Thanks to Norris

part 39- flying

That night, Baku buzzed with celebration — but your room stayed quiet. No champagne-soaked afterparty, no rooftop DJ sets. Just the low hum of room service and the distant sounds of the paddock winding down.

You kicked off your shoes, finally let your body sink into the hotel bed, and called the one person who had to hear your voice first.

Josi picked up instantly.

Josi (grinning through the screen): "There she is! My Baku champion!"

You (laughing, tired but glowing): "I did okay, huh?"

Josi: "You were insane. Like, that overtake on Charles?? I screamed. Twice."

You talked for a while — about the race, the chaos, the moment with Lando that she definitely saw online.

Josi: "So... that little smile. Anything you want to share with the class?"

You (grinning, rolling your eyes): "No comment. I'm on media cooldown."

Josi: "Mhm. I'll let it slide. For now."

She kept it light, funny, supportive — exactly what you needed. When the call ended, you felt full in a way that had nothing to do with podiums or points.

Just as you were getting ready to shut off for the night, your phone buzzed again — a message from Zak Brown:

Zak:
"Hey, we're heading to England tomorrow too. Any chance you're okay flying with us? Me, Daniel, and Lando — same jet."

You stared at the message for a second. You hadn't exactly spoken to Lando beyond the paddock nod — but something in you didn't hesitate.

You typed back:

You:
"Sure, that's fine. Let me know the details."

Within minutes, Zak confirmed it.

The quiet of the evening settled in again.

No party. No noise.

Just the soft hum of post-race calm, a warm call with Josi, and the knowledge that tomorrow's flight might be... interesting.

Before boarding the plane back to England, you took a moment to scroll through the weekend's highlights. Smiling at the memories, you opened your phone and posted a carousel on Instagram:

You standing next to the trophy, still in your race suit, victorious grin shining bright.

Candid shots from interviews, a few with Lewis and other drivers laughing mid-conversation.

Snapshots from the shopping trip with Lewis — both of you holding up clothes, joking and clearly having a blast.

The elegant dinner with Toto, Zak, Lando, Lewis — everyone dressed up and enjoying the night.

You captioned it simply:
"What a weekend. Racing, laughs, and a bit of chaos. #BakuGP #F1Family"

Almost immediately, drivers started commenting:

Lewis: "We clean up well, huh?" 😎
Charles: "Well deserved — amazing job out there!"
Daniel: "Next time, I'm joining the shopping spree."
Zak: "Love this! Proud to be part of the team."

As you boarded the plane, you found Zak, Lando, and Daniel already seated. Zak waved you over with a grin.

Zak: "Look who made it! Perfect timing."

You slid into your seat beside Lando, who smirked but didn't say much — just the usual playful glare that had become your unofficial thing. Daniel gave you a friendly nod.

Zak pulled out his phone and quickly snapped a selfie of the four of you — smiling, tired, and clearly enjoying the moment.

A few minutes later, Zak posted it on his socials with the caption:
"F1's finest, sharing skies and stories. #TeamFlight #F1Life"

The fan reaction was instant and wild. Comments flooded in about you and Lando sharing a plane — some joking about "teammate vibes," others shipping it hard, and plenty hyping the unexpected squad.

@f1fans: "Y/N and Lando on the same plane? The tension is real but I love it."
@rivalrywatch: "The bromance nobody asked for but we're all here for it."
@dramaalertf1: "Can we get a livestream from this flight plz??"

You smiled, settling in for the flight, thinking maybe this odd little team-up might be the next big storyline in F1.

On the flight, the atmosphere was lively—Zak and Daniel kept chatting animatedly about race strategies and the latest sim updates, barely paying attention to the rest of you. You noticed Lando sitting quietly beside you, a bit more reserved than usual.

Seizing the moment, you leaned over slightly and broke the silence.

You: "Hey, not much from you today. Everything okay?"

Lando glanced over, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Lando: "Yeah, just soaking it all in. By the way, Max (Fewtrell) congratulated you."

You nodded, smiling.

You: "Oh, that's cool. Tell him I say thanks. Nice to get some respect from the sim crew too."

Lando's smirk grew a bit wider.

Lando: "Yeah, he's solid. Said you drove well."

You chuckled softly.

You: "Well, we all had our moments. Race was wild."

The brief conversation eased the quiet between you two, and for the first time in a while, it felt less like a rivalry and more like future teammates just sharing the ride.

At the airport, the moment you stepped off the plane, the buzz from the weekend followed you right to the arrivals hall. Fans were waiting eagerly, hoping for autographs and photos. You smiled and signed whatever was handed your way, soaking in their energy — even as your feet ached from the non-stop race weekend.

Then came the requests: "Can you and Lando take a picture together?" A grin crept onto your face as you glanced over at Lando, who gave a reluctant but amused nod. You stood side by side, both smiling toward the camera, the friendly rivalry softened in that moment.

Suddenly, a fan, clearly aiming for a little mischief, bumped right into you — just enough to cause you to stumble slightly... and accidentally bump into Lando. Both you and Lando exchanged a quick, knowing glance. The fans kept apologizing, but you both silently knew it was totally on purpose.

Almost instantly, clips and photos of the "accidental bump" spread across social media with captions like:
"Intentional or not? The tension is real!"
"Did you see that? They're so close, it's basically a rom-com!"

The online world was already spinning stories — as always.

Just then, Josi arrived to pick you up. She stepped out of the car with a bright smile, greeting you warmly.

As you grabbed your luggage, Josi struck up a quick, easy conversation with Lando and Daniel nearby — swapping jokes and sharing quick race weekend highlights.

You loaded your bags into the car and slid into the passenger seat, feeling that familiar mix of exhaustion and contentment.

Josi glanced your way and teased,
"Looks like the fans didn't miss a thing, huh?"

You laughed softly, buckling in.
"Yeah, guess we're never off the grid."

The car pulled away from the airport, the city lights blurring past as the weekend's chaos finally began to fade behind you.