[untilted] Vinnie hacker x reader
unedited, unfinished draft of something I had laying around for a while. I am not sure when I will be finishing this up.
summary: [name] promised herself not to get too attached to anyone or anything during her exchange year in America. a week in, she not only gets attached to a stray cat, but also to its owner, slowly but surely.
It wasn’t every day that she decided to leave her home and spend an entire day at campus without her headphones. Nor is it that she would ever decide such thing anyway, instead, it was time running faster than ever this morning, her alarm not ringing loud enough, the stove plotting against her, all of those causing her to forget more than just her headphones. Now she has to deal with the loudness of the people from this foreign, yet still somewhat familiar continent, the cars in the background, the little stones screeching under the pressure of her foot as she walks ahead.
Los Angeles is humid in that golden, almost disorienting way – air heavy with anticipation and car exhaust, with laughter and chatter carrying itself around the park. She has always liked spring, liked the way in which wearing just a hoodie or long sleeve shirt was enough to get by. Though [name] isn’t sure if it is the same here in America. Maybe it is her imagination, or maybe it is her brain that was washed by all the stuff she had seen about America back then, but the sun up high along with the greenery surrounding her made this spring afternoon feel hotter than ever.
She adjusts the strap of her heavy bag, suddenly missing her headphones even more.
The walk from campus to her apartment isn’t that long, filling her with relief that she is able to walk around a bit and not rely on any kind of transportation in form of a vehicle. Though it has been a week since she has arrived here in the states, [name] still must get used to a lot around here; the loudness, the touchy-ness and almost robotic friendliness of the people here a stark contrast to what she is used in her home country. She is halfway down the street leading to her apartment when she feels something fluffy brush against her ankle, almost like a gentle breeze. So, when she looks down to find a fluffy cat looking up at her with its big, yellow eyes, she almost jumps away.
An orange cat, quite cute actually, the way it looks up to her and gently meows. [name] doesn’t regret a thing as she crouches down and meows right back at it, her hand scratching its chin, a chuckle leaving her as the cat leans against her hand. [name] raises her head to look around, anything to find out if that little guy [at least, that is what she thinks it is] has an owner or someone looking for him. There isn’t a collar in sight, nor anything else that would help her make out where he has come from. And even though [name] wouldn’t mind spending the rest of her evening petting a cat and meowing at it, she still has some chores waiting for her back home, and a new chapter that she has to prepare for her seminar in the morning.
With a heavy sigh and even heavier heart, she straightens her legs and softly waves at the cat, a small, yet in her eyes very tragic, goodbye. She tries to continue her walk home, mind already preparing a small to-do list she plans to work through for the rest of her evening. Turning her head back one last time to see the cat, she finds herself come to a halt when she sees the cat standing next to her, head looking up, eyes focused on her.
“eh,” she begins, at a loss for words, “do you want more scratches?”
It must be that American air that made her ask a cat a genuine question.
She sighs, hands on her hips, “I really wish I could, but, I, I kinda have to leave, you know?”
The cat meows at her again, tone rather persistent if she may add.
[name] starts looking around once again, hoping to see a figure that is desperately looking for their cat, or anything, really. Though for the first time since she has set foot on American soil, she finds herself completely alone outside of her apartment, the streets echoing with each step she takes, no car in sight and no sound from any house merging.
Maybe if she just keeps walking without paying that little guy any mind, he’ll go home on his own. what if they live in the same direction? She can’t just shoo him away if that is the case now, can she?
That is how the two strangers find themselves in front of a closed door of [name]s apartment building, fluffy [that is what she has named him during their 5-minute walk] sitting next to her, as if it is the most normal thing on the world. As if they have always entered this building together or whatever.
“ugh, you can’t be-“ [name] pauses to take a deep breath, fingers clutching the bride of her nose as if she has witnessed the biggest disappointment to mankind, “you can’t be here, fluff. Really, don’t you think your family will miss you?”
All she receives is a small meow. [name] scoffs, of course that would be all she gets.
She squads down, eyes stern, “listen, I love you, okay?”
Orange eyes slowly blink back at her, as if it understands what she is saying.
“I feel weirdly connected to you, as if you are the first person – kinda thing - that has understood me here. But you gotta return home, man.”
The cat blinks back at her once more before it shakes his head as it sneezes.
“well,” [name] gets up, posture straight, “this is where we part.”
[name] throws herself onto her couch after she placed the bowl with canned tuna on the floor next to her small coffee table. She cannot believe that this thing has managed to convince her to let it crash at her place for the time being.
The quiet sound of wet food being eaten fills the silence of her small apartment, the smell of canned tuna filling her nose.
“ugh.” She groans, head resting against the back of her couch.
When she was told that America will be a crazy chapter in her life, she did not expect this. An orange cat, time management problems – which she never had before – and those weird schedule times of university courses.
Instead of letting her thoughts distract her, [name] decides it is finally time to get up and at least clean her kitchen. Or do something, really.
