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[lord-sharl-perceval]

Champagne Problems

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x Reader Summary: In which they maintain the ruse to get back at someone of her past. Warnings: fluff, angst, fake dating, overly romanticized for entertainment purposes, made up girlfriend of Carlos & Pierre, google translated french. Notes: sorry, for not uploading any time sooner, but I was busy with uni! Also english is not my first language, so criticism is always welcome, but please be kind xx NOT proof read yet! Word count: 7.2K

Masterlist

Part One: The Sweet Stranger

Part Two: The Deal

Part Three: Karma Is My Boyfriend

»your mom's ring in your pocket, her picture in your wallet, you won't remember all my champagne problems«

"Charles" you breathed.

"That is not true. You said it yourself, love is a choice and sometimes people stop choosing" you spoke under your breath, still holding his warm hand.

"Are you bluffing to cheer me up, y/n?" He spoke, the corner of his mouth quirking up.

"No, I'm not"

Charles narrowed his brows, doubting the truthfulness of your words.

"Only the bravest dare to love" you continued, locking eyes with him.

"Because love is painful, we just have to find the one worth the pain"

"And what about the people incapable of love?" He whispered back, his voice sounding raspy and deep. Bringing up the sort of people you used to categorize yourself as.

"They aren't incapable of love, they're just scared of getting hurt" you admitted.

"Scared of losing themselves in love" the words left your lips feathery.

Tension gradually built up between you two. There was something intimate, almost poetic in laying close to one another under the clear night sky having the same conversation a year later, only with altered notions.

"I see you have reflected on my words" Charles murmured, his eyes looking down on your lips. Your heart started to hysterically pound in your rib cage, hearing the blood flushing in your ear.

"Yeah" you replied scarcely audible.

Just as Charles wanted to lean forward to put his beautifully defined lips on yours, you backed away.

"You're hurt, Charles, you don't really want that"

"Have a safe flight, text me when you land" the monegasque said with a crooked smile on his lips.

"I will" you assured, wrapping your arms around his torso, feeling his arms embrace your body and pulling you closer.

You lost track of time, the hug that could have only lasted a few seconds, felt like minutes. Your senses sharpened, taking as much in as possible within the limited time. The warmth of his body, the smell of his perfume, the way his hands gripped your waist. You both held tight onto one another, deep down not wanting the first ever hug to presumably be your last.

"Thank you" he whispered into your ear, his nose and lips brushing your cheek as he let go off you, unintentionally elevating your heartbeat.

"Anytime" you faintly smiled, waving him goodbye one last time, before you turned around and strode to the passport control.

Charles stood still, watching you pass your passport to the officer, secretly hoping you would turn around one last time, but he knew better.

You weren't one to look back.

Just as the last spark of hope was about to go out, you turned around meeting the brunette's eyes, flashing him a soft smile before you eventually disappeared out of his sight.

As soon as you reached the particular waiting area, you sat down awaiting permission to board the plane. In the meantime you caught yourself reminiscing about what you had experienced the previous day. The fun you had cruising through some of the french cities close to Monaco, Charles' showing you the beauty of the Côte d'Azur and reminding you of what it felt like to be unconditionally happy.

The south of france was marvellous, the perfect getaway for a busy woman trying to escape reality even if it was just for one day.

"What was the hardest case you ever had to handle?" Charles enquired interestedly, while you were strolling on the promenade in Nice.

"Child molesters cases are always the hardest, that's why I stopped taking them. But there was this one guy, wasn't a hard case per se, but it was tricky nonetheless, 'cause he suffered from Bipolar Disorder and wanted to build a library in his home, that made him buy ten thousand pound worth of books he couldn't afford"

"Oh damn" he replied astonished.

"And you had to asses his criminal liability?"

"Exactly, he was found not criminally responsible due to his manic episode in which he didn't have any control over his actions whatsoever" you explained.

"That's rough"

You nodded.

"Yeah, indeed"

"Do you do that in everyday life? Analyzing people?"

"Only people that interest me" you grinned playfully and carefully watched Charles' expression that showed fear of exposure.

"Relax!" You said, punching his shoulder.

"To properly analyze, I'd have to ask the right questions"

While daydreaming you became aware of an odd feeling of emptiness laced with gloom creeping up on you, resulting in a small, eternal panic attack.

You knew that feeling and it couldn't be good.

Repeatedly you told yourself that it meant nothing, you did him a favor and Charles nicely returned it by taking you on a short road trip.

It meant absolutely nothing.

You and Charles came from two different worlds. He was a public figure, who raced for a living and you were an ordinary woman with a normal job. To restore order you ultimately had to return to your own worlds.

Luckily, the lady working for the airline you were traveling with interrupted your train of thoughts by announcing that the passengers may now board the aeroplane.

You got in line and waited your turn, putting in your AirPods to kill time, whilst scrolling through your Instagram until you were next in line and showed the employee your passport. After she waved you through, you exited the waiting area and wandered towards the plane.

At the entrance you were politely greeted by the boardcrew, whom you greeted back and walked down the aisle until you found your seat. After you stored your bag into the overhead lockers, you sat down on the assigned passenger seat and put your seatbelt on. While you still could, you texted everyone back, informing your youngest brother that you had just boarded the plane, so he could plan when to pick you up from the airport.

Absorbed in thoughts your mind replayed the memory of the night Charles tried to kiss you. Closely after you had told him that he was acting upon his hurt feelings you alertly watched his expression, fearing to have upset the monegasque, because he kept a straight face not revealing his feelings.

At first you thought, you had ruined it, but thankfully Charles mumbled a "I'm sorry" shortly after and shot you an exhausted smile.

You then snuggled up to him, his hand still entwined with yours, laying your head in the crook of his neck.

Your upper body was partly laying on his, your clasped hands resting on his belly. Both of you enjoyed the moment, sensing your heart rates synchronizing, beating in the same rhythm.

Charles was the first man to be this close to you after you broke off things with your ex-boyfriend, no other man was able to arouse the need of closeness inside of you before. Instead of experiencing anxiety, whenever a man tried to come close to you, his nearness felt soothing and so naturally as though you were always meant to lay next to each other that night.

The next morning Charles revisited the topic of the night before, excusing his behavior and thanking you repeatedly for stopping him. You shrugged it off, telling him not to worry about it and since then you two hadn't mentioned it again. Both knowing it was for the best.

Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift came on and you couldn't help but associate the past few days with that song, leading you to look outside of the narrow window of the plane and paying attention to every lyric.

"It's blue, the feeling I've got and it's ooh, whoa, oh. It's a cruel summer"

A deep sigh escaped your lips. You hadn't expected to be effected by the weekend this much. Now you were feeling blue, mourning the relationship you had had, missing the feeling of oxytocin releasing whenever a certain someone held you. You went from being a content single woman to one longing for a relationship again.

It was indeed a cruel summer.

You spent the rest of the two hour flight listening to more Taylor Swift and moping around.

Everything went according to plan, your brother picked you up from Heathrow and drove you home, asking how your short trip to Monaco was to which you responded that it was good and exactly what you needed, when in reality it was the quite opposite. If you had known, that going to Monte Carlo with Charles messed with your emotional life, you wouldn't have agreed to go in the first place.

Once you reached your apartment you texted Charles that you had arrived safe and sound as he requested, not anticipating that you initiated a conversation leading to another. Before you knew it you were texting back and forth, even talking on the phone in course of months, developing a real friendship. It even had got to the point where you started actively watching Formula One to support your friend, texting or calling him no matter the outcome.

"You're glowing, are you seeing someone?"

"What are you smiling at? Has your secret lover texted you?"

"You look happier these days"

You were hearing comments like these all the time and while there was a wisp of truth in their statements, you were not ready to admit it to yourself yet. Charles wasn't your lover, you pretended to be a couple once and now you were good friends. And friends could make each other happy and pay one another a surprise visit, couldnt they?

Of course you had contacted Arthur Leclerc beforehand, ensuring that you wouldn't inconvenience Charles with your presence at the Italian Grand Prix, whereupon Arthur suggested you surprise him after the race to not distract your boyfriend from his duty.

You felt bad for keeping up this farce, Arthur seemed to be a very nice guy, surely not deserving to be part of your self-serving plan. But you knew better than to meddle in family business, instead you played along and gratefully accepted Arthur's help. However the purpose of this trip to Monza wasn't only to bring Charles joy, it was because you needed to get out of London after learning unpleasant news. News you preferred to discuss with Charles in person. Conventionally there were no races taking place after Monza for two weeks, giving you the perfect excuse to finally visit Italy, a country you had always wanted to see.

Naturally your family started to ask questions and demanded to meet the mysterious man you're seeing, putting you under a lot of pressure, which led to you repeatedly telling them that you were just friends. But given the circumstances, they didn't believe you.

Charles' busy schedule thankfully worked in your favor, hence you always had a good reason ready, whenever one of your family members opened up the conversation about your friend and why they couldn't invite him for dinner.

