─────✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦─────

────────── ⋆⋅✦⋅⋆ ──────────

7 PM. That's when Lando's flight to go home, to Monaco, takes off. It's only 4, and he feels like he's drowning.

The bracelet, the Cartier bracelet he just blew a good eight thousand dollars on just for a stunt, is cold on his wrist still. His is in a shimmering silver, starkly different from the one he bought Bianca, which was in her typical glitzy gold. He was lucky his accidental purchase was a 2-for-the-price-of-1 deal, or else that would have been sixteen thousand down the drain for Mr. Norris. (He's made worse purchases though for stupider reasons, so maybe these bracelets were the least of his worries.)

Ever since they had screwed on their new accessories, Lando has found himself always holding it somehow. Tapping it with his fingernails, covering it with his other hand to feel the cold metal on his palm, sometimes even running a finger over the 'BT' engraving on its front. He does these motions without thinking, but he also does them when he is.

Bianca had left to go grab some snacks for the both of them at a local supermarket, insisting that he stay behind to rest up for his flight. It was a sweet gesture, but he wanted to help her with bringing the food in. Bianca was nothing less than generous ever since he had even mentioned his trip to Los Angeles, and he wanted to pay her back in anyway he could. So he fought, and yet here he was, sitting on the maroon loveseat in her apartment that he remembers seeing in a video of her a few days ago.

He wouldn't say it out loud, but Bianca has power over him—and that's terrifying for him to even think about.

Every major event that has happened to him since the afterparty of the season's finale has been out of his control. The rumor, his manager getting in touch with Bianca's, starting up this publicity stunt in the first place. Sure, he initiated the idea of giving it a shot to her, but he was only doing that because he knew that Angelina and Ethan were right; it would only get worse if they didn't try to make something good out of it.

He has had no control these past few weeks, and the dumbbells attached to his feet are taking him closer and closer to the ocean floor.

Lando has always done things to make sure he's the one in charge. Being in the driver's seat—on a racetrack or not—was one of them. Other things like golf, video games, even DJ-ing gave him the feeling of security and containment. But now? Now he's overthinking everything. How he acts, how he sounds when he talks, what he says. He's lost all power from his usual position.

And yet, the loss of being in charge isn't the thing that's scaring him. It's the fact that he doesn't mind.

With the overthinking, he's also not been thinking at all, especially behind the closed doors and privacy of Bianca's cozy apartment. He hasn't laughed this hard in ages, hasn't been so glad to be so tired. The guest room of her home has begun to take shape just for him, like the door to the room had his name scrawled into it in big bold letters.

Lando has a habit of needing to be in control, but he hasn't felt that need in a while.

He places his phone on the toybox-coffee table and rubs his eyes. 4:10. That's what his phone's clock had said.

Two hours and fifty minutes.

Two hours and fifty minutes left before he leaves Los Angeles.

Two hours and fifty minutes left before he leaves this apartment, not knowing when he'll ever see it again.

Two hours and fifty minutes left of being Bianca Taylor's fake-boyfriend, live and in action.

The door opens with the turn of a key, and the crinkling of bags.

"So," Bianca starts as she closes the door behind her. "I got side tracked and did a small tad of grocery shopping for myself, but I did get some stuff to munch on, as promised."

She places the bags on her small kitchen table, and begins to unload the contents into her many cabinets.

"Here," Lando gets up from his spot to go to the kitchen area, far away from his dread and anxiety inducing thoughts. "Where do you want this stuff?"

"Chips, crackers, and stuff like that go in the far left cabinet," she points to the cabinet in question as she shuffles through one of the two bags she hauled in. "Remember to grab whatever you want to snack on," she reminds, flashing him a small smile painted by her glossed lips. "Then, orange juice is in the fridge, obviously, and I've got the rest."

"Got it," Lando says, grabbing a box of Ritz crackers. He pulls one of the packages out and sets it on the table for them to share later, then puts the rest in the cabinet as told.

