VERA: Wasn't entirely sure why she found herself on the balcony of her hotel room in Ireland, phone pressed against her ear, waiting to see if Johari would answer. She'd been enjoying herself plenty, but tonight she found herself in an odd mood, and she didn't want to bother Arielle or Conrad with it, not when they had to deal with her all day all week long. Not that she felt any better about making Johari be the one to deal with it, but a part of her felt that he'd be able to make the mood go away, so here she sat, listening to the ringing on the other end.
WHAT: Vera goes to Johari’s to visit, but it turns into a discussion about feelings.
NOTES: Nah, this is pretty tame.
Vera climbed out of her car, locking it as as she walked towards the front door of the house in front of her. She hesitated for a few seconds before ringing the bell, not because she didn't want to be there, but because she felt like she needed to get emotions in check considering how bad she did want to be there. In one hand she had the bag of gifts she'd bought him, and a bag of food she had stopped to pick up for them for dinner on her way over in the other. She didn't know if Jojo was hungry, but she was. She could wait to eat if he didn't want to, but she figured it was always better to have food. Vera tried not to appear to eager as she waited for him to answer the door, even if she felt like there was a swarm of butterflies in her stomach.
Johari decided he would stay in tonight since he had spent most of his break partying anyway. He had planned to just watch movies all night, but when Vera said she was going to be dropping off his gifts tonight he decided the movies could wait. There wasn’t much of a mess to clean up, but every time the girl came over Jojo tried to make his house look slightly more approachable than it usually did, along with himself. Rushing upstairs he went to his room to grab a clean shirt out of the hamper. He sifted through the clothes until he pulled out a t-shirt, but didn’t bother putting it on as he heard the doorbell ring. Practically running down the stairs, he quickly opened the door and smiled at the familiar face. “Well if it isn’t, Miss Perfect.” He said stepping aside to let her in and taking one of the bags out of her hand.
Vera jumped slightly as the door opened quickly, but quickly froze in place when her eyes landed on him, noticing right away that he seemed to be missing a shirt. Letting her eyes linger for much longer than she should have, his words finally alerted her, and she looked down quickly. A deep blush rose on Vera's cheeks as she realized her mistake, and she refused to look up at him, "I-" she started, but didn't know what to say, so instead, she just walked through the door, trying to get her self under control all over again. "I don't know who you were expecting, but Miss Average is here, anyway." She joked, finally making eye contact with him again when he took the bag of food. "I didn't know if you'd eaten, but I thought if I brought food you wouldn't be too disappointed about me showing up out of the blue and ruining whatever plans you might have had for the night." She joked, a small smile spreading on her face, before holding the other bag up, as well. "I brought presents, too."
Johari couldn’t help the smirk that painted itself on his face as he saw her reaction. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t like the attention. In fact, it proved she at least found him attractive and that was something he had been questioning for quite some time. Keeping his eyes on her, he noticed her blush and his smirk quickly turned into a grin. He was sure she was only blushing because she was embarrassed, but he liked knowing he had some sort of effect over her. Rolling his eyes at Vera's words, he shut the door behind her and placed the bag of food on the coffee table. “I hadn’t, so thank you. And I didn’t have any plans tonight so I’m all yours tonight, baby girl.” He stated, reaching over and taking the other bag out of her hand and peeking in it. “We can put these up later, ‘cause that food is smelling pretty good right now. Also sorry about the lack of a shirt,” he said motioning to himself as he stood in front of her. “But do I have to put one on to get a hug?”
Vera let her smile grow into a more easy, natural one when he said he hadn't eaten. And it only grew more when he said he didn't have any plans, but the pet name only made her blush return. "You don't have to put them up anywhere. They're just silly things, I wouldn't be offended if you threw them all away, honestly." She laughed, and then cleared her throat as he drew her attention back to his body, letting out a small laugh. "Well, I can't exactly blame you for how you walk around in the comfort of your own home, can I?" She questioned, but her breath hitched in her throat when he asked her for a hug. It wasn't as if she didn't hug him regularly, but she was certainly handling this situation much more awkwardly than she'd have liked to. Running her fingers through her hair, she let out a nervous laugh, hating that she couldn't just be relaxed like everyone else her age in a situation like this. "I'd never deny a hug from you." She finally answered, letting her smile return.
