I Knew You Were Trouble

I Knew You Were Trouble

Champagne Problems Part 2

gif credit @formulaoneisajoke

Part one here

Part three here

A/N: Thank you so much for all the love on part one! I tried to tag everyone who requested, but I’ll be making a more formal tag list soon. As always, feedback is welcome and encouraged! Thank you to my love @haterpenny for the continued inspiration! If you requested a tag but were not, I tried but your blog did not pop up.

Words: 5.4K

Warnings: Some swearing, references to smut. Smut in previous and future chapters. Some alcohol.

Summary: Okay, so maybe you’re interested in Carlos. Lando takes it upon himself to investigate your relationship with Daniel in an effort to save Carlos from possible heartache.

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It was press day and you were prepping for a press conference with the other drivers. It was your home race, and you were so happy to be in front of your crowd. Since Lewis had been dominating for so long, you had garnered an impressive following. You know they were all hoping you’d knock Lewis off his pedestal, but that wasn’t what it was about for you.

To you, Lewis was any other competitor. Of course, he was an icon and you respected him, but It didn’t matter if it was him or Daniel- or anyone else for that matter. Once the lights went out, they were all your rivals- and you wanted to win.

So, you filed into the press conference, waving politely to the mass of media and taking your seat between Checo and Hamilton. It still felt surreal sitting beside the other drivers and being the only woman only added to your imposter syndrome. No one really thought you had a chance in making Formula 1, and when you did it was dismissed as a political move because of your sex. All of your accomplishments and years of work were reduced to nothing more than a bit of luck and Red Bull desperate to make a statement.

Still, photos of you in your race suit were mixed among those of Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, and Lewis Hamilton. The drivers had embraced you wholly, and done everything they could to correct the narrative that the media was so desperate to sell.

You glanced around and raised your eyebrows playfully as you caught Daniel’s gaze across the room. He threw a wink in your direction before turning back to whatever person was announcing that the conference had officially begun.

“Still celebrating last weekend's win Y/N?” You couldn’t help but grin at the question, memories of your victory flooding your brain.

“Just focusing on this weekend’s win.” You replied with a cheeky grin, getting a laugh from Lewis.

“We saw some photos from your night out with Daniel last weekend, and you’re driving the fans absolutely wild. They’d tear us apart if we didn’t ask, is there a romantic relationship there?” You couldn’t help but chuckle a little. It certainly wasn’t the first time you had been asked that question.

“Sorry to disappoint, but Daniel is just my best friend on the grid.” You said simply, to which Daniel nodded along.

The rest of the press conference was pretty low-key, with a few questions for nearly every driver that got less and less serious the longer the press conference got.

After at least twenty minutes of only half paying attention, you got a softball question from social media.

“Y/N, what’s the best way to celebrate a race win?” You couldn’t help but blurt out your first thought:

“A dance with Carlos Sainz.” You kind of couldn’t believe you’d said it. As if the Daniel rumors weren’t enough. You looked over at him, his cheeks suddenly nearly as red as his Ferrari polo.

“And a can of Pringles. Whole can, one sitting. That’s the only reason I want to win.” You made a joke, hoping it may be enough to distract from your brazen flirting. Or at least nail yourself a sponsorship.

Your entire focus needed to shift. Qualifying was only a few hours away, and there was even more pressure on you than usual since you were in front of your home crowd. You stretched in your driver’s room, listened to some music to get you a little more hyped, and before too long you were being ushered into your car.

You qualified second by .127 of a second. While overall it was certainly a good position, Lewis Hamilton had qualified first.

The next afternoon, when it was time to take to the starting grid, you lined up alongside him, focusing so intently on the red blinking lights, hoping more than anything you’d get the better start. Unfortunately, Lewis got the jump on you, reaching the first chicane with about a half car length between you. Bottas was starting right behind you, and you knew that if you made even the smallest mistake, he’d take advantage.

On lap 32 you were sure that you had the opportunity to overtake Hamilton, having DRS on the main straight, and with one small kiss between your front left and #44’s back tire, you were spiraling hopelessly into the wall.

It all happened so damn fast, that you barely had a moment to brace for the impact. You felt a sinking feeling in your stomach. Seconds ago you were in the lead for the championship. A DNF meant you’d have a major disadvantage going into the next race as Hamilton seemed to escape the scrape unscathed.

After a moment you heard your engineer’s voice “Are you okay?” You let out a groan- whether it was from frustration or pain- you weren’t sure. “Yes, I’m okay. I’m sorry.” You sighed, mentally taking inventory of any possible injuries. You heard the high buzzing sound of a car approaching and glanced over to see the Papaya McLaren, a thumb held up in question. You returned it, although you were feeling devastated. Once you were confident that you were uninjured and just jarred from the crash, you disconnected your steering wheel and started to climb out of your seat.

Then it was the walk of shame back to the garage.

You trudged back to your room, feeling defeated and absolutely exhausted. You were sore and all you wanted to do was watch movies alone while eating food that would make your trainer gasp. Dan had even shown up, offering his company in whatever capacity you found the most desirable, but you told him you’d rather be alone. After giving you a big hug and a kiss on the cheek he left you to wallow in your misery- he knew the feeling well.

So you cozied up in your bed, alternating heat and ice on your tired neck while the opening credits to Dirty Dancing flashed across the TV screen. You were startled by the sound of a knock at the door, your brow furrowed as you wondered who would be brave enough to visit you now. Behind the door stood Carlos, a sad smile on his face when your eyes met his.

“I just wanted to see how you were doing.” He said, answering a question you had not asked. You sighed and glanced around, unsure of exactly how to respond.

“I’ll be fine. Just not tonight.” You replied honestly.

“Well, I just wanted to bring these by.” He moved his hand out from behind his back and revealed a can of Pringles, making a genuine smile fall over your features. Seems like someone was paying attention during the press conference. You looked up at his big brown eyes and felt as though maybe he was the only thing in the world that would make you feel better right now.

“Do you want to come in?” You asked, happily accepting the crisps.

“I can share.” You added, nodding towards the can. A big smile broke out across his cheeks.

“Yeah, that sounds nice.” You moved to the side and allowed him to pass, suddenly realizing that this was the first time you and him had ever been alone together. You hoped you hadn’t left anything embarrassing lying around and did a quick survey of the room. Luckily you saw no stray panties.

“I was just going to watch Dirty Dancing, if you want we can watch something else.” You offered, climbing on your bed and patting the spot next to you. He looked down at the bed, back at you, and then started to take his shoes off. You were wearing a pair of cozy short shorts, and a loose-fitted t-shirt from a concert you had attended years ago. Carlos had a black t-shirt on and some sweatpants. Perfect comfy clothes.

“It’s a great movie.” He agreed.

You popped open the can of chips and helped yourself to a few before turning it towards Carlos. He settled beside you and awkwardly tried to reach his significantly larger hand into the narrow can. After watching him struggle for a moment, you tilted the container to assist.

“Thanks.” He replied with a chuckle, and you couldn’t help but notice just how handsome he looked, and how lovely his arm brushing lightly against yours felt.

You wanted to be closer to him. You wanted him to open his arms around you so you could nuzzle up into his chest, but was that what he wanted? Or was he just checking on a friend who had a rough day?

After a few moments of mentally fighting with yourself, you decided to take a little leap. You rested your head on his shoulder, and you swore he tensed. Just as you began to realize it was a mistake, he pulled away and you felt your stomach drop. Until he reached over and wrapped his arm around your shoulders. You basically melted into him, feeling like this was what the two of you should have been doing for the last three years. You rested your palm on his chest and focused more on the gentle rise and fall of his breathing than the movie. You felt more brazen, your leg slowly inching closer to his, determined to be snuggled up in him. He seemed to welcome the contact, a subtle smile gracing his lips as you got comfortable. You imagined that perhaps he had that lovely pink blush across his cheeks that you had caught a glimpse of at the press conference, but you didn’t dare move to look.

Before too long you were watching Baby dance for Johnny while Solomen Burke's “Cry To Me” played and you suddenly realized just how sexy this stupid 80s movie was.

“Is this where you learned to dance?” You asked, thinking about how his hands felt against you last weekend. He chuckled.

