Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Bondi Beach, one of the most popular beaches in Australia, had always been one of Oscar’s favourite places to visit when he was young. The water had always felt like a second home to him, the calming feeling he got when paddling out to sea on his board and the thrill when catching a set had always helped him clear his mind. One day, when on a family holiday from Melbourne to Sydney... A trip to Bondi had changed his life forever.

Oscar and the eldest of his sisters had been splashing around in the water without a care in the world near the southern end of the beach. The rest of the family is on the sand, either tanning or building sculptures. The two swam around without a care in the world, splashing one another and jumping over waves, soaking them in the relaxing salt water and cooling their warm skin from the blazing sun. They weren’t paying much attention to their surroundings, giggling as they continued to bob around and splash one another.. Feet planted reassuringly on the sand bank, though the two were strong swimmers, their father always wanted them to be able to touch the floor unless he was in the water with them.

“Oscar!” His sister screeched, wiping away the water from her face and looking at her older brother with a scowl. The young boy couldn't help but giggle, bobbing over a wave as his attention focused on a nearby surfer, catching a set and riding the wave into the beach. He let out a small huff, still frustrated that his parents would allow them to ride their boards unless one of them was out in the surf with them.

However, his attention soon changed as the small hands of his sister suddenly gripped him tightly. “Ozzie.. I can’t touch the bottom.” She called, looking down through the water at her feet which had now begun kicking a lot more powerfully. Oscar held onto her tightly, not trying to panic just yet as he tried to paddle them back closer to the shore, hoping that they hadn’t floated too far away from the sandbank.

“I-It’s okay! We just have to paddle!” He called, kicking his legs harder as the two tried to paddle their way back to shore, but failed as waves began crashing over them. Bringing them further into the deeper water, watching as the shore seemed to get further and further out of reach. “You have to paddle too!” The panic in his voice became more alert, holding his sister tightly as another wave crashed into them and dragged them further out, and alarmingly, closer to the rocks.

“I-I can’t Ozzie!” She screamed, her head getting submerged briefly by the water and letting out a choked cough. “Help! Help!” her small voice called out, looking around to see if there was anyone nearby who could help the two, though the only people nearby flew past the struggling kids as they surfed back to the shore on a set.

Oscar joined in on his sister's cries, attempting to keep them both afloat but he was still young, keeping them both afloat, fighting through the waves was making his body more and more exhausted by the minute. Just as they began to lose hope, their bodies tired and ready to give up...A blue board surged its way over a wave and grabbed the two before they both sunk to the ocean floor, pulling them both up so their heaving chests were placed on the side of the board.

“Hey hey hey,” the man called as he adjusted the two exhausted kids so they lay on their stomachs facing forward. “You’re okay... You’re fine..” he reassured, beginning to paddle back to the beach, telling the two to hold on as he caught a wave to bring them to the shore. Immediately, Oscar’s parents rushed towards the water as they witnessed their children walk out of the shallow water hand in hand with a lifeguard.

“Oh, my babies!” Nicole, Oscar’s mother, called as she scooped the two into her embrace and hugged them closely, “what did we tell you about staying close?” she scolded, though prioritizing holding her children in her arms and making sure they were okay.

“Thank you so much, mate.” Their father clapped the lifeguard on the back, a way of showing how grateful he was to the man who had saved his two eldest from the sea. 

“No worries,” he smiled before crouching down so he was at eye level with the two children, both meeting his eyes as if they were staring in awe at a superhero. “Now you little fishies.. Why don’t we keep our swimming up between the flags huh? That way mum won’t need to have another heart attack hm?”  The two nodded before Oscar quickly broke free from his mother's embrace and threw himself into the lifeguard's arms, wrapping his arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

“Thank you Mr..” he whispered as his body continued to shake slightly due to the adrenaline still rushing through him. “I wanna save people just like you did... One day I’ll be like you.” Oscar stated firmly, looking the man in the eyes still with that childlike awe. But Mark knew from that day, that in a few years that the young boy would stick to his word.

“Hey,” he looked at the young boy's father, “have you got your phone on you mate? I know a couple of guys around Australia that do junior life-saving classes. Could get this little guy in?” Mark chuckled as the young boy's face lit up even more in his arms; turning to look at his father.

“Please, Dad! I wanna be a lifeguard!” 

And from that very moment, Oscar’s life changed.

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Everything is gonna be alright. In the summertime.

—------------

“Morning mate!” Mark called, watching as his mini-me walked into the tower ready to start his shift. The young boy that he had saved all those years ago, had lived up to his promise and after years of hard work and completing his traineeship, Oscar Piastri was now a fully fledged lifeguard or as they’re more commonly known on the beach, the “boys in blue.”

“Morning,” the Aussie grumbled, still rubbing the tired look from his eyes. Thank god Mark never put him on the opening shift today, he was shattered, not having slept for long enough due to listening to his roommate’s ramblings about some race in Melbourne in a few weeks.

“Mhm,” he grumbled, swapping his white t-shirt for his blue lifeguard one, sitting the cap on his head as he walked closer to the head lifeguard. “Logan kept rambling about some race happening in Melbourne in a few weeks, wants to get tickets.” He huffed, taking a seat as his eyes instinctively looked over the water for signs anyone was in distress, thankfully the beach was still quiet before the chaos of the afternoon heat flooded the place with people from all over the world.

“Logan likes Formula 1?” A new voice chirped, heads turning to look at Alex, a former lifeguard in Britain, finding an escape and starting new in Sydney. The two had become good friends after Logan appeared at the tower one day, searching for Oscar so they could walk back to the apartment together, but the Aussie was held up by a mass rescue, leaving the American to chat with Alex whilst he waited. Oscar was shocked by the new friendship, never having expected it, but he was happy that the two newcomers could bond over their new lives in Australia.

“Apparently,” Oscar sighed as he grabbed a protein bar from his backpack and began snacking on it whilst he waited for Mark to tell him where he would be stationed today. “One of his new phases I think. Never seemed interested when I tried to speak to him about cars before.” He shrugged, tuning out Alex’s giggles and observing the water, taking in the peace before the chaos.

And chaos, It was. The beach was packed, the water filled with people of all swimming abilities. For the first half of his shift, Mark had him in the tower watching the ocean, alerting the boys on the beach of anyone who was at risk of going under, having sent the guys in quite a few times as well as dealing with a few people approaching the tower for first aid reasons. Finally, after dealing with a couple of scratches and bumps, Oscar had been positioned at backpackers with Alex.

This part of the beach was always a hit or miss for Oscar, having been the area where he nearly drowned many years ago with his little sister…But also the place where he found his destiny. 

He found it hypocritical to think, but now, as a lifeguard, he always wondered why people chose to ignore the safe area of the flags and swim in the regions that are clearly labelled as being dangerous… His eyes drifted to the hazardous currents sign before sighing. He looked back at the water, listening to Alex yell at the swimmers over the megaphone to move towards the flags if they wanted to swim.

“How are those guys at the back looking to you guys?” Liam, one of the new trainees spoke over the walkie-talkie, both boys now focusing on the group of four guys in the water, splashing one another not noticing they were drifting into danger.

“Ehhh, they seem okay just now mate..” Oscar replied, adjusting his seating position in the buggy so he could get a better view of the guys. “Alex is trying to get their attention to get them back into shore so we can move them along to the flags.”

“Copy, Mate.”

It was never a good sign when the tower noticed people who looked fine at first but could potentially be in danger, It always meant trouble was looming unless luck was on your side, which for Oscar... It never usually was.

“Alright, guys out the back!” Alex called over the megaphone, attempting once again to get the group's attention, “You’re swimming into a large current! We need you to swim back and you can move over to the red and yellow flags if you want to continue swimming!” He used his hands to motion further along the beach to the flagged area, but once again their attempts went unnoticed.

It only took seconds, for the four guys to slip off the sandbank and into the powerful current of the rip, bobbing up and down as the panic began to set in.

“Guys, think you’re both in here..” Liam’s voice could be heard over the walkie-talkie whilst the boys had already jumped into action. They both ripped off their shirts, jumped out of the buggy and Alex grabbed the rescue board from the side of the buggy, leaving Oscar to sprint to one located in the sand before sprinting into the water and both of them paddling out to these men as fast as they could.

As the two paddled against the current as fast and hard as they could, the men began to struggle more and more as they continued to panic, realising how much danger they were in. Oscar looked to the side, watching as a local surfer grabbed a hold of one of the guys managing to keep him afloat whilst Alex reached the other two, grabbing their hands and pulling them so they could cling to the side of the board.

“Help!” The final guy, yelled as he continued to struggle against the current, getting pummelled by the waves as he got dragged further out. Oscar instantly took action, making sure the surfer could handle the man - a brief nod of reassurance was given before Oscar paddled as hard as he could to him.

“You’re alright! You’re alright!” He yelled, two seconds away from the guy before quickly reaching for his hand and dragging him close to the board, placing a hand on his back as a sigh of relief escaped from his chest. “I got you, mate,” he reassured as he took in just how distressed the young man looked.

“I-I don’t wanna die!” The man wailed, as one arm clutched the board and the other clung onto Oscar’s arm. The tears mixed with the salt water dripping down his face as Oscar’s heart ached, the guy was shaken up.

“You’re not gonna die mate,” Oscar replied as he ushered him onto the board gently manoeuvring him so that he was facing the right way. “I got you... You’re okay!”  However, It seemed that no reassurance would help until the guy got his feet on dry land as he continued to sniffle.

He didn't take his time to catch a wave to bring them back to shore, making sure to get them as close as possible before hopping off the board and assisting the man off and back onto the sand. Oscar couldn’t help but chuckle as the young guy fell to his knees and started confessing to the sand how much he’d missed it.

“Lando!” A voice called, as multiple pairs of feet came racing towards them. Oscar recognised one as the man the surfer had been holding up, the other two he assumed had been the men Alex had got in. “Are you okay?” The man asked, a thick French accent lacing his voice.

“Never swimming again..” Lando, as Oscar now learned, replied with a soft huff before he turned to look back at his saviour. “Fuck- thank you so much.” He moved so he was now standing up again, facing Oscar properly which allowed the Aussie to take him in.

Lando, from the sound of his voice, was British with dark brown hair styled in what he assumed was a mullet, wet curls settling on his forehead. He was shorter than the rest of the guys he had been with, just under eye level with Oscar. The Brit, was rather cute as he looked at him like a lost puppy- his eyes which Oscar couldn’t tell whether they were green or blue glistened in the sun, his eyelashes wet from the mix of tears and water still dripping off of him.

Without any warning, Lando had thrown himself into Oscar’s embrace and hugged him tightly, his head resting on his chest as Oscar hugged him back quite stiffly. He wasn’t used to getting hugged by the people he saved, usually receiving a small thank you before they went on their way. “You guys have learnt your lesson right?” Oscar made sure to ask, confused why Alex looked a bit shocked behind the group of guys.

“Yeah mate,” another group member, this one with a Dutch accent answered before giving a brief hand movement in the direction of the flags. “We know for next time, but I’m not sure if we’ll be rushing back.” The man chuckled before his eyes settled on Lando who was still clinging to Oscar like a koala. “Lando definitely won’t be.”

Oscar couldn’t help the small smile that presented on his face as he gently pried the still-shaken Brit off of him. Lando seemed to flush, maybe not taking his actions fully into consideration as he smiled shyly and took a step back, fidgeting with his hands. “Sorry- I didn’t even think before I-”

“Don’t be sorry mate,” Oscar cut him off, before walking back to the buggy and hanging the rescue board back on the rack. “Just swim between the flags next time yeah?” He smiled, watching as the group nodded and mumbled about the experience between one another. He’d caught the young Brit’s eyes looking at him once again as he used the towel to dry himself off, pulling his lifeguard shirt back over his head and picking up his walkie-talkie again to inform the tower that the rescue went okay.

“Oscar to Tower,” he started as he watched Alex chat with the group for a bit longer, looking far happier than he should be considering if the men listened they wouldn’t have been in this situation to begin with. “Rescue went well, a bit shook but they all seem o-” Oscar was cut off by Liam’s almost embarrassing shriek. It honestly reminded him of his younger sister when she found out Harry Styles would be performing in Melbourne, but to be fair... It was Harry Styles, even Oscar freaked out a bit.

“Alex told us who it is! You gotta bring them up here!” The trainee shrieked again, causing Oscar to pull the radio away from his ear slightly as a confused look appeared on his face. Who on earth were these guys to have their twenty-two-year-old trainee squealing? He looked across the sand where Alex was helping them gather their stuff, walking back to the buggy with a look of pure excitement.

“Mate..who the fuck are these guys?” Oscar spoke into the radio, hoping the rookie would reply before the four men got within listening distance.

“You’re kidding... Right?” Liam responded, the shock of Oscar not knowing who the group was, seeming to calm his excitement.

“No?” Oscar looked over his shoulder, Lando catching his eyes as he now had on a white overshirt- still showing off his chest and a fluoro yellow bucket hat sitting on his head, hiding the damp curls which made him look quite soft. He smiled softly at the guy before quickly turning back around and placing a hand on the steering wheel of the buggy. “Liam? Hurry mate!”

“Jeez, Logan was right you do live under a rock..” Liam muttered which left Oscar kind of shocked - Just how many of his colleagues had Logan become friends with? And why on earth was he the topic of conversation?

“Mate!” Oscar said firmly, watching as the group approached, though they all seemed distracted by Alex’s chat.

“Okay, okay!” he yelped.

“You and Alex just saved George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, Mate.” Liam’s excitement could be heard again, causing Oscar to sigh before asking the question he honestly wasn’t sure if he wanted the answer to.

“And they are?”

“Formula 1 drivers mate!"

Chapter Text

“Formula 1 drivers, mate”

It was as if Oscar’s world froze, the radio in his hand continuing to ramble on but he couldn’t hear a word that was coming through. Was this kind of weird coincidence? His roommate suddenly becomes fascinated with the sport and now he’s saving some of the drivers from drowning. It all seemed like a dream.

Shaking himself out of his little daydream, Oscar’s focus is pulled to the back of the buggy where George and Max sat in the trunk area with Alex, who was still rambling away quite excitedly to the two drivers - eyes glistening with joy as his attention focused more on the tall Brit. He then turned to the side where Lando was beginning to slide himself into the middle seat, thigh pressing against his own as Charles slid in soon after.

“Thank you again,” Charles smiled in his direction, skin glistening as the water droplets showed in the sun. Oscar could admit that the guys were fairly attractive - but the two sat in the front with him grasped his attention… Particularly the smaller Brit who’d taken an interest in playing with his fingers which sat on his lap, towel hanging over his shoulder.

“Honestly,” Oscar began as he turned the ignition causing the buggy to roar to life and beginning their journey back to the tower. “It's our job, there is no need to thank us so much, mate.” He couldn’t help but smile though at just how genuine the group were, Oscar had expected drivers to be snobby rich kids who saw themselves as being higher than everyone else, not the down-to-earth and full-of-gratitude group who they’d dragged from the water.

“Oscar,” Charles started again, shifting forward so he could look at the young Aussie past the uncharacteristically quiet Lando. “Without you and Alex we would’ve been gone! Especially little Lando here.” The Monégasque continued, a hand resting on Lando’s shoulders as he shook the boy. “So let us thank you.” Oscar’s eyes widen at his words, not expecting such a fightback from the man, honestly, he had expected him to step back and accept the fact that one thank you was enough… Not continue to battle against the dismissive lifeguard.

“Charles is right,” a soft voice piped up as Oscar made eye contact with the Brit who’d been sitting in silence so far. “If you didn’t get me... I would’ve been gone so please Oscar, let us thank you.” Taking his eyes off the sand for so long was dangerous, but Oscar couldn’t help but lose himself in Lando’s eyes, again, resembling a puppy with how they sparkled. The way his name rolled off the Brit's tongue made him want to hear it again and again, hundreds of people have said his name before so what about Lando made him want to hear it over and over again?

Eventually, he looked away and focused once again on weaving the buggy in and out of the crowd. “Alright,” he gave in, sparing a glance at the two who smiled in victory, “next time you visit though… let's avoid any more reasons to thank us okay?”

“Got it,” Charles had laughed as his attention moved to look around the beach and eventually fell into conversation with the guys in the back leaving Oscar and Lando to sit in silence amongst themselves. Oscar had watched as Lando continued to fidget with his fingers, eyes focused on the surroundings as he watched the people whizz by.

“Thought the race was in Melbourne?” Oscar asked, slowing down to let a group of people pass and walk up the sand, glancing briefly at the curly-haired boy. “What’s brought you guys to Sydney?”

“Visiting a friend,” Lando hummed as he adjusted his seating position, thigh pressing against Oscar’s slightly more as he turned to look at the Australian. “He’s from more west- but he’s got a place here so he’s housing us for a few weeks before we all fly to Melbourne for the race.” Oscar nodded along to what he was saying, assuming the friend he was talking about was, Daniel Ricciardo. Now, Oscar may be clueless about Formula 1 but he did know his Australian stars, and Daniel was one of them… He was also close with Mark, so Oscar had met him a few times when the driver had visited the beach.

Just as he was going to respond, his radio buzzed from the front of the buggy quickly grabbing his attention as Mark’s voice filled the air. “Oz can you see those heads bobbing out the back from where you are?” The question had grabbed Alex’s attention as he stood up in the back, looking out to the waves.

“Two girls out the back seem to be struggling!” Alex had yelled down, hopping off the buggy and beginning to strip his shirt and belt, Oscar pretended he didn’t see George’s eyes oogling at his colleague's chest, but he would relay what he saw to Alex once the group had gone on their way.

“Shit- yeah you guys are in - hands are up.” Mark never seemed panicky over the radio, but you could always tell the condition swimmers were in by the use of language he provided. Alex, without hesitation, ran for the second board and broke into a sprint to the water, paddling as fast as he could. Oscar was seconds behind, jumping out of the buggy and stripping his shirt - unintentionally throwing it to land on Lando’s lap, missing the way the young Brit immediately grasped it and held it close as he grabbed the lifeboard and made a b-line for the water.

Oscar paddled as hard and fast as he could, both lifeguards racing towards the girls whose condition seemed to deteriorate second by second. “Alex grab her!” Oscar yelled, pointing to the girl further in as he raced further out to the second girl. “Hang on!” he called, quickly coming over the wave and grabbing her hand - pulling her up onto the board. “There we go, up you come.” Oscar patted the board, motioning for her to climb up as she coughed roughly.

“Oh my god,” she panted and quickly hauled herself onto the rescue board, facing forward. “Where’s Sarah? Is she okay?” Her accent was thick, another Brit, reminding him of one of the British reality shows that play on the TV. He nodded, though she couldn’t see him and ran his hand through his once again wet hair as he checked behind himself to see if there were any upcoming sets he could catch.

“My mate’s got her, now hang tight okay?” Oscar called, motioning in Alex’s direction before beginning to paddle them back into shore, a smaller wave helping them reach the shoreline quicker. Once they reached ankle-deep water, Oscar assisted the woman back onto her feet but almost ended up soaked as the girl jumped into his arms and pressed a large smooch to his cheek. “Woah, Woah! Easy..” He laughed as he tried to catch his balance, keeping them both upright.

“You saved me life!” She called, clinging to him tightly and rambling praises which he honestly struggled to understand… Maybe he had to start paying more attention to those shows. “Sarah! That was mad!” The woman, whose name he still had yet to catch shrieked, causing Oscar to wince and successfully place the girl down as her mate ran over and they broke off into fast chatter.

Oscar wasn’t sure what it was today that was making people cling to him with gratitude, but he preferred the cute Britsh driver to the loud blonde whose attention he’d manage to get away from. Shaking his head with a smile, he caught up with Alex who was laughing at the Aussie’s embarrassment before making their way back to the buggy where the group of guys stared at them in awe.

“Mates!” Max had called, leaning over the back of the buggy, “That was awesome!”

“He’s right,” George chirped as he grabbed Alex’s shirt and handed it to the lifeguard, the other smiling in gratitude as he towelled himself off. “It’s ace to watch, especially when you’re not the ones being rescued,” his smile was sheepish as the two lifeguards broke into laughter, drying themselves of the salt water.

“Oscar?” A shy voice called from the front, “You, I…” Lando had stuttered as his cheeks flushed a soft pink which Oscar had taken as being from the scorching sun shining down on them. He’d make sure to tell the guys to reapply their sunscreen before they left the tower.

“Yeah, mate?” The Aussie smiled, crouching slightly as one hand settled on the top of the buggy to keep him balanced.

“Here you-” Lando had begun to reach out with Oscar’s shirt that he’d had bundled in his lap before the lifeguard’s attention was quickly taken away by an unfamiliar weight on his back which knocked him off balance.

“Hello?” Oscar questioned, instinctively holding up whoever had attached themselves to his back, in fear they plummeted head first into the sand and he’d have to perform first aid. He’d caught Lando’s disappointed look before his bottom lip became victim to a nervous bite and his attention moved back to the shirt in his lap, Charles looking at him with sympathy. His face flashed with confusion before his attention focused on a familiar accent screeching into his ear once more, ah that’s who it was.

“Come for a drink with us as a thanks for saving our lives?” She smiled, swooping her hair back and looking at Oscar as if he held the moon in his hands. “It’s the least we could do for our heroes.” Her hand had moved to rub Oscar’s bare shoulder, reminding him of the shirt that still lay in Lando’s lap which the Brit had begun to cling onto again, holding it to his chest as he watched the scene unfold in front of him.

“Nah, It’s okay girls..” He smiled and once again tried to set her down on the sand, only for her legs to wrap around his torso, preventing his chances of dropping her. Oscar looked over to see Alex in a similar predicament, leaning out of the other woman’s touch as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Wouldn’t want to keep you waiting..” He downplayed, not wanting to flat-out reject the two but also not wanting to accept the invitation either.

“Really?” The girl who had attached herself to Alex pouted, adjusting the shirt of her bikini as she frowned at the two. “Anything else we could do to say thank you?” Her voice changed to something more sultry as he ran a hand down Alex’s chest.

“Anything at all?” The woman attached to his back whispered, placing another kiss on his cheek which caused Oscar to move his head further away and out of her reach, unhooking her legs from his waist. He was about to shut the two down again before a British voice interrupted them.

“I don’t think they’re interested ladies,” George called from his seat, legs now hanging off the edge of the trunk. The two looked over in disgust, clearly not used to being rejected before both of their jaws dropped in shock.

“No way!” Sarah had screamed, her grasp on Alex releasing as she turned to take in the buggy of Formula One drivers in front of her. “Rosie!” She squealed, causing Oscar to let out a laugh. It had reminded him of only a few minutes ago when Liam was screaming with excitement through the walkie-talkie. Rosie, who he’d finally learnt the name of, instantly dropped off him and made a b-line towards the front of the buggy where Charles and Lando sat.

“Lando Norris!” She squealed, jumping into the driver's seat next to the boy and immediately seemed to be confessing her love for him. “You’re like my fav driver of all time! Orange is your colour you look so fit in your suit!” Oscar instantly felt second-hand embarrassment for the girl and attempted to remove her from the buggy only to be ignored as she continued to ramble. “Can I have a photo? Or your number? This day just keeps getting better!”

Better? She had nearly drowned just minutes before this…?

Oscar watched the interaction closely, ready to remove her himself from the boy he’d only known to be shy and quiet but was shocked at the change of personality from Lando as he smirked at the attention and let his eyes roam her body - easily falling into conversation with her, but Oscar had noticed that his shirt was still being hugged closely to him. With a sigh, he reached over and grabbed the keys, meaning no harm could be caused by the stranger and he moved to the other side of the buggy where Charles shifted uncomfortably.

“You alright matey?” Oscar smiled, leaning against the buggy again as he took in the nervous actions from the Monégasque, watching as he kept looking back at Max who like Lando, was chatting with the other tourist. It took a few seconds, but with a sigh, Charles turned to face Oscar and nodded. “You sure? Wanna stretch your legs for a minute?”

“Is that fine?” Charles asked, once again checking over his shoulder before looking at Oscar with a look that to Oscar screamed, ‘Get me the hell away from here.’

“Yeah mate of course,” he reached over to help the other out of the buggy as they took a stroll down to the waterfront. Oscar had failed to notice the puppy eyes watching his retreating form, a soft pout matching them as the girl continued to ramble toward him. “Long day huh?” He asked, watching as Charles dipped his feet in the water with a relaxed sigh.

“Yeah,” he whispered as he stared out into the ocean, “must be tiring for you guys right? Constantly having to save people?”

