Chapter Text
Lando stares at the pregnancy test in his hand. Soon it’ll join the other 9 he took today. All positive.
There is no doubt in his mind who the alpha is. It had been one of those desperate moments where his heat came on right before a race weekend. Lando hated how he still had an irregular cycle.
It probably had something to do with being unable to find a mate, being single. At least that’s what he heard somewhere.
Max and Daniel had always been good friends. So when Daniel offered to help and Max assured him he was okay with it, he let Daniel help him. Daniel’s body was familiar. But Lando couldn’t think about anymore now, not when Daniel and Max we’re finally back together, figuring out their future, mated and expecting their first pup.
Lando thinks about calling his mum a million times in the following days, but eventually he settles on ignoring it. He cries a lot and throws up a few times. He calls his mum when he can’t sleep the day before flying out to his next race.
His mum talks him through her home remedies for when she was pregnant. It helps. She is calm and accepting. That helps more.
Lando hides it from the team for as long as he can. A major part of him knows that there will be some sort of craze over an unmated pregnant omega.
He’d decided pretty much when he found out that he was never going to tell Daniel. He couldn’t do that to him and Max and part of him knew that Daniel would try to be there because he would think he had to and something about that made Lando feel uncomfortable. He’d rather do this alone.
His trainer finds out but it’s an unspoken thing between them. He’ll be able to finish the season and be back in time for the first race of 2024. Why make a fuss?
He wasn’t the first omega to race while carrying a pup and he wouldn’t be the last.
When he notices his bump is getting harder to hide he tells the team. It’s a little awkward mainly ‘cause Lando feels ashamed. “Hey everyone, I just wanted to make the announcement. I haven’t just gotten fat. I’m pregnant. Before you ask, I don’t know who the alpha is. It was a stupid one night stand and I forgot his name”, he blurts it out after Zak had given him the floor. He hadn’t told him yet. He’d said he wanted to make an announcement. He figured it was better to be fired in front of the whole team than in Zak’s office. That doesn’t happen.
There is a beat of silence in the room, “you have our full support, Lando”, Zak breaks it. There is affirming noise coming from the room and then Zak starts the briefing.
One of the girls from the media team comes up to him afterwards. She had 3 pups, Lando remembers, she’d shown him pictures. “If you need anything, anything at all, just ask”, she hugs him close. “Thank you”, he mutters into her shoulder.
It’s nice to know that he has their support. Throughout his pregnancy they tend to his every whim. Lando often feels a little caught when someone brings him a snack or drink, especially when he’s staring at Daniel fussing over Max. It’s not like he wants Daniel. It’s just the pregnancy, the hormones. The paralysing feeling of being alone and unmated and now as some of the headlines had put it “undesirable”, that doesn’t help either.
Lando doesn’t notice that Oscar is the one who keeps noticing when Lando feels upset. That Oscar is the one who makes demands to have every extra safety measure in place.
Oscar tells everyone and himself it’s for the sake of the team. He can’t admit it’s something deeper, something instinctual, something the alpha in him is demanding.
Lando walks into the first day back to work after the winter break with a full diaper bag and little baby girl Noa Norris in a carrier.
He keeps her close. He is the only one who handles her. Some of the omegas on the media team don’t mind watching her when Lando is in the sim or in the car at testing.
It’s a little strange getting into the car the first time but he realises he missed it as soon as he’s pulling out the garage.
Noa is safely tucked into her carrier with his media rep watching over her.
Lando ignores questions about her in the interviews. It’s not like the media are ever really going to listen. “I made my choice. I love my pup and I don’t need to be mated”, is his go to answer.
Unintentionally he starts a little bit of a movement of people speaking about it in support of omegas wanting to raise pups unmated or simply stay single.
The team keeps their promise supporting Lando through it all. He couldn’t ask for more.