"You okay? You seem a little off" Charles asked with a frown on his forehead.

You grabbed your phone with him on the screen and crawled into bed.

"I'm having a rough case at work" you lied, whithholding the true reason behind your absent-mindedness.

"Sorry" you apologized, tucking yourself up.

"Wanna talk about it?" He sweetly asked, but you shook your head in response.

"Maybe some other time, thanks" you shot him a tired smile.

"Does the Ferrari home race put extra pressure on you?"

Charles pulled up the hood of his black Hoodie and nodded.

"Yeah, it does" he replied, a deep sigh following shortly after.

"But qualitying went well, so I'm pretty confident"

"Pole position is a good opportunity to win a race"

"I like the fact that you started watching Formula One because of me" he grinned.

"Yeah, I like seeing that cute dutch guy kick your ass" you countered, teasing him with his biggest rival Max Verstappen.

"Verstappen is not cute" Charles spat, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"He's cute when he smiles on that podium" you replied sassy, enjoying pissing off Charles.

"Ouch" he pouted, crossing his arms.

There was just something about the way he sat on the bed, looking cuddly in his oversized hoodie. A soft smile appearing on his lips, his tired eyes dreamily gazing at the camera. It gave you a fuzzy feeling.

Tomorrow I'll see you again you thought.

Subconsciously you were replaying the moment of how Charles wrapped his arms around your body and gave you that right and safe feeling, like you had always belonged into his arms.

Tomorrow.

By this time you were both laying on your sides, barely being able to keep your eyes open, talking about all kind of different things like most nights until you both fell asleep.

The next morning you took a taxi to Heathrow, went through security and waited the last half an hour until you could board the plane. Though the flight only took two hours, you managed to catch up on some sleep before you landed in Milan and were picked up by the youngest Leclerc.

"Hey y/n!" Arthur pulled you into a warm hug as soon as you were in reach and relieved you of your suitcase after you let go of one another.

"Hope you had a pleasant flight"

"Yeah, it was fine, thank you" you smiled.

"You look tired, lucky for you we still have an hour drive ahead of us to Monza" he shot you a playful glance.

"Maybe catch up on some sleep to get rid of the shadows under your eyes" Arthur added, teasing you.

"You're horrible!" you laughed, loving how familiar you already were around each other.

"I'm just kidding, I swear" he said, raising his hands.

In the car you had no troubles finding topics to talk about, Charles' little brother was as bubbly and easy going as him. You felt comfortable around him up until Arthur revealed that he unravelled your webs of lies.

"Look, I know you're not really dating my brother"

Shocked you turned your head into his direction, trying to say something but only splutter came out of your mouth.

"Charles didn't tell me of course, but I know my brother. Lorenzo and I know our brother" he briefly looked over to you.

"We knew something was off, especially because there is no way he could've genuinely fallen in love or start something casual with someone he met during a get together. Not with this crazy schedule and top of that not without telling anyone" Arthur proceeded.

"Plus the break-up with Violette messed him up pretty badly. That's why Lorenzo was so rude to you, he thought you were taking advantage of Charles' vulnerability"

"No, I promise" you immediately said.

"Charles and I are friends. He did me a favor once, so I returned it by accompanying him to that jewellery event" you continued, breathing a sigh.

"But how did you discover the truth?"

"At first I thought the same as Lorenzo, 'cause I couldn't think of something plausible, but then I overheard Charles FaceTiming you. I know, eavesdropping is disrespectful" he flashed you an apologetic look.

"But I heard you saying that you don't feel comfortable accepting our mother's invitation to dinner, 'cause you don't wanna lie to her about being his girlfriend and then it all made sense up there" the monegasque pointed to his blonde head.

"In addition to that you just confirmed my assumption" Arthur grinned, looking over to you.

"But I'm dying to know how it all started"

So you enlightened him, telling Arthur all about how Charles and you met on the Tower Bridge a year and couple months ago right up to how he had randomly called you two months ago to ask for the favor and that you had been texting and FaceTiming ever since then, having unintentionally formed a close friendship.

"Not gonna lie the concept of trusting a stranger more than your close ones has a ring to it" Arthur laughed, but you could tell he was slightly hurt.

"It's not about trusting more, it's about embarrassment. I, for instance, was too embarrassed to tell my friends and family that I didn't wanna get married without having an 'apparent' reason. Talking to Charles, a total stranger at that time, really helped, 'cause I didn't have to live up to any expectations, you know?"

You looked over to Arthur, who just nodded.

"When Charles called me up and asked me to be his company, he was embarrassed as well. It wasn't that he trusted me more, but I was a stranger, he couldn't care less what I'd think of him. But with family and friends it's different" you clarified the whole situation.

"I understand" he flashed you a faint smile.

"I'm glad, he has found someone like you"

"I'm glad, I found someone like him too"

When you arrived, you were late intentionally, so Charles wouldn't see you. However Arthur's older brothers spammed him with calls, which the youngest Leclerc brother knowingly ignored.

"We gotta hurry" he said, handing you the VIP Paddock Pass to hang around your neck.

"Lorenzo is gonna murder me" he mumbled, picking up the pace. You dashed through security and sprinted to the VIP area, where Lorenzo welcomed his brother with angry french scolding and you with a disapproving look.

All the Formula One drivers were already sitting in their cars, Charles on pole position followed by the Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

The moment the light turned green, the drivers went full throttle, causing your heart to skip a beat.

You were eagerly watching the race, unable to shift your attention elsewhere, fearing you would miss something. The only time your eyes left the huge screen was when you were asking Arthur questions to clear up your confusion about certain things.

Since you started genuinely watching Formula One, you understood what it meant to get excited about a sport. You finally discovered the beauty of it, how it brought people together and made them bond. You even got Lorenzo to explain a thing or two to you without trying to glare you to death.

Before you knew it, the race was nearly over, time flew like those cars almost flew over the grid.

The last few laps were nerve wrecking, Charles was fighting for the first place with his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz. Like being on tenderhooks you were alertly watching Charles trying to keep his leading position.

Eventually on the penultimate lap Charles was able to put Sainz off, with the gap between the two drivers growing bigger.

When Charles crossed the finish line, the crowd went crazy and so did you and his brothers. Arthur grabbed you by the arm and motioned you to follow him to the barriers to surprise his brother right after his win. You saw Charles climbing out of his racing car, cheering towards the crowd. He then carefully took off his helmet, revealing his beaming smile. After depositing his helmet on the car, he excitedly ran towards the barriers firstly hugging all the pit crew members, shortly after joined by his teammate that won second place. Charles and Carlos Sainz exchanged hugs as well, both proud to have won the home race for their team.

As Charles moved on, his eyes met yours. Confused he started running towards you, not fully believing his eyes until you were standing face to face.

His hair rampled, his gorgeous hazel eyes sparkling in excitement, the beautifully contoured lips slightly parted.

"What are you doing here?" He whispered overwhelmed, instantly pulling you into his embrace.

"I came here to see you. Congratulations!" you replied, putting your arms around his neck, feeling how much his heart was hammering against his rib cage.

"Sorry, I'm all sweaty" he apologized, letting go of you to lean his forehead against yours, wearing a soft smile on his lips.

"It's fine" you chuckled.

"You did it, Champ. You overtook Verstappen"

"I did" Charles exhaled full of relief.

"Sorry y/n, it's our turn now" Arthur interrupted and pulled his brother away from you, hugging him.

When everyone finished hugging and congratulating this year's winner of the italian Grand Prix, Charles briefly returned to you.

"I'll be right back, promise" the monegasque said, flashing you his typical dazzling smile before he disappeared.

Soon later the podium ceremony started, Charles standing on the highest step with Carlos Sainz on his right and Max Verstappen on his left. A combination of the monegasque and italian anthem started playing, honoring Charles' win as well as the win of Ferrari's constructor, who was standing on a seperate podium. Subsequently Charles was handed his glorious trophy followed by the representative of the constructor's team, Carlos Sainz and lastly Max Verstappen.

Charles kissed his precious trophy before he lifted it with a big fat smile on his face, celebrating his victory with the Ferrari fans. After the drivers trophies were put aside, they continued with the famous Champagne celebrations, spraying each other with the sparkling liquid.

After the procedure of the winning ceremony was done, you went to the paddock with Arthur and Lorenzo to wait for Charles.

By the time the Ferrari duo arrived, you had got to know Carlos Sainz' girlfriend Alyssa, who you ran into on your way to the Ferrari garage.

Both soaked in champagne they opened their racing suits and left the upper half hang down to give you a hug without staining your clothes with champagne.

Charles introduced you to his fellow teamate and the second you told Carlos that it was nice meeting him, the spaniard raised his eyebrows.

"Oh british" he stated, swiftly facing Charles.

"Is that London Girl?" Carlos asked his teammate with a crooked smile on his lips.

The monegasque awkwardly rubbed his neck while nodding, his cheeks turning crimson.

"Yeah, she's the girl I met in London" he stammered.

