𝟏𝟎𝟑𝟗𝒾──── featuring charles leclerc, oscar piastri, max verstappen, kimi antonelli, ollie bearman ✿ fluff catalogue/ established relationship
reblog ⠀⠀ꢾ꣒⠀ feedbacks ! ✶ 𝗔 𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗞 ˊᯅˋ
CHARLES LECLERC 。 you're shivering in the monaco evening breeze, arms wrapped around yourself as you wait outside the restaurant. charles notices immediately. he always does. and he's already shrugging off his jacket before you can protest.
"charles, you'll freeze," you start, but he's draping it over your shoulders, fingers lingering at your collar as he adjusts it.
"don't care," he says simply, that soft smile reserved only for you playing at his lips.
you've seen him do this exactly zero times for anyone else. arthur complained about being cold last week and charles literally laughed at him. told him to "walk faster, it'll warm you up." but with you? he'd give you his only layer of clothing in a snowstorm without hesitation.
the jacket smells like his cologne and something distinctly him. he stands closer now, one hand finding the small of your back. he's definitely cold. you can see the goosebumps on his arms, but when you try to give it back, he just pulls you closer instead.
"keep it," he murmurs. "you look better in it anyway."
OSCAR PIASTRI 。 you're wearing his gray hoodie again. the one he's had since his prema days, stretched out and faded.
"that's my favorite," oscar points out from the doorway, but he's already fighting back a smile.
"yeah?" you tug the sleeves over your hands. "want it back?"
"didn't say that."
he won't admit it, but you've seen him physically move his hoodies to the front of his closet where you can reach them easier. lando tried to borrow one once after a gym session and oscar deadpan told him "absolutely not, buy your own." but you? you've accidentally created a whole section of your wardrobe that's just his clothes.
you catch him staring as you flop onto the bed beside him. "what?"
"nothing." his ears go slightly pink and he's definitely fighting a smile. "just... bring that one back eventually? maybe?"
"no promises, piastri."
MAX VERSTAPPEN 。 max is in full concentration mode, hunched over his sim rig with that death grip on the steering wheel. you can hear him muttering curses under his breath. never a good sign for whoever he's racing. you pad into his living room, and he doesn't even flinch.
"baby," he mutters, eyes still locked on the screen as he takes a corner. "there's snacks on the desk."
you weren't even looking for snacks but sure. you grab one and plop into the chair next to him, watching his concentration face. the little furrow between his brows, the way his jaw clenches.
"not now," one of his friend's voice crackles through his headset. "we're in the middle of—is that your girlfriend?"
"yeah," max says simply.
"mate, i thought you had a no-interruption rule?"
"i do."
"then why is she—"
"she doesn't count." he says it so matter-of-factly, like it's obvious. "different rules. now shut up, i'm trying to overtake."
KIMI ANTONELLI 。 kimi's supposed to be asleep two hours ago. early morning training session, toto's orders, the whole responsible f1 driver routine. and he's got a sleep schedule that would make a monk weep. but he's still awake at 2am with you.
"and then she asked for oat milk after they made it with regular, are you even awake?"
"mhm." his eyes are definitely closed now. "she's... she's lactose intolerant?"
"go to sleep, kimi."
"no, no, i'm listening." he forces his eyes open, reaching for you blindly until his hand finds yours. "what happened with the coffee?"
"you know your trainer would murder you if they knew you were awake right now," you whisper. "don't care." he tugs you closer, tucking his face into your shoulder. his words are muffled against your shirt. "tell me the rest. did she get the oat milk?"
"you're ridiculous."
"you're ridiculous," he mumbles. "keep talking. i like your voice."
OLLIE BEARMAN 。 ollie's been glued to the soccer match for the past hour, practically vibrating every time they get near the goal. you've seen this level of focus exactly twice: now, and during qualifying. literally on the edge of the couch like he might fall off. you feel a little bad interrupting, but—
"ollie, do you think i should cut my hair shorter?"
his head whips around so fast you're worried about whiplash. "what? like how much shorter?"
"i dunno, maybe to here?" you gesture vaguely at your shoulders.
"wait, let me see." with this serious, concentrated expression. "hmm. i mean, you'd look beautiful either way, but—"
"GOAL!" the announcer's voice screams from the tv.
ollie doesn't even glance back. "maybe keep it long? but honestly whatever makes you happy. do you want to cut it?"
"ollie, they just scored."
"who—oh." he looks at the screen for half a second, then back at you. "it's fine, they'll replay it. so about your hair, have you thought about layers? or maybe curls?"
author's note. ack this will be my very late valentines gift to everyone 💌
maxverstappen1 Me when my girlfriend says her feet hurt from standing
yn my favorite seat
⤷ kimi.antonelli ayo 🤨
⤷ yn ride to survive or whatever that shows called
⤷ kimi.antonelli AYO 😦
yn iktr
charles_leclerc You’re making us look bad
⤷ maxverstappen1 If you wanted to, you would
⤷ kikagomes 🤏🏽🤏🏽🤏🏽
landoonewin max verstappen is the most nonchalant person ever until it comes to his girlfriend
⤷ olliebearman no literally he finds ANY reason to talk about her no matter want the topic of conversation is
carlossainz55 Absolutely whipped 😂
redbullracing #1 boyfriend always 🥇
lando he’s not lying guys i watched him do wall sits in the airport last weekend
⤷ danielricciardo i watched him get down on all fours once so she could reach something
⤷ maxverstappen1 Okay that’s enough
alex_albon Did you really have to post this for all of our girlfriends to see?
⤷ maxverstappen1 Do better
isackhadjar oh he don’t play about her fr
madmaxfury boyfriend max is my favorite
danielricciardo and me too right?
⤷ maxverstappen1 No
⤷ danielricciardo oh!
hoeforsainzzz max verstappen is the standard
🝮
yn
liked by haileybieber and 1,818,316 others
yn basking
maxverstappen1 You are perfection
alexandrasaintmleux Magnificent 🪽
kimi.antonelli mother 🫰🏽
⤷ yn does this mean i’m a milf??? 😏
⤷ francolapinto definitely
⤷ maxverstappen1 Easy
⤷ francolapinto sorry sir
lilyzneimer beauty 😍
mercedesamgf1 Looking good baby boss 🖤
♥︎ by author
lando bro who flicked you up this picture is fye
⤷ yn maximilian
⤷ iamrebeccad how did you train him so well carlos sucks at taking pictures
⤷ yn LOTSSSS of practice i’m not even yanking your chain george helped me make a powerpoint presentation for it
⤷ maxverstappen1 I’ve come a long way, I know alllll the angles now 😏🤫
⤷ lando LALALALALALALALA WE DONT WANT TI HEAR ABOUT YOUR CRAZY MONKEY SEX
⤷ maxverstappen1 girl, whatever
⤷ olliebearman okay period i love when you remember your gen z 😛😈
kikagomes you look so soft wowowow
estiebestie this picture is actually perfect omg
madmaxfury and i bet he just took this picture for the heck of it 🥹
🝮
yn
liked by madeleinecwhite and 1,382,905 others
yn should me and max get married in vegas??
totowolff No.
⤷ kimi.antonelli when did bro get instagram?
⤷ schecoperez Toto has instagram?
⤷ yn alright who snitched because ik my dad wouldn’t download instagram for fun
⤷ georgerussell63 Yeah guys fess up!!!! 😤
⤷ yn you little snitch i know it was you george
⤷ georgerussell63 I was trying to get that contract I’m sorry
⤷ yn shut up
maxverstappen1 Yes please can we have everyone dress up as Elvis impersonators please
⤷ yn yes!
⤷ totowolff You are not getting married in Las Vegas honey
⤷ yn you never let me do anything
isackhadjar can i be your maid of honor?
⤷ olliebearman i wanna be the flower girl then
⤷ kimi.antonelli then i wanna be the ring bearer
⤷ olliebearmen wait i wanna be the ring bearer
⤷ kimi.antonelli no i already called it
⤷ olliebearmen bro youre fake
⤷ kimi.antonelli yeah yeah 🥱😒
⤷ lando can i be the photographer then?? 😈😈
⤷ danielricciardo no it’s gonna be me
⤷ lando why would it be you i’m obviously the best choice
⤷ danielricciardo me when i lie
🝮
yn
liked by charles_leclerc and 2,842,907 others
yn VIVA LAS VEGAS
lando DID YOU GUYS GET MARRIED
lando WHY WASNT I THE WITNESS
lando I’M TELLING TOTO
georgerussell63 This was definitely her doing
⤷ alex_albon her: we should go get married
⤷ georgerussell63 max: i don’t think your dad would like that sweetheart
⤷ alex_albon her: ugh just say you hate me and you think i’m ugly
⤷ georgerussell63 max: no let’s get married babygirl please
⤷ alex_albon her: no i don’t want to anymore
⤷ georgerussell63 max: please babygirl please please please can we get married i’m sorry please marry me i want to marry you so bad
⤷ maxverstappen1 Okay first of all, I don’t call her babygirl
⤷ yukitsunoda0511 I literally listened to you call her babygirl like 5 times in one conversation
⤷ maxverstappen1 alright who asked you?
⤷ yn hey don’t be mean to yuki max apologize to him
⤷ maxverstappen1 I’m sorry for being mean Yuki
⤷ gabrielbortoleto_ wait you actually let her boss you around like that?
⤷ maxverstappen1 My girl tells me to shut up and I do 🤷♂️
⤷ gabrielbortoleto_ yk what me too
kimi.antonelli wait did you guys actually get married or are you yanking my chain?????
charles_leclerc I would actually believe it if you guys eloped
alex_albon did he get you pregnant??? is that what this is about? i won’t tell
jensonbutton Yeah let’s get the cameras in the Mercedes garage right now
mercedesamgf1 Toto isn’t gonna like this one…
landossluttywaist that would be so iconic of you two to get married in vegas
olliebearmen you guys should still have a big wedding so i can be the flower girl
⤷ estebanocon Why do you want to be the flower girl so bad?
⤷ olliebearmen cause i want everyone to be like “awh he’s so cute” and “wow he’s so gracious”
⤷ kimi.antonelli right, right…
oscarpiastri I’m gonna be honest…this actually was on my 2025 bingo card
🝮
yn
liked by oscarpiastri and 1,481,330 others
yn onto abu dhabi 🫰🏽 not nervous at all 😄
maxverstappen1 My biggest supporter ❤️
⤷ yn did you just call me fat?
⤷ maxverstappen1 No baby you’re so skinny and tiny I love you
⤷ yn awh thanks honey 💗 take me out for sushi now plz
⤷ maxverstappen1 I’ll get the car ready ❤️
⤷ olliebearmen wait you guys are gonna giving toxic relationship but in a lana del rey way
⤷ alex_albon No he’s just a submissive good boy
⤷ maxverstappen1 And what about it? I don’t mind being called a good boy by my girl
⤷ charles_leclerc It’s all about the mindset 🧏♂️
lando why is he always sleeping
⤷ maxverstappen1 Like your one to talk
⤷ lando you right
redbullracing All tracks lead to Abu Dhabi
isackhadjar wait did you guys get married in vegas?? 👁️👁️
⤷ fernandoalo_oficial Ya’ll acting like I’m gonna let that happen 😂 Toto would die if he didn’t get to spend a million on his daughters wedding, I found them and returned them to Toto where they then got a stern talking to
⤷ kimi.antonelli me and george were there and we somehow got dragged into and got growled at too, almost got us grounded 😒
⤷ isackhadjar “grounded” is crazy 😭
hoeforsainzzz why is he sleeping like he just worked a 30 hour shift
danielricciardo get married
⤷ danielricciardo woah who said that???
⤷ lando put a ring on it already
⤷ lando wow who was that??
🝮
maxverstappen1 and yn
liked by carlossainz55 and 7,448,406 others
maxverstappen1 Here’s to forever ♥️
danielriccardo BRO ME AND LANDO PREDICTED THAT GET US ON THE ELLEN SHOW
⤷ lando BRING IT BACK
charles_leclerc Congratulations you guys this is amazing!! So happy for you two ❤️❤️
georgerussell63 Damn that’s a rock 😨
kikagomes omg stop it i’m so happy for guys!!!! i can’t believe this congratulations 🩷🩷
summary: She’s given him her all, keeping his life on schedule without complaint, but now it’s her turn to shake things up. She's leaving him in just two weeks.
content warnings: max being not a great boss
word count: 2.5k
pairing: max verstappen x assistant!reader
SERIES: my dear assistant || may be confusing if read as a standalone one-shot!
a/n: ITS HEREEEE! nawr because i had so much fun writing this like im ACTUALLY so stupid super excited for this series
Max, I love you. I’m your biggest fan, please send me—
You sighed, dragging the email into the trash.
“Seriously, he needs to take his business email out of his Instagram bio,” you muttered under your breath.
Mornings always looked the same. Blue light glasses perched on your nose, emotional support blanket wrapped around your shoulders, laptop balanced on your knees. Max’s inbox was the most consistent thing in your life. You’d learned early on that it was faster to just keep it bookmarked—front and center—ready for whatever chaos awaited overnight.
Your fingers tapped next again and again, skimming the latest flood of messages that had piled up while you were asleep. Most of them weren’t worth your time, fan mail begging for signed driver cards, free merch, or worse, his phone number.
Filtering through that mess was easily your least favorite part of the job. Max was perfectly capable of checking his own emails, eventually. But every morning, before he even woke up, it was your job to make sure his inbox looked spotless.
Your phone alarm blared suddenly, cutting through the quiet. You glanced at the clock: 7 a.m. sharp.
Another sigh. You closed the laptop, tucked it under your arm, and pushed the blanket off your legs before heading to the door.
Your studio apartment in Monaco wasn’t exactly the dream. Max had requested—more like insisted—that you move closer six months into the job. And when Max requested something, there was rarely an option to say no.
Keys in hand, you slipped downstairs and slid into your car. You turned on the seat warmer, for the passenger side, of course, stopped by the convenience store for a Red Bull, and headed toward Max’s luxurious penthouse to pick him up for the gym.
Just like you did every day.
You pulled up to the curb and picked up your phone. The Here. text was practically muscle memory by now. Short, simple, and the same every morning. Max, your mom, and your best friend back home were the only pinned chats at the top of your messages.
You reached across the passenger seat to test the warmth of the cushion. Warm, but not too warm. You quickly shut off the heater, he always complained if it got left on too long. You switched your music over to light instrumentals, low enough to fade into the background while you drove him between commitments.
Everything you did ran like clockwork now, fine-tuned around his habits. You knew what he liked, what he couldn’t stand, and every tiny detail in between. It wasn’t efficiency so much as self-preservation—every well-timed adjustment kept you safe from one of his early-morning lectures.
It didn’t take long before he appeared at your car door, opening it with practiced ease and sliding into the passenger seat. You reached for the Red Bull waiting in the cupholder, popped it open with one hand, and passed it to him. He took it without looking, as usual.
“What’s planned for today after the gym?” he asked, taking a sip before setting it down, halfway on the console, halfway in the cupholder like he owned the car himself.
“You’ve got two video shoots—one for ORB, one for Ford—lunch with your dad, social shoots for ORB, dinner with investors, then you’re free for the night.”
“What about paddle?”
“What about paddle?” you echoed, glancing over at him.
“Lando and I made plans to play before lunch.”
“Max, did you tell anyone about these plans?”
“No, but you know I don’t like my schedule so tight.”
You exhaled through your nose, already bracing for the rest of the day. “Max, those things have been on the calendar for months. You can’t keep making plans during work hours.”
You eased the car to a stop in front of the gym.
He pointed to the clock on your dashboard before stepping out. “Looks like you have an hour to fix it. Don’t cancel on Lando or Dad.”
The door shut harder than necessary, and you winced.
You muttered a few quiet expletives, then let out a breathy laugh. “Unbelievable. I don’t even make his schedule.”
Pulling out your phone, you dialed the Red Bull comms manager.
“No, no, I understand. Thank you anyway, he’ll be there for sure.”
You hung up and leaned your head against the headrest, groaning at the clock. 15 minutes left to fix this.
“I was on such a good streak of him not yelling at me,” you said to yourself, scrolling through your contacts. There was one more person you could try.
You tapped on Lando Norris. You’d only gotten his number because you’d once needed help getting a very drunk Max into his apartment. Still, it was worth a shot.
To your surprise, he answered after two rings.
“Hello?”
“Lando? This is Max’s—”
“Right-hand man, yeah, I know,” he said with a laugh. “Everything okay?”
“Uh, yeah. Just checking, are you supposed to be playing paddle with Max before lunch?”
“Yes? Why, what’s up?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I was just wondering if there’s any chance you could move it to later in the day? He’s got back-to-back shoots, and he didn’t mention it to anyone.”
“Just texted him. Will eight o’clock work, you think?”
You blinked. Honestly, speechless over how easy that was. “Uh, yeah. That’s perfect, actually. Thank you so much.”
“No problem. I know how he can be,” he said before hanging up.
By the time the clock hit 8, Max walked out of the gym, hair damp, phone in hand, same as he did every day.
“You got lucky,” he said, sliding into the seat. “Lando texted me and said he needed to move paddle.”
You only nodded, keeping your eyes on the road.
“Don’t let them schedule things that close together again,” he added.
You wanted to remind him that you didn’t handle his scheduling. You wanted to remind him how out of the many things you did quietly manage for him every single day, that was the one thing you did not have to worry about.
But you didn’t. You never did.
“I’ll make a note of that,” you said, instead, shifting the car into gear and pulling out toward his first commitment of the day.
Despite Max being a royal pain in your ass, he was never that to anyone else. Always polite, always charming, always perfectly composed. He smiled for the cameras, thanked every crew member, and acted like he hadn’t just handed you a scheduling disaster two hours ago.
The first shoot ran over, naturally. You stood just off set, answering texts and calls from PR and the comms team while keeping one eye on him. He looked like he was born for this. For all of the bright lights, cameras, the constant hum of attention. You, on the other hand, were apparently born for crisis control.
“His outfit for the Ford shoot hasn’t arrived yet, he told us to tell you. That you would fix it” the stylist whispered urgently, rushing over to you.
You pinched the bridge of your nose. “Of course he did.”
Five minutes later, you were sprinting across the parking lot, car keys in hand, off to pick up the missing garment yourself. When you returned, slightly winded, Max didn’t even blink before reaching for the clothes as if they’d been there all along.
Between shoots, you handed him a towel, a protein bar, a fresh Red Bull, all without a word. He didn’t thank you, but he took them like he always did.
By the time you both got back in the car, your phone was buzzing nonstop. PR wanted confirmation on his post-shoot interview slot, his dad’s assistant was trying to move lunch, and the Red Bull team wanted to push up his next event by fifteen minutes. You were juggling it all while merging into Monaco traffic.
“You know,” Max said casually from the passenger seat, scrolling through his phone, “they should really hire someone to handle my scheduling.”
You turned your head just enough to glare at him before refocusing on the road. “Yeah. Imagine that.”
He didn’t even look up, but you caught the faintest smirk tugging at his lips.
After the investors' dinner, you barely had time to breathe before heading to the paddle courts. The sun was dipping just enough to turn the sky gold, the city still buzzing around you. Max adjusted his sunglasses, scrolling through his texts.
“Lando’s already there,” he said. “Don’t make me late.”
When you pulled into the lot, you spotted Lando immediately, leaning against the fence, grinning and giving you both an excited wave.
“Made it on time?” Lando called out as Max stepped out of the car, looking down at his watch. “That’s a first.”
You stayed in the car while the boys talked to each other, your phone in hand, already drafting an email about tomorrow’s rescheduled shoot, hoping to get around an ‘overloaded’ schedule early.
Max grabbed his paddle bag from your backseat and tossed you a look. “You’re staying, right?”
You raised an eyebrow without looking up from your phone. “In case you forget how to hold a paddle?”
