a/n: forgive me if there are any story gaps? If that makes sense? I feel like I was blanking a lot on this one! But I hope you all will enjoy it! Happy Saint Patrick's day too!
—
Le Mans, France
Summer 2014
Pierre
The frenchman had burst through the hospital doors, red in the face. "GINNY!"
The others trailed behind him: Chloe, Max, Charles, Victoria, and Arthur. The group was racing down the hospital hall, trying to catch up to the American with a bleeding head. Pierre was the fastest. He sprinted down the sterilized floors.
The bright fluorescent lights followed after him. His dirty blonde hair was stuck to his forehead. He was sweating buckets from the run to get to the hospital, because unlike the others, he had taken off on his feet the second Timothée got the call. The call that said Ginny had been hit by a car and was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance.
He bolted over to Pauline, grabbing her arm before she could disappear with the rest of Ginny's family into the unknown oblivion of doctors and nurses and surgeries. The doctors were already pushing Ginny into the operation hallway, so she was swept behind the employee only doors. Pauline skidded to a stop and turned around, slapping Pierre hard on his cheek.
Pierre reeled back. His eyes widened in shock and his fingers hesitantly touched the impacted skin. Pauline had tears swelling in her eyes. She clenched her jaw and spoke in a hushed whisper, not wanting to cause any more attention to fall on them. "This is your fault!"
Pierre gritted his teeth. He tried to grab onto the eldest Chalamet again, but she held her hands up defensively. "I have to see her!"
"No... you don't." Pauline crossed her arms above her chest and nearly spat at his feet. "I take back what I said about this being your fault, Pierre. Because it's not just your fault... it's all of your faults. What the hell were you thinking going to a club?"
Chloe tried to speak, mumbling some words, but Pauline held up a shaky finger. "My sister is about to be rushed into surgery because you all are too selfish to even think about her for a second."
"Paulie..." Charles shook his head.
Pauline raised a brow at him. "You, of all people, should've been there to protect her."
"Don't blame this on us just because you're a shit sister!" Pierre yelled, veins bulging from his neck.
Pauline let out a sarcastic chuckle that reverberated through the empty hall. "Don't blame this on me just because you're too afraid to say you love her."
"I-" Pierre furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure you don't." She mocked him. "You all need to think about how you've acted. I don't know the details, but whatever she was upset about, you all were the cause. Maybe when she gets through her surgery, you'll have your fucking act together."
"Pauline." Arthur whispered, glancing at his feet. "Is she going to be okay?"
"Let's hope so." Pauline sighed, turning her back to the group and disappearing into the back hall.
Pierre fisted his hair out of frustration. He whirled around, letting out a frustrated groan. He felt anger inside of his gut boiling. His hands were in fists and he wanted to punch the wall.
How could Ginny have gotten hurt? If she had stayed... why did she leave? Why did he not follow her?
He shook his head and grabbed the youngest Leclerc by his shirt. "You're her buddy, aren't you? Why the fuck didn't you go after her?"
Arthur looked at him in betrayal. His brown-eyes bored back into Pierre's sea green orbs. "Didn't you listen to Pauline? This is your fault, Pie Face!"
"Arthur..." Charles stepped in between his brother and friend. He turned to his fellow driver and patted a hand on his chest, like a warning to calm down. "Guys, we can't blame anyone in particular, alright? We're all at fault."
"Says you." Pierre gritted out. "Ever since you got with Victoria, Ginny has been suffering. Fuck you. You were lucky she could look at you with... with..."
Charles glanced over his shoulder at the girlfriend in question. She was standing beside Chloe with a frown sprawled across her red-stained lips. Her hair was frizzy from the humid air outside. Pierre stuck a finger in Charles' chest. "And you threw it all away on some slut!"
"What the fuck did you say?" Max stepped forward, wrapping a protective arm around his sisters shoulder.
"You heard me." Pierre mocked. "Don't even get me started on you, Verstappen. Stealing Chloe away from her bestfriend. The only time Ginny can see her is when she's here for the summer and you can see your girlfriend any time of the fucking day, twenty four seven. And yet..."
