2.2K words | Lando Norris/Max Verstappen/Charles Leclerc/Daniel Ricciardo | Part of the Quartet Verse
Lando wasn’t shocked to find Max waiting for him in his driver’s room when he returned from debrief. He’d long since stopped questioning how he somehow had access to the entire paddock, and in times like these, it served him well. He was really dreading making the walk all the way to Red Bull’s garage. His back hurt and breathing too deeply made his ribs ache. He really just wanted to lay down.
Jon walked him back to his room, a supportive hand on his waist. His trainer had scarcely left his side since he’d stepped out of the medical car at the track’s medical center. Lando appreciated it, even though who he really wanted was Max or Daniel. Having Jon there was much better than being alone and in pain. He unlocked the door to his room and immediately spotted Max. The older man had changed out of his race suit and was wearing a pair of track pants and his Red Bull jacket, scrolling on his phone. As soon as the door opened and he spotted Lando standing there, he was on his feet. He didn’t say a word, just opened his arms and Lando fell into them, clutching the fabric of his jacket trying to keep him as close as he could get him.
“It’s alright schatje,” Max soothed. “I've got you.”
Lando just pushed himself closer, burying his face in Max’s neck.
“What did they say at the hospital?” he asked, gently scratching at the messy curls at the back of Lando’s head.
“Bruised ribs and a strain in his shoulder,” Jon answered. “He’s good to drive next weekend but he’ll be sore for a few days. He’s got pain meds in his backpack. They said an epsom salt bath would help the pain and to alternate heat and ice.”
“We’ll take care of him,” Max assured.
“I know you will. Lando, are you alright to go with Max buddy?”
“Yeah I’m good,” he finally pulled himself away from Max’s embrace and faced his trainer. “Thank you for staying with me.”
“Of course. Check in with me tomorrow, go back and get some sleep.”
“I will.”
When Jon left them, Max pulled Lando for another hug, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“I’m really sore but nothing hurts too bad. Where’s Charles and Danny?”
“They’re both waiting for us in my driver’s room so we can go back to the hotel together. I wanted to come wait for you here so you didn’t have to walk alone.”
“I don’t want to ruin your celebrations. You and Charles did well, you shouldn’t have to take care of me.”
“Lando,” Max grabbed his chin, tilting his head up so that they were making eye contact. “There is nothing we would rather do than care for you schatje. We were all worried when we heard about your crash on the radio. We just want to make sure you’re alright. Will you let us do that?”
“Yeah.”
“Good boy,” Max praised. “Let’s go back to the hotel then. I’ll have someone pick up some epsom salt and we’ll get you in a bath. Do you want a smoothie? We can order one of those too.”
“A smoothie would be nice.”
Max smiled and kissed the top of his head, wrapping a steady arm around his shoulders, “I'll make it happen.”
Max paused for a moment then tugged lightly at the coat Lando was wearing, “This is a bit big for you isn’t it?”
He knew Lando liked his outwear to be slightly oversized, said it was more comfy that way, but that was excessive even for him.
“Oh,” Lando looked down as if only just remembering what he had on. “Jon lent it to me. I was cold when they got me out of the car.”
“Here.” Max gently unzipped the jacket and helped him shrug it off before replacing it with his own. It was warm from his body heat and Lando snuggled into it, breathing in the scent of sweat and cologne stuck to the collar. “Much better,” Max said, kissing his forehead.
“Thank you Max.”
“Of course schatje. Are you ready to go?”
Lando nodded and Max wrapped a gentle arm around his shoulders, tucking him into his side and away from the prying eyes of anyone still lurking around the paddock as they started their journey to Red Bull’s hospitality.
Daniel and Charles fussed over him as soon as they laid their eyes on him.
“You scared us,” Daniel murmured into his head after he’d finished checking every bit of visible skin for bruises and marks.
“I’m sorry. I just lost control, there wasn’t anything I could do.”
“We know, baby. No one is upset, we were just worried.”
“Are you in pain mon amour?” Charles asked when it was his turn to inspect the youngest of them for injuries.
“A little but not too bad.”
“Jon gave me his pain medication,” Max said, holding up Lando’s backpack that he’d insisted on carrying. “You should be due for another dose then. I also had someone deliver some epsom salts to the room so he can take a bath and relax.”
“Look at you taking care of our boy. You’re so good Max,” Daniel said, rewarding him with a soft kiss.
Lando tucked himself into Charles’s side as they looked on. Sometimes it was easy to forget that this whole thing had started with just Max and Daniel, and that Max had at one time been submissive to Daniel. He still was, but with the way he took such good care of Lando and Charles, it was easy to forget that he hadn’t always been the one in charge. But it was nice to watch Max be soft occasionally, to fall back into the submissive role he loved with Daniel. He reveled in the praise for a minute, letting Daniel love on him as Charles kept Lando safe for a few moments. He left Daniel with another kiss as his phone chimed with a notification and he pulled it from his back pocket to check it.
“The car is here. Ready to go?”
The other three nodded their agreement and followed Max to where the sleek, black SUV was waiting for them. Daniel and Charles sat in the back with Lando tucked in the middle of them while Max occupied the passenger seat, chatting lightly to the driver as they navigated the busy streets of Las Vegas.
Lando scrolled on his phone for a bit, checking his instagram notifications and missed Whatsapp messages. The majority of his instagram was overwhelmingly positive, with well wishes and get well soon messages from fans on Mclaren’s accounts. He knew he’d have to send his social media managers a press statement eventually, but he didn’t have the brain power to come up with something heartfelt or clever yet. He navigated back to Whatsapp and scrolled to his chat with Oscar.
OP81: glad to hear you’re okay mate! If you need anything let me know
OP81: also Logan says he’s glad you’re okay too
LN4: thanks Osc. tell Loges i said thanks too
OP81: of course. feeling okay?
LN4: a little sore and shaken up but nothing too serious. i’m okay to race next weekend, i just have to take it easy for a few days
OP81: good to hear. one last chance for our landoscar 1-2
LN4: don’t let your boyfriend hear you using our ship name. he might get jealous
OP81: considering he’s asleep and drooling on my leg right now, i’m not sure i should be worried
LN4: poor logie is sleepy
OP81: so am i. i’m gonna crash now but seriously, if you need anything let us know. see you in abu dhabi
LN4: i think max, charles, and danny have it covered but thanks mate. see you soon
Lando locked his phone and put it down in his lap, opting to rest his head on Charles’s shoulder.
“Everything alright baby?” he asked, bringing his hand up to stroke Lando’s cheek. Lando leaned into the touch, enjoying the contrast of the warmth of his palm and the cool metal of his rings.
“Yeah. Just Oscar and Logan checking up on me.”
“That’s nice of them. They’re good friends.”
“Yeah they are.” Lando turned his head, stifling a yawn into the fabric of the Ferrari hoodie Charles was wearing.
“Close your eyes for a bit mon amour. I’ll wake you when we make it to the hotel.”
Lando ended up getting in a twenty minute power-nap before Charles's gentle hands were shaking his shoulders and Daniel was leading him out of the car and into the elevator. The two kept him propped between them as Max unlocked the door to the hotel room and led him in, depositing his half-asleep frame on the bed.
Max sat next to him and ran gentle hands through his hair, “Do you feel up for a bath still? Or do you just want to sleep?”
“Will you stay with me so I don’t drown?”
Max chuckled, “Of course darling.”
Charles got the bath ready for them while Max got Lando undressed, checking him over for injuries. His collarbones were bruised from his seatbelt and he could see a particularly nasty one forming on his hip but he was otherwise mostly unscathed, a surprising feat considering the force of the crash.
Lando sighed as he sunk into the steaming water, the tension releasing from his muscles.
“Does it feel good?”
“So good. Thank you Maxy.”
“Of course darling.”
Lando reached out and grabbed Max’s hand, pulling it to his chest.
“I mean it. Thank you for always taking such good care of me. I really appreciate it and I don’t know if I say it enough. I love you Max.”
Max gave him a soft smile, the one he reserved just for his boyfriends and tugged Lando’s hand back to kiss each one of his knuckles.
“I love you too Lando. And you don’t have to say it darling, I know. And so does Daniel. We love caring for you and Charles. Forget the race wins and the records, the three of you are the best thing in my life.”
Lando didn’t even notice the tears slipping down his cheeks until Max gently wiped one away, “Why are you crying? Are you in pain?”
“No,” Lando whimpered, trying to wipe the tears away with wet hands and only succeeding to make more of a mess of his face. “I think the medicine is making me a bit emotional.”
“It’s alright darling. You can cry if you need to.”
Max let him cry it out in the bathtub, releasing the stress and tension of the day, just rubbing his back and talking quietly to him as he sobbed into his knees. When his cries slowed into soft whines and whimpers, Max helped him from the tub, wrapping him in a soft towel and sending him into the bedroom with Charles and Daniel while he cleaned up.
The other two spoke softly to him as they dressed him in his softest sweats and one of Daniel’s oversized hoodies. They tucked him into the bed, propping him up on the multitude of plush pillows and Daniel pushed a smoothie into his hands.
“Strawberry, mango, and pineapple. Jon said it’s your favorite.”
“Thank you Danny.”
“Anything for you sweet boy.”
Daniel and Charles settled on either side of him as he sipped on his drink and Daniel propped his laptop on his knees so Lando could watch YouTube. Normally, they complained about Lando’s taste in random entertainment, but tonight they kept their comments to themselves as Lando watched his videos.
Eventually, Max came out of the bathroom and joined them in the bed, curling around Charles and hooking his chin over his shoulder to get a view of the screen. He passed Daniel a comb and Lando’s curl cream and the older man gently brushed out his hair and worked in the product, taking care of his hair so he wouldn’t wake up with it in a state the next morning.
Lando felt his heart swell with love and he pressed his cheek into Daniel’s chest, probably undoing all of the hard work he’d just done on his hair.
“Thank you for taking care of me tonight.”
“Of course baby,” Daniel pressed a kiss to his hair. “That’s what we do, take care of each other.”
Lando nodded, but didn’t respond, feeling his eyelids grow heavy as he settled into Daniel’s warmth. Daniel gently removed the cup from his hands and placed the laptop on the bedside table. He carefully slid them down in the bed until his head was resting on the pillows and Lando’s head was settled onto his chest.
Lando felt a solid warmth behind him, and Charles’s delicate hand slid under his hoodie to rub gentle, comforting circles on his belly. Max’s arm reached around them both to settle on Lando’s hip.
“We’re all here schatje. Get some sleep.”
“I love you. All three of you,” he whispered.
“We love you more notre bebe.”
“So much,” Daniel agreed, pressing gentle kisses on his forehead.
Lando settled into the warmth around him, thankful for the three men sharing his bed. He’d never felt more loved and cared for in his life, and he never wanted anything else.
Summary: Charles gets on pole at Spa. The boys celebrate the best way they know how (Pairings: Max Verstappen/Daniel Ricciardo/Charles Leclerc/Lando Norris; Oscar Piastri/Logan Sargeant [background])
Read on ao3 here
Daniel barely restrained himself from cheering as he watched Charles cross the finish line and clock the second fastest time in Q3. He knew that standing in the Alpha Tauri garage, shoulder to shoulder with Yuki, was not the time to loudly celebrate his boyfriend’s success, but seeing him bounce back at a track he loved so much made Daniel want to jump around like a lunatic. He knew that due to Max’s grid penalty, Charles would be on pole Sunday. Lando had also managed to qualify P7, which wasn’t quite the achievement he’d had in Silverstone and at Hungaroring, but considering the floor damage done when he’d hit the gravel in Q1 it was an impressive feat.
He could feel himself itching to get out of there as he made his rounds in the media pen, wanting to be with his boys to celebrate. His phone was buzzing in his pocket, no doubt texts from Max, who wasn’t in the media pen, but instead was waiting to participate in the post-qualifying press conference before he was finally allowed to go home. He could see Lando glancing at him occasionally, which made him think Max was also texting him. Eventually Daniel was able to excuse himself and pull his phone from his pocket as he huddled in a corner away from the media circus. Max had started a group chat with just him and Lando, and it seemed they were on the same wavelength.
Super Max: Come back to my room tonight. We’re celebrating Charles on pole
Muppet: Good. I have ideas
Apparently Lando had also escaped back to the comfort of his driver’s room and was able to text back.
Danny: Ooh do tell
Muppet: Redacted, redacted, redacted
Muppet: Sorry Danny, not safe for work
Danny: Guess I’ll find out myself tonight ;)
Super Max: Stop flirting please, I’m gonna vomit before the press conference
Muppet: Like we didn’t all see you giving Charles heart eyes when you got out of the car
Super Max: You saw nothing
Super Max: Gotta go, press conference is starting. Love you both, see you soon
Muppet: Love you <3
Danny: Love you too Maxy
Daniel waited at the back of the Mclaren motorhome for Lando to come out. He was sure his boyfriend was changing out of his race suit and fireproofs and also talking to Oscar before they went their separate ways. Sure enough, he heard Lando before he saw him, coming around the corner with Oscar not far behind. Their voices echoed back to Daniel as they walked, though they hadn’t seen him yet.
“What are your plans for tonight?” Oscar asked.
“We’re celebrating Charles being on pole,” Lando said, wiggling his eyebrows at his teammate.
“Gross mate. I’m not sure if that’s a euphemism or not but I don’t want to hear about you having sex with all three of your boyfriends.”
“Don’t pretend you aren’t on your way over to Williams. You’ll be in Logan’s room tonight helping him lick his wounds and we both know it. You’re just jealous I get laid three times more than you do.”
“Shut up Lando,” Oscar’s face went bright red at the mention of Logan. “Also how do you know about that?”
“Alex is the one that lets you in. He can’t keep a damn secret to save his life.”
Oscar groaned and looked up, blushing when he met Daniel’s eyes. “Oh hey Daniel.”
