Hei there,
Hands up in the comments if you are reading! I'd like to know who are the returning ones. I am currently reading as well, so recommendations of great Leto fics are welcome ^^
Also feel free to give feedback of any kind about the writing.
~"Come let's have fun, don't let a bunch of freckles get into the way. Freckles are in style anyway," said and I let my robe as he stepped in front of me and slowly took it off me, looking at my body. "So unique, it's pretty damn amazing, Av," he said stunned then smiled looking into my eyes and I smiled too. ~
Standing right in front of me he smiled so gently and his eyes were so bright in the Sun, I got lost in them for a moment, and then just like studying a statue from up close, I studied his face inch to inch with a light smile and for a moment there, I swear I couldn't even hear a thing. Everything went silent.
But then I saw his lips move and heard him say,
"Okay, now I understand why you were freaked out about me starring. This is pretty creepy."
I blinked looking up into his eyes as I stepped away, recovering quickly.
"See? Good, now you know," I stated with fake confidence, what I mastered in the last years around celebrities and grabbed my robe from him and turned to throw it into the chair.
He just chuckled shaking his head, but he kept looking at me suspiciously, so I tried to change the topic.
"I'll take the giraffe," I smiled and walked into the water easily and started swimming.
"Wow... not even a sound?" he looked at me surprised as he walked back in as well. "Isn't it cold for you?"
"Please, I'm from Scotland. I am used to swimming in fresh water," I smiled.
"Right, I tend to forget that you're actually from so far away," he said swimming after me. "Even your accent is faded."
I calmed as he seemed to go with the topic change.
I gulped as I reached the giraffe and caught it, standing up in the pool.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Why all of a sudden, I feel attracted to this man like a whole lot? I always thought he is pretty, and he knows it of course; eight years is eight years after all, and yes, I am an honest person and thoughts just come out of my mouth, but I never actually felt physically attracted to him to this level where I just wanna be in his arms... until like... recently that he actually started caring about me. Which shows just how pathetic I am that someone shows some care and I immediately need more. And the worst is that he, of course notices it right away.
I have to gather myself before he gets more suspicious and I end up scaring him away or worst, he goes back to the strictly boss-assistant relationship.
"Need some help with that?" he grinned looking at me as I was just grabbing onto the giraffe lost in thoughts.
"Nah, I got this, I think," I smiled as I tried to climb onto it, but it was harder than I thought.
I did manage on the second try, though.
Jared jumped onto the shark, but it turned with him and he ended up in the water and I laughed just as him when he came up to the surface.
"Ah, fuck it, I might just stick to the mattress," he said and climbed onto the biggest one, laying onto his back.
His limbs in a star shape, starched out and I smiled at him lightly, until my gaze reached his pants what were totally stuck to his... shapes and curves and I swallowed hard and just decided to slip down from the giraffe and stay underwater, maybe until I die.
I might need a man to save Jared from me jumping onto him.
When I came back up, Jared was still there with closed eyes and a smile on his face.
"I needed this so much," breathed then peeked to me, "Could you bring some juice? And maybe my sunglasses from the table?" Asked and I nodded.
"Sure," I smiled and swam out, picked up a towel to dry my feet then grabbed the robe on and walked inside to grab some juice.
I was happily skipping into the kitchen but froze in the doorway when I saw a figure digging half-way in the fridge.
He must have heard me because he straightened and turned back at me and smiled.
"Shannon?"
"Hey, I was just popping by and had no idea where Jared is so I... decided to eat," he shrugged, and I chuckled.
"We are in the backyard by the pool," I answered as I walked to the fridge as well.
He stepped away so I grabbed the ready-made jug of orange juice.
"Oh... you guys having pool party or what?" He asked as he just took a look at me as I was soaked and had the robe on, what I just tied up now quickly.
"Yeah well... he made breakfast and then asked me to join him in the pool," I said with lowered eyes and he grinned with a nod.
"Nice one."
"What the hell did you tell him?" I asked leaning back to the counter.
"Well, Mom was mentioning to him he doesn't include you in his life enough. You and Mom don't meet often but she really likes you, and she said she sees you in the background of almost every photo of him, but still it feels like you don't exist. Sorry for the wording," he frowned. "And I just went along, being this the best time to say that, yeah man, she is a person who gives you every minute of her life, literally, and you didn't even say shit on her birthday, make her stay behind on parties, literally thanking your award even to your dead dog, but would never mention the person who holds your life together. Let alone, when he could invite two people to the Gucci gala and he brought me and that Lora, who he barely talked since she has been working with us. Although you were the one handling all his Gucci stuffs," he really got worked up and I just pressed my lips looking away.
I didn't even know he could bring people to the Gala.
"I told him he shouldn't be surprised if you are not coming back from Scotland," he continued.
"Well, that... makes sense," I nodded. "Since he came home he acts like we are besties; shaving together and shit," I chuckled shaking my head.
"What?" he laughed too. "Well, you see, he is not a bad person, well... he can be very veeery stubborn and his confidence sometimes comes through as mean but he really appreciates your work. And I am happy that talking to him made him open his eyes. But I still believe you should think about if you wanna keep working for him," he said as he picked out the other bottle of wine from the fridge.
"Why?" I asked confused.
