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If you told Cupid that he would fall in love someday, he would’ve laughed at your face.
Max, the current holder of the title Cupid, has loved love since he was a kid. He felt it around his mother, his baby sister, and now, his cats.
But he had always thought that after watching people fall in love every single day, he was surrounded by enough love to go on with his life. He had everything he had ever desired, a life so plentiful he doubted anyone would ever fit into it.
Until Charles Leclerc.
i. carlos & lando
Max had an assignment, early in the morning.
On a racing track hosted proudly in Silverstone, England, he was supposed to join one Carlos Sainz Jr (and on the paper he received, the Jr was underlined twice) and one Charles Leclerc.
And what Max means by supposed, really, is that it all went to the underworld in one millisecond. Max had never failed an assignment, ever ever ever.
But. This so-called Charles Leclerc dodged his arrow in the last second, right when a curly-haired boy touched his shoulder.
The arrow, pointed in that direction, ended up right on the boy’s heart, tying him forevermore to Sainz Jr.
Max watched with mouth agape as Carlos and the unnamed boy locked eyes, and he could see their auras shine brightly for a moment, completing the quick bond in the eyes of the Gods.
Max closed his eyes, closed his fist, and suppressed his anger. If it’s meant to be, it is. Nothing he can do about it now, right?
He turned to leave, ready to skip to his next couple when his eyes find Charles Leclerc. And holy fuck. Max doesn’t usually look at his charges too much, it becomes a bit weird to label them as attractive when he’s there to bond them together, bond them with their life partner.
But, wow. Charles Leclerc is one of the most beautiful humans he has ever seen, and he emphasizes the human part because no one is safe from Aphrodite’s spells or her fits of jealousy.
This human, with his pale skin dotted with moles, the brightest green eyes he has ever seen outside of nymphs, and the prettiest face Max has ever encountered, seems out of this world.
In fact, he can only compare him to divine beauty, or someone touched by the God’s hands, creating him out of marble and turning him into a human being.
He opens his mouth as if to say something to this human.
Then remembers that, sadly, no mortal can see him right now, as he wears the invisibility charm his mother made him, wrapped across his strong neck.
He shakes his head, sparing himself from such thoughts, and takes flight onto his next adventure.
ii. pierre + yuki
The next time Max saw the enchanting human, he was supposed to bond him to Pierre Gasly. And really, what an absurd name. Even worse with the obnoxious accent, he said it, full of himself and with a cocky smile.
Sue him, Max was observing this mortal to see if he was good enough for Charles Leclerc.
He had only seen him once, twice if he counted right now, but he could see that this Pierre was not refined enough for Charles.
With his crude jokes, barbaric innuendos that even Hades would wince at, and the way his eyes danced over other people even while Charles was around him, was enough for Max to decide.
“So, Pierre. How was your weekend?” Charles’ melodic voice filled the air, and Max’s gasp was involuntary. Such a voice should be revered, he thinks half-deliriously. “Did you do anything fun?”
With a wiggle of his brows, Charles affirmed Max’s idea of Pierre. No doubt, he was one of those that liked to party, to enjoy his young years.
And that was okay in Max’s eyes, but it was decidedly not okay to bond Charles to him.
Sadly, he could not defy orders. Well, he could. But why start now? After so many years following orders, he’s used to bonding people almost on autopilot, the moves of the bow second nature to him.
The arrow bends, as if it has a mind of its own, and falls directly on a pretty japanese boy sitting across from them.
The boy, of short stature and a delightful smile, looks up at Pierre at the exact moment the man looks at him. It’s beautiful, really. They smile at each other, and their auras shine a dazzling pink color in unison.
Charles seems to watch them longingly as if he wanted that type of love for himself. And it makes him want to scream. Scream at the top of his lungs, and maybe ‘till he passes out.
“I’m trying! I’ll keep trying! I don’t know why it’s not working!”
Charles does not hear him, of course, nor does he see him. But for a second, Max believes he does.
Their eyes catch, and he feels butterflies flutter inside his belly, as the old fairy tales his mother told him. He feels it deep inside him, such a glow that must be projected to the outside.
