Chapter Text
The sun hung lazily in the sky, casting golden hues over the pristine waters of their tropical hideaway. Soft waves lapped against the shore, the scent of salt and sunscreen filling the air. Lando, Oscar, and Piper lay sprawled out on sun loungers, eyes closed, bodies melting into the warmth of the sun.
For the first time in what felt like forever, there was no tension, no arguments, no existential crises about power dynamics. Just peace.
“Alright,” Lando mumbled, tilting his head toward Piper. “Not to jinx it, but I think we finally have our shit together.”
Oscar peeked out from under his sunglasses. “Bold of you to assume that.”
Piper snorted. “Yeah, that’s definitely a jinx.”
Lando sighed dramatically. “At least let me have this moment before the next disaster.”
Oscar smirked. “Fine. You have ten seconds.”
Lando huffed, but before he could argue, the sound of a loud cackle rang through the air.
They turned their heads toward the cabana, where Carlos Sainz sat, reclined in a lounge chair, looking more relaxed than he had in months. He was sipping a margarita, a wide-brimmed sun hat perched atop his head. The only issue? He was also strapped into a straitjacket.
Piper arched an eyebrow. “You good there, Sainz?”
Carlos took a long, slow sip of his drink before replying, “For the first time in WEEKS, I feel at peace.”
Lando narrowed his eyes. “You’re literally tied up.”
Carlos smiled serenely. “Yes. And?”
Pierre, sitting beside him with a pineapple drink, patted Carlos’ arm. “It was the only way to get him to actually relax. This was a group effort.”
From the other side of the resort, George waved. “We even consulted a professional.”
“Like... a therapist?” Piper asked.
“No,” Pierre said. “A zookeeper.”
Oscar nearly choked on his drink. “Why?”
Alex, walking by, smirked. “Apparently, handling Carlos is similar to handling a particularly enraged chimpanzee.”
Carlos simply sipped his margarita. “And yet, I am unbothered.”
The group shared a look before collectively deciding not to question it any further. Instead, they settled into the vacation mindset, letting the tension from the past weeks melt away.
At some point, the conversation turned to their future—what came next after everything they had been through.
Piper stretched out on her chair. “So, how are we actually going to make this work long-term?”
Oscar leaned forward, expression serious. “We keep doing what we promised. Transparency, open communication, making sure you’re never left in the dark.”
Lando nodded. “And if something feels off, we talk about it immediately. No bottling things up, no avoidance.”
Piper sighed contentedly. “I like that. A real partnership.”
Oscar smirked. “Exactly.”
Just as the mood had settled into something soft and meaningful, a notification on Piper’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it and immediately burst into laughter.
“What?” Lando asked, peering over her shoulder.
Piper turned the phone around, revealing a Twitter thread.
The top tweet read: “Can someone PLEASE explain why Lando got hit by a bus? And where the hell did the zebra come from???”
The replies were even better:
@f1conspiracytheorist: “I SWEAR the zebra is a metaphor.”
@lando_norris_updates: “Guys, I think it was Carlos’ doing.”
@carlos4president: “No. Carlos would never. (But also, yes, absolutely.)”
@PierreGasly: “I WAS THERE WHEN IT HAPPENED. THE ZEBRA IS REAL.”
Then, right at the bottom, a tweet from Carlos himself:
@Carlossainz55: “Don’t cite the lore to me, witch. I was there when it was written.”
Piper, Lando, and Oscar dissolved into laughter, shaking their heads.
Piper wiped a tear from her eye. “This is the most ridiculous thing we’ve ever been a part of.”
Oscar grinned. “And yet, here we are.”
Lando stretched, leaning back into his chair. “I think this is exactly where we’re supposed to be.”
As the sun dipped lower, painting the sky in hues of pink and orange, the three of them clinked their drinks together, ready to face whatever came next.
For once, the future didn’t feel scary. It felt like an adventure—one they were taking on together.
And, for better or worse, they were going to make it work.