#lando... i feel you... | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

motorsportbarbie13 · 4 months ago

Text

Post It - Part 7 - LN4

when lando stumbles upon a random tiktok of a pretty american influencer, he can't stop himself from sliding into her DMs. what happens next is more than both of them ever bargained for.

|| - Part 1 || - Part 2 || - Part 3 || - Part 4 || - Part 5 || - Part 6 || Master List

warnings & notes: lil bit of smut at the end. swearing. As always, thanks to @lestapiastrisgirl for the external validation, even if she does forget about me sometimes. 😁 pairing: lando norris x influencer!reader word count: 4.6k words

The blistering Miami heat beat down on the paddock early Friday morning, the humidity hanging in the air thick and heavy. It clung to everything like a damp blanket, even this early. Outside the air-conditioned haven of McLaren’s hospitably, the sun was already blazing hot overhead and you were regretting your choice of spots for breakfast.

You and Lando sit at a small shaded table just outside the doors of building, half eaten breakfast of fruit and whatever else your boyfriend had chosen sits scattered between you. The air buzzes with the low hum of generators and the distant roar of engines being prepped for the first and only practice session of the weekend. Lando sits across from you, a mix of nervous energy and focused calm radiating off of him as he scrolls through his phone, occasionally glancing up at you as if he’s checking to make sure you’re still there. The moment you two had been reunited yesterday, it had felt like a giant weight lifted right off his shoulders. He’d slept so well last night, better than he had in what felt like weeks, with you tucked up against him, limbs tangled together and his arms curled securely around your middle.

He felt focused as he sat watching the replay of the weekend warmup show from his phone, prepped after a win in Saudi Arabia and confident from his maiden win here last year. You were just happy to have today off to a better start compared to yesterday, despite the fact that the heavy humidity was already making your skin prickle in protest.

Just as a comfortable silence settles over the table, punctuated by the clink of cutlery and the distant shout of an engineer, Hannah breezes over, a whirlwind of energy. You hadn’t seen her for a few weeks either, as she had needed to go home to California for a bit but with the race being state-side this weekend, she was able to make it.

“If it isn’t my two favorite love birds.” Hannah teases as she pulls out a chair before plopping down beside you. “I heard you guys caused quite the PR nightmare yesterday.”

You scoff, looking pointedly at Lando. “Hey now, that wasn’t my fault!”

Lando rolls his eyes, dismissing Hannah’s teasing with a wave of his hand. “It’s fine. I made it up to her last night, didn’t I baby?”

The smug look on his face has Hannah choking on her water and you reaching over to swat at his arm while you shout, “Lando Norris!”

Lando holds his hands up in a show of mock innocence, “What? You’re going to look at me and tell me that I’m wrong.”

Brows raised, you have to admit can’t really argue with him. As soon as he had gotten you back to the hotel room late last night, your clothes had been on the floor and had remained there until Lando’s alarm had gone off early this morning. He had pulled you to the edge so many times over the course of the night, in both his bed and this morning in the shower as you were getting ready for the day that you were still deliciously sore as you sat next to him in the paddock.

“Okay, that’s enough from you two.” Hannah says, nose wrinkled in distaste. “Come on,” She stands before turning to you, hands on her hips. “Can we go find Alexandra? Ferrari always has the best iced coffee, better than anything Red Bull has.”

You laugh, leaning over to press a kiss to Lando’s mouth. “Yeah, I need some extra caffeine this morning, don’t I Lan?”

“Enough!” Hannah groans.

“You’re both traitors.” Lando mutters as he watches you take a few steps away. “McLaren’s coffee is just fine.”

“Oh stop. You know that is total lie.” You say, hands on your hips. “Ferrari has the best food in the paddock.”

Lando captures your waist in his arms, pulling you closer. If he was going to suffer the backlash from the comms team after his little slip up yesterday, he was certainly going to enjoy his new found freedom in being able to paw at you openly in public. “Fine, but don’t forget I need a good luck kiss before quali this afternoon.” He says, bottom lip poking out in a over exaggerated pout.

Hannah rolls her eyes, “You can have her back for lunch, Lando. I told you we’d share custody of her, didn’t I?”

“Fine, but make sure she’s back in time so I don’t have to send out the authorities to look for her. I don’t want to have to take you to court for modified visitation.”

“Okay! That’s enough with the divorced parents analogy, thank you!” You grab Hannah’s arm before the two can bicker over you even more. “Let’s go find some decent coffee before you two start drawing up a custody agreement.”

You and Hannah navigate the bustling paddock, weaving your way though the throngs of team personnel, media, and VIP guests. The air is thick with the smell of fuel and the hum of voices, loud and excited in anticipation of this weekend’s races. It doesn’t take long before you’re standing in front of Ferrari’s hospitality, a hive of activity surrounded by a sea of scarlet and yellow. After a few moments you spot Charles LeClerc’s girlfriend Alexandra sitting by herself at an outdoor table.

“There she is.” Hannah says, nudging you with her elbow. “Lets go say hi.”

You’d met Alexandra back in Japan and had instantly clicked with the brunette. You had a lot in common and had instantly bonded over your shared love of art and her dog Leo. You and Hannah approach, exchanging quick hugs and cheek kisses before quickly catching up on the latest gossip, most of which seemed to center around you lately. After catching up in the latest goings on and getting some of the coveted iced coffee you were craving, Hannah suggests a walk to stretch your legs before the first practice session.

“Let’s see if we can find some shade.” Alex suggests, gesturing towards a less crowded area of the paddock. “I’m already melting, this humidity is so gross.”

As the three of you stroll along, the noise of the garages fading into a dull roar, you find yourselves walking down a less frequented path towards the back corner of the paddock. The air is still thick with heat, but a slight breeze offers you a small reprieve and you start to feel your body adjust to the heat.

Suddenly, Hannah stops in her tracks, mouth dropping open when she spots a familiar figure standing a few feet ahead of your group. You follow her line of sight and when you see who she’s starting at your stomach flips very unpleasantly.

Allegra.

“What the fuck is she doing here?” You hiss, heart hammering so hard against your ribcage, you’re surprised you don’t bruise something.

“You don’t think Lando…” Alexandra lets the sentence hang in the air but you’re shaking your head before her thought is even completed.

“No, he showed me the messages between him and her weeks ago. There was never anything going on.”

“Well don’t look now but she’s coming over here.” Hannah warns, sliding her sunglasses up into her hair so she can fully glare at the blonde walking towards you with a smug grin on her face.

You thought it would probably not be a good look if you punched her, but you considered it anyways. As she approached you felt a pang of insecurity rush through you just looking at her long blond hair, wondering how she kept it looking so perfect in the Miami humidity. She was thinner than you, perfectly tanned and was flashing you a blindingly white smile that reminded you of a shark circling it’s prey.

“Well well,” Her voice is light and airy, the perfect innocent tone that would lull anyone into a false sense of security. “If it isn’t my replacement.”

Beside you, Alex huffs and you can practically hear her roll her eyes.

“Replacement?” You tilt your head to the side, studying her as if she’s a strange creature that’s crossed your path. You’ve dealt with mean girls before and have this act down pretty good, even if you have to fake it with the way your heart rate has jumped sky high since you saw her. “Honey, there was nothing to replace. You and Lando were never anything other than a desperate attempt to drum up some positive PR for the both of you, nothing more.”

