Smooth-Talker
Lando Norris x press officer!Reader
Summary: in which Lando has a pick up line for every occasion
“Did it hurt?” Lando asks, leaning casually against the wall outside the McLaren garage.
You glance up from your clipboard, raising an eyebrow. “Did what hurt?”
“When you fell from heaven,” Lando says with a cheeky grin.
You roll your eyes, but can’t help the smile tugging at your lips. As one of McLaren’s press officers, you’re used to Lando’s constant stream of corny pick up lines and good-natured flirting.
“You know, I think that line was old even when my grandpa used it.”
Lando clutches his chest dramatically. “Ouch, straight to the heart!”
You laugh and continue reviewing the schedule for the race weekend. Lando falls into step beside you as you start walking towards the paddock.
“But seriously,” Lando says, “You should be arrested.”
You glance over at him. “Oh? And why’s that?”
“For stealing my heart,” Lando says with a wink.
“Mhm, nice try,” you reply dryly, though you feel your cheeks flush slightly.
“Hey, are you religious?” Lando asks.
You raise an eyebrow. “Not particularly, why?”
“Cause you’re the answer to all my prayers,” Lando says earnestly.
You bite your lip to hide your smile. “That one was pretty good, not gonna lie.”
Lando pumps his fist triumphantly. “Yes! I knew you’d like that one.”
You reach the motorhome and pause, checking your watch. “Okay Casanova, I’ve got to prep for the press conference.”
“Before you go, quick question,” Lando says, gently catching your arm. “Do you have a map?”
You frown in confusion. “A map? What for?”
“Because I keep getting lost in your eyes,” Lando says softly, gazing at you.
You feel your heart skip a beat as you meet his own warm eyes. You open your mouth but no witty comeback comes out.
Lando grins and releases your arm. “I’ll see you later, Y/N.” He winks and saunters off towards the hospitality tent.
You watch him go, butterflies swirling in your stomach. You’ve always thought Lando was cute, with his curly hair and infectious smile that lights up any room. But since joining McLaren, your feelings have slowly deepened into something more. And based on his incessant flirting, you’re starting to think maybe, just maybe, he feels the same way.
Shaking your head, you refocus on the task at hand — prepping talking points for the upcoming press conference. Still, you can’t stop thinking about Lando and the way he always seems to make you blush and smile, even with his cheesy pick up lines.
Over the course of the race weekend, Lando continues his campaign of corny pick up lines and flirtatious banter. Between FP3 and qualifying, he sidles up next to you in the garage.
“You know what you would look really beautiful in?” He asks.
You glance over at him. “Hmm?”
“My arms,” Lando says with a cheeky wink.
You bite your lip, feeling your cheeks flush. “Lando, I’m trying to work here.”
“Sorry, sorry,” Lando says, though he’s clearly not sorry at all based on his impish grin.
Following qualifying, Lando scrambles out of his car after setting the fastest lap. He makes a beeline over to you through the celebrating crowd of papaya.
“Do you have a Band-Aid?” He asks urgently.
You frown, instantly concerned. “Are you bleeding? What happened?”
“No no, I’m fine,” Lando assures you. “I just scraped my knee falling for you,” he says with a roguish smile.
You cover your face with your hands to hide your blush. “Oh my god, Lando, that was terrible!” You try to look disapproving, but end up laughing.
“Worth it to see you smile,” Lando says warmly before darting off again.
On race day, you’re feeling anxious. As you pace around the paddock, you literally run into Lando.
“Whoa there!” Lando says, catching you by the shoulders. Concern flickers across his face. “You okay?”
You nod, acutely aware of his hands still resting on your shoulders. “Yeah, just nervous I guess.”
Lando rubs your arms reassuringly. “We’re gonna do great. And you know what else is great?”
You raise an eyebrow. “Hmm?”
“The view,” Lando says, gaze locked on you. “Pretty spectacular from where I’m standing.”
You duck your head, heart pounding. When you look back up, Lando is watching you closely. He seems to be debating saying something else. After a moment, he just squeezes your shoulder gently. “We’ve got this,” he says sincerely, before heading off to get ready for the race.
You take a deep breath, feeling bolstered by Lando’s encouragement and flirtatious comment.
The race gets underway and immediately descends into chaos. Multiple collisions on the first lap bring out the safety car. You watch anxiously from the garage as the pack circulates behind the safety car for several laps while the debris is cleared.
Finally the message comes across the radio - the race is going green again on the next lap. You glance at the screens and see Lando lining up in P3 for the restart. You cross your fingers and silently will him to have a clean restart.
The pack accelerates for the restart and manages to get through the first few corners without incident. Over the next 20 laps, Lando battles fiercely to maintain his podium position. Other drivers try to challenge him but he holds strong in P3.
With 10 laps to go, you’re on the edge of your seat watching Lando defend P3 with everything he’s got. Suddenly over the radio you hear Lando’s frustrated voice. “Something’s wrong with the car, it’s down on power.”
Your heart sinks as you listen to Lando’s increasingly concerned radio calls about the lack of power. He’s slowly losing positions as the laps tick down. By the last lap, he’s fallen from 3rd to 7th from the sudden power loss.
As Lando’s car limps across the finish line, you hurry down to meet him. He pulls off his helmet and balaclava, looking weary and disappointed.
“Lando, are you okay? What happened out there?” You ask worriedly.
“I’m fine. The car is just a bit banged up,” Lando says with a tired smile. “Not sure what happened with the engine yet though.”
