Chapter Text
"Godverdomme! Charles! Nino peed once again beside the pad!"
"I told you that'd happen. Leo did the same thing at first."
"Yeah, but that was in your apartment. Not mine."
Max feels Charles's presence before he pops into the room. Jimmy and Donatello are draped across his forearms.
"It was your idea to get another dog. Not mine," Charles pouts. As if on cue, Leo runs into the room, straight through Nino's pee. "Leo! No!"
Groaning, Max bows down to wipe up the pee with a paper towel.
"This place is turning into a zoo."
"We'll drop off a few of them on the yacht once it arrives." Max nearly strains his neck by the speed he makes eye contact with the Monegasque.
"I'll drop you off on the yacht if you ever say that again."
Charles bursts out into laughter at Max's threatening tone. "As if! You can't live without me."
"Neither can you," Max counters with a smirk, to which Charles sticks out his tongue.
"We'll have to soon enough," Charles sighs as he puts the cats on the ground before taking place behind Max's simulator. "I've to go to the factory soon for Lewis's introduction."
Max recognizes the pitch in Charles's voice immediately. His anxiety is spiking to a new level. It has been ever since New Year's Eve when he realized Lewis's arrival is near.
Leaving the dog piss for what it is, the Dutchman walks over toward his boyfriend. "You'll be great. You've nothing to worry about, Charlie."
"This isn't just worry. This is Lewis we're talking about. He's next level. He's the blueprint."
"And once upon a time, Sebastian Vettel was the blueprint, and you defeated him in your first year for Ferrari."
"That was different. I had ideas of grandeur back then," Charles says as he reaches down to turn on the simulator.
Max drags a chair up to his side before resting his hand on Charles's that grips the steering wheel tight. "You're the one for Ferrari, Charles. Lewis arriving for what's probably his final contract won't change that."
"I hope so," Charles sighs, looking everywhere but at Max. "We'll see after the private tests."
It's silent for a moment while the simulator beeps to life. Suddenly Charles's eyes lock on their connected hands. "Mon amour? Is that the hand you were cleaning up pee with a moment ago?"
Max follows his line of sight before taking a deep breath. "Yeah."
"Mate!"
"Sorry! You decided to have a crisis in the middle of all this, and I just wanted to comfort you!"
"I appreciate the sentiment, but now I have to go wash up." Charles darts out of the chair toward the bathroom, and Max can't help but laugh. He actually didn't touch Charles with said hand, but it did take his mind off things. Max fears he'll have to do so a lot this year.
----
"Mate, I cannot wait for the year to start. I'm so excited!" Liam exclaims, storming into Max's room in Milton Keynes. "Look at this! It's fire!"
Max snorts at the Kiwi who's posing in the mirror. "I'm glad you like it. It's well-deserved, mate."
"Thanks! That means a lot to me, Max." Liam's eyes shine with pride. Max is genuinely happy for the kid. He misses Checo. After all, four years is a long time, but Liam is a good driver and a nice guy. Max is sure he'll do great.
"No problem. You can always ask me anything," Max says, getting off the couch to tie up his own suit. "Ready for your first shoot as a Red Bull driver?"
"Born ready!" Liam counters with a wink before disappearing as quick as he'd come.
Checking the time, Max notices he still has a few minutes left. He quickly dials Charles's number, hoping the Monegasque will pick up.
After the second ring, Charles's familiar laugh echoes through the speaker.
"Hey," Max speaks up first. They've been apart for a few days now. Max is stuck in Britain, and Charles is in Italy. They haven't gone this long without each other since Christmas.
"Give me a second." Max hears Charles say before rustling around. "Max, hi." Charles's happiness is audible through the speakers.
"Hope I'm not interrupting anything important?"
"No, no. I was showing Lewis around the factory. It's been quite hectic."
"In a good way?" Max asks, hoping Charles's worries were unnecessary.
"Really good way. Lewis is nice to be around." A pang of something Max would rather not acknowledge hits him.
"I told you it'd be fine."
"Yeah, you're always right," Charles agrees. "How are things there?"
"Good, I guess. Loads of media stuff."
"Same here."
"And Liam is quite excited about it all, but I guess that'll wear off eventually."
"Or you're getting old." Charles teases. "First time you're the older driver."
"I'm only 27," Max counters indignantly.
"27, four-time world champion, eleventh season in F1. You're no longer the new kid on the block."
"We're 16 days apart!" Max whines. Charles might be joking, but Max has been thinking it over during the winter. Charles has no idea how much the prospect and abilities of this year's car are weighing down on Max. Last time a Red Bull driver reached four titles in a row, it was over the year after.
"I know, mon amour. It's just easy to get you riled up," Charles laughs. Max has to bite his lower lip not to break out into a wide grin. Rivals or lovers, Charles will always be able to press his buttons.
A knock sounds on his door before Liam's head pops in: "We've to go to the press."
Max sticks up his thumb.
"You've to go." Charles must have heard.
"Yeah."
"I'll call you tonight?"
"That'd be perfect."
----
"Did you receive it?" Max is wiping the sleep out of his eyes.
