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Max' doorbell rang at exactly 2 p.m.
That in itself was not crazy considering what day it was. What was crazy was that it was the actual bell of his apartment door and not the guard of his apartment complex downstairs that wanted to inform him of a visitor.
That could only mean one thing.
"Charles?", he greeted the Monegasque with a raised eyebrow upon opening the large wooden door for him.
Said driver stood awkwardly on his doormat casually dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie, his sunglasses pushed up into his messy hair. Max thought it was adorable. Not that he would have ever admitted that to anyone or god forbid himself.
"Happy birthday!"
"Not sure if you still get birthdays when you stop aging.", Max grumbled more to himself and allowed Charles to push him towards the side to enter his apartment and head straight towards his living room area.
Charles inspected him questioningly, before throwing his backpack onto the black leather couch, toeing off his shoes and then waltzing towards the kitchen as if he owned the place. To be fair, he almost did at this point. Since Arthur had moved into Charles’ second bedroom they had had to move their 'meetings' to Max' place. Not that he minded. However, it was weird seeing a second toothbrush in his bathroom every morning. Last time that had happened he had still been with Kelly and they both knew how that show had ended.
"I knew you'd just spend all day moping around, so I thought we would get drunk and play some games or something!" Charles announced and reached up to get two glasses from a kitchen cabinet. Max could not help but stare at the spot on the Monegasque’s lower back that became exposed as he had stretched up. His spot. His alone.
Max just kept following Charles around like a stray puppy in his own apartment as he tried not to get distracted by the constant beat of his friend’s heart in his ears. It had been almost a week since his last feed. He was hungry. But the last race had just been two days ago and he had promised himself not to feed on the other driver right before or during a race weekend.
Max had considered going out to get his fill somewhere else, maybe even compel his way into a hospital's blood supply, but honestly? Once he had gotten a taste of Charles' blood a few months ago, he had been hooked. Maybe he had a problem. But it was whatever.
"You know I can't get drunk from drinking." Max stated as he watched Charles pull a bottle of Tequila from his backpack.
Opening the cap expertly and pouring a generous glass, Charles smiled at him softly. "I'm aware. This is for me." He let himself fall on what had turned into his side of the U-shaped couch. "Fifa?"
And Max followed.
Because Max always did what Charles wanted him to do. Some people might have called it whipped, he called it considerate. After all, Charles was the sole provider for satisfying his hunger cravings. He was also the only person he had not told to leave him alone on his birthday. But Charles did not need to know that.
~
And so it continued. Max on his side of the couch, Charles on the other, both of them trying to beat the other in a very passionate game full of embarrassingly bad comebacks and insults. And Fifa of course. And trying not to stare at the other. Although, that was more of a Max problem.
At this point Charles was on his third glass of Tequila and by the way his heartbeat had sped up Max could tell he was getting progressively more drunk by the minute. He envied him. It had been a long time since he had been drunk. Of course, he could always go to a club, find some willing or not so willing drunk person and drink their blood to get his fill, but it just did not feel the same as just sipping on a glass of whiskey or even fucking tequila to progressively get more wasted in a calm and humane setting.
After the game ended, Max won by a very large margin, partially due to his soberness but mostly because of his fast reflexes, Charles stretched, his feet bumping into the side of Max thigh.
"Alright, I think we are good to go, mate."
Max watched him curiously as he dug through his backpack to fish out what was definitely medical supplies. He carefully eyed the needle with its attached tube which ended in what he could only describe as a valve.
"What the fuck is this?"
Charles shrugged casually. "Your birthday present."
Almost expertly Charles pulled the cap off the needle and then flexed his arm to expose the inside of his left elbow, a blue vein sticking up that forced Max to stop breathing in order to fight his reflexes.
Almost in trance he watched as Charles inserted the needle into said vein, the blood - his blood - instantly beginning to fill the 20cm long tube with crimson red.
If it had not been enough until then, Max could not stop himself much longer. Within a split of second he rushed towards the other end of the living room, his irises blackened, the veins under his eyes running in dark blues and purples down all over his cheeks.
