"where the fuck is my phone?" y/n grumbled as she smacked her hand against the bed, hitting me in the process. i smacked her back, making her groan.
"stop fucking hitting me. and it's in the closet on the floor." i replied, cuddling further into the pillow.
"why is it on the floor?" y/n asked as she pushed herself out of bed, rubbing her eyes. i watched as she walked into her closet, bending down to grab her phone.
i sat up a little in bed. "because you got all pissy and dropped it after your call last night." i laughed as y/n looked back at me with a squint. "it's okay, it was cute. what was that about anyway, if you're willing to talk about it."
i sat up fully as y/n walked back to the bed with a sigh. she sat at the foot of the bed, facing me. "just some stupid family stuff that's not important. i don't want you to worry about it, okay?"
i frowned, reaching forward to brush her cheek with my fingertips. "was it about your dad?" y/n's eyes flashed down to the duvet, giving me my answer.
y/n never talked about her dad. she did frequently mention her mother when we were together, but never her dad. all i knew was that he was a piece of shit that abused her mom, and when she left, he started hitting y/n sometimes too.
one night, she had confided in me a little bit. she told me that when she was younger, she couldn't defend herself because she was just a weak kid. but when she was fifteen, she started growing, and actually fought back. then the hitting stopped and her dad practically became just a thing that wouldn't go away.
y/n sighed. "yeah. every few years he tries to contact me, and sometimes he gets so desperate that he calls and e-mails frank too." she rolled her eyes, reaching forward to grab my hand.
"how long has this been going on?" i asked.
y/n chuckled a little, finally looking back up at me. "since i left louisiana. so since i was nineteen." she paused, grabbing my other hand as she scooted a little closer. "i'm sorry i never told you about it, but it was already hard enough to just think about my family. i didn't want you to worry about me."
my frown deepened as i leaned forward, wrapping my arms around her neck in a makeshift hug. "don't be sorry, there isn't anything to be sorry about." i kissed the side of her head before i resumed my position in bed.
y/n opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by my phone ringing. i sighed, grabbing it from the side table. it was scooter, so i knew i was practically obligated to answer. i held up my finger to y/n as i answered, putting it on speaker.
"hello?" i asked, my mood already deflating.
"ariana, where are you?" he snapped. i glanced at y/n before shaking my head. "i'm at a friend's. what's up, though?"
"well, do you remember your photo shoot today? you have to be there in six hours." he reminded me. i rolled my eyes as my head fell back.
"yes scooter, i know. i remembered." y/n made an annoyed face as she fell back on the bed, spreading out her limbs like a starfish. i stifled a laugh as i covered my mouth with my hand.
"good. i'll be at your house at two o'clock so we can be there at two-thirty," he snapped again, and then the call went silent. i groaned, throwing my phone on the bed as i rolled on top of y/n.
she wrapped her arms around me as i nestled into her chest. "you should really get a new manager. he sucks so much ass, it's embarrassing."
i nodded, releasing a loud huff. "i know. you have no idea how bad i want to leave, but i don't think i can. he's done so much for me and—"
y/n shook her head and cut me off. "uh-uh. you've done so much for him. he treats you like shit and i'm fucking tired of it. he already lost taylor a few years ago, and if he lost you for good too he'd be no where. which is what he fucking deserves."
holy shit, she sounded so pissed.
i looked up at her with my brows furrowed. "damn. what do you have against him?" y/n scoffed, "what do i not have against him? he works you so hard, even though we all know it's not necessary. and i see how upset you are every time you talk to him and i don't want to see that anymore."
she sighed, pulling me further up her body so we were face to face. "will you think about it, at least? please? i want to see you happy again." she brushed my hair behind my ear, making me blush.
i leaned down to peck her lips softly. "i will, i promise."
——
i groaned as i stretched my arms above my head. y/n was standing in front of me with a big pout on her lips as she held my hips. "do you have to?" she whined like a child, throwing her head back.
i giggled, leaning forward to kiss underneath her chin. "yes, baby. but i'll call you right after i'm done, okay? and we can talk until we both get tired."
y/n scrunched up her face as she looked back down at me with a defeated expression. "ugh, fine i guess." she grumbled, crossing her arms against her stomach.
i shook my head at her childish antics. "stop being a big baby and gimme a kiss," i cheesed, puckering my lips obnoxiously. y/n wiggled her eyebrows before she grabbed both of my cheeks, smashing her lips onto mine.
i hummed as i tried to pull away but she wouldn't let up, pecking my lips repeatedly. "babe." i muttered between her relentless kisses. "baby! okay babe, stop!"
y/n groaned with one last lingering kiss before she pulled away, her lips red and swollen. "oops," she smiled innocently, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "sorry. not really though."
i grabbed her jaw and pulled her towards me, leaving a kiss below her ear. "i love you," i whispered against her ear before pulling away, staring at her cute smile.
