“I need the toilet,” Max says.

Daniel blinks. “Congratulations!”

Max leaves. He shuts the bathroom door. Locks it. Stares at himself in the mirror. His face is blotchy and red. His hair is bad. His dick is, unfortunately, extremely hard, straining against his jeans.

“No,” Max says to it.

His dick says yes in the language of being a traitorous organ.

Outside, Daniel calls, “You okay in there, mate?”

“Yes,” Max says, too loud.

“Okay.”

Max grips the sink. His phone buzzes on the counter.

GABI BORTOLETO

Max grabs it and answers. “What?”

“Oh my god,” Gabriel says. “Finally. Did you ask Daniel for the 3?”

Max freezes. This is already bad. This is already very, very bad.

“Yes,” Max says.

“And he said yes?”

“Of course.”

Gabriel makes a noise like he has watched Max step on a rake.

“What?” Max asks, panicky already.

“I tried to warn you!”

“You texted call me urgent number thing. That is not a warning.”

“Max. Listen to me. There is a curse.”

Max closes his eyes.

“Are you hard?”

Max’s hand slips on the sink.

“That is...private.”

“Oh my god, you are.”

“I did not say that.”

“You didn’t have to. Your silence had a boner.”

“There is, of course, no such thing as boner silence.”

“There is when it is curse-related!”

Max looks down, which is a bad tactical decision. Horrible. His dick twitches in his pants like it has heard Daniel’s name from the other room and wants to be included in the conversation.

Max says, “Fuck.”

Gabriel says, “Ew.”

“You asked, Gabi.”

“I asked, like, medically.”

“There is no medical boners.”

“There is the curse, though!” Gabi almost shouts it. “When you take someone’s racing number, you have to fuck them. That is the curse. Or you die!”

Max stares at the soap dispenser. The soap dispenser gives him nothing.

“No,” Max replies, voice raspy.

“Yes. I had the same with my number.”

Max goes still. “With Seb's 5?”

Gabriel says nothing. Max says, “Did you want to fuck Seb?”

“I had to.”

“You wanted.”

“I had to.”

“You very much wanted to fuck Seb.”

“You are hiding in a bathroom with a curse boner for Daniel Ricciardo. You have no moral high ground.”

Max is silent because its true.

“So,” Gabriel says. “You have to fuck Daniel.”

Max’s body reacts like Daniel has personally walked into the bathroom and put his mouth on the words.

Max makes a sound. Gabriel says, “Ew, did it get worse?”

“Stop saying ew.”

“Then stop being cursed-horny near me.”

“You called me.”

“To save you!”

“I will not explode.”

“You feel like you will, right?”

Max doesn’t answer.

Gabriel says, softer, “Right?”

Max looks at the door again. He thinks of Daniel on the other side. Daniel’s smile when Max asked. Daniel’s eyes goinging soft, only for one second, before he makes a joke about Max wanting his lucky charm. Daniel saying it’s yours like he doesn’t know what he is handing over. Like Max has not been missing him in little stupid places for years. In the wrong corner of the garage. In jokes nobody else makes. In every time someone says his name and Max pretends not to hear it like a dog hearing its dead owner’s whistle.

“Yes,” Max says.

Gabriel sighs. “Then go.”

“What if he says no?”

“Then he says no.”

“And I explode.”

“I don’t know, maybe. Stand in the shower.”

“Gabi.”

“I’m not curse support!” Gabriel snaps. “But if he says no, you do not do anything. Obviously.”

“Obviously,” Max says, offended.

“Good. Then go ask him. Not like a freak. Explain it.”

Max looks down at himself again. His body has not become less freakish. “I cannot go out there like this.”

“You have to.”

“No, because he will see.”

“Max,” Gabriel says, with the exhaustion of someone much older than him, “that is maybe the point.”

Max hates him. He hates Seb for not warning him. He hates racing numbers. He hates curses. He hates the bathroom fan. He hates his own dick. He hates Daniel for sitting out there and making Max want to live and die and have a number three tattooed on the back of his eyelids.

Gabriel says, “Go!”

