten a trophy and yet he couldn’t control the way his face dropped at you having already left, without congratulating him first. “She’s already pretty” was all he could mumble out. Seb patted his shoulder and nodded, his smile tight-lipped, acknowledging the hurt in the young Aston Martin driver's voice. “I agree, Lance, I agree,” he said contemplatively.

---

Boss had provided Lance with a deep green suit for tonight’s FIA Sponsor's gala at Marina Bay Sands, along with a pair of black, shiny loafers. He thanked the universe that the material was light as he placed his jacket on before slipping out of his room to meet Mick and Esteban in the hotel bar for a drink before they left for the event. On the elevator ride down, he let himself imagine what you might be wearing tonight and let his cheeks darken at the thought of the dresses he had seen you in for galas and events over the years, standing out like a daisy growing in a patch of grass. His heart sank once again as he thought about how you were probably trying to cover bruises, doing a 360 spin in front of the mirror. Not to admire yourself but to ensure no one would find out the truth.

Mick and Esteban waved at him from the bar, sliding a gin and tonic over to him as he took a seat with them. “Looking very dashing, mate.” Esteban gave him an eyebrow raise and two thumbs up, Mick laughing along at his antics. A ‘thanks’ was all Lance had replied with before grabbing his drink and downing ¾ of it, not noticing the way the his friends looked at each other in worry.

“You know you can always talk to us right, Lance? I speak for both of us when I say that it is awful seeing you so down the last few months.” Mick grabbed his shoulder firmly but the grip provided Lance with some comfort, enough comfort to tell his two friends just how sad he really was, and more importantly, why.

“Wait, so you had started seeing each other in private… and she left you for Harry?” Mick had a quizzical look on his face, trying to determine whether he had gotten the timeline correct. Lance nodded, taking a small sip of the remaining ¼ of his G&T. “That is really not like her, is it?” Esteban followed up with. Lance nodded again. “Oh! Oh… Oh ok, I put it together.” Esteban said, composing himself as he realised what answer he had stumbled upon. “What?” Mick was slightly confused, still trying to work out why one of the sweetest, most loyal people he knew left Lance for Harry. “Mate, I know you aren’t blind, surely you see the awful way he treats her, I suspect… obviously I don’t know but I think he might be forcing her hand a bit.” Esteban chose his words carefully, glancing at Lance occasionally as he informed Mick of his hypothesis. “I had my suspicions but I guess I just wanted to live in denial for a while.” The boys sat quietly for a few minutes, all deep in thought regarding the unearthed information.

“Wait, how long had you two been seeing each other?” It was like Esteban to have an unnecessary follow-up question. “2 months, no one knew though, I don’t think even Harry does. I mean… I am well aware that he knows I am head over heels for her, he takes every opportunity to remind me that I lost but he doesn’t seem to know we were seeing each other.” The group hummed in contemplation once again.

“I think we should talk to Seb about this. I trust his advice and he always has good ideas.” Lance nodded, standing up from the bar before heading to the venue with the others.

When he entered, he was congratulated some more, by everyone except the person that mattered most, you. He spotted you over to the side, chatting with Securitic higher-ups and just like had happened all those years ago, his jaw hit the floor. You were in a long sleeve, floor-length dress, emerald green but overlaid with intricate floral lace, orange, red, pink and yellow flowers standing out. Your hair fell around your face and your lips had the faintest hint of sparkle and for a second Lance let himself wonder if they tasted like strawberry, just like they had that night under the dim lights of your villa’s balcony in Spain. And just like all those years ago, he felt an elbow nudge his side. He turned his head, looking over at his father.

“I always thought that you two would end up together. A woman as sweet and fierce as her, she always had you wrapped around her finger. I never saw her with a guy like Harry, so brash and inauthentic.” Lance scrunched his eyebrows at his father’s comment, he had never heard him speak ill of Harry, even for a second, so the comment caught him off-guard. “What do you mean, Dad?” Lance knew he was just snooping now, but he had the tiniest speck of hope. His father was a kind and family-oriented man but Lawrence Stroll, the businessman, got rid of people the second they couldn’t continue his vision, and god he hoped Harry was in that category. “Let’s just say a lot is happening behind closed doors right now that I can’t discuss but… he wasn’t the man I thought he was.”