“It was my dream to be a lifeguard mate,” Oscar smiled and crossed his arms over his chest before directing a group of swimmers towards the flags. “It can be hard sometimes, but It’s just what the job is… I can imagine you guys are the same huh?”

“Yeah, for the majority of us, this is our dream…” Charles smiled, looking back at the buggy where the guys had all gotten out, ready to snap a picture with the two girls. “But it can be hard, especially when you’re first starting.. Proving to people that you belong there.” He turned to Oscar, a smile fading slightly as he continued. “It’s been harder for some of us more than others but, we’re still there huh?”

“Good on you,” Oscar smiled as he turned back to look at Alex who’d been selected as group photographer, getting everyone into frame. He couldn’t help but smile as his eyes instantly fell on Lando who was standing at the end with one of his arms around the girl's waist, Oscar’s blue lifeguard shirt still tight in his grasp in the other hand. “I’ll be honest..” He started, looking back at Charles with a sheepish expression. “I had no idea who you guys were up until about twenty minutes ago when our trainee told me…” He confessed, watching as the other’s smile widened immensely.

“Really? That’s honestly really refreshing to hear someone say..” Charles replied happily, though continued when he watched Oscar’s face turn into one of confusion. “Most people who know us, fail to treat us as real humans... It is nice being treated like a normal person sometimes you know?” Oscar nodded in understanding, sometimes he found it hard dealing with people who seemed to view him as their ‘saviour’ after rescues… He couldn’t imagine dealing with thousands of fans day after day, hoping for victories and dealing with their disappointment when something went south.

Just as he goes to sympathise with the other, Max’s voice can be heard from further up the sand. “Charles! We’re waiting!” He yelled, signalling for him to take his place beside the Dutchman who had his arm around the other girl. Charles sighed, nodding before turning back to Oscar with a frown. The Aussie raised an eyebrow to which he just shook his head, motioning for Oscar to follow him back up the sand. Weird.

As they approached the group, Oscar took his place next to Alex and watched as Max’s other arm wrapped around Charles's waist, pulling him close so the two were pressed together. The girls seemed over the moon as they posed with the guys.

“Alright! Everyone ready?” Alex called out, gathering everyone's attention on him and the camera. A chorus of ‘yeah’ and ‘ready’ filled the air as they all smiled widely. “Okay everyone say Bondi!”

“Bondi!” the group cheered, smiling as the photo was snapped.

As they all broke apart, Oscar made his way to the buggy and sat back in the driver's seat, starting the ignition as he grabbed his radio. “Oscar to the tower. Should be on our way up shortly mate.”

“No problem Ozzie,” Mark’s voice replied with a soft chuckle following after, “Better hurry our rookie might take off from excitement soon..” Oscar laughed quietly to himself as the guys started their goodbyes to the girls and made their way back to the buggy, chatting amongst themselves.

“Ready to meet another fan?” Oscar teased as they all got back to their previous seats, Lando sitting closer to Oscar than he previously had. He once again noticed how his shirt was being held like a lifeline, deciding not to ask for it back just yet as it was clear that it was bringing some sort of comfort to him. He couldn’t help but picture the shorter one with it on, smiling to himself at the vision of the boy engulfed in the blue material, it fit Oscar fine but he seemed to be a bit broader than the driver and well- taller so imagining Lando swamped in his shirt and well- maybe nothing else caused him to squirm slightly in his seat as he instinctively looked at the tanned thighs of the Brit, and fuck- they looked good.

“All good Oz?” Alex asked from the back, fixing his hair which encouraged Oscar to place his cap back on, covering his blonde mop. Clearing his throat, Oscar nodded and released the handbrake again, finally making their way to the lifeguard tower where he could see Liam pacing through the window.

They all exited the buggy, the guys making sure they grabbed all their belongings before they made their way up the stairs. Alex and George seemed to fall into easy conversation, chatting about who knows what as they made their way up and towards the door. Max and Charles walked up next, again Oscar noticed, as close as they could be to one another- he could swear he saw Charles reach for the other's hand, but stop himself and place it on the small of his back instead as they climbed up and stepped inside. Finally, he and Lando were the last to make their way up Lando had been quiet once again on the journey over, rubbing his eyes gently as the events from the last hour seemed to be catching up with him.

“Tired?” Oscar smiled softly, taking the keys out of the ignition and walking towards the bottom of the stairs. Lando, seeming caught off guard by the question flushed a soft pink again.. Maybe it wasn’t the sun’s fault after all. “Bet you’ll have the best nap once you get home mate.”

“Yeah..” Lando smiled as he stood beside Oscar. “Thank you again. I know you keep telling us to stop..” he paused, looking towards the door that the rest of the group had entered before turning back to Oscar. “But I thought I was gonna die out there, you did save my life and I’ll never stop thanking you.” The lifeguard watched as tears began to spring to the guy's eyes, clearly tired and overwhelmed with the events.

“Hey- C’mere..” Oscar couldn’t help but feel his heart tug as a tear dropped from Lando’s eye and rolled down his cheek, instantly opening his arms for the young driver. Lando didn’t even hesitate before wrapping himself around Oscar, clinging to him tightly as he softly sniffled. “You’re safe now okay? Back on dryland with your friends..” Oscar knew he wasn’t the best at reassurance- usually stealing a few lines he heard Mark or the other lifeguards say to patients.

“Mm.. sorry,” Lando sniffled once again, looking up at Oscar with those teary puppy eyes he struggled to look away from. “Fuck- this is so embarrassing, I don’t usually cry this much to strangers..” He rambled, using one arm to wipe at his eyes quite harshly, causing Oscar to frown and gently pry it away.

“Hey it’s alright,” he spoke, instinctively using his hand to gently wipe away some of the stray tears on his cheeks. “It’s okay to cry, It shows how strong you are and after today,” Oscar paused, making sure Lando’s attention was on him before continuing. “You’ve proven to me and yourself, just how strong you can be.”

The look of joy from the praise seemed to bring Lando back to a happier mindset, cheeks turning even rosier as he sheepishly looked away. “Thanks, Oscar,” he smiled softly, staring out to the water before giving the Aussie another tight squeeze and pulling away. He moved towards the stairs grabbing onto the railing before his eyes widened looking at the blue shirt still tucked in his grasp. “Oh! Your shirt! I’m so sorry. I didn't even notice I still had it..” He rambled so fast, it took Oscar a minute to process what he said.

“Keep it,” The Australian smiled, walking past the Brit and up the stairs to the door, “I’ve got plenty of spares.”

“But- It’s yours?”

Oscar smiled, ushering the driver to climb the stairs before holding the door open for him. “Lando..”

“Yeah?” The Brit whispered as he climbed the stairs and stood beside the lifeguard again, his eyes subtly raking over the lifeguard's bare chest which he’d been crying into only moments ago.

“Keep it.”

“But Oscar-”

“You’ll look cuter in it than I do..” The Aussie smiled before walking into the tower, leaving Lando to stare at him in shock before hugging the shirt close, instinctively taking in the smell of the lifeguard who was now chatting away with one of the older staff members.

It was only minutes later, when Liam had taken the driver's attention with his excited rambles that Oscar moved to his backpack and tugged on his spare shirt that the realisation of what he’d said to Lando replayed in his mind.

“Fuck!” he groaned, hiding his face in his hands as he sat on the first aid bed, mortified at what he’d done. There was no way that he just called Lando cute, especially to his face. Lando Norris, the Formula One Driver...Fuck, he was so embarrassed.

“Oh mate,” Oscar’s head turned at the familiar voice of his co-worker, “I can’t wait to tell Logan!”

Oscar groaned, flopping down onto the bed and staring at the ceiling.

How was he gonna live this down?

Chapter Text

“YOU SAID WHAT?”

Oscar groaned, flopping onto the couch of their shared apartment and taking a sip of his beer. He wasn’t a huge drinker but after today, he needed it.

“Alex already told you what I said mate,” he stared at Logan with annoyance, watching as the American fixed his hair in the mirror before he flopped down next to Oscar, his own beer in hand.

“I know but,” he started, acting like a teenage high school girl craving for the gossip. “I want to hear it from you! It’s not every day you save a group of famous Formula One drivers and fall in love with one of them!”

“I’m not in love with Lando,” Oscar groaned and stared up at the ceiling as he took another sip from his beer. 

“I never mentioned his name…” Logan teased, sitting closer to the Aussie and snuggling close to him. “But you really called him cute to his face?” 

“Logan!”

“Sorry! I’m just curious..” He pouts, taking Oscar’s arm and wrapping it around his shoulder, leaning even closer. “Please just tell me the story! Alex only told me pieces!”

“I’m starting to hate this friendship you two have started..” Oscar frowned, pulling the blonde closer to him and taking another sip from his beer. “Did Alex tell you that George Russell was checking him out too? Or is he only gossiping about me?”

The look on logan’s face was priceless as he seemed betrayed by his Thai friend. “WHAT!” Oscar flinched at the loud shout, placing a hand over Logan’s mouth as he rambled about Alex missing out on a huge part of the story and how he’d bring it up the next time they met, which by what the clock read, would be in less than an hour. 

Oscar rarely went out with the guys, but after all their excitement today and all of them having the day off tomorrow - they’d agreed to go out and celebrate the amazing day they’d had - Oscar getting dragged along by his roommate who claimed he needed to get out of the apartment more.

Letting Logan continue to ramble on for a few more minutes, the American finally quietened down and Oscar removed his hand from his mouth. “You calm now? Ready to listen to me?” Oscar smiled, watching as he nodded furiously, clearly picking up on the sign that Oscar was gonna replay the events of the day to him.

“Mhm!” He nodded, taking another sip from his beer and getting comfy against his best friend's side.

“Alright so,” Oscar began, chuckling to himself as he saw the giddy smile on his best friend’s face. “It all started when we noticed a group of guys struggling out the back of backpackers..”

—-----------

“They’re fucking…” Logan spoke up, eyes wide from where he’d now curled up next to Alex. The others had shown up around an hour into the story- as planned. Oscar expected to be done by now but with Logan’s shocked looks and constant questions…It was hard to make progress.

“Sounds more like they’re dating bud,” Alex smiled and held the American close. Oscar grinned as he watched the two - he knew that both of them had siblings back home. Alex who has a younger brother and Logan an older - so it was sweet to watch the two make up that missing bond with their siblings with one another.

“No way.” His eyes widened, and the room filled with laughter. Sometimes, his blonde friend was a little more oblivious than he’d care to admit.

“Even I got that vibe when I was speaking to them in the tower,” Liam spoke up before quickly taking a swig from his own beer. “They were like all over each other but subtly? Probably didn’t think anyone would notice.”

The room hummed in agreement, both Alex and Oscar thinking about the interactions they’d witnessed on the sand. Particularly Oscar, who’d witnessed first-hand what now seemed like jealousy and sadness from Leclerc as they chatted near the water... Things started to make more sense.

“Everything fun seems to happen on my days off.” Zhou groaned in disappointment as he shook his head. “When am I gonna get to witness something exciting?”

“Gotta work more shifts with us, mate!” Liam smiled, clapping him on the back before standing up and placing his empty bottle in the glass recycling. “So, we ready to hit the town lads?” The kiwi clapped his hands together, leaning against the door frame as he waited for everyone to get up and move

Oscar groaned from his seat, “can’t we just stay here?”

“No way! You already said yes to going!” Logan whined, moving over to grab the young Aussie’s hands and pull him to his feet. “Come on Oscar!” he pouted, knowing it usually got him his way with the other.

“Okay okay,” he mocked the pout of the American before checking his pockets to make sure he had his wallet, phone and keys to the flat. “I’m not carrying your drunk ass home though.”

“That’s fine! Alex can do it.”

“Woah what?” The Brit asked in shock.

“You said you’d sleepover!”

“Not to babysit you though!” Alex frowned, gently punching his arm as he dragged him towards the door.

“I won’t even get that bad!”

“You always say that..” All four of the other guys said in unison, before the group burst into laughter at the betrayed look the American shot them.

“Whatever..” He frowned before grabbing his phone and keys, and making his way out of the flat, the guys laughing as they followed him out.

—-----------

Gimmie a chance

I’ll do my best to kick and scream and dance.

—----------

As usual, Logan’s promise of ‘I won’t even get that bad’ didn’t last long as Oscar watched him grind against a blonde woman on the dance floor, Liam keeping a close eye on him as he danced with a woman of his own. The group had gone to a couple of bars before they somehow ended up in the club - the two young guys getting maybe a bit more drunk than they intended but both seemed okay as the elders watched from a table they claimed.

“Who’s carrying Logan home then?” Zhou asked, looking between the two with a grin.

“He said himself that it was gonna be Alex so..!” Oscar teased, knowing well that it would probably be a joint effort between the two guys, the blonde boy usually being quite clingy with his two best friends when drunk.

“Not sure how that ended up but,” Alex shrugged with a smile before scanning the dance floor and checking on the young guys before his eyes widened. “Hey? Is that Charles and Max?” He calls out, pointing towards the two familiar drivers who were dancing with each other in the middle of the crowd. Max’s hands settled on Charles’s waist as they stared at each other with a look no one could deny was love.

“Mate,” Oscar smiled as he followed the other finger and stared at the two with joy, “no way..” He was in disbelief that they were right and knew that this was a big deal if anyone paid too much attention to the two. He couldn’t imagine the posts and articles that would be out in the media if the two’s relationship…situationship..? Got leaked to the public.

“We were right…” Alex smiled before taking a sip of his vodka coke and letting his eyes settle back on Logan who was now showing way too much PDA for his liking in the middle of the floor. “Right, let me go grab him. Two seconds.” He sighed as he stood up, weaving his way through the crowd and gently pulling the blonde away from the girl.

Oscar and Zhou couldn’t help but laugh as they watched the eldest’s big brother mode activate instantly. The two guys flowed into casual conversation as they cradled their beers, catching up on what they’d done on their days off and anything they might’ve missed out on with one another. Zhou was discussing a new habit his cat, sweetcorn, had picked up which he thought was adorable when a palm rested on Oscar’s shoulder.

“Hey, mates!” The familiar voice of Daniel Ricciardo spoke cheerfully as he moved around to take a seat next to Oscar. “Been a while, how are you boys doing?”

“Hey Dan,” the two smiled and greeted the man who they’d known quite well due to his frequent visits to the tower when on a surf trip with some of his mates - Mark being one of them. “We’re alright mate, how are you doing?” Oscar answered, turning more so he could face the driver.

“Nah not too bad mate, just getting ready for the new season.” His passion for the job was clear, everyone in Australia knew how much Daniel was treasured in the motorsport world and how much Formula One fans loved him for his laughter and charm. “Heard you guys saved some of my boys today?”

“Oscar and Alex did,” Zhou replied, standing up from the table and motioning to the bar. “Gonna get another round - you want anything Dan?”

“Nah you’re alright mate, thank you though.” 

“Really?” Oscar raised an eyebrow, finishing off his drink before promising Zhou he would get the next round. “Not drinking?”

“Nah mate,” he smiled before making hand gestures around the club, “babysitting the lads you saved earlier…First night out of the trip.”

“Oh really?” Oscar couldn’t help himself but scan the club for a familar curly haired mullet but came up short as he accepted that there were far too many people in the place to pickout one person. His actions had overexposed himself for his liking. Oscar turned to look back at the elder and sighed as he watched Daniel’s smirk grow with realisation.

“Heard our little Lando caught your attention…” The older Aussie teased, gently elbowing Oscar in the ribs.  “You’ve caught his too if you wanted to know.” 

Oscar flushed at his words, looking away as he shook his head. “Fuck off mate,” he frowned, though it was clear no hostility was intended.

“Nah little Mark,” he teased - the nickname he earned back when he was a trainee and first met Daniel, mentioned. “The shirt you let him have? Caught him wearing it when he crashed out into a three-hour nap when they finally got back to my place.” Oscar was in disbelief at the older Australian’s confession, sure, he’d mentally pictured Lando in the shirt he’d gifted to the young driver but to know that he’d worn the shirt - Oscar’s shirt - caused him to spiral. “He’s around here somewhere… I’ll let him know you’re around.” Daniel winked before rising to his feet.

“What? No mate,” Oscar panicked as he watched the elder get up and ready to leave the table. “No need for that, let him enjoy his night.” But it was too late, Daniel had smirked at him, promising to visit the beach soon before disappearing into the crowd causing Oscar to curse to himself. The last thing he needed was a tipsy mistake in front of the driver who he was sure he wasn’t going to see again unless it was on TV or on social media.

Thankfully, for once in his life, luck seemed to be on his side as the driver group seemed to disappear and his friends gathered back to the table to continue their banter and have a few more drinks. As the night passed by, Oscar and Alex cut back on the drinks, watching as the rest of the group got considerably more wasted. The two shared glances and giggles as they listened to the rambles and nonsense their friends slurred out before they finally decided to call it a night.

Just as the group stood up, ready to make their exit from the club - Oscar laughing as Alex wrapped his arm around Logan’s waist, in an attempt to keep the American on two feet… He was taken by shock when someone quickly grasped his arm and pulled him back, causing him to become face-to-face with an alcohol-flushed, Max Verstappen.

“Oscar?” He called, waving briefly at the group behind the Aussie before his attention focused on the younger. “Thank god you’re still here mate… We need your help!”

Oscar frowned in confusion, looking around the club for any of the other drivers who may be in trouble but finding nothing. “Yeah?” He responded, starting to panic slightly thinking the worst. “What's happened, mate?”

Max, clearly not as drunk as he first appeared, noticed the panic on his face and immediately calmed him down. “Oh, nothing bad!” Oscar let out a relaxed sigh, letting himself calm down before his heart thumped at a rapid pace again at his next words. “It’s Lando…”

Just as he was away to search the club top-to-bottom for the curly-haired male, George appeared from the crowd and let out a huge sigh of relief at the sight of Oscar. However, Oscar watched as the Brit's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked behind the Aussie to look at Alex, focusing his eyes on the Thai man's arm which was holding a squirming Logan in place. Alex gave the Brit a smile and a small wave before he focused his attention back on the potential escapee.

“George?” Oscar asked, grabbing his attention off of Alex and back on the situation at hand. “Where’s Lando?”

“Out the back,” He answered, focusing back on his friend and not whatever that weird thing with Alex was…. “Come with us mate, we need your help.”

“Fuck-alright,” He nodded before fishing for his keys and handing them over to Alex. “Keep an eye on your phone okay? I’ll keep you updated.” Alex nodded, motioning for the guys to follow him out as Logan let out a small cry at the realisation Oscar wasn’t following them - which caused the Australian to smile at his best friend and give him a small wave before turning to the two drivers who stared at him in confusion “Dont ask… Just take me to him yeah?”

The three worked their way through the crowd and out to the smoking area in the back which was less crowded than Oscar anticipated and looked around in confusion before his eyes fell onto the trio crouched down against a wall. The three of them made their way over, Oscar frowning at the familiar sobs he’d heard earlier in the day or, well yesterday now.

“Lando, mon ange..” he heard Charles coo to the male as he crouched in front of him, holding his hands in his own. “You have to calm down… No need to cry..”  It was as if he was trying to calm down an upset child, the way he used a nurturing tone to speak to the miserable yet visibly very intoxicated driver.

“Dan?” Max called as they approached, causing both men to look behind themselves at the three and let out two heavy sighs of relief.

“Thank goodness,” Charles whispered as he let go of Lando’s hands, causing him to let out a distressed whine before he stood up and patted Oscar’s back. “Glad to see you again mate…Didn’t think it would be so soon.” He smiled before taking Max’s hand and motioning for them to go back inside as they left Oscar with the sobbing boy and Daniel who seemed utterly helpless in the situation.

“Lando?” Daniel crouched down, gently running a hand through the boy's curls. “Look who’s here to see you, buddy!” The older Aussie tried but ultimately led to the boy sobbing even louder as he pushed himself away.

“No!” He sobbed, nearly knocking himself over onto the concrete, “I want Oscar, Danny!” In any other situation, Oscar would be honoured that a cute famous driver he’d met for just over an hour wanted to see him, but right now all Oscar could focus on was the distressed boy.

“Hey mate…” Oscar smiled softly, crouching down so he was levelled with the Brit, “What’s got you so sad huh?” He couldn’t help but follow what he’d seen from Charles, the more nurturing tone seeming to calm the boy slightly.

The recognition in the driver's face was instant as he focused on where the familiar voice came from and didn’t hesitate to throw himself into Oscar’s embrace. His unpredictable actions knocking them both over and leaving Lando on Oscar’s lap, once again clinging to him like a little koala. “Oscar!” He choked out, arms wrapping around the lifeguard's shoulders and holding him tightly. “Couldn’t find you! Thought you left me!” He sobbed once more, slurring his words before burying his face into Oscar’s neck as his body shook through the sobs.

“It’s my fault,” Daniel sighed, now crouched beside the pair as he rubbed a hand over Lando’s back. Oscar glanced at him in confusion, adjusting the sobbing boy as he occasionally whispered calming words to him. “I didn’t notice how drunk he was..” He explained, continuing to rub circles on his back, “he searched the whole club for you and well… Ended up out here like this once he decided he couldn’t find you.”

Oscar couldn’t help the soft coo that escaped his lips as he hugged the star closer- listening as his sobs seemed to calm down. “You’ve found me now huh? So how about we stop these silly tears and you can show me that pretty face?”  Oscar smiled as his words seemed to work, the small Brit sniffling as he pulled away from his neck and faced the Aussie. “There we go, no more tears..” He cooed again, gently pulling the sleeves of his shirt down and wiping at the driver's tears for the second time in less than 24 hours.

Daniel watched in amusement at the pair, concerned for his mate but relaxing as he knew he was in the safe hands of Mark Webber’s mini-me. “I’m gonna call a cab and gather the guys up if you’re okay getting him to the front?” The elder of the two Aussies stood, searching for his phone in his pocket before typing in a number. “Want me to call one for you as well mate?”

Before Oscar even had the chance to respond, Lando teared up again and quickly buried himself back into his hiding spot. “Not leaving without Oscar!” He cried loudly, causing a few concerned stares from people who’d come outside for a smoke.

Shocked by his reaction, Daniel immediately tried to console his youngest mate….”That’s okay, Oscar can come with us alright?” At the words, Oscar’s head turned fast enough to give him whiplash as Daniel mouthed a small ‘sorry’ and crouched back down to his ear. “I can call you a cab from mine okay?” He whispered apologetically, “Or I’ve got a spare bedroom you can crash in… Please mate, we can’t leave him in a state like this…”

Oscar took a glance at the once-again, sobbing boy in his lap and nodded at the elder. “Yeah mate that's fine,” he said loud enough for Lando to hear, smiling as he felt him relax almost instantly, seemingly pleased that he had gotten his way,  “Meet you out the front okay?” He ushered Daniel inside to gather the guys and call the cab, eager to get the drunk lad to his bed where he’d probably deal with a nasty hangover in the morning.

“Hey Lando,” he whispered, softly rocking them together. Oscar smiled as the Brit let out a soft ‘hmm?’ against his neck, making himself as small as possible to fit perfectly in the Australian’s lap. “You ready to go home? It’s been a long day huh?” He cooed, gently patting his back.

Lando let out a sound that reminded him of a wounded animal, grudgingly pulling his face away from its safe space against Oscar and now facing the Aussie, who’d finally been able to take the boy in properly now that he had no tears streaming from his pretty eyes. Lando’s eyes had turned red from his crying, with the alcohol making his cheeks flush and his hair which must’ve been perfectly styled, now seemed to have stray curls falling everywhere. Oscar, however, still couldn’t believe that someone so beautiful could ever crave his attention. A few stray tears had dried their way onto his skin as Oscar couldn’t help but wipe them away from the pretty boy’s face, catching the Brit’s attention as a soft whimper escaped from his lips.

“You aren’t leaving me again, right?” Lando asked quietly, still clinging onto the lifeguard like his life depended on it. Oscar was honestly, unsure about where the clingyness had developed from, especially with this being their second meeting. “Please osc… Don’t leave me.” His eyes bore straight into Oscar’s own, catching his attention like getting lost in a galaxy of stars, how the fuck was he supposed to say no?

“Hey,” Oscar smiled, as he rubbed his thumb against his cheek. “I’m not leaving okay? But we have to go meet Daniel and the other guys so we can get you to bed alright?”

“‘Kay..” he whispered as he managed to drunkenly manoeuvre himself off of the Australian lap, sitting on the concrete with a pout as his legs failed to keep him up. Oscar couldn’t help but laugh as he got to his own feet and reached for his hands, carefully tugging him up and then moving towards the door which they had come out from. “Oscar?” He heard the soft voice call from behind him, the drunk lad looking at him with the all-familiar puppy eyes as he held a hand out. “Hand, please?”

