OSCAR WAS A LITTLE confused on how he was supposed to go about flirting with Stella in a subtle way. Oscar wasn't a great flirt regardless (if the 14 years he had spent in love with the same girl said anything), but he was sure he would be even worse at subtly flirting. What even was subtle flirting?
It was week three of the commencement of Operation 'Make Stella Button Fall in Love With Oscar Piastri, a 14 Step Plan' (or, as the group chat was titled O.M.S.B.F.I.L.W.O.P.A.F.S.P). Addie had instructed Oscar to leave one week for each step of the plan, meaning that on week three, they were on step three. Subtle flirting.
Oscar didn't even know where to start.
It was the Friday of the Saudi Grand Prix, the second Grand Prix of the season. Stella would be arriving later that day, her mother accompanying her. Oscar would be leaving directly after Free Practice to pick them up from the airport.
Addie, damn her, wasn't coming for the second race of the season. Oscar was seriously wishing she was, he could use her guidance. Addie was probably the best flirter on the face of the planet, both subtle and unsubtle. And no matter how much Oscar spammed her messages, begging her for tips and help, she didn't respond. All she sent back was a 'lol'. And it wasn't like Oscar could ask Logan for help, the American was as helpless with flirting as Oscar was.
He was on his own.
The whole ride from the paddock to the airport, Oscar's hands were tapping against the steering wheel nervously. He had spent all day, other than the times he had been in the car for free practice, looking up ways to subtly flirt. There had been no good advice anywhere on the internet. All he had gathered was to not use pickup lines, which he already knew.
What Oscar was gathering was that he was pretty much screwed. Whatever, he'd figure it out. He was good at winging it (no he wasn't).
As Oscar pulled up to the airport, he could see Stella outside with her mother, sitting on a massive suitcase as she explained something animatedly, waving her arms around in the air. Stella was always like that when she spoke Japanese, it was like something about her mother's language injected her with energy. Oscar remembered how, back in school, Stella had begged her friends to take Japanese, and Oscar had been the only one to actually do it. He had never gotten all that good at speaking, but he could understand enough for Stella to whisper things to him secret, like how the boy sitting behind them in class was crushing on Addie, or how their English teacher was secretly dating their maths teacher. It was like Stella and Oscar had their own secret language, even though more than 120 million people around the world also spoke it.
When Stella's eyes landed on Oscar's car, she immediately shot up from her sitting position, her suitcase rolling away slightly as the back of her knees hit it. She waved happily at Oscar, leading her mother over to the Australian man, who had stepped out of his car.
"Hey Oscar!" Stella said, her voice excited, even though she had last seen Oscar only three days ago.
"Hey Stell." Oscar accepted the hug Stella offered him, letting his hand linger on her lower back. Ever since their gym excursion, Oscar had been weaving in more and more physical touch with Stella, to the point that it felt almost normal. That was the point, wasn't it? To make himself more prevalent in Stella's life, so when he eventually pulled away (he was dreading that step of the plan) Stella would notice it all the more.
"Hi Ms. Michibata." Oscar said once he pulled away from Stella, giving Jessica his most humble smile.
"Good to see you, Oscar." Jessica said, offering him a fleeting pat on the shoulder. "Let's get to the hotel, I'm exhausted."
Stella rolled her eyes at her mother, who had been complaining for hours about how tired she was. For a woman who pretty much traveled and did photoshoots for a living, she sure did hate planes.
Stella reached out to grab the handle of her suitcase, ready to drag it to the back of the car and haul it into the trunk, but Oscar stopped her, taking the handle before she could manage to. "I got it, Stell, don't worry."
Did that qualify as subtle flirting? Oscar didn't think so. He carried Stella's bags around all the time. Maybe he should add something to it. Without taking his eyes off Stella, he reached behind him, pulling the passenger side door open, gesturing for Stella to sit. Stella blinked for a moment, surprised by Oscar's sudden smoothness. She could describe Oscar as many things, and smooth was not one of them.
Stella couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her as she slid into the car, grinning up at Oscar, who was still looking down at her. There is was again, that strange falter of her heart. Stella ignored it, she didn't want to think about what it might mean. Instead, she let out the yawn she had been holding in, her nose scrunching as she held a hand up to her mouth.
"Tired?" Oscar asked, looking thoroughly amused.
Stella nodded tiredly, running a hand across her eyes.
"When are you not?" Oscar joked, taking the handle of Jessica's suitcase as well as she clambered into the back seat.
Stella's eyebrows shot up, a fake-indignant gasp leaving her pink lips. "Are you making fun of me?"
"No, not at all." Oscar replied, his voice dripping in sarcasm. "I definitely don't mind the many many times I have had to carry you to your room after you fell asleep on top of me."
Stella flushed red, Oscar's particular choice of wording making her feel strangely restless. She knew he hadn't meant it like that, but Stella just couldn't stop her mind from going there. Why she was thinking about Oscar in that context, she couldn't figure out. "Sorry..."
"Don't be." The sarcasm disappeared from Oscar's voice, replaced by a genuine earnest. "Like I said, I don't mind."