To your surprise, Allegra smirks like a cat with a mouse in its jaws. “Then why did he invite me to Saudi Arabia a few weeks ago?”

You blink, caught off guard at her question. You’d heard through the grapevine that she had been spotted skulking around the circuit and in the city but nothing had surfaced proving that she had been at the race. Had Lando invited her? Your previous confidence in his sincerity waned for just a brief moment as you thought back to yesterday and how you felt like something had been off. Had you trusted Lando too quickly?

And then Alex spoke up.

“That’s a bunch of bullshit and you know it, Allie.” Allegra’s eyes flare in anger at the nickname you knew she reserved for Lando alone. “I was at the race all weekend and I didn’t see you at all. Not a single hint of that cheap perfume you’re wearing, and let me tell you, I can smell that shit from a mile away.”

You blink in surprise at your friend. If there was one thing Alex was, it was quiet. Once you got her alone, she was downright chatty but out in the paddock with the public? She was quite reserved.

“Just because you didn’t see me doesn’t mean I wasn’t in his hotel room all weekend.”

Now it was your turn to laugh, the doubt that had been clutching at your heart for the last few moments dissipating as quickly as it had come. “I was on FaceTime with him pretty much any time he was in his room, Allie.”

“It’s Allegra.” She hisses.

“What are you even doing here?” Hannah asks, taking a sip of her coffee before flicking her gaze away from the blonde as if she was bored out of her mind. “Did you not see Lando’s interview with Crofty yesterday? Their posts right after?”

“I know a PR relationship when I see one.” She sniffs but you can tell you’ve unnerved her. Allegra hadn’t totally thought this through. Either that or she was just dumb enough to think that she could have the upper hand here still.

“Of course you do!” You laugh, swirling the ice around in your coffee. “You spent the last year pretending to date someone who barely tolerated you.”

As Allegra sputters, searching for a response, your phone begins to ring. “Hi baby.” You say, glaring directly at woman opposite you who has turned bright red in the last few moments. “Yeah, of course, we’ll be right there. We’re just finishing up with a fan. Of course I’ll say hi for you. See you soon!”

You swear you see steam coming out of Allegra’s ears as you glance over at Hannah and Alex next to you. “Lando got out of his engineering meeting early and apparently feels the need for a pre-practice kiss.” You turn back to Allegra, smirk on your face. “Athletes and their superstitions, am I right?”

Before Allegra has a chance to respond, you spin on your heel and walk away, leaving her standing in a deserted part of the paddock alone.

When you’re out of earshot of her, Hannah speaks up, her voice wary. “Should we tell Lando she’s here? Maybe McLaren PR? I don’t think that’s going to be the last time we hear from her this weekend.”

You shake your head, “Not right now. Lando doesn’t need any distractions. He was pretty anxious this morning about the sprint and I don’t want anything to take his focus away from that. I’ll tell him tonight.”

The darkened hotel room was a stark contrast to the frantic energy of the Miami paddock that you had spent your day in. The air conditioning hummed softly, a cool, artificial breeze that did little to dissipate the residual heat that was clinging tightly to your skin. Outside, the city throbbed with the sounds of Miami on a Friday night. It felt as though everyone was out enjoying everything that the city had to offer, but in the hotel room that you shared with Lando? The suffocating silence that hung in the air was almost too much to handle.

Sprint qualifying had been a complete disaster, a series of unfortunate events that included a deleted push lap in SQ3 and getting stuck in dirty air behind George on his second attempt. The difficulties had resulted in a disappointing P7 start for tomorrow, further advancing Lando’s distaste for sprint weekends. He’d carried that frustration back to the hotel, the tension radiating off of him in palpable waves as he laid on the bed in just his boxers. Even with you wrapped around him, his normal playful demeanor was replaced by a dark, brooding intensity.

You weren’t feeling much better though, to be honest. Seeing Allegra earlier in the day had really spooked you. Lando hadn’t made any indication that he knew she was here this weekend and you still fully believed that he hadn’t invited her to the Saudi race but there was something so unsettling about her presence here. Like she had expected to be welcomed back into Lando’s orbit with open arms. Like you didn’t even exist to her. It felt disrespectful and unnerving to have her in town, even if you felt secure in your relationship with your boyfriend.

The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable, broken only by the soft rusty of the sheets as you tracked idle patterns on Lando’s skin with your fingertips. Your boyfriend’s love language was touch and even if he was silent and broody now, you knew that having you here, legs tangled with his, fingers running up and down his tanned skin, was good for his mood. The warmth radiating off of his body felt charged though, almost volatile and you knew Lando was busy battling his own demons, replaying the day’s events over and over in his head, trying to figure out where he went wrong and how he could blame himself even further.

You also knew you had to tell him about what happened earlier. If he found out from anyone other than you, it would be a disaster. The unspoken tension in the room was becoming unbearable but you knew you needed to tell him, no matter how bad his reaction was.

Finally, you decide to break the silence.

“I need to tell you something and I don’t think you’re going to take it very well.” You murmur, shifting so you’re on your side, propped up by your elbow.

Lando turns to you then, eyes dark and stormy. This was shit timing and you both knew it but you had to get it out in the open. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

The thought of another shitty thing happening today nearly sends Lando into a tailspin. The way you were talking had him thinking worst case scenario. With the way this weekend was going, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what it was you had to tell him.

“Allegra is here.” You say, the words hanging in the air like a fragile confession, the weight of them settling between you two.

Lando’s body stiffens ever so slightly but you notice it immediately, the sudden surge of tension rolling through his body telling you everything you need to know. He turns his head to meet your gaze and you’re struck by how dark and guarded his eyes are. Your normally goofy, playful boyfriend is nowhere to be seen. Unable to resist, you lift your hand to card your fingers through his still shower-damp curls, a move you know calms him and soothes out the rough edges of his anxiety.

“What? How do you know?” He asks, his voice so low you almost miss the question.

“When Hannah and I went to Ferrari this afternoon we ran into her in the paddock.”

“Babe, why didn’t you tell me earlier?” He asks, frustration sneaking its way into his voice.

Biting your lip, you second guess your decision to keep this from him until now. Knowing how shit qualifying had been though, it only takes a moment before you’re firm in your belief that you did the right thing. “I didn’t want you to be distracted. I know how are when you get inside your head and I didn’t want her to ruin this weekend for you.”

Which is exactly what was happening.

Lando turns away from you then, limbs untangling from yours. Your skin is instantly chilled after losing his body heat and you have to restrain yourself from moving to follow him across the bed. Lando may be a pretty physical person but you knew how to read his body language well enough to know exactly what he was feeling. Everything that he was communicating to you with the way his shoulders were set, his jaw tight, eyes unfocused on the dark ceiling above him told you that he needed space.

“Fuck.” He whispers, scrubbing his hands over his face, the slight stubble starting to make its way back on his face after not shaving this morning.

“Don’t be mad at me.” You plead, unable to keep the anxiety out of your tone.

Lando rolls back over towards you, eyes soft with regret. “I’m not mad.” He assures you, reaching out to pull you closer to him. You practically sigh in relief when he slots his thigh between your legs, hitching your top leg over his hip. He drags a finger down your jaw as he pastes a smile on his face, one that you know is for your benefit only. You can still see the pain and regret in his eyes as he holds your gaze and you know he’s thinking about how Allegra nearly ruined everything that he had with you.

