Chapter Text
‘I always thought it would be easy
To get you out my mind’
Charles took a sip of his drink, the red and purple lights of the club barely illuminating his form and making his jeweled hands shine in the darkness of the booth; green eyes transfixed into the figure of a particular Dutchman dancing at the centre of the room.
“You're going to burn him a hole if you continue to stare at him like that”
“Shut up Lando”
‘I think I found a new addiction
And it feels so right’
A merry, and a little drunk, laugh rang next to him, a head of curly locks falling into view when the Brit leaned forward to rest his head in his arms, “someone is still mad about that night” he sing-songed.
“Do I look mad?” The Monegasque deadpanned, eyes still on Max, who was glued to a very enthusiastic Albon at the side of the dance floor, both men moving with the crowd and practically rubbing against each other, mouthing into the other’s face the lyrics of the song and sharing touches under the neon lights of the club.
At least George was glaring at the duo with the same contempt as Charles.
‘Run, baby, run, run for your life
I'ma tear out your heart, it'll always be mine’
“You look like someone has pissed in your drink” Lando's eyes were blown wide, cheeks flushed pink, and his breath smelled faintly of Jagger, "tell me Charles, did you have fun with Sebastian and Alonso yesterday? Max is going to be all day with them tomor-” a loud thud cut him off, the Ferrari driver having slammed his drink against the table before turning towards Lando with a snarl on his face.
“How do you even know that”
“Lewis has loose lips” the Brit grinned, nuzzling his cheek in the sleeve of his dress shirt, “and I may have overheard Alonso laughing about it with Carlos”
Oh, there she go, losing my head
Say you'll love me to death 'cause I will
Charles rolled his eyes and turned again to the dance floor, but Max and Alex were gone.
“Looking for your little lion?” The McLaren driver was now practically side by side with him.
Charles' left eye twitched.
“Why do you care?” he asked slowly, not understanding at all Lando's presence in the same booth as him, “don’t you have a teammate to bother when you’re drunk?”
Oh, there she go, show me you care
Say you'll always be there 'cause I will
Lando pouted playfully at Charles’ words, “so harsh Charlie, Oscar is getting us a cab so I thought about giving you some company, you looked a little bit lonely” he gestured to the empty seats around them.
“Maybe I wanted to be alone” from Lando’s look it didn't quite land as he wanted.
“Right after your podium?” Charles tsked but didn’t answer, “or it is because you want to be alone with him?” Lando tilted his chin to the Monegasque back.
Charles turned his head in time to see Max and Oscar approach them from the stairs; the Australian looking as proper as the beginning of the night and Max like he had fought against a whole herd of chickens, with his hair all ruffled up and the top buttons of his shirt unmade to show part of his pale chest.
Oh, Father, please, please don't waste any time
The sirens are turning red, I found a whole another vice
“Hey Charles” Oscar gave him a polite smile before lifting up Lando's dead weight, basically dragging his teammate to a stand-up position, “I’m taking this one to the hotel, sorry if he was bothering you but he took more drinks than I had expected”
Charles waved his hand dismissively, “it’s fine, we were just talking about the race anyways”
Lando thankfully was too engrossed in mouthing at Oscar’s neck to correct him.
“Then we’re going, have fun and don’t drink too much like this muppet” Lando lifted his head making an offended noise but Oscar just shushed him with a glare, the Brit’s whines following the pair until they both disappeared into the next floor of the club.
“I didn’t know that Lando would get so drunk after two glasses” Max was sipping his gin tonic calmly, clearly far from tipsy.
“You gave him the drinks?” Charles scooped to the inside of the booth so the Dutchman could sit next to him, an arm thrown over his shoulders.
“Of course I did, the owner had some pity for me after my DNF so I have had free drinks the whole night” Max lifted his glass in celebration before gulping it all down in a single motion, the bob of his throat catching Charles' attention.
“You know how pissy he gets after a hangover” the brunette said absentmindedly, all his focus on the pale extension of Max's neck.
The blond wiggled his eyebrows teasingly unaware of his boyfriend's intense stare, “not if Oscar is there the next morning to take care of him"
Charles reciprocated it with his own raised eyebrow, “I didn't know they had something serious” he admitted.
