Summary: You and Carlos had been friends for years, but everyone could see that there much more than meets the eye. Carlos' cousin decided to do something about it and push you in the right direction.
Words: 1.0k+
♡♡♡♡♡
Everyone who knew you and Carlos could tell that you were very much in love with each other.
Well, everyone but the two of you.
You and Carlos had been friends for many years, even prior to him joining Formula 1. You had kept in touch even after he started travelling the world, you often flew out to his races when your schedule would allow it, you would vacation together.
Typical stuff that best friends do.
However, what everyone else could see were the stolen glances when you thought nobody was looking, the little gestures you thought nobody noticed, the extra special attention he would give you whenever you were out, how your eyes sparkled when you talked about the other.
Everything.
It was annoying how oblivious both you and the Spaniard seemed to be.
Carlito, the nicknamed you had for Carlos' cousin in order to tell them apart, had had enough of it and decided that maybe, just maybe, you needed a push in the right direction.
And so the planning began.
You had gotten a message from Carlito asking you to meet him at a restaurant in downtown Las Vegas where the current Grand Prix was being held to discuss something very important.
Coincidentally, Carlos got the same exact message from his cousin, asking him to meet at the same restaurant at the same exact hour as you.
Once you got to the restaurant, you looked around but couldn't spot your long-time friend, so you asked the hostess for your reservation.
Not even 5 minutes after you had been seated, Carlos appears out of nowhere, looking equally as confused as you did.
"Y/N? What are you doing here?" he asked while he shrug off his jacked and draped it over the back of his chair before taking a seat across from you.
"I could ask you the same question. I was supposed to meet Carlito to talk about something tonight" you explained, watching his eyebrows furrow with even more confusion than before.
"I was supposed to meet him to discuss something important as well" his voice was quiet and he seemed deep in thought.
Just before you could say anything else, a waited came by and dropped off an envelope for the two of you, and you could recognize Carlito's handwriting on it.
You took the envelope and opened it, finding a note inside which made a blush coat your cheeks.
"What does it say?" Carlos asked once he saw your reaction to the note.
"Dear Y/N and Carlos, seeing as the two of you are too blind or stupid to see that you are undeniably in love with each other, we have decided to take matters into our own hands. Consider this your very first official date, no excuses. Have fun and wrap it up! Love, Carlitos" you read out loud so he could hear, and his eyes widened when you finished.
Neither of you knew what to say, the only thing you could do was steal glances at each other, both of you blushing to no end.
You were the first one to clear your throat, but Carlos spoke before you could even think of anything you could say.
"He's right" his thick accent made your heart skip a beat, your eyes tingling.
"What?" you were in disbelief.
Carlos loved you? THE Carlos Sainz Jr. was in love with you? He loved you as well? No, yo must be dreaming, that can't be real.
"You heard me"
"Maybe he was right about me too" you spoke, the words rolling off your tongue with ease.
You spent a couple of seconds looking at each other in silence, but it felt like an eternity. You didn't acknowledge anyone around you, feeling like you were the only ones in the whole restaurant in your own little bubble.
"Then we should do exactly as my cousin suggested" he offered you a smile before calling the waiter, ordering the both of you the top notch wine and their most exquisite delicacies that he knew you would enjoy.
As the hours went by and the evening faded into the night, the bond between you and Carlos was reaching a whole new level.
You were discovering each other in ways you didn't even realize you could, learning so many new things about one another from a whole new perspective on things.
As you were getting ready to pack up and leave, Carlos offered you his hand, which you gladly took. It wasn't like you had never held hands before. You had, on several occasions, but never like this.
You had never paid attention to how soft his hands were, how much bigger they were than your petite ones, how comfortable you felt while holding his hand and letting him lead you to wherever he wanted to go with you.
You now savored in the feeling of his hand holding yours, a feeling you didn't know you would ever be able to feel with him.
"What happens now?" you asked Carlos once you had arrived back at his hotel room in the heart of Las Vegas.
He took a seat next to you on the bed, putting his hand on your knee and caressing it lightly.
"What do you want to happen?" ever the gentleman.
"I would want to see where this goes, if we're being honest. I love you and have done so for a while now. We managed to survive this long being friends, what's to say we couldn't survive something more?" you were nervous actually saying it out loud, but the soft caress of Carlos' hand soothed you.
"I want to try, too"
You had never been happier to hear those words in your entire life.
♡♡♡♡♡
The next day at the paddock, everyone could sense the change in the air.
The smile you both sported, holding each other's hands, staying close to each other and whispering in each other's ear as you neared the Ferrari garage didn't go unnoticed by anyone.
"Well?" Carlitos asked as soon as you were within a small distance from him.
"Well what?" you played dumb for a minute.
"You know what I mean. Did you finally get your head out of your ass and make a move?" his question was directed to your boyfriend, who looked offended for a second.
Wow, your boyfriend. What a nice change.
"Shut up" Carlos mumbled as he started to retreat to his driver's room, pulling you along with him.
"I knew it!"
♡♡♡♡♡
