#6304

GR: We had a small crash on the lego race this morning and I think I was in contribution to Lando not winning the race today so I do apologize...

Thanks <3

Really love what you’ve been writing recently!

"So, how is Lando feeling?" Carlos asks George as they walk into the paddock in Brazil.

"What do you mean?" George stops walking, and Carlos raises his eyebrows.

"He has food poisoning?"

"He- He what?" George reaches for his phone, opening his text conversation with his boyfriend who apparently has food poisoning.

"He told me that he wasn't going to be on track today because he's sick," Carlos fixes George with a look.

"Well, he bloody well didn't tell me!" George exclaims.

You're sick????? He texts Lando.

"Are you two not dating?" Carlos looks at George over his sunglasses.

"Well, I thought we were," George runs a hand through his hair exasperatedly.

He refreshes his text feed but gets nothing from Lando. Sure, Lando had been distant since they'd gotten to Brazil, George having his own room here as part of his new race mindset. When George had asked to hang out the night before, Lando had said he was busy and George hadn't heard from him since.

"Well, I'm going to let you sort this out," Carlos bites his lip, "But George, sometimes you have to ask twice, okay? He's not always forthcoming with this stuff."

And yeah, George knows that. It took Lando four dates before he realized that George actually did want to date him and that they weren't hanging out as friends. And it took George three goes of asking him to move in before Lando actually believed him.

He waves Carlos off and presses the call icon next to Lando's name.

"Hello?" Lando groans into the phone.

"You're sick?" George asks, but it's not a question.

"Oh, um, yeah." And Lando sounds so sad and sick that George wants to just forget all of this and go to him but he can't.

"Why did I have to find out from Carlos?" George sighs.

"I didn't want to bother you," Lando mumbles.

"Are you kidding me, Lando?"

"Sorry," Lando coughs and groans.

"I'm your boyfriend, you're supposed to tell me these things!" George paces, "I'm supposed to be there for you. And here I am finding out from another driver that you're sick."

"I'm sorry, George!" Lando pleads, "Really, I wasn't trying to tell Carlos either, he just came by my room while I was throwing up."

"So your plan was to suffer in your room, alone?"

Lando goes quiet on the other end. George pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Look George, I don't have the energy to argue with you about this," Lando sniffs, "Have a good press conference."

George pulls the phone away from his ear to see that Lando has hung up.

He finishes media and makes a beeline for Lando's hotel room, using the spare key Lando always gives him to get inside.

It's stuffy and hot in Lando's room but it's clear from the discarded water and Gatorade bottles and the half-empty sleeve of saltines that someone has been here trying to help Lando. Probably Jon, George thinks.

And Lando, his beautiful, insufferable Lando, is bundled under a million blankets, asleep on the hotel bed. George makes himself useful, cleaning up the discarded bottles and opening the windows a crack to let in some air.

Finally, he sits down on the edge of the bed. Beneath the layers, Lando looks so small. George always feels like Lando is small compared to him, but this is different. He looks so fragile and worn out like he's raced for 5 hours with no break. George had googled food poisoning symptoms on the ride over, and wouldn't be surprised if Lando's lost a few pounds throughout all of this.

He leans over to smooth Lando's sweaty curls and adjust the blankets and realizes that Lando is wearing one of George's old Williams hoodies. Something flutters in George's chest. He can't be mad at Lando for not telling him, not when he looks and feels like this but... he's still hurt.

Lando stirs slightly as George strokes his hair. "George?" He mumbles, eyes fluttering.

"I'm sorry, baby," George whispers, "I didn't mean to wake you."

"S'okay," Lando nuzzles against George's hand.

"Can I lay with you?" George asks, pressing the back of his hand against Lando's head where he's hot with fever.

Lando nods weakly, and George climbs into the bed next to Lando.

"You're burning up," George kisses the top of his head.

"I'm so cold," Lando sighs, voice catching. A few tears fall from his eyes.

"Oh sweetheart," George pulls the blankets up tighter around Lando and reaches over to wipe away the tears, "I'm sorry you're sick."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Lando murmurs sleepily, leaning his full weight onto George and closing his eyes again.

"It's okay," George tucks him close, "It's all okay."

The next morning, against George's wishes, Lando's back in the paddock, ready to race for FP1 and qualifying.

He finds George in the Mercedes motorhome, pouring over some data with Lewis.

"Intruder alert!" Lewis jokes as Lando approaches, coffee in hand.

"Ha ha," Lando rolls his eyes.

George watches him carefully, taking in the dark circles under Lando's eyes and the way he's breathing shallowly like he's trying not to puke.

"Everything okay?" George stands, pressing a kiss to Lando's forehead.

Lando shrugs, "I made it through the first practice."

"Lando-"

"Hush, George." Lando gives him a small smile, "I brought you this."

He holds out the coffee to George who takes it, smiling when he realizes it's made exactly how he likes it. Lando is shifting back and forth, hands behind his back, looking up at George innocently.

"Consider it an "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I had food poisoning and you had to find out from my ex-teammate" apology coffee."

It's stupid and George wants to tell him that it's going to take more than a coffee to make it up to him, that they need to talk about this, that Lando can come to him with anything. But Lando is smiling so sweetly at him and he's gone out of his way while he's sick to try and make it up to George and well, George kinda loves him so...

"Apology accepted," George hums, pressing a kiss to Lando's lips, much to the chagrin of Lewis who yells, "Go makeout in the McLaren motorhome!" causing Lando to giggle against his lips.

Yeah... everything is going to be fine.