A chuckle leaves her throat as she thinks back to the time her mother told her that it seemed like she has bees up her ass, never sitting still, always somehow moving. Even though she is a self-claimed homebody. And now that homebody has to share her space with another homebody as it seems. At least she likes cats, she guesses.
That night, [name] finds herself sharing her bed with fluffy, who takes up more space than her, disregarding their sizes. He sprawls across her bed like a king, has already claimed every surface of her apartment within his first hour here, hissed at [name] when she moved to quickly, and he somehow still seems to like her. One paw presses against her arm, his soft purrs lulling [name] to a soft state, almost asleep yet still conscious. She didn’t talk to fluffy that much, besides a few meows here and there when she genuinely couldn’t resist anymore.
[name] figured that someone is probably missing him, and as soon as she finishes her classes the next morning, she will try to find any clue of a missing cat announcement or whatever. A new sense of determination pulses through her veins, fluffy’s soft snores easing her mind.
It isn’t until the next morning, outside a coffee shop near the street she found fluffy on, when her eyes catch a glimpse of a missing cat poster, its picture showing a cat with the same audacity as the one currently sitting inside her home.
LOST CAT — LUFFY
orange tappy, orange eyes, attitude problem.
last seen near UCLA campus.
REWARD.
please call: [number]
[name] fishes out her phone from her back pocket and snaps a quick picture of the flyer with the intention of calling as soon as her classes finish.
Relief washes over her as she continues her way to campus. She would have killed to have a cat of her own, but getting attached while she is on an exchange program is simply too much of a risk she isn’t willing to take. She already loves fluffy – or well, luffy – a lot, but it will be the best option for both parties to sperate before any of them grows attached.
Studies first, attachment later.
Her gaze stays fixed on the ground as she moves along the trees, only ever rising when she feels someone get closer to her. A guy.
He seems kind, she thinks, kinda. They all do, if she is being honest. [name] is aware that she has to get used to this very open and communicative culture that would become her new home for the next year, though she simply can’t bring herself to mirror everyone’s enthusiasm here.
“hey,” the blonde guy speaks up, voice laced with kindness with a hint of confidence, “saw you around yesterday and actually wanted to talk to you, but, like, you kinda vanished, and I didn’t get the chance anymore.”
“I’m jack.” He introduces himself, offering her his hand to shake, which she does.
“[name], nice to meet you.” She actually wants to smash her head against a wall for sounding so flat and disinterested. This is her chance to get connections, she has to pull herself together.
He flashes her his teeth in a cheeky grin, “you too! I know ‘t’s weird, like, why would I just come here, but I, uh, I saw that we share a class and there is this group project comin’”
[name] looks down at his lips in concentration, not wanting to miss anything he says. She must admit, he does speak fast, and the dialect is also something she has yet get used to.
“oh,” she straightens her back, “do you want to work together?”
“yeah! Would that be okay?”
She shrugs, she needs someone to work with anyway, “sure.”
After exchanging numbers, and another round of thank you’s from jack, both part their ways to move along with their days.
She fucking hates group projects.
The voice on the other hand – a man, rather old, though not grandpa-age-old - thanked her profusely. Said he’d arrange a pick-up from her place, which she at first tried to decline.
But of course, people could be persistent, so now she is standing in front of her apartment building, freshly changed into comfortable clothes and face bare. She holds Fluffy in her arms as if he was a newborn, though the cat doesn’t seem to mind.
The person on the phone said that [name] would be able to recognize the person that would come to pick the cat up, and even though she highly doubts it because she has only been here for a week, she also stopped trying from the very beginning. She guesses that the person would understand who she is when they see her holding their cat in her arms.
“how long does it take” she murmurs under her breath to fluffy, who doesn’t pay her any mind and stays fast asleep inside her arms.
Just as she is about to annoy him some more, she hears a soft, almost hesitant voice from in front of her. [name] looks up and is immediately met by the sight of a tall guy. Hoodie half-on, hood up and cappy pulled down to hide his face. The sleeves of his hoodie are pushed up, revealing the ink dancing around his skin in an interesting formation. His right hand holds a carrier – for fluffy – and his other hand clutches around his phone.
[name] doesn’t mean to react, though she can’t help herself and take a step back, that tall and somewhat hidden appearance making a shudder run down her spine.
“oh,” she clears her throat, “you must be here for him, right?”
Stupid ass question, she scoffs at herself, of course he is.
“yeah,” his voice was deep, eyes briefly glancing at her before they focus on the ball of fluff sleepin inside her arms, “luffy, c’mon.”
He takes a step forward, [name] takes one back.
As she sees the confusion settling on his features – which are actually quite pretty, if she may say so – she speaks up to explain herself, “proof?”
“yeah, something that shows me he’s with you. What if you just pretend to be his owner or whatever” She gently pushes her arms forward as she gestures to luffy. She has heard some crazy stuff about Americans, she is not about to risk anything. Is that mean? She guesses so, but oh, who cares.
The man nods, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he whispers a small “fair.”, unlocking his phone to show [name] a rather, well, interesting picture of them both wearing cowboy hats and fake mustaches.
“here you go.” She mutters, holding her arms up for the stranger to take luffy, who seems not so pleased to see his owner. He even looks quite annoyed.
