Chapter Text
“For fuck’s sake,” Lando muttered as he exited the building, frustrated.
Sixth apartment viewing of the day and it was the same thing over and over again. ‘You only have an offer letter’ or ‘you don’t make enough to cover 6 months of rent’, as if him starting work now or in two weeks would make any difference. However, he did need to have a place in Monaco to actually go to work.
And that viewing was his last hope. It was Lando’s third time coming to Monaco to find a place, never did he thought it would be that hard. He felt like he had called and seen every places he could afford.
As he walked without purpose on the streets, the phone in his pocket buzzed.
“Yes,” Lando answered, annoyance clear in his tone.
“So? How did it go?” The voice asked on the other side.
“How do you think, Max?” he sighed, kicking the ground. “They keep saying the same shit,”
“Fuck.” There was a silence for a bit, neither of them knowing what to say. “We’ll found a solution, Lando.”
“I don’t know… I’ve spent the last month going through every websites on the planet to find a place.” He pitched the bridge of his nose. “Maybe you should hire someone else. And I’ll search for a job in the UK,”
“Hell, no!” Max yelled, making Lando pull the phone away from his ear. “I want to live this adventure with you. Plus, I know you’re extra good at what you do and I’ll never trust someone more for this project than you,”
“I know… But I’m kinda out of options.” Lando couldn’t hide the disappointment in his voice.
Max and Lando have been talking about working together for Quadrant for over a year now, as Lando was finishing up his degree in media communications. It was a clear slap back to reality when he had to face the horror of finding a place in Monaco, where the company’s office was.
“Give me a few days. I’ll find something.” Lando stopped in his tracks and raised an eyebrow at his best friend’s words.
“What are you gonna do?”
“I’ll make a few phone calls. Don’t worry, okay?” Lando couldn’t help but be suspicious. “I’ll see you tonight,”
“Yeah, yeah, okay.” He hung up the phone and shoved it back into his pocket.
Max’s couch could be a solution but it cannot be a forever one. And honestly, the couch was so bad Lando went home with a stiff neck every time. He wanted this job more than anything but it was starting to feel like the universe was against him.
Lando walked back to Max’s place to clear his head a little. Once there, he opened his laptop and scrolled through endless apartment listings. Nothing he had not already seen or that he could afford.
Fuck this rich boy place.
It’s not like Lando didn’t have money, he just didn’t have Monaco level of money. Hopefully, after getting an actually first job with his degree, he could get there. Quadrant had been taking off for a year now, getting a steady amount of customers and growing its audience while landing really big sponsorships. Lando just wanted to leave his mark on the world and he hoped Quadrant would be the way to do it.
“Hello, mate.” Max walked through the door a few hours after Lando, throwing his keys into the ceramic bowl on the counter, startling him.
“Hey.” He got up from the couch to meet his friend at the entrance.
“I got great news!” Max clapped his hands, clearly satisfied with whatever he was about the tell Lando. “I found you a place to live,”
“What? How?” Lando got pulled into a hug, as he was barely registering the news.
“You know how we’ve been working with Oscar for a while now?” Max headed towards the kitchen and Lando followed him, eager to know how he managed to solve the unsolvable to him.
“Yeah, the racing driver.” Max knew him from back when he was still racing but Lando didn’t quite understand how his living situation had anything to do with him.
“Well, we had a meeting with him today.” Max grabbed a glass from the cupboard and turned back to Lando. “So I took the liberty of mentioning your living situation to him.”
“And?” He wasn’t seeing the point Max was trying to make yet.
“Well,” Max stepped forward to lean on the counter in front of Lando. “He’s travelling a lot, so his place here is empty most of the time. He said you could live there,”
“What!?”
This idea was the boldest and stupidest one Max had had in all the years Lando had known him. He wasn’t going to live in a guy’s apartment he didn’t even know, how would that even work? He just finished uni, no way he was going to share a place with another guy again. An F1 driver nonetheless, their lifestyles are probably miles away from each other.
“Listen, I know this isn’t ideal- you want your own space and everything. But I’m sure you and Oscar would get along. And he’ll barely be home!”
“The fuck you mean, ‘he’ll barely be home’?” Lando rolled his eyes at the idea. “I can’t believe you asked a guy you work with to let me stay at his place.”
He put his head in his hands in disbelief. As much as Max was trying to help him, he felt humiliated. He couldn’t even find a place to live by himself, which was already hard enough but now he has to deal with a millionaire taking pity on him. Maybe he should just give up and find a job in the UK after all.
