Chapter Text
Mornings in Bristol always began calmly and slightly chilly. George woke up every day at 10 minutes to 6 a.m. to the sound of an alarm clock that was supposed to be cheerful, but over time had become deafening. The Brit had had a strict routine for years that he followed to the letter.
After waking up, he would go to the bathroom, take a hot shower, and clean his face with products selected by Carmen, his best friend, who was a dermatologist and the alpha's personal physician. He brushed his teeth and then went to the kitchen to take a frozen mask out of the freezer to help reduce morning puffiness.
The Brit had a 6-year-old son, Kimi, the sweetest little boy England had ever seen, even though George had conceived him in Bologna, Italy. He had been the love of George's life since he found out he was pregnant. The mini Italian-Brit had brought color to the rainy and dark days of England.
George remembers the day he was born. He was tiny, measuring 43 centimeters and weighing about 2,900 grams. He had a few fine blond strands of hair on top of his head, rosy cheeks, and cried intensely, stopping only when he felt the warmth of the British man's lap and the smell of his milky skin. Learning to care for something so fragile was not easy, but he was gentle and patient.
He talked to his baby every day, even though he knew he didn't understand him, but that didn't matter. Kimi looked at him with big green eyes that later darkened and turned a shade of brown, always staring at the alpha with remarkable attention.
Kimi grew up healthy, made little noises trying to communicate like George at 2½ months, learned to sit up at 5 months, his first fruit when he started eating solid food was peach, and he took his first steps at 11 months old. At age 5, he went to school for the first time. George sought out the best school so that his son could feel comfortable, analyzing everything from the playground to the résumés of the staff with whom Kimi would have contact.
St. John's was chosen, a traditional, competitive school that was safe enough for Russell's standards. On his first day of class in the ladybug group, Kimi was shy but soon made a friend who would later become his best friend, the Bearman family's eldest son, Oliver.
According to both teachers, Oliver and Kimi were inseparable, so George started sending two snacks at his son's request so that he could share with his friend. The Bearman family was in the automotive business, David Bearman was a GT3 driver, and under his father's influence, Ollie was karting.
Kimi was delighted and spent days begging his father to put him in a kart too. The sport worried George. How could he let his baby risk getting hurt in a collision accident? But he eventually gave in when Kimi gave him that puppy dog look.
Saturdays were reserved for karting, and today was one of those days. After taking off his cold mask, Russell went to his son's room, where he slept clutching the duck blanket he had had since he was a baby. George looked at him and felt a maternal warmth, running her hand through his golden locks that resembled fields of wheat.
— Kimi, sweetheart... — the boy barely moved. — Kimi, shall we get up, son?
The blond boy moved to reach his father's hand, holding it and pulling him closer, bringing a smile to the alpha's face. George bent down low enough to kiss his son's soft face, who gradually woke up.
— Uncle David can't bring Ollie to pick you up today, Daddy will take you. — he said, caressing his son's face with his thumb, watching his sleepy eyes. — Don't you want to go karting today?
— I do! — he said excitedly, immediately getting up and running to the bathroom.
George got up and went to the kitchen to make their breakfast. Like good Brits, tea was an essential part of their routine. Kimi liked his black tea with milk and no sugar. The alpha had accustomed him to a low-sugar diet since he started eating solid food.
The little boy brought his karting backpack and jumpsuit, asking George to help him get dressed, which he did. He tidied his son's blond hair and then had breakfast with him.
They drove together, with the little boy in the back seat in his car seat singing a song for Father's Day that he had learned at school in recent days, which George pretended to ignore because he knew it was supposed to be a surprise for August.
He parked the car next to the other parents' cars and soon got out with his son in his arms, walking over to David. Kimi asked to get down from his lap and ran over to Ollie, who hugged him, bringing a smile to both parents' faces as they watched the reunion.
— Bearman. — George extended his hand, which was shaken by the older man.
— Russell, how are you? Sorry again for not picking up Andrea earlier.
— No problem! You already do too much for my son. — He smiled sincerely.
George looked around, watching all the children and how Kimi was enjoying himself. The kart track was large and the sun was shining on the asphalt, raising the temperature of the circuit. He followed his son's laps with his eyes, doing his best to pay attention to car number 6333 as it sped by.
He could recognize his son's potential. After a few more laps, he and Ollie returned with David, who served as a mentor, since he knew much more than George.
His golden hair, wet with sweat, stuck to his forehead, and his red cheeks attested to the temperature on the asphalt. George quickly gave Kimi his bottle of water and Ollie's too, handing out pieces of seedless watermelon so the boys could replenish the water they had lost through perspiration.
— Isn't Super Max coming today, Dad? — Ollie asked.
— I think he'll be here soon. He said he'd be late.
— Super Max? — George asked curiously.
— Yes, Daddy! Super Max is the karting coach. — George raised his eyebrows and took a sip of water.
— Verstappen is a very good teacher. — Verstappen? That Verstappen?
George Russell choked on the water and turned pale, feeling a rising discomfort in his stomach. His life flashed before his eyes like a found footage film of torture, dark and heavy memories that he had worked so hard to hide in the deepest part of his being for years now spilling out in a public place.
Did he know? He wondered. The Brit had moved to Bristol precisely so he wouldn't have to live with the Dutchman anymore, and now he was closer than ever, close to the one person he shouldn't be, Kimi.
He knew. But how could he? Who could have told him? It's not possible. George kept repeating the phrases to himself with unrelenting fear. The life he had taken years to build since leaving Monaco seemed to be slowly falling apart. He began to blame himself. Had he not gone far enough? Had he left enough traces for the unmentionable to come after him?
Was he just a fucker who would always carry the burden of never being able to get away from the Dutchman for long? Maybe all the options were correct, maybe he had been wrong in all his assumptions and it was all just a big coincidence. Yes, it must be. His breathing faltered for a moment and he soon looked at David, who was looking at him with slight concern.
