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sassydjbob · 8 days ago

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Tennessee Orange - Part one

Lando's family owns a ranch in Tennessee and Martin is an aspiring singer/songwriter who wants to save money and needs a change of scenery.

Inspired by Cowboy Lando during the Austin GP week.

Songs I used as inspiration: You look like you love me - Ella Langley feat. Riley Green Love you for a long time - Maggie Rogers LEVII'S JEANS - Beyoncé feat. Post Malone All to myself - Dan + Shay

ao3: SassyDjBob

note: English is not my first language. I am not from Tennessee and I don't live on a ranch, so it's not meant to be realistic and just used for a work of fiction. Credits to the owners and songwriters of the song lyrics used in the fic.

YOU LOOK LIKE YOU LOVE ME

Mornings weren’t Lando’s favorite time of the day, if someone asked him, he would probably say it’s his least favorite time of the day. He valued his sleep, a lot. So the idea of having to wake up early almost every day for the next few months did not fill Lando with excitement.

“Lando come on! He will arrive soon and I need you to pick him up from the train station in town!” were the first words Lando heard this summer morning and he groaned into his pillow.

After refusing to leave his warm and comfortable bed for another two minutes he finally got up and ready for the day. When he entered the kitchen downstairs, he saw his parents having breakfast and sister having breakfast.

“Why can’t Oli pick him up?” he asked while grabbing a toast and egg that his mom prepared for him.

“Because Oli has his own family now. You know he is busy with Mila, I don’t want to bother him” Adam, his dad, replied while reading his daily newspaper.

Lando rolls his eyes at that and scoffs “So I get stuck with these tasks now?”

Adam finally looks up from his newspaper to look at his son “Lando, don’t be like that. It won’t kill you to drive to the train station and pick up our new help for the summer. Please don’t make a big deal out of this.” he tells his son with a kind, but serious expression.

“Who is this new guy anyways? I don’t know anything about him. Please don’t tell me it’s another one of these weirdos that play a harmonica every morning” Lando says with a slight whiny tone, not bearing the thought of being stuck with another Luke, like last years summer help, that woke him up every morning before sunrise to play his harmonica outside.

Adam laughs at his sons statement and shakes his head “His name is Martin. I think he is just a few years older than you. It will be nice to have someone close to your age here this summer, don’t you think so?”

“Yeah, maybe” Lando mumbles and thinks about the guy, Martin, a normal name. Would he get along with Martin? Will he be annoyed by him? He didn’t expect the guy to be close to his age, normally the summer helps were much older than him. Maybe he could befriend Martin and actually have a decent time during work this summer, the thought of that made him smile.

He suddenly realizes that he has no idea what Martin looks like “How am I meant to know who he is at the train station? And please don’t say I am meant to hold up a poster with his name on it, because there is no way in hell I will do that.”

Lando’s mom and sister, both called Cisca, chuckle at the thought of Lando holding up a sign like that waiting for Martin. “I told him you would wait at the bakery there, I’m sure it won’t be too crowded at this time” Adam tells him.

“Ugh, he better show up on time. I won’t wait forever. If he doesn’t show up after 10 minutes I am driving back home.” Lando announces and leaves the kitchen.

“Thank you!” his dad calls after him added by a “Be nice and polite!” from his mom.

The drive to the train station takes around 30 minutes and Lando jams to his favorite songs on full volume, like he always does when he drives his car. If there were two things in life he loved, among some other things, they were definitely driving cars, or cars in general, and music. He often just drives around with music blasting, to set his mind free and to relax.

The thirty minute drive went by quicker than expected and Lando finds himself at the train station, praying that he won’t stand around like an idiot waiting for someone that is late or, even worse, not showing up. After parking the car he walks to the bakery his dad told him to wait at, wondering if he should get himself a sweet treat. That bakery had really good croissants and now that he is thinking about them, he is craving one.

Just when he decides to get one, his train of thought gets interrupted when he sees someone standing next to the entrance of the bakery. Lando feels his heart stop for a second when he looks at him. There was something about the guy that made Lando’s breath hitch, something that made him suddenly feel very warm, on this chill summer morning.

He realizes that he stopped in the middle of the way when someone bumps into him and he curses under his breath. He was just about to continue walking to the bakery when it suddenly dawns on him why he is walking to that bakery, not to get a croissant, but to pick up the new help for the summer, Martin. When the realization hits him that that guy in front of the bakery could be Martin, he stops walking again. He suddenly panics, he doesn’t know why. The thought of that being Martin has him feeling nervous, but also excited.

