#but I guess at least I realized why I've been doing so badly yesterday and today. smh.

[beskad]

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[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

White Lies (Pt. 03 of 21)

Pairing: Keanu Reeves X Reader

Word count: 1.7 K

Summary: Keanu found the girl almost dead, in the wrecks of what was once her car. While she was in surgery, stuck in a coma, he gathered the best doctors of New York to attend to her. They told him she is likely to have some kind of brain damage, what may lead to memory loss. And this possibility added up wit the fact that she's pregnant, made the council come up with an odd idea. They asked Keanu to pretend to be her husband, since the stress of finding out everything that happened could put the baby in danger. He reluctantly agreed, but only if she does has some kind of memory loss. He still goes she'll wake up soon, with her memories intact.

But when you finally wake up, there's nothing inside. You're quick to find your head is empty, void, like a blank canvas. The only thing that brings you some relief, that makes you feel less lonely is the mention of a husband. And you can't wait to meet him, because you know you can't deal with this by yourself.

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{Keanu Reeves Masterlist}

{John Wick Masterlist}

×

Keeping The Promise

Smiling, you listen to Mrs. Ellyne stories. It's been a week since you woke up, and three days ago they told you to take walks around the hospital every once in a while. And that's how you met Mrs. Katherine Ellyne, eighty-four years old, staying here to treat a broken leg. She's the one distracting you when Keanu is out to rest and eat, or in a meeting with your doctors. She's very kind, and you enjoy listening to her.

Seated in the small cafeteria, which is empty at the moment, you give her all your attention as she tells you about her High School sweetheart. You wonder if you had any crushes back then, but it's useless to try. So far, nothing came back. Not even a flash, as Dr. Harris said it could happen. Maybe a dream, she said, but when you fall asleep, everything you see it's the hospital, Keanu, and the doctors. Everything else is blank.

“(Y/N)?” Someone calls, and you recognize Dr. Wright's voice. Turning at him, you mutter a ‘good morning’. “There's someone here to see you. But you must be sure you feel fine.”

Furrowing your eyebrows, you give a glance to Mrs. Ellyne, saying goodbye before standing up. “Who is it?” You ask, walking over him.

“Her name is Laura. She's a friend of yours.”

Laura. Keanu told you about her. “Alright. Let's do this.” Nodding, you start following him through the hospital.

Laura has been your friend since Elementary school, and, even though she moved away for High School, you never lost contact. You didn't know why Keanu was telling you all this yesterday, but now you do. He wanted you to know at least something before meeting up with her.

When you enter your room, a very worried woman with teary eyes stands up from the couch. There was a spark of hope in your heart, that her long, blond hair and green eyes will bring something back. That her face would somehow feel familiar. It doesn't.

“(Y/N).” She mumbles, running to pull you into a hug. It hurts a little, despite the medication you've been taking for the pain. But you don't complain, hugging her back. “I can't believe it, honey. I'm so sorry.” She cries, and you don't know what to do. “I should've come sooner but the doctors told me it was too soon and–”

“It's alright.” You assure her, offering a small smile when you pull away. “Everything is... Complicated.”

“You... You don't... Recognize me, do you?” She stutters, wiping some tears away.

Shaking your head no, you look down. “I'm sorry.” It doesn't take much for you to realize you want Keanu. You don't know what to do, what to say. Laura is breaking down, and it's your fault. And you just don't know what to do.

“My God.” She says, a hand covering her mouth. You notice when her eyes fall on your belly. She knows, of course she does. Keanu did say you two are pretty close. Or were pretty close.

“Don't worry. I'm... I'm alright.” Assuring her, you turn around when you listen to the door opening. A wave of relief washes over you when you see Keanu. Smiling at him, you gesture at Laura. “Uhm... Hi. This is Laura.” Your head hurts badly, and you're not sure what to do. “Laura, this is Keanu, my husband.”

“Oh my.” She exclaims, and you remember who Keanu is. “It's really him.”

“Didn't you know I was married to him?” Furrowing your eyebrows, you ask her.

“I-I did. Of course, I did.” She speaks fast, and her nervousness takes you by surprise. She must be a fan. “But I've never met him in person, I... You lived in Miami and only now you came to New York so...”

“Alright.” Nodding, you exchange a glance with Keanu. “Do you want... A selfie or something?” You're not sure if you can even offer her that, but you're lost here. Taking a deep breath, you move to the bed to sit down because the room is starting to spin around.

“Oh, no.” She bursts out, speaking fast. “Not in a hospital at least.” Laura stands there awkwardly as Keanu comes to your side. “So you two... Are you two alright?”

Laura sounds weird, and you want to ask what's wrong. She probably doesn't know what to do, seeing you in this situation. And neither do you. “We're doing fine,” Keanu answers before you can, glancing at Laura. “Actually I have good news.”

“What is it?” Looking at him, you move up on the bed, resting your back against the headboard.

“You'll be discharged tomorrow.” He says in a low voice, putting a strand of hair behind your ear. “And we'll be going home.”

“Finally.” You say, unable to describe how happy you are to finally leave the hospital.

(Y/N) couldn't even begin to understand the feeling her smile provokes in his heart. Keanu has to control himself not to touch her, to take her hand, caress her cheek. He's caught among too many confusing feelings. He doesn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, but maybe she's expecting him to be more intimate, since to her, they're married. But he knows it's a lie, and he knows he shouldn't be too touchy with her. It's a constant fight between his morals and the agreement he made of looking after her.

“I'll leave you two to talk.” He says, giving her a small smile before walking away.

“Tell me how you're feeling,” Laura asks just as he's closing the door.

Keanu needs to talk, and, as much as he doesn't want to, he has to find Dr. Harris. He's still uncertain about this whole marriage idea, and part of him will blame her if this backfires. But she's one of the best psychologists in New York, and he has to trust her to do what's best for (Y/N).

It takes a while, a little more than thirty minutes for her to enter her office, where Keanu has been waiting. He's bouncing his legs nervously, hands resting on his lap. He lets everything out to her, all his worries. He's taking (Y/N) to his house, a place she believes to be her home. What is he supposed to do? Sleep on the same bed? Give her some space? Let her set the pace? But what is she's counting on him to do that?

“Mr. Reeves, you're thinking too much.” Dr. Harris says, taking her glasses off and lying them on the table before her. “I need you to have a clear head about this. If she suspects and figures out, it could be too hard on her. She's still recovering and it could endanger the child.” Keanu leans forward, both hands running through his hair. “I know it's a lot to ask of you, Mr. Reeves, but you agreed. And I don't think we can end things just now. She could–”

“Everything I want is for her to get well. But this... I'm lying to her.” He raises his voice, angry, worried. Too much depends on him now, and if he does something wrong, something that could affect her in any way, he'd never forgiven himself. He just needs to know how to do things right. “Damn it, she thinks I'm her husband. She thinks I'm the father of her child. This isn't fair. She's trusting me.” He punches the table before getting up.

