{Fair warning that the talks about the race and qualifying and all that is far from being 100 percent accurate just so you are aware of that I am still learning things about it and all that plus doing things in a way so they happen like I want them to as this is a work of fiction.}

The following day heading to the track Val was much lighter and in a far better mood than the previous day, she was wearing more neutral colors today with just a little splash of orange just for the fact that she and Lina were guests of McLaren but she was wearing Charles' Ferrari hat that he had given her yesterday.

The two friends scanned their paddock passes and Lina gave her friend a teasing look, "So I take it that your meeting last night was with your ex? and judging by how much more relaxed you are walking in here today, it went rather well."

"Correct on both of those things Lina." They continued walking towards the McLaren garage as they did the previous day but like Lina said Val looked much more in her element here than before. They were stopped by a few fans wanting pictures and autographs from the singer. A few of them even gushed about her wearing Charles' Ferrari hat, and how sweet it was that she was still supporting him. Val just smiled at them, not saying anything about it. 

They never publicly announced why they broke up just that they did. 

Malina was an influencer, she posted on Instagram and TikTok mainly but was nowhere near as famous as her roommate and best friend, and that never bothered her, she was just grateful to be where she was now.

They walked away from the fans, after Val signed things, took photos, and answered a few questions vaguely. 

"V?" they heard as they walked past the Red Bull garage.

The singer smiled and turned, "Max, it's good to see you."

The Red Bull driver pulled her into a hug, "Wow, V it's been ages... I almost didn't believe that you were here yesterday when Daniel told me... but then again Charles was in an extremely good mood this morning when we left the hotel to head to the track."

Val returned the hug and after they pulled, she gave the Dutch man a look, "and you just correlate that his good mood has to do with me then?" she laughed lightly.

Max smirked, teasingly at her "Obviously V, the man's not been in that good of a mood in ages... especially that early in the morning."

Val sighed, not bothering to even hide anything from the man in front of her "We talked yesterday... after the practice sessions were over."

Max nodded at her the smirk still present on his face, "ahhh I see so you are the source of his good mood this morning?"

Val just laughed, "Okay so I may be the source of it." her phone dinged, "one sec." she said to Max as she pulled it out and tried to hide the smile that threatened to slip onto her face.

Seeing that look right there told the Dutch man exactly who had texted her. But Lina furrowed her brow. She had never seen Val smile at her phone like that before or well try to hide a smile like that.

*+:｡.｡　🏎️　｡.｡:+*

Amore Mio ❤️

Have you got to the track yet?

just arrived a few minutes ago
speaking to Max at the moment

okay, are you wearing my hat?

maybe, guess you'll see when I see
you at some point today

or you could just tell me

where's the fun in that
tho Charlie

come on Val, just tell me, please?

nope, not going to tell you,
you'll see at some point, Charlie

now, chérie, come on
I just want to know
if my favorite girl is
showing her support by
wearing the hat that I gave her

Charlie! you can't just say things like
that out of nowhere...

*+:｡.｡　🏎️　｡.｡:+*

Max and Lina were watching as Val giggled at her phone, Max was giving her a teasing look while Lina was confused about who Val was texting.

"must have been some talk huh?" Max said as Val slipped her phone back into her pocket.

Val shrugged, "We're friends again Max."

He just gave her a look, "and you're giggling at your phone like a teenager with her first schoolgirl crush V, not very subtle at all."

She rolled her eyes and flipped him off, making the Dutchman laugh, "No need to expose me like that Max, but there is someone that I want to see before fp3 starts so," she turned to Lina, "I'll meet you in the McLaren garage before it starts." she looked back at Max, "it's was nice to see you again Max."

Lina nodded at her, knowing that after tomorrow Val would explain things to her and everything would hopefully make sense. "All right Val, text me if you 'get lost' again."

Max just smirked at the singer, "are we witnessing the resurrection of Vales right in front of our very eyes?" she rolled her eyes at him as she just walked off not even bothering to answer him.

Everyone could tell that Charles was in an unusually good mood for once as they were all leaving the hotel to head to the track, though only one person knew for certain what the cause of this was. Still, three others could speculate it had something to do with a certain singer being there this weekend.

Carlos was watching his teammate as they were in the Ferrari garage going over a few things before the start of fp3, Charles was paying extra attention to his phone with a look that he hadn't seen on his face in a long time. it made him wonder just who Charles was talking to at the moment.

Carlos averted his eyes from Charles once he put his phone down again and was once again paying attention to what was being told to them.

Val had approached the Ferrari garage a few minutes later and just walked right in through the door, strutting in as if she belonged there which she pretty much did belong there.

Heads turned hearing the clicking of her heels on the concrete floor of the garage, some looking confused not knowing why this girl just strutted in, while others were surprised to see the brunette there since they knew about her past with Charles.

