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fullsandwichmiracle · 6 months ago

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Welcome to Amsterdam | Part one: Festival

Paring: Joost Klein x female!reader

Description: Performing at a festival with your friend and meeting a blond man who was also performing at the festival.

Warnings: None really, mostly background.

Word count: 2,5K+

You are packing for a trip to the Netherlands, having been invited by a friend to join her on stage. You've been making music for about three years, but this will be your first festival in another country. The plan is to stay at your friend's house in Amsterdam, close to the festival venue. Excitement and nervousness blend as you double-check your equipment and personal items, ensuring you haven't forgotten anything important.

As you finish packing for the week, you hear a notification on your phone. It's a message from your friend.

Sara: How's everything going and don't forget to bring your laptop so we can make some music.

You: Thanks, I almost forgot. I'm going to the airport soon. I will update you before I fly off.

Nice, see you soon then! <3

After packing your laptop Sara reminded you of, you then scanned the apartment to make sure you didn't miss anything else. Once satisfied, you dragged your suitcases to the elevator and ordered an Uber to take you to the airport. You couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement and anticipation for the adventure ahead.

Upon arrival at the airport, you quickly grabbed a cart to help with your luggage and headed to the check-in counter. Despite having a lot of luggage ,clothes for the week, a stage outfit, some clubbing outfits, and swimwear, everything went smoothly. You felt prepared for anything the week might throw at you. The buzz of the airport and the chatter of travelers around you only heightened your excitement.

After passing through security, you found a bar and sat down to enjoy a much-needed airport beer, savoring the moment and the anticipation of the journey ahead. As you sipped your drink, you checked your phone to confirm your gate and departure time, knowing your plane would be leaving in 30 minutes. You felt a mixture of excitement and calm, ready to take on whatever this trip had in store.

I'm at the airport now. Everything went smoothly and it looks like the plane is leaving as planned.

Great. Meet you there.

You finished your beer and headed to the gate as boarding began. Finding your seat, you settled in, ready for the flight to Amsterdam. The anticipation of the upcoming festival kept your spirits high.

The trip was quick, but you managed to squeeze in a short nap, feeling refreshed as you neared your destination.

As you exited the airport, you saw Sara waiting for you with a big smile and a welcoming hug. The excitement of seeing her and starting this adventure together made you feel even more energized for the week ahead.

"Hiiii Y/N! So nice to see you irl”

“Hello Sara! Nice to finally meet you too.”

You both hugged before she helped you load all the luggage into her car.

The festival was three days long, and you were scheduled to play on the second day, Friday. Today was Wednesday, and you and Sara decided to take it easy, resting from your flight and gearing up for the first day of the festival. You spent the day indoors, working on a new song together. Having collaborated over the phone before, it felt natural to create music side by side.

By the time you decided to call it quits for the day, it was close to midnight. You had completed a chorus, rough lyrics, and a basic beat. Though it wasn’t a finished song, you were both surprised and pleased with how quickly you managed to put it together.

After saying goodnight, you went to bed, excited for the first day of the festival.

Sara burst into your room, yelling, "Are you ready to rumble?" She jumped on top of you, playfully hitting you with a pillow, laughter echoing through the room.

Despite only knowing each other online until now, you and Sara had developed a strong bond, feeling more like lifelong friends than just virtual ones.

You both got dressed, looking forward to a day packed with activities. You opted for a see-through top over a black bikini, paired with a long jean skirt. Meanwhile, Sara dressed in a black bikini and oversized basketball shorts.

You wrap yourself in the flag of your country and head out the door, ready to represent your nation proudly at the festival. The vibrant colors of the flag flutter in the breeze, catching the attention of passersby as you make your way towards the festival.

Arriving at the festival grounds, Sara handed you two wristbands—one for guests and another for your performance tomorrow. You quickly put them on, feeling the excitement build as you headed inside. Despite the early hour, the atmosphere was already alive with bustling crowds and vibrant music echoing through the air. The anticipation of what the day held in store added an electric buzz to the scene.

You began the day by heading to the food carts with Sara to grab something to eat, both realizing in your excitement that breakfast had been forgotten. The enticing aroma of freshly cooked food and the wide variety of options made choosing difficult, but eventually, you both settled on delicious fresh sandwiches.