Then he hangs up. Max stares at his phone. There is a knock on the door and max almost drops the phone into the sink.

“Maximus?” Daniel says. “You alive?”

Max unlocks the door. Daniel is standing there in the hallway with the Red Bull can in one hand and his eyebrows up. His mouth is already shaped around something stupid. Then he sees Max’s face and the stupid thing goes away.

“Hey,” Daniel says. “What happened?”

“There is a curse,” Max says, angling his hips away.

Daniel blinks. “Okay,” he says. “Sure...”

Max steps out of the bathroom because if he is going to humiliate himself, he is not doing it next to the toilet. Daniel follows him into the living room. Max stands by the sofa and Daniel stands in front of him. The air between them is so thick Max could maybe bite it.

“It is about the number,” Max says.

“Three?”

“Yes.”

“The number I just gave you.”

“Yes.”

“Is it, like, haunted?”

“Yes.”

Daniel’s mouth twitches. Max glares weakly, his dick twitching again. Daniel holds up both hands. “Sorry. Sorry. Serious haunted number face.”

“When you take someone’s number,” Max says, and then stops because suddenly every word is a staircase with a missing step.

Daniel’s expression changes. “Max.”

“You have to fuck them,” Max says in a rush. “Or you explode.”

Daniel stares at him. The refrigerator clicks in the kitchen.

“Um.”

“Yes,” Max replies.

“Literally fuck?”

“Yes.”

“Literally explode?”

“I think so.”

“You think so...”

“Gabriel was not very precise.”

“Gabi knows this because?”

“He took five.”

Daniel opens his mouth and immediately shuts it. Then opens it again. “Seb?”

“Daniel.”

“No, yeah. Respectful silence for Seb’s cursed service.”

Max scratches his neck, if he doesn't come soon, he might actually explode and he does ot want to imagine Daniel covered in his blood and guts or whatever.

Daniel says, “So that’s why you’re…”

He looks down to the very apparent bulge in his pants. Max’s whole body lights up like a dashboard full of warnings.

“Fuck,” Max says, but it comes out thin.

Daniel’s eyes snap back up. His cheeks are pink now. “Sorry.”

“It is the curse.”

“Yeah?”

Max swallows. Daniel is close. Too close. Not close enough. His shirt is soft and old and ugly in the way Daniel’s clothes are sometimes ugly because he looks good in anything and therefore has no discipline. Max wants to put his hands under it. Max wants to feel his new beard all over his skin, maybe on his thighs.

“Not only,” Max says.

Daniel goes still. Max looks at the floor. “I asked for three because I missed you. Because it is yours. Because I wanted—some part. I don’t know. It is stupid.”

Daniel doesn’t say anything.

Max looks up despite himself. Daniel’s face is doing something Max cannot survive. His eyes are wide and wet-looking, his mouth soft, like Max has hit him with something and he doesn’t know whether to laugh or bleed.

“Fuck,” Daniel says quietly.

“You don’t have to,” Max says. “Of course you don’t. It is still your choice. The curse is my problem.”

“Max...”

“If you say no, I will go back to the bathroom.”

“And explode in the shower?”

“Maybe it is easier to clean.”

Daniel laughs, shocked and helpless. “Jesus Christ.”

Max’s hands shake. He puts them behind his back. Daniel sees that too, because Daniel sees everything when Max least wants him to.

“I want to,” Daniel says.

Max’s brain stops. “What?”

“I want to,” Daniel repeats. His grin wobbles, but it is there. “Not because of the explosion thing. I mean, obviously that’s compelling. Nobody wants Dutch confetti on the carpet. But because it’s you.”

Max cannot breathe. Daniel steps closer.

“Also,” Daniel says, voice dropping, “because the whole cursed boner thing is doing something to me.”

Max laughs once, sharp and startled.

Daniel smiles. “Yeah?”

“Yes,” Max says. “I—yes.”

“Can I touch you?”

Max nods.

“Words, mate.”

“Yes, Daniel.”

