Chapter Text
Once they reached the bathroom, Lando led Oscar inside, not yet turning the lights on. He himself exited, ran downstairs and flipped a switch closest to the stairs. When he returned, in the middle of, now lit, bathroom was standing one very confused Oscar.
“Where did you go?”
“To turn on the light, obvi,” Lando shrugged, to which, Oscar turned a bit pointing at the switch on the wall next to the doorway Lando was currently standing in.
“What does this one do then?” which earned a toothy grin from Lando.
“Why don’t you see for yourself?” Lando gestured at the switch and stepped away a bit, giving space for Oscar to reach out and flip it up. As soon as he did, the little light above the mirror turned on, deserving a small “ah” from Oscar and a fit of giggles from Lando.
Mischief managed.
Once Lando calmed himself from laughing, he said, “Not everything in this house’s meddled with, y’know.” and dissolved into another fit of laughter.
Only now did Lando notice just how close they were standing – practically breathing the same air. For a moment, neither of them moved. Lando wasn’t sure he wanted them to move, being completely at peace staying right there, under the attentive look of those doe eyes.
“Yeah, I—” Oscar started, and it looked like he had some major revelation to confess, but, “I mean, I know, yes,” there was a pause, where Lando saw an idea spark in Oscar’s eyes, “the doors work, don’t they?”
Wow, out of all the ways to ruin the moment, Osc. Lando wasn’t ever disappointed – at least it wasn’t him that ruined it – as he started giggling.
And if Lando decided he hallucinated a whispered ‘cute’ between them, then it’s nobody’s business but his.
“So, uh, what else is wrong with the bathroom?” was what got them out of their trance.
“Um,” Lando began, “well, there’s the faucet thingy.” He said loosely pointing at the sink to his right.
Oscar, already reaching his hand to the faucet, but stopping halfway to it, looked over at Lando again, as if to ask for permission – or make sure it is safe, seeing as one of them has already got injured by the house. To that Lando only nodded and waited in anticipation for Oscar’s reaction.
Just as the sink switched on, the lights in the room flickered off.
Now they were standing in a completely dark room with only the sound of their giggles and a running faucet entertaining them.
“So, now you have to run all the way downstairs to switch it back on?” Oscar's voice came from the darkness.
After a matter-of-factly “nope” from Lando, he reached out to turn off the water, and, after several more seconds, they were both momentarily blinded by the big light in the room.
“So, what? You have to wash your face in the dark in here?”
“Actually, the big light turns off only if both the sink and the small light are on, so I’m, usually, ok washing my face, since you’re so worried.”
“I wasn’t—” Oscar started, seemingly flustered. Ha, clocked him, the smugness in Lando’s thoughts surprises him a teeny-tiny bit. “The wiring in this house’s wonky.” Oscar settled on stating.
Lando just shrugged, Yeah, mate, tell me about it.
“I mean, you did see the doorbell – window symbiosis,” Lando noticeably distracted himself from whatever he was saying. “How did that go, by the way?”
“You don’t really want to know that.” Ignoring Lando’s ‘yes, I do!’, Oscar continued, “And even if I told you, you’re not gonna understand, what the problem was.” Just now understanding the slight innuendo of his words, Oscar hurriedly added, “Not that I understand it any better, I was actually just doing things and seeing if it helps!”
With a slight sly smile on his face, Lando started, “So, you’ve not done much dissimilar to my father, huh?”
“I… guess so, yeah”
It is then, when Oscar notices an, approximately, a meter long adjustable walking stick by the bathroom door. It’s one of those sticks, that speed-walkers, hikers and, occasionally, the elderly use on their trips. With a wide flat circle tip on the bottom and all.
Oscar pointed at it, getting Lando’s attention, but didn’t even manage to ask about it, before Lando, with the stick in hand, stepped into the bathtub.
Fuck, wet socks, yuck. Was his last thought before turning on the shower and absolutely drenching himself.
Oscar scrambled to turn the shower off, but only made it colder, by tugging the tap down. All the while Lando, somehow, not expecting to be wet, jumped out of the tub onto the rug by it, flooding the bathroom floor.
At least both our socks are wet now. Equality. Supplied Lando’s mind, unexpectedly optimistically.
Lando then reached out to the tap, returning it into the original position, turned around and switched on the socket near the mirror. The water stopped running, and for a second Oscar looked at him like he was magic.
“Why would you do that?” Oscar sounded a bit exasperated with what he just witnessed.
“I wanted to show you, what the cane was for.” Lando didn’t mean to sound like a kicked puppy – even though he looked like a wet cat – he really didn’t, but that’s exactly how his response came out.
“Well, first of all, ‘cane’ is way too fancy of a name for a bathroom accessory.” A roll of eyes from Lando and a silent how dare he in his mind. “Second, couldn’t you’ve done it from outside the tub?”
And that… halted Lando, because, why did he do that?
“You like seeing the funky house quirks, so I wanted to show you, that I use it to change the temperature in the shower.”
“And you thought I’d like to see that in action?” Oscar’s eyes and tone softened.
“I forgot, that would mean getting wet ..?” Lando was now sounding apologetic.
“Good thing you are wearing swim trunks then.”
In the silence that settled after, Oscar took one of the towels hanging on the towel rail and hung it on Lando’s shoulders in an attempt to dry him out and not let him freeze, since the temperature control was, obviously, not in the shower with Lando, and, instead, stick-length away from it.
