Chapter Text
18 months later
"Schatje, hurry up." Max shouts. "If we don't leave right away I'll have to break a lot of traffic laws to make it in time."
The annual FIA gala is being held in Nice that evening, and they are the guests of honor. He's not a fan of this type of event, but Charles can be very persuasive when he wants Max to accompany him.
The Dutchman is already standing at the door playing with the keys of Charles' Ferrari and nervously correcting the cuffs of his navy blue suit.
"First of all, it was you who begged an hour ago for a quickie." Shouts Charles from the dressing room. "And second, who said you were the one driving?"
Max searches in his head for a retort when a noise in the living room snaps him out of his reverie. He knows perfectly well what caused it. When he enters the living room, he sees a kitten jumping on the dresser. Apparently, he has found entertainment in the form of knocking photo frames off it.
"Schumi, it is not allowed!” Max grabs the kitten by the back and presses it to his chest, and with his other hand starts cleaning up the mess.
The unruly kitten is a present Charles gave Max for his 36th birthday. As the Monegasque later admitted, he had not planned to give him a pet, but when the cat of one of his friends had unexpectedly perched and she did not know what to do with the kittens he decided to keep one. He knew that the little creature would fit perfectly into their home and fill the void in Max’s heart.
The name was given to him not coincidentally. On his very first day at their house, the little kitten climbed up onto the shelf where they kept their racing memorabilia and chewed on the gloves belonging to Michael Schumacher, which Charles once got for breaking one of his records. So they concluded that in order to somehow make amends to the German, the kitten would be named after him.
Schumi has golden half-length fur and intense green eyes. His appearance naturally elicits unequivocal comments from their visitors. The kitten looks like he is their actual child. Well, Max and Charles certainly treat him as if he is.
Max picks up the photo frame, which fortunately has not been affected by Schumi's playfulness. The photo included is slightly blurred, but Max and Charles can easily be recognised in it. They wear casual party shirts. They are both visibly drunk and their hair is dishevelled. They are smiling like crazy for the camera while showing off the wedding rings on their fingers.
Here's a wedding photo of them.
The whole thing took place in Las Vegas. When Daniel returned to Australia it was hard for the three of them to set a suitable date for the promised trip. It took them several months to look for a suitable date. In the end, they concluded that they would do it on the anniversary of their victory at Le Mans.
Meanwhile, Max and Charles' relationship was prospering. Everything was developing very slowly. They were learning themselves anew. What they like and what they hate. There were quarrels, but there were also reconciliations and forgiveness of smaller and larger mistakes.
They went out together more and more often and gradually stopped hiding. Neither of them was comfortable with it at first, but they dealt with it in other ways. Max cut himself off from the media, while Charles, on the contrary, obsessively read every mention of them in the press or on the Internet. Paradoxically this helped them. When Max was annoyed that someone had again secretly taken pictures of them and posted them on the internet Charles read him the nice comments that most internees left under the post. Occasionally, however, the Monegasque would come across an unkind comment that made all the fun go away. That's when Max would spring into action, saying "Fuck them." and reminding his boyfriend what really matters.
So in June a year after winning Le Mans, all three met in Las Vegas. They were doing exactly what is done in the Sin City. They drank, they danced, they drank, they won at the casino, they drank, they lost at the casino, they drank...
Max remembers walking through town in the evening on the third day of their stay and meeting a newly married couple. Daniel then threw in a joke that Max and Charles should also use their stay in Vegas in this way. Everyone burst out laughing, but Max noticed a brief glint in Charles' eyes. His heart beat harder at the sight. This turned the joke in his head into a potential plan.
A few hours later, they were definitely drunker and poorer by a few thousand dollars lost in the casino. Daniel disappeared with some waitress, and Charles and Max went to get some air. By chance they ended up at the fountain show at the Bellagio Hotel. The performance was breathtaking but Max was only thinking about the right choice of words. He cursed himself in his mind for never being good at this sort of thing. Finally, he simply turned towards Charles and asked.
"Charles… I think I want to marry you." The Monegasque's eyes widened. "Do ... would you like to get married too?"
Well it wasn't the most romantic proposal in the world. But it's the effect that counts, right?
"I thought you wouldn't ask!" Charles threw himself into his arms and kissed him. “YES!”
Then everything happened quickly. They found Daniel, who was not thrilled about the interrupted entertainment, but when he found out what the reason was he immediately stopped complaining. They needed two witnesses, so they also took this random waitress and the four of them went to the right place.
The ceremony was quick as there were still a few drunk couples lined up to get married. Nevertheless, Max remembers feeling the solemnity of the moment and unimaginable emotion when he put the ring on Charles' finger and saying "I, Max Emilian, take you, Charles Marc Hervé Percival, to be my husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish always."
