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justsomerandomfanfic · 1 year ago

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Duet - Justin Timberlake X GN Reader

Title: Duet

Justin Timberlake X GN Reader

Additional Characters: Timothy Mosely, Justin's music team (Mentioned), SZA (Mentioned), Beyonce (Mentioned), and Lady Gaga (Mentioned)

{May or may not be loosely inspired by Justin's new song Selfish ¯\_(ツ)_/¯}

WC: 3,652

Warnings: Shy Reader, Idiots in love, friends to lovers, nicknames, teasing, banter, flirting, slight suggestiveness, mini angst, and fluff

Sitting in your swivel chair, you leaned back against it, listening to the music coming through the speakers. You had always found music to be calming. It never fails to soothe your mind when you are stressed out or tired. Music was your escape from the world around you. You worked at a recording studio, as a soundboard specialist, where you operated professional audio mixing consoles. You were beyond overjoyed when you had been hired by the recording studio. And you were beyond grateful to be able to work with some of the greatest music artists to have ever grace the Earth.

As the music came to a stop, you nodded your head approvingly, smiling to yourself. Leaning forward, you turned on the mic, "Alright, Mr. Timberlake, you're good." You spoke, looking up at the glass window as he took off the headphones and exited the sound booth.

You loved working with Justin and his team. If you had told yourself five years ago that you'd be working with the Justin Timberlake, you probably wouldn't have believed it. But here you were now, doing just that. You couldn't believe how lucky you were. And you weren’t complaining.

"It sounds great," Justin said as you played back the song, "But, um, I feel like it's missing something." He added, looking somewhat puzzled as he stared down at the soundboard, mumbling some of the lyrics as they came out of the speakers while he thought.

Mr. Mosley nodded, "I understand what you mean. It does seem... Unfinished." He spoke, before visibly perking his head up as an idea filled his mind, "Do you think making it a duet would help?"

"A duet?" Justin mimicked, looking up from the soundboard to Timothy Mosley. "Yeah, yeah… That sounds like a great idea actually," He nodded with a slight grin, "But, who should it be with?"

Timothy hummed, frowning slightly in thought, "I don't know," He spoke before looking down at you, "Could you make us a list, Y/N? I would have my secretary do it but she's on maternity leave."