"So you guys are dating?" Carlos interestedly asked, raising one of his thick brows.

Not sure what to reply, you looked at Charles for help, who grabbed you by the waist and tugged you closer to him.

"Yeah" the brunette then said and looked at you smiling.

"Since when?"

Just as you needed to come up with another lie a blonde guy joined you, thankfully interrupting the awkward conversation about your fake relationship to congratulate Charles and Carlos with a brotherly handshake and tap on the back and went over to the other Leclcercs and Alyssa to greet them as well.

"Hi, Pierre" Alpine's driver politely introduced himself to you.

"Pierre, that's London Girl" Carlos cheekily interposed.

The fact that Charles' friends knew about you, flattered you so much, you could feel how the blood rushed into your cheeks.

"Give it a rest, mate" Charles barked, flashing him a warning glare.

"Hi, y/n" you disclosed your name to Pierre Gasly, trying to act as natural as possible, after Carlos' remark to Pierre, who examined you from head to toe.

"Finally we get to meet the girl that Charles told us so much about" the frenchman said, grinning at his monegasque friend.

"We'll need an explanation, mate" Carlos too focused his eyes on the monegasque.

"Later" Charles grunted, obviously containing himself from attacking his colleagues for exposing him like that in front you.

"I'm all sticky, gotta get a shower" Charles looked over to you and placed a soft kiss on your temple.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting all the time"

"No, don't worry about it" you shyly shrugged it off.

Meanwhile Charles and Carlos were washing up, you were bridging the gap with Alyssa and the Leclerc brothers. Pierre returned to his team's garage to freshen up as well and agreed to meet you for dinner to celebrate his friend's victory.

On the way to the hotel, you rode with Charles and the first thing you did was enlighten him about his baby brother seeing through your act.

"Please tell Lorenzo and your Mom" you literally begged.

"I don't want you to lie to the people closest to you"

"Wait, are you upset I told Carlos and Alyssa we were a couple?" Charles asked, shooting you a worried look.

"No, it's not that, Charles. It's that I don't wanna cause any problems between you and your family and friends. Secrets tear people apart"

"How did that little shit find out in the first place?" He wondered upset.

"He heard us FaceTiming"

"Imma beat the crap out of him for eavesdropping" Charles huffed, visibly angry with his younger brother.

"Don't. He was worried about you" you defended Arthur.

"Worried about me? why the fuck?"

"He thought I was taking advantage of you" you admitted.

"Lorenzo still thinks that"

Charles inhaled sharply, running his fingers through his already tousled hair.

"Fine, I'll talk to him"

"Please, Charles. Don't be mad, today is your day. You're supposed be happy and celebrating. You fucking won in Monza, for the first time you have more points than Verstappen" you grabbed his hand, that was resting on his thigh and interlocked your fingers.

"You're right" he said calmly, squeezing your hand.

Soon after you arrived at the hotel, you quickly got in to rest and unpack your stuff to get ready for dinner. Arthur didn't let you book a hotel room and demanded to take care of the reservation and booked you a room on the same floor as Charles.

You went for a strapless top with lacey sleeves and ripped skinny jeans combined with plateau heels and a matching purse. You agreed to meet the Leclerc brothers in the lobby, so when you arrived, you spotted them sitting on leather couches scrolling through their cells.

"I hope, I didn't keep you waiting for too long" you excused yourself.

All three brothers looked up to you at the same time, but only Charles' glance lingered on you, couldn't detain himself from checking you out.

"Shall we?" You asked, blushing.

"Shut your mouth, brother, there's a bus coming!" Arthur scoffed, chuckling with Lorenzo joining him.

"La ferme, Arthur" (shut up, Arthur) Charles hissed through gritted teeth and got up.

"Charles" Lorenzo warned and then turned to their youngest brother.

"Tiens-toi bien" (behave yourself)

When you arrived, the waiter of the posh restaurant seated you at the table, where Carlos, Alyssa, Pierre and his company were already awaiting you.

The food was great, the atmosphere joyful. Alyssa and Helena were great gals with whom you connected immediately.

It felt genuine and right, if it weren't for the fake relationship.

You called it a night earlier than the rest, so you resorted to the pretentious hotel.

You and Charles changed into more comfortable clothes before he knocked on your door to hang out, before you go to sleep.

The second the door of your hotel room engaged in the lock, you walked up to the monegasque, looking up into his pretty, hazel eyes.

"I came here to embarrass myself"

"What is it?" He asked a smirk spreading across his face.

You breathed out loudly, crawling into the kingsize bed and motioned Charles to join you.

"It's kinda messed up" you warned, slipping your feet underneath the blanket.

"I'm listening" Charles said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Benjamin, my father's godchild is getting married next friday and Will, my Ex is going to be at the wedding" you began.

"With my former best friend as his plus one" you said in addition and watched how Charles' expression changed to dismay.

"That's fucking messed up" he panted and shook his head in disbelief.

"I know right, so I was wondering-"

"Say no more. I'll be your date at the wedding" the monegasque got ahead of you and answered your unspoken question.

"You're the best" you smiled, gazing into his dreamy eyes.

"Is that what has been on your mind the past few weeks?"

You nodded, letting yourself sink beneath the cushions.

"I haven't seen both since that night"

"Why didn't you tell me, y/n?"

"'Cause you already have enough on your plate" you reasoned.

"Arthur told me you have two weeks off, that's why I came here"

Charles laid down next to you, pulled you into his arms and brushed the hair out of your face.

"I just don't know how to face them" you groaned, burying your face into your hands.

"Wanna talk about it now?" The brunette offered, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

"I still feel so guilty, yet so betrayed and mad"

"What happened when you returned that night?" Charles inquired.

You breathed in and out before putting yourself through that horrible experience again.

"When I went back to our flat, everyone was waiting for me boiling with rage. Their faces full of fury, disappointment. Especially Will's, his eyes were blood shot and swollen, he looked so devastated and so angry, rightfully so" guilty you looked down on your hands and paused for a short period of time, collecting your thoughts.

"His parents, his sister, they basically mopped the floor with me the second I walked through the door and I let them, because I deserved it" a painful smile appeared on your lips. That night was one of the most horrible nights of your life.

"Then when everyone left Will went berserk and threw me out of our shared flat, so I had to sleep at my father's place. Will refused to see me after that"

Charles' brows furrowed and his eyes glinted with sadness at the sight of your sorrowful face.

"I screwed up, I'm well aware of that, but that didn't mean I was fine doing that, I needed someone by my side, I needed my best friend. But instead of being there for me, she took care of him"

You rested your head on his shoulders, sensing how is warmth and smell soothed you after revisiting this topic that never failed to upset you all over again.

"She was in love with him all along and waited for the perfect opportunity to snatch him and he went with it. Probably to get back at me or because he had feelings for her too"

"You don't deserve that" Charles spoke in a soft voice, rubbing your shoulders with his thumb.

"This only proves how disloyal they are and how you made a good call declining his proposal"

"Yeah" you agreed, still crushed.

"What about other friends?"

You just shook your head.

"I was too ashamed of myself to talk to anyone, besides they were more Will's friends than mine. I'm not really the group friend kinda person. That's why it hurt so badly, when Diane distanced herself from me. It ripped open old wounds. She favored him over me, it reminded me of the time when my mother left us for one of her lovers"

The brunette held you close to his chest, provided you with what you needed exactly. Just two arms wrapped around you, giving you secureness and above all company. With Charles by your side you didn't feel alone like on most days.

"I'm so sorry y/n..." Charles said under his breath, gently stroking your hair.

"I should have given you my number that night"

"No, you had Violette back then, it wouldn't have been right" you whispered back, closing your eyes and feeling your heartrate decrease.

You laid in his arms so naturally as though you had done this a hundred times already. You couldn't think of a better company than Charles'.

"What's up with London Girl anyway?" You asked after some time glancing up to him, a smile climbing up your face.

"Oh lord" Charles groaned, letting his eyelids fall shut.

"I wasn't sure, if I was supposed to tell Violette about you, so I asked Carlos and Pierre and then they started calling you London Girl" he briefly explained.

"And did you tell Violette?"

"Yeah, I did" the monegasque replied.

"How did she react?"

"She reacted pretty well, glad her boyfriend and I quote 'was such a kind soul'"

You perceived the immediate sadness that crept into his gaze, while the words left his lips and his eyes were blankly staring into the void.

Charles was still mourning after Violette.

"What's the plan for tomorrow?" You then asked to distract him from thinking of his ex-girlfriend.

After you discussed your plans for tomorrow you wandered from one topic to another until you both calmly fell asleep on your hotel bed. Your head on Charles' chest while his head leaned against yours, his arms still around you keeping you sheltered.

The next morning you awoke Charles was still peacefully sleeping looking like an angel. You couldn't help but to smile at the sight of him, carefully gazing at his face noticing his long lashes, his sharp jawline and his beautifully defined lips. You caught yourself wanting to kiss him and that made you retreat.