He overhears one of Oscar’s interviews. “You’re an alpha, what do you think about your teammate’s situation?”. Oscar shrugs, “Lando is a good driver and a good teammate. That is all that matters. Besides, Noa is very cute”. It makes Lando smile briefly. He purrs and coos at Noa in his arms, ignoring that some of that was caused by the alpha’s complements.
At the first real race weekend, Lando is nervous, ready, but nervous. He runs into Carlos on his way back to McLaren, after quali. He’s alone on his way to the hospitality. Carlos smiles and they chat. Lando tries his best to hide it but he feels protective. He tugs Noa closer. She fusses a little.
“Hey! How are my teammate and his adorable little pup?”, Oscar smiles. He brushes into Lando’s side as he steps in between Lando and the other Alpha. Lando nods, “hey, we’re okay”. Lando catches Oscar’s scent, very strongly, just for a moment. “Sorry to interrupt but the team needs us, something about the strategy for tomorrow?”, Oscar says softly to Lando.
Lando nods, “okay, yeah. Bye Carlos”. He waves and follows Oscar back to McLaren. Oscar’s hand on his back is gentle but guiding. “We’re not really needed by the team”. Lando stops, they are almost inside the McLaren building now. “Then why did you do that?”, he stammers, unsure what to make of it.
Oscar applies some gentle pressure on Lando’s back and Lando lets himself be pushed inside. “I’m fine”, Lando huffs out. Noa fusses as if she’s disagreeing with him.
“You don’t smell fine”, Oscar throws back. Oscar can still smell Carlos on Lando. Part of him, the alpha part, wants to go back and fight Carlos. Oscar knows how Carlos really feels about Lando’s choices even if he isn’t vocal about it. Oscar had seen the way he looked at Lando when he thought no one was watching, but Oscar always was. For the team, or so Oscar keeps telling himself.
He guides Lando into his drivers room. “You can shower, wash his scent off you? I’ll be right outside with Noa”, Oscar says as he closes the door behind them.
Lando nods, finally admitting to himself that Carlos had made him feel uncomfortable. Carlos was, to put it kindly, traditional and Lando knows that even if he wasn’t saying it to his face, Carlos probably didn’t approve of Lando’s choices. “Yeah okay, thank you”, he smiles softly.
Oscar sits down and Lando carefully places Noa in his arms. He kisses her forehead, “you just stay here, daddy will be right back”. Noa wriggles a little but she stays calm once she’s made herself comfortable.
Lando hears Oscar coo at her as he steps into the shower. He takes his time now that he has it. He realises it’s probably the first time Noa is being held by someone that isn’t family.
Oscar smiles down at the sweet little pup in his arms. He loves holding her, the way she grabs up at him, the way she plays with his fingers, her soft little squeals and purrs. He doesn’t notice Lando coming out of the shower, changed into clean clothes, until Lando falls right next to him.
“Hello my little pup, it’s dinner time”, Lando leans into Oscar’s side as he takes Noa back and positions her just right helping her latch.
Oscar notices now that Lando is only half wearing his shirt. He reaches over to the blanket draped over the back of the small sofa. He pulls it around Lando. Lando smiles softly, “thanks”. Oscar lets his hand rest naturally on Lando’s shoulder. It feels nice to have Lando lean into him while he feeds Noa.
After Noa feeds, she falls asleep quickly. Oscar holds her briefly while Lando puts his shirt and hoodie on. The way she purrs softly into his chest, it sends a wave of protectiveness through his whole body, it almost makes him shiver.
Lando grabs his bags and prepares her carrier, “are you going back to the hotel?”. Oscar looks up at him, “yeah, just need to grab my backpack”. Lando nods, “I’ll meet you out front?”. Oscar smiles, “okay”.
He stands up carefully with the sleeping pup in his arms. He scents her without realising it. He takes her to Lando and gently places her in the carrier. Lando fusses over her, tucking her in. Oscar stays close. It’s hard to walk away from them, but he quickly ducks into his room to grab his things while Lando walks ahead.
