Daniel Ricciardo X Reader - Blog Posts

Hi can I request an exes to lovers smau? Love you work🥰

hey love! thank you so much <33 find your request here

𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑‘𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃!𝐅𝟏 𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐒

ft. : max verstappen, charles leclerc, lando norris, carlos sainz, oscar piastri, lewis hamilton, george russel, logan sargeant, daniel ricciardo

(b/n = brother’s name) fluff, crack + very slightly suggestive ⋆ requests are open

a/n : hope u liked it! reblogs, feedback & requests are very very appreciated !

𝐅𝟏 𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐗 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐑!𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐒

ft. : max verstappen, charles leclerc, lando norris, carlos sainz, oscar piastri, lewis hamilton, george russel, logan sargeant, daniel ricciardo

suggestive, fluff + crack ⋆ requests are open

a/n : hope u liked it! reblogs, feedback & requests are very very appreciated !

dandelion | max verstappen, daniel ricciardo

pairing: max verstappen x age gap!reader x daniel ricciardo

summary: you thought the puppy fever that took over the paddock by storm would rub into your two boyfriends, but it seems to be a struggle to convince them to get a dog

fc: sab zada

request: here

a/n: grand prix winner max verstappen you were missed 🙂‍↕️

—

liked by charles_leclerc, alexandrasaintmleux and others

yourusername leo’s play date with his favorite aunt (me)

tagged alexandrasaintmleux

view all comments

username leo!!!

username he’s the cutest little puppy 🥺

username besides alex and charles, there’s no one that loves that dog more than y/n

charles_leclerc ah, i was wondering where my son was

yourusername in my back pocket of course

username alex and y/n the ultimate it girls‼️

francisca.cgomes i beg to differ

yourusername you can’t

username pls she posts leo more than alex herself 😭

danielricciardo 😍 (liked by yourusername)

alexandrasaintmleux and he loves it everytime 🤍

yourusername i love him 😭😭

liked by danielricciardo, pierregasly and others

yourusername the og simba (he’s so cute i might steal him)

tagged francisca.cgomes

view all comments

username excuse me the face card on the first pic

username lethal

francisca.cgomes the best aunt 💗

yourusername my nephew 😭

username daniel and max i’ll fight you both i don’t care

danielricciardo ❤️ (liked by yourusername)

username simbaaaa 🤩

pierregasly please don’t steal my dog

yourusername fine, i’ll steal your girlfriend instead

pierregasly don’t even 🤬

username y/n is collecting all the paddock puppies like infinity stones

username someone please give this woman a dog 😩

yourusername maxvertsappen1 danielricciardo

maxverstappen1 no

maxverstappen1’s instagram stories

[caption 1: 🐱] [caption 2: cats❤️]

liked by maxverstappen1, lilymhe and others

yourusername lucky 24 🍀

view all comments

username happy birthday queen!

danielricciardo 24 years blessing the earth with your presence

yourusername 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

username the most magical person ever 🤩 hbd <3

username have a great birthday y/n ❤️‍🩹

maxverstappen1 happy birthday schatje i love you ❤️

yourusername 🥹 <3

alexandrasaintmleux happy birthday y/n!! (leo sends his regards too)

francisca.cgomes happy birthday🫶🏽 from me and simba

username loveeee the dress and the cake

username and the crown!

lilymhe happy birthday pretty🩷

lewishamilton happy birthday y/n! roscoe misses you

yourusername i’ll drop everything rn 😭

yourusername’s instagram stories

[caption 1: totally not freaking out over how cute she is😭] [caption 2: love at first sight]

liked by landonorris, danielricciardo and others

yourusername this is the best day of my life and i’m not kidding at all. my baby 🥹🩷

view all comments

username omg so cuteeee 🥹

username she’s a cutie look at her!!

username her eyes 🥺🥺

username omg finally! this girl was screaming at the sky for a puppy

username ahhh so pretty 🥰 i wonder what her name is

maxverstappen1 lion

yourusername dandelion*

username clock him y/n‼️

alexandrasaintmleux can’t wait to meet her!

yourusername omg her and leo 🥺

username i’m afraid i already have grown fond of dandelion and we’ve only had a post and two stories

username the cuteness aggression is real

username i lowkey have a feeling this was daniel and max’s doing

yourusername best boyfriends ever !!!!!