Johari shook his head as she spoke. It probably wasn’t obvious, but it made him happy that she thought to bring him back anything. Plus he didn’t clear off those shelves just for fun. “True, but you got ‘em for me so I’m gonna keep ‘em. So thank you.” The smile on his face was more genuine this time around rather than teasing. “Well no, but you seem a bit uneasy and I don’t want you uncomfortable or anything. I could go grab one. It’d only take a second.” He wasn’t really in much of a rush to put on any clothes, but if she wasn’t okay with him being shirtless then he’d fix the problem. Her words brought back the silly grin and he wasted no time getting that hug. Wrapping his arms around her, he swiftly lifted the girl up and hugged her tightly. “I missed you, V.” He said softly, loosening his hold on her just in case she wanted to end the hug before he did.
Vera had always enjoyed spending time with Johari, he always made her feel more welcomed and less like a burden. When said he'd be keeping the little trinkets, she smiled again, placing her purse down on the table next to her, nodding when he spoke. She wasn't the most comfortable when it came to most guys in general, most people in general really. After everything that happened with her ex, and then after he sold the pictures he'd taken of her to the tabloids, she always felt like everyone was staring at her, like everyone knew what she looked like under her clothes, which was exactly why she tried to blend in as much as she could. And if it were just about anyone else, she'd be just as uncomfortable with him being shirtless, but with Johari, the only thing that made her uncomfortable was how much she found herself wanting to stare at him. She was pulled away from her thoughts when she felt his arms wrap around her, her own moving to wrap around his shoulders. Vera buried her face in the crook of his neck as he lifted her, trying not to notice how much she enjoyed his scent, before pulling away to look at him as his grip loosened. " I missed you, too." She whispered, staying put for a few more seconds, before pulling away. "We should eat." She said softly, "Before it gets cold."
Johari hated how happy he was in that moment because he knew it would be gone just as soon as it came. There was something about Vera that made him feel different. He was use to girls practically throwing themselves at him, so it was always refreshing to meet one who didn't. But just as it was refreshing it was also frustrating. It took him some time to wrap his head around the idea that she didn't want him the way he did, but that wasn't something he knew for sure. He had just became a little more cautious when it came to who he let in on his little world of feelings. Bringing himself out of his thoughts, he nodded slightly and let his hands fall to his side. "Right," he trailed. "So what do you wanna do while you're here? We could watch a movie or something." The suggestion was more of a time filler since he didn't really have anything for them to do but he didn't want her to leave so soon. Making himself comfortable on the couch, he picked up the bag of food and placed it in his lap as he sifted through it. "Is this all for me or did you wanna share?" He asked, his tone laced with amusement.
Vera nodded in agreement, "A movie sounds good, but I'm still recovering from all of the time changes and flying, so if I fall asleep on you, don't hold it against me." She joked, though she had always been one to fall asleep during movies as it was, and she was tired. Still, she didn't want to call it a night and go home, she wanted to spend time with him. She watched as he moved to the couch, sitting herself a few inches next to him, closer than she normally would, but she felt comfortable with him. "Well, I thought I'd brought enough for both of us, but maybe I underestimated your appetite," she grinned, "and if that's the case, I guess you're just going to have to suffer and be hungry, because there's no way you're talking me out of eating my pasta." She grinned, pulling the covers off of some of the containers of food, her eyes never really leaving him. "How was your break? Did you do anything fun?" She asked, half of her not wanting to know. She'd talked to him one night while away, but she didn't know what he'd done the rest of the week, or who he'd spent it with. And while she had no reason to care, she never liked the idea of girls throwing themselves at him. Vera was not one of the girls who could flirt or who knew how to act around guys, so it wasn't as if she expected Johari to see her the same way.
Johari picked up the remote to his PlayStation and turned on the console, launching Netflix so they could find something to watch. "Does this mean I can pick the movie then? Or should we put something on that will keep you up?" He was going to ask where would she prefer to sleep, but he was just going to cross that bridge when he got to it.Even though he wasn't really looking for an answer to his question he liked the one he got. "If only this cute face had the same effect on you as it does everyone else." He quipped, his infamous smirk making its way back onto his face. When he began to pull the good out his eyes left her immediately. He had eaten earlier that day, but he wasn't going to pass up a free meal. Especially one that smelled so delicious. "It was fun. Stayed with my mom for the week, saw friends I haven't saw in forever, and rested." He said with a shrug as he scrolled through the movie options. Nothing he got up to that week was all that exciting, but that was more of his choice due to the fact that he spent his birthday week out of the country.
