˖⁺ ⋆ .⋆｡⋆༶⋆˙⋆｡˚ 𓂅۰˚˚｡˚⋆ ˖⁺ ⋆ .⋆｡⋆༶⋆˙⋆｡˚ 𓄹۰˚˚｡˚⋆

THE OTHER GUY PT.5 | FR43

an: i read this outloud to @diycriptheory and she said this sounded exactly like a lesbian's worst nightmare. so enjoy xx

part one | part two | part three | part four |

francolapinto’s story

[descanso y relajación]

The evening sun filtered through the curtains of your hotel room, casting a warm glow that did little to calm the knot tightening in your stomach. You glanced at the clock on the wall—it was almost time. Franco would be here soon.

You’d changed your outfit three times already, and even now, standing in front of the mirror, you weren't not sure if this was the right one. You smoothed your hands over your dress, biting your lip as you tried to steady your breathing. Why were you so nervous? It was just a date. A date with Franco.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of laughter in your room. Oscar and Logan had been hanging out, oblivious to your mounting anxiety. You stepped into the living room where they were lounging on the couch, both of them looking far too relaxed for your liking.

Oscar looked up at you and grinned. “You look… weirdly fancy.”

“Thanks,” you said, rolling your eyes. “Just the boost of confidence I needed.”

Logan chuckled. “Nervous much?”

Folding your arms, sitting on the edge of the desk, you raised a brow. “Is it that obvious?”

Oscar shrugged, grabbing a handful of chips from the bowl between them. “It’s not a big deal. It’s just a date.”

You shot him a look. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one going on a date with a guy you’ve been pretending to hate for months.”

“Pretending?” Oscar teased, looking at you with an incredulous look.

“Okay, maybe not pretending,” you admit, “but I’ve definitely been giving him a hard time.”

Logan leant forward, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Come on, you’ll be fine. He likes you, obviously. And you’ve stopped hating him—right?”

You groan, sinking into the armchair beside the desk, across from them. “Yeah, I’ve stopped hating him. That doesn’t make this any less nerve-wracking. What if it’s awkward? What if I say something stupid?”

Tossing a chip at you, Oscar laughed. “You always say something stupid. He probably expects it by now.”

Grabbing the chip from where it landed on your lap, you threw it back at him, grumbling when he caught it in his mouth. “Not helping!”

Logan chirmed in again, more seriously this time. “Look, he’s probably just as nervous as you are. You guys have been in this weird back-and-forth for so long—tonight’s a chance to just… let it go. Be yourself.”

Oscar nodded, being serious for once and looking like he was giving this some thought. “Yeah, and if it goes bad, you can always blame me for getting you into this mess in the first place.”

“Or, blame me!” Logan added. “After all, he replaced me didn’t he?”

Laughing at Logan’s comment you went back to fiddling with your hands in your lap. “Yeah.”

There was a knock at the door, and for a second your heart skipped a beat. Taking a look at Oscar and Logan, you ignored the look on their faces, as though they were waiting for this all day.

“Good luck,” Logan said, winking.

Standing up and smoothing your dress again, you headed toward the door. Your palms sweaty, your heart racing, nerves clouding your mind —a sense that this night could change everything.

With one last deep breath, you opened the door, and there Franco was, standing in the hallway, looking just as handsome as ever. His eyes swept over you, and the smile he gave you made your stomach flip.

“Buenas tardes hermosa (good evening, beautiful),” he said, his voice soft but confident.

You could feel the warmth rising in your cheeks as you stepped out, closing the door behind you. “Thank you, you’re not so bad yourself.”

ynpiastri's story

[who likes my chat noir cosplay? 😴]

The soft murmur of the ocean is the only sound as you stepped out onto the balcony while Franco got some more drinks, the warm breeze brushing against your skin. The night was still, the air heavy with the scent of saltwater, and the faint glow of the stars above barely lit the secluded space. The dim ambiance makes everything feel more intimate, more charged.

You felt him before you saw him—his presence behind you was unmistakable. He stepped out, his footsteps soft on the stone floor, but when his gaze locked on yours, it felt like the world had shrunk to just the two of you. He leant casually against the railing, but there was nothing casual about the way his eyes were trailing over you.

“Nice view,” he said, voice low, thick with a tension that sent a thrill down your spine. There was a deeper meaning to his words, and you knew it.

You nodded, barely able to respond as your pulse quickened. “Yeah. It is.”

His eyes never left yours, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. The air between you felt thick, crackling with an unspoken anticipation. He pushed off the railing, moving toward you with slow, deliberate steps, his confidence evident in every movement.

“I’ve been thinking about this moment all night, hermosa” he murmured , his voice soft but heavy with meaning. He was standing close now, so close that the warmth of his body radiated toward you, and you could feel every breath you took deep in your chest.

