The perfect match

“Hey, you look pale.” Lando said.
“Yeah” Lance just let out and sank to the floor, dropping his things next to him.
“Oh my, here, drink this!” Max said, handing him a vitamin drink. Lance took a couple of sips before setting the bottle on the floor.
The door opened, and a camera man stepped in, together with an FIA official, who had a key in hand and unlocked a door they didn’t even realize was there, yet.
“What’s going on?” Lando asked.
“Congratulations, Mr. Norris, you are a world champion!” she exclaimed and stretched her hand out to shake his. Lando just stood there, staring.
“What?” Lando asked after a couple of seconds “But there are three races left” he then added, letting the cameraman chuckle.
“There are 75 points left to grab, the point difference between you and Mr. Verstappen is now 96 points. You are a world champion, Mr. Norris” she explained with a smile, still holding out her hand.
“But I only won my first race this year” Lando said.
“Lando! Stop being stupid!” Max yelled “Shake her hand and sit in that ridiculous red chair!” he kept yelling, scaring them all. Lando shook the lady’s hand and went into the room while Max helped up Lance and they walked into the little room. Lando sat in the chair with a wicked smile, biting his lower lip, pulling on the fabric.
“Oh boy! Come over here, you are the other hero of the day.” Lando exclaimed, waving at Lance, who sat down on the armrest and then got into a laughing fit with Lando.
“You kids are crazy.” Max exclaimed, leaning on the wall and watching them.
“You’re one year older than me!” Lance exclaimed.
“Doesn’t matter!” Max said
“We’ve got to go, guys.” Lando said.
“Where?” Lance asked confused.
“Uuhm, the podium?” Lando let out.
“Come on” Max said, helping Lance up.
“Hey!” Mike Krack, Aston Martin’s team principal, let out and hugged Lance, who didn’t hug back “Are you okay?”
“We think he’s in a little shock.” Lando said.
“Okay, Lance, look at me” Max said and Lance looked at him a second later “Breath, wave, get on the podium, take off your cap, listen to the hymn, shake the hand, take the trophy. Those are the things you have to do next.”
“Okay” Lance said lowly.
“Okay, then let’s go.” Max said and went out to the podium.

The Aston Martin team never packed their things this quickly. They had a room this time, partying together with McLaren.
“I’m sorry for stealing so much of your thunder!” Lando yelled at Lance against the loud music.
“Don’t worry, I’m happy with the attention I got!” Lance yelled back and Zak slammed into him from behind.
“Lancyyyy!” Zak yelled drunkenly and Lando stared at him in shock “You don’t try and get him to come to you guys now, are you?” he slurred.
“No, we signed Fernando and I don’t have influence on those decisions!” Lance yelled back.
“But you have soooo much money! You can pay him anything!”
“Don’t worry, Zak, he’s all yours.”
“WE ARE CHAMPIONS!!” Zak yelled directly into Lance’s face, shaking him by his shoulders before stumbling off.
“Wow!” Lance exclaimed and Lando chuckled.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it, my dad probably looks the same, I just don’t know where he is.” Lance answered.
“They have churros here!” Oscar yelled, holding up a handful, wrapped in a napkin.
“Well, then your night is awesome, as well!” Lando exclaimed.
“Well, I’ll search for my dad, congrats again, Lando!” Lance said and left them, Lando kissing Oscar longingly.

Max fell onto the mattress next to Charles, trying to catch a breath.
“Wow, you feeling better?” Charles asked.
“What do you mean?” Max asked and Charles chuckled.
“You can’t play me anymore, I know you too well now, Max.” Charles said, turning to Max “You only stretch up my leg if you want to prove something.”
“No, I don’t. I’m holding your legs all the time.” Max said and then smirked “unless they are tied down, of course.”
“Not like this. You hold me at the back of the knee for more leverage or hold onto my thighs, maybe push my thigh towards my chest, you do all these things all the time. But you only stretch my leg over your shoulder on special occasions.” Charles said “Like in Singapore when you finished tenth and needed to prove something, or after Lando’s accident in Spa. You also did it the day after your wedding anniversary, my guess there would be that you wanted to prove that you’re past Kelly’s death or something.”
“You’re right. I never realized that.” Max said after a little silence “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Why would I? I’m okay with it, I would tell you otherwise. I know you’re not the most talkative person at times and this is one of the ways you work on yourself.” Charles said with a soft smile and Max stared at the ceiling. Penelope started whining in the next room, being heard through the baby phone. “I’ll have a look.” Charles said, putting on a robe and making his way over.
“Hey there little one, what’s going on, hmm?” Charles was heard through the babyphone.
“Challie” P was heard saying.
“Yes, I’m here, sweety. Are you okay?” some shuffling was heard, most likely Charles getting P out of the baby bed, followed by some baby garble “Yeah, don’t worry, I’ll stay here for a bit.” Charles said and it turned silent, Charles coming back about fifteen minutes later “She’s back asleep. Probably just a bad dream or something.” He said while laying down. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing” Max said, still looking at the ceiling.
“Just tell me if you’re ready.” Charles said and turned off the lights.

