"Sorry that I can't believe that anybody ever really starts to fall in love with me" ~ Halsey

Daniel didn't even bother knocking on Max's door. He completely ignored the fact that the Dutchman might have guests or, worse, be busy with something very personal and intimate. The Australian simply and without unnecessary noise opened the door, slipping in with a bag filled with treats such as two jars of Nutella (it's not like he stole them from Nicholas Latifi's refrigerator), three cans of RedBull (rolled up from Sergio from the room), two packs of Haribo jellies (he found these at Hulk's) or a pack of hot pepper chips (these Carlos gave him himself: "The fact that they call me Chili doesn't mean I like spicy food"). Apart from these delicacies, he also carried a box with a game Monopoly board.

— Oh no! — Max protested immediately, getting up from the desk where he was sitting, analyzing the data sent to him by email from his race engineer. This information was to help him win the upcoming race, which was always especially important to him. — Not that! I don't agree! No way!

— You don't even know what I want to propose! — Daniel defended himself, setting the packages on a nearby bench, not too high, where you could sit down on the floor or rather on a soft, warm, fluffy, gray carpet.

— You want to play Monopoly. I advise against! The last time we played it, Charles lost after twenty minutes and he had an argument with Pierre. Do you want Charles to accuse us again of doing this on purpose to break up the best friendships?

— No, I don't want to. That's why I didn't invite them. Besides, I'm not Netflix.

— You didn't invited them? Then who did you invited?

— Fernando and Esteban. We haven't played with them yet.

Max blushed with anger when he heard who Daniel had invited. He puffed out his cheeks playfully, gasping for air, making him look like a hamster with a mouth full of food.

—You invited ESTEBAN ?!

—Yeeeeah?Why are you yelling at me?

— No, nothing, nothing. Just ... And what? He agreed?

—Yup. He did agree.

— And you informed him I'd be here too?

— That's what convinced him.

—  Cool. I hope that at least he won't cheat here.

Max wasn't very fond of Esteban. In fact, only Lance and Nikita had once had fewer driver friends than Esteban. Lance mostly because despite his wealth, he was rather shy, or at least it seemed at first until Lance had a home party right after one of the races. Then he showed his true face: the young Stroll actually knew how to have fun, he liked to go wild, he liked to dance, to make someone some very funny joke. It quickly emerged that he isn't only a slightly withdrawn F1 driver who has had the strangest accidents in places where no one else had them, but also a pretty good playmate. It was different with Esteban: the French has always been focused on battling and that was the only thing that mattered to him. He always wanted to be the best, the fastest, have the best results, the best kart and car, he often stuck his nose up and thought he could do many things better than his team mate, which annoyed many of his rivals. Esteban wasn't liked, and perhaps that is why he spent most of his time in the company of Charles and sometimes Fernando, who had some fondness for him from the very beginning.

Max knew about all of this and wasn't a member of the church of Ocon's talent supporters, although he had to admit that the French had a lot of skill and commitment. Max always saw his rival in him, someone who had to be beaten at all costs, but they both tried to ensure that this competition didn't go beyond the surface of the racetrack, which they didn't always succeed. There were times when emotions prevailed and more than once there was a sharp exchange of views between them.

They didn't have to wait too long. Before Daniel lay down with everything he had brought, there was a mild knock. Daniel went to open it and let his guests in. He had to admit mentally that he liked to upset Max, to play on his nerves, just as he liked to play tricks on him, most often the kind that everyone but the Dutch laughed at. One time he smeared honey on his phone. Another time, he took his helmet and set it in the center of the only tuft of nettles in the area. Ricciardo was a born prankster and comedian who could also drive a Formula 1 car and sing.

— We are here — Fernando announced.

— It's great to see you. Come on in. — He moved to the side to make way for them. — Sit down wherever it is convenient.

— Thanks —  Esteban smiled at him, then looked at Max. — We're not disturbing you? You playing with us?

— You don't bother — He said a little despite himself —  And I'd love to play with you. Just don't try to cheat, because I can see everything — He shook his finger at them.

Fernando and Esteban sat on opposite sides of the board, legs crossed at the ankles. Nando hissed as if he was in pain. He only replied to their worried glances.

— Come on? Old age isn't joy, right? My back hurts a bit after today's training, Esti gave me a shot! — He complained, rubbing a hand across the lower right side of his back.

—I'm sorry — the Frenchman said softly and regretfully, a little embarrassed, staring at the box marked "Start" on the board. Max and Daniel looked at each other as if they didn't understand what had happened here, as it was uncommon for Esteban to apologize to someone and there was no question of doing it of his own free will. Esteban never apologized. Never and no one.

— Nando has a bad influence on him — Max whispered right in Daniel's ear, accidentally brushing his lips against the skin just below, which made the handsome Australian shudder slightly as he touched that place with his hand. They were both still standing. Max paid no attention to it. He sat down on the floor, choosing a dog-shaped pawn for himself.

One hour later...

Walking slowly down the corridor and admiring the view outside, Esteban suddenly heard muffled voices coming from behind the ajar door of the nearest room. Curious, he walked as quietly as he could and began to listen.

—... you can break the bet — Lewis Hamilton was saying, playing with the gold ring that appeared on his finger.

"Ring? Is Lewis married ?! And nobody knows about it ?!“ —Esteban wondered, because he only had a good view of Hamilton.

— Why not? — To his amazement, Esteban clearly heard Fernando's distinctive voice, which couldn't be confused with anyone else because of a specific Spanish accent that even the second Spaniard, Carlos Sainz, was missing.