Your throat tightened, and you glanced away, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the intensity in his gaze. But he stepped even closer, his fingers lightly grazing your arm, and the simple touch sent shivers through you. Your skin tingling where his hand touched, and your heart racing faster.

“How’s it going so far?” you managed to ask, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Better than I imagined,” he said, his lips curling into a smirk, but his eyes were serious, dark with desire. His hand moved up to your shoulder, his thumb brushing against your bare skin with a tenderness that belied the hunger in his gaze.

Your breath hitched, and for a moment, you thought about stepping back, about trying to get control over the situation. But something held you there, keeping you rooted in place as he stepped even closer, his chest almost brushing against yours. The tension between you was electric, and you feel it in every inch of your body.

“I didn’t think you’d actually ask me,” he admitted, his voice dropping lower, more intimate. He was so close now that you could feel the heat from his breath against your skin.

“I didn’t think I would either,” you whispered, your heart pounding in your chest. Every nerve in your body was on edge, waiting, anticipating.

His hand slid to your waist, fingers firm but gentle, pulling you just a fraction closer. You were close enough now that you could smell the faint scent of his cologne, something dark and intoxicating. Your skin tingled beneath his touch, and you could barely think straight with how close he was.

“I’ve been waiting for you to look at me like this,” he said softly, his lips just inches from yours. His eyes flicked down to your lips for a split second, and when they met yours again, they were filled with an intensity that made your knees feel weak.

“Like what?” you managed to ask, your voice barely audible, your pulse racing so fast it felt like your heart might burst out of your chest.

“Like you want this as much as I do.”

Before you could even respond, he closed the distance between the two of you, his lips crashing against yours in a kiss that was anything but gentle. It was hot, fierce, and filled with a passion that you hadn’t expected. His hands tightened on your waist, pulling you flush against him as he deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping against yours in a way that made your whole body ignite.

You gasped into his mouth, your hands gripping his shoulders for balance as his kiss overwhelmed you. The softness of his lips contrasted with the raw hunger in his movements, and you found yourself melting into him, your body pressing against his like you couldn’t get close enough.

His hand slid up your back, fingers tangling in your hair as he tilted your head, giving him better access to your mouth. The kiss grew hotter, more intense, and you could feel the heat pooling low in your stomach, making you dizzy with want. His lips moved with a hunger that matched your own, and you felt like you were drowning in him, in the taste of him, in the way his hands roamed your body like he was memorising every inch of you.

Your fingers slid up to his neck, pulling him closer as the kiss became more desperate, more frantic. Every touch, every movement felt like it was setting your skin on fire, and you couldn't get enough of him. His body was solid and warm against yours, and the feel of him, the smell of him, was intoxicating.

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you thought you may have seen something—a flicker of movement, a flash of light out of the corner of your eye—but you pushed it aside, too lost in the moment, too consumed by the heat of his kiss to care. Nothing else mattered right now except for him, here, with you.

His hands slid down to your hips, gripping you tighter as he pulled you impossibly closer, his mouth never leaving yours. You felt his chest rise and fall rapidly against you, his breathing just as ragged as yours. The kiss was searing now, filled with a desire that neither of you were holding back anymore.

When he finally pulled away, his lips lingered near yours, his forehead pressed against yours as you both caught your breath. His thumb brushed gently against your cheek, and you opened your eyes to find him staring at you, his gaze filled with something that made your heart skip a beat.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that, mi amor” he whispered, his voice hoarse but filled with certainty.

You smiled, your breathing still heavy, and as you looked into his eyes, you knew then and there that you wanted this just as much as he did. And that the two of you were far too gone to care about anything else.

twitter

imessage between franco and yn

the end.

taglist: @iimplicitt @isaadore @iamred-iamyellow @justheretoreadthxxs @obxstiles @how-what-why-huh @raizelchrysanderoctavius @sainzzreputaticn @xxx-betty @dukeofjjune @dejavuontrack @littlegrapejuice @mxdi0 @st4rgirl-ellie @dullypully @cinderellawithashoe

SERIES

Max Verstappen

Rule Breaker: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Lando Norrris

Hopeless (1) > Luxury (2) > Poison (3) > untitled (4)

Logan Sargeant

American Idiot

Social Media AUs

Until You (Leclerc/Piastri) One | Two | Three

FAVS 33 - MAX VERSTAPPEN 3.0

Some of my favorite stories, writers you are amazing

all i wanted 1 2 3 4 5 cat mom love like the movies broken THE Birkin Hey Stranger! potion At least for the pictures potterhead part 1

At the age of 10 I started my love of books due to Harry Potter and I think I got it from my mother who loves to read also. Time passes by I started collecting books which varies in genre because its a simple enjoyment in life. Now after 9 years here are the books, my mom and own which have taken up almost a half of my shelves.

