#She's a good singer; she knows how to use whispers/shouts/laughter/singing with intention

[absensia-archived]

One of the key ways Mamma Mia (2008) has influenced Char's characterization is the manner in which she speaks; more often than not, Char dresses her tone with a melodic "sing - songiness," which is to say that when she does speak in a flat or monotonous tone, it is either deliberate, indicative of her feeling, or both.

[hajimine]

BETWEEN THE NOTES — SEMI EITA x GN!READER

synopsis: for as long as you can remember, you and Semi Eita have always hated each other—but a couple of tender glances and one too many bottles of beer later, you find out that maybe you were looking at it the wrong way this whole time.

genre: fluff, (kinda) enemies to lovers, musician!au, mutual pining but they’re both idiots, jealousy, etc.

warnings: alcohol + intoxication (nothing bad happens), slight suggestive themes, vulgar language, kinda fast paced?

wc: ~2.5k

to: @archivednikes happy birthday shawdy <3

special thanks to: @rintaroll for beta-ing & telling me a lil bit about how bands work and stuff bc idk shit lol :,)

“Semi, get your ass moving,” you huff. “You’re gonna make me late.”

He gives you a smug look and raises a slitted eyebrow. “Did something crawl up your ass and died? What’s up with you?”

You exhale heavily through your nose and stare at him, unimpressed.

“We gotta catch the afternoon train if you wanna reach the venue in time for our gig. This is a really good opportunity for me, don’t you dare mess it up.” you say, gathering the last of your things for the trip.

There is a tingling sensation crawling down your spine, as if someone is staring at you. You look over your shoulder curiously, opening your mouth to utter another snarky remark to get your partner to stop gawking around and get ready.

But the intensity behind his gaze caught you by surprise.

Those hazel eyes of his—ones that are usually sharp and cold—held a sort of softness in them as he looks at you. When you caught him staring, his gaze did not falter one bit.

You couldn’t stop your eyes from traveling down the perfect slope of his nose, continuing down to his pouty lips.

As much as you hate him, you can’t deny that Semi Eita is an attractive man. Heck, even the word attractive isn’t enough to express how infuriatingly hot he is.

Your gaze stays on his lips for a second too long. Have they always looked this soft and inviting?

The dry cough from the opposite side of the room is the only thing that managed to break you out of this trance. Semi Eita’s trance.

Your manager stands by the door, tapping her foot on the wooden tiles impatiently.

“Now, lovebirds,” she narrows her eyes, “Save the PDA for tonight, yeah? We’ve got a schedule to follow.”

You roll your eyes at her, cheeks uncomfortably warm. And just like that, the strange yet tender moment you shared with Semi dissipated into thin air.

。。。

You don’t know if you should take pity on the gray-haired singer or if you should laugh at him.

Currently, Semi’s head is bowed down in shame as he gets an earful from his manager in the middle of a crowded train.

You see, the four of you should’ve arrived at the venue by now. Both your managers are very strict about schedules, and they planned to arrive at the bar two hours before the agreed time.

Thankfully, his bandmates have been a little more punctual than him and have successfully boarded the 4pm train. But Mr. Popular right here just had to stop every few minutes to take pictures with every single fan he met on the way to the station.

“It’s half past five now,” his manager whisper-shouts, “Do you know what that means?”

Semi tries to give her an awkward smile to calm her down. It doesn’t work.

“It’s rush hour! What if we won’t reach the bar in time? It could ruin both your careers, do you know that?” she glares at Semi once again, but there is less bite in her voice now.

“I’m sorry,” Semi starts, plastering a charming smile on his face, “I only wanted to be nice to the fans. Wouldn’t make too good of an impression if I just ignored them, no?”

His manager sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose, exasperated. She motions for Semi to stop talking with a wave of her hand.

The singer grins, and out of the corner of your eyes, you can sense his sharp gaze on you once more.

You try to ignore it.

。。。

When your group reaches the bar, Semi’s bandmates are almost done preparing themselves for the gig.

The bar is dimly lit and cool, the multitudes of warm overhead lighting being the only source of light in the room. It’s not too busy tonight, you observe. Some people still donned their work clothes, perhaps rushing over to the bar right after a long day at work—mingling around with friends to let loose for a little and enjoy themselves.

“Dude, where were you?” Aito asks, eyebrows turned downwards in a frown.

Semi pats the guitarist on the side of his head, “Relax, we’ve got plenty of time to prepare.”

Aito rolls his eyes, completely used to his bandmate’s antics.

“Whatever,” he huffs. “By the way, are we gonna have a little after party later?”

“Uh,” Semi’s eyes flicker towards you for one second, then back to Aito, “I dunno man, might be too tired to get wasted tonight.”

The guitarist narrows his eyes. He didn’t miss the way Semi’s gaze lingered on you.

“Y/N,” Aito smirks. “You coming to the after party?”

You were listening to their conversation this whole time, finding the whole exchange quite amusing.

“Eh, I don’t see why not,” you smile sweetly, “It’s gonna be even better now that this dude isn’t coming anyways.” You pointed your thumb at the vocalist.

From where he’s standing, you hear Semi scoff.

“Y’know what?” he sneers, “On second thought, I am going. How does that make you feel, huh?”

You shrug, feigning indifference.

“I literally do not care.”

“Piss off.”

Aito throws his head back in laughter, shaking his head as he walks away from the scene, muttering about people being too clueless and dense for their own damn good.

You adjusted your equipment bag on your shoulder, exhaling loudly to try and calm your heart down.

。。。

It is in moments like these that you remember why you decided to go forth with this career path, no matter how rocky it may be.

Adrenaline courses through your veins as you sing the lyrics of you and Semi’s song; every ounce of the jittery nerves you had just a few moments ago long gone.

There’s nobody else in this world that can ever take your place

Some of the customers are listening intently, others just nodding along to the song, and the rest not even listening at all.

You could hear your heartbeat thumping loudly against your chest, the sweat trickling down your forehead and into your eyes making it harder for you to see the crowd.

And when the day’s all done and dusted, all I ever need is to be in your arms again

You whip your head towards Semi, just like the countless times you rehearsed this song together.

“It shows chemistry,” your manager had said, “play it up for the crowd, will ya?”

The butterflies in your stomach flutters about restlessly when you notice that Semi has been looking at you this whole time.

His eyes—sharp and intense—held your gaze, unabashed. Steady. Sure.

Will you stay tonight? ‘Cause baby you’re all that I need, and you’re all that I want.

And in that moment, with your eyes locked on each other, the world seems to stop.

Nothing else matters, Semi’s lopsided smile says, only you.

。。。

The performance flew by in the blink of an eye, and it’s a little past midnight now. As promised, your managers held a little after party in the shared lounge of your penthouse suite.

It’s not as fancy as it sounds, you smile to yourself. There are suspicious stains on the gray carpet, and the furniture smells vaguely of cigarette smoke and sweat.

Bottles of beers have already littered the floor and glass table, and you haven’t even started drinking.

“Duuuude,” Yuuto slurs, “Why are ya so tense for?”

The bassist points at you and Semi, eyelids drooping as he tries his best to keep them open.

“C’mon guys,” Aito clasps his shoulders and massages them roughly, “Relax a little, we did amazing tonight.”

