Archive of Our Own ^beta

max verstappen and george russell had been rivals since they were children with helmets too big for their heads and egos already fully formed. by the time max became a four time world champion, the narrative was already cemented: max verstappen, the inevitable. and george russell? he's the man forever chasing him or always close enough to touch but never close enough to win.

the tension finally snapped after a particularly ugly race weekend. FIA office was in chaos that a steward actually later swore someone said, "say that again and i'll put your head in the wall." and someone else distinctly remembered that words, "i've lost all respect for you." names were called, helmets were slammed down, and they had to be physically separated.

and the whole grid felt it, especially at the drivers' annual dinner. the wine flowed and so did the gossip.

"did you hear max nearly–"

"nah mate, george said–"

"im telling you, put away those steak knives."

_____

then the 2025 grand prix season came and the rivalry was still there but something… changed.

max verstappen got… calmer. on track, he’s exactly the same: ruthless, and unstoppable. but off track? the edges dulled. he didnt snap in interviews anymore and rookies followed him everywhere, asking him about tire management like he was the oracle of red bull ring. he answered patiently.

meanwhile, george russell did the unthinkable. he stopped caring or at least he acted like he did. no pointed interviews, passive-aggressive smiles, or carefully loaded quotes. he shrugs when asked about max. he gave them short, and clean answers. “we’re civil,” became his favorite phrase. “we are here to race,” he’d added and acted like max verstappen was just another driver on the grid. something to be accounted for and not obsessed over.

the paddock whispered. “did they get therapy?”

someone else shook their head. “nah mate, something is coming.”

another voice chimed in, amused. (probably lando) “this is just the eye of the storm.”

but what really happened?

kimi antonelli happened. the youngest on the grid, the wonder rookie and a walking reminder of why they all started racing before sponsorship, politics, and trauma entered the chat. kimi didnt just race formula 1, he believed in it.

he adored max in the unfiltered way only teenagers could. he watched old footages like it was sacred text. he once asked if max ever got scared in high-speed corners. max stared at him for a full five seconds before answering, “sometimes,” and the rookie had nodded like he'd just been entrusted with state secrets.

and he admired george not in the hero-worship way but with full respect. he asked about preparations, leadership, and about how george handled pressure without spiraling. the british who was used to being challenged or compared or criticized, found himself answering in paragraphs.

kimi talked about them like they were legends. “senna is my hero,” he’d say in interviews. “but max and george are the ones i really look up to. my role models.”

and somehow, both max and george softened around him. they checked on kimi after sessions, mistakes, and good laps. once, mid-argument over track limits, they both stopped because kimi was listening.

max had paused, “okay, so basically…”

george nodded. “right, but think about it like this…”

they proceeded to explain corner geometry to him like two divorced parents agreeing to co-teach math for one afternoon. everyone noticed it. everyone meaning the drivers, engineers and even the media. because nothing rattled the grid like max and george becoming… gentle. not with each other but because of the same kid. 

_____

the canadian grand prix came. everyone expected max and george to tear each other apart after what went down in spanish gp however, the world didnt end that day but it definitely tilted.

GEORGE P1

MAX P2

KIMI P3

the podium felt… eerie. the cameras zoomed in waiting for the usual stiffness, polite distance, and the micro-aggression disguised as professionalism. instead, max grabbed the champagne and without thinking or remembering shared beef, he turned and sprayed the champagne to george. people gasp, a team principal’s jaw dropped, some engineers screamed, and at least three social media interns fainted. and then george russell laughed. not a tight laugh but an actual, head-tilted-back, champagne all over him laugh. the paddock collectively short circuited. max froze for a second, blinking like, “oh, i did that.” but george wiped his face, smiling, and sprayed him back and then they smiled at each other.

the internet literally broke:

“thats family!”

“divorced no more”

“theyre co-parenting”

“they did it for their son”

kimi was glowing because for the first time, his two favorite drivers werent throwing curses at each other within arm’s reach. he thought maybe… something had changed.

it hadn't.

after canada, everything went back to “normal.” max and george ignored each other. no friendly “his or hellos”, just civil nods and “heys”. they didnt speak to each other, didnt look at each other, and didnt exist in the same emotional space.

_____

august rolled around, which meant one thing: summer break. meaning, no races.

the drivers will scatter to yachts, beaches, golf courses, and places off the grid. and just like any teenager, kimi wanted a vacation. a normal one with the sun, sea, pasta, or sleeping past 7 am but the other rookies had other plans. the rookies had their own group chat which lately, it had one obsession: max and george. theyd been hounding kimi for weeks since canadian grand prix.

rookies group chat:

ollie: are max and george okay?

isack: define okay

gabi: cmon kimi, spill the tea ure literally their child

kimi: i am not

ollie: child of divorce

gabi: maybe YOU are the solution

kimi: what?

isack: yes fix them!

ollie: like parent trap them

kimi: im not gonna get myself killed

gabi: you have a responsibility

ollie: do it for the family

they planted the idea with every meme, jokes, and “haha but imagine though…” until right after the hungarian gp, kimi’s halfway through packing for his summer break, he stared at his phone and thought: “okay, but what if?” of course, who wouldnt want their own two favorite drivers to get along? so… kimi came up with a plan.

a very bad one.

he would invite george on a summer vacation.

he would invite max on the same vacation.

and he would simply… not tell them about each other.

_____

D-0

george russell arrived at the airport for a quiet summer vacation. he had sunglasses on and noise-cancelling headphones. his posture said i am on holiday and his soul said please, no drama. 

he insisted that he will pay for their plane tickets. “kimi, i’ll buy the ticke–”

“i invited you,” kimi said firmly. “my treat.”

george sighed but smiled. “alright, but im paying for dinner.”

kimi nodded enthusiastically, already walking ahead. george followed right up until he realized where they were going. he stopped, stared… and squinted. a very private jet sat on the tarmac. and lo and behold, max verstappen stood there.

the rookie clapped his hands together like this was a birthday party and not an active crime, “surprise!”

max and george stared at him.

“let’s celebrate our win!” kimi beamed.

“our win?” george asked flatly, sliding his headphones off. “that was five races ago.”

max exhaled slowly, obviously reconsidering all his life choices.

“but we didnt celebrate,” kimi pouted.

george rolled his eyes and glanced at max who looked… soft. “dont you dare fall for that,” he warned as he removed his sunglasses.

“what?” max said innocently.

“oh my god,” george rolled his eyes. “im not coming.”

kimi’s head snapped up, “but–”

“we’ll celebrate when youre back,” george said gently.

“just come, george,” max said.

george froze and slowly looked at max. “drop the act,” he said. “you dont want to spend summer with me.”

“we dont have to be friends,” max replied calmly. “just civil.”

kimi watched them.

“and besides,” max added, “he already planned everything. right?”

the rookie nodded immediately, “it’s also my birth month,” he pouted again. (guess where he learned that.)

george groaned and dragged a hand down his face. “i swear to god, kimi.”

max smirked. “and who fell for that?”

“one wrong move,” george muttered darkly.

kimi beamed like he’d just won a championship. max shook his head, amused and led them onto the jet.

_____

george had the decency to seat kimi by the window. “you get the window,” he said. “im sure youll want to look out.” kimi smiled and immediately plastered his face against the glass like a golden retriever discovering air travel for the first time.

“where are we going?” george asked.

kimi turned to george and smiled. “my friend owns this beach house in amalfi. i told max the exact location because he offered to arrange the transportation.”

george hummed suspiciously.

“...and for the record,” kimi added quickly. “max offered his private jet and insisted on using it,” the rookie said. “he doesnt want to take commercial flights.”

george rolled his eyes, “of course.”

the rookie pouted and nudged george, “please no fighting, georgie.”

“i said civil,” george raised his hands.

max approached them after speaking with the crew and sat directly across from george.

“so?” max said, fastening his seatbelt. “all good?”

george stared at his phone and ignored the dutch.

“yes!” kimi answered. “thank you, max.”

max smiled faintly and george noticed, unfortunately.

_____

the first ten minutes of the flight were… fine. max fastened his seatbelt without comment. george opened his laptop like a man determined to work through emotional distress and probably will present it through powerpoint presentation. then suddenly… all the calmness that was built since the 2025 gp started went down to the drain.

“youre in my leg room,” george glared at max.

max looked back, “im literally not.”

“yes you are. your knee is crossing the imaginary line.”

“there is no imaginary line.”

“there is an imaginary line,” george snapped, pointing vaguely at the space between them. “and you crossed it.”

max glanced down. “my legs are long, thats not my fault.”

george snorts, “long and im the 6 footer.”

kimi’s head snapped between them. “okay!” he said brightly. “so um… fun fact! did you know this jet has heated floors? max told me!”

george blinked. “why would a jet need heated floors?” no one answered and george added, “because he hates being uncomfortable.”

max scoffed, “says the guy who brings his own pillow to race weekends.”

“it’s important.” george raised a brow. did he watch my interview? he thought.

twenty minutes in, george  reached for the snack tray and max did too. their hands collided and they both froze.

“i was reaching for that,” george said.

“so was i.”

“well, i got there first.”

“you literally didnt.”

“i packed snacks!” kimi cut in.

max and george turned to him and immediately, their shoulders dropped.

“oh,” max said. “what did you bring?”

kimi smiled. “chocolate biscuits, fruits, and oh! those gummy bears you like.”

max’s eyes softened. “the blue ones?”

“i sorted them.”

george stared. “you sorted the gummy bears.”

“yes,” kimi said.

“for him?”

kimi nodded proudly.

george closed his eyes, “unbelievable.”

“i brought snacks for you too, george!” kimi handed a paper bag to george.

the british immediately smiled when he opened the paper bag. “my favorite.”

max leaned forward and looked inside the bag but george yanked it away.

“a burger.” max muttered.

“it’s summer break.”

“i didnt say anything.”

“but your face says something.”

“i just said burger.”

“says the guy who likes gummy bears.”

kimi leaned forward, arms out like a referee. “ive got more snacks and we can all share!” both adults stared at him and nodded.

kimi sagged back into his seat then forty-five minutes in, the argument somehow became about music.

“no,” george said flatly.

max looked up from his phone. “i havent even played anything yet.”

“and im stopping you in advance.”

“thats not fair.”

george set aside his laptop slightly, “youre about to put on something… aggressively dutch, arent you?”

max frowned. “what does that even mean?”

“it means electronic, loud, and repetitive. something that sounds like it was engineered to vibrate my skull.”

“it’s called rhythm,” max replied. “you should try it.”

“i get rhythm,” george shot back. “i just dont want to feel like im inside a nightclub at 30,000 feet.”

kimi slowly sat up straighter, “uh… maybe we can–”

“it’s just background music,” max cut in.

george leaned over and squinted at max’s phone. “is that martin garrix?”

“so?”

“so no.” george said.

“he’s good.”

“he’s loud.”

“you guys play hip hop at your garage.” max shot back.

“and you guys are just noisy at your garage. charles already filed a complaint.”

“the staff gave him a solution.”

george scoffed. “fucking earplugs?”

max shrugged.

george sighed deeply, “fine. if you get to pick, then i get veto power.”

max raised an eyebrow. “then youll veto everything.”

