Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Max had done it. All the hard work had finally paid off. He was finally getting to race in Formula 1 just like his father had done. And at just 17 years old. He was ecstatic to finally make it into the big leagues at such a young age. But, he was also terrified at the same time. This was his first time competing in an all-Alpha-dominated sport. Sure, his karting days had also been filled with mostly alphas as well, but none of them had been presenting at the time, so there wasn't really much of a concern. But he was a late bloomer. His father had said it was common for the Verstappen family to be late bloomers when it came to their secondary gender. Everyone on the karting track had presented at 15, while he had presented when he was 17.

~~~

Boy, that had been a very rough day for Max. His father had expected him to be an alpha like all the males in his family. And he really hoped he would be to make his father proud. But, on the day he turned 17, was the day he became a disgrace in his father's eyes. He had woken up feeling warm and sweaty, his clothes clinging to him. He had reached to feel the ache in his neck to find his newly developed scent gland, and he quickly sat up and headed to the bathroom to check for any more changes before his father found him. He wanted to make sure he was definitely presenting as an alpha before he went to face him. He knew what to look out for since it had been drilled into him by schools and his father.

So, when he had checked all of his body for the signs of an alpha, his heart sank. All the changes he had pointed towards the one secondary gender he did not want to be.

...Omega...

He could've lived with being a beta. His father would've just been disappointed, but he could live with it. But, Omega? Well, he was about to find out when he heard the shout of his name from downstairs. He quickly showered and got changed, making his way downstairs as fast as he could so he wouldn't get punished for making his father wait. He really did not want to skip breakfast again if it was another day of training. But as he approached the dining room, he could sense that something was wrong. His new hypersensitive nose could smell the scent of an incredibly angry alpha, and that was the only warning he got before his father appeared before him, grabbing his shirt and slamming him against the wall.

"A fucking omega?! You fucking presented as that?!" Jos snapped, slamming him against the wall once again.

Pain bloomed in his upper back and head from the aggressive slams, but he didn't wince or make a sound. He already was conditioned not to do that. So many beatings do that to a child that earns more punishment by doing so. He remained silent as he was then tossed onto the floor.

"Just when I thought you couldn't be more of a disgrace! Now, all you will ever be is a fucking slut for your competitors!" Jos shouted as he kicked his son in the ribs.

It wasn't enough to break them, but it had been sufficient to knock the air out of his lungs. He gasped but made no other sounds. He couldn't really hear what his father was screaming at him over the sound of his gasps and the ringing from the two hits to his head. Though he soon noticed when he felt the tight grip in his hair that pulled him up to his feet.

"I do not give a shit about the rules of racing and how you bitches ain't allowed to compete! We are putting you on blockers, you understand?!" Jos shouted in his son's face.

"Yes, father," Max responded, trying not to cry. Trying to will away the tears that were attempting to form.

He would not break.

And a few hours later, he was sitting in the doctor's office with his father, who demanded that he get both the scent blockers and the heat blockers. He couldn't even read up on the risks of taking them. He wasn't classed as an adult yet, so his father could decide for him.

~~~

And now here he was, about to compete in his first-ever F1 race with Toro Rosso. He had only been on the blockers for a few months now, but he was still wary. What if they could smell that he was an omega? What if they could tell he was on blockers? He tried to remember what his father had drilled into him over the past few months on how to act like an alpha. He fixed his posture and held his head up higher as he walked through the paddock alongside his father. He needed to act confident so people would see he was an alpha like the rest of them.

Free practice was yesterday, and he got to truly try out the Toro Rosso car. It was good; he hadn't performed better than his teammate, but the car felt smooth. Hell, they even performed better than Red Bull yesterday. But that was free practice. It wasn't actually the true results. That would be today in qualifying. He needed to do well to have a shot at scoring points tomorrow.

He sat on the wall of the garage, watching the mechanics prepare the car for qualifying. He wasn't just watching his own team, but the others around their garage as well. He'd always had a fascination with the way the cars were constructed and maintained. Maybe if he weren't fully forced into racing (He likely still would've done it as a hobby if it wasn't for his father), he would've likely tried his hand at being a mechanic.

One thing he was glad to still have was his overly sensitive nose. He could sense an alpha approaching him and turned his head towards his teammate, Carlos Sainz. They were both debuting today.

"Hey Max! You excited for qualifying today?" The Spaniard asked with a grin on his face.

"Oh yeah. Finally get to see what both of us can do." Max said, trying to keep his voice from shaking from being so close to an alpha that wasn't his father.

"Yeah! It'll be good to see how both of our debuts go." Carlos added, sitting next to Max. "Why are you sitting out here anyway?"

"Just needed to clear my head. And I like watching the mechanics work anyway. Thought it was a good idea before qualifying." Max responded, fiddling with his gloves.

"It is nerve-racking, isn't it? Especially for you. I don't mean that in a bad way, but you're young compared to me and the other rookies on the grid." Carlos said, looking at their cars.

"I'm worried about proving that I am meant to be here. That they didn't make a mistake signing me on so young and having not competed in F2." Max admitted, then realised he had slipped up by being honest.

Alphas are not in tune with their emotions like this.

Stupid! Stupid! Stu-

"Hey. I'm sure you'll do fine. We all start somewhere." Carlos said as he jumped to his feet. "We should probably get ready. Qualifying is about to start." He said, patting Max's shoulder before he headed off to his car.

Max raised an eyebrow as Sainz walked away. Why wasn't he laughed at for being honest with how he felt? His father said Alphas were expected to be confident. To not say how they actually felt. But that hadn't been the case. Maybe it was because Sainz was a young alpha and still learning things himself. He could not slip up like that again in front of older alphas in the grid.

He needed to assert his dominance.

He slid himself off the wall, putting on his balaclava and helmet as he headed towards his car. Once he got into that car there was no turning back.

He was now an F1 driver.

The first known Omega F1 driver

Chapter Text

His debut season hadn't gone as smoothly as he thought it would. He had managed to score a few points. He even got some 4th places in some races, but no podiums. That's what had annoyed him the most. He had been so close to podiums and yet hadn't managed to claim any. Not to mention the number of DNFs he had gotten from the car just failing on him. He really hadn't proved that he was World Champion material yet.

Though, as his father had explained, it was never the car at fault. These were all mistakes he could build on and work on himself. Sure, the engine failed on his first race and was smoking. But that was his fault, according to his father. Every time he failed to even get points, he'd have new bruises he'd need to cover up. He'd be forced to train every week, even if it wasn't a race weekend. It was exhausting.

At least the other drivers all saw him as an alpha now. There had been no doubt about that anymore. The majority thought of him as some cocky and dangerous driver who shouldn't have been let onto the track so young. He may have gotten a little carried away with trying to seem like an alpha to the grid, though and managed to isolate himself from the entire grid at that point. No one really interacted with him outside of his teammate.

There was no suspicion that he was an omega.

But he was now 18. A legal adult. He had managed to get his super licence immediately, so he no longer needed to rely on the adults around him. And there was far less chance of him being left at another gas station if he was to royally screw up. And, the first thing he did was take a trip to the doctor's office. He was finally going to get information on the blockers his father was insistent he would get once a week, without his father there.

He nervously bounced his leg as he waited for his name to be called. It felt like he was sneaking around behind his father's back doing this, but he needed to know of any side effects these blockers came with. He wasn't going to be left in the dark anymore when it came to his health. Especially when it could affect his performance on the track. And now that he was an adult, his father couldn't control that anymore.

"Max Verstappen?"

He stood up when his name was called and followed the doctor along towards their office. He noticed it wasn't his usual doctor, but that might be a good thing. It wasn't the same doctor that his father had constantly taken him to. He might actually get some unbiased information on them rather than just reinforcement of what his father wanted him to do.

He sat in the office, looking at the posters that were scattered along the walls all about secondary genders.

"Right. You came today to talk about some medications, yes?" The doctor asked as he sat down across from the young Dutchman.

"Uh, yeah. Since I presented last year, my father put me on some scent blockers and heat blockers." Max said, finally turning his attention back to the doctor.

"Last year? Late bloomer then." The doctor said as he typed on the computer. "How often are you taking these blockers?" He asked.

"My father makes me get these shots once a week," Max said as he picked at the material on his jeans.

"Oh? You're on the shots? Strange. The shots are for older omegas who are struggling with their hormones." The doctor frowned, looking at Max.

"My father insisted," Max said, growing concerned. "Are there issues with that?" He asked.

"There are many issues with them for young omegas such as yourself. This pamphlet can explain the vast majority of the symptoms." The doctor said as he slid one across for Max to read.

Max opened up the pamphlet and began reading through the side effects of taking the shots, and frowned. He always wondered why he had persistent headaches and body pains. The nosebleeds had been concerning, but never seemed to be common enough for his father to care. But the angry outbursts. The sudden bouts of anger due to these blockers? He thought he was just putting on a front. And he thought he had truly started to embrace being an alpha.

"We should get you off these as soon as possible. Especially since you're so young. It will mess with everything, including your ability to have children in the future." The doctor said as Max placed the pamphlet.

"I mean, I don't really care about my ability to have kids. I'm more worried about the other side effects." Max said with a frown.

Why was it always about kids with doctors?

"Of course. How many of the other side effects have you experienced?" The doctor asked.

"The headaches and body pains. I've had inconsistent nose bleeding. And, the anger outbursts." Max informed.

"So, I will be taking you off these before you cause permanent damage to your body. But, if you still want to cover your scent, I can prescribe some tablet scent blockers. They won't be quite as strong, but they won't have serious side effects." The doctor said as he typed into his computer.

"What about heat blockers?" Max asked, hoping there would be some way to stop them.

"Unfortunately, unlike scent blockers, the only type of heat blockers are the shots. And you really should not be taking them before you've even had your first heat. You are putting your body through extreme stress not having them." The doctor explained as he looked at Max. "Heats help regulate everything going on in your body."

"But won't I be swarmed by alphas if I do? Trying to mate with me?" Max asked, growing concerned.

"Your heat isn't strong enough to attract anyone if you're in a room. The scent blockers also mask the scent of your heat to an extent." The doctor said and passed over a printed slip.

"So, I won't get swarmed?" Max asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Alphas don't swarm omegas in heat. Where did you even get that information from?" The doctor questioned.

~~~

Max walked out of that doctor's office feeling a lot more informed about the way this all worked. He had multiple pamphlets along with his prescription slip that he needed to pick up later. He felt more confident now than when he walked into that doctor's office.

He was still going to keep his secondary gender a secret since his father would kill him if he walked around unmasked. But the thought of going into heat around an F1 grid of alphas was now less concerning. He could easily hide away if he needed to. The only issue would be if he went into heat during a race.

He will cross that bridge once he gets to it.

He would still need to convince his father that he was going to get his weekly shots. He didn't even want to know the kind of beating he would receive if he found out. He had managed to gain enough trust to go to his own doctor's appointments, so it would not be too hard to fake.

The only issue would be his outbursts. Because he had immediately gone onto the blockers and not allowed his body to adjust to his true secondary gender, the doctor had explained it would be a few years before he would start to calm down. And, even when that did, he would still have those outbursts from time to time.

He would still be known in the media as Mad Max.

But, he didn't need to worry about that. At least, not right now.

His main concern was having a good 2016 season.

Chapter Text

2016 was going to be Max's year. He could feel it. He walked into that Toro Russo garage with newfound confidence. Confidence was bound to help his chances, especially now that he knew what to expect from being on the Formula 1 grid. He was going to get onto that podium or crash trying. Being a World Champion seemed out of reach still, but working himself up to it was more than doable.

It didn't matter where on that podium he finished. He just wanted that podium. He wanted to prove he was meant to be there with the rest of the grid, despite still being so young compared to them. 

"Someone's feeling good. Did you have a good winter break?" His teammate, Sainz, asked as he entered the garage.

"Yeah. Spent most of it at the karting track with my father. Had to keep my skills sharp." Max said as he turned to face the older driver. 

"You spent the break basically working. But, whatever floats your boat, I guess." Sainz said with a roll of the eyes. "How are you feeling about this season? Seems like it's going to be intense this year." The Spaniard asked.

"I am going to get a podium finish this year. I can feel it." Max said with a grin. 

"With how close you got last year, I have no doubt you will. Maybe we will share podiums and get to celebrate together." Sainz hoped as he wrapped an arm around Max.

Though the Spaniard pulled away when he saw the kid visibly flinch away from the touch. He raised an eyebrow but otherwise didn't say anything. If Max wasn't comfortable with that kind of playful affection, he wasn't going to force it on the Dutchman. But the way the kid had flinched away was going to stick with him for a while.

"Yeah. Maybe we can both embarrass Red Bull this season." Max said, having completely shrugged off the interaction almost immediately. 

"Hey! Max! Do you want to discuss what we've done with your car for this season?" Max's engineer, Xevi, called when he had caught a glimpse of the Dutchman.

"Yeah. Catch you on the track, Carlos." Max said as he went over to the engineer.

Sainz sighed a little as he watched Max leave for the cars before he could talk to him more. He really was trying to get closer to his teammate so they could work together like a well-oiled machine. Tost wanted the two to get along, since he had noticed that Max often got into his own head. If the two drivers from Toro Rosso could actually get along as friends off track, they maybe could help Max get out of his head after a bad performance. 

Little did either know that Max getting into his own head wasn't the actual issue.

Sainz was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the garage start to kick into gear for qualifying. Maybe he could try and talk to Max again after that. He headed into the paddock to grab his gear. 

Hopefully, he could catch the Dutchman before he disappeared.

~~~

5th place.

Max had managed to qualify in 5th place. He was ecstatic. He was higher than both Red Bull drivers and only needed to pass 2 drivers before he would get that podium in just his first race back after the winter break. The only issue was that the people he needed to pass were already established greats of racing: Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel. Both of them were world champions at some point, with Vettel having won 4. So, it would be a challenge in itself to get past them for that podium.

He climbed out of his car in the pits and took off his helmet and balaclava, a huge smile on his face as he headed inside. He was quick with it, so he could escape any press talks. 

"Great position, kid!" Xevi said as he walked over, ruffling Max's hair. "You're on track for some good points tomorrow." He added.

Max had to hold back a flinch when his hair was ruffled. He really needed to get better at hiding his discomfort with physical touch; otherwise, people were going to notice, and then he would be in even more trouble with his father. 

"Maybe I can even get a podium," Max said as he sorted out his hair.

"Very much in the cards with how your performance was last season, despite the car failing." Xevi chuckled at Max's optimism. 

Sainz watched the two from a distance. He was happy with the position he had gotten for qualifying, only 2 places behind Max. But that wasn't what he was thinking about. He realised Max was old enough to join the pack officially now, but none of the pack alphas had actually even come near him to suggest that yet.

Grid Pack Group Chat

19 Members 

March 19th, 2016 18:12
                                                                                                                                                                                     

Sainz:
Question
When is Max getting asked to join the pack?
Because I have noticed no one has come up to ask him about that yet

Hamilton:
Oh shit. Completely forgot he's old enough now.

Massa:
You're telling me that little menace is actually going to be allowed into the pack?
He's such a danger
He shouldn't have even been let on the grid last year

Alonso:
Kid's got talent
He makes this grid somewhat interesting again

Kvyat:
If by interesting, you mean nearly getting half of us killed in just a year, then sure
He makes it 'interesting'

Massa:
He's dangerous
A menace 
And has no regard for his own safety
He'll break every rule the pack has

Vettel:
Cut him some slack, Massa
Kid's young still
Heard he only presented at 17
He's still trying to work things out

Rosberg:
That explains a lot                                                                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                                                                      Sainz:
                               Still doesn't answer my question

Hamilton:
I don't know
We're all quite busy
And we can never seem to catch him

Hülkenberg:
Kid is good at disappearing
I tried congratulating him after one of the races last season
Could never find him

Riccardo:
He tends to avoid people
Noticed whenever he is out of a race or finishes, he bolts immediately
Think you need to catch him after qualifying

Kvyat:
Are we actually going to let him join?

Vettel:
We're going to give him the option
It's only fair
He might choose not to

Rosberg:
I get the feeling he'll say no
Seems like the lone wolf type

Massa:
He better say no
I don't want to deal with 'Mad Max'

Alonso:
He isn't that scary
Like a gatito showing its claws for the first time

Hamilton:
I'll try and catch him next race weekend
When he's settled into the season
It should make it easier to catch him in a good mood

Sainz sighed as he put away his phone. At least they were going to ask him about joining, but why were they waiting until next week? Right now would be better than next week. Max was riding high from a good qualifying session. He would be in a good mood to talk to and was less likely to run off. Though when he looked back at the paddock, there was no sign of the Dutchman once again.

~~~

Max had managed to escape the press and the paddock without anyone following him. He just wanted some time to himself, away from everything, especially since it was already getting overwhelming. So, he had disappeared and made his way back to the grid in a hoodie, so he could walk around it without people noticing it was him. It was dark, the lights around the track being the only thing helping him find his way around. But it was quiet, and that was all that mattered to him. There would be no one around to disturb him. 

At least, that's what he thought.

The lingering smell of tyres on tarmac was blocking his sense of smell, so he didn't even know someone had snuck up behind him. At least, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He immediately freaked out, screaming and throwing a punch at the person behind him. He felt his fist get caught and immediately started just flailing at whoever was behind him.

"Whoa! Calm down pequeño león!" The voice said as they let go of Max.

Max panted a little as he finally looked at who it was who had thrown him out of his thoughts, and looked shocked at the driver who had followed after him.

"Alonso! You can't just fucking sneak up on people like that!" Max exclaimed and shoved the older driver back. "I am too young to have a heart attack!" 

"I know, I know! But I had called your name, and you weren't responding." Alonso said as he stumbled back a little bit.

Max spent some time catching his breath before he glared at the older driver. 

"So, what brings you out here on a grid walk? Don't think I've actually seen you do one of these." Alonso asked, completely unbothered by the anger the younger driver was exuding.

"Just wanted some time away from everything. Including other drivers." Max said as he turned back around to walk off.

"You are really trying too hard to act standoffish, you know." Alonso pointed out as he followed along. 

Max sighed, realising that the older driver wasn't going to leave him alone. But, he didn't try to push him away again.

"You sure you want to hang out with 'Mad Max'? I could snap at you." Max questioned as they walked along the track.

"Ignore them. They're just intimidated by someone so young doing well on the track." Alonso said as he looked at the Dutchman. "You are the shakeup this grid needs, and we all get nicknames eventually. Look at Kimi. He's called Ice Man." The Spaniard pointed out.

"Really? You don't think I am reckless or dangerous?" Max asked, looking at Alonso with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, you absolutely are. But these newer drivers don't realise how boring it is not having someone like that in the races anymore." Alonso said with a chuckle.

Max huffed a little as they walked. But the way Alonso had said that was stumping him. He said it like it wasn't a bad thing that he drove as he did. Unlike the rest of the grid, he welcomed it and was excited to see what he could do. 

The two continued their walk in silence. It was nice. There was no need to argue with someone who thought he was just an irresponsible kid with no place in the sport. For once, he didn't feel like he needed to bolt at the sight of the veteran drivers. 

They were approaching the end of the grid walk when Alonso turned to Max once again.

"Do you want to borrow my jacket?" He offered, already in the process of taking it off.

"Uh, why? It's not that cold, and I have a hoodie anyway." Max said, looking confused.

"Oh, yeah. Forgot people can't smell their own scents. Thought you'd want to hide the fact that you are an omega since it seems your scent blockers wore off." Alonso explained as he wrapped the jacket around the younger driver.

"Oh shit! I knew I forgot something this morning!" Max exclaimed, looking panicked. "Don't tell anyone! I really want to race, and my father will be more than furious if other people know about it!" The Dutchman pleaded, hoping he hadn't just blown his chances at being a world champion.

"Don't worry, pequeño león. Your secret is safe with me." Alonso assured, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "How about I get you back to your hotel so you can get to your temporary nest?" He offered.

"What's a nest?" Max asked, causing Alonso to sigh.

"You seriously don't know about nests? Then I must teach you my ways." Alonso said as he led Max along towards the direction of the hotel where the drivers were all staying. "It might be an omega thing, but I can still teach you how to make them. No wonder you're so pent up."

"What do you mean?" Max asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't worry your little head. All shall be explained when we get to your hotel room, so at least it's all explained without people being able to walk in." Alonso explained.

Max just followed along, very confused. 

This secondary gender thing was a lot more complicated than the pamphlets explained. At least now, he had someone on his side who didn't care that he was an omega or that he was a menace on the track.

Just someone who was now looking out for him.

Chapter Text

It had taken some time for the two of them to get to Max's apartment, mainly because Alonso kept making sure they didn't bump into anyone along the way. Max made sure his hotel keys were ready so they could get in without fumbling and potentially getting stuck in a conversation with another driver. So, once they reached his room, Max immediately let Alonso in.

"There is no life in here," Alonso commented as Max closed the door. "It barely looks used."

"I am only staying here for the race weekend, so there isn't really much point in getting comfortable," Max said as he grabbed the pill bottle off the side.

"That is no excuse not to give this place some character," Alonso said as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

Max frowned a little but focused on taking the scent blockers. He really needed to set a reminder to take these every week. The shots were different because he was forced to go to the doctors every week by his father. Now, he had to remember to take medication every week that didn't require him to go to the doctors.

"So, I am assuming the only information you have about everything is those little pamphlets over there," Alonso said, pulling out his phone.

"Yeah. My father drilled in how to be an alpha, but I went to the doctors a couple of weeks ago to change medications and was handed a bunch of them." Max said as he placed the pill bottle back down. "None of them explained the whole nest thing you were talking about, though."

"You would think they would have told you. But, I will have to do." Alonso said with a grin as Max walked towards his hotel bed, that the older driver was sitting on.

"So, how are you going to do that? You said it was an omega thing." Max questioned with a raised eyebrow as Alonso turned his phone around to show photos of the nests in question.

Max tilted his head a little as he was shown the photos, taking the phone from the older driver to scroll through them. These 'nests' looked intricate, like they had been built and improved upon over many years. But they looked comforting.

"I thought it would be better to show you examples of what I mean first. But nests are built by omegas as a safe space. Somewhere to go when they are overwhelmed with everything." Alonso explained as he took his phone back. "Notice how they are all different. No nest is the same since it is based on the omega's needs." He added.

"So these are built for comfort?" Max asked. 

"Yep. Many omegas also build temporary nests when they are away from their main nest for extended periods of time. So, they can still have somewhere to go to when they need comfort." Alonso explained as he stood up.

"Huh..." Max mumbled as he thought about the nests.

"Anyway, I'd better let you get some rest for tomorrow. Let me leave you my phone number so you can contact me if ever you need anything." Alonso said, grabbing Max's attention again.

"Uh. Sure. I might ask more about the nest thing after tomorrow." Max said, pulling out his phone and handing it over.

Alonso spent his time adding his number to Max's phone, making sure it was correct and sneakily making his contact 'Tio Fernando' before he handed it back over. He then ruffled Max's hair.

"See you on the track tomorrow, pequeño león!" Alonso said before he headed out of the hotel room, leaving Max alone.

Max was glad Alonso wasn't going to out him as an omega, and then he'd lose his place within F1. He really didn't want to even think about what his father would do if he got kicked out before he could truly settle into his racing career. He didn't even know what he would do if he couldn't race, since he didn't do that well in school, but he could maybe go into mechanical engineering. But that wasn't what he wanted to do.

All he wanted to do was race.

