Amber & Honey ~ [DR3]

33. Austria

Mature content in the last half of the chapter

Enjoy 🤠

"How you feeling for today?" I ask cautiously, Lando had been a little tense last night as we ate dinner together in the hotel. He hasn't been snappy (or even whiny) at all like he usually would be under strain, but his shoulders looked tight and he refused to talk about the sprint race today. Instead, he just wanted to watch Stranger Things until Lu was free for a call at which time I snuck off to my own room to sleep. Today when I ask him  he just lazily shrugs at my concern.

"Alright." He says with another shrug. "It wasn't really on me yesterday." He says dismissively which is true, it wasn't. I think I'd overhead a reporter call his new (old) power unit 'asthmatic'. The description had made me laugh (and also helped me understand what was going on with it) - Lando not so much. Some of the relaxation from him which usually came with this track had been eaten away because of the car trouble. He'd been a little panicked (rightly so) when there was a literal fire under his ass in yesterday's practice. "Today will be better...I hope." He finishes as we enter the paddock.

Lando lifts his pass to the scanner and I mirror him. The machine beeps, glowing green and displaying my picture which I had submitted for security to see, it's one of me from Christmas last year. I push my way through the turnstile, finding my way back to Lando's side as photographers snap pictures of him arriving, some shout questions at him. One guy even asks me some things, I don't quite catch the question but instead just smile at them softly, raising my hand in a small greeting. I know that Daniel's name is called.

It takes a few minutes, especially as Lando stops to sign a few things for a few fans in Mclaren Merch but we eventually make it inside the privacy of the papaya motorhome. Our conversation can resume. "It can't go much worse." Lando mutters to himself and I snort at his words. The shy admission reminds me of our conversation at the start of the season where he awkwardly admitted that the car was (and I quote) 'a bit shit'.

I go to grab a cup of coffee from the small stand near the door, filling the cup and adding a quarter packet of sugar to the to-go cup and stirring the liquid softly. Lando appears at my side, a small booklet in his hand no doubt full of information. He looks at my cup, turning his nose up in disgust at the caffeinated liquid as I take my first sips. "DR feels worse than me." Lando announces and with his words  my attention is peaked. He knows it.

It would make Daniel's lack of appearance at the door of my room last night make more sense. He'd been fairly quiet after the race so I knew he was down, it just didn't dawn on me how much he must be until now. Especially if Lando's noticed. "He kinda has reason to feel a little worse." I note in response to Lando's words. I can't tell if they were prying or said out of genuine concern. "Don't you think?" I ask and my brother nods, tilting his head a little, his eyes darting quickly around the room the way they always seem to when he's in thought.

Daniel had been out in Q1 of qualifying placing 16th, and even though Lando only made it to 15th he at least had the excuse of his 'asthmatic PU' and actually made it to Q2.

I make a mental note to hide any and all space hoppers I see around the paddock this weekend, the last thing we need is another...incident.

Someone approaches Lando asking to have a word with him as he sips at the water bottle in his hands. "Think that's my cue..." he trails off, puffing out a long breath. I fight a laugh at the dramatic nature of his reaction to having to actually work at his job. His eyes roll, lips a little poured as someone else calls his name. "You'll be fine?" He asks me as I take another sip of the coffee.

"Obviously." I reply in a 'duh' tone. I'd become very comfortable around here I've the last few races. "See you later." I urge as he nod to himself, leaving my side.