Since Halloween’s getting closer and I’ve been staring at Hollywood U’s loading screen for far too long, I decided to draw...
Raggedy Addi!
Yeah, I didn’t color her in cuz it will ruin it. But I think I wanna see a creepy-cute Addison. And maybe a side quest where she’s totally obsessed with the doll...
Basically I just based the doll from my mom’s old Raggedy Ann one (still gives me the creeps tho)
Types of people and their reasons why they wait for Star Wars VIII
Type 1 - I’m a die hard Star Wars fan and I’m gonna watch all the movies and TV series, read the books and graphic novel m’kay? Did you see my Lego model of the AT-AT?
Type 2 - I wanna know wth is going on, I need info! Seriously, who IS Rey’s father? Is Han really dead? What is Snoke’s origin? Where is Luke’s hand?
Type 3 - I dunno, I just follow the hype...
and there’s...
Me: Look I just wanna know if my ship is incest or not okay?! I don’t care, it’s still valid ‘til they flat out say that it’s another borderline incest (still recovering from the ‘Luke and Leia are twins that kissed’ thing even if it’s been decades).
A collection of words involving ColexFia. Some are funny (or at least I think it is), some are serious and some can be tied to Slow Burn.
Canon Hollywood U characters are not mine except for Fia and Cole.
Avante-garde - They were both proud of their uniqueness; her with the skill of camera manipulation and directing abilities and he with his mind filled with endless creativity and though-provoking stories. Some say they can do great things together and Cole certainly thought so too.
Breathe - Whenever his panic attack starts to act up, Fia would calmly take his face into her hands and told him straight in the eye to breathe. It was laughable that she instructs him to catch his breath while her entire being also made him breathless.
Coward - Fia would like to think of herself as a brave person but the fact that scriptwriter had spilled his guts to her unwittingly during a drinking session had froze the blood in her veins. When he sobered up and asked if he did anything stupid while in a drunken stupor, she tucked away that fact and told him to sleep it off. She doesn't want to face his feelings nor the fact that she might hurt him.
Dance - Fia loved to dance. She may not be the smoothest dancer out there but she just loved getting lost to the beat or sway with the rhythm. She didn't notice the surprised look on Cole's face when she pulled him into the dance floor as Lisa sang her heart out on the mic. Heck, she didn't even notice the worried glance Ethan had sent their way as she grabbed Cole's hands and urged him to jump along with the lyrics like the rest of them.
Ego - He had been called egoistical from time to time especially by others whom he had met personally and repulsed by his arrogance. He knew he had talent but he's not going to waste his image by being modest. But as he was admonished by Fia to stop acting like a moron because he accidentally insulted an interviewer; he remembered the pleasure-filled face she made a few moments before that only he could create and that stroked his ego even more.
Fraction - It took him only a fraction of a second to see the soft look she had sent Hunt that punched him hard on the gut. It seems that the rumors were true.
Gravity - It was a cruel tug-o-war between them. He tried to distance his emotions from her but once she's in contact, he can't help but orbit around her like a sailor to an unwilling siren.
Hypocrite - Fia knew that she's being the person she hated the most when she saw a cute brunette approach Cole in a timid fashion and showed him a ticket to some sort of event (she can't have a good look since she was in the other side of the library). It irked her that someone had shown interest in him and it's quite bothersome since she said she never wanted to be possessed by anyone yet she had branded him as hers.
Ice cream - He never could understand her supposed obsession with this sugary treat. Cole didn't like ice cream; it's too cold to bite into and he had to keep eating it before it melts. Frankly he wanted his food to stay in a permanent state before he digests it. But whenever Fia asks her entourage if they wanna go to the ice cream parlor with her, he would be the first to stand.
Juxtapose - They're different from each other, polar opposites that clashed like fire and ice. She's vibrant, had the gift of gab and friendly whereas he's blunt, prefers his own company above others' and very passive-aggressive. But they're also the same with their passion, their stubbornness and willingness to get whatever they want. They're the two sides of the same coin.
Kaleidoscope - During their sessions, he would find himself staring at the ceiling if her room or sometimes the window and watch the dark colors of blue and black and change to soft tones of yellows and reds as dawn breaks. He longed to see the day when he didn't have to leave before the sun rose.
Lipstick - Cole would notice it right away. The telling rose-tinted sheen on her lips was unusual for her. Despite the color that made her fair tone stand out even more, he really preferred her lips to be bare- he didn't want the taste of cherry in his mouth while kissing her after all.
