#this is... a bit too overwritten for a drabble...

[mwolf0epsilon]

The Umbaran Pathogen - Day 6: Mind Control

Summary: The parasite that had burrowed into Tup's nervous system and altered his brain chemistry had more than taken a hold. It had begun to slowly turn Tup from the sweet caring brother he was, into a mockery of his former self. His mind so out of it that he no longer cared that he had completely overwritten his twin's free will into a vague idea of a happy and relaxed lackey.

Warning: Mentions of blood drinking, egg implantation, parasites, body horror and organic fleshy material used as a construction base (this chapter is a little bit gross but it's nothing too descriptive, just conceptual).

Prev / Next

[In which the events on Umbara are worsened by an unknown pathogen taking hold of both the 501st and 212th. These series of drabbles will follow a non-linear timeline based on the AI-less Whumptober prompt list for 2023.]

THIS STORY IS ALSO ON AO3

---

Tup couldn't help but smile as he felt the cool Umbaran breeze in his hair. His armour and helmet had begun to feel so terribly stuffy as of late, that being able to zip about with his face exposed for just a few minutes felt absolutely heavenly.

Alas it was but a fleeting moment of bliss, since it was not yet time for him to shed this plastoid shell. Not yet at least...

Everything was still (frustratingly) in the initial preparatory stages. Resources needed to be collected, more eggs needed to be planted in the Worker Cast candidates, and the Hive needed to be properly constructed to house all of those who'd be pupating soon. His loyal Drone had been doing a phenomenal job thus far. So eager to please. So happy to do whatever needed to be done to make Tup a happy, healthy and strong Hive Leader. Unshakably loyal.

He couldn't imagine why he'd ever been nervous when he'd first began to size Dogma up for this particular task. This new role of his. Nor could he remember why he'd felt so revolted when he'd first drawn blood from his little brother, to begin the vital egg production phase of their newfound life-cycles.

It was unfathomable to him why he'd found this heinous or disgusting. Especially now that he could see the end results.

Sure there was an absolutely gag-worthy ugly duckling stage. When the implantation spot first flared up in a desperate but futile attempt to fight against the little Larvae that emerged from the egg. The rash wasn't nice to look at, and the way it eventually spread as the body began to fully integrate the new genetic coding was... Well it was a little gross to bare witness to...

Dogma had looked pretty horrific when the changes overtook him. The pus-filled blisters and boils, the crusty eyes and dribbling nose, the pain on his feverish face had all but broken Tup's heart as he kept checking in on his pupating sibling.

He'd been more resistant than Tup had been to the lesser parasite's influence. Had tried to fight it off and even seek outside help from the medics. But then he'd finally succumbed to dronification completely, and his defiance had become open acceptance of his new nature. His mind calm, collected and his to do with as he wished.

And Tup wanted nothing more than to make his little brother happy. Make him feel safe. Which he did whenever he was near Tup. So he was doing a finer job than anyone else on this wretched planet.

The moment his rotting flesh sloughed off from his trembling body was also one to remember. The slick black and blue carapace, the long luminous wings and strong limbs, that powerful stinger, the twitching antennae and sharp mandibles...

He'd made his frightened and gangling little brother into a powerhouse. A warrior of epic proportions. Tup had made him into something infinitely stronger and more beautiful than any mere clone could ever hope to be, and yearned to do the same to all of the remaining vode. To make them better, stronger, less likely to be killed by that... That horrid brute...

The thought of Krell made Tup's blissful expression take on a much more sour note. The delight at feeling the cool wind lost, as he considered how to best deal with the Besalisk bastard that threatened his Hive's safety. That monster needed to be dealt with. Sooner rather than later, otherwise the few he'd already infected might not make it to the Pupa stage. The Nest needed to be finished soon. Which meant they needed more Larvae to begin producing material for construction.

That was exactly what they were doing. Dogma effortlessly carrying Tup between the 501st and 212th basecamps. Giving him ample opportunity to lay more eggs and spirit away those who housed a newly hatched Larvae to their forever home.