“Mr. Reeves, we can call this off of you want.” She sighs, and Keanu paces around the room. He can't do it. It isn't right. She needs her true husband, the one who's dead.

Shaking his head, Keanu's thoughts are racing. Closing his eyes, her image comes to his mind. When he first saw her, how she cried and hugged him. The promises he made, that he'd be by her side through the process. And the pregnancy. He couldn't call this off now, he couldn't leave her alone. “I got this.” He says, leaving the office and letting the door close with a loud thud behind him.

Right now, he hates Dr. Harris. He hates Dr. Wright and everyone who put him in this position. But it's not because of him. It's because of her. Keanu can't believe what he's doing to her. He's betraying her. And he can't even imagine what will happen when she remembers. When this lie is torn apart. She'll hate him, and he can't blame her for doing so.

Stopping by her room, his hand on the door handle, Keanu looks through the square window. (Y/N) is seated on the bed, with Laura caressing her stomach. She's smiling, and if anyone else looks, they'd never guess what she's going through. He didn't even notice the smile on his lips, lighting up his features. She's so beautiful, he can't deny that. And he can't stop looking.

Slowly, making sure to make his presence known, he opens the door and walks in.

“You have to start thinking about names,” Laura says, both the girl's eyes laying on him. But Keanu's attention is on her alone.

“I couldn't know.” She mutters, eyes on him. “Do we have anything in mind yet?” As she speaks, Keanu moves closer to her, making up his mind. He would let her choose the names, obviously. He wouldn't make any decisions for her. It's her child. Her voice is so sweet, so soft... It makes his heart beat a little faster.

“Not yet.” He answers, standing beside her.

“Alright.” (Y/N) smiles, turning her attention back at her friend.

The two women engage in another conversation, and he moves to the couch. Keanu tries to focus on his phone, but eventually, his eyes are attracted to her. Laura manages to make her laugh, and the sound is sweet, like a song. He's still staring when (Y/N)'s eyes meet his. She furrows her eyebrows a little, her smile getting a little brighter. Keanu couldn't help but sigh.

He knows it suddenly, that he'll do everything he can to help her. And when it's over, it's over. But until then, he'll keep his promise. He'll stand by her.

×

@multific @inumorph @aestheticallywinchester @bvbwestfall @liviiii98 @allie1804-fan @gian-giannina @playboygeniusphilanthropist @partypoison00

[lindsayrises]

Oh.

My.

God.

I have never felt more seen.

I was diagnosed with ADHD in December 2019.

I've been on medication for it since then.

Yesterday, after a week of being ridiculously unproductive at work, I was desperate for any tips or strategies to get more done.

I found a podcast on ADHD. I listened to 2 episodes while driving/running errands.

Oh.

My.

Fucking.

God.

I was nearly in tears.

EVERYTHING that was said is me.

I have FOREVER been cruel to myself, telling myself (and believing) I do (or don't do) things because:

*I'm lazy.

I'm stupid.

I'm unmotivated.

I'm not dedicated enough.

I must not care enough.

I lack will power.

*I never follow through with things/am unable to follow through with things. (I am particularly sensitive about this one. Something was said to me about this literally YEARS ago and I still get an uncomfortable feeling thinking about it and get emotional talking about it. I can think of 2 other instances where comments have been made to me about this - one recently, one years ago. I am SOOOOOOOOOOO insecure about this.)

(*these 2 are frequent topics in therapy.)

Seriously. Then when I struggle to get things things done, I beat myself up and feel like a huge failure. Rinse and repeat.

I always just thought, "I guess the medication must be working...maybe???". I never considered that there could be a change/improvement BECAUSE I THOUGHT "THIS IS JUST WHO I AM...I'll be like this forever. Past behavior habits prove it. It's hopeless. I'm hopeless to even work on. I'll never change."

I cannot tell how many things I've tried to do better...to be better. I have shelves of books I've bought - thinking, "maybe this one will help!". I can think of exactly 3 books that I've actually finished. Yes. Three. Planners and calendars? I buy a new one at least every 6 months. I use it for a few days and then stop.

It had gotten to the point where I thought, "Why bother even trying? Nothing sticks. Nothing works. And then I feel shitty for failing yet again."

I can't count how many times in the past 3 months I've thought, "Why do I even keep trying? I must not want to change badly enough. There is just something wrong with me. I'm done trying. This is me. This is my life. Deal with it."

So, I'm not (insert all of those negative things and more that I didn't list)??? It's just my fucking brain?

I actually feel hopeful...that maybe things don't have to be like this.

I would like to note that, no, I do not use podcasts and internet things as medical advice.

But wow. It all makes sense now...

Impulsivity (food and shopping)

Forgetfulness

Hyperfocusing

Easily distracted

Difficulty getting started

Feeling paralyzed because I'm overwhelmed

Rejection sensitivity

Noise sensitivity

Difficulty with grocery shopping, meal planning, meal prep, basically any part of the cooking proxy.

HAVING AMAZING PLANS THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BUT ABANDON SHORTLY AFTER STARTING (I'm looking at you, millions of "get healthy" plans and attempts). *****I cannot emphasize this one enough.

I have frequently thought, "I have so much I need to work on and improve about myself. Where do I even start?" and beat myself up about this, too.

I will sit in my classroom...terrified that someone will come in at any minute and see that I'm not working on something... haven't been working on anything...am close to tears because I'm so angry, frustrated, ashamed, and embarrassed because of this.

It.

All.

Makes.

Sense.

Yes, I will talk to my doctor.

But wow. How did I not realize that all of these things are connected??? Would/Could my anxiety and depression get (a little) better if ADHD was less of an issue?

This whole time I've been thinking that these things that I struggle with are because there is something seriously wrong with me...that these things make me a bad person and leave me constantly hustling for worthiness. But there's an explanation for ALL OF IT? And things don't have to stay this way - things don't have to be and won't always be so hard and miserable?!?!?!

Thank God.

Edit: I have to laugh. I've been up since 3:00 am. It is 6:00 and I'm just getting ready to go to work. What have I been doing the last 3 hours? Writing this. Reading about ADHD. Coming back to this and adding something new I just thought about/made a connection to, going to do something, coming back and adding something else to this, start and stop at least 5 different songs or podcasts on Spotify, and repeat. Oh, and mindless scrolling/checking of FB/IG/Tumblr. And looking at the clock - if it's 4:41 saying, "ok I'll get off my phone/stop doing what I'm doing at 4:45.". Loses track of time. Checks time. "Oh, now it's 4:47. I might as well just wait until 5:00.". This is me all the fucking time. I know it's illogical, but this is my life.

[guigz1-coldwar]

'Knowning myself' : New chapter for "Redemption in a Spirit in a Cold War" is out !

