#Christmas in Orlando

[pastryfication]

how can it be christmas?

pairing: lando norris x ex!reader

part three of my advent celebration

the christmas market was alive, the kind of place where people came to forget their troubles. families bustled between stalls, children clutched sweets in mittened hands, and couples huddled close against the cold, their laughter mixing with the carols drifting through the air.

but for lando norris, it was a graveyard of memories.

his sister had insisted he come. “you need to get out,” she’d said, her voice gentle but firm. and so he’d let her drag him here, to this swirl of lights and music and joy that felt entirely foreign to him.

he walked a few steps behind his family, his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets, his head low against the cold. he wasn’t sure why he’d let her convince him. christmas wasn’t the same anymore. not since he’d lost you.

the memory of last christmas was a ghost that lingered everywhere. the way you’d begged him to take the weekend off so you could visit a market just like this one, teasing him about how grumpy he’d been about the cold. the way your eyes lit up when you found that snowflake ornament—the one he’d insisted wasn’t worth the price, only to buy it behind your back and surprise you later.

that snowflake now hung on his tree at home. the only ornament he’d put up this year.

he hadn’t expected the memories to hit him this hard. every laugh, every couple holding hands, every damn strand of lights reminded him of you. and the worst part was knowing that he was the one who ruined it. he’d made the decision to let you go, convinced it was for your sake. that you deserved better than a boyfriend who was always gone, always distracted, always in a different time zone.

but the truth was that he’d been a coward.

he hadn’t wanted to admit how much you loved him, how willing you were to fight for a relationship he hadn’t been brave enough to believe in. and so he’d walked away. left you standing in the doorway of his flat, your voice breaking as you’d asked him why he was doing this.

he could still see your face. still hear the way you’d said, “i would’ve waited, lando. i would’ve tried.”

he shook the memory off, forcing himself to focus on the present. he trailed his sister and her kids as they stopped at a stall selling roasted chestnuts, his mind a million miles away.

then he heard it—a laugh.

it wasn’t loud or particularly distinct, but something about it cut through the noise of the market like a knife. his heart clenched, and before he could stop himself, he turned toward the sound.

and there you were.

at first, he thought he was imagining it. he hadn’t seen you in months, hadn’t let himself even check your social media because the pain of seeing you move on felt unbearable. but now, here you were, standing just a few meters away.

you were bundled up against the cold, a scarf wrapped high around your neck, your cheeks pink from the chill. for a moment, everything else faded away, and all he could do was stare.

you turned slightly, laughing again at something someone said, and that’s when he saw him.

the man standing beside you.

he was tall, with an easy smile and an arm draped casually over your shoulders. he leaned close to you, his face tilted toward yours, and you responded by leaning into him, your smile soft and effortless.

lando’s stomach twisted violently.

he couldn’t move. couldn’t breathe. he’d thought about this moment so many times, imagined what it might feel like to see you with someone else. but nothing had prepared him for the reality of it.

you looked happy.

more than happy. you looked alive in a way he hadn’t seen in so long, and the sight of it broke something inside him.

he told himself he should look away, that he didn’t have the right to stand here and watch you like this. but he couldn’t. his feet were rooted to the cobblestones as he took in the way the man handed you a steaming cup of something, his hand brushing yours. you smiled up at him, your eyes bright, and lando felt his heart shatter all over again.

you’d moved on.

of course, you had. he was the one who left. the one who broke your heart and told you that it was for your own good. he’d told himself he was doing the right thing, letting you go so you could have a life that didn’t revolve around his career, his absence, his shortcomings.

but it wasn’t for your good—it was for his. he hadn’t been strong enough to hold on to you, to let himself believe he deserved you. and now he was standing here, a hollow version of the man he used to be, watching someone else live the life he’d thrown away.

his throat burned as he forced himself to look away, his hands trembling in his pockets. he turned and walked aimlessly into the crowd, his mind racing, his chest tight.

how had he let it get to this point?

he passed a lamppost strung with lights and leaned against it, sucking in a shaky breath. the air was icy, biting against his skin, but it wasn’t enough to numb the ache in his chest.

“lando?”

his sister’s voice cut through the haze, and he looked up to see her standing in front of him, her brow furrowed in concern. “what’s wrong?”

“nothing,” he said quickly, his voice rough. “i just needed some air.”

she didn’t believe him, but she didn’t push. instead, she glanced back toward the crowd. “we were about to grab hot chocolate. want to join us?”

he shook his head, barely able to meet her eyes. “no. i think i’m gonna head home.”

she hesitated, her hand brushing his arm. “are you sure?”

“yeah,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “i’ll see you later.”

she didn’t look convinced, but she nodded and stepped away, leaving him alone.

lando stayed there for a long time, staring down at the cobblestones as the market buzzed around him, before he finally forced himself to move, his legs heavy, his heart heavier. he didn’t look back, didn’t risk another glimpse of you.

it didn’t matter. the image of you—your smile, your laugh, the way you leaned into the man beside you—was burned into his memory.

as he walked away, the snow falling softly around him, lando realized something he’d been too afraid to admit.

this was what he deserved.

and no matter how many christmases came and went, it would never feel like christmas again.

[randombrowngirl]

Celebrating on a Sunday

[hatchetfield]

... could've had the Role of a Lifetime

[marvelmaniac715]

If anyone is interested in how I picture Pokey, ever since watching Tin Can Bro’s ‘How The Grunch Cribbed Christmas’ I’ve seen him as Orlando LaCroix and that is how he will be in every future fic I write.

[peteneems]

[keiteay]

Unmoved

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[whitefireprincess]

The Grand Floridian | Lake Buena Vista, FL

[oceanwaves-xo]

Christmas is starting now in Magic Kingdom!🎄❤️💚

[the-elvenprince]

How perfect lol. ❤💚🎅🎄

Source: your middle earth home-facebook.

[queen-daya]

25 Days of Christmas Moodboards

[kittypatch]

[hatchetfield]

How the Grunch Cribbed Christmas - Pop Ups

Bonus:

[categoricalimpressions]

Giant Christmas tree at sunset, Orlando, Florida. December 2024.

[secondstar-acorn]

I’m watching how the grunch cribbed christmas and I’m fucking losing it at corey as sir orlando lacroix

[keiteay]

Spirits in the air