“I’m not mad at you.” He repeats himself, more for your benefit than his own. “I know why you did it and I appreciate it. I’m just so fucking frustrated that she’s here. It’s just another reminder of…everything that I’d rather put solidly in the past.” He pulls you closer, nose nuzzling into the crook of your neck where he mouths at the skin there. “I don’t like thinking about how close I was to losing you.”

Dragging a single finger up and down the toned line of his bicep, you can’t help the smile that finds its way onto your lips when Lando visible shudders at your touch. “But you didn’t in the end and that’s what matters the most, isn’t it?” You murmur, lips finding his in the dim room. Pressing your hips into his, you try to remind him that you’re real, you’re here and you’re not going anywhere. You couldn’t bare to lose him any more than Lando could bare to lose you.

“It’s just such a mess. A mess I know you don’t want to be brought into. You’ve worked so hard for the reputation you have and here I come, threatening everything you’ve built because I allowed myself to get talked into a fake relationship with a woman I can’t stand.”

You pull back to Lando’s forced to look at you fully. The anguish you see on his face sends a sharp shock of pain cutting across your chest so brightly it steals the breath from your lungs. “I want you to listen to me, okay?” You wait, staring pointedly at Lando until he nods his head in agreement. “She can come and try to ruin what I’ve built, what we’ve built together these last few months but she’s not going to succeed. You have proof of what she was to you and that was nothing more than a PR thing. Sure, it might be embarrassing for that shit to get made public but we’ll get through it.” You pause to lean forward, pressing your lips to his. “Together.” You murmur against Lando’s mouth.

Lando pulls you closer to him, deepening the kiss but its you that runs your tongue along the seam of his mouth, a silent ask for him to open for you, which he does immediately. The warmth that floods your blood has you rolling your hips into his, desperate for more friction. You know Lando is in a mood and you’d do anything to smooth out the rough edges of his troubled mind.

“Please don’t give her one more thought tonight, okay? We’ll figure this out but right now, I want to make sure you feel better. Can I do that? Can I make you feel good?” You murmur against his heated skin as you drag your mouth away from his lips, down his jaw, towards the thick column of his neck.

You take the moan that rumbles through Lando’s chest as permission to do exactly what you’ve just asked. Usually it’s him taking charge when you two are together like this but tonight there’s something different crackling in the air. You can tell he needs to be taken care of, the combined stress of a tough day and then Allegra’s appearance in the paddock is weight heavy on his shoulders. With a gentle push of his shoulders, you roll your boyfriend onto his back before dragging a heated line down his neck towards the hollow of his throat.

Lando tangles his fingers in your hair, gently guiding you further down his body. You work slowly, teasing and nipping your way down his chest, stopping briefly to flick your tongue across one nipple. When he gasps at the way your teeth graze the sensitive skin there, you can’t help the grin that finds its way onto your face.

“Fuck, baby.” Lando breathes as you continue to move your mouth further down his body. The way you feel against his heated skin has the tension melting out of his muscles so quickly he barely has time to wrap his mind around how quickly the energy shifted between you. The way you always wanted to make sure he was taken care of, that he was okay, was something he’d never experienced before and he was certain that he’d do anything to make sure you never doubted his feelings for you ever again.

You reached the waistband of his boxers, the soft fabric a stark contrast to the heat radiating from his skin. With a slow, deliberate movement, you pushed them down, revealing how hard Lando already was for you. His breath hitched, a low groan escaping his lips as he lifted his hips slightly, a silent plea for you take him in the way he desperately needed you to.

Your hands graze the thick corded muscles of his thighs as you finally take him in your mouth, the taste of him, salty and musky and familiar to you now, filling your senses. You moved slowly at first, teasing the sensitive tip with your tongue, eliciting a series of soft moans from deep within his chest. You ran your tongue up along the underside of his length, tracing the vein that runs up the underside of his cock.

“God, that mouth.” Lando moans as he gathers your hair together in a makeshift ponytail to give him something tug on. He knows how much you like that, when he guides you to the places that give him the most pleasure with a rough tug of your hair. It has you squeezing your thighs together, which you barely ignore, wanting to remain solely focused on Lando and his pleasure tonight.

You begin to move with more urgency, your hand gripping at his thigh, eyes flicking up to look at him through wet lashes. Lando’s moans grow louder, his free hand reaching down to twine his fingers with your hand, giving it a squeeze to let you know how much he’s enjoying this. He’s lost in the sensation of being surrounded by your wet, warm mouth, the tension that had gripped him all day finally melting away. The way you took all of him without hesitation, whimpering when his hips force his dick deeper towards the back of your throat grounds him, reminding him that he’s got someone to share the good and the bad now, that he’s not alone and you’re in this thing together.

The way he reacts to the way you take him has heat pulsing between your legs. Unable to keep your fingers to yourself anymore, you let go of Lando’s hand before trailing your fingers down between your legs. It’s not enough to really distract you, but the pressure from your fingers against your clit is enough to dull the aching need that you know you’re going to need to deal with later.

Lando bucks his hips against your mouth, his moans turning to ragged gasps as you take him even deeper. The way you swallow against him has a desperate whine spilling from his lips in a way that sends zaps of electricity straight to where your fingers are currently working over your wet pussy. He was so close, you could feel it in the way his thighs were tensing beneath the hand that gripped at his taut flesh.

“Gonna swallow all my cum baby? I’m so fucking close. I want you to swallow every drop of me, can you do that for me?”

You’re too preoccupied to give him a proper answer, not wanting to let go of the heavy length of him that sits so solidly in your mouth so you just nod, hoping that its enough for him. It’s so grounding, so erotic the way you feel him twitching away in your mouth that you’re pretty sure you could spent the rest of the night with him in your mouth like this.

And then he’s there, right on the edge of release and you’re flicking your tongue against the sensitive head of his cock and with one last guttural moan, Lando spills into your mouth. The warm, salty cum slides down your throat as you hold him steady, allowing him to fuck up into your mouth as he crests over the waves of pleasure that you brought him to.

Lando’s eyes, still glazed over with pleasure, find yours as he reaches out to trace the curve of your cheek, his touch gentle, almost reverent. “Holy fuck, baby. Thank you” He croaks out, voice raspy as the exhaustion of the day settles over him. He’s soft and pliant like this and you continue to hold him in your mouth, waiting until he’s fully come down to release him with a soft pop.

He pulls you up his body, his lips finally finding yours in a slow, tender kiss that says more than he could ever find the words. His mouth works yours over, the taste of his own release still on your lips. “You’re too good to me.” He murmurs against your lips as he tucks you against his side. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll repay the favor, okay?”

You hum, eyes drifting shut as the warmth of Lando’s body sinks deeper into your muscles. “It’s okay, this is enough for me right now. Go to sleep for a bit and we can take a shower later tonight, okay?”