Semi shrugs his friend’s hands away, annoyed. He snatches an unopened bottle of beer from the cooler and opens the cap with his teeth.

You gulp. He hands you the bottle wordlessly before grabbing another one for himself, chugging it down quickly. You mirror his actions, hoping that the alcohol can dull the annoying fluttering in your stomach that refuses to leave ever since the two of you shared that intimate moment on stage.

For fuck’s sake, what’s going on with me?

Your trick works, in a way. Your stomach feels pleasantly warm now, and your breathing has finally evened out. Another unopened bottle of beer lays invitingly on the couch and you reach for it, opting for a bottle opener instead of doing it like Semi.

“Bro,” Yuuto grins at the singer, drool threatening to leave the corner of his mouth, “Did’ya see that blonde chick in the front row? She was hardcore eye-fucking you dude.”

“Ah,” Semi takes another swig of his beer, a cute flush blossoming in his cheeks.

Wait, what. Cute?

“She gave me her number when we were gathering up our stuff.” He runs his hand through his hair.

“You gonna hit her up or what?” Aito teases, smirking.

The singer shrugs, “Maybe, I dunno.”

Your breath hitches, and Aito’s smirk widens. You raise your eyebrows at him, silently telling him to fuck off.

“Where’s Kai?” you hear Semi ask. Come to think of it, you haven’t seen the drummer since after the show was over.

“Oh,” the guitarist laughs, “Fucker left us for some girl he saw in the bar. Might see him tomorrow morning, might not. Who knows?”

The vocalist hums and walks over to where you’re sitting, plopping down on the old couch.

“The managers?” Semi casually drapes his arm on the back of the sofa. You feel yourself tensing as your heart races uncontrollably, and the singer looks over at you with an unreadable expression on his face.

Aito scratches the back of his neck, quickly losing interest in the conversation.

“They decided to sleep in early. Long day, I guess.”

Semi nods and rests his head on the top of the couch, exposing his defined jawline. His eyelashes look so pretty from this angle, they’re long and fluttery and they almost…

Huh?

“Eita, are you gonna hit that blonde girl up or nah?” Aito provokes, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

You clench your teeth and reach for yet another bottle—your fourth one this past hour. Or fifth. You don’t bother counting. Semi looks over at you again, but this time his eyes holds a sort of concern in them. You scoff to yourself.

“Uh,” the singer looks at his friend weirdly, “Why are you so insistent on this? I did say maybe didn’t I?”

Aito laughs. You almost recoil in disgust.

“Oh nothing,” he chuckles, “It’s just that she’s really hot and she’s your type so—”

You stand up abruptly, knocking over some empty beer bottles by accident. The regret is immediate. You can feel the acid in your stomach traveling up your esophagus, tickling the back of your throat.

Semi quickly stands up when you clasp a hand over your mouth, trying your best to hold it together.

“Shit,” he mutters, “You okay?”

He rubs tiny circles on the small of your back, an action that’s supposed to be soothing but instead causes tingles to run up and down your spine. You shiver.

Another wave of nausea hits before you could respond, causing your knees to almost give out under you.

“Whoa there, angel,” Semi wraps his arm around your waist, holding you flush to his side to support your weight.

You groan softly as your head spins uncomfortably. Droplets of cold sweat is starting to form on your forehead, adding another layer of discomfort upon you.

“You wanna go to your bedroom?” Semi murmurs close to your ear. You shiver again. At this, Semi thought that you’re freezing so he drapes his leather jacket on your shoulders, holding you close.

You nod weakly as you try to blink the black spots in your vision away.

From somewhere around the room, you hear Aito snicker, “Stay safe!”

You turn your head around to give him a deathly glare, but all you see is a big blob of blurriness.

Dammit.

。。。

Semi takes the key card from your bag and pushes the door open, placing your duffel bag on the floor after

He guides you to the bathroom—with gentleness you rarely see from him—and sets the toilet cover down so you can sit on it while he wets a towel with the running tap water.

“You still feel dizzy?” he asks, voice soft.

You stare at his fingers as he wrings the towel and shakes your head.

Semi holds out the cloth and pats your forehead with it, the coolness allowing you to feel a little more refreshed.

“Do you want me to make you some tea?” he wipes the back of your neck carefully.

Shit. Has he always been this thoughtful?

You shake your head again, telling him that you just want to go to sleep.

He sighs and gives you a half-smile, holding out his arm to help you to the bed.

Semi still has it in him to give you a little but of privacy as you wiggle out of your tight jeans, looking away until you slip under the covers.

He helps you pull the plush white comforter closer to your chest, tucking you in.

Your mind doesn’t feel as hazy as it was a few hours ago, but the leftover alcohol coursing through your veins gave you a sort of boost to your impulses.

“Eita,” you whisper, reaching out towards the singer, “Stay?”

The singer halts in his steps and turns to look at you.

“Uh, I don’t know Y/N,” he starts, “You’re drunk right now.”

“No I’m not,” you say, steady voice proving your point. “Please?”

Semi glances over at the door and sighs. He chewed on his lower lip for a few seconds before sighing again.

“Okay.”

。。。

You’re struggling to open your eyes when you wake up, the harsh sunlight streaming into the room completely unfiltered.

Drunk you completely forgot to close the blinds, it seems.

You groan audibly, wanting to pull the covers above your head to hide yourself from this cruel world.

You freeze. Why can you feel someone’s soft breaths on the crown of your head?

Nervously, you reach out in front of you, eyes still shut closed. Oh no.

You force your eyes open, grimacing from the sudden brightness. Your eyes widen at the sight in front of you. Semi Eita, your supposed nemesis, is sleeping soundly a few inches away from you, arms wrapped around your waist.

What the hell happened last night?

A small squeak leaves your mouth as you fully realize the situation you’re in. The small noise wakes Semi up from his slumber, causing him to slowly open his eyes, squinting at the bright light.

“Morning, angel,” he croaks, voice raspy with sleep.

My god does he look pretty in the morning.

You stay there, frozen and unblinking. All the words at the tip of your tongue seem to disappear from existence.

Semi blinks, sitting up quickly.

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” he rubs his eyes vigorously, “I should’ve said no when you asked me to stay. Fuck, you were drunk and I—”

You grab the back of his neck and pull him closer to you, a small smile gracing your lips.

Your thumb grazes Semi’s bottom lip, dragging it down every so slightly before releasing it, enjoying the way he seems to unravel under your touch.

“Shut up and kiss me, will you?” you murmur, trying to keep your cool as your heart hammers against your chest loudly.

At this, Semi breaks out of his reverie and laughs, “I thought you’d never ask.”

a/n: if you’ve made it this far, please feel free to let me know what you think about this fic! and please REBLOG IF YOU ENJOYED mwah <3

© HAJIMINE — all rights reserved. please do not repost, copy, or claim any of my works as your own, thank you.