“If you want another dance, all you have to do is ask,” Carlos said, a sudden boost in confidence evident in his tone. You felt your chest flutter at the thought.

“Alright, fine. Can I have another dance?” You asked, too nervous to look up at him. He mumbled something under his breath, you believed in Spanish before he moved away from you and stood, stretching his hand out towards you. He looked so incredibly tempting, his lips so full and pink, his hair begging to have your fingers carded through it. You took his hand and he helped you to your feet, his hands slipping their way down to your waist. You swayed in time with him, resting your head in the crook of his neck. Of all the ways you had pictured today going, this was not one of them. You snuck your fingers up beside his neck and he only leaned in closer to you, his head resting atop yours fondly.

After a few moments of enjoying the simplicity of being in one another’s arms, you felt Carlos’ featherlight touch on your chin, tilting your gaze up to meet his. Instead of staring into his eyes, all you could focus on were his lips.

Before you could think about any of the possible repercussions, you were leaning forward and pressing your lips against his. He held your cheeks gently and lightly nudged his nose against yours. You couldn’t believe it had taken you this long to kiss this man.

Finally, you pulled away, mostly just to breathe. He knelt down, touching his forehead gently to yours.

“Oh.” You said involuntarily, overwhelmed by the chemistry and the way he was looking at you. It took all of your strength to not tear his shirt off of him, but you wanted to do your best to be rational. What was Carlos expecting from this? Carlos was a good friend. Was he hoping for a one-night stand, a relationship, or an arrangement like you and Daniel had?

You took a step back, your hands dropping to your sides. A look of concern flashed over Carlos’ flushed features.

“I’m sorry. I- it’s.”

“N-no, it’s fine! It’s just been a bad day and… I’m glad you’re here.” You said simply, smiling softly at him.

“I’m glad I’m here too.” He agreed.

Every now and then he’d shift to get you an ice pack for your sad muscles, rub your shoulders a little- anything to try and minimize the pain you both knew you would be feeling the next day.

Once the movie was over you started talking about the highs and lows of growing up in motorsport. He talked about carrying the weight of his father’s successful career, and you explained how being a woman made you feel like there was always a target on your back. He laid propped up on a pillow, while you opted to use his thigh as a pillow, occasionally turning your head to meet his pleasant gaze.

“I’m proud of everything I’ve done, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But sometimes I wonder if they’re right. Am I here because of my ability, or am I here as a statement?” You explained, avoiding his eyes in the event that he may perceive your venting as complaining. He sat up a bit straighter, taking you by surprise.

“Y/N, you can’t honestly think that. You’re one of the best drivers on the grid. If anyone thinks you’re just here because you’re a woman- then they’re not paying attention. That’s their problem, not yours.” Carlos replied thoughtfully, this time putting a stray piece of your hair behind your ear. Again, you felt those lovely butterflies fluttering around inside of you and you were unable to hide your smile.

You spent that night tangled up in Carlos’ arms, occasionally unable to tear your eyes away from his long eyelashes and the way they brushed across his cheeks. The man was truly gorgeous and it felt unreal that he was lying there beside you. His tan skin against those white sheets- he nearly looked like he was glowing. The fact that he was comfortable enough to fall asleep beside you- it made your chest tight with affection.

When you were convinced he was asleep you pressed the softest possible kiss to his lips, and succumbed to sleep yourself.

The next morning, Carlos was still beside you, his hair much messier, his eyes a little droopy with sleep.

“Good morning.” He said, as soon as he caught your eyes. You couldn’t believe he had stayed the night, and you couldn’t believe how natural it felt to wake up beside him. You giggled a bit at the absurdity of the situation and Carlos returned your grin- 24 hours ago you never would have predicted this.

“Good morning,” The room was still rather dark thanks to the hotel’s thick black-out curtains, and you grabbed your phone to check the time. It was almost 9 o’clock and you were starving. You tossed your phone aside and turned your attention back to your sleepover buddy.

“I’m sorry I kept you up so late.” You said, sitting up in bed and reaching your arms over your head in a stretch. He simply shook his head, his hand waved dismissively.

“I wanted to be sure you were okay,” Carlos replied, adding a little shrug.

“Well if it wasn’t for you, I would have just felt sorry for myself all night. So thank you, it meant a lot… and I had a great time.” You told him, suddenly feeling a little shy. It occurred to you that you had told Carlos a lot about yourself- some things that you even had a hard time confessing to Daniel.

“Is there any way you’d maybe want to go get breakfast?” You pushed your luck, wondering if maybe you’d be able to steal even more of his time. Your dinner the previous evening had comprised mostly of Pringles and minibar snacks and a big waffle with whipped cream was calling your name.

“Yeah, breakfast sounds good.” He agreed.

“Okay, awesome. Is it okay if I take a shower real quick? And then we can go?” You asked, flashing him some big doe eyes that he surely couldn’t say no to.

“Of course, no problem.”

“I’ll be quick!” You promised, hopping off the bed and grabbing some clothes to change into.

Once you were gone, Carlos grabbed his phone and began to scroll through the flood of notifications he had- mostly from Lando.

Lando: Tell me how it goes!!!!

Lando: Did you talk to her?

Lando: You’re not in your room.

Lando: What is going on????

Lando: Either it went very well or VERY poorly

Lando: UPDATE??

Lando: I hate you

Carlos chuckled, scrolling through the messages before finally typing one back.

Carlos: I’m still here!!

Lando: YOU SPENT THE NIGHT??!

Carlos: 😎

Just as Carlos began to type out a lengthy explanation, he felt the vibration of your phone beside him. He fished it out of the sheets and went to set it on the nightstand when a text caught his eyes.

Big Dick Ricc: Come over with as little clothing on as possible. I’ve got a surprise for you. 😘

Carlos felt his heart sink. Obviously, that was Daniel. And obviously, the two of you were not just friends. Friends don’t send one another messages like that. No wonder you backed away so quickly after you kissed. He felt like such an idiot. He set your phone aside and stood, unsure of what he should do next. He considered confronting you, but he rationalized that the message was more proof than necessary to reinforce what the media and other drivers had long suspected had been going on between you and the Aussie. One thing was quite clear to Carlos- it should have been Daniel consoling you- holding you the previous night, and not him.

He laced his shoes back up and left.

Nearly five minutes later you had turned the water off and began to dry your hair, a big dopey grin on your face from last night’s events. You began to wonder- was a real relationship with someone on the grid possible? Something more than just fun nights and casual sex? You stood for a moment and stared at your foggy reflection in the mirror, trying not to get too ahead of yourself. It was just one night, and for all you knew it meant nothing to Carlos.

You made quick work of drying yourself off, the thought of him waiting for you making you feel like perhaps this weekend hadn’t been so awful after all. You slipped into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt you thought used to belong to Daniel and threw your hair up into a high pony before giving yourself one last look.

You went back into the bedroom, smiling ear to ear as you began to ask about how Lando would deal with having a meal without him when you realized he was gone. You furrowed your brow and glanced around in confusion thinking that he may have gone back to his room to change. You spotted your phone over on the nightstand and saw you had a couple texts from Daniel.

Daniel: Trouble x DR3 is in and it’s sick!!!

You chuckled and rolled your eyes at his messages. You and Daniel had decided to collaborate on a line of merch, and it seemed it had finally arrived. You decided to go by and check it out, and maybe shoot a text Carlos’ way on the way back. You padded down the hall to Dan’s room and only had to knock once before he was whipping the door open. He wished you good morning and was ushering you into the room with the enthusiasm of a toddler just up from a nap.

“Check it out. They wanted to set up a photoshoot for the launch, so let me know when you’re free.” He said, pulling a mint and purple-colored hoodie out of a box and holding it up over his chest. He was right, it was pretty damn cool. It had your number on one sleeve, Daniel’s on the other, and each of your logos across the back.

“And that is the very first one, just for you. We’ve got beanies and sweatpants too.” He told you, abruptly tossing the hoodie at you before fishing for the other pieces he mentioned.

“Wow, Danny, these are awesome. This was such a great idea.” You told him, inspecting each item over his shoulder. You’d never had a line of merch before, aside from team gear, and it was such a cool thing to share with your best friend. Dan always had new, cool merch and you were just excited to be a part of it.

“This might be my favorite line yet.” He announced before pressing a little kiss to the top of your head.

