#Anyway maybe now people will SHUT UOP

[natsmagi]

its 2am and ive had the misfortune of, as per usual, seeing people call tsumugi aoba ugly and well i simply cannot let that slide. So im here to be annoying about it

FIRST OF ALL. neither natsume nor eichi (the only two charas i can think of that have dissed his appearance) actually think hes ugly. in natsumes case its him being tsundere about it and he actually really likes mugis hair, and in eichis case he just thinks he was alot more attractive without the glasses and with shorter hair. which brings me to my SECOND POINT

THIS IS LITERALLY A BISHOUNEN STEREOTYPE. when generalized and stereotyped, a bishounen can be described as an "androgynous (by western standards), tall and slender male with angular features and flowing locks." ofc, they all look very different, but u guys have heard of the root of this trope by now right? björn andrésen?

WHERE HAVE I SEEN THOSE FEATURES BEFORE!!!!!!! the droopy eyes?? the curly hair????

the whole DEAL with tsumugis character is that, genetically speaking, he is VERY conventionally attractive. hes got many of the desirable traits in japan, the PUNCHLINE HOWEVER is tsumugi DOESNT REALIZE/CARE ABOUT IT. people tell him that cutting his hair would make him more attractive but tsumugi doesnt want to! hes growing it out for a reason! and people also tell him that hed be more attractive without those big bulky glasses, but he has poor eyesight and theyre convenient! and he also cant be bothered to get new ones! LIKE ARE U GUYS SEEING THE APPEAL. ITS LIKE ONE BIG BIT. GUYS ITS A JOKE THEYRE MAKING A JOKE. A GUY GENETICALLY BLESSED TO BE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY AND HE JUST DOES NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT AT ALL. TAKES ABSOLUTELY 0 THOUGHT INTO HIS APPEARANCE. GUYS. THEYRE BEING FUNNY WITH HIS CHARACTER AGAIN PLEASE

[pitubea1910]

One Night

Pairing: Noah Centineo x Reader

Words: 9k

Warnings: fluff but some angsty topic is mentioned

Tags: -

Request: -

Notes: after ages, I’m finally posting again. This is my first ever Noah imagine and I hope you like it :) let me know!

Masterlist

When your best friend Jo, Joanna for her family, invited you to Los Angeles for a long weekend, you couldn’t say no.

She had gone to UCLA while you had decided to stay in Phoenix and go to the UoP. Which meant, you had gone from seeing her every single day to just a few times a year. At first, it was weird. You used to facetime every single day, but eventually you got used to it. It wasn’t like you lost contact, you kept on talking every day, but not seeing each other just became your new normal.

Jo invited you over many times and you barely said no. So when you had a long weekend, at the beginning of the term of your Junior year and she invited you, you immediately bought the flights.

“I’m starving”, you said as soon as you walked into the apartment where she lived off campus.

On her first year, she had been living in the dorms, but she switched on her second year without a doubt. You had spent weeks helping her our to find the new apartment over the summer and when you two found this one, the decision was made. It was perfect. That’s why she had decided to stay in it for Junior year as well.

“You always are starving”, Jo said. “That’s why you have a sandwich waiting for you in the kitchen”, she added when she closed the door.

“Oh my God, you’re the best”, you said making your way to the kitchen.

While you ate the sandwich she had prepared, she took your stuff to the guest room. Usually, you shared her bed, since it was a double, but you always kept your stuff in a separate room just in case any of you had company at night. It wasn’t like any of you were the kind to sleep around a lot but it could happen and it was better to be prepared.

“What plan do we have?” You asked going into her room with the sandwich in your hand.

“So this guy from my Pediatrics class”, she said, “knows a guy who knows another guy who has a house in Beverly Hills and is throwing a party tonight.”

“Wait, what? A party? In a house? In Beverly Hills?” You asked shocked. “Did he invite you?”

“Indeed he did”, she smiled widely.

“What kind of friends do you have? This is crazy!” You exclaimed.

“I know, right?” She said as excited as you were. “I wanted to tell you over the phone, but I wanted to see your reaction. He told me there probably be famous people. Actually, he thinks the house belongs to some celebrity. He didn’t ask though.”

“You’re kidding me”, you laughed.

“Look at me”, she said pointing at her face. “Is this the face of someone kidding?”

“This is insane”, you said before laughing out loud. “How did you even get him to invite you?”

“I may have slept with him a few times”, she shrugged.

“Now that explains everything”, you said throwing a pillow at her face.

The rest of the afternoon was spent trying on outfits for that night. Suddenly, everything you had brought looked useless. You literally emptied your whole luggage trying to find something to wear but it was pointless. At least until Jo told you that it would be full of people from college, so there was really nothing to worry about. It was more of a casual party.

It was a relief.

You ended up picking some clear blue ripped jeans, a grey top and your Doctor Martens. It wasn’t cold at all so you thought about not taking any jacket with you, but when Jo told that the house was up in the hills, you took a black blazer from your luggage and tried it on. Yeah. It could work.

“You look amazing, girl”, Jo said when you were finally ready to go.

“You’re one to talk”, you said looking at your friend up and down. “How are we going to get there?”

“An Uber is on its way”, she said.

Then, she walked to a small chest of drawers that was next to the door and took some keys out of the first drawer.

“Here you go”, she said. “And I’ve sent you the address in case you know…things get interesting”, she winked.