— I... need to make a call... Can you watch Kimi for me, please? Thanks!— He barely gave the man time to respond before heading toward his car.
Once inside, he grabbed his phone with trembling hands, searched for Carmen's number, and called her. Glancing at the windshield, he saw him getting out of his Mercedes-AMG C63S. Damn, how could he forget that damn car he had gotten into so many times?
He was less blond than he remembered, his eyes piercing and unbearably blue, his nose straight, his shoulders broad. He had learned to dress better too. His haircut had changed, and he had stubble that made him look more responsible. He seemed older, more mature.
— Hello?...
He was wearing an ivory white shirt and had finally stopped wearing those damn skinny pants that George remembers looking at so judgmentally. His body looked bigger, his chest was full, his biceps were bigger along with his forearms, damn, had he changed that much?
— George?...
Suddenly, the Dutchman's face turned toward him, and he, in an impetuous movement, lowered his body in the car, returning to reality when he heard Carmen's voice calling him for the third time.
— Carmen, hi! Damn, I don't know how to tell you this.
— What happened? Did something happen to Kimi? You're scaring me.
— He's here, Carmen, damn it! — His voice wavered in a way he hated, he remembers the feeling, it was something only Verstappen did to him and he hated it.
— Who, George?
— Max is in Bristol.
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Monaco was lit up at night, the streetlights radiating their typically European orange glow. The place was the cradle of ostentation and luxury, a tax haven for the rich, after all. Yachts parked in the bay caught the attention of those traveling along the streets near the coast.
It was as if they wanted to show that if you had a car, well, I have one and a damn boat. This kind of display never caught George's attention. He liked luxury cars, but he saw no need for extensive collections that would hardly be used.
George studied economics at the International University of Monaco, an excellent institution despite the fact that most of his classmates were so rich that they only attended college to inherit their father's company. Norris was one of them, the son of Adam Norris, founder of Pure Electric, an electric scooter company, but he also supplied skates that Formula 1 drivers used to get around the paddock.
The omega was a party animal and liked to date. Although he was seen with several women, he was in a relationship with a shy boy from the engineering department, but he didn't know that George knew about it. Despite this, Lando was a kind and sincere boy. They were close, but not close enough.
During his college years, George made a true friend, the alpha Alex Albon. They were in the same class, and he became close to the Thai during a statistics class where he made a joke about Lance Stroll's annoying voice.
Their relationship was lighthearted, as if they had known each other for years. Alex helped him with everything without expecting anything in return, even though everyone said he had a crush on the Brit, which he bitterly denied.
On a particular night in November, Norris had called George to celebrate his birthday at Jimmy'z Monte-Carlo club. Russell, of course, had never been there before and had no intention of going, but Alex's insistence and Lando's pressure made him go.
The place was huge, the flashing lights made him dizzy, and it was more crowded than usual because it was Formula 1 weekend. People from all over the world traveled there and crowded the entire island. It was a pain.
— George, you came! Alex!!! — Lando walked over to them and hugged them, already a little tipsy, reeking of the expensive champagne his parents were paying for. — Damn, you guys took forever!
— Traffic is terrible because of this Grand Prix, and you know it, yet you still chose to do it on Sunday. — George retorted.
— For your information, that's exactly why it was the best day. There are a lot of beautiful women here, George, celebrities and all that shit! I couldn't miss the opportunity.
George laughed, looking around and seeing the nerdy engineering guy sitting quietly, ignoring the angelic-faced blonde Zneimer who was also studying engineering, as he held a drink in his hand.
He seemed to have made an extra effort to look attractive to Lando today, his hair was a little more neatly combed than usual, he was wearing clothes that showed off his chest and biceps, a departure from his usual shirt with “ENGINEERING MIU” written on it. If it weren't for Norris' romantic interest, Russell might have made his move and taken him to bed, but out of respect for his friend, he wouldn't.
She started drinking with Alex and Lando, the electronic music blaring at a decibel level that she was sure would allow the whole of Monaco to hear Kesha's TiK ToK in the early hours of the morning. After a few songs, he felt his bladder was too full and his friends had disappeared, so he looked around for a bathroom sign and when he found it, he followed it.
He entered the first empty stall he saw and then relieved himself. Before leaving the bathroom, he saw Norris and his engineering guy from a distance, whom he had recently discovered was named Oscar. Lando eagerly kissed the dark blond, pulling the hair at the back of his neck with one hand and then sliding his hand down into the younger man's pants.
George knew at that moment that it was time to stop watching and that he needed a drink.
He hadn't been with anyone for a while. These last few months, he'd been forced to fuck some toys or use his fingers on himself. George hated silicone dildos because he refused to feel anything warm inside him; he preferred the pulsating flesh ones.
— Can I buy you a drink? — a voice emerged from the shadows, a blond with pool-blue eyes, slightly shorter than George. He had a broad neck and shoulders, strong arms that looked more inviting than usual in that long-sleeved white shirt.
George felt like unbuttoning those buttons with his mouth to reveal what that fabric was hiding. His hair was neatly combed and he wore a beautiful watch. The Brit had a certain attraction to men with beautiful watches. He could imagine the Dutchman choking on his cock while holding his thighs with that IWC on his wrist. Besides, he was an omega.
— What makes you think I would accept a drink from you? — The Brit says in a mocking tone and the Dutchman laughs nasally.
— So you're the difficult type?
— I thought you were more confident, are you already admitting defeat?
— I didn't say that. — He spoke while staring at George's thin lips. — A Negroni for me and a Cosmopolitan for the gentleman, please.
George remained silent, observing the man in front of him. He had wide-set eyes, a large, imposing nose, straight eyebrows, and his teeth seemed clenched. He probably has bruxism, thought the Brit. He looked so strange, he was totally Russell's type.
