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It was set to be an exciting weekend of racing as free practice 2 for the Belgian Grand Prix was in full swing. The clouds hovering over the circuit made no sign of letting up, drizzling down on the track all day.
The rain leveled the playing field in a way though. In the rain, it wasn’t so much about having the fastest car. Rather it was about which driver had the skills to maneuver their car the best. And Lando Norris was performing particularly well under the conditions. All practice long his turns were tight, and he managed to create traction even on the wet tracks. There was still one practice left tomorrow before qualifying, and while you never know what could happen out there, he was very confident he’d secure his best starting position yet. Hell, the way he was driving his car today, he might even be starting the race this Sunday on pole.
After free practice ended, Lando was still absolutely buzzing. A mixture of the adrenaline still rushing through him and all the anticipation of tomorrow. From the window of the McLaren office, he spotted the one person he couldn’t wait to share all his excitement with. Y/n was walking towards the office in her McLaren jacket keeping warm in the cold. Even in the gloominess and rain, she stood out to him like a ray of sunshine. The smile on his face fell a bit when he noticed who she was walking beside though. It was his new teammate Daniel Ricciardo. He and Y/n huddled together avoiding the rain under the papaya orange brolly Daniel held for them.
That should be me, Lando thought to himself. He was the one y/n always shared a brolly with. He was the one she always walked the paddock with. He was the driver she spent the most time with.
Of course, this was all before Daniel joined McLaren.
For the past few seasons, Y/n was part of Lando’s PR team working under his PR manager Charlotte. From the moment they met Lando and Y/n clicked instantly. She was and still is, one of the few at McLaren who was around his age. Most of his colleagues were a bit older so it was nice having her around. Someone who could relate to him in ways the others just couldn’t. They laughed at the same things, understood the same references, and genuinely enjoyed each other’s company. Naturally, they became more than just colleagues and became close friends.
Lando was gutted when she was reassigned to Daniel this season. The reassignment was a great promotion and step forward for her career. She had started off as a PR intern and after 3 seasons was now a junior PR manager. So he was happy for her to that extent. But his happiness was soon overshadowed by jealousy. The green-eyed monster in him grew over the course of the season watching y/n spend more time with Daniel and less with him. Watching her become closer to Daniel as the season went on. Watching her do all the things she used to do with him, with Daniel now.
He could hear their laughter as they entered the McLaren office together. Y/n throwing her head back at something Daniel was showing her on his phone. Lando tried not to sneer, but what could have possibly been that funny?
Daniel got pulled away by some other staff and that was when Y/n spotted Lando. When she waved at him and his sour expression perked up immediately, her smile simply contagious even from across the lobby.
“Norris,” Y/n greeted him cheekily, taking a seat next to him on the lounge chair. “I saw your last few lap times. Very impressive.”
She nudged his arm playfully as he grinned like a schoolboy at the praise. He jumped right into telling her all about how amazing his practice went. Y/n loved hearing the passion in his voice, seeing the way his eyes lit up as he spoke, feeling the love he has for the sport. It was inspiring. Even at such a young age, he was so driven and disciplined. Y/n admired that about him.
She listened intently to his retelling of the practice session today until he was rudely interrupted by a loud ringing coming from Y/n’s phone tucked in her jacket pocket. She shot Lando an apologetic look before stepping away to answer the call. Lando sighed, trying not to take it personally. He knew that work came first. But it made him feel unimportant nonetheless. He didn’t even get to finish the last bit of what he was saying to her. By the time Y/n ended the call and stepped back out to the lobby area, Lando had already left for his post-practice driver’s briefing.
It wasn’t till the end of the day that they ran into each other again. Lando saw Y/n was exiting the paddock, making her way to the parking lot and he sped up to walk beside her.
“Have you got a ride to the hotel already?” he asked hoping she’d say no. He was riding back with Charlotte and their car had an open seat left.
“I do actually,” she regretted to admit, “Daniel offered to give me a ride. Sorry.”
