Like a moth drawn to a flame

perfect

*Charles*

Never in my life had I sweated so much.
Max was an even tougher opponent than he already was. But I wanted the title. I wanted it so bad. And I gave everything.
I didn't notice much around me anymore. It was just the car and me.
I shot through the corners like never before. My heart beat in unison with the pistons of the engine.
"I am speed," it flashed through my head and I had to laugh.
That stupid "Cars" movie. Whatever Luisa had been watching that with me. But it popped into my head now and I leaned in a little more. I pushed myself a little more.
I could see Max in the rearview mirror. He was just behind me.
Just a few more turns.
My heart pumped adrenaline through my veins.
Max was next to me.
Just a few more meters.
We were evenly matched. I roared and stepped on the gas pedal one more time so hard I was afraid I would kick through the floor of my car. I saw the checkered flag.
For a moment, my world stopped. Max and I had been driving so close together. Had I made it?
"Chaaaaarly!!!!," I heard Luisa yell "You're world champion! You're the world champion! Shit you did it!", she started crying.
An unbelievable burden fell from me. I started to cry with happiness. I wanted to answer her so badly, but I couldn't even get a straight word out. I just cried.
"Charly, I am so proud of you! That was great. A photo finish.", she sobbed "Finally your hard work paid off.".
"Congratulations Charles. We are all so proud of you.", Seb cried.
"Charles, bravo! You deserve it.", said Fred.
I sat in my car, steering it slowly around the track, waving and crying until I said a "Thanks, guys. Grazie mille. Vi amo, ragazzi.", I sobbed "Cherie? You're about to be on the podium aren't you?"
"There's nothing stopping me today," she laughed.
We were living that dream.
I would be on the podium with her because we had won the world title.
I had fulfilled many dreams with her, even if we had to realize for ourselves that it was not the great love we had both hoped for.
It was a kind of love. I loved her. Kind of, and she loved me just as much, but it wasn't what either of us had wanted. Still, she would always be by my side and I would always be by hers. And all I wanted was to share this victory with her.
I had been with her in Monaco and had introduced her to my family.
I had shown her where everything had begun for me.
I had shown her the graves of Papa and Jules.
I had shared so much with her and I would certainly share more with her.
She was one of the most important people in my life and I couldn't wait to stand up there with her.
I parked my car and could already see the crew cheering. I couldn't wait to finally jump into their arms. Luisa stood with Seb and Fred and smiled when she saw me. God it was an indescribable feeling. I had made it. I had really done it. I was a world champion. I really was a world champion.
And as I got out of the car, I thought of everyone I had lost along the way. Of Jules, Anthoine, and Papa. I slumped down on my halo once again and cried. I had won for all of them.
I had won for me.
I had won for Ferrari.
I cried as I jumped off the car and then into the arms of my mechanics. It was screaming and cheering, an incredible feeling.
I was completely overwhelmed by my emotions.
I ran over to Luisa and finally couldn't hold on to myself anymore. I threw myself into her arms and cried.
She wrapped her arms tightly around me and cried as well.
"You made it.", she sobbed and pushed my face up.
"We made it.", I replied and let my forehead fall against hers.
I pulled her tightly against me. She was so incredibly important to me. I loved her, in our own way we loved each other.
And we would share our lives. Forever.
But when I was her next to Seb, I knew it had never been me. We were a brief, fierce flame. But that's all we were. We had almost burned on each other and I had no regrets.
But when I saw her next to Seb, I knew where she belonged.
"Come on, come with me.", I held out my hand to her "Today you're coming up there.", I said, she nodded.
"You go to the weigh in. I have to go around back.", she laughed, I nodded and then walked over to the stewards.
The cheering did me an incredible amount of good.
Max was the first of the drivers to congratulate me, then Carlos followed. The Spaniard cried tears of joy as he hugged me. He couldn't get a word out, but I knew what he wanted to say.
I had never felt like this in my life. So happy.

In the cool-down room, I had to realize what this really meant. I had made it. My dream that I had been dreaming since I was little, I had made it come true. I got to live this and I knew it wasn't my last title. As long as my team stayed the way it was now, I would make it again.
With Luisa at my car and Seb at the command post, I could do it again.
I let my face fall into my hands laughing and crying at the same time.
I couldn't believe it. This feeling was the greatest.
On the way to the podium, I saw Luisa. She hugged me once again. This time I didn't have my helmet on.
I let my emotions run free and cried in her arms.
This year with her had been more intense than any year in my life ever before. I had laughed, cried, fought and loved with her.
I had been through it all with her. But neither of us had ever been willing to give up on the other completely. Not for a second.
She pressed her face into the crook of my neck and sobbed, and I pulled her close.
"We did it," I whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
It was perfect the way it was.
Mirabelle was waiting for me somewhere down in the crowd. She was wonderful. Gentle and sensitive, loving and intelligent. What had initially been just a transition, a distraction, had turned out to be a really good decision.
Luisa and I were great together. Maybe we could have even been a good couple, but as friends and as a team we were a thousand times better. As a couple, we both would have been way too insecure. We would have always been afraid of what was coming. We would have been afraid that one of us would pull out.
And neither of us wanted to lose the other.
As it was now, I would never lose her. And she would never lose me.
I pushed her face up, then pushed her further towards the podium. This was our moment.
Our dream.
Our happy ending.
I stood on the podium and listened to the Monaco anthem. I closed my eyes and cried with pride.
The Italian anthem was again sung along by some mechanics at the top of their lungs and I could also hear Luisa singing. She was not Italian, but obviously knew the lyrics anyway.
And she sang along so wonderfully off-key that I couldn't help but grin.
I gave her a sideways glance and saw that she was also looking at me.
We both started laughing. It was the perfect moment.
Something that no one could ever take away from us again.