Corrode - [Charles Leclerc]

𝘿𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙞

        "Are you enjoying this?". Charles asked as they were eating in the stunning restaurant he had picked. "The food is truly amazing". Joanne nodded and reached out for her glass of wine meanwhile. "Great". He smiled. "I actually meant if you are enjoying this in general. Me taking you out for dinner". Charles' smile sunk and his face soon turned serious. "Of course, it's lovely. I haven't been out for dinner with a man since a very long time". Joanne chuckled softly. "I think it's something all women love". She added and he shook his head. "But that doesn't matter if you prefer to spend time together in another way". His reply made her swallow hard and she felt a warm feeling flooding her chest. "Well, I like having dinner together and I also like watching movies or having a talk with some snacks on the table or walking along the coast. If it inspires you for another time". She smiled then and watched his eyes sparkle at her reply.

"What do you like?". Joanne asked then and he rested his fork and his knife on his plate for some seconds. "I actually don't know". He said. "Like I explained, my former relationship hadn't gone well and I haven't done an attempt earlier to make more work of it after a night out and a simple one night stand". Charles explained. "Jules was my main focus, but now he's getting older and I think it's important for him to be taught some things by a woman too, you know?". His eyebrows furrowed together as if he wasn't sure of what he was saying and if it was correctly put. "I get what you mean. I can clearly notice in behaviour that Jules is raised by a man and that Liam is raised by me, a woman". Joanne replied. "Did you... Did you try to find someone else after Liam's father left?". Charles asked and she shook her head. "I couldn't. I felt like everybody would leave me, like it was my fault that he wanted to move out and break up". She explained.

"Not even for sex, I started to disgust men after my son was born and all I wanted to do was protect us for those kind of people like him". Joanne continued. "I never felt like he needed a father figure in his life either, but now I'm seeing how he's around you". She said with a soft smile. "What about it?". Charles gently asked, leaning his elbows on the table, his eyes scanning her face in the dimlighted restaurant. The flame of the candle softly flickered meanwhile. "I just love how excited he is when we went to barbecue at your house and when you show him your car and all those kind of things, the stuff a boy would do with his father". Joanne swallowed the lump in her throat. "Joanne...". Charles seemed to notice she was trying to hold back her tears in public. "I think you're a great mother, the greatest a little boy like him could wish for. And you're a teacher too. I can't say a word about you at home or Jules will yell that you're the best teacher in the whole world". He smiled.

Joanne chuckled. "That's really sweet". She smiled too. "I hope...". Charles paused again. "I hope we'll develop together". He said, fiddling with the napkin that rested under his cutlery. "And after we worked on our connection, that we can work on the connection with people close to us". Joanne could sense he had a hard time to put those thoughts in words but she understood what he meant and it made her heart melt in her chest. "I hope so too". She answered. The waiter came to their table and took their empty plates away. "Would you like to see the desert menu?". The woman asked. "Yes, please". Charles replied and Joanne rose her eyebrows at him. "Don't you want desert?". He asked with a small smile. "Well, yes". Joanne laughed. "But you were going to say no if I hadn't said anything". Charles finished for her and she pursed her lips together to force the smile back, he was obviously right. "You know you don't have to worry about the costs of the bill, right? I'm paying anyway". He said.

"I have to get used to this, Charles". Joanne said with a soft smile. "Financially I'm not coming short of anything and I have no issues paying my car and my apartment, but I never dine at expensive restaurants or go on an expensive shopping spree". Joanne explained. "I'll gladly let you get familiar with it all". Charles grinned and it caused her to let out a soft scoff. The waiter returned later and Joanne realized she hadn't chosen anything yet, however Charles replied to order a plate they could share. "Shall we eat desert and then check up on the boys before I take you home?". Charles asked and she nodded. "Perfect". She replied and he smiled back at her with a loving gaze.