The chilly air in the Netherlands bit through Charles's layers, making him wish for an extra jacket. However, his luck turned when he spotted Max, who even in disguise, was unmistakable to him. With a tentative wave, Charles approached slowly, wary not to startle him. As he neared the blond figure, it became evident that Max had also recognized him, regardless of their disguises.
At the sight of Max, Charles's desire to forget Kelly's words intensified. Despite the doubts lingering in his mind, the fact that Max was here with him managed to overshadow his insecurities. Striving to appear like any other two people in the bustling Dutch streets, Charles closed the distance between them. Once near enough, he enveloped Max in a tight hug, seeking solace in the layers that separated them from the cold.
"I'm sorry," Charles started, acknowledging the mess he had created in Max's life. The admission of sleeping with him had come out swiftly in the face of confrontation, leaving no room for denial.
Max reciprocated the hug, offering a reassuring embrace. "It's alright," he whispered, sensing Charles's remorse.
The black car glided through the streets of Amsterdam, the hum of the engine providing a steady background to the conversation within. Max, focused on the road, spoke through the muffled cover he wore, his words a mix of reassurance and vulnerability.
"It's okay," he said, stealing a glance back at Charles, his eyes conveying a genuine understanding. "It was not your fault."
Charles, now seated beside him in the car, absorbed the comfort in Max's words, grateful for the support. The confession that followed, however, took him by surprise. Max's voice carried a hint of uncertainty as he admitted, "I thought you wouldn't want to see me again, honestly."
Max's eyes briefly met Charles's, and the shared understanding lingered in the air before Max's focus returned to the road ahead. The city's lights flickered past them like stars in the urban night sky, casting a reflective glow on the car's windows.
"I wouldn't have ever thought she would do something like that," Max repeated, the disbelief evident in his voice. "I thought about giving you some time alone, but I have to confess I was hoping you'd say you were still here, after all. I doubt I'll really catch much of you in Monza," he added, referring to the next race. "The people there would still recognize you even if there was nothing but a mole of your face uncovered."
Charles couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth at Max's honesty. It was a reassurance that the connection they shared held a significance beyond what happened. The mention of the upcoming race in Monza brought a subtle smile to Charles's face, appreciating Max's attempt to inject a bit of lightness into the heavy atmosphere.
The first smile since the incident at the cottage broke out on Charles' face though it was nearly impossible to tell aside from the squint in his eyes.
"I wish I could say that you were exaggerating but I'm entirely convinced that they have a sixth sense for anything Ferrari," he admitted, reminiscent of past races in Monza where he was forbidden from going anywhere without a level of security, not out of fear of danger to him but simply the crowds that would form.
"Also, I wouldn't have wanted time away," he admitted, his gaze locking in on Max's side profile which was mostly hidden but his eyes, at least to Charles, were unmistakable. "It would have made me think you're not interested anymore..," he admitted, his voice on the softer side of the spectrum, "she said some things-"
"I just want to know if you still want to see me after everything?" Charles's voice faltered, his need for reassurance palpable even though they were currently sharing a car ride, fully disguised, and clearly making an effort to spend time together.
Max, keeping his eyes on the road, looked down at the wheel as they entered the city. A heavy sigh accompanied his mention of Kelly, his hand reaching over to rest on Charles's thigh. "She bluffs a lot, she's just scared I'm going to leave her," Max explained, his words carrying an undercurrent of frustration. "Nothing she said was true."
The touch of Max's hand on his thigh and the reassurance in his words brought a sense of relief to Charles. "I still want to see you, Charles," Max affirmed, releasing his hold on Charles's leg as he parked the car. "I'm here, ain't I?" A smile played on Max's lips beneath the layers of coverings, and he pulled down his face mask to press a brief kiss against Charles's lips after pushing down his scarf.
As Max pulled the coverings back up, a squint in his eyes revealed the hidden smile as he stepped out of the car. The city lights reflected in his eyes, and for a moment, the weight of the conversation seemed to lift with it.
"We can't eat anything 'cause it's gonna ruin our perfect disguise," Max remarked as they strolled toward the heart of the city. Max, hands in his pockets, entertained the idea of karting, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Wouldn't it be funny? Compete in equal machinery and all," Max teased, a playful grin on his face. His remark about the Red Bull car elicited a chuckle from Charles, who quickly countered, "Especially since we all know it's that Red Bull of yours that keeps you in first place." The banter continued, reminiscent of their childhood, with Charles teasing Max about past dramatic interviews and false claims.