[tpwkxxangel]

Side A: Track 2

//hi! so i have finals this next week, so i thought i’d updated sooner rather than later! thank you for the kind comments on the last update too!! Okay, now onto the story! here is the masterlist//

~~~

June 2018

"Jeffery!?" Harry calls from his dressing room.

It's been two weeks since Harry meet his kiwi girl again for the first time in two years, and she has not left his mind since. The morning of the sunrise, they grabbed breakfast before she dropped him off at his hotel. He got a total of two hours of sleep before he had to get to the airport to fly down to Houston, but he couldn't complain at all. He was so happy to finally feel something other than sadness again. He slept the rest of the day after getting to his new hotel. His dreams were filled with the intoxicating green-eyed girl.

With Harry being back to his happy self, everyone has taken notice. Jeff of course has been asking about the mysterious girl and why Harry seems so much happier after their night together. Harry hasn't said a single word about that night, just that she's an old friend that he is thankful for running into her. Everyone can tell she's a little more than just an old friend to the singer by the way his attitude lifted from spending one evening with her.

The moment the sun rose into the sky that morning, Janis brought a light into his life that he never knew he needed. And today was the day Harry would see his sunshine again.

They have been messaging back and forth for the last few days. He's learned a lot about her. She got her undergraduate degree from Columbia in mathematics and was placed in an accelerated program that is allowing her to get her masters at the end of December. He now can confirm that she is full of intellect. She's from the Dallas area and her parents are socialites who own a business that has many locations across the US. They wanted her to take it over, since she is the oldest of three, but it was never her calling. Her twin brother takes after their father and is following in his footsteps instead.

Harry talked about his life too. He told her crazy stories about the times he spent in one direction goofing off in hotel rooms. He also talked about how his life was pure chaos for five years but how he wouldn't take it back for anything.

One night when they were on the phone, they opened up about past relationships. They both are starting to let their guards down and Harry couldn't be happier. He wants to get to know more about Janis every time he talks to her. There is no rational reason why this girl would make him feel the way she does, but it's amazing.

"Most people are intimidated by my intelligence. People had this idea of who I was before they even knew me," she scoffed, "They often underestimated me when I was placed in the more advanced classes, so when I open my mouth and add to the conversation, people will get turned off by someone like me," she continued nervously answering Harry's question of why she hasn't been in a real relationship before. There was something else in her voice that told him there was more to the story than she was leading on.

"To be honest, I've had some of the same issues. I think everyone believes that I am just a pretty face that can kind of sing," he chuckled.

"You are a pretty face, and you can sing, but you are so much more than that Harry," J giggles softly into the phone.

"Thank you love," Harry felt himself blushing at her kind words. "Knowledge has been something that I value above all else. Since I never went to college, I try to read as much as I can. That way, I can participate in deep conversations with people and expand my mind," he responded. Just because Harry left school a little early doesn't mean he doesn't value intelligence.

Her golden laughter tickled Harry’s ears and made him smile. "That's so wise, Mr. Styles." Every time she talks to him, she sounds just like a melody. Her voice is beyond sweet and he will never get enough of her giggles.

A knock on the door pulls Harry out of his thoughts.

"You alright, Hersh?" Jeffery walks into the dressing room breaking Harry out of his thoughts.

"Do I look okay?" He looks towards his manager. This will be the first time Harry is performing for J and he wants it to be absolutely perfect.

"You're missing your jacket," Jeff points out while sending off an email on his phone.

Harry’s eyes grow big as he lets out a big gasp. That's what's wrong! Where did he set it down? The last time he had it was in the green room. Maybe it's still in there?

Harry quickly rushes out only to bump into someone. He quickly reaches around the person's waist to stabilize them. The girl lets out a laugh and Harry's face flushes knowing exactly who that giggle belongs to.

"'Ello, love," he smiles shyly.

Janis smiles while bringing her arms up and around his neck. "Hello, Harry," she hums back, touching their noses softly together.

Harry's eyes flutter shut for a moment before he meets her eyes again. "Sorry for running into ya, I'm a bit of a mess before the show," he admits with a sigh. He has performed some of the biggest venues, but nothing compared to his nerves now. He wanted to impress this girl between his arms. The way her perfume consumes his senses makes him feel a high he never want to come down from.

She looks at his flushed cheeks and can see how embarrassed he is starting to get. "It's okay. I'm a bit of a mess too," she whispers as if it was their little secret, and her words instantly dissolve his nerves.

He glances down at her lips wanting nothing more than to kiss her. Just as he starts to lean in, Jeff walks out causing both of them to freeze and look at him. The manager's eyebrows are raised, and Harry instantly drops his arms from around his sunshine's waist. He misses her warmth already.

Janis looks between the two before recognition crosses her beautiful features. She unhooks her arms from around his neck slowly. "You must be Jeffery," she holds out her hand to shake, "I'm Harry's friend J." Harry doesn't like that term. Friend. Maybe that will change soon?

Jeff finally places where he's seen her before. In the dark club, he only saw her dress and hair. "Ah, so you're the girl that's got H so distracted lately," he rolls his eyes playfully before moving out of the way from Harry's shove, "You can just call me Jeff."

Her laugh sounds through the halls of the stadium. It instantly brings Harry a fuzzy, warm feeling. "To be honest, he's occupied my mind just as much," she smiles at the blushing boy.

"I'm so glad you made it," Harry turns to her with a relieved sigh. Jeff takes that as his cue to give them a moment.

Harry finally takes in what she's wearing. She's in a white two piece, accented with golden jewelry. The color complements her tanned skin. Her blonde hair is straight tonight and frames her face just right. Instead of her red lipstick, she has pink gloss on that makes her lips that much more intriguing.

"I'm excited to see you perform," she replies.

"You'll be in the VIP section. I know you said that you can't be in super crowded places, so having you there will be less people." He was a little nervous about her being at the concert when she told him about not being able to be in the pit at a concert. She promised him it wasn't as serious as it sounded, but his sunshine was slowly growing on him so he was bound to worry.

"That's very sweet of you," she says with a soft look crossing her features. She has never had someone listen to her as intently as Harry has the past few days. It's a nice change to feel heard.

They both look down the hall where his entire band is laughing and heading their way. Adam stops short and looks at the girl standing next to Harry. He can't place where he knows her from. He looks over to the singer’s face and sees him cringing. When it hits him, he lets out the loudest cackle which makes Janis jump slightly.

"Isn't that Kiw--" he starts, but Harry talks over him.

"This is J! She's super cool!" he shouts. This couldn't be more awkward for him. He's going to tell her about the song, but maybe after they start dating so he doesn't seem as desperate. Imagine having a song written about you by a complete stranger who is trying to start a relationship with you…it sounds a little stalkery.

Everyone looks at him oddly before J breaks the silence. "Hello. It's nice to meet you all. I've heard a lot about you guys from Harry." On one of their late night calls, Harry went on and on about his bandmates. They both ended up in tears from laughing so hard after Harry told her about their adventure on the road so far.

"Hi, I'm Adam the bassist. We just came to get Harry. We’re going on soon."

"My name's Mitch," the long-haired guy waves slightly. He seems more quiet than the others.

"I'm Sarah!" the beautiful brunette waves, "Are you ready H?" she asks turning to Harry. He knows the look she’s giving him. It’s the ‘you have a lot of explaining to do’ kind of look.

He nods and turns back to Janis. "Patty, my bodyguard, can show you to your seat," he pulls her closer once again, not caring that his bandmates are watching them. "I'll see you after the show?" he gives her a small pouty look.

"Absolutely," she kisses his cheek before giving him another hug and taking off with the muscled man, "Good luck!" she throws over her shoulder with a wink.

The band walks over to the stage entrance shortly after. Harry can't stop smiling and it's not because of the screaming fans calling his name. One of the staff members helps Harry into his white jacket.

Is it strange that he misses her already?

"Is that the same girl from that bar we went to before going to Jamaica?" Adam raises a curious brow at the lovesick boy.

Harry nods with a pink making its way to his cheeks.

"Does she know the song is about her?"

Harry shakes his head as the pink grows into a deeper shade of red.

Adam booms with laughter. "This concert is going to be so awesome!"