"Oh, yeah, sure." You agreed with a few nods of your head, "I’d be happy to do it." You said, immediately grabbing your notebook from your lap, and clicking your pen, already writing down a few names.

~~~

For the next couple of days, you contacted a plethora of other singers, from SZA, Beyonce, and even Lady Gaga to name a few that you believed voices would match well with Justin's; the first two artists had sung with him before in previous projects such as ‘Trolls: World Tour’ and the song, ‘Until The End Of Time,’ respectively, but sadly, their schedules wouldn’t have allowed them to work on the song with Justin.

Though, that Monday, you were tidying up the studio, collecting piles of papers, pens, - the occasional snack wrappers - and whatnot as you softly sang one of your favorite songs. You often sang while you cleaned during your lunch break after eating, to clear your mind of anything stressful or just to help time fly by as you waited for Justin and the team to head back in. It technically wasn’t a part of your job, but you liked doing it. It was nice putting things away near the end of the day, making the room look nice and tidy.

Getting to your favorite part in the song, you felt yourself being swept away by the familiar lyrics running off in your head - like your own personal karaoke - and you allowed your voice to carry you along as you started to sway back and forth to the beat; the passion evident in your voice. Almost dancing around the coffee table, you gathered the papers, sheets of music, and other notes together for later reorganizing, completely unaware of the person leaning against the doorframe.

Holding the papers close to your chest, you felt your voice fade as you finished your song and you opened your eyes, quickly taking notice of the man standing there. Your eyes widened as the papers promptly fell to the ground from your startlement; the calm expression on your face quickly dropped into a horrified frown. Justin gave you an apologetic smile, but his eyes were bright with amazement as he spoke up "I’m sorry I startled you. I didn’t know you could sing."

You blinked rapidly, hoping that seeing Justin at the door was all just some bad dream, “Oh, uh, Mr. Timberlake. I’m sorry. I thought your break wasn't over until one-thirty.” You spoke, eyeing the clock on the wall as you were clearly avoiding his last statement before you got onto your knees to begin picking up the fallen papers with your shaking hands.

“I, uh, wanted to grab the lyrics for the next song. Practice a bit.” He spoke, entering the room fully before crouching down to help you gather the fallen papers and music sheets. "But you're avoiding the subject..." He added, slightly amused as he handed you a few papers; watching you, intrigued.

Glancing up at him, you suddenly felt very nervous, more so than before. "I-I'm sorry." You quickly spoke as you tried to focus on picking up the rest of the papers. "I didn't realize you were listening to me..." You replied, your words sort of trailing off as you looked up, finding yourself stuck by the look in his eyes. He looked genuinely interested. When did his eyes become so captivating? Such a deep, ocean blue… You couldn't remember. “Uh, yeah, here you go.” You spoke, swallowing thickly as you handed him the sheet that he wanted, quickly breaking your gaze away from his.

Justin’s smile widened slightly as he took the paper, offering his hand out to you. You looked at his hand, then up at him, hesitating; his eyebrows raised a little, waiting for you to take it. "I'm not going to bite." He spoke up playfully as you hesitated again.

Slowly placing your hand in his, he gave your hand a slight squeeze before he pulled you back onto your feet. "Thanks..." You muttered, anxiety-ridden and embarrassed.

"So, um... About that search for another singer-" Justin began once you were both standing, but you quickly, accidentally interrupted.

"Oh, yeah, don't worry, sir.” You began, noticing how he was still holding your hand, your face feeling intensely warm as you reluctantly pulled your hand away before clearing your throat, “I have plans to contact the ones left on the list after lunch to see their availability."

"Don't contact them," Justin spoke quickly, watching as you turned slightly, placing the small stack of papers on the coffee table. "I want you to sing it."

Your eyes widened again as you snapped your gaze over to him, and your hands faltered at your side, "Huh?" You replied, your jaw dropping slightly, not expecting him to say that. "You do?"

Justin smiled, stepping towards you, "I think you have an incredible voice, Y/N.”

"M- Me?" You stammered, pointing a finger at yourself as he just simply nodded before stuffing his hands in his front Jeans pockets.

"Yeah, and you don’t have to call me ‘sir,’ we’ve known each other long enough for you to just call me Justin." He reminded you, and that was true.

You had known Justin for the past year and a half. And during that year and a half, you had gotten to know the person behind the pop star. You knew his favorite color was baby blue, that he loved ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,’ and liked Coldplay; there was even a time you bought him a pair of sneakers for his birthday that he had mentioned to you, since you knew he loved collecting them. Justin was so sweet, so compassionate, and you never would’ve thought he’d be so funny, but he made you laugh often.

And Justin had gotten to know you as well, your favorite color, your hobbies, and whatnot. If anything, you would call him your friend, but that was the last thing on your mind. All you could think about was the fact that he wanted you to sing with him on the song - and that he said that your voice was incredible...

“You know,” Justin began, walking over to your swivel chair and taking a seat, “I like to think that I know a lot about you, but I didn’t know you could sing.”

“It’s not really something I tell people,” You shrug your shoulders, fiddling with a corner of a piece of paper as you worried on your bottom lip, “But you want me to sing? With you on your song?" You asked, still extremely shocked by his request, trying to wrap your mind around it; though it wasn’t too unbelievable, to an extent, he seemed to have trusted you enough to even bring up the idea in the first place.

Justin shrugged casually, twisting side to side slightly in your chair, legs spread out, "Yeah. I want you to sing it with me." He spoke, glancing at you, "Why? It’s okay if you don’t want to. I just thought that your voice would work really well for the song."

You stared at him, feeling your heart flutter in your chest as the words seemed to catch in your throat, and you could barely breathe, "Wow," You breathed out, "No, I mean, are you sure? I don't know, wouldn't you rather want someone who's actually a singer? I’m not trained to sing, I just do it for fun. I’ll probably mess it all up and ruin it. I'm only a soundboard special-"

"Y/N, sweetheart,” He paused his movements, interrupting you this time, and ending your nervous rant, “I’m sure you won’t ruin anything. I actually believe you can make it better." He insisted again, watching as you stepped a few steps backward to lean against the arm of the sofa, your hand running through your hair, "Would you sing with me?" He asked finally, his eyes focused on your features. You couldn't deny that something was enticing about the way those deep, blue eyes seemed to stare right at your soul.

Your lips parted slightly as you stared at him, unable to speak as he waited patiently for your answer, knowing that he needed one. "I don't know... I mean, I don't really sing well with others around me."

"I, uh, know this is a bit sudden, and it could- could be out of your comfort zone, but could you think about it, please?" He then stood from the chair, taking a few steps to stand in front of you, almost looming from the clear height difference in both of you. “I would really love to work with you. I mean, we already work well together, so this should be a piece of cake."

You didn't say anything for a moment, "I... I will think about it, sir- sorry. I mean, Justin." You winced, only for his expression to soften considerably.

"No, no need to apologize, Y/N." He told you before he began walking towards the door. Pausing, he turned back to face you, his hand pressing against the doorframe that he had previously been leaning against, "Just think about it, okay?"

You watched him leave before collapsing into your chair, your heart was hammering in your chest as you ran a shaky hand through your hair. "Sing with Justin?" You muttered, pulling your fingers out of your hair to stare down at your hand, the hand that Justin had held momentarily, but for what felt like forever, "Wow." You laughed lightly, the corners of your lips twitching.

