#clement novalak fanfic

[httpiastri]

🍈 number 10 from the hugging list with clem? 🫶🏻

🍈 – send me a driver and a prompt from this list of hugging prompts, these touch starved prompts, or these kiss prompts, and i will write a short blurb for you!!

author's note: i love the fact that i've gotten several separate asks for this exact prompt with clem hehe, it definitely fits him !!! tysm for requesting, have a lovely day <33

3k celly !!

clement novalak x reader

the feeling of clement's gentle strokes across your cheeks makes you let out a little sigh as your eyes flutter closed. your boyfriend wipes away your last few tears, his hands settling right below your jaws. "are we okay, then?" he asks, voice just as sweet as it has been these past few minutes.

you manage to nod, sniffling slightly. "i'm sorry," you let out, taking a deep breath and hoping to still your ever-quickening heartbeat.

"i'm sorry," he counters, smiling softly when you open your eyes again to look into his. "we're both sorry. i'm much much more." his last words draw out a chuckle from you, which helps untie the knot in his stomach a bit, albeit not enough for him to feel good again.

clement hates seeing you like this. even though you've stopped crying by now, you still look so tiny, so helpless, so broken. he just can't have it that way – and thankfully, he quickly gets an idea.

"come here." he motions for you to scootch closer to him on the sofa, his arms wide and inviting. you can't deny him the hug, so you lean into him, letting your arms wrap around his shoulders as his own hands make their way past your waist.

you have enough time to relax into the hug, your chin resting atop his shoulder with a content sound, before he strikes. clement is a quick one, his hands slipping beneath your shirt and fingers tickling up and down your sides in just a second. you let out a yelp before you can even register what's going on, but when you do, you plant your hands on his shoulders to push him away.

"stop- clem, i'm-"

you have no chance of escaping his grasp, though. you know how strong he is – you've witnessed him flexing his biceps enough times (and drooled over his muscular build far more times than you'd be able to admit and still keep your head held high) to understand that a physical fight like this is hopeless. you need to find another way.

"let's- let's make a deal-" you manage to get out in between fits of laughter, and finally, his movements die down. clement looks at you with a curious look in his eyes. "i'll give you one hundred kisses. or bake you a pie, or cuddle you all night, or-"

"or all of the above?" he says, eyebrows raised. "sounds perfect."

[lovelyleclercs]

Leaving to be With You- CN12

Clement Novalak x Fem!Reader

-> Clement announces his departure from MP Motorsports, leaving you confused as to why he would leave after assuring you he would stay.

word count: 1993

warnings: not proof read and written 3am while I was half asleep. you can also clearly tell were I gave up lol

A/N: just giving content to my fellow Clem peeps! If you want a part two of this, let me know!

The news wasn’t exactly a shock to you. Rumors about Clement moving to Trident in 2023 had been spreading their way through the paddock since Silverstone back in July. The topic had been brought up several times during team debriefs and even in post-race interviews. Despite all of the rumors, Clem had told you that he felt right at home in MP motorsports. He had said that he had no desire to leave, especially if it meant he got to see you everyday, so when you saw his post about moving on to Trident, you were quite surprised.

You would have been lying if you said the news didn’t hurt- that you were completely ok with Clem moving onto a different team- but the more you looked at the photo of him in a Trident team shirt, the angrier you became.

You tapped gently on the ‘add comment’ button before typing three orange hearts onto the line and pressing post. As upset as you were, you wanted it to be known that you were proud of him regardless and would be supporting him from afar no matter what.

After shutting your phone off and placing it on the nightstand, you finally got yourself out of bed, making your way to the bathroom to give yourself a good look in the mirror. Your hair was a mess, your locks of curls looking more like knots from how much you tossed and turned last night. Your makeup was smeared down your face, indicating that you had forgotten to do your skin care routine before climbing into bed last night.

You glanced over at the clock that was placed on the counter of the bathroom. 8:05. 25 minutes to get yourself ready and to the track for post-season testing. You quickly found your black team polo as well as your black work pants and put them on, making sure there were no wrinkles or stains in the process. After brushing your teeth and throwing your hair into a high ponytail, you slipped your black and white tennis shoes on before grabbing your belongings and making your way towards the hotel elevator.

Time seemed to slowly tick by as you waited for the elevator doors to open. You checked your watch, the time showing 8:22. Eight minutes to make it to a track that was a five minute walk away. When the silver doors opened, you were greeted by a few of your co-workers who had also been running a bit late.“Hello Hannah, hello Sofia, running a bit late also?” you asked as you stepped onto the elevator and stood in between them.

“Yeah, I got distracted by Clem’s announcement post. I don’t think anyone on the team saw it coming. I heard that they even had his contract ready to be signed today.. I guess not anymore” Hannah said with a shrug.

“Wait, so you didn’t even know? I would think that he would’ve at least told you.. You’re his engineer after all…”

Hannah shrugged and shook her head. “Him and I talked last week, he said he had no reason to leave. I was under the impression he was staying.”

You sighed and leaned your head back against the wall of the elevator. “Yeah, me too.”

When the elevator reached the lobby floor, the three of you hopped off and started making your way towards the paddock entrance. There weren’t many words exchanged between the three of you- almost as if you were all trying to process Clem’s departure.

Before you knew it, you had arrived at the paddock, cameras and media personnel scattered by the entrance as they waited for drivers to arrive. As you scanned your paddock pass, you could see Clem walking just a few feet ahead of you, talking to Felipe as they both made their way towards hospitality.

When Clem turned around and saw you standing behind him, he smiled and took a few steps towards you, waving his right hand at you as he smiled wide. Clem’s smile was one of the things you loved most about him. Whenever he smiled, it was always so genuine. “Hey you! I haven’t seen you yet today, you skipped breakfast” he said with a pout.

You smiled sadly, nodding your head a bit. “Yeah, I slept in, I'm sorry about that.”

“No worries, how about lunch later? I should be done running my laps in the car at around noon..”

You looked down at your feet, stuffing your hands in your pockets. “I don’t think I can, Clem. I’ve got some office work to get done before we fly home tomorrow. I’m sorry.”

Clem smiled sadly at you, knowing that something was going on with you. No matter how busy you were with work, you had always made an effort to sit down and eat with him everyday- it had been your tradition since the first testing session back in february. “Can we talk later then? I have to go get changed right now but maybe after you’re finished with work…”

“We’ll see, Clem. It all depends on the workload. Good luck in the car today” you said before walking to your office, shutting the door behind you.

Clem looked at Felipe, confused as to what just happened. “Did that seem.. Strange to you, mate?”

Felipe nodded. “She’s never that quiet. Did something happen between you two?”

Clem shook his head, trying to think back to anything he might have said or done to hurt you. “No, not that I can think of. We were hanging out all night last night during the party..”

“Did she know you signed with Trident?”

Clem’s face fell, realizing that he had never told her about the contract, nor his reasons behind leaving MP. “i’ve fucked up, mate..”“You didn’t tell her that you’re leaving for her?”

Clem shook his head and sighed “no, I was going to wait until today…”

“Well you should probably go find her then” Felipe said before patting Clem’s shoulders. “But that will have to wait. We have 100 laps of testing to complete, lets go”With a sigh and a quick glance over at your office door, Clem followed Felipe to the garage, zipping up his race suit as he approached the car.

After hearing Clem and Felipe drive out of their designated garages, you decided to step out of your office and watch them circle the track from the grandstands. Fans weren't allowed to attend the testing sessions, so the only people that had scattered the empty bleachers were employees from the different teams. You walked all the way up to the top of the grandstands, sitting down in a corner that kept yourself as far away from everyone else as possible.

You watched as Clem circled the track, his orange number 12 car zipping through corner after corner at high rates of speed. Sometimes watching Clem made you nervous- the idea that one small move could send him flying into the wall at 340kph scared you half to death- but at the end of the day you knew these cars were as safe as they could be.

You took a quick photo of Clem when he drove around the part of the track just below you, posting it to the team's instagram with the caption “Last couple of laps with MP. Good luck on your new adventures, Clem!”

After hitting post, you shut your work phone off and turned your attention back towards the track as you watched Clem do his final lap on track as an MP motorsports driver. When he pulled his car into the garage, you leaned back against the backing of the bleachers and sighed, letting your mind wander to all the what ifs.

What if Clem decided to re-sign his contract?

What if you would have confessed your feelings to him?

What if you would have begged him to stay…

When a loud ding came from your personal phone, you snapped out of your thoughts and looked down at the notification that popped up across the screen, covering yours and clems’ faces. Your wallpaper had been a photo of the two of you after his first F2 podium that year, both of you have the cheekiest smiles on your faces.

Clem: Where are you?

You: grandstands. Was watching you do your last laps in orange.

Clem: Meet me in my drivers room, please. I need to talk to you.

You sighed and got up out of your seat, putting your phone back into your pocket as you began walking back to Clem’s driver room, which couldn’t possibly be any further away from where you were at the moment.

After about a ten minute walk, you approached Clem’s door, which had been cracked open slightly, something he always did when he knew he was expecting you. You opened the door and stepped inside, locking the door behind you once you were inside.

Clem turned around, dressed in his ever so famous blue and white striped shirt and white jeans. “Hey”

You smiled a little, sitting down on his bench. “Hey…”

“Do you want a bottle of water or some gatorade? I have some left in my mini fridge..”

You shook your head and swung your feet off of the bench a little bit. “I’m ok, thank you though.”

Clem nodded and sat down beside you, watching your legs sway back and forth.

“You wanted to talk?”

Clem nodded, looking back up at you. “Right, yes. Obviously you saw my post on instagram…”

“Yes, I did. It was quite the surprise”

“I wanted to tell you why I did it.. I owe you an explanation that I should have told you earlier, but I was too stupid to think about telling you sooner.”

You turned your attention away from your legs and up at his eyes “ok…”

Clem tucked a piece of your hair behind your ear, allowing his hand to rest on your cheek for a moment before dropping it back down to his side. “I left so I could stop lying to myself about how I feel.”