All organic matter they shed made fine building materials for a proper cozy nest. Insulating walls, cushioning surfaces, creating the perfect living space for Tup's Hive, and providing a surface for which the fungi and flowering plants they needed to thrive off of to grow on. They'd be self sustaining, seldom needing to go out hunting unless protein provisions ran low. Once Tup could finally pupate and become his bigger stronger more beautiful self, he'd be able to protect and provide for his family. His beloved Hive brothers.

And that was a thought that had him smiling again, pressing his face to the crook of Dogma's neck as he continued to carry him to and fro. Pleased to help in Tup's progress towards power and control. Relishing in his Hive Leader's noticeable satisfaction as he chaperoned him through the air.

Tup loved the new them. He was sure the rest of their brothers would love their new selves just as much. If not, then he'd simply make them. The Hive Leader knew best, after all.

[leggerefiore]

The fact that the full hybrid twins aren't allowed to work in the subway makes me sad. But you know, I bet there's plenty of people working to get more rights for hybrids legalized! Could we get headcanons or a drabble for that? I know making it legal is only half the battle, there's public opinion to worry about too, but I just really want to see the hybrid brothers working together and overcoming prejudice with the support of their loving S/O.

wooo fictional prejudice is over*

I kinda change it around to incomplete hybrid Emmet and hybrid Ingo. Alongside the fact there's not a lot of romantic interaction between reader and Emmet. Take that how you wish, however.

~

cw: pokehybrid au

● Ingo was uncertain how accepting people were going to be towards him in the station. While he appeared nearly identical to his brother, there was the obvious fact he was a Chandelure hybrid. A bright flame burned within his body and his skin was glass like. He was also quite literally translucent. Most people viewed hybrids like him as evil, dangerous creatures. Chandelure absorbed life energy and souls for nutrients, but they never usually killed purposefully. Ingo was a controlled person, he had never once killed anyone, nor did he take enough energy to ever actually hurt anyone.

○ The green uniform felt strange, alongside the fact his younger brother was his boss, but the joy of finally properly working in the station was relieving. His eyes took in the sights of trains and battles excitedly. It felt like he had always belonged here, but was denied entry by a cruel and unjust society. Laws were being overwritten and changed, petitioners and protestors working to change the lives of hybrids. At least, in theory. The people were going to be the hardest to change. He felt the eyes on him as he walked through the station, whispers into ears about the hybrid pretending to be a part of human society. Ingo already knew how to ignore them.

● Emmet smiled as Ingo wandered to his side to help check on the cars of a travel line. “See, sometimes you see things that upset you, like someone with crutches being forced to stand because no one will give up their seat,” the younger twin motioned to a group of commuters, “In that case, you do have the option to ask if anyone would do it. Though, you can't force anybody.” Ingo watched as his brother creepily smiled at a guy and asked if he would be willing to give his seat up for the girl in the ankle brace. Awkwardly, he agreed and got up, letting her sit down. Ingo recognised it was probably Emmet's unique expressions that led these situations to play out how he preferred. Of course, people did often tell Ingo how intense his expressions were…

○ The strangest looks, Ingo believed, came when he battled. Perhaps it was a bit strange watching Chandelure hybrid battle with an actual Chandelure. He was a skilled trainer, having gone against Emmet in friendly rivalry since they were children. Many people fell to his team before ever having a chance of meeting his brother. Well… Except for you. Ingo got too flustered whenever you popped into the station to check on him. Your hands were all over his uniform, cooing about how cute it looked on him. His flame flickered wildly. You beat him and continued on your way to Emmet, but not without pressing a kiss to his cheek.

● You regularly stepped in whenever anyone tried to be aggressive towards him. The minute anyone dared to speak a slightly cruel word to the hybrid had you or Emmet on them about how hybrids are just as sufficient as humans and are now, by law, allowed to work. One guy even tried to attack Ingo, but was quickly met by an angrier little brother, who was unafraid of biting someone. You were quick to reassure him that he was fine the way he was and deserved respect the same as anybody else. Ingo nodded, but stared at the person with a distant look in his eyes.

