BOOK 2 OF THE 'THE PIECES WE LEAVE BEHIND' DUOLOGY ---- Months after walking away from everything he knew, Oscar Piastri returns to university carrying the pieces of the person he used to be. He isn't angry. He isn't bitter. He's just... quieter. Like a part of him never made it home. Lando Norris thought losing Oscar would be the worst thing he'd ever experience. He was wrong. The hardest part is knowing that Oscar didn't leave because he stopped caring. He left because something between them broke. Now, with every distance-filled glance and every silent moment between them, Lando is forced to confront the things he spent months trying to ignore. The person standing in front of him is still Oscar. But he isn't the same boy who walked away. And if Lando wants any chance of rebuilding what was lost, he has to learn that some things cannot be fixed with apologies alone. Some wounds take time. Some trust has to be earned. Because sometimes the person who breaks something doesn't get to be the one who saves it. They just have to become someone worthy of helping rebuild it.

Oscar Piastri has always been easy to love. Quiet. Kind. Brilliant. The sort of person who remembers birthdays, explains assignments, and stays late to help everyone else, even when nobody asks. At university, surrounded by friends who have become family, Oscar should be happy. So why does he feel like he's taking up too much space? As the pressure of university mounts and old insecurities begin to feel louder than they used to, Oscar starts to disappear in ways no one quite notices. A missed coffee. An empty seat. A smile that doesn't reach his eyes. And by the time his friends realize something is wrong, it may already be too late. Because sometimes people don't leave all at once. Sometimes they leave a little at a time. And sometimes the hardest question isn't why someone left- It's who made them believe they had to.

Fake/Pretend Relationship | A 'bro day out' prior to the 2025 F1 Season sparks up a funky dating rumour. But the McLaren PR team uses this to their advantage to accelerate both boys' careers. THE BIG STUFF: Friends to Lovers | 2025 F1 Season Realistic (Canon Compliant) | Slow Burn .𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ "We have a new PR strategy for this year to aid with keeping you both in the headlines for longer," Louise, the CMO, continues. "We want to lean into the wave you've both created already." "We want you to both be in a PR relationship," Zak finalises. Lando immediately spills a quarter of the water carafe onto Oscar's lap out of pure shock. Lando gasps out a few squeaky sorry's while Oscar stands up in a fright. "You mean with... models, or s-something?" Oscar stutters out, looking down to his pants which absolutely looks like he's just pissed himself. "No, that'd be a very easy strategy. We've used that one for years," Louise laughs. Neither of the drivers are laughing with her. "You two, together."

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 ❗️ This novel contains themes that may be distressing to some readers, including drug use, alcoholism, mental health struggles, adult content, and broken family dynamics. Content warnings will be provided at the beginning of relevant chapters. However, reader discretion is advised, as it is ultimately your choice to continue reading 𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 For nearly two years, Lando Norris had run a luxury bar in the heart of the city - a place of music, laughter, and carefully poured distractions. Locals loved him, and his bar quickly became a refuge for those looking to unwind after long days. That stability shatters when Oscar Piastri opens a therapy clinic directly above the bar. Almost overnight, Lando begins losing his regulars - people who now choose healing over drinking. At the same time, Oscar watches his patients struggle, relapsing the moment they step outside and hear the pulse of music from downstairs. Each man becomes the other's problem, a constant reminder of everything they disagree on. They clash over principles, over responsibility, over what it means to help someone survive. Different mindsets. Different ways of coping. Neither willing to concede. Until a teenage girl named Eveline forces their paths to cross in ways neither of them can ignore. Bound by circumstance and an uneasy truce, Lando and Oscar are pushed into reluctant cooperation. And in the quiet moments between closing time and opening hours, they begin to see past assumptions - learning that care comes in many forms, and healing is rarely as simple as choosing the right door.

"Five Stages of Loving Him" Realization, Affection, Expression, Argumentation, and Redemption. Lando and Oscar had already experienced all of that together-and they're about to face all of that again. But this time, it'll be harder than ever. The 2026 Season will be the fourth season they were teammates at McLaren. But 'teammates' isn't the right word to describe them. Stealing glances, accidental kisses, in need of each other's. What started as a prospect of a great season turns into something deeper, and maybe worse. All because deep down in their heart, they want more than just a 'teammates.' 'It's between loving and losing. There's no in between." "You completed the first stage, you will face the next stage." "Climb all the stage to get his heart." #91 on Formula1 (20/04/26) #14 on Lestappen (31/05/26) #5 on Landoscar (21/06/26) #35 on CarlosSainz (07/07/26)