You couldn't kiss him, he wasn't actually your boyfriend.

Without waking him up you freed yourself out of his embrace and decided to get ready for your busy day.

Eventually Charles woke up, looking drowsy and cute with his hair tousled in all directions.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty" you teased him.

"Sorry, I fell asleep" Charles abruptly apologized, nearly sounding panicky.

"It's fine" you assured.

"Can't remember the last time I slept so tight" it slipped out of your mouth.

"Im glad to hear" the brunette replied, his voice sounding raspy.

Attractive.

You shook off that thought.

"Wanna get breakfast?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just give me a few minutes to get ready"

"No rush"

Still half asleep he dragged his feet to his room to get ready for the day, whilst you were scrolling through your socials.

A decision you regretted instantly.

The picture of you and Charles hugging and leaning your foreheads against each other were circulating on the internet.

You should have known better.

You just digged your own grave by fake dating Charles Leclerc.

Several knocks on your door caught your attention, making you jump to your feet and rush to the door.

"Have you been online?" Charles asked instantly when you opened up the the door at which you responded with a nod.

"I'm so sorry! Arthur should have known better than to bring you to the barriers"

"Don't worry about me, I'm not the one standing in the public eye after all"

"We have to talk to my publicist"

After discussing further steps regarding that matter with Charles' publicist, you grabbed something to eat and sallied out to take a look around Monza. Despite all of this drama you tried to enjoy the trip the best you could, even though running into fans that spotted you together was unavoidable.

The rest of your stay in Italy was filled with panic and anxiety as more people saw you out with Charles and more pictures of your face surfaced on the internet. Even pictures from when you were in Monaco appeared out of nowhere.

More and more people started to recognize you.

Sadly that didn't end when you both travelled to London together for the wedding Charles promised you to accompany you to. Fans kept recognizing you, asking Charles for pictures and started recording you, almost shoving the camera in your faces, to upload the footage to the internet.

All kind of people you knew started calling or texting you, to learn everything about the famous racing driver you were supposedly dating.

It was a nightmare.

You decided to take your Mini Cooper which was less flashy than Charles' signature Ferrari and allowed you to drive to the venue without being noticed.

When you arrived, you handed the valet your car keys and set foot into gigantic venue alongside Charles.

"May I take your Coat, Miss?" A girl working here politely asked.

"Let me help" Charles offered and helped you take off your long black coat. You then turned around and watched Charles freeze at the sight of your long black figure-enhancing dress that was only laced up with thin straps from behind, revealing your whole back.

"You look...gorgeous" he blurted out and gave you the confirmation and self-esteem boost you needed to survive this evening.

"You look dashing yourself" you complimented him back.

Charles Leclerc in a Ferrari suit was no doubt your favorite fit on him.

You wrapped your fingers around his upper arm and walked down the hallway to enter the actual location.

"Unlike you I told you about meeting my family here" you whispered into his ear and watched him roll his eyes.

"I told you, I was sorry"

You guided Charles to your father, his wife and your brothers and was finally able to introduce them to your mysterious friend.

Your fathers wife immediately hugged him and your father shook his hand firmly.

You had feared this situation becoming extremly uncomfortable. After all your father and you didn't really share a strong bond due to him not being exactly present, therefore introducing him to Charles was rather a formality than something you wanted to share with him.

But to your surprise he reacted excited seeing the Formlula One driver, even congratulting him on the good season so far, catching you off guard. Completely surprised you looked over to your stepmother, who lovingly smiled and whispered to you how handsome company was.

After getting to know your brothers as well you went over to the bride and groom, both hardly being able to pull themselves together meeting Charles.

In course of the evening you noticed Will and Diane arriving, greeting your family and relatives. They looked well, you couldn't deny that, but you and Charles looked better. You could perceived how they were shooting you looks, inspecting you and Charles.

You tried your best to not let them affect you, tried to seem as unbothered as possible. But nevertheless it stung in your chest when you saw the people that once meant the world to you for the first time after nearly one and a half years again.

"You okay?" The monegasque softly asked, noticing your mood shift.

"They're here" you said under your breath, subtly motioning in their direction.

His hands cupped your face, his gorgeous eyes staring into yours.

"Don't let them ruin the night, it's going well so far, isn't it?"

You laid your hand onto his warm one, your lips forming a small smile.

"You're right, thank you"

A few minutes later the DJ played "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran and slowly couples went to the dance floor to slow dance.

"Aren't you gonna ask me to dance?"

"Y/n, may I have this dance?" Charles asked, offering you his hand, that you took and let him guide you onto the dance floor.

Overchallenged your dance partner didn't know where to place his other hand, not wanting to disrespect you by touching your naked skin without consent.

"You are my boyfriend, you're allowed to touch me" you brought his hand up to your waist, promptly feeling a tingling sensation rushing down your spine as Charles' fingers met your skin.

"Wow, you can dance" you remarked in surprise after dancing for a short while.

"I do and I don't even hate it"

"I enjoy dancing too"

You smiled at each other. His eyes mesmerizing you like an infinite galaxy, making time stand still and everyone fade down.

It was just Charles and you. All that matters was this intimate moment.

"They're starring at us" he spoke, looking inconspicuously over to them.

"You chose the right dress for this revenge move" the brunette murmured into your ear, gliding with his fingertips along your spine, causing you goosebumps. Once again you both shared intense eye contact and then something that you had been surpressing all along hit you.

You had developed feelings for Charles Leclerc. Feelings you never wanted to experience.

The song ended, you were brought back to reality. Charles' hand dropped from your back, taking one step back.

"May I have a word with you?"

Your heart skipped a beat hearing those words out of his mouth. You turned around and looked directly into your exes face.

You narrowed your eyes, not fully grasping this was happening.

"You wanna talk now?"

"Please, y/n"

"Fine" you flashed Charles an assuring look.

"It's okay" you mouthed and smiled.

You followed Will to a corner for some privacy and eagerly waited for him to start.

"What are you doing y/n? Have you sunk so deep?"

"Excuse me?" You said outraged and folded your arms.

"So you're sleeping your way to the top now?" Will shamelessly claimed.

"Would you rather I sleep with your best friend?" You hissed, feeling the anger increase.

"You see Benjamin and Victoria? This could have been us" he said, adding salt to the wound.

"Are you hearing yourself?" You looked at him in disbelief.

"Aren't you sick of playing the part of the victim?"

"I gave you everything and you still dared to humiliate me" Will argued furiously.

"Yes, I've hurt you badly, Will. That haunted me for a long time, but my intention was to do right by you. As your wife I couldn't give you what you deserved, at least that's what I thought back when I used to think high of you" you began feeling pressure on your chest and tears welling up.

"I feel glad now, glad that I left you standing, 'cause it uncovered your and Diane's true self" you took a deep breath.

"You guys deserve one another" you spat over your shoulder before running out of the venue.

Outside you started weeping, covering your face with your hands. You hated how the right path was always the more difficult one and never the easy one.

"Hey, what happened?"

You felt the warmth of a coat wrapping around you and one arm clasping your waist.

"What did the bastard say to you?" Charles questioned, trying to get you to look at him.

However you didn't answer his question, you just threw your arms around his neck and sobbed terribly. The monegasque walked you away from the entrance, not wanting the other guests to see you like that. He let you cry it all out, softly stroking your hair and holding you tight while doing so. Once again giving you what you needed without having to communicate it.

Then when you stopped, you told him what had happened. It took you back to one year prior to this event, when you stopped crying after telling the brunette you had just ran away from your boyfriend and Charles wiped off your blurred mascara and took you for a stroll during a chilly London night with his jacket around your body.

The night were it all started shaped your relationship to this day.

Oftentimes laughter followed after crying and that was what had happened. Charles started making you laugh with his wit and goofiness, making you wonder how someone can be so perfect.

Then you took a short break on a bench to take off your heels with Charles' help due to the dress restrichting you from bending down. When he finished, he took a seat next to you.

"Thank you for everything, Charles. I don't know what I'd have done without you"

"Always at your service"

"I do not take that for granted" you stated, resting your head on his shoulder. Charles then put his fingers around your chin lifting it towards his face and leaned closer to kiss you.

"We can't, I'll end up hurting you" you breathed, looking into the monegasque's eyes.

"You're worth the pain"

With these words Charles put his lips on yours, doing what he intended to do ever since you were on his yacht.

Taglist:

@pleasantducktimetravel @annoyingsaladstrawberry @buendiabebeta @leilani13gc @rosesintj @my-only-way-tocooperatewithlife @allilah @weekknds @fleetastic @xcinnamongirl @carmelita-holland @moneymasnn

[lord-sharl-perceval]

Champagne Problems

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x Reader Summary: In which Charles calls up the stranger from the other night to completely embarrass himself. Warnings: fluff, made up ex-girlfriend, fake dating, mentions of death (made up brother & friends), google translated french & italian, overly romanticized for entertainment purposes. Notes: Also english is not my first language, so criticism is always welcome, but please be kind xx Thank you for the massive love on part one! made me extremely happy and motivated me a lot! if you want to be added to the taglist, message me or leave a comment! Word Count: 4.4K

Masterlist

Part One: The Sweet Stranger

Part Three: Karma Is My Boyfriend

Part Two: The Deal

»dom pérignon, you brought it, no crowd of friends applauded, your hometown skeptics called it champagne problems«

"Hello?"

