When we met.

~10~

When we arrive at the track there is a lot of paparazzi waiting to take pictures, I went with Charles and this is the first time we arrived as a couple, many people want to know everything about us but Charles has no interest to talk to them, protectively he piloted me past them. Once we got inside, thankfully, things calmed down. "Sorry about that." Says Charles. "Don't worry too much, I'm used to it, Max's niece you know." I smile at him and give him a quick kiss on his cheek. With Charles I walk to the Ferrari pit boxes, I get some weird looks when I walk in there. "Guys come on, don't stare at her like that, she really won't talk things through." Charles grabs my hand and leads me right along to his dressing room. "That's what you get when your last name is Verstappen." I laugh at my joke and hope they will start looking at me differently at Ferrari through this season.

Before the race starts I decide to check on Max, I want to spend some time with my dad, I give Charles a kiss for good luck today and then quickly run to Max's pit box. "Hey y/n how good to see you before I get into my car!" Max is obviously glad I'm here, I give him a hug and he rushes towards his car, I go looking for my dad and find him busy talking to Uncle Jos. "Dad!" he looks up and smiles at me. "How wonderful that you are coming to watch the race right here anyway!" "Sure, I can't just leave you here anyway, especially just with Uncle Jos." Uncle Jos laughs a little uncomfortably but my father laughs hard at my joke. "She's not too hard on you is she Jos?" "No, no problem, she supports Max well where needed, she has been an addition to his career." "How happy I am to hear that!" I can clearly see that my father didn't get to experience a whole piece of my life anymore and that to this day he still regrets letting me go with Max. "Don't worry about me dad, everything is fine with me. Come then we will watch the race together." My father puts an arm around my shoulders and so we walk off together to watch the race.

Once the race is on, I talk a little with my father. "Tell me y/n how did it happen that you and Charles started dating anyway?" "Come on dad, this is awkward." I feel my cheeks get a little warm. "Sweetheart, I always saw that you were in love with him." "Dad please stop, you're not making it any better this way." My dad laughs and changes the subject of conversation, we talk about sports and I tell him I often go running with Charles. "Wait I do have a picture of where we ran last time together, the view was beautiful!" I look for my cell phone but can't find it, maybe I left it in Charles' locker room. "Give me a minute I'll go get my cell phone!" I walk inside the pit boxes through to Charles' locker room, as I walk in I see my mobile lying on the corner of the bench, quickly I pick it up and turn around to walk back to my father. It's a bit noisy in Charles' Ferrari box and I take a quick look with someone at the screens of what's going on, I can't quite see what's going on but somewhere vaguely in the distance I hear comments about what just happened. "That's the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc skidding away there." My heart skips a beat and without thinking about it I walk on to the screens to see what is going on. "It looks like he can't drive any further and we're going to get a red flag to go get his car off the track." Everyone is getting ready to receive the other cars back in pit lane, my attention is still with Charles' car, he hasn't come out of his car yet either. "Somebody ask him if he's okay." I say to someone from the staff, I don't know the people from Ferrari by name yet but immediately they ask for me if he is okay. "I'm okay." I sigh for a moment with relief. I see Charles trying to get out of his car, when he's almost that far the back of the car suddenly catches fire. I put my hands in front of my mouth and stand shaking with shock. Fortunately, Charles manages to jump out of his car in time; for a moment I was afraid he wouldn't make it.

When Charles is back at his box I run up to him, he holds me tightly in his arms and I start to cry. "You're shaking all over." "For a moment I thought you couldn't get out of your car. You really scared me." "Ahw babygirl, I'm okay, I'm here, there's nothing wrong, thankfully I was able to jump away in time." Charles let his hand slide comfortingly over my back. With his other hand he lifts my chin, I look at him with watery eyes and he gives me a kiss. "Dry your tears my love, you are more beautiful when you smile." Charles wipes the tears from my face so I can't do anything but smile at him. "Let's go back to your father, because that's where you were supposed to be this race." Without changing, Charles walks into the Redbull pit boxes with me. "I don't think you're supposed to be here." Says Horner to him as we walk in. "I just came to take y/n back to her father, then I'm leaving." Replies Charles. "All right then, as long as I don't run into you later." "I promise!" Charles neatly takes me back to my father and gives me a quick kiss before heading back toward Ferrari.