“thats the point,” george said calmly.

kimi raised both hands. “what if we rotate? like one song each?”

they both turned to him.

“we are not doing a dj set,” george said.

max sighed, “i dont even listen to music that much. i just dont like silence.” he explained and hit play anyway. the opening beat of “billie jean” filled the cabin.

“michael jackson?” george asked and max nodded. “okay,” he admitted. “this is okay.”

kimi gasped, “progress!”

max leaned back, looking smug. “see? taste.”

george held up a finger. “one song, one.”

“fine.”

when the song ended, george reached for his phone immediately. “my turn.”

max squinted. “what are you putting on?”

george smiled sweetly. “taylor swift.”

max groaned. “no.”

“yes.”

“no.”

“cruel summer,” george added, already pressing play.

kimi’s eyes lit up. “oh, i love this!”

max stared at him. “you too?”

kimi nodded eagerly. “it’s vibey! and it’s summer!”

max sighed and leaned back. “i hate that i know this song.”

george froze. “you know it?”

“ive heard it,” max sad defensively.

“how many times?”

“...enough.”

george grinned, “say the bridge.”

“no.”

“say it.”

“he looks up grinnin like a devil, happy?”

kimi laughed too loudly that he didnt notice how george smiled and shook his head and how max looked at george softly.

“this is fun!” the rookie said.

george cleared his throat, “okay, next!” he pressed the play button and coldplay filled the background.

“you listen to coldplay?” max snorted.

“theyre relaxing.”

“they make me sleepy.”

kimi leaned forward, “okay, what about something neutral?”

max thought, “tom jones.”

george choked. “which song?”

“delilah.”

“in 2026?”

“it’s a classic.”

“it’s about murder,” george frowned.

“it’s dramatic.”

“thats why you like it.”

max smiled faintly, “youre not wrong.”

they sat in tense silence for exactly three seconds and no one played another song. an hour in, kimi realized something important: he had made a mistake. he witnessed how max and george bickered about everything.

george muttered, “youre doing this on purpose.”

“you came voluntarily,” max replied, far too amused for someone being accused.

george scoffed, “i was ambushed.”

max looked at george, “youre still here.”

“against my will.”

“you fell for his cuteness,” max pointed at kimi.

george’s head snapped up, “i did not.”

“yes you did.”

kimi leaned forward for the nth time with a tiny voice, “do you want me to tell a story?”

both men paused.

“sure,” max said.

george nodded, “yeah.”

kimi launched into a rambling story about karting with hand gestures everywhere and dropping punchlines twice. max and george listened… like really listened for exactly three minutes. then…

“thats not how slipstream works,” george said.

max snorted, “here we go.”

_____

the plane landed after two hours later and as they stepped onto the tarmac, george stopped dead when he saw what was waiting for them. a limousine.

“...are you for real?” george turned to max.

“what?” max asked innocently.

george let out a disbelieving laugh, “no i mean, are you actually serious?”

“whats wrong with a limousine?” max said, genuinely confused.

“we’re going to the beach.”

“and?”

“and this looks like we’re about to attend a mafia wedding!”

kimi squinted at it, “it does look like it might have a minibar.”

max brightened. “see?”

“you’re not helping!” george snapped at kimi then turned to max. “at this point youre just showing off.”

“i just want to treat the kid.”

“with a limousine?” george gestured wildly. 

“it’s comfy.”

“you couldve have gotten an SUV!”

“this has better suspension.”

“you are insane,” george groaned.

“and,” max added casually, “it has legroom, which by the way, you badly needed.”

george’s jaw dropped. “oh, that’s rich–”

kimi exhaled loudly and both men stopped mid-argument. they glared at each other and scoffed in unison then looked away. the driver chose that exact moment to step out and open the doors. kimi climbed in first without hesitation and both adults followed. as the limo pulled away toward the beach house, kimi stared out the window, exhausted. this vacation was going to destroy him and they hadnt even reached the beach house yet.

_____

the beach house was… offensively luxurious and breathtakingly perfect.

it’s a private property far away from the neighbors. very safe from the paparazzi and definitely there wont be any accidental “fan sightings.” it’s just cliffs, sea, and a stupidly beautiful house perched in the middle of somewhere in amalfi. the fridge was literally stacked. theres also an entertainment room and a man cave with a complete set up of simulator racing just like what they used at home and max had immediately clocked. a swimming pool sat in front of the beach house and a beach literally ten steps away. their rooms got floor to ceiling windows, balconies, and perfect ocean views. and thank god there was no room fight. max took the left room without comment. george took the right with a satisfied nod. and kimi landed in the middle like a buffer zone.

it was almost dinner by the time they finished unpacking. hunger set in fast, the kind that made people irrational and more prone to murder so they regrouped in the living room.

max dropped onto the couch immediately. “i’ll order food.”

kimi perked up, “yes please!”

“no,” george said flatly and max and kimi turned. “we are not wasting food,” he continued. “the fridge is full, i checked earlier.”

max blinked, “you checked the fridge?”

“yes.”

“when?”

“when you were staring at the sea like you were in a perfume commercial.”

george walked straight into the kitchen and rolled up his sleeves.

max watched him go, “im already hungry.”

george didnt even turn around, “eat biscuits while i cook.”

max stared at the biscuit tin like it had personally offended him. “by the time you finish cooking, i’ll be full with biscuits.”

“eat in small bites,” george said calmly, already chopping something. “it’s so you wont hurt your tummy once you eat cooked food.”

max paused, “i wont hurt my tummy if we order food. it’s faster.”

george gritted, “but not healthy.”

“jesus, you ate burger earlier!”

“and you devoured gummy bears,” george shot back, “and now you want junk food again for dinner?”

there was a long beat until max sighed deeply looking defeated. he snatched the biscuit tin. “unbelievable,” he muttered and started walking toward the balcony.

george turned back to the stove looking victorious and kimi just stood there, eyes darting between them. damn, kimi thought. they really move like an old married couple on the brink of divorce. immediately, he pulled out his phone.

rookies group chat:

kimi: u wont believe what just happened

ollie: FINALLY!

isack: did they kill each other yet?

gabi: cant talk rn will backread later

kimi: george is cooking

isack: excuse me?

kimi: max wanted to order food but george said no bc groceries

isack: ooohh domestic

ollie: whose side are u on, mama or papa?

kimi: neither im scared

isack: blink twice if u need rescue

kimi laughed too loud and george glanced over. “whats funny?”

“nothing!” kimi squeaked as he shoved his phone into his pocket. then he smelled something. “is that pasta?”

george turned around with a wooden spoon in hand and smiled softly, “tuna pasta. i know it’s not your favorite. but this is faster to cook. i’ll cook tortellini next time.”

kimi beamed. “anything pasta, i will eat!”

“thats because youre starving,” george chuckled. “now go set the table.”

kimi jumped up, “yes!”

as he grabbed plates, george frowned slightly. “where’s max?”

“balcony.”

george sighed. “asked him to help. we’re not his maids.”

“oop, okay ma–” kimi froze. mama. he cleared his throat violently. this is all ollie’s fault. “i mean, okay george!”

george didnt notice or pretended not to. kimi stepped onto the balcony and saw max leaning against the railing with biscuit in hand while staring at the ocean like it had personally wronged him.

“uh,” kimi said. “george said you should help.”

max didnt turn as he chew violently with the biscuit. “with what.”

“setting the table.”

max sighed but followed him inside anyway and they passed george in the kitchen.

“wow,” max said dryly. “smells… nutritious.”

george didnt look up. “youre welcome.”

at the table, max placed plates down with exaggerated care. “one week,” he muttered. “one week of this.”

“you agreed to come,” george said.

“i was emotionally manipulated.”

“you fell for that,” george pointed at kimi being cute again.

dinner was surprisingly good as they ate in silence for the first few minutes until…

“this needs more salt,” max said.

george raised an eyebrow, “add it yourself next time.”

max hummed. “so hostile.”

kimi stabbed his pasta aggressively, “wow this is delicious.” they both looked at him and the ocean waves filled the silence but the tension didnt disappear. one week, kimi thought as he chewed slowly. either this ends in peace or someone’s body is absolutely washing up on this beach.

_____

D-1

the next morning, kimi woke up to sunlight and silence. he rolled out of bed and shuffled downstairs. thats when he found george who was fully dressed like a man with plans. sunglasses perched on his head, beach bag over one shoulder and a book tucked under his arm.

“there you are,” george said. “im heading to the beach. you wanna come?”

kimi stretched. “i’ll follow after i eat!”

george nodded. “there’s food on the table. just heat it up in the microwave.”

the rookie paused. “...you cooked again?”

“yes.”

“why?”

george frowned, “what do you mean why?”

“we’re on vacation,” kimi said carefully. “youre supposed to rest. we can order food or eat out.”

george shrugged. “this is how i rest.”

kimi blinked. “cooking?”

“yes.”

“for fun?”

“yes,” george replied again with irritation creeping up.

“voluntarily?” kimi asked one more time.

george tilted his head and exhaled loudly. “kimi, i also have a life outside racing.”

kimi processed that. “huh.”

“i cook what i want, eat what i want. swim, read, repeat,” george continued. “i know it sounds boring, but it’s… grounding.”

“oh,” kimi said softly, “okay.” then panicking slightly. “i just didnt want you to feel obligated!”

george waved him off. “im not. i actually love cooking for people.”

kimi hesitated, “...even max?”

george paused and then shrugged. “if he doesnt like it, i dont care. he can starve to death for all i care.”

“that escalated,” kimi laughed softly.

george slid his sunglasses on. “enjoy your food,” he said already walking toward the door.

kimi wandered back to the kitchen and saw two plates then stared at them. “oh…” so he did cook for max, he thought and then reheated both plates and went searching for max. he reach the man cave and found max locked into sim racing like it was a life or death scenario. he approached max and waved a hand in front of him.

“jesus!” max yelped, nearly swerving into a virtual wall.

“sorry! did you eat?” kimi said cutely.

max ripped the headphones off, “shi–what time is it?”

“it’s almost lunch.”

“already?” max widened his eyes.

“when did you wake up?”

“five-ish?”

kimi stared and frowned.

“i know, bad habit,” max said, rubbing his neck.

the rookie sighed like a disappointed parent. “george cooked. let’s eat.”

max groaned. “again?”

“he says he loves cooking for people.”

“even me?” max thinking he’s just hungry and heard wrong that george cooked for him.

“that was literally my question.”

“and?”

kimi shrugged. “then he went to the beach.”

max nodded slowly. “right,” he said and went to the kitchen. he stopped abruptly when he saw whats on the table. his stomach immediately grumbled.

tomato soup and grilled cheese.

“fuck me,” he groaned.

“what?” kimi asked.

max looked away. “it’s my favorite.”

kimi raised an eyebrow. “george knows your favorite?"

max scoffed and sat anyway. “as if,” he said as he dipped the sandwich into the soup and took one bite. he froze…

oh no. it’s good.

they ate in silence but kimi watched max like a hawk, “i wont tell george.”

“tell him what?” max asked suspiciously.

“that you like it,” kimi giggled with eyes sparkling.

max looked away. “it’s mid.”

kimi hummed and gaze dropping to max’s plate. “youre eating it like it’s your last race.”