“He’s free tomorrow to meet up and show you the place.” Max moved around the kitchen island to put a hand on Lando’s shoulder. “At least, give this a shot and if you really don’t feel comfortable afterwards, you can say no.”
He raised his head from his hands to look back at his best friend. He questioned it for a few more seconds, still unsure about what he was getting himself into.
“Yeah, okay,” he finally said almost in defeat. “But it’s only because I know you’re trying to help. And because it’s my last resort.” He pointed a harmless menacing finger at Max’s chest to let him know that if anything goes wrong, it’s on him.
“Also because this is a fantastic idea,” Max grinned.
“We’ll see about that,” Lando mumbled under his breath.
As soon as Lando opened his eyes the next day, he had regretted his decision. One, because he didn’t see this working out. He loved the idea of finally having his own space and the freedom of doing whatever he wants in it. He hated how restrictive it felt when he was in his uni dorm. Sharing the place, not making a mess, his stuff being mixed with someone else’s… He had done it and didn’t feel the need to repeat it.
Second, because he was nervous as hell about meeting Oscar. He doesn’t even know how they had never crossed path before, as Oscar and Max had known each other for years and Oscar had been a brand ambassador for Quadrant for a while now. Lando couldn’t help but think he was taking pity on him and he didn’t need anyone’s pity.
Max had arranged for them to meet Oscar during his lunch break. He was ready one hour before leaving, frenetically walking around the living room. 5 minutes went by. Then 10.
You know what, fuck it.
Lando grabbed his keys and left the apartment without second guessing himself. He wasn’t gonna spend an hour spiraling about this, so he was gonna walk. Monaco isn’t that big, if he left right now he’ll probably make it in time to meet Max at his office. At least, getting some air and walking will help keep his mind quiet.
As he stepped outside the building, the sound of cars driving by and the busy streets from lunch time immediately distracted him. He pulled out his phone to check which way he should be going and how long it was going to take.
35 minutes, perfect. He’ll be early but better early than late. And he’ll be with Max, not alone with his thoughts.
He puts his earbuds on and started walking towards the Quadrant office. Monaco really was a special place on earth, in every way possible. Whatever street you were walking in, there will be some kind of luxury. Whether it was a car, a house or a shop, you’ll always have something that will make your mouth drop. He wondered if people got used to it and sighed. He is saying this now but after 6 months of living here, he might not pay any attention to it anymore.
He arrived earlier than his gps had predicted. He entered the building and went straight to the elevator, pressing the button with the number 3 on it. As he stepped out of it, he was instantly met by his best friend.
“Hey! Didn’t expect you to be here so soon,” Max said in surprise as Lando shrugged. “You were spiraling weren’t you?”
“I walked here. It helped.” Max knew Lando better than Lando knew himself sometimes.
“It’ll be fine I promise.” He walked towards his desk and Lando followed, greeting the rest of the team as he walked through the office. “I just have something to wrap up real quick and we’ll go.”
Lando nodded, leaning against his office’s doorframe. “Where is his place?” He realized he didn’t even ask.
“Near the church, I think.”
Max closed his laptop and grabbed his jacket that was on the back of his chair.
“Let’s go.” He placed a hand on Lando’s shoulder and they went to the car park.
The ride to Oscar’s place was quiet, pop music from the radio faintly coming through the speakers. Not even 10 minutes later, Max parked in a small carpark across the street and texted Oscar that they were here.
As he got out of the car, Lando took a moment to look around. You could see the turquoise sea beyond the carpack and when the street fell silent for a moment, the sound of the waves echoed between the buildings. Behind him, a white building with balconies and what seemed to be floor to ceiling windows. It wasn’t like any of the places he had visited, this one clearly above his price range.
They waited at the entrance for Oscar. Lando could feel his palms getting sweaty and wiped them on the side of his jean. The glass door opened with a grating sound that made his heart jump and they both turned towards the noise as Oscar appeared in the frame.
“Hey, mate,” Max greeted.
“Hey,” Oscar said as they joined hands.
“This is Lando,” Max gestured towards him. “Who’s been getting migraines about finding a place around here.”
“Hi,” they both said at the same time before shaking hands. Hopefully his weren’t too sweaty.
“Yeah, I bet it’s not easy.” Oscar smiled softly at him before leading them inside.