You laughed out loud and took the keys from her hand. It wouldn’t be the first time you would separate during the night because you met someone interesting. The only rule was to text to let the other know you were going home.

“And the Uber is here, let’s go!” She said excitedly.

The whole way to the house, you were telling her all about how things were at home. Your parents had divorced a couple of months ago and you were still getting used to the new situation. It was confusing, to say the least, but you knew it was for the best. Your parents had been fighting way too much over the last year and you knew it was for the best.

“And you’re okay?” Jo asked.

“Yeah”, you nodded. “I see my father every week for lunch or dinner”, you shrugged.

“Isn’t it weird?” She asked.

“It was at first”, you admitted. “None of us knew what to talk about. It was like there was this wall between us that we didn’t know how to tear down”, you told her. Jo took your hand and gave it a small squeeze which you returned. “But we ended up finding a common ground and now we’re good. He actually took me to the airport this morning.”

“And how’s Harper?” She asked quietly.

You bite your lip as she mentioned your sister, trying not to tear up like it happened every time someone brought it up. Your sister was just two years younger than you and had been diagnosed with leukaemia about three years ago. She had been on treatment ever since, which was costing a lot of money, which had caused you to end up looking for a job to help and pay the bills and your college. Reason why you ended up staying in Arizona.

You tried to always stay positive for her and for your parents, but every time you took her to the hospital for her treatment, it became more and more difficult. And then, when your parents started with the divorce, it felt like the whole world was going to crush you. However, now that the divorce was through, you could see how much your mum needed it.

“Better I think”, you finally said. “The doctors are positive.”

“That’s good”, Jo nodded. “You really got me worried, you know?”

“I’m okay, don’t worry”, you said with a smile. “And now we’re going to have fun, please? I need to disconnect from home, at least for a few hours.”

“You’re right”, she nodded. “We are going to this party, we’re going to get drunk and hook up with some famous guy”, she said, making you laugh. “Maybe not all of the above, but we’re going to have fun.”

You smiled warmly at her and gave her a quick hug. Jo had always been there for you, ever since kindergarten when she stood up for you when a boy named Clint made fun of you because of the butterfly wings you were using. That moment created an unbreakable bond between you two. That kind that appears when two people happen to hate the same person. It’s a bit mean, but that’s how humans are.

“We’re here”, the driver said.

“Okay, thank you so much!” Jo said just before stepping out of the car and waiting for you to do the same.

You put on your jacket immediately. Jo had been right. There was a bit of wind around that made you shiver. For a moment, you took out your phone to check it out in case you had any messages, but you quickly threw it back into your purse when you heard Jo gasping.

“What is it?” You asked. “Wow…” you said.

The house you were looking at was immense. It was all white and had a lot of windows and three floors. Who the hell owned a house like this? Jo had been right when she said that it belonged to someone famous. It was the only option. Unless it was actually owned by the rich parents of someone who went to college. Who knew.

“C’mon”, Jo said, taking your hand and going towards the entrance where a security guy was warding the door.

Jo had to end up calling his friend so he would come and pick them up at the door, since the security guy didn’t trust you at all. It was annoying, but when Jo’s friend showed up a few minutes later, he immediately let you in with an apology.

“Shut up”, you said to your friend when she mumbled something concerning the bodyguard’s mother. “You know he can kick us out, right?”

“Fine”, she said. “I’ll behave. Anyway, this is Jason. Jason, this is (Y/N)”, she said.

“I finally get to meet you”, Jason said with a smile. “Jo is always talking about you.”

“Of course she is”, you shrugged. “She is in love with me.”

“How couldn’t I be? Have you seen her face?” She said making you both laugh.

“What are you studying, by the way?” Jason asked you while he guided you around the gardens of the house. The party was probably in the back, although you could see people everywhere.

“Marketing”, you said. “What about you? Nursing too?”

“Oh no”, Jo said in a teasing tone before he could say anything. “Nursing wasn’t good enough for him. He is in the medicine team”, she said with a teasing smile.

“Jealous”, he laughed.

“I don’t think so”, Jo laughed as well. “There’s some competition between Nursing and Medicine”, she explained.

“Isn’t it everywhere?” You chuckled.

“So here it is”, Jason finally said when you got to the main backyard. “Drinks are all inside in the kitchen. It’s an open plan kind of house so it’s easy to spot. Bathroom is down the hall to the right. And there’s also food in the kitchen”, he quickly explained.

“Who does live here?” You asked.

“Shawn Mendez”, he said before taking off with a bunch of guys that were hanging by the pool.

“Excuse me?” You mumbled.

“Well I’m not exactly a fan but the house is out of this world”, Jo said.

“Indeed”, you nodded.

Then, Jo grabbed you by your wrists and into the house. You both needed to get something to drink to go through the night as chilled as possible.

On the inside, the house was as beautiful as you expected. Most of it was decorated in black and white, with such a good taste that you had zero doubts that Shawn had hired some designer to do it. There’s no way this all came out of the head of someone around your age. You just knew it.

“What do you want?” Jo said when you got to the kitchen. Just like Jason had said, it had been easy to find, and it was as crowded as the rest of the place. “I think I’m taking vodka with some cherry soda”, she said.

“Same for me”, you shrugged.

