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Lorenzo could not believe his bad luck; at his young age he had lost both parents. His mother, Pascale, had died of a sudden illness when he had just turned 11. His father, Hervé, lived for another seven years, but you could tell that he had a sadness in his heart, and as soon as Lorenzo came of age his heart stopped beating, he had never been able to stay alive for so long without Pascale, but he fought for live until their firstborn was already an adult and did not he would need to meet his beloved wife.
But he had not left Lorenzo alone on his own, behind him he also left a small eight-year-old boy, who was just learning the basic operations of mathematics, who had not even lost half of his milk teeth, with his hair unruly, but unable to live the life of a normal 8 year old boy. All the pain he felt couldn't be half of what Charles was going through.
He was only 18 years old but he had to be strong for the child who was sleeping in his arms at the time.
"Nothing will ever happen to you with me by your side Charlie" Lorenzo whispered before giving his little brother a kiss on the forehead and closing his eyes to try to sleep himself.
1;
The first few months since Herve's death were extremely hard for the sibling duo. Charles still woke up crying at night looking for his father, and it was Lorenzo who had to calm down the younger Leclerc. More than one night he slept on the uncomfortable floor of Charles's room as long as his brother felt calm knowing that Lorenzo was there.
Charles, on the other hand, was adjusting to the fact that his dad “went to visit mommy in the stars” as Lorenzo told him every night, and that now they both lived on the brightest star in the sky. Every night, without exception, Charles and Lorenzo go out to the balcony of the small apartment that had been inherited from his father's estate to look at the stars and look for the one that will shine the brightest so that the youngest Leclerc could tell him about his day. to their parents and powerTo say goodbye to them, Lorenzo participated at the insistence of Charles, he had even come to cry to end up being consoled by his younger brother.
<< Herve had passed away two months ago, in none of those 60 days Lorenzo had shed a tear for his father since Charles needed him as fully as possible and the child psychologist his brother attended had warned him that Charles had backed down in the little progress there was achieved, so Lorenzo's feelings were not important.
Until one afternoon, while the sun was slowly sinking on the horizon to let the night pass, dyeing the sky with orange tones, and they were both in a park near their apartment, Charles on the swings while Lorenzo was sitting nearby. Charles, from the swings, saw how the stars slowly began to appear in the firmament. He knew, thanks to the story Lorenzo had told him, that his parents lived up there now, protecting them both from above.
Charles also knew that Lorenzo was sad, the lady that Lorenzo took him every Tuesday and Thursday had taught him how to detect when he was sad. The younger Leclerc had realized that his brother was being strong and he would also like to be as strong as Lorenzo, but his brother had told him that it was okay to cry and feel sad, but Charles did not understand then why Lorenzo did not cry. So he walked over to his brother, who was lying on the grass watching him swing on the swings, his eyes heavy with determination.
"What happened Charlie?" asked Lorenzo intrigued, he had never seen that look on Charles.
"Lolo" said Charles in a soft tone of voice "can we talk?"
"Of course, Charlie, you can always talk to me" Lorenzo responded sweetly and opened his arms for his brother to sit there, which Charles did.
“Mommy and Daddy see everything from the stars?” Charles asked, while he looked at the sky looking at the few stars that went he appeared to the two brightest ones, and then he saw his brother nod his head “then they must also see when you're sad? Because yes Lolo, I know you miss them, you knew them longer than I did"
"You're right, sometimes I feel sad, and it's because I miss mom and dad so much" Lorenzo felt a lump forming in his throat, in the last two months he thought he had been able to keep his sadness hidden, but Charles was much more perceptive of the reality that surrounded him thanWhat Lorenzo thought "But as your older brother, I have to be strong for you, so you don't feel alone"
"But you don't have to, you told me yourself that I don't have to be strong and that it was okay to feel sad" Charles exclaimed looking at his older brother, the determined look returned to his eyes.
"Oh yes, I said that, but you have a smaller body so it's okay to show that you're sad because your little body can't be very strong, having a bigger body I can be stronger" Lorenzo didn't know if what he had said made a lot of sense, but his little brother seemed to have understood his point.
"Yes, I understand, but I also know that it's okay to miss them and feel sad Lolo, they both loved us very much and I'm sure they miss us too" Charles spoke, his tone as full of understanding as an eight-year-old's voice can have. years.
"You're right, Charles, you're very intelligent" The tears that Lorenzo had held back for so long now shone in his eyes, very moved by his younger brother's words. For the first time 60 days after losing his father, the eldest of the Leclerc's allowed emotions to flourish within him.
"You don't have to always be strong Lolo, it's okay that we miss mom and dad, we can even cry together" said Charles as he hugged his brother with his little arms after seeing how tears rolled down Lorenzo's cheeks.
They both hugged each other in silence for a while, for the first time someone had comforted Lorenzo, even though it was his 8-year-old little brother, but someone had told him that it was okay not to be strong all the time. For the first time Lorenzo was able to mourn the loss of his father and his life as a young adult.
Someone, for the first time, hugged Lorenzo and told him it was okay to cry.
"Do you think mom and dad are happy in the stars?" Charles asked as he watched as the sky was flooded with stars, looking for those two where his parents now live. >>
After a bad night for both brothers, where Charles got up twice, once when he was looking for his father and the last time where he had a nightmare where Lorenzo abandoned him, after reassuring his brother in both situations and only sleeping a little more. For 3 hours the greater of theLeclerc got up for his first job; that he was in a supermarket, he helped pay some bills and had a discount on purchases in said supermarket for working there, luckily he could leave Charles in the morning with Jules, his best friend. French was a great help to both brothers, and although Lorenzo would not accept it, Charles's last school fee was paid for 75% with Jules's money.
Speaking of school, that afternoon Lorenzo couldn't go to work as a home delivery boy as he did seven days a week in the afternoon, since he had an event at Charles's school and, although his brother didn't tell him much anymore that he had told him "it's okay if you don't go Lolo, I know you have to go to work”, was something important to Charles and he had promised his parents that he would not let Charles down, and that includes being a part of his brother's school life.
School life that Lorenzo had to stop even without having the possibility of entering the university, since he had to get a job at least to be able to support his brother in a fairly decent life.
The afternoon was accompanied by the sun with almost no clouds around it, the emotion and joy overflowed inside the elementary school where Charles attended. The event was the "Art Fair", where each course exhibited within their classrooms the drawings made by each child. Lorenzo had arrived early to accompany his brother, Jules and Norman had been invited but the Karting driver was solving some details of how he was going to continue his career next year since 2006 had been a good year for Jules and he wanted take advantage of your goodstreak, and Lorenzo's other friend had to travel to France to solve a small problem he had, but they forced Lorenzo to promise to take photos of the drawing made by Charles.
Charles couldn't contain his happiness as he walked down the corridor of his school holding Lorenzo's hand, it had been months since the last time the youngest of the Leclercs felt so happy, Herve was still with them. Lorenzo felt quite out of place, most of the adults who came to accompany the students were already older than him, and they were wearing expensive-looking suits, while the older Leclerc was wearing a loose blue shirt and comfortable jeans. As they reached the door to Charles's classroom, the eight-year-old squeezed his brother's hand, and the 18-year-old young adult took a deep breath before opening the door.
As soon as they entered the beautifully decorated room and with the windows half open, Charles went to his group of friends: Joris, Hugo, Nico etc; Lorenzo couldn't even get close to starting to see the artwork made by Charles and his classmates when his brother's teacher, Mrs. Dupont, approached him.
“Hello, you are Charles's father, right? He has spoken wonders about you in these months” The older woman spoke, with a kind tone in his voice and an infectious smile on his face.
