A part of both of them stayed with their trip to England, with the time they had spent with Kamri and Lilia. The worst thing about living apart from them, Juniper maintained, was having to leave so often.
She explained this on their way to brunch, something Charlotte had suggested for a group of them. June told Alex that she didn't see them as much as she may have wanted to because having to leave always hurt. She still didn't tell him everything, so she didn't divulge the fact that she'd stayed in Monaco for longer than she ever had before because that was where he was, and she definitely didn't mention that the reason she went away less was that again, Monaco was where he had spent the most time. It had become a place where she didn't want to depart from anymore.
Charles and Charlotte had never been a reason enough as Alex, Juniper had even felt she had been neglecting the two of them recently -- but with the amount of pestering and third-wheeling she had done in her years of friendships with them, she realised they probably appreciated her lack of presence at times.
But she was happy to see them, beyond happy. Her reunion with them was as it had always been, but they hadn't only collected her from the arrival gates that day -- instead, it was the both of them, her and Alex. For the second time in 48 hours, Juniper was grateful once again for how much a hug in an airport could do for her.
As Juniper met Charlotte with the third biggest hug she could muster after days spent in arms, Charlotte's fingers pressed against the bracelet wrapped around her best friend's wrist.
"It's cute, but I can't believe you didn't tell me!"
"You're smart, Charlotte, don't act like you didn't already have it figured out!"
Charlotte scoffed, Juniper knew she had been right.
Once again, they fell back into their habits of gentle nudges in the right direction and knowing each other too well. They'd seen each other in bouts of time too small to count recently, so the comfort of the other served them as well as it always did. Charlotte meant as much to Juniper as anybody did, not that her care for the people around her was something she broadcasted often, if ever.
It wasn't that she didn't want to show the people around her how fond of them she was, it was just hard. She thought that finally, finally, though, Alex had taught her just how to show how she felt -- meaning she had every intention to start now.
She'd lend her apartment in London to Lilia for when she started at the performers' University of her choosing whenever she needed it, she'd help Kamri plan the best events because all her younger sister ever wanted was for all members of her team to feel included. For Charlotte, she'd cover this brunch and any breakfast date she ever wanted to go on, she'd make fresh batches of cinnamon rolls for her too when she wanted them. Charles was easy, she'd plan his parties like she always did and she'd be more open to his work, to the parties she'd always tried to escape from because of how often the quality of their relationship had been based on how much they'd seen each other recently. For George and Lando, she'd make their assumptions true at some point, but she had admittedly (to herself and only herself) been trying to fulfill their older assumptions for a little while.
As for Alex, it was simple. She knew that he'd call what she had given him with the bracelet more than enough to show her care for him, and that with her wonder attempts that she'd maximised it. June was always one for wants, and here, she wanted to give him more. So she'd continue her capacity attempts as the least she could do.
See, Juniper easily got into thoughts too deep like that, to the point where Alex's soft chuckle was the only thing that snapped her out of it. Somehow, they'd ended up about to get into Charles' car, which was when she realised she'd clearly been standing there too long. The thing that mattered most though, was that the three people around her waited for her thoughts to end despite the fact they were ready to go.
"Some thoughts take time, and that's okay."
+
June wasn't sure if Alex had purposely sat on the left-hand side of her, but as both of their hands lay on the table, their matching bracelets became evident to even the most oblivious -- alternatively named Charles.
It had taken him a minute, a little bit of conversation, and then the joining of two extra guests though for him to figure it out.
"I've never seen you stay in Monaco for so long, J." Charles told her, and it felt like she was as cornered as she was the first time Charles and Charlotte had a meal with her and Alex.
"Guess I found a reason to stay." Juniper replied, it was all she could be bothered to entertain him with, but it was enough of an answer for George and Lando, who sat beside Charles and Juniper respectively.
She took the chance to grab the napkin beside her, the fabric hitting against Lando's stomach before she shook her head at him. This was where Charles must've clicked, the penny dropping, the lightbulb illuminating. She wasn't sure if the napkin had highlighted her hand, which made him notice Alex's pinky link with hers, but something told him what was going on.
Charles then audibly gasped, like he was an overexaggerated audience member in a sitcom. "Wait wait, you two? When?" His finger pointed between them rapidly, questioning them with his eyes before he turned to Charlotte and gasped.
"And I bet you knew too! And you guys as well!" He said, a general gesture in the direction of Lando and George.
The rest of them were laughing by that point, their humour accompanied by the shaking of their heads as Charlotte pouted at Charles in some mockery of his lack of knowledge. June had leaned a little more into Alex now, everyone officially knew they were something and his body adjusting to support hers better meant he had no issue with her sign of affection either.
"You would say it yourself, C, you are stupid." Juniper mused.
This seemed to cause only a reaction from Charles and Charlotte -- which she didn't mind, she had even expected it. What she had said had primarily been aimed towards them anyway, so she was glad they had picked up on it.
"Say it isn't true." Charlotte gasped, and she shook her head slowly as her eyes narrowed. "After I begged you so many times to come to the actual races!"
"This means you watched F1, Juniper Maddox. You watched previous F1 races! Without being forced??" Charles asked, to which she nodded in response.
Both were true, Charlotte had tried to convince her so many times. She always argued that she didn't want to go to a place where she couldn't speak their native language, that it would feel rude. But all Juniper knew was English, and broken bits of French, Italian, and Portuguese. Clearly, it had only been an excuse anyway considering she lived in Monaco and usually avoided the Grand Prix weekend there like it was the plague. (Or some other deadly disease...)
She also never went to Silverstone either, even though that would've been a good way to see Lilia and Kamri one more time than she might've done.
Juniper had to be thankful for her abstinence from F1 races though, it meant Alex had opened up to her the first time they met in a way that he might not have done to someone who had known his profession. She hadn't held the pity in her voice or her eyes which she now knew he hated with a passion.
Charles had tried too, it was something he was passionate about and he'd always wanted to share his interests with her. But just like she was with Charlotte, Juniper was adamant she had no interest. She felt worse about her lack of interest could've impacted Charles though now, especially considering how much his love for the sport could fluctuate to hatred on particular anniversaries.
Alex looked down at her, "Newly found interest?" He mused, but was met with a jab to the stomach, to which he feigned pain before she shuffled out of her relaxed state into his body and his arm wrapped around her torso squeezed to pull her back against him.
"How are you ever gonna tell Lilia this?" Alex continued.
"You met her sister?"
"Charles, you just picked us up from the airport after coming home from seeing them." Alex told him, which made them laugh.
June loved the fact that they were laughing, that she was with people comfortable enough to be laughing with.
YOU ARE READING
CAPACITY FOR WONDER. | alex albon
Fanfic"every time you try to fill the other with wonder, you give a piece of yourself to them, with how you attempt to do so." (IN WHICH!) june maddox decides to teach alex albon there is more wonder in life than ju...
