There was zero chance of Max wrangling Keegan and Lando into their separate hotel rooms, so he brings them both back to his own. It doesn't take long for Keegan to pass out on the second bed, which is really the pull-out couch, content with a single sheet and sweatshirt for a pillow.
Lando immediately takes up the bed that Max had slept in the night before, curling up beneath the blankets. His grin is still a billion-watt smile, beaming even has Phira jumps onto the bed with far less grace than she usually carries. Phira yawns, Max does too, watching as she curls up into a circle at the foot of the bed. He, finally allows himself to collapse into the bed next to Lando. It's big enough for the two of them. Erin follows them, placing herself in the center of the bed.
Ridiculous, Max thinks, watching her curl up a wiggle's length away from Lando's knees, separated by the comforter and sheets.
Closing his eyes, Max listens to the waking city as he tries to fall into slumber as fast as possible. It doesn't work that way, though. Harder you try, the harder it is.
The touch stirs him far from any slumber and Max immediately knows that Lando's knees are pressing into Erin's side. He muffles a laugh behind a hand, which pulls Max's eyes open again. The expression Lando's wearing is so soft, pleased, his eyes barely open as he looks at Erin with open affection, touching her through the fabric. Max's never seen Lando give him that sort of look, but, well, daemons are just bits of your soul given physical form, ain't they?
He can't linger on the thought.
"Max," Lando whispers. His hands tug the blankets up to his chin as he moves his gaze from Erin to Max himself. "Max," he repeats when Max doesn't answer, feeling a little dumbstruck.
"Yeah?"
Lando's knee nudges at Erin from beneath the blankets. "D'you like it?"
"Like what?" Max answers out of pure habit. Not cus he doesn't know what Lando's asking. He knows.
"When I touch her."
Max swallows a lot to get out an answer after thinking over it for a long time, unable to pull his gaze away from Lando's bright, red-rimmed eyes. He probably looks just as fucked up even though he didn't really drink. "Of course I like it."
"Oh." Max grins as the light pink dusting Lando's cheeks grows darker and he pulls the blanket up high enough to cover his cheeks and nose too. "But you've never said that."
"Was I 'spose to?" He is in complete disbelief that they're having any sort of conversation right now, but especially this one.
"I won, Max," Lando whispers, like it's a secret and the whole world isn't aware of Lando Norris, the thirty-fifth World Driver's Champion. It's just for him and Max. A silly, silly notion.
"Yeah, you did," Max replies, soft like Lando is right now. He feels so proud that it could make him sick. It was all worth it, everything, to have him here now, with Lando.
"You can touch Phira if y'want to," Lando adds on at random as he gives in to his exhaustion just a little with a yawn.
Max can hear and feel his heart in his ears. Of all the things Lando could've said, he picks this?
He smiles, closing his eyes. "Maybe tomorrow. Get some rest, you muppet. Everyone's gonna want a word with the world champion tomorrow." Well. Today. Tomorrow. They haven't slept, it's all blended together. It's not tomorrow until they sleep.
Lando's satisfied with Max's non-answer as he flips around in the bed, tucking the blankets around himself tight like a little cocoon. Max knows it's temporary. It'll only last until Lando grows too warm and has to shed some of the layers in a few hours.
He doesn't overthink how Phira's fur might feel again, prompted by Lando's asking.