"i love you." she replied, poking the side of my stomach.
i smacked her hand away with a chuckle and grabbed my bag i had made her previously grab for me so i could get ready. we made our short way outside to my car and i put my bag in the passenger seat.
y/n was waiting for me at the drivers side when i got there, leaned up against the back door. she sent me a sweet smile, her eyes soft.
who the fuck allowed her to be so damn cute?
i gave her another soft kiss before she helped me into the car, shutting the door behind me. i rolled down the window as she leaned down, resting her arms on the door.
"remember to call me?" she asked as she reached in, brushing my hair behind my ear. i nodded, leaning into her hand as she laid it on my cheek.
"i wouldn't forget it." i smiled, kissing her palm.
y/n smiled back just as big before pulling away and patting the side of my car. i waved to her as i pulled out of her driveway, leaving her standing there alone. i watched from the rear-view mirror as she threw her head back, slumping back inside.
when i got back home i could've sworn i was only there for ten minutes before scooter was calling me, telling me he had arrived. i filled my small purse with a few things i might need before heading outside, trying to prepare myself for scooter's wrath.
i opened and shut the door to the suv as gently as possible before looking into the passenger seat where scooter was waiting. the driver took off immediately after i buckled my seatbelt, driving to our location.
scooter slightly turned in the seat so we were face-to-face. he scrolled on his tablet, keeping his eyes on the screen as he spoke. "alright, as you know, we have to be there at two-thirty. we aren't sure how long it'll take since you have to get hair and makeup done too. but after the shoot we have a late meeting with pr. got it?"
today we were shooting for chapter three of R.E.M beauty, and i've never been more excited.
i just simply nodded, sending him a small smile. "of course, sounds great." scooter returned with a curt nod before he turned back in his seat, facing forward.
i immediately grabbed my phone and went on instagram, scrolling through my feed. i got bored quickly and refreshed my page, smiling as i saw y/n had posted something just a few minutes ago.
liked by alex_walsh, arianagrande, dojacat, and 2,483,483 others
@y/n.c: went to go see my son at his mom's house. aren't we great parents?
btw he gets his looks from me, his mom's a redheaded devil @alex_walsh <3
@alex_walsh: ur such a bad father to our son 🙄 i'm taking you to court for full custody 🥰
replies: @y/n.c: try me, bitch
@dojacat: come to my house daddy. bring the cat or don't come at all.
replies: @y/n.c: dayum lil mama, whatchu tryna do?
@xxsweetenerxx: not ariana creepin in the likes?!?!
@arianagrande: i want one 🥺
replies: @y/n.c: let's get one together 😋
i really do want one.
soon enough the car jolted to a stop, making me click my phone off and put it back in my purse. i unbuckled my seatbelt as scooter did, carefully stepping out of the car. i wordlessly followed scooter into the building and into a large room where tons of people were waiting. i didn't recognize anyone, but i was great talking to new people, so i wasn't bothered.
scooter silently walked me over to a guy with long blonde hair standing at the camera, and i immediately placed him as the photographer for today. the man turned around at our arrival, a big smile spreading across his lips.
"miss.grande, hello! it's so amazing to meet you! ive been a big fan of yours for years and it's such an honor to be shooting for you today." he cheesed, holding his hand out to me. i smiled, taking and shaking it. "i'm levi, and this next to me is my assistant marie."
levi let go of my hand, so i quickly held it out to marie. she accepted it and gave me a gentle shake. "it's great to meet you guys too! i'm very excited for today! i'm trusting you two with my life today." i joked, sending them a wink.
levi kept his huge smile as he placed his hands on his hips. "well, with that being said, how about you head over to hair and makeup. marie, how about you take her?"
marie nodded quickly and walked off, waving my over as to tell me to follow. scooter stayed behind with levi to keep talking as marie led me down a hall and to a door that was labeled with a hair and makeup sign.
