Chapter Text
Waking up to the following day, Max showers his Omega with soft affection and affirmation; forehead kisses for just waking up, a warm shower together where Max washed his back and his hair, helping him dry off and then ordering room service for their breakfast. Surprisingly, Charles doesn’t fight back once, he leans into Max’s touch and follows his lead obediently but he’s awfully quiet about it. Maybe he hasn’t come to terms with his heart, and as much as Max hates that Charles is in conflict with himself, he also remembers that this is part of the process.
It is tough now because of all the conditioning and manipulation done by Ferrari and those associated with them. When this passes, he’ll come to realize that Max is the one standing by him and the one who will love him no matter what.
“...Are you feeling okay, Franz?” Charles asks between munches of fresh fruit and Max nods his head “Yeah… Still in pre-rut but the symptoms have mellowed down thanks to you…”
The other hums in acknowledgment, leaning his shoulder on Max’s and the Alpha allows it, stretching out to poke a fresh slice of mango before bringing it to Charles’ mouth “Have more… you must be tired… I can be quite overbearing during these.”
Charles opens his mouth to chomp the fruit off the fork, shrugging his shoulders “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“You’re perfect.” Max gives him another kiss on the forehead.
They fall into comfortable silence, just enjoying each other’s presence. Every little moment feels precious and Max cannot begin to imagine a life without his mate anymore, not when he’s had a taste of such sweetness like fresh honey from its source. A wild idea of massacring the entire Ferrari organization as soon as he reaches back to Monaco grounds crosses his mind but he knows that won’t fare well for Charles. The only thing really stopping him from mass murder is the obvious knowledge that his mate would never forgive him— and Max cannot be at the end of Charles’ scorn and hate, he’d rather die than that.
“That tickles—” The Monegasque giggles when Max’s short stubble brushes against his shoulder. Max could hear that laugh forever, “I like it when you laugh.” he admits his open thought.
“What are you saying? It’s weird–”
“No. It’s adorable.”
“You’re such a flirt!”
Max laughs at the accusation “I’m being honest! When you laugh, it just makes me happy. I want you happy… always.” he says it as Max Verstappen, not Franz or anyone else; his wish is earnest from the bottom of his heart and Charles must’ve felt it because his Omega looks at him for a pausing moment.
“...Being here makes me happy… but I don’t know if I deserve this, if I… deserve you.” Charles answers with similar honesty; behind closed doors and in private space, he looks so small and vulnerable curled up by Max’s side. “I kept thinking of what’s wrong and right… and when I think about what’s wrong, it’s like I should run away from you but I don’t want that. I just… can’t believe you’re real… that this is real. What are the odds that I’d find you of all people on this cruise? That we’d be friends so quickly… that every decision I made has led me here to you… How is that possible?” He doesn’t know but his head is quick to suspect and reason, maybe it was far too perfect like it was manufactured, manipulated and made. Max hides his frown with a small smile “That’s called fate.”
“But we can’t be fated…” Charles states solemnly “...We’re both Alphas… we can never be—”
The cruise intercom rings loudly for an announcement, Max already knows what it’s about. They flag a missing passenger on the cruise, giving brief details on his appearances just in case someone locates them. Then, they reassure passengers, give a reminder on safety protocols and say that checks will be made while they contact authorities for further actions.
“Someone’s missing?” He fakes the tone of surprise and worry.
“...Didn’t the surveillance cameras catch anything?” Charles’ analytical mindset starts turning because nobody on a cruise ship just disappears without a trace. “...Maybe he got drunk… and fell off board.” He hypothesized logically, how else can a grown man just vanish off the decks. “Or he’s around somewhere… they just haven’t found him.”
Max knows where the body is, he doesn’t care. He takes the chance to hold Charles even tighter, deeply upset by the Omega’s previous belief of not being fated together, he now thinks he needs more of his affection. “Wherever he is… it must be lonely. I don’t care whether it’s fate or not… I’m glad I found you. I don’t want to be just some missing person on this cruise.”
Charles sighs, hands circling above Max’s. “Untrue. Someone else would’ve swept you off your feet. Did you not see all the Omegas just enchanted with your scent?”
“But I don’t want anyone else, I want you.”
He hears Charles suck in a breath, “Franz.. How are you so sure? Like I’m basically a stranger to you but you sound so certain. You don’t know anything about me- not really anyway. What if I’m some dangerous murderer? Some psychopath?"
Touché. That makes the two of us, schatje.
“I don’t overthink it, Charles. There’s a lot of uncertainties that we can’t control but what I do know for certain is that I fell for a mysterious charming man on this boat and I’m not going to let that go just because I’m not certain about some things… we can figure it out… I know you’re worried, your scent is honest but… I would rather be with you than anywhere else.”
The Alpha hopes his confident stance and calming scent would soothe whatever dark thoughts the other has or maybe at least confuse him enough until the next wave of his rut hits and they can drown in endless pleasure again.