As they strolled through the city streets, the rhythm of their conversation echoed the easy familiarity of old friends. Charles's heart warmed as their shoulders brushed, the shared banter creating a comforting bubble around them.
Max's nostalgic smile lingered as he reminisced about his childhood dreams. "Well, there was this old go-kart track near my first house," he revealed, his voice carrying a hint of longing. "I always wanted to race there, just for fun. Never got the chance, though. Life took a different turn."
Charles listened, absorbing the essence of Max's unfulfilled childhood wish. A subtle glimmer of yearning was clear in his gaze beneath the layers of his disguise. It was a rare glimpse into the personal desires that often took a back seat to the demands of their current lives.
The night unfolded around them as they continued their stroll through the city, the ambient glow casting a dreamlike quality on the surroundings. Their laughter echoed through the chilly air over playful jokes, make it seem like they were just friends hanging out on a Monday evening.
Nearing the canals, Charles paused for a moment to watch a boat gliding peacefully along the water, captivated by the serene scene unfolding before him. Life seemed to slow down in these tranquil moments, a stark contrast to the adrenaline-fueled world of motorsports that defined much of his days.
Mimicking the brunette, Max leaned against the railing, joining him in watching the boats pass by. Their contemplative moment, however, was interrupted by the chatter of a group of girls passing by. Unbeknownst to them, the drivers in disguise became the topic of conversation. Charles overheard snippets of their excitement and speculations about his recent sighting in a shop on the outskirts of Amsterdam.
"Can you imagine him appearing here? Oh my god!" one of the girls exclaimed with the excitement one might reserve for a member of a popular boy band.
"I don't think so," another girl chimed in as she stepped closer to the two disguised drivers, leaning in to catch a glimpse of the canal. "Why would he go out here? It's more likely to find Max; he's from here," she reasoned, drawing Max's attention.
"Yeah! But he'd never! After what happened yesterday, he'd probably be booed," another girl lamented, a tinge of disappointment in her tone.
"I'd boo!" a third girl declared with a laugh. "I hate him. I'm so happy Charles is finally winning. Imagine if he wins the championship?" she exclaimed, sending the group into fits of laughter as they decided to walk away.
"Charles? That's basically impossible. He's going to have to pull a miracle!" one of the girls shouted, their laughter fading into the distance.
Max turned to Charles, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "Well, it seems like the secret is still safe," he quipped, gesturing toward the retreating group. "I guess we've successfully infiltrated the local scene."
Charles chuckled, appreciating the humor in the situation. "Who would have thought our cover would include impromptu fan discussions?" he mused, the irony not lost on him.
Confident in the disguise shielding them from prying eyes, Charles closed the distance between them, positioning himself between Max's body and the bridge. He placed his hand over Max's arm, keeping him close in the layers of clothing that wrapped around them. Amidst the chill of the night, Charles sought the warmth that only Max's proximity could provide.
"Will you get on one of the river boats with me?" Charles asked, looking up at Max with a hopeful smile. "What better way to find out what we should do in the city than to take a boat tour of it?"
The suggestion held a simple charm, a chance to explore Amsterdam's beauty in a leisurely way. Charles's smile hinted at his desire for a moment of shared tranquility, away from the complexities of their public lives.
"I promise to let this go after I ask it, but did Kelly mention the same things that she did to me?" Charles whispered, his tone carrying a vulnerability that contrasted with the confident facade. "You told me to disregard her, but if there's truth to it, would you tell me?"
Noticing that people weren't even looking at him, much less recognizing them, Max reached out for the brunette's hand, one of the only parts of their bodies that were uncovered by cloth. He could feel the coldness of his skin against his own, creating warmness by the touch of their bodies against each other. Yet, what he spoke next was not what Charles had hoped for. Instead of directly assessing his question, he completely overlooked it as if the subject of Kelly had never been mentioned to begin with. "We can go on a boat ride, but let's get you some sunglasses first." Max commented, reaching for Charles's scarf, adjusting it.
"I think just anyone could tell these are your eyes, not a lot of people with huge green eyes and thick eyebrows around here, especially not when the city is filled with Formula One fans," Max chuckled, his own eyes squinting with amusement. He guided Charles across the bridge, heading toward a convenience store.
Walking hand in hand while out in public felt risky and any person walking by them made Charles think that they'd be the one to recognize them but no such thing happened and the further they walked the more comfortable he became, quickly viewing it as a date and letting himself relax and enjoy being with Max.
