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Oscar’s pov Suzuka 2025
Oscar was ecstatic. Finally, after a series of unfortunate starts, he made it. He started the race, and not only that, he finished on the podium.
The usual uncomfortable champagne shower felt heavenly today. The coldness soothed his tired and hot body. Oscar managed a quick shower before the debrief, just as the sensation of the sticky liquid got unpleasant.
He walked into the debrief with a smile on his face. Something rare these days. That's when he noticed his teammate, and the emotion wavered.
Lando struggled with the new car from the start of the season, almost as much as Oscar did. It had to be depressing to finally be the champion, only to get stuck in a midfield car yet again.
Oscar hated seeing Lando sad and annoyed. Still, he knew there was nothing he could do about it now, so he tried tuning Lando out. A task that was always harder than it should have been.
No matter how much Oscar tried to fight it, his attention kept flickering back to Lando. He wasn’t really good at reading people, but he knew all of Lando’s tells by now. Memorising every tiny detail about his older teammate came naturally to him.
So he noticed Lando’s leg bouncing under the table, and he noticed how he kept shifting his chair. He even noticed the instant fiddling with his hair and how many times he reached for his phone, only to put it back on the table, the screen facing the hardwood.
These were all the anxious habits he did and it made Oscar’s heartbeat faster. Distressed Lando always made him feel a bit urgent. The Aussie wanted to help him somehow, soothe the anxiety, but he was just so bad at that.
Nothing seemed okay enough to say or ask, no matter how many different variants Oscar rolled around his head. It just all sounded too prying and off, even inside his head.
Not even minding the fact that they were still in the middle of a meeting, and Oscar couldn't ask things like that there. He just swallowed all the questions down and tried hard to focus on what the engineers and strategists were saying.
Oscar almost didn't notice the meeting ending, still overthinking how to gently ask and nudge Lando. Before he could do any of that, though, the Brit basically sprinted out of the door heading to his hotel room, if Oscar were to guess.
He tried following quickly after him. Tired and ready to let the car take him back inside the hotel, where he could finally relax. Oscar felt sleepy enough that it shouldn't be too hard to catch up on his rest, after talking to Lando, of course.
The Aussie had no such luck, though, as many members of the team insisted on celebrating. Oscar told them off playfully for a bit but gave in eventually, at least for another glass of champagne and congratulations.
Some of the guys left for the club with the Mercedes team, inviting Oscar as well, but he didn't want to go. Parties were boring, especially without Lando.
Oscar didn't like the bright lights and the loud noise, but all that seemed a bit more bearable with the Brit's bright smile and firm hand close to him. Which Oscar wouldn't have today, of course. Lando wouldn't go out after a race like this one.
So Oscar left with some of the other engineers back to the hotel. He thought about changing from his clothes or going to his room at least for a charger or pyjamas, but decided against it in the elevator.
He just wanted to see Lando, hug Lando, and be closer to Lando. It was a thing they did lately. Spend more time together wrapped around each other without naming it or thinking too much about it.
The thought sounded a bit scary to Oscar, not knowing what was actually between them. Despite that, it felt so easy that he didn't feel the need to properly talk about it or clarify it in any way.
Still, the nerves kicked him a bit as he stood lost in front of Lando’s hotel room, hesitant to knock. What if he weren't in the mood to see Oscar? What if he went to sleep early or rushed to the club?
Oscar knocked on the door quickly before the overthinking got worse. He knew he would back down otherwise.
There was a silence for a bit, and the nerves started gnawing on Oscar growing inside his head like a disease- Because what if Lando really didn't want to see him and hated him after today, and they would never-
“Oscar?” Lando asked after he opened the door, staring back at the younger man. He was dressed in a black quadrant hoodie, and his hair was messy. Oscar kind of wanted to kiss him.
“Hey, can I come in?” He asked the line he had prepared in the car and repeated it to himself all through the elevator ride.
Lando didn't answer, just moved away from the door, making space for him to enter. Oscar took the chance and walked inside the apartment. The place was surprisingly clean, everything was packed already, and a movie was playing on the telly.
