#charlos snippet

[f1amboyant]

https://www.tumblr.com/f1amboyant/762976614131924992

Excuse me????? -please stay -for the night? -forever

Tagged with single dad au???????

This fic will end me

Oh anon, you are so not ready for this fic 🤭 (tbh I am not ready for this fic either). This story is pure fluffiness and indulgence, every scene makes me melt writing them and I really hope I can share everything with you someday, and make you melt too.

Speaking of sharing, how about a little snippet, for you? 🥰

.

"There. Blocked. He's not gonna bother you anymore."

The phone was locked and thrown away unceremoniously. Charles didn't care, only looking at Carlos and squeezing his hand tight in his. A yawn broke down his focus.

"You're tired. You should sleep, mi vida," Carlos murmured oh so tenderly.

Charles' heart melted. The anxiety ebbing away, he was left with a bone deep tiredness he couldn't ignore anymore.

"Will you stay?"

"Of course."

"I mean, here. In the bed with me?"

Exhaustion took Charles so suddenly, blurring his vision and making his eyelids droop. But he couldn't imagine lying down on his bed, all alone. The bad thoughts would come back.

He couldn't imagine Carlos staying away.

"If that's what you want."

Worn out, Charles managed to nod with a tired smile before flopping onto his pillow. With eyes half closed, he followed Carlos' moving around the room for a moment, tidying the bed a little, then taking off his pants and ruined shirt, standing there in his underwear and undershirt. Charles was too tired to appreciate the unreal beauty of the man standing in his room half naked. He also was too tired to completely freak out, because oh my god, Carlos was almost naked in his room and oh my god he was lying down on the bed, under the cover, still half naked.

No really, Charles didn't freak out at all.

(Okay, he did freak out a little).

As Carlos settled a very respectful (and frankly disrespectful) distance away (keeping his distance, like the true gentleman he was), Charles mewled a little and scooted closer. He buried his nose back into Carlos' collarbone, the place he had occupied all evening (or night, he wasn't sure how much time had passed).Without the shirt, Charles could smell Carlos' cologne even better, feel the muscle shift under his cheek, bask in the warmth of Carlos.

Truly, it was a very very good thing Charles was exhausted, both mentally and physically. He would have absolutely freaked out. Even more so when Carlos wrapped a strong arm around Charles and pulled him closer. Charles melted in Carlos' embrace, his whole body plastered against Carlos'. Suddenly, the day didn't feel so bad and so impossible to survive.

"Descansa, tesoro. Dulces sueños."

[c2-eh]

What is this Toxic!Charles business?? 👀

Hi Mal love!

So that is basically just me being mean to Lando (ily you gremlin I just need it for fic). Charles is on a mission to steal Carlos from Lando (spoiler alert, he succeeds), because they are cats fighting, because they hate each other. It's "fun" at first, but not when Charles realizes that he kinda fell in love... It has carlando too, for plot purposes. Carlos is little slow in this one, bless his soul but yeah. That's that.

very shitty snippet, but still :')

Flashes of multiple cameras were blinding the whole room and the sound of pen gliding here and there on the paper was heard in the room, as dozens of journalists marked down every single word they uttered. Just to twist them into false sentences later.

Charles was sitting leaned back in the uncomfortable plastic chair, the hard material digging into his shoulder blades making him squirm to get more comfortable. It was pointless attempt.

The air in the room was stuffy and his Ferrari polo was sticking to his back. He wanted nothing more than for his press conference to end. Dark bags under his eyes were answer itself to a question if he feels rested after the summer break.

"Question for Charles. How do you feel about Redbull getting close to you in constructors championship?“ some journalist with german accent asked him. Charles lifts his gaze and looks at him, trying to school his face into neutral expression. The guy looks funny. His long face was covered in light stubble and his already small eyes, were narrowed making him look even more ugly. He was watching him like a vulture, judging Charles‘ every move with his pen laid down on the paper, ready to take notes.

Charles hates these types of questions. What is he supposed to say? Oh I love that. Couldn’t be happier someone is trying to take our place in championship.

[vicsbasement]

3. Clingy Charles

For the ask game

me using the same tropes and scenes sometimes as a mechanism to get me to write? fork found in the kitchen - if y'all can pinpoint from which fic i took the scene with Charles barging into the office while Carlos was getting fired you get another snippet. Also it seems like Teto is a recurring character in these! It's just that he's been so present lately it's impossible for me to ignore him.

"Leclerc's been acting weird." Teto tells him, one day. Carlos is walking along with him towards the back of the house where the bikes are parked when he says the thing out loud. Carlos arches and eyebrow and turns to him, questioning silently and asking him to elaborate as he starts checking the bike’s tyres are in good shape.

"Haven't you noticed?" Teto asks, his curls swishing to the side when he tilts his head in a silent inquiry. "I know you don't watch things back or anything but ever since they announced... Well. Pretty sure it's from before, even, but ever since the thing went public he's been... I don't know how to say it." Roberto pauses again as they open the garage door and Carlos is already fidgeting with the bike's lock to unclasp it. Carlos nudges him to get his lock off, and Teto obeys for a second while he thinks as the garage door whirs in the background.

"Remember that day I went to the factory with you?" He asks instead, and Carlos nods. It was a couple days after the team called him and met him in private to explain the leaked information about them contacting Lewis. It was a terrible day. He remembers some of it, but the fact that Charles was at the factory stuck to him the most. They weren't supposed to even be there together, let alone meet, but Charles seemed adamant to see him and had barged into the office instead of waiting outside, like he was supposed to.

Carlos was accompanied by his usual posse, his dad, Caco. Teto was there because they'd been training together and since Rupert had left, Carlos missed the company.

When Charles had barged into the office, he seemed out of breath, and his eyes were puffy and red-rimmed. Carlos couldn't really recall the last time he'd seen Charles cry, it had been too long, so he compartmentalized the whole thing as to justify the eyes with some other excuse, like allergies, because Charles was very sensitive to a plant that was very prominent in Italy and the pollen lifted during the winter, so he tended to have a bad time with sneezing and red-rimmed eyes.

"I mean, I remember. But I'm pretty sure that didn't mean much." Carlos says, sure that Teto meant the little display of emotion when he barged into the room.

Still, as soon as he had barged in, he'd bailed. He noticed that they were talking to Fred and Menkies, showered the room with apologies and bolted.

"I'm not talking about him barging in." Teto says, and Carlos now really is confused. If it wasn't about that, what was it?

"When we got out of the office, he— remember he asked for your dad's permission to take you out to eat?"

"Pretty sure he was just being polite, given that we were all there together and he was sort of breaking us up."

"Yeah, but... Well, okay, then, if you didn't notice that I don't know what to tell you. Still, have you watched the interview you guys did before Bahrain?"

"I watched it before they edited it." Carlos replies. And Teto's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline as he gets on his bike, still trying to make a point.