~~~

The concert was one of his best. The crowd was louder than ever. He looked at the VIP section often and could see Janis having a good time. After numerous songs, he finally gets to the one he's been the most nervous to play tonight.

"Alright everyone. I need you guys to be serious for a second," he says into the microphone, "We are having such a good time tonight. I want you guys to keep the same energy especially because I'm about to tell you that I'm having your baby!" The stadium erupts in cheers so loud he’ll be surprised if they have their hearing tomorrow.

The rock song starts of strong. The heavy beat sounds through the whole stadium as all the fans sing along. As the song goes on, Janis notices the familiarity of the words. She knows the song played at the club but that's not why the lyrics are bouncing around her head. As Harry gives his all to his performance, he makes eye contact with her when it finally clicks.

Normal people might be put off at the fact that someone wrote a song about them without knowing them at all, but Janis isn't the average person. She starts laughing hysterically and singing along. She's going to tease him about this later.

As everything starts to wrap up, Janis follows Patty back to the green room. She goes to the restroom before the night continues and by the time she enters the green room, all the band members are there except Harry. She goes up to a few of the people she hasn't met to introduce herself.

Harry walks into the room after a few minutes. He made sure to shower and change right after the show so he didn't have to part from his sunshine for too long. He sees his girl laughing with all of his friends and he couldn't help but feel a warmth spread through his entire body. He can see himself falling for this girl very easily.

A small smile pulls at his lips before he begins approaching her with a timid look. What if she didn't have fun? What if she didn't like any of the songs? What if--

All his worries went away when he met her eyes and they grew bright with admiration. "There's the Rockstar!" she exclaimed while throwing her arms around him. He grabbed her tightly and spun around.

He laughs slightly at how happy she looks. "I'm so glad you liked it, love."

She pulls back but he holds his arms around her firmly, so she won't get too far away. "It was truly a sight to see. You have this way about you that draws all attention to you. You're mesmerizing, Harry," a blush covers her cheeks, not meaning to say that last part.

"Thank you," he kisses her cheek lightly. He loves the slight pink that coats them. "What was your favorite part?"

"Probably when you held up the handcuffs," she smirks. Now it's Harry's turn to blush. Before they could continue talking, they got sucked into conversation with everyone in the room. Everyone planned on going back to the hotel and hanging out until the adrenaline of from the performance wore off, but Harry and Janis had other ideas.

"I think we were just going to go back to J's apartment for a little bit," Harry tells them. With that said, they say their goodbyes before exiting the venue with some security. Janis already had a car waiting for her outside, so Harry just tagged along.

The ride was relatively silent. It was comfortable and definitely not overrated. Harry had talked to her every day since he met her again, but he loved being able to physically pull her closer to him. Touching her was almost like a drug to him. He couldn't get enough of this woman and for the life of him, he didn’t understand why.

When they pull up to a tall building in the city, they both step out. She thanks her driver before taking Harry's hand and leading him into the lobby. From the golden tiling and pearl accents, he could tell that this place is very posh.

"Good evening, Ms. Rogers," the man at the door greats. He seems to be in his late forties with the graying of his hair. For some reason, her full name plays through his mind like he should know where it's from, but he just pushes that thought away.

"Hello, Mason! How's Lily?" she asks him with a kind smile.

"She's great! She loves the books you sent her. Can't stop reading them before bed!" he laughs.

"I'm so glad she likes them. They were some of my favorites when I was younger. You'll have to bring her by sometime soon so we can all go for lunch," she touches his arm before she grabs Harry’s hand again.

"I'll be sure to bring her by soon," he smiles kindly. J nods before bidding goodbye.

As step into the elevator, Harry turns to her with a fond smile on his cherry lips. "You're so adorable," he kisses her nose as she bursts into giggles.

"You're so sweet," she kisses his lips lightly before the elevator doors open, signaling they have arrived. There were only 4 doors in the long hallway. She walked over to the last one on the left and pulled out her key. When she opened the door, Harry faltered slightly.

She told him before that she comes from a wealthy family, but he thought that just meant she came from some money. The apartment that she is staying in is easily one of the most expensive places in New York. The decorations were filled with every color under the rainbow. Surprisingly, nothing was obnoxious. The more he looks around, the more he knows this is exactly what he expected her apartment to look like. There was nothing dull or boring on her walls. Painted pieces, flowers and photos cover the entire place.

"This place is amazing," Harry says under his breath.

"Thank you. Would you like something to drink?"  she offers.

"Some water would be lovely," she nods, taking his hand and leading him to the giant living room before heading to the open kitchen.

He takes this moment to really look around. There is lots of artwork around on the walls and sculptures scattered around. There's a large television in front of an all-white couch. The kitchen is behind the couch without a wall closing it off. This place is so open and vibrant that it just makes sense that this is where she would be. She's always been open and honest with Harry, and it has scared him a little bit at first. Even with that fear in him, he is determined to push himself towards being like her. Open and free.

"Here you go," she hands him the water before guiding him to the patio overlooking New York City. Her presence is so consuming, and he knows he could never get enough of it.

Once they settle on the outside couch overlooking the city, Harry finally asks the question that has been on his mind since they left the venue. "So, how did you like the show honestly?" he takes a sip of his drink.

"I meant everything I said before. You were meant to be on stage, Harry," she responds with a soft smile.

"Thank you, love," he says. He has been using that term of affection more and more lately because every time he does, a light pink coats her cheeks, and he can't get enough of how beautiful it makes her. "What was your favorite song?"

She thinks for a moment before smirking. "I really enjoyed that unreleased song 'Medicine'! Why wasn't it on the album?"

"You and everyone else," Harry chuckles lightly looking down at his lap. "It just didn't feel right putting it with all the other songs," he shrugs noncommittally.

She rolls her eyes. "I need a studio version, Harold."

Harry cackles at the nickname before sipping his drink again. "That's not my name, love, and you know it. But I'll see if I could find one for you."

She smiles cheekily at him. "I know. I did really like that song, but I'd have to say the one about 'Kiwi' was my all-time favorite," she giggles. Harry starts to fidget slightly. "Very creative with the words there. How did you come up with that one?"

"Um, well you know, I-" he starts to stutter, "You know, I d-don't like putting a definite meaning behind my songs just in case someone has their own meaning behind a song, uh," he stops himself cringing slightly at his rambling.

Janis laughs at his discomfort and she sounds just like a song. Her head throws back and her eyes squint closed. Harry couldn’t find her more beautiful. Once she settles down, she breathes out a sigh. "You know how I said I got into the wrong crowd a while back?" she waits for him to remember one of their late-night conversations. "Well, that guy was one of them. He was good fun and could take my mind off somethings that happened," Harry inwardly cringes about how he would do that exactly, "We went out that night because I'd just gotten back from visiting home, so I needed to relax somehow. While we were out, his girlfriend showed up. When she confronted me, those words just popped out of my mouth. I told her 'I'm having your baby, it's none of your business' as in, 'I'm with your guy now, what are you gonna do about it?'" she smiles at the memory.