His heartrate picks up again and his hands feel sweaty. How is he supposed to walk up to him now? Should he just say his name or wait for him to say something? What if that isn’t Martin and it’s just a random guy that he will never see again? Lando would be very disappointed if that wasn’t Martin. He suddenly feels extremely overwhelmed by the situation and doesn’t realize he is standing in the way, again, until someone bumps into him, again. This time though the automatic “sorry” doesn’t leave his lips, instead a loud and embarrassingly high pitched yelp does.

At first he doesn’t even realize why he reacted like that until he suddenly feels something burning his skin and when he looks down at himself he can see hot coffee staining his left arm, the side of his shirt and jeans. He curses under his breath and looks to the woman who is now holding an empty cup of coffee “I am so sorry, I didn’t see you standing here” she says with an apologetic look on her face.

Lando smiles weakly “Nah it’s okay I shouldn’t have stood there, it’s alright” he says with an awkward look, truly feeling stupid for getting so distracted.

“Do you happen to have a tissue or something?” he asks and looks down at his arm and clothes that are soaked in coffee.

“Let me check, I don’t know if I have any in my bag” the woman replies and starts looking around in her bag.

He nods and waits, trying hard not to cringe at the feeling of the hot coffee now starting to dry onto his skin.

“It seems I must have forgotten to pack any, I am so sorry” she apologizes.

Lando was just about to reply that it’s fine when he gets interrupted “Here you can have these” a soft voice says.

He looks to see where that voice is coming from when he sees the guy from the bakery standing next to him, holding tissues out to him. Lando’s heart stops, again, and he doesn’t know how long it takes him to process the guy’s words, but he knows it was too long because the guy holds his hand out closer to Lando, to offer again.

“Oh, thank you” is all Lando manages to get out and grabs a tissue from the strangers hand. He slowly moves to wipe some of the, now almost completely dried, coffee off his arm and starts blushing when he feels the guy’s eyes on him.

“I really have to leave to catch my train, again, I am so sorry about this�� the woman says with a sorry look on her face.

“It’s okay, have a good day!” Lando replies and waves goodbye to the woman.

“Are you okay?” the stranger asks and looks at him with concern in his eyes.

Lando stops waving and turns to look at him, to really look at him for the first time, up close. He can’t describe the feeling that washes over him. There is something about that guy, that just pulls him in, that is captivating. He realizes, he must be staring like an absolute creep and clears his throat before speaking.

“Umm yeah, might suffer from severe fourth degree burns, but other than that I am fine” he manages to get out with an awkward chuckle.

The stranger also chuckles and Lando notices how his eyes almost close and crinkle and the side, the sound is so heartful but soft and also silly, it’s like music to Lando’s ears.

“I’m glad, that looks nasty. I hope the coffee won’t stain too much” the stranger says with a genuine and soft voice.

“It’s okay. These aren’t my best clothes, so the loss wouldn’t be too bad” Lando smiles.

The guy nods, looks around and then looks back to Lando “Do you happen to know if there is more than one bakery in this train station? I was meant to meet someone at a bakery, but I am not from here and have been waiting for quite a while, that I am now wondering if I got the wrong one” he says and scratches the back of his head while looking a bit confused and lost.

Lando too mesmerized by the stranger’s face and voice, doesn’t immediately get what the guy is talking about “No there is only one. Wait a second! Are you Martin?” he asks and watches as the guy’s eyes widen.

“Yes! Are you Lando?” he asks with a wide smile on his face.

Hearing his name coming from Martin’s lips, might be his favorite thing in the world right now and he wants to hear it again.

“That would be me” Lando smiles back.

Martin’s smile gets bigger if that’s even possible. “Nice! I am so glad I found you. I was getting a bit worried I got lost or that you wouldn’t show up” Martin laughs.

“Did you have to wait long? I thought I was on time, my dad told me when to be here, maybe he messed up the times” Lando says with a worried look on his face, feeling bad for making Martin wait.

“No, it’s okay. It wasn’t that long. I am glad we found each other. Thanks for picking me up” he says and all Lando can think of in the back of his mind is that he is also glad they found each other.

They make their way to Lando’s car that’s parked outside and Lando feels almost giddy at the thought of Martin spending the entire summer with them. When they reach the car Lando turns to Martin to help him put his stuff in the back, when he notices a guitar case.

“You play the guitar?” he asks curiously.

“Yes! Been playing since I was a kid” Martin replies eagerly.

“Oh sick! I always wanted to learn but never got the chance to” Lando sighs.