"Good afternoon Mrs. Dupont, I'm Lorenzo, Charles's older brother" Lorenzo felt even more uncomfortable, did he look that old?
"Oh, my sincerest apologies for the confusion, Charles is a very talented boy, you should be very proud of him," Mrs. Dupont nodded with a rueful smile.
Lorenzo, to get away from the uncomfortable situation, preferred to go to where his brother was, who was standing in front of a drawn sheet of paper, but since he was way above his height, the eight-year-old boy had to stretch his neck to try to see him well. The older of the Leclerc brothers approached stealthily and raised him to his height, causing Charles to startle first and then laugh when he noticed that it was Lorenzo who had raised him.
"Look Lolo, it's my drawing" Charles said pointing to a drawing that for most would be simple but for Lorenzo it was wonderful, it was remarkable that it was the two of them and there were two stars on the ground, he hoped that said drawing could be taken at the end of the day to hang it on your fridge.
After seeing a little more of the drawings of the rest of Charles's classmates, the youngest of the Leclercs went to see a drawing that Joris wanted to show him, so Lorenzo was left alone again and approached Charles's drawing. Lorenzo was in love with said drawing. There were only two humans,one taller and one smaller, holding hands and in the sky two yellow stars drawn with smiles and eyes. There was a sun and as much as it didn't make sense, Lorenzo loved it. He was so distracted seeing every detail in what Charles drew that he didn't see how different parents from Charles's classmates approached where he was.
“Who is the man in the drawing? are you sir?" asked a blonde woman looking at Charles's drawing, Lorenzo just nodded, he still wasn't used to being in a semi-parent meeting, this was the first time, at Charles's previous school it was Herve who did everything, but so that his brother would haveIn a more comfortable environment, and because the tuition was more accessible, Charles began to attend the same school as his best friends.
"He looks very young to be Charles's father" spoke a man with gray hair, Lorenzo just raised an eyebrow without knowing what to accuse of that, obviously he would look young, he was since he was not even close in age to be a young father "It's good that you've taken responsibility well, being a young, single parent can't be easy."
"Mr. Leclerc is not Charles's father, but his older brother" replied a woman next to him, when Lorenzo turned, he saw that it was Joris's mother who smiled at him comfortably, as if letting him know that he was on his side. The rest of the parents felt a bit uncomfortable with the situation and apologized to Lorenzo for the confusion.
A little later, when the activities of the fair had already finished and they were both on their way to their apartment, I knew that it would be more comfortable if they had left on Lorenzo's motorcycle or had told Jules and Norman to pass them by. search, but you need to have that moment alone with Charles, to tell him what had happened in his classroom.
"Hey Charles" Lorenzo said with a tender tone in his voice, crouching down to his brother's height.
“Did you like my drawing Lolo? It was you and me, with mommy and daddy in the stars” Charles asked as he looked at his brother with bright eyes and gripped said drawing tightly in his right hand.
"Yes Charlito, I think it was quite a work of art" Lorenzo answered before gaining strength to continue speaking "but there is something I have to tell you, today at school your teacher and some tutors believed that I was your dad"
"Did they think you were my dad?" Charles looked at his brother with surprised eyes and then smiled "Oh that's funny"
"Oh sure it would be funny now if you didn't live it, for me it was super strange" Lorenzo exclaimed while laughing "How do you feel about it? Do you have a problem with it? I assured everyone that I am actually your brother"
"Well, it doesn't bother me, it means that you care and love me as much as dad would" Charles spoke with complete honesty after thinking about it for a few minutes, Lorenzo just hugged his brother affectionately before continuing walking towards his apartment.
He had been mistaken for Charles's father twice in less than two hours, and Charles hadn't even been in his care for three months, would he have to get used to that? Did Charles at some point also think that he was his father? And there, at that moment, a thought came to Lorenzo Leclerc's mind.
He had to raise Charles on his own for longer than his brother knew his parents, he had at least another 10 years waiting for him to raise Charles, while his mother only got to spend a year with his youngest son and his father, seven others. Just there, seeing the boy with chubby cheeks and his hair flattened on his forehead by the heat, he mentioned that he was the one who now occupied the spaces of "authority" and the one who had to make the important decisions.
And that it was the only family Charles had.
2;
If there was something that Charles was passionate about, it was cars, his dream was to get to Formula 1 and win a championship in a red car, he had started karting in 2005, his father and older brother were with him, when his father died a year later was also the year that Charles consecrated himself champion for the first time in a French tournament, a feat he repeated in 2007 and 2009.
Thanks to his talent, he had drawn the attention of the FIA to participate in the Karting World Championship, where he would compete with other children his age. It was just five races around Europe, and this was the first time either had driven away from Monaco or France for a race.
Now everything seemed easy, but to get to a moment like this, the potholes were not lacking.
<<The roar of the small engines of the karting cars filled the atmosphere in the circuit in the city in the south of France, the tires of the karts screeched at each curve. Charles was in the middle of all that whirlwind of emotion, rather he was first, the 10 year old boy was completely focused, if anyone looked closer they would see the determination in his eyes and the joy on his features. Go-karting was what had helped him cope with losing his father, each acceleration and turn making Charles' heart beat even faster than he was driving his kart.
Lorenzo watched everything from the famous "safety line", his gaze following every little thing that Charles' kart did, between worry and pride in equal parts, he knew that his brother was the best in karting but also that it was a dangerous sport. and it was impossible for him to worry. Most of the adults around him were ten to 20 years older than Lorenzo; but at least he wasn't alone since Norman was able to accompany him, although Jules had his own career so he couldn't attend, in that year and months without his father Lorenzo had matured a lot, he was committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure that Charles's life is filled with nothing but love and that his brother has all the opportunities he deserves.
But "the world of adults" also brought much bigger struggles with it. Even with Lorenzo's two jobs, and the sporadic help that he accepted from his friends, the bills kept piling up and each time the worry was a heavier backpack on his shoulders.
He had hidden all his financial problems from Charles, the last thing he wanted or needed was for his little brother to feel guilty or worry about something that was not his fault. Speaking of his brother, his career was over and Norman told him he was going to buy a bottle of Coke and ice cream to congratulate Charles.
“Did you see that Enzo? I was second, I almost won ”Charles exclaimed with a gigantic and radiant smile, in his eyes you could see the emotion. Lorenzo had stopped being "Lolo'' to become "Enzo", the eldest of the Leclercs missed being Lolo, surely he never got used to the change, Jules had made fun of him saying "your baby is growing Lorenzo" but no, Charles didn't I was growing up, I was just experiencing new nicknames.
"You even look like a Formula 1 driver, I'm sure Ferrari already has you in the pipeline to replace Felippe Massa next year" Lorenzo said, returning his brother's smile and then laughing at the blush that caused Charles.
As the three men drove back to Monaco on the highway, Normar was sleeping in the back seat of his car and Charles was in the passenger seat. It wasn't very safe, but the trip was less than three hours and Lorenzo couldn't drive very fast. , so it allows it.
"Are you okay Lolo?" asked Charles after swallowing the first spoonful of his ice cream, the younger Leclerc had noticed the tired features on his brother's face so he was encouraged to ask.
"Of course, everything is fine Charlito" Lorenzo agreed, giving his brother a small smile to hide his tiredness and because he had used his usual nickname again "I'm a little tired, but nothing more"
"I know you're cheating on me Lolo, there's something that worries you, you can tell me and you know it, we're a team" Charles wasn't going to be fooled so quickly, the two of them went through a lot in all those months to know when one was hiding something.