“What do you mean?”

Clem laughed a little and sighed. “Ever since I joined the team a year ago, I have been lying to myself and to you. You welcomed me into this team with open arms while everyone else seemed a bit hesitant at first. Everyone has always been team Felipe, making sure that he had everything he needed to succeed in this championship. I, on the other hand, was the odd ball out, yet you always made me feel like I belonged. You’ve had lunch with me every single day since I joined the team, you always make sure I get home safe after a raging post-race party…”

You laughed a little, remembering all of the times you’ve had to practically drag Clem back to his hotel room while he was drunker than he should’ve been.

“I like you, y/n. A lot. And I’m sick of telling myself that I feel nothing for you because you’re a colleague and because I signed a contract that would prevent us from being together.”

You looked into his eyes, a smile forming on your lips as you listened to everything he was saying. He left this team for you? To be with you? “What does all of this mean then…”

Clem smiled and put his hand on top of yours. “Well, I know we have been on many breakfast, lunch and dinner dates, I’d like to take you on a formal date. One as a potential couple…”

You smiled and pulled Clem into a tight hug, indicating that you would love nothing more. “I’d love to, Clem.”

“I hope you’re not too mad at me for leaving…”

“I was mad at first, but now that I know you left to give us a chance.. I could never be mad at you for that.”

“I was mad at first, but now that I know you left to give us a chance.. I could never be mad at you for that.”

[lovelytsunoda]

the cozy collection 2024

a collection of cozy fall-themed stories about our favorite drivers and assorted other characters!

for me, fall is synonymous with cozy university campuses and autumn colours, so expect college aus. additionally, expect the unexpected, as I’m a lover of halloween and am using that spooky energy to expand into grander projects than I ever have before.

shadows of the night | oscar piastri | smau

hiding in self-imposed exile after very publicly trashing bill skarsgaard's 'the crow' remake, horror final girl casper coolidge chances finding love, and returning to the spotlight

the scaredy-cat support group | logan sargeant | slice of life, comedy

after being dragged to see the scariest movie of the season, y/n is delighted that the blond next to her seems to be just as scared as she is

the sixth sense | jake “hangman” seresin | romance, supernatural, comedy

after a car accident leaves her with the ability to see ghosts, a police desk sergeant tries to adapt to life while managing her crush on the sexy pilot that lives across the street

heart to hot to hold | clement novalak | college au, romance, coming of age

breakfast club au about a group of college student stuck on campus over reading week and bonding over how bizarre they all are.

chateau (feel alright) | kyle kirkwood | college au, romantic

you’ve heard of only one bed, now get ready for only one blanket, in the middle of a campus-wide blackout.

from gas to solid | charles leclerc | smau

octoberfest is not for the weak. or those who have never seen one unfold before.

tbd | alex albon | comedy, slice of life

 “Put the chocolate bar down, i thought i told you those were for the kids!” 

dancing in the dark | mick schumacher | smut, romance

It’s flannel season and you look like a sexy lumberjack and it’s ✨ doing things ✨

the puppy bowl. | lance stroll | comedy, slice of life, satire

you misunderstood, this is a puppybowl party, we don’t do sports in this house

[bad268]

Enchanted (Clement Novalak X Journalist! Reader)

Fandom: RPF/WEC

Requested: Day 5 of Writing Inktober prompts instead of drawing!

Warnings: none, based on Enchanted (Taylor's Version)

POV: Second Person (You/your)

W.C. 463

As always, my requests are OPEN

MASTERLIST // HITLIST

Writing Inktober 2024 Materlist

~~(^Pinterest)

It was your first day, and you were already running behind. Your first day as lead reporter for the world of endurance racing, and you were already messing it up as you rushed through the paddock. A flurry of different passes flew with the wind as you sprinted towards the other side of the pit lane where the press conferences were taking place.

Almost like the universe was preparing 101 ways to make your day worse, you ran full force into someone and dropped everything in your hands.

“Shit, I’m so sorry,” you apologized as you frantically started collecting your papers and notes for the conference. You look over to see a (very handsome) man kneeling and helping you pick up everything quickly.

“It’s not a problem, really,” he dismissed with a laugh, “I’d do anything to miss a press conference.”

“Are you supposed to be on the panel?” You asked as you reorganized all of your papers so they all sat neatly together. “I’m supposed to be one of the journalists but j was late today.”

“Supposed to be, yes, but our team meeting ran a little long. I’m not complaining because I also got to meet a beautiful reporter,” he shamelessly flirted, causing you to blush and hide your face being a hand. Then he stood up and held a hand out for you, which you took immediately, and he helped you stand up. “Have we met? I feel like I would have remembered your beautiful face.”

“No, it’s my first day,” you replied bashfully, turning your head to attempt to hide the raging blush across your cheeks. Then, you decided this would be the time to introduce yourself.

“Wonderful to meet you,” he said, followed by your name as if testing it out while he kissed the back of your hand. Truthfully, you could listen to him just say your name for the rest of your life. Uoh were wholly, utterly, and completely enchanted by him. “I would love to talk to you more, but I think my team will kill me if I don’t get in that conference now. I’ll see you after?”

He didn’t get the chance to hear your response as he was quickly ushered away by his very angry PR manager, but he knew you would be around as it was media day. You also knew you would see more of him because you had an exclusive interview with the drivers from Inter Europol Competition.

You couldn’t wait to see him again. You hoped that this would be the start of something between you two, but you didn’t want to get too ahead of yourself.