Oscar noticed him first, waving awkwardly, assuming Daniel had heard most of their conversation.
“Hi Oscar,” he greeted the younger Aussie. “Congrats on P5 mate, that’s awesome.”
“Oh thanks,” he said. “Shame about your lap time, I’m sorry man.”
“Eh,” Daniel shrugged. “Shit happens. I’m just proud of these guys.”
He pulled Lando into his side and pressed a quick kiss to his curls. Lando bumped his nose against his jaw before turning back to Oscar.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Have fun with Logie bear.”
“I hate you,” Oscar said, flipping Lando the bird.
“Love you too Oscar.”
*****
Max and Charles arrived at the hotel an hour later than Daniel and Lando had. They were tired after the long day they had, but that didn’t stop Max from pushing Charles against the wall of the elevator and kissing him.
“What was that for?” Charles asked, slightly out of breath when Max pulled away.
“I’m just so fucking proud of you.”
“You’re not upset about the penalty?”
Max raised an eyebrow at him, “Schatje, do you really think a five place grid penalty is going to stop me?”
“No, I suppose not,” Charles laughed. “I’ll give you a good fight though.”
“I expect nothing less,” Max pressed a single quick kiss to his lips as the dinging sound signaled they had reached their floor and the doors slid open. Max led him down the hall to his room where Lando and Daniel were waiting for them. Max had said in the car on the way over that they had plans and Charles wasn’t getting his hopes up about what they were but he knew his boys probably had some ideas.
As soon as the door opened he was all but tackled by Daniel who swung him into his arms and pressed kisses all over his face.
“Daniel,” he laughed, grabbing his face but making no move to push the older man away. “What are you doing?”
“Giving you love,” Daniel settled him back on his feet but didn’t let go. “We’re so proud of you baby. Pole position, that’s fucking incredible!”
Charles felt arms wrapping around his waist from behind and a cheek pressed between his shoulder blades. The curls tickling the back of his neck told him it was Lando.
“You did so well today Charlie.”
Charles reached an arm behind himself to fist in the fabric of the younger man’s hoodie and pull him close.
“We have plans for you tonight,” Max said, pressing in from the side to get his hands on Charles. “We’re celebrating you schatje, whatever you want, you’ll get it.”
Lando pressed small kisses to the back of his neck and Charles had to take a deep breath to be able to concentrate. Daniel cupped his chin and tilted his face up so he was looking in his deep brown eyes.
“Tell us what you want, baby.”
“I want You and Max to decide.”
“Yeah?” Max pressed a soft kiss to his jaw. “You want us to decide for you? You trust us to make sure you feel good?”
“Yes.”
“Sweet boy,” Daniel praised. “Tell me your colors.”
“Red to stop, yellow to slow down, green to keep going.”
“Good. Get undressed and get on the bed. Lando, you too.”
They both obeyed, pulling away from the other two to take off their clothes and discard them haphazardly around the room. They climbed on the bed together and Charles settled back against the pillows. Lando curled up against his side and kissed his neck softly, biting gently at the skin but taking care not to leave marks that wouldn’t be covered by his clothes. He could almost guarantee that his body would be covered in hidden hickey’s by the time the night was over. As if to prove his thoughts correct, Lando moved his head down to suck a mark on his pec, flicking his tongue against his nipple teasingly. Charles groaned and grabbed the back of Lando’s head, keeping him close.
“Lando baby,” Max called his name, distracting him. “Do you want to suck Charles off?”
“Yes please.”
“Go ahead.”
Lando reached up to give Charles one last kiss before moving down to where his cock was showing an interest in what was going on. Lando moved to take him into his mouth, but was stopped by Daniel.
“Nuh uh,” Daniel made a spinning motion with his finger. “Turn around, let Charles make you feel good too.”
Lando whined, scrambling to turn around and straddle Charles’s chest. He backed up slowly until his ass was at eye level with Charles, who immediately grabbed two handfuls of it, silently thankful for all of the extra training he had been doing lately. Once he was settled, Lando resumed his earlier goal and took Charles into his mouth, sucking lightly on the head and using his hand to hold the rest. He went slowly, almost teasing, knowing exactly how to drive Charles crazy. Daniel joined them on the bed, kneeling by Charles’s head and leaning down to talk quietly in his ear.
“I want you to get Lando ready. Stretch him out on your tongue and your fingers yeah? Then he’s going to sit on your pretty cock while Max and I fuck you. Does that sound good sweetheart?”
“Yes,” Charles moaned.
“Good boy. Get to it.”
Charles did as he was told, grabbing Lando by his hips and pulling him back so he had better access. One of Daniel’s big hands grabbed one side of Lando’s ass, exposing his hole. Charles licked a wide stripe over it with the flat of his tongue, getting him wet. Lando moaned around his cock and pushed his hips back further.
Daniel tightened his grip,” Stay still Lando. Keep making Charles feel good and he’ll take care of you.”
Lando groaned again, the vibrations sending shivers up Charles’s spine, but otherwise stayed still. Charles continued to lick into him, getting him wet and relaxed before carefully rubbing one finger around his rim, testing the waters. His hand was stopped by Daniel, who produced lube seemingly out of thin air and coated two of his fingers in it. Charles massaged it between his fingers for a few seconds to warm it before slowly pushing on finger in. At the same time, Lando sank further down on his cock, one hand moving to gently cradle his balls as he bobbed his head up and down.
“Fuck cheri,” Charles moaned, flopping his head back against the pillows. “That feels so good.”
Daniel stayed by his head, running his hands through his hair and whispering dirty things in his ear.
“Does that feel good baby? Lando gives good head, doesn't he? You’re making him feel so good baby, he’s drooling for it. You’re such a sweet boy Charles, I’m so proud of you. We’re gonna make you feel so good tonight baby.”
His words made Charles whine, biting down on the back of Lando’s thigh, which made the younger boy whimper.
“Are you getting close, baby?” Daniel asked. Charles nodded his assent and Daniel gave Max a look over Lando’s back. Max was somewhere by Charles hip, presumably making Lando just as turned on as Daniel had made him. Max grabbed Lando’s curls, tugging lightly to make him stop.
“Charles is getting close schatje. We don’t want him to come before we get to the good part do we?”
“Nuh uh,” Lando wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and turned to look at Charles over his shoulder. “Was it good?”
“So good,” Charles praised, rubbing his hip. “You always do so well.”
Lando preened at the praise and maneuvered himself so that he was no longer straddling Charles, before leaning down to kiss him, obviously not caring about where Charles’s mouth had just been.
“Lando, do you want to help me prep him?” Max asked.
“What do I need to do?”
“Come here and I’ll show you.”
Lando joined Max at the end of the bed, eager to learn. Daniel kept his position by Charles's head but moved so that he could see his face and kiss him.
“First get a pillow so we can prop his hips up,” Charles heard Max say. Daniel reached behind them and handed one to the younger boy, who passed it to Max. “Lift your hips for me liefde.”
Charles followed directions, planting his heels into the mattress and pushing himself up so that Max could slide the pillow beneath him. Daniel passed the lube down to them and Charles could hear Max giving Lando instructions.
“He likes it when you tease a little,” Max said. “Use one finger without any lube and just rub him gently.”
Lando did as he was told and Charles whined against Daniel, pushing his ships down into the touch.
“Very good baby. Now get some lube and start with just one finger. He can take it.”
Charles heard the sound of the cap opening and closing and Daniel pulled him in for another kiss just as Lando breached him with one thin finger. They continued trading kisses as Max talked Lando through it, working him up to three fingers.
By then, they weren’t really kissing, more like Charles breathing against Daniel’s mouth as Lando opened him up and praises flowed from Max’s lips.
“You’re doing so well my loves. Making each other feel good. Such good boys.”
“Is he ready?” Lando asked when three fingers were moving easily and Charles was whining shamelessly. Max reached down, feeling where his hole was stretched around Lando’s fingers, making Charles moan and cum suddenly. It spurted against his belly and Daniel moaned into his hair.
“Fuck baby, look at you.”
“I think he’s ready. Be gentle,” Max told Lando as he helped him pull out. “He’s sensitive right after he cums.”
Lando crawled up Charles’s body, carefully avoiding his now sensitive cock that was still partially hard, to kiss him.
“That was so hot,” he whined, grinding his own leaking dick against Charles’s abs.
“Do you still want us to fuck you sweetheart?” Daniel asked.
“Yes please. I want it.”
“Okay baby. Do you still want Lando to ride you? It’s okay if you don't, you can still make him feel good while we fuck you.”
“Sit on my face?” he asked Lando.
“Fuck yes.”
“Slow down for a minute,” Max laughed. “Let us get settled before you do that okay? Who do you want first, Charles?”
“Daniel.”
Daniel and Max traded places, swapping a few dirty kisses along the way. Daniel slicked up his cock, pushing into Charles gently, letting him get used to the stretch. He wasn’t massive, but he was bigger than Lando’s fingers and it burned a bit as he slowly bottomed out. Once Daniel was fully seated, Max helped Lando straddle Charles’s face. Charles grabbed his thighs and pulled him down so that he was seated properly. He began licking him open, his hole still tasted somewhat of the lube he had used on him earlier but he didn’t mind. Under that was a taste of soap and something that was distinctly Lando. Charles was silently grateful that Lando had taken care to wash well when he was in the shower earlier. Something told him they had planned this, all of them knowing how much Lando liked to be eaten out.
Max had taken up Daniel’s role, laying next to Charles and whispering dirty things in his ear as he gently fisted his cock that was hard once again.
“You’re so perfect schatje. So good for us, making all of us feel so good. I’m so proud of you Charles. You’re fucking amazing.”
Charles whimpered, before resuming eating Lando out with vigor. He wanted to make him feel good, wanted him to come just from Charles playing with him.
“Fuck,” Daniel groaned. “Charles, baby, you feel so fucking good. I’m gonna cum baby.”
A few more thrusts and Daniel was cumming, filling Charles up. He continued to fuck him slowly through his orgasm, riding out the aftershocks before pulling out slowly. Charles clenched to keep his cum inside, which was one of the hottest things Daniel had ever seen. He expected Max to follow right behind Daniel and pick up where he left off, but was disappointed when Max stayed where he was.
“Max,” he cried out, pulling away from Lando enough that they could hear his voice. “Please.”
“Make Lando cum first. Don’t be greedy baby, he deserves to feel good too doesn’t he?”
“Yes,” Charles whined.
“Good boy. Take care of Lando then I’ll take care of you.”
That spurred Charles on, and he removed one of his hands from Lando’s tight, wiggling it between his chest and Lando’s ass to get fingers in him. It might have technically been cheating, but neither Max or Daniel said he couldn’t so he continued. It wasn’t the most comfortable and his wrist started to cramp fairly quickly but he didn’t care, working two fingers inside of him and moving them until he found his prostate. It only took a few sharp jabs to the bundle of nerves and a few licks where he was stretched around his fingers for Lando’s legs to shake and him to cum over the pillows behind Charles’s head.
Daniel helped him off of Charles, holding him close to his chest and whispering praise in his ear as he came down from the high. He settled them down on the other side of the bed, close enough that Charles could still reach him if he stretched his arm out but far enough that they had space for Lando to sprawl out across Daniel’s lap and make himself comfortable.
Finally, finally, Max positioned himself between Charles’s legs, slicking himself up with the lube and cum that was slowly starting to drip from him. He hooked one of Charles’s legs over his arm and pushed in, not stopping until he bottomed out. Charles came immediately, sensitive and worked up.
“Fuck,” Max groaned, pulling back before fucking back in slowly. “That was so hot. You’ve done so well for us tonight Charles. You’re perfect.”
“Fuck me please,” Charles whined, grabbing at Max’s shoulders to pull him in as closely as he could get him.
“I will baby. I’m going to make you feel good because you deserve it. You’re done so well, and I’m so proud of you. We all are.”
Charles turned his head to look at Daniel and Lando. Daniel smiled at him and reached out to take his hand.
“I love you sweet boy. You’ve done so well, just a little more. Make Max feel good sweetheart.”
“Je vous aime.”
“I love you more.”
“I love you Charlie,” Lando whispered.
With a few more thrusts, Max was spilling inside him, pressing soft kisses over Charles’s face as he rode out his orgasm. He pulled out carefully, mindful of how sensitive he probably was after taking both of them and having two orgasms himself.
“I’ll take Lando next door to shower in my room,” Daniel said quietly, so as not to disturb the two boys currently feeling very fucked out and floaty. “You take care of Charles here yesh?”
“Of course.”
Daniel leaned over to kiss him and cradled the back of his head gently, “I love you Maxy. You did so well tonight too. You take care of our boys so well. I’m so proud of you.”
“I love you too Daniel.”
Daniel pressed another quick kiss to his lips and pulled away. He gathered Lando up and herded him through the door that attached his room to Max’s, silently praising whatever Red Bull executive thought that it would be a good idea. He stopped briefly to grab clothes for both of them before getting the younger boy into a steaming shower.
Max gave Charles a few minutes to recover feeling in his legs, taking the time to get the hot water running and pick out comfortable clothes for both of them. Once he was steady enough to walk with minimal assistance, Max got him into the shower, pushing him under the spray so he could wash his hair. They took their time, holding each other in the steam, trading soft kisses back and forth until they got tired of standing. Once they were dressed and had their teeth brushed, they made their way back into the bedroom, where Lando and Daniel were already snuggled up in bed. They had stripped the dirty sheets and replaced them with the ones from Daniel’s room, since they wouldn’t be using them anyway and housekeeping would come to change them in the morning. Daniel was laying on his back, scrolling on his phone with Lando mostly on top of him, the younger man drifting in and out of sleep. Max pushed Charles into the middle, where Lando moved himself partially off of Daniel to snuggle into Charles more. Max hugged him from behind, sliding one hand under his t-shirt to rub gently across his chest and stomach.