“im just hungry,” max said as he grabbed another bite.

the rookie watched as max dragged the bread slowly through the sauce. “you wiped the plate with the bread,” kimi added.

“i said it’s mid, not bad.”

kimi grinned, looking victorious, “you wanna go to the beach?”

“not yet,” max murmured.

“so… sim racing all day?”

max shrugged, “im breaking a record,” he muttered.

_____

at the beach, kimi didnt even hesitate. he kicked off his sandals, dropped his towel somewhere near george’s and sprinted straight into the water.

“cold!” george called out without looking up from his book.

“worth it!” kimi yelled back, already waist deep and shivering dramatically.

george hummed looking unsurprised. kimi dove under and resurfaced with a gasp then laughed like he hadnt had a care in the world. he swam recklessly, splashed everywhere like a menace, and absolutely ignored commentaries.

“careful,” george said calmly.

“noted!” kimi shouted and immediately doing the opposite. “this is life!” he announced.

george turned a page, “youll say that until you get sunburn.”

“i used sunscreen!”

“did you reapply?” george reminded the rookie.

kimi pouted, “i went swimming.”

george sighed and wordlessly tossed him a bottle.

“thank you,” kimi said as he caught it.

george asked casually, “so, how was the food?”

“delicious!” kimi beamed.

“and?”

kimi grinned. “max said it’s mid.”

george’s head snapped up. “excuse me?”

“but!” kimi rushed on. “he finished everything.”

george stared out at the water then glanced back at his book, trying to hide a smile.

kimi watched him, “it’s his favorite, he said.”

george turned another page, “is it.”

“u-huh,” kimi said and sat up suddenly. “im gonna swim more!”

george sighed, “be careful.”

“yes, ma–i mean george!”

george closed his eyes for a brief moment, deeply reconsidering his life choices, then opened them again just in time to see kim sprint back into the water like a human projectile. he shook his head but lips twitching despite himself.

high above them on the balcony, max leaned against the railing. he’d told himself he was just getting air or that he was bored… or that sim racing could wait five minutes. but there he was… watching kimi laughing and george pretending to read while absolutely keeping one eye on the kid. max exhaled slowly. the food had been good. he thought but he hadnt expected that or hadnt expected george to cook for him. he scoffed under his breath. “mid,” he muttered again.

_____

a whole day passed, peacefully. which was a miracle.

max disappeared into the man cave after spending some time on the balcony. meanwhile, george and kimi spent the afternoon under the amalfi sun. by the time sun dipped, they went back to the house. dinner loomed and george made way to the kitchen.

“i’ll cook,” george announced.

“uhm, wait…” kimi said. “i actually made a reservation.”

george turned around, “a reservation?”

“yes! to celebrate our win in canada!”

max emerged from the hallway, “we’re celebrating that now?”

“delayed joy is still joy,” kimi said firmly. “it’s private! i know the owner and he promised no interruptions."

george shrugged, “it’s fine kimi.”

max snorted, “really?”

george turned, “unless you dont want to be seen together?”

“i should be the one asking you that,” max challenged.

george crossed his arms. “i said it’s fine, didnt i?”

max tilted his head, “is the food at least nutritious?” he turned to kimi. “we dont want mr. burger here complaining at the restaurant.”

george gasped, putting both hands on his waist. “excuse me?”

“you heard me.”

“oh puh-lease,” george shot back. “says mr. gummy bear.”

max considered that. “that doesnt sound like an insult. that sounds like an endearment, actually. keep up with the insults, russell.”

george opened his mouth and then promptly shut it with his cheeks flushing. “fuck off.”

kimi raised both hands, “i can reschedule! really! it’s okay–”

both men sighed at the same time.

“no,” george said. “come on. lets go. i told you last time im paying.”

“no,” kimi said desperately. “i already arranged everything.”

“i’ll pay,” max offered.

george snapped. “absolutely not.”

“you already cooked for us,” max countered.

“you provided transport,” george shot back.

“it’s already paid!” kimi blurted out. “it’s my turn now. please?”

max nodded. “fine.”

george exhaled. “okay.”

kimi beamed. “lets go?”

“just please no more limo,” george almost pleaded.

max shrugged and walked outside, both mercedes drivers followed him. when the garage door opened, george stopped.

“oh,” he said when he saw an SUV. he glanced at max. “good.”

max smirked. “i listen sometimes.”

“i didnt say thank you,” george rolled his eyes.

“youre welcome anyway.” max tossed the keys. “i’ll drive. no arguments.”

kimi immediately hopped into the backseat that left george standing there staring at the passenger seat like it had personally wronged him but he got in anyway.

“i sent you the location!” kimi chirped.

“got it,” max smiled, then looked over at george. “seatbelt.”

george rolled his eyes for the nth time and reached for the seatbelt but yep, the universe is really doing its part to make his life miserable because the seatbelt suddenly got stuck.

“of course,” george murmured.

“it’s just a seatbelt george.”

“i know,” george said with irritation. he tugged so hard but nothing happened. it’s still jammed.

“tsk.”

george heard max and glared at him. “it’s stuck! cant you see?”

max groaned as he watched george struggling. without thinking, he leaned closer to george that made george froze. max’s arms brushed his and the car suddenly smelled like max: clean, warm, and something expensive. their fingers almost touched when max reached for the belt. he tugged it carefully and yes, the universe must be really conspiring against him because the seatbelt suddenly worked.

kill me now, george screamed internally. jesus christ.

max was still close and holding the strap. “all good?” he asked.

george turned his head so fast he nearly headbutted the window. “yes.”

max snorted and settled back then looked at kimi through the rearview mirror. “seatbelt for you too, young man.”

“yes, pa–YES MAX!” kimi blurted, fighting demons in real time. i swear to god ollie im gonna fucking kill you.

george stared at the dashboard like it was safer.

max shrugged, “right…” he started the engine. and as they pulled out, max glanced at the two of them whose visibly getting paler each time and looked like they were having an internal crisis. “huh,” he muttered. “must be a merc thing.”

_____

the restaurant was discreet. they were ushered past the main dining area and into a private booth tucked far enough away that no phones were angled their way and no whispers followed. george exhaled the second the curtain slid shut behind them and max did the same. both of them are not idiots. they know whats been happening online. so, they know they are being shipped and they know that kimi is their grid son and a child of divorce. they actually dont mind but they just dont wanna deal with it right now.

“thank god,” george muttered. “i genuinely did not want to trend tonight.”

kimi nodded, “see! i told you it’s private.”

max glance around once more, “good. i dont feel like explaining to the internet why we’re on a holiday together.”

and they all sat. the table was set and the menus were handed out. for a brief shining moment, there’s peace.

“okay,” kimi said cheerfully. “what does everyone want?”

max leaned in. “the grilled sea bass looks good.”

george frowned. “thats heavy.”

“it’s fish,” the dutch said flatly.

“with butter sauce,” george deadpanned.

“it’s vacation,” max objected.

george turned to kimi, “how about pasta?”

“i like pasta!” kimi said.

“of course you do,” max muttered.

george raised a brow. “i’ll get the salad.”

max scoffed. “you dont come to italy to eat leaves.”

“you dont come to italy to clog your arteries,” george nagged and rolled his eyes.

“im an athlete,” max countered.

“so am i!” george exclaimed.

kimi raised a hand, “guys–”

“youre an athlete and you ate gummy bears for lunch,” george argued.

max groaned. “you ate a freaking burger, george.”

“it has veggies in it!”

the waiter hovered politely, pen poised, eyes darting back and forth to the two drivers.

“why dont you just give us the chef’s special tonight or your bestseller? you may go. thank you,” kimi said and the waiter nodded and stepped back. he set his menu down carefully. “you really hate each other, huh?” kimi continued.

max and george slowly turned to him.

“i get it, you’re total opposites,” kimi said. “this was really a bad idea and thats on me.” he swallowed. “i just thought… maybe… i dont know. i could make you become friends?”

george opened his mouth and then closed it again.

“how about we end the vacation early?” kimi said gently. “we can go home tomorrow.”

max stiffened.

“im not angry.” kimi added quickly. “i just dont want to witness a murder.” and with a weak smile he continued, “i like you both. that wont change. youre just… maybe not meant to be friends.” the words landed heavy. “i really hope… we could share another podium someday.” kimi finished quietly.

for a second, neither man spoke.

“im not going home,” george said abruptly.

max looked up. “me neither.”

kimi just blinked.

“i dont have anything waiting for me in monaco,” george shrugged. “might as well stay.”

“my dad borrowed my yacht,” max added. “i’d just sim race myself into oblivion if i get back home.”

george scoffed. “as if you didnt do that already today.”

“im breaking a record.”

“to the point of starving yourself?” george said raising an eyebrow.

“i ate the soup, didnt i?” max shot back.

“you said it was mid.”

max looked at kimi then back at george. “i didnt say it was bad.”

“but mid?”

max groaned, “oh my god, youre impossible.”

george crossed his arms. “is it so hard to compliment me–my cooking?”

“fine, it was really good.” max said flatly.

george squinted, “that sounded insincere.”

max’s jaw dropped. “unbelievable.”

george shrugged. “what? it’s true, you never compliment me.”

“that is not true!” max protested.

“oh yeah? tell me when?” george raised a brow.

max exhaled. “i called you beautiful in austria,” he said quietly.

kimi nodded and remembered that day. he and george were actually backstage and witnessed everything.

george hesitated, “that… doesnt sound a compliment.” 

“fine!” max groaned. “well, you called me a bully!” he reminded him.

“you called me a dickhead!”

“thats because you were being a dickhead that time!” max shot back.

“oh and you werent all the time?” george asked. “like… i dont know, remember spain?”

kimi sighed and then the impossible happened.

“im sorry,” max said, almost a whisper.

george looked up.

“that was a mistake,” max continued. “and im sorry.”

kimi bit the inside of his cheek so hard it almost hurt.

george pouted, “okay.” he whispered.

kimi cleared his throat loudly. “OKAY! how about we make a bet?”

george narrowed his eyes. “i dont like where this is going.”

max said nothing and waited for kimi. 

“since we’re already on the topic of complimenting…” kimi started. “i dare you guys to compliment each other for the rest of our vacation.”

“no.”

“absolutely not.”

“oh?” kimi grinned. “so you cant?”

“i can,” george snapped. “i just wont.”

“whats there to compliment?” max added.

“wow,” kimi said dramatically. “max verstappen and george russell afraid of being nice to each other.”

“thats not true,” max said.

“kimi, stop,” george warned.

“unless,” kimi continued sweetly, “youre scared you’ll go soft.”

max leaned forward, “whats the challenge?”

“max–”

“what? afraid you’ll fall for me?” max teased george.

“in your dreams!” george scoffed. “okay fine.”

kimi clapped, “every time someone breaks, i choose the consequence.”

“what kind of consequence?” george asked cautiously.

kimi shrugged. “you know… tiktok challenges… social posts…of each other.”

“NO,” george said firmly.

“im not dancing,” max added.

george groaned. “why cant we just bet on money?”

“no,” kimi said. “youre already rich.”

“this feels illegal,” max muttered.

“so… are you up for the challenge?” kimi teased. he knew exactly what he was doing because he knew how competitive these two drivers are.

george exhaled through his nose with his eyes narrowing. “fine,” he said.