Mick and Seb had tucked themselves inconspicuously away from the bustle of crowds and conversations and were chatting about hiking trips before Mick blurted out his question. “What do you do if you think a friend is in a relationship she can’t escape?” Mick cringed internally at the execution of his question but he knew he had to rip it off like a bandaid, so to speak. “It sure doesn’t help when that someone she is with is a multi-billion dollar sponsor” Seb muttered, more to himself than Mick, but regardless, the young German was shocked to hear what Seb had said. He knew too. “You know?” “I have had my suspicions for a long time. Only so many bruises you can get from training before I don’t believe you anymore.” Mick knew Seb was trying to keep it light-hearted and when he looked into the older man's eyes, he could see the tears forming.

It pained Seb as much as it pained your grid mates. You were incredibly close with Mick, having weaselled your way into his introverted heart when you had mentioned never having a dog before politely asking if you could come on a walk with Angie sometime. You were so simple, yet so complex at the same time, you and Mick had never run out of things to talk about. You were the bright sunshine and he was the glowing moon, complete opposites that just work. Just worked, past tense. Like Lance, he hadn’t gotten more than a hello since Harry came along.

Esteban, Mick, Lance, Charles, Lando and Pierre had made an impromptu circle to discuss the race together, laughing at Lando’s misfortune in losing his front wing six seconds into the race. Lance had finally gotten you out of his mind for the first time today before the clinking of a wine glass was heard and all the boys looked up to see Harry standing next to you. Lance’s heart sank. Charles placed his hand on Lance’s shoulder, a physical and emotional support. Lance had never confessed his crush for you to any of the other drivers, excluding Esteban and Mick an hour ago, but they all knew, especially Charles who had noticed long before you all made it to Formula 1.

“Hey everyone, I just wanted to start off by saying a big thank you to the FIA for hosting us tonight at this amazing gala.” Eye roll, from all six men standing together. “As I am sure you all know, I have been with a very special woman now for a while. She drives a Formula 1 car and she is drop-dead gorgeous, what more could you want right?” While Harry chuckled, eliciting a laugh from the douchebag CEOs at the event, Lance’s fists balled tighter and tighter, hearing the words that dripped from his mouth, so insincere, so misogynistic. He looked across at you, a well-trained PR smile on your face. To anyone who didn’t know you, it looked genuine. But it wasn’t your happy smile. It wasn’t the smile you had when he had won you a Pikachu plushie at the arcade or the smile on your face when you got offered an F1 seat with your best friend and it wasn’t the smile on your face when Chloe and Scotty had told you that their daughter’s name was Daisy, your middle name. You weren’t happy right now, you were feigning happiness to survive. Building all your walls up to stay safe.

“Well, honey, I have only one question for you…” Pierre gasped and looked at the rest of his friends, trying to see if he was reading the situation correctly. Lando hadn’t got there yet but everyone else had. Lance was in a state of shock, feeling only Charles’ hand rub his shoulder and his heart break into a million pieces. Seb had grabbed Hanna, not out of joy or surprise but out of horror and shock, holding tightly to his rock in order to process the terrible event. He was about to propose to you… in front of your friends, bosses, rivals and sponsors because he knew you couldn’t say no in front of people.

“Will you marry me?” And with that, Harry got down on one knee in front of you. You had been focusing so hard on smiling and not crying that you had taken a second to even process that he was in front of you, on one knee with a little velvet box and the flashiest and most kitsch ring you had ever seen. You knew he didn’t know you at all, he didn’t even know your favourite colour, but this ring couldn’t be more unlike you if he tried. If anything, it looked like he was proposing to himself with how outlandish it was. You broke yourself away from the thought to look at the crowd, your PR smile still sitting perfectly on your strawberry-scented lips, a taste Harry said he couldn’t stand.

There he was, the man you thought and had always wished would be down on one knee for you, asking you to be his wife. Except he was standing in between your friends, all with shocked and scared expressions on their faces. While everyone else was politely clapping or cheering for you and Harry, they, along with Seb and Hanna looked distraught. You looked back to your teammate, realising you only had a few more seconds before you would be forced to answer and you wanted to spend every single one of them staring at Lance Stroll, the love of your life, your best friend. You tried to send him an ‘I’m sorry’ message with your eyes but it felt helpless.

Time was up and you looked back down at Harry, his jaw was stiff and his eyes daring you to say no. You were well and truly trapped and you had no way out.