"You didn't notice how he physically recoils from the reminder that you're leaving?" He insists, and Carlos gets a little defensive because this isn’t really what he wants to be discussing right now, so he gets on his bike and whirs the pedals to fill the silence. Still, Teto nudges his shoulder so they both bike slowly towards the exit of the garage.

"Oye, Teto, ya está, ¿sí? Te estás pasando con lo de interactuar con las fans, tío. Qué coño le va a importar a Leclerc si me voy o no..." Carlos says, his tone final. Teto shrugs his shoulder cartoonishly as he takes the lead, moving swiftly out of the driveway.

"Oh, Carlos, you've got big eyes but not a good way to use them. You'll see. He's... I don't know. He's been different.” Roberto keeps searching for a word as he stops in the driveway to get his helmet on. “Changing. Like he's... Clingy!” He snaps his fingers victoriously. “That's the word. He's been clingy towards you. And he is like that sometimes but only when you start it. Now it's like he's... Craving it. I don't know, man."

"What the fuck are you saying, cabrón?" Carlos fights the urge to kick his shins as he puts his own helmet on. Sometimes when Teto gets an idea in his head its nearly impossible to convince him otherwise.

"Que Leclerc se va a dar una hostia de los cojones este año cuando se dé cuenta del compañero que está perdiendo, cabrón. Ya vas a ver." Teto grabs the handle of his bike, jumps back on it and starts pedaling in a soft pace, Carlos in tow.

"Huh. Well, okay, then. Let's... Start the season and see."

[bitingdrivers]

Another post about Bones AU!

hello again! This time I want to talk about the supporting cast: interns, fbi agents and some other guys.

I want to preface this with a little note that my knowledge of american education (and any other) system is very surface level. And all of this is made up anyway, so don't sweat it. also acab

Mr. Alex Albon

Minors in veterinary medicine. The honorary intern on the case where they find a bull penis in the evidence. After that it's revealed that he has 7 cats, 2 dogs and even a horse. After graduating he will probably go work as a vet at the National Zoo.

Alex is bright and funny, he is down to earth, but very professional and smart. Rumor has it he is in some kind of relationship with George Russell.

I imagine he is fine working with corpses, but at the end of the day his heart is in the veterinary medicine, so after a few internships in the lab he announces that he managed to get hours at the Zoo, so he won't be in the lab anymore. Despite that, he still has to help on some cases when no one else can.

Mr. George Russell

Besides anthropology, he also studies archeology and will probably end up in the Authentications Department after graduating.

He is usually interns in Authentications, but a few times he has to help at the lab, when other squints are unavailable. He hates working with corpses and one time is found crying in the lounge after he has to help solve a child's murder.

George is reserved and serious about keeping it professional in the lab. But after you know him better, you will learn that he is very passionate and a big gossip (he probably started that rumor himself)

Dr. Fernando Alonso

Works in Palaeonthology department, but has anthropological education so a couple of times he helps in the lab when there are no avaliable squints.

Since they are both Spanish and share a passion of biology and geology, Carlos and Fernando are good friends and often help each other.

One time he has to help in the lab and one of the Institute's sponsors, Lance Stroll pays a visit. Something happens between the two

The Stroll family

The Strolls are the main benefactors of the Institute and sponsor a lot of it's campaigns. Lawrence Stroll is the head of the family and has a son and heir of the company – Lance Stroll.

Lance is very enthusiastic about the Lab and sometimes likes to visits and hover around to see how the cases are solved. After a couple of times people just accept it and even include Lance in conversations and explain things to him. In return Lance tries to help with fundings and internships. His knowledge in business and other affairs helped solve the cases on numerous occasions (he is very proud of that).

Mr. Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki studies anthropology, but is very passionate about chemistry. He is a food enthusiast and is very interested in the field of molecular kitchen. Despite studying to be an anthropologist, he plans on working in a molecular kitchen restaurant, although he still takes studying and working in the lab responsibly.

Daniel is a big wine enthusiast and dreams of making his own wine one day, so when he learns about Yuki's food hobby, the two quickly bond. Yuki even takes Daniel to a few molecular kitchen restaurants.

Mr. Liam Lawson

Liam is a the first intern to fill the space after Oscar. Because of that the crew feels really weird about him being there. But after a few weeks of working together they became good friends.

Daniel and Liam quickly bond over their shared love of American football and sometimes even play the sport together.

Yes, Liam also thinks Max is flirting with him at the start, but Charles quickly explains that this is just Max being Max (this happened in the show, I swear)

Agents Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon

They both work in the Cyber division of the FBI. Their friendship feels weird and strained to the outsiders, but Pierre and Esteban refuse to tell anyone what happened between them. Despite that, they often work together and do it well.

During one of the cases where a hacker is involved, Agent Gasly is put on the case and he and Charles work together to catch the killer. During this time they develop a connection and quickly start dating after (this happenes when Charles and Carlos decide to take a break). But since Carlos is Charles' true love, the relationship with Pierre doesn't work out, but they stay good friends afterwards

Mr. Guanuy Zhou

Guanyu spends a couple of months in America as an exchange student from China. During that time he is given internship hours at the lab and helps to solve a case. He is studying to be a forensic anthropologist in China.

Agents Kevin Magnussen and Niko Hulkenberg

Agents Magnussen and Hulkenberg used to serve with Daniel in military and went through war together. But after Daniel went to Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch (specifically the violent crime division), Hulk and Magnussen went to National Secutiry. Sometimes they meet to have a few beers together

Valterri Bottas

As one of the best anthropologist in the world, Max is asked to go to Finland to assess and authenticate some very old and important remains. Daniel decides to go with Max (obviously). But in classic Bones fashion a murder happens during their stay and Max and Daniel have to solve it. A local police officer Valterri Bottas helps them with the case.

Prof. Gianpiero Lambiase

Ok so in the show it's established that Brennan has slept and dated her professor and mentor (although I don't remember if it happened after her graduation or during her years in the university)

So I decided why not. Max dated his professor and mentor GP after graduating university. It was brief and they never took it seriously, because it was mainly just lust.

But one day GP decides to visit the lab. Daniel is not thrilled to find about Max's and GP's relationship (but at this point he won't say anything about it to Max).

Agent Sergio Perez

So uh. I kind of forgot about him till this moment and almost hit post lol.

I decided just now that he works in Organized crime division and helps during one of the cases. Sorry Checo, I forgor.

Ok so this is obviously not all the people in f1, but at this point I think it's enough. But feel free to make your own headcanons about how this or that f1 person fits in this au.

[espressoferrari]

❄️ for the ask game please!

❄️Share a snippet from a WIP of your choosing.

okay...I will feed you. This is from a Charlos fic I started writing in a fervour yesterday in which Charlos try to seal their Ferrari arranged marriage by bringing the constructors championship back home to Maranello.....

“And Lando?” Charles asks, his eyes half-lidded as he takes another sip of his drink in the lowlight. 

Carlos knows what he’s really asking him. And Lando, quiet cheeky reference to things that hang in the air unspoken, a dangling piece of bait.  

