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Lando Norris. When the world hears that name, they think fast, brave, champion, kind, winner… but who would ever say hopeless romantic fixated on flowers? Well, the truth was, if you asked him, Lando could tell you the meaning of any flower. This special interest wasn’t something he generally shared with people, even close friends and family. It was more of a private thing for Lando that only he got to know about himself.
Now, back to that hopeless romantic part, finding love was a serious problem for Lando. Now it wasn’t like there was a shortage of people attracted to him, no—and hand him a bouquet of jonquils and call him desperate—but there was only one person Lando wanted.
Untouchable. Beautiful. Perhaps the human embodiment of camellias—Lando was in love with Oscar Piastri.
This ordeal had gone on for too long—Lando languishing in his own hopeless love—and he had decided to do something about it. Valentine’s Day was nearing, and for a flower nerd like Lando, what was a better time to give someone flowers?
This would be the year Lando would finally get what he wanted.
———
Petal and Posy was busy this time of year, flowers unsurprisingly being a prime choice of gift for people to give to their lovers. As Lando walked into the shop, bell dinging the door behind him, he was hit with the strong scent of flowers. The smell was quite comforting, actually—a blend of fresh, earthy perfumes mixing with sweet aromas.
Of course, the rose bouquets were nearly out when Lando walked by them—not that he minded, as he was here for a much different flower. However, many others in the store seemed to gravitate towards whatever arrangement looked prettiest. Whether a young man buying for his first love or a husband picking out flowers, the concept of visual aesthetics seemed to win over meaning.
Lando couldn’t help but find it odd just how careless people were when it came to gifting their partner flowers. Like, who would want rainbow unicorn barf in a vase when a single petal can mean the whole world? But, others weren’t Lando’s concern right now. Instead, finding a very specific bloom was his goal.
Flower shops like this, though small, offered a wide variety of colors and kinds to choose from, ranging from mundane to fancy, bland to elegant. While helpful to others, Lando felt as if he was navigating through a rainforest looking for a less popular Valentine’s Day flower.
“Aha!” Lando smiled triumphantly when his gaze landed upon a cluster of dainty yellow flowers, accompanied by little periwinkle blossoms tucked together. Originally, Lando had just been looking for daffodils, however forget-me-nots not only went beautifully with the former, but also held a significant meaning that went well with the one for daffodils.
Daffodils—while holding many meanings—symbolized unequalled love, ‘you’re the only one’, and most importantly to Lando,
the sun only shines when I’m with you.
Because it was true. When Lando’s skies clouded with sadness, a simple text from Oscar could flip his whole day right-side up. Oscar was the sun in his world, where even artificial lighting couldn’t bring the same sense of brightness into his life. God, how he loved that boy.
After sifting through the flowers to make sure they were healthy, Lando picked up the bouquet and carried it to the front desk. The woman standing there seemed quite young, her black ponytail carrying blue highlights as she smiled at Lando. “Hello, will this be all?” She asked, taking the paper bag with a soft crinkling sound and searching it up on her computer.
“Yes, I believe so.” Lando offered a polite nod as he watched the cashier type on her keyboard.
With a teasing smile, the girl briefly looked up from her computer as she worked on it. “So, are these for a special someone?”
Rolling his eyes playfully, Lando shrugged. “Er… you could say that.” He chuckled lightly. “Not even sure if he likes me back, though.”
She nodded with a knowing glint in her eyes, smile softening into understanding. “Ah, that’s how I felt when I first met my girlfriend.” She turned the card scanner towards Lando. “Knew her through a friend, and was completely head over heels for her. I convinced myself she was straight, but, as you can probably guess, she wasn’t.” She kept eye contact with Lando as he swiped his credit card. “I honestly wish I’d done something sooner—would’ve saved us both a lot of hassle and pining.” She handed over a bag with the bouquet inside.
Lando smiled politely, taking a step back with the paper in his hands. “Yeah, I’ve been putting this one off for a while.” He admitted, fidgeting with the bag. “But, I’m going to give these flowers to him, ask him out, and see what happens.” Just saying the words out loud made it feel all the more real, and a sudden wave of nervousness rushed through Lando.
“Ah, well, good luck!” Lando thanked the girl as he walked away, realizing that, yeah, he was actually doing this.
———
One of the perks of being an F1 driver is having most of your fellow drivers living in the same city as you—Monaco. This was no different for Lando and Oscar. In fact, their flats were in the same building, making the situation much more convenient for Lando.
Over the past too-many minutes, Lando had fussed and prodded at the flowers in the brown floral bag. Adjusting a forget-me-not-here, tilting a daffodil there—some would think he was a professional gardener if they didn’t know his true job. Once the arrangement was up to Lando’s expectations, he carefully walked through the building as not jostle his work.
