#gp wins dad of the year for being an alpha learning how to nest

[lsunstreakerl]

had a small burst of inspiration for omegaverse famiglia, so ta-da! 1.8k words, 5 little snapshots. Max POV. completely sfw (in a surprising deviation from everything else I've posted this month).

Max brings the sweater to his nose, taking a deep inhale. It smells like Lance, cashmere and fresh air.

It's also from Mick's bag, so he's going to tease him forever about it. 'Not courting'- bullshit.

He weaves it into the nest anyways. If Mick and Lance are courting, which he knows they are, then he should get used to it anyways.

It settles in nicely with everything else. Max likes his nesting space at Silverstone- no one outside the pack knows about it, so he's been carefully working on it for a few years, filling it with soft lights, hanging up posters on the walls. It fills the room- not near as large as his upstairs nest at home, but still soothing.

He slides his wrist brace off, setting it off to the side with the rest of his bag before snuggling into the middle of the nest. It's soft and warm, miles better than the pouring rain outside.

Max sends off a text in the family chat- a little heads up that he's nesting, if any of them get the chance to join, and also a teasing note that Lance is invited, if he wants.

Mick sends back a keyboard smash.

------

"Max!"

He's momentarily startled by the shout, but then Charles is jogging up to him, weaving through the pitlane as Max tilts his head curiously.

"I saw that none of the Redbull team members made it to the caf, so you probably did not get breakfast-"

Max didn't know Charles paid attention to that kind of thing.

"-so I grabbed you one of the last croissants."

Charles holds out a paper bag, warm in Max's hands when he takes it. It smells like butter and chocolate, which makes him somewhat impressed- those croissants disappear fast in hospitality.

Charles must notice his expression.

"I had to fight Seb for that, if you were wondering."

Max is slightly startled at the soft purr that starts up in his chest, but the way Charles lights up at the noise makes it hard to feel flustered about it.

He tucks the bag under his elbow.

'Thank you Charlie'

Charles' head tilts.

"I don't know that one, but you seem happy, so-"

Max flashes him a grin. He's pretty sure his scent has gone light and sweet, which is embarrassing, but Charles rumbles quietly.

"You are welcome, Max."

------

"Hi! You must be Max!"

There is... a small alpha in front of him. Somewhat newly presented, if Max had to guess- still has a milky pup scent.

He nods.

The small alpha puffs his chest out, grinning at Max.

"I'm Liam! I'm a junior driver- in the lower categories still, but I'll be here in a few years, trust me!"

Liam ducks his head, scent blushing with something shy. He's too young to know how to control it yet.

"I hope maybe you'll still be here as a race engineer? Maybe mine?"

Max smiles, patting him on the shoulder.

'Maybe'

Liam shifts on his feet before pushing his shoulders back, lifting his chin.

"Are you busy later tonight? After the meetings?"

Oh, the baby alpha is asking him on a date. That's cute.

Max raises an eyebrow.

'Can you sign'

Liam's eyebrows furrow, focusing- and then he lifts his hands up, fingers clumsy.

'Y-e-s'

Max's scent softens, fond. He's clearly trying- and Max has to give him credit for that. He moves his hands slowly this time, so Liam can follow.

'Maybe when you are older'

The baby alpha looks dejected for a moment before shifting to determination, nodding at Max.

"It's a deal! And I'll be better at sign by then, just wait- you'll be amazed."

Max is not going to be courted by a baby alpha, but he's endeared all the same, patting Liam gently on the shoulder.

It's not quite scenting, but it's just enough that it'll cling to him- he can go back to the other pups smelling like he's had a genuine conversation with Max. There's probably bragging rights involved somewhere.

------

Max is lounging on the hotel bed, easily eliminating Charles on every single FIFA match.

"Okay, I am quitting- this is ridiculous, how do you even have the time to get this good?"

Max purrs, trying not to laugh as Charles tosses the controller onto the table, sulking.

He reaches for one of the stray notebooks and pens lying around- Charles always seems to have some nearby.

GP is also very good now, although he pretends not to be. Also, one of the baby alphas tried to ask me on a date today.

Charles snorts at the first line, and then his scent sharpens when he reads the rest, eyes narrowing. Max tries not to feel flattered.

He fails.

"Which one? They should know better, honestly- they are barely presented as is, what makes them think they can court you? Did you even get any gifts? The audacity in the newer pups- what happened to traditionalism?"

Definitely flattered.

Max tries not to let it show in his scent.

No gifts- I don't think, anyways. He was very sweet though. Asked if I would be his race engineer when he gets to F1, and then asked me to dinner. He learned some sign as well.

Charles rumbles, low and annoyed.

"It better not have been Oliver- it was not him, yes?"

