like what if i say i’m changing the whole direction of jaafar x celebrity!reader series purely because on how he looked ridiculously handsome at wimbledon ( and yes there will be fake relationship, secret/forbidden love and everything i don’t make rules )
jaafar and actress!reader appeared on actors on actors and he was mesmerized by reader, ended up both just flirting and blushing throughout the video. the chemistry through the roof, people start to saying “are we interrupting the first date?” and shipping the two
jaafar and celebrity!gf finally ready to step into the spotlight but then publicists starts to plan how can both “benefit the most” from this relationship and now they are not so sure about it… maybe angst? fluff at the end ofc
i’m gonna be mia from writing for a week or more due to exam preparation but is there anyone who wanna read jaafar x celebrity!fem!reader fic but as established relationship?
۫ 🪽 ˖ ꒱ 5.5k ( idk what happened to me ) ⸝⸝ fluff?, sort of long distance, yearning, jaafar and reader overthinking, one time usage of y/n
⊹ 𝔀𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗂𝓼 ... after jaafar met cute ( reader ) he suffered from the fact that you’re now on the other side of globe. above all of expectations and pressure he feels regarding michael movie, things may won’t go easy as he wishes.
꒰ notes .ᐟ ꒱ while this is a continuation of previous fic, you don’t have to heavily invested into the lore of part 1 or anything, just understand reader needs to stay overseas right after met with jaafar. i got carried away a bit bcs i don’t want to drag into another part anymore 😭 anyway i hope this doesn’t sucks... lowkey feel like it does
𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 PART1 FROM HERE
it’s been arduous months for jaafar.
when you said you’d been gone for a while, it really meant a while. you’re now gone to the other side of globe, he’s here in california left stranded with the feelings he has no idea how to deal with it. at first he thought, or told to himself that it will just pass and gone one day, and he doesn’t have to be frustrated over someone he barely knew or spent a time together. yet every morning he wakes up with an afterimage of your smile that he thought he just saw in the dream. one afternoon, one evening. that’s all it takes for you to steal his heart completely, it almost feels like a magic. a painful one.
you two text each other and calling to one another time to time, but due to the huge time difference, it wasn’t as easy as it seemed. he gradually starts to search up your name on the internet for a glimpse of knowledge he might get about what you’re doing right now. thanks to your massive fanbase, sometimes he actually gets a shot of you the local stranger took, or if better, the pics of you and the people from restaurant that seems something you agreed to take. now jaafar unfortunately remembers a name of local restaurant on the other side of the sphere where you usually hanging out with costars. it’s a name of the place he will probably never go, at least in near future.
therefore, he tried to bury the thought of you by devoting his mind completely to the movie as he should in the first place. you, a hard working actor from the start, also dedicating everything to the craft she’s incredibly passionate about.
“it really is my dream role,” one time you said to jaafar over the phone. “i can’t believe i’m actually able to play this character. everything feels magical.”
the way you speak about the project, your dream and the passion, everything is so dear to jaafar. not only because he can resonate with it but how you love what you’re doing sounds so vibrant and shining through. many times he stays up late so that it will reach the time you usually wake up at there, so that he can text you “good morning,” and see you text back with “good night, have a sweat dream,” before he sleeps. he feels like a high schooler all over again, but at the same time he kinda relishing how things in between you taking time to develop.
his day will be the best if he found out your voice note in notification, explaining the funny things happened on the set or describing the city you stay, telling him every detail from your lenses, and jaafar loves that. it brings him closer to your heart, mind and thoughts. you always said you’re under educated since devoting yourself into acting and performing since a young age, but he has always blown away for the depth of your views, wise words and knowledge about the reality. the more jaafar undersands how you deeply care the other people and the world, the more he finds himself developing the feelings for you each seconds. it’s the sweetest dream and a damn nightmare all at once.
the days without you pass surprisingly slower. the summer starts to hitting its chorus, everything becoming more brighter, people turning into free-spirited while jaafar getting stuck on the set pretty much every day. unlike everyone else, only he can’t gather courage and step outside. the information colman gave him on random tuesday didn’t help at all, that you’re taking very serious about this profession—almost stoic, keeping the promise studio has told. no romance. you’re going to promote the big romantic movie as a lead actress this summer, the rumor regarding your private life would take the spotlight away from the material. or at least that’s whatever the studio said, even though your male lead has a partner on his own. colman mentioned that you have enough self respect to say no to staging fake romantic rumor for selling movie, especially with a taken man. jaafar was more than glad to hear that, but then the thought occurred, why colman told him about this? he couldn’t remember the context of conversation they had. by chance, his mind was too occupied with the movie and you.
he wrapped up the additional filming one sunny day. he was rightfully proud about his work but beyond that, extremely grateful that he got this opportunity at first place. he never took anything for granted, thanking to the support he received from the people around him. the crew, costars, family and friends, everyone.
only you were the missing piece.
he got tipsy—a little you may ask him—from few glasses of champagne and cocktails. he grows to be fond of your favorite drinks, and tonight, he must’ve drunk a little too much. maybe it indicates how he misses you, or is it just he likes the taste of it? his mind working too slow to figure out that now. jaafar’s thought constantly leaps back at you, realizing he never touched you ( like in platonic senses ) or holding your hands even once makes him something desperate.
so he called you. after the third or fourth time of ringing sounds that feels likes an eternity, a soft voice laced with the depth of personality embraced his ear. “jaafar?”