“I could teach you. It’s not that difficult” Martin smiles at him and Lando feels excitement rushing through him at the thought of Martin teaching him to play the guitar.

He nods eagerly “That would be mint! Thank you.”

After all of Martin’s stuff is loaded into the car they get in at the front and Lando starts the drive back home. He put his playlist from earlier back on but doesn’t turn the volume as high as if he was driving alone.

“So… what brings you to a random ranch in Tennessee this summer?” he decides to ask Martin, curious to know why he is spending their summer with them.

“I am trying so save up some money for my career in music and thought a change of scenery and nature would be nice” Martin replies while looking out the window to watch the scenery as they are leaving town.

“Oh! So you don’t just play the guitar as a hobby? What kind of career are you set on?” Lando asks with curiosity, not expecting Martin to be a serious musician.

“Singer/Songwriter, I guess. I write songs and come up with melodies all the time, mainly on the guitar, sometimes on the piano, but I obviously can’t take that one with me everywhere” Martin chuckles and drums his fingers against the side of the car, as if he already had a new melody in mind. Lando glances over briefly and feels amazed by Martin.

“That’s so nice! Will we get to hear any of your stuff? Or are you gatekeeping that for a special time?” he asks.

“I can play you some of my stuff. Back at home I did some shows or people’s weddings. I am happy about any audience” Martin smiles softly.

Home, Lando realizes he has no idea where Martin’s home is “Where are you even from? I don’t think my dad mentioned” he asks.

“I’m from New York City” Martin says casually.

Lando almost slams the brakes, when he hears Martin say that and looks over at him with wide eyes “What?! You are from New York and want to spend your summer in freaking Tennessee?!” he says loudly.

Martin chuckles at Lando’s outburst “Well technically me and my family from Amsterdam, but we moved to the States when I was little. And yes, I do want to spend my summer here in Tennessee” he smiles.

“Wait wait wait, this is too much information at once. You’re dutch?” Lando asks, not being able to process everything Martin is telling him.

“Yup” Martin says softly.

“Okay but if you’re from New York City why the fuck would you spend your summer here?” Lando asks, honestly confused about what Martin wants here.

Martin chuckles again, amused by Lando’s reactions “As I said, I wanted a change of scenery. New York can be a bit much and overwhelming at times. Don’t get me wrong, I love it there, but I’ve felt a desperate need to escape the big city and buildings to just be somewhere calm to clear my head. My family and I used to spend our summers on a ranch in Texas when I was younger and I remember these as my favorite summers. The freedom of not seeing a building, just nature and the horizon, feeling so free on a horse. I missed all of that” he explains softly.

Lando nods but stays silent for a short while thinking about Martin’s reasoning. He can’t relate to Martin at all. All his life Lando has wanted nothing more than to live in a big city, to see the world, so he can’t really understand that someone would willingly want to spend their summer on the countryside of Tennessee.

“Can’t say I can understand, but everyone their own I guess” Lando says in a slightly teasing tone.

“Have you ever been in New York?” Martin asks curiously.

Lando lets out a laugh at that question but then sighs and shakes his head “Nope. Sadly not, it’s on my very long bucket list. I hope one day I can be there with my camera.”

The sad and yearnful undertone is barely there but Marin catches it and looks at Lando with soft eyes “Camera? Are you into photography?”

“Umm yeah. I am by far not a professional and don’t have the equipment for that either, but I love getting out and taking pics, capturing moments and spots others might ignore and walk past. One day I want to travel the world with my camera and capture every corner I can find” Lando says with yearning and hope in his voice, Martin smiles at that.

“You should come visit me in New York one day, one of my best friends, is a photographer, I think you would like him” he offers Lando.

“We haven’t known each other for an entire hour yet and you are already inviting me? What if I turn out to be a total weirdo or asshole? You can’t know if you will like me yet” Lando replies with a teasing look.

Martin lets out a small laugh “Well then my first instinct and judgement would have to betray me, because I already like you and I don’t think that will change” he says seriously.

Lando’s heart stops at Martin’s words and he looks over at him for a second too long, before looking back at the road and gripping the steering wheel a bit tighter than before.

“I feel flattered, hopefully I don’t make you regret saying these words” he says, back to teasing Martin.

“I hope so too” Martin replies and Lando smiles at him.

After a smooth ride to the Norris ranch and a warm welcome from the family, Lando shows Martin where he would stay for the next few weeks. The small cabin next to the main house is mainly used for the summer helps, no matter how many times Lando has begged his dad to let him move into the cabin. His brother recently moved into the bigger cabin, slightly further from the main house, with his wife and kids, while Lando was still stuck living in the main house with his parents and sisters.

