Warnings: very fluffy, minor mention of injuries, strangers to lovers, very cute, nothing really to give warnings about
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You had no idea how you ended up here. Allowing a stranger into your home, a bruised and bloodied one at that. He laid on your couch, slipping in and out of consciousness. You laid a damp rag over his forehead before you knelt next to him, bandaging his hands as gently as possible. Yet even when you popped his dislocated fingers back into place he didn’t even flinch. Something in your gut told you he was used to hurt, to pain. His eyes are what caught your attention when you found him slumped against your apartment building wall in the busy streets of Yatana. Big and round and soft - pleading for help. He was like a lost puppy, you couldn’t leave him alone. As soon as you hooked his arm over your shoulder he started walking with you as best he could, his feet dragging with every step. And now here you were, gazing at him as he slept. He looked so peaceful despite the blood that covered him. You couldn’t help but fret over him, staying close in case the worst happened and he stopped breathing. Something came over you as you watched the pale moonlight glide over his skin, you let your fingers gently trace over his face and hair. His face softened while he slept, aching for a kind touch. Yet when you traced over his lips a strong hand wrapped around your wrist, his big brown eyes looking at you cautiously.
“Who are you? Where am I?” he asked, attempting to sit up but failing due to his aching ribs.
You held his cheek instinctively to show him you weren’t a threat, “I’m Y/N and you’re in my apartment… you were bleeding outside…” was all you could muster to say.
“I could be dangerous,” he said.
You smiled at that, “I know, but so could I.”
He gave a slight chuckle before releasing your wrist. “Give me a second and I’ll go…” he said, taking a few deep breaths before trying to get up once more.
“Please stay until morning. If not for your health then for my piece of mind. I can’t send you back out on the streets like this.” you said, holding one of his hands and encouraging him to lay back down with your other hand on his chest.
For once in his life, he listened. “You don’t have to stay out here with me… I hate to be a burden.” he said, looking down with an air of guilt about him.
You waved him off, “Nonsense! Here, this way we can both be comfortable.” you moved to tweak the bottom of your couch, raising it slightly to turn it into a pull out bed. You quickly fetched two pillows and two blankets from your bedroom before returning to the living room.
His face held so much confusion; the whole situation was odd. Somebody being so kind to him, somebody trying to make him feel less pain. You fluffed the pillow before raising his head slightly and sliding it under. You draped the blanket over him before laying next to him with a good distance between you two. “Goodnight…” you said, questioning his name.
“Kid.” he mumbled.
“Goodnight Kid.” you said. You watched as his eyes flutter closed, watching as his face relaxed and his breaths evened out.
Eventually your eyes did the same.
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You woke up to a sun beam across your face. You groaned slightly, holding your hand up to cover your eyes. You felt heavier than usual, looking down you found the culprit. Kid’s arm was slung snuggly across your waist, holding you close to his chest. You could feel his breaths on your neck, giving you goosebumps. You managed to twist yourself around in his grasp, your face resting against his chest. His muscles felt so relaxed around you, like he felt safe with you. And for some reason… you felt safe with him too. You cautiously laid a hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat slowly. You breathed him in, slowly cuddling into his chest before letting yourself fall asleep again.
Kid glanced down at you, his eyes barely cracked open, as soon as he was sure you were asleep he placed a soft kiss on your head, drawing lazy circles into the skin of your arm. He had no idea where you came from or why you helped him, all he knew was you were an angel.
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Naboo's Note:
Hello! I rewatched Monkey Man for the millionth time (its such a comfort movie at this point) so I thought I'd write a little something for our favorite guy! XOXXOXOXOXOXO!!!!!!
“Promise me that you’ll keep in touch. Just because you’re miles away from me doesn’t mean I can lose my best friend.” It was our last day. The only time we ever saw each other was on this particular vacation, yet it felt as though we knew each other from birth. I would never tell him, but I loved him, I don’t know how deep but I knew I craved to be around him as soon as we were separated.