CLOSE TO THE EDGE MAX VERSTAPPEN

paring max verstappen x childhood friend!reader

SUMMARY you and max have been inseparable since you were kids. you both promised that no matter what happens, you’ll always be there for each other. but when the pressures of max’s racing career and a growing distance between you strain the friendship, you’re both left to find what you really mean to each other. word count 1.9k words

warnings self-criticism, themes of anxiety and stress, angst, jos verstappen

note requested :)

MAIN MASTERLIST MV1 MASTERLIST

THERE WAS SOMETHING nostalgic about the sound of engines revving; how it pulled you back to your childhood, back when life was simple, and the only thing that mattered was Max’s kart circling the track. You sat on the pit wall, the roar of engines around you as familiar as the heartbeat you couldn’t seem to steady.

The air smelled of gasoline and rubber, the sun already hot against your skin, but you were used to it. You had spent too many days like this to mind. From the time you were little, following Max around the karting circuits, this had been home. But it was different now.

Max was different now.

You watched as he climbed out of the Red Bull car, peeling off his helmet to reveal damp, sweaty hair, and an unreadable expression to anyone who hadn’t known him as long as you had. His features were sharper now; chiselled with the kind of confidence that came with years of pushing himself to the limit, of knowing he was the best. But behind his calm exterior, you could see it: the frustration, the constant war with himself to be perfect.

He glanced in your direction briefly, but you knew he wasn’t really seeing you. Not anymore.

It hadn’t always been like this. There was a time when you were the first person he’d come to after every race, win or lose. You’d sit together on the track, the world muted around you, just two kids who didn’t care about the future. But that felt like a lifetime ago now, and you weren’t sure when it changed when the distance between you grew so wide, you didn’t know how to cross it.

You weren’t even sure if he wanted you to.

20 YEARS AGO

“Faster, Max! You’re too slow!” you teased, legs dangling over the barrier as you watched him zoom around the small karting track your families had brought you to for the weekend.

Even at seven years old, Max was serious about racing, his brow furrowed in concentration as he sped past you in his kart. His father, Jos, stood nearby, arms crossed, watching Max’s every move like a hawk.

“I’ll show you slow,” Max shouted back, grinning as he floored the pedal, the little kart shooting forward with a speed that made your heart skip a beat.

You laughed, running to the edge of the barrier to watch him cross the finish line, his face flushed with excitement when he pulled off his helmet.

“Did you see that? I was way faster than last time!” Max exclaimed, running over to you, eyes bright with triumph.

You nodded enthusiastically, always his biggest supporter, even when you didn’t understand the technical details of racing. “Yeah, but you still couldn’t catch me on foot,” you said with a teasing grin, before darting off towards the grassy area behind the track.

“Hey!” Max shouted, chasing after you, both of you laughing until you collapsed in a heap, breathless and grinning under the summer sun. It had always been like this, simple, easy. Max was your best friend, the one constant in your life that you never had to question.

PRESENT DAY

That memory flashed through your mind as you watched Max now, his shoulders tight with tension as he talked to his engineer. You wondered when the last time was that he laughed like that, really laughed, not the polite chuckle he gave to fans or media. You wondered if he’d forgotten how.

The race debrief dragged on, and you shifted on the bench, your eyes flicking towards your phone. You weren’t there for the media, or the race engineers. You were there for Max, but lately, it had started to feel like you were just another fixture in the background of his life, like you had become part of the scenery instead of someone he needed.

You were still deep in thought when you heard his voice, closer now. “Hey,” Max said, but it lacked the warmth it used to have.

You looked up, forcing a smile. “Hey. How was the car?”

“It was fine.” His tone was clipped, distracted, as if his mind was already miles away, focused on the next race, the next challenge.

You nodded, unsure of what else to say. “You’ve got the weekend off after this, right?” you asked, hoping to reignite the friendship, the ease that used to come so naturally between you.

“Yeah,” Max replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve got a couple of media things, but I’ll be free for the most part.”

There was a pause, a beat too long, and you wondered if he was going to ask you to do something, like he used to. Back when weekends off meant go-karting for fun, or late-night drives where you’d talk about anything but racing.

But the invitation didn’t come.

“Good luck with the media stuff,” you said finally, the words falling flat between you.

Max nodded absently, already turning away to speak to someone else, and you were left with the bitter taste of something unspoken in your mouth. The silence between you was louder than the roar of the engines, and you wondered how long you could keep pretending that things hadn’t changed.

12 YEARS AGO

It was the first time you had ever seen Max cry.

You were both fifteen, standing outside the karting track after he had lost a crucial race. It wasn’t even a huge competition, but for Max, every race was an important one. He hated losing more than anything, and you could see the way it ate at him, the disappointment in his eyes when he realized he wasn’t invincible.

“You were still amazing,” you had said, trying to comfort him, but Max just shook his head, his jaw clenched tight.

“No, I wasn’t,” he muttered, kicking at the gravel with his shoe. “I should’ve been faster. I should’ve won.”