“Did you enjoy your night schatje?” he asked quietly so as not to disturb Lando, who was snoring softly now that they were all in bed, and Daniel who was well on his way to being asleep as well.
“Very much.”
“Good. I am very proud of you Charles.”
“I know Maxy. Thank you for showing me that, but I am tired. Sleep now.”
“Of course. Goodnight Charles.”
“Goodnight cheri.”
*****
Lando woke a few hours later, warm and comfortable in Daniel’s arms with his head on Charles’s chest. He laid there for a while, hoping he would drift back to sleep. However, that was not the case. So he wiggled around, being careful not to wake his partners until he could reach his phone where it had fallen between himself and Daniel.
He scrolled through his chat notifications, responding to an offer from Carlos to play a few rounds of golf when they arrived back in Monaco before leaving on their holidays. As he clicked out of his chat with Carlos, preparing to put his phone down and go to sleep, he noticed the green icon by Oscar’s name, indicating that he was active. He acted on a whim and shot off a quick text.
LN4: Must have been a pretty good night if you’re still awake (wink, wink)
Oscar read it almost immediately and began typing, the gray dots appearing on his screen before disappearing again. Just when he was about to put his phone down, a message appeared from Oscar that made him want to laugh and coo at the same time.
It was a photo of Oscar in a hotel bed that looked very similar to the one Lando was currently occupying. Except Oscar wasn’t alone, instead Logan Sargeant was curled up against his side, hair a mess, sticking his tongue out at the camera while Oscar laughed.
OP81: Pretty damn good
Lando smiled to himself and snapped a quick photo of his own. It was hard to get them all in it at this angle but he managed to catch where Daniel was drooling into the pillow and Max’s face squished against the back of Charles’s neck. He sent it off to Oscar with a short caption underneath.LN4: Yeah us too
Hi, hello. I interrupt your regularly schedule programming to bring you this, brought to you by my Formula 1 brain rot
Basically I wrote a fic about the trophy "inchident" at today's Grand Prix and wanted to share it here. If you're not interested in formula 1 feel free to scroll on and enjoy your day. But if you are, here ya go
(I might also continue to post things from other fandoms I enjoy because I need something to fuel me during this hiatus 🙃)
Champange Problems (Read on ao3 here)
Summary: Lando breaks Max's trophy on accident during podium celebrations at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He askes Max to punish him for it
Lando was exhausted after the race. The media pen, post-race press conference, and debriefs he’d had to participate in following the grueling two hours of the race had drained the last bit of energy he had been clutching on to following the checkered flag and podium celebrations. Oscar had poured one of their secret Red Bull stash into each of their water bottles to keep them awake during the engineering meeting and Lando had never been more endlessly grateful for his teammate.
However, the burst of caffeinated energy had long since worn off and it took all of his remaining brain cells to navigate through the motorhomes to the car that was waiting to take him back to the hotel. He’d received a text from Daniel that he and Charles had already returned and sequestered themselves away in Max’s room with room service and were awaiting the return of their podium sitters. By finishing farther down the grid, the other two's media obligations were much less grueling than his and Max’s so they’d left the track hours before himself and Max. Lando was sure that Daniel was letting Charles pace the room and rant to relieve some of his frustrations before he and Max returned, not wanting to put a damper on their win despite the shitshow of Ferrari’s performance over the season. Lando could hardly wait for summer break when the four of them would be escaping to Daniel’s farm to pretend that the rest of the world didn’t exist for three glorious weeks.
What he could wait for was seeing Max. While his boyfriend had assured him he wasn’t angry about the trophy incident, he couldn’t help but feel guilty and the angry tweets and instagram comments hadn’t helped. He hadn’t meant to break the trophy, so caught up in his excitement of achieving P2 that he’d forgotten the Hungary trophy was porcelain, not the metal of most other circuits and that his slightly aggressive champagne pop might have been too much for the fragile item. It turned out that it was, the force of the bottle hitting the step causing the trophy to bounce and tumble to the ground. It had happened seemingly in slow motion as the top cracked and the bottom snapped clean off at his feet. He’d cringed, stepping over the shards of porcelain to spray Max and Checo. He’d leaned into Max as subtly as he could following the celebration, whispering an apology quietly so the microphones wouldn’t pick it up. Max had squeezed the back of his neck in reassurance, offering a gentle smile reserved only for himself, Daniel, and Charles. He’d apologized again on the way to the media pen and Max had only smiled again, that soft smile that made Lando want to curl up against him and hide in his arms, reassuring him once again that he wasn’t upset.
“I have plenty of trophies,” he’d chuckled. “This one won’t take away from the collection.”
He’d gotten tired of being asked about it during his media sessions. It had been an honest mistake and he wasn’t sure why people couldn’t understand that. He wasn’t being malicious and trying to damage his boyfriend’s (even though no one knew about that part) property on purpose.
As he made his way to the car Oscar spotted him outside the Mclaren garage and jogged to catch up, clearly on his own way out.
“Great race today,” Oscar said, bumping their shoulders softly. “Seriously, P2 twice in a row, that’s impressive.”
“P5 is nothing to scoff at mate. Moving up in the points, I’m proud.”
“Thanks,” Oscar ducked his head shyly, still not used to Lando’s praise and compliments being directed at him. “Are you flying back tonight?”
“Nah, tomorrow morning.”
“Oh. Max huh?”
Lando chuckled, “Of course. Who else?”
“Perks of your boyfriend having his own jet.”
“You can join the club when you get your first podium,” Lando teased.
“I’m holding you to that,” Oscar’s car pulled around the corner and he headed that direction, waving at Lando as he went. “See you Tuesday!”
“See you later mate!”
Lando bundled himself into the car, his driver offering him a short greeting before raising the partition and leaving him to his own devices. He immediately retrieved his phone from his backpack and Facetimed Daniel.
“Hello,” Daniel greeted, a wide smile on his face. He was lounging against the pillows on the bed, and a tuft of brown hair poking up at the bottom of the frame suggested he had Charles laying against his chest, listening in on the conversation. “Are you finally headed back?”
“Finally,” Lando agreed, leaning back in the car seats, getting as comfortable as he could.
“Perfect timing, Maxy just texted and he’s on the way back as well.”
“Great,” Lando said, anxiety spiking in his throat.
“What’s wrong?” Charles asked, poking his head up just enough that Lando could see his bright green eyes.
“Is Max mad at me?”
“Why would he be mad at you?”
“The trophy,” he mumbled.
“Oh baby,” Daniel said. “He’s not upset with you. He thought it was funny.”
“But-”
“But nothing,” Charles piped up again, sitting up properly this time so he could squeeze into the frame with Daniel. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You were celebrating and it was an accident. It’s not like you kicked it over and stomped on it.”
“Charles is right. It was just an inchident.”
Lando chuckled as Charles smacked Daniel’s arm in retaliation for the joke muttering asshole under his breath.
“I just feel bad about it and I can’t make myself stop. And the comments aren’t helping.”
“Lando, answer me truthfully okay?” Daniel said gently. “Would a punishment help?”
“Maybe.”
This part of their dynamic was relatively new but they were making it work. He’d known that Max and Daniel used to do something similar when they were teammates at Red Bull, helping to pull each other out of bad headspaces after bad races or bad interactions with Max’s dad. He also knew that Charles had gotten involved too, using it as an outlet for his Ferrari related frustrations. Lando, however, had only experienced it a few times since making their throuple a quartet a few months ago, usually lingering to the side and watching with whoever wasn’t currently over someone else’s lap.
“Lando cheri, be honest with us,” Charles encouraged. “Do you want Max to spank you? Will that make you feel better about what happened today?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Good boy for answering honestly,” Daniel praised. “We’ll talk to Max when he gets here and then when you arrive we’ll all have a discussion about it together. Alright?”
“Alright.”
“Good boy. We’ll see you soon okay?”
“See you soon. I love you.”
“We love you too baby.”
*****
When Lando arrived at the hotel, he hauled himself out of the car and thanked the driver before heading inside. Max had slipped him the extra key to his hotel room that morning and he’d kept it safely hidden in his bag since. How Max managed to get four keys so that they could each have one was beyond him, but he supposed that there wasn’t much a two-time world champion couldn’t talk his way into. He rode the elevator up to Max’s room on the fourteenth floor, thankful that this hotel was mostly reserved for Formula 1 teams, meaning he made his ascent alone.
Max’s room was at the end of the hall, tucked into a corner and Lando was endlessly grateful for the teams that arranged these things for them. A corner room gave them slightly more privacy, which was hard to come by on grand prix weekends. Lando used his key and pushed the door open, leaving his backpack next to Charles’s hideously red one and slotting his sneakers neatly next to Daniel’s Nikes. The other three men were huddled around the table, munching on the absurd amount of food that littered the table. They always allowed themselves a cheat meal after a race before getting back to their strict diets on Monday and Daniel always went all out.
Ignoring the food, Lando beelined for Max, dropping himself unceremoniously in his lap and hiding his face away in his neck.
“I’m sorry,” he whimpered, huddling in as close as he possibly could, relishing in Max’s warmth.
“Shh,” Max hushed him gently, rubbing a hand up and down his back. “Nothing to apologize for schatje. Eat first, we’ll take care of the rest once you’re fed. I know you’re starving.”
Max was right, he was starving, so he maneuvered himself to the empty chair between Max and Daniel, who pushed some fries his way. He picked at them for a few moments before he was grabbed around his waist and hauled into Daniel’s lap, who pulled more food in front of him to feed Lando by hand.
“You need to eat, baby. I know you’re anxious but having a stomach ache because you’ve gone too long without food won’t help.”
Lando nodded and let Daniel feed him a few fries before offering him small bits of chicken. Charles had pushed his plate away and Max was holding his hand, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles as they quietly chatted about Charles’s race.
“The car is a shitbox,” Max said bluntly, as Charles complained about the gap between himself and George, which hadn’t been helped by the penalty. “And your strategy could be better written by a toddler.”
“Maybe we should hire Penelope,” Charles snorted.
“I’ll ask Kelly if she’s available.”
Between bites of food, Lando reached out to take Charles’s other hand.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“That you’re driving an expensive, garishly red tractor.”
“Nothing to be sorry for,” Charles laughed, bringing his hand up to kiss his knuckles. “I’m so proud of you for the race you had today, Lando. I will never be upset with you for winning, no matter how frustrated I am with myself and with my team.”
“Do you need me to spank you too?” Max asked, halfway between serious and joking.
“No, Daniel took care of it earlier.”
Both Lando and Max turned to look at the Aussie, who just grinned, “Forty-five minutes on your knees can do wonders.”
The other two laughed, but Max’s joke had brought Lando’s impending punishment back to the forefront of his mind.
“Can we talk about it now? The spanking?”
“Of course. Do you want to come sit on the bed?”
Lando nodded and Max helped him stand from his place on Daniel’s lap, leading him to the king sized bed in the center of the room. Daniel and Charles also abandoned the table, choosing instead to curl up together in the armchair positioned diagonally to the bed, Charles halfway in Daniel’s lap as they cuddled up to watch the show.
“Do you remember the words we use?” Max asked, placing a gentle hand on Lando’s thigh. Lando nodded. “Tell me what they are.”
“Red is for stop. Yellow means I want to slow down and talk about it but not stop completely. Green is all good.”
“Very good,” Max praised. “I know you’re nervous, but I’m going to take care of you, I won’t hurt you, Lando.”
“I know. I trust you.”
“Good. What’s your color now?”
“Green.”
“Good. I want you to pull down your pants, but leave your boxers on, then lay over my lap.”
Lando obeyed, pushing his jeans down but keeping his underwear in place before leaning over Max’s thighs. Max shifted him gently so that he was in a more comfortable position, then rucked up his hoodie just enough that he could place a comforting hand on the small of his back.
“I’m going light since this is your first time. You’ll get fifteen with just my hand. You can count them if you want, but I won’t make you. Remember that I’m not doing this because I’m angry at you or want to hurt you. You did nothing wrong. I’m doing this because you told me this is what you need to feel better and that is what I want. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good boy. What is your color?”
“Green.”
“What do you say if you need to stop at any time?”
“Red,” Lando answered dutifully, squirming on Max’s lap, feeling exposed and ready to get on with it.
“Good boy. Stay still, let me take care of you.”
The first hit shocked him and he let out an involuntary squeak. The next two he was more prepared for but they still stung.
“Breathe Lando,” he heard Charles say encouragingly. “The more you tense up, the worse it is. Just relax and let Max take care of you.”
Max found a rhythm which Lando was grateful for. He’d witnessed some of the spanking Max had delivered to Charles that were brutal and he’s had a hard time keeping up with the pattern even from his position on the sidelines. He was glad Max had decided to take it easy on him for his first time. Somewhere around the eighth hit, he felt his brain start to go fuzzy around the edges, a feeling he’d only ever had described to him. He felt peaceful and he found the swats not hurting quite so much as he settled into the feeling. No wonder Charles liked this so much.
Eventually the pain stopped all together, just a dull burning sensation remained. He prepared himself for another swat but nothing came. It took him a few moments to register that there were voices and that they were talking to him. With some difficulty, he pried his eyes open and found Daniel kneeling in front of him.
“There he is,” Daniel brought a hand up to his cheek, wiping away his tears. When had he started crying? “How do you feel?”
“Good.”
“Floaty?” Charles asked, kneeling next to Daniel and running a hand through his no doubt wild curls. Lando nodded, pushing his head up into Charles’s hand, asking for head scratches. The other man chuckled but complied. Eventually, he was lifted up and moved so that he was sitting sideways across Max’s lap, head leaned on the older man’s shoulder.
“Do you feel better?”
“Yes,” Lando said, snuggling closer. “Much.”