"here we are! i'll just be right around here if you need anything, don't be afraid to call." she smiled as she knocked gently before opening the door, revealing a small group of people.
introductions were quite exciting and i took a few pictures before we got to work. they covered my lids in a slightly off-white shadow and they accentuated my crease with a thin line of eyeliner. my cheeks were contoured deeper than usual so it showed on photos, and my lips were covered in one of my favorite glosses.
hair went by just as quickly. half of it was loosely pinned up and the other was left down, the ends slightly bumped. my favorite part of the look were the bangs. me being me was too afraid to go and do actual bangs just yet, so we sufficed for a pair of fake ones that we could easily clip on and off.
y/n was always trying to convince me to get bangs again, gushing about how cute she thought i looked when i used to have them. i only refused because my forehead always got sweaty, and i wasn't about that life.
we punctured my ears with shiny earrings before i was brought into a dressing room. i was helped into my dress with the help of two slightly older ladies who were the absolute sweetest.
the dress was a long brown/tan color and my arms were yet again covered by a pair of slightly loose fitting gloves. a pair of heels sat quiet uncomfortably on my feet, but i was used to it by now. my neck was left bare to show off the way the dresses neckline dipped and crossed perfectly.
i was ushered back to levi and scooter and quickly positioned in front of the green screen that i always thought made me look like shit. levi ran back and forth between me and the camera if he ever needed to adjust my position perfectly. i took a few notes from him, scooter, and even marie as to how to tilt my head, express my emotions, or how to pose.
since scooter was never satisfied, the whole shoot took over three hours to just take pictures of me. but i wasn't one to complain. plus, i wanted this to be perfect.
R.E.M was my absolute passion, and i honestly liked it more than i liked making music sometimes. i had more freedom from scooter and i loved expressing myself with colors and the space-themed packaging.
"alright, just a few more and we're done! for this one, i want you to close your eyes and..." levi trailed off, his finger dramatically tapped against his chin before it lifted into an "aha!"
"think about the person or thing you love most. people always look the best when they're in love." he smiled, sighing romantically. i giggled and quickly obeyed, my mind flashing with images of the woman who has been occupying every thought in my head for years.
"oh yeah, girl!" levi suddenly yelled, making me laugh. "perfect! just a few more and...done! alright, someone take the queen to her throne and get her into her more comfortable clothes!" he ordered, twirling his finger in the air.
i sighed in relief, cracking my back a little before heading back into hair and makeup. my makeup was gently removed and my hair was taken down, leaving it slightly messy. i practically ran back to the dressing room, eager to get the dress of after hours of being in it.
i waved goodbye to the women in the room before waking out, finding levi and scooter again. we looked over the photos for about half an hour, and i was able to quickly pick out a few i already knew i wanted in the promos. the rest would probably be picked out by my team with the help of my input i gave to scooter, which i trusted them to do successfully.
and finally it was time to go, but i unfortunately wasn't able to go home and call y/n since i had a meeting with pr. i was dreading it. i've tried my hardest to avoid it for a few weeks, but i knew i had to face it one day.
the drive was relatively silent, the only thing filling the car being the radio quietly playing. i chewed nervously on my acrylics practically the whole way there, being fucking nervous about of my mind.
yet again the car stopped, making my heart drop to my ass. i reluctantly followed scooter into the building, staying completely silent as i feasted on my nails in the elevator. my feet shuffled as we walked down the long and intimidating hallway to the large office of she who shall not be named.
the team scooter had formed had always done me dirty, and i swear anytime you said any of their names, it was like you were cursed. so i promised to myself that i would never say their names and only refer to them as nicknames i had made up years ago.
scooter pushed open the door and let me in first. i was now face to face with the "shedevil" and her evil minions. scooter and i sat side by side at one end of the table while they sat at the other, folders and papers in front of them.
"let's cut to the chase, ariana," the shedevil snapped, crossing her legs under the table. "we need you to be seen in public more. everyone thinks you're depressed and have thrown your career away, and we can't have that happen, can we?"
"we want you to be seen with someone else, too. a new relationship would be great for publicity, and at this point it seems like the only reasonable option. now, we'll give you the opportunity to purse that on your own, but it needs to be quick. understood?"
the shedevil finished with a raised brow, her two minions scribbling shit down on their notepads.
honestly not as bad as i thought it'd be. and plus, it wasn't like i didn't have someone i can show off. even if we didn't say that we were trying to rekindle, y/n and i could play it off as good friends until we were both ready for the public to know about us again.
and plus, pr loved y/n and i's relationship since it honestly did give us both lots of traction, so they shouldn't have a problem.
i slowly nodded, wetting my lips. "that doesn't sound too bad. uh, y/n and i actually had a date last night, so i'm trying. but, could you give us some time, maybe a few months? i can talk to her tonight and we can start posting about each other in a more friendly way until we're both ready? please?" i smiled hopefully.
to my surprise, the shedevil smiled back. "that's sounds perfect. i'll give you as much time as you need. we don't need this going to shit again and now we're back to square one."
i guess someone pissed a little less than usual in her coffee this morning.