"I mean, don't get me wrong Avery, you were an amazing publicist of ours and the only one who can take up with Jared on a daily basis, for sure," laughed, "but you had dreams... You were ready to leave and be who you wanted to be, I remember how excited you were," he smiled. " And then you helped out Jared when he needed during his recovery, which was amazing, but... Being an assistant is... you... just, I know you have so much more in you."
I sighed looking away. Hearing exactly what my Mom keeps telling me.
"I know, Shannon..." I mumbled peering at my toes. "You are right, my Mom's right. Sometimes I do feel like I'm trapped, but I just... I can't just leave him..."
"Yeah, at least that is what he wants you to think, because he is selfish as hell, and you know that," he stated.
I looked to Shannon, who managed to ruin my mood for the whole day.
He was always the sane voice in my head. Even when I was much younger, he gave me the best advices down the road. Especially in the last two years we got close and I appreciated him being my friend and not sugarcoating anything, but it was harsh. Reality was harsh.
"But Avery, you know that you don't have to move to Scotland if you don't want to. You can find amazing jobs here and we still can keep in touch," he shrugged with a smile.
"I know," I smiled thinking about it. "That sounds good, even. I said with a light smile looking at him, but deep inside I was... bit scared, thinking if Jared would ever just... talk to me, or want me around, if I'm not working for him anymore.
"Sorry for always messing up your chill days," he laughed opening his arms for a hug and I chuckled and stepped to him hugging him around.
I loved his hugs so much.
"It's alright, I need these eye-openers," I muffled into his chest, even though I heard footsteps closing in on the kitchen door, I decided to stay in Shannon's arms a bit longer.
"Yeah and I needed my juice and sunglasses like an eternity ago," came Jared's dead serious, straight up mean voice, and I stepped away from Shannon confused as I looked at Jared who grabbed the juice from the counter so violently I thought it will spill everywhere, then walked back out.
My gaze followed him then looked to Shannon surprised who just waved rolling his eyes,
"Let's go make the drama Queen smile, shall we?" he grinned, and I chuckled as I followed him.
We walked out to the backyard where Jared was trying to climb up onto the shark again but slipped down over ad over again and he looked so angry, pushing it away.
"Let me help you, brother," smiled Shannon walking to the edge of the pool grabbing the shark, "Now," he said then he turned his head back towards me, and he mouthed the words, bye-bye.
I frowned but in the next minute it all made sense as I saw Jared grabbing Shannon's shirt and pulled him into the pull with an evil grin.
"Ahhh... heeey," Shannon whined rubbing his eyes and Jared just smiled evilly as he started to slap the water onto his face.
Then he had to close his eyes as well as Shannon started the same.
I just shook my head disbelievingly and I really had to remind myself that these are grown men. I poured some juice to both of them and walked to the edge of the pool.
"Sorry, Jared, Shannon just arrived, and we started talking, didn't mean to make you wait," I explained when they finished and held them both the glasses.
They jumped to sit on the edge of the pool with legs in the water as they took the drinks.
"Next time, just talk and walk at the same time," he stated, and I took a deep breath counting 'til five.
"Next time Jared, you also can just shut up and walk at the same time," grinned to him Shannon and Jared's expression darkened and pushed Shannon into the water with his juice in his hand and Jared laughed out loud on Shannon's surprised scream.
"You're so mean Jared," I said and I really should have seen this coming, he jumped up and grabbed me up into his arms, I screamed surprised as well, kicking with my legs and the next thing I know is Jared throwing me into the pool.
Many people wouldn't dare to challenge Jared with an argument. Felt like he was way too confident to even say anything against him.
I was one of them, but Shannon definitely was not, as well as their Mom.
This is how being home on a holiday, usually goes for Jared. He is so used to being praised on tour or filming, that he needs some time to adjust from being a many-talented, famous person to "just" being a brother or a son, or a friend.
A real person with real connections.
I did hear about this that famous people really have two lives; the one in the media and the one at home, and how they have to adjust their own self to both worlds.
Both lives are really real but demand different approaches; it is almost like being two different persons. I might be just too understanding, but I do feel like he does struggle with his "famous" and his "average" personas and the relationships he has in these two worlds are different from the core.
"Now we are chilling in the cool pool and you are burning on the Sun, who is the winner now?" Shannon smiled to his brother from the pool and Jared just sat down again with his legs in the water and drank his juice.
I took off the soaked robe from me and threw it onto the ground next to Jared, then looked up to him, my lashes were soaked, I could see water droplets on them.
"Come on, I want my fun Jared baaaack," I whined and then I just noticed... shit, did I just say "mine"?
I pressed my lips looking at him with big eyes.
He looked at me and he so wanted to keep a straight face, and although his sunglasses covered most of his face, I saw his lips twitching and they curled up into a smile what he covered with a laugh.
"Your "fun Jared" got left behind because not so fun Shannon made you forget about him," he stated pouting and I just kept looking up to him with big eyes.
"I could never forget about you, even if I would try," I said, sounding way more serious than I wanted it to sound, and he just looked to me silently.
"Well, that is understandable," he stated smugly, then slipped down into the water right in front of me with a smile.
He reached up and stroked some hair out of my forehead which was stuck there from the water and he followed the motion of his hand as I held my air back, looking at him stunned.
He looked back into my eyes, I could see it through the sunglasses, and he quickly pulled his hand away.
"Let's torture Shannon a bit more," he grinned and swam to his brother who had his arms thrown across the shark, chilling and Jared just pushed him underwater with a laugh.
I just turned towards them slowly, totally out of it.