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Charles had always been someone who believed in true love, that each person was destined for someone, and the relationship full of love that his parents had did not help with his expectations, since he had the ability to think he always wanted to find that someone with whom would share the rest of his life.
Pierre had already met him like this, French was the complete opposite of what Charles believed, and ever since that 5-year-old Charles who had excitedly told him that he was looking for the love of his life, Pierre had secretly prayed that his friend could find the love that he wanted so much.
Max, on the other hand, being a friend of Charles since the Monegasque first told him that they went karting and being the first boy to ignore Jos's grimaces to continue talking to him, Charles's love affairs were the part he enjoyed the least of his friendship withMonegasque, Max had been in love with Charles since he first saw him, but he only saw him as his friend, and Max was fine with that.
Charles was unaware of Max's feelings for him, he had always thought that his friend was too far off limits, but he could expect something similar to Max from their partners.
Right?
I.
Charles's first official boyfriend was Joris, the Monegasque's best friend.
Charles had come out of the closet for the first time with him, it was something accidental and not even Charles himself knew he was in a closet. It was on vacation from karting and 10-year-old Charles knew that there was something strange about what he felt when he saw Max, so he was talking to Joris at Max's house, and Charles was telling him what he experienced when he saw Max. dutch boy with blonde hair, Joris googled it just to be sure and there he read that it was not something bad or a disease as Charles believed, but that Charles was simply in the awakening of his sexuality and could be bisexual if his interest in girls continued, at that time Charles also believed that he liked a classmate school, or homosexual if he realized that only boys seemed cute to him.
That same day Charles told his family, Arthur did not know what was homosexual but he told him that it was fine, Lorenzo, being the oldest, told him that he supported him and that he counted on him for everything, Charles did not know what he wanted to say his brother with that but he thanked him, and his two parents told him that that was fine and that he was free to love whoever he wanted, thanks to that Charles was able to realize that he could also love men.
Oh, he could also love Max.
And Joris.
Or Pierre.
Or any other man he knew, not just the girls. The love of his life could be anyone in the world, and that excited Charles, he was no longer destined to only find pretty girls, but also men, and that was fine.
Telling Max was strange, he preferred to confess with his two friends at the same time, so Pierre was also there, although the Frenchman was a Catholic and a believer, he told him that no matter what the Bible said, he knew that God would also see that Charles was a good person; Max only dedicate onelook that Charles couldn't place at the time. But both had reacted just like Joris.
Speaking of Joris, the other Monegasque at 14 years old confessed to Charles that he was gay, it was just after a karting race in Monaco and that Charles had a small accident that he could not complete the race, in the small medical salon his best friend was waiting for him and, so exaggerated as it is, he confessed to him about his sexuality.
They didn't start dating until Charles was 15 years old, Charles didn't know when he started getting the “butterflies in his belly” seeing his best friend, but Joris felt the same way about him, so it was mutually agreed to start dating. and the first person he told was Max, after a race in the south of France, Pierre to be in another category was not so he would have to wait to tell his best friend.
"You know, there's something I want to tell you Maxie" Charles didn't know how to tell his friend that he was dating Joris, would Max stop talking to him?
“Sure Charlie, what happened? Do you need help hiding a dead body?” Max responded by wanting to lighten the mood a bit.
"MAX" Charles couldn't help but yell before laughing at his friend's suggestion "actually I wanted to tell you that I started dating someone"
Charles saw how the Dutchman squared his shoulders and his gaze quickly went to the floor, the Monegasque did not know what to say, would he have been wrong to tell Max? Charles didn't know what to do, he wanted to hold Max's hand but he was afraid that the Belgian-born would take his hand away or worse.
"With who?" was all Max could ask, Charles didn't know but the Dutchman was feeling that a part of him was being stabbed multiple times, that Charles would start dating someone was the last thing he needed, he was finally going to confess, who would you advance?
"Joris," Charles replied with a slight blush. "He asked me a week ago, and I wanted you to be the first to know, although I think my mother is getting suspicious."
Charles kept talking, while Max internally declared Joris as the person he hated the most on the planet, not only was he the best friend of HIS best friend, but now he was also dating him, and it was going to transform into the first kiss. of Charles, in the first boyfriend, all milestones that Max dreamed of being.
Charles and Joris's relationship didn't last long, it was only two months, but quite intense for both of them as they were first in most of each other's things.