You didn’t know what to say, so you just stood there, waiting, offering your silent support the way you always did.

It was only when the others had left, when it was just the two of you in the fading evening light, that Max finally let the walls crack. His fists clenched at his sides, and he looked at you with those piercing blue eyes, tears threatening to spill over.

“I can’t keep losing,” he whispered, his voice breaking in a way that made your heart ache. “I have to be the best.”

You hadn’t hesitated. You reached for him, pulling him into a tight hug, your arms wrapping around his tense frame. Max resisted for a moment, stiff in your embrace, but then he crumbled, burying his face in your shoulder as the tears came.

“I’m here, Max,” you had whispered into his hair, holding him as tightly as you could. “I’ll always be here.”

PRESENT DAY

You wondered if he even remembered what it felt like to rely on you for support. Now, it felt like you were the one watching from the sidelines while Max barrelled through life at breakneck speed, focused on nothing but the finish line.

The days when he used to confide in you, to trust you with his fears, seemed so far away now.

Later that evening, you sat in your hotel room, staring at the ceiling, the weight of your unspoken thoughts pressing down on you. You couldn’t keep doing this, watching Max drift further and further away, pretending like it didn’t hurt.

The sound of your phone buzzing broke the silence, and you glanced at the screen. It was a message from Max.

Are you free to talk?

You hesitated for a moment, your heart racing in your chest. It had been a while since he had asked to talk, really talk. You quickly typed back a reply, and a few minutes later, your phone rang.

“Hey,” Max’s voice came through the line, quieter now, almost hesitant. “I just… I don’t know why I called.”

You felt a flicker of hope in your chest. “You don’t need a reason,” you said softly.

There was a long pause, and when Max spoke again, his voice was lower, more vulnerable. “Do you ever feel like… we’re not the same anymore?”

Your breath caught in your throat at his words, the very thing you had been afraid to admit to yourself.

“Yeah,” you whispered. “I do.”

There was another silence, and for a moment, you were both suspended in it, the weight of years of unsaid words hanging between you.

“I miss how things used to be,” Max admitted, and it was like the walls he had built up over the years were starting to crack, just like they did that day when you were fifteen.

“So do I,” you confessed, your voice barely audible.

“I don’t want to lose you,” Max said, and you could hear the fear in his voice now, the same fear he had when he was fifteen, terrified of not being good enough.

“You won’t,” you promised, the words coming out before you could stop them. “I’m still here, Max. I’ve always been here.”

Max let out a shaky breath, and for the first time in a long while, you felt like you were on the same page again, like the distance between you wasn’t so insurmountable after all.

The next few days passed in a blur of media obligations and sponsor events, but there was a shift in the air between you and Max. It was subtle, little things, like the way he sought you out in the crowd, the way he lingered after conversations as if he was afraid of letting you slip away again.

One evening, after a particularly gruelling day, you found yourselves sitting on the balcony of Max’s hotel room, watching the city lights flicker in the distance.

“Remember that time we raced each other on foot after your kart race?” you asked, a smile tugging at your lips.

Max chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Yeah, and you tripped and scraped your knee. You wouldn’t stop crying until I gave you my ice cream.”

You laughed, the memory of it warming you in a way you hadn’t felt in a long time. “I’d still take your ice cream, by the way.”

Max grinned, but then his expression softened, and he looked at you in that way he used to when you were kids; like you were the only person in the world who truly knew him.

“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly, his voice low.

You blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in tone. “For what?”

“For… everything,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “For letting things get so messed up between us. I didn’t mean to push you away. I just—”

“Max,” you interrupted gently, reaching over for his hand. “You didn’t push me away. I just… I didn’t know how to help you anymore.”

Max squeezed your hand, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. “You’ve always helped me, even when I didn’t realize it.”

You held his gaze, the weight of his words settling over you like a warm blanket. There was so much you both still needed to say, but for the first time in a long while, you felt like you were finally on the right track.

“Do you think we can fix this?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

Max looked at you, his blue eyes filled with something you hadn’t seen in years; hope. “Yeah,” he said softly. “I do.”

And for the first time in a while, you believed him.

‎‎‎‎‎ ‎‎‎‎‎ MAIN MASTERLIST ✷ MV1 MASTERLIST

COME WHAT MAY SERIES MASTERLIST

READ COME WHAT MAY SERIES HERE

→ red bull sebastian vettel x female race engineer intern & webber girlfriend!reader → based on 2010 and 2011 formula 1 seasons

current taglist: @hc-dutch @raavadakedavra @coffeedestroyingperson @evey-kuznetskova @bowielovesyou @chaoswithus @isotopemylove @iceman-kazansky @residentdemonhunter @astronomyandfrogs @herdetectivetheorist @prttylight @i-love-sirius-black7 @dreamauri @03071987 [feel free to join the taglist!]

