coco-loco-nut

[coco-loco-nut]

Take a Chance on Me

pairing: charles x reader

summary: a secret can only stay a secret for so long, especially when you aren’t really trying to hide it

masterlist series masterlist soundtrack

requests open

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You made Charles put in the work, but it felt as easy as breathing for him. He was just thankful to have you in his arms again. Charles took every opportunity to travel from Maranello to your home near Ravenna.

The relationship has been kept under wraps, needing to focus on yourselves and the relationship. It’s been hard to remember that you aren’t the same people as you were before and your relationship won’t be the same either.

Charles really stepped into a father figure role quickly. Neither you or Alessandra expected him to do so right away, but it was an easy adjustment. Truthfully, the whole relationship has been an easier to fall back into than expected.

“Good morning,” Charles kisses your shoulder, voice groggy as you roll over to face him.

“When do you fly out?” you blink away your exhaustion. You’ll be relieved when the season is over.

“I’ll have to leave here in a couple hours,” he replies, pulling you in for a cuddle.

“That’s so soon,” you groan, wanting to fall asleep on his chest.

“I know, but it’s the last race. You’ll see me in a couple days anyway,” Charles is bringing you in Friday evening for Saturday and Sunday. Alessandra has been not-so subtly asking to go to another race and you are happy to go and support him.

“I know,” you reach up and play with the ends of his hair. “I think you need to swing by Monaco and have your mom cut your hair,” you smile, giving it a light tug.

“It’s in my plans for after the race, don’t worry. I do recall you begging for me to grow it out longer,” he smiles lazily.

“Well now it’s too long,” you give him a quick kiss and sit up. “I’ll start breakfast,” you slide one of his shirts on and a pair of shorts before heading to the kitchen. It doesn’t take too long before Charles joins you, easily sliding beside you to help cook.

“Morning, Mom. Good morning, Charles,” Alessandra yawns, wearing an old Ferrari hoodie she stole from Charles after you washed it.

“I was wondering where that went. Remind me to bring you to Monaco, I have a storage unit full of old team kits,” Charles greets warmly.

“Really?” her eyes widen as she sits at the kitchen table.

“Of course, we can go after the prize giving ceremony,” he promises. You never could’ve imagined this being your family. You’ve noticed the little things. How he clearly wants to be a father, but holds back until it’s clear that you and Alessandra are comfortable with that.

“Are you packed?” you set down a plate of pancakes as Charles helps set the table. Alessandra is leaving for the race with Charles after she spent a week begging you. He was kind enough to pull some strings and ‘hire’ her as a temporary personal assistant. She’s been packed for the last few days.

“I’ve been packed,” Charles hides his smile at her response. He’s a little stressed, it’s a lot of responsibility to bring his girlfriend’s daughter on a trip overseas. It’s a test, he knows it is. If something goes wrong he wouldn’t blame you for calling it off.

“Maybe I should change my flight plans,” you joke, taking a seat beside Charles.

“Just say the word and it’s done,” Charles says, making your heart flutter at the notion.

“Can’t, I have some big meetings today and tomorrow,” you remind him.

Breakfast passes by quickly and you find yourself alone in the kitchen cleaning up as Charles finishes packing. A picture frame catches your eye and you grab it. You are beaming at the camera as Alessandra takes some steps out of your arms and towards the camera. You wouldn’t be able to tell from the picture, but that was one of the hardest years of your life.

You were struggling being a single mom, even with your parents help, and your depression didn’t help. The news was filled with Ferrari’s championship year and Charles’ track dominance as he won his first of three championships. You couldn’t escape it. You were even struggling in your career, being a single mom fresh out of college was a challenge you weren’t ready for.

“Mom?” Alessandra’s voice pulls you out of your memories. You hum in acknowledgment, looking away from the photo. “I’ll finish up. Go help Charles pack,” she offers.

“Honey, it’s okay, I’ve got it,” you set the photo down and pull yourself together.

“No, go. Spend some time with your man,” she nudges you away from the sink.

“Okay,” you breathe. Glancing once more at your grown up baby girl before heading to your bedroom.

“When I was a driver, sweats were perfectly acceptable flying attire,” Charles frowns as he buttons up his shirt.

“I don’t know, I like this look,” you fix his collar.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” you feel your cheeks flame as you place a stack of folded clothes into his suitcase.

You notice nervous energy as Charles double checks his backpack.

“Hey, everything okay?” you extend your hand and gently touch his shoulder,

“I know we pretty much have the championships on lock, but what if something happens? It came down to the last race for a reason,” Charles stresses.

“Then it wasn’t meant to happen this year. Trust yourself and your team like you have every time, have fun, and just remember it’s another regular weekend at the track,” you use roughly the same speech you gave Alessandra many times before a dance recital or football game.

“I don’t know how I survived without you,” Charles steps closer, wrapping his arms around your waist and pressing himself against your back in a hug.

“Alright, you need to get going,” you sigh, feeling his warmth leave you. Charles watches you quickly get dressed to go to work, wishing he could just stop time and spend the day in bed with you. You feel a greater sadness when he and Alessandra get into his car and drive off.

“Excited?” Charles asks as the plane nears Abu Dhabi. Alessandra looks like a younger version of you, wide eyed and ready to take on the world.

“I am, thank you for bringing me early,”

“Of course. You did the hard part of convincing your mom,” Charles feels like it is thankless.

“You know, it’s all kinda crazy. I went from being a fan to having a guy who is basically my dad be the team principal of Ferrari,” Alessandra mentions, warming Charles’ heart at the words.

“Well I never thought I’d have the chance to have a daughter figure, or ever see your mom again, so I think I’m the lucky one,” Charles is careful with his words. He doesn’t want to overstep, but he does want to be honest.

“I know we aren’t there yet as a family, but I do look forward to the day where you will be my dad,” Charles reaches across the aisle and gives her a hug.

“Soon,” Charles promises. Does he have a ring already picked out? He bought one a couple days after reconciling.

The next two days pass by quickly. You get so many updates from Alessandra and Charles that you feel like you are right there with them. As you lock the door to your home, your phone pings with a text. It’s a photo of Alessandra on the pit wall where Charles usually sits, headset on and looking at data while Charles points something out. You quickly dial his number as you carry your bag to your parents car.

“Don’t you think she’s a bit young to manage the team?” you ask when he picks up, your smile audible through the phone.

“She’s learning from the best. Our future leader of Ferrari,” Charles replies. Our. Your heart warms at the word, at his want to be a part of your family and the integration of your family into his life.

“Well, I wouldn’t recommend that she sits on the pit wall during a race, but to each their own,” you laugh.

“I take it you are on your way to the plane then?” Charles asks, you hear shuffling and the shut of a door in the background. You have his full attention.

“I am, my father says hello by the way,” you sink into the car seat, anxious to arrive in Abu Dhabi.

“Hello back to him,” you chat for a few more minutes until he has to go again. Your father turns up the radio once the call ends, an old CD that has played on many trips. With the sun streaming through the window, you are taken back to the days when he would take you to a nearby town as an adventure.

“I wasn’t going to say anything yet, but I am glad you two are back together again,” you dad speaks as you get closer to the airport.

“You are?”

“Of course. He’s one of the few people who have ever made you truly happy. It was unfortunate when you ended things the first time. I’m happy to see my baby girl happy again once more,”

“I am just still a little on edge. It’s hard to trust after all these years,” you pick at the hem of your shirt.

“How does my stellina feel about the relationship?” your fathers asks, briefly glancing at you.

“She adores him, and not just because of his occupation. She is the reason we found each other again after all,” your words have a fondness to them that you hadn’t recognized yourself yet. Maybe Charles isn’t the only one ready to take that step.

“Then why the hesitation?” you open your mouth to answer but no words come to mind. “Tesoro, everything you have done for nearly the last seventeen years has been for Alessandra. It is okay to allow yourself another source of happiness, especially one that already seems to have her approval.”

“How did you become so wise?” your smile meets your eyes.

“The same way you have, raising a headstrong daughter,” your father stops at your drop off point, following Charles’s instructions to a t.

“Thank you,” you give him a hug goodbye and head inside. You spend the flight watching movies and napping. Charles is still at the track for free practice two when you land, so a hospitality staff member is sent to pick you up and bring you to the track.

“Miss Rossi?” the staff member isn’t hard to spot, their crisp Ferrari polo standing out in the crowd.

“That’s me,” you smile tiredly.

“We should get going, best not to leave Mr. Leclerc waiting,” the British accent sounds almost harsh against the Italian you are accustomed to. “How was your flight?”