Vera thought for a second, and then shrugged a single shoulder. "You can pick, I'll try not to fall asleep either way." She whispered, picking up the container of pasta and a fork. Vera leaned back, smirked at his next words, nudging him gently with her elbow "it totally works on me, just not when it comes to food." She grinned, before leaning back against the couch and making herself comfortable with her food. She was almost ashamed of the smile that formed when he said what he'd done for break, and she quickly let it drop, remembering that they were just friends, and there was no reason for her to care who he spent his time with. "Well, that sounds fun, though. How's your mom? I'm sure she was really happy to see you." She said, starting to eat her food, and sliding her shoes off now so she could pull her feet up on her couch. Vera adjusted her dress, making sure too much wasn't showing before turning her attention back to him. "We should watch something scary if you want me to stay awake."
Johari probably would’ve been more than okay if she fell asleep on him, it’s not like he wouldn’t be fine with having some company over for the night. "You totally can if you want to. I wouldn't mind a mini sleepover." That was the first time Johari ever suggested that without the intention of having sex later on, and for some strange reason he actually liked it. He smiled when she admitted he did have some kind of effect on her. “Well it’s good to know you can be phased by it. I’ll make sure to remember that.” Helping himself, he grabbed the other container along with a fork. Placing the food in his lap, he picked out the movie and brought his attention to the other as she spoke. “She’s great and she was, the first day I was there. After that I’m pretty sure she got tired of me.” Now he was feeling a little bad about having the girl stay up just to spend time with her. He knew she wouldn’t be here if she didn’t want to be around him, but he still wasn’t a fan of causing her rest if she needed it. “Do you wanna stay awake? ‘Cause I’d honestly be fine if you wanted to sleep, especially since I know how traveling can tire a person out.” He decided he could stop being selfish for one night, it wasn’t like they weren’t gonna ever see each other again right?
Vera tried to hide the way she blushed at the idea of sleeping over at his house. It's not as if he suggested anything that wasn't completely innocent, and yet, she pictured herself sleeping next to him, his arms around her, before she could even stop herself, and she couldn't help the blush. "You'd change your mind when you heard my snoring." She joked softly, trying not to let her awkwardness, or overzealousness get the better of the situation. Vera bit her lip when he spoke again, "I'm surprised you didn't already know." She said, meeting his eyes, and letting herself stare for a few seconds too long before turning her attention back to the TV. "I doubt she got tired of you, she was probably so excited to see you, I bet she wishes you hadn't even left yet." She offered, though she didn't know what his relationship with his mother was like, from the way he'd talked about her on a few occasions, even just on their phone call the other day, she felt she could assume that they got along well. When he spoke again, she raised an eyebrow at him, and shook her head, "I came over because I wanted to spend time with you. I mean, if you're afraid of me falling asleep on your couch, I can go, but I wanted to see you." She said, hoping he wasn't trying to kick her out and she was making it harder on him.
Johari could say his night was officially made when he saw the girl blush at his comment. It wasn’t that much of a big deal, but he had a thing for making her face turn red. “I’m pretty sure I’ve dealt with worse, but if you don’t wanna sleepover you can just say so. My feelings won’t be hurt.” He said sarcastically, knowing he’d most likely suffer from some hurt feelings. There was a part of him that wanted to be up front with her, but he knew that wouldn’t be for the best. Even if she did turn out to feel the same. “You’re probably right about that. Also whenever you want you guys should meet. She’d love you.” Johari almost liked that Vera wouldn’t let him put himself down, even though he was being dramatic about the entire situation because he knew his mom loved him. “It’s not that I’m afraid, I just wouldn’t know what to do after you fell asleep. I wouldn’t leave you on the couch, but I’d rather you not wake up and be freaked out when you woke up in one of the guest rooms.” He didn’t know if him not offering up his bed was rude or chivalrous, but he had hoped she wouldn’t take it the wrong way.