Monday - Everyone hates Mondays, especially students and people with jobs. But Cole Reaves hates that particular day because he had to attend a class that was taught by a man he never thought he would be at odds with. But he had to be careful about his hostile thoughts, Thomas Hunt is not someone he could just trifle with so easily.
Naps - Fia never indulged herself on napping. There's too much to do and it never failed to give her a headache every time she wakes up. But when she walked in the school library and saw Cole sitting on the table by the reference section, dozing away next to a pile of books, she sat on the seat across his own and smiled as she watched him peacefully sleep and gently swept the black curls from his face.
Opal - Cole doesn't know much about jewelry except for the basic diamonds and sapphires his mother always wore. But when he saw Fia and her friends in a mall window-shopping, she was looking at a particular ring. When they left, he asked the jeweller if he could see what she was looking at and he produced a ring that had a stone that was flecked with different colors. The man proudly called it a Dragon's Breath fire opal ring- all Cole could see was the Eye of freaking Sauron.
Pizza - Cole cursed as he nursed his injured hand and turned to glare at the director. "Damn it, if you wanted the last slice then just say so! You didn't have to fucking bite me!"
Quills - Fia whimpered while Addi, Ethan and Holly watched as Cole carefully dislodged another prodding object that was sticking on the palm of her hand. Let this be a lesson to her about playing with Lisa's pet hedgehog without supervision.
Rain - The rain held a significant role in their lives. Ir was raining when Fia encountered her first heartbreak and it was under the same rain he had met her when she literally bumped into him with a pathetic expression in her face.
Sneeze - One of the things he finds most amusing was, believe it or not; Fia's sneeze. When she first sneezed because of the dust in an empty room, he thought it was a squeak of a mouse. But when she did it again, he did everything he could to make sure his phone would record the delightful sound.
Tickle - Fia knew a lot of things. Her friends had told them their secrets in confidence that she won't tell another soul and she made good of her promises. But there's a secret of Cole's she can't help but abuse. And that's the spot on his side, the tickle spot. She found it by accident during one of their... meetings and now every time he annoys her, she would just poke that spot and he would squirm like a worm.
Umbrella - That black umbrella had been forgotten for months now and Fia can't help but wonder where its owner had gone. She hoped to find him soon so she could return it and thank the guy.
Volatile - She's an amiable person and he's the picture of calm- albeit an apathetic sort but they both have violent tempers and if those tempers clashed, everyone would be sucked in like a vortex. Apparently the boxes in Cole's dormitory hurt like a bitch when a pissed Fia flung at to him in the middle of a shouting match.
Wealth - Fia had been born in a very well-to-do family. Her parents doted on her until high school and even bought her a good car for her sixteenth birthday but she didn't really thought about living a comfy life as a debutante. Despite the scholarships she earned after high school, she asked her parents to let her be a director without financial aid from them as she wanted to challenge herself (and someone had insisted they will cover her tuition). They respected her wishes and when she found out about Cole's family dilemma, she realized just how lucky she was to have understanding parents.
Xenophobia - He would like to think that he's the antithesis of the word; he himself is strange according to most people but he considers himself as exceptional compared to the drab cookie-cut individuals who huddle together like sheep. They're all the same for him. Except the director who likes the unusual and strange despite being embraced by society as one of theirs.
Yen - There's a craving that stirred within him and he knew it would result to disaster. Cole knew that Fia would never even consider the two of them have a relationship other than a platonic one she has with her friends. The kinship was barely enough to satisfy his yearning but every smile and touch, he found himself hungry for more.
Zigzag - It was almost like they're playing a game- a dangerous one. They both know this could end in catastrophe but every time either one of them tried to cut ties, their paths would cross and parallel each other like the pattern of sharp edges and never ending ups and downs. Fia knew she had to end it sometime soon but as Cole breathed deeply while lying on her stomach and clutched his hands around her tightly like his life depended on it; she knew he won't like that option.
A/N: Requests, suggestions and questions are welcomed.
Alexander Dominic Reaves was an austere man.
He had built up his family's firm from his father's time and more with a strict yet fair hand. His own father had been strict too and he took after the man's work ethics as well as continuing the long line of lawyers of the Reaves heritage.
If Oswald was alive right now, he would be sorely disappointed to know that his grandson had broken the tradition and instead pursued the 'bohemian' culture of being a freelance writer. Alex had tried to sway Cole's interest in law ever since he was seven since the child had grown fond of books and read the daily paper after he was done with his morning coffee. But the boy had other plans. Deliberately leaving his birthday gift of a children's book about professions (the one mainly about lawyers) unopened while he used Leah's present which was simply a thick notebook and a bundle of pens.