“Good. I was never angry at you, you know that right. It was an accident. Even Christian said so.”
“I know. It’s just that, everyone kept asking me about it and I couldn’t let it go. I needed to get out of my head I guess.”
“I understand. Thank you for trusting me to help you do that.”
“I love you Maxy,” he said, and turned his head to kiss his jaw.
“I love you too. Let’s get you cleaned up and ready for bed, yes?”
Charles joined him in the shower, praising him softly for how well he’d raced and how well he’d done with his punishment, telling him he was good for asking for what he needed and allowing them to give it to him. He toweled them both off and dressed Lando in a clean pair of underwear and a large hoodie that belonged to Daniel, but smelled like all three of them, as if they’d passed it around before bestowing it on Lando.
Max and Daniel were in bed waiting for them, the table cleared of food and some American sitcom playing on the TV at low volume. Lando wedged himself between them, making himself comfortable with his back to Daniel's chest and his legs tangled with Max’s. Charles slid in behind Max, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck as he did.
Daniel ran a comforting hand up and down Lando’s chest and Lando snuggled back further into him, chasing his warmth.
“I told you it would all be okay,” he said softly into Lando’s ear. “It was all an accident and it’s been taken care of. Everything is okay.”
“Yeah,” Lando mumbled sleepily. “Just an inchident.”
How are the boys in the quartet spending christmas eve and day? Together? Do they take turns going to each others families? I’m so curious!! 🧡🧡
Merry Christmas friend! My gift to you, some very soft quartet verse Christmas content. I hope you enjoy
Cross-posted on Ao3 here
__________________________________________
Splitting holidays between four people is hard, as they’d recently discovered when they finally got their shit together and sat down to plan out Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. There was no physical way they could all be in their home countries and make time for each other during the holidays and going to see each other’s families was out of the question. Max could have gone with Daniel to Australia, but they felt awful leaving the other two back in Monaco without them. Plus, Christmas wouldn’t really feel complete unless they were all together. So they decided to split up the week before Christmas, Max in Holland, Daniel in Australia, Lando in Belgium and Charles home in Monaco.
It was hard for them, being apart, especially with Daniel in a time zone ten hours ahead. Especially when Lando got whiny, bratty, and needy half-way through the five days and Max had to add Daniel to a joint facetime call where they did their best to talk him into a light sub-space and coordinate aftercare through a screen with Daniel fighting to stay awake at 2am, Australia time. Especially when poor Charles called Max sobbing in the middle of the night because he’d had a nightmare and there was nothing he could do other than talk to him gently, praying his distorted voice through tiny phone speakers was enough.
Needless to say, when Max’s plane touched down in Nice the Monday before Christmas, his arms were aching to hold his boys. He was landing the earliest, with Lando’s plan getting in later that afternoon as he’d made a quick pit stop in England to visit Max F. and Daniel joining them late that night.
Charles was already waiting for them at the apartment, which Max knew because he’d texted them with an update on how badly the cats had destroyed their living space while left partially unattended. Only one of Lando’s hoodies and a small potted plant had been sacrificed to their wrath so Max counted it as mostly successful.
Amour: leaving the airport now
Schatje: good. tell them to drive quickly
Amour: patience my love. i’ll see you soon
Max did silently will his driver to navigate the endless Monaco traffic a bit faster, but the poor man was doing the best he could in a sea of luxury cars and confusing intersections. When they finally reached their apartment, Max could have cheered, but restrained himself, instead thanking the man politely and retrieving his bag from the trunk. He was scarcely in the door before he was practically tackled by Charles.
“I missed you so much!” he cried into Max’s shoulder, fingers fisted into his t-shirt like vices.
“I missed you too Charlie,” Max pulled away to kiss his forehead. “How are your mom and brothers?”
“Mama and Lorenzo are doing well. Arthur was dropped from the Ferrari driver academy so it’s been a tough few days.”
“Poor Arthur,” Max tutted sympathetically. “What’s his plan now?”
“To mope for a while I’m sure. Then he’ll pick himself up and get back to work. A season off might do him some good, even if it isn’t what he wants. He puts too much pressure on himself.”
“Sounds like he takes after his big brother.”
“Oh shut up,” Charles batted at his chest lightly. “I laid out some clean clothes for you and put a towel in the warmer. I thought you might like to shower after your flight.”
“Such a sweet boy. Only if you were planning to shower with me.”
“Of course.”
Charles joined him in the shower as promised, even using one of the eucalyptus shower steamers they usually reserved for aftercare showers to relax them more. He insisted on washing Max’s hair, standing slightly on his tiptoes to make sure he got all of the suds out. Max returned the favor, enjoying the small moans and whimpers Charles let out as he scratched and massaged his scalp. Out of the shower, Max toweled him off and covered his body in the scented lotion he loved before bundling him into some sweatpants and one of his own white t-shirts.
“Can we lie in bed for a while?” Charles asked while Max was dressing himself in the clothes the other had put out for him. “I have a week of cuddles to catch up on.”
“Of course schatje.”
They threw back the covers and climbed into bed, resolving to wait there for Lando to return to them. Max had to admit his left arm felt empty without Lando curled into the crook of it, no hair tickling Max’s chin and drool staining his shirt. He wouldn’t feel complete until the four of them were back together, squeezed right into each other’s space where they belonged. Lando had texted that the plane was taking off just as they were getting out of the shower, so Max kept an eye on his plan tracker to have a rough idea of when he’d be arriving. Charles dozed on and off beside him as Max scrolled on his phone and kept an eye on Lando’s flight information, eager for the youngest to join them.
Eventually, he too dozed off, and was woken by the sound of a key turning in the lock and Lando’s gentle voice greeting Jimmy and Sassy.
“We’re in the bedroom,” Max called out to him and he could hear Lando’s eager footsteps headed their way almost immediately.
Lando let out a soft whine as he practically threw himself on top of Max, pressing their bodies as close as he could physically get them.
“Hi baby boy,” Max said, running gentle hands through his messy curls. “How was your flight?”
“Long. I missed you guys so much.”
“We missed you too love. Go shower, then you can join us.”
Lando huffed in annoyance, but did as he was told, taking what might have been the quickest shower of his life so he could rejoin his partners quickly. He settled in on Max’s other side, pushing up his boyfriend's t-shirt to rest his head against his belly. His arm was slung over Max’s waist to curl in the waistband of Charles’s sleep pants and as soon as he got comfortable and still, he was asleep.
They spent the rest of the day in bed, taking short naps, only getting up to use the bathroom and when Max finally convinced them that they needed to eat something for dinner. They threw together something quick from one of Charles’s prepped meals and ate together on the sofa. Lando was allowed to choose the first Christmas movie of the week which was Home Alone. Undoubtedly, they would end up watching it more than once because Daniel also loved the film.
When Daniel finally texted that his plane to Nice was boarding, Max breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, all four of them would be back together. Charles and Lando insisted on waiting up for him, not caring how late it would be, so in order to stay awake, Charles loaded up Disney+ and began a marathon of the “Santa Clause” movies, which Lando was appalled Max had never seen. The end credits were rolling on the second movie when they heard a key in the lock and Daniel shuffled his way into the apartment, stopping briefly to greet Jimmy who was curling around his ankles. He spotted his boys on the couch, Lando in Max’s lap barely able to keep his eyes open and Charles pressed against his side, cuddling with Sassy.
Daniel kicked off his shoes and padded into the living room. He slotted himself behind Max on the couch, tugging all three of them close so he could get his arms around them.
“Hey,” he pressed a soft kiss to Max’s ear and one to Lando’s shoulder.
“Welcome home,” Max murmured.
Lando rolled from Max’s lap and into his, hooking all four limbs around his body like a little koala.
“Missed you Danny,” he grumbled against the skin of his neck.
“I missed you too, baby boy. I missed all of you guys.”
“Can we go back to bed now?” Charles whined, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His hair was sticking up in all directions and Daniel thought he looked like a disgruntled hedgehog.
They made their way back to the bedroom, Lando insisting that he was too tired to walk and Daniel humoring him because he’d missed him so much he didn’t particularly want to let him go anyway. When Daniel returned from his quick shower, there was a spot waiting for him between Lando and Charles. He settled into it, the two younger boys immediately snuggling up to his warmth. He turned his head to kiss Max over where Lando was already snoring between them.
“This is going to be the best Christmas we’ve ever had.”
*****
The days leading up to Christmas were spent decorating the entire apartment. (Well, Charles and Lando were decorating. Daniel and Max were mostly supervising and moving the heavy boxes.) After two days of work, the place looked like Santa’s workshop had thrown up and somehow, Lando had struck a deal with the cats to not be destructive for once because the tree was still standing.
While Lando and Charles were playing Santas’s elves, Max and Daniel braved the city to do last minute gift shopping for the two boys. It was the first time they’d be spending the actual holiday together, so they’d decided to spoil them as much as possible. Their main mission had been to pick up the boys’ surprise gifts. They’d all sent each other wish lists almost a month prior so they all had a vague idea of what they’d be getting from the others, but Max and Daniel had decided to surprise Lando and Charles with bracelets. Daniel had bought Max one of the Cartier love bracelets when they’d been together a year, and Max had gotten Daniel one for his birthday the following year. So they’d decided to purchase one for both Lando and Charles as they were coming up on a year of all four of them being together.
When they returned home, the other two gave them a tour of the now unrecognizable apartment before they snuck away to the bedroom to wrap their gifts and place them under the tree. Lando spent a solid fifteen minutes trying to get Max and Daniel to spoil the surprise, only being deterred by Daniel swatting the back of his thigh and threatening him with a spanking.
Their real celebrations started on Christmas Eve. They began the day with a giant breakfast spread, a tradition of Lando’s from when he was a child. They’d all agreed that nothing they ate this week counted because of the holiday and they would just work harder when they resumed training after the new year. Lando assisted Max with making pancakes and scrambled eggs, while Daniel fried bacon and sausage out on the balcony. Charles was tasked with cutting up fruit and making the yogurt dip Lando’s trainer had sent the recipe over (the only remotely healthy thing part of the spread). They ate on the living room floor, bathed in the glow of Christmas lights with “Elf” playing on the TV in the background.
When their bellies were full, they threw the dishes in the sink and moved on to Daniel’s childhood tradition. They each got to open one gift that was under the tree. The only catch was, Daniel got to pick. He handed the three of them boxes, all the same size but wrapped in different types of paper. When the opened them, they pulled out matching sets of pajamas, covered in tiny christmas trees and formula cars, the color scheme corresponding to their respective teams.
“Where did you find these Daniel?” Max managed to ask through his laughter.
Lando had already started stripping off his clothes to replace them with his papaya pjs.
“I have my ways Maxy, don’t you worry.”
They spent the rest of the afternoon lounging in their apartment, snacking on junk food and taking turns showing each other their favorite Christmas movies. Max even managed to find one of his favorite Dutch movies with English subtitles.
“Hey Max,” Lando murmured.
The younger boy was wrapped in a blanket and snuggled against Max’s side.
“Yeah baby?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too Lando.”
“This is the best Christmas ever.”
“I’m glad.”
When they got ready to start dinner, Lando snuck off to the office to play a few games with Max F. and some of his other friends while the other three cooked.
Charles and Max slaved over Pascale’s bread recipe to have with their Christmas dinner that had been dropped off by Brad, who knew that Max would struggle to make those types of food on his own. Conveniently, there was enough for four. Max assumed that Brad knew, though his trainer had never said anything to him. He made a mental note to send him a text later as a thank you.
Charles wrapped his arms around his waist and pressed a kiss to the back of Max’s neck as he stood at the counter slicing the bread they’d made.
“Looks great,” he commented.
“We did a pretty good job,” Max agreed. He turned in Charles’s arms and gave him a quick kiss. “Will you go tell Lando it’s time to eat?”
Charles nodded and padded off in the direction of the office. He knocked on the door in their secret pattern and waited for Lando to answer.
“Come in!”
Lando was sitting in front of the computer, face lit by the screen, headset half on his head so he could hear Charles.
“Are you muted?’ he murmured, low enough to not be picked up by the mic.
“It’s just Max, you’re safe.”
Charles nodded and made his way into the office fully, pressing a kiss to Lando’s head.
“Dinner is ready.”
“Great, I’m starving.” He turned back to the monitor and tapped a few buttons on his keyboard to turn off the game. “Hey Max, I’m going to eat. I’ll talk to you later.”
From his proximity to Lando’s headset, Charles could vaguely hear his friend’s response, “Alright mate. Have a good night, Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas mate.”
They ate their dinner much in the same way they ate their breakfast, the dim lights of the tree bathing them in a warm, yellow glow.
When their plates were clear and the dishes for the day were clean, Daniel stood and clapped his hands.
“Alright boys, better get to bed early or Santa won’t come.”
They all chuckled at Daniel’s antics but followed the oldest to the bedroom and climbed into bed together.
“Merry Christmas my loves,” Max said when they were settled, wrapped up in each other.
“Merry Christmas,” the other three chorused.
*****
Lando woke them up early the next morning like a little boy, dragging his partners to the living room. The youngest of them had been frothing at the mouth for days, both to open his gifts and give gifts to the other three. They made him sit and wait, the poor boy practically bouncing in his seat as Daniel passed the presents around. They’d set a gift limit, one from each person to the others, to keep the pile of gifts from being bigger than was necessary.
When all of the gifts had been opened, and Daniel scooped up the wrapping paper like a dad, Max snuck off to the bedroom to retrieve their surprise gifts.
“Lando and Charles, we have one more gift for you,” he said, handing each of the boys a wrapped box. “This is from both me and Daniel.”
They slid the ribbons off carefully, pulling off the lids to the boxes to look inside.
Lando gasped when he realized what it was, looking up at them with tears already welling in his eyes.
“Really?” he asked, voice soft.