“Please don’t be in love with someone else,” you whispered to yourself as you continued your quest to the press conference.

~~~~~

© BAD268 2024. DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION.

[hold-fire]

bc v been obsessed with them

[jackpiastri]

accidentally drunk – cn21

your first time drinking ends up going a little different from how clement had planned.

genre: fluff

pairing: female reader x boyfriend!clement novalak

warnings: mentions of alcohol, one tiny semi-sexual joke at the end

requested?: no

author's note: hello hello, jack (@httpiastri) here again! it's been over a week and i still haven't gotten an answer from tumblr support... anyways, i'm not the biggest fan of the first part of this one but i think it gets better towards the like middle. anyways #2, it's race week and i've been missing oscar so i can't wait for this weekend 😚

f2/f3 masterlist

clement is sitting at the table in marcus's kitchen, deep into a discussion about one of his last races with felipe, when there’s a tap on his arm. "hey, clem?"

the frenchman turns his head, blinking at james standing behind him.

"i think you should go check up on your girl, mate."

clement cocks an eyebrow at his friend, who just points back out to the living room. putting down his drink on the table, he excuses himself before making his way out of the kitchen.

you and clement are different in a lot of ways. he is a professional racing driver, you don't even have your drivers license yet. he is a big chatterbox and makes friends anywhere and everywhere he goes, while you are a bit on the quieter side. he loves to go out drinking with friends, while you have never even had alcohol before – something clement found completely crazy for someone above the age of 20 in europe.

you work well as a couple despite these differences, of course. when he's traveling the world for racing, he always makes sure to spend a lot of time with you when he is back at home. when he sees you dropping out of a conversation with his friends, he tries to include you, yet makes sure not to pressure you. and when he gets completely shitfaced on a night out, you are the sober one, the one who makes sure he gets home safely, the one to force him to drink his water before bed.

it's not like you see yourself as someone who will never ever drink; you just haven't really seen the meaning or felt the need to try it. that was, until today.

after having a quite silly chat about it last week when you went out with clement and his friends, where james had dropped a drunken comment about you being too much of a "prude", you decided that maybe it was time. why not just give it a little taste today at the party in marcus's apartment?

and your whole experience has gone better than expected, clement thought. until this moment, at least.

he figured he wouldn't be the best of boyfriends if the first thing he let you drink was just straight up tequila. so instead, he started you off with a sweet homemade drink with a very low amount of alcohol, just to ease you into it and take the edge off it. you'd eventually warmed up to both the sensation and the taste, meaning you were agreeing to taste some of the stronger drinks his friends were offering you. half a shot turned into a full one, and you grew cuddly in clement's hold as you sat together on the couch.

he wasn't scared that you'd get too drunk or feel too bad – he was supposed to be by your side all night to make sure everything went smoothly. but a few hours in, your sweet little mouth had asked him to leave you and alice alone on the couch, saying the two of you needed some time alone for "girl talk". and how could he say no to you when you begged him with those gorgeous eyes of yours?

that's how he found himself in the kitchen, chatting to some friends, before he was interrupted and reminded of your presence. obviously, james telling him to go find you made him a little nervous. this was your first time, after all; how could he be sure nothing would go wrong when he wasn't by your side?

so when he sees you sitting up in the couch, seemingly alive and well, he relaxes a little.

he can hear your laughter all the way to the doorway, though, and you look like you're having difficulties with your balance even as you're just sitting. so, maybe everything isn't all well.

clement makes his way through the crowded room and when he comes closer, he can tell how forced alice's smile looks as she's nodding along to whatever you're babbling about. when she sees him, her smile turns into a relieved one instead. "oh!" she interrupts you and points up at him, making him raise his eyebrows. "look who it is, your boyfriend!"

you blink at her for a few seconds. "my boyfriend?..." you ask, before slowly turning your head to your side. it takes a while for you to realize who the person standing there is, but once you do, your entire face lights up. "my boyfriend!"

"here, have my seat," alice tells clement, standing up instantly. then she pats him on his back, wishing him luck before hurrying away in another direction.

he hesitantly sits down right next to you, a confused look spreading across his face. the confusion grows when you throw yourself over him, engulfing him in a big hug. "oh, hey there," he laughs, holding you tight. "how's it going?"

"so good. literally." one of his arms stays around your waist once you pull away from the hug. "i'm having the best time."

"oh, yeah?" you nod, reaching for a glass standing on the table and taking a big sip. "what are you drinking?"

you shrug, sipping on it some more. clement's nose scrunches up at the smell of the liquor from just sitting next to you.

when his fingers reach for the cup, you hold it away from him, showing off a big pout on your lips. he lets out another laugh. "i don't want to steal it from you. i just want to taste it," he lies, tilting his head and putting on his best puppy eyes. anything to get you away from that cup, he thinks. "just one tiny sip?"

you eventually oblige, and when he gets some of the drink in his mouth, he almost spits it out instantly. the liquid stings in his throat as he swallows, and he feels like just one gulp could be enough to make anyone completely wasted.

"what is this? where did you get this?" he asks, staring intently into the cup as if he would be able to guess it's content.

you look away, thinking long and hard. "i think..." you scratch the side of your head, trying to remember. "i thought this was my glass of water – i swear, it was standing right there – but someone must've taken the wrong one, so i took this one accidentally and i thought it tasted really good so i just kept on drinking. it's great, isn't it?"

clement looks at you, amazed both at your rambling and at the way your taste buds must've gone home for the day. "love," he puts the drink onto the table before letting his fingers brush away a few strands of hair that have fallen into your face. "that is actually the worst concoction i've ever tasted. how could you ever think that was good?"

you huff, crossing your arms over your chest. "that's mean."

clement's eyes soften. "i'm sorry, baby." his hand moves to cup your cheek and you instantly, as if out of instinct, lean into his touch. "i think i want to go home. would that be okay with you?"

"i want to stay."

your boyfriend lets out a sigh but he can't help but smile. "always when you want to leave a party, i leave with you, right? do you remember that?" you nod, but you still don't look quite pleased. clement would feel bad if he wasn't doing this for your own best. "i think you should come with me. we can snuggle up in my bed, maybe kiss a little? or do anything else you'd like?"

"mkay."

you look too cute like this, and clement feels this new type of feeling for you. some kind of... almost protective concern; he wants to take care of you. clement can't help but to lean forward to press his lips on yours, and you are finally smiling again once he pulls away. it's like your earlier emotions have disappeared in a snap, and you point to your lips to ask for another kiss. he kisses you again, and again, leaving several quick pecks to your lips before moving along your cheek, the tingling sensation leaving you giggling.

"let's go, then," he says, standing up and holding out his hand towards you. you take it in yours and let him drag you off the couch, but you instantly lose your balance. clement's hand finds your hip in the last second, holding you close to him as he tries to navigate through the crowd to the front door. "sweets, do you remember where you put your jacket?"

your confused eyes scan the piles of discarded outerwear, but to no luck.

"or even what jacket you brought?"

he isn't proud to say he can't remember it himself, but he too isn't perfectly sober. you can't remember what your jacket looks like either, to no surprise, so clement settles on just finding his own jacket and draping it over your shoulders.

"leaving so soon?" marcus pops into the hallway, a snicker leaving his mouth at the sight of you practically clinging onto clement.

"so late, i would say," your boyfriend answers. he's just about to lean down to ask you something when-

your eyes move up, gaze locking in on the kiwi man in front of you. "marcus!" you take a couple of quick steps forward, hugging him tightly. "thank you for this party, i had the best time! i mean, i don't really want to go home, but clem says that-"

marcus and clement make eye contact over your head, both struggling to keep themselves from exploding in laughter. "i'm glad you enjoyed it," marcus says, patting your shoulder as he pulls away from the hug.

you stumble over to your boyfriend who catches you in his arms as if you're a toddler about to trip and knock something over.

"do you have everything?" he asks, his hands reaching for your purse to make sure all of your necessities were still there. phone, wallet, keys, check check check. he looks up at marcus. "we'll probably be coming back tomorrow to pick up a jacket. maybe some other stuff, too. if she even wakes up by tomorrow."

marcus chuckles. "go for it. and good luck."

clement manages to get you down the building’s stairwell without any falling, and while you wait for the uber outside, he chuckles at the way your eyes close, a bright smile on your lips. "it's cold, but i'm not cold. like, the air is cold, but i'm not cold. how does that make sense?"

clement takes one of your hands in his, intertwining your fingers. "that's probably because you're wearing a jacket, sweetheart."

your eyes open to scan the material hanging from your shoulders. you frown. "what? but this isn't my jacket?"

"it's mine," he says, shaking his head at you. his free hand comes up to hold your cheek as you look up at him.

"wow! you gave me your jacket? clement novalak, you are the best man in the world. have i ever told you that before?"

"only in bed."

you don't seem to get the reference, because your blabbering continues. "well, i should tell it to you more often. every day. every hour? i should say it on an instagram story right now. that would be good, don't you think?"

clement is sure that you are going to regret this tomorrow. if you even remember any of it, that is.

[marcos-scorpion]

hello hello my lovelies,, i have returned. with the help of my lovely housemate and fellow fanfic author,, she’s motivated me to acc finish my clement novalak angst, despite barely knowing who he is lmaoo. anywho, should be out in a couple days !! also,, pls request, mostly motorsports, but also obx, six of crows, horror/slashers and honestly most stuff you can think of !!!

xoxo,

mothie

[suzie-shooter]

2, 9 and 11 please for the ask game

Oh shit I should have bookmarked what the list was shouldn't I lmao hang on…

2. Will you participate in any fandom exchanges or fic challenges, etc? Probably AR Ship Week and All Things Nice Week if they run again? Maybe the Bingo?

9. Short term goals… what do you hope to complete this week or in January? This week I want to finish the Formula 2 RPF fic (Marcus Armstrong/Clement Novalak) that's currently eating my brain (it wasn't supposed to be this long but they won't stop bickering) and for January I want to finish/post The Wine Dark Sea (Lights Out 'verse). I've decided my New Year's Resolution is to finish one fic per month from my current WIP list…

11. Would you like to try any new fanfic genres or tropes this year? Uhhh not that I can think of? Maybe write more AR AU's? They're normally my go-to but I think I've only written one (Kitchen Nightmares) that was completely outside of canon.

Thanks for the asks!

[formula1neverleft]

Felipe Drugovich - Is There Somewhere

Pairing: Felipe Drugovich x female!reader (+ Clément Novalak x bff!reader) 

Warnings: none really, fluff, swearing 

Words: 3.6k 

Song rec: loosely based on Is there somewhere by Halsey

Author’s note: this took me so long bc I decided to play around with a different pov only to come to the conclusion that I hate it but at that point I’d already written most of it so decided to post it anyway 🤠 Gonna be writing more for Felipe so any other ideas are welcome!! Not proofread. Feedback very much appreciated!! Enjoy xx 