But Carlos knows better than to ask about Max. That’s what Charles is aiming for, he thinks. A direct comparison, a chance for Charles to glorify his and Max’s whatever in blood and righteous battle, in the same fell swoop lazily pointing out the weakness of the gentle flame Carlos guards tight in his chest. But he doesn’t rise to meet the challenge so instead he bows to Charles’ game, not allowing him the satisfaction of a continued hunt. So instead he laughs, “It is true Lando is my friend, but you are also.”

Charles’ eyes widen imperceptibly and Carlos resists the temptation to smile, Charles is not often caught off-guard but Carlos has become expert at it over the years, and the thrill of the catch never lessens. 

“And until the end of the year we are Ferrari,” Carlos continues, setting his drink down in front of him to reach out and catch Charles’ shoulder. “Let’s get them, ay? And bring this championship back home.”

Charles laughs, his wine-stained mouth going soft and his eyes sharp as flint. “Vamos,” he agrees. “Forza Ferrari.”

“Forza Ferrari,” Carlos echoes back, like an Amen.

[jusst-you-race]

can i ask for charlos dating?

okay so this is kind of inspired by all the weird ferrari pr videos they've been doing this season... you know the ones... <3 for the ccc snippet prompts

Charles image.png 

Happy anniversary!

Carlos Is that a blindfold?

Charles Oui! I thought it might be fun to try in the bedroom?

Carlos But you are always saying how much you love watching me?

Charles I do! I will still be watching you silly 

Carlos Through the blindfold?

Charles Non! 

I thought you would wear the blindfold 

Carlos Me?

But I want you to wear it 

Charles Well I want you to wear it 

Carlos I thought this was a gift for me?

Charles Oui for you to wear

Carlos But it is more of a gift if you wear it 

Charles Well it’s my anniversary too 

I got it for you to wear 

It will be fun!

Carlos But then I cannot see you… 

What if I want to see my boyfriend on our anniversary when we are making love?

Charles But it’s sexy with the blindfold 

Then everything else feels… more 

Carlos See this is making it seem like you want to wear the blindfold 

Charles Fine!

I guess it was a stupid idea 

Don’t worry about it 

Carlos Charles…

Charles No clearly you do not like it 

That is fine 

Carlos It’s not that I don’t like it 

Charles Forget it 

I just thought it might be nice to do something fun for the special occasion 

Carlos Ay, mi amor

I’m sorry

It is a thoughtful gift 

How about we take turns hmm?

Charles You wear it first 

Carlos Okay si 

Me first 

Then you 

Charles Fine 

Carlos Mi vida I do appreciate the gift

Charles Good 

Carlos You are wonderful 

I am so thankful for you 

Charles Okay okay I get it 

I love you too 

Happy anniversary mon coeur 

Carlos Happy anniversary ❤️

Charles Hurry home! 

[f1-stuff]

kid fic 👀

Thank you for your patience, anon! Posted below is the 'prologue' of the fic. My google doc for this one is 13k words and counting, so look out for a part one on ao3 (hopefully) really soon! -> WIP game

It’s a Saturday in Melbourne when Carlos is called to the track early for a meeting with his manager and the team’s legal department.

He doesn’t think much of it - maybe it’s about some merchandising opportunity, or a special race suit for Spain. Or maybe he said some comment in an interview yesterday that he shouldn’t have, though he can’t think of what that would’ve been off the top of his head. And anyway, if that were the case, then his press officer would be there. He supposes he might be, actually.

Carlos takes his time, stopping for his usual espresso and saying good morning to any team personnel who’ve arrived as early as he has. He’s feeling optimistic - the car felt good in free practice yesterday, so he’s hopeful they can have a good weekend.

When he finally makes it to the conference room, the head of the legal department’s there, along with his cousin and manager, Caco. What makes Carlos stop in his tracks though is the television screen at the end of the room. It’s displaying a zoom call containing what can only be a room full of Ferrari legal aides and lawyers, all sitting and facing the camera with silent, somber expressions.

His eyes meet Caco’s, who’s already looking at him with an apprehensive arch to his brow, like he thinks Carlos knows the reason for this meeting. In other words, his cousin doesn’t know the reason for this meeting.

A tense, nervous energy permeates the room.

“Carlos. Take a seat,” the chief legal officer, Sabina, says, all business.

Carlos takes a seat beside Caco with trepidation, clearing his throat of sudden nerves. “What is this about?”

“Lucía Ibarra. Does this name sound familiar?”

His jerk reaction is to say ‘no.’ But he pauses, the name scratching something at the back of his memory. Lucy...

“Uh...maybe. Yes, I think so,” he amends. He knew a ‘Lucy,’ short for Lucía, years ago, and he knew her last name once upon a time, too. But it’s been a while. That, though...it sounds like it could be right. “What about her?”

“Do you know this woman?”

“I did- I mean...years ago-”

“Lucía Ibarra, twenty-six years old, living in France and working as a journalist for a small, local publication.”

France?

When he’d met her, she was living in Madrid with dreams of becoming a writer, studying toward a degree in university. She’d had a double-focus in French and journalism, so he supposes it makes sense if that’s where she’d ended up. 

Carlos feels a tickle of pride for her, but it’s buried underneath his bewilderment, as Sabina continues to list off details of a girl’s life that Carlos hasn’t seen or heard from in four or so years. A girl who Carlos had thought he would just continue to wonder about from time-to-time, who’d changed her number after...whatever they were together, so that even if Carlos had wanted to call he couldn’t.

“Carlos.”

“Yes. Sorry.”

“So you did in fact know this woman? That certainly complicates things, but no matter what, we have a plan in place.”

“A...plan-?”

“We’ve contacted your lawyer, who will join our call soon, I expect.”

Carlos meets eyes with Caco, who feels his gaze and returns it with equal dread.

“What...” He clears his throat. “What has happened to her?”

“There’s been an accident,” Sabina says, and his heart sinks. An accident? But it still doesn’t make any sense. What does this have to do with him? “We don’t have all the details. But we’re organizing a flight for you to France-”

“A flight? What- when?”

“Right after the race.”

“But- this is impossible,” Carlos insists, almost feeling like laughing, but sensing it’s the wrong time. He’s just so, completely lost by everything going on. “I cannot fly to France after the race. Japan is in two weeks.”

His race preparation will go to shit if he flies to Europe. The jetlag alone will fuck up his entire system and concentration. Not to mention the fact that he still has no fucking clue why he needs to go to France for a woman he kind of knew years ago, who he hasn’t spoken to since she told him to ‘figure out your shit’ in a hotel room in Barcelona.

He’s sorry to hear about her accident, of course. Does this mean she’s...dead? Shit. But he can’t drop everything to...attend a funeral, or whatever’s going on. And the team should know that. How do they even know about her?

“Carlos, this is non-negotiable. Now, we recognize the sensitivity of the situation, so we’ve decided you should stay for the race. But we don’t want you talking to any news outlets or making any statements.”

