DIE WITH A SMILE - miguel mora x reader -

IV. The shadowing

𓆡𓆝𓆞𓆟𓆜𓆛

-𝓝𝓸 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓶𝔂 𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼-
➶𝙽𝚘 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚎𝚍➶
тнє мαяιαѕ

The word bonding never sounded so ominous.

The director's instructions from earlier played over and over in my head like a broken record.

Shadow Miguel Mora.

Shadow my ass!
Y'know being obsessed was great but now really unfolding the covers and seeing how he truly is makes me feel more better about myself.

Watch how he works. Bond with him. As if it were that simple.

As if the very thought of spending the entire day glued to his side didn't make my stomach churn with dread

and maybe a little defiance.

Miguel wasn't thrilled about the arrangement either.

His curt nod and the flicker of annoyance in his dark eyes had said it all when the director announced our
"bonding exercise."

Now, as I trailed behind him through the maze of the set, I couldn't help but feel like an unwanted tagalong.

Or worse, like a rookie he had to babysit.

"Try to keep up," he said, not even turning around as we wove past the bustling crew.

His voice was as smooth as ever, but the sharpness in his tone was impossible to miss.

"I'm not lost," I shot back, quickening my pace until I was walking beside him.

I wasn't about to let him think I was some helpless newcomer.

Even if the endless wires, cameras, and people shouting technical jargon made my head spin.

Miguel glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, his lips twitching as if he were fighting back a smirk.

"Impressive. You lasted a whole ten minutes without getting underfoot."

My jaw tightened, and I glared at him. "You're really going to be this unbearable all day, aren't you?"

"Oh, I promise you, rookie, this is me being pleasant," he replied, his voice dripping with mock sincerity.

Before I could come up with a clever retort, Mason sauntered by, holding a steaming coffee cup like it was a prize.

He grinned at the sight of us. "Look at you two. Bonding already. Warms the heart."

"Keep walking, Mason," Miguel said, his tone dismissive but not entirely unfriendly.

Mason winked at me. "Good luck. You'll need it."

Miguel's POV

I wasn't sure what irritated me more,
the director's ridiculous idea of bonding exercises or the rookie's attitude.

Y/N was too quick to bite back, her sharp retorts landing before I even finished speaking.

It would've been impressive if it weren't so annoying.

Still, there was something about her that kept me slightly off balance.
She didn't shrink under pressure the way I expected.

Instead, she stood her ground, her shoulders squared, her chin raised like she was ready to prove the whole world wrong.

I couldn't decide if it was admirable or insufferable.

Most definitely insufferable.

When Mason passed by with his trademark smirk, I rolled my eyes.
The guy loved playing mediator, but his comments only fueled Y/N's fire.

As she glared at me, I couldn't help but notice the determination in her eyes.

It wasn't the wide-eyed, desperate-to-please look I usually saw in newcomers. There was grit beneath her nerves

a fire she didn't even seem to realize she had.

The day dragged on, and while I did my best to keep things professional, I couldn't help testing her limits.

A snide remark here, a cryptic comment there. It was petty, I knew, but there was something satisfying about the way her jaw tightened each time.

She was easy to provoke, and yet... she never cracked.

I caught myself watching her during the scene rehearsals, the way she threw herself into the role despite the tension between us.

She was raw, unpolished, but undeniably talented.

Still, I couldn't let her get too comfortable.

Y/N's POV

By the time we got to our first scene of the day, my nerves were fraying.

Miguel seemed entirely unaffected, lounging in his chair as the crew set up around us.

I stood nearby, pretending to read over my script but really just trying to keep my hands from shaking.

Madeline McGraw bounced over, her energy a welcome contrast to Miguel's brooding aura.

"Hey, you ready? This scene's intense, but it's one of the coolest parts of the movie."

"Ready as I'll ever be," I said, smiling despite myself.

Madeline had this way of making everything feel a little less overwhelming.

"Just follow my lead," Miguel said, standing up and stretching.

He glanced at me, and for a moment, I thought he might say something encouraging. Instead, he added,

"Try not to make it too obvious you're new."

My smile vanished. "I'll be fine, thanks."

The director called us to our marks, and I took a deep breath, stepping into the role.

The scene was a heated confrontation our characters toe-to-toe, emotions boiling over.

And as much as I wanted to hate Miguel, I had to admit he was good. Too good.

He had this intensity that drew me in, made it impossible not to match his energy.

When the scene ended, the director clapped his hands. "That's the spark I want! Great work, both of you."

I barely had a chance to savor the praise before Miguel leaned closer and muttered, just loud enough for me to hear, "Not bad for a rookie."

I glanced at him, trying to decipher his expression. Was that... approval? Or just another backhanded compliment?

Later, as we sat in the break area, I noticed Miguel typing something on his phone.

He glanced at me briefly, his gaze unreadable, before turning back to his screen.

A few minutes later, my phone buzzed with a text.
It was from Miguel

M- You're not as unprepared as I thought you'd be. But don't get comfortable.

My eyes shot up to Miguel, who was now scrolling through his phone with infuriating calmness.

He didn't look at me, but there was the faintest hint of a smirk on his lips.

Great, I thought. A day in his shadow and now cryptic messages? This is going to be a long shoot.

A/N
i didn't know what to put here but then the duck song came into my head