BURN ✶ M. Verstappen

004 || mr. verstappen

When he was ten years old, Max met who he had considered to be his best friend ever.

Instantly endeared by her steadfast and empathetic attitude, the moment she sat herself down across from him in that damp alleyway, certainly ruining her own clothes, solidified her place as his best friend within his mind.

However naive it may seem, Max knew that anybody willing to sacrifice their own vanity for the betterment of others was someone worth knowing.

The first few months, their friendship was public knowledge to everyone but his father. Not because he was ashamed of her, but because he held Cielo in such high regard that he couldn't fathom the thought of introducing her to the hardass that was Jos Verstappen.

And he had been right too. The second Jos found out about how Max had been spending his time outside of racing, he threw a fit so large it made Max feel like he was four years old again and just beginning to learn karting.

"I can't believe this," He'd scoffed. "Out of all the idiotic and irresponsible things you could've done, going out and befriending this girl has to be the worst."

"Dad-"

"No," Jos cut him off before he could even try and defend himself. "This is unacceptable. Can't you see? That girl is just a distraction!"

Now, Max knew well enough by now that if he just sat there and took it, his father's tirades would end much quicker than they would if he'd talked back. But the way he spoke about Cielo...well it boiled Max's blood in a way that had never happened before.

To him, she was something precious. Untouchable from his father's ire and completely and utterly pure. Unburdened by the reality that was Jos Verstappen in all of his 'glory'.

"She is not a distraction!" Max scowled at his father. "She is my friend and I don't appreciate you speaking about her like that."

"She is and I can speak about her however I damn well please." Jos raised his voice, "Max, we've been over this. The only thing that should matter to you is racing. Not friends or anything else of that sort. This girl, she's not good for you and it's going to cost you dearly. Why can't you see that I am only doing what is best for you?"

"Dad," Max said, finally able to get a word in as his dad paused for breath. "She's not a distraction. She's my best friend and she has a name!" 

"I don't give a damn whether she has a name or not because you are never to see her again, do you understand me?" Jos shouted. "Your only purpose here is to race."

"You can't stop me," Max glowered. "Her parents are reporters, so she'll be at every race anyway. I'll find a way to see her."

And he would, even if it was the last thing he ever did. Cielo was his first friend—a real friend—here at the tracks and Max would be damned before he gave that up.

It was nice to be able to have that one person that he could share all of his secrets with, no matter how mundane, and have her share hers in kind. Every shared smile, joined in laughter, snuck glances...it was something only he could have.

Something that not even Jos could take away from him, because they had chosen each other. They both had looked at the other and mutually decided that this was it, this would be the most important person in their life.

Valued in a different way than all the rest, because it was them.

"Her parents are reporters?" Jos repeated, the gears in his head already beginning to turn. A plan formulating within his mind.