Chapter Text
Marc wakes up to the sound of a phone alarm going off.
He stifles a groan as he tries to push himself up. But, to his surprise, he realizes that something was holding him in place.
Marc glances down. Max was fast asleep beside him, but his arm had somehow ended up wrapped around Marc’s waist.
Most likely, the F1 driver had shifted during the night and ended up cuddling Marc in the process.
Marc can’t help but chuckle a bit at that.
He carefully moves Max’s arm just enough to allow him to move. Then, he grabs the phone, his own apparently, and disables the alarm.
Once that was done, Marc puts his phone down and glances down at the man holding him.
Max was currently still fast asleep. His blond hair was sticking out at all angles and his mouth was slightly open as he snores periodically. He was also shirtless, as Max had complained it was too hot to wear a shirt to bed.
Marc had admittedly done the same. Sure, they were in Canada, but it was still the middle of summer.
But, Marc can’t help but smile a bit at the sight of his friend.
Part of him can’t help but wish he was actually dating Max.
On paper, Max was the perfect partner for Marc.
They were both seasoned veterans and champions in their respective motorsports. And they didn’t race together, so there was no risk of an incident on the track leading to potentially relationship ending issues.
More importantly though, Max was everything Marc could ever want in a partner.
Smart, kind, loyal.
Not to mention, handsome as sin.
And yet, Marc only had platonic feelings for Max.
Though, Marc really didn’t mind flirting with Max and wouldn’t pass up the chance to sleep with him if given the chance. But frankly he doubted anyone could look at Max Verstappen and not want to sleep with him, so Marc excused that part of himself.
However, Marc knew that a relationship between the two of them wouldn’t work out in the end.
Max was perfect, but that was the problem.
There was no edge to it.
For years, Marc had been stuck in a constant “will they or will they not” type of relationship with Valentino, leading to battles on and off the track that made Marc’s blood rush through his veins. He was used to fighting tooth and nail for Valentino’s attention and praise.
Sure, Marc did want to have a genuine relationship with someone at some point. Marc did dream of one day settling down with someone who loved him, who looked at him like he was the most precious thing in the world and not a thorn in their side.
But, Marc was an adrenaline junkie, as Alex lovingly put it. He also needed a thrill in his relationships, something to keep him on his toes.
Max was too perfect. Marc knew that they complemented each other perfectly, but it wouldn’t be enough for Marc in the end. He would always push for more.
More drama, more chaos, more tension.
Max deserved better than that, in Marc’s opinion. He deserved to be with someone who could be truly happy with him.
Marc was fond of the Dutchman though. And even he couldn’t help but be surprised by how much he cared about the F1 driver.
When he had reached out to Max nearly four years ago, he had just been trying to look out for the guy. Marc had already seen the media storm brewing following the Abu Dhabi 2021 race and knew what Max was in for.
Marc never meant for it to go as far as it did. He assumed that he would talk with Max during the off season, then their conversations would naturally drop off as their respective racing seasons commenced.
But they didn’t.
As the 2022 racing season progressed, Max continued to text Marc every weekend.
Though the topic changed from dealing with toxic fans to ‘Help me,my crush is my rival and I don’t want him to hate me.’.
Marc wasn’t quite sure why Max thought he could be of any help, considering his present situation with Valentino. But, Marc had still tried to help him as best as he could throughout it all.
It at least gave Marc something to think about throughout the season.
Besides his own struggling career and ongoing medical issues at least.
But, Max was there for Marc as well.
Max made sure to reach out to Marc whenever he had a bad weekend, especially during the Indonesian GP. Marc remembered how the two of them had stayed up on the phone for hours during the days following, as they talked about Marc’s frustrations with his ongoing injuries and his issues with his bike.
And following Marc’s 2022 surgery, Max had checked in with him to see how he was doing. He even went as far as to send a gift basket to Marc’s hospital room.
Marc could still remember what was inside. Max had sent him flowers, a few bars of his favorite candy, and a get well soon card. But, Max had also included a few items from his merch line, including a giant inflatable with Max’s face on it. The inflatable had a note on it, handwritten by the F1 driver.
‘So you aren’t lonely in Madrid’
Marc had laughed his ass off the second he had seen the inflatable. He made sure to have it in his pool whenever the Dutchman came to visit him, much to Max’s delight.
Even now, years later, the memory still made Marc tear up a little bit.
That was the moment he knew Max was a genuine friend.
In the years following his public split with Valentino, Marc had grown used to the public slander and shaming. It was all part of the job, even if the fans could be pretty extreme at times.
