Warning/Disclaimer: drinking + fluff (+also a bit long)
Request: nanami pls 🥺 (by PamelaDesu73, on Wattpad)
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A mix of alcohol and sweat, of the bodies waddled against each other, had soaked up the club. It was full, completely pact; to move was a mission that the majority abandoned along the way for the invitation of a stranger. Groups separated to re-form under the rhythm chosen by the DJ whose cries were drowning in the music.
Isolated from all this, the bar had become the only place where the air allowed itself a visit from time to time. Dressed in black quartz, the counter was hidden under the countless flabby bodies of those who had sworn that two glasses would be their maximum. However, you could mark, between two corpses dead of intoxication, these few individuals whose diction had been spared.
One of them was Y/N, an office worker who had been dragged in the dark alleys of the night to, according to her colleagues, celebrate the company's success. Forgotten from her original group, she found herself caught between two strangers. She was slightly uncomfortable, sitting on this stool, turning at each sip, of the one drink that accompanied her for this evening, in search of a familiar face.
It had already been several minutes that she had decided to leave the club but the idea of finding herself alone waiting for a taxi, in the middle of a dark alley and probably infested with drunken man, prevented her from leaving the stool.
With another sip, Y/N once again inspected the crowd, but without success. She then tried her chance at the bar to verify she didn't miss them. However, this idea was quickly refuted when she crossed the counter with her eyes. No face came out of the lot except those black eyes that met hers in her race.
Sitting on the other side of the bar, the man was in no way bothered to have been caught staring. Y/N, conversely, immediately lowered her head at this sudden eye contact. She was embarrassed -and kind of freaked out- at the idea that someone was staring at her. So, she kept it down for a while.
With another sip, she looked up and swept the surroundings before venturing back to the other side of the bar. To her greatest relief, the man offered her only his profile. Maybe she was wrong; maybe she had misread the situation?
Even with this idea, Y/N kept her eyes on the man and examined the few features that she could distinguish. The stranger wore a blue shirt that he had slightly unbuttoned giving him a carefree vibe, contrasting with his perfectly styled hair. The watch on his wrist shined under the reflections of the neon lights dancing in the room, his hand caressing the contour of his untouched drink.
Lost in the movements of his hand, Y/N didn't notice how the man had put her back in his sight. He had to raise the glass to his lips so that, by following it, she regained her spirit. This time, she maintained eye contact long enough to confirm her doubts.
If it was anyone else, Y/N would have already dropped her gaze, but with him, she was drawn closer, almost cursing the bar that separated them. His eyes were soft yet the hold he had on her was strong. It wasn't until her neighbor accidentally pushed her while leaving that she was pulled back on her stool and with the realization of what just happened.
Back on her drink, the one whose friends had officially disappeared no longer dared to leave her glass of sight. She took out her phone to try to forget the idea that he might be still watching her and thus remained scrolling for several minutes before a glass was placed in front of her.
"From the gentleman across the bar" indicated the bartender.
At the realization of those words, her gaze was directed immediately at this stranger whose face had somehow become familiar. It was clear that he had been waiting for her, the leds illuminating the understanding smile he offered her.
Indeed, it seemed that the gentleman had found himself stuck in a situation similar to that of Y/N. It was true that his neighbors were far from unknown but she guessed, at the annoyance that ran through her face when one of them interrupted their little interaction, that this bar was the last place he'd want to spend the night.
To thank him, Y/N waited until his attention was available before raising the cocktail with her own thoughtful smile. The man was about to raise his own, but the same neighbor, a man with white hair, grabbed his wrist to regain his attention.
A chuckle escaped from her lips and relieved after their interaction, she pulled out her phone in search of a contact that could save her. The alphabet defiled and realizing her lack of friends, Y/N sighed.
"Need help?"
A whisper caressed her ear and she turned around abruptly, almost falling from the stool in the process if she had not been caught.
"Sorry, I didn't want to surprise you," said that low voice whose hand helped her regain her place.
