End Game (Charles Leclerc x Max Verstappen)

It's Nice to Have a Friend

Max Verstappen

P's small hand is holding mine so tight she might cut off my circulation, but I don't mind. She hasn't left the house in nearly three weeks and the last time we weren't in our apartment it was to say goodbye to her dying mother. Don't cry Verstappen, crying is for babies. So what your girlfriend died? Get over it. I can't get my dad's fucking voice out of my fucking head.

"Daxie" P lets out a small cry and my heart shatters. Maybe we weren't ready for this. Too late now though.

I swing Penelope's bag to my other shoulder as I try to not let go of her hand and knock on Charles' door. I'd talked to P earlier, explaining that we were going on an adventure to a friends house where we were going to have lots of fun, not that she really understood, she was only 20 months.

The door swings open a couple seconds after I knock. And I smile I little behind my mask when Charles ignored me in favour of Penelope.

"Bonjour ma belle! You are looking so beautiful today. I love your purple dress, is it Rapunzel?"I'm not sure if Charles actually expects her to respond or not, I don't think he's spent too much time around small kids, but he talks to her like I do, no baby voice, no cooing, just a normal human being. Thank god.

"Hey mate," I say and Charles straightens up, "thanks for inviting us. Penelope might hide behind me the whole time but I think it's good for her to be out of the apartment."

"Oui, of course. I understand. After Jules I could not stand to look at his stuff, there were too many memories. Would you like to come in?" Charles motions with a hand through the entry of the apartment and I take a few small steps forward, P hiding behind my legs but keeping up for fear of being left behind.

"Your house is very nice." I say to break the awkward silence as we stand in the entry.

"Oh thank you. It is not usually this clean," Charles says and lets out a quiet laugh, "I have not had any guests in far too long. I have set up the Nintendo so we can be outside if you would like to take your mask off."

I'm not really sure what to say so instead I follow him through the living room and onto the balcony where Charles has moved his tv. "Wow, your view of the ocean is gorgeous. I love are apartment but I can't compare to this." And it was gorgeous. With no buildings to block our view from the 38th floor, Charles' balcony look right into the marina and the open water beyond. In the distance an empty stretch of beach disappeared into a wall of cliffs.

"Thank you! I grew up in an apartment that was surrounded by building on all sides so when I purchased mine I wanted to feel the ocean breeze and watch the boats zoom in and out each day."

P starts whimpering as is Charles talking so I take that as a sign that she wants to be picked up. Instead of frowning like some people do when Penelope begins to cry I see a smile each Charles' eyes as he turns away from the ocean and towards us. "P we are boring you, no? Well then, we should play some Mario cart. I think I can finally win a championship against Max today."

I have to give her credit, P probably does understand a lot more than I think, although I normally talk to her like an adult anyway so it wouldn't change much. She starts smiling a little when she hears the works Mario Kart and I can't help but feel a tiny crack in my broken heart is messed by it. I don't think I have seen her smile since Kelly got sick.

I choose the chair closest to the railing and set down P's bag before arranging her in my lap and pulling off my mask. "I can finally breathe again!" I point out as Charles' turns on the Nintendo and passes me a controller. "Masks were one of the worst decisions the world has ever made." As soon as the words leave my mouth I regret it. Kelly died because we weren't wearing masks yet, if we had been maybe she wouldn't have gotten sick. It's my fault she got sick in the first place, I'm the reason she was at the track with all the sick engineers and team members. It's all my fault.