“...This isn’t something that only stays because we’re on this ship, right?” Charles’ voice is soft, quiet and careful.
“Never. I’d follow you to the bottom of the ocean if you let me.”
Max receives a soft kiss on the lips for his answers, and Charles seems to temporarily accept his fate, smiling even. He lays a quick peck on Max’s scent gland causing the Alpha to close his eyes from the intense feeling spreading inside him, his hands immediately grabbing Charles’ waist, pulling him closer. “Charles…” he whispers and repeats again and again like a mantra. If his beloved Omega keeps teasing him, he thinks his body will kickstart the next wave of his rut sooner than later.
“Your scent is changing…” The Monegasque notes, inhaling even deeper.
“That’s because you keep seducing me.” he replies with a playful nip by the other’s ear and Charles shudders in his hold, a grin on his lips.
Max is first to put some space between them, playing his innocent role again just to be the nice guy “Charles, I am still coherent… I…. need you to know that I don’t want to force you to do anything. I’m already very thankful you’re helping me through my rut… if you do not want to engage in… sex. We don’t have to.” The Dutch Lion says it like he isn’t prepared to pump both of them with drugs until they’re too delirious to think straight.
For now he just needs Charles' trust to lay with him again, to let his guard down and allow himself to be ravished.
The brunette doesn’t answer, he looks deep into those blue eyes and finds no doubts, he leans to kiss Max again, this time with more force and intent to keep falling down this rabbit hole. Between slobbering kisses and barely any chance to breathe, Max carries Charles back to bed where they have more space and comfort to lose themselves. It always starts off innocent; kisses, hand holding, skin on skin warmth then it gets a little wilder with their clothes off, grinding with more purposes, moaning with the thought of nothing but each other’s name.
He traps Charles under him, naked and panting, surrounded by pure Alpha hormones drifting in the air.
Max licks a long swipe across Charles’ perky nipple before latching his mouth and sucking gently, the feeling foreign to the other that he first tries to push Max’s head away. It doesn’t work, the Alpha stares him down with a steely gaze.
Charles starts feeling the sensations, starts enjoying having his nipples being played with. Under Max’s tongue, between his fingers; the attention drives him wild. “S-stop… you’re sucking too hard—”
“You taste so good.” Max says in defense, mouth moving to give the other nipple similar attention.
If Charles is making so much fuss about having his nipples played with, he’s going to be even more conflicted when Max eats him out—-
True enough, after the Alpha blows him, he tries to sneakily start eating him out but Charles catches Max’s intention before he even gets close. A hand tangled between soft blonde locks, yanking his head up, “D-don’t even think about it—” his entire face is flushed, coming down from an orgasm after Max sucked his cock perfectly.
“Y-you’re not even supposed to…. Because… you’re in your rut… why are you… pleasuring me instead?”
“I feel good when you feel good.” Max answers, his mating bond with Charles even though severed and broken still buzzes lowly for him so really there is as much mental pleasure as there is physical plus, watching that beautiful face twist with need really drives all the blood down south.
“...Still… I don’t…want that. Only… Omegas feel good…there.”
Max looks at the other with a very pained expression, puppy-eyes in those baby blues. “Please? I want to make you feel good… I promise it feels good, Charles. I want to lick you all over… want my tongue inside you.”
“No. I don’t want to.” He stays adamant about it.
“Okay.” Max looks disappointed but he respects Charles’ answer “...Then what about my fingers?”
There is a physiological effect of asking for something harder first and then only asking for what is truly wanted because this gives comparison to the brain. The Dutchman has his guesses that getting eaten out would be a step too far right now but he still asked that first. Charles would give him a big no, he would agree and then ask for something else which in comparison is more acceptable. Charles wouldn’t say ‘no’ to him twice, not when he already so graciously conceded the first time.
Obvious conflict is written across Charles’ expression; he doesn’t want either but he must also want so much to please the other Alpha.
“Please, Charles? We won’t have sex, I won’t put my tongue there… I’m listening to you. Let me at least touch you.”
The wolf hides behind his intentions, purposefully listing out all the things Charles had denied him so the other would feel bad for doing so much lesser. For wanting to spend his rut with him but not being able to pleasure him fully– he could agree to being fingered can’t he? It’s easier than sex. It’s easing than Max’s tongue inside him—
“Just one.” He picks the lesser of two evils, not knowing that Max had set him up and this was the real outcome he wanted.
“Thank you.” he sounds gracious, planting a kiss on Charles’ inner thigh before getting up to grab a bottle of lube from the bathroom amenities. There's also a lot of condoms but he figures they’ll need none of it later.
Charles said one finger, he didn’t specify which.
