Hello fellow Piarlies ❤️💙 We are back with another winter fic exchange centred around our French and French-adjacent boys! All arrangements, sign-up details and explanations for the exchange can be found beneath the cut.
How does the exchange work?
Exactly the same as the previous Winter Fic Exchanges! We are approaching the winter break again, and we thought it would be cool if we could inspire another flood of Piarles-flavoured content to lift our spirits and make us miss F1 a little less over the break. Besides, who doesn’t love a present? Especially if that present is a fanfiction written just for you.
So how this works is: you sign up, submit your prompts for what you’d like to read in a gift fic, and then after sign-ups close, we’ll assign you a partner to write for. Someone else will have been assigned to write for you, so on the due date, you’ll post a gift fic and receive a gift fic of your own. 🎁
When are the deadlines and due dates?
Sign-ups are open as of now, and will remain open until the 20th of November 2024 - AKA, the day before the Vegas race weekend officially starts. After that point, we will close sign-ups and collect everyone’s prompts.
Assignments will be sent out by the 25th of November - AKA, the Monday right after Vegas - roll the dice in Vegas to reveal your giftee! 🎲🎲 You will then have almost two full months to work on your gift fics. (The sign-up period is a little shorter this year to give everyone a bit more time for the actual writing of the gift fics).
Gift fics are due to be posted on the 16th of January 2025, though we do want this to be a fun and no-real-pressure exchange for everyone, so if we notice that people are struggling to finish in time for the deadline, we will simply delay it by a week, and/or implement a staggered reveals system. We can do this as many times as necessary for everyone to finish comfortably and produce a fic you know your giftee will enjoy. 💙
What are the posting instructions for the gift fics?
There aren’t a whole lot of really specific or strict rules in this exchange, but the two we would like people to take note of are the following:
This is a Piarles fic exchange, so the main focus of your fanfiction should be the romantic relationship between Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc. Background pairings are allowed as long as the primary focus of your fic is still the dynamic between Charles and Pierre. (There will be a space in the sign-up form to indicate which background pairings you do and don’t like. Please note, however, that there is no requirement to write any background pairings if you don’t want to.)
The minimum word count for this exchange is 2k (2000) words. There is no cut-off or maximum word count, but we do ask that you try and write a one-shot instead of a multi-chapter if at all possible (unless you are posting a multi-chapter fic which is already complete at the time of posting.)
We will do a more detailed post with AO3 collection details and final deadline/timezone instructions closer to the actual deadline. ❄
Is this a fic-only exchange, or can we create art as well?
This is indeed a fic-focused exchange, so in order to participate, we do request that everyone creates a fic that meets the 2k minimum. If you’re inspired to create art of any kind to go along with your fic, though, then you are more than welcome to do so! In fact, you’d be the MVP if you did. 🎁
How does prompting work in this exchange?
There will be a space in the sign-up form for you to submit two different prompts. Prompts can be anything from AU ideas (eg. coffee shop AU) to dialogue (eg. “Shut up” // “Make me”) to tropes or themes (eg. enemies to lovers). Anything goes, pretty much! Our only request is that you submit two completely different prompts - this is just to give your gift writer options.
As a gift writer, you can write either of the two prompts, or even go for some sort of creative combination of them both. It’s completely up to you!
There will be a space where you can provide an explicit/smutty prompt if you want, but please note that your gift writer is not required to include any explicit content in their fic unless they’re comfortable with doing so. 💙
What if I get prompts I really can’t write?
Not to worry - if you really don’t vibe with any of the prompts you have been given, you can get in touch with one of the mods and we will reach out to your giftee to provide an additional prompt or two. If things are still not working, we might reach out to someone else and have you swap giftees entirely. We want everyone to have a great time in this exchange, both in the writing and receiving parts of it!
We understand that sometimes life gets in the way, though, and you might not be able to fulfill your prompts for other reasons. We hope it doesn’t happen, but if you need to drop out of the exchange for any reason, please just let one of our mods know so we can arrange a pinch-hitter to step in and write your giftee’s fic in your place. ❄
Who are the mods for this exchange?
We have the wonderful team of @singsweetmelodies, @welightitup, @duquesademiel, and @yukierres running things for this exchange! 💙
Where and how do I sign up?
All you have to do is fill out this Google form! Additional relevant information will be shared on the Calamars Club Discord server, so if you are not already part of that server, please message a mod for the invite link.
@ Pierre/Charles shippers across Discord, Tumblr and AO3: we hope that this exchange will make you all smile over the winter break! We are so excited to share this with you all 🎁
Hello all Piarles fans!! We Calamar Club server mods have something very exciting planned for the most special week of the year - 1016 Week! ❤️ 💙
Running from Thursday the 10th to Wednesday the 16th of October on the Calamars Club Discord server, we will be hosting themed trivia nights covering different aspects of Piarles, past and present. But don't worry - we'll make sure to have numerous sessions at different timings to cover the many timezones to ensure all of our amazing Piarlies can participate! (And yes, there will be prizes! ☺️😉)
In addition to the trivia nights, we will also be holding a WIP Weekend from Saturday the 12th to Sunday the 13th of October. For all of you writers who would like to get some words down for their fics but have been struggling lately, this weekend is for you! With multiple sprint and brainstorming sessions through the weekend, you might find it hard to stop writing after ✍️
If you'd like to join in and aren't a member of the server yet, just send us an ask or a DM, and we'll change that immediately 🫶
Hiii fellow Piarlies, and welcome to the CC server's Summer of Piarles! This summer break, we're going to be bringing you a series of Piarles-focused events to keep us all from missing our boys too much while there's no F1.
First up, we have a writing challenge for our lovely writers: the Choose Your Own Adventure fic fest! For this event, we will provide you with a 3-level prompt diagram, and then you choose whichever prompts/tropes you like best in each level, and build your own fic from that.
You can find the prompt diagram below the cut:
(If you would like an image description of this diagram, please feel free to contact any of the mods - we will be happy to provide this for you ❤️)
If you're still not quite sure how this diagram works, we came up with this example choose-your-own-adventure fic:
So this fic would be a strangers-to-lovers historical AU, with elements of forced proximity, secret identity, and the "oh. oh" moment. (Sounds like a pretty fun fic, right? 👀) But there are many, many options, and we can't wait to see what you all come up with!!
Some Logistics:
The Choose Your Own Adventure challenge is open as of now, and will remain open until the 22nd of August.
You can post your fic(s) to the AO3 collection at any time during this period. They will all be revealed on the 23rd of August (the beginning of the next race weekend, so that we can all enjoy a weekend of racing and reading when F1 starts up again!)
You can find the AO3 collection here: Summer of Piarles: Choose Your Own Adventure (Summer_of_Piarles_2024).
The minimum word count for this event is 2k words, and there is no maximum 😉 You are also welcome to post multi-chapter fics for this challenge - just pinky promise us that you're planning to finish them someday xD
You do not have to fill in any Google Forms or anything to sign up - this is a very low-pressure, if-you-can-when-you-can type of challenge. This challenge is hosted by the Calamars Club Discord server, so all you need to do is join us there! (You can message any of the mods for an invite link to join the server.)
Your mods for this event are the fantastic team of @singsweetmelodies, @welightitup, @duquesademiel, @nolanseagull and @pinkierre ❤️
If you have any questions about any part of the event, please don't hesitate to message one of the mods. We are always happy to help!
But for now... happy summer break, and happy writing!! ❤️💙
Hello everyone! We wanted to let you all know that we are now going to be having two separate sets of fic reveals for this challenge:
The first set of fics will be revealed on the 1st of September, with fics being due in the collection by 31 August.
The next set of fics will be revealed on the 10th of September, with fics being due in the collection by 9 September.
The AO3 collection will remain open for another month after the 10th of September, so if you wanted to participate but you couldn't make it by either of the new reveal dates, you are still welcome to add your fic to the collection later.
We want this to be a fun and stress-free event for all, and we hope the deadline extension will help keep it that way for everyone ❤️
Thank you for understanding, and we will see you all on the 31st!
Hiii fellow Piarlies, and welcome to the CC server's Summer of Piarles! This summer break, we're going to be bringing you a series of Piarles-focused events to keep us all from missing our boys too much while there's no F1.
First up, we have a writing challenge for our lovely writers: the Choose Your Own Adventure fic fest! For this event, we will provide you with a 3-level prompt diagram, and then you choose whichever prompts/tropes you like best in each level, and build your own fic from that.
You can find the prompt diagram below the cut:
(If you would like an image description of this diagram, please feel free to contact any of the mods - we will be happy to provide this for you ❤️)
If you're still not quite sure how this diagram works, we came up with this example choose-your-own-adventure fic:
So this fic would be a strangers-to-lovers historical AU, with elements of forced proximity, secret identity, and the "oh. oh" moment. (Sounds like a pretty fun fic, right? 👀) But there are many, many options, and we can't wait to see what you all come up with!!