“Pleasant, thank you for asking, and for retrieving me from the airport,” your luggage is loaded into the waiting car and you slip into the back seat.

“This is your paddock pass, please do not lose it,”

“Thanks,” the car ride is short, and a little awkward. You expected it, retrieving your boss’s significant other is probably not a fun task.

“We will handle your luggage from here,” the staff member leaves you at the front of the hospitality center.

“Mom!” Alessandra rushes over to hug you.

“Hi,” you hug her back, squeezing a little tighter.

“Charles is in a meeting but he will be right out,” she says professionally, practicing her assistant role.

“Well then, what do you recommend we do?”

“Y/n?” a familiar voice distracts you.

“Carlos? What are you doing here?” you take a step forward to hug Charles’s former teammate, but quickly stop yourself.

“I could ask the same, I haven’t seen you in, god almost twenty years. I’m here to support the team in winning the championship, you know, former driver things. What are you doing here?” Carlos also seems unsure of how to proceed.

“I, um, Charles and I got back together recently. This is my daughter, Alessandra. She pulled the strings and here we are,” you motion to your near carbon copy. Carlos quickly tries to identify any of Charles’ features but finds none.

“Hi, I’m a huge fan,” Alessandra is giddy. It seems like you both just arrived.

“Two of my favorite people arrived,” Charles steps into the room with a smile.

“Your wife is here,” you point at Carlos with a teasing grin.

“Forget him, let’s run away together,” Carlos teases back. It takes Charles back, like you never broke up.

“Don’t do that. Ready to head out?” Charles asks you, wrapping an arm around your waist.

“Yep, although your staff did something with my luggage,” you look around for someone to ask.

“On its way to the hotel as we speak. Are you hungry, we can go get dinner?” Charles asks like you are the only person in the room.

“I would love some, thanks for asking,” Carlos replies as Charles rolls his eyes affectionately.

“Maybe we can order in?” You suggest, not in the mood to go out anywhere.

“Sounds like a plan. Carlos you are welcome to join,” Charles extends the offer, knowing Carlos will take it anyway.

“Send me the time and room number, we have some catching up to do,” Carlos leaves the three of you.

“Sometimes I wish you two never split. Like, can you imagine if Carlos was my uncle from birth,” Alessandra says as you near Charles’ car. Carlos is only a few steps ahead, so you and Charles capitalize on it.

“You don’t want that, he has horrible jokes,” Charles deflects, but speaking loud enough for Carlos to hear.

“That’s true, and his singing is worse,”

“Aye, take that back,” Carlos turns around.

“Smooth operator,” Charles sings mockingly.

“Are they always like this?” Alessandra asks, looking at you.

“They always were. Some fans didn’t believe it, but they were good friends, even if they didn’t spent much time together outside of work,” you answer. Even if you were only present for that one summer, you took every piece of information and carefully stored it in your mind.

Dinner comes and goes, Carlos told many stories as you exchanged life updates before Charles kicked everyone out for a ‘strict bed time’. He just saw you falling asleep on his shoulder and took advantage of the opportunity.

“What do I even wear. What do the other partners of a team principal wear?” you rummage through your bag, stressing out.

“You could show up in sweatpants and I’d be happy. But to answer your question, the same thing as you wore when you attended my races before,” Charles reaches into your bag and pulls out a red top and white dress pants.

“People will see us together and judge, I don’t want bad opinions on day one,” you quickly change, stressing over the smallest details.

“There will be every kind of opinion no matter how you dress, but the only one that matters is mine. Your return to the paddock will be one looked upon favorably,” Charles promises.

“I love you,” you tell him for the first time since before you split. Charles pauses, running the moment back over in his head to make sure he heard right.

“I love you too, I never stopped,” Charles sweeps you into a kiss, carefully restraining himself since you don’t have much time before you leave.

The morning seems quiet to you, not quite the normal excitement that a race would bring. Maybe it’s fatigue, everyone ready to make that final push to the end of this season and the start of the next. Perhaps it’s just the time, having been among the first to arrive in order to get settled and for Charles to ensure he has time with you and Alessandra before his busy schedule. Either way, you soak it all in, not wanting to take everything for granted.

“Okay, we have a meeting with some of the development drivers. See you in a bit,” Charles presses a soft kiss to your lips, and as he pulls away Carlos walks in with two coffees.

“Have fun,” you take a seat beside Carlos, who generously offered to spend time with you.

Alessandra trails Charles into a conference room where three teenage boys around her age talk excitedly.

“I’ll be right back, stay here,” Charles looks down, realizing he forgot his computer.

“Who are you?” one of the boys asks, not bothering to state his name first.

“Alessandra, Charles is my, uh, father,” she replies, standing awkwardly by the doorway.

“Are you sure, you don’t sound confident about that,” the same guy replies.

“Sorry about that. This is my daughter, Alessandra. Alessandra, these are three of our junior drivers,” Charles sits down and Alessandra takes a seat beside him, feeling more confident. The meeting passes by quickly compared to the others, talking about targets and progress rather than times and data.

Alessandra rejoins you and Carlos, taking a snack to boost her energy while waiting for her next duty. Charles walks in with one of the reserve drivers, who is almost immediately distracted by Alessandra’s presence.

“Absolutely NOT, she is off limits to you and any other Ferrari member,” Charles narrows his eyes, the scariest he’s ever been.

“Okay, my bad,” the kid quickly apologizes, a little embarrassed.

“Charles, don’t scare him,” you chastise, leaving Alessandra with Carlos who is more than happy to talk her ear off. “She is off limits though,” you agree with Charles.

“Come with me, mon amour,” Charles takes your hand, leading you to his office. The door clicks behind you, locked for privacy.

“Don’t you have things to do?” you ask, sitting on the edge of the desk.

“I have some time before qualifying,” he steps close to you, tenderly kissing you.

“Is that so?” you grin, gently pulling him closer to you. He hums lowly, letting the tension softly build between you.

“I should bring you to every race,” Charles says lowly, cherishing the quiet moment in a hectic weekend.

“You’d get nothing done,” your soft laugh fills the room, still sending Charles’ heart racing.

“Worth it,” a knock breaks your bubble making both of you sigh.

“Go, they need you,” you press one last kiss to his lips.

“I’ll see you later,” Charles swiftly exits the room, leaving you behind as he heads to the track. You follow behind a few minutes later, finding Alessandra where you left her.

“You look just as flustered as Charles,” Alessandra smirks before it falls a second later. “I don’t want to know,” she grimaces, erasing the thought from her mind.

“Oh, shush. Nothing happened,” you take a seat beside her. Ollie and Kimi’s partners approach carefully, unsure what the proper way to greet your partner’s boss’s partner.

“Hi, we think you should see this,” Ollie’s partner turns their phone towards you and Alessandra. It’s an article with a picture of the two of you and Charles entering the paddock. There’s also an old photo of you and Charles from your prior relationship.

“I didn’t think they’d catch on so soon,” you frown.

“How widespread?” Alessandra asks, mind jumping into solution mode. With only half an hour until qualifying, it isn’t the moqq as

“It’s spreading quickly. Kimi told me that Charles is in a meeting but the PR team is usually on top of this stuff,” Kimi’s partner answers, not sugarcoating it. Alessandra quickly gets on social media.

“The reaction seems positive. Not too much is known about us, so everyone seems to be congratulating Charles on a happy relationship,” Alessandra chooses to hide the speculation around her paternity.

“Hi, could you follow me?” as expected, the chief communications officer finds you swiftly. You and Alessandra follow her to a small meeting room where Charles is looking at a summary on a tablet. Carefully, you take a seat beside him, his hand immediately finding yours under the table.

“So, how do we approach this?” Charles looks into your eyes, ignoring his communications team.

“We need to be honest when asked if we are together. It isn’t that big of a deal now that it’s out there, especially since I’m not some celebrity,” you answer honestly. “We reconnected after running into one another after a long time apart, it’s pretty simple.”

“I’m afraid there is something a little more concerning than that,” the communications chief voice doesn’t match her slightly nervous expression. “There is a lot of growing speculation around Alessandra’s father, and her working under Charles this week isn’t helping,” you feel anger bubbling up, a squeeze from Charles’s hand holds you back.

“I don’t understand, why do they have a right to ask about a child who is not one of our drivers,” Charles practically seethes, wanting to protect the girl he’s come to see as his daughter.

“Alessandra has no father, there is not one on her birth certificate. She is my daughter and that is that,” your eyes narrow.