Luffy lets out a soft, miserable mewl, clinging onto her sleeve as the stranger in front of her encloses his hands around Luffy’s small body.
“I think he likes you more than he likes me.” He scoffs, rolling his eyes at his cats’ behavior.
[name] doesn’t say anything, just a gentle smile as she takes a small step back.
“thanks again, honestly.” He speaks up again, “and about the reward-“
“it’s fine.” She cuts him off, holding her hand up slightly to stop his hand from taking something out of his pocket.
A frown settles upon his handsome features, “no, it’s what was promised, like-“
“it’s really fine. Thank you.” She nods to emphasize her point.
[name] nods one last time, starting to walk towards the door at the same time the guy picks up the carrier to get along as well. Both smile at the other as a form to say goodbye.
And with that, she walks up the stairs.
[name] decides to meet up with jack that very week, the end of her first week here in the states. LA has finally shaken off its gloomy spring morning and has started to blister properly. She is still in a haze – assignments, essays, settling into her new apartment, faces that blend into each other – and the air around the campus is still to calm, students had to yet settle into the new semester.
As she places her bag onto the wooden table, jacks soft voice meets her ears halfway, laced with tiredness form the day before, “I fucking hate that guy, for real.”
She chuckles at his greeting, “yeah, it is quite mean, no?”
It’s not like she has never worked on a group assignment before; no. [name] has worked on a fair share of projects until now, her university somehow believing that group assignment would help students to get better grades. What she isn’t used to, though, is having a group assignment in her first week of the semester, the professor way to passionate in the way he talked about his expectations for the class.
“Where are you from, by the way.” Jack sits up as he asks her, eyes curious and brows raised.
[name] raises her eyebrows, “that obvious?”
Her accent has always been subtle, at least that is what she thinks. [name] has been speaking English for a long time, she had to. Schools valued it, and to be honest, all the fanfictions that are somewhat bearable are written in English, she has to know the language to appreciate fine arts.
Jack shrugs, shooting her a grin as he takes out his MacBook from his bag.
“[Country], you know. Multicultural and all.” She answers, spine straight as she sits down on the hard bench.
“that’s crazy.” Is all he says before both settle for a comfortable silence, eyes focusing on the document that explains their project requirements in great detail.
A gentle breeze caresses her cheeks, its warmth easing the tension in her upper body. Is she supposed to say anything else? Keep the conversation flowing, or should she stay quiet? This is why she isn’t a fan of group projects. What is she even supposed to do now? If given the chance, [name] would simply do all the work by herself, her experience with group projects breaking her trust in others regarding that topic. though jack seems to take it just as seriously, not once has he touched his phone nor tried to find reasons for why he couldn’t stay any longer. Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as it has been before.
Hope blossoms inside her chest. This could be her chance to start anew, grow and learn to be an optimistic person, instead of someone who doubts others before they could get any chance. Maybe being here, in a foreign continent, stuck between people who smiled way too much for her liking, would help her change her perspective of life as well.
She nods to herself, subtle but there. She will give jack a chance, she will try to reach out first as well. No more closing in, no more staying at home all day when she has the chance to go out and meet new people.
If she grows close enough to jack, who knows. Perhaps he would like her enough to introduce her to his own friends, just because he believes that she is cool enough, or whatever. [name] isn’t looking for any serious attachments here, anyway. All she wants it to fight against her own habit of closing herself off to people, she wants to step out of her comfort zone, even if it is just this one time.
At least, that’s what she has thought those few days ago, when her and jack just started to work on their project.
How was she supposed to know that he would grow to like her immediately afterwards? Yes, it was her that planned to change her ways during her stay in the states, but she also needed some time to make peace with her decision. She wasn’t aware of how it would lead her to her current situation, standing amid a garage sale with a group of guys she has never met before.
Even though the weather is mild and clouds filled the sky, the perfect time to have a quiet tea on her balcony, in her opinion, the loud voices of those guys jack has introduced her to find their place in this peaceful vibe.
While there are may other people here who want to wander through the different stands and leave some money for those who are selling, the sound of bargains and music stands no chance against jack and his crew, some of them even holding cameras to film their adventures.
[name] has yet to meet all of them, jack has told her before that some of his friends would arrive later due to an earlier schedule.
“I bet you guys would get along just fine, [name],” he began, voice rough after all the studying they had done, “you’re, like, a bit quiet, but, like, they all are cool and wouldn’t mind you taggn’ along, y’know.” He finished, hopeful that he could persuade his new friend to join him for his weekend activities.
“but-“ [name] started, unsure if she was mentally prepared to step out of her zone that fast.
Jack cut her off, blue eyes rolling, “nah, save it, man. I’ll textcha the location, ‘kay?”
She misses her couch, her book.
Hell, she even misses fluffy’s mean look even though it's been almost two weeks since she last saw him.
[name] is aware that jack seems to trust her enough to introduce her to his friends, but she is also aware that he cant stand next to her the entire time and make them wait for her grow more comfortable around her new environment.
