Formula 1 One-Shots (II)

Franco Colapinto [Make Things Better Again]

A/N Here is Franco, suggested by F1Anni

WORDS: 1127

PROMPT: "Your lips look a little cold. Want me to warm them up for you?"
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Walking home during the night is something I almost feared to do but at the same time can't avoid during certain occasions. Having the night shift at the restaurant is one of them. Needing to wait until the last guest leaves, closing everything, making sure the things I need to clean are spotless and that every light is turned off before I can finally leave as well.

The walk is not long, just around ten minutes through the not-so-busy streets of the city, making every shadow look like something suspicious. Heart pounding by the thought of someone waiting around the next corner lets me pick up my speed, fingers clenched around my keys, a poor tool for self-defence, letting them freeze out in the cold night.

The wind has picked up since the start of my shift, harshly pulling on my skin, letting it cool down from the hectic shift, but making me shiver at the same time. I should have brought that warmer jacket with me in hindsight. Even though it wasn't a cold day, the night already get freezing and now I am paying the price.

Just when I want to cross over one of the last streets before my home, I hear an oh-so-familiar voice calling my name, making me freeze in my path, before I turn around slowly. Someone coming out of the shadows, letting me take a step back before I realise who is in front of me. Franco, I haven't seen him in weeks and my heart skips a beat when I see him in the light of a streetlamp.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him, not knowing what else to say and try to sound casual, even though emotions rush through her mind.

"Could asks you the same thing." Franco replies, not even bothering to answer my questions, only stepping closer to me.

"Work." I just mutter and look down on the pavement. Feeling the need to explain it to him, even though I am not obligated to do so. Feeling Franco's eyes on me I don't dare to look up, instead finding the tip of my work shoes very interesting.

"How have you been?" Franco asks, voice as soft as always when he speaks to me, but with hesitance in it and my chest tightens. I have so many things to say to him, not only nice ones, but none of them feels right to say right now. There were moments where I imagined this exact moment in my head, but now he is in front of me words feel like the last thing I need. I finally look up, pulling on the skin of my lips, unsure what to really feel about this situation.

"Your lips look a little cold." Franco says with his signature flirting tone, before adding "Want me to warm them up for you?"

My breath gets caught in my throat. I look into his eyes, really looking at him a not just letting my eyes glide over him, what it feels like the first time in forever. He looks tired, but at the same time, he has a soft smile on his lips. Still, I see that he is nervous by the way he plays with his own fingers, knowing there is something unspoken between us. We are familiar, but at the same time distant at the moment, scared of the consequences of it.

Franco comes one step closer, and my heartbeat picks up. I can smell his cologne due to the wind still being restless around us, sending a shiver down my spine. God, I did miss this familiar scent. Without thinking I take one step closer to him as well, leading to us standing chest to chest just looking at each other. Eyes locked, searching for an unspoken yes in each other before he leans in, and I let his lips touch mine.

The cold night disappears with every soft kiss that is shared, the freezing feeling of my fingers melting off as soon as they meet Francos's chest while he just pulls me closer by the hips, not willing to let me go. We share one kiss and another and another, until we need to pull back with heated cheeks.

I try to smile at him, but it is crooked, as good as these kisses feel, there are still so many different feelings bubbling under my skin. Franco takes a step back, sensing the change in emotions and buries his hands in the pockets of his coat.

"I missed you." Voice barely above a whisper but I still understand him.

I look away, not able to meet his eyes, knowing they will have the charm of a puppy on me. I missed him too, more than I would like to admit, but the last weeks had been full of anger, regret and confusion. We didn't manage to speak since that argument, and I refused to do so over the phone and Franco gave up after a few unsuccessful tries.

"You can't just come back, kiss me and expect things to be the same." I manage to say, voice weaker than I would like it to be. "We can't just pick up where we left."

Franco closes the distance again; the cold being pushed away by him. His hands reach for mine, carefully holding them but not too tight, so that I can pull them back when I want to. "I don't want things to be the same. I just want to be with you again." Franco mumbles, trying to catch my gaze and I let him. Then the words just bubble out of him, no sight of his struggle to find the right English words, just his pure feelings.

"I know that argument was wrong and that we will need to talk about it, but please let me stay by your side. Please don't push me away because I made that stupid mistake. I didn't want to hurt you, but I did and now I am just here pleading to be with you."

I hesitate, knowing he is honest while my mind races. Not ready to forgive him yet, but I am not ready to just walk away now. I look into his eyes, seeing him as desperate as never before in the months we shared and maybe we could find a way back into being something better.

"You know I can't just forget everything, but wecan start here to make things better again." I manage to say, fingers softlybrushing over his cheeks while Franco leans against my hand. A soft smile spreadson his lips, before he can't hold himself back anymore and pulls me into atight hug, wordlessly saying that everything will be fine.