The hall was small at first but came out on larger room with two elevators and multiple doors. The three of them got into one of the elevators, decorated with shiny brown wood and a big mirror. Max and Oscar were talking but Lando too busy analyzing the place to listen, their voices just background noises. The entrance alone screamed expensive, far from Lando’s pitiful building during his uni years. Here, everything was immaculate and sophisticated.
“The apartment is on the fourth floor.” Oscar pressed the button before turning to Lando. “It’s always been pretty calm, every time I’m here at least.”
He nodded as the elevator door opened and they got out, heading towards the left side of the corridor. Oscar’s door was at the very end, not that there were many other doors on the floor anyway. They followed him inside, revealing a bright apartment, thanks to the floor to ceiling windows as Lando had suspected earlier.
Oscar showed them the different rooms, the whole apartment was modern, not as insanely big as he had imagined but certainly miles away from the places he had visited before.
“This is the second bedroom.” Oscar opened the door and Lando could not believe this was a bedroom. It was probably the size of a one-room flat, with it’s own bathroom and plenty of space to set up a bed and an desk. He could already see the layout in his mind.
“Wow- this room is bigger than some of the flats I’ve lived in,” he said as his eyes was still scanning the empty space.
Oscar laughed softly, “My bedroom’s on the other side.” He pointed towards a door across the living room.
Lando took a moment to take the place in. Maybe this could work, the bedroom was big enough for him to have his own space, plus, no bathroom sharing which was always a good thing. Oscar offered them something to drink and they all sat around the kitchen island.
“How many places have you seen?” Oscar asked as he was setting their beverages down in front of them.
“15 I think?” He had lost track long ago, he probably made over a hundred phone calls and only a few of them turned into actually showings. “If you don't make 55 grand a year they won’t even consider you,”
“Yeah, that tracks.” Oscar took a sip of his drink. “Well, if you like the place, it’s yours. I mean- I’ll still be here like once a month, so I guess we’ll kind of be roommates.” He shrugged with a smile spreading across his face.
He couldn’t understand what motivated Oscar to do this, but there was clearly no pity on his side. He needed a place to stay and someone was offering him one, maybe it shouldn’t more complicated than that. Lando was already picturing himself in the flat anyway and the place was really nice.
“I’m not sure this is an offer I can refuse.” He shoot back a grin at Oscar.
“See! I told you this would work out.” Max tapped his shoulder in enthusiasm.
Lando was overwhelmed. The movers had basically dropped everything he owned and didn’t know which box to open first. Clothes was his first pick but he realised he had too many boxes of it and he would just spend the whole afternoon unpacking them. Bathroom stuff was the easy option, it was one box. It took 5 minutes and then it was back to the initial problem.
He wondered how he could have so many stuff when he had spend the last five years living in the smallest flat at uni. His room was filling with boxes and there were more in the living room.
He sighed. One day, his lack of organisation will kill him.
“Need help?”
Lando snapped his head to see Oscar standing at his bedroom’s door.
“I have no idea where to start,” he chuckled. It was such a silly problem to have but his brain wasn’t working with him today.
“You should start by the things you use the most,” he said, looking around at all the boxes.
“I already did the bathroom,” he searched around the other boxes around him for what else he would need. “Computer!”
“I would have said clothes first,” Oscar giggled.
“I have like 20 boxes of clothes.” He gestured to the pile next to his dressing. “No way that’s first,”
“You use your computer that much?”
“Yeah! I stream sometimes,” Lando grinned, proud of his side hustle.
“Really?”
“Yeah, we have a team of content creators at Quadrant and I join them sometimes.” He shrugged, opening the first box that had ‘computer’ written over it.
“I’ll have to see that,”
“You’re a welcomed guest anytime,” Lando said, knowing deep down it wasn’t really Oscar’s playground.
As Lando was busy with his computer set up, Oscar had offered to built his desk. And he was glad he did because he was done in 20 minutes when it would have taken Lando much longer. It did take him an hour to take it down, building wasn’t really his strong suit.
To celebrate Lando finally moving to Monaco, Oscar invited him and Max to dinner in a restaurant he said was the best in town. This one evening was all it took for Lando to feel like maybe he could fit in, in a world that always seemed a little intimidating to him. With Max by his side supporting him and with Oscar that was so welcoming.
Lando was managing his new job at Quadrant amazingly, like he was born for this role and to have his best friend along with him in this new chapter was so much fun. He was bringing a fresh look to the table and had so many ideas to push the brand to the top.
Settling in at Oscar’s place also went well. They saw each other for a day before he left and it was weird for Lando to be alone in a place that wasn’t totally his. At least, he had the space to find his feet on his own.