"You're blaming everyone else, and not yourself, Pierre. Don't you remember that you're her own personal bully? For fuck's sake... you're worse than your father sometimes. You know that right?" Max puffed out his chest, inching closer to the frenchman.
Pierre breathed in and out before punching Max right in the jaw. He stumbled back on the bright, white, floor and winced at the impact. Pierre leaped on him, slapping him over and over until blood was oozing out of the dutchman's nose. His hands were a black blur of motion. His face was hot and stung. The others were trying to pull him off of Max. Chloe was screaming in his ear and Charles was grunting, almost out of breath from the death lock Pierre had Max in.
"Hey! Hey!" A voice yelled and suddenly Pierre was yanked in the air by someone who had beefy hands. He caught a glimpse of a security guard and cursed.
"Laissez-moi partir! Je dois voir ma petite amie! S'il-vous-plaît! Ma petite amie est de retour! Laissez-moi partir!" Pierre pleaded with the guard, trying to swivel around and face him, but the guy was holding him like a mother kangaroo would.
{Let me go! I have to see my girlfriend! Please! My girlfriend is back there! Let me go!}
"Girlfriend!?" Chloe scratched at Pierre's arm. The guard groaned and walked behind the nurse's counter, setting him down on the hardwood with a thud. Some of the employees were staring with curious expressions. Pierre straightened out his shirt and shot Chloe a smug look. She stuck up a middle finger. "Now you want to say she's your girlfriend!? You fucking stupide, connard! Go fuck yourself!"
Pierre grabbed the guard, his eyes turning into a pair of puppy dog's. "They're her friends. You see? They're trying to keep me away... they're jealous of the love we share."
"The fuck-" Arthur tried to hop the counter, but a nurse readily stopped him.
The guard let out a sigh, not wanting anymore drama. He pointed at the group, who had helped Max to his feet. "Stay here. I'm taking your friend here to find his girlfriend."
Pierre smirked at the others, who were staring in awe. There was chaos. Max was cursing Pierre. Chloe was trying to come at Pierre, but Charles held her back. Arthur was trying to explain the situation to a nurse. Pierre just followed the guard through the personel only doors, and grinned like he'd won a grand prix.
The guard led Pierre into a different waiting room that held the Chalamet's. Pauline stood up at the sight of them, going into her protective mode. Timothee was bouncing his leg out of nerves. Ginny's parents were barely looking at each other and when Nicole tried to hold her husband's hand, he pulled away like she was a disease.
"Pierre... how'd you get back here hon?" Nicole averted her gaze to Pierre.
He tried to hide the fact he'd been staring and rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling nervous under the Chalamet's attention. "I just couldn't wait out there... with the others... I wanted to be... close."
Nicole shoved on a fake-smile, jutting her chin out towards the seat beside Timothée. Pauline watched him walk closer, almost shooting lasers through her eyes. The parents didn't know they had all been at a club for the night. Only Pauline did.
And apparently she hadn't snitched.
Pierre was surprised, but maybe she didn't want to get Ginny in trouble. The cover was that they'd been at the movies and Ginny had gotten scared, so she called her sister to come get her. Ginny started walking down the street and was hit.
That was the story for the parents.
But everyone else knew the truth. Pauline had told Timothée and he told the rest of them that Ginny had gotten out of her sisters car and got hit by an on-coming car. Pauline knew that Ginny had been distraught from the night with Pierre. With Chloe. With Max. With Arthur. With her brother.
Pierre cautiously sat down in one of the dark green hospital chairs that had wooden legs. The chair squeaked under his weight. He let out a sigh and pressed the back of his head against the wall. And he waited until the doctor came back, never once even blinking.
It had maybe been an hour and a half, or two, Pierre wasn't sure. But he stood up first, causing a wave from the family as they stood. Mark shook the older man's hand and asked the question they were all thinking. "Is Ginny okay?"
"Yes." He nodded slowly. "She's fine."
There was a sigh of relief from everyone. Pierre felt tears in his eyes, so he quickly looked away and wiped them with his forefinger. The doctor continued. "Should I continue in English?"