“You do know that you are an overly perceptive child, right?” Lorenzo snapped as his eyes quickly met Charles' before looking back at the road and letting out a sigh, knowing that Charles wasn't going to drop the subject until he told him what was going on.
"What can I say, I had the best teacher" Charles said with a shrug and a mischievous smile at his brother.
"Oh, so we're playing that now, right?" Lorenzo laughed, but then his face had a serious expression "There have been some financial problems lately, but listen to me, I'm working to fix it, we'll be fine soon, I promise"
“Is that why you're worried then? Are you afraid that the money will not reach us? Is that why you're only having tea and some water-based biscuits for dinner lately?” Charles stopped eating his ice cream and closed it so it wouldn't melt, he looked at his brother's half profile with an expression that he was understanding as well as a nine year old could.
"YES Charlito, I just want to give you everything you need and please you in your tastes, but there are moments, like this, when it's a bit difficult to do it" Lorenzo said while blinking rapidly so that the tears could not form and cloud his face. view. The older Monegasque felt vulnerable by his little brother's honesty.
"Don't worry Enzo, we'll always be together, no matter what," Charles spoke, a confident tone in his voice.
Charles's words echoed throughout Lorenzo's mind and heart. He himself had promised his father in his last days that he would make Charles the happiest boy on the planet, but he also knew that if Charles were not in karting, he would have a little more financial flexibility. But the simple idea of sacrificing his brother's dream to ease his financial situation hurt even more.
Just when the light turned red, Lorenzo turned to see his brother, he was going to speak, but his brother opened his mouth before.
"You know Enzo, I was thinking about it, and if you were able to leave the university to take care of me, I can leave karting to help you" exclaimed Charles with determination and smiling as if his idea was the best idea in the world.
Lorenzo was speechless, that hadn't happened to him many times in his life. How was it possible that his sister being so young could be so understanding? He hadn't even hesitated to tell him the solution, nor did he sound sad, he really was capable of abandoning his dream to help Lorenzo.
If there was someone Lorenzo admired, it was undoubtedly his younger brother.
"See Enzo, you don't have to do everything by yourself or get more jobs, we are both a team" Charles smiled from ear to ear.
Charles' words would be engraved for life in Lorenzo's soul, he would not have to face his problems alone, he not only had his friends, but also the best brother in the world, who would be able to face and overcome any obstacle with him.
"You are not going to give up karting, Jules and I will be your sponsors" exclaimed a sleepy voice from the back seat.>>
Several years later, without having to stop Charles's career and new sponsors who were not Lorenzo's friends, they had traveled to Italy for the first time for Charles's first "international" race, since France did not count on it due to its proximity to Monaco. The roar of the engines filled the Italian air as the sun was already drawn up in the sky.
At the Milan circuit, the asphalt was beginning to heat up, thus creating a vibrant atmosphere full of anticipation. In the middle of all this was Charles, his gaze full of nerves and emotion as he tried to find his brother.
As soon as he saw Lorenzo he greeted him with one hand and then went to get into his kart, which was already waiting for him at the start line. Charles adjusted his yellow helmet, emotions flowed throughout his body, little Leclerc thought that this is how it would feel to be a Formula 1 driver, the mixture of adrenaline with joy. He looked around and found in the eyes of the other children his age the same determination on their faces.
He was sorry that Pierre was in a higher category than him, but Lorenzo and Pierre's family had agreed that the Gasly's were going to Monaco for Charles's birthday and the little Monegasque was looking forward to turning 13 to see his best friend.
Next to him was another boy, with blond hair and a black kart. his eyes met the other boy's blue ones, and he gave him a nervous smile, perhaps it was also his first time competing in a foreign country.
The excitement was almost palpable in the Italian air.
From the stands, he was watching the start of Lorenzo's race, pride and anxiety struggling within him to be his main emotion.
The red and white checkered flag was raised into the air and at the same time the karts roared off in unison. Charles could feel every vibration from his engine as he sped down the track, all the straightaways and turns making him feel alive. The wind blew strongly in his face, joining the mix of sensations of freedom.
Throughout the race, Charles could tell that the blond boy was following him very closely. Both children compete side by side, in each daring maneuver it seemed to be forming a little rivalry that was friendly but fierce at the same time. But Charles was also quite proud of himself to think that he was already having a rivalry like Senna and Prost, or Hamilton and Alonso. Only the best had rivals, and perhaps he was one of them.
With the finish line and the checkered flag in sight, Charles stepped on the accelerator, his heart pounding even faster in his chest. He was able to cross the finish line ahead of the blue-eyed boy, securing his first world championship win by a very narrow margin, the two karts slowing down at the same time, and as both boys got out they removed their helmets.
They were breathing a little labored from the heat and adrenaline, but they had a triumphant smile on their faces.
"That was incredible!" Charles exclaimed as the other boy approached him and they were shaking hands, "Oh, and my name is Charles."
"I'm Max, and I'm saying the same thing, you're an incredible competitor" the blond boy, Max, nodded with strange English, but Charles also spoke weird English so he can't tell anything because of Max's pronunciation.
“That was amazing guys,” Lorenzo said, approaching both 12-year-olds while clapping enthusiastically “They were both amazing on the track.”
Lorenzo started chatting with Charles about the race, and Max stayed away, but he didn't want to stop talking to Charles, and he also didn't really want to meet his father after he hadn't won. Max listened as the taller man told Charles that he was going to buy him an ice cream for his effort, and Max would like his father to offer him that too when he wins and not to give him talks for more than an hour telling him what things could get better.
"You can tell that your father is very proud of you, Charles" Max spoke after being silent for a while, he didn't know why he said that, perhaps so that Charles would know how to be grateful to the father he had, his smile was still shy, he had that perhaps his father would find out.
"Oh, he's not my father, he's my older brother." Charles addressed the misunderstanding honestly, he was surprised by Max's comment.
"Oh, well, I would like my father to treat me the way your brother treats you, Charles." A sad smile spread over Max's face.
"Well, I don't think this is the only time we'll face each other, so Lorenzo can also buy you ice cream and Coca-Cola as a gift for your effort," Charles explained with a smile on his face, and Max also perked up at the idea.
The three began to engage in a pleasant conversation, when Max's father appeared and neither of the two brothers knew who he was, it seemed that something changed in the arrogant attitude of the older man with blond hair, they found out that it was Jos Verstappen and later they learned that was a former driver of Formula 1. Lorenzo noticed how his brother and Max began to connect in a special way, the frequency in which their eyes met along with the exchange of smiles was evident.
The day continued with other races and more fun on the track. The sun was setting on the horizon, Charles and Max seemed to already interact like lifelong friends the more time progressed.
Lorenzo could only smile with some affection at the situation, he knew that the two had formed a bond and he hoped that it would last his whole life.
3;
Tragedy seemed to surround the Leclerc family, neither of them, neither Lorenzo at 27 nor Charles at 17 years younger, understood why fate liked to see them suffer.
Charles had no personal memories of his mother, all he knew about his was thanks to Lorenzo, the photos and the videos, he had already forgotten what his father smelled like, how his father's hugs felt, how he was when his father was going to support his races.
He had lived more years on earth without either of his parents than with them. He spent a total of 1 year with both of his parents and 8 with his father, and he had already lived nine years under Lorenzo's exclusive care.
And life dealt them two hard blows again on October 5, 2014 and the second on July 17, 2015.
