ayyy im back with another Unedited human au snippet <3 it's almost entirely dialogue oopsies <3
~
Eddie slows in putting his coat on - Barnaby isn’t sticking around to chat with fellow staff like usual. He’s in a rush, scrambling to grab his jacket and hurrying from behind the bar. He dashes through the door, looking like a man on a mission.
The door Mr. Frankly had just vanished through.
Could he be…? No, Barnaby seems like a good man. But he had seemed a little pushy with Mr. Frankly, from what Eddie could tell.
It couldn’t hurt to make sure.
Eddie frowns deeply as he goes outside, wincing slightly at the first burst of cold air after hours spent in a warm building. He’s just in time to see Barnaby jog up behind Frankly and close his car door before he can get in. Barnaby immediately leans against the door with his arms crossed, pinning it shut and blocking Frankly from the driver’s seat.
Eddie’s stomach plummets. Before he knows it, he’s speed-walking across the parking lot towards them, a fire burning in his chest and his hands curled into fists.
Frankly says something loud enough that Eddie can almost hear, his voice echoing in the empty lot. As Eddie watches, Barnaby pokes Frankly’s chest, making him stagger back a step.
“Hey!” Eddie barks.
Both of them jump and whip around - Barnaby’s eyebrows shoot into his hair, while Frankly’s lowers into a flat line.
“Eddie?” Barnaby says.
At the same time, Frankly says, “Mr. Dear?”
The two of them look at each other in surprise. Eddie pays the exchange no mind. He stops by Frankly, trying to slightly angle himself in front of him without making it too obvious.
“Is everything all right here?” he asks, looking Barnaby up and down. He really hopes this won’t come to blows - Eddie can throw a punch well enough, but Barnaby is an imposing figure. Eddie already knows he’d likely lose, but as long as he can buy Frankly a couple extra seconds…
“No, actually, everything is not fine,” Frankly says in a ticked-off - and strangely scolding - tone.
Barnaby, not breaking eye-contact with Frankly, counters with, “Everything’s peachy, Ed.”
“You sure about that?” Eddie asks, trying to keep his tone amicable.
“Scout’s honor.”
“Please,” Frankly scoffs, “you were never a boy scout. And that’s not the point - I am trying to get home!”
“You are trying to die in the most avoidable way possible.”
Eddie shoots Frankly a concerned look. “You’re what?”
“I am perfectly sober,” Frankly says.
Barnaby raises an unimpressed eyebrow. “Your face is flushed.”
“It is not!”
Eddie winces. “It, uh, it is. A little.”
“It’s none of your business,” Frankly seethes.
“Listen,” Barnaby sighs. He leans heavier against the car and rubs the back of his neck. “I don’t wanna be the one 'ta call Julie and deliver the news that her beloved Frankie went and got himself killed at the taco bell intersection.”
Frankly makes a high and derisive noise. “Excuse you, I have class. I’d die outside of Howdy’s.”
“Please, he’d turn your memorial into part of the gift shop. I can already see the signs - ‘dead friend sale, five percent off!’”
“I’m worth at least thirty percent.”
Eddie clears his throat and gestures between the two of them. “You two… know each other?”
“Unfortunately,” Frankly mutters.
Barnaby grins. “Aw, you’re just saying that. It’s okay - I know ya love me, Frankie. You don’t have to say it.”
“I do not.”
“I have evidence that proves otherwise.”
Frankly rolls his eyes. “You’re unbearable.”
“And yet…”
Eddie heaves a sigh - of relief or exhaustion, he’s not sure - and drags a hand over his face. “Alright. Good, I - good to know.”
“What, did’ja think I was attacking him?” After a moment of prolonged, awkward silence, Barnaby’s teasing smile drops. “Oh. You did.”
“Barnaby? Attack me?” Frankly snorts. “Give him some credit - he’s smarter than he looks.”
“Yeah, I’d have better chances taking on a pack’a hyenas!” Barnaby lets out a hearty cackle. “At least then we’d all get a laugh out of it!”
“So I misjudged the situation pretty terribly,” Eddie says, inching to the side to give Frankly his personal space back. “My apologies.”
“Don’t sweat it, Ed. I know Frank may look like a bundle of sticks, but he’s petrified wood all the way through! Pure stone, you know.” Barnaby grins and leans towards Eddie. He whispers conspiratorially, “‘Cept when it comes to holdin’ his liquor. Then he’s a total lightweight.”
“Barnaby,” Frankly hisses.
“Practically paper!”