“Shouldn't you be out celebrating?” Lando asked as he closed the door and plopped on the bed facing the TV. He tapped the spot next to himself in silent invitation.
The question was quite stupid, and they both knew it. “Not really my style, what are you watching?”
Oscar asked instead. Lando shrugged noncommittal scrolling away on his phone again. “Just some Netflix bullshit.”
The Aussie hummed in acknowledgement and started watching the movie from his spot on the bed. It was quiet for a bit, Lando clicking away on his phone and Oscar watching.
“Why are you here, Oscar?” The Brit asked eventually, taking Oscar a bit aback.
“I wanted to see you,” Oscar replied, maybe too honestly. Not putting his eyes away from the screen. He could see in the corner of his eye that Lando looked up from his phone, staring at him.
“Why?” The question was shy, almost too quiet for Oscar to catch. It was also a bit harder to answer, so he kept quiet for a bit, praying that the Brit would let it go.
He had no such luck, though… “Oscar, why?”
Oscar turned his head, facing Lando at the call of his name. Still, no words left his mouth as he didn't know what to say. He wasn't prepared for this scenario.
Blue met brown, and the room stayed quiet for a bit. Both of them just stared. Lando shook his head, eventually a small smile tugging at his lips. “Come here,”
The tone was soft, and Oscar was a weak, weak man when it came to Lando Norris. So he came closer to Lando's open arms, burying his head inside the older teammate’s chest, slumping his back and relaxing his legs. He sat between Lando's thighs and didn't want to leave.
Lando started playing with his hair absentmindedly, not paying attention to his phone or the TV for a bit. Oscar relaxed like that, his thoughts flowing mindlessly around his head like a jelly.
“Can I wash your hair?” Lando asked all of a sudden. Oscar looked up at him from his hiding spot in the older’s chest.
“No, just forget it, actually. I don't know why I said-” “Sure,” Lando started, but was quickly interrupted by Oscar. It had to feel heavenly with the warm water and Lando’s fingers.
“You sure?” Lando asked, and Oscar had no idea why. What would the Brit get out of it? Oscar wasn’t making him feel any better by being more of an inconvenience.
“Yeah, if you'd like to,” Oscar answered honestly because if this was the only thing Lando wanted from him, he would give it to him.
Lando gave him a stupid smile and rushed him to get up, pushing them into the bathroom.
They put only the small mirror light on and got quickly undressed before they both stepped inside the big shower. It was beautiful, with dark marble on the floors and walls, and a big overhead showerhead and a smaller one for hand use.
The Brit got to work quickly, wetting Oscar’s hair patiently and scrubbing his scalp carefully. He was thorough and efficient, quickly done with the water and going for the shampoo, not paying too much attention to his own hair.
Only when he started methodically shampooing Oscar’s hair did the Aussie realise what this could be about. The older always liked being in control, being the one who did things right and knew how to do them.
So this was probably a vent for it. Washing Oscar’s hair well, having control over the task. Oscar tried experimenting with his little theory.
“This is good,” he mumbled shyly when Lando’s hands reached a bit further down his neck, massaging the barely there hair. The pressure felt heavenly on his sore neck, and Lando had to know it.
“Yeah?” Lando asked, his voice quiet and hopeful. Oscar knew he hit the spot and felt proud of himself for being able to read Lando of all people.
“Yeah, it’s so nice,” Oscar added and could hear the private laugh that escaped Lando. The rest of the shower went in a similar rhythm. Oscar kept praising Lando, and the Brit giggled all cute about it, bathing in the attention.
Unfortunately, all good things had to end, and Lando was wrapping him in a soft towel a few minutes later. They got dry quickly and dressed in only their underwear. Lando borrowed Oscar, one of his pairs.
They fell straight into bed after both of them were too tired not to. The day was draining and demanding. Only when they were wrapped up around each other in the sheets did Lando speak up again.
“Thank you,” he mumbled inside Oscar’s clean hair. Oscar only hummed in acknowledgement, lifting his head slowly.
“It’s nothing.”