Soft Launch - Lando NorrisXLogan Sargeant-Fanfiction F1

pressur

Logan first noticed the changes in Lando a few days after he returned home from the two-week stint of back-to-back races. Lando had come through the door like a whirlwind, smiling and pulling Logan into a crushing hug, acting like the happiest man alive just to be back with him. But Logan could feel it—the tension in Lando's shoulders, the slight hesitation in his voice when he talked about the next few races.

At first, Logan didn't push. He thought maybe Lando just needed time to settle back into the rhythm of home. After all, Logan had been the one who was out of sorts not long ago, crying into Lando's chest and clinging to him like a lifeline. Now it was Lando's turn to carry a burden, and Logan wanted to be patient.

But as the days passed, it became harder to ignore. Lando would go to bed late, mumbling something about reviewing data or catching up on emails. When he thought Logan wasn't looking, his face would crease with worry, his usual playful spark dimmed. Even his friendship with Max seemed strained. The two used to chat constantly, laughing about everything from team dramas to old karting memories. Now, Lando barely mentioned Max unless Logan brought him up.

One evening, Logan decided to press Lando about it. They were watching a movie—well, Logan was. Lando had his laptop open, his face lit up by the screen as he furrowed his brows at a spreadsheet of some sort.

"Lan," Logan started, trying to keep his tone casual.

"Yeah?" Lando didn't look up, his fingers still tapping on the keyboard.

"You've been... different lately," Logan said carefully. "Are you okay?"

Lando's fingers froze, and he finally looked at Logan, his expression guarded. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Logan gave him a soft look, one that said, Don't play dumb with me. "You've just seemed stressed. Is it... the title fight?"

Lando sighed and closed his laptop, setting it aside. He leaned back against the couch, running a hand through his curls. "Yeah, I guess. It's just a lot. The team's pushing hard, and... I don't know, it's complicated."

Logan waited, giving Lando space to continue.

"And Max," Lando added after a pause. "It's weird with him right now. We've always been close, but being in a title fight... it changes things. I don't think either of us wants it to, but it's just there, you know? This... wall."

Logan nodded, his heart aching for Lando. He understood what it was like to feel the weight of expectations, to navigate complicated dynamics within the racing world.

"You can talk to me, you know," Logan said softly. "You don't have to carry all this by yourself."

Lando smiled faintly, reaching over to squeeze Logan's hand. "I know, Lo. I just... I don't want to dump all my problems on you when you're still figuring things out yourself."

That hit Logan harder than he expected. He realized Lando had been holding back, trying to shield him from more stress because of Logan's own struggles with his future.

The next morning, Logan woke up to find Lando gone, his side of the bed cold. He found him in the kitchen, staring blankly out the window while a half-empty mug of coffee sat on the counter. Lando jumped when Logan entered, quickly plastering on a smile.

Logan didn't press him again, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. He hated seeing Lando like this—always trying to be the strong one, even when it was clear he was struggling.

---

Logan stared at the apartment ceiling as the early afternoon light filtered through the curtains. The idea of getting a dog wouldn't leave his mind. Every time he pictured Lando's face from that McLaren video where he'd practically melted over a puppy, Logan felt a tiny pang of guilt. It wasn't that he didn't want to bring it up—it just didn't feel like the right time. Lando was under enough pressure, and Logan wasn't sure he was ready to take on something as big as a dog when his own future was still so uncertain.