Every muffled footfall on the long carpets felt like a death sentence, reality splashing into Lando as he realized this wasn’t just some silly dream anymore. The short elevator ride up a few floors was an eternity to Lando, obnoxious elevator music only heightening his nerves.
Soon, Lando was standing in front of Oscar’s door, one hand hiding the bouquet behind his back and the other balled in a sweaty fist, hovering in front of the wood. Lando quite literally had to force himself to knock, the whole idea seeming utterly stupid as his free hand dropped to his side. Shuffling from inside the flat and a “coming!” that was unmistakably Oscar caused Lando to recoil as second-thoughts hit him.
I should just run. Yeah, then I won’t be embarrassed and I can go back to my wonderful loveless life!
Just as Lando was analyzing the hall for the quickest escape route, the door opened, and there was Oscar. Hair messy, shirtless, pajama pants on as if he hadn’t changed all day.
Lando’s face felt hot, self-consciousness tightening in his belly as he realized that he wasn’t looking too sharp either; he had thrown on a hoodie and sweats that morning without care. He forced himself to look Oscar in the eye, fingers instinctively clutching the paper, making a painfully obvious crinkling sound that caused Lando to cringe.
“Er, Lando?” Oscar smiled at the sight of him, gaze flicking down to Lando’s lips briefly before finding a more safe point of attention at his eyes. “What’s up?” He tilted his head, the blush across his cheeks mirroring Lando’s.
Finding his courage, Lando took a deep breath, pulling the flowers out from behind his back and displaying it to Oscar. “I—err—” His face flamed, but he went on, “—Oscar, will you be my Valentine?”
A moment’s silence. Oscar stared, awe sparkling in his eyes as they darted between Lando’s face and the meticulously arranged blossoms.
Lando briefly thought he was about to get rejected, when—
“O-of course I will!” Oscar’s giggle was giddy, smile lines deepening as he pulled Lando into a hug while being wary of the flowers.
Cold relief crashed over Lando as he returned the embrace, hands holding the daffodils and forget-me-nots behind Oscar as they pressed close. “Oh, thank God.” Lando groaned, pressing his cheek to Oscar’s neck. “So, uhh, besides the flowers—” He pulled back just enough to see Oscar’s face, “—would you like to go to dinner with me? On Valentine’s Day, of course.”
Oscar nodded eagerly, beautiful eyes sparking in joy and excitement. “I-I’d love that, Lando.” His grin only widened when Lando handed him the flowers. “And thank you.” Oscar brushed a finger over the petals, surprisingly gentle. “These are really beautiful.”
Unequalled happiness engulfed Lando’s every nerve, the feeling sure to stay with him over the next few days leading up to Valentine’s Day.
———
useless muppets
Lando:
GUYSGUYSGUYSGUYSGUYSGUGSGS
UNH
GUSY
Keegan:
wut
Carlos:
Keegan no don’t ask I’m scared
Max:
no now I’m intrigued wsp lando
Lando:
so uh
i kinda gave Oscar flowers
Max:
WHAT
Lando:
and asked him to be my valentine
Keegan:
OH?!?!
Lando:
and out to dinner on valentines
Carlos:
wait why am I actually kinda impressed
Keegan:
aH AH AH AU AUAH AUHA JAHHAHA
JOY TO THE WORLD
Max:
does this mean I get to stop being the victim of ur Oscar rants?
Keegan:
YESSSS
AHHAHRHRHFN
FINALLTT
ROMANCE
ISM ALIDE
YAYAYAYAYAAYAYAYYAYAYYY
AHAHSHRHFH
Lando:
um. I’m putting my phone on silent now.
gotta scream abt my date on Saturday 🧡
———
Valentine’s Day came quicker than Lando expected—not like that was a problem or anything—but he could barely keep himself from squealing like a boy-crazy little girl as he got ready.
First Step: Clothes.
Unfortunately, Lando had absolutely no idea what to wear to a Valentine’s Day date with the boy he’d loved since forever. However, he was eventually able to decide on something simple but classy. A white shirt with the first few buttons undone, black jeans with a gold button and zipper, paired with sleek black loafers that harbored a gold buckle.
Second Step: Face and Hair.
Lando wasn’t much of a makeup person, even though many gay people are stereotyped that way. He simply washed his face and moisturized it before moving onto the main event that was his hair. Lando must’ve spent at least ten minutes fiddling with his hair, trying to tame his curls to look perfect. He eventually decided they were good enough, and gave up.
Third Step: Accessories.