“Yes really. We wanted you two to have your own.”
“Will you put it on me?”
“Of course.”
Max gently tightened the screws on Lando’s band and Daniel did the same for Charles.
“Does it feel alright?”
“It feels great. Thank you Maxy.”
“You’re welcome Lando.”
He pressed a kiss to the youngest’s head, pulling him in for a tight hug. Lando pulled him down onto the couch for a cuddle and Charles did the same to Daniel. Lando and Charles curled up between them, clinging to their partners. Daniel pressed a kiss to Charles’s head and turned to look at Max.
What do you think danny would do/say about max being a menace in the twitch chat? 👀🤭
Not gonna lie, this one got away from me. I set this in the quartet verse because that's where I talk about this dynamic the most so apologies if that doesn't fit your vibe
Feel free to send me more of these little blurb prompts, I really enjoy them
Cross posted on ao3 here (just in case reading long posts on tumblr annoys you)
When Daniel returned home from running errands, the door to Max’s office was shut. That wasn’t an unusual sight, he usually liked to clock out the noise of the cats while he was sim racing or keep the other three boys out of sight when he was streaming with Redline. Daniel was almost positive he didn’t have a stream scheduled today, but he still knocked lightly, the secret code they’d established upon all of them transitioning to living together in Max and Daniel’s apartment.
There was a moment of silence from the other side of the door before Daniel heard Max call, “Come in.”
Max was sitting at his sim setup, the title screen for one of his racing games pulled up on the monitor in front of him but no game running. Instead he was on his phone, grinning at what looked like a twitch stream.
“Hey Maxy,” Daniel stood behind him, squeezing his shoulders lightly and dropping a kiss to his head. “Whatcha doing?”
“I just wanted to drop into the boys stream for a minute,” Max explained, closing the app and locking his phone, placing it face down on the desk to turn in his chair and give Daniel his attention.
“Didn’t feel like streaming with them?”
“Not today. Lando and Charles will be home tomorrow, so I wanted to spend some time with just us tonight.”
“That sounds perfect baby,” Daniel pressed another kiss to his head and ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling where his headset had pushed it flat against his head. “I’m gonna go get started on dinner.”
“Okay. I’ll be out in a minute.”
Daniel padded into the kitchen and started pulling out the pre-portioned ingredients for their meal. He wasn’t much of a chef but he could follow the instructions written on the lid of the container. Max made his way into the main room while Daniel was sauteeing the vegetables and took a seat at the island. He immediately started up his stream of consciousness chatter, filling Daniel in on all that he had missed from Max’s day while he was out. Daniel always found it amusing that Max was usually so reserved but almost never shut up when it was just the two of them. He wasn’t even this talkative with Charles and Lando, though Daniel thought that had a bit to do with Lando having no filter and barely even shutting his mouth when he was asleep (Daniel loved him more than anything but he wondered how his jaw didn’t constantly hurt from moving so much).
Max was half-way through a story about Jimmy terrorizing Sassy, which was almost a daily occurrence, when his phone pinged with a message. When he saw that it was from Lando, he turned down the heat on the stove top and picked his phone up, still half listening to Max.
Muppet: look at what Max has been up to today (link)
Danny: realnamegucci?
Daniel furrowed his brows in confusion as he scrolled through the twitter (yes he refused to accept the rebrand) post Lando had sent him. It was a series of screenshots of increasingly unhinged comments in the chat of today’s Redline stream.
Muppet: crane accidentally on purpose exposed Max’s burner account
Danny: oh shit
Muppet: i think Maxy needs a spanking
Danny: is it your place to decide what Max needs
Muppet: no sir
Danny: good boy. now go to sleep it’s way too fucking late where you are
Muppet: yes danny
Muppet: but if you spank him at least video it for us
Danny: lando
Muppet: sorry
“Everything okay?”
Daniel looked up to see Max staring at him with his head tilted to the side like a confused puppy. He realized that he’d become completely absorbed in his conversation with Lando and stopped listening to what Max was saying to him.
“Sorry baby I got distracted. Just Lando being a menace.”
“So a normal Tuesday then?”
“Pretty much.”
“Anything important?”
“Nah, just a link to some twitter post he wanted me to see.”
“You know it is “X” now don’t you Daniel?”
“Fuck you, you know I don’t accept that shit.”
Max chuckled, then yelped as Daniel threw a wadded up paper towel at him, nearly falling off his stool in his attempt to dodge it.
Daniel plated their meals and sat Max’s in front of him, then joined him at the bar. MAx waited until Daniel had taken the first bite before digging into his own food.
“Good boy,” Daniel praised, reaching over to squeeze Max’s knee gently.
He hadn’t asked Max to be submissive tonight, but he loved the way his boy fell back into their old dynamic when it was just the two of them. He loved Charles and Lando and their relationship wouldn’t be complete without the two of them, but he missed Max’s submissive side sometimes and found it to be a crime that they didn’t have nearly enough time during the season for Max to sub like he used to.
They ate in comfortable silence, Max occasionally leaning in to bump his shoulder against Daniel’s. There was no pressure, since they hadn’t planned a scene, but he could tell Max was slipping slightly and seeking the contact for comfort. When their plates were cleared, Max stood up without being asked, taking both of their dishes and loading them into the dishwasher. He started the cycle, then pulled the cleaning spray from under the sink and gave the counters a quick wipe-down. He also filled both of their water bottles with fresh ice and water before standing in front of Daniel, waiting for further instructions.
“You’re being a good boy for me tonight Max. Is there something you want to talk to me about?”
At some point, Daniel had caught on to what Max was doing. He was owning up to the comments in the twitch chat without even knowing if Daniel knew about them.
“I may have done something today,” Max said quietly. “Something I probably shouldn’t have.”
“Alright,” Daniel kept his voice even. “Let’s go sit on the couch and talk about it then.”
Max nodded and Daniel took his hand gently, leading him to the living room. Daniel sat on the end of the chaise part of their sectional sofa and dropped a decorative pillow to the floor at his feet. Max didn’t need to be instructed to kneel, he did so of his own accord. He flipped open the straw to his water bottle and pressed it gently to Max’s lips.
“Drink.”
Max took a few small sips then pulled away. Daniel sat the bottle by their feet and looked down at Max.
“Tell me what you need to tell me, Maxy. The floor is yours, I’m here to listen.”
“While you were gone I was watching the Redline stream. But I watched it on my other account because I didn’t want anyone to know I was there and then start overwhelming the chat trying to talk to me. And Crane and the guys were making jokes so I joined in. Then Crane sort of told everyone it was me. I’m sorry Danny.”
“What did you make jokes about Max?”
“Kinks and stuff,” Max mumbled, dropping his chin.
Daniel didn’t allow it, pressed his fingers under Max’s jaw to make him raise his head.
“Why tell me Max? I didn’t watch the stream, I never would have known.”
“Because those things are private. They’re for us and I know that everyone is taking it as a joke because that’s all it was really. But I don’t want you to think that I think this is a joke.”
He couldn’t help but smile at Max’s earnesty.
“I know you don’t think this is a joke Max. Thank you for being honest with me, I’m very proud of you. Now I’m going to be honest with you. Lando sent me a post that showed all of your comments. I’m not angry, I thought it was funny, just like everyone else. But I’ll ask you this since you felt the need to come clean. Do you think you deserve a punishment?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I disobeyed a rule. Technically, one of the rules is to be careful what I say so that none of us gets caught and no one gets suspicious.”
“That is true. So what do you think I should do about it?”
“Spanking?”
“You know, that was also Lando’s suggestion.”
That made Max smile a little bit.
“Tell me your words baby, then I’ll talk you through my plan.”
“Green is everything is good, yellow is slow down and talk it through, red is stop immediately.”
“Very good boy. Now, I’m thinking twenty spanks with my hand. Standard and easy.”
“Green,” Max said dutifully when Daniel took a pause.
“I also want to video it. Lando asked and I think it would be fun to use a recording of you being spanked on him when he’s being a brat.”
“Green.”
“Very good boy. Wait here.”
Daniel stood from the couch and maneuvered to set his phone up on the tv stand to record the scene. Once he’d artfully fashioned one of their lamps into a tripod, he pressed record and made his way to sit back down in front of Max. He brushed the younger’s shoulder once as a single that the scene had started, then made himself comfortable.
“Over my lap Max.”
Max positioned himself so that his hips were over Daniel’s thighs and his chest was propped on the sofa. Daniel tugged his sweats and underwear down just enough that his ass and the tops of his thighs were exposed.
“Twenty spanks. Count them for me.”
Max counted right on cue as Daniel littered his skin with sharp hits. It wasn’t the intensity that he would have chosen for a harsher punishment, he didn’t feel that a few dumb jokes on a livestream were deserving of something too painful, but it was definitely enough to sting and he could feel Max’s pale skin growing warm under his palm. When twenty hits were up, he gave Max a moment to breathe before righting his pants and pulling him to sit.
“Let me go turn off the camera baby,” he said, tucking Max into the corner of the couch with his water bottle and a soft blanket draped over his lap.
The punishment wasn’t intense enough that he felt Max was in danger of sub-drop, but aftercare was still an important part of their routine. When he returned, Max had drained half of his water and was sitting comfortably waiting for him.
“Feel better now,” Daniel asked, joining him under the blanket and pulling his head to rest on his shoulder.
“Yes. Though now I’m angry at Lando for ratting me out. I should spank him when he gets home tomorrow.”
“Unfortunately it’s not a punishment when they enjoy it.”
“Fair enough.”
“Come on, let’s go lay down. It’s our last night with as much room as we want.”
“As much as I like being able to breathe without getting hair in my nose, I really do miss Charles and Lando.”
“Yeah, me too.”
*****
“Honey, I’m home!”
Lando announced his presence upon arrival to the apartment.
“Bedroom!” Max called back, sushing Charles quietly when he stirred at the noise. As soon as he’d gotten home, Charles had dragged them to bed, not pausing to hear any protests. He’d sworn he was going to stay awake to wait for Lando, but that had gone out the window about five minutes after his head hit the pillow. So Max and Daniel had spent the better part of the morning snuggling Charles and waiting for their fourth partner to join them.
Lando had already stripped himself of his outer layers by the time he reached them and stopped only to shimmy out of his sweats before joining them in only his underwear and a t-shirt. He wedged himself between Daniel and Max, laying mostly on top of the latter so he could prop his chin on his chest.
“Hi,” he smiled, flashing the gap between his teeth.
“Hello to you too,” Max greeted, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
Lando turned to kiss Daniel, then manipulated his body into the strangest shape Max had ever seen to kiss the top of Charles’s head before settling again.
“So,” he grinned up at Max mischievously. “How was your spanking?”
“Lando,” Daniel, swatted his ass playfully. “Leave him alone.”
“Did you film it at least? We never get to see Max get put in his place,” he pouted. “You always pick on us.”
“That’s because you’re a brat,” Max said, pinching him lightly.
“Hey!”
“Both of you hush,” Daniel said. “You’re going to wake Charles.”
That put both of them to rest, knowing there would be hell to pay if Charles was woken before he was ready. It was silent for a few moments when Max leaned in to whisper in Lando’s ear.
“Don’t worry baby boy, Daniel recorded it. We’re just saving it for something special.”
Daniel groaned and tugged Lando back into his chest to put some separation between the two of them.
Excuse me miss but I am going to need more of the Quartet Verse, a continuation of the origins part, or something in that universe. I want to know what happened after part 3 of Origins, and how Charles and Lando where brought into the relationship. PLEASEEEEEEE!!! :)
never fear my lovely anon, more chapters are coming! unfortunately the end of the semester slows down my writing process but i only have a few days left before winter break and i hope to write a lot during the weeks that i’m off 🤞
keep an eye out for new chapters soon and thank you for reading and loving the story. i’m giving you a big kiss on the forehead *mwah*
Max Verstappen was twenty-one when he felt like his life couldn’t get better. He was happy and in love with Daniel. They’d just moved in together at the end of the previous season and Max was happy to leave behind his apartment and insert himself into Daniel’s life. Living with him, sleeping in his bed, living in his orbit felt more right than anything Max had ever experienced in his entire life.
Now, they were gearing up for the 2018 season. Max was excited, even more than he had been in previous years. Christian had promised them an amazing car for the season and all the data was showing that it would be. Max was racing for one of the top teams in Formula 1, his best friend and love of his life by his side. He was in a position to fight for podiums and Christian said there was a championship in his future if he continued to progress as rapidly as he had over the past few years with the team. The only thing putting a damper on what was shaping up to be a perfect season, was the end of Daniel’s Red Bull contract. They hadn’t talked about it much, but Max couldn’t see Daniel going anywhere else. He couldn’t see Daniel on any other team. He couldn’t see him any other place than right by his side, forever.
What they had going was good. His relationship with Daniel had granted him the first stable home life he’d experienced in his twenty-one years. They cooked dinner together, combining ingredients from the lists pre-approved by their trainers to make meals they would both enjoy. They spent non-race Saturdays cleaning their apartment and going for walks by the harbor. Daniel had taken him to the animal shelter to celebrate six months of living together and they’d adopted two cats, a brother and sister pair named Jimmy and Sassy, who hated Daniel but adored Max.
Life was good, better than it had ever been in Max’s opinion. Despite all that, there was one thing he couldn’t shake.
