Baby Blue.

Chapter 2: An offer you can't refuse.

Top o' the mornin' to you people!

I'm really blown away by all the reactions to this fic.
Every single feedback means a lot to me!

Unfortunately, I can't give you a fixed upload schedule because I still have some university assignments to do, but I promise it will never be more than 3 weeks between chapters.

That's exactly why it's already going on today :)

Have fun reading! ♥

Also: follow me on tiktok, it's @sourptachsoda. I'm trying to enhance my editing skills so that you can get a vision of this fic, too!

"Hey, buttercup, do you finally want to tell me what happened?"

The sight of my brother waiting for me in front of the Ferrari building is almost saddening. His shoulders slump under my gaze and he doesn't even try to look at me. I pull him into a tight hug.

"Let's go before some camera films this," I murmur in his ear and he nods.

We walk through the now almost empty McLaren garage and Lando has José, his race engineer, give him some notes. José, too, looks at me with pity rather than joy.

When we finally walk through the twilight, far away from the many cameras, microphones and people, Lando breaks the silence.

"Did Carlos tell you?" He doesn't look up from his paper and waits for an answer.

"He hinted at something, but I want to hear from you what happened that made you suddenly put your career on the line."

"Apparently my family is not as wholesome and perfect as I thought," he says. "My mother," he literally spits the word, "has been lying and cheating on our father for years."

"And you're sure?" I ask, stopping.

He turns to me with a jerk. "Do you think I'd mistake our almost bald father for our Italian gardener?" His eyes sparkle. I can't tell if with anger or tears.

"Hmm." I didn't really know what to say to the news. "Do you think Cisca knows? That you know?"

"No, and I don't give a shit either. I can't believe that everything she's ever tried to teach me or our siblings was about loyalty and love and then she goes and pulls off this shit. I'm just pissed off."

"Okay. But that doesn't explain why I've hardly had any contact with you for a few weeks now and why you only surround yourself with women you shouldn't be seen with if your marketability and employment at McLaren means anything to you," I say and catch up with him again, because Lando hasn't stopped walking.

The lights at the track come on, even though they aren't as bright as the floodlights. I can see Lando wiping his cheeks again.

"Why should I be loyal to anyone when everyone eventually turns against me anyway?" he asks, looking into the darkness outside the race track.

"Everyone? Just the fact that Carlos had the guts to smuggle himself into the McLaren Motorhome to support me talking to you today....Please." I tug at his hoodie to get his attention.

"If he hadn't left, he wouldn't have to go through such trouble," Lando replies coolly and I open my mouth in shock.

He has never said it so clearly before. Yes, he misses Carlos, but I wasn't aware until now that he took Carlos leaving McLaren for Ferrari as some kind of betrayal.

"And why won't you talk to me then?" I ask him after we have fallen silent for a few minutes again.

"You have enough to do at university."