Chapter Text
Lando grappled with the internal turmoil, desperately trying to contain the welling tears as the weight of a challenging year, marked by emotional turbulence and stress, bore down on him.
Seated alone on a bench outside the vibrant celebration, where the entire racing grid reveled in the euphoria of the season's conclusion, Lando found himself an unwilling spectator to the festivities. The distant melodies and boisterous cheers only served to amplify his sense of isolation, intensifying the yearning to retreat to the sanctuary of his apartment, where he could seek comfort snuggled up with his cherished teddy bear.
Unbeknownst to Lando, Daniel, slightly inebriated, emerged from the lively party and discovered his friend in a state of contemplation.
"Hey Lan! What are you doing out here by yourself?" The cloak of darkness masked Lando's tear-streaked face as he struggled to articulate a response, feeling small by the overwhelming emotions within him.
Daniel, perceptive to the unspoken distress, knelt before him, extending a comforting hand to rest on Lando's knee.
"What's going on, buddy? Are you okay?" Genuine concern radiated from Daniel's eyes; a lifeline offered in the dimly lit night.
Lando attempted to vocalize his feelings, but his words were swallowed by a fresh surge of tears. Feeling vulnerable and diminutive, he tried to stand, yet his unsteady legs betrayed him, and it was Daniel who provided the steady anchor, holding Lando upright, the younger man avoiding his gaze.
“I’ve got you Lando, you’re okay. Let’s get you home, okay?”
Lando, still avoiding eye contact, reluctantly mumbled, "Okay…”
“I’ll call a taxi?” Daniel pulled out his phone and dialed.
Lando nodded in agreement, just wanting to leave as soon as possible.
In the hushed journey, Lando's trembling hands did not escape Daniel's notice, the tears momentarily suspended. Silently, they reached the door to Lando's apartment, where Daniel, with a sense of understanding, opened the door.
As Lando entered, a sense of dread took hold of him, fearing the exposure of a facet of himself he had guarded meticulously for years.
"Feeling any better, buddy?" Daniel's concerned gaze met Lando's puffy, tear-stained eyes. Unable to hold back any longer, Lando collapsed to his knees, hands covering his face in embarrassment.
Realizing the true depth of Lando's distress, Daniel knelt beside him. "Do you need a hug?" he offered gently, a gesture of empathy in the face of vulnerability.
Lando, wordless, shook his head and embraced Daniel, releasing a torrent of pent-up emotions. In their shared silence, Daniel held him, understanding that Lando wouldn't release the hug until he was ready to.
Looking up at Daniel, Lando's eyes, still swollen, conveyed a slight sense of relief.
"Do you need to lie down? Would that help?" Daniel's suggestion resonated with Lando, who nodded.
As he attempted to stand on shaky legs, Daniel noticed and helped.
Seated on the edge of the bed, Lando reached for his teddy, a cherished source of comfort. Daniel, perplexed but understanding, suggested, "How about lying down? Can you do that for me?" His tone held a subtle authority, catching Lando's attention.
Once Lando was settled in bed, Daniel pulled the covers over him, sensing Lando's restlessness. "Is there something else you'd like? What usually makes you feel better?" Lando hesitated, choosing not to disclose his pacifier and bottle, instead clutching his teddy as if it were a lifeline.
"What normally makes you feel better?" Daniel pressed.
Lando sighed, looking down at his teddy.
“I don’t know…” He lied.
Daniel saw right through him, “Lando… are you lying to me?”
Lando was silent, his anxieties swirling in his belly. He needed to just let it out.
He stammered, "Okay, okay, I'm... a little…"
"Oh, like age regression?" Daniel's words hung in the air, and Lando released a heavy breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
A nod, a silent admission, followed.
"So do you have a caregiver? Like a mummy?"
Daniel's inquiry cast a shadow over Lando, who instinctively looked down, a tinge of shame coloring his expression.
"No, I never have." Lando looks down shamefully.
Daniel's face assumed a serious demeanor, genuine worry etched across his features. "Really? How does that work then? You need someone to look after you when you get like this, right?"