"It's 1 AM, Charles," he says, while opening WhatsApp. Pictures of Charles's photoshoot for Puma are there to greet him.
"I know, I'm sorry. I finally found some breathing space." Charles is quiet for a moment, but Max doesn't notice. He's too fixated on the pictures of his boyfriend, too focused on his smolder.
"Max?"
"You're so fucking hot." Max's breath hitches in his troat.
"Well, thank you," Charles answers smugly, before requesting to switch to FaceTime mode. Max gladly accepts.
"So you liked them?"
"Understatement," Max states, shifting beneath the sheets, as his dick strains against his boxers. "What did I do to deserve someone as sexy as you?"
Max swears he can see Charles blush.
"Says the one with a promo shoot ending with his biceps on full display."
"That's nothing compared to this." Max says, reaching underneath the covers to massage his hard-on. "Fuck, I wish you were here right now."
"Me too. We'll be home again in a few days, though," Charles smirks. "I just wanted to give you some fun thoughts over there in gray England."
"Fun is certainly a way to put it," Max moans as he moves his hand slowly up and down. If he can't even handle sleeping in a different bed for a few days, how will he handle different hotel rooms for a whole season?
"Take it easy, bull rider."
And just like that, the moment's gone. "What?"
"What?" Charles echoes, smiling innocently.
"Bull rider? Seriously?" Max cringes at saying it out loud. "That's the worst nickname you've come up with so far."
"It did work. No way you're getting off on your own. Good night, mon amour." With a wink directed at the camera, Charles ends the call, leaving Max to his own devices. Luckily, he did save the pictures.
----
"Half a second? That's wild!"
"I know," Charles beams proudly at Max, his chest resting on the blond's chest. "I did not expect the gap to be that big. The Mercedes must be an entirely different car to drive."
"Or you're just that good," Max counters, before placing a soft kiss on Charles's forehead.
"Thanks, but there must be a reason. This is Lewis Hamilton we're talking about. I've to stay grounded and focused." Charles pushes himself off Max's chest, moving toward his suitcase. The Monegasque just got back from Maranello. Only a few hours after Max got home himself. "I hate that we barely have time to unpack before we have to go to London."
"Agree. I'm quite sick of the English weather already," Max agrees, getting up to unpack his own suitcase. "And that show is going to be such a waste of time."
"It might be fun. I heard there will be a red carpet."
Max throws his head back with a sigh: "God help me. I can't swear or disagree with idiotic penalties, but I do have to parade on a fucking catwalk."
"Relax, mon amour," Charles giggles before wrapping his arms around Max's torso, his head resting on the Dutchman's shoulder. "I'll be with you every step of the way."
"Not like this," Max says, feeling Charles tense up. "We can barely even talk in public. Ferrari will be there too."
"You're acting as if Ferrari is some cult."
Max lifts an eyebrow at Charles, who lets go, lifting his hands in surrender. "Okay. I'll admit it's a cult, sort of, I guess. But I'm talking about the team."
"Who says I wasn't?" Max knows this isn't fair toward Charles. He just hates he has to hide this from everyone. Red Bull was so open and welcoming when he told them.
"I've news," Max blurted during the first official team meeting. Everyone had looked at him with curious eyes. "I'm in a relationship."
"So?" GP replied, but of course his engineer already knew. The man was daring him to tell everyone in the first place.
"It's a man," Max continued, looking at everyone expectantly. No one moved.
"Yes, and?" Christian eventually said. "Why is it important to us?"
Max's breath was stuck in his throat. He didn't expect everyone to be open toward it. Even Helmut looked bored as ever.
"Because it's Charles."
Eyes locked across the table, no one saying a word. Until...
"That explains a lot, actually," Liam said, rubbing his chin. "I had a bet with Yuki, but he kept denying it all year."
Max stored that information away to thank the Japanese driver lately. Yuki had been discreet about the worst-kept secret among the drivers, and it meant the world to Max.
"Well, as long as you'll race him like the others and don't tell him anything about the car, that should be alright, no?" Christian continued with a smile. "You're not the first bull to fall for a horse."
"Thank you," Max nodded. "All of you."
"The Scuderia is not a cult!" Charles's voice pulls Max back to the present. That was weeks ago. Charles had said he wanted to do the same. Yet, no one knows up until this day. "And you know why I haven't told them yet. I don't think Fred or John will appreciate the fact I actually fell for you after their... ruse."
Max winches at Charles's phrasing. Last year Charles had betrayed Max in a way he'd never expected. He still can't believe the man standing in front of him now is the same person who lied to him for months about his true intentions. Yet, Max can't stop loving him.
"I know," Max says. "And I know now might not be the right moment. Maybe during testing?"
"Maybe," Charles agrees, but Max knows it won't happen during testing. One can hope, though.
"I'll bring our suits to the tailor. They need ironing," Charles continues, promises forgotten.
----
"I can't wait until this is done," Max whines as he looks himself over in the mirror. "The press conference was already dreadful. The red carpet was literal hell. And now I have to sit and watch as everyone puts on a show while showing the same exact livery."
He turns to Charles, who's mushing his hair to perfection. "Schat, I cannot do this."
