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With his backpack slung over his shoulder, Lando arrived at Oscar's apartment. Almost as soon as he rang the doorbell, the door opened. Oscar greeted him with a short kiss.
"Can you come into the office with me? You can put your stuff away later," Oscar said while motioning to a door near the front door. Lando raised an eyebrow before following Oscar into the adjacent room. He put his stuff down before taking place on one of the office chairs.
"So, I need to tell you something. Please let me explain the entire story before asking questions. I'll answer every question you have, I just need to get through the story first, okay?" Oscar asked. He had seated himself on one of the other chairs. He quickly wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. Lando could feel his heart starting to beat faster. Was Oscar going to break up with him? No way, right? He had said Lando could put away his stuff later. That must mean he wanted him to stay. Right?
Oscar took a deep breath before he started talking: "A few years ago, five to be precise, I was together with this really nice girl. We met in high school and we dated for over a year. Apparently the contraception methods we were using all failed. She turned out to be pregnant," Oscar said. He watched Lando's eyes widen but wasn't able to find any other emotion in his eyes.
"By the time she found out she was pregnant, we were no longer dating. We had a good talk about what to do next. She really didn't want to give up or abort the child, because she felt like it was unfair to the baby. So, she kept it." Lando almost felt an error message spawn in his brain. His thoughts were running and he couldn't even logically think. From all the things he had expected Oscar to talk about, this definitely wasn't one of them.
"So, a few months after, our daughter was born. The girl and I still have a really good relationship. She has main custody, but we have a flexible schedule on when I take our daughter in. Obviously, I deal with race weekends and everything," Oscar said. He felt sweat run down his back.
"To be honest, I am quite nervous to share this because not many people know I am a dad. I don't want to make my daughter's life more difficult than it needs to be. She has her mom's last name and everything," Oscar explained. He hated that he couldn't properly read Lando's face.
"I was actually going to tell you this entire story during the summer break so we could properly talk about it." Oscar took another deep breath.
"The reason I am telling you now is because her mom had a medical emergency to take care of. She asked if I was able to take care of the little one. I am always glad to spend more time with her. So, I obviously said yes. I asked her mom if she was okay with letting her meet you. She said she was very supportive," Oscar rambled. At this point, he would much rather just get the story over with.
"I will get it if this is too much for you to take in right now. Or if this is too much in general. You are free to leave. If you want to break up with me over this, that's also fine. I wouldn't hold it against you. It's just that I'd never give up my daughter," Oscar said. His thumb was pressing into the palm of his other hand. His leg was bouncing. He did everything in his power to avoid Lando's eyes.
"Osc, look at me," Lando said. Oscar finally looked up to meet Lando's eyes.
"Yes, it's a lot to take in. But this doesn't mean I love you any less. I think it is wonderful that you stayed in this girl's life. And that you and her mom have such a good relationship," Lando said. A smile returned to Oscar's face.
"Thanks, I am glad too."
Lando wrapped his arms around Oscar briefly to show him he was indeed okay with the entire situation.
"What is her name?" Lando asked.
"Liv, well, it's actually Olivia. Everyone just calls her Liv," Oscar said with a smile on his lips.
"Can I meet her?" Lando asked. Oscar nodded. He couldn't be more surprised at how easy that conversation went. He had half expected Lando to storm out of the apartment. Instead, Lando followed Oscar toward a door at the end of the hallway. Now that Lando thought about it, he had never known what was behind that door. Not that he ever truly wondered. Oscar knocked on the door.
"Can I come in?" Oscar asked.
"Yes," A quiet voice sounded from behind the door.
On the floor sat a blonde girl. She was surrounded by an array of dolls.
"Honey, I brought a friend," Oscar said while motioning to Lando. The latter smiled while he walked over to Liv. He sat down on the floor opposite her.
"Hi, my name is Lando. What is your name?" Lando asked.
"I am Liv." Lando couldn't help but notice that she had Oscar's eyes.
"That's such a pretty name," Lando said while clapping his hands.
"Thank you," Liv said, beaming with pride.
"And who are all these beautiful ladies," Lando said while motioning to the dolls that surrounded them on the floor. Liv started an entire monologue explaining who all her dolls were, what their names were, and what they did for jobs. Lando listened and asked questions to make sure she knew he was listening. Oscar smiled fondly at them from where he was still standing. Quietly he left to make some snacks.
