I'm Not the Guy You're Taking Home | LANDAN ✔

8 : Again

A month later, Daniel got to see the happy, bubbly Lando that he once knew again. Lando who was laughing as he passed Daniel in Mario Kart and Daniel? Daniel couldn't help but smile as well at the sight of his best friend. God, he's missed him.

"Woohoo!" Lando exclaimed as he finished first, putting down his controller. "I'm gonna go grab some juice, you want anything?"

Daniel loved Lando's smile. He loved the way his dimples showed and his eyes lit up. He loved how his nose scrunched up and the way his eyebrows–

"Dan?" Lando pulled him out of his thoughts, still smiling. "You're staring."

Oh. He was, wasn't he?

"Sorry, um..." he shook his head. "What was your question?"

Lando giggled, biting his lip. "I asked if you wanted anything from the kitchen."

"Oh uh... I'm good, thanks." he could feel the tips of his ears turning red.

Lando disppeared for a moment and came back with a glass of juice, sitting next to Daniel again.

Daniel looked at him. They've been doing so good the past month. Is it too soon to like him again?

"Daniel."

"Hm?"

"You're staring again." why was Lando whispering?

"Ah..." Daniel whispered back, maintaining eye contact with Lando.

Lando swallowed and Daniel followed the movement with his eyes. "Danny?"

Daniel hummed.

"Stop me if I'm reading this wrong." Lando carefully placed his shaky hands on Daniel's cheeks, looking in his eyes intently. When Daniel didn't make a move that'd indicate he was uncomfortable, Lando gently captured Daniel's lips with his own.

Daniel gasped, kissing back. He held onto Lando's forearm with one hand, the other one finding his thigh.

The kiss was simple, only a few presses of slightly open mouths but it was enough to convey all of their feelings.

Lando pulled back just to look at him. "Okay?"

"Yes." Daniel breathed out and soon, Lando was kissing him again, climbing onto his lap. He pulled him closer by his waist, the kiss deepening when Lando pushed his tongue in his mouth.

They both kept a death grip on the other, scared that once they let go, they'd run away. And neither of them was sure if he was talking about himself or the other man.

Daniel pulled away, dazed, keeping his eyes closed. "Wow." he said, finally opening his eyes. "That was–"

"Good?"

"So good." he pecked his lips once more. "So much better than our first kiss." he smiled at him.

Lando smiled back. "What does this mean?"

"Well... for me this means I still love you. Or maybe again, I don't know. But I very much feel what I felt before... you know."

Lando bit his lip, trying to contain his smile. "I think I love you too."

"You think?"

"I'm still getting used to being allowed to feel that way." he took his hand, intertwining their fingers together. "So..."

"So,"

"I know I've let you down... many times before but– would you be willing to give me one more chance? I promise I'll treat you right this time. And if I disappoint you again, you have permission to push me off a cliff somewhere far, far, far away where no one would ever find me."

Daniel snorted. "Deal."

"Deal?" Lando's eyes widened.

"I'll give you one more, and final, chance."

Lando pulled him into a tight hug and Daniel swore he could feel him shaking in his hold. "Thank you."

Daniel hugged him back just as tightly. "So um... are we dating now or?"

"Oh, right," Lando pulled back to hold his face in his hands. "Lemme– Dan. Daniel. Danny. Will you, my best friend, do me the honours of be my boyfriend?"

Daniel smiled wide. "Of course, you doofus!"

Lando pecked his lips multiple times, causing Daniel to giggle. "I'm so sorry for hurting you before, for being selfish, for–"

"Lando," Daniel held his face firmly, maintaining eye contact. "We're okay. And we'll keep getting better."

"We're okay."

"Yes."

"We'll keep getting better."

"Mhm, that's right baby."

Lando hugged him, resting his head on Daniel's shoulder. "We're okay."

They were, and they would be.