Work Text:
He ignored everyone as he left the paddock and rushed back to the hotel. This was supposed to be his race. He was supposed to do great and make everyone happy. But for some stupid reason, no matter how hard he tried, the race was just not it.
Finishing last, Sergio felt like a failure. He could barely see through the fury he felt as he opened the door of his hotel room. He immediately headed to the bathroom, rinsing off the sweat and frustration.
Just as he sat down on the bed in a fresh change of clothes, there was a knock on the door.
"Checo?" and if anyone asked, Sergio definitely didn't get up the second he recognized the voice.
He opened the door to a worried-looking Max.
"Hey."
Sergio gulped before answering. "Hi."
"Can I come in?"
Sergio nodded and stepped out of the way, closing the door behind Max. "Why aren't you with the others?"
"I wanted to check up on you."
Sergio sat down on the bed. "You should go back to the paddock, Max."
"Checo."
"Max."
Max sighed heavily. "I care more about you than Christian being mad at me for disappearing. I know how much this race meant to you and I know you're not coping well with how it turned out, so please let me help." he sat next to the older. "You don't have to deal with it on your own."
Sergio bit hit lip, looking away from Max. His eyebrows furrowed as he desperately tried to keep the tears in.
"Let me be there for you."
The dam broke and Sergio let out a heart-breaking sob. He covered his face with one hand as he continued sobbing. "How did I fuck up this—this bad?" he hiccuped inbetween words.
Max pulled him into a side hug, resting his chin on top of Sergio's head. Trying to comfort the other man, he rubbed his back and held his face close to his chest, caressing his cheek with his thumb. "It's not your fault. You know the car is fucked. It—"
"But last place! I—how—" his entire build shook in Max's hold.
He felt Max's hand tighten in his hair and the arm around his shoulders pull him even closer. Max rocked them back and forth as Sergio sobbed.
After a moment, Max pulled away, holding the other's face in his hands and looking him in the eyes. "It will all be okay. You're an excellent driver, our team just doesn't seem to care about us complaining. It's not your fault. Hopefully, we'll have a better car next season."
Sergio looked down. "What if I don't want another season?"
Max's hands slipped from his cheeks the tiniest bit. "Wha..?"
"It's just—" he let out a bitter laugh. "Everyone wants me gone. People have been saying it all season. And, you know, maybe they're right. Maybe I should finally retire, maybe—"
"Checo." Max rested his forehead against Sergio's. "Don't— don't say that. Not everyone wants you gone, I—" he held onto the back of Sergio's neck tighter. "I don't want you gone."
Sergio bit his lip and placed his hands on Max's arms. "I'm a failure." he whispered.
Max shook his head. "No. Checo—" he pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. "Look at how I've been performing. You know I have the skill to win every circuit, but the car is just so bad—"
They sat in silence for the next few minutes as Sergio gradually calmed down.
Max pulled away to look at him. "I'm here for you. And I will be here for you for as long as you'll have me."
"Thank you..."
×××
He didn't know why he did it, but he couldn't think of anyone better as he texted Max. He's been feeling down and he realized the only person who can make him feel better at any given moment is his teammate.
Now, he didn't know what to do with such realization. Part of him felt warm at the idea of being closer to the younger but another part of him was also yelling at him for whatever he was feeling. And to be perfectly honest, he didn't really care about the latter.
Soon enough he found himself in Max's arms in his own bed. There were no tears involved this time. No words either. They just lay in silence, Max running his fingers up and down Sergio's arm.
"Checo?" Max started.
"Hm?"
"Why'd you text me?"
Sergio could feel his heart stop for a second. Why did he text Max? Why didn't he text anyone else? He gulped down his feelings.
"You make me feel... warm." so much for gulping down his feelings. He face palmed mentally.
To his relief, though, Max chuckled. "Well, I'm glad, mate."
Sergio smiled up at him, albeit a bit forcibly.
He knew Max was bisexual. He never told him, but he didn't have to. It was just so painfully obvious. Well, maybe Max just never tried to hide it. But at the same time, it's not like he'd go for someone like Sergio—
Why did he care?
Was he in deeper than he originally thought? He though he was only attracted to Max physically. That he just made him feel good but not more than a— a best friend.
He stared into Max's eyes, his mind going completely blank and before he could stop himself, he was kissing Max.
And Max? Max wasn't kissing him back.
Oh god, Max wasn't kissing him back.
Sergio pulled away only to see the other man's panicked expression. His own eyes widened as he sat up, breath quickening. "Shit. Mierda, joder—"
"Checo—"
Sergio got up from the bed and walked back as far away from Max as possible. "I'm so sorry, I—"
Max sat up on the bed. "Checo, wh—"
Sergio's back hit the wall and he slid down, sitting with his knees to his chest. "I'm sorry, Max, I—"
"Checo," Max got off the bed as well only to sit in front of Sergio on the floor. "What's going on with you?"
"I don't—" his voice shook even more than his hands. "I don't know."
"Hey," Max took his hands, successfully ceasing the trembling. "It's okay. I'm not mad, okay?" he swallowed. "Why'd you kiss me?"
Sergio's eyes searched his face for traces of any emotion, but Max was completely unreadable. "I don't know." he whispered. It was a lie and he knew that Max was aware of that as well.
"Do you... do you have feelings for me or something?"
Max's words sent shivers down his whole body. He never thought he'd ever get into a situation like this. He inhaled shakily. "I'm sorry."
"No, no, don't apologize. Just answer honestly, please."
Sergio scoffed. "What good would it do anyways?"
"You kissed me. Don't you think I at least deserve an explanation?" to Sergio's surprise, there was no hint of condescension in Max's voice. No arrogance or irritation. It was an honest, Max-like question.
Sergio closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "What if the answer's yes?"
Max blinked. "'Yes' as in—"
"As in yes, I have feelings for you." the mere idea of meeting Max's eyes while he said that had him nauseous.
This was the moment that could— no, would change everything between them. There was no way Max felt what he felt and there was also no way he would just go back to being friends with Sergio after his confession.
"Checo..."
I'm sorry. I don't feel the same way. I don't think we can keep being friends.
It's okay, Max, it's not your fault.
Max held his face in his hands and tilted his head up to look at him. "Hey," the smile he granted him was oh-so sweet, too sweet, almost. Sergio didn't know what to think. "And what if I said I also have feelings for you?"
"No, you don't." his voice was firm and his words confident. Max didn't like him back, Max— Max couldn't like him back. Surely, somehow, Max settling for a guy like Sergio had to be one of the seven deadly sins.
"I do. I— I've had feelings for you for a long time now. Why do you think I came to check up on you the other day?"
Sergio shook his head in disbelief. "You're just sweet like that. That's—that's what's so infuriating about you; you're just so goddamn sweet, it's— it's impossible not to fall for you."
"Checo—"
"You act all nice and it's so frustrating because you're nice to everyone! I'm not special! I'm just another person to you!"
"Checo."
Sergio finally shut up.
"I don't treat everyone like this. You are special to me. I do have feelings for you. But I also think that we should talk about this once you're in a better state mentally."
"I'm fine—"
"No, you're distressed. I'm willing to go all in, but only if you are as well. And I need to be sure that you are. So let's talk about this once you've at least had, like, six hours of sleep, okay?"
Sergio sighed, defeated. "Okay."