Statements about what, he wants to ask. But Sabina beats him to it.

“Lucía Ibarra had a child, Carlos - three years old. And apparently, she’s yours.”

[mercyreg]

Charlos Headcanons

Once again. These are more loosely based for a Discord Server. Sharing is caring so I shared!

Requests are happily accepted !!

Charlos HC

Charles is extremely shy and reclusive unless he knows the people well but that doesn’t stop him from being nice and “charming”

Charles had a Natural bond with Carlos immediately upon meeting him

Charles started movie marathons every chance he got with Carlos

Carlos is very big on Physical touch/Affection after Charles told him that he enjoys it

He purposefully pronounces Carlos’ name as “Cah-los”

Carlos has a bad habit of giving Charles “Those eyes”

Charles has on multiple occasions fallen asleep on Carlos. Whether it be on flights, bus rides, just sitting next to each other

Carlos always tries to have some physical contact with Charles

Charles wears bracelets and rings every chance he’s given because Carlos likes to mess with them

Charles adores it when Carlos speaks Spanish, even small phrases.

Charles is fully aware of the “ships” of him and the f1 grid. 

Again Charles only really acknowledges Charlos and Lestappen

They have taken showers together before

Carlos drags Charles’ to parties frequently 

They both have slept together, both were drunk. 

Carlos was sober enough to rememberer every detail due to him deliberately staying awake and chugging water TO sober up.

Charles was blackout drunk and barely remembered snippets let alone who it was.

Charles woke up in Carlos’ Ferrari polo but didn’t realize it until the end of the day when he took it off and saw “Sainz” and “55” On the back.

Carlos had completely mapped out everything about Charles sexually that night.

Carlos didn’t tell Charles because he thought he remembered and was staying quiet

Charles figured he slept with someone but never could put together who.

Charles will listen to any song Carlos tells him to, Even if he dislikes the singer, band, genre, etc.

They are a active duo in the club or at parties. You won’t find one without the other.

They sync their mic’s in their helmets during Practice races and talk to each other.

Both of their phones are filled with pictures of each other.

Charles enjoys holding or messing with Carlos’ hand or fingers when he’s bored

[moossings]

drawn in

the f1 mafia au that no one asked for and won't leave my brain at all. mainly charlos, but featuring most of the grid and ex drivers. i've been worldbuilding with @5ainz (bless for bearing with me) and in between drawings and character sheets, i ventured to write this tiny snippet to hype myself (and be less scared of writing). if you read this, thank you and enjoy! ✨

-

“You shouldn't be here.”

Carlos’ eyes don’t move from the painting. The Death of the Virgin, by Caravaggio. He smiles to himself, shaking his head. He wouldn’t expect less from the Rosso Corsa, always proud and ready to show off their legacy. Come to think about it, everything in his life was linked to red somehow. And at the same time, inevitably, to the wounds it left.

“Are you going to kick me out, altezza reale? Like a bad behaved dog?” He does turn his head then. His tone is supposed to be mocking, but the moment brown eyes meet green, his resolution falters.

Charles Leclerc, composed as ever, stands on the door, as if he had just closed it. Carlos swears he hears the lock turn as well, but his mind is rather busy tracking every single hair out of place, from the top of his head to the strands scattering on his forehead. His gun feels heavy where it rests in its holster under his jacket.

“And aren’t you the most loyal one? Fernando must be proud.” Charles leaves the door to stand next to Carlos, shoulders almost brushing but not close enough. It’s their thing, throw knives and dodge, push and pull. The Inspector’s little prince and the right hand of the Spanish Samurai.

The silence between them is not awkward, but it feels tense in the same way the air is charged right before a storm. They look at the painting, but the details they recollect are not the brushstrokes or perspective of the piece. It’s the subtle hints of cologne coming off Charles’ skin when he tilts his head, following the lines of the old wood on the frame instead of the ones of Carlos’ perfectly tailored suit. It’s the flex on Carlos’ clenched fists as his mind repeats over and over how very not good it would be to reach and find out how Charles’ hands feel with their fingers laced.

“Did you know,” Carlos says, his voice almost a whisper. “This painting was rejected by the patron who commissioned it. No one had ever painted the actual death of the Virgin, it was a dogma, and Caravaggio depicted her as mortal: pale, bloated and devoid of spirit.” He sighs and looks sideways at Charles, from under his lashes. “It is also said that Caravggio painted her after a prostitute, so maybe that was the real reason.”

Charles tries to school his features, to stop the smile from being evident, but those sweet dimples betray him. Time to stop pretending, it seems. “I didn’t know you were interested in art.” He turns to face Carlos fully, carefully studying the strong features he usually only catches in glimpses. He is setting the ground for truce, building the bridge.

Carlos chuckles, and it sounds tired. “Really? Don’t tell me Sebastian didn’t include it in my file. He used to be more thorough with his research, he is starting to slip.” But he still faces Charles, willing to meet him halfway. “There is a lot more that you couldn’t possibly know.”

“What if I wanted to find out? What would it take?” Charles takes a step forward. Carlos lets him.

“Stupidity. Recklessness. Naivety.” He counts with his fingers, brows furrowed but playful smirk. Charles can’t really tell which one he actually means. “Trust.”

“That sounds like a challenge, Sainz.” And Charles has never backed up from one. Today is not the day he’ll start.

He extends his hand and, in seconds, a warm bigger one takes it in a firm but soft grip.

“It’s Carlos.” A smirk draws up the corners of his full lips. “You are in for a ride, cariño.”

[stripedstarsblueflags]

i didn't win the wheel: episode 9 (pt. 1)

why did williams have to choose the freakiest content setup for the time in the season when their drivers' mental health is going to be at its lowest (so far)? seriously, this could’ve been GOLD. instead we’ve got some sad and understated praise kink and a lot of vegetables. anyway. to elaborate:

Logan: “What’s up, everyone… this is what’s-that-crunch… wheel-or-no-wheel. What we’re exactly doing here I’m not sure–”

yeah, exactly what i meant. ever see someone look that disengaged with a blindfold on? you have now. and oh god this image is a punch in the gut. the symbolism in this particular frame GAGS ME. logan is completely blindfolded, painfully and poorly delivering an unoriginal script that clearly has been fed to him seconds before the camera turns on. alex, on the other hand, is lifting his blindfold up, looking around, taking in logan and the room around them and the camera crew… honestly, you gotta feel for the williams pr team, because in this instance they’ve accidentally shown us what it’s like to have one of their drivers restricted by their device and yet forced to lead anyway while the other is dealing with a similar obstacle while being allowed and encouraged to overcome it. genuinely a coincidence but such a flop. thank god none of the fans who watch this are analytical hyperreactive overachievers who look into every single aspect of these videos with merciless scrutiny and rainbow-colored glasses, right?

omg how did i just now notice that under that stupid skinny ass table both their legs are almost touching except alex is a giraffe so he has to keep his giraffe ankles tucked awkwardly back closer to the chair legs so he’s not taking up logan’s space but he still wants to have horrible posture so he’s a half-folded lawn chair wtfffffff this is too cute!!