They all seem so, how should she phrase it, energetic? Chaotic, maybe, if she is being honest. Loud conversation flowing around, laughter, shouting and weird movements fill in her senses. They kind of remind her of her cousins back home, just as wild and unpredictable.
“yo, vin!” the one with black hair yells out all of a sudden, arm raised in a greeting as his [fuck, she forgot his name], eyes focus on ‘vin’ behind her.
Curious, she tilts her head back to see the newcomer, and is met with a familiar sight. It feels like as if she has seen this guy before, his tall frame and sharp features ringing a bell inside her mind.
Dirty-blonde hair, a tank top that reveals many of his scattered tattoos along his sun-kissed skin, loose pants, and his phone in hand. He greets black-hair-guy with a big grin, eyes looking ahead and nowhere else.
Is he someone she might have seen on campus? Those tattoos, that nose piercing. She knows them from somewhere, her eyes narrow as she gazes down at the lawn, mind trying to find the right pieces.
“and this,” Jack comes up from her side, his warm and gently resting on her shoulder as he pulls [name] out of her thoughts, “is [name], exchange program and all, she’s pretty chill.”
[name] looks up to face the guy that has just arrived, watching as his eyes widen a bit from the sight of her.
So she is right, they do know each other, kinda.
“that’s vinnie, vin, vincent-“
Vinnie interrupts his friend with a tight smile, arms crossing in front of his chest, “vinnie’s enough.” He clears his throat, slightly shifting in his stance, “[name], right? Uh, like, how, how have you been?”
Jack seems happy with his work, squeezing her shoulder one last time before he moves back to joke about something with the others, at least, that’s what [name] thinks.
[name] mirrors his actions, crossing her arms, quickly glancing to her side as if to collect her thoughts, “good, thank you. Uh, this, okay this sounds weird, but have we met before? I know we did, but I, yeah.”
It seems as if a new sense if realization washes over vinnie when he hears her question, lips pulling into a soft smile.
“I came to pick up the cat, almost been a week.”
Her eyes widen a bit, suddenly the face in front of her matching with the one she has seen last week, “oh! How is he?”
Vinnie laughs at her question, his hand reaching up to scratch his nape, “uh, yeah, he’s fine, a bit of a troublemaker, like, always. But he’s good. Thanks again for taking care of him.”
[name] feels herself break into a bright smile, the news about her first friend here somehow filling her with a certain warmth.
“you are very welcome, i’m glad he’s okay.”
And that’s how the two of them find themselves in a, well, comfortable?, silence, glancing around the garage sale, taking small steps ahead as they somewhat decided to just walk around. [name] did say that she wants to make more connections and step out of her comfort zone, though what is she supposed to do now?
She subtly [she hopes it is subtle] looks up at his tall figure every now and then as they continue their walk in silence, eyes soaking in his sharp features. Up from his eyebrows and big, brown eyes, to his sharp nose and all the way down to his lips and his chin.
When she catches herself actually checking out a literal stranger, she straightens her spine to clear her thoughts.
Get it together, that’s so embarrassing.
“so,” she decides its time to speak up, this is her chance, “uh, do you do this often?”
Someone throw her out of a window this fucking now.
Vinnie chuckles next to her, head turning to face her, the amusement very much present on his face, “well, not really,” he shrugs, stopping to look at a cap that is placed on one of the tables, “but, miles wanted to try something for a new video thing, y’know?”
She didn’t, but whatever.
She looks up at him again, trying to collect her thoughts, “yeah, back when I was a kid. My parents made me sell my own toys. Was a hard time.”
[name] smiles as she looks down at her hands, the mentioning of her parents making her miss them even more.
“that’s crazy,” they continue their walk, slowly heading to the group, “I hate losing things I like, would have hidden them all or something.” He grins, mouth opening to say something more before he is interrupted by one if his friends calling him for something.
With a quick wave, vinnie steps away and greets his friend with a handshake, loud voices suddenly becoming even louder.
Well, that was nice, she thinks. One more person she knows now, one more step ahead. Though she couldn’t shake away the feeling that she is missing something. Jack, vinnie, hell even the others even though they didn’t talk that much to her, all seem familiar. As if they have met before, which can't be the case. This is her first time she is in America, and she doubts that any of them would have come to her small town back home.
She watches as the one with brown hair, she thinks his name is miles, walks towards her, hands in his pockets. All if them have welcomed her with open arms when jack first introduced her to the round, though this is the first time any of them has come up to her to talk.
“aye, wanna check out that book stand? Jack’s told me you like, uh, those philosophy books, and stuff.”
[name] smiles at his kind attempt to make her feel included, gladly accepting his offer.
Just as she has done before with vinnie, miles and her walk around the remaining tables in a comfortable pace, falling into an even more comfortable conversation initiated from his side.
That is how she finds herself, 15 minutes later, arms straining from the two heavy bags filled with books she was carrying, heading towards the car jack had picked her up with previously.
“oh, shit.” Jacks eyes widen when he sees the bag she is carrying, gently coming up to take those from her.