"What the actual fuck are you doing, mate?" he managed to growl as he pressed himself further into the corner of the room, his eyes never leaving the now completely filled tube.
Charles just smirked at him before opening the Tequila once again and filling his glass. Then he moved to also fill the other still empty one a third to the rim. After screwing the cap back on, he bowed forwards, the end of the tube now hanging into the glass.
Carefully Charles released the valve with a twist, his blood running out of the tube and straight into the glass, the red mixing with the transparent alcohol in tranquil swirls. Once the glass was filled sufficiently, he twisted the valve shut and then lifted the glass towards where Max was cowering.
"This one's for you. Happy birthday, Max."
Max did not move a muscle as his brain tried to process what had just happened. He knew he had complained about his inability to get drunk the normal way to Charles. He knew he had voiced his jealousy on the matter. What he had not known was that Charles cared, that he cared enough to do whatever this whole situation was.
"How do you know to put a needle like that?"
Charles chuckled, his arm still outstretched towards Max. "Youtube. Also I stole equipment from the medical tent to practice. Please don't tell anyone that, though."
Max scoffed. Who would he tell? And what would he tell them? That the guy he sometimes drank from and then fucked into oblivion stole needles from the Formula 1 track to practise for his birthday so he could help his vampire friend get drunk in a normal way? Yea, unlikely. Just as unlikely as Charles even doing this entire thing in the first place.
"Are you going to come take this and get drunk with me, or no?"
Max finally realized he was still frozen in shock. Within the blink of an eye he was now sitting next to Charles, the glass in his hand as he smelled the red contents with a satisfied hum.
"Happy birthday." Charles repeated and then clinked his glass to Max' before taking a sip and putting it back down. "Do you like the present?"
Max shook his head in disbelief and then finally allowed himself to have a drink. The warm, alcohol-tinted blood ran down his throat and he could not help the moan that escaped him almost instantly.
"I can't believe you did this for me."
"I mean- you were complaining about it, so I thought-" Max lunged forward to interrupt the tipsy mess in front of him by pressing his lips against that of the other driver in a chaste kiss.
"Thank you. Seriously. Thank you. It means more than you think."
Charles shrugged nonchalantly, a small smile spread on his face that ended in his blushed cheeks. "It's nothing really. Wanna play some more Fifa?"
It might have been nothing to Charles, but to Max it was everything.
~*~
Max[16.10.24, 11:43]: Joyeux anniversaire!
Charles[16.10.24, 11:44]: Haha! Merci :)
Max[16.10.24, 11:44]: I have a present for you. Just stop by anytime to pick it up!
Charles[16.10.24, 11:44]: I have family over. You can come by and drop it off if you want :)
Max[16.10.24, 11:45]: I don't think you want an audience for this lol
Charles[16.10.24, 23:17]: omw
~
Max was not a pacer. Seriously, he was not. He was strong-headed and insanely stubborn, yes, but he was never one for pacing. That, however, did not stop him from pacing up and down his living room in quick strides as he obsessively checked the clock on his phone every twenty seconds.
He had not expected Charles to still show up after he had not heard from his fellow driver the whole remainder of the day. Max had guessed he would be busy with his friends and family, too busy for him. Which is why his sudden text had made Max stumble out of bed - not that he was ever sleeping he just enjoyed being in bed okay - and straight into the shower before putting on a black button-down and jeans. He was not sure what Charles was going to wear but considering the present he had planned Max thought it only polite to dress up for the occasion.
It was another 30 times of checking his phone later when the bell finally rang. Max forced himself to use human speed instead of the speed he actually wanted to go in and took another second to check his hair in the mirror next to the entrance.
"Happy birthday, mate!" Max cringed as Charles giggled and stepped in next to him.
"Mate?"
"Sorry." Max mumbled and swiftly let the door fall closed before guiding Charles straight towards his bedroom. "I'm a bit nervous about your present."
Charles giggled again and Max hated how it made his non-beating heart almost start off again. He was not sure when or how or even why but his infatuation with the Monegasque was steadily increasing everytime he saw him or heard his voice or god forbid fucking smelled him. He did not even want to think about the way Charles tasted, about how he writhed under him whenever his teeth sank into the other driver's pale skin, about how Charles moaned and softened as soon as he began to lap up the rising blood.