“What did I do to deserve you?” Lando wonders before his eyes flutter shut and he allows a deliciously satisfying sleep to pull him under.

tag list: @shelbyteller, @martygraciesversion381, @samantha-chicago, @stelena-klayley @dark-night-sky-99 @luckylampzonkland, @aykxz98 @forensicheart @cheer-bear-go-vroom @lieutenantchaos @willowsnook @linnygirl09 @meglouise00 @mixedstyles @secret-agents-stole-my-bunnies @mrosales16 @charlesgirl16 @leclercdream @daemyratwst @dramaticpiratellamas @mochimommy2002 @llando4norris @iamaunknownsecret @maxivstappen @imlonelydontsendhelp @nina-or-anna-or-nora @a1leexxa @littlegrapejuice @sunflowervol18 @freyathehuntress @finn-dot-com @swiftie-4-lifes-stuff @chirasama @lauralarsen @dr3wstarkey @saskiaalonso @rbv3rstappen @ilovechickenwings @guaaafiiburg @mcmuppet @mindless-rock @piastri-fvx @mel164 @schumi-angel @myescapefromthislife @supertrashbread @sunny44 @tinystudentblaze-stuff @sarx164 @xoxomansee

388 notes · View notes

blairdii · 3 months ago

Text

"bring cunty f1 back!!!" they wail, but can't even tolerate lando standing... up... for... himself... alright💀

#no it wasn't disrespectful. he handled it way better than i did coz i would've cussed her out lol #no he shouldn't reacted differently. how would you feel if someone was so clearly aggravating you for a couple of journalism brownie points #lando was snappy because he deserved to be. that journalist was unprofessional and you're coming for him instead?#surrounded by too many inept people i can't even.#lando norris #ln4

374 notes · View notes

saffusthings · 5 months ago

Text

second chances

mob boss! lando norris x reader

part eight: midnight meets

word count: 2.9k (i'm so sorry)

warnings: vague mentions of blood and knives

seven | eight | nine

The air was thick with the sharp tang of whiskey and the faint sting of antiseptic. Lando slouched in his chair, his knuckles paling as he pulled the cotton bandage tighter around his ribs, teeth gritted against the dull throb of pain. The cut wasn’t deep, but it burned like hell—just another reminder of how quickly things could turn sideways in this world.

Tonight was a disaster.

Noxium’s breakthrough in the drug market had sent shockwaves throughout the city. The Reaper’s Circle had monopolized the most potent product in circulation, one that rivaled anything the Leclercs or any other syndicate had their hands on. It should’ve been a victory, something to celebrate.

Instead, it made things worse.

The pressure had doubled overnight, with competition growing sharper and their threats more calculated. Enemies were watching, waiting.

Then there had been tonight.

He wasn’t supposed to get hit. It was sloppy. He had been sloppy. And now, the consequences settled in his gut, heavy and inescapable.

The blood on his hands—his own blood this time—was proof of how close things had come. How messy things were becoming. The bottle of whiskey sat half-empty on the table beside him. He’d already numbed the worst of it, but the bitter warmth wasn’t doing enough to quiet the chaos in his head. He kept drinking anyway.

One more sip. Just a little more.

Slowly the room blurred at the edges, his grip on reality slipping slightly as the bottle was emptied of its contents, just enough to feel that familiar pull of recklessness creep in.

Fuck this.

Lando stood abruptly, wincing, the room swaying ever so slightly as he grabbed his signature coat. He needed air – to clear his head, to sober up. The walls of this castle were suffocating him, and the scent of blood and whiskey only made it harder to breathe.

The streets were quieter at this hour, the city breathing in its own way—hushed murmurs of distant cars, the occasional flicker of neon signs reflected on the rain-slick pavement. Lando didn’t have a destination in mind, just the need to go.

And yet, somehow his feet carried him to her doorstep.

Books & Brews.

He stared at the sign for a long moment, jaw clenched. He wasn’t sure why he was here. Was it the coffee? The quiet? Not that it mattered, of course.

The bell above the door of Brews & Books chimed softly as he pushed it open, the scent of coffee and old paper replacing the spice of whiskey in his lungs. The place was nearly empty, save for a few scattered chairs still tucked against tables, a stray regular, and the lone figure behind the counter.

Y/N.

Lando barely realized he was still standing there until she turned around, blinking at him in surprise.

“Liam?”

He hated that name.

Lando forced himself to move further inside, hands stuffed into the pockets of his coat– a part of the signature that earned him the moniker of the Reaper. “Hey,” he greeted, the word coming out rougher than he intended.

She glanced at the clock on the wall behind her. “Just a heads up, we’re closing up soon,” she informed him, jutting her chin in the direction of the last regular – a kind guy named Alex, an engineering student only a little older than her. He’d often come round with his homework, and other times just for the conversation with a warm blueberry muffin. Tonight, he’d opted to stop by for a single cup of tea before the shop closed for the night.

Lando nodded in acknowledgement, running a hand through his half-damp hair. He shouldn’t be here. He had no reason to be here. In fact, he had half a mind to turn right back around and let his whiskey keep him company for the rest of the night.

But his mouth worked faster than his mind.

“Just needed a coffee,” he told her.

That’s what you tell yourself.

Y/N gave him a long look, assessing him from head to toe. “Yeah, I could do that. You’re lucky. I haven’t cleaned out the espresso machine yet, so… one last cup it is.”

She moved around the counter, pulling out fresh beans and setting up the machine. Her movements were rhythmic, the faint hum of the grinder filling the air. “Long night?” she asked, her voice light, her gaze focused on pulling the espresso shot.

Lando smirked dryly. “Somethin’ like that.”

Y/N didn’t press. She just nodded and kept working, as if the answer had been sufficient. That was something he liked about her – she didn’t pry. She didn’t demand anything from him.

The coffee machine hissed, filling the silence.

Lando shifted, wincing slightly as his coat brushed against his injured side. He could still feel the warm trickle of blood beneath his bandages.

Y/N caught the way his jaw tightened out of the corner of her eye.

“You okay?” she asked, voice softer now.

Lando looked up, eyes locking with hers. He should lie. He lied all the time.

Instead, he just shrugged. “Been worse.”

Y/N watched him for a moment, then went back to assembling his drink.

“Spiced black coffee. That’s what you had last time, right?”

Lando raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “You remember?”

She laughed, leaning against the counter. “You’re not exactly forgettable.”

What was he supposed to say to that? He found himself watching her again, the way she moved, the way she hummed under her breath, the way she didn’t seem afraid of him—even though maybe she should be.

Maybe she would be one day.

But for now, she just poured him coffee, let him exist in this quiet little shop, and didn’t ask too many questions.

Maybe that’s why he came back.

As the scent of coffee filled the air, Lando allowed himself to lean against the counter a little more. For a fleeting second, he wondered what the hell he was doing here.

But when Y/N slid the ceramic mug in front of him, offering him the smallest, most unassuming smile, Lando figured he could afford to stay just for a little while. She didn’t rush him. If anything, she seemed to be taking her time—lingering, the same way he was.

What was he supposed to do with that? People either feared him or wanted something from him. That was how the world worked. But this girl who had stumbled into his life by pure accident was just… here.

It was weird. This was weird. She was weird.

He exhaled, breaking the comfortable quiet. “You’re here late.”

Y/N glanced at him over her shoulder. “I mean, so are you.”

Lando smirked, amused by the easy way she shot the question back at him. “Touché.”

He nodded toward the book she had been sorting earlier. “What’s with all the late-night reorganizing?”

She gave a sheepish smile, rearranging the last of the used books onto the shelf. “I got distracted reading during my shift again. Happens sometimes.”

