Aurelia stood in the hotel's small kitchen, chopping vegetables with a surprising level of focus for someone who didn't enjoy cooking. The small London hotel room smelled like garlic and onions, and she figured Franco would be pleased with what she had managed to put together so far. He was always working so hard, constantly traveling for his races, interviews, and photoshoots. And today, it was media day with Williams, an opportunity he'd been really excited about for weeks.
"C'mon, just cook already," she muttered under her breath, flipping the chicken in the pan with a fork.
Aurelia had always been the type to just grab whatever food was convenient, but ever since dating Franco, she'd developed a little more of a taste for taking care of her health. She wasn't obsessed with it like him, but the way he talked about staying in shape and eating clean had rubbed off on her. Today, she wanted to surprise him with a good meal.
She glanced at her phone, checking the time. He should be done with his photoshoot by now. Franco had texted earlier, saying it was going well but that he was exhausted. The media day had been long, and she knew posing in front of the cameras wasn't as easy as people might think. He had to nail every shot, look confident, and act like he wasn't dead tired from working out.
The front door clicked open, and she turned around just in time to see Franco walk in. His messy dark hair was slightly damp from the London rain, and he was still in his Williams team jacket. A broad smile lit up his face as he spotted her standing by the stove.
"Mi amor! What's that smell?" he asked, slipping off his jacket and tossing it on the bed.
Aurelia grinned, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "I cooked for you! Healthy stuff. I know you're always talking about eating right, so I figured, why not give it a go?"
Franco's eyes widened as he made his way to the kitchen, looking into the pans with raised eyebrows. "You? Cooking? I'm impressed."
"Oh, shut up," she laughed, giving him a playful shove. "I'm capable, you know. Don't look so shocked."
He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder as he inspected the meal. "It smells amazing, really. I'm starving."
"I knew you would be. Media day must've been exhausting, huh?"
Franco nodded, letting out a tired sigh as he pulled away and grabbed a fork to sneak a taste of the chicken. "It was good, but yeah, tiring. You know how it is. They make you stand there, smile, and repeat the same poses a thousand times. But, man, Williams is awesome. Being there today felt... I don't know, surreal."
Aurelia smiled at the excitement in his voice. "I'm so proud of you, babe. You're doing amazing."
He took a bite of the chicken, his face lighting up even more. "Wow, this is actually good!"
"Actually?!" She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at him.
"I mean, no offense, but you like never cook, so I wasn't expecting... this," Franco said, grinning like a little kid. "It's really good though, promise."
Aurelia couldn't help but laugh at how pleased he looked, the exhaustion from the day already fading away as they settled into the easy banter that always came naturally between them.
"Glad you like it. There's more, obviously," she said, gesturing to the vegetables and rice she had managed to not burn. "Thought you'd need a proper meal after today."
Franco sat down at the small table by the window, pulling a plate toward him. "Honestly, you have no idea. I haven't eaten anything good all day."
As he started piling food onto his plate, Aurelia joined him, taking her seat across from him. They fell into a comfortable rhythm, talking about his day between bites.
"So, how was it?" she asked. "Being around all the Williams guys?"
Franco's eyes sparkled as he spoke. "It was incredible. I mean, they've got this whole setup, you know? Everything's top notch. It makes me even more motivated to get to F1. One day, hopefully soon, I'll be driving for a team like that."
"You will," Aurelia said confidently, her fork pausing mid-air. "I know you will."
He smirked at her, putting his fork down for a second. "You're always so sure of me."
"Someone's gotta be," she shot back with a grin. "But really, you're killing it. I'm just glad I can be here with you for these moments. Even if it's just making sure you eat properly."
Franco chuckled, finishing up his plate. He leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach. "I think you might need to start cooking more often, mi amor."
Aurelia wrinkled her nose. "Let's not get carried away. This was a one-time thing."
He leaned forward, his eyes teasing. "I don't know, you're kind of amazing at this. Your accent even sounds less funny when you cook."
Aurelia narrowed her eyes at him, but the corners of her mouth twitched into a smile. "What's wrong with my accent?"
Franco laughed, reaching out to take her hand across the table. "Nothing, nothing at all. I love your little Aussie twang."
She rolled her eyes but squeezed his hand. "You better. It's not going anywhere."
"I know, and I wouldn't change it for anything." He paused, looking out the window at the London skyline before glancing back at her. "Thanks for this, seriously. It's been a long day, but this... this is perfect."
Aurelia felt a warm flush in her chest at the sincerity in his voice. "Well, I figured I could do something nice. You do a lot, you know."
Franco stood up and walked over to her, pulling her out of her chair and into his arms. He rested his forehead against hers, a soft smile playing on his lips. "You're the best, Aurelia. I don't know how I got so lucky."
She snorted, leaning her head back to look at him. "Probably just my amazing cooking skills, right?"
"Yeah, that's definitely it," he teased before kissing her softly.
They stood like that for a moment, wrapped up in each other, the sounds of the city outside fading into the background. Eventually, Aurelia broke the silence with a small laugh.
"You know, if you keep getting all mushy on me, I might have to cook for you more often."
Franco pulled back slightly, a smirk on his face. "That's the plan."
Aurelia rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling as she rested her head against his chest. "You're such a dork."
"And you love it," he said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
She didn't argue with that. Not at all.
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