~~~

The grid was lively throughout the hours leading up to the 4 pm start time for the race. Max was once again sitting on the wall of the paddock, watching as the engineers worked hard to get the cars ready for the race. Just like he had done before his first-ever qualifying period. Though Sainz hadn't approached him this time, currently focused on other things he needed to do. So, he was alone with his own thoughts.  

Except when his phone buzzed. He pulled it out to take a look at what it was, rolling his eyes at the contact name.

Chat with Tio Fernando
March 20th, 2016 15:46

Tio Fernando:
Good luck in the race today!
Got something for afterwards to help with your nest building

Max:
Same to you
What do you mean, 'you got something to help with nest building?'

Tio Fernando:
You will have to wait and see

Max rolled his eyes and put his phone away, standing up and heading to the Red Bull trailer to leave anything important in there. He made sure everything was in his small backpack, including his scent blockers, being hidden under the spare pair of clothes he could quickly change into afterwards. He then headed back out, putting on his balaclava and helmet, ready for the first race in the 2016 season.

All he needed to do was pass two drivers, and that podium was his.

~~~

Fucking 10th place.

He had fallen to 10th place by the time the chequered flag flew at the line. He was behind his teammate, and he was livid at himself for it. He wanted to scream and cry at the poor performance, but instead took out his frustrations on a tyre stack in the Toro Rosso garage, giving it a couple of kicks. 

"10th is still a good place to be kid. It's still points." Xevi tried to comfort.

"Yeah! 1 fucking point! I started 5th and only got 1 point!" Max snapped, turning to his engineer with a glare.

"I know it's not the podium you wanted, but you still got points for the team, and there are still 20 more races where you can really show what you're made of," Xevi said, noticing the anger in the kid's eyes slowly dissipating.

"Yeah. You're right. But I am still frustrated with the result." Max said as he finally took off his helmet and balaclava. 

"And you can be. Just remember that you still have plenty of opportunities to show everyone you belong here." Xevi assured, watching Max's shoulders slump a bit.

Max quietly nodded and walked off towards the trailer to grab his things to head straight to the hotel. Only, when he opened that door, he was greeted with a punch to his face. Before he could even process what was happening, he was immediately pulled into the trailer, thrown to the floor. He finally looked up to see his father closing the trailer door.

"You fucking disgrace. You had the podium within your grasp, and you botched it." Jos' voice was tight, knowing shouting would bring unwanted attention. "Was the training not enough? Do I need to stick around more to make sure you don't fuck up?" He questioned, marching up to the younger Dutchman on the floor.

Max took a shaky breath. "No, father. I promise to do better next week." He said, trying to keep his voice from shaking as he spoke.

"I don't think you will," Jos said, stepping onto Max's hand

Max bit back a whine of pain. He had stepped hard enough to hurt but not to break.

"Just to make sure you learn your lesson, you will make your own way back home," Jos said, glaring down at his son. "No more handouts from me." He added, stepping off his hand and abandoning his son in the trailer.

Max lay there for a few minutes, processing what had just happened. He had barely noticed the blood that was dripping from his nose. The injuries were one thing, but now he had no way to get back to his new place in Monaco. He was stuck in Australia with no one to help him get back. He stood up and grabbed his backpack before he bolted out of that trailer. He needed to get out of there before anyone saw him. No one could see him like this.

His vision had blurred as he felt the tears build up. He was just running on pure instinct at that point. At least, until he collided with someone and crashed to the ground.

~~~

Kimi had been casually strolling along the back of the trailers. He, himself, had been a bit bummed out at his DNF this race, but once again wasn't really that bothered. He was just racing for the fun of it, having already won the world championship in 2007. He had nothing left to prove at this point. So, he was taking a walk by himself after all the interviews with the press. No one else really went behind the trailers of the teams, so he thought he would be in the clear from the teasing of other drivers.

At least, until someone collided with him. He stumbled back slightly, managing to catch himself before he took an actual tumble.

"Katso minne menet, idiootti." Kimi mumbled as he sidestepped to continue on his walk.

Until he heard quiet sobbing coming from the crumpled figure on the floor. He raised an eyebrow and turned his attention to them, only to see the youngest driver on the grid not moving from the position he had fallen into.

"Shit. You're Verstappen's kid." Kimi said, quickly looking around for any signs of his father before crouching down to the boy.

All he got in response were more sobs from the shaking Dutchman.

"Here. Anna minun auttaa." Kimi said as he wrapped his arms around Max, lifting them off the floor.

That's when he saw the state of the kid. The bruise was already forming on his face, with blood dripping down from his nose, and the tears were just non-stop. He didn't even seem to fully register what was going on.

"Right. Let's get you back to the hotel. Have you got anyone I can call?" Kimi asked, watching the Dutchman slowly and shakily reach into the backpack and pull out both his hotel keys and his phone.

Kimi took both of them as they made their way to the hotel, looking at the phone contacts and noticing one labelled 'Tio Fernando'. He decided that was the best one to call.

"Hey pequeño león! I have been looking for you! Where are you right now?" Alonso had immediately answered after the first ring.

"Fernando. It's Kimi. Can you meet us at Max's room?" Kimi asked, confused as to why Alonso would be looking for Max.

"Hombre de Hielo? Why do you have Max's phone?" Alonso asked in an accusing tone.

"Long story that we can deal with when we get to Max's room. He isn't exactly in the right state to talk." Kimi said and hung up before Alonso could argue with him.

Kimi then took his time walking Max back to his hotel room, taking routes to avoid the rest of the grid. He had checked the group chat this morning and knew it really wouldn't be the best idea for them to see the kid in this state. Especially Massa and Kvyat. The two of them would have a field day with this.

Once they reached the right floor, he could see Alonso standing in front of the door to Max's room, holding a small carrier bag. Kimi guided Max over to the Spaniard, seeing the older driver's face morph into concern.

"What happened?" Alonso asked as Kimi handed Max over to him.

"We can discuss that in the privacy of the room. Anyone could hear this out here." Kimi said, unlocking the door to the room.

The three of them walked inside the room, Kimi closing and locking the door so no one could barge in.

"Explain now," Alonso demanded as he placed Max on the bed and wrapped him in a blanket.

"The kid ran into me as I was walking behind the trailers. But, I don't think that was the cause of the sobbing and the bruise across his face." Kimi said what he knew, hoping that would keep the Spaniard on his good side.

"That better be all you did, Hombre de Hielo, otherwise you shall deal with my wrath for even thinking of harming him." Alonso threatened.

"I would be more concerned about Massa harming him," Kimi said and waved a hand in front of Max's face. "He's really out of it at the moment." He sighed.

Alonso frowned and then had an idea. He reached into the carrier bag and pulled out a medium-sized plushie of a lion he had found. He kneeled in front of Max, holding it in front of him.

"Hey pequeño león. You know how I said that I got you something before the race. Here he is! A león just like you!" Alonso said as he placed the plush into the kid's arms.

Max sat there, holding the plush for some time, unmoving. Then the sobbing grew louder, and he hugged that plush like he was scared it would be taken from him. Alonso smiled and sat down next to Max, watching as the boy leaned against him and just kept sobbing. Kimi watched from a distance until Alonso gestured for the Ice Man to sit down on the other side. He did so and didn't expect much from it until Max grabbed his shirt and moved, now proceeding to sob onto his shirt. He was just glad he was wearing his Ferrari shirt, so the blood stain wasn't as obvious as it was on Alonso's shirt.

But now he understood why the Spaniard was so protective of Max, even if they hadn't been communicating long.

He could feel that protective instinct growing within himself.

If anyone was to hurt the Dutchman, they would have to go through him next time

Chapter Text

The two older drivers stayed like that for a couple of hours until Max had seemingly exhausted the tears out of his system and just had his head resting against Alonso's shoulder. He looked drained and seemed like he was going to pass out if they let him. He still had the plush lion in his arms, no longer squeezing it to death, and more just holding it, occasionally running a hand through its mane to remind him that it's there.

"So, kid, do you want to explain what happened? I know the fall didn't cause that kind of damage." Kimi broke the silence, being as blunt as ever.

"Kimi! You cannot just ask someone that after what has just happened!" Alonso exclaimed, punching Kimi in the arm.

"I did not say he had to," Kimi said, rubbing his arm.

"No...It's fine..." Max mumbled, still not moving from where he sat. "Just...Don't tell anyone else..." He mumbled, looking between the two older drivers.

Both of them nodded and waited for Max to build up the courage to talk about what had caused the injuries to his face. They weren't going to rush him into it, and if he suddenly became uncomfortable and didn't want to talk about it, they wouldn't force him. They would continue to provide support for the young driver no matter what he decided to do.

"My father wasn't happy with my result today...Called me a disgrace..." Max mumbled, feeling tears build up in his eyes once again. "H-he lef-ft me h-here..." He stuttered, trying to hold back the tears.

Kimi's face darkened at that. He knew the older Verstappen back when he was a driver, and when Max was just a little toddler watching him on the tracks. It was why, compared to the other drivers on the grid, he wasn't surprised to see Max join so young. The kid had been surrounded by karting and racing his whole life. But, he had his suspicions about the way the older Verstappen treated his son, with how loose-lipped the toddler had been when he sat with him during times he had DNF'd.

Now he had the confirmation.

"10th at the start of a season is great! It is nothing to be disappointed about!" Alonso exclaimed. "Both Kimi and I would have killed for a 10th-place finish today!" 

"B-but...I-I start-ted 5th..." Max mumbled, the new tears starting to spill down his cheeks once again.

"You are against experienced drivers. Ones who have been racing in F1 for a few years. You will not always be able to keep them from passing you." Kimi commented, rubbing Max's back. "What do you mean that he left you here?" He then asked.

"H-he took m-my plane tick-ket…" Max mumbled. "I-i can't g-get home..." He sniffed as he tried to stop himself from crying.

Both Kimi and Alonso looked at each other. Jos Verstappen was likely going to get murdered the next time he came within eyeline of either of them. Who just abandons their child in an unfamiliar country because of what they consider a bad position? Not to mention hitting the kid as well. They'd have to look out for him a lot more than they truly realised.

"Well, we cannot have that now, can we?" Alonso announced as he stood up. 

"What are you planning now?" Kimi questioned, not wanting to get dragged into another one of his schemes.

"Are you in a rush to get home, Max?" Alonso asked, watching the confused look spread on the younger driver's face.

"No...?" Max slowly said, being unsure of himself.

He would have been if there wasn't a storm of punishment waiting for him. And, he didn't think he could practice with the pain in his right hand. But what was the older driver planning to do that meant neither one would be in a rush back home?

"Well, that settles that then! We shall have some fun over here in Australia before we take you over to Bahrain!" Alonso grinned with his hands on his hips.

Kimi facepalmed. Of course, it was going to be something stupid like that, and with the way Alonso winked at him, he was obviously getting dragged into it as well. So much for heading home and relaxing before the next race. 

"Bu-" "Not buts! It is settled!" Alonso interrupted Max before he could object and pulled out his phone. "We can take a trip to the Melbourne Zoo tomorrow! Maybe I can get Tejón de miel to join us, or at least give us some recommendations of things to do!" He said as he began typing.

"Who...?" Max mumbled, the tears having stopped, but was now stifling yawns.

"Riccardo. He is Australian, so he will be around for a while." Kimi explained, standing up to get some tissues for Max's nose.

"I don't want to burden anyone else..." Max admitted as he hugged the lion plush tighter.

He already felt like a burden to the older drivers with how much they were doing for him. He didn't want others on the grid to be helping him out, especially with the way some of them looked at him. He didn't want to be seen as a brat who couldn't take care of himself. Mad Max was enough.

"And that is fine! I shall just ask for recommendations!" Alonso said as Kimi returned with tissues.

"Get some rest, kid. We will see you in the morning." Kimi said, handing the tissues over to Max before heading to the door.

Max watched the two of them leave him in the room and finally felt himself relax a little. But, before he could pass out, he cleaned his nose of blood, wincing when he did so. He was just glad it was from the bruise that was forming and not his nose actually being broken. Once that was dealt with, he looked back at the lion plush in his arms. He hadn't really had a plush of his own before, from what he could remember. He was told he was too old for toys even when he had been a toddler. 

But this lion plush felt different. It was a gift. He was going to make sure it was safe from his father's wrath. 

Chat with Tio Fernando
March 20th, 2016 22:32

Max:
Thank you

~~~

Max awoke to banging on his hotel door, drool hanging from his mouth and hair in quite a state. He slumped out of the bed, the lion resting in his left arm as he made his way over to the door. 

He barely got to open the door when Alonso walked in, having too much energy for this early in the morning.

"Anteeksi. I tried to stop him," Kimi said as he waited by the door.

"How are you not ready yet?! We are going to a zoo!" Alonso exclaimed like it were a crime, though he seemed to calm down when he saw the state of Max.

"Let the kid actually wake up and get ready, ääliö," Kimi grumbled and shoved Alonso towards the bed.

Max still hadn't fully registered anything, too tired for all of this. But, he moved to the bed and placed the lion on the pillow before grabbing a new set of clothes and heading into the bathroom to get changed.

"Jesus, that kid activates every parental instinct I did not think I had." Kimi sighed as he sat on the bed.

"Oh yeah. I did not think I had any either, yet I want to wrap him in blankets and not let him out into the world." Alonso agreed, nodding to himself.

They both waited as Max walked out in his fresh clothes and hair no longer a mess. Though his choice of clothes was not very creative. Just a plain navy blue polo and some skinny jeans. The bruise on his face had bloomed and spread out like freckles along his nose, and they finally noticed the bruise that was visible on his hand that seemed worse than the one across his face.

"Don't we need to move out of the hotel?" Max asked.

"Oh no. I made sure all 3 of us can stay here for at least 3 more days. Then we can take my private jet to Bahrain, so there is no rush to leave." Alonso smiled.

"That is too much," Max said, once again feeling like a burden.

"If it were, lapsukainen, we would not be doing it," Kimi said, watching Max walk back over to pick up the lion plush.

Alonso smiled more when he saw that. That plush seemed like it was never going to leave his side. 

"Now that we are all ready, let us go!" Alonso announced as he headed out of the hotel.

Kimi sighed as he stood up, walking along with Max.

"Is he always like this?" Max asked, looking up at Kimi.

"I wish I could tell you no," Kimi said as he ruffled Max's hair, ignoring the flinch that shot through the boy out of instinct.

~~~

The zoo had been a resounding success, all things considered. There had been fans around that had interrupted both older drivers from sightseeing, and obviously, some concerned looks with the way Max had looked with the bruise on his face. But Max seemed to be enjoying himself. He spent a good amount of time on every animal they had and listened to every talk they had. It gave Kimi and Alonso to discuss the plan on what to do whilst Max was stuck under their watch due to Jos Verstappen.

"Look at the little one!" Max shouted as he pointed into the tiger exhibit when he saw the cub, a grin on his face.

"Aw, very cute," Alonso commented as he looked over.

"Yes, erittäin söpö." Kimi also said, looking at the way Max had reacted.

He didn't think he would ever see the Verstappen kid so relaxed. He had never been when he was a toddler, always shy and hiding in his father's shadow. This seemed to be a completely different side of him, even more so than his racing counterpart. From aggressive and angry to cheery and sweet. It really was a contrast.

"Hey, pequeño león. Would it be okay if I told Hombre de Hielo about your situation?" Alonso asked, watching Max turn around and think about it before nodding.

"What are you about to tell me?" Kimi questioned with a raised eyebrow when Max turned his attention to the Wombats.

"Max is not an alpha. I found that out two nights ago when we were on a grid walk, and his scent blockers wore off. He is an omega." Alonso said, making sure to keep his voice quiet so other people wouldn't hear him.

"Voi vittu. No wonder he is stirring my parental instincts." Kimi said as he glanced at Max, making sure he was still with them.

"Yeah. He did not even know what a nest was. So, that león was something he could maybe start with." Alonso said, looking at the plush in Max's arms.

Kimi seemed to get what he meant at that.

He was going to add to that nest.

~~~

They somehow managed to spend 9 hours at the zoo since Max had decided he wanted to see some of the more nocturnal animals before they left. The two older drivers were very much exhausted by that point, but Max hadn't been slowing down until they were on their way back to the hotel. Both were very glad Kimi had decided to get a rental car when the two had gotten them sorted out for another few days in Australia, since Max had been drifting to sleep the entire way, and neither one wanted to carry him back. By the time they had pulled up to the hotel parking lot, that lion plush was starting to dangle, and the younger driver's head was lolling forward as he tried to stay awake.

"We are back," Kimi announced as he parked up, watching Max's head jolt like he hadn't just been on the verge of falling asleep.

"Let us get you to bed, mi pequeño león cansado," Alonso said, climbing out of the passenger seat.

"I can stay up a bit longer," Max said as he climbed out of the car as well.

"Älä valehtele. We both saw you drifting off back there." Kimi said, getting out after them and grabbing a carrier bag from the trunk of the car.

The three then made their way inside, heading to Max's hotel room to drop him off for the night. Max seemed like he had gotten another burst of energy with the way he was talking about all the different animals they saw, at least until they headed into his room. The younger driver had made his way over to his bed and lay down on it, kicking off his shoes. What seemed like one of them moments of someone taking a few minutes just to relax before getting up turned to soft snores from the young boy.

"This parenting thing is not easy," Kimi said as he rummaged through the carrier bag for what he had bought from the zoo without Max's knowledge.

"Yes, but rewarding no? I do not think I have seen him that relaxed since he joined the grid." Alonso commented as he tucked Max under the blankets with the lion plush.

Kimi just rolled his eyes with a smile as he placed the koala plush he had bought next to Max. "I have no doubt it will be all over the news tomorrow." He commented as he took Max's phone to add his own contact details under the name 'Kimi Setä'.

The two then left the Dutchman to get some well-deserved rest before deciding to check their phones on if it had already been picked up by the press about what they did today. Though Kimi was more so browsing all the photos he had managed to get without Max looking.

"And I shall put this in the chat and let it explode whilst we rest." Alonso grinned when he managed to find a new article.

"Do not. We should not be drawing unnecessary attention to ourselves." Kimi warned, though the look on his face was a smirk.

"Too late!" Alonso sang before heading off to his hotel room.

Grid Pack Group Chat
19 Members 
March 21st, 2016 18:56

Alonso:
{A link was posted to a news article put out by The Australian titled: "Veteran F1 drivers day out with the Rookie Max Verstappen." The photo is of Fernando and Kimi on a bench talking with one another, whilst Max is looking in the Kangaroo exhibit, a grin on his face and a lion plush in his arms. First sentence of the article reads: "In a surprising turn of events after the Australian GP, it seems 3 drivers have decided to take on sightseeing and were spotted within the Melbourne Zoo from the early hours this morning..."}

Hamilton:
WTF?!

Riccardo:
Oh, this is why you asked for recommendations of places to visit

Vettel:
HAHAHAHA

Massa:
Wtf is this?
The kid is only going to stab you in the back later

Rosberg:
Huh
The Löwe suits him

Hülkenberg:
Damn
Where was my invite?

Hamilton:
EXPLAIN YOURSELF ALONSO
YOU TOO RÄIKKÖNEN

Vettel:
Oh, last names
Lewis is jealous 
Just because you're the pack alpha doesn't mean you control what others do out of it

Sainz:
Aw :(
He's never that happy around me
AND I'M HIS TEAMMATE

Vettel:
Don't worry kid
Fernando has that effect on people
Can't run away from him forever

Kvyat:
This doesn't mean anything
Just one good day doesn't erase the shit he pulls on the track

Riccardo:
He looks so happy in them photos
Didn't think he could be

20+ Unread messages...

Chapter Text

The days in Australia seemed to be what the three of them needed as they unfolded. Max seemed to come out of his shell a lot more with the way he was acting, like he was getting to be a child for the first time. The only annoying thing was the fans and the press. While most had been nice and were just after photos. But some seemed to despise Max. There had been articles manipulating the situations they were in, though the two older drivers had easily shut them down. The fans, though, were quite aggressive. Alphas tried to intimidate him, betas ignored him, and omegas tried to push him away from the two alphas. But the Dutchman didn't let it faze him. He refused to bite at their attempts to bring out 'Mad Max', so they couldn't use it against him.

It still didn't stop some fans from posting things. But they just ignored all of that. 

Now, they were on the private jet, making their way to Bahrain for the next race weekend. This was the perfect time to try and teach Max how to build a nest so he would be able to build temporary ones for when he needed them.

"So, how does this nest thing work?" Max asked, watching the two older drivers bring over pillows and blankets.

"How much do you know?" Kimi asked as he tossed a pillow over to Max.

"As much as Alonso explained," Max said, catching the pillow before it smacked him in the face.

"We have spent the last few days together, and you still last name me?! Increíble!" Alonso exclaimed, a frown on his face. "I should only be last named if I am about to be told off!"

"You are always in trouble," Kimi commented, hitting the Spaniard in the face with a pillow.

"So does it matter how it is made, or does it have to be built a specific way?" Max asked, grabbing both of their attention.

"Well, first, you have to scent the items yo-No, not that kind of scenting," Kimi said quickly when Max had pulled a face when he mentioned it. "You just need to hold it close to allow your scent to rub off on the items." He explained.

"But, I don't have a scent with the scent blockers I am on," Max said with a frown.

"You do not have to scent the items to make a nest. It would help make a permanent nest more comforting, but since we are starting with temporary nests, scenting is less important." Alonso said as he laid out all of the items, including the two plushies.

"You also build it how you see fit. There is no right way to build them. It is all to the omega's preference." Kimi explained as he gestured to the items he could use. 

Max looked at the items and walked over to attempt his first nest. Both older drivers left him to it, so he wouldn't feel pressured to try and make it perfect. The two sat down so they could talk about what they should do once they were in Bahrain.

"We cannot just be parenting him this entire season. I can guarantee his father will end up dragging him away at some point." Kimi pointed out, causing Alonso to sigh.

"I know. I really do not want to let that man anywhere near him." Alonso said, crossing his arms. "But that is not what I am concerned about." He admitted.

"Ah. I saw on the chat the other day. Introducing him into the pack is going to be a stressful event." Kimi said, looking at Alonso. "But it was bound to happen at some point."

"I know. But with the way some of the pack have been expressing their thoughts on Max, I do not think it is a good idea." Alonso stated, watching Kimi nod.

"Which is why we will stick around and make sure members like Massa cannot bully him around." Kimi declared. 

Alonso nodded as he pulled out his phone to check on the state of the group chat after his last post. Neither one of them had opened it since he had posted the news article about the zoo. There hadn't been much reason to since they had been focused on Max and making sure he wasn't thinking about how he had been abandoned by his own father in Australia. 

Grid Pack Group Chat
19 Members 
March 31st, 2016 13:34

Riccardo:
They're all over Australian news right now
I have no doubt it is the same in other countries

Vettel:
They look to be having fun
Kimi being unbothered in every photo as per usual
Anyone else a little jealous?

Hülkenberg:
Definitely
Wish I could've at least gone to the zoo

Massa:
Why isn't he with his actual father?
He shouldn't be around any of the pack

Sainz:
Has anyone else noticed these, though?
{A zoomed-in photo was posted from one of the articles of Max, of his face. A red circle around the nose area shows off the bruise that Max had gotten the day he had been punched.}
{Another zoomed-in photo was posted of Max's right hand. A red circle around the back of his hand shows off the darker bruise that had now fully formed.}
I don't remember hearing of him going to medical after the last race

Rosberg:
Because they are not racing injuries
His hand would be broken if he injured it in the race
And padding in the helmet stops most facial injuries

Alonso:
Can we not discuss Max's injuries when none of you know how he got them?

Räikkönen:
Bwoah

Hamilton:
YOU TWO HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!
KIDNAPPING ROOKIES IS ILLEGAL!

Räikkönen:
We did not kidnap him
He was in the country for a bit longer than he expected to be
We decided to keep him company

Kvyat:
Looks like someone got sick and tired of his attitude and punched him
That's what the bruise on his face looks like

Alonso:
What did I just say not to do?
We don't want grid members to start 'disappearing' now, do we?

Hamilton:
First you kidnap a rookie
Now you threaten someone

Alonso:
You cannot control me ;)

Button:
I forgot I muted this chat
When is the Verstappen kid getting introduced into the pack?

Hamilton: 
After qualifying on the 2nd 
I expect everyone to be there
Unless you're injured in qualifying of course
[18 members reacted with a thumbs up]

"You know, you are seriously going to give Hamilton grey hairs at some point," Kimi commented, looking at Alonso laughing in his chair.

"If he did not want to be pack alpha, he would step down," Alonso said once he could breathe properly. 

"We should let Max know about the pack thing. Since it is coming up, I do not think he would appreciate the surprise." Kimi said, standing up and stretching.

"Ah, yes. Good idea." Alonso agreed as he followed after Kimi.

The sight that greeted them was nothing short of endearing. Max had constructed his first nest using the pillows and blankets provided. It was by no means perfect, where if one pillow moved, the whole thing would topple. It was small, only meant for one person to use, and when they looked inside, Max was curled up within, cuddling both plushies close as he slept. 

"That is not a bad first attempt," Alonso said as he opened up the camera on his phone.

"We can tell him once we land," Kimi said, noting how relaxed the Dutchman seemed.