Lando raised an eyebrow. “You got distracted… readin’?”

Well, that’s stupid.

Y/N laughed, the sound soft and unguarded. “What, you don’t?”

“Not exactly my thing.”

“That’s a shame.” Oddly enough, she seemed sincere in saying that, like it was a real loss. She then tiptoed, reaching to slip the last of the historical-fiction books onto the topmost wooden shelf. “Books are one of the few things in life that can make you forget everything else for a while.”

Lando hummed, encircling the coffee cup between his palms.

Funny.

He had a much different method of achieving that.

Half an hour passed as Lando nursed his coffee, the remaining warmth of the mug seeping into his calloused hands. The coffee here tasted different. Warmer, maybe? Smoother? He’d had some expensive Italian roasts before, but the one before him could give any of them a run for their money.

Eh, he’d probably figure it out eventually.

Even as an hour ticked by, Y/N still didn’t rush him.

She moved through the shop quietly – wiping down tables, organizing books, tucking away the last of the pastries from their display case. She could’ve hurried, could’ve nudged him toward the door with a polite smile and a cheerful thanks for stopping by, but she didn’t.

He appreciated it. Silently, of course.

He watched as she reached up to rehome a book on one of the higher shelves, standing on her toes to nudge it into place. The hem of her sweater shifted slightly, revealing a sliver of skin at her waist before she settled back onto her heels. It was small, insignificant. And yet, for some reason, he found himself looking away.

“So,” Lando finally broke the silence, his voice low but steady he stared at the coffee lines in his mug. “Why are you here so late?”

Y/N turned, hands dusted with the faintest trace of powdered sugar from the pastries. She blinked at him, then huffed a quiet laugh. “I, uh, work here…?”

Lando chuckled at that. “Yeah, I figured. But this late? Shouldn’t you be home by now?”

She shrugged. “Closing shifts run long sometimes. It happens.”

Lando arched a brow. “You don’t mind staying here past, like, fuckin’ midnight?” he asked incredulously.

He found that hard to believe. "D’you always work this late?"

Y/N glanced at him over her shoulder. “Most nights, I guess.”

"Doesn’t seem safe," Lando mused. “Bein’ here alone.”

“It’s peaceful,” she admitted with a shrug, walking back around and leaning against the counter across from him. “I kinda like having the place to myself for a bit. It’s like… I don’t know. Calming?”

"Alone?"

Y/N smiled faintly, almost embarrassed. “I like the quiet.”

Lando studied her for a moment. He didn’t understand her. She was a walking contradiction—reserved but warm, awkward but self-assured.

Intriguing.

“You don’t seem the type,” he murmured, tilting his head. Bringing the cup to his lips, he took another sip.

Y/N raised a brow. “The type?”

“To be comfortable alone, I mean.”

She considered that for a moment before offering him a small, knowing smile. “I think people misunderstand what it means to be alone.”

Lando leaned back slightly, interested despite himself. “S’that so? Alright, let’s hear it then.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, sheepish, but played along anyway. “Being alone isn’t the same as being lonely,” she said. “Loneliness is… a void. Being alone is just… existing in your own space? Like with your own thoughts. And I dunno– I like that.”

It took a moment for that to sink in. He didn’t know what to say to that, because it made too much sense.

Because he was alone all the time, and he wasn’t sure which one he was anymore.

Lando studied her for a moment, then surveyed the shop around them. He supposed he could see it—the dim lighting, the scent of teabags and specialty syrups lingering in the air, the quiet hum of the world outside present but not intruding.

It felt a world away from his reality. No gunmetal, no blood, no power plays. A little bubble, away from everything else.

“Huh,” he mused. “Guess I can see the appeal.”

She smiled at that, soft and fleeting. “What about you?” she asked. “Why are you out so late?”

Lando hesitated, his grip on the mug tightening ever so slightly. The truth wasn’t exactly something he could offer, given his line of work. But she didn’t ask it like an interrogation. There was no suspicion or underlying edge to her voice. So, for the first time in a long time, he answered honestly—if only in part.

Half truths count, right?

“Couldn’t sleep,” he shrugged casually, gaze dropping to his drink.

Y/N nodded as if she understood. “So you drink coffee?”

Lando smirked, glancing back up at her. “Genius, innit?”

She laughed then, light and genuine, and the sound did something strange to his chest.

Somewhere along the way, the last regular slipped out the door with a soft goodnight, leaving the shop empty except for the two of them. Neither of them acknowledged it, wrapped up in the steady rhythm of back-and-forth conversation

They weaved in and out of topics, talking about everything — coffee orders, late-night habits, why certain books never seemed to sell no matter how good they were, how rain sounds different in the city than it does in the countryside.

It was… nice. Surprisingly bearable, in fact.

That was a problem. Lando wasn’t the kind of man who had nice things. He took what he wanted, controlled what he needed, and discarded whatever didn’t serve him.

The thought irked him more than he liked.

Eventually, Y/N glanced at the clock and gave him a sympathetic smile. “I should probably close up.”

Lando leaned back slightly and stretched, as if only now realizing how much time had passed. He frowned, something between reluctance and indifference. “Sorry ‘bout that, didn’ mean to keep you.”

She shook her head, brushing the concern away with a small wave of her hand. “Margot won’t mind, as long as I remember to lock up.”

“Margot?”

“Oh, the owner!” There was a fondness in her voice. “She’s been running this place for years now, took me in when I first moved. Gave me this job, helped me settle in. She’s… kind.”

Kind.

Lando didn’t know many people who fit that description, and those who did rarely lasted long.

There was something warm in the way she spoke about the older woman, something fond. Lando found himself watching her, caught on the edges of that softness.

It was a foreign thing, hearing someone talk about care and kindness so freely. He couldn’t remember the last time he had. For a brief moment, he wondered what it would be like—to be spoken about with that kind of familiarity, that kind of trust.

But the thought was dangerous, so he let it go.

“Your, erm, boss– she won’t mind that you’re closing up late?”

Y/N shook her head. “Not as long as I lock up. And besides…” She hesitated, tilting her head slightly, seeming a bit shy, moving to wipe down the last of the counter. “You looked like you could use the company.”

Somehow, the night stretched longer than he anticipated.

The last regular left an hour ago, and the door sign had long been flipped to closed. The streetlights outside hummed faintly in the darkness, yet there was no real rush to leave.

Eventually the clock displayed a time long past that of any reasonable hour and Y/N collected her things before locking up, making sure to switch the lights off before turning the key in the lock and pocketing it. At the same time, Lando pulled his coat back on, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Guess I’ll see you around, then.”

She smiled at him, small but sincere. “Oh, yeah! It was nice seeing you. Night, Liam.”

He acknowledged her with a nod before turning away, stepping out into the biting night air.

He felt lighter than when he came in. Strange.

Must be the coffee.

Lando didn’t hesitate.

The moment he stepped onto the cold marble tiles of his residence, shedding the warmth of the evening for the cold, sharp edges of his real world, he got to work.

He leaned back against his desk, his jaw tight and phone in hand as he scrolled through his contacts. He’d ended up at Brews & Books three times now—perhaps three times too many. If anyone wanted to get to him, if anyone had been watching, it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out the location.

So securing the place was the logical thing to do — smart, efficient.