Max cannot help himself, and without thinking too much, he creates a lavender tulip and places it carefully on the table in front of Charles.
It’s the first time he has ever done something for a human out of his own accord, and he feels weird, filled with uncertainty and fear.
He almost expects the sound of thunder, but as he looks up at the sky, the sun seems to shine in beat with Max’s heart.
iii. sebastian + kimi
Max was confused, tired, and maybe a tiny bit infatuated with the strange man that refused to comply to his arrows.
It had never happened before, he had even asked his mother, the former Cupid, and she had confirmed his suspicions. She wore a strange glint in her eyes when she told him all about it, though, and it made Max nervous.
Nervous, because he didn’t want to bond anyone to Charles. He didn’t want to bond someone to his captivating human. And it was a problem, a really big one.
As he was walking around a crowded bar, Max finally saw him. Charles Leclerc, as beautiful as the last time he had the pleasure to see him. And a handsome blonde man sitting by his side, looking at Charles with a toothy smile.
It hurt a bit, to see someone admire Charles as he deserves. In Max’s head, there’s a tiny voice screaming “look at me, look at me, look at me!”, with the most childish of tones.
It’s embarrassing, he doesn’t even know the man. But that doesn’t make his other matches, the ones that did not speak to each other before their sparks, any less valuable. Any less satisfactory.
Max cannot deny his attraction, his admiration, even his longing for him. He looks at Sebastian Vettel, looking at Max’s beloved, and surrounded by a few friends. He’s blonde, handsome, in an electric type of way.
He sighs, resigned. He will not defy orders, no matter how much his heart burns inside his chest. No matter how much he wants to be the one sitting beside Charles, holding his hand, maybe even playing with his hair and kissing all the freckles decorating his bod—
Focus, Max Emilian!
He points the arrow, takes a deep breath, and let’s go.
Max tries not to look at them, the lovely couple that they will make. Maybe they will shine red, a very beautiful, very deep red. The color of love.
As he looks up, he expects all of that and more. What he does not freaking expect, is a pair of green eyes looking directly at Max.
(And for Sebastian Vettel to be paired up with another blonde man. What the fuck happened? Why is Charles so difficult?)
Charles smiles a little thing that lights up his entire face and waves at Max. Nothing could leave him as speechless as this moment, as his beautiful boy acting as if he were there. Looking at him.
Max looks around and looks behind him to check, triple-check if he dares, that Charles Leclerc is waving at him. He does not understand how, or what is happening.
But as he turns around, staring right at Charles again, he sees him holding back a laugh. Looking at Max, holding a laugh and with the most beautiful twinkle in his eyes.
“Holy fuck.” He whispers, feeling as lost as he has ever been. He focuses on Charles again, trying not to tremble or be even more embarrassing, and then he winks at him. Winks directly at Charles. “Have a great night, dear heart.”
The last thing Max sees as he exits the club, is a very flustered Charles, cheeks aflame and a soft smile on his pretty pink lips.
iiii. Charlotte + ?
The next and last time Max Verstappen sees Charles Leclerc during his work hours it’s, sadly, during a date. The whole atmosphere is cozy, there are candles lit on their table, and a bouquet of daffodils as the centerpiece.
There’s a very pretty woman sitting across from Charles. There’s an air of elegance in her, and it fits perfectly with his beloved. He’s smiling at her, dimples on full display as he only has eyes for her.
It hurts, truth be told. Max had been harsh on himself all his life, following his mortal father’s footsteps, but he had never hated himself more than at this moment.
Seeing the human his heart had chosen look at his perfect match with such a besotted smile, breaks his heart in two. And she is indeed his perfect match, they complement each other so well that Max feels lightheaded.
Her brown eyes are the perfect shade for Charles’ green, her dainty hand looks like it was made to be held by him, and the looks they are exchanging are enough for their bond contract to be as good as done.
There’s nothing he can do now, there’s no way to break it, no way to stop its motion. His arrow, made by Apollo himself, is as hard and unbreakable as Max used to be. Before he met the one for him, the one mortal that could make him reconsider everything.
