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Lando looked at his watch as he ran out the door, the Hello kitty design staring back at him. It was a cute watch, but very inconvenient because it was always 8 minutes behind and Lando can’t do math. “Shit why do i keep this watch” Lando murmured to himself and kept running down the hall to the elevator. Lando was running late to cheer practice. Again. For the 5th time in the last two weeks, and he knew that Kaitlyn, his cheer coach, was going to be mad. This is exactly what they just had a 30 minute talk about after practice yesterday, but its not his fault that he needs his beauty sleep and refuses to go to bed or wake up earlier that he has the past few years. As Landon jumps into the elevator at the last second, he presses the button for the ground floor and fidgets with the hem of his tank top anxiously. It was a Friday night, and tonight they had to go cheer for the basket ball team since football was in playoffs and wont have a game for the next few weeks. The doors open and Lando books it out of the elevator and out of the apartment building. Lando is lucky that his apartment is just down the road from his college gym, but it also doesn’t help that that’s usually his reasoning for being late.
After Lando makes it across the road and onto campus out of breath, he keeps booking it for the gym, looking down at his (now dead) phone, when he runs into what feels like a brick wall. Lando stumbles over and braces himself to feel the actions of his clumsiness, but the harsh contact never comes. He opens his eyes and is met with what looks like an angel, a boy with swoops dirty blonde hair and chestnut eyes, the sun is behind his read reflecting a halo around his head. “-you okay?” The stranger says, Lando snaps out of his entrancement and suddenly becomes aware of the fact that said stranger in holding him, his arms wrapped around his back and waist in an almost dipping position.
scrambles up and back onto both feet, “YEP!” His voice cracks, “Y-Yep! I- I’m all good! I u-uh…. PRACTICE!” Lando awkwardly stutters and yells, running away and avoiding eye contact. God, he wishes the ground would open up and swallow him whole, he had a chance with a stunningly gorgeous man and completely blew it. Lando opens the door to the gym and mediator goes to the locker room to get changed into his cheer uniform, ignoring the shouts that he’s finally here and for him to get dressed quickly.
~~~~~~~~~~
It was finally game time, Lando’s luckily not the only boy on the cheer team, Charles is here as well and saves him from boredom during games. Unfortunately during football season he’s a bit preoccupied drooling over his boyfriend Max. But this isn’t a football game so Lando’s in luck. They finish up their stretch and grab their Pom-Pom's to go cheer the players onto the court, Lando listens o Charles talk animatedly about how his brother, Arthur, is doing in the F2 championship currently, and Lando can’t help but let home mind wander cringedly back to his interaction with the angel of a man from earlier. Again. Charles obviously notices this because he stops his rambling, “What are you so distracted by today?” Charles asks questioningly.
”Who, me. What? No. Nothing.” Lando says too quickly. Guiltiness painting his face when Charles shoots him a look that says ‘are you kidding me’
”Are you sure….” Charles replies, raising his eyebrows sternly, telling him not to lie.
”Ughhhhhhh. Fine.” Lando says embarrassed, “I as running late this morning and on my way in I ran, literally, into this guy… AND IM TELLING YOU, this man was actually an angel. His hair. His eyes. Everything about this guy looked like he was just carved out perfectly for a museum and then he came to life.” He continued, “and then when i fell over he caught me by my waist before i hit the concrete, and i just stuttered and ran away from him, blowing my shot. And I’ll probably never see him again.” He finished saying, dramatically flopping down onto his chair.
”Wowwww Lando, I’m somehow not surprised that you managed to mess that up. But I sure you’ll see him somewhere, the campus isn’t massive, and maybe he’ll come to watch the game tonight, yes?” London rolled his eyes, wishing that he didn’t turn into a statue earlier and had at least asked his name.
Lando and Charles go to line up by the players entrance to cheer them in. Lando keeps thinking about that guy, there was just something about him that felt familiar, like he had seen him before. Maybe just walking around campus or something. Lando chose to close that tab in his brain for right now since the players were about to walk out. They start ruffling their Pom-Pom’s and Lando puts on his biggest fake smile and start cheering for the players coming out of the tunnel. All of a sudden he sees him, the angel guy. He’s. A. Player. Lando feels his hear surely miss a few beats when he makes eye out with him. The guy obviously recognizes him as well because he stumbles a bit and starts blushing but continues running out, almost frozen to Lando’s eyes. After he runs past Lando he finally gets a name for him, #81 Piastri.
“Wow, Lando, I think that guy has a crush o you. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from you. Who is that” Charles asks as they’re walking back to their side of the court.
”That’s him.” Lando says still stunned.
”No way. You’re- how do you say it- grabbing my leg?” Charles replies with a shit eating grin.
“It’s pulling your leg. And unfortunately I’m not.” Lando says putting his head in his hands, wishing again that he could turn invisible, the embarrassment flooding him again.
Throughout the rest of the game, Lando can’t stop staring at Piastri, Charles making fun of him. Lando still can’t believe his eyes, His face immediately turning into a tomato whenever he makes eye once with him during the game. But unfortunately, Basketball ball games are only so long, and the game ends before he knows it. They won 67-46, and Lando thinks he cheered louder than he ever has during a non-formula 1 game. Lando wanted to go to him after the game and ask for his number, or even his actual name, but he was glued to the seat, and he also had clean-up duty for after the game.
Lando was still there 45 minutes after the game had ended, picking up the mess the student sections left. Still thinking about his failed interaction that was just his whole day, when he hears someone start to dribble a ball on the court. Annoyed lando turns aroun from the top of the bleachers to tell whoever it was to go away and go home, when he sees who the culprit is. It was Piastri, who obviously didn’t not realize there was anyone else left in the gym. Oscar sensing that there actually was someone there looked around from the court and made contact with Lando.
”Hey again.” He yelled, dribbling the ball,”This is for you.” He said with a smirk.
He dribbled the ball for two more beats, and then shot it, slightly jumping. But, as the ball soared through the air, even Lando could tell that he messed up his throw, and when the ball completely missed the net, Lando couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
Lando finally decided to be courageous and finally ask him for his number. He started quickly down the bleacher stairs and had almost make it to the bottom when his foot decided to miss a step and let him fall. Lando, again, was expecting to make connect with the hard, waxy floors, but never did.
“We really have to stop meeting like this” He heard from the man holding him.
”You should really get a ball in the hoop if you want to stay on the team.” Lando quickly retaliated.
”Wow. So that’s the thanks i get for saving you not once, but twice?” Piastri replied with a smirk that made Lando’s stomach preform his halftime performance.
“I mean I could think of another way to thank you..” Lando said slyly, ”Go out with me.” He courageously said.
”I think that’s a pretty good idea. But do you want to ask my name first?” He said chuckling
”mmm, I think it’s fine. I wont need to know if you’re a serial killer or not” Lando said chuckling
“Ha. Ha.” He said dryly, “my name’s Oscar and i pinky promise I’m not a serial killer.”
”I’m Lando, and i also promise that I’m not a serial killer” He giggled.
”Well then, in that case, I’ll take you up on that date idea.” Oscar said smiling, “How does Sunday work for you?”