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sebstanaddict · 7 days

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Too Good To Be True

Sebastian Stan x Reader Story

Summary: A romantic comedy story where Sebastian Stan falls in love with reader but she is not who he thinks she is.

Seeing Sebastian hurt himself in a bike accident makes reader realize how strong her feelings for him are. But Sebastian still shows dislike towards her. Will she give up and leave him be? Or will she try and win his heart?

Pairings : Sebastian Stan x Female!Reader

Chapters : 15/28 (Might add more)

Chapter list >

Warning : none

Word count : 8.5k words

---

Chapter 15 - Treasure

Somewhere on Mulholland Drive - Wednesday, July 19th 2023, 10 am

—

The blaring sound of the siren coming from an ambulance overpowered all other sounds. At the corner of her eyes she could see an ambulance going towards where Sebastian was. Her heart dropped to her stomach as she stood up and watched Sebastian’s face contorted in pain through the monitor.

She quickly got out of the spectator’s box and ran towards where he was.

“Aurora! Where are you going?!” A hand shot out and held her back. Lisa, her makeup artist, looked at her, her eyebrows raised.

“I need to see him! I need to see if he’s okay!” She shouted, panic coursing through her as she tried to struggle free from Lisa’s hold.

“Aurora, he’s like a mile away from here. You can’t run over there. And I’m sure the ambulance already got to him.” Lisa said and she realized that Lisa was right.

“Let’s just wait by the trailers and see where they take him.” Lisa suggested.

“Oh, right. Okay.” She nodded and walked towards the trailers, heart pounding hard in her chest, hoping and praying that Sebastian was okay.

It took a while but she finally found out that Sebastian was taken to a hospital not far from there. The shoot for that day was canceled and she immediately asked to be taken to see him.

When she got to the hospital Sebastian was still in the ER. She waited with Chris, Chace, Anthony, Johnny, Maya and Hannah in the waiting room. Her mind kept thinking of the worst.

She sat on one of the waiting chairs in the hospital, right across from the ER. Her eyes glued to the closed ER door. Everyone else was chatting around her but she couldn’t join them. She felt slightly paralyzed as the only thing she could think of was his face which was showing so much pain. She wished she could take the pain away from him.

In her worry she realized something. She had never felt this strongly about anyone. The thought of him being hurt and the potential of losing him, even though it was mostly unlikely, shattered her to her core. The thought made her realize how she had fallen in love with him so hard. Then she remembered the way he treated her in the past few days and she could feel herself drowning in the negativity of it all. A tear dropped from her eyes and before she realized it, she started crying.

As soon as she started crying everyone around her stopped talking. She realized she was making a fool of herself so she tried hard to stop crying but she couldn’t.

“Aurora.. ssshhh.. it’s okay. He’s gonna be okay.” Maya sat next to her and embraced her.

Maya rubbed her back gently and continued to say soothing words to her that successfully calmed her down.

“I’m sorry.” She sniffled as she released herself from Maya’s embrace.

“It’s okay. I know you’re worried sick about him. We all are. But I think, judging from how he fell down, he’s gonna be okay. It wasn’t that bad.” Maya said, patting her arm gently.

“Oh I really hope so.” She replied, sighing.

Maya offered her some tissues and she took them gratefully. She wiped her eyes and cleaned her nose then looked up to see Chris, Chace and Anthony all were staring at her with their eyebrows furrowed.

Chris smiled a little when she looked at him and she smiled back. Then he turned away and started talking to Anthony and Chace. She couldn’t hear what they were talking about as they were standing a good distance from her. Once in a while all three of them glanced at her and she couldn’t help but feel they were talking about her.

She took a deep breath and turned away from them. She realized her crying publicly would make people talk but she didn’t care. It was what she felt about him and she couldn’t hide it.

Finally the ER door opened and a male doctor came out.

“Family of Mr. Stan?” The doctor called out.

“We’re his colleagues, doctor. His family is not here.” Maya stood up and approached the doctor and she immediately followed her.

Maya explained who she was and the doctor nodded.

“Well, Mr.Stan is doing okay. We’ve examined him and cleaned his wounds. We’ve done an X-ray on him and thankfully he doesn’t have any broken bones. He only suffers from a sprain on his right wrist and right ankle, and some minor cuts and bruises on his arms and legs.” The doctor explained.

She breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she heard the doctor’s explanation.

“Oh thank God.” She exclaimed.

“How long will his recovery take, doctor?” Maya asked.

“Well, he has stage 1 sprain on his wrist and stage 2 sprain on his ankle. His wrist can heal in about one to three weeks while his ankle can heal in about two to four weeks. He needs complete rest for at least two weeks.” The doctor explained.

“I see. Is he allowed to go home?” Maya continued to ask.

“Yes, we’re preparing some medicines for him to bring home. As soon as they’re ready and the administration is done he can go home.” The doctor said.

“Can we see him?” She quickly asked.

“Of course but please keep it down and we can only allow a maximum of two people in at any one time. We also need someone to take care of the administration.” The doctor said.

“Of course, doctor. We’ll take care of the administration.” Maya nodded.

“Alright. Is there anything else you would like to ask?” The doctor asked, his eyes scanned hers and everyone else’s.

“No, doctor. I think that would be all.” Maya responded.

“Very well. Now if you’ll excuse me.” The doctor nodded then excused himself.

As soon as the doctor was gone Maya turned to her. “I think you can go in first, Aurora.”

“Oh.. yeah. Okay. Don’t you want to see him too?” She asked.

“Yes, but I’m going to take care of the administration first.” Maya replied and she nodded.

“What about the others?” She asked, turning to look at the others.

“You can go in first, Aurora. We’ll go in after you.” Chace said and she nodded.

She took a deep breath and slowly opened the ER door. She found herself standing in the middle among rows and rows of hospital beds, some covered with curtains while some others, the empty ones, were opened.

She wasn’t sure where Sebastian’s bed was but a nurse noticed when she entered the room and recognition flashed in her eyes.

“Over here, Miss Watson.” The nurse said and she guided her towards an area at the very end of the room.

A curtain covered the area and the nurse slowly opened it then beckoned for her to come inside.

“Mr.Stan, Miss Watson is here.” The nurse said, smiling at Sebastian.

She stood next to the nurse then the nurse quickly left them, closing the curtain behind her, leaving her standing by the side of the bed alone.

Relief coursed through her as she looked at him and found his perfect face staring back at her. He stared back at her and for a split second she could see the look of adoration in his eyes but then it was quickly gone and he immediately looked indifferent.

“Hi.” She croaked, her heart plummeted at his reaction but she tried to mask her disappointment.

“Hi.” Sebastian replied, glancing at her for a second then looked down.

She studied his face and thankfully she found no wounds or cuts on them, he just looked tired. Then her eyes scanned his arm. She found some cuts and bruises along his arm and there was a cold compress placed on his right wrist. She couldn’t see his legs because they were covered by a blanket.

“How are you feeling?” She asked, fighting the urge to place her hand on his.

“Like I just fell off a bike.” He chuckled and she laughed.

“The doctor said you have sprains on your wrist and ankle?” She asked.

“Yeah. God, this is going to push back the filming schedule.” He responded, a hint of frustration in his voice.

“Well, your recovery is the number one priority, Sebastian. I’m sure Maya and the others will understand.” She said and for an moment he turned and gazed at her softly but then his mouth turned into a frown and he sighed.

“Yeah, but still. Almost all of the scenes in this movie have me in them. I just hope I can recover quickly.” He said, still with some frustration in his voice.

“I’m sure you can. You just need to rest completely for at least two weeks.”

“Yeah. Definitely not looking forward to that.” He grumbled.

“I’m sorry..” She trailed. Seeing him being upset saddened her and she wished she could do something to make him happy.

He turned to look at her and gazed at her for a moment. “Are you okay? You look like you didn’t sleep all night.”

“Oh! I’m.. fine. I.. umm.. couldn’t sleep last night. It’s not important.” She quickly said. For a split second she thought of asking him about his difference in behavior towards her but she realized it was not the right time.

“Stressed about something?” He asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

“No.. it’s nothing. Like I said, it’s not important.” she brushed it off and he nodded.

“Okay. Where are the others?” He asked.

“Outside in the waiting room.” She replied.

“Oh okay. Could you call them in? I’d like to talk to them.” He requested and once again she felt her heart plummeted.

“Oh, of course. I’ll go and get them.” She nodded.

“Thank you, Aurora.” He smiled softly at her but then quickly turned his eyes away, leaving her with a gaping hole in her chest.

“You’re welcome, Sebastian.” She said then she quickly turned around and opened the curtain, fighting the urge to cry again.

It was clear to her that he didn't want her around and the fact broke her. She wasn't sure what she did wrong. As much as she wanted to be there for him, he didn't want her, so after she called the others to come into the ER she decided to go home. She couldn't deal with the situation.

“Aurora? Where are you going?” Hannah called out after she told the boys that Sebastian wanted to see them and she walked towards the exit of the hospital.

“I forgot that I have an appointment, Hannah. I have to go.” She said as she tried hard to stop herself from crying again.

“Oh. Okay. I thought you would want to accompany Sebastian until he gets home.” Hannah remarked.

“Yeah. He has his friends that can help him with that.” She shrugged. “I'll see you later.”

“Oh, okay. Yeah, I'll see you later Aurora.” Hannah replied, still with a slightly confused look on her face.

She smiled then quickly turned around and exited the hospital.

When she finally got home she couldn't hold back the tears anymore. She ran up towards her room passing Rosa who was cleaning the living room and went straight to the bedroom. She slammed the bedroom door shut and fell on the bed, her face buried on the bed while she sat on the floor. Sebastian's indifferent face kept flashing through her mind and a heavy feeling covered her heart like a blanket.

She had high hopes that with Aurora gone they would get closer. She remembered all the times he gazed at her with admiration in his eyes and how he had made the moves to kiss her several times. Were they all just her imagination? Was she making things up? But Aurora saw it too. Everything changed after Aurora went to jail. Did something happen after that? She couldn't imagine what could cause his difference in behavior towards her.

“Aurora, are you okay?” Rosa called out from behind the bedroom door.

She sniffled and finally stopped crying, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“I'm.. I'm fine Rosa!” She shouted but her voice shook.

“Can I come in?” Rosa asked.

She didn't answer right away. Then it occurred to her. Rosa knew Aurora and Sebastian before she did. Maybe she could help shed light on the situation. So she stood up and slowly opened the bedroom door and found Rosa, staring at her with her eyebrows furrowed.

“I'm sorry, Aurora. Are you alright?” Rosa asked.

“No.” She shook her head.

“I'm sorry to hear that, Aurora. Is there anything I could do to make you feel better?” Rosa asked.

“As a matter of fact, yes. Come on in, Rosa, I need to ask you something.” She said as she opened the bedroom door wider and Rosa got in.

She guided Rosa to sit across from her on the sofa then took a deep breath. Rosa placed her hand on hers and squeezed it.

“What would you like to ask me, Aurora?” Rosa asked gently.

“I.. I was just wondering. What do you think of Sebastian?” She asked.

“Mr.Stan? What about him?” Rosa asked, her eyebrows raised.

She started telling Rosa about Sebastian's change in behavior towards her. At times throughout her story she thought of letting Rosa know who she really was inside but she didn't want to sound crazy so she ended up not telling her.

“So, am I crazy for thinking that he's been behaving differently towards me?” She asked.

“Oh Aurora, from what you told me, yes, there seems to be a difference in behavior. I can't say for certain because I wasn't there when you met him. But I don't think you're crazy for thinking that. You've known him for about a year now. So I'm sure you would notice if his behavior changed towards you.” Rosa answered.

“Okay. If I'm not crazy then, why though? It seemed like he changed overnight. The last time I saw him, he was still his old self towards me. And then.” She snapped her fingers.

“Just like that, he changed completely. I don't understand.” She sighed, leaning back on the sofa and frowned.

“Well, if my husband starts acting like that towards me, I would think that I probably did something wrong but I didn't realize it. Men are quiet creatures, Aurora. They are conditioned to keep their feelings inside and not express them easily. Unlike us, women. So, maybe you can just ask him. Or, before you ask him, you can try and get into his heart by doing something that can make him happy.” Rosa suggested.

“Oh, that's a really good point, Rosa. But I wonder what can make him happy.” She said as the heaviness in her heart gradually started to be lifted.

“In my experience, food is the way to a man's heart.” Rosa winked.

“Oh okay. That's a good idea.” She smiled.

“Thank you Rosa.” She reached out and hugged her, startling Rosa little.

“Oh you're welcome, Aurora. You know I can help you if you want.” Rosa released her and winked again. She smiled as an idea popped in her mind.

—

Sebastian's injury caused significant changes to the shooting schedule. Her scenes were mostly with Sebastian and Jennifer. Seeing how Sebastian wasn't able to do any filming for two weeks, Maya decided to reschedule all the shoot and put almost every scene that didn't have Sebastian in it to be shot during the two weeks that Sebastian was absent. She was scheduled to do her shoot with Jennifer for the remainder of that week, leaving the following week free for her until Sebastian had recovered.

After listening to Rosa's advice she decided to follow it. So every morning before she went to Universal Studio to do her shoot, she dropped by Sebastian's apartment and gave him a box of gifts and food.

On the first day she put an assortment of pastries Rosa had baked along with her infamous chicken salad sandwich. She also included some of Rosa's healthy smoothies and juices in bottles that he could consume throughout the day. Along with the pastries and smoothies she included a poetry book, 'Vital Signs: Poems of Illness and Healing', a collection of powerful and courageous poems in response to the human experience of illness and healing. She hoped he could find some comfort and strength from reading it. She also wrote a personalized card and wished him to get well soon.