“Charles is certainly like a father to me at this point, but my mother is right. If asked, my father was never in the picture. I’d prefer that my relationship with Charles is kept between us at this stage,” Alessandra shifts in her seat, bridging yours and Charles’s statements. Alessandra has no doubt that she will be adopted by Charles eventually, but that isn’t information that needs to be known outside of the family.

“Right. We will address the press outside and quickly draft some bullet points for when you get stopped by the press,” with that, Charles dismisses himself, ending the meeting. This wasn’t how he planned the weekend on going, but he should’ve known better to plan for this. You stand up, following Charles without a second thought.

“I shouldn’t have brought you here,” Charles runs a frustrated hand through his hair. While he’s supposed to be focusing on the race he now has the press to think about.

“They were going to find out at some point. Best they learn during the last race than the first,” you bitterly smile, walking with him.

“You’re right, you always are,” Charles lets out a deep breath.

“Hey, I trust your judgment. Whatever you say to the press, I will back you,” you gently take his hand and give it a squeeze. You aren’t used to giving up control like that, but you are partners in your relationship.

“I love you,” Charles presses a quick kiss to your forehead before heading to the garage. Alessandra stays in hospitality with you, watching the television feed of Quali.

Once you return to the hotel, you sit in Charles’s hotel room to discuss your options.

“This is what the team sent over,” Charles turns his computer around to face Alessandra.

“I don’t think we should hide anything, just ignore any inquiries into the family,” Alessandra shrugs.

“I’m okay with that,” Charles agrees. You don’t speak, simply nodding in agreement. Alessandra yawns sleepily after the long day.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she stands, yawning as she stretches.

“Sleep well, love you,” you hug her tightly.

“See you then,” Charles offers a small smile and a reminder of when to meet in the morning.

After a quiet morning, the three of you make your way into the paddock. Almost immediately you are swarmed. Some yell questions about the team and qualifying results, but the majority ask questions about you. Security stalwarts to break them up, but Charles seizes the opportunity to make a statement.

“My family is a private matter. Unless the questions are relevant to the team and racing, I will not be answering them,” Charles says firmly, holding you a little tighter as your grip on Alessandra’s arm is firmer. Security makes a gap and the three of you slip through, quickly moving away from the media vultures.

As you walk into the Ferrari motorhome, your mind fixates on one word. Family. You don’t know why Charles chose that to describe you and Alessandra. Convenience or his truth - that you are his family.

“You look… rattled,” Carlos greets you. Charles was pulled away as soon as you stepped foot inside. Not that you are complaining, it’s race day, of course he is busy. Alessandra went off with some interns she befriended over the weekend, needing to be around people near her own age.

“I, um, we got surrounded by the media,” you explain, a little frustrated. Carlos nods sympathetically, clearly having seen the articles about his former teammate.

“They are ruthless, they used go call Rebecca and I a PR relationship,” Carlos scoffs, relating to your frustration. You want to ask him for his insight, try to know what Charles meant by the word family, but you just can’t bring yourself to.

“It comes with the territory, I suppose,” your bitter smile matches his own.

“Well, I haven’t seen him so happy in a while. That’s what matters,” Carlos offers his support.

“Isn’t it crazy how much we all have changed?” you glance as Carlos’s lock screen, a photo of him and his son - Carlos Sainz III wearing race suits.

“We are all grown up. You three should come to Madrid. There is a nice karting track and I can show you around,” Carlos suggests. He and Charles keep in touch, but they aren’t that close. Carlos thinks it might be nice to grow that relationship, especially with his son expressing interest and talent in karting.

“I’m sure Charles would like that. We should find a time before the season starts or you won’t see Charles until summer break,” your smile is genuine, glad to have a friend in Carlos.

“Has she ever karted?” Carlos glances at Alessandra, who is eagerly saying something to one of the development drivers.

“No. She asked, but the money and being a single mom,” you trail off, unable to add another truth to why you kept her away. “Being Italian, it’s impossible to not love Ferrari and she’s always had an attraction to the sport. Karting just wasn’t an option,” you shrug.

“Charles isn’t?” Carlos doesn’t say the rest, letting the implied question speak for itself. You shake your head.

“Her sperm donor has never been in the picture, that relationship was a mistake - a rebound from Charles - and by the time I knew both were long over,” you admit.

“And how does she feel about Charles?” Carlos prods, enjoying the story session. It feels like a conversation you would have laying in your best friends dark bedroom room at 3am during a sleepover, or at brunch over a mimosa.

“She adores him. I think they see each other as a father and a daughter, but they won’t admit it yet. They’ve really taken to each other,” you feel warm and fuzzy thinking about it.

“I’m glad, you deserve that. Having someone to support you for once and to care for you, it’s nice,” Carlos still sees you and Charles as the energetic carefree couple that you were twenty years ago, so sure that you had an endless amount of time together. He never asked why you broke, but he is sure that would cause too much pain to bring up. Carlos has overheard bits and pieces, but he doesn’t know the whole story. It wasn’t his place to ask.

“I’m glad to have you as a friend,” you tell Carlos who smiles warmly at you.

You spend the rest of your day and the race with him. Charles joined you for a few minutes while he had time to spare before the race. Alessandra joins you, eagerly listening as Carlos points things out and shares his experiences as a driver. And when Kimi and Ollie cross the line taking a 1-2, you practically jump into Carlos’ arms hugging him.

Carlos guides you towards the podium when the time comes, joining Charles and the team to celebrate the championship and win.

“Mon amour!” Charles pulls you into his arms, squeezing you tight.

“You did it, just like you did as a driver,” you smile, resting your head on his shoulder.

“Congrats, Charles,” Alessandra says as you pull away, allowing her to hug him as well.

“Thank you, piccola,” Charles says softly, not thinking about using the nickname he’s only ever said in his head. Charles’ hand finds yours as you stand beside him proudly. Alessandra stands at the other side of him with Carlos, happy in the family she’s gained.

As you sing among your compatriots and the team, you don’t know how it could get better than this moment.

[coco-loco-nut]

Imogen: Would you slap your best friend for a thousand bucks? Sawyer: I would slap Ridoc for free Ridoc, tearing up: I’m your best friend??

[coco-loco-nut]

someone cooked here

F1 driver, model, gardener.

[coco-loco-nut]

Man's Best Wingman - C. Leclerc

summary: they say dogs are a man’s best friend, but a certain dachshund may be man’s best wingman

pairing: Charles Leclerc x veterinarian!reader

warnings: none ( i mean use of y/n if you count that)

word count: 2.6k

It was no surprise that Charles Leclerc adored animals, specifically dogs. So, when word spread like wildfire around Monaco that he had adopted Leo, it was only a matter of time before the duo showed up in your clinic. 

You had heard about Leo from the gossip mill - Charles had been spotted walking the dog around the streets of Monte Carlo, and the photos of the two of them quickly made the rounds on social media. The sight of the Formula 1 driver, usually so composed and intense, walking around with an adorable dachshund puppy had the whole city cooing with affection. 

You had been working as a vet for a few years now, as one of the only ones in Monaco, so you were no stranger to having a celebrity walk through your doors. In fact, you had Alex Albon walking through your doors practically every month with the zoo he had. But hearing your techs swoon at the fact Charles was in your clinic, made you question how big this guy really was. 

“Y/n, Leo Leclerc is in room four for you. He’s here for his routine exam. So far everything looks good,” one of your techs said. 

“I bet Charles looks even better,” another one called, overhearing the conversation. 

Your eyes rolled, but you couldn’t help but chuckle at their remarks. “Focus on Leo, not Charles,” you teased, though you knew their excitement was understandable. 

Taking a deep breath to prepare yourself, you grabbed your stethoscope and walked toward room four. You were a professional, after all, and your job was to make sure Leo was in tip-top shape, not to let the celebrity connection distract you. 

As you knocked lightly on the door, you heard a soft voice call from the other side. “Come in!”

You opened the door to find Charles sitting on the exam table, with Leo happily bouncing around at his feet. The little dachshund’s tail wagged furiously as soon as he spotted you, making a beeline for you as though he’d known you for ages. 

“Hey there, Leo,” you said, crouching down to meet the enthusiastic puppy. You pet him for a second before standing back up. “I’m Dr. Y/L/N, but you can call me Y/N. I’ll be your primary veterinarian.”

Leo’s little tail wagged even harder at the mention of his name, and you couldn’t help but to smile at the sight. His big brown eyes stared up at you, full of trust and excitement. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Y/N,” Charles said as he got off of the exam table. His smile was easy, and you noticed how much more approachable he looked when he wasn’t in his racing suit. “I’m glad to see you’re the one handling Leo today.”