“So this is all yours for the summer. There is a bedroom, bathroom, living area and kitchen, though my mom will probably beg you to eat with us all the time anyways. Make yourself feel at home I guess” Lando says to Martin, who looks around with amazement.

“I’ll have all of this to myself?” he asks looking at Lando in disbelief.

“Yup” Lando pops the p at the end.

“Wow, this is much more than I could have ever expected. Thank you” Martin says with a grateful smile.

“Don’t thank me. It’s my dad’s decision” Lando shrugs his shoulders.

“Where are you staying? Is there another one of these?” Martin asks him.

“Yeah, there is another one that’s slightly bigger, my brother and his family live in it. I am still stuck with my parents. I thought I would get this one after returning from college, but my dad is set on keeping this one for the helps during summer” Lando explains.

“College? What did you study?” Martin asks curiously.

“Business and Photography. Made a deal with my dad that he would support my photography hobby, if I also major in something useful and help run the ranch and family business later on with my brother” Lando replies.

“Oh wow! And you said you weren’t a professional. But it’s very loyal of you to come back to your family, instead of pursuing your dreams” Martin says, truly admiring Lando for that.

“Yeah, well… they sacrificed a lot for me, so I could study photography and I will forever be grateful for that. And I could never leave my family. My dreams will have to stay dreams” Lando smiles weakly.

“I get that and I am sure they respect you a lot for that. I am also a big family guy, but I also believe in following and chasing your dreams. I don’t want to be old and grey one day regretting not chasing my dreams and thinking about what could have been, the “what if”, you know?” Martin explains in a way that makes Lando almost nostalgic about something that isn’t even lost yet.

It’s not like Lando has fully given up on his dreams, but since he finished college he never paid them much thought, not daring to be hopeful about fulfilling them one day, but now here is Martin, a guy he has known for two hours, reminding him of what he truly wants in life.

He clears his throat before answering “Yeah, I know… Maybe an opportunity will come up one day” he decides to shrug it off for the moment.

Martin shows him a sympathetic and understanding smile.

“Okay, you probably want to start unpacking and getting settled in, so I’ll leave you be. I will probably be outside at the stables, so you can just come find me whenever you’re done” Lando says and starts leaving.

“Thank you!” Martin says and Lando stops to look back at Martin once again and sees him show a smile that is so warm that it makes Lando’s warm up as well.

Martin’s first weeks on the ranch pass by like a breeze. It’s spent with lots of giggles, especially when Martin manages to fall off a horse, even though he swears that he has never fallen off one before, but Lando teases him endlessly and Martin knows that he will never live this down.

As quickly as the first weeks pass, it also feels like a lifetime to Lando and Martin, who fell into an easy rhythm. They could both swear they have known each other for much longer than just a few weeks. There hasn’t been one uncomfortable or awkward moment of silence between them. Lando’s parents watch with amazement as they see their son, form a pure and genuine connection with Martin. There is barely a moment these two don’t spend together, giggling and laughing at the smallest things. Martin fits into their family, as if he had always been a part of it, never skipping a breakfast or dinner with the entire Norris family.

“Hey Marty! Watch this!” Lando yells over to Martin, who is currently saddling his horse, and tries, but fails miserably to get his water bottle with a lasso. Martin can’t stop laughing as he watches him try multiple times until he finally gives up with a sheepish smile on his face and just grabs the bottle from the ground.

“A for effort!” he yells at him with a grin on his face.

Lando grins back at him “Thank you! I think so as well. Next time I will get it!”

Martin laughs at that “You sure will!”

“Okay boys! Let’s get ready!” Adam tells them and they finish saddling their horses.

Lando swallows when he sees Martin put his cowboy hat on and getting on his horse. He can’t stop staring at Martin on that goddamn horse, he has seen Martin on a horse before, but there is something about him in this exact moment, that makes Lando’s throat extremely dry. Maybe it’s the way the sun is shining and how the light is falling perfectly on Martin, that it creates an almost unreal glow on his skin. All that Lando can think about is how he wishes he had his camera with him right now so he could capture this and it’s in that moment that he realizes that he wants nothing more than to take pictures of Martin, because nothing in the world has captivated him and stolen his breath like Martin.

“Lando! You coming or what?” his dad interrupts his thoughts and he feels slightly embarrassed when he notices Martin, his dad and his brother staring at him with a questioning look.