Sebastian texted her later that day, saying thank you to her and asked her to give his thanks to Rosa. She just replied with a simple “You're welcome”. She wasn't sure what else to say.

On the second day she decided to give him a complete healthy breakfast and lunch, all prepared by her and Rosa including her signature buttermilk pancakes but using healthier ingredients and a healthy vegan wrap she thought he would like. She also put in again several bottles of Rosa's juices and smoothies. In addition to the food and drink, this time she added a CD consisting of gentle classical music that is supposed to help someone from dealing with pain. She also wrote another personalized card wishing him to get well soon and wishing him happiness despite everything.

Again, Sebastian texted her later that day to thank her, but he also included a picture of the box consisting of everything she gave him and his face smiling next to it.

She smiled as she saw his face and replied how happy she was to see him smile.

Encouraged by how he reacted, she decided to continue giving him the food and gifts. It became something she had fun planning and doing. She put a lot of thought into what she put in the box, making sure she added food that contained ingredients that she knew was his favorite, like cashews, blueberries, chocolates and peanut butter and of course she also put in other gifts like books, CDs and Blu-ray of movies, knowing he liked to read, listen to music and watch movies.

Everyday after she gave him the treasure box - that was how she liked to refer to them now - Sebastian always texted her to thank her and she always replied to him back saying she hoped that he could enjoy her gifts and she wished him speedy recovery.

However, that was as far as their communication would go. After she replied to him, he never texted her back. After the sixth day she started to feel rather hopeless. She had hoped Sebastian would respond more by sending her more messages or maybe call her or something. But he did nothing of the sort. Making her wonder again if he really didn't like her. She knew she could ask him about it but somehow she still felt uncomfortable to ask him directly about it.

On that sixth day after she started giving Sebastian his gifts, the private investigators contacted her again, asking for confirmation to her on whether or not she wanted them to continue to track the Gypsy woman down. In her frustration at how Sebastian had reacted, she decided that maybe it was time to start looking for the Gypsy woman again. She realized she and Aurora couldn't possibly stay switched forever, and what was the use of her staying in Aurora's body if Sebastian didn't like her. So she decided to visit Aurora to ask her about it.

—

Century Regional Detention Facility (Lynwood Jail), Lynwood, California - July 25th 2023, 2 pm

The warden opened the door of the prison visiting room, revealing several small booths with windows and phones hanging on the walls by the side of the windows. Several people were sitting in the booths. She decided to sit in one booth the furthest away from other people.

The window in front of her showed nothing, but moments later Aurora walked in and sat in front of her. Her heart tugged a little as she saw her own body, looking thinner than she had ever seen herself. There were circles under her eyes, and her skin looked pale and dull.

She picked up the phone on the wall next to her and Aurora did the same.

“Hey, how are you?” She asked.

“Considering the circumstances, miraculously fine.” Aurora snickered.

“How are you? Having fun in my body?” Aurora continued to sneer.

“Yeah. Not so much.” She sighed, making Aurora's eyebrows shot up.

“And why is that?” Aurora asked, leaning closer to the window, her eyes showed deep curiosity.

“It's.. umm.. nothing. Anyway, Aurora, the reason I'm here is that the private investigators contacted me. They said they have a lead on where the Gypsy woman might be but they need five thousand dollars to pursue the lead because she seems to be out of the country.” She explained. She wasn't planning on spilling her feelings to Aurora so she knew she had to cut to the chase.

“Oh.. okay. Interesting.” Aurora said, leaning back on her chair.

“So.. yeah. I just wanted to ask you whether you agree with it or not.” She said.

“Hmm.. I can't tell if you're just stupid or if there's some kind of game you're playing.” Aurora stated, still staring at her curiously.

She sighed.

“Aurora. I just think that it's impossible for us to stay switched forever. So, we do need to find that Gypsy woman so we can switch back. I mean, isn't that what you wanted?” She asked.

“Yes, but I know it's not what you want. Not with you being an actress and getting closer to Seb.. wait.. this is about Seb isn't it?” Aurora said, leaning back towards the window, a gleam in her eyes and her mouth turned up into an evil smile.

“No, it's not about Sebastian.” She lied but Aurora was smarter than she gave her credit for.

“Ha! I knew it! Something must have happened between the two of you and it's not what I feared it was.” Aurora cackled and she took a deep breath.

“Did he dump you? Did he end up not liking you after all? Like he didn't like me all this time?” Aurora asked eagerly.

Aurora's words seemed to switch a lightbulb in her head and she thought she finally figured it out, the reason of Sebastian's behavior towards her! Of course! He must have thought she was still the old Aurora and he didn't like the old Aurora, so that was why he didn't like her either. lt was all the more reason for them to switch back. But of course she couldn't say all that to Aurora.

“Look, Aurora, I just need your permission to give the private investigators five thousand dollars so they can continue to track the Gypsy woman down. I'm not here to talk about Sebastian.” She said sternly.

“Fine. Of course you get my permission. No matter how much money they want, give it to them.” Aurora said.

“Okay. That's all I need to know.” She said and she put the phone back on the wall.

“Wait!” Aurora called out, putting her palm on the window.

She sighed and picked up the phone again.

“What?” She asked coldly.

“Is Paris okay?” Aurora asked.

“She's fine. We did the dog food commercial last week and she had a lot of fun doing it.” She replied and Aurora nodded, a look of relief flashed on her face.

“What about my mom? You're supposed to meet up with her tomorrow.” Aurora asked.

“Yeah, she called me earlier today, she's in Singapore with your cousin so she can't meet you, I mean me.” She answered, feeling kind of sorry for Aurora.

Aurora's face turned sour as soon as she heard her answer.

“Okay.” Aurora said. Miraculously that was all she said. She was ready to bear witness to Aurora's rage but she seemed strangely calm about it even though she clearly didn't like to hear the information from her.

“Anything else?” She asked.

“No. Thanks.” Aurora replied and her eyebrows shot up. Aurora, thanking her?! That was a first, she noted.

“So you thank people now?” She teased.

“Yeah. Why not.” Aurora shrugged.

“Oookay.. that’s good progress, Aurora.” She smiled and Aurora just rolled her eyes.

“Okay, I guess I'll see you later.” She said and Aurora nodded.

She finally put the phone back on the wall and Aurora did the same. Aurora left her without saying anything else, leaving her somewhat amazed at Aurora's slight change of behavior.

She left the prison Aurora was in and immediately contacted the private investigators, telling them she would transfer the money to them later on that day. Then her mind went to Sebastian. She had a feeling what she thought about him earlier was correct, but of course she wouldn't know for sure unless she asked him. However she wasn't brave enough to ask him directly and she thought that it would seem weird if she did.

Now that the private investigators were going to actively search for the Gypsy woman, she realized she might not have that much time being in Aurora's body. And that meant her time being near Sebastian was also coming to an end.

She couldn't help but feel her heart bleed as she thought about it. She couldn't bear switching back into her own body not having said her goodbye. Because she knew if they switched while Aurora was still in prison, Aurora could tell him where she was and she doubted Sebastian would want to have anything to do with her after that.

So she decided to give him one last gift and pull out all the stops for it. Even if he didn't want to see her again, at least she had given her all in expressing her love for him through the gifts.

For the last treasure box she was going to give him she decided to bake skinny peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes. She knew he loved both, peanut butter and chocolate so why not join them together in what she thought was the best combination. But she also knew Sebastian was watching his diet so she found a healthy recipe using oat flour and brown sugar for the cupcakes as well as Greek yogurt and cream cheese as the base for the creamy frosting.

The other thing she decided to put into the treasure box was pizza. She decided to try her best to bake a pizza similar to the one from Rubirosa restaurant in NYC, Sebastian's favorite pizza place. She decided to bake the Rubirosa Supreme, which was a pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella, pepperoni, mini meatball and roasted garlic but she substituted some of the ingredients for a healthier version. Rosa helped her of course but she tried to do as much of the cooking as she could, putting all her heart and soul into it, knowing it might be the last time she could express her love for Sebastian.

In addition to the pizza she also included green salad, Rosa's juices and smoothies and she completed it with a bottle of almond Macadamia latte she made herself based on the recipe she learned while she was working at Go Get ‘Em Tiger.

As for the additional gift aside from the food she decided to put a beautiful poem she found from a young poet named Whitney Hanson, and wrote it by hand on a card.

The poem wasn't exactly a love declaration but it was something she had felt about him for a long time. Being his fan for many years she had witnessed him dating different women and sometimes she felt like she could see how some of them didn't make him happy and didn't have his best interest at heart. So there was nothing more that she wished for him than for him to find love with someone who truly loved him for who he was. Someone whom he was truly happy with. Even if that someone was not herself.

It took a while for her to prepare everything so it was almost noon when she was finally ready.

She arrived at his apartment half an hour later, carrying a large decorated picnic basket. She decided to put everything into a picnic basket as it was easier to carry and could contain more items than regular boxes.

The security officer at his apartment smiled as she approached his desk.

“Miss Watson, I thought you weren't going to come today.” The security officer said.

“Oh, I had a lot to prepare so that's why I'm late.” She said, putting the picnic basket on the desk in front of them.

“Well, Mr.Stan is one lucky man.” He smiled.

“Oh, that's really nice of you to say that, Michael.” She smiled back.

“Well that's just the truth.” He winked, making her blush a little.

“Anyway, could you give this to him please?” She asked.

“I'm sorry but I can't, Miss Watson.” Michael said.

“Oh? Why is that?” She asked curiously.

“Because he said you should come up and give it to him yourself.” Michael winked and her heart seemed to jump out of her chest.

“He wants me to come up?” She asked, not believing her ears.

“Yes, that's what he told me this morning, Miss Watson. Come, let me take you to the elevator.” Michael smiled then grabbed the picnic basket in one hand from the desk and beckoned for her to come with him towards the elevators.

Michael pushed a button on the wall next to an elevator. The elevator opened and he walked into it with her following behind him. He swiped an access key card onto the elevator panel and pushed the button to the uppermost floor. He gave the picnic basket back to her hand then exited the elevator.

“Thank you Michael!” She said as the elevator door started to close.

“You're welcome, Miss Watson.” Michael saluted her, making her smile.

Once the elevator door was closed she felt her heartbeat rise as the elevator started to ascend. Finally, she could see him again!

The elevator ascended slowly and as it ascended, she could feel her heart pounding even faster in her chest, butterflies flew around in her stomach and her palms started to sweat.

What should I say to him? She pondered as she looked up to see the floor display above her and noticed she was just two floors away from the top.

The elevator dinged and the door slowly opened. She took a deep breath and made a silent prayer in her heart.

Just be yourself. She felt like someone was saying that to her and she nodded. That was good advice, she thought.

She stepped out of the elevator and found herself in Sebastian's sitting room. There was a built-in minimalist bar in front of her and a sitting area with two large light gray sofas and a glass coffee table next to it.

It wasn't the first time that she was there but the penthouse still took her breath away with its European oak flooring, giant marble and limestone walls, and jaw dropping floor-to-ceiling windows that were lined up throughout the penthouse, showcasing an unobstructed view from the Griffith Observatory to the Pacific Ocean.

“Hello?!” She called out and looked to her left towards the kitchen and living room but she couldn't see him.

She turned to her right and almost dropped the picnic basket in her hand as she saw Sebastian standing in the aisle. Both their jaws dropped as they looked at each other. His hands were holding the only thing that prevented him from being completely naked in front of her, a towel around his waist.

She closed her eyes immediately but couldn't shake the image of his glorious naked upper body still glistening from the shower he obviously just took and the way his hair dripping wet with water fell beautifully by the side of his perfect eyes.

“I'm sorry, Sebastian! I didn't mean to just barge in.” She said, still closing her eyes and feeling the warmth rising from her neck up to her cheeks.

“It's okay, Aurora.” Sebastian chuckled.

“Please have a seat, I'm going to put some clothes on and will be right with you.” He continued with a gentle voice.

“Okay.” She nodded.

Oh how much she missed listening to his voice, she thought as she turned around and opened her eyes. She decided to sit on the nearest sofa and put the picnic basket onto the coffee table.

She realized as she put the picnic basket on the table that she was shaking. She took a deep breath and tried hard to stop the shaking. She wouldn't want to be an embarrassment now that she finally could see him again.

Calm down. Calm down. She closed her eyes and repeated the mantra in her head.

Moments later she could hear gentle footsteps walking towards her so she opened her eyes. Sebastian was walking towards her, wearing just a white t-shirt and shorts. He smiled wide as he looked at her, making her heart skip a beat. She couldn't help but smile widely back at him, feeling like her heart soar from her chest as she saw his bright smile. But then she noticed he was limping as he walked and her smile was immediately gone. She could see his right ankle still swollen but it seemed he wasn't in too much pain, which made her glad.

“I'm sorry, I didn't hear you coming in.” Sebastian said as he finally arrived in front of her and sat on a sofa next to her.

“It's okay, Sebastian. I should have knocked or pressed a bell or something.” She said, blushing again as the image of his half naked body flashed through her mind.

“Yeah, there isn't exactly a bell. Michael was supposed to call through the intercom downstairs but I guess he forgot.” Sebastian shrugged.

“Oh! Yeah, he immediately ushered me into the elevator.” She chuckled.

“Oh okay, I should have known.” He laughed, making her heart warm.

“So, umm.. how are you feeling?” She asked, looking up at him. She couldn't help but notice how bright he seemed and she wondered why that was, as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulder.

“Good, thank you. My wrist is so much better now. I can freely use it, almost like before I had the sprain.” He replied.

“Oh that's good. I'm happy to hear that.” She smiled.

“Yeah.” He smiled back and gazed at her softly, making her heart skip a beat.