Logan (still doing the intro)(still confusedly): “But you know whoever wins… gets to spin tha’ wheel.”

THANK YOU, LOGAN SARGEANT. this is what i meant about blindfolds 🤝 freak content, except usually when we have other teams do this there’s usually a pretty big goofball element to it (even charlos always brings goofball to the kink). this tiny snippet on the other hand looks suspiciously like he’s doing it on purpose. just looking at the gif doesn’t begin to cover it, even to my own eyes it looks like i’m reading too much into it paired with the visual alone but it’s all in the tone of voice. i REALLY recommend rewatching this episode because there’s no way i can do it justice in just words. the closest i can get to is my favorite word to use when someone’s voice is being sexy which is ‘lilt’. like there’s no seduction or husk or anything obviously intentional like that it’s more like you can just hear the slow arrogance in their voice. the way the pitch fluctuations almost singsong like just on the edge of a taunt no matter what the actual words are saying. it’s how people say i’ve got you right where i want you.

and also. THE VISUAL?? IS STILL A THING?? logan is blindfolded since the start of the video, so until this point he’s just been facing some meaningless direction because, duh, he can’t actually see. he doesn’t even make much of an effort to face the camera as he’s introducing the show even though he obviously remembers where it is. but the shift. the turning to the camera for just a split second and his deadpan expression flickering into a lazy smirk and his voice gets ✨like that✨ and here we go game show hosts and their attraction to inanimate objects but by the time he gets to “that wheel” (tha’ wheel) he’s turning right back to alex. who at this point is probably also blindfolded. and can’t see logan. and even if he isn’t and is still fidgeting logan doesn’t know that because LOGAN CAN’T SEE SHIT. but he remembers the bit alex likes and instead of just repeating the same old same old (which we know alex will laugh at no matter how many times) he makes this tiny adjustment in just the body language and the tone of voice alone and now we’ve transitioned from him flirting with the wheel to him flirting with alex. fuck. this is episode four and episode one territory why does depression get in the way of everything

Alex: *celery noises*

Logan: “….can you take another bite?”

[both laugh]

what is this challenge like– oh my god i can’t take it any seriously than they can. first of all the ASMR mic-ed up crunching? major ick, we all know what celery sounds like, we don’t need Celery (Alex’s Version). but it’s so unbearably awkward that it ends up being hilarious anyway. logan having no idea how to ask that question (because what kind of question is “can you take another bite so i can intently listen to it with my head leaned towards your face and my eyes covered”) but at the very least it helps them bring some warmth into the activity. up to this point (with flirtatious logan appearance being a notable exception) they’ve seemed very… isolated. logan’s entire vibe is “why did you wake me up for this” at 3 pm and alex is left without 1) an interesting sport or task he actually wants to do AND 2) logan to help him stay present, cause logan is entirely matching alex’s “how long do i have to be here” energy and when they plateau like this the awkwardness becomes nauseating. until finally the game itself is so stupid that they can’t play it without laughing at the activity and themselves and even when he’s looking down logan’s smile is such a relief to see

also, alex staring intently at logan and leaning all the way over and chewing with his mouth open and trying to be as helpful as possible even while logan’s mind is entirely tv static. adorable. so often alex forgets to treat these challenges as a competition and instead to him it’s like a group activity, a puzzle they have to work together to solve like mice in a maze or smth because it’s not fun for him if logan’s losing

Alex: *pepper noises*

Logan: “A bit softer…”

Alex: “Mm. Good.”

Logan: “…one more.”

ooooh okay i like that a lot better. so the first try (celery) was a flop; already in this second item we see some changes. because what did i say alex has way more fun when this is a little puzzle they have to solve together rather than them both trying to stump the other. remember lewis looking up “most difficult words to lip-read” in that noise cancelling headphone thing against george? alex brings a very different energy. i can’t believe i’m analyzing chewing techniques now but from the very first bite he’s ending his sentence early, swallowing, leaning closer, the concentration is evident on his face with how clear he’s trying to make this crunch sound. and then logan starts talking out loud, trying to narrate his thought process basically, but not trying to trick anyone into giving him a hint– it’s sort of like on grill the grid when he thinks out loud not to entice a clue but to prove “hey, i’m thinking! i’m putting effort into this! i’m actually trying i just don’t know the answer please don’t think i’m stupid” and alex– who at this point is supposed to be competing, how many times do i have to remind– is audibly encouraging him. only leans back when he can tell logan’s on the right track (sort of).

and that in turn– just the word ‘good’ is an evident confidence boost for logan. it doesn’t take a lot to get him to turn around, alex doesn’t have to worry about being patronizing or sounding like he’s trying too hard but the fact that alex is observing how he’s doing in the first place and noticing when he improves/gets something right even in a game is enough. and so the next time logan asks for a repeat it’s not a really awkward sentence, it’s not “i’m gonna say this in a goofy voice because i’m so uncomfortable asking this that i have to make this funny because otherwise the embarrassment is going to kill both of us” it’s a command. like god shivers down my spine. and alex doesn’t laugh either he just takes another bite good boy because this is how he prefers to play the game! together!

still didn’t guess the pepper but moving on!

ok this is just adorable. alex what were you doing

didn’t set out for this to be a two-parter (maybe more???) but whenever there’s a blindfold the body language goes CRAZY to overcompensate and there’s always so much more to analyze! so breaking this down for now!

[landhoe-norris]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers! Spread the self-love 💞

Thank you so much for this ask, this is a lot of fun! <3

cupid’s chokehold - Charles. A sauna. His teammate's dad. What more do you want?

I mean, do I have to say anything about this one? Pretty sure this was the first fic in the Charlos Sr tag on AO3, and I have more in that tag. I just really, really love the idea of these two and I want to write some more when I get going again.

how bratty omega princess lando norris met very professional and foolhardy alpha personal security guard carlos sainz jr - the summary is in the title. i don't know what to say.

This was such a 'I'm drunk and bored and want to write' fic. It started as little snippets in the Carlando server and then I just started writing it all out, and it ended in this which is a fun fic. Even though it's not my best, I definitely have soft spot for it.

i want you to know (that i'm all yours) - Lando keeps making mistakes with men called Carlos. He keeps making mistakes until one night when he doesn't.

This was the first fic I as part of a challenge (that wasn't hosted by me). I don't remember what it's called but it's a very smutty challenge. I don't know what came over me, but I love the hell out of it and the premise is *chefs kiss*

summer sweat - "Now it's Carlos' turn to bite his lips. A moan almost escapes them, but he manages to hold back. Lando puts his lips on Carlos' earlobe and presses a soft kiss to it before whispering. 'I fingered myself in the bathroom. I'm ready.' It's an order, one that Carlos is barely able to deny. 'Not in front of your parents, Lando!' It's strangled; all of his energy is going into keeping his composure" or Carlos spends a hot summer day with Lando and his family, and Lando has some plans.