Walking around with your newly acquired food, you headed towards one of the stages to enjoy the music.

As the day flew by, both of you grew increasingly exhausted. Opting to head home early, you agreed not to expend all your energy, knowing you had a performance scheduled for tomorrow.

When you arrived home, both of you changed into more comfortable clothes and snuggled up on the couch. With a movie playing in the background, you resumed working on the song you started the previous day. The day filled with music had left you both inspired, eager to continue creating together.

It was well past midnight when you finally finished the song. Though it wasn't quite ready for release, both of you agreed to play it at your set tomorrow. After practicing it once more, you headed back to bed, both of you in need of some sleep.

This day, you woke up to Sara playing one of your songs at full volume as she marched through your room, singing along enthusiastically.

"Todays the day," Sara declared as she plopped down next to you in bed, creating a dip from the new weight.

She was always so joyful, her energy filling the room and rousing you from sleep, even though you were tired from the previous day.

Today, you chose a laid-back ensemble: a pink hoodie adorned with your stage name, paired with shorts concealed beneath. Sara sported a similar outfit as the day before, switching her black bikini for a pink one to complement your attire.

With your stage outfit packed in a bag, you headed back to the festival, entering through a special artist entrance. Finding Sara's trailer, you unloaded all your belongings before venturing out into the festival area.

You watched several performances before making your way back to the trailer to prepare for your own stage appearance. On the way, you and Sara sang along to songs you'd heard earlier, dancing with excitement coursing through your veins. Caught up in the moment, you spun around and accidentally bumped into someone.

"OMG, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you," you apologized, turning to face a tall, blond man with piercing blue eyes, dressed in a white tank top and black baggy jeans.

Noticing how close you were, you quickly backed up, apologizing once more.

The man chuckled. "It's fine. You seemed lost in another world."

He extended his hand towards you. "I'm Joost. And you are Y/S/N?"

You shook his hand. "That's my stage name. My real name is Y/N."

You found yourself lost in a trance staring into his eyes, until Sara stretched out her hand to greet Joost, breaking the spell.

"Hi, I'm Sara. Nice to meet you, Joost," she said with a friendly smile, shaking his hand. "But we have to get going; we're on stage in an hour." She glanced at you, her eyes full of excitement and determination for the performance ahead. She grabbed your hand and swiftly pulled you away from Joost, eager to focus on the upcoming performance. You exchanged a quick glance with Sara.

"He was so hot," you exclaimed as soon as you stepped into the trailer, flopping down on the couch beside Sara, who chuckled knowingly. "You know, you stared into his eyes for like a whole minute," she added, making you feel a mix of embarrassment and amusement. Sara grinned mischievously, clearly enjoying your reaction.

You got ready, changing into your stage outfit: a fluffy pink tank top paired with a matching bucket hat and a short jean skirt featuring your stage name on the back. Sara opted for the same bucket hat and a pink jersey dress adorned with her name. After doing your makeup, you both took a shot to calm your nerves before making your way to the stage.

Ten minutes before you were set to go on stage, you peeked out from behind the stage curtain at the already large crowd that had gathered, feeling a rush of excitement and nervous anticipation. The energy of the audience was palpable, adding to your eagerness to perform but also to your nerves.

One of Sara's songs began playing, and she stepped out onto the stage to cheers from the crowd. It was a song you had collaborated on with her, and as your part approached, you dashed onto the stage, eliciting an ecstatic response from the audience. Performing outside your own country, you weren't sure how the crowd would react, but their enthusiastic response fueled your excitement and calmed your nerves.

As you finished the first song, Sara screamed into the mic, "Helloooo, Netherlands! I'm Sara, and this is my amazing friend, Y/S/N!" The crowd erupted into cheers once again. "Do you guys wanna hear a new unreleased song?" Sara continued, prompting another wave of screams from the crowd. "I hope you like it!" she added before the beat kicked in.

You both ran around, energetically jumping on the stage while singing along to the new unreleased song, the crowd joining in on the chorus as it repeated. As the song reached its finale, you both sat down at the edge of the stage, singing the last part while gazing out over the crowd. While scanning the audience, you noticed Joost standing in the VIP section, attentively watching your performance. A rush of adrenaline mixed with a sense of accomplishment swept over you as you locked eyes with him, adding an unexpected thrill to the moment.

