JULIETTE SQUEALED LIKE A little girl again when she realised what she had signed up for, a date with Max Verstappen. The same boy she had a crush on back when she was just a young girl. It was like her childhood dream she wished for had came true, her dream career and her dream date.

Before Jules got ready for tonight, she managed to refresh inside the shower at her hotel room. She twisted the switch, allowing the warming liquid to shoot towards the ground before stepping underneath.

She tilted her head back as she rubbed the shampoo thoroughly through her hair, the soap foaming into bubbles around her brunette locks.

The girl wrapped a towel around her waist after exiting, now focused on getting ready for the hopefully positive night ahead. She turned on her hair dryer, the hot winds to removing the added moisture.

Juliette decided on something subtle, but enough to make some sort of impression. The driver had spoke to her many many times before, known her all his life. She didn't need to build up some false facade on what she was truly like. Max knew her personality like a book anyways.

She slipped on a white ribbed vest, patterns made with lace decorating the trim of the clothing. After this, Jules added some contrasting dark dress pants which flared slightly at the bottom, before finishing the look off with matching black sandals.

"Perfect." Juliette muttered to herself, observing her outfit in the mirror, her heart racing faster as the clock ticked closer to seven. Was she nervous? Excited? Frightened? Overwhelmed, she was very overwhelmed.

The sudden knock on the door made her heart flutter rapidly as practically stumbled towards her door, her hand trembling with a variety of emotions when twisting the doorknob, revealing Max, grasping onto a bouquet filled with flowers.

"You didn't!" Her eyes widened at the sight of the assortment of blossoms in his clutch, the boy passing them to the girl revealing his recognisable cheesy grin.

Juliette inhaled the fresh aroma the flowers emitted, the fragrant smell relaxing her body, sending her into some sort of tranquil state.

"Thought you would like them." Max chuckled at her positive reaction, glad that she appreciated his gift. "Ready to go?" He asked, holding out his hand towards her.

"Of course I am." She responded, eagerly taking his palm gently into hers, walking out of the hotel together.

LANDO STROLLED DOWN THE humid streets of Sakhir, the recognisable tower above glowing vibrantly.

Despite the sky darkening as the moon became more visible, his sunglasses were still stuck covering his azure eyes. He was not in the mood to be bombarded with the paparazzi, the shades being an attempt to disguise his identity. The driver just wanted a night to party in the city, maybe with a few drinks in the midst.

He approached a bar, the atmosphere of blinding lights that radiated different colours and lots of people dancing comforted him in some way. Lando loved places like this, they were basically a second home to him.

"Just get me anything strong, please." He ordered towards the bartender, propping himself onto a stool as his drink was being prepared.

He needed something to soothe his brain, banish the jealousy that was seeming to be an impossible task to banish from his head, getting wasted possibly being the only solution.

"Here, sir." The bartender caught his attention, handing him the beverage which he now grasped tightly in his fingertips, observing the enormous crowd of people. That's when he noticed her.

Juliette Leclerc was like a spirit, constantly haunting him, torturing him. Was she even actually here? Was she just an illusion in his mind right now? No, she was actually here, laughing and enjoying every aspect of life.

Her hair was slicked back, the same recognisable black ribbon she wore tucked in her ponytail, leaving her features on show. The way the extremely bright rays flickered over her eyes every so often, the yellow specks that were once hidden glistening in the spotlight. Fuck, why did she have to look so gorgeous sometimes.

Then Lando saw him, Max Verstappen. Of course Juliette came here with him. The reoccurring thought creeped through his brain once again, the same jealous ideas that he attempted to shun away. He was desperate to get drunk now, maybe then he won't focus on the 'couple.'

The boy lifted his drink to his lips, the strong scent travelling up his nostrils as he tipped the liquid down his throat. He could immediately taste the strength, a slight burning feeling slicing down his throat, but he didn't care. Anything to not think about her.

JULIETTE ENTERED THE BAR, her hand glued onto Max's as they walked in together. Of course he's taking her here, fucking party animal.

"Did I ever tell you these lights make your eyes look stunning?" He smirked, a flush of redness filling the girl's cheeks at the compliment.

"No you haven't, but thank you." She giggled, her voice softening as she relaxed into the surroundings.

"I'll get us some drinks." Max suggested, aiding the girl in her attempt to get comfortable. "What would you like?"

"Hm..." She thought, "Anything, I'm not a fussy person." Usually Juliette wasn't a heavy drinker, one or two normally at most. But that probably wasn't going to be the case tonight.

"Not fussy, got it." Max nodded, learning something new information about the girl. He couldn't wait to get to know her even more.

As the night continues, that one glass turned into two, that transformed into many more than anticipated. Jules was very much not used to this large amount of alcohol, this was the possibly the most she had ever consumed in her lifetime.

But the atmosphere was almost exhilarating and she was having a night some would deem as perfect. The duo joked for the whole night, Max even introducing Juliette to beverages she had never even heard of before. But whatever she had ingested was slowly getting to the girl.

"Do you maybe wanna dance?" Max proposed, "If you're not too tipsy, of course."

"I'd love too." She agreed, the heartwarming grin still stuck on her face, refusing to leave. "You'll have to carry me back though if I stumble." She commented, stifling another laugh from the dutch boy.

They both stepped onto the dance floor together, Max gently wrapping his arm around Jules' waist so she wouldn't trip.

"I got you, don't worry." He comforted at the sight of Juliette's face shifting into a nervous expression at the image of her falling with such a large crowd surrounding, her face quickly reverting back to happiness at the boy's caring words.