On her side, the gentleman was leaning down so close that she didn't even need any light to have a good look at his features. She now saw that his hair was, indeed, blond and that his jaw was even more chiseled than she thought.
"Don't worry, it's alright" she managed to stutter in surprise.
Without waiting another moment, the gentleman revealed his intentions.
In response, she could only stumble on her words at the sudden proposal. This kind of interaction was anything but usual for this single woman whose life was only rhythmed by work.
"To be honest with you, I've been wanting to leave for a long time, but this moron..." he pointed with a glare at his friend who was shamelessly sending him thumbs up "won't let me go without a reason. So..." he trailed off, not able to announce out loud his plan.
"I..." Y/N turned her gaze back on the one whose face had come even closer to be heard. "I just want to get a taxi." She hesitantly explained.
"Yeah no worry, I just need for them to see us leaving together. That's all" he immediately cleared up.
Looking behind his shoulder, she swept over the crowd one last time. Frustrated at the idea that her coworkers might have already left, she took up on his offer. After all, she was desperate to leave and he was her only option.
"Then, can you wait with me for my drive?"
"Of course" he guaranteed before asking "Shall we go now?"
Y/N nodded fervently. The smell of her neighbors was starting to stink and she was sure that the rhythm of the music would follow her in her migraines that night.
"Take my hand."
His strong hand enveloped her smaller one and carried away by his strength, Y/N reached the corridor at the entrance in under one minute. His imposing stature had forced the crowd to split without too much difficulty.
"It seems that we aren't the only ones trying to leave," noted the gentleman who still had his grip on the woman's hand.
With the comings and goings that surrounded them, Y/N clung to the backs of his shirt for more security which caught he took notice.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, it's just hard to get my phone out. I still haven't reserved a drive" explained Y/N.
His hand shifted on her wrist to grab her forearm and then he pulled her gently forward. In this new position, Y/N was barricaded by his arms and so protected from the crowd.
"Thank you..." she mouthed with a shy smile.
Looking down at her, he couldn't help the affectionate look in his eyes with how cute she looked between his arms. To be completely honest, the gentleman needed no reason to abandon his group. But he needed one to approach the stranger who had captured his gaze.
It had caught him off guard how only one look was needed for his heart to be craving the attention of a stranger. He wasn't one to believe in love at first sight but he at least thought that the process would be more complex.
Indeed, falling for her had been too easy. Admitting it, that was another story. It took him the whole evening to find the courage of approaching her and now that she was pressed against him, he pondered the possibility of thanking his senior for being so annoying.
"Oh! There is one available that is just around the corner" exclaimed Y/N who proudly showed him the screen of her phone.
"Then we should hurry up"
The cold air of the night was gladly welcomed by the duo. They felt as if they had escaped hell with the chills that ran through their bodies. Y/N took a deep breath and, annoyed by the racket that wouldn't leave them, she pulled on his sleeve to move them away.
"Thank you again. My lift should be just at the corner, I'll let you go," she announced with a small bow.
When her gaze met him for the umpteenth time this evening, Y/N realized that the gentleman seemed to be waiting for her each time with a certain anticipation. As if every time she caught him staring, he felt no embarrassment but comfort at the attention she offered him.
She watched him as he took a good look at her, trying to savor what would be their lasts moments of the night. "I guess I should also leave then. But if you ever need someone to get you out, you can call me" he offered, handing her his phone.
He didn't say anything else, neither did she; she absentmindedly took the phone in hand, and with a push from the many sips she took that night, her number was added to his contact.
"Y/N..." he read, testing out her name.
"Does the gentleman have a name?" she continued on her momentum of bravery.
His eyebrows rose up in amusement "The gentleman?"
"That's how the bartender called you"
He chuckled and with one step, the distance between them was now inappropriate for two strangers. Yet this didn't seem sufficient for the gentleman who leaned down, pretending that the music could still obstruct their conversation.
"Nanami..." he whispered, lips heading towards her ear to softly deliver his words "Kento Nanami"
