Short Things by yours truly

The Clingy Before the Loss

<->(written between 22 and 23 season) Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, no smut, just Lando being clingy with Daniel before Daniel leaves (all platonic)...

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The hotel room was dark and quiet, letting the younger easily fall into the same breathing rhythm as the other.

Lando had snuck into Daniel's room with the key card he'd stolen while Daniel was in the shower, inevitability causing the older to nearly have a heart attack at the sight of someone in his bed.

Lando was curled up at Daniel's side, eyes a bit watery, wishing it wouldn't be this hard.

Daniel's arm was around Lando, hand resting on the back of his shoulder, thumb rubbing side to side in a comforting manner.

They lay there in silence, falling into a gentle sleep.

The next day in the paddock, Lando stayed close to Daniel. Keeping their shoulders touching when the moment permitted.

Daniel let him. He knew how hard this was for the younger.

He knew the effect Carlos leaving the team had on him, but that was different.

Lando would still see Carlos in the paddock, he wouldn't be able to do that with Daniel.

Sure, loosing your seat and not having another seat secured was hard, but what was really difficult was seeing how it affected your friends; and right now, Lando was being heavily effected, and Lando being hurt always hurt Daniel, too.

So the older did what he could to comfort the younger. Putting his arm around Lando's shoulders, letting their knees touch when they sat next to each other... the little things.

What also hurt Daniel, right to the core of his heart, was seeing how Lando looked lost when they had to be separated for business or team things.

Lando was like a puppy, and he'd grown an attachment to Daniel that neither of them noticed unless they were apart.

That's also why Daniel had come up behind Lando during media duty to wrap his arms around the younger's shoulders, resting his head on one of Lando's shoulders. (made up interaction)

That's why he let the world see, for these few days, the friendship and love that these two had built over the two years.

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<->sad Danny Ric fan noises. I cannot with the seating arrangement next season😔 no Danny, no Mick, no Nicky, and Pierre, after all he's done for Redbull, is sent to a different team... I'm sad. This is sad. (This is also why I root for individual drivers instead of teams) hope you enjoyed :)