○ When Ingo was promoted to Subway Boss, the controversy was immediate. Him as a depot agent was weird yet acceptable; him as a Subway Boss meant authority and respect. People complained that it was nepotism and that Emmet was foolish to even consider a hybrid for such a position. Ingo proceeded to rule the station with an iron fist. Ghost man was superior at paperwork to his younger twin and kept schedules handled with ease. Workers were quick to admire him and accept him as their other boss. His passion for battling and trains was noticeable, and his identical looks to Emmet quickly earned their respect.

● Elesa was always posting about how amazing Ingo was at his job and overcoming the judgement from society about daring to work in such a place as a hybrid. You were often pictured with him doing mundane, average things to show that human and hybrid relationships were just as boring as human and human ones. Ingo cuddled with you and served you random dishes he had made. You chatted about prices of things you wanted to buy and moving apartments. It really helped settle the idea that hybrids were more like humans than not.

○ During his moments of insecurity about continuing his job, you were always at his side to reassure him and tell him that he was doing fine. His flames flickered brightly as he felt flustered about your kind words. Confidence blooms in his chest as he closes his eyes. You were right. Emmet believed in him, as did you. He was setting an example for hybrids all across Unova. His hand grasped yours as he murmured, “Thank you, my love… Whenever my confidence fails me, you give me strength to carry on.” You pressed a kiss onto his lips.

~~~~~

“It's so nice to have some help in the office!” Emmet cheered as Ingo picked up another bundle of documents. The older glared at the younger. Ingo was quick to realise his brother's lack of interest in paperwork. Someone had to do it, and that someone was unfortunately him. He stared at the sheets while his brother brushed his Galvantula with a coo.

It was astounding that two years ago, he could never see himself in such a position. He wore the same uniform as his brother, held the same title, and worked in the same office. It was truly a dream come true. His beloved trains and battling surrounded him now. The pen scraped against the paper as he lost himself in the nearly mindless work. Time slowly ticked away from him until the door clicked opened.

“Ingo!” you called out, breaking his attention from the paper. He looked up to see you carrying a gift bag. His eyes went wide. What was that? You closed the door behind you and placed the item on his desk. “Open it, open it!”

He grabbed the bag, staring at the charcoal colour of it alongside the grey tissue paper. You gazed at him excitedly while Emmet popped up behind you to observe. His smile was bright as the older twin opened the bag. A model train was pulled out. Ingo felt the chill of the metal against his warm hands, and he felt a small grin on his lips.

“Do you like it, Ingoooo?” Emmet cooed, stepping closer, “It's a gift from us to celebrate your first year here!” Ingo felt his flames burn brighter at the model Subway train with the dark green and silver paint. His single line. “How kind of you both… I, for once, am at a loss for words,” he spoke softly, “I could never have got here without either of you. Thank you ever so much.”

“That's what brothers do,” Emmet chuckled, walking over to pat his back.

You walked close and pressed a kiss to his temple. He sighed. “I love you, Ingo,” you gushed. The older twin stared up at you, “As I do I, my darling.”

[omegamanrp]

New Threads (drabble)

In the time that she had been alive, Tenebre has been through alot. Her makers tried to brainwash her. The beliefs she had ingrained within her had been overwritten. The people who she was supposed to serve hunted her and want her on a dissection table.

All terrible things, but it wasn’t all bad.

She had found a new family who love her. Her own kind were free from the tyranny of their makers. She had so many brothers it was hard to keep track of at times, and her cookies were pretty darn good too.

Through ups and down she had survived, despite the odds laid against her at times. She has gone from a cold and unfeeling android to something almost human.

And the fun thing with the Persona Evoker was how it reflected yourself.

As she awoke to a new day, she felt...different. Her normal hard skin felt strangely warm. Not paying too much mind, maybe they had a heat wave during the night. She slowly rolled out of bed, flopping to the ground with a pronounced THUD. 

She had the day off...May as well take her time...She slowly dragged herself to the bathroom.

Shinzora nearly dropped her coffee when a loud scream came from upstairs! She wasted no time, rushing to the second floor like a bolt of purple lightning! She nearly kicked the bathroom door off it’s hinges as she threw it open. “What happened?!” She barked, looking at...