Some Logistics:
The Choose Your Own Adventure challenge is open as of now, and will remain open until the 22nd of August.
You can post your fic(s) to the AO3 collection at any time during this period. They will all be revealed on the 23rd of August (the beginning of the next race weekend, so that we can all enjoy a weekend of racing and reading when F1 starts up again!)
You can find the AO3 collection here: Summer of Piarles: Choose Your Own Adventure (Summer_of_Piarles_2024).
The minimum word count for this event is 2k words, and there is no maximum 😉 You are also welcome to post multi-chapter fics for this challenge - just pinky promise us that you're planning to finish them someday xD
You do not have to fill in any Google Forms or anything to sign up - this is a very low-pressure, if-you-can-when-you-can type of challenge. This challenge is hosted by the Calamars Club Discord server, so all you need to do is join us there! (You can message any of the mods for an invite link to join the server.)
Your mods for this event are the fantastic team of @singsweetmelodies, @welightitup, @duquesademiel, @nolanseagull and @pinkierre ❤️
If you have any questions about any part of the event, please don't hesitate to message one of the mods. We are always happy to help!
But for now... happy summer break, and happy writing!! ❤️💙
Piarles Winter Fic Exchange 2023/24 - The Final Round-Up
AO3 Collection Link
After three months of build-up and two weeks of spectacular fic reveals, the Piarles Winter Fic Exchange 2023/24 has finally drawn to its close 💙 Today, it is my honour and pleasure to share with you the results of all of our efforts: an astounding 478 616 words written over the course of twenty-eight brand-new Piarles fics. 🎉
We want to start by saying a MASSIVE thank you to all our incredible creators. You are all so wonderful and so so talented - it has been a delight and a privilege to spend the last few months with you. To laugh with you and to create with you and to share the Piarles joy with you. You are all phenomenal, and we feel so lucky that you chose to spend this time with us. ❤️
I also want to take this opportunity to say a personal thank you to my amazing mod team: @boxboxbrioche, @welightitup, @duquesademiel, @wolfiemcwolferson and @river-ocean. Moderating this exchange with you has been a slightly crazy rollercoaster ride, but I couldn't have asked for better people by my side throughout it. Thank you all, for everything!!
Below the cut we have the final round-up of all our 2023/24 Piarles Winter Fic Exchange gift fics. You are in for a real treat - enjoy!!! And don't forget to show the authors some love in the form of kudos, comments, bookmarks and tumblr reblogs 💘
Thank you all so much again.
Love and kisses,
Katie, Briony, Tia, Sol, Logan & River ❤️💙
you and me were raised in the same part of town by @wolfiemcwolferson | rated M | 11.6k words | tumblr post here
A story of two best friends told through the years in the setting of Charles' childhood treehouse.
damage, destruction by @pinkierre | rated T | 6.7k words | tumblr post here
Pierre Gasly doesn’t win the 2016 GP2 title, and thus he stays in the category for another year with Prema. He’s joined for the 2017 F2 season by his long time best friend and fresh GP3 champion Charles Leclerc.
What starts as a dream come true, quickly turns into a nightmare.
Fast forward 8 years later and they’re teammates again. At Ferrari F1 team. However this time, they hate each other. How will they cope?
Chasing What’s on the Other Side by @espithewarlock | rated E | 15.8k words | tumblr post here
A Mafia AU where Pierre is immediately obsessed with Charles, the newly-introduced romantic partner of his biggest rival, Carlos. He begins dangerously pursuing Charles, they fall into bed together, and his obsession only gets more real the more he learns about Charles’ history. Meanwhile, Pierre is also trying to keep his business running and figure out exactly what his rivals are plotting. There’s something simmering, and he does not like having a target on his back.
model behaviour by @your-littlesecret | rated T | 8k words
Charles isn't sure what he should be doing here - he is not proud to admit he completely zoned out as Camille was explaining - but the gorgeous guy is just standing there and Charles says fuck it and walks to him, extending a hand.
"Hi"
"Hello. I am Pierre." His smile is almost blinding and Charles feels like he's never seen someone as beautiful in his whole life - which is very fitting, considering he is a model.
change my mind by @chaesonghwas | rated M | 31.8k words | tumblr post here
When Lance drags him to a Drama Club meeting, Pierre doesn't expect to stay for long, but he meets Charles, brother to one of his fraternity's new pledges, and he decide to give it a chance. After all, Charles seems interested in him too - what could go wrong?
Stop the World I Wanna Get Off With You by @crimsonicarus | rated T | 2k words
It was easy with Charles, talking, spending time, being silent. It felt natural, like breathing. Laughing at his awful jokes came from his mouth effortlessly, like another mother tongue.
five january seconds by @fenesacha | rated E | 8.9k words
Charles' phone is on the counter between them, and Pierre reaches out to tap the screen, waking the device up. He spares one second to look at Charles’ new background, a photo of the two of them in their Christmas jumpers, before he glances at the date. There, not changing no matter how many times he blinks: Tuesday, 2 January.
What the fuck.
falling Inn love (five years later) by @gaslybottoms | rated T | 17.5k words
“American style holiday inn,” Lando reads from the description, squinting at the small font on the screen. “Family owned and run for the last three generations, the All Pine Inn is located deep in the heart of the South Downs, with picturesque views over the rolling hills of the local area. A step back from city life, the local village is a peaceful respite away from the busy day to day. See Charles, it seems perfect."
OR
Charles takes a trip to the country for the Christmas holidays, and rekindles an old almost romance along the way.
All The Pebbles Along The Way by @shankyspork | rated M | 17k words
Centering around friendship and grief, this fic takes the slow road through life and its meaningful moments, hoping to bring you to the conclusion that belonging is something innate.
all I ever wanted by @golden-fairylights | Not Rated | 8.4k words
When Charles received the email that Prince Pierre would attend his vernissage, he didn't know that by the end of the night, he would have found his soulmate.
Anything you can do, I can do better by @whatdidwejustdo | rated T | 2k words
In which Pierre and Charles are insufferably competitive mechanics for rival F1 teams (Red Bull vs Ferrari) and their friends (Carlos, Alex, and Yuki) suffer.
Endless snark, friendship, and references to decades of F1 lore.
Or:
"Well.” Pierre’s eyes were sharp and blue. "Have you ever re-assembled Max Verstappen's car in twenty minutes when it was supposed to take forty, and watched him put together a hot lap in the dying seconds of Q2 to make it into Q3 and take pole?"
let's be what we are by @hourcat | rated E | 46.1k words | tumblr post here
Some weekends go better than others, and the only time Charles sees his best friend is at the post-race afterparties that the bigger teams throw. They’ll clink bottles of gross tasting beer and chat with one of the other drivers relegated off to the side this season, and it feels like they’re the karting kids again.
Some weekends, though, Pierre is draped along Charles’ back, all but welded together after an early spin-out ended his day, and Pierre will give him what he needs—what they need.
(or: pierre, charles, and the consequences of a lifetime of touch.)
Can I just be in my head with you? by @chipsandnuggets | rated T | 7k words
"Pierrot,” he mumbles without thinking, while he separates for a moment from Pierre, but still keeps some closeness. “Can I have you? At least in my head? Can I have you like this, every time I want, in my head?”
5 times Pierre and Charles desire something plus one they finally do something about it.
Le Cheval Cabré by @moonlight0starlighte | rated G | 24.3k words
Charles, a tortured Michelin star chef, returns home for his father’s passing and discovers the family restaurant has been left to him. Though his grief feels stifling at times, Pierre, his oldest friend, is the light that guides him through it all.
Job 37:6 by @mysticalbreadcollective | rated E | 8.3k words
Maybe he can pass it off as a drunken hookup. A one-time thing. They can both forget it ever happened and move on. Pierre doesn’t need to remember Charles whining and panting beneath him. He can bury it down with the piece of his heart that Charles owns always.
take my hand (put yours over my heart) by @duquesademiel | rated T | 37.7k words | tumblr post here
Pierre Gasly has been declared Public Enemy Number One after breaking Charles’ best friend’s heart. Which, honestly, makes working in their charity work together just a little bit too awkward. A Christmas box, a lot of charity work, football matches and flower crowns might change Pierre’s status in Charles’ books - with a little dash of fake dating, of course.
hearts in the byline by @ilspredestinato | rated M | 25.6k words | tumblr post here
“You know,” Frédéric’s hands are crossed in front of him, fingertips tightening after every pause, “there is only one thing that brings stability to a Kingdom without it being a marriage.”
