Julian Devorak x Reader/Self-Insert

Chapter Two

"Well, I'm not saying it was good but, I'm not saying it was the best." She finished, waving down someone who seemed to catch her eye. All of us turned, except Nadia, who was at the head of the table. I scanned the restaurant, looking for whoever she was waving at. She stood and moved towards the taller man. He was slim, with broad shoulders and a thin waist. He wore a black t-shirt with a band logo on it, it was hard to see the logo since Portia moved to hug him. He smiled brightly as he adjusted his glasses, bringing his hand up to run it through his auburn hair. He looked to the table, waving happily at his friends. His gaze fell on me, his silver eyes dark in the dim restaurant light. His brows furrowed as I scanned the rest of his outfit. He wore tight black jeans with a star-studded belt and worn black Converse.

"Julian! You took forever!" Portia whined, pushing him towards the empty seat by Asra. he stumbled into the seat grimacing at Portia. Julian nodded to Asra, who in turn side-hugged him. I waved slightly as Portia sat down. They didn't look anything alike except for their fiery red hair. Julian nodded to me before speaking.

"Hello, you must be..?" Julian trailed off, allowing me to speak. He had a strong Nevivonian accent. It was more of a thick Russian but, it was interesting. Not as a bad interesting but, a new interesting. He raised a brow in curiosity, I hadn't realized that he was awaiting my response.

"Oh! I'm River, you must be the auburn-haired man from last night." I didn't think before I spoke, Asra kicked me under the table and shot me a glance. I winced from his blow to my shin but, pressed on. Julian cocked his head and turned to Asra.

"Well, Julian, we found out that we moved in across from you last night," Asra spoke, smiling menacingly at me. Julian raised his brows.

"Really?" he said, adjusting his collar.

"Yeah, we were hanging out on our balcony and saw you walking to your apartment. I knew you lived close to our new place but, I didn't know how close." Asra scratched the back of his neck.

"It's good though," Asra continued. "Now we know that you're just a hop and a skip away!" He said, brightening the conversation. Julian hummed and nodded cautiously. Asra huffed, turning back to Muriel. Nadia and Portia had ignored the entire interaction and were talking about what they were going to order to eat. I sat back, starting to think about what I had said. I looked at Asra to apologize, and he seemed to notice, accepting the look. I sighed and looked around the restaurant for something to keep my mind off of everything.

About thirty minutes later, everyone had had a little to drink. Asra and I had ordered ourselves a Clover Club cocktail, it was something new for me and it tasted really good. Julian had a Salty Bitters, it looked good but, perhaps a little too strong for me but, it sounded good. We hadn't ordered anything to eat as a meal but, we had ordered appetizers for the table to munch on while we all talked and caught up. It was interesting getting to know everyone. Knowing that Portia had a flower shop but also did axe throwing was scary but fun. Julian mentioned he missed going to the beach as often as they had when they were in high school. Muriel said something about bounty hunting. It was a job that not many people could do but, he earned a pretty penny. Everyone knew Nadia so, she talked about her upcoming fashion designs and shows. The group seemed more lively, and Muriel started to open up more, smiling a little more. He was still cautious, I didn't blame him, I was too. It was most likely nerves, so I tried to push the feeling down. Julian's voice rose amongst the chatter.

"So..River, right?" he asked, resting his chin on his hand. After a few Salty Bitters and a good round of teasing from Portia and Asra had seemed to take away some of the nerve and stress he was feeling earlier in the night.

"Yes, that's me," I answered, my attention turning from the game featured on one of the bar televisions towards him. I hadn't noticed that he'd taken his glasses off.

"So, what brings you here? With Asra nonetheless. Are you two a couple?" He asked, as his upper lip raised into a slight smirk, showing his right canine.

"Well, we're really good friends, i don't even think he likes me like that. We decided to build a shop here. I hated country life and Asra offered to take me along with him so, I came. I'm excited to be here, you know? New friends, new places, new..life." I smiled, satisfied with my answer. Julian smiled, he must understand the feeling. I could see his eyes shift from a serious moment to a soft, vulnerable look.

"I understand, are you usually one for adventure?" he asked, taking a swig from his glass.

"Sometimes, sometimes I like to go hiking and go on nature walks. I shoot archery so, that counts I guess?" I shrugged, reaching for my cocktail. Julian's brows raised.

"Well, you could always go walk on the beach. Sunset and sunrise are my favorite times to walk. I can only ever find time to walk in the morning unless I'm on a graveyard shift." he laughed towards the end.

"So, you are a doctor?" I questioned, sipping from my glass. Julian let out an exasperated sigh.

"I am, yes. I work at the hospital further in town. Everything's within thirty minutes of walking distance so, I walk everywhere." he said, rubbing his eyes in exhaustion.

"What field?" I pressed further.

"General Patient care. I work with those who need cancer treatments, break bones, usually things like that. Sometimes I do a general check-up." Julian took another swig of his drink before continuing.

"I used to want to be an actor. Broadway, stage actor but, I continued with medical school, had a full ride and everything." Julian took a second to move his hair out of his face. "I'm so glad I continued to be a doctor, it pays off." he finished, smiling. I smiled at him, nodding a bit.

"I went to college and got a degree in education, I'm working at Asra's shop until I can find a job opening close enough to the shop. We have a car but, I need to lose weight and start working out." I chuckled half-heartedly. I wasn't big but, I wasn't small either. I was more average, a little more than average. Well, I wasn't at my ideal weight. Julian's facial expression shifted once more. This time, he looked more confused, concerned about what I had said. He gave me a once over, scanning my face and what he could see of my torso. I flushed a bright red, feeling his eyes searching me for imperfections. I looked to Asra, unsure of how to feel about this situation. He was preoccupied, laughing with Nadia about something Portia had said. Julian began speaking, which caught my attention.

"Who said you needed to lose weight?" He asked, his brows furrowed, still searching.

"W-well, I did." I stuttered, still unnerved by his silver eyes.

"You don't need to, you seem perfectly healthy unless there are any underlying things that I've missed." He said. I nodded, deciding to stay quiet. Julian had decided not to push the matter, for which I was grateful.