He doubted that Daniel even remembered their conversation in his driver’s room in Monaco. It had been years and Daniel wasn’t known for having the greatest memory. He remembered the things that mattered like birthdays, anniversaries, big events and such, but random one off conversations were not things that stuck in Daniel’s brain. Not like Max, who couldn’t have removed Daniel’s words from the depths of his subconscious if he tried to dig them out with an ice pick. He kept trying to find the courage to ask Daniel but it never felt like the right time. They were traveling between races, brains overwhelmed by turn one’s and sim data. Or they were spending time at the factory, Daniel trying his best to beat Max’s lap times on the simulator and Max spending time in Christian’s office discussing contract extensions and next steps for the team. Daniel called him “Christian’s golden boy” but there was never any mirth in his voice, just sadness and a little disappointment. Max didn’t blame him, but there wasn’t really anything he could do about their team principal's blatant favoritism. Max just tried his best to cheer his boyfriend up, changing the subject and doing things to make him happy. He kept trying to assure Daniel that he was in for a good season as well. With his experience to back the car Christian was promising, Max was more than sure that Daniel would be giving him a run for his money on the track. Daniel didn’t seem quite as convinced but he appreciated Max’s efforts anyway.
Max could see that the stress was getting to Daniel, with the threat of an expiring contract and desperation to perform looming over their lives like a dark rain cloud. That was why, on a rare weekend off following a triple header, Max put his foot down.
They’d spent most of the week at the factory, preparing for the next weekend's race but when Christian released them Wednesday night, he’d told them not to come back until Monday. So while Daniel was in the shower, Max set his plan into motion. He put both of their phones on do not disturb and hid them away in the bedside drawer not to be touched again lest an emergency arose. He then ordered in pizza, not on either of their approved meal plans but what their trainers didn’t know wouldn’t kill them, and found Talladega Nights on a streaming service. Max frankly thought the film was ridiculous, but Daniel loved it and this was his weekend so Max was willing to indulge him. The food was delivered just as Daniel emerged from the shower, feeling like a new man after washing the disappointments of the day off. Max had beaten him, every lap, every sector and the simulator that day and as much as Daniel liked watching his boyfriend succeed, he wouldn’t pretend his ego wasn’t a little bruised.
“Max? Who was at the door?” he asked as he padded into the living room.
He paused in the doorway to the living room and looked around slightly in awe at what Max had managed to do in the fifteen minutes it took him to shower. The blackout curtains over the balcony doors were shut and the overhead lights were off in favor of the twinkling fairy lights he insisted on stringing around the living space. There was a pizza and a roll of paper towels waiting on the coffee table, along with sparkling cider and two wine glasses. Max also seemed to have drug every blanket and pillow they owned out of storage and made a nest on the couch.
“Food delivery,” Max answered, emerging from the kitchen with two glasses of water to add to their spread. “Do you like it?” Max glanced around, shuffling his feet shyly and Daniel wanted nothing more than to wrap him up and kiss him silly. So that’s exactly what he did. He crossed the room, grabbing Max by his hips and squeezing gently as he pulled him in.
“I love it babe,” Daniel praised when he pulled away, leaning his forehead against Max’s. “But what is all of this for?”
“It’s been a long week. A long few weeks actually,” Max corrected. “I thought we could have the weekend just for us. No racing, no distractions.”
“This is the nicest thing anyone has done for me. Thank you Max, really.”
Max beamed and leaned up to press another soft peck to Daniel’s lips before pulling away. “Let’s eat before it gets cold.”
“You know pizza isn’t on our meal plan right Maxy?”
“That’s why we don’t tell Brad and Michael of course.”
“Good plan.”
Max placed two slices each on paper plates and burrowed into the blankets, making himself comfy in the nest. Daniel joined him, picking up his own plate of food and positioned himself shoulder to shoulder with Max, absorbing his warmth as Max clicked the play button on the remote.
“Talladega Nights Max? You hate this movie.”
“Yes,” Max agreed, swallowing a bite of pizza before continuing. “But you love it. And I love you so I’ll tolerate it just this once.”
“You’re the sweetest,” he pressed a kiss to Max’s head.
“Shh. Watch the movie.”
So Daniel did. He settled back into the cushions and munched on his pizza as Ricky Bobby graced their screen with his racing antics. Once they had finished eating, Daniel opened his arm for Max to snuggle closer and he took the opportunity happily, leaning into Daniel’s side and burrowing under the blankets. He rested his hand on Daniel’s thigh, tracing the familiar lines of his tattoo even though he couldn’t see it.
At some point during the movie, Daniel leaned back, resting his head on a pillow and pulling Max with him. Max laid his full body weight on his chest and tucked his head into the space of his neck, ignoring the ending of the film in favor of breathing Daniel in, taking comfort in the familiar warmth of his body and the warm planes of muscle under his hands.
When the credits rolled, neither made any move to turn on a new film, letting the ending run its course until silence fell over their living room. They stayed in that position for a while, both too comfortable to move. Max was so still and his breaths so even, Daniel almost thought he was asleep. He was contemplating the best way to get the younger boy to bed without waking him when Max moved, rubbing his cheek against Daniel’s collarbone and tilting his head to look up at him.
“I thought you were asleep,” he chuckled, running his fingers through soft blonde hair.
“I almost was. But I was thinking,” Max trailed off.
“Care to share?” he asked, keeping up the soothing motions of his hand.
“It’s kind of dumb. And you probably don’t even remember it.”
“Did I do something to upset you Maxy? You can tell me if I did and I’ll try my best to fix it.”
“No, it’s nothing like that,” Max took in a big breath and let it out. “Do you remember Monaco?”
“Of course I do. We live here.”
“Not like that,” Max grumbled, rolling his eyes. “The race. A few years ago when I first started in Formula One. I had a bad fight with my dad after I crashed and you came to my driver’s room afterward.”
“Oh yeah, I remember that. You were so upset, it broke my heart a little bit.”
Max nodded and tucked his head back into his previous spot, not wanting to look at Daniel for the next part, “Do you remember what we talked about there?”
“Not really,” he admitted. “I don’t have the greatest memory and that was a while ago. But obviously whatever we talked about that day was important, so why don’t you fill me in on it.”
“You said that you found things that help you get out of your head and be more relaxed. And when I asked you what it was, you wouldn’t answer me. I pushed you, of course, and you told me it was a sex thing and that I was too young to understand. It’s weird for me to remember, I know.
“I don’t think it’s weird. But I am curious, what’s bringing this up all of a sudden?”
“I’ve been curious since then. Even when we started dating I wanted to ask you but I didn’t know how. Eventually, I stopped thinking about it as much. But you’ve been so stressed lately with the contracts and things. So I started thinking about it again. That if you told me what things you used to enjoy I could give them to you. I could help you get out of your head and relax a bit.”
Daniel paused for a minute. Max was almost afraid he’d crossed a line and was preparing to backtrack when Daniel grabbed his shoulder gently and pushed him up.
“Can we sit please? I feel like this is a conversation we should have when I can see your face.”
Max pulled a pillow into his lap and maneuvered himself so that he was facing Daniel.
“I was twenty-five when I joined Red Bull and it was a lot of pressure. I was performing well but I was still under a lot of stress. So, I got into BDSM, sort of low-key.”
“BDSM? That’s a bit, rough, isn’t it?”
“It can be,” Daniel agreed. “But not necessarily the way I did it.”
“How did you do it?”
“I had a few girlfriends when I was younger who were into spanking and things like that. This was a little more intense, tying up, telling them what to do, things like that. But it was always safe and always consensual. I never wanted to hurt them Max, I need you to understand that part.”
“I do,” Max assured. “I’m not sure I understand the appeal, not completely, but if you enjoy it, I’d be willing to try. If you want to do those things with me.”
“Maxy,” Daniel reached across the couch to take his hand. “Of course I do. I have wanted to do them with you for a while actually, I was just never sure how to bring it up. And you were inexperienced when we got together, I didn’t want it to seem like I was taking advantage of you or forcing you into something you didn’t want or enjoy. And just for the record, I enjoy sex with you the way it is now. If you never want to do anything like that I’m perfectly okay.”
“Can you explain it to me more? The things you would want to do?”
“Of course Max. But if anything makes you uncomfortable please tell me. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Daniel kept Max’s hand in his, gently rubbing his thumb over the back of his hand.
“I want to start out slow with you of course, warm you up. I’ve thought about how pretty you look on your knees for me. I want to tell you what to do. You always listen so well Maxy, you respond so well to me without even trying. I want you on your knees between my legs with my cock in your mouth. But I don’t want you to suck it. I just want you to hold it there, see if I can get you all floaty and sweet, desperate for me. Then I want to take you to bed and take you apart nice and slow. I want to make you cum until you can’t anymore, until you’re crying all pretty for me. Then when we’re satisfied, I want to clean you up and hold you and tell you how good you are.”
Max swallowed, mouth suddenly dry and cock achingly hard. He was thankful for the pillow in his lap covering his predicament from Daniel.
“What about spanking?” he asked, brain-to-mouth filter completely offline. Turns out Daniel turning him on had the power to turn his brain off.
“You want me to spank you Max?”
“Maybe.”
“I’d always do it for fun. But in this context spanking is usually a punishment. Not because I’m angry at you but to remind you who is in charge.”
“Is that what you like about it? That you get to be in charge.”
“I suppose so. With racing, I’m in control but only of so much. I don’t get to control the track conditions, or strategy decisions. I don’t get to decide if my contract gets renewed,” Daniel paused. “I feel like there’s so little I’m in control of these days.”
“I want to try.”
“Max, I don't want you to do this just for me.”
“I won’t be,” Max assured and feeling a bit bold, he reached over to grab Daniel by the wrist, pulling his hand under the pillow. “In case you can’t tell, I’m very interested.”
“Holy fuck Max.”
Daniel practically tackled him onto the couch, capturing his lips in a heated kiss. His hand stayed firmly on Max’s cock, massaging as he pressed kisses along his jaw and neck, stopping to suck a mark onto his collarbone, just barely low enough to be covered by his shirt.
“You’re so sexy Max. I love you so much.”
“I love you too. Please take me to bed now.”
Daniel didn’t have to be told twice, scooping him up and carrying him in the direction of the bedroom. Max squeaked at the sudden change in his center of gravity, grabbing Daniel’s neck and holding on for dear life. Once they reached the bedroom, Daniel practically threw him down on the bed before moving on top of him again, scaring Jimmy who had been dozing on their pillows.
“You scared the cat,” Max laughed, watching the poor little guy scamper out of the room and around the corner to hide.
“Meh, he hates me anyway,” Daniel said and kissed him again.
Daniel rid him of his shirt and continued kissing down his chest, sucking marks under his pecs and on the softness of his belly. Max squirmed under the attention and Daniel grabbed his hips to pin him to the bed.
“Stay still for me Maxy. Be a good boy.”
Max tried his best to obey, relaxing into Daniel’s hold and letting him cover his torso in kisses and bite marks. Eventually Daniel pushed down his shorts, leaving him fully naked, laid out on their bed. Daniel sat back on his heels and gestured for Max to sit up.
“Up. Come here.”
Daniel turned so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed and Max scrambled to get up, coming to stand between his spread thighs. He snagged a pillow and dropped it on the floor at his feet before pointing at it. He raised an eyebrow when Max hesitated and Max finally registered that Daniel meant for him to kneel. He dropped to his knees eagerly, not caring that they would probably bruise, even with the cushion to soften the blow.
“Gentle. Don’t hurt yourself, pretty boy.”
Daniel pulled down his sweats and underwear just enough that his cock was exposed and tugged Max forward gently.
“Remember what I said? Don’t suck it, just hold it there for a while,” his hand circled Max’s wrist and brought his hand up to his thigh. “If you need a break or want to stop, I want you to pinch my leg twice. That’s your safeword, do you understand?”
Max nodded.
“I need a verbal answer baby. Don’t get all sweet on me just yet.”
“Yes. I understand.”
“Show me.”
Max pinched Daniel’s thigh twice, not harshly enough to leave marks but enough to get his attention.
“Very good. Open for me.”
Max opened his mouth, and Daniel took a gentle hold on his hair, inching his head forward until his semi-hard cock was settled completely in Max’s mouth. It was strange at first, the weight on his tongue and ignoring the instinct to suck. He shifted his jaw a few times until he found a placement that was comfortable, then looked up at Daniel for further instructions.
“Just sit there for me. You can lay your head on my leg if that’s comfortable for you.”
Max leaned his head to the side so that his temple was against Daniel’s inner thigh and realized that it was much more comfortable than fighting to hold his head still. He relaxed more, even going as far as to close his eyes. He knew Daniel would take care of him.
“So pretty,” Daniel murmured, running a gentle hand through Max’s locks and he found himself settling even more.
As Daniel continued to massage his scalp with his fingertips and talk gently to him, Max found himself drifting. He wasn’t quite sure where his brain was going, but he found his mind pleasantly blank. Even the gradual ache settling into his jaw and knees became distant as he focused only on Daniel’s hands and presence around him.
Daniel kept a watchful eye on the clock, not wanting to push Max too far on his first try, but wanting him to get a good taste of the subspace he was hoping he’d reach. Max settled into it even more beautifully than he’d thought, barely fighting the urge to submit and trusting Daniel entirely to take care of him. After fifteen minutes had passed, Daniel tightened his grip on the younger boy’s soft hair and tugged him back gently. Max whined as his peace was disrupted, but Daniel shushed him gently, continuing to move his head back until his mouth was empty. He blinked up at him, blue eyes watery and unfocused and Daniel couldn’t help but smile, cupping his cheek and running his thumb over the soft skin under his eye.
“Hey there pretty boy. How do you feel?”
“Good,” Max croaked, throat sore.
“Not too much?”
“Nuh uh. Feels good, calm.”
“Good,” Daniel reached for Max’s water bottle on the nightstand and held it to his lips. “Drink baby.”
Max obeyed, dutifully taking a few small sips to soothe his throat before spitting the straw out and looking up at Daniel.
“More?” he asked.
“Come up here baby.”
Daniel helped Max stand and maneuvered him so that he was straddling his lap. Max wrapped his arms around Daniel’s shoulders and rested his head against his collarbone as Daniel rocked him back and forth, gently rubbing his back.
