Beach Sunrises: Kid in Love
Warning: Physical harassment, slight physical abuse, mentions of girls loving girls, bar fight, cop evasion, reckless behavior, cursing, and some slight teasing of smut.
Abbreviations: y/e/c = your eye color
Pairing: Shawn Mendes x Reader
Summary: While on tour one day, Shawn sees a woman watching the sunrise by herself. Thinking that he’ll never see her again, he tries to forget as he goes on with the rest of his day. But, serendipity seems to have other ideas…
Notes: Yo, I gave up sleep to finish this on time for y’all. Enjoy my dark and twisty mind. PLEASE REBLOG OR COMMENT if you like it! I always welcome messages and asks about my work! Enjoy! P.S. Two fics in one day is unheard of for me.
I manage to shakily get the tray back to the table. When Xander notices my return, he immediately starts acting weird. "You got my favorite!!" He exclaims before he pulls me in for a hug. "Okay, so I have the perfect song for you to sing next!"
I look at him skeptically. "What if I wanted to pick my own solo song?"
"Then I would have to say tough luck," he says truthfully. "Because your birthday night is really about me and what I want. Didn't you know?"
I cock my head to the side. "What's going on? Not even you would dare make my birthday about you," I squint at him.
"Technically, it's not your birthday. So ha!" He grins at me mischievously.
I sigh heavily. "What's the song?" I know there's no changing his mind once he starts bringing loopholes into the equation.
"Yay! Okay. So you're gonna sing IDEKYN," he says excitedly.
I lean against the tall table, despite my small height. "Okay...why that one? I mean there are so many Shawn songs you love hearing me sing. That's not one of them," I interrogate him.
"Maybe I want to hear something new on my own personal radio," he beams at me.
I glare at him intimidatingly. After not being able to read any clues on his face, I give in. "Your wish is my command," I say as I roll my eyes. He claps excitedly and we both grab a toothpick with a melon ball.
I raise mine to him and he does the same before we both eat it and then down the shots they came with. Anna finishes her song just as I leave the table. We pass each other and I shoot her a wink before we high-five.
I settle in on a bar stool as I adjust the mic. After doing so, the DJ makes a corny joke about me getting a standing ovation for this next one. The alcohol must be starting to set in because I find that extremely funny and can't help but laugh.
After signaling that I'm ready, the songs starts. I start out sitting down and by the time the song picks up, I'm standing and walking around the stage with the mic. It's fun to just bop along and do my own little dance moves to it.
As I get to the end of the song a glance over at our table to see Xander and Anna cheering me on. But, they're not alone. I can't quite make out who it is from this distance. It's a guy. Tall. Curly-ish hair. Surely, Xander hasn't picked up a guy already?
I finish the last lyric and bow while everyone claps. Of course, I can hear Anna calling for an encore. "I'm gonna take a brief intermission, guys! And when I come back...prepare to have your socks knocked off!" I giggle as I set the mic back in the stand and hop offstage.
My head is feeling slightly dizzy, and I can tell that I should probably start cutting back on the drinks or I'm not waking up until the evening tomorrow. I glance at the clock as I make my way back to the table. 12:39. A little less than two hours until I'll be cozy in my bed.
The closer I get to the table, the taller this mystery person seems to get. Xander sees me approaching and a wicked grin takes over his features. Meanwhile, Anna stands behind him and eyes the man suspiciously. I cock my eyebrow at her and she just shrugs like she had no part in it.
As I am finally within earshot of the table, I begin speaking. "Xander, what have we told you about picking up strays-" I begin to chuckle but it gets caught in my throat as the man turns his head toward me. I must be really drunk because there is no way that this is who I think it is.
He smiles broadly when he sees me. It's when he introduces himself that I know this isn't an alcoholic hallucination. "I'm Shawn. Though you probably already knew that seeing as how you were at my concert..." he laughs nervously.
My mouth almost drops but I force it to stay closed. I don't want to seem too weird. "Uh...yeah? Yeah, I did know that..." I shoot a glance at Xander who is giggling to himself. "Did you buy me Shawn Mendes for my birthday?"
Xander almost spits out his drink and even Shawn lets out a chuckle. I look back and forth between the two, while still observing the quietness of Anna in all this.
