Chapter Text
A win after a heartbreak. Max’s entire world was spinning. He sat in the car for a moment, trying to wrap his head around what just happened. Lose something in order to gain something. His overtake on Oscar Piastri made him a god. But the traumatic betrayal of his past relationship, his entire world crashing down on him a day before the race.
He took a shaky breath after listening to everyone’s congratulations, lifted his hands up and pulled himself out of his vehicle. He was a different kind of happy. A happy that meant he was going to lose all sense of control and he didn’t know it yet. The second he let himself fly entirely on the adrenaline of that amazing lap time.
Soon he was on the podium, screaming showing to the world she didn’t matter anymore. He was a free man and he was going to do whatever the hell he wanted this evening. Which is exactly how he found himself with his arm wrapped around Lando Norris walking down the streets of Monaco. By his other side his closest friend, Charles Leclerc with Oscar Piastri nearby. The last survivors of the night. Everyone else was passed out but Max. Max was going all out.
His friends backing up every single one of his decisions that night. He has a deep pocket full of money and they’re celebrating with him. It was a fun race after all. He felt really proud of himself, but also of all of them. They’ve all done well and deserve a little break after all that pressure.
“Oh shit-! I’m so sorry!” Max stumbles over his own feet as he balances himself by grabbing onto the stranger he just bumped into.
“Sorry, haha! My friend’s really drunk, sorry!” Lando Norris was already pulling him away.
But for a moment. For a brief moment, Maya looked into his eyes,
“Wait... Don’t go?” She stood there watching a brunette take the blonde one away, who had just lost his balance and fell into her. They ended up both clearly after a few steadying each other. Him in a white shirt still nicely tucked into his black pants by some miracle. His sleeves rolled up revealing his forearms.
Her in a baby pink sparkly short tight dress with a v-neck so low any father wouldn’t let her out of the house. The blonde one immediately turned away like a meerkat in action his mouth was open to say something but no words were coming out. He was too lost in those juicy melons in front of his eyes.
“Ah fuck off mate, she want me to stay!” He was pushing past his friend group and walking back over to the girl he had just bumped into a moment ago.
“Hey baby, I’m Max Verstappen...” he grabs onto the wall nearby. “And I just won... Sharles! Hey Sharles what did I win?”
“The Imola Grand Prix?”
“I just won the Lola Grand Prix!” his eyes sparkled with something childish in them. “Do you wanna celebrate with me, baby?”
She burst out laughing at that, barely understanding a word that was coming out of his mouth. “What? You’re celebrating?” she leans her ear over to hear him better while brushing her wavy hair out to the side, dangling her long earrings in between.
“Come on Max! We gotta go!” the one wearing those plain white sneakers shouted.
His friends were getting impatient now.
“Would you like to go partying with me?” Max ends up blurting out, keeping himself up by the wall and sheer force of determination. He figures that’s the quickest way to get what he wants across before he gets dragged away by hands he can’t fight.
She stood there looking at him, stunned, feeling like a knight in shining armour just fought off a dragon that was keeping her prisoner at her castle. Her lips formed into the biggest smile looking up at him. How loud the cars were on the road nearby didn’t matter. How bright the neon lights were at night didn’t matter.
“Y-Yes!” her voice trembled nodding with tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away not wanting to mess up her makeup more than it already was at this hour.
Just like that Max felt like all those Red Bulls from earlier really gave him wings. He reached out for her hand taking it carefully into his bigger one and with the biggest grin on his own face he turns around to face the rest of the boys.
“My new friend will be joining us!” he announced clearly very proud of himself.
She pulled his hand down making him get to her level. She leaned up saying something into his ear.
“My Wife will be joining us!” Max straightened out with the biggest grin on his face like a golden retriever that had just been called the best boy.
And that’s how Maya ended up on her knees at the club with Max Verstappen pouring vodka and mango juice right into her throat with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri cheering like crazy. Her earlier perfectly wavy hair now wet with everything from spilled liquor to sweat. In fact, everything was covered in alcohol and sweat.
All that’s left of her makeup was the permanent eyeliner. All the white and gold glitter was gone from her eyes, her real blush now replacing her powdered one. By the time she met him, she already had a couple of drinks but judging by the state he was in he probably had a couple more.
One drink together mixed with the burning fire within their hearts, their hunger for fuel, for each other. Desire. And that was it. Together they fused into an unstoppable force tearing through the atmosphere together like they just belonged.