“hey,” his words is elongated than usual due to the alcohol currently invading his system. “how ya doin’?”
“i’m almost wrapping up for today,” you took a moment before continue. “are you drunk? you sound a little different.”
“i—yeah,” jaafar surrenders quickly from the fight he’ll never have a chance. “i wrapped up too, so… there was this, party to celebrate,”
“oh my god,” your voice jumped up a bit over the phone. “was it today? congratulations! i’m so happy for you. you of course deserve to be a little wasted on the day like this.”
he giggles how your tone sounds amusing. always feels like time starts to walk slower when he’s talking to you, as if the world is breathing deeper than usual. a traffic lights of the city that never sleeps casting
“thanks,” he said as rubbing a forehead, trying erase the unnecessary words that might be spilled. “i just… wanted to hear your voice before black out,”
“are you alright?” you coo. “just make sure drink some water, okay?”
“i don’t think i can stand up,” his eyelids become heavier and heavier, thick weight getting onto the body and guiding him into a land of dream.
“just a glass of water would be fine,” your voice creating a steady and mellow rhythm, sounds even more hypnotizing in the current state of him. “please, jaafar? for me?”
that word did a trick to his nervous system like you zapped his spine remotely. his eyes shut open as he springs out of bed, now his throat feeling too heavy as if trying to suffocate himself.
please jaafar, for me.
he felt like a thin, frail paper, because he knows it would burn instantly if you said something like that ever again. if you move, he couldn’t do nothing but be crumpled up with a shift of air you caused.
“i—uh,” his words scattered apart. “yeah, sure… anything for you.”
then he realizes his tongue is getting too loose. this past weeks, both of you never address the gigantic dinosaur in the room. two of you dance around each other, stepping a careful tango to avoid ruining something they have now. it’s not what exactly jaafar wants, but still precious and genuine thing nonetheless that’s difficult to find these days. jaafar sensing a lid of the pot can’t hold any longer—it’s way too heated up, too boiled up to pretend otherwise. he swallows hard.
“good,” it sounds like you didn’t think too much about what he just said. “i’m just a bit worried. i wish you don’t wake up with a banging head next morning.”
“me neither,” he agrees. “i just wish…you were also here. or i was able to be in your place.”
“you gonna like it.” your voice gets illuminated. “there’re so many beautiful places. you should see someday. wait, i’ll send pictures i took last weekend.”
there’s clicking of your nails hit the screen. jaafar remembers your fingers nearly brushed his shoulder last time, the thought followed by a familiar notification sound. he took a glance on the screen.
it’s you, standing in front of flower fields. simple henry neck, navy jeans, your hair is glowing around your face under the warm sunlight. everything looks so dreamy it almost hurts. if he could choose one thing he would see before the very last breath, he may choose this. you, sun-basked, wind blowing through flowers at the back. it’s a perfect vision. just so heavenly.
the alcohol in his stomach felt searing like it was burning him alive from within.
“jaafar?” the voice you calling hit his eardrum like a whiplash. he realized he’s been quiet for far too long moment. “are you still with me? should i hang up?”
he wanted to scream no out of his lungs. he wanted to shout and yell from the top of mountain how you driving him crazy. how he’s hopelessly drawn to you from the moment you appeared in his world in the way even he can’t explain, at the same time experiencing a terror as maybe he’s just obsessed with an image of you, a fantasy, an illusion that he created inside of his head and not actually seeing or understanding you. instead, he chose calm. peace. maturity to handle his internal disaster.
“i probably should sleep.” he used his best breath control to prevent the voice trembling from desperation. his chest aches like his heart trying to escape outside of rib cage. he can feel every pain and heaviness to the stomach, only you were not here in flesh.
“yeah. take a long, good one. you deserve it after everything you devoted for this project.” you replied. and that was pretty much it he can recall before laying down to bed. his gaze lingered on the records of text between you and him until screen light got off, minds spinning in millions of thoughts. his soul crawled between a fantasy and reality of the thing he feeling between you, thinking he might can’t this anymore.
but the thing is, he has no idea how to get out—or precisely, want to get out. how can he? while the pain you cause still tastes like a sweetest thing ever?
