Wheels Colide

The tension in the paddock had subsided slightly since Laura’s sponsor had pulled their funding, but the sense of unease lingered in Y/N’s mind. She knew Laura wasn’t going to back down easily, and the next race was only days away. But for the first time in what felt like forever, Y/N felt a glimmer of hope—a moment to breathe. She had fought to stay here, fought for her place in MotoGP, and despite everything, she had survived.

But it wasn’t just the professional challenges that had been weighing on her recently. Something else had been lingering in the back of her mind, something she hadn’t wanted to confront until now: her feelings for Charles.

It had been impossible to ignore the growing connection between them over the past few weeks. From the quiet conversations late at night to the moments where his eyes lingered on hers just a little too long, there was something between them that was becoming harder to push aside. And though she tried to keep things professional, the lines had begun to blur.

That evening, after a long day of meetings and preparations, Y/N found herself standing outside the F1 paddock. She had messaged Charles earlier, asking if he had time to catch up before the weekend’s events kicked into full gear. He had replied almost immediately, telling her to meet him by the garages.

As she waited, the hum of the track and the faint glow of the setting sun casting a golden hue over the paddock, Y/N couldn’t help but feel the nerves settle in. This wasn’t like the adrenaline of race day—it was something far more personal. The uncertainty of what might happen between them left her heart racing.

When Charles finally appeared, his usual laid-back smile in place, Y/N’s pulse quickened. He walked toward her, casual and confident, dressed in his F1 team’s gear but with that relaxed, approachable energy he always had. It was one of the things she admired about him—the way he could carry the weight of his own sport and still manage to make her feel like everything was going to be okay.

“Hey,” Charles greeted, his eyes lighting up as he approached. “You said you wanted to talk?”

“Yeah,” Y/N replied, trying to keep her voice steady. “I just wanted to catch up before the weekend gets crazy. It’s been a lot lately.”

Charles tilted his head, his expression softening. “I get that. It’s been non-stop for you. How are you holding up?”

Y/N leaned back against the wall, folding her arms as she looked at him. “Better, I think. The situation with Laura isn’t over, but I feel like I’m starting to get a handle on things.”

Charles took a step closer, his concern clear. “You’re doing more than getting a handle on things, Y/N. You’re fighting back. And you’re winning.”

His words sent a warmth through her, but it was the way he was looking at her—like she was the only person in the world that mattered in that moment—that made her heart skip a beat. She wasn’t used to this kind of attention, this level of care from someone who wasn’t family or a teammate. It was different with Charles. Different in a way that scared her a little.

“Thanks,” she said, her voice quieter now. “I couldn’t have done it without you. You’ve been there for me through all of this, and I... I really appreciate it.”

Charles smiled, but there was something more behind it, a softness that hadn’t been there before. “You don’t have to thank me for that. I care about you, Y/N. I want to see you succeed.”

Y/N’s breath caught in her throat at the way he said those words, so simple but so loaded with meaning. She had always known there was something between them, but this was the first time either of them had come close to acknowledging it. And now, standing here with the sun setting behind them and the paddock quiet around them, she couldn’t deny it any longer.

“I care about you too, Charles,” she admitted, her heart pounding as the words left her lips. “Maybe more than I should.”

The moment stretched between them, the air thick with anticipation. For a second, Y/N worried she had said too much, had let her guard down in a way that she wasn’t ready for. But then Charles took another step closer, his hand brushing lightly against hers, sending a spark through her skin.

“You don’t have to hold back with me,” Charles said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t have to pretend.”

Y/N looked up at him, her eyes searching his face for any sign of hesitation, but all she saw was sincerity—an openness that made her heart swell. She had been trying to keep her emotions in check, afraid of what might happen if she let herself feel too much. But now, with Charles standing so close, his hand hovering over hers, she realized that maybe she didn’t need to hold back.

Before she could second-guess herself, Y/N took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Her hand found his, their fingers intertwining naturally, and in that moment, everything else fell away. The drama with Laura, the pressure of MotoGP, the weight of her family’s expectations—it all faded into the background.

Charles leaned in, his forehead resting gently against hers, and Y/N closed her eyes, letting herself get lost in the moment. His breath was warm against her skin, and the scent of the track, the oil and gasoline, seemed to dissolve into something softer, something more intimate.

“I’ve wanted to tell you for a while,” Charles murmured, his lips brushing against her temple. “But I didn’t want to complicate things for you.”

Y/N smiled, her heart pounding in her chest. “Things are already complicated. But maybe that’s okay.”

Charles chuckled softly, the sound sending a shiver down her spine. “Maybe it is.”

The world seemed to pause as Charles tilted his head slightly, his lips hovering just above hers. Y/N’s breath hitched in her throat, the anticipation almost unbearable. And then, in one swift, quiet moment, he closed the gap, his lips pressing softly against hers.

It was gentle at first, tentative, as if they were both testing the waters. But the longer they stood there, the more the kiss deepened, the unspoken connection between them coming to life. Y/N felt her heart soar, the weight of the past few weeks melting away as she leaned into him, letting herself feel everything she had been trying to suppress.

When they finally pulled apart, both of them breathless, Charles kept his forehead resting against hers, his hand still holding hers tightly.

“Maybe this is crazy,” Y/N said with a soft laugh, her heart racing. “But I don’t want to ignore it anymore.”

Charles smiled, his thumb gently brushing against her cheek. “It’s not crazy. It’s real. And I’m not going anywhere.”

Y/N let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, a sense of calm washing over her. For the first time in weeks, she felt like she wasn’t fighting this battle alone. And though the road ahead was still uncertain, with Laura lurking in the shadows and the season far from over, Y/N knew that whatever happened next, she had something real to hold onto.

As they stood there in the fading light, the world quiet around them, Y/N realized that she had found something unexpected in the chaos of her MotoGP career: love.

And it was the one thing that made everything else worth fighting for.