EVERMORE , Max Verstappen

Seventeen

In this world, there are individuals we admire and those we don't. There exist heroes and villains, some with shades of grey. But then, there are two figures, universally loathed by everyone-Yeonjin Lee and Jos Verstappen. No matter how much success Max and Ahri achieve, it seems that their parents, Jos and Yeonjin, can't bear to see them happy. They persistently find faults and create problems to ensure their children's unhappiness, regardless of the glory they achieve on the track and in life.

And that is how Instead of congratulatory calls for their victories at Wimbledon, Silverstone, or Hungary, Max and Ahri find themselves on the phone with their parents, subjected to relentless criticism and efforts to make their lives as difficult as possible.

.

Max found himself engaged in a tense phone conversation with his father, Jos. Despite the distance, the strained atmosphere was palpable.

"She's a nice girl, Dad," Max tried to reassure his father, hoping to bridge the gap between them.

Jos's voice was firm and unwavering on the other end of the line. "Being nice isn't enough, Max. She's clearly in between you and your ambition."

Max felt a spark of frustration igniting within him. He was genuinely fond of Ahri and admired her accomplishments in the world of tennis. "Dad, she's a three-time world champion herself. Do you really think she doesn't understand the importance of racing in my life?"

Jos didn't seem swayed. "That's precisely the issue, son. She's a three-time world champion, and you're not on her level. She sees you as beneath her. You won't match her success, and that's why she's with you. She knows she'll always have a more successful career than you."

Max clenched his jaw, trying to control his anger. "Not everyone's like you, Pa."

"What did you say?" Jos demanded, his voice harsh and unyielding.

Max sighed, feeling defeated in his attempt to convey his feelings. "Dad, she's great, and she's really supportive of my career. My team is clearly happy with my relationship with her."

Jos, however, remained resolute. "You don't understand now, Max. You'll understand later."

With those words, Jos hung up the phone, leaving Max with a sense of sadness and disappointment.

.

Ahri stands there, phone in hand, her emotions roiling. Her mother's words strike a nerve, and she can't shake off the anger and frustration she feels.

"You need to break up," Yeonjin says on the phone.

"I am not breaking up, Mom," Ahri retorts defiantly.

"Well, clearly, you've been hypnotized or something because you're not seeing it," her mother argues.

"Seeing what?" Ahri questions. "The articles. You went from a champion to a WAG" Yeonjin declares.

Ahri sighs. "Well, yes, I am a WAG. Every article calls me a world champion first, and then a WAG, Mom."

"You seriously want to be downgraded to a WAG," Yeonjin continues.

"You were not of this opinion when you tried to set me up with the Park heir," Ahri counters.

"That was different," Yeonjin defends.

Ahri's voice rises, her frustration getting the better of her. "Yes, it is bloody different! Unlike Max, Junho wanted a trophy wife who would leave her career, give him kids, and at the same time, be pretty and famous enough to be around him and society!"

In the heat of the moment, Ahri shouts into the phone and abruptly cuts the call, leaving her emotions simmering.

In a fit of anger, Ahri hurled her phone across the room, the screen shattering as it collided with the wall. Max walked in, raising an eyebrow at the display of frustration.

"Never let me get you angry," he teased.

Ahri let out a frustrated sigh. "It's so bloody frustrating. Thank god for my patience, career, and the laws around me, because otherwise, I would have been Carrie," she lamented.

Max chuckled, understanding her reference. "Well, I would have been Niklaus Mikaelson then. My dad wasn't any less frustrating," he said.

Ahri laughed, her anger dissipating. "Well, I always found Klaus hot," she confessed playfully.

"Did you now?" Max grinned, leaning in for a kiss. Ahri giggled as their lips met, their affectionate moment easing the tension.

"Let's not let them get to our heads. You know they don't like seeing us happy," Max said softly.

Ahri hummed in agreement, hugging Max tightly, finding solace in his arms.

.

They found themselves in the kitchen, each absorbed in their own thoughts, the phone calls temporarily forgotten. Despite the distractions, they continued to cook, moving around each other with an unspoken rhythm, both finding comfort in the domesticity of the moment. Eventually, they sat down to eat dinner.

Between bites, Ahri posed a question, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity. "What do you want to do over the summer break?" she asked.

Max paused, looking at her with a playful glint in his eyes. "Well, form a cocoon around you and save you and me from our parents' wrath," he replied with a grin.

Ahri chuckled at the idea. "We'll have to run away for that," she joked, but as she spoke, she noticed something in Max's eyes - a spark of determination.

Max leaned in closer, his expression serious. "Then let's run away, Ahri. Let's close our phones, tell the team not to call us unless it's absolutely necessary, block our parents, and spend the entire summer in some countryside," he suggested.

Ahri was taken aback by the proposal. She thought for a moment, her gaze meeting Max's intense eyes. Then, with a hint of a smile, she responded, "Max Verstappen, you don't need to save me, but will you run away with me?"

Max's face lit up with a bright smile. "Yes, I will," he declared wholeheartedly, sealing their unspoken pact with that simple promise.