Imagine going home from work and Donaka wants to ride you home.
Oh, let's see.
What if Donaka is your boss? Just as he is the CEO of the company you work for, offering you a ride is not only unlikely but also weird.
But it's getting late, and you think that he is being a gentleman.
But wait, how does he know your exact home location?
Something feels off. He feels off. There's just something in his stare that unsettles you and freezes you at the same time. You feel like you are being stared down by an entity or something.
Is he a demon? Not literally, but metaphorically, yes?
Anyway, he has a way with words, and you find yourself giving him way more information than you actually want to.
When the car arrives at your home, you thank him, greet him goodnight and rush back into your home as fast as you can.
As if that is going to protect you from someone who has been stalking you for months. Honey, your home is full of hidden cameras. There's a microchip in your car being installed at the moment.
Yes, the same car that mysteriously broke down two days ago is now sitting in for repair at a mechanic's place.
So, if Donaka offers you a ride home, just know it's too late to run.
Pairing : Tommy Warneki x female!reader
Genre : one-shot
Warnings : bullying
Request : "So, I have a request for the character of Tommy Warnecki from the movie Flying/Dream to Believe where Reader is bullied by the movie's bullies, Leah and Stacy, but Tommy defends her, what do you think?" (request from @gea-chan96)
You always believed in your dreams no matter how harsh the real world was. No amount of negative stuff thrown your way would deter you from it.You felt like you’d never stop wanting to be a fashion designer in the future. Sometimes, you doubt yourself with how people treat you. In fact, you were scared to take a huge leap toward what you hoped. How people treat you made you doubt your abilities, and you felt that no one really supported you, not even your own family who considered your dream unattainable. Your dream was to harness your creativity and express yourself through the creation of clothes that would be worn at the biggest fashion shows.
As you walked into the high school hallways to your locker, you minded not to look at the group of Leah and Stacy who were laughing loudly, backed up against lockers. They were probably making fun of some poor victim who hadn't asked for it. As usual. The hallway was deserted aside from the two bullies leaned against a locker nearby.
Everyday was terrible, you felt like a pariah throughout the entire school. Your shyness and social awkwardness were not interesting to people there. The only person who was kind and interested in you was your friend Robin Crew. You were both close and isolated from that fake crowd. The blonde enjoyed spending time with you and talking about her goal. It lifted her spirits despite the dreadful place and time that was that high school. Despite her injury, which prevented her from competing with the The Buffalo Flyers gymnastics team, she dreamed of becoming a champion gymnast and competing at regional and national levels.
You supported Robin in her goals as she supported yours.
“Still daydreaming? You spend all your time doing that.”
You turned around to meet Leah's mocking eyes, your hand resting on your locker. It was the last thing you wanted to face today. You felt your heart starting to pound as your mind trying to find a way out of this situation.
“No, I was just thinking about something...”
Stacy suddenly took your bag away from your hands and threw it far down the hallway. You frowned, avoiding her intense gaze as you felt anger boil within you.
“Go on, go get it. You're great at fetching stuff for people.”
Stacy taunted you as you pressed your portfolio close against you. Leah took it from your hands and pulled out the sketches. She glanced at them before showing them to Stacy who grimaced in disgust.
“You really think you're going to be the next big designer? Honey, you can't even pick out a decent outfit for yourself.”
Leah started checking another sketch you wanted to show to a professional so they could give advice on how to improve your creations. With a nasty chuckle she tore the sketch in front of your eyes.
“Stop!...”
Your dream was destroyed and shattered. Leah continued as you felt violated by the desecration of your hard work and ambition.
You suddenly started to feel anger and resentment growing inside you. These were unfamiliar feelings for someone as gentle as you.
Your voice suddenly gained a surprising strength and you didn't even recognise yourself.
"Get your hands off it! You don't understand how important this is!"
Determination and hope were speaking for you, and the quiet fire in you was now set ablaze.
“Important? They look like shit anyway. We're the best people to evaluate that kind of stuff.” Leah shrugged, with an arrogant gleam in her eyes.
You were so lost in your thoughts that you didn't even notice someone approaching from behind. The ringing of bells echoed through the hallway as people left their classes.
“No they don’t!”
You yelled at them, fists clenched. Some students stopped to watch the argument, while others looked away, embarrassed, but not enough to intervene. You felt tears welling up; that familiar feeling of helplessness overwhelmed you once again.
“Okay, you two, stop it!”
Leah and Stacy turn their heads toward him, a mix of surprise and annoyance on their faces. They hadn't expected anyone to intervene, especially not Tommy Warneki whose steady voice cut through the tension.
Tommy was known for being a class-clown and a brilliant one at that, but he rarely got involved in the social dramas at school.
“Is there a problem here?” he asks casually, standing next to you.
“No problem, Tommy,” Leah replies in a suddenly softer voice, attempting her charming smile. “We were just having a girly talk.”
“Really?” Tommy crosses his arms, a mocking gleam in his gaze that shift from Leah to Stacy.
"Because from where I was standing, it looked like you were blocking someone who was just trying to get their stuff back. "
Silence falls in the hallway. You look at Tommy in surprise. No one had ever stood up for you before.
“Listen, Tommy,” Stacy began, but he interrupted her with a wave of his hand.
“No, you're going to listen. She didn't do anything to you”, his voice, louder. “So maybe you could use your energy for something more constructive?”
Leah seemed about to reply, but the arrival of the student supervisor put an end to the confrontation. The two girls walked away whispering, not without giving you a dirty look.
Tommy turned to you, his eyes softening.
“Are you okay?”
You nodded, still in shock. “Why... why did you do that?”
He shrugged, a playful smile on his lips.
“Because it was the right thing to do. And besides, you don't deserve to be treated like that.”
He went to pick up your bag back then the portfolio they dropped down. He glanced at your sketches. As he gathered them and put them back in the portfolio. Tommy could see the raw talent and passion in these. He handed your bag to you, which you took with a smile. You also took the portfolio from his other hand.
“This is impressive. They can't deny your creativity just because it doesn't fit their superficial idea of what's ‘trendy.’”
Tommy placed a comforting hand on your shoulder, sensing the anger and sadness still consuming you.
“Your dreams and hard work matter, no matter what they say.”
You felt your cheeks warm up at his sincere words. For the first time in a long time, someone truly saw your passion, like Robin, and didn't ridicule it.
“Thank you,” you whispered, your voice trembling with emotion.
“No one had ever... Except for Robin, no one had ever defended my work before.”
“You've got talent. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.”
As the bell rang and the hallways filled with students, you realised that this day could be a turning point. Thanks to Tommy Warnecki, you got your portfolio back and regained some of your self-confidence. You both exchanged genuine smiles. You had always had a crush on him, and the way he stood up for you only deepened your feelings.
“Would you like to eat lunch with my friends later? You can invite Robin too.”
He suddenly asked. You were stunned as you tried to process what he had said.
“Um, yes... Why not...”
You stammered, berating yourself for being so shy.
“Okay, let's meet there after class,” he said with a wink.
Your eyes met one last time before he headed down the other side of the hallway and disappeared into another. For no apparent reason, you felt your heart skip a beat. There was something in the way he looked at you, as if you were precious, worthy of protection. For the first time, you wondered whether the 'butterflies in your stomach' that people often mention in romantic contexts were due to gratitude or something deeper.
As the day went on, you found yourself thinking back to his presence, and how your heart seemed to beat faster whenever you thought of him.