Her heart soared from her chest as she noticed that this time he didn't look away. He continued to gaze at her with adoration in his eyes, making her heart beat so fast in her chest.

“How's your ankle?” She asked, glancing towards his ankle, trying hard to keep her cool.

“It's still swollen, as you can see. But it doesn't hurt as much. I should use a crutch but it's a pain in the ass you know.”

“Oh yeah, I know.” She commented, remembering the time she had to use crutches to move around after she sprained her ankle during the audition for Pumping Black.

“You've had an ankle sprain before?” He asked.

“Yeah, ankle sprain, broken arm, dislocated shoulder, you name it.” She chuckled and Sebastian smiled although with a slight confusion on his face.

Just then she realized she was talking about herself and not Aurora.

“Funny you never mentioned them to me.” He said, gazing at her curiously.

“Yeah.. well.. they happened a long long time ago. It's not important.” She said, trying to dismiss it.

“Yeah. I guess there are a lot we don't know about each other, despite having been ‘together’ for over a year.” He said, making quotation gestures with his fingers.

“Right, yeah.” She nodded, hoping she wasn't messing things up.

“By the way, I brought something for you.” She said, gesturing towards the picnic basket.

“Oh, right. Wow, a picnic basket? Are you asking me to go on a picnic?” He asked with a glimmer in his eyes.

“Not exactly.” She chuckled. “I just thought it has a bigger space than the usual treasure boxes I gave you, and it looks beautiful too.”

“Yeah, I agree. Although, I wouldn't say no to a nice picnic in a park.” He winked and she could feel her face reddened.

She wasn't sure why but it seemed he was back to his old self again towards her. It made her happy of course but also curious why that was.

“By the way, you call them treasure boxes?” He asked.

“Yeah.. I.. uh.. just thought they kind of are boxes of treasures.” She said, feeling her face getting even redder.

“Well, you're right about that. I really loved them. They truly felt like treasures. I look forward to opening them everyday. And I really appreciate all the thought you have put into each one. I.. uh.. I never knew you paid attention to what food and things I like. Thank you so much for that. I truly appreciate it.” He smiled warmly at her, making her heart swell in her chest.

“Oh, you're welcome, Sebastian. I just… it broke my heart to see you in so much pain after the incident and I just wanted to make you feel happy.” She said and Sebastian gazed at her with complete adoration in his eyes.

“Thank you, Aurora.” He said, reaching out and squeezed her hand. His gentle touch sent shivers down her spine and she froze as they continued to gaze at each other.

“You know you also made my mom happy.” He smiled then broke his gaze at her and released her hand.

“Your mom?” She asked, her eyebrows raised. As she looked at him she noticed how cold her hand felt and wished he had not released his hand from hers. His hand felt perfect on hers.

“Yeah. She stayed with me after the incident. I couldn't use my wrist and I couldn't walk with my ankle like this so I was in a wheelchair and needed some assistance.” He explained and she felt her heart break as she listened to him.

“Oh, Sebastian, it must have been hard on you. I wish you could have told me. I could come and help you too.” She said, her eyebrows furrowed.

“Yeah, I.. umm.. I didn't want to bother you, Aurora. Besides, you didn't seem to care when I had Covid last year, so..” He shrugged and her eyes widened.

“You had Covid last year?” She asked, dumbfounded.

“Yeah, like.. two months after we met.” He replied. “You don't remember?”

“Oh.. yeah. I'm sorry if I didn't seem to care.” She said as she felt a little angry at Aurora for not caring when Sebastian was sick. No wonder he didn't like her.

“It's fine. I guess you had a different priority back then.” He said and she nodded vigorously.

“Yeah, I did. And I'm really sorry about that.” She repeated.

“It's okay. I mean, we weren't really close back then. So.. “ He trailed and she nodded.

“I guess we weren't. Anyway, is your mom still here?” She asked.

“No, she went back home yesterday evening. My wrist is so much better and I can walk a little even if I still limp. She has some things to do back home so she had to leave.” he explained.

“Well, I'm here now, Sebastian. If you need my help in doing anything, just let me know.” She said. This time she reached out and squeezed his hand.

His face broke into a smile and he placed his other hand on top of hers and squeezed it.

“Thank you, Aurora. I really appreciate it.” He smiled warmly at her.

“You're welcome, Sebastian.” She smiled back, feeling like she was on cloud nine.

Slowly he started to lean towards her and she wondered if he would try to kiss her again. Her heart beat faster in her chest as she waited for him to make the move.

Suddenly a large golden retriever appeared between them, barking loudly. She jumped in surprise as she saw the dog.

“Zander!” Sebastian called out and Zander stopped barking.

“I'm so sorry, Aurora. I guess he's hungry.” Sebastian said as he started to stand up slowly.

“It's okay, Sebastian. Let me help.” She chuckled as she stood up as well.

She took his hand and put his right arm around her shoulder then circled her left arm around his waist.

“Aurora, I'm heavy. Are you sure you can?” Sebastian protested.

“Don't worry, I can.” She looked up at him and smiled warmly at him, making him smile back.

“Okay.” He nodded.

Slowly she started to guide him to walk towards the kitchen. The move reminded her of how he took care of her after she sprained her ankle and after he accidentally hit her with his car on Mulholland Drive. She was glad she could return the favor somehow.

They finally arrived at the kitchen and he took a seat on one of the stools by the kitchen island.

“Thank you, Aurora.” He smiled.

“Of course.” She smiled back. “So, where is his food?”

“Oh it's at the bottom drawer over there. His bowl should be there as well.” Sebastian said, pointing towards a drawer behind her.

“Okay.” She nodded and she opened the drawer and started preparing the dog food.

“Good boy, Zander. There's a good boy.” She cooed as she finished putting dog food in Zander's bowl and Zander immediately started eating. She knelt beside Zander for a moment and stroked the dog's fur gently then she released him to enjoy his food.

She stood up from her kneeling position and turned around to find Sebastian, staring at her with adoration in his eyes, making her blush.

“Thank you, Aurora.” He smiled.

“You’re welcome, Sebastian.” She smiled.

“So, do you want to show me what you have for me in the picnic basket?” He asked with a twinkle in the corner of his eyes.

“Oh yeah!” She said excitedly.

She went back to the sitting room to pick up the picnic basket and put it onto the kitchen island in front of him.

“So, I know you like pizza from Rubirosa, so I made you the closest pizza to Rubirosa's that I can make.” She said, pulling out the pizza box from inside the picnic basket and opening it.

“Oh my God. I can't believe it! That's like, that's exactly Rubirosa Supreme!” He gushed and his hand immediately reached out to pick up a slice.

She laughed as she saw his reaction and hoped it was as good as it looked.

“Mmm… mmmhmmm.. this is.. even better than Rubirosa.” Sebastian said after he swallowed the pizza and took another bite.

“Really? You're not just saying it to make me happy are you?” She asked and he immediately shook his head while still munching the pizza.

“I assure you.. I'm not lying.” He said as he finally finished his pizza and swallowed.

“I’m glad you like it.” She smiled and he smiled back.

“Okay, what else do you have in there?” He asked eagerly, making her chuckle.

“Well.. I want you to still have your healthy portion of fiber so I brought you garden salad.” She said as she picked up the box with the garden salad in it and gave it to him.

“Oh of course, everyone needs a healthy portion of salad everyday.” He said, smiling as he accepted the salad from her.

“But right now I don't really feel like eating salad. No offense.” He continued.

“None taken.” She laughed.

“Do you have dessert there?” He asked, trying to peek into the picnic basket.

“Well, I do but I need you to drink this first.” She said as she pulled out a bottle of smoothie from the basket and gave it to him.

“Oohhh.. yeah. Let's not forget, Rosa's famous smoothie.” He smiled as he received the bottle from her and opened it.

“Mmm.. so refreshing.” He said after he took a gulp and winked at her, making her chuckle.

“Okay, so.. time for dessert?” He asked and she laughed.

“You have such a sweet tooth, aren't you?” She commented as she reached inside the picnic basket and pulled out the box of cupcakes.

“Yes, guilty as charged.” He said and she laughed again.

“Well, you're gonna love this.” She commented as she slowly opened the box of cupcakes and his face brightened as he saw them.

“Oh.. wow.. that looks absolutely delicious!” He gushed as he reached out and picked up a cupcake.

“And it looks so pretty too.” He commented as he stared at the cupcake in his hand as if he was studying a piece of jewelry.

“Try it.” She smiled and he nodded.

He took a bite and smiled as he chewed it.

“You combined two of my most favorite ingredients for dessert.” He commented after he finished his first bite.

“And the result is?” She asked, teasing him.

“Absolute heaven!” He exclaimed as he took another bite, leaving some frosting on his upper lip, making her laugh.

“What?” He asked.

“You have.. some frosting on your..” She said as she gestured and pointed onto her own upper lip.

“Oh.. right..” He said, his tongue licked his upper lip clean, making her swallow hard as she imagined what it was like to kiss him and had his tongue on hers.

“Aren't you going to try one?” He asked, oblivious to her inappropriate thoughts about him.

“Oh! Yeah. Okay.” She blinked, willing herself to let go of the thoughts in her head and picked up a cupcake.

She took a bite and felt like she was transported to heaven for a moment. The cupcake was moist and soft with the right amount of sweetness and bitterness from the chocolate while the frosting was creamy and absolutely decadent.

“Mmm.. this is really good.” She commented as she continued to finish her cupcake.

“Right? Didn't you try it before?” He asked.

“Well, I tried them separately, the cupcake and the frosting. I didn't know that it would taste so heavenly when combined.” She commented.

“Well it does taste like heaven.” He smiled.

“I'm glad you like it, Sebastian.” She smiled back at him.

“Oh I absolutely loved it!” He gushed, making her smile again.

Suddenly he stared at her intently, his eyes traveled to her lips and she felt her breath hitch as he reached out and gently touched the corner of her lips with his index finger.

“You have some frosting there..” He said in a husky voice, making her heart flutter.

He licked the frosting he just cleaned from her lips and she swallowed hard, blushing furiously.

“Th.. thank you.” She stammered.

“You're welcome.” He smiled.

“I.. uh.. have two more things here for you.” She continued, turning away from him, heart beating fast in her chest.

“Oh, okay.” Sebastian nodded.

“I made this one myself. I hope you like it.” She said as she pulled out the bottle of almond Macadamia latte from the picnic basket and gave it to him.

“Oh, what is this?” He asked, receiving the bottle from her.

“Something you like to order at Go Get ‘Em Tiger.” She winked and he smiled.

He opened the bottle and took a sip. “Wow! This is exactly like the one they make at Go Get ‘Em Tiger.”

“Yeah, I.. I found out the recipe from Y/n.”

“Well that explained it.” He chuckled. “How is Y/n by the way? I haven't seen her since we started shooting.”

Her heart felt warm as she listened to him. It felt good to know he still cared about her real self.

“Oh, Y/n has.. umm.. a personal thing to deal with. She needed to go to her parents. So..” she replied quickly.

“Oh okay. Hope everything is okay with her and her family.” He commented.

“I think so. Anyway, that was all the food and drink I have for you.” She said as she didn't want the conversation to go too much in her direction.

"But, I have something else for you.” She said, blushing a little as she nervously pulled out the card with the poetry on it.

“Oh, what is that?” Sebastian asked, raising his eyebrows.

“It's.. umm.. a poem. Not by me.” She quickly added and Sebastian nodded.

“I just.. umm.. this is something that I have been wishing for you.” She said, her voice shook a little and Sebastian gazed at her softly.

“Why don't we move to the sofa in the living room where it's more comfortable. You can read me the poem there.” He suggested.

“Oh yeah, okay.” She immediately stood up, put the card with the poem in her pocket then placed Sebastian’s arm around her shoulder again. She helped him stand up and walk towards the sofa.

“Here we are.” She said as both of them sat down on the sofa and she released his arm from around her shoulder.

“Thank you, Aurora.” Sebastian said, smiling warmly at her as she took a seat a little further from him and turned her face towards him.

“You're welcome, Sebastian.” She smiled back at him.

“So. Whenever you're ready.” Sebastian said and she nodded.

She pulled out the card from her pocket and looked down. She cleared her throat and started reading.

"They say sometimes love starts with a spark

and that might be true

but if I were to wish you a love

I wouldn't wish fire for you

You see fire is powerful

it burns bright then it's gone it's beautiful and warm but it doesn't last long

So instead of wishing you a love that burns

I wish you love like a river that twists and turns

it changes and flows

it is powerful and free

but it consistently finds its way

back to the sea

And so like the water

I hope your love is ever-growing ever-changing

I hope your love is powerful and free

and may you always find each other

like the river finds the sea"

She finished reading and looked up to see Sebastian, gazing at her with his mouth slightly opened and his eyes looking at her in wonder.

Her heart beat so fast in her chest as she gazed at him, waiting for more reaction from him.

“F**k it.” He suddenly said and he leaned close to her and without warning his lips crashed onto hers, startling her.

His hands cupped her face as he continued to kiss her desperately. Fireworks exploded in her chest as their lips meld into each other. Her hands pulled the back of his neck closer and they continued to kiss, with the beautiful Los Angeles skyline as the witness to the start of their love story. A story she never thought she would ever experience.