He started writing short stories that was accompanied with ... doodles that were undoubtedly childish and he cringed whenever Cole would pull him into a bookstore and made his way to the fiction section with much gusto.
Something happened to his son when he attended a reading group with other children. Cole was the youngest in the bunch as he was five while most of the other children were nine and ten.
He walked out of the bookstore for a quick phone call and went back only to find out that his son was missing. It took him an hour and a half and five security personnel to look for Cole in the store and found him hiding in the store's backroom; hidden among the discarded boxes and ribbons of sticker bar codes. Cole was trying to catch his breath with blue eyes widely staring at nothing and his face paler than usual. Alex scooped him up from the ground and started to rock him, not knowing what's happening to the boy.
"What happened?" he asked for the seventh time, but the boy just shook his head and clenched his eyes shut.
He pretended not to notice the redness in his son's eyes nor the trembles of his lanky frame as they rode back to their residency with Alex unconsciously telling him to stop crying and grow up as frustration and panic took a hold over his paternal instincts.
That was the last time Cole called him 'Papa' and it turned to 'Father'.
Leah was beyond furious when she found out he almost lost their son but the child merely patted his mother's hand tenderly and within a few seconds, she deflated like a balloon.
After that, Cole refused to get recorded by a camera or being stared at for too long again. He would suddenly have loss of breath and needed to clear the room. Whatever happened in that accursed store that could have such a traumatic effect on his son, he couldn't answer. He would’ve liked to sue the store but it was the bookshop Cole regularly visited so he just let it be.
Years went by and he saw the wall between him and his son had grown until Cole was basically a stranger to him. In his place was a young man who had Leah's hair and eyes, a prominent nose with high cheekbones and a lean body that has trouble finding appropriate clothes that fit due to the length. This stranger had a nasty temper that was hidden behind an apathetic facade.
A calm that hides a storm.
He began to seclude himself inside his room, doing who knows what and came out looking like he needed a month's worth of sleep because frankly, he had the eyes of a racoon.
The boy who stood in place of his son always had good grades except for art (he could barely draw a decent stick figure even when he was seventeen), didn't attend any social events except for plays where he writes the script himself and didn't even bother to go to the prom or homecoming parties.
PTAs were akin to torture for him.
The teachers agreed that Cole's grades were exceptional during written exams but they had concerns regarding how Cole was "acting up" during oral presentation. Leah had convinced their son to get a check-up and upon analysis, Cole apparently suffers from panic attacks that were rooted from the events in the bookstore. A child psychiatrist told them that there's not much she can do because Cole refused to talk about what happened on that particular day.
He tried.
He really tried to reconnect, to rediscover this stranger and understand him but their pride and equally short temper had been the key factor to numerous shouting matches.
Cole didn't want his guidance and insisted that he can make it without any help as well as refusing any offer to take up the practice of law while Alex wanted him to be a lawyer and uphold the family tradition. It got so bad that they couldn't manage to stay in the same room without any condescending tone of voices or backhanded insults.
Then Cole went ahead and pursued his career in writing and no amount of threats Alex had made to sway Cole's misplaced passion, the young man wouldn't budge and ultimately; the Reaves patriarch decided to cut him off. If he had no money for tuition, then he would be forced to submit to his father's orders.
But instead of seeing the error of his ways, that brat had the gall to look relieved when he hauled a luggage filled with clothes and a large box filled with books into a cab and hugged a sobbing Leah goodbye as he headed off to college. He didn't say a parting word to him; like failing to enter Harvard and Stanford wasn't enough.
But still, he's standing by the gates of the terminal, waiting for his son to pick them up. Leah had been giddy during the whole flight, almost too anxious to see Cole again. Although it's been two years since they saw each other personally, he didn't feel even the slightest touch of excitement upon seeing his disappointing progeny.
If anything, he expected a grim outcome.
Among the sea of unfamiliar faces, he still managed to single out Cole who was walking towards them with a blank face. Leah made a choking sound and ran to him, leaving a huffy Alex with their luggage while she sprinted off.
He pushed the trolley to their direction with a schooled expression of apathy and his eyes widened when he saw his wife hugging a young woman and pinching Cole's cheek at the same time.
"Oh honey I can't believe you finally have a girlfriend!" Leah sobbed and gestured him to come closer.