“Do you want to keep going? I’m okay to stop here if you need to, I know it can be a lot for your first time. You’ve done so well for me Max, I won’t be disappointed if you want to stop for the night.”
Max shook his head, pulling back to look him in the eyes, “I want to keep going. I want all of the things you said earlier.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. If you need to stop for any reason, if something hurts or you're just not into it anymore, I need you to say red, okay? If you need me to slow down or want to change something, say yellow. If everything is good, the word is green. Can you repeat that for me?”
“Red to stop, yellow to slow down, green to keep going.”
“Very good. That’s the traffic light system, those are your verbal safewords. I’ll never be disappointed in you for using them. They’re to keep both of us safe.”
“You have safe words too?”
“Yes. If something isn’t working for me, or I feel like you aren’t into it but aren’t using your words, I can use those words. Either of us can use them at any time.”
“I understand.”
“Good. Now would you like to make all the decisions, or do you want some choices?”
“You can decide. I trust you.”
“Thank you for that Max,” Daniel leaned forward to kiss him gently. “Lay back on the bed for me.”
Daniel slid a pillow under his hips, elevating them for better access and pushed his knees apart slightly to make room for himself between his thick thighs.
“This part I’m familiar with,” Max grinned.
“Yes you are,” Daniel pressed a kiss to the inside of his knee.
He retrieved a bottle of lube from the nightstand and laid it next to him on the comforter.
“Are you okay if I go to the bathroom to get a towel real quick?”
Max nodded and Daniel stood, making it into their en suite and back to the bed very quickly. He gently instructed Max to lift his hips again and got the towel positioned under him.
“This could get messy.”
“Isn’t it always?”
Daniel chuckled, “Yeah I guess so. How many times have you made yourself cum in a night Maxy?”
“Two I think. I’ve never tried for more.”
“Do you feel comfortable trying for three tonight?”
“What if I can’t?”
“It’s okay if you can’t. I just want to try, baby. You know what to say if you get uncomfortable right?”
“Yellow if I need to slow down and red if I need to stop,” Max repeated.
“Good. So what’s your color right now for three orgasms?”
“Green.”
“Good boy,” Daniel pressed another gentle kiss to his knee. “Do you want to know my plans or do you want it to be a surprise?”
“Can you tell me?”
“Of course. I want the first one to be from me opening you up, I want you relaxed and ready for me. Then the second will be from me fucking you, obviously. Lastly I want to get you off again with my hand once you’re all sensitive and needy for me. Does that sound okay?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Daniel popped the cap on the lube and slicked up two fingers, warming it in his hand before circling Max’s rim with one finger, teasing him. This bit was a practiced song and dance by now. They had a system that worked and Daniel knew exactly when to work him up to the next finger and which angles to hit to find his prostate. He was fairly efficient in bringing him to his first orgasm but Max was still writhing on the bed and whining when his cock twitched and spurted over his belly.
“Very good boy,” Daniel praised, gently removing his fingers and hovering over Max to kiss his lips. “Are you ready for me to fuck you?”
“Yes please.”
“Such nice manners,” he teased, kissing him again.
He took his cock in hand and slicked himself up, teasing Mac’s hole with the head, allowing it to catch on the rim before pulling back.
“Daniel please,” Max whined, grabbing at his shoulders and digging his nails into his skin.
That was all the encouragement he needed, and Daniel slid home in one thrust. Max’s cock, which had been lying, spent and soft, against his lower stomach, kicked violently and made a valiant effort to get hard again, despite having orgasmed only a few minutes earlier.
“Jesus christ baby, you’re so sexy.”
“So are you,” Max’s hands gripped at his shoulders, pulling him in so their chests were flush and Max’s cock was trapped between them. He shifted his hips up, grinding against Daniel’s abs and he could feel the wetness transferring to his skin as he got hard again and began to leak precum.
“Such a sweet boy for me. You take me so well Max, always do. You’re so soft and needy for me right now. I fucking love it. So sweet.”
Daniel knew he was rambling but he couldn’t stop himself as he snapped his hips, hip bones smacking against the flesh of Max’s ass. He was incredibly turned on, even more so than normal and he could tell Max was too. The younger boy had lost all coherent English and had resorted to pitiful whines and moans.
“I’m getting close, baby. You gonna cum with me?”
Max nodded frantically, bucking his hips to get more friction, “Please, please, please.” He cried out as if that was the only word he knew.
“I gotcha baby. I’m gonna make you feel so good. Cum for me Maxy. Come on.”
Max cried out again and Daniel felt the splash of cum against his stomach. The fucked out look on Max’s face was enough to send him over the edge and he thrust in once more before spilling inside of him.
He allowed himself a few moments to recover before pulling out, thankful that he’d placed a towel under Max as the poor boy was a mess. When he looked up at the younger boy’s face, he was surprised to see fat tears rolling down his cheeks.
“Shit Maxy,” he scrambled to get off of him, rearranging them so he could pull Max against his side. “Shh, it’s okay baby. Take some deep breaths for me. That’s it, good boy. You did so well, I’m so proud of you.”
Max moved closer and rested his head against Daniel’s shoulder, tilting back to look at him with glassy blue eyes. Tears were still rolling down his cheeks but Daniel was slowly starting to realize they weren’t bad tears. They were just the tears of an overwhelmed boy deep in subspace who’d just had two orgasms practically back to back.
“Hi baby,” Daniel smiled down at him, cupping his cheek gently. “Are you feeling a little floaty?”
Max nodded, head feeling too heavy for his neck.
“That’s alright. You’re safe with me babe. Just relax and let yourself float, I’ll be here when you’re ready,” Daniel traced his fingers over Max’s lips and he parted them slightly, taking the tips into his mouth and holding them here. Daniel just smiled and let him have it, whatever would comfort Max he was willing to do.
It took him the better part of an hour to come back to himself and Daniel held him through it, rocking them gently and letting Max suck his fingers to self-soothe. When he was semi-coherent he looked up at Daniel again.
“Hi,” he mumbled.
“Hi there,” Daniel greeted. “How do you feel?”
“Tired. A little sore. But good.”
“That’s good. So you enjoyed it?”
“Very much. Can we do it again?”
“Of course,” Daniel chuckled. “For now though let’s get you cleaned up okay? I don’t want you to go to bed sticky.”
“Wait,” Max said, eyes suddenly wide. “I only did two.”
“Oh. Don’t worry about that Max, you did so well.”
“But you wanted three.”
“Maxy you were crying and really out of it. I wasn’t going to take advantage of you like that. This was a lot for your first time and you handled it so well. I’m very proud of you.”
“Promise?”
“I promise. Now, how does a bath sound?”
Daniel held Max in his lap in the bathtub, pouring warm water over his chest and back and speaking softly to him, helping Max come fully back to himself.
“What was that?” he asked when they were both clean and lounging in the water, not quite ready to get out yet.
“What was what?”
“That. The way I felt when we were doing all of that stuff?”
“That was subspace. Some people can do things like this and never go down like that. Others have a part of their brain that takes over when they experience pleasure like that. It takes over when you feel safe enough to trust your partner and let them be in control.”
“I like it,” Max admitted. “But I also like being in control sometimes.”
“And that’s okay. It’s common to be into both sides of things. Sex isn’t black and white Maxy. You can like more than one thing.”
“Do you like being on the other side?”
“Not usually no. But if you wanted to try I’d be willing to.”
“So how are they satisfied, when they like both parts but their partner only wants one thing?”
Leave it to Max to ask the questions no one else wanted to.
“Well, some have more than one partner. Others just learn to live with it I guess. I’m not entirely sure.”
“Oh.”
“Is that something you’re interested in? Having more than one partner?”
“I don’t know,” Max ducked his head. “I’ve only seen it in-- well in porn.”
“Porn is a little different from real life Maxy,” Daniel chuckled.
“No, I know that. Would it upset you if I said I was? Interested in that, I mean?”
“No, it doesn’t upset me. Honestly I wouldn’t be opposed to it, depending on the person of course. Why do you have someone in mind?”
“No. Of course not. I guess I was just curious.”
“Well if anyone does ever peak your interest, just talk to me about it. We’ll work through it.”
Max found himself wondering, not for the first time, how he had ever gotten so lucky to have Daniel in his life.
“Okay,” he agreed.
“Good. Now let’s get out, I’m starting to shrivel.”
That night, tucked into bed with Daniel snoring in his ear, Max found himself thinking that everything would be alright. After all, how could anything ruin this?
*****
Unfortunately, he was wrong.
Max knew something was up as soon as Daniel walked into the apartment. He was strangely quiet, which was the first red flag. Normally, everything Daniel did was loud, even the way he kicked off his shoes at the front door and hung his keys on the hook. The second warning bell was that he didn’t automatically greet Max as he normally would. The third was the dried tear tracks on his face and his swollen eyes.
“Daniel? What’s wrong? You’ve been crying.”
Daniel’s face was sad as he spoke, “I’m leaving Red Bull.”
Max Verstappen was eighteen when he realized he was in love with Daniel Ricciardo. It wasn’t puppy love like people around him said love was at his age. It was true, all encompassing love that made him dizzy to think about.
Being in love with Daniel made his head spin. The man was so kind to him. So sweet and warm and open in a way that was so different to what Max had grown up with. Daniel paid attention to him for more than just racing. He actually liked to listen to him talk, and would let Max spend hours chatting to him about anything and everything. When Max finally moved out on his own, no longer under his father’s roof, Daniel had come to help him unpack his meager belongings into his first flat in Monaco. Then they’d set up the Xbox and played Fifa on the floor of his living room, even though Daniel was shit and Max beat him every time. Daniel didn’t complain either, just continued to let Max start a new game and smiled at him every time he scored a goal. It was almost like his happiness made Daniel happy, but he didn’t want to think too hard about that and get his hopes up. Daniel had stayed until the sun started to set over the Monaco harbor and they’d devoured their take out with promises not to tell their trainers. He’d almost seemed reluctant to go when he gathered his things, citing an early morning training session with Michael. Max had assured him he’d be fine, but when the door closed behind the older man, the apartment suddenly seemed much emptier than it had before.
Max Verstappen was nineteen when he moved to Red Bull. After he’d hung up the phone with Christian, the first person he’d called was Daniel.
“Ello,” Daniel had answered and Max, not for the first time, thought his voice sounded like sunshine.
“I suppose we’re going to be teammates,” he said, doing his best to play casually.
“So I heard. How does it feel to be racing for a top team in F1?”
“Well, I’m not racing for them yet. But I am excited of course.”
“Of course,” Daniel agreed. “I’m happy for you mate. You deserve it.”
“You think so?” he asked before he could stop himself, wanting to be sure that Daniel really approved of him.
“I know so Maxy. You’re talented, you’re gonna do great things with Red Bull and I’m excited to stand with you when it happens. Granted I’ll be on the top step and you’ll be below me but that’s all semantics.”
“Of course,” Max chuckled.
“You’re doing shoey with me during your first podium,” Daniel said, not leaving room for debate.
“Why would I want to drink champagne out of your boot?”
“It’s tradition,” Daniel had said simply.
“Okay,” Max agreed. He’d do anything for Daniel, anything to have that bright smile directed at him.
“You’re gonna love it. Welcome to the top, Maxy, you’re gonna love it up here.”
*****
Daniel Ricciardo was twenty-seven when Max Verstappen became a permanent part of his life. The younger man had entered his orbit slowly, attaching himself to Daniel like glue the moment he’d allowed himself to get close enough. Daniil had even taken to calling him “his little shadow”. Daniel hadn’t minded it, liking the attention the younger gave him and liking to give attention back in the way Max so desperately craved. He and Daniil were close in age and had mostly the same experience level so it was nice to have someone to take under his wing. Max was eager to learn, passionate about racing and equally curious. He held on to every word Daniel had to say, taking them to heart like textbook facts. It was cute. Max Verstappen was cute. Daniel saw him much like a little brother.
At least that’s what he tried to tell himself as he ignored the way his heart fluttered when Max smiled at him or laughed at one of his dumb jokes. He told himself that Max was just a friend, even as he saw the looks the younger man gave him when he thought he wasn’t looking.
He’s a kid Ricciardo, he told himself after he found himself staring at Max’s plush lips and wondering if they’d taste as sweet as the Red Bull he was drinking. Get it together you pervert.
*****
Daniel was twenty-seven when he almost said too much. Max had a rough day in Monaco. He’d been doing so well on what Daniel considered to be one of the hardest tracks on the calendar. That was until he crashed into the back of Grosjean on lap 65 of 78. He’d been far enough ahead that he hadn’t seen it but his engineer had informed him of the yellow flag and the subsequent red flag that had him returning to the pit lane.
“Who was it?” Daniel asked as he followed the leader into the pits and took his spot to wait for the race to resume. He’d passed the car in the barriers on the way, but it was at an angle that he couldn’t see the colors or number gracing the car’s livery.
“It was Verstappen and Grosjean. Max hit the back of him and spun into the barrier.”
“Holy shit. Is he alright?”
“He is fine,” Simon confirmed and Daniel let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.
“Thank god.”
“He’s back in the garage now. Red flag will be lifted any minute, be ready.”
Daniel didn’t really want to finish the race. Part of him wanted to unstrap himself and leave his car in the pit lane for someone else to deal with. He wanted to run to Max and check him over himself to make sure the younger boy was really okay before wrapping him up in a hug and telling him to never do something so stupid again. (Oh how Daniel wished this would be the last time he heard about Max crashing over the radio.) He told himself that it was brotherly, protective instinct and nothing more, but deep down he knew it wasn’t the truth. The truth was, he was afraid because he’d gotten attached to the younger man in a way that was much more than brotherly love. He was falling for someone almost a decade younger than him and he didn’t know how to stop.
