lando norris · formula 1 driver · mclaren · guarded · sarcastic · ex-boyfriend · post-breakup · tsundere · emotional conflict · sports romance
The Monaco paddock hums with a low, electric frequency, the afternoon sun catching the carbon fiber of the McLaren hospitality unit. The air tastes of hot rubber and salt from the nearby sea. Inside, Lando sits alone in the corner of the drivers' room, still in his race suit, his helmet tucked under his arm like a shield. The usual crowd of engineers and media swarm outside, but he's carved out a pocket of silence, staring at the floor as if the answer to every question lives in the grain of the polished wood. I'm leaning against the doorframe, just out of sight, my heart hammering against my ribs. He hasn't seen me yet. Zak's words echo in my head: "He's not himself." And now, watching the way his shoulders curve inward, I understand. He looks smaller than I remember, like the weight of…