#leedeedum

“Morning sleepyhead,” Oscar whispers against Lando’s cheek, wrapping his arms around his waist as he walks into their kitchen, finally back from an obscenely early meeting. Lando hums in response, eyes half lidded as he turns to wrap his own arms around Oscar, leaning them against the counter next to the stove. They sway in place for a minute, absorbing the first moment they’ve had with just for themselves in days.

“I got the final design for my helmet this morning,” Oscar whispers eventually, tentative with how he broaches the topic of racing.

“Yeah?” Lando asks, pulling back enough to look Oscar in the eye. Oscar hums, stepping back to pick up the box he set down on the counter moments before. He opens the bag, shifting the crash helmet between his hands for a minute before passing it to Lando.

Lando turns it in his hands, brushing his fingers over the familiar patterns. It hasn’t changed much since last year — well apart from the obvious lack of 8 at the top where his number sits. It still has the familiar mix of blue, red, and yellow; the southern cross at the temples; sponsor decals that match his own. Nothing new to it really, Lando’s about to tease him for that fact when he notices it. On the right side of his helmet, just next to the connection point for the HANS device — a small gold star.

Lando stills, rubbing his thumb along it. He shouldn’t be surprised, Oscar earned that star. It makes sense to incorporate it into his helmet. It’s just —

“It’s supposed to mirror yours,” Oscar whispers, gaze transfixed on his twisted fingers, doing his best to swallow his nerves. “I wouldn’t —“ he cuts himself off with a deep breath, looking up to Lando now. “I wouldn’t have done it without you. Without you constantly pushing me to be better. Without you as a teammate. Without— without you as a partner,” he whispers, voice cracking on the last part, cheeks blushing over a deeper red with every word.

Lando sets the helmet down without breaking eye contact, stepping forward till he’s standing hardly a foot away from Oscar who continues to wring his hands.