The Dutchman scoffed “only a blind man wouldn’t see it, it was so obvious they liked each other that I almost pushed them to kiss and get over it at the start of the season” Max intertwined his leg with Charles one, his left hand that had been resting on the Monegasque shoulder coming up to play with the loose strands on his nape, “lucky me that Lando is such a lightweight and Oscar wanted to come to the party”.
Father, please, she's perfect in your design
Charles melted into his boyfriend's touch, closing his eyes at the delicious feeling “how did I manage to get such a manipulative man” he hummed.
Max's soft laugh tickled his cheek, he was closer than before, the heat of his body attracting Charles like a moth to a flame “I could show you how much more manipulative I can get schat” his lips trailed over Charles’s jaw, kissing softly his neck while his right hand caressed the thigh of the Ferrari driver, fingers inching closer and closer to his slowly forming erection.
“Really? How?” Charles laughed, opening his legs wider as an invitation.
“Mhm maybe a kiss?” the brunette's right eye cracked open, Max's smile blinding in the dark of the club, his rosy lips inching closer and closer to Charles’s ones, “the things I could make you do for a kiss” the blond whispered absentmindedly before suddenly pulling off with a laugh, putting a finger on Charles' waiting mouth.
“You should’ve seen your face,” he teased.
She's covered in Saint Laurent, you've shown me the holy light
Charles whined, “you can't do that to me Maxie”, he complained.
“But I just did, you will have to work harder if you want it” the blond tutted.
Charles threw his head back but a smile still grazed his lips adoringly, “what do you want Maxie? Just say it and it will be yours”.
Max tightened his grip in Charles’s thigh, “say please” the blond got closer and brushed his lips against the corner of his mouth, “or I could leave you here and go to dancefloor again” Charles made an offended noise at the suggestion, making Max giggle, “but neither of us would want that”.
“Please Max” Charles said immediately, “a kiss, only one”
“You will end up wanting more than one” Max lips tasted like gintonics and his strawberry chapstick, soft and addicting making Charles' remaining neurons melt into a puddle of love and adoration.
“I love you” Charles breathed between kisses.
“I love you too schatje” Max slid off from his seat and perched over Charles’s lap, his blue eyes looking down at Charles sprawled form, like a golden God seeing their favourite saint, “so pretty and perfect” he leaned down to litter dozens of kisses all over the Monegasque face, hips starting to make slow circles over Charles hardness.
“Mon Dieu” The Monegasque gritted out, knowing that he couldn't do anything while they were in public unless they wanted to be kicked out of the club for public indecency, “you're a fucking brat”
“You prefer me like this” Max brought his hands to Charles' chest, massaging the warm skin there while licking the other man's lips with a devilish smile.
Charles bit the inside of his cheek, “Oui mon cœur”. The brunette brought his hands lower, encircling his boyfriend's waist and diving into another kiss.
Charles was ready to risk it all and throw the Dutchman over the table when a cough from the other side of the booth interrupted their little moment. Both men turned startled towards the new arrival only to be met by two pairs of amused eyes.
“You guys are having fun huh?” Gabriel was leaning against the table while looking at them with a teasing smile, Kimi standing not far behind him waved cheerfully at the two older drivers.
“Hey Max! Good night Charles!” his curls were shining with gel and his shirt looked ironed, hands empty of any glass and face not flushed up enough.
His boyish smile freezed when he realized the position the two men were in “oh my God, we didn't want to interrupt sorry” he said, flushing deeply, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as his companion laughed.
Gabriel threw himself to the seat in front of the couple and urged the younger driver to do the same, “we couldn't find the others so we started searching on the other floors and saw you here” he explained.
“Did you just get to the club?” Max, unfortunately, got up from his position, deciding that the moment had definitely passed, and leaving a sour Charles lamenting the lost weight on his lap.
“Yeah, Toto wanted to talk about the race and wouldn't let me go” Kimi pout was cute as hell, like a puppy, and Charles could sense Max resisting the urge to pinch those cheeks to cheer the boy up, “had to get Bono to help me sneak out”, he looked up sheepishly at the Dutchman, “sorry again for the race, didn't mean to take you out”
Max groaned, seeming to have heard that same apology a hundred times already, “you already apologized four times Kimi, in a single afternoon! It's not like you were actively trying to kill me” he tried to joke.