Taglist

@dhoruwolfie @kandis-mom

#sebastian stan #sebastianstan #sebastian stan fanfic #sebastian stan fanfiction #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan x y/n #sebastian stan x you #bucky barnes #sebastian stan x female reader #sebastian stan fluff

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mcflymemes · 1 year

Text

MULHOLLAND DRIVE PROMPTS * assorted dialogue from the 2001 film

i just wanted to come here.

take care of yourself... and be careful.

you want me to make this easy for you?

he's the one who's doing it.

i'm in love with you.

i'm sorry. i'm just so excited to be here.

i can see his face.

that ain't no way to treat your wife.

are you sure you want this?

it's no longer your film.

go with me somewhere.

okay, i'm thinking.

it's been a very strange day.

i don't rush it.

you know, sometimes people end up being both.

i agree with what you said.

have you ever done this before?

you can imagine how i feel.

go ahead.

what's your name?

could be someone's missing.

i think you're going to enjoy your espresso this time.

you're broke.

you came here to see if he's really out there.

this is the girl.

a man's attitude determines, to a larger extent, how his life will be.

the rest of the cast can stay.

can you try that for me?

that's what i'm thinking.

yes? may i help you?

i've done quite a bit of research, knowing how hard you are to please.

someone is in trouble.

baby, you got a way with you.

here's a man who wants to get right down to it.

no fucking way!

shut everything down.

get out! get out before i call my dad.

there is no band!

something bad is happening!

it's kind of embarrassing.

so you had a dream about this place. tell me.

it looks just like this... except for the light.

now once you hand that over to me, it's a done deal.

should i wear my ten-gallon hat and my six-shooters?

there's a man in back of this place.

just tell me where it hurts, baby.

hey pretty girl, time to wake up.

it's all recorded.

what's on your mind?

don't show me this fucking thing here.

acting is reacting.

what are you doing? we don't stop here.

if you fix your attitude, you can ride along with me.

you will see me one more time.

it's strange calling yourself.

this one comes highly recommended.

i couldn't afford a place like this in a million years... unless, of course, i'm discovered and become a movie star.

just forget you ever saw it. it's better that way.

i hate you. i hate us both.

did you answer 'cause you thought that's what i wanted to hear, or did you think about what i said and answer 'cause you truly believe that to be right?

that's where i was going!

it'll be just like the movies. pretending to be somebody else.

you must be someone who does not care about the good life.

just stop for a little second and think about it.

i want to with you.

something bit me bad.

wanna thank you for coming all the way up here to see me from that nice little hotel downtown.

don't drink all the coke!

i guess you already know that.

we just get a little catty sometimes.

it's been so nice traveling with you.

i'll be watching for you on the big screen.

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mischief-and-tea-by-the-sea · 5 days

Note

23 for the movie ask game!

23. a film that is a box office flop

After looking at a list of 50 Great Movies That Bombed at the Box Office, well, first off, I'm surprised by some of the movies on here that bombed - I mean, Fight Club???? I don't see how that bombed, but hey, whatever. Great movie, lots of people hating on it these days because of dudebros and women who spend a lot of their time smacking down dudebros instead of focusing on what they love. Seriously, whatever. And I do rec that movie, btw. I love it. Maybe deep down somewhere in my bones, I've got a little dudebro in me since that's what they seem to think is the only demographic to actually love the movie. But I'm gonna Big Rec some of the movies on here:

Shawshank Redemption The Big Lebowski Mulholland Drive (WHY IS THIS A BOMB????) The Fountain - Okay, maybe Hugh Jackman should usually stick to comedy and Logan and not as much esoteric stuff, but he was really fucking good in this, and if you're not watching it because it bombed at the box office, you're missing out. Sunshine - Look at this cast! This is a great movie. Destroyer????? Alright, it's not a GREAT movie, but Sebastian Stan really is pretty in it.

Okay, two I'm gonna recommend big big time - it pains me that they're on this list.

“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”

Why would you dis a whole entire movie that's got Sam Rockwell making this cute scrunchy face?

And excuse me but Only Lovers Left Alive bombed???? None of the vampires sparkle, they weren't badly written by a fucking Mormon, and come on -

Thanks for the ask!

Movie Rec Ask Game.

#Movie Rec Ask Game #stormxpadme #Thanks for the ask!

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takemealivelh · 2 years

Text

stay out of trouble || l.h.

in which luke and fem!reader protagonist meet at a fancy party. heavily inspired by an insecure episode.

tw: smut

5.6k

FEEDBACK IS ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED

i’m tired of dating apps. fuck them all. men there are the worst. i need a man who will not stand me up, will not ghost me, will not yell racist stuff at me. ahmal invites me to a party. he needs a date who will have him laughing nonstop, judging people everywhere. “you could’ve invited frank, man. you two seem serious enough to go to this giveaway party,” i roll my eyes as my friend puts on the blue eyeshadow i gave him for his birthday three months ago. “first of all, it’s a going away party. also, it’s a celebrity party, girl. i need you to hook me with some connections, mhm?” “dude, i left that world over a year ago. i can’t go back. it will suck me right in again.” ahmal tsks as he shakes his head no, but still looking at his reflection in the mirror. and then mine, right behind him. “now listen, not everything is about dating and finding the love of your life. you need some celebrity dick right about now. so come on, get the fuck up from my bed and help me fix my hair because i can’t let them see me in this state.” “i hate you.” “same, love,” he grins as i stand up and help him put on gel. he wants a dapper quiff. swears he looks just like liam hemsworth. well, minus the ethnicity change, of course. i just don’t see it.

the sun is setting and i watch the hollywood sign as we drive through the mulholland highway. “calabasas, huh?” i tease as i take out a blunt from the cigarette case in my hand, i also take my lighter and ahmal turns to me with a dead look in his eyes. “you light that here and i’ll throw you out of the car while we’re moving.” “you seem stressed.” “i really need a new agent,” he sighs. “i need someone who knows people. i can’t do shitty commercials all my life.” “then how come you got invited to this?” “nah, it’s just my friend tiffany, she’s moving to denver. known the girl since we were babies. of course i gotta be here. not my fault my baby is a star.” “and why didn’t she get you the connections?” “you’re too loud, love. shut up and let me drive.” i cross my arms over my chest. i’m annoyed.

the house we walk into is huge. it’s all beige and cream colors. little pops of green or blue here and there. high ceilings and a grand spiral staircase. it’s a full house. everyone’s wearing either black or blue. ahmal wears grey. i wear a turquoise top. “tiffany, hey!” my friend yells to a woman across the room. i don’t feel so anxious anymore that i see her wearing a bright flower-patterned dress. she makes her way to us and i feel my hands go numb with the familiar cold that hits me whenever i’m nervous. “you’re never gonna guess who’s here!” her voice goes an octave higher than i thought it would. she quickly grabs ahmal’s arm and turns him to face the food tables. tiffany points to a tan-skinned man with her martini glass. “no way! calum! my man!” and just like that, he abandons us. he abandons me. “don’t i know you from somewhere?” “uh, i’m ahmal’s friend.” “yeah, duh, but like… i feel like i’ve seen you somewhere.” “i’m…” my throat feels dry. “no. i’m not anywhere.” “where do you work?” i don’t know why she’s hitting me with all the hard questions but i feel tense. “i’m a lawyer,” i lie. she seems to smile. she also seems very drunk. “nice.”

“hey man, you left me there all alone for forty minutes. not cool, i’m going home,” i say in a low voice so no one thinks i’m having a tantrum. i also don’t want them to notice me. i haven’t been recognized. that’s good. i’ll take my last image to the grave. ahmal tilts his head and whispers in my ear, “you’re gonna wanna suck my dick for this,” he smirks and turns back to the group he was in just now. “guys,” he calls. “guys this is my friend…” he looks at me, “... martina.” martina? okay, i can work with this. “she’s a…” “a lawyer,” i interrupt quickly. everyone seems surprised, but like, in a pleased way. i recognize the man standing right in front of me as calum. i will never forget his wide smile as he spotted ahmal earlier. i got everybody’s name. michael, calum, andrew, ali, luke, ava. “half this group is the future of music. half this group is trash.” ava bursts out laughing and punches ahmal’s arm. i don’t know if it’s funny, i don’t know if i’m allowed to laugh at an inside joke. i’m clearly outside. “i wanna know if i’m the future of music or trash. i feel like i know what you’re gonna say.” “michael, don’t encourage him.” the woman named ali rolls her eyes. everyone starts talking about how trash has been trending in today’s memes. “hey,” i hear someone’s soft whisper near my hairline. “you want a drink?” luke. it’s luke. “i.. uh,” i look up and find the most gorgeous blue eyes. he smells like wood and mint at the same time. “sure,” my smile is shy but i’m just glad to leave the other conversation.

“drink?” the bartender asks us and luke looks at me. “uh… tequila sunrise.” i see luke mouthing the word wow. “what about you, sir?” the tall bleached-blond stares at me with a big smile and he shakes his head as if he can’t believe what he’s about to do. “whiskey, neat.” “wow. neat.” i tease him. maybe this is the guy that will not disappoint me. “i need to keep up, you know?” “right,” i flirt back. the bartender gives us our drinks. “do you smoke?"

we’re on the patio. a beautiful garden with a pool and pretty chairs and sofas surrounding a fire pit. luke sets an arm on the armrest. “you sure you don’t mind?” i ask from my spot on his side. “go ahead” “i feel like this is a trap.” he laughs. “it’s not. i promise.” i light up my cigarette. “i’ve been around a smoker for years.” i knit my eyebrows in confusion. “you met him earlier. calum.” “ah,” i nod my head and exhale the smoke in a thin line, towards the sky. the sun is about to set. “do you know how ahmal met him? because i had never heard about him. and ahmal is one of my closest friends.” luke shrugs, “calum’s secretive. but i have a feeling they’ve hooked up.” “oh, for real?” “shit,” he sets the whiskey glass on the small table in front of us, “maybe we shouldn’t be talking about this,” his expression reflects shame and embarrassment. he blushes. i smile. “it’s alright.” we sit in silence for what it seems hours. my hands suddenly go numb again. luke just subtly shakes his drink before downing the rest of it. “one more?” i look down at my glass, almost done. “sure.” he stands up with both glasses and i admire his broad shoulders beneath the green silk shirt. “be right back,” he says. i smoke the rest of my cigarette when someone puts their hands on my shoulders. i almost jump, but i sure as hell scream. “whoa!” everyone turns to look. i look behind me and i see ahmal with a smirk on his face. “i’m going to fucking kill you,” i mumble as i push the cigarette butt into the ashtray. “the urge will pass,” he replies and takes the seat luke was previously on. “so… are you loving him or what?” “wait, how did you know we were gonna hit it off?” “ugh, stupid male talk. you know how they are.” i scrunch my face. “i never know what you’re talking about.” “okay no, but for real. calum told me this dude is ready to get back in the game after he got dumped last year. he’s got a thing for women of color, he said.” “i feel targeted.” “you should feel lucky! that man is the lead singer and guitarist of 5 seconds of summer.” “that’s the guy that sings blender?” i ask, shocked. “you should look in a mirror, your face is priceless.” ahmal laughs. “take a picture and send it over. i’ll make a meme.” i can’t help but laugh, too. “you’re an idiot.” “what are you guys laughing about?” luke’s smile is almost worried. or something like that. maybe it’s because he wants in on the joke, maybe it’s because he thinks we’re judging him. or maybe he wants me alone. either way, i do what i’ve been doing a lot tonight. lie. i’ve lied about my name, my job, my living situation. i don’t have an apartment in west hollywood. it’s the paramount neighborhood. i don’t live by myself, i have two roommates. i bite my tongue and smile, “nothing, we just…” i look at ahmal, then back at luke. he’s still smiling awkwardly with our drinks in his hands. “hey, do you guys wanna get high?”

