part 4 from the ¿Dónde es el after? series
song: playa pantaleta by rawayana
summary: a song fills shotaro´s head with memories of you
warnings: fluff, angst!!at the end, fem reader, people leaving for another country, there is one or two mildly suggestive paragraphs.
a/n: finally!!! a shotaro fic!!! i love him and hope you enjoy reading this one, a bit sad towards the end. thanks for reading!!
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the lights were blinding, and mixed with the shots he and his friends downed, he was getting slightly dizzy
he kept swaying to the rhythym of the upbeat music playing in the club, his friends laughing and overall having a great time. he had even thought the DJ was really good, had pushed his way over to the small stage to high five the dude
but then he played an upbeat song shotaro knew very well - your favorite song.
the song you two had danced to a hundred times. the song that made you break into a full smile even if you were sad. that incandescent smile of yours.
he stopped dancing as he recalled the first time he saw you, the memory clear and sudden
one of his friends had been pestering him to go on a double date, the girl his friend wanted to go out with wanted a date for her recently single friend.
your friend had been very clear: she was willing to go all in that same night if her date found someone attractive enough for you. so he said yes. for his friend. at first.
he wasn’t nervous at the restaurant. he sat with his friend, casually waiting, not even bothering to worry about what you’d look like. he just wanted things to go well for his friend.
he didn´t have to worry . your bright smile was the first thing he noticed. the way your dress clung to your body was the second.
shotaro swallowed as he stood up with his friend to greet you both.
"hi, my name is y/n" you bowed to the two of them, placing your small handbag on the table. shotaro blinked, snapping out of it, and quickly stepped forward, pulling your chair out for you. you smiled at him over your shoulder and sat down, slightly impressed, "thank you...?" his friend had quickly done the same, helping your friend sit down at the table.
you grinned at him and adjusted yourself in the chair, giving your friend a knowing look as shotaro sat down in front of you.
"and they say chivalry is dead"
shotaro smiled back at you. chivalry is dead. he proved you so later that night—outside your building, hidden from prying eyes, his hand under your dress and his lips pressed to your neck.
after that, you started dating.
a few dates here and there, nothing serious on the outside, just two attractive people going out, partying, eating out.
but underneath, it was different. your feelings grew fast. intense. and before you knew it, you were waiting for his messages, missing his laugh, craving his touch.
in your fourth date, he had asked you to be his girlfriend.
you had gone to his house to watch a movie, and when he opened the door to his apartment, his rommates stood with a huge handmade sign, with "can i be your boyfriend?" written in glittery letters.
shotaro holding a big flower bouquet with both hands and a hopeful smile.
“i know the sign speaks for itself,” he said, stepping closer as you froze in the doorway, “but these past weeks have been amazing. i’ve been so, so happy with you. and i don’t know if this is too fast, but… i’d really love for us to be together. so… what do you say?”
you took the bouquet from his hands and threw it on the floor, before shotaro could protest you threw yourself at him, your arms wrapped around his neck as your lips crashed into his. his hands found your waist instantly, pulling you closer, deepening the kiss—one hand slipping lower to squeeze your ass.
his roommates cleared their throats and you broke the kiss, unwillingly. both of you smiling now as you stared at each other´s eyes. his pupils were wide and his cheeks a light pink, his lips swollen from the make out and his breathing uneven.
"yes, sho, i would love to be your girlfriend" you pecked his lips once and smiled against his teeth, he was grinning as well before grabbing your cheeks and sliding his lips against yours.
you pulled him closer towards you as you exhaled into the kiss, his tongue gliding into yours and both of you whimpered at the contact. you felt his rommates groan and drop the sign to the floor, stomping back into the hallway and giving you much needed privacy.
you pulled away in need of air, shotaro kept pecking the skin of your jaw before caressing your cheek with the tip of his tongue, "is it too early to say i´m in love with you?" he whispered into your skin and you squeezed his shoulder, grinning at him now.
"it´s a bit pathetic, i won´t lie" he pouted and pulled your hips flush to his, hands roaming your back and neck lovingly, looking into your eyes as you kept smiling at him, "but it´s fine since we´re both pathetic and i´m in love with you too" and you closed your mouths together again, both of you smiling into the kiss.
the next months were everything
you fit together effortlessly, like missing pieces. you took bachata classes, laughing at others while messing up your own steps. his easygoing nature matched yours perfectly, and somewhere along the way, he became your best friend—and you, his.
since you live alone, he practically moved in with you. he would clean after himself and help you deep clean the house once a week, he would cook for you and pay for half the groceries as well. shotaro was the best boyfriend for you you could have asked for..
so you planned something special. a hotel by the beach, in the next city over.
the room was perfect—one big bed, a comfortable bathroom, and a wide balcony overlooking the ocean.
the hotel was fully booked, and you had to sit with another couple at dinner. they were nice, thankfully, and you spent the evening drinking and laughing with them.
later that night, you stood on the balcony in a light pink dress, sipping white wine, staring at the ocean—lost in thought.
shotaro watched you from inside before walking up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist, resting his chin on your shoulder.
“i can hear the gears turning in your head, honey,” he murmured, kissing your neck. “what’s wrong?”
you sighed and shook your head, forcing a smile "nothing, taro" turning to face him, and placed your arms around his shoulders before pecking his lips, "just enjoying the view"
shotaro looked over your shoulder, the sun melting into the ocean, light scattering across the water.
“it is a great view. ” you leaned in, kissing him lightly. “yeah… but the view inside is better, right?”
he laughed, pulling you closer, guiding you back toward the bed as your lips met again.
but your mind wasn’t there anymore.
the couple from dinner had offered you something impossible to ignore.
a job. better pay. recognition. growth.
no remote option. no compromise. and you had to go.
shotaro swore he understood. he said he wanted you to be happy. but understanding didn’t make it hurt less
the months that followed were filled with love, warmth, dance classes—and quiet, hidden tears.neither of you wanted the other to see.
the airport was the worst day of his life. not just because you were leaving. but because this was the end.
you both knew long distance would only drag the pain out.
he forced a smile as you read something on your phone while waiting in line.
“wow, i’ll get paid to continue studying!” you said, eyes shining.
he almost broke right there.
you checked in your bags. walked together toward the entrance. you looked back at shotaro with a tight lipped smile.
you both stared at each other in silence. there was so much to say but nothing mattered anymore. this was probably the last time you two saw each other.
shotaro raised his hand and placed it on your cheek, your eyes filling with tears as he came closer to you and pushed his lips over yours.
your lips gliding against the other´s in a slow, desperate kiss, your tears mixing as your hands tried to memorize each other, one last time.
shotaro looked at you with sad eyes, tears running down his face as he took your face in his hands and pecked your lips once again.
"you are the love of my life" he whispered, voice breaking. you choked up a sob at his words, and his thumbs cleaned your tears lovingly, "i hope you do- no, wait, i know you will be amazing, they are lucky to have you"
you both said your final-tearful goodbyes, hugging tightly one last time before pulling apart. shotaro adjusted your backpack on your shoulder and wiped a single tear off your cheek. he steped back as you smiled at him one last time before turning on your heels and walking past the door
now, months later, he was finally out again. dragged by his friends, trying to feel normal. trying not to think about you every second.
and then the dj played the song.
he could see it clearly—you dancing, laughing, flushed and glowing, your bodies sticking together from sweat, both of you completely, stupidly happy.
and now everything reminded him of you. you ate food. you drank water. you breathed air.
and just when he thought he could breathe without you in every thought, the song hit him all over again.
right where you would always be.