But, the split had shattered Marc’s ability to trust others.
For so long, Marc could only really trust his own family, his childhood companions, and a few select MotoGP riders, like Dani or Andrea.
And somehow, along the way, Marc had unconsciously added Max to his list of trusted companions.
Their friendship continued through 2022 into 2023 and beyond. Every racing weekend, they reached out to each other, for good and bad weekends.
Usually it was just simple texts of encouragement, followed by silly memes. But in 2024, they turned up the notch a little bit, as Marc’s career improved and Max’s began to suffer a bit.
Whenever major moments happened, they would send each other videos, cheering on the other for their accomplishments. Max had started the trend, as he had sent Marc a congratulatory video after he had gotten his first podium with Alex at the 2024 German GP.
Marc’s favorite video, however, was the one he sent Max after the 2024 Brazilian GP. He had just sent Max a video of himself singing ‘We are the Champions’ very loudly and off-key.
And now, in 2025, they were close enough that they could convincingly trick the world into thinking they were dating.
Marc lazily runs a hand through Max’s hair.
Part of Marc wonders if he would ever have a moment like this with anyone else.
Marc had found that dating in general was quite difficult. Whenever he did go on dates, he could never quite shake off the feeling that his potential partner only saw his fame and talent, not the man underneath.
Truth be told, he had to admit that he never really found anyone who caught his eye either.
Except for a certain Italian. But Marc knew where he stood with him.
They were friends with benefits at most. At worst, Marc was just another person Valentino fucked when he was in the mood.
In fact, Marc can’t help but wonder if Valentino had already slept with someone else at Le Mans.
Marc’s stomach churns at the thought.
For a moment, he entertains the thought of Vale being the person beside him.
Valentino would have his arms wrapped tightly around his waist, preventing him from getting up. Marc would try to leave but Valentino would just drag him back down.
“It is too early to leave yet…” Valentino would murmur.
Marc would playfully pull away once again.
“I have things to do.” Marc would tease.
Valentino would hum as he tugs Marc back down, so that the younger man fell against his bare chest.
“More important than me?” Valentino would whisper teasingly.
Marc would let Valentino gently grab his chin, so he could lift it just enough for their eyes to meet.
Then, Marc would smile.
“Well…”
Marc’s daydream is cut off by the sound of a phone alarm. Again.
Damn it, did he press the snooze button on accident the first time?!
Marc fights the urge to scream as he reaches over and grabs his phone from the nightstand once again.
To his surprise, it’s not his phone going off this time. It’s actually Max’s.
Marc sighs and puts his phone down on the bed. Then, he grabs the other phone and turns off the alarm once again.
However, this time, Max does begin to stir. Max cracks an eye open and Marc can’t help but smile a bit, despite his slight frustration.
“Morning sleepyhead.” He teases.
Max grumbles and pulls the blanket over his head. “It’s too early to get up.”
Marc snorts and pulls the blanket away. “You have to get ready soon though.“
Max groans. “Can’t I stay in today?”
“Well,” Marc said dryly. “Do you want to deal with the media and FIA harassing you at the exact same time ?”
Max sighs. “No…”
The Dutchman reluctantly pushes himself out of bed. Marc can’t help but let out a small whistle at the sight of the muscles on the younger driver’s back.
“Damn.” Marc teases.
Max throws him an amused look over his shoulder. “You know no one else is around. You don’t have to act like my boyfriend right now.”
“Who’s acting?” Marc winks, “I am just appreciating the view.”
Max rolls his eyes but doesn’t protest further.
“What’s your plan for the day?” Max asks, walking over to his luggage.
This makes Marc pause.
Right, he technically didn’t have anything to do today. He wouldn’t need to really go to the track until Friday at the earliest, though he wouldn’t go until Saturday most likely.
Marc picks up his phone and takes a quick glance at the notifications. He still had quite a few people to talk to still, with Alex at the very top of his list.
“I think I’ll catch up with my family and team.” Marc decides, “Alex seemed really freaked out, so I’ll give him a call once you leave. After that I’ll probably just train and explore the hotel a bit.”
Max hums a bit as he kneels down by his things. “Got it. I’ll probably be at the track for most of the day. But, I guess if you need anything, you can either charge the room or get it delivered here.”
Marc chuckles. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of myself while you’re gone. Thank you for the consideration though.”
Max shrugs. “Any time. I did invite you here, so I should be a good host at least.”
The room went quiet after that. Max begins to rummage through his bags, looking for his team kit and jeans. Marc chooses to just recline against the headboard of their bed and mess around on his phone.