This is just pure smut. Someone sent me a prompt here on Tumblr and I just went with it and it definitely turned into one of my favourite little Carlando fics. So thank you to whoever it was that inspired this <3

You Found Me - Absolutely nothing had gone to plan. Lando had known that teaming up with the CNI was a bad idea, he didn’t trust them one bit. Especially Sainz, with who he had unfortunately been partnered or Lando is MI6 and is forced to work with an arrogant CNI intelligence officer named Carlos.

What an epic. It took me almost 2,5 years to complete, mostly because I am so bad at updating. This started from a tiny drabble I wrote back in 2021, and it kinda just snowballed from that. I am going to write a sequel, when I get the spirit of writing back into me.

[f1amboyant]

for the angsty prompts : charlos + "I give up. You won."

Hi anon! Thank you for the prompt!! This fits so perfectly into my current WIP (single dad charles au) and the scene I'm working on, I had to answer this way. I hope you don't mind 🤭 Here's a snippet for Training Season.

⚽️🍹🍺🎯

Carlos led him to the bar where they ordered new drinks (Charles chose the red cocktail, just because he liked the color, and also a bit because Carlos said he would probably like it) (Carlos took another beer, not daring to try anything new and because ‘it’s all for you tonight, cariño’). Charles tried very hard not to blush but his cheeks felt as red as his cocktail and it didn’t look like they were gonna go back to normal anytime soon.

“Do you know how to play darts?” Carlos asked.

“I mean, you throw the pointy things at the round thingy and try to score the most points, no?”

“More or less,” Carlos chuckled.

Turned out, Charles didn’t really know how to play darts, but Carlos did. And after a bit of teasing, he stepped closer to Charles.

“You take the dart like this. No, put your hand a little more like this,” he instructed, placing his own hand over Charles to show him exactly how. Their skin burned together and Charles’ heart kept beating faster and faster. “Okay, yes, like this, that's good.”

“Like this?”

The dart went flying, almost hitting the bullseye and Charles whooped. That was so much better than what he had done previously. Carlos truly was a good teacher (not that Gab hadn't said it before). But staring at the smug smile on Carlos’ lips, Charles wouldn't give him the opportunity to boast.

“It's on!” he shouted, probably louder than he should have. “You shouldn't have shown me. I'm gonna beat you now.”

“Oh really?”

“Really! Come on, come on, it's your turn.”

Charles really really wanted to win. But Carlos was good and just as competitive as Charles was. They both yelled at the board when they missed the mark, they both laughed high when the other failed until, despite all his efforts (including blocking Carlos’ view and then his arm and then both at the same time) Charles lost. He had laughed though. A lot. And he absolutely loved it. A new glass, blue this one, rested on the side, empty, his content poured into Charles’ stomach (and a little on his shirt when he had tried to cheat and block Carlos’ eyes). He felt a little dizzy but so elated he barely even noticed. He hadn’t felt like this in… well actually, he didn't think he had ever felt like this. Not since Gabriel at least.

“Okay, okay,” Charles finally said after Carlos beat him one too many times, and looking way too smug about it. “I give up. You won.”

“Say that again?” Carlos teased.

“Nope. Let's play something else.” He looked around the bar, spotting a new game on the other side. “I'm sure I can beat you at pool.”

“Can you, now?”

“Yes, let's go!"

⚽️🍹🍺🎯

-> angsty sentence starters -> ask box -> single dad!Charles au

[c2-eh]

Abo 👀👀

hi anon! so this wip is only made up in my head and i have only 1 scene written so far, but i will try to give you a bulleted list for how it looks rn in my head (knowing myself, i might change it completely one day, from start to end but we'll see) and a snippet... i started writing it because i had 1 particular scene in my head so i HAD to... why is my brain like that ://

they are still drivers in this one

charles - omega and carlos - alpha (NO ONE is surprised)

the plot starts in 2021, just after they've became teammates

charles is not coping well with Seb's departure (Seb is an omega (or beta) too) so he's distant from Carlos at first, seeking comfort from other people at the team or other drivers

Carlos is miserable because of that, he's scared Charles won't ever let him get close to him - there's huge difference between Charles and Lando and he has to get used to the different dynamic

it gets easier when they truly get to know each other

they are true mates in this - high compatibility and all that so no matter how much they try to stay away from each other it's impossible

thinking of FIA being the problem (canon) because i hate FIA and i need to rage somewhere

ofc they mate in the end

lots of sex lol

possible mpreg. maybe. idk, i've never wrote that

now snippet!

Seeing Carlos enter their living room, Charles‘ shoulders sag and his whole posture relaxes. He feels so happy he might cry.

And he does.

„Tesoro, I am home,“ the tears burst out of Charles‘ eyes, as he runs to his mate, latching himself onto him like a leech. Carlos immediately wraps his arms around him, one arm holding his head, while other envelopes his waist. He brings him as close as possible, the body heat from Charles transferring to Carlos‘ cold one.

„What’s wrong, love?“ Carlos asks in a gentle voice.

„I saw the post race conference and I-“ he sniffles, his throat sizing up, not allowing him to continue.

He buries his face in Carlos‘ neck, breathing in his typical scent that has traces of Charles‘ scent mixed in it. He smells amazing and Charles will never get used to the mouthwatering scent, that envelopes him almost everyday.

so. that's it :)

[vicsbasement]

CHARLES IS JEALOUS OF TETO ahahahaha

Oh my God, yeah, this one is just fun because I intend to show Charles as a little bit of a selfish brat in a sense. Like, they sort of dislike each other, Carlos is oblivious, but Roberto antagonizes him constantly- leaving things in his garage that aren't his, talking loudly in Spanish around him knowing he can't understand much, taking Carlos away from moments alone. These kinds of things. It's supposed to be short, but here's the first few paragraphs. Just pray that I get a strike of inspiration and manage to finish it before Carlos leaves for Williams. Charles was used to noise.

Formula 1 was a noisy sport, the hustle and bustle of the paddock, the garage, the meetings with media—it was all very overwhelming.

Still, he’d gotten used to it quickly, even embraced it. It was all a part of his dream, he was more than willing to make sacrifices. And sacrificing his comfort was one of the things he was willing to do. He'd wake up early when he was needed to, he'd given up foods he loved so he could be the perfect weight to fit in the car, he'd even ignored health issues just so he could drive a few more laps.

But he never thought he’d grown so accustomed to the noise and yet a voice, a single voice, a person’s voice would become so grating. It got on his nerves; it just made him mad. And he wasn’t easily overstimulated, but the whole combination, the voice, the constant presence of this person around basically everywhere they were supposed to share, the lack of privacy and calm… it drove him nuts.

And it wasn’t even Carlos’ fault. This was his friend. Charles had no right to get so on edge.

But Roberto Merhi was grating on his nerves.

