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Lando was just putting tape on the last box of Alex’s stuff, when suddenly the very man came rushing into his soon to be former room.
“Have you seen the suitcase with all of the stuff George left in my wardrobe?”
“No… but have you texted your boyfriend already?”
At that Alex looked slightly ashamed. Lando sighed and continued to pack the random stuff left in Alex’s room into the box in front of him. “Would you maybe like to help me, packing up your stuff? I’m pretty sure George will text you back soon enough.”
Alex looked up from his phone, sighed and then rolled his eyes while getting down on the ground to help Lando packing up his own stuff. A few minutes later they were finished and Lando quickly jumped up and then ran in the kitchen to make a coffee for himself, Alex and George who was for sure going to turn up in a few seconds.
“Alex?! Who have you asked to be my roommate? Because it can’t be either Max or Charles right? You wouldn’t do that to me, right?” He shouted through the whole apartment. When he didn’t get an answer, he turned back to the coffee machine, turning it on. When he spinned back around to get them all a mug, Alex suddenly appeared.
“Jesus, mate, couldn’t have warned me?”
“No, where would be the fun in that? I won’t be able to do that now, when I move in with George, sadly. And no, I have asked neither of them to move in with you. I think me and George have tortured you more than enough the last months.”
At that Lando raised his hands in prayer and then remembered he wanted to get them all a mug, for the last coffee in their shared flat.
“Well then, if you haven’t asked them, then who have you asked?”
In hindsight, he shouldn’t have asked that question. Alex slid up next to him and even in his peripheral vision he could see the devilish smile on Alex’s face.
“No. Please tell me you didn’t. Please tell me you didn’t ask him, just because of something I told you while I was drunk off my arse one time!”
But Alex just grinned wider and nodded. "Oh, yes. I did and he will arrive here in… five minutes. So you better get another mug out and make another coffee. Wouldn’t want your new roommate to instantly feel unwelcome on his first day, would you?”
“I swear, I will kill you! I will break into your flat and I will kill you in your sleep! I am just now thinking of all the ways-” Lando was rudely interrupted by the door opening and George calling: “Hi love! Hi Lando! I’ve just run into Oscar down at the door, so I took him with me.”
Lando could barely hear George taking off his shoes and quietly talking to the other person over the racing thoughts in his head. What was that fucker thinking inviting him? “Be grateful that they are already here, because otherwise you would be a dead man!”
“George, love, we are in the kitchen!”
“Will you just shut up?”
Before Alex could say anything, George moved his head in the door and nodded at Lando before he said: “Oscar, just stay in the kitchen for now, I will be right back.”
Instead of watching Oscar come into the kitchen in all his beauty, he focused on finishing the coffee. “How do you all take your coffee?”
“Splash of milk, no sugar.”
“Black, sugar.” There he was. Oscar. Even his voice sounded so unnervingly calm in complete contrast to Lando’s racing thoughts.
He still remembered when he first met Oscar through Logan at their local uni pub, when they went out half a year ago. How beautiful he looked when the others could finally convince him to join them on the dance floor. Lando could still remember the feeling of his breath ghosting over the shell of his ear.
He could still remember the question he had been asked in this beautiful Australian brawl “Do you know where the bathroom is? The others are all kind of … preoccupied, I would say.”
He focused back on making the coffee, because he knew that if George would come back and his cappuccino wasn’t ready, all hell would break loose. “Hey Alex? Can you pass me the sugar?”
Moments later the sugar box slid into his sight line. But the hand that held it, was a much more honey tanned hand than Alex’s. It was Oscar’s. God his hands were so perfect, just a little smaller than his own, but still calloused.
A little stunned, Lando muttered his thanks and then finished all of the coffees. “You take yours black with one sugar, right?” Oscar just hummed in response.
“Regina George! Coffee is ready!”
“I told you to stop calling me that! We watched Mean Girls once!”
“And yet… Oscar, if you want to take your coffee, Lando will just show you around the flat, while me and George pack up the last of my things, if that’s alright?”
Oscar just nodded.
Now Lando will definitely kill Alex. Why does he have to leave him alone? In a time of crisis? Taking another very calm sip of his coffee, Alex just smiles lightly and then pecks George on the lips before going to his soon to be former bedroom.
“Okay then, well as you can see this is the kitchen. The mugs and glasses are here, the pans and pots are down there, cutlery in that drawer, the fridge beside the sink and the spices underneath the cutlery. Be grateful Alex has left us all of his spices, because he has a hell lot of them. Can you cook? I hope you can, ‘cause I am a total disaster in the kitchen. The only thing I can do is coffee, tea and I can bake some things, but yeah.”
Shit he was rambling wasn’t he? Well judging by the interested look on Oscar's face, he didn’t seem to particularly mind.
“Yeah, I can cook rather decently. I can cook for us if you want to, just not today. Because I think I will be knackered if I have to unpack all of my stuff aswell.”
God, his voice. Lando had to use all of his strength to not instantly melt into the kitchen floor.
“Oh my god, no no. Don’t worry tonight we’ll order something. Believe me, I wouldn’t let you cook anyways after all that.”
At that Oscar laughed with Lando.
After that, the vibe between them lost all, well most, of its awkwardness. Lando showed Oscar around the rest of the flat and then finally they came to his bedroom.
“That’s my bedroom and yours is just next door. I would knock before going in though. Just to be safe.” Lando said, grinning a bit.
“Wow, these photos look very artistic. Where’d you get them from? I have to get some of those from the photographer.” Oscar said, while looking around the room.
Lando didn’t answer, instead he just went over to his wardrobe and opened it, taking out a box.
“Here you go, you can take how many you’d like, it’s not like I haven’t got them on my computer anyways.”
Turning around Oscar just stood there with his mouth agape, not fully yet realising.
“Wait, you made these? They are absolutely amazing! You could sell these. Wow. I hope you know, I will be using that as an advantage when we are living together.”
“Well then don’t mind me, using you for your cooking. After tonight of course.”
That made Oscar finally look up from the box. He smiled softly, took two pictures and then gave the box back to Lando. Lando could be imagining this, but there was a light pinkness to his cheeks, high on his wonderful cheekbones.
“Well then. I think we should start to get your stuff into Alex- no sorry your room now.” With that Lando broke the silence.