You considered telling him about your night with Carlos, but the idea made you feel a little silly, almost like you were in high school. You glanced at your phone and your smile dropped when you saw no text. You decided to send him one.

“Breakfast?” That was all you could think to say.

“How are you? After yesterday?” Dan pulled your attention back to him, his silly demeanor suddenly turning to one far more serious and concerned. You felt yourself forcing a smile before you could even think about what you wanted to say.

“Hey, I’m not the media. Don’t bullshit me.” Of course, Daniel was right. You let the expression fall and melted into a shrug.

“It fucking sucked, man. But I’ve gotta let it go and focus on the next race.” He nodded, full of understanding. Few people in this sport understood disappointment better than Daniel did.

“Yeah, I know. But you’re still in it. Anything can happen.” The tenderness in his voice almost brought you to tears, and then he was pulling you into a hug and lightly stroking your hair the way he knew you liked.

“And then something happened with Carlos,” You blurted out, your face still completely buried in his chest.

“Carlos Sainz? Junior or senior?” He asked in mock seriousness, getting an actual laugh out of you.

“Junior, dumbass.” You giggled as you pulled away, wiping a stray tear that you both chose to not acknowledge.

“He came over last night to check on me. And we hung out and watched movies and talked all night. I asked him to breakfast, and he said yes, I showered and when I came out he was gone. And now he’s not answering my text. I don’t get what happened.” All of it just sort of came tumbling out of you. He furrowed his brow and he thought for a moment before speaking.

“Reckon he went to change? Or maybe something came up?” You pursed your lips, unsatisfied with either reason.

“I guess. I just… thought maybe there was something there? I don’t know. All I know is I need a drink.” You concluded. Dan nudged you in the side a little playfully before saying “You can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning. C’mon, I’ll be your breakfast buddy then.” You shook all of the uncertainty and frustration from the weekend out of your mind and grinned at the big goofball in front of you.

“But first,” He turned and reached back into the box and pulled another hoodie out.

“We’ve got to be in uniform.” He told you, tugging it on and making you giggle in delight.

“Let’s go get toasted,” Dan said, offering you his hand, which you gladly accepted. Breakfast with your best friend didn’t sound so bad.

The two of you wandered down the lobby, Daniel making you laugh with stupid jokes along the way. His company was exactly what you needed- at least you knew you could always count on him.

The restaurant was quite beautiful, adorned with huge windows and immaculately set tables. If it weren’t for Daniel, you would have felt silly and underdressed in your matching hoodies. The maitre d seated you immediately, and Daniel wasted no time in ordering your first round of drinks.

“So… more on that Carlos thing. Has he answered?” You went to peek at your phone.

“Nope. Still nothing.” You replied a little defeatedly.

“Weird. He seemed into you.” He answered, seemingly just as confused as you were. Finally, the mimosas arrived and you and Daniel shared a little clinkies.

What you were unaware of, was the fact that Lando was also having breakfast on the other side of the restaurant. He spotted the pair of you when you arrived and almost choked on his scone. He pulled his phone out and sent a text to Carlos.

Lando: Dude, she’s here with Daniel. What happened???

Lando kept sneaking little looks at the two of you, hoping he wasn’t being too obvious. Honestly, part of him wanted to go join you guys and see what the heck was going on.

Lando: They’ve got matching jumpers on.

His food was surely getting cold, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He knew Carlos had been pining over you for months, but he couldn’t figure out if it was his place to intervene. Daniel was his teammate, and he felt like their relationship was good enough for him to ask about whatever was going on between the two of you. But he’d seen you and Dan dismiss the relationship rumors at least a dozen times. Plus, Carlos was always bragging about how smooth he was with women and seeing him struggle made Lando just the tiniest bit amused.

Carlos: Yeah. They’re together.

Lando: I’m flying back to Monaco with them. Do you want me to talk to her?

Carlos: No. It’s fine.

Lando knew Carlos well enough to know it was not fine.

You and Daniel were probably about three to four mimosas in when you spotted a familiar face in the lobby. For a moment, you felt your heart leap up in your chest as you locked eyes with Carlos. Maybe there was some silly misunderstanding like Dan had suggested. And then you realized Carlos had his suitcase. He quickly averted his gaze and moved swiftly out of the lobby and towards a waiting car.

“What the hell?”

“What?” Dan questioned.

“Carlos just left with his suitcase. He looked at me and he left.” Dan furrowed his brow and sucked in through his teeth.

You tried to push the interaction out of your mind with a few more drinks and extra whipped cream on your waffles. Before too long, you were stuffed, and a bit tipsier than was probably good for you. You had to get ready to catch your flight, and you had not yet begun to pack. The thought made you lean back in your chair and groan.

“Reckon we better go get ready to leave,” Dan commented, glancing at his phone to check the time.

“Yeah, I know. Will you help me pack?” You asked, flashing your biggest, most pleading look.

“I think I better.” He chuckled in agreement. Daniel paid the bill and took you by the arm and helped you stumble all the way back to your room. Then you laid in bed while he essentially packed all of your things up for you.

“Alright, princess. Let’s go.” He announced, plopping down beside you and setting a hand on your hip. Something about the way the word ‘princess’ rolled off his tongue made you wish you had some extra time to spare.

If your run-in with Carlos had taught you one thing, it’s to not mess with how simple and safe your relationship with Dan was. Investing more feelings and going out on a limb with someone new was obviously not worth the risk. You had been more than content spending all of your free time beneath the sheets with Daniel- and that’s how things would stay. That’s why things had always been so good between the two of you. You’d both been hurt in your past and it was much easier to try to forgo making any new attachments to people- even ones you thought you could trust.

Next thing you knew you were boarding your private flight, one you opted to join Daniel and Lando on and some key McLaren team members. You traveled with Daniel and Lando as often as possible, because it was convenient, and one of your favorite ways to unwind and have fun with some of your best mates. You sat down beside the window and pulled out your little travel pillow, excited to sleep off your buzz. You felt the seat beside you shift and leaned over, resting your head on Daniel’s shoulder. Until you realized it was Lando’s shoulder. You shot up straight, a bit startled at the realization.

“Hello, Y/N.”

“Fuck, Lando. You scared the hell out of me.” You told him.

“Sorry. Expecting Daniel?” He questioned, an odd lilt to his voice that you couldn’t quite place. He had on one of his Team Quadrant hoodies and a pair of sweatpants, with some white Nike’s.

“Uh, well yeah. He lets me sleep on him.” You replied blankly, glancing around in search of your human body pillow.

“Yeah, I think he’s in the bathroom. Anyway, you guys are matching. That’s cute.” The conversation felt super odd and fishy. You furrowed your brow.

“He suggested we collaborate on some merch. These are just the first ones.” You explained, still confused by the interrogation and his sudden proximity. Thankfully, before that awkward confrontation could continue, Daniel was back and glancing down at Lando, arms up in confusion.

“Pretty sure that’s my seat.”

“Don’t think they’re assigned, mate.” Lando quipped in response. Dan just flashed you a look and you shrugged in return.

“Alright, you can stay, Lando. But I will sleep on you for the entirety of this flight.” You warned, flashing a stern look to show how serious you were. His eyes flickered between yours and Dan’s, as though questioning how idle your threat was.

“She’s serious.” Dan nodded in confirmation. Lando clenched his jaw before finally choosing to surrender. He grabbed his stuff and settled in one of the seats directly behind you.

“That was weird.” You whispered lowly to Daniel as he got comfortable in his seat.

“Yeah, don’t know what that was about.” He agreed, pulling out his phone and opening his camera. You pulled your sunglasses down, hoping to make your slightly inebriated state a bit less obvious. He snapped the photo, and it looked quite cute. He looked at you somewhat adoringly and you had your matching hoodies on. He added it to his story, tagging you, and simply wrote “TRBL x DR3”.

This was what you needed to focus on. The friends that were truly there for you, and your race to the championship. That mattered more than any fleeting romance ever could. You curled up against Dan and closed your eyes, thinking about all the ways you could recenter yourself with your week off. You wanted to get back to training immediately and come back with another race win now more than ever.

Just as you started to drift off, you felt your phone vibrate.

Carlos: Sorry about this morning. We probably shouldn’t see each other anymore.