"Xander...It's really sweet and all, but I think he's a little out of your price range," I say feeling the alcohol in my system. He's about to say something back when I continue speaking, "I think you should probably return him to the store and get your money back. You'll be in debt for a very long time if you don't."
Oh, my god. Stop talking, stop talking, stop talking!
I'm convinced that I'm thoroughly making a fool of myself when Shawn cracks up laughing. Xander does as well. "Oh honey, I'm well aware he's out of budget," Xander tells me as he lays a hand on my shoulder.
"Xander invited him to come when he went back to get your purse," Anna explains uninterestedly.
I look over at Shawn, who's already looking at me with concentration. "Why'd he do that?" I blurt out.
"Because I actually asked if I could tag along," Shawn tells me with a small giggle. He is even more beautiful up close.
I continue to stare intently at his honey eyes. "Has anyone ever told you that you're more beautiful up close? 'Cuz you are..."
He shakes his head with a bashful smile. "Thanks. I don't think I actually have," he confesses.
My cheeks heat up and I realize that I'm being ridiculous. "I'm sorry! I didn't know I'd be meeting anyone important or I wouldn't have drank as much..." I comb my hair out of my face gently.
"No! It's alright," he says through laughs, "you're being honest. I like it." He smiles sincerely and I remember that Xander and Anna are still here.
I tear my gaze away from Shawn as I turn back to the group. "So, who's singing with me next?" I ask with a smile as I drum my hands on the table.
Xander and Anna exchange a look before looking back at me and Shawn. Xander with an excited look and Anna with a roll of her eyes. What is with her tonight? I glance down at the tray of shots.
"Hey...where'd all the shots go?" I look around concerned.
Xander speaks first, "I drank some and gave the rest away. Neither of us needs anymore..."
"Xander!! I paid for all of those! They were a lot," I say incredulously, the words coming out slower than I intended.
He shrugs. "You'll thank me for it later."
"Yeah, I'll thank you when you pay me back for each one you gave away," I grumble at him.
I feel a light touch on my shoulder and swing my head in the direction of it. This action caused me to get lightheaded for a brief moment. The source of the touch is Shawn, and my whole arm tingles.
"I still haven't gotten your name," he says with a shy smile.
My eyes widen and I laugh slightly. "Right! Sorry. I'm y/n. It is very nice to meet you," I say happily as I shake his tattooed hand. God, his hands are big.
Xander clears his throat and I let go of Shawn's hand. Not realizing that he was still holding onto mine as well.
As she lets go of Shawn's hand, a slight blush creeps up her neck. She turns her attention back to Xander and Anna to begin discussing her next song. Shawn hardly hears anything they're saying because he's so focused on looking at her. She's so close he can see every single feature clearly now.
Even in the dimness of the bar lights, he can see that her eyes are an intense y/e/c. Her lips look soft despite the tiny cracks from dry weather. And when she smiles broadly as a laugh overtakes her body, he can see the dimples at the corners of her mouth. God, he wanted to kiss those dimples.
The sound of his name being called brings him back to reality. "Huh?" He asks shyly as he looks around at the staring faces. His eyes keep coming back to hers though.
Her nose crinkles again as she giggles with a closed smile. "We were asking what you thought I should do for my next song," she says.
"Oh. Uh..." He tries to think quickly as if he weren't just studying her as if she were some sample under a microscope.
She can tell that he wasn't paying attention. But, it doesn't bother her. She knows exactly what it's like to get so wrapped up in her own world that she doesn't know other people are around.
As she looks at him, her features light up with the ghost of an idea. "What if you did a duet with me?" Her smile slants as she chews on the inside of her lip.
"Me? No, I couldn't," he says nervously as he looks around. Her smile almost disappears and he quickly continues. "I-I mean I want to. It's just-I mean the people," he looks around again.
She contorts her face in a silly but confused way as she cocks her head at him. "Shawn, you just sang in front of a whole bunch of people. It's what you do," she finishes with a giggle at his awkwardness.
He loves the way she says his name like they're best friends. Like they didn't just meet in a bar after one of his concerts. It rolls off of her tongue as if she's been saying his name for her entire life.
He takes too long to respond as he thinks these things. So with a determined look on her face, she makes up his mind for him. "No one here is gonna know who you are. They're all old," she explains.
