Chapter Text
Its been a hard and unlucky year for Charles Leclerc. The scuderia Ferrari driver has been dealing with a lot of misfortune that he considered dunking himself on the holy water of Lourdes at some points. His 2022 results is not helping, going from il predestinato, vice world champion, world champion runner up — or whatever they said. To unluckiest driver of the year, some said he is incompetent, some said its just Ferrari messing up.
If he could be honest, Ferrari did mess up. He tried everyhing he could. Every debrief feels like he is talking to the wall. They will nod, understanding everything he said. And then the next day Charles is either faced with bad pitstops, bad strategical decisions, and even a bad machine that he DNS.
He cringed so hard remembering the moment, never once on his racing career he felt that he is suck, collecting DNS, DNF, and DSQ all in one season. His karting days was never that bad. Sometimes he felt that the voice in his head laughing at his own misfortune. It ruins him. Trying to deny the small desire on his heart, thirst of winning, for being able to race in more competitive car.
He got several call from another team but once again, he will always be royal to the Ferrari. Its like a honor for his family.
If he ever be a world Champion, its gonna be with Ferrari.
Now the season has ended, with the winter approaching, he thinks its best to plan another winter training this year. A warms up for 2024 season.
But he need to adjust his schedule first with Max.
***
Max Emilian Verstappen saw tears and anger dwelling in Charles green eyes. His lashes flutter, face sparks with red.
"You always act like you know what is good for me! I hate it!," he said. Charles, its fucking hurt hearing something so harsh like "hate" from his beautiful lips. But No, Max is not acting when he tells Charles something. Its not like he acts like he knows Charles. Its because he care, he loves Charles.
Max, shrugged his shoulder, pulling Charles wrist and asking his boyfriend to sit. Its been third times already, Charles asking Max to go to Dolomites, a famous Alps in the border of Italy. First Charles said its like a small trekking in random Monte Carlo hills, except its snowing. Who the hell doing small trekking in a cliff? Surrounded with glacier and narrow valley? At least that was Max see on the google cause he always felt uneasy everytime he saw mountains, especially the snowing one.
Stark white meeting with a blinding white lights, it scares Max that the sun almost colored white everytime its snowing there, it confuse him.
"No, that is too dangerous. You are not a proffesional Ski players. Please dont. I can't assure your safety there." Max sounds angry, he didn't mean it. He is scared and hopeless even.
"I grow up skiing? I dont understand whats with this ski restriction?," Charles pull his hands away from Max. "First, you keep saying that i dont deserve Ferrari, when its in my blood — its almost like a family, a dream of my family." Charles throw a dissapointed face at Max, thick brows furrowing, almost tied together.
"And now youre trying to stop me doing ski too? What is wrong with you? Do you want me to sit still here looking pretty while youre out and about partying your champion here and there?," Charles blurts out.
"You can come with me, spend the christmast and new year with me." Max said.
"A Ferrari loser going to red bulls champion party?," Charles chuckles.
"Never saw you as loser," Max said matter of fact. Trying to reduce Charles anger. And slowly understanding how much Skiing with his friends means a lot like being Ferrari driver. Max understands, Charles was born and raised with honor and love. While he is raised with ambition and duty. There is a lot to understand for both of them.
"Its not safe, too dangerous you know. I read that 6 person missing last year. Thats clearly not safe, i can't. I can't protect you."
"I am not 6 years old begging for protection? I was just telling you that i will go hike the mountain, and tried to do ski thats it. Just like last year. There will be Anthoine, Andrea, and Joris. I will be back before Christmast fine! Ill go to the New Year party with you. Is that what you want? Max?,"
They sat in silence, on a dark grey sofa on Max living room, anger radiating Charles body that Max feel warm on the hands he is holding now. Max tried to call someone while holding Charles hands. Max is surprised at how dumb Charles could be that he need to said it out loud something like hello, i care for you. Im afraid to lose you.
"Hello?" The voice answered in no time. Making Charles confused why the hell Max called someone during an argument.
"Vic? Do you still remember the place where we used to go skiing with Blue?,"
"Yes, yes of course. Dolomites? Thats rather not for begineers, okay copy. No, oh switzerland. No, not french also. Oh, yes okay." Max stopped the call first, watching Charles face a bright smile.
"So? Zermatt it is, Vic said that it was safe or somewhere around austria, the slope is not too steep, its safer. A lot of safeguards. Dolomites is literally a whole big cliff, so many unscathed area there."
Charles felt pity for himself, Max is so protective of him he felt like he is 16 years old trying Ski for the first time. He is Monegasque, French speaking man. Ski is almost a part of his life.