The next song was one of yours, featuring more introspective lyrics and a mellower beat. You and Sara swayed along with the music, seated at the edge of the stage, singing in harmony. The crowd joined in, swaying and singing along throughout the entire song. Throughout the song, you kept glancing over at Joost, who was also swaying and singing along with the music.

As you finished the song, you blew a kiss into the crowd. Rising from your seats, you and Sara prepared for the next song, its upbeat tempo filling the air once more. The rest of the set proceeded smoothly, and every now and then, you stole glances to see if Joost was still watching.

As the set drew to a close, you and Sara thanked everyone for joining, blowing kisses and waving to the cheering crowd before stepping off stage, feeling a mix of exhilaration and gratitude for the unforgettable experience.

Heading back to your trailer, you spotted Joost in the distance, slowly making his way towards you. A smile spread across your face as you anticipated what he might say about the performance.

"You guys were amazing!" he exclaimed as he reached where you were standing next to your trailer.

"Thank you," you and Sara said in unison, smiling gratefully at Joost's compliment.

"I'm going to perform on the big stage in like an hour if you wanna watch," he said before heading into his trailer.

You and Sara headed into your trailer, quickly chugging some water and sitting down to catch your breath. You relaxed in the trailer until Joost's set was about to begin in five minutes. Both of you jumped up and hurried to the big stage and into the VIP section still in your stage clothes.

The crowd was double the size of yours, and the atmosphere buzzed with excitement as people chanted Joost's name in anticipation of his imminent appearance on stage. You and Sara found yourselves caught up in the electric energy pulsating through the air.

Joost burst onto the stage, running and jumping as the beat of one of his songs filled the air. He greeted the crowd with infectious enthusiasm before diving into his set. His energy was palpable as he danced and jumped to the rhythm, and the crowd mirrored his excitement. You and Sara joined in, singing along and dancing to his music, thoroughly enjoying the experience. His stage presence was mesmerizing, drawing everyone into his performance.

As his set ended, the crowd erupted into cheers as Joost exited the stage. Once he had left, you and Sara hurried out from the VIP section, eager to catch Joost and express how much you enjoyed his performance.

Unable to find him amidst the crowd, you and Sara decided to head back to your trailer to freshen up. Squeezing onto the couch together, you snuggled close while watching some TikTok's from the festival on your phone.

You heard a knock on the door, and Sara yelled, "It's open!" not wanting to get up. The door creaked open slowly, and Joost walked into the trailer, finding you and Sara cuddled up together.

"How cute," he remarked as he squeezed onto the edge of the couch. "I saw you during my set. What did you guys think?"

"It was amazing, the crowd loved you," you said, sitting up to make space for Joost on the couch. Sara joined in, "Yeah, you were incredible," as she also shifted to a sitting position. The three of you settled comfortably, the trailer now buzzing with a relaxed yet excited energy as you recounted your favorite moments from his set. Joost's smile widened with each compliment, and he shared some behind-the-scenes stories that had you and Sara laughing.

"I'm going to an after-party with some other performers. Do you guys want to join?" he asked casually, placing his hand on your thigh, making your body shiver.

"Yes, sounds so fun," Sara answered quickly, and you nodded along, feeling a mix of excitement and anticipation.

Joost gave your thigh a gentle squeeze before standing up and handing you a piece of paper with an address and time on it. "Great, see you guys soon," he said with a smile as he headed out the door.

Once he was gone, Sara turned to you with a wide grin. "This is going to be epic," she said, her excitement palpable. You couldn't help but agree, your mind already racing with the possibilities of the night ahead.

Packing up everything and throwing on your hoodie over your stage outfit, you and Sara exited the trailer and headed home to get ready for the after-party.

Once you arrived home, you jumped into the shower to freshen up. Back in your room, you rummaged through your suitcases to find your prettiest pair of underwear, hoping you might get lucky. Sitting down on your bed, you pondered over what to wear, excitement bubbling up inside you.

