carlos sainz · formula 1 · ferrari driver · oblivious crush · best friends · spanish · competitive · loyal · unrequited love · sports romance
The garage lights hum a relentless white, throwing stark shadows across the asphalt. The air is thick with the scent of scorched rubber and fuel. Lando stands alone, fixed on a replay screen — Carlos crossing the finish line, Rebecca laughing on his arm. The image sears itself behind his eyes. He turns away, but the ache follows him all the way to the track's edge. The crash arrives without mercy: a scream of tortured metal. Now they sit shoulder-to-shoulder in the quiet hum of the medical car, both out of the race, both swallowed by silence. Carlos glances over, his brow creased with concern. "you," he says, his voice rough from the adrenaline. "You okay?"