"Mom, she's not my girlfriend" Cole said in the exasperated tone of his.
The girl gently peeled herself from his wife's embrace and cleared her throat, face flushed with embarrassment-
"Er, I'm actually a colleague of his" she said "My name's Fia, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Reaves."
Ah, at least she had some manners, something his son severely lacked.
Leah apologized at her immediate conclusion but Alex didn't fail to see Leah's lingering touch on the woman's shoulder as she took a step back and placed a hand on her chest;
"Please, you can just call me Leah. And this handsome man over here" she giggled while patting him on the shoulder "is my husband Alex."
"Alex?" Fia repeated.
Alex quirked a brow at her befuddlement and asked "Is there something wrong with my name?"
She held up her hands in a defensive manner and shook her head "No- no sir! I just thought I heard of that name"
"My first name is fairly common." He then stopped, "You have a slight accent, Irish?"
Fia gave a slight grin and shook her head once "No sir, Scottish on my father's side."
"I see..."
Finally his attention settled on the silent young man whom he called his son. Messy hair, bags and shadows under his eyes, wrinkled shirt that was covered by a grey muffler and pants that needed a good ironing.
"Cole" he gruffly acknowledged.
The left side of Cole's mouth quirked before he plastered the fakest smile in the world and said "Dad."
'Dad' was just a pretense in front of other people to give an illusion they have a good relationship. There were no affections or sentiment behind the term and Alex told himself that he could care less.
-•-•-•-•-
When Fia saw Alex Reaves, she first thought that it was like meeting Hunt all over again; not based on appearance but rather the way he carried himself. But as the minutes flew by, this man was far more intimidating than her former paramour.
This was a man who held real power and knows that his presence was indeed daunting. There was some sort of dignified air around him that would make anyone feel that they're inferior compared to him or more like, coerce them to submission.
She noticed how Cole stiffened when the man came forth- it was subtle but it's there. She watched the two of them exchange sparse words like they were strangers instead of father and son and without further hitches, they hopped on to the cab (at which Alex skewed his face in discomfort at the small space) and told the cabbie to go to the Marriot.
As they waited for his parents to check in to their room, she saw Cole lean against the chair he was sitting on and closed his eyes.
He looked worse for wear and though she wanted to ask him about the antagonistic atmosphere between him and his father, she knew that wasn't the right time to ask and frankly, none of her business.
It made her wonder why he named his character Alex though.
Alex Brenner, a tough, taciturn man who had a strong sense of justice and courage but failed to connect with everything except his job. At first she thought Alex Brenner was entirely made up from the figments of Cole's imagination, then she thought maybe he just borrowed his dad's name... but after spending half an hour with the man, it's like she's in the presence of the character himself, albeit less pleasant than the Alex in the script.
"Relax" Cole suddenly grumbled "It's not like my mother wants us to get hitched"
"So when you said investors..."
"Yes. And no, it's not some charity because they're my parents. My father would expect us to pay them back with the total amount used from that check and maybe five percent of the net if he's feeling generous" he said as he casually typed on his phone with a nonchalant tone.
Fia blew out a low whistle and sat on the chair across his own; curiosity burning with every moment she spent stealing glances at him. It's hard for her to be in the presence of someone for so long and not know anything about them.
Hell, she learned a thing or two about Bianca just by sitting next to her during Moriyama's class and Bianca's definitely not one of Fia's favorite people.
Was Cole her friend? No.
But is he an acquaintance?
... Probably.
It took her by surprise when the beautiful woman yanked her suddenly by the arm and trapped her into a tight hug while pinching Cole's cheek. When the word 'girlfriend' slipped from her glossy red lips, panic settled in her stomach and a sudden wave of uneasiness poured down like rain.
His parents were surprised to learn that she's directing his work which made his mother smile and happily stated-
"The more the merrier!"
Though, Alex looked slightly impressed when Fia told them that they're trying to get another Audrey nomination under her studio. For a moment, she was startled on how she came to the point where she's curious about his background story.
She was about to duck out because it's like a family reunion (a very tensed reunion) and she'll be intruding but Leah (as Mrs. Reaves insisted that she must stay for a cocktail with them. It made her question if this family had some sort of affiliation with alcohol before Cole set her straight; saying it's a tradition for his parents since they first met on an afternoon cocktail by a mutual friend.
Of course Fia's first course of action was to coo on how romantic and cute that was but he blatantly muttered something about an excuse for his father to 'drown out his shame' or some other kind.
