Cropped out - an Oscar Piastri x OC fic

Chapter 24- Disclosed

Oscar:
To say that she hasn't been appearing in my dreams would be a lie. For three long, draining weeks, the image of her mere centimetres from my face has tainted my sleeping mind. And for those three long, draining weeks, my fingers have burnt to touch her again. It would be so easy. She kissed me first, so I know there is a small part of her that aches for me too. But the damage of what it would do would be irreversible. She works for Lando, for me, in a way. If I fucked up, I'd have to see her for years. Be taunted by how she slipped through my fingers. And that would undo me.

I think all these thoughts as I watch her walk into the paddock, camera around her neck. She's talking to Lando, a playful smile on her face as they breeze through the small crowds. I wonder if she knows that Lando saw us. That he practically interrogated me to give up what was between us, and me (after many hours of leaving him on read) told him what happened. Not that he didn't already know, since he watched us. That makes him sound perverted. She laughs at something he said and I clench my jaw, jarred that she can be so carefree with him and not me. She's so wound up with me, and I think I am going to make it my mission to loosen her up. Because I'm a selfish mother fucker and if I want anything, it's to have her smile with the same warmth that she gives lando.

—
The race is in an hour or so, I don't really know the specifics. Mostly because I've been keeping an eye on Lando and Eliana, who disappeared a few minutes ago, resulting in my engineer having to repeat everything twice, much to his chagrin. Lando kept looking over at me, catching me turning away at the last second, and when he thought I wasn't looking, he'd occasionally say something to Eliana that would make her laugh as she turned towards me. It made my blood boil, not knowing what they were doing. Made my weird hatred for her heat against this obsessive desire for her near me, resulting in my bad mood which only seemed to heighten when they disappeared.

Lando walks in a few minutes before we need to start getting ready to leave the garage, looking very smug and proud of himself, glancing my way as he moves towards his car. I don't like it one bit, suspicious of where he and Eliana went. Speaking of the devil, she walks in a few minutes after him, a small blush on her cheeks that you wouldn't notice unless you'd been up close and personal with her, as I have. I feel my hands sweat, an idea popping into my head. No. They couldn't have- Surely not.

I glare at lando as I zip up my race suit and put my balaclava and helmet on. He must've seen me out of the corner of his eye because he walks over, helmet in the crook of his elbow and a small smirk on his face.

"Everything all good? You seem a little uptight." he asks, almost sincerely, but I know that he's done something.

"Where did you go?"

"When?"

"Just now."

"Ohhhh. With Eli." His lips peel up, and he whispers the last part like it's a secret. This fucking dickhead, I swear to god. "Can't disclose that one, unfortunately, mate. Let's just say I hope I've got enough energy for the race." I didn't know his smirk could get any bigger, but it does. And I clench my fist as he walks away, pushing his helmet onto his head.

I search for Eliana in the crowd of people, needing verification at what Lando implied. My eyes meet hers, that are already staring at me, obviously having just watched mine and Lando's interaction. I see her neck bulge as she swallows, teeth biting the skin of her lip, and I turn around and walk to my car, a weird heat tingling through my body.

—

"Great drive, Oscar, that's p10. We're very happy with this, good job."

"The car felt good today, many thanks to the team." I say in a monotone voice, all energy depleted from me.

As much as I wanted to get past Lando, I just couldn't, making me angrier than when I got into the car.

Whilst waiting at the interview tent I saw Eliana try to make eye contact with me multiple times. And each time i acted like I couldn't see her. I don't want to look at her, not after what she and lando did. I don't need her distracting me from making Cody proud with my interviews.

—

As I made my way back through the paddock after the interviews, Cody by my side, the noise of the podium celebrations faded into a distant hum, overshadowed by the nagging feeling of betrayal that threatened to choke me the closer we got to the garage.  I couldn't shake the sense of unease that had settled over me like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over the victory of another hard earned point that we needed so much.

And then I saw her standing alone by the edge of the garage her gaze fixed on something in the distance, fingers twirling the camera strap hung around her neck. I really should stay away, leave things unsaid, but I'm pulled towards her like a masochist, needing the firm confirmation of her and Lando.

"Go inside, I'll be in in a minute." I say to Cody, who just nods, eyes firmly on Eliana as he disappears down the garage entrance.

I approach her cautiously, unsure of what to say or how to bridge this weird chasm.  But before I could utter a word, she turned to face me, her eyes betraying a mix of emotions that were probably similar to my own.

"Oscar," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Well done on the race. You did a good job."

"Thank you. Lando did better."

"You still did very well, especially considering Monaco is a very difficult circuit. Don't beat yourself down."

Her words caught me off guard, and for a moment, I was at a loss for what to say.

"You looked angry earlier. At me. I tried to look at you, but you kept ignoring me. Whatever I've done, I'm sorry."

I don't respond. What the fuck has happened since we last saw each other? Why is she not being spiteful towards me?

But before I could respond, she reached out and touched my arm, her touch sending a jolt of electricity coursing through me. It was as if the world around us faded away, leaving only the two of us standing there, bound together by the tangled threads of our weird relationship.

I let go of a breath, "Lando suggested that you and him were together. It only annoyed me that he would do it on a race day, is all."

Her eyes go wide, and my stomach drops.
"He what." Oh. Were they not together then? "What did he say to you?"

"Uhm, something like he couldn't disclose details and that he hoped he had energy. Sounded a lot like he just had sex to me."

"Well he didn't . At least not with me. Thank the heavens. Why the fuck would he say that?"

I'm so confused that it takes me a minute to realise she asked a question. "I don't know." As I say it, I know exactly why. That little dickhead is toying with me. I clench my jaw and go to walk away, but am halted by the brush of her hand on my arm.

She looks down at her hand, as if she didn't register doing it, and swallows as she retracts it "What is it?"

"He saw us. He's being a prick." I say as I walk away from her and head to Lando's driver room.

"Wha- Oscar?!" I hear her call behind me.

My arm tingles where she touched me, and I bring my other hand up to scratch it, an attempt to rid myself of her lingering presence.

—
After 10 minutes of refusing to leave Lando's room, he begrudgingly told me that he was just trying to rile me up. To which I said it didn't work (which is clearly a lie). I left his room grateful for my point, angry that Lando managed to get to me, and oddly gratified that Eliana Hansley did not fuck Lando Norris.

—
Word count: 1446

Authors note:
Whoaaa possessive much osc 👀?! Lando, do better, honestly 😪.
I have some GOOD STUFF planned for upcoming chapters, so I'm soooo excited to put them out soon!! Hope you enjoyed 💗

Love from Freya xx