danielricciardo 🥰🫶🏽

maxverstappen1 🙄

yourusername’s instagram stories

[caption 1: who’s more entertained with dandelion and why is it jimmy and sassy] [caption 2: hello there]

liked by yourusername, carlossainz55 and others

maxverstappen1 family

tagged yourusername and danielricciardo

view all comments

username he include dandelion guys this is not a drill he include dandelion🚨🚨

yourusername the most perfect one❤️

maxverstappen1 ❤️‍🩹

username they might be the best throuple ever

username them and their pets

username jimmy, sassy and dandelion are the main characters

username awww max found his love for dandelion 🥰

username typical man saying he doesn’t want any pets and then being obsessed once they get them

danielricciardo love it ❤️‍🩹

maxverstappen1 ❤️

username he was NOT inmune to little dandelion charm

Hey, could you maybe write a poly Daniel ricciardo x max verstappen x (age gap)reader fic where she begs the for so long for them to get them a puppy (but max is a cat dad and didn’t want to) but they finally relent and get you like a dachshund. And then maybe you three go to the paddock and max is carrying your dog in his arms. It would be sooo small compared to him. Max doesn’t want to admit, but he fell in love with the dog. And the puppy becomes super good friend with jimmy and sassy at home, and the media loves it! Please and thxxx

love it! you can find it here 🤍

Hiii! How are you? 🩷🩷

For your Spotify challenge maybe Daniel Ricciardo and number 25?

Lots of love!!!

i know it won’t work | daniel ricciardo

song; i know it won’t work - gracie abrams

part of the spotify wrapped special

The situation with Daniel was never complicated, but it wasn’t simple either.

You were soulmates, the love of each other’s lives, written in the stars according to what a witch had told you during a visit to New Orleans. You belonged together, tied by an invisible red thread. But as you both grew older, the red thread stretched during your long-distance relationship—while he traveled the world, and you stayed in the same city—and it tangled in the lies and the words left unsaid.

Two people so destined to be together ended up going their separate ways. And you two were no exception. Even though you always found a way back to each other—because, well, you still had that invisible red thread tied to your fingers—you also always found a way to break apart.

“I feel like we haven’t grown since we started dating,” Daniel said one random Wednesday while you were making dinner and he fiddled with the straps on his wristwatch.

That comment triggered a fight that led to yet another breakup. You thought that if you hadn’t matured since your teenage years, it wasn’t your fault, and he claimed you always assumed the worst about him. You finished cooking dinner and told him you were going to your best friend’s house. He didn’t stop you.

Somehow, the air felt different that night.

Months later, you found yourself forced to return to the apartment you had shared and abandoned in a fit of anger. While you had already retrieved most of your belongings, too much time had passed since you left the rest behind. Daniel opened the door.

“I just need to grab my things,” you said, brushing past him quickly.

You didn’t want to look at him, yet you couldn’t tear your eyes away from him either. The familiar scent of his cologne filled your nose, and you wanted nothing more than to lie against his chest, the way you used to when all you wanted was to feel close to him.

When you reached the bedroom, you saw your side of the closet was still empty, while half of his clothes remained in suitcases. Why hasn’t he unpacked his clothes?

“I’m waiting for you to come back,” he answered the unspoken question.

You turned to look at him leaning against the doorframe, his expression a puzzle you couldn’t help but try to solve.

“I miss you,” his eyes blinked.

“I feel different,” your gaze responded.

Because you did. This time felt different. Why couldn’t you just go back to how things used to be? Why had insecurities suddenly taken hold of your mind? Were you worth the time and energy both of you had been fighting for? Was he?

“Why are you so sure I’ll come back?” you finally asked.

One look at his face was all it took to know that this time, both of you felt different.

Part of you wanted to walk away until he understood, but part of you wanted to stay. And you began to question how much you valued your dignity against the love of your life. How many people can say they love someone the way you love Daniel, and the way he loves you? How many people can say they have a love like yours? How many great loves does one get in a lifetime? You know Daniel is yours, but is he the only one?

If you leave now, will there ever be someone else?

But deep down, you also knew that even if you left, even if he left, neither of you would truly be gone from each other’s lives. You were tied together, written in the stars, and all that.