Was it an unconsidered and spontaneous decision?
Yes.
Do they regret it?
Absolutely no.
The only problem arose when the wedding photos leaked to the media. For days they received phone calls and messages from family members and friends congratulating them but also reproaching them for not being invited to the wedding. In particular, their mothers complained the most. Sophie gave Max a big row and Pascale took offence and stopped speaking to Charles.
So in order to defuse the situation, the men decided to organise a remarriage and hold a lavish wedding. Their mothers were, of course, actively involved in the preparations. The event took place in early autumn. They invited almost 500 people so that no one felt disadvantaged this time.
The wedding took place at the instigation of Prince Albert in the courtyard of the Prince's Palace of Monaco. He felt that Charles, as one of the most distinguished Monegasques in history, deserved it. Many locals took to the streets, waving to them and throwing them flowers as they drove to the ceremony. Max did indeed feel like he was marrying a member of the royal family.
The courtyard was beautifully decorated with bright yellow flowers and white fabrics. Small lamps cast a soft light that added to the magical atmosphere.
They were both wearing white matching suits. The only difference was that Max had an orange rose tucked into his pocket, while Charles had a red one.
Families, friends, some of the members of the teams they worked with and drivers they competed with over the years came. There were so many guests that Max and Charles barely managed to say hello to everyone.
They decided that this time they would say a few sentences from themselves when repeating their vows instead of using standard phrases. It was very emotional. When it was time for the kiss all the guests stood up and started applauding.
Before their first dance, Charles surprised everyone and announced that the melody they would dance to had been composed by him and expressed his love for Max. The Dutchman was as surprised as the rest. During the dance, he hid his face in his husband's neck so as not to show his tears.
Then came the toasts and speeches. Some were touching, some emotional, some funny or embarrassing. They both had to hide their faces when Christian joked that "He hopes their love life looks as exciting as their fight on the track." Max wiped away the tears of Charles, who completely burst into tears during Lorenzo and Arthur's joint speech. The brothers honoured the memory of their late father and Jules. Even Jos spoke up, admitting that he made many mistakes in raising Max, but he is proud of the man he has become and hopes Charles makes him happy.
It was a fantastic time. All guests were pleased. In addition, instead of gifts, Max and Charles asked for donations to an environmental foundation, which raised a substantial sum. Their mothers, of course, burst with pride and reproached them for having such a fantastic wedding thanks to them, and they did not deny it.
"And who is wasting time here now?" Max almost drops the frame hearing Charles' voice from behind him. He turns around and sees his husband leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
Charles looks stunning. He is wearing a tailored burgundy suit that perfectly highlights his beauty.
"I just..." Max starts to explain, but the Monegasque is already at his side looking over his shoulder. His gaze softens when he sees what Max is holding in his hand.
"Don't tell me you're getting sentimental in your old age?" Charles chuckles.
"If I'm old then so are you."
"I beg your pardon, I'm two weeks younger." He pretends to be offended.
Meanwhile, Schumi meows loudly and tries to break out of Max's grasp, so Charles takes the kitten into his arms. He automatically starts stroking him.
"Why don't we take him along with us?" Max proposes with a laugh.
"No way." Charles strokes the kitten one last time and sets it down on the couch. "He would steal the whole show." He whisks bits of fur off his suit. “Now come on, because we're really going to be late.”
Max takes one last look at the photo and puts the frame away.
They are not late, but Max is almost certain to be caught by a speed camera at one point. Even so, the car is owned by Charles and it is he who will pay the potential fine.
The evening passes surprisingly pleasantly for them. It's not as dull as Max had expected. They meet many friends with whom they reminisce about old times. The FIA devotes a large part of the gala to remembering the achievements of Charles and Max.
Max never liked to boast. Breaking records and screwing up achievements did not give him satisfaction. For him, it was always about the pleasure of racing. On this evening, however, he feels pride in what he and Charles have achieved. They wrote a beautiful chapter in motorsport history.
When they return home at night Max draws attention to the Christmas decorations around town. This will be their first Christmas spent as a family. Max feels unimaginable exhilaration at the very thought. For many years he lived with the conviction that he would never again experience happiness in his personal life. Now he knows that the best is yet to come.
They park in the underground garage and get in the lift to get to the top floor where their flat is located. Charles leans against Max and yawns protractedly. His eyes are sleepy. The Dutchman embraces him at the waist.
Max stares at their reflection in the mirror. They are like two sides of the same coin. So different and yet so compatible.
"What are you thinking about?" Purrs Charles catching his gaze.
Max smiles gently and places a kiss on his cheek.
"Just about how much I love you."