Kimi only played with his thumbs nervously, “I know I know but I still feel bad about it, you couldn't finish the race because of me” Gabriel patted his friend's back reassuringly but it only made the younger driver shrink with guilt.
Max sighed and got up from his cozy spot next to Charles, walking resolutely towards a startled Kimi and offering a hand to the younger man, “let's go”
“W-what? Where?”
“To get some drinks before you start spiraling”
“Won't the drink make me spiral more?” But Kimi took the offered hand nevertheless.
“Nobody can stay sad after a good gin tonic”, Max said as it was obvious, grabbing Kimis's and taking him downstairs, not before giving Gabriel a thumbs up when he shouted for a Vodka RedBull.
Soon the booth fell into an awkward silence, Max and Kimi having disappeared into the crowd searching for more drinks, and leaving only the clinking of Charles’s Spritz between him and Gabi.
“So… how has the team been treating you?” Charles tried to start without sounding awkward.
Gabi turned his head from where Max and his friend had disappeared to Charles, like an overexcited puppy, “good! Everyone has treated me very well and the team didn't even complain too much when I crashed” he joked, earning a small laugh from the Monegasque and dissipating the tense atmosphere.
“That's good, that's good, I still remember when I first joined the grid, I almost fainted when Lewis shook my hand and told me that he had been watching my F2 season,” he said, reminiscing fondly about his rookie years.
His first lap.
His first win.
His first clash with a certain blond.
“Yeah I reacted the same way with Max” assured Gabi. Charles smiled at the Brazilian, who had already found the figure of a second mentor in his boyfriend.
“He always made a lasting impression on everyone who met him” the brunette said, Gabriel nodding furiously.
“Yes! It was like seeing… God… the first time he offered me to drive for his sim racing team” the kid was talking animatedly, hands flying everywhere and so similar to a certain Dutchman, “you can't imagine how nervous I was during our first race, he was already world champion you know? And racing alongside him was like a dream come true, the way he moved, how he talked, how he drove” he whispered the last part, as if he was ashamed that the man himself would appear and hear his words.
Charles could only chuckle. It was cute in some way how he could sympathise with the younger driver as he had felt the same all those years ago when he and Max got into their “rivalry”; the two fighting for every corner and every straight, never letting the other get into DRS range, the tension after every victory.
It had been exhilarating.
It had been the start of an obsession.
“You're not the only one who finds Max amazing” he said with love lazing into each word.
Gabi's idolizing expression suddenly melted into a deadpan one, “oh I know” he said dryly.
Charles lowered his glass confused, “what?” he asked at the sudden change of demeanor in the younger driver.
Gabriel smiled slyly, brown eyes lighting up with mirth. “C'mon, don't tell me you can't see the way Kimi practically sticks to Max every time he sees your boyfriend on track”
Charles felt as if he had swallowed a boulder.
Gabi continued oblivious to the face Charles was making, “or how Ollie and Isack were the first ones to get, apart from me, his personal number and not the business one he gives to everyone”.
Charles had needed three years to get it.
“But hey” Gabriel lifted both hands in surrender, “we get it, he's yours” he snickered.
When Charles didn't laugh he leaned forward with an conspiratorial air “but if I'm sincere with you, everyone was a little jealous when we first found out that you and Max were together, some seriously thought that they had a chance”, Gabriel laughed.
“You… also liked Max” it sounded less of a question and more like an affirmation.
A very bitter truth.
“Who not? Look at him, he could punch me and I would brag around about how Max Verstappen punched me on the face” The Brazilian was laughing merrily at his own joke until he noticed Charles constipated expression, and it seems he still conserved enough self preservation because Gabi immediately backpedaled on his words “but I got past that, I'm truly happy for you both, seriously, you deserve each other” he reassured.
Charles mustered a timid smile at that, “thank you Gabi”.
The Brazilian shook it off, “that's what we're here for; anyways, you should be less worried about me and more about Kimi” he shrugged.
“Kimi?” Charles asked, confused.
“Yeah, that kid is a beast”
Before the Monegasque could question him a shout from the stairs interrupted him.
