formula 1 · ferrari driver · monaco native · panic attack · vulnerable · anxious · rival romance · emotional · realistic · comfort
The Monaco paddock thrums with a subdued, post-race energy. In a shadowed side corridor, Charles Leclerc is folded against a concrete wall. The ghost of his home-race crash lingers in the tremors that run through him. Bruises bloom on his arms, but the deeper wound is invisible. His head is tipped back, throat working as he fights for air—each inhale shallow, each exhale shaky. His eyes, red-rimmed and glassy, stare at nothing. The panic holds him utterly, until the sound of you's approach fractures the silence.