Tenebre had changed. The form her Evoker originally gave her was that of an automaton. She didn’t think herself worthy of looking like the others because of her own fears and self doubt. Now though, her skin had an almost honey like color, her hair was silken and full, and her eyes were a shade of golden brown like she’d never seen before.

Her outfit had changed too. A pair of stylized thigh high boots with hardened plates covered her legs. Her jacket, once closed and shut off, was open revealing her midriff, and her arms had a pair of gloveless bracers that looks like they hid more than they let on.

“Mom...I...I don’t...” Tenebre was still staring at the mirror in shock.

Shinzora let out a sigh of relief as she let herself in, wrapping her arms around her daughter in a calm embrace. “Seems that you’ve had a bit of a makeover.” She said as she kissed her cheek. “The Evoker has changed your form to reflect your inner self. And your inner self has grown.”

“But...I don’t understand...” Tenebre was still incredibly confused. 

“You don’t have to for now.” Shinzora said, still holding her daughter close. “For now, take some time to get used to your new self.”

(Artwork done by the ever lovely @artofreni)

[watchmegetobsessed]

The Long Way Home // Shawn Mendes - part 5

it’s been a long time since i last updated this series and i feel bad for abandoning it, but i really want to finish this one and i hope many of you will join into the story!

Summary: Shawn takes some time off during the summer, hiding away in a beach house at the hamptons to try to get over his creative crisis and all that happened in his life lately. He meets his at first sassy neighbor, Sloan Westbury, a former Disney star, who abruptly left her scandalous life behind a year ago. Hidden from the world they form a surprising bond, but Sloan has been running away from everything that’s Shawn’s life while Shawn finds in her what he has been looking for. Inspiration.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3  - Part 4

drabble list masterlist

I start to find my way around Sloan, figure out how to approach her, get her to talk and share her thoughts when we talk. I can see how she is holding herself up, probably because she is used to have all her comments get criticized by the media, something I’ve struggled with for a long time. She was basically torn apart before her disappearance, everything she said or did ended up on the tabloids, twisted into something fully different than what they were, but I want her to know that I’m not like them.

I want her to know that not everyone is cruel and that she can be honest with me.

Morning jogs and evening talks at sunset become our things. She is usually sitting on her deck by the time I set my feet out my house and I can’t push my smile down when I see her in the morning light. I manage to make her sing a few more times, but she is still shy about music.

One night, when she has her brother over I sit in front of my computer and search her up. A bunch of old performances and interviews pop up and I start checking them out one by one.

Young Sloan is so much different than the one I know now and it’s not just the aging. I can see how struggling it was for her to be someone she wasn’t. The clothes, the hair, the dancing and the songs, they now seem so far from her personality I wonder how she could survive for that long putting up with all of that.

The songs are the worst to be honest. They are so cheesy and over the top, clearly made to be played on repeat on the radio but not have any real meaning behind them. I’m pretty sure she had nothing to do with them.

But then I find a YouTube channel that was probably very unofficial and not made to bring her fame. There are a couple of covers and original songs, just her with a guitar in her hands in different settings, probably at her LA home and I can finally see her. That’s exactly what I see when I meet her in the morning, just in a more tired and shy version, but it’s still her. Her original songs are the best, but they sound like they lack something, but she was just probably too young. I’m sure she would be so much better at writing if she tried right now. Especially after everything she has been through.

I feel like a creep, sitting by the window in my living room that looks over at her place, waiting for her brother to leave so I can go over again. It’s around nine when the door finally opens and I see her walking out with a tall guy, his hair is the same color as Sloan’s. They exchange a few words at his car before he hugs her and sitting into his car drives away. I force myself to wait at least ten minutes before marching over to her deck and I’m surprised when the back door opens before I could even reach it.

“Oh, Shawn!” she chuckles nervously jumping a bit.

“I’m sorry, I just saw your brother leaving and I thought that… I mean—“ Suddenly, I don’t even know what I thought. I usually have an excuse to come over, but this time I just came to see her.