Charles draws in a sharp breath—he knows, nodding almost imperceptibly once Frédéric falls into a hesitant silence.
A courtship.
The Defenders by @justahappycloud | rated G | 30k words | tumblr post here
You showed me colours I can't see with anyone else by @radiocheck | rated E | 9.5k words | tumblr post here
Metropolis, a city for all kinds of people: good people, bad people, and people with special abilities.
Pierre, alias Blue Arrow, considers himself a special person. With the ability to fly like a bird and bend the toughest of materials at his will, he has decided to use these gifts to protect the city he loves.
But what happens when a new threat arises that could destroy everything he'd ever loved?
To prevent this, Pierre joins a group of other three heroes and an unlikely ally so that they can maybe, hopefully, save Metropolis from the claws of this new powerful villain.
“I really thought you didn’t like me, you know,” Pierre muses. “You were always so… defensive.”
Charles smiles thoughtfully. There are small dimples in his cheeks and his hair falls softly over his forehead as he glances down at the table before replying. “It was never that. I think I was afraid I would like you too much, if I let myself.”
In which Pierre falls for his roommate's best friend, Lando is never where he's supposed to be, and Charles is a dream in technicolour.
show me who made you walk all the way here by @yukierres | rated M | 36.5k words | tumblr post here
Pierre is being blackmailed by a former lover into coming out, but risks losing his seat at Ferrari if he does. Charles is a prince who is forbidden from coming out until he has a long-term partner.
The solution seems so obvious. Pretending shouldn't be that hard, right? Right?
still waking every morning (but it's not with you) by @river-ocean | rated T | 6.5k words
Charles loves being an actor. It’s what he has always felt was born to do. But he hates that it means that he has to spend so many days of the year away from the people he loves the most. He hates that even though he technically lives with his boyfriend, he is still in a de facto long-distance relationship most of the time.
anything, everything by @leclercenjoyer | rated E | 5.8k words | tumblr post here
Pierre and Charles go on a ski trip together, and things don't exactly go as planned. (Or do they?)
They Will Never Know by @effervescentdragon | rated M | 35.3k words | tumblr post here
Most stories are about blood. This story is not an exception.
Charles disappeared.
As for Pierre, well.
Pierre had a very big secret.
Point Non Plus by @boxboxbrioche | rated E | 22.7k words | tumblr post here
brought to Point Non Plus
idiom, commonly used in the Regency era
1. to be brought to a situation with no other options.
2. to baffle or confuse someone to the point that they have nothing to say.
or: with his reputation in ruins and his options limited, Charles receives an offer from Lord Pierre Gasly that he simply cannot refuse.
like a heart made of dynamite by @vicsy | rated E | 31k words
Maybe all these years they were coming towards each other like a car crash in slow motion. Charles just had to wait for the brakes to fail.
and i long for you to appear by @singsweetmelodies / 17.5k | rated T | tumblr post here
When now-famous actor Pierre Gasly gets himself into a bit of PR trouble, it's up to his childhood best friend to step in and save the day. Thankfully, Charles is an expert public relations manager... the only question is if he'll be able to stop his feelings getting in the way when he finally sees Pierre again after all these years.
hold me in this wild, wild world by @fenesacha & @gaslybottoms | rated T | 2k words
Cross-country skiing isn't Pierre's forte. While he managed to stay upright during their earlier outing, it's done little to shake off his aversion to the sport that Charles seems to love so much - or, rather, his aversion to winter as a whole.
Hello again, fellow Piarlies ❤️💙 Like we said here, we'd like to invite you all to come celebrate Piarles with us here on Tumblr! Today, on the 26th (AKA, the 10+16th) we are celebrating our beloved squid boys by posting the final round-up of all content created for 1016 Week 2023.
It turns out that all our Piarles content was too powerful for just one post - you guys blew us all away with the sheer amount of content you created, and apparently you blew Tumblr away too, because the Part 1 post broke the character limit 🤭 So, here is Part 2 of the official 1016 Week 2023 round-up! Don't forget to give our wonderful creators some love in the form of reblogs, replies, kudos, comments and bookmarks ❤️💙
Day 5 - Boat
I pick you up and take you through the night by @wolfiemcwolferson [fic]
Pierre and Charles have an understanding - things work a certain way.
Pierre decides to change that.
we're made of starlights by @your-littlesecret [fic]
“We should go.” Charles says, breathless from the run from the office.
“Go? Where are we going?” Pierre frowns, tilting his head slightly.
“The boat. Anywhere. Everywhere. We should go.” Charles pants but Pierre seems to not be understanding it yet so Charles takes a deep breath to steady himself and takes another step forward. “Do you remember when we were young? We had the dream, of travelling the world on the boat. We can do it now. We should go.”
king of my heart by @chaesonghwas [fic]
Back on Daniel's yacht, Pierre has some time to think... and stare at Charles' abs, just a little bit.
i'm bound for the heart of the ocean by @duquesademiel [fic]
Pierre is the reason Charles is alive, and for that, he can’t be anything other than incredibly thankful. As much as Charles had always admired the sea, he’d never had the intention of dying surrounded by her.
Pierre rescued Charles from a shipwreck and brought him into a life of piracy. It's not what he'd always hoped for, but he finds it definitely has its perks.
I’m Never Gonna Waste My Love On Anyone Else by @espithewarlock
“Pierre, what the hell is this?”
“Are you saying no?”
“Am I saying…what the fuck…I’m not…you haven’t even asked me a question!”
“It doesn’t seem like I need to.”
Day 6 - Montreal
montreal is for lovers by @chaesonghwas [fanmix]
Monza + Montreal embroidery by @gaslybottoms [cross-stitch]
Taller In Another Dimension (Playlist) by @wolfiemcwolferson [playlist]
I wish I could have you in secret by @your-littlesecret [fic]
Charles reminds himself he’s not there on vacation, he’s there on a mission – that he still doesn’t know what it is. So those luxuries don't matter and Pierre- well, he matters but only because they’ll have to work together on this.
Or:
Charles and Pierre have to pretend, once again, to be in a relationship so they can succeed in the mission. But something is different this time.
my way back (to a life i would choose) by @duquesademiel [fic]
“What did you mean?”
“Maybe we should…”
“No, no maybes, Pierrot, like ten years ago. What are you saying?”
The year is 2032, and Charles and Pierre have a conversation to finish.
Another Window To Break Out by @espithewarlock [fic]
It started out innocently enough. A friend of a friend knew about a job opening and recommended him for the role. One very quick interview and job offer later, and Charles was uprooting his life to move to Montreal.
Piercing blue eyes stared back at him on the other side of a firm handshake.
“Pierre Gasly, nice to meet you. Welcome to Stroll Engineering and Architecture.”
together in our imitation leathers by @fenesacha [fic]
Charles swears that he's trying to break his streak of dating assholes, honest. Pierre seemed like a nice, respectful young man until he propped his feet up on the dashboard of Charles' Ferrari.
piarles + soulmate timers AU by @singsweetmelodies [fic]
Charles' soulmate timer stops when he is seven years old, and he meets the boy with the bluest eyes he's ever seen.
Day 7 - Traditions
It Was Love in a Minute by @espithewarlock [fic]
All Charles wanted was Pierre, sitting across from him at a too-small table, legs tangled together, tucked away in a hidden corner of a cafe.
never coming down with your hand in mine by @duquesademiel and @wolfiemcwolferson [fic]
Pierre, as the oldest of the two, often takes the lead on their firsts. That's their little thing, their tradition of sorts: any big first step in their relationship is taken together, but suggested by Pierre. Except for one.
The five times Pierre took the first step, and the one time Charles did.
i watched it begin again by @your-littlesecret [fic]
Pierre feels like it becomes a tradition. Every Friday, Pierre sits with Charles on his favourite table and they work side by side until one of them needs to go home or has something they need to go to or friends that want to do something last minute.
swear to be overdramatic and true by @chaesonghwas [fic]
Charles' birthday is coming up, and Pierre knows exactly how he wants to celebrate their annual tradition.
tied with the same thread (unconditional) by @singsweetmelodies [fic]
Charles sways forward, leaning fractionally into Pierre's touch. He looks… exhausted.
Pierre's heart pangs, and he tightens his grip on Charles' hoodie, using it to tug him gently through the door and into Pierre's house.
It's not the first time this has happened, and it won't be the last. He and Charles have… something almost like a tradition, for after tough races. They go to each other's places, and no matter how late at night it is, they always unlock their doors for each other.
They are each other's confidantes, each other's safe places. They can talk about anything and everything, or they can forget about the rest of the world and just be for a little while.
give me a chance, let me tell you (if i can) by @yukierres [fic]
5+1 times Arthur interrupted them and the one time he didn’t.
a king under your control by @fenesacha [fic]
Charles sees a field of daisies and a crude leather ball, floating unnaturally in the air between them, and then a boat with a rug that stays impossibly dry, and in both, a boy with bright blue eyes and an impish grin. A boy who was present for most of his life, until he left to study music and his world fell apart. So, really, he should've known this would be the gods' answer.