"Why are you nerv- oh...what is this?" Charles had pushed Max aside to enter the bedroom and he quickly spun to face Max after he had taken in the view in front of him.
Max glanced over Charles shoulder and then attempted to casually shrug. Attempted being the right word because he only noticed afterwards that only one side had shrugged while the other had not and for god's sake why was he so awkward about this? He was a vampire, a monster, a killer; yet here he was, a puddle of cringe in front of a human. And not just any human. Charles. "It's nothing really."
*
Charles turned around again to stare at the scene in front of him. The bed that was normally covered in black linen, just in case a drop of blood found its way from Charles back over his waist, had been replaced by a plastic sheet and red beach towel draped on top of it.
"Is that a Ferrari towel?"
Max' deep laugh made Charles' stomach churn. "Well, I had to find one that I could easily throw away so..."
"I cannot believe you would plan to kill me on my birthday!" Charles exclaimed and ran a hand through his unruly hair. He was only half-joking. He was pretty sure he had seen this exact scene in a horror movie before.
Max' eyes widened. "I'm not! I didn't think about how this looks. I promise I'm not killing you. Quite the opposite really. But no killing. I swear. Oh my god, I-"
"Max." Charles' gaze softened as he reached up to place a warm hand against Max' cold face. "I was kidding."
His words seemed to calm the other man and he watched Max' broad shoulders relax.
"But what is this then?"
Max cleared his throat as he stepped away to dim the blinding ceiling light into a shade that was almost complete darkness but not quite. As Charles' eyes adapted he slowly made his way into the middle of the bedroom.
"What you did for my birthday was so nice and thoughtful and something nobody else could have given me honestly. So I wanted to give you something back."
Charles sighed. "You know I did not expect anything back." It was true. He generally was not a person that did things to get a return on them. He did things for people because he wanted to. He had given Max' his blood in a glass on his own free will, because he enjoyed seeing the Dutchman happy, because he liked to see his face light up, his blue eyes sparkling as he tried to hide his smile, because he just lov- no. Charles would not even let himself go there mentally.
"Anyway...take off your clothes."
Charles skeptically lifted the hem of his shirt to pull it over his head. After his small birthday gathering he had not felt like changing. All he had wanted to do was get in his car and drive like a fucking maniac to Max' apartment complex. He held Max' eyes as he unbuttoned his baggy jeans and then let them fall to the floor with a 'Thump'. Had he told himself a year ago that on his next birthday he would be undressing in front of none other than Max Verstappen, he would have sent himself straight to an asylum, yet here he was, allowing the other driver - his so-called rival - to inspect his bare skin.
"All of the clothes?" Charles interrupted Max staring which resulted in a lifted eyebrow as reply.
"Depends. Do you want to use the underwear again?"
Charles bit into his bottom lip and took a deep breath before also removing his briefs exposing his slightly hardening dick to the open air. He knew Max only kept the AC on to have a nice temperature for Charles.
Max' eyes roamed up and down his body, the first veins darkening against his cheek, and suddenly Charles felt vulnerable. Not because he was human and the man in front of him was a literal monster. And not because he was stark naked while Max was completely clothed in front of him. No, he was absolutely terrified that Max could read his mind, that Max suddenly realized that this was not just the strangest friends with benefits situation to Charles, that they had long passed that line in his head, and that if Max asked Charles would happily allow him to suck his body completely dry.
"Are you not going to take off your clothes?"
Max shook his head, his pupils blown as he gestured to the bed. "Lay down."
Charles' heart was beating loudly in his throat. He knew Max could hear it speed up. This was not what they normally did. Not at all. He would come over. He would take off his shirt. Max would bite his lower back. Max would drink from it. Charles would ride his high with him. Sometimes he put his shirt back on afterwards and they played a round of Fifa. Sometimes he came back to reality with his clothes torn off, his lips against those of Max', his hands feverishly roaming all over his cold skin. They never talked about those encounters. They happened in a different realm, a realm that Charles wanted to spend all his time in, a realm that Charles would protect with his life if someone tried to take it away from him.