<<Both brothers were sitting in the living room of their apartment, Charles was talking on messages with Max, the youngest Monegasque had begun to get along well with the Dutchman, although they had their period of hatred, like when "the incident" happened, but they had started to get along, thoughCharles did hate Max's father and that had caused fights between the two young people in the past. The room was lit in a faint glow, the two Leclercs were waiting for the race to restart, as the weather in Japan was quite unstable this Sunday due to a typhoon.
Sutil had had an incident and a crane had come in to remove the car, everything seemed to be an accident waiting in a race like Japan with rain. Both brothers were engrossed with the race, they both loved Formula 1, being born and raised in Monaco caused that.
However, on lap 43 a car seemed to have lost control, said car headed in less than three seconds towards the crane that was still on the track. The images were shocking, the chassis was destroyed, the safety car appeared a few seconds later. Charles and Lorenzo looked at each other with growing precipitation in their eyes, both hearts pounding as the tragedy unfolded on the television in front of them.
"Oh my god, that's him…" Lorenzo whispered, seeing that the car that had suffered the accident was a white and red one, from the Russian team Marussia, the young man's voice faltered while he couldn't take his eyes off the screen.
"It's Jules, right? That's the car with Jules's 17" Charles held on to his legs that he had drawn to his chest, looking at his brother with concern.
Lorenzo could only nod his head, his throat choking with anguish and mounting shock. Jules was his best friend, and he was basically Charles's godfather, he was someone very important in the small Leclerc family, and he was also the one who was involved in that serious accident.
Words were completely unnecessary, since their faces and looks expressed the fear that both brothers shared in silence.
"Jules Bianchi is unconscious and is about to be taken by ambulance to the nearest prefecture, which is 15 kilometers away" the commentator's voice filtered into the room, while the race was stopped on lap 47 definitively.
The situation was serious, both brothers had knots in their stomachs while taking dimension of what was happening at that moment on the other side of the world.
"Hey Enzo…" Charles turned to see his brother, his eyes were filled with sadness and also with unspoken questions "Do you think he'll be alright?", "Will he recover?"It was as if he was looking for comfort in his older brother and he couldn't give him anything. He was failing Charles for the first time since he had come under his care.
Lorenzo couldn't speak, he didn't want to lie to his brother, so he just brought him closer to hug him, trying to convey in that hug "I don't know what will happen Charlito, but we have to keep hope alive and be there for him". he had to control his emotions at that moment, hisbrother needed it as whole as possible.
The accident was not broadcast on television again, but if it was broadcast in Charles's mind, the chaos was mixed with anxiety and helplessness at not being able to do anything. Jules was someone important in his life, he was his godfather, he was present throughout his life, he helped them both in any way he could, and now he was in grave danger and there was nothing he could do to reverse that.
"I'm going… I'm going to call Max, maybe I'll call Pierre later" Charles's voice sounded strange, maybe it had to do with everything he was feeling at that moment, or that Lorenzo had him pressed against his side, but no. It cared.
Lorenzo just nodded his head and let his brother go, the eldest of the Leclercs saw how his brother grabbed his cell phone and dialed a number, and then went to talk to his room. The eldest of the Leclercs only got up from the sofa and approached the television, as if in this way he would get more answers just by looking at it.
Charles had just dialed Max's number, he was starting to get overwhelmed by emotions, fear, worry and the deep need for everything to be okay mixed inside him. After only two rings, Max answered his phone.
"Oh Charlie, I saw the accident" Max's voice sounded sad, the Dutchman didn't know Jules, all he knew of French was what Charles and Lorenzo spoke, and he knew he was an important person for the two brothers "I'm sorry Therefore, the FIA was to blame, how are they going to wave the green flag in this zone"
"Maxie, I don't know what to do" Charles murmured, not wanting his brother to hear his conversation with the Dutchman "I feel like it's my turn to be the strong one for Lorenzo, he needs me, but I'm afraid I won't be able to"
"Listen, you don't have to do it alone, I'll help you, I'll be the ear you need and the shoulder to cry on, it might be a lot for you at first, but I'll be there for you and Lorenzo, I promise" Max exclaimed with a determined tone in his voice.
"Max, you have your own problems" was all Charles could say, he had been the one Max had confessed to for the first time when talking about everything his father had done to make him a good driver, and with each "anecdote " from Max's childhood, Charles hated Jos a little moreVerstappen.
"And you listen to them every time it's my turn to listen to you, it won't hurt me" said Max "let me do it Charles, please"
The two friends continued talking for a while, Max distracted him a bit from the accident by telling him that he had almost reached his goal to be able to leave his father's house, that maybe next year with the money he earns at ToroRosso already he was going to stop depending in every way on his father. Charles really hoped that Max would leave his father behind and could live in a better environment for him.
Lorenzo's own cell phone did not stop ringing, it was as if people thought he had answers, or maybe they were just people who wanted to support him and Charles, but the older brother was in no condition to even speak. with Charles. Charles's voice resounded throughout the house, his tone was full of concern, Lorenzo hoped that at least the call with "his friend", said friend with whom Lorenzo had seen him give one or another kiss.
Charles came into the room in complete silence. Jules was an important member of the little family, he was someone essential. Worry and uncertainty filled the room, but when their eyes met, there was unity and support in their eyes.
The television was still broadcasting news about the accident, but his attention was no longer focused on the screen. Instead, his thoughts and emotions were with Mateo, hoping that he would recover and be with them again.
The television was still broadcasting news of the accident, but both of them were no longer concentrating on the screen. His thoughts were already with Jules and his family, both of them firmly believing in the hope that the accident had not been as serious as it seemed and he could return to them.
"Jules will be fine, right? Isn't he going to the stars with mom and dad?" Charles asked hopefully.>>
But fate had played another trick on their lives.
The Nice cemetery was completely immersed in a solemn silence, the crowd that had accompanied Jules's coffin from the church to the cemetery, was left outside. All attendees were dressed in black, gathered in a stillness, the respect for the occasion was equivalent to the contained words being replaced by sympathetic looks. Gray clouds invaded the French sky, the light summer breeze blew through the trees, creating even more solemnity in the atmosphere.
Jules had been the first driver fatality in a race since Ayrton Senna at the San Marino Grand Prix.
Among the whole crowd were Lorenzo and Charles, along with Max and Norman, the Dutchman did not know Jules, he had only seen him a couple of times when Charles was in Karting, but besides the fact that he was already a Formula 1 driver, he also had to be there for Charles, the younger Monegasque had helped him find an apartment and all the paperwork so he could move to the principality as soon as he turned 18, being there for him was the least he could do.
Lorenzo was being hugged by Norman, the eldest of the Leclercs had red eyes from the tears shed with an expression of total desolation, he had his right hand on Charles's left shoulder, the 17-year-old had a look of sadness in his eyes, one that is not he had had since his father had died and he had his head resting on Max's shoulder. The four of them shared an almost sympathetic silence, which helped them understand the two brothers that they were not alone in their pain.
The farewell ceremony had begun a little less than an hour ago, the tone of the officiant's voice was charged with respect and reverence. Along with the wind sounded the broken voices of most of the attendees, thus creating a melancholic symphony that was a semi-perfect blend of shared emotions. All faces were filled with sadness and memories they shared with Jules.
Lorenzo and Charles remained silent, only listening to what Norman and Max whispered to them, their gazes fixed on the coffin, a coffin that represented that Jules would never return to them. The shared moments were over, the challenges they had overcome together, the laughter, the proud words for Charles, the amalgamation of memories and feelings left a deep pain and emptiness in the hearts of both brothers.
