Archive of Our Own

“Be quiet!”

She kept wailing. 

Max would never normally even consider shouting at Giulia, but she had been screaming at full volume for nearly fifteen minutes, twisting and tossing in her booster seat like she was being strangled. Max kept asking her what was wrong, did something hurt, did she need to use the toilet really badly? Giulia wouldn’t respond, snot running down the back of her throat and making her cough. She kept kicking the back of his seat, hard and ferocious with her little legs. 

And Max needed to piss and he was jet lagged from the flight and he had a stinging patch of sunburn on his lower back that desperately needed to be itched and Charles had given him some stupid one armed hug as a goodbye, he longed to curl himself up somewhere dark and not come out.

The zen paradise of Hawaii had ended, about forty minutes after landing back in France. Joy. 

“Giulia” 

“Mama” She sobbed. She coughed like she was going to be sick.

Max squeezed the steering wheel tight. “That’s it, I’m stopping the car” It was only fifteen minutes more until they were home, but Max couldn’t take it anymore. 

Max pulled up on the layby. Giulia kept crying. He took several deep breaths before stepping out. 

He opened the left car door. Giulia was tugging lamely at her seatbelt, looking down at her lap, not at him. Her face was maroon from upset, eyes red and veiny. Her tights had somehow rolled down her legs, and were bunched up around her knees. 

“Right” 

Max squidged himself into the middle next to her booster seat and closed the door. Max shoved shit down into the footwell of the car, his blue backpack hitting the ground with an outrageous thump. He grimaced. 

In his backpack were three coconuts Giulia had insisted come home with then, stamping her little foot until Max relented. He knew within two days she would forget all about them, and they would stay on some shelf until they rotted and Max had to bin them. 

“Shh, baby, it’s okay” Max cupped her little face in his hands, wiping the tears from her cheeks.  “Jewel. What happened, what’s wrong?” 

She let out a whimper. 

“Relax, take some deep breaths” 

They took some deep breaths together, in and out, in and out. Max waited until her breathing didn’t sound so horribly clogged anymore, tears no longer running down her cheeks. 

“Now. Will you tell me what’s wrong?”

“W-why is Papa going home?” Giulia hiccuped loudly. 

“. . . What do you mean?” 

“Papa is going home” She repeated. 

Maz frowned. “Y-yes, honey, he is going home” 

“Why?” Giulia wailed. “I thought-”

“Oh” Max’s stomach tightened.

“We were there, away, but he’s going home again, why?” She looked down at her lap again in embarrassment. 

“I’m sorry” Max felt awful. “Y-you’re right, we were all together. That was very bad of us”

He’d done the research, done the reading, read more books for this than Charles probably has in his life. Downloaded them on a kindle so no one could see what they were. The Co-Parenting Handbook by Karen Bonnell. The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read by Philippa Perry. Step-wives: 10 steps to help ex-wives and step-mothers end the struggle and put the kids first by Louise Oxhorn and Lynne Oxhorn-Ringwood. They were boring and tedious, and the authors always thought too much of themselves and their parenting, but it was necessary. 

He couldn’t remember any of it now that he actually fucking needed it though, with Giulia distraught in the back of the car. She coughed loudly with an open mouth, Max wiped phlegm from her chin with his sleeve. Who even cared. She was little. 

She had been with Max and Charles for two weeks in Hawaii, and now something had gone wrong, and Charles wasn’t there anymore, and she didn’t understand why. 

He remembered one thing from those boring books, though. Avoid giving false hope. Don’t let the child think there is a possibility of the separated parents getting/getting back together. Create a firm boundary, and maintain it. Hawaii, mojitos, sun. Charles kneeling down to wrap Giulia in a big fluffy towel and then looking up at Max, eyes soft. Safe to say they had spectacularly failed on that front. 

But Max was desperately in love with an alpha who didn’t love him back, so he could be a little selfish sometimes. 

“Oh, Jewel. Right. Papa is going to always want to spend time with us, he loves you so much. So, so much” He stroked her dark hair behind her ear gently. “Your papa and mama love you more than anything else in the whole wide world. But he isn’t going to be here all the time, hmm? As much as he really wants to be. He is still going to go home” 

Giulia mumbled something under her breath that Max couldn’t quite make out.

“I know, baby” Max smiled. “But I am always going to be here, okay?” 

She let out another little hiccup. “You promise?”

“I promise” Max kissed her forehead. “We are a team, you and me” 

Giulia sniffled loudly. 

Max took her small hand in his own, “You want to be on a team with me? Cause I really want to be on a team with you”

“. . . Yeah”

“Team Mama and Jewel?”

“Team Mama and Jewel” 

They stayed in the back of the car for a little while longer, Max wrapped around Giulia, gently shushing her as the little girl’s eyes began drooping. With every car flying past the vehicle wobbled a little. Charles had been driving behind them, he had to have passed them on the road already. He must not have seen them.

“I fucking hate him” Kelly spat.

At around nine pm she calls him, long after when both the girls should be asleep. Max had been staring at the wall, feet tucked underneath the sofa cushions, Giulia’s baby blanket squished next to him. It always felt a little odd calling each other when they lived in the same building, two floors down and three flats across, but it was an easier way to talk than carting one sleeping child to another’s flat. 

Max said nothing in response.

“You should stop seeing him” Kelly said. 

“I know” Max said. 

“Has he messaged you?”

“No”

“No?” There was a long silence. “Have you messaged him?”

“No”

“Good” He heard her angry huffs of breath. Max appreciated her outrage at Charles proposing to another omega. It made him feel less stupid. “And you had no clue about it?”

“No” 

“No. Fucking no. You cannot let him treat you like this Max, for God’s sake. I am not angry at you” She added on. 

“I know that” When have omegas not begged for an alpha? That is what his father always said. You be good, Max Emilian. I won’t have you throw away everything we have worked for because you bent over for the wrong alpha.

“Do you want to come to Brazil early? When are you flying out?”

“Maybe” Max said. “I’ll have to check” 

Kelly was hesitating. “Are you going to be okay alone?” 

“Yes” Max shook his head, even if she couldn’t see it. “I’m tired, I should go to sleep soon”

“Okay, Max” She hesitated again. “That’s a good idea, go to bed, get some rest. Call me whenever if you need, or if Giulia needs”

Max hung up. 

When she was three months old, Giulia had been horribly sick with something that turned her bowels to water and her skin fiery hot. Max had wanted to take her to the doctors, but they weren’t taking non urgent cases because of the pandemic. Send us her symptoms in an email and we will get back to you. A fucking email! 

Giulia had a blowout and Max set her down on the changing mat and raked around in the cupboard to find- nothing. He threw shit around, toilet paper, shower gel, razors. Empty. A blue plastic bag with nothing inside. He was out of diapers. Charles was racing. He didn’t have Pascale’s number yet, stupid! Giulia started screaming then because she was lying in her own shit and Max almost started bawling too. Or maybe he did, he couldn’t really remember it that well. 

What did he remember, thank God. He remembered Daniil - still racing on the grid at that time in the shitter car - and his girlfriend had a baby and lived in the same building as him.That was before they had split up, but maybe, maybe, if Max was really lucky-

Kelly had opened the door to Max, as white as a sheet, cradling a very sick baby with yellow shit stains up her back. She’d washed and changed Giulia herself while Max sat shell-shocked on her couch, with feces still smeared on his arm. 

