#I’m gonna go scream and read Maxiel for the rest of the day

[thebirdsareafterme]

maxiel, galex, scaniel, brocedes!

OOOH OK I am ready.

Maxiel: makes sense, compels the FUCK out of me

I genuinely don’t think there’s been a ship that has compelled me like Maxiel. They make me so insane and I’ve spent the last 8 months of my life going up and down all 200ish AO3 pages in the tag like some kind of deranged possum, searching for more Maxiel content. They just make so much sense in my mind. You have Max, who has been taught his entire life that his only purpose in life is to win races, who is this angry, strung up little kid when he first joins F1…and then he meets Daniel, who is so kind and charismatic and has always been taught to enjoy the moment and the process of it all and just treats him with so much love even when he’s not winning or when he’s getting criticized by the media…and Max finally learns how to enjoy life outside of racing for the first time. Even outside of the general RPF scene of it all, the absolute pivotal Maxiel moments are so important and have so much significance in the grand scheme of the sport. Daniel leaving Red Bull because of Max (to an extent) which then caused a ripple effect on a whole bunch of people’s careers and ultimately led to the Horrors that we are currently living through, but at the end of the day, it’s about “If it can’t be me, I’m glad it’s him” and that fastest lap into “Thank you, Daniel.” Yeah, I could talk about them for DAYS if given the chance.

Galex: makes sense, compels me

They’re everythingggg to me. I love the childhood friends to lovers thing they have going on. The Galex lore is so interesting, like the throat infection incident, the collarbone biking accident, the whole thing about George being Alex’s hype man/personal photographer as a kid… underrated ship fr. They have the best chemistry and their sense of humour actually work so well together, and I NEED more content from them. I also CANNOT ship either of them with anyone else because it just does! Not! Work! In my head. They are each other’s ride or die and I love that for them.

Scaniel: makes sense, does not compel me

I love their friendship a lot and I think they have so much weird gay energy between them, but unfortunately my day one Daniel ship is still Maxiel. I think Scaniel has potential for growth, but unfortunately they do kinda give off besties to me. I will admit they have had some good, shippable moments, but Scotty just feels like a straight man in my mind. I think it’s just the DR effect (every man within a 5 mile radius falls in love with him) that drives this ship forward tbh.

Brocedes: makes sense, compels me A LOT

THIS is THE SHIP of all ships. The lore goes so hard and it’s so devastating to me. I’m a sucker for a good childhood friends to lovers to enemies storyline, so they are right up my alley. It’s just the most insane story that when I tried explaining it to my casual F1 fan friend, they asked me if it was from a movie and I was like NO! This is irl!!! The way that they have a 6 hour, 3 part YouTube docuseries about their relationship is crazy. No other ship has as much angst as them, and no one will ever come close to being them. It’s the way that they fundamentally are a part of each other’s careers and that you cannot mention one without the other, it’s the way that Nico talks about that era of his life and how he could only stomach their childhood favourite cereal on the weekend before cinching the championship, how he ruined his body and soul to beat Lewis and how his retirement changed Lewis’ whole outlook on the sport!!! And through it all, there is an awkward third-wheel in the form of either Daniel Ricciardo or Sebastian Vettel just smiling through the most disgusting vibes a room could ever have, which, in my opinion, adds to the whole drama of the ship. This ship has so much narrative and character and it is so so devastating to think about, I need to see or make a Brocedes movie before I die.

[bananasomg]

#22 maxiel

hello my love, i'm here to deliver your ficlet request from this great prompt ask.

here is #22. Maxiel: things you said after it was over. you thought it was gonna be angsty, but it's the exact opposite of that. gotta keep you on your toes. 🫶🏼

ily thanks for indulging me because you know i'm doing anything to avoid monza and the notorious a/b/o yacht fic.

things you said after it was over

Max’s hotel room is way nicer than his, but that’s a given. He’s the reigning world champion, and Daniel’s just a former Red Bull driver turned marketing dog. 

Daniel sighs, tosses the condom in the trash by Max’s California King. Conveniently placed, he thinks. Maybe this is a normal occurrence for Max—shagging former drivers between practice sessions. He doesn’t want to think like that, but he’s been known to have a few paramours that worship the ground he walks on.

“You going back to your room?” Max asks when Daniel begins to search for his clothes, discarded in the tumble at the foot of the bed. 

“Uh.” Daniel hesitates, cocking his hip as he tries to figure out the coolest, most casual response. Something that screams noncommittal and having fun. 

He settles with, “I guess so, yeah.”

“Oh,” Max replies. He frowns, his cheeks still red from the aftermath of Daniel’s tongue. The sullen debauched look is unbearable, and Daniel abandons his search and pads back to the bed. Max’s nose scrunches adorably when he flops onto the hotel mattress. The corners of his lips curl into a smile, glad he came back.  

Fuck, he’s cute.

Daniel can read his expressions like a speedometer, his heart racing a hundred kilometers an hour. It’s always been like this. Maybe that’s just what it’s like to have good sex. And if you ask him, they’re very good at fucking—it’s the after part they’re still figuring out. Some days are worse than others. Daniel hopes today is better. 

Max’s finger sweeps lazily over Daniel’s bare chest, lingering on the love bite he left below his right pec. It’s not super noticeable on his tan skin, but it felt significant. Max’s own personal brand. A way to claim him—Possessive and feral. Two words he normally associates with Max when he’s inside the car. He never contemplated how it might extend to his love life. He is full of surprises it seems.

“Do you wanna sleep here?” Max asks. 

“Um, with you?” Daniel rubs the back of his neck. He isn’t sure why his voice squeaks and it’s embarrassing and he feels his face getting uncomfortably warm, which is so not suave. 

“No, Daniel. Alone. I’m going to leave my room and go bunk with Christian.” Max rolls his eyes but can’t hold back the playful grin when Daniel shakes his head. 

Daniel laughs, semi-awkward huffs like he gets it. 

Max says, “I’m like—into you. You know that, yeah?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, you kinda have to be to let me—”

“No, you’re not listening.” Max bites his lip, palm resting flat on Daniel’s chest. “I mean, I really like you. As in, I haven’t seen anyone else for weeks. Not since—” 

“Silverstone,” Daniel whispers. It’s not a question. 

Max’s purposeful blue eyes flicker onyx beneath the dim light from the nightstand. God, Daniel thinks he could get lost in those eyes—so expressive and vast, and ever-changing like the tide. 

What might have seemed unbelievable before is completely plausible. Because Daniel hasn’t seen anyone else either. Not since they started hooking up almost nine weeks ago. 

The British Grand Prix was nothing special this year, his race a wash, Max taking P2, so he’d been surprised that his night ended with Max shoving him against the door of his motorhome, licking into his mouth like a starved man, tasting every expanse of skin available like he couldn’t keep going without learning every part of his body. 

Belgium had been the turning point when Max requested his presence, showing him off in a helicopter headed to Capri. And after escaping from the media circus and dropping off the parents it was just the two of them—stolen kisses and warm promises on the beach. 

“You too?” Max asks. He sounds hopeful and confident, gazing at him like he’s the most handsome man he’s ever set eyes on, and Daniel really wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. 

“Yeah, Maxy. Me too.” 

The way Max smiles makes him feel like King of the Mountain. Like he could actually lasso the fucking moon and pull it down just for him.