#ethan asks

Lando closes the door to their apartment with a soft click, careful not to wake Carlos who’s still sleeping soundly in the bedroom. He leaves his keys on the little frog-shaped dish that stands on the table next to the door. Carlos had given it to him as a joke once, but Lando had found it adorable and immediately gave it a new home as a place for all their little trinkets. 

He smiles fondly at this memory and he makes his way to the kitchen, where he can finally put down the heavy box he’s carrying. He quickly washes his hands in the sink before he comes back to assess his efforts. The birthday cake he’s gotten for Carlos has thankfully survived the transport from the shop to his car and to the apartment. The writing he had requested on top is done with smooth, glittery red letters, their color contrasting nicely with the black of the cake. All in all, Lando is very satisfied with the result.

The telltale sounds of Carlos waking up and going to the bathroom prompt Lando to stop staring at the black cake and finally put it in the fridge. For now, milk and cereal will have to do.

~~

When Carlos enters the kitchen five minutes later, he’s greeted by a very excited Lando sprinting to his arms. A big smile splits on his face as he opens them to encompass the other man to a hug.

“Good morning mi amor,” he whispers and places a small kiss on the top of his head. Lando’s curls tickling his nose softly fills him with a love he can’t handle that early in the morning. “Your hair is tickling me” he says instead, hoping Lando will understand him anyways.

Lando understands him, of course. He kisses him deeply, and a little messily too, but Carlos pretends not to notice the little tear threatening to fall from his eye. “Happy birthday baby” he breathes against his lips, before pulling him into a tight hug, burying his face in Carlos’ chest.

When they pull apart, Lando beckons Carlos to the table and places a big bowl of cereal in front of him. They sit on the table eating their breakfast, their feet touching every few seconds. Carlos thinks it’s one of the best mornings of his life.

~~

They move to the sofa later, Lando snuggled against Carlos’ side, with the other man’s hand draped around his shoulders. He pokes his hand against his ribs, a mischievous grin forming on his face. When Carlos turns to look at him, he passes him the remote and plasters the most innocent expression that he can manage on his face.

“Do you want to choose the show we watch today, honey?” he says casually, his voice not betraying him for a second.

Carlos turns to look at him at that, his raised eyebrow almost reaching his hairline, but he can’t read the expression on Lando’s face. “What happened to I’m the youngest, so I get to choose then?”

At this, Lando starts to crack. He still delivers his joke before he bursts out laughing though. “Oh well, I thought, since you’re turning thirty, I’ve got to respect my elders, you know?” 

He bolts out of the sofa as he says that, and narrowingly manages to avoid Carlos’ tickle-trap. He still hears his squeak of indignation as he enters the kitchen though.

~~

When he comes back, Carlos has put on some show and is waiting for him with a little too innocent of a smile on his face, in Lando’s opinion. When he sees the cake in his arms, however, he bounces quickly up and on his feet, forgetting about Lando’s teasing from before. Until he sees the cake, that is.

It’s a beautiful black cake, with his driver’s number drawn on the side and a chili pepper next to it. It’s only when Lando puts the cake on the table that he can see what is written, and he immediately tackles him to the sofa, the tickling not avoided this time.

In between bursts of laughs, Lando manages to form a sentence. “What? I knew you would love it!”

“Lando! You’ve literally written Happy Birthday Old Man on it! I’m not that old, I just turned thirty!” He jabs a finger in his armpit, just to be sure he got his point across.

Lando, however, seems to really enjoy being tickled today, because he doesn’t stop. “Exactly! You’re, like, ancient. You have to bestow your wisdom on me.”

A shit-eating grin forms on Carlos’ face when he hears that. “Well, Landito, my piece of wisdom is as follows. Lando Norris is into old men,” he fake-whispers. “It’s true, he told me himself. He likes them really old. In fact, he loves it especially when they’re past thirty.” He makes a mock-shocked face, like he’s scandalized to hear what just came out of his mouth. 

Lando seems to find this hilarious. He’s laughing so much that tears form in his eyes and he would be doubling in half if Carlos wasn’t sitting half on top of him.

When he calms down, he pulls him in for a kiss before sitting up to serve them some cake. “It’s your birthday Carlos, you get to choose which piece you want first,” he says, and grabs the knife he’d left on the table.

Carlos looks at him excitedly when he hears that and rushes to investigate the two pieces of cake he had cut.

~~