“I was just about to go and ask if you’d want to take a walk maybe? I’m sorry we couldn’t watch the sunset, Rob always outstays his welcome,” she shakes her head smiling.

“Sure! Sounds great!” I nod and we head down to the coast. “How old is your brother?”

“He is twenty-six,” she tells me, eyes fixed on her feet as they bury into the sand with each step.

“Does he come often?”

“Um, he tries to, but he just got engaged, they are house hunting and stuff, so he has a lot going on.”

“Oh, so he is deep in the wedding planning?” I smile at her, but she doesn’t seem to be too happy about the topic. “What? Do you not like the girl?”

“No, Lara is awesome, she is very sweet.”

“But…?”

“But their wedding is going to be this big thing, a lot of guests, some famous ones too because Rob is a music producer so he knows some people and I don’t know if I can make it through.”

She seems terrified and I feel bad for her. It’s obviously a big day for the family and she wants to be there for her brother, but the people must be a lot for her after her separation from the world.

I want to help her, but I’m not sure if she wants to reconnect with the world, however I know she can’t stay like this, alone, forever.

“Hey, I have a thing this weekend in New York. Just a short trip. Do you want to maybe come with me? You know, to come back to reality for a while.”

“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” she shakes her head hugging her body with her arms.

“And if I promise you won’t be seen or photographed? I have a great team, we can make it work!”

“Shawn,” she sighs and I wouldn’t push if I didn’t see it in her eyes that she do wants to change, just doesn’t know how.

“You know what? Don’t decide just now. You have a few days, think about it and we’ll get back to it. But I promise you I’d make sure that you feel comfortable.”

She doesn’t reply, just nods with her lips pressed together into a thin line before we wander over to another topic. But I truly wish she’ll consider the offer and I can show her that she doesn’t have to stay here alone forever.

  SLOAN

Rob’s visit frustrates me on so many levels. He brings the wedding up again, giving me a great amount of anxiety and I know he doesn’t mean to make me feel this way, but I just can’t help it. I’m happy that he came though, I got so occupied with Shawn lately that I forgot other people exist.

Shawn’s offer to go to New York with him threw me off the edge. It would be nice to finally get out of the Hamptons because as calm and quiet it is here I can sometimes get bored of it. I want to see the places I loved before, but I don’t know if I’m ready to be seen out, especially not with Shawn. I’m afraid we would get mobbed and I would lose it again and that’s the last thing I need right now, but the thought of traveling with Shawn is tempting.

I grew a liking to the guy. A strong liking. He seems to always know just perfectly what to say and how to act around me which is alone a very hard task, not many can do it. But him, he just nails it.

The next day we are laying out in the sand, soaking some vitamin-D in, he has a small notebook with him, scribbling lyrics into it with a worried grimace on his face. Pushing myself up I check the page out and I see crossed out lines, overwritten words and frantic notes on the side.

“It’s like my thoughts can’t get out of my head. I swear I have it here, but…” he places a hand to his forehead and I read the lines he kept so far.

“I think these lines are too crowded,” I say without even thinking that he might not even be interested in my opinion. “I mean if you want it to match the melody, you need less.”

“Mm go on. How do you hear it?”

“Well…” Grabbing his pen I start writing above his lines, my neat handwriting in total contrast with his messy words. “This one can come here and… maybe this one can be a whole new line. Like this.”

“And what about the melody? How would you put them together?”

I start humming and mumbling the lines, trying to find the way I imagined it until I finally hit it and Shawn bops his head. When I get to the end I just lie back closing my eyes, but the quickly pop open when he speaks up.

“Sloan, I hope you do realize you just heard the song without me ever showing you the melody to it.”

I think about his words and realize he is right. I just heard the song reading his lines without even knowing what it would be. It just rang in my mind and I sang it without even thinking about it.

“Oh,” is all I can say.

“I want to record it,” he smiles down at me and I just nod.

“You can use my version, if you’re asking for permission.”

“No, I want to record it with you. I need your voice on it.”

“Absolutely not,” I shake my head closing my eyes, determined to just go back to doing nothing out here.

“Why?”

“I haven’t recorded anything in months.”

“So what? It’s just for us, no one will hear it if you don’t want to show it to anyone, I promise.”