Verstappen just being in a long relationship 2 days ago with someone he thought he was going to be together forever, someone he thought he’d marry. Maya being drunk and carefree not having any friends to hang out with so she takes herself for nights out around the city. Dolls herself up and heads out in hopes of free drinks. But it’s usually old guys and the more she drinks the more bearable it gets.
Now she was standing outside the club her shoes hurting her feet with Max’s Prada suit jacket around her shoulders. She held onto his arm as they waited for his ride home. With slippery fingers she pulled out a cigarette from her purse and Max took the lighter from her hand lighting it up for her. He was clearly tired but still holding himself up, sobered up more than when they first met that’s for sure.
“Maxie... I’m tired...” Maya leans her forehead against his shoulder to keep herself up. He takes the cigarette from between her fingers and into his mouth.
“Shh, almost home baby,” he finishes the cigarette for her really needing it now.
They both arrive back at Max’s home. Max not letting her touch the ground from the car to his home and carrying her inside with her high heels in her hand nearly tripping over his own feet but still managing to make it inside without falling. All after Maya has to help him put the key in for a good two minutes.
She’s giggling, dropping her shoes to the floor once inside. Her hands reaching up his neck and to his ears cupping his face as she giggles feeling dizzy from drinking too much earlier. His arms are around her putting her down gently on the couch. She pulls him down on top of her on the couch and their lips crash kissing passionately.
She’s needy, pulling him close. He’s desperate needing for the burning fire to extinguish from within his heart after his near fiancée broke his heart.
Suddenly, they both pull away breathless panting and avoid each other’s eyes. They both know they’re too vulnerable right now. They shouldn’t be doing any of that. Max pulls away and gets off. She slowly sits up pulling her skirt down.
“Can I take a shower...?” she clears her throat looking around. The room at least stopped spinning now.
“Hm, yeah. Lemme get you a towel,” Max half slurred as he went to find her a clean one.
He hands her a dark grey towel and shows her to the bathroom. She leaves the door wide open as she goes to shower letting his eyes feast as much as he wants. He leans against the counter watching for a moment not able to take his eyes away. For a second she reminds him of her. How they used to take showers together after a race.
He ends up waiting for her in the kitchen making himself some food before he inevitably passes out. She joins him in a towel wrapped around her hair and nothing but his Red Bull hoodie on her body.
“Hey, hope you don’t mind I borrowed this?”
Max stops what he’s doing and turns to look at her. His eyes widen, heart picks up pace. “Darling you can take anything you want...” he was nearly speechless.
She chuckles going over and to the counter to look at what he’s making, she reaches over and tries a bite. They end up sitting down on the lounge chairs on his balcony overlooking the Monaco coast and sharing the plate.
“Do you ever think about life...?” Maya asks breaking the silence now her voice back to normal but shes fighting the urge to keep herself awake.
“What do you mean?” Max wraps his arms behind his head leaning back.
“Oh you know... Where would you be now if something didn’t happen?” she looks over at him nuzzled into his hoodie.
He frowns thinking he needs another drink to answer that. She doesn’t ask again.
“Sometimes I wonder... where would I be if I hadn’t met Charles Leclerc...” he doesn’t want to say the other name.
She gets up and goes over to Max’s lounge chair getting comfortable in his lap.
“I wonder if I’d ever be here if I hadn’t met Amy.” she nuzzles into his chest, hands getting tired.
His arm wraps around her protectively, “Whose Amy?”
“Someone that ruined my life at 12 years old.”
They both look into each other’s eyes and burst out laughing tiredly.
“Well now that makes it sound so stupid if you put it that way!” Max sighs leaning his head back against the chair. He’s about to move his arm but realizes Maya had been still for a while now. He glances down to find her asleep and smiles softly whispering a soft Dutch goodnight to her.
Beep. New Message.
Beep. New Message.
Missed Call.
Another Missed Call From...
Her sleep starts getting lighter. A difference in pressure on the mattress. A little thump here and there. She turns to her side hugging the comforter close to her chest, mumbling something under her breath.
“I gotta go, I’ll be back later.” Max says in a rushed tone.
She just whines closing her eyes tighter and trying to fall asleep. He kisses her cheek, grabs his keys, sunglasses and runs out. She falls back into a deep sleep in the silence of his absence.
Maya wakes up feeling like a desert storm. Her throat was dry after not having anything since the toxins left her body. At first she opens her eyes and slowly pulls herself up while hanging her head low on the bed. She grunts as everything hits her at once. She tries to think but the more she does the least everything makes any sense.
She eventually drags herself out of bed still wearing Max’s clothes. She blinks looking at herself in the mirror. Whose hoodie is that? She steps out of the bedroom silently not wanting to wake anyone up not having any idea what time it was as she looked for the bathroom. Where the hell am I?