"Hey, y/n, it's Charles. Charles Leclerc" a voice with a familiar french accent spoke on the other line.

Your heart skipped a beat, you hadn't expected to ever hear from him again after you two met nearly a year ago on the Tower Bridge.

"Listen, I need to completely embarrass myself" he snickered nervously, his nerves running wild.

Your lips curled into a lopsided sneer, whilst leaning against the kitchencounter, eagerly waiting for the monegasque to reveal what he was embarrassed about.

"I'm all ears"

It was a lovely summer day, not one single cloud was rolling by in the sky. The sun was shining brightly, the whole city was filled with children eating ice cream, girls going shopping with their girl friends and tables at cafés being completely occupied. It was a rather typical day in July, during the summer vacation, only it wasn't.

At least not for you.

Because a normal day didn't usually include a spontaneous trip to Monte Carlo with a famous Formula One driver.

That Formula One driver that comforted you when you ran away after your boyfriend had unexpectedly proposed to you a year ago.

Naturally, you had thought about him afterwards, thought about his pretty eyes, that gorgeous smile with the sweet dimples and above all how ordinary he was, despite of being one of the most successful drivers, adored by millions of guys and girls worldwide.

You liked to believe, that you two had formed some kind of connection back then, after all that was why people became vulnerable in the first place. To find people, that understood.

Pain connected people and Charles knew pain all too well, which was why he approached you, you guessed.

He provided exactly what you needed that night, no judgement nor approval, just a shoulder to cry on.

And when he called you, you were convinced, Charles had felt that connection with you too.

Prior to agreeing to come to Monaco with him, you had met the monegasque in London for coffee to talk about what he sketchily hinted on the phone.

When you arrived at the café Charles was already seated, scrolling through his phone, his fingers adorned with rings. You almost didn't recognize him in his causal clothing consisting of a plain white T-Shirt and dark blue shorts and those pair of sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose. It was the ruffled hair, which assured you that it was in fact him. Because no one could make tousled hair look as good as Charles Leclerc.

"Hey" you greeted him as you sat down on the empty chair across the table from him.

"Hi" the brunette greeted back with that dazzling smile and took off the sunglasses.

"I hope, you haven't been waiting for too long"

"No, it's fine" he shook his head and packed his phone in his pocket.

"How have you been?"

"I've been good" you smiled.

"How about you?"

"I've been alright, currently on summer break" he replied, becoming aware of the waiter that approached you.

"Hi, what can I get you?" The young man, in his late teens, asked politely, his eyes widening as he realized who your company was.

"Latte Macchiato, please" you ordered first, after Charles motioned you to begin.

"I'll get a Cappuccino, please"

"Coming right up" the waiter with thick golden curls stammered excitedly and left the table.

You and Charles exchanged knowing smiles, both perceiving how nervous the waiter was.

"So what are you doing here in London?" You asked full of curiosity, assuming he didn't come to London to just discuss this specific matter with you.

"I had an event in town" the monegasque responded, fidgeting with the sunglasses.

"And then I thought of you" he looked up from his glasses, staring with his hazel eyes directly into yours.

"Your offer"

His words made you smirk, you would have never guessed that embarrassing yourself in front of one another would become your thing.

"I'm glad, we're skipping the smalltalk and getting to the main point" you said straightaway.

Charles started to laugh and while it was untroubled, you couldn't help but notice a hint of nervousness.

"On the phone you mentioned that you needed company to an event that your ex-girlfriend will be attending to as well" you began and observed how Charles expression showed slight discomfort.

"Yeah, you must think, I'm a petty asshole" he answered, scratching his neck with shame.

"I'm not one to judge" you grinned as you repeated the words he once said to you.

"Let me guess, she's taking some other guy to that thing"

He pressed his lips together and nodded.

"Yeah"

"Latte Macchiato and Cappuccino" the blonde waiter announced, when he returned and placed the drinks on the table.

"Thanks, mate"

You flashed the waiter a smile and also thanked him, instantly grabbing the little cookie that came with your coffee.

"It must be weird for you to receive a random call from me a year later with this big favor to ask"

"Well, yeah, it was indeed random" you chuckled, whilst tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

"I'd totally understand, if you don't wanna do this"

"I'll do it" you agreed, loving the sight of his eyes lighting up with cheerfulness.

"I get it, you don't wanna be judged and since we're still some kind of strangers we both couldn't care less, right?" You repeated his words once again, bringing a smile to the monegasque's face.

"Right"

So it happened that a week later you hopped on a private jet with Charles Leclerc to accompany him to the APM Monaco event in his hometown Monte Carlo.

You had never flown by private plane before, therefore you were overwhelmed with the luxury that came with it. Cozy champagne reception, comfortable, big seats and a fancy cheese board with grapes.

It felt surreal to you, like a dream.

"Tell me, how long have you been broken up?" You finally had the guts to ask after the glass of champagne loosened the mood between you two.

"About eight months, we ended it after the last season" he answered and sipped his champagne.

"So when we first met you were still with her?"

"Yes"

"How long have you been together?" You inquired.

"Three years" he responded briefly.

"That's a long time"

"Apparently not long enough, she's been seeing this dude for a couple of months already" Charles said under his breath, sounding more upset than he intended to.

"The champagne is pretty tasty" you switched topics.

"Dom Pérignon, my favorite"

He gazed at you with a smile on the lips, making you flustered. God damn those eyes, you thought to yourself. It were always his beautiful eyes, that made your stomach flip every time Charles looked at you. To your disadvantage pretty eyes had always been your greatest weakness.

"Okay, so what are we gonna tell people if they ask us how we met" you adressed, distracting yourself from his eyes that always managed to put you under their spell.

"We'll say you're one of George Russell's friends and we met when we were in Silverstone" he quickly came up with the perfect cover story.

"And what if they start asking me questions about George Russell, I don't really know the guy. I don't even know who he drives for"

"Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton, but don't worry about it. No one is gonna quiz you about George Russell" Charles assured you, amused about how serious you took this affair.

"Are you 100% positive?"

"100%" he reassured you with a big fat grin on his face.

"Now that it's settled, I have to ask you an important question. Y/n?"

"What?" You raised your brows, terrified of with what he would come up next.

"J'aimerais vous inviter à APM Monaco événement?" Charles asked and shot you a smile.

"You can't strike me with french, Leclerc" you tilted your head, not allowing him to charm you like he would have charmed other foreign girls.

"Ti andrebbe di venire con me ad un APM Monaco evento?" He tried in italian and observed carefully how your lips curled into a smile.

You had no clue what Charles had just said, nevertheless you couldn't help but to smirk a little at the sound of Charles speaking italian.

"You speak italian?" You stupidly asked.

"Yeah, I was in the Ferrari Driver Academy in Maranello" Charles proudly grinned, when he realized, he could at least impress you with one language he mastered.

"On that night, when did you realize, it was me?" He then randomly questioned.

You laughed a little and wondered, if he asked himself that question everytime he met someone that wouldn't ask for a picture like the waiter had at the café before you two left.

"The moment you said your name. I don't live under a rock, you know?" A giggle escaped your lips.

"My ex used to watch Formula One, but he was a Red Bull fan"

"No wonder, you dumped him then" he bantered.

"Do you regret not accepting his proposal?" Charles wanted to know after he paused for a moment.

"Not one day"

Afterwards Charles went over the plan for the weekend with you, promising you a city tour through his beloved homeland and a cruise on his fancy yacht. You landed in Nice, France, where a posh, black Audi was expecting you already, when you finished all the security check ups. Like a gentleman Charles opened the car door for you and got in right after you. The Chauffeur drove as soon as the baggage handler safely stored your suitcases in the trunk of the car.

It took only about thirty minutes until you reached Monaco. Astonished you looked out of the window, watching the beautiful scenery roll past.

"It's beautiful" you mumbled amazed and couldn't wait for a proper city tour.

"I know right" the monegasque replied, proud of his home.

Not many minutes later you arrived at Charles' apartment in a nice, neat city district. You had never realized how luxurious Monaco really was until you had seen it with your own eyes.

With your light luggage, that Charles wouldn't let you carry yourself, you followed him into his lavishly furnished home.

"I sent my brothers my location, so don't even think about murdering me, Charles Leclerc" you snickered, meanwhile you eyed his marvellous apartment.

"Bummer!" He chuckled and motioned you to follow him.

"There you go, the guest room. Take your time to freshen up or whatever" he said and placed your luggage in the middle of the huge bedroom.

"Thank you" you smiled at him.