Placing the bags into his trunk, he turns back to speak up again, “wanna come with us to get some drinks? The guys like you, so, like, no pressure or whatever.”
She walks up to the passenger side of the car, taking in his words. She has thought the complete opposite, actually. Thinking that she has been a bit too quiet, less invested in their doings which made them take a step back from her. And honestly, she really wants to go home for the day, all the tables filled with various things, people yelling around the field to sell their stuff and the guys talking loudly than ever kind of drained her for the rest of the evening.
“would it be weird to decline?”
Jack scoffs, already opening his side of the car, “dude, no it wouldn’t. ill drive u back, yeah?”
[name] wasn’t joking last time when she said that she believes that the others did not like her that much.
After jack has dropped her off and waved her goodbye that evening, she was pretty sure they wouldn’t meet again other than for their project. Heck, maybe she isn’t that bad to spend time with, she has her funny moments, she thinks. She hopes. But all of them are guys, men, people. With her being the only woman there, it might have made them feel uncomfortable, at least that’s how she perceived it when she stood next to them during that garage sale.
That is why it isn’t hard to understand her shock when jack has invited her to meet with the others for a film night at their place.
She is aware that it’s a stupid idea, accepting the invitation of still somewhat strange men. Even though jack and her have met up after that garage sale, to work, to talk, to hang out, she still is unsure of all of that.
That’s also what [name] has told him right after he invited her yesterday, she has always been direct with her thoughts and concerns. And bless him, instead of getting offended as she has initially thought, jack met her concerns with understanding, emphasizing that he understands and that he will see what he can do to make it more comfortable for her.
“you actually want me to come?” her voice was laced with hope during that call, shocked at his persistence.
“not only me,” his voice came easy from the other side of the line, “miles and vi-, uh, like, the others also liked you a lot. you’re chill, and that.”
After that, jack has called her once more to let her know that some other girls would be there, two of their closest friends who stay at their own place. He even has given her their numbers, to text and ask them if she needed [she didn’t, felt too shy to be honest].
This is how she finds herself standing in front of a big door, the sound of a heavy bass and laughter seeping through from the other side.
[name] shifts in her place, the sole of her feet pulsing with anticipation, hands clutching around the snacks she has bought along. Why has she become so shy all of a sudden, she never had such problems back home.
Just as she steps forward to ring the bell, a cheerful voice greets her from behind, stopping her actions.
“[name], right? Jack told me about you.” Her bright voice spreads a certain warmth in [name], easing the tension in her shoulders.
Her eyes take in her appearance quickly, long black hair, warm eyes and bright smile. She is a bit shorter than [name], still matching the rest of the height difference with a confident stance.
“yeah, hey,” she greets back, slightly startled when the woman in front of her steps forward to hug her quickly, “and you are?”
“huh? Oh, ah, yeah. Im Rachel, but like, everyone calls me Rae. So, yeah.” She laughs, stepping back.
They continue to stand there, mustering the other with their eyes until both of them start to giggle.
“that was so awkward, like, oh god.” Rae shakes her head, moving ahead to ring the bell, “but it’s nice to meet you.”
[name] shrugs, growing shy, “yeah, uhm. You too. I just didn’t know what to say-“
“ah, its fine,” rae waves, smiling at her, “wouldn’t be my first time.”
[name] opens her mouth to respond, though she stops once the door opens and both of them are met with the sight of a very flustered jack, cheeks red.
“I almost fell down the fucking stairs.” Is the first thing he says as he steps aside to let the two women enter, hand running through his hair to calm his nerves.
[name] can’t help but let her eyes wander around the hallway, taking in all those posters – which are mostly from some animes she hasn’t seen – and all the shoes, the jackets and even a plastic plant. It isn’t her place to judge, but from the way the posters are lined up, the way some random piece of clothing is left to catch dust in a a corner, it is pretty obvious that this house belongs to a group of guys.
“uh, yeah, so,” jack breaks the silence, reaching to take the snacks from [name]s hands, “the guys are upstairs, we kinda got this, like, cinema room, and yeah. I’ll prepare the snacks.” He explains, head nodding towards the staircase.
“nah, thanks. You and Rae go up, everyone’s waitin’” is all he says before he moves towards their open kitchen.
Rae smiles at [name], taking her hand in her own to lead her up the stairs, “so, jack kinda told me you’re not from here?”
[name] nods. “I’m from [Country], yeah.”
“I’ve been to different countries thanks to work, though never to [Country]. Whatcha got there?”
Shrugging, [name] follows Rae towards the new room on the second floor, looking around the hall, “you know, buildings, different cultures. It’s mostly calm, though.”
As they enter the cinema room, lights dim and various voices mixing, [name] takes a second to take in her environment. Couches lined up, in hopes to mimic actual cinema seats, a coffee table in front of each. The white wall opposite to it all functions as the screen she assumes, and she stays correct as she catches a glimpse of the projector in the far back. It actually looks quite nice, she must say.
Miles is the first one to notice their arrival, voice booming across the room as he makes his way towards them. He pulls Rae into a quick hug and daps [name] up, making her giggle at his actions.