'Knowing myself'

Chapter Summary : Bell is coming back from her first mission and work still need to be done....

To read it on AO3, click here !

Words : +3200

--------------------------------------------

I can say that this first mission went quite well for me and the others, I didn't have any scratchs or wounds on me and for that, let's just say that it was a success. However, we didn't learn a lot from the guy who was 'in charge' of the warehouse, having just a simple nickname : 'Bonnie Blue' and before he was able to tell us more, he changed the subject and because of me, I accidentally caused him to eat a cyanure capsule after punching him in the teeth. It was just an little success then.

After Adler told us with the most annoying voice to leave the warehouse as he proclaimed that he will make sure that all of the paperworks in here were seized and then sent to us back at the safehouse, we were obliged to comply to his order and we left the warehouse with Woods & Mason as Sims stayed around with Adler, awaiting for the CIA teams to come take the place over and use these guns Perseus was using for their own business somewhere around the world.

The travel back to the safehouse was pretty well for me. We used our car to leave the are and this time, I was in the backseats with Park as Woods and Mason decided to take the front seats with Mason driving. The first minutes were basically them complimenting me about my first mission as Park was just next to me, giving me a look that could have said 'You're not alone, Yirina, see ?'. and she was right even if she's the one for the moment I can fully trust to help me about my life. The guys are good with me but I think I should take time with them to open myself.

After these few minutes, the talks were replaced by some loud rock music from the courtesy of Woods. That wasn't my type of music but it was nice nonetheless, it's just that Woods put it very loudly in the car and it was like making some ringing bells in my ears but thanksfully, the ride finished pretty quickly as we were arrived at the safehouse, stopping those weird sensations with my ears before we left the car and got back inside, taking our equipment with us and put it back inside the armory.

Then, me & Park got next to the dashboard, looking at it, wondering maybe what was Perseus plan by doing arms trafficking and for that, we have to wait for Adler and Sims to come back.

"So, impressions about the mission ?" Park asked as we were both leaned on Adler's desk, calling me by surprise and breaking me in my thoughts.

"Well, to be honest.." I started, removing my right hand glove off and keeping it in hand"I hoped that we could have better from the guy." I looked at my right hand, a small sad look on my face. "It's my fault."

"Yirina, I already told you but we couldn't know of that." She said, having saw my face, trying to have the smiling face back on me. "We are going to know more with the paperwork Adler will bring back with him."

"Let's hope we will have something that will help us about Perseus arms trafficking and maybe on that 'Bonnie Blue'." I told her with an neutral voice, slowly getting more well but still struggling to show it. "Have you heard of that name before ?" I questioned her, putting my eyes on her.

"No clue." She simply replied "It could be anyone and let's cross our fingers that we will have just one thing that could identify that 'Bonnie Blue'."  She looked at me, sort of worried "Do you think that....it could be Freya ?"

"To give you my opinion : I don't think so." I said, not even sounding of my own answer "I hope not." I really hoped that Freya wasn't that 'Bonnie Blue', I can't think that Freya is able to do this in the Perseus Collective...well, in my point of view....

"We have just to wait now." She then put her hand in her pocket to grab a pack of cigarettes in hands and took one of them before looking at me "Smoke ?" She asked as she was handing another cigarette to me. I didn't remember that I was smoking before but, we will see that.

"Why not ?" I exclaimed, taking the cigarette in hand before putting it between my lips. She took a lighter up and light her and my cigarette before putting it back.

"So, 'The Winter Soldier'." She said, looking at the ceilling after blowing smoke from her mouth "Quite a nickname you had, you said that you hate it."

"Yes." I replied, blowing some smoke too before I start to slowly cough because of the cigarette....been a long time, I suppose ?..... I quickly catch my breath and took back control "Got it after a operation where I save Freya from the NIS...." I looked at the ground, little ashamed "I...I did slaughter the NIS agents tasked to capture after she was badly hurt."

"Shit, that's why the people I contacted yesterday in the NIS wasn't so willing to talk about Freya." She said, concerned "They told me that she was diasvowed in 1976 after they discovered her double agent status but then, nothing on her during the following years...like if she has never existed before."

"So, it was in 1976..." I whispered to myself, remembering the memory where Freya come inside my office in the Lubyanka and first met Zasha, that's when she told me the NIS found her true status.

"Anyway, you were great today." She exclaimed with an proud look, changing the subject of the conversation and I think she did a great choice. "You make me proud." She nodded before the garage door of the safehouse opened : it was already Adler and Sims, each one having at least 2 cardbox in their hands.

"Can you back off from my office ?" Adler ordered, walking towards his desk as we got away with it and as always with him, I rolled my eyes annoyed...until he suddenly put one of the cardbox, poking it at my chest.

"Hey." I said, taking the box in my hands as he was going to drop close to me in a second

"Make yourself useful for once." He said harshly, walking with the other box at Park's desk and putting it on top of it "Work on it." Is he really going to treat me like shit everyday ? I guess so and I will have to do with it and I've got Park to support me in case I decided to tie him up again back into that room.

"Dickhead." I thought to myself, I was almost going to say it loudly.

Adler walked back at his desk, leaving me to go to work on those cardbox full of paperwork seized in that Perseus warehouse and I know that it would take time for me to get it done....since there are 4 cardbox full of papers, transmissions and anything that could help us to have a better lead on breaking down the arms trafficking organized by Perseus and that strange woman they are calling 'Bonnie Blue'.

Hopefully, Park was there to help me and surprisely, Mason and Woods offered to give me and Park more few hands around to help me with the numerous things we have to do as Adler....well, it's better to not know what he's doing as we're going to do the work for him. We started things slowly at first, focusing on the cardbox Adler give me brutally and that first box was interesting : it was talking about some transmission made by I suppose to be 'Bonnie Blue' with her buyers who were only mentioned by their initials. Nothing to help us about where those buyers were coming from and there were only three buyers on those documents.

The second box was filled of register talking about the weapons Perseus was getting : it was mostly russian weaponry like AK-47 and some RPGs but it was gettin intriguing as there were also american guns and british guns too in their stocks. Discovering the box further allowed us to find out that Perseus had succeeded to have some contacts within the US Army and the British army who are supplying Perseus around the world. By luck, there were the names of those implicated.

Thanks to that info, Park decided to put out some calls to the MI6, giving them the names of the british officers involved with Perseus and to give them indications to deal with thoses persons as she exclaimed to stay in West-Berlin and I knew that she was staying for me. For the US side of it, Woods gave the names of the US Army involved with Perseus to Adler and since I preferred to focus on working my ass around, I didn't know what did he do with them...maybe some calls like Park ? Can't tell.

I checked the time rapidly, realizing that we did take at least a long time as the evening was coming down outside. We've been working on two box for hours but we were making progress anyway. The third box helped us to know more about the buyers without allowing us to identify them. It was mainly about what the buyers were using. The first one called R.D was buying the americans guns, another one called A.R was buying russian weapons and the last one H.S was using the british guns.