— What's your name, sweetie?
— You'll never get anyone like that, you're losing me before you even have me.
— So you want me to learn so I can have you all to myself?
— I'm just advising you for when you move on to the next person, he said in a tone of unshakeable superiority. — My name is George Russell.
— It's a beautiful name, just like its owner. It sounds like a royal name. You really seem to belong to royalty.
Russell rolled his eyes, eliciting a mischievous smile from the Dutchman. He was so cocky and brazen. Did the Brit approve of that? The drink soon arrived, and he took a sip of the cosmopolitan. The blond was right; he really liked that drink.
— My name is Max, Max Verstappen.
Verstappen? That Verstappen family? Lando was always talking about an old Formula 1 driver, Jos Verstappen.
— Verstappen, like, the Verstappens from motor racing?
— That's right, he's my dad, if you want an autograph...
— It would only make sense if he won something, — he said sarcastically, eliciting a nasal laugh from Max.
— I wonder if that mouth of yours can do anything better than talk shit.
— I've been thinking the same thing, you know?
— I can show you if you want. Maybe then you'll shut the fuck up for a few seconds.
— I didn't know you were so sensitive, Verstappen.
— You're the one who does that to me. — Russell bit his lower lip, the drink had already gone to his head, he drank the rest of the cosmopolitan, grabbed Max by the wrist and pulled him along with him.
Max had never been so grateful. He didn't know what he had done to deserve a chance with this British guy who looked more like a model, but he would thank his father later for the humiliation he had suffered. George took him to a more private place, passing Lando and Oscar.
The Australian had a red, tired face, his eyes almost closed, leaning against Lando, but it wasn't sleepiness. It looked like he had just come, and the proof was the Brit's hand still holding his cock inside his clothes. When he saw George, Norris froze for a moment, but was reassured by him making a sign of silence with his index finger in front of his lips, pulling the Dutchman to the outside of the club, which offered a view of the sea.
It was a quick gesture, Max was pressed against the wall, pulling George's face towards him, the Brit was surprised for a moment, Verstappen was using his tongue. It was a new sensation, he had never kissed like that before, but it was something good, that son of a bitch really knew how to use his mouth.
The contact was full of lust, Max's large hands held George's waist as if he were about to fly away, he pulled the other's body against his with a brutality that the Brit liked, meanwhile, Russell mistreated the Dutchman's mouth in a way he liked, pulling his lower lip between his teeth and returning the kiss violently where his teeth scraped. Incidentally, that kiss was the best he had ever given.
Out of breath, George pulled his face away and stared at Max. He was drunk with lust; he could see it deep in his eyes. Their mouths were still connected by a thin thread of saliva that dripped onto Max's wet chin. His face had taken on a reddish hue, and his chest rising and falling in that white button-down shirt made him even more attractive.
— Where did you learn to kiss like that?
— I dated a Brazilian woman.
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After an intense night at the club, Max and George exchanged contact details. They spoke whenever they could, and Max always returned to Monaco whenever he could. He accompanied his father to some races, and when they were in Europe, Max made a point of seeing George, even if it was just once.
They maintained a long-distance relationship that gradually grew more distant as the miles between them increased. George knew everything about Max, knew how passionate he was about motor racing, and that it had been an integral part of his being since childhood.
Max had an explosive streak in his personality. For George, this made him even more attractive, since he never exploded and took it out on the Brit, except that they had a foolproof technique when Max got like that. During a severe bout of jealousy caused by alpha Alex Albon, George took Max home, slapped him in the face, and made him choke on his cock for a few minutes.
After that day, Max was never the same. George wasn't sure if it was the slaps that worked or when he came enough in the blond's mouth until he choked and felt it run down his nose along with the tears from suffocation.
They dated for almost two years. George was about to graduate from college when he received the news that Alex and his girlfriend were expecting a child. The alpha was so happy for his friend that he couldn't control his impulses. Sometimes he imagined himself with Max and a little girl living together.
His heart melted and his instincts sharpened when he thought about him and Max going into heat together and talking about pregnancy and puppies during sex. It excited George, but apparently not Max, who always remained silent when the Brit mentioned anything like that.
He couldn't escape the fact that it hurt a little, but they had only been together for two years, they were too young, Russell hadn't even closed his prefrontal cortex yet. He also couldn't deny that despite being happy for his friend, he wanted news like that, after all, he had always been passionate about children.
He and Max didn't use condoms, they never had, but Max made a point of asking him to cum outside, claiming he hated the feeling of semen on his thighs.
— Honey, you won't believe what happened. — Max looked at him. — Alex is going to be a father! Isn't that great?
— Wow, honey, that's wonderful, tell him I congratulate him. He and Lily make a beautiful couple.
— I think so too. — George lay down on top of his boyfriend, burying his face in the crook of his neck. — You know, honey, sometimes I wonder when it will be our turn. — No reaction.
— Hopefully never. — Never? — Kids are nothing but a headache. Thank goodness your friends like to have sex without protection, so you can spend some time with their children.
George lay still. What did Max mean by that? Was he not good enough to carry his offspring?
— Come on, Max, I'm not saying right now, am I? — He looked at his boyfriend, his face lit up by the cell phone screen.
— You keep talking about having kids even when we're having sex, but I'm not the guy for that, okay? If that's what you want, you should rethink your ideas. Kids are a pain in the ass, they cry, they need you, and sometimes you can't be there, so what then? It sucks because they depend on you for at least 18 years, you might as well take on debt. Besides, it really is a debt because it costs a shitload. — Verstappen finally looks at Russell — Victoria's brats spend about 200 grand on school. You could have a great night out at Jimmy'z with that money. If I had a kid, I'd be stuck at home.
That statement had been like a punch in the stomach. He spoke so naturally, but what hurt the Brit most was when he said that if George was unhappy with his decision, he should find another guy. Was that what he meant to Max at that moment?