You nodded, doing your best to focus on the task at hand, though your heart was pounding into your throat. “He’s a cutie. And I’ve heard a lot about him from the clinic’s gossip mill. Seems like you two are quite the duo.”

Charles chuckled lightly, glancing down at Leo, who was now sitting patiently at his feet, as if sensing the shift in attention. “Yeah, Leo’s been a good distraction for me. Definitely makes my life a bit more fun, and I think he’s a great companion for my downtime.”

You turned to Leo, picking him up and placing him on the exam table, where Charles once sat. “He’s got a lot of energy for a little guy. Looks like he’s been keeping you on your toes.”

Charles shrugged, the slightest hint of amusement in his expression. “He definitely does, but I love having him around. Plus, he’s a great way to relax after a stressful weekend, just walking him around and enjoying the quieter side of things.”

“Sounds perfect,” you replied, settling your stethoscope into place. “Let’s make sure everything is going well with him. I’ll just start with a quick check-up, get his vitals and make sure he’s healthy.”

You focused on Leo, quickly going through the routine exam. His heart rate was normal, his coat was shiny and healthy, and his eyes were bright. After a quick examination, you looked up at Charles. “He’s in great shape, Charles. No issues at all. He’s a happy, healthy little guy.” 

Charles sighed in relief, his smile widening. “I’m glad to hear that. I was worried I might be doing something wrong.”

“Not at all,” you assured him, chuckling. “You’re doing everything right. It’s clear you care about him a lot.”

You scooped Leo into your arms and informed Charles you would be taking Leo into the back room to give him his shots. What you didn’t mention was that it was also an opportunity for all of the techs to fawn over the puppy. 

Once you brought Leo back into the exam room, Charles' eyes lit up, though you were unsure if it was at you, or the dog. You gave him a few instructions for Leo’s next few weeks, including a reminder to keep up with his vaccinations. “He’s good to go! Just a few follow-ups, but nothing to worry about.”

You bid goodbye to the driver as you guided him up to the receptionist's desk. There, you gave instructions on the next exam date. 

Charles had the day of the exam circled on his calendar the minute he got home. Sure, he wanted to be a good dog dad and pay attention to Leo’s appointments, but he also couldn’t wait to see you again. 

Unfortunately, he didn’t realize that since Leo had done so well, the follow up appointments that had been scheduled were only with the techs, not with you. He went through with the appointments, but in the back of his mind, he had to find a way to see you again. And thankfully, Leo gave him plenty of excuses. 

It all started when Leo ate a blade of grass. 

Now, Charles knew that eating grass wasn’t going to kill his dog, but he was worried it might make him a little sick… and he wanted to see you again. 

So, he scheduled an appointment.

As soon as you saw Charles and Leo’s names on the schedule, a smile tugged at the corner of your lips. You tried to shake it off, you were just doing your job, but there was something about seeing him that made you feel a little lighter. 

As the time drew nearer, you found yourself making sure everything was in order, the clinic bustling with its usual activity. Your techs were curious no doubt - they’d fawned over the duo when they took care of the dog’s follow up appointments, and definitely talked about the “celebrity dog dad” a little more than they probably should’ve. 

“Y/n, Charles and Leo are in room three for you. He mentioned Leo had eaten some grass earlier today, but so far, everything seems normal,” your tech informed you 

You walked towards the exam room, preparing yourself to see the driver and his dog again. As you entered, you saw Charles sitting on the chair this time, gently scratching behind Leo’s ears. The little dachshund’s tail was wagging, and he immediately perked up when he saw you, jumping down from Charles’ lap. 

“Hey, Leo,” you greeted, crouching down to pet the excited pup. “What’s all this fuss about grass, huh?” 

Charles looked up from his phone and smiled when he saw you. “Hey, Y/N. Yeah, Leo decided to sample some grass this morning, and now I’m just a little paranoid.”

You chuckled, standing up to meet his gaze. “I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Dogs eat grass all the time. Most of the time, it’s harmless. But let’s take a quick look just to be sure.”

You began your routine examination of Leo, checking his belly, feeling for any signs of discomfort, and listening to his heart. Leo seemed perfectly fine, happily squirming and wagging his tail as you worked. 

“See?” you said, glancing up at Charles. “He seems to be in good spirits. No signs of anything bothering him.” 

Charles let out a relieved sigh, but there was still a hint of concern in his eyes. “Yeah, I’ve just been overthinking it. But I’m still getting used to being a dog dad, you know?” 

You smiled warmly, meeting his gaze. “Like I said at our first appointment, you’re going great, Charles. Leo’s in good hands.” 

He looked at you with a soft smile, and for a moment, there was a brief pause in the conversation. It was like neither of you wanted to break the moment, but eventually, Charles cleared his throat and stood up. 

“Thanks again, Y/N. Seriously,” he said, giving you an appreciative look. “I’m glad I came in today, even if it was just for a little blade of grass.” 

“It’s no problem at all,” you replied, trying to keep your composure. “Take care of Leo, and we’ll see you for the next check-up.” 

But you saw him much sooner than the next check-up. 

Only a few weeks after the grass related appointment, your receptionist came into the back area, where you and your techs were prepping for surgery. You had a busy day ahead of you, with having back to back appointments all day, and the only break you got was your thirty minutes of lunch. 

“Mr. Leclerc is on the phone,” your receptionist began, causing a bunch of oooo’s from your staff. “He said that Leo stubbed his toe and wanted to see if you had availability for today.”

You paused for a moment, wiping your hands on your scrubs as you turned toward your receptionist. “Leo stubbed his toe?” you asked, trying to suppress a smile. You could hear the excitement in your staff’s whispers behind you, but you didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing how much Charles’ calls were starting to feel like little breaks from the clinic chaos. 

“Yeah, that’s what he said,” your receptionist replied, her tone amused. “Should I tell him to hold on or that you’re in surgery?” 

You quickly ran through your schedule in your head. It was packed, but a stubbed toe? You could squeeze that in. You didn’t want to seem like you were too eager, but you couldn’t help but feel a little excitement at the thought of seeing Charles again. 

“I can take a shorter lunch,” you said, giving your receptionist a quick nod. “Schedule him for the last twenty minutes of that half hour.” 

Your receptionist raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything as she turned to make the call. As soon as the door closed behind her, your techs immediately leaned in, their eyes sparking with curiosity.

“You know you two aren’t fooling anyone, right?” one of them teased. “You’re excited to see Charles again.

“And he’s got to be wanting to see you if he’s making an appointment over a stubbed toe,” another one chimed in. 

You rolled your eyes, trying to stifle a grin. ‘It’s just a stubbed toe,” you replied, but your voice betrayed you, laced with a hint of amusement. “He’s just a concerned dog dad. Nothing more.” 

Your techs exchanged knowing glances, clearly not buying it. 

“Uh-huh,” one of them smirked. “A ‘concerned dog dad’ who keeps calling in for the tiniest little thing. Sure.”

“Maybe you should get him a frequent flyer card,” another suggested, grinning. 

You shook your head, trying to ignore the warmth growing in your cheeks. “Focus, guys. You have things to do, remember?” 

They held up their hands in mock surrender, but you could still feel their eyes on you as you turned back to finish prepping for the day. 

When the status of Leo’s appointment changed to “arrived” on your computer, it took everything in you to remain calm and composed. The butterflies in your stomach only grew as you heard Leo’s excited barks from down the hall. 

Once your techs informed you that the Leclercs were ready to see you, you made your way to the exam room, trying to keep yourself steady with every step. When you opened the door, Charles was sitting there, looking as relaxed as ever, with Leo perched on his lap. 

“Hey there, you,” you greeted Leo first, just like you always did. “I heard you got a stubbed toe this time around.”

Charles chuckled, giving you a sheepish look. “I know, it’s ridiculous. But he seemed to be limping a little, and I didn’t want to take any chances.”

You nodded, appreciating his concern for his dog. “It’s never ridiculous to take care of our furry friends,” you said, your eyes briefly meeting his. There was a warmth in his gaze, and for a moment, the world seemed to slow down. 

You got Leo up on the exam table, gently checking his paws and making sure everything looked good. As you worked, you noticed Charles’ gaze lingering on you - though this time, it felt different. His smile was softer, more intentional, and there was something in his eyes that made your heart skip a beat. 

Finally, after checking Leo’s paw, you turned to Charles. “Good news. It’s just a little sore, probably from the way he landed. No major damage.”

Charles visibly relaxed, his tension easing as he gave a small sigh of relief. “I’m glad to hear that.” 