Lando is outside waiting for Oscar. The diaper bag is uncomfortably digging into his shoulder and he sighs. It’s not like he’s got his hands free to fix it. He tries though.
He spots Daniel but he’s got no hands free so he pretends he doesn’t. He’s not been alone with him since… well since before.
Lando doesn’t get much time to think about it because the diaper bag is lifted off his shoulder and Oscar steps in front of him with a warm smile. “I got it. Ready?”, he asks. Lando nods, “yeah, thanks”.
Lando doesn’t think he’s ever seen another alpha carry their omega’s diaper bag, then again, Oscar isn’t his alpha. He is just a friend, helping out.
As they approach Daniel and some other people, Lando barely notices the way Oscar puts himself between them.
Back in his hotel room alone with Noa, he falls asleep quickly with her sprawled over his chest. If it is partly because his pup faintly smells like his teammate, he’ll deny it later.
For the rest of the weekend his attention is solely divided between racing and Noa. It doesn’t leave room for anything else.
Flying to Jeddah goes relatively smoothly. If Noa is fussing it’s mostly because Lando doesn’t like flying and she picks up on that. It’s interesting to Lando, how she picks up on his feelings so quickly.
At airport security, Lando struggles a little with his bags and he can feel eyes on him. He’s gotten used to it now. Oscar jumps in taking most of Lando’s bags. “I got it”, he smiles. Lando doesn’t notice the glare he sends to the people staring at them as he fusses over Noa.
After the first practice session, Lando pushes himself out of the car and goes straight to Noa to check on her. He pulls a face as soon as he picks her up. “Someone needs a change”, he laughs softly. He knows he told the team no one else handles her, but still he finds it upsets him thinking about how uncomfortable she must have been.
In the short while, it takes him to get from the garage to his room, Noa is having a full blown meltdown. He ignores everyone around him. He’s gotten pretty used to that. In his rush, he leaves his door open. He quickly but carefully changes her diaper. It doesn’t calm her.
Oscar follows Lando instantly. He knows he should probably send someone else but the alpha in him is too strong and he does it before thinking.
He leans against the door frame of Lando's driver's room just as he Lando picks her up. “What is it, baby?”, Lando mutters to her, bouncing her gently. A few tears prick in the corners of his own eyes. “If only she could tell you right?”, Oscar says softly.
Lando looks up at him, “yeah, if only”. “Maybe she’s hungry?”, Oscar asks as he walks into the room, closing the door. Lando looks down at Noa, “are you hungry?”. Oscar guides Lando to sit down. Noa seems to calm a little now, as Oscar takes her briefly so Lando can free himself of his race suit and fireproofs.
Oscar carefully hands Noa to him and then drapes a blanket around Lando’s shoulders. He sits close. Noa softens, purrs, when she latches. Lando sighs, relaxing now. He doesn’t think about anything but Noa, when he leans into Oscar and rests his head on Oscar’s shoulder.
Oscar scents them before he realises. Lando purrs and coos at Noa still nursing in his arms. It makes Oscar smile, it apeaces the alpha within him.
There is a soft knock on Lando’s door, “Lando? ready for debrief? and have you seen Oscar?”, someone asks outside the door. “Yeah! I’m in here. Give us a minute? Lando is feeding Noa”, Oscar answers. “Okay, I’ll let everyone know”, footsteps recede.
Lando looks up at Oscar, “thanks”. Oscar smiles, “feeding Noa is more important than debrief”.
After a few minutes, Noa has a full tummy and is fast asleep. Lando coos at her. He hesitates, “can you hold her, so I can change? If I put her down she’ll wake up”. Oscar smiles, “of course, no problem at all”. Oscar holds his arms out for her. He holds her close to his chest.
Lando changes into a hoodie and his bottoms quickly. “Do you want to change too?”, Lando asks shyly. Oscar shakes his head, “I’m okay, let's get to debrief''. Lando takes Noa back and tucks her into the sling. Oscar unzips his race suit and ties it around his waist. He holds the door open for Lando.
