Coming Home - A Lestappen Story

deep end

Song to play in the background while you read: Deep end (Stray Kids) 

Austrian Grand Prix

Charles and Max hadn't spoken to each other since Barcelona. Charles was being ghosted by Max, the man that kissed him back in Barcelona. Was he just trying to get in my head? A thought that Leclerc was sure was becoming a reality. Why had Max left Leclerc in the cold after their kiss?

-

After the Barcelona Grand Prix, Max had a conversation with his father. A conversation that put a seed in Max's head. 

"I don't know what you were talking to Leclerc about Max, but you cannot in any way converse with your rival like that. I understand you two were friends but it is not good for your career with Red Bull to be seen with him like that." Jos Verstappen said to his son.

"We were just talking about the race, we weren't..." Max replied before being cut off by his father.

"It doesn't matter what you were talking about! If you are seen with him by the media, it will absolutely ruin your career with your team. Do not let friendship ruin your chances at another Championship Max. I won't have it" Jos replied, a little angrier now.

"Okay Dad." Max replied in a quiet tone, he didn't want to argue with his father right now. 

As much as he didn't want to agree with his father, he knew that his statement did bear a bit of truth. If Max Verstappen was seen commingling with his rival from a different team, it would certainly rock the boat in the Formula 1 world. 

Max knew that if he was seen making out with Charles Leclerc, things would end even worse. The older driver knew that his urge to meet with Charles again would only end in one way, with their lips locked together once again. 

He didn't know how to tell Charles that he had to maintain some distance. He didn't know how to suppress his feelings for Charles. But most importantly, he didn't know how he would deal with the sadness that would creep up after confrontations with his father. 

Charles was the only one that could calm him down, and without Charles, Max was not sure how he would fair without him. But he knew that if he saw Leclerc again, he wouldn't be able to pin down his urge to press him against a wall and kiss him.

-

Leclerc arrived in Austria a few days before everyone else. He had been trying to contact Max after the Spanish Grand Prix through text but Max wouldn't respond. 

Message from Charles Leclerc (now): "Max are you okay? Why aren't you talking to me.."

Max didn't even read the message, which hurt Charles even more. 

"Why did he.. kiss me like that, agree to meet again, and then ghost the hell out of me" Charles muttered to himself before throwing himself down onto his bed in the Ferrari hotel in Austria. He truly didn't know the intentions of Max, but felt like it was best to stop messaging him.

If Max wasn't going to put in the effort, Charles wasn't going to either. As much as it hurt him to not drive straight to Max's hotel, and as much as it took every part of him to not call the Dutch driver until he answered, Charles attempted to stay steadfast in his stance.

The Monegasque driver didn't do much in the few days before the race, all he could find himself doing with his time was watching Netflix and eating whatever food he could order to the room. 

Max didn't do much either with his time, having arrived to Austria a lot later than the rest of the drivers had. Verstappen arrived at his hotel and slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, as thoughts of his father's words and anger slipped into his mind.