He rolled his eyes. “In case I need something.”
You sighed and turned the car off. Because of course you were going to stay. You always did.
You followed the boys onto the courts, taking up space on the bench you always sat on when you stayed at the courts.
“I’m going to change,” Max said, disappearing into the changing rooms.
Lando’s eyes flicked to you. “You know, I don’t know how you manage him all day. Honestly. You’re like, superhero-level organized.”
You blinked, unsure whether to laugh or groan. “It’s mostly endurance and Red Bull,” you said dryly.
“No, seriously,” he said, stepping closer. “I’d pay double whatever he pays you to work for me. Two million a year?”
You physically coughed at the number out of pure surprise. Two million a year. That was way more than double what Max paid you. That was more than enough to finally get at least a one-bedroom apartment and not a studio. Your first instinct was to say yes, right here, right now. But before the words could escape, the changing room door swung open.
“Ready?!” Max called from inside.
You blinked. He always seemed to have perfect timing. You laughed quietly, shaking your head. Of course he had to come out right now.
Max strutted onto the court, towel over his shoulders, still scrolling on his phone. Lando picked up a paddle, grinning at him. “Ready to lose?”
“You’re on,” Max shot back, smirking.
By the time the match ended, Max had disappeared to the bathroom once again to change. Lando turned to you, leaning on the fence. “So, you’re thinking about my offer, right? I was being serious.”
You hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Yes, I will take your offer.”
“Wait—think about it for a few days,” Lando said, raising an eyebrow.
“I’ve already made up my mind,” you said, a small smile tugging at your lips. “I’ll give Max two weeks. Enough time to find someone else, train them, make sure he doesn’t completely implode on them.”
Lando laughed, shaking his head. “That’s actually impressive. Most people would just bolt. You’re solid.”
“I’m loyal,” you said lightly. “And apparently crazy.”
He grinned. “Fair enough. Well, still think it over anyway. You never know.”
You shook your head. “Nope. I’ve thought it through. Two weeks, then the new job starts.”
And just like that, the decision was made, but you knew the next two weeks promised to be very interesting.
When Max reemerged, you instinctively packed up his gear while him and Lando continued to talk and tease each other. By the time you both slid back into the car, the sky had deepened into a dark navy, and streetlights stretched across the Monaco streets. Max leaned back in the seat, stretching his arms, and within minutes, his head lolled slightly to the side. He had always had a habit of dozing off if you were driving at night.
You drove in silence, the hum of the engine filling the space, enjoying the rare moments of calm after a day of chaos. Your phone buzzed on your lap. Your mom. You hadn’t spoken to her in a few days. Max’s packed schedule had left barely a moment for your own life.
You hesitated, glancing at the sleeping figure beside you. Then, carefully, you answered. “Hi, Mom,” you whispered, keeping your voice low.
“Finally! I’ve been trying to reach you. Are you okay? How’s everything?” Her voice was warm and familiar.
You smiled faintly, pressing the phone closer. “I’m fine, just, busy,” you said quietly, glancing at Max, who stirred slightly but didn’t open his eyes. “I just wanted to talk for a minute.”
“Of course, I just—”
Before you could finish, Max’s head lifted, blinking sleepily, irritation creeping into his voice. “You couldn’t wait until I’m back home?”
You muttered an apology to your mom before quickly hitting the end call button. Something inside you snapped. The two years of constant juggling and reworking his schedules, waiting on him hand and foot, managing his quirks, keeping every moving part in line, it all suddenly felt too heavy to carry in silence.
“I’m leaving, Max! I’m actually leaving this job!” you said, louder than you intended, voice carrying in the quiet car.
Max froze, eyes wide with shock. “What do you mean? You can’t do that?” he said slowly, his voice catching in disbelief.
“Yes, I can,” you said, forcing calm into your voice, but letting a hint of frustration bleed through. “Look, I’m giving you two weeks. Two weeks to help you find someone else, train them, and hopefully make sure you don’t completely scare them off.”
He went quiet. You could feel the tension in the car surge. It was so thick you swore you could physically feel it. For a moment, it was just the hum of the engine and your own heartbeat.
You tried to gauge his reaction, and for the first time all day, or maybe for as long as you had known him, you couldn’t. There was no playful smirk, no teasing remark, no nostrils flaring, no raised eyebrow, no eye roll. Just quiet.
“I—” he started, then stopped, shaking his head, sighing further into the seat.
You softened slightly, leaning back in your seat, too. “Max, I’ve thought about this for a long time. I like keeping things running smoothly for you, I like knowing everything is under control, but I need to look out for myself, too. And yes, the timing isn’t perfect, but I’m going to try my best to make this transition easier for you.”
He finally exhaled, running a hand over his face, and the silence stretched again. The weight of your words hung between you.
You finally pulled up in front of his penthouse, engine idling. Max didn’t say anything, didn’t even glance at you. He opened his door and stepped out, shoulders stiff. You watched him go inside without another word.
You sat there for a second, staring at the blinking streetlight outside of his apartment that he always commented on. Two weeks. That’s all he had before the world you’d kept running for him would start to shift, before he’d have to face just how indispensable you really were.
You took a deep breath, bracing yourself. Two weeks. Enough time to help him adjust, but not enough to undo the decision you had already made.
Summary: Max swore no celebrity could ever faze him. Then you walked into the paddock and suddenly, he’s blushing, stuttering, and everyone on the grid is trying to play wingman. (Requested)
2.4k words / Part 2 / Masterlist
Max had said it more than once, in interviews, on podcasts, off-handed to anyone who asked:
“I don’t really get starstruck. Doesn’t matter who it is they’re just people.”
He meant it too.
He’d stood next to Hollywood A-listers, shaken hands with legends of sports, even taken a call from European royalty once or twice and not even blinked. Cameras caught him cool, arms crossed, mouth in a tight, vaguely amused line. Just Max being Max.
Which is why no one, not his mechanics, not GP, especially not the other drivers expected his reaction when he saw you.
And least of all you, stepping out into the pit lane in your oversized sunglasses, Miu Miu jacket, and a polite, press-ready smile.
You’d been invited as a guest of Red Bull, a casual PR appearance according to your team, but secretly you’d jumped at the chance. No one knew you were a longtime F1 fan, the kind who watched practice sessions between interviews and followed race strategy like it was an art form. Now walking through the paddock in your Red Bull cap you couldn’t stop the quiet thrill that came with finally being here.
Max, meanwhile, was doing everything in his power not to stare… and failing. Badly. Because of course he knew who you were.
He’d known for years, had seen the magazine covers, the spectacle, the interviews that went viral. He’d watched a talk show clip once where you’d laughed at your own joke and something about it had stuck with him for far too long. So when you showed up actually here, in his paddock, wearing his team’s cap it did something strange to his pulse.
He was mid-conversation with Charles when it happened. Something about tyre strategy for the sprint race. Not that it mattered. The second you walked past, Max's eyes flicked to you and stuck.
Charles noticed instantly. His sentence died mid-syllable as he turned to follow Max’s gaze. A slow grin spread across the Monegasque’s face.
“Is that… a blush Verstappen?”
Max blinked. “What?”
“You’re blushing. Blushing, mate.”
Max scoffed, crossed his arms tighter, and turned back toward the screen. “No, I’m not.”
Charles wasn’t buying it. Neither was Lando who’d just strolled past and immediately clocked the look on Max’s face.
“Holy shit, is that her?” Lando whispered. “She’s even hotter in person.”
“Don’t be gross,” Max mumbled, eyes fixed on the floor now, ears burning red.
“Ooooh,” Lando said, gleeful now. “You like her. Oh my god. Max Verstappen has a crush.”
“Shut up,” Max hissed. “She’s just… she’s famous. That’s all.”
Lando grinned. “I thought you don’t get starstruck.”
“I’m not.”
The way Max refused to meet anyone’s eye told a different story and they weren’t about to let it go anytime soon.
You hadn’t noticed him at first, the paddock was overwhelming, a blur of crisp polos, tight schedules, and champagne flutes balanced precariously on trays. Everyone looked like they belonged.
You were still trying to remember where the Red Bull garage was when your handler nudged your elbow gently.
“That’s Max Verstappen,” she murmured under her breath, voice low like it was classified information. “World champion. Four times.”
As if you didn’t already know.
You’d watched Max race since the Toro Rosso days. Sat up in bed in random hotel rooms around the world at odd hours, bleary-eyed and tense, watching him go wheel-to-wheel. You’d followed every championship year like it was a personal mission gritting your teeth during the political post-race drama. You didn’t talk about that side of yourself often.
Max Verstappen was the real deal. The reason you said yes to this weekend in the first place.
So when you looked up and actually saw him standing by the garage, race suit unzipped to the waist, gloves half-pulled off, dark blond hair pushed back with a water bottle in hand you froze for a second.
And then you realised he was looking at you.
Staring, really.
Not in a weird way. Not leering or smug or the kind of indifference you were used to from other famous men. Just… wide-eyed. A little stunned. Like you weren’t supposed to be real, like he’d been caught off-guard by you in the same way you’d just been by him.
It threw you honestly. You were used to being recognised. Used to admiration, curiosity, even jealousy, all those predictable reactions people had when they saw you in person. But Max’s gaze wasn’t any of those things.
You blinked.
Smiled, soft and polite, just enough to acknowledge him without making it weird.
That’s when it happened.
Max Verstappen, four-time world champion, calm under pressure, absolute menace behind the wheel… turned bright red.
His jaw tensed, his eyes widened further (if that was even possible), and he spun on his heel so fast you thought maybe someone had called his name.
They hadn’t.
He just bolted.
You tilted your head, more intrigued than anything.
Interesting.
Later in the drivers’ briefing the teasing intensified.
Max was trying to focus, really, he was, but it was impossible when the entire row behind him had turned into a group chat with voices.
“Ask her to take a picture with you,” Oscar said, his tone perfectly casual, like he was offering sound race strategy. “You know. For your memories… or your lockscreen.”
Max didn’t even turn around. “No.”
“You could autograph her cap,” Nico offered, resting his chin on his hand. “Real smooth. Classic paddock flirt.”
“Maybe she’ll autograph something else,” Carlos added with a grin, and Lando actually choked on his energy drink, nearly snorting it out of his nose.
Max groaned, burying his face in his hands. “Can you all not.”
“Come on,” Charles chimed in, elbowing him like they were at a school dance and Max had just been too chicken to ask the pretty girl to slow dance. “She looked at you.”
Max lifted his head, giving Charles the flattest look he could muster. “She looked at everyone.”
“She smiled at you,” Charles repeated, grinning like a man who absolutely planned to make this his entire personality for the rest of the week.
“She was being polite,” Max muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s what celebrities do.”
“Yeah, but most celebrities don’t look interested,” Lando pointed out. “She lingered. I saw it. You looked like you forgot how to stand.”
“You guys are children,” Max grumbled, but the tips of his ears were going red again, a tell he’d never quite learned to control.
And they weren’t wrong. Not entirely, because hours later long after the briefing, the media obligations, and dinner Max was alone in his hotel room, lights dim, scrolling aimlessly through his feed in that half-distracted, too-tired-to-sleep state. He wasn’t even looking for anything specific. Just decompressing.
Until he saw it.
A new post from the official F1 account, a carousel of shots from the paddock that day. Drivers, fans, crew, sponsors, and there in the third photo was you.
You were standing near the Red Bull garage, head tilted slightly sunglasses on, lips curved into a small, amused smile.
Max almost kept scrolling, but then he noticed something or rather someone in the corner of the frame. Him. Just a blur of his back and shoulder in the foreground. And you, clear as anything, looking up in his direction.
Smiling.
At him.
Max’s thumb hesitated over the screen. Then slowly, like he couldn’t help himself, he zoomed in. His stomach dipped just slightly, like the drop of a rollercoaster before the first turn.
Shit.
The next day, you returned to the paddock for qualifying. The sun was brutal, and the VIP section was flooded with influencers and media people pretending not to sweat. You wore trainers, shades, and another Red Bull cap.
And then there he was again.
You spotted him across the paddock, white undershirt clinging to him and hair damp from the heat, brows furrowed as he talked with the other drivers over something technical, but the second you walked into view he straightened.
It wasn’t subtle. He stopped mid-sentence. Glanced over.
You smiled again.
Max looked like someone had kicked him in the stomach.
Alex sidled up behind him. “Say something.”
“What?”
“Anything. Literally anything.” Lando chimed in. ‘Hi.’ ‘Big fan.’ ‘Wanna get a drink?’”
Max’s mouth opened. Closed it.
Esteban sighed. “Come on mate.”
“She’s gonna leave after today you know,” Liam pointed out, voice quieter, almost sincere. “This is your shot.”
Max scowled. “You all need to shut up.”
He qualified P2. Not bad, but not what he wanted. Not when you were watching. Not when some foolish, restless part of him had wanted to impress you.
Maybe that’s why, as he climbed out of the car afterward and peeled his gloves off with shaking fingers, he made a decision.
He was going to say hi.
Even if it killed him.
You were leaning against a railing near the back of the garage half-watching the chaos of post-quali debriefs when he found you.
“Hi.”
You turned.
Max Verstappen was standing in front of you. Hair slightly askew from his helmet. Cheeks pinker than they had any right to be. And for a man who stared down anyone wheel-to-wheel at 300kph, he looked terrified.
You smiled softly. “Hi.”
He blinked, once, like his brain had stalled. Then gave the tiniest nod. “You’re… uh. You’re here for the weekend?”
“Yes,” you said, amused by his tone. “Flying back tomorrow night.”
“Oh.” His face shifted slightly, an almost imperceptible frown tugging at his mouth. “Shame.”
He hesitated, then added quickly, “There’s… uh, there’s a thing. Like, a team thing. Sunday night. Just some people. You probably get invited to fancier stuff all the time, but… if you weren’t flying out, I’d say, maybe—”
You tried not to smile too hard. “Are you trying to invite me to a party?”
Max’s ears went fully red. “I—maybe.”
You tilted your head, studying him. “You’re not what I expected.”
He looked alarmed. “Is that… bad?”
“No,” you said, eyes warm. “Just different. You always seem so… unfazed on TV. Calm. A little intimidating honestly.”
He cleared his throat, eyes flicking down briefly before meeting yours again. “I am.”
You raised a brow. “Are you sure?”
He huffed a soft laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Maybe not around you.”
You weren’t expecting that. For all his nerves the man had some game.
Feeling bold, you said quietly, “You know I’ve actually been a fan of yours for years.”
Max’s head jerked back a little. “You have?”
You shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, though it absolutely was. “Watched every race.”
He looked stunned. “I didn’t think… I mean, most celebrities…”
“Think parc fermé is a perfume?” you offered with a teasing smile.
“Exactly,” he said, laughing nervously. “But you actually… watch?”
You nodded. “Religiously.”
Max’s mouth opened, then closed again, clearly at a loss for words. So instead he blurted, “Do you wanna take a picture?”
You blinked. “A picture?”
He flushed. “I mean—not like—I just thought, you might want one. For… memories.”
“Do you want one?” you asked, eyes twinkling.
Max looked panicked. “I—maybe.”
You stepped closer. “Let’s take one. Maybe for the both of us”
His blush deepened like you’d physically turned the heat up around him. You angled the phone and lifted it between you. Max hesitated a beat, shoulders stiff, body caught between bolt and melt and then he leaned in beside you.
You snapped the picture.
Then turned the screen toward him. “Not bad.”
He stared at it like it was the Mona Lisa.
“Can you send it to me?” he asked quietly.
Your eyebrows lifted, amused. “I don’t have your number?”
He looked like he’d just realised he was standing on a live track. “I—Shit. Right. Of course you wouldn’t have I just…”
You laughed, full and free this time. “It’s okay. Here.”
You took his phone from his outstretched hand, typed your number in, and handed it back. He stared at the contact name like it might disappear if he blinked.
He smiled. “Thanks. I’ll… text you.”
“Nice to meet you Max,” you said softly.
He looked at you for a long second. Then, just as soft. “Nice to meet you too.”
Maybe it was nothing, but it didn’t feel like nothing.
Not to either of you.
When you left that evening the grid was buzzing.
Word spread faster than a driver swap leak. One second you were seen slipping out of the Red Bull garage with a lingering smile the next everyone with eyes and a group chat had something to say about it.
Lando wouldn’t shut up. “Did you see them? He was giddy. Like full-on heart-eyes.”
Alex grinned. “He was blushing so hard I thought he’d overheated his engine.”
Even Lewis joined in. “I didn’t think Verstappen could get flustered. Man looked like he just got proposed to.”
“I haven’t seen him smile like that all year,” Yuki said dramatically.
“He didn’t even smile like that after winning his first championship,” Fernando wisecracked.
Max didn’t respond to any of them.
He just sat there, hunched over with his elbows on his knees, phone in hand, staring at your last message like it was a national treasure:
Thanks for saying hi! It was great to meet you, I hope I can see you again sometime?
He must’ve reread it ten times by now and each time it did something weird to his chest, made it feel lighter and heavier all at once.
Max’s thumb hovered just above the screen, his lips twitched when he read the message again.
“Oh my god,” Lando whispered, eyes wide with glee. “You’re down bad.”
Max finally looked up. “What?”
“You’re in love.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I’m not,” Max insisted, but even he didn’t sound convinced anymore.
Because the truth was… he couldn’t stop smiling.
Couldn’t stop replaying your laugh in his head, the way you said his name, the way you admitted, so casually, so sincerely, that you’d been a fan for years.
Maybe being starstruck wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
He glanced back down at the message one last time, heart thudding hard in his chest.
Then he typed:
I’d really like that. Maybe dinner next time you're in Monaco?
He hit send before he could overthink it, locking the phone and pressing it to his knee like it was going to combust. He didn’t feel like Max Verstappen: the world champion, the paddock’s headline, the one who never got starstruck.
Summary: you’re a pop star who built an empire on audacity. He’s an F1 driver who’s never heard your music. One concert, one spotlight, one pair of fuzzy pink handcuffs, and suddenly the man who drives 200 mph for a living can’t form a coherent thought. But the thing about champions? They don’t lose gracefully. And when he shows up in your DMs, you realize you might have just met your match (a story about two people who perform for millions but never expected to be completely undone by an audience of one)
Warnings: 18+ content
The clinking of ice against glass is the most interesting sound in the room.
Max swirls the amber liquid in his Heineken-branded tumbler, the condensation cold against his fingertips. He’s a professional. He can do this. He can stand in a painfully hip, repurposed warehouse in Amsterdam, surrounded by influencers whose entire careers are a mystery to him, and smile. He can nod along to conversations about engagement metrics and brand synergy. He can be the Max Verstappen they pay for: charming, accessible, but with that untouchable edge of a champion.
It’s just … boring. Soul-crushingly boring.
His phone buzzes in the pocket of his trousers. A welcome distraction. He pulls it out, a small, genuine smile finally gracing his lips when he sees his sister’s name. He angles himself away from a man passionately explaining the artistic merit of a filtered selfie and answers.
“Vic,” he says, his voice low. “Are you saving me?”
“Always,” Victoria’s cheerful voice chirps through the speaker. “But tonight, you’re actually the one who’s going to be saving me.”
Max takes a sip of his drink. It’s not actually beer; it’s sparkling water with a slice of lime. “I doubt that. What do you need? Did Luka hide the car keys again?”
“Worse. Much, much worse. Chantal is sick. Like, horribly sick. Food poisoning, I think.”
“Okay? So … you need me to bring you soup?” He’s already mentally calculating the fastest route to her house.
“No, you idiot,” she laughs, and he can picture her rolling her eyes. “I have a concert ticket. A non-refundable, very expensive, very good concert ticket that is now going to waste. Tom’s stuck in a meeting that will probably go until midnight, and I absolutely cannot go alone.”