It had nothing to do with the girl locking up the shop at ungodly hours, walking home half-asleep and vulnerable in the bad part of town. Nothing at all.

His thumb hovered over a name in his contacts list before pressing down.

The call picked up on the second ring.

“Spin,” Lando greeted smoothly.

A low chuckle came through the receiver. "That’s Mr. Spin to you, boss."

Lando rolled his eyes. Kids.

“How’s your knife collection?”

“Thriving, thanks for asking. What do you need?"

“I’ve got something for you.”

A pause.

“Is that so? Personal or business?”

Lando ignored the question. “There’s a shop. Small place, nothing special, but I want it covered.”

“Brews & Books,” Logan Sargeant stated, deadpan. Logan “Spin” Sergeant – a pain in the ass, but a useful one. He was the kind who could talk his way out of trouble just as quickly as he could throw himself into it. A ghost when it suited him, a menace when it didn’t. He handled surveillance, odd jobs, and—most notably—knives. Lando had seen him twirl a blade like a magician with a deck of cards, all casual skill and reckless delight.

Lando stilled, his grip on the phone tightening. “What?”

“Mate, you think I don’t notice when you do something out of character? You don’t just stumble into coffee shops in your free time. You don’t even really drink coffee. You hate it.”

Lando exhaled through his nose. “It’s a security risk.”

Logan hummed, clearly amused. “For you, or for her?” he asked teasingly.

Lando ignored the question. Again. “I want eyes on it, especially at night. Anyone so much as looks wrong in that direction, I wanna know about it.”

"Right, right,” Logan drawled. “And do you want her knowing she’s got a knife-wielding psychopath looking after her, or am I supposed to be subtle?"

Lando ran a hand down his face, exasperated. "Just– Don’t be a psychopath, and don’t get caught."

“Come on, boss. You’re killin’ my vibe here.”

"Just handle it."

Logan chuckled. “Already on it.”

The line went dead, and Lando lowered the phone, staring blankly at the floor for a moment.

It was a simple security measure. A precaution.

Nothing more.

a/n: pls pls tell me what you think! feedback motivates me to write more and also helps me feel less cuckoo for cocoa puffs about my own writing

#formula 1 fic #formula 1 #saffu's works #lando #lando norris #lando norris fanfiction #lando norris imagine #lando norris x reader #lando x reader #lando x you #mob boss! lando x reader #mob boss!lando norris x reader #mob boss au #im sorry this is so long #ive read this so much idk how i feel about it anymore #another ineteraction chapter yippee!#second chances #part eight #chapter eight

284 notes · View notes

aphelionatseven · 3 months ago

Text

— DOES IT FEEL ALRIGHT TO NOT KNOW ME? I'M ADDICTED TO THE "IF ONLY"…

i look in people's windows , taylor swift + @1425fivefive 's afterburn

lando + the fireproofs i sketched up + the iconic original photo. color inspo for this piece

#ohhh ojp you would loove ttpd #ahh yeah ! so obsessed w this fic #not superrr happy w the coloring bc i feel like i copied a bit too much ahh #idk . its v late but wanted to get this up today #the gallery #lando norris #oscar piastri #landoscar #f1 #f1 fanart #plze go read the best 481 fic to grace my eyes if u havent already!!!

330 notes · View notes

bastardcatthings · 3 months ago

Text

Shaking Jenson so hard all his buttons rattle inside him: "JUST BECOME LANDO'S MANAGER"

#Another Brit McLaren driver who was stuck with a shit car for a long time then BOOM got a rocket ship #Pls I'm begging you why is this not a thing yet?#Jenson is fond of lando and he's an ACTUAL wdc #JENSON WE CAN BE WORLD CHAMPION (again) I SAID #WEEEE COULD BE CHAMPIONSSS MY FRIENDSSS #I just really feel like lando could use someone else's experiences the same way his teammate is #i think that would be an invaluable resource and asset #he's also still involved in f1 so it's not like he has to come out of deep retirement #but speaking of deep retirement #COME BACK SEB #NO CMON I'LL BE SO FUNNY #NOT ONLY WOULD YOU HAVE DESTROYED MARK AS DIRECT TEAMMATES #YOU'LL GET TO DESTROY HIM VIA PROXY TOO #NO REST FOR THE WICKED CMON BABY I KNOW YOU WANNA #JUST CALL ONTO THE SPIRIT OF YOUR 2013 MULTI 21 SELF AND FUCK UP THAT MAN AGAIN IK YOU CAN #f1 #formula 1 #lando norris #ln4 #mclaren #jenson button #jb22

173 notes · View notes

pastryfication · 8 months ago

Note

can you do something with lando or oscar where the reader does really bad on a test or exam that they studied a lot for and so he comforts them? i'm pretty sure i just failed my chem exam 😭

i choose lando bc it’s been awhile since i’ve written for him! hope you liked this, it was a bit quick but i wanted to post it for you asap 💗

hours upon hours of studying had let to this moment. sleepless nights and numerous crying sessions culminated in this. this test had been all you had thought of—it felt as though every aspect of your life had been about this moment in the last time.

you really needed to do well on this test, it was so so important to you. so when the result came back and you had failed, it felt as if your whole world crumbled.

you were supposed to pass. you were supposed to be smart. you had studied so relentlessly, so why wasn’t it enough?

when you came home to your apartment, you wanted nothing more than to go to bed and never get up. just stay there, in the warm comfort of your duvet forever.

but as you opened the door, something even better awaited you.

your boyfriend stood there in all his glory, an exited smile on his face. “welcome home, love!” lando sounded so joyful that you wanted to cry. you had failed him. he was going to be so disappointed that you didn’t pass after he spent so much time helping you study. the thought was almost unbearable for you, and you could feel your bottom lip start to tremble.

“i failed, lan.” your voice came out wobbly, the sadness more than evident. “i failed the test.”

his smile immediately turned into a frown, and in two strides he was by your side, enveloping you in a hug.

“oh, babe.” he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of your head, cradling you close to his chest.

his voice, tinged with so much empathy, was enough to open the floodgates, and before you knew it, you were bawling into his chest, all the emotions you had tried so hard to conceal on the way home coming rushing out.

“i don’t get it,” you hiccuped into his chest. “i studied so hard. i tried my absolute best…” your grip on his hoodie tightened and his arms around your back pulled you even closer in response. “i gave it my all and it still wasn’t enough.”

his heart broke at the defeat in your voice and it took him a moment to gather himself. he didn’t know what to say. didn’t know how to comfort you, so he just held on tight, kissing your head repeatedly and murmuring soft “i love you”’s into your hair.

“baby,” after a while of just standing there, he finally spoke up. “it’s- it’s okay to fail.” he pulled back, taking your cheeks in his warms hands to look you in the eye. “it didn’t go as you hoped, yeah, but the important thing is that you’ve tried. you gave it everything you had and that’s so incredible. you’re so incredible. you always give 110 percent, even when you don’t get it in return, and i’m so proud of you for that. for- for not giving up. it may feel hopeless right now, but it’ll get better. i promise. you’ll do better on the next one—or maybe you won’t, and that’s okay too.”

he ended his speech with a warm kiss to your lips, and you didn’t know wether to laugh or cry again. the way he cradled your face with such adoration, the way he stumbled over his words, desperate to say exactly what you needed to hear, it was just too much.

he was so perfect. the best boyfriend you could have asked for in that moment.