Daniel reaches out. His fingers touch Max’s wrist first, warm and careful. Just there. Just skin on skin. Max’s dick throbs so hard he feels stupid with it. Daniel’s eyes drop again, and this time Max lets him look. Daniel’s mouth parts.

“Oh,” Daniel says.

Max wants to cover himself. He also wants Daniel to never stop looking.

“It is the curse,” Max says, because apparently he is going to keep saying this until someone kills him.

Daniel’s smile goes crooked. “Yeah, Max. The curse is very impressive.”

“Shut up.”

“Can’t.”

Then Daniel kisses him.

Max doesn’t know who moves first. It doesn’t matter. Daniel’s mouth is on his mouth and Daniel’s hand is still on his wrist and the pressure in Max’s chest turns into something bright and molten. He grabs Daniel’s shirt. Too hard maybe. Daniel makes a sound and Max pulls back immediately.

“Sorry.”

“No,” Daniel says, and looks almost offended. “Do it again.”

Max does. Daniel laughs into the kiss, breathless, ridiculous, and Max bites his lower lip for it. Daniel says, “Fuck,” against his mouth, and Max feels it everywhere.

They move badly.

Max backs Daniel into the sofa, then Daniel says, “Bedroom, unless you want to ruin your very ugly rich-person couch,” and Max says, “It is not ugly,” and Daniel says, “Baby, it looks like a dentist waiting room for villains,” and Max kisses him again because Daniel cannot be allowed to continue.

The bedroom is Max’s bed and Daniel in front of it, pulling his shirt off and getting briefly stuck in the collar.

“Fuck,” Daniel says, muffled. “Textile attack.”

“You are bad at this.”

“I’m under pressure,” Daniel says, finally freeing himself. His hair sticks up. His chest is bare. He is smiling like an idiot. “Some of us are trying to save your life.”

Max’s mouth goes dry. Daniel’s smile fades under the look.

Max steps closer. He puts a hand on Daniel’s stomach, flat, feeling the muscle jump under his palm. “Still okay?” Max asks.

Daniel’s throat works. “Yeah.”

“For real?”

“For super real, Maxy.”

Max kisses him again. Lower this time. Daniel’s jaw, his neck, the place where his pulse beats fast and stupid. Daniel’s hands go to Max’s hair.

“Fuck,” Daniel says. “You’re intense.”

“Yes. Of course, Daniel.”

Daniel laughs. “No denial. Love that.”

Max gets Daniel’s jeans open with hands that do not quite work. Daniel helps. Daniel’s hands are shaking too, which makes something in Max calm down and get worse at the same time. When Max touches his dick, Daniel swears so loudly Max clamps a hand over his mouth.

“Quiet,” Max says.

Daniel’s eyes go huge. Max feels him twitch against his fingers.

“Oh,” Max says.

Daniel’s voice is muffled. “Don’t say oh like that.”

“You liked it.”

Daniel closes his eyes like he is suffering. “Unfortunately, yes.”

Max smiles. Daniel bites Max’s palm. “Fuck,” Max says, and pulls his hand away.

Daniel grins, wild and red-faced. “There he is.”

Max pushes him onto the bed. Daniel bounces once and laughs, but then Max climbs over him and the laughter thins into a breath. Daniel reaches for him, careful now, and Max lets himself be pulled down.

They kiss until Max forgets the curse for a minute. Then his body remembers. The pressure sharpens, a hot hook low in his belly. Max gasps and jerks against Daniel, helpless. Daniel’s hands tighten on his back.

“Bad?” Daniel asks.

“No.” Max presses his forehead to Daniel’s shoulder. “Need...you”

Daniel’s breath catches.

“Yeah,” he says. “Okay. Yeah, Max. I’ve got you.”

This should sound stupid. It should. Daniel says it with too much feeling, and Max is the one about to explode, and none of this makes sense. Instead it makes Max shake. Daniel feels it.

“Hey,” Daniel says. “Look at me.”

Max does. Daniel’s face is flushed, mouth swollen, eyes dark and scared and wanting and so fond Max nearly has to close his eyes again.