As the ceremony drew to a close, some drivers and other guests began to approach the quartet of men to express their condolences, Lewis Hamilton gave Charles a strong handshake and told him to "Make Jules proud boy.", the hugs were not lacking either, much of the paddock knew Lorenzo, since the eldest of the Leclerc's lived accompanying Jules to the races. The two brothers nod with tired but grateful gestures, due to the intense situation their exhaustion was more than visible.
Max was whispering words of love to Charles, he knew that his friend needed words of comfort, Pierre was close but with his parents, he knew that the Frenchman was going to spend the night with the two of them in the Leclerc apartment, Max sometimes You wish you had met Charles sooner, maybe he would be best friends with Charles now and they would have super cool nicknames like “Calamar” and “Petit Calamardo”.
Charles and Max were sharing a moment where only the Dutchman spoke, but Charles looked at him as if he were the one who invented love, but a member of the congregation, unknown to the four men so perhaps he was a sponsor of Jules. The older man approached Charles with his eyes full of sympathy and sadness.
"I'm so sorry for your loss, Jules had told me wonderful things about you" the man said with a very thick Russian accent, then he looked at Lorenzo and again his eyes fell on Charles with a look of understanding "I hope Jules gave your father my number or I can give it to him now, so thatHave my contact if you ever need a sponsor or money”
Charles could only look at Lorenzo, his eyes expressed more than pain and sadness, his entire body was invaded by confusion, and perhaps because of emotional exhaustion from the situation, his mind for a few seconds led him to a thought loaded with I long. He had to blink rapidly to get out of there, to stop relating to his older brother as his father figure. Charles's heart was now not only heavy with grief at losing his godfather, but also with mixed feelings.
Lorenzo, on the other hand, was completely overwhelmed by exhaustion and sadness. He saw the look in Charles's eyes, it was noticeable that he was struggling with some inner thought, and a soft voice in Lorenzo's brain whispered that “perhaps he is considering the words spoken by the man”, but because of his exhaustion emotional that was a battle not so important.
Daniel Ricciardo, a very close friend of Jules in the paddock, had heard of the misunderstanding. The Red Bull driver approached the older man with a furious expression.
"You should be a little less sensitive in moments like this" Daniel spoke with a tone of disgust "Charles and Lorenzo spent a lot of time together. Lorenzo is not his father but his older brother, they both lost their parents when they were younger and if you didn't know, then don't talk."
Daniel's words and the apologies from the Russian man echoed through the air. Charles felt Max's arm tighten even more around him and the Dutchman's lips were on his clavicle, he was the only one who had been able to get him out of his head, so he could stop thinking about the words said by the other man.
The funeral continued, in the air you could breathe every raw emotion and listen to the moments that each one of them had shared with the young driver. Sadness was a feeling that was felt in a shared way, along with deep loss. Everyone there to honor Jules's memory felt the same way, even those who didn't know him on the level of Lorenzo and Charles.
And when night fell, back in the little Montecarlo, Charles saw that his two friends were sleeping, so he left his room to go to the balcony. Lorenzo was there looking at the sky so Charles approached him and leaned next to him, the older Monegasque man didn't even flinch, he just hugged his brother closer.
Charles looked at the dark sky, noticing that there were not only two bright stars, but a small third star that shone brighter than the rest of the stars.
4;
It was Charles' first home race in Formula 1, and the first time that Lorenzo was able to accompany his brother to a race, since the eldest of the Leclercs was finishing his technical degree and no matter how much he insisted on Charles to still accompanying him, his younger brother did not want him to stop studying, so he refused.
Being his first home race, Charles was invited by Prince Albert II of Monaco to a meeting at the royal family's palace, the young man was allowed to bring four people with him, so he chose Max, Pierre, Joris and obviously Lorenzo. At first the older Leclerc didn't want to go, not wanting to embarrass his brother, but Charles, still the same determined guy he was at 20, reminded him of a certain anecdote when his brother refused.
<<After a strange run by Charles, and a little argument with Max because of it, Charles was already lying on the bed in the room he shared with Lorenzo. The last rays of the afternoon sun filtered through the curtains, and the freezing air from the air conditioning helped Charles to think about something other than his fight with the Dutchman.
It had been just a racing incident, Charles was not to blame. Max could continue to think that it was not fair, Charles would still do it again, even knowing that his actions would take Max's kart into the water and cause the Dutchman to get wet.
Lorenzo had returned a few minutes ago with dinner, sushi and ice cream knowing chocolate chip cookies was the only thing that motivated Charles after a race like that, along with a very cold bottle of Coca-Cola, Lorenzo didn't like it. The raw fish and seaweed drew a lot of attention accompanied with rice and wasabi, but unfortunately for him, Charles only liked to have pizza and fries for dinner when he had a good race. It seemed that he liked to torture Lorenzo when things did not go "perfect" as he would like, if it were up to Lorenzo, the eldest of the Leclercs believed that his brother was better than Michael Schumacher himself, but Charles always snorted when his brother told him said something similar, soHe better let his younger brother speak first.
“Do you know that Max told me that the Netherlands also has a monarchy?” Charles asked with some anger in his voice, looking at his brother with surprised eyes.
"Yes... I was there when Max spent almost two hours explaining about all the countries that have monarchies in the world, and how you listened and asked about each one of them" Lorenzo responded, intrigued, he remembered how last year the boy with hair Rubio explained to him about the 31 monarchies exist in the world and his brother asking very interested about each ruler and country, that was the way Lorenzo found out that, for example, in Cambodia there was a constitutional monarchy.
"Shut up Enzo" Charles spoke in a high-pitched tone and his cheeks were red from the blush "Well, today he told me that the Netherlands has a queen, so that makes it better than Monaco since Monaco only has a prince"
Lorenzo didn't know how to react, fights between 14-year-olds were strange to him.
"So I came to the conclusion that when I'm a Formula 1 driver I'm going to meet Prince Albert and tell him to change from prince to king" exclaimed Charles with a sparkle of emotion in his eyes.
"Charles, we will never have a king because we are a principality," Lorenzo explained, trying not to laugh at his brother's plan.
"Uh, well it doesn't matter, I'll still meet Prince Albert" Charles smiled excitedly.
"Mmm, and how will that meeting Charlito be?" Lorenzo asked curiously.
"Well, I'll be at a super important event and the prince will be there, he'll come to talk to me, it'll be like we've known each other forever" Charles snapped, his eyes sparkling as he told his plan.
"Hey, well, who knows, surely when you become the best athlete in the history of Monaco, I'm sure you'll meet him" Lorenzo spoke after listening to Charles' story, enjoying his brother's emotion.
"Do you think that one day I will meet our prince?" Charles's voice was no longer annoyed or excited, but rather hopeful, looking at his brother curiously.
"Of course, I know that when you're a Ferrari driver the prince will recognize you" Lorenzo sat on Charles's bed with a reassuring smile.
"And if I never get to drive a Ferrari…" Charles sounded sad.
"Hey, if you'll be a Ferrari driver, and you'll be Jules's partner, he told you himself, that's their shared dream and it will be easier for me and Norman to support them" Lorenzo caressed Charles's cheek, and his brother chuckled at the idea of being a teammate of his godfather at Ferrari.
"Okay, I'll make it," Charles exclaimed, his eyes full of determination, "I'll push myself to the limits of my ability and meet Prince Albert."