As you gave Leo a few gentle pats and wrote down the instructions for recovery, you could feel Charles’ eyes on you again. There was a quiet moment between you two, one that made the air feel just a little thicker, like there was more unsaid than spoken. 

“Thank you for always being so patient with me, and with Leo, and I appreciate you squeezing us in at the last minute,” Charles said, standing up to walk toward the door. He paused for a beat, then glanced back at you with a small but meaningful smile. “Would I be able to squeeze into your schedule again sometime, for coffee or drinks?”

You felt your heart flutter as the words hung in the air. It was the question you’d been waiting for, yet the reality of it still made your breath catch in your throat. For a second, you just looked at him, the familiar warmth in his smile making your pulse quicken. 

You tried to play it cool, but you couldn’t hide the slight blush creeping onto your cheeks. “I think I could make some time for you,” you said, your voice soft but sure. “I’m not usually this free, but for you? I’ll make an exception.”

Charles’s smile widened, and you could see a spark of relief in his eyes. He stepped back into the room, the distance between you narrowing as he moved closer. “Tomorrow? After work?” he asked, his tone a little more tentative, as if waiting for your confirmation. 

You nodded, your heart racing a little faster now. “Tomorrow works. Let’s say, six?” 

He gave a small, excited nod, clearly trying to contain his enthusiasm. “Perfect. I’ll pick you up. I’ll make sure not to keep you waiting.”

You both stood there for a moment, the air thick with anticipation, before he gave a final smile and turned to leave. “See you tomorrow, Y/N.” 

As he exited the room, Leo wagged his tail, clearly eager to follow. You watched him walk out, a mixture of excitement and nervousness bubbling up inside you. You leaned against the exam room table for a second, trying to catch your breath, before shaking yourself out of the daze. You still had a job to do, but you couldn’t help but smile to yourself as the thought of tomorrow played over in your mind.

[coco-loco-nut]

both oscar and lando are “number one drivers” until it affects lando 🙄

[coco-loco-nut]

@vitalverstappen and i are ready for our podium 🤭

[coco-loco-nut]

I'm not just a bitch, I'm a bitch with a backstory

[coco-loco-nut]

THIS! He had ONE race where his only job was to not wreck the car. Put some respect in Jack and let him show why he was chosen for that seat when he is free to actually race.

Sometimes i really hate F1 fandom and community

Give some fucking time to Jack Doohan!

People talk like he'll be 100% replaced by Franco Colapinto anytime soon.

And for what?

Just because there are many girls out there crying for that Argentinian dude...

Come on, Jack is the main pilot, give him some time, see what happens and then decide

Web is full of people who bet that Jack will do just one race and then bye bye, replaced by Franco and fired for absolutely no reason

At this point why is he even there from the start ? If it's just to waste some time 🙄

Disclaimer: the problem is not colapinto, problem is made by all those online crybabies who just don't give a damn about Doohan and want him out as soon as possible without even giving him any chance or those selfcalled "journalists" without any sensibility.

Respect for Jack Doohan!

[coco-loco-nut]

Honey, Honey

pairing: charles x reader

summary: it was just you and your daughter against the world, until she found your old diary

series masterlist masterlist soundtrack

requests open

——————————

“I never want to see you again. Get out of my home,” the last words you said to him, tears streaming down your face in the summer sun. Another lie from another man who swore he was different. You fall for it every time.

A year later you found yourself once again abandoned by a man who tricked you into believing that he cared even a little bit. That was the last time you trusted one, even if he gave you the greatest gift in the world. Ten little fingers and ten little toes who thankfully didn’t take anything from her asshole father.

“Honey, are you sure you will be okay?” Raising your daughter as a single mom was incredibly hard, but you had the support of your parents to help.

“Mom, you’ve raised me for sixteen years, a weekend work conference is not the end of the world. Plus, I like nonno and nonna,” your daughter tries to soothe your nerves, but what parent doesn’t have insecurities about leaving their child.

“I just hate leaving you, bug,” you pull her into a hug.

“Alright, you better leave before you miss your train. We raised you and you turned out alright, one weekend won’t kill her,” your mom stands in the doorway, a knowing smile on her face.

“Thanks Mom, love you,” you give her a quick hug before heading to your car. As you go down the road, leaving your childhood home in the rearview mirror, you want to cry. You’ve never taken a trip by yourself without your daughter. You’ve tried to bring her along, but she insisted that you take the weekend for yourself. The audacity of that girl. She got it from you, naturally.

“So, do you have anything embarrassing of Mom’s that you can show me?” your daughter asks almost immediately when she steps into the house.

“I have a lot, why don’t you go check her closet,” your mother’s eye twinkles with mischief, proud that you raised your daughter so well.

She immediately searches the back of the closet, everyone knows that’s where you hide your secrets. And… voila, a stack of diaries. 20 years ago, 19, 18, and 17. You don’t really speak about those last two years, all you’ve really said is that you worked a summer job at some fancy restaurant while taking a couple summer classes to get ahead in your degree. You never even told her who her father is. You always said that he never showed up besides being a sperm donor.

“What the fuck,” she says, reading over the page once again. The start of the diary from 18 years ago was totally normal, until you started seeing someone. Footsteps race down the stairs as she finishes reading about your summer. “Nonna?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” your mom doesn’t even need to hear your daughter’s question, she’s ready for whatever plan she has.

“I’m back, I hate conferences,” you collapse on the couch three days later.

“Well then, I guess we don’t need to ask how that went down we?” your mom offers a glass of wine which you gratefully take.

“I love my job, I really do, but it would be so much better if I didn’t have to pretend to care what others in the field are doing. Let me do my own thing,”

“You always have, that’s what we love about you,” your mom’s gentle tone reminds you why you leaned on her so much as your daughter was growing up.

“Alessandra, no running in the house,” your father scolds from the kitchen. Kind, yet firm, the parenting style you adopted from him.

“Sorry,” she quickly apologizes, helping him with dinner.

“I think you need a break. Both of you do, classes just ended, why don’t you go on a little vacation. Don’t say no, I already booked it,” you mother insists.

“You are the best. Will you be joining?” you relax a little, thinking about not working.

“No, it’s mother daughter time. I’m sending you the information now,” your mother is surprisingly good with technology. “You know, Alessandra planned a lot of it, she was very excited at the idea,” your phone buzzes as you get the information.

“Lake Como, good choice. And what is that, Monza?”

“That weekend happened to host a race, Alessandra thought it would be fun,” right. Growing up in Italy there was one thing you didn’t have to teach her, how to be a tifosi, even if you weren’t.

“Right. Thank you, I do wish you were joining us though,” your sad smile changes to a happy one when called for dinner.

“Next time,” she promises.

The months fly by and you find yourself on the train into Monza. Alessandra is buzzing with energy, excited for the race.

“I’m surprised you had that. I thought you hated racing,” she said earlier when you emerged wearing vintage Ferrari gear from your teenage years.

“You cannot grow up in Italy without Ferrari gear, especially when there were those great years,” you trail off, clearing your throat before continuing. “I don’t hate it, I’m just not fond of it.”

“I’m jealous you got to see Charles and Carlos race, I would love to see it in something other than a rerun,” you school your face, unaware she read your diaries.

“I can’t say I paid much attention back then,” you smoothly lie.

“Anyway, I have another surprise. I won this contest and got us these,” she leans in to quietly show you, knowing everyone around you would kill for what is in her hands.

“Wow, I’m so happy for you, you’ve wanted that for years,” you beam. Normally you would request to sit this weekend out, but you vowed to give your daughter everything and to never miss an experience with her. Sometimes that means doing something you’d rather not do.

Thankfully for you, your daughter did plenty of research and you got in early which meant more time to explore and enjoy your exclusive paddock passes.

“Let’s do the tour first,” she suggests, typing away at her phone before shoving it into her pocket. You are dragged in a direction before you can say anything. It’s her day anyway, you can’t say anything.

“And this is the Ferrari team hospitality, we will pause here for pictures,” the tour guy says and you try to quell your anxieties as you take photos of your daughter.

“Excuse me, are you Alessandra Rossi. I wanted to meet the winner of our competition,” a smooth voice says from beside you. Your heart drops to your stomach, you might puke right here. The group fills with excited whispers as your daughter’s eyes light up.

“I am, could I get a picture?” she is practically shaking with excitement.

“Of course,” she quickly moves towards him and you turn to take the picture, eyes trained on the phone.

“Is this your sister?” he asks, a smile on his face as you take the pictures.

“My beautiful mother,” Alessandra beams with pride as your heart swells with love.

