The Chequered Flag || Lando Norris

28 | I Missed You

"Oh my—you were right!" Lando said when I accepted the FaceTime call. "You were so fucking right!"

He couldn't wipe the grin off his face. It was as if it was almost permanent, and it made me beam back at him.

"And guess who's coming to Sochi with me?" Lando exclaimed.

My grin immediately faltered and I swallowed hard.

"What's wrong?" Lando asked.

"I have never been so happy and so terrified that I was right." I said with an attempt at reassuring laughter.

Lando looked at me with his eyebrows furrowed with worry. "You do know that just because you're gonna come with me to a race doesn't mean we have to tell the world that we're together. That's none of their business unless we want it to be. You can stay in my driver's room the whole weekend if you want to, we can arrive separately, I just want you there. I want to be with you during the chaos. Know that you're there, not halfway around the world."

I slowly nodded my head in thought. "Okay." I said letting out a huge sigh of relief as I felt the weight lift off my shoulders.

"Cami..." Lando said with concern, "how much have you been stressing over this?"

"A lot." I admitted with a sad chuckle.

"Oh God. That's not what I wanted at all. I want you to be happy too, Cami. You know that, right?"

"Yes, Lan, I do."

"Okay then. I'll be home really late, or really early, depending on how you look at it. Point is, I'll be back tomorrow, but before you wake up in the morning. I wanted to get back home as soon as I possibly could." Lando said, his grin returning to his face.

I laughed at his giddiness, "I'll see you then. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." Lando said. He looked up as I heard someone whisper something in a hushed tone to him. "Listen, I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Don't be. I understand." I said, giving him a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow morning. I'll get up as early as I can force myself to and come over."

"Okay." Lando said with a laugh. "I—" Lando started before seeming to catch himself, "I'll see you then. Goodbye."

"Bye."

Lando hung up and I sat against the couch on the floor of my flat's living room. Was he going to say something different while he was saying goodbye? No, he couldn't have been. It was too soon to say that.

Just then, I heard keys in the lock on the front door, and I looked up as Kate and Max walked in. They'd gone out to dinner while I stayed in, not wanting to miss it if Lando called.

"Hey. You guys just missed Lando." I said as I got up off the floor.

"He's coming home tomorrow, right?" Max said.

"From what I gathered, more like 2-4 in the morning." I responded as I walked into the kitchen to get a snack.

Through the door frame, I saw Kate go on her tiptoes to whisper something into Max's ear. I laughed as I saw his eyes widen.

"Hey, Cami." Max said, "I'm probably gonna spend the night here, if you want to, I can give you my keys and you can go stay at Lando's tonight and surprise him instead."

I caught onto what Max was putting down and decided it probably wasn't a bad idea to give them a little privacy tonight, and myself a good chance at some sleep. "Okay. I think I'll take you up on that."

Max tossed me his keys before Kate dragged him into her room. I quickly put back the crackers I had been getting out of the box, and gathered the things I thought I would need for tonight.

Once I had a bag with clothes and toiletries, I grabbed the keys to my mini and headed out the door.

The drive to Lando's house was fairly quick and quiet. I had been too lazy to put on music for the short drive, so I was left to my own thoughts. In the next week and a half, I had to finalize the contract for the movie, study for uni, and pack for Russia.... Was Lando going to say 'I love you'? I pushed the thought down. I wasn't ready to think about that yet.

When I got to his house, I got out of my car, but left it in the driveway in hopes he would notice it and not freak out that there was a stranger in his bed... maybe this wasn't the best idea.

When I got inside, I grabbed a pen and wrote a note that I tapped to the front door. Better safe than sorry.

Hey Lan,

I wanted to surprise you, but I also don't want you calling the police because you think you have an intruder in your house, so I'm letting you know now that I'm sleeping here tonight.

Cami

I quickly changed into a cropped tank top and pajama bottoms, then brushed my teeth before I jumped onto Lando's bed and splayed out across it. I sighed in content as I climbed under the covers, keeping my body spread across the bed, and fell asleep.

. . .

I woke up enough to register the kiss Lando left on my forehead and to move to one side of the bed.

I was awake enough to feel the mattress sink as he laid down and wrapped his arms around my waist, and his sigh of content as he tucked some of my hair behind my ear.

I was awake enough to flip my body around to face him, lift one of my legs on top of his, and lay my head on his bare chest.

I was awake enough to hear him chuckle at my neediness, but not enough to check the time or say welcome home.

. . .

When I woke up the next morning, I sighed in content as I squeezed Lando tighter. I felt him stir and cursed myself for waking him.

When I opened my eyes enough to look up at him, I saw him already staring down at me.

"Were you watching me sleep?" I asked with a small chuckle as I propped my chin on his chest to get a better look at his face.

His curls were all messed up, and he was smiling at me. "Maybe." He responded.

I closed my eyes and smiled at his deeper-than-normal voice.

I let one of my hands wander from his side, onto his bare chest, and up to the side of his face. He leaned his head into it before using his own to hold it steady as he kissed each of my fingers, from my pinky to my thumb.

When he reached my thumb, my eyes fluttered open as he gently bit the tip before kissing it, and as he led my hand away from his mouth, I felt that my thumb was still wet.

I suddenly felt very aware that it had been weeks since I last saw him. I slowly got up onto my hands and knees, never breaking eye contact with him. I moved until my legs were straddling his own and my hands were on either side of his head.

He looked stunned by my confidence, but it was quickly changed to thirst as he seemed to feel what I had moments earlier.

He laid his hands on my waist, and I dropped to my elbows and spread my legs until I was sitting right on the growing bulge beneath his boxers.

Our faces were now mere inches apart and I felt his hot breath on my face. I raked my fingers through his hair, my nails slowly scratching circles into his scalp. After a few seconds, Lando's eyes seemed to roll into the back of his head before he closed them and bit his lip.

I bent my head down to run my tongue along his bottom lip and the teeth that were holding it captive.

"You don't have to hold back, no one else is home." I said.

Lando's eyes flew open, and he grabbed ahold of the back of my head and kissed me.

After a few seconds, he flipped me over. I closed my eyes and my breath hitched as Lando slowly drew his fingertips down the sides of my torso as his gentle kisses traveled further down my body.

"I missed you." He moaned.