VEE'S NOTES: Come What May series will be updated every Saturday at 22.00 CET. Here you'll find upcoming chapters and their descriptions <3

00. A phone call and a new beginning Sebastian breaks up with Hanna and Y/N, his best friend, offers him to go to her hometown to try disconnect from everything. However, things take a turn for the worst when Mark Webber, Seb's teammate and Y/N's boyfriend, calls her and starts thinking she's cheating on him with Vettel. ↳ Available on February 1st

ACT I. Loss of my life During 2010 RB6 presentation and preseason testing, Mark starts acting quite weird with Y/N. To her surprise, Webber gives some opinions on her work that start making her overthink, even when Seb tries his best to calm her down. Y/N knows 2010 season is going to be a hell when Webber asks to have a private conversation with Christian Horner and Helmut Marko. ↳ Available on February 8th

01. Read between the lines Bahrein GP marks the beginning of the 2010 Formula 1 season. Y/N and Sebastian, unaware of what they can expect from the upcoming months, have to face a much better surprise when they get to the Red Bull garage: Mark Webber talking with a girl, around Y/N's age, who unexpectedly has joined the team as Webber's race engineer intern... just like Y/N is to Seb since 2008. ↳ Available on February 15th

02. A bittersweet but proper goodbye... for now Since her last ever final exams season is about to start, Y/N has to leave Formula 1 until July, where she'll be joining her place in the team as a future Mechanical Engineering graduate, but there's something first to do: Red Bull Racing's welcoming party in Austria. While Y/N debates whether to go or not because his dad's health being worse, Seb encourages her to go. ↳ Available on February 22nd

03. I'll be there, promise Red Bull Racing's beginning of the season party is such a success for everyone... except Y/N. Not only she has a boyfriend who's making her overthink a lot about their relationship and, also, about her position at the team, but also Y/N starts having the feeling that not everything is what it seems and that, maybe, things aren't going the way she thought, maybe including her friendship with Seb, who seems a bit off with Webber. ↳ Available on March 1st

04. That's not the look of friendship, Vettel It's Y/N's 22nd birthday and, contrary to Mark, who told her he wasn't able to go visit her because he was visit, Seb is there for her and, also, her family. While this is just something quite common for her sisters, aunt and uncle, Y/N's father, Bernhard, has the feeling that there's something that Y/N and Seb are keeping a secret from each other. ↳ Available on March 8th

MORE TO COME SOON

—seven days. [ i ]

pairing: max verstappen x manager! reader.

summary: as the third time world champion, max verstappen's manager, you function on the belief that whatever max verstappen wanted, max verstappen shall get. but this time, after four years of working as his manager, you can't give him what he wants anymore and that was to stay.

author's note: not beta-read. not edited. enjoy reading.

part 1. part 2. part 3. part 4. part 5. part 6.1. part 6.2.

You are not surprised when Max Verstappen won the 2023 Formula One season. Given how he dominated each Grand Prix in the season, except Singapore but we don't talk about Singapore, you kind of expected the results already. This is Max's third time winning the WDC title and that makes you the manager of a three-time WDC title holder now. As someone who worked with the guy the last five years, you are immensely proud of Max. You’ve been working as his manager ever since 2019—you, twenty-three, a fresh graduate of Mechanical Engineering and he, twenty-one, an aspiring world champion but you've known each other since 2018—so you knew better than anyone else, better than Christian Horner even, just how much it took from Max just to reach the place where he is standing right now. Furthermore, Red Bull Racing also won the Constructor’s Championship so everyone in the team cannot be any happier. Celebrations are in order, of course, but you have excused yourself to retire early in the evening instead. Max has asked you why. You replied that you're tired and that's the only truth you can offer him.

You draft your resignation letter whilst everyone at Red Bull is partying in some place else in Abu Dhabi. Good for them honestly. What better way is there to celebrate a victory than with alcohol? Fortunately, there's canned beer on the mini fridge so that's your share of the victory alcohol tonight while you're hunched over your laptop on the couch. Rihanna is playing from your laptop speakers in a Youtube playlist in another Google tab while you work on the letter on a separate Google Docs tab.

Dear ________,

Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from my position as the manager of Red Bull Racing first driver, Max Verstappen, effective seven days from today’s date, November 26, 2023.

I appreciate the opportunities for growth and development you have provided me during the five years I worked for this amazing team. Leaving is not an easy decision for me but in order to further my career, I have to spread my wings and explore. Please let me know if I can help with anything to make my resignation easier for the company staff.

Thank you, Red Bull, for giving me wings and the courage to fly. Now, I believe it is time for me to soar new skies. I will cherish the time I have spent here in Red Bull Racing.

Sincerely,

[First Name] [Last Name].

You read it over and over again, checking for errors in the spelling or the grammatical structure.

“Thank you Red Bull for giving me wings and the courage to fly….” you mutter. What Red Bull gave you was five decades worth of stress. One decade's worth of stress for each year since you were accepted in the team. “Cringy as fuck.”

