It’s You
Pairing: James Papadopoulos x Reader
Author: @ftwd-nicky
Words: 2996
Author’s Note: So, after watching Frank in Papadopoulos & Sons (which is such a weird word, my god). I totally thought of like him and the reader being best friends and end up falling for each other, especially since he’s shy and a tiny bit awkward. This fic is just cute, shit.
My family and I had moved to England right after I had graduated from high school. My father had gotten a job at the famous company Papadopoulos & Sons resulting us leaving America. Once we were officially settled into our medium-sized English home, Harry, the owner of Papadopoulos & Sons had invited us over to his house for dinner.
I was standing in front of my suitcase, figuring out what to wear to this dinner. Probably something a little fancier since that’s what my parents are doing. I dug through the large pile of clothes, finding a dress that my mom had gotten me for a Christmas party one year. Perfect. I pulled it out, laying it on my bed as I stripped from my clothes. I grabbed one of my strapless bras, clipping it onto my chest before pulling the dress over my head.
I stood in front of the mirror as I straightened it out a bit. The sleeves clung to the sides of my arms as it was an off-shoulder dress. It was a beautiful maroon color as the skirt flared out, the back of it a little longer than the front.
“Sweetie? Are you almost ready?” My mom, Kelley, asked as she opened the door a bit. “Aw look at you. You look stunning.” She smiled, placing a small kiss to my head. I grinned in response, looking at myself in the mirror. I do look stunning.
“Thanks, mom. Let me just put my heels on then I’ll be ready.” I told her, walking over to the box that had my shoes in it, pulling out a pair of black pumps, slipping my feet into them before walking down the stairs.
We walked up to a gorgeous brick house, my dad ringing the doorbell as I stood behind my mother, feeling the nerves flowing through my veins. Hopefully they’re nice. I rubbed my fingers together, intertwining them over and over as an older gentleman opened the door, smiling widely.
“Mr. L/N, glad you could make it!” The man dressed in a suit grinned, sticking his hand out for my dad to shake. He was dressed quite nicely; light grey slacks, pale pink shirt and tie, and a light grey blazer to match the pants. “I’m Harry. Nice to meet you ladies.” Harry greeted my mother and I. I gave him a small smile as he welcomed us into his home, my lips parting at how beautiful and modern it is. A lot of white though…
“You have a beautiful place here, Mr. Papadopoulos.” My mom complimented, her hand rubbing my back as my heart was pounding against my chest.
“Thank you, but please, call me Harry.” He smiled leading us into the kitchen. I noticed two people my age and a younger boy. These must be his kids. My eyes gazed over the only girl, cringing a bit as she had a loud scowl on her face. My eyes immediately connected with the older one of the boys, blushing slightly while looking the opposite way. I’m going to make a fool out of myself, I know it. “These are my children Katie, James, and Theo.” Harry mentioned pointing to each person as he introduced them.
My parents greeted them as I gave a small wave and smile, glancing towards my mother. “I’m Kelley Y/L, my husband Mike,” She pointed to my dad as he smiled, muttering a small ‘hi.’ “And this is our daughter, Y/N.” Mom introduced and looked towards me, giving me a knowing look.
“H-Hi.” I stuttered, cursing myself internally as I cleared my throat, smiling softly.
“Oh great, another stutterer.” Katie mumbled to herself, walking away from the group, tapping away on her phone. I furrowed my eyebrows together, wondering what she had meant by that as Harry sighed, running a hand over his face.
“Sorry about her.” He apologized before talking to my mom and dad, walking into the dining room. James, Theo, and I stood in the same spot, the awkward tension soaring through the room as I rubbed my arm. James looks cute. Light brown shaggy hair, beautiful chocolate eyes, pink lips. Although his outfit is a little strange. I’ve never seen someone wear maroon pants with a black blazer, but there’s a first for everything.
“It’s nice to meet you, Y/N.” The youngest, Theo, complimented and I awed, giving him a smile.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Theo.” I grinned and he walked off after his dad, leaving me alone with James. I blinked a few times, pressing my lips together as I stared at my shoes, deciding to speak up. “Hi, James.” I muttered and his eyes widened a bit, his lips moving like a fish out of water.
“H-H-Hi.” He stuttered and I frowned a bit. So that’s what Katie meant.
“It seems to be that we’re matching a bit.” I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood as he looked at his clothes before eyeing mine. I blushed under his gaze, playing with the charm bracelet that’s on my wrist.
“I guess so.” James said quietly, his face blank with emotion. He began to walk towards the stairs, leaving me in the kitchen as I sighed, walking after him.
“D-Do you mind if I hang out with you?” I asked, staring up at him as he was in the middle of the stairwell. He muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair as he nodded his head, motioning me to follow him. I smiled, walking up the steps behind him as he lead me into a room. “Wow.” I muttered, looking at the array of plants, smiling a bit as I watched James tend to them. “You really like plants.” I mentioned, grinning as he glanced behind him, nodding his head slowly before turning around, rubbing his hands together.