Vera raised an eyebrow at him when he spoke, her mouth falling open as he joked. She shook her head, "No, I didn't mean that at all." She said, knowing from his tone that he was probably joking, but she still didn't want him to think she didn't want to be there. "I just meant that you didn't need to feel obligated to let me." When he offered her the opportunity to meet his mom, she didn't know what to say. "I'd love to meet your mom. I don't know about her loving me, but I know my mom would love you. Probably my abuela, too, and trust me, it's not easy to get my abuela to like anyone, but I think you'd pass her tests." She grinned, and it was true, she wasn't an easy woman to win over, but she had no doubts that if Johari met the woman, she'd fall for his smirk just as much as Vera did. Her grin fell slightly when he spoke, "Oh right, one of your guest rooms..." She said, her voice trailing off, because of course he'd meant her sleeping in a guest room when he invited her to sleep over, she should have known that, they were just friends. Not that she wanted them to be anything more, even the idea of wanting that was silly and a waste of time. "I wouldn't be freaked out, but I wouldn't care if you left me on the couch either, or even if you woke me up and told me to go home. I'd be fine no matter what."
Johari knew what she meant and instead of throwing another joke her way he just nodded. The invitation to meet his mom was something he should’ve offered awhile ago, and that was something he’d hear about once his mom found out how long they had known each other. “Most mom’s love me, so I don’t doubt that. The abuela thing surprises me though. They aren’t usually the easiest to please.” That was something he had experience with, considering he was no stranger to being rejected by parents and their parents. “No...” he trailed off, reaching for the remote and paused the movie. His attempt at being a gentleman failed but it could’ve been worse. “I just didn’t wanna make you uncomfortable or anything by offering up my bed, but if you wanted to be my cuddle buddy for the night I wouldn’t mind.” He didn’t bother looking up as he spoke, not wanting to see her reaction just in case he wasn’t a fan.
Vera nodded, "She's not easy to please, half the time I'm not even sure if she likes me." She said with a laugh, "But I think she'd like you. Or at the very least, she probably wouldn't try to hit you over the head with a wooden spoon, and that's saying something." She shrugged. If she could reach out and smack herself, now would be the perfect time to do so, because she'd gone from blushing over the idea of being in his bed, to being upset that he didn't want her there, and now he was offering it, and all she could do was sit with her mouth hanging open, trying to figure how to respond. "N-no." She finally stuttered out, though she wasn't sure what she was saying no to. Her cheeks were bright red again, but this time with embarrassment and she didn't know what to say or do. Why did she have to be like this? Why couldn't she just be like normal people her age, and take an offer for something she'd just been thinking about earlier, something she'd definitely liked the idea of, and just be happy? Why did she have to feel so nervous that her hands shook, and why did her only kind of experiences like this with any guys have to be with her ex, who had nothing but make her more awkward and uneasy in this kind of situation. She'd never been one to hook up, and while Johari hadn't suggested that they should, in anyway, she didn't know if that was what he was trying to subtly suggest. "I've never-...I mean, I don't-...I'm not good at-..." Why couldn't she just form a sentence? It really wasn't that hard. "I've never done that before. Slept over in someone's bed, I mean." She whispered, her eyes fixed on her hands, more embarrassed now than she had been all night. "But I didn't mean that I didn't want to."
Johari felt special for a moment. He was sure it meant nothing that she invited him to meet her family since he had already offered up meeting his mom, but the fact that she already knew they’d love him made him feel adequate for the first time in the long time. “Is she tall enough to reach my head? ‘Cause when I picture abuelas I picture them as these sweet tiny ladies full of rage.” He said with a slight chuckle, hoping that didn’t come off offensive or anything. There wasn’t sure what she was saying no to, but either way he accepted it. Johari wasn’t the type to force anything on anyone, no matter how bad he wanted it himself and he wasn’t going to start now. He accepted the silence that filled the room, almost surprised that there was no awkward tension that followed afterwards. Talking was sure to ruin things so he just sat there until she decided to speak again. He knew he should’ve just kept his mouth shut on the matter. He could’ve just stayed on the couch with her like he had plan and the night would’ve gonna a lot smoother for the both of them. “It’s just gonna be us sleeping. I promise. I mean it’s pretty obvious that we’re just friends, so I thought cuddling would be fine. Was I wrong?” He almost regretted what he said as soon as he said it, because he knew he didn’t want to just be her friend.
