✓ WORKING FOR THE KNIFE ━ lando norris. ¹

[ 056 ] Down For The Count

   

   

   

( ACT III. ── Fearless )
chapter fifty-six / Down For The Count

  

   

   

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Annika spent a lot of time thinking in the gym. The presence of another person only urged along the process, and the thoughts became words.

"We need a hobby," she suggested one day.

"Mhm." Lando could only grunt a little, gripping the sides of the bench straddled beneath him as the headgear pulled insistenly at his neck. Annika was holding the other end, casually leaning back, using her own body weight more than anything else to give him the correct amount of pressure.

"Like, something to do together. Golf or tennis or something."

When she released the tension on the bands, Lando exhaled sharply in relief. The gear went slack around his face, and he pushed it off to ruffle his sweaty hair and ears. "Problem," he declared after a moment. "You hate golf and I hate tennis."

"Padel?"

"You're pants at padel."

"No," Annika said, offended. "I─ I've just had bad partners, like─ like, you know─"

"Like, like, like," he mimicked her teasingly.

"Stop it." She smacked him with the exercise bands. He caught them and yanked them out of her hands.

Lando stood up from the bench, still rolling his neck, and reached to the top of the nearest stack of unused mats for his towel and water bottle.

"I am serious." Annika took a step up onto the bench, perching there, quite a bit taller than him, with her arms crossed. "The winter break is coming up, and we are not prepared. Without racing we won't see each other as much."

"I know." Lando rubbed the towel across his curls. They were so prominent when he was all sweaty. His skin glistened as well. He looked all the way up at her while he wiped the sweat off his face. "But I don't think we'll need to find excuses to see each other."

"You don't know that. What if we become that couple that can't talk to each other? What if we start watching shows we don't care about? From there it's just a race to the bath tub that opens from the side."

Lando smiled a little and reached out to put his arms around her hips, resting his chin on her stomach to gaze up at her with a cute smile on his lips.

Annika couldn't help herself, and put her fingers in the sides of his sweaty curls, ruffling lightly. "Maybe a book club?"

"I'm gonna be honest with you, Annie, I don't think becoming boring will ever be something we have to worry about."

"Maybe."

"And you know how much better I am at golf and tennis."

"I would slay you at book club."

He laughed and patted the back of her thighs. "Get down. You worry too much."

She slumped herself over his shoulder instead. With a small sigh, Lando lifted her off the bench and placed her feet back on the ground.

"Am I too whiny?" Annika asked.

"Only in a way that I am totally attracted to."

"Yuck."

Lando dropped the gear over her head, and it fell lopsided into her face. "Get on the bench."

Annika complied and seated herself the bench, positioning the straps so they wrapped around her brow and the bands went off to the side. Lando picked up the bands and started a very gentle, experimental pull. He had this issue when working out with Annika that he simply refused to put in the right amount of strength, like he was afraid of hurting her. Annika had to acknowledge, of course, that he had only dated models and other non-athletes before her. Which didn't always do amazing things for her self-confidence. But it helped her understand that he was still getting fully accustomed to Annika and all of her differences.

"Don't take it easy on me this time," she reminded him.

Lando grimaced and increased the pressure on the bands. This pull was almost what she needed, giving her a bit of resistance but not enough.

She sighed, "Just do it, you massive pussy."

"I'm weirdly turned on by you abusing me."

They now had to stop immediately for Annika to burst into laughter.

  

   

   

✷ 　 　　 　 ·
　 ˚ * .
　 　　 *　　 * ⋆ 　 .
· 　　 ⋆ 　　　 ˚ ˚ 　　 ✦
　 ⋆ · 　 *
　　　　 ⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧　✵
　 · ✵

   

   

    

( note )
this is both extremely short and published late because update day came and i had no update. one might say i did my homework at the start of class.