Harry couldn't help but laugh at how crazy the story was. "R-really?" he gasps out.

She nods slightly. "Yeah. I won’t have used those words if I wasn’t drunk. Then later that night, I found out he was just using me to get to his father to release his trust fund. She was his actual girlfriend, and he was just a sleazeball using me," she shrugs, but Harry could tell the situation affected her more than she let on.

"So, you guys aren't friends anymore?" he asks curiously.

"No. I quickly dove into my studies and got back on the right path. I'm a good girl now," she giggles, "I even told his father about it, so both of them don't like me very much."

Harry shifts closer to her and pulls her onto his lap, "Well, I like you lots," he smiles feeling so lucky to have this girl in his arms. Her returning smile stuns him from being so bright.

"You do?" she confirms. He nods. "Well, Rockstar, I like you lots too," she kisses his lips gently. It was meant to be a small peck, but once he tasted her strawberry lip gloss, he couldn't let her get too far away. "Wanna know something really funny though?"

Harry hums, just wanting to hear more of her voice. He has no alcohol in his system, yet he feels just as tipsy as he would after a few drinks.

"I'm allergic to kiwis," she whispers to him.

"No shit?" Harry bursts into fits of laughter. She nods truthfully, join in on his laughter.

The rest of the summer evening was filled with giggles and stolen kisses. He made sure to keep her in his hold, within kissing distance. Every time their lips touched, he felt a high like no other.

~~~

Harry left in the early hours of the morning to get some rest before their breakfast date they decided on. Harry planned a perfect date for them. They were going for a picnic in one of his favorite places.

Harry picks her up from her apartment around nine in the morning. He texted her he was in the lobby. He's distracted on his phone when the elevator gets to the main floor.

Janis walks out and sees him standing there. She admires his beauty. It's an unusual feeling of being wanted by such an amazing man. All her life, she has been loved, but she found out rather quickly who her real friends are. Some people only found her interesting because of who her parents were. No one ever really cared about what she was like, so to have Harry not know exactly who she is, is quiet refreshing.

"You're so cute when you smile," her voice startles him. He looks up at his sunshine. She's sporting a lovely pastel green sundress and a pink sun hat. Her perfume drifts around him causing that familiar fuzzy feeling. He breathes it in an out.

"I've got a lot to smile about when I'm around you," he coos and greets her with a kiss on the cheek. Color flushes Janis’ face as she giggles, trying to not show how much his words affected her.

"You're too cheesy sometime," her voice is soft.

"Anything to make you blush like that," he grabs her bag and carries it out as they head to the car.

She laughs at how cute he is. He makes a funny face in response to her musical laughter, causing more fits.

The picnic was set up by the time they got there. He'll have to thank Jeff for setting everything up. They are hidden from the public by a few trees, just like that first night they spent together. They sit down on the blanket and take out some of the food that's packed. He made sure some of her favorites were in there. On a light night Skype call, she told him she could never get enough berries.

"Oh! Strawberries, gimme!" she makes grabby hands for the fruit. Harry laughs and gives it to her. She opens the container and grabs a bright red strawberry. Harry watches as she brings the fruit up to her mouth. It's the cutest thing when her tongue peeks out to guide the fruit into her warm mouth.

Harry's brain goes empty as she takes a bite and closes her eyes to savor the flavor. Her eyes close for a moment and her head lulls back. Oh God.

He looks back to the picnic basket, so he doesn't turn this date into something it isn't. He hands her a pre-made sandwich and grabs one for himself too. They get to talking about everything under the sun, wanting to get to know each other better.

"What's your favorite book?" she asks while popping in another grape.

"Um, that should be an easy question, but I've read so many," he thinks out loud. He found himself doing that so often with her. He knew she would never judge him, so he felt free to speak his mind whenever she was around. There are only a few people that make him feel that way.

"Well, which one are you reading right now?" she prompts him after a few seconds of silence.

"I'm reading 'Love is a Mixtape' by Rob Sheffield," he says. He is about to elaborate, because it's not a well-known book when she speaks up.

"I love that book," she says before drinking some water. "Rob's actually a friend of mine. He's a brilliant writer and definitely someone who is overlooked." Harry's jaw goes slack slightly. She looks at him oddly. "What?"

"You're friends with Rob?" Harry can't wrap his brain around how they would be in the same circles.

She nods. "He's actually friends with my father. My dad is...well, influential so Rob actually interviewed him in the early 90s. Ever since, they became friends. He's a sweet guy, very genuine."

Harry booms with laughter. "He's a good friend of mine too! That's how I got onto the book. On tour, I need something to occupy my mind sometimes, so I started reading his book."

"That's awesome! Maybe if we didn't meet at the bar, he would have introduced us," she smiles.

"That'd be pretty funny," he takes a sip of his water. "What book are you reading right now?"

"Well, it's not my favorite," she cringes slightly, "But it's called 'Watermelon Sugar' by Richard Brautigan." She makes a sour face at the mention of it. When she looks up to Harry, he is frozen in thought.

That book used to be Camille's favorite. This is the first time he has thought of her in the past few weeks. Oddly enough, it doesn't hurt as much as it had before. Spending time with Janis has opened his mind to new things and a brightness he has never known.

"Are you alright, Harry," Janis breaks him out of his thoughts by touching his arm gently.

"Um, yeah, sorry," he shakes his head. "My, um, my ex used to love that book," he shrugs.

Maybe she should have been uncomfortable with talking about the guy she like's ex, but she's not the jealous type.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" she asks while finishing off her sandwich.

He thinks about it for a second. Does he want to talk about her? No. It's not because he is avoiding the pain. It's because he truly doesn't find the need to. He shakes his head and looks at the girl in front of him. She's not who he thought she'd be. She is so much more. He pulls her closer to him.

"I'm okay. Thank you though," he kisses her temple. This feeling inside him is rising through his chest. He's felt it on more than one occasion with her. It's so wonderful and warm. "Why don't you like it?"

Her bottom lip pouts out slightly and her eyebrows draw together in thought. Harry can't help but find her absolutely adorable. "Originally, I thought it would be good because it has one of my favorite fruits in the title, but I was wrong. It's just a really weird story. I do like actual watermelon sugar though," she laughs, "It's sweet and delicious, just like you," she kisses his lips slowly before pulling back.

Harry's eyes are still closed from the taste of her on his tongue. He needs to change the subject quickly before he creates a scandal in the middle of this park, "So, you said that you have plans at the end of this month?"

She nods her head, popping another grape in her mouth. "I'm hosting an event for the charity that I run."

"Huh?" Can this girl be any more perfect?

"When I was younger, I always wanted to make some kind of impact. I saw so many people not using their voices to stand up for the right things or being completely selfish,” she scoffs while rolling her eyes at the memories, “One of the things I am most passionate about is learning. I want everyone to be able to learn whatever their heart desires, so I started a fund to sponsor children who want to learn about things that schools might not teach them. I’m working with art galleries, recording studios, research labs, and a few other companies to mentor these kids. They will have a chance to really see how things they are passionate about work."