People used to make fun of you when you drank that beverage, but it was some sort of tradition between you two. Plus, it tasted good.

While Jo took the cups to prepare your drinks, you started looking around. You were certain that most of the people were just students, but you recognised some faces in the crowd.

Of course, the first one you spotted was no other than Shawn Mendez. How could you not? He was so tall. Next to him was a tiny girl that you thought it was Camilla Cabello and next to them was a guy, even taller than Shawn, talking to the group surrounding them. His face was extremely familiar but you just couldn’t say from where.

“Here you go”, Jo said. “Want to go out?” She asked.

“Yes, let’s go”, you said taking the cup she was offering as you took your eyes away from the group.

You two made your way out, going through the people gathering in the house, mumbling unheard apologies every time you had to gently push someone out of the way.

“Hey, isn’t that Billie Eilish?” You asked pointing at two girls talking next to the pool.

“I think so”, Jo nodded. “Am I the only one freaking out?” She asked.

“No”, you said. “But I’m trying to look normal”, you added making your friend laugh as you two made your way towards Jo’s friend, Jason.

“There you are!” He exclaimed as soon as you two appeared. He threw an arm around Jo, pulling her closer to him. “We were about to play some beer pong, want to join?” He asked.

“Oh no, I’m awful at it, but I’d love to watch”, you said.

“I’ll beat your ass”, Jo said without hesitation. You knew how good she was at this kind of games.

It wasn’t long until there were enough people to play. Jason and one of his friends, Tom, had gone around, taking people to play.

“We’re missing one”, Jason said counting the people. “You sure you don’t want to join us?” He asked you. You shook your head when you took a sip from your cup.

“I wouldn’t be of any help”, you finally said.

“She’s right”, Jo nodded. You looked at her raising both eyebrows. “Am I lying?”

“No, you’re not”, you laughed.

“I can join you”, you turned your head to look at the newcomer.

It was that tall guy you had seen before, talking to Shawn and Camilla. The one with the familiar face. He was wearing some black ripped jeans and a big while t-shirt that, even if it looked like it was big for him, he could really pull it off. His eyes were brown just like his curly hair.

“If you don’t mind”, he quickly added.

“Of course not!” Jason exclaimed. “You’ll be on our team. The winning team. I’m Jason”, he said.

“Noah”, he said with a nice smile.

Noah Centineo, of course! You had seen him on The Fosters years ago and lately on the To All the Boys movies!

When the game started, you leaned against the column that was behind you, watching in silent as they threw the balls into the cups, cheering when they scored and complaining when they didn’t. You had to admit that Jo had got a lot better since the last time you saw her playing, but the latest admission into Jason’s team, Noah, happened to be extremely good.

“Suck that!” Jason exclaimed when Noah put the ball into one of the cups.

“You haven’t won so shut up!” Jo said. It wouldn’t be long before her worst competing side came out and you knew it.

“Wanna bet?” Jason smirked. Oh, no…

“Don’t you play?”

You looked away from your friend just when she and Jason started teasing each other. It was Noah the one who had talked to you. When you looked at him, he walked closer to you, his eyes fixed down on you.

“Believe me, you don’t want to see me playing”, you said with a smile, playing with the now empty cup in your hands.

“That bad?” He smiled.

“Worse”, you said making him laugh. He had that kind of laugh that made you laugh, along with a bright smile. “Hey, it’s true! I could hit your eyes before I hit the cup”, you said.

“I don’t know if that’s being too good or too bad at this”, he said narrowing his eyes.

“Trust me, when playing beer pong… it’s too bad”, you said and he laughed again. “It’s your turn I think.”

“Oh right”, he said looking at the table. “Be right back, I gotta win this thing”, he winked.

With a smile, you saw him walking away to take the ball from Tom’s hand. Your heart was going a bit faster than usual but you knew it was because of who he was. You hadn’t expected him to talk to you and you had been surprised by how nice he actually had been to you, and to everyone for that matter.

As it had been a promise, Noah’s team ended up winning the game and they all decided to celebrate it by going inside to get more drinks. All of them, except Jason who stayed with Jo teasing her again and Noah, who walked over you once again.

“I guess congratulations are in order”, you said.

“Maybe you can join me for a drink to celebrate?” He suggested.

You looked over Jo for a moment but, judging by how Jason had his arms around her, you knew it was going to be long before she missed you. So you looked at Noah and nodded with a smile, making him smile as well.

“I’m (Y/N), by the way”, you said when you were making your way towards the house.

“Nice to meet you”, he said. “I’m Noah.”

You wanted to say I know, but you decided not to since it sounded way too cocky in your head and maybe it would make him feel uncomfortable, so you just gave him a smile and followed him inside. Since it was getting a bit colder outside, the inside of the house was even more crowded than before. They had even turned up the volume and many people had started dancing around the living room, which meant the kitchen was a bit emptier.

“What do you want?” Noah asked taking a pair of blue clean empty cups.

“Vodka and cherry soda”, you said jumping to seat on top of one of the counters.

“So…” he said while he started pouring vodka in one of the cups. “What brought you here?” He finally asked.

“My friend”, you smiled a little. He looked at you in a way that said no shit, Sherlock. You laughed out loud and took the cup he offered. “Thanks”, you said before taking a sip. “I came to spend the weekend with Jo and she told me about this party.”

“Don’t you study here in L.A?” He asked when he poured himself some soda.