“Of course,” Oscar couldn’t help but laugh, even without Logan here he still got dragged into being a babysitter. He took a few strides back over to the driver before carefully locking their fingers together. “This okay?” His eyes focused on the wobbly man’s face, in case he showed any signs of discomfort or regret but Lando simply nodded, beginning to take a few steps but ultimately tripping over his own feet as Oscar reached out to steady him. “Easy there koala,” the nickname slid out before he could even think, “let's just take it slow okay? Make sure you keep holding my hand.”

The pair proceeded to make their way back inside the club, having to pause occasionally with Lando getting distracted by people or the strobe lights which began to hurt Oscar’s eyes, thank god they were leaving. He’d only had to catch the Brit a few more times as he stumbled around the floor, thankfully never once letting go of Oscar’s hand. Eventually, the fresh air splashed them both in the face as they exited the building - the Aussie immediately searching for the group of drivers and leading Lando over, who was entering the sleepy zone of his drunk state as he dragged behind Oscar with soft whines and complaints.

“Mon ange!” Charles took notice of the duo first, quickly giving Oscar a grateful smile before moving on to mother hen Lando again. Oscar couldn’t help but laugh as the youngest of the drivers whined, squirming away from the elder driver's hands as he tried to scramble closer to Oscar, attempting to climb him like a tree which the young Aussie just accepted, wrapping an arm around the boy as he let out a loud yawn.

“You must be magic mate,” George laughed watching as Lando clung happily to Oscar, eyes closing as if he was about to fall asleep standing up. “We all tried to calm him down but he just kept searching for you and well…” He motioned to the sleepy form of his usually hyper friend, “You settled the beast.”

Oscar smiled down at the curly mop which landed on his shoulder, giving his waist a soft squeeze in an attempt to stop him from falling asleep standing up. “Don’t think I am,” he laughed as he looked back at the group who stared at their youngest fondly. “You just found me and it fixed all the problems hm?” He was mainly referring to Lando, the sleepy boy letting out a small hum of agreement from his place, pressed against Oscar.

“You sure you’re okay coming back with us?” Daniel asked, focusing on Oscar to see any signs of hesitation or unwillingness from the young lifeguard. “I’m sure we can handle him now he’s reached this state.” The three behind him seemed unsure at his words, but nodded along so Oscar knew that he did have a choice here.

“Yeah I’m okay,” he honestly couldn’t help but be a little selfish with his decision. At this point, he was sure this would be his last encounter with the drivers and the little koala who’d attached himself to him, so he couldn’t help but want to spend as much time as he could with them before they left Sydney and then Australia, ultimately forgetting about the lifeguard.

The group nodded, the younger three letting out sighs of relief as the cab pulled up, allowing Oscar to climb in first and laughing as Lando huffed and whined until Max helped him in. Without hesitation, he took his place next to Oscar where he cuddled up close and ultimately ended up drifting off against his shoulder. As everyone climbed in and buckled themselves up, Daniel gave the taxi driver the address and they all fell into comfortable chatter about the night. Oscar couldn’t help but glance down at the sleeping Brit every so often, watching as his chest puffed evenly and his face looked relaxed and tear-free for the first time that night, at least from when Oscar had found him.

He could feel the occasional glances from the rest of the guys every so often before they moved back off the pair and onto whoever they were chatting to. The journey lasted around twenty minutes before they pulled up in front of a pretty wealthy-looking home. Oscar’s eyes widened, he’d honestly never seen a house so beautiful let alone, enter one. One by one the group exited the taxi, Max assisting him in waking up the sleeping boy. 

“Hey mate,” the Dutchman began as he softly shook the youngest driver awake, “let’s get you to bed okay?”

“Osc?” The Brit whined, curling into the side of the Aussie as if he’d save him from the torture of being awake.

“I’m right here,” he hushed as he unbuckled them both, lifting Lando so he was sitting upright which dragged a frustrated and tired whine from the drunk Brit. “I know, but you can sleep once we get you to bed okay?” Oscar could easily fall victim to those puppy eyes again and again as they stared at him in hurt - almost as if asking him why he had to be awake. Luckily Max was stronger than him, and had probably grown immune to the adorable look as he made light work of dragging Lando out of the cab, Oscar following suit and thanking the driver again before closing the door and watching the cab drive off into the early morning sky.

The lifeguard watched on as Max and Charles both wrapped an arm around Lando’s waist, making work of carrying him to the house before quickly letting out a soft breath… What the fuck was this dream he was stuck in?

With his hands-free of a clingy drunk for a moment, he pulled his phone out and quickly pulled up his messages with Alex, making sure to update his friends that he’d be home soon.

Oscar

Ended up at Daniel’s place, will be home in an hour or two 

if you could leave the door open that would be great :)

Albon

For real?

That’s insane 

The other guys have crashed in Logan’s room, so I’ll wait up for you 👍

Oscar

Thanks, mate

Be back soon.

He didn’t have time to check Alex’s response before Daniel had called out his name, ushering him to come inside. Oscar quickly slid his phone back into his pocket before jogging up the path and into the home which looked even more amazing on the inside.

“Can you call a cab for me for about half an hour from now, mate?” Oscar asked, scratching his neck as he stood with the older Australian. “Told my mate I’d be home soon..”

“No worries mini-Mark” Daniel laughed before bringing the younger into a warm embrace. “I don’t know how you handle him so well, but thanks… He needs someone like you around.” He whispered into the Aussie’s ear before pulling away with a wide smile. Oscar flushed a light pink at his words before deciding he was gonna bring up the fact this would probably be the last time he saw the British driver, and he was unsure why Daniel was mentioning this to him but before he could do so, a familiar whiny voice called his name from upstairs. “Better go work your magic then,” Daniel winked before patting his back and walking away, assumingly to call his taxi for him.

Oscar admired the furniture and decorations that filled the house as he adventured up the stairs and to the room where Lando and George sat. Well, George was sat…Lando had flopped onto his back in the middle of the bed, spreading out like a starfish as he drunkenly mumbled to the ceiling. The older Brit stood as Oscar entered the room, making his way out without a word, patting his shoulder with a smile. “Good luck.” He said, simply, before closing the door halfway allowing some of the light from the corridor to shine through.

Now, he was stuck. He’d taken care of drunk people before, either his friends or beachgoers who had partied a bit hard the night before and stupidly made their way into the water - finding themselves in trouble and needing to be saved. However, this situation was different from both of his experiences. With strangers, he’d give them a double check before telling them to stay away from the water or simply sending them off the beach. With his friends, he’d be more caring. Oscar was one of those people who was overprepared, all his friends had toothbrushes in the shared flat and he always made sure to stock up on pain relief and water bottles as well as cheap snacks for when his mates crashed over at his place after an eventful night out. But with a clingy formula one star who was unbelievably wasted and craved his attention? Yeah, he had no idea how to handle this.

He silently cursed himself, still thinking of what to do before Lando rolled onto his side and looked at Oscar with a pouty frown. “Hi,” he slurred and moved to sit up properly - almost crashing back down onto the mattress if it wasn’t for Oscar’s fast reflexes jumping forward to lift him. “Woahh…” he slurred again, flopping against Oscar like a noodle, “everything’s spinning.” 

“Let’s just take it easy yeah?” He laughed, running a hand through Lando’s curls - god he would miss them. “You wanna go brush your teeth? Then we can get you into bed.” He’d opted to approach the situation as if it were Logan.  The two seemed similar in their partying antics, and their attachment to Oscar. Although, the American had known him for nearly eight years, not an hour, that sober Lando had.

“Tired…” Lando whined, trying to wiggle out of Oscar’s hold and flop backwards onto the mattress but came out short, as Oscar stood up and picked the male up with him bridal style, causing a yelp to escape the Brit as he clung on tightly. Mentally he thanked his job for being so physical, allowing himself to move with ease as they made their way to the en-suite attached to the room.

“Come on Lando,” he soothed as he placed him onto his feet at the sink. “You’re gonna feel so much better once you brush your teeth mate.” He’d received an angry pout in return before the smaller reached for his toothbrush and toothpaste - missing a few times but eventually grabbing the two and managing to begin the attempt of brushing. 

Oscar had misjudged the capability of Lando’s drunk mobility, as the shorter boy ended up with toothpaste all over his face as well as all down his white button-up which Oscar knew would stain with the blue marks. “That’s enough hm?” He softly chuckled before taking the brush and rinsing it off, placing it where it previously stayed before turning to look where Lando swayed dangerously, eyes blinking tiredly at him. “Alright, let’s quickly clean you up…” His hands reached for Lando’s waist as without thinking, he took the male and lifted him up and onto the counter. 

“Hug?” 

“Just a second okay?” Oscar whispered, finding a nearby cloth before running it under some warm water and making work of cleaning his face up. Gently wiping the cotton material over the tanned boy’s skin, he made sure to get the residue off his face - gently booping his nose which caused the cutest giggle that Oscar had ever heard to escape the drunk.

oh my god.

Okay, maybe Lando’s giggle sounded even better than the way he said Oscar’s name. How in the world could someone be so fucking adorable?

“Hug?” Lando whispered, barely audible as he made small grabby gestures at the Australian, nearly falling forward as he seemed set on getting his hug this time.

“Woah sweetheart,” Oscar laughed as he reached out to catch him, letting the British boy wrap his arms around him tightly - successfully hiding the pink cheeks he’d developed at the pet name but the whine that accompanied it? Yeah, that gave him away. Oscar hadn’t even meant to let it out, but around Lando, it seemed his mouth moved faster than his brain but the boy didn’t seem too fussed by it - especially by the way he snuggled into Oscar as if he were his heater. He let Lando snuggle into him for a few more minutes before slowly pulling back, “Come on… Let’s get you to bed.”

“Noooo,” he received a tired whine in response as Lando’s body moved to make up the distance Oscar attempted to create. “Can’t let go.” Lando slurred, slumping against Oscar’s chest and trying to tuck his head back into what seemed to be his favourite hiding place, Oscar’s neck. 

“You can’t let go?” Oscar laughed, attempting to make space between them again, otherwise, he’d never get the drunk male tucked into bed.

“No!” Lando huffed, wobbly chasing after him after every try. “Can’t let go, Osc.”

Oscar’s eyebrows furrowed, glancing down at the sleepy boy, “What do you mean sweetheart?” He’d asked softly, not being able to interpret what the other was rambling about… And Osc? God Oscar was gonna have a cuteness overload.

Lando’s whimper was soft, sleepy eyes blinking at Oscar with slight frustration as he moved to wrap his legs around the young Australian’s waist. “Can’t let go…No.” He repeated, attempting to sound serious but it just earned a soft laugh to escape from Oscar before his eyes widened in realisation, finally managing to understand what Lando had been trying to tell him.

“Oh! I can’t let go of you?” The happy hum that escaped Lando’s chest, made Oscar smile as he scooted the Brit closer, letting him sit on the edge while ensuring he had a strong grip of him in case he decided to fling himself at Oscar again - but it seemed all his energy had drained and Oscar was left with a sleepy koala who’d decided that Oscar’s shoulder would make a good pillow. “Okay, I’m gonna carry you then is that okay? Your bed is gonna be a lot comfier than sitting here yeah?” Lando nodded slowly, a hand grasping onto the back of Oscar’s shirt and holding it softly.

“Can you use your words for me sweetheart?” 

Oscar wanted to double-check that this was still all okay with the boy and that he had heard him properly, not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable or out of control in any way once Oscar had lifted him off the ground. However, the whine and shake of his curly hair caused Oscar to frown, pulling away from the cuddle and gently cupping Lando’s chin in his hand.

“Come on sweet boy,” Oscar tried again - softly blowing air on Lando’s face which caused him to make the most adorable nose-scrunch before his eyes fluttered open to meet Oscar’s own. “There he is,” Oscar teased to which Lando smiled sleepily, “can we try using our words?”

Though it seemed to take Lando a minute to process what Oscar had asked, he soon nodded.

“Can carry me,” he whispered as a hand moved to rub at his tired eyes, “bed?”

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Oscar smiled and gently rubbed his thumb against Lando’s cheek. “Now let’s get you to bed okay?” Not expecting a reply from the half-asleep male, Oscar scooped him up easily, making light work of carrying him back to his bedroom - feeling quite impressed with himself when he managed to handle the sleepy koala in his arms and the act of untucking the blankets and pulling them back so he could set Lando in the middle, easily managing to untangle the boy's limbs from his own as the smaller curled against the soft pillows. “There we go, that’s better isn’t it?”

And just like that, Lando seemed out like a light. 

Oscar knew some people fell asleep easier than others but he didn’t think that people falling asleep with their head hitting the pillow was a real thing - his little koala continued to impress him. 

It was then at that moment, with the realisation that he’d referred to the driver as his that Oscar’s heart ached. The night seemed like something out of a cheesy Netflix romance movie, and the thought of this being the last time he saw Lando generally made him feel a bit sick - how could someone change his life so much after a few hours? It was the Lando Norris effect , he guessed. Part of Oscar wondered just how many people had been in his current situation, and the other part wanted to be selfish and believe that this was something personal - that this side of Lando was something only Oscar got to see but he supposed that he would never find out.

With a sad sigh, Oscar moved a hand to run through Lando’s soft curls for the last time before pulling away - preventing himself from digging a hole too deep to climb out of. With a final glance, Oscar turned towards the door and pulled it wide enough that he could slip out without letting too much light in and disturbing the sleeping driver but a soft voice grasped his attention before he could make his departure.

“Osc?” 

He let out a shaky exhale before turning to look at the figure wrapped in blankets, whose eyes struggled to stay open as it seemed he was fighting to stay awake.

“Thank you.”

Oscar smiled, running a hand through his hair as he couldn’t help but savour the final moments he’d have with Lando Norris.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

Lando, seemingly a fan of the pet name, let out a content hum before letting his head hit the pillow again and falling quiet, Oscar assumed that he’d finally dozed off this time.

“Sweet dreams, little koala.” He whispered before finally exiting the room, allowing the door to fall closed behind him.

However, whilst the door clicked shut, it silenced the two words which would’ve caused Oscar to spiral entirely - because as the door fell shut and the room plunged to darkness, the moon cast a soft light through the window - acting as a personal nightlight to the British driver who’d curled up with a familiar blue item pressed close to his face. Lando took a soft inhale of the material before he snuggled into it, the smell of ocean air and a scent that he could only describe as /Oscar/ caused him to let out a soft whimper before whispering into the air…

“Goodnight Osc… ”

Chapter Text

To say Oscar was moping, was an understatement.

It had been a week since he’d met Lando, and a week since he’d said goodbye. It was silly how two interactions with the star had impacted him so much, but every time he closed his eyes at night, Lando’s starry ones were all he could see.

Was it crazy to say he missed him? Maybe. Yet all he could think about were the arms that wrapped around him, and the cute boy that followed with them.

For the last week, he’d been trying to avoid his phone as much as he could. He couldn’t help himself but search Lando’s name in Google when he’d returned to the apartment after saying goodbye to Daniel, thanking him for the taxi and wishing him the best for the season, ignoring the elder’s words saying the group would visit them at the tower again - because at that moment, and maybe even now… Oscar didn’t think he could handle it.

He’d fallen through a rabbit hole of sites telling him simple facts like how his birthday was November 13th, he was a Scorpio and that he’d been karting since he was a kid. He’d even ended up watching TikTok edits and scrolling his way through the driver's Instagram - not being able to help himself but stare at his smile for a few moments before shaking his head clear and closing the app. Promising himself that he wouldn’t do a deep dive into Lando again, he didn’t think he could handle it - at least until he knew Lando had left Australia.

So now here he sat, spinning in his chair aimlessly as one of the elder lifeguards watched the water and gave callouts to the boys on the sand. Staying off his phone was hard, but it was a challenge he was willing to accept if it meant it kept his mind off of L- you know who. He’d been put on first aid duty at the tower - dealing with head bumps, scrapes as well as the occasional sprain. Today hadn’t been as hectic as some of the other days of the summer, it was colder than usual - but to some tourists, the weather would still probably be considered tropical.

“Yeah mate,” Oscar turned to listen to Chris or as most of the guys called him ‘Chappo’ as he spoke into the radio. He was one of the lifeguards who’d mentored him when he first started, having been with the service years before Oscar joined. He’d always admired his work in the water and his determinedness to get things done. “Think you’re in here, Liam.” 

The response was immediate, Oscar standing up so he could get a view of what was happening. The rookie was stationed at the North end of the beach with Jake, another lifeguard who Oscar had grown up with and admired. Honestly - He would probably say that about the majority of the guys on the service, they were all generally really good blokes. He’d watched closely as the rookie immediately stripped his shirt and grabbed the rescue board, sprinting for the water and paddling towards a man who seemed to be struggling in a rip.

“Go on Li,” Chappo whispered as he used the binoculars to watch the team’s youngest member perform the rescue. Liam’s traineeship was coming to an end, and it was around about the time when Mark and their other head lifeguard decided to give him a full-time position or let him go so he could try out for the traineeship again. Honestly, Liam fit into the squad with ease, getting along with all of the guys - so speaking for everyone, they all hoped that the New Zealander got the place.

They watched with anticipation as the rookie paddled up to the guy and quickly grabbed him from the water - laughing as he tried to direct him to face the right way on the board and thankfully, getting him in with ease. The two guys in the tower both let out synced sighs of relief, before laughing as they realised their joint action.

They’d both fallen into small talk as they scanned the water, making sure everyone was safe before the sound of the door got their attention - and the distinct laughter that followed with it which caused Oscar to freeze, Chappo raising an eyebrow as he looked at the younger. Why now? Why on earth? Just when he was finally beginning to get away from thinking about Formula 1 and Lando… Did this have to happen?

Okay- who was he kidding? He never stopped thinking about the British driver, but at least he could pretend.

He couldn’t help but avoid the direction of the newcomers as hard as he could, quickly snatching the binoculars from Chappo and staring into the water as he continued to listen to the familiar voices getting closer and closer until…

“Mini Mark!” He tensed up immediately, letting out a groan he hoped wasn’t as audible as it sounded before turning in his chair and giving a small smile to the one and only, Daniel Riccardo. Who, as he promised, had visited the tower.

“Hey Daniel,” he smiled before looking behind the man at his boss, “Hey Mark.”

He couldn’t help but look at Mark with betrayal in his eyes, of course, Alex had spilt the entire events of that day with Lando to his ‘dad’ as the guys called Mark, considering the fatherly bond the older man had with Oscar - and the fact that up to three years ago - Oscar was a regular house guest at the Webber residence. He’d thought that the older Aussie would give him a heads-up about Daniel’s visit but no. The universe was just out to get him, he guessed.

Mark let out an awkward chuckle as Daniel hugged Chappo, falling into a small chat as the eldest made his way over to his ‘son.’ “I didn’t expect it to be today okay?” He smiled, placing a hand on the shoulder of Oscar. The younger could only let out a grumpy huff before spinning in his chair and looking back out to the water. At least it only seemed to be Daniel, and the rest of his group didn’t seem to be around. He could deal with that.

The group eventually fell into a joint conversation, catching up with the Aussie driver about the last season and things he’d been up to. They’d all been promised some items from his clothing line that he’d been working on, which Oscar had been looking forward to until Daniel’s eyes widened with a mischievous sparkle and Oscar tragically, became the victim of their focus. Daniel had encouraged the two older lifeguards to take a look at the site and pick out what they liked best before he strode over to Oscar.

“Forgot I had to show you something!” He teased, pulling a chair up beside the younger.

“Show me something?” He repeated slowly, double-checking he’d heard the older. “Me?”

“Yeah, you!” He laughed, clearly not picking up on Oscar’s fear.

“What… What is it?”

“I’m surprised you haven’t seen it actually, It blew up on Twitter!” Daniel exclaimed, hand actions and all to emphasise how big of a deal, whatever he had to show Oscar, seemed to be.

“Been off Social media…” He’d mumbled in return, looking at the water briefly before turning back to the elder. “So what is it?”

“So,” Daniel clapped- bringing his phone out and loading up Twitter, going through the app for a minute before finding what he had to show Oscar. “George went live on Instagram the morning after, y’know…” He’d jokingly elbowed Oscar which caused the lifeguard to shoot him a look before he continued. “And well, just look for yourself.”

He’d handed the phone over to Oscar, a smirk on his face as he leaned back in the chair. The young Aussie couldn’t help but sigh before pressing play on the clip.

“ Hey guys! ” George smiled into the camera, lying on one of the couches Oscar recognised from Daniel’s place. The clip continued for a couple of minutes, with Charles and Max coming into view as they spoke about their first night out in Sydney and how they were getting all their partying done before the start of the season. Oscar watched with a confused expression. “ Some of us are a bit fragile today huh lads?” The Brit teased as the three burst into a fit of laughter, looking off-camera before the sound of soft footsteps made their way into the room. 

Oscar could feel his heart thumping in his chest as his throat became dry.

No fucking way.

There in the middle of the frame stood the one and only, Lando Norris who looked like he’d just crawled out of bed as he leaned over the couch cushions and held onto George’s shoulders for support, adjusting the cap he must’ve put on to control his curls. To others, this must not have seemed like a big deal, but it was to the young Australian because…

Lando had his shirt on.

The shirt that Oscar let him keep, the shirt that he’d clung onto after Oscar rescued him from the ocean. Lando was wearing his shirt.

Oscar hadn’t been the only person to notice his attire, as Charle’s eyes widened in excitement as he began to talk. “ Hey! Isn’t that O-” He’d begun before Max quickly slapped a hand over his mouth with a quiet ‘shh’ following after. Lando furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, glancing at the group before max… as subtly as possible, which wasn’t subtle at all from Oscar’s point of view… Motioned to the young driver’s attire, Lando instantly flushed and made his getaway from the frame as soon as he could - the guys bursting into laughter as the clip then ended.

He had no idea how to react to this new information, heck, he didn’t even notice his shirt anywhere in Lando’s room before he left. Why had he formed such a close attachment to the fabric?

“See mate? Comments went wild speculating how he got it and who it belongs to…” Daniel chuckled as he took his phone back and slid it into his pocket, watching as Oscar’s cheeks flushed a warm pink. “He didn’t even take it off until we went golfing the next morning, seems you’ve caught our Lando’s eye.”

“Shut up Dan,” he grumbled as he tried to get Mark’s attention for help. This is exactly what Oscar had been afraid of… Okay maybe not this exact situation, but he knew any situation Daniel was in, the cute British driver would be brought up to him.

“Flustered, eyyy?” The elder laughed which finally grabbed the head lifeguard's attention as Mark instructed Chappo to keep an eye on backpackers as he approached the two. 

“Why have you got my boy as red as a tomato?” He scolded, ruffling Oscar’s hair before moving to take a glance at the water. 

“Just something with him and Lan-”

“Land rovers! He asked me what he thought about them…” The former rookie cut in, glaring at Daniel before looking back at Mark. “Pretty solid choice I think, maybe test drive a few though… See which one you like the best.” Oscar rambled, with his little knowledge of the cars, trying to avoid the topic of Lando to Mark again - It was weird speaking about it with him.

“Right…” The head lifeguard laughed, clearly not believing Oscar but choosing to move past the topic. “Just had a report from a group of surfers that a swarm of blueys have been spotted near the flags – so be prepared for an influx of people okay?”

 A Bluebottle sting had to be one of the worst things Oscar experienced. The sting affected everyone differently, Oscar having dealt with some people who took the pain like champs - others he’d had to put up with their screams and cries until the pain disappeared. He couldn’t blame them, he’d gotten some pretty nasty stings in the past that brought him to tears. 

And as if Mark predicted it, the tower flooded with people coming in with all sorts of welts and redness as they sought out pain relief for the sting. Oscar, now joined by Alex who’d started his shift in the middle of the mad rush, began handing out ice packs and reciting the same things over and over again. That the pain would last about twenty minutes and no, you weren’t dying. They were currently reassuring a worried parent that their child’s pain would only be temporary and a trip to the hospital wouldn’t be needed when a rapid knock on the tower door caught their attention.

“Two seconds,” Alex smiled as Oscar continued to hold the icepack on the welt on the child’s arm, reassuring him that he was brave and that it would only sting for a bit more before a frantic Alex came rushing back out catching all their attention. “Mark needs you, mate.” He rushed out before quickly nudging him out of the way and taking over his job.