“Yeah, I’m coming” he says and quickly walks past Martin to get to his own horse.

“You should come to this bar with me tonight!” Lando says as he walks into Martin’s cabin.

It didn’t take long for them both to feel comfortable enough to have Lando just barging in unannounced on a regular basis. Martin, who is currently sitting on the sofa with a bunch of notes spread out in front of him, looks up from the one he was currently scribbling on and smiles at Lando.

“Don’t we have to get up early tomorrow? I wouldn’t want to make a bad impression on your dad…” Martin voices his concern with crinkled eyebrows.

“Nope” Lando pops the p at the end and smiles brightly.

“Dad told me we have tomorrow off and besides that I am sure you could never disappoint him, he loves you” Lando tells him.

“Oh that’s nice, then yes of course!” Martin agrees happily.

“Mint! Be ready in like an hour” Lando says and leaves as abruptly as he came, Martin smiles to himself watching as Lando skips out of the cabin.

Lando is leaning against his car when Martin steps out of his cabin an hour later. He is wearing blue jeans that perfectly hug his hips with a casual shirt tucked into them and a beige cowboy hat on his perfect curls. There is something about the way Lando is leaning against the car with his hips slightly popped to the side that makes Martins mouth dry. As much as he has grown to love Lando’s curls and often wonders what they feel like, if they are as soft as they look, he will never get over seeing him with the cowboy hat on and swears that it makes Lando’s face look even more perfect. He has to stop his train of thought, shows Lando a smile and finally makes his way over to him.

Lando also shows him a cheeky smile “You ready?” he asks and moves off the car to open the door to the passenger side for Martin.

“Yes” Martin breathes out and has to stop himself from blushing.

He gets into the car and tries to be chill about the fact that Lando opened the passenger door for him, Lando is a nice guy, a gentleman, he probably always does that for everyone and it doesn’t mean anything special. Lando hops onto the drivers seat and starts the car.

“So where is this bar you are taking me?” Martin asks and watches Lando put his arm around his seat to look back as he reverses the car out of the driveway, he watches as Lando skillfully moves the steering wheel with one hand and Martin could swear he is about go insane, because this is another thing that has been driving him crazy lately: watching Lando drive, or more specifically watching him steer the car with one hand.

“It’s in town, so like a thirty-minute drive. Near the train station where I picked you up” Lando replies before looking over with a cheeky grin and adding “It’s a karaoke bar and you are going to sing a song with me!” he says excitedly.

Martin feels all color drain from his face “What?!” he exclaims and looks over at Lando who is giggling at his reaction.

“Oh come on, you have been here for more than two weeks and still haven’t performed anything for me. And I get it if you want to keep your songs to yourself, so I thought karaoke would be perfect! You don’t have to perform something of your own. And I love karaoke! We can sing something together” Lando says with so much excitement that Martin has no other choice but to agree.

“Yeah okay” he says and the smile on Lando’s face is totally worth it.

They arrive at the bar and Lando leads the way with an excited and determined look on his face that makes Martin chuckle. Lando orders them both a drink at the bar and turns to Martin “I already know which song we are going to sing” he says with a big grin on his face.

“Oh, do you?” Martin asks.

“Yup” Lando nods his head excitedly.

“And which one would that be? Do I get a say in this?” Martin questions with raised eyebrows.

“Nope” Lando shakes his head and takes a sip of his drink to stop his grin from showing.

“Do I even know the song?” Martin asks with a bit of a panicked voice, scared that he will embarrass himself in front Lando and everyone else in this bar.

“I am pretty sure you do I would be surprised if you didn’t” Lando tells him, but Martin doesn’t feel reassured and starts to pray that he knows the song.

“I will go request it now because it always takes a while. Be right back” Lando says and walks to someone near the stage.

When he gets back they find a table to sit at. “You do this regularly?” Martin asks curiously.

“Not as often as I would like to. During college me and my friends would hit up a karaoke bar pretty often, but since I graduated and got back home I haven’t really been” Lando explains and Martin notices a nostalgic look on his face when he mentions college and his friends. He wants to ask about it but decides a karaoke bar is probably not the best place to do that.

“Then I feel honored to be here with you tonight” he smiles at Lando and watches as Lando’s face lights up again.

“Cheers to that” Lando says and raises his glass.

“Cheers” Martin clinks his glass with Lando’s and they both smile at each other as they take a sip.