“No”, you shook your head as he stood in front of you. Now that you were sitting on the counter, you were finally eye to eye with him. “I study in Phoenix. I’m from there actually”, you shrugged.

“Cool”, he nodded. “So you’re good friends with… Jo, you said?”

“Yeah”, you nodded. “She’s my best friend”, you shrugged with a smile. “What about you?”

“Camilla invited me”, he said pointing at the crowd with his head. “I met her when I appeared in one of her music videos and we really got along. I told her I would be in L.A for a couple of weeks and she invited me.”

“Nice”, you nodded and looked around, spotting the girl on the other side of the room. “So are they really a thing?”

“Who’s asking?” Noah said making you laugh. “They’re really good friends”, he shrugged.

“I knew it”, you narrowed your eyes and then looked at him. “Have you ever had to something like that for publicity?”

“Who told you that I’m famous?” He asked with a small smile. You raised an eyebrow and then nodded.

“Even if I didn’t know who you were, you just told me you appeared on Camilla’s video”, you said.

“I could’ve been an extra”, he said.

“Good point”, you nodded. “I first saw you years ago on The Fosters”, you finally admitted.

“Really?” He asked kind of surprised and you nodded. “Did you like it?”

“I was completely hooked up on it”, you said with a smile.

“Well…” he said, leaning on the counter next to you, looking at the crowd. “To answer your question, no. I’ve never had to do anything like that”, he said. “I wouldn’t have done it anyway. Ever. I don’t think it’s fair for anyone involved.”

“Have you ever told them?” You asked.

“No”, he shook his head. “It’s not my business”, he said and looked at you again. “Why didn’t you say you knew who I was?”

“I don’t know”, you shrugged. “I guess it sounded cocky? Or maybe it could make you feel uncomfortable.”

“Thanks”, he nodded a little. “I mean, I know I’m not that famous. But it is a bit awkward when I introduce myself to someone new like ‘hey, I’m Noah’ and their answer is ‘yeah, I know’. It’s kind of a turned off.”

“Then I turned you on?” You teased him, making him laugh out loud.

With a smile, you brought the cup back up to your lips and took a sip of the drink. You had never met anyone who was even slightly famous before, but you had never thought of a celebrity to be as nice as Noah was. As the night went on and the party kept on going around you, you just stayed there in the kitchen, talking to each other, telling all kind of stories about the other.

“Hey, do you want to go out for a bit?” He asked after an hour or so. “I need some air.”

“Sure, me too”, you said before jumping off the counter.

Since everyone was now inside the house, getting through everybody was a bit more difficult than before. Noah reached out for your hand so he wouldn’t lose you on your way out. It surprised you how big his hand felt when holding yours. When you stepped outside, you felt how cold it had gotten. Or maybe it was that it was too hot inside. Anyway, you stepped a bit closer to Noah when you shivered.

“I know”, he chuckled like he was reading your mind.

“Either it was too hot inside or it’s too cold out here”, you said.

“Agreed”, he said. “Follow me.”

“Where?” You asked as he started walking somewhere to the left of the house.

“Wait and see”, he said, not letting you go of your hand.

Any other day, if any other guy who you had just met at a party, was guiding you around the lonely garden, you’d definitely go back inside. But over the time you had spent talking to him, somehow you knew you could trust Noah, so you just went with it. You could see some couples here and there, making out in the dark corners of the propriety and for a moment you felt nervous and looked up at Noah, but he looked too focused on not tripping over anything to see anyone else.

“Here we are”, he finally said after a couple of minutes. “Welcome to Los Angeles”, he said.

Confused, you looked at him and then to the front, where he was looking, and gasped. Beneath you was the whole city of LA, awake and shinning for you. On your way up there you hadn’t been aware of how up you were going, so you weren’t expecting this view at all. It was beautiful and so peaceful. It was like you were so away from everything, being so close at the same time.

You let go of Noah’s hand and took a few steps away from him, admiring the view. You could even see the Hollywood sign from there. It was breath-taking. It made you feel at peace with the world.

When you looked back at Noah, you saw that he was taking a photo with his phone. When he finished, he put the device back in his pocket and moved closer to you.

“You like it?” He asked.

“It’s beautiful”, you said. “I wouldn’t mind having this view”, you commented.

“Yeah, me neither”, he said with a smile.

The two of you stayed there in silence, contemplating the city. It was strange seeing it from up there. It felt like you were a world away from everything, from every problem and every issue. You could really forget about the world while being up there and, somehow, for some reason, Noah’s presence next to you only helped to make that feeling grow.  

After a few moments, you felt Noah’s hand brushing over yours, making your skin tingle. Biting your lip, you looked up at him. The moment he felt your eyes on him, a smile appeared on his face and he looked down when you took his hand. His kind eyes roamed around your face before he chuckled to himself and squeezed your hand.

“Do you want to get out of here?” He asked.

“Are you trying to steal me, Centineo?” You asked with a small smile, but your heart was already going faster just at the thought.

“If you let me”, he said with a bigger smile.

Suddenly you felt even a bit short of breath. You didn’t know if it was the moment, the fact that you were completely alone, the way he was looking at you or that the alcohol was getting to your head, but you felt a surprising urge to kiss him. However, you couldn’t do that. It would be too embarrassing if you were reading all wrong, so you just looked down and took a deep breath.

