#i'd be willing to write a sequel to this ngl

[strongenoughfoundation-blog]

Paper Planes (Lin-Manuel x Reader)

Summary: Soulmate AU where if you throw a paper plane out your window it always makes its way to your soulmate. You can’t write your full name, your location, or any contact info, anything else is fair game. It’s up to fate to bring you together.

Word Count: 1,775

Warnings: Zero proofreading. It’s strictly fluff though so you’re safe here.

A/N: This was such a cute idea and also reminded me of that one Disney short. You know the one. Also, I will jump at any opportunity I can to write sappy love notes and Lin’s messy handwriting. Please don’t ask me about logistics of this, I have no idea what happens if your window is shut and your soulmate throws a plane, I’m just here to write fluff. EPILOGUE ___________________________________

Your parents had told you the story all through your childhood. They would always weave you intricate tales at bedtime about how you might meet your soulmate. Your favorite stories always had a prince playing that role. As you got older the stories evolved from fictitious plots to questions and conversations. 

You received your first letter from him at seven years old. It took you by surprise when the paper plane made of blue construction paper landed on the floor of your bedroom. You scrambled from you bed to scoop it up and inspect it. You unfolded it carefully, flipping it over.

‘ Hi! My name is Lin! ‘

You yelped as if the paper itself had spoken and ran into the living room where your mom was preoccupied with a book. She seemed to notice your panic because her eyes immediately left the pages to study your face.

“They wrote you, didn’t they?” she asked wryly with a twinkle in her eye. You squeaked out a yes, shoving the blue paper towards her. She unfolded it to see the note before chuckling. “Well, are you gonna write them back or not?”

You spent the entire night debating and when your mom came into your room to kiss you goodbye before she left for work she saw you sitting on the floor surrounded in papers. 

“For them or from them?” she asked with an amused smile as she leaned against your doorway.

“For.”

By seventeen you were consistently launching paper planes. Your favorite hobby was to bring your notebook out onto the fire escape and draft letters before folding them just so and releasing them into the air. Lin had become quite the writer. Most days he out wrote you three letters to one. You loved to tease him about it, withholding the fact that you had tucked away every plane you’d ever received from him in a box for safe keeping. Some planes were well worn from the amount of times you had unfolded them to read.

‘ Some day you’ll be sitting with me as I brainstorm ideas for lyrics, until then you’ll have to survive without a melody. ‘ 

You smiled at the verses he had scrawled beneath the note, further convincing yourself that your soulmate was a genius.

You were twenty-one when you thought you had finally figured out a way around the stupid stipulations. He couldn’t tell you where he was but he could tell you all about his university. You circumvented enough you had narrowed it down to what you thought was his school. What you hoped. He couldn’t confirm though but the hints were enough.

‘ Named after John Wesley ‘

‘ Private college ‘

‘ Cardinals ‘

You could work with that. You were no Sherlock Holmes but you didn’t have to be to ask your own college’s councilors what school might fit that criteria. The question earned you a weird look at your specificity but it also got you a name. Wesleyan University. It was only two hours away from NYU - you had opted to stay in the city.

You should’ve known that fate would intervene. It clearly wasn’t your time yet. Maybe if you had paused in all your excitement and realized all the warning signs that you shouldn’t be trying this - losing your keys, your cell phone dying, getting lost while heading out of the city despite driving that same road at least a hundred times - you wouldn’t have had to spend hours waiting for a tow truck to pick up your car. It worked fine the minute they dropped it off at a mechanic back in the city. You had to draft Lin a letter that night and the paper absorbed your frustration in heavy pen strokes and angsty words -

‘ Can’t make it, fate intervened. I’m suddenly convinced our day will never come. ‘

Your twenty-eighth birthday you woke up to three planes waiting for you. Each piece of paper was filled to the brim with long-winded sentences, but your favorite part was that it was written on blue construction paper. Maybe it was a sign. It certainly was the reason you had some pep in your step as you carried on through your day. 

The universe seemed to favor you today and you were elated. It was the perfect temperature out for you to slip on your favorite dress which drew you a sweet compliment from the doorman as you went out into the day. Your favorite coffee shop brewed your coffee just right and with just enough cinnamon, and to top it all off they gave it to you for free. Most importantly, your boss surprised you with a cute cupcake on your desk and insisted you only work half a day - unheard of in your office.