Throughout their lives they made fun of those months, how they thought they could date when clearly they had confused love with friendship, but both had been the first of the other, and neither would have liked another person, except their best friend, to be.
And if anything was charged, Charles's first love relationship was love, and he really believed that all his relationships would be like that.
Oh, poor soul.
II.
In 2016 Charles was already the reserve driver for Haas and the "simulator" driver for Ferrari, so he was already establishing himself in the world of Formula 1. For his part, Max had already been in the category for more than a year, he had started at Toro Rosso when he was only 17 years old and before the Spanish Grand Prix he had been promoted to Red Bull, to be Daniel's teammate and swapping places with Daniil.
At the Brazilian Grand Prix that year, the Dutchman had seen the strange attitude that Charles had lately, so when they passed each other in the paddock, he invited him to talk in his motorhome. The Monegasque was clearly nervous, but he accepted.
Charles arrived 10 minutes after Max sent him the message that he could go, he had been talking to someone according to what he had told him. As soon as Max arrived, he practically forced him to sit on the sofa next to him.
"So what are you keeping from me, Charlie?" Max asked directly, he wasn't going to beat around the bush, he needed to know that he was happening to his best friend in order to help him.
"I'm meeting someone" was the response in a quick and whispered tone from Charles, luckily Max's ears could hear it. There it was, Max's worst nightmare coming back again.
"Oh, may I know who it is?" Max asked, looking at the ground, he couldn't see Charles's loving eyes, because they were never going to be directed at him and that hurt.
"Of course, it's Seb, that is, Sebastian Vettel'' Charles's answer left Max stunned, anything but the German was expected "I talked about it with him, and he said it was okay for me to tell you, you're the first person I've I tell them excepting Joris and mom. I'm thinking of telling Pierre and the rest of my family later."
“But isn't he 10 years older than us? He's not taking advantage of you, is he?" Max knew that these were unfounded fears, from the little that he knew of the Ferrari driver, he knew that Sebastian would not be playing with Charles, and even less since he was a driver who had not yet debuted in Formula 1. He wouldn't ruin his career like that and Max wouldn't let that happen either.
But age was not the Dutchman's biggest problem with Charles's new relationship.
Max could not face someone like Sebastian Vettel, the German was a legend, few drivers could sit at the same table as him, he had won 4 driver's championships with Red Bull, the same team where Max was now. Added to that, the older man was much wiser, and he drove in Charles's favorite team, if with Joris it was already difficult, now it was practically impossible for Charles to ever notice him.
Except of course, that Max has a better career than Sebastian and thus the Monegasque forgets about him.
Said Monegasque was in the clouds with his relationship, the German was so attentive, he also gave useful advice to Charles to make him a better driver, he got along well with his parents, Lorenzo was a little suspicious at first because of the difference in age, but Seb ended up winning over the wholecharles family.
When Herve sadly passed away, not only were Max and Pierre there to give their friend a shoulder to cry on, but Sebastian showed up to offer his condolences, even though he had things to do in Maranello.
He was proudly watching Charles' Baku podium finish only a few weeks later, before Herve passed away supporting Charles in his white lie that he had gotten a seat in Formula 1.
Charles really thought that Sebastian was going to be THAT great love of his life, and it was, he really was the person who marked a before and after in Charles's life, but due to fate, at the end of 2017 and when Charles was already he had to travel to Abu Dhabi to do his first laps with Alfa Romeo-Sauber, he and Sebastian preferred to end their relationship on good terms. There was still love, Charles will never feel that love for anyone else again, but they both want different things in life and Seb didn't want to be a hindrance in Charles's career that was just beginning.
His relationship with Sebastian would always be remembered for Seb's patience with him, as he didn't mind staying up late talking to him, they just weren't destined to last much longer, but Charles was happy to have coincided in love with Sebastian. Seb, taught him a lot and hoped that he too
As fate would have it, and something that caused Max more laughter than annoyance, Charles and Seb met again.
Like teammates.
In Ferrari.
For two fucking years.
III.
Charles' most intense relationship, without a doubt, was with Daniil. Before starting to date the Ukrainian man, he had been in a relationship with a woman who, although it was short, he had also been intense, but their differences due to work did not help the relationship flourish.