“Y-Yea-h, um, do you find that weird?” He asked, noticing the stutter as I shook my head.
“No, I find it really cool, actually.” I told him, sitting down on a chair. I think we’ll be great friends.
It’s been a couple years since I first met James, who’s now my best friend and also the guy I’m utterly in love with. The two of us hang out almost everyday after we have classes, sitting in his plant filled room, talking about nonsense. Sometimes he’ll tell me facts about certain plants he has.
I was on my way to his house, the wind blowing through my hair as the sun beat down on my skin. I walked up the small walkway, seeing the front door open as Harry was talking to their gardener. Katie had walked by as I stepped up to the open door, smiling softly at me. She’s become a lot nicer to me, although she likes to tease me. “James your girlfriend’s here!” She called out. … like that. I shook my head, my cheeks flushed as James walked towards the door, smiling at me.
“Hey.” He muttered softly, grabbing my hand as we headed towards the stairs.
“James.” His dad called out and he stopped, turning towards him as he tried to speak, stumbling on what he’s trying to say. “Calm down. You need to learn how to- how to express yourself-” Harry was cut off by James.
“Wanker.” He said clearly, my eyes widening as I stared at Harry, who looked to the floor. “Wanker.” James muttered, leading me up the stairs.
“James?” I asked once we stepped into his room as he closed the door behind us. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just my dad. H-He wants me to finish school and get a law degree when I don’t even want it.” His soft voice rang throughout the room as I sat on his bed. His eyes were on me as mine were on him, feeling my heartbeat pound against my ribcage. James stepped towards me, his brown eyes staring down at me. “Would you… um, w-would it matter to you if I ran Papadopoulos & Sons?” James asked, having a bit of trouble saying his last name and I furrowed my eyebrows together in confusion.
“No, of course not. You should do whatever you want to.” I grinned, grabbing one of his hands. “Why would you ask me that?” I asked, standing up as his head hung low, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I don’t know… it’s stupid.” He muttered quietly, barely hearing him. “I-People have told me that you only hang out with me because of the money.”
I frowned, stepping away from him as my heart clenched. Did he really believe that? I could feel my eyes sting as I looked at our feet. “D-Do you believe them?” I whispered, glancing up at him.
James sighed, trying to figure out what to say as I scoffed, taking his silence for an obvious answer. I began walking out of his room, turning around quickly.
“I can’t believe you out of all people would believe something like that. I hang out with you cause I like you for who you are.” I told him before walking out of his room, quickly going down the stairs and out the door. I passed Katie on the way, tears streaming down my cheeks as I tried to hold in a sob.
“Y/N? What’s wrong?” She asked and I ignored her, continuing on my way. “Y/N, wait!” Katie yelled, chasing after me in her ridiculous heels. Her hand gripped my arm, stopping me in my tracks as she stepped in front of me. “What’s the matter?” Her heavy accent asked, wiping away some of the tears.
“N-Nothing. I’m fine. I-I need to go.” I muttered softly, trying to walk past her, but she stops me.
“You’re not going anywhere until you tell me what’s wrong. Did James do something?” She asked and I nodded my head, my hand rubbing my arm.
“H-He told me that people have been telling him that the only reason I hang out with him is because he has money. W-We’ve been best friends for two years… I-I mean I’m in love with him for Christ's sake!” I called out, my eyes widening as Katie smirked, raising her eyebrows. “Not the point,” I whispered before continuing, “I just didn’t think he’d be the type to believe such a lie.” I frowned and she brought me into a hug.
“I’m so sorry sweetie. He didn’t mean it, he’s shy and awkward. He doesn’t know what to believe since you’re his first girl friend, no pun intended.” She chuckled and I groaned, hiding my flushed cheeks.
“I have to go.” I muttered, pulling away from her as I gave her a small smile.
It’s been a couple weeks since I talked to James and I’ve been completely lost without him. I was hoping he would text or call, something, but he hasn’t. I decided to man up and go over to his place, dying to see him. I walked there pretty quickly, feeling the butterflies in my stomach as I approached the house, seeing a giant realtor sign on it.
“What’s this?” I asked myself, looking into the window to see the luxurious house empty. I noticed a dumpster a few feet from me, walking towards it as I saw James’ ivy in it. I furrowed my eyebrows together, confused as to why it’s in the trash as I grab it, wrapping my arms around the British flag pot, walking back towards my house.
I fished my phone from out of my pocket, dialing Katie’s number as I pressed the phone in between my ear and shoulder.
“Y/N, hey.” Katie answered and I sighed in relief.
“Hey, how come your house is empty?” I asked, getting straight to the point.
I heard her groan, sighing slightly. “We lost the house temporarily as my dad says, and now we live in some fish and chip shot he used to own because his brother didn’t want to sell it. Why were you at the house?” She asked and my cheeks flushed a bit, staring at the plant in my hand.