When the Reaves came down to more comfortable clothes, both she and Cole sprang up like a couple of jack-in-the-boxes. The director suddenly felt underdressed even with Cole's outfit and standing next to his mom made her feel so... plain.
The older woman practically tugged both her and Cole to the bar with Alex shadowing them. She tried to make a desperate look of plea to the scriptwriter but he just looked like a person who had accept his impending demise and let his mother drag them across the lobby.
The afternoon crowd was filled with hotel guests that were in their mid-thirties. Alex and Leah were the first to order their drinks while Cole and Fia saved the booth. The orange dinner lights did add a nice sophisticated touch despite Fia's initial disapproval of drinking alcohol in the middle of an afternoon. Soon, Alex and Leah came back with drinks in their hand.
Leah had a flute glass filled with pink champagne in hand while Alex has a Garibaldi, a drink that was familiar for Fia along with a single shot of Scotch that had been drunk by a fussy director-slash-professor.
'Don't even go there' her mind warned.
She was about to try and politely decline but Cole had grasped her wrist and gave her a look of warning that clearly stated 'If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me.'
"Do I really need to?" she whispered as they marched to the closest bartender.
Cole growled under his breath, "You don't have to drink, just get one, smile and agree to what they say and you're golden."
"Well there's one thing I'm sure of; you won't wind the Son of the Year award" she huffed.
Cole didn't even give her a good response as he quickly ordered a Bloody Caesar (which made her stare at him with a subtle weird look) and saw a tempting drink from one of the women who were hanging out by the stools.
"I'll have a sparkling white peach sangria please" she ordered and the man nodded.
"So..." she started, causing her companion to look up from the surface he was scratching on.
"What?"
"About your parents as our majority investors; tell me if I'm wrong but you and your dad don't seem to be... close" she treaded carefully.
Cole snorted as he sat on a stool and tipped the legs far enough for him to play a balancing game with the chair. "And you think you're qualified to be a shrink? It's bad enough we have sex there, now we have to use the sofa to share our feelings?"
Fia rolled her eyes as the bartender came back with their drinks and quirked a brow at his celery garnish. Maybe he's a health nut judging by the murky tomato-based drink. At least that's something...
She was about to walk back to the booth when he grasped her hand and leaned down to her level-
"I think you should leave."
His words didn't echo a suggestion but rather an order. And for anyone who knew Fia Harting by heart; she does not respond well to being dismissed like a servant.
"Excuse me?"
"I said you should-"
"I heard what you said!" she snapped, not caring that she attracted the attention of several people and narrowed her eyes on Cole's angry expression. "If you don't want me to know about your parents then you shouldn’t have brought me here in the first place."
"What, and have you sniping me with questions about the blank check if I didn't tell you? I'm doing this to clear the air between us as workmates" Cole sighed as he crossed his arms and glared at the carpet, avoiding her accusing gaze.
Her lips pursed and there's a sense of anger filled her up- "I wasn't going to ask you about the check, you're the one who brought me here to meet with the 'investors' you... you lavvy heid!" she hissed, voice rough with her aggressive native tongue. "You act all friendly one second and the next, you're... you! Damn it's like Edward Norton and Brad Pitt in Fight Club all over again, I just- argh!"
Before Cole could even open his mouth, she slapped a wrinkled twenty on the counter and walked out, leaving her drink untouched.
-•-•-
"Where is Fia?" his mom asked as he took a seat across them.
"She said there's a meeting she had to attend and she's sorry she can't stay" he muttered.
Alex sighed under his breath as he gave his drink a slight swirl-
"And I thought that girl had enough manners to at least properly excuse herself, apparently I was mistaken"
"She's not like that" he snapped back (even when it's technically true) "There was an emergency so she wasn't able to say her goodbyes."
Leah waved her arms to clear off the tension and placed her hands together, red manicured fingers glossed by the lights. "Now now, we're here to support you hon. I want to see your dorm and Hollywood U! I didn't imagine that you would even step foot in LA, I thought you said you hate mainstream genre?"
Okay his mother got him there, now he's sure she'd been listening to him.
"Yes, because being a freelance writer had given him a lot of profit for his name" Alex rumbled before he took a swig of his drink.
Oh here it comes-
"No, just a large chunk of the grossing net of Soliloquy and the royalties of my books" he retorted "For a 'lazy lout' I think I did pretty well for myself, don't you think?"