"I guess, but I've never had one before. I just try and look after myself." Lando's response held a weight of self-sufficiency, yet Daniel's saddened expression indicated a deeper concern.
"How does that work?" Daniel pressed further, probing into the intricacies of Lando's coping mechanisms.
"I don't know," Lando confessed. "I just sit in bed with my teddies, watch kids' movies, and stay like that until I feel better." Deliberately omitting the details of his onesies, pacifiers, bottles, and blankies, Lando shielded the more vulnerable aspects of his coping mechanisms.
"That's it?" Daniel's keen perception detected the omission in Lando's narrative. "Do you use diapers or bottles?"
The question pushed Lando into a blush, a flush of embarrassment spreading across his face. "I have some bottles and sippy cups, never tried diapers, though."
"Would you want to?" Daniel's inquiry held a gentle curiosity, probing into the uncharted territories of Lando's comfort zone.
"I don't know, maybe. It's not something I can do by myself, though." Lando's response carried a mix of uncertainty and desire, hinting at a longing for care and support beyond his current solitary endeavors.
Daniel contemplated his next words carefully, aware of the delicate nature of the conversation. He wanted to broach the subject without overwhelming Lando.
"Would you only be interested in a mummy?" he inquired, delicately testing the waters.
Lando, uncertain but intrigued, responded, "What do you mean?" Though he had a suspicion, the fear of being wrong loomed in his eyes.
Daniel, choosing his words with precision, posed another question, "Like would you ever consider having a daddy?" He inserted a deliberate pause, allowing the weight of the question to settle.
Lando, his voice tinged with a mixture of curiosity and excitement, ventured cautiously, "Are you offering what I think you're offering?" Despite his efforts to temper his enthusiasm, a spark lingered in his voice.
A sincere affirmation followed, "Yes, I could be your daddy... if you'd be comfortable with that, of course?"
Daniel's assurance sought to convey sincerity and openness to exploring this new dynamic.
Encouraged, Lando tentatively agreed, "We could try it; it's going to be hard for me, though. I've never been that vulnerable with another person before... like ever." His struggle to make eye contact betrayed the vulnerability he felt, a mix of anticipation and trepidation.
Understanding the gravity of Lando's admission, Daniel offered reassurance, "That makes sense. You will have to teach me what you like and don't like. We can take it as slowly as you need. Obviously I'll be the daddy in this situation, but you still have all the control, okay?" Daniel's words carried a gentle authority, aiming to create a safe space for Lando.
Lando, now seated upright with his teddy clutched in his hand, offered another gentle nod. Daniel, maintaining the same reassuring authority in his voice, requested, "Can you use your words for me, please?"
"Yes," Lando replied, a hint of yearning in his voice. The desire to address Daniel with the term 'daddy' lingered, yet it felt premature.
"Just, yes? Nothing else you'd like to add to that?" Daniel's tone took on a teasing cadence, prompting Lando to muster the courage to go a step further.
"Yes… ah… daddy?" His cheeks flushed brightly, and his bottom lip trembled in anticipation.
A warm acknowledgment followed, "Good boy." Daniel extended his hand, tenderly touching the back of Lando's head and slowly caressing his hair. The gentle contact sparked a full-body reaction, chills coursing through Lando's entire frame, and a flurry of butterflies danced in his belly.
Daniel, noticing the effect, couldn't help but smile. "Seems like you liked that, come here, baby." With another shiver passing through him, Lando obediently followed Daniel's invitation. Daniel pulled him into a snug embrace, and Lando, surprisingly at ease, began to relax into the comforting warmth.
They settled into a shared moment, with Lando's head nestled on Daniel's chest as they lay down together.
Lando held onto him tightly, reluctant to let go of the newfound sense of security. Daniel continued to play with Lando's hair, a soothing gesture that gradually lulled them both into a serene state.
As the gentle caresses continued, Lando, wrapped in a cocoon of safety, felt the weight of the day dissipate. Slowly, he began to drift off into a peaceful slumber, finally surrendering to the tranquility that had eluded him for so long.
Lando found a gentle solace, cradled in the arms of Daniel, and for the first time in a while, he felt genuinely safe.