It's almost domestic, like a husband and wife coming home from running errands. It was nice, a good change of pace from what he was used to. He would be lying if he said he didn't forget what it felt like to be living with another person.

Except he wasn't living here. He was just another visitor to Bianca, and maybe that's all he'll ever be.

BIANCA TAYLOR AND LANDO NORRIS SEEMINGLY CONFIRM RELATIONSHIP WITH NEW INSTAGRAM STORY
BY Dianna Kim, Pop Culture Writer for Buzzfeed

If you haven't been online the past few weeks, you'll have absolutely no clue what I'm talking about, so let me catch you up to speed.

GRAINY PICTURES TO A GREAT LOVE STORY

On November 26, the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix closed the season. To celebrate the ending, the drivers—and several celebrity invitees—partied hard at a local restaurant, rented out by Red Bull Racing's Team Principal, Christian Horner.

Among these lucky celebrities was pop-sensation Bianca Taylor, who you might have heard your daughter pop on the radio in the car on the way to school. With smash sad-girl-at-the-club vibey hits like "Mazda," "Initials," and "Tough Subject," she's a name you'll want to familiarize yourself with—and do it fast. This lady is making a name for herself from scratch.

Bianca Taylor seemed to have hit it off well with many of the Formula 1 drivers, including her best friend Charles Leclerc, driver for Scuderia Ferrari. However, she especially found herself entranced with Lando Norris of McLaren.

The rumors regarding their romance began after a low quality, grainy photo of the pair embracing one another made the rounds on social media. Ever since then, it's been nothing but up for the unexpected duo.

THE SIGNS

A few days after the photo was released, Taylor posted a selfie, along with lyrics to a possible new track regarding rumors with the title "11:34 PM." Eagle-eyed fans of the singer, affectionately known as Dolls, and fans of the McLaren driver noticed that the first article talking about the couple was posted at, you guessed it, 11:34 PM.

In the same photo, Norris defended the popstar against a hateful Formula 1 fan in Taylor's comment section, saying that he "disagrees" with the fan's statement that Bianca's looks weren't her best feature...and that's putting it lightly.

A week later, PopBase released an official statement from a spokesperson for Miss Taylor, saying that she and Norris have been "'getting to know each other very well'" and that "'they don't mind getting touchy and
are very close...'" (Source: PopBase)

Following this, Norris and Taylor made their first appearance together in person. Lando affectionately posted a photo of Bianca, calling her a "pretty lady" with a few heart emojis attached. He even shouts out one of her best known tracks, which so happens to be about innocent, child-like love.

(Edit: Some supporters of Lando and Bianca's relationship have also noted his song choice in a story prior to the post where he put the song "She's Mine, Pt. 1" by J. Cole in the background.)

The singer then followed in the driver's footsteps, posted a photo of the duo strategically cut off so that fans could barely make out that Bianca was resting her legs over Lando as he was sat on her couch. Nothing but a tag, and a few emojis to speak a million words.

THE LATEST

The most recent piece of evidence might be the most obvious of them all, as Lando's short trip to Los Angeles came to an end. To remember his departure, Bianca took to Instagram Stories to post a picture of the two hugging with the caption "Until next time...❣️"

Prior to this, however, in a recent photo dump, Bianca posted a black and white photo of her wearing a Cartier branded "LOVE Bracelet," engraved with the initials, 'LN.' Expensive, sure, but it's safe to assume that the couple wanted to confirm their relationship with a bang.

I don't know about you all, but this couple gets a thumbs up from me.

NOTES!

this was mostly me trying to organize the timeline of events LOL and the control ramble that i went on during the beginning of the chapter was based on something lando said in an interview about how he likes being in control of things, and that when hes not, he gets freaked out ... someone said the wattpad/ao3 writers would go crazy with that info, and i definitely did

+ now that lando is back in monaco, i can take a rest from these longer chapters with irl scenes and go back to social media for a bit :) YIPPEEEEE

xoxo, cas