Max’s brief moment of hope evaporates. “Vic, no.”
“Vic, yes. You’re in Amsterdam. I’m in Amsterdam. It’s perfect.”
“I’m working,” he argues, gesturing vaguely at the curated industrial-chic chaos around him. “I’m at the Heineken thing.”
“That ends in an hour. The concert doesn’t start until nine. Please, Max? I’ve been looking forward to this for months. She never tours in Europe.”
He frowns, the name on the tip of his tongue but not quite there. “She who?”
“Y/N Y/L/N!” Victoria says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, like he’s just asked who the current prime minister is. The name rings a bell, but only in the vague way a song he’s heard in a supermarket does. Pop star. American. That’s all he has.
“Never heard of her,” he lies, just to be difficult.
A dramatic sigh crackles down the line. “Max Emilian. Do not do this to me. She’s everywhere. She’s brilliant. You’ll love her.”
“I will not love her,” he says flatly. “I love quiet. I love my sim rig. I love going to bed before ten when I don’t have a race. I do not love … screaming teenagers.”
“It’s not all teenagers!” She protests, a little too quickly. “It’s a very diverse crowd. And you’re not even that old. Stop being such a grandad. It’s one night. For me. Your favorite sister.”
“My only sister.”
“Exactly! So by default, I’m your favorite. Please? I’ll buy you dinner first. Whatever you want.”
Max closes his eyes for a second, the thumping bass of the DJ’s set vibrating through the concrete floor. He pictures his quiet hotel room. The blissfully empty evening he had planned. A movie, maybe some room service. Silence. Then he pictures Victoria’s disappointed face. He’s always been a sucker for that face.
“Fine,” he groans, the word pulled from him like a bad tooth. “Fine. But you owe me. Big time.”
“Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She squeals, and he has to pull the phone away from his ear. “I’ll send you the address for the restaurant. Meet me there at seven-thirty. Wear something … less corporate.”
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” He asks, looking down at his crisp, dark shirt and trousers.
“Nothing, if you’re trying to sell me a mortgage. See you soon! You won’t regret this!”
The line goes dead.
Max stares at his phone, a deep, weary sigh escaping his lips. He absolutely, one hundred percent, will regret this.
***
Two hours later, he regrets it even more.
The air outside the Ziggo Dome is electric and humid, thick with the scent of perfume, street food, and youthful exuberance. It’s a sea of glitter, denim, and brightly colored crop tops. Max, in a plain black t-shirt and jeans, feels like a mountain that has accidentally wandered into a fairy garden. He towers over almost everyone, a grim statue in a tide of giddy excitement.
“Isn’t this amazing?” Victoria shouts over the din, her eyes sparkling. She’s practically vibrating with energy, clutching a ridiculous light-up-something-or-other she bought from a vendor.
“It’s … loud,” Max replies, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He feels a dozen pairs of eyes on him and knows it’s not because he’s Max Verstappen, three-time World Champion. It’s because he’s a twenty-something-year-old man who looks profoundly miserable at what is clearly the Best Night of Everyone Else’s Life.
“Oh, stop it. You’re just grumpy,” she says, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the entrance. “Once the music starts, you’ll get into it.”
They find their spots, which are alarmingly close to the stage. It’s a standing area, and they’re penned in, the press of bodies around them immediate and overwhelming. Max feels a familiar, low-level anxiety prickle at the back of his neck — the kind he gets when he’s in a crowd and not in control. In his world, crowds are behind barriers. He’s the one on the other side. This is different. He’s in it.
“You said good seats,” he mutters to Victoria, who is happily chatting with a girl next to her about your best album.
“They are! We can see everything!” She beams.
The lights suddenly go down.
A roar erupts from the crowd, a physical force that presses in on Max from all sides. It’s deafening. A deep, pulsing bass note vibrates up through the soles of his shoes, shaking his entire skeleton. On the massive screen behind the stage, a pair of cherry-red lips appears. They part, and a voice, your voice, slick and sweet as honey, echoes through the arena.
“Oh, I leave quite an impression …”
And then, you’re there.
You explode onto the stage in a flash of pink light and pure, unadulterated confidence. You’re tiny, a firecracker of a person, all sparkling boots and blonde hair and legs that seem to go on for an impossible length. The crowd loses its collective mind.
Max just … watches.
“Five feet to be exact,” you sing, strutting across the stage, a smirk playing on your lips. “You’re wonderin’ why half his clothes went missin’ … my body’s where they’re at.”
The lyrics hit him like a splash of cold water. They’re brazen, unapologetic. He glances at Victoria, who is screaming the words right back at you, a look of pure adoration on her face. He looks back at the stage. You have the entire arena, thousands of people, cradled in the palm of your hand.
“I heard you’re back together and if that’s true,” you coo, leaning into the microphone stand, one hand on your hip. “You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you.”
A guy next to Max yells, “I love you, Y/N!”
Max feels an involuntary twitch in his jaw. The performance is … impressive. He can’t deny it. The choreography is tight, your vocals are flawless, and your stage presence is magnetic. He’s a professional athlete, he recognizes elite-level performance when he sees it. This is your grand prix, your qualifying lap, and you are absolutely nailing it.
But it’s the sheer, unblinking audacity of it all that catches him off guard. The way you sing about sexuality not as some hidden, whispered secret, but as a weapon, a tool, a source of power. It’s so foreign to his world of carefully managed PR and corporate-friendly soundbites.
He spends the next half-hour in a state of detached observation. You move through a handful of songs, each one a different flavour of pop perfection. You’re funny, charming the crowd with little anecdotes between songs. You’re vulnerable, sitting on a stool with just a guitar for a heartbreaking ballad that silences the entire arena. You’re a powerhouse, belting out a high note that seems to shake the building.
Max finds himself leaning forward, his arms crossed over his chest, his earlier grumpiness replaced by a grudging respect. Then, that respect deepens into genuine fascination. He’s not just watching a pop star anymore. He’s watching you. He’s watching the way you wink at the camera, the bead of sweat that trickles down your temple, the genuine, breathtaking smile you give your guitarist after a solo.
“Having fun yet?” Victoria shouts in his ear during a transition, a smug grin on her face.
He just grunts in response, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of admitting that yes, actually, he’s not entirely miserable anymore.
The stage is bathed in a soft, dreamy pink light. A new, slinky synth beat starts to pulse through the speakers. The mood shifts. It’s slower, more intimate, more suggestive.
“Oh my god, it’s ‘Juno’,” Victoria whispers, her voice filled with reverence. “This is my favorite.”
You begin to sing, your voice a playful, seductive purr.
“Don’t have to tell your hot ass a thing … oh yeah, you just get it.”
You prowl the stage, your movements fluid and feline. The song is a flirtation, a proposition set to music.
“Wanna try out my fuzzy pink handcuffs?” You sing, and a ripple of laughter and screams goes through the crowd. “Oh, I hear you knockin’, baby … come on up.”
Max feels a strange heat creep up his neck. The lyrics are direct, and you deliver them while looking straight into the camera, a look in your eyes that’s both innocent and wildly mischievous. It feels like you’re singing to one person, and one person only. It feels, impossibly, like you’re singing to him.
Victoria nudges him hard in the ribs. “She’s incredible, right?”
He doesn’t answer. He can’t. He’s completely, utterly transfixed.
The song builds, the beat getting heavier. You’re dancing with a kind of joyful, sensual freedom that is mesmerizing.
“You make me wanna make you fall in love,” you belt out, and the crowd sings it back to you, a unified chorus of devotion.
Then comes the bridge. The music softens, becoming a spare, pulsing beat. The lights dim until there’s only a single, stark white spotlight on you. You walk to the very front of the stage, right to the edge, your sparkling boots just inches from the precipice.
You look out over the crowd, a sly, knowing smile on your face. You hold the microphone delicately in one hand.
“Wanna try out some freaky positions?” You ask, your voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that somehow carries to every corner of the arena.
The crowd holds its breath.
You pause, letting the tension hang in the air for one, two, three beats.
Then you ask, your voice dripping with suggestion, “Have you ever tried … this one?”
And you drop to your knees.
Right there, in front of seventeen thousand people.
You bring the microphone to your lips, tilt your head back, and close your eyes. Your movements are slow, deliberate, and utterly unmistakable. It’s a pantomime of obvious fellatio. It’s shocking. It’s hilarious. It’s the most brazenly confident thing Max has ever seen in his life.
And it completely, unequivocally, resets his brain.
Every thought in his head — the upcoming race weekend, the sponsor obligations, the feeling of being out of place, the simmering annoyance at his sister — vanishes. It’s all gone. Wiped clean. The intricate wiring of his meticulously controlled mind short-circuits, throwing sparks into the darkness. There is only the image of you, on your knees, bathed in a single spotlight.
The arena explodes. It’s a tidal wave of screams, laughter, and whistles. Victoria beside him is shrieking, clutching his arm so hard he’ll probably have bruises tomorrow.
Max doesn’t make a sound. He can’t. His jaw is slack. His heart is hammering against his ribs, a frantic, unfamiliar rhythm. He feels a primal, electric shock jolt through his entire system, a feeling so potent it almost makes his knees weak.
It’s not just desire. It’s … awe.
You hold the pose for a few seconds longer before pulling the microphone away with a wink, jumping back to your feet as the beat drops back in, and finishing the song as if nothing happened. As if you didn’t just detonate a small bomb in the chest of every person watching.
For the rest of the song, Max is on another planet. He’s disconnected from the noise, the crowd, from his own body. He is just a pair of eyes, locked on you.
After the song finishes, you’re breathing heavily, a triumphant grin on your face. You take a bottle of water from the side of the stage, take a long drink, and then address the crowd.
“Amsterdam!” You yell, and they yell back. “You guys are incredible tonight. So much energy. So much love.” You pause, scanning the faces in the front rows. “But … I’m afraid I have to be the bearer of bad news. There’s a criminal in our midst tonight.”
The crowd plays along with a chorus of dramatic boos and gasps.
“I know, I know,” you say, shaking your head sadly. “It’s a serious offense. This person has committed a crime of the highest order. The crime … of being illegally hot in a public place.”
The audience cheers, everyone hoping they’re about to be chosen.
You place a hand on your hip, your eyes sweeping across the crowd with theatrical seriousness. Your gaze travels over the screaming girls, the couples, the guys trying to look cool. Your eyes move, section by section. Max watches, his heart still beating a little too fast, a strange sense of dread and something else pooling in his stomach.
Then, your eyes stop.
They stop on him.
For a moment, he thinks it must be a mistake. You must be looking at the person behind him, or next to him. But no. Your eyes lock directly onto his. A slow, predatory smile spreads across your face. You lift a finger, pointing right at him.
“You,” you say, your voice ringing through the arena. The spotlight that was just on you swings over, blinding him as it finds its new target. “Yes, you, sir. In the plain black t-shirt. The one who looks like he’d rather be at a dentist appointment.”
The entire crowd around him turns to stare. Victoria lets out a sound that’s somewhere between a gasp and a cackle.
Max freezes. The world narrows to the blinding white light and your smiling face on the giant screens. He can feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. This is his worst nightmare. No, his worst nightmare is a DNF due to engine failure. This is a close second.
“Don’t look so scared,” you tease, your voice echoing around him. “Although, you should be. That level of handsome is a public disturbance. It’s distracting me from my job.” You motion to a burly security guard at the side of the stage. “Bring him to me. He needs to be apprehended.”
“Go!” Victoria hisses, pushing him forward. “Oh my god, Max, go!”
He feels like he’s walking through cement. The security guard, a man the size of a small car, gently but firmly guides him towards the barrier. A gap is opened, and he’s being led through the backstage wings and then up a small set of stairs. His ears are ringing.
He steps out onto the stage, and the roar of the crowd is a physical blow. The heat of the lights is intense. He squints, trying to see past the glare.
And then you’re in front of him.
Up close, you’re even smaller than he thought. And infinitely more terrifying. You’re radiating energy, your skin glowing with a light sheen of sweat, your eyes sparkling with mischief. You’re holding a pair of fuzzy pink handcuffs.
“Hello, criminal,” you say, your voice now soft enough that only he can hear it over the music that has started to play softly in the background. Your microphone is still live, though, broadcasting your words to the entire arena.
“Hi,” Max manages to croak out. His own voice sounds foreign to him.
“What’s your name, handsome?” You ask, circling him like a shark.
“Max.”
“Max,” you repeat, tasting the name. “Well, Max, tonight you’ve been a very, very bad boy. You thought you could just show up here, looking like that, and get away with it? Not on my watch.”
You take his wrist. Your touch is light, but it sends another jolt straight through him. Your fingers are cool against his skin. He watches, mesmerized, as you fasten one of the fuzzy pink cuffs around his wrist. The crowd is going insane.
“I sentence you,” you declare, your voice booming again, “to one song, served right here, where I can keep an eye on you.”
You attach the other cuff to the base of the microphone stand, effectively tying him to the center of the stage. You step back to admire your handiwork, a satisfied smirk on your face.
“Don’t go anywhere,” you say, tapping him lightly on the chest before turning your back to him and facing the crowd.
The opening chords of another upbeat, ridiculously catchy song fill the air. And you start to sing.
Max is trapped. He’s standing on stage, handcuffed to a microphone stand, at a pop concert he didn’t want to be at, in front of seventeen thousand people. And all he can do is watch you.
From this vantage point, it’s a completely different universe. He can see the intricate details of your costume, the concentration in your eyes as you hit a complex dance move, the way you connect with individual people in the front row, making each one feel like you’re singing only to them. He sees the consummate professional, the master of your craft, the artist in her element.
You keep glancing back at him, a playful wink here, a little shimmy in his direction there. He knows it’s part of the show, a performance for the crowd, but it feels intensely personal. He feels his blush deepen with every look. He’s acutely aware of how stiff he’s standing, how out of place he must look. He’s Max Verstappen. He’s used to being looked at. But not like this. Never, ever like this.
The song seems to last an eternity and also be over in a flash. As the final note rings out, you spin around and walk back to him, your chest rising and falling with exertion.
“Well?” You say, leaning in close again, your voice a low murmur just for him. “Have you learned your lesson?”
He finds his voice, a little rough. “I think so.”
“Good.” You produce a tiny key from a hidden pocket and unlock the handcuff on his wrist. As you free him, your fingers brush against his again. This time, the touch lingers for a fraction of a second too long. “You’re free to go, Max. For now.”
You give him a final, dazzling smile before turning to the audience. “Let’s hear it for our good sport, Max!”
The crowd cheers as the same security guard leads him back down the stairs and to his spot. He feels like he’s just run a full race distance. His adrenaline is pumping, his palms are sweaty, his mind is a complete blur.
He stumbles back into his spot next to Victoria, who immediately grabs him.
“Oh. My. God,” she says, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and glee. “That just happened. You were handcuffed by Y/N Y/L/N. On stage. I cannot believe that just happened!”
Max just shakes his head, unable to form a coherent sentence. He looks back towards the stage. You’re already launching into your next song, a global smash hit that everyone knows the words to.
But he doesn’t hear the music anymore. He doesn’t feel the press of the crowd. He can only see you. He can still feel the ghost of your touch on his wrist, can still hear your whispered “for now” ringing in his ears.
The grumpy, reluctant man who walked into this arena a few hours ago is gone. In his place is someone else. Someone who just had his entire world tilted on its axis by a five-foot pop star in sparkling boots.
He watches the rest of the show in a daze, a strange, small smile he can’t control playing on his lips.
Victoria was right. He didn’t regret it. Not one bit.
***
The ringing in Max’s ears finally subsides somewhere in the taxi back to the hotel, replaced by the relentless, high-pitched ringing of Victoria’s voice.
“I just can’t get over it. The look on your face! It was like a computer that had just been unplugged. Just … blank. Blue screen of death, Max, honestly.”
Max stares out the window, the blurred lights of Amsterdam streaking across the glass. The city is alive, humming with a nocturnal energy he usually appreciates. Tonight, he barely registers it. His mind is a looped video file, playing one specific scene over and over. The spotlight. The smirk. The fuzzy pink handcuffs.
“Are you even listening to me?” Victoria asks, nudging him.
“I’m listening,” he says, his voice quiet. “You’re enjoying my public humiliation. Loud and clear.”
“Oh, it was not humiliation! It was an honor!” She insists. “Do you know how many people would kill to be in your position? She chose you. Out of everyone. She thought you were the hottest person there.”
“She thought I was the most miserable-looking person there,” he corrects, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. “She said so.”
“Details, details. The point is, you were on stage with Y/N Y/L/N. My very boring, very serious brother who only cares about tire degradation and understeer was just handcuffed by one of the world’s biggest pop stars. This is the best night of my life.”
“Glad I could provide the entertainment,” he says, the sarcasm lacking any real bite. He can’t even summon the energy to be properly annoyed with her. Something else is occupying that space, a low-level hum of … something. He can’t put a name to it. It’s not excitement, not exactly. It’s more like the feeling he gets on the grid just before the five red lights go out. A deep, thrumming anticipation of the unknown.
When they pull up to his hotel, Victoria leans over and gives him a quick, tight hug. “Seriously, though. Thanks for coming with me tonight, Max. I know it wasn't your thing.”
“It was …” he starts, searching for the right word. He settles for, “… not as bad as I thought it would be.”
Victoria pulls back, her eyes shining with laughter. “That’s the most glowing review I’ve ever heard you give anything that doesn’t have four wheels and an engine. I’ll take it. Now go get some sleep. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
He hasn’t seen a ghost. He’s seen a goddess, maybe. Or a succubus. He’s not quite sure which.
The hotel room is just as he left it: sterile, quiet, and blessedly empty. The silence is a physical presence after the overwhelming noise of the concert. He toes off his shoes, drops his keys on the console table, and walks over to the floor-to-ceiling window. The view of the city is panoramic, a glittering tapestry of light and darkness.
He pulls his phone from his pocket, intending to put it on the charger and forget about the world. But the screen is lit up with a relentless barrage of notifications.
Dozens of them.
Lando: mate what the FUCK is this??????
Lando: [Link to Twitter video]
Lando: VERSTAPPEN YOU DOG
Daniel: I leave you alone for five minutes and you get arrested by a pop star? Proud of you.
Charles: Are you okay? I saw a video.
Even a message from his dad: Wat is dit? Bel me.
Max’s thumb hovers over the link Lando sent. He feels a knot of dread tighten in his stomach. He presses it.
The Twitter video player opens. It’s shaky, clearly filmed on a phone from somewhere in the crowd, but the audio is surprisingly clear. He watches the whole scene unfold from an outsider’s perspective. He sees you scan the crowd. He sees you point. He sees the spotlight hit him, sees his own deer-in-the-headlights expression magnified on the giant screens. He watches himself walk stiffly to the stage, looking like a man being led to the gallows.
And he watches you. The way you moved, the confidence radiating from you, the playful but utterly dominant energy you exuded. Then he sees the moment you handcuffed him, leaning in to whisper in his ear. From this angle, it looks intimate. Conspiratorial.
He scrolls down. The video has over a million views. It was posted less than an hour ago.
The comments are a chaotic whirlwind.
WHO IS THIS MAN??? HE’S GORGEOUS
Wait … no … that CAN’T be Max Verstappen.
THE F1 AND Y/N Y/L/N CROSSOVER I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED IN MY LIFE
THE WAY SHE LOOKS AT HIM OMG SHIP SHIP SHIP
he looks so flustered i can’t breathe
my man’s brain left the chat during Juno and never came back lmao
His cheeks burn. He clicks off the app, but it’s no use. He opens Instagram. He’s been tagged in hundreds of photos. His follower count is climbing at an alarming rate. He’s trending. #MaxVerstappen, #YNYLN, and #FuzzyPinkHandcuffs are the top three trends in the Netherlands.