✶
shortly after, jaafar starts get thrown into a whirl of hollywood before he recognizes. to prepare the press tour and media exposure, he got a whole pr team, media training with bunch of different sub courses. he thought he knows how things work in here, he was born and grew up inside of the orbit, but now he acknowledged he’d never been a center of gravity by real meaning. everything is intentional, but you should never make look like that because it will loose authenticity. you can’t just politely skip the awkward question no matter how much you want to. you should never looked tired in front of public even you’re exhausted. the list never ends, vertigo getting stronger day by day. thankfully, he has his family and costars he looks up to who’s going to support him and have his back, but he couldn’t help to cut in when the publicis casually told him to refrain from new ‘connection’ because it will take the attention away from him and this movie.
yes, it is true that he wishes to highlight michael’s legacy and his humanity more than anything, but he has already planned every place he wants to take you when you return to the state. a nice cafe in hidden ally of downtown, the restaurant he goes with his family all the time, the newest cool bar that would not cause any problem for you to intertwined with unnecessary rumor. he was eager to see you, have you, talk to you. and now right before he finally gets a chance, it slipped away from the front of his eyes.
he can’t oppose. he wanted to, but he can’t. after everything he devoted to, every expectation from his own family, he just can’t crush everything and risk it all. as much as his souls is pulled towards you, he needed to force himself holding back at full might. now he understands you in a way he has never wished.
his texting starts to fade off. you notice, and you understand. he's getting busy, a exhausting roller-coaster now captured him, teaching him to be more careful about few things than before.
“congratulations,” was the first message from him in a while, in the morning of opening day of your film. you were back to state few days ago but you didn’t mention that to jaafar, although he must be aware since the headline of magazines covering your lavish glam in the premier events. “i wish nothing but success. i make sure to take time and go to theater.”
“it means a lot to me,” you replied. “i hope you’ll like it.”
his response was way quicker than you expected, short “i will” felt like an affirmation of unspoken words between your and him. your breath hitched.
you were of course flattered by his message every time. not just liked it, you loved it. you started to be excited for the promised coffee he asked couple months ago, but then realization hits you. what if this turned into extra rumor that caused him trouble? what if it gets in the way of his future career and success? you know this happenes all the time. the controlling of public image, a careful construction of persona. you need to give him a space, to consume the storm that will happen around him sooner or later, understanding if he really want this without any disturbance. besides, you’re fairly used to this. the spark, just disappears in a matter of time before it develops into something bigger. this happenes a lot, you are busy with filming and constant transporting from continent to continent, you nor the people who showed interested in you personally could catch a time to develop something serious.
so when he started to pull back, you let him. you can’t demand something from others while you are the one who can’t guarantee to provide. that’s just selfish act. you and jaafar are so alike both following almost same thinking process to cutting back on contact between them without realizing it’s because neither you nor jaafar lost interest to one another or something.
then—as you subconsciously anticipated—it was colman who pulled you back to the string you’ve been trying to untangle months after months.
“come to the screening!” he said, voice full of pure excitement to finally show you the piece him and everyone had been working on. “i can’t wait to show you, just say you’ll come, hm?”
“i don’t know—again, i have no legit reason to be there with the casts, crews and family of michael. i don’t want to disturb their private moments.”
“ah, sorry, what? can’t hear you,” his voice suddenly distanced from the phone, staged tone telling you he’s messing around like young adult. “the signal gets so weak out of the blue, weird—anyway, the screening is next saturday, i expect to see you there!”
click. then beeping sound. you rub your forehead with a long, long exhale. you know he’s being generous for offering this, thinking you’ll simply be excited for the movie, not because of seeing the main star.
the thought of you might see jaafar for the first time in months makes your stomach twisted a bit. you’re not quite sure yet that you have any kind of feelings for him or not. you think he’s sweet, kind and charming, but you don’t feel like you are entitled to hold him down before or during this movie. jaafar is not only an actor. he’s michael’s nephew. michael’s family is his family. it’s his uncles, aunts and cousins. jaafar carry his name. you can’t just step in and distract him when he needs complete focus on himself and his career to retain himself. you know it will be overwhelming, he must doesn’t have a time for someone.
saturday visits you without exception even you wished. you couldn’t form a proper thoughts of how you should greet with him, your soft cotton tops and flowy long skirt of chloé can’t help you to relax either. when you got in a car, the phone in your bag rings. it was from your agent.
“i’m sorry, we need to discuss about the legal issue of next movie.”
“oh, sure, should we talk now or set a date for proper meeting?”
“yeah, but…no, like—now.”
you knit the eyebrows even you knew she couldn’t see it, fussing, “what do you mean now? like…i should go to the studio? now?”
“yes.” her answer sounds like a pinching to the thinnest place on skin. your chest grows heavier.
“i…i can’t. i’m going to private screening, my friend invited me. i really wanna go.” you mumble.