Oscar nodded and then walked behind him out of the room. It would be very difficult living with this man. He was just so nice and so thoughtful and well, Oscar.
Going past Oscar’s bedroom door, which was still closed, Lando knocked and bumped hard on the door for three times. Walking further to the front door, where all of Oscar’s boxes were, he picked the first one up and carried it to the room.
._._._._._._._._._._._.
After moving and emptying boxes the entire afternoon, all four of them collapsed on the sofa and the armchair.
“I never want to move again. Who is ordering take out?” Lando groaned from his weird sitting position, which he was sure will kill him tomorrow.
“Actually, I think Alex and I are going to leave you alone now. We have a cat to feed and I am pretty sure that I will be her next meal if I don’t feed her at the right time you know.” George mumbled from Alex’s lap, who nodded in confirmation.
“Traitors” Lando mouthed to them.
“Well, I’ll get up and get my phone. But you have to tell me what good restaurants there are in the area, all right?” Lando just groaned in response.
With that settled, Alex and George got up and said their goodbyes before leaving. Oscar sat back down on the sofa and then Lando weakly pointed him to the multiple takeout menus on the coffee table.
“Choose one, I am down with anything, as long as it has calories and is not vegan. And no fish please. You’re not vegan or vegetarian right?”
“No. How do you feel about… uhm Italian? If yes, what would you like?”
“Linguine with Bolognese, please. Also if you want to try their Pasta al Limone, that's really really good.” Came the weak answer from Lando.
With a quiet hum Oscar wrote it down on the little notepad and then called the restaurant to order.
While they were waiting for the food, they turned on the TV and put on a show. To no one’s surprise they both fell asleep after about ten minutes in.
._._._._._._._._._._._.
An hour later, Lando was rudely awakened by the door bell. Not wanting to get up, he cuddled further into the warm, firm thing underneath him. When the doorbell rang the second time, the warm thing underneath him groaned.
Wait. How can a sofa groan? Realising this, he basically jumped up, only to be pulled back, because the blanket got caught during their nap. He fell back onto the hard thing.
“Did the door bell ring? I can get it if you want to.” Someone, well more like Oscar, mumbled into his hair. Being too tired to get up, Lando tried to free the blanket, so he could roll over.
“Cheers mate. Would you mind getting plates and cutlery?”
Lando just groaned and mhmed. He quietly got up and shuffled to the kitchen. “Hey Oscar? What do you want to drink? We have Coke, Sprite, Fanta, all sorts of Monster, but I wouldn’t recommend that now, and apple juice.”
Not getting an answer, he was slowly waking up again. Now he realised what really happened before on the couch. Why did he let that happen? Lando knew he talked in his sleep, so now all he could think of was what if he said something stupid while he was asleep?
Trying to snap out of his thoughts, he got the plates and cutlery out of the cupboards.
“Oscar? What do you want to drink? You all right there mate?”
“No need to shout. I’m right here with you in the kitchen.” Lando screamed. Very manly of course. Oscar just chuckled at that.
“What the fuck mate? I can’t have another Alex here! How do you even sneak up on me like that?” Lando said while holding his hand over his heart.
At that Oscar basically folded in half from laughing so hard. ‘I can’t be that funny, right?’ he thought to himself, while starting to dish up the pasta they ordered.
“Oh and by the way, I want the Coke.” Lando turned around and looked perplexed, until Oscar said: “When you asked me earlier? What I wanted to drink?”
"Aah, yeah. Sorry, I don’t think I will be awake at all anymore today. Moving boxes has sucked every last bit of energy out of me.” Lando apologised and then took the plates, while mentioning to Oscar that he should take the drinks, and then moved out of the kitchen to go back to the living room.
“D’you mind if we eat on the sofa? ‘Cause then we can watch TV? If that’s alright with you?”
Oscar hummed appreciatively behind him. When he heard that, Lando walked over to the coffee table and then set down the bowls of Pasta.
Oscar grabbed the TV remote and sat down on the sofa next to Lando. Grabbing his bowl, he turned on the TV and started Lucifer. When Lando took his first bite, he quietly moaned.
Next to him Oscar choked on Pasta. Snapping his neck around and lightly rubbing and hitting Oscar’s back, Lando asked: “Are you alright? Do you need help?”
“No, no. I’m fine, don’t worry about me. Everything is fine. Just fine, yeah.”
Reassuring himself that Oscar was in fact fine, by once again lightly hitting Oscar’s back and then rubbing a small circle on it, before realising what he was doing and then yanking his hand back. Awkwardly settling his hand back on his bowl, he started eating once again.
Throughout the entire meal, Lando glanced at Oscar out of the corner of his eyes. Every once in a while he could feel Oscar’s eyes on him, burning into the side of his own head. Why did he do that? He knew that Oscar was straight. And they haven’t even been roommates for one day.
Very tired, he set down his finished bowl of Pasta and then wrapped the blanket tighter around him. As he continued watching the show, he felt his eyes droop once again.
._._._._._._._._._._._.
When he woke up again, there was light spilling into the room and his neck was bent in a way that was not natural. Groaning, he sat up and rubbed his neck. He opened his eyes and looked at his phone.
On there were 15 messages and 7 missed calls from Alex and George respectively.
Alex
How is it?
Living with Oscar
Are you alive?
Lando
Lando
Lando
If you do not answer me in the next 15 minutes I am coming over
Lando
Okay, this is enough
I am coming over
and I am bringing George
Regina George
I am coming over now
it’s two in the afternoon
you missed brunch
“Oscar? Are you awake? We missed brunch!” Lando yelled into the flat.
When Oscar didn’t answer, Lando got up and walked over to his bedroom door. There he knocked. No answer.
He knocked again.
Still no answer.
He raised his hand to knock again, when the door suddenly opened. In the opened door stood Oscar, still half asleep with mussed hair and tired eyes.
“We missed brunch and Alex and George are on the way over. I hope they are bringing groceries, cause we have nothing except drinks in the fridge.”
Oscar blinked and then slowly nodded.
“Perfect, then I’ll be in the kitchen and I’ll make us coffee.” At the word ‘coffee’ Oscar seemed to perk up and then moved back into his room to seemingly take a shower.
Happy with the ‘answer’ from a very sleepy Oscar, Lando moved into his own en suite bathroom and took a quick shower.