we sit on tiffany’s big ass balcony on the second floor. if you’re gonna be high, ahmal, make sure you use the bong i haven’t packed. it’s in the guest room. bless you, he’d said. my friend passes me the glass bong and i bring it to my mouth. half my face is on this thing. luke hooks his arms on his knees and stares at the moon above us. we're sitting on the tiled floor. “here,” i hold the smoke in my lungs as i hand the bong out to him. he seems reluctant. i hold my breath for three more seconds before i let it all out. “i thought we were gonna smoke joints,” he hesitantly grabs the bong. “you’ve never smoked from one of these before?” ahmal smirks. he looks over at me and i can’t believe i’m kinda pouting. that’s so cute, i think. “not really, no.” “are you gonna let us corrupt you?” i know my smile is devious. “luke! luke!“ ahmal stars chanting. “luke! luke!” i join him. we see the musician try to smoke out of the bong, but he ends up coughing. “we’re bad people,” i say to ahmal. luke keeps coughing and starts laughing. “you two are the worst. i love you guys.” “he’s drunk,” ahmal says to me. “he’s so very drunk,” i agree. the cackle that leaves luke’s lips is devastating. i’ve never heard such a beautiful noise. it’s stupid, i know. i’m also very drunk. ahmal’s phone rings and it turns out it’s tiffany. she’s about to do a speech. “you don’t need to come,” he explains when he hangs up the phone and stands up. “tiffany doesn’t want us to come?” luke pouts. “i think you two are shitfaced and i don’t want you to embarrass yourself,” he says to luke, “and i don’t want you embarrassing me.” “wow, real nice, man.” i flip him off. he opens the balcony door we had closed for obvious reasons. we didn’t want the guest room to reek of pot. “i’ll check back on you. now, stay out of trouble.” when he leaves, luke and i stare at each other and then look away. our eyes meet one more time. and we burst out laughing. a single tear stains his cheek and he brings a hand to wipe it away. “are we really that embarrassing?” he asks once we’ve calmed down. “well, you did manage to get ketchup on your shirt.” “wait what?” i point to his chest and his gaze travels down. “fuck. this was my nicest one!” he’s so loud. “i just don’t know why i’m the one who’s gonna embarrass him.” luke tilts his head to one side and closes one eye. “didn’t you trip on the stairs on your way here?” i roll my eyes. “no one saw that, you have no proof.” “you’re drunk.” he smiles and inches closer towards me. our legs only separated by the bong. “you’re drunk, too,” i smile back. my hands feel warm. he sighs and rests his head on the wall. “i needed this.” he nods up at the dark sky. “what do you mean?” i can’t stop staring at his jawline. the way it moves while he’s talking. the trace of not shaving for a few days. “well, you’re not gonna believe me because i obviously seem very cool. but i’ve been a mess.” i should say something encouraging. “well… you’re not that cool.” he laughs and drops his head down. “you’re really something, aren’t you?” “i try really hard. but it’s hard to believe because i obviously seem very cool.” he laughs again. i like making him laugh. it feels nice. “it’s not like she was toxic or anything. it just hurt so much when she left, you know?” luke looks at me, there’s a small veil covering his eyes. they don't seem as vibrant as before. i try not to stutter. i don’t know, i should say. no man has left me because no man cared enough to keep me. “i guess you’re never really ready for someone to leave you,” i say, not staring at anything in particular. i figure i’m not lying. some friends did leave me. “and it hurts so much,” i keep talking, “because you either never find out what you did wrong, or they say horrible shit to you,” sighing and pressing my head back against the window, i'm mirroring his actions. “yeah,” he agrees and closes his eyes. “she said things i didn’t want to hear, but maybe it’s good that she said those things. now i can work on myself, so i don’t disappoint the next person in my life, right?” i roll my head and find his beautiful lashes practically resting on his cheekbones. he’s so beautiful. in and out. “so, you’re not still in love with her?” i dare to ask. he lets out a breath. “i’m not. the funny thing is… i got over her easily. but the words… god, the words, martina. they hurt so badly.” i’m almost certain that not only my hands went cold all of the sudden, my feet are freezing, too. that’s not my name. “mhm,” i just nod my head. “thank you for listening to me,” he smiles softly. “i didn’t mean to be such a boring stoner.” i chuckle and nudge his shoulder with my own. “it’s alright. you don’t see me yawning, do you?” his laugh is small and ridiculously pretty. “no, i don’t.” we sit in silence again. this time it doesn’t feel like forever. i take out a cigarette from my pack and light it. he already said he didn’t mind, right? i think about all the things he’s just shared with me. his vulnerable side. i’m a fraud. he doesn’t know anything real about me. maybe he knows my views on life and what i like and what i don’t. is that enough? “luke,” i turn to him. “i lied.” he tilts his head in confusion. he doesn’t say anything. i proceed to tell him everything. my real name, where i live and who i live with. the most difficult part is this one, “i’m a retired photographer.” that’s all i’m giving. luke stays quiet. and i don’t know what’s going through his mind. my whole body is numb. i feel like i can’t breathe, so i inhale more smoke. “i’m sorry i lied.” he sighs and shakes his head. “why did you lie? i thought we were having a good time.” “we were! we are. we… i just didn’t want people… i didn’t want you to recognize me.” “recognize you? what are- no… you’re that photographer whose nudes got leaked?” i look down at my hands. i want to cry. i want to leave. “yes.” my voice is almost inaudible. when i was twenty-two, i used to hang out at every party in la. i was a celebrity photographer. i was invited to all kinds of events. the glitz, the glam, all of it. i was seduced by the scene. everything seemed brighter colors than my old dull life. and then… some dude took pictures of me when we were fucking. and it all went downhill from there. i was kicked out of the studio i worked for. no one wanted to book me, not for anything. “i’m just… so ashamed.” i feel his warm hands reach out to hold mine. “i’m sorry you had to go through that.” before i can stop, i start crying. “oh my god, i’m so sorry.” my voice is so weak. i hate myself right now. “please, don’t apologize. that motherfucker… i’ll track him down.” a small laugh escapes my lips. “luke, you seriously don’t need to…” he interrupts me. “no, no. i’m gonna find that fuckhead and beat him up.” i smile again. “thanks, but please don’t. i can’t handle being scrutinized again. and it all will be coming back if they find out the guy from 5 seconds of summer beat some c-list celebrity up.” he smiles once he sees me stop crying. “okay,” his thumb wipes away the tears that stain my cheeks. “did you see them?” i finally ask when i’ve calmed down. luke shakes his head no. “i’m not gross enough to do that.” “enough?” i tease and he laughs. “no, i haven’t seen them. don’t worry.” “okay.” his smile is gentle, “okay,” he murmurs. his eyes pierce mine and i realize that the veil has been lifted from his eyes. “thank you for telling me.” my real name has never sounded so beautiful coming out of someone’s lips. “luke,” i answer back. my smile is big, i can feel it. and i feel like such a mess. crying not two seconds ago. what a loser. i’m about to keep judging myself when, suddenly, there’s pressure on my lips. it’s luke’s. the kiss is soft and tender. his hand travels to push a strand of hair behind my ear. one of my hands rests on his bicep. i can tell he works out. when he pulls away, i open my eyes. there’s a silly grin on his face. “i think the bong just hit me or something because that’s the softest pair of lips ever.” i laugh, dropping my head and pressing a hand to his chest. “you’re high.” he smiles and leans into me again. “yes.” this kiss feels more confident. we make out to the song that’s playing on the other side of the house. i think it's jay-z. the balcony faces the empty street and the big house in front. it’s green and has way too many plants. luke leaves my lips again, begging for air. “i liked that,” i smile, feeling like i’m drifting away on a cloud. i’m sure my eyes are red as hell. he bites his lower lip, teeth showing through the smile. he looks happy. stoned, but happy. “you’re pretty.” “thank you,” i seem to giggle for some reason. “you are, too.” his head drops and he looks down at his hands. “it’s the hair, isn’t it?” he asks, giving me a smile behind his curls. “amongst other things.” i see the red making its way from his neck to his cheeks. he likes it when someone praises him, i figure. noted. “thank you.” we sit quietly, enjoying each other’s silences. i take the bong and set it on the other side of my legs. i sit closer to him. our thighs touching. he notices it. i know because i see him smiling. “do you wanna go back downstairs?” luke shakes his head. “i’m good.” “yeah, me too.” “do you think ahmal is starting a riot down there?” he turns his back to the guest bedroom. it’s dark. there’s a single lightbulb on the balcony wall. it suddenly turns on. it must work on a schedule. it’s not dark yet, though. “probably,” i grin. “i love that you know this guy so well by now.” luke chuckles, “i listen.” “that’s actually kinda sexy.” i dare to say. ahmal was right, i need a celebrity dick. and the fact that luke hemmings is the one that might give it to me, it’s just so special. we’ve talked all night, he’s met ahmal, he didn’t run away when i told him about the nudes. he has a great smile and kind eyes. he turns his head towards me again, “is it?” i nod my head. “can i kiss you again?” i nod my head with a smile. my hand rests on his jawline as he leans into me one more time. and now his hand squeezes my thigh. i feel the indent of his rings on my bare skin. the skirt i’m wearing is loose and short enough for him to dig his fingertips onto the naked flesh. “can i?” he asks between kisses as his hand travels up. my breath catches up in my throat. “right here?” “why not?” i don’t think my smile can get any bigger. i spread my legs enough for him to let his hand travel all the way up to my panties. i know he feels the wet patch that’s been appearing on my underwear. he kisses me and nibs at my lower lip. “you’re pretty, so pretty.” he whispers and hooks one finger on the moist fabric before pulling it to the side. and, just like that, his index is inside of me. i gasp. he doesn’t stop pushing it in and pulling it out softly, his tongue wanting to battle mine. i let him. “can i rip this off you?” i feel the familiar throb between my legs. the one that has been keeping me company at night when i use my vibrator. he looks down, the skirt is up to my hips. he drags the finger through my folds. i sigh against his lips. “you can have it if you want,” i whisper. his eyes are taken over by hunger. he’s hungry for me. and he can have it all. luke hums and looks down at the way his thick fingers tear the thin fabric, just above the wet patch. he reaches his hand to put it away in the back pocket of his slacks. “thank you.” ah, my name again. his voice carries that word in a soft tone. “i’m a very generous person, you’ll find out,” i tease, taking the impulse of straddling him. each one of my legs at each side of his hips. i look into his eyes before going for his neck. my hands unbutton his favorite ruined shirt. i press my hands on his chest. i like how his tank top fits him so perfectly. he seems comfortable with my body on him. his hands caress my thighs as i unzip his pants. “i wanna find out everything about you,” he says, tilting his head back, giving me access to his beautiful neck. my stomach flips, but it’s not anxiety. i can only describe it as excitement. i wanna find out everything about him, too. he’s semi-hard. i stroke his length as i kiss his jaw. he whines. “am i making you feel good?” i tease, looking directly at his lips, they are curved into a smile. his eyes are closed. “so good,” he praises. i’m so high his hands on my skin feel like heightened pleasure. i kiss him until he’s rock-hard. “you’re big.” i smile into him. “thick.” i know he’s blushing again. one of his hands leave the bruising grip he has on my left thigh, and he pumps himself a few times before lining himself against my entrance. “can i?” i smirk and look into his eyes while i begin to sink down on him. his mouth hangs open with a gasp. i whine next to his ear. and he feels so good, stretching me out. he attacks my neck, biting gently and determinate. i run my fingers through his beautiful curls. they’re soft. and they faintly smell like mint and orange, behind all the weed in the air and alcohol in his breath. my hips grind into his and he groans. he’s hitting a sensitive spot and i can’t get enough of it. i wrap my arms around him and rest my head into the crook of his neck. i could stay here forever, with his hands on my ass and thrusting into me at a steady pace. i sigh heavily and press my head even harder against his shoulder. “you’re so good,” i whisper, letting my eyes close so i can feel all of him. so i can feel him panting against me. his phone rings. “fuck,” he murmurs. “fuck.” it keeps ringing. i stop my movements. “take it,” i say. “wanna hear you talk on the phone while you’re inside me.” i don’t know what’s gotten into me, but i kind of like it. he looks at me and doubts for a second. but the ringing is so insistent that he finally takes the call. “what’s up, man?” i can hear the voice on the other side of the line. the guy is loud. maybe even more than luke when he laughs. i nibble on his earlobe and he clears his throat. “where are you, mate? we’re leaving,” i hear. “i’m uh… busy,” he takes a breath and i feel his dick twitch against my walls. so fucking hot. “what do you mean busy? we’re going to that sushi place on the corner.” luke coughs, “i’m uh… i’m…” he looks at me with panic in his eyes. i feel bad. “i’ll meet you guys there.” “alright, man. see you then.” the beautiful blond underneath me hangs up and stays quiet for a moment. “i’m…” i wanna say something, but nothing feels like it would be right coming out of my mouth right now. i get off from his dick and stand up, lowering my skirt. he looks up at me, confused, silent. “i didn’t want you to stop, you know?” he says and pulls up his briefs and pants. he’s standing in front of me. the shirt hanging from one of his shoulders. “i… i felt like you didn’t like it,” my stare is focused on my boots. the warm breeze is running through my now swollen folds. i can’t believe i let him rip my panties off. i can’t believe i let him keep them. “no, no,” luke straightens his shirt. the stain is right there and i feel like i’m about to cry again. “i was just… caught off guard. i’m sorry.” i guess we’re both embarrassed. “let’s go downstairs. i need to find ahmal,” i say, looking into the guest room, avoiding his eyes. “alright.”

he lets me go down the stairs first, and i quietly lead him back to the party. i can’t see ahmal anywhere. luke taps my shoulder. i turn around to find him checking his phone. “you want sushi?” he’s shy. i think that’s adorable. and he’s acting so cool about this. i like that. “okay,” i smile. “let me call ahmal real quick.” “sure, sure. i’ll go find my jacket.” i nod my head, “can you get my backpack? it’s the grey, small one.” “sure,” he says and i watch him walk away. my hands are cold. “where the fuck are you, girl?” ahmal yells at me through the phone. “i’m at tiffany’s,” i reply. “where are you?” “frank’s. you know i can’t pass up the opportunity to be with my man. wanna come over?” “i uh… i’m just gonna go home. i’ll talk to you tomorrow, alright?” i picture him with a drink in his hand, slouching on frank’s green sofa. “did you get it?” he seems to whisper. “get what?” “celebrity dick.” i roll my eyes. “you’re disgusting,” i say and hang up the phone. luke walks back to me with his jacket on. he hands me my backpack and i thank him. “aren’t you cold?” fair question, my turquoise top is sleeveless. “i didn’t bring a jacket, i forgot.” he leans down to murmur something in my ear, “no, like, i meant…” shit. right. i have no underwear. “you owe me a pair,” i whisper back with a smile.

we walk a block down the street. 7:12pm. i feel more relaxed now that i’m out of tiffany's house. those brief minutes we went downstairs were stressful. so much noise. “are you okay?” luke asks out of nowhere. i lift my stare from the ground. “yeah, i’m fine. you?” “i’m good.” “cool.”

the sushi place on the corner of mullholland drive and ventura boulevard is nice. the furniture is not exactly black, it’s more of a dark chocolate brown. the booths have beige stamps on them. i distract myself with color schemes because the walk here was kind of awkward. i wasn’t sure what i wanted to say and now i’m not sure if he regrets inviting me. “there they are,” he points to a table. i recognize calum and michael. there’s another man and two women sitting there. luke places a hand on the lower part of my back and guides me to his friends. my ears feel hot. “you made it!” michael is definitely the loud one who was on the phone. “hey, martina,” he smiles at me. luke and i look at each other, i press my lips together in a thin line. i don’t know what i’m supposed to do. luke seems like he’s about to laugh, and i end up laughing along with him. “alright, alright. i see you with the inside jokes,” one of the women wiggles her finger at us. we all laugh and luke offers me a chair. “thank you,” i smile and sit down. he takes the seat next to me. “this is ashton. and layla and issa.” “nice to meet you, guys.” they all acknowledge me with a smile and i feel more at ease. “what are we thinking?” michael sets the menu on the table. “tempura shrimp to start?”

