Adrenaline: A Lestappen Story

𝟐𝟐 - 𝐢 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭

This was Max's home race, and despite excelling throughout the season, victory wasn't guaranteed. The penalty Max received wasn't of his own making, and Charles couldn't help but feel empathy. While he didn't know Jos on a personal level, even as a child, all he could think about when seeing the Max was the stark contrast to his own father.

Charles' father was a good man, unwavering in his faith in his son's potential, regardless of whether a race ended positively or negatively. The young man could face a challenging race, secure in the knowledge that his father would be waiting at the end with open arms, ready to offer words of encouragement and the promise of a better tomorrow. His dad was his hero, and every time he donned his Ferrari suit, he recalled the words that had brought his father so much joy before his passing: "Dad, I got signed with Ferrari." It had been a lie at the time, and he felt tremendous guilt, but the smile on his father's face had motivated him to turn it into a reality. Jos was not like his father. Even as a child, Charles grasped that truth, and seeing Jos today made him forget everything that had transpired between him and Max, focusing only on caring enough to ask if Max was okay.

After parking his car, the young man turned off the engine and waited for the blonde to arrive.

"Got here a little early. Let me know when you're near, please."

The cottage stood in a secluded private estate, one of the first things Max had gifted his mother when he started profiting with his Formula One career. Since then, the location had become an occasional vacation home, used for fishing trips, although such getaways were infrequent due to Max's tight schedule.

"Come out, pretty boy," Max shouted out, knocking on the window of Charles's car.

Caught off guard by the knock on his window, Charles dropped his phone into his lap and looked out with wide eyes, instantly becoming at ease as he noticed Max waiting on the other side.

Having brought nothing but his phone and car keys, Charles quickly exited his car and locked it up, initially avoiding eye contact with Max. Uncertain about the reason for meeting him, Charles felt the need to talk to him based solely on instinct.

"Were you waiting long?" he asked, engaging in small talk as his eyes finally met Max's face. Even in the darkness, he could perfectly envision every detail of Max, having memorized him during their previous nights together. The realization that he could recall Max's freckles even blindfolded brought a heat to his face, and with quick thinking, he redirected his gaze toward the view. Pleasantly surprised by the surroundings, Charles wished for more light to fully appreciate the scenery. However, as captivating as it was, every fiber of his being urged him to return his attention to the man, yearning to ensure that he was okay.

"I saw what happened tonight and was worried," he confessed, "about you, I mean," the brunette clarified though it wasn't necessary as he was sure the man still remembered the lingering confession that had caused the drift between them.

Waiting until they were inside to say anything else, he followed closely behind Max, stealing glances at him every few steps while the blond kept his eyes fixed on the cottage.

"Is that why you came?" Max asked, raising his eyebrows, his breath visible in the cold air. "You're worried about me?"

"Part of the reason," Charles admitted, stepping into the modest cottage home. The place gave him a sense of the past, as if it were untouched by the modern world.

Taking his coat off and noticing a small fireplace already lit, he hung it up and turned to face the blonde, finally getting a better look at him now that they were in the light.

"At first glance, I only had the screens to go by, and I thought it had been Checo with Carlos. But when I saw it was you, I felt my stomach drop. Luckily, by then, I knew you were okay. But then they aired something more private in the Red Bull garage, and..." he shrugged his shoulders, wishing he had rehearsed what he was going to say instead of becoming the stumbling mess that he was now. "I don't know. I just wanted to see you. I know I've ruined things, but I've still known you for so long, and clearly, I haven't had the easiest time separating emotions from everything else. Even if I found a way to do that, I know that I would still come looking for you."