This part was quite easy for Lando—he simply slipped two gold bands around his wrist and layered necklaces with different patterns, all the same shiny color as the other accents in his outfit.
Fourth Step: Finishing Touches.
Arguably being the easiest step, Lando really only had to do two things in this phase. He swished mouthwash in his cheeks to ensure his breath didn’t smell foul, and spritzed on some fancy cologne he only used for special occasions.
Fifth Step: Hope and Pray.
Please let this date go well.
Please let him stay.
Please let him think I’m pretty but not a try-hard.
Please.
———
Lando patiently waited outside of Oscar’s flat, nervously toying with the bracelets on his wrist. He rocked back from the balls of his feet to his heels, mind running through a silent checklist to ensure he had everything.
Phone? Check.
Wallet? Check.
Sanity? Debatable.
Eventually, Lando heard the click of a lock, and the squeak of Oscar’s door opening. His breath stuttered.
Oscar looked gorgeous. His hair—God his hair—was in that perfect, beautiful swoop with just the right amount of shine to catch the dying light of the sun. Black pants hung low on his hips, complimenting the dark navy t-shirt that clung quite well to his muscles. He was wearing a simple black jacket around his shoulders that seemed quite soft, while his shoes were quite the opposite—white.
A very prominent blush tainted Lando’s face, a nervous smile forming as he blinked up at Oscar through his eyelashes. “H-hi, Oscar. You look…” his eyes did another once-over of Oscar’s form. “…beautiful.”
Grinning, Oscar stepped out of the threshold of his flat, closing the door behind him. “Thanks, Lando. You look incredible, also.”
Lando led Oscar out to his car, opening the passenger side door for him. He slid into the driver’s seat, clicking his key into the ignition while Oscar buckled his own seatbelt.
If he was being honest, Lando was sure the car ride would be held in an awkward silence, but it was quite the opposite. The two boys chatted comfortably throughout the whole drive, no sense of anxiety between them. It was quite nice, and any fear Lando had previously had about this date melted away into something warm and comforting.
Soon the two boys arrived at Le Grill, a fancy rooftop restaurant that probably costed way too much. Lando couldn’t lie, he’d never been to a restaurant as fancy as this. For some reason there was even a dress code? He probably should’ve told Oscar they had to dress ‘smart casual’ in advance, but it seemed they both fit that without even trying.
A server in a fancy suit led Lando and Oscar to a table outside, overlooking the beautiful Monaco harbor glittering in the dying light. They took their seats and were handed a bowl of bread as ice water was poured into their glasses.
“Bonjour,” their waiter greeted, “je m’appelle Guillaume, et je serai votre serveur aujourd'hui.”
Lando got only a few words of that, but Oscar seemed to understand the whole sentence.
They both ordered some stupid expensive wine with a name that Lando would rather die than attempt to pronounce.
The conversation was something similar to their usual Lando-Oscar talk, but this time it brought a different feeling. A warm sensation that spread from Lando’s fingertips to his toes.
At one point, Lando laughed so hard his chair fell over. Oscar giggled too, running over to help him up. The whole entire restaurant was staring, but Lando couldn’t possibly care less.
Oscar hauled Lando up, hauling him straight into his chest. They both stood laughing for a moment, pressed together as they caught their breaths. Oscar pressed a gentle kiss to Lando’s cheek before he sat back down, smirking triumphantly.
The rest of the dinner Lando was practically vibrating in his seat, feeling like he was floating above the clouds. He really felt like he got to know Oscar even better than he already did.
The night ended much quicker than Lando would’ve liked, but he was still satisfied overall. I mean, there was good food, a beautiful view, and most importantly, the prettiest boy he’d ever known being the one he got to share it with.
Lando paid the bill that was a bit bigger than he would’ve liked it to be, but that didn’t really matter considering the fact of who he was with.
The drive back from the restaurant was definitely different than the trip there—words a bit heavier, postures slumped. It had been a pleasingly tired night, and Lando wouldn’t change it for the world.
Lando walked Oscar up to his room, where they both lingered for a moment.
“I had a lot of fun tonight.” Oscar smiled, bright as the sun.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Lando nodded, “because I did too.”
“So…” Oscar began, rubbing the back of his neck nervously as his cheeks heated up. “Would you wanna go to the bowling alley with me next Thursday after media?”
Lando almost jumped for joy. “Yes! That sounds… amazing.”
Oscar pulled Lando in by the waist, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips—brief, soft, everything.
“See you on Thursday, then?” Oscar asked when he pulled back just slightly.
Still slightly stunned from the kiss, Lando stayed frozen for a moment, blushing and awestruck. Then he broke into a grin. “Yeah, see you on Thursday.”