Marc flicks through his Instagram feed for a few minutes, though he makes sure he is on his private account, versus his public one.
Like most drivers, Marc had one public facing account, and another private account. That account was for his own family, friends, and more recently, fellow drivers to follow him on.
It had been Alex who got him to open up his account a bit more.
Midway through 2024, Alex had revealed to Marc that he had started dating Luca Marini.
That had been quite a shock to Marc, who hadn’t even realized Alex had been interested in dating, let alone interested in Valentino Rossi’s half-brother.
Marc had initially been worried by the revelation. After all, Marc knew very well what it was like being romantically involved with Valentino.
He knew that Luca was a different person, but he couldn’t help but worry about Alex going through something similar to what he had dealt with after 2015. Especially since Luca was still racing with them.
But, considering Marc was still sleeping with Valentino, he couldn’t really express his concern without looking like a hypocrite.
So, he had bit his tongue and just tried to be a supportive brother to Alex.
Thankfully, it looked like Marc’s fears were unfounded, at least for now. Alex and Luca were still going strong a year later. They were doing so well in fact, that Alex asked if it was okay for Luca to follow Marc on his private account, since Marc was frequently posting about and tagging Alex on it.
And well, Marc could never say no to Alex.
Except when it came to racing, but that was a different story entirely.
After Luca had been added, Marc figured it would be polite to add Pecco to his private account as well, since they were going to be teammates in 2025.
And from there it snowballed. Since he had Luca and Pecco following him now, it only made sense that he should let some of the other drivers follow him.
Now he had Fermin, Fabio Quartararo, Pedro, and several others on the grid following him on his private account. Somehow, even Marco Bezzecchi had also been added during 2025.
There were some people that he did have from his earlier years though. He had first made the account when he entered MotoGP, so he had initially added in some of the older drivers, like Dani and Andrea. Jorge had been added after a few years as well.
He had added Valentino too of course. But Marc was pretty sure Valentino had unfollowed him at some point.
Besides MotoGP, Marc only had two other professional drivers following his private account. They were Max and Carlos Sainz, another F1 driver Marc was friendly with.
Speaking of Carlos, Marc really should reach out to him as well. Maybe Marc could see if Carlos was free to get dinner while he was in Montreal. It had been a while since their last hangout after all.
And he knew Carlos would definitely have a lot of questions for him right now.
Marc flicks through the stories on his feed. It was the same old posts as usual. Many of the stories featured people posting pictures at beautiful cafes or scenic landscapes.
There were also several stories of people posting glamour shots of their partners, tagging them with cutesy nicknames or talking about how happy they were with them.
That’s when Marc gets an idea.
He glances up at Max, trying his best to hold back a smirk.
“Hey Max?” He asks innocently.
Max, now holding his team kit, glances back curiously. “Yeah?”
Marc waves his phone, Instagram still open on the screen.
“Want to have a bit of fun before you leave?” Marc asks.
Max looks confused for a moment, as he squirms at the screen in order to see what was on it. When he does see what it is on it though, Max raises an eyebrow.
“You want us to post on Instagram?” Max asks curiously.
“Yes!” Marc said, “We should make a story post about each other on our accounts.”
Max considers this.
“Okay, but are you suggesting we do this on our public accounts? That might give us some issues with our PR teams.” Max points out.
Marc shakes his head and grins. “No, we should post it on our private accounts. That should make our relationship seem more believable to our respective gridmates.”
Max thinks over the idea for a moment. Then he shrugs.
“Fair enough.” Max grabs his phone off the nightstand. “So how do you want to do this?”
Marc just smiles and holds out his hand.
“Just give me your phone, and I’ll do the rest.”
---
Luca yawns a bit as he makes his way over to his older brother's motorhome.
Several days had passed since he had arrived at Le Mans. And he could already feel his exhaustion start to creep up on him.
Luca is tempted to just go back to the hotel and sleep until it was time for the second round of qualifying to start. But, Luca had gone to the track with Valentino that morning. Going back to the hotel meant finding a ride to the hotel and back to the track in time for qualifying.
And frankly, he didn’t want to deal with that.
Which unfortunately meant that Luca would have to make do with staying in his brother’s motorhome. If he was lucky though, he would be able to get a quick nap in while free practice was going on.
With that lovely thought in mind, Luca arrives at his brother’s motorhome and knocks on the door.
“Vale?” He calls out, “It’s me.”
Luca doesn’t get a reply, but he does hear someone shuffling behind the door. After a minute, the door swings open, revealing his older brother.