"Good! That's what I needed to hear" Lorenzo supported him, his voice full of encouragement "That's right, if you get to know him you have to make sure that I know him too"
"Of course! The moment I meet him you will have that opportunity too" Charles sat on his bed and smiled broadly "We will always be a team Enzo"
"Always, until the last beat of my heart" Lorenzo nodded appreciatively "Even if you don't get to meet Prince Albert, I know that when you are a renowned driver he will lead you to the best opportunities of your life"
The two brothers continued talking while they had dinner, Max sent a message to Charles to apologize for what happened that afternoon in France and Charles accepted it, but still did not apologize for pushing Max's kart into that puddle. The two hugged while watching a movie and eating ice cream.
The two were ready to face whatever fate would throw at them.
"Lolo? I think I like Max" Charles's voice broke the whole atmosphere, well Lorenzo's night was going to be longer than expected.>>
Charles was already ready, dressed in an Armani suit with the Alfa Romeo logo, Pierre and Joris were making fun of Max and Charles, and although Lorenzo denied it, he also found the situation funny. Neither of the two drivers was admitting their relationship yet, they thought they were good at hiding, as if it wasn't obvious that they were both dating at the time they moved into the same building.
In the spacious hall of the royal hall, the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling together with the final fabrics created the atmosphere of elegance. The different employees of the palace had left the room, only the members of the Grimaldi family remained along with Charles and his guests.
Prince Albert walked over to where Charles was, the Monegasque tried to bow but the Prince of all Monegasques just clucked and offered him his hand, so Charles returned the squeeze. This is how he greeted the small "entourage" that Charles had brought, Max, no matter how much he told Charles "you are much better known than Prince Albert schatje" He still greeted him as if he were the King of the Netherlands, Pierre for Much that France is a republic, he paid his respects to the Monegasque monarch; Joris was very excited to meet Prince Albert personally, he had only seen him once in person and it was when the man had gone to an event at his school; Lorenzo next to him, he did not know how to act, he never thought that he would have a real opportunity to be in the Monaco's Princely Palace, he had only seen it when he was walking in front of it with his father and mother, he never thought he would have the opportunity to enter.
Followed by Prince Albert, the rest of the Monegasque royal family greeted the guests. The Serene Highness of Monaco looked at Charles and Lorenzo, the resemblance between the two was undeniable, and from what he knew that man with the stubble had been the great engine of the young talented Monegasque's career, so he must also have been a help to that the young driver does not know went to live in France to have better opportunities, so he did what he felt was appropriate.
"It is an honor to meet your son, Mr. Leclerc, I am sure that Charles will be someone very important in the history of our country, thank you for staying in the Principality, I hope that more Monegasque parents follow his example and see that Monaco does have the infrastructure and support in their youth talents” exclaimed Prince Albert II in a warm tone, with an affable smile and a look full of admiration towards Lorenzo.
"Your Serene Majesty, I must clarify that I am not his father, but I'm his older brother" Lorenzo could only nod respectfully, not knowing if he had done the right thing in correcting the prince of his country "But I thank you."
"Father, Lorenzo Leclerc has raised his younger brother since you had been in office for a year, after they both lost their father," explained Jazmin Grace, Prince Albert's eldest daughter.
Charles suppressed a laugh as he took in the situation, but Max couldn't, which led to Charles and Pierre punching him and being taunted by Joris. The Alfa Romeo driver knew he would remind Lorenzo of this moment in a few months, as he had had done when his teacher confused him or the same Max.
"My apologies for such a misunderstanding" The prince sounded somewhat puzzled, but he had quickly recovered and smiled after acknowledging his mistake "The resemblance between you is very remarkable, and now knowing your story better I can say that you are an excellent older brother Lorenzo ”
“It is not the first time we have been confused, your Majesty. I want you to know that it is an honor for us to be here” Lorenzo said with a kind smile, he expected anything less than the prince of the nation from him believing that he was Charles's brother.
"I can't deny what Lorenzo did for me and all the support he gave me in my career, but I don't think he could be my father except for the fact that he had me at the age of 10, His Serene Majesty" Charles intervened with a touch. in the mood, before the situation becomes awkward.
"You're right, Charles." Prince Albert laughed sincerely. "You also have a very good sense of humor, I appreciate that."
The situation was quickly overcome, turning to various topics, with the prince assuring that he will accompany Charles to some races and thanking the young Alfa Romeo driver for choosing Monaco.
Even the Prince of Monaco himself noticed the "subtlety" with which Charles and Max related, the touches of the hands, the prolonged hugs, even the pacifier on Max's neck. He knew that his country had not yet legalized LGBT marriages, perhaps he could talk to the National Council to change that.
5;
Charles had only one important rule that he could not break, Lorenzo was not one to set very harsh limits on his younger brother, wanting him to experiment, as sanely, with as much as possible.
Charles was prohibited, under any circumstances, from injuring himself while driving a car at more than 200 kilometers per hour. Norman and Jules had accused him of being overprotective at the time when he told them, but they, over the years, lost a lot of people, Charles only two years ago had lost Anthoine in a racing accident in Spa, Lorenzo still did not fully recover from having lostJules, and now his brother made a living driving those circuits, and this time he didn't watch it on TV, he couldn't change the channel like he used to, now he had to watch it live most weekends in March and december.
Charles seemed to have forgotten about that promise that Sunday, September 12, in Monza.
<<Charles had gone to the infirmary for the first time since he was karting, Jules by his side told him that he shouldn't feel so worried, that it was just a bad maneuver on lap 13, and that nothing had happened to him, that It was just for control, but Lorenzo couldn't stop thinking about his little brother, the 9-year-old boy complaining that his wrists hurt, maybe it was nothing like the Frenchman told him, but his brother was in pain and Lorenzo didn't want his brother to hurt at all.
The photo of his parents with six-month-old Charles and 11-year-old Lorenzo welcomed Lorenzo's eyes when he turned on his cell phone, it was the way to have them close at any time, mentally the older Monegasque wondered if he was doing the right things. things with your brother, if yourHis parents would do it differently if they were mad at him for not taking enough care of Charles on the verge of getting hurt.
When the nurse allowed Lorenzo and Jules to enter, the Frenchman preferred to stay outside for a while, giving the brothers that moment of solitude. The first thing the older Leclerc looked for was any visible injury, and all he saw were small bruises on Charles's wrists, but his brother looked fine, he even had a smile on his face.
"I'm already a real racing driver Lolo" said Charles happily, showing his brother the purple bruises that decorated his wrists "I can beat Sebastian Vettel now"
"Hey, you almost gave me a heart attack" Lorenzo spoke after clearing his throat, Charles was still smiling, and Lorenzo knew he couldn't get mad at him, so he changed strategy "Listen, you have to promise me this, I know it's hard, but promise me that you will never get hurt again in a career"
"Hey, but I can't promise you that, I'd lie to you" Charles looked at him, he understood what his brother was referring to and was grateful that he took care of him "I like motor racing, speed, adrenaline, it's impossible for me to never get hurt in a race, That doesn't just depend on me."
"I know, I'm not going to stop your passion" Lorenzo had an internal struggle, he wanted to protect Charles from any evil, wrap him in padded air bubbles, but he also wanted Charles to experiment, to continue with his dreams no matter how much they threaten his life. Lorenzo's health “But at leastPromise me that you will avoid hurting yourself as much as possible, that you will take all the precautions and that you will take care of yourself, that you will not put yourself in dangerous situations for stupid reasons, your life is worth much more than a shiny trophy Charlito "
"That I can promise, I will do everything in my power to keep myself safe and take all the necessary precautions before a race" Charles spoke seriously, the look in his eyes was full of understanding, understanding the depth of the request. his brother's.
Lorenzo only gave him his little finger and Charles laughed before putting his little finger together with his brother's to make the promise effective, before hugging him comfortingly.