Oscar’s hand on the small of Lando’s back guides Lando to the briefing room. It’s not demanding or pushy, in fact it makes Lando feel a little bit safer. He’s seen the way people look at him, especially in countries like this where omegas like him are shunned if they are lucky.
Noa sleeps her way through debrief and most of the second practice session. Oscar gets into the garage first and he hears Noa fuss, just a little. He makes the few long strides over to Lando’s side of the garage where she is tucked into her carrier, noise cancelling headphones protecting her small ears. She has a small frown on her face and she looks just about ready to start screaming her little lungs out. Oscar picks her up and rocks her gently.
He doesn’t notice the gasps from the people around them, too focused on Noa.
Lando pulls back into the garage and is helped out of the car. He looks over at Noa to find Oscar rocking her. He’s glad he still has his helmet on, as a million different emotions pass over his face in a matter of seconds. He manages to screw his face into a neutral expression as he pulls his balaclava off. With anyone else he might have started a fight, but Oscar smiles at him, “look sweet Noa, there he is. Daddy is right there”.
Lando takes her and cradles her close to his chest. “I think she missed you. I couldn’t just let her fuss”, Oscar says softly. Lando nods, “thank you”. Noa purrs softly. She mouths at Lando’s chest and Lando looks at his engineer, “can I feed her before debrief?”. He gets a nod, “yes, of course”.
Oscar doesn’t think about it when he follows Lando, he just does and he holds her briefly while Lando changes into comfortable clothes, his shirt only half on so he can feed her. He sits down and Oscar carefully gives her back and pulls the blanket around Lando before sitting down. It’s almost like it’s already become a routine, like they do this every day.
Lando coos at Noa, praises her as she drinks. Oscar lets Lando lean into him.
When Noa is done, she wriggles a little and Oscar reaches out his big hand supporting her a little more. “Hi little cutie”, he smiles at her and her little hand grabs at his face. Lando purrs and leans more into Oscar, resting his head against Oscar’s shoulder. Oscar looks at him, but Lando is gazing down at Noa. Oscar feels that same wave of protectiveness move through his whole body as Noa squeals a little.
There is a knock and it breaks their quiet moment, “almost ready!”, Oscar calls out. He takes Noa holding her close as Lando dresses properly. “You’re still in your racesuit again”, Lando notes. Oscar smiles, “it’s okay. I can change later”. Lando doesn’t think about it too much when Noa wriggles a little. He takes her and puts her in the sling. According to Lando the greatest invention ever because he can do everything with both his hands while his pup is tucked safely against him.
Oscar guides him out, hand back on the small of Lando’s back. Lando is focused on Noa, cooing at her, rocking her to sleep. Lando stops for a moment when he realises he left the diaper bag and therefore her binkie in his room but then Oscar pushes him forward gently and into the briefing room, “I have her bag”, he whispers softly. “Can I have her binkie?”, Lando whispers back. Oscar pulls it out of the front pocket. He’d seen Lando do it before.
Lando pops it into her mouth and sits down. They discuss everything from how the car felt to strategy for tomorrow and prospects for the race. Lando is a little jealous of Noa as she sleeps through all of it.
As he walks outside with Noa still sleeping in the sling, his backpack, her diaper bag and the empty baby carrier, he feels tired and ready for bed. He’s surrounded by members of his team, safe, and yet he flinches a little when he notices some camera crews still there. Noa wakes up and fusses instantly. Lando curses himself internally while he coos at her.
He doesn’t notice Max and Daniel until they are close. He smiles, but it’s a fake one. Lando attempts polite conversation but Noa fusses more, on the verge of a breakdown. So he interrupts himself, “sorry, she’s tired. We both are. Catch up later?”. Max grins, “yeah, of course!”, he smiles at the twins in the stroller. Only a few weeks older than Noa. “I don’t know how you do it, you know. I mean, I struggle and I have Dan. Rest up, I am proud to be your friend, Lan”, Max adds. Lando smiles, genuinely this time, “thank you, Max”.