“hey, where’s jules?” rae asks, eyes in search for ‘jules’
Miles shrugs, leading the way to the others, “she cancelled, somethings came up I guess.”
Ah. Jules must be the second girl Jack has mentioned last time. A pity, even though [name] has just met Rae, she already has grown to like her. Well, the two of them are still holding hands, she hopes Rae feels the same.
It is after they both sit down and grab a drink, listening to one of the guys talking about his latest date, when [name] feels the cushion of the couch dip as someone takes place next to her.
“hey.” Voice low, vinnie gets comfortable next to her.
He smells nice, she notes. He also makes her feel weird, if she is being honest. Not in a bad way, but that air around him, his sharp eyes taking in each of her movements and everything else just seem quite intense.
Just like last time, he is wearing a tanktop, paired with shorts and slippers. Seeing his tattoos this close is actually quite nice, and even though she wants to stay as subtle about it as much as she can, being an art history major with a huge passion for arts in general makes it hard to resist.
“so, you listen to Deftones?” He begins, leaning forward to take a cup from the coffee table in front of them.
[name] stares at him, not prepared for such question.
“uhm, no? not really. Do you?”
Vinnie clears his throat, “yeah, they’re nice, but like, I totally listen to others as well, y’know. Like – uh, yeah.” He shifts slightly, “uh, have you- have you seen luffy yet?”
Her eyes widen, voice high, “he’s here?”
“yeah, uh, I also live here and him and hera stay here with me. You can, like, you can see him if you want.”
Vinnie straightens his spine and shifts in his seat once more, his wide eyes not straying from [names] face. His cologne invades her space, in no way stingy or aggressive. Instead she feels comfortable, his scent only intensifying the warmth inside of her caused by his presence.
[name] looks around, everyone else, Rae included, is still talking, and jack has yet to return with the snacks. It isn’t as loud as it was when they first entered the room, some she has yet to meet are sitting down and looking at their phones. She wouldn’t be missed if she quickly goes ahead and sees fluffy for a second.
“what about the movie?” she asks, turning back to face vinnie, voice low as if she was telling him a secret.
“jack’s probably smockin’ ‘fore he comes up, we have like ten minutes.”
He stands up, back straight.
[name] copies him, following him out of the room to his own, she assumes.
“and hera is also a cat?”
Vinnie opens his door, broad back turned to her, “uh, yeah. Had her first, luffy’s been around for a few months now.”
They enter his room and the first thing she notices is the huge bed in the middle. The second thing she sees is a desk, a screen and a pc. There is also a mic, a comfortable desk chair and some figures on the desk. The room is big, decorated in darker colors, the colored posters along the wall a stark contrast to the general palate to the dark furniture.
She watches as vinnie tries to flick away a stray sock from his bed, hand scratching his upper arm, an attempt to look casual.
“hera’s probably downstairs, and luffy…” he looks around, but [name] has already found that bright orange fur hiding under his desk.
She crouches down, voice airy, “fluff! Hey there, baby. You remember me?”
She lifts her hand towards his nose, hoping that he would remember her. His tiny head softly bumps against it, allowing her to scratch his chin “oh, you’re such a baby, you like it?”
“so, you also got a cat?”
Oh, she forgot that he is also there.
Straightening her legs, [name] clears her throat before she answers, “uh, no. it was a dream of mine but my dad kinda hates animals inside the house.”
“you live alone now, though? I mean, Jack mentioned it once, I guess.”
Vinnie sits down on the edge of his bed, arms behind him to support his weight as he leans back.
[name] squads down once again when she feels Fluffy’s soft fur brushing against her leg, petting him some more.
“yeah, well. To study, y’know? Wouldn’t be smart to get attached.” She explains.
Vinnie nods, eyes wandering around his room as if searching for something as he speaks up again.
“uh, so. Are you with jack, or something?”
“you mean in a relationship?”
Rolling her eyes, she lifts her head to look at him, “nah, more like his wingman.”
Vinnie licks his lips, nodding once more, “cool, cool. So like, you know that we, like, stream and shit, yeah?”
[name] takes a second to gather her thoughts, not sure where this conversation is going, “ah yes. Uh, jack told me after a week of hanging out, for our project, I don’t know if he told you-“
“yeah, so. He told me. It’s cool, not my bubble or whatever, but I respect it.” she finishes her explanation, unsure if that is what vinnie wanted to know.
After jack explained to [name] that him and his friends she met during the garage sale are all professional streamers with a rather large following, she was not sure what to think. But after talking it out and being honest from the very beginning, they both reached the conclusion that [name] would try to not show up in front of the camera if they were to film around her, nor would she share any information about them.
It was more about her safety rather than the others, as jack has told [name] about the different hate trains him and his friends had to witness.
This also explains why she felt as if she has had seen the others once when she first met them.
She didn’t really imagine meeting famous people when she promised herself to step out of her comfort zone. It hasn’t been long since she stepped on to American soil, though she feels as if she has been here for ages already.
Vinnie runs his hand through his hair, lips pressing into a tight smile, “cool, cool. So, you have tiktok?”