She’s quick to figure out the layout as it wasn’t a first time she’s been inside a ‘rich people home’ thanks to her beginner job as a housekeeper. Soon enough she learns she’s entirely alone inside some rich person’s house. What the hell happened last night?...Ow.
She makes her way down the stairs and into the kitchen hoping there is something in there that will bring her back at least a little to the living.
Max stood by the outside of his door with the key in hand hesitating. Throughout his entire busy day he couldn’t stop thinking about everything. Her slamming the door in his face when he saw her kissing another. The win the next day. Then letting go. Things are in black patches since the champagne on the podium. He was on the town with the guys because Charles, his best friend confirmed that for him.
But.
What then.
With a deep sigh he put the key into the door and pushed the door open stopping halfway.
There was someone inside. His heart began racing. It wasn’t real. Just a nightmare. He told himself walking in fully expecting his ex-girlfriend to be waiting for him inside. He dropped his keys like he would any other day and pushed into his apartment.
Then it hits him like a train. Someone came home last night with him. He stepped into the kitchen and stood there staring at her eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights of a truck.
She turns around startled by him. He’s surprised she’s still here. He’s surprised that she isn’t a dream. Something tells her to go to him. But she’s wearing his hoodie standing in his kitchen ass naked. After a party she barely remembers.
“You’re still here...?”
“Do you want me to go?”
“No.” he shakes his head. “Please stay, I’ll drive you home later.” he sounds like a promise cautiously approaching her trying to figure out what really happened between them last night. He didn’t trust his own thoughts today.
She adjusts when he approaches welcoming him into her space adjusting with him. “Hi...” she breathes out.
“Hi.” he stands so close she feels his breath on her cheek.
“Max, you’re shaking...” she remembers his name like a song that’s been repeated and repeated from her lips. She frowns on instinct worried as she rests her hands comfortingly on his arms.
He hadn’t even realized how tense he was. Some of the tension lets loose in his muscles the second her skin touches his. He’s familiar with her. His hand reaches up to her cheek, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone as he cups her face.
She allows herself be moved by him anyway he pleases. His hands rest on her hips.
“Forgive me...” he clears his throat. “But I have trouble remembering what exactly happened last night.” Max confesses to her knowing its better to end it before it even began.
“Me too...” she clears her throat and looks down avoiding his eyes, her hands on instinct higher now up on his shoulders near his chest.
“If you want to go our separate ways I won’t stop you...”
“But I won’t forgive myself if I let that happen,” he tilts her chin back up, his eyes meeting hers.
She panics. A thousand different things run through her mind. She shuts her eyes tightly and for once takes a risk with her heart being in the right spot. She leans up and kisses his lips. He kisses back but then she quickly pulls away and he opens his eyes blinking confused to see her looking away.
“What is that...? Vodka...? Mango?...Red Bull?”
“Do you think you taste any better?” Max smirks crossing his arms across his chest.
She gives him a glare.
“I’ll shower first and then we can... do this properly?” he cocks his head to the side giving her his best pleading eyes.
She rolls her eyes playfully following him back to the bedroom. While he showers she casually enters the bathroom.
“Do you have any new toothbrushes?”
“..Uh check the bottom drawer??” Max answers startled and surprised. He then listens as she finds it, opens the package and proceeds brushing her teeth while he showers.
While brushing her teeth she casually opens up all the cabinets and drawers being nosy and looking at all the products he uses. What kind of soap he likes. Just like she would have done any day at work when cleaning those rich people furnished apartments.
He steps into the bedroom in just a towel around his waist to find her in his bed with her phone and her hair up in a mess that’s supposed to be a bun. She notices the way he’s flinching at bright lights. The way he squeezes his eyes shut at loud noises. She reaches over taking his hoodie off her body and tossing it aside on his bed. Her hands pull the covers up to her chest and she sits there waiting for him.
“Doin’ okay after last night?” she asks not taking her eyes off him.
“Hm? Yeah, ‘m fine.” Max mumbles under his breath avoiding any questions about it.
“Yeah sure.” She glares not believing a word he’s saying. “Have you had breakfast?” He shakes his head and sits down on the edge of the bed. She frowns getting up on her knees and wrapping her arms around him from behind. She feels her hands over his shoulders, down his chest and over his abs.
He sighs leaning into her touch letting his body relax. “What would you like for breakfast?” he looks over at her picking his phone up from the night stand. That’s how they end up eating pizza in bed while getting to know each other.