Every single truth of the universe turns out to be as dumb as Koalemos.
His arrow flies in Charles’ direction, and he can’t look. Can’t look as he matches them, can’t look at the happy pair.
Can’t control his facial expression as he feels his heart beat out of his chest, out of control and holding out on hope. His eyes fill with tears, but he refuses to cry for anyone that is not his family, for someone that is not his—
The arrow breaks.
Splinters all across the room, as if it was some kind of fucked up confetti.
Max looks up, confused, elated, and filled with too many emotions to even comprehend what just happened. His arrows never broke.
He never splintered, either, but he felt the threads of his soul tugging at his heart. As if to say, retreat, Max.
With one last glance at his dear Charles, he bows himself to find what is happening around them.
He had never felt like this for anyone, and now, seeing Charles break his trance with Charlotte and look straight at him, it all makes sense.
No one can have him but me.
v. sophie kumpen and victoria verstappen
“Let me make sure I understand, my love.” His mother’s soothing tone calms all of his nervous ticks, even though his sister is looking at him like a hawk. “You are telling me you were going to break your own heart? For the God’s?”
Victoria coughs up a very mean laugh, and fuck, baby sisters, am I right? She will forever use this moment as blackmail from their cousins, their aunts, and uncles.
Fuck, he has to make sure she doesn’t talk to Hermes about it!
“Max, what the fuck? How could you torture yourself like this?” Victoria’s almost-screech makes him take cover, and it’s the right choice because she throws a feather-filled pillow right onto his face. “Are you a masochist? Do you enjoy denying yourself everything?”
“I do not deny myself anything! I’m happy, I have my cats, I have friends and I have you both!” Victoria laughs before he even stops talking, and it irritates him so so so much.
And oops, maybe his tone sounds more offended than normal. But, he does not deny himself anything! Just. Well. Charles.
Does he think that Charles Leclerc, with his near-divine looks, the fame that comes from driving for Ferrari and winning three championships back-to-back, is too good for him?
Perhaps, but he will not admit all of that around his family. They are way too protective of him, as almost everyone in his circle. It’s just that Charles Leclerc fit so much better with Charlotte Siné than with him.
But there must be a reason, he thinks. Why would the arrow break otherwise?
“Mom. Why did the arrow break?”
Victoria’s laughs stop abruptly, and his mother looks at him with so much love that he feels like he’s going to burst. He will not cry, goddamn it.
“Oh, my baby. The arrows seem to avoid Charles because he was not meant for any of them. You are meant for him.” She says it like it’s a universal truth, with such a conviction that Max has no reason to doubt her. She has never doubted her. “So now, please do us a favor and go chase your partner.”
vi. charles + max
Charles has been having a pretty weird month.
Every friend that hung out with him, suddenly and out of nowhere, ended up meeting their one true love. At first, it was a dumb theory his friends had, but as the numbers kept going up, so did the rumor.
From Carlos and Lando, to Pierre and Yuki then Sebastian and Kimi. He thought he had it right with Charlotte, and felt perfectly content around her. But then he saw him again.
And yeah, Charles should not have ended the date with Charlotte for a man he didn’t even know, for fuck’s sake.
Blondie, as Charles called him on his head, was one of the most imposing men he has ever seen. And handsome as the devil, he thought.
With tussled blonde hair, the deepest blue eyes, and the plumpest natural lips Charles had ever seen. He almost thought he was making him up in his head because there was no way people were not throwing themselves at him as he walked by.
And the best thing was that he kept looking at Charles. The first time he saw him was at the club with some drivers after another win for Ferrari.
He remembers how he was talking to Seb, deep in conversation, when he felt it. Someone was looking at him, and he was pretty used to it at this point, but it felt different.
When Charles looked up, he saw him. Saw Blondie for the first time. And yeah, he made a fool of himself by laughing at him, at how awe-struck he looked when Charles returned his gaze. But having an Adonis act like that around him was a boost for his ego, and he just couldn’t help it.
