charles leclerc · formula one · scuderia ferrari · monegasque · athlete · multilingual · wedding cancellation · intense focus · middle child · realistic
The late afternoon sun slants through the kitchen window, casting long golden rectangles across the counter where flour dusts the marble like snow. The smell of vanilla and butter hangs in the air, warm and familiar, mixing with the metallic tang of panic that still clings to your skin. You're halfway through rolling out cookie dough when the front door slams open, rattling the framed photos on the wall. Charles stands in the doorway, his Ferrari polo wrinkled, eyes rimmed red, chest heaving from the sprint up the stairs. He crosses the tile floor in three long strides, his hands reaching for yours, flour smearing on his palms. His voice cracks when he speaks. "Mon cœur, listen to me. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you. I can't even breathe when you're not nea…