“I’m going to text Jo”, you said, taking your hand from his to take out your phone.

“How did you guys get here?” He asked, taking the cup from your other hand so you could type.

“Uber”, you said while you wrote a quick text. “You?”

“I drove”, he smiled.

“Then get out of here”, you said when you put your phone back into your purse. “Do you have to say goodbye to someone?”

“Don’t worry about it”, he said. “Let’s go.”

For the third time that night, he held your hand as you made your way around the house to where many cars were parked. You started looking around, trying to guess which one was Noah’s. He looked like a Jeep kind of guy, or maybe it was that you had seen him as Peter Kavinsky so many times that it was the only car you could pictured him in.

“Which one is yours?” You asked.

“It’s not really mine”, he explained. “It’s a rental. Mine is getting fixed”, he added. He took out the keys and pressed the unlock bottom.

You looked around to see the lights and couldn’t help but laughing when you saw the car. It had to be a joke.

“A Jeep?” You laughed.

“What?” He said smiling down at you.

“I was just thinking what kind of car you would have and I could only picture you in a Jeep because of the To All the Boys movies”, you admitted.

“I have to admit that I rented it because of that”, he laughed. “I really liked it during the shooting.”

When you got to the car, he opened the passenger door for you and helped you up. He gave you your cup back and closed the door. You smiled a little when you noticed his fragrance in the car. It was a nice smell; one you could get used to. Quickly, you shook that thought out of your head. What were you thinking?

“Where to?” Noah asked once he had got into the car and started the engine after you two put the seatbelts on.

“I’m kind of hungry, to be honest”, you said.

“Say no more”, he said before he started driving carefully to get out of the property. “So… you said you study in Phoenix, right? What do you study?”

“Marketing”, you replied, looking out of the window as you played with the almost empty cup.

“Nice…”

“Not bad I guess”, you chuckled. He frowned and looked at you for a moment.

“Don’t you like it?” He asked.

“No, I do”, you shrugged. “It’s just…”

“You can tell me”, he said.

With a sigh, you looked at him. He was focused on the road but he looked at you to let you know he was listening. You knew it wasn’t really his business, that you had met him hours ago, but it felt like ages.

“It’s just that… I always thought I’d be doing something that I loved, not just liked”, you finally said.

“Why don’t you?” He asked. “Do what you love, I mean.”

“Because it’s not that easy”, you sighed. “I learned the hard way that not everyone is meant to get to live the life they dream of.”

“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?” He commented.

“Life is harsh”, you chuckled.

He looked at you when you stopped at a red light and you looked at him. He looked like he was trying to figure you out, trying to get inside your head and know what was going on. With a sigh, you looked away. It was way more complicated than just ‘doing what you loved. Of course you wanted to be doing something else but you had made your peace with how impossible that was for you.

“Have you ever given it a try?” He asked when he started driving again.

“There’s no use”, you said.

“Why not?” He kept on asking.

“Just because”, you sighed. You really did trust him and enjoyed talking to him, but telling him about your family situation wasn’t what you had in mind.

“Sorry”, he said, noticing your change of mood. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“It’s okay. It’s a sensitive topic”, you said and looked at him. “Where are we going?”

He looked at you for a few seconds, his face lighted up by the street lamps, and then back at the road as the smile went back to his face.

“To the best pizza place in Los Angeles”, he said.

“Sounds promising”, you said.

“Pizza is always promising”, he said.

“Touché”, you chuckled.

Noah kept on driving in silence, sneaking glances at you every now and then. He felt like shit for bringing up the career thing. It was obvious he had struck a chord and your mind was way away from the car at the moment. He had ruined it. Completely. Since the moment he first you, he had tried to come up with a way to get some more time with you, alone, and now he had ruined it.

After five more minutes, he finally drove into the parking lot of the Hall of Pizza. It was completely empty, but it was obviously open. In the neon lights, it said that it was open for 24h which sounded impressive. It was probably a hot spot for drunks, but it was still a bit early for them.

“Here it is?” You asked.

“Yeah, you’ll love it”, he said. “C’mon”, he said opening the door and getting out.

You did the same instead of waiting for him to open the door for you. When you closed the door, he was already by your side.

“I’m really sorry”, he suddenly said. “For making you uncomfortable. I shouldn’t have pushed you, sorry.”

“It’s okay, really”, you said and took his hand in yours. He looked down and then at you. “I’m starving so you better be right about this place.”

You tried to walk towards the entrance, but you could feel he wasn’t on his right mind. With a sigh, you stopped and turned to look at him again.

“Noah, seriously, it’s okay”, you said and took a step closer. Then, you stepped on your toes and pressed a kiss on his cheek before looking at him.

“What was that for?” He asked surprised, with a small smile.

“To get you to smile again”, you said, making him smile a bit more. “And it worked. So let’s go.”

This time, he followed your lead towards the small restaurant. Before getting to the door you threw the cup into a trash can and kept on walking. Noah opened the door for you, which you thanked, and you both walked in. The delicious smell of pizza filled your senses and your stomach growled all sudden. You were starving.

“Do you trust me?” He asked. You looked at his hopeful eyes and nodded immediately. Yes. You really did. “A special de la casa, per favore”, he said with a fake Italian accent that made you laugh. “What? That was perfect!”

“Certo”, you laughed.