You almost felt nauseous reading the text. What the hell did that mean and how were you supposed to respond to it? Not even twenty four hours ago, things were going so well. What could have possibly changed? Was all of the personal stories- your hopes, your fears- some sort of mind game to him? You decided to leave him on read. You wanted to discuss it with Dan, but Lando was barely two feet away and would no doubt relay anything he heard back to Carlos. You pushed your sunglasses back down, desperate to hide your misty eyes. At least you’d have time away to try to regain some dignity before you had to see his stupid handsome face again. The next race was in Imola- and you knew Ferrari would be front and center, it would be nearly impossible to get away from the guy. Hopefully you could come up with a better poker face by then. You slipped your headphones on and listened to what Daniel had once described as “angry girl music” and waited for the small motions of the plane to lull you back to sleep.

A/N: Part 3 here

Part one here

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max singing baby shark it's how we know he lives with a toddler and is a full time step dad

Terrible At Secrets

Requested: Yes

hi! idk if you’re taking requests right now, and it’s totally fine if you’re not!! but, if you are could you possibly write one about the reader is dating charles leclerc and shes about to graduate from university, but charles says he can’t make it because of his schedule. little does reader know that he’s actually planning on surprising her at graduation:) maybe slight angst but mostly fluff.. xx

Charles Leclerc x Reader

Summary: It’s your graduation day and you are heartbroken that Charles can’t make it to support you.

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Swearing, Alluding to sexual activity.

Word Count: 2292 words.

Authors note: I am so sorry this took so long! But it is here and I hope you all like it :)

_________________

“my love, what do you think?” you gave the dress you wore a twirl in front of Charles, excited to see what he thought.

“As always, beautiful” Charles admired, “what’s the occasion?” Charles couldn’t take his eyes off of you, you truly did look gorgeous.

You paused, disappointment immediately covering your face, “my graduation” you whispered out.

Had he seriously forgotten? You’d been talking about it for ages. Finally done with the hell of a degree you had pursued, and he had forgotten.

“Oh yeah, when is it again?” Charles had carried on playing on his computer, no longer looking at you.

“Are you being serious?” every ounce of excitement you had disappeared in a second. One of the most important days of your life and he couldn’t even remember when it was.

“What? I just asked when it was?” Charles still hadn’t bothered to look up from his game.

“Friday” you suddenly hated the dress you were wearing, feeling dejected and self-conscious that you thought the day mattered at all, that some minor achievement of your mattered at all.

“Oh, this Friday?” he wasn’t interested in this conversation at all, he wasn’t even giving it a second of his time, no, clearly a stupid racing game was more pressing.

“Yes, Charles, this Friday” you were done with this conversation.

“Oh, baby, I can’t come” he finally stopped to look at you, twisting in his chair, not an ounce of remorse on his face.

“I’m sorry? What?” You couldn’t believe it. You had tried to make every single one of his races, every single bloody practice you even tried to make, but he couldn’t come to your graduation?

“Yeah, I have work” he spoke to you as if you were the one who had done him wrong, and it only made you angrier.

“Charles, you’ve known about this for ages?” you tried your best to be reasonable, but it really wasn’t like you had kept this a secret from anyone, especially not him, you’d been bouncing off the walls from excitement the last two weeks, the prospect of finally finishing your studies making you happier than you had ever known, because this is something you did, all on your own. This was the product of your years of blood, sweat and tears and he was treating it as if he was blowing off a simple walk in the park with you.

“I guess I forgot” and with that he spun back around to continue his game.

“Jesus Charles” you huffed out as you left the room, gathering up your stuff as you went along, desperately needing to get out of his apartment.

“What? What did I do wrong?” he was following you in an attempt to stop you from leaving, to get you to stay so you could calm down and let the entire thing blow over.

“ I’m sorry I’m not a fucking formula one driver and winning podiums but this was important to me. Do you get that? Important to me Charles. This was something I worked hard on, this was to better myself and you’re treating it like I have no right to be upset that my boyfriend doesn’t give a shit that I am graduating from university which was the most gruelling years of my life” you couldn’t stop the tears from falling even if you tried.

You hated crying in front of him for something like this, it made you feel stupid and pathetic, but you were so hurt. You never thought the man you loved would hurt you so much.

And the way he was looking at you now made you feel all the more worse. He didn’t have the right to look at you with pity, not when he caused this.

Charles wanted to tell you the truth, he really did and honestly, looking at you standing there, teary eyed and the saddest he had ever seen you in his life very nearly broke his resolve, but internally he just kept reminding himself of how happy you were going to be with the surprise he was planning for Friday.

He had always known how important your graduation was for you. He was always in awe of the fact that you were able to get as far as you did in your studies, knowing he would never be able to. Truthfully, he was pretty sure you were one of his heroes with what you had achieved and he couldn’t wait to celebrate you and all your hard work this weekend, but for now he had to keep the secret, and the only way he knew how to do that without bursting was to just try and deflect the subject to something else.

“Baby, I have to work, I’m sorry” he tried reaching out for you, but you flinched away, absolutely not standing the thought of him holding you right now.

“I’m going to go. I’ll see you when you aren’t so busy” and with that you were walking out his door, leaving him standing there, unsure of how to make you understand without ruining the surprise.

_______

Today was the day.

Finally, today was the day.

You had worked harder than you could ever express to get where you were and this was the physical accumulation of it.

You were going to wear your beautiful dress and hold your head up high and walk across that stage and get your degree and that was that. You were proud of yourself.

Even if your boyfriend doesn’t feel the same.

No, you didn’t even want to think of him today. Your graduation will always be tinged with  sadness because of him, but you refuse to let yourself dwell on it any longer than necessary. You were y/n fucking y/l/n and you deserve to be celebrated, even if he didn’t think so.

Waiting for them to call your name to go up was probably one of the most nerve-wracking things you’d ever experienced and you hated that you found yourself wishing that you’d be able to see your boyfriend out in the crowd, knowing that catching a glimpse of his smile would calm you down completely.

‘My love, stop fiddling with your dress, remember who you are and all the that you are worth’

You began to play the conversation in your head, knowing this is exactly what he’d say to you, probably accompanied by a kiss to your cheek and you would be lying if you said you did not indulge in the thought of feeling his lips pressed against your cheek, cradling the other in his hand, your whole being melting into the thought, calming you down instantly, taking in the entire essence that is your boyfr-

“Miss Y/n Y/l/n, Cum Laude”

Shit, that was you.

You quickly made your way up the stage stairs in order to collect your degree, politely smiling out towards the crowd. You definitely didn’t realise how much you’d hate this. The entire room staring at you? God, how did Charles do this all the time? This was God awful.

Wait, is that Charles?

Holy shit, that is Charles. Oh my god. He came. He fucking came!

“Miss, if you wouldn’t mind” the speaker directed you to move across the stage as she pulled you out of your disbelief that here your boyfriend sat, with the biggest bunch of flowers you had ever seen, looking as gorgeous as ever and you really needed to walk across this stage now and you really needed to do it without tripping, and he came.

This truly was the greatest day of your life. How were you meant to sit through the rest of this ceremony now that you knew he was here?

He hadn’t taken his eyes off of you the entire time, from the moment he walked into the hall to watching you across the stage and as you proceeded to make your way back to your seat. Shit, that dress really did look good on you. And that gown, that was, surprisingly hot, in like, a weird Hogwarts kind of way.

Was the whole nerdy academia thing doing it for him?

Why did Charles look so confused? Was something wrong?

You threw a concerned look his way before sitting down, trying to figure out what was disturbing your boyfriend so much that it warranted that look on his face. In return you got a wide toothed grinned and small thumbs up, who knew such an innocent gesture could fill you with such joy.

This ceremony was taking entirely too long for either of you, not being able to help yourself and constantly sneaking glances at each other, sharing small smiles and giggles. Feeling giddy when he mouthed “I’m so proud of you”, tears welling.

And then as soon as the ceremony was over you both beelined to each other, weaving your way through the crowd, refusing to take your eyes off your route, wanting to be in each others arms as quickly as possible.

And then you were.

He encased you in a hug, wrapping his arms around your waist as yours moved around his neck, moulding your bodies as tightly together as the natural laws would allow. Charles was sure he had whispered how proud he was about you one hundred times in one different ways before you two broke apart.