~~~

10th Place. 

For once, the place he had qualified wasn't stressing him out. When they had landed in Bahrain, the two older drivers had told him that the rest of the grid pack were all wanting to meet him afterwards. And not just for a meet-up, but to allow him to join the pack if he wanted. He was terrified. He hadn't exactly made the best impression with many of them on the grid and with the way they talked about him in interviews, he doubted he was going to get along with any of them.

What was also more concerning was that there was still no sign of his father anywhere. No sign of him about to tear into him for what he had done for the week before this race. No sign of him beating him up for this poor performance in qualifying. At least until he pulled out his phone and saw a message.

Chat with Papa
April 2nd, 2016 16:48

Papa:
Don't think I don't know what you have been doing
And look at where it has gotten you
Absolute disappointment

Max:
I promise to do better

Papa:
Your promises don't hold
This is proof
I am not helping you until you show results

Max sighed as he stared at his phone. He was just glad Kimi and Alo-Fernando had helped him set up stuff so he could be independent from his father. He now actually had access to the money he earned during his karting days and now in F1, so he wasn't completely stuck anymore. He didn't need to rely on the other two drivers for anything now.

"Hey! ¡Pequeño león! Are you ready?" Fernando called as he approached Max.

"As ready as I will ever be," Max responded, putting his phone in his pocket.

He had remembered to take his scent blockers, so there wouldn't be any issues with the others finding out about his secret, at least. But it was still going to be nerve-racking entering a room with the entire grid present for the first time.

"You know you can come to either Kimi or me if you need to," Fernando assured as he walked with Max towards the pack room.

Max nodded as he walked with the older driver, almost recoiling at the stench of so many different alphas being in proximity to each other. The enclosed space likely wasn't helping with amplifying the smell either, since there was nowhere for it to disperse. So, it was incredibly strong for his sensitive nose. 

When that door opened, he saw the whole grid just hanging out there. They weren't waiting for him expectantly or waiting to greet him.  At least, until Carlos spotted him.

"Hey, Max!" Sainz said as he headed over. "Glad to see you could make it!" His teammate grinned.

"I didn't really have much of a choice," Max said, causing Fernando to frown a little.

Of course, the kid set up his walls again. But he moved out of the way so Max could handle the situation and come to him if he needed the backup. He also noticed Kimi was off to the side, watching from a distance. He was ready to step in if things got nasty, and so was he.

~~~

Kimi walked over to Lewis after a few hours of the gathering, looking less than impressed. Especially with what little progress had been made to integrate Max into the pack. No one except Fernando, Sainz and him had even attempted to interact with him. 

"Hey, Hamilton. This was meant to be a meeting to offer Max a chance to join the pack." Kimi said, arms crossed.

"I know. He should be bonding with each of the pack members." Hamilton said, looking at the older alpha.

"You think an 18-year-old rookie is actively going to interact with people he barely knows? No. He has been standing in the corner for the last few hours, with his teammate being the only one interacting with him all evening." Kimi pointed over to Max.

The kid was pushing himself impossibly further into that corner with a cup of water that had been given to him by Fernando. Sainz was next to him, chatting his ear off, but Max just looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Oh shit. You're right." Hamilton said when he realised that. "I forgot just how overwhelming it was when I first joined." He said with a sigh.

"I know you have only been the pack alpha for 2 years, but you should remember how it was when I was pack alpha," Kimi said and guided Hamilton over to Max.

Max looked up when he heard footsteps heading over and raised an eyebrow when he saw both Hamilton and Kimi heading over. Sainz had also noticed and decided to back away to give Max the opportunity to talk with the older alphas.

"Hey, Max. Someone finally remembered their manners." Kimi said as he left the two alone to chat. 

"I apologise for not greeting you properly." Hamilton started with, Max shrugging when he did say it.

"It's fine, mate. No one else did." Max said like it was normal.

"It isn't. As the pack alpha, I should be making you feel welcome in the pack." Hamilton said, watching as Max moved a little from the corner.

"I said it's fine. It's not like you are the one making me feel unwelcome." Max gestured over to where Kvyat and Massa were glaring at him. "And I am not part of the pack. This was what this whole gathering was about, right?" He asked, with a tilt of his head.

"Yes. I was hoping you would bond a bit more with the pack before I asked, but since that hasn't really happened, I'll ask now. Do you want to join the pack?" Hamilton asked, noticing how all of the pack were now quiet and listening for his answer.

Max looked around at the group and frowned. He really wasn't sure if he should join right now at such a young age compared to the rest of the grid. They all seemed to be well established, and he would just throw a spanner in the works, especially if he was to grow close and potentially reveal he was actually an omega. He would maybe feel more comfortable in a few years when he felt like he had established himself on the track first.

"No," Max responded. "At least, not right now. Maybe when I am older." He added, before moving himself around Hamilton to finally escape. 

"Good. You would just fuck everything up anyway." Massa called out.

Max stopped in his tracks, about halfway to the door, and turned to face the Brazilian. 

"Massa." Hamilton let out a warning growl.

"What? I am right. He breaks the rules we have anyway. And he's dangerous." Massa said, trying to prove his point.

Fernando looked over to Kimi. There was one of two ways this was going to go. Max was either going to bolt, and they'd never catch him.

Or something worse.

"And someone must've gotten sick of his attitude anyway. Why else would someone punch him in the face?" Massa questioned.

The cup in the Dutchman's hand dropped to the ground, his hands clenching and unclenching. The rest of the pack seemed to get the idea of what was about to happen, with Rosberg putting himself in front of Massa.

"Stand down." He growled at the Brazilian.

Both Fernando and Kimi put themselves in front of Max just before he lunged, grabbing both his arms. His eyes were complete slits, and he even managed to get his fangs out. Not the first time that has happened with how everyone had seen him during his crashes last year. But even then, it was rare. Massa must've really struck a nerve if he managed to bring out that side of him.

"Okay, kid. Let us get you out of here to let off some steam." Kimi said as Max struggled in their grip, clearly wanting to attack Massa for what he had said.

"See? Clearly unstable." Massa commented as the two veteran drivers dragged Max out.

"Because you tormented the poor kid!" Vettel snapped. "No wonder he wants to kill you!" He said as he followed after the three.

"Careful Massa. If you keep that up, you might be the one kicked out." Hamilton growled. 

Chapter Text

Vettel walked through the hallway that led out of the pack room. An angry teen was one thing to deal with, and they were often just needing space. An angry alpha teen that hasn't handled the hormones for very long was a whole different kettle of fish. Especially one tormented by another alpha. They never tended to stand down, even when told to by other alphas due to being hopped up on the hormones. So, instead of having Fernando and Kimi try and handle it on their own, he was going to help them handle the teen with how he had learned to deal with the new rookies over the years. 

Though when he made it outside, the situation wasn't what he expected. He expected the two veteran drivers holding back the teen from rushing inside to attack Massa. Instead, he caught the two rushing off, chasing after Max, who had run the complete opposite direction to the pack room. He raised an eyebrow at that and decided not to chase after them but to just walk along. He would likely catch up to the two if they lost the rookie in the chase, and then he could ask what was going on with the teen. But then again, this was Max Verstappen. The teen, of course, wouldn't behave like all the rookies before him. He was a lot more unique in more senses than just his driving style. He would not be surprised if he were a unique kind of alpha as well.

~~~

He ran.

He did not know why he was running or where he was going, but he just needed to get away from everyone and everything. Everything that had been worrying him over the past week had finally bubbled over with the comments from Massa. He had been fine at the start, even with the change in his medication, since it had made him feel a lot better with the lack of body pain and nose bleeds. But, he had to go and forget to take his scent blockers on time, and now he had two alphas basically not leaving him alone. And, while it had helped when his father decided to abandon him in Australia, he still felt like he was being coddled. And Massa was right.

He would fuck up the pack.

He did deserve to get punched.

He was unstable.

He took a sharp turn into the Red Bull paddock, looking for somewhere to hide away from the world and decided to choose the few stacks of tyres that were against the wall. He immediately headed over to them and climbed over the first stack to duck behind him before the two older drivers saw where he went.

"Paska. Where did he go?" Max heard Kimi say as he covered his mouth to hide his heavy breathing.

"Knowing him, anywhere...That kid is fast." Fernando said, out of breath, once he stopped moving.

"We should maybe leave him alone. He likely does not want to be around anyone right now." Kimi suggested.

"Absolutely not! It is not safe for him at night!" Fernando declared.

"He is 18, Fernando. He is not technically a child anymore." Kimi said. "I do not think he appreciates us being around him constantly."

"Fine. But I will be sending messages to make sure he is okay." Fernando said, and Max heard their footsteps leaving the area.

Max finally uncovered his mouth once he couldn't hear footsteps and pulled out his phone, immediately blocking both of their numbers before they could start spamming him with texts. All he was doing was dragging them down with how much they had been focusing on him over their racing. Hell, he needed to focus on his own racing. 10th place on the grid to start tomorrow was a long climb to that podium he wanted to get this season. He needed to get back to training.

"I'm such a fucking disgrace..." He mumbled to himself as he pulled his knees close to his chest. "Papa is right..."

He felt tears he didn't know had built up just start slipping down his cheeks. But, he didn't feel like stopping them. It hurt less than getting angry at everything and punching walls. At least these were silent tears as well, far less likely to attract any unwanted attention.

"I'll never be good enough...It will never be enough..." He mumbled as he buried his face in his knees.

~~~

Vettel saw Fernando and his teammate leave the Red Bull paddock, having clearly given up on trying to find the kid and were heading off for the night. He assumed they had decided that Max actually needed some space. He found it strange, though, how the two had seemingly grown very attached to the rookie seemingly overnight. Fernando, he understood. The man always grew attached to rookies in an attempt to encourage chaos on the grid. Kimi, on the other hand, never really cared about them. He was always indifferent. So, why had he grown attached to Max Verstappen of all rookies?

He decided to take a peek in the Red Bull paddock himself to see if he could find the teen. Having been a part of Red Bull previously, he knew all the hiding places around the place. The German had used many of them himself after particularly bad races, so he didn't have to deal with anyone. So, if anyone could find Max, it would be him.

He didn't even get that far in his search when he heard sniffling coming from the tyre stacks near the pit. That was a personal favourite spot when he was in Red Bull himself. Punching the tyres could be quite therapeutic when he was angry with the race outcome. He made his way over, making sure his footsteps were loud so as not to startle the young driver, but with the way the sniffling wasn't stopping, he may not be all there at the moment. So, he climbed onto one of the tyre stacks and sat there quietly for a bit before speaking up.

"I don't think Horner would be best pleased to find you hiding out in his paddock," Vettel said, seeing Max jump slightly out of the corner of his eye.

Max quickly wiped away his tears, trying to remove any evidence that he had been crying. "How long have you been there?" He asked once he had done so.

"A couple of seconds. A tip, this is a spot they check quite often because of me." Vettel said, without commenting on the fact that he had been crying. "But there are plenty of spots around this place to use if you ever need to get away from everyone." He added.

"Noted..." Max mumbled, remaining in the spot. "Now leave me alone." He said, gaining confidence in his voice.

"I actually want to sit here for a bit. I need a bit of a break from everyone too. I promise not to bother you with tons of questions." Vettel said, looking down at the teen.

Max contemplated it for a moment before quietly nodding and going back to his thoughts. Vettel smiled and went to watch the track from the pits. The two sat in the silence for a while, not even glancing at each other, until Max finally spoke up.

"Massa is right..." Max mumbled.

"No, he isn't," Vettel said rather quickly. 

"But he is. I am unstable and would fuck up the pack." Max said, looking up at the German.

"Kid. You literally got rookie of the year last year. If the FIA don't see you as a problem, you are not a problem." Vettel said, still not looking at Max. "And everyone eventually loves a villain." He added.

"Yeah, right. No one ever likes the villain." Max huffed with a frown.

"People like me, and I used to be one. It takes time." Vettel said, finally turning to face Max. "And if you think no one was on your side in that pack meetup, Rosberg came to your defence. Nico Rosberg. The guy is terrified of you yet still defends you." He said with a chuckle.

"He's terrified of me?" Max questioned.

"Half of the grid is. You have an unnatural talent for racing. It scares them what you're capable of." Vettel said with a smile. "I more so look forward to seeing what you can do." He admitted.

"Some talent. The highest I can get is 4th." Max huffed once again.

"I don't think you realise how impressive that is in your rookie year. Most barely get 10th." Vettel said.

Max raised an eyebrow. He hadn't really considered that 4th in the first year of driving in F1 is impressive in itself. His first 4th-place finish had even surprised his father when it happened. But now, it was expected he could get that consistently. But when Vettel had put it like that, it was quite impressive.

"Right. It's starting to get cold. How about we head into the hotel and take a look at the qualifying that was broadcast? Let's see if I can give you some advice for the race tomorrow." Vettel offered, holding out a hand.

"You're actually offering advice?" Max questioned, hesitant to take the German's hand.

"Yeah. You seem to be on track to end up in the Red Bull car later on in your career. Might as well get some advice from someone who has actually used a version of the car." Vettel said, watching as Max took his hand.

Vettel helped Max up to his feet before climbing off the tyres himself. He watched as the teen climbed over the tyres and joined him on the walk back to the hotel. The two walked in silence, with enough space between them that Max could choose to run off if he wanted to. While he had the feeling that the teen would indeed dart off, he was surprised to see that the teen followed him the whole way to the hotel. Max had even taken the lead at some point, showing the German to his hotel room.

When the door opened, Max quickly rushed in to hide the plushies that were on the bed.

"Don't worry. You've been quite popular in the Australian news for the past week. I've seen them both." Vettel chuckled when Max's face flushed red. "Now, grab your tablet so we can take a look at your qualifying." He said as he walked in.

Max nodded and went to his backpack to retrieve his tablet, pulling up the qualifying highlights and handing it over to the former Red Bull driver. 

"So, we can start with the first sector and break everything down there. And then we'll do the same for the other sectors." Vettel explained, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Max nodded and sat down next to the German before finally speaking up. "Thanks for this." He said, looking at the former Red Bull driver. "I only ever talk about this stuff with my father, and he isn't great with being constructive." He admitted.

"No problem. A more experienced pair of eyes can be quite useful." Vettel said as he began playing the first sector of Max's final qualifying time.

"Thanks for not bringing up everything else..." Max mumbled, referring to Vettel catching him crying.

"Hey. It's none of my business unless you want to actually talk about it, and I am not going to force you to do so." The German said, not taking his eyes off the tablet.

~~~

They were sitting there for a few hours, with Vettel pointing out where he had lost time and how to correct some of his mistakes, and Max adding comments on what he had done to get critiques on his technique of handling the car. But the conversation changed after they had gotten past sector 3, and Max was now talking about what pets he wanted to get, while Vettel was just letting him rant on about different cat breeds. At least, until he noticed how tired the kid was starting to look.

"Right. I should let you get some rest, so you're able to race tomorrow." Vettel said as he stood up from the bed.

"Again, thanks for the advice," Max said as he yawned. 

"No problem. And I'll make sure to scold Hamilton for the shit show that was that pack meetup. It really was a disaster." Vettel said as he headed to the door,

"You don't need to do that," Max said with a frown.

"I know, but I know most of the drivers will agree with me. It wasn't really planned very well to begin with." Vettel said, turning back to look at the teen. 

Max sat there for a few minutes before nodding in agreement. "It was quite bad."

"See you on the track tomorrow," Vettel said as he left the hotel room to let the teen get some rest.

Max didn't know what to feel about the interaction with the 4 time world champion. It was very different from the other two drivers he had regularly interacted with. While the other two treated him like a child, Vettel treated him like an actual racer who just needed some tips to compete at a better level. It was likely due to Vettel not actually knowing he was an Omega, whilst the other two knew he was. But he preferred it in a way. He felt like he was getting treated like an adult rather than someone different. It didn't mean that he didn't like how the other two veteran drivers treated him, since it was what he craved from his father when he was younger. 

He sighed as he pulled out his phone and finally unblocked both of their numbers.

Chat with Tio Fernando
April 2nd, 2016 23:32

Max:
I am fine
Needed some time away from everything
Was overwhelming

Tio Fernando:
Oh good!
Will be having a 'talking to' with Massa 

Max:
Don't kill him
Want to prove him wrong on the track

Tio Fernando:
That's the spirit, pequeño león!

Chat with Kimi Setä
April 2nd, 2016 23:41

 
Max:
I am fine
Needed some time away from everything
Was overwhelming

Kimi Setä:
Bwoah
Get some sleep for the race tomorrow.

Chapter Text

The race had gone a lot smoother than his qualifying, thanks to the tips from Vettel in each sector. Sure, it was different when there were people he needed to overtake alongside building up his speed without crashing the car. However, he managed to climb from 10th to finish in 6th place, with more than 1 point for Toro Rosso. It wasn't the podium he wanted, but it was more points than 10th place and was not a DNF. He climbed out of the car in the Toro Rosso paddock, not quite feeling as rattled as he normally was due to his father's absence in the paddock. 

"Nice going, kid! You were flying through the turns you were struggling with yesterday." Xevi congratulated, patting Max's helmet.

Max once again held back the flinch from when he heard his helmet get slapped. All it did was remind him of when his father slapped his helmet when he was drifting off during one of his karting lectures.

"I looked at the broadcast of qualifying last night to see where I lost time," Max said, making sure not to mention he had someone with him when he did so.

"Wow, a rookie that actually looks at data and how their qualifying went? You really are a unique racer." Xevi smiled and then saw Sainz heading over, deciding to leave the two teammates to bond.

"Hey Max! Great race! Far better than mine anyway." Sainz chuckled as Max took off his helmet and balaclava.

"One day, we will both score good points in the same race," Max said, sorting out his hair.

"I'm sure it will happen soon. We've got 19 more races to go. 19 more chances to score good points." Sainz said and then glanced behind Max. "I'd better leave you to it, though, looks like a reporter got approved through and is wanting to talk to you." The Spaniard said before heading to talk to the engineers.

Max turned around to see the reporter heading over to him and tried not to immediately frown at their appearance. He really did not like this part of F1. He just wanted to race like he had been trained to do, and not do all these interviews. Some people would say he should go through the training everyone else gets to deal with them, but he just did not want to deal with them either way.

"Max! Just a couple of questions and then we'll leave you alone." The reporter said as she and her camera team approached.

Max refrained from rolling his eyes. It was never just a couple of questions with them, and they were likely to try and get a rise out of him so they could justify calling him 'Mad Max.'

"Just a couple. I need to analyse the data from my race with my team." Max said, watching her nod.

"Of course. So, how would you say your race went today? Seemed cleaner than last week's." She asked, moving her microphone over to Max.

"It was clean. I had a clearer mind." Max answered quickly, not wanting to go into complete detail. 

He noticed that it seemed not to be the answer she wanted with the frown on her face.

"Okay. What about your overtake with Massa? We heard the radio. That seemed personal." She then asked.

"The man thinks he is better than me, and then can't back it up. That is his fault." Max stated, not changing his expression.

"Will you be doing anything fun with other drivers like last week? Like the zoo trip you had with Alonso and Räikkönen?" She then asked.

Max refrained once again from rolling his eyes. He knew that was coming with how popular it had been last week and was still all over the news now. So, he wasn't surprised he was going to get asked that. He couldn't do anything with anyone else right now. He needed to get back on track with his training.

"Last week was an anomaly. It won't happen again." Max said, now glancing back at his paddock, since he knew the team was itching to talk about the data.

The woman nodded and turned away to address the camera now, allowing Max to head off and into the paddock before they could bother him with more questions. He was glad they weren't invasive this time. There were no comments about the lingering bruise on his face or the one currently covered by a glove. And he was certainly happy there weren't any comments about the lack of his father being around. 

~~~

New Chat Created: Max Protection Squad
3 Members
April 3rd, 2016 17:12

Alonso:
Don't think I didn't see you and Max walking into the hotel last night
What were you two doing together?
I demand answers!
You will not go corrupting him!

Vettel:
Relax
Found him in the Red Bull paddock
Walked to the hotel with him
Gave him some advice
That's it

Räikkönen:
Told you
We did not need a group chat for this
Naurettavaa

Alonso:
Had to be sure
Max is a good kid and driver
We do not need less chaos on the track

Vettel:
You are more protective of him than other rookies before
Why?

Alonso:
Cannot discuss
It is private between me, Max and Kimi
And Max will not want others knowing

Räikkönen:
If you hang out with Max more
He might tell you himself
But it is up to him and not us

Vettel:
Fair enough
So do I get to stay in this group?
If so, you should add Carlos to the group
Kid is trying his best to connect with Max
Don't know if he has made progress yet

Alonso:
Not yet
The kid is trying to bond as a teammate
Not friend
And yes
You stay
Do not tell others about this

~~~

Grid Pack Group Chat
19 Members 
April 3rd, 2016 18:01

Vettel:
We need to address the elephant in the room
That pack meetup was shit

Button:
Agreed
Absolute shitshow

Hulkenberg:
Who actually did the thing we were meant to do?

Räikkönen:
Me, Carlos and Fernando
Hamilton only did when I said something

Riccardo:
Wasn't for a lack of trying
I'd get close, and the kid would move
Think he was overwhelmed

Massa:
Clearly can't handle the stress of F1

Rosberg:
Oh shut up
You did not help
I should've punched you for the comments

Kvyat:
As much as I don't think the kid should be in F1
You took it too far, Massa

Hamilton:
I know it was shit
It was planned last minute when Carlos reminded me
And Massa, you are close to getting kicked out, so do not push your luck

Sainz:
Maybe we can try doing a more gradual one
First with people he's comfortable with
Then we slowly add more people

Grosjean:
That could work
I think the sheer number of people in one room didn't help
Maybe even find a bigger space for it
A place with multiple rooms

Vettel:
Good idea
It should help him feel more comfortable 
And he can go to another room when overwhelmed

Alonso:
And we ban Massa until he behaves :)
Or make sure he is 20ft away from Max

Massa:
Fuck you

Hamilton:
We'll plan this for the summer break
See if we can catch him during that time
He should be less stressed about the races 
And it should be a lot smoother this time around

Alonso:
I can let him know about it
Once you set a date 

Magnussen:
The kid has already said he doesn't want to join
Why are we putting all this effort in when he isn't interested?

