Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Wouldn't this look brilliant on you?” George says, holding up a black turtleneck. It's September and George has insisted on getting some new stuff for his 'Autumn Wardrobe' and decided to drag Daniel and Alex along with him. They're in some high-end shopping centre in Monaco window shopping, before George dragged them into a shop Daniel didn't even have the time to catch them the name of. This store doesn't really hold Daniel's current style, which is casual, loose, comfy clothing, hoodies with sleeves that cover his palms and t-shirts with shoulder stitching that comes down his upper arms. Here there's a bunch of form fitting clothes and dress trousers, all in a style that screams George Russell. George has found a bunch of things that he likes but paused at this exact item of clothing with the idea that Daniel would suit it.

“It'll be different, but fun! I can see your vision with this,” Alex adds, feeling the fabric of the sleeve between his fingers.

“I don't know, guys…” Daniel says, unsure. He looks at the item of clothing nervously. It's been a long time since he's worn anything remotely similar to that, about 3 or 4 years ago when he was at McLaren being the last time, and it's almost a little daunting to return to it. He's 36 now, and he looks different, older. His body is not the same as it was when he was a driver, even though he still works out, and he can't help but feel a little self-conscious about the idea.

“Come on, just try it on!” George insists, holding the turtleneck against Daniel's chest and forcing him to look in the small mirror in between clothing shelves. Daniel still can't see the appeal, his colourful sweater is sticking out around the edges of the turtleneck, and he can't see how this would suit him like it once might have done.

“If you hate it or decide you aren't comfortable wearing it then that's okay,” Alex says, “I think it's worth a shot though. We won't be dickheads about it.”

Daniel sighs and slowly wraps his fingers around the hanger holding the top. Perhaps it's worth a shot just to try. He doesn't have to say yes, and at least this way he will know for certain whether this still works for him. “Alright, I will try it. But no expectations.”

“No sir!” George salutes, making Alex chuckle.

They go to the changing room and Daniel takes the turtleneck into a cubicle and closes the curtain as George and Alex wait outside. He pulls his sweater off and casually tosses it on the bench that's tucked into the corner. His t-shirt underneath is a perfectly normal one, if a little old by this point, and the colour has faded a tad. It has a band logo on the front of it and is technically a perfect under-a-sweater t-shirt. Still, he pulls it over his head and places it with his sweater.

Daniel looks down at his body and runs a hand across his stomach, feeling where it has softened a little since his career ended in 2024. He knows logically that he's still fit and healthy, and a far cry from where he was during 2022. He's just different. Not only that, but he doesn't really know how to feel about ‘different.’ Max loves him all the same, and presses kisses all over his torso given the opportunity. It makes him feel a bit more normal and keeps him out of his head. But now, he rubs at his skin and wonders how he should start trying to accept 'different,' if he ever can.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Daniel removes the turtleneck off the hanger and puts it on. Instantly, everything feels a lot tighter, but not suffocating. He adjusts the hem over his hips and sleeves over his wrists and takes a minute to process the snugness of it against his body. Daniel holds his arms out, turning them over and watching the fabric glide against his skin. He finds that the closer fit isn't uncomfortable, and that his body relaxes into it easily. He isn't even bothered by the collar, which comes to just a little bit higher than where his race suit used to.

Eventually, he pulls back the curtain and gestures his hands in a small 'ta-dah' motion for George and Alex.

“Wow,” is all George has to say as Alex lets out a low whistle. George continues, “I knew you'd look good, but not this good. Jesus, Dan, take a look at yourself.”

Daniel turns to face the floor to ceiling mirror and, “holy shit.” He does look good. Really good. Daniel twists and turns his body, trying to see every angle. His arms and shoulders look strong, and his chest has a little definition through the fabric. He can't help but stare at himself and wonder why he didn't try this again sooner.

“Wait there, I'm going to grab some other bits because there is no way those cargos go with that top,” George says before darting out of the changing room. Daniel looks down at his khaki cargos and yeah, they really don't.

George doesn't take too long finding what he needs and shoves some clothes into Daniel's hands. “Go put these on.”

Daniel nods and walks back to go change. George has given him a dark grey jacket and straight trousers, which he wastes little time putting on. George has also given him a black belt, which he ties around his waist. He stares down at himself and feels that it's a bit too formal, so he shrugs off the jacket and finds his glasses in his bag and puts them on instead, and pushes the sleeves of the turtleneck halfway up his forearms. His white trainers suddenly seem very out-of-place so he toes them off and decides to just walk in his socks for a bit, which are black, oddly enough. There, that feels better.

Daniel pulls back the curtain again, and he can feel the gazes of George and Alex immediately. Daniel gives the jacket back to George and says, “I don't think I need this,” which snaps them out of their staring.