He throws the phone onto the bed and runs a hand through his hair, pacing the length of the room. This is a PR nightmare. Or a PR dream, depending on who you ask. His media team is probably having a collective aneurysm. He’s supposed to be in Amsterdam for Heineken, projecting a mature, corporate-friendly image. Not … this. Not being the flustered boy toy in a pop star’s stage show.
But as he paces, another feeling starts to bubble up through the mortification. A slow, undeniable thrill. No one ever saw him like that. He was always in control, always the champion, the ‘Mad Max’ in the car, the cool professional out of it. Tonight, the world saw him completely disarmed. Vulnerable. And it was all because of you.
He stops in front of the window again, staring at his faint reflection in the glass. The corner of his own mouth quirks up into a smile.
“What the hell,” he whispers to the empty room.
***
“I cannot believe you arrested Max Verstappen.”
You’re sitting on a plush couch in your dressing room, a bottle of water in one hand, while your makeup artist gently removes the layers of glitter and eyeliner from your face. The post-show adrenaline is still singing in your veins, a pleasant, fizzy sensation that makes the whole world feel bright and conquerable.
“I arrested a hot guy in a black t-shirt,” you correct, taking a long sip of water. “I didn’t ask for his resume.”
Your tour manager, a perpetually stressed but fiercely loyal woman named Brit, is pacing in front of you, phone pressed to her ear. Your best friend and personal assistant, Laila, is the one who broke the news, and she’s now sitting cross-legged on the floor, scrolling through her phone with a look of manic glee.
“It doesn’t matter! The internet has decided he’s Max Verstappen,” Laila says, not looking up. “And, I mean, they’re not wrong. I’ve cross-referenced. It’s him. Official accounts are posting about it. Sports journalists are posting about it. It’s a thing.”
“Okay, so he’s … a sports guy?” You ask, feigning nonchalance as your makeup artist dabs at your eyelids with a cotton pad.
Laila finally looks up, her expression aghast. “A sports guy? Y/N, he’s a Formula 1 driver. He’s like … the Michael Jordan of driving in circles really, really fast. He’s a four-time world champion. He’s a Dutch national hero. We are in his country. You basically arrested the king.”
The information settles over you. It clicks into place, explaining a few things. The way he held himself, even when he was clearly uncomfortable — there was a coiled, athletic stillness to him. The look in his eyes wasn’t just surprise, it was the analytical gaze of someone constantly processing data, assessing a situation. And it explained the crowd’s slightly more frenzied reaction when the spotlight hit him. You’d assumed it was just for the gag.
“Huh,” is all you say. A slow smile begins to form on your newly cleaned face. “So the king is a fan?”
“I don’t think he was a fan,” Laila snorts. “From the videos of him before you pulled him up, he looked like he was being held at gunpoint. I think he was dragged there.”
This is even better. You didn’t just fluster a fan. You broke through the shell of a world champion who didn’t even want to be there. You got under his skin. The thought is ridiculously satisfying.
“Well, he’s a fan now,” you declare with a wink.
Brit hangs up her phone with a dramatic sigh. “Okay. So, I just spoke with your publicist. Her official take is: this is fantastic. It’s unexpected, it’s organic, it’s getting you in front of a completely new demographic. The sports blogs are eating it up. She says to just lean into it. Be playful. Don’t make it weird.”
You take the final cotton pad from Sarah and wipe the last of the lipstick from your mouth. “When have I ever made things weird?”
Laila and Brit share a look.
“Okay, fine,” you concede. “But this is different. This is … fun.”
You take Laila’s phone and start scrolling. You see the same videos Max saw, but from your perspective. You watch his face, magnified on the giant screens. The initial shock. The slow creep of a blush up his neck. The way his eyes darted around before inevitably locking back onto you. Laila was right. His brain had completely stalled. And you were the one who’d done it.
You click on his Instagram profile. It’s exactly what you’d expect. Polished, professional photos. Him in his race suit, him celebrating on a podium, him in a tailored suit at some gala. Intense. Focused. Untouchable.
Then you scroll to the tagged photos. The most recent ones are all from tonight. A sea of pictures of him on your stage, looking boyish and overwhelmed, a stark contrast to his own curated feed.
You feel a little flutter in your stomach, a spark of something potent and exciting. It’s the thrill of the chase, but with the roles reversed. You’re not used to being the pursuer, but then again, you’re not used to a man who looks at you with such a baffling mixture of terror and utter fascination.
“What are you doing?” Laila asks, noticing the dangerous glint in your eye.
“Conducting some market research,” you say sweetly.
You follow him.
Then you switch back to your own account, navigate to your direct messages, and type his name into the search bar. His profile pops up. The little blue checkmark sits next to his name, a silent confirmation.
Your thumb hovers over the message bar.
What do you say to the king you’ve just publicly dethroned?
Brit’s advice rings in your ears. Be playful. Don’t make it weird. But ‘not weird’ is boring. ‘Not weird’ is for other pop stars. Your entire brand is built on being a little weird, a lot bold. On singing the things most people only dare to think.
You think back to the show. The moment the energy shifted. The moment his carefully constructed composure finally cracked.
You smile. You know exactly what to say.
You type it out quickly, your heart giving a little thud of exhilaration. You read it back once. It’s perfect. It’s audacious. It’s you.
You hit send before you can talk yourself out of it.
***
Max is lying on his back in the king-sized bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep is a distant country he has no visa for. His mind is a racetrack, and the memory of you is doing endless hot laps.
He’s analysed it from every angle, the way he would with telemetry data after a qualifying session. The initial moment of eye contact. The walk to the stage. The feel of the fuzzy cuff on his wrist. The sound of your voice up close, stripped of the arena’s reverb. It was lower, huskier than he expected.
He rolls over, punching his pillow into a new shape, as if that will somehow rearrange his thoughts. It doesn’t work. He’s restless, agitated. He feels like he’s full of unspent energy, the phantom limb of an adrenaline crash that never came.
His phone, lying face down on the nightstand, buzzes against the wood.
He groans. It’s probably Lando again, with a newly created meme photoshopped from a picture of the concert. He resolves to ignore it. He needs to shut his brain off.
The phone buzzes again. A persistent, insistent little vibration.
With a sigh of resignation, he reaches over and grabs it. Maybe if he just looks at it, the itch of curiosity will be scratched and he can finally sleep.
He squints at the lock screen, his eyes adjusting to the brightness. There are two new notifications. Both from Instagram.
His breath catches in his throat.
It’s not a tag. It’s not a comment. It’s a message request.
@yourusername wants to send you a message.
Max sits bolt upright in bed. The sheet pools around his waist. He stares at the notification, his heart starting a frantic, staccato rhythm against his ribs. This can’t be real. It has to be a fake account, a prank. One of the millions of fan accounts.
But the profile picture is the same one from her official page. And his mind, ever the pragmatist, supplies the logical next step: check.
His thumb, feeling strangely clumsy, slides to open the notification. It takes him to the message request folder. There it is, at the top of the list. Your name, your picture, and the little blue checkmark that means everything in this strange, online world.
It’s real.
He taps on it, his pulse thundering in his ears. The chat opens. There’s only one message from you, sitting there, glowing in the darkness of his hotel room.
He reads it.
Y/N Y/L/N: So. That was fun. But the stage lighting doesn’t really do it justice. Ever wonder what a real demonstration of the Juno position looks like?
Time stops.
The air leaves Max’s lungs in a silent whoosh. He reads the message again. And a third time, just to be sure his sleep-deprived brain isn’t hallucinating.
It’s still there. Bold. Unapologetic. A direct challenge wrapped in a deeply provocative question. It’s the verbal equivalent of you dropping to your knees in that spotlight. It’s designed to shock, to disarm, to get a reaction.
And it works.
A slow, wide grin spreads across Max’s face. The last vestiges of his embarrassment evaporate, replaced by a surge of pure, unadulterated adrenaline that’s more potent than winning a race. The mortified man-boy from the concert stage is gone. The champion is back.
You’re playing his game. Or rather, you’re inviting him to play yours. High stakes, high risk, high reward. This, he understands. This is a language he speaks fluently.
His mind races, cycling through a dozen possible replies.
A simple ‘yes’ is too eager, too predictable. He’d be handing her all the power.
‘I might be interested’ is too weak, too corporate.
Ignoring it is an admission of defeat. And Max Verstappen does not lose.
He needs something that matches her energy. Something that acknowledges her move and raises the stakes. He needs a response that is as concise, confident, and just as cocky as her message.
He thinks about the terse, coded language of the racetrack. The call and response between driver and race engineer. Information received. Action required.
He knows what to write.
His thumbs fly across the screen. He doesn’t hesitate. He doesn’t second-guess.
Max Verstappen: Copy. Send location.
He hits send.
The single grey tick turns to two. Then, instantly, they turn blue. She’s seen it.
He holds his breath. The ball is back in her court. For a full ten seconds, there is nothing. He wonders if he’s been too bold, if he’s misread the entire situation.
Then, the little bubble with the three dots appears.
She is typing.
***
You stare at his reply, a genuine, delighted laugh bubbling up from your chest.
It’s perfect. It’s not the fawning, overly enthusiastic response you get from most guys, nor is it an attempt to play it cool that just comes off as insecure. It’s direct. It’s efficient. It’s a challenge met with equal force. It’s the most Formula 1-sounding text you could possibly imagine, and you find it ridiculously charming.
He’s not intimidated. He’s ready.
Laila is asleep in the bunk across from you on the tour bus, which is now hurtling down a dark highway toward your next stop. The only light is the glow of your phone. You have to bite your lip to keep from laughing out loud and waking her.
Okay, champion. You want to play? Let’s play.
You could send him your hotel address. You could tell him to meet you tomorrow. That would be the easy way. The boring way. You want to draw this out, just a little. You want to see what he’s made of.
Y/N Y/L/N: Not so fast, champion. A proper demonstration requires a proper setting. And I’m not sure you’ve earned it yet.
You hit send. The response comes back almost immediately.
Max Verstappen: What’s the objective?
You grin. Objective. He’s treating this like a race strategy. You can practically hear his engineer in his ear.
Y/N Y/L/N: The objective is for you to convince me you can handle it.
Max Verstappen: I handle 200 mph corners for a living. I think I can handle a pop star.
Oh, he’s cocky. You love it.
Y/N Y/L/N: Driving is easy. You’re just sitting down. This requires stamina. Finesse. An appreciation for the craft.
Max Verstappen: You have no idea what you’re talking about. But I’m a fast learner.
Y/N Y/L/N: I’m sure you are. But I have a very busy schedule. My European tour is tightly packed. You might have missed your window of opportunity.
You’re testing him. Seeing if he’ll back down. Seeing if he’ll push.
There’s a longer pause this time. You watch the screen, your heart doing a little tap dance against your ribs. Maybe you pushed too far. Maybe he’s decided it’s not worth the effort.
Then, the three dots appear again.
Max Verstappen: I’m looking at your tour schedule. And my race calendar. You have a day off in two days, after your show in Cologne. I have a simulator session I can move.
You blink at the message. He’s … planning. He’s looking at logistics. This isn’t just a flirtatious game to him anymore, it’s a puzzle to be solved. The seriousness of it, the methodical way he’s approaching this, is the hottest thing you’ve ever encountered.
Y/N Y/L/N: Stalking my tour schedule now? A little desperate, don’t you think?
Max Verstappen: It’s called preparation. You should try it. So. Cologne. You’re at the Hyatt. I can get a room there. We can have dinner. You can … convince me of your craft.
He’s flipped it back on you. Now you’re the one who has to perform. It’s brilliant.
Y/N Y/L/N: Dinner? How charmingly old-fashioned.
Max Verstappen: I am an old man, remember? That’s what you told 17,000 people tonight.
You laugh softly. He’s got a sense of humor buried under all that intensity. This is getting better and better.
Y/N Y/L/N: Fine, Verstappen. Dinner. Two days. Cologne. If you can keep up with the conversation, maybe I’ll consider giving you a private demonstration.
Max Verstappen: I’ll be the one deciding if you get a second date.
The sheer audacity. You have to put the phone down for a second, a wide, incredulous smile on your face. He’s not just playing the game; he’s trying to rewrite the rules.
Y/N Y/L/N: Don’t get ahead of yourself. Just because you have a world title doesn’t mean you’re getting past the first round with me.
Max Verstappen: Good. I like a challenge.
Max Verstappen: Good night, Y/N.
He used your name. Your actual name. It feels surprisingly intimate after the verbal sparring. And he ended the conversation. He won the last word. He’s in control.
You stare at his final message, a giddy, unfamiliar feeling fluttering in your chest. You have a feeling that Max Verstappen is unlike anyone you have ever met before. And you cannot wait to see him again.
You type back one last message.
Y/N Y/L/N: Good night, Max. Don’t get your hopes up.
You turn your phone off and slide it under your pillow. You lie back in the darkness of your bunk, the gentle rocking of the bus a soothing lullaby. But you know you won’t be sleeping for a while. Your mind is already in Cologne, in a hotel restaurant, sitting across from a man who looks at you like you’re the most terrifying and fascinating puzzle he’s ever seen.
And you think, with a thrill of pure, delicious anticipation, that the show is only just getting started.
***
The two days that follow are a strange, suspended reality. A low-frequency hum of anticipation lives just under your skin, a constant companion through your soundcheck in Cologne, the press interviews, the meet-and-greet with fans. You are physically present for all of it, smiling, charming, hitting your notes. But a part of your mind is elsewhere, replaying a text exchange, dissecting the subtext of every concise, infuriatingly confident message from Max.
He doesn’t text often, but when he does, it’s with purpose.
The morning after your initial conversation, a message appears.
Max Verstappen: Good morning. My travel is booked. I will see you tomorrow.
It’s a statement of fact. A confirmation of a logistic. It’s the least romantic text you’ve ever received, and yet it sends a ridiculous thrill through you. There are no emojis, no playful banter. Just the cold, hard fact that he is coming. He is committed to the objective.
You, on the other hand, play your part.
Y/N Y/L/N: Don’t get lost on the way. Big cities can be scary for country boys 😉
His reply takes an hour.
Max Verstappen: I navigate Monaco at 300 kph. I can find the hotel.
You laugh out loud when you read it, earning a strange look from your choreographer.
The day of the date feels like the slow, torturous climb of a rollercoaster. The show that night is electric. You feel alive, every nerve ending tingling with a mixture of performance adrenaline and the knowledge that he is somewhere in the same city, waiting. You pour all of that crackling energy into your set, giving the Cologne audience a performance that feels even more charged, more brazen than the one in Amsterdam. When you get to the Juno position, you hold his imagined gaze, a silent promise hanging in the air of the arena.
Back in your hotel suite, you dismiss your team with breezy assurances that you just want to decompress alone.
“Are you sure?” Laila asks, lingering by the door, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “You usually want to order a mountain of fries and dissect the show for at least an hour.”
“I’m sure,” you say, already pulling off your stage-dusted boots. “Just tired tonight. Long day.”
“Uh-huh,” she says, unconvinced. “Well, text me if you need anything. Or if a certain Dutch national hero happens to get lost and wander into your room.”
You throw a pillow at her, and she ducks out of the room, cackling.
Alone, the silence of the suite buzzes around you. You stand under the spray of the shower, the hot water sluicing away the sweat and glitter of the show, but it can’t wash away the thrumming anticipation. This is different from the usual pre-date jitters. This isn’t about impressing someone. This is a game. A high-stakes match against an opponent who is, in his own way, as much of a champion as you are.
You choose your outfit with the care of a general planning a campaign. Nothing too overt. That would be too easy. You settle on a black silk slip dress. It’s simple, elegant, and whispers rather than shouts. It skims your body, hinting at every curve without clinging. It says, I didn’t try too hard, but you’re going to have a very hard time not thinking about what’s underneath this.
You leave your hair slightly damp, letting it wave naturally. Your makeup is minimal — a touch of mascara, a sheer gloss on your lips. This is not the Y/N from the stage. This is the you he hasn’t seen. The you behind the performance. That, you decide, is the most strategic move of all.
At exactly nine o’clock, your phone buzzes.
Max Verstappen: I’m in the lobby bar. In the corner.
No ‘are you ready?’, no ‘let me know when you’re coming down’. Just a statement of his position. He’s in place. He’s waiting.
Your heart gives a single, hard thump.
Showtime.
***
The hotel bar is the kind of place that specializes in expensive brown liquor and hushed conversations. It’s all dark wood, low lighting, and the quiet clinking of heavy glassware. You spot him immediately.
He’s exactly where he said he’d be, in a discreet booth in the far corner, nursing a glass of what looks like sparkling water. He’s not on his phone. He’s just watching the room with a calm, unnerving stillness. He’s wearing a dark grey jumper that makes his shoulders look even broader than they do in a race suit, and his hair is soft and unstyled. The sight of him, so different from the intense, helmeted athlete or the flustered boy on your stage, sends a fresh jolt of electricity through you.
He sees you the moment you step into the room. His eyes lock onto yours, and for a second, the rest of the bar melts away. He doesn't smile, but you see a flicker of something in his gaze — appreciation, surprise, something else you can’t quite name. He stands up as you approach, a simple, almost formal gesture of courtesy that feels surprisingly charming.
“Hi,” you say, your voice a little softer than you intended.
“Hi,” he replies. His voice is a low rumble that seems to vibrate in the space between you. He gestures to the seat opposite him. “You look … different.”
You slide into the booth, the leather cool against your bare legs. “Different good, or different like I’ve just escaped a glitter factory?”
A small smile finally touches his lips. It transforms his whole face, softening the sharp, intense lines. “Different good. Very good.”
A waiter materializes at your elbow. You order a glass of champagne, and Max orders another water.
“No celebration drink?” You ask, arching an eyebrow after the waiter has gone. “I thought you Heineken guys were always on the clock.”
“I’m working tomorrow,” he says simply. “Simulator. Can’t be slow.”
“Ah, yes. The discipline,” you say, leaning your elbows on the table. “Tell me, Max, are you ever not working? Do you ever just … turn it off?”
“Do you?” He counters, his blue eyes sharp and intelligent. He’s not just making conversation; he’s probing, gathering data.
You have to give him a small, impressed smile. “Touché. No, I guess not. Even when I’m ‘off,’ I’m thinking about lyrics, melodies, the next tour …”
“It’s the same,” he nods, seeming to understand completely. “There is always the next race. The next corner. You can’t leave it behind. It’s who you are.”
In that single moment, a bridge forms between your two vastly different worlds. The pop star and the racing driver. On the surface, nothing alike. But underneath, you are both predators, obsessive perfectionists, addicted to the roar of the crowd and the taste of victory. You both live your lives in the unforgiving glare of the public spotlight.
“So,” you say, changing the subject, a playful glint returning to your eyes. “Will you enjoy the show tonight? Or did you need a chaperone to drag you here, too?”
He takes a slow sip of his water, his gaze never leaving yours. “I came on my own this time.” He pauses. “It was good. You are … very good at what you do.”
Coming from him, the simple, unadorned compliment lands with more weight than a thousand gushing reviews. It’s a professional assessment. Champion to champion.
“And you’re very good at what you do,” you reply. “Though I still think it’s mostly just sitting down and turning a wheel.”
He lets out a low chuckle. “You wouldn’t last ten laps.”
“You wouldn’t last one song in my heels.”
“Deal,” he says, his smile widening. “But you have to wear the race suit.”
The waiter arrives with your champagne. You lift the glass, the tiny bubbles catching the light. “To unlikely deals,” you say.
He lifts his water glass. “To keeping up.”
The clink of your glasses hangs in the air. The overture is over. The real match is beginning.
You talk for over an hour. The conversation flows with a surprising ease. He asks you about your songwriting process with a genuine, technical curiosity. You ask him about the psychology of racing, of pushing a machine and your own body to the absolute edge of their limits. You find you are both fluent in the language of pressure.