Inside, Max headed toward a stack of cheap sunglasses, picking a random pair and placing them on Charles. "Perfect!" he joked.
Charles couldn't help but play along, teasingly widening his eyes and giving them a puppy-like look. The scarf covering his face hid the blush that Max's comment induced, allowing him to revel in the playful banter without reservation.
Once they had agreed upon the glasses and decided to head to the checkout, Max briefly glanced at the magazine and journal section, where numerous covers featured his face — some praising, others critical, but all unmistakably him. While Max hadn't entered the sport for the sake of fame, he couldn't deny the satisfaction of seeing his face on billboards and in magazines. It represented success, acknowledgment, and the adoration of fans, at least in this part of the world.
Following Max's gaze, Charles quickly let go of Max's hand, Charles reached for one of them with the headline screaming: "Max Verstappen Domination." The magazine spread showcased all of Max's achievements, emphasizing the lack of competition he'd been facing. Despite having the real Max right in front of him, Charles's smile continued to grow as he scanned through every picture, reveling in the accomplishments of the man beside him.
"Hey, could you take a picture of me with it? I really like this guy," Charles asked, a bit of boldness in the request. Holding a Formula One-related object might potentially give away his identity if his eyes truly were a dead giveaway. Yet, in the anonymity of the convenience store, with no one paying them attention, it felt like a fleeting moment of indulgence. Tilted head towards the magazine he was holding, Charles gave off a smile despite it not being visible beneath his disguise. He looked up at the real Max with a sparkle in his eyes, savoring the carefree atmosphere of the day.
"I'll take them," Max said, placing a single-use disposable camera on the counter along with the glasses and magazine. Charles observed as the woman scanned the items, briefly taking off the glasses for them to be passed through the scanner. It was the magazine that caught her attention, and she stopped to stare, a smile on her face as she pointed at Max. She spoke some Dutch, and when she realized Charles didn't understand, she laughed and simplified her statement in English for him: "My daughter loves him, a very pretty boy."
Charles laughed and thanked her after Max paid, wrapping one of his arms around him and keeping himself so close that they seemed inseparable. "Will you sign it for me later?" Charles teased, whispering to him and attempting to kiss his cheek, hindered by the layers between them.
"Yeah, I'll sign all over you later," Max mumbled, teasing him back as they walked out of the shop and headed down the canal where they could take a boat. Max purchased tickets, attempting to fake a different tone of voice upon the request, lying that his name was George and that he was there with his wife, Charlotte.
Inside the boat, sharing it with a few other people, the two were treated to the sight of the dusk sky reflecting on the waters of the canal.
"What would you do for a living if you weren't a dentist?" Max asked in his fake voice as he leaned against his seat.
Behind the sunglasses, Charles' green eyes remained fixated on the city in front of them, but his focus shifted to the question at hand.
"I've never thought too much about it; I always knew this is what I wanted," he confessed. His voice, slightly higher in pitch but fitting seamlessly within his range, played into the illusion that he was indeed the man's wife. The thought embarrassed Charles a bit, but it added a lightheartedness to their banter that only the two of them could appreciate. The playful act continued, a shared secret between them as they enjoyed the boat ride through the tranquil canals of Amsterdam.
"Maybe I'd be a musician," he said with a smile at the corners of his lips, "I love to compose and play."
Charles imagined what life would have been like if he had chosen a different path. While it wouldn't have fulfilled him in the same way racing did, he knew he could have lived a nice and simple life, something he had never actively sought. "And I feel like there's a profound sadness in me that catches up to me eventually, maybe I was meant to be a tortured artist all along," he joked, but there was an underlying truth to his words. Almost every time things went well for him, the world seemed determined to pull the rug out from under him. However, sitting next to Max, surrounded by other couples and the vibrant colors of the blooming city, Charles couldn't feel any of that sadness in that moment. "And you?" he asked, his eyes locking into Max's despite the man not being able to see the green ones.
Turning the conversation to Max, Charles inquired about the Dutchman's alternative career path. "Maybe I'd be a soccer player," he joked, indulging in the whimsical notion. "No matter what, I don't think that'd have done anything that doesn't involve competition," he continued, hanging his arm on the side of the boat. A subtle shift in his tone revealed a less enthusiastic undercurrent as he admitted, "I think then we probably would have never crossed paths."