Your phone abruptly rings and you jump in surprise, dropping your phone and your beer and oh shoot, you almost dropped your laptop, too. You scramble to pick up the canned beer, hissing slightly when you see the liquid form a pool on the tiled floor. Your initial response is to avoid it so you sidestepped and kicked your YSL heels away from the puddle. The heels are previously placed next to your feet neatly but now they're thrown haphazardly on the floor a few meters away. Your eyes quickly search for a towel, or anything you can use to wipe that shit off before it reaches the expensive hotel carpet, but there is no towel in your vicinity and the liquid is moving fast so you take off your Red Bull shirt—haha, you’re resigning anyways—leaving you in only your sleeveless undershirt. You throw it on the floor. Then, you crouch down and hurriedly wipe the beer.

Crisis averted! Beer - 0. You - 1. You pick up the call after, already knowing it's from Max even without reading the caller ID because you have set a separate ringtone for him, using that catchy Super Max sound, “Hello, [Name] here. Anythin’ I could help?”

Daniel’s voice is not something you have expected to hear, not from Max’s phone anyway, but then again, they should be together right now at the afterparty, “Hi [Name], we kind of got ourselves stuck in a situation here.”

Your brows furrow, forehead creasing, “Danny? Somethin’ wrong?”

“It's Max.”

You stiffen before slowly rising to a stand. Your head begins running at a speed of 300 kilometers per hour, the pace of a Formula One car, coming up with different scenarios where Max is in danger and a list of things you can do to get him out of those situations, “What's wrong with Max?”

That's how you found yourself in the middle of the Red Bull afterparty, navigating through the sweaty and drunk Red Bull employees with your eyes actively searching for a tall, broad-shouldered, blond-brown-haired, blue-eyed Dutchman. You find him nearly ten minutes after entering the party, in a corner, on the floor, next to a yellow puddle of disgusting liquid with his head hanging low and the two Alpha Tauri drivers, Daniel and Yuki, standing right beside him. Thank God they did not leave Max.

The fact that they are in a party full of Red Bull employees and none even tried to help Max bothers you greatly. Jesus, what is wrong with these people? You lower yourself in front of him, hand coming up to his nape while the other is on his forearm before gently guiding him away from the vomit pool just in case he accidentally touches on it. If he did, you know you're the one who’s going to clean him up and frankly, you aren't in the mood for dealing with that. Max follow your hands like it's second nature for him to follow your guidance, leaning into the warmth of your palm.

“What happened?” you finally voice the question you've been dying to ask once Max is a good distance away from the pool of vomit. Daniel is the one who answers you, “He asked for you.”

That doesn't answer your question. Thankfully, Yuki decides to be more helpful, “He broke up with Kelly this morning.”

Oh.

He raced while shouldering a broken heart and still won? Poor Max. But also, you are not surprised. Not even a bit. It's very much like him to prioritize the race over his feelings because Max Verstappen only wants one thing in the world and that is to emerge victorious at the sport he loved. To prove to the world that he is top one, to prove to Jos Verstappen that he is top one and that he will go down in history as top one and the world shall remember it even after he leaves the F1 racing scene for the young ones.

“Thanks, Yuki,” you turn to Daniel and nod. “Danny, I’ll take it from here.”

“Are you sure you don't need help?”

You shake your head and offer a tight-lipped smile. Dealing with a drunk Max is no biggie. You have worked with the guy for five years already, four as his manager. That's over a hundred podiums and defeats and in each defeat and each podium, alcohol and Max become the best of friends. You’re used to this; cleaning him up, picking him up, tucking him into bed, calling his girlfriend to deal with his drunk ass, and helping him nurse the hangover in the morning with an Advil and a good breakfast.

You roll the sleeves of your champagne-colored button-up to your elbows and in one swift motion, you lift Max in a fireman’s carry. That volunteer work you did at LAFD back when you're still in university paid off in these moments.

It was a comedic sight. A 5’5” woman in heels carrying an almost six foot drunk racer who is at least two times broader than her on her shoulders. The media has already caught a picture of a similar-looking moment one time in 2019 and another in 2021—such times are the beginning of those annoying dating rumors that involves you and Max—and you can say that Twitter is mostly impressed that the Red Bull manager was strong enough to lift a high-performance athlete. Some made memes of it. You'll never admit that you saved some of them, especially the ones that made fun of Max so you could put it above his head. Some even claimed that your YSL heels must be some sort of superhero power up because you do a lot of athletic things in those heels like running through the paddock as if you were just wearing a pair of Nikes, kicking a door down, driving a motorcycle around in Monza to buy Max's morning coffee, and getting in a physical fight with Max’s anti-fan back in 2022. In theory, you can and will absolutely kill a god in those heels and honestly, it's about time YSL sponsors you because you're giving their Opyum heels so much promotion.