Returning to the bed, Max thoroughly coats his middle finger with an ample amount of lube, he sits comfortably between spread legs and the Monegasque has already hidden his face with both his hands covering. Why? He would look so beautiful—
The only reason why Max didn’t ask Charles to move his hands away so he can watch the other fall apart is because the Alpha thinks he can’t hide his own hunger either. The dark look in his eyes of evil intent, the heavy from all those years before; if Charles sees him right now, could he tell that this was just a ploy all along?
The blonde nudges the puckered entrance, his mate would not be able to produce any slick, he’s not even sure if Charles could ever do so after all the body alternating drugs Ferrari gave him. It’s a shame but Max would love him either way. Maybe at the peak of an Omega heat, it could happen. Maybe. Hopefully.
“Relax.” He says flatly, rubbing the lube all around before gently he nudges in. Charles’ body reacts instantly, back off the bed in surprise, mouth falling open in a silent gasp.
Tight. Very tight. Virgin tight.
Max swallows a lump in his throat, his cock dripping pre-cum steadily and he’s barely holding himself back.
“E-enough—” Charles bites out.
He’s barely half way in.
Max ignores and pushes deeper until the entire digit is buried fully in. He stays there for a moment, eyes glancing up to Charles’ reaction. His chest heaving for air, face still covered and his cock is hard again despite his orgasm not too long ago.
“Too much… Too much…”
One finger in and it’s too much? Max hides a chuckle.
He pulls out slowly, earning a whimper that makes his cock twitch painfully. Pushing back in again and instead of feeling his mate relax, Charles tenses up even more; soft walls incredibly tight and warm around his finger. “Franz… that’s…–”
The Alpha remains focused, pistoning the single digit in and out, meanwhile searching for that bundle of nerves. He tries different angles, twisting his hand, crooking his finger until eventually he finds it. He’d expect his inexperienced mate to be somewhat more perceptive towards his touch but he didn’t think Charles would be this sensitive.
Just one nudge against his sweet spot for the first time and the Monegasque’s body arches off the bed, leg kicking back as he lets out the sweetest moan Max has ever heard and he literally orgasms over himself.
So sensitive. Too sensitive.
“Franz!” Charles scrambles for leverage, embarrassed but also incredibly turned on.
Max’s free hand grabs him by the hip ensuring he can’t move away and just like the bully that he is, he presses against that spot even harder. “Ah–! Anggh~ Franz— There.. N-no.. not there—”
“How does it feel?”
“Weird— P-pull out!”
Lies.
“Charles, be honest… How does it feel?” Max tightens his hold, not allowing Charles the chance to run away.
“Franz- take your finger out… fuck… fuck..” He looks like he’s on the verge of tears and Max wants to ruin him right here and now.
The niceness of Franz is gone in that second, animalistically the Alpha in him is growling and hungry to claim his mate. During his rut too, Max salivates just thinking of the idea of pinning Charles down and fucking him down the mattress, forcing his Omega to take his knot until he’s full and pregnant—-
“Charles.” He moves his fingers in and out faster, stopping only to press up against that sweet spot again, drawing stars and sparks in Monegasque's eyes. “How does it feel?.”
“Franz!!”
“Be. Honest.” Max growls out; he’s going to abuse that sweet spot until it’s swollen if Charles isn’t going to admit it.
“G-good… Good! Franz- it feels good… please–!!!” Charles cries out, literally sobbing in pleasure, his spent dick twitching despite not being able to orgasm again.
The answer puts out the burning fire inside the Alpha, Max slowly pulls his finger out and he’s back to laying gentle kisses on Charles’ inner thighs, marking him up with light bruises and love bites.
“See… that wasn’t hard to admit. It felt good. You did so good, Charles.” Max wraps a hand around his aching dick and starts jerking off. It’s the same hand with the finger that was just inside his mate. Fucked up desperate shit but he still finds so much pleasure in getting himself off to the thought.
Soon, he orgasms in his hand and all over his mate, knot barely popping just yet but he knows he will by the next wave of his rut and Max swears he'll be inside his mate. He will feel that tight heat around, he’ll hold him down, he’ll kiss him senseless, he’ll mark him up and Charles will cry around his knot before he cums inside him with no protection whatsoever.
He’ll drag his Omega out from chains and binds Ferrari have made.
In a blurry daze of his true feelings and his rut reaching its peak, Max looks right into those dazzling green. He can no longer hide Max Verstappen, the Alpha who lost his mate. The cracks are visible, the walls crumble, there is nowhere left to run. He’s sealing the deal.
“You’re mine.”
The words are damning.
Charles doesn’t know but Max smells his scent changing slowly; that ripe sweetness mellows against Max’s more dominant ones but if he focuses enough he can tell it’s in the air. It tells him that his mate is going to heat soon and how lucky is Max Verstappen to be here to experience his mate’s first heat.
The cruise’ intercom rings again for an announcement.
Max has an inkling of what’s coming but no matter how fast Ferrari reacts, it will not be faster than Charles descending into his first heat.
Max will make sure of it.
Charles Leclerc is an Omega. His Omega.