— Because that's what it's all about. What, you probably feel like you are going to lose, huh?

— Not at all, but ... but I don't want to hurt him. You don't know him, he's a good, decent, honest and hard-working boy, he doesn't deserve anyone to play with his feelings like that.

— You won't back down, not now. No, period. — Lewis sounded firm and confident, Everyone in the paddock knew that if Hamilton would insist on something, he had no mercy. —Is it so hard to make Esteban fall in love with you? Do you want me to try?

Esteban could expect anything but his name. He felt hurt, betrayed and stripped of his dignity. So even his own team mate didn't respect him and played with him. He couldn't believe it! He always treated Fernando as a friend and an idol, someone who could be learned from and who could be asked for advice. He felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach. He liked Fernando so much, respected him and trusted him! And now it turned out that it was just a beautiful illusion that Nando never even liked him. And Esteban wanted Fernando to like him. He didn't care about the good opinion of other drivers about himself, it was only important what Alonso thought about him.

"Traitor, liar! I hate him, I hate him!“ —Esteban thought, imagining himself chasing him in some dark forest far from human settlements and attacking him, grabbing his neck and making him beg his forgiveness. Goose bumps appeared on his body, and he himself shook uncontrollably, staggered and would have fallen if he had not sobered up in time and had not regained his balance. he will do anything to get Alonso to give up.

"I'm not falling in love with him, I'm not some kind of crazy and twisted gay! This will never happen! I'll show them who's right! Let Fernando try, I'm immune to such things. "

Next day...

Pierre and Carlos were standing near Fernando and Esteban, waiting their turn to be interviewed at the drivers' parade, which as usual attracted a lot of attention, mainly due to the fierce rivalry between Charles and Max on the track. The French smiled at the Monaquesce, taking a long sip of RedBull from his favorite drinking tube bottle, then neither stated nor asked.

— And Fernando probably doesn't know that Esteban is the greatest homophobe in the entire group — He whispered in his ear, to which Carlos, already dressed in his Ferrari red, replied, shaking his head slightly.

— Something seems to me he has no idea. But did you just suggest what I think you suggested?

— I guess so. You can see from a distance that Nando is hitting at him, only the blind wouldn't notice. It will be fine if there is no major rowdies about it. After all, Esteban hates LGBT!

— So he hates me, Lando, Lewis and Sebastian too? — Asked a bit sad Carlos.

— And me, although we were once close friends ... I don't know what Nando sees in him in general! After all, Ocon isn't even handsome! Tall, thin as a pole, average appearance, very conceited by behavior ...

— Seriously? Don't you think he's attractive?

— Never in a billion years! No!

— And you never thought that? Have you not even been in love with him for a moment?

- Me?! Are you crazy?! — Pierre screamed, wanting to punch Carlos right in the face for such ridiculous ideas. He had liked Esteban once, had been friends with him, but then their paths diverged. Perhaps both of them were too competitive. Or maybe there were other reasons they never told each other ...

Standing closest to them, Lando and Daniel, who were discussing something furiously with Nico, looked at them curiously, pausing for a moment from their chat.

— All OK? — Hulk asked curiously.

—Yes, yes — Pierre replied carelessly, waving his hand dismissively. — It's nothing. It was just that Carlos told me something crazy.

—O really? Carlos, what did you tell him?

Carlos didn't answer. He wasn't sure the Frenchman would be happy with this, so he only reassured them that it was no big deal, a moment later David called Hulkenberg for an interview, and Lando with Daniel resumed their interrupted conversation. Pierre made sure no one was overhearing them, but the cheers for Nico drowned out a lot, and the other drivers lined up in groups and talked about something as well.

— What was that supposed to be?

— Nothing. It's just that Esteban said that he ended his friendship with you because he thought you fell in love with him ...

— That's what he said? Idiot. I have never, even for a short split second, been in love with him! He's a homophobe and selfish! Plus it's ugly!

—Nooooo, I would argue.

Gasly just raised one eyebrow up at that, grinning crookedly in disbelief.

—What?

— Nothing.

— Don't tell me this! You like him, don't you?

— Yyyyyy ... No?

—  OMG! I'll tell Lando — Pierre was already marking his forward leaning forward to get Norris' attention when Sainz grabbed him by the shirt, pulled him to him and whispered menacingly.

—Just.Try. Say.something.Lando, or we'll talk otherwise, you understand? This is the final warning.

— All right, all right, chill up, Chili. I just don't understand what you Spaniards see in Esteban. — Gasly whispered as well. — Now, would you please let me go?

— Of course. Sorry — Sainz released a piece of the Frenchman's T-shirt from his clenched fist, smoothed it out, and patted it around his heart. — Just remember — He threatened, still showing him his index finger.

Their petty scuffle, of course, attracted everyone's attention. David Coulthard walked up to them with his integral microphone in hand. Until recently, David himself was a Formula 1 driver and couldn't part with this world, and because he loved to talk, he found a job as the one who talks to drivers during a drivers' parade or after a race.

— I see you boys have a lot of energy. Would you like to share with us the reason for your struggle?

— Oh, there isn't a struggle. Don't exaggerate. We just had to explain something to ourselves, but this doesn't apply to the race, so I'd rather not talk about it — Pierre withdrew diplomatically. Carlos immediately nodded warmly.

— I see. If you put this energy on the track, I can take the risk of saying that we have an exciting race ahead of you?

— Oh, that's for sure. As always, we will do our best, we will look for limits and try to push the limits.