Riccardo:
Because he isn't comfortable with everyone
He is only spotted around 3 people of the pack often
This is more to get him comfortable
I think

Hamilton: 
Yeah
It is to try and get him more comfortable with the rest of the grid
Not to force him into the pack

Magnussen:
Fair enough
Just tell me when and where, and I'll be there

~~~

Max left the paddock once he had gone through all the data from the race and shivered slightly. He thought it was just warm in the room he had been in, but when he had finally stepped outside, he realised it was just him feeling warmer than usual. And not only that, he felt dizzy. Had he managed to catch something whilst here? He hoped not as he walked to the hotel room. But as he made his way over to the hotel, his symptoms seemed to get worse. His vision started to spin, and he felt the temperature seemingly increase and make him start sweating uncontrollably.

"What the fuck?" Max muttered as he stopped where he was.

Something just didn't feel right about this. If it were an illness, why were the symptoms getting worse now? He stood there for a few minutes, hoping the dizzy spell would go away, but it only seemed to get worse. He couldn't even take a step before he collapsed on the floor and threw up.

"Shit..." Max mumbled as he reached for his phone to try and message someone.

He looked up when he heard footsteps approaching, but couldn't quite make out who it was before he passed out.

~~~

When he came to, the first thing he felt was the ice pack on both his forehead and chest. He slowly opened his eyes and moved his arm to feel his face, realising that the lion plush had been resting on it when it fell on his face. He immediately shot up when he realised he was in the nest he had built before the race.

"Easy, kid." A voice said as he was pushed back down into his nest.

"Huh?" Max looked to where the voice came from. "Rosberg?"

"You collapsed," Rosberg said, not really explaining anything else.

"I know that. Why am I in my hotel room?" Max questioned as he held the ice pack on his forehead.

"Obviously, I brought you here. I know you're not that coherent right now, but that should have been obvious." Rosberg said as he handed over a glass of water.

"What do you mean?" Max asked, taking the glass of water.

"You went into heat. And still are in heat, mind you." Rosberg explained, causing Max's eyes to widen.

"You better not have fucking done anything!" Max snapped as he threw the water at Rosberg.

"Fuck! No! What the hell do you take me for?!" Rosberg snapped back as he quickly backed up.

Max glared at the German for a few minutes before relaxing back in his nest. "Fine. I believe you." 

"Thank you. Now, why the hell did you not know you were going into heat?" Rosberg questioned as he went to get a towel.

"This...may be the first one," Max admitted, Rosberg, spinning around quicker than he thought possible.

"Your first heat?! No wonder you fucking passed out!" Rosberg shouted as he made his way back over.

Max seemed confused. Was this not normal for the first heat? 

"Is that not normal?" Max asked.

"No! Your first heat is meant to ease you in, not go to 100 and then some!" Rosberg exclaimed, watching Max tilt his head. "You were on heat suppressants, weren't you? Verdammt noch mal!" 

Max had never seen someone so concerned for his health before. He was just glad that the doctor had explained to him about the fact that alphas aren't just going to jump him if they smell his heat. He wasn't overly concerned about his heat being significantly worse than what it should have been.

"I am sticking around to make sure you get through it. I am not letting you walk out there with the fact that you threw up and passed out." Rosberg said as he handed over another cup of water.

"You are not going to tell anyone else about this, are you?" Max asked, concerned more about the fact that he was an omega getting revealed. 

"No. You may terrify me, but this shouldn't stop you from racing. And I also really don't want to have the wrath of Alonso if you were to get kicked out of F1." Rosberg said.

Max nodded and took a sip of water. Thank god he wasn't going to say anything, but he really needed to do a better job at hiding it. More people were going to find out if he didn't, and he didn't want Massa or Kyvat to find out. He just wanted to race.

No matter his secondary gender.

Chapter Text

"Ugh...Why the fuck does it feel like this?" Max whined, curling up in his nest.

"Because you decided to be on heat suppressants, so your body is catching up. That's what happens. But they won't get any better than what you're feeling like right now." Rosberg said, changing the ice pack on his chest.

"I didn't decide to be on suppressants." Max huffed with a glare.

"You were still on them. And you're a late bloomer. It makes things a lot worse for you, unfortunately." Rosberg said as he sat down next to the nest.

"How long does it last?" Max groaned as pain shot through his body.

"5 days minimum," Rosberg said as he pulled out his phone. "What takeout do you want?"

"5 days?! I can't just lie here for 5 days! I have to train!" Max exclaimed, immediately attempting to climb out of his nest.

"No!" Rosberg shouted, quickly pushing Max back down into the nest. "You need to rest and eat, not train!" He scolded.

The German immediately regretted it when he saw the tears forming in Max's eyes. He knew the teen's hormones were going to be all over, but he still didn't want to make him cry.

"Scheiße…Don't cry. I didn't mean to yell. I just need you to understand that you need to let your body rest." Rosberg said, attempting to comfort him. 

It did not seem to help as the tears burst through the dams and poured down his cheeks. "Ik ben zo nutteloos!" Max sobbed as he curled up in the nest.

Rosberg's eyes widened. He had never heard the teen speak any Dutch except around his father, and it was always quiet with not much emotion behind it. But this was different. Even if it was due to the hormones, there was more emotion behind this. It wasn't trained into him or scripted. 

But that still didn't make it sound any better.

"God, I wish I were better with kids. Alonso is going to kill me if he sees you like this." Rosberg said with a frown. "Do you have anyone I can call? I am assuming not your father." He asked, hoping Max would help him out.

Max sniffled as he looked over at the German before handing over his phone from his pocket. Rosberg looked at the phone and frowned when he looked at the contact list. There were three contacts in total. 'Papa, Tio Fernando, and Kimi Setä'. It was quite sad to look at. He didn't even have contacts from his karting days. But he had no choice but to call one of the two people who were likely to kill him if they saw Max like this. He decided to pick the one least likely to.

"Bwoah...It is late, Max..." Kimi picked up after a few minutes, clearly having been disturbed from his sleep.

"Sorry about this, Kimi, but I really don't want Alonso killing me," Rosberg said, looking back at the sobbing teen in the nest.

"You better not have hurt him. Otherwise, it will not be Fernando you should be worrying about." Kimi warned, his voice dark and suddenly alert.

"Jeez. No, I haven't hurt him. But he needs more than just me here. I don't know how to deal with kids at the best of times." Rosberg said, looking back at Max, who was once again trying to get out of his nest. "No! You need to stay put, as I said. You are not in a state to be doing things." The German scolded, only for Max to start sobbing again.

"What have you done to make him sob like that?" Kimi asked, voice still dark.

"Nothing! The kid has gone into heat. You know how hormones get." Rosberg said, though he frowned when there was no answer. "I am so dead..." He muttered as he put the phone down on the bedside table.

It wasn't long before there was banging on the hotel door. It seemed to have startled Max out of his sobbing, as he looked over at the door, confused, when Rosberg headed over and opened it.

Both Kimi and Fernando were standing there, holding a few bags as they walked past the German.

"We came as soon as we could!" Fernando announced as he placed the bags down.

"Bwoah. We were preparing for this." Kimi said, looking at Rosberg.

"What do you mean by preparing for this? You better not be thinking of doing anything with him." Rosberg questioned, having a sudden wave of protectiveness flood his system.

"No, no! When we found out he was an omega, we had been preparing a care package for his heat!" Fernando said with a grin as he rummaged through the bag. "We got pain killers, heat packs, chocolate, and a weighted blanket!" The Spaniard said as he pulled out the painkillers first.

Max had once again gone back to sobbing uncontrollably, but for a whole different reason. He had never felt this cared about in his life, and with his hormones being haywire, he couldn't hide his gratitude anymore. The older driver looked stunned at the way the teen seemed more emotional than just an omega in heat, but they didn't say anything as Fernando handed over the painkillers. 

"These should reduce the pain you feel, but it will not be all the pain," Fernando said as Max opened the bottle. 

"That is what the heating pack is for," Kimi said as he held it out. "You place it where the cramps or pain are, and it should ease them." He explained as he passed one over to the teen.

After Max had taken two of the painkillers, he placed the heat pack on his abdomen, melting into his nest as the pain didn't seem nearly as bad anymore. His sobs seemed to have finally died down now, allowing him to speak up.

"B-bedan-nkt." Max said once he could. "I-i have never had h-help like this before." He hiccuped, looking at the older drivers. "I don't deserve it..." He mumbled as he curled up in the nest.

"Just because you are a bit of a jerk as a driver doesn't mean you shouldn't be treated like a human being," Rosberg commented with a raised eyebrow.

"But, I am a burden on everyone around me...Papa said so..." Max mumbled, having already cried himself to exhaustion now. "I am a failure...A stupid omega..." He mumbled, hugging the plushies in the nest.

Now that was something new. Max had never referred to Jos as Papa to Rosberg and Fernando, at least not verbally. But Kimi knew what it meant when Max called his father 'Papa'. He was feeling vulnerable, and the filter that seemed to be drilled in dropped. The one that was crafted over years of enforcement. 

All gone because of the heat.

"Pikku Leijona." Kimi said, deciding to use the nickname that Fernando had been using. 

And just like he thought it would, it grabbed the teen's attention.

"You are not a burden, no matter how much Jos says you are. If you were such a burden, you would not have me, Fernando and Nico helping you out right now." Kimi explained, and the other two older drivers nodded in agreement. "Your secondary gender does not affect a thing about you. You get a heat, big deal. We alphas get ruts that affect us once a month as well." He added.

"I remember when one of my ruts hit when I was racing. I may have crashed the car into the barrier." Fernando commented, smiling at the memory. "And maybe nearly tore up the paddock. If our secondary gender does not burden us, yours does not burden you."

"Just because you are not consistently staying in the points, DNFing or getting onto that podium yet does not mean you are a failure. You are still learning how to race. And you are successful at being a terror on the track. In a good way." Rosberg said, crossing his arms.

Max sniffled a little as he looked at the three older drivers. He felt too tired to argue with them, even if he wanted to, especially when he felt his eyes slipping closed now that the pain didn't feel bad or was overheating anymore. It didn't take long after that before he was flat out, huffing softly as he slept.

"So, this kid, the one who has been terrorising the grid for over a year, is just a scared teen upset about his secondary gender? That's it?" Rosberg questioned, turning to the other two drivers.

"There is more to it than that, but it is not our place to explain", Kimi said, crossing his arms. "Especially not mine, since I remember when he was a pieni lapsi running around the grid when his father was a driver." He explained with a sigh.

"Oh, yeah. You drove against his father." Alonso said.

"Yes. That is why I will not say anything about what I know. It is private information." Kimi said, looking between the two drivers.

"Fair enough. I will not be trying to get that information." Rosberg said, holding up his hands in defence.

"I think we should leave him to get some rest. I am sure he will contact one of us if he needs anything." Fernando commented as he looked at the sleeping teen.

"Bwoah. I agree." Kimi said as the two headed to the door.

"Are we sure that is a good idea? The kid was trying to do things he really shouldn't be doing while in heat." Rosberg questioned as he followed the two.

"We cannot stop him from doing what he wants. The kid is very stubborn and often does what he is not supposed to do. So, we just need to make sure we are there to support him if what he decides to do gets him into trouble." Kimi explained as they let themselves out of Max's apartment.

"So, who else knows about this?" Rosberg asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just us three. I do not think Seb knows, despite helping him out yesterday after the pack meeting." Fernando said after some thought.

~~~

Max awoke with a groan as the pain returned to him, reaching over to the bedside table for where he had put the painkillers. If this was what all of his heats were going to be like, he was going to hate it, especially if it hit during a racing weekend. There would be no way he'd be able to even wander around the paddocks, never mind drive for the team.

But he still wasn't going to let his secret get out any further. 

He took the painkillers and then took his phone to check his messages. His face almost paled at the sight.

2 missed calls from his father.

Chat with Papa
April 4th, 2016 8:48

Papa:
Do not ignore me
I know you have not been taking the blockers
I will be coming to the race in China
I will personally make sure you take the blockers
Can't trust you with anything

Max:
No papa
I don't want the blockers
I am feeling better without them

Papa:
I will not have my son be some slut 
You will not sleep your way to the top
You will be taking the blockers whether you like it or not

The Dutchman could already feel the tears welling up in his eyes once again. He didn't want to go back on the blockers, even with how his heat felt right now. He had been feeling miles better than he was on them, and all he could think of was the side effects he had read up on. If he were forced to keep taking them, he would completely lose his secondary gender altogether. He wouldn't even be a beta. 

Just some broken goods nobody would want. 

He would be stuck on medication for the rest of his life if that happened. So, he messaged one person he knew would keep him safe from his father.

Chat with Kimi Setä
April 4th, 2016 9:07

 
Max:
I am going to need some help
Do not tell the others
You knew what my father was like before
I can only trust you

Chapter Text

Max was dreading this plane journey to China, but he was just glad it wasn't the week of his heat. While Rosberg said it would last 5 days minimum, his heat had lasted the whole week, 2 days extra than the minimum. At least, after the 3rd day, he was feeling well enough to travel back to his house in Monaco. He had managed to completely avoid his father by just pretending he wasn't home. If it wasn't for the scent blockers he was on and the fact that he hadn't been in the house since the start of the racing season, it likely wouldn't have worked as well as it did. It gave him some peace of mind to practice his racing on his simulator. He would've taken it with him to these races.

But he remembered what the other drivers thought of him when he had brought it with him last time. They laughed at him, told him that he was an F1 driver, so he didn't need it. How else was he supposed to practice the tracks? He felt that Free Practice wasn't enough to get an understanding of the tracks. At least the simulator allowed him to understand each track without the risk of crashing and causing permanent damage. He decided to take his portable simulator this time, though, to prove to his father that he was trying to take his training seriously.

He was nervous the entire flight to China, hoping that when he landed, he wouldn't see his father waiting for him. He was very glad that was the case, even seeing some other drivers also arriving, but he didn't want to stick around for long. It would only be a matter of time before his father found him if he stuck around for too long, so he began making his way to the taxi he had booked to get to the hotel as fast as possible. He didn't even notice Sainz waving at him as he walked past.

"What have I told you about interacting with the Verstappen kid?" Sainz Sr. questioned as he looked at his son.

"But, Father. He is nothing like his father. At least this year. He seems different." Sainz Jr. said, looking at his father with a frown.

"It is not that. I do not want you to get hurt by his father. That man is dangerous." Sainz Sr. warned, crouching to his son's level.  

"All the more reason to talk to Max. He should not have to deal with this alone." Sainz Jr. frowned.

"I understand you want to bond to be better teammates, but it is not worth the potential risks with Jos." Sainz Sr. explained, standing back up.

Sainz Jr. frowned as he watched his teammate leave the airport by himself. He knew his father didn't like Jos, but he still felt he should at least try to talk to him. Especially since now, Max seemed to be getting along with some of the grid for once, unlike last year, when everyone hated the kid. And, he wasn't around his father constantly anymore, so surely it was safer to talk to him now, right?

~~~

Max sat in the taxi, nervously bouncing his leg as he looked out of the window. The driver had attempted to make conversation with him, but he was too nervous about this weekend to even think of engaging in conversation. The silent drive, only broken up by music and the horns of other cars, didn't help matters either, though. He dreaded thinking that his father was waiting for him at the hotel. He pulled out his phone to check his messages, sighing in relief when he saw who had messaged him. 

Chat with Kimi Setä
April 14th, 2016 14:07

Kimi Setä:
I am outside the hotel
No sign of Jos

Max:
Bedankt for this

He rested back against the seat, no longer feeling as nervous. He was very glad that one of the few people he had actually managed to get on their good side was Kimi Räikkönen. He didn't think the older driver would remember him when he was just a toddler hanging around the paddock. But, with the way Kimi had not even questioned helping him with avoiding his father, he was glad he did. He was quite loose-lipped back then, before his father trained him not to speak about what he did to him. Kimi happened to be the one who heard about most of it since he was the one to hang out with him and make sure he didn't get into too much trouble.

The taxi pulled up to the driver's hotel, and Max peeked out the window, seeing Kimi standing there and then he headed over when he saw Max head out once he paid the driver. 

"What luggage do you have?" Kimi asked as he looked at the number of bags Max had.

"My clothes, my carry-on and my training sim rig," Max said as he gathered everything up.

"Do you need the training rig?" Kimi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. I can practice the tracks without the dangers. It can even simulate weather conditions." Max explained, hoping he wouldn't get laughed at like last time he brought up the training rig.

Kimi didn't seem bothered as he took the bag that had the training rig in it, walking with Max into the hotel so the teen could get checked in before Jos made an appearance. Max was glad he didn't have to attempt to explain more of why he took his training rig with him, but was more concerned about seeing his father around. As they went through the process of getting checked in and heading up to his room, there was no sign of him around. Even when they got to the room, there was no sign of him anywhere.

"Are you sure you do not want the others involved in this? It would be easier to keep the two of you away from each other." Kimi suggested as he helped Max bring his bags inside the hotel room.

"It draws too much attention. If he knows other people are in on it, it will just make everything worse." Max said, not elaborating as he began setting up the sim rig. "Only you knowing isn't as bad since he will think it is just from back when you raced against him." He added, looking at Kimi.

"Fair enough. I shall leave you to get situated. See you at free practice." Kimi said, leaving Max in the hotel room.

~~~

Free practice went as smoothly as it could. Some of his turns were sloppy, but he knew he could work on them with the sim back in the hotel room. But, as he was pulled into the garage, he went pale when he saw his father there, talking with his engineer. His hands clenched around the steering wheel, and he didn't even realise the mechanics around him were talking to him. He refused to get out of that car.

He was not leaving that car.

"Max? Are you alright?" Sainz's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

Max turned his head towards the Spaniard, hands still death-gripping the steering wheel. He saw the concerned look on his face and took a deep breath, finally handing over to the mechanic.

"I'm fine," Max said as he climbed out of the car, trying not to shake.

As soon as he stepped out of that car, his father made his way over and wrapped an arm around him. He made sure not to flinch at the touch, knowing it would just get him into more trouble later. He watched Sainz back up from the two of them.

"I apologise for interrupting, but my son and I have to discuss strategies for qualifying tomorrow." Max could hear how tight Jos' voice was and felt the tight grip on his shoulder. 

Sainz nodded and headed off to talk to his engineer as Max was led out of the garage towards the trailers. He refused to take his helmet or gloves off as they walked, so he had some protection from what was about to come for him in that trailer, knowing his father wasn't just going to inject the suppressants. Though he tried not to show the relief he felt when he saw Kimi leaning against the Toro Rosso trailer.

"Räikkönen." Jos spoke, confused as to why the Finn was there.

"Verstappen," Kimi said, his voice ice cold like his nickname.

"If you don't mind, I need to have a private conversation with my son," Jos said, standing there and waiting for the driver to move.

"I think you and I both know that is not what you are about to do," Kimi said, not moving from where he was leaning.

Max felt the grip on his shoulder tighten more, suppressing a whine that formed in the back of his throat from the pain. He really didn't want the situation to get worse than it already was for him.

"You'd better back off," Jos growled. "This does not concern you."

Kimi didn't growl back. He remained cold and unbothered as he pushed off the trailer. He didn't leave either. He approached the two and stood within arm's length.

"It does when I know what you used to do back then. Seems that it has not changed now." Kimi commented, staring down the older Verstappen without losing his cool.

There was no movement or sound between any of them for a minute. But Max had picked up on something subtle. Something he knew all too well.

A slight twitch in the corner of his vision.

The teen moved fast, managing to escape his father's grip when it loosened enough and put himself between the two alphas before everything went black.

~~~

Vettel had been looking for his teammate. Ferrari had wanted to talk to both of them about their cars during the free practice since they both seemed to have similar issues. But Kimi had managed to vanish before they could corner him, leaving Vettel with the task of finding him so they could both talk with the mechanics. He was lucky to know exactly where Kimi liked to run off to since they had banned leaving the track and took the walk near the trailers. 

It hadn't taken long to find where the Finn had ended up, but the situation seemed tense. Kimi was with both Verstappen's, with the younger one having not taken off any of his gear yet. Jos must've grabbed him directly after free practice ended. That's when the stench of an angry alpha hit his nose, and the scene in front of him unfolded.

Jos had gone to punch Kimi, only for Max to put himself within the blow, the fist hitting his helmet and breaking the visor. The teen had then hit the ground, unmoving, and Jos had then grabbed Kimi by the shirt, pushing him up against the trailer when he had been distracted. 

"Hey!" Vettel growled as he rushed over. "Hands off!" 

Jos had looked shocked at his presence, dropping Kimi as he turned to look at the German. Vettel had immediately gone to check on the teen on the ground first, seeing that Max was indeed out cold, shards of his visor digging into his face. He then turned his attention to Jos with a glare. 

"First, you hurt your son, then you threaten my teammate. You fucked up." Vettel snarled, fangs out.

Jos glared back. "Who's going to believe you fucking washed up Ferrari drivers over me?" He growled.

"You did not pay attention to your surroundings, did you?" Vettel questioned as he gestured to the mechanics that had come out of the Toro Rosso and surrounding paddocks when they smelled an angry alpha. "You're fucked." He said with a smirk.

Jos had not realised that some of the mechanics had been recording.

Chapter Text

Things moved quickly once Jos realised he wasn't going to get away with what he had just done. Security at the track had immediately tackled him to the ground when he tried to run, while the medical team at Toro Rosso rushed out towards Max. But, Vettel didn't care about what was going on with the older Verstappen as he was dragged away. All he cared about was providing information to the medics about what he knew about the younger Verstappen's condition.

"The kid is knocked out but breathing. There are shards of the visor in his face, but I am not sure how deep they go." Vettel explained as the medics carried Max to the team's med bay. 

The German wanted to follow after them to make sure the teen was okay, but he needed to check on his teammate to make sure he wasn't hurt. He turned his attention to Kimi and headed over as Red Bull medics were examining him.

"I am fine. My back does not hurt, and he did not do much else after that." Kimi commented, trying to shoo the medics away from him.

"Yet you are still the idiot who nearly took the brunt of what he did," Vettel said, raising an eyebrow when the medics did leave the Finn alone. "Why were you around the Toro Rosso trailer anyway?" 

"I was on a walk and happened to bump into them on the way," Kimi said, then frowned when Vettel gave him a look. "Fine. I was waiting there because Max asked me to." He admitted, looking away from Vettel.

"That has created more questions than answers, Kimi," Vettel said as he crossed his arms. "But we will talk about this later. We need to make sure the kid is okay before the police come and take statements." He said as he made his way into the chaos that was the Toro Rosso paddock, Kimi following close behind.

Both of them had expected to fight for their right to check up on Max, knowing how other teams didn't like competition roaming around their paddocks. However, the team didn't push them away; instead, they led them over to the medical room, where they had Max. Sainz had already beaten them to it when he saw them carry the Dutchman in and was sitting down next to the bed when the two Ferrari drivers walked in.