Before he can protest, she grabs his hand with her much tinier one and begins to drag him towards the stage. Despite him being a foot taller and probably a lot heavier than her, she's got some pull when she wants something. Not that Shawn was trying that hard to fight it. He was too focused on relishing in the fact that she was holding his hand.
She pushes him toward the stage as she goes over and whispers a song into the DJs ear. He grins as if it's a great song selection and begins setting it up. She bounds back over and up the small stairs to the stage, grabbing his hand along the way. Once onstage, she drags him to the middle and comes to a stop. She bounces in place with so much energy that it eases his nerves.
"So, what song did you pick?" Shawn asks as he looks down at her.
She immediately grins widely. "You're friends with Charlie Puth, right?" She bites her lip to contain her excited giggles.
"Um, yeah. But, I don't-" he begins but is cut off by the DJ getting the attention of the club.
He feels a slight pressure on his hand and he looks down. She never let go of his hand. Is she only being this touchy because she's been drinking? Is it only because he's him? Shawn said he likes the honesty that her tipsy state brings, but it also brings the question of what her regular personality is.
"If you forget the words, they're in front of us," she says encouragingly as she points to the screen.
She lets go of his hand to get the mics and he realizes how sweaty his hands are. He tries to discreetly wipe them on his pants as she approaches and hands him his mic. Before he can say anything else the song begins with his turn.
He stumbles at first. Partly because of nerves and partly because it took him a second to realize the song. But, he got into the groove of it. She danced adorably as he sang his verses, chiming in as the background singer. Seeing her so vibrant and having fun helped him relax.
It was when her turn started that things got interesting. She started dancing around him. Innocently, at first, as she made sassy gestures along with her lyrics. He sang backup for her and even bopped his body along to the beat. He couldn't help the smile that took over his face. Then she began running her hands over his chest and shoulders as she circled him. Every touch left a trail of tingling.
She reached the pre-chorus and he lost all focus. At the line "I won't fall to the ground on my knees" she proceeded to press her back against his chest and slide down his front to the floor. Then, she slid back up. It was quick in reality, but for Shawn, it felt like an eternity. He managed to sing his backup lines, his voice almost cracking when he repeated the word "knees."
He couldn't count how many times he gulped during the rest of that song. Before he knew it, the song was over and she was bowing over dramatically for the crowd. As she looks over, she realizes he's not bowing. She scoots over and grabs his hand so they can do a theater-style bow.
She moves to let go in order to return to the table, but he holds on. As she looks at him with wide eyes, he steps closer to her. In that moment he forgets that anyone else exists. He just wants to kiss her. As he switches his focus between her eyes and her lips, he steps closer again.
Shawn really should've remembered that there were people watching.
Still breathless from all the dancing and singing, we make our way back to the table and Anna decides to go sing another song. If I'm being honest, I'm also breathless from the way Shawn was looking at me. The way he was looking at my lips and inching closer.
I had let go of his hand when Xander started hollering about getting a room. As we sat at the high-chairs next to the table we didn't say much. I didn't want to make a fool of myself in front of him like I did at the beginning. Anna begins singing "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles.
"Xander! You let her pick this song?" I say as she begins singing sadly.
He looks at me shocked. "I'm not her mother, y/n. If she wants to sing a sad song, then let her," he states.
"She just depressing herself. I thought she was over this," I say as I roll my eyes.
Shawn speaks up as we continue to watch this sad display. "Uh, thought she was over what?"
"She fell in love with one of her friends," I begin as my eyes remain on Anna.
Xander chimes in to finish as my heart starts hurting for her. "The girl didn't like her back. Not that she didn't like girls. But, she specifically only saw her as a friend," he trails off as his eyes ghost over mine before turning to Anna.
Neither of us dares to say the name of the girl out loud. Not being able to bear watching it anymore, I excuse myself from the table. "I'm gonna go get water or a soda. You guys want anything?"
Xander shakes his head and I turn to Shawn. "Yeah, I'll come with you," he offers as he throws one last glance back at the stage.
Once at the bar and our orders are taken, he turns to me. "You were the girl weren't you?" He asks.
All I do is nod once, not elaborating on the story. "How'd you know?"
"Just this vibe I got from her. Like she wasn't exactly happy that I tagged along and sang with you. Or that I probably seem interested in you," he says as his voice grows quieter.
My eyes snap up to his. "You're interested in me?"