The Monégasque Ferrari driver's mood brightened even more seeing her walking towards him with his Ferrari hat on her head just like he had hoped, she'd worn it today. "you wore it." he spoke once she reached his side.

Val gave him a small smile, "Of course I did, I was going to wear it either way but teasing you about it was more fun."

He gave her a slight pout seeing the orange in her shirt... "you're wearing McLaren colors again."

She did think that the slight pout on his face was adorable but for her own sanity chose to ignore it, "I'm a guest for McLaren, Charlie, of course, I'm going to wear something with their colors in it... I toned it down today. It's just a splash of orange compared to yesterday." 

The pout was still on his face as he looked at her, "Fine, but only because you're a guest for them this race." she just chuckled at that still ignoring the pout.

Carlos stood watching the two interact, and suddenly Charles' good mood from this morning made more sense and the way he had been more attached to his phone than usual also made sense to the Spanish Ferrari driver.

An announcement rang out that fp3 would start in five minutes, Val smiled at Charles, gently squeezing his shoulder, "Good luck out there, you've got this."

He smiled back at her, "Thank you, and of course I do, I've got you here, I've got my good luck charm."

Some of the newer members of the Ferrari team were watching the interaction with interest because they hadn't seen this side of the Monégasque driver before. That's the most genuine smile that they had ever seen on the normally broody man's face.

Val resisted the urge to kiss him on the cheek, it was too soon for that they'd only been talking again since the previous day "I've got to head back to the McLaren garage, I promised Lina I'd meet her there before fp3 started but I wanted to see you before practice started... but remember you've got this Charlie..." she tapped the hat on her head, "I may be in the McLaren garage but I'm rooting for you." 

He just gave her a dimpled smile as he climbed into his car getting ready to head out onto the track.

Val made her way to the McLaren garage with a grin on her face, as she joined Lina's side making several people give her weird looks because of the Ferrari hat on her head but Val didn't care. The younger girl gave Val a look, "Charles Leclerc is your ex-boyfriend?" she questioned quietly.

Val chuckled, "Yeah." there was no use denying it if she had already figured it out. 

"Sorry it's just I overheard Lando and Oscar talking about how Charles was in an unusually good mood today and then Lando mentioned you which confused Oscar a little bit but I put the pieces together from your conversation with Max earlier."

"It's alright Lina I was going to tell you that when we talked after tomorrow."

Lina just smirked at her, "Honestly, though if Charles Leclerc was my ex, I wouldn't get over him either, like damn girl... seriously though I'd say go for babes because there is clearly still something there."

That made Val laugh quietly because while she had told Lina about the relationship and the breakup she never mentioned who he was. So the girl knew everything else but not his identity until now. "we're friends again for now... but according to him he's going to do everything in his power to win me back... that's what he said last night."

"Girl... he so still wants you, like you don't just drop that unless you want something to happen."

Val grinned, "I know, and let me show you what he said earlier... it's what had me giggling at my phone." she pulled up her texts with Charles and showed Lina the 'my favorite girl' message.

"girl my god that would have had me giggling at my phone too, jeez also why is his contact name my love still?"

"it caught me off guard not going to lie, and well I didn't realize it until yesterday when I went to send him the location of the cafe where we met up, I never changed his name in my phone after we broke up but I'm not going to do it now... in case this works out the way I'm hoping it will."

"with the two of you getting back together?"

Val nodded, "Exactly." they then focused on the free practice, and Lina noticed Val's eyes staying locked onto the number 16 Ferrari, and the younger girl smiled. She hoped things worked out for Val and Charles.

Val resisted the urge to cheer when Charles once again finished first in the third free practice, which guaranteed him a really good spot for starting in quali one. She thought it better not to do that while she was in the McLaren garage.

Lina laughed at the look on Val's face. The car pulled back into the garage and they officially had about an hour before quali one started. Lando seeing Val with Lina now walked over to the two.

"Hey V."

"Hi, Lando."

He gave her a teasing look, "Nice hat you got there V."

She shrugged, "he gave it to me when I ran into him before fp2 yesterday."

Lando smirked at her, "ahhh so you've spoken to him?"

Oscar joined them as well, Lina smiled at the Aussie driver, while Val was talking to Lando. "yes, we spoke and it went rather well."

The younger man grinned at the singer, "I knew it!" then she noticed Oscar there with them, "I told you V was the reason Charles was in such a good mood this morning."

Val laughed, "Wow, okay did everyone just assume that I was the reason for him being in a good mood? Because I swear Max said the same thing when I ran into him after we got here."

Lando shrugged, "probably everyone that knew you were here yesterday."

Val paused and then shrugged, "Fair enough, and not to sound cocky or anything but I mean you're not wrong, we talked after the practice yesterday... I just didn't realize that it would practically automatically be correlated that I was the cause of it."