"If I was here and you all the way over there," Max pointed out with a hint of sadness in his gaze as he looked back at Charles. "I don't think we'd have ever met each other," he added, quietly reaching down for the brunette's hand again, enveloping the back of his palm under his. "So I'm glad we ended up here," he said, looking through the other man's glasses, only to add a hint of playfulness after. "Me, a renowned French plastic surgeon and you, my muse," he joked.
Charles couldn't help but laugh at Max's jest, his happiness evident as he placed his head down on the man's shoulder. The idea of their alternate personas kept him amused. "What does being the muse of a plastic surgeon entail?" he asked, small bursts of giggles occasionally escaping. "Does it mean I am so ugly that it has inspired you to become a plastic surgeon, or that you think I am so pretty and want everyone to look like me?" he continued, both scenarios ridiculous but playing into the man's hypothetical.
"I believe we were meant to meet each other," Charles whispered, tempted to reach out below them to feel the water. "Why else would you have come into my life so early on and refuse to leave?" he teased. "If it wasn't in the stars to have you in my life, then I'm glad we still found our way here," he added, his heart beating faster inside his chest and butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Before he could say much else, they made their stop at the other side of town. Charles stood up and instinctively reached for Max's hand again, holding it in his own as a couple would.
Despite the joy of the moment, Charles couldn't shake the nagging worry about Max's reluctance to address questions regarding Kelly. As much fun as they were having, the thought plagued the back of his mind, and he couldn't help but think that maybe Max was giving him one last perfect day to remember before saying his goodbyes and going back to her.
"Are you in love with Kelly?" Charles asked as they strolled hand in hand through a couple of streets and now found themselves in a more secluded area. Surprised by his own bluntness, the boy stopped in his tracks, hating that he was proving himself right in that he couldn't just let himself be happy—there always had to be an afterthought.
"What?" Max furrowed his eyebrows, letting silence linger for a few seconds, hoping the brunette would take back the question.
When he realized Charles seemed to mean it, Max's gaze drifted to his side, stepping back to meet Charles. "I thought I did," he confessed, his voice sounding like a whisper that only echoed in between the two. "But..." he took a deep breath, his chest visibly rising and falling underneath his garments. "I never knew what love really was," he paused, reaching out for the brunette's sunglasses, removing them from his face to reveal the eyes he urged to look into. "I always thought it was conditional and full of ups and downs, times when I wouldn't want to be near the person I loved. That's what I thought it was, at least, that as long as I found someone who provided what I needed that was enough." He spoke, the air that left his mouth creating small clouds of smoke as the night neared in, bringing the lower temperatures with it.
"But when I fell for you, I realized I never did," he said, meeting the other man's eyes. "I never thought I could need someone this much," he confessed, glaring down onto their hands, intertwined together. "I thought I just felt less than other people, like my father. That love just wans't for me. But I do, I feel everything with you," he said, smiling under the mask he wore.
Without missing a beat, Charles wrapped his arms around Max's neck, pressing his own body perfectly into the other man's with a sense of relief, his heart beating so loud that he wouldn't be surprised if Max could feel it through all the layers. Reassurance was all the brunette needed, cautious before giving himself away to their newfound dynamic. As he held the man closely, smelling his distinct cologne that overshadowed the scents of pastries and coffee near the buildings, Charles knew for certain that his heart belonged to him.
"I could never imagine you feeling less than anyone," Charles admitted, his mind replaying all the displays of emotions and passion that he'd witnessed from the blond over the years. Believing that if Max could evoke such intense emotion in their line of work, he was also capable of loving with that same intensity.
Before pulling away completely from the hug, Charles stopped as their faces were inches apart, pulling Max's scarf just below his lips, then using his own to cover the bottom halves of their faces from any prying eyes. He kissed the man softly, the cold of their faces beginning to warm up through the contact. Knowing how risky he was being, Charles hesitantly pulled away and readjusted the man's scarf before hiding his own face, which now had a lovestruck smile on it.
"I feel everything for you too. And maybe that's the most obvious confession ever spoken, but I do," he spoke with a smile in his tone. Although he had more questions regarding their situation at hand, Charles could no longer let them plague his thoughts. He was holding hands with Max while out in public, giving him a sense of a regular relationship. Although they were using make-believe names, feelings like theirs could not be faked. To everyone around them, they were just a couple, smitten with each other and unable to walk anywhere without there being any space between them. The authenticity of their connection echoed louder than any doubts, weaving a comforting illusion of normalcy around their clandestine romance.
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