"Yeah. I mean, I can't get you out of my head since-" he cuts himself off but I finish his sentence.
"Since, you saw me on the beach this morning."
"Instagram. Obviously." I chuckle and he visibly releases a breath he was holding. As if he was relieved that I'm not mad about him recording me.
"Sorry..." He says shyly.
I step closer to him, craning my neck to look into his eyes. "Don't be..."
He leans his head down as I rise up on my toes to lessen the distance. As if neither of us had any control over our bodies, the distance got smaller. His nose brushed against mine and both of our lips are hesitant. Before we can kiss, Shawn is yanked back by an unknown force.
"Hey!" Shawn and I both yell instinctually.
I come out of my haze and see the full picture. A hand had grasped Shawn by the collar of his jacket and pulled him back before shoving him hard into the wall.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I yell angrily.
The man stares at me with hatred in his eyes. "What the fuck is wrong with you? You pretend like you don't want attention coming to the bar dressed like that. But, then you get onstage and dance provocatively up against some kid?!"
It's the man from earlier who hit on me. At this point, I'm no longer scared. I'm pissed. "Listen, I don't even fucking know you. So, why don't you quit being a creep and go hit on someone who doesn't have standards?!" I spit the words out, repulsed.
"You're gonna pay for that-" he begins as he ascends on me. He grabs my arm and twists it towards him.
The grasp is ripped free when the man is shoved to the ground. I look up and see Shawn standing there, seething. "Don't you fucking touch her." His words are like ice and nothing I've ever heard on him before. Threatening.
The disgusting man doesn't give up so easily, though. He quickly stands to his feet and sucker punches Shawn. At this point, the whole bar has turned their attention towards us.
Anna stands frozen onstage, the song cut off by the DJ because of the commotion. Xander is attempting to get to the bar but people have gotten up from their seats to see better.
"Shawn!" I yell as I attempt to move toward him.
"I don't think so, little lady," the man grumbles as he advances toward me.
Years of self-defense classes kick in. As soon as he's within range, I wind up my foot and kick squarely in between his legs. He hunches over in pain, and as he's distracted I take the back of his head with my hands to slam his face into my knee. He looks at me, barely standing anymore.
Win all the next fights. Finish him off.
Without hesitating a second further, I pull back my fist with all my strength and bash his face once before he goes down. Still running on adrenaline, I race over and find Shawn.
"Shawn!" He looks at me and removes his hand from holding his face. "Oh, my god your lip!"
"It's fine. Are you-" he begins as his hand reaches for my arm, but is cut off by the sound of sirens outside.
Our heads whip around the room and see the DJ on the phone. Apparently, he thought it was gonna get nasty.
"You gotta go! If the press finds out-" I begin rambling in panic-mode as I look for a way out that's not the front.
"What about you? I'm not gonna leave you!" He says urgently.
"I'll meet you outside, but you gotta go now! I'll be right behind you," I command as I push him towards an employee entrance.
He rushes through the door and the cops charge through the door. Everyone panics and begins running around drawing the attention of the cops, all running for their own reasons. I dart toward Xander at the table.
"We gotta go!" I say as I grab my purse.
"How the hell did you pummel that guy?" He asks incredulously.
"Now is not the time!" Without waiting to see if they were behind me, I run to the employee entrance and out the emergency exit. Once outside, I can see there are still a few cops standing in front of the door.
I discreetly begin walking toward Xander's car. As they see me they immediately call for my attention. "Hey! Miss! No one is allowed to leave!"
As they take a step toward me, fight or flight kicks in. I choose flight. I break off into a sprint away from the parking lot, not bothering to wait for Xander. As I'm running down the street in the direction of the hotel a car pulls up beside me with the window down.
"Y/n, get in!" It's Shawn. He must've seen me bolt. I quickly clamor into the car and he takes off speeding away from the venue.
As soon as we are a few blocks away, he slows to a regular speed. The adrenaline begins to slow down and I breathe heavily, muscles shaking. Shawn is breathing the same.
Despite myself, I begin giggling.
I continue giggling and it breaks into full-on laughter. The longer Shawn watches me, the more a smile breaks out on his face. Eventually, he's laughing hysterically with me.
The laughter dies down and the situation sets in. I'm still feeling the alcohol, and also the adrenaline. So, I unbuckle my seatbelt and begin crawling out the window.