He doesn’t know if he can walk away. Noa lets out the beginning of a cry. Lando doesn’t have enough hands. Oscar is there out of nowhere, emptying Lando’s hands, “I got these”. Lando immediately focuses on Noa. He lets out a distracted “bye”, as Oscar guides him away to the parking lot. If Lando wasn’t so focused on Noa, he would probably wonder how Oscar managed to carry all their bags and the carrier in one hand, to still have the other free to guide Lando.
Lando finds over the weekend Noa feeds better when Oscar is with them, but he keeps that to himself. He doesn’t want an alpha, or a mate, but maybe, just the smallest maybe ever, maybe he wants Oscar.
Lando considers it good when he goes back to Monaco, alone in his apartment. It’s good for Noa too. She sleeps better in her nursery. Everything he needs is close and any kind of sadness he blames on the hormones.
The flight to Australia is long and Noa is cranky, mostly because she can sense her daddy is. She is whining and crying and Lando wants to cry too when someone yells at him about it, but the flight attendant politely puts the man in his place. “Everything okay, Mister Norris?”, the beta smiles softly at him once she has defused the situation. Lando fakes a smile and nods, “yeah, I’ll be glad when we land though”.
Lando doesn’t expect Oscar to be waiting for him at the airport, but he is. Oscar had flown to Australia early to see his family. Oscar smiles and instantly takes some of Lando’s luggage. He coos briefly at Noa, tucked into the sling. “Hey Osc”, Lando smiles. He’s tired and his instincts are begging him to just let Oscar take control. “Hey Lan, I figured I’d drive you and Noa?”. Lando nods, “okay, thank you”.
Oscar guides him out of the airport, to his car. He lifts all the luggage into the trunk while Lando sets up the carrier for Noa in the backseat. Lando had half expected Oscar to show up with his sports car but this was more like any other car in the parking lot. He settles Noa in the carrier and makes sure she is strapped in and the seat is secure.
“It’s a rental. I hope it’s okay”, Oscar says, closer than Lando expects him. Lando nods, “yeah, sorry. I am just really tired”. Oscar smiles softly, “you don’t have to apologise. Let’s get to the hotel”.
At the hotel, Lando feels how tired he is as he needs to step out of the car. Oscar has already gotten his luggage, all he has to do is take care of Noa. He takes her out of the car in her carrier. He lets Oscar guide him through the crowd. Oscar takes the keys to Lando’s room from a team member.
Lando doesn’t really register Oscar comes into the room with him until he’s already closed the door. Lando sets down the carrier and takes Noa out. Immediately she mouths at his hoodie and Lando sighs, realising his mistake; putting her down again will most certainly make her cry. “Can you hold her?”, Lando asks, looking up at Oscar who is setting Lando’s luggage down.
Oscar walks over and smiles, “of course I can” he takes her gently from Lando’s arms. “Hi little cutie. I missed you”, he coos at her. Lando quickly takes off his hoodie and shirt. He hesitates, “sit with me, while I feed her? Please?”. Oscar smiles at him and Lando takes it as a yes. He gets comfortable on the bed, making a quick small nest for them.
Oscar gently hands Noa to him and sits close. He drapes a blanket around Lando and Noa. Lando leans into his side and she latches on. “Thank you. The flight was exhausting. Someone yelled at me because she was crying”, Lando sighs. Oscar frowns and resists the urge to growl, “who?”.
The deepness in Oscar’s voice makes Lando laugh, “easy Alpha, it was just some random dude on the plane”. Lando purrs and rests his head on Oscar’s shoulder. “I’ll be with you on the flight back”, Oscar states and Lando purrs as he smiles softly at Noa.
