Chapter Text
( Now )
There had been a time when Lando wondered if he would ever kiss Charles again. There had been a time when he wondered if he would ever hold him again. There had been a time when he wondered if they would find their way back to each other. And he had wondered if they ever did find their way back to each other, how it would happen.
He’s dreamed of this moment, of having Charles back in his arms, of them being together. Yet it still feels like a fantasy, like a wildest dream, like it’s too good to be true.
But it is real. Lando is tangled on the couch with Charles, their limbs intertwined. This isn’t a dream.
Lando has his head on Charles’ chest, examining how their hands still fit perfectly together. Every part of them still fits together.
After they had kissed, Lando sort of broke down and all but fell into Charles’ waiting arms. Charles had eased them down onto the couch, holding Lando through the storm. And for the past twenty minutes, they’ve been lying in silence, just basking in the presence of each other.
They have to talk, but Lando’s content to stay like this just for a little longer.
Lando thinks back to all those sleepless nights when he wrote down things he would say to Charles if he were in front of him. He thinks about all those times when he nearly texted Charles after they split up. He thinks about how people are given second chances in mysterious ways. He thinks about how he’s been given a second chance.
He thinks about how he doesn’t want to ever let go of Charles. He’d rather die. Actually, he’s not sure he would even survive losing Charles again.
He looks at Charles now, and he sees a future.
“Charles?”
“Yes?”
“Do you remember that opening notes part in the songbook you gave me?” Lando asks, lifting his head as he looks into Charles’ eyes.
“I remember a few lines. Why?” Charles questions, eyes gaining a curious glint.
“You—past you—wrote you wanted me to find love again,” Lando murmurs, lips forming a smile. “Well, I have. I’ve found it with you again.”
Charles’ eyes are wide. “Lando…”
“I know there are still some things unresolved between us, but time will do its thing,” Lando continues, reaching forward to caress Charles’ cheek. “Time will let you remember. And when that happens, I’ll still be here, and I’ll forgive you.”
Charles’ eyes shine. “You will wait for me?”
Lando lifts their intertwined hands to kiss Charles’ knuckles. “Yes. For as long as it takes. I’m not going anywhere.”
Charles leans up, pressing his lips to Lando’s. Lando all but melts into, melting into a familiar dance with Charles. It’s just so easy. Time may have passed, but their bodies still know each other.
“You should know,” Charles starts, breaking the kiss momentarily. “It took a lot of self-control not to kiss you sometimes.”
Lando grins, mouth hovering over Charles’. “You did a very good job.”
Then he kisses the smile right off Charles’ lips. Lando honestly wonders how he went so long without this. Charles’ lips are addicting. All of Charles is addictive.
The moment is perfect, until Lando feels something licking his cheek. He’s momentarily confused, but then it clicks.
Leo.
“Charles,” Lando mutters when he pulls back. “Tell your dog to go away.”
“Our dog,” Charles corrects.
“Yes, our dog,” Lando agrees, smiling. “But he is interrupting something.”
“I am not sending Leo away,” Charles responds as he moves, causing Lando to be jostled. Lando lets out a groan as Charles fully sits up so he can scoop Leo into his arms.
“Hi, Leo,” Lando sighs. Leo spares him a glance before looking back at Charles. Lando scoffs. “Typical. He always did like you better.”
Charles looks quite smug about that. “He is very smart.”
Lando snorts. “No, actually, he can be a bit dumb.”
Charles gasps, mock-outrage on his face as he covers Leo’s ears. “Do not insult our son, Lando.”
Lando’s heart flutters at hearing the words our son. Their little family is back together. He can’t put into words how right everything feels. Lando feels at home. He has Charles. He has Leo. They’re inside Charles’ apartment, and it doesn’t feel as empty as it used to.
“Our family,” Lando whispers, reaching forward to rub Leo’s head.
There’s a sparkle in Charles’ eyes as he repeats, “Our family.”
This is another thing Lando thought he would never hear again. When they broke up, Leo stayed with Charles. Leo had been a late present of sorts for Charles, and Lando thought it was better if Leo stayed with him. During the breakup, Lando had missed Leo tremendously, but he never visited.
“You know, I am curious about something,” Charles says. “Did we have split custody of Leo?”
Lando chuckles, shaking his head. “No, we didn’t. He stayed with you. He was always more yours than mine. I got him for you.”
Charles frowns. “You must have missed him.”
“It was very peaceful without him, actually,” Lando answers, grinning. Leo looks at him, and Lando swears the dog is giving him a blank stare.
“Stop bullying our dog,” Charles demands, eyes glittering with mirth.
“Fne, fine,” Lando relents. “Yes, of course I missed him.”
“See? He loves you,” Charles says, looking at Leo.
“I love his papa even more,” Lando comments, earning a smile from Charles.
“I love you too.”
Because he can do it now, Lando leans in to kiss Charles once more.
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As time goes on, pieces of Charles come back, too.
The memories Charles gets back are random. Sometimes, he will tell Lando something that Lando doesn’t remember happening, but that’s most likely because it’s something that happened when they were broken up. Then, there are memories that Charles recalls that Lando knows.
