#oscar is basically todoroki because why tf not

[ipleadbritney]

🎄heater and ac machine

Lando/Oscar, T, 1.1k magical realism, mild holiday fic, fluff

“Is it true? That you're a heater?” Oscar's mind beeps and boops, blanking out. He's been through every version of this conversation, it seems like, since his powers manifested. But it's Lando asking. His new teammate. Or, three Decembers in Lando and Oscar's shared history.

DECEMBER 2022

“Is it true? That you're a heater?”

Oscar's mind beeps and boops, blanking out. He's been through every version of this conversation, it seems like, since his powers manifested. 

But it's Lando asking. His new teammate.

(Well, Oscar's the new one isn't he? Lando's his first teammate. His first Formula One teammate. Oscar's.)

“And an AC machine, yes,” Oscar answers, keeping the bite out of his voice. It's not exactly Lando's fault that Oscar didn't get eight-plus hours of sleep, or that the Quirk briefing the team put together is seven pages of technical shit. No wonder Lando didn't read it.

If he had, he wouldn't be half as surprised now. “Two Quirks?” Lando asks, mouth open.

“I guess? Hot and cold go together anyway.” Oscar doesn't explain how it's actually one Quirk, splitting his body perfectly into two. He's unsure how to explain it in the first place. 

He's never done anything flashy with his powers, never been allowed to experiment with it. Max is still being asked about the time he made it storm on-track, when he was about 13 or 14. Oscar's Quirk manifested late, well into his teens. By that point, he had to take extra lessons and precautions so it wouldn't affect his racing. 

For all intents and purposes, he's a heater and an AC machine. That's all there is to him.

“That's cool,” Lando says. 

“Cool and hot.” 

Lando grins. “Yeah, cool and hot.”

Lando asks Oscar a little bit more about his Quirk, how he balances it in the car, if his diet is affected by the temps. Oscar can tell Lando's not really interested in his answers. It's probably nothing personal, Mark had told him. Lando's Quirkless. Doubt he'll talk regulations with you.

Esteban talked regs with Oscar. Fernando, too. 

After a respectful amount of time has passed, Lando returns to his spot on the other side of the room. They're on standby for an interview, a fluffed-up piece about McLaren betting everything on two young guys. Oscar wonders if there'll be a hidden jab about Daniel again, like how it's been the last couple months. 

Oscar rubs his hands together. No good thinking about Daniel, even if he's pretty sure he saw a cart full of DR3 merch wheeled out earlier. 

He activates his left side, just enough to soothe his nerves.

There's a squeak, somewhere in Lando's area.

“You alright there, mate?” Oscar asks.

Lando's head goes up and down. “Uh-huh.”

He probably hates me, Oscar thinks. 

DECEMBER 2023

“Scooch over,” Lando says, practically collapsing on Oscar's lap.

“Uh, hello to you too, Lando.” Oscar looks at Alex, who has just delivered Lando to their booth, for any explanation.

Alex shrugs. “He almost threw up on me. Excuse his behaviour please.”

Oscar chuckles at that. “Somebody's celebrating too much?”

Lando lifts his head up, glaring at Oscar. “Have to drink for two people, don't I? Are you even out with us?”

“I'm literally here.”

“Barely. Where did you disappear after shots with Max?”

That was, what, like an hour ago? More than? Oscar's had three drinks since. He chatted with Yuki and Pierre for a time but dipped out when they went into the dance floor.

“Just hanging out,” Oscar says, “talking to people.”

“People that's not me.” Lando pouts. He adjusts positions, still dangerously close to Oscar. Lando drapes his leg over Oscar's lap and keeps a firm grasp on Oscar's waist. 

Oscar might just overheat.

Lando's in no better condition. His face is red and so is the exposed part of his chest. Is his shirt unbuttoned less?

“You can switch to my right ride,” Oscar offers before he can rationalise his decision. He's on the right side of fuzzy, too.

Lando hasn't yet asked Oscar directly for any Quirk-related favours, but he always sits on whichever side he needs the most. Says Oscar runs half-hot and half-cold even without activating his Quirk. Oscar doesn't mind being used as a heater and an AC, when it's Lando. 

Lando perks up. “Oh, yeah, your cool one?”

Oscar helps Lando maneuver his way. It's nowhere near graceful. Lando almost falls three times.

They somehow make it work. Lando ends up tucked under Oscar's right arm, with Oscar getting a mouthful of Lando's curls. 

“Tell me if it's too cold,” Oscar manages to mumble. Lando must've heard him because he nods against his chest. 

“I think I need to wash my eyes,” Alex says. 

“Boo,” Lando says.

DECEMBER 2024

“Oh, that's fucking adorable. I outdid myself, Osc.”

Oscar looks up from the gift he's currently wrapping and sees Lando doing a considerably much better job at his holiday duties. “Lan, that's— wow.”

“I know! Trick is you put enough balls and pray it'll work.”

Oscar snorts. Lando rolls his eyes.

“Ha ha, like you wouldn't make the same joke about it,” Oscar teases. He uncurls himself from the floor, wanting to take a closer look at their Christmas tree. 

Lando combined their helmet colors on the tree— and sure, it's neon, fluoro, and something straight out of a ten-year-old kid's drawing, but it is fucking adorable. It's so sickeningly them. 

“Wait, let's see it all lit up.” Lando plugs the neon lights. “And turn off the lights so we can…”

Lando stumbles past the gift boxes, grasping for the light switch. Oscar wants to tell him to put his safety first, his dramatics second. But Lando has that glint in his eyes, glitter on his nose, and Oscar's heart in his hands. 

The room goes dark, save for the corner now taken up by their neon tree. 

“My mum would hate it,” Oscar says, laughing.

Oscar shrugs and grins. “She loves me, anyway. Loves me more than you.”

All these mentions of love have Oscar stepping into Lando's airspace, holding him by his waist, and kissing him, soft and slow. Lando tastes like chocolate. Oscar's favourite.

Lando shivers, pulling back a bit. 

“Cold?” Oscar asks. Lando's apartment doesn't have the best heating. He hasn't had it fixed yet, citing race schedule and Oscar's own Quirk as excuses. 

Lando shakes his head. He presses close to Oscar, leaning slightly more on Oscar's left side. “I'm good right here.”

Lando kisses him this time, maybe just to prove how good it is, how good it can be. Oscar kisses back with an I know. 

For good measure though, he warms Lando up with his Quirk. Lando doesn't complain.

BONUS, DECEMBER 2024

“Isn't he freezing?” Sam asks. 

Oscar spares a glance at Lando. A shirtless Lando.

“Eh, he'll be fine.”

Lando squawks at that. “Aren't you concerned about me, Osc? Poor me who lost his shirt and sweater and beanie and socks?”

Oscar's more concerned at Lando's sorry poker skills. Lando can't be let loose in Vegas.

“You should've switched seats with me earlier,” Oscar tells him. 

“I didn't know we'd be playing strip poker.”

Sam raises his hands in defense. “I didn't know you'd be this bad at it!”

“He's usually not,” Oscar says. 

Lando just smiles, rubs his cheeks on Oscar's shoulders.

Sam groans.