“um…okay, when the screening starts?”
“like, thirty minutes. no, actually twenty. i don’t know i can make it in time.”
“how long the movie is?” she asked. you check the timetable colman sent to you.
“about two hours.”
“could you promise me you will leave there and come to me as soon as the enroll starts?”
“i will.” you assured.
“deal.” she agreed. the engine of your dark brown 90s porsche already hums before her words. twenty-five minutes later, the car smoothly entered the vip parking of the studio as you rushed into the screening venue. when you slipped inside the theater room, the intro already playing, you can’t practically see anyone’s face in the dark. the only option left was took a seat quietly in the back row. your heart is bumping, the fact that no one really noticed you hasn’t done much to making the pace of beat slow. the unexpected packed schedules, some regal issue you need to sort out with the staff, that you came too late to meet anyone properly, and the thought of jaafar—everything made you nervous and unease.
but the moment you laid eyes on the screen, you just captivated by it.
you knew jaafar was here, colman and raul also sitting in somewhere, but you forgot everything. it’s the magic of cinema. it will consume you, take you to another place, somewhere else than your seat. you teared up during the childhood scenes, a horrific violence michael needed to face from his own father when he was still a baby boy. you forgot to breath without realizing during the incident at the shooting of pepsi commercial. jaafar’s portrayal was just amazing. needless to say about the performance but especially when he conveys michael’s emotions, wounds and psychological damages he went through, you can see the pain behind those eyes. when the final performance hits the screen and everyone in the room starts to dance and singalong with ‘bad,’ the only thing you could think was devotion and care jaafar kept carrying for this. it’s written all over the film, and you couldn’t help but feel proud about him even though you haven’t seen him in months and you barely know him. you are the most distanced stranger of him more than anyone in here.
even though real stranger never think how distanced you are from the one.
despite every objections listed in your head, it still feels like you truly know him. understand him. see him.
but you still choose to left without greeting anyone. just short message to colman, explains and apologies about why you had to go without saying him hi. you hesitated to tap sending button before deleting a whole line of “tell jaafar it was great.”
you can’t interrupt him. you shouldn’t. not only for now, but so as for his life and promising career.
you should let him pass by, you know it’s better for both of them. but oh well, colman is a stubborn man and you should’ve known it will be easier to move mountain than changing his mind when it comes to certain things.
“meet us at antonio’s, seven.”
that was his response jumped in your sight after the meeting with agent. it’s a fancy italian in downtown—and the kind of place absolutely requires you to change. the moment you read the message, colman calls you at instance. your heart skipped, shoulders tensing all over again. you knew you shouldn’t take this call, otherwise it would be impossible to keep promise you made to yourself. but you still carry the guilt you didn’t even bother to find him at screening. you made excuses such as your meeting with agent or didn’t want to interrupt him in middle of the movie, but you know the truth. you avoid the risk to encounter jaafar. you’re confident he didn’t see you since he must’ve sitting at the forefront but avoiding colman, your own friend who you look up to and takes care of you is just dumb and insincere.
your finger tap the answering button before you could catch yourself.
“listen, girl.” was the unexpected first word for him. you already knew what’s coming in that moment. he didn’t give you a time to utter words.
“i’ve known you. and now i know him too…please, for once, do it. life is too short to live with a regret, with a taste of possibility you had but already gone. nothing is too risky if you look back. don’t take the real risk to lose something actually important because you choose to not go the right place at right time.”
“but…” you object weakly.
“there’s no but.” declares colman. then he’s voice softens. “why you so scared? there’s nothing to lose.”
“there is a thing to lose.” the counter echoes more defensive then you intended. “what if it ruined his career? or this movie? every new contact can be a risk to him at this point. you know how little we can do against public. there’s so much calculations yet we can do nothing against chaos once it happens. besides, what if it wasn’t—what if it wasn’t worth it?”
“worth what?” his words are so kind spoken its almost whispering.
“what if…the thing didn’t go well and…” you pressed the lips together. long breath comes through the nostril as your throat gets tightened. you suddenly felt every heart beat from your chest, feeling the blood streams inside the body. it took a while to bring up the rest.
“jaafar is…he’s so…i know i don’t know him, i’m probably farther from him than anyone else who knows him. but at the same time i feel like…we know each other really well. it’s like, we notice each other because we are standing the most distanced place from the other. i-i’d rather have him as a friend than lose him for good. he’s a really good fiend and-and i…”
“why you decided he’ll gone from your life in that scenario?” he said as if wrapping a blanket around you.
“i…” your will to continue just tapered off. “i don’t know, i just…”
“are you really sure your insight came from your instinct or…” then there’s a pause. colman remained gentle throughout anyway. “it’s just a projection of the past?”
you haven’t said anything. you kept a silent for a good seconds. you nearly paralyzed yourself on the couch, sitting alone in your own living room now felt like a stranger. you heard unfamiliar sounds and wonder what it is, turns out it was you heavily breathing.
