#you don't get to f1 without having substantial mental problems let's be real

[lsunstreakerl]

I have the slight impression that if it weren't in a fic, Charles' little ✨️possessive✨️ and ✨️kind of obsessive✨️ thing wouldn't be very healthy.

That said, I'm looking forward to seeing more of this side of Charles, because for Max this is normal (he's an unreliable narrator), and the only times we can see how possessive he is is when we see someone else's POV, like Daniel.

Eu realmente quero ver mais da perspectiva de Charles para que eu possa ver como ele pensa, a maneira como ele é obcecado por Max desde a infância e o fato de que Max provavelmente nem sabe disso, e em Appendicitis temos uma citação de Max na qual ele diz que é leal a Charles há muito tempo, mas que ele acha que Charles é leal a ele há muito mais tempo. Este pode ser o momento exato em que Max percebe isso.

looking forward to seeing their relationship from Charles' perspective

this got kind of long sorry!

thank you for picking up what I've been subtly putting down! yeaaaaah they've both got problems, it's just that charles' tend to manifest in attachment issues- attachment to ferrari, attachment to his ghosts, attachment to max. (yes, max is an unreliable narrator. so is charles.)

if either max or charles were more well-adjusted, it wouldn't be a healthy relationship by any means, but they kind of balance each other out from what would be toxic otherwise. max with the unrelenting need to not be left behind- he almost demands that charles stay with him in search history. charles with the possessiveness that max is only his, no one else can have him.

they fit together- charles provides the obsessive dedication that max needs, and max provides almost complete devotion to charles. (you see it a bit in chapter 18 of SH, where max thinks about how he'll be whatever charles needs, without regard for himself.) (you also see it throughout SH- charles is always there. He's either there, or he's flying out, or he's following after max. if you take a step back, you'll realize sometimes charles is on his way before max even needs him- he was going to show up anyways.)

the only time you see a shift in that dynamic is when daniel is involved. this has to do pretty completely with what daniel has done for max, and the way he was there when charles wasn't. charles isn't a fan of anyone else meaning that much to max by any means- but he can see where daniel has helped support and teach max, and he can see that they have a special relationship.

he does have his own fair share of issues with it (walking in on them at the party) but he grapples with those a bit in 1+1+1, where the three of them actually navigate a dynamic together.

I believe the "Appendicishit" quote you're talking about is this one:

"He's starting to think Charles has been loyal even longer."

max has finally realized in that quote that he and charles have been intertwined in their relationship for longer than he initially assumed- max only starts thinking about charles in an admittedly romantic way when he gets his tonsils taken out in "Dad- I mean, GP-", and even then it's begrudging, not something he's willing to admit. (not sober, anyways.)

sober max vs drunk max!

you'll notice in the charles POV I posted that max kisses charles when they're younger, and that's pretty much the moment charles locks in and decides that yes, it's max, it's always going to be max.

this is obviously a couple years before max figures that out, because max doesn't remember kissing charles, so he's a little bit behind in that sense. charles also struggles while in F1 about not wanting to love max, because bad things happen to people he loves.

max only allows himself to think about charles when he's intoxicated or otherwise under the influence (daniel and carlos have heard a lot about charles).

I may write an outsider POV of someone else where they're a liiiittle bit concerned about just how intertwined max and charles are. debating on who would be best to showcase that at the moment.