“What?” He asked, taken aback by the speed of Alex’s action before shaking his head and walking inside the tower where he watched a frantic Daniel rush over to the door, Mark hot on his heels. “What’s going on?” Oscar was confused, searching the tower before walking round to the medical bed and his eyes landing on Charles Leclerc who gave him a sheepish wave as he manoeuvred none other than, Lando Norris onto the bed.

Before Oscar could even try and find an excuse to escape, his eyes fell on the blood covering the bottom half of Lando’s face as well as the frantic speed his chest was moving at. Why were they always meeting in these ways?

“I left for an hour! What happened?” Daniel rushed out, pacing around the small space as he avoided looking at the blood on Lando’s face, focusing mainly on Leclerc as he spat out his questions.

“We were just knee-deep in the water 'cause It was getting a bit hot and then all of a sudden he screams!” Charles looked at the young Brit whose breathing hadn’t seemed to slow down - instead seeming to pick up as his eyes searched the room in a panic, blood now dripping down his chin onto his chest. “Next thing you know, I’m helping him up and he's complaining of pain in his leg and he’s bleeding like a fountain!” 

The two drivers, as well as Mark, assessed the situation as if Lando wasn’t sitting in front of them, discussing what happened and Mark began to grab a pair of gloves and some anti-bacterial wipes to start cleaning the blood before they all seemed to notice and freeze at the rapid movements and now, clenched fists of Lando as he worked himself up into what Oscar assumed was a panic attack.

Instantly, he jumped into action and pushed past Mark so he was eye-level with Lando, looking at him in concern before speaking softly, “Hey Lando… Can you hear me?” He received no reaction as the Brit winced, eyes still searching the tower in a panic. Slowly he reached forward - his palm opening for the driver to grab. “It’s Oscar,” he stated softly as he assessed the situation, “can you grab my hand? Give it a good squeeze?” 

“Is he okay?” Charles asked, moving to place a hand on Lando’s shoulder before Mark quickly stepped in, reassuring the two that their friend was fine as he directed them to where Chappo and Liam sat - observing the water and instructing the two to entertain the drivers whilst they helped Lando.

Oscar frowned as he watched the driver continue to panic, bravely deciding to take his hand gently and hold it loosely - in case he freaked out more and pulled away - potentially adding more injuries to his already current. “Come on Lan,” He whispered as the Brit’s larger hand tightened in his own. “Squeeze my hand alright? I’m right here, you’re okay.”

His voice seemed to finally settle in Lando’s brain as his eyes focused on Oscar, gripping his hand tightly as he took short and rapid breaths. Slowly, like dealing with a scared animal, he offered his other hand which Lando grabbed immediately and held onto tightly. “Just look at me okay? Ignore everyone else and focus on me.” His voice was soft, watching Lando nod quickly and lock eyes with the Aussie. Normally, Oscar would get lost in the stars - but right now that was pushed back into his mind as he began taking slow and deep breaths. “Copy me okay? Inhale..”

Lando continued to watch him, copying as the lifeguard inhaled, held for 5 and then exhaled slowly. At first, Oscar thought he might have to get Mark to grab the oxygen as Lando’s breathing failed to regulate, but Oscar decided to try one more idea before alerting his boss.

“Again sweetheart… You’ve got this.” He whispered as he inhaled one more, Lando’s eyes widening as he followed along with Oscar, exhaling slowly as his breathing seemed to finally begin to slow. “Good boy, that’s it.” He squeezed the driver’s hands as they continued to breathe together, smiling once Lando seemed to finally calm down and his breathing settled into a regular pattern.

“There you are,” Oscar smiled as he reluctantly pulled one of his hands out of the Brit’s grip and moved to cup his cheek, glancing at the dash that covered his nose before frowning as Lando let out a pained whimper and squirmed uncomfortably on the bed. “Is it just your nose that you hurt? Charles mentioned your leg.”

Lando seemed lost as he stared at Oscar momentarily before shaking his head clear. “Something stung me-” Was Oscar crazy for missing his voice? Probably. “And fuck- yeah it hurt, knocked me off balance and…” He let out a small pained noise before pointing to his face. 

“On your leg?” The lifeguard double-checked before moving to stand at full height, towering over the smaller as he let go of both hands and let his eyes wander over the Brit’s legs, where he spotted a pretty nasty welt on his right thigh. His face had reacted badly as Lando let out a whimper, not taking his eyes off of Oscar. “Hey, It’s okay… I bet this hurts right?” It was a dumb question, but distractions sometimes helped people focus their attention on something other than their pain. “Thought you were avoiding the water?” Oscar teased, moving to grab a pair of gloves.

“We were just sunbathing,” the driver defended with a small pout.  “But we got too warm and decided to go in knee-deep to cool down. But the water seems to have something against me!” His pout deepened, watching Oscar’s every move as he grabbed an ice pack and gently pressed it to the welt which caused Lando to let out a pained gasp, curling in on himself as he tried to move away from the sting.

“It does,” Oscar laughed as he continued to hold the ice onto the sting, giving the driver a look which clearly stated, ‘Don't touch’ before moving to the first aid kit and pulling out some anti-bacterial wipes and beginning to gently wipe away some of the blood that had dried onto Lando’s face. The scrape was quite small, clearly wanting to make a scene with the amount of blood it produced. “Does your head hurt? Or is it just your nose?” Though he hadn’t shown any signs of head injury or a concussion, Oscar wanted to double-check just as a precaution.

Lando shook his head, whining softly at the sting of the wipe as it brushed over the fragile skin. “Just my nose hurts like a bitch…” Oscar couldn’t help but chuckle as he cleaned off the rest of his face, reminiscing on a few nights ago when the pair were in a familiar situation.  

Maybe this would be their thing, Lando visiting Australia and Oscar helping him out whenever he was in trouble.

Oscar hoped not, but if that was how life wanted to keep Lando Norris around, he wouldn’t complain. Okay - that was a lie. He would probably be miserable.

Searching through the first aid kit, Oscar found a bandage to cover the gash and gently applied it to the graze, making sure it was secure before booping the tip of Lando’s nose, causing the driver to once again show off his adorable nose scrunch.

“All fixed,” the lifeguard smiled as he threw his gloves in the bin and stood at his full height, towering over the Brit who blinked up at me. “You’re all set for more tanning, though I’d stay out of the water for the rest of the day.” Lando pouted at his words, looking at him with betrayal.

“Not my fault!” He whined, looking at Oscar with a frown, “just seems to be out to get me.”

“Sure seems like it,” the lifeguard laughed before offering Lando a hand to get to his feet. “That will sting for a bit, but it’s nothing serious… Maybe stick to shorts until the welt goes down though.” Oscar couldn’t help but take in Lando’s thighs, they were muscular and if he wanted - he could take a bite. Why was everything about this boy so perfect?

“Got it,” Lando blushed, biting his lip as Oscar met his eyes. Shit- did he just watch Oscar admire his legs? The driver seemed to visibly squirm as if he were nervous - his eyes moving to look anywhere but Oscar as he spoke. “Hey um, are you free tonight?” He mumbled, playing with his fingers which Oscar now assumed was a bored and nervous habit that the driver had. It was cute, maybe he could use Oscar's hand one day as a distraction.

Wait.

Did he just ask If he was free tonight?

Oscar, internally freaking out, smiled at the driver as he nodded. “Yeah, nothing planned after my shift… How come?”

The grin that appeared on Lando’s face, made Oscar want to say yes to anything the driver said, cause fuck he was adorable. How he shifted from foot to foot, clearly excited the lifeguard had said he was free made him chuckle.

“Do you maybe wanna get dinner with me? As a thanks for everything.”

Like a date?  

“What have I said about thanking me?” Oscar teased which caused the smile to slightly fall from Lando’s face before it was brought straight back with the next words. “But yeah, Dinner sounds good.”

“For real?” Lando asked, apparently believing Oscar would decline. Who in their right mind was crazy enough to deny a date- dinner? It was just dinner, with Lando Norris. “I mean- Great! Can I get your number? I mean- only if you want to give it to me of course! Or we could just meet-”

“Lando,” Oscar cut off his nervous rambles, moving to grab one of his hands and entwine their fingers. “You can have my number sweetheart, can I have your phone?” He wasn’t surprised when Lando fell silent at the name, clearly a fan as his cheeks heated up and he handed his phone to Oscar.

The lifeguard quickly added his number to the driver’s phone before handing it back with a smile. “I get off at three, text me okay?” 

Lando nodded, staring at the number in his phone like he’d won the lottery.

Oscar laughed to himself, gently pulling his hand away before moving towards where the others had gathered, chatting amongst themselves.

With his back to Lando, he allowed himself to freak out more visibly because fuck.

He was going out for dinner with Lando. 

Chapter Text

The rest of Oscar’s shift soared by, though it may have flown by with how distracted he’d been with thinking about Lando and their planned dinner tonight. He was nervous, and rightfully so. It wasn’t every day that a cute Formula One driver, who you’ve saved from drowning and other events, asks you out for dinner. Especially when said Formula One driver wears the shirt you let him keep after he clung onto it, as well as yourself, like it was a lifeline.

Yeah, he was freaking out.

Now, he was pacing the living room, his footprints probably becoming indented on the floorboards from how repetitive they were. Back and forth, back and forth…Gosh, was he dressed too casually? Or too formally? Lando didn’t specify attire when he texted him- maybe he’ll go change again… He let out a nervous breath, moving back to his bedroom when a hand grabbed his wrist and withheld him. 

“Sit down, you’re starting to hurt my head.” Logan groaned from his place on the couch, where he’d been watching Oscar spiral for the last fifteen minutes. “You’re thinking about this way too much.” The blonde dragged him to sit down, wrapping an arm around the Australian’s shoulder.

“You don’t think I should change?” Oscar sighed, leaning against Logan as he took in his outfit once more. With Logan’s help, they settled on a white t-shirt and black shorts, paired with his high-top Converse. The outfit wasn’t anything special, simply something comfortable and casual. Oscar was the first to admit that fancy dinners, and dressing up wasn’t his style, so he prayed that Lando could read his mind and he wouldn’t be humiliated.

“Dude,” Logan groaned. “No! It took so long for us to settle on this, you’re fine.” 

“You’re sure?”

“Oscar!” 

“Okay! Okay… It’s fine.” 

“Just remember the hoodie yeah? He’ll love it, especially if the date goes well.” The American wiggled his eyebrows at Oscar, causing him to groan and punch his arm.

“It’s not a date mate…” Oscar said for what felt like the 100th time since he returned home, telling Logan the news. Though, he would like it if it was…

His eyes focused on the hoodie resting on the arm of the couch. Out of all his jackets and hoodies, Logan searched for this particular one and claimed the British driver would never take it off. How did he know this? Oscar didn’t even want to find out. The chosen hoodie was one Oscar got a couple of years ago during the winter months at the job when they were in the water less and the temperatures dropped. The hoodie was well worn, with a good quality material keeping it intact. The front bore the logo for the lifeguards, so they were still recognisable but that wasn’t Logan’s reason for choice. 

The back of the hoodie, in large writing, read ‘PIASTRI’. 

Oscar wasn’t too sure if he’d be able to survive if Lando wanted the hoodie, he’d already freaked when the driver wore his shirt - a hoodie with his name on it might be the final strike.

As the two roommates fell into conversation, Oscar’s phone chimed with a few messages lighting up the screen. Logan’s face was a picture as it lit up with excitement, reaching for the Aussie’s phone and frowning when Oscar smacked his hand away and picked it up. He couldn’t help but let a wide smile form on his face as he saw the notifications from Lando.

Lando Norris

Hi! 

I’m here :) 

Take ur time

Oscar Piastri

Hey

I’ll be down in a second

Lando Norris

Okie dokie :)

Can’t wait

God- even the way he typed was adorable. The little smiley faces he used? How could something so simple make his heart beat so rapidly?

“Why are you staring at your phone like an idiot?” Logan smacked him on the back of the head, catching his attention. “Go get your boy.”

Oscar couldn’t help but grin wider, maybe this was his chance? 

With a hug and a promise of full details when he got home - Oscar grabbed his keys and the hoodie before making his way out of the apartment and down the stairs. However, once he opened the door to go outside, the nerves started settling in his stomach. 

This is your chance, Oscar, don't fuck it up by embarrassing yourself.

It wasn’t hard to pick out Lando’s car from all the others on the street, no one in his area could afford a luxury car like the big stars drove. With a quick exhale, Oscar made his way over and opened the passenger door, smiling as Lando’s face instantly lit up at the sight of him.

“Hi,” Lando spoke softly, clearly as nervous as Oscar had been. “You look good…” He whispered, flushing at his own words as Oscar climbed into the car - gently closing the door and buckling himself in before facing the Brit, who looked as handsome as ever.

Thankfully, luck continued to be on his side whenever it came to Lando, as he seemed to dress perfectly with the other. Lando’s curls were hidden by a white backwards cap, a black long-sleeved shirt which fit him quite snuggly as well as a pair of black shorts. His eyes widened with realisation as he remembered the male’s sting from earlier, lifeguard instincts kicking in as his hand immediately moved to pull the material up a bit so he could see how it was healing before freezing as he heard Lando wince.

Never mind, his luck seemed to have run out.

“I’m so sorry-” Oscar panicked, pulling his hand away as he caught eyes with the boy. “I didn’t even think - I just remembered the welt earlier and- oh my god this is so embarrassing…” He groaned, hiding his face in his hands.

Now Lando was either far too sweet, or he’d gotten second-hand embarrassment because he let out his adorable little giggle before moving to pull one of Oscar’s hands away. “Hey, It’s okay! Just brushed against the skin and it hurt a little, It wasn’t because of you!” He’d explained as if Oscar checking his thigh randomly was normal.

“I’m still sorry,” he sighed as he looked over, meeting his starry eyes. “You look good too, though I do miss the curls.” Lando’s eyes widened as he bit his lip and looked at the wheel.

“Couldn’t get them to sit right,” he mumbled shyly, going to adjust the hat on his head. “You like them though?” He refused to even glance at Oscar as he spoke, tapping the wheel nervously.

“Of course I do,” Oscar admitted as he placed the hoodie at his feet. The movement caught Lando’s eyes or maybe it was Oscar's admission as he finally looked over - cheeks flushed even more as he grinned.

“I made us a picnic,” the driver smiled and motioned to the basket which sat in the back of the car. “Thought we could eat it at the beach? But I know you’re always there so we can go somewhere else! Daniel said you wouldn’t mind but we ca-” 

“Hey,” Oscar spoke, cutting off the rambling boy as they both laughed. “Relax alright? The beach is perfect, I’m glad you suggested it.” With the knowledge that Oscar approved of the spot, the driver let out a hum of acknowledgement before starting to drive to Oscar’s favourite place.

Though he spent almost every day at the beach for his job, Oscar adored the sand and the water and he didn’t think anything would change that. Even on his days off, Oscar would usually end up heading to the sand with his board and catching some waves. So going there with Lando gave him the confidence boost he needed.

The car ride was quiet, Lando humming softly to the radio and tapping along to the beat on the wheel as they drove the familiar streets. He’d taken to switching between looking out the passenger window at the world going on around them, and to looking at Lando, chuckling as he’d accidentally hum too early or tap offbeat. The drive only took around 10 minutes before they arrived at the promenade and found a parking space.

The beach was quiet, the flags having been put away and the lifeguards clearing off for the evening. There were a few people dotted along the sand -chatting as they walked or sitting down admiring the sun that was now beginning to set. There were also a few surfers in the water, paddling around and catching the smaller sets before repeating. The two exited the car, Lando grabbing the basket before they walked side by side down to the sand.

“Is this spot okay?” Lando asked eventually, looking at the surrounding area before looking at Oscar for approval. They were in the middle of the beach, not too close to the water but near enough so they could hear the noises the waves made as they broke onto the sand. 

“It’s perfect,” Oscar was pleased to see the giddy grin that appeared on Lando’s face before they made easy work of setting up the blanket, using their shoes as well as the basket to hold it in place. The Aussie sat down first, stretching his legs out as he admired the sky that was now reflecting beautifully off the waves - he’d never get sick of views like these.

Speaking of views- his eyes couldn’t help but glance at Lando as he crouched to begin unpacking the contents of the basket onto the blanket. The shorts hugged him in all the right places, making it hard for Oscar to look away as he bit his lip. 

Did he even have a single flaw? Surely someone couldn't be this perfect.

“Here-” Oscar patted the spot next to him on the blanket, his other hand moving to hold Lando’s waist. “Sit down okay? Let me help.” The boy let out his all-familiar pout but didn’t argue, allowing Oscar to help him sit down, admittedly a little too close for two people who weren't on a ‘date’ but Lando always had space to move away, and thankfully he didn’t. Oscar reached for the basket, taking out the remaining containers and packets and spreading them over the blanket before popping the basket at the bottom, back where it was holding the blanket securely.

Oscar was impressed with the setup, the blanket filled with all sorts of snacks. There was a bright fruit platter, some bread with a mix of cheeses and meats, pretzels, crisps and what looked to be homemade cookies. His heart melted at the thought and effort Lando had put into the picnic, deciding to show his gratitude by wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him in close.

“This is beautiful,” he whispered as his eyes continued to examine the food. “Thank you, this was sweet of you to set up.”

“Charles helped…” The Brit admitted as he didn’t resist laying his head on Oscar’s shoulder. The Australian couldn’t help but smile, looking down at him with fond eyes as he couldn’t resist pulling his waist closer. “Wanted to say thank you again without you shutting him down..”

“Tell him I said thank you too then,” Oscar couldn’t help but laugh at the Monégasque’s continuous battle to get the lifeguard to accept his thanks.

“Mmkay,” Lando hummed before scanning the food. “What do you want to start with?”

“You decide,” the lifeguard wasn’t bothered with what they started with, he knew all of the food would be wonderful so he decided to leave the choice up to the driver who’d now removed his head from Oscar’s shoulder and looked at him with an adorable little scowl. 

Seriously - did he have flaws? Oscar didn’t see any.

“No!” He whined, crossing his arms like a toddler who didn’t get their way. “I made this for you! Which means you have to pick.”

“Oh does it now?” Oscar hummed, copying Lando in crossing his arms over his chest. “What if I don’t want to pick? What If I want you to pick?” The Australian teased, watching as Lando’s face continued to get more and more adorably frustrated.

“Oscar!” He pouted, moving to sit up on his knees so he had a slight height advantage over the lifeguard. 

“Lando!” He mimicked, using both hands to grab his waist as he pulled him closer. The boy’s eyes widened as their eyes met, both of them seeming to freeze as they briefly got lost in each other’s galaxies. 

Oscar could have sworn he saw Lando’s eyes briefly glance at his lips before the Brit pulled back - not out of his grasp but enough so their faces weren’t so close.

 “Please pick?” Lando whispered, deciding to pull out his puppy eyes as his hands fell on Oscar’s shoulders, the Australian looking up into their sparkle before finally giving in.

“Alright,” he sighed dramatically which caused Lando to let out a cheer. “How about some fruit?” The driver gave no verbal answer, only smiling widely and shuffling over to the platter and using a paper plate to collect a variation of the fruits before sitting back in his previous position next to Oscar.

“Here you go!” He gleamed, placing the plate in front of the lifeguard and sitting crisscrossed and patiently waiting for Oscar to start eating, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion once he realised the Australian made no moves to begin. “What’s wrong?”

“What about you?” 

“I’ll get something once you start eating!”

“Lando-”

“Oscarrrrrr!” 

His whining filled the air as he moved to pick up a slice of orange and shoved it into Oscar’s hand. “Eat it!”

The lifeguard raised an eyebrow before he picked up a strawberry, holding it in front of Lando’s mouth. “Guess we’ll share my plate then.” He’d stated simply, wiggling the berry under his bandaged nose. “Come on sweetheart,” he encouraged - watching Lando’s eyes sparkle at the familiar pet name, “take a bite?”

The driver’s eyes shimmered before he leant forward and took a bite of the berry, humming in contentment as he sat back, chewing it. 

“Good boy,” Oscar cooed, placing the leaf back onto the plate and using his thumb to wipe away some of the juice that had dribbled down his chin. He couldn’t help but adore the way the boy reacted to the names and praises, his little squirm of happiness at the praise causing Oscar to laugh before he bit into the orange slice that Lando had handed him earlier.

The two went on to eat the picnic with small chatter, getting to know each other a bit more before packing the basket up with the plates, containers and wrappers. Eventually, they’d both lay down to look up at the sky which was slowly getting dark enough to let the stars peek through.  Oscar had been brave enough to lay his arm under Lando’s head, the boy snuggling close as they continued to chat about anything that came to mind.

The way they clicked felt so natural, Oscar had never been good at holding conversations or keen on physical touch - but with Lando, everything seemed to come so easy. Oscar had been on multiple dates, but none had ever progressed as fast or as far as whatever this was- he’d never fed someone, or held them close to watch the stars- yet the boy brought out this side in Oscar, that he didn’t want to disappear.

“Hey, Osc?” Lando whispered, turning his head to peek up at Oscar who’d hummed in response, showing he was listening. “Can we swim?” 

Oscar raised his head to look at the driver who was once again, giving him the biggest and most adorable puppy eyes he’d ever seen. He was gonna have to learn how to say no to them at some point...

“You’re asking the lifeguard if you can swim when it’s getting dark and there are no flags up?” 

“Please?” Lando begged, moving out of Oscar’s grasp and tugging at his hand. “I’m technically as safe as ever because I’ll be in the water with a lifeguard!”

“You don’t seem to have a good history with water sweetheart,” Oscar teased yet let Lando tug him up, eventually climbing to his feet. “But fine- only waist deep okay?”

The look Lando gave him, made Oscar want to pull him close right there- the excitement took over his face as he chucked his phone in the basket and began pulling off his shirt and hat, rushing as if he thought Oscar would change his mind and tell him no. Oscar, much to his displeasure, didn’t think he’d ever be able to tell Lando that.

“Wait for me!” He yelled as the driver began his sprint to the water, laughing loudly as he heard Oscar’s call. “What a brat…” He grumbled before pulling off his shirt, making sure to empty his pockets before chasing after the brunette.

Much to Oscar’s displeasure, there were a few people in the water with them. The lifeguard part of him made him want to chew them out - tell them how careless they were being swimming when there was no one to help them if they got into any danger, but the other part of him realised how hypocritical he would be as he was currently doing the same thing.

“Boo!” Lando yelled as he clung to Oscar’s back, hanging onto the lifeguard as his feet splashed the water below him. 

“Hey koala,” the lifeguard teased, hooking his arms under Lando’s legs and carrying him deeper in, ensuring he could still touch the bottom as the water reached just below his belly button.

“Why’d you call me that?” Lando hummed, wrapping one arm around Oscar’s neck whilst the other splashed at the water. 

Oscar glanced back at him with a look that simply said, ‘You’re kidding,’ before motioning to the way they were currently stood. “Do I need to explain?”

“No…” Lando whispered against his neck, legs wrapping around his torso as he continued to splash at the water with his free hand. “I-Is it okay? You’re not annoyed right?” 

Oscar’s heart sank, why on earth would he believe Oscar was annoyed with his clinginess? 

“Of course not.” He wished he could see the boy’s face, but he’d been smart in hopping onto Oscar’s back and hiding. “Why would you think that?”

He’d mumbled back to Oscar, though with the sounds of the waves and his hiding, the lifeguard struggled to catch what he said and decided to move the boy so they were facing one another. 

Without thinking about the conversation at hand, Oscar unhooked the Brit’s legs and gently removed him off his back - the heartbroken whimper that escaped the male causing Oscar to come to his senses, eyes widening as he spun in the water and caught the tears forming before Lando had started to paddle away.

“Lando wait!” He called out, beginning to chase the boy who seemed determined to get away. “Lando!” He tried again before reaching for his arm, pulling him back with enough force that the curly-haired driver collided with his chest - unshed tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

“What?” the driver whimpered, looking at the sand as if Oscar’s arms were the last place he’d wanted to be.

“I couldn’t hear you sweetheart, I was just trying to turn you around…” He’d whispered, cupping the boy's face and gently moving it back so they were face to face. “No need to run, I’m listening..”

Lando blinked, a stray tear escaping his eye and rolling down his cheek as he looked into Oscar’s eyes. “Cause I’m scared..” He’d admitted finally, eyes moving to Oscar’s chest, as if scared for his reaction.

“Scared of what?”

“I’m scared that I’m getting too attached to you, Oscar.” Lando whispered, a shakey hand moving to wipe another tear off of his pretty face, “and I don’t know what to do.”

What?

“What do you mean, Lan?”

The British boy shook his head, attempting to escape the Australian’s grasp but whimpered as Oscar held him close.