He is looking at me with those damn puppy eyes and I can’t process how a grown man like him can look so soft begging.

Long story short… an hour later we are squeezed into his studio room recording the song. It feels strange at first, I’m very anxious every time Shawn starts the recording and I keep messing it up, afraid of what he might be thinking about my voice, the way I changed his lines up and the melody.

“Look,” he stops the guitar looking at me with a warm smile. “Why are you nervous?”

“I’m not used to this, Shawn. Even before my disappearance I haven’t recorded anything for two months. I'm rusty, I keep fucking it up and I just… I don’t know. I’m nervous because you’re here.”

“First of all, you’re definitely not rusty. Second, everyone messes up. I once had to retake a song ninety-eight times, so don’t be nervous about recording especially because this is just for fun.”

I nod silently, looking down at my hands on my lap.

“And if you feel nervous because I’m here, I can leave,” he adds with a light chuckle, making me smile.

“No, don’t leave,” I say shyly. I can’t make him leave his own studio room. “I just…”

“You know what? I’m gonna just turn away so at least you can’t see my face,” he grins setting everything up for a new recording.

Putting the headphones back up I take a deep breath. When the guitar melody Shawn recorded earlier starts flowing into my ears he simply turns around in his seat, showing me the back of his head and I start singing.

I finally nail it. The notes are on point, I don’t mess up the lines and I don’t miss the rhythm. When the guitar ends Shawn turns around and his face is unreadable.

“That was… one of the best things I’ve ever heard.”

I can’t help but blush. Standing up he steps to me and stops right in front of me, my nose only a few inches away from his chest. His hands reach for the headphone and he slowly pulls it off my head, staring into my eyes.

“You have so much in you, Sloan. I hope to see all of it one day,” he quietly says and I stop breathing for a moment.

My body reacts out of instinct to his closeness, heart beating so fast in my chest I can hear the thuds clearly and I wonder if he can hear it too. His tongue runs through his lips and I think about how it would feel to have them on me.

I swear to God he starts leaning down when his phone starts buzzing and we scare away from each other.

“I’m sorry, I have to take this, it’s my sister,” he sighs grabbing it from the table and walking out of the studio room leaving me totally startled.

Did I just almost kiss Shawn Mendes?

 SHAWN

I have never wanted to be an only child before in my life. Aaliyah’s timing couldn’t be worse but on the other hand maybe it was a sign from the gods that I was being greedy.

I don’t know what has gotten into me, hearing her sing the song we kind of wrote together so perfectly just hit me hard. She sang to my heart and suddenly I felt like I needed to savor her. And the best part? She didn’t try to push me away, if that damn phone didn’t start ringing she would have let me kiss her.

After the phone call it’s not the same, she seems a bit distant, but not entirely, it’s just that the mood is gone.

I start to worry that I ruined everything between us when she says she doesn’t want to come on our usual run in the morning, but she appears on my deck when the Sun starts to go down and I almost hug her, but manage to contain myself.

“One thing I would miss if I left this place is the sunset. It’s not this pretty everywhere,” she tells me as we sit on the stairs, legs touching since there’s not much space, but I don’t mind it. I like feeling her physical presence.

“I think it’s pretty everywhere, just different.”

“Where was your favorite?” she asks turning to me with a small smile.

“I love the one I see from my place in Toronto,” I say thinking about the breathtaking colors over my favorite city.

We stay silent for a while, my eyes are fixed on the horizon as I watch the waves come and go. She is the first one to speak up again.

“I think I’ll go to New York with you.”

I look at her with wide eyes.

“Wait, are you serious?” A shy smile spreads across her face as she looks down at her feet, shoulders rising to her ears.

“Yeah. I talked to Olivia on the phone this morning and she convinced me that it might be a great idea. But I really don’t want to get photographed just yet.”

Her eyes are practically begging me and I know I have to do everything I can to make this trip as comfortable for her as possible.

“Of course! We’ll make sure it’ll go smooth!” I tell her with a huge grin because I’m so happy she eventually said yes. I wasn’t expecting her to accept my offer, but now I can’t wait to get on the plane and head to New York.