They had already managed to remove the helmet and were in the process of clearing the visor shards and cleaning the wounds. It seemed like he was going to need stitches for each of the cuts. One of the medics turned to the two Ferrari drivers.

"He is going to be fine. He will need stitches for the cuts, and when checking him for signs of concussion whilst he is unconscious, he has none." The medic said.

"I should hope so. If your helmets didn't prevent that, that is a major issue." Vettel said, watching the medic head back to the bed to help with the stitches.

Sainz looked over at the two Ferrari drivers with a frown before heading over to the two of them. 

"How come you two were allowed in here?" Sainz asked, arms crossed.
                                                            
"Considering we were involved in stopping what happened, we were allowed to check up on him," Kimi said, looking over at Max.

"Wait, you two were involved? What happened? Who hurt him?" Sainz demanded.

The two Ferrari drivers looked at one another, debating whether or not to tell the Spaniard about the situation before the videos inevitably leaked online. Eventually, they nodded to each other and led Sainz out of the medical bay to discuss the situation privately. They led him to somewhere less crowded with the team, so what they said wouldn't be drowned out by the chaos caused by Max's situation. 

"So, what happened?" Sainz asked once they were out of earshot of everyone else.

"Jos happened. He had gone to attack Kimi, but Max had put himself in harm's way before the punch landed." Vettel explained what he knew, hoping Kimi would fill in the blanks. 

"I was there because Max had asked me to wait for him there after Free Practice. I happened to catch both of them heading to the trailer." Kimi said, making Sainz frown.

"How come he asked for you? I am his teammate." Sainz questioned.

"I knew Max when he was a lot younger, and his father was a driver. I do know more than what I am telling you, but I am not breaking Max's trust. If he wants to tell anyone else about things going on, he will himself." Kimi said, turning and leaving before both drivers could question him. 

"That was weird," Sainz commented, looking at Vettel.

"He has been acting weird since he joined the grid, but I will admit, this is more weird than normal," Vettel said with a sigh. "If you could keep us up to date on Max, that would be great. Kimi and I will have to interview with the police about what happened." The German said, watching the Spaniard nod before he turned around to leave.

Sainz frowned when Vettel was finally out of view and turned to head back into the medbay. He felt pushed away by the Dutchman. The two were meant to be teammates, yet the kid had grown closer to the Ferrari drivers and Alonso compared to him, despite his efforts to bond with the teen over the past year. It felt unfair how easy the others had managed to get close compared to him. And he wanted to know why that was. 

Why was he getting pushed away?

The Spaniard peeked inside the med bay and saw that Max was still there, but was now awake and being properly assessed for a concussion. So, he waited for that to be over before he once again entered to keep the Dutchman company. Max, while cleared despite the stitches covering his face, still seemed out of it. He was staring down at the blankets he was covered in, blinking slowly and not being aware that he had company.

"Are you alright?" Sainz asked, attempting to grab Max's attention.

Max seemed almost startled when he turned to his teammate sat next to him, calming down when he realised who it was.

"I guess I could be better..." Max mumbled, turning away.

"You cannot keep pushing me away like this," Sainz commented, arms crossed. "I have been trying so hard to be a good teammate. A good friend. We did all them stunts the media team set up last year, and you will not even so much as give me your phone number. But Kimi is allowed? It is not fair." He ranted.

He wasn't shouting or changing his tone of voice when he did rant. He didn't want to have Max shut down on him. He knew from when the team principal had yelled at the two of them last year after a particularly bad stunt they had done in a race. Max would either run off or shut down. He didn't want the teen to do either of them.

He just wanted an answer.

Max was silent for a few minutes before he spoke up. "My father didn't want me to get attached...He said if I did, he would make calls and you would be replaced with someone who wouldn't distract me..." He mumbled, bringing his knees up to his chest. "I didn't want him to ruin your career because of me..." 

Sainz's expression softened at the confession. All this time, he thought Max was just pushing him away for no reason or just didn't like him. But all this time, Max was just protecting him from his own father and protecting his career in Formula 1. This teen, who needed the protection from his father more than anyone else, was trying to protect everyone else from him.

"I appreciate it. But, of all the people who need protecting from your father's wrath, it is you. And you do not have many people to help you with that." Sainz said, Max turning his head towards him. "At least now, he cannot hurt anyone else for a while." He said.

They sat there for a while, the silence washing over them more being a sense of relief rather than something dreadful. 

"I can still race despite the stitches...They'll put more padding in my helmet around the areas..." Max mumbled, though not quite as quietly.

"That is good! It would be no fun without you on there. Who would I have as competition?" Sainz chuckled when Max smirked a little at that.

~~~

Grid Pack Group Chat
19 Members 
April 15th, 2016 13:34

Massa:
{A link was posted to a video of what happened between Kimi, Jos and Max, which had leaked on Twitter}
Okay
As much as I hate the kid
He did not deserve that

Hamilton:
Wtf!?

Riccardo:
Wait, that happened today?!
That's what the chaos was about!?

Button:
Fuck
Even with the helmet, that punch looked like it hurt

Kvyat:
So that's why the Red Bull medics rushed out earlier
Thought the stench of anger was the kid taking his anger out on tyre stacks again
I did not expect that

Rosberg:
OH FUCK NO!
Is there anyone near Fernando right now?

Button:
He isn't in the McLaren paddock at the moment
Why?

Hamilton:
Oh shit
Someone better find him before he is wanted for murder

Vettel:
It was bound to leak online
The kid is fine and being treated 
Kimi is also fine, even if I cannot find him right now

Rosberg:
I get the feeling Kimi and Fernando are together, plotting the demise of Jos

Riccardo:
I've found Fernando
Caught him heading to the Toro Rosso paddock
No Kimi with him

Sainz:
Update on Max
He's fine, shaken but fine
He can still race
{A photo was posted of Max in the med bay bed. The teen, having no idea the photo was taken, was too engrossed in analysing the data from free practice. The stitches on his face are all visible.}
And Fernando has entered the room

Hülkenberg:
Those wounds look nasty
I am surprised they're letting him race with them

Vettel:
They'll likely increase the padding in the helmet around the areas
So, definitely no concussion?

Sainz:
No concussion
Fernando is scaring me a little with how calm he is being
I think the murder of Jos is still on the table

Hamilton:
I think we just do not bring up this situation around him
Especially you Massa

Massa:
Look, as much as I hate the kid
I did not think he had stuff like that going on
Thought he was just a brat

Magnussen:
What changed Massa's mind on Max
Nvm, just seen the link
Poor kid having to deal with a father like that

Grosjean:
The anger on the track makes sense
He can't let it out in a safe place

Rosberg:
I don't think completely switching up how we deal with him will be any better than what we have been doing already
He'll feel babied
I don't think he'd like that

Vettel:
Yeah, he gives off that vibe with the way he is
I don't think he knows there are recordings out there, either
So, we keep treating him like we have been 
Give him something normal to work with

10+ Unread Messages...

~~~

Max Protection Squad
3 Members
April 15th, 2016 15:12

Alonso added 2 new members: Sainz and Rosberg

Sainz:
Why was I not aware of this chat existing?!

Vettel:
Because Fernando was gatekeeping from people who weren't close with Max for the right reasons
Guessing that changed 
Huh, surprised Nico was added

Rosberg:
What is surprising about that?

Alonso:
I would assume because you are terrified of Max
And your focus on the title this year is taking priority
But you have proved otherwise

Rosberg:
Do Seb and Carlos know about the 'you know what'?

Vettel:
What?

Sainz:
Yeah, what?

Rosberg:
Nevermind
If he hasn't told you, I am not saying

Alonso:
I have Max with me right now
We are having smoothies
Took a lot of convincing for him to get one
{A photo was posted of Max sipping on a blue coloured smoothie. Max is completely unaware of the camera as the two of them are walking}

Sainz:
YOU KIDNAPPED HIM FOR SMOOTHIES?!
I WAS GOING TO TAKE HIM FOR ICE CREAM LATER :(

Vettel:
So, another question
Has anyone seen Kimi anywhere?
I have checked his usual hiding spots
No sign of him anywhere

Rosberg:
How the hell do you lose Kimi?

Sainz:
Haven't seen him since you two went away for questioning

Alonso:
No sign of him
He better not be killing Jos before me
I have an elaborate plan for it

Vettel:
Great
I have Ferrari on my ass about his whereabouts
And no one can find him

Rosberg:
I am sure he is fine
Probably didn't like being questioned by the police
He'll turn up eventually

Vettel:
I hope so
I really do not want to find out that he has done something stupid

Chapter Text

"Who are you messaging?" Max asked as he sipped on his smoothie.

"Carlos and Seb. Carlos is not happy that I kidnapped you, and Seb was wondering if I had seen Kimi anywhere." Fernando said as he put his phone away.

"Carlos wanted to take me somewhere before you came into the room. He didn't tell me where, though." Max said, looking up at the older driver. "But I don't know what happened to Kimi. My father didn't hurt him, did he?" He asked, worry in his voice.

"From what Seb said, he has been checked out and is fine. He has not been seen since the police questioning, though, so that is what Seb is concerned about." Fernando explained, sipping on his own pink smoothie. "He better not be dealing with your father. I had plans. A whiteboard of elaborate schemes." 

Max frowned. He didn't want people heading to prison for killing his father. But he was also more concerned about the fact that Kimi was currently missing. Was he actually hurt and didn't want people to know about it? He dreaded the thought as he pulled out his phone.

Chat with Kimi Setä
April 15th, 2016 16:49

Max:
Are you okay?
Heard people can't find you

Kimi Setä:
I'm fine
Do not come looking for me

"Kimi says he's fine, but not to go looking for him," Max said with a raised eyebrow, showing Fernando the texts.

"Tell him not to murder your father. I want to hurt him first." Fernando declared, not faltering at the look the teen was giving him. "He hurt you, pequeño león. It is only fair he pays for it." He defended.

"You tell him yourself then," Max said as he put his phone away, going back to the rest of his smoothie.

Fernando smiled a little at that. He was glad to see that Max seemed to be out of his shell some more. The side he would often see during the driver interviews seemed to be showing, but in a more playful way compared to the aggression he showed towards interviewers (not that he blamed him for it. They still rub it in his face when he lost out on his 3rd world title.)

Their time was interrupted when Sainz came rushing towards them, slightly out of breath.

"I found you! Come on! I said I would take you somewhere!" Sainz said, wrapping an arm around Max.

Max flinched a little at the touch, but for once didn't pull away, and neither did Sainz. Carlos took this as a huge win for their growing friendship.

"Can I finish my smoothie first?" Max asked as he looked at Fernando.

"Go and have fun with your teammate. You can take the smoothie with you. I may need to confirm with the grid that I am not wanted for murder yet." Fernando said, ruffling both Max's and Carlos' hair as he turned to make his way back to the paddocks.

"Come on! I just styled that." Carlos frowned as he adjusted his hair.

"Where are you taking me exactly?" Max asked as he walked along with the Spaniard.

~~~

Max had not expected to be dragged around to get ice cream right after having a smoothie. Along with that, Carlos had dragged him to an arcade, where they spent a couple of hours having fun on the machines. He knew from the way people were staring at him that they were concerned about the stitches all over his face, but he didn't care. This was the most fun he had outside of racing in forever. They did stop once it got late since qualifying was tomorrow and the pain medication Max had been on had started to wear off by that point. So they exchanged numbers so they could finally contact each other and head back to the hotel.

Though when Max reached the floor of his hotel room, the air smelled different. Smelled very strongly of something minty that he couldn't quite figure out what it was from exactly. His instincts were screaming at him to find comfort within the scent or just run away every time it caught his nose. He powered through it as he walked to his room, covering his nose to try and block the smell. When he entered his hotel room, he could still smell it, though not as strongly and overwhelmingly anymore. 

After he got cleaned up, making sure the stitches were done carefully and changed, he headed to the bed and built up his nest using all the spare pillows and blankets he managed to acquire from the front desk. This nest was sturdier than his other attempts, with padding inside it, so it was more comfortable to sleep in, and the plushies were in the centre waiting for him. He huffed a little as he climbed inside, holding the plushies close to his chest.

"God, I am such a child for liking these..." Max mumbled as he looked at the plushies.

But he couldn't bring himself to stop hugging them, not while his eyes drifted close.

And certainly not when he started snoring softly.

~~~

Loud banging on his hotel door startled him out of his sleep, and he peeked out of his nest. 

"Who is it?" Max called out, his voice groggy with sleep.

There was no answer, just more insistent banging. The minty smell hit his nose once again, slowly drawing him out of his nest and towards the door. He had barely finished unlocking it when the door swung open, and he was pulled into someone's chest with a low growl. Max immediately panicked and tried to pull away from the person, snarling back.

"Minun pentuni." The voice, Kimi, growled, dragging Max back into the hotel room, closing the door.

"Kimi! Let me go! Rot op!" Max snarled, squirming and pushing against the alpha.

Max had never dealt with an alpha in rut before, except for his father, and that was often just far more aggressive beatings that he slowly became accustomed to over time. This was the first time he was dealing with one in rut that wasn't his father. And with the way this seemed to be going, he did not want to deal with one ever again. Especially with the way Kimi was growling whilst holding him with no intention of letting him go. At least until Kimi spoke again.

"Minun pentuni," Kimi repeated as he climbed into the nest with Max, curling up around him and purring.

He hadn't quite picked up what the Finn had said at the door due to the panic and how it was growled out. But now he heard it clearly, relaxing slightly. He would much rather be seen as a 'pup' to the alpha rather than a potential mate. It meant he was protected from other alphas if they did decide to try.

Still didn't mean he wanted this.

"Let me go and get out of my nest." Max snarled as he once again attempted to escape the alpha's grip.

Though all he had managed to do was grab his phone from the desk since Kimi was adamant about him staying within his arms and nest. There was no one he could message right now. No one else would be awake to come and deal with it. He sighed as he put his phone to the side of the nest so he could reach for it in the morning.

"Fine. You can stay..." Max yawned as he lay down in the nest. 

All he received was a purr from the alpha as he reached for his plushies once again, slowly falling asleep once again.

~~~

Grid Pack Group Chat
19 Members 
April 16th, 2016 8:24

Hamilton:
Okay, qualifying is held up due to two missing drivers

Massa:
Not that it matters
It'll be either you or Britney in first

Riccardo:
Which 2 drivers are missing?

Vettel:
Kimi is still missing from yesterday
I was looking all evening
Ferrari is going to kill me
And may even kill Jos themselves for causing Kimi to go missing

Alonso:
Oh hell no
I have already called first dibs 

Rosberg:
You know I hate that nickname
And qualifying comes with all sorts of surprises
So it's kind of required for tomorrow

Sainz:
So, the other driver missing is Max
I checked around the paddock where he normally hangs around before qualifying
No sign of him

Hamilton:
Fuck

Button:
That is probably the worst combo of drivers to go missing after the video yesterday

Kvyat:
Both Red Bull and Toro Rosso have a search party
I am assuming Ferrari does as well

Hülkenberg:
Did no one else smell mint ice cream in the hotel last night and this morning?
Or was that just me?
Cause the floor I was on stunk of the stuff

Vettel:
SHIT
KIMI IS IN RUT

Hamilton:
I thought he wasn't due for another couple of days

Riccardo:
He wasn't 
The shared calendar said he was due on Tuesday next week

20+ Unread Messages

~~~

Max Protection Squad
5 Members
April 16th, 2016 9:01

Vettel:
Obviously, we have a huge problem right now

Alonso:
Explains the messages Max got yesterday from Kimi
Told him not to go looking for him

Sainz:
Do you think the situation yesterday stressed him into rut early?

Vettel:
Definitely
Kimi, despite how he acts, does not do well with confrontations 
They really stress him out

Rosberg:
So, if neither has been seen since yesterday
They are probably still in the hotel
I doubt Kimi would've dragged Max far

Sainz:
So, how are we doing this?
Wait, I just got some messages from Max
{A screenshot was posted:
[Max:
Help
Kimi won't let me leave my room
He is clinging to me]}

Alonso:
Operation: Rescate de cachorros is a go!
Meet me at Max's hotel room!

~~~

After getting Max's room number, the four drivers met outside the room, all wincing at the smell seeping through the door. While it was still very minty, there was a sharp hint of something else, indicating the protectiveness the alpha within that room felt.

"Talk about protective. I don't think Kimi's scent has ever been this strong before." Rosberg said, covering his nose.

"I have the suppressants," Vettel said, holding up a pill bottle. "I get the feeling he is going to need them this time around to even race." He said as he knocked on the door.

They all immediately stepped back when a low growl emanated from inside, followed by some swearing in Dutch (it was becoming increasingly easy to recognise Dutch swear words with Max). It was quiet for a few moments before there was stumbling and the door unlocking. 

"I do not care what you do, but get him off me," Max said as he opened the door, and the sight was something that would be endearing under normal circumstances.

Kimi was standing with Max, holding the teen close to his chest and glaring at the group, fangs out and eyes completely slits. Even in his normal ruts, he was never this out of it. And his growls were constant.

"Uh. I have never seen Kimi like this with anyone on the grid before. Not even previous rookies." Vettel said as he moved slowly. "Is this because of what happened yesterday?" He asked.

"Probably," Max said as he reached out for the pill bottle. 

Vettel managed to give it to Max without Kimi potentially pouncing on them for even coming close to the room. The mint smell wasn't quite as potent anymore, though. The alpha seemed to be calming down after sensing the 4 other alphas in front of the two were not going to even attempt to lay a hand on 'his pup'. It was still overwhelming to Carlos, though, who had chosen to hide behind the three older drivers, whilst Max managed to get the Finn to take the suppressants. Even then, it took some time before Kimi seemingly came back to his senses, his fangs retracting and his eyes going back to normal.

"Huh? Why am I not in my room?" Kimi asked, blinking slightly as he let go of Max.

"Take a guess, mate. You came banging on my door at 2 am." Max said as he rushed off to get to qualifying. "We will talk about that later!" He shouted before he was out of sight.

Kimi frowned a little before turning to face the 4 angry faces. "I am in a lot of trouble..."

"Seems to be the case. Ferrari is pissed off that you disappeared without warning. I am pissed off. The grid is concerned. And it seems like you pissed off Max as well." Vettel said as he walked off.

"Just to clarify, Jos is still alive, correct?" Alonso asked Kimi, who sighed. "Good. I have my fun first. Then we kill him." The Spaniard said as he followed after Vettel.

"I am also not happy. You are not allowed to kidnap my teammate again! I just managed to get close to him!" Carlos exclaimed, jabbing a finger at Kimi, now that he had some confidence to stand up to the alpha. 

"I don't really have much of an issue. Though we really should get to qualifying before they deem you and Max missing and send search parties." Nico said as the three walked together. 

This weekend really was not off to a good start. First, the situation with Jos and now his rut coming early? He had a lot of explaining to do with the group about what had happened after this. Though he expected that was going to be the case even without his rut hitting.

Kimi could not catch a break.

Chapter Text

9th place

Max had once again qualified at the higher end of the grid, but still not high enough to make the climb to the podium comfortable for him. It was annoying that he could not seem to qualify higher than 5th this season so far. But it was only the 3rd race of the season, so he had the opportunity to break that streak and maybe even qualify in pole position this year.

One could only hope.

"How are we doing today, Max? Is the helmet comfortable?" Xevi asked when he was pulled into the garage.

"Yeah. The injuries on my face don't hurt with the padding." Max answered as he handed over the steering wheel.

"Great! The medics will want to do a check of them to make sure they will heal up nicely." Xevi smiled as Max climbed out of the car. "Are you also going to tell us why you were late to qualifying today? You are normally the first one in the paddock." His engineer asked.

"I am sure the reason will make himself known..." Max mumbled as he removed his helmet and balaclava, wincing slightly.

"It is not your father, is it? He should still be in police custody, and security is on high alert for any other potential threats." Xevi commented, smile dropping.

"No. Not him." Max said. "The one responsible is still on the track at the moment, but I'm sure as soon as he finishes, he will come running." He said as he removed the earphones connected to the team radio. 

"We can keep him out. People from other teams are not meant to be in different paddocks anyway. He would not get far." Xevi said.

"Is there anything I need to do after the check-up?" Max asked as he placed his helmet down in the car seat.

"Other than interviews on the situation from yesterday and the driver interviews, no. So, once you have done all that, you can rest up." Xevi said, watching as Max frowned at that.

"What? Why do I need to comment on the situation yesterday?" Max asked, panic evident in his voice.

"We tried to prevent it, but a video of what happened leaked online, and it is trending. We have limited our responses, but they are asking lots of questions and all reporters will likely crowd you as soon as they get the chance." Xevi explained.

Max felt his breath quicken, all sounds slowly becoming drowned in his own panic. He did not want to talk about what his father did yesterday, especially since they wouldn't just stop at asking about yesterday. He was not ready to talk about any of that. On how it started, how it had gotten worse when he presented wrong. He was not ready to talk about any of it. He didn't even realise that his engineer had led him to the med bay in his panic until he had a medic in his face, snapping him out of it when he felt something touch one of the cuts.

"Ow! Some warning next time!" Max hit the hand away with a frown.

"I did give you a warning. You were just in a panic and didn't hear me." The medic commented as she cleaned the wounds.

~~~

During the treatment of his wounds, the stench of mint ice cream flooded the Toro Rosso paddock, and all it took was one blink for Kimi to suddenly appear at Max's side after managing to barge past the team. 

"Oh. An alpha in rut is why you weren't here on time. Fair enough." Xevi said when he saw the Finn in the med bay now.

"Why are you acting like this is normal?" Max asked, looking at his engineer.

"It isn't common. But it isn't the first time an alpha has grown attached to one of the new drivers during a rut." Xevi said, chuckling a little when Max frowned. "Though this is the first time Räikkönen is the one to grow attached." He added.

"Do you think this is due to what happened yesterday?" Max asked, pushing Kimi's arms away when he attempted to wrap his arms around the teen.

"Most likely. An alpha's instinct when in a rut is to 1: Find a mate and 2: Protect the pups. He sees you as his pup and saw you get hurt. He wants to make sure you are safe and protected from anyone or anything that could hurt you. He isn't quite as clingy as a normal alpha, so I assume he was made to take suppressants so he would allow you to drive, but he will still hang around you until the rut is over." Xevi explained.

Max raised an eyebrow at that, looking between his engineer and then back at Kimi. So this was what an alpha in rut was meant to be like? Not like what his father was when he was in rut? He didn't know how to feel about it. It was far better than Kimi seeing him as a Mate and immediately getting pounced on for that. Being seen as a pup wasn't any better since now he would be coddled whenever the Finn was in rut. 

But it felt nice.

It felt nice to have someone in his corner for once. His mother had done as well, but she was no longer in the picture. She had moved when he was just 11 years old, leaving him to the wrath of his father. She couldn't stand watching Jos push him further and further into karting, meaning he struggled in school and would lose any prospects of other job opportunities. When they first divorced, he visited his mother once a month. It hadn't been long, though, before his father put a stop to that as well. He didn't even have his mother's number anymore. He didn't have any parental figures anymore, with his father in police custody.

Except now.

"Kimi! Get your ass back to the Ferrari paddock right now!" Vettel shouted when he entered the med bay, grabbing both drivers' attention

"Oh, good. Take him so we can sort out our media duties." Xevi said, hearing Kimi whine a little. "Wow. He is deep into his rut this time."