“I’m scared that I’m reading this wrong Osc,” Lando confessed, “and I don’t think I can handle it if I am.”

Was Lando saying, what Oscar thought he was saying?

Fuck It.

Oscar didn’t hesitate, pulling Lando close, lips pressing against his in a gentle and short kiss.

“Did I read that right?” He asked softly once he’d pulled away, pressing his forehead against the smaller boy’s.

Lando could only nod, almost as if starstruck before he leant up, pressing his lips against Oscar’s and humming happily as they moved in sync against one another. Lando’s arms moved to wrap around his neck as he pulled him in deeper, Oscar’s hands tightening on his waist before they separated with matching looks of delight.

“I’m getting attached to you too sweetheart,” Oscar whispered, processing what just happened and enjoying the feeling of having Lando so close. “But I’m so glad you feel the same.”

Lando only giggled, resting his head on Oscar’s chest momentarily before one of his hands moved to splash the water. “Thank you water, I knew we’d be friends..”

Oscar snorted, rolling his eyes at the boy's actions before scooping him up in his arms, Lando shrieked as he once again clung to the lifeguard. “Oscar!” He yelped, holding tightly as the brown-haired Australian carried him back to the sand.

“Thought it was best before the water changed its mind with you,” he teased, laughing at the pout that formed on Lando’s face before placing him back onto his feet once they reached the blanket.

“Maybe you’re right,” Lando muttered before leaning up to peck Oscar’s lips, grabbing the graphic shirt Oscar had on earlier and slipping it over his head. “No more water for me.”

Oh- he could get used to this.

“Lando-” He laughed, picking up the British boy’s shirt and holding it out to him. “This won’t fit me, sweetheart, I hate to break it to you.” 

“Just don’t wear a shirt then.”

“You want my shirt that bad?”

“It’s comfy!”

Oscar shook his head before he had his lightbulb moment, grabbing the boy's hips and pulling him so his back was pressed to the lifeguard's chest.

“How about a deal?” He offered, listening as the boy hummed to hear his offer. “You give me my shirt, and you can keep the hoodie I brought with me, how does that sound?”

“Sound’s like a good deal to me,” he squealed - wriggling out of Oscar’s shirt and quickly pulling on his own. “Come on then!”

Oscar was stunned at how easily convinced he was, maybe he had to ask Logan for more weird Lando facts he knew…

“Alright bossy,” he pulled his shirt over his head, put his shoes back on and folded up the blanket so it fit back into the basket. “Starting to think you just want my clothes.”

“Nope,” Lando moved to Oscar’s side, linking their hands. “It’s just a bonus.”

Yeah, he could definitely get used to this.

Lando swung their arms as they walked up the sand and back to the car. The curly-haired brunette took the basket and placed it in the back whilst Oscar grabbed the hoodie from the front, meeting the boy at the back of the car where he looked at the item with excitement.

“A deal is a deal,” Oscar pressed a kiss to the boy’s cheek before handing him the hoodie, the Brit instantly unfolding it and checking it out. 

“Your last name is Piastri?” Lando mumbled a goofy smile which Oscar took as a reassuring sign, made its way onto his face before he pulled the hoodie over his head and snuggled into it.

“Sure is.”

Lando rolled his eyes before wrapping himself against Oscar, hugging the Australian tightly. “I don’t want today to end…” he mumbled into Oscar’s chest, the strong arms holding him close as Oscar’s chin rested on his head.

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Lando smiled though Oscar couldn’t see it, snuggling close into his hold.

“Lando?” Oscar mumbled into his hair, pressing a soft kiss to the curls he adored so much.  “Stay with me tonight?” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah,” Oscar pulled back from the hug, tilting Lando’s chin up before kissing his lips once more. “I don’t want today to end either…”

Chapter Text

“Oscar! How did your date go!”

The Australian groaned as he opened the door to the apartment, hearing his best friend’s voice yell from the kitchen where he could hear another voice scold him for yelling - guess Alex was here.

From behind him, Lando giggled quietly wrapping his hands around Oscar’s waist and hiding against his back to quiet them.

“Oscar?” The American called again, rushed footsteps approaching as the familiar blonde-haired boy slid into view, nearly slipping due to his socks. “Any success? Tell me every….thing…” His eyes widened and words stuttered as the curly-haired Brit poked his head out from behind Oscar and gave the blue-eyed patriot a shy wave.

“I think it went well,” Lando smiled before removing himself from the hug and taking one of Oscar’s hands. “Logan right? I’m Lando,” he’d introduced himself to Logan with a warm smile and a handshake, the American gobsmacked as he shook it. 

Oscar had forgotten that Logan was the only one in their group, besides Zhou, who hadn’t met Lando yet.

“Nice to meet you,” he spluttered, looking at Oscar with wide eyes. “I’m a huge fan- this is insane…”

“I should’ve expected this.” 

Alex laughed as he rounded the corner, snapping a finger in front of Logan’s face, pretending to snap him out of a trance before giving a small wave in Lando’s direction.

“Nice to see you again,” the Thai man smiled before leading Logan back to the kitchen, “let’s leave them to it okay?”

Oscar could only smile, shaking his head at his best friend’s inner fanboy exposing itself as he tugged Lando into a hug. “Should’ve warned you that he was a fan…” He whispered, though there was no concern in his voice, Logan couldn’t hurt a fly.

“It’s fine,” Lando smiled up at him, “he seems nice.”

“Yeah…” Oscar mumbled, looking in the direction the two left from, “he’s a good guy.”

The two stood at the entrance for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company before Oscar decided to lead the driver to his room. 

“Does Daniel know you’re here?” He asked, rummaging through his drawers for a pair of pyjama pants for Lando. “Don’t want them to think I’ve kidnapped you.”

“Mhm,” he mumbled as he sat on the edge of Oscar’s bed, swinging his feet as he checked his phone. “Said to use protection…” Lando flushed, probably not meaning to read the text out loud though giggling quietly, Oscar joining in soon after.

“Typical Daniel,” Oscar chuckled before handing Lando a pair of blue checked pyjama bottoms and pointing out the ensuite to the smaller. “I’ll go get changed and grab a spare toothbrush from the guest bathroom alright?” 

The driver nodded, placing his phone on the bed before making his way to the bathroom, Oscar did the same as he walked down the corridor to the guest bathroom. He changed into his pyjama bottoms, throwing his shirt into the washing basket and grabbing a spare toothbrush from the drawer that they used for the guys when they’d stay for sleepovers or crashed after nights out.

Returning to his bedroom, he knocked on the bathroom door. “Can I come in?” He’d waited for confirmation from Lando before opening the door and walking inside - smiling as he looked at the shorter boy, drowned in his clothing and drying his hands off on the hand towel before turning to look at the taller. “Here’s the promised toothbrush,” Oscar handed the new brush to Lando before going to pick up his own and begin to brush his teeth. A small pout appeared on the smaller’s face as Oscar caught him in the mirror.

“Why are you pouting?” He hummed, taking his brush out of his mouth.

“You’re not gonna brush them for me?”

Oscar couldn’t help but chuckle as he shook his head in disbelief at the boy’s request. He was shocked Lando had even remembered that from a few nights ago. However, who was he to say no? Especially to the cutie who snuggled deeper into his clothes as his pout deepened.

“Of course, I will,” Oscar promised as he patted the counter for Lando to hop up onto. “Let me finish brushing my own first okay?” The smaller of the two nodded, jumping up onto the countertop as Oscar began scrubbing his teeth again - making sure to scrub them thoroughly before rinsing his mouth and wiping away some of the toothpaste that had spilt over on a facecloth. Once cleaning off his brush and placing it back in its original place, he turned to the British boy who was humming a soft tune to himself as he watched Oscar - his legs swinging as he waited.

“Okay sweetheart,” he spoke quietly as he stood between Lando’s legs, their actions stilling as the driver wrapped his arms around Oscar’s neck and pulled him close - both boys allowing their foreheads to rest together as they sat in silence for a moment.

Oscar couldn’t help but close his eyes, just absorbing the warmth and comfort that Lando carried around with him. It made moments like these, even more enjoyable. He couldn’t help but adore the driver more and more,  especially with the safe mindset he’d let himself escape to whenever in Oscar’s presence.

He wasn’t sure what it was, but Oscar noticed small things about the boy whenever he was around. How his eyes sparkled more brightly, his words and actions softer and more vulnerable and altogether - Lando seemed more free… Like he was letting a part of himself escape, and Oscar couldn’t help but feel special that Lando had chosen Oscar as the person who could see this side of him.

His eyes fluttered open as a tender kiss was placed on his nose, meeting the Brits as they smiled stupidly at each other for a few seconds. “Thank you,” he chuckled before pulling back from the starry-eyed boy and grabbing the toothbrush Oscar had provided him. He made quick work of wetting it, placing a good amount of toothpaste on the bristles before his spare hand moved to cup Lando’s chin. 

“There we go,” Oscar couldn’t help but coo as Lando’s lips parted, allowing Oscar to start softly brushing his teeth. After some good scrubbing, Lando rinsed his mouth - clearing the sink of any remaining toothpaste before letting out a whine as a warm washcloth came in contact with his face. 

“Osc!” He groaned, squirming away from the soft material as the Australian chased him down. “I’m not a baby! I can wash my face.” 

“So you can wash your face but I need to brush your teeth?” 

Caught him.

Lando blushed, hiding his face in his hands as he let out a small whine. “That’s different…”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Oscar smiled before placing his own hands, admittedly smaller than Lando’s, on top of the Brits and gently pulling them away from his face. “However, I’m glad you asked me too… It’s cute.”

“I’m not cute!” The pout returned as Oscar squished his cheeks between his palms, furthering the point of Lando being the cutest as his nose scrunched up. 

“Whatever you say!”

“I’m not!”

“I didn’t say you were technically-”

Lando fell quiet for a few seconds before a mischievous grin formed, quickly disappearing and turning into a wobbly bottom lip as Oscar’s eyes widened.

“Y-you don’t think I’m cute, Osc?”

Oh, Oscar had his hands full with this one.

“You,” Oscar grinned before peppering kisses all over the driver’s face, “happen to be the cutest boy I’ve ever met.”

Lando giggled, squirming at the kisses before throwing his arms around Oscar’s neck and attaching their lips in a gentle, but deep kiss. 

Everything about them just seemed to fit perfectly, like the final piece of a puzzle.

Their lips moved together slowly, Oscar taking control as his hand moved to travel under his hoodie, hand settling on Lando’s bare waist and tugging him closer. 

Lando whimpered into Oscar’s mouth as the Aussie gently nibbled at the Brit’s lower lip - the smaller parting them as Oscar slipped his tongue in with ease, deepening the kiss and holding Lando as close as he could.

The driver whined in content, his hand travelling up the back of Oscar’s neck before gently tugging at the back of the brown mop. He hadn’t had a moment like this, soft and intimate for a while but he loved it. 

Eventually, the two separated for air as they panted heavily, though smiling at each other like two idiots. “You’re pretty handsome yourself…” Lando whispered, staring at Oscar’s dark eyes and allowing himself to get lost in their shimmer.

“Come on you,” the lifeguard smirked before sliding Lando off the counter and holding him up - familiar with the events a few nights ago but this time, Oscar wasn’t going anywhere. 

They moved back into Oscar’s bedroom in comfortable silence, Lando holding onto him tightly as he reached over the Australian’s shoulder to flick the switch off behind them. Oscar didn’t hesitate in dropping Lando into the centre of the bed, the Brit letting out a small yelp as he fell against the soft mattress before he wriggled his way up and started pulling back the blankets.

“Do you need anything before I go?” Oscar smiled, moving to grab a pillow and a blanket from the end of the bed but freezing when Lando let out a confused hum. 

“You’re not staying with me?”

“Oh- I thought maybe you’d not want to..”

“Don’t be stupid,” Lando rolled his eyes before pulling the blanket down and making grabby hands towards the lifeguard, “come here then you muppet.”

Oscar could only laugh, they seemed to be one of a kind but he wouldn’t want it to be any other way.

“Muppet? Like the frog?” He hummed whilst crawling into bed beside the shorter boy. It only took about .5 of a second before Lando’s koala instincts took over and he instantly wriggled into Oscar’s personal space, head resting on his chest.

“What? No?” 

“But… Nevermind.”

He was unique, but that seemed to be a part of Lando that Oscar adored. The way he was so different from everyone else. He held Lando close as they lay in silence, a hand gently petting at the small boy’s curls as they just watched each other. 

Lando was just everything you could dream of in someone. His eyes sparkled beautifully, and his eyelashes? He was pretty sure his sisters would freak out, he’d overheard them ranting about guys always having good eyelashes…Oscar never paid too much mind, they were just normal to him. However, Lando’s? Yeah, maybe Oscar understood them cause wow… they just made him look so much cuter.

The bandage on his nose - as much as Oscar wanted it to heal and still felt sorry for the driver - added to the already irresistible cuteness. He already admired the driver’s nose scrunches and the way his nose was so boopable, but for some reason, the small plaster Oscar had put on earlier, just added to these so much more.

But right now, and call him crazy if you want. 

Oscar’s favourite part of the British driver was his moles. The small little beauty marks that dotted his face, which could only really be seen if you paid close enough attention. The lifeguard couldn’t help himself but gently run his thumb over one on his cheek, smiling down as he watched Lando’s eyes flutter shut.

“Hey,” Oscar whispered as he leaned his head down to place a kiss on the top of Lando’s. “You’re really pretty you know?”  The small smile that gradually grew wider on Lando’s lips made his own grow.

“Mmm not pretty,” he eventually whispered as he took his eyes off Oscar’s and rested his head on the Australian’s bare chest.

“You don’t think so?” Oscar frowned, continuing to gently play with the boy’s hair, running his fingers through his curls. 

“Tell me again?” The star whispered quietly, though a cheeky tone could be heard. 

“Tell you what?” Oscar teased.

Two could play at this game.

Lando looked a bit taken aback that Oscar wasn’t playing this game the way he wanted him to, his grumpy little pout forming in full force. “What you said,” he whined and pulled his head up from where it was rested. “I want you to say it.”

“What did I say again?” Oscar pretended to think, furrowing his eyebrows in a confused manner for extra effect.

“Osc!” Lando whined as he began to sit up, “you know what!”

“Can you remind me?” 

“No!” Lando grumbled, wriggling his way out of Oscar’s arms and turning so he was laying on his side, back facing Oscar’s as he cuddled into himself. 

Oscar laughed softly, letting his head fall back against the headboard for a few moments, thinking carefully about his next move with the sulking Formula One star. 

After letting Lando whine and grumble incoherently to himself, Oscar finally made his move as he draped his arm over the smaller’s waist and pulled him back so his back was pressing against Oscar’s chest. However, Lando still seemed to be sulking as he whined and tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

Now, Oscar wasn’t sure what took over him with his next moves - but he was proud of himself for the confidence.

“Shhh,” he whispered into Lando’s ear before pressing a small kiss onto his jaw. “Come on sweetheart, I’m sorry.” Oscar hoped that Lando couldn’t hear the smile in his voice as he spoke, but relaxed soon enough when the driver stopped squirming and decided to turn himself around so his face was hidden into the lifeguard's chest.

“Hey-” Oscar laughed as he continued to me amazed by Lando and his unexpected actions. “Come on sweetheart,” he cooed as his two fingers slid under Lando’s chin, gently moving his face so his pouty lips and puppy eyes were on show. 

Okay, final step.

“There’s that pretty face.”

Lando’s puppy eyes sparkled at finally getting what he’d wanted, a soft whimper escaping his lips as he realised he couldn’t hide away as his cheeks flushed Oscar’s favourite colour, a nice warm pink. Instead, the Brit seemed to go with his next plan - slowly leaning up and pressing his soft lips against Oscar’s own.

The kiss was gentle, both boys taking their time as they moved with one another. Oscar couldn’t help himself by tugging close, rolling onto his back and taking Lando with him as the British driver now lay above him, continuing to move their lips in sync. That’s how they spent the next ten minutes, kissing one another and only pulling away for small breaths before instantly reconnecting. 

Between kisses, Lando had managed to slide a hand behind Oscar’s head, helping him deepen their kiss as their pace slowly began to pick up - becoming more hungry as the Brit lightly nibbled the Australian’s bottom lip. Oscar, shocked by the action, let out a small whimper against Lando’s which seemed to make the driver squirm with delight as he slid his tongue into his mouth and began taking control as their kiss became more intimate.

Oscar’s hands moved back to Lando’s tiny waist, finding their way up Oscar’s hoodie and settling on his bare skin as their kiss began to get more fast-paced and messy. 

Lando eventually pulled away but it only took a few seconds before he was beginning to kiss his way down Oscar’s jaw to his neck, leaving small kisses as Oscar tilted his head back with a content sigh. 

He hadn’t expected his evening to end up like this, but boy he wasn’t complaining. Making out with the pretty boy you’ve been pining for over the last few days? Sounds like the world finally decided to root for him.

He seemed to get lost in his thoughts when one small action brought him straight back to reality.

Lando’s hips gently slid against the muscular build of Oscar’s thigh, and though usually, Oscar wouldn’t complain about being in this situation - he didn’t want to move too fast and ruin things with Lando.

“Sweetheart,” he whispered as he shifted away from where Lando was kissing his neck, gently pushing the smaller back by his waist which Oscar still held tightly. 

The weak, vulnerable whimper that escaped Lando reminded Oscar of their moment in the water a few hours ago as the boy looked at him with tears and a horrific look of rejection that Oscar wanted to take away.

Fuck - how many times was Oscar gonna be the reason Lando cried?

“Hey-” Oscar whispered as Lando moved to sit up on top of Oscar, using the sleeves to hide his restless fingers as he chewed his bottom lip seeming to be aiding in his fight to hold back the tears. 

“I’m sorry–” Lando whispered, almost heartbroken, “I thought you wanted to- you called me pretty? Fuck- I’m sorry I’ll go…” Again, the boy rambled on as he tried to crawl off Oscar’s lap.

“Baby.”

Lando froze, head turning to look at Oscar who just stared at him in adoration.

“Can you listen to me before you decide I don’t want to see you?” Oscar had propped himself up so they were both sitting, hands moving to grab the driver's restless ones.

“Oscar,” Lando whispered as he stared at their entwined hands. “It’s okay- I can handle rejection.”

“Who said I was rejecting you, sweetheart?” Oscar frowned, giving his hands a light squeeze. “Now can you listen to me, please? No interrupting?”

“But I-”

“Lando.”

Oscar’s voice was stern, watching as Lando’s eyes widened in response to the tone before he gripped Oscar’s hands tightly. 

“Good boy,” he smiled and gently used his thumbs to run over his knuckles. “I stopped you because I don’t want this-” he gently pulled the smaller in closer by his hands, “to be just a one-time thing. Or something we rush into and regret. I don’t want to just be a fling.”

Lando’s eyes never moved from Oscar’s face, listening closely as he paid attention to the Australian.

“I want to get to know you… To learn all about your silly habits, to find out your favourite things and to be able to cuddle you and see you wearing my clothes all the time.” Oscar rambled, not noticing how the driver’s tears of sadness seemed to change to tears of happiness as he continued to listen to the Australian. “I want to make you smile, I want to see those silly little faces you add to your texts and I want to be able to hold and kiss you - I know this all sounds crazy cause fuck- we just kinda properly met today but-”

Oscar for once, was cut off by a soft and short kiss against his lips as the teary-eyed driver pulled away with a soft smile.

“I want that too,” he confessed as he pulled his hands away from where they were linked with Oscar’s and quickly looped them around his neck, pulling the Australian lifeguard closer and resting their foreheads together. “I was scared- that maybe all you wanted was a hook-up and that’s why you kept using all the nicknames… but gosh I’m so glad I was being an idiot.” 

The two laughed as Oscar’s hands moved to hold Lando’s waist again, moving his head so it rested on Lando’s shoulder, hugging him close.

“We should get to sleep huh? It’s been an eventful day…” Lando suggested, running his fingers through Oscar’s hair as he gently worked out a knot. “You’re working tomorrow right?”

“Yeah,” Oscar sighed as he lifted his head off Lando’s shoulder before letting himself fall backwards back onto the pillows, causing Lando to let out his adorable giggle before he made himself comfortable on Oscar’s chest, pulling the blankets up around them.

“You’re such a muppet,” Lando giggled as he snuggled up close to the taller, taking one of his hands and interlocking their fingers.

“Is that an insult?” Oscar frowned as he reached over to turn the lamp off, plunging the room into darkness.

“Not at all,” Lando whispered as he listened to Oscar’s heartbeat thump from where his head rested, letting out a yawn as let his eyes flutter closed.

And just as he was away to drift off, in the arms of the lifeguard who he was, admittedly, already severely crushing on... Oscar’s voice filled the room.

“Hey, Lando?”

“Mhm?”

“How’d you know I was working tomorrow?”

Lando stilled, thankful they were in the dark so Oscar couldn’t look at the pure mortification on his face from basically exposing himself.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“But-”

“Goodnight Osc!”

Oscar could only laugh at the pretty boy’s attempts at avoiding the question before pressing a kiss to his curls and holding him close.

“Goodnight sweetheart.”

Chapter Text

The birds chirping filled the silence of Oscar’s bedroom, the sun peeking through the window, a ray smacking the Australian lifeguard in the face, causing him to let out a tired groan as he tugged the ‘pillow’ he was hugging, closer to his chest and letting out a sigh of content.

Only - the pillow wasn’t really a pillow.

“Osc?” a quiet voice whispered from his chest as Oscar struggled to process everything that was going on. He had never been, and will never be a morning person - he just couldn’t fathom the idea of waking up and starting his day at the same time as the sun did. “You awake?” He simply chose to ignore the brunette’s whispers as he cuddled him close, resting his chin above his head and holding him tightly.

“Hey! No!” Lando giggled as he tried to look up at the lifeguard, trying to escape his arms and wriggle free. “Oscarrrr let me up! I’ve been waiting for you to wake up for like- forever!” He whined dramatically only for the Australian to hold him closer, hiding a tired smile in Lando’s mop of curls.

Lando eventually gave up with a huff, wrapping his arms around Oscar and snuggling closely to his warmth. The Brit naturally ran colder, usually wearing hoodies and jeans in countries where people considered him crazy, but right now with a personal heater? He was in his element.

The two lay in comfortable silence, Oscar slowly bringing himself out of his sleepy haze and Lando just savouring the moment he had. However, they didn’t last long as the curly-haired boy began to get antsy, back to squirming in Oscar’s arms as his body itched to get up and on the go. Oscar could only smile, loosening his grip on the driver and backing himself up slightly so he could take in his face.

“Morning sleepyhead,” Lando teased as he reached up to flatten Oscar’s hair, taming the bird's nest that had formed during the night. 

“Morning…” Oscar grumbled, unravelling himself from Lando and laying on his back so he was facing the ceiling. He couldn’t help but let the yawn inside of him escape as he rubbed his eyes - bringing himself out of dreamland and back to reality.

Though Lando seemed to be wide awake, and almost too chirpy… The driver crawled closer to Oscar and lay his head back onto the Aussie’s chest where he placed it directly above his heart and smiled to himself as he listened to the soothing beats of his heart.

“You sleep okay?” Oscar grumbled as his hand automatically moved to hold Lando’s waist and pull him closer.

“Mhm!” He hummed in reply, peeking up at Oscar with a shy smile. “I’m glad you’re still here and I didn’t dream yesterday…” He admitted which caused Oscar to match his smile almost instantly.

“Yeah?” Oscar teased as he gently pinched the exposed skin of Lando’s waist as the hoodie rose causing him to squeal. “I think I must still be dreaming, 'cause there’s no way you’re here right now…”

Lando rolled his eyes at the Australian’s cheesiness, raising his head so he could comfortably look at him. “Really? Want me to prove you’re awake?”

Oscar’s eyes widened at the confidence Lando showed, especially comparing him to the shy boy he’d seen the last few days. Not looking away from his eyes, Oscar gulped before nodding - he didn’t want to fuck up his words.

Lando didn’t hesitate before leaning up and pressing his lips to Oscar’s own in a small and soft kiss. He didn’t give Oscar time to react before he pulled away with a shy smile. “Believe me?”

“Not quite,” the Aussie smiled before he leaned down, pressing his lips against Lando’s in another soft kiss, this one lasting longer as they slowly moved with one another before mutually pulling away for air. “Okay - I believe you now.”

Lando shook his head with his adorable little smile shining brightly before settling his head back down on Oscar’s chest. The Brit didn’t lay still however, his hands moving to take one of Oscar’s and gently fiddling with his fingers and drawing shapes on his palm.