"So you guys are talking again then?"

Lina smirked teasingly at her best friend, "Oh for sure they are, the man had her full-out giggling at her phone in the middle of the Paddock, Max and I were just standing there as she had been talking to him before her phone went off. Val goes one sec and the biggest smile slips onto her face and she starts just giggling at her phone."

Val gave her a look, "Okay Lina no need to expose me like that."

The younger girl just grinned, continuing, " and damn she showed me what he said later and oh my god, I'd have been giggling at my phone too... bro was smooth with that."

Val just playfully rolled her eyes, "That's my cue I'll be back in a little while."

Lina smirked, and called out as the older girl walked away, "All right then Val go find lover boy, I know that is exactly where you are headed."

Lando laughed as Val flipped the girl off as she walked out of the McLaren garage. "I kind of want to know what he said to her."

Lina grinned at the boy, spilling the tea to him, "Okay so basically he wanted her to wear the hat today and had asked if she was wearing it and Val being Val wasn't telling him so he came back and said something along the lines of I just want to know if my favorite girl is showing her support by wearing the hat that I gave her... that's so cute, like I would fold instantly if someone called me their favorite girl."

Lando nodded, "damn that was smooth though."

Oscar looked between them, "I am so confused here what's going on?"

Lando nodded, "Right this all happened before you moved up to F1, so Valentina and Charles were childhood best friends, they clicked the moment they met when Val and her dad moved to Monaco and then they dated for four years, and then broke up in 2021 but that's a whole other story."

Oscar nodded, "and they're talking again which is why Charles was in such a good mood this morning?"

"Yes, exactly."

With the confirmation that Val was the reason for the Monégasque driver's good mood, after fp3 but before Q1 Lando had gathered the drivers that were friends with them in one spot, so it was Daniel, Max, Carlos, George, Lewis, Pierre and Alex and spilled everything that he knew about it. Oscar already knew so he didn't feel the need to tell him a second time.

Val walked into the Ferrari garage for the second time that day and she looked around but didn't see Charles but Carlos noticed her and approached "Val!" the Spanish man gave her a quick hug which the singer returned. 

She smiled, "Hi, Carlos."

"I didn't expect to see you here."

"yeah, McLaren invited my best friend Lina to watch from the garage and she made me come with her which I'm honestly glad that she did now."

Carlos grinned at her, that whole conversation with Lando flashed in his mind as well as seeing them talk earlier, "Because you and Charles are talking again?"

She nodded, "Yeah, speaking of Charlie do you know where he is?"

Carlos smiled, he was honestly happy they were talking again, "he was in his driver's room a few minutes ago, so if you run along now you might be able to catch him."

"all right thanks Carlos, it was nice to see you again though."

"you too Val." then she walked towards Charles' driver's room.

She knocked on the door, heard a "come in," and walked in closing the door behind her. Charles looked up and smiled, "Hi."

Val smiled back at him, "Hi." she then decided to hug him, which surprised him but he wrapped his arms around her, "You did so good in fp3 which means you're in a good starting point for quali one..."

He rested his chin on the top of her head, savoring this moment, "thank you, Val."

"of course, Charlie." she gave him a teasing smile, as she looked up at him "So basically everyone that knows I'm here knows that you're in a good mood because of me."

He shrugged, "Let them know I don't care, I've got you back in my life, I've got something to be in a good mood about." She smiled at him, she hoped that this would work out the way that she wanted it to because the singer knew that there was no way she would be able to get over him, she tried and nothing she did made her forget about him. "do you just want to hang out here until time for quali one to start or we could hang out in the hospitality whatever you want to do?" 

Val smiled at him, again "I'm completely fine just hanging out here just us, if that's what you want to do Charlie." 

"fine with me, I'm down for whatever you want to do." 

"It's settled then, plus if people see us walking around together then it'll just stir up a bunch of rumors which I don't mind, but we've only just reconnected, so I say give it some time before we add fuel to the fire."  

Charles nodded at that, "You make a valid point chérie." so they spent the time until quali one started just talking and the whole time Val was just thinking about how much she just wanted to kiss him and the way he kept looking at her said he wanted to kiss her as well but didn't want to overstep her boundaries which was why he didn't just do it. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable in any way. 

The alarm he set to let him know when it was time to head back, for quali one went off making the two get up off the couch and head toward the door but Val quickly before she could stop to think about it kissed him on the cheek, "good luck in quali, Charlie." 

He smiled his face turning the slightest shade of red, but he just pressed a kiss to her head in return, "Thank you, chérie," it was her turn to blush after that but there was a wide smile on her face.  

Val returned to the McLaren garage with Lina who smiled softly at her, she hadn't seen her best friend this happy since she had known the girl. "how was lover boy?" 

