#lmsthnwwy chapter 2

[sleepyverstappens]

Let me share this whole new world with you (Chapter 2/6)

Title: Let me share this whole new world with you

Pairing: Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen

Rating: Gen/PG

Word Count: 2833

Tags: Oliver Verstappen-Ricciardo, Original Child Character, 5+1

Summary: Oli comes to the track from the first time

Read chapter 2 or Read from the start

1) Spa Francorchamps, Belgium 2021

Oliver is just two months old when they first bring him to a race weekend. While Spa isn’t technically Max’s home race anymore there is still a lot of family around for the weekend. His father isn’t there, like he hasn’t been for years now, but both of his sisters are there and his mum brought her new boyfriend Johan. Along with them there’s Tom, because wherever his sister goes he goes, and there’s Johan’s son Alex. So plenty of people to help them take care of Oliver as they go and race.

First though there are a lot of people wanting to gush over the new paddock baby. The photographers lined up at the paddock entry to grab the first shot of the newest addition to the Verstappen-Ricciardo family. They do their best to act like they don’t notice them, like usual, but the sound of camera shutters clicking rapidly somehow feel louder this time around, so they quickly find some peace and quiet in the Red Bull hospitality. The rooftop terrace almost eerily quiet compared to the paddock downstairs.

The girls are the first ones to properly see him... again, there are some privileges with being personal assistants and one of them is getting first access to the little bundle of joy strapped into the carseat in Daniel’s hands.

“Oh he’s gorgeous,” Vicky gushed, running her finger over Oliver’s cheek softly. Oliver squirmed a little as Dan worked the straps loose from around him, gently lifting him from the seat into his arms, but his eyes remained closed as he slept on.

“You want to hold him?” Dan asked, already knowing the answer as their assistants were almost literally making grabby hands at the little one. He gently transfers the baby into Vicky’s waiting arms, smiling softly at his former assistant as they can see tears start to well up in her eyes. They were such a close knit group of people, the Red Bull and Renault crew their family away from home, that he isn’t surprised by her reaction. Especially with her connection to the both of them, while sometimes she could feel like their babysitter most of the time she was like an older sister to them. The one that would guide them through this circus, but that would easily join their banter.

They let the girls gush over their son for a little while, taking the opportunity to quickly go and grab some food for themselves inside before making their way back to the table, Oliver now in Aurélie’s arms.  

Max is just about to go and get Oliver’s bottle warmed up when they see Alex and Christian approach. His teammate and team principal eager to take the spot the girls have just left. Max sighs internally, he’d figured they’d barely get any time alone with their son this weekend, but it was already becoming a bit much, everyone gushing over him, his hands itching to take Oliver back into his own arms and keep him just for himself.

“I’ll be right back,” he said instead, holding up the bottle of formula to indicate where he was going. He steps into the kitchen area easily, everyone too busy preparing the food during the lunch rush for them to be bothered by the driver going to borrow the microwave without their permission. He can still hear the clatter of plates and utensils from outside, the clean up area of the kitchen hidden away from view and empty of staff as they scramble to get everyone their lunch in time.

He adds water to the bottle of dry formula and gives it a quick shake before pushing it into the microwave, pressing the buttons on autopilot. He didn’t know it would affect him this much, all these people wanting to see his son. Gushing over him as he was cradled into a different pair of arms again and again. Sure, his and Daniel’s families had been over to see Oliver plenty of times, but somehow this felt different. A new location where it somehow felt like they had to figure out how to take care of a two month old all over again. Where the bottle of formula was premeasured, his son waiting in the arms of Christian or Alex instead of his own as he tried to fumble his way through measuring it out one handed. Where the bloody microwave wouldn’t warm up the bottle enough in 60 seconds like at home.

“Fuck, come on,” he cursed at the appliance as he placed the bottle back inside and added another 30 seconds. Squeezing a drop out once it beeped at him again angrily, great now it was to fucking hot. He swore he could hear Oli’s cries through the loud rumbling of noise outside of the door. He sighed, figuring the bottle would could down enough on his way back to the terrace. At least when he got back he got to hold his son again, no way was he letting anyone else feed him right now.

He stepped back out on the terrace, Oliver happily cradled in Christian’s arms, suckling on his pinky as the three men chatted. Everything was fine, everything is fine , he told himself as he sat himself down in his chair again, Christian already moving to hand Oliver over to him with a smile. Everything is fine, he reminded himself once more as Oliver latched onto the plastic nipple, his bright blue eyes staring back up at him.

---    

After his little internal breakdown he’d decided to go on a little stroll through the paddock, Oli strapped close to his chest making him feel better immediately. Dan had suggested he come along, but one look from Max had told him Max needed to be on his own for a little bit. He may not know what was going through Max’s head, but he knew that sometimes a bit of time on his own was all he needed to sort his head out again.

He’d made one lap of the paddock when he ran into Lando, the Brit jogging up to him excitedly.

“I still can’t believe you actually have a kid Max, you’re someone’s dad,” Lando said in wonder as he looked down at where Oliver was strapped to Max’s chest, pulling faces at the little boy. His hands come up to wrap around Oliver instinctively, his brain still wanting to keep him as close as possible even though Lando is not making any move to try and hold him with how he’s strapped into the carrier.

“You’ve known for months mate,” Max chuckled. Whilst obviously neither of them had actually been pregnant and they had both just raced throughout Madeline’s pregnancy it had been no secret that a baby was on the way.

“I know, but still. Knowing it and seeing it are still very different things. You’re only two years older than me, yet you’ve got your whole life sorted mate. The husband, the adorable kid, the career, feels like you’ve got it all.”

“I know, it sometimes doesn’t even feel real to me either. I feel so lucky getting to have it all. Couldn’t have done it without Dan though, I’d have had so many mental breakdowns already if it weren’t for him.”

“Really? He told be he was scared shitless for the first few weeks, that you were the one to keep things afloat.”

“He said that?”

“Yeah mate, he’s proper smitten. By the both of you. So it seems are you,” Lando smiled, bumping into his side gently, as to not jostle Oli too much, as they strolled along the paddock. Happy to just walk and not talk for a while until they arrived back at the Red Bull hospitality. “So no iRacing for the foreseeable future?”

“Don’t think iRacing fits into my schedule for the next while no,” he laughed, already imagining when Oliver would be big enough to sit in his lap as he steered the virtual car around the track. When he would be big enough to turn the wheel by himself, only needing Max to reach the pedals with his feet. When he would finally be big enough to reach them himself.

He could do this. He could race and have his baby there with him to take care of. He could let other people hold him and help them out knowing he would be just fine. He’d still rather he would be in his own arms, but he knew Oliver would be safe in the arms of their teams, their family.