“Was that a heart?” Oscar cooed, leaning forward to press a kiss to the curls he was growing to adore. Lando only nodded, going back to messing with his fingers - moving them back and forth. They continued to lay like this for another fifteen minutes - Oscar having picked up his phone and checking his messages and social media before finally letting out a soft sigh and beginning to sit up which caused Lando to let out a small whine as he was manhandled into a sitting position..

“Sorry sweetheart,” he whispered and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Do you want to stay here while I get ready for work?” 

Oscar slid out of the bed, already tucking the driver back into the sheets before he could answer, assuming the star would want to have a few more minutes snuggling into the warmth of Oscar which remained in the blankets.

“Can  I come with you?” Lando tilted his head like a cute puppy, his bottom lip jutting out. “I just wanna be with you… Is that weird?” 

“Nothing about us seems normal,” Oscar smiled before offering his hand out to Lando. “C’mon then, I don’t have all day!”

It was true, he wasn’t going to sugarcoat it. The way they felt so comfortable and attached from the moment they met wasn’t something that happened every day, but Oscar wouldn’t once complain and he hoped Lando felt the same.

“You’re right,” Lando smiled and grasped Oscar’s hand, letting the Aussie drag him to the ensuite. Lando took his spot on the counter, snuggling into Oscar’s hoodie as his eyes followed the lifeguard as he moved around the bathroom, gulping once he heard the water from the shower turn on.

“Osc?” he whispered, just audible over the fall of the water. 

“Yeah?”

“Are we together or um, separate?” 

Oscar seemed to choke on air at Lando’s question, which caused the Formula One driver’s eyes to widen before he quickly moved his hands in protest.

“No! No!” Lando shrieked, embarrassed at his wording. “I meant the shower! I’m so sorry-”

Oscar, once finally recovering from the shock, moved to part Lando’s legs and stood between them, cupping his face with one hand. “Confident one, aren’t you?” Oscar teased as Lando’s cheeks grew rosy. “I don’t mind, I’m comfortable with whatever so you can pick okay?”

Lando, who still hadn’t recovered from his embarrassment, bit his lip as he thought. Oscar watched as he disappeared into them, gently bringing his thumb to the shorter’s bottom lip to pull him out of his thoughts and back to reality.

“Hey,” Oscar cooed, “there isn’t a wrong answer okay? You choose whatever you want.”

Lando’s eyes glossed over with that familiar sparkle he loved to show Oscar, as he nodded at his words. “Can we shower together? Don’t wanna be alone…” His voice grew softer, almost hesitant that Oscar would push him away.

“Of course,” he placed a light kiss on Lando’s forehead before taking a step back, moving to grab the bottom of the hoodie. “Arms up sweetheart,” the driver didn’t hesitate before lifting his arms up and letting Oscar strip him down - clothes getting thrown into the laundry pile for Oscar to deal with when he came home. 

It didn’t take long before the two were in the shower, Oscar with his hands on Lando’s waist as they stood under the fall of the warm water. They remained quiet, the new setting being something to adjust to as they let themselves grow comfortable with the vulnerability around one another.

The two weren’t shy in checking each other out, both allowing their eyes to roam before meeting each other with shy giggles. Oscar wouldn’t even hesitate to admit that Lando was the prettiest person he’d ever seen, both personality and looks-wise. For an athlete, the driver was quite fit and toned though his waist remained incredibly small. Though, most of Oscar’s attention was set on Lando’s ass. Oscar could admit, he’d never been an ass guy, but wow… Lando was just changing his life entirely.

“Hey, sweetheart?” Oscar whispered into Lando’s ear as the Brit leaned his head back to rest against Oscar's shoulder, his back pressed to his chest.

“Yeah?” 

“You’re so pretty…” Oscar praised as he pressed the lightest kisses down his jaw. Lando’s smile couldn’t be missed as he turned himself around, their chests facing one another.

“You’re pretty too Osc,” Lando admitted as he moved to push Oscar’s wet hair back. “And so is mini Oscar, though maybe he’s not mini maybe ju-” Oscar, whose cheeks grew red quickly pulled Lando into a kiss, honestly just to stop him talking, the Brit making a surprised noise before falling in sync with Oscar’s lips.

“You’re a little devil,” Oscar laughed as he pulled away, gently backing Lando closer to the water stream and using his hand to tilt the boy’s head back so he could wet his curls properly. The driver could only let out a mischievous giggle before letting his body relax as the lifeguard began washing his hair, hands gently moving through his curls and making sure to wash out all the suds before grabbing his body wash and beginning to gently scrub it over Lando’s skin.

“Smells good,” Lando hummed as he took in the scent of the body wash, praying that his excitement of smelling like Oscar was hidden from his face as he let the Aussie push him back under the water and gently wash the soap off.

“There we go,” the lifeguard took a step back to let Lando squeeze past, moving so he could soak himself under the warm water. “The cleanest and prettiest boy ever…” Oscar cooed, before turning so his back was facing the Brit, not even batting an eye when he felt two arms snaked around his waist and cling to him in a cuddle.

Oscar moved to do his own shower routine, washing his hair before moving to grab the body wash, only for the bottle to be plucked out of his hands by a familiar koala-like boy.  The Australian didn’t even try to protest, deciding just to relax with the feeling of Lando’s hands massaging the soap into his skin. He let his eyes close as a soft sigh escaped his lips, he was considering phoning in sick and just spending the day like this - well, maybe not in the shower… the water bill probably wouldn’t look too nice.

Suddenly, he was pulled out of his thoughts by a pair of hands squeezing his ass - a small yelp escaping his lips before his head shot round to meet Lando’s mischievous eyes, the driver not even hesitating to make his escape as he quickly slid open the shower door and ran out.

“Hey, you brat!” Oscar yelled, quickly turning the water off before chasing after the giggling male, mentally noting to clean up the water that was trailing through to his room. Thank goodness he didn’t have carpets, or that would be hell to clean.

Lando’s loud giggles would probably be worth the hell of cleaning though, if it meant getting to hear how happy he was every day.

The boy in question had not managed to get very far, the wet floor slowing him down as Oscar moved to grab his waist, tackling him down onto the mattress as he let out a loud shriek. The lifeguard didn’t think twice before tickling his sides, adoring the way he squirmed and wriggled - his loud laughter filling the room.

“You’re a little shit huh?” Oscar teased as the driver continued to shriek and giggle below him, face turning red as the Aussie refused to let up.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Lando cried between laughs, hands trying to push the Australian boy away before another wave of tickles hit him.

“Oh really?” 

“I am! Stop tickling me!” Lando squealed, hands moving to Oscar’s wrists as he attempted to tug them away while wriggling and laughing simultaneously.

“And how am I supposed to believe that?” 

“Oscar I’m sorry!” 

“Let me think,” the lifeguard pretended to think, pausing his tickle attack as he let the smaller boy catch his breath. 

Lando panted, chest heaving as he finally caught his breath, wiping away the tears that had formed in his eyes from laughing so much. “What can I do to say sorry Osc?” The shorter attempted to use his puppy eyes, bottom lip forming in his signature pout.

“You could come to see me after work?” Oscar suggested, and although he was messing around, a small part of him hoped the boy would agree. “Me and a couple of the guys are gonna hang out after shift if you wanna tag along with some of your friends?”

Oscar knew he was being brave, but a part of him feared that once he left for his shift, and left Lando… That this would all be over.

“That’s it?” Lando questioned, now tilting his head in confusion. 

“Yeah…?” 

“‘Course I will you muppet,” Lando smiled before finally escaping Oscar’s grasp, wriggling away. Oscar must’ve had a shocked expression on his face because Lando turned to look at him with his signature pouty lip. “You thought I wouldn’t want to?”

“It’s not that,” Oscar started as he moved to his dresser, throwing a pair of underwear to the Brit before sliding on his own. “It’s just, it’s very public and I wasn’t sure if-”

“If I wanted to be seen with you?” Lando cut him off, a frown making its way onto his face as he slid on Oscar’s underwear and moved closer to the lifeguard. 

“You make it sound worse,” Oscar matched Lando’s frown as he let the Brit force him to sit on the edge of the bed, his cheeks being squished between Lando’s palms.

“Listen to me,” Lando huffed, squishing Oscar’s cheeks together so he looked like a fish. “I didn’t hesitate to kiss you in the ocean did I?”

“No, but-”

“I said listen!” Lando’s voice was firm as he tilted Oscar’s chin up so their eyes met. “I didn’t and I still won’t - You make me happy Osc, I’m not gonna hide someone who makes me happy.”

“Yeah, but the media… won’t they speculate things or start rumours?”

“Osc,” Lando pressed their foreheads together. “I don’t care about the media, I just wanna spend time with you.”

“Only if you’re sure okay?” Oscar whispered.

“I’m sure,” Lando stated, voice firm. “I’ll message the guys and I’ll meet you at the tower as soon as your shift finishes! Okay? Conversation over.”

“Alright sweetheart,” the lifeguard smiled before leaning up to press their lips together in a quick kiss. “Better get ready then, go pick out whatever you want.”

He wished he had a picture of the way Lando’s eyes lit up.

The driver didn’t hesitate, instantly turning to make a b-line for Oscar’s closet before a soft smack and a yelp filled the room.

“Oscar?!” Lando shrieked, hands moving to cover his ass as he turned to the Australian in shock.

“What? I had to get payback somehow!”

“That isn’t fair!”

“Why? I’m letting you borrow my clothes. I should be able to smack your ass! Especially after you squeezed mine!”

“But- you have a nice ass, Oscar! It asked me to squeeze it!”

“It asked you to?” The lifeguard could only shake his head, standing up and moving to his closet to tug a clean uniform shirt over his head before manoeuvring his arms through.

“Mhm!”

“Hey, baby?” Oscar asked watching as Lando perked up at the name with glee.

“Yeah, Osc?”

“Get your cute ass moving,” Oscar teased, “or you’ll never get to borrow any of my clothes again.”

Oscar wasn’t sure he’d ever seen someone move so fast in their life.

Chapter Text

Oscar’s shift was moving too slowly for his liking.

It was one of those days where the beach was packed, but the water was calm. Almost dangerously calm.

He had parted ways with Lando a couple of hours ago, the British driver insisting on driving Oscar to work even though the journey wasn’t that far. The two fall into small talk on the way, Lando chatting about anything that seems to come to mind, Oscar’s hoodie engulfing his smaller frame. They had parted with a quick peck, Lando promising to meet Oscar at the tower door at the end of his shift.

His eyes moved to glance at the clock on the wall…

Only five minutes had passed since he last checked, today was gonna be a long one.

“Hey, Oscar?” Mark walked into the tower from the back door, making a B-line for the former rookie.

“Mhm?” 

“You wanna partner with me today? At least for the next couple of hours?”

Oscar raised an eyebrow in return, a hint of suspicion rising as he slowly nodded. “Wasn’t it Alex’s turn to ride with you?”

“He’s at the North end with Liam,” he hummed.

“Why?” Oscar challenged, interested in finding the real reason his boss wanted to partner with him.

“Just come on kid,” Mark shushed him before grabbing the keys to one of the buggies and making his way back out of the tower, onto the sand. Oscar let out a small huff before making sure he had his radio and following after the elder lifeguard, climbing in beside him.

The two Aussies sat in silence as they made their way up to backpackers, Oscar watching the water as they went. The day felt, weird… Like the calm before a storm.

They parked in a suitable spot to watch the main area of backpackers, still in silence. Oscar had known Mark for a while, and though the man tended to keep to himself, he never had this awkward energy around him which led Oscar to believe that this swap was planned.

“You gonna tell me why you swapped with Alex then?” The younger lifeguard asked, sitting back in the seat whilst his arms folded over his chest.

“I told you why!” Mark protested, seemingly offended that Oscar had seen through his lies.

“Mate- I’ve known you almost my whole life… You’ve always been a horrible liar.”

“Sassy one aren’t you Oz?” His boss had laughed, elbowing him in the side. “You haven’t picked this sass up from a certain curly-haired Formula One driver have you?”

So that’s what this whole thing is about.

“What?” Oscar feigned innocence, looking out to the water in an attempt to avoid this conversation with his boss who acted like his second dad.

“You know what,” Mark pushed, turning off the engine before sitting back himself. “Come on kid, you two seemed close in the tower yesterday for two lads who have only met once.”

“Twice actually,” Oscar corrected before shrinking into himself, why on earth did he just expose himself?

“Twice?” Mark’s eyes widened. “So Daniel wasn’t speaking shit when he told me he’d seen you in a club?”

Oscar shook his head, eyes falling to his knees as they suddenly became the most interesting thing on the planet.

“What on earth were you doing in a club?” Mark scolded, looking at the young lifeguard as if he were scolding a small child.

“Mark-” Oscar spoke, sitting up a bit more so he could glance back at the water where a group of swimmers began making their way into the water. “Excuse me, guys!” He called over the megaphone, though failing to grab their attention. “You can’t swim here! Gotta move over to the flags.”

It was like speaking to thin air as they watched the group continue to make their way in. Oscar had looked at the elder for help, though Mark just raised a hand as they kept an eye on the group.

“I’m away to be twenty-four you know?” Oscar pouted, side-eyeing the man who he saw as a father.

“Not a chance,” Mark shook his head. “You’re still that scrawny kid I pulled out of the water in my eyes.”

Oscar simply rolled his eyes, “We went out for a few drinks before Logan spotted the club - I didn’t drink much and then Daniel came over and we just chatted!”

“How did you end up at his place then?”

Oscar almost gave himself whiplash with how fast his neck turned.

“Why are you asking me these questions if you already know half the answers?!” Oscar cried out, hands flying up in defeat before flopping back onto his lap.

“Because,” Mark moved to pat the younger knee. “I’d rather hear about your new boyfriend from you… No one else.”

“He’s not my boyfriend…” Oscar whispered though he wished he didn’t have to.

“But you want him to be right?” 

“Mark-”

“Ozzie,” Mark said firmly, causing the Australian to meet his eyes. “I know you, kid, I know exactly how you work.”

Oscar sighed, shaking his head as he chewed on his bottom lip. “It just feels like a dream.”

“You wanna know something?” 

“I have a feeling you’re gonna tell me anyway,” Oscar grumbled.

“Hey-” Mark scolded. “I think he’s good for you, and from what I’ve seen… You’re gonna be good for him.”

“We haven’t even known each other for a week- how can you say that?” Oscar raised an eyebrow in confusion, looking at his second father with curiosity.

“Well, from what Daniel has told me- little thing seems head over heels for you.” Mark teased lightly before continuing. “At first I thought he was just being dramatic, but then I saw the way he looked at you yesterday- as if nothing could hurt him - and that’s when I realised Daniel was right.”

“Really?” Oscar could feel his eyes light up, and even though from his own experiences - Lando seemed interested, the reassurance from his dad seemed to help him believe the star even more.

“Yeah bud,” Mark clapped him on the back, “and you look at him like he’s the only person in the world.”

Oscar flushed, “I don’t!”

“Hey- It’s not a bad thing,” Mark smiled before ruffling the young rookie’s hair. “Just be careful okay?”

“Yeah Dad,” Oscar rolled his eyes before his eyes fell on the water - and that’s when the storm hit.

**

“Shit!” Oscar yelped, jumping out of the buggy and stripping off his shirt, not thinking twice before grabbing the board and making a B-line for the group of guys who were struggling against the rip that rapidly began sucking them out to sea.

He could feel Mark behind him as he paddled as quickly as he could against the powerful force of the waves. The group waved frantically at him as he paddled over the last wave separating them, and that’s when his heart sank.

One of them was unconscious.

“Hey!” Oscar called as he quickly moved to manoeuvre the unconscious man onto his board, “fuck- how long has he been like this?”

“A few minutes!” One of the guys who was helping to hold the unconscious man up yelled helping get him into a position where Oscar could paddle back to shore, as quickly and efficiently as he could. “He was face down when we found him!”

Oscar didn’t think twice before leaning forward, his fingers moving to the male’s neck before his eyes widened in panic. “Fuck!” He yelled, mainly to himself as his hand moved to the sky to pump three times - a sign used to the tower to communicate the need for a defib.

Oscar had never had to use it before.

“Come on mate,” Oscar shook him briefly - a last resort before he quickly began paddling back to shore, volunteer lifesavers coming to help the rest of the group whilst Mark assisted one back to shore already.

“Mark! Help!” Oscar cried out as he got closer to shore, the unconscious patient making it hard to manoeuvre the board properly as the waves crashed around them. The head lifeguard didn’t hesitate to grab two nearby swimmers before racing to the former rookie, helping carry the unconscious man on the board and further up to the sand where Alex looked at them, defib set but with a worried look.

“Right set him down!” Mark called, the group setting the board down before Oscar - without any hesitation - fell to his knees and began performing CPR.

It was as if his mind blacked out, immediately starting compressions as Mark began wiping down his chest so Alex could attach the stickers off the defib onto him.

“Hands off Oz!” Mark called, snapping him back into focus as the machine spoke, checking for any signs of a rhythm in the male’s heart. The group waited, Oscar’s heart pounding against his chest before the defib offered no shock. “No shock! Back to it!” The head lifeguard yelled before Oscar found himself once again completing compressions on the man’s chest.

It was as if time had frozen around him, the only thing he could focus on was the need to get this guy back. Oscar’s mind must’ve completely blacked out because the next thing you know, he was being pulled back by Alex as paramedics rushed to surround the man.

“Stop! I can do it!” Oscar yelled, squirming against the elder’s arms before Alex held him tighter. 

“Oscar you did it!” Alex reassured, hugging him tightly as they watched the paramedics continue to work on the male. “He’s got a pulse, you did it.”

He couldn’t help but wipe his eyes off happy tears as he fell back against Alex’s chest, finally realising how tired his own body had become as he fought to catch his breath. They sat there for a few minutes before the familiar shadow of Mark stood in front of him, reaching a hand out to help him to his feet.

**

“I’m so proud of you kid,” Mark whispered as he instantly pulled Oscar into a bone-crushing hug, one that Oscar would usually complain about - but today was not one of those days as he let himself cry onto his dad’s shoulder, overwhelmed yet happy that he’d saved the man’s life.

The pair stood like that for a few moments, before someone had carefully tapped him on the back. Oscar sniffled, wiping his face as he turned around to be met with the man who had helped hold the guy up in the water, and who assisted Oscar in getting him on the board.

“Thank you so much,” The male put his hand out for Oscar to shake, “he wouldn’t be here without you mate - thank you.”

Oscar took his hand firmly in his grasp, shaking it firmly. “You’re welcome - give us a call with his condition okay?”

The man simply nodded with a small smile before chasing after the paramedics who were transporting the man to the hospital. 

Oscar wished he’d asked more information about the man he saved, not even learning his name or where he was from - he prayed that his friend would let them know of his condition in the next few days.

“I’ll let you know about any updates okay?” Mark clapped him on the back, guiding him back to the buggy where Alex was already sitting in the back.

“Huh? I’ll be in?” Oscar frowned, “Why would you need to let me know?”

“Take the rest of the week off okay kid?” Mark handed him his shirt, waiting for the young Aussie to put it on before continuing. “That was a tough one, take a few days off and start fresh okay?”

“But Mark-” Oscar began to protest before falling silent at the stern look the head lifeguard gave him. “Okay…” He gave in with a sigh, letting his tired body flop against the seat of the buggy as the trio made their way back up to the tower.

Once they had got back, and made their way up the stairs, Oscar had no chance to even take a breath as they walked into the tower before he suddenly had his arms full of a certain curly-haired boy.

“Lando?” He asked as he buried his face into the driver’s shoulder, not caring for the gawking they received from everyone around them. “What are you doing here? We aren’t meeting for a few hours?” His eyes briefly glanced at the clock before his eyes widened, pulling back from their hug and instantly checking over the Brit for any injuries. “Fuck- are you okay? What happened?”

“Nothing you muppet, I’m all good okay?” Lando wrapped his arms around Oscar’s waist as he gazed up at him.  “Chappo called Daniel and said you might need some support after a rescue… So George offered to drive us here earlier so I could be here for you.”

“Yeah?” Oscar whispered as he looked down at Lando, staring into his eyes that shone so perfectly. “Well I’m glad you came, thank you.” He didn’t hesitate before pulling the smaller one back into a tight embrace, burying his head into his neck as he took a few minutes to finally calm down properly.

He’d missed the small ‘thank you’ Mark had mouthed to Chappo behind his back, the lifeguard waving it off before turning to watch the water once more.

“Why don’t you guys call it a day?” Mark moved to stand by the window, briefly checking the sand before facing them again. “We can handle the rest, the day is nearly over.”

Oscar lifted his head from his hiding spot against Lando, not even bothering to argue with his boss as he just flashed him a smile.

“Thanks, Mark,” Alex smiled before changing into his normal clothes and waving a quick goodbye as he and George made their way out of the tower.

“I’ll be two seconds okay?” Oscar hummed, pressing a light kiss to Lando’s forehead as he moved to his locker and began getting changed. He’d missed Mark approaching the driver as he changed into a new pair of shorts and a fresh shirt before slinging his backpack over his shoulder, rejoining the new duo with a raised eyebrow as he took in Lando’s pink cheeks. “Everything okay?”

“Y-Yeah!” Lando squeaked, causing Oscar to look even more confused but before he could question anything else, Lando had entwined their hands and dragged the young lifeguard towards the door. “Bye, guys!”

“I- Lando?” Oscar yelped as he was dragged, quickly hollering a goodbye as he heard the group laugh as the door closed behind him. “Baby- What’s the rush?”

“Now that you guys are finished, well- you and Alex at least,” Lando bounced as he dragged Oscar up the promenade. “Daniel said he’d do a barbeque! So he tasked the four of us to go get the stuff! Super fun right?” He rushed out, words flying all over the place before letting out a yelp of his own as Oscar forced them to a stop.

“How much caffeine have you had today?” Oscar laughed, watching as the Brit struggled to keep still.

“None! Well- I had a monster after I dropped you off but-” Lando rambled quickly, fingers clasping and unclasping against Oscar’s own.

“Maybe we hire a sunlounger for later when you inevitably crash hm?” Oscar chuckled, watching as the elder furrowed his eyebrows.

“What do you mean? I’m fine!”

“Sure you are sweetheart,” Oscar laughed before gently tugging Lando’s hand to encourage him to start walking again. “Let’s catch up with George and Alex - they seem to be itching to beat us to the shop.”

Oscar had made a mistake with his words because Lando had taken what he said as - we have to beat them. The driver gained a wide grin before taking off into a run, Oscar being dragged hopelessly behind him.

—----------------

“I just wanna play in the sunshine”

—---------------

The grocery shopping had been as hectic as anyone could’ve imagined. Lando’s caffeine rush had still been in full force, rushing up and down aisles and throwing things into the basket like he was an NBA star. Oscar, George and Alex could only watch in amusement, the older Brit ticking off items on the shopping list as Alex pushed the cart along.

“How long do you think before he crashes?” Alex giggled, watching as the two British Formula One drivers argued over which disposable barbeques they needed to buy.

“Probably as soon as we get on the sand,” Oscar hummed as he watched Lando closely, he noticed that Lando used his hands a lot. No matter what he was doing, they were always moving.

“You like him, don’t you?” Alex glanced at Oscar, who could only sigh as he gripped the cart handle tighter. “If it helps, he feels the same.”

“Everyone keeps saying that,” Oscar mumbled as he finally tore his eyes off the curly-haired male and moved to look at Alex instead. “I’m just, not rushing into things… I’m preparing myself for…”

“When he leaves?” Alex whispered, eyes briefly glancing in the direction of George before settling back on Oscar. 

“It sounds horrible,” Oscar frowned, glancing at all the items they’d collected. “But until it’s official, I’m just always gonna worry that this doesn’t mean what I think it means.”

“What do you mean?” 

“The way he acts, fuck, the way we both act isn’t normal…” Oscar admitted, staring helplessly at the older lifeguard. “I’m falling for him Alex, and I’m scared this is just a fling to him- just some fun while he’s on holiday.”

The Thai lifeguard frowned, “I don’t think that’s what this is Oz, we all see the way he looks at you.”

“You think?”

“Yeah mate,” Alex smiled, pulling him in close by his shoulder. “Don’t overthink this okay? Let fate do its thing.”

Oscar could only shake his head, of course, Alex believed in that.

“Hey, Oscar?” George smiled, walking back to the cart with four disposable barbeques in hand. “Think crash control might be needed.”