“i will wait for you.” he said after ten seconds, or maybe a whole minute. “and i know you know i’m not the only person who’s waiting for you.”
yes.
you always know jaafar will wait for you. despite the restriction he has to reach out to you, you felt his heart is leaning to you, especially the night he got drunk and called you. you know it, he knows it, and both are scared.
and that recognition hits you.
you made a reservation for taxi before rushed into the bathroom. while taking a quick shower, you picked up the clothes inside your head like the outfit maker of cher in clueless. you did the makeup easily, minimum enough to get done in ten minutes but still giving a decent glam. ralph lauren’s ruffle dress was perfect, neither too much nor too less. you throw your keys, phones and lipsticks in andiamo before getting in the car. your heart hammering against the rib, fingertips slightly shaking on the knees due to the fear you have, or been having for unknown reason, yet more than anything you felt you’re following heart. it feels right, and the world suddenly starts to make sense again.
you decided to get out of the car a little way away from the restaurant. the sunset creating a beautiful color in the sky. soft summer breeze embraced your body, making it more relaxed from the tension.
then you saw jaafar on the street.
✶
“y/n was at the screening.” colman’s notice whipped his ass. the small smile he always had on his lips just fell off to the ground for good.
“what?”
“yeah. she came late and needed to leave early, so i invited her to the dinner.”
“what.”
his mind operated with the heavy lag of a rusty machine. before he could utter another word to colman, the dinner party got underway. amidst the directors and producers celebrating the end of production and expressing gratitude for the journey of the cast and crew, jaafar sat in a daze, staring blankly at the folded napkin left on the table.
colman didn’t say you will come, but he couldn’t even think straight about details. the only thing on his mind was the fact that you could come and nothing else. unconsciously inhaling more sharply than usual, his chest rose and fell in deep swells under his silk navy shirt. it took his brother shaking his shoulder a few times for him to even realize he was being called on to give a speech. catching colman out of the corner of his eye with a deeper smile than usual, he felt, just this once, a sudden urge to strangle the co-star he respected so much. even during the speech, his gaze kept drifting toward the door of the restaurant, and his feet refused to stay still, as if they desperately wanted to bolt out of there as quickly as possible.
every soul in the room wanted a word with him. he couldn’t just brush them off—nor did he have the desire to—but he remained keenly aware of how often his eyes strayed toward the entrance. even the mouthwatering dishes bathed in the warm glow of the lights lost all flavor to him. the venue was alive with cozy murmurs and laughter. all the people precious to jaafar were gathered here, and the dusk beyond the glass painted a magnificent gradient of blue into orange. it was undeniably a beautiful scene, and yet, something was fatally absent.
you might not show up. considering how cowardly he had been these past few weeks, it made perfect sense. if anything, after being that noncommittal, it was delusional to expect you to still grant him any grace. and yet, his whole being was aching to tear away from this spot and sprint toward wherever you were.
following the second dish, everyone inside the venue slowly got up and started mingling in small groups. he caught a momentary opening when the crowd shifted away from him. to be precise, the cinematographer tried to call out to him just as he made a move toward the entrance, but colman tactfully intercepted. this forced jaafar to accept once more that colman had likely seen through it all from the beginning, causing a soft heat to creep up from his neck.
the crisp air of late summer gently envelopes jaafar’s flushed body. from the moment they first crossed paths, he has never once let go of you, not even for a fleeting moment. no matter how many times he woke up to a new day, you never ceased to occupy his soul. he understands that this may not be the most tactical move for either of their careers. yet, he has no desire to be so blinded that he would barter away what truly matteres for some temporary contingency plan. a day where he doesn’t trace your contours in his sleep is simply beyond his imagination.
as daylight begins to fade and the summer dusk slowly settles in, you make your appearance.
jaafar noticed you first. you recognized him shortly after as you slowly walking by. the heels of your shoes click against the road. you radiant like a sharp crescent moon glowing in the deep indigo sky. your hair and dress dance in harmony with the breeze, your steps flowing so gracefully they almost compose a melody. jaafar swears he completely forgets how to take a breath in this very instant. the pupils blown wide.
“you came.” he felt embarrassed that his voice clearly got hoarse.
“yes,” your response was equally whispery with his. you gleamed as though someone had poured an entire bucket of pixie dust right over your head. “i came to see you.”
jaafar’s gaze melts. since both of you can’t take eyes off from the person right in front of you, the air between two grew increasingly thick with intimacy. the both of you looked so right together like the summer evening transformed into human flesh by a touch of magic, that anyone would find it impossible to believe this was only your second encounter. both had harbored the secret dread that the person in their thoughts was a daydream they had sculpted, knowing nothing of the real them, while simultaneously worrying that they themselves were just a mirage in the other’s mind, worrying they would only disappoint once they finally met. they were young enough to make a dissipation that didn’t make sense, but no longer young enough to simply brush off their anxieties and dive in headfirst.