//

“Felipe” 

 It rolled off your tongue like you were made to say his name. Even with just that one word, Felipe knew what you wanted to say, your gaze switching between his eyes and his lips a few times. You were so close to him that Felipe was sure he’d remember every single freckle that adorned your beautiful face. 

He let his hand wander up slowly, caressing your cheek before both of you started leaning in… 

 THUD 

 A loud knock pulled Felipe right out of the dream he was having, making him shoot up in a panic. He ran his hands over his face and sighed as he tried to shake the image of you from his mind. 

Seven nights. 

This was the seventh consecutive night where you’d ended up in his dreams one way or the other. No matter how hard he tried, Felipe just couldn’t shake you. 

Whoever was at his hotel room door at this hour was growing impatient, the knocks increasing in frequency and intensity before he even had the chance to get out of bed. 

Felipe had a feeling he knew exactly who would be on the other side of the door. 

 “Felipe, mate! Pretty please open the door for your teammate?” 

 The stark contrast between hearing his name from Clem’s mouth after hearing it whispered softly by you in his dream made Felipe pauze, letting his forehead drop against the door as he took a deep breath. 

 When he finally opened the door, Clement all but fell into the room, stumbling slightly before regaining his balance. 

 “Jeez, what took you so long??” he sighed dramatically, slurring his words. 

 “Mate, you're drunk, go to your own room” Felipe answered, but he could tell from the determined look on Clem’s face that getting him out of here would be near impossible. 

 “Actually, I’m not going anywhere until we…have a little talk” Clem said as he nonchalantly plopped down on the edge of the hotel bed, patting the space next to him. The mischievous look in his eyes made Felipe’s skin crawl. 

He loved Clem like a brother, but nothing good had ever come from that look. 

 “You do know that we can talk during the day, like normal people do, right?” 

 “Oh but what would be the fun in that?” Clem replied mockingly. 

 Felipe considered his options for a few seconds, but quickly came to the conclusion that once Clem got something in that head of his, he wasn’t going to stop until got what he wanted. So he reluctantly shuffled over to the bed and sat down next to him. 

 “Marcus and I have decided that we need to stage an intervention” Clem crossed his arms in determination as the words left his mouth, “We can’t let this go on any longer” 

 “Mate, what are you talking about?” 

 “You’ve been skipping every night out with us for months now…and don’t give me the ol’ I need to focus on racing excuse, because you even stayed in after Barcelona. I mean, what kind of psycho wins the sprint and the feature race and then spends his night alone in his bloody hotel room?!” Clem was gesticulating dramatically, partly because of the alcohol, partly because it’s Clem.  

 Felipe sighed. He knew it would be about this. The boys had expressed their grievances about Barcelona for weeks on end. In the beginning of the year it was easy to come up with excuses, because it was his third year in f2 and it was now or never for him. 

Then he started winning, and now his friends are wondering why he can’t have one night of fun in between all the work. Felipe didn’t have to wonder why, he already knew the answer. It was you. 

 From the exact moment Clem wandered into the MP garage with you by his side, Felipe was in awe of you. 

Beautiful, soft-spoken, but you could make everyone in the room laugh with just a single comment. 

At first, Felipe feared you might have been there with Clement as his girlfriend, but when Clem introduced you those worries were luckily tossed to the side. You were childhood best friends, more like a sister to Clem if anything. You’d decided to follow him around a bit during your gap year, wanting to see the world and acting as MP’s free social media person, camera always present around your neck. 

Felipe initially thought his little crush would dissipate soon, until the Jeddah race when you’d come up to him while he was preparing to get in the car. 

 “Good luck out there today” you’d said with a soft smile, “I think it’s gonna go your way today” 

 “How do you know?” he had asked timidly. You just raised your shoulders nonchalantly, “just…feels like you deserve it” shooting him one last knowing look before turning on your heels and out of the garage. 

 Despite only having met you a few days ago, he felt a strange connection between the two of you, something he’d never felt before.

He won that race, and you had subsequently taken up residence in his brain. He thought about you in the car, during the debriefs, and now in his sleep too. He couldn’t escape you, even though he’d been trying hard enough. 

Since Jeddah, Felipe had done everything in his power to keep himself in check. This was his year. His championship to lose. If he allowed himself to get distracted and fail, he would never forgive himself. 

So he kept his distance from you, not allowing himself to get further than the friendly conversations in the paddock. When he knew you would go out with the boys, he stayed in, sure that the way he felt when you were around would only be intensified in a casual setting with some alcohol involved. He was doing the right thing, keeping both of you safe. You were none the wiser and he couldn’t get hurt. 

 “Hello?? Earth to Felipe” Clem was shaking him by the shoulder lightly, the look on his face a mix of disbelief and worry, “see, this is exactly what I mean, you keep disappearing, mate, and I don’t just mean physically” 

 “Clem, it’s just the championship getting to me, it’s..a lot of pressure” Felipe ran a hand through his curls, feeling just as disheveled as he probably looked after just being woken up at four in the morning,  “I don’t want to mess it up. I can’t afford to.” 

 Clem nodded, looking defeated as he pushed himself off the bed with a sigh. He seemed to have somewhat sobered up as his own fatigue caught up with him, but Felipe could tell that this discussion was far from over. 

 Right before he got to the door, Clement stopped in his tracks, seemingly debating with himself before throwing one last comment Felipe’s way. 

 “She thinks you hate her, you know” he sounded uncharacteristically serious for once. 

 Felipe perked up at once, not needing a name to know exactly who Clem was talking about . What? 

 “I’m not an expert, but I do know you, and I’m pretty fucking sure that is not the case. So just…sort your shit out. Please.”  

 Felipe sat frozen in place on the bed as the door fell shut behind Clem. 

 You thought he hated you? 

Even just the idea of it sounded so ridiculous, especially after he’d been dreaming about you less than ten minutes ago. 

Sure, he wanted to keep you at a safe distance, far enough so that his judgment wouldn’t be clouded, but this was not how far he wanted to push it. 

No, this wasn’t right, and he needed to fix it. 

Felipe paced around the room for a moment, fighting the urge to somehow find your room and explain himself. Ultimately, he decided against an impromptu confession at this hour of the night and forced himself to get back in bed. 

He made a silent promise to himself to handle the situation differently next race weekend. Maybe he could even be friends with you. Maybe. 

 When sleep finally found him again, he dreamt of you. 

 // 

 The next race weekend came and went in the blink of an eye. For an outsider, it looked like Zandvoort was shaping up to be the best weekend of Felipe’s life. It was, to an extent. 

P1 in the feature race made it so he was almost sure of the title next week in Monza. 

Despite all this, Clem’s comment still lay heavy on Felipe’s shoulders. He was determined to make you realize he wanted to be friends, which was made exponentially more difficult by the fact that he didn’t want to be friends with you at all. Not just friends, that is. 

 As Felipe entered the MP driver room, drenched in champagne from the podium celebrations, Clem was already inside, scrolling away on his phone. He’d crashed out of the race at one of the restarts so he had already changed out of his suit.  

 “Congrats again, big man. That title is as good as yours” 

 Felipe thanked him, but despite Clem’s words he couldn’t shake the feeling that Clem had been distant ever since last sunday. There wasn’t a doubt in Felipe’s mind that Clem was sincerely happy for him, but clearly the discussion had affected him as well. 

 “So, where’s the party tonight?” Felipe asked as he unzipped his suit, tying it around his waist. If he wanted to make things right, tonight was the night to do it. 

 Clem looked like he’d just seen a ghost, but his signature smile followed suit. He all but jumped from his chair and slapped an arm around Felipe. 

 “Yes boy, that’s more like it! You’re buying the first round tonight”

 After Clem’s initial excitement had somewhat dimmed, he suddenly sported the same serious look he’d had in the hotel room. 

 “Y/N’s coming too, just so you know” he said. 

 Felipe nodded, “yeah, I figured she would”, he stared down at his feet. 

 “You know she’s like a sister to me, so just…don’t hurt her” Clem spoke, a hand landing on Felipe's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. 

 “I don’t..that’s literally the opposite of what I want to do. I don’t know why I’m making it so difficult” 

 “I think you got it bad for her, mate. I get it, that can be scary. Just try not to muck it all up, yeah?” 

 If somebody had told Felipe at the beginning of the year that Clem would be giving him girl advice, he would have laughed in their face, but here he was. The prospect of getting to see you in a few hours made Felipe’s chest tighten. You had been in the paddock less and less over the last couple of months, and now Felipe could see he was the reason behind your absence. 

He hoped that in a week's time, the title would be his, but more importantly, that he’d see your face when he looked down from the podium. 

 // 

 The club that Marcus and Clem had chosen was about on par with Felipe’s expectations. A dim blue light illuminated the space, people already standing in line at the bar, credit cards in hand, because it was clear you needed a good amount of alcohol to dance to the so-called music blaring from the speakers. 

Felipe was more nervous than he’d been before the race, more nervous than he’d been the entire season to be fair. His lack of partying experience made him feel out of place and fidgety as their friend group packed into the club and around one of the small tables near the bar. 

Clem hadn’t forgotten about Felipe’s promise to buy the first round, and clearly he had taken it upon himself to spread the word. After a few whoops and hollers from the boys, Felipe conceded and shuffled through the crowd towards the bar. 

He was just about to turn around and call one of the boys over to help him carry the drinks when he caught sight of you.  

You were standing at the bar, sharing a friendly conversation with a girl he recognized as Liam’s girlfriend while the bartender handed you your drinks. 

Felipe stood frozen, all plans of how he would approach you straight out the window as he took you in. You never failed to take his breath away. The excessive noise of the music and the people around him seemed to blur into the distance as he focused solely on you. 

While sipping your drink, you suddenly broke out into laughter at something the girl with you had said, reaching out to touch her arm as you doubled over. 

Felipe found himself strangely jealous of her, because he would give anything to be the one that made you laugh like that. He was sure that just the feeling of your hand on his arm would single-handedly ruin his ploy to be just friends with you. With you, he would always want more. He couldn’t trust himself. 

 He was torn out of his haze as he suddenly made eye contact with the girl in front of you. Before he could register what was happening, she leaned forward to whisper something in your ear, causing you to turn and face his direction. 

Felipe immediately shifted his gaze down towards his feet, coughing awkwardly before turning his attention back to the drinks on the bar. He wanted to slap himself for chickening out at the first sight of you, but he didn’t feel ready to face you just yet. 

Unluckily for him, you didn’t have the same idea. 

 “What is your problem?” 

 Felipe almost dropped one of the glasses he was trying desperately to fit into his arms as you appeared next to him. He spun around to face you, mind racing as he tried to remember a single word of the speech he’d rehearsed in his head all night. You didn’t look angry, just confused as your eyes bore into his, refusing to back down before he gave you an explanation for his less than normal behavior. Before he had a chance to respond, Clem appeared from between the crowd. 