“im in,” max didnt even hesitated.

kimi beamed. “yey! we’ll start tomorrow so you’ll have time to prepare!”

both men groaned and the waiter returned with food. he set the dishes down with professional efficiency and left without asking if everything was alright because he knew it wasn't.

they ate in silence for five minutes not until…

“youre chewing loudly,” george said without looking up.

max paused mid-bite then he chewed once more. “youre breathing judgmentally,” he replied.

“thats not a thing.”

“it absolutely is. you do it when youre disappointed.”

george sighed. “im not disappointed.”

max raised an eyebrow. “then why are you sighing?”

“im not.”

“you just did.”

“that was a breath.”

“oh my god,” kimi buried his face in his napkin. he shouldve bet on money because at least he’d be a millionaire by now every time these two start a fight. he wondered if a week was enough time for one of them to commit a gruesome murder on italian soil.

_____

D-2

the next morning, kimi stood in the living room with phone in hand, expression far too pleased. max was halfway through his juice and george looking annoyed.

“okay,” kimi clapped his hands once. “rules.”

both men straightened despite themselves.

“rule one,” kimi continued. “you have to say nice things to each other.”

george opened his mouth but kimi raised a finger. “im the judge. i decide if it’s actually nice, sarcastic, or… borderline an insult.”

max squinted, “that seems subjective.”

“of course,” kimi said cheerfully. “oh, and flirting is allowed.”

george glared at the rookie. “kimi–”

“what?” kimi asked innocently. “flirting is being nice to each other.”

“that is not gonna happen,” george said firmly.

“never say never,” max whispered.

“wow,” george turned to max. “why? are you going to flirt with me?”

“why? afraid you’re gonna flirt back?” max teased.

“this is ridiculous,” george sighed, rubbing his face.

“someone’s afraid,” max grinned.

george’s head snapped up, “you are so on.”

“rule two!” kimi went on. “youre obliged to speak to each other. no ignoring or no silent treatment. and no communicating exclusively through glares.”

max looked personally attacked.

“rule three: you have to spend time together,” he pointed at himself. “no escaping to opposite ends of the house.”

george muttered something about human rights.

“and rule four,” kimi smiled. “every time one of you breaks a rule, there are consequences.”

max frowned, “please specify the consequences.”

“tiktok challenges. dont worry it’s gonna be the easy ones,” kimi said brightly. “or posting each other on social media. with a  nice caption written by you.”

both men exhaled loudly like theyd been punched in the lungs at the same time.

“why are we doing this again?” george asked.

“this is madness,” max added.

kimi just shrugged but neither of them backed down because backing down was not in their vocabulary and losing to each other was unacceptable, especially losing to a teenager. they need need to prove that they could be kind to each other. they didnt even know whats the point of the dare anymore.

_____

an hour passed and nothing happened. no words, no insults and no eye contact longer than three seconds. just the soft sounds of max scrolling on his phone, kimi tapping away on his ipad, and george sitting far too upright on the couch like posture alone could save him. they all collectively decided they were not beach people today.

kimi glanced up at the clock then at them. he sighed dramatically, “you know,” he said. “the bet already started.”

george swallowed and max shifted.

“you have to talk,” kimi added. “you know the rules.”

george stared at the ceiling like it might offer divine intervention. how do you talk to someone youre not allowed to insult? he thought.

meanwhile, max was internally negotiating with himself about whether silence technically counted as violence. what nice things should i say to him? i only breath and he’s mad already. he cried in this thoughts. 

george apparently stood up because he was the ‘adult’ in the group. “i’ll cook lunch,” he announced and max and kimi looked up at him. “what do you guys want?” he asked casually.

“definitely not leave–” max stopped himself. he inhaled then smiled… sweetly. “anything nutritious.”

george froze and slowly turned to kimi, eyes narrowing. “judge?”

kimi tilted his head, “it was… nice.”

george scoffed and turned back to the sink. “it’s not like leaves are bad for our health,” he murmured.

max perked up, “are you saying something, georgie?”

kimi made a choking sound when he heard the nickname. he buried his face behind this ipad.

“nothing, maxie,” george shot back, flashing a tight polite smile. “something nutritious, noted.”

max laughed openly now, not even trying to hide it. he leaned back and clearly enjoying himself. this could be fun, he decided.

george started pulling ingredients out of the fridge with more force than necessary.

“for what it’s worth,” max said carefully, “you’re very organized.”

george stopped mid-reach. “organized…”

“yes,” max nodded. “i passed by your room yesterday… the door was open, okay?”

george fully turned around and crossed his arms.

“everything is labeled. you have this pouches or something with names on it. and you’re not a messy cook,” max added.

“thats called being normal,” george said.

“thats called being impressive,” max corrected.

“youre doing this on purpose.”

“i am being nice,” max said. “this is the challenge.”

kimi looked up immediately, “that counts. surprisingly sincere… and you do label your things.”

george exhaled sharply through his nose, “fine. then…” he gestured vaguely, “...youre very minimalist.”

max blinked. “what?”

“i mean, you pack lightly. you only have one luggage,” george continued. “you’re… low maintenance.”

“am i?”

“not in a bad way,” george added. “what i meant was–”

“i get it,” max waved his hand.

kimi raised his brows. “very good. mutual respect.”

max straightened. “youre also very clean.”

george snorted. “thats redundant.”

“no,” max said seriously. “some people are organized but still chaotic. you’re aggressively tidy.”

“that is not a compliment.”

kimi raised a finger. “borderline, but i’ll allow it.”

george stared at kimi. “youre enjoying this too much.”

kimi shrugged and just smiled.

george turned back to the counter, “aggressively tidy. unbelievable.” he muttered.

max stood up and approached george. “i can chop,” he offered.

george was startled when he heard the dutch behind him who was way too close again. “no, you can’t.”

“that’s rude,” max frowned.

“that you are,” george countered.

kimi coughed loudly. “george.”

“…but,” deorge added quickly, “you’re very confident while being wrong.”

max laughed. “that’s my brand.”

kimi scribbled something imaginary in the air. “okay…”

max stood and wandered over, peering into the pan. “you smell good.”

george’s head snapped up. “you mean the food.”

“the food,” max confirmed quickly.

george pointed his spoon at max. “you’re distracting.”

“i’m supportive.”

“you’re hovering,” george nagged.

“i’m emotionally present,” max debated.

george looked at max, “that’s worse.”

max grinned. “you handle stress really well.”

george turned back to the stove abruptly. “go away, im cooking. sit.”

“yes, chef.”

“don’t call me that.”

“yes, george.”

“just go,” george pleaded.

kimi slid off the couch, clapping his hands once. “i just want to say, as the judge, i am having the best day of my life.”

_____

george realized that the problem with the challenge was that it didnt stop them from talking. it only stopped them from being cruel which meant every sentence now had to pass through a filter. one that made him think before speaking, and one that made max look at him like he was waiting for something to land. and george hated that his chest kept doing something stupid every time it did.

after lunch, kimi immediately sprawled back on the couch with his ipad and both adults followed him. “okay,” he said while tapping the screen. “so far, so good. no fights, no insults. several near-deaths but nothing fatal. im impressed.”

max leaned back, arms crossed behind his head. “see? we’re thriving.”

george shot him a look. “don’t push it.”

kimi grinned, “careful, that was almost hostile.”

george exhaled loudly, “i meant… dont get complacent.”

“wow, growth,” max smirked.

“dont,” george warned.

“i didnt say anything,” max raised his hands.

a beat passed and kimi wedged comfortably in the middle of the couch now with his ipad balanced on his stomach. max scrolled through his phone on one side and george read quietly on the other. the room settling into an unfamiliar kind of peace.

it lasted exactly twelve minutes and kimi’s eyelids dropped. his head tipped and landed against george’s shoulder. george froze for a second then carefully shifted. he eased kimi down so his head rested properly on his lap. he adjusted his posture and one hand instinctively settling at the rookie’s back. without even looking, max lifted kimi’s legs and rested them across his own lap like it was muscle memory. they both looked up at the same time and laughed softly, like theyd just caught themselves doing something absurdly domestic.

“you good?” max asked quietly.

“yup,” george answered. “you?”

max smiled and shook his head. “what are we doing?”

“being nice to each other?” george replied while his hand was unconsciously brushing through kimi’s hair when he stirred.

“the kid is sleeping,” max said. “you can curse me now.”

george looked away, smiling despite himself. “im not falling for that.”

max chuckled. “by the way… youre really a good cook.”

“not mid?” george teased.

“it was never mid,” max admitted.

“oh…” george said. “thanks.”

“where’d you learn?” max asked.

“i wont tell you.”

“why?”

“because you’ll laugh at me.”

“i can barely boil an egg,” max said. “you should be the one laughing.”

george pouted and hesitated before answering. “i…enrolled in a class. like a year ago.”

max grinned, fighting it hard and george caught it.

“ugh,” george groaned. “i knew it.”

“i didnt laugh,” max said quickly rasing a hand.

“you’re trying not to.”

“i’m trying not to smile too big,” max countered.

“because you’re making fun of me,” george pouted again.

“no,” max said honestly. “because i don’t want you to think i’m impressed.”

“…you’re impressed?” george asked.

max nodded. “why’d you take it?”

george shrugged. “got tired of eating out. i live alone. needed something… normal.”

“yeah?”

“yeah,” george said. “it keeps me grounded. i didn’t want racing to swallow everything. so i started picking up books then cooking… padel’s fun, but im still surrounded by all of you. this stuff’s just… it’s like–”

“you,” max cut in. 

george nodded. “lately i’ve been into movies,” he added. “arthouse films. slow. slice of life. depressing. probably boring to you.”

“i don’t mind boring,” max said.

george blinked. “you don’t?”

“no,” max replied. “i actually like to try things that don’t demand i be fast.”

“like… this?” george asked.

max hummed and the british smiled faintly. “how about you?”

“me?”

“yeah. hobbies?”

max exhaled and leaned his head back. “my life… revolves around racing.”

george hummed thoughtfully. “yeah. that tracks.”

“i wake up thinking about it,” max continued. “sleep thinking about it. if i’m not driving, i’m watching. if i’m not watching, i’m sim racing. if i’m not sim racing, i’m thinking how to do it better.”

kimi shifted with his nose pressing into george’s shirt. george adjusted him gently. “doesn’t that get exhausting?” he asked.

max shrugged. “i don’t really know how to stop.”

that sat heavy between them and after a moment, george said softly, “youre allowed to have something that doesnt judge you for being slow.”

max scoffed. “everything judges you.”

“books don’t,” george said. “neither does pasta.”

max laughed under his breath. “youre really selling this lifestyle.”

george laughed softly and the room settled into a kind of hush that didn’t feel earned. kimi slept like he trusted the world. his weight was warm on george’s lap and one hand curled loosely into the fabric of george’s shirt. his book lay abandoned and open-faced on the cushion beside him.

max noticed and leaned back deeper into the couch. his phone forgotten somewhere near his thigh and watching george from under his lashes like he was trying not to stare and failing quietly. kimi’s legs rested across his lap, socked feet tapping lightly against his hip every time the kid breathed too deeply.

they looked so… domestic.