You hesitate, then wrap Lando in a tight hug. “I’m glad you’re okay,” you murmur.
Lando seems surprised but hugs you back firmly. For a long moment, you stand there just holding each other, the sounds of the paddock fading away.
Finally you step back, smiling shyly up at Lando. “So, P7. Could’ve been worse I guess, considering the issues you had.”
Lando nods, scrubbing a hand through his wild curls. “Yeah, could’ve been much worse. I’ll take the points.” He smiles ruefully. “Not quite the podium I was hoping for to impress you though.”
You bite your lip. “Lando ...”
Lando rushes to fill the silence. “You know what’s on the podium of my heart?”
You sigh, though you feel your pulse quicken. “What?”
“You,” Lando says softly, gazing at you with open affection.
You stare at him, heart thumping wildly. Before you can overthink it, you grab his race suit and pull him in for a kiss. Lando makes a surprised sound before wrapping his arms around you and kissing you deeply. For a blissful moment, everything else fades away and it’s just the two of you.
When you finally break apart, you’re both slightly breathless. Lando has a dazed, elated look on his face. “Wow … so does this mean all my cheesy pick up lines finally worked?”
You laugh and smack his chest playfully. “I don’t know if I’d say they worked … but they did make it very clear someone has a crush on me.”
You smile up at Lando, enjoying the faint blush on his cheeks.
Lando grins. “Maybe just a small one,” he teases. His expression turns more serious. “I really care about you, Y/N. And I’d love to take you on a proper date, if you’d like?”
Your heart swells and you nod. “I’d really like that.”
Lando’s answering smile is bright enough to outshine the sun. He squeezes you in another quick hug. “I better go debrief about the race. But I’ll come find you after?”
You nod, giddy butterflies taking flight in your stomach. “It’s a date,” you say with a smile.
Lando heads off looking like he just won the championship, with a spring in his step and grin on his face. You brush your fingers over your still-tingling lips, scarcely able to believe that really just happened.
After Lando finishes his lengthy post-race debrief, he finds you packing up for the day in the paddock. “You ready?” He asks, bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet.
You can’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. “Ready!”
You head out of the paddock hand-in-hand, both still riding the high of finally admitting your feelings for each other.
“Sooo, what exactly did you have in mind for this date?” You ask Lando curiously.
Lando grins. “Well first, how do you feel about Ferris wheels?”
You smile slowly. “I think Ferris wheels have potential to be very romantic.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Lando says with a wink.
You spend the evening strolling around the nearby funfair, enjoying the lights and sounds. Lando wins you an oversized stuffed teddy bear playing carnival games. You share candy floss and corndogs while taking in the sights.
Finally, you hop in line for the Ferris wheel. When it’s your turn, you settle into the seat across from Lando. As the wheel lifts you into the night sky, you take in the sprawling city views.
Lando slides closer and slips his hand into yours. “Have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight?”
You smile, loving how he still seems nervous even after kissing you earlier. “Smooth line, but I’ll allow it,” you tease gently.
Your Ferris wheel carriage reaches the top and pauses, giving you a panoramic view of the city at night. The lights twinkle like stars around you.
It’s magical.
Lando’s arm wraps around your shoulder, pulling you closer. Your heart races as you turn towards him. His eyes reflect the dazzling lights as he gazes at you. He brushes a loose strand of hair from your face, his touch igniting sparks along your skin.
As he leans in, you let your eyes flutter shut. His lips meet yours and the rest of the world fades away. Up here above the world, wrapped in Lando’s arms, you feel like you’re flying.
By the end of the night, your cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Lando walks you to your hotel room, fingers intertwined, reluctance slowing your steps.
Outside your door, you turn to face Lando. “Thank you for tonight, it was perfect.”
Lando smiles, tracing patterns on your palm with his thumb. “So I did alright for a first date then?”
You laugh. “You far exceeded expectations.” Your smile softens. “I’m really happy.”
“Me too,” Lando says, eyes shining. He takes a deep breath, looking uncharacteristically nervous again. “So, I was wondering … and feel free to say no obviously! But, um, I have two tickets to the Arctic Monkeys concert next weekend and was hoping maybe you’d want to ...” he trails off, biting his lip anxiously.
Your smile widens and you squeeze his hand. “I’d love to be your date to the concert.”
The answering grin that lights up Lando’s face is breathtaking. He punches the air, looking adorably excited. “Yes! This is going to be epic.”
You giggle at his antics. “Well this was a really fun first date. I can’t wait to see what other surprises you have planned.”
You lean in and kiss Lando softly. As you pull back, Lando clears his throat.
“Y/N, can I tell you something without you getting mad?”
You raise an eyebrow curiously. “Umm sure, I guess?”
Lando winces slightly. “I was wondering if you could give me directions ...”
You look confused. “Directions? To where?”
“To your heart,” Lando shoots you a cheesy grin.
You stare at him for a beat, then burst into laughter. “Oh my god, Lando, that was so corny!”
Lando just smiles unrepentantly. “Maybe, but did it work?”
You continue giggling and shake your head. “I don’t know why I find your cheesy lines so charming, but I do.”
You lean in and give him one more quick kiss. “Goodnight, Lando. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Lando’s eyes shine happily. “Sweet dreams, Y/N,” he says, squeezing your hand before slowly backing away towards the elevator.
You watch him walk down the hallway, giddy butterflies still fluttering away in your chest.
You have a feeling this is the start of something special. A lifetime of cheesy pick up lines sounds pretty damn perfect.
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