"Oh my gosh, you're literally a saint, no wondering I'm falling--" Harry chuckles before he realizes what he was about to say. "Uh, I mean, uh--"

"What was that?" Janis asks while placing her arms around his neck to play with the baby hairs at the bottom of his neck.

Harry looks down blushing before looking up through his lashes. "I really like you Janis, and I, uh, I can see myself falling really hard for you. I don't know if I'm reading the signs wrong or something--"

Instead of letting him ramble on, she interrupts him with a kiss. Every word that is unsaid between the two seems to flow through them in that moment. She tastes like strawberries. His breath is minty from the gum he was chewing on after he ate. Their lips move in perfect sync. Harry feels like it’s so natural to be with her on this summer morning. Her perfume surrounds his senses. He breathes her in and out. Janis is the one to pull back first. She leaves one last peck on his awaiting lips and smiles.

"I can see myself falling for you too," she giggles.

Harry lets out a breath of relief. He grabs onto her disposable camera and takes a picture of the two of them smiling. They take turns posing for each other causing them both to fall into fits of laughter.

After a while, they pack up the rest of the picnic and take it to the car before going on a walk down the street. Harry doesn't have to be at sound check until two hours before the concert, so he has plenty of time to spend with his sunshine. They walk for a few hours, going to the little shops or the small bakeries along the street. They never let go of each other, that is until he hears an eerily familiar person call out his name.

He turns around to be met with the familiar icy blue eyes. "Camille?" There was no reason for her to be in New York, unless...

"Hi Harry! I was in the states and thought I'd catch your show," she shrugs with a grin. "Theo and I were thinking about going to DC for your show there in a few days," Camille notices the girl standing behind him and gives her a smile.

No one talks for a second, so Janis takes the opportunity to use the skills she learned when she was younger to defuse the awkward tension. She assumed this was the ex they were just talking about.

"Hello," she smiles genuinely at the obvious model, "I'm J." She didn't want to introduce herself as anything to Harry just in case Camille took it as her being aggressive. They just admitted their feelings for goodness sake.

"Camille," Janis goes in for a handshake, but the model pulls her in to kisses her cheeks, "It's lovely to meet you!"

"You as well. I love your top by the way," Janis says conversationally. She can't help but notice the beauty of the woman in front of her. It makes a lot of sense how this woman could be Harry’s ex-girlfriend.

"Thank you! I love your dress," the compliment is a little over enthusiastic, but luckily Harry broke out of his silence before Janis could think too much about it.

"So, you guys are coming to the show in DC?" Harry asks nervously. In his silence, he really thought about his emotions. He knows he is over Camille, but if her and her new boyfriend come to the show, he might have a harder time performing. The wound still hurts where she left, but he has Janis now.

Camille nods and looks down at the watch on her wrist. "Oh! I'm late for a lunch meeting. I'll see you in DC," she looks over to Janis and smiles, "I look forward to seeing you again."

"Absolutely!" she replies as the model walks away. The pair walk slowly down the street again. "Are you okay, Harry?" Janis asks after a few minutes of silence.

Harry laughs softly and pulls her to his side kissing her temple again. "Yes, love. It's just a little odd I guess."

"I bet. Will you be okay at the DC show?" she questions. She isn't sure when it is, but she's hoping she will be free to go. The reason she wants to be there isn't the fact that his ex will be there. It's the fact that Harry seems a little shaken by just one conversation with her. As someone that cares for him immensely, she wants to be there for him even if he might not need her.

"I think so," his eyebrows crease in thought. This is vastly different. Camille was very jealous when they were together. That was one of the reasons for their fights. Janis seems oddly content with the fact that his ex is talking to him. "Would you like to come to the show?"

She can sense that he isn't asking for her benefit. He wants her there. "What day?"

"It's this next Sunday."

Her charity even is on Monday, so she should be able to make it as long as she leaves in enough time. "I'm free. I've got the benefit the day after, but it should all work out," she smiles up at him.

"Lovely," he says. He's not talking about her being able to come, he's talking about her in general.

[capaldifiction]

Graham Norton Show - Lewis Capaldi x Reader

I apologize for how long these have been taking me to get to, but I hope you like your request 💙

Paring: Lewis Capaldi x Actress Reader

Word Count: 2,014

Description:  Based on this request: “Where the reader and him are doing the interview on Graham Norton show and being funny as hell and everyone knows they are dating even if they didn't say it. Can you also add then having long cute stares at each other.”

Warnings: Some swearing

“And welcome our next two guests, Y/N and Chris Pratt!” Graham Norton calls out as the two enter the set to applause. Waving to audience quickly, Y/N smiles before turning to shake the hands of Graham, Jared Leto, and Tom Ellis before taking her place next to Tom, with Chris sitting to her left.

“How are the two of you doing? Enjoy your trip back home to the U.K. Y/N?” Graham asks.

“Real good,” she respond with a small smile, relaxing back into the couch. “Long flights suck, but being back home is always great. Haven’t gotten to get back to my actual house yet, but what can ya do?”

“I’m doing great,” Chris nods in response. “Got to film and now promote this film with this fantastic woman right here. She’s hilarious, and gives me a run for my money as set prankster.”

“Oh?” Graham asks noticeably intrigued. “And what kind of pranks is Y/N pulling?”

“Oh nothing that great,” Y/N insists, her cheeks reddening as she tries to talk it down.

“How long do we have?” Chris asks with a grin toward the audience that cheers in response.

“Give us one good one,” Graham insists.

“Hmmm,” he says as his gaze drifts to the ceiling of the set. “Probably the prosthetic zombie finger she stuck to the bottom of my coffee cup, then filled it with my coffee and brought it to me. Took me an hour to finally see that sucker. We’re standing there discussing the next scene, I take a sip and seeing a freakin’ finger coming up out of my coffee and chucked it.”

“He screamed like a little girl,” Y/N grins cheerfully to the audience’s laughter. “It was fantastic.”

“Well we can’t expect anything less… from the one rumored to be dating our hilarious musical guest of the day,” Graham teases.

“No clue what you’re talking about,” she insists, her eyes immediately leaving Graham’s.

“Oh? So you’re denying the rumors of you and Lewis Capaldi?”

“Absolutely.”

“I mean,” Chris butts in with a shrug. “He was on set an awful lot for someone who lives in Scotland when we were filming in Canada.”

“Well yeah, we are friends, I never said we weren’t friends and he never visited me, we live near each other and see each other all the time and he had some concerts in North America so he dropped by a few times to hang out and see the set,” she rambles quickly as she tugs at the bottom of her shirt in embarrassment.

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks,” Tom Ellis throws in, raising his eyebrows.

Jared and Graham laugh as Y/N sinks further in the couch and reaches for her drink on the table.

“Bit thirsty there Y/N?” Jared teases.

“Parched,” she quips back with narrowed brows to her former costar.

“So the film you two are starring in is ‘End Of The Living,’ care to give us a taste of what it’ll be about?” Graham asks looking at Y/N and Chris.