“Yes. I will marry you.” With that, everyone cheered and clapped, except your loved ones. As you placed your chin on Harry’s shoulder, embracing him, you watched Lance wipe away his tears before turning around to walk off, Charles and Mick chasing after him. Lando stood there, his mouth wide while Esteban and Pierre shook their heads sadly before trying to coax Lando out of shock. You couldn’t see Seb and Hanna but you knew they were here and you knew they would be disappointed.

You just hoped that one day you could apologise for all of this.

____________________________________________________

Don't worry y'all, part 2 will be coming very soon. Thanks for letting me vent in the form of lance stroll angst at 2am. Love you all <3

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offficialme · 2 years ago

Text

hard launch; mv1

social media/instagram/mobile au, max verstappen x redbull driver!reader

a tweet asking about which driver is best shipped with you blows up and Max decides to put it to an end

maxverstappen1

Liked by charles_leclerc, landonorris, f1 and 1,768,904 others

maxverstappen1 appreciation post to my best friend, the one i love more than my car, and the perfect in my mess. thank you for letting me experience wonderful things in life with you. i love you schatje, yourusername.

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f1wagsupdate I NEED TO KNOW HOW AND WHEN

michellekwon_ bro was fed up his gf always paired up with anyone but him💀

yourusername when you said you'll do a hard launch i didn't think it would be this hard

yourusername but i love you too maxie❤️

landonorris okay show off🙄

maxverstappen1 jealous much

redbullracing our golden drivers

yelenrobinson theyre both from redbull does this make it incest ish?

chuck_leclair_16 GIRL WHY DO YOU EVEN THINK THAT💀💀💀

danielricciardo am i seeing a future verstappen?

maxverstappen1 i think i'm gonna take her last name

yourusername MAX???

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offficialme · 2 years ago

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teddy bears & blankets | m. verstappen

pairing: max verstappen x leclerc!reader

word count: 2.3k words

request: yes, by anon: “hear me out…single mum who’s a leclerc and max👀”

prompt: character a can’t wrap gifts to save their life. character b is their neighbor and can help. from this prompt list. not my prompts, credits to the person who created it!warnings: a baby, fluffy max, a sick baby:( language maybe, kinda angsty in the middle.

a/n: day 5! i really didn’t plan to write three kid fics in a row, but oh well. REMINDER THAT MY REQUESTS ARE CLOSED, EVEN IF IT’S FOR THE SPECIAL. pls, i don’t want to close my askbox but if i keep getting i’ll have to turn it off.

my masterlist / 25 days of christmas masterlist

he sighed, tossing yet another piece of wrapping paper aside. max was talented in many different things, but wrapping gifts just wasn’t one of them. he was already stressed enough having to buy a gift for a christmas party he had forgotten about, spending almost two hours in line at a store, and now he had no idea how to wrap this box.

when he was sure that the paper was large enough to cover it completely, once he started placing the adhesive tape either one side was larger than the other or he placed it in a way that just didn’t work. he decided to just give up and place a bow on top.

he put on his coat, with the gift in one hand and keys in the other. he stepped out and closed the door, and was about to place the key in the keyhole when he heard the sound of the elevator arrive at his floor. he turned his head, seeing his neighbor and her daughter.

“hi, max,” she said, waving her free hand at him, the other one was holding her sleeping child. “i thought you’d be at charles’ by now,” she smiled.

“yeah, that’s where i’m heading, i just… i couldn’t figure out how to wrap this,” he held up the gift, “but i gave up,” he chuckled, watching her shift her weight from one leg to the other, “let me help you,” he said, opening his arms to grab the child.

when max found out a few months ago that his new next-door neighbor had a one-year-old baby he feared the worst. he was used to the peace and quiet of having a floor all to himself, and a baby would undoubtedly break that silence he cherished so much. but that wasn’t the case with (y/n) and alison leclerc.

alison was probably the best, well-behaved child max had ever met, he was used to his nephews, rowdy and a little bratty if he was being honest, but alison was soft, gentle, not too noisy and always staring up at him with eyes that looked just like charles’.

“she’ll wake up, can you get the door, please?” she asked, handing him the keys. he nodded and opened the door for her. “thank you,” she turned on the lights, “make yourself at home, i’ll put this little one to bed and i’ll help you with that,” she smiled at him.

“oh, no, you don’t have to- i-”

“my brother has been working all day for this dinner to be perfect, he won’t let you in if you show up with an unwrapped gift.” she raised an eyebrow, “he’s been freaking out all day, so, for the sake of charles’ health, let me wrap that gift for you,” she used her mom voice, giving him one last look before walking to ali’s room.