287 notes · View notes

revolutionsingingintherainnn · 3 months ago

Text

literally shut the fuck up.

#lando norris #ln4 #fucking hate that account bro #idk about you #but to me #it feels like they’re implying that lando’s too stupid for a quiz #i know that he jokes about the fact that he didn’t finish school #but that doesn’t mean that he’s stupid #he’s incredibly smart about things #just because he doesn’t fucking know about the goddamn pacific ocean #it doesn’t mean he’s stupid

111 notes · View notes

fairylando · 8 months ago

Text

what i actually mean when i say "i watch f1"

328 notes · View notes

fast-burn · 7 months ago

Note

sloppy seconds, landoscar + mark webber or tbh whoever

yeah i'm Down To Clown with mark webber being in this!!

kink list here

XXX

"No way," Lando blurts when he shoves his hand down the back of Oscar's shorts and finds him already hot, wet, and open. "Did you start without me?"

"Something like that," Oscar demurs, eyes flicking down and away. Lando wonders, not for the first time, what the fuck is up with his long, light brown eyelashes. Every time he looks at them fluttering against the thin, lilac skin below Oscar's eyes, it's like mental. He has girl eyelashes, honest.

"Couldn't wait, huh?" Asks Lando because he really can't stop to ponder how pretty Oscar is when he's got his middle two fingers hooked right into Oscar's bum.

Oscar kisses him instead of answering, which is alright actually. Lando likes making out more than actual sex sometimes. When you're kissing someone they usually hold you close, all snuggly, so it's double the niceness. Lando licks Oscar's tongue and behind his teeth, and uses his hand snagged in Oscar's arse to pull their groins flush together. It's absolutely mint. Lando could stay like this forever, except he does kind of want to get off. His cock is throbbing in his sweatpants, eager up against the solid line of Oscar's erection.

Lando wiggles his fingers inside Oscar, sort of digging around in there. He's really wet. It's some weird kind of lube, a different texture than Oscar's usual. Lando breaks their kiss and pulls his fingers out, curious.

It's definitely not lube.

"Osc, what is this?" Lando blurts, but it's pretty obvious that it's jizz.

Decently fresh jizz.

"You said it was okay," Oscar says, voice going really quiet, hackles up. Lando hates when he does that. It took forever to get Oscar to relax and be a weirdo around him.

"Yeah, of course it's okay. But I thought we'd maybe talk about it first."

Truth is that Lando wanted to know what kind of blokes Oscar would go for if it was truly open season. There was some competitive part of him that wanted Oscar to go looking for someone supplemental but still come crawling back to Lando, because Lando was the best. He figured Oscar would be into other shy little nerds.

"It came out of the blue, that's all," says Oscar, starting to try and wiggle out of there, so Lando tightens his arm around Oscar's shoulders. "Wasn't much time to run it by you."

"So who was it?"

Oscar goes very still. He looks away again. He mutters something.

"Say again?" Lando asks.

"It was Mark," Oscar confesses, barely above a church mouse whisper.

"Webber?" Lando blurts, makes it sound like Wibbah by accident because he's a cunt and can't help himself.

"Sorry," Oscar mumbles, and Lando kisses him because he can hear the shame, the regret. He never wants Oscar to feel bad about anything unless it's because he came second in the WDC to Lando.

And Lando is kind of upset, but not because Webber is way too old, or because he's Oscar's mentor, or because Webber is not even that hot. Lando's pissed because--technically--Mark is better than Lando. On a purely win-based statistic. So there's only one solution: fuck Webber's come out of Oscar.

"Don't be sorry. It's so hot," Lando lies, because ew he doesn't really want to think about Webber's wrinkly old dick. He's like married. And retired. Gross.

Oscar starts to melt back into Lando's arms. "Yeah? You don't mind?"

"Not if you don't mind me taking my sloppy seconds," Lando says, unbuttoning Oscar's shorts and pushing them down his thighs.

"You're such a perv," Oscar says, wrinkling his cute fucking nose, but Lando can tell that he's not seriously complaining, because he follows up with: "Don't worry about prepping me, mate. You can just slide right in."

Oscar bends over the end of Lando's hotel bed eagerly. He's actually the perfect height for Lando, which is crazy Cinderella's-slipper shit, even if the position is kind of hell on his back and he'll have to slip out of Oscar later to do physio stuff on the floor. Oscar's hole does look used. It's hot pink and swollen. Lando feels another spike of irritation looking at it, so he puckers his lips and spits on it. Oscar shivers.

He's right, though. No prep necessary. Lando thrusts in with hardly any trouble, and Oscar moans, then grunts like Lando heard him once on the massage table, all guttural and loud. Webber's jizz makes a creamy streak up the shaft of Lando's cock when he pulls out. Bad manners, isn't it? To neglect a condom when fucking someone else's man.

Or is Lando fucking Webber's man? Technically Webber had Oscar first, but not like this, Lando is pretty sure. Maybe Webber fucked Oscar because he's jealous that Lando got inside him. Maybe he was all pissed-off because Lando planted his flag in Oscar's hole and took his gay-virginity.

Well, tough shit. Lando is going to be a champion and Webber has one foot in the grave, practically. Lando is going to fuck Oscar just right.

"That feel good?" Lando asks, barely stopping himself from adding baby on the end. They don't do pet-names. That would be a slippery slope for sure.

"Uh-huh," Oscar says. "Feels like you. So good--the best."

Lando might as well be ten feet tall. He's glowing like those big tree-things in Singapore, lit up from the inside and all the way up. Webber's come is smearing around Oscar's hole, Webber is the one who made him all loose, but he's not the one making Oscar groan and whimper now. He's not the one making Oscar say Gonna come Lando, please, please, you're making me come, oh-- Because Lando is the best. Get absolutely wasted, you geriatric old prick.

#landoscar #am i doing the lando voice right?#honestly anon i feel like there are SO many options for sloppy seconds here #but this is lando sowing vs lando reaping re: open relationships #sometimes you give your exclusive fwb a hall pass and he uses it to have sex with a formula 1 legend who's basically his grid-dad #maybe you realize you don't want to share at all #kink prompts

148 notes · View notes

saffusthings · 5 months ago

Text

second chances

mob boss! lando norris x reader

part thirteen: passenger princess

word count: 1.6k

warnings: none

twelve | thirteen | fourteen

The next morning, Lando pulled up to the curb outside her apartment building in a car that, by his standards, was modest. A sleek, black Audi RS5 — not one of his usual hypercars, certainly nothing that screamed money the way some of his other rides did. But still, he caught the way her eyes widened just slightly when she stepped outside and spotted it.

Noted.

She hesitated for a second, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder before walking toward the passenger side.

“This is… a nice car,” she said as she climbed in, running her fingers lightly over the smooth leather interior.

Lando smirked as he pulled away from the curb. “Yeah? You like it?”

“I mean, yeah. It’s pretty.”

He chuckled. “Pretty isn’t usually how people describe it.”

She shrugged, glancing out the window. “I, uh, really don’t really know cars. Obviously. I mean, I’m sure you can probably tell. This one looks cool though.” A pause. “Fast, I’m assuming?”

“Very.”

She made a thoughtful hum, then—almost absentmindedly—reached for the seatbelt and clicked it into place a second time, as if double-checking that it was secure.