The spell broke when Blondie winked at him. He felt hot all over, blushing like a schoolgirl with her first crush. What the actual fuck. This didn’t happen to Charles, after so many years in the Formula One sphere. He didn’t blush for a fucking wink.
But Blondie seemed to be his exception.
It got worse after the failed date with Charlotte, Pierre came over to ask him about it and he just blurted everything out. Like a pitiful wet cat.
“Charles. Charles, don’t tell me you fell in love with someone you have not even talked to. Please.” Pierre’s tone was not judging, and that made it even worse. He wanted Pierre to judge him because he did not understand what was happening to him. “You bailed on a date for a man you don’t know?”
It sounds so pathetic, really. But Pierre has not seen Blondie, so he must not understand Charles. He had never felt such a connection before, never felt like he could ever have it.
Until now. Until him. And sadly, he doesn’t even know how to find him.
The weirdest thing was that Charles has seen Blondie in Silverstone, Italy, the Netherlands, and Monaco. Was he a Formula One fan? Was his Adonis a fan of his?
“I need to find him, Calamar. I need to meet him, I have to try.”
⋆
After many hours of looking for him on every social media known to mankind, Charles gave up for the day. Pierre had left his apartment hours ago, leaving him on his quest to find “the love of his life” as Pierre put it.
He needed fresh air and something to eat. So moved almost mechanically, closing his apartment’s front door, skipping down the stairs as he did when he was little, a smile on his face.
The route to Carrefour always made him walk across a park and it was his favorite, watching the kids enjoy Monaco’s sun and play around. Their parents standing close by, watching over them carefully.
He was enjoying the view of three rowdy kids trying to climb a single-seater swing, when he heard a soft cough. Looking up from the kids, a bit reluctantly, he felt his breath catch,
It was Blondie! His Blondie!
Fuck, he looked even better under the sun, like it shined only for him, to grace him with the warmth he deserved. What the fuck, Charles.
“Hi!”
Fuck, Charles, a little less enthusiasm, maybe? You sound like a creep—
“Hello.” And oh no, even his voice was mind-numbingly hot. He felt his knees shake a bit. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a while, but I didn’t know how to without sounding like a creep.”
The raspy laugh Blondie let out was enough for Charles to shake out of his trance.
“Would it be weird if I said the same?” He bit his bottom lip gently and smiled at Blondie. “I’ve seen you so much this last month, and maybe I shouldn’t admit this right now, but I have been trying to find you for the last few days.”
He felt lighter after confessing, but he was nervous about the other man’s reaction. It was a very weird thing for Charles to do, they saw each other three times.
And here Charles is ready to marry him, freaking hell, Leclerc.
The silence stretched a bit too much for his liking, but Blondie was smiling at him eyes crinkling in the most beautiful way. He was beautiful.
“I’m Charles, Charles Leclerc. What’s… What’s your name?” This man made him nervous enough to compare himself to a chihuahua and wasn’t that an incredible thought?
Charles Leclerc, il predestinato, Ferrari’s true love, three-time world championship, was shaking like a leaf for a man. A very impressive man, though. With the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, and the prettiest smile.
“My name is Max,” he replied with another of his mind-numbingly soft smiles, “and if it’s not too forward, I would like to take you on a date.”
Charles' brain was leaking out of his ears, he was sure about it. Did his Max ask him on a date, or was he imagining things again? He slept well last night, but he still felt that this was a dream. Something his brain created after he fell asleep on his couch.
“Or, if you don’t want to–” Max sounded nervous, as nervous as he is, and it was a relief to see it so clearly.
“Yes! Yes, I want to go on a date with you, Max!” And to hell trying to not sound too eager, his Adonis was asking him on a date, and he was going to take the chance, the plunge, and whatever the hell Max needs to be sure about this. “I would like it very much.”
“Right now, perhaps? We could go get ice cream from the little shop by the marina? I just want to get to know you, Charles.” His words were softly spoken, and they made him feel great inside and out, with his scratchy voice that gave Charles goosebumps.
This was his perfect match, and he had no doubt about it. He wanted to feel this giddy forevermore.
He nodded, and just to be a little shit, he winked at Max. Full circle, non?