Work Text:
It was dark in the Ferrari drivers room.
Or at least it seems to be for Charles Leclerc after the crash.
It was Monaco, 2027 and Charles had tried to overtake Oscar, who was leading the race. And with only 4 more laps to go the golden boy of Ferrari crashed.
Right into the tunnel wall. The season had been going well, he was second to Oscar who was leading the wdc.
One stupid move had changed that and at his home race no less.
There were tears streaming down his face as he sat there. Room covered in red, the same red he had devoted his career to. The red of the tifosi familie under which he had cried and prayed for a title, a win, a podium. Anything a cruel god was willing to give.
Instead he got nothing, a lost home race and lost courage. Charles’s family had been there, Arthur his younger brother watching in amazement how he weaved through the monegask streets.
And now there was no one to comfort him, he was alone, no body, no senses. All lost to the panic and disappointment and worst of all the guilt of cracking under the pressure.
And then he wasn't.
There were warm calloused hands tearing him back to reality. Wiping away his tears, blessing him with kindness.
They were unmistakable max.
“Hey, hey calm down liefje” he had whispered through Charles’s disappearance. And Charles looked up at him through wet lashes. Not willing to believe what he was seeing. Has Max come back for him ?
“I thought you left 2 years ago?” he asked solemnly. “I did,” Max responded. And Charles had been so angry at him then, for leaving him so lonely in this shit show. “but i always come to this race, to watch you drive” max stated.
"Why?" Charles questioned though there were stil tears pouring out of his eyes.
“oh schat i couldn't not watch your home race.” Max replied softly.
“Oh” he mouthed.
Max continued talking, telling his story.
“ The evil in red bull spread and that last night is when my legacy died, my firefly.”
Charles reacted by saying, “what could I have said to make you stay instead?”
“ it was all already a demise, i couldn't have stayed charlie the pressure it was going to kill me” max replied.
Then out of nowhere “ now you're sitting here on the floor with a halo on your hair, angel did you get enough love, my little dove? Why do you cry?
You can make the most of your life while it is rife, while its stil life.”
“I missed you Max,” Charles had said in lieu of an actual answer. But it did seem tempting, to succumb to the fantasy, the love his former rival was offering.
Max stood up and offered a hand to charles. He took it, of course he took it.” it's great to have you back maxie” he giggled wetly.
And Max had always been his sun, the one he orbited around. He might have been loyal to Ferrari but Max was always his number one.
“ Where have you been ?” he asked curiously. “ Back home in the Netherlands, I have a house in Eindhoven,” Max admitted.
“Ohhh, sounds nice mon chérie” Charles let the nickname slip, he had nothing to lose.
“ come on charlie lets get you out of here” max suggested. "Where to?” he had asked. “ to some place where we could be anyone we want to be, liefste.”
“ You keep calling me that, what does it mean?” Charles asked, nervous about it.
“um… it means dear or dearest. “ max admitted ashamed.
Charles felt like his heart was about to pour out of his chest, it was turning to liquid at the sweet nickname.
Instead he just said “ aww how sweet chéri.”
Max tilted his head like a confused puppy.
“It means darling,” he clarified.
And just like that a comfortable easy silence descended.
“Let's go get milkshakes,” Max suggested spontaneously.
“Sure” Charles said then added “ as long as you don't get pistache, it's a mistake made by the world.”
Max just laughed, loud and free. And for a minute Charles felt whole again, his other half of chaos and radiant anger had returned. And he was happy.
Happier than ever before ♡