Kelly was the only one he had told about him and Charles. They’d been on his boat, the girls were both walking and needed to be watched at all times. Kelly said she would be the sensible one so Max had a drink. And then five more. And because his heat was approaching and that itch had settled under his skin, Max told her, hello, I am fucking my ‘baby daddy’, isn’t it shit!

Kelly had been livid. Not at him, although she told him he was being stupid. She’d snapped something about Sex and the City and Carrie and Big but Max had never seen the show before and didn’t get the reference. 

Max woke up early the next day and couldn’t go back to sleep. He didn’t know what to do with himself. 

He played with Giulia for a while, until the little girl started getting bored of him and told him to go away. Then he played with Jimmy and Sassy until they got bored of him too. He did some sim racing. He checked his phone. Texts from Kelly, from his mother. Nothing from Charles.

He made himself and Giulia dinner. Chicken kiev (plain white chicken breast for him) with potatoes (none for him) and a beet salad. He checked that he had liked the post. He gave in and messaged Charles, only to learn that he still wasn’t home and wouldn’t be home until after the race in Brazil. Max and Giulia made a big comfy nest on Max’s bed and had a bath together surrounded by mountains of bubbles. 

Max was World Champion. Again. 

He kind of hoped when it happened again, there wouldn’t be any controversy, only celebration. Fireworks and screaming without Lewis’ bewildered looks. Instead, Max was shoved in the cooldown room with Charles and Checo and told he was indeed the World Champion as an afterthought. 

Max sat down on his gaudy throne and drank, the blue straw digging hard into the inside of his cheek.

He watched a highlight reel of the season, racing Charles in Bahrain, the win in Miami, starting 10th and winning in Hungary, sharing the podium with Charles in Austria. Beating Charles for pole in Zandvoort. The montage ends with a short clip of him walking through the paddock in Zandvoort carrying Giulia, her face not visible, both of them wearing an orange lion cape. 

Max’s eyes pricked with tears, he blinked them away quickly. 

Giulia wasn’t in Japan, she was too little to travel so far. He missed her so much it ached. A chunk of his chest, carved out. His mother told him about these instincts, he hadn’t understood what she meant, until he had. He made her. Max literally made her, grew her, from scratch. Bone marrow and hair and teeth, skin and lung and brain, it all came from him. 

When you think about children, or pregnancy, or motherhood, you probably imagine snotty noses, blown out diapers, endless crying. And then whining and sulking, ruined furniture, more snotty noses. If you think it isn’t meant for you, forget it. But it was meant for Max. Even at her worst, or his worst, or even Charles’ worst, he never regretted it, not for a moment.  

Max longed to bring her as close to him as he could while staying in two separate bodies, feeling her warm weight tucked against him, enveloped in her sweet milk and honey scent. She was made from him, and he could never take those pieces back, but he could keep them as close to him as he could.

But Charles. 

Oh, Charles. 

He watched Charles put on his brave face as he stuck his head around the door, peering at Max on that stupid throne chair.

“I feel a bit lonely” Max laughed awkwardly, and went back to join the others. 

That night, Charles came to his hotel room for no apparent reason at all. He let the alpha in, both of them awkwardly sitting next to each other on the settee in his suite. Max hadn’t gone out to celebrate because he knew he would just get upset and cry about his baby on someone’s shoulder, and he never wanted that image of himself in someone’s head. 

“Congratulations, again” Charles’ mouth twitched. His eyes were sunken, tormented. Max wondered if it was Jules, or the Championship weighing on him. Probably both. “Have you told Giulia yet?”

“My mother might have but-” Max shrugged.“She doesn’t really understand it yet” 

“Another championship” Charles said. “She’ll be happy, even if she doesn’t get it”

“It was good fighting you for it”

The alpha just grunted.

“Did you come here to talk about it?” Max asked heavily.

Charles stayed silent, staring down at his hands folded in his lap. 

“If you are upset with me, you can say. If you don’t want to see me so much, and just spend time with Giulia, that is okay” Max tried to sound fair. 

But it wouldn’t be fair for Charles to take out his anger on Jewel, and he prayed Charles wouldn’t pull out of their weekend together before Austin. He was supposed to take her to Milan and show her the sights and doubtless feed her lots of unhealthy ice-cream. He pictured trying to tell her, Jewel not quite understanding but trying to seem brave about it. Charles was a good enough dad, but he was still a dad. Still not quite there enough, one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding Giulia. 

Max blamed the championships. He didn’t have to care anymore, but Charles cared so much. 

“I’m not upset with you” Charles said quickly. He sucked his teeth. “It’s not your fault, any of it”

“I’d be pissed off too if my team fucked me around so much. They were shit.  I wouldn’t hide it like you. I’d probably quit”

“And go where?”

“Anywhere”

“Easy for you to say” Charles scoffed. 

“What?” 

“You’re a two time World Champion, Max” Charles didn’t sound mean, just tired. “You can do whatever you want” 

“Stop being so defeated, Charles, it doesn’t suit you” Max said shortly. 

The alpha pursed his lips. 

“Do you want something from the mini bar?” Charles asked, even though it was Max’s minibar. 

They had some shitty gin with cans of lemonade because there wasn’t any tonic and neither of them could be bothered calling the front desk. They talked about Giulia - about her potty training, about whether or not she was coming to Abu Dhabi, about how Charles’ mother wanted to see her more. Lo would love to spend some time with her too, Charles said. Maybe in winter break, Max replied. 

Then, with twin sour sweet stains on their breaths, Charles grabbed Max’s face with both hands and kissed him. 

Huh. That’s why Charles had come round. It was a booty call. Charles wanted sex, and he figured his ‘baby mama’ wouldn’t turn it down. Max should feel used. He didn’t. Max hadn’t had sex in two years. The last time was Charles again, while he was still pregnant. Two year dry spell. He was pretty sure cobwebs were growing between his legs. And he knew Charles was good in bed, and he wasn’t in love with him yet, so what was the harm?

Charles fucked him from behind, hips snapping frantically as Max cried out, hands on the headboard to keep himself upright. The alpha had one hand on his waist, the other hand thumbing his clit, sometimes slipping as Max was too soaked for good grip.

“You’re so fucking tight, Max, putain” The alpha’s voice cracked. “So tight, sucking me in- oh, oh, so hungry for it”

Max’s response was so garbled he could barely remember it. There was a fuck, Charlie, big, and a wail in there, definitely. 

 It was exhausting, consuming, breathtaking. Max came with a loud splatter on the crisp white bedsheets. Charles pulled out and rutted his cock along Max’s ass, spraying come all over his back.

Max went to the bathroom and wiped under his arms and between his legs. He had to contort his arms to clean away Charles’ come, the sticky white clinging to his fine blonde back hair. He brushed his teeth quickly. 

Charles was in the bed now, facing the opposite wall, his shoulders curled in. The sheets were tucked around him.

“Charles?” He slipped into the bed next to Charles.The sheets were still a little damp, he ignored it. 

“Charlie?” Max put a hand on his shoulder and urged him to turn around. 

Something flipped inside of him. 