Had he always meant something that was okay, and when George stopped being fun, would he leave him? He spent the night thinking about it, but as the week went on and Max left for the Monza Grand Prix, he tried to forget it. He had just been overly sensitive these past few days, and what his boyfriend had said to him might not have been emotionally significant.
They could live without children. Max had beautiful nephews, Alex would have his own, and Lando and Oscar would surely have one soon. All his friends, except him.
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While spending an afternoon at Lando's apartment, George and Alex were discussing their future lives and what they planned to do after graduation. That day, they discovered that Lando's family is from Bristol and that he already had a job lined up at Pure Electric if he wanted it.
Oscar made dinner for them. He and Lando lived together and had been in a relationship for about a year and a half. He cooked traditional tortellini for his guests. As the older brother of three sisters, he had to learn to fend for himself. Dessert was stracciatella ice cream, a delicious vanilla ice cream with crunchy chocolate chips.
George watched his friends acting like a couple and immediately thought of Max. How he missed his boyfriend. His eyes filled with tears and he broke down right there. He hadn't cried since Max's speech about babies.
— George, are you okay? — Alex approached him, concerned.
— Yes, I just... I've been very sensitive lately and... Max has been distant. — He wiped the tears from his face and looked away. He hated crying like that. — When he was here, I told him about your baby, happily, you know? I said that one day I wanted it to be us with the news, and he went on about how a child would ruin his life and... said he wasn't the guy for that, that if I wanted a child, it definitely wouldn't be with him.
— What a son of a bitch, what did you say? — Lando asked indignantly.
— I didn't react, I didn't say anything, but he acted weird, I don't know if it was because he saw me sad, but he didn't say anything else to me. I wanted to know what I mean to him, you know? Am I going to be his eternal boyfriend? Fuck, I'm not even going to mention marriage, there's a risk he'll disappear off the map.
— George, look, you guys need to talk about this. He needs to understand, and you need to reach a mutual understanding.
— I know, I just... I'm going to wait for him to come back. He'll be back next month...
Although he didn't want to, George went home alone. The spacious apartment now felt small and suffocating because his agony and sadness filled the entire space. He reread all the messages and found the same thing he had found days ago: Max had changed.
No calls, no photos, was this the two-year crisis everyone talked about? Lando never complained about his boyfriend, and he and Oscar had been dating, albeit in a strange and secretive way, for about five years.
The days passed and he felt worse, his psychological state was affecting his physical health. George began to feel weak and nauseous at any time of the day, but especially in the morning, he couldn't stand the smell of fried eggs. When Alex heard about this, he almost dragged him to a well-known clinic, where Lily and her newly graduated best friend Carmen worked.
After hearing about George's symptoms and performing a physical exam, Carmen quietly suggested that the alpha have some blood tests done. Among them was the beta HCG, which he didn't know what it was for until Alex saw it.
— Do you think you're pregnant?
— What!? Of course not.
— Carmen ordered a beta.
George couldn't explain the feeling he was having, so he went with Alex to a pharmacy, bought a pregnancy test, went home, locked himself in the bathroom, and waited for the minimum test time while pacing in circles, his hands sweating and his heart beating faster and faster, his blood vessels dilating and he could feel the blood rushing through every tissue.
Time seemed to stand still in that room. The five minutes felt like five hours. The alarm went off on his cell phone, and as soon as he picked up the test with his cold hands, there it was: Positive.
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Bristol was a relatively small city, with less than half a million residents, but it was charming nonetheless. If you had told Max 6 or 7 years ago that he was about to move to a city like this, he would have laughed in your face. But a lot had changed, things he regretted and that hurt just to remember, he hated it.
His sister, Victoria, had recently moved to England with her children after her marriage broke up. Max helped her with everything and had to be his sister's support for a while, until he became truly interested in the city and decided to live there. His days consisted of staying at home with the children or watching races. His sister, unhappy, decided that was enough. After all, she was the one who should be in a bad way. She got him a “job” as a supervisor at a junior kart track.
Every Saturday, Max was there. He watched the U6 karting and was delighted to see all those mini drivers with the dream of succeeding in Formula 1. Most of them wouldn't make it, of course, but some had something interesting, a way of racing that was noticed in big names in the sport. Among them, Max singled out Kimi and Oliver.
— Kimmy! Look, Mom made us a cake with strawberry jam! — Ollie said smiling.
— My dad sent orange juice and cookies for you and me, Ollie. I helped him make it, you know? He says I'm big enough now and I can help.
— I help my mom too.
Kimi noticed Verstappen's gaze on him and soon became embarrassed, he was shy with those he didn't know. In fact, his social circle was limited to George, Ollie, Carmen, and, on vacation, Sienna. Carmen was his godmother, she was a doctor and his father said that she helped him to be born, taking him out of his belly.
Sienna was the daughter of his father's friends, she lived in Cambridge but always spent her summer vacation in Bristol with the Norris family. His parents were very nice, Uncle Oscar and Uncle Lando liked everything he liked, cars, Spider-Man and stracciatella ice cream, Oscar also made the best tortellini he had ever eaten in his life.
— Max, do you want some cake? Mom made it. - he said trying to save his friend.
— I'll have to pass Ollie, but thanks.— He smiled gently.
After the break, they went back to their cars and Kimi ended up being blocked by a little friend from the same class. He abandoned the race, kicked the car and went to his own things, taking off his helmet and putting it on the ground with his eyes full of tears. Max, seeing that, felt a need to help the child.
— Kimi, what happened?
— He hit me!— His voice was filled with sorrow, trying not to cry, but when he saw Max crouch in front of him, he couldn't hold back the tears as he approached him.
Max automatically hugged him. A shock ran through every nerve in his body, and suddenly he felt he should protect that child at all costs.