Hi fellow Piarlies, and happy holidays!! ❤️ Whatever you're celebrating IRL, we'd like to invite one and all to come celebrate Piarles with us here on Tumblr! 💙 Today, on the 26th (AKA, the 10+16th) we are celebrating our beloved squid boys by posting the final round-up of all content created for 1016 Week 2023.
One of our favourite things about fanweeks and fandom events is how they can bring together a whole group of people to create something amazing together. And in this fanweek, we certainly did that - with Piarlies from all corners of the fandom working together, we created more than fifty new pieces of Piarles content! 😍👏❤️💙Once again, we would just like to say the BIGGEST thank-you to everyone who participated and made this possible - you guys made this event succeed beyond our wildest dreams, and we truly can't thank you all enough for it <333
Please enjoy the official masterpost of all the 1016 Week 2023! Don't forget to give our wonderful creators some love in the form of reblogs, replies, kudos, comments and bookmarks ❤️ (P.S. - this post coincides very nicely with the timing of 2023's Just Leave A Comment Fest, so if you're interested in taking part in that wonderful event, and you've been looking for somewhere to start... why not with some of our amazing fics here? 😉💙)
Below the cut is Part 1 of our official round-up: you can find Part 2 here ❤️💙
Day 1 - Monza
Monza + Montreal embroidery by @gaslybottoms [cross-stitch]
you're my guiding lightning strike by @wolfiemcwolferson [fic]
Pierre finds out the soulmate bracelet he's worn since he was 14 has been coded to the wrong person's DNA.
He gets the right bracelet.
(A Piarles soulmate AU)
all roads lead back to Monza ♥ by @brasiliangp [edit]
I Will Never Ask You For Anything (Except a Dream) by @espithewarlock [fic]
Monza is the one race a year where they are allowed to have each other. They do not talk about it the next day.
we've got our whole lives (no ending this in sight) by @duquesademiel and @chaesonghwas [fic]
On the night of their ninth anniversary, Charles and Pierre travel to Monza together.
sanctuary by @fenesacha [fic]
From the comfort of their shared bed, Pierre watches Charles lean over the railing of the balcony and reach out to the screaming fans below.
monza-themed web weaving by @crimsonicarus [web weaving]
holy ground by @your-littlesecret [fic]
Charles can’t really pinpoint where Monza became their place. It might have started with one or another fan post and they just took it to their hearts.
Or: Even with all the changes through the years, Monza will always be their place.
Day 2 - Social Media
we were meant to be as one by @wolfiemcwolferson [fic]
Pierre & the librarian with a secret Tumblr account.
crushing down like waves on the sand by @your-littlesecret [fic]
There’s nothing that could explain the change in feelings, but if Charles thinks about it… if he really thinks about it, there’s nothing really new there.
seven rings by @duquesademiel [fic/edit]
With You Around Me It’s Just So Easy To Be In Love by @espithewarlock [fic]
Their relationship was no secret. They posted about it everywhere on social media. Nobody believed it.
Scuderia Ferrari social media admin AU by @effervescentdragon [fic]
"Mr. Gasly. You have an impressive portfolio, and your CV is one of the best I've seen. What I want to know is, what will you bring to this job? What is the thing that distinguishes you from all the other candidates for this job?"
Piarles + social media AUs by @brasiliangp [edit]
plug me in by @fenesacha [fic]
After a long race, Pierre logs into Twitch and clicks on Charles' stream.
you and me would be (a big conversation) by @chaesonghwas [fic/edit]
When the media pairs up Pierre with Esteban of all people, Charles steps in to help.
It doesn't quite go as planned.
social media-themed web weaving by @crimsonicarus [web weaving]
Day 3 - Blasphemy
maybe i don't want heaven by @chaesonghwas, @duquesademiel and @wolfiemcwolferson [fic + playlist]
Pierre kneels thrice: once in front of God and twice in front of Charles.
pulvis et umbra sumus by @your-littlesecret [fic + moodboard]
Great disrespect shown to something Holy.
The action or offence of speaking sacrilegiously about sacred things; profane talk.
And what could be a greater disrespect than Pierre and his demonic blood, loving Charles, an angel in essence?
Take Me by the Hand Before I Come Undone by @espithewarlock [fic]
Pierre believed in what he could see, hear, feel, experience with his own senses. He worshiped exclusively at the altar of Charles Leclerc.
piarles + take me to church by @singsweetmelodies [edit]
a well loved bicycle by @fenesacha [fic]
Pierre turns around one last time before he begins to pedal away. There is a boy standing at the fence, slightly shorter than him and Esteban. His fringe, light-brown and soft, is being blown into his eyes, but he doesn’t flinch, even as the freezing rain starts to fall. Pierre never saw or heard him approach.
blasphemy-themed web weaving by @crimsonicarus [web weaving]
blasphemy embroidery by @gaslybottoms [embroidery]
Day 4 - Free Day
crochet calamars by @gaslybottoms [crochet]
I hunger for you only by @wolfiemcwolferson [fic]
Charles has a request.
i wanna be a good boy, i wanna be your sex toy by @your-littlesecret [fic]
“I think we should make a bet.”
Pierre hums, looking into his eyes. “Not a bet. A reward. Whoever has the first win this year-”
Charles smiles deviously, like he’s just thought of the perfect reward. “Whoever wins first gets a ‘free use’ day of the other.”
Pierre frowns, “A- free use day?”
“Yes. A day where you can do whatever you want with me. Or me with you. Whatever.”
Coloring Outside the Lines by @espithewarlock [fic]
One male profile did catch his eye, a deceptively simple CharlesL16 username hiding exactly what he was looking for.
Half the photos were perfectly innocent. Curled up on the couch in a comfortable sweater, sweaty and flexing at the gym, angled shots of him playing the piano, and more that made him look domestic and cozy.
There was always a twist, though, and Pierre was instantly hooked. He found himself creating an account and subscribing almost unconsciously.
(i watched it) begin again by @chaesonghwas [fic]
When Juliette is 6 years old, they decide on taking her to Monza.
She loves it.
ringing, it's too early by @duquesademiel [fic]
Pierre can't sleep. Charles can't wake up. They might fight about it, but in the end, they love each other more.
how d'ya like them apples by @fenesacha [fic]
Wearing one of these hands on each of your hands at all times, communicate to your teammate the names of these films. You may not raise your voice. You have five minutes. Your time starts when Jenson blows his whistle.
piarles + longing by @crimsonicarus [web weaving]
Our Love Is Not Illusion Based by @espithewarlock [fic]
Having magic wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Most of the adults would happily admit that having a Witch in the village was a good thing. Charles thought that Pierre's magic was a great thing.
yeah i straight up forgot to post my last two @1016week fics to tumblr for like a whole month dw about it hiiii
together in our imitation leathers 18+
prompt: montreal
ship: pierre/charles
rating: explicit
word count: 2.7k
tags: not racing drivers, top pierre, bottom charles. see link for nsfw tags.
Charles swears that he's trying to break his streak of dating assholes, honest. Pierre seemed like a nice, respectful young man until he propped his feet up on the dashboard of Charles' Ferrari.
Charles sees a field of daisies and a crude leather ball, floating unnaturally in the air between them, and then a boat with a rug that stays impossibly dry, and in both, a boy with bright blue eyes and an impish grin. A boy who was present for most of his life, until he left to study music and his world fell apart. So, really, he should've known this would be the gods' answer.
For the 50 romance prompts ask meme, I'll like to request for 44: soulmate AU: timers <3
but if possible... with a twist...? (you don't have to include a twist if it's too difficult to work it in!)
The twist being, for whatever reason, their countdown timers for each of them to the time they meet their soulmates doesn't match, so they think "we're not each other's soulmates. that's cool. (no it's not)" but it turns out that they're each other soulmates anyways. or they choose to be with each other in spite of not being each other's soulmates. idk. *nervous laughter*
hiiii charlotte 🥰 first off, i am SO sorry for the incredible delay with this answer!! i saw this prompt and i absolutely LOVED IT (and the twist!! 🙏 *chef's kiss*) but unfortunately i got struck with a horrible case of writer's block/work deadlines, and just couldn't get to it at all.
until yesterday: i decided to just open my inbox and see what came to me. no thinking, just following the vibe of a prompt and writing. and uh. this happened... not only did it get ridiculously long (oops?) but it also somehow became a mini "investigate montreal" fic?? so in that vein, i'm tagging @1016week and submitting a belated entry for Day 6 "Montreal"... ❤️
i love this one. hope you love it too!! 👀⌚
~
Charles' soulmate timer stops when he is seven years old, and he meets the boy with the bluest eyes he's ever seen.