“he’s really out,” max murmured with a low voice.

george glanced down and adjusted his grip instinctively when kimi shifted again. “yeah. i guess being a referee is exhausting.”

max snorted. “you’re… different like this,” he said carefully.

george stiffened, “like what?”

“not defensive,” max replied. “less… ready to fight.”

george swallowed. “hard to fight when i’m holding a sleeping rookie hostage.”

“true,” max admitted. “very disarming tactic.”

kimi snored softly in his sleep and both of them froze. then george snickered while a hand flew to his mouth. max pressed his lips together and shoulders shaking.

“oh my god,” george whispered. “if he wakes up–”

“we’ll blame you,” max said instantly.

“me?”

“you’re the lap.”

“you’re the feet.”

“details.”

george rolled his eyes but his mouth betrayed him, curling upward despite his best efforts. “you’re enjoying this too much.”

“maybe,” max said. “it’s nice not being yelled at for existing.”

“you provoke.”

“you escalate.”

“you’re insufferable,” george countered.

“that was almost an insult.”

george inhaled then exhaled, “i meant… persistent.”

max grinned. “i’ll take it.”

kimi shifted again but this time burrowing closer and his forehead pressing into george’s stomach like he was seeking warmth. george instinctively adjusted with one arm curling protectively around him without thinking.

max watched the motion closely then something unreadable flickering across his face. “you’re good with him,” he said.

george blinked. “with kimi?”

“yeah,” max said. “you’re patient and gentle.”

george scoffed. “you’ve heard me shout at engineers.”

“not the same,” max replied. “this is… different.”

george looked down at kimi, “he makes it easy.”

“yeah,” max said softly. “he does that.”

another quiet beat passed.

“you meant what you said earlier,” max added. “about not letting racing swallow you.”

george nodded. “i dont want to wake up at forty and realize i dont know how to exist without a schedule.”

“ever since i was a child, i dont know how to exist without one,” max said.

“that sounds lonely,” george said before he could stop himself.

max shrugged but it wasn’t dismissive this time. “it’s loud… not lonely. but… empty sometimes.”

that earned him george’s full attention. “you ever think about stopping?” george asked.

max laughed quietly. “terrifying question.”

“i know.”

“i don’t think i’d know who i am,” max admitted. “if i wasn’t chasing wins.”

george tilted his head. “maybe you don’t have to stop. just… add something.”

“like movies?”

“like movies,” george smiled. “or cooking. or literally anything that doesn’t involve telemetry.”

max snorted. “i’d burn water.”

“i can teach you,” george offered before thinking. “i mean… if you want. no pressure.”

max studied him for a moment, “yeah?”

“yeah,” george said. “i’m a decent teacher. aggressively tidy, remember?”

max laughed under his breath. “okay. but if i lose a finger, that’s on you.”

“you won’t.”

“you sound confident.”

“i am.”

max shifted closer, “i tried reading once.”

george’s eyes lit up. “oh?”

“dragons.”

“rookie mistake,” george pointed out.

max scratch his brow, “too much lore.”

george nodded and smiled.

max glanced at him. “do you remember…” he hesitated.

“what?” george raised his brows.

“do you remember the last time we had a normal conversation?” max asked and george went still. for a second, he searched his memory but nothing surfaced. he just kept silent. “so i guess… we’re really doing this, huh.” he continued.

“doing what?

“being… normal. i cant believe it’s possible,” max said.

george smiled faintly. “don’t get used to it.”

max leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling. “too late,” he whispered.

the afternoon slipped without asking permission. neither of them moved and neither of them wanted to be the first to break it. and for the first time in a long while, that felt less like restraint and more like choice.

_____

the first thing that broke the spell was kimi. he stirred with nose scrunching and blinked awake like he’d been dragged back into consciousness against his will.

“hmmm,” kimi murmured. “why is it warm?”

“because youre using us as a furniture.” max said.

kimi lifted his head and his eyes landed on george’s lap then on max’s legs and slowly, his face split into a grin. “oh…”

“don’t start,” george warned. “being nice to you is not on the table so don’t start, kimi.”

kimi sat up and stretched. “wow,” he said. “i nap for a few hours and you two turn into a domestic situation.”

“it was not domestic,” george said.

max raised an eyebrow. “you were petting him.”

“he grabbed my shirt!”

kimi gasped, “so you admit it?” he said. george flushed and kimi turned to max. “and you just let my legs stay on you?”

max shrugged.

“so, i guess no one broke the rules?” kimi asked.

“you’ll never know,” george smirked.

“thats why you shouldnt sleep on us,” max laughed softly.

kimi crossed his arms. “im a kid! i need my nap!” he exclaimed, stomach grumbling. “and hungry.”

“do you want to order or i’ll cook?” george asked.

“order? are you sure about that?” max countered.

george shrugged. “well, it’s vacation just like you said.”

“but i like your food,” kimi pouted and that made max laughed.

“and cooking it is,” george laughed. “pasta?”

“i’ll eat whatever you cook ma–george!” kimi beamed.

george stood up shaking his head. he opened the fridge and checked for something to cook. max followed him and leaned against the counter. he watched george like this was the most interesting thing in the house.

“what do you want?” he turned to max.

“whatever youre making,” max said. “and im going to help.”

“noooo,” george protested. “just go be with kimi.”

“you said you’d teach me how to cook!” max demanded.

“really?” kimi suddenly appeared behind them. “george offered to teach you?” he asked, obviously teasing his teammate.

george groaned. “you two… youre trying to provoke me.”

“that is not true!” max glared at kimi. “go to your room, freshen up or something.”

“what? no!” kimi turned to george.

george shrugged. “you heard the man,” he said.

kimi stomped his way to his room and both adults literally heard the loud bang of his door.

“did he just?” george glanced at max.

max shook his head then laughed. "he's a teenageer.” he said. “so, are you gonna teach me or not?”

george paused for a moment, “hmmm… too soon?”

“right…” max snorted.

“just observe for now?” george asked and after a little some time, he realized that max wasnt wasnt baiting or needling him into snapping back. he was just there. close enough that george could feel his presence even when he wasnt looking. he’s leaning in without crowding, commenting without challenging, and existing in a way that felt intentional. 

it felt normal. like this was how it had always been and this was how it was supposed to be.

george spilled some broth and tried to reach for the paper towel but max reached for it too. their fingers brushed and george flinched like he’s touched a live wire.

“sorry,” max said immediately.

“it’s fine,” george replied too fast.

“let me,” max said as he swiped the spilled broth on the counter.

george stared at the pot. “why are you like this?”he asked suddenly.

“like what?”

“i dont know,” george muttered.

max smiled to himself. “new era.”

george huffed. “i don’t like it.”

“you’re blushing,” max pointed out.

“i am not.”

max leaned closer, peering at his face. “your cheeks disagree.”

“thats just heat because of cooking.” george said and took a step back. “you’re hovering.”

“you said i could help.”

“i said you could observe.”

“this is observing,” max said with his elbow resting casually on the counter beside george. “with enthusiasm.”

george swallowed because the dutch is way too close beside him. “you’re doing it on purpose,” he accused.

“doing what.”

“standing like that.”

max frowned, “like a person?”

“like a menace.”

“compliment?”

“no,” george said flatly.

kimi’s voice drifted from the living room. “borderline!”

they somehow didnt notice that kimi got back from the room and stayed in the living room. 

george groaned. “that kid is a menace.”

max chuckled and finally stepped back, giving george space. “you’re calmer now,” he said. “you let me stand behind you without yelling.”

“…growth,” george muttered.

max reached for a spoon, dipped it into the pan and tasted it and george watched him. he hummed thoughtfully. 

“this is really good.”

“not mid?” george asked, failing to keep the hope out of his voice.

“youre never letting that go, huh?” max turned fully toward him. “not mid.”

george held his gaze for half a second too long. “…thank you.”

best risotto i’ve ever tasted, max thought. then he smiled again, “you’re welcome.”

george turned back to the stove. “okay,” he said briskly. “plates. help me.”

“yes, chef,” max said.

“don’t.”

“okay, georgie.”

“oh, cmon.”

“you can call me maxie,” max chuckled and reached for plates, moving around george with surprising care. 

they ate dinner in complete peace. they joked around, traded paddock stories, and compared race strategies like it was the most natural thing in the world. advice was offered to kimi and he took it happily with bright eyes. at some point, kimi realized he’d done something right. they all went to bed with lighter hearts. like something unspoken had finally loosened its grip on george and max.

_____

D-3

but all hell broke loose the next day.

it started with george asking calmly, “do you want to come to the beach with us?”

and max, without even looking away from the sim rig, said, “after this lap.”

which was fine except george heard ‘after this lap’ four hours ago. max had been awake since an ungodly hour and had only emerged from the man cave long enough to inhale lunch like a pit stop and immediately disappear again.

george stood there for a full five seconds, blinking, and processing then it snapped. “you’ve been sitting there all day,”he said tightly.

“i’m breaking a record,” max replied without looking up again.

“no, you’re rotting,” george shot back.

max scoffed. “relax, mum.”

kimi, on the couch, slowly sat upright. oh no. this is it.

“you said you wanted to try new things,” george went on. “you said you didn’t mind slowing down.”

“i don’t,” max said lightly. “i just need to finish this.”

“no, you need sunlight,” george barked. “vitamin d. human interaction. something that doesn’t involve a screen telling you you’re special.”

“you’re here,” max said, smirking. “isn’t that interaction?”

“that does not count!” george snapped.

max laughed under his breath and still thought that george was joking.

“you hide in here,” george said harshly. “because out there, you might have to be a person instead of a machine.”

max’s eyes narrowed. “careful.”

“why?” george fired back. “afraid someone finally said it out loud? that you don’t know how to sit still unless there’s a leaderboard?”

max leaned back in the chair, deliberately relaxed. “at least i know who i am.”

“oh please,” george scoffed. “you don’t know who you are without a stopwatch. take that away and what’s left?”

silence slammed down.

“okay!” kimi jumped in, clapping his hands too loudly. “reminder! the bet!”

both men froze and kimi pointed. “george. you started it.”

max turned in his chair, grinning like this was the best thing that had happened to him all day. george stared at him then stared at kimi. he exhaled like his soul was leaving his body.

“fine,” george said.

kimi perked up immediately. “consequence!”

“tiktok,” george muttered. there’s no way he’ll post max on his socials.

max made an offending sound. “oh this i need to see.”

kimi panicked. “dont worry, no dancing. i value my life.”

so the video was simple. george stood stiffly in front of the phone, arms crossed, jaw tight, glaring directly into the camera like it had personally wronged him.

kimi counted down.

“hi,” george said flatly. “apparently i’m doing this.” 

from offscreen, max giggled.

george’s glare sharpened. “stop laughing.”

kimi whispered, “be nice.” they pushed through the rest of the challenge. max’s laughter finally cracked into something uncontrollable.

“okay! done,” kimi exclaimed.

“will you post it right now?” george demanded.

kimi shook his head. “absolutely not. i’ll post it once the season resumes. i’m not answering questions about why we’re all together on a vacation.”