When we finished the third box, it was running late and the others including Park decided to take a rest as we have worked non-stop since hours but me, I wanted to continue so I decided to stay on working on the last cardbox to discover. As everyone was going to sleep, Park tried to convince me to go to sleep but she couldn't succeed into changing my mind. She know that I need to work but she doesn't want me to freak out and I understand her. However, it was better to get everything done before tomorrow.

Once everyone was out and leaving me alone, I decided to go grab a coffee to try to hold for a part of the night and when I was able to finish it, I go back to Park's desk that we were now sharing who was now the only place around the safehouse who were using the light. I was ready to continue until I hear some footsteps coming out of the dorm. I stopped myself to check who it was.

"Mason." I said as he was more visible with the light of the desk, seeing him entirely.

"Yirina." He was sounding jumpscared by me, thinking maybe that everyone was in the dorm "Why you're still working ?" He asked, getting his hands against the wall near the desk

"It's better that everything is done for tomorrow." I replied before I took a sip from my coffee.

"It's just one box remaining, we will doing it in no time." He exclaimed, little laughing.

"Maybe...." I started, raising an eyebrow "But I prefer to have it done." I then gestured him to get a seat, not wanting him to stay up for too long but he politely refused. "Why did you came ?"

"Just needed to take some fresh air." He responded, looking at the garage door "Doesn't feel good since some time."

"Really, is there a problem ?"  I said, curious. In my head, I remembered what Park told me about Mason and I started to think that it was because of that "Bad memories ?" He nodded

"Yes, I don't want to talk about it." He crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. He wasn't willing to say a thing and with my case, I can know why. "It's better for you to not know."

"I understand." I bit my lips, looking at the paperwork from the fourth box that I have put all around the desk

"Guess it's hard for you to tell yourself that you were an Perseus agent." He told me as Park told him along with Woods of everything. At hearing this, I stopped myself as I was going to get back to work.

"Yes, it was hard." I said, getting comfy in my chair "There's things I doesn't want to think right now."

"Do you have family back in Russia ?" He asked, getting my attention on him

"No, lost my parents at four years old, only my friends were my family and I don't know if they are alive or missing." I responded, my voice almost cracking

"And....and you have someone ?" He started, looking around him "You know, a boyfriend..."

"No, never had anyone." I exclaimed, taking my cup of coffee in hands. Like Park said to me, I decided to kept our relation secret....and also my sexuality to the others.

"I was thinking, Yirina." He raised an eyebrow, getting my attention back again on him "Why Park is always near you or close to you ?"

"When I came back, she told me that she wanted to do her best to stay with me and to relive the friendship we had 3 years ago." I replied, not mentioning my true relationship with her...I'm keeping my promises up...."I know that bad things happened but she was the only one to apologize and I accepted them because she believed in me."

"For that, I can say that you're right." Mason nodded in approval "She maybe helped Adler but....she's an good person and she showed it to me and Woods....and you too."

"Really ?" I said, curious

"Yeap, like I said, she has an good heart and I think Woods already told you that but you're lucky to have her at your side against Adler." He affirmed before looking at the garage door direction again "Gonna leave you to work, I'm gonna take some fresh air. Good night, Yirina."

"Night, Mason." I smiled as he was walking to get outside leaving me alone at Park's desk to work.

I tried to get back focus on trying to found out more about what the last box could have give to us but then, I started to feel very tired. Even if I drink a coffee, my eyes were feeling weak, blinking multiples times. I was feeling that my face was all white and I realized that I really need some sleep but my leg weren't cooperative anymore, causing me to think to sleep on the desk. I put the hood of my jacket on, put my arms on the desk and put my head in them, trying to go to sleep.

It was looking like a busy day inside the Lubyanka for me : going to talk with some agents about their works, giving them advices to improve their skills in cryptography, never raising the voices to those who didn't had a good work and giving some reports to some officers that I could see around. I was wearing my KGB uniform without the jacket and thanksfully, I wasn't wearing an skirt.

I was finished to talk with an officer in the archives room when I got out of it to return back to my office, checking my watch to see that it was nearly the end of the day of work. There weren't a lot of people anymore except for guards along the way until I saw a young redhead woman, holding a notebook in her arms and looking around, searching maybe for someone just at one hallway from my office.

"Hi." The woman politely called me out "Miss ?"

"Yes ?" I said, thinking that she was going to ask for the person she's been looking for.

"I wanted to know where is Yirina Grigoriev ?" She asked before I smiled

"Don't need to look too far." I handed my hand for shaking it with her "I'm Yirina Grigoriev."

"Yirina Portnova." She told me, sounding happy.

"Oh, you're the new KGB recruit !" I exclaimed, shaking our hands together. "An prodigy in cryptography as I heard." She nodded as we were finished to shook hands

"It's a pleasure to meet you." She added with an smile.

"Well, I never thought that I will meet another person who are sharing the same name as me but welcome anyway." I didn't know if she did take this as an compliment but she was still smiling and then, she laughed "If you want, you can follow me, my office is just next to us."

"My father is awaiting me at home for dinner and...."

"Don't worry..." I started, gently cutting her "It's just for presenting who I'm working for and tomorrow, I will show your way around." I then opened the lead as she was following me until we arrived in my office. I opened the door to see Zasha, still working at their desk. "Zed !" I exclaimed as I entered the office.

"Yes ?" They said before they looked at me and then behind me....looking amazed.

"Zasha, I'm presenting to you Yirina Portnova." I started as Portnova was handing her hand to them who stand up slowly, locking their eyes with her "Portnova, this is Zasha Smirnov."

"It's nice to meet you, Portnova." They said, looking troubled by her and she nodded.

"Portnova will be working with us, starting tomorrow." I told them before they stopped to shook hands as she was looking at me. "I'm letting you free, you can go."

"Thanks, miss Grigoriev." She said, giving an military salute to me before she left the office, leaving me alone with Zasha who had their eyes wide open and blushing. I looked at them with an good look,

"Quite an woman, right ?"

Then, everything goes to black before I supposely reopening my eyes as I found myself, lying down on the grass, looking at the skies and at my side, there were Park.....a old memory from my first time in the safehouse.....We were both lying down in the grass, near a river....near the safehouse...and we were both holding our hands together.

The atmosphere of the scene...it was all quiet, peaceful and looking that we were able to breathe freely after some times. In our faces, we were relieved to have some times together just the two of us.

"It's good that the others left the safehouse." I started, getting my left hand on my chest "That give us some time to be just together."

"It's rare but at least, we're profiting of it." Park added, happy in her voice.

"I can't believe that we pulled out of the Lubyanka like that." I admitted as I looked at her eyes. "I thought that we were done."