He liked it here, it really felt like a home, a safe place. He still texted Oscar from time to time about where some kitchenware were, or how the washing machine worked because there were they so many buttons just to wash clothes. Turned out Oscar didn’t know either and just always put on the same setting. However, Lando made a point not to bother him too much during race weekends as he know he needed to focus.
Which is why he was surprised when Oscar randomly texted him on a saturday night, as he was getting ready to go out with Max and a few of his friends.
Oscar 21:12
Are you settling in fine in the apartment?
Lando blinked twice at the screen. He was surprised but pleased as he knew how important it was that Oscar and him got along for this roommates situation to work. He unlocked his phone and carefully typed in the words.
Lando 21:15
i am! already starting to feel like home :)
He questioned the emoji, but he always send emojis so why would that change here.
Oscar 21:15
I’m glad!
Anything planned for the weekend?
The response came in seconds which made him give up his mission of styling his hair.
Lando 21:16
yeah, going out with max tonight 🕺
His text was immediately marked as read. He frowned, did Oscar had nothing better to do than text him? Having Oscar’s full attention was nerve-racking. He didn’t really picture Oscar as a fast responder, yet he seemed to be waiting for Lando’s answers.
Oscar 21:16
Oh, nice. Have a safe night out then :)
Lando 21:16
thanks :)
can i wish u good luck for tomorrows race or is it bad luck?
like in theater
He scrunched his nose as he send those texts, his heart starting to race a little.
Oscar 21:17
Haha no you can
Lando 21:17
goodluck then 😉
Oscar hearted his message and he finally put the phone down and finished getting ready.
First night out in Monaco. Lando felt free, light. Max had made a point all week of taking him on a big night out so he could have the true Monaco experience. The club he picked was packed, which wasn’t surprising for a saturday night. Everyone was so well dressed, the vibes totally different than clubs in the UK.
Lando felt right at home. There were loud music, a sticky floor, warm thick air, men and women hitting on him and lots of alcohol. Too much alcohol. His head was floating, his body felt light and his words were spilling past his lips without thinking twice about them. At one point, he was dancing with a girl, his hands on her hips as she grind against him then later, he was making out with a guy in the smoking area. Everyone around the club seemed to be looking for someone to go home with, hooking up had never looked so easy and he wished Max would have told him about it earlier.
It had been weeks since Lando had hooked up with someone and his friends knew how much a slut he usually was. His move to Monaco had been taking all of his attention. Back in London, Lando would have brought someone home. But now that he was here, it didn’t feel right to let a stranger into his apartment. In Oscar’s apartment.
The night went on and so did the drinks. They were helping Lando loosen up as he was meeting new people, making jokes and being a lot more talkative than he usually was around strangers. He spent his last couple hours in the club just enjoying the loud music and dancing in the middle of the crowd, a feeling of freedom taking over his body, mixed with the adrenaline from the night.
His life was finally falling into place: graduated from uni, got his dream job, a nice place and his best friend in the same city. This night out wasn’t simply about having fun, it was about celebrating himself, welcoming his new life and closing a chapter. So he let his body lose itself to the music, allowing the rush of the night to take over. He doesn’t know how long he stayed there, in the middle of the crowd but by the time Max found him to go home, his shirt was sticking to his chest.
The whole group got out of the club at almost 5am and Lando shared a Uber home with two of Max’s friends, the ride being kind of a blur as he was still intoxicated and battling sleep. He kicked off his shoes once he got to the apartment, stripping out of his clothes on the way to his room and crashing on his bed, falling asleep almost instantly.
When he opened his eyes, the daylight was peeking through his shutters. It took him a few seconds to be fully aware of his body but he quickly felt his furred mouth and his sharp headache. He groaned, burying himself under the cover as it that would make it go away.
It didn’t and his stomach was growling, almost aching for food. He pulled the cover down just below his eyes and reached for his phone on the bedside table. 13:23.
Before even getting out of bed, he ordered some food, not in a state to even think about cooking himself something. What he needed was hungover food and that meant burger. He found the best rated place on Uber Eats and ordered, eventually getting the will to get out of bed.
The bright light from the living room hit him like a punch in the face, only reminding him further of the constant pain in his head. He rifled through the kitchen’s cabinets hoping to find some aspirin there, but no luck and he didn’t buy any after moving here.
Fuck.