He's been vibrating with excitement all weekend - not just because it's a karting cup, but because his soulmate timer has been ticking down to this day for months now. Well, not just months, not really. It's actually been his whole life, but Charles doesn't remember all of that. He only remembers the past few months, when the little numbers had been getting smaller and smaller, until there were only ten days left and Charles gasped when he realised that the day would fall on the same day as the Bridgestone Cup.
"Of course the girl I marry is going to like racing, too," he'd told Maman and Papa, confidingly. Not a lot about soulmates made much sense to him, but this did.
His Maman had tried to smile, and Charles had hugged her tight to let her know it was going to be okay. He would find his soulmate, and then everyone would be smiling, because that's what people do when you meet your soulmate.
(Later that night, when Charles had been too excited to sleep and he'd gone to the bathroom quickly, Charles had heard his parents having an argument in their room. The door was closed, so their voices were muffled, but Charles could still make out his Maman saying "I just don't think it's a good sign, to meet your soulmate so young!" But Papa had countered, "Many people do, and they have beautiful stories. You have to trust that our Charles will meet his perfect match tomorrow." And then there had been an icky noise, like kissing, and Charles had flushed the loo quickly and ran back to his room.)
Now, with the beautiful blue eyed boy standing in front of him, Charles thinks of Papa's words again. Our Charles will meet his perfect match tomorrow.
Charles thought it would be a girl who really liked karting, but this is even better. This is a boy who wins at karting, because he's holding a trophy in both hands and grinning like he couldn't be happier.
Of course Charles' perfect match would be someone who wins at karting. It's only right, because Charles also wins at karting.
Charles clears his throat. "Hi," he says shyly, and the blue-eyed boy jumps.
"Oh! Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," he says apologetically, and then he laughs. He has a nice laugh, Charles thinks - like he knows how to have fun. "You are a bit short," the blue-eyed boy adds, and hey.
"Hey," Charles protests. "I'm tall for my age. I'm seven."
"Well, I'm nine," the blue-eyed boy says, like that's the most impressive age in the world.
It is a bit impressive, but not very, because Lorenzo is much older than that. Still, it is a little scary - Charles is only seven. What if this blue-eyed boy doesn't like him because he's only seven? Older kids can be mean like that.
No, he is your perfect match, Charles reminds himself. This blue-eyed boy won't be mean to him, because that's not how perfect matches work.
Charles takes a deep breath, then he sticks out his hand. "I'm Charles," he says.
The blue-eyed boy takes his hand, and it feels... weird. A little bit like when you get shocked by static electricity.
Charles giggles, unable to stop himself, and the blue-eyed boy smiles, as though he likes that.
"Hello, Charles. I'm Pierre," he says, squeezing Charles' hand. His eyes widen a moment later. "Oh! You've met your soulmate?!"
Charles doesn't understand what he means. "Well, yeah," he says. "It's y-"
And then he notices it.
Pierre's soulmate timer, right there on his wrist, right above where Charles is gripping his hand - it's still ticking.
Now, Charles doesn't know a lot about soulmates yet, but he knows that that's not good. Not good at all.
"I, um," Charles stammers, and then he does the one thing Maman and Papa said you should never do to your soulmate. Charles lies.
"I met so many new people today. I don't remember who it was."
Pierre's face falls. "Oh," he says, and he sounds unbearably sad for Charles. "But..." He chews his lip, shaking his head with a deep frown.
Then, mid-shake, Pierre's expression changes to one of determination. "I will help you find them," he says, with the kind of confidence Charles can only dream of when he's not on the racetrack.
He tugs on Charles' hand - which he still hasn't let go of - and Charles is helpless to do anything but follow.
~
They don't find Charles' soulmate anywhere, of course, and then Charles has to go win his race - but Pierre makes him promise that they will find each other at the next French karting event, and Charles will tell him all about his soulmate.
Charles promises, even though the idea makes his stomach feel all funny. I shouldn't be lying to my soulmate, he thinks, guiltily.
But Pierre's soulmate timer didn't stop ticking, and... that's not how soulmates are supposed to work.
The moment he's in the car with his father after the race, heading back home, Charles asks him about it.
Papa is quiet for a long moment, then: "Are you sure there wasn't someone behind Pierre, Charles?" he asks, in his careful, kind way. "Someone who's timer stopped at the same time as yours?"
Charles thinks about it for a moment, but even the idea of that feels - wrong, somehow. Like going into a corner and knowing you braked too hard, and you're going to flip the kart.
He shakes his head decisively. "No," he says. "It's Pierre."
He hears rather than sees his father blow out a soft sigh. Charles catches his eye in the rearview mirror, feeling confused and a little shaky inside.
When Papa sighs like that, it's never good news - it's usually something about sponsorship, which is a word Charles is already coming to dread.
It doesn't make sense how this could be about sponsorship, though. It probably isn't.
Charles waits for his father to gather his thoughts, like he needs to do sometimes to make sure he says exactly what he means. (It's something Maman keeps telling him he should try doing as well, but he's not so good at that yet.)
"You know how even the greatest racing drivers make mistakes sometimes?" Papa asks.
Charles frowns, but he nods. "Yes?"
"Sometimes the universe is like that, too. Sometimes the universe makes a mistake, and stops the timers too soon," Papa explains.
Charles frowns. He hasn't heard about that before, but he guesses it makes sense. It's true what Papa said - not even Senna was a perfect driver who never made mistakes. It makes sense that the universe is the same.
"But this doesn't mean you don't have a soulmate, okay, Charles?" Papa says before Charles can spend too much time thinking about the whole thing. His voice is firmer than Charles was expecting, and he reaches up to tilt the rearview mirror to see Charles better.
"It doesn't mean you don't have a soulmate," he repeats, like he doesn't want Charles to ever doubt that. "It just means it's going to be a little harder to find them."
Charles frowns, and he can't help but be a little annoyed. Isn't the whole point of soulmate timers to make it easier to find your perfect match?
It's just his luck that his soulmate timer doesn't work properly.
"I understand," Charles says, though, because he can tell it's important to his father.
Papa nods, but he keeps watching Charles in the rearview mirror for the rest of the drive, like he sometimes does after a race where Charles crashed the kart badly and he needs to keep making sure that Charles is fine.
Of course Charles is fine. He doesn't think this is comparable to a bad race at all! It's a little annoying, yes, but it's not that bad. It's just a bit of extra work, isn't it?
Charles shrugs his shoulders, glancing quickly down at the stopped soulmate timer at his wrist.
Whatever. Racing is more important than soulmates, anyway.
~
Almost twenty years later, Charles still says that to himself almost every day, even if he doesn't believe it with nearly the same careless seven-year-old confidence anymore: racing is more important than soulmates.
It is, because it has to be.
The thing is this: his father's explanation to Charles' seven-year-old self had been true - if a little oversimplified, and painted with an overt layer of kindness.
The truth Charles knows now is that there are two reasons, two categories, for people whose timers stop when the other person's keeps running.
One is, like Papa had said all those years ago, a simple case of mistaken timing - cases where the universe or fate or whatever controls it all stopped one person's timer a little too soon, or the other's a little too late.
It's harder to find each other in those cases, but it's still quite possible.
And then there's the second category. The unrequiteds. People whose timers stopped at the right time - when they met the person who would be their perfect match - except that they are not that person's perfect match in return. It only goes one way.
It's rare, but it happens sometimes. No system is perfect, after all - not even a system of soulmates.
For years and years, Charles tried to convince himself that he fell into the first category. His soulmate timer simply stopped too early, by some cosmic accident - but it's okay, Charles insists to everyone who asks and to himself as well, because what it's done is given Charles more time to focus on his racing instead. He's not constantly glancing down at his wrist and wondering when his timer is going to stop ticking - he can just get on with the racing.
He'll find his soulmate eventually, but on his own terms. There's nothing bad about that, surely.
Charles believes that. Really he does.
Except.
Except, if it's true and Charles falls into the first category - the mistaken timing category - then it would mean Pierre isn't his soulmate.
Pierre, who kept the promise he'd made to a seven-year-old who wasn't even his soulmate (because, yes, he had found Charles at the very next French karting cup, and he'd asked to meet Charles' soulmate - and when Charles had to admit that he still hadn't found them, Pierre had hugged him and told him not to give up and that he would find his soulmate someday. Pierre had held Charles' hand and explained that his parents almost didn't find each other, but they did. So it might take Charles some time, but that was okay, because it had taken Pierre's parents some time too, but now they were happier than ever. He'd been so convincing, firm but kind and absolutely sure of himself, and he'd made Charles believe it. He also made Charles smile, genuinely and truly, when he promised he'd stick by Charles' side no matter what anyone else said or whispered about his stopped soulmate timer.)