“Dev… I don’t have a phone, you know my mama and daddy are strict. I was told I couldn’t get a phone until I got to high school and were what? Fourteen.” The look of defeat graced his face, he knew what I said was true. His family was a little bit more relaxed, letting him wander around the place as much as he liked, but they were still cautious, wanting to know his whereabouts every hour.
“Hey! We still have this vacation. I don’t think my family will ever stop coming here. My sister thinks this place is magical.” Giving him a beacon of hope was all I could give him. I know I was too young to be making assumptions about my family's financial status to keep coming here, but we came here every year in the summer. Why would it stop?
“Harper, close your eyes.” His brown eyes held mine, they pleaded with me to listen to him. I was much of a follower of instructions so I looked at him with caution, afraid of what he was trying to do.
“Come on…” Rolling my eyes, at his impatience, I tightly shut my eyes, thinking that if I shut them tight enough he would quickly do what he needed to do.
Grabbing my hands we intertwined, relaxing into his touch, whatever fear I held in my mind was gone. I could sense he was closer than before. He was nervous even with my eyes closed, I could feel the sense of fear in him, the uncertainty. What was going on?
“Dev? What are you doing?”
“This.” Feeling his lips on my cheek, I opened my eyes with surprise. Why was he putting his lips so close to my face? I think he has lost his mind.
“W-W-Why did you kiss me?”
“Because I wanted to, come on, let's head back.”
“Excuse me, head back! How can you just kiss me and not tell me why. Do you like me or something?” He was avoiding my eyesight now, he bagan getting up trying to walk out the cave, but he wasn’t getting away from this.
“Answer me! That was really weird, Dev!”
“So what! you didn’t like me kissing you on the cheek?”He liked me. I felt a smirk fall on my lips as I looked down at the sand in my toes. I’ve heard enough from my friends about how boys show that they like you and Dev didn’t do any of that until now. He was a regular boy who I could tolerate being around, someone company I really enjoyed.
“Next time aim for my lips.” He stared at me shocked, I could see he was holding his breath waiting for me to reject him, but I couldn’t do that. I liked him too, maybe a little too much.
His smile. I always liked it, it was usually directed at us having fun, but to see it at my declaration made butterflies form in my stomach. We didn’t say anything on the way back to our parents on the beach, we just held each other's hands. I was trying to remember the feelings of his hands, lock it away in the deep depth of my mind so I could keep it stored forever for the next time I came back.
“I’ll see you again Harper.”
“I’ll be waiting, Dev.”
. . . . . ✦
“Now listen to me Harp! Your father and I anniversary is coming up and we want to have a family trip, we wanna go back to Malta.”
“We haven’t been since I was fourteen, why do you want to go there now.”
“Because we remember how much fun we had going there and why not go back down memory lane.” I couldn’t believe my mama wanted to go back there. It's been so long since we've been there.
“Mama, it probably doesn’t even look the same anymore, let's just go somewhere local like Florida.”
“Girl don’t nobody wanna go to Florida! Ain't nothing down there but disney world and you and your sister grew out your disney obsession.” I couldn’t help but laugh at her.
“I still like disney mama, and Florida is nice, remember those pictures I took.”
“Those pictures were beautiful, your little photography skills are a special girl, but me, your daddy and you are going to Malta, also bring your boyfriend that you've been hiding from us so bad. I think it’ll be nice to meet the young man after all these years.” I smiled thinking about Anthony, I really cared for him and thank god that he came into my life when he did. It’s been a year and I was happy, but something always kept me keeping him at a distance. My mind just kept telling me don’t let him in, he isn’t the one.
“Alright mama, I’ll bring him, but don’t you and daddy start embarrassing me.”
“When have I done anything like that?”
“Mama you know.” Hearing my apartment door rattle, I got off the phone with my mama. Anthony came through the door wearing his work uniform. I jumped into his arms loving the way he tightly held me like he didn’t want me away from his touch.
“Hey, my love. What’s going on?”
“Nothing baby, my mama had just called me about a trip that she was planning and she wanted me and my sister to go as well.” He took a seat beside me, caressing my leg. He was always so touchy after getting off work. He said it was a stress relief to rub on his woman’s leg, but I knew he just wanted to have sex after a long day at work.