"And you wouldn't have any chance to see my face again?" She smirked, looking at me, teasing me.

"Oh, you need to know that I kept thinking about you during our exit." I exclaimed to her before giving a little kiss on the left cheek. She smiled from it before I moved back to my normal position and then after a few seconds, I was feeling some tears flowing from eyes. "I'm sorry, Park."

"About what ?" She asked, curious.

"About refusing what you wanted to do in the hotel." I replied "I should have said yes." I added.

"It's okay, Jess." She said, moving her right hand on my face.

"Adler....he broke into my room and...." I then started to cry before she moved me to get my head on her chest."

"I know, I'm sorry." She said, trying to recomfort me, getting her left hand passing through my hair. "Adler is really unpredictable, he knows now that we're both in a relationship....something he doesn't like at all." I got my hand on her chest next to my head, still having my tears falling. "He blackmailed me to stop that."

"And what did you say ?" I asked, nervous "You didn't..."

"No..." She replied, having guessed of my question, feeling her nice touch of her hand through my hair "I will never do such thing."

"I don't want to lose you, Park." I said, my voice cracking a lot before she pull me closer and get me more comfortable with her. I was getting better but I was still crying nonetheless. I then looked at her with my eyes filled of tears and she was looking moved to see me like that,

"You're so precious to me !"

[bobasheebaby]

70 Scrubs Prompts

Yup, another prompt list. Most of these are actually light and funny, though some are a little heavier. I tried to pick ones that would work outside of a hospital setting. Again it’s super long so cutting at 15. 

1 “And who’s to say this isn’t what happens? Who can tell me that my fantasies won’t come true? Just this once ... “ — John JD Dorian

2 “Look NAME, I don’t know if it’s possible for me to put how I feel about you into words, but I guess I’ll give it a shot. I never really believed I’d find somebody that I love as much as you. I love you more than anything in the whole world. NAME, I love you more than FRIEND.” “Oh my god” “It's kind of hard for me to say, but it's true.” — John JD Dorian and Elliot Reid

3 “I grew up on the street ... No, not the hood. The Sesame Street.” — John JD Dorian

4 “As I looked at all the relationships around me ... Some that had gone on forever ... some that were reigniting ... and some that had just begun ... I realized something: It should have been me.” — John JD Dorian

5 “NAME, you can’t test love. When I met NAME, it seemed he/she was more in love with his/her best friend than with me.” “Honey, they’ve got that almond biscotti FRIEND loves, so I was wondering if I could borrow some money so I can get him/her some.” “No, you got him/her a present yesterday.” — Carla and Turk

6 “You’ve been wrong so many times that I'm not even going to say something is wrong anymore. I'm going to say that it's 'NAME'.

— Perry Cox

7 “I just took a pregnancy test, just tell me when a minute's up.” “I just put some pizza rolls on the microwave oven; the minute that bad boy rings we're good to go.” “Oh, my god, I can't stand it, 30 more seconds.” “OK baby, don't get too excited, they have to cool off for at least a minute.” — Carla and Turk

8 “So, uh, you going to lunch with your brother/sister?” “Yeah, I... well, you know, I would've invited you, but I already made the reservation for two.” “So call and change it to three.” “Ohh, I'm not gonna mess with that hostess. You know, she uses sharp tones.” — Elliot Reid and John JD Dorian

9 “Nothing in this world, that's worth having comes easy.” — Bob Kelso

10 “Yeah, I'm not that great with kids. They've got such tiny hands. It's creepy.” — Elliot Reid

11 “I love this moment so much, I want to have sex with it.” — Perry Cox

12 “Oh, my God! I'm gagging and vomiting at the same time. I'm... I'm gavomiting!” — Perry Cox

13 “So he/she has a cute butt. Everyone has a cute butt. I have a cute butt.” “You should bring it in someday.” — John JD Dorian & Carla Espinosa

14 “The problem with people who only want what they can’t have is that once they have what they want, they don’t want it anymore.” — John JD Dorian

15 “I guess when you care about someone, you’ll do whatever you can to make ’em happy.” —John JD Dorian

16 “The truth is, it is all your memories, the joyful ones and the heartbreaking ones that make up who you are as a person” — John JD Dorian

17 “‘Cause even if it breaks your heart to be ‘just friends’, if you really care about someone, you’ll take the hit.“ — John JD Dorian

18 “The easiest way to lose something is to want it too badly.” — John JD Dorian

19 “Sometimes in life when you get what you want, you end up missing what you left behind.” — John JD Dorian

20 “Sex is only good for two things. Making babies and revenge.” — Jordan Sullivan

21 “What's going on?” “I love you too dumpling, but I have to work late. I'll make it up to you this weekend.” “NAME’s on the phone with his/her mom/dad/parent, so we're taking five.” — Jordan Sullivan, Ted Buckland and Perry Cox

22 “By the way, NAME’s here but I'm not going to kiss and tell.” “Oh really? Cause I just got your text that said "bone city".” “Oh really? That came through?” — JD and Elliot

23 “You're gonna love it here, sport.” “Get out while you still can.” “Uh...” “Seriously, get out while you still can.” — Bob Kelso, Ted Buckland, and Keith Dudemeister

24 “Ted, what are you doing?” “I like to do stomach crunches after lunch.” “Ted, lunch was four hours ago.” “Yep, I wasted most of my Tuesday.” “It's Wednesday.” “Aw, man! I missed SHOW!” — John JD Dorian and Ted Buckland

25 “Well, it took a whole tube of gel, but I finally got my hair down.” “No one male or female ever cared, NAME.” — Ted Buckland and Perry Cox

26 “Thirsty, huh?” “Helps the tears taste less bitter.” “Cheers.” — John JD Dorian and Ted Buckland

27 “I have to get ready man. I want my date with NAME to be perfect. What do you think about a romantic horseback ride on the beach?” “Ooh, like you and I did for your birthday.” “Yeah but except this time with two horses.” — John JD Dorian and Turk

28 “I am wearing red. Should I not be wearing red around her?” “She's pregnant, she's not a bull.” — Elliot Reid and Turk

29 “This is why the headache didn't go away, it is actually pronounced 'analgesic', not 'ANALgesic'. The pills go into your mouth.” — Turk

30 [She/he sees NAME holding a beer] “What are you doing? [He/she threatens to open it] “You better not open that.” [He/she opens it] “Okay, you better not drink it.” [He/she takes a sip] “All right, You better not enjoy it.” [He/she expresses enjoyment, person A bitch slaps his/her beer] “Did you just bitch slap my beer?” “Are you calling me a bitch?” “Yes. Yes, I am!” — Carla and Turk

31 “Is there another guy on this planet who is that sensitive?” “Okay, let it out. I've got you. NAME has got you. Hold me tighter, a little too tight...There is a good spot.” — Turk and JD