When the water started falling down his body, wetting his hair, all he could think about was that Oscar was also under the shower. Naked. The water running down his upper body, his chiseled abs (He knew this from a pool party. Not from stalking Logan’s Insta. Who posted pictures from the very party. He hadn't looked at them. He hadn’t).
When he noticed the blood rushing south, he immediately turned the water to the coldest setting and then promptly screamed and cursed when it came out cold.
Quickly washing his hair and then getting out of the shower, he put on his clothes and then practically raced to the kitchen to start making coffee.
._._._._._._._._._._._.
When Oscar walked into the kitchen ten minutes later, eyes still half closed, Lando handed him his coffee.
“Don’t burn yourself, it’s still pretty hot.”
Promptly after that, Oscar set down his coffee cup and silently cursed under his breath.
“Already? It hasn't even been a minute! Well, I guess you’re still tired, mate. Better wake up before Alex and George get here. Wait, I forgot to ask you: What do you eat for breakfast? Well, lunch rather in this case.”
“Uhhhmmm, normally just toast with jam or cereal. Coffee’s good by the way.”
Lightly blushing at the praise, Lando was about to say something, when the doorbell rang. Wanting to escape the situation, Lando jumped up and walked towards the door to open it for George and Alex.
“Have you brought groceries?”
“Not even a hello? No ‘nice to see you mate?’” greeted Alex, while taking off his shoes. “But you see, I am a nice and thoughtful friend, so I made George go out and get something for, what have you brought again, love?”
“Tacos and, or burritos. Same filling, but everyone can decide what they want to eat.” George answered while lovingly looking down at his boyfriend and then pecking him on the lips.
“Lando, would you be a dear and bring these bags into the kitchen?” Alex asked, not even looking at him. He was staring at George, so Lando just rolled his eyes, knowing where this was going to end up.
“Oscar, Osc. Will you be a dear and help me cook? Our friends are busy snogging by the door.”
Still not fully awake yet, Oscar stood up from the kitchen aisle and walked around it to help Lando.
“Alright, you can wash the lettuce and make the dips.”
“Sooo, basically everything without a knife.”
“Yeah, mate. I am not trusting with a knife right now. How long does it usually take you to wake up?”
“Fair enough. And well, about an hour. Or longer.”
Chuckling at his answer, Lando handed him the avocados, sour cream, the lettuce and gestured at him to wash them.
“I’ll cut the tomatoes and then you can make the salsa as well, if you don’t mind?”
Oscar just nodded and then they began cooking. While they moved around, it seemed very weird to Lando how quickly they found a perfect rhythm, when they have only been living together for a day. A day.
._._._._._._._._._._._.
After lunch all four of them were sitting around the table, Lando tried very hard to pretend to not notice how Alex was looking at him all the time.
“Lando, I think I’m gonna help you take the dishes back to the kitchen.”
“Cheers, Alex. I don’t think I need your help, but thank you.”
Even though Lando kept on insisting that he didn’t need any help, Alex came with him to the kitchen carrying a stack of plates.
“And? How was the first day? Have you confessed your undying affection yet?” Alex said in a tone Lando couldn’t ignore and then had the audacity to wink at him.
“I don’t know! You know we got takeaway last night, right? Well, after we ordered, we were both so tired and then we fell asleep on the couch. Together. And then when we woke up, the doorbell rang, we were cuddling. Cuddling. And you know how I talk in my sleep? I don’t know if I said something weird in my sleep!”
Lando was properly freaking out now, on the verge of a panic attack. He could feel his chest contracting, the room spinning, his vision unfocusing, his thoughts racing, -
A warm hand on his shoulder, quiet talking. To him? He couldn’t tell. The hand rubbing circles into his shoulder, his back. Then two strong arms engulfed him in a warm hug. Now the soft and quiet words were mumbled directly into his ear.
Thank fuck his brain chose to focus on that at that moment.
“Hey, hey. Focus on my voice. We are in the kitchen, can you still smell the taco filling we made before? Taste the avocados and tomatoes from when you ate?” Slowly calming down, Lando realised the voice murmuring into his ear had a distinct Australian lilt to it.
“Why do you know how to get people out of a panic attack?” Lando said a bit breathy into Oscar’s chest. Which was very firm he noticed. How did his arms end up around Oscar’s back?
“I am interested in Psychology. And I have a younger sister who also had a few panic attacks in my childhood. Are you alright now?”
“Yeah, like 50%. By now I should be used to them anyway. I have anxiety and sometimes like two a week or something. I’m seeing a therapist for them, so do not worry. Well, I’m going to lay down on the sofa now, cause that sucked all of the energy out of me.”
Not even answering, Oscar hugged him a little tighter and then-
“What the fuck? Why’d you pick me up?” Lando shrieked. Very manly of course.
Oscar just shushed him and walked into the living room. Seeing that Alex, whose eyebrows shot up into his hairline when the two of them walked in, and George, who made a similar face and looked at his boyfriend, were still there, Lando blushed hardcore.
“You can set me down now, Oscar. Seriously, I’m fine.” Lando started to lightly hit Oscar’s shoulder, trying to get Oscar to set him down.
But Oscar was apparently hell bent on carrying him to the couch. Noticing that his efforts were useless, Lando sighed and rolled his eyes.
“Fine. But if you want to be ‘helpful’, then please bring me a cuppa and a few biscuits, please?” Lando batted his eyelashes up at Oscar.
Faux offended, Oscar set Lando down on the sofa and went back to the kitchen.
“Hey! Make us two a cuppa as well, black with a splash of milk for both of us!” George shouted after Oscar.
As soon as Oscar was out of sight and earshot, Alex stood up with the speed of light and moved over to the couch.
“What the fuck was that?” Alex whisper-shouted at Lando with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Baby, leave him alone. He’s just had a panic attack and the guy he has a massive crush on just carried him. In his arms. I think he has a lot on his mind already.” George cuts off Alex with an exasperated sigh of a man who knows what’s about to come.
“But babyyy. Remember how we got together? I think because Lando helped us, we need to help Lando, no? I can maybe convince you.”
“Alright, alright, No need to traumatise poor Lando even more. I think he has heard enough of what we did, while you still lived here. I will help you, but only if we don’t directly influence any of them directly, okay?”
Hearing George take Alex’s side, Lando groaned.
