Acid Rain - [Max Verstappen]

[P R O L O G U E]

     "Max, you better be on your way right now!". Max laughed as the voice of Tuuli Kesküla echoed through his car as he had picked up the phone via the Aston Martin phone system. "You know I never leave you hanging, Tuuls". Max responded. "I have such great designs, I barely slept last night. And I've drawn them out on my laptop". She rambled. Tuuli was the twenty two year old Estonian that worked for Verstappen's team as a designer of his merchandise and his helmets. Next to that, she was the photographer of Red Bull. A very good one. Tuuli started as Vladmir Rys' student and had gotten herself a contract with the team after the summer break. Tuuli's passion was capturing the most stunning pictures and eventually let them inspire her to draw the designs for Max' shirts, caps, phone cases and more he sold on his webshop and the actual shop in Limburg, the Netherlands.

"You know the season is over for a week already, right?". Max chuckled as he took a left to her apartment just outside Monaco. "You know my brain usually explodes with ideas". Tuuli replied. "I know, don't worry, Tuuls. I'll be there in five". Tuuli smiled as she ended the call, the nickname he always had for her making her lips curl upwards once more. Ever since they met, he never pronounced the 'u' in her name, whenever he used her nickname it always sounded like he said "Tooli" and it never failed to make her smile. She heard his car parking on the porch and the engine turning off. Max got out of the car and headed over to the back door, knowing she left it unlocked for him. Tuuli was the most creative person he knew. She was an amazing drawer too and it never bored him to see how she designed stuff. It was simply mesmerizing to see.

Tuuli had told him all about the trip she wanted to make this winter, a kind of bucketlist trip to everything she wanted to see. He had told her not to hurry, she could always see the remains of her bucketlist another summer or winter, yet she hadn't responded to that. Probably because she was very impatient, he assumed. "Hey there, Picasso". Max said, an amused tone in his voice as she had papers sprawled out over the whole table, her laptop and herself in the middle, colour pencils and more stuff around it. "Hi!". She chirped. She was always so vibrant, such a kind soul. Her arms linked around his neck with a hug and he gladly hugged her back, even though they had seen each other last week. He kissed her cheek and his hand briefly stroke her lower back before she twirled out of his arms to turn the screen of her laptop towards him.

Everything about her was just so... Colourful, again creative. Tuuli wore a sweater that was way too large and it reached her knees, a pair of tights under it and some worn out leather boots on her feet. She had really, really long blonde hair that was dyed to a greyish white and was pushed into a bun on her head, some strands had escaped and framed her face. People asked Max more often if Tuuli was his girlfriend and they always burst into laughter then. They were just really good friends. "I know, I know, I know Spa is very far away, but...". Tuuli rambled as she forced him to take a seat next to him. Max' eyes studied the helmet design she had drawn, a top view and the two sides. His trademark lion was on the top, the orange colour taking his helmet over in swirls of different orange shades. On the back she had drawn Eau Rouge that disappeared into the Belgian Ardens.

"It's just a concept really, but I was just so inspired by everything, I-...". "Tuuli, this is amazing". Max interrupted her with a smile. "But shouldn't you be packing for your bucketlist trip? All you do is working for someone else. You deserve to relax". Tuuli's smile sunk a bit and she closed the screen of her laptop. "There was just a minor inconvenience". She responded. "I printed out some of the pictures of Abu Dhabi by the way, I have the envelope in there... Somewhere". She laughed as she pointed at the paper mess on the table. "Your sister asked me for some new ones for in her room". Tuuli turned her back to him as she moved to make some coffee. Max chuckled and rumbled through the papers, a couple envelopes falling to the floor. He crouched and picked them up, assuming he needed to take the one with the curly handwriting that had his sister's name on it.

Max' eyes caught the other envelope and looked at it for a moment. He didn't want to be rude and stick his nose in Tuuli's mail, but the logo of the public Princess Grace hospital in Monaco captured his attention. "Tuuli, what's this?". He softly asked, his fingertips brushing over her arm when he came up to her in the kitchen. Tuuli's sky blue eyes looked at the envelope in his hand. "It's the minor inconvenience". She gnawed at her bottom lip. "You can read if, if you want". She replied. Max hesitated for a moment, but eventually he opened the envelope and folded the letter open. His breath hitched in his throat and he briefly felt the whole world spinning when he read the first lines.

Dear Ms. Kesküla.

We write you this letter to inform you about the results of the test you have taken on November 19. The result is: mastitis carcinomatosa. This is a very rare form of breastcancer. We have scheduled you in for an appointment to talk with our specialists.

A/N: I've had this idea for waaaay longer and I tried to work it out earlier, so if the title and the plot are familiar, it's probably that. As always, let me now what you think and feedback is welcome! Playlist will be up soon

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except for the ones I make up myself. I don't own any of the pictures, songs etc I add to these chapters. Any sources that are used will be listed if possible.

Copyright: The thing I do fully own is the storyline/plot in this story. In no way I want to see others copying this, especially not without giving any credit/sign that I'm the original author. Don't mean to sound severe here, but it has sadly happened before. If I get inspired by other stories, one shots etc, I will mention that with a possible link or source.

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