They watch other people sing karaoke and get amused when most of them completely miss the notes and Martin cringes when some even lack even any kind of rhythm. He smiles when he catches Lando quietly singing along to most songs. He almost forgot that Lando put them on then list as well until their names are suddenly being called “Next up are Lando and Martin!”

Lando looks at Martin with excitement and stands up immediately. “Come on!” he hurries Martin over to the stage.

Lando hands him a mic and that’s when he remembers that he still has no idea what song they are about to sing when the familiar sound of a guitar and piano start playing. He looks at Lando who is grinning widely and then to the screen in front of them to confirm if he recognized the song correctly.

He looks back to Lando who starts talking the first part “I was all but 22, I think at the time. I’d been out on the road, lonely at night. And it’d been a while, so it was on my mind” he has to stop himself from laughing when Lando suddenly does a spot on country accent and starts singing directly to him.

“Well I saw him walk in, with his cowboy hat and I thought to myself, I could use some of that. His boots like glass on a sawdust floor, huh. Had moves like nothing I’d ever seen before” Lando absolutely dramatizes every expression on his face and moves his body perfectly to emphasize every word.

“So I walked right up and I pulled him to the side. I handed that man a beer and looked him in the eyes” Lando now stopped right in front of Martin to look him in the eyes and continues “And I said: Baby, I think you’re gonna wanna hear this. Then I told him” he then closes his eyes to give it his all and sings “Excuse me, you look like you love me. You look like you want me to want you to come on home. And baby I don’t blame you for looking me up and down across this room. I am drunk and I am ready to leave. And you look like you love me”.

Martin watches with amazement as Lando moves so freely on the stage and does a little dance while singing, totally feeling himself. Lando then moves to stand more the side to give Martin the stage and Martin doesn’t have time to think, almost missing the start of his part.

“Well I was down at the local beer joint with a few of the guys. When this cute little country boy caught my eye” Martin didn’t really plan that lyric change, it just slipped out, but he catches Lando stopping his little dance moves for a second when he glances over to him to see his reaction.

“And boy let me you, he was the prettiest thing I’d ever seen in a pair of boots. Well he walked right up to me, handed me a beer. Gave me a look like lets get out of here and that’s when I realized that he was every cowboy’s dream come true” Martin glances back over to Lando and notices a new look in his eyes, an emotional one.

“He told me this right here, he said” he finishes his solo and looks back to Lando to sing the chorus together. They sing together in harmony and the smiles couldn’t be bigger on both of their faces. Lando dances around Martin, moving his hips and shoulders in a way that makes it hard for Martin to focus.

“So if you ever see a man in a cowboy hat and you think to yourself, I could use some of that. Don’t waste your time. Just give him this here line. Goes a little like this” Lando sings and puts his Cowboy hat on top of Martins head with a wide grin on his face.

Martin looks at him caught off guard by his action, but quickly recovers when Lando winks at him before starting the chorus one last time. It’s like every other person in that bar doesn’t exist while they are singing to each other, in their own world, feeling weightless in time and space for the moment.

“You look like you love me” they finish the song, not hearing the clapping from the crowd in front of the small stage, not caring that everyone is looking at them, they only have eyes for each other right now and while the last note of song plays they smile widely at each other before being snatched out of their moment “Thank you to Lando and Martin! What a performance that was!”

They share one last look and then leave the stage to go back to their table. “That was amazing! Your voice is amazing!” Lando beams at Martin and pulls him into a side hug.

“Thank you, yours wasn’t too bad as well. Sure you don’t want to consider a career in singing?” he replies.

Lando smiles brightly at him “Nah. I am not built for the life in public, on a stage” he shrugs.

“I get that, but I think the world would love you” Martin says wholeheartedly.

“Really?” Lando whispers and smiles shyly.

“Yes. I think no matter what you end up doing, as long as you do what you are passionate about and stay true to yourself, the world won’t have a choice but to love you for being you” he says, meaning every single word.

“Thank you” Lando whispers with a blush on his face, looking down at his hands.

Martin takes one of Lando’s hands making him look at him again “I mean it. Every single word” and when says it he doesn’t just mean the conversation they just had and he hopes Lando knows that.

“You do?” Lando breathes out.

“I do” Martin replies, never having meant these two words more than in that moment.

Lando looks at him with so much emotion in his eyes, Martin can feel himself getting lost in his ocean eyes that show so much depth, so many layers and he wants to discover them all.

“Do you wanna go for a drive?” Lando suddenly asks him.

“Yes” Martin replies.

They both stand up and walk out of the bar. When they reach the car Martin remembers that he still has Lando’s hat on that he put there during the song.