Charles’ face had crumpled. His sobs were silent, but the pain contorting his features was so awful and loud. His face was a bloody red, tears streamed down and his nose running. It was like two deep cuts had been made under his eyes, and it just couldn’t stop pouring. Max wrapped his arms around his shaking shoulders, pulling him until Charles relented, and lay his head against Max’s chest. He curled a hand over Charles’ scalp, nails digging in. Neither of them said a word. 

Max had two heats a year. He had one in the summer, and one during winter break. They were meticulously timed, marked on his calendar’s with a big pink highlight. The calendar was shared with the team, with Raymond, with Charles. Nothing about his health was private anymore. He wasn’t trusted.

He would premake meals and freeze them two weeks in advance - tomato soup and bolognese and beef chili and chicken curries. Easy to reheat. Mostly they went untouched, but Max liked to pretend. Yes, he will waddle through the house with a big plastic knot buried inside, stretching him wide and full to defrost a bolognese and boil pasta. 

Giulia didn’t like how his scent changed in the days before his heat. She’d avoid him, and thrash wildly whenever he tried to gently scent her. He once asked her what was bad about it, she had just shrugged her shoulders. Giulia was too young to identify it, but Max thought he knew. The stench of need, so sugary it stuck to your teeth. Because she would get so upset, Max always tried to pawn her off to Charles before everything officially kicked off. 

Once, Charles had forgotten and gone to Maranello two days before it started. This was in 2021. Max had yelled at him down the phone for almost an hour. In the end, his mother came to Monaco and took care of Giulia. 

Max barely left his nest during his heats. It was filthy. He was filthy. Covered in fluids, bucking, feral. He needed so much, every blindingly painful cramp sending waves of slick dripping down his legs. He used his toys until they became too sodden to grip properly, and then he would switch to another. Vibrating, faux inflating knots, clit stimulation. Sweat ran down his back, skin sticking to the blanket underneath him, once soft pillows chafing. His wrist would cramp, but he would ignore it, because it was nothing compared to the pain of being so empty. He was so, so empty! 

It would pass in the night, an uncomfortable, fitting sleep. Max would wake up wrist deep inside of himself and have to pull himself free, stomach trembling. Saliva would be crusted into his facial hair. The empty feeling wouldn’t quite be gone, but Max was used to that dull void deep inside of him. Only in heats did it become far less manageable. 

He’d clean himself. Cut his nails and brush his teeth. He’d strip the nest and put it in the washing machine. Sometimes it took two cycles to properly get it all clean. He would open all the windows in the flat to air it out properly. Max would be starving, but still nauseous, so would nibble something light until the tremors stopped. Then Max would text Charles to say it is safe to bring her back. 

He never knew when Charles’ ruts were. He didn’t ask, and the alpha never told.

The first time Max cried over Charles Leclerc, he went to go see a doctor the next day. 

The doctor had been an omega specialist, a kind looking Swiss woman with a thick bob. He described his symptoms, mentioning his daughter and the unplanned pregnancy, racing, and Charles, neatly omitting the ugly fact that he was still sleeping with him. The doctor had looked at him very quizzically, and Max hadn’t been able to keep holding eye contact. 

He kept his pill box on top of the bathroom cupboard, not in it. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. 

Every year, he had the same argument with the FIA. Why are you on all these prescribed medications, they would ask smugly, as if they have finally succeeded in catching out his secret to success. Because if I don’t take them, I will basically go full Margaret White, Max would snap back at them. His sister had made him watch that movie. 

Spring 2023. 

2023 was supposedly the best year of his life. 19 wins, the most ever in a season. The most points ever in a season. Complete domination.  It would be the best year of his life, if not for spring. 

Max didn’t remember anything. 

It was a complete black out, an ugly blotch from April to June. He’d been winning races, and taking care of Giulia and he couldn’t remember a thing. He assumed he had still been having sex with Charles, but he had never asked the alpha to confirm. Charles couldn’t know.

If Max concentrated hard, he could remember flashes sometimes, maybe. Standing on the top step of Miami, walking the beach with Jewel, a tennis match on his sister’s tv. But that was it.  Max had fallen asleep, and he doesn’t remember waking back up. 

It was terrifying. Giulia had been in his care, he’d been waking her up every morning, feeding her, bathing her, and? He hadn’t even known. The first good chunk he could recall after had been Canada, Max stepped out of the haze, discomfort still sticking to him like goo. He got his post-partum dosage changed. His weight went up with the medication change, but he didn’t go back. Max just cut out lunch. 

He watched back little clips and videos of him at that time, interviews talking about the car and the races. He’d looked normal. He’d talked normal. But if Max tried to step into that Max’s body, to feel what he felt, to see what he saw, push into the skin- nothing. 

Those black out months were his, and his only. He couldn’t tell anyone. Not his father, who would be scornful, and not Kelly, who would work out why in a heartbeat. Charles couldn’t know. The last thing he needed was for the press to learn about it. They’d turn it into some anti-omega media firestorm in a heartbeat. 

He’d undergone some bizarre hormonal amnesia and had still been racing?  Risking all other 19 driver’s on track? License revoked pending further investigation. My, Red Bull really can’t win anything without controversy, can they? 

Max was capable. He was sensible, he was caring. He was a good mother, nearly everyone said so. 

And Charles was a good father, even if he was a little forgetful. He cared, he turned up on time (mostly) That was all Max really needed of him. He wasn’t Max’s mate, so how could he ask for more?

And sometimes he felt that flicker of hope. When Charles looked at him a little too long. When the touch lingered for no reason at all. When he had Giulia in his lap, busy with their baby but still wanted to hold one of Max’s hands. When he cupped Max’s face in both hands and smiled so wistfully, so sad. 

And then, there was the inchident. 

It was early March. They’d been sleeping together on and off since Suzuka. They had loud dinners with Giulia in her high chair and quiet drinks after she had gone to sleep. They’d fuck, and sleep in the same bed. They tried to do a day trip to the beach, but the sand had been too cold to build sandcastles and Giulia had a tantrum. They spoke about the upcoming season. Max was optimistic. Charles wasn’t.

The visit had no pretense. Giulia had been asleep for hours. Charles took off his shoes, and then his clothes.

After he had left, Max showered and stripped the nest mournfully, putting it all in the wash. He padded back out into the living room barefoot, searching for any lingering wisp of Charles in the apartment. 

That’s when he saw it.

 Charles’ hoodie, folded and placed on the arm of his sofa.

Max’s heart had leapt. His hands were shaking as he ran his hands over the soft fabric, fiddling with the ties, unravelling the sleeves. He pulled it over his head, warmth blooming in his chest. 

He’d left an item of his clothing at Max’s. He’d never been properly courted before, but he knew how it all started. An offering. He’d left his hoodie!

Max nearly jumped into the air. 

He wore it all the time. He wore it while cooking, careful not to get any tomato sauce on the plush white fabric. He slept with it in the nest. Giulia buried her head into the crook of Max’s neck when he wore it, softly snuffling. All her weight was crushed against one leg, but Max didn’t care. 

His heart was hammering, should he offer something of his to Charles? Should he thank him? Should he wear it in front of Charles to show he has accepted it? That is what Max decided to do, packing it neatly, anxious of creases, in the corner of his suitcase. 

And then. Australia. 

“Did I leave my hoodie at yours?” Charles asked him. He was bouncing Giulia on his hip as they slowly trundled through passport security. 

Max stopped. “W-what?” His heart was hammering.

