Hello all! I ended up going with the bonus Jules chapter, only thing is that one chapter became three! Here's part 1, hope you like it!
HB3112
Valeria and Seb were sitting at home, relaxing in their garden before having to travel to Singapore for the next race.
Valeria had decided to go through some old pictures her mum had brought up from her childhood bedroom when she visited the paddock in Monza.
'Oh dear god, I forgot about my hair in 2014.'Valeria laughed. 'I'm sure you might remember' she smirked.
'Me? I didn't know you in 2014' Seb asked confused.
'we met once' Valeria shrugged.
'Wait... what?' Seb looked even more confused.
'I can't believe you wouldn't remember this!' she showed him the picture she took of her and Jules in his parents' house. 'do you think I could still pull the rainbow off?'
'Damn. Of course, I remember you! You're multi-coloured hair lady, or at least that's what Britta and I called you. Damn!' Seb was speechless.
'You're cute when you're confused. Hell, you were cute back then'
'why didn't you tell me?'
'I didn't know how. I can't just go: hey, I'm the girl whose tobacco you found in Monaco and I took the piss out of you'
'fair' he chuckled. 'what else were you up to that weekend?'
'A lot, actually. Maybe it's time you hear the story...'
Monaco, 5 years prior:
'Jules, where are you? I just got out of the airport. I swear you'd better have a good race or I'll blame you for everything that happened to me since I left the safety of my house in London" Valeria told her best friend on the phone.
She had just managed to get out of the airport in Nice after a rather unpleasant flight and even less pleasant airport experience in London. She looked around the car park Jules had told her about and spotted him standing next to a bright red Ferrari, chatting amicably to a young lady who had asked him to sign her Ferrari cap.
'pas de problème, à bientôt!' he told the fan, as he passed her the cap. Valeria watched him smile widely as he spotted her walking towards him. She accelerated to jump into his open arms.
'my god, Taz, you made it!' Jules' slight French accent was like music to her ears. 'what took you so long?'
'Don't even get me started'Valeria huffed. 'First, Dave was being a dick when I asked him to drop me off at the airport, then some border control guy acted like an arse, then a kid was screaming his lungs out...' Valeria started listing her words escaping her mouth at an inhuman speed.
'Taz... breathe, babe, please' Jules laughed. 'here. Drive it out he threw the keys at her, after having opened the back to store away her luggage.
'What? Are you serious?'she asked excitedly. Jules had never let her drive his fancy cars before, but not by a lack of trying from her part.
'yeah, driving always helped you on a bad day and, honestly? I do enough of it now' Jules joked.
'excuse me, Mr. I continued my career, do I need to feel sorry for you or what?' Valeria mocked him, as she sat in the driver seat of his car. 'is this what being a Ferrari academy driver means?'
'kinda, yeah' he smiled. Damn, had Valeria missed that smile. Every time she and Jules spent any time together, it felt like the years hadn't gone by at all. They were still the same kids karting against each other, the same teenagers exploring life together and learning about love. 'wanna start driving or are we just gonna sit in the car?' Jules teased her.
'Sure, sorry' Valeria gave him a smile. She turned on the car, following the instructions on how to get out of the terminal. 'don't you have anything to say?' she asked eventually, pointing at her brightly coloured hair.
'I was avoiding the topic. What the hell did you do and how can you pull it off, still?' he asked, chuckling.
'this is what happens when you live around Camden for too long. You should come visit me when you're at Silverstone, I'll just have to tell Dave you're someone else' she told him. Her boyfriend was extremely jealous of hers and Jules' relationship and did nothing to hide it. Valeria had just left him annoyed in the UK as he went on another one of hid 'you only have time for Jules' rants.
'Usual, uh?' Jules raised an eyebrow, watching her drive through the streets of his hometown she had learned to navigate so smoothly throughout the years.
'yeah, J. I gave up trying. I think it's time I moved on, honestly, but I can't seem to get the guts to break up with him.' Valeria replied.
'Do you want me to do it for you? I mean, Gina...' Jules started.
'hates me as much as Dave hates you, yeah' Valeria concluded for him.
'kinda' the French man chuckled nervously 'she gave me a whole speech yesterday'
'so, basically, I pissed off my partner and you pissed off yours? What are we like, uh, J?' Valeria sighed, as she parked the car outside Jules' family home.
It was true, throughout the years most of their partners had issues with the way their relationship worked. Be it the texts, the inside jokes, the reminiscing about racing or just them being silly together, people always implied that their love never was just platonic, as they both stated.
'mum is absolutely buzzing to see you again'Jules told her, ringing the doorbell.
'hello! Oh dear, you're here! So nice to see you. Come in!'Christine exclaimed, hugging the young Italian lady tightly.
'salut maman. Je suis là aussi, au fait' Jules chuckled, as his mum completely ignored him over his best friend.
'yeah, yeah, but I get to see you a lot more than I do ma petite Valérie' Christine replied. 'I have just made coffee, do you want anything to eat?' she turner around to Valeria.
'Coffee is enough, thank you. Where are Philippe and the rest of the Bianchis?' Valeria asked, as Christine led her though the corridor towards the kitchen.
'Phil is just in there' she pointed at the kitchen door 'the guys say sorry they will miss you but they're both stuck at work'
'I guess it's not for everyone to only work 4 days every couple of weeks, uh?'she joked, nodding to Jules.
