Charles Leclerc/Bryan Bozzi, Charles Leclerc/Sebastian Vettel, 10.3K words
The car is bright, gleaming red. As if the very sun was melted down for metal and wrought into a chassis, a red so vibrant and rich it captures the eye and swallows it whole. On the side of the car is stamped a yellow crest with a pattern emblazoned in blackâtwo snakes entwined around a long, thin rod, with a pair of outstretched wings sprouting from the very top. A Caduceus of HermĂšs.
Or: In a world where some people are descended from the Olympic gods themselves, Charles is born to drive for Ferrari in more ways than one.
Written for @f1-fic-secret-santa, thank you to everyone for organizing and merry christmas all!
Race week is starting to feel like new fic time for me!
Title: Because sometimes a small gesture is enough
Summary:
Everyone knew that the off season before the new regs was going to be busy for all the teams. That was without counting on a team losing a race engineer. Not really losing him, but more like there was personnel movement that they hadn't accounted for which was what happened to Ferrari and Bryan was the one who had to pick up the slack.
As such, Bryan found himself coming back at work to do the job of 2 persons which was taking all his energy. And then he found a cup of coffee on his desk. It wasn't even a one time thing, and while it was nice, as were his team's attention, he really didn't have the time to try to find who was his secret friend, even if they were the only thing helping him make it through the month.
Characters: Bryan Bozzi, Charles Leclerc, Fred Vasseur, Matteo Togninalli, other members of the Ferrari team
Add info: gen, emotional hurt/comfort, drinks and food used as gift, team as family, fluff and angst, work environment, corporate environment failings, winter break 2026
Glad people are liking that Bryan and Charles pic, but now I am curious! What do we all think happened between them after the race?
Going first (and maybe spoiling my post Can gp fic) : I think they both apologized for completely different things! Charles for using Bryan as a punching bag and Bryan for not being able to help Charles gain confidence throughout the weekend
Not me having another dom drop chozzi fic idea after having already written a 9,000 words fic with Bryan dropping earlier this year đ
But look, there is just something so interesting with the concept of Bryan having control of Charles' car setup and guiding Charles through every sessions in a race weekend and then dropping so hard when once again they cannot seem to get a win
Just seen the ao3 ship stats and all I am going to say on the F1 rpf ao3 popular ships is that we need to get the Charles Leclerc/Bryan Bozzi agenda going!
Like what do you mean they are a rarepair/don't have much fics when we have new contents from them EVERY race! (And even beyond races)
Title: Christmas gifts and a token of appreciation
Summary: Bryan has given his gift to Charles, a tshirt with their most funny radio message of the year. However, Bryan hadn't been the only one that had wanted to give something special during this Christmas party. So what did Charles give Bryan?
Warning/add info: fluff and humor, teasing, little bit of insecurity, can be read as platonic or romantic
Word count: 1,875 words
Read it on ao3 (posting it fully below too this time)
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Bryan stood outside in his light brown sweater and black pants. His hands were hidden in his front pockets as he looked at the Christmas tree. He could still hear the music and the chatter coming from his team party, but the sound was muted enough to not bother him.Â
He knew he should go back inside before anyone noticed his absence and he will. He just wanted to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere a bit longer.
Cling! Cling!
Turning around at the sound, Bryan smiled seeing Charles, black jacket back on, making his way towards him. He was wearing the Santa hat and had his little bell in one hand and a small gift bag in the other.
âYou stole my costumeâ, the engineer greeted.
Charles laughed as he stopped beside Bryan. He held out the bell.
âYou left them on a table, I couldnât resistâ, Charles explained with a devilish smile.
It was Bryan's turn to laugh as he took the bell.
âOf course you couldnât. The hat looks good on you.â
Charles beamed, cheeks reddening a bit.