“Well my and Chris’ characters are neighbors in an apartment building that don’t really get along. They deal with seeing each other on an occasional basis, but generally avoid each other. Then all hell breaks loose as the zombie apocalypse basically breaks out, and they have to work together to survive.”

“Annnnd then they fall in love,” Chris adds with a chuckle.

“Naturally, nothing says love like zombie guts and certain death,” Y/N nods with a carefree smile.

“And here on the couch we have a vampire, two zombie hunters, and Satan himself,” Graham summarizes as he looks at his guests who laugh in response. “It’s a nice light promotional day isn’t it?”

“Zombie hunters are no match for Morbius though,” Jared jokes looking over to Chris and Y/N.

“Says you,” Chris throws back. “But if we can’t Star Lord will wipe the floor with him since he’s in his world.”

“In all due respect,” Tom jumps in, “None of them can take on Lucifer.”

“And with that, we should go to a break, when we get back we’ll see our musical performance from Lewis Capaldi!” Graham shouts as the cameras shut off.

Giving pointed looks to the men around her, and sticking her tongue out at Jared, Y/N’s attention is finally caught by the instruments being brought in for Lewis’ performance.

She nods at his piano player Aiden as he gets settled, then smiles as Lewis himself comes out onto the set. The typical nervous expression always etched on his face before a performance there. He looks up to see her gaze on him, and smiles wide before sending a wave her way.

Smiling in turn she waves back at him as she watches them finish setting up, ignoring the scoffed laughed from Chris beside her.

As the lights brighten again, the cameras come back to life as Graham steps in front of the camera, “And here to perform his newest hit, two-time Brit winner and Grammy nominated singer Lewis Capaldi!”

The cameras turn toward Lewis as he begins the song, and Y/N leans forward with her chin in her hands as she watches the performance intently, standing up and applauding loudly as Lewis hits the last note.

Finishing up the song, Lewis sets his guitar down and gives a wave to the audience before heading over to the couches. Shaking each person’s hand down the line, he stops to pull Y/N into a side hug, whispering something in her ear causing a smile to spread across her face.

After all shaking hands, all the guests take their seats once again. As Chris sits back down, he places his arm on the couch behind Y/N, while Lewis takes his seat on the other side of him. Lewis’ gaze lingers on Chris’ arm for a moment with a frown before forcing it away and looking to Graham.

“Fantastic performance Lewis!” Graham says looking over at him. “Now where do we start? The new album you have coming out or the triple platinum on your last one and the two Brits you’ve gotten since you were last here?”

“The new album Graham,” Y/N says before Lewis can respond, throwing him a look. “You’ll give him a bigger head if you go on about the other things.”

“And that’d be a bad thing Y/N?” he asks with a teasing tone.

“There’d be no living with you if it got any bigger,” she sighs dramatically.

“Living with him?” Jared asks as he looks between the two, noticing Lewis’ gaze lingering on her a moment too long.

“W-well yeah,” she answers hastily. “We live pretty close, I see him pretty often.”

“Speaking of you two living close, do you also go on some of his tours Y/N?” Graham asks. “You appear on quite a few of his social media posts from Instagram to Tik Tok, and everyone’s loving seeing that side of you when you usually play such serious roles.”

“Well we just always have a good time. I have gone on some of his tours when I’m not working, get to see some cool places with a good friend of mine. And we’re both a little weird, so it makes for some interesting videos I guess,” she shrugs.

“Let’s take a look at one of them now,” Graham says, gesturing to the screen beside him.

The screen changes to a clip of Y/N wearing a Lewis Capaldi merch t-shirt and a pair of black sunglasses as she stands atop a large table singing the lyrics to ‘Grace.’ Throwing her head back, she starts dancing to the music, when the camera pans over to Lewis also doing the dance from his music video and singing the song at the top of his lungs.

“I’m not ready to be just another of your mistakes!” she yells out as the camera follows Lewis moving in front of the table she’s dancing on. As she finishes the line, she launches herself onto his back, a look of panic on his face as they both crash to the ground in front of the camera, followed by a chorus of obscenities.

As the clip fades out, Lewis and Y/N have equally red cheeks as they make eye contact and look down at their drinks while the audience and other guests laugh.

“And what were you two doing there?” Graham asks with a grin.

Lewis runs his hand through his hair breaking his gaze from Y/N back over to Graham, “That, that was a less than sober rendition of my song and Y/N trying to kill the both of us as my piano player filmed us.”

“Ok but we were on his tour and had too much to drink and it seemed like a good idea at the time,” she defends.

“Alcohol would do that,” Tom teases.

She smiles at him sheepishly before taking a drink, “Alright we don’t always make the best choices, but we do make the fun choices.”

“Fuck yeah,” Lewis agrees with a grin, his eyes quickly widening before muttering a quiet apology.

“So about this new album, what should we be expecting from it and when?” Graham asks.

“Well there are the artists that really want to reinvent themselves for their next album, really try something new and push the boundaries of music,” he replies. “And that’s not me. It’s gonna be more sad shit, and hopefully if you liked the first album you’ll like the second. We’re looking at it coming out in May of this year.”

“No inspirations for happy love songs in your life huh?” Chris asks with a knowing smile, glancing at Y/N next to him who quickly looks away from Lewis.

“Nope, I’m sad and alone,” Lewis confirms, his gaze once again drifting to Chris’ arm behind Y/N on the couch, then to her eyes as a content smile spreads across both their faces.

“Right then,” Graham chuckles as he stands up from his seat. “That’s all we have time for tonight. Give a big round of applause for my guests tonight, Lewis Capaldi, Chris Pratt, Y/N, Tom Ellis, and Jared Leto! I’ll see you next week everyone!”

Once the cameras have shut off, the guests all stand up to bid their goodbyes to one another.

“It was great seeing you again,” Jared says, pulling Y/N into a quick hug over the table. “We really need to work together again some time.”

“I get pranked enough in my personal life to go up against you again,” she chuckles setting her empty glass down on the table. “You take it to a whole new level Leto.”

“Oh you know you loved it,” he teases patting her shoulder.

“Of course, snake in my dressing room was the best,” she says while rolling her eyes but smiling. “It was good talking again. Hit me up sometime again sometimes. And it was great meeting you,” she says turning to Tom.

“You as well,” he responds with his own smile. “That goes for all of you, I had a great time.”

“Same here bud,” Chris says throwing an arm over Y/N’s shoulder and extending it for a fist bump at Tom who bumps it with a smirk, his gaze going to a very obviously uncomfortable Lewis behind Chris.

“It was fucking fantastic meeting you all,” Lewis interrupts after a moment. “All of you are amazing. But if you don’t mind…” he reaches around Chris to snag Y/N’s hand, who he quickly pulls out of his grasp and to his own side.

Placing a quick kiss on her cheek, he mumbles, “Let’s get out of here.”

Y/N nodding in agreement, follows Lewis off the set hand in hand with shy smiles on their faces as the last few remaining people in the audience cheer.

Turning to look at the other two men, Chris smirks and crosses his arms in victory, “Fuckin knew it.”

-----

Extra Notes: As to why I chose Jared Leto, Tom Ellis and Chris Pratt. Chris Pratt I thought would be a good funny guy that would mess with Lewis and Y/N a bit (and I’m a big Marvel fan so I’ve seen some of his interviews lol). Jared Leto just because I’ve been a fan of him and his band for a really long time and just thought he was someone I could write alright. And Tom Ellis because I felt like the Lucifer show fit the vibe of this, and I had the chance to see a live panel of him at a Comic Con I went to where he was just a really cool guy.