 “Mate, if I’d known it was gonna take you so long I would have had more shots at the pre’s-” Clem stopped his rant directed at Felipe as he took in the scene in front of him. He quickly pieced together that he’d walked in on something he’s not supposed to be a part of, the tension palpable between his two best friends. 

 “Okay, uh, don’t mind me. I’ll just uh- carry the drinks for you, let you two get back to…”, he gestured between the two of you, “whatever this is” he flashed his signature cheeky smile before shuffling away, cleary ready to tell Marcus all about exactly why the drinks were taking so long. 

 Felipe took a deep breath, closing his eyes and attempting to collect his thoughts. The last thing he wanted to do was dig himself an even deeper hole just because he was nervous to talk to you. When he opened them, you were still staring at him, your expression softer, hopeful for an explanation.

 “Do you want to go somewhere and talk?” he asked timidly. 

 You looked taken aback by his question, but answered quickly nonetheless. 

 “Yeah, I’d like that” 

 Felipe nodded, springing into action as he pushed his way through the crowd. You followed suit but struggled to keep up with him. When Felipe noticed, he extended his hand out to you. You looked at his outstretched hand for a second, but before Felipe had even registered the implications of his offer, your warm hand enveloped his as you shuffled closer to him, allowing him to guide you swiftly towards the exit of the club. 

 He had been right, earlier, when he thought that one touch of your hand would be enough for him to crumble underneath his feelings for you. The feeling of your intertwined hands made his stomach flutter, and Felipe couldn’t bring himself to let go even after he was greeted by the cool breeze as he stepped out of the club with you in tow. 

 The silence felt heavy as Felipe continued to guide you along the street, your hand in his indicating the many words left unsaid between you and him. It was only a few minutes before you reached the beach. Finally letting your hand drop from his, Felipe stood at the edge of the sand, contemplating his next move. You decided for him, leaning down to quickly rid yourself of your shoes before jumping into the sand and walking towards the water, Felipe following your example. 

 “Y/n, I..” Felipe wanted to say so much that he didn’t even know where to start. 

 “You are really confusing, you know?” you spoke up, facing him head on, hair blowing slightly in the wind, “I never know where I stand with you. Sometimes you act like I'm invisible, other times I catch you staring at me like…” you struggled to find the right words. 

 “Like what?” 

 “Like the way you’re staring right now!” you finally replied, “I don’t know what you want from me”

Felipe understood how strange his behavior must look from your point of view. He needed to come clean about everything if he wanted to keep you in his life. 

 “I’m just overwhelmed by you. When we met at the beginning of the season I thought I could just shake it off, but then in Jeddah..you were in my head after that” 

 Your expression softens as he speaks, clearly remembering the moment before the race when you’d gone to wish him luck. Perhaps you’d felt it too, the connection between you that had been occupying Felipe’s every thought since. He could only hope so. 

“but at the same time I was finally winning, feeling like I had a real shot at the title this year. It was my last chance, my third year…my parents already are giving up so much to give me this opportunity” , Felipe hated how his accent became more prominent whenever he was nervous. It’s the reason he hates doing interviews, but this might be even worse. 

 “Truth is I was scared” he admitted, “scared of getting hurt, scared that I would mess something up with you or with the racing..so I took the easy way out and just did nothing” 

 You frowned slightly as you listened to him speak, and Felipe hated that he was the reason for your worried expression. 

 “but I dream of you. All I do is dream of you” 

 He instantly felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders at his confession.  

“You deserve to know, and I’m sorry for treating you the way I did” 

 He stared at you expectantly, waiting for you to say something, but you didn’t. His words had clearly rattled you, and for once it was you who was at a loss for words, the only sound breaking the silence being the waves breaking a few meters away. 

 “Y/n..please say something” Felipe pleaded softly. 

 He’d expected you to be angry, to say you need time. Maybe, if he was really lucky,  you might agree to try and be friends again. What he didn’t expect is for you to respond by kissing him. 

 You took him by surprise by leaning in and planting a gentle kiss on his lips. You lingered there as your eyes opened, whispering softly as you realized what you’d done “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t of jus-” Felipe cut you off by rejoining your lips, all gentleness now gone as his hands cradled your face while you kissed. Your arms found their way to his waist, knuckled whitening from grabbing onto his shirt. 

He’d dreamt about this moment so many times, but even the best of dreams couldn’t compare to having you in real life. 

You were lost in eachother as the kiss deepened, tongues working together like you’d kissed each other a thousand times before. 

When your lips parted Felipe let his forehead rest against yours, not ready to give up having you so close to him just yet. He could stay in this moment forever if he could. 

 “One of us should probably say something” you whispered, a smile tugging at the corners of your mouth. 

 “So I take it this means you forgive me right?” he asks as he reluctantly lets you take a step back.

 “Hmm, I don’t know, I’ll think about it” you replied sarcastically. 

 “Oh, very funny” Felipe reaches out to tousle your hair in response to your teasing. 

You joked and chatted with each other as you made your way back towards the club. If Felipe had his way, he would be alone with you, talking and kissing all night to make up for lost time, but he realized it was best to take things slow. 

 Once back inside, Clem immediately spotted you together. He looked a mess, hair sticking to his forehead and shirt almost completely unbuttoned for some reason, the night's drinks having their desired effect. Felipe gave you a joking look as Clem made a beeline towards the pair of you. 

 “There you guys are; I swear I was this close to calling the fu-” he stopped his tirade as his eyes landed on your intertwined hands. A knowing smile appeared on his face as he stepped closer to pat Felipe on the back. 

 “Bloody knew you had it in you mate”, before turning away in an attempt to locate the boys. 

“Oi, Marcus, you owe me fifty bucks, mate!!” he said, pointing towards his two friends. 

Felipe rolled his eyes, giving your hand a little squeeze. 

 He was sure that when he went to sleep that night, he would dream of you again. 

Only this time, waking up would be even better. 

[httpiastri]

drunk on you – cn21

when clement gets a little drunk on a night out, he feels a need to confess his feelings to his best friend’s little sister.

pairing: armstrong!reader x clement novalak

genre: fluff, mentions of suggestive but not much

warnings: alcohol mentions, nothing else

author's note: already missing my boys 💔 this is a lot of dialogue and not a lot else. hope u still like it though <3

f2/f3 masterlist

"little armstrong!"

you know the owner of the voice long before you see him. his voice always brought butterflies to your stomach. plus, no one else insisted on calling you that as often as he did.

you turn your head to look to your side, spotting clement standing right outside the door to the club. his hands are dug into his pockets as he watches you with an unreadable expression. "you truly are the most gorgeous thing in this entire city tonight. you know that, right?"

"i do know that. thank you."

"your dress is lovely, too." he takes a few steps closer to you. "though, it would look even better on the floor of my hotel room."

you roll your eyes, but you can't hold back the little grin growing on your lips. "that line is so overused, i can't believe you just said that."

"well, i might be just a little tipsy..."

"oh, really?" the irony is clear in your voice as you watch him stumble up to you, his lips showing off an intoxicated smile. "how much champagne have you had, hm?"

"just... a few glasses?" you can practically see the gears turning in his head as he thinks through his night, but he's far too drunk to remember. "enough to come out here and flirt with you, anyway."

"flirt with me, huh?" you chuckle and shove his shoulder. "and why would you do that?"

"because i'm head over heels for you, obviously."

you snort. "i'm definitely telling marcus about this. he's going to tease you for weeks."

your comment doesn't scare him – in fact, he looks even more amused than before. "tell your brother all you want. i love making him happy," he says, raising his eyebrows. "don't think you'll want to tell him about what we're gonna do back in my hotel room, though."

he takes one more step closer, and now he's practically towering over you. you lean back against the glass wall as if to create some distance, but it's helpless; he's just inches away, the heat practically radiating off his body. his warm breath on your face and his hand that lands on your hip leaves you completely flustered. "you're too drunk for this," you manage to get out, blinking up at him.

he shakes his head. "you're talking as if you don't want this."

"i don't."

"oh, please. you've wanted me since the first time you laid your eyes on me."

it's getting harder and harder to keep your cool, especially when his eyes are shamelessly checking you out, following every dip and curve of your body. you've never been this near him, at least not in a situation like this. have his eyes always been this beautiful? or is the alcohol in your body just making you see him in a new light?

he was right, of course; you had fallen for him quite soon after meeting him for the first time. how could you not when he was sweet, funny, and insanely handsome?

however, you couldn't just give in this easily. especially not when he wanted you just as much as you wanted him. "you have no idea what you're talking about."

he pauses for a moment. "so if i were to kiss you right now," his hand travels your thigh, his thumb absentmindedly drawing circles into your skin. "would you stop me?"

your eyes flutter closed at the sensation of his fingers along your skin. "i- i didn't say that."

"then what's stopping you from coming back to the hotel with me?"

you take a deep breath, wanting to keep your voice steady, but it's hard to focus when clement's hand keeps moving higher, eventually reaching the edge of your dress. "marcus would kill you if he saw me come out of your room."

"you can sneak back in the morning and pretend you’ve spent the whole night in your room, all innocent and sweet as you usually like to act."

when you pause again and open your eyes to look at him, he has leaned in closer. he takes notice of the way your breath hitches in your throat, the way your mouth hangs slightly open, the way your eyes are basically begging for him to close the distance between you. he cocks an eyebrow at you. "you really want this, don't you?"

"just shut up and kiss me."

clement is not one to disobey orders. his free hand grabs your jaw and you drape your arms around his shoulders as he presses his lips to yours. he tastes of the expensive champagne he's been drinking all night, and it's enough to pull you with him to an intoxicated state. drunk on champagne, drunk on each other.

when you stepped out for some fresh air just minutes before, you did not see this coming. never in a million years did you think you'd be making out with clement novalak, your brother's best friend, right outside a club – and yet, in the moment, it feels so right.

when he pulls back, he rests his forehead against yours as he speaks. "let me take you back to my room."

"do you remember how i said 'marcus would kill you'?"

"do you remember how you said 'shut up and kiss me'?" there's a massive grin on his lips and you gasp, pinching his shoulder. he leans back slightly, letting out a hearty laugh. "besides, you know your dad would love to have me as his step son. i practically am already."

"you make a good argument, novalak."

he tilts his head and his hand on your thigh makes itself known again by massaging your skin, slowly inching even further up. "so? what's it going to be?"

you pause for a moment, taking a deep breath before reaching down to grab his hand. you then practically pull him with you down the street, towards your hotel.

"i'm setting an alarm for six in the morning, and i am sneaking out before anyone finds out," you say – as if your brother and his entire friend group aren't standing inside the club with their mouths hanging wide, having watched you through the glass walls for the past couple of minutes.