~~~

It only took you two days to decide and before you knew it, you found yourself in the recording booth with Justin. It was strange; being the one that was going to be recorded, and not the one recording. The room was smaller than you had thought it would be, with soft padding on the walls and the door; it was almost claustrophobic.

Staring down at the music stand before you, you stared down at the blue highlighter that was doing its job of highlighting your lyrics for you. The headphones were heavy on your head, cupped over your ears, blocking out most of the sounds around you. You didn’t want to look up, feeling like everyone was staring at you; you could feel their eyes burning holes into your skull.

"Hey," You heard a muffled voice, taking off your headphones, you looked over at Justin a few feet from beside you at his own music stand and hanging mic. He gave you a reassuring smile, his eyes softening at the nervous expression on your face, "You can do this."

His words somehow managed to make you feel slightly better, enough for you to smile - albeit anxiously - back at him, "Can I?" You muttered to him.

“I know this is a bit intimidating." He began, shrugging a shoulder, his voice low but comforting, "But something that helps me is just imagining I'm somewhere else. Like my bedroom or the shower-"

"The shower?" You laughed a little, feeling yourself relax a little- just like he planned - as he lightly laughed along with you before answering.

"Well, that's where some people usually sing, don't think too much into it, I'm grasping at straws here." Tilting his head slightly as he reaches his hand out. “Or you can hold just my hand, if that’ll help,” He offered out his hand to you as your eyes glanced from his face, to his hand, and back; a small smirk slowly spreading on his face, “I’m not going to bite.”

You sputtered out another small, breathy laugh, “Thanks, J.” Justin’s smirk grew back into a grin at the little nickname as you placed your headphones back on and took his awaiting hand.

With a deep breath, you heard Mosely speak through the speakers, “Y/N, you ready?” His sudden voice startled you slightly as you snapped your head up, seeing him and two writers staring right back at you. You glanced over at Justin one more time before nodding your head, feeling your stomach do flips.

Mosely smiled back, and you were glad that you couldn’t see the amusement in his eyes as you quickly looked down at your lyrics, "Okay, then." He said before looking over at Justin, “Justin, whenever you're ready."