“What are you doing here?” George asked Alex late at night. He had just come back from Lando’s celebration party and Alex had knocked on his door.
“I couldn’t talk to you in Mexico.” Alex said and pointed into the suite “Can I?”
“What is this about?” George said, closing the door a little and bracing his hand against the doorframe, blocking the entrance.
“Why did you change religions?”
“Because I identify with Buddhism.”
“Why do you change to my religion now?”
“Because I only got to really know that religion this year. It didn’t matter to me if it is your religion or not.”
“When did you convert?”
“After Singapore, so not that long ago.” George said.
“Why? Because you visited a temple once in your life?” Alex asked, getting louder.
“No, I went back to the convent after Singapore, working on myself. I didn’t go there with the intent to convert, but it felt right.”
“But why to my religion?!” Alex now yelled.
“I didn’t convert to YOUR religion, Alex! Not everything is about you!” George yelled and slammed the door shut. Alex looked at the door for a moment, then turned away and went to his own room.

“You were drunker after your first win!” Oscar said when they got back to their suite.
“Well, now I have more responsibility. I need to keep an eye on you and our little ones.”
“STOP TALKING IN PLURAL!!” Oscar yelled and Lando stepped back.
“Okay, understood.” Lando said, lifting his hands in surrender “Now, did you decide?”
“Yes, I did. We’ll go to England now with the ship, I’ll skip Vegas and then we’ll see each other in Qatar, I’ll take a ship there from Marseille.
“Alright.” Lando said, hugging his husband. “Did you make a decision on when to tell the public?”
“After the final. We’ll wait until then.” Oscar said.
“Okay” Lando agreed, kissing his hair.
They took a cruise ship back to London, visiting Lando’s parents, Lando doing some work with McLaren while Oscar finalized some things for the Eighty1 Christmas special and told Rodney he would like to do some more work over the winter to be able to focus on the baby when it’s born.

A couple days after they arrived in London, Pierre sent messages around. Little Anthoine Jean-Olivier Gasly was born, almost 5 kilograms heavy and 44cm long. They also made a social media post, but kept the picture from the public, asking the others to do the same.
“Five-kilogram, dear lord.” Oscar let out.
“Well, we’ve got an appointment tomorrow, let’s see what they tell us.” Lando smirked, earning another mad look.

“WHAT? No, look again!” Oscar yelled at the doctor.
“Here, look for yourself” the doctor said, turning the screen further towards Oscar “There we’ve got a little one … and over here, we’ve got the other two.” He said while pointing on the screen “Looking like perfect little 14-week-olds, looking like little nectarines.” The doctor said with a smile. Oscar’s face was frozen.
“Can I use plural now?” Lando asked softly. Oscar looked at him, then back at the doctor.
“And you’re sure there’s no chance of one just … being a placenta or a fat bubble?” Oscar asked the doctor.
“No, there is not. I understand that this is a big thing. Having one pup is incredible, having three is … a lot.”
“No, it’s not a lot. It’s a litter. I’m a minivan.”
“Oh right, we should get a bigger car.” Lando said.
“REALLY?! That’s your issue right now?” Oscar asked him.
“Well, I don’t really see this as an issue, sweetheart. Even though of course this is not planned … I’m really happy about it.”
“I’m happy about it, too, it’s just” Oscar huffed and wiped the jelly from his stomach “I’m going to be the size of our house.”
“You’re growing triplets baby.” Lando said softly, nodding.
“Oh my god, we’re going to have three babies.” Oscar said.
“THREE?!” Adam exclaimed loudly at the dinner table “But why?!”
“Seriously, Adam? It’s not like they would have a say in that, right?” Cisca snarled at her husband.
“Oh my God! You’re going to blow up like a balloon!” Lando’s sister Cissy giggled, Adam joining her.
“Can you two please behave and say something encouraging to him!” Cisca said to both of them.
“Oscar, you have my deepest respect to not only put up with the craziness of our little Lando, but also to carry your pups, they will be a blessed hell and it will be a constant swing between loving the babies and hating the screaming, but remember … you have a family in us and we are always here to help.” Adam said, lifting his wine glass.
“Thank you” Oscar said and then looked at Cissy.
“I’m going to be at college, loving and supporting you from afar.” Cissy said, lifting her juice glass and letting Oscar smile.
“Thank you, that is enough for me.”
“And I will talk to your mother after New Years and we will organize everything with helping you after the birth and stuff.” Cisca said with a smile.
“The first thing is … I’m not sure I’ll be able to cover it up in Qatar.” Oscar said “They are growing like hybrid fruits.”
“Then we will announce it in Qatar, don’t worry.”
“You want me to join you on the cruise?” Cisca asked.
“You would do that?” Oscar asked.
“Yes, why not. I know your mum can’t because of Chloe and Julia. You can say no, though.”
“But don’t you have, like, other obligations or stuff?” Oscar asked, tears in his eyes.
“Not really. I’m a bored, fairly rich housewife, my kids are either out of the house or don’t listen to me anyway” she said with a look towards Cissy “and my husband knows how to survive.” She shrugged.
“Plus, family comes first, and it is way better for you to not be alone without anyone you know close to you.” Adam said.