Oscar tilted his head in confusion before George motioned towards where he had just come from. A soft smile formed as he observed Lando, the driver leaning against a shelf and rubbing at one of his eyes with a sleepy pout.

Fuck, Oscar was down so bad.

“Looks like we lost,” Alex teased before grabbing the handle as Oscar let go of the cart. “We’ll meet you by the checkout.” 

“Sounds good,” Oscar smiled, briefly glancing as the elder two of the group smiled at one another, before walking as close as they probably could to one another.

Yeah, he was gonna question this later.

But for now, he had his sleepy driver to take care of.

“Hey sweetheart,” Oscar cooed as he glanced up at down the aisle, making sure no one was watching them before gently wrapping his arm around Lando’s waist. “See what I mean now?”

Lando could only whine, letting his head fall onto Oscar’s shoulder as he let out a sigh that could make anyone believe the world was against him.

“I know, I know,” Oscar emphasised before gently lifting the shorter boy’s head, “how about we go get some stuff for smores, then we can meet George and Alex at the till and me and you can take a nap together once we get on the sand okay?”

“Smores?” Lando’s sleep-filled eyes glistened, briefly rubbing at his right one again before moving to hold Oscar’s hand, whining like a toddler when Oscar pulled his own back. “Osc? Wanna hold your hand!”

“Lando-” Oscar tried but was only met by the ‘ferocious’ eyes of the cutest guy he’d met. “Are you sure? What if someone sees?”

“Oscar I don’t care!” He huffed like a toddler being told ‘no’, moving to grab Oscar’s hand and link them together. “I don’t care about some stupid paparazzi! I just wanna hold your hand!”

“Okay-Okay!” Oscar laughed, squeezing their joined hands. “Let’s go then.”

—-----------

To take me back to the sweet times. The hot nights.

—----------

“Mini Mark!” 

Oscar laughed as the group of four approached the sand. George had told them that Daniel, Max and Charles had picked out a spot on the beach already, a quiet area away from the beachgoers who still covered the sand - it was a pretty warm evening, the sun still shining as it began its descent.

“Hey Daniel,” He smiled in return, attempting to give the older Aussie a wave, but he had a shopping bag in one hand and his other was still being held captive by Lando who was almost asleep on his feet. “How are you mate?”

“All good! Excited for some fun! Thanks for inviting us along.” 

“No problem,” Oscar handed the shopping back to the Australian, giving him a silent ‘thanks’ before glancing at the swaying male by his side. “I’m gonna deposit this koala before he falls asleep head first in the sand- but can’t wait for your famous barbequing!”

Daniel’s eyes softened as he watched Lando, nodding along with Oscar before a wide grin overtook his face at the mention of the barbeque. “You won’t find anyone better mini mark!”

Oscar could only laugh before he ushered Lando to a group of sunloungers nearby, an umbrella shading them from the sun. He had managed to manoeuvre Lando to sit on the end of it before a quiet voice came from behind them.

“Is it shady enough here?” Charles smiled, leaning against the pole of the umbrella. “George told us in the group chat that Lando was going through a caffeine crash- so we rented these when we got here to save you the hassle.”

“Thanks,s mate,” Oscar smiled as he turned to extend his spare hand to Charles, Lando now holding the other with two hands to prevent him from moving away. Charles only chuckled as he shook it, glancing over at his pouty friend. “You wanna sit? I’m sure I’m not gonna be able to move very far..” Oscar smiled, motioning towards the other sunlounger as he kicked off his shoes, and pulled off his shirt, moving to sit behind Lando who made grabby hands at him, his hoodie chucked into the sand.

Oscar was glad he had a spare shirt in his backpack.

“Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Oscar let out a small ‘oompf’ as Lando immediately curled up against his chest, letting out a content sigh before seeming to easily float away to dreamland. “Yeah- I didn’t think he’d be very good company.”

“You are very good with him.” Charles kicked off his shoes, stripping his shirt before letting out a relaxed sigh.

“Not you too.” Oscar groaned, his fingers tracing shapes onto Lando’s back as he instinctively scanned the water.

“It is true!” Charles defended, sitting up slightly. “People have hurt him, I’m glad you are different.”

Oscar raised an eyebrow, looking down at the mop of curly hair which rested against his chest and moving his hand up to run it through some of the curls at the back of his head. “I’m not gonna hurt him, I don't think I ever could.”

“Good-” Charles relaxed back onto the lounger, “I like you… It would be a shame to have to hurt you.”

“Hurt me?” Oscar’s voice cracked in alarm, eyes widening as he stared at Charles in shock.

“Lando is precious.”

“Y’know what mate?” Oscar smiled, looking back at the sleeping male. “Fair enough…”

The two men fell into conversation as Lando napped, talking about their careers and what led them to choose them. During this time, the rest of the group arrived after their shift ended, Liam and Zhou walking towards the group whilst Logan trudged behind - looking nervous as he scanned the group for someone familiar.

“Charles? Keep an eye on him for me?” Oscar gave him no time to question as he gently slid free of Lando’s grasp, the Brit letting out a soft whine before curling into a ball in Oscar’s place. He quickly shot the brunette a thumbs up before running along the sand to Logan, who stood completely still as he watched Liam and Zhou fall into conversation with Daniel and Max.

“Logz?” Oscar spoke, quiet enough not to make the American jump. “Nervous?”

“This is surreal..” Logan whispered as his eyes moved from driver to driver. “You sure we aren’t dreaming?”

“Surprisingly, I’m sure.” Oscar smiled as he pulled the blonde into a hug. “You’ll be fine, I promise. They’re just like us.”

Logan snorted, “They’re millionaires who drive fast cars for a living!”

“Okay fair,” Oscar smiled before moving to point out Max and Daniel who were working on getting the barbeques sorted. “See Max and Dan? Just two normal blokes getting ready to barbeque!”

“I guess…”

“And look!” Oscar motioned to the sunloungers where he’d just come from. “Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris - Two big stars right?” Logan hummed in agreement, encouraging Oscar to continue with his point. “Both relaxing in the sun, like normal guys on the beach!”

“Okay- I get it…” Logan smiled as he glanced over at Alex, who was kicking a football back and forth with George. “Mmm gonna go hang with Alex!”

“Alright, I’ll be with Lando and Charles if you need me alright?”

“Yes Mom,” the American teased before pulling his shirt off and running over to the Thai lifeguard, the elder immediately squashing the younger in a hug before introducing him to George.

He was preparing himself for a gossip session with Logan about those two later, hopefully his best friend would pick up on the same vibes he was getting.

As he trudged his way back to the sunloungers, Oscar noticed Lando had woken from his nap, sitting up with a crazy bedhead and a grumpy pout as he listened to Charles.

“See Lando! I told you he would be back soon!” Charles smiled before moving to stand up, “now I’m going to check on my own boyfriend and make sure Daniel hasn’t set him on fire!” 

“Boyfriend?!” Oscar choked, placing his hands on Lando’s shoulders as he stared at Charles like he had two heads.

“Whoops?” Charles shrugged innocently before grabbing his shirt. “Look after your grumpy koala Oscar! He missed you!”

Oscar stood in shock for a few seconds, had Charles just hard launched his and Max’s relationship to him? 

“Missed you,” the soft voice of Lando brought him back to reality as the Brit leant back to lean against his chest, head tilting up to look at him.

“Yeah? I missed you too sleepy koala,” Oscar bent down slightly to press a kiss to the tip of his nose. “Suprised you’re awake, I thought you’d be conked out for a couple of hours.”

Lando’s pout deepened, giving him an even softer look. “Wasn’t even tired…”

“Whatever you say,” Oscar laughed before hugging him gently. “How about we get some food? Then we can take a swim since you’re in the safe hands of four lifeguards.”

“Sounds good,” Lando smiled, his hands moving to rest on Oscar’s arms as he embraced the warmth of Oscar surrounding him. “Can I get a piggyback? My legs are tired!”

“I thought you weren’t tired?” Oscar teased, though removing his arms and turning around. “Come on then sweetheart.” Lando didn’t hesitate before jumping up, quickly hopping onto Oscar’s back as he wrapped his legs around the Aussie’s waist. 

The pair made their way over to the main group, where everyone was now gathered around the barbeques which gave off the most mouth-watering aroma Oscar had ever smelt. He’d gently tapped Lando’s thigh as a sigh for the Brit to hop off before they both took their places in the sand, Lando falling into conversation with Logan as he sat thigh to thigh with Oscar.

The group of guys chatted as they ate, getting to know one another and complimenting the food. Oscar was shocked Daniel’s face didn’t hurt from how wide he was smiling, but yeah, he would admit this was probably some of the best food he’d ever had.

“Who wants to take a dip then?” Daniel clapped his hands together, “should have some better luck this time since we have four of Bondi’s finest!”

There was a chorus of “sure’s” and “yeah!” as they tidied away the leftovers, making sure everything was secure and safely discarded before the group made their way to the ocean, in an area where the four lifeguards deemed would be safest.

Oscar had swam out pretty far with Zhou and Daniel, the three catching up as they bobbed over the surf. It had been a while since he could just lay in the water and relax, the sound of the waves allowing him to escape momentarily. The rest of the group had resorted to a chicken fight, pushing at one another until there was only one pair left standing. 

“Oscar!” The Aussie looked over as Lando paddled his way over to the group, attaching himself to the lifeguard as soon as he got close enough. “Can you be on my team? George keeps making us lose!”

“Why’d you think I’ll be any better?” Oscar smiled, not noticing how Daniel and Zhou shared matching looks before paddling to the group.

“Cause you’re super strong!” Lando grinned, a hand moving to squeeze Oscar’s bicep to emphasise his point. “And cause I’m cute and you don’t want to see me lose?” He’d batted his pretty eyelashes at Oscar as a second resort, causing Oscar to laugh loudly.

“Okay drama queen, no need for the sad eyes.”

“So you’ll help me?”

“If that’ll make you happy sweetheart, then of course.”

Lando didn’t even seem to think twice before he crashed his lips onto Oscar’s, the Aussie letting out a soft groan as they moved together in perfect sync. 

“Alright lovebirds break it up!” Logan hollered as the guys whistled at them, causing both boys to flush as they broke apart, foreheads resting against one another

“You ready to beat their asses?” Oscar grinned.

“Fuck yeah, let’s get them Osc!”

Chapter Text

A few days had passed since their beach trip, and the only time Oscar and Lando had been separated was for Oscar’s shifts. 

They spent the majority of their time cuddled up in Oscar & Logan’s apartment  - watching rubbish tv and stealing small kisses from one another. 

The game they were playing was dangerous, with only a few days left until Lando ultimately had to leave Sydney to flee to Melbourne for the race weekend. Oscar was getting more and more obsessed with the Brit, and as much as he was aware of the heartbreak waiting for him - he couldn’t bring himself to do anything about it. 

His attention was captured by the feeling of soft, vanilla flavoured lips as they gently pressed against his own, lingering for a moment before pulling away - shiny eyes looking into his own brown ones. 

“You with me now?” Lando giggled, a hand moving to cup Oscar’s jaw as his thumb gently teased at his bottom lip. 

“Yeah,” Oscar cleared his throat before pulling the smaller man in closer, cuddling into his side. “Just thinking…”

Lando let out a small hum, snuggling up close to the Aussie as he removed his hand and moved to lay his head against Oscar. “about what?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Oscar pressed a small kiss to the top of Lando’s curls. “When is your flight again?”

“Saturday morning,” Lando whispered - barely audible to the lifeguard as he toyed at a lose thread on his sweatpants. “So i’ll have Saturday and Sunday to chill before the start of the season…”

“Saturday?” Oscar repeated, a frown appearing on his face momentarily before he replaced it with a smile. “You’ll have to win for me, you know? I’ll be watching from the tower!”

Lando blushed, cheeks tinging pink before the thread he was playing with was abandoned and replaced with Oscar’s hand, playing with his fingers as he seemed to look lost in thought.

“Hey,” Oscar cooed, entwining their hands together. “Where are you running off to?” 

“Hm?” Lando snapped back into reality at the sound of the lifeguards voice, looking at him with those sweet puppy eyes. 

“You drifted off into space,” Oscar gave him a small smile before gently squeezing his hand. “I was joking by the way - you don’t have to win for me! But I will be watching, if that’s okay?” He wanted to make sure he wasn’t taking things too far- what if Lando thought he was weird? He hadn’t had any interest in it before, so why now after he’s fallen head over heels for one of the biggest names?!

Maybe he won’t watch it - it’ll be hard anyways… hearing his name after they split ways. 

“Why watch it in the tower?” Lando finally whispered, his other hand resting upon their already entwined hands. 

oh god he did think it was weird- okay um…

“Oh! I don’t have too, it was just-“

“Why don’t you come watch it in person?”

“huh?”

“Yeah!” Lando smiled, almost shyly as he waited for Oscar to process the words. “I… I got Mark’s number from Daniel and he cleared you for the week? I said it would only have to be a few days… but he told me you’re from Melbourne so you should visit your family and- oh god do you even want to go? you don’t even like f1… You.. I.. sorry if i overstepped? I can tell him you don’t want to-“

“Lando!” Oscar squeezed their hands, “relax baby- take a breath okay?” Lando nodded, taking a deep breath in before looking at Oscar, his bottom lip becoming victim of his nerves. “You really want me to come watch you race?”

“If you want to? No pressure!” Lando squirmed, wriggling with nerves as he watched Oscar’s face carefully for any kind of rejection. “I just… I want to spend as much time with you as I can.”

“Fuck- come here.” Oscar cooed, tugging Lando to sit on his lap as he wrapped an arm around his waist. “You’re too cute sometimes you know?”

Lando squealed, burying his face into Oscar’s neck as his other arm moved to snake around his shoulder and hold him close. 

“Of course i’ll come,” Oscar whispered. “Gotta support my koala in the Aussie race don’t I?” He held the Brit close, moving his head back slightly to press a soft kiss against the tip of his ear. 

“I’ll win for you,” Lando promised, snuggling against Oscar as the lifeguard slowly began rocking them. “I promise - this win will be for you!” 

“I’ll hold you to that,” Oscar smiled, hugging him close.

“I will!”

“Of course you will,” Oscar cooed before a sudden question hit him. “When the fuck did you speak to Mark?”

All he received were giggles in response.

————————-

“Oscar cmon! The taxi is here!” 

Logan hollered through the apartment, the sounds of suitcases crashing through the corridors making the Australian wince. 

“Okay! Two seconds!” 

As well as inviting him, Lando and his friends had spread the invite out to Alex and Logan - having hit it off with them at the beach. 

Oscar was greatful, knowing he’d have his friends to float around with and tour Melbourne whilst the drivers were busy was a huge relief. He’d already scheduled to stay at his family home for the first two days, so knowing Logan had a babysitter was also a weight taken off his shoulders. 

“Oscar, come on!” The American hollered, sounding more and more impatient. “Don’t want to keep your boyfriend waiting!” 

The Aussie could only shake his head, packing his toiletries before zipping up the case and rolling it through to where the blonde hopped in excitement. 

“He’s not my boyfriend y’know?” Oscar grumbled, double checking his pockets for his phone, wallet and passport before rolling the case to the door. 

“Not yet!” Alex chirped up from his place on the couch. 

“Whatever,” Oscar rolled his eyes as he opened the front door. “Have you made sure we’ve got everything?” 

“I’ve got both our passports- So we should be good.” Alex laughed, moving to grab the handle of his own suitcase. 

“I said I could look after my own,” Logan defended as he began hauling his own case out the door. “Alex just doesn’t trust me!” 

“I don’t trust you either-“ 

“OSCAR?” 

The two lifeguards burst into laughter as the American pouted. “Whatever. I'll be in the cab!” Logan hollered before storming out, suitcase in tow.

Alex and Oscar took one glance at each other before bursting into another fit of hysterics.

————————————

The hysterics were long gone by the time the trio had reached the tarmac. They had met Daniel by the check-in desk, getting rid of their bags and going through security before the elder Australian led them to the plane - the private plane. 

“Are you sure we aren’t on that one?” Logan asked in awe, waving around in the direction of every other commercial plane at the airport. 

“Yup! Max said we could all fly on his jet, so here we are!” Daniel clapped his hands before beginning to climb the steps. “Well? Come on! We’re gonna ake off soon!”

The three stood in disbelief before following Daniel onto the plane, where a loud yet familiar squeal filled the confined space.

“Daniel, No!” Lando shrieked as the Aussie pinned him onto the chair, attacking his sides with tickles as Lando’s limbs flung around wildly. 

“Make yourself at home,” Max laughed as he stood from his seat - motioning around the jet. 

“Thank you for having us,” Alex started as he made his way over to George. “It’s an honour, and such a privilege…”

“Yeah,” Oscar smiled as he placed his backpack onto a seat. “This is awesome, thank you guys for letting us tag along.”

“It’s no problem! We’ve enjoyed our trip even more by spending time with you guys! Now we can continue!” Charles smiled, wrapping an arm around Max’s waist from his seat. 

Logan made his way to sit near Charles and Max, whilst Alex made himself comfortable across from George, falling into quiet chatter with the Brit. Oscar was still yet to question the lifeguard, but he needed to soon. 

Just as Oscar was about to make himself comfortable, a loud whine interrupted everyone’s chatter. “Osccc! Come sit with me?” 

Oscar looked over to see Lando, who was practically hanging off his seat, looking at him with the softest little pout. 

Oscar was a weak, weak man…

“Alright, only if you sit up properly though!”

Lando didn’t even hesitate, springing into an upright position in his chair and looking at Oscar with a cheeky smile. “Did it! Come sit?”

Oscar could only shake his head as he made his way down the aisle and to the unoccupied seat which was next to the Brit. He couldn’t miss the teasing glances and mischievous looks all the other guys gave them as he sat down. 

Lando, being the koala that he was, instantly cuddled up to Oscar, letting his eyes fall closed as a tired sigh escaped past his lips. “Glad you’re here, I didn’t want to say goodbye..” Lando confessed, looking up at Oscar.

He couldn’t help but audibly coo, Lando looking down bashfully as the familiar pink tinted his cheeks. 

“I didn’t want to say goodbye yet either,” Oscar sighed - fingers tangling through Lando’s soft curls. “Good thing we’ve got another week before you can get rid of me, huh?” 

“Don’t want rid of you ever,” Lando whispered against him, almost using his arm as a teddy bear. 

“Awhhhh!” chorused through the plane, causing both boys to look up and meet the eyes off all their friends - who stared at them in awe. 

“Lan, didn’t realise you were such a sap!” George teased, causing the brit to whine and hide his face against Oscar’s bicep. 

Thankfully, the world seemed to be on their side, as the captain’s voice played through the intercom, letting them know they were ready to take off and to get their belts on. 

“Right, you gotta sit up and let go of me for a few minutes okay?” Oscar leant down, placing a soft kiss to Lando’s curls before gently prying his fingers away from his bicep, ignoring the whines of protest. “Come on baby,” Oscar urged, buckling his own belt before leaning over to start buckling Lando’s, clicking it shut once the driver sat up. 

The aircraft started moving towards the runway minutes later, Lando had taken the window seat so Oscar was left to scan the cabin - falling into small talk with Daniel before his hand was gripped tightly once they reached the beginning of the runway. 

“Lando?” Osc startled, shocked by the sudden motion and let his head spin to the male who suddenly looked quite nervous as he stared out the window. “You okay baby?”

“Just don’t like take off..” He mumbled, holding Oscar’s hand tighter as his eyes continued to focus outside of the window. “Is this okay? Sorry- I should’ve asked before I grabbed you-“

“Hey, hey…” Oscar soothed, leaning back in his own seat so Lando could hold his hand properly. “Don’t apologise for being scared, hold my hand as tight as you want okay?”

Lando stayed silent, the plane beginning to pick up pace as it moved down the runway. Honestly, you wouldn’t even think the male had a fear of flying unless you felt the death grip he had on your hand… Oscar may need to call a doctor upon landing. 

Lando never took his eyes off the window, squeezing Oscars hand tightly as the plane made its ascent into the sky. The smallest of whimpers escaped his lips as the plane rattled with the wind. 

“Shh, it’s okay i’ve got you…” Oscar reassured, switching his hands and using the other to wrap around Lando’s shoulder and half hug him. “It’s okay, keep squeezing my hand okay?” 

The plane eventually reached its height, the seatbelt light turning off minutes later. Oscar didn’t even have a minute to stretch his legs before he had a lap full of Lando. He let out a small ‘oompf’ as the Brit planted himself onto his lap and instantly lay his head into Oscar’s shoulder. 

“You okay?” Oscar whispered, his hand automatically moving under Lando’s hoodie and drawing small shapes onto his skin. He couldn’t help but smirk at the shiver that rushed up his spine in return. 

“Just need to be close,” Lando mumbled into his shoulder, just loud enough for Oscar to hear him. They had got a few glances from the other guys, but no one asked questions or looked for longer than a few seconds. 

“Alright sweetheart,” Oscar held him close - his lap full of Lando seeming to doze off quite easily as he felt the soft breathing against his neck. 

The pair sat in silence, Oscar scrolling through social media whilst Lando napped quietly against him. The lifeguards legs were beginning to grow sore from not moving, but he was not willing to move or wake up Lando to stretch them. 

The Formula One driver never failed to captivate his heart. As well as being attractive and incredibly talented, Oscar admired the male's ability to let go and be himself - to ask for cuddles and not be afraid to ask for what he wants. However, Oscar suspected Lando hadn't been told the word ‘no’ many times before, those puppy eyes? they’d work on anyone.  

“Comfy?” A voice asked, plopping down in the seat across from the two. Oscar let out a hum in response, one of his hands wrapped around Lando’s waist, keeping the boy close and comfy whilst the other placed his phone down. 

“My legs are starting to ache,” Oscar smiled as he looked at Charles. “He’s worth it though…”

“I stand by what I said you know?” 

“About me being good with him?” Oscar guessed, glancing at the curly haired mop that pressed against his neck. 

“Oui. He doesn’t do this, you are special Oscar… He needs you.” Charles whispered, just loud enough for them both to hear. 

“I think I need him too,” Oscar mumbled, “I’m just scared that he doesn’t need me…”

Charles scoffed as if Oscar had just said the stupidest thing he’d ever heard. 

“That is the stupidest thing i’ve ever heard!” Charles scolded, raising his hands in the air to match his emotions. “That boy, has done nothing but talk and pine over you this whole trip!”

“It’s true,” a new voice added, leaning over the back of Charles’s chair and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “He even stayed with you for half the time! Trust us, he needs you more than anything.”

Oscar fell quiet, gently rocking Lando in his lap as he stared down at him- the couple in front of them staring at them in awe. 

“It took us years,” Max began as he hugged Charles from behind the chair. “don’t be like us… Don’t wait for something when it’s right in front of you.” 

“You guys have liked each other for years?” Oscar gaped. “This couple is just new?” 

The two nodded, Charles leaning back to steal a kiss from his boyfriend before looking back at Oscar and Lando. 

“We both liked one another for years,” Charles hummed. “However- we always argued and ran away from our feelings- until one day…”

“I just kissed him.” Max shrugged, running a hand through his hair. “But- you guys already do that.”

“We do…” Oscar couldn’t help but grin, “Fuck- you guys are sure?”

They both stared at him, Charles appearing like he was gonna start cursing him out again before a tired whine broke out. 

“sure ‘bout what?” Lando whined, a fist coming to rub at his eyes as he adjusted to the lighting. 

“Nothing don’t worry ,” Oscar hummed as he loosened his grip on Lando’s waist, allowing him to sit up properly. “Had a good nap?”

“Best, thanks for being a great pillow.” Lando smiled, before turning his head to look at Max and Charles. “Oh hi!”

The pair smiled, waving at the Brit. “You seem to like using our new friend as a pillow yes?” Charles teased, watching as Lando’s face heat up. 

“He’s just comfortable…” Lando defended before squirming around in Oscar’s lap, allowing himself to face Max and Charles- his back pressed against Oscar’a front. “You’re telling me that you guys don’t sleep on one another?”

“We do- but that’s because we’re together!” Max shrugged, causing Lando to fall quiet. “You two just cuddle and kiss all the time!” 

“Max-“ Charles attempted to butt in. 

“Like- just get together for all our sakes!” Max continued, clearly not picking up on Charles’s attempts to stop him. Oscar’s eyes widened as he listened to the Dutchman ramble, grabbing the attention of the other four passengers. 

Lando froze, going completely still. 

“I mean, It took me and Charles years of course!” Max continued, “so don’t waste time like we did! Especially since you’re away to leave each other after this week-“ The dutch was finally cut off by the hand that forced its way over his mouth.

