The Guy Down the Hall- F1

Siriusly... Black?

First Race weekend

"Aren't you scared?" Her father asked over the phone, even if he sounded worried, she knows it doesn't really matter to him.

"Why would I be scared?..." she spoke, more to herself than to her father. She knows what he means, and it impressed her that after years of their death this is the first time he acknowledges her fear. "I was just calling to tell you" now the disappointment feels real. She thought he would be at least happy she found something to do with her life, but instead she gets a dry ass response without much as of a smile.

"It's not like you care anyways, but it's nice pretending you would for once"

Her mother would be disappointed in her father, and so would her older brother. And what hurts the most is how they used to be so close, closer than she was with her mother.

At her words he looked stunned, taken aback by her sudden boldness rather than her usual shy demeanor. Ilaria couldn't even recognize him anymore, her father doesn't look or even sound like her father and it feels like it was all her fault.

"I'll go no, wouldn't like to take too much time off you" hanging up the facetime call without much as another word. Walking back to the strategy and car meeting before the qualifying time of the race.

**

Charles always hated being told what to do.

Ilaria found out about this weird trait of his a few years back. It's not something that bothers him for a few minutes and then keeps on living his life, no, he completely hates with passion doing what other people tell him to. She guesses it started since a very young age, and it only grew more when his karting days started becoming more serious as he had to follow instructions to win races instead of just driving around and doing whatever he pleased.

Ilaria found out about it when she once asked him to pick up a present for a friend of theirs at the store, his rage could be seen in his eyes and face. And even if he didn't verbally express the emotions she could clearly see how infuriated he became.

And so she learned how to deal with it, by dancing around favors and instructions he needed to follow. The Ferrari team was quick to find out about the little treasure they find themselves with, relying on her to give him strategy and important stuff he should know.

She found herself in a tough situation because it had already been an hour and she couldn't find the way to tell him stuff without bluntly saying them. She opted to writing a small essay/report, in which she tells him everything important prior to the race.

"What are you writing?" She asked with a slight tone of irritation. Ilaria has been trying to finish the report but Charles hasn't stopped writing and fidgeting around even if he's not needed anymore in the room.

"Nothing" he responded nonchalantly, crumbling up the piece of paper in his hands and glancing up at her with an amused grin.

"Well if it's nothing then get out. Or just sit still"

He smirked to himself at this, subtly wedging the paper between the pages of the book she had been reading before finally leaving.

And when she finally noticed it later that day, seeing the words you look beautiful today in his distinctive neat writing she scoffed with disbelief.

Yet she couldn't deny that the four words left her with a rapid beating heart as she folded the paper to store it in her phone case.

She couldn't face him for the entire day. Her body physically couldn't pull herself to where he was. Not even when he lost pole position to his last team mate Sebastian Vettel.