"You really hate me—" Charles laugh sarcastically.
"No Charlie, i still remember how they need to airlift Uncle Michael body after the incidents, i still remember what a horrible grief Mick endure that day. I still get shivers everytime i tried to ski."
Like a bingo, something clicked on Charles head. And he fell silent.
***
Dolomites,
16 December 2023
All Charles could see is white, no matter how much he tried to open his eyes, its white. His feet feels numb, dipped on the snow. He tried to keep walking without falling, because staying in the middle of avalanche is like asking yourself to be burried by the snow. He is tired, and frustated. He swear that he opened his eyes but all he can se is white, he tried to put his hand closer to his eyes, finally catching a glimpse of red. His red padding shield him from the cold, but he need to move.
He prayed that he could see oak trees, rock, cave, or anything. He need to know where is he, or his friends.
His throat feels dry, the wind is too strong that Charles is barely standing, body moving along with the direction of the wind, maybe this is what everyone who lost at the avalanche feels like.
Endless wind and white. Cant even tell the difference which one is dream and which one is reality.
Is he alive? Or he is now just an entities moving, leaving his own body somewhere a long time ago.
Maybe he died a long time ago, and this is just his soul desperately trying to survive.
He suddenly felt warm on his nose, he can see red, he got a nosebleed maybe from the cold or the dryness on his throat and nose. Each time he swallows he felt like he swallow sand.
Nothing, still nothing.
The confusion almost making him hyperventilating. Charles tried to walk further, trying to keep himself calm. Keeping his mind busy, imagining a soft sofa shared with Max, in front of the fireplace in Max house, imagining a drive before sunsets in Monaco.
Warm candles, yellowish light. Charles tried to imagine, he is so sick of the snowy wind and white.
Warm candles...
Warm chocolate...
Warm sun...
Fireplace blazing...
Warm hug...
Max...
He almost feel that Max is waiting in front of him. Arms open, Charles tried to embrace Max.
Instead, he bumped into a heap. Yellow, finally something other than white. Yellow like Joris Skiing gear.
Yellow.
Joris skiing gear, a black yellow padding.
"Joris?!"
Charles tried to turn the heap. Dead eyes, looking empty at the sky. That was Joris. Despite the thick snow on his feet, Charles tried to run as fast as possible. He need to get back home, he need to be okay, cause he promised Max. He will be there on Christmast.
***
17 December 2023
Morning After.
Max can't stop staring at the view in front of him. Something about the alps, stretched from east to west so majestic and grand. Stark white meet the deep blue sky, with a little hue of black oak.
Looking at the peak from afar alone sent shiver down to his spine. He has had enough reason to hate the alps — nearly lost his loved ones there ten years ago.
And now, he was standing here. Cold bitten his pale skin, trying to distract him from the bad feeling.
He heard it last night that Charles and his team were stuck in a bad Avalanche near the peak, or where they intended to descend. There is 10 of them, 7 managed to get back to the camp. And three remain as lost. One of them is Charles.
They managed to get back to the camp and reported Charles as missing. Decided to wait for two fucking hours before thinking that they would came back, until they send a mass search party after somehow someone told the authorities that Charles is Ferrari driver, they think Charles is just random French guy.
The news reach Max several hours later, he booked a flight immediately and now there he is.
Some rangers is trying to search Charles by the Drone, its been two hours since Max keep searching from any red that probably appear on the screen. He remembers the red Ski gears, Charles happily put it on his suitcase.
Max saw the Andrea looking confused, talking to authorities and Max saw it as an opportunities to confront the man, for choosing and introducing Charles to this fucking unuseful training.
"Fuck you, you said you would protect him!," Max push Andrea body to the corner. Beating the man until he desperately saying sorry.
Its not Andrea fault he knows, but he needs to be angry. He is so desperate. He dont even know where Charles is now, and what happened to Charles.
And he refused to accept his gut feeling. He kept repeating on his head that Charles is okay, he is okay he likes cold.
Hours passed, optimism turns into hope, and hope turns onto prayer. They cant predict where Charles went during the avalanche, of course.
A minute later, theres a news that they found Joris body, Max froze in his place. Saw Andrea and Ricardo crying, screaming. They lost a brother.
"We will continue to search Charles body near where we found this victim."
"Body?," Max asked with a sour tone. Charles is not dead.
They saw how Max beat up Andrea earlier, "We will continue the search of Mr. Charles Leclerc."
"Before another avalanche hit, the authorities has informed that there will be another avalanche around afternoon."
"And?," Max asked.
"The search party would be postponed until the avalanche stopped, its too dangerous."