He’s not what you expected. He’s not arrogant, but he has a deep, unshakable core of self-belief that is more potent than any boast. He’s funny, in a dry, deadpan way. And he’s an intensely focused listener. When you speak, he watches you with an unnerving concentration, as if he’s trying to memorize the very cadence of your voice.
You feel the familiar pull of attraction deepening into something more dangerous. A genuine fascination. You’re enjoying this too much. You’re letting your guard down. Time to retake the offensive.
As he’s explaining the physics of downforce, you stretch your legs out under the table. You let your bare foot brush against his ankle.
He stops talking. Mid-sentence.
It’s just for a second. A tiny, fractional pause. But you see it. A flicker in his eyes. A subtle tightening of his jaw. You’ve breached his defenses.
You pretend it was an accident, pulling your foot back slightly before letting it find his leg again, this time with a little more purpose. You slowly, deliberately, trace the line of his calf with your toes, the silk of your dress whispering against the leather of the booth.
He resumes his explanation of downforce, but his voice is a fraction deeper. He doesn't acknowledge what you're doing. He just keeps talking, his eyes locked on yours, as if he’s daring you to push it further.
Challenge accepted.
You slide your foot higher, your toes finding the rough denim of his jeans at his knee. You press, gently. He continues to speak, his composure on the surface absolute. But you can feel the rigid tension in his leg muscles under your foot. You’re getting to him. The untouchable champion is not so untouchable after all.
You get bolder. You hook your ankle around his, pulling his leg slightly closer to yours. You’re playing a secret, silent game in the middle of a respectable hotel bar, and the illicit thrill of it is intoxicating.
He finishes his point about tyre degradation and then falls silent. He just looks at you, his gaze intense, unreadable. The air between you is thick with unspoken things. Your foot is still hooked around his ankle.
“Are you finished?” He asks, his voice low and steady.
For a second, you think he means with your drink. But the look in his eyes tells you he means something else entirely.
“I’m just getting started,” you whisper.
He holds your gaze for another long moment. Then, he puts his napkin on the table, a gesture of finality.
“I have a suite,” he says. It’s not a question. It’s a statement. An instruction. “We should go.”
He’s taking back control. Calling the play. And every cell in your body sings in agreement.
“Lead the way, champion,” you say, your voice a purr.
***
The walk from the bar to the elevator is the longest walk of your life. He doesn’t touch you, but you can feel the heat radiating from him. He walks a half-step ahead of you, a silent, dominant presence clearing a path through the lobby. You feel like a satellite caught in his gravitational pull.
Inside the elevator, the silence is deafening. The mirrored walls reflect the two of you, standing a foot apart, not looking at each other but acutely aware of every tiny movement, every breath. The air is so charged you feel like a spark could set it all on fire. You watch his reflection. His jaw is set, his hands are clenched into loose fists at his sides. He is a picture of forced composure, a volcano putting a lid on itself.
The soft ding of the elevator arriving at his floor makes you both jump.
He leads you down the hallway to his room, his key card beeping softly as he unlocks the door. He pushes it open and stands back, letting you enter first.
The suite is huge and impersonal, the way all expensive hotel rooms are. A sprawling living area, a minibar, and a wall of windows showing the glittering lights of Cologne. But you don’t see any of it. All you see is him as he closes the door behind you, the solid click of the lock echoing in the quiet room.
The sound seals you in. The public game is over. The private one is about to begin.
He walks past you towards the minibar. “Do you want a drink?” He asks, his back to you. It’s a last, desperate grasp at normalcy. At control.
You’re not going to let him have it.
You walk up behind him, stopping so close you can feel the warmth of his body. You can smell his cologne, a clean, sharp scent of citrus and something woody.
“I don’t want a drink, Max,” you say, your voice low and husky.
He turns around slowly. You’re so close you have to tilt your head back to look up at him. His eyes are dark, his pupils blown wide. The cool, collected man from the bar is gone. In his place is someone else. Someone raw and unguarded.
“Then what do you want?” He asks, his voice rough.
You reach up and place a hand flat on his chest. You can feel his heart hammering against your palm, a frantic, wild rhythm that matches your own.
“I want to know if you can still talk a big game up close,” you whisper, letting your fingers trail up his chest to the collar of his jumper. “Still think you can handle me, champion?”
That’s it. That’s the word. The spark.
He snaps.
His control shatters into a million pieces. In one swift, fluid movement, he has you backed against the solid wood of the door, his body caging yours. One of his hands comes up to brace the door next to your head, the other finds your waist, his fingers digging into the silk of your dress, pulling you flush against him. You can feel the hard, undeniable proof of his arousal pressed against your stomach.
His face is inches from yours, his eyes burning with an intensity that steals your breath.
“Handle you?” He growls, his voice a low, guttural sound that vibrates through you. “I have thought about nothing else for two days. Since the moment you put those ridiculous handcuffs on my wrist. I’ve thought about your mouth. I’ve thought about this dress. And I’ve thought about every single word of that fucking song.”
Your mind goes blank. All the witty comebacks, the playful teasing, it all evaporates in the face of this raw, overwhelming honesty. This is what was hiding beneath all that discipline. A ferocious, tightly leashed desire. And you are the one who just snapped the leash.
“Max …” you breathe, your voice barely a whisper.
“Don’t,” he says, his gaze dropping to your lips. “Don’t talk. Not yet.”
And then he kisses you.
It’s not a kiss. It’s a collision. It’s desperate and hungry and furious. It’s two days of tension and a lifetime of control being obliterated in a single, devastating moment. His mouth is hot and demanding, his lips crashing against yours with a bruising force that makes you see stars. He tastes of mint and bottled water and pure, unadulterated need.
You kiss him back with equal ferocity, your hands coming up to tangle in his soft hair, pulling him closer, deeper. You open your mouth to him, and his tongue sweeps in, claiming you with a possessive, masterful confidence. It’s a battle, a fight for dominance, and you are both losing, both winning, both surrendering completely.
He breaks the kiss only to trail his mouth down your jaw, along your throat, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin there. You arch your back, a low sound of pleasure escaping your lips. His hand at your waist slides lower, cupping your ass, lifting you up and grinding you against him.
“Is this … handling it?” He murmurs against your neck, his breath hot on your skin.
“You’re getting warmer,” you pant, your brain struggling to form coherent thoughts.
He lifts his head, his eyes blazing, and kisses you again, hard and deep. He walks you backwards, away from the door, his mouth never leaving yours. You stumble over something, but he holds you steady, his arms like steel bands around you. He doesn't stop until the back of your knees hit the edge of the bed. He pushes you down gently, following you, his body covering yours, caging you on the mattress.
He breaks the kiss, his chest heaving, and props himself up on his elbows, looking down at you. Your dress is rucked up around your thighs, your hair is a mess, your lips are swollen from his. You probably look like a storm just passed through you.
“Okay,” he says, his voice still rough with passion. “Okay.” It’s like he’s trying to reboot his own brain, to find the control again.
But you’re not done with him yet. You haven’t fulfilled your promise.
You reach up and place your hands on his chest, pushing him gently. “My turn,” you say, your voice breathy.
He looks at you, confused, but allows you to push him into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. He watches you, his eyes full of questions, as you slide off the bed and onto your knees in front of him. You look up at him from the floor, and you see the exact moment recognition dawns in his eyes. It’s the same look he had at the concert. Shock. Awe. Utter, brain-melting disbelief.
“The stage lighting really doesn’t do it justice,” you whisper, repeating your words from the DM. You give him a slow, wicked smile. “Time for your private demonstration.”
You reach out and unbuckle his belt, the metallic click loud in the silent room. You pull the zipper of his jeans down slowly, deliberately, your eyes never leaving his. His breath hitches. His hands, which had been resting on his knees, clench into tight fists.
You take him into your hand. He’s hot and hard and heavy, and a fresh wave of desire, of power, washes over you. You lean in, your lips brushing against the tip of him, a teasing, feather-light touch. He lets out a low, strangled groan and his head falls back against the headboard.
“Look at me,” you command softly.
His eyes snap open, locking with yours. They are dark, hazy with lust.
“Do you want to try,” you whisper, “this one?”
And you take him into your mouth.
You put every ounce of your skill, your confidence, your audacity into it. This is a performance, but it’s the most intimate one you’ve ever given. It’s slow and deep and decadent. You use your tongue, your lips, your hands, orchestrating his pleasure with the precision of a conductor. You watch his face the entire time, watch the way his jaw clenches, the muscles in his neck cord, the way his eyes squeeze shut as you push him closer to the edge. You’re in complete control, and the power is a heady, intoxicating drug.
He lasts longer than you expect, his famous discipline fighting a losing battle against the pure, overwhelming sensation. His hands come down to fist in your hair, not pulling, just holding on, anchoring himself in the storm you’ve created. His breathing is harsh, ragged.
“Y/N …” he chokes out your name, a plea and a prayer.
You know he’s close, on the brink. And just as he’s about to shatter, you pull away.
He lets out a frustrated growl, his eyes snapping open. They are wild, furious, and filled with a desperate need that makes you weak at the knees.
“What are you doing?” He rasps.
You get to your feet, a triumphant smirk on your lips. “Demonstration over,” you say, your voice a little shaky.
For a second, he just stares at you, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Then, in a movement so fast you don't have time to react, he’s on his feet. He grabs your arm, spins you around, and pushes you face down onto the bed.
“My turn,” he growls in your ear, his voice a low, predatory rumble.
He pushes the silk of your dress up to your waist, his hot breath on the back of your neck. His hands explore your body, not with gentleness, but with a hungry, desperate curiosity. He spans your waist, his thumbs pressing into the small of your back.
“You have no idea what you just started,” he murmurs, his lips brushing against your earlobe.
He parts you with his fingers, and you gasp as his thumb finds your clit, pressing down with a firm, knowing pressure. You moan into the pillow, your carefully constructed control completely gone. You are pure sensation, pure need.
Then, his mouth replaces his hand.
And your world ends.
If your performance was a work of art, his is an act of sheer, focused demolition. There is no finesse, no teasing. It is a direct, relentless, overwhelming assault on your senses. His tongue is masterful, merciless. He finds your rhythm instantly and pushes you, harder, faster, deeper. He’s not performing, he’s claiming. He’s not asking, he’s taking. He’s a champion, and he is determined to win.
You lose all sense of time and space. There is only the bedspread clutched in your fists, the sound of your own helpless moans, and the exquisite, unbearable pleasure he is inflicting on you. Your hips buck against his mouth, chasing the feeling, chasing the release.
“Max, please,” you cry out, not even sure what you’re asking for.
He doesn’t stop. He just holds your hips tighter, his mouth becoming even more insistent. He is pushing you over an edge you didn't even know was there. The pleasure builds and builds, a tight, coiling knot in your stomach, until it becomes unbearable.
And then, it snaps.
Your climax rips through you, a violent, soul-shattering wave of pure ecstasy. You scream his name into the pillow as your body convulses, the release so powerful it leaves you trembling and breathless, completely undone.
He doesn't stop until the last aftershock has faded. He stays there for a moment longer before moving up, collapsing onto the bed beside you, his body slick with sweat. He pulls you against his side, his arm wrapping around you, holding you tight.
You lie there in silence for a long time, the only sound the ragged rhythm of your breathing slowly returning to normal. Your body feels boneless, your mind blissfully blank.
He broke through all your defenses. He met your challenge and raised the stakes to a level you never could have imagined. He didn't just handle you. He conquered you.
You turn your head on the pillow to look at him. His eyes are closed, but a small, satisfied smile plays on his lips.
“So,” you say, your voice a wrecked, husky whisper. “Second date?”
His eyes flutter open. He looks at you, his eyes clear and bright, and the smile widens into a genuine, breathtaking grin.
“Copy,” he says. “Send location.”
***
The morning light in Cologne is grey and unforgiving, slicing through a gap in the heavy blackout curtains. You wake slowly, your body a warm, heavy tangle of limbs and satisfaction. For a moment, you don't know where you are. Then you feel it — the solid weight of an arm draped possessively over your waist, the steady rhythm of a heartbeat against your back.
It all comes rushing back in a dizzying, cinematic flash. The bar. The elevator. The devastating, all-consuming kiss against the door. The demonstration. And his … rebuttal.
A slow smile spreads across your face. You lie still, listening to the sound of his breathing, the quiet hum of the city outside. This is usually the part you hate. The awkward morning-after shuffle, the polite but pointed small talk, the unspoken question of who leaves first. You’re an expert at the clean getaway.
But as you lie there, pinned by the arm of a sleeping world champion, you feel a distinct lack of any desire to escape. You feel … comfortable. Calm. It’s a dangerously unfamiliar sensation.
You carefully, quietly, try to slide out from under his arm. You fail. The arm tightens, and a low, sleepy groan rumbles from his chest. He pulls you back against him, his face nuzzling into the curve of your neck.
“Don’t move,” he murmurs, his voice thick with sleep.
“I was just going to the bathroom,” you whisper, your heart giving a little flutter at the casual intimacy of the gesture.
“Bathroom can wait,” he says, his lips brushing against your skin. “Five more minutes.”
You surrender, letting your body relax back into his. The five minutes stretch into fifteen, a peaceful, silent bubble in the heart of a bustling hotel. He doesn’t say anything else, and neither do you. You just lie there, existing in the same space, and it feels more natural than it has any right to.
Eventually, the silence is broken by the insistent buzz of a phone on the nightstand. Max groans again, a sound of pure protest this time. He reluctantly untangles himself from you, the loss of his warmth immediate, and leans over to grab the offending device.
He squints at the screen, running a hand through his already messy hair. “It’s my race engineer,” he says, his voice still gravelly. He clears his throat. “I have to … I have a session.”
“The famous simulator,” you say, propping yourself up on your elbows, the sheet pooling around your waist.
He looks at you, and for the first time in the clear morning light, you see him without the mask of intensity or the haze of lust. He just looks like a guy who’s been woken up too early. A handsome guy, yes, but a normal one. There’s a faint crease on his cheek from the pillow. It’s ridiculously endearing.
“Yeah,” he says, a faint blush creeping up his neck. He seems suddenly, uncharacteristically awkward. “I, uh, I have to go.”
Here it is. The pivot. The moment the magic of the night gives way to the harsh reality of the morning.
“Okay,” you say, keeping your voice light and breezy. You start to get out of bed, ready to gather your dress from the floor and perform your signature vanishing act.
“Wait,” he says, and his voice is sharp enough to make you pause.
You turn to look at him. He’s sitting on the edge of the bed, his phone in one hand, looking at you with that intense, analytical gaze you’re coming to recognize. The awkwardness is gone, replaced by a focused seriousness.
“What?” You ask.
He seems to be weighing his words carefully. “This wasn’t … I don’t do this.”
You raise an eyebrow. “Do what? Have spectacularly hot, mutually satisfying sex with international pop stars? I’m sure it’s a rare occurrence.”
A small smile tugs at his lips, but his eyes remain serious. “No. This. A … one-night thing. It’s not my style.”
“Relax, champion,” you say, a little too quickly. “You don’t have to give me the ‘it’s not you, it’s my demanding career’ speech. I get it. I wrote the platinum-selling album on the subject. No strings, no expectations. It was a great demonstration. End of story.”
You’re protecting yourself, throwing up your usual walls of wit and nonchalance. But the words feel hollow even as you say them.
“That’s not what I’m saying,” he says, his gaze unwavering. He stands up and walks over to you, stopping just in front of you. He’s wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs, and you have to actively force your brain to focus on his face. “I’m saying this isn’t the end of the story. For me.”
Your breath catches in your throat. “What are you saying, Max?”
“I’m saying I want to see you again,” he says, his voice low and firm, leaving no room for misunderstanding. “Not for a game. Not for a challenge. I just … want to see you.”
The raw, unvarnished honesty of it knocks the air out of your lungs. There are no clever lines, no carefully constructed moves. Just a simple, direct statement of intent. It’s terrifying. And it’s thrilling.
“My schedule is insane,” you hear yourself say, the old excuses coming automatically. “I’m in a different city every other day. And you’re …”
“I know what my schedule is,” he cuts in. “I know what yours is. I looked it up again this morning.” Of course he did. “It’s difficult. It’s not impossible.” He reaches out and tucks a stray strand of hair behind your ear, his touch surprisingly gentle. “I want to try.”
You look into his eyes, and you see no games, no pretense. You see the same focus and determination he probably has when he’s hunting down a rival on the last lap of a race. And it’s all directed at you.
A slow, genuine smile spreads across your face. “Okay, Verstappen,” you say softly. “Let’s try.”
***
Trying, it turns out, is a logistical nightmare that feels like the easiest thing in the world.
Your life becomes a chaotic puzzle of time zones, flight paths, and encrypted text messages. It’s a relationship built in the stolen moments between soundchecks and simulator sessions, in quiet hotel rooms in cities you barely have time to see.
It’s a study in contradictions.
You are loud, he is quiet. Your life is a curated performance of joyful chaos, his is a monastic devotion to the millimeter, the microsecond. You thrive on the energy of thousands of screaming fans, he finds his peace in the solitary focus of the cockpit.
And somehow, it works. He becomes your anchor in the whirlwind of your life. You become his escape from the crushing pressure of his.
The first time you go to a race, it’s Monaco. Of course it’s Monaco. You step into the paddock, and it’s like entering another planet. The air is thick with the smell of burning rubber and expensive perfume, the sound a constant, high-strung symphony of screaming engines and a dozen different languages. It’s the only place on earth where your sequined jumpsuit doesn't even warrant a second glance.
Max meets you by the Red Bull hospitality suite, a rare, genuine smile on his face as he watches you take it all in.
“A bit much, isn’t it?” He says, his hand finding the small of your back.
“Honey, ‘a bit much’ is my brand,” you reply, grinning up at him. “I feel right at home.”
He gets a jealous look from another driver and Max’s hand on your back becomes just a little more possessive. He introduces you to his race engineer, GP, a man with a perpetually amused glint in his eye.
“So you’re the one,” GP says, shaking your hand. “The one who finally managed to knock him off his focus.”
“Oh, I think his focus is perfectly intact,” you say, giving Max a sly wink. “I’m just … recalibrating his suspension.”
GP lets out a bark of laughter. “I like her, Max. Don’t mess this one up.”
You spend the race in the garage, a pair of oversized headphones clamped over your ears. You don’t understand ninety percent of what’s happening, but you understand the tension. You watch the data on the screens, the focused ballet of the pit crew, the raw, primal emotion when Max makes a daring overtake. You see him in his element, a modern-day gladiator in a carbon fibre chariot, and your fascination with him deepens into a profound respect.
He starts showing up to your shows whenever his calendar has a twenty-four-hour gap. He’ll fly from Spa to London, from Monza to Paris, just to stand at the side of the stage and watch you. He never says much. He just stands there, his arms crossed, a small, proud smile on his face as you command the adoration of thousands. He’s your quiet island in the middle of the screaming ocean of your life.
One night, after a show in New York, you’re back in the hotel, exhausted and high on adrenaline. He’s sitting on the couch, watching you pace around the room as you dissect the performance.
“The bridge in ‘Tornado Warning’ was a little pitchy, and I missed my mark on the final chorus choreography …”
He just watches you, his expression calm and steady. “It was amazing,” he says when you finally pause for breath.
“You always say that,” you say, flopping down onto the couch next to him.
“Because it’s always true,” he replies simply. He reaches over and pulls you into his lap, his arms wrapping around you. You sigh, your body melting into his, the frantic energy of the show finally draining away.
“How do you do it?” You whisper into his neck. “How do you stay so … calm?”
“It’s easy,” he murmurs, his lips brushing against your temple. “You’re loud enough for both of us.”
***
For his birthday, you decide to give him a gift only you can.
“I’m writing a song for you,” you announce one evening over a crackly FaceTime call. He’s in Singapore, you’re in L.A.