“Wait. I still have your hat. Here” he takes it off and wants to give it back, but Lando laughs and shakes his head.

“Don’t you know the cowboy hat rule?” he asks.

“The what rule?” Martin asks with a confused look on his face.

“If you wear the hat, you have to ride the cowboy” Lando says and shows him a cheeky grin before getting into the car.

Martin almost chokes when the words leave Lando’s lips, he stands there frozen “You coming or what?” Lando yells from inside the car with a laugh.

Martin takes a deep breath to regain his composure and gets in the car. Lando starts the car and drives away from the bar, Martin actually has no idea where Lando planned on driving. Unlike the other times Martin has driven with Lando, there is no music playing this time, it’s completely silent in the car. The only sound that could be heard was the one the car made as it passed through the streets. Martin notices another abnormality, Lando keeping both hands on the steering wheel. Normally he would only use one hand and keep the other one resting, but this time it seems like he is gripping the steering wheel tightly with both hands. Martin can feel the tension in the car building up. Lando who seemed so confident and carefree when they left the bar is suddenly refusing to look at him, seeming tense.

“Where are we driving to?” Martin asks after a while, deciding to break the tension.

He sees Lando rearranging his hold on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white from the tight grip “A spot I want to show you” he mumbles.

“Okay” Martin replies with a soft voice.

Their performance in the bar made Lando feel more alive than ever, the rush he got from singing to Martin, with Martin, was indescribable. And then Martin changed the lyrics, he sang boy instead of girl and he stared into Lando eyes while doing so and Lando swears he was about to faint on that stage. It sparked something in Lando, hope. The entire time, since Martin arrived, he didn’t dare to have hope. He didn’t dare to make himself believe that Martin might reciprocate his feelings.

Lando could be honest with himself, he fell head over heels for Martin. From the moment he saw him at the train station, not knowing who he even was, he has been falling. Every moment he has spent with him since then made him fall even deeper. Every smile of Martin, every laugh, made Lando’s heart skip a beat. He suddenly loved waking up early, eager to start the day, to see Martin. When his dad wanted to give him days off, he made up excuses of wanting to help more. Every night he lay in bed, thinking about Martin, dreaming about Martin. But whenever he thought of Martin, he never let himself have hope, there was no way Martin liked him like that, so when Martin changed the lyric and looked at him like that it threw Lando off. For the first time he felt hope. Hope that Martin might like him back, that there was a chance.

When they went off the stage, he felt so much joy and happiness, he couldn’t believe what just happened and then Martin went even further and said the things he said. That the world would love him, just for being himself, that he meant every word. Lando couldn’t help himself, but to wonder if Martin not only meant the words, he said off stage, but also the ones on stage. He felt overwhelmed by all these new revelations and possibilities, so he suggested the one thing he always does when he gets overwhelmed: a drive to his favorite spot.

He doesn’t know what confidence overtook him when he told Martin about the cowboy hat rule, maybe it was the adrenaline from performing on stage or the adrenaline Martin made him feel, but as soon as he started driving all the confidence left him again. He started doubting everything, maybe Martin didn’t mean anything like that and Lando just completely misinterpreted everything. He suddenly felt stupid for getting his hopes up, for misreading the situation. What if he embarrassed himself in front of Martin? He didn’t dare to look at him. So after parking the car Lando sits in his driver’s seat for a few moments when they arrived at their destination. He can feel Martin staring at him, probably confused by his behavior.

“What is this place?” Martin speaks, breaking Lando’s spiraling thoughts.

“It’s ummm, it’s my favorite spot to go to when I need to clear my head” he replies in a soft tone, still not daring to look at Martin.

“Oh” Martin says.

“It’s stupid. We can leave if you want to. I don’t know why I brought you here” Lando says, feeling even more stupid.

“No! Please, I want to stay” Martin says immediately.

“Show me, please” he adds softly.

Lando finally looks over to him “Okay” he whispers.

They get out of the car and Lando takes the blanket he always keeps in there and moves towards the cargo bed. He spreads out the blanket “I like to sit here and watch the view, at day you can obviously see much more, we are on top of a small cliff, but at night it’s nice to watch the stars and just enjoy the calm” he explains to Martin, who is smiling at him and moves to make himself comfortable on the blanket.

“It’s nice. Thank you for showing it to me” he says.