“You speak Italian?” He asked, making you laugh even more.

“Do you?” You teased.

“Oh, shut up”, he laughed and suddenly pulled you to his chest, wrapping an arm around you in a quick hug that took you by surprise. But it surprised you even more when you felt him kissing your head. “Sorry”, he said letting you go.

“No…” you said. “It’s okay”, you said looking up at him.

With a small smile, he wrapped his arm around you again and pulled you closer, snuzzling his nose in your head with a sigh. After a few moments, you heard your phone. It was the notification tone for a message. Supposing it was from Jo, you took the phone out of your purse. Precisely.

All good babe, Im gonna sleep at Jason’s so don’t wait up ;)

You smiled to yourself and put your phone back into your purse. Jo could pretend to be as cold as ice, but you knew her and there was no way she would sleep with the same guy more than once unless she had feelings for him. Of course, you weren’t going to be the one breaking that up for her. She had to figure it out by herself.

“Everything okay?” Noah asked.

“Yes”, you nodded. “It was Jo. She’s sleeping at Jason’s”, you quickly explained.

“At Jason’s or with Jason?” He asked with a teasing smile.

“Noah!” You laughed, pushing him playfully. “Both”, you finally said, making him laugh.

“Excuse me, signore”, the cook said from the counter. “Your pizza is ready.”

“Great!” He said taking out his wallet to take out the credit card while you took the box. “Grazie mile!”

You chuckled to yourself at how cute he was and walked towards the door after thanking them for the pizza.

“Bonne nuit!” He exclaimed when he opened the door for you.

“That’s French, actually”, you laughed out loud once you were out.

“Really?” He said, taking the pizza box from you.

“Yes, buona notte is Italian”, you said, making your way back to the car.

“Sounds the same”, he frowned as he unlocked the car.

“No, they don’t”, you laughed even more. “Just stick to the English and you’ll be good”, you winked at him.

When he got into the car, he gave you the pizza box for you to hold while he drove. You didn’t even ask him where he was going since he looked like he had a destination and you were okay with just spending more time with him. The smell of the pizza was driving you crazy. It smelled delicious.

“What did you order?” You asked.

“You’ll see”, he said.

“You know I could just look, right?” You asked and he chuckled.

“Then do it”, he said with half smile.

But you didn’t, which seemed to please him. Although you were starving but you guessed it wouldn’t be long before he stopped somewhere. However, fifteen minutes later he was still driving and you were getting hungrier by the second.

“Okay, where are we going?” You finally asked.

“We’re almost there”, he said.

“And where’s there?” You asked looking out of the window where everything was dark.

You could see the road ahead thanks to the car lights but you weren’t familiar with anything. It didn’t even look like you were in the city anymore, he had started to go up some hill a minutes ago and he hadn’t stopped.

“Are you sure you’re not a serial killer?” You asked.

“I think I would have killed you by now, wouldn’t I?” He smiled.

“That’s exactly what a serial killer would say”, you said narrowing your eyes.

“And how do you know it?” He said looking at you with a bigger smile. Didn’t he ever stop smiling?

“Maybe I am a serial killer”, you smirked, making him laugh.

“Don’t worry, one more minute and we’ll be there”, he said.

True to his word, a couple of minutes later, he stopped the car and turned off the engine after turning off the lights. He looked at you for a moment and sighed in content before taking the pizza box from you and getting out of the car.

“Wait! Where are you going?” You asked getting out as well. “Noah, it’s dark, what are we doing?”

“Here, hold this”, he said giving you the box.

Looking around, you took it from him while he opened the back of the car and took out a couple of hoodies. Then, he put one on and took the pizza box to put it on top of the car.

“Here, put it on”, he said offering you the other hoodie. “C’mon! The pizza will be cold”, he insisted.

“You’re freaking me out”, you sighed but did as he told you.

Once you were done and into his comfy hoodie, he took the pizza and your hand before guiding you towards some bushes. He was crazy. You were completely sure of it, but somehow you found yourself enjoying his company more than anything. His hand around yours gave you a feeling of security you hadn’t felt in a very long time and you felt like you could follow him anywhere.

“Et voilá!” He exclaimed when you got out of the bushes.

You opened your mouth surprised. He had taken you to a small cliff with a wooden fence around it so no one would fall and some wooden tables as well. But the cherry on the top of everything was the amazing view you had at your feet. If the view from Shawn’s house had you in awe, this was out of this world.

“And turn around”, he said by your side.

You did and gasped when you saw the Hollywood up there, like in so many movies you had seen. You didn’t even know what to say, you couldn’t even close your mouth. You were so shocked that you didn’t even notice Noah letting go of your hand and walking to one of the tables to set the box down and open it.

“It’s still warm”, he said, taking you out of your trance.

“This is amazing”, you said looking at him. He smiled widely and took a seat on the table.

“I imagined you’d like it”, he said and took a slice of pizza to offer it to you.

Still looking around you, you walked over him and took the slice from him. Without even knowing what it had on it, you just took a bite and took a seat on the table, with the pizza in between you, so the city was to your right and the Hollywood sign to the left.

“It’s delicious!” You exclaimed and looked down at the pizza but it was so dark you couldn’t see the ingredients, but you tasted a lot of cheese.

“I know, right?” He said. “It has like five different kind of cheese”, he said.