Lando raised a brow but didn’t comment. Instead, he stole a quick glance at her as they hit a stoplight. She looked reserved, like she was still trying to figure him out.

Which, fair enough. He was trying to figure her out too.

“So...” he started awkwardly, drumming his fingers lightly against the steering wheel. “How’d you sleep?”

She made a face, lips pursing in mild contemplation. “Not terrible.”

“That’s not a good answer.”

“It’s not a bad one either.”

Lando huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “Guess I’ll take it.”

For a few beats, there was only the sound of the city waking up around them—traffic, pedestrians, the occasional honk of a horn. Then, casually, she asked, “Do you do this often?”

“Do what?”

“Drive your friends to class.”

You idiot, she mentally facepalmed herself. What kind of a question even is that?

Lando smirked, eyes flicking toward her. “No. You’re the first.”

That seemed to throw her off. “Oh.”

He could practically see her debating how to respond to that, and for some reason, it amused him. He let the silence stretch a little longer, let her stew in it before adding, “You should feel special.”

That made her huff a quiet laugh, shaking her head. “I’ll be sure to brag about it to my classmates.”

Lando smirked. Yeah, he liked this. The slow push and pull of it. The way she wasn’t quite sure where to place him yet.

He shouldn’t be enjoying it as much as he was.

They fell into another brief silence, the kind that wasn’t entirely uncomfortable but still carried something clearly unfamiliar. She was still adjusting to him. He was still adjusting to whatever this was.

“So… you don’t drive or somethin’?” he asked, cutting through the quiet.

She shook her head. “Nope.”

“Why’s that?”

“Never got around to learning, I guess.”

Lando raised a brow, sparing a glance at her before switching lanes seamlessly. “Never?”

She gave a small, sheepish shrug. “I mean, I get the concept of driving, obviously. I just… never had the time. Or the skill, for that matter. Not my thing, I’ve learned.”

Lando clicked his tongue, amused. “You’re missin’ out, you know.”

“I think I’m surviving just fine without it.”

“Surviving,” he echoed. “But not thriving.”

That made her laugh. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Lando smirked, but there was something else in his expression—something bordering on curiosity. He didn’t know why, but the thought of her not driving was oddly... something. It made her seem a little more untouched by the world he lived in.

And for some reason, he liked that.

Before he could dwell on it too much, they pulled up near the university. He idled by the curb, glancing over at her.

She hesitated for a second before reaching for the door handle. “Thanks for the ride, Liam.”

He nodded. “Anytime.”

She lingered just a beat longer, like there was something else she wanted to say, but instead, she just gave him a small smile before stepping out.

Lando watched as she disappeared into the crowd of students, exhaling slowly.

He shouldn’t be doing this. She shouldn’t have let him.

But maybe she breathed a little easier with him around.

The first few drives were awkward in the way that new things always are. She didn’t quite know what to do with herself, and neither did he.

Lando had never been one for small talk, and she—well, she wasn’t exactly shy, but she was still guarded in that way people were when they weren’t sure what to make of someone yet.

So, at first, the car rides were quiet. Not uncomfortably so, but just enough to make the silence noticeable.

She’d fiddle with the strap of her bag or stare out the window, while he kept his eyes on the road, one hand resting lazily on the gear shift. He never pushed her to talk, and she never forced a conversation when there was nothing to say.

But then, gradually, things shifted.

It started small—little observations, little questions that didn’t seem to mean much on the surface. She learned that Lando wasn’t much of a morning person, but he hid it well. That he always had a coffee before heading anywhere, but he never really finished the whole cup.

One morning, she was fidgeting with the strap of her bag when she casually mentioned, “You drink a lot of coffee.”

Lando raised a brow, eyes still on the road. “You work at a coffee shop.”

“Yeah, but you don’t even get anything different. Always a spiced black coffee.”

He smirked. “And?”

She huffed. “And that’s… boring.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s simple. Gets the job done.”

“You could at least try a latte. Maybe an espresso macchiato. Something.”

Lando gave her a sidelong glance. “Didn’t take you for a coffee snob.”

“I’m not! I just think it’s a waste to keep drinking the same thing over and over when there’s so much out there that you could try.”

“Right,” he drawled, but the next time he stopped by Brews & Books, he ordered a macchiato just to see the way she lit up in satisfaction. He pretended not to notice when she gave him a subtle, knowing smile.

One evening, after her shift, Y/N climbed into the car and sighed, tilting her head back against the seat.

“Long day?” Lando asked, pulling away from the curb.

She made a noise somewhere between a groan and a laugh. “You have no idea.”

“Try me.”

She huffed but didn’t hesitate to launch into a story about a particularly difficult customer, waving her hands for emphasis as she spoke. Lando listened, offering the occasional smirk or amused hum, but mostly, he just let her talk.

“Some guy came in today and asked if we had any books on taxidermy.”

Lando glanced at her, amused. “And?”

She huffed, slumping slightly in her seat. “And I don’t know why we do, but we actually had two.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “You sound distressed.”

“I am distressed. Who’s coming into a cozy book café and thinking, ‘You know what I need? A book about stuffing dead animals.’”

Lando smirked. “Hey, at least they’re reading.”

She shot him a look, and he found himself biting back a grin.

She rolled her eyes at him before exhaling dramatically. “Anyway. That was my day.” Turning her face to see him better, she added, “How was yours?”

Lando arched a brow. “You want to hear about my day?”

She shrugged. “I mean, you always listen to mine. Fair’s fair, no?”

He could’ve given her a lie—could’ve made something up about a business meeting or a gym session.

Hmm, let me think: drug deals, a back alley brawl, and a private execution all in time for dinner with my gang of co-criminals.

Instead he settled on, “S’alright. Nothing special.”

She gave him a look. “Boo. That’s vague.”

“That’s the point. Obviously,” he deadpanned, the ghost of a smirk upturning the corner of his lips. Y/N rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway.

The rides kept happening. Sometimes he’d show up unannounced after her shift, sometimes he’d send a text a few minutes before her class let out. It wasn’t always planned, but it was consistent. And that was what mattered.

He learned that she liked the window down, just a crack, no matter how cold it was outside. That she was a little clumsy when she was tired—nothing dramatic, just small things like fumbling with her seatbelt or nearly dropping her phone when she got in the car.

One evening, after picking her up from a late shift, he noticed the way she rested her head against the seat, eyes slipping shut as soon as they hit the first stoplight.

“You can sleep, you know,” he said, keeping his voice casual. “I won’t let you wake up in a ditch.”

She smiled sleepily. “That’s reassuring.”

But the next time she was exhausted, she actually let herself drift off.

It was subtle, the way things softened between them.

She started greeting him with a tired but genuine smile in the mornings, a quiet, “Hey, Liam,” as she settled into the car.

He started recognizing when Y/N was in a mood—when she was stressed about school, or irritated about something that happened at the shop. He never asked directly, but he’d say things like Long day? or You wanna grab a coffee before I drop you off? and she’d answer without thinking, without that usual hesitation.

And Lando… Lando didn’t quite know what to make of it.

Because he didn’t do things like this. He didn’t let people take up space in his life if they weren’t necessary, and yet here she was.

And somehow, it didn’t feel like an inconvenience at all.

a/n: was this too boring?

232 notes · View notes