You felt your heart skip a beat when the music started up and Justin soon began singing. Being right there, beside him, was a far different experience than when you were the one outside of the booth; or when you’d hear him mumble a few lyrics during practice. You were overwhelmed by it. He sounded sensational. You glanced over at him, he seemed so calm, and it made sense. He had been singing for years, decades; of course, he'd be so calm, so at ease. Music was his second home. He was born to sing.

You turned your head and kept your eyes down, focusing on the music and your lyrics and before you knew it, it was finally your turn. You let out a small, silent breath as you let the music wash over you, letting it slowly fill you with confidence. Shutting your eyes - having already memorized all your lines - you sang your first couple of lyrics, unable to see the look on Justin's face.

He watched you, the expression on his face unreadable; he only stared, eyes slightly widened, admiring you as you sang his song flawlessly. He had been so glad - proud even that you went out of your comfort zone - that you decided to give this all a try, and now he was sure that he had chosen the perfect singer; no other singer could do it justice. His smile grew as your voice carried throughout the room beautifully, taking note of how your body visibly relaxed, shoulders dropping, softly swaying, letting the music guide you; he was completely entranced by you.

Soon enough, Justin's voice then began to blend in with yours, harmonizing perfectly, and just like that, your singing sessions with him began.

The entire recording went by in a flash and before you knew it, a few weeks had gone by. You and Justin were finished with the song, and you were back behind the soundboard, and for some reason, you sort of missed singing in the booth. Maybe because it helped you get over a few of your fears, or maybe because you got to spend more time with Justin - that wasn’t at a work party, event, and so on. Either way, you were just getting used to singing with him. And had begun to enjoy the experience.

Justin was feeling quite the same. It felt like his time singing with you had gone by in a flash, and it wasn't very long until he found himself falling for you. Don’t get him wrong, he liked you the moment he saw you, but this time, it was different. There were times when he had to stop himself from grinning uncontrollably at the sight or thought of you, even before the both of you sang together, and it scared him a bit. He would close his eyes and see your face, letting your voice wash over him like ocean waves; your voice like a siren pulling him in.

He would also have to remind himself to not stare at you sometimes. There were so many times when he caught himself looking at you as you worked the soundboard through the window as he sang, or were writing in your notebook during a break. Sometimes you would catch him, your eyes meeting his as a breathtaking smile would spread across your lips. He would do anything to see that smile of yours.

He wanted to tell you everything. Everything that was on his mind.

You sat in your chair, listening as Justin sang in the booth. You hummed along to the song, already knowing it all by heart as you double-checked the soundboard - like you usually did when he sang, just in case some button got pushed or a lever was nudged. Taking a glance, you looked up at Justin through the window, only to see him looking right back at you as he sang. You couldn't contain the smile that spread across your face as you watched him. The way he was singing, looking at you so intensely, it was like he was singing the lyrics to his new song just for you. And as cheesy as it sounded, it made your heart skip a beat and your stomach tied up into a couple of knots. You couldn't tear your eyes away.

But you had to, snapping your gaze away from his, you cleared your throat lightly as the song slowly came to a close. You paused the recording after the song completely ended and turned on the mic, "That was great, J," You spoke, before collecting your papers and notebook.

"Yep!" Mosely exclaimed, "That's a wrap for the day."

Grabbing your bag, you slid your notebook and paperwork away for the day before standing from your chair and grabbing your jacket from where it hung on the back of it; shrugging it on.

"Y/N," You heard Justin's voice call to you, making you turn your head, smiling at the man as you finished buttoning up your winter jacket.

"Hmm, yeah, Justin?" You asked, looping the strap of your bag over your head, letting it rest on your left waist. "Is there something you need?"

"I, uh, just thought I'd ask if you wanted to grab dinner with me tonight," He answered, slipping on his own coat. You couldn't help but think that he looked really good as the sunset shone down on him through the window, highlighting his cheekbones, jawline, and the blue of his eyes; casting him in a glow. "I know this really nice restaurant a couple blocks down the road we can go to."