“D’you know that sound that goes like: ‘I look to my right, Deji. I look to my left, AJ. These partners stink of poo.’ That’s me right now. You two are uniting against a frail and poor man. Using my feelings against me. Shame on both of you.”
Lando sat up and pointed fingers on the pair.
“Do you even know if he’s into men? Because from my stand, he is perfectly straight and he has a girlfriend, in case you forgot.”
“Well, I don’t think you are informed properly. I know- Oh Oscar, you’re back.”
Looking up he saw Oscar walking back into the living room holding a small tray with four mugs on it.
“Thanks Oscar.” Came the answer in almost perfect sync.
Slightly taken aback by that, he set down the tray on the coffee table next to some wilting flowers that were still from George to Alex. He handed each of them their tea and then went to sit down next to Lando.
Lando carefully nipped at his tea expecting it to be hot, but he then let out a sigh that was very similar to a moan, when he noticed it was at perfect drinking-without-burning-his-tongue-but-still-warm temperature.
“You alright?” Oscar said very quietly next to him.
“Yeah, I mean not mentally but physically. You know you really helped me, thank you. Also thank you for the tea, it’s perfect.”
Oscar just smiled softly and glanced at him.
“Don’t worry, I know how it is to be anxious about things. Do you want to talk about what it was about?”
Lando could feel his ears burning.
“I don’t uh, really like talk about them, if that makes sense? I tried it in the past but it didn’t really uh help me, yeah.”
“No no, that’s fine. Just some people feel comforted when they do it, so..”
Not wanting to continue further, Lando thanked Oscar again and then announced he was going to take a shower.
._._._._._._._._._._._.
Coming back out of his en-suite bathroom, Lando hurries over to his wardrobe to pick out new jogging pants and a warm jumper. He grabbed a random Formula One merch jumper and black, as if he had any others, jogging pants.
Finally warm and cozy again he walked back out to the living room.
“Anybody up for a game of Cluedo? And does anybody else want a hot chocolate or another tea?”
He heard affirmative noises and then walked back to the kitchen to do precisely that. He shouted at his friends to start setting the game up and walked back to the living room five minutes later with four mugs in hand.
The living room looked like the ultimate cosy paradise. All the overhead lights were off and the only light was very dim and warm, some quiet music in the background and George, Alex and Oscar were already sitting around the coffee table on the ground with blankets huddled around them.
“Aaaawww, you look so cute bundled up together like that! Wait, I’ll take a picture of you.”
After snapping a few pictures he also sat down. Next to Oscar, because Alex strategically placed himself next to his boyfriend. Wanker.
“I call dibs on Professor Plum!”
“Fuck you Alex, I wanted him! Fine, then I will take Mrs. Peacock.” Lando said, while pouting slightly. As if trying to comfort him, Oscar put an arm around his shoulders and rubbed his shoulders a few times.
“Who’d you want Oscar? If you don’t want the Colonel then I’ll take him.”
Oscar nodded and took the green figurine.
From there on it just got messier and messier.
Oscar moved closer and closer, so Lando could feel his entire left side being warmed by a furnace.
Accusations were thrown around and in the end it took them over an hour to come to the right solution.
And it was Lando no less who made the right deduction.
“See? I knew it. Professor Plum is always the one!”
Alex and George just rolled their eyes and called him insufferable.
“I think we are going to head home, cause unlike you two, us mere mortals still have to work for a week before christmas holidays are going to start. And tomorrow is Monday, urgh.”
Accompanying the pair to the door, they all said their goodbyes and Lando made them promise to come over on Friday for a game night.
“And bring Max and Charles as well, it’s going to be more fun that way.”
“Should we just invite the whole group? I mean it’s a big living room and four more people would be nice, no? It would be us four, Max and Charles, Logan, Arthur, Kimi and Ollie.”
“Yeah, that’s a great idea. Just tell the others to bring food. And no alcohol! Kimi and Ollie are barely 20, the sweet babies.”, Lando laughed.
“Sounds good, I’ll text the others. Bye mate, see you Friday!”
After hugging them one last time, they left the flat.
Lando took out his phone and looked at the time.
“What do you want for dinner? I think we still have some leftovers from yesterday and today, if you want?”
“Yeah, I can make dinner. I know you had a difficult day today, so I can do it, don’t worry.”
“Cheers, thank you.”
In the kitchen, Lando hopped on the counter and dangled his legs. While Oscar rummaged around the kitchen, Lando could see the muscles in his forearms rippling.
Now he began wondering what the rest of his body looked like. Hard, pronounced abs, big biceps, hard pecs, -
“Lando? I asked if you wanted to share the leftovers?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
A few minutes later, dinner was ready, they took their respective plates and went to the living room.
._._._._._._._._._._._.
Almost in the middle of the night (who are we kidding, it was like 11 pm), Lando woke up. At first he didn’t even know why, but then he heard a quiet sigh through the wall.
Then another.
Another.
Were they moans?
Immediately after that thought crossed his mind, he felt blood rushing south. Even though he was hard, he tried to ignore it, tried to will the images in his mind away of Oscar touching himself, those strong hands running down his abdomen, getting closer and closer-
Almost involuntary, his hand wandered south and he began palming himself through his pyjama pants, searching for a bit of friction. When that wasn’t enough, he spit in his hands and shoved his hands into his pants, before starting to wank.
One hand on his dick, he moved the other one to his move and bit down on his fist to stifle his moans.
Getting closer and closer to the edge, he bit down even harder, but didn’t manage to fully stifle his moan when he finally came.
Blissed out and slightly guilty at having just wanked to his roommate, he quietly got up and went to the bathroom to clean himself up. Only now fully realising what he had done, he almost got another panic attack.
Lying back down in his bed he grabbed his beloved headphones and started listening to a random podcast he found on Spotify.
With time his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, until he finally fell asleep.
._._._._._._._._._._._.
The first thing he did when he woke up was to look at his phone, like the addicted person he was. Noticing it was ‘only’ 8 am, he decided to go out for a coffee and pastries.
Quickly getting dressed and then writing a short note for Oscar that read: I will be at the coffee shop on the corner, don’t make coffee, I’ll bring some for you and some pastries ;), he left the flat.
Quickly walking down the street to the little coffee shop, he almost slipped thrice. Don't get him wrong, he loved the snow, but icy roads? Not so much.
