| mon chèri, ms walker. .☘︎ ݁˖
‘protect you with every last ounce of life in my body everyday i wake up’
synopsis: Leà Walker faces the dangers of a stalker, it has always crosses her mind everyday the danger that comes in being the face of the beast, the press. But Jackson Brooks won’t let her even let her touch the skin of danger. tinyyy bit of angst if you squint, fluff, clear tension like duhh, some softie leà, bossy jackson (ofc yall know he’s gonna turn soft for her omg)!, mentions of her childhood/past, based off of recent tyriq withers quinn audio ‘The Bodyguard.’
She swore the unsettling feeling that slowly ran through her like a majestic breath taking waterfall except in this moment nothing was ’majestic’ about the matter that lies ahead, will consume her in the worse way than she could imagine. Five eyes now landing on her like she held the answer right on her tongue, omitting the fact that they couldn’t see the dread, anxiety, the pure sickness that sunk into her eyes? If she could vomit all over this round beautifully dark taupe table she would, would she even find the strength to? God she felt weak all over, someone had to be stepping on her neck restricting her to catch a single breath, right? The fact that couldn’t even get a single stable breath out spoke enough for her, Leà has never wanted to sink and crawl into a ball in the corner as much as she does right now. Nevertheless, an extra pair of eyes that now made six people in the room saw that, Jackson. He’s never seen a woman like her so shaken, thinking he could read Leà like a double sided mirror never knowing, oh he could be so wrong. It felt like Leà pried open his mouth and poured herself into him while cutting him open and exploring all that is him, this wasn’t even happening to him. Yet he still felt every damned emotion in her body, losing some balance to his strong stance and demeanor which in particular wasn’t like him. It’s such an undesirable and indescribable feeling that burns inside both of their bodies, a mixture of emotions, thoughts of uncertainty, fear, and the realization of having to sit in it. “Can we stop?” Finally, One breath taken, eyes finally lift from her manicure under the round table. Five Eyes direct back towards her in disbelief almost, how careless. Leà’s pretty teeth slowly sinking into her bottom lip trying to go unnoticed to mask her rattled nervous system, hair falling so slow as it could feel the rocky tension in the room falling back to cover her hair slightly, her overgrown curtain bangs she always forgets to mention to Chelle, only woman she trust to touch her hair as she has ran her fingers through Leà’s hair since she was six, it always looked pretty on her, laid so nicely but never ever covered her breathtaking brown eyes that shined in the Paris evening light, Jackson always thought her eyes reminded of him of a baby deer, pretty little orbs, now shining with fear eyes burning threatening to drop a single tear, she wouldn’t dare do it in this room. Pushing herself from the table out of the terrible wheels on the rolling chair must she say, to walk out the room was the most stable thing she did. “Fuck!” She covers her mouth, drool threatening to drop from her mouth, no way she's about to throw up and lose control, Leà Walker struggling to find a thread of sanity? What a fucking headline her head was painting an image for her, her own brain trying to become her enemy. Slush was all he heard, well all he could force himself to focus and hear. He couldn’t pin point what emotion he was feeling, he was confused, bewildered of why he was feeling this? Does Leà Walker owe him something, did she take something from him? He was undoubtedly falling in love with her, and there was nothing he could do about it, right? Not like he would try to stop it. Fifteen minutes, both of them sat on each side of the door, waiting for the other to form a single sentence. Leà’s ragged breathing could be heard from behind the door, the automatic paper towel dispensing multiple times as water ran with slight, quiet movement of her heels scraping against the splatted dotted floor. Leà ran a hand across her lips, at the moment this was cleanest she was getting, trash can full of multiple tough sandy brown paper towels covered from the fluids she just threw up prior, she felt like five year old Leà again.