"Y/n! Get back in the car! What the hell are you doing?"
I come to a sitting position in the window with my legs hanging inside the car, steadying myself with my arms on the roof. "I'm living, Shawn!" I yell happily.
As he drives down the empty streets, I let out several "WHOO-HOOS" at the top of my lungs.
"Do it with me, Shawn!" I urge him.
Eventually, he joins in and I can tell he's having fun. Our fun is interrupted when my stomach growls. I lower myself back into the car and look at the time. 1:15.
"Hey, Shawn?" I say as I look over at him.
"Yeah?" He glances at me as he bites his bottom lip to contain his grin.
"You hungry?" I smirk as I imitate his lame pick up line.
He glances at me again. His eyes different this time. "Absolutely."
“Know any places that are open this late?” Shawn asks as he keeps his eyes on the road.
“Oh, my gosh. Yes,” she says giddily before giving him directions.
A few minutes later they pull up to a drive-thru on the outside of an old-style diner. The machine crackles and a voice comes through the box.
“Welcome to Benny’s Diner, home of our famous cheesy dogs. May I take your order?”
Before Shawn can lean out the window and respond, y/n has unbuckled her seatbelt again. She quickly climbs over him, hanging her top half out of the window and her bottom half in the air in front of Shawn.
He shifts in his seat trying to contain his arousal by this position. She looks back in the window and smirks at him. She knows exactly what she’s doing to him.
“Bennyyy!!! My man!! How’s the midnight rush?” She jokes as if she’s familiar with the server.
“Y/n? Is that you?” He asks with a chuckle.
“The one and only! And I brought a friend!” She continues chatting as her butt wiggles unconsciously.
Shawn has got to get her off of his lap because this view is killing him. He’s about to just have at her in the drive-thru.
She finally makes an order. A rather large one, Shawn thinks, for someone of her size. But, he remembers she also ordered for him as well. They pull up to the front window and he shifts in his seat to reach his wallet.
“No, no, no! This is on me!” She says before crawling across him again. This time quicker than the last. Finally, the food is ready and they park in the lot to eat the food.
He begins to open the bags, but she quickly exits the car. She takes her food and shake with her. “Y/n, where are you going?”
“Just c’mon,” she says as she pokes her head back in the window before disappearing just as fast.
It’s 1:30 at night. They’ve already evaded cops tonight, drove down the streets screaming as she hung out the window, and yet he would still follow her further.
He gets out and follows her to the rear of the car where she climbs up and sits on the top of the vehicle. Chuckling, he imitates her actions. He already knows better than to question her motives.
They sit in silence as he watches her basically inhale 3 large orders of cheesy bacon fries, 2 small mozzarella stick orders, and half of her shake. He must be staring because she stops mid-sip and looks at him.
“Oh, my god. I’m being disgusting aren’t I?” She shakes her head as she covers her mouth with her hand.
He reaches over and tucks some hair behind her ear. His fingertips brush her cartilage piercing and she heats up at the touch. His touch did things to her. Dangerous things.
“You’re not,” he says reassuringly with a content smile. “I’m just trying to figure out where you put it all.”
She giggles. “I’m like the Flash,” she says as she takes another sip, “I burn calories so fast that I have to eat all the time.” She wiggles her eyebrows.
He laughs at this. God, she was funny. She takes her phone out as he continues eating. “Oh, shit.”
“What’s wrong?” He looks up from his burger.
She sighs as she sets her phone back down. “My phone is dead so I can’t call Xander to let him know we’re okay. We kind of bailed on him.” She holds back a laugh because she knows it’s inappropriate.
“You can use mine,” he hands it over without hesitation.
She takes it shyly and opens up the dialing part. Her thumbs hover over the numbers. “Fuck. I have no idea what his number is,” she laughs.
“How do you not know your best friend’s number?” He questions with a chuckle.
She shrugs as she hands his phone back. “It’s automatically saved. Speed dial, ya know? The only numbers I have memorized are mine, my mom’s and-“ She cuts herself off, looking down at her criss-crossed lap.
“And?” He asks but immediately regrets it.
She sips her milkshake again and realizes that it’s empty. “And nobody. Just my moms and mine.” Just like that, her outgoing and giggly demeanor was gone. Locked away behind something that hurt her.