i feel my cheeks hurting from all the smiling and laughing. and i’m hungry as fuck. when the food arrives, i feel my mouth watering. ashton and calum are teasing layla about getting a sailor tattoo. “why the fuck is this a sailor tattoo?” she points to the one on her wrist. “who said that?” layla looks directly into both of their eyes. everyone starts talking again. i don’t know what to say. again. but i’m eating and that’s all that matters. i eye luke as he bites into half of an avocado roll. the other half falls apart on his plate. he pouts. “i can’t take you nowhere,” i roll my eyes, teasing him. he almost chokes on his food. i catch ashton staring at us, he looks amused.

dinner flies by. i hadn’t expected for it to be so much fun. we’re getting dessert but i don’t think i can eat anymore. i’m stuffed. but i see chocolate cake and immediately sink my fork into a corner. i eat the chocolate frosting and put my utensil down. the conversation is still going. “he can, you know, get it,” calum jokes. issa crosses her arms in front of her chest and leans back. she nods her head in a serious manner. “i approve this.” more laughter. “hey,” luke’s lips on my hairline once again. “do you wanna go out for a smoke?” i frown, confused. looking at him, smiling at me like that, almost pleading with his eyes. “sure.” “don’t tell calum, he’ll want to join.” “heard ya, mate.”

we go outside. the cars drive by fast on the street. i take a cigarette out of the pack inside my backpack. “so now you’re an advocate for me smoking?” luke looks behind me and then smiles, his lips have never looked prettier. his eyes focus back on mine. “i just wanted to get some alone time with you,” he says. that’s the sweetest thing. i light up my cigarette. and we talk. we talk about growing up in different countries but ending up living in the same place for years. “i wanted to come here. because this is where the industry is, you know?” “yeah, i get it. same with me.” we laugh about our first halloween costumes in the us. he dressed as buzz lightyear. i dressed as scooby doo’s daphne. “you guys are still here?” ashton’s voice is loud enough for us to turn around and face him. he has issa under his arm. “you owe me thirty dollars, hemmings,” pointing at his friend, the man smiles. we say our goodbyes. ashton and issa cross the street to find their car. “so…” i say with my hands behind my back, just under my backpack. “so…” luke repeats as he stands in front of me. “it’s getting pretty late.” “i know.” he chuckles. “yeah.” we say nothing, just stare at each other with a stupid smile on our faces. there’s this moment. this kind of magic between us. sparks or whatever. he takes a step closer and i let him. “you wanna go?” “yes.” i feel his arms snake around my waist. his eyes are pretty, not red anymore. “where are we going?” i place my hands on his biceps. “you say it.” “oh, i’m deciding?” he laughs. “well, i think we should… go to your place.” “i think that’s a good idea.”

#luke hemmings #luke hemmings smut #luke hemmings fic #luke hemmings fanfic #happy 1 year to wfttwtaf #!!#5sos smut

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junkyardromeo · 1 year

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heaven iowa/neon angels

the beginning. things are pretty good. drunk and happy but lani’s always had that tragic side and sometimes even on the good days it shines through. “i feel so a star is born” i don’t know if you’ve seen a star is born but the rockstar character commits suicide in the end. “would you read my eulogy” is that dark side shining through even in the beginning

lani never asks ryan for anything except to like him. “tell me when the party ends will you still love who i am” the party being over is like the scene falling and lani being Different (not exactly but his bad side is definitely Out more) and he needs ryan to still want him

ofc the disastrous romantic thing between lani and ryan. and like i said earlier, it applies no matter how you read “checking myself out forever” either lani’s inherent vanity or the way it ends, with him literally “”checking out forever”” and i really like “untouched forever” it reminds me of a lyric i wrote about the glam bands once—“untainted and unholy.” they’re so naive but so worldly at the same time. saving this all for later literally, because lani gets stuck between earth and the next life so he literally has to deal with it all later

don’t know what you got till its gone etc etc. save your breath, half your life you’ve been hooked on death—lani’s martyr complex, the mental illness he tries so hard to hide, etc. twice the dreams and half the love is all he ever got. the last three lines read like that one snippet i wrote about the morning after lani hit ryan—so much shit bottled up and the feelings between them a complete disaster, but ryan still thinking lani’s a shining star through it all

this is the ryan verse. do with that what you will

and it all comes back to the beginning. hollywood. its an endless loop of tragedy. mulholland drive is where you drive to see the hollywood sign and that feels crazy symbolic to me. i read once that if the gates of hell really do lie open somewhere it would be in hollywood and i believe it.

#u guys are lucky u even get to see this btw. i wasnt gonna post it originally #no one gives a shit but my brain is in overload rn #like the moment i heard these lyrics i was like Holy Shit #fob #neon angels

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skepticbeliever-bookclub · 2 years

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Hello once again, shippers & readers!

We have come out the other side of June, sparkling and satisfied because as of this week, we have completed our month-long read! Together, we dove head-first into the last four chapters of Ballad of a Thin Man by chapscher.

Contextually, the journey together gave us the rare opportunity to experience the thrills and the twists at the same time and getting to the conclusion and reacting all at once to what we felt was a fitting end (especially in the live read where we were treated to the author themself dramatically reading its conclusion), we are now mostly morose that our current "water cooler" fic is over.

In the end, we were so moved by the dedication the author put into detail and foreshadowing for where the fic took us and it was more than satisfying to be able to bring our long list of analyses about Shane's perspective in this and feel vindication and awe at the ending's execution.

Rating: M

Summary:

He was far too tired for this. He couldn’t even clearly remember what Ryan’s rental car looked like. He told himself that Ryan was probably out parking somewhere and expected Shane to check them in; which was essentially how they worked whenever they filmed on the road. But Shane didn’t think he ever checked them in while he was quite this tired before. He couldn’t even remember getting out of the car. - Shane finds himself in a strange hotel that lingers in the space between memories and the unimagined.

Some Long Book Club Thoughts To Go With Our Theme:

The intimacy at the end is so emotional, somewhat because their injuries prevent more physical intimacy, but also how far they've come to be close.

reading it was like true detective season one, trying as a whole group to put pieces together and find clues and talk through symbolism. very satisfying as a group read

i like, also, inside the sweetness of this moment they're having, this is really the first time all fic we get ryan-and-shane banter

The fic is so lonely up until now. Even though there's been figments for Shane to talk to, he's really just been alone with himself. And now Ryan is there and Shane can let himself really be with him

[the author's] analysis of Shane’s brain is probably one of the best character analyses I’ve ever read

[The author] really manages to be so immersive but without it ever feeling bogged down or too heavy. Like the subject matter is kinda heavy and the mental journey shane takes is A Lot but it’s not so dense storytelling that it slogs along or anything. Which I v much appreciate cuz sometimes stuff like this where it’s so heavy on vibes and esp when it’s all ~ooh it’s in their heads~ it can get tiresome. This didn’t

i love some solid visual psychoanalysis, my first "getting some strong mulholland drive vibes" instinct in chapter one was correct and it was extremely satisfying to experience that wild ride

i love scott and ryan's conversation that we hear, it feels very real and also like we've been dropped into the middle of something that's been going on for days

ryan anguishing over his guilt and trying to stay in the suffer space because he doesn't feel like he deserves rest or food and Scott just kind of coaxing him toward being normal againit's nice

i keep thinking about the two of them irl have sort of tested the waters now and then of dancing together when the whole journey of their relationship and meeting and getting to know one another has been its own parallel dance of never touching whether that's them on opposite sides of the country or in different headspaces in their belief or even now with their work but they're always side by side doing the same thing

THE LOVE CONFESSION AND THEM KISSING SO PASSIONATELY WHILE TEMPORARILY FORGETTING THEIR INJURIES BEFORE IT WAS LIKE OW AND RYAN KISSING SHANE SO BREATHLESS THEY HAD TO STOP LIKE FUCKING FUCKKKKK.

the experience of getting to read the story with so many people in here, going on the journey together, was such a treat.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT DISCUSSION? CHECK OUT THE FAQ, AND SEND US AN ASK! IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR FIC RECS, PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR READS, NOMINEES AND BOOK CLUB REC LISTS!

#shyan fic #shyan #skeptic believer #otp: we took an oath #long fic #surrealism #hurt/comfort #sbbookclub long read #read of the week #angst with a happy ending

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truestoriesaboutme · 1 year

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hiya! if you want to: top five movies? :))

The Fellowship of the Ring

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Beauty and the Beast

The Mask of Zorro

Mulholland Drive

Pretty much everything that I want from movies is in these five somewhere. Also, look how pretty they look together!

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southernartcritic-blog · 2 years

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At last, for your bread and circus pleasure, here is our complete list of on-screen recommendations made between 1979-2021.

American Movies made after 1979 that I found worth a second view:

Wise Blood (1979)

Being There (1979)

The Warriors (1979)

10 (1979)

The Shining (1980)

Somewhere in Time (1980)

Caddyshack (1980)

Scanners (1981)

Blade Runner (1982)

The Dark Crystal (1982)

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)

Michael Jackson: Thriller (1983)

National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

Ghostbusters (1984)

Blood Simple (1984)

1984 (1984)

The NeverEnding Story (1984)

Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)

Commando (1985)

Brazil (1985)

Summer Rental (1985)

Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985)

Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)

Short Circuit (1986)

Crocodile Dundee (1986)

Flight of the Navigator (1986)

9½ Weeks (1986)

Children of a Lesser God (1986)

Labyrinth (1986)

Lucas (1986)

The Fly (1986)

Harry and the Hendersons (1987)

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

The Princess Bride (1987)

Batteries Not Included (1987)

RoboCop (1987)

Near Dark (1987)

They Live (1988)

Dead Ringers (1988)

Bird (1988)

Willow (1988)

Bright Lights, Big City (1988)

Radio Bikini (1988)

Short Circuit 2 (1988)

Beetlejuice (1988)

Heathers (1989)

Christmas Vacation (1989)

Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)

Dreams (1990)

Prancer (1989)

Harlem Nights (1989)

Dead Poet’s Society (1989)

Parenthood (1989)

Who’s Harry Crumb (1989)

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Dreams (1990)

Home Alone (1990)

Young Guns ll (1990)

Quick Change (1990)

The Witches (1990)

Goodfellas (1990)

Jacob’s Ladder (1990)

Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990)

Naked Lunch (1991)

Regarding Henry (1991)

The Last Boy Scout (1991)

The Fisher King (1991)

What About Bob (1991)

Doc Hollywood (1991)

Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (1991)

Bugsy (1991)

Nothing but Trouble (1991)

Switch (1991)

Ricochet (1991)

Flirting (1991)

People Under the Stairs (1991)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Baraka (1992)

Deep Cover (1992)

The Player (1992)

Juice (1992)

Boomerang (1992)

A League of Their Own (1992)

Hero (1992)

True Romance (1993)

Groundhog Day (1993)

Judgement Night (1993)

Untamed Heart (1993)

A Perfect World (1993)

Dazed and Confused (1993)

Kalifornia (1993)

Pulp Fiction (1994)

PCU (1994)

Natural Born Killers (1994)

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

Silent Fall (1994)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Wolf (1994)

The Crow (1994)

Nobody’s Fool (1994)

Casino (1995)

Dead Man (1995)

To Die For (1995)

Kids (1995)

Seven (1995)

Matilda (1996)

Sleepers (1996)

Kingpin (1996)

Fargo (1996)

Blood and Wine (1996)

Flirting with Disaster (1996)

The Ice Storm (1997)

Lost Highway (1997)

The House of Yes (1997)

Lolita (1997)

Boogie Nights (1997)

Booty Call (1997)

The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)

Gang Related (1997)

Gummo (1997)

Jackie Brown (1997)

The Devil’s Advocate (1997)

Breakdown (1997)

Enemy of the State (1998)

Wild Things (1998)

Batman (1989)

Psycho (1998)

Fallen (1998)

Sliding Doors (1998)

Patch Adams (1998)

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

All the Little Animals (1998)

The Truman Show (1998)

Meet Joe Black (1998)

Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

The Matrix (1999)

The Ninth Gate (1999)

Magnolia (1999)

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)

Eye of the Beholder (1999)

Being John Malkovich (1999)

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Instinct (1999)

Ravenous (1999)

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)

Being John Malkovich (1999)

Best in Show (2000)

American Psycho (2000)

Cast Away (2000)

Best in Show (2000)

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Josie and the Pussycats (2001)

Monster’s Ball (2001)

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

Donnie Darko (2001)

Frailty (2001)

The Man from Elysian Fields (2001)

Hannibal (2001)

Storytelling (2001)

Mulholland Dr. (2001)

Josie and the Pussycats (2001)

The Hours (2002)

Secretary (2002)

Beat the Devil (2002)

The Sweetest Thing (2002)

Lost in Translation (2003)

The Big Lebowski (2003)

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)

Spun (2003)

Monster (2003)

The Human Stain (2003)

Man on Fire (2004)

Closer (2004)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)

No Country for Old Men (2005)

A History of Violence (2005)

Fierce People (2005)

Broken Flowers (2005)

The New World (2005)

V for Vendetta (2005)

Tideland (2005)

Factotum (2005)

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

The Proposition (2005)

A Scanner Darkly (2006)

The Fall (2006)

Idiocracy (2006)

Zodiac (2007)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Michael Clayton (2007)

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007)

The Girl Next Door (2007)

Fracture (2007)

An American Crime (2007)

Into the Wild (2007)