“Well, seeing as you are guests of Ferrari this weekend, why don’t I give you two a tour of our hospitality,” he peels the two of you off from the tour group, bringing you inside.

“Will all due respect, don’t you have anything better to do than show us around? You are team principal,” she asks as you step inside. You want to shrivel up and die.

“I will always make time for two beautiful ladies,” his sunglasses now dangle from the unbuttoned collar, leaving his blue eyes to look into yours. That smile that once left you swooning now makes you want to punch him.

Alessandra looks between you two. She looked up photos of you two online and you looked so happy together, and everything you wrote in your diary only proved that. You never explained what ended it, so she assumed that it was amicable. The tension between you is anything but.

You look like you are about to leave, so Alessandra quickly replies.

“Well, you are busy so let’s get started,” she diffuses the situation.

“How old are you?” he asks, turning his focus to your daughter as you glare at the back of his head. Stupidly perfect hair looking better than it did at 22.

“I’m 16,” so she isn’t his daughter. Your relationship ended before that point.

“This is my office, that I don’t spend as much time in as I would like,” he chuckles, door clicking shut behind him.

“Was this planned?” you speak for the first time, feeling a little attacked as your daughters eyes widen slightly.

“Y/n,” he starts to speak and Alessandra jumps in.

“I really did win it, but I did bring you to the race under false pretenses. I hoped maybe we would run into him, and you seemed so happy together all those years ago. I don’t know, I thought something would click. You’ve been single since before I was born and he divorced a few years ago,” she trails off as the hurt in your eyes is evident.

“Y/n,” he starts again, reaching for you.

“Stop it, Charles. I don’t want to hear a word you said, not after the last time,” your words are final as your flight instinct kicks in. You turn towards your daughter, fighting the hurt in you. “Enjoy the rest of your tour. I’ll be in our seats when you return, I love you,” you always tell her that even when angry. It’s important that she knows you do even when upset.

“I’m sorry, mamma. I love you too.”

Charles watches as you quickly exit and collapses in his chair, feeling hopeless. His world stopped spinning when he saw you. You hadn’t changed at all, you still look like the 20 year old girl who spent a summer full of love with him. It killed him to hear he wasn’t the father of your daughter, a part of him hoped she was his.

“I’m so sorry, Signore Leclerc,” your daughter is quick to apologize.

“Don’t be, I should apologize to you. I didn’t know I was sore subject between you two,” Charles runs a hand through his hair, inviting her to sit down.

“Truthfully she never mentioned you, even when she said she didn’t like racing,” Alessandra says. Charles’ brows furrow in confusion.

“She doesn’t like racing? She was the biggest tifosi I knew, especially once we- um. You know, that shirt she is wearing is mine,” Charles points out.

“She always said she didn’t like it, that she didn’t pay attention,” Charles feels as if knives are being twisted in his chest. “What did happen between you?”

“I lied to her. I was dating this girl before I met you mother and we were on a break at the time. We had been for a few months and I fell in love even when I didn’t plan on it. Your mom found messages from her saying that she was ready to end the break and get together again. At that point I had basically forgotten about the whole break thing, but your mother isn’t one to forgive and forget. She broke up with me then and there, kicked me out, and I eventually got back together with my ex wife,” Charles explains.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, unsure what to say.

“It’s okay, everything happens for a reason. I got a beautiful summer and without me messing up you wouldn’t have been born,” Charles points out.

“I think I messed up,” she looks to Charles for advice, as if she was asking her father.

“You did, but it’s okay. We all do, and she already forgave you. I could tell by the way she left,” Charles does his best to comfort Alessandra. He isn’t used to parental actions, he deals with adults.

“But you just said she doesn’t forgive and forget?”

“I’m not her daughter. Everything is different when it comes to your child. She may be a little hurt, but she knows you thought you were helping. It will be okay.” Something about this feels so natural for Charles, like he’s meant to be a father figure.

“How do you know that?”

“I just do. I’m so sorry, I have a meeting with my drivers. Feel free to enjoy what our hospitality has to offer. Stay as long as you’d like. Here’s my business card, let me know if you need anything, this weekend and beyond,” Charles hands the card to Alessandra before leaving her alone in his office.

She sits across his chair for a moment, taking it all in. She knew Charles isn’t her father, so why did that hurt so much? Standing up, she shoves the card deep into her pocket and heads back to the snack area Charles pointed out earlier. That is until she accidentally runs into someone.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry,” her eyes widen as she recognizes who she ran into.

“That’s okay. I haven’t seen you around, are you lost?” Ollie asks, brows furrowed as he takes in the young girl’s appearance.

“Take a left out that door and it leads you back to the paddock,” Kimi adds on. She may not have seen Charles and Carlos race together or Charles and Lewis, but this duo is another level.

“I’ve been looking for you two everywhere. Why must I always hunt you down for our meeting?” Charles sighs from the doorway. “We might as well do it here,” he sits at the table.

“Sorry, we were hungry,” Kimi apologizes as Alessandra is just frozen in her spot.

“You can stay too, Alessandra. Think of it as an apology for earlier,” Charles’s tense smile does nothing to ease her out of place feeling. “She is an old family friend,” Charles quickly explains, it’s a lie but saying she’s my ex’s daughter isn’t a better explanation.

“That’s alright, I should get back to my mom. I don’t want her alone for too long. It was nice meeting you,” Alessandra makes a swift exit, following Kimi’s earlier directions and retracing the steps of the paddock tour.

“How was the rest of your tour?” you ask as she sits beside you.

“It was okay, would’ve been better if you were with me. Sorry for putting you in that situation,”

“You had good intentions, and I shouldn’t have left when I did,” you reply, never mad at your daughter.

“I do have a question for you. Did you love him?” Alessandra knows the answer, but she needs to hear it from you.

“I loved him with every fiber of my being,” the truth hurts more than it should. Admitting it twists the knife in your heart that you never removed.

“Do you still love him?” she presses, asking you to face your feelings from earlier. You can’t come up with an answer, and maybe that’s an answer in itself. It would be so easy to deny it. Your silence tells her what she needs to know.

When you step away to use the restroom, Alessandra pulls out the business card, sending off a text and a prayer.

The race itself is exhilarating, especially watching a Ferrari one-two. You can’t even help yourself from joining the crowds and singing along. To have an Italian on the top step with an Italian team in Italy, it’s the nations greatest dream and you saw it happen.

“Was that everything you wanted and more?” you ask on the train back to the vacation rental, back to somewhere you don’t have to think about Charles.

“It was everything, that you for being here. I know it was hard,” Alessandra hugs you tight.

“I would do anything for you,” you kiss her head, squeezing tight before letting go.

“Oh, Nonna just booked us a dinner tomorrow, I forgot to tell you,” you hum in response, deep in thought.

What would have happened if you never kicked Charles out? Maybe you would be divorced, like he is now. Maybe he was the one and you forced him to leave. Maybe you would have an extremely happy life together. Any way you wouldn’t have Alessandra, and you wouldn’t change that.

The train ride flies by and you are back at the lake house.

“There’s a basket outside the door,” you bend down and pick up the card.

I’m sorry for scaring you off. You are just as beautiful as the day I met you and the day we said goodbye. Maybe one day we will meet again. - C +39 xxx xxx xxx

“What’s it say?” Alessandra asks, peering over your shoulder.

“Doesn’t matter,” you pocket the note and carry the basket inside.

Alessandra knows who it’s from, but she didn’t expect a note. All she did was help set up a dinner and provide the address. Nerves wreck her gut as you disappear to your room, shutting the door behind you. Who knew playing matchmaker for a parent was such a hard task.

You lay on your bed, staring at the note and an open text message on your phone. Charles changed his number and you changed yours in the years that passed between then and now. You both have lived life, no longer the wide eyed kids who thought they could take on the world. You practically raised a kid and Charles did a lot of growing up himself in the last seventeen years.

You type what feels like a hundred different things before deleting it all and setting the note and your phone down.

“What am I doing?” you whisper to yourself. You have a kid who deserves one hundred percent of your attention, you don’t have time to involve yourself with anyone. Plus, it’s Charles. He’s like a god in Italy, and you are you. A single mom who works a boring 9-5 to put food on the table and a roof for over your heads. You made yourself a promise so many years ago to never trust a man with your heart, all they do is break it. Even Charles and his pretty eyes, those dimples, and a smile that makes you melt more than a hot summer day.

You pick up your phone again, typing out one message and hitting send.

What are your intentions? It’s been years, why now?

Is it not enough to have missed you since the moment I left?