Pierre, who kept that promise about sticking with Charles, too. Pierre who never stopped being kind, and loyal, and the best friend Charles could ask for, whether he was seven or thirteen or nineteen or twenty-six.
Honestly, how was Charles supposed to not fall hopelessly in love with him?
He tried to deny it. For years and years, Charles tried to deny it - I will find my soulmate someday and it will all make sense, he'd tried to convince himself - but the thing was, what made more sense than Pierre being his soulmate?
It was roundabout the time of Pierre's first win (when Charles was standing under the podium in Monza with an aching back but a heart soaring with joy for his best friend despite the disaster of his own race) that Charles resigned himself to the truth: Pierre is his soulmate.
He has to be. Isn't a soulmate meant to be your perfect match; the person who understands you better than anyone and makes you happier than any other person in the world?
There's nobody else who could make Charles as happy as Pierre does. Nobody, nobody. There's no point in even trying to deny it anymore.
Pierre is his soulmate. But he is not Pierre's.
And that's okay. It's okay.
It has to be.
~
It isn't okay, not really, but that's true of a lot of things in Charles' life, and he's learned how to deal with them. He can deal with this, too.
On the whole, Charles thinks he does a pretty good job of dealing with it. He gets to be Pierre's best friend, after all - isn't that just a different kind of soulmate? True, Charles might want more, but it isn't like he has nothing. He has Pierre, and he will have Pierre for the rest of their lives.
Not in the way he wants, but - at least he will have Pierre.
The one thing he tries never to think about is Pierre's actual soulmate. Because Pierre has one, he knows, and he will meet them at some point.
Charles doesn't know how the hell he's supposed to look at some soulmate of Pierre's, and smile at her, and not be hopelessly, heartbreakingly jealous.
(He will do it, though. He will learn to smile at Pierre's soulmate - for Pierre's sake. He'll do it for Pierre.)
But that's a bridge he will cross when they get there. He doesn't have to worry about it yet (or at least, that's what Charles keeps telling himself even as the months tick by, and he knows there aren't year figures left on Pierre's soulmate timer anymore. Just months now, and then... weeks.)
Charles isn't thinking about it. He's put it out of his mind completely - which is easy enough to do, thankfully, given everything that's been happening on-track this season.
That's probably why he accepts Pierre's invitation to dinner in Montreal without thinking twice about it. (Even if he had realised, though, Charles doesn't think he would have been able to say no, either. He would give Pierre everything, if he only asked.)
So they go to dinner in Montreal, and it's perfect, and wonderful, and laughter-filled, and all in all exactly what Charles needed to distract himself from the fact that he has yet another engine penalty, and the sinking feeling that the championship is beginning to slip out of his reach.
Pierre seems to realise it, because he's in even finer form than usual - teasing Charles and tickling his ribs playfully and making him laugh at every possible opportunity.
Even on the drive back to the hotel: they stop at a red light, and Pierre steals Charles' cap, and Charles is giggling and filming it while Pierre is giggling back, and he's pretty sure neither of them are thinking about it at all, until-
Until Pierre's face changes from laughter to something almost ashen. "Charles," he says, and for all the years Charles has known him, he's never once heard Pierre's voice like that. "My soulmate timer just stopped."
For a few seconds, the words don't even register in Charles' mind.
Then they do, and Charles can feel his heart drop. "What?" he breathes.
His hands shake, and he doesn't even register the fact that the light has gone green as he glances all around them, craning his neck to see if there's anyone behind the white Ferrari, or around to the side.
Just a few minutes ago, their car had been surrounded by fans on all sides, all jostling to try and get pictures of them. But now, somehow, they're all alone in the Montreal night.
(The irony of it all is not lost on him - is this how Pierre felt all those years ago, when he was trying to look for Charles' soulmate at a karting cup, but not finding anybody it could be?)
"Are you sure it stopped just now? And not earlier?" Charles asks, willing his voice not to shake.
"Yeah," Pierre whispers. He sounds... devastated.
"But," Charles says, and then he has to take a deep breath. "But there's no-one else here, Pierrot."
"I know," Pierre says, somehow even softer.
Charles' fingers clench reflexively around the steering wheel, and he's moving in blank autopilot as he puts the car into gear and starts driving forward again.
He doesn't even realise he's shaking his head until Pierre says softly, "Charles." There's something wounded about it.
Charles stops shaking his head and slams on the brakes instead, jerking the car into something he hopes is a parking space at the side of the road.
"I don't understand," he says, far more calmly than he feels. "You can't - I can't be your soulmate."
Okay, maybe he's not so calm after all. But he doesn't think... he doesn't think anyone would be calm, in this situation.
Pierre makes a sound that could almost be a laugh, except that it sounds too strangled. "Do you know," he says, "that I have spent half my life wondering if the soulmate system got something wrong in my case? Because if you're not my soulmate, then who is? Who could possibly..."
Pierre does laugh this time, shaking his head. "You know, I asked to go out with you tonight for a reason. I knew - I knew it would happen tonight, so I needed to..." He swallows. "I needed to see you, one last time. Before I wouldn't be allowed to love you anymore."
It jolts through Charles then, what Pierre is trying to say. "Pierre," he breathes, and now it's his turn to say his best friend's name in a way he doesn't think he's ever said it before.
But Pierre's not finished yet. "I thought I could have one last night with you," he says. "One last night, before I had to say goodbye to my feelings, and try to love someone else."
My feelings. Try to love someone else.
Charles Leclerc is a lot of things, but an idiot is not one of them. He knows what Pierre is saying. He's...
Pierre loves him too. All along, Pierre has loved him too.
Only, he never had the option of thinking we're soulmates, Charles realised, and his heart twists in his chest.
Because Charles, for all that he accepted his soulbond toward Pierre was unrequited - at least he'd had the option of them being soulmates. Yes, it was in a twisted way, but at least he'd had that.
Pierre didn't. And he still fell in love with Charles.
The thought hits him like a shell-shock, and it's enough that Charles can only sit there for a moment, staring blankly, as Pierre continues talking beside him.
"I meant for tonight to just be a quick dinner together, something fun but normal for us," Pierre is saying, wringing his hands. "But I lost track of time. I always lose time when I'm talking to you, Charlito, I could talk to you forever - but the point is, I forgot to tell you I need to go back. I forgot that I was meant to meet my fucking soulmate tonight, because I was spending time with you, and - "
He takes a deep breath, and then he laughs again, leaning forward to drop his head into his hands. "I felt it happen, you know? I knew exactly when my soulmate timer stopped, because I could feel it, and it's - it was when I put that fucking cap on my head, Charles."
The cap that he's still wearing. Charles' 16 Ferrari cap.
Charles' hands shake as he reaches out to touch it, just the brim. "Your soulmate timer stopped when you put my cap on," he says, because a part of him still can't believe that this is real, that he's not living in some kind of heartbreakingly wonderful dream.
Pierre straightens up so fast that Charles is left with his fingers dangling awkwardly in mid-air. "Yes," he says, suddenly looking wild, "but this doesn't have to change anything, Charlito, I promise. I will still help you find your soulmate, and I will - I'll learn how to live with an unrequited bond, it's -"
"No!" Charles interrupts, half-throwing himself across the car to catch hold of Pierre's hands. "No, no, no, no. No more unrequited bonds, Pierrot."
Pierre starts to shake his head, but then he stops in the middle of the movement. "What do you mean," he asks, very carefully, "no more?"
And suddenly, Charles feels giddy, of all things. "I mean, your timer didn't stop when mine did. So for years, I have thought that we can't be soulmates, or at least that you couldn't be my soulmate. But now your timer stopped when you put on my cap, so -"
"Stop, stop, stop," Pierre says, squeezing Charles' hands tightly. "What do you mean, my timer didn't stop when yours did?"
"Oh," Charles says, and then he winces, the weight of the only real lie he's ever told his best friend (the only real lie he's ever told his soulmate) settling onto his shoulders with uncomfortable heaviness. "Um. Well. Do you remember when we met, and you thought I already met my soulmate?"
"No," Pierre breathes, but it's not the kind of no that says "no I don't remember." This no is more like "no way."
"Yeah," Charles says, and he can't help but look down at his own wrist, where the soulmate timer has been stopped for years and years. "My timer stopped the moment I met you, Pierrot."
"You..."
Pierre doesn't look like he knows how to finish that sentence, but Charles understands him anyway. "How was I supposed to tell you? I was seven, Pierre, and your timer didn't stop. I thought it was a mistake for years."
"But?" Pierre asks, like he can tell there was a but.
