ℂ𝕆𝕃𝕃𝕀𝔻𝔼 // ℂℍ𝔸ℝ𝕃𝔼𝕊 𝕃𝔼ℂ𝕃𝔼ℝℂ

𝓼𝓱𝓮'𝓼 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓰

Charles Leclerc

The moment I felt her grip tighten around my wrist, I knew we were in for it. Athena's contractions had been coming faster, and even though she'd had the epidural, the tension was palpable. Her jaw clenched, eyes squeezed shut as she braced herself through another wave.

I glanced at her, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead, which earned me a scowl. "Leclerc, if you don't quit with the cutesy gestures, I will kill you."

"You've said that at least ten times today," I replied, keeping my voice low so she wouldn't feel like I was laughing at her. Because I definitely wasn't. This was Athena we were talking about, and if anyone could follow through on a threat mid-labor, it was her.

"Yeah, well, keep pushing me." She shot back. "You'll find out."

After what felt like a lifetime, the doctor nodded toward us. "Okay, Athena, it's time to push."

Her hand tightened around mine, and I swore she'd break my fingers. But I didn't pull away. I couldn't. I could see the struggle, the pain in her eyes. This was Athena at her most vulnerable, and as much as we were rivals, I couldn't deny that seeing her like this stirred something in me—something deeper than the competitive fire that had burned between us all these years.

"Push!" The doctor called.

She groaned, pushing through the pain, tears lining the edges of her eyes. "Leclerc, if you don't stop staring like I'm a spectacle, I swear—"

"Shut up and push, Schumacher," I replied, my voice softer than I intended.

And then, suddenly, it was over.

The baby's cries filled the room, and my heart felt like it stopped. They placed her in Athena's arms, and for the first time in my life, I saw Athena speechless. Her fiery, sassy mouth finally quieted by the sight of our daughter.

"She's beautiful," I murmured, unable to stop the tears that pricked my eyes.

Athena looked at me, the usual edge in her eyes softened. "Yeah... she is."

After everything we'd been through, the car ride home felt unreal. Athena was slumped in the backseat, her face showing exhaustion after the entire ordeal. Our baby girl, Aylin Blake Leclerc, was sound asleep in the back seat with Athena, her tiny breaths almost too quiet to hear.

"Drive slower, Leclerc," Athena muttered, barely keeping her eyes open.

"I'm going the speed limit," I replied, glancing at her. "But if you want me to crawl at 10 km/h, just say the word."

She shot me a half-hearted glare. "You know what I mean. I just gave birth. A little sensitivity wouldn't kill you."

I rolled my eyes but kept my mouth shut. We'd been through hell in that hospital, and even though I wanted to poke at her like we usually did, I wasn't about to push my luck.

We finally arrived home, and I parked the car, taking a deep breath. Athena slowly got out of the car, wincing with every movement. I rushed over to her side and offered my arm.

"Stop fussing, I can walk," she snapped, but I noticed she took my arm anyway.

I went around to the back seat, carefully lifting Aylin's car seat out of the car. She stirred for a second but settled back down as I carried her inside.

"Where's Leo?" Athena asked, looking around the house.

I shrugged, knowing the little cream-colored dachshund was probably asleep in his bed somewhere. "Probably snoring away."

As soon as we walked in, Athena collapsed onto the couch, staring at the bassinet by the wall. "I can't believe we're actually home," she whispered.

I set Aylin down in the bassinet and took a moment to watch her, tiny and fragile, bundled up in soft blankets. It was crazy to think this little human was ours.

Later that night, we both got ready for bed, but it was clear Athena was beyond exhausted. I knew she wouldn't want me too close, but at the same time, I couldn't sleep across the room either.

"I'm grabbing a mattress," I told her as I hauled one from the spare bedroom and placed it beside her side of the bed.

"What, you planning to camp out now?" she scoffed, though there was no venom in her voice. She was too tired to keep up her usual biting tone.

"Shut up. I'm staying close to Aylin in case you need something."

She rolled her eyes but didn't argue, lying down with a groan. I laid on the mattress, staring at the ceiling, wondering how the hell we were going to balance this. Rivals one minute, parents the next. It didn't make sense, but here we were.

It must've been around 2 a.m. when I woke up to the sound of Aylin crying. I rubbed my eyes, glancing at Athena, who was struggling to sit up.

"Charles, get her. I'm too tired to move."

I grabbed Aylin from the bassinet and brought her over to Athena, who had her shirt already unbuttoned. The second I handed her the baby, she shot me a look.

"Stop staring at my boobs."

I couldn't help but smirk. "I'm not staring at your boobs. I'm staring at our kid."

Athena raised an eyebrow. "Sure, you are."

"Would you just focus on feeding Aylin?"

She sighed, too exhausted to argue further, and fed our baby while I lay back down, trying not to overthink everything. 

In the morning, Athena's voice stirred me from my half-sleep. "Leclerc."

"What?" I mumbled.

"You're on diaper duty."

"Of course I am," I muttered, dragging myself up to change Aylin's diaper. It was surreal—this was my life now, and despite all the roasting, all the tension between us, I knew I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Athena smirked as she watched me struggle with the diaper. "Looks like you're getting the hang of it, Leclerc."

"Shut up," I shot back, but there was no real heat behind it. Maybe, just maybe, we could make this work.