Masterlist

Request List

[from-red-string]

Nothing - Simbar one-shot

Hey, this is my first one! Hope you enjoy it 💛

ps: Pardon for mistakes, english is not my first language but I tried.

This is stupid. Coming to another reunion about some competition Luna wants Jam & Roller to be part of. Just ridiculous. How can Lunita believe she can keep the Jam & Roller going, just because she wants it so much? “Life is a dream and it can come true, if I keep trying”.

So what? My dream is for her to fade away but she doesn’t seem to get it.

Although, here I am to prevent Jam & Roller from being shamed by that disaster only waiting to happen."Ámbar!" Luna shouted out like I hadn’t seen her before in her scandalous colorful outfit she picked today. Oh Gosh! I think Jazmin is getting into me! Too much time spent with her.

"Hey, Lunita." I said, coming closer to the center of the rink, where Simón, Matteo, Gastón were also standing, while Nina was literally hiding behind her boyfriend. I can say I found this is quite amusing.

"So now we start. We decided for La Vida es un Sueño to be our theme." Luna spoke first. "And…"

"We? Who’s we?" I interrupted confused.

"Luna and me." Simón answered, looking me in the eye, as if he was daring me to say something.

This boy must be really insane to do that. I thought. I will be quiet for now.

"And we thought about some steps to improve the choreography. In the beginning, the speed will increase. Nina will be spin by Simón. Gastón, you need to catch her at the end of it." Luna showed what she was saying, then kept explaining what to do in each part of the song and demonstrating it. "Your arms need to be in the same line as your pairs’ arms. Spin to the left, jump with your feet in 90°, flip standing in one leg…"

It was a good choreography. All the necessary elements were in place, and the rhythm and the dance seemed to work together. Everything seemed fine. That’s when a thought hit me.

"Wait." I interrupted again, before Luna started explaining the second split. "Why am I listening to how the choreography will be? I thought I was clear when I said I’m out." I turned to Luna, incredulous. "Well played. I almost didn’t figure it out."

I wonder how I did not notice that before. I seemed to be so interested about that all roller thing that didn’t notice it. But I kept a straight face, concealing the doubt so it couldn’t be read on my face. I could never let Luna see it.

"Ámbar, the Jam & Roller needs you. You worked hard for the best of the rink for years. Please, don’t give up now." Luna begged with her eyes shinning with tears. It shouldn’t convince me. "Don’t let it end here."

"No. I didn’t volunteer for the competition, I already told you I’m too busy for this. I don’t care if it needs me." I clarified because she didn’t seem to get it clear. I turned my back, heading to the lockers.

"So why are you here?" Matteo questioned me from the entrance. Ignore. I was going to ignore this. I didn’t owe any answer to anyone. "Ámbar?" I just walked away and went to to the lockers room.

"I’ll do it." I heard someone saying.

And right after that, that same person was standing behind me:

"Why, Ámbar?" Of course it was him. "If you don’t care, why you did you come?" Said the always good Simón. The always sweet Simón.

Stay silence. You don’t have to tell him anything. If he doesn’t get answer, soon he will give it up.

"Hey, Ámbar!" Simón insists waving his hand in front of my face.

I sat on the bench and started taking my roller skates off calmly.

Pretend he doesn’t exist. Don’t give him attention. He will give up soon. Just disappear, Simón.

"Not giving me your attention will not make me disappear, Ámbar." He sat by my side, almost close enough to touch me. I kept minding my own things.

Seven minutes. 7 minutes passed since he started singing “Alzo mi bandera” on repeat and I started losing my mind. Not that Simón is a bad singer, it’s not that in anywhere. But he wasn’t taking his chance of not being yelled at, while finding his way out. He was wasting his chance of getting away with hearing in the same conditions as he woke today. And why did I make such tight knot on my left foot?

"You know I don’t have to talk to you at all?" I nearly squeal in annoyance while getting up. "But I will." I turned around to look at Simón who had a shocked face. "Who do you think you are to dare me? And then you sign up to be the hero by coming after me for the sake of the team?" I grinned mockingly at him. Stop it before is too late. "You are nothing." This is not about him. "At the end of day, you’re nothing. Everyone that endlessly tells you who you are, who you are supposed to be, they never see you at the end of the day when you’re alone and you are nothing at all."

I couldn’t handle it. The real world became just too much to me. So I closed my eyes. Maybe when I open them again, I’ll be far far away. Or maybe I can never open it again.

"Done?" He asked with a bit of prudence in his voice. "You matter, okay? Deal with it, you love Jam & Roller. You got into your practice mood today, because you missed dancing a choreography for a purpose. You want a purpose that is yours. Not one that was made for you, but yours." I kept my eyes shut, but I could feel his hot breath blowing on my cheek. He was too close. Perhaps close enough to stop reading me like a fucking screen. "Ámbar, you’re one of the strongest people that I’ve ever seen. You are the queen of the rink, and you became this by yourself." I finally opened my eyes, only to find those kind brown eyes already staring at me.

"I had Matteo by my side. The king." I added, distracted.

"You lost him a while ago." Simón said sharply. A flash of pain starred in my eyes, and I know he noticed it because his next sentence was tender. "Somehow you managed to rule on your own." He smiled while he said it.

I felt indignation. Like I was about to lose my majesty because of Matteo’s mess.

"Now your kingdom needs you, Your Highness. Are you answering their calling?" I couldn’t help but laugh and, at same time, I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore.

It must be a hideous scene to see: someone so drowned in emotions that they can’t know if this person is crying or laughing. Anyway, if Simón felt like that, he didn’t show it. He had the dignity of not allowing his smile slip from his face, even with that horrific image in front of him.

I think the smile got wider. Poor insane boy…

"Simón, you’re a fool." I claimed between laughter.

Surprised I felt his arms embracing my body. It’s was warm and soft, and I felt that I could just be there, in that same position, for some time. Some long time… And I wouldn’t bother to keep myself like after that time too.

"You’re a fool, my Queen." It was whispered in my ear. I shivered and breathed out in disbelief. In that second I lost the sensation of having legs, so I replied to the hug in hurry, attaching my hands together behind his neck. He smiled against my neck. "So you’re with us now."

"This was the plan since the beginning, wasn’t it?" I inquired and start moving away just to feel the embrace get tighter, still warm and so comfy. But I managed to get away enough to look him in the eyes.

"Nope. The initial plan was to lock you in here with us until you agree with the competition." Simón said embarrassed.

"That’s a shame. I can’t believe I fell for it."

"You fell? So we succeed?" He said smiling in expectancy.

"What? Oh, how could I get you so confused about my intentions?" I tried to look serious but I just couldn’t stop grinning in the process. I failed miserably and ended up laughing. Simón just laughed at it. Shamefully, in that moment I believe I would agree anything Simón would tell me.

"Hey, you can’t be my Queen if you don’t take care of the kingdom." He said, breaking the embrace - that I wished that could be frozen in time forever - , so he could do an exaggerated reverence.

"Get you, Fool, I am doing it." He got up, held my arm and linked it to his.

We headed back to get into the rink. I heard a sound of someone falling and laughs.

"Ámbar." Simón called me and looked me in the eye. "Never say you are nothing ever again."

He knew it wasn’t about him. Just knew.