Lando tried not to make his disappointment too obvious and save some of his pride. “Don’t apologize. I just wanted to make sure you were getting back okay.”
If only Y/n had bumped into Lando earlier, she would’ve definitely accepted his offer instead. It would’ve been great to spend some time together away from the office and paddock for once. Even though they both worked for McLaren, they were so busy with their own agendas it was almost impossible to hang out or talk the way they used to. Her previous position required her to be with Lando nearly 24/7. Now they barely saw each other. And when they did happen to be in the same room, more often than not, she was caught up handling something for Daniel. The extra responsibilities that came with her new role demanded more of her and more of her time. She loved her new position and Daniel was great to work with but she missed working with Lando for sure.
“Maybe next time though,” Y/n suggested.
Lando nodded, forcing a smile onto his face. “Yeah, maybe next time.”
Seated in the car waiting for Charlotte, Lando watched Y/n meet up with Daniel. Lando scoffed to himself as Daniel, ever the gentleman opened the door for her. Yet again Daniel was getting in his way. He knew Daniel wasn’t purposefully trying to steal Y/n away. That would be crazy. But it sure felt like that sometimes. Lando’s mind raced with thoughts of y/n and Daniel. What they did when they were alone. How well they really knew each other. If Y/n was starting to fall for Daniel’s Australian charm. If maybe Daniel was actually interested in Y/n and that’s why he’s been taking so much of her time.
His jealousy brewed on the drive to the hotel. Lando took a deep breath and tried to shake those thoughts away but they were stuck to the back of his mind.
Lando’s feelings for y/n were kept bottled up so deep inside him. He never revealed them to her or acted upon them because it would be inappropriate. Despite seeing her as more than a colleague, at the end of the day that's what they were. So he suppressed his feelings, satisfied with just getting to spend time with her. Then Daniel came along and those feelings surfaced along with an added element of jealousy. Admittedly this jealousy is probably why he hasn’t tried to bond with Daniel as much as he did with his previous teammate Carlos. He didn’t have anything against him. How could he? Daniel was such a nice guy. But even still (whether he was aware of it or not) Lando hasn't fully let his guard down with his new teammate and it stemmed from being threatened by Daniel's budding friendship with Y/n.
When he arrived at the circuit the next day the rain, like Lando’s jealousy, had not let up at all overnight. It was looking really bad out there. In the garage, Lando went over the game plan for this weather with his engineers. From the corner of his eyes he saw Y/n walk in. She had two cups of coffee in her hand. Lando rolled his eyes discreetly as she handed the other coffee to Daniel. Of course, he thought.
Y/n was just repaying Daniel for covering her coffee yesterday when she forgot her credit card. After going over some quick points with Daniel, she walked across the garage to Lando. In her jacket pocket, she had a bar of Belgian chocolate that Lando loved. She picked it up just for him when she grabbed the coffee knowing the coffee station doesn't carry it often. Lando couldn’t eat it now, but he could save it for after qualifying. It would be like a reward for doing so well. Because he was going to do well today, Y/n just knew he would. But when she got to him, she never got the chance to give it to him. He was being super weird, and standoffish.
“What’s up your butt today?” Y/n joked trying to crack a smile out of him.
“Nothing,” Lando said flatly, shrugging.
Y/n wasn’t convinced. She eyed him suspiciously. Something was off about him for sure. He couldn’t even be bothered to look at her as she spoke.
“What’s going on with you? Seriously, you okay?”
Receiving no response, she tried again. “Are you upset with me or something?”
“Why would I be upset y/n,” he snapped. He looked over some stats on the iPad absentmindedly. Just to look busy, to avoid eye contact because he was indeed upset. But he wasn’t about to admit to her that he’s in fit over a cup of coffee.
Brows furrowed, Y/n continued to push. “I don’t know. You just seem like you’re upset.”
Snapping his head up to look at her, his eyes locked onto hers before dismissing her pointedly. “Well, I said I’m not upset, okay? So if you don’t mind, I'm a bit busy here y/n. I’m sure you have things to do as well.”