[wedriftlikelonelyplanets]

WIP Wednesdayyyyyy

(Last lines game, really!)

Another week, another tag game! Please share your last sentence; or, if you don’t have one, share a plot bunny or idea! (OR sketch for your artwork!)

Was tagged by @thelettersfromnoone THANK YOU I APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH WHEN YOU TAG ME IN THIS STUFF BECAUSE I GET TO GO STUPID AND FERAL

Get A Grip Before My Dog is Loose (Lestappen, Vampire!Max AU)

And then there’s a smile curling across Max’s face, predatory and sharp, as he tosses his phone to the side, direct attention turned on Charles. It’s too much. Too much and not enough all at the same time. “You want it?” He asks, his voice low, head tilted. “You want me to chase you? Pin you down? Make you take it?” doesn’t hold back the chuckle escapes as Charles flushes darker, and nods the affirmative. 

Small Talk, Big Love (Charlos, D/s (BDSM) divorce fic) (this is still a working title) Tag Here

Somewhere between Vegas last year, and Australia this year, they lose themselves. Somewhere in that long stretch of time, everything changes. Carlos a little harsher, Charles a little sharper, and Carlos doesn’t know if it’s intentional, or if Charles just can’t help himself. Too competitive, too driven, too willing to push to win that he’ll push everything else away. 

I'm so Lonely and You're the Only One That Knows Me (Landoscar, the negotiation fic)

Lando swats his hand away, gently, picks up the mug himself, tests the heat of the ceramic against his palm before bringing the cup cautiously to Oscar’s lips. It’s a repeat of the action from last night, Lando’s fingers coming up to cup the back of his neck, tilt his head back, tilts the mug, and Oscar takes a small sip, and then another, of the coffee. Warm slide of it settling somewhere in his chest 

Leaving Me Just When I Thought You Were Mine (Charlos, A/B/O with non-traditional dynamics)

Sometimes, he doesn’t know when it became more than just him panting after Charles like a bitch in heat, and instead, him feeling something stronger, stronger, deeper, like some loyalty that’s been instilled into him, like Charles collared him and called him his own. 

ANNND last but not least because I need you all to get snippets of it, I love this one so much and it's kinda been on the backburner for my Landoscar series and also the Charlos Divorce Fic (and NOW the vampire max fic)

The Lestappen Warped Tour AU (Lestappen, Warped Tour 2005)

Charles goes on stage wearing one of Max’s shirts, baggy on him and smelling like Max, and paired with his too-tight skinny jeans, Max wants to devour him. Pulls him off stage the instant Lake Despair's set is done, and they navigate their way through a crush of people. In the first quiet corner they find alone, Max licks at the sweat trickling down his neck, before sucking a mark into his collarbone so that everyone can see that Charles is his.

I don't have a world of people to tag so I'll tag the few followers I have that are writers. No pressure for anyone, I love you all the same. @foggieststars @tommybuckleys ...god i need more friends who are writing WIPs because i feel weird tagging people that i'm not moots with

ANYHOW love u all have a good time

[beabnormal24]

I couldn’t resist it, I need your opinion on this little snippet from Chapter one of my new Charlos fic, which will come out as soon as possible.

Let me know what you think!

Chapter I

The apartment is quiet when they finally make it through the threshold, Charles’ icy joints creaking painfully once the comfortable warmth of the thermostat slips under the hems of his coat.

The lights are on, though, he notices when Pierre shoulders past him, grumpily stomping towards the bathroom.

Yuki is sitting in the farthest corner of the couch, headphones on and eyes wide open staring at the screen of his computer where there’s a purple coding line looking right back at him. Charles would bet money that he hasn’t blinked in at least ten minutes.

But Yuki is not the only person in the room, weirdly. The kitchen’s light is on as well, yellow neons casting mellow orange shadows on the living room’s pavement, reaching his toes where he’s finally slipped his shoes off.

Charles raises his head, confused for only a single second about the fourth unfamiliar figure sitting at their table.

“Oh, hi Carlos.”

Carlos blinks up at him slowly, the end of a blue ballpoint pen trapped between his teeth as he becomes aware of Charles standing not too far away from him, still leaning against the door as he takes his coat off.

His eyes are half lidded from what Charles can assume must be tiredness, if the rich collection of textbooks and notes scattered all over the table’s surface is enough of an answer, but he still smiles big and bright at him, like Charles has just brought him the greatest news ever.

“Hi, Charles!” He says back. The pen falls from his lips, hitting the open notebook between his arms, but he doesn’t seem to care a bit. Sharls, he’ll never get his name quite right, sometimes it’s an even worse pronunciation than Yuki’s one. But it’s also endearing, a bit. “How are you? Did you have a good night out? Had fun?”

Charles cringes at the thought of the recent events, stomach twisting with the residues of an – allegedly – good lasagna that he had had to pay for on his own after refusing yet another proposal of a one-night stand. He almost has half a mind to snap and scream a bit, let it all out, throw punches at the ceiling or perhaps tug at the ends of his hair that has grown longer over time - which would also be a bitter reminder of how many months have passed since he has been able to visit back home and get a good haircut from his mom’s neat fingers.

His patience is hanging on to a branch that’s barely holding out to the tree of his self-control, and the cocktail of anxiety from the nearing midterm projects, the pencils he should’ve bought yesterday instead of staring at his notes for two hours longer than he had planned and the unfortunate encounters that never seem to fail him lately, the whole deal about professors never being clear with their requests, is almost enough for him to ignore Carlos’ question altogether and follow Pierre’s stomping to the bathroom.

But dipping his cold hands under a hot stream of water wouldn’t be that good for his articulations. Besides, Carlos’ curiosity is genuine, much like always snd Charles doesn’t like to be a dick with people who don’t deserve it, which usually doesn’t include Pierre.

“Eh, alright, could’ve been better.” He shrugs indifferently, the half admission slipping effortlessly out of his mouth.

Yuki doesn’t react to that, but the roll of his impossibly dry eyes doesn’t exactly go unnoticed.

A frown appears in the crease between Carlos’ eyebrows, probably sensing the thick sarcasm that threatens to flow from below his tongue, but Charles is quick to talk over him before he can add anything else. “Studying with Pierre?” He asks, reaching with a hand behind his neck to finally untie his scarf.

The question couldn’t be more stupid, for sure, and Yuki lets him know with another silent roll of his eyes. It’s not unusual for Carlos to be sitting at their kitchen table, more so ever since he and Pierre have found out about their mutual interest in anything sports related, apart from their shared classes.

Charles doesn’t really know much about him, except for the fact that he’s a fierce Real’s fan, that he’s from Spain and that he moved to London for his Master degree after graduating in Economics-something-finance not more than a year ago, that he shouts too many curses in his mother language in front of the TV when some player misses a score – not that different from Pierre, on this aspect -, and that he’s some kind of a family friend of Lando and comes from money, as well.