Everyone had stilled, almost shocked that someone had actually said something - had voiced what they must’ve all been thinking. 

“Max- oh my..” Charles sighed, covering his own face with brief disappointment whilst the other looked confused. 

“What? Did i say something wr-“ 

Once again, the room froze.

The little sob that escaped Lando caused the Dutchman to finally process what he’d said. 

“Lando- Fuck, i-“

He had no time to explain, and no one had any time to react because as if he were the flash- Lando jumped off Oscar’s lap and immediately rushed to the bathroom- choked sobs following him. 

Everyone’s eyes then fell on Oscar, who bit his lip- suddenly unsure of what to do. He knew that even though he shouldn’t have voiced it so openly- that Max was right. 

They acted as if they were together already - with all the touches, sharing clothes and kisses. They weren’t a normal ‘situationship’ either, spending so much time together, getting to know each other in their time in Sydney and growing as equally attached to one another. Truly, Oscar believed Max had voiced what they all were thinking. 

“Oz?” Logan whispered, crouching next to the young Aussie’s seat and gently grasping his hand. “Don’t overthink- just go get him.”

“But Logz-“

“Oscar… you know what to do.”

Chapter Text

“You know what to do…”

Logan’s words played over and over again in his head as he continued to bite on his lip - what the fuck had just happened? 

Max had only spoken the truth, but what on earth did he know caused Lando to react in such a way? 

Instinctively, his hand reached for the familiar hand that had been entwined with him constantly for the last few weeks, but he frowned as he hit the empty air.

And that's when he snapped into action.

“Fuck,” Oscar spat as he quickly jumped up from his seat, ignoring the wide eyes and sad faces that he saw as he passed through the plane and towards the toilet cubical. 

“Lan?” Oscar knocked softly, his heart aching as he heard the sobs from the other side of the door. “It’s me… Can you open the door?”

The sobs only grew louder, causing a frown to imprint itself onto Oscar’s face as he listened to the broken and choked cries of the boy he’d grown to love so much over the last few weeks.

Wait- love?

Did Oscar love Lando? 

Lando with his sparkling eyes and beautiful curls, his smile that lit up any room he walked into and his giggle? God, Oscar could listen to him laugh any day of the week. 

Lando, who had changed his life the instant he hugged him on the beach. Lando who sobbed for him to help him when he was drunk after they'd only met once. The driver who wasn't shy to be himself around Oscar, and moments ago napped on his lap as if they'd known each other for years. 

The boy Oscer loved to treasure and take care of, to make sure he'd slept enough, had eaten enough meals and stayed hydrated in the Australian heat.

He was in love with Lando. 

“Baby?” Oscar tried again, knocking softly as the sobs seemed to quiet down. “Can you let me in so we can talk? Come on..”

Oscar sighed, resting his head against the door as he waited for a response. Just as he was away to try again, to reassure Lando that he wasn't gonna leave him alone, the lock clicked and the door opened slightly - leaving just enough space for Oscar to squeeze through.

“Oh, baby,” Oscar frowned as he immediately crouched down in front of the shorter, who had curled himself up in a ball with red puffy eyes and tears running down his flushed cheeks. “Do you need a hug?”

He wasn't expecting an answer, not expecting any verbal words from the driver until the tears had stopped and he'd calmed down. However, he also didn't expect the small nod before he was tackled to the floor with a lapful of his favourite person, the former clinging to him for dear life as he sobbed his heart out. 

Thank god they were flying private, cause Oscar wasn't too sure how they'd fit in a commercial aeroplane toilet. 

“Lando,” Oscar soothed as his hands instinctively made their way under the boy's shirt and started drawing small shapes and patterns. “Can you tell me what I'm drawing?”

“A-a s-smile,” the boy whimpered against his neck through the sobs, his hand reaching for his eyes as he rubbed at one. 

“Good boy,” Oscar cooed as he used his other hand to cradle his head into his neck, “what about this one?” 

“A-a star?” He whispered after a few minutes, slightly choked up but the sobs seemed to disappear. 

“And this one?”

“S-square…”

“And?”

“A circle?”

“Well done,” Oscar smiled as he removed his hand from Lando’s head and helped the boy sit up so they were face to face. “I’ve got one more for you to try, okay?”

“Mhm,” He nodded, wiping at his cheeks before looking back at Oscar, waiting patiently for the cold fingers on his back to start tracing again.

Oscar slowly started tracing the shape, eyes watching for the boy’s reaction as he moved slowly, though he’d pay to have the picture of Lando’s face once he realised what it was. 

“A heart?” He asked, a small smile appearing on his face as he looked at Oscar for clarification. 

“I think you and I need to have an important chat, huh?” Oscar used his sleeves to wipe at the driver’s wet cheeks before moving to hold his waist. 

“I think so too,” Lando sniffled as he rubbed at his eyes again. “There’s another lounge further back, we can go there if you want. Or we can wait till we land- I don’t mind I just..”

Oscar cut him off by gently pressing their lips together, both boys savouring the sweet moment for a few seconds before pulling away. “We can go there, do you want me to grab you a hoodie from my bag while you clean up?”

“Please?” Lando whispered, voice still soft and a bit croaky from the sobs. “I’ll meet you there okay?” He gave the Aussie a soft peck on the cheek before hesitantly climbing off his lap, helping him up to his feet. 

“I won’t be long,” Oscar promised, gently tapping his waist before making his way out of the bathroom and back down the aeroplane to where the guys were sitting, Charles & Max had disappeared but the few left just chatting amongst themselves.

“Oscar!” George noticed his arrival first, sitting up straighter in his chair as he looked at the Aussie with concern. “Where’s Lando? Is he okay?” 

“He’s good,” Oscar reassured the Brit as he reached for his carry-on and rummaged through it for the hoodie he’d packed. “We’re gonna have a well-overdue chat in the other lounge.”

“Thank god,” Logan let out a sigh of relief. “You’re finally gonna get your shit together and ask him out?”

“Shut up,” Oscar smiled though all the guys seemed to pick up on the lack of denial from the youngest Aussie. 

“Go get him, tiger,” Daniel cheered, standing slightly to clap him on the back before pushing him in the direction he’d come from. “We’re rooting for you, but I don’t think you’re gonna need much luck.”

Oscar just shook his head, smiling at Alex who gave him a nod and a small thumbs up before making his way through the aeroplane to the lounge Lando had spoken about. 

Oscar could tell that Charles had clearly had an influence on this area, it seemed much more built from privacy and comfort than for socialising and rowdiness. His eyes softened as he looked over at Lando, who sat on one of the big sofas and cuddled himself up in a blanket as he shyly waved Oscar over. 

“A hoodie for you,” Oscar smiled as he slid under the blanket that Lando held open for him. 

“Thanks, Osc,” Lando gave him a soft smile before taking the hoodie in his hands and promptly pulling it over his head and snuggling into the softness and smell of Oscar.  “I’m sorry for that, I just got a bit…”

“Don’t apologise,” Oscar took his hand from under the blanket and gently ran his thumb over Lando’s knuckles. “Max is right, I don’t want to take too long and lose you.”

“Oscar…” Lando’s eyes widened as he clung tighter to the lifeguard's hand. 

“Lando you've changed my life over these past few weeks, you’ve made me so happy and I’ve never regretted a single second I've spent with you,” Oscar spoke looking into the British boy's eyes as he bit his lip. “What Max said was true, and well… yeah he probably shouldn't have said it but he's right. I don't want to say goodbye and lose you forever after this weekend, I never want to have to say goodbye to you.”

The Brit’s eyes began to water again, as his bottom lip started to quiver. “Osc, fucking hell-” He sniffled, rubbing at his eyes again as fresh tears started running down his face. “I don't want to say goodbye to you either, not after this weekend and not ever.”

“Lando?” Oscar reached up to cup his cheek, gently wiping at the warm tears as they slid down his cheek. “How about we never say goodbye?”

“Osc?” Lando smiled a silly goofy smile that brought a matching one onto Oscar’s face. “Can I be your boyfriend?” 

Oscar couldn’t help but laugh, gently tugging the boy close and pressing their lips together in a soft but passionate kiss. They moved against each other with slight hunger but with the peace of knowing that this kiss wouldn’t be one of their last. 

“Of course, you can,” Oscar rested his forehead against Lando’s as he gently ran his thumb against his bottom lip. “Only if I can be yours?”

“I’ve wanted that since the day that I met you.” 

“Yeah?” Oscar couldn’t help but let the goofy smile overtake his face as he looked into his boyfriend's beautiful eyes. 

“It’s not every day a cute Australian lifeguard saves your life twice in one day right?” Lando giggled, wrapping his arms around Oscar’s neck and wriggling himself up onto his lap, pulling the blanket over them both. 

“It's not every day an adorable boy clings to me for saving his life and ends up being a Formula One driver either,” Oscar laughs as his hands wrap around the Brit’s waist and hold him close. 

“We’re weird…” Lando laughed, staring down at the lifeguard who now owned the title of his boyfriend. 

“I wouldn’t change us,” Oscar gently squeezed his waist before pressing a soft kiss to his nose. 

“I wouldn’t either,” Lando let out a soft giggle as he began to run his fingers into the back of the lifeguard's hair. “I’m glad I met you Osc.”

“Right back at you,” the Aussie closed his eyes as the fingers massaged the back of his head, letting out a soft sigh. “Hey, baby?”

“Mhm?” 

“Can I ask you something crazy?” 

“How crazy?” Lando raised an eyebrow, squirming slightly as Oscar blinked his eyes open. “Like normal people crazy or us crazy?”

“Us crazy” Oscar chuckled, removing his hands for a second to slip them under his hoodie that covered the boy, gently pinching at his naked waist. “You can say no, I might be taking it too far - but it’s something that I’d rather do now than wait months.”

“What?” Lando looked a bit startled, pulling back slightly to get a proper look at his boyfriend. “Osc what are you talking about?”

“When we get to Melbourne,” Oscar began, “instead of staying the whole week at the hotel like you had planned..”

“Mhm…” The Brit bit his lip, eyes sparkling as he seemed to pick up on the question that Oscar was going to ask. 

“Why don’t you stay with me?”

“Aren’t you staying with your family?” 

“Yeah baby,” Oscar smiled, removing one hand from the driver’s small waist and moving it to run through his curls instead. “I want you to meet them if you’re comfortable?” 

Lando leaned into the hand which ran through his curls, similar to a cat leaning in for more head pats. His beautiful eyes sparkled as he took in Oscar’s words before he flung himself at the younger, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug.

“Oof,” Oscar let out, holding his boyfriend close as rocked them slightly. “Is this a non-verbal way of saying yes?” He asked, wanting to clarify before he let himself get visibly excited at the idea of his boyfriend meeting his parents. 

“Fuck- Yes!” Lando chuckled though his words were muffled from his head being pressed into Oscar’s shoulder. “I can’t wait, maybe I can get them tickets to the race too if they like me?”

“They’re gonna love you,” Oscar’s smile was wide enough that it caused his face to hurt - holding the boy in his arms tightly. “I’m so glad you said yes- I can’t wait to spend time with you.”

“Of course I’d say yes,” Lando giggled, finally pulling back and cupping Oscar’s face in his hands. “I want to spend as much time with my pretty boyfriend as I can.”

“Pretty?” Oscar squeaked, cheeks flushing a soft pink as he tried to get out of his boyfriend's grasp. 

“The prettiest,” Lando reassured, gently squishing his cheeks together before pressing a quick peck to his lips. “I’ve got the prettiest boyfriend ever!” Lando yelled, clearly loud enough for the whole plane to hear as a group of cheers erupted from further down where the rest of the guys sat. 

“You’re gonna tell the whole world if you shout any louder,” Oscar mumbled through his squished cheeks before prying Lando’s hands away. 

“Maybe I want the whole world to know!” 

“Come here you,” Oscar chuckled before bringing the boy in by the collar of his hoodie, slamming their lips together in a passionate kiss.

This week was gonna be the best week of his life, he could feel it already…

Chapter Text

“Oscar!” 

He didn’t even have a chance to hesitate as a body slammed into him as soon as he walked through arrivals. 

“Oof-“ He coughed as his arms wrapped around his youngest sister, hugging her tightly as he looked up and watched his other two sisters and his mother running towards him. 

“God we’ve missed you so much,” Mae sobbed as she held onto him, which caused him to struggle slightly as he reached out to hug the rest of his sisters. 

“I’ve missed you guys too…” He whispered, choking back tears which he would deny profusely if any of them caught him. 

Oscar has always been close to his sisters growing up, they’d always hang out and spend time together so when he accepted the job at Bondi - it changed his life drastically. 

He went from living with his parents and sisters, to living with a random guy who was also starting a new life in a new place. It was hard, having to grasp that independence without your family but he’d managed, and made great friends along the way. 

“Let me at my boy,” His mother complained, barging past the girls and engulfing Oscar in his arms. He wouldn’t deny that this was truly the feeling of being home. “Gosh, you’ve got so big..”

“I don’t think i’ve changed a lot since last time…” Oscar mumbled as she squished his cheeks, checking over his face before taking a step back. 

“Don’t argue with me,” she smiled before taking a steady exhale, “so where’s this boy you’ve been gushing about?”

Oscar watched as his sisters grew giddy, whispering to one another as they tried to glance behind him. His mother had obviously explained the arrival of their guest after Oscar’s brief message once they landed.

“I’ve not been gushing…” Oscar mumbled as a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. He took a step to the side to reveal the shy boy who was quite frankly using Oscar as a hiding spot.

Lando yelped softly at the ungraceful reveal, looking at Oscar in shock before his eyes focused on the four women in front of him. He opened his mouth to say ‘hello’ but was cut off by Nicole rushing over and bringing him into her arms. 

“Oh you’re just precious,” she cooed as she wrapped her arms around him, Lando looking over at Oscar nervously before hugging the woman back. “I’m so glad you decided to come stay with us… Oscar hasn’t stopped mentioning you!”

“Really?” Lando whispered as the pair pulled away, looking at Nicole with a shy smile. “Thank you for letting me stay Mrs Piastri, I really appreciate it…”

“Nonsense!” She waved him off, “you’re welcome to stay with us anytime sweetheart - you’re one of us now.”

“So you guys are official?” Hattie stood beside Oscar, giving him a side hug as they watched Lando interact with the two youngest Piastri sisters. 

“Yeah,” Oscar smiled widely as he watched Lando interact with his family. “As of today, but I think we’ve been for each other a lot longer than that…”

“He’s cute,” Hattie examined Lando from where they stood. “Doesn’t seem anything like the media portray him to be.”

“Yeah he’s special,” Oscar hugged his sister closer, “I’ve never felt like this before… He’s different.”

“He’ll be good for you,” Hattie whispered before leaning up to kiss his cheek. “Come on, let’s get home and you guys can get settled.”

The siblings walked over to the rest of the family, Lando’s eyes lighting up as his boyfriend got closer. 

“Your mums promised to show me all your baby photos,” the boy giggled, allowing Oscar to wrap his arms around his waist and pull him against his chest. 

“Has she now?” Oscar hugged Lando as he raised his eyebrow at his mother who gave him a soft smile, watching the pair. 

“Come on Osc,” Nicole laughed, “you were adorable! Can’t a mother fawn over her babies?”

Oscar smiled as Lando giggled against him, looking down at his boyfriend with soft eyes before sighting. “Fine, but we better get going then.”

“You’re gonna fit right in,” Nicole winked at Lando which caused the boy to flush and shyly hide his face against Oscar’s chest as the girls giggled. 

They started making their way out to the car, Lando gripping Oscar’s hand as they made their way out of the airport. The car journey was quick, the family chatting about things Oscar had missed and asking Lando about anything and everything. 

Once they pulled up to the Piastri house, the girls took their bags upstairs, leaving Oscar and Lando in the living room. 

“You boys have no problems sharing a bed I assume?” Nicole asked, settling down two lemonades in front of them. 

“No ma’am,” Lando smiled as he picked up the lemonade and took a sip, his eyes going wide as he looked at Oscar. “Woah- this is mega?”

“Mums recipe,” Oscar laughed at his reaction, picking the glass up and taking a sip for himself. “You’ll need to try her pink lemonade too.”

“Really? You made this yourself?” Lando looked at his mother with excitement, taking another sip as Nicole watched the boy adoringly. 

“I’ll make you all the lemonade you want,” she promised. “Now, why don’t you both go get unpacked? I’ll start dinner.”

“Alright,” Oscar stood up, offering Lando his hand as his mother made her way into the kitchen. “Are you ready?”

“To see your bedroom?” Lando giggled as he followed Oscar up the stairs - briefly glancing at some of the childhood photos that lined the walls.

“Okay when you say it like that it sounds bad,” Oscar rolled his eyes before pushing the door open, childhood memories hitting him like a brick as he looked at his bedroom that remained untouched since the last time he was here. 

“You’ve got model cars?!” Lando squealed, pushing past Oscar and into the room where he took in Oscar’s wall of RC cars which he built himself as well as other model cars he’d collected in the past. “‘Mate this is sick!”

“Oh i’m mate now?” Oscar hummed, eyebrow raised as he sat down on the bed, watching as Lando took one of his RC cars in hand and examined the model.

Lando paused from his gawking, looking at his boyfriend with adorable confusion before his eyes widened. “Shit- No i meant…”

“No no!” Oscar teased as he lay back against the headboard, briefly remembering how comfortable this mattress was before crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s okay mate, no worries.”

The whine Lando let out was nothing else but cute, bottom lip forming a grumpy pout as he too crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Why are you sulking?” Oscar hummed, taking his phone out of his pocket and glancing at a few texts he’d received. 

Lando let out another whine as Oscar focused on his phone, taking a few steps closer so he stood at the foot of the bed, puppy eyes looking at his boyfriend as he let out another soft whine. 

“What’s wrong ‘mate’?” Oscar looked up after quickly replying to Alex letting him know that they’d made it to Oscar’s home safely. 

“Oscar,” Lando whimpered as he let his arms drop to his side, staring at his boyfriend with sad little puppy eyes. 

Oscar sighed as he opened his arms for the driver. “Come here baby, it’s okay…” Oscar smiled as Lando climbed up onto the bed and crawled his way over until Oscar could physically manhandle him onto his lap. “I was just teasing, no need to pout…”

Lando sighed as he let himself lay on Oscar’s chest, snuggling up closely. “Don’t like when you call me mate…” He whispered, looking at Oscar with those spacey eyes which he’d grown so used to. 

“Yeah?” Oscar whispered back, one hand making its way under the boys hoodie and drawing little shapes into his skin. “What would you prefer me to call you?” 

Lando blushed, hiding his face into the material of Oscar’s shirt which caused the Aussie to laugh quietly. 

“What about, Koala?” Oscar glided his finger against his skin, causing the boy to squirm. “Or… What about my sweetheart?” 

“Stop it,” Lando whined, cheeks flushing pink as Oscar used his spare hand to tilt the boys chin up so they were looking at one another. 

“You don’t like them?” Oscar teased, tracing a heart into his back. “What about…. baby?” 

Lando shivered, a whimper escaping his lips as he looked into Oscar’s eyes. 

“Or what about…” Oscar ran his thumb over the boys bottom lip.  “Good boy?”

Lando whimpered, squirming on Oscar’s lap as he sat up, the Aussie’s hands moving to his hips to keep him steady. 

“You like that?” Oscar smiled as Lando nodded, cheeks a soft pink as he tried to look anywhere but Oscar. 

“I like you…” Lando whispered.

“I like you more.” Oscar whispered back before pulling the boy down into a gentle kiss. 

It didn’t have much time to form into anything deeper as the door swung open, fast enough that it almost flew off its hinges. 

“Oscar!” Mae burst in, causing the two boys to separate- Lando flushing pink as he hid his face into Oscar’s chest. “Oh shit- um…Sorry?” She laughed sheepishly as Oscar shot daggers in her direction. 

“Can I help you?” Oscar raised an eyebrow as he began toying with the back of Lando’s curls. “Or are you just gonna stand there like an idiot?”

Mae rolled her eyes before perching herself on the end of his bed. “First of all, rude? I’m your baby sister, you shouldn’t  speak to me like that.”  Oscar snorted which caused Lando to let out a small giggle. “Second, I was just gonna ask if you and Lando wanted to come surfing with us? But It’s clear you’re both too busy doing different… activities.”

“Mae?! Jesus-“ Oscar groaned as Lando finally removed himself from Oscar’s chest and moved to sit beside him instead of sat on his lap. “And it’s up to Lando, he’s got a busy week ahead of him.”

Oscar wasn't sure if he'd ever seen his sister's head turn so fast- Was it possible for a teenage girl to become half owl?

“I mean it sounds fun?” Lando shrunk back at her gaze, looking between the siblings. “I don't have to do anything really until Thursday… That gives me enough time to chill before the weekend?” 

“As long as you're sure-” Oscar was cut off by the excited shriek of his sister who physically jumped up and down with excitement. 

“Oh great!! I’ll let Edie and Hattie know!” Mae’s smile was wide enough to light up a room for days- if not weeks, Oscar couldn't remember the last time he got to see one of his sisters so happy. “We’re gonna leave soon so don’t take forever lovebirds!”

Oscar groaned, sinking further into the mattress as Mae giggled and waved goodbye- closing the door behind herself.

“She’s funny,” Lando smiled, “they all are. What happened to you?” He teased, letting out a shriek as Oscar gasped and began his merciless attack on Lando’s side as he tickled him. “Oscar! AHH!”

“You gonna take it back?” Oscar laughed, pinning the driver down and attempting to hold him as still as possible as he kicked and shrieked. 

“Yes! Yes!” Lando giggled, squirming against Oscar’s grip as his cheeks flushed from laughing so hard. “I'll take it back! I do!” 

“Good boy,” Oscar smirked, watching as Lando’s cheeks deepened in colour and a soft whimper escaped his lips as his eyes sparkled up at Oscar. 

“You can’t just say that…” Lando hid behind his hands, trying to fight the warmth of his cheeks away but failing miserably as he peeked out at his boyfriend. 

“Isn't that part of me being your boyfriend?” Oscar, much to Lando’s amazement, manhandled the smaller man onto his lap and gently tugged at Lando’s hands. “You wanna look at me, baby?”

“Oscar…” Lando whimpered again, much to his embarrassment before leaning forward to hide his hot face against his boyfriend's shoulder. 

“Lando…” Oscar teased, bringing a hand to the back of the boy's curls. “Come on, let me see you?”

“Can see me,” Lando snuggled closer into his shoulder, enjoying the fingers running through his hair whilst he still could. 

“Alright shy boy,” Oscar chuckled, continuing to run his fingers softly through the driver's curls. “We’ve got to get up now though, those three have no patience.”

“Right now?” Lando whined, clutching the hoodie Oscar was wearing with distaste. 

“Right now,” Oscar confirmed, removing his fingers from his hair and gently coaxing him up. “You’ll have a lot of fun, you know?” 

“I don't have a good history with the water.” Lando pouted, staring at Oscar as if this was a fact he should truly know by now. 

“You have me now though.” 

Oscar took advantage of the fact that Lando now sat up on his lap, admiring the beauty of his boyfriend whilst he still had him all to himself. He knew the next couple days would be filled with family activities, recharging and just spending as much time with his mum and sisters as he could before he went back to Sydney so these cute little moments with Lando were something he was holding onto right now. 

“I do! You’ll show me how to surf properly, right?” Lando beamed with rays of excitement as he took Oscar’s head between his hands and rested their foreheads together. “I wanna look cool!”

“Well- I can't work miracles…” Oscar teased, moving his hands to wrap them around the driver's small waist as he hugged him right.

“Oscar!” Lando yelled, pushing himself back as far as he could as Oscar broke into a fit of laughter. “I’m serious!”

“I know, I know… I’m just messing!” 

“Don’t be mean to me!” Lando scowled. 

“I’m not being mean to you! I’m going to show you how to surf?” Oscar laughed, sliding the Brit back close as they watched one another. “We better get going though, or we'll have some unwanted guests again.”

Lando broke into a wide smile as his head turned between the door and his boyfriend before pressing their lips together in a soft and quick kiss which caught Oscar by surprise and left the Aussie whining as the driver pulled away with a smirk, scrambling off Oscar’s lap and to his feet. 

“Come on then, the water won't wait all day!” 

“Well-” Oscar began, but the excitement on Lando’s face made his mind blank and a warm feeling in his chest quickly overtook its place as he got up from his bed and directed the driver to their suitcases for their swimwear. 

 “Never mind- Come on, let's make a new friendship between you and the ocean!”