“Max is one very lucky man, crikey, mate. Go look at yourself, right now.” George shoves Daniel towards the mirror, and Alex joins the two of them as they gather in front of the reflective surface.

Daniel feels like he's looking back at the confident 2019 version of himself, but also looking at his current self. He feels like Daniel, but almost a revived version. He's impressed that at 36 he could still pull off something similar to when he was 29 or 30. Don't get him wrong, he loves his comfy clothes, but this makes him feel attractive, confident.

“George, Alex, thank you for making me try this. I can't believe how well this works,” Daniel admits.

Alex smiles at him through the mirror, “I thought you'd look good, but not this damn good. Let's just trust George's fashion opinions from now on, huh?”

“Oi, not just me. Daniel did the last part himself. Good call, by the way,” George approves, clapping Daniel's shoulder. “Though, I do hope you have some shoes to go with this, cause you cannot fall at the last hurdle.”

Daniel chuckles, “nah, I have some fancier shit than just trainers. I will dig them out.”

“Good,” George nods, “now let's buy this shit, and hopefully we can find something for my wardrobe which is in some dire need of new seasonal wear, let me tell you.”

Alex rolls his eyes, “I'm surprised you can fit more in your wardrobe."

George gasps dramatically, “hey!”

Later, once George has bought well over a thousand euros worth of clothes, Daniel is back at his and Max's shared place in Monaco with his own new clothes. Max is busy feeding the cats, so Daniel presses a kiss to his cheek and whispers a “hi”, before going to their room and placing his clothes in the back of his wardrobe, folded neatly. He'll save them for another time, maybe as a surprise for Max or when he next goes out with George and Alex. He finds himself looking forward to it, his fingertips grazing the fabric of the turtleneck briefly before closing the wardrobe and going back to Max.

It was almost evening when Dan was getting ready to take a shower. He was humming a random tune when George called him.

"Russell George, to what do I owe the honor of your call?” Dan answered with a smile on his face.

"Hey, Dan! Alex and I wanted to check out that new restaurant that opened on the roof of the Hôtel de Paris, and we’d love for you to join us.”

“Oh, tonight? And what's the restaurant called?” Daniel asked.

“ALEX, what's the name of the restaurant?” George’s voice sounded a bit distant, like he’d walked over to ask Alex. The line was silent for a moment. “… I'm back. It's called Le Grill. Sounds nice, doesn't it? And yeah, it's tonight. Are you in?”

“Yes, yes! Tonight is Max's livestream with RedLine, so it’s no problem. What time?” Daniel asked as he gathered his clothes and towel, heading toward the bathroom. His heart nearly stopped when George let out a shrill shout.

“At 6 PM! We booked for 7. So it’s all set, we’ll pick you up. DAN, WEAR YOUR NEW OUTFIT—the one we bought last week. Alex just reminded me. Alright, see you soon, mate!”

The call ended, and Daniel glanced at the drawer where he’d relocated the new clothes, feeling a bit uneasy. Thoughts like, ‘Would Max like it? But what if I’ve gained weight since last week?’ started swirling around in his mind like a tornado. Realizing he was spiraling, Dan shook his head, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “Get a grip, Ricciardo, c'mon”

He felt something brush against his leg and opened his eyes to see Sassy looking up at him. “Hey, pretty girl, what is it? Here to rescue your dad?” Dan placed his things on the bed and picked up Sassy, rocking her gently and giving her a few kisses on her head. He relaxed as he heard her purr. Once the anxiety started to fade and his panic calmed, he gently set Sassy down on the bed, gave her one last kiss of gratitude, and let her go. "Go find your daddy, go go.”

With a newfound determination, Daniel picked up his clothes and headed to the bathroom.

Max was in the middle of a calm, focused livestream with his RedLine teammates, Craine and Gianni. He sat in his racing sim rig, hands light on the wheel, eyes locked on the virtual track. His usual intensity was replaced by a relaxed vibe as he laughed at some joke Gianni had just made. The chat was lively, fans dropping in to ask questions, and Max was in his element—quick to smile, giving short but friendly replies, keeping things cool and laid-back.

"Alright, who's ready to see me crush Craine’s lap time?" Max smirked, glancing over at the chat, which was full of cheers and playful taunts. He’d just lined up his car on the track, ready to launch, when he heard a soft toc toc at the door.

He blinked, momentarily thrown off, and looked over his shoulder. "One sec, guys. Did you hear that? I think someone's knocking," he muttered, eyebrows raised. But he knows exactly who was behind the door, because Daniel is home.

"Mid-stream visitor?" Craine teased, grinning on his own screen. "What’s this, Max? Got a secret guest?"