'Oi' he laughed.
'yeah, yeah, I know... you guys do work hard' Valeria smiled.
'hey Phil'she let Jules dad hug her.
'talking of work...How's London?' Christine asked.
Valeria spent hours at the Bianchis, any day she spent inf France with them always felt like she was right at home. She always had a special bond with Jules' parents she trusted them with secrets she didn't even tell her mum or sister, they were always a constant presence in her life.
'Now, let me drive back to Monaco. I don't trust you on the motorway with a Ferrari under you' Jules joked, opening the door of the passenger side for her.
'How can you be so chivalrous and so mean at the same time?' she laughed 'what time do you have to be at the paddock for the media stuff? And am I allowed to come with you?'
'I'll get there for around 10, you can come if you want. It's the quietest day in terms of people there so you might get to have a nosey, which I know you love'
'yeah, honestly I can't wait. Dan told me to go say hi' she said.
'Dan? Are you two chatting?' Jules raised an eyebrow.
'Oh god, Jules, it's not 2008 anymore!' Valeria laughed. 'yeah, we chat a couple of times on social, nothing exciting, but I mentioned I'd be around this week and he said to pop in and say hi. Honestly, if you need to be jealous of anyone, it'd be Vettel. You know he's more my type' Valeria teased him.
'I really have no words for you, Proietti' he sighed, pretending to be annoyed, even if Valeria could spot a smile on his face. She smiled too, finally enjoying a moment of peace, looking out of the window to the changing scenery as they approached the principality.
The drive wasn't long, but Valeria remembered why she loved being in a car with Jules so much. His quiet humming along to a song on the radio, his smooth driving style, a random story about a place they could see from far away. He hadn't changed a bit and Valeria loved him for it. She wondered why she could never feel the same about anyone else in the world, even when she tried.
'Maybe Dave is just not right for me' she thought, feeling her best friend's hand rest on to her thigh. 'Or maybe Jules and I just need to talk' she kept talking in her head, moving her hand onto his, as he lifted his fingers up to catch hers. 'Damn you Bianchi' she thought, trying to lower her heart rate.
'welcome to my pad' Jules smiled, as he led her through his brand new apartment. 'sorry there's still a bit of a mess' he apologised picking up what was definitely some of Gina's belongings. 'I didn't have time to tidy up'
'I guess she really wanted to mark her territory, didn't sh she could have given you a shirt that said Gina's property, not Valeria's' she raised an eyebrow, watching Jules pick up a blanket and throw it on the sofa.
'I'll show you the room, I'll be making myself comfortable on the sofa whilst you're here' he said, trying to change the topic of conversation from Gina.
'ah nice, I get the VIP treatment for once.' She laughed. 'can I take a shower any time soon? I wanna get plane germs off'
'sure. I'll show you around and then get you some towels. To be fair, you need a shower most days'
'The fucking cheek' Valeria laughed.
A shower and a quick bite later, the two friends found themselves lying on Jules' open sofa bed, watching a re-run of back to the future on the French language TV. Valeria didn't actually speak or understand much of Jules' native language, but she had watched the 80's classic numerous times and didn't need a translator to understand it.
Jules tells me you're in Monaco already? Make sure you pop around to see me in the RBR garage. I'll make sure they let you in. Don't look too Italian if you can. Dan just messaged her.
I haven't seen the sun in 5 years and I just got my hair done in Camden yesterday. I'll look anything BUT Italian tomorrow. Also I'm as Italian as you are, maybe even less. Isn't your mum Italian too? She replied.
Dan: technicalities. I am fully Aussie. You, on the other hand, are only British for your accent.
Vale: oh... you'll change your mind tomorrow! See you around Ricciardo.
Dan: I know it's a text, but I KNOW you read it out the Italian way
Vale: yeah, the correct way.
Dan: bloody Italians.
Valeria chuckled softly, locking her screen and putting her phone by her side. She turned around to Jules who had been inquisitively looking over her shoulder.
'can you not read my messages, please?' she laughed.
'I wasn't...' he tried. 'but I see Dan invited you to the garage. Remind him you're here to see me' he smirked.
'Damn, Bianchi. What's up with you tonight?' she huffed 'I'll wear a Marussia cap in there, if it makes you feel better. Or should I just tattoo your name across my forehead? Maybe some French flag face paint?' she teased him.
'you always have to go too far. The name will be enough he joked.
'moron' she stated.
'come on, let's go get you some beauty sleep' he joked.
Valeria had been laying in Jules' bed for over an hour, tossing and turning, trying to get to sleep. It had been so long since the last time she saw her best friend and the only thing she could think about was wanting him to appear at the door and cuddle up to her in bed, like they did so many times before.
She knew that both of them having partners made things more awkward for both of them, but she still wished for the door to open up.
She was just about to fall asleep, when she heard the door click. For a moment she thought it was all in her head, probably a dream that looked and felt too real; until she felt the bed lower under her friend's bodyweight.
'I couldn't sleep by myself knowing you were here, Taz.'he whispered moving her hair from her back so he could hug her without pulling it. 'why do you make me feel this way?' he uttered.
'he thinks I'm asleep' she thought. 'let's pretend I am'
'merde, Je t'aime tellement.' He whispered, pulling her closer to him.