Death Proof (2007)

Synecdoche, New York (2008)

Appaloosa (2008)

Doubt (2008)

Burn After Reading (2008)

The Dark Knight (2008)

Gran Torino (2008)

The Wrestler (2008)

City of Ember (2008)

The Ramen Girl (2008)

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009)

Crossing Over (2009)

Antichrist (2009)

Wall Street Money Never Sleeps (2010)

Black Swan (2010)

Melancholia (2011)

J. Edgar (2011)

Killer Elite (2011)

The Mechanic (2011)

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Drive (2011)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Water for Elephants (2011)

Chained (2012)

Cloud Atlas (2012)

The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)

The Master (2012)

The Iceman (2012)

Life of Pi (2012)

Her (2013)

Blue Jasmine (2013)

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Snowpiercer (2014)

Phil Spector (2013)

The Giver (2014)

Big Eyes (2014)

Kill the Messenger (2014)

Winter’s Tale (2014)

Foxcatcher (2014)

Ex Machina (2014)

Sea of Trees (2015)

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Experimenter (2015)

Sicario (2015)

Mascots (2016)

The Neon Demon (2016)

Rebel in the Rye (2017)

The Wizard of Lies (2017)

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Wonder Wheel (2017)

Phantom Thread (2017)

The Shape of Water (2017)

Lucky (2017)

The House that Jack Built (2018)

Under the Silver Lake (2018)

Mandy (2018)

The Devil We Know (2018)

Dark Waters (2019)

City of Lies (2019)

The Irishman (2019)

Elsewhere (2019)

The Beach Bum (2019)

Richard Jewell (2019)

Capone (2020)

Pig (2021)

Old (2021)

Nightmare Alley (2021)

Binge-worthy Shows of Recent Years:

Chuck

Breaking Bad

Better Call Saul

The Good Wife

Person of Interest

Animal Kingdom

Mind Hunter

Hannibal

Dexter

Six Feet Under

Tales from the Crypt

The Righteous Gemstones

The X-Files

Honorable Mentions:

Westworld

Game of Thrones

Sopranos

Deadwood

True Detective

Yellowstone

Black Mirror

American Horror Story

Dope Sick

The Old Man

Yellowjackets

Billions

Patrick Melrose

Yellowstone

Boardwalk Empire

You

The Handmaid's Tale

Bonus 80’s Faves:

Night Court

Alf

Twilight Zone

The Muppets

#wise blood #film list #1979-2022 #recommendations #top film picks #netflix #southern art critic #night court tv show #1980's #1990's #2000's #there will be blood #the exorcist #movies and more #film criticism #definitive film list #greatest movies ever made

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scotianostra · 1 year

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youtube

Happy Birthday Scottish singer-songwriter Roddy Frame.

Roddy was born on January 29th 1964 in East Kilbride, he described the town as a decent place to grow up, and not a slum.

In his early teens, Frame was inspired by the songcraft of David Bowie, the conversational realism of Mark E. Smith and the Fall, and the sounds of earlier rock innovators such as the Velvet Underground, the Byrds, and Love. Frame took up song writing, and in 1980 he formed Aztec Camera with like-minded friends Campbell Owens on bass and Dave Mulholland on drums. After making an appearance on a cassette-only compilation of new Glasgow bands.

After signing for the Scottish label Postcard records and releasing several songs with good response from critics Rough Trade picked them up for the home market, and Sire, who had Madonna on their books at the time, signed them in the states.

The band’s debut album, High Land, Hard Rain was released in the summer of 1983, and critics on both sides of the Atlantic embraced the album, with Frame’s literate songs earning frequent comparisons to Elvis Costello.

As Aztec Camera’s fame grew, the original line-up of the band splintered, and by the time they began touring in support of their second album, 1984’s Knife, the group had expanded to a five-piece, but Owens was the only original member left besides Frame. With Aztec Camera’s third album, 1987’s Love, the group essentially became a Roddy Frame solo vehicle, with the singer and songwriter using different combinations of session players for each project. While Love was a commercial success in the U.K., Aztec Camera’s star began to fade in the 1990s, and after 1995’s Frestonia, Frame retired the Aztec Camera handle and began releasing material under his own name.

Released in 1998, The North Star became Roddy Frame’s first official solo effort, and his first record as part of a new deal with Sony. Dominated by acoustic pop sounds and jangling guitars, it was a critical success but a commercial disappointment, and when Frame re-emerged with the low-key voice-and-guitar effort Surf in 2004. A series of decent releases followed, and although given critical acclaim they were not setting the heather on fire with sales.

Roddy continues to tour and write songs, Aztec Camera s album Love was among the nominations for “Best British Album” at the 1989 BRIT Awards. “Somewhere in My Heart”, the second single from Love, was the band’s biggest hit, reaching No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart,.

August 2021 saw the release of Aztec Camera, Backwards And Forwards, subtitled The WEA Recordings (1984-1995) it is a nine cd collection it includes five albums the Roddy Frame-led outfit recorded for the label, plus a plethora of bonuses, including live sets, remixes and rare tracks.

#scotland #scottish #musician #singersongwriter #happy birhtday #Youtube

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sebstanaddict · 8 months

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Too Good To Be True

Sebastian Stan x Reader Story

Summary: A romantic comedy story where Sebastian Stan falls in love with reader but she is not who he thinks she is.

Things seem to be getting better for reader after she scored a job as Sebastian's personal assistant. But bad luck just seemed to keep happening to her and she got herself hurt yet again. Will Sebastian be her saviour again?

Pairings : Sebastian Stan x Female!Reader

Chapters : 4/20 (Might add more)

Chapter List >

Warning : none

Word count : 5k words

This story is inspired loosely by Sebastian's love life so it will have characters from his real life but I will not name their real names. I will only use Sebastian's real name in the story.

---

Chapter 4 - Mulholland Drive

Somewhere on Mulholland Drive, LA, California - 2 days later

—

Two miles away. Her destination was still two miles away and her car just broke down in the middle of Mulholland Drive. She couldn't believe her luck! Or lack of it that is. Just two days ago she got both, fired and hired on the same day. She thought life would be better for her after that. Especially since she got a dream job, which was becoming one of Sebastian Stan's personal assistants. Yet, there she was, forced to walk for two miles to get to Sebastian's house.

She slammed the hood of her car's engine down and winced as steam blew out from under the hood. Her car seemed to be overheated. She wasn't sure what the cause of it was. She made sure to regularly change the oil. She also regularly checked and added coolant. So she was confused on how it could get overheated. She had to call for a tow truck and bring her car to a repair shop, but she had an appointment with Sebastian at his house in half an hour so she decided to just go to his house first and take care of her car after that. Maybe Sebastian could somehow help her out.

Come to think of it, she was really embarrassed to ask for his help. He already helped her so much that she wasn't comfortable asking for his help yet again. So she decided to just take care of it herself. But now, she needed to focus on getting to his house.

Sebastian had called her the day after they met at Go Get 'Em Tiger. He asked her to come to 13320 Mulholland Drive that day at noon. He said he wanted to talk to her about something and he needed her to come to the house.

Luckily her car broke down in front of an overlook which had a small parking lot on it. She managed to park it in the parking lot so it wouldn't block the road.

She pulled out her cellphone from her pants' pocket and opened Google maps. She wanted to know if there was a safe route for pedestrians to reach Sebastian's house. Mulholland Drive was a narrow two way road and as far as she could see, it wasn't safe for pedestrians to walk on it. In most parts of the road there were no sidewalks, and there were some sharp curves on it that it was possible someone could get run over by a car when that someone was walking along the sharp curves seeing how the cars couldn't see them.

She sighed as she studied the map. There was a safe route for pedestrians but it would take her more than 2 hours to get there! There was just no way she could take that route. She didn't want to be late for her first day working for Sebastian.

She contemplated letting him know about her situation and that she would be late. She was sure he would understand. But she really didn't want to disappoint him. Ever since they met she had been nothing but bothering him with her getting her ankle twisted and getting herself fired. She really didn't want to bother him again.

So she decided to just walk on Mulholland Drive. It was day time anyway, surely drivers would be able to see her clearly. She would just try and walk as far away from the main road if she could.

She put her cellphone back in her pants' pocket after making sure she knew the route. Then she checked her car and made sure it was locked and she started to walk quickly. It was 11.30 am already so she really needed to walk fast.

If she wasn't in a hurry she could probably enjoy the walk. Mulholland Drive is a long winding road stretching for about 21 miles. It was constructed on the mountains and starts on the east near 101 highway to the west near San Diego highway. It offers a scenic route for the LA city dwellers to the mountains and beaches. When passing through it one could see the view of the Los Angeles Basin, the San Fernando Valley, Downtown Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign. In addition, it was home of some of the most expensive and exclusive houses in the world which belong to mainly Hollywood celebrities. Madonna, Jack Nicholson, John Lennon, Roman Polanski, Marlon Brando, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis live or have lived on Mulholland Drive. So it wasn't a surprise that Sebastian had a house there.

At first she walked on the left side. To her left was the beautiful view of residential areas in a valley which she didn't know the name of. To the right were rolling hills with trees on them and large properties she assumed might belong to a celebrity. She was tempted to stop and take a picture with the valley as the background, but realized she better not if she didn't want to be late. So instead of stopping she quickly picked up the pace.

The road was thankfully not crowded. She managed to walk on the side of the road without getting run over by a car. However, the further she walked the more she became afraid of walking on the left side. The valley was kind of steep and if she wasn't careful she could slip and fall down the valley below. So she decided to cross the road and walk on the right side along the side of the hills which was safer. After making sure the road was empty, she crossed the road quickly and continued to walk.

The walk felt long and tiring for her. Well, to be honest, she rarely ever exercised and took walks. When she was still working in Silicon Valley she barely had time to exercise, not even during the weekend. So her legs were not ready for being forced to walk for two miles all of a sudden. The scorching heat from the sun didn't help. It didn't take long for her to start drenching in sweat. She sighed as she wiped the sweat from her forehead and lamented internally of her tendency to get into bad situations. This definitely wasn't how she imagined her first day working for Sebastian was.

After a while she glanced at her watch. It was 11.45 am already. She got fifteen minutes left to arrive at Sebastian's house! She pulled out her cellphone from her pants' pocket to check how much farther she needed to walk. Apparently she still had about 1.3 miles more to go. If she didn't pick up the pace she would definitely be late. She put her cellphone back in her pocket and decided to run.

For someone who rarely ever runs, she was quite fast. But it hadn't even been five minutes since she started to run when she started to feel out of breath and felt her legs burn. She slowed down a little and realized the road had changed. On her right she could see valleys down below with residential buildings on them, while on her left were the rolling hills with trees on them.

Afraid of falling down the valley on her right she decided to cross the road again. But being exhausted she wasn't aware of her surroundings. She crossed the road right on a sharp curved road just when a car sped up from her left. Horrified, she quickly continued to run across the road in order to avoid the car. The car swerved past her and it seemed like she had avoided death when she heard a loud thud and felt great pain on her left elbow. She fell back onto the middle of the road and her bottom hit the road hard.

The sound of tires screeching on the pavement could be heard and she realized the car had stopped. She winced as she felt pain on her left elbow, shoulder and left arm. She looked down on her palm and there were some scrapes on them. She had tried to stop herself from falling even further with her hands and her palms had hit the road hard, leaving cuts and scrapes on them.

"Y/n!? Oh my God, are you okay?" A familiar voice shouted out.

She knew that voice anywhere. Sebastian was apparently the one who had hit her. What were the odds of that happening?! She shook her head in disbelief.

Sebastian had stopped his car on the side of the road and got out of it. He quickly ran over to her and knelt down beside her, his eyes looked at her full of concern.

"Y/n? I'm so sorry, I didn't see you. When I saw you it was too late. Are you okay?" He asked again, his voice sounded a little panicked.

"I.. I guess." She replied and winced again as Sebastian held both her arms and squeezed them.

"Ouch!" She yelped.

"Oh! Sorry.. sorry." Sebastian quickly withdrew his hands from her arms.

"It's okay. It's just.. my left arm, shoulder and elbow hurt. I think your rear view mirror hit my left elbow." She responded.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Y/n. Where else does it hurt?" He asked as his eyes studied her from top to toe making her blush.

"Umm.. just my palms, but it's no big deal." She said as she raised both her palms up and showed them to him.

"Your palms are bleeding a little. We still need to clean the wounds up. Now, could you stand up?" He asked gently.

"I think so." She said and she started to stand up. Sebastian helped her stand up and despite the situation she could feel her heart skip a beat as she felt his arms circling around her waist.

Once she stood up she rubbed her aching bottom and for once felt grateful she had a large bottom which could cushion her fall.

"Does it hurt?" Sebastian asked, noticing how she had rubbed her bottom, his eyes went down to check it out.

"Just a little. It will be fine." She replied, blushing again as she realized Sebastian Stan just checked out her bottom! Well, he definitely did not check it out in a sexual way, but still, she couldn't help but be embarrassed about it.

"Okay. Come on, let's get you into my car." He said and he continued to guide her to his car. His right arm held her waist tight while his left hand held her left hand tight. Her heart beat so fast in her chest as they walked side by side to his car. She couldn't believe she got herself injured again and Sebastian was there to help her again. What were the odds? She pondered again.

Sebastian helped her get into the front passenger seat then quickly ran to the other side and entered the driver's side.

"Let's get somewhere safe to park and then we can clean up your wound." He said as he switched on the gear and stepped on the gas.

"No, it's okay Sebastian. I just have minor scrapes and cuts, no big deal." She said, feeling uncomfortable already for bothering him.

"Y/n, even if they're just minor cuts they still need to be cleaned. You don't want to get an infection." He reminded her.

