FOR HIM [Lando Norris] ~ Gridlock Series Stand Alone ~

Above All Else

EVELYN

I remain speechless, my head swapping back and forth between Landon and Charles.

"Mum?" Landon repeats, giving my hand little squeeze.

My glance breaks down toward him, "Sorry" I mutter, "I'm just... surprised" I breath out with a smile.

"Like I said" Charles comforts, "I don't need you to say anything, we just thought it was time that you knew" his head gestures toward Landon.

I nod gently, "I knew" I whisper.

"Sorry to interrupt" A gentleman approaches us from behind. "Mr Leclerc, it's time" he instructs, gesturing his hand toward the hot aired balloon.

"We're going up?" I gush.

"Yeah, we're going up" Charles chuckles, "What did you think it was, just a backdrop?"

I shrug, "I don't know? Seems like anything is possible right now"

As the three of us gear up in the basket and wait for the instructions, I find myself gazing up at Charles in a new light. The person who had been one of my best friends for over 14 years, stands before me as much more than that.

"You ready, Mum?" Landon asks as our balloon begins to fill.

"I'm ready, honey" I coo back, wrapping my arms around his shoulders from behind and pulling him toward my body. "I can't believe you planned all of this"

"It wasn't just me" he mocks.

I bend down so I'm more at his ear level, "But it was mostly you, right?"

He nods with a smirk.

"I knew it" I wink, giving him a quick kiss on the side of his cheek.

Gazing back over my shoulder, I can see Charles on the other side of the basket, his hands resting upon the side. Turning back to Landon, I bend back down to his level. "I think I need to go and talk to Charles, will you give me a minute?" I ask.

He nods excitedly, "Yes" but then his face drops, "Wait" he gushes, turning around and grabbing a hold of me, "Unless you're going to tell him no. If you're going to tell him no, you're staying right here with me until you change your mind" he quickly gushes out.

I can't help but let out a chuckle. "I'm not going to tell him no" I whisper.

I see the relief fall from his shoulders, "Oh good" he breaths out.

"Don't go to close to the edge please, and hold on tightly" I instruct.

"He'll be fine, miss. I will watch him" Our driver, I guess it's a driver, assures me.

"Thankyou" I mouth as I leave Landon on that side of the balloon as I carefully cross to the other, just as we lift above tree level.

I position myself right up next to him, starring out at the rising sun. A brand new day. A brand new... everything.

We're silent for a moment, just taking in everything, taking in him. "This is incredible Charles" I appreciate, "All of this, you" I gush.

His head drops in embarrassment with an obvious smile on his face, "Of course, anything for you"

"For us" I bump his shoulder.

He looks up at me with hope.

"You're right, it's something we need to discuss. But" I turn to face him, "It's something I do want to work out."

"You do?" he asks in shock.

I chuckle, "Of course I do" I reassure.

He reaches down and takes my fingers in his, his head dipping to their contact, "I wasn't sure if you'd ever.." he shrugs, "I don't know"

"I get it" I nod, "There were times I didn't think I would allow myself too" I confess, "But, I think when I stopped thinking about it, I realised I already had"

"I don't want you to feel like you have too, or that I'm pressuring you to move on from him. I'd never ask you to do that" he assures, tightening his grip on my hand.

I reach over and steady his wrist with my other hand. "I know. You're not pressuring me. It's time" I acknowledge. I feel tears threatening my eyes the moment the words come out, but I know deep down none of them contain any sadness. "It's time" I repeat, nodding my head.

Our attention snaps to the sunrise as a autumn array of colours splash out on the empty canvas in front of us.

Using his grip on my hand to pull me in front of him, I hold steady on the edge of the basket as he encompasses me, my head automatically leaning to the side to rest upon his.

"However you want to do this, Ev. I'm with you" he whispers the comforting words into my ear.

I nod in response.

"Hey buddy" Charles announces, and as I turn my gaze I see Landon standing beside us, looking like a kid on Christmas morning.

Landon holds his hand out to Charles, closed in a fist. "I'd say we succeeded" he muses.

Removing one hand from where it rests on top of mine, Charles returns his gesture. "Yeah mate, I'd say so" before wrapping his hand around his shoulder and pulling him right up next to me, now barricading us both within his arms.

"Do you think he's up here?" Landon asks, gazing out to the clouds.

"Yeah, he is" I acknowledge.

"We all love you dad, that'll never change" Landon whispers into the wind.

"It will never change" Charles agrees, ruffling his hair.

By the time the sun is well into the morning sky, and our basket safely returns to the earth, time feels different. It all feels different. 

We spend the remainder of the morning wrapped up on the couch at the house, drinking endless tea and hot chocolate and binge watching every Harry Potter movie. 

With Charles' arm wrapped tightly around me as I lay against his chest, Landon curled up on the beanbag on the floor, it feels like family. For so long before it was just Landon and I, with a few people we couldn't live without. Now it's Landon, Charles and I, as well as the people we couldn't live without, Max being the main one. 

I worried slightly about what he would say, but after our conversations leading up to it, I think everyone will think the same thing. 

It's about time. 

"There is one person, I want to call" I announce to Charles. My finger tracing aimlessly around the entirety of the skin on his hand. 

Charles plants a kiss on the top of my head, "He lands tomorrow morning" he announces. 

I quickly turn around, facing him with my lips parted. "What?" I mutter. 

"Johan lands tomorrow morning, he'll be here for a week" his hand slides past my neck, cupping it in his grip. 

I shake my head in disbelief, "How is it you know everything before I even know it?" I whisper. 

He lets out a breathily laugh, "It's my job" he mocks, pulling me closer and pressing our lips together delicately. Claiming them as our own this time. 

"That's gross you two" Landon mocks from the floor and Charles and I smile together, our lips still grazing past each other, "But, I guess I can allow it, for the time being" he teases. 

Charles places another quick kiss to my lips before I turn back in my place, snuggling in as deep as I can to him.