“I want this,” Daniel says. “You hear me?”

“Yes.”

“Not just the cursed emergency dick appointment.”

Max laughs before he can stop it. Daniel smiles, relieved. “There. Good. Great. Consent and comedy. We’re nailing this.”

“You are so stupid.”

“Yeah, and you want me so bad.”

Max says, “Yes,” because he is past lying.

Daniel’s smile slips.

“Shit,” he says.

Max kisses him before Daniel can look too breakable. They get properly naked and Daniel kicks one sock off and the other somehow stays on until Max notices and says, “Off,” very seriously, and Daniel laughs so hard Max has to kiss his stomach to shut him up.

Then Daniel says, “Top drawer?” and Max says, “Yes,” too quickly, and Daniel says, “Oh, prepared,” and Max says, “For myself, Daniel,” and Daniel says, “Sure, mate, love a man with lube.”

The first slick touch of Daniel’s fingers makes Max’s brain go white at the edges.

“Okay?” Daniel asks.

“Yes. Fuck. Yes.”

Daniel’s grin is a little shaky. “Look at you with the full sentences.”

“Daniel.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m helping.”

He is. He is careful, even when he jokes. Especially when he jokes. His fingers move slow and slick and Max has to bite his own wrist because the sound he makes is humiliating. Daniel watches him do it and then makes a sound of his own, broken and low.

“Jesus,” Daniel says. “Max.”

“What?”

“You’re—fuck.”

Max would like a better sentence. He does not get one because Daniel adds another finger and Max arches so hard his shoulder blades hurt. The curse pressure lifts a bit.

“Oh,” Max says. Daniel’s eyes go bright. “Yeah?”

“Yes.”

“Good?”

“Good,” Max says, except it comes out like a curse in a different way.

Daniel leans down and kisses him, filthy and soft at once. Max opens under him. For him. Maybe because of the curse. Maybe because Daniel says his name like it is something he wants to keep in his mouth.

“More,” Max says.

Daniel’s hand stills. “More?”

“Yes. Now.”

Daniel laughs, but it breaks halfway. “Bossy.”

Max pulls him down by the back of the neck. “Daniel.”

“Okay,” Daniel says, suddenly breathless. “Okay, baby.”

Max nearly comes from that alone. It is awkward at first. Of course it is. Daniel’s knee slips. Max says, “Not like that,” and Daniel says, “Sorry, my cursed-fuck technique is rusty,” and Max laughs and then gasps because Daniel pushes in a little and the whole world narrows to that.

Daniel freezes immediately.

“Max?”

Max grips his arms. “Don’t stop.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“For real?”

Max opens his eyes and glares. “Daniel, I will kill you.”

Daniel’s smile spreads, dazed and delighted. Then he moves. It hurts, at first. Just a stretch-burn, bright and close, like Max’s body is being told a truth it should have known already. Daniel goes slow, too slow, so careful Max wants to hit him.

“More,” Max says.

Daniel groans. “Fuck, Max.”

“More, please!”

Daniel gives him more. Max’s head drops back. His hands clutch at Daniel’s shoulders, his back, anywhere. He is making noises now and he cannot stop. He doesn’t know if the curse is doing this or Daniel is doing this or if there was ever a difference. The pressure in his chest changes.

It is not explosion now.

It is Daniel.

Daniel above him, eyes blown wide, mouth open. Daniel trying to make jokes and failing because Max clenches around him and Daniel’s whole face blanks out.

“Oh my fucking god,” Daniel says.

Max laughs, breathless and mean. “What?”

“You’re bad,” Daniel says, horrified. “You’re getting fucked by a curse and you’re smug.”

“You are easy.”

Daniel makes an offended noise and thrusts harder. Max’s laugh snaps into a moan. “There,” Daniel says, voice wrecked. “Yeah? That shut you up?”

Max cannot answer because Daniel hits something inside him that turns his bones to sparks. He grabs Daniel’s wrist and digs his nails in.

“Again,” Max says.

Daniel looks at him. Max knows what his own face must look like. Red, open, wrecked. He does not care. “Again,” he demands.