Begging to be understood, seen completely for her not some lawyer and economist daughter who never got the opportunity to be a child, she mourned her past self so deeply, holds it so tight like a dingy teddy bear that every kid clinged onto that witness every tear they dropped, nightmares as they silently weeped for their mommy in the dark night, nightlight dead out of batteries and they mumbled under their breath how terrified they were and the big bad monsters under the bed would come out and take them from their warm home as their small little knuckles turned weight from the tight grasp they had, like the “monsters” would understand their fear and fall back. Instead the monsters fed off of her fear, uncertainty. Leà rarely understood comfortability or failing, her mother always told her failure was for people who were idiotic, never took accountability, became a victim to shield their guilt and embarrassment. Apart from that, one thing her mother always drilled into the six year-old Leà heart, they are easy to lie to themselves, creating an act of deception. But for what show? Why did they need to prove themselves, and decide the way to prove themselves was by lying? Was it even truly deception or a call for help? Did they even know themselves? A truth she wanted to deny, deny, deny every time her brain would reflect the thought to her. Rushed to be molded, formed into someone who wasn’t Leà, she hadn’t felt ease since elementary school. “You’re too full of knowledge and pretty to cry baby..” her mother would say as she gently wiped her first and only child’s tears as ran her hands through her hair almost as she was a fragile glass antique vase as her daughter wished just once, her mother would hold her, with true emotion and act like she was her mother, her mommy, put her hands down from this ‘art work’ she was trying to mold Leà into and see her for her, her daughter, her precious shining star in the dark. “Ma’am. Leà.” Her thoughts froze, childhood fading back into her mind, it’ll come back to haunt her later and rattle her some more like a scared animal in a rattling cage. Did his voice just bring her back? Another concern for her. Jackson laid his hands on the door ever so gently as if it was a panned glass door that would shatter with the slightest breeze of wind, positioning his head on the cold wooden door with a glossy finish, he took the most deep controlled breath he could form. “I need… need to see your face. My body needs to know you are okay, safe. I can’t settle till I do, even if it’s just five seconds fuck, I see you, Leà.” She’s never swung a door open so fast, damn near gave herself whiplash. Jackson seen her for all she was, her brown eyes, wide, stung with red from the tears that successfully poured down her face, plump pretty pink lips with naturally lined brown now swollen, her hair now fallen out of her face, showing her feature and the worry laced in her face. “Am I just an asset? A woman standing in a fucking tailored suit five days a week standing in the public eye to be poked? The public’s ragdoll?” Pure hurt laced in her voice as she looks away breathing out in disbelief as she runs her hands through her now tangled locks, new tears welling up in her eyes god, could we be through with the tears? Jackson couldn’t answer, he could hardly take the time to process her words full of grief and anger in view of the fact that he was witnessing Leà's most vulnerable moment, in front of him. She felt safe enough to give herself to him, her mother would call her a gullible girl too scared to be alone, that thought alone slowly eats at the butterflies in her stomach easily ruining the idea of wanting to land safely in his arms. They both stood in the doorway of the bathroom, his body hesitant to close the space between them not wanting to overwhelmed her anymore than she already was, god knows how bad he wanted to pull her out of the darkness, he could see her just floating not able to land anywhere, no one deserves to feel lost like she was now and he couldn’t let it happen, not to his Leà.