“Well what you tell her?”
“I told her I’m going, but you’re coming along with me. I think it might be time to meet each other's parents. I mean I’m all in.” Getting closer to him, I brushed my lips to his. I could feel him wanting to close the gap, but I held him back.
“I’m all in too…just let me know when this trip is so i can let work know and we can go, I wanna hear what little miss Harper was up to as a child.”
“No you don’t! I already told my mama not to say anything.” Anthony let out a laugh.
“Where are we going anyway?”
“Malta.”
“Any good memories there?” Giving him a peck on the lips, I tried not letting my mind wander back to Dev, The times of us being teenagers, of being in love. I didn’t want to remember the way he told me I was his soulmate, that I brought out emotions that he couldn’t understand, but knew he liked. I didn’t want to remember the way he made love to me, promising me that he’ll love me for as long as I loved. And yet I left as I always did and never could come back again. My seventeen year old self could never forgive myself at the time.
“Yeah, too many memories…”
. . . . . ✦
“Mama, move a bit closer to Anthony. He doesn't bite.” I snapped a few more pictures. I decided I wanted to document moments for their anniversary and combine them with a video of them throughout their marriage.
“Anthony, tell your girlfriend to hurry up.” Rolling my eyes at my sister, Heaven. I took a couple more shots.
“Why are you acting like my girl, ain’t your sister.” They continued bantering at each other, they argued like they were related. But I knew it was just because they were really good friends. They worked together and when I was dropping off her food, I met him.
“Anyway, let's get to the airport.” Heaven said. She’s been having an attitude ever since me and Anthony walked into the house.
“Just take your ass to the car, you're killing the mood honestly.”
“Hey! What I say about y'all cursing in front of me?” Apologetic, I put away my camera and told everyone to let me talk to Heaven. I don’t need her ruining mama and daddy’s special week. This was about them and any issues she had going on could be left in the states.
“Heaven, what’s up? This little attitude you got upsetting me and so I know it’s upsetting mama.”
“Don’t you think it’s too soon to be bringing him around the family?”
“What’s wrong with him? We've been together for a year, hell you know him so what’s the issue.” She couldn’t look me in the eyes, instead she looked out to the street. Something was on her mind and i couldn tell that it was eating at her soul. I wanted to pry, make her tell me what was wrong. She’ll tell me eventually.
“Nothing’s wrong with him, it's just that I haven’t been around you in a long time. I really missed you and I wanted this to be me and you time not fucking anthony time.”
“I know I’ve been busy with Anthony, but come on I haven’t had a man since you know…”
“Oh yeah Dev, your summer boo thing. You were wrapped up with him all the time, sneaking off to the cave.” She had to bring him up, I’m surprised she remembered because we never were in her presence that long before we were out doing our own thing. She was always out with his sister doing their thing.
“Don’t bring him up! I don’t want Anthony to know about him, he might start getting insecure, he’s a very jealous dude.”
“I don’t understand why you like his ass anyway, he’s so annoying at work.”
“That’s because he doesn't let you slack off the way I know you want to. But I really like him, he makes me happy.”
“And what about Dev? What if we see him in Malta, your ass is gonna be in trouble.”
“It’s been 7 years, he probably forgot about me.” I hoped he did, even if I thought about him almost every year around the summer, just wondering what he’s been up to. Of course I missed him like a lover, but before he was someone I wanted that way. He was a friend, he had dreams and fears. We talked about it all. I missed my friend.
“No one forgets their first love sister.” She was right. Dev would always be that memory in the back of my mind, but it was time to move on and seek some happiness instead of clinging to a lost love. It was just really hard to do that thing.
Omg yess that’s awesome! No rush at all and ofc I’d love to throw some ideas out there. You know that quiet endearing look someone gives you when they’re just taking all of you in? Like the soft smile, warm kind stare of someone who just wants to cradle your cheek with their other arm around your waist before kissing you sweetly? That should totally happen with Dev and the reader/main character at some point if possible