He groans, but he’s smiling. “Please don’t. My team already gives me enough shit for dating you. And Lando will be insufferable.”
“Oh, it’s too late,” you say sweetly. “The hook is already written. It’s very … aerodynamic.”
The song, titled ‘Pole Position’, drops two weeks later. It’s a pulsing, synth-heavy, ridiculously sexy track. It’s also the most explicit thing you’ve ever written. It’s filled with barely-veiled metaphors about G-forces, chicanes, and finishing first. The bridge is a breathy, spoken-word masterpiece that contains the line, “They say you’re the master of the late-breaking … I can attest to your stamina.”
It’s an instant, scandalous, global smash hit.
Max texts you the day it’s released.
Maxie ❤️: You are going to be the death of me.
You text back: You love it.
There’s a long pause.
Maxie ❤️: The car is on its way to your video shoot.
You had somehow, through a combination of dazzling charm, irrefutable brand synergy logic, and possibly a little light blackmail, convinced the Red Bull marketing team to let you use one of their F1 cars for the music video.
The video is a masterpiece of high-gloss camp. You, writhing on the chassis of an RB19 in a leather catsuit. You, licking champagne off a winner’s trophy. You, sitting in the cockpit, running your hands over the steering wheel with a look of pure, unadulterated lust on your face.
The video breaks the internet. Red Bull’s social media engagement goes up by 500 percent. Red Bull sends you a case of champagne with a note that says, “Well played.”
Max’s response is more succinct.
He wins the next race in Austin in a dominant, lights-to-flag victory. As he crosses the finish line, GP’s voice crackles over the radio.
“Okay, Max, that is P1. A brilliant, brilliant drive, mate. Absolutely flawless.”
There’s a pause, filled only with the sound of Max’s heavy breathing and the whine of the downshifting engine.
Then, his voice comes over the global broadcast, clear and steady.
“Yeah, that was a good one,” he says. “That one was for you, Y/N.”
You’re watching from the green room of a talk show in New York, and you burst into tears. It’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for you.
***
Time blurs, the way it does when you’re happy. Seasons pass in a flurry of checkered flags and sold-out stadiums. Your love story becomes a strange, accepted part of the cultural landscape. The scandalous pop star and the stoic racing champion. The odd couple who, against all odds, make perfect sense.
You are there in the suffocating humidity of Singapore, the glamour of Las Vegas, the historic grandeur of Silverstone. He is there in the wings of Madison Square Garden, the front row of the O2 Arena, the chaotic backstage of Glastonbury.
Then comes the race in Abu Dhabi.
It’s the culmination of a long, brutal season. He’s been fighting tooth and nail, a relentless battle for every point. It all comes down to this one race, under the desert lights. If he wins, he secures his fifth World Championship.
You’re in the garage, a nervous wreck. You’re twisting the strap of your paddock pass, your heart hammering in time with the screaming engines. You watch the race unfold on the monitors, your stomach in knots. It’s a tense, strategic affair. He doesn’t put a wheel wrong. He is a machine, a perfect fusion of man and carbon fiber.
He crosses the line. He wins.
The garage explodes. A tidal wave of joy and relief washes over everyone. Engineers are hugging, mechanics are crying. You are just standing there, tears streaming down your face, a sob of pure pride caught in your throat.
Later, after the podium, the interviews, the whirlwind of celebration, you find him in his driver’s room. He’s sitting on a bench, his head in his hands, the emotion of the day finally catching up to him.
You walk over and sit next to him, placing a hand on his back.
He looks up, his eyes red-rimmed. He gives you a watery, exhausted smile. “We did it.”
“You did it,” you say softly, wiping a tear from his cheek. “You’re incredible.”
He leans in and rests his forehead against yours. “Couldn’t do it without you,” he whispers. “My lucky charm.”
A few days later, you’re on stage in London. It’s the first show of your new world tour, a bigger, more ambitious production than ever before. The “arrest” segment with the fuzzy handcuffs has long been retired, replaced by new, even more elaborate gags.
Halfway through the set, as you’re catching your breath between songs, you scan the crowd. And you see him.
He’s not at the side of the stage. He’s in the audience, standing in the middle of the crowd with Victoria and some of his friends. He’s wearing a baseball cap pulled down low, but you’d recognize him anywhere. He looks happy, relaxed, the weight of the championship finally lifted. He’s just a guy at a concert, watching his girlfriend.
He catches your eye. He smiles and gives you a small, almost imperceptible nod.
And an idea, a crazy, perfect, full-circle idea, sparks in your mind.
You grin at your band, a silent, mischievous signal that you’re going off-script. They look confused but nod along, ever the professionals.
You turn back to the microphone, a dramatic, serious expression on your face.
“London,” you say, and the arena quiets down, sensing a shift in the show. “I’m afraid I have to interrupt this evening’s proceedings for a very serious matter.”
A confused murmur ripples through the crowd.
“It has come to my attention,” you continue, your voice ringing with theatrical gravity, “that there is a criminal in our midst. A repeat offender.”
The crowd starts to buzz, a mixture of confusion and excitement.
“This man is guilty of multiple offenses,” you declare, starting to pace the stage. “Disturbing the peace. Driving too fast. Stealing way, way too many trophies. And, most egregiously … he stole my heart.”
A collective “aww” rises from the audience as they start to understand.
You look directly at Max, a spotlight operator catching your cue and swinging a beam of light onto him. The crowd around him erupts as they realize who it is. He buries his face in his hands for a second, a mixture of embarrassment and laughter, before looking back up at you, his eyes shining.
“Yeah, you,” you say, pointing at him, your voice softening. “In the stupid baseball cap. The five-time World Champion who looks like he just won the lottery.”
You motion to your stage manager in the wings. He whispers into his headset. A moment later, your prop master runs out and hands you something.
Fuzzy. Pink.
The arena explodes. The sound is deafening. It’s a roar of recognition, of joy, of love for the public, ridiculous story that has become yours.
“Security,” you say into the microphone, your voice thick with emotion but a wide, triumphant grin on your face. “Bring him to me. He’s got a life sentence to serve.”
They part the crowd for him, and he makes his way to the stage, a look of pure love on his face. He’s not the flustered, overwhelmed man he was all those years ago. He’s a king, walking onto a stage that is as much his as it is yours.
He bounds up the stairs, and you meet him in the center of the stage. The roar of the crowd fades into a distant hum.
“You’re ridiculous,” he says, his voice for your ears only.
“You started it,” you whisper back, your eyes sparkling with happy tears.
You take his wrist, the familiar fuzzy cuff soft against his skin. “Max Emilian Verstappen,” you declare to the cheering arena, “for the crime of being illegally handsome, impossibly talented, and for loving a chaotic pop star with your whole heart …”
You click the other cuff onto your own wrist, linking you together.
“… I sentence you to a lifetime with me.”
He doesn’t say anything. He just leans in, cups your face in his free hand, and kisses you. It’s a kiss filled with years of history, of stolen moments and public declarations, of quiet mornings and screaming crowds. It’s a kiss that says home.
The crowd is a roaring, beautiful, joyful blur. But in the center of the stage, in the middle of the storm you’ve created together, there is only the two of you. Linked together. Finally and forever apprehended.
everyone in the paddock knows kimi antonelli. very few know he has an older sister, and even fewer know that max verstappen has been hopelessly in love with her since the moment she asked him if he'd eaten.
warnings: fluff, smau
note: hello ♡ this was written for an absolutely lovely request by @ateliefloresdaprimavera i hope i did your idea justice! i took a few creative liberties to flesh the story out while keeping the heart of your request the same. enjoy!! - dean
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liked by kimi.antonelli, max.verstappen and 14,565 others
yn.antonelli i raised him better than this!!!! @.kimi.antonelli
kimi.antonelli: delete this.
yn.antonelli: no ❤️
georgerussell: 😭😭😭😭
kimi.anotnelli: mate HELP ME
landonorris: kimi blink twice if you need help
yn.antonelli: he absolutely does not.
user1: WAIT KIMI HAS A SISTER!?
user2: HOLD ON
user3: new paddock sibling duo unlocked
max.verstappen: 😂
liked by author
The Mercedes hospitality is already buzzing by the time you arrive. Mechanics move between garages carrying equipment, journalists rehearse questions into voice recorders, camera shutters click every few seconds. You instinctively slow your pace, letting Kimi walk half a step ahead, because you'd learned years ago that being his sister meant allowing him to take the lead here. This was his world.
"You'll meet everyone eventually," Kimi says, adjusting the strap of his backpack.
"I don't have to."
"You do."
"I came to spend time with my little brother."
"You also came to see where I work."
"I've seen enough already."
"You've been here for... six minutes."
"Exactly."
He laughs.
"You'll like them."
"I work in an emergency department."
"So?"
"I've met every personality imaginable."
Kimi considers that.
"...fair."
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ INSTAGRAM
🌸 yn.antonelli
liked by kimi.antonelli, max.verstappen and 19,529 others
yn.antonelli apparently i survive outside the emergency department too
kimi.antonelli: debatable
kimi.antonelli: you do know i have pictures to show too -_-
yn.antonelli: do you dare?
georgerussell: welcome to the paddock!
yn.antonelli: thank you!
landonorris: guys, she is already threatening to make me drink water
yn.antonelli: because you need it
oscarpiastri: she has a point
yn.antonelli: @.landonorris listen to your boyfriend
max.verstappen: Hope you enjoy the weekend.
yn.antonelli: thank you! 😊
The paddock is quieter away from the garages, not silent, never silent. Just... calmer. The steady hum of conversations blends with distant engines and the occasional burst of laughter. You find the coffee station tucked into the corner of one of the hospitality units, perfect, until you realise someone else got there first.
Max Verstappen stands with one hand resting against the counter, waiting for the machine to finish pouring. He glances over as you approach.
"Hi."
"Hi."
For a second, neither of you moves. Then you point towards the coffee machine.
"Are you trying to blow the coffee machine up with your mind?"
A laugh escapes him before he can stop it.
"No."
"It looked like it."
"I think it's ignoring me."
"It does that."
"You've been here before?"
"My brother has worked here for months."
"Fair point."
He steps aside without another word, giving you enough room to reach the machine.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
The machine lets out an unimpressed hiss before finally beginning to pour. You watch it for a moment.
"So..."
Max breaks the silence first.
"Emergency nurse?"
You glance at him.
"I've been exposed."
"Oscar mentioned it."
"I'll have to have a word."
"He seemed frightened."
"He should be."
That earns another smile, one that softens his entire face. You hadn't expected Max Verstappen to smile like that. It suits him.
The coffee finishes pouring. You reach for the paper cup just as he notices the faint pink line across the back of your hand.
"You cut yourself."
Looking down, you shrug.
"Paper."
"Paper?"
"I lost."
He lets out an amused breath.
"I didn't know that was possible."
"You've clearly never worked in a hospital."
"I haven't."
"You'd be amazed what stationery is capable of."
He chuckles quietly. Then, almost absentmindedly, you notice the split skin across his right knuckles. Old enough not to be bleeding, but fresh enough to still look angry.
"What happened to your hand?"
His eyes follow yours.
"This?"
He flexes it once.
"Nothing."
You give him a look.
"The universal male diagnosis."
"It's fine."
"Mhm."
"It is."
You take a sip of your coffee before speaking again.
"I'll believe you when you clean it."
He looks at you, then at his hand, then back at you.
"It's only a scratch."
"So was mine."
"You noticed."
"I notice everything."
The words leave your mouth so casually that you don't think twice about them. Max does, because nobody has ever looked at him the way you just did - not as a world champion or a rival, just... as someone with a cut that should probably be cleaned before it gets infected. It's strangely refreshing.
"You always this bossy?"
You smile into your coffee.
"Occupational hazard."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"You should."
Before either of you can say anything else, a familiar voice echoes across the paddock.
"There you are!"
Kimi. He stops beside you, looking between the two of you.
"Am I interrupting?"
You shake your head.
"I was just telling Max to clean his hand."
Kimi doesn't even hesitate.
"Oh, yeah. You should listen."
Max raises an eyebrow.
"You too?"
"I've been listening to her for nineteen years."
"And?"
"It's easier."
You grin triumphantly.
"See?"
Max looks between the two of you before letting out a quiet laugh.
"I don't think I've got much of a choice."
"No," you say warmly "You really don't."
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ TWITTER
@.f1paddock
kimi antonelli's sister has been in the paddock for approximately three hours and she's already become everyone's older sister.
@.papayafiles
apparently yn told lando to drink water 😭
@.landonorris
i was HYDRATED.
@.oscarpiastri
you weren't.
@.f1tea
according to people in the paddock kimi's sister told max verstappen to clean a cut on his hand 😭
@.verstappenupdates
imagine being told off by max verstappen
❌️
imagine max verstappen being told off
✅️
@.formulafiles
not max smiling while talking to yn...
@.maxieschamp
can we PLEASE remember yn is literally kimi's sister and leave her alone 😭
@.gridgossip
no because why did max walk over to mercedes hospitality FOUR TIMES today
@.redbullracing
max: "i was looking for coffee."
@.f1fan247
oooh redbull admin is MESSY today
@.f1memes
coffee machine at mercedes after seeing max every twenty minutes:
"bro just admit you have a crush."
@.kimiupdates
kimi has absolutely no idea what's happening around him 😭
@.papayafiles
antonelli sister nation we're up.
@.gridgirlies
she has no clue twitter is shipping them and honestly let's keep it that way for now 😭🤍
By the time Max wanders back towards the Mercedes hospitality later that afternoon, he's managed to convince himself he's there for an entirely reasonable reason. The reason being... coffee... again. Never mind the fact that the paper cup in his hand is still half full. He steps inside just as you finish reorganising the contents of your tote bag.
"You know," you say without looking up, "I don't think anyone drinks as much coffee around here as you do."
Max glances down at his cup.
"...Probably not."
"You're proving my point."
"I like coffee."
"So do I."
You zip your bag shut before your eyes drift almost absentmindedly towards his right hand. You pause.
"Did you clean it?"
He looks down.
"The cut?"
"Mhm."
"I did."
You narrow your eyes.
"Can I see?"
For a split second, Max genuinely considers saying no, not because he minds, but because he suddenly becomes acutely aware that you want to hold his hand, which is an entirely ridiculous thing to think. You're a nurse. This is your job. Still...
He holds it out. You take it without hesitation. Your fingers are warm. You turn his hand over, studying the split skin across his knuckles with the same concentration he imagines you give every patient. For a moment, the noise of the paddock fades into the background.
"Hm."
That single syllable immediately worries him.
"What?"
"You cleaned it."
"I told you."
"You also put one tiny plaster over it."
"..."
"Which accomplished approximately nothing."
"I tried."
"I can tell."
You look up at him.
"It's a very... enthusiastic attempt."
"I feel judged."
"You are."
You release his hand for only a second before reaching into your tote. Max watches, mildly fascinated, as you produce what appears to be an entire miniature first-aid kit. Alcohol wipes, sterile gauze, bandages, medical tape, a tiny bottle of antiseptic. He blinks.
"You carry all of that around?"
You look at him as though he's asked why the sky is blue.
"I'm an emergency nurse."
"Right."
"What if someone gets hurt?"
Max raises an eyebrow.
"You're assuming people just... injure themselves around you?"
"They usually do."
"That's oddly concerning."
"It's usually men."
"I don't know whether to be offended."
"You shouldn't."
You tear open an antiseptic wipe.
"Give me your hand."
He does, again. Without thinking. You dab gently across the cut.
"This might sting."
"It already-"
The antiseptic touches the wound. He winces.
"Oh."
"There it is."
"I take it back."
You can't help smiling.
"You racing drivers are all the same."
"We are?"
"So dramatic."
"I wasn't dramatic."
"You flinched."
"It stung."
"It barely touched you."
"It absolutely did."
You laugh quietly, shaking your head before carefully pressing fresh gauze over the cut. Your movements are practised like you've done this a thousand times before. Maybe ten thousand.
"You've done this a lot."
You don't look up.
"A few times."
"A few?"
"I work in A&E."
"Right."
"Trust me," you murmur, smoothing the edge of the bandage into place, "this doesn't even make the top thousand."
He lets out a quiet laugh.
"I'll try harder next time."
Your head snaps up.
"You'll do no such thing."
"I'm joking."
"I know."
You point a finger at him anyway.
"But if you come back with another split knuckle tomorrow, I'm charging you."
"For medical treatment?"
"For being stubborn."
Before he can reply, another voice cuts through the room.
"There you are."
Kimi walks in carrying two bottles of water. His eyes immediately land on the two of you. More specifically, on the fact that you're holding Max's hand.
"Oh," he says simply.
"You got him."
Max looks between the two of you.
"...Got me?"
Kimi nods sympathetically.
"She'll look after the cut."
He lifts one of the water bottles.
"Then she'll tell you you're dehydrated."
"I was literally about to."
"I know."
He hands you the bottle before passing the other to Max.
"You should drink that."
Max glances down at the bottle. Then at Kimi.
"You planned this."
Kimi shrugs.
"I've had plenty years to learn how she works."
You smile sweetly.
"And yet he still forgets to drink water."
"I don't forget."
"You do."
"I choose not to."
Max laughs a proper laugh. It makes both you and Kimi look at him. He rubs the back of his neck.
"What?"
"Nothing," you say, fastening the last strip of tape across the bandage.
"There."
You finally let go of his hand.
"All done."
He looks down at the neat dressing. It looks professional - far better than the crooked plaster he'd attempted earlier.
"Thank you."
The words come genuinely. You offer him a smile that reaches your eyes.
"Occupational hazard."
He smiles back. Neither of you notices Lando walking past the open hospitality entrance. He slows just enough to glance inside. Takes one look at you carefully bandaging Max Verstappen's hand. Grins to himself.
"Oh," he mutters under his breath. "So that's what's happening."
Then, wisely deciding not to interrupt, he keeps walking.
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ PADDOCK GROUP CHAT
Lando
boys
Lando
i've seen something today
Charles
that sounds ominous.
Oscar
is it another labubu? better keep it away from kimi
Lando
worse
George
Impossible.
Lando
verstappen smiled
Max
?
Lando
TWICE
Oscar
can confirm
Charles
i refuse to believe this.
George
At who?
Lando
oh you know exactly at who...
Max
i don't.
Oscar
kimi's sister
Seen by Max.
Seen by Charles.
Seen by George.
Seen by Lando.
Max
she fixed my hand.
Lando
mate
Charles
...
George
Did you deliberately injure yourself?
Max
no.
Oscar
that's not actually an answer
Lando
i give it until tomorrow before he develops another mysterious cut
Max
i hate all of you.
Charles
have you considered asking for her number?
Max
no.
George
Coward.
Lando
MASSIVE coward
Charles
it's alright max, i hear nurses like stubborn patients.
Lando
throw yourself down some stairs
Oscar
don't encourage workplace injuries!
Charles
paper cuts seem to be enough.
George
Or you could just tell her she's pretty?
Max
absolutely not.
Lando
he's gone
George
He's finished.
Charles
finished.
Kimi
can everyone stop trying to set my sister up?
Lando
...
George
...
Charles
...
Oscar
i forgot you were here
Kimi
clearlyy
Charles
to be fair...
George
Your sister is lovely.
Lando
yeah we're big fans
Kimi
that's worse!!!!
Max
i didn't say anything.
Lando
you didn't have to
By the time the afternoon settles into its familiar rhythm, you've reclaimed the small sofa tucked into the corner of the Mercedes hospitality. One leg is crossed beneath you, a paperback rests in your lap.
You barely make it through two pages before someone dramatically clears their throat. You don't even bother looking up.
"Yes, Lando."
"...How did you know it was me?"
"You sigh louder than everyone else."
"I do not."
"You absolutely do."
Only then do you lift your eyes from the page. Lando is standing in front of you with the most exaggerated pout you've ever seen.