Lando instantly regretted his words the moment they left his lips. It was the green-eyed monster in him lashing out. But by the time he saw the hurt flash across her eyes, it was too late. He just went back to his iPad too ashamed to look her in the eyes again after that.
Feeling hurt and confused, Y/n started to walk away. She was speechless. Lando had never, ever snapped at her like that before. Running over the interaction in her head, anger set in and she stopped in her tracks. Marching back over to him she was ready to give him a piece of her mind. He had no right to speak to her that way. Turning him by the shoulder, she forced him to face her.
“Hey, I don’t know what’s going on with you Lando, but you can’t speak to me that way,” Y/n said to him sharply. She kept her voice low so as not to cause a scene. But everyone was packed in there so tight they heard her regardless.
“I am nothing but kind and respectful to you. I expect to be treated the same. I thought we were friends. You don’t talk to a friend like that, especially when it's completely uncalled for. I mean, if you won’t tell me what’s wrong that’s fine. Just don’t take it out on me.”
Now it was Lando who was speechless. He already felt horrible for what he said and knew that he totally deserved to be told off. Everything she was saying was spot on. But it was what she did next that absolutely gutted him.
“Here,” she handed him the chocolate bar she had in her pocket. “This is why I came to see you in the first place. Thought you would’ve appreciated this.”
And with that she left him, walking all the way out of the garage this time.
Looking at the chocolate bar in his hand he felt like such an idiot. Letting his jealousy get the best of him he ended up hurting the exact person he was afraid of losing. Not quite the interaction you want to have with the girl you’re secretly head over heels for right before stepping into a racecar. He took some deep breaths, trying to compartmentalize it all. As a driver, you need to separate your emotions before racing. When you’re in the car going at speeds of over 300 km/h, you need to be solely focused on driving for your safety and the safety of the drivers around you. As hard as it was, he pushed aside thoughts of how bad he messed up with Y/n and focused on driving right now.
Out on the track for the last free practice session, Lando and the other drivers were complaining about the wet tracks and lack of visibility. It was nearing the point of being too dangerous to be out there. But the FIA stewards decided not to pull out the red flag and so the drivers were still set to complete the qualifying round. Lando had a phenomenal practice session and was doing incredible during his first few laps of qualifying. The rain had only gotten worse though. But Lando kept going. He kept on pushing and pushing until his car eventually lost traction and he lost control. His car slammed into the safety barrier before spinning off around and around.
It was a big crash. Everyone on the paddock was holding their breath to see if Lando was alright. Y/n and everyone else in the McLaren garage let out a breath of relief when they heard Lando on the radio.
“Fuck,” he exclaimed angrily as his car finally came to a stop.
After that, the FIA had no choice but to bring out the red flags and stop the session. Something they should have done way earlier. If they had, this could’ve all been avoided. What a shame for Lando. He was definitely set to get pole with the way he was flying down the track. Now his session was over, no chances of improving his lap times as his car was too damaged to continue. Looking on the bright side, he was relieved to come out of the crash all in one piece. And at least his car wasn’t too beat up. The mechanics and engineers would definitely be able to fix it all up by tomorrow.
Lando retired to his motorhome after his checkup at the medical center. They took an x-ray of his elbow which had taken the brunt of the crash. Thankfully it was just bruised up a bit, with no major damage.
Frustratedly, he ripped off his cap and tossed it across the room. This was not at all the way he thought his day would go. First, he crashes and burns with Y/n, then he crashes and burns with his car too. He was ready to just go back to the hotel and escape this day before something else happens. Slinging his backpack on, he opened the door to his motorhome. When he stepped out he was surprised to see Y/n pacing back and forth in front of him. They stared at each other, in silence, for a good few seconds before she finally closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him close to her. Lando was not expecting such a warm embrace considering the way their last encounter went. Still shaken from the crash, a big hug was just what he needed. He relaxed into her, placing his arms around her waist. The fruity and familiar scent of her favorite perfume filled his lungs. It was a delightful change from the smell of burning tires and smoke that still lingered in his nose
Y/n was so relieved to see that he was okay. After seeing that big crash, she was worried sick about him. Any of the animosity between them was completely forgotten. Pulling back, holding him at an arms width, she examined every inch of him frantically, brows furrowed in concern. Her eyes landed on his arm, and she picked it up gingerly.