But this? They had never done this.
The plastic sheet crinkled under his stomach when he laid down as instructed.
Without getting a warning and within a fraction of a second, he suddenly found himself on his back, Max' cold body on top of his in plank position, his darkened eyes staring into his.
"This way. I want to see your face."
Charles had no idea what was happening. He was pretty sure his brain ran on anticipation and arousal only at this point. He was, however, not afraid. He knew and trusted that Max would never hurt him, that Max would kill himself before accidentally endangering Charles.
A hint of blue reappeared in the vampire's eyes. "I have never done this before. So you have to tell me if it gets too much, promise?"
Charles' heart almost skipped a beat at the worry in his friend's voice. He wanted to agree, wanted to promise, wanted to nod; but instead he simply reached up to gently place his lips against those of Max. This is not what they usually did. But none of this was.
Max smiled against his mouth and then pulled away slightly, Charles was already missing the touch. "Alright. Close your eyes, Charles."
**
Max shut his eyes in time with Charles and tried to collect himself. He had not been lying when he had said that he had never done this before. He had not. He was not even sure if he would be able to do it. But he had to, wanted to, for Charles. Because he deserved it. More than anyone else.
While slowly crawling backwards Max tried to regain his composure. He had it all mapped out in his head. He could do this. He would be fine. All he had to do was not breathe, as much as his instincts told him to.
With Charles accelerated heartbeat as background noise, Max set his eyes on the first target. The skin right above Charles' left hip bone.
Okay.
He could do this.
All he had to do was-
Leaning down Max let his fangs extend to pierce Charles' skin, careful not to hit anything that could result in problems later on. So yes maybe he had studied human anatomy for a whole week straight, he did not need to sleep, remember?
Ignoring Charles' pained hiss, Max moved to the other side to repeat the motion. Almost dazed he watched as the red blood contrasted Charles' white skin when it began to pool in the small wounds his teeth had left.
He could not breathe.
Not yet.
But, oh, he wanted to.
Shifting further down, Max' face hovered above Charles' left thigh.
Bite.
No tongue.
Move on.
Coming to a stop at his right thigh, Max glanced up to see the Monegasque had opened his eyes and was watching him curiously. Max felt something in him stir as he realized that there was neither fear nor pain looking down on him. Instead the green in Charles' eyes shimmered with trust and wonder. The way Charles' gave and gave and gave, and the way he trusted him with his whole life despite the fact that Max could kill him in less than a second made his still heart hurt. He had no idea how he was deserving of Charles. Of his blood. Of his friendship. Of any of this.
Not able to hold himself back Max first sucked a bruise onto the inside of Charles right thigh, before piercing the skin with his fangs.
"You still good?"
Charles nodded in response. Max was not sure if he was lying. Surely four open and actively bleeding wounds had to hurt right?
By now, the blood was running down Charles' sides and onto the towel, the Ferrari red mixing with the red of his blood in a strange act of symbolism. Max wanted nothing more than to lick it off of him.
Not yet, though.
His brain was practically screaming at him as he kept holding the breath in to break Charles skin first against his left, then his right upper arm. Not only was it increasingly harder to ignore his instincts fighting to take over, he was also aware of the way Charles was wincing in pain under him. Yet, he never told him to stop.
"Can you take one more?"
Charles nodded, his teeth biting into his bottom lip, his face a mixture of excitement and pain.
Settling back into his first position, Max made quick work to bite into the cave between Charles' ribcage and his navel.
The blood started pooling quickly. It was calling for Max. He had never craved anything more in his entire life.
This was torture.
He had never been this self-restraint, while fighting for control over himself at the same time.
He playfully dipped his finger into the blood and then could not hold back from drawing a crimson red heart over Charles' chest, right over where he could clearly hear his heart beating steadily on and on. When they were this close, Max liked to pretend that it was beating for the both of them.
But not right now.
Right now, his mind was only focussed on one thing and one thing only.
Blood. Charles' blood.
He allowed himself a final look over the naked body in front of him, at this point covered in streaks and smears of blood, before he met the Monegasque's eyes straight on.
