enthralling (max verstappen)

seventeen

The soft morning light coming in through the big window pried open his eyes. But it wasn't enough to pull him out of the sleepy bliss that was lingering over him like a heavy cloud.

He didn't even have to reach to find Ellie, she was right there; tangled into him. He couldn't tell where he ended and she began. The softness of her skin was making it impossible for him to rip away from her. He found himself tracing her body with his hands, able to feel her rising and falling with every sleepy breath she took in his arms.

"What time is it?" I whispered, digging my face closer to his chest.

"I don't know. Early." He pulled me even closer.

"I wish it was still last night" I giggled slightly so I didn't sound that desperate. But I was. I would repeat last night in my head for years to come and I already knew that

Max pressed a tired kiss against my forehead, still running his hands over the curves of my body, "Stay," he whispered

"Don't have to tell me twice." I responded happily finding no reason to leave anyway. Time kept moving but we remained still and completely lost in one another, tangled in bedsheets until the sun was higher than the sky forcing us to open our eyes to the brightness invading the room.

My head was still against his chest as we quietly searched for more energy, my fingers traced the dips on his toned abdomen towards the covers, pushing them down slightly to reveal the small tattoo. The cursive E. I smiled to myself as my fingers traced the sensitive skin beneath the V shaped lines.

I was always an artist, even when it came down to a good old stick and poke.

"I'm happy you still have this" I childishly admitted, Max's gaze was still on me, my head rested on his lower body and my hands tracing his lines.

"You still have yours too" He let his thumb softly brush over the tattooed "M" in the hidden spot beneath my hip bone. His memory wandered back to that night. It had happened in this very house, they had chosen the most intimate of places to leave the mark, where only they would ever be able to see it. His heart was stuck somewhere between that moment and this one, part of him felt like it was a lifetime ago. While another part of him felt like it was only yesterday.

I smiled back to him, moving up and wrapping my hands around his head now resting on my chest both of us listening to the breathing for a while, "Breakfast?" Max finally asked when he realised this moment unfortunately couldn't last forever.

I laughed, rolling out of bed and mindlessly making my way to the bathroom, "Please" I agreed. Max watched as I walked over to the bedroom as I gave him a quick look back as I pulled my fingers through my messy hair

He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of her starting the faucet, moving things around in the bathroom and talking to herself, then she started the shower. It sounded so normal, it sounded like home, it sounded like heartbreak.

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flashbacks 🫂

"Come on, Max! You can tell me." Daniel teased, shoving his best friend playfully with his elbow.

"There's nothing to tell," Max smiled, trying to shut down the topic as quickly as possible.

"Oh come on! Is it that bartender in town?
What's that place? Rosie's? She practically eye fucks you every time we go in there." Danny pushed. Taking a sip from his beer as he kicked his feet in the water.

They had both had a very long day working on their cars. Covered in grease and exhausted from the hot air of summer, they had decided to end the night with a few beers on the dock at the Verstappens Estate.