32 person a “This plan is fool proof.” Person c “That is impossible. You two are involved.” Person c “We will see about that!” [Person a and c crash into each other as they try to walk away] — JD, Perry Cox and Turk

33 person a “I don't think we have anymore wine. NAME, can I have some of yours?” [Person C’s narration: I felt like NAME was starting to blame me for all of this.] [person b Spills his/ her wine in person c’s face) “I spilled mine too, honey. You know what you should do? Ask for some NAME’s.” [Person C Spills his/her wine on his/her crotch] “I spilled mine too.” — Carla, Turk and JD

34 “Wait NAME! I have an idea.” “You have another idea? Well I've got to tell you, I'm done with your ideas and not just for now but forever! Okay, are we clear on that?”  “It's a good one.” “I'm listening.” — JD and Turk

35 “He/she is not allowed to dream about me. It gets too freaky in there.” “Cirque de Soleil freaky. One time, he/she was skinless.” — Carla and Turk

36 “How often do you make love?” “Twice today.” “Actually it was three times. You were asleep for the last one.” “Wow, that really happened? I thought it was weird that you were in one of my sex dreams.” — Marston, Turk and Carla

37 “How was your first stress-free day?” “Horrible. And you?” “Worse. Let's make a baby. If it doesn't work this time I'll kill myself.” “Not helping with the stress.” — Carla and Turk

38 “Dude, there you are. Two things; First, the aliens are here and they're wearing track suits.” “Oh, that's Nana.” — Turk and JD

39 “Are you nude right now?” “Yeah! How'd you know?” “Your voice is always higher when you're nude.” “That's true.” “It's not weird you know that at all.” —JD, Turk and Perry Cox

40 “You know, I actually like NAME. So, don't do that thing you always do.” “If you're referring to the game "Find the Saltine", relax. I don't even play that with NAME anymore.” [Later] “Behind your ear.” [Withdrawing Saltine from behind his ear] “My friend, you have found the Saltine. Uh, but, don't tell NAME we're still playing.”— Elliot Reid, JD and Turk

41 “Dude, he/she keeps a hug schedule with his/her friends!” “Okay, NAME ... looks like someone's getting crossed off their 2 o' clock spot and getting penciled in for never! How does that feel? Does it sting?” Person B Narration: He's hurting! Hug him/her ... hug him/her now! — Turk and JD

42 “Dude, don't sweat it - It says here that the ostrich is generally a docile creature.” “Thank God!” “It also says their kick can kill a man!” — Turk and JD

43 “Just don't repeat the same mistakes you made with me. For instance, don't speed down the road pretending your brakes are out. I don't care if it got you laid once in high school. It is not funny and I still have not forgiven you for killing that pony.” — Elliot Reid

44 “NAME, I don't photograph well. On my driver's license, I look like Gary Busey.” — Elliot Reid

45 “We have a very complicated past.” “Yeah, I hurt him/her, and I'm not proud.” Person B narration: I'm a little proud. — Elliot and JD

46 “NAME and I keep it superficial.” “Love the superficial. Dynamite teeth today!” “Oh thanks buddy!” “Sparkly.” “Yeah!” — Elliot and JD

47 “Will you tell me what NAME’s fantasy was?” “Nope.” “Did it involve chains?” “No.” “Whips?” “Mm-mm.” “Candle wax?” “No.” “Role-playing?” “No.” “Lasers?” “Mm-mm.” “Hamsters?” “Negative.” “Was he/she a Mexican apple thief?” “If only ...” — JD and Elliot

48 “Why don't you just move into my place?” “Oh, great, then we'll be two losers under one roof.” — Elliot and JD

49 “NAME, what you said before ... I knew you were right. Anyway, I'm sorry I got mad. You were wrong about one thing, though - we are moving forward.” “NAME, I'm thirty years old; I'm single, I'm homeless, and I'm pretty sure I just soiled myself.”

— Elliot and JD

50 Person A “Ohhh, my God, you're right.” Person B “Don't let him/her be your puppet-master.” Person C “Hey!” Person B “Hey.” Person C “What's up?” Person B “I have a headache.” Person C “Take some aspirin.” Person B “Don't tell me what to do! You're not the boss of me!” — Carla, Elliot and Jake

51 “I've never connected with a guy/girl like this before. I mean, even though it's only been two weeks, I already feel like I know NAME better than I know myself.” “What does he/she do for a living?” “I should know that.” — Elliot and Carla

52 “Look, the reason I've been acting so weird and having my friends hang around us all the time is because I really think that we have a shot for something great, and I don't wanna go and ruin it by sleeping with you too fast. I mean, what was I supposed to do?” “Well, you...you could have just told me that.” “Yes, but you're forgetting I'm a crazy person!” — Elliot and Jake

53 “I've seen the Wiggles live in concert ... twice.” “Did they perform 'Big Red Car'?” “They opened and closed the show with it. It was awesome.” — Perry Cox and Turk

54 “What's wrong with me?” “You're an annoying, whining man-child.” “That question wasn't directed to you!” “What question?” — JD and Perry Cox

55 “I’m notifying all my old boyfriends/girlfriends today that I'm officially off the market.” “I'm sure the 'pulse' setting on your shower head will be devastated!” — Elliot Reid and Perry Cox

56 “If there is one thing I have learned, it's that you can't schedule love.” “I think your credit card statement would beg to differ.” — Bob Kelso and Perry Cox

57 “Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present, Man/Woman Not Caring.” [points to self] — Perry Cox

58 “If you're worried about people seeing your ass, do what all the other girls do and tie a sweater around your waist.” — Perry Cox

59 “Should I talk slower or get a nurse that speaks fluent moron?” — Perry Cox

60 “Do you actually listen to yourself when you speak, or do you find you drift in and out?” — Perry Cox

61 [thinking] Why don't I ever listen to me? — JD

62 “And you know what else? I quit!” “No you don't!” “Well I'm leaving early today!” “No, you're not! You're coming back to my office to do busy work!” “Fine, but I'm getting a soda first!” “Whatever.” — Ted Buckland and Bob Kelso

63 “Your dog is creepy.” “Aww...be nice to Rowdy. The guy we bought him from used to keep him in a box full of old hats.” — Elliot and JD

64 “I thought we cared about each other ...” “Oh please, if you didn't want to sleep with me, you'd have done the same thing.” “Well, I'll tell you one thing, the last thing in the world I wanna do is sleep wit'cha now!” “Do me right here.” “Okay.” “See!” — JD and Elliot

65 “Huh! I put all those fliers up, and nobody wants me to live with them!” “Oh, come on, NAME. I'm sure you'll eventually find a roommate who's a... clean, non-smoking vegetarian that rinses the shower thoroughly after each usage.” “Oh, well, if you don't, it gets mildewy.” “You know, you should move in with my friend: Anal McLooney.” — Elliot and JD

