adoration | CL fanfic

thirty six

The Dutch Grand Prix was over quickly, Max had come first with Charles close in second and Sergio Perez in third.

It was a pretty uneventful race considering they had each stayed in the same position the entire race and he was clear they wouldn't be moving around anytime soon.

The next race was in Italy in two weeks but as a present from me I decided to surprise Charles with a two week holiday before the race, we could sit at the beach or he could check out the track in advance.

This morning I woke up the happiest I had been in months, we were staying in a sea view room of a private hotel and it was gorgeous.

Our room was glass so natural light surrounded us, the room was decorated nicely and summery and it was so peaceful.

My head was on Charles' bare chest as I often used him for a pillow these days, his heart beat was soft and steady under my ear.

"So beautiful." He whispered quietly as we were cuddled up closely.

"It is beautiful."

"I was talking about you baby." He stated moving me to sit up and face him in his lap, our foreheads touching.

We eventually decided to go and get some gelato and do a boat trip, Charles actually has a boat in Monaco so he was qualified enough to be able to drive one in Italy.

Despite my motion sickness issues that have been instilled in me from a very young age, I was pretty good in boats funnily enough.

Once we reached a certain point we stopped the boat and sat on the deck, looking out at the crystal blue water surrounding us.

After a while I reached out and grabbed one of the books I'd promised Pascale I would read that she'd given me a few months ago, Pascale and I often spoke about reading.

She gives me recommendations and I try to read them all but lately I've been busier and I don't want her to think I'm ignoring her.

"Melody come in the water. It's really nice." Charles called from out in the water, my feet were in the water but I was sat firmly on deck.

I lifted my book in the air "I'm reading."

He swam up closer to me as I continued to read , "Mel, I will let you read for the rest of these two weeks if you come in the water." He proposed.

"Charles," I took a breathe "I can't swim."

Charles shook his head in disbelief "What? Yes you can Mel."

I shook my head "No, my parents couldn't pay for swimming lessons as a kid so I never learnt. Max had to learn when he was like 20."

"But you've been in the pool?" He questioned.

"Yeah in the shallow end." I admitted.

"Well let me teach you then," he suggested "the waters clear, I can't reach the bottom but you can see it."

"Charles if you can't reach the bottom I definitely can't, I'm alright thanks." I told him as I picked up my book again.

Charles climbed up besides me and walked over to the wheel of the boat and brought it closer in the docks "Right, I think this is a good start. I can reach the floor here." He said jumping out of the side of the boat.

"Charles." I said to him.

"Trust me melody, if you try with me today I won't make you do it again. I think you'll like it." He promised.

I looked down at him and finally agreed, I put my book in the bag it was in moments ago and pulled off my hoodie to reveal the bikini I was wearing underneath.

Earning a whistle from Charles.

I sat at the edge of the boat my feet dangling in the water still "So what am I doing?"

"Keep your hands on the edge and lower your legs in slowly so your upper body is out of the water but your legs aren't." He instructed and I did just that.

"Okay stop trying to kill the fish and kick your legs less crazily," he joked "so now release one hand from the boat and make circular motions with it."

I took one arm off the boat so the only thing keeping me a float was my left arm "I'm not good at this." I told him but he ignored me.

He could see this wasn't working out so he proposed a new idea "Okay I'm going to grab you and pull you out a little and we'll go from there alright?"

"What? No."

"Do you trust me Mel?" He asked and I rolled my eyes giving him my answer already.

He put his arms around my waist and I instantly locked my legs around his lower body as he walked out from the boat a little, where we were his feet just about touched the bottom so mine wouldn't if he were to let me go.

"Okay Mel, I know it's scary but you need to take your Legs and start kicking them lightly In the water and doing the circular motions with your arms again." He explained to me but I was still unsure.

"I don't want to drown Charles." I fearfully told him.

"You won't Mel. If I think you're struggling I will pull you back into me and we won't go in the sea again alright?" He asked me and I nodded.

The amount of trust I had for him was so incredibly abnormal.

Yet I pushed away from his body and did exactly as he told me and I was floating, my head remained above the water as I got used to the sensation of swimming.

"Look at that. A natural." He smiled as I laughed at him.

For the first time I took in the colour of the water, and observed the fish beneath me as they accepted me into their home, their kingdom of colour.

As I became increasingly confident in the sea and began to actually swim around in circles we got onto the boat and put it further out.

"Do you think you're ready enough to jump in?" Charles asked as we stood at the edge of the boat platform.

Before I could even respond I had already jumped in, "Beat you too it."

"Oi don't get cocky with me, i am the master of swimming." He claimed as he jumped in beside me absolutely drenching me.