“Are you just going to forget me after today?” Maya sits in his car not bringing her hopes up. She had a one night stand with some rich guy she probably won’t see again after today. Men are all the same to her.
She can’t help but feel like there is something between them. Chemistry that keeps pulling them together. He wasn’t just a random encounter in her life. At least she hopes it doesn’t end now.
He stops the car and keeps the doors locked.
“I thought I could take you to a proper dinner sometime? When work allows?”
She doesn’t expect much. She gives him her phone number never expecting him to call. And she goes on with her life.
It’s the middle of the night when he calls. She picks up nearly right away.
“Max- Hey...” her voice softens from the surprise. The night is too quiet and he needs someone there with him. Shes downstairs in 10 minutes. He’s by her door in 7. They drive around. It’s easier for him to keep himself from spiralling when he has a wheel to hold and a road in front of him.
She reaches her hand up resting it on the back of his neck running her fingers over his hair seeing how tense he is. It hurts her seeing him like this. At first she’s his secret. His late night therapy. She isn’t entirely sure if even his friends from the night they met know about them. Then they start getting together more.
He takes her to fancy restaurants. He buys her whatever she wants. She pretty much moves into his Monaco apartment barely visiting her own place. It’s rare for them to sleep away from each other.
One dinner with his work ended up taking much longer than planned. She barely had any wine during and Max noticed. She didn’t tease as much, barely made small talk and stayed extra close to him.
“Is it something I did?”
“What?” She looked at him surprised like she had no idea what he was on about. “No, no baby of course not. I just... wanna get back, that’s all.” Maya reassured him when he caught a moment with her alone.
The dinner took two extra hours longer than planned. She was clearly impatient in her seat and this was unusual. Normally Max would be hot headed wanting to get out of any situation just to take her home but this time he didn’t really care. And it bothered her even more.
She sat in Max’s car after the dinner watching the rain pour outside. She didn’t take the seat belt, she just sat there, staring all dolled up. Her makeup still perfect. Her outfit classy. An off shoulder tea length dress.
“Okay, spill. What’s going on with you today?” Max just sat there with her looking damn fine in his tux and she didn’t care the way she usually would. She wasn’t trying to get a piece of him every time they got close.
She managed to avoid talking about it for so long. It was time she told him. She shifts her legs nervously in those black high heels and sighs.
“A long time ago my dad crashed the car speeding in pouring rain at night and I still remember every single second of it.”
That was all she said. They both went silent as Max took it in. Then he shifts in his seat turning his body towards her and cupping her cheek.
She’s trapped to look at him and no one else and she can do nothing but let the tears fall down her cheeks over her highlighter.
He kisses her forehead then and wipes her tears with his thumbs. Everything made sense then. Why she panicked when the dinner started getting longer and she was trying to keep her responses unusually short.
“Thank you for telling me.”
“I-I know you’re not him, god you’re so much better... But I just-”
“Shh I know.” he kisses her tears away. He then kissed her lips reassuringly. “I’ll go slow.”
She wants to trust him in that moment but she made that mistake before. She can’t let it happen again. Maya falls silent letting him drive home. He keeps checking on her throughout the entire drive home. When they get back to his place that night she finds photos from that night and shows them to him not wanting to hold anything back from him.
“Holy shit babe-!” Max’s eyes are wide looking at the screen and then over at her.
That night she ends up trauma dumping to him in the safety of his arms.
She’s never been to a race before in her life. He never took her to work. Instead she decided she’s going to surprise him. She puts on that short red and white polka dot dress he really likes with a pair of platform sneakers and shows up on race day walking through the back trying to find Max.
Instead she ends up at the McLaren garage. She walks in looking around seeing the papaya orange everywhere. No Red bull. Probably the wrong place. She knows everyone’s staring wherever she goes. Her dress is too short and its just for Max.
A whistle behind her makes her turn around furious which fucker dared to do that.
Lando Norris stood there in Piastri’s garage admiring those long legs from underneath that skirt that he wished was shorter. That smug grin on his pretty face.
“You lost sweetheart? I can show you around if you let me.” He sounded too sure of himself.
“Just take me to where I can find Max Verstappen?” She crossed her arms purposely across her chest lifting it up her neckline even more. Her lips form into a pout as she looks him over from toes to tip of his head judgmental.
Lando shakes his head “I have no idea what you’re doing with him. Seriously.”
“Please Lando? He doesn’t know I’m here.” She’s desperate because she knows he’s joking.
“Hey babe where did you say you last saw Verstappen?” Lando calls over the second Piastri steps inside.
Oscar Piastri’s head immediately turns.