He already knew the Toro Rosso driver, he had been the one Max switched seats for in 2016 and was Pierre and Alex's partner, he just didn't expect to fall in love with him in 2019.
They had started seeing each other at the beginning of the year, although they had already spoken regularly since last year and they realized that they had several things in common, although the Ukrainian had a daughter with Kelly Piquet, the Monegasque did not care about that, Daniil began to invite to nights out, there was already met Daniil's daughter without even being a couple. Their first kiss had been in the Ukrainian's car after a movie date, and from there they only progressed by leaps and bounds.
They moved in together within three weeks of dating, they met each other's family even earlier, within two weeks; this was the first time Charles had moved in with someone, as he was still living under him mother's roof, not wanting to leave him and Arthur alone after having lost his father, but Daniil convinced him that it was a good idea, so the two of them could be together at any time. The Ukrainian agreed to pay half and half, it was a nice flat in the center of Monaco, overlooking the coast.
This time he didn't have to tell Max, but the Dutchman found out on his own.
It was the Australian Grand Prix, Charles had just scored points with his new team, the Ferrari wasn't great but it felt great to drive it. He had finished in the top five and was in a make-out session with Daniil, who had also scored points, straddling his return and both hands of the Toro Rosso driver on his hip, when a “WHAT THE FUCK?” was heard, Charles quickly moved away from the mouth of his boyfriend to turn around and confirm his suspicion.
Max, his friend Max, the driver Red Bull had swapped his current boyfriend for, was standing there looking at both men with a look of horror, Max's blue eyes deep, as if he was about to punch someone.
It took time for Charles to make his friends, not only Pierre and Max, but also Alex and George, except Daniil, the Frenchman realized that perhaps their relationship had started thanks to the fact that he had introduced them last year when they were classmates. Team with the Ukrainian, Max has dedicated a strange look to Pierre that Charles could not identify, for Alex it was strange that his friend was dating his teammate, Max and George were very confident in telling Charles that they were afraid that Daniil would destroy him emotionally.
But they didn't know Daniil the way Charles did.
Daniil will not have been him first boyfriend, first kiss or first love, it was something much more than just him first "roommate" or whoever moved,
Make no mistake, Charles had had sex in the past. But with Daniil it was the first time Charles had made love to someone, before that night in Canada, celebrating his fourth race scoring points at once along with a second podium finish for Charles and tenth place for Daniil.
Before that, the Monegasque had thought that there was no difference between sex and "making love", that it was just romanticized sex, but that night in Montreal, while Daniil's lips appreciated every inch of Charles's skin, the Monegasque he realized that no one had ever loved him that way.
But since there was love there was also pain, more than expected.
Max did not like Daniil, it was evident, the Dutchman hated being in the same place as the Ukrainian, it was seeing him and the Red Bull driver responded ironically at all times, the Toro Rosso driver was not far behind either.
Out of the blue Daniil had wanted to make Charles hang out less with his friends, until he spoke with Sebastian it caused him insecurity, he didn't know why, if Charles even Seb himself told him that there was nothing between them anymore, but the Ukrainian hated that Charles was close with other men.
The limit was when Daniil complained that Charles was spending a lot of time with Arthur and Lorenzo instead of being with him. Charles wanted to make him see the reason that he was being stupid, but Daniil didn't listen to him and only warned him that if he kept seeing any man without him being near them.
He had told his friends about the situation, George said that he had to break up with him, that it wasn't healthy, Alex had told him that his former teammate had no right to treat him like that, that Charles wasn't his property, the new additions to the group Lando and Daniel had had theSame thought as the two rookies (like Lando), the Monegasque had to finish off Daniil or they themselves finished off the Ukrainian if Charles asked them to, Max and Pierre were another story, neither particularly liked the Toro Rosso driver, Pierre for how treated his best friend and Max because he didn't know how to value dating Charles, he was living Max's dream and treated him like a rag doll, so both Red Bull drivers advised Charles to break up with him or they would beat up him boyfriend themselves.
The situation only worsened when Daniil proposed to Charles after his podium finish in Germany, not caring that Charles had to retire his car due to an accident before 30 laps. Max to this day remembers how excited Charles arrived at the Red Bull venue to tell his two friends what had happened and show the silver ring with the blue pearl in the middle.