"We have to leave at 5. Make yourself at home, I'll go take a quick shower" Charles said before leaving you on your own.

"Thanks!" You called after him, closed the door and took everything out of your suitcase, that you needed for a shower as well.

After you finished, you fished out the clothes you picked for the event this evening and blow dried your hair.

Dressed in a bathrobe you pinned your hair up and went out on the balcony to gaze over this tiny, but breathtaking country. As the sun sunk into the sea, it colored the sky in a deep orange as well as the surface of the mediterranean sea. You closed your eyes and enjoyed the last sunrays of the day on your face. You had always loved the sunlight of the evening, because it felt like soft sun kisses on your skin.

After remaining in the exact same position for a short period of time, you took some time to reply to all of your messages and then went back inside to get ready for the event.

Good to go you cautiously walked back to the living room, finding Charles sitting on the grey leather couch dressed in black suit pants and a navy polo shirt, hair the usual ruffled but at the same time perfectly in place. When he noticed your presence he looked up from his phone, examining you with raised brows.

"You look beautiful"

Your lips formed to a smile, feeling the blood rush into your cheeks as Charles complimented you.

"You look handsome yourself"

He winked at you before he got off the couch and returned your smile that unexpectedly made your heartrate increase.

"Alright, let's go"

Charles grabbed his car key before you left the apartment and went down with the elevator to the underground garage, where he had his signature black Ferrari with the Monaco flag stripe parked.

Kindly he opened the door for you and held out his hand for you take it as you got into his lowered sports car. And although it was only a matter of seconds you instantly felt the warmth of his strong hand around yours.

You cursed yourself in your head for thinking too much about every step he did. Charles was polite with impeccable demeanor, so interpreting more in his actions would only make things complicated.

On that night when you first met the monegasque had done similar gentleman like gestures, whilst he had been spoken for, that merely showed that he truly was a decent human being with manners.

Therefore Charles didn't have a motive, he was just being genuinely nice.

"I never asked what you do for a living" the brunette noted, after you drove out of the underground garage.

"I am a forensic psychologist" you answered and saw the way Charles' face changed from a neutral expression to a puzzled one.

"Wow, what do you do as a forensic psychologist?"

"It's a big field, I mostly do custody stuff. I am responsible for writing expertise about the mental state of parents and sometimes about criminals" you explained and you could tell, that your profession was indeed interesting to Charles.

The rest of the journey he peppered you with further questions about your specialty and you answered every question he had.

Charles was playful, smart and never left out an opportunity to crack a joke. Overall he was big fun to talk to, big fun to be with.

When you arrived Charles opened the door for you and helped you get out of the car, gave the keys to the valet and walked alongside you towards the location of the event.

"Ready?"

You took a deep breath.

"I guess" you replied jittery, clasping your hand around his upper arm to look more familiar with each other.

As soon as you entered the location, people instantly came up to you to meet you and take pictures with Charles, engaging him in conversation. It was fascinating to see how easy it was for him to interact with people, to make them feel heard and appreciated.

When he had finished Charles' hand naturally found yours and interlocked your fingers, guiding you further into the hall.

"I know, I didn't mention it, but we're meeting my family now" he causally dropped.

"Your family, Charles?!" You hissed with a mix of panic and horror.

However there was no time to discuss it further, because Charles' family was only a few meters away. He let go of your hand to embrace his mother, who placed a kiss on her beloved son's cheek and spoke to him in their native language. He then also hugged his brothers, playfully smacking the blonde one upside the head.

Eventually he turned to you, wrapping his arm around your waist and introducing you in french. You awkwardly smiled only understanding your name and "ma copine" meaning girlfriend in their mother tongue.

"Y/n these are my mother Pascale and my brothers Lorenzo and Arthur"

Charles' mother looked outraged but covered it by greeting you with a warm hug.

"Quelle belle fille tu es!" (What a beautiful girl you are) she exclaimed and grinned widely, but quickly directed her attention back to her son.

"Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc-" she began to scold Charles, but you didn't understand the rest, only the wonderful long name, that you would definitely use to tease him later with.

Next to her Arthur started to laugh uncontrollably, abruptly falling silent, when his older brother Lorenzo poked him in the ribs.

"Sorry" the blonde cleared his throat.

"Hi, how are you?"

You shook Arthur's hand and smiled.

"I'm fine thank you, how are you?" You returned the question.

"I'm good"

Then you moved on to the older Leclerc brother, who greeted you with a handshake as well.

"Enchanté" he spoke politely.

"Nice to meet you too"

"Charles never mentioned a girlfriend" Lorenzo stated, narrowing his eyes and looking like he was suspecting something.

"Well, we actually didn't really put a label on what we're having" you havered, feeling your cheeks heating up. This entire situation started to stress you immensely, because it felt so wrong to lie to them.

"Pardon" Lorenzo apologized and excused himself, as he walked off.

"Don't worry about it" you muttered, even though you were positive he wasn't going to hear you.

"I'm sorry about my brother, he's s still old fashioned. For him it's all about the labels" Arthur apologized on behalf of his brother.

"It's okay" you tensely laughed.

"I'll get us something to drink" Charles let you know after he finished the discussion with his mother. In the meanwhile you stayed with his younger and thankfully more talkative brother. You learnt that he was also a driver, racing for Dams in Formula Two, dreaming of racing in Formula One to beat his brothers ass one day.

The similarities between Arthur and Charles were conspicuous. Both had fun and playful personalities, were extremely well mannered and outrageously goodlooking. You were so grateful to get along with at least one of Charles' brothers, so you wouldn't have to awkwardly follow Charles around like a lost chick or look pitiful standing on your own somewhere.

"Sorry, I got held up" Charles said when he returned and handed you a glass of Champagne.

"Question brother, how does someone as stupid as you hold up with a forensic psychologist?" Arthur questioned jokingly.

Charles glanced at you grinning, holding the eye contact a second too long.

"Well, I don't know. How do I hold up?"

"You're holding up just fine" you confirmed smirking.

While you were chatting with Arthur, you noticed Charles slowly not participating in the conversation anymore. Instead his eyes were roaming the room, keeping an eye out for her.

His posture stiffened, his attention completely shifted elsewhere. You figured, he had found her in the crowd.

You noticed how he had been subtly glancing over to a brunette girl off and on and that was when you realized it was Charles' ex-girlfriend. The yearning in his eyes undeniable.

"You okay?" You brought your hand up to rest against his chest.

"Yeah" he replied absently and gulped his soda.

You flashed him a specific look and he immediately understood, confirming your assumption with a nod.

After some time she spotted you, making her way over and once she was in range, Charles put his arms around her dainty body. As soon as they detached from one another, she hugged Arthur and then turned to you.

"Amore mio, this is Violette, Violette this is y/n"

Unexpectedly she pulled you into a hug that you hesitantly returned.

"It's so nice to meet you" she said sweetly.

"You too" you replied back.

"Amore mio?" Arthur asked irritated.

"Why italian? French is the language of love" he reasoned.

"Not to y/n, couldn't impress her with french" Charles spoke and softly planted a kiss on your temple. You shyly giggled, feeling your heart leaping, the second his lips brushed your skin.

"Tough one, brother" Arthur snickered.

They then switched to french again and conversed, while you tried not to stare too much at Violette. You wanted to dislike her, but you couldn't and it bugged you. She was friendly, gorgeous and tried her best to involve you in conversations, so you didn't feel left out. You would never admit it out loud, but you totally understood why Charles adored her.

In the middle of the chat you felt Charles' hand finding its way back to your waist and pulled you closer to his side, rubbing your naked skin with his thumb on the spot where your crop top ended. Your body shouldn't react that way but Charles' touch caused goosebumps all over your body.

Repeatedly you told yourself that his public display of affection was just to make Violette jealous. It didn't result of fondness for you.

You were only here to serve a purpose.

"How did you guys even meet?" Violette wondered.

You and Charles exchanged looks, your panicky face making him undertake the duty of telling the lie of how you met.

"We met in Silverstone during a small get together" Charles answered concisely.

"How did you wind up there?"

"I'm friends with George Russell" you lied.

In course of the talk a man interrupted by putting his arms around Violette's petite body from behind.

"This is Élliott" Charles' ex-girlfriend introduced the handsome ginger head.

"The boyfriend" Élliot added a grin spreading across his face.

From then on the otherwise bubbly Charles Leclerc went quiet, his mood visibly spoilt. He kept zoning out, not even looking at the pair.

Finally the couple bid their farewell, but Charles didn't lighten up.

Before you were able to leave, Charles was obligated to do PR stuff as one of the ambassadors of the jewellery company. The minute he finished, he grabbed your hand and told you he wanted to get out of here immediately. Hastily you said goodbye to Charles' family and had to promise his mother to come for dinner sometime.

Still holding your hand you left the venue, waiting for the valet to bring his car. The second his keys landed in his hands, he opened the car door for you, even in his furious state, he made sure to lend you a hand as you got into his car.