Lando nods at him and then also sits down. The back of the car doesn’t leave them much room, so when Lando sits down next to him, their arms are pressed together. He can feel the heat radiating off of Martin’s body that always seems to be hot. They are quiet for a few minutes, enjoying the view and each other’s presence. After a while Lando can feel himself getting cold and silently curses himself for only wearing a shirt and not bringing a jacket, it might be summer, but the nights get cold. In an attempt to warm himself up he rubs his arms and curls forward a bit, making Martin look at him.

“Are you alright?” he asks with a concerned look.

“Yeah, just a bit cold. Forgot to bring a hoodie or jacket” Lando says with a slight shiver.

“Come here” Martin says and without hesitating wraps an arm around Lando to pull him close and starts stroking his arm, feeling his cold skin. Lando’s heart skips a beat when Martin pulls him close and starts touching his skin. Martin’s warm hand almost burns his cold skin, but it’s a nice and comforting burn. He can immediately feel his body warming up and relaxing, leaning his head on Martin’s shoulder, embracing the warmth and closeness he has been craving.

“Better?” Martin whispers after a few minutes, moving his head to look at Lando who smiles up at him with soft eyes.

“Yes” Lando whispers back.

“Thank you” he adds.

Martin gives his arm a gentle squeeze.

“In the bar, you said you meant every word. Is that true?” Lando finally gets the courage to ask.

“Yes” Martin replies without hesitating.

He moves his other arm that isn’t around Lando to gently grab his face and make him look at him. Lando feels frozen when Martins face is so close in front of him, when he feels him softly caressing his cheek and looking deeply into his eyes.

“You drive me crazy Lando” Martin whispers and at the sound of his name Lando’s eyes flutter shut and he moves his face closer into the palm of Martin’s hand.

“I thought I always knew what I wanted until you were right in front of me and since then there hasn’t been a second where you don’t consume every thought of mine. It’s been almost painful to be so close to you every day without having you. It’s been torture.” Martin continues to whisper.

They are so close now that Lando can feel Martin’s breath on his face. He doesn’t know if it’s even possible, but he pulls Martin’s head even closer by pulling on his neck, the tip of his fingers buried in Martin’s hair.

“Please” Lando whimpers and moves even closer to rub his nose against Martin’s cheek.

“Please what?” Martin asks and rubs his thumb over Lando’s lower lip, whose lips part the second he touches them.

“Kiss me” Lando breathes out shakily and then it doesn’t take longer than a second and Martin’s lips are on his. They are softer than he could have ever imagined and the only thing allowing him to breathe again is the moan he lets out when Martin’s hand finds its way to his curls and gives them a pull that sends electric shocks through Lando’s body. He doesn’t know or care how much time passes as they kiss each other as if their lives depended on it, they actually might, or how they got into this position, but he suddenly finds himself straddling Martin’s hips being pulled in for another kiss.

“Mhhmm” he moans again and then forces himself to pull away so he can catch his breath and look at Martin.

Martin who is laying beneath him with messy hair, swollen lips and a lazy smile on his face, Lando is sure he looks exactly the same. He rests his hands on top of Martin’s chest and smiles down at him “Hey” he says softly.

“Hey” Martin breathes out and puts his hands on top of Lando’s to give them a gentle squeeze.

“What took you so long? You muppet” Lando tries to say with an accusing tone but fails when he starts giggling, feeling high after the makeout.

“What took me so long?! I had no idea if you wanted this!” Martin tries to defend himself and fakes an offended face.

Lando lets out a scoff “You had no idea?! I could not have been more obvious Marty!”

“Obvious?! In what way?” Martin asks, confused by Lando’s revelation.

“Marty… I started doing my brothers chores just so I could spend more time with you, I went with you to your cabin after dinner every night, I literally tried to spend every second of my day with you, trying to impress you in every possible way. You muppet!” Lando says, a bit frustrated that apparently, he wasn’t obvious enough.

After a few seconds of the realization hitting him Martin giggles and moves his hands to rest on Lando’s hips.

“What’s so funny” Lando whines at him.

“I guess I really was a muppet” Martin smiles at him.

“Yes you were!” Lando says.

“I was doubting myself the entire time! I thought you weren’t into me” he adds with a pout.

Martin squeezes his hips in an effort to reassure him “I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t want to overstep or make things weird between us or your family. I was an idiot for not realizing” Martin apologizes softly.

“Forgive me?” he asks cheekily.

“I guess there are ways you can make it up to me” Lando smirks at him and moves down again, his face inches in front of Martin’s.

“Oh really?” Martin breathes out heavily.

“Mhmm” Lando hums, eyes fixated on Martin’s lips.

“I’m all yours Cowboy” Martin whispers.

#norrix

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