𝐁 𝐑 𝐄 𝐀 𝐓 𝐇 𝐄 [lando norris x oc]

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐬𝐢𝐱

Lando could hardly keep it together on the plane. It was easy to sneak her in, Gabi wore a hoodie with sunglasses and a hat so she looked like any other media manager that was also on board. Now, she was asleep next to him, breathing lightly into his chest while he watched the 2015 Dutch GP. He liked to rewatch old grand prix's before actually racing them—it helped him get into the right frame of mind and prepare. Having Gabi by his side was another helpful piece of the puzzle. He would never admit it to her, but having her around had made him calm. Lando had always struggled with managing his stress and his mental health, so relationships had usually only psyched him out more and increased his nerves. But with Gabi, the world felt quiet. She was the only thing on his mind, nothing else needed to matter.

Lando ran a hand through her hair, softly so that he didn't wake her.

He heard a buzz from his phone and carefully pulled it out.

maxine

max
got a sec?

Lando hit "call" and brought the phone up to his ear.

"Yo."

"Hey, man, what's up?" Lando spoke very quietly, knowing that Gabi was a light sleeper and he didn't want to make her more jet-lagged.

"Just wanted to chat. Is Gabi with you?"

"Mhm. She's sleeping so I've gotta be quiet."

"Aw, how cute." Max teased. "So that's serious now, right? LIke...you're not fucking around anymore?"

Lando glanced at Gabi. "I guess not. I think asking her to the Netherlands was me asking her to be serious, and she said yes, so..."

"Damn. That's big."

"Yeah. It's nice." Lando inhaled, tired of talking about himself. "What about you, what time do you get in tomorrow?"

"Mid-afternoon. Taking the night flight so it'll be brutal."

Now it was Lando's turn to tease. "You have to make sacrifices for love, don't you Maxxy?"

"Har har, you're not funny." Max's voice quieted. "You never even told me if she was going to be there."

"Lilly is coming, yes. So is Gabi's other friend Bridget, you'll meet her too." Lando assured. "We'll go out, all of us and a few others. It'll be fun."

Lando could sense Max's excitement, even though he hardly said anything and tried to mask it. "Sounds good. I'll pack my fancy shirts."

"You don't own anything fancy."

"That's why I steal from your closet." Max replied sarcastically. "Well, I just wanted to say 'hi' and let you know about flight stuff. I'll let you get back to your canoodling. Tell Gabi I say 'hi' too, when you get the chance."

"Unnecessary." Lando chuckled. "See you soon, mate."

"See you soon."

The call ended and Lando slid his phone back into his pocket as Gabi rustled next to him.

"Who was that?" She mumbled, eyes still closed as she pressed herself closer against Lando.

"Max. Asking about tomorrow." Lando ran a hand through her hair again. "Go back to sleep, angel."

Clearly she didn't need to be told twice. Lando eventually fell asleep too, still curled against her.