What the public doesn't know is that Max is lighter than he looks and paired with your capability of lifting heavy equipment and people due to your history as a volunteer firefighter, it is incredibly easy to lift him without breaking a sweat and yes, even while wearing heels. People are too easily impressed nowadays.

You ignore the confused stares that are sent your way as you hurriedly walk to the comfort rooms. In a matter of seconds, you are power-walking yourself inside the male comfort room, sending an unimpressed look at the two Red Bull rookie employees making out inside. They are horrified when they see you. You can tell with the way their eyes widened and how they scrambled away from each other and hurriedly fixed themselves while muttering a thousand apologies. You don't even need to say anything. They are out before you could even tell them to.

You lock the door behind you before heading towards the bathroom sink and placing Max there. You put your hands on the back of his head and shoulders to support him until he's leaning against the mirror and sitting fully upright. You wish he won't topple over and accidentally hit his head on the tiles.

“Hey, hey,” you tap his cheek. “You good, Max?”

You sincerely hope he won't pass out. Unconscious people are heavier than conscious people when you lift them.

Procuring a water bottle inside your tote bag, you hand it to him. He accepts it wordlessly and down it in one go. You pull out an extra shirt from your bag, “Off with the shirt, big boy.”

Obediently, Max does what he is told and he peeled his shirt off him. You have to help him midway because he got it stuck around his neck. You toss the stinky shirt somewhere on the sink and hand him the shirt you brought. Again, you help him put it on because drunk Max has seemingly forgotten where the holes of the t-shirt are and which limb should enter a specific hole. Oh wait, that sounds wrong.

“You're taking good care of me.”

His voice sounds so small when he utters those words that it almost got swallowed up by the silence of the room and the muffled sound of the party outside.

“Aren't I always?”

You are paid to take good care of him after all.

“Always.”

You wet a towel in the sink and squeeze out the excess water in the wool. Your fingers gently cradle Max’s jaw as you wipe his face. He has a little vomit on his cheek.

You're used to looking at Max’s face up close but you still cannot help but be amazed by the beauty of it, you know? Some people will not consider Max as a conventionally beautiful man. Different people have different preferences. Honestly, you used to be one of those people. You met Max when he was twenty-one and that time, he looked like a fetus and greatly resembled Sid the sloth from the Ice Age movies. You used to tease him all the time about it, calling him a kid and pulling the age card when he needed to be reigned in or to annoy him until he submits into obedience, when you are only a year older than him. The stress of racing caused Max to age quickly but thankfully, he does not age badly. No, instead Max transitioned into an absolute daddy. Thank God he is more like his mother than his father, too. His mother’s genes saved him. Thank you Sophia!

You would have fallen for him, too, like the gazillion women all around the world who'll fall at his feet, but it’s hard to do so when you know he doesn't even know how to peel his own oranges. Drives a car going 300 kilometers per hour and can’t even peel a damn orange.

Twitter is always having a field day when they manage to snap a picture of you peeling oranges for him. Orange Peel Theory or whatever that is. Ludicrous bullshit, to be honest. The only theories you know are the ones taught in Physics class.

“I wonder if you know how much I need you,” he mutter. “I wonder if you can tell.”

“Very poetic,” you say flatly because Max has the tendency to say the most out of pocket yet soul breaking things when he's drunk and you are too tired to rationalize all his musings right now. We love a trauma-dumping king.

“You talkin’ ‘bout Kelly?” you ask, brow raising slightly. You continue to clean his face before proceeding to wipe his arms and his hands.

“I don't know.”

“Okay.”

He probably is talking about Kelly anyway.

Now that Kelly is gone, you’re beginning to get worried for Max. Earlier, as you wrote that resignation letter in your hotel room, the worry of leaving Max was not present. He has Kelly after all. Kelly can easily do the things you did for Max, not that she should do the work of a Red Bull manager because honestly, if she plans on taking up your job now, you’ll tell her to run and save herself. You mean the support you gave Max. You mean going all-out in protecting Max whether from haters or even his own father and especially his own darkness. You mean standing with him, inside that open cage that he can walk out of anytime but chose not to because Jos Verstappen still had his claws on him. You mean not leaving Max, no matter where he stood, may it be at the top of that glorious podium or at the end of the line. You mean taking care of Max the same way you did, even if he insists that helping him is nothing but rotten work.

But then, she left. Now what?

“I want to tell you something.”

You lift your eyes and met Max’s glazed blue ones.

“It is in my will that if I die—”

“You're not dyin’," you cut him off, not even the least bit amused about the idea of Max dying.

“Shush,” he playfully glares at you and you roll your eyes, itching to pull that I’m older than you so don't shush me card just to annoy him. “Let me finish. It is in my will that if I die, my cats will be taken care of by you. Oh come on, stop making that face. You look like you're having an aneurysm.”

