lavender haze | mv1
"I been under scrutiny, you handle it beautifully"
summary: after winning his second championship in another controversial way, max needed her by his side more than ever as the media tried to tear him apart
warning: a little bit of angst for Max, but overall fluff for the couple, swearing, suggestive language, mentions of the championship-deciding races of Abu Dhabi GP 2021 and Japan GP 2022 from Max's point of view, mentions of scrutiny from the media, Jos Verstappen lol
pairing: max verstappen x reader
word count: 2.8k
note: everything in bold are song references and in italic are thoughts, which includes memories from the past. also, I would like to point out that I didn't write this as a personal opinion/critique of Ted or anyone involved in the whole Sky Sports scandal (which is why I didn't use his name or his exact words in the story and why I only used the controversy as a reference/inspiration very loosely), but rather wrote about what I imagine were the thoughts/feelings of people on Max's side (himself, the Red Bull team, Jos, etc), regarding this matter.
dutch words used: schatje = baby; liefje = honey
and we are back! once again, thank you all for being so understanding about me skipping last weekend 💜 I hope you enjoy this little story, as always!
masterlist
Meet me at midnight
Ever since he was just a little boy, all Max dreamed of was being a Formula 1 champion.
To have his name written in the history books. To have his legacy immortalized in the records for eternity.
From then, Max spent all of his hours, days, weeks, months and years preparing for it. He gave all of his blood, sweat and tears for it.
For that exact moment: when he stood right there in Japan, tall and proud, with his trophy in hand, after being announced World Champion for the 2nd time.
Lying in bed that night, staring at the ceiling next to his girlfriend, the driver could still feel the euphoria coursing through his veins.
He couldn't believe how lucky he was to be in that position.
He had everything he could ever want: his biggest dream came true twice, he had a successful career that so many envied, and most of all, he had the best person in the world by his side.
At the end of the day, it didn't matter all the money, the victories, the parties, the luxury if he couldn't have her there in his arms.
Y/N was everything to him, and he knew that the championship victory was as much hers as his.
Max let his hand run through the shiny strands of his partner's hair, the warm skin of their bodies pressed together, while Y/N drew random figures with her soft fingers across the man's toned chest.
The couple remained in each other's arms, not saying too much, both still over the moon and completely in awe from the unforgettable day they just had.
"I'm so proud of you, my love." Y/N broke the silence installed in the hotel room, whispering her words. "You can't imagine how happy I am for you."
Staring at the ceiling with you
Oh, you don't ever say too much
And you don't really read into
My melancholia
Max half smirked with his eyes half closed as sleep began to creep in.
With his eyes locked on the girl before him, the boy tucked the hair that covered her face behind her ear and stayed like that for a few minutes. Just living in the moment, letting her words sink in, appreciating what life had given him.
"Thanks, schatje. For everything." He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. "I'm completely crazy about you, you know that?"
Y/N laughed shyly, moving her body even closer to her boyfriend's, laying down on his chest. "Stop, Max! You know I get all embarrassed when you start saying stuff like that."
"You stop! I'm just telling the truth!" Their laughter filled the room in pure harmony. Max stopped, returning to his moment of gratitude. "I just love you. So much, Y/N. This is all thanks to you."
"This is all thanks to your talent, baby." The young woman rested her cheek against the driver's bare shoulder. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Y/N knew that Max would immediately understand what she was trying to say.
The girl couldn't help but fear that the Dutchman would let all the scrutiny behind yet another championship win bring him down.
Max had a whole facade around him. Max appeared to be confident, poised, collected, unfazed by all adversity, and sometimes even self-centred and arrogant because of his posture on the track.
But deep down, Max was nothing but a fragile little boy, still trying to seek his father's approval.
Max was obsessed with perfection. Everything he had to do had to be absolutely spot on: every corner had to be perfectly executed, his car had to be at its best at all times, any position other than the first one was simply not good enough.
Knowing him better than anyone, Y/N knew how to handle him beautifully and knew that in the back of Max's mind, the fact that this was yet another victory tainted by controversy was tormenting him, even if he tried to hide it.
I've been under scrutiny
You handle it beautifully
All this shit is new to me
Both of them could only imagine all the headlines, the comments, the criticism. All because of a loophole that was never under the driver's control.
"Don't worry about me." Max answered the unspoken question the girl posed. "I don't give a damn what people say."
The harsh words that came out of his mouth seemed to be an attempt to convince himself more than her. They both knew that.