âThanks. I still cannot believe you did that.â
âWhy not?â, Bryan replied, shrugging. âIt was fun.â
âOh, I am sure. Just surprised that you did it with your parents and the whole team there.â
Bryan avoided the green eyes studying him, blushing as he examined the bell in his hands. He had forgotten about his parentsâ presence. The only thing that had mattered was that it was going to make Charles smile and even, maybe, make him laugh. He hadnât even cared about the amount of teasing he could have gotten from the team for again embarrassing himself, for again being too much.Â
âIt's fine, they are used to my craziness after allâ, he finally replied, opting for an unbothered tone, but failing.
Charles watched Bryan, silently kicking himself for having put his foot in his mouth, again. The engineerâs badly hidden melancholic embarrassed expression made him picture a young quiet nerdy Bryan with his unconventional goofy sense of humour trying so hard to make friends and failing again and again. The last thing Charles had wanted was to remind Bryan of that and make him second-guess himself and his actions.
âWell, I loved itâ, Charles said fondly, bumping shoulders with Bryan.
The engineer shyly looked back at him, a soft small smile on his face.
âGood, that was the goalâ, Bryan replied quietly.
âAnd Ale sure had fun showing you off to everyone!â
The engineer laughed at that, Charles returning the laugh with a teasing and pleased smile. Bryan shook his head softly in wonder. The teamâs reaction had, once again, surprised him. Not just Ale that had supported the idea from the beginning but also how everyone had seemed to laugh with him instead of at him. The two men fell in a comfortable silence after that, looking at the lighted Christmas tree.
âI liked both tshirtsâ, the driver said after a while. âTwo really thoughtful gifts and funny ones too. Thank you for yours.â
âI am gladâ, Bryan replied, slightly off kilter.
He quickly squeezed the other manâs shoulder as he wondered why he had answered that.
âAnd I am happy that your family was able to come.â
âSo I amâ, the engineer squeaked out. âSo I am.â
They looked at one another, Bryan internally crying at how he wasnât able to give normal answers and at the look of pure happiness for him that was plainly visible in Charlesâ eyes.Â
âYou do realize, however, that between you showing up as Santa and the shirt you gave me, your brother is going to have a field dayâ, the driver teased.
This, Bryan could do with his eyes closed, bantering with Charles, making fun of each other.
âOf course, he is! Have you seen the amount of photos and videos he took?â, Bryan retorted, mock offended. âIt will be all over social media in the next few days.â
Charles laughed at the remark.
âWell, you are the one who decided to do that in front of him, so donât complain! I heard that it was a little brotherâs prerogative to be a little menace.â
Bryan looked amused, recalling Charlesâ outrage at his younger brother's donut comment during their last race.
âThat it is and he is a little menace. So are you, but I wouldnât have it any other way.â
Bryan flicked the hat pompom as he talked and Charles shyly smiled at the gesture as well as at the fondness in the other manâs voice. The engineer smiled back, affectionate, and turned to look back at the tree, letting the younger man recover.
Charles tried to scratch the back of his neck in embarrassment and nearly slapped himself with the gift bag in his hand. His eyes widened when he saw it.
âRight! There was a reason I was looking for you. Here!â, the driver exclaimed, trusting the bag in front of Bryan.
The engineer looked at it, startled.
âCharles? What? You didnât have toâ, he protested.
âNeither did you have to give me a special tee, Bryan. Just accept it.â
Bryan nodded robotically, taking the bag. He opened it and moved the paper to the side, the bell ringing softly at the movement. He took out the first gift, examining it.Â
It was a cream retractable ballpoint pen with a mini Charlesâ helmet charm dangling from the top. There were two inscriptions in dark red, a CL 16 team at the front and a race engineer at the back. Bryan tested the mechanism and smiled at the fluidity of it.
âPlease tell me that the rest of your side will get one and that I will not have an envious horde of men on my backâ, he playfully begged.
âDonât worryâ, Charles replied, laughing. He leaned closer, putting his arm on Bryanâs shoulder. âThey will, but the job title is a special. I wanted you to have it first.â
âItâs beautiful, thank youâ, Bryan said quietly, turning to look at Charles.
âMy pleasure. You will have to give me feedback on it, I know how more peculiar you are with your pens than me.â
âAre you making me test your future merch ideas?â, the engineer teasingly asked.