Max pushes his scent, soothing and lightly amused. As funny as it is to watch Charles get worked up, Max doesn't want his hotel room stinking of territorial alpha.

It was not your grid pup, don't worry. It was Liam, one of our Redbull juniors.

Charles settles at Max's scent. Maybe not intentionally- but it happens all the same, his shoulders relaxing and his gaze softening.

His scent smooths over, back to the reassuring notes that Max is used to. They've been creeping their way into his nest lately as well.

"Presumptuous brat."

Max grins, kicking his foot out to nudge at Charles' ankle.

Relax- it was cute. I told him to try again when he was older.

Charles wrinkles his nose, offended.

"When he's older? Max, you deserve much better than a Redbull driver who cannot even court properly."

Max pushes his scent again, though he's sure the amusement is coming through strong now.

I have not actually been properly courted before, so I would not know haha

Charles bolts upright, staring at him.

"What?"

Max shrugs, a little what-can-you-do gesture. He'd had some puppy love in uni, but that hadn't been the real thing- just the two of them having fun, exploring.

He's never had an alpha seriously court him before- he travels too much, constantly jetting across the world with the traveling circus of F1. No traditional alpha wants an omega like that.

Charlie, I am gone all the time. That's not ideal omega behavior. It's not surprising.

The scent in the room sours, a sharp metallic tang as Charles visibly bristles. Max holds a hand up, trying to stop the incoming rant before it starts.

And that's fine. I wouldn't want to be with an alpha that wanted that from me anyways. There will either be someone for me eventually, or there won't. Until then, I'm not losing sleep over it.

Charles is clearly still bristling, but he's visibly trying to relax, leaning over Max's legs to grab the controller again.

"That is ridiculous, that no one has tried anyways. There must be some very stupid alphas in the UK."

Max snorts, pulling up a new FIFA match. Charles isn't wrong- but there's no need for him to get offended on Max's behalf.

Even if it's sweet.

------

Gianpiero is trying to leave the nest, like he thinks Max won't notice.

Max tosses an arm across his shoulder, pinning him down.

"Max, I need to go make dinner. You're going to need to let go of me."

Gianpiero is clearly underestimating Max's stubbornness, as well as how comfortable Max currently is.

Max turns his head so it's poking out of one of the fluffy duvets, glaring.

"Remember that time I was abused and lived in a van? No nest? No nesting with dad? Yes? Get back here."

GP's face does his emotionally constipation look, and then he's settling back down, squeezing Max into a hug.

"Don't think I can't see your blatant emotional manipulation."

Max purrs, comfortable in the nest. Gianpiero might not be his biological sire, but he's Max's dad in the ways that matter.

He gets a few more minutes of peace before Gianpiero huffs, digging around in the side of the nest wall for something. Max is preparing to be extremely offended at the destruction of his perfectly arranged space-

Oh.

That.

Gianpiero raises an eyebrow at him.

"Did you really think I wasn't going to be able to smell adolescent alpha, seriously?"

Max deliberately doesn't look at the scarf Gianpiero has pulled out of the nest wall- the smell is somewhat faint now, but unmistakably Charles.

"I don't know how that got there."

He tries to suppress his grin, but it seeps through in his scent and his tone- he's still flattered about receiving the scarf, even if it's been a few weeks since he last saw Charles in Monaco.

"Also, he's not really adolescent anymore-"

"You're all still pups to me, don't even try."

Max grabs at the scarf, gently wrapping it around his hands and his arms, snuggling into the fabric. Gianpiero rolls his eyes, but his scent is soft and mellow.

"They grow up so fast- remember when you wouldn't let anyone scent you?"

Max makes a face. He used to bite people that tried to scent him.

Jos had told him scenting was the first step to being claimed, losing his rights and his license and his karting career.

Max knows now that isn't true, but-

It's left a mark.

Gianpiero rubs his wrist across Max's neck, playfully rough as Max swats at him.

"Tell that alpha boy he needs to behave, got it?"

Max grins, scent going disgustingly sweet.

"He is a complete gentleman, dad. Never made a bad decision in his life. Besides signing for Ferrari, I mean."

Gianpiero leans back into the nest, doing his best to reassemble the wall. It's ugly and Max will have to fix it later anyways, but he's trying.

"At least we know he's loyal."

Max winces, nodding. Poor Charles- Ferrari is the ultimate loyalty test. He snuggles under Gianpiero's arm, listening to the steady rumble in his chest.

It reminds him of when he was smaller, curling up in a poorly constructed nest. Max was too afraid to make one, and Gianpiero didn't know how, but he'd tried- Max had desperately needed one.

Sometimes even now, when Max is sulking or frustrated, Gianpiero will start trying to arrange the living room into something soft and circle shaped.

They're still terrible.

Max still loves them.