It had been almost a year since the boy had been named champion for the first time and yet to that day he still suffered attacks due to something that (once again) was not in his power to change.
Y/N didn't push, knowing the argument was going nowhere, and instead chose to joke with her boyfriend to lighten the mood. "Well, I don't know if you know this... but you look so much hotter as a two-time world champion."
Happiness filled Max's chest as he chuckled, turning their position so that his body was on top of hers. His lips roamed over her neck, leaving soft kisses and nibbles along the way, until he strayed away to deposit an intense and passionate kiss on her mouth.
His head lifted slightly, creating enough distance between them for him to speak, though their lips were still touching. "What if I showed again how it feels like to fuck a two-time world champion, hmm?"
I feel a lavender haze creeping up on me
So real, I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say
No deal, the 1950s shit they want for me
I just wanna stay in that lavender haze
Two weeks passed until the next race, the couple trapped in their lavender haze.
The Texas sun cut through the clouds in the sky and reflected warmly on the girl's skin as she entered the circuit, side by side with Carola.
Both friends over the last few years since they met in the Red Bull garage through their partners, the young women understood each other perfectly: both were reserved, with no great desire for attention on them, just there to support their lovers.
As always, a peaceful and relaxed conversation was taking place between the two, as they strolled around the paddock with smiles on their faces.
Carola told Y/N all about the latest incident at the Perez house, with the small sibling clashes between Checo Jr. and Carlota, and the other girl just laughed. She knew how happy those children made her friend and she couldn't wish anything else for Carola.
Suddenly the mood around them seemed to change.
The environment that before was serene, relaxed, and enthusiastic now gave off a heavy, tense, nervous energy.
Y/N started looking into the faces of the people they passed for answers, aware that they were looking at her. What the fuck is going on, she thought to herself.
Carola sensed the discomfort on her friend, placing a concerned hand on the girl's shoulder. "Y/N, are you okay?"
"Well, I'd like to know the answer to that question too," Y/N confessed without too much thought. "I don't know, honestly. I have a feeling something is wrong."
"Maybe it's nothing," The Mexican tried to calm her down, running her hand up and down along her friend's forearm, although she was aware of the gazes in their direction too. "We're almost at the garage and we'll clear everything up."
Walking through the navy blue walls, the tension only intensified in the air.
The faces of the team members showed worry and nervousness, and the PR team rushing back and forth relentlessly was a sign that something had gone wrong during the drivers' media duties following their practice session.
Knowing Max like the back of her hand... Y/N knew it was him.
All they keep asking me
Is if I'm gonna be your bride
The only kind of girl they see
Is a one-night or a wife
"Hey, where's Max?" Y/N asked her father-in-law, Jos, who wore an angry look on his face. Although their relationship was distant, she knew that if anyone was aware of everything that was going on in her boyfriend's career, it was his father.
"Would also like to know." The man replied dryly, running a hand impatiently through his hair. "He just walked out of here like a fucking coward, and left the others here to sort out his shit."
Y/N swallowed hard, knowing it wasn't worth wasting time trying to defend Max as all the words she would say would go in one ear and out the other. "What happened?"
"That shitty reporter, that's what happened." The older Verstappen replied, raising his tone. "That bastard had the nerve to say on live TV that Max didn't deserve any of his titles, and he panicked like a pussy. I didn't raise him like that - I raised him to be a man, not a little boy."
Without a second thought, Y/N turned her back on the man and grabbed her phone, trying to call her partner, only for her call to go to voicemail.
Unconsciously, the girl opened her Instagram and immediately came across the reporter's now-viral video.
"He doesn't seem to be capable of winning a championship without some sort of scandal. First, Hamilton was obviously ripped off in Abu Dhabi; now, they award full points in a race that wasn't even half finished because of some apparent 'loophole'?! Favouritism at its best."
All of a sudden, the air seemed to have difficulty getting into the girl's lungs, the temperature seemed to have risen dramatically, and Y/N started to feel dizzy as the media started to bring up Max's history.
Max, where are you, she asked herself, begging for a sign of his presence.
I find it dizzying
They're bringing up my history
But you aren't even listening
Y/N looked everywhere: in the garage, in his driver's room, in all the different rooms in the motorhome, in the back of the building, in the cafeteria, everywhere.
She was starting to run out of options, but she knew he had to be around somewhere since his exit from the circuit would not be discreet at all, quite the contrary.
If I were Max where would I hide from the world, she reflected, desperate to be reunited with her boyfriend. Of course! In the place where everyone least expected to find him.
