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Snow was slowly falling down on the ground outside of the window. Streetlights illuminate the white flakes and there's a calm who embraces the other silent and dark world.
There's something curative in watching the world turn into a winter wonderland as he let his breath fogg the cold window in front of his nose.
A soft scent of cinnamon and ginger lies over the house, voices from the kitchen can be heard from where George and Alex are decorating the gingerbreads they had baked throughout the day.
Lando puts his arms on the windowsill and weighs his head in his hands, staring out at the illuminated snowflakes, wishing for things to once go his way.
He's not supposed to sit here and sulking - not that he would confess to just that.
He's supposed to be happy for their little get together they are hosting. But the only person he wants to be here. He won't come.
"You gonna wish upon a star?" George's voice could be heard from behind him, but he doesn't do anything to turn around, to show he had heard him.
"You can't even see the stars, mate," his voice is muffled from where he talked into his hoodie cuffs.
"They will be here in ten, so put that hat on once again and call him or something, can't stand to see you like this anymore." Lando looked down in his lap where his Santa hat lay. Screaming red and Christmas holidays.
"Yeah, will do." He put on his hat over his ears before taking out his phone from his pocket. Unlocking the device and opening his camera, switching it around so it’s facing him.
He smiles at the screen, pressing the button and seeing how he captures the image of himself in a ugly Christmas sweatshirt they needed to wear and the Santa hat. It’s perfect, he desidece before exiting the camera app and scrolling through his phone before finding the messenger chat he was looking for.
He sends the photo he just took and a message that reads Santa brought his elfs it looks like. Happy with himself he locks his phone again and turns his attention once more to the snow outside of the window. If only he would be here. But it’s not possible this year.
Even though how promising the wishing on shooting stars sounded, the clouded sky would not make it possible. And what should he wish for? That Carlos would just knock on the door and walk past it? Like everything was just a cruel prank on Lando and to make his visiting just a nod better?
Just as Lando’s supposed to close his eyes to wish on imaginary stars he hears the small knocks on the outdoor. He can feel his heart start to beat faster, what if? But no, he shouldn't give himself hope.
He can hear footsteps guiding their way through the house toward the door, how the door handle pressed down, the door open, a happy course of ‘hello’s’.
He closes his eyes again, taking a deep breath, grounding himself, he can do this. His whole life doesn't revolve around Carlos. Lando opens his eyes again, letting his eyes linger on the cozy image Infront of him. He can have a nice evening!
With his hands on the Santa hat to make it stick to his head he made his way out to the kitchen, hoping their guests made their way over there.
The whole house is decorated in Christmas decorations by small elves, Christmas lights and candles. Putting Lando into Christmas spirits, even though it's still days until it's Christmas day.
Laughs can be heard from the kitchen and Lando mentally gives himself a clap on his shoulder for knowing his friends so well.
Walking in he meets with a hug from one of his best friends. Charles' perfume can be smelled from the boy who holds him. Lando wraps his arms around the body as well and buries his face into the space between its neck and shoulder.
Charles whispers sorry and tightens the hug before letting go.
Of course everyone knew about his crush even without him telling them, they had all told him he was oblivious during their earlier days as teammates, how they had walked around each other, blind to the other’s feelings. Lando still doesn't believe Carlos likes him back, but he can always wish for it.
“The mulled wine is on the stove and will be done any minute,” Alex says as he searches for mugs in the cupboard for the hot drink.
“Perfect,” George put the bread basket they used for their gingerbread on the small table in the living room next to where Lando stands. George gives him a look as if to say ‘don’t touch’, Lando gives George an innocent smile before reaching for a gingerbread cookie, hurriedly stopping it into his mouth before he can say anything about his action.
George only sighs before making his way over to Alex once more, who's stirring in the saucepan on the stove, he puts the mugs on a row so it will be easy to fill them up with the warm wine.
With a deep breath he gathered the smells of Christmas that linger in the air. How the sweet smell of the mulled wine and gingerbreads intertwined with each other so well.
Charles and Pierre take a seat next to each other on the couch when Alex starts to pour up the mulled wine into mugs for each and everyone. Lando steals one more gingerbread cookie before taking a seat next to Charles as George takes one of the armchairs opposite of them.
"Okay, so here we have it, let's get this little Christmas get-together starting," Alex puts the mugs on the table and grabs one before taking a seat in the free armchair.
"Are we planning on giving out the Secret Santa presents now or later?" Charles says as he takes out his phone.
They had come up with the idea of a secret Santa in Saudi Arabia on their track parad before the race. After the race they all get to draw one name each and come up with a fun present.
The original plan was for both Max and Daniel to join as well - and Carlos! - but the other two went to Monaco together before Daniel would fly home to Australia.
"We can do it now?" Pierre suggests and all the boys around the livingroom table nod their heads.
"Sounds good," Lando gets up from his place on the couch before emerging to his bag he has in the foyer.
They take turns handing out their gifts for each other. Pierre, who got Alex, had wrapped a twenty four-pack of Red Bulls in a big carton box (one for everyday until Christmas), making it look way bigger than it was. The joke rested over them like the snow outside, calm but cold.