“I’m not sure,” he replied. “But I’d like you to.”

Part of you really wanted to stay, but you knew it doesn’t work like that.

˖⁺｡˚⋆˙one of the girls | DR3 ˖⁺｡˚⋆˙

pairing: daniel ricciardo x northern english!reader y/n (she/her)

genre: social media au

warnings: none just fluff, pretty short too

summary: in which your new boyfriend is adopted into your friendship group as if he was one of the girls

a/n: this is saur funnie to me & lbr it's me & my bffs only wish in life to go for pints with daniel & this request inspired me af

request!!!: hiiiii can i pls req daniel ricciardo x northern english!reader pleaseeeee kiss kiss kiss

my masterlist

fc: various brunette girls from pinterest

messages ->

instagram ->

yourusername posted a story

liked by danielricciardo, yourbff, and others

yourbff pints

friend1 pints

friend2 pints

danielricciardo pints?

yourusername YES PINTS

user1 PINTS!!!

user2 lol i love u y/n

user3 pints pints pints

yourusername

liked by danielricciardo, yourbff, and others

yourusername self explanatory really

view all comments

user4 funniest wag tbh

user5 i wish i could go on a night out with them omg

user6 same omg my dream

maxverstappen1 i wasnt invited?

yourusername are you one of the girls, max?

maxverstappen1 im a man?

yourusername see there's ur first problem

user7 LOL he absolutely has no idea what she's on about whatsoever

user8 daniel dating a british girl is my fav thing ever

user9 literally especially a northern girl and not jus a rich girl from london 😭😭

user10 fr im obsessed with her she dgaf

user11 she is so jarring

user12 u jus dont get her tbh

danielricciardo woo hoo

yourusername lol i am obsessed with you.

user13 HAHAHA what? she's so me

yourbff BEER CIRCLE BEER CIRCLE

friend2 it's a heart ❤️!

danielricciardo beer heart. where have you been y/bff/n

yourbff sorry i was busy drinking the beer not analysing what shape it was in.

twitter ->

instagram ->

yourbff

liked by yourusername, friend1, and others

yourbff beach day with the girls!!! and daniel

view all comments

user21 and daniel omg HAHA

user22 he's actually one of the girls omg i thought it was a joke...

landonorris my invite got lost?

yourusername YOU DONT DESERVE ONE

landonorris oh.

yourbff hahahahaha

danielricciardo sorry lando 🤐

user23 y/n & her one sided beef w lando is all of us

liked by yourbff

user24 oh to be in this friend group

user25 not the weirdest f1 related friend group

yourusername love my girls!!! and my daniel

liked by yourbff, danielricciardo

friend2 hahahah we love him too! thts our girl

friend1 FR!!!!! one of us one of us

danielricciardo omg i've never felt so welcome in my life... #newhome

yourbff honorary brit 🇬🇧

yourusername 🥹🥹🥹

messages ->

instagram ->

danielricciardo posted a story

liked by maxverstappen1, yourbff, and others

user26 the giiiirls

user27 you & the girls again!

maxverstappen1 miss you babe

danielricciardo 😂 see you in aus soon i hope

landonorris are any of them single 👀

danielricciardo not for you, no

landonorris boo 👎

user28 such a cute lil family

user29 cant tell if im more jealous of daniel, y/n, or her friends

yourusername posted a story

liked by danielricciardo, landonorris, and others

user30 stop it

user31 #1 wag forever and ever

user32 THIS IS TOO CUTE FOR A RANDOM THURSDAY MORNING

maxverstappen1 😍😍😍

liked by yourusername

user33 FREE USSS

user34 jealous

yourbff pints pints pints tonight?

yourusername obviously

twitter ->

instagram ->

danielricciardo

liked by yourusername, lewishamilton, and others

danielricciardo my home 🇦🇺 away from home 🇬🇧

view all comments

user40 no beers in the photo dump 😮

user41 let me guess ur on photographer duty

liked by danielricciardo

user42 the third pic ahhhh so cute

user43 oh to be ✨ them ✨

friend2 our fav aussie always!!!

danielricciardo im honoured truly

friend1 we never wanna leave

yourbff let's all live here woohoo

danielricciardo true. im down

yourusername YIPPPEEE

user44 ugh me when

landonorris i can make the next trip :)

danielricciardo oh where you going?