“you look…breathtaking,” his chest tightens as swallowing visibly hard. “i…don’t know what to say,”
“thank you,” you smiled. the pink taint appears on your cheeks at the compliment. “you look incredible too.”
the two of you stood there, gazing at each other for a long moment, as if desperate to drink in the entire existence of the person who had finally appeared in front of you. the hustle and bustle of the restaurant, the deepening evening sky spreading above, the streetlamp softly flickered to life beside you—all of it faded away. the entire universe outside of the two of you simply slipped past the edge of your perception.
“you know what i was thinking?” he hums.
“hm?” you arched your eyebrows so delicately.
“i thought i might…hallucinating something that actually didn’t happen.” his whisper echoed through between you two. “i thought maybe it’s just me, making up everything inside my head and…hoping something that doesn’t exist.”
“me too.” you cooed. “i was not sure that i…i have any right to holding you up,”
“you do,” stated jaafar. “you do. you always do. from the moment i met you, that i saw you at the set.” as he continues, his voice cracked like how desperate he truly is.
your eyes fluttered shut. a quick intake of breath came just before you began to weave your words. “i may cause you some trouble. i don’t want to, like that’s the last thing i wanna do but, i don’t know how much this will—”
“stop.” stepping forward, he ran his large hand through your hair, resting it gently along the contour of your skull. with the distance between them closing until their eyelashes were nearly interlacing, the sheer weight of their intersecting stares spoke of something more profoundly intimate than a press of lips—but then, the sudden realization that this was merely a pavement outside the restaurant made them both flinched.
“you already caused some trouble. a big one.” he says. “i can’t stop thinking about you since the day we met.”
a quiet smile, one that did nothing but ripple the air, graced your lips. for a brief interval, you allowed his thumb to trace the line of your cheek and jaw, completely lost in the sweetness of it. casting his eyes down for a brief moment, he then peered up at you from under his brow, a gentle smile spreading across his face.
“so…can i introduce my family before the coffee?” he crooned. you laughed softly with a hint of the voice this time.
“yeah…i can handle that.”
“awesome.”
you and jaafar held hands and disappeared into the restaurant overflowing with warm light. the veil of summer was blessing the two of you. the missing piece in your and his world was now, finally, filled.
꒰ notes .ᐟ ꒱ now i wish i can finally write established relationship fic with them 😩
۫ 🪽 ˖ ꒱ 2.3k ⸝⸝ fluff, he falls first and harder, usage of y/n
⊹ 𝔀𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗂𝓼 ... when colman invited you on the set of michael, you were only excited for him and able to witness michael jackson’s legacy building up in front of you. little to know his nephew and the main star of the movie will also develop a huge crush on you.
꒰ heads up .ᐟ ꒱ i started planning this story as one of my oc’s scenario, then i changed my mind and converted to reader fic, so there must be a tmi of reader here and there since it’s loosely based on her. but it will do nothing with your appearance or ethnicity so you can still picture y/n however you want! also english is not my first language & this is my first x reader fic in eng so spare with me!!
𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 PART2 FROM HERE
“why don’t you come over?”
that’s the latest message from colman, sent to your phone few minutes prior. you are sitting comfortably in the backseat of sedan, taking a sip from the stanley your friends gifted a while ago. you were not pretty much aware about the whole trend when it happened, but they gave to you as a joke so that you’ll look more like a typical, surface level celebrity. you don’t care if it’s a paper cup or plastic bottle as long as it’s sanitary and able to serve a purpose, but not opposing to admit the tumbler like this is actually useful as well.
“like, to the set?” you typed a response.
“yeah, raul is here time to time too, you can just come with him.”
“it’s an exciting idea,” you pause before sending the rest of your thoughts. you and colman met few years ago, both caught attention from public during the same award season as fresh faces in nominee. you are hardworking actress with a solid talent and sharpened crafts, but that was never enough to imagine the mass fame you got today all began that year. colman was a mature and experienced figure you exactly needed in the dazzling whirlpool that swept you away. everything was new and first, and he was just as generous as to take you under his wing. now you grow with more endurance, but you never forget to keep your feet grounded with humbleness.
“but idk, i’ve nothing to do with this movie. i’m not relevant enough to cause extra burden to the people on set.”
“oh silly,” you can just picture how he’ll say this face to face. “people invite their family and friends all the time! i know you love mj, just ditch the thoughts and come!”
