23

                                    

                                          
When Lando's flight lands 2 days later, I catch a taxi to the airport to meet him. I had already arranged with Miss Moretti to let me move some class schedules around, and they allowed for Lando to bunk in my room with me to spend some time with him today, but I would have to catch up tomorrow. 
Walking through the airport, I can't help but feel nervous. The last time we saw each other, and months before that, we were in such a bad way and when I flew to Florence, we had essentially broken up. And although we had communicated a little over the past two days, it still felt like we had this blockage between us. 
Standing at Gate 6, I pace back and forth eagerly awaiting for his plane to disembark. It's been parked out in front of the floor to ceiling windows for the last 5 minutes and it seems to be stretching on. 
As people begin to exit through the gate, into the arms of their welcoming families and friends, I search for him through a sea of unfamiliar faces. My eyes flick through the crowds as it multiples before they fall heavily on the one familiar face, the face I could pick out in any crowd, in any city, in any place. 
He smiles at me as passers by block my view. We stand there taking in each others gaze, time freezing and the others around us disappearing. 
My face breaks from a smirk into a smile, and my feet move voluntarily toward him, slowly at first and then into a jog. 
He drops his bag onto the floor beside him as he catches my body, leaping into his arms. My legs wrap tightly around his chest as I hold onto him as if my life depends on it. My face is buried deep into his neck and I take in his scent, the one I needed, the one I missed. 
"Hey baby" he coos, he hands firmly on my butt. 
"I've missed you" I admit. 
"I've missed you as well" he replies
He places me back down on my feet, landing on my tip toes, and keeping my hands on either side of his neck and placing my forehead against him. My eyes shut, I entangle my hands in the base of his hair, interlocking my fingers through his curls. I take a deep breath, and I feel it. 
"I love you, so much" I confess. 
"I love you too" 
Bringing my lips down upon his, drawing him in to me as close as I can. 
I interlock my fingers with him and he leads me through the sea of people toward the cab waiting for us. 
After leaving his bags at the hotel, we take a walk into town, enjoying the sights of Florence. I had suggested we get Miss Moretti to get Lando a bike as well, but Lando wasn't a fan of that idea. 
We make our way to the Florence Duomo Complex, the breath taking architecture on the outside stopping us in our tracks. Lando runs his hand along the wall of the building, gazing up at the height and beauty of it. 
"It's insane, isn't it?" he compliments, "There is nothing like this in London." 
"I know, its stunning. So much work went into the architecture of the property, knowing whats on the inside as well. This city is stunning" 
"Shall we?" he gestures inside, linking my arm with his, I follow him inside. 
Once inside, we make our way up to the bell tower that gives us a complete birds eye view of the city. Lando positions himself behind me, resting his arms on either side of me, securing me between him and the marble. He rests his chin down on my shoulder and I allow my head to drop to the side, resting against him. 
"Tell me what you see" he mutters in my ear. 
"What I see?" I confirm. 
"Mhmm, I want to know what the city looks like through the eyes of an artist" 
I let out a light chuckle. 
"What is it?" he asks me. 
"Nothing" I respond, "It's just, that's my major project for Summer school. I'm meant to come up with a design that represents how I see Florence" 
Pulling his head away from mine, he places a kiss to the side of my head before returning to his original position. 
"To me" I begin, "I see, birth" 
"Birth?" Lando asks confused. 
I let out a small chuckle, "Like beginnings. I see hope, and I see wonder. The sea of burnt orange feels.. warm and gentle" 
"So that's what you draw" he informs. 
"What do you mean?" 
"I mean, you just told me what you see when you look at Florence. That was your assignment wasn't it." he explains. 
I tilt slightly toward the side, trying to take in his presence. "Yeah" I agree. 
"Then, that's what you draw... hope" 
I turn my eyes back toward the city and we simply absorb it in for a few moments. I feel content, finally. I feel like we have so much more to talk about it. That nothing was every resolved and we just kind of left off somewhere good, even though it was never good. 
"We need to talk" I mutter. 
"I know" he agrees. "We didn't leave in a very good place" 
"No, we didn't." I turn around in his entrapment, facing my back toward the city. "We need to figure this out, I really want to figure this out" 
"I know you do, baby. I do as well. I just don't know how too" 
I run my hand down the side of his face, "You do. You bring us back to such a good place, you say all of the right things and we finally get back to where we should be, and then it turns to shit again. Over the smallest things" 
"I know" he accepts, "I don't know how to do this. I keep fucking it up and I don't know how to fix it" 
Leaning forward, I kiss the freckle, "You just need to start talking to me okay. Just talk. We can figure everything out. Anything that upsets you, or makes you feel uneasy or uncomfortable. Talk to me. I want to know everything and work together to make it better. Don't just demand things from me, I think that's when we start to lose it." 
He nods, "I know. I can work on it" 
"We're going to be okay" I mumble into his neck as I entangle my body with his. "I know we can be" 
"I'm so sorry" he responds. 
"Don't be sorry. We've had such a rollercoaster to get to where we are, I just need to know that we are on the same team and not fighting against one another" 
Lando chuckles shyly, "Maybe I'm just so used to fighting against a Verstappen" he mocks. 
I give him a knowing look, "Wrong Verstappen there Norris" I tease. 
"I know, I know" he mutters, bringing his lips over mine, moulding them with his own. "I won't challenge you anymore" 
"Good" I exclaim, turning myself back around and positioning myself right up against him, his arms closing in around me tightly. We stay up at the bell tower right up until they are due to close, watching as the sun settles behind the rows of orange making the buildings blend in with the sky.