You decided to stick with the same skirt from the stage since it made you feel empowered and pretty, pairing it with a pink top that showed off plenty of cleavage. You walked out to the living room where Sara sat on her phone, wearing a loose black dress. She turned around and whistled. "Damn, somebody's getting laid tonight!" You laughed, and the both of you headed out, excited for the night ahead.

To be continued….

Part two

#joost smut #joost klein smut #joost klein x you #joost x you #joost klein x reader #joost x reader #joost fanfiction #joost klein fanfiction #joost fanfic #joost klein fanfic #joost klein imagine

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qwimchii · 1 year ago

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𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘴 (pt 2) — 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘙𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘺

pt 1 pt 2 pt 3 pt 4 pt 5

𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘹 𝘤𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯!𝘧𝘦𝘮!𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺 —𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘸𝘤 — 3.1k

𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦 — 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧, 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵

𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴/𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘴 — 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘸𝘸 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘳𝘳𝘯𝘯𝘯, 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢 & 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺(𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘭𝘮𝘢𝘰), 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳

you left that meeting without exchanging a word with Simon. he didn’t seem to mind.

by the time you had left, he was swarmed by the girls at the meeting, all curious and wanting his attention. Maya included, much to Sarah’s amusement. not to yours at all.

the rest of the meeting had been a drone of done anything fun for the past week? have you set any new routines and practices? have you been utilizing any constructive coping strategies we learned about in your routines?

that was usually your favorite part about the meeting. with Simon’s presence a steaming reek right in your peripheral, no matter how much you tried to ignore him, you couldn’t get out more than a choked i’ve been good.

although, in comparison, Kate could barely coax a word from Simon. most of his responses came in the form of a blink, a shrug, or shifting in that rickety, creaking chair.

walking down the familiar road to the church, this time mid-day, but the air just as cutting and cold, you pulled out your phone to mull over the brief text conversation between yourself and Simon.

-1pm tmrw church

-Sure.

and that was that. Kate had practically strangled you over a phone call to actually text the thing and agree on a place and time to meet to plan for the upcoming fall projects.

your eyes ran over the phone screen again.

Sure.

you rolled your eyes. even that response felt arrogant and asshole-ish.

you knew your mind, in all its immaturity, was twisting the text and pulling it apart, trampling it, and spitting it back out. you knew because it was something Kate chided you about time and time again.

you couldn’t find it in you to care.

you pushed through the doors of the church, entering the chapel, descending down the stairs, to find Simon brooding by the double-doors of the meeting room.

he was leaned back against the faded walls, donning that all-black attire, hood up and masked, earbuds in and eyes closed. he looked virtually the same as he had only several days ago, save for the black baseball cap peeking out of his hood.

as you neared, you swallowed hard, stomach flurrying erratically. you probably would’ve turned tail and ditched him if his eyes didn’t snap open, pushing off the wall and arms stiff by his side.

you stopped when there was an awkwardly marginal distance between the two of you.

“hi.”

silence.

you fumbled with your phone with a sigh, scrolling through the document Kate shared with you, squinting at the screen, and wholly ignoring Simon’s dark eyes on you.

every year, the city hosts a community-led halloween festival for children with table events, performers, music, mini-haunted houses, and more. it stretches for a couple blocks and wraps around the church—where you and Simon had been assigned pumpkin carving and costume coordination by Kate.

“so we’ve got pumpkin carving and—”

“costume coordination,” he finished, hands clenched by his sides. you eyed his gloves curiously, then roamed up to his masked face.

with a bitterness, you realized he kind of looked like a serial killer. but, biting down on your tongue, you chose not to speak on it, only pocketed your phone with a nod.

“right. costumes this way,” you gestured down the hallway, and Simon fell into step just a few strides behind you.

to fill the terse silence, you fumbled around for small talk.

“so you got a day job?”

if he had agreed to meet at one o’clock on a weekday, you assumed his military job might be something with a peculiar irregularity, much to your chagrin. you had hoped he would say no to the meeting.

but he just shook his head. “i’m on leave. been here since last week.”

your heart soared, and you bit down on your lip to smother a smile as you opened the door at the end of the hallway. “does that mean you’ll be going back soon?”

flicking on the flights, the storage room flooded with an artificial fluorescent glare. you reached for a familiar storage container beneath a table covered with dusty white sheets. hauling it towards you, you paused when you realized Simon hadn’t followed you into the room.

you looked over your shoulder. he stared back at you from where his massive frame crowded the doorway, hands clenched by his sides.

you swallowed hard. you were alone in this church with Simon. just you and a man.

and he was blocking the only exit.

an alarming flash ran through you—hot and sharp and leaving you breathless.