Which doesn’t explain why he would prefer to spend time at their little apartment, where Yuki’s socks are still left unattended on the coffee table after three days and Charles’ sketches cover more than half of the windowsill and Pierre always forgets to turn the bathroom’s lights off. But Charles surely won’t be the one to complain about it when Carlos offers his cooking skills in exchange for their hospitality.

Yuki complains even less, for sure, being the one who mostly makes sure they’ll be having something at least edible for dinner. Whenever Carlos comes to their apartment, he likes to say that he’s finally off chef duty.

“Yes, Charles, we were studying.” Pierre’s tone is acidic, dripping with the bitterness of it when he comes back to the kitchen. As if on cue, the colder white light of the bathroom follows the back of his head like strobe light beams, hitting him square in the shoulders and the ruffled hair, strands pulled out by stressed fingers.

Charles would feel a bit bad about interrupting their studying session if he weren’t too distracted by the thought that they should really agree on a single color for lights in their home.

“Until someone decided to deem me as their personal taxi driver, no? ‘Cause they don’t seem to care at all about going out without making sure that they can come fucking back.”

“Pierre,” Charles hisses under his breath. From the corner of his eye, he can see Yuki pressing insistently on a button on his headphones. Something tells him it must be the volume. “Shut up.”

“Oh no, Charlie dear, I won’t shut up. I’ve told you that I had to study and yet-“

“Yes, I know! But I already apologized, what more do you want me to do?” He doesn’t know what language they’re yelling right now, a part of him really hopes it may be French, even though he knows Yuki will have a lot to complain about their ‘Speak English in common spaces’ rule. But there’s still another person in the kitchen with them, one that is currently looking from one side to the other, head bobbing towards who’s speaking like in a tennis match.

It’s not like he is embarrassed or anything, to be clear, but Pierre can get pretty nasty when he’s angry and stressed about exams, and Charles would rather not have Carlos as a spectator to that.

“I don’t know, maybe grow the fuck up? Stop going out and shit with people who clearly do not have the same intentions as you?”

Charles clenches his fists on either side of his hip. He can feel his nostrils starting to flare as he glares right back at Pierre, like they’re fourteen again and Pierre is telling him to drop the controller and stop acting like a crybaby.

It won’t last long, he knows, Charles is too attached to him to let stupid things like this get between them, and Pierre is too attached to him to not regret the words he spits out.

But right now, it’s an open battlefield.

“Don’t you dare tell me to grow the fuck up! You learn to shut off the freaking bathroom lights, then, and do your own laundry!”

Pierre twists his mouth to the side, blue eyes widening in fake surprise. “Oh, is that so now? Then why don’t you learn how to not burn everything you put on a stove? And maybe also get your driving license once and for all!”

Charles inhales sharply, letting out an outraged squeal that he would be probably feel abashed about if he weren’t busy with finding the right words to snap back at him. The driving license bit is a low blow even for Pierre.

It’s not even like he can do anything about it, when he lives abroad and there’s no way of him to get a car in London without leaving his mom and Arthur empty handed back home. Pierre is the only one with a car, because he has a shit ton of older brothers, differently from him.

But that’s not Charles fault.

“You prick!” He shouts back. “You know I can’t do that, and I can’t afford a fucking car!”

“Then you should learn how to drive mine, non? Instead of-“

“Guys.” Their heads snap around with matching confused frowns over their faces, the sound of that voice coming from an unfamiliar source. Even Yuki widens his eyes, going as far as raising his head up and away from the computer screen to stare at Carlos.

Carlos who had just interrupted their quarrel. Not even Max I-don’t-give-a-fuck Verstappen had tried to put himself in the middle of them that time they had started arguing about fries inside the burger or next to the burger.

Charles has to blink a few times to realize that it is Carlos, indeed. He must be much braver than he would’ve guessed.

“There’s no need to fight.” Carlos says, raising his hands up when Pierre narrows his eyes at him, probably ready to tell him off and unkindly inviting him to shut up. Ok, so they must’ve been speaking English, unless Carlos has started learning French all of a sudden. “I have a car, too, you know. It’s not like- a Ferrari or anything.”

Charles snorts. “Don’t worry, Pierre’s car is a piece of crap.”

“Charles, I swear-“

“Anyway.” Carlos starts again, raising an eyebrow. It’s almost a wonder how effective it is to make Pierre shut his mouth. Charles must learn from his tricks. “It’s a more than loved Golf, and if Pierre is too busy or anything, you can call me, and I’ll be more than glad to take it for a ride. I’m always at home anyway, or at the gym, so…”

The words take perhaps too much time for Charles to register them, because he’s still blinking astonished at Carlos while Pierre has already started shaking his head vehemently, Yuki’s eyes growing even wider.

“Absolutely not! He has to take his own responsibilities, Carlos. You can’t indulge him.”

“It’s not indulging, I just want to help.” Carlos protests, batting Pierre’s hands away when he tries to tap the pen on his head. “Stop it, cabrón.”

“And you stop with this-“

“Don’t you- don’t say that! I’m just being kind.”

“We all know why you’re trying to help.”

“Don’t say that!”

Pierre seems to finally relent just as Charles’ mind starts to process through whatever is happening. Pierre’s hands fall to his sides with a huff of frustration. “Alright” he exhales. “It’s your own problem to deal with, Carlos.” He says with finality, shoving Carlos’ pen in his pocket before taking a seat on the opposite side of the table, where Charles can recognize notes covered in Pierre’s poor excuse of messy scribbles.

Well then, no room for further discussion when Pierre decides that it’s time for him to go back to studying. Charles couldn’t agree more, after all, the tiredness in his bones creeping up on him as he lets the harsh façade fall to the ground.

Pierre will be up and making him too sweet tea in the morning for breakfast to apologize, anyway. These things never last more than a night of sleep.

“Thank you very much, Carlos.” He finally manages to say, wrestling the pen out of Pierre’s pocket to give it back to him.

Carlos offers him the same big and bright smile as before, the corners of his eyes crinkling when he looks up at Charles from his seating position, leaning his chin on his hand. “No need to thank me. I am at your disposal as long as you’ll let me borrow your almonds.” He says, pointing with a thumb towards the open can in the middle of the table, leaning precariously against a calculator and a crumpled-up note.

“Yes, of course. I’ll buy you as many as you want.” He assures, taking a handful of them before popping one into his mouth. “Yuki?” Yuki opens his mouth at the sound of his own name, giving Charles two thumbs up when he manages to throw one exactly on top of his tongue.

“Impressive.” Carlos mumbles under his breath.

Pierre rolls his eyes to the ceiling, purposefully blocking the right side of his face with a hand to pretend being completely uninterested with whatever is happening around him.

“I’m going to shower, now.” Charles says, already walking down the corridor. “See, Pierre, you should learn a thing or two from Carlos about being a good friend.” He adds, throwing an almond at him. It lands between his eyebrows, sliding on the bridge of his nose before falling right on top of the open textbook under his eyes.

Pierre’s curses and Carlos’ laughter get muffled behind the closed door of the bathroom.