Oscar Piastri was never supposed to matter. Quiet. Precise. Sharp. He moved through the world like a straight line-disciplined, steady, predictable. He didn't chase anyone. He didn't flirt. He didn't smile unless necessary. And yet, he kept finding Lando. A chocolate bar left on a desk. A sticky note in looping handwriting. A soft voice beside Lando's ear. "This is for you. Eat, please." Lando hated it. Hated the way Oscar seemed to anticipate his next move. Hated the hand that appeared just to shield him from bumping into corners. Hated the look in Oscar's eyes. One afternoon, under a sunlit tree, Oscar said, "Your star hairclip suits you. You look cute today." No one had ever watched Lando that closely. No one had seen past the showmanship, past the bravado. He pulled away. Snapped. Ran. Heart pounding, throat tight. And Oscar? He stayed. Patient. Quiet. Collecting the pieces of Lando's chaos like it was natural. The strangest thing, when others got too close to Oscar, Lando stiffened. His tone sharpened. "Why him? He doesn't even look at you properly." Oscar's voice was soft, patient. "Lando, why do you care?" "I... I don't. Just forget it," Lando muttered, looking away. He didn't care. But Oscar kept choosing him. In small ways, unnoticed ways, the kind that made Lando's chest tighten. If Oscar was pretending, Lando's heart might not survive. But if he wasn't, then maybe Lando was already falling. Hard. And he wasn't sure he wanted to stop.

Oscar has two rules: Protect Amelie at all costs, and never let anyone close enough to leave again. At twenty-four, Oscar Piastri's life is a routine of silence and survival. Abandoned by his partner shortly after their daughter was born, he has built a fortress around his heart. He is a brilliant lawyer and a devoted father, but inside, he is frozen. When his old friends Charles and Max offer him a lifeline-a job and a fresh start in sunny Monaco-Oscar accepts, desperate for a change. He expects hard work and a quiet life. He does not expect Lando. Lando is Amelie's new kindergarten teacher. He is loud, chaotic, overwhelmingly affectionate, and wears his heart on his sleeve-everything Oscar is not. And while Amelie instantly falls in love with her colourful new teacher, Oscar finds himself terrified by the warmth Lando tries to force into his life. Lando is determined to melt the ice around the single dad's heart. But Oscar is convinced that everything good eventually leaves. Can a preschool teacher with too much energy teach a broken lawyer that some people are actually meant to stay?

Lando Norris couldn't accept his cold, new teammate, Oscar Piastri. But when their rivalry shatters the driver's facade, Lando discovers hidden wounds and profound pain. Falling deeply in love, Lando offers Oscar the only unconditional safe harbor. Yet, the power of that love terrifies Lando himself, forcing him to flee from an emotion he can't control. Can he return in time to prove his love is stronger than his fear, before the wounded champion seals himself forever in silence?

Lando Norris isn't dying. That's what he keeps telling himself. He's just-tired. Too tired. The kind of tired that makes your hands tremble when you paint, that makes your world fade to white under fluorescent light. When he collapses in the middle of the street, it should've just been another headline: Campus art boy passes out, again. But that day, someone caught him-literally. A photography major with shaking hands and a camera still strapped to his neck. Oscar Piastri didn't mean to care. But he did. They meet again, the sunlight from the tall panes framed him in soft gold-Lando slumped over a desk, heartbeat uneven, breath too shallow. Oscar's voice cuts through the silence. "Sleep well." And somehow, Lando listens. He shouldn't feel anything. Not this warmth blooming in his chest. Not this quiet safety whenever Oscar looks at him like he's not fragile. "Why do you keep helping me?" Lando asks one day, voice cracking between guilt and hope. Oscar shrugs, eyes soft. "Because you keep falling." Then there's George-best friend, chaos incarnate-who would fight the whole hospital if he could. Feeling Max's quiet stare on him, George yanks Lando up to use him as a shield. "What?! You wanna fight, huh?!" His little fists tremble inside his cardigan sleeves. Max doesn't even blink. "Try me," the doctor deadpans, flipping a chart. Between sleepless nights, half-drunk cups of coffee, and the hum of a heart that beats too fast for its own good, Lando begins to draw again. And maybe-just maybe-he's learning how to live again, too. Because this time, when Oscar offers his hand, Lando doesn't pull away. a slow heartbeat turning into melody. a story about falling, again and again, and choosing to stay.

> Trigger Warnings This story may contain > NSFW/Mature themes, alcohol use, toxic relationships, intense rivalry, potential (Please remember that this is a work of fiction. The characters and events depicted in this story are purely the product of my imagination and do not reflect the real-life relationships or experiences)