You looked at him, biting your lower lip, "Yeah," You answered finally, "Yeah, I'd love to have dinner with you, Justin." You nodded before glancing away as your cheeks felt warm. You couldn't help the small smile that tugged on the corners of your lips.

Justin grinned as he watched you, feeling the butterflies in his stomach as he placed a hand in the pocket of his jeans, fiddling with his car keys as he walked over to you. "It's a date, then."

Your eyes widened slightly at his words, "Date?" You repeated before mentally slapping yourself. Of course, it was a date. Why else would he ask you?

"Unless you don't want it to be?" Justin replied, his words trailing off slightly as he looked down at you, hoping he didn't misread your interest in him. “We could just go as just friends, if that’s what you want.”

You bit your lower lip again, debating it for a moment, but your mind was made up the moment he asked you to dinner, "No, I- It's a date." You replied, and you were sure that your shy - yet excited - smile was ridiculously large on your face.

"Cool, cool." Justin spoke candidly, trying to hide how nervous you truly made him as he offered you his hand - he hadn’t felt like this in a long time, "Shall we?"

You looked up at him, once again, falling into the depths of his eyes, slipping your hand into his, "You aren’t going to bite, are you?” You asked, surprising yourself with your sudden confidence as Justin just gave you a smirk in return.

“No unless you want me to, baby.” He answered mischievously, feeling a warmth in the pit of his stomach at the sound of your little laugh, your free hand slapping his arm lightly as he intertwined his fingers between yours; squeezing your hand gently.

---

Main Masterlist | Celebrity Masterlist

#cute #fluff #fanfiction #fanfic #x you #x y/n #x reader #x gn reader #celebrity #celebrity x reader #justin timberlake #justin timberlake x reader #justin timberlake x you #justin timberlake x y/n #justin timberlake x gn reader #nsync #nsyncforever

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septembersghost · 1 year ago

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I saw a comment on reddit that said they love taylor swift the musician and artist, they care about and respect what they know about taylor the person, but they really, really dislike Taylor Swift the Celebrity and that's where I'm at. I can't stand the attention whoring and the pap walks and the constant headlines and her feeding into it on purpose with her dating life and her friends and everything again after years of growth and privacy. it's exhausting. I love her artistry and when we get to see her true self, but I don't like the PR machine and wish she'd give it a rest. She's already the most popular, successful pop star right now. She doesn't have to do this much.

oh this is such an interesting topic, and there's more to unpack in this than i can probably address properly, but the first thing i will say is: you don't have to like the celebrity® stuff to love and enjoy her music, appreciate her artistry, and respect the parts of her true human self that we're aware of (ie: what she has shared herself, what fellow artists/collaborators have said, how she treats others, like workers, her documented kindness to fans, her generosity, her humor, etc).

it's a tricky thing because taylor the artist, taylor the woman, and taylor swift™ the brand are all intertwined, but they're not the same, and the brand aspect - the marketing, the planned photos and arranged articles, the business savvy, the vinyl variants (idc about this but i know some do), is far further away from the real person than the music itself is, which is a much more intimate, vulnerable extension of her. yet they have to exist in tandem, because you cannot gain the massive success she has without selling that, without playing that game and being calculated in the media. this is true of any very famous musician, they have to craft that and market it.

i know i have quoted this a lot by now, but: "the image is one thing and the human being is another. it's very hard to live up to an image."

the celebrity aspect is often uncomfortable, because by nature of its glitz and hugeness (the monster on the hill), it is more devoid of the personhood. (this is actually one of my stumbling blocks with midnights, because it's very much an album of taylor regarding celebrity and fame, as she was clearly grappling with that and how to engage with it, but it's a less accessible topic and generally leaves me feeling that distinct barrier.) the wealth, play-by-plays of her dinners, constant coverage of where she is (when she's not performing or doing something publicly related to her art, it's not actually our business), news outlets using her for clicks, other brands using her for clout, the pap walks, the general fame aura of the whole thing, it is exhausting. i love her, i respect and admire her talent/creativity/dedication/work ethic, i don't need to see her in every news app, and i don't think it's healthy.

