our time - lestappen

stutter

Japanese GP

Max Verstappen

"I'm not losing this weekend," I say angrily.

"Max, sweetheart, you need to calm the hell down," Charles yells from across the room. He's looking for the car key of our rental and frankly, I have no idea where it is.

"Yeah but after all the shit my dad said after last weekend I am so over this shit," I mutter.

"Why do you give a shit what your dad thinks? He's just a jealous piece of shit and I know that he's your father but at the same time it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to let him go. He's not doing anything for you, he's only bringing you down."

"He's my dad, Charles! It would be so tough to just let him go, honestly it's some relief that he even reaches out to me since he's the only family I have left."

"I would know, Max," Charles replies bitterly. "I lost my dad, I know how precious fathers are."

Fuck. I forgot about that. And I definitely don't have a good response.

"I love you but you're so stubborn sometimes," Charles huffs out. "You might not always be right, I'm not saying you have to do anything about it right know but cutting off contact from your dad might not be the worst thing in the world."

"I'll do anything if it means you'd just get off my head right now!!" I snap. I didn't mean for it to come out that harsh but I am SO not in the mood and he's being so overbearing right now.

I hear the door slam behind me. Hard. I don't even know where he went, he said he couldn't tell me but that I'd understand when he got back.

~

A few hours, apologies from both of us, and a hit of caffeine later, we're in a much better place. We're at this Japanese coffee shop and we fully intend on eating way too much since Japanese food is just... amazing. Charles has a weird obsession with matcha so he's going insane now that we're in Japan but I think it's the most disgusting thing in the world.

He's weird.

"Where did you go earlier, by the way?" I ask.

"Oh, yeah, it's an early birthday gift. I know it's not for another week but the guy lives here in Suzuka actually so I wanted to go pick it up and give it to you earlier since I know I wouldn't be able to hide it."

"What is it?"

Charles pulls up the guy's Instagram handle on my phone and holy shit, his work is absolutely incredible.

"You know the framed photo I gave you of the two of us in Monza?"

"Yeah?"

"So imagine that, bigger, in this art style. He's a fan and he wanted to do it and it looks incredible, I'll show you when we get back to the hotel."

I've always valued memories more than physical gifts and this is getting the best of both worlds. I have the best boyfriend, truly.

My dad has also just... left me alone. He was *very* pissed off after the P5 but maybe he believes it was the car because Checo did even worse than I did. But since then, he hasn't said anything about racing or Charles or... anything. He's been completely silent.

It's very pleasant to be honest. Maybe he's just given up on me altogether. It'd hurt but maybe it'd be for the best like Charles keeps telling me.

Charles though, is being really annoying.

What happened earlier was just one of the many small arguments that we've had lately. He's been so overbearing, and I know his intentions are good but really it's getting to be too much. And every time I try to tell him, he gets offended. He's never been like this so I have no clue what the hell is going on with him but I assume (and I hope) that it's nothing major and that it'll pass quickly.