He closed the space between them. Quickly, gentle. “I made a promise and I have zero intentions on breaking it, or letting it break you. I will keep you here, with me, on solid ground, with me. Safe.” His understated manicure, clean, toned hands held Leà face in his hands, he definitely thought she looked like a baby dear caught in headlights in uncertainty eyes scanning for it’s mother, “You never promised me anything Jackson.” “I did the day I made the decision to become yours, your personal bodyguard. An commitment, a sacrifice, an unruled promise that I made to you. I will protect you with every last ounce of life in my body everyday I wake up.” Unprepared. Only word that could form the emotions circling in her mind now, she couldn’t act like it wasn’t what she wanted to hear but in this exact moment at the same time she could? Leà cloaking her mind from the truth, I mean how far could she run? In the fullness of time, she would hit a wall, a very obvious huge wall with not such a nice blow. Her concealment for him was blowing up right in her face, it was no longer something so simple nor easy to hide and it was beyond just a light problem dancing on the surface of her thoughts. Complicated, frustrating, deep, and intricate is what it is now. Regardless however she twists and makes up her own story, for her, him, the stupid fucking headlines she never fails to make once a year. He traces her cheekbone delicately with tenderness, never letting their eyes break contact, he won’t let her look away almost as he wants her to face the truth plainly, but he can’t tell her that because he’s denying himself the truth equally as her. A Pandora's box of affairs they won’t unlock or face, even the mere mention of facing it makes both of them sick, nevertheless they won’t face it alone, and at the end of each day they will find each other there. “Miss Walker..? Are you well to proceed?” Her face goes pale. Abruptly the space is open again, no longer close together as they both release a deep breath they were both unknowingly holding. Leà straightens her posture, runs her manicure hands through her hair before turning back to the mirror seeing the state of herself, as always she pushes it away, neglecting herself. Directing her eyes back to Jackson, clearing her throat, “We have to.. return. Come.” Turning swiftly in her heels as they clack against the porcelain floor towards the glass room, tinted windows where she nearly vomited and lost her sanity but she had zero time to reflect on what happened thirty minutes ago. Nausea was all her body knew in this situation, Leà wanted to end quickly. Re-entering the room, as she seated herself back into the same seat with the shitty wheels (not even a rolling chair at this point) he entered. Slowly the click of the door sounded in the tense quiet of the room. He crossed his arms over his chest and stood by the door slight clench in his greek godly shaped jaw, she could remember when she laid naked on top of him peppering kisses from his neck to that beauty of his jaw all through the Paris evening as they laid in each others skin, skin to skin under her silken sheets as he whispered delicate sweet nothings into her ear, “ Look how pretty you are..” “You did so good tonight, my leà..” “No need to rush, angel. Slow down.. I’m staying, I won’t leave..” “What do you need? What do you want.” The sandy beige folder being pushed towards her, brings her out of her daydream she wanted to stay in. Reluctant, resistant to even begin to open the folder, the sight makes her stomach churn. Multiple pictures of her, Leà Walker. Walking off the private jet arriving to multiple locations, Paris mornings where she was greeted with the press as soon as the car door swiftly opened, dinner with her parents, a private gala she attended as she diverts her attention to handwritten letters, multiple, precise, clean. Was this a clean freak she was encountering?
Letters expressing the awe, admiration they held for her, how they entertained themselves to multiple of her interviews, articles expressing how much knowledge she was ‘filled’ with and brings attention to matters others in higher power wouldn’t dare to mention, it wasn’t about image for her, they seen that but it wasn’t a compliment the way they seen it. It easily became possessive, obsessive, dangerous. Leà swore the vomit was coming back up. Last evidence was pushed towards her, receipts from a flower shop, two blocks away from her residency. Horror takes over, stilling her body taking full control as if she was a playing simon says and couldn’t proceed without the approval, god if she could sink inside this chair and become one, she would in an instant no doubt. He couldn’t look, bare to take in the emotions she was feeling and how they all surrounded her like a lamb trying to escape from the big bad wolf as they inched closer taking in her vulnerability with no consideration. How could they be so blind, insensitive, selfish towards the state Miss Walker was in? No, Leà. His Leà. He swore his jaw could snap in half, the tension unbearable between his teeth clenching, toned hands now in a fist turning into a pale white, he couldn’t look god but he refused to let this continue any further. The heart-rending pain he felt watching her, he felt pathetic even letting them take a second of her time, shoving it in her face, nevertheless expecting her to spit out a solution immediately like a teleprompter. “Miss Walker is in no state to answer. God I.. can see all in your selfish faces how sympathy lacks inside all of you.”