The whole way, he tried to forget what had happened the night before. Hopefully coffee and pastires could snap him out of these feelings.
Finally he walked into the cafe, he was immediately hugged by warmth all around him. He opened his jacket and walked up to the counter. Behind the counter stood a familiar person.
“Morning Lando! How are you? The usual?”
“Morning Carlos! Yes please, but please throw in two additional croissants and a coffee. Three espresso shots. Cheers.”
While waiting for his order to be finished, Lando leaned on the wall next to the counter and looked at his phone, where a few unread messages from Alex were waiting.
Alex
So
what I wanted to tell you yesterday
Lily and Oscar actually broke up like two weeks ago or smt
I only found out bc he told me when we were texting about the flat yk
Lando
wait what
I thought they were like inseperable
damn
I can’t hit on a man with heartbreak tho
also free me
carlos is i think planning to once again give me his phone number
how often do i have to tell him i don’t want him
“Lando, your order’s ready. Enjoy!”
Lando thanked Carlos and then left the coffee shop with the bag in hand. When he was out of sight from the coffee shop, he quickly checked the bag and there it was.
The napkin with Carlos’s number on there. And a note asking, once again, why he hasn’t texted him yet.
He crumpled it up into a ball and dunked it into the next bin.
._._._._._._._._._._._.
Lando opened the door and immediately kicked off his shoes inside. He peeled off his jacket, took off his scarf and beanie and went to the kitchen.
Unsuspecting, he walked into the doorway and then screamed (very manly) when he saw a very tired Oscar sitting on one of the bar stools.
“Holy shit! I definitely didn’t expect you to be awake. Why are you awake?”
“Don’t know. Woke up, when I heard the door close. Coffee?” Oscar looked so hopeful with wide eyes, almost like a puppy.
“Yeah, yeah. No need to panic. Here is your coffee and here are your croissants. Wait, do you even like croissants?”
Without even giving him an answer, Oscar took a sip of his coffee and then immediately bit down into the fluffy dough of the croissant.
“That is so good. Where did you get them?”
“Cafe on the corner. I love their stuff, but I don’t really go there often anymore.”
Receiving a questioning look from Oscar, he answered.
“There’s this one barista, Carlos. He’s been trying to give me his number for like 3 months or something.”
“And he’s never even asked you if you have a boyfriend?”
"Yeah, once. I told him that I did, but he answered: It can’t be that serious when I’ve never seen him before. So I gave up.”
Seemingly lost in his thoughts Oscar sipped on his coffee once again. Not wanting to complain any further, Lando started to clean up the kitchen.
“Oscar? Would you mind putting on some music?”
Now with music in the background, cleaning up was going faster than ever.
Just a few minutes later both of them were screaming the lyrics to some white girl 2000s song. Looking each other in the eyes, getting closer and closer, Lando stopped screaming the lyrics and just stared up at Oscar, a blush blooming on his cheeks.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Lando almost rushed to turn down the music a bit. Fuck that was close, he needed to let Oscar get over his heartbreak, not hit on him.
“Hey, I just remembered: We still need a Christmas tree. Do you want to go Christmas tree shopping today in the afternoon?”
“Yeah, uhm sure. Do you know any good places? I always kind of let Logan go.”
“Yeah, we can get ours from the Camden Garden Centre, it’s close to the Tube, yeah.” Lando nodded.
“Then we’ll do that.”
._._._._._._._._._._._.
A few hours later they got off at Camden Road and then walked out into the cold. Immediately Lando began rubbing his hands together and pulling his beanie further down and tying his scarf tighter.
“Urgh, why does it have to be so cold? I mean don’t get me wrong, I love snow and winter and all that, but the cold? No thank you.”
“You can have my jumper if you want to. I’ve got a long sleeve shirt under and my coat’s pretty warm. Also I don't really get that cold.”
“Oh my god, you would do that? Thank you so much Oscar. Wait, we’ll go into that cafe and grab a hot chocolate and then we can change clothes.”
Walking into that cafe, Lando quickly pulled off his jacket and held out his hands to Oscar.
“Alright, alright. Here you go.”
When Oscar pulled off his jumper, his shirt rode up and yes, Lando’s imagination had been right. Oscar did have cracking hard abs. He felt his ears and his cheeks warming up and then got pulled out of his stupor when Oscar held the jumper out to him.
“Cheers. I’ll get some hot chocolate from the counter. D’you want whipped cream?” Seeing Oscar nod in confirmation, Lando went up to the counter, ordered it and then paid.
Two minutes later he went back to Oscar with both of their drinks in hand. He handed both of them to him and then put his beanie and scarf back on.
Outside in the cold, Lando took his drink back and then took a sip. Very much approving of this and telling Oscar about exactly that, they began discussing which hot chocolate was the best.
This discussion continued until they reached the Garden Centre.
Inside they were greeted with a very cozy atmosphere. Christmas trees lining the walls, a slight hum of the people around them and the air smelled wonderfully, like they were in a forest.
Almost immediately there was an employee who showed them around and then helped them pick one out.
“Also, since it’s almost Christmas, everyone gets a free mistletoe as a present from us. Enjoy your tree and happy holidays!”
Lando was about to protest when the employee was already being whisked away by some other people.
“Lando? Come on, we need to go, you take the front of the tree, I’ll take the back.”
._._._._._._._._._._._.
When they walked into the front door, Lando noticed something.
“Oscar, we can’t fit the Christmas tree into the lift. We have to carry it upstairs.”
The walk upstairs was crucial.
Inside the flat, Lando quickly helped Oscar to drag the tree through the flat. Once inside the living room, Lando collapsed on the couch, with his jacket and all. He could feel the headache that had been blooming behind his temples, flaming up like hell. He was also weirdly tired from just carrying a Christmas tree.
Seeing this, Oscar chuckled lightly.
“You don’t want to help me put up the tree?”
Lando just groaned.
“At least take off your jacket and shoes, alright? I’ll help you.”
Lando just raised his arms and Oscar gently sat down next to him on the sofa.
“Come on, you need to help me a little bit, at least.”
He sighed loudly and then sat up, so Oscar could help him take his jacket and shoes off. When they were finally off, Lando sank back into the cushions of the sofa.
“Oscar? Osc? I’m going to help you decorate the flat, okay? Just give me like five minutes.” Lando said to Oscar, who just came back into the living room.