“good,” george said, already walking away. “i’m going to the beach.” he left without another word.

kimi watched him go, then turned slowly to max. “…you’re in trouble,” he said.

max winced. “yeah.”

kimi went upstairs to video call the rookies and max sat alone for a moment. then, after a beat, he followed george.

_____

george was already seated on the sand, staring straight at the sea.

max stopped a few steps behind him. “…i’m sorry,” he said but no response. he tried again. “i’m really sorry. c’mon. lets not ruin the vacation.”

george scoffed. “us? you’re the one hibernating in that man cave,” he said without looking back.

max swallowed.

“you said you wanted to try something new, or wanted to slow down, so i offered,” he laughed humorlessly. “and you mocked me. so, sorry for having a life outside formula one.”

max stepped closer. “i didn’t mean it like that.”

“sure,” george said flatly.

“i meant what i said,” max said quietly. “i want to try new things. i just–” he hesitated. “i don’t know how. especially when it’s you.”

george turned then, “what’s that supposed to mean?”

“i just dont want to screw it up,” max admitted. “say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing.”

george blinked. “…i only asked you to sit.”

“exactly,” max said. “terrifying.”

george stared at him, then sighed.

“i’ll stop playing,” max said quickly.

“no,” george snapped. “i didn’t say that. i just–” he dragged a hand through his hair. “you haven’t been under the sun once.” he added and turned back to stare at the sea. “ugh, whatever. do what you want. let’s just finish this bet.”

max watched him for a second. then, slowly, he sat down beside him. they stared at the ocean in silence. waves rolled in, gulls screamed and the sun baked everything equally.

after a minute, max said, “…huh. this is fun.”

george whipped his head around. he glared at him and max met the look, completely innocent. and something in george finally broke. he laughed. “bloody hell,” he muttered.

“what?” max said. “i said it’s fun.”

george shook his head, smiling despite himself. “maybe we should figure out things you can try.”

“no shit,” max laughed.

and they laughed together with shoulders shaking. the tension dissolving like it had never stood a chance. and just like that everything was fine again.

_____

D-4

the next day, kimi left early in a blur of sunglasses, optimism, and extremely loud reminders.

“you should go out,” kimi said and already halfway through the door. “touch grass and take photos. i need proof!”

“proof of what?” george asked.

“that you didnt spend the whole day locked up here in the beach house,” kimi said. “there, i created a group chat,” he raised his phone and both george and max’s phone lit up with the notification. “there’s a small private village nearby. either cetara or atrani, but atrani is closer. you can walk.”

they both nodded.

“please promise me you’ll go out, too.”

max nodded.

“pinky promise?”  kimi insisted and george immediately handed his pinky to kimi.

max lifted a hand solemnly, “pinky swear.”

by the time kimi left, the house felt louder without him.

“...so,” george said.

max shifted his weight, “please no more looking at the sea.”

george laughed, “since we’re figuring out things you can try,” he said while scrolling on his phone. “we can walk to atrani.”

the dutch leaned over his shoulder, “whats there?”

“churches.”

“im not religious.”

“neither am i,” george said. “we can appreciate architecture.”

max grunted.

“there’s a small square with cafes and restaurants,” george suggested.

“i dont drink coffee.”

“then drink wine,” george said quickly and max went quiet. “...that wasnt an argument.”

“i know. im just processing,” max said.

george hummed, “they have local pastry, pasticciotto atranese.” he continued.

“i dont like sweets.”

the british pouted immediately, “but i like sweets.”

max sighed but obviously softened, “okay, we’ll eat pastry.”

george smiled and kept scrolling, “they also have hidden gallery, and a lot of churches… and this place called… stairway to heaven… sunset view!”

“it’s still early, we can visit all of them,” max said.

“we’re just gonna walk,” george reminded max.

max looked at him for a second, “i dont mind. let’s go?”

_____

atrani was everything kimi promised: small and quiet. there were tourists but not many and it seemed like no one recognized them or just ignored them and minded their own business. (or maybe everyone is at the beach)

they started their tour in the heart of the village, piazza umberto i. they stayed in a small cafe. george ordered coffee and max tried a simple tea. they also tried the famous pasticciotto. max took one bite… and then another.

george raised an eyebrow, “i thought you didnt like sweets.” max ignored him and george smiled anyway.

by mid morning, they found themselves admiring the chiesa di san salvatore de’ burrito. george took photos of everything and max offered to take pictures of george. sometimes, max took photos of george without asking and george did the same. neither of them mentioned it. they sent a few to the group chat and kimi replied with twelve heart emojis.

lunch came and they tried the famous lemon pasta at le palme, a seaside restaurant. while waiting for their order, a tourist leaned toward max and smiled brightly.

“you must be a dog person,” she said. “because you look fetching.”

max froze and george burst out laughing, nearly choking.

“im a cat person,” max said flatly and dismissed the woman.

“thats rude,” george whispered.

“it was cringey.”

george snorted, “the line or the delivery?”

max rolled his eyes.

“youre so full of yourself,” george teased. “do you even know how to throw a pickup line without sounding ridiculous?”

max just smiled then their food arrived. but before george could take a bite, max said, “arent you tired?”

george froze, “what? why?”

“because you’ve been running in my mind lately.” max said casually.

george’s jaw dropped. “shut up.”

max shrugged and started eating. “i can throw pickup lines.”

“that’s the most used one,” george muttered.

“oh yeah?” max said. “try me.”

george thought for a moment. “if you were a triangle you’d be acute one.

max stopped chewing. “…that’s good,” he said quietly.

“see?” george smirked.

they ate in silence after that, but looked at each other from time to time. then max said, “let’s play a game?”

“absolutely not. no more bets.”

“cmon, this will be fun,” max said. “just a game… we’ll throw pick up lines and whoever smiles owes the other a wish.”

george hesitated then smiled faintly. “well here i am, what are your other wishes?”

max’s eyes widened and realized that george accepted the challenge. “GAME START!” he announced.

“only simple wishes. i’m not buying you a yacht,” george said and max nodded eagerly.

lunch ended with smiles on their faces then proceeded to continue their tour. they walked up to the collegiate santa maria maddalena for breathtaking panoramic views of the gulf of salerno and the town’s white houses while their silly game continued.

“there’s something wrong with my phone,” george said.

max stepped closer. “what?”

“it doesn’t have your number in it.”

max inhaled sharply then looked at george. “nope.”

george smiled, “admit it. that was good.”

“…yeah,” max muttered, walking ahead to hide his smile and then turned slowly, “is your name google?” he asked.

“why?”

max shrugged, “you’ve got everything i’m searching for.”

george squinted, “is your name wifi?” he shot back. “because i’m feeling a connection.”

max bit his lip.

“stop resisting!” george appealed.

“fine,” the dutch said and laughed softly.

“yes! george-1, max-0!” george cheered and max just shook his head but smiling despite himself.

by late afternoon, theyve been into many places. they wander around the narrow alleys and tunnels. they walked through via dei dogi up to atrani’s very own waterfall then explored the hidden art gallery. the sun dipped low and they are now at the stairway to heaven.

george took photos and max watched him fondly.

“did it hurt?” max said suddenly.

“hurt what?” george glanced at max.

“when you fell from heaven,” max almost whispered.

george turned red instantly and looked away. he tried so hard not to smile but he failed.

“thats a wish,” max pointed.

“no,” george pouted.

“you smiled.”

“i did not.”

“youre blushing,” max chuckled.

“i am not!”

“yes you are.”

“shut up,” george shot back.

max didn’t but he didn’t tease or didn’t push for another point or another wish. he just… stayed. close enough that george became painfully aware of the space between them and george realized this was the problem. not the fighting, not the sniping or the bickering or the way they’d learned to use sarcasm like armor. it was this. max standing there like he belonged in george’s orbit and george hated how natural it felt. he hated how his shoulders slowly loosened without permission or how his breathing matched max’s without him noticing when it started or how the tension that usually lived between them had softened into something warm and terrifyingly gentle.

he cant help but to think that maybe the version of max he’d built in his head wasn’t the whole picture anymore. that maybe there was also this version, quiet, patient, funny, and gentle. and that scared him more than any fight ever had.

_____

D-5

george woke up late the next day. apparently, he’s still high from his tour yesterday with max. when they got home last night, kimi had already been face-down on his bed, completely wiped from whatever chaos he’s gotten into with his friends. max and george said their goodnights easily.

but george hadn't slept.

he’d laid there staring at the ceiling, replaying the day like a highlight reel he couldn’t turn off. max being gentle or walking at his pace or leaning in to say something stupidly charming with a straight face like it was the most natural thing in the world.

and the pick up lines. god, the pick up lines.

most of them had caught him completely off guard. he’d bitten the inside of his cheek so hard trying not to smile that it actually hurt. every time max had looked at him with a soft and amused look, something in george had slipped just a little. and he hated that.

he told himself, firmly: i’m just starting to like him… as a person. nothing more.

except two days from now, the vacation would be over and george’s brain, traitorous as ever, kept sprinting ahead.

what happens after? what happens when the bet ends? what if this is all just a bet to him?

the thought had lodged itself in george’s chest sometime around three in the morning and refused to leave.

what if everything… every smile, every joke, every careful step closer was fake. just max being nice so he could win.

“idiot,” george muttered to the ceiling.

it was almost sunrise by the time sleep finally dragged him under.

_____

george went downstairs and immediately walked into chaos.

“i cannot believe you’re a full grown adult who can’t fry eggs,” kimi was saying with arms crossed like a tiny disappointed parent.

“says the one who burnt the toast,” max shot back. “you literally just have to press a button.”

“i’m a kid!”

“you’re nineteen for fuck’s sake.”

“that’s a bad word!”

“kimi i swear to god–”

“why are you yelling! georgie would never!” kimi goaded. 

“then go to your mam–george!” max snarled.

what they didnt notice is george standing behind them. he calmly reached for something on the counter. “here you go,” george said with a voice soft. it’s so sweet and terrifyingly calm in the way that meant he was absolutely not calm at all.

max and kimi turned pale.

george handed them each a bread knife. “come on,” he said gently. “weren’t you ready to kill each other earlier?”

“no!” they said in unison.

kimi squeaked and hid behind max, “that’s our love language!”

“i’m trying to teach him to swear,” max added, scratching his head. “good kid we have here.”

george nodded slowly. “right. so does that mean,” he gestured at the counter, “you haven’t had breakfast?” he asked and no one answered. george checked the clock, it’s past eleven. “let’s just order,” he said. “that okay with you?”

max and kimi nodded aggressively like their lives depended on it.

brunch ended and kimi lingered at the table, swinging his legs while eyes darted between george and max like he was weighing his chances.

“can i play?” he asked carefully.

george looked up from his phone and raised a brow. “why are you asking permission?”

kimi shrugged, shoulders creeping up to his ears. “i dont want to get yelled at for playing sim.”

that earned a groan from george. “kimi,” he said as he dragged his hand on his face. “do whatever you want. i have a meeting with toto.”

max’s head snapped up so fast it was almost comical and george, of course, noticed.

“you can play too,” george smiled.

kimi’s face lit up immediately and high five with max. “yes!”

max laughed, the one that usually softened george. “guess we’re free.”

“clean this up,” george said. “and please dont kill each other.”

kimi watched george disappear up the stairs, then snorted softly to himself. wow, theyre so domestic, he thought and hopped off the chair to clean the table. max followed him.

