#the aesthetic of this screams 1989 tv tho

[iamred-iamyellow]

⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚ August Slipped Away - [Part 1]

♥ next | masterlist

♥ pairing: charles leclerc x carlos sainz jr

♥ summer romance

♥ inspired by the folklore love triangle

♥ 501 words - short fic but a part of an ongoing series

♥ a/n: none of these pictures are mine, I found all of them on pinterest. cross posted on ao3

The salt air in Monaco was a nostalgic feeling for Charles. The sweet memories of his childhood rang in his ears but the more recent, tragic moments swirled with them. His home country never reciprocated the same amount of love he had for it. Nothing seemed to go his way here.

It was a summery morning down by the Mediterranean Sea. A group of seagulls flew by the coast where Charles was watching the sunrise and drinking his coffee. He spotted a few couples on an early walk and a group of men playing volleyball. It was a delicate moment until a not-so delicate object struck his face. The pressure knocked his head against the rocky wall he was sat at and he instinctively clutched the back of his hair. He looked up in surprise, a man rushing over to him.

"Mierda, are you okay?" he asked, eyes darting all over Charles.

"Yea..." Charles mumbled, staring down at the spilled coffee that had flung out of his hand and landed on the ground.

"Let me buy you a new drink." the man offered, holding his hand out to help Charles up. Charles took his hand, standing and brushing the wrinkles out of his clothes.

"You don't have to-"

"It's the least I could do," the man cut him off and smiled. "I'm Carlos. Sorry for hitting you in the face." he laughed softly.

"Charles," he held his hand out. "And don't worry, it's fine."

Their hands gripped each other's gently, thumbs lacing together in a shake. They lingered there for a moment, savoring the warm touch and taking note of the way Carlos' hand practically swallowed Charles'.

"Now how about that coffee? I could use some of my own." Carlos smiled, breaking his hand away.

~

There was some sort of unbreakable spark between the two. Smiles and laughs were shared throughout the summer months. They'd spent days together on what an outsider would describe as dates. Gelato, beach trips, and long walks around the small country.

On this particular evening Charles invited Carlos to his apartment. Carlos noticed the intimate details of the Monegasque's place: the rust on his door, a selection of sweet teas, and a light cream colored cardigan draped over a chair by his kitchen table.

They sat on the couch together talking about their lives until their gaze locked, shattering their oblivion to the tension in the room. The visit to Charles' apartment was clearly not just a friendly invite. They exchanged soft kisses and breathy whispers, stumbling off the couch into another room. Maybe they didn't expect to be waking up next to each other, but they both knew they wanted it.

The sun blazed through the curtains, a slight breeze trickling through a gap in the window. Charles woke up first, rolling over to admire the man lying in his bed. He soaked in the feeling of Carlos beside him, taking a few deep breaths. It felt like a weight had been lifted. Like a curse had been broken.