“I-um, I was looking for James.” I muttered, knowing where exactly the old fish and chip shop used to be, since I’d walk past it a lot in town. “I gotta go, talk to you later.” I tell her before hanging up, placing my phone back into my pocket.
I finally made it to the shop, standing outside of it as I could feel my palms become a bit sweaty underneath the pot. An older guy that wasn’t Harry came out of it, noticing me standing there as he grinned.
“Hello! Can I help you?” He asked cheerfully.
“Um, i-is James here?” I asked and his eyes widened, looking me over.
“He is. Are you his girlfriend?” He asked and I shook my head ‘no,’ blushing madly.
“Oh, n-no, no. Jus-Just a friend.” I muttered, trying to convince myself. I adjust the potted plant in my hand, pressing my lips together.
“Ah I see. I’m Spiros, James’ uncle.” He smirked and I narrowed my eyes at him. What does that mean? “Well, he’s inside. Go on ahead!” The man smiled and I returned it, pushing the door open. James’ back was faced towards me as he was tapping the table, staring at his phone.
“James?” I asked quietly, wondering if he had heard me. He turned around, getting up rather quickly, almost tripping over the chair as he ran over to me.
He took the plant out of my hand, putting it on the table before bringing me into a tight hug. “I-I’m s-sorry.” James stuttered and I wrapped my arms around him, my palms pressed against his back. “I don’t think you hang out with me for the money, and I’m an idiot for not calling or texting, but I didn’t think you wanted to hear from me.” He told me quietly, his accent music to my ears as a small smile formed on my lips.
“It’s okay. I kind of overreacted I guess. I missed you so much.” I told him, taking a deep breath in, inhaling his scent. “I was a bit scared because I went to your house and it was empty. I thought you guys might’ve moved and no one told me…” I trailed off, pulling away from him. “I-uh brought back your ivy, knowing it’s one of your favorites.” I blushed and he looked over at it.
“Thank you. God, you’re so sweet.” James smiled down at me, the ringing of the door being opened snapping us out of our daze. I glanced behind me, seeing a guy my age walk into the building, shyly waving at us.
His eyes stayed on me, clearly checking me out as I became a bit uncomfortable. “Well hello gorgeous.” He smiled, grabbing my hand, pressing his lips to it. “I’m Mehmet. What’s your name?”
I pulled my hand away from him, stumbling backwards in James. His hands rested on my arms and I glanced back at him, smiling up at him. “I’m Y/N.” I introduced.
“Y/N… that’s a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. You wanna go out sometime?” He asked and my eyes widened, lips parted slightly.
“Um, I’m sorry, but no.” I kindly denied his offer, the smile leaving his face.
“O-Oh. Cool. It’s fine. See ya later.” He mumbled, walking out of the shop.
“Ho-How come you didn’t accept his offer?” James asked, his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. I smiled, taking his hands into mine as I rubbed my thumbs on the back of his hands.
“Because, I like someone else.” I muttered bravely, my cheeks blushing.
The two of us didn’t notice Katie standing nearby, listening to our conversation as James frowned.
“W-Who?” He stuttered and I licked my lips, letting out a small chuckle.
“She’s talking about you, you idiot.” Katie muttered, walking through the space and out the door. Thanks Katie. I sighed, closing my eyes as I felt James’ stare on my face.
“M-Me? Y-You like me?” He asked and I nodded my head in agreement. James’ eyes widened, glancing towards his plant. He went over to grab it, glancing back at me. “I-I wanna show you something.” He stuttered and I nodded, following him.
I followed him up a staircase leading to the roof, gasping as I see all the plants. James placed his ivy down on a table, turning around to face me. “James… this is gorgeous.” I mumbled, stepping towards him.
“You really are…” he muttered softly, his eyes still on me as my lips parted, glancing up at him. James cleared his throat, blushing madly as he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Kiss me.” I whispered, wanting to know what his lips feel like on mine. James’ eyes widened, his lips moving as no sound came out. He stepped toward me, placing his hands on my cheeks before pressing his lips to mine.
My hands gripped his light blue denim flannel, my eyes fluttering shut as I moved my lips against his. James tilted his head to the side, deepening the kiss as his hands moved to my waist.
“James your dad’s looking-,” Spiros trailed off as the two of us pulled away from each other, our cheeks as red as tomatoes. “Your dad’s looking for you.” He smirked, giving us a knowing look.
“O-Okay.” James stuttered, his hand still on my waist.
Spiros went back downstairs, leaving the two of us alone. “Yo-You should go see your dad. I really need to get going anyway. My parents must be worried.” I told him and he nodded, leading me back downstairs, walking me to the door of the shop.
“Come by tomorrow?” James asked and I nodded my head, grinning widely. I pecked his lips lightly, waving goodbye to his little brother and dad.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, James.” I blushed, biting my lip softly.