— Hey... don't be like that, okay? It's okay, it's just a racing incident…— he tightened his hug and stroked the blonde hair.
Kimi cried a little more and didn't want to let go of Max. He had also felt a strangely comforting bond with him, a warmth that usually only emanated from George. He stayed on Max's lap until the session ended, watching the cars race.
— This kind of thing happens, you know? Do you know what champions do? Champions don't give up, you are a champion Kimi, you've won many times, this time it was pure bad luck. — Kimi listened attentively to Max's gentle voice, who was also patting his back. — Next time you hit him back, okay? — he smiled to look at the boy who smiled back at him and laughed, a sound that was pleasant to hear.
Over the days, the relationship between Max and Kimi grew even stronger. Max acted as his personal mentor, and gradually the boy shot up like a rocket, easily overtaking other cars and never tiring of climbing onto the podium. They were best friends, but Kimi always made it clear that he had no preference between Max and Ollie, loving both of them equally.
— Then the teacher told the story of Hansel and Gretel and we learned that we must not disobey.
— Uh-huh! They were in a house full of candy and there lived a very, very evil witch, but they ran away, right Ollie? — he spoke in a tone almost like a news report, looking at Max while Ollie confirmed everything. — I wasn't even going to go in because I don't like candy, it's bad for the teeth.
— They got lost in the forest, that's why. They made a trail of bullets but it disappeared!
— We would never get lost in the forest, Ollie and I, you know Super Max? Look at what I would do, look.
Kimi stands up with the dried tomato and arugula sandwich in hand and starts tearing it apart, leaving a trail of crumbs.
— Then I would never lose you, Ollie!
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Saturdays used to be calm, George had time for himself in the morning, he would go to the market or to an overpriced café that served experiences instead of meals. But that Saturday was different, something awaited him and that something was Max Emilian Verstappen. He had reappeared in her life like one of Scrooge's ghosts, tormenting her.
When he ended the call with Carmen, he decided to follow her advice. He took a deep breath, got out of the car, reentered the track, and picked up Kimi in his arms, gathering her things.
— An unexpected situation came up, Aunt Carmen is going to your house, son, let's go now...
— But dad!
— Andrea. — was enough, Kimi didn't say another word.
— Is it very serious?— David asks, worried.
— No, it's just that, they're family matters, you know?
The two left there as quickly as possible, and George could go at that moment to the Clifton Cathedral to pray a holy rosary for not having found Max along the way. He met Carmen at Kimi's favorite restaurant, which was her favorite because of the playground next door.
— Carmen, I don't know what to do, really. I can't move, I can't do this to Kimi. My parents were two drifters with me, I never had friends, I can't do that to him.
— Hey, calm down, who mentioned moving to another city? Look, Kimi likes karting but they're all the same, aren't they? There are more than one track here in Bristol. Change his lane, he'll still have his car, won't he? George, it's the same thing.
— But this time, it's Bearman who is going to pick up Kimi, he gives me the greatest support, beside, his son is there too and just in case you forgot, he's Kimi's best friend.
— George, Kimi sees the boy at school, it's not like you're going to separate them.
— I know, I just... why is this happening to me? — Carmen reached out her hand to her friend's hand and squeezed it for support.
— He doesn't know, maybe it's better if it stays that way. And you know that if you keep the boy close to him, he will find out. You and I know that keeping him away from Verstappen for now is the best, we don't know how he might treat Kimi. And if he mistreats my baby, I'll kill him.
— Aunt Carmen, look at me going down the slide! — Kimi shouts from the playground.
— Beautiful, my dear. — She smiled at the boy with warmth in her chest and a very keen sense of protection; she was also an alpha.
As the days went by, Russell prepared Kimi every day about changing the kart team, trying to explain simply that he wouldn't stop racing, it was just a new circuit for him to train and be the best. Kimi was reluctant, he didn't want to change.
Would your friend Oliver go with you? His father couldn't say for sure, he doubted that David Bearman, who suggested that racetrack as the best junior racetrack in Bristol, would pull his son out over a fight between Russell and an ex from the past who, coincidentally, was a karting coach and was teaching both their kids who, by the way, loved the bastard.
George was a bit desperate, he didn't quite know how to ask David for that but he had to at least try for his son, he received an answer he didn't expect: I'll think about it. It's something. He tried to buy his son with various gifts, a silver kart with aqua-green details, a matching jumpsuit and helmet, but he was almost being defeated.
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During the bath routine, Kimi was in the bathtub with his rubber Formula 1 cars, having his hair massaged by his father with yellow Johnson's Baby shampoo.
— Son, you know that Daddy loves you more than anything in this world, don't you? — The boy nodded while playing with the water — You know that everything Daddy does is to see you well and happy, don't you?
No response.
— Kimi. — George gently held his son's chin, making the little one look up, his white foam-like hair and his big coffee-colored eyes made him sensitive, he felt terrible for disrupting the routine he loved so much.
— I love you too, Daddy. — he said and then gave a wet kiss on the British man's nose. — I'm not upset about the track anymore, I'm going to make new friends at Harbourside.
Sometimes George was impressed and questioned whether the boy was really only 6 years old; it was in those moments that he knew he was right and that seeing him grow up was worth more than anything in the world. After the bath, Kimi put on his little green alligator pajamas and applied the baby perfume because George loved it. After drying his son's hair, he lay down next to him in the small bed.
— What will today's book be?
— I want... the one with the little mouse and the strawberry!
— Okay, everything alright there? — he watched his son hold the formula bottle and put it in his mouth, slowly flipping thru the book to the beginning of the story. — "Hi little mouse." What are you doing?
George loved that quality time he spent with his son, reading to him, using different voices to see him smile made his nite. He would do the possible and the impossible to see his son happy and satisfied, no matter what. At the end of the book, Kimi was sleeping peacefully.
