The Right Time (Lestappen)

He wins in Monza

TW - this chapter discusses severe panic attacks/trauma so if you think that might upset you then skip. 

I know I said Monday but I just post them as I write them so it's a little early ....

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Charles relaxed back into the comfort of his hotel room bed and started aimlessly flicking though television channels. If he was honest he felt a little exhausted by the constant PR engagements and interviews. Race week in Monza always meant more attention on the Ferrari driver, he didn't really mind given that it was the team's home race but it was still tiring. After working his way through all the channels more than once he gave up and put some music on. He had almost drifted off to sleep when Max finally arrived.

"Did you get my message? You are a little late I'm afraid" Charles murmured sleepily as Max came to perch next to him on the bed.

Max couldn't recall receiving any messages but he had been somewhat distracted. He had spent the past couple hours with Seb as the German driver helped him through a particularly severe panic attack. In the last week the attacks had become more frequent and it was becoming increasingly difficult to hide them from Charles. He hadn't planned to keep it secret but Charles had seemed so stressed over the pressure to perform at Monza that he felt guilty about pilling his own problems on his boyfriend's shoulders. Luckily for Max, Seb had meant it when he said he would always be there if he needed him, and he had needed his help often over the past few days.

"You didn't message me" Max said after checking his phone carefully.

"What? No. No. No. I definitely text someone."

"What did you send Charles?" Max asked seeing the look of concern spread across Charles' face.

"A picture of me" Charles did not elaborate and given the grimace on his face Max wasn't sure he wanted to ask any further questions.

"I definitely didn't get it" Max confirmed, checking his phone again hoping the picture had magically appeared during the brief seconds since he last looked.

Charles knew he had sent it but if he hadn't sent it to Max then who had he sent it to? He reluctantly went to open his phone. His brain was working overtime, running through the contacts in his phone, Who did he know whose name began with M? Who did he know whose name began with Ma? His brain had worked it out seconds before his eyes confirmed it.

"No, no, no, no" Charles' face had turned bright red, "I sent it to Mattia instead"

Of all the people he could have sent it to he couldn't help but think that sending it to his Team Principle was the worst possible outcome. He wanted the ground to swallow him up then and there.

"Charles, was it just a picture?" Max asked hesitantly.

"There was a message" Charles responded a little defeated.

"That said?"

"Just about to shower, why don't you come and join me" Charles put his head in his hands as he imagined Mattia opening the message.

Max tried to think of something comforting to say but there wasn't much that could make this moment any better. He really couldn't help but think that for a couple that wanted to keep their relationship secret they had an awful habit of exposing themselves, sometimes quite literally, to those around them. He decided to keep that thought to himself though, it would hardly be helpful under the current circumstance.

"Oh god, he is typing a response" Charles looked suitably mortified as he watched his boss type, delete and retype a response over and over. It was hardly surprising, Charles guessed this might the first time a driver had invited their team principle to come shower with them.