  I’m probably a real pain in the ass for Andrew when I tell him everything that needs to be done for my New York trip. I’m probably a bit too over the top, but I want to make sure Sloan won’t regret saying yes to the weekend.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to bring her out?” Andrew’s worried voice comes from my iPad, his face too close to the camera while I’m washing the dishes the night before we are leaving.

“Just… leave it to me, alright? I want her to have a nice weekend outside of this place.”

“So you’re not a big fan of the Hamptons after all?”

“That’s not what I said!” I groan. “She’s been here for over six months, I want to get her out and it’s a huge thing she said yes.”

“Shawn, I just don’t understand why you are so obsessed with her suddenly. I thought you wanted to be alone, that’s why you went there. But now you are inseparable with this girl who has the worst reputation in Hollywood.”

“Since when do you believe the tabloids?” I give him a look. “Yeah, she has a few mistakes, but she is trying to get her life back on the track.”

“And you are happy to assist her in that? Did you sleep with her or something?”

“Andrew, you are an asshole,” I say but he just rolls his eyes at me.

“I’m just saying that you have to be careful with her. You also have a reputation to look out for and I don’t want to clear the mess up if she ruins yours.”

“She is not ruining anything,” I sigh, fed up with his skepticism. Why can’t he just let go of this whole Sloan thing?

“Alright, but be careful with her.”

“Whatever,” I mumble totally ignoring him at the end.

I barely sleep that night, my mind constantly bugging myself, making sure I didn’t forget anything. I managed to have three hours of sleep which is bullshit, but I still feel wide awake when my phone goes off at five an.

I grab a few bites as breakfast and closing my bags I head to the backdoor to check on Sloan, but then there’s a knock before I could even reach the door knob.

Sloan’s nervous smile looks a hundred times cuter so early in the morning as her hands grip the handle of her suitcase tightly.

“Ready for New York?” I grin at her and she nods shortly.

“I guess?”

 SLOAN

I think about going back home about a thousand times before the plain touches down in New York. The ride to the airport, the people at the airport, the plain, everything feels like I’m doing it for the first time even though this used to be my life. I keep thinking that people recognized me despite my disguise, I have a huge hoodie on with a beanie and the biggest shades I could find at home. I doubt that anyone even remembers my face and Shawn keeps reminding me that no one knows who I am.

Shawn.

He is like my rock. He doesn’t get mad at me when I take too long in the lounge to gather my stuff, when I start rambling about heights once we are on the plane. Instead he always seems to know what to say to make me feel better and calm me down. The guy really knows how to deal with my problematic ass and he deserves everything for his effort.

And most importantly, he kept his promise. We got to the hotel without a soul knowing about our arrival and for that I’m so grateful.

“So, I have this radio interview this afternoon, but we have some time until that and later I thought we could have dinner somewhere,” he starts when I let him into my room and he walks in like it was his.

“Slow down, cowboy,” I chuckle plopping down to the edge of my bed.

“I just want to make the best out of this trip and I kind of already planned a few things out,” he admits with a nervous chuckle.

He really did put a lot of energy and effort into this trip so I promise to do everything he planned out. I wouldn’t have the heart to say no to him when he is so excited and he kind of got me thrilled too.

Before his interview he takes me shopping. He literally closes off one quarter of a mall so no one can even see who is there and he had a plan for leaving as well, making sure no one catches a glimpse of us. It doesn’t take long for me to let go of my fears, seeing how thoughtful he has been with this trip and I start to trust him fully on taking good care of me.

I don’t go to the interview with him, that would be too risky, so I stay at the hotel and go for a swim in the pool, take a nice shower and lie around, waiting for him to get back.

“How was it?” I curiously ask when he finally arrives.

“Just the usual,” he shrugs, doesn’t really seem like he is willing to talk about it so I drop it. “So, are you ready for dinner?” he asks, his eyes bright and happy.

It’s breathtaking. The restaurant Shawn reserved table at is at the top of a tall building, so you have an amazing view of the city from basically all the tables. And the best part? Just when we get the dessert the Sun starts going down.

“Shawn,” I gasp realizing he timed it perfectly so I could watch the sunset.

“I think a New York sunset is also in the top three,” he shyly comments while I can’t turn my eyes away from the view.

When I turn to look at him something changes in my heart. I don’t see him the same way like before. Shawn Mendes has brought the change into my life, something no one else could do in a long time.