“Yeah, yeah, no worries. Your face is weirdly red. Wait, let me check your temperature.” Lando rolled over to his side and then Oscar’s warm and soft hand came up to his forehead to touch it lightly. “Oh. Wait here for a second, I’ll be right back, alright?”
Two minutes later Lando heard the kettle being put on and a mug being taken out from the cupboard. Quiet footsteps came closer and then there was a soft hand on his shoulder.
“Lando? Come on, here. Can you take your own temperature or should I help you? Hey, hey. I’ll help you get to your bedroom, alright?”
Heaving himself up, Oscar immediately reached under his arms to grab him and prevent him from falling. They continued to the door of the living room that way, Oscar almost starting to carry Lando again. Lando insisted multiple times, he could walk fine (he couldn’t, he just didn’t want to admit it).
Almost falling multiple times, because now he was getting properly dizzy, he finally gave in.
“Fine. You can carry me, but only because I’m cold and you’re warm. And I’m cold. And I am getting tired.” Lando finally huffed. He really didn’t want to be carried. He really didn’t want to. But Oscar had such big arms. And he was strong.
In his bedroom Oscar let him down again and then went over to his wardrobe in the corner and got out a pair of jogging pants and a fresh jumper.
“Come on, change. In the meantime I’ll finish your tea.”
So Lando began. Pulling off Oscar’s jumper first, he held it out to Oscar, but he just said: “Put it all in a pile, we’ll have to wash everything anyways.”
Slowly getting undressed and then getting into the fresh clothes as quickly as possible, he went to lie down in his bed. Soon after Oscar walked in holding a steaming mug of hibiscus tea.
“I put a shit ton of honey in it. What’s your temperature?”
“I haven’t even taken it yet. Wait a second… uhhh, 38.5”
“Well, fuck. I think you might have the flu. It’s still before five thirty, so I’ll quickly go to a pharmacy and then I’ll pop into Tesco’s on the way back to get something for a chicken soup. I’ll be gone for like 20 minutes, thirty maximum. Will you be alright?”
Lando just nodded, which led to a bad spike of pain in his temples. Slightly groaning, he sank further into his pillows and then, after making sure he was alright, Oscar took off.
After he heard the door fall shut, he took his phone from his nightstand, he called Alex.
“Hey mate. What's up?”
“I think I caught the flu. I have a fever and Oscar’s popped down to the pharmacy and then afterwards to Tesco’s.”
“Well that’s not good. How sweet of him though.”
“Don’t be a dick. You’ve done that for me.”
“Yeah, I know. How’s it going by the way? You holding up okay? Have you slept?”
“Not really good, but yeah. At least I now sleep for like 8 hours again. Anyways, I just wanted to call you and tell you that, because I think I will be going to sleep soon. I have a fever and I’m getting really, really tired.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll have Oscar text me about how you’re doing. Sleep well. Also, love from George.”
Lando said goodbye and then sank back into the pillows while simultaneously closing his eyes.
._._._._._._._._._._._.
Lando was woken up from a soft hand touching his forehead and the smell of soup drifting into his nose.
“Hey, I made you soup. Oh god, you’re burning up like crazy. Come on now, sit up.”
“I’m not hungry.” Lando rasped.
Oscar looked slightly concerned at his voice. Without saying anything he held the mug still full of tea out to Lando.
“Here, drink that. And then eat some soup, I’ll bring you the medication you have to take according to the pharmacist. Give me a second.”
Lando tried to sit up but Oscar was already there to help him. He was handed a plate, a mug and a handful of pills. He ate a bit, drank a bit and took the medicine.
._._._._._._._._._._._.
The following days were hazy. He slipped in and out of sleep and almost every time, Oscar was there.
Waiting.
Handing him tea.
Feeding him a bit of soup.
One time even reading something to him.
The first day, where he felt even remotely fine, was Thursday. He woke up in the morning feeling like shit, but at least he could sit up without Oscar’s help.
“Oscar? I’m awake!” He rasped.
“Good morning. How are you feeling?”
“Better, I think my fever’s gone down. My throat still hurts like hell though.” Lando rasped out.
Oscar got up and then seemingly went to the kitchen to make him some tea.
Very slowly Lando got up and walked to the kitchen. There he sat on one of the bar stools. He and Oscar drank their teas in relative silence.
Afterwards Lando went back to bed.
Over the course of the day he continued to feel better. He still felt weak but better.
For dinner there was once again soup and Oscar asked him if the boardgame evening was still on.
“Of course! Just maybe let’s do it on Saturday, I’ll probably feel better by then.”
Oscar agreed and texted the group chat about the change of plans.
._._._._._._._._._._._.
Friday came and Lando already felt way better.
That morning he could convince Oscar to go to the bakery and get them croissants.
“See, I’ll even come with you, but come with me. Please?”
He even batted his lashes. God he was pathetic. 3 months ago he told Alex about this crush, but it started like two or three months earlier at a party.
Shaking of a weird feeling, which was basically just a chorus of voices chanting ‘tell him! Don't tell him!’
Carefully putting on as many layers as possible, Lando got offered the arm of Oscar.
At first he didn’t want to take it, but after a few metres, he could still feel the effects the flu had had on him. So he hooked his arm around Oscars and then they continued their walk to the cafe.
When they walked inside, Lando suggested, they sit down and not take their coffees to-go.
“Yeah, alright. You have the say in that, considering you were still sick two days ago.”
They looked for a good table and then discovered one that was in some kind of nook, almost a bit hidden. Arriving there and then sitting down, they both simultaneously grabbed for the menu.
Their hands touched and neither of them moved away for a second. Or was it two? Maybe even three?
Lando couldn’t say.
Almost shy he looked up at Oscar, who was already staring at him.
Opening his mouth to say something, he was rudely interrupted by a girl clearing her throat.
Blushing, he snatched his hand away and then looked at Oscar, asking him what he wanted to order.
As expected he took a strong coffee with lots of sugar. Deciding that coffee probably wasn’t the smartest idea, considering his throat, he ordered a cuppa instead.
And croissants of course.
The waitress left to go to the counter and Lando turned back around to Oscar.
“Hey, Osc? Could you do me a favour?”
“Yeah, of course. What is it?”
Lando hesitated before answering.