“So...” he tries to find something to say to lighten the mood, but he’s at a loss for words.
“What time is it?” She asks abruptly.
He checks his watch. “1:45, why?”
She takes a sharp inhale of breath. “It’s late, I should really get home.”
She gathers up her trash and walks over to throw it in the dumpster. Her movements slower than they were when they were on their wild adventure. When she returns she immediately gets in the car and waits for Shawn to drive her home.
He’s mentally kicking himself, wondering what flipped so quickly. And how he could get her to come back out of her shell. He didn’t want her to retreat. He wanted to know everything about her. But, she didn’t want him to know anything.
It’s not long before they are back at the hotel. She hesitated at the elevator, debating whether to go back to her room or his. She steps in just before the door closes.
“Can I use your phone when we get in?” She asks quietly.
Once inside his room, she takes the phone to the bathroom. He looks at the bedside table. The clock says 2. He begins to hear her voice muffled on the other side of the door. He doesn’t want to eavesdrop so he begins to change out of the sweaty and slightly bloody clothes.
After about ten minutes, she exits the bathroom. Her expression a little brighter than before. “Thanks for letting-“ she stops when she looks up and sees him standing there shirtless.
“Oh! Sorry, I was just,” he fumbles around for something to put on. “I was just changing, I didn’t know-“
She silently walks over to the bedside table and sets the phone down. Then, she turns to Shawn and her eyes roam the bareness of his chest. She makes her way closer to him.
He doesn’t know what’s happening so he stands still. Almost as if he were trying not to startle a deer. Once she reaches him, her hand extends out to cup his jaw. Her thumb brushes over the cut on his lip from the punch. It’s scabbed now.
“Oh, no,” she says quietly. Almost to herself as she continues to scrutinize the cut.
“Y/n, I’m alright,” he tries to assure her. But, his physical health his not what she’s worried about.
His arm reaches out and brushes over her arm where the man grabbed her. She almost winces, the outline of a bruise forming. “You’re hurt,” he observes.
“I’m not the one who has a meet and greet in two days where tons of pictures will be taken...” Her thumb strokes his lip absentmindedly. Her gaze betrays her and Shawn knows that she blames herself somehow.
He moves his hand to brush her cheek, his fingers finding resting places behind her ear and into her hair. His large thumb strokes her cheekbone lightly. “Why is the press your only concern? Even when we were in the bar, your first thought was to protect me from getting caught in bad publicity...”
Her eyes finally leave his lip and she looks into his honey eyes. Her expression softens. “Because that’s your life, Shawn. Your life is about your image and I didn’t want to be the one to screw it up...”
“Hey,” he says as his eyebrows furrow. “You do not have to put the weight of my career on your shoulders. We just met-“
“We just met and I’m already almost getting you arrested,” she cuts him off, but there is only shame in her voice. “I admire you. I admire you and the way you treat people with kindness. Your newest song? It’s gonna reach people in ways that music should. You have important messages to share and what kind of fan would I be if I ruined your image?”
She’s so good. Wise beyond her small age of 21. She sees the big pictures and the tiniest details that go into them. She was hurt, and he could tell she had a past and secrets that she didn’t want to share. But, she was kind. And she was radiant. Most importantly, she saw him. She sees through the celebrity part of it all to understand him, and what he’s really about.
His entire body moves of its own accord as the hand in her hair pulls her forward. The other hand snaking behind her to the small of her back. He leans down and gently, but fiercely attaches his lips to hers. She sighs into his lips and one of her hands grips the hair at the base of his head. Her other one reaching up to cup his hand around her ear.
It’s passionate. Neither had even used their tongue yet. Just movement and synchronicity in their kisses. Shawn is surprised by how much restraint he’s showing. That is until she instinctually nibbles his bottom lip. Hell breaks loose inside of him as he grips her thighs raises her up. She assists with a jump and wraps her legs around his waist.
He walks slowly towards the bed, wanting to give her time to back out. But, she didn’t. His knees reach the bed and he lays her down gently, but quickly as he hovers over her. His pendant dangles just over the space between her collarbones before he reconnects their lips.
Both of them are kind of in a trance with how much every touch tingles. Shawn knew deep in his bones that this was meant to be. But, a question lurked in the back of his mind the whole time. Did she feel the same?