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The days passed like mist in a gust of wind, Max couldn't help but miss his prodigy, often pondering what had happened. The monthly fee wasn't expensive, especially for a child with Kimi's quality of life. He then decided to ask Bearman, who usually brought the boy along with his cub.
— Is Andrea not coming anymore?
— His father wanted to move him to a different racetrack, he's at Harbourside now, he didn't want to say the reasons but it doesn't seem like nonsense, I mean, it seems and it doesn't seem, when I asked it seemed like he was embarrassed to say.
— I wish I had a chance to convince him to come back here, Kimi has a lot of potential, just like Oliver.
— Good luck then, his father is quite unflexible about some things, the kid can't even eat sugar without his father's permission. We live on the same block.
That information ignited a flame of temptation in Max; he knew where the Bearman house was, maybe he could find Kimi's house. What bothered Max the most was that he felt an increasing need to be with the boy, to embrace him in the purest way possible. It was as if he had found one of his halves, his dream was never to be a driver manager, but for Kimi he would be, he knew the boy's potential and was willing to invest.
Days later, he made sure to search the right address and went to the house, knocked a few times, and then waited until the door was opened, and there he was, George William Russell.
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Max was at the Dutch Grand Prix when he received the call, it was George. He knew that his boyfriend was still bothered by the fact that he didn't want to be a father, but he couldn't take the risk because of the upbringing he had. Max was scared.
Fearful of, in the attempt to create something good, bringing another human being into the world as broken inside as he was, he couldn't bear the thot of adding another person to this cruel world for constant suffering.
His father put him in go-karting from a very young age, and at 15, he tried Formula 3, IndyCar, but it simply didn't suit him; he didn't feel it was what he wanted to do. Frustrated, his father always scolded him, which he would have preferred to be beaten.
Malicious things were said about him, and he grew up believing in the good ones. His parents separated when he was a child, his mother got custody of his sister Victória while he went to live with his father, a terrible idea. His father wasn't good at anything, he wasn't a good husband, a good pilot, and much less a good father to him.
But talking about it was complicated, actually, talking about anything with Max was complicated. Whenever he tried, it felt as if barbed wire wrapped around his throat, pressing on his glottis and preventing him from breathing.
— Hi, love.
— Max, I need to tell you that you don't need to come anymore, okay? I... I'm leaving, I've already emptied the apartment.
— George, calm down, what are you talking about? — he couldn't hear, the noise of keys and gears was too loud — Say it again.
— I want to break up, Max.
Silence.
— Max?
— I'm listening.
— Great, just... don't contact me anymore. I need some time apart and I want to start over. Take care, okay?
The call was disconnected, he couldn't understand, when he tried to return the call the number was no longer available, he had probably turned off the device. He then called Lando and later Albon, who lied without saying they knew where he was going and what the hell was happening.
From that day on, Max lived a miserable life searching for reasons and trapped in the parallel reality of what could have been, tied to memories of the past. For years, he imagined himself with George, and that changed the way he saw things.
He then decided to change the way he lived, almost as if it were an obligation.
In the first few days, everything reminded him of George, he chased him in his dreams, and when he opened his eyes, Max woke up to the nightmare. At least in her dreams, she still had her boyfriend. They spent little time together, but those who saw them knew they were a lasting couple, that they would live together for a long period of time as a couple.
After a few months, Max remembered George in everyday things, the black tea with milk that the Brit always drank along with some cinnamon cookies. The mornings with a hot shower where they usually had sex for the first time of the day, the bed that was always messy, but when George was around, he had to tidy it up because his boyfriend hated disorder.
As the years went by, Max still saw him in some topical things: in the watches, in the cars, in the stylish sunglasses he loved to wear, the pool blue color. Sometimes, he felt bad for forgetting him so easily, but deep down he knew he would never forget him, how could anyone forget George Russell?
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— What are you doing here? — George looked at him with an expression of surprise, but in the extremely negative sense of the word. But what was George doing there? Was he related to Kimi? I had never noticed the boy's last name because it was the most common one possible.
— Uh… I, I'm looking for the people responsible for Kimi, Andrea Kimi.
— It's me. Did something happen that I should know about?
— Are you his father?
— I am, Max Emilian, what do you want?
— Did you get married?... — He asked with a certain sadness in his voice.
— I don't understand what this has to do with my son, Max.
— Damn, the kid is what, about 5 years old, did you meet someone right after we broke up?
— It's none of your business! Wanna know something? Get out of my house, now. — He moves away from the door, almost closing it if it weren't for Max's large hands holding it. — I'm going to call the police.
Max sighed, defeated.
— Can we talk, please? It's important.
— No. Go away.
— Please, George, please. I promise I won't bother you anymore, just... listen to me and talk to me.
George takes a deep breath and soon makes room for him to enter. George's house was a reflection of him, but with toys and childish details scattered around because of Kimi. There were drawings stuck to the fridge, clumsy sculptures made of cold ceramic, and toy cars. Photos of only George and Kimi around the house, in other words, whoever the boy's father was, he certainly doesn't live with them. But wasn't there even a photo of Andrea's father? That was strange.
— You can speak. — Says George, sitting on the sofa across from Max.
— I wanted to ask you to reconsider Kimi's stay at the St. Louis racetrack. — When George was about to open his mouth to retort, Max interrupted him. — No, please, listen to me. Kimi has a lot of talent, and if he really wants to pursue a career, I think I can help with that, you know?
— Did you come here just to say you want my son close? I don't doubt the potential he has, but regardless of you or not, if he wants to pursue a career, other people can help.
— But George, you know that name matters. And I have that, my family has that.
— He is only 6 years old. He doesn't even know if he wants this or not.
— You're doing this out of spite. Give me a good reason to take the boy out of the racetrack.