"What happened?"
"I've suffered a workplace injury."
You slowly close your book.
"Oh no."
"I know."
"What happened?"
He holds up his wrist, as though presenting evidence in court.
"I hit it."
"On what?"
"..."
"Lando?"
"...a door."
Oscar walks past behind him carrying a bottle of water.
"You walked into the door."
Lando turns immediately.
"The door moved."
Oscar doesn't even break stride.
"The door was stationary."
"It came out of nowhere."
"It has been attached to the wall since Thursday."
You bite the inside of your cheek to stop yourself laughing.
"So..." You reach out, gently taking Lando's wrist into your hand. "Can you move it?"
He rotates it dramatically.
"Like this?"
"Yes."
"It hurts."
"On a scale of one to ten?"
"...Three."
You nod thoughtfully.
"So you're not dying."
"I thought I was."
"You thought wrong."
He gasps.
"I came here for sympathy."
"You came to the wrong person."
You stand, crossing over to your tote bag before rummaging inside. A moment later, you pull out a reusable ice pack. Lando blinks.
"You just... carry those?"
"I'm an emergency nurse."
"You carry emergency ice?"
"I do." You press it into his hand. "There."
He looks between the ice pack and you.
"...That's actually really nice."
"I know."
The interaction lasts perhaps two minutes. Long enough for George to wander in. He spots the ice pack and Lando, who looks like he has just given birth at the least.
"What happened?"
"He fought a door."
"I lost."
George nods solemnly.
"Happens to the best of us."
"It really doesn't," Oscar mutters from somewhere nearby.
George laughs before rubbing absentmindedly at the back of his neck.
"You don't happen to have another one, do you?"
You don't ask why. You simply kneel beside your bag again.
"Blue or green?"
He stares.
"...You have options?"
"I like to be prepared."
He accepts the blue one with an expression somewhere between gratitude and disbelief.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Max arrives just in time to witness Charles wandering over.
"I have a question."
You don't even look up.
"Second pocket."
Charles pauses.
"...What?"
"Second pocket in the tote."
Curiosity gets the better of him. He reaches inside and pulls out a packet of plasters.
"...How did you know?"
You finally glance up.
"You've been picking at that cut on your finger since lunch."
Charles looks down.
"...Oh."
"Stop doing that."
"I'll try."
"You won't."
"...Probably not."
Max finds himself smiling. He doesn't even realise he's doing it.
Lewis is next. Not because he's injured, but because he's looking for painkillers after a headache starts creeping in.
"Left pocket," you say before he can finish asking.
"You've got a frightening system."
"I've had years to perfect it."
"I can tell."
Eventually, the room settles again. Lando is happily holding his ice pack against his wrist, George has one draped across the back of his neck, Charles has stopped absentmindedly picking at his finger, Lewis has disappeared with a bottle of water and two painkillers. You simply reopen your book as though none of it had happened. Max watches you for another moment before walking over.
"You really don't mind?"
You glance up.
"Mind what?"
"People," He gestures vaguely towards the room. "Coming to you."
You consider the question for a second. Then shrug.
"Not really."
"They interrupt you."
"They need something."
"They're capable adults."
You smile.
"Debatable."
He laughs quietly.
"I suppose."
You mark your page with a finger.
"My job isn't really about fixing people."
"No?"
"It's about making things a little easier."
He doesn't say anything.
"So..." You continue. "If someone trusts me enough to ask for help, why would I make them feel bad for asking?"
Max looks at you differently after that, not because you'd bandaged his hand or because you'd remembered his cut, but because you'd just revealed something about yourself so effortlessly. Kindness wasn't something you performed - it was simply the way you moved through the world.
"...That's a nice way of looking at it," he says quietly.
You smile.
"I think so too."
Before either of you can say anything else, Kimi pushes through the hospitality doors. He stops. Looks around the room at Lando, George, Charles. Then at you. He sighs.
"I leave for half an hour." Nobody says anything. "And somehow..." His eyes drift towards the collection of first-aid supplies spread neatly across the coffee table. "...you've opened another emergency department."
You grin innocently.
"They came to me."
"I know." He pinches the bridge of his nose. "They always do."
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ INSTAGRAM
🔵 kimi.antonelli
liked by yn.antonelli, max.verstappen and 568,798 others
kimi.antonelli happy nurses appreciation day to the one that somehow opened another emergency department in mercedes hospitality. thanks for looking after us. ❤️ @.yn.antonelli
yn.antonelli: you all would've survived without me… probably <3
landonorris: debatable
georgerussell: still got the ice pack 👍
yn.antonelli: i am glad i could help!
charlesleclerc: finger has stopped bleeding thank you doctor
yn.antonelli: *nurse
lewishamilton: thank you for keeping everyone in one piece 🖤
yn.antonelli: that's my job! <3
oscarpiastri: especially lando!
landonorris: why am i catching strays?
max.verstappen: Thank you. My hand's much better.
yn.antonelli: glad to hear it 😊
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ Y/N'S DMs
Max
Hi.
Thank you again.
Y/N
max you already thanked me in person 😭
Max
I know.
I just...
Wanted to again.
Y/N
then you're welcome again :)
Max
Would you let me repay you somehow?
Y/N
that's really not necessary
Max
Coffee?
Y/N
only if you promise not to injure yourself this time.
Max
I'll try.
Y/N
emphasis on try?
Max
No promises. :)
You almost don't notice the bouquet. It's only as you step through the café door that your eyes land on Max, already waiting by the window, standing as soon as he sees you... And holding flowers. Your pace falters.
"Oh."
He suddenly looks far less confident.
"I-"
His grip tightens around the bouquet.
"I wasn't sure what you liked, so I asked the florist to pick something that reminded them of summer."
You stare at the flowers, then at him.
"They're for me?"
He smiles, just barely.
"I don't see anyone else here."
A laugh escapes you before you can stop it.
"That's... incredibly sweet."
You accept the bouquet carefully, almost as though you're afraid you'll crush it.
"No one's ever brought me flowers on a coffee run before."
Max's eyebrows lift ever so slightly.
"A coffee run?"
You nod.
"You said you wanted to thank me."
"...Right."
He can't bring himself to correct you. Instead, he pulls out your chair. You blink.
"You're making me feel terribly underdressed."
"You look lovely."
The compliment slips out before he can think better of it. For the first time all afternoon, you seem genuinely caught off guard. A faint smile spreads across your face.
"Thank you."
The conversation comes surprisingly easily after that. It begins with work. You tell him about overnight shifts, impossible patients, and the elderly woman who insists on bringing homemade biscuits for the entire emergency department every Christmas.
He tells you about growing up around racing circuits, about travelling more than staying still, about how strange it feels to call so many airports familiar. At one point, you laugh so hard you have to wipe a tear from the corner of your eye. At another, the café around you fades into little more than background noise.
Hours pass unnoticed. Neither of you is in any hurry to leave. As you finally step back out onto the street, bouquet tucked safely in one arm and coffee still warming your hands, you smile at him.
"Thank you."
"For the flowers?"
"For today."
He smiles back.
"It was my pleasure."
You tilt your head.
"We should do this again sometime."
His heart practically stops.
"I'd like that."
"So would I."
Completely oblivious to the fact that, somewhere across the street, a photographer has already taken three pictures of the two of you walking side by side. And even more oblivious to the fact that, to Max Verstappen, this had never been a coffee run. It had always been a date.
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ TWITTER
@.f1gossip
BREAKING: Max Verstappen spotted leaving a café in Milan with Kimi Antonelli's sister.
@.gridupdates
DID YOU SEE HE GOT HER FLOWERS???
@.papayafiles
MAX VERSTAPPEN BOUGHT HER FLOWERS??????
@.f1tea
mind you... HE was carrying the flowers when he arrived. this wasn't a "thank you for coming" bouquet.
@.maxnation
oh. OH.
@.formulaobsessed
she looks so happy 😭🤍
@.verstappenfiles
need everyone to remember max does NOT do public dates.
@.landonorris
💐
@.oscarpiastri
...
@.landonorris
don't act surprised.
@.oscarpiastri
i'm not.
@.charles_leclerc
finally.
@.georgerussell63
about time.
@.f1girlies
WHO SAID FINALLY??? WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE KNOW???
@.kimiupdates
kimi antonelli has liked absolutely none of these tweets 😭
@.gridgossip
imagine introducing your sister to your coworkers and accidentally creating the paddock's newest couple.
@.f1memes
kimi watching the internet discover what he witnessed two days ago: 🧍🏼
@.f1tea
calling it now. they're either dating already... or they'll be dating by the end of the season.
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ Y/N'S DMs
Lando
are you busy
Y/N
just got home
Lando
how was your date
Y/N
what date?
Lando
😐
Y/N
?
Lando
with max.
Y/N
it wasn't a date
Lando
...
he brought you flowers.
Y/N
yes?
Lando
Y/N.
sweetheart.
gorgeous.
Y/N
😭
Lando
MEN DON'T BRING FLOWERS TO THANK-YOU COFFEES.
Y/N
maybe max does
Lando
MAX VERSTAPPEN ESPECIALLY DOESN'T.
Y/N
...
Lando
how long were you there
Y/N
about three hours?
Lando
THREE???
Y/N
time flew by
Lando
because it was a date.
Y/N
no because we were talking.
Lando
...
what did you talk about
Y/N
work
childhood
family
travelling
books
music
painting
he asked if we'd do it again
Lando
i'm going to need you to read that message again.
Y/N
...
oh.
The next race weekend feels... different, not because anything has changed. At least, not visibly. The paddock still hums with the same familiar energy. Mechanics hurry between garages. Engineers carry tablets tucked beneath their arms. Media personnel weave through the crowds.
And yet, somehow, you feel oddly aware of yourself. Aware of every time your phone buzzes. Aware of the flowers still sitting in a vase back at your apartment. Aware of one particularly smug British racing driver who has not let you forget, even once, that your "thank-you coffee" had very much been a date.
You find refuge in the hotel lobby while Kimi disappears into a team meeting. Book in hand, coffee beside you. It feels almost comforting. Almost.
"You really do always have a book with you."
The familiar voice makes you glance up. Max stands a few feet away, hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans, smiling in that quiet way you've quickly come to recognise. You smile back before you can stop yourself.
"I do."
"Mind if I join you?"
"Only if you've managed to avoid injuring yourself since last week."
He laughs.
"I've been very careful."
"I'm proud of you."
He settles into the chair opposite yours. For a moment, neither of you speaks. Not because it's awkward, strangely enough... It isn't.
"So," Max says eventually.
"So."
"I heard Lando finally told you."
You let out a groan dramatic enough to rival Lando himself.
"He was unbearably pleased with himself."
"I can imagine."
"I think he considered it one of his greatest achievements."
"He probably does."
You shake your head, laughing softly.
"He hasn't stopped reminding me."
Max smiles.
"I suppose that means..."
He hesitates.
"...you know."
"I know."
The words come quieter than you expected. You close your book carefully before placing it on the table.
"I owe you an apology."
His brows knit together immediately.
"For what?"
"I genuinely didn't realise."
"I know."
"I wasn't pretending."
"I know."
"I just..."
You rub the back of your neck, suddenly finding the coffee cup fascinating.
"I thought you were being really nice."
"I was."
"No, I mean..."
You laugh at yourself.
"I thought you were just... an unusually thoughtful person."
"I'd like to think I am."
"You are."
You look back up at him.
"But I didn't realise you were asking me on a date."
He lets out a quiet laugh.
"I was trying to."
"You were?"
"I thought the flowers might've helped."
"They did."
"They did?"
"I just thought they were a thank-you present."
He drops his head for a moment, laughing properly now.
"You really had no idea."
"None."
"I was convinced I'd made it obvious."
"I was convinced you were just the nicest Dutch man I'd ever met."
"I'm afraid I'm only one of those things."
You smile.
"I know."
For a brief moment, neither of you says anything. The silence settles comfortably between you. You reach into your tote bag absentmindedly. Max watches as you pull out a small bookmark tucked between the pages of your novel. Only it isn't a bookmark. It's one of the pressed flowers from the bouquet he'd given you. His eyes linger on it.
"I kept them."
Your voice is almost shy.
"I thought they were too pretty to throw away."
Something in his expression softens.
"So..."
You twirl the pressed flower carefully between your fingers.
"I've been thinking." You smile. "I'd quite like to fix something."
He tilts his head.
"What?"
"Our first date."
He blinks.
"You mean..."
"I'd quite like to be aware I'm on the second one."
For perhaps the first time in his Formula One career, Max Verstappen is completely speechless. Then, slowly- A grin spreads across his face.
"I'd like that."
"So would I."
He stands, offering you his hand.
"Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise."
You pretend to think about it.
"Hm."
"You don't trust me?"
"Oh, I trust you."
You slip your hand into his.
"I just hope there aren't any flowers."
He laughs.
"There are definitely flowers."
You groan dramatically.
"This is going to make Lando insufferable."
"I think that ship has already sailed."
Hand in hand, the two of you leave the hotel lobby. Neither of you notices the photographer across the street lowering his camera with a very satisfied smile.
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ INSTAGRAM
🌸 yn.antonelli
liked by kimi.antonelli, max.verstappen and 23,529 others
yn.antonelli turns out… it really was a date after all. 🤍
max.verstappen: Best first date I've ever accidentally been on. ❤️
yn.antonelli: ❤️
landonorris: I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FROM DAY ONE.
oscarpiastri: finally.
charlesleclerc: about time 🤍
georgerussell: knew we'd get here eventually.
lewishamilton: Happy for you both 🖤
kimi.antonelli: i suppose he's alright.
landonorris: THIS IS KIMI'S VERSION OF A BLESSING EVERYBODY STAY CALM.
max.verstappen: I'll take it.
yn.antonelli: @.max.verstappen don't let it get to your head.
maxverstappen1: Too late.
landonorris: disgusting.
oscarpiastri: says the one who played cupid.
landonorris: you're welcome.
summary: the public tries to make sense of the relationship you and max share with oscar. some say you’re cheating on max with oscar, others say max is the one cheating with him. you say let the world keep guessing. the only people who deserve to know the truth about the special relationship you three have with each other are those closest to you.
pairing: max verstappen x reader x oscar piastri
fc: madelyn cline
request: Can I order a byob (established relationship) and a host special with Maxcar + reader poly?? Maybe with guilty as sin playing in the background 👀 - @prozacandprosecco
warnings: cheating allegations • misunderstandings • fluff • attempts at humor • likely a mistake or two • time skips • bending the f1 schedule to my will for shits & giggles
vicious speaks: how do i join someone else’s relationship? on a more serious note, i completely fell in love with this couple and it is going to be so hard letting them go 🥲 who knows, maybe i’ll come back to them again in the future, expand on The Great War™️ if anyone wants that 👀
tea party masterlist | main masterlist | read on ao3
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫ .
liked by maxverstappen1, oscarpiastri and others
yn you do not wanna know what i had to promise in order to get these two out of their team kits and into normal clothes 🥲
view all comments
maxverstappen1 😏 ♥︎ by author
oscarpiastri and we will be cashing in on said promise!
⤷ yn oh, i bet 😉
⤷ ynmaxcar 🤨
fan oh ynmaxcar i will never be able to form a solid opinion on you
fan this friendship will always feel so random to me lmao
fan my faaaaves
f1gossip 👀
fan yn: this is my boyfriend max and his boyfriend oscar ♥︎ by author
⤷ fan NOT HER LIKING THIS HELLO
fan was that promise a threesom-
⤷ fan SCREAM
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫ .
texts from the love triangle (but better) gc
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫ .
liked by f1wagsoffical and others
f1gossip Excuse me, sir? Who has you looking like that? 👀
view all comments
fan no cause i could’ve sworn i heard a woman laughing
fan is he hiding a girlfriend???
fan i’d pass out if i was on the receiving end of that look 😮💨
fan whoever it is has him so blushy omg
fan is this the beginning of his soft launch era?
fan where is deuxmoi when you need her
⤷ fan 🙄🙄🙄
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫ .
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫ .
yn has added to their story
♫ The Blue Nile ・The Downtown Lights
caption: trying to sweat off our hangovers 🥲
likes and replies
maxverstappen1 liked your story
maxverstappen1 can’t wait to see you guys tonight ❤️
⤷ yn we’re so excited!!
nicolepiastri liked your story
fan i’m here for it 😌
victoriaverstappen liked your story
fan did you mean to post this to your close friends? 😭
alexandrasaintmleux liked your story
fan bring back shame
logansargeant liked your story
fan odd way to get caught cheating
flavy.barla liked your story
fan hot.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫ .
maxverstappen1 has added to their story
caption: home ❤️ oscarpiastri yn
likes and replies
oscarpiastri liked maxverstappen1’s story
oscarpiastri finally ❤️ ♥︎ by author
yn liked maxverstappen1’s story
yn missed you sooo much 😚
⤷ maxverstappen1 missed you more, baby ❤️
ediepiastri liked maxverstappen1’s story
fan umm…😭
charles_leclerc liked maxverstappen1’s story
fan do you not know that they’re having an affair or do you just not care?
sophiekumpen liked maxverstappen1’s story
fan OH. i think i get it. and i’m obsessed 😌
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫ .
race weekend
liked by yn and others
redbullracing Did someone say something about heart eyes? 😍
view all comments
fan haha that’s funn-REDBULL RACING?!
fan what do you guys know…
fan admin i hope you don’t lose your job for this
fan cheating with his girl and then smiling in his face is CRAZY
fan plot twist: oscar’s cheating with both of them
⤷ ynmaxcar double plot twist: they’re a throuple
⤷ fan yeah, sure 🙄
fan they way he looks at him omg <3
fan ynmaxcar would make a hot couple why lie
fan yn in the likes…so shameless
fan oscar ‘heart eyes’ piastri strikes again
fan i want whatever tf they’ve got going on
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫ .
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫ .
texts from the love triangle (but better) gc
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫ .
liked by f1gossip and others
f1wagsofficial Yn has made it to the paddock!
view all comments
fan is she there for max or oscar lol
fan SHE’S SO HOT
fan she’s so unbothered
fan there are rumors she’s cheating with oscar, rumors MAX is the one cheating with him, and rumors that all three are dating each other and she doesn’t gaf about any of it 😭 #myqueen
fan this weekend is gonna be so entertaining
fan who invited the cheater 🫠
fan looking good 😍
fan i might not know what’s going on but i do know she looks good
fan guys have we considered the fact that whatever’s currently going on with her, max, and oscar is none of our business?
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫ .
liked by redbullracing and others
yn belgium, you were real 🖤❤️💛
view all comments
oscarpiastri best part was having you with us 🧡
⤷ maxverstappen1 what he said ❤️
⤷ yn ilysm 🫰🏼
fan gorgeous girl 💞
fan love when hot ppl date each other
fan i’m sorry for thinking you were crazy ynmaxcar
⤷ ynmaxcar forgiven
fan ya’ll got room for one more? asking for a friend 👀
hattiepiastri had so much fun judging oscar’s outfit with you
⤷ yn no cause wtf was that monstrosity 😭
⤷ oscarpiastri it’s called fashion!
⤷ yn osc…
f1wagsofficial this is the closest to a confirmation we’re gonna get i fear
fan i guess you guys are kinda cute…
⤷ maxverstappen1 we’re really cute ♥︎ by author, oscarpiastri
summary: max dating a royal princess is the craziest rumor ever. right?
folkie radio: okay sooo i almost scrapped this entire fic bc i lost inspo mid writing it but i decided to finish it. nit rlly my best but i hope you like it !