Noa is full and fast asleep soon, as usual. Lando looks up at Oscar, “do you mind staying? Just so I can shower quickly?”. Oscar smiles, “I am not going anywhere”. Lando nods and settles her onto Oscar's chest. He gets up and into the shower. He doesn’t dare look back at the alpha in his nest, cuddling his pup. He isn’t ready for that.
Lando takes a quick shower, washing all the scents and grime of him. He hates long haul flights. He walks back into the room in sweatpants and a hoodie. He crawls back into the nest and cuddles into Oscar’s side, resting his face on Oscar’s chest, as close to Noa as possible. He purrs softly at her.
Oscar pulls the blanket a little over Lando and softly kisses his forehead. Lando picks his head up and looks at him wide-eyed. Oscar cocks his head, “everything okay, Lan?”. Lando frowns, “everything okay? No, you just? You just kissed my forehead”. Oscar looks into his eyes, "I mean, you're the one who cuddled up to me. I just wanted to comfort you”, he pauses. Lando blinks at him. Oscar reaches out with one hand and strokes some of Lando’s damp hair off his forehead, “I know you have this whole independent omega thing going but I am here for you and for your pup", he adds.
Lando leans into the touch, exhausted he lets himself slump back onto Oscar’s chest. He doesn’t realise he’s crying until Oscar wipes some tears off his cheek, “but she’s not yours and I am undesirable and a mess and nothing ever works out for me in love, why would you associate yourself with me?”, Lando stammers out a little choked up. Oscar purrs and it sends a shiver down Lando’s spine, “I want you, Lando and I know that means Noa too and I promise, I will do anything for the both of you”. Lando peaks up at him, “okay, please. I want you”. Oscar smiles and strokes his cheek, “always”.
Lando snuggles close and coos at Noa, sound asleep on Oscar’s chest. Lando laces their fingers together on her back, purring deeply. He tries to hold in his emotions for a while until Oscar whispers, “let it out, Lan. I can feel you’re tense”. It breaks what Lando can only describe as a floodgate and he sobs into Oscar’s shoulder. He presses his nose into Oscar’s scent glands, desperately. Oscar holds him and Noa close as he scents them, “let it out, sweetheart. I will protect you”, he hums quietly.
Eventually Lando’s tears dry out into quiet sniffles. Oscar kisses his forehead. “Hey?”, he nudges his nose against Lando’s. Lando sighs, “I am sorry alpha”. Oscar shakes his head, “never apologise about your feelings, not to me”. Lando takes a deep breath, “you’re not like most people, not like most alphas”. Oscar smirks, “being like most people is boring”. Lando laughs, “easy for you to say, Mr. Hotshot alpha”. Oscar brushes his nose against Lando’s again, “I will make it easy for you too, Lando, I promise”.
Oscar kisses him softly, tenderly, lovingly, everything Lando thought he could never have. Lando purrs deeply, chasing the kiss. Noa squeals on Oscar’s chest. They hadn’t noticed her waking up. It makes them both laugh. “I think she agrees Lan, I am your alpha”, Oscar grins. Lando smiles back at him, “you are our alpha”. He looks back at Noa, “Isn’t that right? We love alpha, don’t we?”, Lando coos at her. Oscar can’t stop smiling as he scents them.
It doesn’t matter who the biological alpha is, even if Oscar has his suspicions. Lando is his now and that makes Noa his too, or maybe rather like Lando said, He is their alpha. Oscar had never been big on doing things the traditional way anyway. This, Lando curled up into his side and Noa wriggling happily on his chest, this feels right.
“We can bathe her in a bit. She loves bath time”, Lando smiles up at him, breaking Oscar’s train of thought. He leans down and kisses his forehead, “I’d love to”. Lando snuggles close, “cuddles first, I am so tired”. Oscar laughs softly, “have a nap, Lan. I’ll watch over you”. Lando purrs in response, already drifting off to sleep.