“Thank you for taking off work to come” you had never felt as much gratitude as you had in this moment, you needed him here and he showed up.

“Oh, I didn’t have work, actually, I have the entire next week off, I’m just really bad at keeping secrets” he sheepishly confessed, red tinging his cheeks.

“Wait, what? What secret?” it was your turn to sport confusion as you tried to piece together what Charles might be talking about, but before you could get any further explanation, you were interrupted by your mom finally finding you amongst all the graduates.

“Well done!” your mom pulled you away from Charles to congratulate you, “and as proud as I am for you my dear,” she began leading you all out of the hall to the parking area, “you two are going to be late for your celebratory dinner”  

“Dinner? It’s 2pm? Wait, aren’t you coming with?” What the fuck was going on?

“No baby” your mom threw you a mischievous grin, “you have her bag yes?” she had directed the question towards your boyfriend who was starting to look more and more proud of himself by the second.

“In the car, and we should probably get going” he kissed your mother on the cheek before gesturing for you to say goodbye to your mom, who had initiated it, placing a kiss on your cheek before reminding you how proud she was of you and saying goodbye.

“I’m confused” you were wanting answers, and Charles had yet to provide you with a single one as you began walking back to his car.

“We’re going to be late for dinner, we need to go” he looked at you as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

“Charles, baby, its 2pm, dinner isn’t for a few hours” you were certain everyone had gotten their times wrong, trying to get Charles to realise.

“Yeah, but then it’s the whole plane ride-“ Charles began, to casually for there to have been mention of a plane.

“What plane ride Charles?” you had stopped dead in your tracks as he opened the car door for you, the silence between you creating a tension full of excitement, both of your smiles so wide it began hurting your cheeks, a small giggle slipping out of you from happiness, your body unsure of what to do with all of it accumulating inside of you.

“The one that we need to catch so we can get to the Maldives for the reservation I booked for dinner” his smile grew impossibly wider as he watched the excitement on your face.

“No” was that genuinely all you could get out at the moment?

“Yes” he gestured towards the car in order to try and get you going.

“No Charles” it was official, there was too much happiness inside you and all of it was spilling out in laughs.

“Yes Y/n” he had moved in front of you and had begun peppering kisses all over your face as you laughed from excitement.

“Why” you all but whispered as you calmed down, staring into his eyes as he looked down at you.

“My love, you just accomplished one of the most difficult things someone can do, I watched as you worked yourself for years trying to achieve this. It’s one of the bravest things I’ve seen someone do and I doubt I’d ever be able to do it, so, why? Because no one deserves this graduation gift more” he punctuated it with a tender kiss to your lips, “but now, we need to go or we’re genuinely going to be late” suddenly kicking you both into gear as you scrambled to get into the car.

Charles started the car after he got settled, “Oh! Wait, let me see if I can get my mom to take my gown” you grabbed your phone to begin dialling her umber, stopping when Charles laid his hand on your own.

“No, without you asking too many questions, just please do me a favour and keep it” Charles hand had now moved to your thigh, giving it a firm squeeze.

“Why?” yet again, he had left you confused today.

His only answer was a wink thrown in your direction, alluding to what he wanted and suddenly pushing both your thoughts to how fun the Maldives were actually going to be.

when you see a red flag during monaco sessions:

Comfort

I found the gift on Pinterest, credits to the owner

pairing: Charles Leclerc x reader

summary: You comfort Charles after his loss at the Grand Prix in Imola

warnings: swearing,fluff, so none really

word count: 800

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Charles?Love where are you?”

“M’here” came, muffled from the direction of the bedroom.

Leaving your things on the kitchen table you went straight to where you adumbrated your boyfriend.

When you opened the half closed room door fully you noticed your lover laying on the bed, tangled in the sheets and head buried in his pillow.

“Hey” , you greeted Charles softly while sitting down.

“Hello mon ange.”he responded.

“Can I bring you something? Do you maybe want a Chamomile tea?”

“No,I don’t want anything,” he said, sounding dejected.

“Oh my love.” You sighed. You had to do something. Had to get his hopes up again somehow.

Before you left the room you kissed Charles’s head softly.

You walked into the bathroom and started preparing a bath.

When the tub was filled with hot water you once again went into the bedroom to find Charles in the same position as before.

“Hey baby. I drew you a bath.” You couldn’t see it but he smiled at your sentence. It wasn’t necessary but he loved that you wanted to make him feel better.

“Okay” he responded prior to him standing up with a heavy sigh.

You gifted him a soft smile that he absolutely adored and then took his hand, pulling him into the bathroom.

“Mon amour?”

“Yes?”

“Can I maybe get the Chamomile tea now?”

You smiled and answered” Of course, you get undressed and into the tub and I bring you the tea. Would you also like to eat something?”

“No, just the tea, thank you.” He said with a kiss to your hand.

While the water began boiling in the kettle you thought about how else you could cheer Charles up. Maybe he needed to talk? Let his frustration out? Sex?

Maybe everything?

You hated this. Hated that he felt so bad and that there was nothing that you could do really to help him.

You could only be here.

With the steaming cup of Chamomile tea you made your way back to Charles.

“Here you go darling.”

He had his eyes closed and his head rested on the back of the tub, when he heard your voice he opened his eyes.

“Merci,my love.” Taking the tea from your hands he sat up and took a sip. Immediately hissing due to the temperature.

“Merde! This shit is hot.”,he cursed.

“Charles,” you laughed,” what did you expect? Of course the tea is hot. That’s how it’s supposed to be.” You shook your head still laughing.

“Don’t laugh at me mon chérie. It’s not funny. Look, I burned my tongue. “ His words accompanied by him sticking his tongue out for you to see ,made him sound funny.

It made you laugh even harder.

“At least one of us is having fun.” Charles said with fake hurt feelings.

Rolling your eyes you wanted to leave the room and go start on dinner, but you were interrupted by Charles calling”

Wait! Where are you going?”

“Start preparing dinner?”

“You are not coming in?”he asked.

“Oh. I assumed you wanted to be alone. To relax or something like that.” You shrugged.

“No no. I want you to give me company. “

You nodded and undressed yourself before stepping into the hot water.

You were now facing him. His and your legs touching.

Before you could even register anything he grabbed your sides and pulled you to him. You were pressed against each other, chest to chest. He probably could feel your heart beating out of your chest.

“Do you need anything else?” You asked a little breathless.

His lips grazed yours lovingly.

“No nothing, I just need you. You and your comfort.”

Then he pressed his lips against yours. The kiss was sweet and short. Too short, but before you could dive back in for another one he pulled you impossibly close to him and threw his arms around you before burying his face in your neck where he let out a content sigh.

„I'm here for you, my love.”you whispered.

“I love you mon chérie.

“And I love you, Lord Perceval.”

You could feel his laughter kiss your skin before he really pressed kisses to it.

“ The water is getting cold, let's go and cuddle in bed please.”

“Alright” you answered with a content smile.

Wrapped in towels you laid down in bed where Charles once again pulled you to his chest and then kissed your forehead before closing his eyes.

Looking utterly at ease.

This Is Me Trying

A/N: Hello friends! Happy Monday! I hope you enjoy Champagne Problems Part 5! Any and all feedback is always appreciated! Thank you @haterpenny for everything, love youuuuu. Next week is going to be wild, guys.

Masterlist Here

Warnings: Swearing, alcohol. Think that's about it!

Words: 5.6K

————————————————————

“We need to talk.”

Daniel’s eyes made their way over you. You had a look on your face that he wasn’t very familiar with. It was more than just sad, or angry for that matter. He set the bottle of champagne down on the credenza beside the door and moved towards you, reaching for your hands in concern. You avoided his grasp, and he furrowed his brow in confusion.

“I don’t want to talk about this here. Let’s just go back to the hotel.” You said, turning on your heel and going to the little bathroom to change. You returned a moment later, dressed in some leggings and your team polo. 

“What’s going on? Did I do something?” He asked, his voice suddenly much softer than his usual goofy booming one. 

“Dan, I want us to talk. In private.” You replied through gritted teeth, grabbing the backpack you had stowed your things in and heading for the door. Daniel followed, the champagne and celebration long forgotten. 