“My hoodie, the white one. Did I leave it at your flat?”

“. . . Yes”

“Ah good, I was scared I had left it at some hotel” Charles sighed, relieved. “Can you bring it with you to the next race?”

“Of course” Max’s words were sluggish, his lips numb. “I-I actually have it in my bag with me. I forgot”

“Ah, good, it is my favourite”

And then he ate Max out in a club bathroom in Austin after stepping out for months with a shiny, pretty, new omega over spring and summer. The omega he was courting. Kelly was so right. Fuck Charles Leclerc. 

“Charles”

Silence.

“Charlessssss” 

No answer. Max pressed call again. 

“Chaaaarless”

There was a click. 

“Max?”

“Charlie!”

“Putain, Max-”

“-Charlie, Charlie-”

“-You can’t call me like this, Max” Charles snapped harshly. He lowered his voice to a hushed whisper.“What do you want?”

“Where are you?” 

“I’m-”

“Come to my room” He almost said he was naked, but he stopped himself. Max was drunk, not embarassing. His curtains did absolutely nothing to black out the fluorescent lights of Vegas. Bad service, he should leave a review.

“I can’t”

“Charlie” Max said in a sing-song voice. His free hand absentmindedly tugged at his nipple.

Max was World Champion. Again. He wanted to celebrate. 

There was a loud sigh. “I’ll be over soon”

He had the good sense to at least put on a robe before opening the door. Charles was wearing a Ferrari hoodie and a pair of sweatpants, hair still a little damp. He didn’t just smell like himself. That made Max scowl. 

“Congratulations”

“Thanks” Max closed the door with the careful exaggeration of a drunk person. 

“What are you drinking?” Charles asked. 

“I have stopped, but do you want something?”

“No, I’m okay” Charles said cautiously.

“Good” Maz said, untying his robe and tossing it to one side.

“Ah” Charles’ voice dropped.

He looped his arms around Charles’ neck, pulling him against his body. Charles’ hands settled on his waist, thigh shifting to press between Max’s legs. He wondered if Charles could feel the heat of his cunt through the fabric. Max’s lips brushed Charles’ ear, nipping the lobe. “Where does she think you are?”

Charles’ voice wavered a little. “Out”

“Out” Max repeated. “With who?”

“Carlos” 

“Does Carlos know that?” Max was really drunk. “Rebecca?” 

“I don’t know” Charles sounded unsettled. “What do you want Max?”

“What do you think I want?” Max sat down on the edge of the bed, and parted his legs. 

Charles sank to his knees, not breaking eye contact with Max. He pulled his hoodie off and threw it to the side. He was bare underneath. 

Max lifted his leg and pressed the sole of his foot hard against Charles’ head. “Down”

Charles went further down, where Max wanted him. 

He rubbed his cheek against the inside of Max’s thigh. His nose poked along the seam of Max’s cunt, inhaling gently. Max could feel the quiet puffs of breath against his sensitive skin, the ginger poking of his tongue from behind teeth. He was tracing the lines and creases of Max with his lips and tongue, like he was trying to commit it to memory. Charles drew Max’s clit between his teeth, suckling hard. 

Max panted. “Tell me I’m pretty”

“You are pretty” Charles whispered. “So pretty, Maxie”

Max whined. Loudly. His cheeks felt warm, his whole body tingling. 

“Your pussy is so pretty” 

Max pushed away disappointment with both hands and let out a little laugh. “Yeah?” 

Charles spread him apart with his thumbs, eyes dark and heady. “So fucking pretty” Charles moaned before diving back in. 

He kisses and sucks Max’s puffy cunt, lips and cheeks doubtless scratched by his coarse golden hair. Max whines as the alpha teases his clit with tiny little kitten licks, the minute pleasure making his thighs tense and shake. Charles licks up Max’s flowing slick, thrusting his tongue into his tight hole. His vision swam. The room stank of sugar. Max even let out a purr, the vibrations low and heavy in his chest. Then the purrs started getting deeper, less controlled, cracking as Max drew closer.

His thighs were locked around Charles’ head, the alpha’s face smushed against him, nose grinding against Max’s clit as his tongue devoured him. He came down Charles’ throat, a shot of honey does wonders to soothe a sore throat in the colder months. 

Charles didn’t even bother to wipe his mouth clean. Max does it for him, licking his own slick from Charles’ cheeks, his own arousal thick and heavy in his throat. 

“Need you, Charlie” Max groans in Charles’ ear. “Need you in me” The alpha goes rigid for a moment, before pushing Max back onto the bed. 

Max hooked both hands under his thighs and pulled them apart. Charles gave a disapproving clack of his tongue and pushed them wider. Ow. Who did he think Max was? He wasn’t twenty two anymore.

He knew who Charles thought he was. 

Charles tapped the tip of his cock against Max’s clit, clumsily rutting against Max. He squirmed a little, teeth chewing the meat of his cheek. 

“Charles” Max cried out as Charles pushed into him, bottoming out in one hard thrust. His alpha’s jaw drew slack as he was enveloped in Max’s tight hole, before snapping his teeth harshly. 

This wasn’t sex, it was fucking. Charles only ever fucked him, and it felt too good for Max to care.

Charles’ hips were snapping brutal, short thrusts into Max. The slap of flesh was deafening. They could be as loud as they wanted, Giulia wasn’t there. Charles grunting with effort, with euphoria, sweaty hair flopping over his forehead. 

“Uh, uh, oh- fuck, ha, Charles” Gasps punched out of him with each thrust, little ‘uh’s’ again and again, hands fisting the pillow underneath his head. It felt like his whole body was going to implode as his cunt clenched around Charles’ cock. He tried to shove his hips in time with Charles pounding so he was taking as much as he could every single time. 

Max wished to claw the IUD out of his belly, let Charles fill him up, fucking him full, complete. His come dripping out of Max’s hole, but this time it would take. He could have another baby. What could anyone say now? Four time World Champion, mother fucker. He would pray for blonde hair this time. Charles had liked Max pregnant before, squealing like a sow when Max pushed him down and sank onto his cock. 

He was too drunk to be thinking like this. 

He should make an appointment with his gynaecologist. 

He was so soaked he could hear it, a squelch with every thrust of Charles’ hips. He tore his throat raw with moans and gasps and whimpers. Maybe he should take another swallow of his own honey slick. Charles wasn’t quiet either.  Max’s eyes were filled with tears as Charles thrusted into his body harder and harder, grinding against that sweet little spot deep inside of him. Charles was so deep inside of him, fuck. 

“Charlie, alpha, it’s too much” He whimpered. Max liked to put on the performance Charles desperately wanted sometimes. He never asked for it, but he must like it, he never said no.  It was a little degrading, but he was drunk! And a champion, he could pretend to sob over Charles’ big cock if he wanted to. (He was crying, but shh. It was the gin) “You’re so big, Charlie, I can’t take it, it’s too much. Alpha please, I need you, knot me, wanna- want you to come inside of me, fill me up, feel it”

“Merde” Charles coughed, hips stuttering. Max hissed angrily.“Yeah?”

“Yeah” Max keened.

“Baby you feel so good around me, mon coeur, so tight” Charles was bouncing, Max had to outstretch a hand to keep his head from being whacked into the headboard. 

“Charles” Fucked dumb, and drooling. 

