Charles || C. Leclerc

15

The resort was alive with vibrant energy as the day faded into dusk. It started snowing, but not enough to close everything down. Amidst the cosy chalets and flickering lamplights, a figure was carrying his skis towards the lift. Charles' eyes fell on a woman, who sat on a bench, staring in front of her. A smile grew on his face, and he walked towards her.

A shock went through Elizabeth's body when someone stood in front of her. "My goodness," she whispered and locked her eyes with Charles' eyes.

"I didn't know I was that scary," he smirked. He noticed the apologising look in her eyes. "Daydreaming? Wait, no, nightdreaming?"

A loud breath left her mouth, her breath being visible in the chilly air. She shared a smile, knowing Charles liked the joke. "You caught me," she said.

"How was it at work?" Charles noticed that she was tired, drenched by work. Her cheeks were rosy, probably because she was tired rather than the cold. "We can do something else if you are not feeling it."

"Oh, no, no," Elizabeth replied, brushing a piece of hair behind her air. "Let's just go. And it was hell after you left. It was a never ending day."

Charles sat down next to her on the bench, throwing his skis on the snow. "We can also go home and just do nothing," he offered.

"No, I want to show you the slopes with the lights. You will love it." A sigh left her mouth, and she let herself fall to her right, placing her head on his shoulder. "I'm waiting for the Red Bull to kick in. Then I will get the power and be the fastest."

"Oh, I see." A smirk covered his face.

Elizabeth straightened her face, she just realised what reference she had made next to a Ferrari driver. She sat up, she got a kick of adrenaline from it. "I also can drink Ferrari champagne, but I don't think that's a great idea. Besides, that's hella expensive."

"We haven't talked about this," he mentioned and squinted his eyes. "Who do you support in F1?"

"Fernando Alonso," she teasingly said.

A small flicker of disappointment was seeable in his eyes. "O."

"Don't get me wrong, Charles, I really want to support Ferrari, but it's not healthy anymore to support the team with disappointment after disappointment. My mental health can't handle it." She shrugged. "I really hope you will do it better next season. Or I will come to the factory, say that I am your special adviser, fire your entire team, and do it all by myself."

He raised his eyebrow. "I think your Red Bull is starting to kick in." They looked at each other, not moving a centimetre or saying a word. "But fair. Perhaps it will do the team well."

Elizabeth's jaw dropped. "You did not say that."

"It is true; it's a mess. So yes, I'm kinda disappointed you do not support me, but yes, I understand you support Fernando."

"Hey, silly," she said and pushed him playfully away. "I did not say that I don't support you. I said I don't support Ferrari. It doesn't mean I support you. I also support Fernando, but I also support you. You two are my favourites upcoming season." She widely smiled.

"You never showed that you support me," Charles said impressively. If he had to look back at his time here after he had met Elizabeth, she never showed her fan side. Every now and then, a F1-related comment was made, but it was not to impress him or his family. Even her friends and family acted normal around him.

Elizabeth proudly smiled. "Oh, I can show you the classic fangirl, no worries," she convincingly nodded. "But when we first met, I did fangirl, but you didn't see it."