His thoughts quickly went to Oscar’s bathroom as the next place to look, but it felt wrong going into his room without him being here. And Lando can’t exactly ask the man as he was probably getting ready for today’s race.
He stared at the cabinet’s door for a moment, torn between respecting Oscar’s privacy and getting his headache under control. His questioning stopped when a drilling pain pushed through his skull. This headache was not leaving anytime soon. He spun on his heels towards Oscar’s room before he could think too much about it, not laying an eye on anything else other than the shelves in the bathroom, quickly scanning the products on there. Finally, he laid his eyes on a red box with a white font that read ‘aspirin tablets’ and he almost shouted in victory.
He tried his best not to look around but Lando could still see how tidy Oscar’s bathroom was compared to his. Every product was aligned and there was no sign of dust anywhere. On his way out of his room, he noticed that it was the same for his bedroom. The bed was made, nothing was on the floor or sticking out of his dressing, it was like no one lived there. Which at this very moment, was kind of true.
He ate his food like he hadn’t eaten anything in days and the aspirin was fast to spread in his system to help with his headache. He laid on the couch in silence for a moment, scrolling on his phone and catching up with Max after last night.
Until the silence became a bit too loud in Lando’s head. He needed a distraction, some noise to keep his head busy and forgot about this aching hungover. Just as the thought popped in his head, he scrolled past an Instagram post from the F1 account, reminding him of today’s race. It was almost 3pm, he could put it on and it would be a nice background noise.
He opened his laptop that was on the living room table and put the stream on. With Max’s background in racing, him and Lando were keeping up with a few of the motorsports categories, including F1. Also because Oscar was associated with Quadrant and it was now part of Lando’s job to make sure their brand ambassador had a good public image.
Oscar was starting from pole, so he had a good chance at winning the race. He not only lived with an F1 driver but also a championship leader, which was kind of crazy when you put it that way. Lando had trouble wrapping his head around what his life had become, landing his dream job and moving out of the country in only a few weeks time. He brushed the thought away before he could think about it too much, grabbing his phone. He took a picture of his little watch party and send it to Max, asking him if he’s also watching. As he exited the conversation, his eyes stopped on the one he had with Oscar, he opened it and send him the same picture.
Lando 13:52
hungover watch of the day, u better win
He felt silly sending such a futile text to Oscar knowing he was on the grid already in his car. But after Oscar’s unexpected text last night, he was getting comfortable talking to him. Some part of him even hoped Oscar liked it.
Lando did say it would only be background noise, but he found himself focusing on the race during the first few laps, before dozing off after he saw Oscar was a few seconds ahead of everyone. His eyes would open from time to time to check the positions only to shut back a few seconds later. He managed to catch the last couple of laps and saw Oscar driving past the checkered flag, finishing P1. He immediately grabbed his phone, his limbs heavy from weariness but eager to congratulate his roommate.
Lando 14:32
🥳🥳
His head was so clouded that he couldn’t fight falling back to sleep, waking up over an hour later with a dry mouth. He got up to get some water, aware that his body probably needed more hydration if he wanted to get out of this foggy headspace. As the tap was running, his phone buzzed on the table.
A heart reaction to his last text and a response to his first one.
Oscar 16:04
I’m gonna assume you slept through the race if you were hungover
Lando 16:05
laps 11 to 46 might be a blur 🫢
Lando clearly didn’t get enough rest to get over his night out. After battling sleep some more on the couch, he showered and got to bed. As soon as he slide under the cover, his phone screen lighted up with a new text.
Oscar 20:55
Do you actually follow F1 or did you watch it just because of your new roommate?
Lando would usual spiral over doing small talk over text, however he was so sleepy that his brain wasn't overthinking this time. He typed away an answer, not even going over it before hitting send.
Lando 20:56
yeah
max got me into motorsports when he was racing
Oscar 20:57
That tracks
Also, I don’t know if you remember but I’m coming home tomorrow for a few days
When he moved in, Oscar had shared with him the days when he would be home. He basically had the whole racing season figured out as Oscar already had a booked agenda for the year, that way Lando could know ahead of time.
Lando 20:57
ofc
noted it on my calendar 😛
The days marked as 'oscar home' on his calendar made it look like Lando was far more busy than he actually was. He never was the type to plan anything in advance, more the one of making plans on the spot, following the flow of how he was feeling that day. So having a whole year planned for yourself? He couldn’t even imagine it, it was such a foreign concept to him that it was almost unnerving to think about.
Lando knew that he had to go to work in the morning and that was enough planning for him.