Under the influence | Lando Norris
part two: https://www.tumblr.com/33piastri/761602158807400449/under-the-influence-pt2-ln4
summary: After winning the Miami GP, lando is caught up in celebrating at a nightclub, ignoring Y/N. As he enjoys the attention, he doesnāt notice her slipping away. Only later, when itās too late, he realised that while chasing success, he lost the person who mattered most.
Inspired by the Dutch song: onder invloed - Russo
The Miami night was electric, the kind of energy that made you feel invincible. Lando was at the center of it all, the hero of the night, freshly crowned the winner of the Miami GP, and more importantly his first victory. The club was packed, bodies swaying under the strobe lights, drinks flowing freely. The music pounded through the speakers, an intoxicating rhythm that matched the adrenaline still coursing through Landoās veins.
But for all the noise and celebration around him, Lando was oblivious to the one person who had been by his side through it allāY/N.
She was there, just like she always had been for the past 4,5 years. But tonight, she was different, quieter, almost invisible in the swirl of people around him, she felt different. She had stood at the edge of the VIP section, watching as Lando drowned in the attention, surrounded by gridmates, friends and fans, everyone eager to get a hold of his glory. But he hadnāt spared his girlfriend a glance since the race ended.
It had been the same at the track earlier that day. Y/N had watched him cross the finish line, her heart pounding with happiness, pride and fear, waiting for that moment when his eyes would seek hers, that look they used to share after every race. But it never came. Instead, he had celebrated with his team, his focus entirely on the win, on the cameras, on everything but her. Y/N learned the heart way that love and sadness, indeed could live close together.
Now, in the club, as she watched him sip on another glass of champagne, laughing with people who didnāt know him the way she did, didnāt support him like she did the sinking feeling in her chest grew heavier. The Lando she knew, the Lando she loved, seemed to be slipping further away with every cheer, every flash of the camera.
The song playing now was one that Y/N knew well, one that seemed to capture her feelings in a way that nothing else could. The lyrics cut through the noise, the truth of them hitting her hard as she listened:
āAt night, sheās my dream girl, in the club sheās a baddie, at night Iām head over heels, but during the day, not at all.ā
The words echoed in her mind, a cruel reminder of how things had changed. She had once been his everything, the person he turned to when the world became too much and he trusted with all his secrets. But now, she was just another pretty face in the crowd, someone to be seen with at night, when the lights were low and the music loud, but forgotten in the harsh light of day, where attention really came to play.
Lando, oblivious to the storm brewing within Y/N, turned to Charles and Daniel, a wide grin on his face. The race had been tough, but heād pulled through, his first ever win. He felt like he was on top of the world, and tonight was his night to celebrate. Another bottle of champagne was passed his way, and he accepted it with a wink, pouring himself another glass.
But as he did, a flicker of something crossed his mindāY/N. He hadnāt seen her since the podium, hadnāt really seen her all day, if he was honest. But before he could think about it too much, Daniel grabbed his attention, and the thought was pushed towards the back of his mind once again.
Y/N watched the exchange, her heart tightening and shattering into a thousand pieces. She had never felt more out of place, more forgotten. The realization hit her with a sharp clarity, this wasnāt where she belonged anymore. Lando was drifting further away, caught up in a world she could no longer reach. She didnāt belong with Lando anymore.
Unable to bear it any longer, she turned and slipped out of the VIP section, weaving her way through the crowd, Kika trying to stop her, but she didnāt pay her any attention. She didnāt know where she was going, only that she needed to get out, to breathe. The walls of the club felt like they were closing in on her, the music too loud, the lights too bright.
She stepped outside, the cool Miami night air hitting her like a shock, but it wasnāt enough to clear the fog in her mind. The ache in her chest was almost unbearable, the weight of it dragging her down. She had to let go. She had to leave before she lost herself completely.
Meanwhile, inside the club, Lando was still caught up in the celebrations. But as the night wore on, something began to eat at him, a strange sense of emptiness that he couldnāt shake. He looked around again, a little more purposefully this time, searching for the one person who should have been by his side, but hadnāt been for the entire night.
āWhereās Y/N?ā he asked aloud, a frown creasing his brow.
Carlos shrugged, not noticing the change in Landoās demeanor. āDunno, mate. Havenāt seen her in a while. Sheās probably around.ā
But Lando knew better. There was a sudden, sharp clarity in his mind, the lyrics of the song playing in the background finally piercing through the haze.
āUnder the influence, Iām no longer myself.ā
The words echoed in his mind, and suddenly, the weight of the night crashed down on him. He realized he hadnāt been himselfānot for a long time. Heād been caught up in the race, in the fame, in everything that came with it, and in doing so, heād lost sight of the one thing that truly mattered.
Panic set in as he pushed through the crowd, his eyes darting around, searching for her. But she was nowhere to be found. The emptiness inside him grew, a hollow ache that no amount of victory could fill.
āY/N!ā he called out, but his voice was drowned out by the music, by the laughter and cheers that still surrounded him. Desperation clawed at him as he realized what he had doneāwhat he had let slip right through his fingers.
Finally reaching the exit, Lando burst out into the night, his eyes scanning the street frantically. But she was gone. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut, the cold truth settling in.
He had won his first ever race, but in doing so, he had lost her. The one person who had always been there, who had always believed in him, even when he didnāt believe in himself.
The Miami night, starting so full of life and energy, now felt empty, cold. Lando stood alone on the sidewalk, the weight of his choices pressing down on him. The taste of victory had turned bitter in his mouth.
He had been under the influenceāof fame, of success, of everything but the love that had been right in front of him. And now, it was too late.
The song still played faintly from inside the club, a haunting reminder of what he had lost.
āUnder the influence, Iām no longer myselfā¦ā
And for the first time in a long time, Lando felt the full impact of those words, realizing he had become someone even he no longer recognized.
