⚠️ Mature Completed Story 18+ ✓ | This fic is set in 2030 Max Verstappen never expected to spend retirement surrounded by glitter glue, pancake disasters, and a five-year-old who thinks "overtaking" applies to bedtime. But here he is, an eight-time world champion turned grumpy dad haunting the karting tracks of his youth, wearing a hoodie of nostalgia and a frown that says please don't ask for an autograph. He's not here for closure. He's here because his daughter likes speed and because standing on the trackside hurts a little less than staying home alone with his regrets. Charles Leclerc didn't dream of coaching kindergarteners with oversized helmets and sugar highs. But a crash stole his career, and this karting track the fumes, the flags, the occasional crying parent is all he's got left. He smiles like it doesn't ache and teaches like he doesn't miss the rush. It's not the future he imagined, but it's something. They weren't best friends. Rivals? Sure. Occasional podium eye contact? Absolutely. But nothing ever happened, at least, not when it mattered. Now they're thirty-three, washed in nostalgia and worn down by everything unsaid. But when Max's hoodie ends up on Charles, when Lilly calls him her "other dad," when burnt toast becomes breakfast and stolen glances linger too long, maybe it's not about racing anymore. Maybe it's about healing. About family. About bad coffee and slow mornings and one last shot at something they never let themselves want. Maybe love doesn't roar at 200mph. Maybe, this time, it tiptoes in through the kitchen door. ~~~ I grew up on F1 but don't expect realism. Expect mess. Bad decisions. Vibes over plot. I have no idea how this happened. One second, I'm vibing. Next, I'm writing a Max/Charles fic with sad dad energy, karting trauma, and chaotic Carlando lurking in the background like gremlins.

They were six when they first met in a Monaco park just two little boys who built an entire world together with nothing but laughter, secret shoulder taps, and promises whispered in broken English and Dutch. Max fell first, it was hard but quiet like the world made sense only when Charles was beside him. Then life tore them apart. Divorce. Abuse. Disownment. A boarding school punishment that brought Max back to Monaco... but not back to Charles. Years later, they're academic rivals in the same elite halls and Max topping the boards, Charles burning with questions he never got to ask. One fake photo, one drunken night, one ghosted year, and everything shatters again. Until second year at Sorbonne University. One classroom. One shoulder tap. One desperate kiss in front of the entire lecture hall. Max fell first but Charles? He just fell harder and now they have to rebuild what was lost through jealous projects, family shadows that refuse to stay buried, late-night confessions, and touches that say everything words never could. From childhood bubbles to Paris dorms, and from rivals to roommates and maybe to fiancés... This is the story of two guys who were always meant to find each other again even if it hurt like hell along the way.

Max and Charles have always hated each other and aren't afraid to show it publicly. In one particular argument something felt off but they couldn't figure it out. When they got stuck sharing a hotel room and no way to change it, the two started realizing the unforgivable. Denying any feelings they continued on as normal but what happens when dominance falls for innocence and jealousy becomes a tool for attention. Only later on do they realize that coming to peace with "what is" sets up a beautiful "what will be".

The Drive to survive set was always crowded and noisy, but this year Charles just couldn't stand it. After Max Verstappen, his nemesis, had won the championship last year, he had been counting the days to his next "Drive to survive" interview because he knew It was going to be the most awkward ten minute piece about Max. What he didn't know is that they would have been filming both their interviews at once, on the same set, and have them right in front of one another. This, Charles didn't expect.

During the 2024 season, Max and Charles found one another in ways they had never expected. Charles hasn't yet regained Max's trust after last year's revelations, and with team dynamics changing for better and for worst in both Ferrari and Red Bull, Charles and Max have to decide if their love is still worth fighting for. Sequel to "If clarity's in death, then why won't this die?" You're able to read this one without having read the original story, though there will be referenced to throughout this fanfic. Updated after every race/break/big event during the 2025 F1 season, follows the season canonically.

Charles and Max, fierce rivals for years, share a drunken night that blurs the line between them. Days later, Charles suggests a reckless arrangement, and Max agrees, driven by his growing, unrequited love. Their secret is further complicated by the fact they both have girlfriends, entangling them in a web of guilt and forbidden emotions. P.S. I also post this on Ao3 under the same username!

What happens after the cars are crashed? TW // Trauma, Depression, Panic Attacks, Drugs, Addiction, Death

❝𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨? 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞?❞ - 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩: 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 5 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘹 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮.

𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮. 𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘢 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭 : 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳'𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱. 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘪𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺. 𝘔𝘢𝘹 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦. 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘢 1 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘈𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵...𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴.

"Max doesn't know what to say. His eyes draw over every inch of Charles's face. His green eyes with brown specks, the sweat dripping down his face, his lips curled in a small smile... "If only you saw yourself the way all of us do. The way I do." Max and Charles have been circling around one another ever since they can remember. Heading into the 2024 season, Max doesn't know if he can keep his feelings locked inside for much longer. Canonically follows the entire 2024 F1 season, with chapters posted after every race. Completed. Sequel in 2025!