then you flashed your green eyes at me || Charles Leclerc

chapter thirty-five

Alya woke up with a headache. She was sure she hadn't drank so much, but she couldn't remember too well the evening before.

She rolled on her bed, groaning, and looked at the clock. She sighed realizing she was late, but didn't want to get up.

She rolled on her bed once again, letting herself fall off of it and on the ground.

"Ow" she whined, getting up. At least she was awake now.

She walked to the bathroom, stepping in the shower. As the water hit her, flashbacks from the past night started to resurface.

Dancing with Kika.

Getting another drink.

And another one. Yep, that was definitely why she had a headache.

She was in a car. Lily was sitting on her boyfriend's lap, as well as Heidi and Kika. She was sitting on someone's lap as well, but she couldn't see who it was.

The cold water hit her face again.

She kept moving, trying to find a comfortable position. Being tipsy and not sitting straight definitely wasn't helping.

Two hands grabbed her waist, keeping her from moving.

"I need you to stay still, Alya." Charles whispered in her ear, making her shiver.

Fuck.

Her eyes widened as the memories came to her mind.

That was not cool. That was definitely not cool, she thought as she got out of the shower.

She wore some comfortable clothes, putting everything else in her suitcase.

She was drunk, or tipsy. What difference did it make? She wasn't sober, she could blame it on the alcohol.

Someone knocked on her door, as she was trying to put together the last pieces from the night. She opened the door, without even asking who it was.

Charles was standing in front of her, a coffee and a pastry in his hands.

"I'm leaving immediately, don't worry" he said, before she could say anything. "I just want you to eat this and drink the coffee. You were drunk yesterday, I know, but you told me you're not eating enough and I'm afraid that might have been the truth. So please, eat this. Can you promise not to throw it away?"

She looked at him speechless. Did she really say that? And did he really remember and decided to bring her food to be sure she would eat?

She slightly nodded, gulping.

"Good. Then I'm gonna leave these here" he said, putting them on the table in the hall. "I'll see you around. Eat, please. And...yeah. I'll see you in Monaco?" he asked. When she nodded again, he smiled and walked back to his room.

She closed the door, still speechless, and looked at what he had brought her.

A cappuccino and a pain au chocolat.

Just like when they used to have breakfast together in Monaco.

She smiled, taking them and sitting on the bed.

Damn, she was in love.

He had asked her to eat. She didn't hesitate and finished everything he got her.

She smiled while packing up the last few things, then got out of the room and went to check out.

She met up with Lando's parents to get to the hospital together, so that they could pick him up when he got discharged. Then they drive all together to the airport, to fly back to Monaco.

Spending time with them made Alta feel like she had just jumped in the past.

It was like old times.

Of course, in the past there weren't private jets, or broken knees or alcoholic drinks. But there was the happiness.

There had always been a comforting atmosphere when they were all together. Since the first day she went to live with them.

She was eight. She didn't even know what the world was, and yet she had suffered more than most people.

She remembered the discomfort she was feeling at first. She was in a house she didn't grow up in, with people she cared about, yes, but that weren't exactly family yet. She didn't know if she could ask for a glass of water, or some food.

Of course, she knew they would say yes. But she wasn't used to kindness. And she wasn't used to asking for things. She hadn't had the right to before then.

The first night she had spent in Lando's room, she stayed thirsty the whole time. She couldn't even get herself to sleep.

The following morning, she drank half a liter of water. She remembered how compassionate they had been about it, and how they had gifted her a blue water bottle that same afternoon, so that she could fill it up and bring it along with her if she got thirsty.

She remembered how the first week had been hard, how she was afraid of moving because she was afraid of doing something wrong, or taking up space.

And then she remembered how the times got better. By the end of the second week, she wouldn't get scared to ask for a glass of water. Or a slice of bread. Or some tea in the afternoon.

At the end of the first month, she learned that it was okay to feel sad and tell someone about it.

When her parents got processed, she remembered holding hands with Lando, and then his parents. She remembered how nervous she was.

She was wearing a light sage green dress, it was the first nice dress she owned. For the first time ever, her hair was lose and long past the shoulders.

She remembered how scared she was of her parents seeing it.

The shoes she was wearing were her dream shoes - actually just normal white trainers - that Cisca had gotten for her when she had noticed how much she liked them.

The hugs after her parents had gotten declared guilty.

The celebration dinner they had had together that same evening.

And now there she was, in front of those same people, having the same positive emotions.

Happiness spreading in her chest, smile hurting her cheeks, songs filling her ears.

She watched as Lando laughed at his mother's joke.

And as Adam kissed her temple and whispered 'I love you' in her ear.

She laughed as they started singing to a karaoke one of her favorite songs - Shut up and dance - and as they danced from their seats, without getting up.

She smiled, her thoughts navigating between the past and the present, never leaving the track of happiness she was feeling.

That she was planning of following anywhere it would've brought her.

Even if that anywhere was on the other side of the planet, even if it was on the moon.

Even if it was a person.