66 “You know, I've been thinking a lot about us lately.” “Me too.” “God, you drive me crazy.” “Oh, you drive me crazy!” “Sometimes I just lay awake at night, thinking about how unbelievably lucky I am to have you in my life.” “Sometimes you're so controlling it makes me want to strangle you..” — Paul and Elliot

67 “Tonight, I am going to make all of your fantasies come true.” “You know, NAME, I would be happy just to have sex above the covers once.” “Yeah ... never gonna happen.” — Elliot and Paul

68 “You know, it's funny... when I said "I love you," it was an accident - and I never really loved you at all.” “That is an absolute riot.” — Elliot and Paul

69 “Okay, here's what you do: First you say that, even though our relationship is ending, you don't have any regrets.” “Oh, my God! Are you actually telling me how to break up with you?” “You're right. Go ahead.” “If you could just start me off, that'd be super.” — Paul and Elliot

70 Person A “You never explained that U2 thing, did you!” Person B “You know, I've been thinking about it, and maybe it's not such a bad thing that that happened! Right? I mean, things have been going really well between us, and maybe it was fate! I could've been looking at my Bel Biv Devoe CD and said, "I love Bel Biv Devoe" - which I do, by the way. And I'm not ashamed of it.” Person A and B “That girl is poison..." Person A “NAME, look, I just think that if you guys are meant to get to this point, it'll happen... naturally.” Person B “You're right! "I love U2!" Dammit! Why do I always have to say every little thing that comes into my head!? Ugh, I really wish you wouldn't stand so close to me after you take your hummus break. See! I didn't need to say that! I'm gonna tell him.” Person C “Love you!” Person B “Love you more!” Person A “Ugh!” Person B “You know what - brush your teeth, then judge me!” — Carla, Elliot and Paul

[rikumorimachisgirl]

Okay, let's try this one more time. This story was given feedback by the talented @cailannuesugi and @voltage-vixen. Thank you, ladies, for your help and encouragement when I felt like giving up.

Title: Meeting the Mogul

Ikesen Modern Day AU

A/N: This is my first fic, so please don't expect it to be perfect. I also don't own Ikesen Nobunaga and the other characters except my OC. Cybird owns them.

This is inspired by the artwork I commissioned from @shrimpalompa 💕

With her eyebrows furrowed, Mia allowed her feet to drag along the length of Manhattan's busy streets. Despite the crowd of busy professionals hurrying to buy their lunches from the food trucks lined up along 50th Street, and the incessant honking of cars and taxis stuck in traffic, all she could think of is how badly she messed up her last interview.

The delightful scent of sauteed garlic and onions wafting in the air made her stomach growl slightly louder than usual. There was nothing she wanted more at that moment than to eat a nice gyro sandwich at Lil Zeus Food Truck, but with only fifty dollars to tide her over until she finds a job, she took a deep breath, turned away from the food truck, and continued to walk. She took one step after another, until the concrete pavement was replaced by a patch of green, and the sound of car horns was replaced by the catchy melody of a marching band practicing nearby.

Central Park was beautiful at this time of day - mostly because the afternoon crowd and the throngs of tourists don't frequent the place at this hour.

She sat on the grass, defeated. She had one shot at getting employed as a clerk in the prestigious firm, and she totally screwed her interview. "Seriously, who asks about the President's background during the interview anyway? " she wondered out loud still feeling bitter about her failure at the hands of Azuchi Inc's, Vice President of Human Resources, Hideyoshi Toyotomi. She sighed again, took out her mobile and typed in the keywords 'Nobunaga Oda, Azuchi Inc'. Pages upon pages of news articles about the President and CEO appeared on her screen, much to her surprise. As her finger hovered over one of the articles, she silently cursed herself for not having thought of doing this yesterday before she finally gave in and pored over the details on the mysterious mogul.

***

He watched her as she sat on the grass with her back turned to him.  He winced at the last thought; then again, she didn't seem like the type who'd pick out her dates online.From where he stood, it appeared like she was playing a game on her phone or browsing one of those social media sites his employees are so fond of... Or maybe checking out a dating site. Though she didn’t seem like the type to rely on other sources to help her find a date. His thoughts drifted to their first encounter yesterday, and he smirked.

In an attempt to avoid the possibility of listening to his Vice President of Human Resources' complaints about his decision to ride his bike to work, he opted to enter the building through the ever-busy and usually crowded Talent Management Hub. Donned in a black button-down shirt, which he wore untucked with a pair of dark denim jeans, he handed his helmet to the seemingly dumbstruck guard and made his way to the exit leading to the main lobby. Just as he was about to step into the main lobby, he felt someone grip his wrist tightly.

"Excuse me, where do you think you're going?"

He turned and saw a girl - not more than twenty-four if he had to guess - looking sternly at him while she gripped his wrist tightly.

He heard collective gasps around them, but she didn't seem to have noticed. From the corner of his eye, he saw one of the managers make his way towards them, but he stopped him before he could get any closer. The clock on the wall read 9:25 am, so he had a good five minutes before his weekly meeting with Marketing, but the girl holding on to him intrigued him so much, he didn't mind canceling. Just what was she trying to get at by stopping him, he wondered.

"Didn't you just arrive, Sir? You don't have an ID, so you must be an applicant, too," she said gently, as she tugged him to follow her to the waiting area. Still confused, he glanced at the other people who were quietly seated, trying to avoid his gaze. "It's unprofessional to cut the line, you know. Let's wait for our turn here."

He chuckled at the realization that she didn't know who he was. He decided to humor her by sitting beside her, but it didn't take long until she was called for her initial screening. It was at that moment that he decided they needed to hire her. However, when Hideyoshi dished out his infamous rapid-fire "Oda Fast Facts" on her, there was no doubt she wasn't going to be signing a contract with them.  The dashing dark-haired mogul frowned as he recalled the report he was given on the status of her application. He recognized potential when he sees one, and knew they had just let this one slip away. He left word that he was having lunch elsewhere, and took off with his Vice President of Operations following closely at his heel.

"You know what you should do next? You should buy that Lil’ Zeus food truck. Have you seen the line? It felt like ages before I got us some of these!" A familiar voice brought him out of his thoughts and he glanced sideways to see that his executive had just arrived carrying a gyro on each hand. "It's about time you got here. What was the matter, couldn't charm the ladies to get ahead? You must be losing your touch, Mitsuhide, " he teased.

The silver-haired executive smirked as he handed one of the gyros to his boss. "I'll have you know I snaked my way to the front of the line in less than 2 minutes. The cook ran out of oregano and they had to get a fresh batch." He paused for a second or two to take in the scenery before him. "So is there a reason you wanted to have lunch here?"

"No reason, " the dark-haired debonaire responded, his carnelian colored eyes sparkling with mischief as he stared at the girl whose back was turned at them once again. "I see, " Mitsuhide said, thrusting the other gyro at him. "Good luck, boss. I'll see you at the office." He flashed the young executive a dazzling smile before he turned and made his way towards the unassuming girl.

