Work Text:
Lando has been tossing and turning for at least an hour. Oscar and Andrea had tried to convince him to go out for dinner with the team, and he had felt guilty turning them down, but ultimately he knew he wouldn’t be good company. Oscar deserved better than having Lando’s dark cloud hanging over his celebration and, quite honestly, if there’s a day Lando thinks he deserves to mope, it’s today.
He’d gone straight to bed after a scalding shower, hoping to wash the day off and be able to sleep straight away to forget it happened in the first place. Unfortunately his brain has other ideas and he hasn’t been able to lay still yet.
He doesn’t want to dwell on it, but there’s a pit in his stomach that gets worse every time he closes his eyes and replays the day’s events. For once he doesn’t blame himself exclusively, but that makes it perhaps even worse. He doesn’t know how he’ll be able to face Max. Not because of his anger, but the worry that Max won’t understand and their friendship will be irreparably damaged is looming in his mind. He doesn’t know how to move on from this.
Lando is considering taking a sleeping pill when there’s a soft knock on his door. He gets up to open, figuring it’s Oliver checking up on him - again.
It’s not Ollie.
Standing shoulder to shoulder on his doorstep are Oscar and Carlos, both out of their team wear and looking at him expectantly.
“What are you two doing here?” He stands back to let them in anyway and directs his next question at Carlos. “Aren’t you meant to be on a flight to Milan right now?”
Oscar walks in first, toeing off his sneakers and eyeing the twisted duvet on the bed. Carlos stays by Lando as he closes the door.
“I changed my flight to tomorrow morning, only need to be at the factory by 2pm.”
“We ran into each other on our way out of the track”, Oscar cuts in, “and Carlos gave me a ride back to the hotel.” He smiles innocently at Lando while Carlos just stares with his big doe eyes.
Lando feels his eyes narrowing in a mix of annoyance and amusement.
“That’s so nice of him. Glad to see you two getting along.” He turns his gaze on Carlos. “And why are you up here now?”
“Well I figured if I am here, I should come and see you.” Carlos avoids Lando’s eyes carefully. “I forgot what time we’re meeting on Wednesday at the golf club and I don’t want to be late.”
Lando feels a laugh bubbling up his throat and it only gets worse when he glances at Oscar and sees him glaring incredulously at Carlos.
“Jesus, mate, couldn’t you think of something better?” Oscar barks at Carlos, and Lando starts giggling, feeling genuine mirth for the first time in hours.
Both Oscar and Carlos look at him like he’s grown a second head, which just sets him off even more as he walks further into the room and climbs into his bed.
“We just thought maybe you’d like some company, Landito.” Carlos looks mildly embarrassed but also determined. “I brought that tea you like, and we could watch a movie?”
Meanwhile Oscar has picked up the tv remote and offers it to Lando across the bed with a tentative smile.
Now that he’s managed to stop chuckling at their clumsy attempt at subterfuge, Lando can’t help but be grateful. He knows he should put up a token protest, he still has a cold and doesn’t want to pass them his germs, and he won’t be good company tonight. They should be celebrating their respective podiums, not worrying about him.
But he just doesn’t have it in him to deny himself this comfort.
“I could go for some tea”, he says as he picks up the remote from Oscar. Carlos grins at him in that silly way he has as he walks into the kitchenette.
“Go on then”, Lando pats the bed gently and beckons Oscar over, “You might as well make yourself comfortable.”
Oscar ducks his head as he climbs onto the bed on Lando’s left side, but Lando can see his smile.
“As you wish, your highness.” Oscar teases lightly, but he presses next to where Lando is sitting up against the headboard, all the way from shoulder to knee.
Lando gets comfortable next to him, as he hears Carlos puttering about in the kitchenette.
He is endlessly disappointed with his results, and angry about the way it happened as well. He doesn’t know how he’ll be able to face Max when he next sees him.
But he has this, and it’s enough to give him a warm feeling strong enough to quiet the anxiety in his chest for now.
——
The next day, Lando wakes up with Carlos’ solid chest pressed against his back and his arm around his waist, while Oscar snuffles quietly in front of him and shifts their tangled legs sleepily, one of his hands grasping Lando’s sleep shirt.
He has them.