The Dutchman's heart broke into hundreds of thousands of pieces, everyone knew of his obvious crush on Charles except the Monegasque, his friend was so oblivious to everything. But that was Max's fault, he never dared to confess, he knew that his great goal in life was to find the person he would be in love with for the rest of his life.
And Max was afraid he wasn't that person.
He would rather love Charles from afar than risk losing him forever.
In a cruel twist of fate, the relationship, and their co-engaged situation, did not last long, barely a month, Daniil had a hard time understanding why Charles wanted to be alone with Pierre, he did not know why he could not offer his condolences and cry together in a public place for the death of Anthoine. And that was the final straw for Charles, as long as Joris existed, Pierre was always going to be Charles's best friend, no one understood and knew him like French, and now Pierre hadn't just lost his seat to a rookie and friend, but he had also been demoted and in his first race with his new team one of his closest friends had died on one of his favorite circuits.
When Daniil asked him “Pierre or me?” Charles didn't hesitate to throw his engagement ring in his face and go to his best friend's room.
That Pierre was the most important person in Charles's life and vice versa was an unbreakable implicit rule, and if ever or in another life he could be Charles's partner, he would make sure he never broke it.
Charles's relationship with Daniil was intense, charged more with pain than with love, but it was dizzying, it taught Charles paradigms of love that he had never considered, it made him realize that love could also cause pain and not everything was the color of roses.
IV.
Charles had moved.
No, Pierre had moved to Monaco, leaving Italy, and the two lived together.
Charles never felt anything out of platonic for Pierre, and Pierre never felt anything other than brotherly love for Charles, they had known each other since they were children. In addition, the Frenchman liked another driver.
Gasly would also never try to have something with Charles in the hypothetical case that he liked, since he was one of the most knowledgeable of everything the Belgian-born felt about the Ferrari driver.
Max internally wished that Charles didn't fall for him. He made it from Pierre. The Frenchman was the only one, in Max's eyes, who deserved the Monegasque's love.
But Charles and Pierre were platonic soulmates, both destined for each other but not romantically.
Charles had slowly recovered from his failed relationship and engagement with Daniil, he hadn't spoken to the Ukrainian again, and Pierre never passed him the messages his teammate was desperate to communicate to Charles.
Due to the pandemic and the obvious cancellation of much of the race in the first half of the season, Charles and Max did not get to see each other much.
And Max is so sorry about that.
In mid-May 2020, he received a message from Charles, "She has died."
"She" was the only girlfriend that Charles had ever had in his life, the girl was sweet and Max liked her, it's a pity that their relationship hadn't lasted long. Because of Charles's job, he didn't have enough time to invest in the relationship, and he also didn't want him to leave her job, so they made the decision to “stop seeing each other”.
Charles's relationship with her had been the complete opposite of what he had experienced with Daniil, sometimes Max would like to travel back to 2018 and tell Charles to find a way to save their relationship. Charles only deserved to know love, none of the pain that Daniil had caused in those months of 2019.
She was an angel, perhaps now Max valued her more after the "Daniil experience" as Lando said, since he also remembers that at the time he was somewhat "afraid" for that woman, since she could give Charles children while Max no. But now, in May 2020, Max realized that she had only been a nice memory for Charles, so that the Monegasque would know what he deserved in a relationship.
She had suffered in recent weeks and her family gave Charles daily updates. He really appreciated her and she appreciated him too.
Charles attended the funeral, there weren't many people because of COVID-19, Max didn't ask how it was, it was a stupid question. He just listened for hours as his friend cried on the phone.
It was so unfair.
Not just for the girl, clearly her too. Mainly her.
But Charles… It was impossible for the Red Bull driver not to think about the Monegasque.
His friend had lost so many people in five years, Charles's noble soul did not deserve anything that had happened to him. His team was a clown circus, and his engagement was a flop.
If Max could, he would lower the moon himself to Charles.
And it will prevent Charles from suffering again.
V.
One afternoon, before the 2021 season began, Charles went up to talk to Max, the Monegasque had a pronounced scowl. It was visibly obvious that Charles was pensive and in conflict with his head. Max let him into his driver's cab and waited 10 minutes for his friend to speak.
"I have to confess something to you" were the only words Charles uttered.
Oh, in Max's mind he was already imagining the worst case scenarios.