Vera laughed, shaking her head, "She definitely couldn't, but she'd climb on a stool just to reach it if she felt like you needed it." She said, and it wasn't necessarily a joke, either. "She's definitely tiny, and fully of rage, but I'm not sure I'd include sweet. I mean, she's great, but she's not sweet." Vera grinned. Her heart rate had accelerated, and she felt like she was messing up the entire night. She was grateful that she'd been looking away from him when he spoke, because she wasn't expecting them to sting so badly. The reminder, not that they were just friends, but that it was so obvious, it just made her remember exactly why even the entertaining the idea of possibly having feelings for Johari was stupid, because he'd never want her, he wanted to be friends, that was all. Still, she knew that the look on her face would show how much hearing what she already knew hurt. Vera bit her lip, looking over at him finally and then nodding. "Right, obvious. Of course." She agreed, though her voice was much flatter now, and a part of her just wanted to leave. To go and sulk on her own, and beat herself up in private for getting ahead of herself, for letting herself entertain any kind of idea or anything more than friendship. But she didn't want to be rude, and even if she knew it was dumb, she didn't want to end her time with him. Still, she didn't know how to answer his question, she didn't want to agree that they were just friends, because that just felt like admitting to defeat, and even if she should, she didn't want to, but she did want to spend the night with him. If only she could get over the fear of it, so taking a deep breath, she sighed. "If you're sure you don't mind, I think that would be nice."
Johari laughed and shook his head. “I’m gonna include sweet, ‘cause I’d rather not be afraid of her whenever I meet her. I feel like she’d probably be able to smell fear.” Although he talked about meeting her family like he was fine with it, a part of him was actually scared. Of course she would say they’d love him, he felt like her opinion on him was a little biased. That wasn’t gonna be a thought he’d bother himself with when there were more important things for them to discuss. Keeping himself silent, he brought his attention back to Vera waiting for a response to his stupidity. He noticed the change in her tone and couldn’t help but feel guilty about saying anything. “That’s not what I meant. I just meant you don’t like me the way that I like you, and it’s obvious. But it’s fine, ‘cause I’m cool with us being friends if that’s what you want.” He rested his head in his hands as he let out a deep breath. This is not how things were suppose to turn out, albeit he didn’t really have a plan set in motion for them but it definitely wasn’t this. It wasn’t the perfect time to admit that he had feelings for Vera, but Johari felt like it was a now-or-never situation and he jumped the gun. “But I wouldn’t mind just cuddling. I can handle all that cuteness in my bed without losing my cool,” he said with a slight smirk as he looked over at her in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Vera grinned and nodded, "I mean, she's definitely got a built in lie detector, so who knows what else she can do. I don't think you have anything to worry about, though." She frowned when he spoke again, her brows knitting together as she tried to figure out what he meant, because he certainly couldn't have meant what it sounded like, and she refused to let herself believe he did, she didn't want to get her hopes up for anything. "Of course I want us to be friends, I wouldn't be here if I didn't. What do you mean I don't like you the way you like me?" She couldn't stop herself from asking, and maybe she was being an idiot, maybe it was obvious and she was just missing all the social cues, but she didn't want him to think there was anything about him that she didn't like. Her head was still spinning trying not to land on the ludicrous assumption that he was telling her something she'd been wanting to hear for quite some time, trying not to set herself up for disappointment, when he spoke again. Vera's blush returned, at him calling her cute, and at the idea of sleeping in his bed. "Yeah, okay." She whispered, "I'll stay then."
Johari nodded at her last comment, mentally trying to tell himself that it was true. "She's got a built in lie detector and you're saying I have nothing to worry about? I'll just have to take your word for it." Confusion was the only look on his face now. How could she have not known that he liked her? He knew he had kept those feelings to himself, but he didn't think they were that well hidden. "Was it not...? Did I just...?" Now he was the one tripping over his own words. He thought it was pretty obvious that he had a thing for her, but maybe he was a lot better at subtly than he thought. "I like you in more than the friend way, but it's cool if you don't like me like that." It was rare that Johari admitted his feelings to anyone that wasn't family, but he felt that Vera deserved to know that he had feelings for her. "Thanks." He said, a small smile forming on his face as he placed the top on his container of food. "I'd be sad if you left anyway, he muttered grabbing each of their containers and placed them back in the bag.