—I don't want him near you. I don't want him to have contact with you, to see you, to talk to you. If I had known you were there, that you were here, we definitely wouldn't be in this situation.
That's when Max's neurons started to work. While George spoke, the synapses were formed quickly. Kimi was 6 years old. Was that possible? Was that why he ended it that way? Out of guilt?
— Did you cheat on me during our relationship?
— What are you talking about!?
— You cheated on me, didn't you? That's why you broke up with me over the phone and went back to Bristol. You cheated on me, damn it, how did I never think of that?
— You don't know what you're talking about.
— Oh no, George William Russell? So tell me to my face that you didn't do it.
George looked at him with fire in his eyes.
— I didn't cheat on you, Max Emilian. I broke up with you over text because the damn kid is yours and you were as messed up as possible with me. I couldn't forget the words you said to me, so yes, I had a child and didn't put you in his life because you insisted on rubbing in my face how much you hated our child, how much of a burden it was for you, and how it would disrupt your life. But he was my son too... — His voice faltered, he made an effort not to cry because he wouldn't be vulnerable, especially in the presence of Verstappen, who a few years ago was his safe harbor. — He is the best thing that ever happened to me and I won't let you ruin that, I won't let you ruin my relationship with him like you ruined ours.
Max didn't know what to say, didn't know how to react.
— I... I'm so sorry, I don't... — He searched for words but there was only a huge blank in his mind.
— Are you going to say that if you had known before, you would have changed your mind? Look me in the eyes and tell me you would have changed your mind and accepted the child without a fuss. You might be the damn best person now, but that doesn't change the fact that you were the worst back then.
— I'm very sorry, George. I was an idiot with you when I said that, but I... I didn't think I had the calling to be a father, I... I went thru issues with my father and you know — George interrupted him.
— Yeah Max, but you're not your father. You will never be like him, I knew that old son of a bitch and you only have his damn appearance. If you were like him, I would never have thot about having children, never.
Max fell silent again, it was too much to process, he lost the love of his life and the fruit of their passion due to insecurity. Before knowing about Kimi, he knew he had lost the world when he no longer had George, but now the weight was even greater. Kimi was his. He was your pup.
After that, Max went home. Thinking, hammering in his mind the words of Russell, hammering in his mind that it was only by a whim of fate that he had discovered this. And as strange as it might seem, he wanted that, he wanted to be part of Kimi's life, before he felt an emotional bond as if he were trying to save himself thru him, but now he was his son, blood of his blood, his Kimmy.
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After several persistent days and deep conversations, Max managed to get some extra time with Kimi; now he was the one who would pick up the boy to take him to the kart. Kimi adored Max, he was the fun dad, he gave the little boy everything he asked for.
The agreement was that on Saturdays, Max would come by at 7 in the morning to take Kimi to the racetrack. He went thru several evaluations by Russell to earn the luxury of the ex-boyfriend's approval so that he would trust him to be alone with Kimi. Usually, he also spent the afternoon at the Russell's house.
— Have you had breakfast, Kimi? — George asked without paying much attention, finishing his and Ollie's snack.
— Not yet. — he said while Max was putting on his overalls and shoes. — I wanted to have lunch, you know?
— Let me guess, tortellini?
— That's it. — He would give a little smile and then go to the table, pouring the black tea with milk.
The day went by peacefully, with Max assisting Kimi in the races while he absorbed everything and performed on the track. When they returned home, Max had dinner with them and spent the day with Kimi, watching George from a distance with Carmen.
He felt that she hated him, but he wouldn't blame her either. He had much to thank the alpha for, she who took care of his alpha and cub when he wasn't there, saw him be born and gave all the necessary support, he would never be able to repay that debt.
— He's actually trying, you know. — Carmen said, watching Max and Kimi playing on the lawn.
— He's doing the bare minimum.
— Ah, come on, George. I feel like this is much more than just Kimi, you still like him, don't you?
— Of course not. For God's sake. Max and I are in the past.
— There's a super cute pediatrician who saw you at the clinic last week, he asked for your number, go out with him.
— I don't know, Carmen...
— George. Give it a chance, you need to have sex.
— I'll think about it, okay!?
The following week, on karting Saturday, while Kimi was brushing his teeth in the distant bathroom, George seized the opportunity.
— I wanted to ask you a favor.
— Sure. — Max looked at him.
— I'm going out tonight and I wanted to know if you could stay as Kimi.
— Oh, of course.
— Great, you can stay here at home with him, I think I'll be back around 10 or 11 PM. I'll owe you one.
When night fell, Max arrived at the house and knocked on the door. George opened the door, he was stunning and exuded a masculine and irresistible scent, starting to wonder where he was going all dressed up like that, feeling a pang of jealousy. He was wearing a button-up shirt with the first few buttons undone, displaying his caramel-colored skin that had been kissed by the sun. Had George William Russell gotten a tan for a night out? Who would he meet? He also wore sand-colored pants that accentuated his legs, and on his wrist, a chrome watch with a black crocodile leather strap.
— Hi, come in. — he said, heading to the kitchen. Kimi came running to Max with open arms to be picked up.
— Max!!! — received kisses on the face while laughing.
— I was already missing you, did you know?
— I was too, Daddy could stay but Auntie said he's going out with the doctor today.
— He's a friend of your father's, son. — George said.
— Do you get all dressed up like this to see your friends?" asked Max.
— I'm not even going to respond to you, Verstappen. — he approached the two, kissing his son's face. — I'm leaving now, okay? If anything comes up, call me.
"Don't I get a kiss too?" Max asks, breaking into a smile and receiving an eye roll, soon seeing the dark-haired man distance himself from them and finally leave.
— Now it's just you and me, Kimi.
— Yay!
They watched movies, had Kimi's favorite ice cream, played for a long time, and after bath time, it was already time to sleep. Max turned off the hairdryer, unplugging it from the socket.