yourusername & who with? coz i know it isnt us

landonorris ...worth a try i guess

yourusername I LOVE YOU!!!

danielricciardo i love you my sweet girl

THE END 💙

Stoppppp i need peace pt 2 like yesterday sis😩😩😩😩 it was sooo good and I could literally have a million taylor x f1 and never get bored

omg tysm <3 i’m so happy you like it! i wasn’t really planning on making a part 2 but i received an idea that i like so maybeee i can work on it, never say never 😁

and i agree with you completely, taylor x f1 is also my favorite genre so expect more of that 👀

peace | daniel ricciardo

pairing: daniel ricciardo x singer!reader

summary: you have always been more famous than daniel and he was fine with that, until his career started going downhill

fc: taylor swift

warning: angst, mclaren daniel, mentions of crashing, some mean comments towards daniel

a/n: i changed a few lyrics from one of taylor’s songs (invisible string) just to make it make sense in the context (i'm not a songwriter so is not the best) also no hate to mclaren daniel! with the summary i do not mean at all that his career is ruined, is just for the dramatics

—

liked by danielricciardo, alexandrasaintmleux and others

yourusername old habits die hard 🎻🍂

view all comments

username mother back in the studiooo

username if this is not a new album y/n istg (liked by yourusername)

username SCREAMING CRYING FALLING TO MY KNEES AT WALMART

username serving face while recording

username i don’t know what vibes this is giving but it’s givingggg

username ofc i’m not getting my hopes up over a possible new album! ofc not!

username more happy songs about her and danny 😁

username WE CHEER

liked by f1gossip and others

motorsportcom 🚩RED FLAG DEPLOYED🚩FP2 session has been paused after Ricciardo hits the wall during corner 7. It’s still unclear if practice will resume.

view all comments

username this 😁 again 😁

username someone send him back to red bull 🙄

username well well are we surprised

username no way i stayed up late to watch this only for it to be suspended

username washed

username ugh perfect! just what he needed

username someone is doing witchcraft on this guy because there’s no way he’s this unlucky

liked by yourusername, landonorris and others

danielricciardo these past four years by your side have been the best of my life and i can’t wait for many more to come. happy anniversary love of my life, forever my y/n❤️‍🩹

tagged yourusername

view all comments

username STOP IT they’re too cute 😭

username that last pic might be the best photo i’ve ever seen

username no because they’re so perfect togetheeer

yourusername i love you❤️

danielricciardo ❤️

username she’s everything!

username and he’s there!

username who needs a job when your girlfriend looks like THAT 😮‍💨

liked by francisca.cgomes, alexandrasaintmleux and others

ynupdates y/n y/l/n won the ‘video of the year’ award at the vmas. on her speech she thanked the fans, her friends, her boyfriend daniel and she hinted some new music coming soon!

view all comments

username literally speechless at her look

username what did she say on her speech about daniel i’ve been looking for it but i can’t find it

username not verbatim cause i don’t remember exactly but it was something along the lines of “thank you for being the first one to listen to all my ideas and encourage me to dream about things bigger than myself and for being my muse in every sense of the word”

username she’s just killing it lately i’m obsessed! 💕

username congrats y/n! very well deserved award

username prettiest woman ever like look at that face

username she served too much cunt i’m afraid

liked by lilymhe, danielricciardo and others

yourusername surprise you! my new single ‘invisible string’ is coming out tonight (and we filmed a video for it) 🪩

view all comments

username my favourite animal is me when y/n releases music

username INVISIBLE STRING THEORY???

username oh she ate with this one

bffusername on loop forever and ever

yourusername 💗

username this sound is so different … i love it!