“yes, ma’am,” max said, running to his place to grab the leftover wrapping paper. he returned just as she was walking back, still with alison in her arms, but this time the baby was awake. “what happened?” he asked, a smile on his face as he looked at the baby, with sleep evident in her eyes, her cheeks an intense shade of pink.

“it’s like a curse,” she sighed, “right when i was placing her head on the pillow she woke up,” she placed ali on the counter, the baby immediately turning to crawl away, “nope, ali-”

“i’ll play with her, if that’s okay,” max offered. “a favor for a favor,” he said, walking to the little girl.

“what do you say ali? want to play with max?” she asked the girl, who had made her way to the fruit bowl and was playing with a small clementine.

“mash,” ali said, trying to say max. he smiled.

max entertained the baby, letting her pick whatever she wanted to play with. she kept coming back to the small clementine, and as the girl’s mother was cutting the right amount of paper, ali handed him the clementine.

“you want me to eat it?” he asked, grabbing the fruit and lifting it up to his lips.

alison laughed, squealing and clapping her hands.

“thank you, ali, that’s the best fruit i’ve ever had!” max opened his hand, lifting it in front of ali’s face. “high five,” he said, grabbing ali’s hand and clapping it against his own. ali laughed, doing it again and again, each time harder than the last. “ow,” he said, shaking his hand after one particularly hard clap.

“ali, gentle,” her mother reminded her. max turned to the older leclerc girl, seeing her already done with the gift. “here you go, you’re free to leave now,” max inspected the gift, she’d even managed to make a bow out of the same paper.

“how did you do that?” he asked, staring at her in awe. she only shrugged.

“i’m multitalented,”

“can i come to you every time i need a gift wrapped?”

“yeah! we love having guests, don’t we, ali?” she asked, the girl had leaned against max’s torso, he was leaning against the edge of the counter, where ali was sitting to make sure she didn’t fall or crawl away.

“i think she’s falling asleep.” he said, pressing a hand to the back of her head to support her.

“thank god,” she sighed, “i thought it was going to be another sleepless night.”

“she’s got issues sleeping at night?”

“lately, yeah.”

“i’ve never heard her,” max said, the leclercs apartment was always so quiet it almost felt like no one lived there.

“she’s not a crier. she just stares around,”

“well…” he said, doubting for a second if he really wanted to say it, but he decided to do it, “feel free to stop by if you need anything. i mean it, whether it’s to entertain ali or… if you need company.”

he knew that parenting was already hard with both parents around, and he couldn’t imagine how difficult it was being a single parent. and he liked her, they knew each other since they were kids and had grown up together in a way, with her always tagging along to charles’ races and events.

“thank you,” she said, walking closer to them, “and the same goes to you, mi casa es tu casa.” she smiled at him.

alison moved her head, extending her arms

“mama,” she yawned.

“i think i’ll leave, she needs all the rest she can get,”

“yeah,” she nodded. “have a nice night, max.”

“thank you, you too.”

it was two weeks later, and again, max was struggling to decide whether he really should ask (y/n) for help. throughout those two weeks theyy had managed to run into each other more than the entire time they'd been neighbors. max would always pay a little extra attention to them, whether it was helping her with whatever she was carrying, opening the door for her, or holding alison in his arms.

he could say that they were starting to become close friends, and after two weeks he found himself looking forward to seek her help.

he was standing in front of his mirror brushing his hair to make sure it was in place. he looked down to his bottles of cologne, and he grabbed one, how finger ready to apply it, but thought about alison, if the girl was to get close to him the chemicals from the fragrance could irritate her.

he walked out of his room, with the roll of wrapping paper and the gift under his arm, something inside of him moved at the thought of seeing them again.

he lifted his fist to knock on the door, waiting for the usual stomping of little feet or her soft voice. he waited a few seconds before knocking again.

he heard soft whimpers getting louder, and soft shushing as the door opened. his face fell as he saw the state of both girls.

“what happened?” he asked immediately, seeing them both in their pjs, with alison crying soundlessly and her mother looking like she was on the verge of tears as well.

“i’m sorry, max, i- i can’t help you right now i-”

“no, no, forget about this, what’s wrong?” he asked, and right as he finished talking alison started coughing.

“she’s sick, and she can’t sleep and… god, i feel so… powerless,” she said, rubbing her hand up and down the baby’s back, “i wish i could make her feel okay but-” she shook her head, rubbing a hand down her face as tears started falling from her eyes.