"I'm never going to leave you Lolo, we're a team" Charles whispered, as he leaned back slightly in his older brother's embrace.>>
The race had started normally, Yuki couldn't even start it, Pierre had to retire on lap 3 and the two drivers who were fighting for the title, Max and Lewis, had to retire their cars on lap 26 due to a collision among them. The race was already ending, Charles was fighting for fourth place against the other Red Bull driver, Checo Perez, but as they both approached the mythical Parabolic corner in Monza, Sergio's RB17 touched Charles' Ferrari on the penultimate lap.
Checo's car went off the track, but Charles' car just kept spinning out of control even inside the circuit, which meant that neither Lance nor Carlos could avoid it due to the high speed, and Charles had lost control because of the collision with Checo, so a chain collision occurred. All four cars were damaged, and due to the chaos the race ended with one lap to go.
Lorenzo, Max, and Pierre were holding their breath, waiting for Charles, and the others involved, to get out of their cars unharmed.
Except for Carlos, the other three men could not get out of their cars without help, the Spaniard went first to try to help his teammate, but it was impossible for him to get him out, so when the security personnel arrived they put the three injured men in different ambulances they could barely get them out.
Lorenzo, being the concerned brother that he was; Max, as the eager boyfriend that he was; and Pierre, like the scared best friend that he was, went to the medical center where the three drivers were. Lorenzo's look was full of determination and concern at the same time, he noticed that there were more drivers and team personnel there, but at that moment he wasn't interested.
Binotto was the first to approach the eldest of the Leclercs, he indicated which room he was in and Lorenzo thanked him, going directly there. In the room, lying on the bed, Charles was talking to the doctors.
"Hey Charlito, are you okay?" Lorenzo asked, he didn't know if he could still be there, he wasn't interested, he needed to see his brother.
"Of course I'm fine, I just have some bruises and a discomfort under my right rib, nothing very serious" A slight smile decorated Charles's face when he finished speaking, although his eyes showed that he had some discomfort.
"Well, sorry for worrying" Lorenzo said in a sarcastic tone, even so seeing Charles smile a weight lifted from his shoulders "I'm glad to hear you're okay, you have time until the next race to recover, and for Ferrari to fix both cars ”
Lorenzo had forgotten to lock the door properly, so the drivers gathered outside it could hear the concern in Lorenzo's voice. Most knew the story that Lorenzo was Charles' older brother, but there was some "conspiracy theory" in the paddock that Charles' "older brother" was actually his father, as the young Ferrari driver did not He was someone who likes to talk a lot about his family and theMost of the anecdotes he told include his brother, so there were some drivers who thought that Lorenzo was actually Charles's father and due to his young age he did not want to admit it.
“He's a good father huh” said Fernando, the Alpine driver saw the surprise on his teammate's face and heard the laughter coming from Max and Pierre.
“How old do you think Lorenzo is?” asked the Dutchman, raising a curious eyebrow.
"I don't know, close to 40?" The Spanish replied uncertainty, he was no longer understanding what was happening.
"Oh god, I'll tell him when we have dinner today, I'm sure he'll want to shave and cut his hair to try to look younger" Max replied as he wrote something on his phone and tried to hold back his laughter "Charles will never forget this"
"But how old is he then? At what age did he become the father of Charles?" Alonso questioned seeing the Red Bull driver with an intrigued grin on his face.
"Nando, only you are so flighty, Lorenzo is only 33 years old, and he never had Charles since he is his older brother" Max replied, ignoring some details that his boyfriend had to tell when he felt the time was right " It's just that he's always been there for him."
"Well, I'm quite surprised, I always thought it was a false story, to hide being a father so young, now that I think about it, it was pretty stupid of me" In addition to Fernando, some other drivers were also surprised by such a clarification "What luck that Charles canto have someone that close to support him”
“They will always be there for each other, it is impossible that they can ever even be separated, it took me YEARS of relationship and help from Lorenzo for Charles to agree to move into an apartment in my building, he did not want to abandon his brother, until today after a bad race Lorenzo is going to sleep at Charles's house,” Max explained, wanting to give a little more context.
The Dutchman loved his brother-in-law, but even he himself had begun to see him with the eyes of his "father-in-law", he knew he shouldn't, but in his eyes, Charles and Lorenzo's relationship had progressed to another level, the older brother of his boyfriend had raised him for longer than Charles could live with his parents, and that, for Max, makes Lorenzo Charles's father.
Extra
+1;
Abu Dhabi 2024, the last race of the season had ended, and with it a new consecration, the first in the life of Charles Leclerc, the Monegasque's heart was pounding against his chest as he crossed the finish line in first place, thus securing his first dressed championship in red, driving a Ferrari as he had promised to his father and mother years ago as soon as he signed a contract with Alfa Romeo. The checkered flag waved more than triumphantly, the night sky of the United Arab Emirates blending perfectly with the euphoria of all the attendees.
He became the first driver to win a championship with Ferrari since Kimi in 2007. The tifosis had to wait 17 years to see a red car win a championship again.
Charles didn't even take off his helmet yet, he just got out of his car and fell to the ground to cry, it was all still too incredible to be real for the Monegasque. He did not feel the flash of the cameras until someone sat next to him and pulled him towards a muscular chest, with Max's help he took off his helmet and in the Dutchman's eyes he could see a special shine, a look that screamed at the driver of Ferrari "I'm not interested in having finished second, IYou deserve this more than anyone."
The two men got up off the ground and embraced, ignoring George who had come third in the race and in the world championship. The hearts of Charles and Max beat in unison, that victory for Charles was also a victory for Max, their lips met almost without wanting to, they did not care at that moment about the FIA laws or what the race organizers would think, the union of their lips in that kiss slow was the perfect culmination to the hard months of work, their relationship was no longer a secret or something private.
After that shared emotional kiss, Charles greeted George and went to the most important person in his life, he had not even greeted the Ferrari team before, but instead approached Lorenzo. His older brother had been the only guide Charles had for more than 2/3 of his life. As he got closer the tears threatened to appear.
Lorenzo's look was one of pure pride, the same one he gave Charles after each race since he was in karting, but it had a different glow, that of triumph. The two brothers hugged each other tightly, neither spoke, there was no need. In that embrace it was evident the years of love and sacrifice that both had made to achieve the consecration of Charles that night in Abu Dhabi.
Charles didn't even answer the questions, just hugged his team and Fred, promising to answer them when the podium was over. In the cooling room Charles and Max were pulled into a hug by George, neither spoke, but they didn't break the hug either until they were called to appear on the podium.
Charles knew that it wasn't champagne that they sprayed, but apple juice, but he had never tasted apple juice so sweet, he was going to have the opportunity to celebrate properly with his partner and friends on the yacht that Ferrari had rented.
When he returned to the reporter, he looked at the camera with a triumphant and sincere smile, the brightness in his eyes was the same level as the brightness of the surrounding spotlights, the crowd was deafening, different cameras and microphones surrounded him, ready to catch your first words beingWorld Champion.
“First of all, I want to thank my team. This has been a crazy journey. I had more bad years than good, but I will go through all of them again if that makes me a Drivers' World Champion again with the best team of all the times. Also, to the tifosis, who supported me at every step of my career, for having believed in “Il Predestinato”, thank you for your unconditional support. I hope I have returned a little of his love to you” Charles began speaking, the Monegasque had never sounded so happy in his life.
"To you, my love, the man of my life, the person I wake up with every morning and I thank fate for putting his in my path" Charles's eyes drifted to where Max was standing next to Pierre, the voice from the Ferrari driver was charged with emotion “Thank you for motivating me when I didn't even believe in me, you are my inspiration, darling, this victory is as much yours as it is mine"
Max's smile was soft, but his gaze was intense, filled with affection and admiration. They were having a little intimate moment but sharing it to the media and fans in euphoria.
