the paddock slowly came alive outside the ferrari garage, mechanics walking past with coffee cups in hand while cameras flashed somewhere further down the pitlane. sunlight reflected against the polished floors and the bright red tool cabinets, warming the chilly morning air. your pass hung crookedly around your neck after nearly falling asleep in one of the lounge chairs waiting for qualifying to start.

scattered beside you were your headphones, a crumpled ferrari cap, and the breakfast carlos insisted you eat but barely touched. his race gloves rested on the table nearby next to his phone filled with unread messages from the team. the smell of espresso and tires lingered through the garage while engineers spoke quietly in the background.

carlos stood a few feet away talking with one of the mechanics, still dressed halfway in his race suit with the top tied around his waist. tiredness sat softly on his face after media duties all morning, though the moment he glanced over and saw you awake, his expression immediately softened.

“morning, princesa.”

his voice was quiet as he walked over, placing his coffee down before fixing your crooked paddock pass properly.

“you slept here again?” he sighed, though there was more amusement than annoyance in his tone.

you noticed faint stubble along his jaw and messy curls from constantly pulling his balaclava on and off. a few red marks from his headset pressed against the side of his neck while his lanyard hung loosely over his chest.

“you know there’s an actual hotel room waiting for you, right?” carlos murmured before pressing a quick kiss to the top of your head.

then he glanced at the untouched breakfast beside you and raised an eyebrow immediately.

“…and don’t tell me this is all you ate.”