“Making your alpha feel so good, so good for me Max, too good”

Oh, Charles. You can’t say things like that to me. 

A cold creeping feeling ran down the back of his neck and settled low in his stomach, right next to Charles inside of him. He let out a long shaky breath and interlocked his ankles around Charles’ waist. 

Charles hand squeezed down where they were pressed together, where Charles’ cock slid in and out of him. His thumb pressed too hard against Max’s clit, and his stomach jumped. Too much nail, how Max liked it. His scent was so strong, thick, draping over Max’s limp form. 

“Dripping” Charles’ breath ghosted over his cheeks. “Fuck Max, so wet for me, my cock is dripping”

Max let out a pitiful little mewl. He couldn’t do much more. 

Your alpha. But not my omega. 

Max came first, then Charles. His knot bullied all the breath out of his body, cunt quivering as it struggled to take it all. Max gasped, nails slicing up Charles’ back. Charles grunts muffled into Max’s neck, salivating all over his scent gland. Eventually the roll of Charles’ hips slowed to the barest twitches, everything so close. Another little purr slipped out of Max’s lips as he nuzzled into the crown of Charles’ head. Soft rumbles, soothing them both so sweetly.

In the morning Max woke up unpleasantly sore and alone. His head was pounding. The sheets beneath him had dried crispy and uncomfortable and stunk of sex- no, not sex, fucking. He had three missed calls from his father, one from Kelly, but none from Charles. 

He was frightening to look at. What a sight. Max stared down at the sink as he brushed his teeth. He looked fucked. He looked used. Charles’ blood had compacted under his nails, he had to scrub it away with a nail brush. He showered three times before it felt like the dirt had finally left his skin. 

“Mama?” She tugged on his race suit. 

Gp’s cheek twitched, but he kept talking. Giulia had his balaclava on, her head so small she was sticking out of his eyeholes. 

Another tug, harder this time.

“One sec” He patted the top of her head. 

“Mama” She had on big black earphones to protect her hearing, so she was talking very loudly. A few mechanics glanced around at them. Gp patted him on the shoulder before walking away. 

Max squatted down to Giulia’s level. “What is it?” He asked quietly. 

“I need the toilet” Giulia mumbled, rocking from side to side.

Max’s heart sank. “W-we just went to the toilet, Jewel”

“I need to go again” She made a worried face. 

“Now?”

She nodded. 

Max swore under his breath. The Red Bull garage was full with people he trusted, but not people Giulia trusted, and he knew she would be scared of going to the toilet with a stranger. She sort of knew Gp, but not well enough and besides, he had shit to do. Max checked the time. It was only fp2 but still- Ten minutes. Shit.

“Quick, we need to be very quick” He grabbed Giulia’s hand and began leading her out of the garage.

“Wha- Max!” Someone shouted. 

“I’ll be right back” He called over his shoulder. 

Qatar, the air was still sticky and hot despite it being past nightfall. He had a change of clothes for Giulia in his driver’s room in case her current dress got too stinky. She held her headphones tight in her other hand as they hurried. How many eyes were on them right now? How many cameras?

The toilets were public, for paddock club and personnel. Maybe George was onto something about private facilities for drivers at tracks. Think about it, George Russell, being right. 

“Ugh” He muttered under his breath. It smelt of piss, and alpha’s. A tap was running loudly. “Watch where you are stepping” 

Max held her over the toilet seat so she didn’t have to touch it. His balaclava was still hanging around her neck like some bizarre cravat. He wiped her and yanked her tights back up her legs. The headphones were between his teeth.

Max lifted her up so she could reach the sink to wash her hands, and then washed his own. At the next sink was a fat man in a Ferrari polo shirt staring at them. Max glared back. 

“C’mon, up” Max ordered. Giulia lifted her arms up obediently. He hoisted her up by the armpit onto his hip, securing the headphones back on her head. He ran back to the garage, Giulia bobbing in his arms. 

She was driving his Ferrari, the custom Daytona, with the awkward precision of someone uncomfortable with city roads. Max watched her approach from the balcony. Giulia was waiting in the living room, shoes already on. She took three minutes to carefully park the car on the street. Alex picked the dog up from the passenger seat, Leo’s bright red lead dragging on the ground. She was wearing a peachy pink dress with a pattern Max couldn’t quite make out. It looked like polka dots. 

When she stepped into the building, Max left the balcony and went to wait by the door.

“Hello, Max” Alex said brightly when he opened up. “Hi Giulia!”

“Hi, it is good to see you” It wasn’t polka dots, but tiny little flowers. 

“Hullo” Giulia said as she walked over, dragging her backpack on the ground. Alex hastily picked it up for her, and slung it over her shoulder. 

She was visibly nervous, but smiling through it. Alex was brave. 

“Parked okay?”

“Yeah, just in the street. I think it should be fine for the time I am here?”

“Yeah, no, it is totally safe for an afternoon” 

“When do you want her to come back?” 

“Um-” Max looked at his watch. “Six?” 

“Six” Alex repeated. “Six. And your number is still the same?”

“Yes, still the same”

“And if I can’t reach you or Charles, I will call Pascale, unless there is anyone else you would want me to call?”

“No, Pascale is good, she is our first emergency contact for Jewel”

“Ah, I thought so”

There was a short silence. 

“Be good” Max said firmly. Giulia just sighed, dramatic little thing. They both made to leave. 

“Ah. Kisses” Max chided, bending down. Giulia sighed loudly and turned around. Max kissed her cheek. 

“Sorry” Alex said. 

“It’s fine” Max stood back up, his knees cricking a little. “Have fun, please message me when you are heading back here”

“I will” Alex smiled. Giulia toddled out of the house. 

The door shut. 

He sat down on the couch and watched his phone for fifteen minutes. It didn’t light up. He put it in his pocket and stood back up. 

Max didn’t get a lot of free afternoons. He made himself a gin tonic - Hendericks, with two slices of cucumber - only one. He did a bit of sim racing, the Nurburgring. He dreamt about racing on the Nurburgring but F1 took up most of his time, and Giulia scooped up the rest. When she was older, maybe. 

He prepped dinner, a lasagna with lots of veggies hidden in the layers of pasta. Giulia was in her hating veggies phase. It would be a lot easier to get her to eat healthier if Charles didn’t sneak sweets and treats whenever Max’s back was turned. He thought he didn’t know, but would send Giulia back to him with napkins in her pockets stamped with the name of his favourite Monaco ice cream parlour. Max wasn’t thick. 

The day was stifling hot, so he kept the balcony doors open. August, summer break. He needed to go to Milton Keynes in a week. Giulia hated Milton Keynes so he tried to leave her with Pascale whenever he could, but there was only so much you could lean on someone's hospitality. Max thought Pascale liked him, but with the language barrier it was tricky. He knew she didn’t blame him for their five year old mistake, that is for sure. 

He’d been taught better than that, by myself and Herve and his brother, Pascale had said to him in French when he had two weeks left, hysterically bloated and peeing every fifteen minutes. Charles was taught to be respectful and to always carry protection with him. It was very bad of him to push having sex with you when he did not have protection with him, and I told him that myself. What is the saying? You make your bedroom, and you sleep in it. 

Max checked his phone again. 