“I suggest you go change.” Oscar said with a tone of a disappointed parent recently witnessing his child take a swim in a local puddle. “If you want, I can make you some tea, to warm you up.”
“That…wouldn’t suck, actually, thanks.”
With that Oscar took root downstairs into the kitchen and Lando into his room to change. Not long after parting, Lando turned around and shouted the instructions to how to put the kettle on and which pantries to avoid to get the tea bags, as if he had forgotten Oscar was not fully acquainted with the house’s murderous strategies.
When Lando came down in a new and, thank god, dry and warm hoodie and no less warm sweatpants, he was slightly worried Oscar had gotten himself killed by one of the cabinet doors. The thoughts were quickly disproven by a very much alive Oscar sitting at the table with two cups of steaming tea, sugar bowl and the milk jar – just like this morning.
Oscar noticed Lando after some seconds of him standing there.
“You took the milk out.” A simple observation from Lando. “And made the right tea.” He added a bit quieter, just for himself.
“Yeah. Your stove turns on, when you open the fridge.” Another simple observation. They’re on fire tonight.
Lando sat down right opposite Oscar and prepared his usual tea – three sugars and a dash of milk.
“How do you know which tea I drink?” Way to start a conversation, Lando, kudos to you, mate.
“Oh, um, I just noticed in the ‘morning’.” Oscar made air quotes, seemingly, just to spite Lando’s sleep schedule. “And I also noticed the sugar intake.”
“You sound like my mum.” There’s no real bite to Lando’s words. “Mum used to joke, that I take my sugar with tea, instead of my tea with sugar. And don’t even get me started on the sleep comments. She used to say I might as well hibernate.” Oh, he’s going to get emotional if he continued with those memories.
At least it got Oscar giggling again. It’s an addictive sound and I am a weak-weak man. Lando’s dignity had clocked out the moment Oscar stepped into the house today.
“She sounds so fun.” Oscar said with a soft smile. “Where is she now?”
“Well, I don’t really know.” Lando began, throwing a look at Oscar raising a questioning eyebrow. “She and my dad kinda took off on a world trip somewhere two years ago. Yeah, we don’t really talk often, since they both almost never have service or data to call. They do post a lot, though, so at least I know they’re okay.”
Oh, I’m totally crying myself to sleep today. Lando thought, digging the heel of his hand in his teary eye. There was a silence hanging between them now, not yet awkward, but certainly not most comfortable as well. Lando could feel his heartbeat fastening, his breath hitching and his face heating. Sure, maybe let’s not wait till sleep, why not?
“Can I…hug you?” Came from across the table, and with a shy nod, there was a warm presence all over Lando. It wasn't really a comfortable position to be hugging in, but the embrace was too comforting to change it. So Lando hugged Oscar back, as much as he could, from where he was sitting.
They stayed like that for some minutes, until Lando felt his breath come to a normal tempo and his face gained its natural colour. He gently untangled himself from Oscar, wiping his eye with a hoodie sleeve, like a child would – in a big, clumsy, heartfelt wipe from the sleeve’s elbow to the hem of it.
Lando’s “Thanks.” came out a bit raspy, but not hurt anymore, like the little spook of a cry actually helped heal something in him.
“I bet it’s the first time a client cried in your arms.”
“Good thing you’re my friend to be, then.”
He’s so nice to me. “You’re so nice to me.” Ok, no filter then, mint.
“Comes naturally, I guess.” Oscar still had a hand on Lando’s shoulder, caressing it with a gentle thumb, drawing nonsensical figures with it. It’s way too calming for a touch of a person Lando had known for, maybe, a day. Nevertheless, the weight and the warmth is so pleasant, Lando couldn’t bring himself to care.
It’s a nice thought to have – someone being nice to you, just because. Lando really didn’t want to cry again, so he’s trying not to think about it too hard, focusing on the comforting movement on this shoulder. Not on how it’s probably the first physical contact he’d had in months, though. Or on how the feeling of loneliness had caught up to him even though he talked regularly with his friends and siblings, and, occasionally, his parents. And not on the thought that he’d be all alone again, once Oscar finished whatever he was called here to do, and, inevitably, left Lando. He was absolutely convinced, that as soon as Oscar stepped behind the door, he’d forget all about Lando, and never look back, no matter how much he cried in front of him.
Nope, yeah, Lando’s eyes are watering.
His attempts to wipe the moisture off before it’s been noticed are futile.
Oh, and they’re hugging again. It seemed like nothing more was getting done today with the original problem of the house, so they eventually relocated right across the hall from the kitchen – to the living room. Calling their position cuddling would be bold, since they’re sat side by side, pressed together. It’s comforting and warm, without being unnecessarily intimate, and Lando felt the emotions catch up to him. His head feels cottony and eyes heavy. Another minute, and he’s dozing off on Oscar’s shoulder.
Honestly, Lando didn’t mean to fall asleep on Oscar. But since he, oh so conveniently, was already laying half on Oscar by the time he stirred, he decided to abuse the situation to his advantage. Lando nuzzled a bit into whatever part of Oscar’s chest he was laying on and tried to fall back asleep to the sound of a beating heart under him.
No one will tell you just how obvious Lando would’ve been if Oscar wasn’t also fast asleep under him, having lost the battle against sleep with a warm body pressing him down into the couch. But fortunately, they both were sound asleep, warm and cuddled up together.