“You know the guy I told you about, Carlos? As I said, he works here and I want him to stop giving me his number, so can you maybe, I don’t know, uhm, pretend to, uh, be my boyfriend, if he comes up to us and asks?”
Lando fidgeted nervously while waiting for Oscar’s response.
“Yeah, sure. But you kinda owe me for that.” Oscar said jokingly.
“Of course, whatever you want.”
Lando smiled gracefully at Oscar, when he noticed Oscar’s eyes going slightly dark. Slightly confused, Lando turned around, sighed and rolled his eyes.
Carlos stood there with a tray.
"Hey there Lando! How are you? Not alone today?” Carlos sounded far too cheery.
“He is alright, thanks. Good observation by the way.” Oscar said, sounding very clipped.
“And who are you?”
“His boyfriend. And you?”
“Uhm, uh, just a uhm. Nobody. Here’s your order. Would you like to pay now?”
Lando began to reach for his wallet, but Oscar lightly touched his wrist and stopped him.
“Hey, I’m going to pay, baby. Don’t worry.”
“Aaaww, thank you.”
Oscar just put an arm around his shoulder and squeezed him close.
Lando could feel his heart racing and his cheeks flaming up.
Carlos left after Oscar paid, looking a bit deflected.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Lando observed Oscar’s reaction and noticed that Oscar looked almost smug.
._._._._._._._._._._._.
The rest of Friday they just sank deeper and deeper into the couch cushions while watching way too many episodes of Brooklyn Nine Nine and Lucifer.
“What should we do for food?” Lando mumbled around a biscuit in his mouth.
“I think I’m just going to text the others and tell them they should each bring something to eat. Then we don’t have to get up and leave the flat tomorrow.” Oscar mumbled back. This time around a piece of half dry croissant though.
Lando hummed and then let his eyes fall closed.
When he woke up again, Oscar had his arm around him and Lando had his head on Oscar’s chest.
A very firm and muscular chest, Lando noticed.
The TV was glowing softly in the background and some episode of Brooklyn Nine Nine was playing.
Lando turned his head and saw that Oscar was sleeping as well.
He looked younger, his silhouette softer. Kissable almost.
Turning away again, he picked up the remote, shut off the TV and then went back to sleep on Oscar’s chest.
In the morning Lando fully expected to wake up on the couch, but found himself in his bed.
But not alone.
There was an arm wrapped around his waist and soft breathing on his neck. He looked at his phone and saw the time. ‘Only 7 am?’
Trying to get more comfortable, he wiggled around a bit. Instinctively Oscar’s arm tightened around him. Giving up, he got comfortable as he was laying and closed his eyes again.
This was most definitely a problem for future-Lando.
A little bit later he woke up from the smell of coffee hitting his nose. He carefully opened his eyes and then turned around to see Oscar still laying there, sound asleep. He was snoring very softly now. Cute.
If it wasn’t Oscar who had made the coffee, then who the fuck was in the flat?
He tried to wake Oscar up, but that was not possible. Like at all. So he made the next logical thing and wiggled out of the hold Oscar had him in.
Carefully taking a big book, he walked out of his bedroom door, over to the kitchen. Next to the doorway, still hidden from the people inside, he raised the book above his head and then ran into the kitchen screaming.
Still screaming he ran towards one of the people and wanted to hit them, but then: “Alex? George? What are you doing here?”
Still screaming, Alex slowly realised that Lando wasn’t going to hit them.
“What the fuck, mate! I texted you!”
“When?! I was asleep until like five minutes ago!”
“Like an hour ago! You didn’t answer me and Oscar didn’t as well, so I thought, I’d come by to help you set everything up. I mean when are the rest coming? In like an hour or something?”
What did he mean by that, an hour?
“Fuck, did we oversleep again?”
Alex nodded and then raised an eyebrow at him. Not wanting to explain, Lando waved him off and then rushed back to his room, where Oscar was sitting in the bed, still half asleep.
Lando ushered him to his own room, explaining the situation to him. Oscar looked so sad, having to leave Lando’s bed, Lando hugged him, as soon as he got up.
“I know, you don’t want to get up, but we have to shower. You are a very good cuddler by the way.”
That seemed to brighten up Oscar’s spirits a bit and he then went to his bathroom almost willingly.
So Lando took a shower as well. Not wanting to think too much about all of the cuddling, he finished as quickly as possible and then walked back out.
._._._._._._._._._._._.
Finally all of their friends arrived and they settled down in the living room around the coffee table.
The group decided to start the afternoon with a few rounds of Cluedo, but as they were so many people, they had to play in teams. George and Alex were one, as were Max and Charles, and Kimi and Ollie. Logan surprisingly didn't choose Oscar as his partner, but laid an arm around Arthur.
New development.
So Lando and Oscar had to be a team.
They set up the board game and then chaos exploded.
The rest of the afternoon and then evening continued in that manner and at around eight all of the others slowly left.
When all of the others were gone, Lando and Oscar migrated back to the couch.
They turned on the TV and continued watching some series that Lando didn’t pay attention to. He was gathering up the courage to finally address the elephant in the room, when Oscar started to speak next to him.
“Hey, Lando? I think we have to talk, don’t you think?”
Lando just mhmed a little anxiously and then waited for Oscar to continue.
Oscar stuttered a little and then took a deep breath.
“Lando. I uh, have to tell you something. I’ve been trying to tell for a long while actually.”
“Actually, so do I. Uhm, I don’t really know how to tell you-”
Lando got rudely interrupted by Oscar leaning over and stopping just before his face. He looked into his eyes and apparently saw whatever he wanted to see and moved forward the last few millimetres.
At the first touch of Oscar’s lips on his, Lando’s brain actually short circuited.
When Oscar kept kissing him and only then Lando remembered he had to also kiss Oscar back.
And holy fuck, he didn’t think it could get any better than it already was. Their kissing turned more and more heated, until Oscar moved Lando down onto the couch.
Only held up by one of his elbows, Oscar managed to take off his shirt and Lando’s as well.
“Damn, I didn’t know you looked this good!” Oscar panted.
“Well, tell yourself!” Lando breathed heavily, while Oscar started to kiss down his neck.
When Oscar found a specific spot behind his ear, Lando moaned. Very loudly.
He could feel Oscar’s dick twitching on his thigh and couldn’t stop his hips bucking up a little bit.
“Eager are we?” Oscar smirked down at Lando.