I realized I couldn’t let you go again, not without a fight

You want to reply, but you can’t seem to find the words. It’s not that simple, you aren’t 20 anymore. Forgive and forget doesn’t come easily to you, and Charles did his part to increase your distrusting nature.

Do you have it in you to give him one more chance?

Across the house, Alessandra does her best to play matchmaker. She loves being the daughter of a single mom, you’ve raised her as best as you could, but Alessandra can’t help but to daydream about Charles being her father. It seemed so easy, so natural in his office. And she would do anything to see you happy.

Charles never gets a response from you, making him second guess everything. Similarly to you, he lays in a hotel room overthinking every word he types out. He’d do anything to go back in time and change how he handled his relationships. Maybe you���d have a family together with kids running around the paddock. A part of him wants so badly to join your family. Alessandra has clearly been raised well and you seem like a wonderful mother.

You and Charles fall asleep waiting for some miracle message that will answer all your doubts and questions. A message that never comes and leaves the two of you waking up to a twinge of sadness.

The morning sun streams through the window and you head out for a run. You used to hate running but it was a nice way to clear your mind when facing hard times while Alessandra was growing up so it stuck. There’s no reason that it wouldn’t help with yesterday’s situation.

You come to a stop at the backyard of the rental that overlooks the lake. Footsteps gently crush the earth as they near you, but you don’t turn. Instead you sit down, watching the early sun glisten off the water tranquilly. Your guest sits beside you, neither of you immediately saying a thing as to not disturb the peace.

“Do you remember that morning in Monaco?”

“When we fell asleep on the boat and work up thinking we were adrift at sea,” your lips quirk up into a smile at the memory before falling as you turn to look at the man beside you. “What are you doing here?”

“Making things right,” he answers, eyes meeting yours sincerely. You feel like you are swallowing a rock.

“Charles…”

“One more chance. Please,” there’s a weight to his voice you haven’t heard since he was beginning for you to hear him out.

“It took me so long to forget you, to live without you,”

“I know I broke your trust and I shouldn’t have hidden the break from you. I resisted moving on from you until I knew you weren’t coming back again, but the moment I saw you again,” Charles pauses, quickly debating if it’s too early in the morning for this conversation. “I couldn’t let you go, not without a fight. It’s always been you. Only you,” Charles wants to sweep you into his arms and kiss you like he did on the boat that morning in Monaco after you both frantically ran around not realizing you had docked.

“I don’t know what to say,” your voice is quiet. The twenty year old in you wants to take him back - she would’ve taken an apology once things cooled off back then, if he had shown up to her doorstep and begged forgiveness - but the mom in you is hesitant. “How did you know where I was?” the fact dawns on you, you never told him where you are staying. But it doesn’t take you more than a second to connect those dots.

“Don’t be mad, she is doing what she thinks will make you happy,” Charles defends Alessandra, tugging on your heart string. “You did a wonderful job raising her, by the way. I’ve only known her a day and it’s so clear that she takes after you,” you want to beam with pride, gloat at how wonderful your daughter is.

“Thank you. It’s not easy,” You feel the warmth of Charles’ hand on top of yours, making your breath hitch and heart flutter as heat rises to your cheeks. You feel like a teenager.

“There’s no need to rush into anything. We are both at a place in our lives where slow is preferable,” Charles adds on.

“Let’s go for a walk,” you motion to the small wooded trail that leads down the hill to the lake.

“I don’t want to stay longer than I’m welcome,” Charles tells you, a little nervous that he’s pushing his luck.

“I can’t go into something casual anymore. I’m a mom. Anyone I date has to be comfortable with that, they have to understand that they take on both a partner and father role,” you explain.

“I understand. There is nothing I would love more than to be that for you,” you don’t know if he’s saying it to appease you or because he is honest.

“I just don’t know. I’ve been alone for so long, I don’t know if this is the right thing,” you admit, voice quiet as your chest is heavy. If you could figure out where you are personally, maybe you could give him an answer.

“What can I do? I could barely focus on the race, on my job, in Monza, knowing you were out there. Getting to talk to Alessandra, I can de myself taking a role there too. Father, mentor, friend, whatever you think is right,” Charles persists, fighting like he should have long before. You stop at the point where the shore meets the tree-line, not yet stepping out of the woods.

“I don’t know,” you shake your head, tears threatening to well in your eyes. It’s just you, Charles, the trees, and the water just down the path. The intimacy is both stressful and putting you at ease. Charles doesn’t speak yet, instead choosing to step closer and tentatively wrap his arms around you.

You subconsciously sink into his warmth, allowing yourself to remember what his touch feels like, that feeling of safety and peace. It clears your mind more than any morning run. It feels right, like pieces of a puzzle locking into place. Without much of a thought, his lips are on yours, reminding you why you missed him.

“One more chance,” you are a bit breathless and a bit in shock, but your mind has the answers it’s been looking for.

“I’m not letting you go this time.”

[coco-loco-nut]

mamma mia masterlist

☀️🏁

main masterlist

Soundtrack 🎧🎶🎹

Honey, Honey

-> Our Last Summer (Prequel)

Take a Chance on Me

Slipping Through My Fingers

[coco-loco-nut]

i hope y’all know that i’m reading every back to school board that’s being posted 🫶❤️

[coco-loco-nut]

so excited for this season! thx for the tag!

tagging those i can think of (and if you aren’t tagged feel free to use this as your tag)

@vitalverstappen @astonmartingf @astonmartinii @luckyladycreator2 @papayadays @pickingupmymercedes

I did the the f1blr 2025 introductory board by @lil-shiro (thank you lil neb)

Tagging, and with no pressure of course ! @blairdii @kolbalissh @shrimptiger @beabnormal24 @chamberkat @strwbrryfire @xxxdeerlordxxx @artchvies @girldriveroscar @isacksteban @finn95o @allphatauri @lain-at-the-gay-bar @disarmd @ellearts

[coco-loco-nut]

♡♡♡

[coco-loco-nut]

my reward for not going out and partying during the biggest party weekend at my major party school and instead choosing a college hockey game?

a fever and two long work days i can’t really call out of

[coco-loco-nut]

Bookworm

pairing: carlos x reader

summary: Carlos never expected to feel insecure about your book boyfriends, but maybe that’s part of dating an author

masterlist requests open

———————

It was a common occurrence for fans and media to find you in the corner of the garage with your laptop or a book. It makes for a great reading environment once noise canceling headphones are on. Fans are always eager to see what book you are reading during the weekend, and you talk about it on social media. It was a surprise to most people when you started dating Carlos, most authors don’t date famous athletes. Fate had other plans.

Carlos truly doesn’t mind that you don’t quite care for racing, he’s just happy that you tag along and don’t complain about it. He honestly respects that you have no interest in racing but still show up to support. You are always happy when he does well and empathetic when he doesn’t, but you couldn’t care less about other drivers.

“Baby,” Carlos stands in front of you, trying to get your attention to no avail. He doesn’t mess with your book, simply waiting for you to look up. You notice his shadow, but you have to finish the page to finish the chapter, he can wait a minute.

“Sorry, what’s up?” you slide one side of your headphones off to better hear Carlos.

“I’m going to go to the drivers parade, wanted to check in before I do,” he smiles, leaning down to give you a quick kiss.

“Have fun, and good luck,” your tender smile melts his heart. He can’t wait to surprise you after the race, he’s been researching some of your books and bought a couple for the flight home. Carlos even asked your brother about books you used to love.

“What book is Y/n reading?” Lando asks as Carlos settles beside him. Lando secretly loves your socials, getting to get to know you more. He also thinks it’s funny when you reply to fans who ask about what inspired certain scenes in your books.

“Iron Flame. The next book released few months ago and she finally got around to the first one and this one,” Carlos smiles, he loves his bookworm.

“I’ve heard a lot about that. Has she ever called you Xaden? You and him both have that dark fluffy hair,” Lando asks, pulling out his phone to look up fan art. Charles approaches his teammate, silently joining the conversation.

“No,” Carlos honestly never thought about the male characters in books. He’s heard of people having book boyfriends, but you never brought it up so he brushed it off. Carlos peers over Lando’s shoulder to take a look.

“I see like a semi resemblance. Oh, I remember her reading this one too,” Lando pulls up more pictures of popular book boyfriends. Carlos feels something spark in him, a twinge of jealousy.

“It’s a good thing she reads for the plot then,” Carlos looks away, plastering on a fake smile and a wave for the fans. Lando barely contains his laughter as he shoves his phone back into his pocket.

“The plot? That’s what she said? She enjoys the smut,” Lando shakes his head, waving to a group of fans yelling for him.

