Nowhere To Go But Up ⋆ Lin-Manuel Miranda x Reader

Chapter Seven

If you had told me a week ago that Lin-Manuel Miranda was going to give me his number, I would have laughed in your face. Or suggested you go seek medical help. Maybe both.

Either way, I would have never believed you in a million years. The very idea was absurd. Mind-boggling.

And yet here it was!

To say I had been shocked to see that little piece of paper would be the greatest understatement of the decade. An endless array of emotions swirled in my mind...buffeting around like a tiny boat caught in a turbulent sea.

I even wondered at one point whether somebody was pranking me, that this was all one big wind-up.

"What d'you reckon, Luna?" I murmured to my cat, who was sitting in her usual spot at the end of my desk.

As always in these one-sided conversations we had, Luna did not deign to share her opinion, only to sit there and judge me.

I had waited about a day before summoning the courage to message Lin. After all, he was a busy guy and I didn't want to come across as pushy or overbearing...yet at the same time, I didn't want him to think that I was rude by blatantly ignoring him either.

As I had entered his details into my contacts, part of me wondered how did I know if this was even his own personal number.

Well, I guess there was only one way to find out, wasn't there?

Just chill your beans and stop overthinking things, alright? I told myself.

I typed: Good morning sunshine! Thanks so much again for the CD! ☂️🐧

Keep it short and sweet for now.

About twenty minutes later, just I was getting started on the day's editing, my phone chimed. I picked it up, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest.

What can I say except you're welcome!

Grinning, I replied with, Oh see what you did there

L: Do you like it?

Y: It made me cry!

It was true. I had indeed been listening to the Mary Poppins Returns soundtrack on a non-stop loop over the last couple of days. And I listened to it again. And again.

These songs were absolutely delightful! I could not stop smiling! Even though I had never heard this music before, there was this wonderful, comforting air of familiarity to it. It was clear this was meant as an affectionate love letter to the Sherman Brothers' work in the original Mary Poppins, a film I had adored since my childhood.

From Lin singing Lovely London Sky in a questionable Cockney accent and yet still had this lovely, soothing quality...all the way to those little excerpts of Let's Go Fly a Kite woven into Nowhere To Go But Up....

Oh goodness me, these tracks were tugging at all my nostalgic heartstrings and sentimental little soul that I was, tears had indeed been shed.

My phone chimed again.

L: Aw shit, is my accent that bad? 😂

Y: Honestly? Yes

I was only teasing him. See this was what I disliked about texting; it could be so easy to misinterpret someone's tone and things to get super awkward. I much preferred being able to see or hear the person I was communicating with.

To my relief, he seemed to know that I was joking, for he answered with what I assumed (and hoped) was mock indignation.

L: Bahaha
How dare you!
Worked very hard on that accent thank you!