MASTERLIST | MY PATREON
liked by alexandrasaintmleux, charles_leclerc and 2,340,534 others
yourinstagram Life lately 🌺☀️
view all comments
user1 your feed is literally what pinterest wishes it was
user2 monaco's princess and she's still cooler than everyone i know
user3 i need your wardrobe immediately
user4 the way she's a princess but acts like a normal 26 year old 😭
user5 mother has posted
user6 i'm convinced she has the best life on earth
user7 not me forgetting she's actual royalty
user8 imagine being able to say "sorry i can't come i'm busy being a princess"
user9 she's the people's princess fr
user10 one thing about yn is she's gonna serve
user11 COOLEST PRINCESS EVER
alexandrasaintmleux excuse me why are you prettier than the sunset
└ yourinstagram Because i learned from you
└ alexandrasaintmleux liar ❤️
charles_leclerc Where is the photo i took
└ yourinstagram Not good enough for the feed
└ charles_leclerc Unbelievable
└ alexandrasaintmleux She's been bullying him for years don't worry
└ charles_leclerc THANK YOU
└ yourinstagram i am literally the victim here
user12 charles and yn bickering under every post is my favorite genre
user13 the monaco trio is back 😭
user14 yn and charles friendship content when
user15 if i lived in monaco i'd be outside hoping to run into her
user16 i just know she's funny in real life
user17 not actual royalty being friends with charles leclerc 😭
user18 i love how her account is just vibes and occasionally remembering she's a princess
└ user19 still obsessed with the fact she has a tiktok
user20 i wonder if she's dating anyone
└ user21 didn't people say she was dating max verstappen a while ago 😭
└ user22 PLEASE not this rumor again
└ user23 as if max verstappen is pulling a princess be serious
└ user24 the funniest part is some people genuinely believed it
user25 max verstappen dating a princess sounds like wattpad
└ user26 charles would have exposed it by now let's be real
user27 if yn had a boyfriend i feel like alex would accidentally reveal it
liked by lando, charles_leclerc and 2,019,394 others
maxverstappen1 🇲🇨☀️
view all comments
lando wow guys he posted
└ maxverstappen1 Unfortunately
alex_albon Who stole your phone
└ maxverstappen1 I posted this myself
└ alex_albon that's exactly what someone who didn't post it themselves would say
charles_leclerc Slide 2 looks familiar
└ maxverstappen1 It's coffee
└ charles_leclerc Sure
user1 charles knows something
user2 charles is being weird again
user3 why is charles always lurking under max's posts
user4 monaco content from max?? that's new
└ user5 he's been in monaco so much lately
└ user6 isn't he literally living there
user7 MY MANNN
user8 guys don't start
└ user9 i'm starting
└ user10 no because wasn't there that rumor—
└ user11 STOP
└ user12 the princess rumor 😭😭😭
user13 i can't believe people genuinely thought max was dating princess yn
└ user14 that was the funniest rumor ever
└ user15 imagine explaining that sentence out loud
user16 "formula one driver max verstappen is secretly dating the princess of monaco"
└ user17 sounds like a hallmark movie
user18 why yall talking about princess yn under his posts
└ user19 this is why nobody takes f1 fans seriously
└ user20 max would never date a princess
└ user21 and a princess would never date max 😭
liked by user1, user2 and 18,958 others
f1gossip Max Verstappen was spotted having dinner in Monaco last night with an unidentified woman.
The pair were seen leaving a restaurant near the harbor and walking together before getting into a car.
view all comments
user1 MAX???? ON A DATE????
user2 hold on hold on hold on
user3 WHO IS THAT
user4 max fans we ride at dawn
user5 this man has a GIRLFRIEND???
user6 why am i shocked like he's not a normal human being
user7 WHO IS THISSS
user8 the way this is how i'm finding out max leaves his house
user9 i need better photos immediately
user10 that picture was taken with a microwave
user11 zoom in
user12 ENHANCE
user13 BROOO I DONT BELIEVE THIS
user14 max verstappen has a girlfriend ??
user15 don't say it
user16 i'm gonna say it
user17 DON'T
user18 princess yn—
user19 GET OUT
user20 we're not doing this again 😭
user21 y'all think every woman in monaco is the princess
user22 why do yall randomly bring the princess up every single time
user23 if max was dating royalty we'd know
user24 "world champion dates princess" 😭😭😭
user25 if max was dating the princess charles would never be able to keep that secret
user26 this is probably just some rich monaco girl
user27 max pulling up with a mystery woman was not on my 2026 bingo card
liked by yourinstagram, charles_leclerc and 1,093,583 others
alexandrasaintmleux Thanks to our chauffeurs ❤️
comments
charles_leclerc Thank you for your support
└ alexandrasaintmleux Thank you for your service
└ yourinstagram 5 stars on uber
└ charles_leclerc That's all i get???
user1 WAIT
user2 CHAUFFEURS?????
user3 plural???
user4 THERE WERE TWO MEN???
user5 hold on because charles is obviously one of them
└ user6 WHO IS THE OTHER ONE
user7 OH MY GOD
user8 IS YN NOT SINGLE???
└ user9 THIS IS HOW WE FIND OUT???
user10 no because why did my stomach DROP
user11 i've never considered the possibility that princess yn has a boyfriend
└ user12 i thought she just existed independently from society
└ user13 same 😭
user14 WHO IS THAT
└ user15 zooming in immediately
└ user16 ENHANCE
└ user17 ENHANCE MORE
user18 all i can tell is that he's a man
└ user19 groundbreaking information
user20 charles is one chauffeur
└ user21 which means the other chauffeur was there specifically for yn
user22 PRINCESS YN HAS A BOYFRIEND
user23 OH MY GOD
user24 this lore
user25 ALEXANDRA WHAT HAVE YOU DONE
user26 there's literally no reason for a second guy to be there 😭
└ user27 unless they called an uber
└ user28 do you genuinely think alexandra saint mleux and princess yn of monaco take ubers
└ user29 fair point
user30 okay i'm being serious who is dating the princess of monaco
└ user31 some billionaire probably
└ user32 some prince maybe
└ user33 imagine if it's a normal guy
user34 imagine explaining to your parents that you're dating a princess
└ user35 "what does your girlfriend do?"
└ user36 "she's royalty"
└ user37 😭😭😭
user38 wait wasn't there that max verstappen rumor
└ user39 SHUT UP
└ user40 we're not doing this
└ user41 literally every mystery man becomes max verstappen
└ user42 that man could be 70 years old and y'all would still say max
user43 the funniest part is that if yn had a boyfriend she'd keep it private
└ user44 exactly we'll never find out who it is
user45 alex just accidentally caused an international investigation
user46 i know the palace PR team is SWEATING
liked by maxverstappen1, alexandrasaintmleux and 2,094,549 others
yourinstagram Last night's Princess Grace Foundation Gala 🤍 An evening dedicated to supporting young artists and celebrating creativity. Thank you to everyone who made it possible.
view all comments
alexandrasaintmleux absolutely stunning ❤️
└ yourinstagram Love you
charles_leclerc I was told there would be free food
└ yourinstagram There was
└ charles_leclerc Then I have no complaints
user1 i genuinely forget she's royalty until she posts things like this
└ user2 and then i'm like oh right she's a princess 😭
user3 the gown??? hello???
user4 whoever styled her deserves a raise
user5 imagine looking like this while attending a gala
└ user6 imagine attending a gala
└ user7 fair point
user8 no because she's living in a completely different reality than the rest of us
└ user9 princess by day, pinterest girl by night
└ user10 that's literally her brand
user11 i need to know what her life is actually like
└ user12 same
user13 imagine her boyfriend scrolling through these photos
└ user14 STOP
└ user15 i'm still processing the boyfriend thing
└ user16 every time someone mentions it i get surprised all over again
└ user17 because she feels above dating somehow 😭
└ user18 exactly
└ user19 not above dating 😭😭😭
user20 SHES SO ICONIC
user21 whoever the boyfriend is, he definitely saw these photos first
user22 i know she's a princess but she's really so iconic
user23 THAT SHOULD BE ME
user24 imagine your girlfriend casually sending you gala photos before posting them
└ user25 meanwhile i'm sending blurry selfies
└ user26 imagine getting a text like "how does this speech sound?"
└ user27 imagine proofreading a princess's speech
└ user28 that's actually insane
user29 imagine being introduced as "the princess's boyfriend"
└ user30 i'd immediately pass out
└ user31 i wonder if he's royal too
└ user32 probably
└ user33 i don't know, yn seems like the type to date someone normal
└ user34 define normal 😭
└ user35 not another royal
user36 imagine if her boyfriend an athlete
└ user37 wait
└ user38 don't
└ user39 DON'T
user40 every road leads back to max verstappen somehow
└ user41 this fandom has one joke
└ user42 and it's not even a good one anymore 😭
user43 if she was dating max we'd know
└ user44 exactly
└ user45 there's no way they could keep that secret
└ user46 absolutely impossible
liked by user1, user2 and 10,948 others
f1paddockupdates Max Verstappen attended the Princess Grace Foundation Gala in Monaco last night. The four-time World Champion was photographed arriving at the event and spending the evening with fellow guests.
view all comments
user1 max at a gala feels wrong somehow 😭
user2 OH WHAT IS THISSS
user3 WAIT wasn't princess yn there too
└ user4 she literally hosted it
user5 okay the rumors are about to start again
└ user6 as if they ever stopped
user7 i'm sorry but max verstappen dating the princess of monaco still sounds fake
└ user8 because it IS fake 😭
user9 i genuinely think she's dating some billionaire we've never heard of
└ user10 same
user11 people see max in monaco once and lose their minds
└ user12 he lives there 😭
user13 PRINCE MAX SO TRUE
user14 imagine if they've been together this whole time and everyone keeps dismissing it
└ user15 that would be the funniest thing ever
user16 there's no way they could keep that secret
└ user17 especially with charles involved
└ user18 now THAT is a good argument
└ user19 charles would accidentally leak it in under a week
└ user20 poor charles catching strays for being incapable of keeping secrets
user21 MAX AND PRINCESS YN??
user22 okay but WHAT is he doing there
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liked by yourinstagram, charles_leclerc and 1,984,430 others
maxverstappen1 Solid weekend. Thanks everyone for the support. 👊
view all comments
redbullracing 👏👏
charles_leclerc Decent weekend
└ maxverstappen1 Thanks charles
yourinstagram Told you it'd be a good weekend 🤍
└ maxverstappen1 You were right ❤️
└ user1 WAIT???
└ user2 "TOLD YOU"??????
user3 okay i'm listening
user4 HOLD ON
user5 why does that comment sound so...
└ user6 boyfriend girlfriend coded 😭
└ user7 no literally
user8 wait because how would she told him
└ user9 she probably wished him luck before the race??
user10 why would princess yn be texting max verstappen before a race 😭
└ user11 because they're FRIENDS
└ user12 exactly thank you
user13 and he replied with "you were right" ❤️
└ user14 IT'S THE HEART FOR ME
└ user15 he doesn't reply to everyone with hearts
user16 i think y'all are reading too much into this
└ user17 maybe
└ user18 but i'm choosing delusion
user19 every week these two accidentally feed the allegations 😭
└ user20 i'm still saying there's absolutely no way they're dating
user21 and i'm still saying if they ever announce it i'm deleting my account
└ user22 deal 🤝
liked by user1, user2 and 12,094 others
f1updates Max Verstappen was asked in today's press conference:
Interviewer: "What's the craziest rumor you've ever heard about yourself?"
Max: "Probably that I'm dating the Princess of Monaco."
view all comments
user1 HE KNOWS ABOUT THE RUMOR 😭
user2 I'M CRYING
user3 the way he started laughing immediately
user4 okay that pretty much settles it 💀
└ user5 exactly 😭
user6 imagine if he was actually dating her and just said this
└ user7 that would be the funniest thing ever
user8 no because imagine lying straight to everyone's face
└ user9 max would never 😭
└ user10 he looked way too amused
user11 honestly he's probably just tired of hearing it
user12 i still don't know where that rumor even came from
└ user13 literally because they're friends with charles???
└ user14 and they both live in monaco
└ user15 people ran with it for no reason
user16 wait because if i WAS secretly dating the princess i'd answer exactly like this
└ user17 😭😭😭
└ user18 stop feeding the delusions
user19 i'm sorry but this somehow convinced me more
└ user20 HOW
└ user19 because why did he laugh first
└ user21 because the rumor is ridiculous 😭
└ user22 exactly
user23 imagine princess yn watching this interview
└ user24 she's probably laughing too
└ user25 honestly i need her reaction
liked by alexandrasaintmleux, user1 and 234,948 others
charles_leclerc Recently.
view all comments
user1 CHARLES?????
user2 THAT IS LITERALLY MAX AND PRINCESS YN
user3 NO WAY 😭
user4 WAIT A DAMN MINUTE
user5 max just said dating her was the craziest rumor he's ever heard
└ user6 AND NOW THIS???
└ user7 HELLO???
user8 zooming in immediately
user9 THAT'S THEM
user10 THAT IS ACTUALLY THEM
user11 charles accidentally hard launching his friends 😭
user12 I'M CRYING
user13 somebody save slide 4 before he notices
└ user14 TOO LATE I ALREADY DID
user15 MAX YOU LIAR
user16 😭😭😭
THIS POST HAS BEEN DELETED
───────── ౨ৎ ─────────
replies:
user1 OH THEY'RE COOKED
user2 if it was innocent why delete it 😭
user3 exactly
user4 CHARLES LECLERC YOU HAVE CHANGED THE COURSE OF HISTORY
user5 max is currently on his way to charles' apartment as we speak
user6 charles is never beating the allegations that he can't keep a secret
user7 i'm sorry but deleting it made this ten times worse
user8 way worse 😭
user9 all he had to do was leave the post up
user10 now i'm convinced
───────── ౨ৎ ─────────
liked by maxverstappen1, charles_leclerc and 2,094,958 others
yourinstagram A few moments lately 🤍
view all comments
alexandrasaintmleux The first point is important
└ charles_leclerc I don't appreciate this slander
└ yourinstagram And yet
└ charles_leclerc 😐
user1 OH MY GOD
user2 SHE KNOWS
user3 "do not trust charles with secrets" 😭😭😭
user4 YOUR HIGHNESS PLEASE
user5 THERE IS NO WAY THIS IS A COINCIDENCE
user6 charles accidentally exposing people and then getting called out publicly is killing me
user7 "monaco is surprisingly small"
user8 OH SHE'S EVIL
user9 SHE'S READING THE TWEETS
user10 i know she and max are somewhere laughing at us
└ user11 don't start
user12 no because that notes app screenshot feels targeted 😭
user13 charles is never recovering from this
└ user14 honestly? deserved
user15 i need to know what happened in the group chat after that post got deleted
user16 MAX LIKED THIS BYEEEE
user17 this is way too funny specially when you remember that she's a ROYAL PRINCESS
liked by alexandrasaintmleux, carmenmmundt and 1,938,439 others
f1 Royal visit. 👑🇲🇨 Princess YN of Monaco arrives at the paddock ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.
view all comments
user1 THE PRINCESS HAS ARRIVED
user2 monaco gp weekend officially started 😭
user3 she looks so good omg
user4 home race for charles and the princess
user5 every year she somehow steals the show
user6 watch the cameras find her every five seconds 😭
user7 monaco's favorite daughter
user8 can't wait for the annual princess yn paddock content
user9 somewhere charles is already looking for her
user10 the real question is how long until she gets photographed talking to max
└ user11 DON'T START
└ user12 i'm serious 😭
└ user13 after this week every photo is getting investigated
user14 if max appears in the background i'm deleting my account
└ user15 see you tomorrow
└ user16 😭😭😭
user17 OH THIS IS ABOUT TO GET INTERESTING
user18 coolest princess ever fr
user19 charles deleting that post made everything worse
└ user20 WAY WORSE
└ user21 i still can't believe he actually deleted it
user22 charles leclerc the man that accidentally launched a thousand conspiracy theories
liked by user1, user2 and 65,948 others
f1gossip MAX VERSTAPPEN AND PRINCESS YN OF MONACO. WE REPEAT. MAX VERSTAPPEN AND PRINCESS YN OF MONACO.
After months of rumors, fan theories, deleted Instagram posts, suspicious comments, mysterious appearances, and one very unfortunate Charles Leclerc photo dump...
It appears the internet may have been right.
view all comments
user1 OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD
user2 EVERYBODY STAY CALM
user3 I AM NOT CALM
user4 CHARLES LECLERC YOU ARE NEVER SEEING HEAVEN
user5 i can't believe my eyes are actually seeing this
user6 oh god he's really dating a PRINCESS
user7 i just fell to my knees at walmart
user8 I SPENT SIX MONTHS DEFENDING THIS RELATIONSHIP TO PEOPLE WHO CALLED ME DELUSIONAL
user9 APOLOGIZE TO THE CONSPIRACY THEORISTS RIGHT NOW
user10 max looked us in the eyes and said it was the craziest rumor he'd ever heard
user11 they must be dating for like a year now
user12 THEY WERE LAUGHING AT US THE WHOLE TIME
user13 of course the rumors were real
user14 MAX VERSTAPPEN DATING A PRINCESS??A
user15 this is not real
user16 but HOW
user17 i love this bye
user18 THEY WEREN'T EVEN TRYING TO HIDE IT
user19 NO BECAUSE WE ALL THOUGHT THEY WERE JUST FRIENDS
user20 oh i know charles is livinggg
user21 CHARLES ACCIDENTALLY HARD LAUNCHED THEM WEEKS AGO
user22 i manifested this
user23 i've been staring at this for hours and i still can't believe it's real
user24 THIS IS THE FUNNIEST POSSIBLE WAY THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED
user25 THE FOUR-TIME WORLD CHAMPION IS DATING A PRINCESS
user26 THIS SOUNDS LIKE FANFICTION
user27 ACTUALLY IT SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE FANFICTION
user28 SOMEBODY CHECK ON CHARLES
user29 no. fucking. way
user30 charles is currently turning off his pone
user31 IMAGINE BEING MAX VERSTAPPEN
user32 IMAGINE BEING PRINCESS YN
user33 IMAGINE BEING THE PERSON WHO TWEETED "WHAT IF IT'S ACTUALLY MAX"
user34 THEY WON
user35 THEY WON SO HARD
user36 MONACO GRAND PRIX WEEKEND HAS PEAKED
user37 THIS IS BIGGER THAN THE RACE
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maxverstappen1 P3 in Monaco and the best part of the weeknd
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ser1 wait HE posted it???
user2 oh my god 😭
user3 NO WAY
user4 i'm sorry but this is actually insane
user5 the princess of monaco and max verstappen was not on my 2026 bingo card
user6 remember when everyone said the rumors were ridiculous
└ user7 and then it turned out every single rumor was true 😭
user8 I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE THIS
user9 max and a princess. WHAT
user10 i know charles is somewhere relieved this is public now
user11 max saying it was the craziest rumor he'd ever heard about himself is taking me OUT
└ user12 meanwhile he was dating her the whole time
user13 THIS IS JUST INSANE
user14 they were laughing at all of us
user15 the fact that the conspiracy theorists got everything right
└ user16 every. single. thing.
user17 wait because wasn't she commenting on his posts this entire time?
└ user18 yes 😭
user19 "told you it'd be a good weekend 🤍"
└ user20 don't remind me
user21 i genuinely thought they were just friends
└ user22 same
user23 not max hard launching with a kissing picture
user24 not max hard launching with a PRINCESS
user25 honestly good for them
user26 they look really happy
user27 this has to be one of the wildest f1 relationship reveals ever
user28 a world champion dating a princess sounds fake
user29 it literally sounds like a wattpad story
charles_leclerc Thank God finally
└ user30 FINALLY???
└ user31 charles has been waiting for this day 😭
└ user32 he's free from keeping the secret
alexandrasaintmleux ❤️
└ user33 alex knew EVERYTHING
└ user34 of course she did
yourinstagram ❤️🤍
└ user35 your highness that is NOT enough information
user36 we're going to need a statement, a timeline, and the group chat screenshots