"Happy Birthday, Charles."
Then Max finally inhaled.
And there was blood.
And there was Charles.
So much of Charles.
And it was heavenly.
**
Still slightly amused by the painted bloody heart against his chest, Charles watched as Max rendered control to whatever had taken possession of him.
Almost in trance and absolutely delusional Charles had allowed him to bite over and over, each time fighting a battle of his own. Charles was almost convinced that the pain he had watched in Max' face and black eyes was the one he was supposed to be feeling.
Yes, obviously it hurt, and yes, Charles wanted it to stop hurting. But more than that he wanted to know what would happen next. Because he was sure that Max would not do this for no reason, would not fight his own nature for the sake of it, would not let Charles hurt just because.
It all happened quite fast, faster than humanly possibly. Charles swore he saw Max smirk before he dove downwards. Funnily enough, it was the last thing he saw.
As Max' tongue ran over the bite on his midsection, his saliva mixing into Charles' blood-stream, the familiar feeling of bliss and calmness spread through his body instantly, replacing all other feelings of pain or nervousness.
Already riding his high, Charles was not prepared for when Max continued his licking along all other bites. He was not sure how, but somehow Max' tongue was all over him at once, lapping on his right arm and somehow sucking on his left hip at the same time.
The euphoria was something he could not possibly have put into words. He could feel every single tiny vein in his body being filled with it. Who needed blood when he could replace it with whatever this emotion was?
His heartbeat was ringing in his ears before ebbing out to turn into waves crashing and falling against his body with his breath.
Charles had been on a vampire high many times by now.
But this? This was a level he had not thought possible.
It was everything and all at once.
He was out of his own body, floating over himself, watching himself be completely devoured by Max from above. Yet at the same time he felt every millimeter of himself, was more aware of his own being than ever before.
He felt alive, yet he never wanted to die more, because he knew this was the best feeling he would ever achieve in his life and he wanted to feel it for eternity.
He felt so entirely in the moment. Yet so light-headed at the same time.
He felt the blood loss.
He felt the high.
And he felt Max.
Max over him.
Max on him.
Max in him.
Just Max.
All of Max.
Max.
Max.
Max.
**
Max was about to swipe the thumb dripping with his own blood across the last wound on Charles' stomach when a warm hand engulfed the coldness of his.
"Leave it. As a reminder." Charles' voice was a mumble, barely a whisper and the most endearing thing Max could possibly imagine. He wanted to record it so he could play it over and over as he lay in bed at night wide awake yearning for the time he was still able to fall asleep. It had been a while.
"Reminder of what?" Max smiled softly as he pulled his hand away from the two little holes in Charles' skin.
The Monegasque stretched his arms above his head as he purred contently. "That this really happened."
Max hurried to get up, move Charles off the plastic and towel and onto the cushy mattress. He was wrapping Charles in a blanket before he had even finished his stretch. He chuckled at Charles' confused look. Max knew it messed with Charles' to be somewhere entirely different without noticing it, but he could not help himself sometimes. The irritation just looked adorable on the other driver's face.
"So you liked my present then?" Max settled himself next to Charles, close enough to feel his body warmth radiate against his own skin.
"It was...I don't know how to say it in any language I speak."
"But good?"
Charles' laugh was everything to Max. "Yes, good. Obviously." His eyes fell on Max' still nicely buttoned shirt. "Did we have like....sex? Or was that in my head?"
Max's chest clenched at the sight of the blush creeping across Charles' face. "You were way too out of it I'm afraid.", he grinned. "But good to know."
Charles boxed his shoulder in embarrassment. "Oh, shut up." Snuggling further into the blanket and pillow, he scouched towards Max until the Dutchman had no choice but to completely engulf Charles in his arms. Already halfway back to sleep, Max pressed a gentle kiss against Charles' forehead.
"This was perfect, Max.", the Monegasque mumbled against Max' chest. "Can't wait to see how you are going to top this next year."
Max smiled to himself as he watched Charles fall back asleep in his arms, his heart so full he could swear it almost produced a beat.
Yup.
He was completely fucked.
~
end