Vera nodded, "Are you someone who lies a lot?" She asked, laughing lightly, "You should take my word." When he spoke again, she frowned, trying follow where he was going, but when he finally got it out, she raised her eyebrows in surprise. It was almost like she was waiting for him to start laughing at the joke he'd just told. No one liked her, not like that, guys stared at her, but they didn't fall for her. She'd spent so much time not letting herself be open to even the idea of him ever liking her, she didn't know how to respond to him. "I do." She finally said, "I mean, I have. I've liked you, too. I just-...Never expected you to like me back. I don't really know why you would but, I'm not good that this stuff. I don't know what to do now." She said, laughing awkward, and then smiling again when he thanked her. "Am I too much of a pain if I ask to borrow something to sleep in. I didn't exactly plan ahead."
Johari shrugged at the question as he went on to answer it, "Not really, but there are some things I'd rather not tell to little old ladies, y'know?" He knew he was the type of guy most mothers wouldn’t approve of if they knew what he got up to in his free time. Her silence kept him on edge but he would be fine with whatever she had to say, whether he wanted to hear it or not. “Well if you wanted to see where this would go I could take you out on a date. Do that whole courting thing if you’d like.” The idea of taking it slow wasn’t an idea that he would suggest, but with Vera he felt like it was something he could handle without getting impatient. “Not at all. Would you prefer just an oversized t-shirt or should I find you some shorts too?” He asked making his way to the kitchen to put the food away.
Vera turned a little more serious at his words, nodding, "She just cares that you're a good person, and you are, so she'll like you. Besides, even if my whole family hated you, which they wouldn't, I'd still like you." Her hands shook as she waited for him to respond, still waiting for the punchline of the joke to come, but when he asked if she wanted to go on a date, she wasn't expecting it. "I've never really been on a date, or done the whole ...courting thing." She said, laughing softly with a shrug, figuring she should warn him what he was getting into. "But if you really want to, I'd like that." Vera smiled at his answer, letting herself feel relaxed again for the first time since this whole conversation started. "Just a t shirt is fine, I think I would spend the whole night trying to keep them from coming off if I tried to wear your shorts." She said and then blushed, realizing that it sounded like she was making some kind of joke, when really she was only commenting on their size difference.
Johari knew she meant well so he decided against arguing with her statement, instead just offering her a cheeky grin and kiss to her forehead. "I know you didn't mean for that to special or anything, but it was so thank you for that." His jaw dropped when Vera said that. He knew that not every guy operated the same way he did when it came to getting with a girl, but there had to be some guy out there who knew how to treat a woman. "Have you had a boyfriend before?" He asked, not too sure if he should assume that she was that innocent. Johari didn’t date often himself, but when he did he'd prefer to pace himself just in case he changed his mind on the situation. He had a feeling that wasn't going to be something he’d have to worry about with Vera. "Yeah. I don’t even thinking tying the string would help keep them on but a t-shirt it is."
Vera grinned when he kissed her forehead, deciding to leave the conversation there. When his jaw dropped, and she heard his question, she went pale, not really wanting to get into that topic, but it made sense for him to ask. "Yeah. I dated a guy for two years in high school. We broke up shortly after graduation. But we didn't really go in dates or do that part. When we started dating we were both too young to drive so we would just hang out and then as we got older, we'd already been together a while and dates seemed silly. And he wasn't exactly...Well, anyways." She said, shrugging a shoulder, not wanting to get into the full details of their relationship or how things ended. "I think it would just be more hassle than it was worth, and I usually just sleep in whatever, so a t shirt is perfectly fine."
Johari wasn't that surprised that she had only had one boyfriend, but it did explain why she was the way she was or at least that was his take on it. "Right," he muttered noticing she didn’t finish her sentence. If he would have known it was something she didn't want to talk about "Well hopefully you don’t still dates are silly 'cause I’m a fan of 'em, and if this works out then dates are something that’ll definitely be in your future." He didn't know how things were gonna play out for the two of them, but he thought it'd be fair to let her know what she was in for when it came to being with him, if they ever got to that point that is. He wanted to make a joke after listening to her speak, but considering they had just admitted that they liked each other he decided against it. "You still sleepy or did that conversation wake you up?" He asked as he grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of the stairs.