"Oh, yeah, you're right." She nodded. Deep down she still couldn't believe how nice and thoughtful Sebastian was.

Soon they arrived at another overlook which had a small parking lot on it. Sebastian parked his car in the parking lot safely then leaned over to her.

"Sorry, I need to get the first aid kit." He said, his head beckoning to the glove compartment right in front of her.

"Oh.. yeah.. go ahead." She responded, blushing again as Sebastian leaned even closer to her and reached out his hand to open the compartment.

For a moment she could smell his cologne as he leaned his body in front of her and she felt butterflies in her stomach. She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent deeply, trying to ingrain it into her memory.

"Y/n? Are you okay?" He called out and she opened her eyes, startled.

"Oh yeah.. yeah.. I'm fine." She said. She could feel herself blushing again.

"You look kind of flushed." He commented as he gently touched her forehead and she froze. She couldn't help but stare at him. His hand stayed on her forehead while his eyes continued to gaze at hers. That's when she felt it again. Like he was able to see into her soul. His eyes was so gorgeous. She had never seen someone with eyes as blue as his. After a while she finally blinked and realized she needed to respond.

"It's probably the heat. I've been walking and running for about a mile and had no water with me." She explained.

Sebastian raised his eyebrows at that and finally dropped his hand from her forehead.

"What were you doing running in the middle of the road like that, Y/n?"

"Umm.. my car broke down and I had to walk to get to your house. I was running because I was afraid of being late." She replied and blushed again.

"What?! You could've called me and I would've picked you up. You know it's not safe to walk on Mulholland Drive." He scolded her, his voice raised a little.

"Yeah, I know. I just didn't want to bother you again, Sebastian. You've helped me a lot. I thought I could just walk. You know." She responded as she felt a little fear hearing him scolding her like that. She wondered if he was the type that could get angry easily with his employees. She really hoped not. She never imagined him as someone who was temperamental.

"Well.. next time something like this happens again, never ever hesitate to call me, okay?" He said sternly as he continued to stare at her, his eyebrows furrowed in slight annoyance.

"Okay. Sorry." She replied. She wasn't sure what was happening but she felt both annoyed yet flattered at how he reacted. It was confusing. Why did it seem like he cared so much about her? She didn't get it. Despite feeling a little flattered, she didn't like how he made her feel like she was a child.

Just then he turned around and grabbed something from the car door pocket.

"Here, have some water." He handed her a bottle of water. She froze as she stared at it. Was he offering her his water bottle? If he had drank from the bottle that meant they would be indirectly kissing through the bottle! Her mind couldn't comprehend that and she froze.

"It's new. I haven't drank from it at all today." He said when she didn't react.

"Oh okay. Thanks." She received the bottle but felt a little disappointed that he apparently had not drank from it today. She opened the bottle and started to drink as she kicked herself mentally. She really needed to stop fangirling over him. Why was she like a teenager?!

The water felt so good in her throat and body. She didn't realize that she was that thirsty. She chugged down half a bottle in just a few seconds, then she closed the bottle and gave it back to him.

"Are you feeling better now?" He asked as he put the bottle in a cup holder in the middle of the car.

"Yeah, thank you Sebastian." She smiled and he smiled back.

"Okay, good. Can I see your palms?" He asked.

"Yeah, sure." She nodded and felt her heart beat raised as she put her palms up and showed them to him.

They both studied the scrapes and cuts on her palms. They were not deep but there was one cut on her left palm that was bleeding and she could feel the sting of it.

Sebastian opened the box of the first aid kit, picked up a pack of antiseptic wipe, opened it, then he placed her left palm on his hand and gently started to clean it.

Her heart pounded fast in her chest as Sebastian cleaned her palm gently. With every touch she could feel her heart beating even faster. She looked up and admired his features. God, how could someone be so handsome? She pondered internally. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, his tongue stuck out a little over his bottom lip as he continued to dab the antiseptic wipe on her palm. He looked so handsome and cute, she felt like she could gaze at him forever. Suddenly she felt pain shot up from the cut on her palm and winced. She moved her hand a little as she felt an urge to pull it away from him but then stopped herself. He was pressing the area around the cut and it hurt.

"Sorry." He said as he pressed the area again but a bit more gentle this time.

"It's okay. It doesn't hurt that much." She lied and smiled.

"Good." He nodded and glanced at her with a small smile on his lips making her feel butterflies in her stomach. The pain on her palm seemed to vanish as she looked at his smile.

This was a moment she never thought would ever happen. So she savored every moment of it and stored every little detail into her memory. She never wanted to forget it.

Once her left palm was clean he picked up a packet of band-aid. He opened it, peeled it off then slowly and gently put it on her wound.

"There. Don't forget to change it if it gets wet." He reminded her.

"Yeah, of course, thank you Sebastian." She nodded, feeling like she was being advised by her father. It was strange but she liked how attentive he was to her.

"Now give me your other palm." He instructed.

She nodded and extended her right palm to him. Since there were no cuts and no bleeding on it but just minor scrapes he only cleaned the area with antiseptic wipe.

"Alright. That should do it." He said as he threw away all the used antiseptic wipes and the packaging of the band-aid into a trash bag in the back of her seat.

"Does your elbow, shoulder or arm still hurt?" He asked.

"Yeah, I feel a throbbing pain on my shoulder, my arm just feels stiff. And.." Her hand touched her elbow and she could feel pain on it. "I think my elbow is bruised."

"Here, let me take a look." He said and she lifted her left arm and showed him the back side of her elbow.

"Well, it looks kind of nasty. The bruise is kind of big and looks so black." He commented.

She turned her elbow towards her back and tried to see it for herself. Indeed, she could see a large black bruise on it.

"Well, it will heal. Don't worry about it." She shrugged.

"Yeah, I wish there's an arnica gel here. It would help heal your bruise faster. I have it at home. Maybe we can go and get it later." He said.

"Okay, thank you Sebastian." She smiled.

"You're welcome Y/n. Now about your arm and shoulder, I suggest we go to a clinic or hospital to have it checked." He suggested.

"Oh no, that won't be necessary. It just feels like I have been lifting weights all day, you know. It will be okay." She responded.

"Are you sure? Cause with how I hit you with my car I'm afraid you could've dislocated your shoulder or something." He said in concern.

"Sebastian.." She smiled as she felt warm in her heart. She couldn't believe how thoughtful he was. "I've experienced a dislocated shoulder before and this does not feel like it at all. Besides, I can still move my arm. If I have a dislocated shoulder I wouldn't be able to move it. So, no need to bring me to the clinic. I'm fine."

"Well.. okay. If you say so. But if you feel more pain on it as the day progresses, let me know and we can go to the hospital. Okay?" He said sternly.

"Okay." She nodded. He could be so demanding, but she found it sexy at the same time.

He closed the first aid box and returned it back into the compartment in front of her. Then he leaned back on his seat and turned on his car's engine. Soon they were on the way to his house.

For a while there was only silence between them. She wondered if he was going to spontaneously start singing again like he did once before. She smiled at the memory.

She glanced at him and found his expression to be tense. She wondered what was on his mind.

"I'm sorry." Sebastian suddenly said.

"For what?" She looked at him in confusion.

"If I seem a little harsh or demanding to you." He replied.

"Oh!" She exclaimed in surprise. That was not what she expected at all.

"In my defense, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I've hurt you once before and I just left you like that. I didn't want to repeat that, and make you think that I'm such a dick. You know." He explained.

"Oh, right." She felt her heart warm at his confession. He really was too nice.

"And to be honest, I still feel kind of in shock. I mean.. I never got into a car or motorcycle or any kind of accident. And I never hit on anyone. So that was quite shocking for me." He explained.

She felt her heart warm as she heard him. Her worries that he could be a temperamental boss went out the window.

"Sebastian, it's okay. I understand where you're coming from and I really appreciate your concern over me. Thank you." She reached her hand out and touched his hand briefly.

The tension on his face slowly melted away as she touched his hand and he smiled a little.

"If anything, it's me who should apologize. I keep bothering you with my bad luck." She sighed.

"What do you mean?" He asked, glancing curiously at her.

"Well.. ever since I was little I'm used to getting into accidents and stuff. Almost every year there is always something bad happening to me." She started to explain.

"Like getting a dislocated shoulder?" He asked.

"Yes. That happened the first day I attended college. I got into a motorcycle accident and dislocated my shoulder." She explained.

"Motorcycle accident? I never thought you were the type to ride on motorcycles." He commented, his eyebrows raised.

"Well, no. My roommate was. She was a biker girl." She explained.

"Oh okay. That's interesting. Well, despite your tendency of getting bad luck, I really hope next time we meet, I won't hurt you again." He chuckled.

"Well, I hope so too. But I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to get insurance that covers meeting Sebastian Stan." She teased and he laughed out loud.

"Who knows, I might drown in a pool or something next time we meet." She chuckled.

"Hey, don't say that. Don't scare me like that." He protested.

"Sorry." She said. This time the feeling that he really cared for her came so strong that she seriously considered asking him about it. But she figured it would be weird so she decided not to ask him.

"Anyway, what happened to your car?" He asked.

"It overheated."

"Oh, well I can help check on it if you want after the meeting is done."

"Meeting? What meeting?" She asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Oh.. yeah. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was planning on telling you once we arrive. But maybe I can just tell you now."

"Oh yeah, just tell me now. What is it?" She asked, her heart pounding hard in her chest as she waited for him to continue.

"I.. well.. I'm sorry Y/n but I wasn't able to convince the other producers to have you on board as my PA because I already hired three PAs." He explained in regret.

"Oh.. okay.." She said as she felt disappointment in her heart.

"But, I wasn't going to let you down like that because I know you need a job. So I asked Aurora if she would like to hire you as her PA."

Her heart dropped to her stomach as she heard him. Aurora? He offered her to be Aurora's PA? She didn't like the offer at all. She'd rather find another waitressing job or barista job rather than being Aurora's PA. Honestly she didn't know what Aurora was like, for all she knew she could be nice. Still, she was expecting to work for Sebastian and not Aurora. She couldn't help but feel slightly jealous in her heart over her. Well, who wouldn't. She was Sebastian's girlfriend. Someone who was special to him. She wanted to be special to him too even if it sounded preposterous. Especially after what happened since she met him. But of course it would be rude to say no now.

"Oh.. and what did she say?" She asked.

"She wanted to meet you first. That's why I asked you to come to her house."

"Oh. I thought we're going to your house."

"Oh, no. I live in an apartment on Hollywood Boulevard."

"Oh I see. That explained why you drove from that direction." She said as she pointed her thumb back towards where they came from.

"Yup." He nodded.

"I hope you don't mind. I mean, I'm sorry I didn't ask you first about this." He continued as he glanced at her for a second.

"Well, I do need a job and I'm really grateful you still think about me even though you're not allowed to hire me personally. So.. yeah, I don't mind. I hope she'll like me." She responded.

"I'm sure she will." He winked at her and she couldn't help herself from blushing.

"So, here we are." Sebastian said several minutes later. He took a right turn and drove the car into a small street. Moments later they stopped in front of a huge iron gate. He opened the car window down and pressed a button on the gate intercom right next to the car.

"Aurora, it's me." He called out into the intercom.

There was no response but a sudden click could be heard and the iron gate opened automatically. Sebastian continued to drive slowly on the driveway and they passed the iron gate. Once they were in, the iron gate closed automatically, she could hear a clang as the gate was locked.

The driveway was flanked with thick trees on either side of it. It went on a slight incline and took a right turn before it finally gave way to a wider driveway where she could see a huge castle-like house standing several distance away from them. Her jaw dropped as she stared at the house. The house was a two story house that looked like a French chateau with cream walls and gray turrets. Surrounding it were lush palm and olive trees. Her mind couldn't comprehend how someone could live in a house looking like it came straight out of a fairy tale if the person was not royalty. Aurora was apparently richer than she expected.

"This house is amazing." She commented as she looked up above to the top of the turrets.

"Yeah, but it's a pain to maintain." He chuckled as he parked his car behind another car, a black sedan. There were two other cars parked in front of the garage already. A black van and a black sedan.

"Oh I bet it is." She chuckled as for a second she imagined being like Cinderella, having to mop and clean the house everyday while being scolded by the stepmother and stepsisters. She hoped Aurora wasn't like Cinderella's stepsisters or stepmother. She really didn't want to end up being her maid and waited on her hand and feet everyday. If that should happen, she would immediately resign. She didn't graduate from UC Berkeley at the top of her class just to be someone's maid.

They got out of the car together and went up the steps towards a huge dark gray double doors at the entrance. Sebastian pushed it open and beckoned for her to come inside.

With her heart pounding hard in her chest she entered the house and her jaw dropped as she looked at the interior. The house was bright with white walls and cream marble floors. Natural light showered the inside of the house through the large windows. She looked to the right and could see the living room which had large comfortable gray sofas and a fireplace. She looked in front of her and found a stunning dining room with a rectangular table and eight chairs and next to the dining room she could see a spacious kitchen with a large stone island in the middle of it. Everything in the house was so luxurious. She couldn't help but feel a low self confidence as she looked around. She had never entered a place as luxurious as this and it made her self conscious.

"Darling, you're here." A drawling female voice could be heard from her upper left.

She turned to look at her left and found a beautiful winding staircase with ornate wrought-iron railing. She looked up to see a woman, standing on top of the stairs, wearing a long, shimmering, strapless silver dress.

The woman was.. Aurora Watson. The woman whom she had only seen in pictures and videos. The woman who became the cause of a division inside the Sebastian Stan fandom between those who liked her and those who hated her. One look at her and she had a feeling that things were going to be very interesting.

Chapter 5 >

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