username if this invisible string is not about her relationship with danny i-😩

danielricciardo going feral at that mv actually

yourusername 🤭

username DANIEL RICCIARDO CAN YOU FIGHT

liked by f1gossip and others

motorsportcom a red flag has been deployed after daniel ricciardo crashed in qualifying🚩session has been cancelled and the drivers will start the grid on sunday with the lap times the were able to achieve during the first three minutes of Q3

view all comments

username thank you ricciardo we all say in unison 🙄

username bro’s collecting red flags like pokemons

username someone bathe this man in palo santo or smth 😭

username you just gotta laugh at this point

username mate is sooo not getting a seat next year

username is a bit funny to see him struggle this much and then you look at his girlfriend and she’s in the most successful point of her career

username he sacrificed his own luck for his gf’s how romantic

liked by lewishamilton, mclaren and others

danielricciardo not my brightest weekend but there’s always opportunity to be better. excited for the next 🔜

view all comments

username “not my brightest weekend” my guy it hasn’t been your brightest SEASON

username “there’s always opportunity to be better” you’ve had like 30 ???

username he’s being delulu but honestly i respect it

username okay but how can you hate a face like that

username mate isn’t smiling anymore something is wrong 😭

username something has been wrong for a while…

username i actually think is time to think about retirement

username get that bag king!

username guys, and y/n??.

liked by f1wags, lilyzneimer and others

entertainmenttonight y/n y/l/n and daniel ricciardo break up after four years of dating

view all comments

username NOOOOOO

username if i don’t see it is not real

username refusing to believe this

username WHAT.

username this sent me (a victorian child) into a comma

username now why would you post this😭

username i actually don’t believe in love anymore

username 💔💔💔

username WDYM they JUST celebrated their anniversary ???

username this is my villain origin story

liked by lilyzneimer, alexandrasaintmleux and others

yourusername so … good news! i’ll be releasing my brand new album “folklore” tonight at midnight 🪩 this is an album i’ve been working on for the past year and that i poured my whole soul into. it was supposed to release a bit earlier, but we thought it wasn’t truly finished until now. i love you guys too much 🤍

view all comments

username OMG

username our prayers have been heard

username so i’m thinking she was going to release this before the breakup but when it happened she maybe wrote breakup songs and that’s why she pushed the release date

username GIRL

alexandrasaintmleux can’t wait! 💗 (liked by yourusername)

username album of the year already

oliviarodrigo and we all cheer in unison 🥳 (liked by yourusername)

sabrinacarpenter already bought the wine and the tissues (liked by yourusername)

gracieabrams no you don’t get it this is so special to me (liked by yourusername)

username all of y/n’s daughters in the comments 😭

username sabrina girl what do you know? 🤨

username lowkey miss daniel’s comments hyping her up :(

username no bc i’m so ready to know what happened between them

liked by maxverstappen1, patriciooward and others

danielricciardo tbt to the first race weekend with mclaren 🧡

view all comments

username okay sir i see you

username the only weekend where we were happy

username bro trying to distract us from the breakup by posting his smile

username my guy i just listen “peace” are you okay ???

username you’re stronger than me for listening till peace i wanted to k word myself after “the 1” and i’m not daniel

username the 1 was criminaaal

username exile …

liked by f1wags, lilymhe and others

ynupdates y/n y/l/n last night on saturday night live singing her new song “peace” from her brand new album “folklore”. she algo sang her hit single “invisible string”

view all comments

username i cried with that performance

username she was singing that song with such sadness

username you’re telling me she was ready to marry daniel (and give him a child) and now they’re just not together anymore ???

username i gasped when i heard that line

username daniel will pay for his crimes istg

username he’s paying already 😭

username “would it be enough if i could never give you peace?” it was, in fact, not enough

username STOP YOURE DEPRESSING ME

username sorry i’m mourning this relationship too 😔

liked by landonorris, carlossainz55 and others

danielricciardo if one thing had been different, would everything be different today?

comments have been disabled.

three coffees please - verstappen / ricciardo

(gif not mine @maxgovroom)

pairing: max x fem driver!reader x daniel

summary: Max, Daniel, and you. Inseparable. Their bond from childhood rivals to best friends to lovers.

themes/warnings: alcohol, no smut, domestic, fluff, some angst, hint of daniel being possessive, daniel's tattoos, no use of y/n THIS IS FICTION

wc: 1.8k

a/n: craving maxiel x reader that isn't straight up smut so enjoy this completely self indulgent fic. also trying to get back into writing so if you have request pls put them through <3

read on ao3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/59444749

You and Max grew up racing together in karting. Your families weren’t friends but you two gravitated towards each other after a few years of hard racing and a fair share of head butting. Your shared love of cats really began your relationship. 

