favourite / lando norris

twenty-five

Japan is, without a doubt, the best country I've ever visited.

With Lando acting as tour guide, we spent the entire week leading up to the race sightseeing and goofing around. Every night was another date and, as a result, another attempt by Lando to make our second first kiss happen.

Fast forward to now, the last night before practices would start in earnest. Lando's brought me to a tiny hole-in-the-wall sushi restaurant, the entrance hidden away in a narrow alley.

Despite very, very passionately disliking fish, Lando orders a whole host of different items for me, explaining each dish as it arrived.

As I glance around the restaurant, I realise that every table here features a couple. The dim lighting and intimate setting made it feel like we were in our own little world, far away from the hustle and bustle of the outside city.

Lando's sat across from me, beaming as I take a hesitant bite of the first piece of sushi. "How is it?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

I chewed thoughtfully before swallowing and nodding in approval. "It's actually really good," I admitted, surprised at how much I was enjoying it.

He'd been insistent I go with the order Carlos had helped him come up with, pushing me to try actual sushi. When I'd protested and pointed out his own aversion to the food, he'd swiftly shut me down.

I continued to sample each dish that arrived, Lando's enthusiasm contagious as the waiter brought them out.

After we finished our meal, Lando insisted on taking a walk through the streets to our next destination. We strolled hand in hand, pausing every so often to admire the lights.

The night air was crisp, but not uncomfortably cold, something I've come to love about Japan. I snuggled closer to Lando, revelling in the warmth of his body against mine. We walked in comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other's company.

As we turn a corner, Lando suddenly stops and turns to me. "Can I show you something?" he asked, his eyes shining.

I nod, curious as to what he has in mind. He leads me down a narrow alleyway, the sounds of the city fading away as we walk further into the darkness.

Finally, we emerge into a small courtyard. The only light seems to be coming from a small pond in the centre, the water reflecting the moon above.

His hand low on my back, Lando walks me over to a bench by the edge of the pond to sit down, pulling me down next to him. We sit in silence for a few moments, simply gazing at the peaceful scene before us.

"I've been wanting to bring you here all week," Lando finally says, his hand moving to my knee.

It's not anything out of the ordinary, we've always been rather affectionate with each other, but the move lights me up from the inside out in the best way possible.

I scoot closer, bringing the leg closest to Lando up to come across his lap. Without a moment of hesitation, he wraps an arm around my shoulder, tucking me into his side with a sigh.

"It's really beautiful."

This close to him, it's impossible not to notice the rapid beat of his heart, the speed increasing more and more every second that ticks by.

I lean my head back, just barely enough to make eye contact with Lando. "Thank you."

He laughs, giving me a funny look, "What for?"

"I don't know...for not thinking I'm, I don't know where I'm going with this. Never mind."

I tuck my head back into Lando's chest, sighing in contentment as the arm around my shoulder tightens. "I get it," he whispers.