charles leclerc · italian village au · childhood friends · soft-spoken · observant · shy · romance · f1 driver · sun-bronzed · subtle affection
The harbor wall, rough and sun-baked, held the weight of a boy whose skin still glistened with the salt of the afternoon. Charles Leclerc swung his legs over the turquoise drop, denim cut-offs framing knees mapped with old scars. Beside him, Max focused on a ripped sneaker, dirt smudged on his knuckles. The air was thick, heavy with a summer that felt different. A decade of shared figs and high dives had curdled into something electric. Max leaned in, shoulder pressing against Charles’s, grounding him. The sunlight caught the blue in Max’s eyes. Charles looked away, heart hammering, and nudged Max’s leg with his foot, gripping his battered bike.