***

"That's funny, he has no pictures, " she mentioned, after opening yet another news article about the mysterious Nobunaga Oda - the sixth since she started - and there still wasn't any photos of the man in question.  

"Usually that’s the case when the person's not very good looking."

Startled at the sound of his voice, she jumped and turned around. Standing a few feet away from her was the man she met in the interview. Though she still didn't know his name considering she never asked in the interview, and he never introduced himself. Today, he was wearing a white button-down shirt, which was still untucked and a pair of khaki trousers. She never noticed how attractive he was until today - more like a model, with his tall and well-toned physique, which was evident in the cut of his clothes.  

"It's you, " she said. 

"Yeah. Me, " he replied. "Had lunch?"

"Yes, " she nodded, but her stomach wasn't having it. Her face flushed red as soon as her stomach growled. 

He snickered. "You know, I happen to have an extra gyro."

"Do you always happen to carry a spare gyro around?"

Her retort made him laugh, as he really didn't see that coming. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're hilarious, " he asked. He plopped down beside her in the grass and handed her one of the gyros. "And to answer your question, I carry them around in case I get lucky and see a pretty girl who is in desperate need of lunch." 

"My hero, " she smiled. "Thank you for this. I'm Mia, by the way. And you?"

He shrugged, ignoring the fact that she had introduced herself. "So, what were you doing on your phone, looking for a date or something?"

"Of course not, " she said, as she munched on her sandwich. "I was curious to see what Nobunaga Oda looks like."

"Why would you want to know how he looks?" 

She took out her phone with one hand and showed him the search results. "See these? I've read six articles about him, and not one of them contained any pictures of him. Isn't that strange?"

He scanned the titles and frowned. "Maybe he doesn't want his picture taken." 

"Why though? I think he's amazing. I mean, he's not even from here, yet he made a name for himself and he's been helping boost Japan's economy even from offshore. He's made a name for himself in a place where people least expected him to. His achievements are known all over Japan, and that's why I wanted so badly to come to New York and work at Azuchi Inc."

He cocked an eyebrow at her passionate response. It sure wasn't the first time he's heard people sing praises about him and his organization, but it felt different hearing it from someone who had nothing to gain from sharing this with him because she absolutely had no idea who he was. 

"Speaking of which, whatever happened to your application?" It was her turn to ask. For a moment, he almost forgot that she thought he was an applicant, too. She cleared her throat. "What's the matter? You know you don't have to be embarrassed if you didn't make it. I mean, I didn't -"

"Why did you fail?"

She frowned. That was twice he ignored her questions, yet he had the gall to ask her such a rude question. What kind of person is he exactly, she silently wondered. 

"If you're done trying to assess whether I'm trustworthy or not, would you mind answering my question?"

Rude. This man was just plain rude, she concluded. "Why do I need to answer that?"

"Because I gave you a sandwich, " he said, as he lay carelessly on the grass with his hands behind his head.. "And because you look like you're going to tell me anyway."

She sighed. Well, he wasn't wrong, she thought. "I suppose it was it because I didn't know a thing about the President and CEO of Azuchi, Inc, " she said, hanging her head low. "Except for his name, I didn't know where he came from, what his philosophy was, his advocacy, why he prefers to drink tea from Japan…"

"Don't you think that information is useless?"

"I used to. I'm not gonna lie that I felt really bad after the interview with Mr. Toyotomi. I felt bad because I thought those questions he asked me were ridiculous, " she said, as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "But I realized something while I was reading through the articles about Nobunaga Oda. I now understand that Mr. Toyotomi only wanted to make sure I knew and understood Mr. Oda's vision because it is only when you understand that you can actually contribute to that vision by working hard. I didn't really know that this morning, but now, I'd do anything to get another shot at that interview."

His eyes never left hers as she spoke, and with each topic, he found himself more and more entranced by her - perhaps it was the way her face lit up and her hands moved as she spoke about the things she was passionate about, or her wistful smile as she stared at the lake in between topics. He was captivated, so much so that he hadn't noticed that time has gone by until he felt his phone vibrate. 

Frowning, he took out the sleek gadget from his pocket and was briefly surprised. It was 3:00 pm - way past his supposed lunch break. Hideyoshi would have a fit, he silently thought, smirking. 

Sighing, he sat up and brushed the dirt off the back of his shirt. "As much as I'd like to stay and talk some more -"

"You have to go, " she said, cutting him off. She watched him quietly as he straightened his clothes up and ran his hand through his messy black hair. She had never been so drawn to a person before, but there was something about him that spoke to her - maybe it was the way he listened to her like what she was saying was important or the way he challenged her opinion every now and then… or even the way she saw her reflection in his eyes when he smiled. 

The light clapping sound that resonated in the air as he dusted off his clothes faded, and she suddenly felt her heart grow heavy - like all three weeks worth of homesickness had finally kicked in. 

"You look like you're gonna cry, " he teased, as he stood and offered his hand out to her. "Are you gonna miss me?"

"Am not, " she replied while he pulled her to her feet. "But did I get you in trouble?"

"I'm late for a meeting. Nothing I can't handle, " he winked. "I'm just gonna tell them that I met an interesting girl in Central Park."

"You make me sound weird."

He snickered. "Okay. How about I say a cute girl held me hostage?"

"They're not gonna believe you, " she replied, her face turning slightly red. 

"Here, " he said, handing his phone over to her. "Let's take a picture, in case they require proof."

"And make me the laughing stock of your team, "she retorted but allowed him to take a picture anyway.

"They wouldn't dare laugh, " he assured her as he checked their picture and smiled. "This is a good picture."

"Yes, it is." She peered at his handsome face in the picture and smiled.

"I don't like having my picture taken because I always seem to look strange, but I like this one, " he smiled back. "Well then…"

"Yeah, I guess this is goodbye."

"I'll see you tomorrow at 8."

"What? Here?"

He laughed, and the rich sound tickling her ear. "At my office, silly. Tell Mr. Toyotomi I sent you there. He'll be able to give you an orientation, " he said casually and then turned to leave. 

"Mr. Toyotomi - as in the guy from Azuchi, Inc? I'm confused… Whom should I say sent me, " she called out as he started to walk. 

"Oh. Tell him I sent you, " he turned to face her once again and exaggerated a bow. "Nobunaga Oda. I never told you before, but it's a pleasure to meet you, Mia. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow."

Her heart pounded loudly in her chest as she watched him disappear in the distance, she almost failed to notice a new text message that read: 

'We are pleased to offer you the role of Assistant to the CEO. Please report to Mr. Hideyoshi Toyotomi's office at the 41st floor of Azuchi, Inc tomorrow at 8:00 am sharp. - Mitsunari Ichida, Director of Talent Management.'

End.