“you good, kid?” max asked casually.

“yes pa–max!” kimi yelped. 

max laughed softly. “i know about the whole grid parent thing,” he said. “and i dont mind. it’s actually fun reading comments online.”

“really?”

“yeah,” max shrugged.

kimi paused on wiping the table. “the rookies are always teasing me about you and george. saying im a child of divorce.”

max chuckled. “well, arent you?”

“arent you uncomfy?” kimi asked carefully.

“fans ship me with half the grid anyway,” max shook his head.

the rookie grinned. “and russtappen are the loudest.”

max snickered. “of course they are.”

they finished cleaning the table and kimi turned to max, fingers curling into the hem of his shirt. “so, thats okay with you?” he asked quietly.

max leaned against the counter and then shrugged. “eh. what can they do? it’s not like we’re in a relationship.”

kimi tilted his head, studying him the way kids do when they’re about to say something that cuts too close. “you can never tell.”

max stilled and kimi rushed on, “you actually look good together!”

“don’t,” max said lightly, a warning wrapped in humor.

kimi frowned. “you don’t like george?”

max exhaled slowly, “kimi,” he said, “you know this is just a dare, right?”

kimi went quiet. the ocean waves suddenly filled the silence in the kitchen and the house felt too big all of a sudden.

“once the season resumes,” max continued. “we’ll go back to normal.”

kimi nodded and something in him dimmed. “well, im definitely choosing mama. hmp.”  he told himself.

but what max and kimi didnt sense was that george had gone back downstairs to get his phone and was now frozen halfway up the stairs. he heard everything. he stood there for a long second, then turned back quietly, wiping at his face like something had irritated his eye.

_____

the day dragged the way only a bad day could. the meeting with toto drained george down to the bone. they discussed about contracts, numbers, and expectations. at some point, george snapped. he demanded things he hadn’t planned to demand (for example: f1 car). leverage he didn’t know he’d been carrying and he watched toto blink, asking if he’s okay and requested another meeting in the future.

by the time george went back downstairs, the house had gone quiet. he didn’t look for max and kimi because he didn’t have the energy. he ordered fast food for the three of them and then ate alone on the balcony of his room with his legs pulled up, fries going cold in the box while the sea stretched endlessly in front of him. whatever had happened yesterday at atrani was now overwritten on what he had heard earlier. and no matter how hard he tried, george cant unhear it.

“you idiot,” george muttered to himself.

a knock broke the quiet. “george?”

of course.

“it’s open,” george said, not turning around.

the door creaked and max stepped inside, hesitating like he could sense something was off. “you ordered fast food?” he asked.

“yep.”

“…why?”

“didn’t feel like cooking.”

max lingered near the door. “are you okay?”

“uhuh.”

“are you mad?” max asked quietly.

“nope.”

max frowned. “are we… good?”

“yes,” george said flatly like he was answering a security question.

max crossed his arms. “what’s wrong?”

“nothing.”

“that’s not nothing,” max said, frustration creeping in now. “everything is something with you.”

george let out a short laugh. “oh, don’t start.”

“you’ve been acting weird,” max shot back.

“just leave me alone,” george murmured.

max frowned. “you’re sulking. did the meeting with toto blow up or something?”

“i am not sulking.”

“you’re sulking,” max insisted. “tell me whats wrong,” he said softly.

george snorted. “please stop.”

“stop what?”

“being nice to me,” george said quietly.

max blinked. “what?”

“just stop,” george repeated. “i cant do this right now.”

“arent we supposed to be nice to each other?” max said. “thats the bet, remember?”

george exhaled, “right.”

“then whats wrong?” max pressed. “why are you being a drama queen right now?”

“max,” george finally turned to face max. “do you ever mean any of it? or do you just like winning?”

max was taken aback. “what are you talking about?”

george didn’t answer and just looked back out at the sea, jaw clenched, like if he said one more word he might say the wrong one.

that silence snapped something in max instead. “oh, come on,” he scoffed. “dont do that. dont get all moral on me now.”

“i’m not,” george said.

“you are,” max snapped. “you always do this. you build things up in your head and then act like i’m the villain.”

“i didn’t say you were.”

“yes, you are,” max said with voice rising now. “you think you’re better than this. better than me.”

“that’s not fair,” george said sharply.

“oh?” max laughed harshly. “you’re the one thinking this is deeper than it is. it’s just a bet. you know how to play games, george. you do it every sunday.”

something in george’s expression broke. “don’t,” he said.

“what?” max pressed. “hit a nerve? you love control. you love rules. and now you’re upset because you don’t know where this goes?”

“stop,” george snapped.

“or what?” max pushed, cruel now without fully meaning to be. “you’ll sulk harder? glare at me until i apologize again?”

“max!” kimi’s voice cut in sharply.

they both turned and saw kimi stood in the doorway.

“enough,” kimi said, stepping between them. “stop it. both of you.” silence fell heavy and awful. “max,” kimi said again, “you crossed a line.”

max swallowed. “…fine.”

kimi exhaled shakily. “that means you lost this time.”

max scoffed weakly. “seriously? that’s what we’re doing now?”

“yes,” kimi said.

normally, george would’ve jumped on that but he didn’t. he just grabbed his phone from the table, fingers tight around it. “do whatever,” he said quietly. 

“i’ll post you,” max said to george. “on my socials with a nice caption.”

george paused for a second.

kimi blinked “wait, really?”

george straightened, composure sliding back into place like armor. “1-1,” he said coolly. “since we both had a fair share of losing, we can stop this game now.”

kimi hesitated then nodded, “yeah. i think that’s it. youve proven you can be nice to each other.”

“even if it’s fake,” george added quietly.

max flinched. “whatever,” he muttered.

george nodded once. “right. see you in zandvoort. i guess,” he turned away. “i’m going to bed. lock the door when you leave.”

that’s when it hit max. “george–” max said but it’s too late.

george walked straight past them then lay down and turned his back to them, to the door that closed softly behind him, and to everything he didn’t want to feel. his jaw ached from how hard he was holding it together. a beat passed and george reached for his phone.

kimi watched from a distance because outside george’s room, max stood frozen in the hallway. he just stared at the closed door, unsettled in a way he couldn’t name, stomach tight like he’d missed the exact moment something cracked.

this wasn’t like before.

this wasn’t about sims or sunlight or being annoying.

this was something else.

and max had no idea what he’d broken.

_____

D-6

the next day, it was max who woke up late. sunlight was already spilling through the curtains when he cracked his eyes open, head heavy, and chest tight. he’d barely slept. he’d spent the night pacing, staring at the ceiling, replaying yesterday like a corrupted loop he couldn’t exit.

they had brunch.

george had a meeting.

he and kimi played sim.

and then… that was it.

so what the fuck just happened?

max groaned and shoved his face into the pillow, muffling curses. ‘fake’ that word echoed the loudest. it made his jaw clench.

fake????

all the things he’d said. the way he’d looked at george, the stupid jokes, and the softness he didn’t usually give anyone. that was real.

“fuck,” he muttered, almost shouting into the mattress. he rolled off the bed aggressively, dragging a hand through his hair, and stormed straight toward george’s room. he knocked… hard and loud.

nothing.

his irritation spiked so he tried the handle, it clicked. the door opened but silence greeted him and the bed was made. the suitcases were gone. his stomach dropped.

“what are you doing?” kimi’s voice cut in from behind him.

max turned to see him standing in the hallway with arms crossed and clearly drawn upstairs by the noise. “where’s george?” he asked immediately.

“home,” kimi said.

max frowned. “what do you mean home?”

kimi tilted his head. “monaco. he packed early. i heard him talking to toto. something about the contract. maybe that’s why.”

max blinked. “suddenly?”

kimi shrugged.

“aren’t we supposed to leave tomorrow?” max pressed. “and can’t they talk about contracts after the break? it’s summer. how would he even–”

“toto has a private jet too, you know,” kimi sighed. “and as much as george hates that… he must’ve been really itching to get out of here.”

max went quiet.

kimi watched him for a moment, then softened. “i’m actually staying here until my birthday,” he added. “you can stay too, if you want.”

“i don’t think so,” max said after a beat. “i think i should go home too.”

kimi nodded, then hesitated, rocking back on his heels.

max noticed. “what?”

kimi looked at him carefully. “why didn’t you answer george’s question last night?”

max frowned. “which one? there were a lot.”

kimi didn’t miss a beat. “do you ever mean any of it? or do you just like winning?”

max scoffed but obviously looked hurt. “i can’t believe you think i was being fake the whole time.”

“i mean…” kimi shrugged. “you can’t blame me. you told me everything would go back to normal once the vacation’s over.” he paused. “and normal for you two is… fighting. or not talking at all.”

max exhaled sharply. “of course i said that. i didn’t want to assume george would still be nice to me once the bet was over. i didn’t want to look stupid on the grid.”

kimi stared at him. “then you should’ve told him that.”

“why do you think i was pounding on his door earlier?” max snapped. “i didn’t expect him to leave already. i didn’t even expect last night to happen.”

“ugh,” kimi groaned, running a hand down his face. “whatever. fix your shit.” he pointed at max. “you’re adults. i’m just a child of divorce!” and with that, he stormed off.

a few hours later, max came out of his room dragging his luggage. kimi was sprawled on the couch, laughing into his phone, clearly on a call with the other rookies.

max cleared his throat.

“max!” kimi immediately ended the call. “you’re leaving?”

“yeah.”

“hmm. okay.”

max lingered, shifting his weight. “uhm…”

kimi raised an eyebrow.

“…can i have his personal number?”

“finally!” kimi exclaimed, already grabbing his phone. “don’t tell george i’m the one who gave it to you.” his fingers flew. “there. number and address. now go fix your marriage.”

max glared. “kimi–”

“maxie,” kimi cut in. “i know you like georgie.”

“you’re thinking way too far ahead.”

“really?”

“i just want to apologize,” max said defensively. “and tell him we can still be nice even without the bet. and that i never faked anything i said or did.”

kimi squinted. “and then?”

“then what?”

kimi leaned forward. “you look really good together.”

“stop.”

“you don’t like him?”

“kimi, it’s not like that.”

“so you do like him?”

max groaned and kimi smiled, slow and smug. “if you dont like him… then how do you explain this?” he raised his phone and showed him photos where max staring at george while he cooked… max watching george from across the room when george wasn’t looking… and one video with three full minutes of max doing absolutely nothing but watching george lounge on the terrace, sunlight catching in his hair as he read.

max said nothing.

kimi grinned wider. “should i also remind you that your lockscreen is george’s half silhouette in atrani during sunset? did you really think i wouldn’t notice?”

max blushed and quickly shoved his phone into his pocket. “…fine,” he muttered. “i think i like him. happy?”

kimi tilted his head. “you think?”

“i don’t know, okay?” max snapped. “this is new to me.”

kimi nodded. “and?”

“i want to know him more.”

“why?”

“kimi…”

“i just don’t want my mama to get hurt,” kimi blurted. “there. i said it. george is my mama. and i will choose him if you fight for custody!”

max sighed, rubbing his face. “kimi. one step at a time. i’m still figuring this out.”

kimi considered that. “fine.”