Charles's gaze flicks over to Max. A hint of concealed laughter is traceable in the lines of his face. "Aren't you exaggerating a little bit?"
Max's face drops slightly. He wants to voice his anxiety, but he also doesn't want Charles to worry on such an important night.
"Max?" Charles reaches out to stop Max from rubbing the spot behind his ear. He didn't even notice his own movement until Charles's fingers delicately grabbed his. "Are you okay?"
"No," Max says with a sigh. "You don't know what it's like. Since 2021, every single time I set foot in this country, there's been nothing but hate."
Charles's forest green eyes grow wide with concern. Max wants to get lost in them.
"And at the track, I don't mind their booing. It fuels me more than anything. But today... I don't want a whole room to publicly hate me for two hours."
"I can't say I understand, but I'm here for you. If this whole thing feels like it's all a little bit too much, you just look for me," Charles says, cupping Max's cheek. "I'm with you every step of the way. I always will be."
"I love you so much," Max whispers before closing the space between them. His lips roughly crash onto Charles's as the Monegasque falls back against the mirror.
"Now? We've got to get out in 10?" Charles practically moans as Max moves onto his jawline.
"So? I can do a lot with ten minutes," Max breathes.
"But what if we get caught?" Charles continues, but Max knows it's for show as his boyfriend is already removing his tie.
"We wo—"
The sentence hasn't even left his mouth when the door to the dressing room opens.
"I'm so sorry!" Kimi Antonelli squeaks before closing the door behind him.
Shocked, the drivers look at one another before bursting out into laughter.
"You better go after the kid," Charles says, knowing Kimi and Max have a kind of mentorship going on already. "I'll see you out there."
Max nods: "I'll look for you."
Charles winks in reply, causing Max's cheeks to flush, before he jogs after Kimi. He doesn't need to look far as he finds the Italian on the other side of the door muttering to himself.
"Are you alright, kid?" Max asks, placing a hand on Kimi's shoulder.
"Yeah. I'm just incredibly sorry for barging in like that. I should've—
"Hey! It's alright. We shouldn't have done that knowing people could walk in. We got carried away."
"I didn't know you two were... together?" Kimi says uncertain, but Max spots no disdain in the teen's face.
He smiles, squeezing Kimi's shoulder before letting go. "It's been complicated, but we're together, yeah. Some drivers know. Some don't. Okay?"
Kimi nods, his face lighting up at being in on this secret. "My lips are sealed."
"Awesome."
----
Kimi stuck by his side until the show kicked off to the obvious displeasure of both George and Toto. Max guesses the end to last season is still fresh on their minds.
Charles interrupts Max's train of thought as he gives his hand a squeeze while passing by with Lewis to go to their seats. Max follows, noticing his table number. Sixteen. He snorts to himself. There really are universal things at play when it comes to him and Charles.
----
Max wants to jump straight off the stage and into Charles's arms. This is even worse than he expected. Everyone is booing him. The car is the exact same as last year's, livery-wise. Liam is on the other side of the catwalk, too far to talk to but close enough to see his discomfort, and to make matters worse, there are thirty people or so dancing behind him at the most awkward pace.
Max is thankful for Christian opting to do no interviews. He wants to get off this stage as soon as possible.
He searches for Charles across the room, but he knows it's no use. The Monegasque is backstage, waiting for Ferrari's presentation to start.
As the lights go out and the color red clouds the TV screens, Max finally exhales. The worst is over.
----
The presenter announces all teams to the stage. The show is finally over, but Max has eyes only for one man. Charles is standing a little further ahead, taking in the sight of thousands calling out his name.
Charles suddenly turns. A grin is plastered on his face as his gaze lands on Max. Somehow that grin deepens, causing a familiar warmth to spread in Max's chest. A genuine smile escapes him for the first time tonight.
----
"One of the Red Bull family, old and new!" The photographer calls out. Max and Charles are startled out of their conversation.
"I'm not part of the team," Charles replies.
"You sort of are," Liam says with a wink. "Right, mates?"
Alex nods, pulling in the RB boys. "Yeah, you are."
"You are," Max whispers, pulling Charles closer.
"Smile, boys!"
----
"I can't believe you have to be at the track in less than 12 hours," Max scoffs. "Like, that's cruel after tonight."
"Yeah, I'm going to try to get some sleep in on the plane, man. This is an insane level of commitment," Lewis agrees. "Charles isn't going to sleep."
"I don't like planes," Charles says defensively. "But we have to go. Or we'll be late."
"I'll see you both in Sakir then?" Max asks, trying but failing to hide his sadness. He doesn't want to be separated for another week from Charles. He doesn't want Charles to spend it with Lewis either.
"Yeah, next week," Charles says, reaching out to squeeze Max's hand. "I'll call."
"We'll call," Lewis says jokingly. "Come on, bud. We've to go."
Charles nods, turning to follow Lewis to their car. As the Briton is a little further ahead, he turns on his heel. "I can't wait to beat your best time," Charles says before kissing Max hastily on the cheek.
"Game on," Max replies, before watching Charles take off after Lewis.
"Game on!" Kimi yells beside him, startling the Dutchman.