Alex had cornered him in Singapore. The gift bag was black, with golden tissue stuffed in the top. When he took it from her it was surprisingly heavy. Alcohol he had supposed, although the shape of the bag was odd. 

“Happy birthday, from me” She’d said. She’d been wearing some ridiculously pretty red and black silk dress with her hair up. Long legs. Max thanked her. 

He had gotten her a birthday gift this year, too. It had been Kelly’s suggestion, one of those ‘look at what the fuck you are doing, idiot’ exercises she liked to impose on him. He almost got her a gift card but thought that might be a little mean. Instead he got her a bottle of Gucci perfume that looked pretty and a box of chocolates. Hazelnut, walnut, caramel.

He put himself into Alex’s shoes, the fine leather pinching his toes. He imagined the alpha courting him fucking another omega in secret. The omega who gave him his daughter. Acting the happy family, the alpha living some strange domestic fantasy. The alpha fucking this omega again and again because he could only unravel and sate his sexual desires on someone sullied, and that omega had the stretch marks to prove it. 

Max would claw the unknown omega’s eyes out. 

They came back to the house bang on six o’clock. He paused the sim rig, socks bunched around his ankles as he opened the door. He wished he had had another drink. Max invited her in for a minute, but Leo needed his dinner, she said apologetically, you know how dogs can be. The dauschand was yapping loudly. 

“What are you up to”

“Just finishing-ouch” He let Giulia clamber into his lap, knocking the wheel of his sim rig with a dull plastic thud. 

“Ow!”

“Oh sorry, Jewel” He rubbed her knobbly knee with the palm of his hand. “Look, all better now” 

“Still hurts” Giulia’s chin wobbled. He needed to distract her from tears immediately. 

“Think about something else” Max said. “Tell me about your afternoon”

They went shopping and Alex bought her a bracelet, Giulia said proudly, waggling her wrist in front of Max’s face. It was definitely Tiffany or Cartier or something similar. He told her how pretty it looked. Then they went for afternoon tea somewhere, Max asked her where but Giulia couldn’t remember. 

“What did you guys talk about?”

“Hmm, drawing”

Alex had loved seeing Giulia’s drawing book, she loved art, did you know she studied it? Max did, actually. She wanted to take Jewel to an art museum in Italy sometime soon to show her cool paintings. A weekend trip in Florence, and she said you can come to!

Max pictured it. Fresh squeezed orange juice and warm worn cobblestone, Michelangelo’s David, trying to steer Giulia through tight alleyways, past nosy tourists on the Pontivecchio and past the Duomo. A three bedroomed apartment, or a hotel stay, with two rooms. Charles and Alex, Giulia and Max. Max wouldn’t get his own space. He’d probably take Giulia to himself for an evening, to give them a couple’s dinner. They’d have to go somewhere kid friendly, and Max would order a diet coke to avoid judgemental looks. 

He’d sleep every night with Giulia viciously kicking his shins, because even if they had two double beds, she wouldn’t be able to stand sleeping alone if Max was so close by. 

Come on holiday with us so we can spend time with Giulia somewhere pretty but please disappear when we want our own space. It sounded vile.

“I’ll think about it” Max said.

Alexandra Saint Mleux for Elle Mexico. IT GIRL CON CAUSA. 

Alexandra Saint Mleux arrived at the Mexican Grand Prix to capture all eyes with her style, personality and presence. Although she hasn’t been long in the public eye, it has been enough to gain a base of followers who praise her relationship with fashion and its causes. For Alexandra, her social media presence goes far beyond just sharing her life or her looks - it’s a powerful tool for generating a real impact.

It was his cruel fantasy.

Max would turn up to Charles’ door with some excuse. He needed sugar, Giulia had forgotten a very important pen, could he borrow a car? His were all in the shop. Giulia wouldn’t be with him, Alex would be out the house. Charles would be a little surprised, but he would invite Max in immediately. 

There would be a little small talk, but it was all a ritual. Max knew what he was here for, Charles would know what Max wanted, because he would want it too. 

Charles would kiss him first. 

It wouldn’t be so hungry, because it wasn’t about consuming each other, it was about existing together. Just existing! Them and pleasure, no other third being in the room. Charles’ hands would gently graze down Max’s sides slipping underneath his t-shirt, touch so light it would make him shiver. Max would tell him to stop tickling, but Charles wouldn’t.

Charles would bring Max over to his own bed. 

His bed. Charles’ space, his soft linens swimming in his scent. Sun, Max would be drowning in sunlight, right above him, shining down. There would be a twinge of something foreign, of sweet cherries, but they would both ignore it. Charles would undress Max slowly, his eyes dark and fingers trembling. He would be reverent, like Max was some precious thing to him that needed extra care.

He’d push into Max, and he wouldn’t look away, Charles couldn’t bear to, he needed to see every minute reaction on Max’s face. He needed it. The way his lips parted in shock, a low groan building in his throat, eyes widening as pleasure engulfed his body in an overwhelming wave. Charles would see it all, and he would love it. He would call Max beautiful. 

Max would squirm, but Charles would hold him still. He’d pepper kisses of every inch of skin he could reach. He’d be pushing right into that spot, nestled deep inside of him, barely even thrusting, just grinding against it because he would want Max to feel good more than anything. Charles would kiss Max’s full bottom lip so he could feel the moans Max was making, swallowing all of them whole. Breaths intermingling. Charles wouldn’t let Max turn his head, or close his eyes, even when the pleasure got so much. 

Charles would knot him, and as his knot swelled Max would nearly weep with joy. His alpha stuffing him full because he needed it so much, his cunt rippling around that beautiful protrusion, keeping it as tight and close as he could. And Charles, barely able to keep himself upright, breath punched out of his body as Max kept his knot safe and snug and secure inside of him. It was how their bodies were supposed to be. Locked together, and they would stay like that for as long as they wanted. No need to rip themselves apart so quickly, as there was no one around to leave for.

“I don’t want to anymore” 

“Tough, because you are going to” Max said firmly.

“Mama!”

“Go, talk to him” 

Giulia tried to hide herself in his legs. Max took a hold of her shoulders and forced her back around again. 

Giualia didn’t like racing, but he tried to keep her as interested as he could. He tried to bring her to as many races as possible. It had all been safe, apart from Monza 2023- fuck Monza 2023. She’d cried herself to sleep for weeks after.  Some people questioned it. Martin Brundle called Giulia Max’s little shadow. They asked Giulia if she loved racing. They asked Max if she was going to be a World Champion some day too. Some people thought it was attention seeking. 

She should be in school, but she is having to follow her mother all across the world and forced into the public eye. At this point it is just bad parenting. 

What, was he supposed to leave her home for half of the year? Half of himself, behind? 

“C’mon Jewel” Max patted the top of her head. “Now”

Giulia gave him a desperate look but did what she was told. She walked over to Lando slowly, the orange tulips getting crushed in her small fist. 

Someone in orange tapped Lando on the shoulder and the beta turned around, eyes widening. “Hey!”

“Hello” Giulia said shyly. “These are for you” She stuck the flowers out.

Lando did a good shocked gasp. He took the bouquet from Giulia carefully.“For me?” 

“Yeah” Giulia rubbed her eyes with her fist. “I hope you win”

“Aw” Lando grinned.  “You want me to win?”

“Yes” Giulia threw her arms around Lando’s waist. 