[httpiastri]

thinking about clem x shy gf who’s not into like clubbing and raves and whatnot so when they go to Ibiza, clem goes to all his clubs and his parties and his raves and she goes to the cultural spots, taking in the crafters markets and the beaches and the little bookstores and they get together at breakfast the next mornin and they just tell each other about their days and nights like they did when they were first dating and clem just loves seeing her face light up when she talks about the little bookstores 🥺🥺 these morning debriefs quickly become one of his favourite parts of the trip

pleaseeee bestie i adore this so much 😭 this is such a sweet thought !! honestly im in love!!!! you're a genius 💗🥺

also i get so weak at the thought of booksmart!reader x streetsmart!clem..... but that's a discussion for another time 😮‍💨😮‍💨

tried something new here shkdkshjf idk how i feel about it

clement and his girlfriend have always been a bit of an odd couple when it comes to their interests; his heart danced to the pulsating beats of clubbing and raves, while his girlfriend found her heart longing for the more quiet, cultural experiences. therefore, their trip to ibiza would easily be one filled with contrasts.

on the night of their arrival to the island, clem was itching to dive head first into the vibrant nightlife. his girlfriend smiled as he kissed her cheek goodbye, leaving her cuddled up on the sofa in the cozy villa with a good book as he headed off to the neon-lit streets.

she, on the other hand, set out to explore the ibiza's more serene side. her eyes twinkled at the sight of the artworks and trinkets in the crafters' markets, and she gladly lost herself in the scent of old books and the thousands of stories kept in the little bookstores. the beautiful beaches beckoned to her and as she strolled along the ocean, she stuffed her pockets with little seashells that she would later gift to her lover.

in the mornings, she and clem would reconvene over breakfast on the sun-drenched terrace. clem's eyes sparkled with excitement as he recounted stories of the wild parties he'd attended and the colorful characters he had met. he loved the way she listened with genuine interest and laughed at his antics, despite the fact that clubbing wasn't her scene.

but his heart only truly fluttered when it was her turn to share her stories. he adored the way her face lit up and her eyes danced with enthusiasm as she told him about the hidden bookstores she had discovered, the tales she had been told by locals, and the still moments she had spent on the boardwalks.

their morning debriefs would instantly become one of clem's favorite things about the trip. in the moments when they shared their experiences from their different worlds, he would feel nostalgic, being transported back to the early days of their relationship when every shared story felt like a precious gift. he cherished every moment with her, just like when they first started dating, and his love for her grew stronger with each passing day.

clem soon came to the realization that ibiza isn't just a party destination – it's a place to celebrate their differences and how they complete each other. it's a place to re-discover their love.

[httpiastri]

devil in disguise – cn21

clement got into a fight.

genre: angsty??

pairing: female reader x boyfriend!clement novalak

warnings: mentions of blood, alcohol, fighting. basically describing an anxiety/panic attack so stay away if that might trigger you!

requested?: no

author's note: two pieces of writing in one day? who am i??? 😵 jk jk, this has just been sitting in my drafts for so long (since halloween-) and i just got tired of not posting it, so i just wrote an ending and here we are. welp. not super happy with this one, esp not the end, and im not sure how accurately i described the panic/anxiety (like. i just experience, i don't remember it after it happens. 😐), but i hope u enjoy!!

f2/f3 masterlist

"i can't believe you, clem."

the anger is still bubbling inside of you, yet your actions tell a different story. you've got one of his hands in yours, pressing an ice pack against the back of it gently to hopefully stop some of the swelling and bleeding.

"hey, baby-"

"no, don't you 'baby' me right now. bloody hell, what were you thinking?!"

to say that clement's halloween party had been a failure would be an understatement. you aren't exactly an avid party-goer, most often preferring to stay at home with a good book or a favorite show playing on the tv. in fact, you couldn't even recall when you last attended a party before this one. but, knowing that you're a big fan of halloween, clement invited you to his theme party. your boyfriend had promised to stay by your side and make sure you were comfortable, knowing how you sometimes get intimidated by large crowds, and it all went smoothly for most of the night. until it didn't anymore.

it all happened so quickly. one moment, there was a hand on your waist – one you assumed belonged to your boyfriend – and you leaned into his touch. the next, the hand was ripped off you and you spun around to see what was going on. and then, all you could see was clement's fist flying towards the stranger's face.

silence washed over the apartment momentarily, only to soon be shattered as screams and the thuds of fists against skin consumed the room.

but to you, it all went quiet. it felt like the world slowed down, and you were stuck watching as your boyfriend punched some dude you'd never seen before. you couldn't move, frozen in place as more people started getting involved, pulling the two apart or throwing punches of their own.

you felt yet another hand land on your shoulder, but this time it belonged to marcus. he pulled you back, away from the commotion, tucking your face into his chest to hide you from the ongoing fight. your lungs felt tight, your vision growing blurry.

the crowd scattered moments later, everyone but clement's closest friends leaving hurriedly. marcus guided you to the bedroom, ensuring that you weren't panicking completely before going out again to help out.

your relationship with clement is still relatively new, and you're both experimenting to find your dynamics and get to know each other. you know that you have a lot to learn about him – you just never thought that this was what was hiding behind his cheerful exterior.

clement's apartment is completely empty by now, with scattered plastic cups filling the floor and the pop music turned off. you make it out of his room once you know the coast is clear, tiptoeing into the living room to find him sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. his knuckles are still bleeding, just like a few bruises on his face.

"i wasn't thinking, i guess," he mumbles, eyes strictly focused down on his lap. he leans back slightly against the couch cushions. "i know you're too innocent for these kinds of things... i shouldn't have told you to come here in the first place."

you shake your head lightly, removing the ice pack and instead reaching for the box of wound cleansing wipes you'd gotten from his bathroom. "it's my own fault for asking if i could come."

clement smiles as he looks at you. he's come to learn how soft-spoken, shy, and timid you are; how you have a way of calming those around you. it's one of the many things making him fall for you. he's never been with anyone like you before, and it's different in such a refreshing way. "don't be sorry," he hums. "you had no idea what was going to happen."

"does this happen often?" you ask, beginning to rub a wipe against the bruises on his knuckles. "do you get into a lot of fights at parties?"

he pauses for a moment. "well... stuff like this does happen at times." he sighs. "i know it's bad, but... sometimes, you can't control it. i'm just sorry you got caught in the middle of it." your wipe is quickly filled up with dried blood and other dirt, and when you bend over to the couch table to put it away, clement's free hand reaches your hip. his gaze is on you when you lean back, his hand giving you a quick squeeze as a slight grin makes its way onto his lips. "do you find it attractive?" he raises his eyebrows teasingly. "having a guy who knows how to throw a punch?"

"honestly?" your eyes meet his for a quick moment before you stare at his wounded hand again. your voice is lower than before when you start speaking again. "you're... it's a bit... scary..."

clement is shocked. he hasn't realized the effect this has on you – surely, he understands that you could be afraid of a fight, but being scared of him? it breaks his heart. the novelty of your relationship makes him a bit unsure of how to act around you, but he's worked so hard to build up your trust and to make you feel comfortable around him. to have it all be broken down in just one night makes his heart drop.

"oh, love..." he says. "you have nothing to fear. you mean too much to me," his hand moves from your hip to your cheek. "and i would never ever lay a finger on you."

you can't find it in yourself to look at him or say anything, but you manage to nod your head and take a breath before you start cleaning his hand again. he leans forward to press a sweet kiss to your cheek, your skin heating up where his lips had touched you. he smiles at you – until he looks down at your hands again.

"hey, you're shaking." a frown reaches his face, eyes flickering up and down between your hands and your face.

"oh, i am?" you ask, trying to focus on continuing to wipe his knuckles so you don't have to think too much about your feelings and the reality of the situation. "i didn't realize..."

"darling, you need to relax. it's been a long night." his hands wrap around yours, thumbs grazing over the skin of the back of your hands. "you don't need to clean my hands, i'll be fine."

"but-"

"no buts. i'm sorry for..." he stops for a moment, eyes studying you closely. "hey hey hey, you need to breathe properly. take a deep breath."

you hear his words, but you can't do what he tells you to do. your throat feels like it's closing up and your breaths get shorter as your head grows dizzy. it's all a downward spiral; your anxiety increases when you can't breathe, and breathing gets even more challenging as you get more stressed.

clement almost panics himself when he sees your state, but he must stay calm for you at this moment. he places a hand right below your collarbone while you shut your eyes. "big breaths, lift my hand," he says, voice low and tone soothing. his other hand reaches for the back of your neck, tilting your head back slightly to free your airways.

you concentrate on his touch, your short breaths through your nose only making your chest rise slightly. his thumb strokes the side of your neck as he breathes with you, demonstrating and guiding you in the hope you'll copy him.

"good girl," he whispers. his hand lifts and lowers with your breaths, quickly at first but the speed decreases as you calm down bit for bit. "you're doing so good. just a little more now..."

your thoughts are still clouded with anxiety but as more oxygen enters your system, your body relaxes a little. you focus on your breathing as clement's hand leaves your chest and moves down to your side again, moving up and down your ribs. the tears have been rolling down your cheeks for a while, though you haven't noticed until now, and the coldness of the tears brings you back to reality somehow, and you realize;

you're crying in front of clement for the first time ever.

you feel so exposed, naked, vulnerable. sobs begin to escape past your lips once you lean forward to hide your face in the crook of his neck, and he wraps his arms around you. "hey, it's okay," he starts. "everything is going to be okay. i'm here."

he presses a soft peck to your temple as a hand strokes the back of your head. your hair is still bundled up in your fancy hairdo but the halo headband you'd worn for the party is removed, the rest of your cute little white outfit covered up by the oversized hoodie you'd picked up from clement's bedroom floor. his devil's horns, ironic, are a bit crooked but still clipped to his locks.

"sweets, what happened here?" he asks, shuffling around to pull you onto his lap so that it's easier for you to hug him.

your head is still buried in his skin, his mild scent soothing as you sniffle. "i- i-" you groan at the way you aren't able to get any proper words out, the frustration blending with the panic and mixing into one big soup of despair. "i don't know-"

he rubs up and down your back, sighing. "okay, we don't need to talk about this right now. but," clement leans back slightly, taking your face into his hands and tilting your head up towards his. "if my fighting affects you like this, i'll stop it." his eyes are staring straight into your soul, and it feels like he's trying to prove that he really means his words. "you're the most important thing for me right now, i'm not going to lose you over something like this."