He followed you out of the paddock, and to the private driver’s entrance where your rental car waited. You climbed in and Dan followed suit, sitting mostly in silence for the fifteen minute ride back to the hotel. Your mind was working a mile a minute, trying to find all of the words that you wanted to say to him. You couldn’t figure out why he would withhold Carlos’ visit from you. The only reason your little arrangement had worked so well all this time was because you were always completely honest with one-another- or so you thought. You gave the keys to the car to the valet and stopped out front of the hotel to greet the smattering of fans that awaited, you and Dan smiling bigger than ever. You did your best to stop for a moment for each fan, signing shirts, hats, and taking photos. Dan did the same, but there was something about his smile that didn’t have that same carefree charm as it usually did. After a few minutes you thanked them all for their support and went into the hotel, heading straight into the elevator and up to your room. Finally, with the door closed and locked behind you, Daniel couldn’t bear the silence anymore. 

“What is going on?” He asked, his nerves starting to give way to frustration. 

“Why did you lie to me?” You asked, dropping your bag abruptly by the door. 

“What? I didn’t-”

“Dan, did Carlos come by last night?” You cut him off, your hands on your hips as you waited to see how he could possibly rationalize his actions. He sucked some air through his teeth and thought for a moment before finally replying. 

“Yes. He stopped by.” He finally admitted, doing his best to avoid the anger in your eyes. 

“And you thought I didn’t need to know that? Come on Daniel, why wouldn’t you tell me?” You questioned. 

“I was trying to protect you.” He sighed in response, almost like it sounded stupid to say out loud. 

“What does that even mean? It’s Carlos.” You replied with a furrowed brow. 

“The last time you were together- when he ditched you. You were really upset. I hated seeing you like that. And you were finally sounding like yourself again, I just… I didn’t want him to hurt you.” Daniel answered, his demeanor one of regret. He wanted to reach out and touch you, but your expression made him think better of it. 

“It’s not your job to protect me, Dan.” You finally responded, your own tone softening at the sight of the wounded puppy standing before you. 

“I disagree.” He told you, shrugging simply. 

“Y/N, I love you. I have since I first met you. I should have told you about Carlos. I was wrong, I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to see you upset again.” Okay, that was a pretty good apology. You pursed your lips, and looked at the man that you had spent so much time beside. Sure, Daniel could be an absolute idiot sometimes, but his intentions were always good. Still, there was one thing you couldn’t help but wonder. 

“Are you jealous?” You asked, glancing up at him through your lashes, a part of you worried that he may laugh at you. 

“Jealous?” He repeated, as if considering it for the first time himself. 

“Maybe I am.” He finally replied, shrugging slightly. You didn’t know how to respond to that. You didn’t think he would actually agree. 

“W-what does that mean? I thought the great thing about us was the no strings?” You sputtered, thinking out loud instead of choosing your words carefully. 

“I wouldn’t say that’s what makes us great.” Daniel looked so serious, you found it a little unsettling. When you decided to confront him, you never thought you’d end up here. You felt your phone buzz in your pocket and you grabbed it. 

Carlos: Does tonight work? 7:30?

You felt nauseous. You didn’t know what any of this meant. You knew you loved Daniel, but you’d never let yourself consider the possibility of having an actual romantic relationship with him. Nothing scared you more than the idea of losing him, and if things were to go poorly between the two of you, you would never get over it. 

“Is that him?” He asked, reading your expression like a book as you stared at your screen. You chewed on your lip for a second and considered lying yourself, but decided against it. 

“Yes. He asked me out to dinner.” You told him softly. 

“Well you should go. It’s what you want. And I really am sorry. I promise I won’t interfere.” Daniel was being oddly mature about the whole thing. Something about the way he spoke made your heart ache. 

“I can't believe you’re doing this now.” You mumbled under your breath, mostly to yourself. 

“It wasn’t the plan.” He said, as if that would make you feel any better. You stayed quiet and kept your eyes glued to the floor in an effort to fight the tears that you thought may well up at any moment. 

“Look, I don't want you to worry about us. No matter what happens, we’ll be okay. We can talk about this more later. You should go out. I’m here when you’re ready to talk.” He told you sincerely, likely in an effort to reassure you. You couldn’t tell if that was a blessing or a curse. How could you possibly focus on Carlos when you had this conversation floating around in your head? Part of you was angry that he’d told you all of this. This was exactly why you and Dan had been together- to avoid messes like these. Still, you knew he hadn’t done any of this maliciously- he was just a big idiot. 

“Alright. Well… I love you too. You’re a pain in the ass.” He chuckled at that and you couldn’t help but pull him into a hug. You didn’t want to be mad at him, you didn’t want this weird air between the two of you. His embrace felt comfortable and you allowed yourself to relax in it for a moment. Then he was heading out the door, leaving you to stand in shock, replaying the conversation over and over again in your mind. You had never really considered that Daniel may have romantic feelings for you. Now that sounded naive and silly, but really, you just never thought about settling down or pursuing something more serious with him. 

After a sharp exhale, you sent a text to Carlos. 

Y/N: 7:30 sounds great. I’ll see you then!

You decided to push the conversation with Dan out of your mind and went to get ready. You tossed your polo aside and glanced through your dresser, trying to decide just how fancy you should look. You decided to go for a black romper adorned with pink lace flowers, something soft and feminine as opposed to the usual race suits and teamwear he usually saw you in. You took your time doing your makeup and your hair, thinking about your conversation with Carlos earlier that day. You thought about the way he touched you, the feeling of his lips on yours. It was so different than all the times you had been with Daniel. You were annoyed with the two men, and all of the drama that seemed to be unfolding. Maybe Seb was right- maybe you should just swear off men entirely. 

Before too long you heard a knock at your hotel room door. You finished clasping your pink platforms and made your way over, pulling the door open. Carlos stood there, a big smile spread across his face. He had a small bouquet of flowers clutched in his right hand. You felt a blush rise to your cheeks at the gesture. 

“Wow, you look… Beautiful.” He said, his eyes a little wide as he glanced down your form. 

“Thank you, you don’t look so bad yourself.” You replied with a little wink. He did look rather handsome, a black dress shirt on with some black dress pants. Damn, he looked good as hell in all black. 

“These, they’re for you.” He said, moving the flowers closer to you, as if you didn’t know. 

“They’re lovely, Carlos. Thank you. Let me slip these inside.” You turned and left him waiting there, sticking the carnations in  one of the water glasses that housekeeping had left for you. They really were lovely, and it felt like a very ‘Carlos’ thing for him to do. Then you were standing before him once more. 

“Vamos,” You said, bringing a little grin to his lips as you turned and wandered down the hall together. 

The valet went and fetched Carlos’ silver Ferrari, one he drove on race weekends. You almost thought about asking for another car to garner less attention, but you couldn’t bring yourself to. He had worked hard to be a part of the Ferrari team, and you were happy to let him show you a little bit of his world. 

Plus, you didn’t often get the chance to be in a Ferrari, and you were hoping you could convince him to let you take a turn behind the wheel. 

Finally, after about fifteen minutes you arrived at what looked to be a quaint bistro. Carlos had been spending a lot of time immersing himself in Italian culture. You knew very little Italian, just the basics to get you through a race weekend. Carlos however talked to the restaurant host with what appeared to be confidence, which you would have certainly lacked. You were impressed, raising your brow with the ease in which he spoke. 

The host nodded and gestured for the pair of you to follow him. Carlos allowed you to lead, and followed closely behind as you were escorted to a table tucked away in a romantically lit corner. You were grateful for this, as you were hoping to stay away from any of the media’s prying eyes. Carlos pulled out your chair before taking his seat across from you. 

He seemed just a little nervous and not like the ‘smooth operator’ his nickname suggested. You were handed a menu, and you glanced at it, trying desperately to pick out words and dishes that were familiar to you. He seemed to notice you struggling slightly and decided to try to help. 

“So lasagne al forno is just baked lasagna. And tortellacci is prosciutto and cheese stuffed tortellini, pretty much.” He explained as he pointed at some of the different options. Whenever you were in Italy, you usually stuck to pizza and the pastas you knew how to pronounce. Instead, you decided to try something different this time. Carlos placed your order for you, and you were relieved he had saved you from butchering the pronunciation. Then you managed to order yourself some wine- if there was one thing Daniel had taught you, it was how to get wine no matter what part of the world you were in. And there you went, thinking about Daniel again. 