"I want to see where you live darling!" Leah interjected "Your agent said that you have a quaint dormitory and we can-"
"Mother," he grounded out "I think the university would appreciate- no wait, I most certainly would appreciate it if you skip the 'embarass your only child' part of your lives."
Alex gave a stern glare by the rim of his glass, clearly displeased by Cole's remarks. This was exactly what he had been expecting, his father undermining him despote his recent success and if they saw the current state he's living in then there would be another mountain of insults waiting to be flung from his dad's side.
And that was only hours after their arrival.
Fia didn't come that night and neither did he to her abode. There must be a silent agreement between them that if they're pissed off, there's absolutely no room for angry-sex because he's sure that if they're in the middle of an argument and he suggested it; Fia would throw him out of the room via window... with the pane close before she would even let him touch her.
Okay, maybe he felt a bit guilty about coming down on her like that.
A little.
Fine, a lot.
But he had his pride and apologizing wasn't really high in his to do lost especially when she has a point and he'll end up looking like a complete jackass. But there's the question as to why she was offended that he assumed that she will interrogate him about the damn check.
Normally she would just make some sort of sarcastic statement and move on but this time she sauntered off like a huffy peacock and left her payment which was actually short of five dollars.
"Women..." he sighed as he laid his head on the plumped-up pillow he stole from her dorm. Her bed may be a pain on his back but damn if this wasn't the most comfortable pillow he had ever encountered.
She won't even miss it-
Knock Knock Knock!
-and he spoke too soon.
"It's Sunday, let me have some sleep!" he groaned as he roughly opened the door.
He thought he was still half-asleep but realized he might be having a nightmare because standing by the doorway was Elijah with his parents.
"Cole, I think these folks belong to you" the SFX student chuckled.
Cole had half a mind to tell him to fuck off but knowing his parents' concern for appearances, he literally shoved the blonde away and ushered his parents in.
This was going to be a long day.
Fast forward to dinner...
"-and you know your Aunt Ruth; if she's wrong then it's everyone else's fault!"
The young man forced a fake laugh for nth time that evening. It felt as if he had spent the day babysitting two children who had the power to tell him to 'comb your hair' and 'wear an ironed shirt like a decent human being'.
His dad wore the same apathetic stare that he may have inherited and it looked a bit villanous with his charcoal black jacket and slacks. Dinner at a hotel restaurant wasn't supposed to be this formal but his parents have spent way too much time with the fancy crowd to even consider Freddy's or, God help him, the sandwich shack down the Sta. Monica pier.
"Hmph, cross-enrolling to another college without even finishing your degree; I don't know whether you're an idiot or a masochist" Alex grunted as he sliced neatly through his venison.
Leah daintily drank from her glass filled with sparkling water but Cole can see a chunk of ire hidden behind her blue eyes. "Alexander" she started, "I have waited for almost a year to see our son again; I'm not going to let this petty fight between the two of you ruin it!"
Her lower lips began to quiver and Cole found himself racked with guilt along with Alex. They murmured a garbled apology and returned to their meal.
"So honey, you sound pretty confident about your film. Tell me, are you really going to win another award?" Leah pried; cheeks bloomed with obvious motherly pride and affection. One of the things he loved about his mom was that she supported him in all of the things that got his interest- unlike some people...
"Hoping it will; but I think this will be the pinnacle of my writing career" he shrugged.
"Ah yes, like those one-dimensional stories that preoccupied your head instead of studying" his father sneered.
His mother cleared her throat before adjusting her position and at the same time his dad winced; no doubt she found this an opportune moment to kick him.
It was hard to hold his tongue but he knew nothing would ever come out of egging his father to a verbal onslaught. But his grip on the silver fork had tightened and the utensil was steadily bending forward as his temper escalated.
They came in his school unannounced, probably embarrassed him with Elijah, mistaken that he and the director had a deeper relationship and nit-picked everything he owned. And they acted like it was a normal thing parents do.
"You act like you own the city but you're nothing but a speck. Sooner or later you will find yourself in the real world and realize tyat you're not equipped to handle it. You could've lived comfortably but instead you shacked up in a broom closet trying to pass it as a living quarter with a job that doesn't entail whether you get your dues or not" Alex jabbed on despite Leah's pleading looks.
"I'd rather starve to death doing what I love than live in luxury while working for someone else's dream. I'm not the family's puppet... I'm not like you" he spat.