— Hair dried. — he ran his hand thru his hair to check, seeing that he could never get it neat like George's.
— I almost forgot, I have something for you. — Kimi got off the bed and went to the backpack, taking out a blue envelope and handing it to Max. — It's an invitation!
— For me? Thank you.
Upon opening it, Max came across a drawing signed by his son; it depicted the three of them on a track, with Kimi as the champion holding a large trophy. He thot it was the cutest thing in the world and would definitely frame it and put it up in his apartment. There was a second piece of paper, this one now with printed writing.
Father's Day celebration
"A father is someone to be proud of, someone to be grateful to, and especially, someone to love."
Date: 10/08/25
Time: 09:00 AM
Address: St. John's Auditorium
— I already delivered the one for Daddy George, Daddy Max will come, right? — he asked with a pre-formed smile on his face.
He felt like crying, remembering how many times he had felt like Kimi, his father didn't even attend the mandatory meetings, let alone the optional ones. His reaction was to hug the little blond boy in front of him in a tight embrace; it would be his first Father's Day with the little one.
Since Max met Kimi, something had changed, within himself and in how he saw the world. The grayest Saturdays in Bristol took on a beautiful saturation, being close to George helped, even if he didn't talk much with him, he could live that way.
If he saw Max from 6 years ago, he would laugh in his face and tell him how stupid he is. It is customary to say that post-abortion babies are rainbows, but Kimi was also one for Max; he had appeared in his life after a great storm and chased away all the dark clouds. He had saved him from something Max hadn't even realized he needed.
— Of course, Dad will go. — He pulled away from the hug to look at his son. — I love you, Kimi.
He had performed the sleep ritual as George had taught, that nite he read to his son "And the tooth still hurt," now he watched his son snore while drinking from the bottle. He left him quietly in the room and soon left, keeping the door ajar. He was waiting for George on the couch, who arrived much earlier than agreed, the dark-haired guy seemed a bit frustrated.
— Bad date?
— The worst of all, I don't know why I went. — Max celebrated inwardly.
— Kimi fell asleep. — he said, watching George open a bottle of wine and grab two glasses.
— This is good... — he looked at Max before filling his glass as if asking if he was going to drink, and Max confirmed with a nod.
They both went to the backyard where they sat side by side under the yellowed fairy lights and the star-filled sky, talked about countless things, laughed at past situations, perhaps deep down, George missed that. The atmosphere between them was light, George wished it were the effect of the wine, but he knew that it was actually Max being there with him, who always made him feel at ease.
Despite the time they had both spent apart, George could see that he had matured a lot. He was doing everything for their son and to maintain a good relationship between them, always helping George whenever he could.
On the day he thot about giving in, he was with Kimi, who adored his father. Russell always told Kimi that he would do anything to see the little one happy, and if that included forgiving Max and giving him a second chance, he would do it.
— Look what I got. — Max showed the drawing and the invitation.
— He really wants you there, I asked the teacher for a second life so he could give it to you.
— Thank you…
— You don't need to thank me, you deserve it, you're doing a great job, he adores you, Verstappen. — Their eyes met and they smiled shyly at each other.
— You are still as handsome as the day we met.
— Stop it... — he averted his gaze awkwardly.
— I'm serious. Seeing you with another guy today made me realize how much I messed up when I lost you. If you're going to date another guy, let me know so I can see a psychiatrist.
George laughed. He had brought out a smile like before, a smile from the proper British man. Max approached him and pressed his lips against George's, feeling just like the first time, George's lips had the same soft sensation. He felt the long hand on his cheek, giving a gentle caress.
Russell went to the meeting to prove to himself and to Carmen that he could and that he had already moved on. The guy was handsome, had a good conversation, a stable job, was intelligent, a gentleman, polite, but he wasn't Max. And when he kissed him in the backyard, He had found his answer; He didn't want just anything, he didn't want to have sex or kiss, he wanted Max. he wanted to kiss my Max, to make love with the body that complemented his.
The kiss lingered, their tongues flavored with smooth white wine intertwined as they hadn't in years, but that kiss was like coming home, returning from a place he should never have left. Max pulled him close and he sat on the Dutchman's muscular thighs, holding his face with both hands while feeling Max's cold hands slip under his shirt, making him shiver.
— You have no idea how much I missed this… — said Max, breaking the kiss, attacking the neck with the taste of woody perfume.
— You could have not lost me to begin with. — George adjusts his body on Max's lap, feeling his hard cock rubbing against his jeans. — A kiss, Verstappen?
— It's your kiss. — looking into George's eyes. — Give me one more chance, I promise I won't mess up this time.
— How can I trust you?
— Let's start from the beginning. The way we never did, let's go out, have dates, from the beginning and slowly, I'll show you how much I can be worth it.
— Alright. — He smiled, sealing their lips in a gentle kiss.
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The auditorium was packed, Max and George were sitting side by side in the front rows waiting for the presentation to start, Russell knew that Verstappen was nervous, his hands were sweating non-stop. He tried to offer support, if there was anything to be done for him, it was George's second Father's Day with St. John's, he always got emotional.
Suddenly, the intensity of the light began to dissipate, creating a pleasant and quiet environment. Kimi entered alone in a white outfit covered with small hearts glued with tape, and suddenly started singing a song that matched the occasion. When the curtains opened, the choir composed of her classmates, including Ollie Bearman, sang the chorus. Everyone was holding a red helium-filled foil balloon.
George didn't want to miss his son's presentation, but he remembered to look at Max. When he turned his face to meet Max's, he knew he had given a second chance to the right guy. Max was sobbing. He hugged Max sideways, stroking his hair and kissing the top of his head; he deserved it just as much as George.
Russell was sure that was what he wanted for the rest of his life, to be with the two men of his life for the rest of his days, to be cared for and to care for them. There was no greater wealth, and he recognized that.