clement is shocked by not only his own words, but also his feelings. the two of you haven't been a couple for a long time, and yet, his heart aches at the mere thought of you ever feeling this bad again. he knows he can't let this happen again.

"i promise you that. okay?"

you nod, unable to get any words out, but it's more than enough for clement. he gives your forehead a kiss, and one on your nose, and one on both of your cheeks. then, he makes sure to press a quick one to your mouth so it doesn't feel jealous.

"how about this," he starts and you raise your eyebrows. "i go make us some tea, we drink it, and then we go get some sleep. how does that sound?"

"perfect."

he picks you up and puts you down on the sofa, tucking you in with a blanket before giving you one last peck and disappearing into the kitchen. you can hear his soft humming of a song you'd danced to earlier today, and you relax into the soft cushions.

clement's awareness of his actions, along with his promise to get better, makes a sense of calm wash over you; you allow yourself to believe that maybe, just maybe, everything will turn out alright after all.

[lovelyleclercs]

You, Me, and the Upside Down Tree- CN12

Clement Novalak x Fem!Reader

->You and Clem are decorating your new house for Christmas, but a faulty store bought tree turns into a memory you'll remember forever.

word count: 1341

warnings: not proof read

A/N: I'm obsessed with Clem, this one is for my Clem peeps<3

The snow was falling gently from the sky, coating the ground in a soft blanket of white. There was a crackling noise coming from the fireplace that could barely be heard over the movie ‘Elf’- AKA Clem’s favorite christmas movie- which had been playing on the TV just above the fireplace.

It was December 1st, which you and Clem had both agreed would be the perfect day to decorate. He had just gotten home the day prior from post-season testing and had no obligations for today, which you were thankful for.

Clem had been your boyfriend for nearly three years now, but the two of you had only lived in this house together for about five months now. Moving in together was pretty much a no-brainer. the two of you knew you’d spend the rest of your lives together, so it didn’t make sense to keep spending the night at each other's apartments. When Clem had brought the idea up, you thought he was intending on having you move into his apartment, however when move in day arrived, Clem drove you to this very house. You didn’t believe him at first, you still didn’t believe him as a matter of fact, even though you had spent the past five months here already.

The house was everything you had ever wanted- lots of land, a big kitchen, the coziest living room, and most importantly, a house you got to share with Clem.

You had been decorating the mantle for nearly a half hour, making sure everything was perfect, including the stockings that hung off of the mantle. Seeing your stocking right next to Clem’s was enough to make your heart melt. As you were adding some finishing touches to the mantle, you felt Clem’s hands on your waist, followed by a small kiss to your shoulder. “The mantle looks gorgeous, my love.”

You smiled and kissed Clem’s cheek gently. “Thank you, honey! Look at our stockings!!! Aren’t they so cute next to each other?”

Clem smiled at how excited you were over such a small thing like stockings. It was one of the things he loved about you. You found happiness in the simplest things. “I love it, baby. They look perfect. Now, the tree on the other hand…”

You frowned and turned around to look at Clem. “don’t say that! I’m sure the tree looks fine. I wanna see it!”

Clem laughed nervously, knowing all too well that the tree had some sort of defect and did not look like a tree at all. He stepped out of the way, allowing you to see the tree behind him.

You burst into laughter, seeing what appeared to be an upside down tree in front of you. “Honey, why is the top of the tree at the bottom and why is the bottom of the tree at the top?”

Clement handed you the instructions, pointing to the letters on the paper. “See how it says part A locks into the bottom? Well the top part of the tree was labeled as part A. So when I found what would normally be the bottom of the tree, it was labeled as part c. I tried to get it to lock into the base of the tree, but only part a would lock into the base. So we have an upside down tree.. But I can go to the store and buy a different one if you don’t want it…”

You shook your head and laughed, wrapping your arms around Clem’s neck. “It’s unique, and makes for one hell of a story we can tell our future children. Let’s keep it. I want to decorate it!”

Clem let out a sigh of release followed by a small laugh. “I was worried you were going to be upset or something!”

You laughed and shook your head as you sat down on the floor next to the tote of ornaments. “It’s our first Christmas living together, did we really expect the decorating process to go smoothly?”

“Fair point” Clem laughed as he sat down beside you.

You reached into the tote and grabbed a small little ballerina ornament out of the tote, smiling as you examined the ornament. “I can’t believe my mom actually gave me this one to put on our tree…”

“Why? What is it?” Clem asked, glancing over at the ornament in your hand.

“My grandma gave it to me the day before she passed. She used to call me her little ballerina. I never did dance or anything, but I used to dress myself in tutus and run around the house. My mom never even let me put this ornament on the tree, she always did it out of fear that I would break it. So i’m just a bit surprised she gave it to me”

Clem smiled and kissed the top of your head, rubbing your back a little. “Do you want it to be on the tree? Or would you rather we wrap it back up and leave it in this tote?”

You smiled a little and looked down at the ornament before hanging it up on the lowest branch of the tree. “I’ll hang it here, that way if it falls, it doesn’t have too far of a drop and shouldn’t break.”

Clem smiled and pulled an ornament out of his tote. It was a small go-kart that had the year 2010 written across it. “Ah, my go-kart engineer gave me this one. It’s cute isn't it? It’s like the world’s smallest go-kart!” Clem said with a smile as he held it up for you to see.

You laughed and kissed his cheek gently. “It’s super cute, honey. I’m sure that most of the ornaments in your tote are race cars of sorts”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Clem said with a small laugh.

The next half hour was spent hanging up the rest of the ornaments the two of you had, sharing small stories about each random ornament as you hung them. The tree didn’t look organized in any way- there were no designated colors, there was no theme, and well, the tree was upside down.

You took a few steps back to admire the tree you and Clem had worked on. “It’s so cute! It's very chaotic but it's very cute!” you said with a laugh as you wrapped your arms around Clem.

Clem kissed the top of your head and hugged you tightly. “So my question is, where do we put the star?”

You laughed a little and shrugged. “Beats me. Can we even put a star on an upside down tree?”

“I mean I guess so, it would just be an upside down star I think?”You laughed and grabbed the star before climbing under the tree and placing it on the tree. “There!”

Clem laughed and helped you get out from underneath the tree, making sure you wouldn’t break anything in the process.

“Perfect!!” you said with a big smile as you wrapped your arms around Clem again. “It’s absolutely perfect, honey. I love it, thank you so much for doing this.”

“It’s Christmas, my love. Did you really think I wasn’t going to decorate with you? You don’t need to thank me for doing such a simple thing…”

You shrugged, looking down at your feet. “It’s just.. You’re a busy man, you have obligations and I didn’t think you’d have time for it. Christmas decorating is an all day occasion and it’s rare for you to not have to do anything for a whole day.”

Clem tilted your chin up with his pointer finger and kissed you gently, allowing his hands to rest on your cheek. “For the next month it’s just you, me, and the upside down tree, ok? I’m all yours, I have no obligations. Whatever you want to do, let me know and we will do it, ok?”

You nodded gently, a small smile appearing on your lips. “A whole month?”

Clem smiled and kissed your forehead. “A whole month, my love.”

[httpiastri]

hiii! i would like a ❣️ but with voicemails from the drivers hinting that they like you? we have mostly the same favorite drivers so just write for whoever you think would be good 😌

❣️ – send me a prompt and one/a few drivers and i'll tell you how i think they would react!!

(featuring: lando, charles, alex, oscar, ollie, paul, arthur, pepe and clem)

lando norris

"i think you should come visit me in monaco more. you know that the bed in my guest room is always made for you. and i put on those sheets i know you like, and i have those fragrance sticks with the rose scent, you said you liked them last time you visited me. well, i mean, my room and my bed is always ready for you, too. and i'll be in it, so… *chuckle* my mind just keeps wandering off to when you were here a few nights ago, and… i think… honestly? i think you should move in with me. okay, that sounds crazy and impulsive and like i haven't thought this through, but i really have given it a lot of thought. i want you to move in here. don't worry about the expenses, i can take care of it all. and a moving truck to get your stuff, i'll pay for it. just… think about it, will you? don't just laugh it off. i'm serious about this."

charles leclerc

"i just got back to the apartment, and it's... so quiet without you here. i keep thinking about the last time we made dinner together and how you laughed so hard at my terrible cooking that the neighbors came over to complain. i'm still scared of meeting them in the stairwell. maybe next time, you should be the one to take charge and show me how it's done? save me from another disaster? or we could go out, whichever you prefer. i just really want to see you again. and not die from food poisoning."

alex albon

"the other day, you mentioned not having a necklace that fit the new top you bought. and for some reason, i just happened to find myself right outside a jewelry store today. so i went in and bought you something. the lady in the cash register told me that a longer chain with a pendant would fit a v-neck top best, so that's what i got. it's gold, of course, i wouldn't dare buy you anything silver after you lectured me about having a warm skin tone for half an hour... i don't know, i just wanted to tell you this so you don't run around stressing about having to buy a new necklace. i can drop by yours with it if you want me to. or if you want to wear the top tonight, i'll give it to you when i pick you up."

oscar piastri

"hey, i just wanted to check in with you, make sure you're okay. are you? *pause*. what he said tonight, that was... it wasn't right. you don't deserve that. he was wrong, he has no idea what he's talking about. please, call me when you get this."

ollie bearman

"can i come straight to yours from the airport? you don't have to hug me before i shower, i might be full of flight germs, but... i just want to see you. and i'm pretty sure i forgot my favorite sweater at your place last time i went to visit you. you know, the blue one?... i think you know. not that i want it back, you can keep it if you like it. i know you look cute in it... that's beside the point. i'll tell the taxi driver your address, let me know if you don't want me coming over. see you soon."

paul aron

"some kids are building a snow fort down the street. you know, in the park where we had that picnic last summer? one of them has slipped and fallen right onto his butt about ten times now, it's hilarious. i wish you were here to see it, you would've laughed your ass off. *pause*. wish you were here for other reasons, too. but... just one more week, right?"

arthur leclerc

"i may have had a bit too much wine but i needed to call you and tell you what i just realized. you have the prettiest eyes in the world. they are gorgeous. i want to trade eyes, if i have your eyes then i would be able to get any girl – but i still only have eyes for you. haha, get it? because they're your eyes? *pause*. why are you not answering? did you hang up on me? oh, is this voicemail? did you not think i was important enough to pick up the call? even at three in the morning, you should only think about me."

pepe marti

"i know i said i was going to call you tomorrow, but i just realized. i forgot to tell you something. sebastian is throwing a party this weekend- i think it's more of a housewarming-gathering-thing, and i wasn't really feeling like going, but... i would love to introduce you to some of my friends. they're all really nice, i promise you, and if you ever feel even slightly bad, we can leave instantly. i just want to show you off, i guess? everyone would be so jealous- i didn't mean it like that, i made it sound like- i'm sorry. just please, come with me. it would mean the world to me."

