'That never happens, I guess I'm dreaming again, let's be more than this'

Maëlle stood with Charlotte as they watched Charles receive his end of year gift from Ferarri, a little something to say thank you to him and to make him aware he was doing a grand job in F1. Charlotte smiled as she held Maëlle's right hand, "I can't believe next year it's going to be the brothers together." Charles' girlfriend was so happy as she held the hand of Charles' best friend.

"Speaking of which," Maëlle looked around for the younger Leclerc brother. "Where is Arthur?"

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders before she walked away to congratulate her boyfriend and spend some quality time with him. Maëlle found herself alone, she'd been coming to this shindig every year for Charles but this year he'd also invited Charlotte, so Maëlle found herself a third wheel. The year before, Charles had invited his girlfriend at the time, but she'd declined, busy with work, so he moped around the whole time.

Maëlle hoped to find the younger brother of Charles soon, she needed someone to hang out with and since she was friends with them both, Arthur was her next best option. After a few seconds, she managed to see him. As she walked towards him, she noticed he wasn't alone, as she turned to walk away she heard him call out her name making her awkwardly stop.

She turned to look at him, "Oh, hi. I thought it was you," she said as she began to walk towards him again. She wanted to mentally slap herself.

"This is Loretta," he introduced Maëlle to the woman with him.

She smiled at her, Maëlle's hand was clammy as she offered it to Loretta to shake. "Maëlle," she said as Loretta shook her hand as she grinned.

"Arthur was just telling me about you," Loretta said in a kind tone.

Tilting her head to the side, Maëlle looked up at Arthur as she raised my eyebrows.

"All good," he assured her as he gave his black-haired friend a small nudge.

Loretta nodded as she looked back at Arthur, "I have to go. Enjoy the party."

She left leaving the two friends alone.

Maëlle looked at Arthur, she managed to smile at him but she felt awkward. For a long time, she'd found her relationship with Arthur changing, she was no longer comfortable around him. She didn't confide in him like before.

"Do you want to dance, ma Sœurette?" Arthur offered his hand to Maëlle who declined with a shake of her head.

"I'm just going to get a drink," she said as she walked away from him and headed to the bar.

Arthur followed her, "Come on, Maëlle, dance with me."

"No thanks," she mumbled as she thought of the nickname he had called her.

He sighed as he stood with her at the bar, he looked at her. ", ma Sœurette. You have come all this way to see me, you might as well dance with me."

She looked at him with wide eyes before she walked away from the bar, she couldn't believe him.

"Maëlle!" Arthur called after her as she left the room.

Charles appeared next to his brother, his hand on Arthur's shoulder as he sighed. "What have you done to upset her this time?"

Arthur shrugged his shoulders, "I have no idea. I asked her if she wanted to dance with me."

Charlotte giggled as she approached the brothers, "That can't have been it." She looked at Arthur, "So, what else did you say to her?"

He thought about it, he tried to rack his brains. "I have no idea. Nothing that I wouldn't normally say."

Charles looked at his girlfriend, "Do you want me to go?" He asked her with a raised eyebrow.

She shook her head, "I have a feeling this might require a female touch." Charlotte left the brothers and headed outside where she found Maëlle sitting on a bench in the cold. "What did he say?" Charlotte asked as she sat with her friend.

Maëlle looked at the woman next to her, "It doesn't matter." She sighed as she thought about it. "I'm just wasting my time."

"I can see it," Charlotte said as she put an arm around the younger woman. "I think you're both doing the same thing." Maëlle glanced up at her waiting to hear her explanation. "You like him but try to play it cool and act like you don't because you don't know if he likes you back, he does the same to you."

"He called me 'little sister'," Maëlle confided as she took a deep breath. "I don't want to be his little sister," she whined as she sighed. "I want more."

Charlotte laughed, "Maëlle, why don't you just tell him?"

The younger of the two women sighed, not happy with the laughing from her friend. "And what if it ruins our friendship?"

"You know," Charlotte smiled as she thought about it for a moment. "Just take a chance, Maëlle. Right now, your friendship isn't working because you want more, so just go for it."

Maëlle stood up, she tried to be confident as she spoke, "Okay." She walked back inside, she left Charlotte behind who followed with a smile on her lips. Maëlle passed Charles who wanted to speak to her but Charlotte stopped him before Maëlle came face to face with Arthur. Taking a deep breath, she stood up straight before she managed to speak, "I can't be your friend, Arthur."

Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it again unsure what to say to the woman he'd known for so long.

"I want to be more than your friend," Maëlle admitted as she held her head up high keeping her composure.

For a moment, Arthur looked confused before he took her hands in his. "Maëlle, we've been friends for a long time now."

Her eyes widened as she listened to his words.

"But," he pulled her closer to him. "I feel the same. I want more than this too."

Maëlle gave him a smile as she realised what he was saying. "What?"

Arthur let go of her hands before he put his hands on her cheeks before he pressed his lips against hers. Maëlle was surprised for a second before she began to kiss him back. Her insides were jumping all over the place as she got what she finally wanted. Arthur pulled away from her, a grin on his lips as he looked at the young woman in front of him, "You don't know how long I've been waiting to do that."