It has been nearly six weeks since Queenie has seen Lando in person. Before a few days ago, it had been around three weeks since they'd last spoken to each other. To say that Queenie is nervous to get out of her car and knock on Lando's front door is an understatement.
She can't decide whether him wanting to see her is a good thing or not. Everything seems to be moving in the right direction but Queenie doesn't want to get her hopes up. Not when everything blew up last time—admittedly at her own fault, but it still doesn't ease the nauseous feeling in her stomach.
While she's mustering up the courage to leave her cocoon of safety in her car, her phone beeps with a notification and her eyes immediately narrow in on the text message on her lock screen.
𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼 >
LANDO
are u gonna sit in ur car the
whole night or are u planning
on actually coming inside the
house at some point?
Queenie scoffs, her eyes immediately flittering between the windows of the house in order to locate the curly-haired brunette. She finds him grinning at her through the blinds in one of his living rooms and her nerves seem to be forgotten about.
She pulls herself out of her car, flashing the racing driver her middle finger in response to his text as she locks the vehicle and hurries towards the front door.
Lando beats her to it by opening the door before she can knock, a sly grin on his face. "Did you need a minute to meditate before you came in here?"
"I was practising how to count to ten so that I wouldn't inevitably punt you in the throat as soon as you started to annoy me." Queenie counters, smiling sarcastically.
Lando laughs to himself. "Me? Annoying? Never."
Queenie hums, shrugging one shoulder as she blinks innocently at Lando. "Are you going to let me in, or...?"
Lando jolts almost as if he forgot Queenie is supposed to be coming into his home, moving out of the way of the doorway so that Queenie can step in. "Shit, yeah," He stumbles. "Sorry."
Queenie smiles as she passes Lando, feeling her knees buckle slightly as she inhales his familiar cologne. She's not sure whether it's because it's been a while since she last caught wind of that scent or whether it's because it just adds to her nerves, but amongst all of her racing thoughts, she never wants to go that long without having that scent surround her.
"You can go straight on through the back," Lando says, closing the door behind Queenie and shooing her towards the seating area in the kitchen with a soft smile. "Max isn't in so you don't have to worry about anyone listening in."
Right.
He'd invited Queenie round so that they can talk. Queenie's sure he's going to tell her that they can 'remain friends' and then never give her the time of day after. Lando's sure Queenie is going to tell him that nothing's changed, even with the interview for a new job, and that they still can't be anything more than what they currently are.
The couple sits down—a mile apart, squished against the armrests of both sides of the sofa—and the silence transfers from being comfortable to awkward.
"So, I—"
"How di—"
Queenie blushes, feeling like she's lost six years from her age as she avoids eye contact with the twenty-one-year-old sitting on the other end of the couch.
Lando chuckles. "You first." He instructs, reaching a hand up to run through his hair.
"I—uh, I went for a job interview the other day."
"I saw," Lando nods, offering Queenie a soft smile. "Another 'Big Girl' Law job?"
"Yeah," Queenie matches Lando's smile. "It's for a training contract at a smaller firm closer to my flat, they seem like a really great company to work for."
"Good, I'm glad."
Queenie cringes to herself before sighing. "Look, Lando," She begins. "I know I've said all of this before but I think it's better to say it in person than over text so just pretend this is the first time you're hearing all of this."
Lando chuckles, nodding at Queenie to continue.
"I'm sorry," The brunette girl exhales. "I'm sorry for letting my workplace dictate my personal life, I'm sorry for the whole thing with Will—you were completely right about him and I should've trusted your judgement rather than letting my past friendship with him cloud mine. And, I'm really sorry for any extra stress I caused you in the middle of your season."
"It's OK." Lando replies, scooting a little bit closer to Queenie on the sofa.
She groans. "No, it's not."
"It is, Queenie," Lando reaches to shove Queenie's shoulder, rolling his eyes when he sees her fight a smile. "It's not your fault your ex is a psycho and that your boss pressured you into thinking you had to give up your right to a personal life."
"I had the worst timing with dealing with it all." Queenie comments and Lando snorts out a laugh instantly.
"Tell me about it."
Queenie narrows her eyes at the racing driver. "You said it wasn't my fault you lost."
"It wasn't," Lando confirms but then he smirks and Queenie knows he's going to hold this against her anyway. "But if you're going to fish for it, the only thing you're going to catch is a guilt trip."
"I hate you." Queenie pouts, turning her head to face Lando. Her eyes drop to his lips which are parted in that ever-present gorgeous smile and she feels her stomach turn.
He suddenly seems so much closer than before. His cologne is surrounding Queenie now, their knees touching as Lando twists in his seat so that his arm is over the backrest of the sofa as he faces Queenie. Queenie would make note of how soft and dazed he looks as he stares down at her but she can hardly keep her eyes away from his lips.
"No, you don't." Lando whispers.
Queenie meets Lando's blue-green eyes and squints. "I do."
Queenie feels like she's back to that first night at his house—right after Queenie had teased Lando and ended up being wrestled onto her back on this very same couch—and her mouth dries as she thinks about what had almost happened next.
Queenie feels frozen, not sure whether kissing Lando would be the best thing to do. She's still not entirely sure where they stand, or where they're going to stand once she leaves his house.
She's brought out of her thoughts when Lando gently pushes a loose piece of hair out of her face and cups her cheek.
"Can I kiss you?" He asks, his blinks matching Queenie's slow breathing as she brings herself back around from her thoughts.
She barely has time to nod her head before his lips have found her own. Her heart flutters in her chest when she hears Lando almost sigh in relief when she tilts her head and kisses him back.
Lando smiles into the kiss, the desperation and urgency clear in the dance of tongues, lips and moans as Queenie leans forward—almost on Lando's lap—as she fists his t-shirt to bring him impossibly closer.
Queenie huffs when Lando's lips leave hers but it quickly turns into a moan when they soon connect with her jaw, leaving a trail down her neck and to her collarbone.
"Did you say Max is out?" Queenie asks in between kisses.
Lando hums in confirmation. "Yeah, I'd rather not think about my best mate right now though."
"Take a hint, Lando," Queenie laughs. "You have a free house and a bedroom upstairs."
Lando is on his feet in lightning speed, pulling Queenie behind him towards his stairs before she can even yelp in surprise. She giggles all the way to the bedroom and Lando can't help but grin at the sound.
Oh, how he's missed that sound.
NOTES !
i've said it once and i'll say it again,
i'm so shit at writing smut so just uhh
use your own imagination as to how
lando and queenie bump uglies :)
i think another chapter is coming
tonight but like lateeee tonight like
10/11pm xxx