His head snaps to her, “no?”
Petting the cat one last time, she gets up and slowly walks towards one of his posters, looking at its details, “I had it, like, before the pandemic. Needed storage, deleted it and now its been a few years.”
“that’s crazy, what do you do then?”
“reels?”
“be for real, now.”
[name] narrows her eyes at his judgmental tone, scoffing as he raises his hands in some kid of defense, “I don’t know, it’s just when I’m bored. Leave me alone.”
“I am leaving you alone.”
Vinnie gets up, hands stemming on his hips, “I think it’s my right to know-“
“you’re a guy, you don’t have any rights.”
“oh, okay miss ma’am. am I even allowed to breathe anymore?”
“not with that attitude.” She rolls her eyes, not bothering to fight off the smile on her lips, “no wonder fl- uh, luffy’s got an attitude.”
Vinnie mock gasps, hand on his chest as if he has just witnessed the biggest betrayal known to mankind, “excuse me?”
Scoffing, she starts to walk towards the door, “shall we go back to the, uh, cinema room thingy?”
“yeah, sure. Whatever. We will be speaking again.” He waves his finger in front of her face, amused tone not ceasing a bit.
“yeah, yeah. Lead the way.”
Vinnie doesn’t understand why he feels this way about [name]. well, actually, he doesn’t even know what way he is talking about. it’s just, ever since they met again during that garage sale, he cannot help but want to get to know more about her. Is it because of her shy yet kind attitude, the way she tries to pay attention to whoever is talking right now, eyes wide and focused?
Or maybe it’s the calm energy around her, something he at times strays far away from. He knows that he can be loud, he is aware of his surroundings and that his job kind of requires him to be expressive and what not. So, seeing her be calm and talk in that soothing voice whenever someone asks her something, it’s just a nice contrast to what he is used to.
During that movie night yesterday, where he managed to get her away from the loudness to the quiet of his room, talking to her without anyone seeing. It was nice, incredibly so.
She was mean to him when he least expected it, pet luffy as if he was her own, and was a good listener. Additionally, she kind of seemed to not care about his status on social media, or how big his following actually is.
Well, at least that’s what he hopes. So far, he hasn’t seen her take any pictures during their gathering, nor has anything been leaked about their latest things. Vinnie is even unsure if he has seen her hold her phone in her hand at any time during the movie night. That was a good sign, no?
So, the next morning after the movie night, as vinnie walks down the stairs to the kitchen, he makes it his mission to get to know more about [name]. not in a stalker way, nah. But who knows. Having a calm friend that isn’t like one of the idiots he calls his own would be nice. A fresh breath of air, a warm blanket, a cold drink.
And what way would be the best to get more information about the lady that has been swirling around his mind every now and them?
That same jack that is sitting on a bar stool at the kitchen counter, phone in one head as he uses the other to take a bite out of his toast.
He has to be subtle, vinnie thinks. Jack is smart, and his jokes are annoying. If he ever finds out that vinnie wants to know more about his new friend, he’d never be able to save himself from his teasing.
His voice is raspy when he speaks up, low with some rest sleepiness, “‘sup.”
Jack nods back at him, small smile on his lips as he types on his phone.
Vinnie moves behind the stool jack is sitting on, eyes glancing at his phone in hopes to catch the reason why he is smiling.
His eyes catch jacks chat with [name], currently texting her about something that’s funny.
[name] is funny, he can admit, but jack? Not a chance.
His arms reach towards the cereal box, taking it out and bending down to get a bowl next.
“so, uh. Movie was nice, right?”
Jack hums, eyes looking up at his friend, “yeah. [name] actually recommend it.”
Vinnie nods, eyebrows rising in surprise, “cool. So, like, she’s cool with the rest?”
“yeah, I think she just needs some time to get around. She’s actually really fun, y’know.”
Jack puts his phone down, standing up to place his plate into the sink.
“yeah.” Vinnie turns around, lower back now pressing against the counter as he crosses his arms in front of his chest, “she got any social media? Or something.”
Jack nods, walking towards the living room, “yeah, she has an instagam. But, like a private one, y’know,” he breaks off to yawn, “fifty followers or something.”
That’s all he says before leaving the kitchen, leaving vinnie to stand alone, thinking.
Which is not always a good thing, if he may say so.
So, what if he just goes through jacks two thousand followings, in hopes to find her account. yeah, he could also just ask jack, but, nah. It’s not that deep. He thinks.
“bro, just let me tag along, c’mon.”
Vinnie follows jack to the front door, bag pack on his shoulders, cappy on backwards. It’s the perfect outfit to fit in, a cool college student who is going to meet up with his friends to work on a project. Chill. If only he actually was a student going out to meet his friends on campus.
It’s just that said friend won’t let him tag along, nor has he any way to contact the other friend, as he simply couldn’t find [names] instagram profile, no matter how hard he tried.
Who the fuck follows two thousand plus people anyway? Jack is crazy, that’s for sure.
“dude, listen, I love you, I’d press you against that wall and make out with you-“
“woah, okay that’s a bit too much-“
“-but I really need to finish this up. [name] has some other courses, and I have a stream scheduled outside of LA. Today’s the day, y‘know.”