“who doesn’t love mj?” and it was your honest reaction. he’s the king of pop — more like a pop himself. you are also an artist and currently preparing for the first album which is hectic and thrilling, but through out your life as aspiring pop star, it’s hard to miss his enormous impact on this genre. it’s almost he invented everything we do today, and there’s no way you can come up with something cool and refreshing. because every time micheal already did that, like decades ago. it’s almost impossible to imagine a single human being were able to do everything so well, yet he achieved like a nothing.
“c’mon, just say yes.” another bubble popped up on your screen. you roll your eyes in a fake disgust, but the curve on your lips telling otherwise.
“alright, i’ll accept your invitation with gratitude.”
“haha, yes! just send me your dates.”
you leave the phone on the seat, starting to think what you should bring on.
times pass quickly. that day, you don’t really think too much before picking up outfits from the walk-in. something comfy, casual but clean. you embellish the look with simple hoop earrings and ralph lauren cap. summer is getting around the corner, a hunch of promised heat making you excited for the upcoming season. people always tell you’re summer girl.
“hi!” you meet up with raul in front of the studio. he looks gorgeous as always, embracing him and husband’s favorite kid in toned arms.
“what’s that?” he quickly noticed a big plastic bag you carry besides.
“oh, it’s nothing,” you lightly shrug. “i thought i should brought something since i supposed to have nothing to do with being here.”
“oh, you are the sweetest as always.” raul placed a kiss on the side of your head, “but you really don’t have to, people will just be delighted to have you in here! colman told me he made sure bragging about you coming today to everyone.”
“what?” you gasp slightly, turning the face around from him in humorous distress. you don’t intend to grab attention today.
“yeah, so you must prepare to do few signatures.” raul winks. don’t be ridiculous you say, shaking your head before entering inside right after him.
the assistant immediately welcomes you two, guiding to the set where they filming right now. you feel like it will never be something you can used to be. the huge studio in hollywood like this, just magical whenever you come across. it’s like a maze you don’t mind to get lost at all.
and the next thing you know is the room full of people with shared passion, sincerity and excitement.
“babe,” colman immediately notices the moment two of you enter the set. “and who’s there? is that my favorite girl?”
his energy is always like a classic jazz music, energetic yet with a depth of nice espresso. he’s already in his costume, turning a page of the magazine on his lap, relaxing on his chair. he welcomes you with a nice warm hug as always.
“thank you for inviting me today,” you chuckle. “everyone looks enjoying the filming so much, it’s so nice to see.”
“oh yeah, the crew is amazing in here.” he effuses. “everyone is simply thrilled about what we are doing, you know. and we all keep witnessing the great work of…” then he cuts off the words before spotting someone over your shoulder. “speak of the devil! jaafar, c’mere!”
and then you turned around, you swore you just saw michael jackson himself.
“hey,” a lean figure in the costume of michael—that’s all you can see and explain who’s in front of you. the makeup bringing exact intended effect on this guy’s facade, transforming into another person. to look like him.
“hi,” you put a little smile, gesturing something in between of bow and nod.
colman holds his shoulder lightheartedly while the other hand on your’s. “jaafar, this is y/n i’ve been telling you about.”
“what did you tell him?” his jest cause you a slight panic. you just pray he hasn’t said something embarrassing about you. the eyes caught his, then you realize his gaze never leave from you even when colman is talking.
“oh, only a good thing,” he smiles. the big hand has wiped off by his pants in haste before letting out. you feel like you can just illustrate his personality from that moment. “sorry, i’m—i’m jaafar.”
“y/n,” you politely shook his hands. it was firm and steady, but big enough to wrap your hand almost completely. you could tell the warmth representing his kind nature. “wow, you… really look like him. with makeup and everything, it’s kinda…”
“strange?” when he chuckles, jaafar surfaces from the beneath of disguise. “but thank you.”
“no, no it’s not strange, it’s just…” you scratch the cheek to find a word. a nervous laugh slipped through your lips. “i don’t know how to describe, just… wow,”
“you’ll be surprised more if you saw his performance,” colman pats your back, “he really dedicated himself to this. it’s amazing, really.”
“of course it is. i can’t wait.” your voice gets brighten from genuine excitement.
“thanks,” he drops his gaze a moment before looking you up with beautiful big eyes. it seems like he has this habit when he laughs. “what is that bag?” jaafar points out the thing you brought with.
“oh, i almost forgot,” your eyes get widen. “i brought some donuts from local bakery to cast and crew. i’m not sure if it’s enough amount for everyone but…” you look around, trying to count an approximate number of people in the set.
colman raised voice with elation. the same assistant who guided here quickly accepted the bag from you, making sure everyone in the room will know about that. you accepted the cheer from people with a faint, shy smile.
and jaafar kept looking at you whole time.
you spend the rest of the time on set until the day’s shooting wraps up in the evening. you smile, laugh and thank the people around you often, while observing the filming and performance with extremely concentrated look. the gaze is so strong, it feels like a comet to jaafar, burning so brightly in the dark that hard to miss. he catches you speaking with choreographers and trainers of him a few times in the corner of his eyes. discussing something in professional manner that jaafar grew familiar only recent years. of course he has a basic knowledge of dance, he always has. but there’s a thing you only can understand after devoting to training like crazy. he remembers what colman said yesterday, that you’ve been trained with dance and performance since very young age.
after he took off the makeup and changed to own brown polo shirt and beige pants, colman beckons to him at the hallway. “you coming a dinner with us, right?”