Did you start dating someone? With who? Charles had not opened up to love since what happened with Daniil more than a year and a half ago, but the Ukrainian was no longer in Formula 1 and perhaps now the Monaco-born man is trying again.
Had he started dating his teammate? Carlos wasn't Max's type, but he was funny and kind, and maybe that's how the Spanish had won Charles over. No, Lando liked the now Ferrari driver and it seemed like he was mutual, so that hypothesis was highlighted.
Oh no, what if Charles liked Checo? He wouldn't be the first Red Bull driver to like him. Sure, Max would love to be the next, and last, member on that list.
"What happened Charlie?" Max asked, controlling the quiver in his voice.
"I found the love of my life" Charles's response was immediate, Max looked up from the ground and saw the calm look, as if Charles had taken a giant weight off his shoulders.
"Oh, I'm happy to know that Char" Max replied with a thread in his voice, he didn't expect Charles to find the love of his life, it was something that was utopian for Max "Who is it?"
Maybe he thought his friend would wait for him, until he had the guts to be honest with his feelings, but there was Charles, being as peaceful as Max could remember for almost two years. His heart wasn't worth that much and if that person made him so happy Max wouldn't oppose anything.
"It's me, Maxie" replied the Monegasque with an infectious smile, the Dutchman thought about it for a few minutes until he understood.
Charles had realized that all the love he deserved could be given to himself, without depending on another person, he didn't know if the Monegasque had closed himself off from love, but it was a huge step for Charles to realize that he didn't need anyone. more than himself to be happy and feel loved.
Charles's experience learning to love himself was unlike any love he had ever had before.
The pain was present, his season with Ferrari was not the best of all, in addition to having a new teammate and he still had to get used to being without Sebastian and live with the guilt that perhaps the Italian team had preferred him over Seb. And even though he didn't talk about it anymore, it still hurt him to know that he would never find a person who would make him feel the same way his parents felt in all the years they were together.
Charles learned to be patient with himself, he realized that he could not control everything, the bad year that Ferrari was going through was not entirely his responsibility, he had to learn from each bad race, although it was quite difficult and his head along with the bad ones thoughts won the vast majority of occasions.
But the Monegasque realized that it was fascinating to love himself, have his own apartment, just live for himself, not depend on anyone's schedule, and keep friends. It was amazing that he could do so many things that he thought were only plausible while in a relationship.
Maybe this was what he needed.
Loneliness.
After almost 9 years looking for love, maybe it was always there.
And it wasn't just his self-love, it was the love he felt for his family, for Ferrari, for his friends.
Yes, maybe falling in love and finding the love of his life was not on the bingo card of his life, and Charles was happy with that.
+1.
Max was fed up with the situation.
He had become world champion a few hours ago and all he could think about was how he wanted to go up to where Charles was and kiss him in front of all those cameras. He wanted to party only with his best friend, but not just as his best friend anymore, he wanted everyone to know that Max was THAT special person for Charles, that there was no one else, that he was the Monegasque's last great love.
After several gin and tonics, the Dutchman had enough courage, more than he had had in the last decade at least, to approach Charles and confess how he felt about him. Daniel and Lando followed behind him, to give him some kind of moral support.
"Hello my world champion" said Charles seeing Max approaching from behind Alex.
"I love you" Max was willing to be as direct as possible, he didn't care that Daniel, Lando and Pierre were looking at him as if he had lost his mind.
"Oh Maxie, I love you too," Charles replied with a smile.
"No, I don't love you just in the sense of friendship Charlie, you are the love of my life, I spent the last ten years of my life questioning whether or not it was okay to fall in love with you, and you lived your romances with Joris, Sebastian, Daniil, etc., and I wanted to be them. I wanted to have your courage, I lost years for not encouraging myself to be honest with my feelings, I let other people be your first times, I let that stupid Daniil break your heart, and all because I didn't know how to put my feelings into words, I was scared that you didn't want to have nothing with me and he preferred to continue being your friend but I can't anymore, I understand that if you don't want to continue being my friend, it will hurt my soul but at least I will have a clear conscience that I dared to confess that I loved you" Max wanted to say that and more, he just wanted Charles Knew that the Red Bull driver had loved him for almost half of his life.
"Oh" was the only thing that came out of the Monegasque's lips, being on a yacht Max could notice the slight blush on Charles's cheeks and neck "Are you serious?"