——
after hours and hours, i was finally back home. i flopped into bed after taking a shower and getting ready for bed, instantly pulling out my phone. i hit y/n's contact and facetimed her, waiting for her to answer.
she oddly didn't answer. i frowned, knowing that definitely wasn't like her. i waited a few minutes before calling again, and this time she answered after a few rings.
her screen was almost pitch black and i could hear the sound of her fan in the background. "hello?" she mumbled, her voice tired and gravely.
i frowned, pushing my obnoxiously large glasses up my nose. "hi love. is everything alright?" i asked, instantly worried. y/n let out a rough cough in response, and that let me know what was wrong.
"don't feel good," she whined, her covers ruffling and suddenly a dim light came on. y/n was standing up now, her nose scrunched and slightly blushed, her lips etched into a frown.
i pouted at the miserable look on her face as she flopped back into bed. "i'm sorry, babe. curse your bad immune system," i shook my head with closed eyes, making y/n let out a slightly painful laugh.
"i knowww!" she dragged out. "i'm fucking tired of being sick every two months. if this carries on when i'm an old ass woman, i won't live very long."
"y/n, shut the fuck up. you aren't dying before me. and if you do, i will be following shortly behind."
y/n smiled. "tell the kids i love them." she made her voice extra strained before her head fell back against her pillow, her tongue hanging out.
i rolled my eyes at her antics as she opened her eyes, her smile growing. "alright, no more messing around, i have to talk to you about something." y/n immediately perked up, her face suddenly turning slightly more serious.
"so the shoot went really well and i should be able to show you the photos by next week. and after the shoot i had to go to a meeting with the shedevil." y/n rolled her eyes and fake gagged at the mention. "tell me about it. anyway, she told me that i need to be out more in the public because i'm apparently ruining my image. she said a relationship could be good...so i kinda told her about us.
"but! before you get mad, i told her that we weren't ready to go public with...whatever this is. i said that i would post you more often and we would go out publicly together, just as friends? i understand if you don't want to do that, but i just didn't want to get into a stupid pr relationship with some rando and ruin this already."
y/n went quiet for a moment before she smiled stupidly. "i'm not mad, baby. i'd be stupid if i was. and that's perfectly fine with me; hell, we were probably going to do it anyways. don't stress yourself out so much, gorgeous. okay?"
my heart swarmed at her gentle voice. i smiled back, nodding. "okay." i whispered, finding myself staring into her eyes. we both went silent as we stared at each other, the smile on y/n's face never falling.
i could feel my eyes get heavy as the minutes passed and i nearly drifted off for a moment. when i opened my eyes again, y/n's lights were back off and she was laying comfortably on her side, her phone propped up on a pillow.
i smiled sleepily and slid off my glasses, doing the same. i hummed as i cuddled into my pillow, closing my eyes to sleep after my long ass day. "love..you," i mumbled as my face relaxed, my eyes falling heavier.
"i love you too ari," y/n whispered back and i could hear the smile in her voice. "g'night."
——
@xxsweetenerxx: not #y/s/n trending # 1 again after like five years 😭 it's giving me hope y'all and that's not good. not good at all.
@Swiftie13: no i just know y/n and ari are up to something. now i don't know what it is, but they are doing SOMETHING #y/s/n
@arisdildo: they FUCKING again, that's what @Swiftie13
@iamkristen: my #y/s/n radar is going wild y'all. this is a sign from the gods aka me.
@daddyy/n: @iamkristen u best not be lying rn bc i will dox u. this is a threat.
@bbari: speaking of, when's the stay music video??? the stans are waiting, #y/s/n @arianagrande @y/n.c
@y/n.c: @bbari never. i don't like her. she sucks.
@arianagrande: @y/n.c wow ok. i thought we had something...i guess it was all a lie 😔
@y/n.c: @arianagrande no bb ily pls 😔 don't take the kids honey pls!
@arianagrande: @y/n.c shoulda thought about us
when u were kissin that other bitch 💅🗣
@Swiftie13: @arianagrande EXCUSE ME?!!! @y/n.c EXPLAIN URSELF
@y/n.c: @arianagrande nah baby she kissed me 😓 we talked about this love, i don't like her musty ass, you gotta believe 🙏 she's trying to set me up @Swiftie13!
@arianagrande: @y/n.c: your lips have been tainted...i just don't think i can face you rn 😔
@y/n.c: @arianagrande i'm sorry beautiful 🥺 i'll make it up to u i promise <3 ily
@homo4y/n: what the fuck just happened? @y/n.c @arianagrande
@arianaismommy: i don't think anyone knows @homo4y/n
——
sorry for the late update lmao. i made my mom a nice dinner since she's been so stressed out, and that took a while.
be ready for another update soon ;)
i love youuuuu <333!!