Oscar shut the car door before Stella had a chance to respond. He let out a breath, shoving down the shaky feeling rising in his chest. Did that qualify as subtle flirting? He seriously hoped so, cause he wasn't sure quite what else to do.
He could see Jessica quirking her eyebrows from her spot in the back seat, like she knew exactly what Oscar was up to. Oscar flushed, embarrassed at being caught. He rushed to the back of the car, taking his time in piling the suitcases into the trunk.
Jessica Michibata was an intimidating woman. At least Oscar thought so. She had never been anything but kind to Oscar, but her intense protectiveness over Stella mixed with her general confident demeanor made Oscar a bit nervous.
Jessica wasn't Stella's biological mother (if Stella's blonde hair and blue eyes were any clue that she wasn't Japanese), but she was her mother, both legally and in both their hearts. Jessica had started dating Stella's father in 2008, when Stella was six. They'd been close instantly, with Stella and her deep desire for a mother figure latching onto the Japanese woman as tightly as a magnet. Jessica hadn't minded one bit, she'd adored little Stella the moment she laid eyes on her. Stella had been fluent in Japanese by age eight. She started referring to Jessica as 'mom' by the time she was nine years old.
When Jessica and Jenson had gotten married in 2014, when Stella was 12, she stood behind Jessica as the maid of honor. When they got divorced a year later, Stella sobbed into Oscar's shoulder, worrying about Jessica leaving her behind now that she was no longer with Stella's father. But Jessica had dashed those fears instantly, presenting Stella with adoption papers on the teen's 14th birthday. Their relationship had never been about Jenson.
Stella had always been so beyond grateful to have two parents who, despite the differences that had led to their untimely divorce (after only being married for a year. Stella never passed on an opportunity to make fun of them for that), had always been there for her. They came together at every birthday, every dance show, every break up, her high school graduation. Any moment that meant something to Stella, both her parents were there, sitting amicably side by side. Jessica had even been there at Jenson's second wedding to Stella's stepmother Brittny, cheering loudly at every toast. Everything was loving and supportive in the Button-Michibata household, and Stella never forgot how lucky she was for that.
When Stella turned around to ask her mother what she wanted for dinner, the Japanese woman was already sprawled out across the backseat, snoring lightly. Stella was sure she would soon follow. Like mother like daughter.
A moment later, Oscar slid back into the driver's seat, turning on the car's ignition. Stella had her arm propped against the window next to her, supporting her head as it lolled tiredly. She was getting a bit of deja vu, only a week ago she had been in Oscar's car, about to fall asleep on the way to the gym. He wasn't lying when he said Stella was always sleepy.
"Thanks for coming to get us." Stella said once Oscar pulled out of the airport parking lot, expertly navigating the streets of Saudi Arabia.
"It's no problem." Oscar assured the girl, reaching out to hand Stella the aux cable, which was hanging by his calf. "You call me, I'll be there."
Stella smiled softly, accepting the cable from him. She wasn't sure when Oscar had turned so sentimental on her, but she liked it. Plus, the way his voice seemed to turn deeper every time he said something that could be considered flirty (was it flirty or was Stella going crazy?) made Stella's stomach twist into knots. Sooner or later, she'd have to examine the strange hold Oscar had over her recently. She settled on later.
After shifting in her seat, doing her best to dispel the tight feeling in her chest, Stella spoke again. "And thanks for letting my mom come." She glanced back at the woman, who was still sleeping soundly, airpods in her ears, certainly on noise cancelation. "We haven't been able to spend much time together recently, ever since she moved back to Japan."
"Of course, Stell." Oscar held back on making a 'future mother-in-law joke'. That would not have been subtle. "I know how upset you were when she moved."
"Yeah." Stella fumbled with her phone, hitting shuffle on the first playlist she came across, the soft music of Lana Del Rey's newest album playing through the car. "I get why, but it still sucks. I wish I could see her more."
Oscar just nodded understandingly, squeezing Stella's shoulder softly.
"But it's fine." Stella straightened her back, a resolute look crossing her soft features. "I'm an adult, I don't need my mom around all the time. I'm 21. I can do stuff on my own."
"Damn right." Oscar held up a hand, which Stella happily highfived. "But, if you never need anything at all, you just let me know."
Stella sunk back down in her seat immediately, as though her body had turned to jelly. She must've been going insane, because there was no way that Oscar had said that to her in a teasing way, was there? The words on there own were innocent enough, but Oscar's tone almost seemed to be... suggesting something.
It was official, Stella Button was becoming a madwoman. Oscar was not a flirt. She had never seen the man flirt. And why on Earth would he be flirting with her?
"We're uh–" Stella willed her voice not to crack. "We're staying in the same hotel as you, right?"
"Yep." Oscar said, humming along to the song playing over the radio. He knew every note of How You Get The Girl, thanks to Stella's intense love of Taylor Swift from their childhood. She still loved Taylor, for sure, but it was not nearly as intense as it had been when she was a child and a preteen. "You and you're mom's rooms are right next to each other, and mine's just down the hall."
"That's good." Stella tugged on a strand of her blonde hair. "Any plans for tonight?"