Charles beams at him. "But, I realised that there was nobody else who could be my perfect match. So I thought you were my soulmate after all, but it was unrequited."
"Never," Pierre says with a fierceness Charles doesn't expect. "Charles, never. If I knew... if I thought I had even half a chance, I would have been with you anyway."
Charles tries to laugh, but it comes out all breathless. "No you wouldn't."
"Yes, I would," Pierre argues, and his voice is heartbreakingly sincere. "I don't care. I would have chosen you."
Charles hears a punched-out noise, and it takes him a moment to realise it came from him. The next moment, he's unbuckling his seatbelt and climbing awkwardly over to sit on Pierre's lap.
It's not quite comfortable, because for all its luxury, the white Ferrari does not have a lot of leg space - but Charles doesn't think either of them give a single fuck, in this moment.
"I love you," he tells Pierre, reaching up to cup his cheek. "I've always loved you, but I never would have stood between you and your soulmate."
"Funny," Pierre says, his hands coming up to grip Charles' hips, "because that's exactly what stopped me from kissing you senseless."
"Well," Charles says, and if he grinds down just a little on Pierre's lap, he'll swear to everyone who asks that it was accidental. "It doesn't have to stop us anymore."
"Never again," Pierre agrees, tightening his grip on Charles' hips. "Never."
"So kiss me senseless, please," Charles whispers, and then he adds "soulmate," and that's what does it. Pierre surges up and kisses him, wild and desperate and more than a little clumsy, but without question the best kiss Charles has ever had. His own cap digs into his forehead a little, but Charles can't even bring himself to care about that - they owe too much to this cap now, honestly.
Maybe the universe does know what it's doing after all, Charles thinks. Maybe the universe just wanted to write a good story for them. A story that goes like this:
Charles' soulmate timer stopped when he was seven years old, and he met the boy with the bluest eyes he'd ever seen.
Almost twenty years later, Pierre's soulmate timer stopped in a white Ferrari in Montreal, and Charles finally got to kiss the boy with the bluest eyes he's ever seen, the man who is his best friend and his soulmate.
The odds of it working out this way have to be... a million to one, probably, or maybe even less.
But then again, what are the odds that two boys who met at a French karting cup and became friends with a shared dream would both make it to Formula 1?
Maybe the answer is just that Pierre and Charles have always liked beating the odds.
~
(50 Romance Prompts Ask Meme) <- not currently taking more prompts, sorry!
Hello fellow Piarlies ❤️💙 Thank you so much for your interest in the idea of a second winter fic exchange centred around our French and French-adjacent boys. All arrangements, sign-up details and explanations for the exchange can be found beneath the cut!
How does the exchange work?
Exactly the same as last year’s Winter Fic Exchange! We are heading into the winter break again, and we thought it would be cool if we could inspire another flood of Piarles-flavoured content to lift our spirits and make us miss F1 a little less over the break. Besides, who doesn’t love a present? Especially if that present is a fanfiction written just for you.
So how this works is: you sign up, submit your prompts for what you’d like to read in a gift fic, and then after sign-ups close, we’ll assign you a partner to write for. Someone else will have been assigned to write for you, so on the due date, you’ll post a gift fic and receive a gift fic of your own. 🎁
When are the deadlines and due dates?
Sign-ups are open as of now, and will remain open until the 23rd of November 2023 (AKA, the Thursday before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.) After that point, we will close sign-ups and collect everyone’s prompts.
Assignments will be sent out by the 27th of November (AKA, the Monday right after the final F1 race on the 2023 calendar.) You will then have all of December and half of January to work on your gift fics.
Gift fics are due to be posted on the 16th of January 2023, though we do want this to be a fun and no-real-pressure exchange for everyone, so if we notice that people are struggling to finish in time for the deadline, we will simply shift it up by a week. We can do this as many times as necessary for everyone to finish comfortably and produce a fic you know your giftee will enjoy. 💙
What are the posting instructions for the gift fics?
There aren’t a whole lot of really specific or strict rules in this exchange, but the two we would like people to take note of are the following:
This is a Piarles fic exchange, so the main focus of your fanfiction should be the romantic relationship between Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc. Background pairings are allowed as long as the primary focus of your fic is still the dynamic between Charles and Pierre. (There will be a space in the sign-up form to indicate which background pairings you do and don’t like. Please note, however, that there is no requirement to write any background pairings if you don’t want to.)
The minimum word count for this exchange is 2k (2000) words. There is no cut-off or maximum word count, but we do ask that you try and write a one-shot instead of a multi-chapter if at all possible (unless you are posting a multi-chapter fic which is already complete by the time of posting.)
We will do a more detailed post with AO3 collection details and final deadline/timezone instructions closer to the actual deadline. ❄
Is this a fic-only exchange, or can we create art as well?
This is indeed a fic-focused exchange, so in order to participate, we do request that everyone creates a fic that meets the 2k minimum. If you’re inspired to create art of any kind to go along with your fic, though, then you are more than welcome to do so! In fact, you’d be the MVP if you did. 🎁
How does prompting work in this exchange?
There will be a space in the sign-up form for you to submit two different prompts. Prompts can be anything from AU ideas (eg. coffee shop AU) to dialogue (eg. “Shut up” // “Make me”) to tropes or themes (eg. enemies to lovers). Anything goes, pretty much! Our only request is that you submit two completely different prompts - this is just to give your gift writer options.
As a gift writer, you can write either of the two prompts, or even go for some sort of creative combination of them both. It’s completely up to you!
There will be a space where you can provide an explicit/smutty prompt if you want, but please note that your gift writer is not required to include any explicit content in their fic unless they’re comfortable with doing so. 💙
What if I get prompts I really can’t write?
Not to worry - if you really don’t vibe with any of the prompts you have been given, you can get in touch with one of the mods and we will reach out to your giftee to provide an additional prompt or two. If things are still not working, we might reach out to someone else and have you swap giftees entirely. We want everyone to have a great time in this exchange, both in the writing and receiving parts of it!
We understand that sometimes life gets in the way, though, and you might not be able to fulfill your prompts for other reasons. We hope it doesn’t happen, but if you need to drop out of the exchange for any reason, please just let one of our mods know so we can arrange a pinch-hitter to step in and write your giftee’s fic in your place. ❄
Who are the mods for this exchange?
We have the wonderful team of @singsweetmelodies, @boxboxbrioche, @welightitup, @duquesademiel, @wolfiemcwolferson and @river-ocean running things for this exchange! 💙
Where and how do I sign up?
All you have to do is fill out this Google form! Additional relevant information will be shared on the Calamars Club Discord server, so if you are not already part of that server, please message a mod for the invite link.
@ Pierre/Charles shippers across Discord, Tumblr and AO3: we hope that this exchange will make you all smile over the winter break! We are so excited to share this with you all 🎁
Hi fellow Piarlies ❤️💙 We wanted to take a moment to say a massive thank you to all our wonderful creators who participated in this event!! It has been an honour and an absolute pleasure to celebrate Piarles with you these past seven days <333 You all are PHENOMENAL!
We mods have been collecting all the fills for this fanweek in a massive spreadsheet - so if you've worried you missed someone's fill(s) during the course of the week, or if you just want to browse through the library of amazing new Piarles content again, you can find the round-up of them here! Don't forget to give our wonderful creators lots of love and appreciation in the form of likes, comments and reblogs <333
We will eventually also make a final, official round-up post for all the 1016 Week 2023 content on Tumblr as well...
... But It's Not Quite Over Yet!
As we said in the very first event post, we will keep reblogging 1016 Week content to this blog right through till the end of the year! We have decided to set the official closing date of late submissions for 1016 Week to 26 December 2023 (because 10 + 16 = 26). 😁
SO: friends, Piarlies, please consider this your official reminder/encouragement that you most definitely can post late content for 1016 Week 2023! If you wanted to take part in 1016 Week but things just got too hectic - or if you suddenly have a flash of inspiration two weeks after the official end of the event - or if you have that one fill you wish you could've finished but life came up - YOU CAN STILL FINISH IT!! We would be more than happy to share it here till the 26th of December <333
Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts, to everyone who helped make this fanweek so special! We hope to make this annual and see you again in 2024 😉😍
Charles sways forward, leaning fractionally into Pierre's touch. He looks… exhausted.
Pierre's heart pangs, and he tightens his grip on Charles' hoodie, using it to tug him gently through the door and into Pierre's house.
It's not the first time this has happened, and it won't be the last. He and Charles have… something almost like a tradition, for after tough races. They go to each other's places, and no matter how late at night it is, they always unlock their doors for each other.
They are each other's confidantes, each other's safe places. They can talk about anything and everything, or they can forget about the rest of the world and just be for a little while.