"Sure." Nicole nodded. "Are we able to see her?"
"In just a few moments, yes."
Pierre turned back to the doctor who stuck his hands in his lab coat. "Ginny's spleen had to be removed-"
Pauline let out an audible gasp. "You yanked her spleen?"
"Unfortunately, we did. But it seemed there had been a prior injury due to the thin lining around the sack. Had she ever ruptured it before?"
"Just once." Nicole frowned. "She was very young. It was a horse riding accident back in the States. But she was on bedrest and it healed on its own."
The doctor nodded. "She's very lucky that she was able to heal and develop the Spleen more. She has less risks now without one because she's older. She suffered a minor concussion, but should be healed within the next few weeks. We'll go over the procedure for that in the coming days. In the meantime, Ginny will have to be on bedrest for the remainder of her healing. But it seems she's very resilient."
"Thank you, doctor." Mark sucked in a breath. "We can see her now?"
"Yes, I'll take you to her." He glanced at Pierre. "You must be the boyfriend?"
"What?" Nicole glanced at him.
"Oh- I, um. To get back here..." He coughed.
Nicole held back a faint chuckle. "I wondered... never mind that."
"I can wait." He told them with a dismissive wave. "I'll stay here."
"You can come." The doctor cocked his head to the side. "You are Pierre, correct? Ginny was mumbling your name. She's still very much loopy from the anesthesia."
"She was..." He paused. "She said my name?"
"Yes." He smiled, lightly. "Right this way."
__
Ginny's head hurt and she felt so strange. A good strange. She felt like her head was finally quiet. No thoughts. No anxiety. She stared at the white ceiling with a blank smile on her face. The nice doctor had explained she was hit by a car that she vaguely remembered.
Bright white lights had flashed in her head. It seemed like she had been somewhere else though... like a coffee shop? A bookstore?
But the nurses said she had been with Pauline.
She wasn't sure what happened before that, but the doctor said it would come back in a few days. She didn't care though, not while she was content for once. She also... somewhat... noticed how she said whatever came to her head.
When the doctor had come in, she kept apologizing. When the nurses came in she complimented all of them on how pretty they were. She also wasn't afraid to complain about the pain in her body. They gave her more medicine and that's why she felt so... nice.
"Ginny?" She heard her mom's voice and she let out a sigh of relief. She wanted to hug her mom and tell her it would be okay, whatever she was going through with her dad would pass and they would all be a happy family again. And she wanted to apologize for getting hit. How really inconvenient that was. "Are you good for us to come in, honey?"
"Yes, yes, please come in." She cocked her head to the side of her pillow and watched as the curtains moved. Her parents came in first and rushed over to hug her. "Mom! Dad! I'm so sorry- I didn't even see the car. But I'm really really fine. I feel great!"
"I'm sure you do." Nicole chuckled, kissing Ginny on the forehead. "Do not apologize, Gin. We are just so glad you're okay."
"They gave me juice." She pointed to the pitcher of cranberry juice. She had wires all over her that hung as she did so, but she couldn't really feel a thing. "Do you want some, mommy?"
Nicole giggled. "No, I'm okay, sweetie. It's all yours."
"Good for your kidneys." Mark kissed his daughter on the cheek. "Are you in any pain?"
"Nope." Ginny smiled brightly. "They gave me a muscle relaxer."
"My sister is doped up." Pauline rounded Nicole's side.
Ginny's mouth fell open and stayed open, because time seemed to pass slower under the medicine. "Paulie! Oh, I'm so glad you're here! I don't want you to blame yourself! I'm sorry I got out of the car-"
"Stop apologizing." Pauline ruffled her hair. "None of this was your fault, okay?"
"Oh." Ginny shrugged. "Okay. You look sad."
"I just missed you." Pauline wiped at her face. "You're my soul sister and all... I can't lose you."
"I'm not going anywhere." Ginny reached for her hand and squeezed. "Literally... they said I had to stay here for awhile. And I can't watch tv. Guess I can listen to an audiobook?"