“hey, it’s alright,” max whispered, walking in and wrapping his arm around her, “have you called her doctor?”

“yeah, he already prescribed the medicine, but… i don’t know what to do now, she keeps coughing and waking herself up.”

“mash,” they both looked at alison, watching her extend her arms towards him.

“no, baby, you’ll get max sick-” she explained, taking her arms down, but the baby insisted.

“it’s alright, i… i can hold her, i don’t mind.”

“but you’ll-”

“if it helps her, and you, i would love to hold her.” max said, watching ali lean herself forward. max dropped his stuff on the floor and held her. he placed the back of his hand against her forehead, “i think she’s got a fever.”

“yeah, the medicine should help with that.” she said, wiping her face with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. “god, i’m a mess. let me get your things so you-”

“no, forget about that. i’m staying.”

“what? max you don’t have-”

“i want to. i won’t be able to focus on anything all night knowing you’re both like this.” right then alison started coughing again, and max rubbed her back gently, whispering softly in her ear, “there you go, get it all out. want to look at the city?” he asked, walking to the window overlooking the harbor, “look at the boats and the lights, ali…” he said, the girl leaning her head on his shoulder and yawning. “she’s sleepy,” he told her mom.

“yeah, she hasn’t slept all day. only for a few minutes before having a coughing fit every time.” she explained.

“have you called your mom? or brothers?” he asked, knowing that they would all most likely be there to help them both if they knew.

“they’re all gone. on holiday. we were supposed to join them but… well, look at us.”

“well, you’re not alone anymore. i’m here,” he walked to her, wrapping his free arm around her, careful with the baby between them.

“you- really don’t have to do this, you had plans and-”

“and i can see them tomorrow or next week, that’s the least of my problems right now. right now you both should get some sleep. this little one is already falling asleep.”

“i just hope she can rest more than fifteen minutes at a time,”

“you want me to lay her down or-”

“yeah, come,” she said, walking down a hallway and opening the door to ali’s bedroom. everything was decorated in neutral warm colors and was very clean.

“i think this is the tidiest baby room i’ve seen,” max said, hoping to lighten the mood.

“you should see my room. we’ve been sleeping there since she got sick, and it’s not pretty.”

“i’m sure it’s better than my room even when i’ve just cleaned it.”

she chuckled, preparing ali’s crib.

after placing her on the bed and waiting for her to fall asleep, they both stayed in her room, with max on the floor next to the crib, ready to act in case she started coughing or woke up. they stayed there for about twenty minutes, in silence, staring at alison longingly.

max had grown attached to both of them, and the feeling he got when he first saw them that night was something he’d never felt before. he’d felt the back of his neck tingling, his heart seemed to sink down to his stomach.

“i think this is it,”

“yeah?” max asked.

“yeah. she’s not even moving around, she used to squirm around, trying to get comfortable but now she’s… i think she’s finally gonna get some sleep,”

“and you should get some, too,” max said, eyes widening at what he had said, “sleep, i mean- i”

“i know what you meant,” she chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand to muffe her laugh. “i think i’ll just stay here for the night. i want to be here in case she wakes up.”

“well, we should get comfortable, then.” max said, leaning to grab a big stuffed bear and placed it beneath his head as a pillow.

“you’re not staying here, max. you really don’t have to.”

“of course i am. someone’s got to look out for you. and i know you’re both totally fine on your own normally, but these are not normal conditions. you need a little help, and i’m more than happy to be here.”

she smiled, a soft, sleepy smile that made max’s heart beat faster. she pulled out some blankets from the bottom drawer of ali’s wardrobe. scooting over next to max.

“you’ve got the pillow, i’ve got the blankets.” she said.

“i don’t know about you, but that sounds perfect.”

“a sleeping, sick kid, a mom in the middle of an emotional breakdown, a teddy bear and blankets?”

“yeah.” he nodded, sounding absolutely serious about his posture.

“you’ve clearly not spend enough time in this house.” she joked, sliding down and wrapping the blanket around herself, getting ready to sleep, finally.

“well, i would love to do that. you know, to… get a gist of things around here.” he said, unaware of the smile on her face, since she’d turned her back to him.

“we’ll talk about it over breakfast.”

“that sounds perfect. good night.” he leaned down, giving alison one last look, making sure that she was still asleep before closing his eyes to sleep.

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