Leah had been out of the house for a while. She was meeting with her lawyers for some reason. Lando was left home alone for a few hours. In those hours he had decided that they would have a date night, but they weren't going out because he knew that Leah hated when people would follow them and interrupt their date time. She liked her fans, loved them, but sometimes she just wanted to walk down the street holding Lando's hand and not be interrupted every ten minutes.
When she walked in, he had put a Nerf gun on the stairs for her to grab as he set up the rest of the house. He knew she'd plaid Nerf guns with her brothers when they were younger and she'd talked about wanting to do it recently. So Lando thought, why not today? He wrote her a little note warning her that he was hiding in the house with a matching gun. She had to find him or he would find her. Then they would probably make dinner or watch a movie, but he was determined to get her. Lando was playing with Pippin when the notification went off that she had arrived home. Most likely pulled up in the garage. He smiled and ran toward the back rooms. Leah opened the door and paused.
"Lan!?" She called as she moved forward and picked up the note card. "Come find me." She laughed a little as she looked up the stairs and grabbed the gun. She'd set her keys and phone on the stairs and then removed her shoes. She crept up the stairs slowly, she'd figured out where the quiet boards were within the first week that they moved in. Why she'd done that? She had no idea, but she used to do it all the time back in her other houses so she wanted to know where they were in this one as well. She assumed that he would probably be in the backrooms hiding either behind the door or in a closet which would make her walk into a trap. She smiled and tossed one of the cat balls down the hallway and watched as Pippin ran out of their bedroom. Leah smiled and moved toward the side waiting to see what Lando would do. She knew exactly where he was because of Pip. The cat would follow you wherever you went because he likes being with people. He's never alone for too long unless they leave him to go to the store.
"Lando," Leah sang as she heard a rustle from the bedroom.
"You aren't playing fair," He smiled as he moved from the other side of the bed behind the door now trying to see if he could see her through the crack.
"Who said there were rules?" Leah teased as she slid farther back behind the wall. She wanted to draw him out of the room. She slowly walked across the carpet in the living room and hide behind the edge of the couch peeking out to see if he would move.
"I should have known you would play dirty, you grew up with two older brothers," Lando sighed as he slowly made his way out of the bedroom and went across the hall into the office making sure he stayed safe. Leah quickly ran across the room moving into the kitchen. She heard him fire off a shot and laughed as it missed her. She stood on the other side of the kitchen table waiting for him to look around the corner.
"Damn it!" He sighed as he cocked his gun once more. They were the little pistol ones, where you would pull the loop back each time to fire the bullets. It came with three bullets. So he just had two left now.
"So what do I get if I win?" Leah asked as she slowly moved around the kitchen. She saw his shoulder appear near the wall and shot at him, but missed. He laughed as he picked up the spare dart.
"I don't think you're going to win baby, I have more ammo than you," Lando smiled as he slid the foam dart into his pocket.
"Now who is cheating," Leah laughed as she hit behind one of the stools. She saw the other dart he'd fired laying on the floor a few feet ahead of her. She quickly crawled back toward the govern careful that he couldn't shoot her and grabbed the hand towel.
"What are you doing in there baby, you're moving around a lot, panicking?" Lando teased as he looked around and saw her leaning out for the other dart. He smiled and shot. She suddenly threw a towel out and pulled it back. "Oh fuck."
"Thank you," She winked at him as she grabbed the second dart as well moving back behind the island. Lando moved into the kitchen now as well hiding on the other side. "So what was that you were saying about what I would get if I win?"
"You will get whatever you want," Lando smiled as he saw her foot disappear behind the edge of the table.
"I already get that," Leah smiled as she tucked the bullets into her pockets. She slowly stood up and peaked over the edge of the table smiling at Lando as he stared at her.
"No headshots, that's all I ask," Lando added as he blew her a kiss. She caught it and disappeared. She giggled as she slid across the floor and shot at him, but he'd moved behind the table.
"Damn it, Lan," Leah sighed as she reloaded and hurried toward the couch. Lando shot as she suddenly tumbled over the couch. He heard the thud as she hit the floor.
"Leah!" Lando ran over to her and looked over the couch. she smiled at him behind the barrel of her Nerf Gun.
"I love you," She shot as he shot him in the chest. She raised her hands in the air declaring her victory.
"that was evil," He pointed his gun at her and shook his head. "Despicable." He shook his head and moved away from her.
"Lando, I need your help," Leah tossed the gun on the couch as she raised her arms in the air. "I could really use a hug." He set his Nerf gun on the table and went back to the living room seeing her still on her back with her arms raised. He leaned over and wrapped his arms around her lifting her off the ground as she wrapped hers around his neck giving his cheek quickly. "I love you."
"I love you most, now, what are we going to eat because Pippin and I couldn't decide," Lando kissed her as he pulled her back toward the kitchen. "I want to cook, you might just have to walk me through it. I'm getting better though, you have to admit that?" He pointed at her and she nodded as she leaned against the counter watching him move toward the pantry. He paused and then looked at her. Really looked at her.
"Were you crying?" He asked as he moved back toward her leaving the cabinet doors open. Leah shook her head as she smiled at him. He cupped either side of her face making her look at him.
"That was a lie Leah Ann Norris," Lando muttered as he waited for her to say the truth. "Weren't you with your lawyers? Are you okay? What happened?" She smiled and kissed him again, but he didn't drop the worried look.
"I'm fine, I was just talking with her about life and everything and my emotions got the better of me, I swear I'm okay," Leah wrapped her hands around his wrists assuring him that she was fine. "Now, do you want pasta or breakfast?"
"Oh I could go for some hotcakes," Lando nodded as he went to the fridge pulling out the steaks they bought yesterday.
"That's what I thought," Leah smiled and grabbed the pan from the cabinet and put it on the stove. The pair worked together getting everything ready, moving around one another like they'd been living together their whole lives. Pippin too weaved through their legs as he joined the fun.
"Did you see what everyone has been saying about me?" Lando asked suddenly as he started to mix the pancake batter. Leah had taught him her mother's family recipe when they'd first started dating and he'd loved it. He made sure to memorize it so she didn't have to keep reminding him.
"I have, but it's all not true, I know you didn't mean to break my trophy, Lan, and the people already got paid for it, so it's not as big of a deal as everyone makes it out to be," Leah assured him as she poured the eggs into the pan hearing them sizzle.
"They are calling me immature and unprofessional," He sighed as he shook his head staring back into the batter. Leah moved closer to him running her hand over the back of his shoulders.
"Lando, people will use anything as an excuse to hate on others who are doing good, you didn't receive any hate before you started winning. Back-to-back podiums, that's amazing, and others are starting to realize what a threat you are, so they are trying to tear down your character," Leah leaned her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her and realized she was right. She and Max have the most hate out of anyone on the grid because they win so often. Many call it boring to watch and uneventful because they can't even battle with one another. He kissed the top of her head and then returned to making his pancake batter. He grabbed a little quarter cup and started scooping small amounts onto the pan.
"I don't know what I would do without you," He whispered as he watched the small bubbles appear on the pale batter.
"You wouldn't know how to cook, that's for sure," She teased him as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He scoffed and tried to shove her away from him, but she held on tight.
"You know what I mean though," He rested his head atop hers and let his arms wrap around her. They stayed there for a few moments. "If you don't let go you are going to make me burn the first batch." Leah shot back and went to her eggs as well making him laugh at her.