Other than the memory part, things are good between them. Technically, they don’t live together, but most of the time, they end up falling asleep in the same apartment at the end of the day. They always say they’ll leave, but that almost never happens. They’re like magnets, almost. When one tries to pull apart, they’re instantly pulled back.
Lando doesn’t mind. In fact, he’s pretty sure he is the clingy one between them and that he’s the reason they end up never separating at the end of the night.
So yeah, things are good. Lando is happy, happier than he’s been in a long time.
Though right now, he’s a little confused as he lets Charles guide him down a familiar path that leads to the ocean.
“What are we doing here?” Lando asks for what feels like the millionth time.
“Why do you keep asking that?” Charles groans. “I told you to wait.”
“I’m curious!” Lando defends himself.
“And you will get your answers,” Charles huffs. “Just wait.”
Lando sighs, nodding his head in understanding. Charles stops, causing Lando to stop as well. Lando looks around, waiting for something to happen, and when nothing does, he turns back to Charles.
“Now what?”
“This is where we met,” Charles starts, eyes flickering toward the ocean. Lando looks too, taking in the brilliant sunset.
“It is,” Lando confirms, a smile tugging at his lips. “It’s been a while since then, yeah?”
“It has,” Charles agrees. “You know, I still consider that the best day of my life. Just one meeting and it changed the rest of my life.”
Lando focuses on him, but Charles is still looking at the ocean. He observes Charles for a moment, taking in his bright eyes and the relaxed smile on his face.
“There has always been something I have thought about it, something I wondered, and it is when a person knows they have fallen in love,” Charles’ eyes close, yet Lando’s remain open. “Sometimes, I think that I fell in love with you the night I saw you, like it was instinct, like there was no logic behind it. I saw you and something inside of me latched onto you.”
Charles’ eyes open then, looking back into Lando’s. What Lando sees is an overwhelming expression of love.
Lando, because he’s an idiot, asks, “Are you proposing?”
Charles laughs, the sound full of life. “No. Not yet. But one day, I hope to. One day, I plan to.”
The butterflies erupt in Lando’s stomach, just like they had when he met Charles for the first time. All these years later, and Charles still causes the butterflies to come. Lando thinks Charles will always be able to bring them out.
“And I am hoping that one day, you want that too,” Charles murmurs, looking vulnerable yet hopeful at the same time.
“Yes,” Lando breathes. “Of course I want that, Charles. I’m going to marry you one day.”
Charles’ eyes shine. “You know, this sort of sounds like a proposal.”
Lando laughs, drawing Charles in closer. “Maybe it’s a promise, a promise that we’ll both uphold when the day comes.”
“We are making vows now, too,” Charles comments, grinning.
Lando considers that, realizing Charles might have a point. His previous statement did sort of sound like a vow. Vow or not, Lando intends to make it true.
“Maybe,” Lando agrees. “Well, if we’re making vows, I might as well say a few more.”
Charles raises an eyebrow. “You are putting me on the spot. Now I have to come up with some.”
“Think of some as I continue,” Lando tells him, his cheeks starting to hurt from how wide he’s smiling.
“Then I am not paying attention to you,” Charles points out, frowning.
“Idiot,” Lando says, flicking Charles’ forehead. “I’ll give you a moment to think if you need one. Now let me go.”
Charles waves him on. “The beach is yours.”
Lando flicks Charles’ forehead again for that. “You are such a dork.”
Charles grins brightly.
“I love you, Charles. I don’t want to experience this life with anyone else. I want it to be you,” Lando starts, feeling his heart begin to race. “I want to wake up with you. I want to solve puzzles with you until three in the morning. I want to go on early or evening jogs with you. I want everything with you. I always have. Until there’s no time left, I want to be with you.”
Charles’ eyes are shining with tears now. Lando’s are too. Lando doesn’t consider himself to be that romantic, but he thinks he might have a case for being one with what he just said. Only Charles could ever make him develop a way with words.
“That was good,” Charles’ voice breaks. “Really good.”
Lando smiles. “Thank you. Beach is yours, my love.”
“Hier, aujourd'hui, demain, toujours,” Charles starts, and Lando blinks, not expecting him to begin in French. “It means yesterday, today, tomorrow always. I loved you yesterday, and I love you today. I will love you tomorrow. I will love you forever. You are the love of my life, and I am sure I have said this so many times before, but please just listen to me say it one more time, because this is a promise I will keep until I take my last breath. It is only ever going to be you, Lando Norris. ”
The tears gather in the corner of Lando’s eyes. He tries to speak, but words fail him. He just stares at Charles, knowing his eyes are doing all the talking for him.
When Lando finds his voice, all he manages is, “You always have to one-up me, don’t you?”
“I thought yours was better,” Charles responds, smiling.
“Yours was good,” Lando says, resting his forehead against Charles’. “You think we should write them down?”
Charles’ eyes get this little spark as he says, “I will remember them.”
There’s a double meaning in there, but Lando doesn’t comment on it, simply leaning up and pressing his lips to Charles’. He thinks that if this were a movie, some beautiful instrumental would be playing and the cameras would do a 360 to get a perfect shot and then it would fade to black.
And right now, maybe Lando and Charles don’t have the exact perfect ending, but Lando knows that one day, they will.
They do have forever, after all.