Not that Bryan would mind, he would always try his best to help Charles.
âYou think it could work?â, the younger man replied, smiling softly as he noticed Bryan unconsciously playing with the charm.
The engineer bit his lips, thinking for a minute before answering.
âYou know what? I think so, yes. Even more with a charm option selection, maybe that Leo one that was on your key chain? Or the other charm too.â
âYou do have a charm option in case you didnât noticeâ, was the driver's reply as he nodded towards the bag.
Bryan blinked, surprised, and went back to take out a small transparent bag that he had missed earlier. The movement dislodged Charlesâ arm, but the driver stayed where he was.Â
There were two other charms. The first one was the rectangle with a red and a white block and the Leclerc/Sedici text that he had mentioned. The second charm made the engineer still when he saw it.
âIs that Archibal?â, he asked, incredulous.
âYup. I know you like Leo, but I thought you would prefer a mini replica of your family dogâ, Charles explained, flustered.
Bryan kept looking at the mini silver replica of their dog not believing his eyes. He wasnât sure what he had done to deserve having Charles in his life, but he hoped to never do anything that would make him lose the young man.
âItâsâŠitâs perfect. Thank you Charles!â, the engineer thanked, heartfell.
The driver smiled softly, happy to see Bryanâs reaction.
âItâs not over yetâ, he reminded. âThere is another package.â
âRight. The pen alone would have been more than enough, you know thatâ, Bryan whispered before taking out the second gift.
âI knowâ, Charles replied, soft and tender, letting his hand rest between Bryanâs shoulders, as he leaned just that bit closer. âI wanted to spoil you a bit.â
Bryan blushed as he tried to unwrap the satin paper without much success. Charles let out a small soft laugh at his reaction, gently caressing his engineer's back before dropping his hand.Â
He had thought about his engineerâs gift for a long time. Bryan had taken care of him all season long while working with his side to deal with everything the car was throwing at them and managing all of Charlesâ moods. The young man had wanted to give him something special.
âOh my god! Charles!â, Bryan exclaimed quietly, awed, as he was finally able to unwrap the gift and raised it to take a better look at it.
The second gift was a silver keychain with three strings. The first one had the same Leclerc/sedici charm that he got with the pen, just larger. The second string had a double sided water drop. The inscription on the front side made Bryan laugh.
âWe both thought about the same thing didnât we?â, the engineer asked, showing the white âMust be the waterâ quote.
âGreat minds think alike, Bryanâ, Charles replied cheekily.
The engineer let out a shy amused smile before his attention turned back to the key chain. Curious, he turned the water drop and let out a fond exasperated laugh at the Lico-25 white text.Â
He remembered the hilarious text messages Charles and him had exchanged when they had seen the different memes about the amount of Lico they had to do this season. Some of them, if he recalled well, had used that altered car name.
âHopefully, I wonât have to tell you to do Lico next year because I am scared the car will break down on youâ, Bryan muttered darkly.
âI hope so too. I know you didnât like having to ask for it, but it was too much a part of our year to not do anything with it.â
Bryan chanced a quick look at Charles from the corner of his eyes, noting the nearly hidden worried undertone.
âI agreeâ, he sighed. âI am not too fond of that word, but you are right and this is funny in a way. You have to commend the tifosisâ creativity with that word.â
It was Charlesâ turn to nod in agreement. The engineer moved his attention to the third string, a lean baby blue wristlet strap with the text âthank you Bryan' in light brown.
âJeddahâs radio?â, Bryan asked in wonder, stroking it with a finger.
âYep. I went with a radio theme as you might have already guessed and that one best represented my sentiment for the whole seasonâ, Charles explained hurriedly, cheeks slightly pink.
Bryanâs expression softened as he looked first at the strap and then at Charles with a fond look.Â
âThank you Charles. It was⊠I love it⊠both gifts. Thank you!â
The older man moved to go for a side hug, but changed idea mid-way and went for a full hug instead. Charles returned the hug with a fond laugh.Â
They hugged for a minute before Bryan pocketed both gifts and they went back inside to join the rest of their team.