Max rolled his eyes but couldn’t help smiling. "You never know. Maybe they heard me about to set a new lap record and had to witness it in person," he joked, his tone light.

Max didn’t even need to get up, because Dan slowly opened the door and poked his curly head into the room

"Maxy? Can I show you something? It’ll be quick, I promise," Dan said

Max smiled instantly when he saw his boyfriend, though he was a bit curious— Dan usually lets Max know by sending a message, lightly knocking on the door, or just not coming in when Max is live. The fans didn’t know they were dating, but they were ‘never gonna beat the allegations.’

"Of course you can, Dan," Max said

Dan asked Max to close his eyes. Max followed his request, shutting his eyes with a little smile. Dan stepped into the room, quickly adjusting his outfit and glasses.
"Okay, you can look now," Dan said

Max opened his eyes and froze, his mind going completely blank, like a blue screen on a computer. He had forgotten to turn off the camera, so the chat went wild as they saw him blush. They hadn’t heard what Dan said because Max had muted the mic

Max got flustered and accidentally turned the mic back on, making the chat go even crazier when they heard Dan’s slightly nervous, anxious voice

“Max, babe? Can you say something?”

Max, meanwhile, was lost in thought, his mind racing. All he could think was, ‘Damn, Daniel looks incredible—like a work of art’. But he was too stunned to say that out loud. He just stared, completely frozen, as Dan stood there by the door in a fitted black turtleneck sweater that hugged his soft lines and curves perfectly. It was nothing like the usual oversized hoodies Dan wore that hung over his hands like cute paws or the times he borrowed Max’s clothes, wearing them without pants so they only reached his thighs

The sleek, sophisticated outfit caught Max off guard and left him momentarily speechless. His eyes scanned Dan from head to toe, taking in every detail—from the straight-cut pants and the fitted turtleneck to the perfect curls and the glasses Dan sometimes wore

While Max was completely speechless, the chat was going wild. Fans were losing it, spamming messages, convinced they’d just heard Daniel Ricciardo’s voice

Daniel started talking from a distance (without showing up) to the chat, Crane, and Gianni: “Well, while Max is frozen, I see the chat going wild. Hey, guys!”

Max finally snapped out of it, realizing the chaos unfolding in the chat. He glanced at the screen, his face still red, trying to think of an excuse, but his mind was blank. Dan, noticing Max’s frozen state, gave him a gentle smile and waved a little, he started to tease with a playful “Max” and giving a little spin for him to see the whole outfit, “Is this good? Or is it too much?” giving a little pout

“I uhm, it's,” Max swallows, “Very lovely Daniel. Very beautiful, as always.” He's still bright red and a little flustered to Daniel's amusement

Daniel gave Max a playful wink as he finished spinning, clearly enjoying teasing his boyfriend. And then Daniel’s cheeks turn slightly pink as he clears his throat."Glad you think so. OH! I already fed Sassy and Jimmy, okay? " he said with a smile, his eyes twinkling as he watched Max still struggle to get his words out. "Alright, alright, I’ll let you off the hook for now, Maxy. Don't want to embarrass you more," Daniel teased, turning his attention back to the chat for a moment

Max was still red as a tomato, trying his best to compose himself while the chat was absolutely buzzing with excitement. He couldn't believe how quickly everything had spiraled out of control

"Anyway," Daniel continued, now clearly in a good mood, "I'm heading out with George and Alex for dinner soon, so I’ll leave you to it, Max," he said, giving Max a small wink before heading for the door. "Don’t worry, I’ll post that behind-the-scenes pic later for all the fans—gotta keep them happy!" he added, his voice light and upbeat. Then he mouths, staying off camera, "Love you, my love, bye! See you later."

Daniel may have mouthed the words, but Max hears it loud all the same. Max replies, mouth stretched into a soft, fond smile, "Thank you Daniel, don't know what I'd do without you." which is how Max subtly says 'love you too' whilst live on twitch. “Enjoy your dinner, Dan. I’ll... uh, keep it together here," he said, finally pulling himself together a little bit, though he could feel his heart still racing from the surprise. He quickly glanced back at the chat, seeing endless messages full of hearts and flames for Daniel’s outfit and teasing comments about his reaction

“Bye, Maxy! Have fun, chat! Bye Craine, Bye Gianni!” Daniel called from the door, grinning widely as he waved before stepping out, leaving Max alone with the chaos he had accidentally caused

The moment the door clicked shut behind Daniel, Max let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, trying to focus on the game and ignore the continued flood of comments and questions in the chat

The chat goes wild with what Max says:

But it was hard to focus when his mind was still replaying the image of Daniel standing there, looking and feeling so… distractingly good.