"Well, I figured you would be tired." The teasing tone had returned, as well as the playful smirk on Oscar's lips. Or was it playful? Stella didn't know. She felt like she was going crazy, was she seeing things that weren't there? Why would she be seeing those things if they weren't there? Did she want to see those things? What did that say about her? Stella didn't want to think about it. "So I left the schedule open. Lando invited me out to dinner in case you end up just falling asleep, which seems pretty likely."
Right on cue, Stella yawned loudly.
Oscar grinned, shaking his head. "I know you too well, eh?"
"I guess you do."
MESSAGES
[ O.M.S.B.F.I.L.W.O.P.A.F.S.P ]
ADDIE:
yo
oscar
how'd the flirting go
did you flirt too much?
OSCAR:
i think it went well
no thanks to YOU 🙄
ADDIE:
lol!
sorry i couldn't be bothered
i figured if you embarrassed yourself it would be more entertaining for me
OSCAR:
WOW.
it's like you want me to fail
ADDIE:
like i said
it would at the very least be entertaining
but how'd it go?
stellas in saudi by now right?
OSCAR:
yeah she got here like two hours ago
her and her mom are both asleep
LOGAN:
unsurprising
those women can SLEEP
OSCAR:
they both fell asleep in the car
ADDIE:
so you didn't get any flirting in?
OSCAR:
no i did
ADDIE:
AND?
OSCAR:
i think it went well?
ADDIE:
YOU THINK?
OSCAR:
MATE IDFK?????
i don't know if my flirting even counted as flirting
ADDIE:
anything can be flirty if you put the right tone behind it
LOGAN:
shoulda asked me for advice oscah
OSCAR:
dude
your idea of flirting is being so mean to a girl she's on the verge of tears
LOGAN:
i have social anxiety okay?
when i see a pretty girl i don't know what to say
and my default is just mean
OSCAR:
point proven
i'm not gonna make stella cry
ever
never
i would never do that
ADDIE:
cute
anyways
i want the details
what did you say
word for word
OSCAR:
i made fun of her light heartedly about always falling asleep
said i don't mind her always falling asleep on top of me
ADDIE:
YOU SAID THAT?
YOU SAID THE WORDS 'ON TOP OF ME'??
OSCAR:
yeah
ADDIE:
OKAYYYY OSCAR
I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD GAME LIKE THAT
THAT'S GOOOOOD
OSCAR:
it is??
ADDIE:
YES IT'S SO PERFECT
cause i know stell
she won't be able to help thinking of it THAT WAY
and that means she'll be thinking of you THAT WAY
and she'll be driving herself crazy trying to figure out if you meant it THAT WAY
which means she'll be thinking about YOU
in THAT WAY
OSCAR:
oh
okay
wow
i guess i am good at this after all
LOGAN:
in 11 weeks you'll have the girl 💪💪
ADDIE:
manifesting it 🙏🔮
OSCAR:
thanks guys
you're right
i'm gonna get the girl
LOGAN:
YEAH BITCH
LIKED BY OSCARPIASTRI AND OTHERS
STELLABUTTON: let's go mclaren! 🧡🩷
TAGGED: JESSICAMICHIBATA AND OSCARPIASTRI
VIEW ALL COMMENTS
USER8: i know stella has said she's single but i want her with oscar so bad
USER0: they'd be SO CUTE
OSCARPIASTRI: odie!
STELLABUTTON: miss him i'm never coming to a race again
OSCARPIASTRI: don't lie i know you're booking your tickets for australia
USER21: HER DOG IS SO CUTE
USER7: his name's odie he's so cute
USER09: i bet odie's short for odile cause she's a ballerina
USER1: OMG LIKE FROM SWAN LAKE
JESSICAMICHIBATA: 🥰💞
STELLABUTTON: ❤️❤️
USER2: i need stella to meet yuki
USER5: I NEED HER TO JUST WHIP OUT HER JAPANESE IN FRONT OF HIM
USER9: yuki would lose his mind
USER1: oscar needs to make this happen
ADELAIDEWEBBER: face card goes crazy
STELLABUTTON: 🤭🤭
ADELAIDEWEBBER: WOWZA 🥵🥵
STELLABUTTON: LUV U
ADELAIDEWEBBER: why r u not mine 🧐
STELLABUTTON: but i am?
ADELAIDEWEBBER: r u that flexible in bed?
STELLABUTTON: okay now this one is too far
USER43: im afraid i need stella
ADELAIDEWEBBER: me every day
LOGANSARGEANT: ***** everyday
STELLABUTTON: huh?
AUTHOR'S NOTE!
lol not edited...
i get whiplash when i remember that stella is like two years older than noura and the same age as lena (just in the future, she's 21 in 2023 while lena is 21 in 2019). laughing imagining stella as a mother icl 😭😭 tho you KNOW addie and logan would 100% be those honorary aunt and uncle who just spoil tf out of that child.
also i heard there's drama with jessica michibata and drugs apparently 😭 just ignore that for the sake of this story LMAO
we'll see when i update next lol...
don't forget to vote and comment! love you all!