“um,” he hesitates. it’s been a long day, especially after his heartbeat becomes way faster sometimes for a specific reason.
“y/n is coming too,” colman simply added. jaafar’s eyes then caught your figure over him, talking with raul, smiling.
your smile is lethal.
“yeah,” he nods before he can even catch himself. “i’ll join.”
colman just pats him on the back with a huge grin, but jaafar wonders if he’s aware what’s going on inside his head this entire afternoon that still pretty alive in this moment.
“let’s go!” colman waves them off towards the exit. him and raul starts discussing the restaurant, so jaafar ends up in next to you naturally.
“you were great,” you bubble, a delicate fingers faintly brushes jaafar's shoulder when you throws your hands upward. the scent of your perfume floats in the air from the wrist. he made a guess that it was a jasmine. “i was speechless for the whole time! couldn’t believe what did i just saw, you’re doing phenomenal.”
“thanks,” he feels the heat creeps up his neck as his heart flattered again. “i—colman told me that you’re professional dancer.”
“oh it’s—just happened, yeah.” you nod. the eye lashes flaps like a fancy bird. “i’m not really, like, greatest or anything but… well, i’m just loving it.”
“that’s cool.” he looks into your eyes straight. “i finally got proper training when this movie happened, so…”
“what? no way,” you sighs in disbelief. “you are doing one of the most difficult performance to put out in life. it’s not about the length of time, it’s about passion, determination and dedication. and you clearly proving you are the right person for this. i can’t think anyone else can do this like you.”
jaafar already heard affirmation many times before regarding this matter, so this is nothing new to him. but hearing from you hits a little different. it’s more, heavy—it’s from the person he just met today, and barely spoke to eachother, yet the presence you brought at a corner of the set just stands out from the rest. he thinks every casts looks exquisite in their own way, and he respects them so much. although all he could see this afternoon was you. it’s like his whole world suddenly experienced a death and a rebirth, and now the entire universe revolves around you. how the sun goes down and rise again, how the moon goes to eclipse and gets back full, everything depends on you and you only from now on.
there’s something so captivate of you that he can’t really point out a finger, maybe it’s your smile like a summer evening, or perhaps the manner that so humble and modest, while making everyone star-strucked by simply existing in the same room. jaafar felt that the moment you entered to the set even before seeing you with his own eyes. the air just shifted—and it never went back to the same. oh, and your gaze—he didn’t know how to feel, being flattered that you are so intrigued by the performance he gave that making you so focused while giving an intense gaze, he almost felt his skin is getting a cigarette burn. or maybe being jealous instead, since what you actually care and being interested is his uncle and not him. that’s the moment jaafar realizes something is wrong with his brain chemistry. how can he jealous of his deceased uncle? of course everyone will care about his uncle. after all it’s michael’s movie they’re filming, not his.
you just chats rhythmically with both colman and raul inside their car. you seem like a quiet person and it’s true, but you can also be as cheerful as them when you’re comfortable with it. jaafar notices you always make sure to include him and listen to what he tried to say then called off, with head tilted and the beautiful eyes looking into him so innocently, asking what he initially tried to say. his brain just gets malfunctioned every time you do that, then his words gets slurring, mouth drying up and the heart pounds like a drum. at one point he swears you heard the sound inside of his chest because of the way you laugh. he feels like an idiot.
he can’t remember the taste of food he ate with them that night. it must be nice, because you keep savoring the flavor, completely devoted to the dishes in front of you while having no idea jaafar feeling exactly same towards you. the way your face lights up, eyes sparkling, a pink tip of your tongue lick some sauce from a corner of the lips. those images were only things he could remember. and he feels sick. therefore it wasn’t a great help to the situation he’s going through when you put that pretty smile on your face, telling “you’re such a gentleman. thank you for keeping me company tonight,” while hug him softly. all he could think was one thing.
“would you say yes if i asked you to grab a coffee with me sometime?”
your eyes get wider to something completely unexpected. “well i… i’m gonna leave the state in two days for filming in overseas. i won’t be around here for a while.”
he’d rather strangle himself and die at this point.
then your lips illustrate a perfect curve of a crescent.
“does this offer still stand in a few months?”
even if he died at this point, he would remembered as the happiest man on earth.
romaincrisis
yousharknotpass
ellievsbear
vaporwave
blakekathryn