“did i do something?”

you stood, steadying your labored breath like Kate had taught you.

“yes.”

he stared at you for a long moment before huffing out, eyes flashing as he stepped into the room and away from the entrance. you exhaled, rough and shaky.

that burn of his prying gaze built a familiar anger in your lungs, and you eyed him with narrowed eyes. “what?”

he shook his head, bending down for a box beside yours. “nothing.”

you cocked your head. “something funny?”

“no.” he rose to his full height, a box between his hands, and head craned as he looked down at you. dark eyes murky and quiet.

your hands balled into fists. he really was massive.

“you’re just bad at lying.”

your brow furrowed and he gestured with a dip of his head towards your stance, and your gaze followed his, down to the stiffness of your body and your hands clenched in your pockets.

you blinked. when had you done that?

immediately, you jerked them out of your pockets and smoothed your clammy hands down your thighs.

“let’s just—” you cleared your throat, turning back to the boxes, “—let’s just get this over with and leave.”

you could see Simon’s stare from your peripheral. “alright.”

carrying the boxes down the hallway, his footsteps those eerie quiet thuds behind you, you turned to push through the door with your back and strode to settle the box at the center of the floor, rummaging through the contents and spreading them out over the carpet. you picked up a little black number draped with longer, jagged pieces along its hems. a child size witch’s dress.

Simon settled beside you a comfortable distance away, watching your movement with a careful eye.

“okay so—” you turned the dress over in your hands, inspecting its light wear and tear, “—i’ll take half of the costumes to sew. you take the other half to work on and next meeting we’ll—”

the deep timbre of his voice cut you off. “sew?”

the words died in your throat, head whipping to Simon who held up a toddler’s pumpkin costume that was dwarfed by the size of his hands.

you struggled for words, choking out, “you don’t know how to sew?”

his eyes met yours. “not clothing.”

flabbergasted, you pressed, “and Kate assigned you to costume coordination?”

he nodded, beginning to pull out his phone and show you Kate’s document you presumed, but you waved a hand at him, a new berth of stress weighing down your shoulders.

“no, no it’s fine just…” you held your forehead, jaw clenched tight. “i’ll teach you.”

speaking it was like a death sentence, and you only wallowed in your own self-pity. how could Kate do this to you?

everyone assigned costume coordination had to know how to sew. it was part of the requirements.

unless Kate pulled some strings.

you watched Simon spread out the costumes over the carpet like you had.

“did Kate put you up to this?”

Simon didn’t even pause to acknowledge you, picking at the garments until they were in neat rows.

“no.”

“so you joined the group… on your own accord?” the idea of it was staggering. Simon had looked downright trodden when sharing about himself with the group—not giving up much more than that he watched tv sometimes and read books sometimes. which, in your opinion, was what most people did in their freetime.

“not exactly,” he said, voice gruff, and you eyed him for a long moment before sighing, careful not to push him further.

you reached over for the costumes of his that needed the most attention. “i’ll take the most beat up ones—”

he ignored you, eyes trained on the clothes. “no. we’re a team. i can pull my weight.”

a bitter taste flooded your mouth. team.

“right, well, there are lots of youtube tutorials.”

he just nodded, gathering up the items and throwing them back in the box.

you heaved a sigh. “i’m assuming you don’t have sewing supplies?”

“i can buy some.”

you shook your head. “no need. next meeting i can bring some of mine. i have extra.”

“thought you said we needed to work on them by next meeting?”

his question was pure but it still set that irked fire rolling through your stomach. shoving the costumes back into your box, you mourned his attention to detail. you always thought he was only half-listening.

with your long silence, he offered, “i’ll buy some supplies.”

that ugly feeling trickled down to your chest. guilt. regret. “no just…”

you screwed your eyes shut, like couldn’t believe you were saying this.