"I also want to thank my parents, Jules and Anthonie, who have been accompanying me all my life wherever they are. I would have given anything as long as they shared this moment with me on earth, but one day we will all celebrate it together" Charles spoke with sadness in his voice.
"But I especially have to thank the person who has been in my life the longest, the one who never abandoned me" Charles looked at his older brother with deep gratitude "Lorenzo, you have been my rock, my protector and my example to continue, you have sacrificed a lot of your life so that I could be here today here. Thank you for believing in me even when I doubted myself."
Lorenzo couldn't help but smile, his heart filled with a mixture of joy and pride. He had prepared himself to hear Charles thank him, but even so he did not expect the words said by his brother, they were like a soft comforting melody. They had both been through tough challenges, but they had been there for each other, supporting each other every step of the way.
After thanking each of his friends and finishing the interview, Charles returned to the Ferrari box. He had already planned the party that would follow, but at that moment he needed to talk to his older brother. He found him standing near the window of Charles's driver's cab, talking to Max who appreciates showing off something, when Charles quickened his steps, the Dutchman quickly hid what he had in his hand inside his racing suit and Lorenzo looked at him intently a warm smile.
Max says goodbye to Charles with a kiss on the lips and a quick shoulder shake with Lorenzo. Charles noticed that his boyfriend was acting strange but he didn't pay much attention to it, surely the Red Bull driver would tell him.
Lorenzo stopped looking out the window and turned to look at Charles, meeting his brother's gaze. Neither said anything, the two shared a moment of silence full of understanding.
Charles knew he had to speak, so he took a deep breath. His heart was beating faster than when he was seven laps from finishing and he still couldn't get past Max for first place.
"Enzo, you know I've been thinking about this for a while, and I realized that I should tell you" Charles began, his voice had a slight shake "I still have a hard time understanding that you have assumed the responsibility of taking care of me at 18 years old, I think having to take care of an 8-year-old mini-me and I probably screamed, but you could, and only with the help of Norman and Jules. You have been the person I have admired the most throughout my life, the one who guides me in every curve that my life has had, the one who did not hesitate to abandon all the future that I had dreamed of as long as I have the life that you thought I deserved."
"I was there, sitting in front of the SF-24 and I could only think about what my life would have been like if you weren't involved, except for Max, I can't imagine celebrating this with anyone other than you" Tears began to spill but Charles was not interested, he needed to continue or never the more I would have that opportunity "I don't think words can really do justice to what I feel, but you are my pillar Lolo, you were my safe haven for years, no one knows more about me than you"
The room is charged with different emotions. Lorenzo's eyes were full of surprise and love, shining with gratitude. The fingers of his hand began to tremble, not sure where Charles was going.
"You know, for years I had believed that feeling like this was wrong, but a few months ago I had this dream with mom and dad, and when I talked about it with Max I realized that it was okay, that it's just the bond that we forged these 18 years that you've been the only father figure I know." Charles's voice sounded vulnerable "You have taken care of me for more than double the time that I met dad, it was you with whom I had "the talk", it was you who introduced Max, you shaped my grades, you went to my races, and I know that none of them wanted to leave us…”
Lorenzo drew him into a hug while they both cried, he didn't know what his brother had dreamed about his parents, at some other time he would ask him. The two were in a comforting embrace when Charles whispered breathlessly, "I was just trying to say thank you for everything you've done for me all these years, Dad."
Lorenzo felt his heart skip a beat, his entire body filled with various emotions as he held Charles closer to him. The younger of the Leclercs did not know how his brother had taken it towards the use of that word, but the hug felt warm.
"I don't know how to express what I'm feeling right now Charlie" Lorenzo murmured, his voice cracking from all the emotion "I'll always be there for you, no matter what happens, or what you do, I'll support you and love you, for the rest of my life"
The embrace lasted, sealing the connection between the two brothers in a moment of deep understanding and love. Tears of emotion mingled as they shared a hug that expressed years of unconditional care, support and affection.
The hug lasted for several more minutes, both brothers in their own thoughts. Tears were already inevitable, their eyes seemed to be waterfalls, the hug was the clearest representation of those almost 18 years of care, support and unconditional affection.
While Lorenzo was planning what words to say in order to express himself correctly, a memory invaded his mind as soon as he looked up at the window and saw those stars light up.
<<In Charles's room, the eight-year-old boy had just woken up from a nightmare, and his older brother was trying to get him to go back to sleep, but Charles had been thinking of something since his father had “gone to live with mom” a few weeks ago, as Lorenzo had told him. He had finally summoned up the courage to ask, so with his eyes full of curiosity and innocence in equal measure, he spoke.
"Lolo, now that dad is gone, will you be my new dad?" Charles had been taught at school that a "dad" was the one who calms you down when you cried, cooked and took care of you, and since his dad left, Lorenzo started doing all of that, so now Charles had doubts if his brotherNow he was going to be his dad.
"Listen to me, Charlito, no, I won't be your new dad" Lorenzo looked at his brother tenderly and sadly, he didn't know how long Charles had had that doubt, so he lay down on his brother's bed to continue talking "But I'll be here always for you, because you and I from now on area team, I will take care of you and I will contribute to you, as dad did when he was with us "
"But where do mommy and daddy live now?" Charles sounded somewhere between sad and thoughtful.
"Well Charlie, mom and dad aren't physically with us anymore, and dad wanted to go live with mom, but that doesn't mean they're not still close to us" Lorenzo had to inhale before continuing to speak, he had to think his words through. to explain in the best way to his younger brother what was happening “The two of them look at us from heaven, in the stars. They preferred to become two shining stars so that they could always observe and take care of us."
"Oh really? So I was able to see them every night in the sky?" Charles sounded astonished and his eyes no longer shone from crying that caused the nightmare, but from the idea that now his parents were two bright stars in the sky.
"Sure, we can look at the sky every night and look for them both, they are the brightest stars in the sky, and although sometimes it seems that they are not together, it is only because of how big the sky is" Lorenzo smiled warmly "And You know, even though I'm not your dad, I'll still do the things thatI used to be dad, I'll be here for you, I'll take you to school, I'll help you sleep, I'll be with you whenever you need it, I'll give you all my love and care."
"But if I wanted to, could I call you dad sometimes?" Charles sounded reflective again.
"Of course you can, if that makes you feel better, but don't forget that I am your older brother, and that I will give my all to make you happy" Lorenzo said with an understanding tone.>>
Lorenzo thought that that moment would never happen, he thought it was just his 8-year-old brother without fully understanding that his father would not return. But 18 years later, they were celebrating not only Charles' first world title, but also the new level of their relationship, the recognition for all those years in which Lorenzo would do everything the same as long as Charles is happy.
"I think knowing that you see me that way is the best gift someone could have given me in life" Lorenzo whispered so that only Charles could hear him, with a lump in his throat he continued speaking "I will always, no matter what, I will be your dad and you will be my champion
Charles smiled through his tears, feeling complete after many years, he felt embraced not only by his brother's arms but also by the love and connection they both shared.
Charles saw that Max was standing behind, watching and listening to the whole scene, the Dutchman looked out the window and the younger Monegasque imitated his action, the two saw how some stars shone brighter than others.
It was like a bit of confirmation to the Red Bull driver and his Ferrari counterpart that perhaps on the “other side” there were some people happy about more than just Charles' world champion title.