When Oscar came back, Liv seemed to have just finished her story.
"I made some snacks and something to drink. Liv, do you want me to bring your snack here or do you want to sit with us?" Oscar asked while he crouched next to the girl.
"I want to come with you," Liv said. Oscar smiled while he got up. He held out his hand for her to take. Which she quickly did. Lando followed them into the kitchen. Oscar had put down some snacks on the dining table. He had put a juice bottle next to the toddler chair Lando had never seen before. Oscar was about to lift her onto her chair when he heard her quietly speak up.
"Dad, can I sit with you?" She asked.
"You want to sit with me? On my lap?" Oscar asked. When she nodded he sat down on his own chair. He motioned her to come closer. As soon as she was close enough, he lifted her onto his lap. She immediately cuddled up against his chest. Lando caught the soft smile that was on Oscar's face while he looked down. It was strange to see Oscar like this, but yet it seemed to come so natural to him.
That night after Oscar had brought Liv to bed, he returned to the living room. Lando had been sitting on the couch, scrolling on his phone.
"Do you want to talk about all of this?" Oscar asked while he sat down next to Lando. The latter shrugged.
"I think you are thinking this is a bigger deal than it actually is," Lando said. A frown appeared on Oscar's face.
"It is a big deal though. You showed up here thinking we would just hang out together. And suddenly I am telling you I have a kid. And that I have been keeping it from you. Next thing you know, you spent all day with a child instead of your boyfriend," Oscar said. Lando tilted Oscar's head with his finger before he bent forward to connect their lips.
"Oscar, she is important to you. So, she is important to me. I get that you don't want to tell the world so you kept it from me until the time felt right," Lando said. He made sure to keep eye contact with Oscar.
"That- that means a lot," Oscar said.
"Come on, give me a hug, sweetheart," Lando said while opening his arms. Oscar scooted over before burying himself in Lando's embrace.
They stayed like that until it was time to go to bed. A movie had been turned on but neither of them had paid too much attention to it. Every now and then they would whisper sweet nothings in each other's ears. Some lazy kisses were shared. But they mostly stayed in each other's embrace.
That night Lando had just woken up from a sore throat. He took a few sips from the bottle of water on his nightstand before turning around to go back to sleep. He jumped when he heard the door open. Illuminated by the moonlight he saw Liv standing in the doorway. Lando quietly got out of bed before making his way over to her. When he walked closer to her, he realized she was sobbing.
"Hey, it's okay. You're okay. Can I pick you up?" Lando asked. When she nodded, he lifted her up. Quietly he closed the bedroom door behind him before making his way over to the living room. He sat them down on the couch, Liv still in his arms.
Lando quietly rocked her back and forth, shushing her softly in the meantime.
"You're okay, honey. You are okay," Lando whispered into her hair when she started to calm down. He had no clue what to do, but decided to go with his gut.
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Lando asked.
"Bad dream," She mumbled.
"Oh those always suck, don't they. I get them sometimes too," Lando said. She moved to look at him, a frown on her face.
"Really?" She asked. Lando nodded.
"Sometimes. And then I wake up feeling a little scared as well. But I always tell myself they are not real," Lando said.
"It is not real. No, it's not real," She parroted.
Lando kept holding the girl close, hoping it would calm her down.
"Do you want to tell me what your dream was about?" Lando asked. Liv shook her head.
"Do you need anything before going to bed? Something to drink? Or do you want to see your dad?" Liv shook her head at all the options.
"Come on, let's get you back to bed then," Lando said. He easily hoisted her up.
After putting her back in bed, he tucked her in. He could see the way she started trembling again.
"Do you want me to stay here until you are asleep?" Lando asked while brushing some hairs out of Liv's face. "Please?" She asked.
"Of course." He held out his hand for hers to take.
"Sleep well, princess," Lando said while placing a kiss on the back of her hand. A soft giggle escaped her lips.
The next morning, Oscar woke up to a cold bed. He couldn't stop his mind from racing. Did everything he told Lando scare him off after all? While deep in his thoughts, he walked over to the kitchen. Liv usually woke up around this time and he liked to have her breakfast ready as soon as she woke up.
