“Arthur!” Charles smiled, hugging him deeply.

“Hey- Charles.” The said boy, still boy in Charles’s eyes hugged him back.

..

“I missed you.”

“Me too.”

me too.

.

They started talking, bickering, laughing, dying, cuddling, screaming, all sorts of usual things.

Charles was visiting Monaco in the summer break, so.

Even Lorenzo came over and joined.

They were all ecstatic about how Arthur was joining the FP1 in the last race of the year.

look, Charles wasn’t supposed to spill that fact yet, but cmon.

After, the conversation switched,

From movies, tv shows, family, friends…..

“Hey, you still hang out with verstappen?” Arthur tilted his head.

“Max..? Yea of course.” Charles nodded.

..Lorenzo grinned.

“Of course..?”

Charles groaned. Arthur was even more confused at that.

“Wait what?” He questioned.

Charles looked away, a light pink on his cheeks.

“You tell him or should I?” Lorenzo batted his eyelashes.

“va mourir.” Charles huffed.

..

“OH. MY GOD.” Arthur’s jaw had dropped at everything that had been said.

The Charles….Marc Herve fucking perceval Leclerc had a crush on The Max Emillian Verstappen?!

“No way.” Arthur snorted. “Yes way.” Lorenzo snickered.

..Charles was blushing furiously now. Refusing to say anything.

It was true. It was always true.

..

Since the first time Charles had gazed into those deep blue eyes, filled with rage and want.

Want for victory. Not him. Charles knew that, he always did.

Yet his heart still sped a little faster when he glared.

Through f3, f2, f1, Charles…loved Max.

They talked more and more, and- he didn’t understand.

Why…Max.

He thought to himself. Why?

Max was nothing but mad at him the first time they met. And several other times.

Why…Max. Charles thought, scrolling through Kelly Piquet’s profile.

Why..Max. Charles thought, slicing and slicing, blood dripping.

Why…

Max.

?

Charles really had a think.

It was the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend already.

And..

Kelly Piquet was pregnant.

Why Max?

Charles sighed.

It’s not like Max owed him anything.