#4mf

"Mate," Max says, gritting his teeth as he hesitantly returns his hand to the steering wheel.

"Mate," Lando stresses, leaning towards Max again, trying to disguise his approach through the curve of the road. It doesn't work. Max sighs.

"We're almost there, you need to chill."

Lando sniffs loudly from his seat, giving Max a look that is approximately what a begging puppy gives. If he was in his wolf form he'd already be licking at Max's mouth, begging for food like a pup even though Max can't feed him like that.

The rest of the ride is full of Lando's loud sniffing, which he does because he can see Max's grip tightening on the steering wheel as he takes the final few turns until they reach the spot. Proximity means they've been here a few times, a bit more then usual in the last couple weeks, since there's not been any races when there should've been. When Max puts the car into park, Lando jumps him, not caring that the lack of space puts him directly on Max's lap. He never cares.

"Finally," Lando whines as he nuzzles into Max's neck and starts to vigorously sniff at the conjunction of his throat and shoulder.

"Lando," Max warns. He grips Lando's hips and squeezes enough to get Lando to look at him. "Not in here."

"I don't care if we get messy, mate, you know this," Lando retorts. "I can just pay to somebody clean it."

"Yeah that's all good and well but what if they find out?" Lando's smirking already and Max knows he's said the wrong thing.

"Anyone with a nose already knows that I've claimed you." That devil. Max opens the door and shoves Lando into the grass outside.

Lando, limbs loose in that way they only get when he's on the brink of a shift, lands with enough grace to irritate Max further.

"They can't smell it."

"Yes they caaan," Lando singsongs, giggling as he sits up in the grass.

Ridiculous, Max thinks, watching her curl up a wiggle's length away from Lando's knees, separated by the comforter and sheets.

Closing his eyes, Max listens to the waking city as he tries to fall into slumber as fast as possible. It doesn't work that way, though. Harder you try, the harder it is.

The touch stirs him far from any slumber and Max immediately knows that Lando's knees are pressing into Erin's side. He muffles a laugh behind a hand, which pulls Max's eyes open again. The expression Lando's wearing is so soft, pleased, his eyes barely open as he looks at Erin with open affection, touching her through the fabric. Max's never seen Lando give him that sort of look, but, well, daemons are just bits of your soul given physical form, ain't they?

He can't linger on the thought.

"Max," Lando whispers. His hands tug the blankets up to his chin as he moves his gaze from Erin to Max himself. "Max," he repeats when Max doesn't answer, feeling a little dumbstruck.

"Yeah?"

Lando's knee nudges at Erin from beneath the blankets. "D'you like it?"

"Like what?" Max answers out of pure habit. Not cus he doesn't know what Lando's asking. He knows.

"When I touch her."

Max swallows a lot to get out an answer after thinking over it for a long time, unable to pull his gaze away from Lando's bright, red-rimmed eyes. He probably looks just as fucked up even though he didn't really drink. "Of course I like it."

"Oh." Max grins as the light pink dusting Lando's cheeks grows darker and he pulls the blanket up high enough to cover his cheeks and nose too. "But you've never said that."

"Was I 'spose to?" He is in complete disbelief that they're having any sort of conversation right now, but especially this one.

"I won, Max," Lando whispers, like it's a secret and the whole world isn't aware of Lando Norris, the thirty-fifth World Driver's Champion. It's just for him and Max. A silly, silly notion.

"Yeah, you did," Max replies, soft like Lando is right now. He feels so proud that it could make him sick. It was all worth it, everything, to have him here now, with Lando.

"You can touch Phira if y'want to," Lando adds on at random as he gives in to his exhaustion just a little with a yawn.

Max can hear and feel his heart in his ears. Of all the things Lando could've said, he picks this?

He smiles, closing his eyes. "Maybe tomorrow. Get some rest, you muppet. Everyone's gonna want a word with the world champion tomorrow." Well. Today. Tomorrow. They haven't slept, it's all blended together. It's not tomorrow until they sleep.

Lando's satisfied with Max's non-answer as he flips around in the bed, tucking the blankets around himself tight like a little cocoon. Max knows it's temporary. It'll only last until Lando grows too warm and has to shed some of the layers in a few hours.