“That’s enough, thank you!” Frankly makes an attempt at shoving Barnaby away from the car door, but Barnaby widens his stance. It’s like watching someone try to move a tree.
“See, this is how I know he shouldn’t be driving,” Barnaby says conversationally to Eddie. “If he were sober, I’d be the one drunk - punch-drunk, that is.”
Eddie isn’t sure whether or not he should laugh - was that a joke? Barnaby seems fond of them, but… surely Frankly isn’t a violent person. Frankly lets out a growl of frustration and clumsily tries to bodyslam Barnaby. Eddie inches back a step.
“Alright Frankie, you had your fun.” Barnaby scruffs Frankly like a misbehaving cat and holds him at arm's length. He holds out a hand. “C’mon. Keys.”
“Never.”
“Have it your way. I’ll go ahead and call Poppy, tell her that you’ve forgotten the many dangers of-”
“Oh, fine,” Frankly spits. He yanks his keys out of his pocket and slaps them into Barnaby’s waiting hand.
Barnaby flicks the keys as Frankly stalks to the passenger side door and yanks it open. “Choose a place for dinner, we’ll swing by and pick it up - my treat.”
“Obviously your treat,” Frankly grumbles. “As if I’d-”
The slam of his door cuts off whatever he says next, though Eddie can see him still talking in the car. His phone screen illuminates his irritated expression as he - presumably - looks up places for takeout.
“Well, I’m glad you were here to stop him from doin’ somethin’ everyone would regret,” Eddie says. “Mr. Frankly-”
“Mr. Frankly?” Barnaby snorts. “You’re not one of his students, are ya?”
“I’m just bein’ polite. He set the tone by referrin’ to me by Mr. Dear, so I’m tryin’ to respect that line in the sand.”
Barnaby shakes his head, grinning. “Just call him Frank. He puts up a big show of bein' a grouch, but he’s really a big softie. Though don’t - don’t try to pick a fight with him. Ever. You’ll lose.”
“Wasn’t plannin' on it.” Eddie makes a mental note to keep calling him Mr. Frankly, just to be on the safe side. It’s not like they’re friends, anyway. More like… acquaintances. Occasional Run-Into-Each-Other strangers.
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canada was so frustrating for seb and aston and seb just wants to figure out where they went wrong. charles just wants to be with seb. a little bit of angst but ultimately there’s comfort that leads to a bit more of a heated moment. these two just need to communicate better.
// canadian gp 2022 //
seb opens his hotel room door and he’s still in team gear, his hair even more disheveled than usual, and he has a frown on his face.
“hi.. is this not a good time?” charles asks softly, wondering if someone else is with seb as he tries to peek around the other man.
seb shakes his head and reaches a hand out to takes charles’. “no, it’s fine, i’m just..” he trails off as he leads charles into his room, gesturing at the desk against the wall. it’s littered with papers and seb’s ipad is lit up. just seb and his thoughts in here, charles realizes.
“you’re still working,” charles finishes for him.
“trying to figure out what happened and if i can do anything to help fix it,” seb mutters as he walks back over to the desk and sits down to examine the source of his frustrations this weekend.
charles is left standing in the middle of the room just watching seb get to work. “i can go, seb, i’ll come back later,” he says.
“mm, i’ll be done soon, schatz,” seb murmurs as he scrolls up through something on his ipad.
charles wants to believe him, so he sits down in the armchair to seb’s right. charles scrolls through his phone for a few minutes and seb hums in a tone that charles thinks, or at least hopes, is realization of something in front of him.
charles looks up and his eyes land on seb’s hand where he’s twirling a pen between his fingers absentmindedly. charles finds it mesmerizing. he follows seb’s hand as seb brings the pen up to his mouth and nibbles on the end of it. charles bites his own lip as he watches.
charles then drags his gaze slowly over seb’s face, taking in every detail - seb’s unruly curls, his stubbled jaw, his full lips. he’s gorgeous.
but on closer inspection charles also notices that seb’s frown lines have depend, his jaw is set tight, and his bottom lip has a slightly swollen worrying sore on it. charles thinks he looks upset. the annoyed sigh seb let’s out then seems to confirm that assumption.
“seb,” charles says quietly, wanting to get his attention, but not wanting to annoy seb further.
“hmm,” seb replies without looking up from his desk.
charles opens his mouth to ask seb if he might want to order room service in a bit, but seb’s phone vibrates on the desk next to his ipad.