And so the duo danced, well Max danced- Juliette's movement looking more like an attempt to keep balance. However, from a distance it could be interpreted as some abstract form of the sport, praying that nobody got too close to notice her poor attempt.

The more the night went on, the more the sharp pain in her head began to increase. Starting as a minor murmur, forming into a small migraine and now into a throbbing sensation that filled every aspect of her mind. Is this what getting too drunk feels like? If it was, she definitely didn't enjoy it.

The music that was once easy to identify was now an assortment of distortions, Jules unable to recognise what the song actually sounded like.

Next was the vision, it was like a cloud had entered her vision, the atmosphere morphing into a fuzzy haze, her eyes unable to focus on an object. She felt like shit.

"Hey, I think I'm going to go outside for a few minutes, get some fresh air. I feel kinda dizzy." Juliette explained, receiving a nod in response.

"Do you need any help getting outside or-?" He asked, being cut off by the sharp movement of the girl's hand.

"I'm okay, don't worry about me. I won't be long." She answered, not wanting to ruin Max's night for him. He deserved to have some fun after aiding the girl for so long.

Juliette shuffled through the crowd, observing the room to try and find the exit, which she successfully achieved. She felt the temperature shift immediately as she left, the clustered environment inside was very humid, while outside had a slight breeze but still staying quite warm.

Jules closed her eyes and tilted her head back, inhaling the outside air and allowing her body to slouch, relaxing her muscles that were currently exhausted from the 'dancing' she had participated in. Unbeknownst to the girl who had her eyes sealed shut, Lando Norris was standing right behind her, clearly failing in his mission to forget about the Leclerc.

"JULIETTE." THE BOY SPOKE, a mild slur in his voice from the many drinks he had over the night, instantly grabbing the girl's attention- her expression shocked due to his presence. Why was Lando here?

"Lando?" Her eyes widened as the one person she loathed stood before her, "What are you doing here?" She asked, "Are you fucking following me?" Jules scoffed, knowing Norris' usual behaviour towards the girl, he definitely was. "Oh my god! You're such a creep Norris-" Before she could finish her scolding, he perked up, defending his cause.

"I'm not!" He shouted, immediately softening his tone at the realisation of just how loud he had yelled. "I'm not stalking you or anything like that, I didn't know you would be here." He explained, the sudden sympathetic mood towards Juliette left her confused. "And then I saw you... with him."

"For fuck's sake Lando, let me enjoy my life-" She attempted to escape another complaint, but once again was cut abrupt.

"It's not like that!" He yelled, defending himself for a second time, "When I saw you smiling and laughing and dancing with him... I just-" Another interruption was made, this time however it came from Jules.

"Then what Norris, fucking explain it to me. What gives you the right to control what happens in my life." Juliette's anger clearly started to show, her hands randomly shaking every time she shouted and her voice now slurring similarly to Lando's. They were both visibly drunk.

"Because I can't bear the sight of you being so happy with him!" He finally admitted after the constant bickering, even Lando himself shocked by the words escaping from his lips.

"Oh my god." Juliette figured out the truth, "Is Little Lando Norris jealous?" She smirked, a pale flush shadowing the boy's face at the question. "Somebody looks a bit guilty." She referred to the now ghost- like face, paralysed by some sort of realisation of the feelings he attempted to kick away. Instead they charged back like a bullet- attacking him straight through the heart.

"You're right." He agreed with the Jules' accusation, hesitating his decision before stepping closer towards  the girl, a bewildered expression forming on her face. "I am jealous." He moved his foot forward again, forcing Juliette to stumble against the wall, she was cornered. Nowhere to run from this situation.

"I can't stand the thought of you being together with him and it's haunted me all night." Lando started to explain his side of the story, "And it's because I want to be the one with you. Making you laugh, making you smile." He blurted, allowing the ideas the boy
had pent up in his mind to eventually spill out, courtesy to the enormous sum of alcohol he had consumed.

"So..." She paused, attempting to not betray the usual opinion she had on the boy before her, his lustful eyes glaring down at the now powerless girl. "What are you going to do about it, Norris?"

Fuck whatever beliefs Juliette had of Lando previously, who cares if she still thought so negatively of him?

It was probable that the alcohol made her feel this somewhat magnetic pull to the driver, but as she inspected his face- the paradisal Atlantic eyes peering down into her glistening hazel ones, his practically flawless tanned skin, his fluffed, dark hair that was now slightly flopping downwards as he refused to move his view away from the shorter girl.

Maybe it was the distorted vision the shots had gave her making her think such sinful things about Lando Norris- the one person she despised.

And he didn't want to look away from Juliette Leclerc for some reason- her brunette waves that matched the frame of her face perfectly, the natural, pink glow her skin flustered which just made her appear even more gorgeous, her glossy lips that were screaming to be kissed.

The duo forgot they were scrambled down an alleyway, hardly able to stand up from the drunk state they were currently in, instead they believed they were somewhere blissful.

"God." Lando broke the long silence of admiring the other, "I hate you so fucking much, darling." He whispered, their faces only centimetres apart.

"Don't worry, the feeling is mutual." Juliette managed to escape a murmur of hatred back, their heads slowly moving closer and closer. The afterthought of Max waiting for her to come back into the bar had sprung out of the girl's brain, Jules' mind too busy focusing on someone else.

And that's when it happened, their lips had made contact.

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AHHH I'M LIVING FOR THE LULIETTE CONTENT (EVEN IF THEY'RE DRUNK.) I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER AND MY ACTIVE ERA!! <3