With a hurried step and depositing complete confidence in this last and risky idea, Y/N set off on her way until she came face to face with the red walls, embellished with the Prancing Horse symbol.
Deviating towards the back of the Ferrari building, Y/N felt her heart return to its normal rhythm when she set her eyes on the image of his lover.
There he was, sitting on the grass, with his vision pointed to the sky, so small and so fragile that no one else would be able to see him hiding there.
The girl slowly approached the driver, almost afraid to startle him, until he eventually noticed her presence when she was only a few inches away from him. His shoulders visibly relaxed at the sight of his girlfriend, and a small, forced smile appeared on his face.
"Of course you found me," Max whispered, placing his hand on the girl's thigh, who was now sitting on the grass next to him. "I guess you already know what happened."
Y/N laid her head on his shoulder, hugging his strong arm. "Yeah, I saw it... I'm sorry Max, you don't deserve this."
I feel a lavender haze creeping up on me
So real, I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say
No deal, the 1950s shit they want for me
I just wanna stay in that lavender haze
That lavender haze
"I don't really care," Max spoke, shaking his head. "Let them say what they want. It doesn't matter to me."
"Baby…" The young woman knew that he was doing what he always did: bottling it up inside, hiding his feelings, just like he was taught to do his whole life.
"Liefje, don't worry. I'm fine, I promise."
"Max, stop doing this." Y/N touched his face, forcing him to look at her with his noticeably teary eyes.
"Y/N-"
"Max, please." The girl begged. "You don't have to pretend to be strong with me. You can be honest; you can scream, cry, freak out, you name it, and I'll always be here to listen."
The Dutchman took a deep breath in acceptance, leaning his head back against the red wall. "I'm just tired, you know? I try and try to do my best at all times and it's never enough. Not for the media, not for my dad, or-"
"For me, it's more than enough." The girlfriend interrupted. "And it should be enough for you too. You shouldn't care what others say… Especially your father." She teased, forcing a laugh out of Max's mouth.
The boy contemplated her words for a few seconds, placing a kiss on her temple. "I love you, you're the best."
"I know," She replied, bumping his shoulder playfully. "But I'm serious, Max. No one should have enough power over you that they can make you feel inferior, or less than you are. You are Max fucking Verstappen, two-time Formula 1 world champion. And so much more to come, I don't doubt it for a second."
Talk your talk and go viral
I just need this love spiral
Get it off your chest
Get it off my desk
Talk your talk and go viral
I just need this love spiral
Get it off your chest
Get it off my desk
The girl jumped to her feet, waking the driver from his own thoughts, and reached out to him with both her hands to help him get up on his feet too. "Come on, champ! Enough sulking here and let's face the world with our heads held high, shall we?"
Much calmer after getting it off his chest, Max looked at her with eyes shining with pride and, accepting her help, he got up. Instantly, his arms found their place around her waist, as did his lips on hers.
The couple shared a calm kiss, enjoying their moment of peace in the midst of such a chaotic situation.
"Thanks, schatje." Max said, returning his mouth to hers seconds later. "I can never thank you enough for everything you've done and do for me every day."
"I would do anything for you, baby." Y/N smiled wide, the dimples in her cheeks becoming noticeable. "Anything."
I feel a lavender haze creeping up on me
So real, I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say
No deal, the 1950s shit they want for me
I just wanna stay in that lavender haze
On their way to the Red Bull garage, the two reappeared in the paddock, hand in hand, eyes only on each other.
With them, dozens of photographers and journalists emerged from the shadows, hunting the Dutchman for his comments and trying to get controversial headlines for their next articles.
But from Max, they only managed to take away the magical smile he had stamped on his face while talking to his girlfriend.
It was almost as if nothing had happened to him, such was the confident and determined posture the driver now assumed.
There was nothing like a good dose of love to make someone feel on top of the world, and Max was living proof of that in front of all those prying eyes.
Get it off your chest
Get it off my desk
That lavender haze
I just wanna stay
The world could crumble around them and they would still manage to stay on their feet.
They were a team. They had the perfect balance between them, the strength to face any obstacle together. Like two separate souls born to be reunited, in this life and all lives to come. Born to be on their lavender haze forever.
"Just you and me, liefje." Max whispered so only she could hear over the screams and camera flashes.
Y/N pulled him by the arm closer to her body in search of the comfort he conveyed to her every time, and smiled discreetly at him.
"You and me against the world, my love."
I just wanna stay
In that lavender haze
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