“The Ferrari garage?” Oscar raises an eyebrow at the question.
Lando held out his hand. “If not, he’s at his. Come let me show you?”
She rolled her eyes and put her hand into his figuring out this is the quickest way to get anything done. Deep down she knew him and the fact that he was really harmless. Many dinners together Max had taken her to as his plus one proved that.
“If Max sees you touching me he’s gonna kill you.” she casually mentions while following along doing her best to keep up.
“I’m busy with my princess, I’ll get out of your way before you know it doll.”
As if the nicknames coming out of his mouth could ever work on her. Lando left her side at the entrance to Ferrari’s garage. The second she walked in she was getting French compliments.
“Maya what a surprise! You look lovely tonight! Oh Max is gonna freak.” Charles Leclerc kissed her cheek welcoming her inside.
The tension finally left her chest and she could breathe at ease.
“Would you like some water? A snack?”
“Just Max.” Maya shook her head. She felt thankful that her boyfriend’s best friend was someone you could rely on.
“Max, look who I found!” she couldn’t tell if Charles was saying anything anymore after that as that’s the second she saw Max. That tight white clinging to his body. His body she saw entirely bare so many times before but never like this. The way his fireproofs just hanged there.
She wanted to get him. But now he probably got her better.
Max looking panicked seeing her and looking around before crossing the space between them like she was magnetic and finally the right hands were on her.
“Schatje what the hell?!” Maya kissed him before he could yell about why she didn’t tell him she was coming.
Charles makes a mental note that’s a good idea to shut Max up.
Max breathes heavily, his hands gripping her arms to steady himself as his forehead presses against hers.
“I’m happy you’re here...” he finally breathes out. “And god you look stunning.” Max’s head was spinning. He was trying not to think about it to not get hard before a race. But maybe that would be a good thing. Whatever it was, Max Verstappen was loving his girlfriend toying with him like that.
“Mmm, how long do we have?” she bit her lip trying not to look at him so obviously like she wanted to eat him in public.
“Not long enough, schat,” he groans.
She can’t help herself and her hands feel over how tight that white shirt is over his nipples.
“You better hurry up and bring back a podium then lion.” she purrs tracing a heart with her finger right in the middle of his chest. She hears a little gasp from behind knowing the feeling of being watched well. She learned it before she had to avoid paparazzi with Max. It makes her smirk a little.
She follows Max out into the cameras that day.
“There’s something I must do first,” there is something in her eye Max noticed rarely. A look full of seriousness, danger.
Max gulps watching her then turn around and jog after Charles whose grabbing his helmet.
Maya grabs the Monegasque's wrist, “Charles wait!” The cameras are on them.
It makes the Ferrari driver wearing all red stop in the middle of his tracks and turn towards her surprised.
“Forgot to properly wish you good luck.” She says and before he can react she reaches over touching his helmet with her other hand and planting a delicate kiss to the corner of his lips. She touches his cheek looking at him proudly, “Drive save.”
She leaves with the biggest smile in her own little world away from the cameras in her mind knowing she did what was longing on her heart. She returns to Max’s side whose hand is immediately grabbing her waist and pulling her close showing the media who she really belongs to.
In the last seconds she gets to hold him before the race she makes him face her. Her hands on his cheeks. “Max... Please don’t do anything stupid okay?” she bites her lip smearing her red matte lipstick.
Before he can answer she quickly kisses his lips. The cameras are going wild catching every moment then and after as Max puts on his helmet and they lean their foreheads together. She’s only nodding as he says something they can’t hear. Something only meant for her ears in that moment.
But before Max can turn away she calls out after him “I think you should know Lando Norris whistled at me today.”
That makes his blood boil hot as he gets into his car. He grips the wheel like he might break it with bare strength of his hands. He brings back first place that race with Charles coming in right behind him. The internet is speculating Maya’s kisses are magic as every race she’s with Max and gives him a kiss before he brings back a podium.
They’ve been on the road for 2 hours now. They’re driving back from visiting her family. Maya is wearing a soft sweater wrapped around her body leaning her head against the side mindlessly watching the road that hasn’t changed for a while now.
She hadn’t moved in a while and had no idea how much time must have passed. At first they talked about everything, she was doing her best duty to talk to Max while he drove. But then she was starting to become really quiet and Max knew she was tired.
He turned the music down and stayed focused on the road as their silence filled the car. Without realizing she ends up dozing off for the first time around him. For the first time since she was a baby in a moving vehicle.
Max notices how her body relaxes and her eyes fall shut. He smiles softly to himself realizing how much meaning this moment holds.