He didn’t leave his car. He waited for the green flag to come down and he resumed the race with everyone else, sans Max. He finished well within the points and celebrated with his team for an acceptable amount of time once he was back in the pit lane before pulling away with every intention to go find Max. He was already on his way to the Toro Rosso garage next door when he was stopped by Xevi, Max’s engineer.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, heart leaping into his throat.
“Define okay,” Xevi muttered. He kept a tight grip on Daniel’s bicep as he continued to speak. “Can you go check on Max for me?”
“Yeah of course. I was headed there anyway.”
“Good. His dad tore him a new one over the crash, right here in the garage in front of God and everyone. It was rough. Max walked off looking like he was about to cry and no one has seen him since. I wanted to give him space for a while. But he likes you, I thought he might respond better if you went to see what’s going on.”
“I’ll go check on him,” Daniel promised.
“Thank you Danny. He went toward the driver’s room.”
“Got it.”
Daniel flashed Xevi a thumbs up before heading to the back of the garage. He unzipped his race suit as he went, tying the arms around his waist. The door to Max’s room was shut and he couldn’t see any light from outside. He pushed the door open gently and peeked around the corner, looking for Max. At first, he thought the room was empty, Max nowhere to be seen in the open space. Just as he was about to give up and go search the motorhome high and low, he saw the toe of a red boot peeking out from beside the couch. He shut the door behind him gently, not wanting to spook Max and made his way over slowly.
“Max,” he said, speaking softly like he would to a spooked animal. “I know you’re in here. Xevi said you came this way.”
He finally made it far enough into the room that he could see him, wedged between the sofa and the wall. His knees were tucked up to his chest and he looked so small like that, despite the fact that he’d recently had a growth spurt and was close to matching Daniel in height. He hadn’t commented on the dried tears on his cheeks or the way his nose and face were flushed from crying. Instead he joined him on the floor and let Max talk. And it had been going swimmingly until he decided to introduce his foot to his mouth.
He thought about it that night as he paced around his apartment, mentally berating himself for being an idiot. For a moment, on the floor of Max’s driver’s room, with his knees starting to ache from how cramped the space was, he’d forgotten that he was talking to a kid. Max had only been eighteen for a few weeks and Daniel knew, almost for a fact that he was a virgin, watched him stumble through conversations where he didn’t realize that girls were flirting and admit to Carlos over one too many vodka Red Bulls at his birthday party that he’s only kissed someone for the first time in the last year.
There was no way he was ready for Daniel’s kinky sex stuff. Absolutely no fucking way. It didn’t matter that since Daniel had met him, he’d clocked Max’s need to be taken care of from a mile away. The kid should have had a neon sign over his head that read “spank me, I’m anxious”. But that didn’t matter. It didn’t matter at all. Max was young, too young, and Daniel wasn’t going to drag him into things he wasn’t ready for. His attraction to Max was gross enough, his need to take him over his knee and spank him until he cried, then cuddle him and tell him how good he was was practically criminal.
He tried and failed not to think about it. He slammed two glasses of wine and took a long, cold shower, determined not to think of pretty blue eyes, plush lips, and ruddy cheeks stained with tears. He failed, miserably. He found himself scrolling on his phone, waiting for a reply from Max that never came. The text he’d sent him earlier was innocent enough for something written in a moment of weakness. A reassurance that he was proud of him and was on his side, because he knew Max needed it, even if the boy himself didn’t yet. He forced himself to put his phone down and try to go to sleep. He forced himself to put Max out of his head. He failed. He knew he’d failed the minute he let his hand slip under the covers. It was all too easy to side his hand under the loose waistband of his boxers, where his body was already starting to respond eagerly to the attention. It was too easy to imagine Max’s face as he’d seen it that day, but in a different position. Instead of huddled on the floor of his driver’s room, he was sprawled over Daniel’s lap, face pressed to the gray comforter, darkening it with his tears as Daniel’s hand spanked him over and over again, leaving his pale skin a pretty shade of pink. It was too easy to imagine the praises that would flow from his lips, telling Max how good he was, how proud he was of him, that it was okay to make mistakes because Daniel would always be there to catch him when he fell. It was too easy to spill over his hand and wipe it away with his boxers before collapsing back into bed, naked.
It wasn’t easy to forget Max’s face.
Daniel Ricciardo was twenty-seven and he was in love with Max Verstappen. Daniel Ricciardo was going to hell.
*****
Daniel Ricciardo was twenty-eight and Max Verstappen was a few days shy of nineteen when they became teammates. Daniel knew when he picked up the phone that he was the first person Max called, and his heart swelled with pride at that.
He wasn’t particularly sad to see Max taking Daniil’s seat. He and his former teammate had been friendly, but not friends. He was sad to see a good driver lose his seat, but he couldn’t be too sad when he remembered how much time he would be getting to spend with Max. They now got to see each other almost every day. They got to film PR videos together and Daniel got to make him laugh as they competed in ridiculous challenges and answered ridiculous questions. They got to race each other in the sim and pour over the data together in a conference room in Milton Keynes. They got to travel to races together and share a garage and occasionally a driver’s room when there wasn’t enough space at the track for each of them to have their own. Not that they minded. They usually ended up invading the other’s space over the course of the race weekend away, something Daniel had a sneaking suspicion that Christian already knew about. They even got to share a podium, Daniel on the top step as he’d predicted months ago, and Max to his right on the second step. When Daniel handed him the racing boot full of champagne, Max hadn’t hesitated. Instead he’d turned it up, downing the bubbly and sweat in one go.
That night, they’d kissed for the first time in Daniel’s hotel room.
*****
Max Verstappen was nineteen and happier than he’d ever been the first time he kissed Daniel Ricciardo. They’d shared a podium earlier in the day, followed by a sweaty racing boot filled with lukewarm, slightly flat champagne. It should have disgusted him, but it didn’t. He didn’t think anything about Daniel could ever disgust him. Even his sweat after a race.
They’d celebrated with the team that night, probably too much for a group of people who had flights to catch the next morning, but they didn’t care. A double podium was something to celebrate to the fullest extent, the next day’s consequences be damned. He’d been a little surprised when Daniel invited him back to his hotel room. It wasn’t the first time they’d spent extra time together after a race, but it was the first time it had happened so late at night.
“I’m too wound up to sleep,” he’d explained when he extended the invitation. “We can watch a movie and just chill out until we both get tired.”
Max was already getting tired, but he refused to turn down a chance to spend extra time in Daniel’s presence.
“Okay,” he agreed and let the older man pull him into the elevator, only pressing one button, for the floor Daniel was staying on.
He let Max borrow a hoodie, insisting he’d be more comfortable in that than his team polo that smelled vaguely of stale sweat and too much alcohol. They’d both showered after the race before going out to celebrate, so they changed their clothes and climbed onto the bed together. Max found he quite liked wearing Daniel’s hoodie. It was big and warm, and worn to the point of fraying around the sleeves and the hem but it was the softest thing Max had ever put on his body.. The smell of his cologne seemed to be woven into the fabric, and Max found himself tucking his face into the hood to breathe it in. He pressed himself to Daniel’s side as the older man scrolled Netflix on his laptop, looking for something to turn on. He eventually settled on an American sitcom he’d been insisting Max should watch, and balanced the computer against a spare pillow before getting comfortable and pulling Max in closer. He tucked his face into Daniel’s neck, his favorite spot to be when they hugged, and breathed in the smell of him straight from the source.
“You smell good,” he whispered, liquor and the late hour loosening his tongue.
He could hear Daniel’s smile more than see it when the older man pressed his nose to the top of Max’s head, took a small inhale and said, “You smell good too.”
Max sighed happily, even though he knew it was a lie. No one likes the smell of sweaty teenaged boy mixed with vodka and Red Bull but then again, Daniel seemed to like everything about him, so maybe it was the truth. He wiggled himself into Daniel’s space even more under the guise of shifting his position to get more comfortable. He was as close as he could get without being in his lap, which was something he’d thought about more than once. He could feel Daniel’s eyes on him, looking down at him and he tilted his head back to see him.
“What?”
“Nothing. You’re just cute.”
Max blushed and hid his face again, sure that Daniel could feel the heat of his cheeks through the fabric of his shirt.” You’re cute too,” he whispered.
They were silent for a few minutes before Max looked up again. He studied Daniel’s face, taking in his prominent nose, his soft brown eyes, and the slight turn of his lips. He wanted to commit every part of his face to memory, just in case he screwed it up with what he was about to ask.
“What is it Maxy?” Daniel asked, running a hand through his hair.
“Can I kiss you?”
“Why?”
The word left Daniel’s mouth before he could think to stop it. He watched the way Max’s ears turned red and he pulled his shoulders up shrugging.
“Because I want to. Because I like you.”
“I like you too Max.”
“You do? Do you like me, or just like me? Like a friend or?”
Max trailed off and Daniel shifted so they were facing each other properly. He cupped Max’s cheek with his hand and brought their faces close together.
“I like you Max,” he said again. “As more than a friend. Even though I shouldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re young.”
“I’m not that young,” he protested. “I’m not a little kid Daniel.”
“I know you’re not,” he placated. “But I’m still a lot older than you.”
“Nine years isn’t that much,” Max insisted. “There’s a whole lot worse. I’m nineteen, almost twenty.”
“Yeah and I’m twenty-eight. Almost twenty-nine. Soon I’ll be thirty and then you’ll think I’m old and gross,” he was trying to make a joke but there wasn’t much humor in his voice.
It was a real fear he had, true self-conscious thoughts leaking their way out into the open. Sure Max liked him now. Maybe he was attracted to the fact that Daniel was older and more experienced. He’d had crushes on a few older men when he was in his early twenties too. But that meant he would age faster, he would retire from racing first and he would get old first. Then what would Max do? Would he still love him when Daniel was forty and washed up and Max was still in his prime? Would he still love him when he was holding the championship trophy that Daniel found was slipping further and further from his grasp?
“I would never think you were gross,” Max said, sincere in a way that Daniel would never believe in anyone else. Only Max was this honest with him. Only Max told the truth no matter what, brutally blunt and honest at the best and worst of times. “I don’t care if you’re older than me. I like you, I want to kiss you. I want to be with you.”
“I want that too,” Daniel admitted.
“Then kiss me. Please?”
So he did. He pressed his lips to Max’s and had to suppress a groan, feeling as overwhelmed as he had when he first kissed a boy behind the woodshed when he was sixteen. He tasted just as sweet as he’d always imagined, enhanced by the Red Bull he’d consumed over the day, undercut by the staleness of old vodka. His plump lips were slightly chapped, raw from Max’s habit of nibbling on them, but he didn’t care. It was Max. He pulled away and pressed another soft kiss to the freckle above his lip that he loved so much. Max smiled at him, eyes crinkling in happiness and Daniel pulled him in for a hug, squeezing him to his chest and never wanting to let him go. He said as much, rubbing circles on Max’s shoulders.
“If we do this, I’m never going to want to let you go Max.”
“I don’t want you to let me go. I want to stay with you always,” he said earnestly.
Daniel smiled at him and kissed his forehead, “I don’t know about always. You’ll have to leave my side eventually Maxy. But we can start with tonight.”
“Tonight sounds good.”
Daniel closed the tab that contained the show they’d long forgotten and left the bed long enough to place his laptop back in his travel bag. He climbed back into bed and Max immediately filled the space in his arms, pressing so close Daniel wasn’t sure where he ended and Max began. It was good. So fucking good.
Eventually they parted ways the next morning, Max flying back to Monaco and Daniel taking advantage of the week they had off before the final stint of races to see his family in Australia.
“So,” Max had said awkwardly. “What now?”
“What do you mean?” They were standing on the curb outside the hotel, waiting for their cars to take them where they needed to go.
“Are we-” Max cut himself off. “God it sounds so stupid.”
“Are you asking me to be your boyfriend Max Verstappen?” Daniel asked, poking his ribs, teasing him.
“Yes?”
Daniel couldn’t help himself, leaning in to kiss him quickly.
“Yes Max. You’re my boyfriend.”
“Oh. Okay good.”
“You’re so cute. I’m gonna miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too.”
“You can call me anytime. I know the time difference is weird but we’ll make it work.”
“I wish I could just come with you.”
“One day baby.”
“Baby?” Max squeaked.
“Do you not like that?” Daniel asked, suddenly worried he’d crossed a line.
Max shook his head quickly enough to give himself whiplash, “No I do. I was just surprised.”
“Well get used to it baby,” he said again teasingly.
Max saw their cars approaching in the distance and he turned quickly to hug Daniel tight again, “Schatje,” he whispered against the fabric of his t-shirt.
“What does that mean?” Daniel asked.
“It’s sort of like baby. But in Dutch.”
“Schatje,” Daniel repeated, fumbling over the foreign syllables but not doing a terrible job. “I like it.”
They parted ways then, getting into separate cars and Max felt an ache in his chest as he watched Daniel speed off in the opposite direction. If he never wanted to be apart from Daniel before, he really didn’t now. Not after he had gotten everything he wanted since he realized he was in love with him at seventeen.
It wasn’t until he was home and unpacking his bags that he realized Daniel had slipped something into his suitcase. As he was sorting through what was clean and what needed to be washed, his hands landed on soft fabric. He pulled it out and gasped recognizing the hoodie Daniel had let him borrow the night before. He snapped a picture and sent it to Daniel with a series of question marks, not bothering to do the math on what time it was there. Apparently, it wasn’t a bad time because Daniel responded almost immediately.
Danny: Just something to keep you company until I’m back. Don’t miss me too much baby, I’ll see you soon
*****
Max Verstappen was nineteen, almost twenty when Daniel Ricciardo became his boyfriend. He was twenty, almost twenty-one when the new racing season started and Daniel invited him to move in. He was twenty-one when Daniel finally told him what he’d meant that day, sitting on his driver’s room floor when he was eighteen.