The one where Pierre and Charles are each other's constants in an ever-changing life - because a love like theirs is unconditional.
for my beloved @duquesademiel - happy belated birthday, my darling sol! te amoooo <333
also taking my chance to submit this to @1016week for Day 7: Traditions ❤️💙
last day of @1016week 😭 i hope you have enjoyed this as much as i have, and a special thank you to the mods and my fellow participants 🫶🏽💖 here's the last installment (for now) of the actors au as your present!
Charles' birthday is coming up, and Pierre knows exactly how he wants to celebrate their annual tradition.
for the very last day of @1016week, Coffee shop au for 'Traditions'
i watched it begin again
G, pierre/charles, 3k
Pierre feels like it becomes a tradition. Every Friday, Pierre sits with Charles on his favourite table and they work side by side until one of them needs to go home or has something they need to go to or friends that want to do something last minute.
by @wolfiemcwolferson & @duquesademiel for day 7 (traditions) of @1016week
Pierre, as the oldest of the two, often takes the lead on their firsts. That's their little thing, their tradition of sorts: any big first step in their relationship is taken together, but suggested by Pierre. Except for one.
The five times Pierre took the first step, and the one time Charles did.
It seems fitting that for the final day of 1016 week I'm posting the first part of the Love in a Minute series. Hope you all have enjoyed the content this week as much as I have!
(❤ ω ❤)
Bahrain 2019 was Charles’ first ever Formula One podium. He had celebrated with an ecstatic Ferrari team late into the night and woke up mid-morning with a smile still plastered on his face.
Pierre had showed up to his room, dragged him to a tiny little cafe a couple blocks away from his hotel, and treated them to dessert-for-breakfast. Their hot beverages of choice (coffee for Pierre, tea for Charles) by their elbows at a too-small table in the corner and a decadent slice of cake split in the middle.
That repeated itself in Canada that same year. Charles’ second F1 podium. Despite his own less-than-ideal performance, Pierre showed up at his hotel in Montreal the next morning and grinned as he dragged Charles out to his rental car.
He drove them an hour outside the city to a tiny cafe in some random Canadian town that boasted something or another about their excellent drinks.
They talked the entire way there while Pierre played terrible rap music in the car. Once they got their drinks, they tucked themselves away in a too-small table in the corner to enjoy the beverages and split their dessert.
Again and again it happened. France two weeks later, his first ever P2 in Austria the week after that, and then Silverstone. Each time Pierre would find a little out-of-the-way cafe for them to have their own private celebration.
Charles’ first F1 win in Spa was muted by grief. Pierre still found him the next morning, smile dimmed for a multitude of reasons, and drove them in silence to a tiny cafe two towns over.
They laughed and they cried together at their too-small table long after their drinks were empty, bellies full of a shared dessert, minds sharing sorrow and triumph in equal measure.
Then there was Monza. The grief was still fresh but it was no longer as suffocating and Charles felt like he could truly celebrate, truly enjoy that victory. It was there that they found their place.
Pierre took him into the city, many blocks away from the city center, and into a little cafe that Charles wouldn’t have seen if Pierre hadn’t walked them inside.
It was perfect, small and cozy and welcoming with a too-small table tucked into a corner that hid them from prying eyes. Charles loved it at first sight, and he fell in love when he saw how reverently Pierre enjoyed every one of his bites of the tiramisu between them.
The season continued and Charles gained more podiums in Singapore and in Russia, each followed by a morning sharing drinks and conversation and dessert.
Brazil was where things changed. Charles had a DNF, but Pierre got to experience being drenched in champagne for the first time in his Formula One career. He looked magnificent standing on the podium and Charles just knew that he had to do something.
The next morning, he was the one to show up at Pierre’s hotel room door. The confusion was quickly replaced with a dazzling smile when Pierre realized that Charles was taking him out to celebrate.
Of course, Pierre had already done his cafe research in preparation and laughingly led them there when Charles explained that he didn’t actually know anywhere for them to go.
They got their drinks and their dessert and their too-small table in a corner and Charles got to see that reverent smile directed at him.
When Pierre got a bit of foam on the corner of his mouth, Charles could have told him about it, handed him a napkin, let him take care of it himself.
Instead, he leaned across the too-small table and kissed it away.
Pierre was shocked, surprised at first and didn’t initially respond. Charles pulled back, face beginning to heat up in embarrassment and an apology on his tongue.
That apology was swallowed when Pierre grabbed his chin and brought their faces back together, kissing him back for all he was worth.
It took them much longer than usual to finish their dessert in their little cafe in Brazil. Each bite was accompanied by a brush of their lips, new and sweet and perfect. They tangled their legs together underneath their too-small table, tucked away in a hidden corner, and Charles never wanted to leave.
At the last race of the season, in Abu Dhabi, Pierre dragged him out of his room not just to celebrate his podium, but to celebrate his fourth place in the driver’s championship.
That, technically, wasn’t a podium, but it was still an accomplishment. At least, Pierre told him as much between sips of their drinks, bites of their dessert, and kisses across the too-small table.
The start of 2020 was scary and uncertain. By the time they actually started racing, Charles was a bit of a mess, but he managed to finish the very first race in Austria on the second step.
Charles didn’t know what was going to happen afterwards. They weren’t allowed to go anywhere, but he really shouldn’t have worried. Pierre showed up at the door of his motorhome with two carryout mugs and a box holding their dessert.
He nearly spit out his drink when it turned out to be Pierre’s coffee, but they swapped as soon as they stopped laughing over the identical face that Pierre made with Charles’ tea.
They sat together at the too-small table inside of Charles’ motorhome and he knew that no matter what happened with the rest of the season, they would be together for it.
Again in Silverstone, Pierre showed up with a smile behind his facemask and they crowded together inside his motorhome, legs tangled together away from the rest of the world.
Monza was once again the place of something magical. Pierre’s first win, standing on the top step in front of an empty crowd with eyes that burned into Charles’ soul.
He was staying at Pierre’s apartment in Milan and woke up the next day to go to their perfect little cafe and bring their celebration back home.
They sat together at the too-small table on Pierre’s balcony, feeding each other bites of tiramisu with a single fork between kisses while their legs were tangled under the table.
Later, their legs got much more tangled together between Pierre’s bedsheets.
(Not for the first time, of course, but it was still memorable since they were celebrating Pierre finally becoming a race winner.)
The rest of the season was less than spectacular. Charles got tantalizingly close to another couple of podiums but they didn’t get to find any new cafes in any of those cities.
It was a little surprising, though definitely not undeserved, that the next podium they got to celebrate together was also Pierre’s. Charles thoroughly enjoyed their battle on track for the final podium position and told Pierre as much while they were tucked away in a corner in a tiny cafe in Baku.
Silverstone was yet again a place where Charles tasted champagne, though he far preferred tasting coffee and sweets on Pierre’s lips while sitting across from him at a too-small table in an English cafe.
Despite neither of them finishing on the podium in Monza, they still found their perfect table inside their perfect cafe and tangled their legs together while they shared a slice of tiramisu. That cafe was theirs and a trip to Milan, to Monza, was incomplete without a visit.
The remainder of the 2021 season ended with another few flirts with podiums for both of them, but they did not get to go out and celebrate with drinks and shared desserts the next morning.
2022 started in phenomenal form for Charles. Four podiums in the first five races, two of which saw him return to the top step. It was incredible and the team was ecstatic, but Charles always had a secondary celebration to look forward to.
Pierre led him to cafes in Bahrain, in Jeddah, in Australia, and in Miami. All of them had too-small tables in hidden corners, perfect for sharing kisses between bites of their dessert and sips of their drinks, legs tangled together.
He had a run of DNF’s, of disappointing fourths and fifths, as he saw his lead in the championship start to slip away.
Austria was almost a revival, a brilliant weekend that was capped off with a first-place finish. It was followed by a tiny cafe in the outskirts of Spielberg. Pierre told him how proud he was, how much he believed in Charles, while feeding him dessert and kissing him even more sweetly.
The championship continued to slip further and further away and it took him a heartbreaking DNF followed by two sixth-place finishes before he found the podium again. Pierre was always there as a beacon of support, but they didn’t return to any cafes until Zandvoort.
Sitting in that tiny cafe in the Netherlands recharged him and invigorated him for the rest of the season. Charles was determined to fight for the wins and the podiums, for the cafes and the kisses.
They were able to return to the cafe, their cafe, in Milan for a celebration that he earned this year. Getting second wasn’t what he wanted, but Charles realized inside of their perfect little cafe that what he truly wanted was already sitting across from him.
It was soft smiles and sweet kisses between bites of tiramisu.
It was warm drinks and legs tangled together because they were sitting so close.
It was too-small tables, tucked into corners that hid them away from the rest of the world.