Vera couldn't help but feel embarrassed by her past, not only was she inexperienced, her only boyfriend had broken with her by means of selling naked pictures of her to a tabloid, and it wasn't something she enjoyed talking about. Most of the world has seen the pictures, but she didn't talk about how they ended up there, and now certainly didn't seem like the time to talk about it all. Her smile returned when he brought up bringing her on dates, she didn't want to get ahead of herself, but he made it hard when he made her feel so comfortable. And wanted. "I guess I'll be able to answer that better after you've taken me on one and I have something to base my judgment on." She grinned, and it only grew when he took her hand, following after him, and trying not to think too much about the way her heart was fluttering. "I'm exhausted, honestly." She admitted, "But I can stay up longer if you wanted."
Johari wasn't going to get too ahead of himself because he had a knack for going overboard when it came to showing a girl a good time. He grimaced more to himself as he realised he was already thinking of date ideas for the two of them. This was a bit unlike Johari, but part of him liked that Vera had this sort of effect over him. "Nah, I was just making sure 'cause now I think I'm kinda tired." He said, placing his free hand over his mouth as he stifled a yawn. Opening the door to his bedroom, he walked over to the dresser and sifted through his clothes until he found her a shirt. "There you go, love." Handing her the shirt, he quickly pulled his shirt off and tossing it in the direction of his hamper and making it in. "Two points," he said with a slight grin as he made himself comfortable in bed.
Vera smiled as he said he was tired, "Okay, good. I don't want to seem too lame going to bed this early." She laughed, following him into the bedroom, and trying not to let her nerves build up inside her too much. Vera took the shirt, and thanking him quietly as she watched him remove his own and get into bed. "I'll be right back." She said, motioning to the bathroom door and slipping inside so she could change quickly. She quickly slid out of her dress, and bra, before pulling the t-shirt he'd given her on, and pulling her hair up into a high pony tale so it was out of the way before coming back to the bedroom. Vera frowned for a second, hating that she could feel her heart racing, before making her way to the bed and climbing into it. "Thanks for inviting me to stay. And for the shirt." She whispered, laying on her side so she was staring at him, but still a few inches away from him.
Johari reached over and grabbed the remote off of the nightstand and turned the TV on so the room wasn’t completely silent. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous about having Vera spend the night, but he tried not to let it show as the girl returned to the bedroom. Looking over at her, he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her in his clothes. This was something he could use to but he decided not to get too ahead of himself just yet. "No problem. It looks better on you, so it’s all yours if you wanna keep it." He offered, smirking at her as he inched closer. "So did you want to big spoon or would you prefer to be the little one?" Even though the question seemed like more of a rhetorical one, he was seriously asking so he didn't make her uncomfortable but assuming.
Vera felt herself relax as he moved closer, realizing that even if this was something she didn't do, it was still the same Johari she was laying next to. "Maybe you should keep it." She said softly, looking down at it, before looking back up at him. "I may need something to wear again for next time, you know?" She grinned, and then raised an eyebrow at his question, shrugging. "Well, I don't really know. I don't have a preference, I guess. Little spoon seems to make more sense, though." She slid herself closer now, too, trying not to make things awkward.
Johari let a huge grin spread across his face when she said there would be a next time, although he had already assumed there would be it was still nice to hear it. "I was just making sure you weren't one of the jetpacking types. Not that I'd mind if you were." He said as he snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her a little closer. In the beginning Johari thought he would regret telling Vera how he felt, but now he was upset that he didn't do it sooner considering things didn't blow up in his face.
Vera felt her body tense as he put his arm around her, but when he pulled her closer, she relaxed again, her back flush against his chest now, her own arm resting on top of his as he held her. "What's a jetpacker?" She asked, laughing softly, surprised by how comfortable this all was.
Johari let himself get comfortable as he listened to her question. "It's basically a little spoon who prefers to be the big spoon, and since the little spoon is usually the smaller one they look like a jetpack on the other one." He explained, laughing at the fact that he knew what it was to begin with.