"Yeah fucking idiot, I wouldn't risk rejection on the happiest day of my life," Verstappen replied wryly.
"I... I don't know if I'm ready for a relationship right now, Max" Charles internally wanted to accept, to say yes to Max, that this was what he had dreamed of all his life. But he had promised himself that he would take his time to trust Cupid again, so he would.
"Sure, I understand, I need you to know that I'll be waiting for you all my life Charles" Max sounded pathetic in his ears, the current world champion, the flying Dutchman, the man who beat Lewis Hamilton, but Max didn't care. Charles would be willing to give it a try, he would stick with that.
"Max that doesn't mean I don't feel the same way about you" Charles answered, grabbing Max's left hand to get him out of his head.
"What do you mean?" if anyone could describe Max at that moment he was like a puppy about to be adopted, he looked at Charles like he was a beacon. His friends would make fun of him, that was obvious. Max could live with that.
"I have loved you since I discovered my sexuality Max, you were that awakening for me" Charles whispered in Max's ear.
Max didn't know what made him do it, whether it was the fact that Charles was in love with him too, or that Max would have a chance with Charles, but he brought the Monegasque into his arms and tasted the sweet taste of fruity alcohol on his lips. of Charles.
That had been a year and eight months ago, from then on everything went from strength to strength.
In Bahrain Max made the joke that they would have to kiss for each other's luck. When he suffered a DNF, Charles asked him if his luck had worked for him and Max answered yes, since now the Monegasque also had a competitive car to fight with him for championships.
They started dating post Jeddah, Charles had asked Max. It was the first time that Charles had asked someone to start a relationship and Max wanted to be the one to ask Charles, but that was fine, the Dutchman would already be the first in other ways.
Max asked Charles after the Austrian Grand Prix, when the two of them were lying in bed after their own shared podium festivities, that the two of them and Max's cats moved in together. Charles was telling him that he had already given up hope for the championship, but he would be happy to finish in second place in the drivers' championship, when Max told him "that's fine honey, I'll help you", Charles just laughed and shook his head. head to what the Belgium-born keeps saying "hey, how can I not help my roommate".
For the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, and the resounding race they had both had, Charles came over to talk to Max, as he had listened to the radio and what happened at Red Bull because Max didn't help Checo and didn't let it happen to him. Max let him go to his caravan, he didn't seem sorry, it'smore even had that smile than anyone else, other than Charles, classifying them as "enlarged". After a short make-out session, Charles jokingly asked Max, "Didn't you let Checo in? Is that your way of proposing to me?" To which the Dutchman just nodded his head and looked for something under the chair: a velvet box.
See, Max wasn't someone you could call 'romantic', he was learning how to be with Charles.
And there they were after more than half of their lives missing, learning to love the other, being the shoulder, they had to cry on, it had taken them years (and several relationships in the case of Charles) to agree sentimentally; Max looking at the man from his dream, who seemed impossible to reach, walking towards him together with Pascale. The sight of Chateau du Rivau was nothing compared to seeing Charles in a suit walking towards him, just a few steps from marrying him.
All his friends were there, even Sebastian, Joris had given Max a thumbs up; Arthur and Lorenzo still did not trust him 100% and although he had caused fights in the past between the Leclerc brothers, Max understood them. Sophie and Victoria had tears in their eyes, Luka, Max's eldest nephew, was in charge of carrying the rings.
Childhood friends to lovers was the world's oldest cliché, but they were both happy to be a part of that statistic.
Their relationship was not perfect, if not a classic one, there were painful moments, the Belgian-born had a hard time showing his feelings at first, his father had taught him that this made him weak, the 2022 season could have destroyed not only their relationship as boyfriends if not also as friends, but they were stronger.
They had enough patience for a decade of holding their feelings for each other in secret, but also to learn during those 20 months that they had been together with everything that the other liked, in any field, it was just Charles and Max learning to love each other.
Something undeniable was the love that both felt for the other, sometimes their friends joked that everything would have been easier if they confessed for the first time when they were 14 years old, or even better, when they were 10, but they would go through every bump they came across. they were on the way 100 times if they would end up together again in the next life.
Max hadn't been his first boyfriend or his first kiss, it wasn't his first time, nor was their relationship that marked a before and after in his life, it wasn't the one who had asked his first or the first time he moved in as a couple.
But Max was going to be the last.