𝘽𝙄𝙏𝙏𝙀𝙍, max verstappen

chapter forty-nine.

through each battle across the entirety of the second half of the season, the stakes had never been higher.

all up until now.

because as camila sat in p2, max in pole, waiting for the lights to go out, a new pressure had unveiled. one much greater than the couple had anticipated.

but, nonetheless, they'd come to an agreement.

when they'd train, they'd train by themselves. when they'd discuss strategies, they made sure the other wasn't around.

but when their day would end, they'd be wrapped in each others arms once again. not as rivals, not as teammates, not as enemies, but as lovers.

talking about racing or anything to do with the championship they lived and breathed for had become forbidden for the next few weeks. it was an agreement they had both come to, and they'd finally begun to navigate working around their professional lives and making sure it didn't damage their personal ones.

the track was a battle ground, and although the world thought the two red bull drivers relationship was once again going up in flames, after an exhilarating and intense qualifying yesterday, the reality was, max and camila were doing perfectly fine.

racing was their passion. the thrill of overtaking, the highs and lows of winning and loosing, it was the reason they'd started this in the first place. they loved the competition, and quite frankly, they were each others fiercest competitors, they always had been.

but although at times their title fight made the couple feel incredibly nervous, the adrenaline they felt whilst they'd battled for greatness was too intoxicating and thrilling for either of them to back down. it wasn't a bitter fight, nor unfair, it was just two dangerously fierce drivers meeting each others paths.

for once, max and camila had developed a healthy competition. no more flames, no more crashes, no more fights, no more pushes, no more shoves — they had just become those same two little kids that loved racing, chasing each other for the thrill.

christian had a surprised look on his face a few days ago when they told him that. because honestly, he'd been dreading the moment his two drivers would snap at each other, knowing their past.

but when he noticed the glint in max's eyes when he and camila has assured him that everything was going well, christian had to give himself a pat on the back. the two competitors that everyone had warned him would become the worst possible teammates had just managed to prove the world wrong.

"good luck camila, be careful out there" james radioed in, nerves seeping in for the girl he'd spent his entire career as an engineer rooting for. she deserved this win today more than anyone, and he'd spent the past few nights staying up at ridiculously late hours to make sure he could promise it to her.

"thanks james — and no offence, but can you please be quiet now?" camila responded, as she began to mentally prepare herself for the race start, her tires now fresh from the formation lap.

james breathed out a laugh. "copy"

engines veered, tire squealed, and the cheers from the crowd in brazil boomed ten times louder than it all.

"it's lights out and away we go!"

camila got a good start, but so did max, as instantly, their battles began.

she'd attempted to make a move going into the first turn, but max had managed to fend her off - for now that was. max knew this was just the beginning of it all. if you battled with camila rivera, she wouldn't back down, she was a leopard and you'd become her prey.