prove them all wrong, it's a lot of fun

Lando not being able to hold back his giggles before he even opened the box should have been the final warning sign, but still, Martin just grinned as he carefully opened it to reveal what was waiting inside.

There was clearly more than one item in the box. Lando had packed it with a bright yellow tissue paper, hiding whatever was underneath but it was the little plastic rectangle on top of the pile that had Martin huffing a little laugh.

There, sitting on top of the aggressively yellow paper, was a fake drivers license with a little picture of Martin grinning all goofilly that Lando had taken months ago. There was glittery pink writing beside the picture that had Martin turning to look at Lando.

"Passenger Princess? Really?", Martin reached over to smack Lando's tight softly.

The other man broke into those full body giggles of his. The ones that had his face scrunched and had him sounding like he was dying.

"Well, you are! You're my Passenger Princess", Lando choked out, leaning across the centre consol to look at the box, "Open the next bit, come on"

Martin just shook his head, but complied.

He set the fake liscence on the dashboard. He'd tuck away in his wallet after this as a reminder of this moment, and something to laugh about when missing Lando felt like missing half his soul.

The yellow paper crinkled noisely as he removed it, tossing it at Lando. The other immediately crunched it up in his hands, smiling as Martin looked down into the box in despair.

"I hate you"

Lando was still grinning when he leaned over to press a kiss to Martin's cheek.

"No, you looooove me", Lando teased, "And I love you, so I wanted you to feel included"

Martin lifted the item out of the box.

It was one of those pastel blue and pink steering wheels for toddlers. The ones that had gone viral on Tiktok when people stuck them on their passenger side dashboards for their partners or friend's with no liscene.

Martin hated the fact he didn't hate it.

"You won't love me when I stick it to the dash" Martin threatened jokingly.

"I will", Lando's tone went soft and so sincere that Martin had to look at him, "Nothing could make me not love you"

The wheel fell in Martin's lap with a dull thud but Martin didn't care.

It had been obvious from the very start that there were sparks between them. Lando could only describe the feeling as finding a twin flame that you'd never realized you were missing. Martijn had instantly made him feel happy and safe. And Lando had quickly realized that the feeling was mutual. How else did he explain how Martijn seemed to grow all soft and gentle around him, almost caring?

Was it too soon to call it love?

And then they'd exchanged numbers and met up again, the very next day after Max introduced them. And then they'd met again. And again.

They weren't dates, at least not officially, but looking back, they'd definitely felt like them.

The third date had ended with Lando walking Martijn home and kissing him on his doorstep. They'd lingered and kissed for quite a while, actually. It was a good thing it was late at night so no neighbors were around to see.

The fourth date had ended with Martijn dragging Lando into his bedroom. Lando had left afterwards, not sure if they were at the point where he could really stay the night yet. Were they even officially dating yet? They hadn't really said. All Lando knew was that he loved spending time with Martijn, loved having fun with him and loved taking him home. And Martijn seemed to feel the same way - at least, as far as Lando could tell.

What if he didn't, though? What if Lando was reading too deep into everything, and all Martijn wanted was something casual? He didn't think he could survive being directly asked to leave. That was why he'd left before - so Martijn didn't have to kick him out himself and didn't have Lando invading his space. If he wanted things to be simple and fun, then Lando had no intention of making them more complicated than necessary.

The fifth date seemed to be heading in the same direction. After a fun movie night and an even more fun romp in bed, Lando was sitting up in bed and stretching his arms, trying to draw out the moment just a little bit longer. Obviously he'd help Martijn with cleanup and aftercare - he wasn't a total dick, c'mon - but he didn't want to overstay his welcome. That might sour what they had. And Lando didn't want to do that.

He loved Martijn, and he was starting to realize just how deep that love ran. But it was too soon. They'd only known each other for a week. He couldn't ask Martijn to push things that far yet. He worried that they were already taking things too fast, sleeping together so soon - but they couldn't change that now, and they'd both seemed to like it, at least.

Martijn rested beside him, his feet tangled in the sheets and his hair mussed up after getting pressed into the mattress and taken apart. His eyes hadn't left Lando for a moment, and the pale moonlight filtering through the window made his gaze seem all the more soft. It made Lando's heart do weird twists and flips in his chest, like it couldn't decide if it was brave enough to hope or not.

"I'm gonna, uh, go get stuff to clean up, yeah?" Lando said, reaching over to brush his hand against Martijn's shoulder. "I'll be back in a minute."

He was quick, retrieving what he needed and helping Martijn clean up. Then he stood there, at the edge of the bed, shifting from foot to foot as he tried to memorize the sight of Martijn on the bed, bare and beautiful, before he had to go.

"Um," he finally stammered. "Well, I, uh, I guess I'll head out. I really enjoyed tonight. I'll see you soon, yeah?"

He started to turn away, looking for his clothes where they'd been thrown on the floor - and then he heard Martijn's voice, quiet and hesitant.

"Stay the night," he whispered, so softly that it might've been only a wish. "Please?"

Lando turned back to him, looking at his hopeful face, his shy, sweet eyes, and his hand tentatively reaching towards him across the bed. Martijn looked like there was absolutely nothing he wanted more than to keep Lando with him tonight. Like it was all he'd ever wanted. Like he didn't know if Lando wanted it too, but he just couldn't let him leave without trying to ask.

Lando cursed himself for ever wanting to leave in the first place.

"Yes," he promised, diving back onto the bed and clasping Martijn's hand tight. "A-are you sure?"

Martijn nodded. "I am, schatje," he whispered. "Please - do you mean it?"

Lando nodded fiercely. "I'll stay," he promised. "I'll stay as long as you want. I promise."

Lando curled up next to Martijn under the sheets, slotted perfectly against him, and wondered why he ever thought he had to leave at all.

When morning came, he woke to the sight of Martijn's handsome sleeping face before his.