STOCKHOLM SYNDROME || LANDO NORRIS

9.

*Ashley's POV* 

"You ready?" Lando wrapped an arm around my waist. 

"I think so," I looked around at the familiar Heathrow airport. "I'll miss being here." 

"Even the weather?" He grinned, as we both waited for the number of our gate. "You should be happy. The weather in Monaco is so much better than this crap-" He motioned outside, where the rain was pouring down heavily. "-the definition of shit." 

I chuckled at his choice of words, staring down at the scars where the glass pieces had hit me. I was feeling fine, after about a few days of healing emotionally and physically. Lando helped me through it all. 

I still couldn't get the picture of my own 'mother' hitting me so violently. I always thought of her as a fragile and sweet woman before she'd gotten her job and met Michael. Afterwards, she'd changed. Lando sensed my tensed body and pulled me in closer. 

"You'll be fine, she won't find us," Lando placed a kiss on my forehead. "I'll just be in the toilet for a few minutes. The gates shouldn't be announced until half an hour later." I nodded as he stood up and ran off to the toilets. 

Someone sat next to me. I took no notice and focused on my phone. "Ashley." 

"Lando? You're back so fast-" I turned around just to see Michael, who had surprisingly ran out of breath and was panting hard. "Michael? What are you doing here?" 

"I-" He breathed hard. "I've got a request. Please, reconsider this. Ashley, I'm actually your Father. I was the person your mother was having an affair with when you were young. We were the people who'd picked up a simple play to throw you off your tracks." 

"Whoa-" I held up my hands, as he froze. "Slowly, one by one. You're my Dad? Second of all, you and my Mum picked up a play so she could be away from me? You're mental." 

"I know this is a lot, but seriously, reconsider this," Michael sighed. "I know this is a very sudden news to you, that we're actually Father and daughter. But I promise you, we could take a DNA test and you would be my biological daughter." 

"I know Emma, she asked you to ask me something, didn't she?" I mumbled. He grumbled. 

"Look, this is the only way to say this. She wants me to ask you to stay in England for a few more months before she leaves prison," He explained. "Maybe years as well, we don't know. But please." 

"Look, you and her hid this away from me for at least two or more decades now," I backed away. "I want to forgive you both. But seriously, the matters I have are much worse than this. I'd like to live my life in Monaco privately, with Lando." 

"Would there be a chance you'd come back?" He pleaded. 

"I'll see. Actually, never in a million years." The gate number was announced as Lando rushed over and grabbed his stuff, leading me towards the gates. I turned back and saw Michael staring at the both of us in disbelief. 

I felt bad. After all, if I was his biological daughter, we never spent much time with each other. I gave him a little wave and a smile before heading into the plane with Lando, as we sat down in the first class aisle. 

"That man wasn't bothering you?" Lando confirmed with me. 

A flash of his warm smile appeared in my mind. "No. He wasn't." 

"He seems really familiar," He mumbled, connecting his airpods to his phone. "Want one?" He offered me one of them, but I shook my head. "It feels quite comfy, sitting on a bed in the plane." 

"I know," I grinned, laying my head back. Growing up, I never had the chance to experience a 'rich life'. Emma spent half my childhood working as hard as she could, and I could understand that. What I didn't understand was how she threw her reputation away for prison and me. "I feel lucky." 

"Half the girls in the world wants to be in your position, stay lucky," Lando ruffled my hair. "I have a slight feeling you're going to be listening to that Tomlinson guy again." 

"You know me so well," I chuckled. 

"So in Monaco..." He hesitated, as I spreaded my legs out on the mattress. "What you going to do?"

I didn't realise that I had a whole free future in front of me. The only reason I was even moving to Monaco with Lando was to have a free life, not being hunted down constantly. And to avoid tax problems, obviously. "Maybe... guitar?" 

He didn't say anything. I didn't expect anything in the first place. I'd never touched a piece of musical instrument in my life before, just the fact I'd played guitar back in school whenever I felt down. It was always the acoustic guitar, I just didn't like the aggressive sounds of the electric guitar. 

"I might've not phrased it better," He cleared his throat. "I mean us." 

"You want to break up?" I frowned, confused.

"No!" Lando exclaimed. People around us looked at us weirdly. "I mean, like, what's going to go on with this relationship. Are we going to continue this or take this even further?" 

"What do you mean 'take this further'?" I muttered quietly, pressing the palm of my hand against his mouth to quiet him down a bit more. His gaze shot at the leaflets of families spending their times together on holiday, advertisements about prices being lowered for the holidays. "Oh gods, you don't mean-" 

"It's a bit too early," He turned bright red. "I just want to be a father." 

"When the time is right, Lan," I moved closer to him and kissed him gently. "I promise." 

~~
*Lando's POV* 

How do you wait?

Ashley fell asleep on my lap as soon as the flight took off. I looked at her, trying to imagine our future together in Monaco. How do you wait for something you've wanted for so long? We had been friends since childhood. 

I couldn't wait. I honestly couldn't wait. I checked if she as asleep, then peered inside the bag I had with me. The little black box was still there, perfectly placed. 

She was right. It was too early. We only started dating a few days ago, it was kind of wrong. 

But again, how can you wait? What if she wouldn't even be the person I would marry? I wanted to be with her since a young age. I've seen her play the guitar, seen her go through so many life problems, so much pain. 

I squirmed around slightly as her favourite artist's song came up. It was a calm one, something along the lines of 'Two Of Us'. I removed the airpods from my ears, placing them into hers as her breathing calmed down a bit more. I switched the playlist to the artist's one. 

I wanted her. But it would have to wait.