“How are you? Your arm? They said your elbow got hurt,” she asked worriedly.
“It’s fine. I’m fine. X-rays are all clear. It’s just a bit bruised,” Lando explained.
Her concern for him, the fact she was out here waiting for him, holding her in his arms just then, all made his heart feel warm and full. It was a feeling he never wanted to end. At that moment, he knew he couldn't hold in those to get all those pent-up feelings any longer. He needed to get them off his chest now.
“Listen,” he started grabbing both her hands in his, “I have to say, about earlier, y/n I’m sorry about how I acted. You did nothing wrong. Nothing wrong at all. I’m not upset with you. It’s just-I just miss having you around. Okay, I miss spending time with you. You’re more than just some colleague or a regular friend to me. And I never realized how big a part you played in my life until you weren’t in it anymore. Then I saw all the time you were spending with Daniel…I guess I got a bit jealous. And well, what I’m trying to say, is-”
“Lando,” y/n said cutting off his rambling. She heard all she needed to validate her own feelings for him. "Just shut up and kiss me already,”
Placing her hands around his neck, she brought his face down to hers, their lips connecting tenderly. Lando couldn't believe what was happening. In a state of shock, it took a second before he started returning her kiss. He placed his hands on her waist, as the kiss grew hungrier. Lando nipped at her bottom lip before slipping his tongue in there. They were without a care about the people around them and passing by. This was a moment they’ve both been wanting and waiting for and they were going to enjoy it. Caught up in the kiss, Y/n's hand trailed down his neck, over his strong shoulders, and down his chest.
“Ow, ouch,” Lando yelped against her lips as she hit a sore spot on his side.
Y/n pulled away, putting a hand over her mouth as she realized what she had just done. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry. I-I got carried away. Are you okay?”
“I’m good, I’m good,” Lando assured her.
His side did hurt a little, but he was so high off that kiss they just shared it numbed the feeling. They both stood there, smiling sheepishly at each other. Not sure what to do next, or what to say now.
“Do you-”
“We can-”
They both spoke up at the same time, before chuckling awkwardly at each other.
“Ladies first,” Lando said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
“Well, I was going to ask if I could squeeze in with you and Charlotte? I don’t have a ride back to the hotel tonight.”
“Of course you can,” Lando said eagerly. “I was actually just gonna ask you the same.”
“Well, perfect,” Y/n smiled up at him.
Her eyes ran across his face, admiring all his features. His messy brown curls that fell perfectly in front of his forehead. The beauty marks scattered across his face. And that cute little gap between his front teeth. And goodness his lips. His lips that felt just as soft as they looked.
Seeing her gaze fall to his lips, Lando decided to continue where they had left off earlier. Gently tucking stray strands of her hair behind her ears, he used the same hand to cup her face before leaning in. Lips puckered ready to feel her lips against his again until-
“Save it, lover boy. It’s time to go.”
Rolling his eyes at the interruption, he turned around to the source. It was Charlotte standing behind a few feet away, a knowing look on her face. She laughed to herself at his reaction. She thought of Lando as a little brother and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to give him a hard time.
“How long have you been there? How much have you heard?” Lando asked, mortified that she had just heard him pour out his heart to y/n.
“Long enough,” Charlotte shot them a wink. “I’ll meet you two at the car.”
Lando turned back to Y/n who looked just as mortified. She didn’t know how she was going to look her in the eye during the car ride let alone tomorrow at the office.
“Guess we should get going,” Y/n chuckled.
“I guess so. Don’t wanna keep Charlotte waiting any longer,” Lando chuckled.
The two walked out of the paddock, his good arm slung around her shoulders as she held a brolly for the both of them.