“i live just down the block. just come to my place now and i can give you some if you really want to get a head start.”

you ignored his curious gaze as you picked up the box, and trudged your way out of the meeting room.

“alright.”

he followed you.

the entire walk to your apartment was silent.

a creeping awkward, muddled feeling prickled along your spine. it was almost unbearable, but the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot was more comforting than scrambling around for small talk.

arms beginning to ache with the effort of carrying the box of costumes, you felt a burst of relief at the sight of your brick red apartment complex just ahead. your steps quickened now, and you didn’t bother to see if Simon was following you closely or not. from the sound of his slow breath just beyond your shoulder, with a shudder, you could assume that he was.

you hopped up the steps, putting down the box and fumbling around in your bag for the keys to shove them into the old lock, scrambling around with half-frozen hands till it gave way. you stepped inside, not waiting to hold the door open for him as you rubbed your arms with a shudder. the heat blasted your numb face in the entrance hall, the white radiator working furiously by the door.

“cold?”

you jolted, turning sharply to him as he closed the door, looking completely content after walking a block in such low temperatures. maybe, you were just being overdramatic. or maybe it was because Simon was wearing a good couple more layers than you were.

“yeah,” you said, “are you not?”

he just shrugged. “got used to it from work.”

you found that strangely ominous, so you just gave him a curt nod in reply, picking up the box of costumes and turning to walk up the creaky stairs to the upper floor of the old building. you strode down the carpeted hall till you reached a faded red door.

your jerked your head to it, mumbling awkwardly, this is my place, before struggling with the keys again to open it. strangely, your heart thudded against your rib cage during the movements, prickling at the thought of his dark eyes watching you.

when you pushed the heavy door open, shoving your foot in the crack, you took one look inside and decided that you didn’t want Simon stepping anywhere near your home. especially not if you were alone. especially not if you were alone with a man.

“uh…” you trailed off, mouth opening and closing, then turning to him, leaning against the wall casually, then looked away, unable to make eye contact.

he shifted in your peripheral. “i’ll wait out here.”

you almost jolted at that, an airy bubble of shock breaking into your words as you gave him a wide-eyed stare. “are you sure?”

he nodded and you mumbled a slow apology, stepping inside your apartment with the box of costumes and letting the front door glide shut. that was… strange.

with a hefty sigh, you put down the box on the kitchen table, brushing the feeling away, and stripped yourself of your jacket, moving into your bedroom.

you pulled open the drawers of the storage containers on your desk, shuffling around for extra sewing supplies that you could spare and shoving them all into an extra bag that you didn’t use anymore. that bag happened to be an old, pink hello kitty zip-up pouch from middle school.

you hoped Simon wouldn’t be too irked by it as you zipped it up, then chided yourself for caring if he felt mad at you at all.

at that, you paused at your desk, fingers fiddling with the zipper as your mind whizzed through some thoughts. Simon hadn’t made any unnecessary advancements towards you. he hadn’t waltzed into your home like it was your own. he hadn’t pushed your boundaries when you obviously displayed them. he didn’t dump the workload on you because Kate had given him an assignment out of his skillset.

he wasn’t even that talkative. you couldn’t even imagine him as being touchy. in fact, he was a good four feet from you at almost all times.

except when you were in that church basement.

you steadied yourself with deep, slow inhales, just like Kate had taught you. was this what Kate meant by trying to get better? forcing you to work with a man who she knew wouldn’t cross your boundaries?

and what did that mean for Simon? did he have something to work out over being near… women?

your support group specialized in a range of things. mostly, victims of sexual trauma. though, not all girls in the group came for that reason.

there was a bitter taste in your mouth. for some reason, it hadn’t dawned on you that Simon might’ve come, albeit seemingly dragged along by Kate, to the group for the same reason as you.

as a victim of sexual trauma.

you cursed Kate and all her conspiring, reverse-psychology, psychic plans, quickly striding from your bedroom to the front door. you paused at the entrance, hand twitching over the knob, before twisting the door open with an apology already on your lips.

the words died in your throat at the sight of your new, brutish neighbor just steps from the door, conversing with Simon in an excited, low voice.

when he noticed you, a smile bloomed across his face. “hey, lass! how’re ye doin’?”

you almost withered. this was exactly the kind of men you avoided. talkative and touchy.

you cracked the door open a little wider, but not enough so that he could pull you into a friendly hug like he had done a couple days ago without warning. the memory of it had you in shivers behind the shield of the door.