Valentino was already wearing his race suit, though it was currently hanging on his hips. On top of that, he had thrown on a casual t-shirt. Clearly, Luca had caught him just before he was about to head out to the track
“Hello Luca.” Valentino greets warmly, a slight smile on his face.
As soon as his brother speaks, Luca knows that there was no one else in the motorhome at the moment.
When Valentino was around other people, he tended to put on a bit of a show. He smiled larger, made his voice a bit louder and firmer.
For as long as Luca could remember, Valentino had always been careful about his public image. He always wanted to put his best foot forward, so he could control the narrative as much as he could.
Valentino was like that around everyone, even the academy drivers.
It was a rare occasion when Valentino lowered his guard. He only did so when he was certain he was with someone he could trust.
Luca could count on one hand the number of people Valentino dared to let his guard down around.
Luca himself, their mother, Uccio…
And once upon a time, a certain Spaniard.
But now, Valentino was much more relaxed than usual. His smile was genuine and his voice was a bit more playful.
It reminded Luca of when he was younger, and Valentino would read him bedtime stories during his rare visits home. Luca had always loved those moments, as no one could quite do the voices as well as his older brother.
But, that was in the past. They were both adults now.
So, Luca pushes the thought away. He just nods at his brother and walks past him into the motorhome.
“Are you ready for free practice?” Luca asks curiously, “It should be starting soon.”
His older brother nods as he closes the door.
“Yes, yes. Of course I am.” Valentino assures him as he takes a seat on the couch, “Just taking a small break before I head back out onto the track.”
Luca nods in turn and takes a seat across from Valentino.
As he does so, he can’t help but feel a bit awkward.
Luca hadn’t been truly alone with his brother for a while. Sure, they had their moments at the Ranch, but usually one of the academy drivers or Uccio would pop in after a few minutes, requesting Valentino’s attention.
They had barely had a moment alone when Luca had his accident in Japan. Valentino had called him, but Luca had barely gotten to speak with him before he had to be whisked away by the doctors for another scan.
Now that he was alone with Valentino though, Luca struggled to find a topic to talk about.
He could talk about MotoGP, but that could end badly, considering Valentino’s current situation with Marc. There was also Le Mans, but that’s all they had talked about for the last week.
Besides Marc’s new controversy.
As Luca thinks about what to say, his phone pinged. Thankful for the distraction, he quickly takes out his phone.
To his surprise, there is a text from Alex waiting for him.
| Alex: Hey, I was thinking about what you were saying about going on a trip together.
| Alex: You know L’Aquelarre takes place on a non race weekend this year. You should come with me!
Luca blinks.
L’Aquelarre.
Alex had mentioned the event to Luca before. It was some sort of festival that took place in Alex’s hometown every year around the end of August.
However, Alex had always told him it was a personal event for just Marc and him. It was a way for them to reconnect with their loved ones back home, away from MotoGP.
Luca understood that though. He never really had an issue with not being invited to the festival. In fact, it was comforting for him to know that Alex did have a way to escape from the pressures of MotoGP, even if it was only for a weekend.
So why was Alex suddenly inviting Luca to go to the event with him?
| Luca: I thought you and Marc always went by yourselves?
| Alex: I have a feeling he’s going to take Max to the festival. And if he gets to bring his boyfriend, then I get to invite you.
Luca’s heart pounds in his chest.
Alex was inviting him to a family only event. An event that he only went to with his family and childhood acquaintances.
Luca can’t hide the smile building on his face.
It was a big step forward in their relationship. Luca and Alex had talked about meeting each other’s families, but they had put it off, due to the situation between their brothers.
Alex’s offer was more than just an invite. It was a signal that their relationship was beginning to strengthen. It was a step towards making their relationship much more serious.
“You seem happy.”
Luca jumps at his brother’s comment and looks up in surprise.
Valentino looks back at him, looking oddly amused.
“Oh, uh, yeah.” Luca said, attempting to pocket his phone.
Valentino snorts. “Don’t bother Maro, I know you’re texting the younger Marquez.”
Damn it. Of course Valentino had figured it out.
Luca manages a sheepish smile for his brother as he takes his phone back out.
While Luca and Alex weren’t public with their relationship, they had at least agreed to let their families know about the relationship.
Luca knew that his brother was not exactly thrilled with his choice of a partner. In fact, part of him suspected that Valentino had hoped that he would choose someone from the academy, like Pecco.
But, Valentino had slowly come around to the idea. He had at least stopped grumbling when Alex was mentioned, which was progress in Luca’s book.