"Charles are you okay?" You asked when he got inside as well.

"No" he replied frankly, starting the engine.

None of you dared to say a word. You because you didn't want to upset him even more and Charles because he was busy keeping composure. Normally he was a calm guy, but even calm guys had limits and Violette was Charles' limit. Deep down, he knew, that when they broke up it was definite, that it was pathetic of him to attempt to make Violette jealous, but the monegasque couldn't see that right now. Charles was too hurt.

"Are you up for a cruise on a yacht?"

"Sure" you answered baffled.

It took you about 20 minutes to reach the haven, Charles swiftly parked his Ferrari and left the car. You took off your heels and managed to get out by yourself, deciding to leave the shoes in the car.

The sight of you walking barefoot got Charles to smile, even if it was just a small smile.

"What is it with you and walking barefoot on the streets?"

"My feet just don't do higheels for too long" you said, boarding the luxurious yacht with the name "Sedici".

"What does sedici mean?" You curiously wanted to know.

"Sedici" he pronounced it correctly.

"Means sixteen in italian, it's my racing number"

"You're such a showoff!" you said, punching him softly against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, by the way, for kissing your temple" he blurted out, visibly uncomfortable talking about it.

"I just got caught up in the act"

"Don't worry" you assured.

"Also sorry about not telling you about my family being there" a deep sigh left his throat.

"That was nasty" to your comment he just replied with laughter.

"If it makes you feel better, my mother was pretty upset I didn't tell her about my new girlfriend"

"So I've heard Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc" you razzed him and felt your heart lift at the view of Charles chuckling.

You liked the sound of his laughter and the sight of the dimples that appeared when he smiled.

You followed him into the cabin of the yacht and examined everything carefully, absorbing every detail of the boat.

"Here, put the hoodie on, it's getting cold" he advised and gave you the black piece of clothing. Charles' pleasant smell rose to your nose as soon as you put it on, taking you back to the night when Charles put his jacket around you. After the brunette put on a hoodie as well, you went back on deck, where he told you to hold tight, because he was about to start the yacht.

Charles drove a good while until he stopped in the middle of the ocean. He then went over to you, laughed about the way you struggled to fix your hair and helped you brush it out of your face. Before you knew it, his hands were cupping your face looking deeply into your eyes. Just before it got odd, he removed himself, laying down on the floor and patting next to him, motioning you to join.

"It's beautiful out here" you said amazed and laid down next to Charles. The sky was pitch black showing the little stars and the moon that looked like a toe nail.

"Indeed, I always come here to calm down"

He let out a snort.

"You know, I knew she moved on, but seeing it with my own eyes hurt"

You turned to the side, to catch better sight of his expression.

"Why did you and Violette broke up?"

Charles rested his arm behind his head, gazing at the stars.

"She broke up with me, because she thought our relationship was going nowhere" the brunette responded.

"What does that mean?" You digged deeper.

"It means that, she thought I was avoiding talking about the future because I didn't see one" Charles paused, closing his eyes for a couple of seconds.

"I never realized that until she said it and it wasn't only because of all the losses that I had suffered, it's because of what I do and can never stop doing. Racing can be a deadly sport and I know that too well, I lost my brother Lyam to this sport"

You hung on his every word he said, hearing the sorrow in his voice.

"My other friend Alexandre as well" Charles added.

"I might be next. Or Arthur"

"Don't say that" you whispered, taking his hand in yours.

"The worst part is really that Arthur and I are willing to pay the price for the sport that we love. I was so busy with racing, I didn't notice my girlfriend falling out of love with me"

Charles kept staring at the stars.

"You are devoted to that sport and there's nothing wrong with that" you tried to console him.

"I love too much, that's the problem. Everything that I love eventually slips through my fingers. Violette, my best friend Théo, who died from leukaemia, Lyam and Alexandre" his voice sounded scarily neutral, but you could see a tear leaving his eye.

"You were right back then, love isn't for everybody"

To be continued...

Taglist: @pleasantducktimetravel @annoyingsaladstrawberry @buendiabebeta @leilani13gc @rosesintj

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Champagne Problems

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x Reader Summary: In which Charles comforts a crying girl on a cold London night. Warnings: Mentions of death (made up friends & made up brother), angst, fluff, use of google translator for french curse word, overly romanticized for entertainment purposes. Notes: Also english is not my first language, so criticism is always welcome, but please be kind xx Word Count: 2.7K

Masterlist

Part Two: The Deal

Part Three: Karma Is My Boyfriend

Part One: The Sweet Stranger

»your mom's ring in your pocket, my picture in your wallet, your heart was glass, I dropped it. Champagne problems«

"Excuse me?"

You winced noticeably before you turned your head into the direction wherefrom the voice had spoken to you. Just a few meters away a young man dressed in a suit was standing there.

"Are you alright?" He asked with a worried expression on his face. Taken by surprise you nodded, assuring the stranger you were fine. However he furrowed his brows dubiously, not believing you.

"Are you sure? You're crying" he noted with a french accent, fishing a tissue out of the inside of his jacket and handed it to you carefully.

"Thank you" you mumbled, accepting the tissue, using it to wipe away the tears from your cheeks.

"Do you need to call someone?"

"No, thank you" you replied and turned your gaze towards the distance.

"Alright" he breathed, abutting on the blue railing of the Bridge.

"But I'm definitely not leaving you on your own"

"Pardon?" Perplexed you faced the young man, who just looked at you with raised brows.

"What?" He took a step aside.

"There you go, safety gap"

Still startled you simply stared at him, confused by what the man was doing. All you wanted was time to yourself to process the horrendous evening you had just experienced.

"Why?"

Anxiety started to pile up, of course you couldn't spend some time by yourself on the Tower Bridge at night without encountering strange men that wouldn't leave you be. Frowning the brown haired man scanned you from head to toe.

"Well, you're by yourself in the middle of the night standing on a bridge, crying, your heels are off. It's chilly and you're wearing a spaghetti strap dress without a jacket"

You gasped for air.

"Wait-, no-" you shook your head frantically but then looked down on yourself and quickly realized where he was coming from.

"Fair enough" you snorted, running your fingers through your thick hair in frustration.

"I do not want to commit suicide if that's what you thought" you responded horrified, although you couldn't help to feel relieved at the same time. The man apparently wouldn't go, because he sincerely wanted to make sure, you were fine instead of intending to harass you.

"I'm relieved" he breathed out.

"But still you seem to be upset about something. Do you want to talk about it? It can help to pour your heart out to a stranger" he offered and smiled softly.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" You retorted, wrapping your arms around yourself in attempt to warm your cold body. Melodic laughter escaped his lips.

"Coud say the same thing about you or do you always take strolls in dresses and higheels?"

The corners of your mouth twitched hardly noticeable at his words.

"I think, I've already embarrassed myself enough"

"This is your opportunity to embarrass yourself even more" the stranger responded sounding oddly encouraging.

Baffled you eyed the man, for the first time noticing how handsome he was. You couldn't clearly see his eye color due to the faint lighting of the bridge, but you already knew his eyes were your favorite feature of his face.

"I'm a stranger to you and you are a stranger to me. We both couldn't care less, if we made fouls out of ourselves" the brunette, young man reasoned.

"You frenchman are strange" you shivered, feeling your hands ache in the cold wind as you rubbed your arms.

"Thank goodness, I am not french then" he said, his smile broadening until the dimples appeared. After you flashed him a puzzled look, he started to snicker.

"I am from Monaco" he clarified.

"And that doesn't make you french?"

"We prefer being called monegasque" the brown haired man explained.

"Sorry" you shuddered.

"I didn't mean to be disrespectful"

The man shook his head.

"Don't worry about it" he assured you, observing shortly after that you were strongly trembling in consequence of your light clothing.

"You're freezing" the monegasque remarked and took off his jacket.

"May I step closer?"

You wanted to decline his unspoken offer, but instead you nodded, getting a whiff of the pleasant scent of his perfume as he came closer and put his black jacket around you.

"Very kind of you" you mumbled, shyly smiling at him.

"I'm y/n by the way" you introduced yourself, while extending your hand to greet him.

"Charles" the monegasque answered, shaking your ice cold hand.

"Sharl" you repeated the french and, in your opinion, more fancy version of the name Charles.

"So tell me y/n, what brings you here in the middle of the night?" Charles asked, after you both turned towards the River that reflected the lights of the city.

"I ran away"

Tears welled up in your eyes, as soon as you thought back on the unpleasant event that had happened earlier this evening.

"After my boyfriend proposed to me" you proceeded, while pulling the jacket closer.

Charles carefully watched your expression, you looked devastated and guilty. Tears ran over your cheeks again, staining your face with mascara. He could see how sorry you were, how much abandoning your boyfriend was nagging on your conscience. The pained expression on your face made it somehow easy for him to empathize with you, even though your boyfriend was the one deserving the empathy.

"And it wasn't even that we never talked about marriage, of course we did and I was convinced I wanted this, but I guess, I didn't know the real answer until he went down on one knee. Ironic, huh?"