taylor the human has certainly made mistakes, because that's the nature of living and having human flaws, but some of those have been in service to the celebrity (a condition which we know has hurt her in the past). taylor the celebrity attends events and plays to the camera, taylor the celebrity knows when to deal with the paparazzi, taylor the celebrity can have google create puzzles to serve taylor the artist and let the fans have fun. taylor the person has given introspective, honest interviews, taylor the person lays herself into those lyrics and the artistry, but that and the image blur together because it's her constant state of existence. lyrics are poetry set to music, so while hers are often diaristic, they also condense, and alter, and take poetic license to turn those experiences into song.

but taylor the very real human being, who wakes up in the morning and brushes her hair and makes her coffee - we do not know her. we do not ever see her, the moment she steps into public view, that shift has to happen. we do not ever interact with her. and she is not for us. she is not our friend, nor our personal property. we have no right to any aspect of her life. taylor who stands onstage and shares her meaningful connection with us and talks about our shared relationship and love, that's the artist, and there is nothing wrong with caring about her and being excited about her and following her work and discussing its content. however, she does not go home in the night to us in her living room, and that's how it's supposed to be! we are not a replacement for her inner circle of loved ones. we cannot provide her support or company in her quiet moments, in the private times when she leans on the people around her. "yas queen"ing her success or her genius strategies or her street style is not real interaction, it's being a fan. that's fine! i certainly do that and it's great! i enjoy seeing her succeed. i will analyze and discuss her music and what it tells us, i will talk anytime about how much her music means to me and how it's helped save me and how dearly close i hold it and how i love her for that, and it's a real form of love, we are perfectly capable of loving someone we don't know and that remaining healthy. don't cross boundaries of idolization, obsession, stalking, it's all good. if we use the dreaded word - parasocial - there are studies about those bonds being positive things and helpful for people! it's not only a negative term, it's all about boundaries and recognition of reality. if we could know the real person, our dynamic towards her would immediately change.

the problem i think you're struggling with (if it's okay for me to say so) is dissonance because we have not experienced this level of bombardment with the celebrity for many years, and it feels a little jarring, even a little false, regardless of intent. she had successfully been much more private for a while (and lessened some of the worse aspects of the media intrusion and fans' invasive bad behavior, which sadly has all ramped up again), and now she's chosen to change that strategy. that's her prerogative, it comes with its benefits and its downsides. hopefully she's finding a new sense of balance and safety with it. my suggestion is to ignore the aspects that are bothering you and prioritize what you love and what feels enriching. you do not have to engage with all facets of the fandom at all times. it's not required, there's no test here in being a fan. you love the music? that's enough. you need to block out gossip and tabloid fodder for a while? that's completely fine. you find yourself annoyed at stuff happening in the fandom? (same. the lack of perspective, media literacy, boundaries, the cruel, immature commentary towards others, i'm over it and disappointed in a lot of people on my dash tbh.) utilize your filters and prioritize whatever you need. those interactions are always up to you.

hang in there, we've got an incredible october coming up with the eras film and 1989 tv. anything else is noise. the art and the music is beautiful and exciting, and we're so lucky to be spoiled with that like we are. look forward to the positive things, i promise that's worth it.

#insane but as i finished this “celebrity” by *nsync came up on shuffle...#would you be so into me if i wasn't a celebrity 💀#i had a white baby tee with “celebrity” across it in sparkly pink script and i remember that SO distinctly #ironic considering my actual thoughts about this and general uh. point of view about it.#anonymous #letterbox #thrown out speeches #WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT 💙#me hitting post on this: i'm about to say something controversial...

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