“we good?”

“yeah.”

“you’ll be okay here alone?”

kimi waved him off. “my friends are coming over. birthday stuff. parents are busy.”

“okay,” max said. “don’t party too hard. don’t get injured. we’re only halfway through the season–”

“yes, papa!”

max shook his head but lips twitched despite himself. they said their goodbyes and then max went straight to the airport.

_____

it was already late by the time max landed in monaco. the city greeted him with its usual glow. he was halfway to pulling up george’s address when his phone buzzed.

kimi: wer r u? george already otw to brackley

max exhaled hard, head tipping back against the seat. of course he is.

there was no universe where max could just show up at mercedes hq unannounced, not when george was in the middle of contract talks. laurent would personally escort him out by the collar and possibly with security.

he tapped george’s contact and called anyway but no answer.

“ughhhhh,” max groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

ping!

kimi: marcus said george will stay there til zandvoort

max shut his eyes. “fuck me,” he muttered, forehead knocking lightly against the steering wheel like that might reset reality. this feeling was new to him. he had chased wins, championships and lap times but never a person. especially not because of a miscommunication and of all people: george russell.

“what did you do to me, george,” he muttered and pulled the car back into traffic to head for his own apartment instead. plan b, he told himself but he cant think of any plan b. the rest of the night blurred into frustration. he tried calling again… and again and again and nothing. he typed messages and deleted them just as quickly:

“can we talk?” too weak.

“this isn’t what you think.” too defensive.

“please.” absolutely not.

max checked george’s socials and it seemed like he’s offline. alone with his thoughts, max paced his apartment past midnight, replaying atrani over and over like a reel he couldn’t pause.

the laughter.
the way george had looked at the sunset.
the way he’d stayed beside george.

fake, george had said and the word still stung.

the next morning, gianpiero called him and said something about the upgrades that needs some testing before they hit zandvoort. and max, for the first time ever, is not in the mood for simulations and testing… and racing felt secondary. instead, all he could think was george. that realization unsettled him more than anything else. he shouldn’t feel this way about george because it made no sense. months ago, george had been an irritant at best. he’s someone to race, to clash with, and to roll his eyes at in briefings. he hadn’t cared what george thought of him then.

so why now?

why did it matter so much that george had looked at him and seen something fake?

max knew the answer and he just wasn’t ready to say it out loud because liking george was one thing and wanting to be careful with him was another. especially now, he had seen a version of george he hadn’t expected. someone he could imagine spending a slow day with… just coffee going cold and conversations that didn’t feel like work.

and that… was exactly why he didn’t want to screw this up.

_____

it was one day before zandvoort and still nothing. max didn’t stop trying anyway. he called george between workouts, during cooldowns, in the five minutes before simulator runs. he sent messages he deleted, then resent. every single one stayed stubbornly on delivered. at one point, his engineer snapped at him for missing braking points in the sim. kimi barely answered his calls too. the last thing max heard was that he was heading straight to brackley the day after his birthday.

and now, max was halfway through packing for zandvoort when his phone buzzed.

kimi calling...

he answered immediately.

“hey maxie!”

“what’s up, kid.”

“well,” kimi said brightly, which immediately made max suspicious, “i’m just calling to remind you about your consequence.”

max stilled. oh. “right,” he said after a beat. “yeah. i’ll post. i promise.”

“please be nice.”

“i am nice.”

kimi hummed and a beat of silence stretched.

“how is he?” max asked quietly.

kimi hesitated. “…he’s focused.”

“what does that mean.”

“he barely talks to anyone except his engineer,” kimi said carefully. “doesn’t check his phone. our social media interns are begging him to post literally anything and he just says he will. eventually.”

max swallowed. “that’s why he’s not answering.”

“yep.” another pause. “actually,” kimi added, softer, “we talked.”

max’s chest tightened. “and?”

“…i think he heard us. that day.”

max frowned. “heard what.”

kimi sighed. “you. me. the whole ‘once the season resumes things go back to normal’ conversation.”

max closed his eyes. “fuck.”

“yeah,” kimi said gently. “so he thinks you were just playing being nice to win.”

“i wasn’t.”

“then why didn’t you tell him,” kimi asked, “when he called you fake?”

“because,” max finally said with voice low, “i didn’t know i cared until he left.”

kimi exhaled slowly. “then you better hurry up and fix it,” he said. “before he convinces himself he imagined everything.”

_____

zandvoort arrived like a reset button no one actually pressed. the paddock buzzed and summer break glowed everywhere. drivers posted photo dumps and teams leaned into the content. 

everything trended but one particular content from mercedes team broke the internet. it’s george’s tiktok video. the one from the beach house where he stood stiffly in front of the camera, arms crossed, glaring like the world had personally offended him. it didn’t trend because of his terrible pronunciation attempts… it trended because someone was laughing behind the camera. everyone knew that it was kimi who’s recording the video but the laugh? everyone also knew that husky laugh. and everyone argued if it’s they were all thinking about or not.

george didn’t react and stayed focused… well he’s trying to. he was irritable through practice and distracted in briefings. every time he looked up, max verstappen was somehow there, laughing with someone, leaning against a garage wall, talking to kimi outside mercedes. at one point, marcus actually snapped at him for staring out of the briefing room window.

that evening, during team dinner, someone brought up the tiktok video. george smiled politely, nodded along and ate his food. then a mercedes staff yelped and everyone turned. she was staring at her phone, eyes wide. everyone reached for their phones and looked on whats been happening but george kept eating until kimi nudged him under the table.

“george…”

“what.”

kimi glanced around, then back at him. “uhm. he posted.”

george froze then reached for his phone so fast it nearly slipped out of his hand. he immediately saw a notification that someone tagged him on instagram. he opened it and didnt expect on what he saw. it was max verstappen’s summer dump photos on instagram stories. it’s six photos in total and each photos has a caption on it. he clicked in every photo and the last slide loaded.

it’s a photo of george taken without him knowing with a caption that says: 

i heard u dont like raisins, how about a date?

george’s hand shook and almost dropped his phone. someone even pointed out that max made an instagram highlight from their summer vacation. he stoop up so abruptly his chair screeched against the floor that the sound cut through the room like a starter gun.

_____

max was halfway though changing in his driver’s room when the door flew so hard it bounced off the wall.

“im sorry,” his assistant blurted from behind george. “he literally sprinted–”

“it’s fine,” max said immediately and raised a hand. the assistant vanished like a scared cat. he calmly tugged his race suit back up and turned around. “hi,” he said softly like this wasnt about to detonate his entire weekend. he knew why george was here. 

george stood there with his hands on his hips and chest rising too fast. “what is wrong with you?” he snapped and almost one breath away from yelling.

there was a sharp knock. “max? everything okay in there?” his engineer called.

“yes,” max replied without looking away from george. “we’re good here.” then the footsteps retreated. george tapped his foot, waiting for max’s answer.

“well?” george demanded.

max swallowed, “you werent answering my calls or messages.”

“so you thought that was a good idea?” george shot back. “you couldve just talked to me in the garage!”

max frowned. “you don’t even want to talk to me.”

“you didn’t approach me.”

“why the fuck do you think i was always outside your garage?” max blurted.

george froze.

“why do you think i was always talking to kimi?” max went on, words tumbling now. “who do you think i was actually waiting for?”

still no reaction from george.

“and why do you think i kept ending up everywhere you were?” max added quietly. “you wouldn’t even look at me. every time you saw me, you turned away. so tell me how exactly was i supposed to approach you?”

george’s jaw tightened. “…you still could’ve tried.”

“and what?” max snapped. “make myself look like an idiot when you ignored me?” then max exhaled hard. “besides,” he added, grasping for armor, “it was the consequence. i had to post you. remember?”

george let out a sharp laugh. “ah. yes. the bet. everything is always about the bet.”

max stiffened.

“you chose that,” george continued. “so why does it feel like it’s somehow my fault you posted me? you could’ve picked a tiktok. a dance. whatever. not…” he gestured wildly, “...that.”

“i chose it because i wanted to,” max said.

“you didn’t have to turn it into… whatever this is,” george shot back. “a date? a pick-up line? i don’t want to play games anymore, max.”

“i’m not playing.”

“yeah, right,” george scoffed. “you could’ve just said you lost a bet. that’s it. leave me out of it. let’s just get this over with.”

“no.”

george blinked. “what?”

“no,” max repeated firmly.

“max, stop,” george said. “we can go back to normal. just like before. like you said.”

max laughed humorlessly. “you don’t even know why i said that.”

george faltered.

“i said it because i didn’t know if you still wanted to be friends after the vacation,” max rushed out. “because i didn’t want to assume anything. because i didn’t want to embarrass myself and look stupid and–”

“fuck you,” george snapped and stormed out then max followed immediately.

“oh, so this is it?” max called after him. “i finally tell you the truth and you just walk away? again!”

george shoved his fingers into his ears and walked faster. “i can’t hear you.”

“wow. very mature,” max said loudly. “really impressive.”

“i said i can’t hear you!”

“god damn it, george!” max’s shout echoed across the garage and everything stopped. the mechanics, engineers, even someone mid-sip of coffee froze, and george halted like he’d hit a wall. max marched up to him with chest heaving. “you can call me annoying, arrogant, insufferable, whatever you want,” he said. “just don’t call me fake.”

george turned around slowly.

“i never faked anything,” max said with voice shaking now. “everything i showed.. said.. and did was all real.”

george looked around and took it in… the crowd, the silence, the fact that this was happening in the middle of a race weekend and exhaled deeply then he looked back at max.

max crossed his arms with cheeks red he’s trying very hard to look unaffected while half the paddock watched him confess his feelings like an idiot.

george sighed. “…you’re right.”

max blinked. “what?”

george rubbed his face like he could physically scrub the moment away. “i don’t…” he stopped, sucked in a breath, then groaned like the words themselves were a personal betrayal. “i don’t like raisins.”

the garage went dead quiet and max stared at him, blinking once… then twice. then his mouth curved slowly and dangerously, like he’d just won something far bigger than a race. “and?”

george squeezed his eyes shut. this was it: public humiliation and career-ending embarrassment. he could already feel his ears burning, heat crawling all the way down his neck. he turned his head away, voice dropping to a miserable mutter.

“…i like a date.”

for exactly half a second, nothing happened then someone gasped… then someone else made an inhuman noise of joy.

kimi’s voice cut through everything, “FINALLY!”

the red bull garage detonated. cheers, clapping, and whistles like they’d just witnessed a last-lap overtake for the win. someone actually slapped the side of a car while another engineer yelled, “about time!” like this had been on the calendar for months.

max laughed and hands flying up to his head like he didn’t know what to do with them. his cheeks were bright red, grin so wide it almost hurt to look at. meanwhile, george buried his face in his hands.

“this is humiliating,” george muttered. “i am never stepping into this garage again.”

max leaned closer, still grinning like an idiot with a voice low and warm just for him. “worth it.”

george peeked through his fingers. “you’re enjoying this way too much,” he scowled.

“absolutely,” max said unapologetically.

and just like that, the garage wasn’t filled with engines or radio chatter or strategy calls but with cheers, laughter, and the unmistakable sound of two idiots finally getting it together.

🏁