𝐁 𝐑 𝐄 𝐀 𝐓 𝐇 𝐄 [lando norris x oc]

𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐲-𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞

A chill whistled through the waves, swaying the boat in the pitch black night. The liquid in Lando's cup rocked back and forth methodically, hypnotizing him while he leaned against the cold metal railing. 

The music was still playing from dinner--no one had bothered to turn it off when they drunkenly found their way back to their rooms, but Lando welcomed the noise. It dulled the sounds of his own thoughts. 

No one noticed that he stayed behind. He'd turned the lights out after everyone left, eyeing the almost-finished bottle on the table and deciding that it was bad luck not to have the rest. 

A rustling behind him turned Lando's attention away from the water and he froze.

She somehow looked even more beautiful at night. 

Her eyes locked with his and his breath stopped at the familiar swirls of grey and blue. 

She'd already seen him, what was the point in hiding now? Drunkenly, he turned and leaned his back against the rail, watching her as she stopped in her tracks, a bottle in her right hand and a pack of Marlboro's in the other. Since when did she smoke? 

Her eyes left his as she pursed her lips and placed the bottle on the counter, pulling out a cigarette from the pack and flicking open her lighter. "What do you want?"

Lando could've fallen to his knees then and there. She spoke to him. That was something, wasn't it? 

"Nothing."

"Then why are you staring?" A puff of smoke escaped those perfect lips of hers and she slipped the lighter back into her pocket while her eyes ignored his. The waves made rustling noises around them, but the water was calm and cool, sending a shiver down Lando's spine. 

He just continued staring at her. She knew exactly why he couldn't take his eyes off of her, she just wanted him to say it. And Lando wasn't going to.

She took a drag of the cigarette. "Fine. You can keep sulking the rest of this trip, it's not going to do anything."

"I'm not sulking." Lando furrowed his brows. 

She scoffed. 

"I'm not."

"Sure you're not." She tilted her head, letting some of her blond waves trickle over her bare shoulder. Lando remembered the hickey's he used to leave there.  

He decided to be brave. "Since when do you smoke?"

She seemed annoyed at his question, frustrated that he was continuing to speak to her and for a second, during her hesitation, Lando thought she might just ignore him. 

"I always have. You just never cared to look." 

A lie. He knew that, and she knew that too. Lando would know if she smoked and she never did. She just wanted to be difficult.

Silence again. She'd lifted herself to sit on the counter and face the cabinets while Lando stood ten feet from her and faced her. So close but so far. 

Ever atom in Lando's body begged him to go to her and do something--apologize, kiss her, anything. She looked so perfect, but when Lando looked closer he could see the differences. She was slimmer now, her cheekbones were more prominent, and her hair had gotten much longer. She'd stopped getting her nails done and were now bitten short, coated with a dark brown paint. No makeup, no fancy clothes. She hardly spoke now. 

"They told you I wasn't going to be here." Not a question, Lando knew it was true.

She blew smoke into the night sky. "I'm assuming they told you the same thing."

He din't have to confirm it. She was smart enough. 

Her cigarette was almost done. 

She took one last drag, pulling it from her lips and tossing it to the ground. The toe of her sandal crushed the flame against the ground. 

Lando couldn't tear his eyes away from her--he watched her every move like a hawk, memorizing and remembering all of her habits. 

She glanced at him, an odd look on her face that Lando couldn't dissect, and strolled toward him. 

Just when he thought she was going to walk right up to him, she turned on her heel and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Lando only the scent of her and the fading memory of her lips on his. 

a/n: i love this chapter a lot ug have to love it too 🔫

ANGST ANGST ANGST

also: thinking abt ending this story in like 15-20 chapters, be readyyyyy