Now you strolled aimlessly down the sidewalk, humming happily to yourself as you enjoyed the rest of your free day. You were saving any birthday plans for the weekend. You murmured a few words under your breath of a song that you just couldn’t get out of your head, your eyes lazily surveying the buildings and people you passed before you screeched to a halt. You heard a huff from behind you as people dodged your abrupt stop but you were too busy staring at the marquee sign with your mouth hanging open.

In The Heights

You had read that name about a thousand times over the past couple years. This couldn’t be right though, you weren’t supposed to just randomly stumble across what you and your soulmate had spent years talking about. You weren’t expecting Lin to waltz into your life on a white horse but you also weren’t expecting to just happen across the theater he worked in after eating a snow cone. 

Do you go inside? Do you come back another day? Were you dreaming this up? You didn’t have any answers, only a plethora of questions. So, you acted impulsively, marched right up to a ticket broker and bought a ticket for tonight’s show. You wished that confidence had stayed with you the rest of the day.

Lin’s show was even more wonderful than you had dreamed it to be. The moment he stepped on stage you knew that you were meant to be there. Your heart was probably beating as loudly as the music. When the show drew to an end you realized you had no plan whatsoever. You stupidly didn’t write Lin to let him know you were gonna be there - you didn’t even know if you could’ve to be fair. So when they took the final bow you just awkwardly stayed in your seat as people filed out.

“Ma’am, do you need any help?” an usher asked as he approached you. Oh boy did you.

“Y-yeah, I’m actually looking to meet Lin. Lin-Manuel? From the play? Like Usnavi.” you clamped your mouth shut realizing you were making a fool of yourself.

“Is he expecting you?” the usher asked, quirking a brow. You probably seemed crazy to him. You probably were crazy.

“He’s not but it’s really important. If you could catch him, he’d know who I am.” you promised and he seemed to debate. Every passing second set you more on edge, he could be leaving right now and you were so set on meeting him tonight.

“I’ll see if I can catch him, what’s your name?” the usher finally said and you breathed a sigh of relief.

“[Y/N].” you offered and he nodded.

“Stay here. I’ll see what I can do.” he left quickly and you glanced around awkwardly, unsure of what to do. You wrung your hands as you stood in front of your seat shifting your weight between your feet. You heard footsteps rushing back onto the stage and you looked up to see Lin still in his costume.

“[Y/N]?” he called breathlessly and you waved before wincing at your awkwardness. This wasn’t how it’s supposed to go, you were supposed to be charming.

“Hi,” you squeaked out in an attempt to make up for it but it was way worse than just the wave. You could feel yourself deflating but any over-analyzing you were doing came to an end when Lin leapt from the stage to the floor below and jogged over to you.

“You’re really here? How are you really here?” Lin asked, taking your hands in his. Despite meeting him for the first time his close proximity felt comfortable and the notion of that didn’t really seem strange to you. This was the person you told everything to after all, he was there for every broken bone, embarrassment, failed test, lost friend, everything.

“I,” you paused trying to figure it out for yourself first. “I just found the theater. I was walking around and I saw the sign for your show and I bought a ticket.”

“You just stumbled across my show?” Lin repeated incredulously and you nodded nervously. Maybe he had wanted a grand gesture. He let out a bark of a laugh before pulling you by your hands to crash into his embrace. “I can’t believe you’re here!”

You woke up the next morning with a huge grin on your face that you couldn’t wipe off even if you wanted to. You and Lin had spent hours together after his show at a nearby diner talking about everything. Despite all the years you had written each other, you still managed to come up with things to talk about. The conversation was so easy and interesting the next thing you knew it was 2am. He walked you back to your apartment and had given you a kiss on the cheek that had lingered until you fell asleep.

You swung your legs to the side of your bed to get out when you noticed a paper plane sitting on the floor of your bedroom.

‘ [Y/N],

It’s only been a couple of hours since I last saw you but I’m missing you already. I don’t know what I did to deserve someone as wonderful as you but I must’ve done something right. Of all the amazing things I’ve been blessed with, you are at the top of the list.

I know you usually spend your Saturdays reading the books you don’t have time to during the week, but maybe I can convince you to meet up with me between shows for coffee? Plus, I’d like a redo of last night, I would’ve played a much better Usnavi if I knew you were there.

Siempre, Lin

P.S. I’m glad you were wrong, our someday did come.

EPILOGUE

Tagged: @overcaffeinated-and-underslept @gratitudejoyandsorrow