"Tell me about it. Ferrari is not happy." Vettel said as he dragged Kimi out of the med bay.

"Alright. Now that that's dealt with, we can get the interviews over and done with, and then you can focus on looking at the data and resting up for tomorrow." Xevi said, seeing Max frown. "No one likes the media stuff, but every driver has to do it." He chuckled.

~~~

Max hated all of the interviews. He hated them at the best of times anyway. The one thing he wished his father had actually put him through was media training, but he never did. And now, even without having any social media, he knew there were infamous clips out there of him handling interviews and his interactions with the other drivers involved. But it had helped solidify that he was considered an alpha on the grid.

These interviews, as he predicted, never talked about the actual racing and the potential outcome of the race. It was all about what had happened after free practice and the visible stitches and bruising on his face. He kept his answers short and didn't elaborate when they were trying to ask about whether Jos had done stuff like this before. He was grateful as well that other drivers also kept their answers short when asked what they thought about the situation. Even Massa had said, 'It is not my situation to talk about it, so I will not answer.' 

Outside of the drivers' interviews, other reporters had surrounded him and attempted to overwhelm him with questions as well. And they had been until Kimi had found him and growled at them to back off. He had never been more grateful to have an alpha in rut feel so protective of him, at least until Kimi had wrapped his arms around him and refused to let him go again.

So much for the suppressants...

"You cannot cling to me the whole time. I have things to do." Max said as he slipped out of the alpha's arms.

Kimi had to suppress a whine at that. "Sorry. I cannot help it." He said as he refrained from wrapping his arms once again around Max.

"There you are, Kimi," Hamilton said as he approached the two drivers. "I've been looking for you since the end of the inter- Oh, hey, Max." The Brit said when he realised the teen was there.

"What do you need?" Kimi asked, turning towards the pack alpha.

"It was to talk about your disappearance and your rut starting yesterday, so we can put things in place to make you more comfortable," Hamilton explained, raising an eyebrow at the way Kimi put himself in front of Max. 

"You set things up to make alphas comfortable?" Max asked, head tilted.

"Yes. Each alpha on the grid has specific needs when it comes to their ruts, so we set up the pack rooms with things they need during the ruts." Hamilton explained and frowned. "You didn't know that people did that?" He questioned. 

"No..." Max mumbled, looking down.

"How have you gotten through your ruts without help?" Hamilton asked, concern in his voice.

"And now is the time to stop asking questions, and we go to the pack room to talk privately," Kimi said, holding back a growl as he led Hamilton away from the teen.

Max sighed with relief when the two walked away from him. Kimi's scent had gotten overwhelming when Hamilton had approached. Not to mention that Hamilton's scent of tomatoes seemed rotten, like he was stewing over something before he had approached the two of them. But, he didn't stick around for too long and headed back towards the Toro Rosso paddock so he could analyse the data from qualifying (and to avoid getting ambushed by reporters again).

Though he stopped when he passed the Mercedes paddock at the sight of Rosberg glaring at the floor, like it had personally offended him. He didn't know what had compelled him to stop, but it seemed like the German needed someone to rant to. And while he wasn't good at taking stuff like that with the way his father had been, he could give it a go. He made his way over to Rosberg, waving a hand in his view so he could see him coming.

"Oh. Hey Max. I didn't see you there." Rosberg said, looking up at the teen.

"I haven't been here long. You seem angry at something." Max said as he stood next to him.

"Don't worry about it. Just some team drama that you don't need to get involved in." Rosberg said with a sigh. "Trust me. You do not want to hear about it."

"Shoot," Max said as he looked up at the Mercedes driver.

"You sure? I won't be keeping you from anything, right?" Rosberg questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Other than race data, no," Max said.

~~~

Never again.

Max was never going to let Rosberg rant to him again. He never expected it to take so long and be so draining. He thought he would jump straight to the point of what had him so angry, but instead, he got a whole life story of the friendship between him and Hamilton and how it seemed to be falling apart. 

"He can't seem to accept the fact that I am on the same level as him, you know? He is extremely determined to win another world championship. He already has 3! Why can't he let me just have my first one?" Rosberg ranted, gesturing as he talked. "He can get another one next year for all I care! I just want at least one, and this year is my best shot! I am already doing so well! And he is ranting to Toto like I am not around about issues with his car! He has no issues, he just wants a better car than me so he can win!"

"Why couldn't we have jumped to this from the start? Did I need to know about your bromance from the start?" Max asked, looking fed up.

"You did need to know. It is important context. I'm sure you had this kind of friendship when you were karting." Rosberg said, looking at Max

"Not really, no. Father never let me get close to any of my competitors." Max said, looking at the ground. "I just had rivalries." 

"Okay. I will not bring up that sore spot again as long as you don't tell Lewis any of this, okay?" Rosberg said, watching Max nod. "Good. Now you should probably head off to Toro Rosso before they have my head for keeping you."

"I am more concerned with Kimi finding me once again and not letting me do anything," Max said with a chuckle.

"Fair enough. I'll see you on the track tomorrow, kid." Rosberg said, ruffling Max's hair.

"Maybe I'll see you in my mirrors, Britney," Max said with a smirk, running off to Toro Rosso before Rosberg even registered it.

"Hey! That's not my name!" Rosberg shouted before sighing and running a hand through his hair. "God, that kid is going to be a menace on the track for years..." He muttered.

"Good! It will be more fun racing again!" Fernando said, startling Rosberg.

"Verdammte Hölle! You need to wear a bell!" Rosberg exclaimed, holding his chest.

"Nope! It is more fun to scare you all. Except Max. The pequeño león tried to punch me last time." Fernando said with a smile as he stood next to Rosberg. "So, you and Lewis falling out? Is the romance truly dead?" He asked.

"If it is, it's Lewis' fault," Rosberg said, arms crossed. "If his ego can't handle me beating him fair and square, that is his problem."

"Hm. Yes. He had quite the ego when we were both in McLaren. That seems to have only increased since Kimi stepped down as Pack Alpha." Fernando said, leaning against the wall. "I think Max not joining the pack when asked threw him off, too."

"Tell me about it. He keeps ranting off about how Max should've joined the pack then and there." Rosberg said with a sigh. "I am glad the kid didn't join, though, after finding out about his secondary gender. Being crowded by an entire grid of alphas is probably overwhelming. And there's always that risk of everyone finding out, and suddenly he's off the grid." 

Fernando nodded in agreement. So far, three people knew. Him, Rosberg and Kimi. They would be able to keep the secret as long as they kept an eye on Max and tracked his heat cycles. If the entire grid were to find out by accident, there's no telling what would happen. But Max would 100% get kicked off the grid.

He was not letting that happen.

Chapter Text

The rest of the race weekend had been quite uneventful. Max had gotten 8th place, only a one-place increase from his starting position. He also had to defend against Lewis Hamilton for a bit, but couldn't really hold the 3 time world champion further back in the grid. It was still points, though, and with what had happened over the weekend, he would take it. Especially now, there was no worry of his father punishing him for poor results. But he was still frustrated with it. He had tried to climb up the ranks but never seemed to get the opportunity to do so (he did, he did not want to DNF or open up the wounds on his face from the force of a crash).

"Not bad, kid. Very clean racing out there today. I was expecting a couple of dive bombs." Xevi commented as Max climbed out of the car.

"Decided to play it a bit safe with the wounds on my face still being fresh," Max said as he took off his helmet and balaclava. "Still not happy with the 8th place finish though." He said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"But we are not kicking the tyre stacks, so that's progress," Xevi said with a smile.

"Don't get your hopes up," Max said, removing his gloves. "I am still thinking that it is a good idea right now." 

"At least it's the tyre stacks and not someone else. Try and keep it contained to that." Xevi said, leaving Max alone to let out his frustrations.

Max stared at the tyre stacks as he thought about taking his frustrations out on them once again. It would likely help him feel better about everything this weekend, especially with the way everyone was talking about it. He never wanted people to find out about what his father did to him. Kimi had been the exception since he was just a toddler at the time and didn't know he couldn't talk about it. But now, everyone had caught a glimpse of what he had been going through. 

He was glad not to be on social media at the moment.

"Hey, Max!" Carlos called, snapping Max out of his thoughts. "Do you want to hang out for a bit?" He asked as he approached the teen.

"I don't know. I think the police will want to talk to me now that the race weekend is over." Max said as he turned to face his teammate. "I'm surprised they didn't ask me questions yesterday." He commented with a raised eyebrow.

"They likely did not want to stress you out or had enough evidence to hold him until after the weekend," Carlos said as he thought about it. "We could do something afterwards. You could choose what we do as well, since I kind of dragged you to the arcade last time." He offered with a smile. 

"Uh, sure," Max said, a frown on his face. "But I don't know what we could do. Maybe you should choose it instead." He suggested. 

"Yeah! I can find something that both of us will enjoy. Any preference?" Carlos asked.

Max shrugged, not really having an idea of anything he preferred to do. The only thing he had ever done was karting. There had been times when the other teens at the karting tracks had tried to invite him to play things like football, but he always had to turn them down so he could focus on being the best, as his father put it. So, he didn't really have hobbies. Hell, the zoo had been the first thing he had done outside of motorsports. So, he didn't want to be the one to make the choice of what they did to hang out. He would probably pick something incredibly boring.

Or karting. But they had just finished racing, and he doubted Carlos wanted to get into another car for a bit.

"Okay! Send me a message when you are ready, and we shall meet at the hotel." Carlos said, patting Max's shoulder before heading off to where his father was waiting.

Max felt his shoulders drop slightly once Carlos had left, mostly due to his frustration leaving his body. It felt nice that he had something to do after all the stress, and he could still train at his own pace without the concern of being pushed to the absolute limit.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the smell of mint ice cream and turned to see Kimi approaching him at a rather fast speed. He sighed a little and braced himself to move before the alpha could wrap his arms around him once again. And he did manage to duck before the Finn could do so, earning a whine. 

"You cannot keep clinging to me after every race and qualifying. I told you this yesterday." Max said, arms crossed. "Aren't you meant to be with your own team celebrating Vettel's second place?" He asked.

"That is tonight. Do you need someone to drive you to the station?" Kimi asked.

"I can drive. I do actually have my super licence now." Max said, a frown on his face.

"Does not answer my question," Kimi said, arms crossed.

~~~

Max looked out of the window as Kimi drove him to the police station. He had lost the argument for driving there on his own, but Kimi had failed to explain that Vettel was also going with them, so the teen was also stuck in the backseat. He hated the backseat, even when he was in the car with his father. It made him feel anxious and childish.

"You didn't tell me Vettel was coming." Max huffed as he continued to look out of the window.

"We were all involved in the incident at Free Practice. So, we should all go. Especially since you did not witness what happened after, and we can both now clarify things with the footage that has come out." Vettel said, looking back at the teen. "And what is with the last name? I am sure we're close enough for a first-name basis." He frowned.

"Don't think I have forgotten when you laughed at me for bringing my training rig," Max said, glaring a little.

"Oh, right. Nice to know you hold grudges. I will keep that in mind for future races." Vettel said, turning back to look out the front. "I still do not understand why you need it when you are a Formula 1 driver." He commented, earning a growl from Max. "Alright. I won't bring it up again."

"Play nice, both of you. We are here." Kimi said as he pulled up to the station. "Now, whatever questions they ask, we will all be honest with them. Your father will likely get sentenced without a trial, since harming the firstborn child as the alpha parent is incredibly frowned upon in China, since the laws changed a few years ago." The Finn explained as the three of them climbed out of the car.

Max knew who that was targeted at and frowned a little. He really did not want to go into detail about what his father had done to him. Not just because it was painful, but he didn't know the true extent of what his father had been doing to him. Most of it, he thought, was just to make him a better driver.

He couldn't separate the training from the abuse.

~~~

Grid Pack Group Chat
19 Members 
April 17th, 2016 15:41

Sainz:
Has anyone heard from Max?
He promised to hang out once he was finished at the station
But it has been a couple of hours now, and there's nothing

Rosberg:
He went with Seb and Kimi
If anyone has heard something, it's them two

Massa:
Hope the bastard gets convicted

Alonso:
He will
China changed their laws a few years ago
A trial isn't even needed
He deserves a lot worse, though

Hamilton:
As I have said many times, you cannot murder someone
I swear, if I have to physically restrain you

Alonso:
You cannot stop me ;)

Räikkönen:
Bwoah
Waiting for Max right now

Vettel:
They were thorough with the interviews
No doubt they have more questions for Max

Sainz:
Fair enough
Hope he's fine

Kvyat:
How come when others make threats like that, there's the risk of getting kicked out of the pack
But when Alonso does it, there isn't that risk

Alonso:
Hey, I never said I was a part of the pack

Riccardo:
WHAT?!
SINCE WHEN?!

Alonso:
Since I joined the grid
I am just the chaos uncle :)

Räikkönen:
He got immediately kicked out of the first meeting with the pack alpha back then
I also nearly got kicked out for my stunts
Rules were a lot stricter back then

Riccardo:
Okay fair enough
And you have never attempted to join back?

Alonso:
Nope
I am not one for that kind of structure

Button:
Most of us veterans know just not to push it
Fernando does what he wants

Hamilton:
He's allowed around the pack since, without him, we wouldn't have someone who doesn't scare off rookies

Alonso:
Exactly!

Vettel:
Max is out
Seems okay
I am hoping he isn't just holding it together to let it all out later

Rosberg:
Do you know what is going to happen?
I am assuming not yet, but I would rather check 

Räikkönen:
Oh we do
2 years in jail

Alonso:
Not strict enough

Massa:
For once, I agree
Hurting one driver and nearly injuring another should warrant a higher sentence
Considering it can affect our careers

10+ Unread Messages

~~~

Max Protection Squad
5 Members
April 17th, 2016 16:15

Räikkönen:
Vettel is driving at the moment

Rosberg:
I am guessing your rut has you cradling Max right now
I have seen the photos
{A link was posted to a news article posted on Sky News titled: "Ice Man's heart officially melted?" The cover photo is one of Kimi with his arms wrapped around Max after the interviews, after qualifying. The facial expressions of Kimi clearly indicate him deep in rut, while Max looks fed up with it. First sentence of the article reads: "It has taken 15 years, but it seems that the young Max Verstappen has melted the Finn's heart this weekend with multiple photos of the alpha in rut hovering around the Dutchman..."}

Sainz:
I don't think I have ever seen an alpha that clingy with someone they consider a pup before

Alonso:
It happens
I remember hearing on the news about Schumacher getting incredibly clingy with some of the rookies on the grid when he was around
Think him having kids of his own exasperated it

Räikkönen:
I know why I am like this
Once again, not explaining unless Max is comfortable with it

Rosberg:
So, what's the plan?
The kid likely needs a distraction

Sainz:
I have something fun planned for this evening with him
But I can't stick around
My father wants me home tomorrow

Rosberg:
That leaves 4 of us with private jets who can do basically anything for a distraction
Does he have any interests?

Alonso:
He loved the zoo when we went in Australia

Räikkönen:
Karting
That is the only thing that comes to mind

Rosberg:
Does he really want to hop in a car like that after a race weekend?

Alonso:
We can think of something
I am sure
How hard can he be to entertain?

Chapter Text

Max sat in the back of the car, letting Kimi hold him as he disassociated from the world around him. They hadn't just questioned him on what Jos had been doing to him throughout his childhood, which he hadn't been able to answer due to his poor memory of the events. But they had made him face his father in the holding cell. He had to face the verbal abuse from his father once again, and he just stood there and took it. He took it all with no reaction, knowing his father couldn't get out and hurt him. He finally couldn't act on those actions that he screamed at his son.

At least for 2 years.

But now, he didn't know how to feel about everything. He was safe, sure, but had no family to fall back to anymore. His mother was somewhere in Belgium with no way of contacting him, and now his father was in jail in China for the next two years. He did have a sister, but he didn't know where she was anymore. He had some vague memories of her and knew his father had lost custody of her when he was just 13 years old to his stepmother. And he wasn't close to his stepmother either. So he truly had no one

At least he thought that.

"Do you have any interests?" Kimi asked, pulling Max out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Why are you asking?" Max asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Fernando wants to know," Kimi said, finally letting go of Max. "I think for another one of his schemes."

"Uh..." Max thought about it. "Karting. And geography." He said the two things that came to mind.

Kimi frowned. That was not normal. Karting was obvious since he knew Max had been karting since his father was on the grid (which he thought was far too young. Who lets a 3-year-old try karting?). But geography was not a normal interest. It was something every driver had to learn so they could somewhat understand the countries they were driving in. And the way they were taught by the teams just sucked the joy out of it. 

"I understand the karting, but why geography?" Vettel asked from the driver's seat.

"It was the only other thing I was allowed to do," Max said, confirming Kimi's suspicions on why it was one of his interests. "But learning about other countries and flags was the only thing I was good at in school." 

"So you have not done anything else? Nothing outside of them two things? How were you a functioning child, never mind adult?" Vettel questioned.

Max shrugged as he looked out of the window. He was sick and tired of answering questions today. And he was a perfectly fine functioning adult. He could cook, even if it was just different variations of eggs on toast. He can realistically take care of himself from the start of the season if it weren't for his father's control of his finances. But that had changed now, and he did have control of his own finances, after the help Fernando and Kimi had given him. 

So what if he didn't have much fun in his childhood? He was more prepared for a career in Formula 1, and that's what mattered in the end of it all. 

Right?

~~~

They arrived back at the paddock as the sun was setting, and Max quickly departed from the two Ferrari drivers before they could bombard him with even more questions, and before Kimi clung to him once again. For once, he wanted to hang out with Carlos just to get away from everything. Other than the confrontation after his father punched him, the Spaniard didn't ask too many questions or treat him like a child who needed to be coddled and taught things. He treated him like a friend.

Just took him a while to realise that. 

Chat with Vriend Carlos
April 17th, 2016 17:45

Max:
Hey
Ready to hang out
I'm in the hotel lobby

Vriend Carlos:
Great!
Will meet you in a minute!

Max put his phone away as he waited for Carlos to greet him in the lobby. He wondered what the Spaniard had planned for the two of them, considering the time of day it was. Not many things would still be open. He made sure to avoid eye contact with some of the other drivers that were around as well, trying not to make it obvious that he was there. He knew all they would talk about is the situation with his father. 

"Hey Max!" Carlos called out as he headed over to the Dutchman. 

"Hey." Max said, looking at Carlos and ignoring the stares they were getting. "What are we going to be doing?" He asked as the two of them headed out of the hotel.

"Well, I had some ideas, but I think going to a bar or a club is better with more people that you are friends with involved. Plus, they get very crowded very quickly." Carlos explained as they walked. "So I thought we could go to a park!"

"A park? Aren't they just for kids and young teens?" Max questioned, tilting his head a little. 

"Maybe, but that does not mean we cannot hang out. Plus, with what the time is, there will be no children around, and also there will be no one to get in our faces with cameras." Carlos said with a smile. 

When the Spaniard put it like that, it was quite appealing. It would be nice to go somewhere that was quiet and not swarmed with fans or the press. Just something to do that got them both away from everything around them and allowed them to just hang out as friends and not as teammates.

~~~

Max Protection Squad
5 Members
April 17th, 2016 19:12

Räikkönen:
If we are trying to plan something to do with Max
We may have an issue

Vettel:
Kid's only interests are karting and geography

Rosberg:
You're kidding, right?
That's it?
Nothing else?

Alonso:
Ah
This will be harder than I thought
Are you sure that is all he's interested in?

Räikkönen:
Yeah
He thought about it, and that is all that came to mind 

Rosberg:
Fuck
Also, what kid finds geography interesting?

Alonso:
Wait!
I realise this may be a good thing!

Vettel:
I think I know what you are about to say
We can introduce him to new stuff
To try and develop his interests

Alonso:
YES
Like when Kimi and I took him to the zoo
And whatever Carlos has been doing with him

Rosberg:
So, introduce him to new things
What if he is uncomfortable with any of the stuff we choose?
He is only 18 years old

Räikkönen:
Nico has a fair point
Us four are all old compared to him
This may be a bust
We may have to just make sure Max gets home safely

Sainz:
{A photo was posted of a selfie with Max, completely unaware, in the background. The two of them were sitting on the swings in a park. The lighting was poor due to Carlos not turning on the flash, but Max had a smile on his face.}
Decided to go to a park since it's quiet
Just hanging out

Rosberg:
He looks...happy

Alonso:
Huh
Maybe we are overthinking this

Räikkönen:
We definitely are
But maybe it is because Carlos is closer to his age
Easier for the two to get along

~~~

"This is nice," Max said as he rocked on the swing.

"Yeah. I have enjoyed doing this as well." Carlos said, putting his phone away and looking at Max.

"Who were you messaging?" Max asked, looking at the Spaniard.

"My father. He wanted to make sure that I was okay." Carlos responded, gently swinging himself. "I told him I was meeting with you, but may have failed to mention when I was getting back to the hotel." He chuckled.

"We should head back then. If he is looking for you, you shouldn't keep him waiting." Max said as he went to stand up.

"Oh, no. It is fine. He does not mind when we head back. He just wanted to check if I was okay. That is all." Carlos explained, watching Max relax back into the swing.

"Sorry. I never realised other people's parents were so....caring." Max said, trying to remember the right word for a second.

"We do not need to talk about all of that right now. Right now, we are just hanging out. No depressing talk allowed." Carlos declared.

Max nodded as he looked ahead, continuing to rock himself on the swing. He thought that he might have been forced to talk about the situation with his father, yet Carlos was making sure they weren't having to talk about it. If he were with any other driver, they would've likely tried to bring up the topic and force him into a corner.

Well, all except Fernando, who was still trying to convince Max that murdering his father was a good idea. He kept having to tell the older driver that being arrested for murder was not worth it. 

"If I were to tell you something, would you keep it a secret from everyone else?" Max asked after a few minutes.

"Depends. You are not about to tell me that you are a serial killer, are you?" Carlos questioned with a chuckle. "But yes. I would keep it a secret." He said when he saw the look Max had given him. 

Max took a deep breath. This was the first time he was actually telling someone. This wasn't someone who was going to find out because he screwed up or someone else said something. 

He was actually telling them.

"So, I am going to tell you something that only three other drivers know about. Please don't tell anyone else about this. I really want to keep racing." Max said, his leg bouncing nervously. "I am an Omega."

The two sat there in silence for a few minutes, Max growing more nervous as time went on. Was Carlos about to judge him for being an Omega? Was he about to get kicked out of Formula 1 for good? Would Carlos tell everyon-

"I knew it!" Carlos said with a smile, turning to Max.

"What?" Max turned to face the Spaniard.

"I knew you were not an alpha since we started back in 2015. The way you acted in the media was completely out of character for the you I knew in the paddock." Carlos explained. "I was just waiting for you to feel comfortable telling me yourself. I did not want to assume and be wrong about it." He said, smiling more. "I am happy you were comfortable telling me, and I will not go spreading that information to everyone."

"You mean to tell me that you had your suspicions since we joined last year and didn't say anything?!" Max exclaimed. "You have been sitting on this for over a year?!"

"Look! I did not want to assume incorrectly, and I did not want to make you uncomfortable." Carlos said, watching Max calm down. "I just wanted to wait until either you told me yourself, or it was becoming harder for you to hide."

"I still would've liked for you to say something," Max said, arms crossed. "But thank you for promising not to tell anyone else." He said, his body relaxing.

"So, who else knows, just so I am aware," Carlos asked.