clement novalak

"i went by that bookshop i know you like. the cute little one near the subway station, right by the park? and i... i had some time to spare, so i went in. just to look around at first, but then i wanted to ask the woman who works there if they have that book you were talking about. but i just couldn't remember the name of it, so i tried to explain it to her based on what you told me weeks ago, but i was just rambling... but i think she managed to find the right one. hopefully. and when we went to pay, she asked if she should wrap it and i said 'sure', but when she asked who it was to, i froze... so the wrapping has little hearts on it, i hope that's okay. i'll see you tonight, right? can't wait."

[httpiastri]

❣️ what pet names would ollie, paul, pepe, clem, liam, arthur and dennis call you? (not sure if this is the right way to request, ignore it if i’m wrong)

❣️ – send me a prompt and one/a few drivers and i'll tell you how i think they would react!!

ollie bearman

oh i totally see him calling you love in his silly british accent. especially when apologizing for something ("i'm sorry for being away for so long, love") or when asking for a favor ("love, could you pass the salt?"). just in general when he's being soft and romantic, to be honest. it just rolls off his tongue so easily, before he can even stop himself, and you always giggle at the fact that it sounds more like luv than how it's actually spelled. he's too british for his own good. i also believe he calls you honey, but more often just hun because it's quicker yet still has the same level of adoration behind it.

paul aron

i've seen people on here say he would call his gf kallis and i think that's adorable. like yk how he still lives in estonia and probably speaks estonian most of his time, so it would be so natural for that pet name to slip out of him. in english, though, i think he would like to go for something along the lines of my sweet or my dear. especially when hugging you or cuddling you, holding you close and whispering "you did so well, my sweet". he loves to add "my" as a reminder that you're his and no one else's.

pepe marti

call it cliche but he would totally go for mi amor. i imagine him coming home after a race weekend, when you're welcoming him home in the hallway with a big hug, and pepe kisses the top of your head with a whisper of "i missed you so much, mi amor". corazón could also be one, but i think he would love cariño, and he thinks it's so cute that he just finds himself smiling every time he says it to you.

clement novalak

mon trésor. he said it once, just to be funny and cheesy, but don't think he didn't notice the way your breath hitched in your throat when the words left his mouth. he doesn't speak his mother tongue often, so hearing him use it just for you? it sweeps you right off your feet. he also loves to go for a good old babe, it makes him feel really cool. especially in front of his friends lol.

liam lawson

darling. no doubt. it originates in the way that his mother used to call him by that pet name and something about it is just so dear to him. i also see him calling you idiot in an endearing way, like if you do something stupid he will just hug you tightly as he laughs, face nuzzled into your hair as he tells you about how you're "you silly little idiot... my silly little idiot".

arthur leclerc

arthur goes classic. mon amour or mon bébé all the way. idk what else to tell you, he's just a sucker for those. though i also really see him as someone who wants to call you something in your own native language just to be cute, something along the lines of darling/baby/love etc.

dennis hauger

excuse my norwegian for being a bit rusty but something along the lines of kjæreste, which (if i'm not mistaken) is the word for girlfriend/boyfriend but means more like "beloved"? i think he would love to speak to you in norwegian, even if you understand nothing of it. i also have a feeling that he would be good at using all kinds of pet names to be honest.

[httpiastri]

sleeping patterns – cn34

nights filled with endless crying and screaming take a toll on clement's confidence.

genre: fluff, slight comfort/angst ig

pairing: young dad!clem x young mom!reader

warnings: none

author’s note: aaaaaaaaaaa im so soft for clem and ive had such an insane baby fever recently. i miss him sm :(( he would be such a good dad, i just know it

f2/f3 masterlist

‎‎ ‎‎

the big, red numbers of your electric clock on the bedside table tell you it's only 3am, a frustrated huff passing through your lips when your eyes slowly open. it takes a while for you to realize what's waking you up – but then it makes so much sense.

the soft cries on the other side of the baby monitor sting like a knife in your heart, and you're fully awake in a matter of seconds. you're just about to push yourself up to a sitting position when the bed dips next to you. after turning around, you find your boyfriend already jumping out of bed. "i'll get her."

"are you sure?" you ask, voice creaky after several hours of not speaking.

clement nods, leaning down to press a kiss to your temple. "go back to sleep," he hums, and just like that, he has waddled through the door to your nursery.

the sad truth is that your little one hasn't been progressing with her sleep as much as she should. she had a period of almost sleeping through the nights about a month ago, but then you were hit with the four-month regression. she's almost five months old now, and still, you have issues with sudden wakeups in the middle of the night. as much as you adore every second you get to spend with her, you just wish you could get one full night of sleep sometime.

you know you won't be able to fall asleep until clement is back, you never can. but it's not because you're worried; in fact, there's not a single piece of concern on your mind over it. you know that he has mastered the cradling-cooing-bouncing sequence by now. and sure enough, your daughter's cries grow lighter and lighter, until the only sound that can be heard from the monitor is the ones of soft steps and hushed whispers.

but something feels off. even when the apartment is completely silent, clement doesn't come back to bed.

it's very strange. he fell asleep once in the rocking chair in the nursery, but complained about his back aching for a week afterwards and promised that he would never put himself through that again.

the moonlight peeking through the poorly shut blinds in the nursery casts a shadow across clement's profile when you step inside. despite how dark it is, you can see every little toy on the floor and every detail of the little race car-themed mobile that dangles above the crib clearly. you're way too used to being in here at night.

clement has put your daughter back down into her crib by now, and his hands are wrapped around the railing as he leans over it, looking down at her. he doesn't react when you come closer, and he doesn't move a muscle even when you place your hand on his shoulder. it's easy to understand that something is bothering him.

"what's on your mind?"

he turns to you and lets out a tiny exhale, as if it was a struggle for him to snap himself out of his thoughts. he shakes his head. "it's nothing."

"tell me," you press, giving his shoulder a soft squeeze.

"well, i…" he squeezes his eyes shut. "i'm kind of freaking out. it's been over four months, and… i still haven't adjusted."

"honey," you start, your hand moving to the back of his neck. "where is this coming from? so suddenly?"

"i don't know," he says with a sigh. "you've seen me lately, i've barely been able to fall asleep at all."

he opens his eyes again and gazes down into the crib, eyes softening once they land on the little bundle of love resting so peacefully. he follows the way her chest rises with her breaths, her slightly pouting lips, her tiny fists that are wrapped around her blankie.

"it feels like i'm the only one who's struggling. you're such a natural, you're doing so much better with her, while i just feel… hopeless."

you don't want to interrupt him – clement doesn't often speak about his deeper feelings, so now that he's finally going, you don't wish to stop his flow – but you have to say something. "i think you're doing really well."

"you actually think so?" he asks. though his gaze doesn't move an inch, he can still see you nodding in the corner of his eye. he takes a deep breath. "i've heard people say that new fathers go through things… that it takes time, that it takes patience- and i've tried to be patient, i really have. but…"

he finally looks at you, and his heart breaks slightly at the sight of your uneasy expression, the tension in your eyebrows and your worried eyes. he hates being the one to make you feel like this.

"i just can't get rid of this constant anxiety. it feels like i'm always stressing over something. over you, over her, over everything."

you relate to every word he says. being this young, you feel like you're stumbling through darkness most of the time, not knowing what to do. it's frankly a guessing game, with mostly correct guesses mixed with some bad ones, since neither of you have any prior parenting experiences. even though he may not see it or know it, you're going through the same things as him.

no one had expected for you to get pregnant at this age, and no one – not even the two of you – had expected for you and clement to actually keep the baby. and sometimes, way more often than you'd thought before, your youth and inexperience has been catching up with you.

it's hard, but at least you have each other.

you step closer, draping your arms around his shoulders in an instant. "it's alright," you whisper into the skin of his neck, your nose filling with that scent that's just so him, and you finally relax a bit. his hands find your waist, fingers caressing your sides through the flimsy material of your nightgown. "it's okay to feel like this. i do, too. i think… all new parents must feel it." you give his neck a soft kiss. "but they all get through it, don't they? and so will we."

he stays silent for a while before he nods slowly. "it's all just so… intimidating. i don't want to mess anything up."

"and you won't." you pull away slightly to look into his eyes. "i trust you fully, and-"

you're interrupted mid-sentence, the sound of your daughter stirring in her crib taking clement's attention away from you as he glances towards her. you see his adam's apple bob as she begins to whine, her fists clenching and face scrunching up. "should- can i take her?" he asks tentatively, hands trembling slightly on your sides.

you nod not even a second later, stepping out of his embrace to give him no excuse to hold back. "go for it."

clement had bought every parenting guidebook he could find, and read every website with tips for new parents on the entire internet – and yet, nothing had prepared him for this nervousness that he's experiencing so often. he knew it wouldn't be smooth sailing all the way, but he hadn't expected to feel this uncertain in everything he does. even in the way that he picks his daughter out of her crib, he feels anxious that he's doing something wrong.

however, the second she feels her father's presence, it's far from the story that his anxiety has been making up for him. she lets out one last soft cry before, as if out of habit, nuzzling her face into his skin.

while clement has been struggling this whole time, you can't help but notice that she settles easily into his arms. like she belongs there; like she knows that he'll take care of her.

because he always does.

"see?" you say, letting a finger run along the curve of her cheek as you smile down at her. "that's not so bad, is it? you're doing so well."

considering all the difficulties he's faced, hearing these kind words of appreciation from you gives him comfort in a way that few other feelings can compare to. his gaze is still glued to your daughter, the precious little baby that is his entire world. well, half of his world – the other half is standing right next to him. "i love her, you know," he says softly. "even if she doesn't know it yet, i do. so much."

"i think she knows," you answer, watching as your boyfriend cradles her against his bare chest. he has loved the skin-on-skin contact since day one, and you're sure she does, too; her gentle babbling is always a sure sign that she's completely content. you can't hold back from smiling. "and she loves you just as much."

"sometimes i just can't believe that she's ours. that we made her." his eyes meet yours, nothing but pure love in them. "isn't it strange?"

"strange that we've done something good for once?"

he answers your tease by sticking out his tongue, nudging your shoulder with his, though gently enough to not bother the little one in his arms.

"come on, let's go back to bed," you say, leaning in to press your lips gently to the back of her head. "one night of co-sleeping can't be the entire world, can it?"