#3363 — Safer Things
Max always decides things alone, for himself and for others. He always knows what’s best for everyone, or so he thought.
George always let Max decide things, for him or for others. But this time, he needs to be brave enough to do it himself, it’s the best for everyone. Or so he thought.
***
HUNGARY
“Everyone’s going to Sardinia, I guess.. Most of them..”
Talking about the summer break, it slipped George’s mouth when calm hit his tired mind and body after the race, laying on Max’s bare chest at his other place nobody knows about.
“Ah Italy, lovely”
Max replies with the same hoarse voice, with a kiss following on the top of George’s head.
“Lovely, huh..”
George moves to face him half sitting. Leaving the hand that’s been running on his hair stopped. He came forward to steal another kiss from the Man who had been treating him like a precious prize even though he took 2nd place that day. Well, he said clearly in the interview that his P2 is definitely something he didn’t expect then spectacularly it came with someone who got P6 in his embrace all night.
Beyond his expectations.
“That would only mean we shouldn’t be in Italy at all for all summer break, handsome..”
George breaks the kiss and stares at Max’s eyes that turn cloudy again. People always compliment how beautiful his bright blue eyes were but they don’t see how Max’s always captivates him just like now.
“We can, schat… I’ll take care of it..”, Max is a reassurance in the form of a person, he knows how to take care of things.
Unfortunately, George has a master’s degree in overthinking.
“I’m not… sure…”
George gets up and starts to clean himself while Max follows him lazily. The sun will be up in a few hours and they have to go back to their designated reality. A moment like this in between races, a day or two in between race breaks, it was heavy when morning came but they promise it will keep them safe.
Seeing George getting ready with an unsettled feeling, Max gave him a hug warmer than the blanket they shared just a moment ago making sure that his George is no longer feeling uneasy.
“Nothing to be worried about, kay? It will be just our usual getaway, we’ll meet in Italy, spend as much time as possible together, and we’ll be back in the game, secret paddock lovers…” Max whispers playfully to George’s ear and gives him a lot of kisses before he goes.
and lastly, when the slight yellow line starts to be seen across the window, it is time for George to leave.
“Just.. wait for my cue before arranging anything, please? I gotta do some work at home and I’m still unsure whether I can make it or not..”
“George….”
“Love…”
One word and it successfully stopped Max from giving more arguments, instead he gives George another kiss on the lips, one on the forehead, and one on the crook of his neck. and stays there for a little moment.
“I’ll miss you”, Max pleaded like a little kid, every time.
George breathes in Max’s shoulder and when he’s done, eyes straight to Max’s telling him that he’ll miss him too, it just never comes out of his mouth.
then he left.
***
ITALY
[JUST IN!]
George Russell is seen rushing out from a luxurious jewelry brand store in France alone. Is the person who gets the gift waiting somewhere near?
Toto Wolff is talking about the weather and how it brings different luck to the team’s cars in front of Max not knowing he’s already distracted. They were on a yacht, also with Kimi present. A rare sight and obviously will invite a roaring gossip portal to feed. Yet what made the headline on Max’s phone is about George Russell caught buying a ring.
“Kimi, is Russell in France?”
Max asked Kimi suddenly. While the conversation is no longer engaging, Kimi brightly answers that George is indeed in France.
“Yeah i think he’s been in one of the islands the past week, he told me big things coming up there and asked me to wish him a good luck”
“About what?” the tone in Max’s voice is not the kind of curious one, it’s intimidating.
“I don’t know, man. Should I ask him?” Kimi takes his phone out, being serious, or not.
Max held himself back. Maybe Kimi was too young to read the room, or he’s just being clueless himself. He’s one half second away from calling George but decided to send him a message.
[news link]
Why the fuck I found out that you are in France from a fuckin tacky news and from Kimi you said you were at home. Don’t you have anything to tell me?
It was left unseen for two days.
***
ITALY
Max ended the yacht trip early by himself, leaving everyone in a confusing state. He told everyone he has something to do in the city, he’ll be quick and come back as if he never leaves.
[JUST IN!]
SHE SAID YES!! Carmen Mundt got the ring!! Happy for our Carmen and her Car Man!!
It was suffocating how badly Max needs to know what George has been planning, he can’t ask just anybody about George’s matter without sounding weird. Moreover, he doesn’t like third person point of view so what he did was reach up to George in every way he knew.
[link]
We need to talk. You can’t just ignore me like this. My place in two days, I’ll wait.
***
ITALY
It’s been two days since the last message Max has sent to George. He has seen it, but no reply. So Max waits, half of himself no longer feeling any anger, he just needs the doorbell being rung by someone he’s desperately needed to see for the past four days.
And then it came. He sprinted to the door, opened it and let a huge relief sigh to see who stood tall there.
George is not hiding himself in a big hoodie anymore. He came in a simple cloth for summer, it fits the heat, and a sunglass neatly covers his beautiful eyes. He took it off before greeting Max with a little “hi”.
Max hurriedly took his arm and hugged him tightly.