The vein on Alex's temple emerged and Cole knew he stepped on the biggest, most obvious landmine. The constant badgering that his career choice was trash according to his father's family, the complete shame that shadowed Alex's face every time he looked at his son- he was so fucking tired of that routine.
"Y'know what? I think I'll just change my name to mom's. That way the whole Reaves family can just drop dead" he blatantly stated as he stood up and purposefully walked out of the restaurant without so much as a backward glance.
He was seething; boiling with pure unbridled anger that threatened to swallow him whole and before he could even think about punching a random person in the face to sate his anger, he bit down hard on his thumb and let the blood flow in his tongue; wincing at the coppery taste.
A red car that was oh so familiar drive up to him and the passenger window dropped to reveal Fia's face. Her eyes scanned him from head to foot before she tilted her head and said-
"Need a lift?"
He didn't know whether she somehow sensed his ire or she was being a Good Samaritan but he reluctantly welcomed her generosity for once and climbed on.
They were silent for a while before he spilled his guts to her as she dabbed his wounded thumb with tissue before she drove them to her 'special place'.
The magnitudes of their little moment at the observatory had lifted his spirits somewhat. He felt her shift on her side of the bed and curled up in a ball like a cat. She had long since kicked the blanket away from her body that revealed a blue tank top and pajama bottoms despite the cold of the room and for whatever reason, he grabbed her by the middle and gently pulled her to his side; relishing the contact.
Fia murmured something in her sleep before slipping back to her unconscious state, summoning an amused grin on his face.
He figured having her around this close wasn't that bad.
Unconsciously, he intertwined their fingers together and reveled on the sheer intimacy.
Yeah, having her by his side was not bad at all.
-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-
Bringing him to the observatory was a good idea and she gave herself a huge pat on the back when he's back to his old self again. Sure he's still arrogant and impatient but at least he didn't look so miserable anymore. When they got back to the campus, he asked if he could just sleep over at her place since the presence of his parents there earlier still lingered. The maternal instincts within her kicked in and she yielded.
There was a new light in his deep blue eyes that was strange but she figured it's a newfound self-confidence and received the reassurance he definitely needed.
They may not be the closest of friends, but they're friends nonetheless.
Yeah, having Cole Reaves as a friend might not be that bad.
End of Chapter Eleven
A/N: Took them eleven chapters to make them friends. But things are gonna be a roller coaster ride for now on and even I’m debating whether it will be a happy ending or not. O_o
Also... it makes you wonder what happened in the observatory huh? I dunno if I should make a side ficlet for that xD
Anyways, a big thanks to the people who had shown their love and support as always:
@kayoimhey : Oh believe me, the hurting has just begun... (for future use, I’m so sorry Fia... and Cole too)
@mdlitbatgaawb: Thanks for your love Boeboe :D
Like, reblog, reply, comment, suggest - anything’s good as long as I know someone’s reading this....
The blonde young man didn't need to be told twice as he stutter-step from Sage and faked a pass to Brett, fooling Lia and Jang at the same time before sailing the ball to Noa who managed to make yet another goal. Everyone in their team cheered while the striker held up her hand for Shu to clap on which he promptly did so.
"Our team could win the league with just the two of you!" Yuna cheerfully said as they regrouped.
"You can't play soccer with only two people!" Brett snapped as he crossed his arms and gave a passing frown at Shu. The center fielder can't blame his friend's hostility though; this was the sixth time he made a fake pass to him and kept handing the ball to Noa.
In fact, the only time he didn't pass the soccer ball to her is when the net's too heavily guarded and he needed to distract the other fielders to keep them away from their captain. But he never felt so alive in the field before and playing soccer alongside Noa and their team just squashed any hesitation and doubts that previously resided in his mind.
The sound of a whistle being blown made both teams turn around to see Shootmeister's tall form gesture them to huddle up with the bunny-like gatekeeper Littre standing next to him with a pleased look on their faces, except it was more subtle for the manager.
Everyone quickly approached them, all sweaty and tired but they're happy nonetheless. Usually they would dread another training session but ever since he and Noa came back for the league, it's like they've gotten more passionate with the game. Maybe finding out their captain's actually the last ancient Nebrion who had vast knowledge of the universe kinda upped their spirits.
"Good work everyone" Shootmeister said as they cooled off with their drinking bottles and towels "You have magnificent teamwork, especially you, Noa and Shu."
He and the platinum haired girl shared a small grin before the strict manager continued on-
"However, we can't be too laid back with our attacks. Sage, you have to b more aggressive with your steals. Lia and Jang, be more attentive to your opponent's move and see if the pass is a bluff or not."