“Shut up,” you swat his forearm with the damp towel, causing him to laugh at you. “Why’d you even do that? Give them to your Mom or somethin’.”

“But nobody is better at taking care of someone than you,” he says and his voice bled with rawness and honesty and so much sincerity that you're taken aback. “I want someone to take care of them like how you take care of me.”

You blink, mouth slightly agape. What can you even say to that? Thank you? I’m honored? Dude, what the fuck? Are you confessin’ to me or somethin’? You doin’ big shit over there by putting me in your will.

Now, you’re even more worried. Who will take care of Max after you're gone? The same way you took care of him?

Nonetheless, on December 13, you submit the resignation letter to Christian Horner. He reads the letter with a deep frown marring his face. It's funny how he had the same expression on his face, too, on the first day you met him when you were applying from Red Bull.

“Have you told Max?”

The guy is sleeping in his hotel bed as you speak and will probably be awake in a few hours with the world’s shittiest hangover. So no, you have not told him. Not yet, at least.

“No.”

“He wouldn't be happy with this.”

You know Max does not bode well with goodbyes, especially from the people he closely worked with leaving Red Bull. Look at what happened with Danny in 2018. Now, it is your turn. Two of his biggest friends in the Red Bull team, leaving in search of careers outside his shadow. Being in Max's shadow..... They are right after all. It is a curse.

While you love Max, platonically of course, being his manager is not what you wanted. You did not suffer through four years in engineering school just to become an errand girl for a racer. This is not what you applied for when you sent that application letter in Red Bull and Renault back when you were twenty-two. Renault didn't have an opening in their engineering team so your future with that team was quickly erased. Red Bull had no opening in their engineering team either but they had an open spot on the team as Daniel Ricciardo's manager for a whole season. You accepted their offer, naturally, hoping that their engineering team will have a place for you soon. When Danny left, you contemplated following him to Renault.

Then, Max told you to not go to Renault because they're a shitty team and perhaps he was right because in that sucky car they had, Daniel barely won podiums, but if Renault would give you the position you wanted and worth your student loans, then you'd take it.

"No, stay."

Demanding little prickly ass, he was, "I will win next year. When I become a world champion, I'll ask Horner to move you to the engineering team."

You did not know why you believed him.

2021—Max became world champion. You hoped he would ask Horner like he told you back in 2018.

2022—Max became world champion again but you're still stuck as his manager. You reminded him of his declaration in 2018. He told you he was already on it. Two rookie engineers entered the team that year, taking the spot that should have been yours years ago and you were stuck wondering if Max was really putting truth on his words.

2023—Max became a third-time world champion and you wouldn't even ask anymore.

“I know," you say, voice barely above a whisper. "I'll deal with it."

"I'll trust that you'll be the one who'll tell him?"

It amuses you how no one wants to deal with Max or drop him the big news. Everyone knew how crazy he could get when Max does not like something. He's a menace. He'll terrorize everyone. You're the only one who could hold the menace down.

"Of course, Sir. Leave it to me."

“Are you transferring teams? Are you still going to stay in Monaco near Max?”

Monaco is not home. Home is desert and heat. Home is Texas.

“Nah, goin’ back to Austin.”

Everybody knows Texas was your home, your accent and your manners spoke of it. Some Europeans look down on it, calling you a country bum and a cowgirl mascarading as a sophisticated sidehoe of a champion. Fuck 'em all.

“Everyone in the team is given two weeks off now that we’ve won so your resignation is immediately effective of today,” Horner says. “If the US GP is held at Austin next year, make sure to come by. Max would appreciate it.”

Christian Horner is an asshole but he is at least good to Max and that's what's important.

You get a text from Max an hour later.

him: i feel like shit

him: thanks for the advil and the soup

him: also im flying back to monaco tonight, fly with me

Tonight, you're flying to Monaco with Max Verstappen. Seven days from now, you're flying home alone.

Little Big Fan Series Masterlist

A Max Verstappen x SingleMother!Reader Story

Status: ongoing (it’s a half thought out plot bear with me)

Series Summary: Your daughter runs off while you were in the middle of grocery shopping because she spotted Max, her favourite driver. Meeting you, Max wants to know everything about you and your six year old. So of course he finds excuses to keep meeting you, starting with inviting you to the Dutch Grand Prix.

current total wc: 20.2k

Note: feel free to request a drabble or chapter idea for this story.

#lbf fic talks -> writing process, answering asks about the story, and pretty much anything related to this fic series.

1. Little Big Fan (1.6k words)

2. Little Big Flight (1.7k words)

3. Little Big Race (2.4k words)

4. Little Big Celebration (1.6k words)

5. Little Big Surprise (3.3k words)

6. Little Big Gifts (1.9k words)

7. Little Big Movie Night (2.4k words)

8. Little Big Allergy (3.6k words)

9. Little Big Phone Calls (1.7k words)

10. Little Big… coming soon