Jackson pulls her wrist making the terribly rolling chair twist towards him slightly knocking the wood table, he bends down to her height as their eyes find their way to each other connecting once again, intensely. Leà finally let go of the breath she was struggling to release, as if he gave her a clear pathway to breath again, her knight in shining armor as if she was six all over again reading paperback fairy tales stories hence why she probably admired the movie tangled so much, felt like she was one with rapunzel. “I have a stalker? Is that what this is? Brooks?” That damned last name shattered him more and to think it couldn’t break him more than it already was, he already felt like he lost all sanity melted into a puddle into the porcelain floor, but seeing her breathless, shaky, vulnerable fighting to form words, a single sentence and to think it would be a release of a heart-warming moment, words full of love, instead she’s paid back with hurt, confusion, fear. He couldn’t think it got worse but oh did his body prove him wrong. “They are nobody, they are a coward who threatens you behind letters but secretly wants to feed off of you, no matter how many flowers they send, hand written letters whatever shitty form they are a coward. I won’t ever let a coward hurt you. Even breathe your air, even for a damned second. Do you understand Miss Walker?” Astounded she was. “Leà.” Without delay, she woke up and faced reality, a thread broken in the silence. “… yes. I understand.” He didn’t want anything from her, didn’t wanna shake or swallow her vulnerable state, he just needed her to come back to him. The darkness didn’t deserve her; they couldn’t have her, not as long as he breathed and woke up to every new day. Leà Walker was more than a U.S. diplomat or asset. She was someone’s daughter, a woman, a human and he just couldn’t wrap his head around how nevertheless they couldn’t see that? She wasn’t the public’s ragdoll, to throw, poke, pull, redo or remake. She never has deserved cruelty and the fact that she has lived through almost nothing but cruelty breaks every inch of his sanity he has left. “Thank you.” He mumbles just for her to hear, these selfish beings didn’t deserve to even witness her in this light; he wouldn't let them even breathe in her air if he had the power, choice. Jackson stands; straightens himself, clearing his throat. “Miss Walker will take into account the situation brought to her today. We promise action will be taken soon as Miss Walker is in the right mind to come to a conclusion.” “What shall we tell her mother?” If he could scoff in front of them he would, trust he would. “The same thing I’ve spoken to you. I believe her own mother would understand the state her daughter is in.” Leà dissociated but caught the words of her mother, would she? Understanding the state she lies in right now, or telling her ’personal feelings' gets you nothing. You can’t win against the vulnerable.’ Or oh her favorite one! ‘Attention is what people below you feed for. Take it and don’t lose it.’ Would her mother let her own daughter embrace this danger for attention? Attention that would still have her headlined as greedy, selfish, ’paid for headlines’, lacks emotion, and her favorite, self-centered. Maybe she just was an asset after all, not just Jackson’s, but her mother’s, the public’s asset.
Sitting together on the soft quiet bed of Lea’s and Jackson’s divided hotel room, multiple documents laid across the bed as she sits with her legs crossed nonchalantly showing off her pretty clean pedicure, sharp frenchies with a glossy pink base, she had to subtly incorporate pink into everything she does. Jackson’s grey marines shirt lays gently on her quiet baggy but just as she likes, being in tailored suits five days a week well almost six when does she ever have a free saturday morning anything less tight, freshly steamed pants frolicking around her ankles slightly showing off her foot tattoo she would undoubtedly take the loss clothing even as it was too big hanging off the frame of her body. Jackson not too far from her itching to close the space between them spectates every move she makes undeniably admiring her in awe, Leà wasn't much of a fan of pajama pants, I mean undoubtedly not shocking she’s in business casual five days a week multiple hours a day could a girl just be bare for the night! Jackson was very aware, oh very, Lea lounges around on his side of the room from the very first evening of their ties, he comes to the conclusion that she isn’t much of a bottoms person but oh he quickly joined her propaganda right along with her, he couldn’t blame himself god, Leà Walker was such a sight he would drown in the slightest glimpse of her, takes him back