“You know how much I spend time thinking that I’m gonna punch you in the face once and else right when you’re in front of me but you’re here now, you fuckin here and nothing matters anymore…”
Get sahoyvomann’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Max whimpers, anger and frustration and longing needed to pour out. While George finally hugged him back, it’s not long for him to try to release them and make Max face him.
Max saw his lover again, but the beautiful eyes showed a complete mess, he saw the glints of undried tears in his eyes. George had been crying on his way there.
“No… Max… I’m not here for the trip we planned…”
***
ITALY
“You said we need to talk, I’m here to talk.”
Max has been silent. He steps back and walks to the nearest flat surface because his limbs are weakened.
they sat side by side on the couch as close as the hem of their shirt touches, but the distance is present. Loud and clear.
“Since when have you planned this?” Max didn’t know he still got energy to ask first.
“A long time.. long before us happened…”
before us happened.
“… you can no longer hold it, George? not a year, not a month?” Max asked as sarcastic as it may sound to George.
George is definitely not ready-never been prepared himself to be ready to answer that. It used to be in his head that Max, obviously, will be disappointed by his decision to end it all.
To end them.
and Max is, disappointed.
He took a deep, heavy and loud sigh and longer than two second that feels like minutes only to say something that breaks Max more,
“I can’t, she waited too long”, stupid answer.
Forgive me Carmen you shall save me from this, from him, and I’ll thank you with my life.
“And you think I didn’t wait long enough? You KNEW I can wait as long as you want, schat..”
Rage was in every word he spat, and the flame of furious Max pierced George with his stare and started to catch his eyes to demand honesty.
Max waited long enough to let him built a connection with Kelly, long enough to make himself a good dad for Peneleope, long enough to have his own beautiful daughter. And George always think after all that, what they have will be forever temporary.
George pick up some courage to meet his eyes. But hell, Max knew exactly what’s in his mind.
“‘Please don’t make this harder’. Oh I know that’s what you’re trying to say, I know those eyes.”
“If you know me that well then why the fuck you put me in this situation, Max?”
Max pulls himself back and makes some real distance between them, the voice sounds desperate from George’s lips and Max doesn’t like how strange it sounds to him. The sound that defeats him.
***
“You’re not discussing it with me, we have options!” Max started to lash out.
“Yeah between ruining your little family or being with me, those were your options.. The world is not kind enough for us, Max.. You just need to let me go!” George screams it out begging.
“You were the one who said if things get messy let’s just try to open the relationship so everyone will be happy? No? Are we not going there?” Max literally spells it word by word, when George can hardly remember what he said back then.
He saw it right through Max’s eyes just how Max couldn’t believe what George said about options.
“Max, I want to have.. this.. I want something the world knows-”
“I CAN GIVE YOU THAT YOU’RE THE ONE HOLDING ME BACK, GEORGE!” Max pants hard, losing the rhythm of his breath screaming right back at George, he is angry and George needs to acknowledge it.
He cannot lose his temper, not the unnecessary anger and violence, not to his George.
“I believe it, Max.. I believe it for so long that you can give me everything in the world but you forgot that it will be harder for us to be together once the world knows.. this one is easy.. and I… desperately want it to be easy…”
Max stares at the city through the glass window that the sky is turning dark. The night won’t let him mourn the loss of his love in any kinder way, because tears start to fall from George’s beautiful eyes he saw through the window.
“So you’ll leave me…” Max asked with a voice that echoes in George’s ear like a last hope.
Silence. Even they can hear how fast their heart beats. This is the first time outside the car of race day for their heart to thump this hard.
But George already decided on his way to talk to Max about everything. He’ll be the villain in Max’s life. Maybe for his entire life.
“I will leave you.. and you’ll be happy, and you got yourself a little family supporting you wholeheartedly and I will have mine too..”
“… and we’ll not be together anymore that is what you want” Max cuts it just to finish the incomplete sentences in his point of view.
Max is not a man who cries, no matter how sad he is. He has his way to cope. But hell his George is a pretty crier, and he cried in front of him, because of him, for him.
“We will not… be together, and that is what I want for us… I always want the best for us”
“How do you know it was for both of us, I was never part of Your decision?!”
Max starts to snap again because no matter how he tries to understand it, it hurts his head more.
George is nothing better in explaining. It hurts him each time the words slip out his mouth.
Their lips are better at kissing each other than to argue.
“I really hope we can end this on good terms, Max.. Please forgive me that I choose myself this time..”
“You definitely asked for too much, George.. I just wish I can punch you in the face before kicking you out of my place..”
“Please do, Max.. if it makes you feel better..”
Max turns himself to George, his fist getting red from holding too much on his own. He grabs his keys, phone and jacket then walked rushingly towards the door. Leaving George stand ignored.
“You can go if you’re done… or whatever I’m leaving”
…
“Goodbye, Max.. it was a very wonderful time, be happy”
***
NETHERLAND, DUTCH GP
“How was summer break, Max?”
“Uhm.. yeah it was beautiful, not much different from last yeas I get to spend with my… uh loved ones, family.. it’s pleasant..”
END.
https://open.spotify.com/track/63PCEHeJ7ZgTLpmzjkuWoy?si=61dfe6c41b1d49cd
