falling for your enemy II Lando Norris

4. shower

Ashton's POV

Here I am, shirtless, standing in the middle of the room, mentally debating my next move. Am I actually about to strip completely naked in front of Lando Norris? This feels like a line I shouldn't cross. But, like I said before, I don't back down from anything, so I tug down my sweatpants, fully committed—only to remember, too late, that I'm wearing Max's obnoxiously bright red boxers. Right. Forgot about those.

Behind me, I hear Lando snort, clearly enjoying every second of this. I shoot him a glare over my shoulder.

"You still don't want to leave?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

He just smirks, looking completely unbothered. "This is my room, Sidwell. You should be happy I'm even letting you use it at all."

Of course, he's making this as difficult as possible. I glance at the shower, then down at my ridiculous boxers, wondering if I should just shower in them. Not sure that would help, though. Honestly, it'd probably be more embarrassing than just getting naked.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. It's just a penis, right? He's got one, I've got one. And, hell, I literally just saw his. Fine. This is happening. Guess we're even now.

Lando's POV

He's pulling down those goofy red boxers, and—yep, now I'm staring straight at his dick.

I snap my eyes back to my phone. Well, damn. Did not expect to call it this, but apparently, that's a... handsome dick. Yeah, there, I said it. And listen, I'm straight, okay? This is just an entirely unbiased, objective observation. Pure analysis.

I try to keep my focus on my phone, but it's a losing battle. He's in there, completely naked in my shower, acting like he owns the place. And I'm somehow expected to just sit here, pretending I'm totally unfazed. Because, naturally, this guy has to make everything in life a hundred times more difficult.

Before I can stop myself, I steal a quick glance back at the shower. God, that ass?! I take a deep breath, trying to keep my thoughts in check. This is getting ridiculous.

Ashton's POV

It's just a shower. Like being in any locker room, except... there's a literal bed next to it, and Lando still hasn't moved a muscle. He's just lounging there, scrolling on his phone, like he's barely aware I'm even here. I'm making this the fastest shower of my life because, as it turns out, I actually do want to hold onto some dignity here.

I finish up and reach for a towel, wrapping it around my waist. Stepping back into the living room, still dripping wet, I head straight to my suitcase for a change of clothes. I grab a pair of shorts and an oversized shirt. Boxers? Yeah, I'm skipping those—no point since I'll be crashing soon anyway.

I flop down on the couch, trying to ignore the fact that my entire life feels like it's upside down. First day in Formula 1, and I'm already sharing a room with Lando Norris—a guy who, for reasons unknown, seems to despise my existence. Whatever. I'm not letting his attitude get under my skin.

I close my eyes for a few seconds, but this couch? Yeah, it's one of those "fancy" types that look good but are rock-hard. My back is already protesting, and that's not exactly ideal with pre-season testing starting tomorrow. The last thing I need is to show up stiff as a board.

I glance at the clock on the wall. It's already 11 p.m., and I really need to get some decent sleep. With a resigned sigh, I grab my toothbrush and toothpaste and head back into the bedroom. At least he's got some pajama pants on now.

I make a beeline for the sink, hoping he'll ignore me, but I can feel his stare practically drilling holes in the back of my head.

"What are you doing?" He asks, sounding genuinely annoyed.

I keep brushing and mutter, "Brushing my teeth," through a mouthful of toothpaste. What else did he expect?

He groans, rolling his eyes. "In my bathroom?"

I stop mid-brush, staring at him in the mirror. "Well, yeah. Unless you want me to do it out in the hallway?"

With that, he stalks out of the bedroom, and for a moment, I think he might actually give up the bed. Maybe he's going to crash on the couch instead of putting up with me. But, nope. False hope. A minute later, he returns with his own toothbrush and toothpaste, nudges me out of the way with a sharp elbow, and grumbles, "Move."

Fine, moody bastard. I spit out the toothpaste, leave my stuff on the sink, and take my place on the bed. He doesn't say a word until he's finished brushing, then spins around, giving me the most annoyed, confused look I've seen in a long time.

"What are you doing?" he asks, sounding like I've violated some sacred rule.

"Getting ready for bed." I shrug, trying not to gawk as I notice he's shirtless and—if my eyes don't deceive me—also boxer-less like me under those pajama pants. When he clears his throat to snap me out of my gaze, I realize I may have been staring a little too long.

"That's still my bed. I'm not sharing a bed with you," he snaps, sounding like he's more concerned with his pride than the actual situation. "There's a perfectly fine couch out there."

So, he's one of those guys. Too macho to share a bed with another guy. "Then you take the couch. I'm staying here. Problem solved."

He huffs, clearly not used to being challenged. "Dude, you can't just kick me out of my own bed. What's wrong with you?"

"Then we share," I say nonchalantly, patting the massive space on my left. "It's a big bed. Or are you scared?"

His expression shifts from annoyance to full-on mortification. "Scared? Fuck you, I'm not." And, grumbling, he slips into bed beside me. He's practically on the edge, stiff as a board, like I might explode at any second. I take advantage of the situation, sliding under the blanket—the only blanket in this big ass bed, by the way—and get comfortable. I peel off my shirt and shorts under the cover and toss them onto the floor.

He stares at me like I've just confessed to murder. "What the hell was that?"

"Need glasses? I have some extras."

"You sleep in just boxers?" he mutters, leaning back against the headrest, trying to look unfazed but failing.

"Nope," I say casually, letting a grin spread across my face. "Naked."