to when she was placed on his caseload, headshot picture taking the air from the room restricting his will to breathe, god the woman she is. Her pretty detailed laced panties peaking out to make an slight appearance as the oversized shirt rides up just a bit, he catches the inscribed ‘Angel’ in an delicate cursive font, fighting a full smile with all thirty two of his pearly teeth he slightly turns his head letting out a tiny quiet chuckle before turning back to his Leà. “What’s going on in that world of yours?” She lifts her head delicately her curtain bangs immediately framing her face, silk bouncy curls that reflect off the low lights she meets his face, those pretty doe eyes hiding behind the two lens that help dictate her line of eyesight, her chunky tortoise shell square glasses she despises, just a tiny bit. Leà delicately lays the documents down, “What world Mr Brooks?” A tease, the little lift of her smirk makes him just want to snatch her up and hide her, keep her for himself in these four walls, repeat these evenings till the end of time, he could die a happy man. “God your gorgeous.. in that head of yours ma’am.” Shameless! Nevertheless she ate it up. It lights up her entire chest, she laughs undoubtedly at his shameless act she finds it so adorable, he’s whipped and has no problem showing it especially for her. A fit of laughter they had, Leà thought if she could stay like this every day she would without doubt. He was her morning light and she never wanted to escape. “I actually don’t know, just thinking how to proceed..” Running her fingers across all the document showcasing all the multiple pages of ‘a coward’ as Jackson would say, from her stalker. “The authorities' way or per say, our way?” Our. That rang through her head, it finally came to focus for her. She wasn’t handling her issue alone. Inside her mind gleamed from the thought of finally finding a breath of relief to let someone hold her, take care of her. Not the other way around but still with a slight sense of independence, like cmon, it wouldn’t be her without it. “Our?” Came from her with a light head tilt, she wanted to poke with her curiosity to find the meaning of his ‘our’, was it a business affair? Media trained words to persuade Leà choice or deter? Or was this genuine Jackson Brooks from Jacksonville, Florida? “Everything that approaches you becomes ours, no longer just yours to carry, can I carry that for you? Or do I need your permission? You know I'm very obedient to you Miss Walker.”
Her breath hitches so slightly but she knows he picked it up, her sanity being chipped at. Documents discarded from her mind as she slowly rose from her sat position, the bed rising up, at this moment they both fell into submission for each other. Slowly sliding herself to him eyes locked on his lap, Jackson captured her eyes lock on his lap as if it was a red dotted laser and she was a pretty little kitten trying to catch the light encapture it, he has a lost every bit of control of him today and confirmed he it for himself by reaching out of her pulling her into his lap, instantly her legs wrapped around his, perfectly molded like it belonged there. She traces his jaw delicately before cupping his breathtaking handsome face capturing every single feature of him, ‘gotta thank his parents’ and I mean could you blame her again! He’s a fucking Greek god damn near and he is hers, all to herself? Giddy like a kid waking up on Christmas morning. “Hi.” Jackson breathlessly laughs, there that smile. “Hi gorgeous. You look quite stunning in this huge shirt of yours, or wait mine?” Everything could wait, it was finally her turn to freeze time and put others' matters into their own hands to deal with, not hers. Even if it was just for tonight, Leà finally gave herself to him, fully. She was his.
| end.
finally posted and fed yall!! im literally such a procrastinator i had to make sure i really like this and everything yall don’t knowww how many rewrites i did and edit whew chile! but all roads lead back to micheal b jordanBOFLLL kidding! i was inspired by donnie and bianca mostly through their romance u can see it a tinyy bit but still! they were definitely on the inspo list. i just hope u guys enjoy this it’s pretty long me thinks, this is like the before so basically the prequel and basically epilogue! i honestly think im done w this i do have a few drabbles for you guys then im resting my pen wheww but if you guys are confused abt anything just lmk i tried to make this clear and not too chaotic! enjoy babies! ᥬᩤ (yes all the songs aren’t niche ass uncover songs yall know emLMFAOO but literally it was so hard to narrow the best four songs for yall literally every song on my playlist reminded me of them.)