"I'll read to you." Timothée patted her feet that were covered by the tight hospital sheets. "Whatever you want."
"Oh brotherrr." Ginny referenced the SpongeBob meme. "Timmy, you look really greasy."
"I know." Timothée cracked a grin.
Pierre stood beside him and forced a smile towards Ginny. "Hey, etoile. How are you feeling?"
Ginny's cheeks went red. She was so excited to see him... so happy. The thoughts of his anger and rude ego went out the door at the sight of him, and maybe the pain meds. But Ginny didn't care. She wanted to throw her arms around him and kiss him right on the lips. She blushed at the thought and realized her family was still in the room. "I'm great, etoile. I have no thoughts in my head."
"I'm glad." Pierre chewed the inside of his cheek.
Timothée was glaring at Pierre, but Ginny could barely remember why she was ever mad at him anyway. She knew why, all those times he was an ass, but what if she just let herself love him? Maybe that's all he needed. Love.
"Well, we'll go get the others. They're all waiting to see you, Gin."
"Oh lovely. I have to apologize to Arthur."
"Stop with the apologizing." Pauline groaned. "I'll go too."
Pauline motioned with her head for Timothée to follow. He begrudgingly followed after her and then it was just Ginny and Pierre. He stood at her feet still, glancing at the floor. "Ginny, I-"
"Pierre? You have the prettiest eyes."
Pierre's mouth parted in awe. He stared at her, trying to hold back a half-smile. "You like my eyes?"
"And your face." She giggled. "You're so handsome. I wish I was pretty enough for you."
"You are." Pierre crossed over to her side and grabbed her hand. He scooted a chair over and sat, leaning his elbows on the bed. "You. Are. Beautiful."
Ginny vaguely remembered that night, like a haze from being head empty. She smiled wide. "Some security guard said you told everyone you were my boyfriend."
"Oh, uh-" He gulped.
"I told him..." She bit her lip, chuckling. "You are my boyfriend. We can explain to everyone later."
"That I'm your... boyfriend?"
"Yeah." She giggled. "Well, I hope so. I know you like that other girl-"
"No." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her cold skin. "I don't."
"Then, why?"
"She... she just..." He dropped his head low. "I have no excuse. I just wanted to make you jealous."
"Because of Arthur?"
"And Charles."
"Charles." Ginny repeated his name like a ghost.
Pierre clenched his jaw. "I should have followed you. I should have never left you alone-"
"I'm a big girl." She shrugged. "I know I am because I love-"
Pierre's eyes widened.
She squeezed his hand. "I love you."
Pierre paused, watching her intently. His thumb rubbed against her skin. "I love you more."
"Pierre?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I'll remember this? Will you remember?"
Pierre frowned a little. "I'll always remember."
"Will you remind me? I want to love you every day of my life. Then you won't be so mean... you won't feel like a burden anymore. I love you, etoile. Forever."
A tear slipped down his cheek. He blinked a few times at Ginny and nodded. "I love you, etoile. Forever."
"Can you sing me a song?" Ginny laid her head all the way back on her pillow. "I'm kind of tired now."
"Sure." Pierre's voice cracked. He let out a breath and thought of a song his mom used to hum to him as a kid, before he grew up and became a thorn in her side. "Don't tease me about how I sound, alright?"
"I would never." Ginny whispered. "I wish I could hear your voice everyday... not just the summers."
Pierre closed his eyes and started to sing softly. "Midnighttt, with the stars and youuu. Midnighttt and a rendezvous... your eyes... held a message tender... saying I surrender all my love to yoouuu."
Ginny spent the next few weeks in the hospital recovering. She didn't remember her conversation with Pierre. She did remember the horrible night at the club and how she had wanted to go home. She made-up with her friends though. Chloe apologized for not being there for her.
Charles did too.
She apologized to Arthur, but there was still a wall between them, something they couldn't break down. And Pierre didn't say a word. He didn't tell Ginny about their conversation... the words exchanged... he couldn't bring himself too. So he went on, beside Ginny, loving her from afar.
In his own twisted way.