“sorry,” seb mumbles before answering the phone in english. charles thinks it must be one of his team members and that assumption is also confirmed when seb gets out of his chair and walks into the bathroom, clicking the door behind him as he answers the person on the other end. charles would never eavesdrop on seb discussing team information, but he understands seb’s reaction to keep that private.
regardless, it still stings charles a bit to know seb needs to keep some things separate from him.
charles frowns and stares down at the patterned carpet, a brown and white square pattern repeating on and on and on. he feels his eyes go a bit wonky as he focuses on it and when he stares up and blinks around the room he suddenly feels out of place.
his eyes focus on a green jacket hanging over the back of the desk chair and then a green cap sitting on top of the dresser.
charles isn’t wearing team kit anymore, but his t shirt is still red. he doesn’t even think he owns any green clothing. he hasn’t seen seb wear red in a while.
the bathroom seb has closed himself off in suddenly seems so far away.
he’s pulled out of his thoughts when seb exits the bathroom, already off his phone call. seb says, “i’m sorry that was chris” at the same time that charles stands up and says “i’m sorry i’m going to go.”
seb frowns and gives charles a confused look. “go? go where?”
“you’re working,” charles explains. “i can call you later, yes? or tomorrow, before you leave for switzerland?”
his mind is telling him to just go and call seb later and then they can talk, but his heart is pounding hard and screaming out, hoping that seb will ask him to stay.
seb looks between his desk and charles. he holds charles gaze before sighing and looking back over to his desk. charles feels like more of a loser than he did when the race ended.
charles nods and swallows around the lump forming in his throat and looks back down at the floor.
“do you think,” charles clears his throat and tries again. “would i still be able to come over? to see you before silverstone?”
“charles..” seb replies sadly. charles doesn’t like the way his name sounds when seb says it like that.
“if you need to focus on work i understand,” charles adds. “it’s important.”
maybe i’ve been a distraction, charles thinks, and that makes the lump in his throat feel sharper.
seb let’s out a frustrated huff and walks over to his desk. charles’ let’s out a quiet “oh” as he watches seb pile up his papers and put his ipad to sleep before tucking everything into a neat pile in the corner of the desk and then tucking the chair up against it.
charles is still standing there dumbfounded when seb sits on the edge of the desk and crosses his arms as he glares at charles.
“i… what? seb?” charles asks, confused and slightly frustrated himself now at seb’s little scene.
seb just crooks a finger at charles to beckon him over and, oh, it’s like charles’ heart strings are attached to that finger and are being pulled on as he shuffles the few feet over to where seb is. charles can feel the lump in his throat shrink more and more the closer he gets to seb.
when they’re barely a foot apart, seb crooks his finger into the collar of charles’ t shirt and pulls him in for a searing kiss.
charles gasps quietly against seb’s lips before he quickly falls into a familiar rhythm and pace with the shorter man. seb’s hands move to grip charles’ waist and charles presses in as close as he can between seb’s legs and seb parts them further as he sits up on the desk.
they’re both gasping for air when they finally pull apart. seb rests his forehead against charles’ and rubs up and down his sides gently.
“i already booked your flight to zurich,” he whispers before giving charles another quick kiss.
charles now feels another lump in his throat for a different reason. he nods in understanding.
“i’m sorry i’m a stubborn ass,” seb mumbles between kisses. charles laughs against his lips and seb squeezes charles’ hips.
“oh, i’m sorry, could you say that again?”charles teases. “i didn’t quite catch that.”
seb nips at charles bottom lip. “brat,” seb says before he starts to press kisses along charles’ jaw, down to his neck.
charles giggles and tilts his head to give seb more room.
“i said i’m sorry i’m a stubborn ass,” seb repeats before nosing his way up to charles’ ear. “and for the record, you’re important too,” he whispers, but there’s no teasing in his voice now.
charles pulls his head back to look at seb. this time when he studies seb’s face, he sees kiss swollen lips and a glint in those warm, blue eyes with smile lines at their edges. he’s breathtakingly gorgeous.
charles nods and seb slides a hand slowly up charles shirt to rest on his chest over his heart. charles hopes seb can feel how hard it’s beating and that seb knows he did that to charles.
“i’ve missed you,” charles whispers and it’s seb’s turn to nod as he slides his other hand up charles’ shirt, rucking it up past his belly button. charles feels goosebumps form over his skin, but he’s far from cold.
“i’m right here,” seb whispers as they successfully pull charles’ shirt over his head. “i’m all yours, schatz.”
and charles knows he means it.
charles pulls seb’s shirt off in one quick movement and tosses it onto the floor to join his, the green and red colours coming together on the brown and white carpet with the pattern that goes on and on and on.
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