“Yeah, I was.” Luca admits.
Valentino sighs, but his expression softens. He glances at Luca’s phone with a curious expression on his face.
“He is treating you well?” Valentino asks.
Luca nods. “Of course he is.”
Valentino crosses his arms over his chest. “Well, at least he’s doing that.”
Luca gives his brother a warning look
“He is a good boyfriend to me Vale. I’ve told you that before.” Luca defends.
His brother doesn’t look convinced.
“If you say so.” Valentino sighs, “Anyway, what did he say to you?”
Luca glances back down at his phone. His lips twitch as he remembers Alex’s offer.
“Oh, he invited me to L‘Aquelarre.” Luca reveals.
He expects his older brother to recognize not only the festival, but the significance of the move.
Luca assumes that Marc had mentioned the festival to Valentino before. From what Alex said, it was one of their favorite events of the year.
To his surprise though, Valentino just gives him a confused look.
“What is that?” Valentino asks.
Luca blinks. “L’Aquelarre? The annual festival in Cervera?”
Valentino frowns. “I’ve never heard of it. Is it important?”
Luca resists the urge to rub his forehead.
Oh boy. Valentino really didn’t know what the festival was.
This was going to go down well.
“It is important to Alex and Marc,” Luca said carefully, “It’s usually an event they only go to with family or childhood friends. This is the first year Alex asked me to go with him.”
Valentino’s eyes narrow a bit at that.
Luca hopes that maybe his brother was just upset that Luca had been snubbed before. But, he had a feeling that his brother’s irritation was aimed at Marc, rather than at Alex.
“I see. Has anyone else gone with them?” Valentino asks.
Luca shakes his head, “Not that I know of. The only other person who might go is-”
“Verstappen?” Valentino interjects, an odd emotion crossing his face.
Luca hesitates but nods. “Yeah. Alex thinks Marc is bringing Verstappen as his date for it. So he wants me to go along now, since they’re allowing boyfriends to go.”
Valentino’s eye visibly twitches. “Boyfriends. I see.”
Luca fights the urge to groan.
Well, great. Now he was in for it.
How could this possibly get any worse?
Just then, both Luca’s and Valentino’s phone pinged at the same time.
Luca glances down at his screen and raises an eyebrow at the new Instagram notification.
<New post from MarMar93!>
Luca can’t help but roll his eyes at that.
Of course Marc chose then to post on his private account.
However, to his surprise, Valentino scoffs.
“Speak of the devil.” Valentino mutters to himself.
Luca glances over at his brother in shock.
“Did you also get the notification from Marc’s private account?” Luca asks curiously.
Valentino doesn’t meet his eyes. Instead, he just starts to unlock his phone.
“I suppose I forgot to unfollow it.” Valentino said nonchalantly
Luca barely stops himself from rolling his eyes again.
Did Valentino really think Luca would believe that?
However, Luca still clicks on the notification out of curiosity.
But, once Luca sees the post, it takes everything in him not to facepalm.
Once again, Marc Marquez had chosen violence over peace.
———
<Image of Max standing in front of the hotel window, naked except for the sheet around his waist. His back muscles and messy hair can clearly be shown as he seemingly pulls the curtains aside, letting in the morning light.>
Max_V: Wonderful view to wake up to 👀 - MM
Liked by: Marmar93, Dani_3, Charl16 and 20 others
Dani_3: Dayummmmm. Thanks for sharing the view Marc!
Kimi_Ant: Wait so you’re really dating???
GBort: I knew it! Congrats Max!
Marmar93: Huh, nice shot Babe.
SmoothSain: I can hear Charles screaming from the other side of the city.
Charl16: @SmoothSain 🖕
—--
<Image of Marc sitting up in bed. He is mostly naked, except for the blanket carefully draped over his lower waist. He was staring down at his phone, clearly focused on the screen in front of him.The window is open beside him, allowing the morning light to hit him just right.>
MarMar93: Great motivation for this morning - MV
Liked by: Max_V, AleMar, TheBezz, and 10 others
AleMar: Well, at least I’m not his personal photographer anymore.
TheBezz: 👀
Pecco_Bag: @TheBezz I’m banning you from the Ducati garage
TheBezz: Rude. I’m trying to be nice to your teammate here.
Pecco_Bag: The last thing I need is you ogling my teammate during races.
Maro10: Please get a room.
Max_V: Alex is right, I should make you my personal photographer. 👀
j_Lo99: @V_Rossi I saw that you liked the post you coward.