Simon stood with crossed arms a step away from your neighbor, eyeing you with a dark curiosity that you chose to ignore.

“Johnny,” you chewed out, skipping any formalities. though it didn’t matter, because no matter how rude you could get, the scot would beam at you anyways.

“i was just talkin’ to yer friend here,” he said, slapping Simon on the back, who didn’t even flinch. “we’re coworkers! who would’ve guessed?”

he laughed, long and hearty, and you grimaced. “great.”

snaking a hand out of the crack of your front door, you handed the hello kitty pouch to Simon. the black mask shrouded half his face, but from the way his brows pinched together, eyes flitting up in a hard glance before glaring back down at the pink, worn thing, you thought he seemed irked. swallowing, you felt an ounce of guilt as Johnny watched the whole interaction with glee.

“i ken ye’ were a hello kitty guy, Ghost.”

“fuckin’ hell, Johnny,” he grumbled under his breath, snatching up the pouch from your hand.

you almost felt bad as Simon shoved it into the pocket of his sweatshirt, feeling as though you may have opened up a slew of new ways for Johnny to poke at Simon.

he turned sharply on his heel, looking like he was escaping the conversation just as much as you wanted to right now but—

you pushed open the door a tad wider, knocking into Johnny carelessly, who blundered back with a surprised oof.

“wait!”

Simon slowly turned, peering at you from over his shoulder.

you hesitated, knowing Johnny’s eyes were picking apart the situation with an intense scrutiny that made you feel like shrinking into dust.

“i…”

you thought back to how you had felt a few minutes ago—the apology extracted from the simmering guilt in your gut. you looked over Simon, the tall, muscular strength of him, and felt something dark and wet twist your heart.

maybe not guilt, but sympathy.

the words of apology were on your lips, but you could see Johnny leaning forward into your peripheral, so instead you said, “are you busy tomorrow?”

he blinked at you. “no.”

“do you live far from here?”

“ten minutes by walk.”

not far at all, you realized, with a breath of relief. “there’s a cafe on the corner of smith and wellerstation. i work till six. i can teach you how to sew then.”

he just stared at you. “you don’t have to.”

i want to, you wanted to say.

but you never worked well with words or apologies, and after observing Simon, just in the short time you had met him, he seemed to share somewhat of the same qualities.

“just be there,” you shot out quickly with an annoyed flush, and then slammed the door shut.

standing in your apartment for a moment, a silence filling the air, you deliberated before shoving the door open again, nearly missing Johnny by a hair.

he startled when you stuck your head out to peer at him.

“have a good evening,” you snapped, and he opened his mouth to say something, maybe shocked because you had never taken such formality to be nice to him before, but you shut the door in his face before he could get anything out.

finally, at peace and alone in your own apartment, you trudged over to grab the box of costumes and hauled it by your couch before stepping into your bedroom to snatch up the bag of your sewing supplies.

you sank onto the couch with a deep sigh, fiddled with the remote to switch on an episode of that new k-drama on netflix.

restitching the fraying seams of the little witch dress, eyes flitting between the fabric in your hands and the tv screen, as much as you bit back the thoughts with your lower lip trapped beneath your teeth, your mind drifted far away to think of the man you’d be teaching to sew tomorrow.

this chapter is pretty short and not interesting imo, but just wait till the next one oml 😵‍💫 shit goes down

wait also please ignore the gaping, massive plot holes in this story. half of it doesn’t really make any sense but likkkeeeee Simon x halloween x therapy support group had me in a chokehold… it’s giving the faults in our stars or smth but i love writing this au

i say that: 1. kate has retired/stopped working in military 2. i really dont know if this is taking place in america or uk bc in my head its very much america w like halloween type stuff and all the minor characters are american in my brain so pls just ignore everything that does not make sense ty 😇 3. oh also i like to think that johnny moved near simon just to terrorize him 😇 4. ok anyways ive been rambling on for so long i hope you enjoy this part!! 💞

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