Vera laughed at the explanation, shaking her head, and then turning so she was facing him instead. Looking up at him, she wrapped her arm around his shoulders so she was eye level with him, "Does this have a special name too? Cause I like this way too."
Johari felt his heart flutter when Vera turned around and he couldn’t help but stare into her eyes as she looked at him. He let his sight linger there for a moment before shrugging at her question. “I’m not sure if it does, but I like it too.” He whispered, glancing down at her lips and licking his own before averting his attention back to the television.
Vera bushed as he stared at her, but not embarrassed for once. When he looked back to the TV, she settled against him, resting her head against his shoulder. She was beyond glad that she agreed to stay the night, and even that she came over in general. "Goodnight Johari." She whispered, letting her eyes close, not willing to fight off her exhaustion anymore, and far too comfortable to want to.
Johari smiled down at her, knowing that he could get use to this view. Relaxing he exhaled deeply as he let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding in. “Goodnight, Vera." He muttered happily as he placed a kiss to her forehead, feeling content with how the night ended for the two of them.
Being the oldest, Johari was never a fan of what that title implied, but he took on the responsibilities that came with it even though they were never directly given to him. Being the one in charge when his parents would be out and about. Overall, he saw himself as man of the house since their father wasn’t around as often as he should’ve been. Everything Johari did was for his mother. He was the walking definition of a mama’s boy, so Johari made it his mission to help his mom out as much as he could, because he could see that raising three kids on her own wasn’t a walk in the park.
Although he could tell something was off with his parents, he could never put his finger on it so he didn’t bother himself with the thought. It wasn’t until the fatal day that all hell broke lose in the Puckerman household and the kids would never see their father again. Due to the fact Johari looked up to his dad, the realisation of what the man was doing their mother upset him. So there were no tears when the man was forced out of their life.
The luxury of being born into the spotlight was a dream come true for Johari. With their mother being a world famous designer and their dad being just as famous, Johari was bound to get some sort of camera time. He loved being an accessory for his mom on the red carpet, so much so that he considered the first few years of his life a job. Showing up, smiling, and answering questions when he needed to had become much of a norm for him, and the beginning to a very exciting career.
Johari knew he wasn’t going to be a model his whole life and so did his parents, so it was no surprise when he decided to take up acting. Going from commercials, to being an extra, to eventually getting a few minor roles. He didn’t really take his acting career seriously to begin with, but as soon as he realised he was better at it than he expected he took action. Asking his mom to put him in acting classes to help him get better at his preferred profession. He dealt with the occasional small reoccurring roles, but it wasn’t until he auditioned for a movie when he got his big break. Landing a role in “Straight Outta Compton” was a dream come true for Johari, and just the starting point for even more opportunities in his sudden rise to fame in the acting world. Due to his success in that role he was granted another one when BET decided to do the miniseries for the R&B group New Edition. Johari didn’t think recognition would come as fast as it did but he was excited for what he had gotten to achieve.
Johari felt like he had done pretty good as far as his career went, but when it came to school he wasn’t that well versed. He abandoned the idea of college as soon as he got his first role, but now the idea was looking better and better. He knew it would be a nice change of pace and scenery, so he didn’t waste any time deciding on whether he wanted to take it or not. Plus he could use something similar to a vacation and this was probably as close as he was gonna get.
BABY, THERE'S NO OTHER SUPERSTAR
Johari always has on something designer no matter what look he’s going for. His choice of clothing is never consistent, but he always has on a some sort of chain and bracelet to match his outfits and a grill in his mouth. If he’s not by himself then there’s usually a girl or two on his arm. Because he thinks his body is perfect he hasn’t put any tattoos on it yet, and he doesn’t like needles so there’s no piercings in his present or his future.
YOU KNOW THAT I'LL BE YOUR PAPARAZZI
Elijah Puckerman is the old school yet still there rock star; reaching record shattering sales; but after case after case of violence has relocated into producing. Scarlet Puckerman, one designs comparable to Marc Jacobs has been stealing every fashion show, from NY to London, to Japan, you are likely to see her designs. As of the past decade she is the face of her own charity ‘Healing Scars’ that helps set safe houses for those that are victims of domestic violence, as well as going to speak professionally on the matter.
