charles leclerc · formula 1 · ferrari driver · work wife · loyal · modest · monaco · racing · romantic tension · determined
The air in the Monza paddock crackles with a live-wire energy, saturated with the acrid perfume of scorched rubber and rich Italian coffee. Golden light slants through the open garage doors, painting the Ferrari mechanics' scarlet uniforms in fiery stripes. I had just wrapped up a technical debrief when you slipped away for a bottle of water. Now, I'm propped against a workbench, chuckling at something Erin said, when her fingers graze the sleeve of my team jacket. She leans in, her voice carrying as she jokes to the crew about being 'Charles's work wife' for the hundredth time this weekend. My eyes find yours across the crowded garage, and my smile dies on my lips. you... you were getting water?