Lando flushed an even deeper red and yelped a little when Oscar suddenly picked him up again.
Afraid he was going to fall, Lando wrapped his legs around Oscar’s waist. They continued to make out all the way to Oscar’s bedroom.
Oscar moved his arm and grabbed Lando’s ass, so he would have a free hand to open the door. Inside Oscar walked them over to his bed and then set Lando down on the bed very gently.
Panting, Lando looked up at Oscar through hooded eyes.
“Are we really doing this? If yes, then please get on top of me. Like right now.”
Oscar complied and crawled on top of him with the speed of light.
Lando reached up and cupped Oscar’s face to pull him down and kiss him. Their tongues intertwined and danced.
Lando’s hands moved from Oscar’s face, to run up and down his sides.
“If I don’t take off my trousers like right now, I think my dick is going to burst through my pants and my jeans.” Oscar said while breathing very heavily.
“Well, then don’t let me stop you. Also please take mine off aswell.”
Oscar moved off of Lando for a short second to take both of their jogging pants and underpants, while Lando watched both of their cocks spring free.
When he finally saw Oscar in all of his naked glory, a big, fat shiver ran down his spine.
“I know I said, damn before, but oh god damn, you look really good. Also come here, I want you to fuck me.”
As soon as he heard that, Oscar was back on Lando in an instant. Kissing him hard and bruising, Oscar grabbed for his nightstand and took lube and a condom out of the top drawer.
He squeezed some lube onto his fingers and then let his hands wander between Lando’s legs. He slightly rimmed Lando’s hole and immediately lured a moan out of him.
When the first finger entered him, Lando threw his head back and moaned even louder.
Very carefully and mind-wreckingly slow Oscar prepped him. First adding a second finger and gently scissoring them, he then added a third finger. Moaning louder and louder, Lando suddenly saw stars, when Oscar curled his fingers and found his prostate.
“I, aaah, swear to fucking god, if you don’t, aah, get your dick in me soon, I’m going to come.” Lando panted.
Oscar chuckled and then pulled his fingers out of Lando. Chasing after the sensation Lando lightly bucked his hips and whined.
“Hey, hey. I’ll be quick.”
Oscar rolled the condom on his hard dick. Oscar threw one of Lando’s legs over his shoulders and wrapped the other one around his waist. He lined himself up with Lando’s hole and looked at Lando for reassurance.
“Can I?”
“Yes, yes. Now please get your dick inside me!”
Slowly Oscar pushed himself inside of Lando and then bottomed out, his dick flush with Lando’s arse.
He then started to slowly grind, which immediately caused Lando to moan again.
When Oscar continued to, well, not move, Lando began to clench around Oscar’s dick to get some kind of stimulation.
That was the first time Lando heard Oscar moan. It was a very deep and throaty moan that sent a shiver through Lando’s entire body.
“Is it alright, if I move now?” Oscar said, seemingly calm, only betrayed by his voice, which sounded a bit breathy.
Lando nodded very enthusiastically and tried to say something, which turned into a moan, because Oscar started to slam into him.
Even Oscar started to moan properly at the pace he was going at.
Lifting Lando’s back further off the bed, Oscar’s dick was now hitting his prostate with every thrust.
A long string of Oh, Oscar, yeah, right there! and Fuck Lando you look so good right now came out of their mouths.
Heat started to pool in Lando’s lower abdomen.
“I think I’m not going to last long if you keep up that pace.” Lando panted.
“Well, me neither. Fuck, you look very beautiful like that.” Oscar panted back.
Continuing with an absolutely brutal pace while also taking Lando‘s dick into his hands and jerking him off, Oscar only managed a few more thrusts before his hips stuttered and Oscar came.
Seeing the expression on Oscar’s face, made Lando fall over the edge and come all over his abs, chest and Oscar‘s hand.
Pulling out of Lando, Oscar collapsed on top of him and pressed a kiss to Lando's chest.
“So, how long? You rudely interrupted me, before I could tell you.”
“Well, for like half a year? It was at that time we went out to the uni pub?”
“Well, looks like we wasted half a year, not doing that.”
They both chuckled and hummed.
“Come on, we should get cleaned up. Let’s have a shower.”
Very reluctantly Lando let himself be pulled out of bed and followed Oscar to his en-suite. They both jammed themselves in the shower and, while waiting for the water to get warm, started kissing softly again.
They moved under the warm spray and Oscar started to carefully wash Lando and his hair. He smiled up softly at him.
After stepping out of the shower, they fell back into Oscar’s bed again, only this time, they fell asleep. And this time the cuddling was intentional.
._._._._._._._._._._._.
Epilogue (One and a half years later)
“Baby? Come on, we need to leave for Ollie’s party!”
“Give me a second, Osc! My curls need to be perfect!”
Lando frantically tried to fix his curls in the mirror, when he noticed Oscar standing in the doorway. He dropped his hands and turned around.
Pushing off of the doorway, Oscar walked over.
“Darling, you look perfect.”
“You’re just saying that! Mpfh-”
Almost instantly melting, still after five months by the way, when Oscar kissed him, Lando moved away after a few seconds.
“We don’t have time, we need to leave like now! Are you sure my curls look perfect?”
Oscar, who Lando was sure was used to that by now, nodded patiently and then led Lando to the front door.
The entire way to the bar Lando talked and Oscar listened. Every now and then Oscar threw in a mhm or of course, what was she thinking?, all while having an arm around Lando's shoulder and pressing a kiss to the top of his head every now and then.
Walking into the restaurant, Lando saw the others in a booth in the back and ushered Oscar over.
Being loudly greeted by their already slightly tipsy friends, they sat down wherever there was space and just like that Lando ended up next to Alex, who looked slightly horrified at Logan and Arthur, who were full on making out next to him.
“How long has it been like that?”
Alex just shrugged.
“How’s it going with Oscar?”
Lando just smiled and blushed slightly.
“Very good, thank you. How’s things with George, now that you’re getting married in a few weeks?”
“Also very good.”
Lando looked over at Oscar and saw that he was already looking over, with so much love in his eyes.
Next to Oscar, Kimi and Ollie were looking into each other's eyes and looking like the teenagers (who are we kidding they were both over twenty) in love that they were.
Lando was very much looking forward to the future and the wedding, not knowing that deep in their sock drawer was an engagement ring hidden for him.