Daniel does it again. Max almost sobs. Daniel says, “Fuck, fuck, Max. There?”

“Yes. There. Don’t stop.”

The room goes hot and blurry. Max feels sweat at his temples, Daniel’s mouth on his neck, Daniel’s hand around his dick. Too much. Not enough. Perfect. Horrible. Max’s body is no longer an emergency warning light. It is a car at top speed, finally pointed straight, every part of him screaming toward the same place.

“Daniel,” Max says.

“I’ve got you,” Daniel says again, and maybe that is what does it.

Max comes so hard he loses time. For one second there is nothing. No curse. No number. No bathroom. No pressure. Just Daniel’s name punched out of his mouth and Daniel holding him through it, fucking him through it, swearing into his shoulder.

Then Daniel follows, hips stuttering, face pressed to Max’s neck. Max feels it. Feels him. Hot and close and impossible.

Daniel collapses on top of him, heavy and shaking. For a while there is only breathing. Max stares at the ceiling.

He is alive. This is good. Daniel lifts his head slowly. His hair is damp at the temples. His mouth is red. His eyes are very wide.

“No explosion?” Daniel asks.

Max checks. His chest is not tight. His skin is not buzzing. His dick is no longer possessed by dark number magic.

“No explosion,” he says.

Daniel’s smile blooms so bright it is stupid. “Hell yeah.”

Max laughs.

Daniel flops down beside him. “Daniel Ricciardo: curse breaker. Put it on a trophy.”

“You are very annoying.”

“You love it.”

Max turns his head. Daniel is already looking at him. Max says, because apparently the curse also removes whatever filter he has, “Yes.”

Daniel’s face changes.

Max looks at the ceiling again. “I mean. Yes.”

Daniel is quiet for one second. Then he says, “You really missed me?”

Max closes his eyes. He can lie. He could. The curse is gone. He is safe. He can be normal again, whatever amount of normal he had before Daniel came over and said yes and broke Max open in his own bed.

“Yes,” Max says.

Daniel exhales. Max opens his eyes when Daniel touches his chest. Two fingers, right over his heart.

“Yeah,” Daniel says. “Me too.”

Max turns toward him. Daniel’s smile is small. Nervous. Not a joke yet, though Max can see him reaching for one like a life raft.

“Like, embarrassing amounts,” Daniel says. “Like, if missing you was a crime, I’d be doing hard time. Orange jumpsuit. Little tin cup. Whole thing.”

Max smiles despite himself.

Daniel points at him. “There. Tiny smile. I knew it.”

“You are ruining it.”

“Nah.” Daniel shifts closer. His leg brushes Max’s. His sock is still on.

Max looks at it. “You still have one sock.”

“It survived the war.”

Max laughs into his shoulder. Daniel’s hand comes up to the back of Max’s head. After a while, Daniel says, softer, “You can have it.”

Max lifts his face. “What.”

“3.” Daniel’s throat works. “You can have it.”

“You already said.”

“Yeah, well. Now I’m saying it post-cursed-sex. Legally stronger.”

Max looks at him. Daniel looks back, trying so hard not to look scared that it makes Max ache.

“It is still yours,” Max says. Daniel blinks. “The number. Even if I have it. It is yours.”

Daniel’s eyes go shiny.

“Fuck,” he says.

Max waits.

“Sorry,” Daniel says. “I mean, like. Emotionally fuck. Not—well, also, obviously, but we just—” He covers his face. “Jesus. I need to be euthanised.”

Max pulls Daniel’s hands away.

“No,” he says. “I like you like this.”

Somewhere on the floor, his phone buzzes. They both look.

Daniel says, “Gabi.”

“No.”

“I have to tell him you lived.”

“No.”

Daniel is already reaching over the side of the bed. Max grabs his waist, but Daniel wriggles away, laughing, one sock waving in the air like a flag of surrender.

He answers the phone. “Gabriel, mate, great news. No Max explosion.”

Then Gabriel says, “I hate you both.”

Daniel beams. “Quick question. Seb. Was it weird?”