You were usually the only girl at the track so you were subject to endless teasing from the other boys about many things, including your close friendship with Max. It didn’t really matter though, you or Max ran them off track eventually and the comments and snide remarks stopped. 

Your relationship with Max never grew from more than a friendship, except for that one time when you were thirteen and you shared each other’s first kiss behind a building behind a building before a race, for good luck of course. You and Max ended up sharing a 1-2. 

Max ended up joining the Red Bull Driver Academy whilst you joined the Mercedes Driver Academy. The rival academies were of no concern to either of you and had long ago figured out how to manage your relationship on and off track. 

Max ended up making his Formula 1 debut a year earlier than you. This was when he properly made Daniel’s acquaintance. 

Daniel. Charming. Loud. Handsome. Cheerful. The Australian had the motorsport world wrapped around his tattooed fingers, including Max. Many of your phone calls with Max that year involved a funny anecdote about Daniel’s antics that week. 

You joined the grid a year later, driving for Williams and wanting to prove yourself for the Mercedes seat. No one was more excited than Max, eager to have his childhood best friend and now F1 best friend in the same place for twenty something weekends a year. 

You finally met Daniel that year. He was everything you thought and more. His kindness and genuine nature surprised you, having pulled you aside for coffee and a quick chat during pre-season testing. After all, it wasn’t long ago that he was a young, nervous rookie. 

You were sucked into the shiny whirlpool of Daniel Ricciardo soon after. Hangouts with Max in his Monaco apartment on off weeks turned into the three of you spending hours on each other’s living room floors. On the days where distance separated the three of you, Facetime calls and gaming sessions were the norm. 

You and Daniel started seeing each other three years into your F1 career. At this point, you had lost the last of your baby fat and had grown into a beautiful young woman. Daniel had always thought you were beautiful, but recently, you had become something otherworldly. 

It started after someone’s birthday celebration in some Monaco nightclub. You and Daniel danced together as you always had, but Daniel’s grip on your hips was tighter and the way he leaned down on your neck was closer than he had ever been. He eyed off other men, daring them to try and take a piece, knowing he’d come out on top. 

Max was oblivious to the entire situation, too blind drunk to notice the lingering touches as you and Daniel helped him into bed at the end of the night.

A light hand on your hip, a longing glance in the dim light of the kitchen ended with you in the guest room, wrapped in Daniel’s arms as he worshiped you until the early hours of the morning. 

Daniel greeted you with a cup of coffee, an old Red Bull shirt he kept at Max’s, and a joke that you looked good in the red and dark blue. 

You two started up a breakfast in the kitchen, bringing out a hungover and bleary eyed Max from his room. Max didn’t catch the look shared between yourself and Daniel, a silent agreement to not tell Max about the night before. Max ignored the Red Bull shirt with the giant 3 on the back, chalking it up to not wanting to wear alcohol ridden clothes, rather than a sign of Daniel’s claim on you. 

You and Daniel continued seeing each other for the next year. Well, “seeing” each other in loose terms. You kept it casual, aware of the challenges of romance as an F1 driver, more so between two drivers and even more so when you’re the first female F1 driver in what felt like forever. Still, for what it’s worth, both of you never saw another person. 

Max began catching on soon enough. A flash of pink fabric behind a closing door of Daniel’s room, much too small for one of Daniel’s loud shirts. Fading bruises on your chest, only noticeable up close on yacht days in the summer. Max seeing Daniel going into your room late Saturday night and seeing you two walk into the paddock together the next morning. 

Safe to say, Max was confused. He wasn’t upset that you and Daniel were hanging out without him. It would be more weird if you two weren’t. But the nature of your relationship was confusing to him, enough for him to begin digging. 

Now, Max wasn’t one to snoop, but he’s known you long enough for you not to care. You were in the shower after some shared training which was good enough an opportunity for him. Your password remained the same, but Max scrolled past the games he’d play on your phone to your photo album. Nothing out of the ordinary, some dumb selfies and pictures from the paddock and Monaco.

Two photos caught his eye. The first, a dark room illuminated by the flash from your phone. You were lying against your sheets, hair messy on the pillow behind you. You were smiling, eyes tired, but there was an unmistakable hand with a rose tattoo around your neck - Daniel. The second, less obvious but still recognisable to Max. The morning light was streaming through your window and a man sat on the edge of your bed, his back to the camera. The defining curls were definitely Daniels and the muscles on his back were the same ones Max had been admiring for years. 