Val rolled her eyes, "We're not together Lina, we're just friends at the moment, but Charlie was good we just hung out and talked in his driver's room." 

"But I have faith that you two will end back together soon, and that's good." 

Val sighed, "god I hope so, because all I could think about the entire time was how much I wanted to just kiss him right then and there." 

Lina gave her a look, "bitch you should have done it, screw waiting for him to make the move just do it yourself." 

"the way he kept looking at me was about to drive me crazy like he wanted it too but was also apprehensive probably not wanting to overstep a boundary or something." 

Lina smirked, "damn talk about a gentleman..." Lina noticed the way Val smirked as her mind drifted, probably to a place that it shouldn't be drifting at that moment... "Val!" Lina snapped her out of her thoughts. 

"Sorry Lina my mind just kind of drifted for a minute, and no you don't want to know what I was thinking about there."   

The smirk on her face told Lina all that she needed to know about where her best friend's head went just then, she scrunched up her nose, "Ew... the smirk gives it away Val, so no I don't want to know." Val laughed as Q1 started bringing both of their attention to the screens to watch. 

Lina glanced at the older girl in amusement as she kept muttering to herself, "Come on tesoro, you got this." knowing that she was talking to Charles even though Lina was the only one who could hear her, she was subconsciously calling him babe in Italian.

by the end of Q1 Charles had finished second behind Max but there were still two more qualifying races to run, Val was smiling because he was making good lap times, and she hoped that he continued to make good lap times for a pole position to start the race tomorrow.  

There was only a fifteen-minute interlude before Q2 started so Val decided that she would talk to Charles after qualifying was over instead of walking all the way to the Ferrari garage and then having to walk back for such a short time. However, she did text him and tell him that she would talk to him after qualifying was over so that he knew. 

*+:｡.｡　🏎️　｡.｡:+*

Amore Mio ❤️

since there is only a 15-minute
interlude before Q2 starts and another 15
before Q3 I'll come and find you at the end

but you're doing so well Charlie

okay chérie, I'll see you after
qualifying and thank you Val

I just wanted to let you know
and you're welcome

*+:｡.｡　🏎️　｡.｡:+*

Lina gave her friend a teasing look, "What you're not going to go and see lover boy during the interlude?"

Val rolled her eyes at her best friend, "It's only a 15-minute interlude, Lina, I'd barely arrive at the Ferrari garage before I'd have to come back so I texted Charlie and told him I'd see him after qualifying was over."

"fair enough." then Lina looked at her best friend, "Wait a thought just hit me if Charles is your ex-boyfriend does that mean that your most iconic love songs are about him?"

Val laughed, "Yes Lina they're about him."

"Shower?"

"Yes, Lina that one is about him as well."

"Sparks Fly?"

"yep, I wrote that before we got together but yes it's about him."

"Yeah Boy?"

"Once again I wrote it before we got together but it's about him."

Lina grinned, "So basically you're saying that we have Charles Leclerc to thank for all of your iconic love songs then?" 

Val laughed but nodded, "I guess so, Lina, because they are all about him, even some of the ones that nobody would think could be about him are about him." 

Lina laughed as well, "I mean I'm not surprised about that... the way that you talked about him gave it away, even if you never told me who he was before I figured it out today."

Before they knew it Q2 was starting and they turned their attention to the screens watching as the session started.  Once again Val's eyes were locked on Charles' car as they ran the second qualifying race. By the end of the second quali, Charles was once again second behind Max by a few seconds. 

After Q2 the two girls decided to walk around the Paddock for a bit and get some food before Q3 started. They were stopped by a few fans whom they both took pictures with, as they wanted pictures with both girls. 

15 minutes later they were back in the McLaren garage as Q3 was starting. 

User | @user1

Yo did I really just see Valentina Rossi at the Las Vegas Grand Prix Quali... wearing a fucking CL16 Ferrari hat? like what? you would never catch me out wearing a hat with my ex's name/initials and sports number on it after we broke up.

     @user4: no because that's so true but then again we don't know what happened or why they broke up they could still be friends without it being publicly known

    @user7: honestly I hope that whatever it is means that we're going to get an announcement that #vales are back together I missed them together so much

@user3: agreed @user7 like they were so cute together even If they kept their private life to themselves as much as possible 

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note:

this is definitely a long chapter, probably the longest one in the book so far with 4k words. I've decided that this will mostly be texting and Irl scenes for the most part with maybe a few social media scenes like twitter/x or Instagram.

also I don't own any of the songs that I use for Val all rights go to the proper owners and writers.

Anyway, I hope that you guys enjoyed the chapter, next chapter finishes out the qualifying day and will cover race day as well. also will include more Vales content :D this definitely isn't as slow burn as I was originally planning for it to be... you will definitely see that in the next chapter.