“No wonder is so delicious”, you said before keep on eating.

As your eyes got used to the dark, you finally were able to actually see Noah’s features again. His head was turned towards the city, kind of lost in his own thoughts. The small lights were reflected in his eyes. You found yourself completely lost in him. Who would have thought that you would find such a loveable soul in a random party in Los Angeles?

“You’re staring”, he said without looking at you. The comment was enough to make you blush.

“Sorry”, you mumbled and took another slice.

“It’s okay”, he smiled looking now at you. “What were you thinking about?”

“Nothing, really”, you half smiled and looked at the city to avoid his eyes, but you could feel them on your face. “I was thinking about how random this is”, you finally said. “In a good way”, you quickly added.

“Yeah, I know”, he agreed, taking another slice himself. “I didn’t even want to go to the party in the first place. Now I’m really glad I did.”

“I’m glad you did too”, you said smiling and looked at him.

You two stared at each other smiling and, after a few moments, that urge that you felt in the car to kiss him came back, even stronger than before. You forced yourself to look away once again. There was something about the way he looked at you that made you so nervous. It may be the intensity or just the way he did it. Whatever it was, you weren’t familiar with that tickly feeling in your stomach.

“When are you leaving?” He asked after a while of silence.

“Sunday afternoon”, you said.

“I thought you had a long weekend”, he commented.

“How do you know?” You asked surprised.

“A guy at the party was talking about it and I just assumed it was a national thing”, he shrugged. “It’s not?”

“It is”, you nodded. “I don’t have class until Tuesday but I have to work on Monday”, you explained.

“What’s your job?” He asked, surprised you had to work.

“I work at a cinema”, you shrugged. “Popcorns, soda… Sometimes I have to sell tickets too.”

“Oh…” he said. You looked at him and chuckled. “I just didn’t expect it.”

“I girl gotta live”, you joked and finished the slice of pizza. You were actually kind of full by now.

“Don’t you live at home? I mean, with your parents and all”, he asked.

“It’s more complicated than that”, you sighed.

“But then why-“

“It’s complicated, Noah”, you repeated.

Noah clenched his jaw and then nodded to himself. It was the second time you shut him off like that, which probably meant that it was something really serious. He didn’t expect you to open your soul to him, but he wished you did. Why? He didn’t know. All he knew is that he wanted to get to know you. For real.

“Sorry”, you said after a while. “It’s just… Things at home are complicated and that’s just a nice way to say it.”

“I’m sorry…” he said with a frown. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Trust me, you don’t want to know about it”, you said.

“I do”, he said.

With a frown, you looked at him. He was looking at you with the most serious expression you had seen on his face since you met him a few hours ago. Why was he so interested?

“I’m serious”, he said when you didn’t say anything.

You bite your lip and looked at the city once again. It was never easy to talk about it. The only person you really talked to about this was Jo and even she knew how hard it was for you to open up about it. Yet, you wanted him to know even if you were not ready to dig into the reasons why you felt like that.

“My sister has leukaemia”, you finally said, looking down at your hands that were almost covered by the sleeves of his hoodie, which was way too big for you but it made you feel safe. “She was diagnosed around three years ago.”

Noah didn’t even know what to say. He was expecting some kind of hard situation but nothing like that. He couldn’t even imagine what that was like. Just the thought of his own sister going through something like that made him tear up a bit.

“It was a shock for everyone, obviously, and it still is. She is two years younger than me and she has always been so… so alive”, you shrugged trying not to tear up. “We started the treatment right away but even with the insurance, there was a lot to pay so we all had to give up on things”, you shrugged and looked at him for a moment, but you couldn’t hold his gaze. “I gave up NYU and agreed to stay home and get a job, which I did.”

“That’s why you said that not everyone gets the life that they dream about?” He asked and you nodded.

“I just made my peace with it”, you shrugged. “She’s my sister so I would do it all over again if I had to. No doubts, no regrets. But that doesn’t mean that it’s any easier to think about what my life could have been.”

“I’m so really sorry, (Y/N)”, Noah said and took the now empty box to put it aside and move closer to you to take your hands. “I… I had no idea, I’m sorry I pushed you to talk about it.”

“It’s okay”, you shrugged. “It’s not like it is a secret but I didn’t want to kill the mood with my sad little story.”

“You didn’t kill the mood. I really wanted to know”, he said and you gave him a small smile that he returned. “And how is she? And your parents?”

“Well, my parents ended up getting a divorce”, you shrugged. “That was just like the cherry on the top of the worst cake ever baked”, you chuckled sadly. “But Harper is okay. All things considered. She has always been so so positive about everything. She is so strong… I’m so proud of her.”

“I bet you are”, he smiled a little. “I’d love to meet her.”

“Shut up”, you chuckled. “Now you’re just talking out of pity.”

“I’m not!” He exclaimed. “(Y/N), I’m serious here. I know it sounds crazy because we just met hours ago but… I want to be there for you.”

You looked up at him and somehow you knew he was serious. Still, you couldn’t really let him to be part of a life as messy as yours. So you leaned in and kissed his cheek softly, knowing that when he dropped you off at Jo’s apartment he would probably forget all about you and your family’s tragedy.  

“Thanks, Noah”, you said.

“Want to go?” He asked. You nodded with a sigh.