"Fernando, Kimi and Britney," Max responded, standing up to stretch.

"Ah. The way the three of them treat you makes more sense now." Carlos said, also standing up. "Also, I know that it is his nickname, but you are the only one to consistently call Rosberg Britney." He said with a chuckle.

"If he did not want to be called that, he would not act so sassy to the media and the other drivers," Max said with a grin. "So, you are definitely not going to tell anyone else?" He checked.

"Yep. You are fun to race against compared to the others. I never know what your next move is. I would hate to lose that." Carlos said as he led the two of them out of the park. 

Max felt relieved. He had managed to tell someone about his secondary gender without it being completely awful. He was still a little annoyed that Carlos hadn't brought it up when he first had his suspicions, so he wasn't panicking about his teammate finding out during meetings with the team. But, at least Carlos didn't judge him for it. And, from the looks of it, was not going to treat him any differently. 

And that made him feel a lot better.

Chapter Text

The weeks leading up to the race in Russia were surprisingly uneventful for once. Kimi had finally stopped clinging to him by the time he made his way back to his home in Monaco. It was weird, though. He didn't have to hide himself from his father anymore, nor was he forced into rigorous training. It didn't mean he didn't do any training; he racked up hours on the simulator and was at the go-kart track every other day. But it just felt weird when he would be at home and not have the fear of being punished for a poor performance. 

He felt lonely, though. He was getting messaged constantly by Fernando, Kimi and Carlos, but it wasn't the same as actual human interaction. He didn't realise that it was due to the suppressed omega instincts finally making themselves known, now that his father couldn't force him to suppress them. He was craving interaction, but he did not want to admit it to himself.

So how was he going to solve this issue?

He decided to do the one thing that his father had banned when he had shown some interest in it.

After a few hours on the simulator, he made his way to an animal shelter to finally adopt a cat—his first-ever pet. He had always wanted a pet when he was a child. He had hoped that if he had brought up the idea when he had won some karting races, but each time, his father had shut it down, calling them distractions to a successful career. But now, with his father in jail, he could finally get one. 

He had done plenty of research into it and had bought all the stuff he needed to look after them. He may have gone a little overboard with everything, but he was making sure he was prepared for anything and wasn't left in the dark about any potential issues that could come up. Now, all he needed was the cat.

He was greeted by the staff when he entered the shelter, not getting recognised as famous, which he liked. He really didn't want to have people up in his face, asking questions and being forced to talk about the situation with his father. They asked him what he was looking for, and led him to the back when he mentioned that he was looking for a cat. And he was immediately overwhelmed by the number of cats that were available.

He wanted to adopt them all then and there. He felt bad for all of them, especially when he read how long some of them had been staying there for. But, he needed to think logically since he currently only had the resources for one cat, and if he wanted more, he would have to buy more stuff to accommodate them. He could afford it, but he didn't want to have his house completely smothered in cats straight away. 

That could come later.

As he searched through the selection of cats available for adoption, a pair had caught his eye. A pair of 1-year-old Bengal cats that had been surrendered as kittens due to not being completely purebred. The worker had explained that while the two were not related and had been surrendered only a couple of months apart, the two were inseparable, and whoever was adopting them had to adopt the two together. There had been an instance of one getting adopted out and being returned a day later due to separation anxiety, whilst the one that hadn't been adopted had immediately become aggressive with the staff.

He asked for more details about them and was told both had already been neutered and vaccinated; all they needed were microchips from whoever adopted them. They also had placeholder names that neither responded to, so they could be changed if he were to adopt them. And while he had planned to adopt only one cat when he entered.

He was now leaving with two.

Max signed the paperwork and paid the fees for the two cats and the carriers they provided. And now he needed to buy extra food and a bed for the extra cat he acquired, but he was happy with his decision to adopt both of them. The only issue would be what he would do for race weekends, but he may be able to harness train the two of them so he could bring them along to the races. Other drivers brought their dogs; he surely could bring his new companions.

~~~

Max Protection Squad
5 Members
April 23rd, 2016 12:09

Sainz:
Max has finally messaged me back!
Seems he's been busy with training
But that isn't what is surprising
{A photo was posted that Max had sent to Carlos. The photo was of the two Bengal cats lying on Max's bed, which was incredibly messy since Max was trying to change the bedsheets.}

Vettel:
He finally got some cats
When I gave him some advice, he ended up going off topic with cats 
I think he has been wanting one for a while

Alonso:
Aw!
I am assuming he has not told you their names

Rosberg:
I bet he'll bring them along with him to race weekends
Though I don't know how that will work
Hamilton brings his bulldogs all the time

Räikkönen:
Do not bring your already public divorce into this chat
I am already sick of hearing it in the media

Alonso:
OOOOO
Of all the people to throw the shots 
I did not expect Kimi

Sainz:
He hasn't told me their names
But they are very cute
Just did not expect to get a random photo of them

~~~

"Okay. Whose are the cats that have decided that the car is theirs?" Xevi asked, approaching the two drivers going through the data of the cars. 

"Mine," Max responded, looking up at his engineer. "Don't worry. They'll be out well before free practice is due to start." He explained, looking over at his car, where the two cats were currently resting.

"When did you get cats?" Xevi asked, head tilted.

"Last week," Max said, turning back to the data.

Xevi frowned a little, not happy with the lack of explanations he was getting for why Max had gotten cats and why he had decided to bring them to the race weekend, but didn't push the issue since the cats were not causing any harm as of yet. Max glanced up when his engineer left the two alone and turned to Carlos, who was grinning at him.

"What?" Max questioned with a raised eyebrow. 

"I did not actually expect you to bring them to the race weekend when you sent me the photo," Carlos said, putting down the tablet.

"Well, I don't have anyone to look after them at home, so they had to come with me. They are microchipped and leash trained. And despite the mischief they get up to, they are well behaved." Max said as he also put his tablet down to head over to the two cats. 

"What are their names?" Carlos asked as he followed Max.

"This one here is Jimmy," Max said as he ran a hand through the fur of the one lying across the rear wing. "The one in the cockpit is Sassy." He said, pointing over when Sassy perked up at the presence of Max.

"Ah. True cat names. I like it." Carlos said, petting Sassy.

The two Toro Rosso drivers then spent a total of 20 minutes just giving attention to the two cats until Jimmy had decided now was the perfect time to join Sassy in the cockpit and play fight.

"We should intervene before they get tangled in there," Carlos suggested, looking at Max, who was already picking both cats up out of the car.

"They were pent up on the plane, not being able to play and then decided to play on the bed at 2 am last night. I think they are still a little pent up." Max said as he attached the leashes to both of them and placed them on the ground.

Immediately, both cats went back to play-fighting on the ground.

~~~

Grid Pack Group Chat
19 Members 
April 29th, 2016 11:43

Riccardo:
Roscoe and Coco have some competition

Hamilton:
Why do you say that?
Who else has brought pets into the paddock?

Kvyat:
I heard the engineers talking about there being two cats in the Toro Rosso paddock
Went to look myself
Called Daniel over
There were two Bengal Cats just playing in the tyre stacks

Hülkenberg:
Aw
Whose cats are they?
Bengals are expensive, so I doubt they're strays

Vettel:
Max's 
I can guarantee they're his

Riccardo:
Can confirm
Just saw the kid collecting them to take them over to the trailer

Massa:
The kid brought cats to a race weekend?
That's reckless

Rosberg:
Seems Massa is back to his old self
They're cats
They aren't going to destroy the cars

Hamilton:
I am only allowed to bring Roscoe and Coco because they love to just lounge about in the heated meeting room
How did the kid manage to get permission for the cats?

Sainz:
He didn't
His engineer questioned him about the cats and just kind of left him to it
Though wasn't too happy when they claimed the car as their own.

Magnussen:
Did you get a photo?
That would've been great to see

Sainz:
No
Max introduced me to them
They're called Jimmy and Sassy

Grosjean:
Appropriate cat names
I'm going to see if I can see them after free practice
I love cats

Hülkenberg:
As much as I love dogs
Same
It's great to hear that more pets are coming to the paddock

Alonso:
Max is here with them!
So cute!
{A photo was posted in the chat. Max was outside the McLaren paddock with the two Bengal cats on leashes, a huge smile on his face. Button was petting both of the cats as they melted to the attention.}

Riccardo:
He wasn't going to his trailer?!
Damn!
Missed out on some great cat time!

Grosjean:
Wow, he got them leash-trained
I am impressed

Hamilton:
Okay, got to admit that they are cute
They do not beat Roscoe and Coco, though

Alonso:
Max has said he is walking the paddocks with them since they have pent-up energy
We should all get to see them at some point
They are lovely and love attention

Riccardo:
Oh, I am so waiting outside to see them!

Massa:
Huh
Thought he would be more irresponsible with them
Impressed, they are harnessed and leash trained

20+ Unread messages...

Chapter Text

Max hadn't felt that comfortable with how free practice had gone the day prior. The car didn't feel right, and he had brought up his concerns with his engineer afterwards. They told him that they would take a look into it, but couldn't promise much since any changes now could impact where he starts on the grid on Sunday. He was a little annoyed at that, but he couldn't do much about it since he didn't want to start in the lower half of the grid due to a technical change. 

If he started that far back due to his own skill, that was a whole different problem.

He lay in his temporary nest in his hotel room, Jimmy and Sassy lying on top of him and purring constantly, trying to shake off the doubts he felt about the car going into qualifying.

"Which one of you hid the leeuw pluche?" Max asked the two cats, running a hand through Sassy's fur.

All he received was a purr in return, causing him to sigh fondly as he lay there. He could find the plushie later and add it back to the nest. Right now, the cats took priority, and he didn't have the heart to move and disturb them both. They were helping to soothe his doubts about qualifying and the race this weekend. 

He could lie like this all day.

But, unfortunately, he couldn't do that. He had to participate in Free Practice 3, after which qualifying would take place. So, he would have to get up at some point today. 

"Alright. How about we go for a walk around the paddock again today? Then you can nap in the warm trailer while I drive?" Max suggested, knowing he wouldn't get a response.

There was no sense of urgency with the two cats as they slowly climbed off his chest, allowing him to sit up and climb out of the nest on the bed. He looked under the bed and found the lion plush that had been dragged under there by one of them in the middle of the night. He returned it to the nest, next to the koala plush, and collected the leashes. 

"I should probably get more stuff for my nest, now that father can't destroy anything I get hold of," Max said to himself as he attached the leashes to the harnesses.

~~~

The paddock walk seemed to be what he needed. The cats were both enjoying the attention from every team and driver that was already around. Even Massa had given some pets to the cats when he had come around the Williams garage, though there was still a lot of criticism being thrown his way.

Good to know his opinion hadn't changed after the video leaked.

He was about to head back to the Toro Rosso garage when he heard arguing coming from the Mercedes garage. It had startled both Jimmy and Sassy, with both climbing up to his shoulders and digging their claws through his clothes into his skin. It caused him to hiss a little in pain, but he otherwise frowned a little. What was going on for such an argument that could be heard from outside the paddock?

His question was answered when both Mercedes drivers had stepped outside, taking their argument with them.

"Oh, you are so high and mighty, aren't you?! All you think about is how good you are!" Rosberg snapped, glaring at Hamilton.

"I am! You can't seem to accept that the car is being sabotaged! That is the only reason you're beating me!" Hamilton snapped back. 

"You think this is just about the racing, don't you?! That's all you ever think about these days!" Rosberg growled, baring his fangs.

"Oh, don't fucking start with this crap now! I am not dealing with this here!" Hamilton growled back.

"Oh, we are going there now! Ever since we joined the same team, you think you are so much better than me and above me! News flash, we are teammates! We're meant to work together and help each other out! I have helped you, why can't you help me?!" Rosberg shouted, stepping closer to Hamilton.

"I don't fucking need to with the team clearly giving you the better car!" Hamilton snarled and closed the gap between the two.

"I don't care about that! We're mates! We're supposed to care about each other and look after each other! But over the years, I know you just care about yourself!" Rosberg snarled back. 

Max's eyes widened at that. He thought the two were just very competitive teammates, not actually mated to each other. He didn't even know two alphas were able to mate with each other. He thought only an alpha and omega or two betas could truly mate with each other. That was what they had been taught in school anyway. But now was not the time to think about any of that. 

Not while Hamilton had pounced on top of Rosberg and the two were wrestling on the ground.

Max immediately rushed off into the Mercedes garage, much to the confusion of the engineers and the team principal, Toto. He handed over Jimmy and Sassy to Toto, much to the cats' annoyance.

"Uh M-" "No time. Your drivers are fighting." Max interrupted Toto as he rushed back outside.

That had grabbed the entire team's attention as they all rushed outside to the commotion of the two Mercedes drivers. In the span of only a few minutes, the two had blood dripping out of their noses and bite marks all over their necks, with Lewis currently trying to choke Rosberg out. Before Toto could even call someone to break up the fight, Max had managed to shove the Brit off the German and placed himself between the two agitated alphas before either one could pounce on the other.

Rosberg seemed to calm down with the teen in between the two, whilst Hamilton only seemed to get more agitated, trying to shove past the Dutchman to get at Rosberg. But, Max wouldn't move. Every time Hamilton tried and get around Max, the teen just moved and kept himself in the way, allowing for the mechanics to surround both drivers and separate the two of them. 

"Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Max," Toto said as he approached the teen, both cats in hand.

Max turned to the team principal and nodded, reaching over to collect his cats from Toto before immediately leaving at a fast pace. Toto frowned at the way the teen left so fast before he could offer him something for his troubles or at least something to help calm him down. He had seen the way the Dutchman had been shaking the entire time he had been between the two alphas, and it was the least he could do. He would've never asked such a young driver to do what he had done.

Especially one with a history of domestic violence.

~~~

"Free practice 3 has been cancelled." The McLaren team principal informed the two McLaren drivers as they were preparing to get into their cars.

"How come?" Button asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Another fight between the two Mercedes drivers. Qualifying will still commence today once the two have sorted out their issues once again." The principal responded, leaving the two drivers.

"Another ego fight, I am sure," Fernando said as he took off his helmet and balaclava.

"Probably. At least it's only affecting Free Practice this time. Remember last year when qualifying in Austria was postponed because of them?" Button said, doing the same thing.

Though the two were interrupted by loud meowing as Max walked into their garage, despite the protests from the engineers. The two raised an eyebrow as Max let go of the leashes, letting Jimmy and Sassy prance their way over to Button.

"You okay, mate?" Button asked, leaning down to pet the two cats.  

Max didn't respond as he walked over to Fernando, who already could tell what was coming and held out his arms as Max practically fell into them, shaking as the Spaniard wrapped his arms around the teen.

"Are you alright, pequeño león?" Fernando asked, running a hand through Max's hair.

"Nico and Hamilton were fighting...I put myself in the way..." Max mumbled into Fernando's chest, the shaking calming down.

"Oh, that must not have been pleasant," Fernando said, looking over at Button. "Do you want to stay here for an hour before we have to go through qualifying?" He offered, to the dismay of the engineers who heard him.

He felt the Dutchman nod against his chest.

~~~

Max Protection Squad
5 Members
April 30th, 2016 11:23

Alonso:
EXPLAIN NOW @Rosberg

Räikkönen:
What happened?
Other than the obvious free practice cancellation
Because of their drama

Vettel:
We had just gotten our issues sorted with our cars
We were ready to try them out before qualifying

Sainz:
Where is Max?
He said he was on a walk with the cats
He hasn't come back yet

Alonso:
He's here in the McLaren garage
Button is currently entertaining the cats
@Rosberg EXPLAIN

Rosberg:
Sorry
Had to have the typical talk with Hamilton and I's mediator
I did not ask Max to step in

Räikkönen:
I SWEAR IF YOU HAVE GOTTEN HIM INVOLVED IN YOUR PETTY DRAMA
IT WON'T BE TOTO YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT

Rosberg:
NO!
He stepped in just when Toto was about to call someone over to step in
Hamilton was quite aggressive this time
I have a lovely bruise around my neck
I can see you have all read my messages
I'm dead, aren't I?

~~~

It had taken some time for Max to calm down from the event, but once he had done so, he had quickly left, apologising to everyone in the McLaren garage for just marching in there. Then qualifying happened, which landed Max in 9th place on the grid start for tomorrow. 

Right in front of Lewis Hamilton.

While he would not be terrified under normal circumstances, he felt as though this was a lot worse, considering what he had done earlier that day between him and Rosberg. Not to mention that the car just didn't feel right still. It was the one thing he was glad his father had taught him. He could recognise when the car just didn't feel right and needed fixing. And the engine was not sounding right at all. 

He once again brought it up to Xevi, who did consider his concerns and said he would take a look at the engine, but they could not make any changes if he didn't want to serve a grid penalty, as Hamilton had done for the changes they were currently making to his car. 

At least he was on record telling them this. If the car did fail, he was on record raising the issue to them.

"¡Pequeño león! We have someone here who wants to talk to you!" He heard Fernando call before he could disappear to his trailer to collect the cats.

He turned to see Fernando and Kimi leading a very guilty-looking Rosberg over to the Toro Rosso garage. He really did not want to deal with either Mercedes driver at the moment, but with Kimi and Fernando being there, it made him feel a bit more confident about facing Rosberg. Kimi was the one to gently push Rosberg forward.

"I'm sorry that you got involved with what happened between Lewis and me earlier. You shouldn't have had to get involved. We're grown men at the end of the day who should be able to handle ourselves better." Rosberg apologised as he held out a bag as a peace offering.

"I put myself in the way on my own terms. If anyone should be apologising, it should be Hamilton." Max said, though he didn't dismiss the apology and took the bag to see what he was being given.

"It doesn't matter. I am still apologising. I was going to after I met with our mediator, but I couldn't find you. And I had been meaning to give you that last race weekend, but I completely forgot." Rosberg said, watching Max's face soften at the sight of a dog plush.

Max couldn't stop the smile creeping up on his face as he felt how soft the fur was on the plush. At this point, his nests were just going to be made of plushes. He looked up at Rosberg.

"Bedankt," Max said as he placed the plush back in the bag.

"Oh, also, Toto wants to meet with you at some point as well. He wants to thank you for what you did and apparently something else that he wouldn't disclose." Rosberg said, watching Max's face change to confusion.

"What else would he want to talk about?" Max questioned.

"Probably a contract. McLaren has been discussing similar things when they think I am out of earshot." Alonso commented casually.

"WAIT WHAT?!"

Chapter Text

"You weren't aware people were thinking of signing you on already?" Rosberg asked when the teen seemed to start panicking.

"Obviously not! I'm not even that good! And it's only the fourth race of the season! Why would they want me as their next driver?!" Max exclaimed, already grabbing the plush out of the bag again and hugging it tightly.

"Why is Max freaking out?" Carlos asked, heading over to the group. "You better not have done anything." He said, arms crossed and glaring at the older drivers.

"Other than give Max a plush and make him realise that teams are looking to sign him on, nothing," Rosberg said, hands up in defence at the younger alpha.

"Wait? Are people already wanting to sign Max on for 2017? How did you find that out?" Carlos asked with a raised eyebrow. "Are they not normally quite secretive about that information around other drivers?" He asked, turning to check on the teen behind him.

Though when he had turned around, Max had managed to disappear from the group without a sound. "How does he do that?"

"I did not see him leave. It must be some form of trauma thing. Being able to escape with people around so he can get away from his father." Kimi thought out loud to the group. 

"Likely. And yes, they are very secretive. I happen to listen to conversations with the managers without them knowing. I was assuming the same was likely the case with what Toto wants to discuss with Max." Fernando said with a smile. "Though if they are actually considering him now, they will be paying closer attention to his skills, and that is more likely to put the pressure on." He added.

"Not to mention, if one team starts showing interest, others will too. I remember when I had to move teams from nearly bankrupting Lotus. As soon as Ferrari showed interest, Red Bull was also expressing interest." Kimi explained.

~~~

Max had to get away from the group of drivers due to the revelation that he was potentially getting scouted once again for other teams for next year already. Sure, he would have been looking at his options after the summer break so he could stay since his contract would be running out, and he would have had time to prove himself properly at that point. Being scouted this early terrified him. He didn't think he had proved himself yet, especially this season, so he had no idea why teams would already be looking to sign him. 

Just as he was about to enter his trailer to relax with the cats to calm down, he smelt the strong smell of tomatoes approaching him and turned to see Hamilton approaching at a fast pace. Further behind, the cappuccino smell also made itself known, as if Toto was supervising this interaction. Was he afraid that the two might fight, or was it something else?

Was he waiting for his turn to talk to him?

"Verstappen," Hamilton said, stopping a distance away from Max.

"Hamilton," Max responded, trying not to sound combative.

Neither one of them moved for quite some time before Toto moved closer and cleared his throat, grabbing Hamilton's attention as he gestured to Max. Max raised an eyebrow at that.

"What did we talk about?" Toto questioned, arms crossed as he glared at the 3 time world champion.

"I'm sorry about what happened before qualifying. You should not have witnessed it, never mind gotten in the way of the two of us." Hamilton said, looking at the ground.

Max frowned a little at that. The apology didn't sound sincere. It sounded forced and scripted, like the PR team had come up with it. Toto being there and making Hamilton say it only solidified this. Rosberg may have also been involved and had people around him to make sure he didn't run off, but the apology never sounded forced, and Toto hadn't needed to be there. Not to mention that Hamilton had been the one to instigate the fight and was the one he had to prevent getting at Rosberg.

"Try again when it isn't forced," Max said, arms crossed.

That caused Hamilton to look up in shock at what Max had said, before a low growl ripped through his throat. Max didn't back down, though, despite his instincts screaming at him to submit. He growled back, though it was softer and more defensive. Toto could sense the tension between the two and immediately pulled Hamilton back before he started yet another fight.

"I do apologise for this, Max. We had a long conversation about how he needed to apologise for what he had done, and I was hoping he would be sincere about it." Toto explained and smacked Hamilton when he didn't seem to back down.

"Bri-Nico has apologised as well." Max caught himself on the nickname. He had a feeling Toto would already know who he was talking about, but he would much rather tease Rosberg to his face. "He did a better job."   

"That, I can believe," Toto said, watching Hamilton storm off back to the Mercedes. "Nico has always been the emotionally mature one of the pair, as you can see." He commented.

"Yeah. Is that all you wanted?" Max asked as he turned back to his trailer.

"I was hoping to offer you something for stepping in earlier. Not many would be brave enough to do such a thing." Toto explained as Max turned his head.

"I did it because it needed to be done; otherwise, they would've seriously hurt each other," Max said as he turned away and headed into his trailer before Toto could speak again.

Toto sighed and turned to head back to the Mercedes garage. He needed to have a serious word with both of his current drivers about what had happened since they were scaring off a potential new driver for the team when Rosberg eventually retired. The German had started to express interest in retiring at some point, so he needed to look for another driver to sign on. He had a couple of other options, but he wanted Max. The way the kid had driven last year and on his debut were just glimpses of the potential he had on the track. 

What would he accomplish in a truly competitive car?