Max put the phone back where he found it. He had the confirmation he wanted but it didn’t settle the heavy pit in his stomach. Both you and Daniel were attractive people, there was no denying that. He’d even caught himself looking at you both several times throughout the years. Sometimes he was delusional enough to think the looks were reciprocated, but that would be in his wildest dreams. 

The feeling was no longer confusion. It was a strange myriad of emotions he’d only felt in fleeting moments, quickly shut down by his brain. The dam is open now. A feeling longing for his best friends, the people he loved most and could never define his relationship with. Jealousy, not directed at a single person, but perhaps at both of you in a way Max could not understand yet. Betrayal, for not being told or trusted enough with this information, when Max could tell the both of you anything. 

You could tell something was bothering Max, but you never pushed. He’d come to you when he was ready. Years of knowing Max has taught you enough of his emotional processing. Still, you brought it up to Daniel one night in bed. He assumed it was stress at Red Bull, but you thought otherwise. 

It came to a boil at Daniel’s apartment one night. The three of you organised a casual homemade dinner. You answered the door with dishevelled hair, blaming it on training earlier in the day but if anything, it was from certain activities prior to Max’s arrival. 

All three of you had a few drinks that night. Max was sober enough to know what was happening but had enough alcohol to count as liquid courage. 

Max sat on a beanbag on the floor, eyeing you and Daniel on the couch. You sat on the end with a glass of wine, Daniel right next to you, thighs touching yours despite the spacious couch. 

I know you two have been hooking up. 

Shock. Panic. Backs against a corner. Words stuck in a clogged throat. 

Apologies streamed out, from you and Daniel. Your hand ended up in Max’s hair, your other holding his hand. Daniel on Max’s other side, holding his hand and arm. Tears came from all three of you. 

Max sat there, almost numb and resigned. He was hurt, but he also hated seeing you and Daniel like this. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe the heightened emotions or the unholy combination of both. 

Consequences be damned. The three of you will emerge from the aftermath later, like always. Max just needed his people. 

Max leaned in to you and cut you off mid sentence with a hard kiss. Another round of shock, then confusion from which emerged a feeling of familiarity. These were the same lips that touched yours all those years ago. This was Max, who always had your back. Your Maxie. You kissed him back and the grip he had on your hand tightened. 

Max pulled away, breathless and eyes wide. But breathing was you, and breathing was Daniel so he pulled Daniel in by the curls on the back of his head. Daniel pressed in as much as he could because this was Max. His Max, and when he had no one, he always had Max. 

They had each other that night, making up for emotions and lost time, where nothing else mattered but the three of you. 

Max lay in between you and Daniel in the sobering dawn light. You leaned on your forearm, running your fingers through Max’s hair. Daniel lay half asleep, cuddled into Max’s side. 

I need you. Both. 

Max spoke those words into the ceiling. A crossroads, that would forever change the trajectory of your lives. 

Daniel blinked sleepily at you. Another silent communication, that perhaps Max was the missing piece between the both of you; the catalyst for the next step. 

We’ll have you.

Always. 

You layed back down, tucking yourself into Max’s side. Daniel tightened his grip around Max’s waist and drifted off into sleep. 

Life became a little simpler after. You all kept your own apartments, but every night was a sleepover with your best friends. Things eventually started migrating between places; toothbrushes in mugs, each other’s hobbies and crafts and everyone’s favourite snacks having a permanent stash in each other’s apartments. 

Daniel liked to begin mornings by bringing in coffee for the three of you. He blamed the Italian in him when Max protested one early morning and tried to bury himself further into the sheets and you. 

He was an extrovert and a lover at heart, so it wasn’t a surprise when Daniel’s personal team found out about the relationship first. The public would never know, they were long ago used to seeing the three of you out and about, even when the catch ups turned into dinner dates. 

Daniel was a giver, proven to him on the night Max won his first championship. A quiet moment on the balcony of his hotel room, watching you and Max slow dance, the lights of the city reflecting on your slinky black dress. He realised he would give anything for you and Max.