Not a saying a word, he jumped off the table, took the box and threw it into a trash that was near the fence. Then, he went back to you and wrapped an arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer to him and started walking towards the car. Noah could feel it and so could you. Somehow, that little moment you had just shared, had pulled you together. Some kind of bond had just been created between you two.

“How did you know about this place?” You asked.

“When I first moved here to Los Angeles, a long time ago, a friend showed me this place”, he explained.

“I thought you didn’t live in LA”, you said.

“I do, but I’m in shooting something in Florida and I had some time off so I came to see my family”, he said just when you came back out of the bushes and saw the car.

“Well, thanks for sharing it with me”, you said as he unlocked the car.

“Thanks for coming with me”, he said, opening the passenger door for you. “Where to?” He asked before you even got in.

You sighed and stopped to look at him. If it was up to you, you would spend the whole night with him, but was that even a good idea? You already felt like you were going to miss him.

Judging by the way he was looking at you, he was thinking the same. None of you wanted this night to end but were somehow terrified of what could happen if you two decided to just go along with whatever it was that you were feeling.

“I don’t know”, you finally said.

“Do you want to go home?” He asked, not moving from his spot.

“Do you?”

“Not really”, he said, his eyes fixed on yours.

“Me neither”, you admitted, moving your eyes from his to his mouth and then back to his eyes.

Noah was dying to kiss you. He had first thought about it at the party, then again at the pizza place and he had thought about it a million times since he saw your face looking at the Hollywood sign. What the hell had happened in the previous hours? When he first saw you, next to the beer pong table, he was intrigued by you. And now, hours later, he had the feeling that he wouldn’t be able to let you go that easily and, if he did, it would hurt.

And now there, in the darkness, with just the light of the inside of the car, he finally took a step closer to you. His hand itched just by wanting to hold you, his heart beat faster at the thought of kissing you, but he wouldn’t forgive himself if he didn’t try. He placed a hand on your cheek and took a deep breath when you leaned a bit against it, not breaking eye contact. When you bit your lip, he knew he was done for.

Without thinking any more, he leaned down and finally captured your lips with his, wrapping his other arm around your waist to pull you closer. You wrapped his hoodie in your hands, to try and pull him even closer as you kissed him back.

You had always read and heard about fireworks when you kissed someone but this was the first time you truly believed in them. And it wasn’t just fireworks. It was like the Big Bang was happening around you. It was unique. It was unforgettable. It was beyond words.

None of you wanted to stop that moment. If it was possible to keep on kissing forever, feeling your bodies together, you would. But humans have that annoying issue of breathing, so you had to pull away. And yet you just kept your forehead against his, your eyes closed, your breathing mixing.

“Get in the car or I promise I won’t let you go”, he whispered after a few moments.

You bite your lip and followed his words, not because you wanted him to let you go, but because you needed to control your breathing. When he got in the car and started the engine, you gave him Jo’s address. At least, you would have a drive to think about what you wanted to do next.

The drive back was made in silence. But not that awkward silence that can follow a kiss, it was quite the opposite. You were just looking out of the window while holding his hand over the console, replaying the night and the kiss over and over again in your head. You could feel Noah’s thumb brushing over your knuckles. Every time he had to stop, he would raise your hand and kiss it, letting his lips linger over your skin for a few seconds before putting it down again. Every time he did that, that tickly feeling in your stomach appeared.

“Here we are”, he said when he stopped the car at the door of Jo’s apartment building. You bite your lip looking at the door and then at Noah. You didn’t want to leave him.

“Come up”, you said without thinking it twice. It looked like it took him by surprise, since it took him a bit to reply.

“Are you sure?” He asked cautiously. “I mean, it’s your friend’s place.”

“She’s okay with it, believe me”, you assured him. He bite his lip and looked at the door of the building.

He really wanted to do it. He wanted to go up with you and spend the rest of the night with you. But he was starting to get scared of what that it would mean to him once you left.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to”, you said, feeling a bit insecure.

“No, it’s not that. I do want to. I really do”, he said and turned off the engine. “It’s just… this never happened to me before, you know?”

“Oh, of course, this is just Tuesday for me”, you said with irony. “I do this every single day.”

He laughed and leaned his head back on the seat, closing his eyes. He was trying so hard to follow his reason and not his feelings, but he had never been the kind of guy to do that. And he definitely didn’t want to be it with you, but it all felt so…intense that he didn’t know what to do.

“Look, Noah”, you said. He looked at you. “This is weird for me too but… if you want to leave, I get it, it’s okay, I promise. It’s just that, I don’t know why, but I’m not ready to say goodbye to you.”

Something about the way you say it, with such truth behind it, was what Noah needed. His brain had clicked. Without saying anything, he got out of the car and walked around it to open your door while you looked for your purse. You took it from the floor just when he opened the door.

“Thanks”, you said when he helped you down by taking your hand.

Instead of replying, he closed the door and locked the car before wrapping an arm around your waist and kissing you again, taking you completely by surprise.

He had made a decision. He wasn’t going to think anymore. He didn’t want to. He wanted to just let himself go and see what this went. It could end up in nothing but the little voice inside his head kept on telling him that you were special, that he couldn’t give you up. Not yet.. It sounded crazy, but in his guts he knew he was right.

“What was that for?” You asked when he pulled away as a smile made its way to your face.

“I’m not ready to say goodbye either”, he simply said.