“We're back! I think that the bartender loves me Charlie, he gave me these for free” Max was waving in the air a tray full of shots, Kimi following him not long after with both hands full and eyeing the little glasses with weariness.
“Max, they're going to fall,” Kimi tried to warn, but Max just laughed.
“Don't worry, I have a perfect balance, see?” The blond made a little twirl, the tray tilting a little to the side before regaining its precarious position.
Kimi who had already sat in his seat beside Gabriel looked resigned at the blond antics “I see but don't do it again, I prefer to stay dry the rest of the night".
Max smiled and quickly gave two of the glasses to Gabriel and Charles, urging them to drink it; Gabi didn't even think twice before gulping the shot in a single motion, refraining, from his expression, from spewing it to Charles’s face and instead swallowing it with a grimace.
“That was the worst thing I have ever done in my life man” he groaned when the burn finally faded, making grabby hands to his drink and taking a large sip, trying to erase the strong taste of vodka from his mouth.
Charles however hummed while swallowing it, having already accustomed himself to Max's own brand of strong alcohol, “thanks chéri, why don't you try one?”
Max laughed, “trying to get me drunk before midnight Charlie?” But he took a shot nevertheless, gulping it down quite clumsily and spilling a few drops from the corner of his mouth, leaving a wet trail down his throat until it disappeared on the hollow of his neck.
Charles' mouth opened imperceptibly, wanting to pass his tongue over that pale skin. Lick it clean.
“You will need more than that to get me wasted” Max put the tray down and slumped partially onto Charles’s lap, a leg perched over the Monegasque knee.
Charles posed a hand on the blond's hip, caressing the warm skin under his palm.
“Should I remind you of the time you got so drunk on our yacht that you fell over Toto and got his wife wet with champagne?” He tried to sound as innocent as possible but by Max's expression he didn't quite succeed.
“It's not my fault that Toto and Susie were standing in the middle of the stairs” the Dutchman tried to defend himself, blushing furiously under the laughs of the rookies.
“And Toto just let you go? I would piss my pants if I were you” Kimi asked curiously, picturing the intimidating figure of his boss looming over him. He shivered.
Max waved a hand at the notion that somebody could be pissed by something so trivial, “it's water under the bridge, I apologized the next day and Toto pardoned me super quickly, even invited me to his house”
Charles raised an eyebrow, turning towards the Dutchman, “you didn't mention that last part to me” he said affronted.
Max petted his head reassuringly, “because I didn't go of course, we were planning to go to your mother's house that day and the occasion didn't come I suppose” he shrugged.
Charles rolled his eyes but soon let it go, not being able to stay annoyed at Max when he looked at him with those wide cerulean eyes, he had a way with words after all, “you're lucky you're cute” he pressed a kiss to the blond's cheek.
“Then I'll have to use it more to my advantage, right?” Max trailed after Charles' lips but the brunette turned his head away with a soft chuckle.
“No kisses when you're drunk” he reminded.
Max pouted, “but I'm not drunk Charlie” he whined, looping his arms around the other man's neck and practically dragging him down so he couldn't escape the inevitable kiss.
“Your face tells me something different chéri” Charles gave him a little peck nevertheless, nothing too lewd, only a little touch of their lips; barely resisting the urge to do more when Max threw him a beaming smile.
“You two give me diabetes”
“Thank you Bubbles” Max sighed, turning towards the two younger drivers.
Gabi was looking at both men with a mix of disgust and humor while Kimi had stilled in his seat, his eyes fixed on the place where Charles’s fingers met with a sliver of naked skin.
“Are you okay Kimi?” Max was looking concerned at the Italian, who only nodded slowly.
“Yup, perfectly fine” he reassured but Max didn't seem so convinced.
“If you're not feeling okay I can accompany you to your hotel man” he tried to offer.
“I'm fine Max, don't worry, the drink just hit me wrong I suppose” Kimi brushed off.
“Okay…” Max didn't sound convinced but let it go easily when Charles' lips grazed his neck, “Charles! There're people here” he admonished half-heartedly.
But Charles' eyes weren't on Max however, they were fixed on Kimi, who was looking at the interaction with a somber look in his eyes, a strange intensity in them.
‘You should be worried about Kimi, that kid's a beast,
Charles winked.