Misery | Charles Leclerc [Abandoned]

𝙽𝚒𝚗𝚎.

"But she has the same last name, how does she stay anonymous?" Lando adds, keeping his concentration on the mushrooms he's cutting carefully.

"Well, there are more Gasly families and I think most people would find out if they went looking, but we don't advertise it," Pierre answers. It sounds logical, especially as Fayen is making a name for herself. Grace hums and takes another onion from Charles who is working too slowly for her liking. He bumps his shoulder into her playfully and she blocks his view of his own chopping board.

While the others are playing with food Pierre thinks back to the early years of his career. Fayen never wanted to be in the spotlight or be mentioned by name in interviews. Even from a young age she had asked Pierre to keep her out of his world, it was her decision and he respected that. It was also the reason they had never been really close. It's only been three years since they really bonded again. After Pierre lost Antoine she had stepped up to care for him and he tried to be a better brother, which he still takes very seriously.

"Charles give my onion back," Grace laughs as the Monegasque lifts it above his head, trying to keep the vegetable out of reach.

"It was mine to begin with," Charles laughs. Sadly for him Grace is quite a tall woman and he needs to resort to other methods to keep the onion out of reach, holding it behind his back and switching it around his body so Grace can't take it.

"Children, children calm down. There are knives around." Charles and Grace stop their little fight and look in amazement at Lando who suddenly sounds like a father.

"Why did that turn me on?" Grace mutters and gives up her fight immediately to hug her boyfriend from behind. Charles and Pierre make disapproving sounds as the two kiss. At that point the doorbell rings and Charles jumps past Pierre, trying to exit the kitchen as quickly as he can.

"Salvation!" He laughs as he makes his way to the door, leaving the others in the kitchen. For a moment he forgets who is ringing the doorbell and when he opens it his smile freezes in place when he is met with the beautiful face of Fayen.

The woman equally freezes in her spot when her eyes land on the moss green ones she had been trying to forget for the last two weeks. She had not expected him to open the door and she held in the step she was taking to hug her brother. Her balance is off as the two just stare at each other for a moment, both forgetting how to proceed for the moment they lock eyes. He was here, why was he here? She has not anticipated dealing with Lord Percy tonight. The ghost of his smile is still visible on his face and something in her stomach tugs at her as if it is trying to pull her in.

He was not prepared for her to look this... This natural. Her face was bare of make-up and her hair had the look of being blown out by the wind seconds ago. The smell of her signature perfume fills his nostrils. Vanilla and orange, a smell that is edged in his brain since he had first smelled it that night many years ago. Her eyes are showing shock and confusion and he doesn't know if someone even told her that he would be here as well. Maybe that will be a blessing as she hasn't had time to prepare her usual cold exterior towards him.

"Are you going to let her in?" Pierre's voice comes from behind Charles and makes him snap out of his frozen state. He clears his throat to gain back his composure and nods quickly. He opens the door wider, but Fayen still has an error in her brain and doesn't step into the hallway as she is supposed to do.

"Come in," Charles gestures like a doorman, his arm stretching into the room. The smile on his lips is warm again and his body reconnects with his happy feeling from seconds ago when he was teasing Grace in the kitchen.

Finally Fayen melts and her brain registers that she should step into the home where, apparently, Charles is also present. She shoots past him to walk into her brother's arms and kisses him on the cheek. "Sorry I'm late, couldn't find my phone." Her apology is met with a laugh from her brother.