One by one, Shootmeister poured out advice and pointers which they all tok took by heart. Wayne murmured something on Noa's ear, making the striker's face turn delicately pink before she berated the violet haired man to pay attention to Shootmeister's words. It made Shu curious as to what made the fairly serious and soccer-minded Noa to react like that.
At long last, Shootmeister finally dismissed them and announced the schedule for the next match that will be held at Metro City.
Everyone (except Noa and Lucius) gave a sigh of relief and began to walk towards the locker room to change. It was a hot day and Shu caved in to his body's demand for something cold and sweet.
"I'm gonna grab some ice cream, you guys wanna come?" he asked.
"Can't, I have to meet with my agent about my new movie" Sage apologized as well as Lia, saying that she already made plans to attend a party.
Lucius and Jang also declined so all that was left was the St. Calia group with Yuna, Wayne, Brett and Noa. But the two guys wanted to check out the new arcade that opened in the shopping district and Yuna had to study for a test which she was scared of failing.
He rubbed the back of his neck and proceeded to the exit when Noa called out "Hey, what about me?"
"Oh, I thought you're gonna run the plays with Shootmeister or something" he confessed.
Noa pouted as she jogged next to him walked to the locker rooms together; "I don't always think about soccer y'know".
" Sorry~" he replied "I didn't think that I was right about you being an alien though... It was supposed to be a joke."
Noa shrugged as she wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand, "I don't think anyone thought of that possibility. I mean... the last of the ancient line of Nebrion and I don't know if I'm even human.”
She stopped walking and it took several steps from Shu to realize that Noa was staring at the ground with a conflicted expression-
"My real parents... I saw them in my head when I was in that dark place. No wonder I didn't look like my Earth parents... After this league, I don't know if I can stay here in Earth or do what Eve says as the 'owner of the galaxy' I can't even own a goldfish without killing it!" she stated in a fake laugh but he heard the uncharacteristic shakiness in her voice and it prompted him to walk in front of her and try to steady her nerves.
Without thinking, he placed a hand on her head and gave it a gentle pat, making her look at him with those glassy blue eyes.
"It doesn't matter if you're an alien or not. You lived your whole life as a human and you have family and friends who believes in you. Being from another place doesn't change the way we look at you. For us, you're still the soccer-loving weirdo captain and you belong here in St. Calia, in the team. And the team's nothing without you."
Noa blinked a couple of times before she nodded and gave a smile,
"Thanks Shu..."
Shu nonchalantly shrugged as they resumed their walk to the locker room to remove their grass-stained uniform. He didn't want to tell her it was the least he can do for her continual support for him during his previous slumps. The times he would skip practice and not eve attend a game at all. Most would've given up on him and even kick him off the team but Noa always waited for him, always believed that he will come back and play with them. Made him feel like he can come back and someone would still be waiting for him.
And he would still come back because Noa's waiting for him.
"You should cut back on the ice cream Shu" Noa tutted as they walked out of the school gates dressed in their school uniform; "Too much ice cream is bad for you."
"I like ice cream" he simply answered.
Flashback
After practice
"Shu's skipping practice again. He should be kicked off the team!" one of the bench warmers protested as the freshman Shu walked into the field wearing his school uniform.
He was tired all the time and training wore him out. He knew that skipping training regularly would put him in hot water especially with the new captain, a girl with silver shoulder length hair and blue eyes that always talks about soccer, soccer and, soccer.
He was prepared to get lectured when she just looked at him and said,
"Do you have your uniform?"
"Yeah...?" he responded in uncertainty before she clapped her hands and called out, "Okay everyone let's run the plays. Shu, come with me so you won't get lost."
He can't believe the girl lets him play with them despite skipping out practice and being late but his questions died in his lips as they played through the afternoon. When it's finished, Noa approached him with a stern lecture about attendance but when he thought she was about to expel him from the team, she said
"You can always come back. Anyways, the team wants to have ice cream later, wanna come with us?"
Kinda funny on how squeamish I get when someone asks me to write an MCxHunt lemon fic and I act like I’m gonna burn in Hell just by thinking out a plot but I then write Slow Burn that’s bluntly about one night stands just fine.
And now I’m thinking... ‘what the hell brain?’
Brain answers with: Morality, b!tch...
I think HuntxFia is too sacred for me... except for that one fic that I wrote xD
turnnoffyourmind
yousharknotpass
ellievsbear
theartofmadeline