You expelled him from your mind and focused on Carlos and the adoring way in which he was looking at you. In the dim candlelight he truly looked as if he were glowing. 

“You did brilliantly today- I don’t know if I told you.” You said, pausing politely for a moment only as the waiter returned with a bottle for the two of you. A bigger smile spread across his lips. 

“Thank you, it was a good race. If I couldn’t win, then I’m glad it was you.” He replied, raising his glass in cheers. You lightly tapped your glass against his before taking a sip, your victory as good as anything to drink to. 

“I’m just glad we’re doing this. That day when you left… I was really upset about it.” You confessed, trying to hide your expression behind the brim of your glass. Carlos furrowed his brow, his smile dropping a little. 

“Yeah, I was too. I know, I should have just talked to you. Lando told me-”

“Lando? Of course, that explains it.” You chuckled a bit, thinking about Lando’s odd behavior on the plane that very same day. No wonder he’d been so suspicious, clearly he was just trying to protect his friend. You explained Lando’s not so subtle investigating and Carlos laughed, shaking his head and lightly rolling his eyes. 

“Are you sure he’s not in love with you?” You asked teasingly, pulling yet another laugh from him. 

“Ha-ha. I could say the same to you about Daniel.” He replied in a similar tone, although you found that much more difficult to laugh at. You quickly changed the subject, asking about how he liked being a part of Ferrari and if it was possible to get any work done with Charles as a teammate. He told you he missed Lando of course, but he loved where he was and he felt like he was finally starting to reach championship contender level. Your conversation flowed as easily as the wine did, and the food was absolutely heavenly. You found yourself wishing you could stay in this little bubble for a while. Just you, Carlos and all the absurdly decadent food Italy had to offer. 

Then you began to discuss summer vacation and what the two of you enjoyed doing the most outside of F1. 

“What do you do on holiday? Aside from posting shirtless photos of yourself.” You asked cheekily, trying to think of a conversational topic that didn’t pertain to work or other drivers.

“Are you telling me you don’t like them?” He asked, pretending to be hurt. You rolled your eyes. 

“Don’t think that’s what I said.” You teased, earning a smug grin from him. Carlos then told you about how he loved being able to go home any chance he got to spend time with his family. He talked about the plethora of sports they enjoyed together, and of course that he always made time for the beach- as if Instagram didn’t make that obvious. He told you about Piñón, his smile widening as he did so. 

You smiled, thinking of the glimpses of his family that you’d caught on the track and on Drive To Survive. They seemed incredibly kind and close knit, and you didn’t hate the idea of getting to know them better. 

Truthfully, you were a little envious that Carlos had gotten to grow up with racing in his blood. It was different for you; your parents were working-class and used all of the extra money they had to get you through karting. It didn’t come naturally to your family, and there were many growing pains as your career advanced. The first time you’d gotten into a kart was mostly by accident, but you were hooked immediately. It belonged to a cousin of yours, and you were only about four when you first climbed behind the wheel, determined to keep up with the older kids. In that moment a passion began and it consumed you. 

Again, it made you feel different from your colleagues, as the majority of them were born to race. You felt like you spent years trying to compensate for being a woman, and catch up to their money and their names, and prove that you belonged. Whenever you performed exceptionally well it was deemed a ‘fluke’, and you couldn’t help but feel like that part of your job would never end. 

And now you sat across from Carlos Sainz Jr, while you battled with Lewis Hamilton for the championship. That dream- the sacrifice, the passion, the countless hours of practice- it had all brought you here. 

So when Carlos asked more about your parents, you explained the lengths they went to keep you in the sport, and the way they had always supported you. Still, you found that imposter syndrome lurking in the back of your mind, doing its best to undermine your accomplishments and hard work. You didn’t frequently share those feelings with the other drivers on the grid, because you didn’t want it to sound like you were complaining. But still, it weighed on you heavily. 

You caught yourself rambling, but his big brown eyes looked captivated, his hand cradling his chin as you spoke. There was something about his demeanor that made you want to open up to him. He was curious but didn’t pry, and he contributed while truly listening to everything you said. You grabbed your napkin and gently dabbed at the side of your mouth, suddenly feeling embarrassed by just how much you had shared. He seemed to have that effect on you, you completely lost yourself in his company. You thought back to that night in your hotel room, where you told him about your greatest hopes and some of your most intimidating fears when you had barely spent any time alone with him at all.

“And I’ve talked about myself entirely too much.” You chuckled, glancing down at the food that you should have been eating instead of droning on and on. 

“No, I don’t think so. I want to get to know you, I’m happy you feel comfortable enough to share.” He replied, sounding so reasonable, his shoulders raising slightly in a shrug. 

“I want to know you.” He added, his voice just a touch deeper as he eyed you from across the table, bringing his wine glass back to his lips. You nearly gulped at that. 

Dinner was delicious, and you weren’t sure you’d be able to make room for dessert, until you heard about the gelato. Carlos offered to share, and that seemed like an offer impossible to refuse. He ordered you chocolate, and the son of a bitch pulled his chair around to the side of the table to make it easier to share. He gathered a bit on the spoon and began to raise it to your lips- and it was corny as hell, but damn were you turned on. He held your gaze as you parted your lips and sucked the spoon clean, your eyes flashing up suggestively at his, for just a moment. He cleared his throat minutely, his jaw clenching slightly. You grabbed your spoon and dug in, feeding him just as he’d done to you. You deliberately missed his mouth, just a smidge, making him chuckle slightly as he licked the rest off of the spoon. You leaned over and gently ran your thumb over the spot of chocolate before licking it off, making Carlos’ cheeks flush that bright pink color. Sometimes you liked doing things to deliberately throw Carlos off- making him blush made you feel sexy and desirable. 

“You really are trouble, aren’t you?” He asked lowly, reaching over to brush some of your hair behind your ear. You grinned at that, biting your lip just a little. 

“That’s what they tell me.” You responded, thinking about just how sweet his lips would taste in that moment. 

Just as you were building up the courage to lean over and peck his lips, the waiter was appearing with your bill. It broke your little trance and Carlos quickly swiped it, not even allowing you the opportunity to fight over it. 

“Carlos, at least let me split it with you.” You suggested, placing your hand on top of his in an effort to pause his movements. 

“No, nonsense.” He answered quickly, already handing his card off. You rolled your eyes, but couldn’t help at the smile that fell over your features. 

Soon he was standing, and gesturing for you to lead the way. His hand slid onto the small of your back as you walked, the little touch setting your chest on fire. As the valet went to fetch your car, you caught sight of a few race fans across the street, decked out in their team wear, and you took a step away from Carlos. He looked at you with concern, until he saw them too. 

“Should I just get a cab home?” You asked lowly, trying to gauge his reaction. 

“There’s nothing wrong with us having dinner.” He said, shrugging slightly. You flashed him a look- you figured it had to be rather clear that the pair of you were on a date. The last thing you wanted was to see photos of you on a gossip site, at least not until you hard sorted out all of the feelings that you had. 

“Ok. Fine. Two friends, having dinner.” You agreed with a nod, trying to convince yourself that that wasn’t suspicious at all. 

Then his Ferrari was pulling up, and although you said it was fine, you tried to stoop into the car as quickly as possible. You settled into the passenger’s seat and he sped off, a sort of awkward silence falling between the two of you. You felt like you were doing everything you could to avoid the elephant in the room- Daniel. 

“I had a good time.” Carlos finally said, breaking the silence first. 

“Oh, yes. I did too, it was lovely.” You said, smiling as his eyes briefly met yours. 

“I would love to do it again.” He said, sounding almost cautious, like you were an animal he was afraid to startle. 

“I would too.” You responded truthfully. You were grateful a few moments later when he pulled up to the hotel. You suddenly felt as though you were suffocating in that car, thoughts of both of the men you cared so deeply for flashing through your mind. 

He opened your door, breaking your train of thought, and offered you a hand to steady yourself as you stood. The staff allowed you to enter the hotel through the service elevator, allowing you to slip inside unbeknownst to the prying eyes of the waiting tifosi camped out in the lobby. 