Someone in orange quickly stepped in to take a picture. Over the photographer’s shoulder, he and Lando’s eyes met. Max nodded at him, Lando nodded back. He hoped they could be friends again in 2026. Max didn’t have enough people who liked him to lose one.

After a tad too long Giulia let him go and walked back to Max, cheeks bright red. 

“You did so well, Jewel” Max took her hand.

“Do you think he likes them?” Giulia asked. 

“He loves them” Max kissed the top of her head. “You did very well” 

The next time he sees Lewis Hamilton without Charles’ tongue inside of him, it is the Abu Dhabi driver’s parade.

Lewis’ eyes settled on him, looking up and down, ignoring Esteban as he tried to talk to him. Max held his can of Red Bull close to his body and nodded. He hoped the alpha would be smart enough to leave it alone but nope. He walked over to Max when the track began trundling along slowly, the roars of the crowd deafening.

“Hullo, Max”  Lewis’ eyebrows were knitted.

“Hey” 

Look. This is what it was.

Lewis has definitely cheated on ex-girlfriends before, and then there was the whole Rosberg disaster. Pierre cheats on Kika. Lando has cheated a bunch of times with different women. George had a one night stand two years ago and made Alex pinkie promise not to tell anyone. Alex, of course, told. Fernando had a past. Carlo’s was adamant he was clean, but Max didn’t believe him. 

None of them were saint’s, not even good Sir Lewis. 

“It’s not my place” Lewis began. 

“No, it isn’t” 

“But I have come to think of you as a friend, Max”

That sounded like bullshit, but he let Lewis continue. 

“You might not want to hear this, especially from me, but this is not healthy, especially for you. What he is doing is shit. Charles wants to have his cake and eat it, too” Lewis spoke in hushed whispers. What did people think they were talking about? Gabi and Ollie were standing a little too close to them for Max’s liking. Charles was at the front of the truck, steadfastly ignoring them both. “This must be awful for you, Max, he’s not being fair, or good to you, man. And Alex, God, I guess she doesn’t know?”

“No, she doesn’t know”

“Do you not think about her finding out?”  

“I am not stupid” Max snapped. 

Lewis blinked. “I didn’t say you were” 

Max stared at him. 

“Look, Charles seems to think that he is supposed to be attracted to you, he’s being stupid” The words rang in Max’s ears. What the hell did that mean? Lewis’ mouth twisted. “I’m just- I’m worried Max, that this is all going to go really wrong” 

“You don’t have to worry about me, Lewis, it’s fine” 

Lewis gave him a desperate look. “Well, Charles isn’t worrying about you, is he?”

“Papa!”

“Mon chou!”

She grabbed the phone from his hands. 

“Don’t snatch, Jewel” He said sternly. He closed the door behind them and went to sit on the bed. 

He and Giulia were sharing the little guest room over Christmas, one double bed, one wardrobe. There was a half opened suitcase dumped at the foot of the bed, some of Giulia’s Christmas presents had been dumped next to it. There was a set of Christmas lights draped over the window. Red, green, yellow, and blue, they faded in and out sporadically, sometimes flashing crazily. It was too hot. Max had eaten enough food to fill up his stomach twice over, and he felt like he was going to be sick.

“Mon chou, you look so pretty” Charles cooed. The FaceTime video fuzzed out for a moment, but fixed itself quickly. “Did Mama do your hair?”

“No, Auntie Vic did” Giulia elbowed Max’s gut hard as she clambered onto the bed next to him. 

“Well, you look lovely” Charles said. “Are you having a good Christmas?”

“Yeah”

“Tell me all about it”

They talked and talked until Giulia’s head started drooping, and her whispers became mumbles.

“She is asleep?” Charles whispered. 

“Yeah” Max whispered back. He reached over and turned off the bedside lamp. 

“She had a good Christmas?”

“She did” Max said. “Dinner was a bit of chaos but I would not tell Victoria that. It is good for her to spend time with her cousins, she doesn’t spend enough time with other children. She gets along well with them”

“That’s nice” Charles said. “It’s a shame she hasn’t got a sibling for company”

What a strange thing to say. 

“You had a good Christmas?” Max said quickly.

“Yeah” Charles said. “Busy, but good”  He looked over his shoulder at something, but Max couldn’t see what it was.

“When are you back in Monaco?” Max asked. 

“The- the 31st”

“Don’t be late”

“I won’t”

There was a moment of silence. Max stared at the small image of Charles on his phone. The alpha was just looking back at him. 

“Aren’t you going to hang up?” Max asked. 

“Y-yeah”

The phone clicked and the screen turned black. The one tiny light in the room was gone, and Max was sunk into darkness. 

And then a flash of red and blue in the corner of his eye, twinkling merrily.

Max picked up the two dirty glasses, threw the ice in the sink, and set them down on the counter. Behind him, Charles was blowing raspberries on Giulia’s stomach. She sounded like she was being tortured in a happy way. 

It was raining, so the fireworks in Monaco had been cancelled. Giulia had been very disappointed. They watched celebrations across the world on Max’s tv and let Giulia gawk over someone else’s lucky firework display. Sydney had a great one. They counted down to midnight, hands around each other’s waist, Giulia jumping up and down on Max’s nice couch. 

Max and Charles blew their noisemakers. Giulia screamed with glee. Jimmy hissed unhappily at the noise and jumped down from the cat tree, vanishing in a blur. 

“Happy new year!”

“Happy new year” 

Charles leaned in to kiss Max’s cheek. Max let him.

They danced in the living room to a mix of Christmas songs and the Kpop Demon Hunters soundtrack. Max and Charles swung Giulia between them as she giggled hysterically. Then Charles picked her up and began slow dancing with her to ‘Can’t help falling in love with you’, Elvis impression and all. That made her laugh too. 

Max left them to go brush his teeth. 

Up and down, up and down. Spit. 5 seconds per tooth. Pay attention to the gumline. Spit. He heard the music in the next room change. 

Bah Humbug, now that's too strong!

'Cause it is my favorite holiday

But all this year's been a busy blur

Don't think I have the energy

How could he keep on letting this happen? Charles, Charles, Charles. It’s not about her, no one cares about the wife, right? Or maybe Max was wrong, and it was all about her. Her, her, her! Shiny hair, style section, 6 carat diamond ring. It was all about her, and what he couldn’t be. Would they ever have children? Max didn’t think so. It would make her too human. 

How could he keep on letting this happen? 2026, and he was still losing himself over Charles Leclerc. 

Max flossed each tooth carefully, the string digging into his thumbs. His hands were shaking a little.

A few cards, a few calls, because it's RSVP

No, thanks, no party lights

It's Christmas Eve, gonna relax

Turn down all of my invites

If Charles had picked him, what would be different? He would still be a Champion. Being with Charles wouldn’t have changed that. Being with Charles probably would have made him fight harder, want more. 

If Charles had picked him, he would be mated. He would have had a wedding by now. One in the Netherlands, one in Monaco. There would be another baby under this roof, a crib and a white noise machine humming in another room. 

The music suddenly got a lot louder. 

Then suddenly we laughed and laughed

Caught on to what was happening

That Christmas magic's brought this tale

To a very happy ending

Max gurgled mouthwash and spat it into the sink. He changed into navy fleece pajamas and checked that his phone was on charge. 