He could give him that competitive car.

~~~

Max is unbelievably pissed off. It was bound to happen eventually, but he DNFed. Just as he predicted, the engine failed on the track, and now he was sitting in the garage stewing over it whilst the race continued without him. He hadn't even taken off his helmet and gloves yet. 

"Kid. I know it isn't great, but it isn't the end of the season." Xevi said as he approached Max.

"I told you the engine didn't feel right," Max said, staring at the track. "I told you something was wrong."

"I know, and we did take a look and found no issue. The team are retaking a look at the car now to see what caused the failure." Xevi explained as he passed the tablet to Max, so he could review the data.

Max stared at the tablet in his hands as Xevi left him alone. He really didn't want to look at the data right now and wanted to smash that tablet into the ground, but refrained from doing so and took off his gloves to scroll through the data. He would've disappeared to the trailer with the cats to decompress, but he had been told to wait for the race to finish before he could do anything. He didn't know why he had to wait for the race to be over to disappear.

Though he heard a very interesting conversation coming from the Red Bull garage during the race. He had peeked over to see Vettel complaining to the team principal about one of their drivers and how he needed to sort them out. He raised an eyebrow at that, especially since it seemed that the principal wasn't bothered by the issue and said that they had a plan of action on how to deal with Kyvat and his issues.  

What could they possibly have planned to deal with Kyvat?

That had been answered after the race had finished and the trophy ceremony had finished. Rosberg had once again gotten first place, and Hamilton had climbed up to second place. However, once the ceremony had finished, he was approached in the paddock by one of the Red Bull reps.

"Max Verstappen? Christian Horner would like to have a meeting with you about your performance." The rep said as they gestured to the Red Bull garage. 

Max's face went pale. This was it. He was about to get kicked out of Formula 1 due to his poor performances over the past year and a half. He didn't want to go to that meeting, but the rep was waiting expectantly for him to follow them along, so he did so. His heart was pounding the entire way to the meeting room, especially when he walked in to see Kyvat and a few other members in the room with the team principal.

"Take a seat, Verstappen," Horner said as he gestured to the only empty seat in the room.

Max swallowed as he walked over to the empty chair and sat down in the empty seat next to Kyvat. If this were about his performance, why would the Russian be there alongside him? Surely, he didn't need to be humiliated in front of the other driver, right?

Right?

"So, you have both been brought into this meeting to talk about a few changes we will be making going into Spain in the coming weeks," Horner stated as paper was pushed to both of them. "We are swapping both of you around. Kvyat, due to the number of issues you have been causing on the track in every race this year so far, you are being demoted to Toro Rosso. I do not want more incidents like you had today to happen again." Horner explained before turning to Max. "Verstappen, on the other hand, will be promoted to Red Bull. Despite the DNF today, you are consistent. We're hoping the promotion will show off your potential, and we can see exactly what you're capable of."

Before Max could even respond, Kvyat stood up, the stench of carbonara flooding the room. 

"This is ерунда!" Kvyat snapped, growling at Horner.

"You will either sign the contract and be demoted or be kicked off the grid entirely, and we will promote another driver to Toro Rosso. Your choice." Horner said, remaining calm.

Kvyat continued growling at the team principal, but did sign the contract eventually and turned to Max with a glare. 

"Следи за своей спиной." The Russian growled before storming out of the meeting room.

It was silent for a few minutes before Max finally spoke up.

"Are you sure I am ready for the main team?" Max asked as he looked through the contract.

"I don't see why not. We will meet at the Red Bull Headquarters next week with Riccardo, so the two of you can meet, and we can discuss how things will work." Horner explained as Max grabbed a pen. "We will also do a full medical checkup so everything is up to date in our systems, and allow us to gauge meal plans." He said as Max signed.

"Am I able to submit my own through my personal doctor?" Max asked, his heart starting to pound hard in his chest. 

"I'm afraid not. We've had it before where someone tried to submit forged documents, so it will be done in the headquarters." Horner explained as Max pushed the contract back over. "Don't worry. All the doctor is doing is making sure you are fit to drive and what needs to be done to keep you in top shape." He assured when he saw the teen starting to panic.

Max took a deep breath to try to calm down. This was fine. It was just a checkup. Hopefully, he could hide the fact that he was an Omega still. Because this was a dream come true in a way.

He was finally promoted to a competitive team.

~~~

Grid Pack Group Chat
19 Members 
May 1st, 2016 16:22

Kvyat:
ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT
I'VE BEEN FUCKING DEMOTED

Vettel:
GOOD
THAT STUNT BACKFIRED
DESERVED

Sainz:
Wait
Demoted?
You're my teammate now?

Rosberg:
That must mean
Max is now in Red Bull
Right?

Riccardo:
Just got the confirmation
And a meet-up next week

Räikkönen:
You did deserve it, Kvyat
You can't just crash your car into others to gain an advantage

Kvyat:
FUCK YOU ALL!
IT WASN'T ON PURPOSE

Hamilton:
It isn't the first time it's happened, though, is it?
So it was bound to happen
I did not expect promoting Max, though
Didn't he DNF today?

Sainz:
He did
Engine failure though
Not his fault

Alonso:
Oh, Max got promoted?
This season got even more interesting

Button:
They must've been thinking about it for a while
It wouldn't just be out of the blue
When do you think they'll announce it on the news?

Riccardo:
They said they will next week
Once he's settled in a bit
They said they don't want to overwhelm him

Vettel:
I expected he would get promoted at some point
Didn't expect it to be after the 4th race 
But I guess Kvyat's stunts became too much for Horner 

~~~

Chat with Hermano Max
May 1st, 2016 17:01

Sainz:
Hey
Heard you were promoted
Congrats!

Hermano Max:
Yeah
I was going to tell you when I had calmed down
Still very overwhelmed

Sainz:
I can believe that
Must be very overwhelming to find out 
But congrats!

Hermano Max:
But we aren't teammates anymore

Sainz:
Does not mean we can't support each other
We will still see each other on the track
We will still share a podium
Even if we are not on the same team

Chapter Text

Today was the day.

Max was standing outside Red Bull Headquarters in Milton Keynes for the first time as part of the main team. And the first time on his own without his father. He remembered that day. As much as his father was an awful person, he had made sure he had the perfect contract, and all of his medical records had been submitted without complaints. He wasn't bound to Toro Rosso and Red Bull because of that contract, and he could check out his options during the season. 

However, that had changed now since he signed the contract last week. He was bound to Red Bull now until 2019, when he could start to seek out other options before the 2020 season. He wasn't fussed about that, though. Red Bull was a competitive team, with the 4 time world champion Sebastian Vettel coming from this team. And while they hadn't won any in some time now, they were always competing either way. So, he was happy to stay with this team.

He walked into the headquarters and was immediately greeted by a bear hug from the Australian driver who was waiting for him at the entrance. It caused the teen to scream and kick against the driver, dropping to the ground as he let go.

"Ah shit! Sorry mate, I didn't mean to scare you!" Riccardo exclaimed, reaching down to help Max back to his feet.

"First Fernando and then you! I am too young for a heart attack!" Max shouted, taking some deep breaths and holding his chest.

"That wasn't my intention. I thought you saw me waiting there." Riccardo said with a raised eyebrow. "I guess you were just lost in the moment. This place is breathtaking when you first see it." He said with a smile.

"Yeah. I remember when I first entered this place when I joined Toro Rosso. It feels different, though, when you're part of the main team." Max said as he looked around.

"Well, the first plan is for me to show you around, and then Christian should be ready for you for the rest of the process," Riccardo said, Max nodding at that. "How are you feeling about the promotion by the way?" He asked as he led the teen along. "I bet it was a shock."

"It was and still is. I didn't think I had proved myself to grab their interest." Max said as he walked behind Riccardo. 

"You know you don't need to walk behind me, mate. It would make it easier to talk to you during the tour." Riccardo said as he turned to look at the teen. "I promise I don't bite." He smiled once again to try to seem less intimidating.

Max frowned a little and shook his head. "No. I would rather follow behind." He said.

Riccardo shrugged a little. "Alright. I'll show you the facilities first." He said as he began walking.

~~~

The tour went along without many issues. Max was quiet the majority of the time, only answering questions that Riccardo asked of him, whilst the Australian just ranted the entire time, trying to get Max to join in. It didn't seem like he could get Max to open up about anything, but Riccardo knew it was due to nerves and his history with people. He was sure, like the others on the grid he was close with, he would crack that shell and get close to the Dutchman in no time. 

"And here is the main attraction of the place!" Riccardo said as he gestured to the room full of the previous cars that had been used. "Impressive, yes?"

Max stared into that room in awe at the different cars on display. He had been watching Formula 1 since his father was in the sport, so he had seen them all on the track behind the cameras, but that couldn't compare to seeing them in real life in front of him. He walked into the room and towards the main car on display: The RB6. The car that won the first Constructors' championship for Red Bull. The car that pushed Vettel to his first championship win. He remembered watching that race after one of his karting races. He remembered how shocked the crowd had been when he crossed that finish line. The way Vettel bowed to the car. 

He may have been watching for Fernando Alonso, but that day had solidified what he wanted to do. That was the day he fully decided he wanted to race in Formula 1.

That he was going to become a Formula 1 Champion himself.

"Is this the actua-" "Yeah. I was shocked when I first saw it here, too. You can even see the tyre wear from when he did the donuts." Riccardo said as he walked over to stand next to Max.

"I'm going to have a car displayed here one day," Max said, looking at Riccardo.

"Wow. When I was told you were determined, they weren't kidding." Riccardo chuckled. 

"I thought I'd find you two here," Horner said, grabbing both of their attention. "We're ready to conduct the check-up, and then we can discuss what will be happening moving forward for Spain." He said as he gestured for the two to where they needed to go. 

~~~

Max hated the check-up. He knew it needed to be done in order to make sure he was fit to drive, but it had been more invasive than he was used to. Though that may be due to him now being a legal adult, and other tests could now be conducted that couldn't when he was younger. He had even had blood drawn. When he asked what that was for, they explained it was to check his nutrition levels to make sure he was indeed healthy. He was just glad that none of the tests they were doing would allow them to figure out that he was an Omega, so his secret would still be safe from the whole team finding out.

Now, he was sitting in Christian Horner's office, on a chair he could spin around on. Before they could discuss the plan of action, they had to wait for the test results, which were making Max nervous as he spun the chair a little. Riccardo saw how nervous Max seemed to be and held out a small tub of grapes for the teen to have. The teen looked at the Australian and took one, thanking him quietly as both Horner and the doctor who performed the check-up walked in.

"So, while you can compete, Max, some of your levels are rather concerning." The doctor started. "You are extremely malnourished. What exactly do you eat in a day?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh. Mostly eggs on toast. Maybe some fruit and veg. I can't really cook, and my father said fast food is extremely unhealthy." Max said, watching the doctor write something down.

"You need to increase the variety of foods you are eating. We can help you supplement your diet to address the amount of vitamin deficiencies you have, while increasing your variety. But you also need to eat more. You hit the minimum weight target but barely. You're on the verge of being underweight for the vehicle, and you are underweight in general." The doctor explained this, causing Max to frown slightly.

"I can teach Max how to cook other foods." Riccardo offered.

"That would be appreciated." The doctor said and looked at Horner. "Other than that, he is fit to race." 

"Thanks. You are dismissed." Horner said as the doctor left. "Now, while the doctor works out a meal plan, we'll get to discussing the other details before announcing the change to news outlets." He said as he walked over to his desk and sat down.

"So, the car that Kvyat used is currently being modified to fit you, Max, so you will need to stay here for a couple of days so we can make sure you actually fit in the car. Don't worry, there is a hotel nearby that you can stay at with your cats." Horner explained.

"Oh. I already have accommodation sorted." Max said as he rocked in the chair.

"Now, for Spain, I want clean racing from both of you. It doesn't matter where you finish for your first race on the main team, Max. I just want both of you to drive cleanly and follow any team orders we give. It should help us get a better understanding of how the two of you will work together." Horner explained, watching the two drivers nod. "Max, you will have a new engineer to get acquainted with before Free Practice. His name is Gianpiero Lambiase. You will meet with him tomorrow and the mechanics who will be working on your car." Horner said.

"Anything else you need me for?" Riccardo asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"Yes. Both of you need a good working relationship, so I am hoping that you will both spend the rest of the week after other duties to get acquainted with each other. You will both be hanging out with each other anyway, as you offered to teach him to cook." Horner said. "Now, any questions before I have the media team announce the change-up?" He asked.

~~~

Both Max and Riccardo left that meeting room once the teen had received his meal plan and the supplements the doctor prescribed. Max was frowning when he read through what he had been told to eat.

"It's just a meal plan, not data from a race." Riccardo chuckled as he looked at Max.

"It seems excessive. Doesn't being as close to the minimum weight as possible have more benefits when driving?" Max questioned, not looking up from the plan.

"Kid. Whatever your father drilled into you about food is not healthy. You have to live a little with food. Have some fun with it." Riccardo said, wrapping an arm around Max's shoulders. "Come on. We'll go out to eat. My treat. We can follow the meal plan tomorrow." He offered.

"But eating out isn't on the meal plan. I doubt it's on yours either." Max said, frowning.

"And? Have you ever heard of a cheat day? Come on. Let's get something to eat. Fish and chips are popular over here in the UK." Riccardo said, leading Max along to the exit of the headquarters. "You have to try it at least once, though I have heard it isn't great in Milton Keynes. So, maybe not the best way to introduce you to the local cuisine here. But hey, the risk of food poisoning is half the fun!" He chuckled with a smile.
 
"You will have to hear from Fernando and Kimi if I do get food poisoning. You know that, right?" Max asked, looking up at the Australian.

"A risk I am willing to take," Riccardo said as he led Max outside.

~~~

Grid Pack Group Chat
19 Members 
May 3rd, 2016 15:56

Vettel:
It's official
{A link was posted to a Twitter post by the Red Bull Media account. It has officially announced the change to the team, with Max being promoted to the main team. The post had already gone viral.}

Hamilton:
Does anyone else think this promotion might be a little too soon?

Button:
It was either this or have Kvyat still causing issues
I'm sure he will learn his lesson

Massa:
It is too soon
The kid is a dirty driver
He'll probably be worse than Kvyat

Alonso:
I doubt it
The bar is extremely low
Very hard to be worse than that

Sainz:
I'm going to miss Max as my teammate
He was fun to drive against

Massa:
Yeah, a battle for 10th is exciting

Rosberg:
Whoa
You're one to talk, Massa
That was not cool

Sainz:
Question
Will Max ever get added to this chat?
With Fernando being here and not part of the pack
Does that mean he could get added at some point?

Hamilton:
For the moment, no
He doesn't really get along with most of us
I may not have made it any better

Rosberg:
Dumbass said a forced apology to Max after qualifying
Max did not accept it
Toto was unbelievably pissed with him

Riccardo:
{A photo was posted of both him and Max in a selfie style, with Max not paying attention in the photo. They were both sitting at the beach, with Max pulling a face when he tried mushy peas.}
I don't think Max likes British cuisine
Also, your gulls are demons

Alonso:
HAHAHA
I must get him to try Spanish cuisine at the race 
It is miles better.

20+ Unread Messages...

Chapter Text

The days leading up to the first Free Practice with the new team were largely uneventful. The car had been fitted for him, but he didn't appreciate the jokes the mechanics had made about his small, lanky frame, and he had made his displeasure known. Though when he realised exactly how much they had to modify the cockpit just for him to fit comfortably in the car, he let them make the jokes since they weren't like the 'jokes' his father used to make. He had finally met his new engineer, whom he had called GP immediately after failing to pronounce his name. GP hadn't minded it and even encouraged it when they worked on the training simulator.

He had spent time with the design team as they worked on updating his race suit and helmet, ready for his debut race with Red Bull. Compared to his Toro Rosso suit, they had made his Red Bull suit baggier than it needed to be, which he didn't mind, but it was excessive in its bagginess. Though when they explained it, it made sense. He still hadn't gone through his last growth spurt due to being a late bloomer, so they were compensating for that in case he did have that growth spurt in the middle of the season. The helmet, on the other hand, he kept similar to his Toro Rosso helmet, adding the colours of the Dutch flag and the lion design he had started using this year.

The Dutch Lion was the only nickname he liked from 2015. The Netherlands had given it to him halfway through the season, with his aggressive driving style and the national animal being a lion, and it stuck. So, for his second helmet, he managed to get the design approved by his father, as it was deemed good for marketing purposes and wasn't perceived as childish.

Over those couple of days, Riccardo had accompanied him like he had been told to do and had taught him a few things about cooking, like he said he would, but just hanging out with the Australian had been nice. He was cheery and optimistic, not like everyone else he had managed to get close to. There was a sense of carefree ease he had that was almost calming. And the way he wasn't treated as fragile by the man, like some had done so, was refreshing. It was almost like he was treating him like this wasn't forced on him. Like he was actually enjoying being around Max. 

But that couldn't be it, right?

His cooking skills, while still horrendous, had improved slightly to the point that he could safely cook chicken and rice without supervision and without setting off the smoke alarm. Riccardo also came around with different dishes for him to try to see what kinds of foods he liked, since he didn't really know. But it wasn't looking good on that front.

Turns out Max was an incredibly picky eater.

Most of the food that Riccardo brought around looked and smelled appealing, but he didn't like it, not from a lack of trying it. The only food that he seemed to enjoy that was new to him was when Riccardo took him out to eat once again: Kebabs. Even if both of them had gotten food poisoning the day after, he liked the kebabs they had gone out for. While it wasn't exactly great progress on the variety he was eating, it was still progress, especially since he still wasn't eating a lot.  

The cats had gotten very accustomed to Riccardo coming round to his apartment, to the point where they would sit and wait for Daniel on the counters around the time he would come around with food. They would scream if he was even a minute late, scratching at the door until the Australian was let in, where they then proceeded to swarm him constantly. Max would apologise every time as he tried to prevent them from tripping up Daniel, but the man never seemed to be bothered about it. 

But now, it was time to head to Spain for Free Practice on Friday. Daniel had offered to take him there using his private jet, rather than booking a ticket, explaining that they wouldn't have to rush to the airport. He accepted the offer so he could wrangle the cats without the stress of time constraints. But, as the time came to get ready, Max felt his body heating and was growing nauseous. Symptoms he had become familiar with. The thing he was dreading was happening.

He was going into heat before a race weekend.

As the symptoms progressed and made themselves well known, he ended up lying on the couch with a heat pack held to his abdomen and an ice pack held to his forehead. He could barely move with the amount of pain he was in since he had forgotten to bring painkillers, thinking he wouldn't have a heat until after this race. However, it seemed that, since this was only his second heat ever, they would be completely irregular for the time being, and he wouldn't be able to predict them. But, as he lay there, trying to cool his body down, he heard a knock on the door.

"Hey, Max! Are you ready to go?" He heard Daniel ask from the other side of the door.

Max suppressed a whine as he slowly sat up and looked at the mess that was his attempt at packing up when the symptoms weren't that bad. He was about halfway through the packing process, and the cats had decided to take up residence in the suitcase buried under the clothes. He really wasn't ready to go, and he didn't feel like packing while in heat. 

Not to mention the fact that Daniel didn't know he was an omega.  

"Max? You alright?" Daniel asked as he attempted to open the door. 

That's when Max realised he hadn't locked the hotel door and shot up, ignoring the dizziness that washed over him as he rushed over to slam his body into the door before Daniel pushed it open. He panted slightly, trying not to throw up on the floor.

"Whoa! Kid, what was that for? I just wanted to make sure you're okay and ready to go." Daniel said, knocking on the door again.

"I'm...fine..." Max heaved and tried to make a run for the bathroom.

Only, he made it 5 steps before he collapsed on the floor and threw up what little was in his stomach. He could feel how close he was to passing out, but he forced himself to stay conscious for as long as he could so he could move away from the puddle soaking into the carpet. He barely noticed when the door swung open as he lay on the floor, groaning slightly.

~~~

Daniel had been concerned when Max hadn't immediately responded when he first knocked on the door. One thing he had learned over the days they had been hanging out was that if he told Max a time he would be around, he would be waiting at the door with both cats swarming him as soon as he was let in. The kid was always on time for anything and everything (except for the time he was late to qualifying, which turned out not to be his fault). So, when he hadn't answered the door immediately, or he heard the cats screaming through the door, he decided to try the handle to see if he left the door unlocked. 

When the door had been slammed shut, and he heard Max heave, that was when he knew something was very wrong. Had Max gotten food poisoning again from his own cooking? That would be hard to explain to Horner the next day if Max was unfit to test the car out. Though he didn't rush in until he heard the thud on the ground and the kid throw up, seeing Max lying on the floor next to a puddle of his own vomit, on the verge of passing out.

"Shit. Please don't tell me you have food poisoning again." Daniel said as he made his way over, placing his hand on Max's forehead.

He quickly pulled his hand away when he felt how hot the skin was compared to his hand, even if there was some coldness to the touch from an ice pack. Max groaned as he looked up at the Australian, eyes unfocused.

"Fuck. That isn't from food poisoning." Daniel said, lifting Max off the floor. "Let's get you on the couch, and we'll go from there." He said as he carried the teen to the couch.  
 
What he hadn't expected to happen was for Max to lean up and bury his face into his neck, purring and clinging to the Australian. Daniel froze at the feeling, having no idea what was happening or what to do. 

Why the fuck was Max scenting himself on him?!

~~~

Max Protection Squad
5 Members
May 12th, 2016 13:04

Rosberg:
Can I add someone to the chat?
I know Seb doesn't know
But I don't think I can handle the spam I am getting right now

Alonso:
Is it who I think it is?
He is spamming me as well
He is not giving me a chance to respond

Vettel:
I haven't said anything until now
I have worked out what you guys wouldn't tell me
The kid tries way too hard to be an alpha to be one
It's more noticeable when close to him

Räikkönen:
I was about to say that Seb had worked it out

Alonso added 1 new member: Riccardo

Alonso:
Everyone here is willing to listen to your rant

Riccardo:
SO I HAD GONE OVER TO MAX'S HOTEL ROOM TO PICK HIM UP FOR FREE PRACTICE TOMORROW
HE'S SICK 
BUT THAT ISN'T THE ISSUE
HE FUCKING SCENTED HIMSELF ON ME
HE'S PURRING RIGHT NOW
WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO?!
HE WON'T LET ME GO
I'VE GOTTA HELP HIM PACK
THE CATS ARE MESSING UP HIS SUITCASE
HELP 

Sainz:
That is a lot to unpack

Alonso:
Hahaha
Though I am surprised you are the one he's done it to first
I expected Kimi to be first

Räikkönen:
I swear, if you gave him food poisoning again

Riccardo:
NO, IT ISN'T FOOD POISONING
HE NEARLY PASSED OUT
HIS ENTIRE BODY FEELS BURNING HOT
He's finally letting me go, thank fuck

Rosberg:
Did he throw up?

Riccardo:
Yes?
Why?
Do you know what it is?

Rosberg:
Good luck
He's in heat right now

Riccardo:
WHAT?!?!
OH FUCK!

Alonso:
Yep
He'll be coherent after a few hours once he's used to the symptoms
Make sure you have ice packs, heat packs and painkillers

Vettel:
I'm assuming his heats are more intense than usual
Considering he's a late bloomer and all that
I would recommend electrolytes as well
Keep him well hydrated

Riccardo:
What about the race weekend?
Surely he can't race like this

Räikkönen:
From what I remember, his heat symptoms are really inconsistent each day
They don't even ease off like regular omega heats I have seen
So, we'll never know

Vettel:
Do not tell the team
Or the rest of the grid
But especially don't tell the team
And make sure he is never alone with Horner
EVER

Riccardo:
I wasn't 
Wait, did something happen during your time at Red Bull?

Alonso:
He has immediately gone offline
Looks like I have to investigate myself :)

Räikkönen:
Don't you dare
I am not digging you out if you end up in a rabbit hole this time