Lando had found a baby blanket in the white and blue colors of Williams; he had even gone so far to get George’s name and number embroidered in the soft material. When George had given him a confused look, all Lando could do was shrug his shoulders and say it was for ‘all your body parts need to be covered under the blankets!’
Charles, who had Alex as his Secret Santa, got a small miniature yellow Ferrari, 'because red doesn't anyone like'. And George had given Pierre a basket of pear's, if I was you, I would eat does pears soon.
So here they are now, each one with a pear and a smile on their lips. They had told everyone to make the gifts funny, no seriousness this year, only gifts that could go as inside jokes.
Lando took a bite of his pear and rested his head on Charles' shoulder next to him. He felt happy, this Christmas celebration really helped his previous mood. He closed his eyes before inhaling Charles sweet perfume, a calmness washing over him and he could feel the tiredness slowly take over.
“Charles?” Alex asked and Lando opened his eyes again to look at his friend. “You didn’t give Lando anything?”
That was true, Lando realized. He hadn’t got anything yet.
“Give me a minute,” Charles said and gave Lando an apologetic smile before standing from the couch. Lando followed Charles with his gaze before turning to the others again.
“What was that about?” He asked and looked at Pierre. But all he got was a, probably, just as confused gaze as his own back.
Lando slumped down into the sofa cushions again and reached for the blanket on the armrest, he unfolded it and pulled it over himself, letting the soft material warm his cold and tired body up. Just as he closed his eyes the doorbell could be heard and footsteps from the kitchen grew higher.
“Lando, do you open the door?” Charles slumps down next to him once again and Lando takes a look around the room at the others. They all watching him with a difficult-to-interpret expression on their faces.
“Yeah, sure,” he got up when the melody from the doorbell could be heard again, signaling that whoever stood on the other side of the door was growing impatient.
He made his way through the house to the door, he pulled down the handle and opened the door to meet the person standing outside in the winter coldness. Lando looks up at the man standing in front of him, trying to say something, but all he can do is gasp.
“Hi,” the words creating puffs of smoke from the cold between them and the thick accent make Lando shudder.
“Hi,” Lando gets out before he smiles at the Spaniard in front of him. “You came.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Carlos smiles down at Lando before he takes a step forward, embracing Lando into a hug. It isn’t their first hug together, but he can’t help but feel the difference with this one and all the others. How this hug feels more intimate.
Lando tightens the hug a little bit before breaking it, he can’t help but wish for the moment to never end, but he knows that he can’t let them stand outside in the cold, especially when Lando only stands in jeans and his Christmas sweatshirt, the Santa hat long forgotten somewhere in the house.
“Please, come inside, it’s freezing.” He moves into the house and can both feel and hear Carlos follow him into the warmth of the house.
He stands with Carlos as he shrugs off his jacket and shoes. Waiting for his friend to join them in their celebration. When he sees Carlos look back at him he turns around, starting to make his way back to the rest of their mutual friends.
But he doesn't come long before he hears Carlos voice again, “Lando.” Said man turns around, looking questioning at the man he since long fell in love with. “Look.”
Lando looks into the Spaniard's eyes, but he quickly realizes that the other man has his eyes on something over him. He looks up to try to figure out what Carlos is looking at with such intensity. And of course, just over his head they had put it - the mistletoe.
Lando had watched George run around with the twig earlier the day, but he hadn’t seen where he had put it. And now, Lando wasn’t even surprised that he would be the person standing under it.
“You know-” Carlos starts just at the same time Lando said, “What now?”
“You know,” Carlos continued and took a step forward, looking eyes with Lando. “It means bad luck if you don’t kiss under the mistletoe, no?”
Lando swallows dry before looking up at the twig once more, “Yeah, I guess.” He looks back at Carlos again, but this time his gaze fixing at his lips.
“And we don’t want bad luck do we?” All Lando can do is shake his head and look at Carlos.
He doesn't know which one of them who shrank the distance between them, or who made the decision to lean forward first. But one thing he does know is that having Carlos lips against his own is one of the best feelings in the world.
Lando let their lips dance together, letting all his worries he always walk around fade away and all he focuses on is the way Carlos moves a hand and puts it at the back of his head and the other at the small of his back, guiding him closer.
The only thing he can complain about the kiss, is that it ended way too soon. Wishing that he could stand here, under the mistletoe, kissing Carlos until his lips are bleeding.
“Merry early Christmas, Carino.” Carlos says and puts their foreheads against each other.
“That was cute,” Alex's voice could be heard from behind them and Lando jumps back from Carlos, turning around and feeling how his face is growing hot.
“Don’t interrupt the moment, Alex!” George says and hits him on his shoulder.
“Well too late for that now,” Pierre mutters and puts an arm around Charles who stands with a micheves smile on his lips.
“Looks like you liked my Secret Santa gift,” Charles smiles and rests his head on Pierre’s shoulder.
“You did this?” Lando says and looks back and forth between Carlos and Charles.
“Yes, and with a lot of planning from the others too.” Carlos says and walks up to Lando, putting an arm around his shoulders, hugging him from behind. “Couldn’t have known without them, Carino.”
Carlos lingers his lips on Lando’s temple and Lando leans against Carlos' chest. This Christmas get together wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be, not at all.