You faced him, finally catching a better sight of his pretty eyes, nevertheless you couldn't put your finger on the exact color of them. Maybe they were green, maybe hazel, they could have been ocean blue as well.

"You must think, I'm a cruel person" you snuffled, using the tissue to stop the tears.

But Charles shook his head.

"I'm not one to judge" he assured, handing you another tissue.

"But if you talked about it, what made you run away?"

You inhaled deeply, crossing your arms in front of your chest, after you wiped your nose.

"I believe, that love isn't for everybody" you turned your head away from him, gazing into the distance.

"For a long time I thought, I was one of those people. That was until I met Will, my boyfriend. He was very patient with me, never gave up on me and made me slowly like the idea of marriage and starting a family"

With a deep sigh you then continued.

"But seeing him get down on one knee made me question our whole relationship, it made me realize that I never wanted this" your voice broke and once again tears were brought to your eyes.

"And hearing him say these words felt like hands around my neck, they suffocated me" you bit your lip.

"So I ran"

You paused and he couldn't find the right words to say.

"I understand" Charles then responded compassionately, taking a closer look at your beautiful but sad face. Your jawline was clenched, your cheeks rosy, the big eyes glassy.

Even while crying she was gorgeous Charles thought. You both kept silent. Charles thought of ways to make you feel better and you choked on your sobs, desperately trying to calm down.

"Let's walk a bit, we don't want people to think we're planning on jumping off of the bridge, do we?" Charles suggested after a short period in attempt to make you smile. And he succeeded as he managed to bring a smile to your face.

"I can't walk through the city looking like a Panda though" you sighed followed by silly laughter. Charles watched your face light up and as he did so, he couldn't detain chuckling as well.

"May I help?" He asked politely, whereat you had to smile brightly.

"Yes, you may" you giggled.

"What?"

"Is every monegasque guy as polite as you are?"

"Most of them are" he replied, carefully wiping away the mascara stains off your face with a tissue. Meanwhile the monegasque cleaned your face highly focused, you were able to take a closer look at his beautiful eyes, finally registering his eyecolor. They were hazel with blue flecks, by far the prettiest pair of eyes you had ever seen.

"There you go, no more panda eyes" Charles grinned confidently.

"Merci"

"De rien"

For a moment you both tensley stared into each others eyes, forgetting your surroundings and circumstances for a split second up until reality crashed in on you, brought you both back to here and now. Charles cleared his throat and nodded towards the way back to the city.

"Let's go"

Quickly you slipped in to your uncomfortable higheels and walked awkwardly next to the taller brunette.

"Why would you believe that love isn't for everyone?" Charles questioned to start another conversation.

"Because I've seen it" you smiled sadly.

"My parents were never happily in love, my mother spent all their marriage cheating on him with different men until my dad's had enough and divorced her"

Charles' curious expression swiftly saddened as he heard your parents story and started to understand why you were so troubled with love.

"I'm sorry to hear"

"And yes, it's my parents business, but while my father was clueless about my mother's infidelity, I knew all along, since I was 13"

"That must have been horrible. Didn't you ever tell him?"

You bowed your head in shame and shook your head.

"No, my Dad and I never had the closest relationship and it's not that I've admitted it to myself back then, I've supressed it for years" you explained, burying your hands in the pockets of the jacket.

"When you love someone, the least thing you want to do, is hurt them. My parents hurt each other pretty badly, all the time. They are incapable of love"

Charles remained silent, he wasn't convinced of your statement, but unlike your parents his parents had had a loving relationship. They had set the perfect example for him and his brothers, they taught them what it meant to love and to be loved.

"I can already hear them talking behind my back: she would've made such a lovely bride, what a shame, she's fucked in the head" you changed the topic and laughed scornfully. The monegasque shook his head, loosening the tie around his neck.

"It's okay to choose not to get married" he told you, shooting you a reassuring look.

"Although running away wasn't the ideal way to decline his marriage proposal" he joked, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Tell me, you were alone with him"

You couldn't help but to smirk at Charles' comment. You knew, it wasn't funny, that you had to take full responsibilities of your actions once you got back, but right now you just wanted to allow yourself for only a few minutes to laugh about it in order to relieve the stress that had built up.

"I wasn't" you confessed guiltily.

"He proposed to me on my party"

"bordel de merde!" Charles cursed in his native tongue in disbelief and bursted into laughter.

"I changed my mind, you are a cruel person" he bantered as though he had known you for years already. You didn't counter, you just laughed with him. Charles meant it as a joke, but you understood that leaving your boyfriend behind with all the guests made you indeed a cruel person.

"Now to you: what were you doing on the bridge?" You asked full of curiosity.

"I needed some fresh air, I've had a rough evening" he grinned, even though there was a glint of misery in his eyes.

"What happened?"

"My family and I hosted a charity event on behalf of my deceased brother and my best friend" Charles responded, slipping his cold hands into his pockets.

"I'm sorry, did they pass recently?"

"No, my best friend passed away 5 years ago and my brother 7 years ago" suddenly his voice sounded evenly.

"Does it ever get better?" You asked cautiously to which he just sighed.

"No" his lips formed to a small, but sorrowful smile again.

"Some days are just less tough than others" Charles ran his long, slender fingers through his brown, untamed hair, releasing another, deeper sigh.

"In 2019 I also lost another friend and ever since that this crippling anxiety has been haunting me, the fear that I might lose another person that I love. I wouldn't survive that" he loosened his tie another time and also opened the first two buttons of his shirt as though he felt smothered by them.

"I spent hours and hours contemplating if I ever wanted to start a family one day and the answer was always the same: no, because to start a family meant more to lose" Charles added, meanwhile tears had welled up and gleamed in his eyes. You didn't notice that a teardrop fell from your eye and rolled over your cheek. You were moved by his words. What Charles had been through was unimaginable.

"I'm honestly so sorry, Charles. I've been whining all night about my problems, that definitely seem like champagne problems compared to yours and-"

"Y/n! It's fine!" Charles interrupted and laid his hand on your shoulder to calm you down.

"I approached you, remember? I was worried and I wanted to make you feel better and guess what? You made me feel better"

Perplexed you looked into his handsome face, recurringly getting lost in those hazel eyes of his.

"Sorry" you whispered and felt blood rushing to your face, tinging your already read cheeks crimson.

"You've apologized enough for today, don't you think?" He said with a crooked smile on his face, hardly any trace of grief left.

"You're right" you agreed with the monegasque.

The rest of the night you two strangers spent talking about everything and anything. You gave Charles a little London tour, showing him the true gems of your hometown, at least that what could be seen at nearly 12 A.M. Like silly children, you had been fooling around, both forgetting what an awful evening you both had had. When it was slowly time to part ways, Charles kindly accompanied you to the next taxi rank.

For a few meters you and the monegasque walked silently next to each other through the illuminated city of London. Both lost in thought, enjoying each others company without the deafening silence that would have came alongside awkwardness.

"I think, I just proved, that I'm no better than my parents. I've hurt the person that I love the most. I'm incapable of love just like them" you muttered as the realization came to you.

"I don't believe that" Charles disagreed.

"Love is not just a strong feeling, it's a choice and sometimes people stop choosing and that is fine"

You didn't respond, the heavy weight of your heart made itself noticeable, causing a feeling of paralysis.

"Do you wish, you had accepted?"

"No" you whispered.

"Then you're already more self-reflected than your parents" Charles contended.

"Is he a good man?"

"The best" you responded without hesitation.

"Then be honest with him, you owe him that"

You nodded nervously, already scared of the utterly unpleasant, but necessary conversation with your boyfriend.

"Thank you, Charles"

"You're welcome, y/n"

Finally a taxi was in sight, that you quickly hailed with a hand gesture.

"Give me your phone" you quickly demanded.

Confused the monegasque handed you his phone, after unlocking it for you. As fast as you could, you typed down your phone number and gave it back to its owner.

"For when you need to completely embarrass yourself" you smirked at Charles, before you took off his jacket and returned it to him as well.

"Thanks" Charles laughed and opened the door for you.

"Goodbye, Charles Leclerc"

Caught off guard he widened his eyes and held the door open after you got into the car.

"You know my full name, it's only fair to know yours as well"

"Y/n y/l/n" you answered right before you closed the door and the taxi took off.

To be continued...

[lord-sharl-perceval]

Christian with his favourite boy! 🥰❤️ The hug and the grip he has on him! 🥹

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#excuse me 911? yes i'd like to report a murder

+ bonus

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Alpine now offering a special party package for fans where Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly make the announcement at your gender reveal

Is it a boy? Is it a girl? Well, its definitely French

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Let's play spot the difference!

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very unsportsmanlike behavior

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petition for carlos to make this his profile picture

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hey batter batter hey batter batter swing ⚾️

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dog dad carlos is truly so special to me

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Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc (Canadian GP - June 18, 2023) 📷 Kym Illman

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