Vinnie bends down to slip on his sneakers, voice eager, “and ‘m not ‘bout to annoy you guys. I’ll just be quiet, doing my stuff.”
Jack pats his friend’s shoulder, “then do it at home. you’re goddamn vinnie hacker, my wet dream-“
“and probably every other girl’s as well. I can’t risk getting swarmed or whatever, [name] would kill me, and she’s got a mean punch, so.”
Vinnie takes a deep breath. He doesn’t want to use this method; it’s something he doesn’t really enjoy, a last emergency resort, somehow. Though his dear friend does not leave him with any other option.
That is why he claps his hands together, pulling his lower lip out to a nasty pout, and putting on his best puppy eyes, a performance for the theatre.
“pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease-“
“shut the fuck up and get your car keys.”
“‘sup, [name]?” vinnie eagerly [eagerly? No, he is just being polite, yeah] greets her, sitting down on the bench opposite to her.
Jack follows suit, apologetic look in his eyes, not sure how he would explain it to her. It’s not like he doesn’t enjoy spending time with his best friend. it’s just, well, he knows him quite well. Too well. Knows that vinnie has an amazing talent at getting distracted in record time, never sitting still and running his mouth in light speed. Jack hopes that [name] doesn’t mind or well, hopefully doesn’t notice it.
“hey, vinnie.” [name] smiles at him, sitting up straight.
Her notes are already on the table, spread out along with her markers and some snacks. If she had known that vinnie would come along as well, she would have brought some more. She doesn’t feel as weird around him as she did back when they first met during the garage sale, their last conversation during the movie night easing the edges of their relationship. She couldn’t help but watch him that evening, couldn’t help but notice that he likes to shift in his seat, plug the fine hair on his face, at times even pulling his lips between his teeth. She hoped he wouldn’t notice, and as for now it seems as if she has been subtle enough.
Her eyes shift from his broad figure to jack, quietly watching as he pulls out his notes. This would be the last time they meet for their project, and even though [name] is grateful to finish all this early, thus making it easier for her to focus on her other studies, she also worries that this might be the last time they hang out together. Jack has become a great friend of hers, he has been even kind enough to introduce her to his other friends, trusting enough to tell her about their, well, other job as streamers and content creators. So far, she has yet to see them create any kind of content or stream, and for some reason she is holding back from simply looking them up. This trust jack has given her has risen to an eminent position, too valuable to risk anything just because of her curiosity.
After exchanging some small talk, [name] and jack immediately lock in, eyes focusing on something displayed on their laptops. [name] even writes something down in her notebook, her shoulders rounding forward as she leans down in concentration.
Vinnie swears that he isn’t watching her to be weird, but he simply can’t help himself. Something about her, the way she pulls her lip between her teeth or tits her head when she reads something from. The paper. Just, everything about her little mannerisms ends his concentration with no mercy.
His phone feels hotter than ever in his sweaty hand, his leg can’t stop shaking, and his pulse rings through his ears.
He promised jack that he wouldn’t bother them. He swore.
“I need a cold cigarette,” jack says, the first one to speak up after an hour has already passed, “or a new brain, anything.”
Next to him, [name] chuckles, sitting up straight, “coffee would be nice.”
This is it, vinnie thinks, immediately getting up, “wanna get some?” he asks, trying to keep his voice low.
Just as jack starts to get up from his seat, vinnie starts to cough aggressively, desperately trying to get his friend to understand, blinking with his eyes in some weird way. At first, he just freezes, looking up at his handsome friend with no clue, but when jack hears [name] start to shift to grab her phone out of her bag, he immediately plops back down onto his seat, winking at his friend knowingly.
“[name], you know my order?” he asks her, watching her get up and walk towards vinnie.
[name] nods, smiling at him, “yeah, no worries.”
The two of them wave at jack before leaving for the next café, walking side by side as a comfortable silence wraps itself around them-
Well, at least it is comfortable for [name].
Vinnie could feel his heart pound against his rips with such a force that he feels like throwing up. He never knew how to shut up, so why can’t he think of anything to say now? Should he ask her about her family? Or maybe if she liked to game?
“are you also leaving for L.A. tomorrow?” she is the first one to break the silence, looking at his eyes.
Vinnie clears his throat, stepping forward to open the door of the café. His eyes follow her as she enters first, eagerly following her inside.
“uh, no. jack’s with this group for some new game,” he begins, standing next to her, “I’m doing more independent stuff these days.”
Just as vinnie tries to speak up once more, desperate to keep the conversation flowing, the loud voice of the barista interrupts him, kindly asking them about their order.
As if on autopilot, he states their order, even [gently] pushing [name] away to pay for it.
“I wanted to treat you guys!” [name] scoffs, smiling up at him, “thank you, though.”
Vinnie nods back at her, pressing his lips into a smile, not trusting his voice at the moment.
Why couldn’t he talk to her just as he did yesterday? They even bickered, he could be calm next to her, confident, even. Why isn’t it working out now?
