We're just friends...or are we.? |[ carlando]|

" everything... " - 21

~ listening to Adele while writing this <333

Also Carlos got P1 in practice today he literally made me jump out of my bed.

Enjoy!

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Lando sat on the edge of his bed, staring blankly at the wall. The hours of his break had crawled by painfully slow, like sand trickling through an hourglass. Each passing moment felt heavier without Carlos by his side.

The warmth that usually filled the air when they were together was gone, replaced by an unbearable stillness. His voice, soft and teasing, seemed to linger in the silence, haunting Lando with memories of better days. Tomorrow, the break would end, and the 2022 season would begin. He should have been excited to see Carlos again at the track, but there was a growing pit of dread in his stomach. Part of him didn't want it to end—didn’t want to face the reality that something had shifted between them.

For weeks, they'd called each other every day, keeping in touch despite the miles between them. But the calls had stopped five days ago, and since then, Lando had been left in the dark. No explanation, no text, nothing. He tried not to think too much of it, telling himself Carlos was busy. But deep down,

something felt off, like a cold shadow creeping over what they had. He just wanted Carlos near him again, like before—cuddling on the couch, Carlos kissing him between playful conversations, his fingers running through Lando's hair. Now, the only thing keeping him company was the unsettling quiet.

He had finished packing hours ago, his suitcase ready for the flight back to the circuit. But he didn’t feel the relief that usually came with returning to racing. Instead, an inexplicable heaviness weighed on his chest. His phone buzzed, snapping him out of his thoughts. With a sigh, he unlocked it, expecting a mundane notification. What he saw instead made his heart stop. A news article. Carlos' name was in the headline, and right beside it—a photo of him and a woman.

A model.

Lando read through the article slowly, each word slicing through him like a knife. Carlos was dating a model? His heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces. Was that why he had stopped calling? Was this the reason for his silence? Lando couldn't believe it. His mind raced with confusion and hurt.

Had Carlos been leading him on this whole time, only to leave him for someone else? It didn’t make sense. Carlos had made him feel so special, like they were something more than just teammates or friends.

In a rush of anger and despair, Lando threw his phone across the room. It hit the wall with a loud bang, the sound echoing through the emptiness. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. How could he have been so blind? All this time, he had been waiting, hoping for something real with Carlos, and now it seemed like it had all been a lie. The betrayal stung deeper than anything he had ever felt before.

The door to his room swung open, and Max Fewtrell hurried in, eyes wide with concern.

- "Lando, what the hell was that?"

Max asked, glancing at the phone lying on the floor. When Lando didn’t respond, Max crossed the room and sat beside him on the bed, placing a comforting arm around his shoulder. The contact made Lando’s defenses crumble. He leaned into Max’s side, letting out a shaky breath as the words began to spill from his mouth.

- "I’m so stupid,"

Lando muttered, his voice breaking.

- "Carlos… he’s with someone else. A model. I—I thought we had something, Max. I really thought he felt the same."