You spoke about the next race on the calendar as you walked- Miami. A new city, a new circuit. The whole grid had been buzzing with excitement- mostly at the thought of Cuban food and beautiful beaches to explore. Racing in a new city was always extra exciting, but you were glad to have a two week break to prepare yourself before being thrown back into the chaos of a race weekend. 

Before long, you were standing at your hotel room door, the two of you shuffling for a moment, unsure of quite how to proceed. Then your gaze met his, and you couldn’t help but feel drawn to him. He moved closely to you, backing you up against the door, until he had trapped you. His hand gently touched your cheek, his eyes narrowing in contemplation as he looked at you. You felt your breath catch in your throat in his proximity. 

“Are you okay?” He asked softly. 

“Yes.” You lied. He leaned down and pressed his lips to yours, his hand sneaking around your waist and closing what little distance remained between the two of you. When he pulled back you were the one blushing- all of your thoughts of pulling him into your room and dropping to your knees for him. But your damn conscious- it made you hesitate. You weren’t in a position to be fully committed to Carlos, and you didn’t want to lead him on. 

“I’m not ready to be exclusive.” You burst out, although he certainly hadn’t asked. He furrowed his brow a bit, clearly not expecting that. 

“I… I have feelings for you, Carlos. Like, strong feelings. And I want to be honest with you- I’m overwhelmed and I’m conflicted with life right now. I’m not ready to make a commitment. And I don’t even know if that’s what you want, I just don’t want to hurt you.” The words tumbled out of your mouth before you could even consider what you were going to say. He took a slight step back and you feared for the worst. 

“Okay, I understand.” He said simply. When did everyone around you become so goddamn mature? Your face must have accurately shown your confusion. 

“I can wait. If you need time.” Another response you were not expecting. 

“Really?” You questioned, a sigh of relief falling from you. 

“Really. I just want you to be honest. If you need time, I have time.” How did that make you want him even more? You thought about inviting him into your room, but you weren’t sure if that would be sending mixed signals. You leaned up and pressed another kiss to his lips, trying to satiate your growing desire for him. You didn’t want to have sex with him for the first time with the day’s events still fresh in your mind. 

“So, maybe we can do this again?” You asked hopefully. He reached up and gently ran his thumb across your bottom lip. 

“Yes, we will.” He said definitively, nodding slightly as if to reassure you. “I’ll text you.” He told you, before kissing you once more and turning to walk down the hall. You stood there, just kind of frozen, a smile on your face when he turned back to sneak one more glance at you. 

You collected yourself for a second and swiped the key card for your room, sauntering in and plopping down on your bed. You lied there and thought about what a picture-perfect date that had been. 

You truly felt so conflicted, but decided you wanted to find Dan to finish your earlier conversation- you also kind of wanted to tell him about the date. After all, he was still your best friend. You slipped into some more comfortable clothes, and stuck your head out of your door, peaking to be sure Carlos was gone. 

Once you saw that he was, you headed over to Dan’s and knocked. After a moment of silence you knocked again, but to no avail. You tried to call him, but his phone went straight to voicemail. 

You hopped on the elevator and wandered down to the lobby, his sudden disappearance not sitting right with you. 

You wandered over to the desk, thankful that the race weekend was officially over and there didn’t seem to be any people camped out waiting for you anymore. 

“Hi- sorry, I just had a question. Has the guest in room 1220 checked out?” You asked quietly. The man behind the desk finally glanced up at you, a slight recognition sparking in his eyes. He seemed a little hesitant, but pulled up the information without too much of a fuss. 

“Yes, it looks like that guest left an hour ago.” 

Sonofabitch. You muttered back a ’thank you’ through clenched teeth and headed back up to your room. 

You got into the shower, trying to drown out your frustrations, but it didn’t help. Part of you considered going back to the lobby and finding a perfect stranger- perhaps a bartender- for you to vent all of your frustrations.

You couldn’t believe Daniel had left. You were supposed to fly back home to Monaco together the next day. 

You decided that you’d just continue on with your original plan, although it would certainly be a far more boring commute. Thankfully it was only a three and a half hour long flight. 

You went back to your room and considered drinking the little whiskey bottles that sat in your minibar but decided against it. You knew getting shitfaced wouldn't help you solve your problems. Still, you spent your night tossing and turning, and the next morning you were glad to be getting on the plane. You wanted to confront Daniel- and it wasn’t like he could avoid you- you were neighbors for fuck sake. You spent most of the flight stewing, the empty seat beside you serving as a constant reminder of the sudden distance between the two of you. You put on your headphones and settled back into your seat mentally mapping out everything you wanted to say to him.  Maybe Seb was right, once again you found yourself consumed by thoughts of Carlos and Daniel rather than the fight that you still had in front of you. You took a moment to reminisce about the race, determined not to forget that the weekend had been a victory for you. 

Before you knew it the plane was landing and you were grateful. As soon as you could you shot out of your seat, got your bag, and took off. You grabbed a cab back to your apartment and went straight to Dan’s doorway rather than your own. You knocked as loud as you could, working through the script you had written yourself in your mind. After a moment, the door finally opened. Daniel looked pretty exhausted, his curly hair disheveled, his eyes looking a bit droopy with sleep. He offered a weak smile. 

“Hi.” He said simply. 

“Hi?” You replied harshly, no interest in hiding your annoyance. You pushed past him and into the threshold of his home, dropping your bags carelessly. He closed the door and slowly turned to face you. You were reared and ready to tear into him, but he beat you to the punch. 

“Before you begin, I want to say sorry. I couldn’t- I couldn’t just sit in my room. I just needed to get out of there. I’ve had a lot to think about.” He told you carefully. Something about seeing Dan speak so seriously made you uncomfortable. You were used to bad jokes and pick up lines, but melancholy self-reflection was never a good look on him. You stood with your arms crossed and waited for him to continue. 

“You were right, we’re easy. We’ve always been easy. But, I was thinking about all of the great things in my life- the things that make me the happiest- and all of those things bring me back to you.” You felt your chest tighten a bit at his words. 

“You’re my constant- I don’t know why I didn’t realize it sooner. I knew you didn’t want something serious, and I thought I didn’t either. But the thought of losing you, or seeing you with someone else- it made me realize how stupid I was being. I want to be the person that you celebrate all of your wins with. I want to be with you on your worst days. I want you, and I’ll always want you.” Dan said finally, his voice shaking just minutely. You felt a tear slip down your cheek that you hadn’t realized was brewing. 

“Danny,” You really didn’t know what to say. All that time planning out what you wanted to tell him, and it was all gone in an instant.

“And I know it might be too late,” He continued on, slightly avoiding your gaze. 

“And if I am, that’s my fault, and I understand. I’ll still be here for you.” Daniel said lastly, nodding at his words as if to prove how much he meant the sentiment. You stood and stared, mouth slightly agape as you considered how to respond. 

“Please say something.” He finally pleaded, a bit of that smile you knew so well spreading across his cheeks. 

“I don’t know what to say.” You finally choked out, finding yourself truly speechless. You gave yourself just another moment to gather your thoughts. 

“I need time, I think.” You finally squeaked out. 

“I know I love you too, but. I just need some time to think. I really do care for Carlos.” He winced a little at that bit. But you wanted to do everything you could to be honest. You’d been best friends with Daniel for three years, and he’d never once hinted at being interested in a relationship. Why the sudden change of heart? You didn’t want to make any hasty decisions, especially when it came to the feelings of the people that you cared so deeply for. 

“Can we just… Pretend everything is normal, please?” You sort of blurted out, some tears still streaking your cheeks. 

“Just for one more day, can we pretend like nothing’s changed?” You asked a little desperately, looking at him with pleading eyes. He reached out and pulled you into a hug. He ran his fingers through your hair and pressed a light kiss to your forehead. 

“Yeah, of course.” He mumbled, keeping you close to him. It felt so good to be back in his arms, his touch had always made you feel so relaxed and safe. But you knew the reprieve would be short-lived. You only had two short weeks before the Miami GP and you didn’t want to have Daniel and Carlos in the same place without being able to offer some clarification on your feelings. For now, you only wanted to order a pizza with Dan and pretend that everything was absolutely the same.

So that’s what you did.

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