A gentle hum filled the room as the instructor spoke to them all. They were less of an instructor really, more of a guide or a leader.
They stood ahead of the class, a single person commanding the presence of many as they spoke. "It's simple enough," they said, and Juniper hoped it really would be. "You'll split off into your pairs and I'm going to ask you to create something on the canvas that encapsulates the other."
It was a simple premise, there was no doubt about that but it was a task nevertheless. The pair of them followed the instructions, setting themselves opposite each other after they grabbed what they needed.
"It's an art class." He told her softly now.
She nodded, "Yes it is."
"But you're not an artist."
"Not in this sense, but you are."
That was how it was with them now, he thought, it wasn't give and take anymore. She just gave. With no sign of stopping and with no intention of allowing him to give anything back.
The initial moment at the hill, the surprise in Italy, the art class. Every instance was taken from when she had listened to him, heard him, not some random attempt to fill his wonder -- instead all planned and thought out.
And what had he done to repay her?
The meal with his family? A key to his apartment? Both seemed so superficial in comparison, like spur of the moment ideas instead of plans.
She was there for him inevitably, even after he accidentally ignored her during his testing days. She even opened up to him repeatedly, something he did as little as he could.
"Are you there?" She asked him with a laugh, only then realising he must've been in a trance. He returned a simple nod, looking back to his canvas to see that even in his subconscious state, his paintbrush had found away against the fabric.
That was how it had always been with him, it was one of the only things that he seemed to be able to do without much thought. The other things on his list were usual, the changing of gears in a manual car or the walking up of stairs -- actions many people did all the time without thought.
It was easier with this though, in this space especially. It wasn't like he entirely hid this hobby that he loved, but that's still what he had to leave it to: a hobby. His job asked for too much even now, with simulators taking up his time when the season hadn't even started yet.
They asked and asked and asked and he gave and gave and gave. Was this why he couldn't give as much to June as he wanted to? Because his job took so much away from him?
It was almost humorous, the way he got next to nothing back from them but was still prepared to give it his all when he was so cautious with giving to June, who already seemed like she was giving too much of herself too.
This was what separated them.
In a world where they got to choose who they gave what to, she had (in some form) picked him. June had picked Alex, among the Charles' and the Charlotte's and the Kamri's and the Lilia's. He picked RedBull, and in conjunction he had chosen to give to Max, and Checo, and Christian, and Helmut, maybe even Pierre and Yuki too. That only covered work, too. He gave to his family as often as he could, to Lando and to George too.
The amount of people gave to "too" was starting to get exhausting.
June had some of herself to spare and she gave it to him. Alex had stretched himself so thin that even though he wanted to, he couldn't if he tried.
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CAPACITY FOR WONDER. | alex albon
Fanfiction"every time you try to fill the other with wonder, you give a piece of yourself to them, with how you attempt to do so." (IN WHICH!) june maddox decides to teach alex albon there is more wonder in life than ju...