“But she doesn’t write that,” you are a young adult fantasy and adventure author, sure there is an element of romance, but that doesn’t mean anything, right?

“So? She’s an adult, she can enjoy it. Don’t you notice when she gets really quiet and nonchalant when reading? Like no reactions or not even a smile?” Charles asks, watching Carlos nod. “That’s a smut scene she is enjoying, do yourself a favor and read it,” Charles suggests.

The color drains from Carlos’ face.

“Logan,” Carlos calls to the unsuspecting American. Logan approaches, unsure why he is needed and a little concerned. “Do you know what your sister is reading?”

“Yeah, some popular book. What about it?”

“It has,” Carlos lowers his voice, glancing around to make sure no one else is listening in, “smut.”

“And?” Logan arches his eyebrow, not seeing the problem with the inclusion of sex in books.

“I don’t know,” Carlos is at a loss for words. What if you like what you read better than him? What if he is suddenly inadequate?

“Look, it’s just a book. She writes romance books and I am ninety percent sure you are what she bases it off of. Especially since every male love interest has your hair,” Logan points out causing Carlos to blush.

“Right, thanks,” Lando snickers at Carlos’ sudden shyness and Logan’s clear discomfort talking about his sister’s relationship.

“I’ll, um, send you a list of books she loved growing up. She left them at home and always talks about rereading them eventually,” Logan exits the conversation. As soon as the parade is over, Carlos orders the books and a new bookshelf for next day delivery so he can surprise you.

Back in the garage, your hair tie has found a home as a bookmark and your computer rests on your lap. Carlos watches you furiously typing away, undoubtedly working on your next hit.

“Are you going to say anything or just stand there watching me like a creep?” you tease, not looking up from your computer.

“I love watching you work. Sometimes you do this cute thing where you bite your lip when working on something really intense, and how you have to hold yourself back from telling me about it because you insist on not sharing until you finish the book. Even when it drives both of us crazy,” Carlos steps closer, wedging himself beside you to get a peak of your book.

“No peeking,” you laugh, throwing a hand out to cover the screen. “I’ll give you a hint,” you smile as Carlos perks up. “It’s a highly requested sequel to a book that was very much inspired by you.”

“Logan was right,” Carlos muses.

“What does my brother have to do with this?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Carlos shrugs, placing a kiss on your head. You are, in fact, a little worried about it.

“That’s not ominous at all,” with a shake of your head you set the computer off to the side and put your full attention onto your boyfriend.

Carlos wraps his arms around you, enjoying the bit of peace before the race. When his fans are confused why you even go to races when you aren’t a fan of the sport, it’s these moments that you answer with. You enjoy your time with Carlos, supporting his passion like he supports yours, and sneaking off to annoy your brother.

“How sweet, it’s time to go, Carlos,” Charles takes a photo of the two of you almost asleep. It had only been two minutes. Carlos sighs, untangling himself from you as he begrudgingly stands up.

“The quicker you drive, the faster you can cuddle again,” you remind him, standing with him. It’s time for a coffee refill anyway and to visit Logan before he heads to his car.

“Or I can DNF early and get my press out of the way,” Carlos’ joke falls flat as you and Charles give him a displeased look.

“Have a good race, I’ll be here waiting for you,” you give Carlos a quick kiss.

“Where’s mine?” Charles jokes.

“Mate, no,” Carlos glares at his teammate.

“Good luck,” you disappear from the garage. Sneaking into Williams, you grab Logan’s gloves and stand inconspicuously on Alex’s side. Despite spending a lot of time in the Ferrari garage now, you make sure that your brother is still supported.

“Y/n!” Logan yells, and you try to stifle your laugh. In that moment, you not notice Logan sneak up on you and then it’s too late. He snatches the gloves back and stares at you.

“What?” you giggle.

“I can’t believe you write books for adults, you are literally a child,” Logan sighs, somehow he is the youngest.

“Shut up,” you stick your tongue out at him. Logan pinches your tongue, unamused at your antics.

“Doesn’t Carlos need you to bother him?” he asks, letting go and crossing his arms.

“No, I just wanted to see my brother, but I know when I’m not wanted,” you pout, pulling the card that always wins.

“Okay, okay. Thank you for seeing me before the race. Yes, I’ll be safe. No, I won’t reconsider my career,” Logan softens. He doesn’t take your presence for granted, it’s nice having family around.

“You’ll do great, maybe you’ll even beat Carlos,” you nudge him, feeling the clock tick down.

“Thanks,” you have half a mind to ask him to elaborate on what Carlos said, but that can wait until after the race.

“Bye, Lo,” you wave goodbye, heading back to your designated spot in the Ferrari garage.

“What are you reading today?” one of the engineers asks. You run a mini library with some of the team, loaning out books for them to read on flights.

“It’s called Onyx Storm, it’s the third book in this series. How are you enjoying the book I gave you?” you ask eagerly in return.

“Haven’t started it yet, picked up one of your books at the airport,” he says, making you feel a little embarrassed.

“Really? Which one,”

“Starlight,” it takes ever ounce of will in you to not die of embarrassment. That is one you wrote at the beginning of your relationship with Carlos, and he was the biggest influence on the book.

“That’s a great choice, I love that one,”

“You love all of your books,”

“That is true, it’s like picking a favorite child,” you chuckle.

“I do have one question about it,”

“It has nothing to do with Carlos and me, the manuscript was mostly finished when we met,” you lie, one that you’ve held to since publication. You wrote the book in a week, the fastest you ever wrote before. The publication turnaround makes the lie believable.

“You get asked that a lot?”

“Yeah, it was the first romance I published after meeting him so it is a natural question,” you shrug it off.

“Well, I really enjoy it. I’ve got to go, but I can’t wait for the book you are working on now,” the engineer gestures to the computer waiting for you. You grab your dedicated pair of headphones so you can listen to the race as you type away.

Carlos is practically bouncing when you return to his apartment after the weekend.

“Is everything okay?” you ask warily. He didn’t win the race so you slightly confused why he is eager to get home. Especially with what Logan told you. You spent the flight thinking of how to confront Carlos about his insecurities and how to help him about it.

He got a friend to set up your new bookcase in your office-slash-reading-room before you returned home. Carlos is really proud of his work.

“Close your eyes,” Carlos instructs as you step inside, carefully setting down your luggage. His hand covers your eyes as the other keeps a gentle-yet-firm grip on your waist to guide you.

“Why am I scared,” your nervous laughs accompanies the shuffles of your feet walking through your home.

“Don’t be, almost there,” a door clicks open and you are led inside. “Surprise,” the warm hand covering your eyes disappears and your eyes open, scanning the room. They immediately land on the bookshelf and you run over to it.

“Oh my god, when did you do this?” you gasp, running your fingers across the spines before you pluck a book from the shelf. You loved these books in elementary and middle school. You role played them during recess before you had any idea what role playing was. It’s honestly a little embarrassing looking back on it.

“Yesterday, Logan told me you loved them growing up,” Carlos smiles warmly as you act like a kid on Christmas.

“He told me you were feeling a little insecure when comparing yourself to the male characters of the books I’ve read,” you broach the subject tentatively, searching his reaction before choosing how to proceed.

“I was, but your brother reminded me that you write me into everything you’ve written since meeting me. I also know that I’m the real thing,” Carlos sounds sure of himself.

“So it’s nothing to do with the books I read having sexual elements to them?” you raise your eyebrow, trying to sus him out.

“Nope,” he pops the p, acting nonchalant.

“Well, in that case I should probably warn you that I had a huge crush on Prince Maxon Schreave and Firestar back in the day, like, a huge crush. You know, I think Maxon was my introduction to writing. My first fanfiction revolved around him,” your voice may have a teasing lilt to it, but you are dead serious.

“Seriously, mi amor? Maybe I should return those then,” the anxious undertones in his voice support your theory as he moves to take the books.

“Touch them and you die,” you threaten and Carlos immediately backs off. “I have you now anyway, you are who I write my fanfiction about now,” you do a complete turnaround, leaving a speechless Carlos alone in the room as you walk into the living room, book in hand.

“Wait!” he chases you, needing to find out what you meant.

“I meant what I publish, obviously,” you tell half of the truth. You will DIE before Carlos finds your burner accounts that are so well hidden it takes three secret email accounts to reach the one you use to login and post.

“Right. Well, maybe I will read one of the books I got you,” Carlos retreats to grab a book before laying beside you on the couch and promptly falling asleep on your lap.

“Goodnight, Carlos. Hello, Maxon.”

[coco-loco-nut]

i really need this job 🙏

[coco-loco-nut]