When it was way past the time Liv usually woke up, he made his way over to her bedroom to check on her. Still, he couldn't take his mind off Lando. When he opened the door he found Liv fast asleep in her bed. Lando was sitting next to the bed. His hand still holding onto Liv's. He was resting his arms and head on the mattress, seemingly also fast asleep.
Right the moment Oscar wanted to turn around, Lando stirred. When Lando opened his eyes, he looked around confused until he spotted Liv. A small smile appeared on his face once he saw her. Oscar made his way over to them.
"Good morning," Oscar whispered. Lando looked up with a smile on his face.
"Mornin'," He mumbled.
"Why are you sleeping here?" Oscar asked.
"She had a bad dream. She came to get you but I was already awake. So, I decided to give it a shot," Lando whispered. Oscar could practically feel himself beaming. It warmed his heart to see the two people he loved so dearly together like that.
"And why didn't you come to bed after?" Lando shrugged.
"I promised her to stay. I must have fallen back asleep myself," Lando said.
Liv's eyes slowly opened.
"Good morning, sweet girl," Oscar said before placing a kiss on her forehead. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the light in the room.
"Are you still a little tired?" Oscar asked. She nodded while using her free hand through her eyes.
"What about this? After breakfast, we can watch some TV?" A smile appeared on her face.
"Can we watch Frozen?" Oscar didn't know how you could watch the same movie a hundred times and still get excited to see it again. If there was ever a pub quiz question about Frozen, Oscar was sure he was going to get the answer right.
"Of course we can."
"Dad?" Liv asked while they were seated in front of the television.
"Why do you sleep in the same bed? Were you having a sleepover?" Liv asked while she turned her full attention to Oscar. Lando stayed quiet, wanting to let Oscar explain the situation.
"You know how your mom and Tom share a bed because they love each other?" When Liv nodded, Oscar continued, "So do we," They watched the wheels in her head turn.
"But you are a boy and he is a boy," Liv asked while pointing at them. A small smile appeared on Oscar's face.
"Yes, that is right. But that doesn't mean we can't love each other, does it?" Oscar asked. The girl shook her head.
"So, I can love a girl too?" Liv asked.
"If you want to."
"That's so cool!" Liv exclaimed before happily diverting her attention back to the television.
Lando watched Oscar take a shaky breath before blinking away tears. He placed a hand on Oscar's arm. The Aussie looked up at him before forcefully pulling him closer. He placed a kiss on Lando's hair.
"I love you," Oscar said, barely loud enough for Lando to hear.
"I love you too, honey," Lando whispered.
After a while, Liv turned towards Lando.
"How do you know dad?" She asked. Lando looked at Oscar for a quick second before directing his attention back to her.
"Do you know what your dad does as a job?" Lando asked. Her eyebrows knitted together while she got quiet for a second.
"He drives really fast cars," She eventually said. Oscar chuckled softly.
"So do I!" Lando exclaimed happily.
"Cool."
Liv crawled over Oscar's lap towards Lando. Without saying anything, she settled herself onto Lando's lap. A soft sigh left her lips.
"Hey, sweet girl,' Lando said. He wrapped an arm around her. Lando looked towards his left to see Oscar watching them with a big smile on his face.
"I am going to make us some lunch," Oscar said before getting up. He placed a kiss on both of their foreheads.
When Oscar came back into the living room, he found Liv asleep on Lando's lap. Lando had his full attention dedicated to her. As quietly as he could, Oscar snapped a few pictures of the two.
"She is out cold," Lando whispered as soon as he saw Oscar.
"Well, I guess lunch will have to wait," Oscar said before chuckling. He sat down on the couch next to Lando.
"I told you, you are comfortable to cuddle with," Oscar said. He briefly connected their lips.
"Apparently," Lando said. He barely dared to move his head, afraid of waking up Liv.
When they pulled away, Oscar buried himself into Lando's embrace as well.
"Thank you for being okay with all of this," Oscar whispered.
"Of course. Osc, I love you so much. You are so important to me. As she is so special and important to you, she is the same for me." A shiver ran down Oscar's spine.
"You are really important to me too. I love you too." More didn't need to be said. They knew how they felt about each other and that those feelings were mutual.