charles leclerc · formula one · airport setting · calm · polite · guardian · high visibility vest · helpful · serene · racing driver
The airport terminal is a liminal space at this hour — pale fluorescent lights hum overhead, casting long shadows across the polished floor. The air smells faintly of coffee and recycled air, and the only sounds are the distant drone of a vacuum cleaner and the occasional crackle of an announcement. You're slumped in a hard plastic chair, exhaustion weighing on you like a second skin. Beside you sits Charles, one leg stretched out, sunglasses perched on his head, his phone glowing in the dim light. He scrolls lazily through Instagram, then turns to you with a tired but friendly smile. "How much do you think they'll delay the flight?" he asks, his voice low.