“Jewel” Max clapped his hands as he walked back into the living room. “Bedtime” 

“I want Papa to tuck me in” Giulia said firmly, tugging on Charles’ hand. 

“Okay, but don’t dawdle. I’ll tidy” 

He did the dishes by hand, accidentally pouring too much fairy liquid into the sink and making lots of bubbles. John Lennon’s Christmas song was playing loudly. Max turned it down. He pulled off the washing up gloves and set them to the side. 

“She’s asleep” Charles announced as he walked into the kitchen. 

“Are you staying over?” Max asked.

Charles blinked. “Do you not want me to?” 

Max stared at the fridge over Charles’ shoulder. “Just -hurry up”

Max laid under the covers and watched Charles move through his bedroom, pulling on pajamas, brushing his hair. He washed his face thoroughly and applied cream afterwards. He watched Charles brush his teeth, blue foam running down his chin. 

Would this be what it is like to be married and mated to Charles Leclerc, he wondered. Max hated how much he liked it. 

This! This could be us, Charles, forever, a nice expensive apartment and beautiful children and fantastic sex, this could be our lives, we are mates in everything but blood, but for some reason you refuse to bite my neck and take my hand and hold it up proudly! Here, world, is my omega, Max Verstappen. 

He wants so much. 

Charles joined him in bed smelling of mint and tea tree and sea salt. They tucked the blankets under their feet as they snuggled together closer, slotting together perfectly, lock and key. Charles' arm was around Max’s waist, chin tucked against his clavicle. The alpha shifted and his lips brushed over Max’s fluttering pulse. Max sighed and let his breathing mellow out. 

“I want to see her more. Next year, I want to have more time with her” Charles whispered. “She’s so special, our daughter”

“She is, isn’t she” Max said lazily. 

Charles ran a hand through Max’s hair, pushing it away from his face. “Her eyes crinkle like yours when she smiles, have you noticed?”

“No”

 Charles’ hands moved back down his body, gently grazing Max’s sides and slipping underneath his shirt, touch so light it made him shiver. 

“Stop tickling” 

“M’ not” Charles murmured into his neck. “I was thinking about Hawaii the other day”

“Yeah?” 

“We still have some time left in winter before we are back, even with the extra testing” Charles said. “We could go somewhere again, the three of us. I was looking at New Zealand, it is summer over there, and I think Giulia would love it. You watched the Lord of the Rings with her, didn’t you?”

“. . . No, Charles”

“You didn’t?”

“No, Charles, not about Lord of the Rings” Max tugged the alpha away  from his neck. “What are you saying?”

“About New Zealand?” Charles blinked at him, confused. 

“We aren’t going to New Zealand, Charles”

“What?” 

“This has to stop. You don’t get to have us both forever" Max’s stomach tightened. “You have to pick one” 

Charles’ smile had dropped. “Max-”

“You and Alex are going to be mated next year.  Mated. Together forever, bonded. It changes you, Charlie” He pressed a hand to Charles' chest, digging his nails in right where his heart should be. “It turns your world upside down.  You can’t pretend, we can’t keep doing this. She is the one your soul-  I will be a completely different person to you then. We should think about getting used to that. It is a New Year, it’ll be a good resolution for us both” 

“Max” 

“C’mon” Max said.“Don’t. You had your chance to have me. You chose”

Charles leaned in close, noses brushing. Their breaths intermingled, sweet. “Why can’t I keep you?” He whispered. 

“Because I say no. If you wanted me, you should’ve mated me. You see what we have, and it is wonderful” Max took a deep breath. “But Jewel deserves better than this. It is hurting her, Charlie” And Alex, his traitorous little mind added, but Max shut that down. Giulia was his baby, his business. Alex had stepped where she didn’t belong. You’re so fucking cruel, Max Verstappen. 

“I don’t want. . .” Charles trailed off. He looked so young, so sad. Max closed his eyes so he didn’t have to see it any longer. 

He felt sweet kisses trail up the curve of his neck, soft lips brushing up against his stubble. Max cupped the back of Charles’ neck, running fine hair through his fingers. Charles’ nipped his top lip, lathing over the spot where Max knew his birth mark was. Max let out a hungry moan.

They didn’t undress all the way. Max wriggled his pajama bottoms down his hips while Charles pulled his own over his ass. Charles settled into the cradle of Max’s hips with a pleased sigh. His cunt felt so hot, throbbing as his alpha’s hard cock pressed against it. They grinded against each other as they kissed, wrapped up in each other. 

Charles pushed into him. It was slow, inch after inch, making him squirm. Max’s lips parted, a low groan building in his throat. His alpha looked at him headily, eyes shining. He kissed Max’s slack mouth as he bottomed out, gently shushing Max’s ragged breaths. 

“Look at me, Max” Charles' arms were resting next to Max’s head, caging him in. Max could look nowhere but at him. Their eyes met. He began rolling his hips, barely thrusting, just grinding his cock into Max. Max shuddered and Charles cupped his head in both hands. “I want to see you” 

“Charlie” 

“Just like this” Charles whispered. “Like this, baby”

Max felt himself begin to spiral but focused on steadying himself, on the pleasure of Charles between his legs, of delicate hands tugging his hair, dark green eyes boring into his own. His entire body was shaking as he drew closer. Charles kissed him as he came, swallowing down Max’s breathless moans. 

Charles knotted him when he came, the swelling so much, Max nearly started weeping. His alpha stuffing him full because he needed it so much, his cunt rippling around that beautiful protrusion, keeping it as tight and close as he could. His alpha let out little noises as Max took him, keeping him safe and secure inside. 

Lock and key. 

Charles let himself fall on top of Max’s body. The crushing weight was comforting. His skin felt sweaty underneath his pajamas, slick wetting the waist of his bottoms. Charles settled in the crook of his neck again, kissing where he was most sensitive. The barest touch of canines brushing down his neck, far too close to his mating gland. 

“Charles” Max chided him, his heart beating rabbit-quick. 

He heard a mumble. 

“Charles?” He tapped the alpha’s shoulder gently. “Talk to me” 

There was nothing but the sound of Charles’ heavy breaths for a long time. And then-

A sudden burst of indescribable pain. Max throws his head back as he chokes. Teeth pierces his skin, sinking deep into his mating gland, and every fibre in Max’s body cries out before release, every muscle in his body unclenching. Starfall and petrichor, sea salt and honey. Blood is running down his neck, warm and wet, but Charles still isn’t letting go, suckling on their mating bite. Everything inside of him was screaming, or was it singing? He can’t breathe. 

After an eternity, Charles unhinges his jaw and lets Max go.

“I-” Max gasps. How- how could-

Max tries to speak, but everything was so loud, where did his being end and Charles’ begin? Was there a beginning and an end anymore? His cunt is pulsing around Charles’ knot feverishly. He can’t speak! 

Charles pulls himself up on wobbly elbows, panting above Max, eyes filling with tears. Charles doesn’t even bother to wipe his mouth clean, scarlet dripping down his goatee, in his teeth, lips glittering. 

“Max” Charles whispers thickly. A drop of blood runs down his chin and lands next to Max’s right nipple. 

Max does it for him. Cleans him up. He licks his own blood from Charles’ cheeks, tongue swiping across his bottom lip, sucking. Sweet, but with a vicious tang. It nearly gags him as it runs down his throat, but he swallows it anyway.